[ Guilty by association. Tim is a hypocrite, telling him not to feel it, when every bit of blood and bile that McCarthy spilled for two years stains his hands, too. He didn’t ruin anyone’s life (except for Caroline’s, poor Caroline with her rosy cheeks and infectious grin...) but he’d helped him do it, made the process easier, more efficient. Oiled the gears on the meat grinder, in service of protecting American values. He’d believed in it, then. Part of him still wants to. ]
Maybe you didn’t.
[ This isn’t confession-confession, he isn’t a priest and this isn’t a church, he won’t assign prayers or penance...but he has no other frame of reference for how to receive such a confession, no other way to react than as a priest might. With passion and forgiveness, but not coddling. ]
But you can still become the kind of man who does. This place can be a second chance, if you let it. I’ve seen people improve themselves.
[ He sets his glass down on the coaster with a cork-muffled clink, and leans forward, elbows on his knees. Tim’s hand itches to reach for his, to offer comfort, but he stops himself, fingers wringing in front of him instead. It’d be inappropriate. ]
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2025-04-04 05:04 pm (UTC)Maybe you didn’t.
[ This isn’t confession-confession, he isn’t a priest and this isn’t a church, he won’t assign prayers or penance...but he has no other frame of reference for how to receive such a confession, no other way to react than as a priest might. With passion and forgiveness, but not coddling. ]
But you can still become the kind of man who does. This place can be a second chance, if you let it. I’ve seen people improve themselves.
[ He sets his glass down on the coaster with a cork-muffled clink, and leans forward, elbows on his knees. Tim’s hand itches to reach for his, to offer comfort, but he stops himself, fingers wringing in front of him instead. It’d be inappropriate. ]