Higurashi aftermath

[sharpasafawkes]

[IN OUR LAST EPISODE Shaun and Cesare had a little trip down to the labs, if by "trip" we mean "a magical adventure full of torture-filled antics". Needless to say there's one historian laid up in a hospital bed, more or less asleep and bandaged like you wouldn't believe.]

Comments

[maleborgia]

What?

[sharpasafawkes]

I let someone I cared about be hurt, and then I couldn't end their pain when I should've.

[maleborgia]

But you were hurt.

[sharpasafawkes]

That was before he went mad...

[maleborgia]

...He went mad because you didn't kill him? But he had been mad before all of that happened.

[sharpasafawkes]

Cesare, you have to realize something here, death doesn't stick. You come back after a bit of time. I don't know how mental he was before then, but he started to go after that.

[maleborgia]

Oh.

*short glance at that letter :|a*

[sharpasafawkes]

What are you thinking about?

[maleborgia]

It's secret.

What does the writing on your back mean?

[sharpasafawkes]

...

I don't know, I can't speak latin.

[maleborgia]

I can read it. I just don't know what it means. It says *translates it into Italian which, with the translator, puts it in English for Shaun:* man is a hawk to man.

[sharpasafawkes]

It's a warning, he carved it into me when he lost his mind.

[maleborgia]

Oh.

How is it a warning?

[sharpasafawkes]

It's a modified quote, they originally said "wolves", but he changed it a bit.

[Starting to sound less like a emotional wreck, and more... well, morose.]

...you know, I trusted him. Even wanted to tell him about something. I guess it's a good thing I never did, yeah?

[maleborgia]

*considers this for a bit, fairly obviously torn between loyalty to family and sympathy*

...Yes.

[sharpasafawkes]

It's alright, I know you put your family first.

[maleborgia]

*empathetic pettings* It still wasn't very nice.

[sharpasafawkes]

That's just how he is, I don't think he even knows he does it.

[maleborgia]

*with some force* That doesn't matter.

[sharpasafawkes]

Why? And are you sure you're right.

[maleborgia]

If you're telling the truth, then just being a certain way doesn't mean that he has an excuse to be mean. When my dog bites someone he gets punished even though it's in his nature to do so. It's even more so for humans! We're better than animals so we have to act better, too.

[sharpasafawkes]

Try telling that to him, the only reason he said he was sorry was because he wanted to feel better about himself.

[maleborgia]

*frowning as he pets Shaun :( *

How do you know?

[sharpasafawkes]

I've known him for awhile now, we've spent a lot of time together recently, and he shows a lot more of his real personality when you know what to look out for.

[maleborgia]

Oh.

*pauses to read the writing again. not sure how to transform what he said before into a proper apology or denial so Shaun will be wrong about his brother.*

How?