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[bloodandblunder]

"H... hello? Um, this is me-- ah, Noire! I'm Noire, and I'm very sorry for missing you somehow... I promise I'm not avoiding you, unless you're scary or you're Mo-- trying to curse me. U-um, so when I can figure out how to-- ( beeps ensue, followed by a shriek of fright ) O-oh, no! What did I push, how do I-- make it-- oh gods, did I break it?! W-why can't we just talk in person?!"

[ BEEP. ]

voicemail; action ; video

Comments

[willbreak]

... What were you doing before you... saw me, anyway...?

[ get the conversation away from him please please please... ]

[bloodandblunder]

[ one of these days, he may come to realize that Noire isn't easily distracted, she's just nice enough to go with it when he looks that distressed. ]

Looking for food? No one's starving, but just in case...

[willbreak]

[ she's amazing, never change. ]

Want help?

[ he has a feeling that she'll keep watching if he jumps off the building again. and he might actually crash next time because he's trying to reduce his reliance on metallic element... ]

[bloodandblunder]

[ yes, please don't actually make her keel over from stress. ]

You don't have to... it's not the most interesting work.

[willbreak]

[ because watching him skydive is clearly more interesting. ]

Interesting or not, everyone needs food...

[ unless you're a soul bound to an empty suit of armor, but. ]

[bloodandblunder]

[ Heartpoundingly so. ]

Oh-- you're right, you might be low on cans too... um, then, I'll help out!

[ Noire.

He was the one who volunteered. ]

[willbreak]

[ Noire.

He was the one who volunteered.

But it's fine, THE SUBJECT HAS CHANGED. Cue him relaxing. ]

Where were you before?

[bloodandblunder]

[ THIS ISN'T OVER. ]

Over there.

[ and she points a ways off.

... She actually ran pretty damn fast to reach him in time, but she won't point that out. ]

[willbreak]

[ BUT IT IS FOR NOW. ]

After you.

[ oh yeah, he's still holding the pole. he looks behind him, making sure the coast is clear before pulling it down (away from Noire) to rest horizontally on the ground. ]

... It'll disappear soon.

[bloodandblunder]

Ah... like that sword you made?

[ she'll take his word for it, stepping away to head back to CAN GATHERING. ]

[willbreak]

Yeah, like that.

[ CAN GATHERING IT IS and

uh. ]

Whoa, you ran really far...

[ things he blurts out without thinking. ]

[bloodandblunder]

... [ and she shifts her eyes away. ]

Because I thought you were going to die...

[willbreak]

Well... next time you see me jump off a building, you know I won't!

[ Eugeo, jokes don't suit you. ]

[bloodandblunder]

[ ... JUST GOING TO SILENTLY PICK UP A CAN. ]

[willbreak]

[ ... just going to silently poke her upper arm. ]

[bloodandblunder]

[ and she, in response, is going to give him the look of her people.

You know, the one that's synonymous with KICKED PUPPY IN THE RAIN EXCEPT THE RAIN WAS A TIDAL WAVE AND THE PUPPY IS TOO TIRED TO SWIM. ]

[willbreak]

... You're still upset.

[bloodandblunder]

... [ tucking one can into her quiver and turning away to look elsewhere. ]

I've seen a lot of people die, from as far back as I can remember. When I was older, I thought that maybe one day, I'd get used to it. But seeing that moment, the one where you can watch it, but you can't get there in time, and you're frozen, and you'll stay up that night thinking about it over and over and wondering what you could have done, how you might have been able to save someone important...

I know you weren't going to die, but I can't help it-- just--

[ Noire pauses, swiping a dusty glove across her eyes. ]

I-I'm sorry, I'll stop thinking about it and I won't be so depressing, just... give me some time.

why suddenly feelings

[willbreak]

[ now he's squeezing the part of her arm that he just poked. ]

If I was going to kill myself, it wouldn't be in broad daylight where it'd potentially trouble others.

[ he means well. ]

it's a Noire trait

[bloodandblunder]

[ what is his fascination with her arm-- his grip might get jerked a bit as she whirls to face him, and it might just be that she's had a bad time of it, or because she hasn't recovered from seeing him fall, or maybe she's just overly emotional, or something silly like that.

Whatever the reason, there's anger in her eyes, and it's all rushing out when she opens her mouth. But it's not overly eloquent fury; she's still very much herself. ]

It doesn't matter where or when, if you die at all, it's going to trouble others! Don't even-- being left behind isn't usually something temporary! It's dark and it's lonely and it's far worse than any kind of curse my mother could invent!

Cherish your life a little more, and if you can't do it for yourself, then do it for the people who care!!

[willbreak]

[ this is backfiring isn't it... ]

You're still—

[ then he steps back and stares carefully at a nondescript patch of air beside her ear, voice quiet. ]

I didn't mean it like that.

[ drop it, Noire. he doesn't want to get frustrated with you. ]

[bloodandblunder]

[ she's already frustrated.

But more than that, she's sad, and she didn't say any of that to start a fight with him. Logically, she knows he wasn't trying to kill himself. He's gotten reckless, but he wouldn't just die. Even so, her mind keeps straying to what he'd shown her, the very minute he told her she could probably destroy his entire existence. And even now, when he'd used his magic like that... but.

Now isn't the time to fight, she knows.

So Noire lowers her head, voice just as subdued. ]

... I'm sorry.

[willbreak]

... Me, too. I guess I'm still just not used to people caring.

Even though I know you do.

[bloodandblunder]

Of course I do. I could keep reminding you, but it might get annoying for you.

[willbreak]

Why do you care?

[ Not challenging, just curious. ]