FOURTH CURSE: video

[cawsforalarm]

[When the video turns on, viewers are presented with a Henry surrounded by leaves, with the summer sun peeking in through the branches -- seems he's decided to climb a tree for this broadcast, or maybe he was just chilling here anyway. In either case, the expression on his face is uncharacteristically somber.]

Heya. So... this is going to be, like, Serious Business Time. [He glances off somewhere into the foliage. Honestly, it seems like he's not totally comfortable with the idea of Serious Business Time himself.] I've been kinda mulling stuff over, and I wanna hear all your responses! [The smile flickers back for a couple of seconds, but it's gone just as fast.]

What do you think makes someone a bad person? I mean, just for you, like I said. ...Traits or whatever are fine.

…

Yep.

[And that’s how the video ends.]

Comments

Re: voice, private;

[in_praetego]

[ there's a soft hum of consideration. ]

It's usually those guys who most people see as bad. But... Like I said, it's all about intention. Sometimes, you have to hurt people for the greater good... Even for their own good.

[ Like lying... Keeping things from people... ]

it's why you want to do it that makes you good or bad, I think. If you're just doing it because you like it... Well...

voice, private;

[cawsforalarm]

...well?

[The corners of his mouth quirk upwards into a smile that looks kind of... off. It's more a coping mechanism than anything else.]

voice, private;

[in_praetego]

[ And he really can't help but chuckle at that. ]

I... guess that's a start. Though... I'm probably really not the best person to ask.

voice, private;

[cawsforalarm]

Really? You seem like you've got it figured out...

[Its probably just Yukio's Air of Intelligence having an effect on Henry when he's already feeling like crap.]

Re: voice, private;

[in_praetego]

[ Pls don't Henry how does one compliments ]

I've only got my dad to blame. Being raised by a priest does tend to help you along the way when it comes to these things.

But really, I'm still trying to figure it out too.

[ His ears are turning red man. ]

voice, private;

[cawsforalarm]

[A priest? Hm. Most of the Plegian priests were kind of assholes, but then again, everyone in Plegia was kind of an asshole. Maybe it's different where Yukio is from.] Hey, better than I got. My mom was pretty great, but we never really talked about stuff like this.

I mean, morality doesn't mean much to wolves.

voice, private;

[in_praetego]

[ And he was listening until... well, until that last bit. It may have earned Henry a bit of a look. ]

You... were raised by wolves?

[ And yet Henry acts pretty human. ]

voice, private;

[cawsforalarm]

Nah, not 'wolves' -- one wolf. Singular.

[He nods.]

I mean, I had human parents and a village and whatever? But everyone there kind of hated me and I wasn't super-keen on any of them either, so I hung out in the forest all the time. I met this wolf who had just lost her cubs, and we kind of had a thing going. So when I talk about my 'mom', I mean her.

...And then, uh, stuff happened and villagers killed her and I killed them and I got shipped off to military school, so.

Plus I still haven't really gotten over the "humans are awful" thing.

voice, private;

[in_praetego]

[ That's quite a backstory... and it's pretty amazing how blase Henry is about narrating it. But everyone has their hangups so he's not really gonna pry too much. Might be rude to. ]

Father always did say the Lord is willing to forgive, no matter the sin... and as long as the sinner is willing to repent.

[ But he hears you about the military school bit. Kind of. ]

Some humans can be pretty awful... but there are others who aren't so bad.

voice, private;

[cawsforalarm]

[Even now, Henry's still trying to do the "nothing scares or upsets me at all ever" routine, just because it's a lot easier than actually laying out his feelings bare.]

Yeah, I mean, I'm starting to see that now. But it's kind of dug itself in pretty deep, you know?

Aaaand I don't know which lord you're talking about, but, uh... [His tone becomes ever so slightly less indifferent.] Yeah. Repentance sounds like a pretty good thing right about now.

voice, private;

[in_praetego]

[ Oh hey, something they have in common. ]

No... I really can't blame you for that. It'll be hard to undo something you've had ingrained in you for a while.

[ And there's a pause as he collects his words. ]

I didn't think Catholicism would be that far spread, really... but the Lord I've mentioned is what we call our god. Repentance comes from the person. If they're willing to change their ways and make amends for their sins, they'll always be forgiven. As for how... it'll be up to you.

voice, private;

[cawsforalarm]

Up to me, huh. [...Henry's just going to quietly ignore the part about 'Catholicism' or whatever Yukio's religion is called, because that is a whole 'nother can of worms that he really doesn't want or need to deal with yet.]

[He wasn't really that invested, one way or another. But even so, when someone summons your principal deity and it turns out to be a rampaging beast of destruction, that kind of shakes you up a bit.]

...'kay, I'll... think it over some more, I guess.

[Awkward smile?]

Thanks.

voice, private;

[in_praetego]

[ There's a nod in response to that question. He's no priest, not in the least. It just comes with being raised by one after all. But religion isn't for everyone, he knows that. But he's just imparting what he's been taught. ]

Sure.

[ You can practically hear the smile back. ]

I hope I was able to help, at least.