"..Aile? It did happen. I was there, I-" he got cut off as Aile squeezed harder and he squirmed a bit. "Aile, you're hu-" and he was cut off again as she stared at him. He pulled back some, gauging how tight she had him. "Aile?" He stared back at her. Now this was not right.
She wasn't letting him going anywhere, that was for sure. She wasn't quite holding as hard as she could, but if he was getting hurt, then she couldn't really justify squeezing harder.
She wasn't letting go without a fight, though. He needed to love her, but he didn't anymore. Because he hadn't seen what she had. But he needed to, had to. He was her friend, and she needed him to like her again. She needed him to learn.
"That's a silly name, don't you think, Rockman? I'm MegaMan, the hero who protects everyone. Just like you. Or like you should be."
She tried to keep any hint of accusation of her gaze, because all Rockman deserved right now was pity. And a chance to see what she had.
He really wanted to call up his armor but there were two reasons that he couldn't. One, he was to close to Aile, he'd get an error. Two, it might be seen as an attack. He just had to trust that she wouldn't crush him.
If he knew what she was thinking, he'd tell her how much he cared about her. That he didn't want her getting hurt and was only telling her these things to help her. It wasn't the best time to say them, sure, but he didn't want something happening that couldn't be reversed because he didn't say them in time.
"I think Aile is a nice name. Will you please be Aile, take a brake from being MegaMan? And I'm not a hero, I only do my best."
He'd stopped squirming and just tried to stay still.
On some level, she knew he probably didn't like staying with her too much. So she went back to petting him, for the moment, she'd just have to find some kind of interface, some better way to share him when than talking, he wasn't listening to talking, he wasn't getting verbal explanation.
But she loved him, he was her friend. She smiled at him some more, grinning at him some more. Always such a joker. This is why she wanted one.
"You ARE a hero, Rockman. You don't know it yet, but you're just like me. And why should I take a break? Someone will try something else, and I want to be able to stop them."
Staying with her was fine, he just didn't like such close contact. And the squeezing, can't forget the squeezing.
He frowned, "No I'm not. I couldn't save them. A real hero could."
"I do know it, that's why were such good friends. But you're going to far and I don't want you to get obsessed. You can take break, there are others who can stop anyone who tries something."
"Silly, silly." The squeezing let up a little bit, she was getting better at figuring out what parts came next. He wasn't being so confusing anymore. But he wasn't allowed to pull away from her, she wouldn't let him get away with it. He was her friend, she loved him, and he didn't get to try and leave until he understood what she had to do next.
"Others like you, silly?" She grinned and sped up the petting. He was such a kid sometimes. But that was why she liked him. "I won't get obsessed. But I need to deal with just a few people first, okay?"
He wouldn't try getting away. She needed him to be there and she wasn't squeezing as hard. "I'm not being silly. I'm serious."
"Others that have more experience." Normally he liked petting but he was too creeped out to take any comfort from it. "If you do, you won't notice it. And I won't get to see Aile anymore. ...Who do you need to deal with?"
The petting sped up to an almost frantic pace. Weird as her hands felt right, she NEEDED to know that he was still there for her, that he wouldn't try to go anywhere or do anything because he was her friend and he owed her that and he was hurting again, why did he do things like this? "Don't be silly. Silly." That was what she had to remember, he didn't mean what he was saying, not REALLY. He COULDN'T. "Don't worry about not seeing Aile again."
Her mouth hardened a little at that, really, wasn't she wasting time here? "Forte."
"You can't! Serpent killed her." And NOW she's squeezing him again. She didn't even know why she'd said that, but it was true, in a way... she was MegaMan now. She was responsible for everyone. Aile was a silly little girl, and she'd done nothing but mess things up. But now, MegaMan had her parents' help, and all of the Livemetals, and she was going to be alright and manage to do this PROPERLY. And Rockman would help, if only he would stop asking all these QUESTIONS. They'd done the same thing to him they'd done to her, and she clung tight as she could, sympathy growing every minute. "I'm fine, I told you, I'm better than ever. And I'll track them down one by one, and if they need to be dealt with I'll deal with them."
"Aile! You're hurting me!" he yelped. "And he didn't kill her, she's still there, just hiding! I know you're there, Aile! You're scared and don't know what to do. But I'm your friend, I won't leave you. Please come out..." He had started talking at a frantic pace but slowed down at the end, hoping something he said would snap her out of it.
MegaMan couldn't make him SEE. He was cold to her, she couldn't find a way to show him how wrong he was, what had happened to Aile. Why she WASN'T scared. She didn't have any REASON to be scared. But he was being cold, and she had to let up on the squeezing some, settle for just clinging to him and whispering about it. He was being so STUPID. He just needed to grow up, was all. Just like she had. But she couldn't find a way to show him. "There is no more Aile, Rockman, you're wrong. No one's scared here, except maybe for you. Don't worry, don't be silly..."
It was Rockman's turn to hug Aile. He never was good at comfort but now he needed it too. "I am scared... I'm scared that you're hurt and don't even know it. And that I can't help." He didn't know what to do. She wasn't listening to him either. Ignoring what he said and calling it silly. "I'm not wrong. Why wont you believe me?"
She hugged him back, some part of the weaker her just wanting to hug him, but the rest of her was just shaking her head at him and grinning a little. "I'm not listening because you don't know what you're talking about Rockman. But you don't have to worry, because I'm here to protect you. I'll always be here to protect you."
"Do too. I've been doing it longer. I know. And I will protect you too. You don't have to be in hero mode all the time 'cause we can take turns protecting each other, right?" He needed to let her know that. If she tried to protect everyone then she would get overwhelmed.
"I have the strength to do more, though. And you keep being silly, but you don't have to worry so much, okay?" He was being weird about this and she couldn't see why, but if he wanted to get to her too, what else were friends for? She didn't mind one bit.
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She wasn't letting go without a fight, though. He needed to love her, but he didn't anymore. Because he hadn't seen what she had. But he needed to, had to. He was her friend, and she needed him to like her again. She needed him to learn.
"That's a silly name, don't you think, Rockman? I'm MegaMan, the hero who protects everyone. Just like you. Or like you should be."
She tried to keep any hint of accusation of her gaze, because all Rockman deserved right now was pity. And a chance to see what she had.
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If he knew what she was thinking, he'd tell her how much he cared about her. That he didn't want her getting hurt and was only telling her these things to help her. It wasn't the best time to say them, sure, but he didn't want something happening that couldn't be reversed because he didn't say them in time.
"I think Aile is a nice name. Will you please be Aile, take a brake from being MegaMan? And I'm not a hero, I only do my best."
He'd stopped squirming and just tried to stay still.
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But she loved him, he was her friend. She smiled at him some more, grinning at him some more. Always such a joker. This is why she wanted one.
"You ARE a hero, Rockman. You don't know it yet, but you're just like me. And why should I take a break? Someone will try something else, and I want to be able to stop them."
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He frowned, "No I'm not. I couldn't save them. A real hero could."
"I do know it, that's why were such good friends. But you're going to far and I don't want you to get obsessed. You can take break, there are others who can stop anyone who tries something."
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"Others like you, silly?" She grinned and sped up the petting. He was such a kid sometimes. But that was why she liked him. "I won't get obsessed. But I need to deal with just a few people first, okay?"
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"Others that have more experience." Normally he liked petting but he was too creeped out to take any comfort from it. "If you do, you won't notice it. And I won't get to see Aile anymore. ...Who do you need to deal with?"
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Her mouth hardened a little at that, really, wasn't she wasting time here? "Forte."
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"But I want to see Aile too...please?"
"...How will you know which Forte to go after?" No matter how much hate he had for them, he didn't attack first or without reason.
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