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

[sharpasafawkes]

[Sorry, trying to crawl to the door]

Bollocks, you're a moment from slitting my throat, I can tell.

[maleborgia]

*voice raising, whiteknuckling that chair*

I'm not going to kill you!

*stands abruptly, pushing the chair back hard as he does so*

If you cannot calm down, I will leave. I do not need another death on my conscience.

[sharpasafawkes]

[That sparks another frantic attempt to get airborne, but it stops before it can really start, Shaun making a keen of pain as he flops back onto the floor, a bit of red staining his feathers.]

[maleborgia]

*FACEPALMING. SO MUCH FRUSTRATED FACEPALMING.*

[maleborgia]

*then striding across the room and quickly picking him up and putting him back on the mattress, making an effort to keep it as fast and as gentle as possible, backing up once he does*

Rue was right. I never should have come back here and I should not have sent him.

[sharpasafawkes]

[His breath is a little quick and he's still shaking, but at least he's responding.]

...You knew it was going to happen?

[maleborgia]

*still rather short with him, but at least he's not kicking furniture?*

I thought he might have been able to smooth things over or at least reassure me that nothing worse had happened while I was unable to see for myself. I did not think you would speak to him in such a manner.

[sharpasafawkes]

No, I meant you knew you'd turn into a kid?

[maleborgia]

*not sure where he's going with this*

Eventually.

1/2

[sharpasafawkes]

[...letting out a sigh of relief, then after a pause]

...

Get over here you bloody idiot. If you're not going to wring my neck, then that chair is damn uncomfortable and there's plenty of room on the bed right now.

[sharpasafawkes]

-besides, it wasn't a mistake, you did a bit of good as a child.

[maleborgia]

*confused and sitting on the edge of the bed awkwardly, waiting for Shaun to explain*

[sharpasafawkes]

[Shuffling over and then very, very, tentatively leaning against]

I can't control it when I shake or start panicking, or any of that rubbish, if I could I'd do it in a second. I don't like being afraid of a child or remembering... that sort of thing just because someone decides to go peel a little fruit in front of me. Look at me, I can't even say what happened without being afraid of it starting up again, and I hate that. I'm a grown man Cesare, if I can't even sleep properly or deal with these things in the hospital, how am I going to act like everything's fine if Malik comes back, it's not only humiliating, but dangerous.

...But I could admit all of that to you when you were younger. I didn't feel like I had to hold anything back and things would almost be like they were before. What he said made me understand what you're like, just a bit. Rationally I can't blame you for what happened, but it's like those damn shakes, it still happens. But, you didn't have all of that with you then, you were just Cesare Borgia, the glorified, if not mostly innocent, brat.

[maleborgia]

*startled a bit at the contact and lets Shaun finish speaking before giving his face a little nudge with the back of his hand and petting him lightly on the neck, allowing his anger to fade to relief for now at least*

I'm the brat? You're the one who called me out via a seven year old. God, do you have any idea the sort of note I'll have to write now? How on earth am I supposed to explain what you told him? He's not an idiot, you know. He was figuring out more than he told you and who knows what he'll end up piecing together if he runs this "dream" by Miguel.

[sharpasafawkes]

Oh get on the bed all the way, you look like you're hovering and that can't be comfortable, and I know he's not an idiot, he's you.

[leaning into the pettings, and then a moment later after stiffening with uncertainty.]

...what was he thinking about, and what's Miguel like?

[maleborgia]

*slight handwave* Nothing clear, nothing real. He didn't like the sequence of events you told him. They didn't match up quite right. He is simply starting to wonder if he really is in contact with his elder brother after all, or if there is something larger going on.

I said he would speak with Miguel about it because, well, he will. If he remembers any of this, at least. They are--we were--the same age, Shaun, and the only boys that young in the household. We spent quite a bit of time in each other's company.

[sharpasafawkes]

Glad to know he wasn't mistrusting himself just yet.

[And smiling a bit, at least in his tone] so that's why you're so protective of him.

[maleborgia]

Exactly. *shifting more onto the bed, leans forward with his hands clasped between his legs, actually going to offer up a little bit of information here by way of apology* He is an orphan from Jewish nobility that was difficult times. My father brought him from Spain to be my companion. If I recall correctly, I had not yet met him when I first arrived in Camp as a child.

[sharpasafawkes]

He's jewish... oh hell.

[maleborgia]

*sitting a bit more stiffly, not enough so that Shaun would be able to notice if they weren't touching* He can take care of himself.

[sharpasafawkes]

That's... not what I'm talking about. How much've you read about what happened during the inquisition... and the 20th century.

[maleborgia]

I have read up a bit on both. I needed to acquaint myself with the basics of what happened in the centuries between our times.

[sharpasafawkes]

... Tactics didn't have anything to do with these.

[maleborgia]

No, sometimes human madness is enough. Where are you going with this, Shaun?

*stopped petting him when he tensed up... probably a good thing*

[sharpasafawkes]

[This is an utterly apologetic look.]

Cesare, something terrible happened that you didn't read, and I'm not sure I'm qualified to explain it.