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Post by Akane Huomoto on Dec 27, 2023 11:26:36 GMT -5
On cue with Torahu’s statement, a professional-looking blonde came walking into the hallway where the elevator was. She walked up to Noland to greet him, but it was clear he wasn’t paying her any attention. Maybe it was because she didn’t look like...a terrorist?
“Rude,” Akane called out. “You could at least pretend like you know who I am.”
”They think we’re still evil,” Torahu pointed out. ”We helped save the Earth two years ago too! That should count for something, right!?”
“That was under duress to be fair,” Akane nervously laughed off.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Dec 27, 2023 11:27:09 GMT -5
“What? But...you look so...professional...” Noland really didn’t know she was Akane. She was wearing her hair longer, and – upon closer inspection – Noland saw contacts in her eyes, which explains why her pupils aren’t red. It’s like she got a complete makeover. “...Nevermind that. Sorry. Anyway...”
“An agent said you wanted to ‘catch up’ with me,” Noland proceeded to explain with his arms crossed. “If you said that, I don’t get it. I’m a Resistor and you were a Terrorist. What ‘catching up’ could we do? Unless your idea of that is to reminisce on us being enemies, we don’t have much to talk about. So...what’s up?”
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Post by Akane Huomoto on Dec 27, 2023 11:28:03 GMT -5
“...You’ll think I’m trying to trick you...so I won’t go into too much detail,” Akane groaned. “My time here made me realize something. Using my gift and knowledge of explosives to help people is...really enjoyable. I’ve dealt with several explosives cases already. Watching those I’ve saved get away from danger and people telling me I did something good really left an impression on me… Who I was before...I don’t want to be like that anymore. I don’t want to take my childhood frustrations and use that to hurt people… It was wrong...and I want to change… It’ll take a long time for me to redeem myself, but I want to try...”
“While I was locked away, one of the social workers from Eden told me to try to make friends… No one wants to be friends with a psycho lady like me, so…since you’re here, and we know each other...somewhat...can we...at least as acquaintances first?”
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Post by Noland Hardy on Dec 27, 2023 11:28:34 GMT -5
Noland listened, but he was still very skeptical. The saving grace for Akane was that – as she said – they barely know each other.
“I’m only considering this just because I know nothing about you outside of you being my enemy...past enemy,” Noland expressed. “If I agree to this, you realize that, starting out, I’m doing it just to make sure you don’t go back to your old ways? You do anything suspicious, that’s it. I won’t go as far as doing what Markus did to Makoto, but I can’t let you do anything close to what you were doing in the past. You understand?
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Post by Akane Huomoto on Dec 27, 2023 11:29:08 GMT -5
“Absolutely,” Akane quickly acknowledged. “Wait...what happened to him?”
”Probably killed,” Torahu guessed.
“Oh…” In that moment, Akane understood the seriousness of the situation. Not that she would think Noland would act any differently here. Still, knowing that one of the Resistors actually went through with killing one of them certainly makes you get your act together. “Well, you don’t have to worry about me following in his footsteps. I’ll be good. Promise!”
”Me too!” Torahu added to include herself so she doesn’t end up like Ahrangi.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Dec 27, 2023 11:29:45 GMT -5
“…” Noland thought it over a little bit. It didn’t take him long to render a verdict.
”Come on… Leave her already… That girl is crazy and we all know it. Please...Please don’t do this,” Drago begged in his mind. He didn’t want to be rude by saying it loud loud, but...
“Okay,” Noland accepted. “You’re only getting one chance. I hope you’re serious about this…” Drago groaned very loudly after hearing this. He wish he did say what he was thinking…
“Still, even if we’re acquainted now, I’m going to take this sl-”
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Post by Akane Huomoto on Dec 27, 2023 12:02:59 GMT -5
Before Noland could finish what he was saying, Akane glomped him out of nowhere.
”Um...Akane...you probably shouldn’t have done that...” Torahu advised while trembling in fear.
“Hm...but everyone does this… At least, that’s what I’ve seen everyone do,” Akane rationalized while still holding onto Noland.
”But they’re friends! You two aren’t friends yet!” Torahu hissed.
“Oh...I got too excited again…” She quickly let go and stepped back. From her eyes, Noland was absolutely mortified. She stared at him out of curiosity. He seemed to be frozen in place.
”Yep, and now we’re-” Before Torahu could finish, Noland disappeared out of thin air. ”Oh, thank goodness. I thought they were going to blow us up. He’s gone, but...will he come back?”
“...Probably not…”
”Now that dragon will have another reason to think we’re crazy… On the flip side, based on what I saw, I think I have some new material...”
“...What do you mean by that?”
"Nothing," Torahu assured her with a cutesy-sounding tone.
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Post by Alana Cortese on Dec 27, 2023 12:03:56 GMT -5
”The two of us...together…? How could I do that…? How could I almost say that…?” Alana kept saying to herself over and over again. She was sitting on her bed just like Noland was on his earlier. She had a tissue box next to her and a couple of used tissues nearby.
Her BrawlX vibrated to distract her from whatever she was doing. She looked at it and frantically threw all of the tissue away and threw the tissue box in the closet. She waited a few seconds before responding to a message.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Dec 27, 2023 12:04:21 GMT -5
Noland appeared inside of the room using the usual technique and stood in front of Alana. He quickly looked at her to make sure she was clothed. He didn’t want anymore ‘incidents’ of him showing up at the wrong moment. He saw a shirt and biker shorts. Good. He can stay alive and not be called a pervert for another epsiode. Then he looked at her face and froze…
“…You… Uh...” Noland didn’t know what to say. He was expecting to get into some trouble by coming to her to tell her what Trinity told him, but if Alana’s already crying, then…what now? Drago didn’t want to know, so he jumped out of Noland’s pocket, stood in robed form, and walked out of the room without saying anything. After Drago closed the door, there was an ominous, but awkward silence. No one knew what was going to happen next...
“...You know already?” Noland wondered.
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Post by Alana Cortese on Dec 27, 2023 12:04:50 GMT -5
“Know...what?” Alana confusingly responded. “What’s going on? Did something happen wherever you went?”
While that was going on, on the outside…
”You did this,” Drago told Hydranoid who was in robed form also bumming around on a couch.
”No I didn’t,” Hydranoid asserted. ”Although, if they do end up together, then yeah, I did it.”
”You could ruin their entire friendship.”
”Oh, don’t be so dramatic. They’ll be fine. I didn’t add anything to their relationship. Whatever she says or does, that’s what she feels. I’ve been around her long enough to know how she really feels. Besides, you shouldn’t be talking anyway. You left him in her bed and was all like, ‘Hee hee, ha ha’.”
”Don’t spin this around on me.”
”Why not? I’m not taking responsibility for this all by myself. You played just as big a role as I did, maybe even more.”
”That’s ridiculous.”
”No it’s not, and you know it. Now, do both of us a favor and...listen in on what’s going on… I want to know everything.”
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Post by Noland Hardy on Dec 27, 2023 12:05:15 GMT -5
“...Nevermind what happened there for now,” Noland dismissed. He paused a bit to think of how he wanted to proceed with this. He had a good idea what Alana was so distressed about, but didn’t know if this was even the right time to talk about it. Then again...will there ever be a ‘right time’?
“...I see you’ve been crying...” Noland started. “Can we...talk about this? We don’t have to address everything right away. I just don’t want to see you like this…”
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Post by Alana Cortese on Dec 27, 2023 12:05:36 GMT -5
“I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about it…” Alana expressed with her head slightly down. However, upon looking up when Noland continued to stand in front of her, she looked into his eyes and knew instantly that he was there for her no matter what. She teared up just from that.
“Noland...I’m sorry…” she apologized. “I didn’t mean to… Things happened, and I got emotional… I don’t want you to think differently of me or think I’ve been plotting against Petra… You’re my best friend… I don’t want to ruin us…especially after everything we’ve been through together… I don’t...I can’t lose you again…”
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Post by Noland Hardy on Dec 27, 2023 12:05:59 GMT -5
There it was. That was indirect confirmation that Alana almost confessed her feelings out loud. Noland was afraid of this since yesterday, but he has no choice but to deal with it now. Alana’s feelings were more important right now than his fears of what may happen.
“I don’t think differently of you nor do I think you were plotting, and you’re not losing me over this,” Noland replied to ease her worries. “I understand what you’re feeling, a lot more than you know.”
“Knowing that...can you not stress over this so much?”
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Post by Alana Cortese on Dec 27, 2023 12:06:22 GMT -5
Hearing Noland say that made Alana feel a lot better. She took several deep breaths to get herself together.
“Alright… You have no idea how much better I feel hearing you say that,” Alana assured him. “I was really scared of what might happen after that… Hold on…” Alana thought about Noland’s statement of him understanding how she’s feeling…
“What do you mean by that?” Alana asked him. “You understand...a lot more than I know…?”
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Post by Noland Hardy on Dec 27, 2023 12:06:41 GMT -5
“…” Noland was hoping she wouldn’t try to get this out of him even though he knew what he was saying, but oh well… He thought it was obvious by now anyway.
“When I did what I did at Annapolis Mall,” Noland answered. “You saw what I became when I thought you were hit by the rocket. Yeah, I’d get like that if it was Allen instead of you, but I’d be lying if I kept it at that. It was because it was you specifically…”
“So, you don’t have to feel bad about what you almost said. It’s okay. If what you were about to say was because you were getting emotional over what has been happening, then I’m just as guilty as you are.”
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Battalix Dragonoid :: 2000G