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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]

Yes. I got a little despondent, but like I said, it's not important at all.

[ yes good safe. ]

[willbreak]

[ well it's clearly important to her, he's not thick!! um, not thick unless it involves romance. ]

It's natural that you'd miss him...

[ hahaha whoops he thinks the «mysterious guy» is from her world. ]

[bloodandblunder]

I did, but-- [ ugh this is dangerous abort abort how to make him stop talking about this-- ] But it wouldn't-- I mean it's impossible, so that's... fine. Really.

[willbreak]

[ nuh uh. ]

You'll see him again. Definitely.

[bloodandblunder]

R-right...

[ why does she feel so miserable why is this even happening Eugeo please!! ]

[willbreak]

[ ... He'll reach out to hug her. ]

Nobody is unreachable, okay? Especially an important friend like that.

[bloodandblunder]

[ and she'll shamefully linger in it, sighing into his shoulder. ]

Maybe not, but there are some things that won't ever happen. I know that.

[willbreak]

[ Quietly massaging her on the back! ]

It's not like you to give up so easily.

[bloodandblunder]

... If I think there's a chance, then that's different. And maybe I've gotten more stubborn.

But this is something else entirely. As his friend, giving up is the best thing I could do for him.

[willbreak]

... Did you ask him that? Or just assume that yourself?

[bloodandblunder]

[ and to that, she lifts her head to stare at him. ]

Eugeo, if the person you liked had someone else they liked, what would you do?

[willbreak]

[ ... ]

Nothing. I can't like anyone like that.

[bloodandblunder]

... I don't think that's entirely true, even if you don't think you should.

[ and she gently places her hands on his chest to push herself back. ]

But that's my problem. And I don't want to cause him any more than I already have.

[willbreak]

He's alive, right?

[bloodandblunder]

He's definitely alive!

[willbreak]

Then you shouldn't give up.

[ he steps back, too. ]

... I killed «that person» twice, Noire. Three times, depending on how you look at it.

[ It's weird how he can say it now, when he'd been so reluctant before. There's no real emotion behind it; all that's already been buried. ]

So don't compare yourself to me — especially not when it comes to «liking people».

[bloodandblunder]

[ Okay, now is a good time to drop it.

It's a great time to drop it. ]

... And what if I killed that person, too? What if I can't guarantee that it won't happen again? You're really telling me not to give up, after all of that, if you've given up on that much??

[ ... well. ]

[willbreak]

But you just said he's alive—

[ Unless they have revival in her world??? But he thought they didn't.......... ]

[bloodandblunder]

He is! I killed him, and then he went away before I could come to terms with anything except the one thing I hadn't wanted to think about, and then he came back before I was ready!

[willbreak]

. . .

[ he doesn't get it at first. doesn't get why she's so worked up, why she's saying those things (just to make him feel better about letting Alice die? really? she'd do that for him?)

and then when it does hit him... it definitely hits. ]

You... [ idiot, Noire ] that's --

[ so articulate, Eugeo. ]

... Why?

[bloodandblunder]

[ she shakes her head, breathing hard, but all of that anger is draining out of her as she takes a step back. Because it's hitting her, as hard as this hit him. ]

Don't ask me that like it's so easy to explain...

[willbreak]

Noire, you're so— why...

[ SORRY ASKING AGAIN. ]

[bloodandblunder]

[ EUGEO DIDN'T SHE JUST ASK YOU NOT TO ASK ]

I... told you-- [ and her voice is too shaky now. ] I told you I-I was giving up, so-- please don't...

[willbreak]

Don't what?

[ It's gentle. Maybe he won't upset her even more that way. ]

[bloodandblunder]

[ Don't hate me. Don't ask me why. Don't give me false hope.

There's so much to say, and when she tries to say it, it's all so dry and crumbly in her throat, nothing emerging except some faintly distressed gasping sound. There's fear squeezing her chest, and it's not unlike the terror when she'd seen him jump, except that the feeling keeps getting tighter and tighter.

Why hadn't she stopped herself in time? ]