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There's... not much to tend to. And keeping myself occupied is a little better, I think.

[ It makes him feel guilty, because these are his mother's feelings in this heart. But dwelling on them now hurts in a way he can't handle alone. ]

... Would it help if I came to see you?

... Are you sure? I'm probably not the best company right now.

[ But that's not a no. ]

I'm hardly ever good company on most days. [ matter-of-factly. ] But that never stopped you, so I don't mind at all.

Noire... [ DON'T MAKE HIM HAVE WORDS WITH YOU. ]

Thank you. [ Because he really would appreciate the company, even if he's probably going to be infecting her with his depression. Though she can't see it, his eyes wander to their training dummy shoved in a corner of his room. ] Could we practice some archery, maybe?

[ THIS IS ABOUT YOU, MORGAN. ]

Mm, I don't mind that at all. [ they'd missed a few days, anyway. ] I'll bring some of the extra arrows with me.

All right. I'll set up at the usual spot.

[ He hangs up and hauls the dummy underarm, the poor thing resewn and patched up so many times that it only ever manages to get impossibly uglier. But it's been a faithful pincushion, so how could he replace it? It's worth the effort fixing it back up because... he loves ya, Sir Wallop. Every arrow is a love letter from his heart.

It only takes him a moment to set the good sir on the familiar busted and pockmarked wooden door at the promised spot. He sits on the floor and waits for Noire there, forehead to his knees. Fatigue gnaws at him, but sleep is impossible. ]

[ it won't take Noire very long to get there; she keeps her arrows close, and she's still anxious about Morgan being left alone, so it's just a matter of minutes before she arrives.

It may or may not be apparent that she hasn't been sleeping well since he last saw her, or at all; there's a weary set to her features, and shadows beneath her eyes. But she's alert enough, and that's all that matters. ]

Sorry to keep you waiting...

[ -- Wow, what happened to her? He looks up and stands, a bad case of dried blood becoming evident across the front of his clothes. ]

Noire, you look terrible! What happened?

[ Never mind that he looks just as bad... ]

[ Almost immediately, Noire holds up her hands, doing her best to placate him. ]

Nothing, really! That is, I'm not injured at all! I just... with Hinata getting hurt, and you disappearing, and a lot of other people vanishing and bad things happening, I thought I should do my best to... do something. I didn't feel like resting until I knew for sure that everyone was safe.

[ So she hadn't rested, simply enough. ]

... You don't look so great yourself, either. [ a mumble. ]

[ Hinata got hurt, huh...? How many more of their friends were affected by this? And while he wishes Noire would take care of herself, this is just... Noire being Noire. A sigh. He'll try to get her to rest after this, maybe. ]

A lot of things happened.

[ He's already talked it out with Morgan, so at least it's a little easier to deal with now. And if it's Noire, he doesn't mind telling so much. He holds a hand out for her bow. ]

Kite... took my mother's heart out and replaced mine with it. [ Flatly. ]

... Ah-- [ she's in the process of handing him her bow when he says that, and her grip falters, the bow clattering to the floor most unhelpfully. Very quickly, she crouches down to retrieve it-- but then she doesn't straighten, taking a minute to let his words make some kind of awful, terrible sense. ]

...

[ No, they're still not making sense. ]

Her heart? But-- how are you-- how--

[ Give her a minute, she's forgotten how to word properly. ]

[ yeah it's pretty crazy huh ]

He did this... thing.

[ How does one even describe that thing Kite did. He has to take a moment to recall the fine details of what happened, past that rush that came with the transplant. ]

He had her heart in his hand, and then he put his other hand on mine. And -- then he crushed her heart and it went in me -- and then he was holding my heart? Don't ask how, I just know.

[ He places a hand over his mother's heart, grimacing. All of those feelings he received from it weren't a lie. Still aren't a lie -- the despair is still there, as much as he tries to distract himself from it, like the pain of a knife left to house itself in his chest. ]

It shouldn't last long, though. He said it would only work for a day.

[ It's his heart; of course he'd know, and that at least makes sense. Noire's dealt with enough curses to know the improbable can definitely happen. But the more she hears of this, the less she likes of it. If that had happened to her... losing her mother for a second time, a mother she'd vowed not to fail like the one now gone forever, had damaged her enough. And Morgan's love for his mother-- for Kite to take advantage of that, and then to say that, that he only had a day?

Something inside of her turns chilly, that ice spreading through her veins in a way her anger usually did. But this wasn't fiery.

And her eyes are dark when she straightens up with her bow-- and abruptly turns on her heel, looking for all the world like she's going to hunt down Kite and murder him.

She really wants to. ]

[ Wha... Her sudden standing and about face surprises him, though his reaction is subdued. He isn't sure what he expected her to do, but this is... a little puzzling. He follows after her slowly. ]

Noire? Where are you going?

I think I'd like to hurt somebody.

[ in a very soft voice, no less. ]

[ ... well, alright then. ]

You're scaring me a little... but I think I could go for some of that too. Just let me gather Sir Wallop up first...

[ Depression and rage are good and important, but you can't abandon a faithful friend...! ]

[ That much, at least, makes Noire pause. She's angry - she recognizes it, chilled as it is - but Morgan's the last person she wants to scare. So she takes a deep breath, letting some form of apology seep into her tone. ]

... Sorry. I didn't mean to-- it's just, you and your mother were both suffering all this time, and knowing him, he probably enjoyed every bit of it... I can't stand that.

[ He holds up a warding hand. ]

Don't apologize. I'm... certain you're right.

[ Kite leaning over Sonia, saying those horrible things... The amount of sadism in that man was repulsive. Will he have to see Kite again when (if) he gets his heart back...? ]

Actually, could I get a shot or two in before we go hurting anything? It's good for my focus.

[ And then he can murder all the better. ]

Ah-- sure! That's fine with me... we should get our practice in while we can.

[ and she shouldn't lose her temper like that, gosh-- ]

[ If the person she plans to murderate is either Kite or Masaomi, he won't complain too much about lost tempers. He nods and holds a hand hand out for her bow. ATTEMPT #2. ]

[ She can't murderate Masaomi, he kind of saved her life. But Kite is totally fair game.

But for now, she offers him the bow. ]

Just remember, it needs to be pulled back by your cheek.

Got it.

[ The response comes seriously, because if there's one thing he can calm down and concentrate on, it's learning. He takes the bow and nocks an arrow to the string. Then he inhales and lifts, drawing the arrow back to his cheek as directed, and takes aim at the dummy. He holds there for a moment so that Noire can correct his form if need be, arms shaking badly from both the tension and the fact that he hasn't eaten much in far too long. ]

[ It's something Noire can hardly miss, but even as she frowns, concern evident in her eyes, she takes archery and teaching Morgan how to do it very seriously. So she nudges his back foot to get him to slide it further back, checks to make sure the arrow is level, and rests her hands under his arms briefly, to help steady them. ]

Breathe out, slowly. If you're too tense and your breathing is too shallow, you'll lose your focus on your target.

[ He fixes his back foot and tries to relax a little, feeling how unsteady his arms are on top of Noire's hands. Then he exhales slowly... and releases.

The arrow misses Wallop's head by a good foot. Not good... even for a second-rate archer. Morgan frowns and reaches for another arrow, disappointed but determined to do better. ]

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wow they are almost neighbors did you know this

-- lmao not until you said that

THE MORE WE KNOW

AND KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE

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