Tears Before Bedtime {James}

[Misato Hazukashi]

It was not a happy day.

Misato had been unable to attend any of the morning's lessons, and a large chunk of the afternoon's, too. After shooing away his worried roommates with a little sigh, he'd lain down and shifted unhappily in his bed until 5pm, when he'd finally managed to get some mild relief. It was his back again. The night before, he assumed he'd been sleeping awkwardly, and there was an agonising, stabbing pain shooting through his tiny back when he woke up that very morning. Not only did he not want to cause a fuss, but knowing the other roommates found him already rather fragile looking, he'd lied and said he felt a bit sick.

No one really knew that Mr. Hazukashi had the most agonising pain of his life in those days. Those days where he'd cry and ball his hands into fists under the bedsheets. Those days where the pain made him feel faint and sick all at the same time. They didn't complain about their side effects, why should he?

But now it was dusky evening, and a small boy in a dress climbed the stairs up to one Dr. James Campbell's office. As he walked, his wings limply hung behind him, unable to flutter or even wave as he moved. Misato was worried, and he was sick. But the nurse scared him, and he just needed reassurance. People had said James Campbell was the expert on finding meta children. Thus, Misato presumed that James Campbell would also be the expert on side effects, on how to cope with them. Come to think of it, the little blonde couldn't remember what his classmates said the man's power was. It had to be special, surely, for the man to be in such an important place of power.

Staring at the door, he swallowed and knocked twice, shuffling his feet. The receptionist had frightened him as he'd walked past, asking her quietly if Dr. Campbell was available. She'd snarled an affirmative to him, and now he hoped he wasn't interupting him. Words flurried through his head like butterflies, and he was without a net. How could he approach this problem without sounding like a terrible whiner?

In all honesty, Moe was afraid. He was afraid that despite being at the Institute for 5 years, he was never, ever going to stop hurting, that he'd have to have his wings out all the time, and never, ever be able to live a semi-normal life ever again.

He shivered, and dug his hands into his pockets nervously.

[Dr. James Campbell]

James Campbell noticed things. He did it, not just because it was his job--though it was, and he wouldn't give that up for anything--but because he had to. More than just about any of the other adults at Hammel, James was controlled by his ability.

He couldn't shut it off; James was stuck seeing the world this way, and he was stuck with the obsessions and compulsions that came with it.

Of course, since he'd been seeing the world that way since he was eleven or so, it didn't really make that much of a difference to him. It's just how things were for him. So though the irony of having a student who feared he would never outgrow the bad parts of his ability was not apparent to him, the fact that there was a student outside of his door, in pain, was.

"Come in, Misato. Sit down." He ushered the boy into his office. It was a rare day that James didn't walk home with his husband after work, but he'd had some more files to review for the next day, when he was supposed to be giving a presentation to some of the alumni who were benefactors of the Institute.

The chair in front of his desk was a plush fabric one, and he gestured for the boy to take a seat. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" James didn't have to be super-perceptive to see that there was a problem there. After all, he was a father.

[Misato Hazukashi]

As the door opened, Moe's feet felt sluggish, as though he were a deer caught in headlights. It was only his sheer determination that stopped him apologising for wasting the man's time and fleeing back down the stairs. Fidgetting with his dress skirt, he settled down in the chair and looked up at James as he spoke. The room WAS comfortable, even Misato felt a little more relaxed in the plush chair, despite perching on it tensely, unable to let his wings touch the back.

"Thank you Dr. Campbell." He said politely, flipping his phone open and closed for lack of anything to do with his hands. He'd already promised himself that he wouldn't cry in the office, knowing that it wouldn't help anything. But it was HARD. The pain in his back was still throbbing and trying to consume his attention once more, and he looked away, at a cup of paperclips.

"I'm scared." Misato finally admitted, glancing up with large, nervous eyes. He sniffed softly and swallowed a lump rising in his throat. "Dr. Campbell... I... I've been here for 5 years and I still hurt." He whispered, looking utterly defeated and exhausted as he met James' eyes. "It wont go away, some days if I've had my wings out for ages, it's okay. But it's always tender, my back always hurts." The little blonde looked at a loss as he touched his wings with a silent, sad hesitant touch.

"Dr. Campbell, everyone says you're really smart." He added, withdrawing his hands. "So I want to know... will I always hurt? Will I always have that pain and have to keep my wings out? It's just I want to be a designer!" The little Japanese boy's eyes lit up. "An Interior designer, with my own studio."

Misato shivered suddenly, as the pain in his back grew again. "I don't want to go to the nurse... I know it's back pain and medication doesn't really help." He rushed out, fingers clenching round the chair arms.

[Dr. James Campbell]

"Here, Misato, have some water." James rummaged around in the small refridgerator he kept under his desk. He always kept several bottles of water in there, though he didn't frequently give them out to students. "Just take a deep breath, it's going to be okay."

Even before the boy started into his concerns, James was able to guess what it was about. He knew the feeling all too well. All his life, he'd felt the drawback of his powers. And for him, well, it never stopped. Not ever. But Misato had some hope.

"I know how you feel. I'm thankful that I don't get physical pain from my power, but there's pain all the same." Like wanting to curl up in bed with his husband on a cold night, but knowing that if he doesn't rearrange the food in his cabinets so it is all perfectly in order, he'd never be able to sleep. He leaned against the edge of his desk, hoping that his informality would make the boy a bit more comfortable. "But please, please trust me when I say that it does get better. The pain never goes away entirely, but it does get better." He smiled wanly. "I know it might not seem like the best promise right now, but Misato, you can fly. Isn't that worth it?" Even though his OCD sometimes got in the way of his life, and he knew that "normal" people didn't obsess the way he did, he wouldn't give up his way of seeing the world for anything. It was as if riddles were laid out with big arrows pointing to the answer; his mind processed information faster, and just...different.

"And I know you'll be able to do that. You can." Hell, it was obvious enough that the boy had a sense of style already.

[Misato Hazukashi]

"Th-thank you." Misato took the bottle of water and sipped it, grateful to have something to do with his hands other than fidget and look nervous. "I hope so." He added, trying to imagine himself a few years from now with no pain, with his own business and the world at his feet.

He listened quietly to what James said, steadily drinking the water with a tiny hint of a smile on his lips. "I hope so, I really do." Moe brushed his skirt down and set the bottle on the table. "I remember my family being really worried before I was... you know... told. And the pain hasn't got all that much better, I mean, when my wings are out it feels okay." The little Japanese boy thought of when the football jocks at thrown the football at his back, and how agonising it was. "But... Sir, have you ever had a really, really nasty bruise?" He looked up curiously, eyes large. "It's like that, every time something presses on my back too hard or worse, if something hits my back." Shuddering, Misato took a large swig of water. It took a moment for the boy to answer the last question, and a lingering silence fell over the room. "I don't know." He finally said, sounding quiet and reserved again. "I know it's a gift, but... I'd be happy to be normal! I'd give it all up so I could never hurt again."

With those words, Misato looked ashamed, eyes starting to fill with tears. "I sound so selfish." He hiccuped, rubbing his cheeks and biting his lip. "I'm sorry."

Trailing off, Moe picked at his little stockings and tried not to cry. "Doctor Campbell?" He finally asked, looking at the man curiously. "Did you want to do this when you were younger?"

[Dr. James Campbell]

James had been of the belief that some deep breathing, a drink of water, and a conversation was a good start to fixing any problem. Granted, his problems usually revolved around his neuroses, but it still stood. Little things usually went a long way.

Of course they couldn't fix everything, particularly physical pain. He didn't know what to say to the boy. (Though he often didn't know what to say to Misato. And the dresses, though he was good about being open-minded, always confused him. Why would anyone want to dress up that much? Yeah, James wore a suit to work every day, but that was because he had to.) "Yes, I have. I also broke two ribs in high school." No, he had no plans on telling the boy how that had happened. He didn't need that in his head as well. "It hurt to breathe. I understand that kind of pain."

And, oh god, he'd made the boy cry. James had never been good with kids crying, not since his siblings were little and his powers were starting to emerge. He'd known that something was wrong, but he wasn't able to pinpoint exactly what. And since then, any tears had made him feel helpless. And what he'd said had certainly prompted this. "No, that's not selfish at all. It's normal to want to get rid of pain. It's perfectly normal. Most people with abilities like ours regret them at least once." He leaned foreward from his perch at the front edge of his desk, and very gently laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "But the powers are a part of us. You wouldn't be who you are now if you grew up differently. Everything we do, every piece of us reflects back on us, shapes our personalities."

What had he wanted to do when he was younger? Certainly not this. There was a time he wanted to be a fireman, and an astronaut. Then there was a point where he wanted to be a history professor. (He would have been very good at that.) But then he'd had a daughter, and decided to spend an extra semester to turn his minor, business, into a major. A business degree would have made him more money, and he was already working at his father's printshop to cover the bills.

And then Hammel found him, and he started working in Pilot Ridge, and sending all of his extra money back home... When the recruiting position opened up, it just seemed right to apply. Though he was certainly good at it, and he liked his coworkers well enough, it wasn't a dream job. He didn't even particularly like it all that much. But it paid the bills, he got to travel sometimes, and it had lead him to meet Chase. James couldn't complain. "Not this. I wanted to be a astronaut at one point, and a fireman, and a history professor." He thought for a moment, then tacked on, "and Indiana Jones. But I like knowing that what I do helps kids. It wasn't what I dreamed about, but I'm happy here. I also realized that I was afraid of heights, fire, flying, and small spaces, so I wouldn't have made for a good astronaut."

[Misato Hazukashi]

Dr. James Campbell wasn't the only man who didn't really know what to say to Misato. The football team were uncomfortable with this crossdressing gender-bending boy. Perhaps that was because their captain had previously thought he was a girl, and then nearly died from shock when a very soft, high, but definately masculine voice had replied. Since then, the football team had taken it upon themselves to ridicule and throw footballs at the little boy, but I doubt James is likely to hurl footballs simply because Misato is an oddity.

"Ow." The boy replied quietly, touching his own ribs as though somehow they'd break at James' words. "I broke my wrist once." He added slowly, offering the arm out and pointing at a fine scar. "The bone shattered and poked through. That was also the day I found out about my wings." Misato shrugged softly, then smiled. "It's funny how life turns out." Rubbing his eyes to rid them of tears, and relaxing gently under a fatherly touch (Misato hadn't had something similar since Christmas), the Japanese boy began to relax and brighten up again. It was unusual for him to be anything but sunshiney and hopeful.

But James had said something that made the little meta think, it was true that his powers had shaped his life, his personality, though not all of it. If it wasn't for his abilities, he wouldn't have been so good at English. If it wasn't for his abilities, he wouldn't have met such nice people and had wonderful roommates... and if he hadn't been a meta, he wouldn't have met one Mister Vexax. Misato blushed ever, ever so faintly, then looked up. "You're right, being a meta has it's good sides." Fidgetting a little and sipping some more water, he managed to gently rest his back against the chair. "Do you think one day everyone will be meta, Dr. Campbell?"

Instead of waiting for an answer, Misato began to think harder on what he could do to help his situation. He'd spent his whole time at the Institute studying and working hard at all of his subjects, as well as his training. Perhaps now it was time to get some extra tuition. "Do you think Mister Kilbourne would be happy to train me further? Like extra sessions?" He tugged on his curls a moment, looking eagerly at James for an answer. "Because I'm really trying SO hard and I don't... I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything when it comes to managing the pain." The teen sighed, and looked back at his bottle, finger tracing the top of it.

[Dr. James Campbell]

James knew it was probably inappropriate for him to see Moe and be so completely reminded of his daughter. He didn't get to see her nearly as much as he wanted, but at least he knew that she would never have to go through this particular pain. It was a comfort.

"How'd that happen?" His eyes traced the thin scar. His own injury had been the result of a particularly dumb game he used to play with his younger siblings. It was called "Off the Cliff" and was exactly as stupid and dangerous as it sounded. That particular day, the younger Campbells had ganged up on him to push him "off the cliff" which, instead of being the couch or or a bed, was their porch, in this instance. And the layer of snow on the ground underneath wasn't as thick as they'd expected. "Mine was from roughhousing with my brother and sisters. They pushed me off our deck."

Needless to say, there was no more of that game.

Good, there was something of a smile back on the boy's face. "It does. If it wasn't for this, for Hammel, I would never have met Chase-- Mr. Kilbourne." He didn't often talk about his husband or his marriage with students, but he doubted that a boy who wore dresses would really be prejudiced against him.

Though the boy kept talking through it, James was ready to answer the questions separately. (Parents often had a million questions about their kids' abilities, so he was used to answering a bunch of questions at a time. "Maybe. They haven't isolated exactly what causes it yet. It might be something you should ask Mr. Morrison, at the library. I'm sure he's read more about it than I have." He gave a weak smile and a nod. Really, James didn't want to add to Chase's workload, but maybe one more student would be okay, particularly one who was so in need of training. "I'll ask him about it, tonight. I think he'd be okay with it, though."

[Misato Hazukashi]

Misato looked down at the scar on his arm thoughtfully, then withdrew it and tilted his head. "It was when I was 12. I'd been having back pain, and my little brother wanted me to come to the treehouse in the old cherry tree." Trailing off, Moe smiled at the memory. It had been wonderful, Ren had managed to get onigiri and cups of chai tea up into the little wooden hut, and had even thrown his older brother's favourite flowers across the little balcony area. "I climbed up, and he'd made a little picnic for me. It was so kind of him, he was upset that I was so sad." Moe took a sip of water, then continued. "On the way back down, my back started hurting badly, I lost my grip on the rope ladder and fell. My wings came out but I didn't know what they were or how to use them. My hands went out to break my fall and ... snap." Wincing a little, the boy squeezed his bottle of water a little firmly.

"I thought you were married." Misato added slowly, looking at James with a curious smile. "I saw the ring on your finger... but... to Mister Kilbourne? That's sweet." The boy smiled brighter. There was something special about knowing that the tutors and adults at the school had found their happily ever after despite their powers. It gave Moe hope that maybe, when he'd graduated, he'd be very happy too. "When you talk about him you get a twinkle in your eye." The teen added with a giggle, crossing his legs behind him.

"Thank you Dr. Campbell." He eventually said, sipping his water and pushing the toes of his shoes together on the floor. "I don't like talking about the hurt much... I know everyone has problems with their powers. I mean, my room mates get headaches, or shakes. What gives me the right to complain?" Misato shrugged and looked at James with slight shame on his face. "Mr. Morrison. I'll remember to ask him! I'd be interested to know what he thinks about the meta gene." The little japanese teen had often been interested in his biology lessons, hanging onto every word, and the idea of learning more about what made him, him, sounded fascinating.

"... Dr. Campbell? How did you know you were in love with Mister Kilbourne?" A sudden question, but the boy was eager to know. He'd never felt anything like it aside from when his parents cuddled him, but even he knew that was a different type of love. "I mean, is it a heart thing or a head thing, or both?"

[Dr. James Campbell]

James smiled and looked down at the ring on his left hand. It was simple, subtle, and he was very, very proud of it. "Yes, to Mr. Kilbourne. It's been about eight months; though we've been together almost four years now." It wasn't really a secret at the school. Though some of the teachers had been surprised when they announced that they'd gotten married, there was more of an outcry over them only inviting a few, very close, friends than the fact that they were married. Being somewhat-outcast from society already kind of put things in perspective. He shrugged at the next comment though. His eyes sparkled? That sounded like the cheesy, sweet things he tried to be too cool to say. "I'll have to tell him that. I think he'd like it."

It was good to hear Misato trying to be positive about things, but he had to jump in. "You have every right to complain. If you are in pain, you have the right to try to stop it, no matter how much other people might have it worse. Complain all you want, but also do what you're doing now: finding help. You're handling this very well, Misato." And though he liked to give the impression that yes, he knew everything, sometimes he just had to pass questions along to Eli at the library. "I'm sure he'd be able to give you a lot more information."

The last question made him smile wider. How did he know? "It was a bit of both. I met him when I was on a recruiting trip, and I kind of figured out that there was something special. But I had to come back here, so I did. But I missed him, even though I barely knew him. A few weeks later, I flew back, and convinced him to come to Hammel and work as a trainer." He was silent, thoughtful, for a moment, then added, "But I think the moment I really knew I was in love with him was later, when he met my daughter and they got along really well. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of our lives together."

[Misato Hazukashi]

"That's quite a while." Misato mused, staring at his fingers for a while before looking up again. "You'd make a cute couple!" Tilting his head to the side, the little blonde fished out his phone and went to the diary section. "When is your anniversary? I'll try and remember to give you a card." He smiled warmly, happy to celebrate his elder's happiness. Misato had always been told to give extreme respect and to send best wishes to his elders and teachers. It was a habit that had bemused some of the teachers, and pleased others, but no protests would ever change the small Japanese teen, it was engrained into him.

Crossing his legs and looking much happier now that James had told him he had done the right thing, the teen eased further. "I didn't want to bother the nurse... and you seemed like someone who's seen a lot." Bowing his head and nibbling on a little bit of skin peeling off his nail, Misato listened quietly to James' words. "Dr. Campbell? If it isn't too personal... what are your side effects? I mean, everyone has them, don't they?" Pulling his stockings up from his ankles, Moe fidgeted a moment, nervous that he'd over stepped the line and James would tell him off.

"I hope I fall in love like that someday. There's a boy I like right now but he's a bit of an idiot and I'm always worried he'll do something really really stupid. Like when we first met he had set his hands on fire." Misato hesitated and looked somewhat dismayed. "It's our first date tomorrow!" He added excitedly, eyes bright. "I hope you and Mister Kilbourne are happy always. That's the ideal, isn't it?" Cocking his head, Moe finished his drink and looked for a bin, eventually finding one and nodding his thanks.

[Dr. James Campbell]

What was it about this kid that kept James smiling? (Besides the genuine interest in the thing that he could talk about for literal hours: his family.) He just had to grin, though he shrugged. "It seems like a long time when you're a teenager. But when you're older, it feels like we're making up for lost time. And it doesn't help that my little sisters and brother are somewhere around their tenth anniversaries at this point. But we're happy, and if I can say so myself, adorable." He was a little bemused by by the boy wanting to send them a card, but he went along with it anyway. "September 17th. And if you want to give us a card, give it to Chase. It'll be a nice surprise for him."

And something about Misato also kept James in his 'paternal' mode. "It's her job to be bothered with this stuff. That's why we employ a medical team. And I haven't seen as much as you'd expect." It wasn't often that people went to him for questions, once they were already at the school. Before new recruits get there? Yeah, possibly. But not so much afterward. "My power is enhanced perception, and that also gives me pretty severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Yes, it's a little personal, but it's how I see the world. I've had my power for about thirty years, and I'm used to all the aspects of it by now. I don't see my....unique perspective as anything other than part of who I am. It's not a side-effect, it's something that helps define me, and you'll get there, with your powers. A sore back will just be something you live with, something you've overcome."

Misato's comment made him laugh. "Sorry, but though people get more mature, we never really grow out of being stupid. And I wish you the best of luck, with your date and that boy." Though setting his hand on fire....might need a little more than luck. He smiled to himself, in sheer surprise of having the relationship someone wanted to emulate. Five years ago, he would never have believed this. "Yeah, the ideal...Are you feeling any better, Misato?"

[Misato Hazukashi]

Since coming into James' office on the verge of tears, just speaking to the man had improved Misato's mood. Sitting quietly and talking seemed to help lessen the pain, and now, talking about happily ever afters (something Moe loved thinking about) gave the boy more to look forward to in life. "It's not about how long you're together but about the depth of feeling and the happiness you have." The blonde teen smiled, nodding his head. "I'll remember to write a card to you both and give it to Mister Kilbourne." Flipping his phone shut, the boy crossed his ankles and stuffed his hands in his dress pockets.

"I could understand that though." Moe said, thinking of what it would be like to see things so much clearer than other people. "What would just be one little thread hanging out a sleeve would be really bothersome if you percieved it better, right?" At that thought, the Japanese boy fidgetted and made sure he didn't have any errant threads hanging out that may have bothered James in such a way. "My Grandma has OCD." He added, looking up at the older man with a smile. "She arranges her towels in colour order and once cried when I got mud on the carpet. She spent the rest of the day washing every carpet in the house. I got told off." Wrinkling his nose at that memory, the boy folded his arms around himself. "A back is easier fixed than a problem like that." The blonde trailed off, his lips pressing closed as though he didn't want to say much more on the subject.

"He's a bit of a pervert too." Misato added on the subject of Vincent. "He keeps talking about... things." A deep blush rose on his cheeks, and hurriedly the boy apologised. "Sorry Dr. Campbell! You don't want to hear about that." Hiding his face in his hands a moment, Moe took a deep breath before looking up. "I feel much better now. I don't mean to sound rude but it sort of feels like I've had a long chat with my dad." Laughing a little bit and nibbling on his lower lip, Misato shrugged. "I don't get that so much anymore."

[Dr. James Campbell]

Despite the ugly break-up of his first marriage, James had managed to continue believing in happy endings too. He was just a romantic at heart, a sappy romantic who had remained convinced that he would eventually find "the one." And he had. In the end, it had worked out for him. So even though he thought Misato sounded a little like a greeting card--though that could be chalked up to learning English as a second language and not having a total grasp on the concept of corny--made him smile. "Well, thank you. That is very kind of you."

He's tried to rationalize his OCD on his own often enough to just nod at the boy's example. He saw things with such clarity, such definition, that it was unrealistic to expect that he wouldn't notice everything, no matter how small. Perhaps as a way to compensate for the volume of information being fed to his mind, he attempted to make things easier to handle visually. Which meant everything being straight, organized, and orderly, and avoiding germs as much as possible. "Yeah, that's kind of how it works. It just makes things more....intense." This wasn't a first-hand analysis, as he couldn't actually remember what it was like to not see things that way. But others, who were newer to the ability and who had been found earlier, that's how they described it. "I know how she feels." Crying over mud on the carpet was a little much, but he had spent entire days focusing on cleaning one little thing as well. But now Chase knew to take off muddy shoes on the porch.

He could tell that Misato was in no mood to linger on the topic of side-effects, so he just shrugged an offhand "yeah."

The boy's description of the other boy, as well as his sudden embarrassment, drew a chuckle from James. He wasn't laughing at Misato, really, but at the situation. "I'm really sorry to tell you this, but that's something a lot of men really don't grow out of. And don't worry, I'm more than used to it." He meant, of course, with his job, which kept him around teenagers often. However, if someone were to interpret that as a reference to Chase....they wouldn't be entirely wrong. (Not in front of the kids though. Obviously.)

Misato's last comment made him smile even wider. It was touching. And though he didn't want to say that the boy reminded him of his daughter--he did, but not because of the dress-wearing--because Ginny had always been able to talk to him like this, open and comfortable to say whatever was on her mind. "It's not rude at all. I have a daughter, Ginny," He turned around one of the pictures on his desk so the boy could see it. It was of him, Gin, Chase, and his brother Mike at one of his family's annual get-togethers. "It's nice to get to--I don't know--be a dad more. She lives in New York, with her mom, so I don't get that very often either."

[Misato Hazukashi]

Moe had a happy outlook to relationships. His parents and both his grandparents were happy together, and had worked through all their problems together. He watched sappy romance movies and cartoons that inspired him that everyone deserved their dream come true, no matter what walk of life they came from. He knew sometimes things went wrong, and he understood that, but more than anything, he wanted a handsome prince to take him away and treat him nicely. So, hearing about James and Chase made him happy, it gave him even more hope that some day something like that would happen to him.

However, the subject of powers, as James had predicted, was wearing the blonde down. He liked his power, yes, but the side effects upset him. The golden hearted little blonde desperately wanted to make every side effect disappear. It upset him when November was sick and weak from her powers, or when Sammy felt very cold. And to hear that Dr. Campbell suffered as well just made Misato rather sad.

On the subject of Vincent, however, to hear that men never grew out of being shameless perverts, the Japanese boy winced and pulled a face. "But it's not just shallow, right?" He added pleadingly, pressing his fingers together. "I mean, he wont always just think with his manparts? I want to be with someone who likes my whole package! My personality and what I think and feel..." He trailed off and looked out the window. Something about James' office made Misato feel very comfortable. He could almost feel like drinking hot chocolate and nibbling cookies.

"Oh!" Said Moe, leaning forward interestedly and staring at the photo. "She has your nose." He said gently, tilting his head to the side and viewing the image with curiousity in his eyes. "You look really happy." Smiling softly, the blonde leant back in the chair and picked his nails for a moment, silence settling over him. "My family send me photos and letters all the time." He sighed. "I miss them a lot." Eyeing the man for a moment, Misato added "You look like you miss Ginny a lot too." Eventually, he brightened and shyly mumbled "I could be your surrogate son-daughter for a while? I mean, if you don't mind hearing me ramble and speak funny."

Moe hesitated and bowed his head. "If it's rude, I'm really sorry!"