[He's not surprised that Tenn disappeared after the trial, not after what had happened... he doesn't fault him for anything, certainly, but as he knows well from personal experience, it doesn't matter whether or not anyone else blames you for something when you're busy heaping blame upon yourself.
He's here tapping lightly on Tenn's door in the interest of stopping that spiral before it goes too deep; it might be that he can't do much in that sense, but hey, he's at least going to try.]
[ Tenn answers the door, fully prepared to put on a brave face and insist he'll be okay. But...when he opens it up, he's met with Marcus' presence.
There's something about Marcus being around that gets Tenn to let his walls down. He just feels like someone who's safe to be around. Someone Tenn can trust with this kind of vulnerability. So...as soon as he sees Marcus, his expression turns pained, remorseful. ]
[In many ways, Marcus is used to looking after people. Maybe it's an offshoot of having had to look after Phil for twenty years, or maybe it's just a function of being a mirrite... he's not really sure, and he's never bothered to give it all that much thought.
While he's not used to having that instinct kicked into quite so high gear, this place sure seems to be good at doing just that. One look at the expression on Tenn's face is enough to get him to hold out his arms in a silent invitation; whether or not Tenn wants to take it is entirely up to him.
Something tells him that he knows what the answer is going to be, though.]
[ He's going to take Marcus up on that invitation and move in for the hug. His shoulders are shaking, like he's trying his best not to cry and hold it together. But...he's incredibly torn up about what took place at that trial, and he grits his teeth. ]
[There we go. He brings his arms up to encircle him and just rubs his back gently-- if Tenn wants to cry, he won't breathe a word to anyone else about it.]
No, you didn't. The only one with blood on his hands here is Hamelin for putting us all in this game of his in the first place.
[It's said gently, more an attempt to steady him than anything else.]
Now, I'll be the first to admit I don't know him as well as you do, but he sure didn't seem angry at you for telling the truth back there. Or am I misremembering things?
[ Tenn is 99% sure of it, anyway. He'd have known if Moriarty was mad, he's pretty sure -- and that was not behavior of a man who was upset with him in that way. ]
I don't know what he's thinking a lot of the time. That guy is mysterious...
Look. I'm not gonna tell you how to feel about what happened, but I am gonna tell you that blaming yourself for it isn't going to do anyone any good. All it'll do is play right into what Hamelin wants from us.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
He's here tapping lightly on Tenn's door in the interest of stopping that spiral before it goes too deep; it might be that he can't do much in that sense, but hey, he's at least going to try.]
no subject
There's something about Marcus being around that gets Tenn to let his walls down. He just feels like someone who's safe to be around. Someone Tenn can trust with this kind of vulnerability. So...as soon as he sees Marcus, his expression turns pained, remorseful. ]
Marcus-san...
no subject
While he's not used to having that instinct kicked into quite so high gear, this place sure seems to be good at doing just that. One look at the expression on Tenn's face is enough to get him to hold out his arms in a silent invitation; whether or not Tenn wants to take it is entirely up to him.
Something tells him that he knows what the answer is going to be, though.]
no subject
I -- I killed him. I killed Moriarty-san.
no subject
No, you didn't. The only one with blood on his hands here is Hamelin for putting us all in this game of his in the first place.
no subject
But -- he was my friend, he trusted me, and I did this. I did this, all because I couldn't...I couldn't handle hiding the truth.
[ He hates Hamelin, yes. That much is absolutely true. But right now, he hates himself, too. And that's not something he feels very often.
It hurts. ]
How is anyone supposed to trust me after this?
no subject
[It's said gently, more an attempt to steady him than anything else.]
Now, I'll be the first to admit I don't know him as well as you do, but he sure didn't seem angry at you for telling the truth back there. Or am I misremembering things?
no subject
[ Tenn is 99% sure of it, anyway. He'd have known if Moriarty was mad, he's pretty sure -- and that was not behavior of a man who was upset with him in that way. ]
I don't know what he's thinking a lot of the time. That guy is mysterious...
no subject
[Point-blank.]
no subject
[ Well. That's one way to get him to go quiet, at least... ]
I don't know... Why else would he have told me, if he didn't want me to keep it a secret?
no subject
[Calling Tenn out? Maybe just a little.]
no subject
[ He kind of sniffles a little, and looks up to give Marcus a flat look. ]
Okay. Fine. Yes, it does.
[ He'll concede!!! ]
no subject
[...]
Look. I'm not gonna tell you how to feel about what happened, but I am gonna tell you that blaming yourself for it isn't going to do anyone any good. All it'll do is play right into what Hamelin wants from us.
no subject
[ A few more sniffles before he straightens himself out a little bit. ]
Okay. Okay, you're right.
[ A deep breath. ]
Thank you, Marcus-san.