[He looks at Alec, the bright crimson running down half of his face—striking, really—and it’s no wonder this guilt burrows deep. Hatred turned inward, nestling like poison. This is a new layer of clarity, a new revelation about him, and perhaps what he needs is for someone to comfort him. To console, or to be a listening ear.
Henry’s not the person to do that. He can’t offer comfort, he was never given the toolset to do that in a sincere way for deep hurts like these. He’s only ever pushed the knife in deeper.
He doesn’t this time. But his “consoling” lacks warmth. Feels more like an observation than much else.]
From what little I’ve seen, this outcome would always have been inevitable. Your existence itself was a point of contention. You’re faulting yourself for being alive. Did you have a choice in that?
[Oh yes, he would have been… a very potent victim, this teenage Alec, so angry and guilt-laden. But it’s hard for Henry to think of that as a missed opportunity now. This is rarer, finding someone similar to himself, who lets him peruse through the darker parts of his mind.]
no subject
[He looks at Alec, the bright crimson running down half of his face—striking, really—and it’s no wonder this guilt burrows deep. Hatred turned inward, nestling like poison. This is a new layer of clarity, a new revelation about him, and perhaps what he needs is for someone to comfort him. To console, or to be a listening ear.
Henry’s not the person to do that. He can’t offer comfort, he was never given the toolset to do that in a sincere way for deep hurts like these. He’s only ever pushed the knife in deeper.
He doesn’t this time. But his “consoling” lacks warmth. Feels more like an observation than much else.]
From what little I’ve seen, this outcome would always have been inevitable. Your existence itself was a point of contention. You’re faulting yourself for being alive. Did you have a choice in that?
[Oh yes, he would have been… a very potent victim, this teenage Alec, so angry and guilt-laden. But it’s hard for Henry to think of that as a missed opportunity now. This is rarer, finding someone similar to himself, who lets him peruse through the darker parts of his mind.]