Sometimes you lose too much [Open]

[morganknight]

Something about the river kept drawing Morgan back.

Which was odd, since he'd never considered himself to have any particular affinity to water before coming to the ship. Sure, he'd trained in it, and enjoyed swimming, but he hadn't considered his pool or a beach to be any sort of 'quiet spot' or meditative spot for himself. Then again, lacking access to his mentor's dojo, or his own personal retreats of choice, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised that he'd found a new one.

Work kept him busy, with Medical low on staff and so much to do from the rebellion. Fake as it might be, he still found himself putting in long hours and lots of effort to keep things going.

Still, sometimes... especially when you got the worst of news, you had to take a break. And you couldn't be strong forever.

Morgan sat at the edge of the river, staring into the currents, and let himself quietly cry.

Comments

[morganknight]

"If it wasn't bad you wouldn't have mentioned it," Morgan said, rolling his eyes in fond amusement. "And pushing through a bad situation you could get help for if you asked isn't being strong, you know."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"If it was bad enough I didn't know what to do, I'd have said so," she said. "Well, maybe. In this case, I had my own girlfriend arrested. As far as I'm concerned, its one of the sacrifices I make for not being brigged."

She laughed. "Lack of sleep is not really top on my list of dire situations, Morgan."

[morganknight]

He shrugged slightly. "I'm baffled by your insistence on not getting help with a solvable problem, but okay, consider it dropped."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"When I approach you for an actual problem, you'll know its something that need to be dealt with," Hit Girl said. "This is a trial. Trials suck. But thanks...you know, for caring."

[morganknight]

Morgan, with some effort, held back a comment on the nature of a trial. He'd vowed to drop it, after all.

"Some days you wonder how you can keep doing it."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"You can, but you can't change how things are. If I'm uncomfortable, I can deal with it. But if I have some real trouble, I'll get help. That's just it."

She shrugged. "Gotta find a way, even still. You do what you gotta then."

[morganknight]

"One of those, 'this, too, shall pass' situations, I suppose," he said. Cold comfort at best, but enough to keep going on, right?

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Like I said, I can deal with something like this. It's just really hard, that's all."

She did miss Ruff.

[morganknight]

"Well, everyone's allowed to have a little stretch of time where it gets too hard and you just have to stop and break a little, before you're ready to go on again," Morgan said. "Right?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

"Yeah," Hit Girl said, feeling a little embarrassed that it was possible she was looking a this the wrong way. "I guess I just figured there was no point in bitching about it when everyone's got their own problems."

[morganknight]

Morgan shot her a wry look. "Hmph. Turn it around. Suppose I've got a problem and you've got a solution, but I just insist it's no big deal, don't fix my problem, I'll just soldier on with it right along with everything else I've got going on... That's about the point where, unless I miss my guess pretty widely, you get irritated with me for being an idiot about the whole thing?"

[hit_girl_mindy]

Well goddamn it, he had a point there. In fact, now that she thought about it, hadn't she blown up at the Overlord for his very reason? His refusal to take care of a problem he acted like didn't exist? She HAD thought this was simply a trial to be weathered, that if she even so much as showed how sad she was, it would show how weak she was.

But this behavior didn't sound strong, not even remotely. It sounded pig headed and dumb.

"Yeah, I would," she said quietly. "As much as I hate to admit it, it would piss me off. So if you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

[morganknight]

"I'm not sure, mostly because I'm confused about whether I'm you being me or I'm you being you." He shrugged. "Meanwhile, I'm offering to help you get a good night's sleep, so there's that."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Whether he was being him being her or him....what? Ok, whatever on that one, she would just have to figure that shit out later,

"Ok, we'll get to the sleeping thing. How would you go about it?"

[morganknight]

See why he got confused? This hypothetical thing went too far!

"Well, I'm assuming you don't actually have any physical conditions interfering with sleep, so some acupressure ought to suffice just fine. Unless you want me to wave my hand and bid you to sleep, but I'm not as good at doing it that way."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"No thanks about the whole hand waving me to sleep thing," Hit Girl said. "If you say acupressure will work, I'll try and give it a shot. So how would I apply it to myself?"

Really, the question was, COULD she apply it to herself?

[morganknight]

"I can teach you the basics, though the only guarantee of effectiveness I can give you is if I do it myself. Which I can, and just set up your body to sleep in a little while, rather than have you drop off right here," he said. "Since I have this crazy hunch you'd prefer that."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Hit Girl looked hesitant. how could she not be? The idea of her body doing things she didn't want it to do was obviously off putting, since she kept herself as disciplined as she could.

Then again, she had a period like most girls her age, so she was also no stranger to that.

"Yeah, let's try the little while thing.

[morganknight]

"When you're ready," he said. "It isn't a very spectacular process, just pressing certain points on your body to alter the flow of chi in specific ways."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"More work with chi," Hit Girl said, but even she couldn't argue against it, not after the tournament and all the things she'd done to come out the victor...for a short time anyway.

"What do I do?"

[morganknight]

"That's how I roll. That's how everybody rolls, I just know it," he amended. "Lie down, whichever way is most comfortable for you."

[hit_girl_mindy]

Hit Girl laughed. "You know, I think you're actually a combination of savvy and lame all in one. Don't ask me how that works."

She did as he asked, back down, eyes focused on him.

[morganknight]

"That's a compliment, and I take it as such." He planted his hands on the ground to lift himself up and swing his legs into a kneeling position. Then he made a Force-persuasion gesture at her. "Shut your eyes and relax. All I'm going to be doing is applying pressure. Firm pressure, but not painful."

[hit_girl_mindy]

"It is," she said. "Keep in mind its been a long time since I could easily say I knew the difference between one and the other. It's not like I'm on earth anymore, after all."

She closed her eyes, thinking...of her dad, of Overlord Zetta and Lash...of Ruffnut, and she smiled, calming down.

[morganknight]

He shut his eyes, allowing a moment of meditative calm to make sure his own chi was balanced and in harmony. As much as it could be at the moment, anyway, but that was enough to work.

Leaning in slightly, Morgan started at her lower legs and worked up, pressing firmly on points that seemed arbitrary, but that nevertheless seemed to have an amazing calming and relaxing effect when manipulated.