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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

[bloodandblunder]

I should have known it wouldn't be that easy... a-and I should have stayed in control of myself... [ she doesn't move, neither inching closer or shying away. ]

That sort of thing isn't easy to overlook.

[willbreak]

[ Well this is awkward. He doesn't move, either. ]

... It took me months to control fire. And even then, I only managed it after I was possessed.

[ And subsequently forgot how to angst because Hyobu. ]

[bloodandblunder]

But you never hurt-- [ she stops suddenly, coughing as her breath hitches. ] A-after everything, after being used to having to act fast in a situation, I panicked...

And you even tried to warn me, didn't you?

[willbreak]

[ He stiffens as she coughs, automatically moving closer before he can stop himself. If she coughs any louder he'll slap her back, but he's holding off on that unless it gets worse—

Anyway, he could say a lot to that. But this isn't about him. ]

Have you talked to March?

[bloodandblunder]

[ ... oh is that her name--

She'll feel guilty over that too, but her coughing is a faint thing, nothing all that alarming. ]

No... not yet. I haven't seen her... n-not that I've left the apartment all that much.

[willbreak]

She won't blame you.

[ There's conviction in that, actually; if there's anything he's learned in Haven, it's that the vast majority of people don't hold grudges. And March seems to fit into that majority from what he knows about her. ]

[bloodandblunder]

I hope she does.

[ it's hardly a whisper. ]

[willbreak]

Do you really?

[bloodandblunder]

I don't want to think she'll blame herself or anything like that... so if blaming me would help her at all, then that's fine.

[willbreak]

... Blame doesn't work that way. If it did, then... we might not have become friends.

[bloodandblunder]

... Ah--

[ things Noire didn't actually think about until Eugeo pointed it out. She's left looking a little blindsided, before she blinks and coughs again-- just to clear her throat, this time. ]

It's not like... e-either way, I don't know what to do, or say... it's like what they left on me, I really am defective--

[willbreak]

I burned it off.

[ He's still half-hugging her as gently as ever, but suddenly his voice isn't so soft anymore. He'll apologize for it later, maybe, but right now— ]

If you want, I'll do the same for you. It only hurts for a minute... and it won't leave a scar.

[ Just a patch of pink skin, but the pinkness will fade quickly enough. Healing powers, yadda yadda. ]

You're not defective, Noire.

[ Eugeo, you're lucky that mark isn't tattooed on her breast. ]

[bloodandblunder]

[ Noire stays quiet-- whether out of surprise that his voice suddenly changed, or because of his offer, the world may never know. But she's looking down at herself, bringing one gloved hand up to her chest to gently press her fist against the writing.

Morgan had been adamant about getting rid of it, too. She's not so sure she still doesn't feel like she's actually a failure, but... ]

... Please. I-if you could. If nothing else... there might be less questions.

H-hi...

[willbreak]

...

[ If it is surprise, Noire's not the only one. Eugeo blinks, clearly not expecting her to agree so quickly— not that she'll see it from this angle. But his voice does lose a little of the harsh tone. ]

Here, then?

Who is this

[bloodandblunder]

H-here's fine.

[ before she loses her nerve. ]

Your conscience.

[willbreak]

Okay.

[ That works, because if they stall that'll only give him more time to think "I'm burning a girl I'm burning a girl I'M SETTING MY FRIEND ON FIRE."

He lets go of her, then repositions himself to face her from the stair below — conveniently letting his bangs shade his eyes. Now he raises his left hand and generates a single, small flame on his index finger, hesitating only for a split second before he reaches forward to poke her chest sear the brand off her skin. ]

My conscience is dead.

[bloodandblunder]

[ It probably doesn't help that Noire flinches, squeezing her eyes shut as a choked noise of pain escapes her. But she doesn't jerk away, holding as still as she can until he finishes.

Who knew, all those years of enduring curses actually comes in handy right now. ]

Are you calling me dead?!

[willbreak]

[ ... Yeah, he almost flinches too in reaction. Almost.

But who knew, all those years of tuning out everything actually comes in handy right now (plus Haven's only helped him improve in that respect).

The actual burning process only takes a dozen seconds or so. Once the mark is gone, he quickly generates luminous element, this time from his whole palm, and holds it over the wound, not moving until the light disappears. The pain should be more or less gone in a minute, just like he said, though it may tingle a little.

Fun fact, he never actually healed his own burn— (but will do eventually!!) ]

Perhaps!!

[bloodandblunder]

[ Noire is left to breathe hard until the pain fades, which is thankfully brief for once, although she's reluctant to touch the area he'd just worked on. But she does, with careful fingers, ascertaining... until she sighs. ]

T-thank you.