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[May your nail stay sharp, and your enemies unwary]
That phrase tickled oddly at the back of their head.
It wasn't that odd of a phrase, not as odd as many other things they’ve heard through the years, no.
It was the sound of it. The feel. It rolled off their fingers and tongue like they’ve been saying it all their life, it just felt natural. Noxus didn't truly have a problem with that, they supposed. if it felt so then it probably was indeed right to say. But that wasn't the true issue.
“... im sorry, friend. I am not familiar with that particular farewell. Perhaps you could teach it to me? For the day we split apart once more?”
Noxus perked up at the other’s words. A farewell? They supposed that made sense. They did find best to speak it when it came time for goodbyes, and have admittedly been doing so for the entire duration of their using it.
And it did feel odd when others responded to it, as if there was a second part that they were missing.
That was the issue! No other bug had been using the correct response to their farewell, and that made them feel off. They would need to remedy this quickly.
Noxus thought. long and hard. Poking and prodding at the bits and pieces of their intact memory, failing to find where they even learned the beginning of the exchange, let alone the end. A small huff left them and they closed their metaphorical eyes, looking deeper and deeper until-
Pale halls, winding and twisting farther and farther beyond-
Eyes eye eyes all over, looking at them, taking them a p a r t-
my King. My King-
Pale white hands-
Do not think. do not feel. do not see-
O [shhhkkkh] m, he [shhhkkk] -
No Mind To Think-
Nox--
[will to br e ak-
No-u-s
Do not-
My child. My prince -
N̨̧̪̱̗̲̤̙̖͉̝͆ͮͬ ̹̺͎̐ͪ͆̾͂̀̓͒ͫŌ̼̖͒ͨͬ̀ ͔̟̺͌͐ͩ͘ͅX͙̌́ͫ̃͘ ̵̢̦͚̜͇͕̾͛Ụ͍̟̘͎̹́̊ͯ̚ͅ ̠̻ͧ͋̾ͫ̑͑̔͝Ș̵̸͇̯̭̄
A hand touched their shoulder and they looked up.
When had they sat down?
Quirrel was looking at them, eyebrows creased in what they now knew was concern. His touch was gentle. Hesitant. He was unsure of himself.
“My friend, are you alright? Do you wish to go back to the inn? I'm sure they would let us stay another night if you are unable to continue today.’
They could barely hear him over the reeling of their mind.
Those faces, those voices… they recognised them. But they couldn't have? Noxus had never met anyone like that before.
They tried to reach inside once more, tried to remember , but that only made their head start hurting.
Their attention switched outward when the hand on their shoulder squeezed.
"My friend?"
His hand was very warm, they could feel it even through the fabric of their cloak. The pads of his fingers dug gently into them as he gave them a light shake, putting another hand on their other shoulder so he could better examine their mask. Had they ever been touched before? This was nice.
They leaned into his touch, distantly trying to will words into existence.it wouldn't be good to speak again, they had been doing so for too long today,they knew they would tire out much faster if they kept at it, but they knew Quirrel would appreciate it. So they forced their fingers into motion one final time.
[i…. Fine... forgot……… remembered………….. Too…. mmummksshh]
Quirrel didn't look very convinced, but he smiled in spite of it “if you are certain... Come now, I believe there is a bench nearby. you can rest upon it until you have your thoughts in order.”
Noxus looked at their companion for a short while, something inside of them growing warm at the kindness of his words. The bug in question gave no mind to it, by now used to his friend’s odd behavior, and instead led them over to the seat he’d pointed out.
The vessel sat at Quirrel’s direction, watching him dig through his pack and hand them a now cocooned maggot from his jar.
Noxus went to eat it anyway, but upon noticing the state of their snack the scholar snatched it from them with a gasp. The affronted look on his face as he examined the spoiled treat made a soundless laugh bubble from them.
The pale halls and the white hands seemed less important, suddenly.
“Don't laugh! I paid a whole cap for these! A cap!” he looked at them with a scowl, hands on his hips as he waved the maggot in their face “these were supposed to last another 3 days!”
The scholar’s face lost a bit of its anger when they only laughed harder at the predicament, soon breaking into a smile as the vessel lost their composure, Joining in with a laugh of his own even.
Distantly, they wished he would touch them again.