#pious kcd

Tough schedule aside, it focused primarily on Henry's wellness and safety. And he formed genuine relationships with those monks. He learned about their lives, who they were, and why the turned to God. And Henry's life, full of adversity, for a small moment found his people.

And then he found Pious and gave him mercy.

And Pious is just like Henry. Circumstances have forced him to become something he's not. In Pious's case, a thief and raider. In Henry's case, a solider for hire. If things had gone differently, either could have been the other. And I think there's an understanding in that.

That the monastery is a reset for them both.

And I do believe Pious actually wants to be a monk. I truly believe he wants to give himself to God because he feels truly awful for what he did.

And I think it's just so refreshing for Henry to be around someone who's like him in a way. Or a reflection of who he could be.

Up until this point, Henry hasn't exactly met a peer in the game. Not someone who can so easily and clearly reflect his situation.

I wish the game gave us more with Henry and Pious. Two wounded warriors trying to find their way to the light, occasionally dealing with their own pitfalls.

I would eat up a game with just the two of them working together and developing with one another.

In another world Pious gets to be a monk or a parish priest, and Henry is the solider that stops by his church.

Anyway if you see my KCD takes you know I always value Henry being in a relationship where he's treated as an equal and where his trauma is taken seriously. I truly think Pious and him are that couple.

And the way they end it as monks!

"god be with you brother Henry" Henry feeling comfortable enough to disclose who he actually is. the fact that they were both gonna kill each other but chose to let the other live?

And they left in peace!

i feel like his big things are like

- he's very smart and emotionally self aware but he bottles things up and intellectualizes feelings instead of really feeling them until he's really back into a corner

- he's idealistic and tends to hold strong opinions about like government or whatever but doesnt necessarily share them bc he doesnt think he can make a difference

- he's avoidant and noncommittal - my whole first postcanon chapter with him coming to pribyslavitz was just dedicated to convincing him not to turn around and leave immediately

- when he does commit he's very loyal - the whole gang only got into such trouble because he refused to leave timmy behind. also said to have yelled at timmy at times so like he can be gruff to people but that doesnt change the fact that he cares about them

- sort of a natural leader though he doesn't want/see it

- great liar, always has walls up but sometimes fails to read other people right/judge their character

- total nerd. i mean besides yknow being educated or whatever he makes up the stupid allegory about the boy and the hound to talk to gregor after poisoning him, and he writes a note for himself that's a map to his stash and it consists entirely of Biblical allusions as like a riddle/verbal treasure map

- lowkey main character syndrome?? like fr. just the way he talks about him going to the monastery and everything i feel like he sees himself as his own protagonist if you know what i mean

- and that ties into his relationship with God- there would be some differences to consider in the way Christianity was a lot more cultural back then than in a modern setting and there was less of an idea of a personal relationship with God or even the concept of atheism. but yeah the way he talks about choosing to repent and enter the monastery plus the main character syndrome thing i mentioned makes me think his personal relationship to God is something that weighs on him more heavily than for someone like Henry

- i think he doesn't realize it about himself but he can kinda get in over his head in some situations bc he was the one who made the connection with runt but i rrally dont think he realized their motivations were political and not just thieving

- oh gosh other little things

- - bad with money, poor style choices (colorblind??)

- - predisposed to alcoholism/substance abuse

- - amenable to vegetarianism (at least he never complained about it)

- - not a great swordsman/fighter. ar best he carries a hunting sword or dagger

I liked the KCD monastery quest so much that I had to write something about it. So this is how "Henry is trapped in monastery and has bisexual panic" fic was created.