three paintings burned

[thehangedrose]

[If you ever went back in time and told Garry that one day, he would be partly responsible for someone's death, he would probably feel disgusted that you could say such a thing about him.]

[But after the events that happened in the gallery, that's now a brutal truth. He was responsible for a death. Not a death of an actual person, but still, a death nevertheless.]

[He had tried to forget about it, trying to convince himself that what he had did was necessary- after all, hadn't Mary wanted to kill him and Ib, or, at the very least, hurt them to the point where they could never escape? It was self-defense, that's all. But the image of her burning up like a piece of paper can never quite leave his mind. And then that book they found in her room...."How to Make Friends"...she was just a kid, a painting child who didn't know how the human world went around things.]

[She was just lonely....but then the image of that palette knife in her hand, aimed at his chest and quite ready to taste blood, returns to his mind.]

[He feels utterly conflicted about the whole thing. Which is why he finally clears his throat and asks a question that has been sitting in his head for quite a while:]

...

If you had to destroy someone because they tried to kill you and the people you care about, would...would that make you a bad person?

Comments

[thehangedrose]

Maybe I don't.

[He nods, even though no one can see.] No, it definitely can't...but maybe you can learn from others about how they would've acted. And then change yourself, maybe...

[not_mafia]

No. You do. [He had such a strong reaction, Tsuna was convinced it was sincere.]

What others do isn't always right. [...] Some people may tell you what they would do, but it's impossible to know what any one person would do until they're in that situation.

[thehangedrose]

I do...? [C'mon, Garry, get yourself out of denial.]

That is correct, I guess. I mean, it's not like I planned for it ahead of time. I just did it. There's a different sort of reaction that goes into these things...

[not_mafia]

[you do because the shonen says you do DEAL WITH IT IN THERAPY GARRY!!!!!!!!!]

Mm, that's right. Everything changes when you're actually in the situation.

[thehangedrose]

[WHO WILL HE GET THERAPY FROM, IT'S NOT LIKE THEY HAVE THERAPISTS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SURVIVED HORROR SCENARIOS IN CREEPY ART GALLERIES, DUDE.]

Have you had any situations like that? Where you believed you'd act one way but you acted completely different?

[not_mafia]

[YES THEY DO THEY'RE CALLED DRUGS]

... Yeah, I have, actually.

[thehangedrose]

[YOU THINK DRUGS WOULD MAKE THIS SITUATION BETTER? HAHAHAHAHAHA oh god no.]

What was that like?

[not_mafia]

[What was it... like? What an odd question. He hadn't really reflected much on his past experiences until now. They simply happened, and then he never looked back, really.]

... a bit scary. But, I did what I had to do to protect myself, and my friends.