Life Gives you Hell

His body stank of the creature from earth's aura. It was a reminder that those from that realm were ultimately uncivilized. His eyes closed, as he mended that shoulder injury. Cracking and setting of joints and bones. His neck going left to right as he sighed his digits softly cradling the painting of charcoal. Kindness met with coldness and disgruntled rage. It seemed it's status as a place of political kindness to demons was exaggerated.

Leaving would cause a stir and annoying his sister, this also did work to his favor a bit. He'd needed an excuse or way to come see her. Especially after the meeting, the Scholar didn't intend to keep his sister in suspense. But if anything else he knew where he'd wait for her. He could kill hours maybe weeks in a library. His own appetite for knowledge knew no equal.

It was a buffet of tempting knowledge and demonic lore, his sister was a very intelligent woman. It was nice to see as he walked into the room. Guided that direction as opposed to waiting in some waiting room. It wouldn't do nor would it entertain him for long. Such was his tempestuous nature, he couldn't help but dive in. Her library was wondrous, the knowledge contained put Babylon to shame.

Finding a seat he picked a book at random, studying it and the nature of the Chaya nation. Some history books and other things, letting him read up on his lore. Learning the status of the demonic world. Things that had changed and come and gone in his absence. It was a tremendous help, even some documents from Minatumi Harbor. His arm ached yet from pain having healed slowly but correctly.

His bird softly pecked at his cheek before crawling down his arm to sit on the table. He knew the question, why didn't he release the power on the woman? Why didn't he raise that Town into a frozen wasteland of Death Energy? Tobias didn't understand why he let pain befall him. The power of Shadows was there and he could have escaped.

He gently ran his fingers along the bird's body, gently like stroking a cat. As he spoke through a smile sitting the book down. A treatise on demonic magic and the many kinds. "If we act in violence, only violence remains...It's hard considering our nature as a demon to abstain. But sometimes the easy way isn't the right way. There is no quick solution, some people are angry as simple as people. We don't go to their level, take Adolf Hitler for an example. What if the allies decided to purge the Germans? "

He posed the question, to which the bird gently pecked his palm. Answering him through their connection. The Bird didn't know, as he leaned back into his chair further. "It would undoubtedly cause problems, things unforeseen by them. Had I used magic in that situation, those youngsters would have been in danger. But..it would also have caused trouble for the sister I just met. A broken shoulder and rough hello are nothing compared to that on the scales."

Astaroth weighed those connections are more precious, then a shoulder or some woman being angry enough to discount honesty. That was her choice, but anger was a poison. It extinguished life and caused damage to things nobody foresaw. Mavra wouldn't want him to be angry or to use his magic like that. So Astaroth made a point to never kill with it. Not since Tobias, that was the first and only time. He made a vow he'd kept good on for those 500 years. Scholars didn't wage wars, they recorded them.

And the history of this world was very tumultuous, it was upsetting in a sense. A soft smile formed over his face as he thought back on those days. Experiments and learning what he could. Developing speed, but shutting himself in. That was the problem, he needed resources to continue his research. But it made little difference at this moment.

Tobias resumed the conversation, tapping his hand now to alert him to it. "Why didn't I act like myself with Algos and those there?" His lips formed a smile though a sad one at best. Before he leaned back and closed the book. He glanced upwards at the mountain and seas of books before him.

"In some ways, I've always been the most distant of our family. I kept away from Mana because I didn't want to tread her path. She sought war and conquest, or maybe it sought her. I knew of Inami but never met her until that time. Algos and Calypso, it was my first time seeing them. "

His eyes held a fondness in them, happy to see his family doing well. That was going to be the fondest moment in his 500 years of life. Seeing those members of his family. It was a shame the event he saw there, wasn't the union but the destruction. Nothing he could accomplish, not as he is. Astaroth's power had never been that great.

"I'm not good with my emotions or being true to them Tobi, in someways understanding and being near them are outside my skills. Science, Magical theory, these are things I grasp well. Social communications, the way a brother should be with a sister? Demon heritage and what it means to be born this way? These are aspects I can't even comprehend on the best day of the week. I am what I am, a demon, and a scholar. I guess a Scholar of Sin is the best way to word it. Since I can't claim purity like other races, but can only say that I am an Asthavon. So there does exist that in my blood."

He tapped the bird on the beak, a fond way of letting the animal know to let him be and read his book.