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]

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.

[maleborgia]

Did it happen to him? No. Tell me what it was. I can handle hearing it.

[sharpasafawkes]

Not to him, no, but... Cesare, do you really want to know?

[maleborgia]

You can tell me, or I can look it up in the library once I leave. It is entirely up to you.

[sharpasafawkes]

[Nodding] it's better that you tell Miguel anyway, at least if he ends up here.

[Takes a long, long moment, and then starts to explain, well. Everything]

[maleborgia]

*this is the most carefully unreadable listening to this account*

[sharpasafawkes]

[When he's done with everything he goes quiet, for once not making a single sarcastic comment throughout the whole thing.]

[maleborgia]

I see.

*was quiet, thinking, and falls quiet again but after a moment he remembers that Shaun liked the pettings and starts that up again*

[sharpasafawkes]

[More worried about Cesare right now, gently headbutting him]

I'm sorry...

[maleborgia]

*snapped out of it*

Why are you apologizing? I wanted you to tell me.

[sharpasafawkes]

That doesn't make it any less painful to learn.

[maleborgia]

It is less painful to learn about than to experience. And it takes place far, very far in the future. Perhaps it will not even come to pass in my world. I am not certain that our histories are entirely similar. Or maybe it is simply that mine is still open to change in ways that yours is not.

[sharpasafawkes]

...

[this is a look that very clearly says "Oh, Cesare".]

[maleborgia]

What is it?

[sharpasafawkes]

[pausing and really, really wondering if he should say it at all.

Then yeah, saying it]

You're rubbish with emotions.

[maleborgia]

*just. just laughing at that. this is all too absurd to do much more than laugh.*

Am I?

[sharpasafawkes]

[OH GOD, OH GOD, IS THIS THE CRAZY LAUGH?]