[Funny how the very first thing Elliot had felt was a sense of utter relief the moment he saw the notification about the dream. No matter how he tried to deny it to himself, living without Noel would have been boring.
He never expected how drastically his excitement would swing right into complete horror. As he watched, the less he understood and the less he wanted to understand, the more he wanted to shut the Dreamberry off and throw it across the room. Rage bubbled up inside of him, as he watched. It wasn't at Noel, and not at himself for totally missing the signs about what Noel really was.
That SNAKE!
Whoever that man, Hazama, Terumi... Whoever the hell he was, Elliot had never wanted to kill someone as much as he did in that moment. What he was doing would have been bad no matter who he was doing it to, but even worse, he did it to Noel!]
[If only it were normal circumstances, she would have instantly cried and blubbered for him to help her. Tragically, this is far from normal. Though tears were being shed, Noel turning to look down at her Dreamberry showed just how mentally damaged she is from the revelations of what she truly is. She's broken to the point that she's detached from any emotion that wasn't despair or fear.]
E-Elliot...
[Seeing his face, she should have been relieved. However, she instead couldn't help but wonder... If she wasn't a person, then did that mean her feelings for him were fake too? No... He didn't deserve something like that. Her blank expression turns into a more pained one as she averts her gaze.]
[Later, he wouldn't believe what he was saying, but in the moment, he couldn't question it. His gut was saying run with what he wanted to say, so he ran with it.]
I've known you for more then a year, and not once have I ever even noticed. Who cares if you're made, or whatever! You're you! No matter what, you're still the same Noel Vermillion that I know, and don't you DARE let anyone ever tell you you're not!
[That manages to get Noel to respond with a small gasp of surprise. A very small one, brief and nearly inaudible, but... It certainly was there.]
Even if you say that, you saw everything, didn't you? What I turned into? I... I'm going to kill everyone in my world... How can you say that if I'm something so horrible?
[Why was he such an idiot? It was that simple... It really wasn't! Noel bites her lip on reflex, trying to prevent herself from crying harder. Stupid stupid stupid stupid...]
[It's then that Noel realized... When she woke up in Somarium, she had somehow reverted back into 'Noel'. Had this place restored her limiters somehow? Maybe... Maybe she'll be fine here. She sincerely wanted to think that and run away from the fact that back home her world will be destroyed by her own hands, but...]
I... I want to believe you. I really do, but...
[She couldn't just stop feeling this way and act as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening that quickly. The last few seconds before she was whisked to Somarium, there was no mistaking what she had felt: The most immense hate for the world and the desire for it's destruction. Was the rage of the God-slaying Sword really her true feelings? Or was "Noel's" feeling of fear her real emotions? She didn't know... And it scares her.
Noel still had her doubts, no matter how much he would assure her that she was a person. She buries her face into her hands, choking on sobs.]
[Elliot's teeth gritted as he fought against the urge to snap at her. Just as always, it was for the exact same reason. He couldn't stand seeing her without faith in herself. When he first met her, her lack of confidence annoyed him, and then as he grew to knew her, it frustrated him. Now... It was flat out killing him.]
... Where are you?
[She was alone. He couldn't leave her like that, especially not now.]
[Where is she? While the fact that she's in the middle of a field told her she's in Espoir, she didn't know exactly where she was. Even if she did, why should she tell him? She's a danger to him... and she couldn't afford to become closer to him now that she knows what she is. It wouldn't do any good if they met in person.
But...
Even then...
Even if she though it wasn't a good idea, deep down Noel still wanted to see him. One of her hands reach down, and with a few pushes of some buttons, her location was marked on his phone's map.]
[He wasn't kidding. Thankfully, he wasn't in the city. Within minutes, she would see that he had run the whole way from the village to come and find her. He tried to get a good look at her as he jogged up to her, and came to a halt a few feet away. There was no greeting or formality as he he stared in silence for a few moments before locking a convinced stare on her, trying to meet her eyes.]
Before you say anything, I don't care what you were told. You don't believe me, but you're still the same person. You're just as human as anyone.
[As if she had any energy left to get away from him anyway. Really, going through all that trouble just to see her in person... She stares back at him, feeling intimidated and slightly lost in his gaze.
Before she could open her mouth to speak, he interrupted her. He still believed that she's a person regardless of the truth... It's just like him to do that.]
But---
[She tried to argue, but she couldn't think of anything to say in protest. Noel really wanted to accept what he's saying, but still... She couldn't shrug away this crippling sense of despair.]
What should I do...? I can't just forget everything again...!
[It would be naive to tell her she could. Elliot had his own memories he wanted to forget. But, if he did, even for a second, it would be a complete insult to what he had done. It might not be the same situation, but it was enough to feel confident in his advice.]
But that doesn't mean you have to accept it. Fight to stay who you are.
[Noel repeated those words, as if trying to analyze it. Could she really do that? From the brief seconds she could remember being Kusanagi, it felt like she had become a completely different person. It wasn't like before, when her body and her mind acted separately. Noel was actually feeling enraged and destructive that time. It scared her to think that she could have those kind of feelings.
Noel looks away.]
But... How can I do that if I don't know which side is the real me? I don't know if the real me is 'Noel' or 'Kusanagi'... Just who am I, Elliot?
He never expected how drastically his excitement would swing right into complete horror. As he watched, the less he understood and the less he wanted to understand, the more he wanted to shut the Dreamberry off and throw it across the room. Rage bubbled up inside of him, as he watched. It wasn't at Noel, and not at himself for totally missing the signs about what Noel really was.
That SNAKE!
Whoever that man, Hazama, Terumi... Whoever the hell he was, Elliot had never wanted to kill someone as much as he did in that moment. What he was doing would have been bad no matter who he was doing it to, but even worse, he did it to Noel!]
Noel! Don't listen to that bastard!
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E-Elliot...
[Seeing his face, she should have been relieved. However, she instead couldn't help but wonder... If she wasn't a person, then did that mean her feelings for him were fake too? No... He didn't deserve something like that. Her blank expression turns into a more pained one as she averts her gaze.]
But... It's all true. I'm... not human...
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[Later, he wouldn't believe what he was saying, but in the moment, he couldn't question it. His gut was saying run with what he wanted to say, so he ran with it.]
I've known you for more then a year, and not once have I ever even noticed. Who cares if you're made, or whatever! You're you! No matter what, you're still the same Noel Vermillion that I know, and don't you DARE let anyone ever tell you you're not!
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Even if you say that, you saw everything, didn't you? What I turned into? I... I'm going to kill everyone in my world... How can you say that if I'm something so horrible?
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Because you wont. I know you wont.
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How... How would you know that?!
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You don't want to. You said that yourself. Who cares what you were made for. It can't force you to do anything.
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I... I want to believe you. I really do, but...
[She couldn't just stop feeling this way and act as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening that quickly. The last few seconds before she was whisked to Somarium, there was no mistaking what she had felt: The most immense hate for the world and the desire for it's destruction. Was the rage of the God-slaying Sword really her true feelings? Or was "Noel's" feeling of fear her real emotions? She didn't know... And it scares her.
Noel still had her doubts, no matter how much he would assure her that she was a person. She buries her face into her hands, choking on sobs.]
I'm sorry, I can't...
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... Where are you?
[She was alone. He couldn't leave her like that, especially not now.]
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But...
Even then...
Even if she though it wasn't a good idea, deep down Noel still wanted to see him. One of her hands reach down, and with a few pushes of some buttons, her location was marked on his phone's map.]
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[He wasn't kidding. Thankfully, he wasn't in the city. Within minutes, she would see that he had run the whole way from the village to come and find her. He tried to get a good look at her as he jogged up to her, and came to a halt a few feet away. There was no greeting or formality as he he stared in silence for a few moments before locking a convinced stare on her, trying to meet her eyes.]
Before you say anything, I don't care what you were told. You don't believe me, but you're still the same person. You're just as human as anyone.
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Before she could open her mouth to speak, he interrupted her. He still believed that she's a person regardless of the truth... It's just like him to do that.]
But---
[She tried to argue, but she couldn't think of anything to say in protest. Noel really wanted to accept what he's saying, but still... She couldn't shrug away this crippling sense of despair.]
What should I do...? I can't just forget everything again...!
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[It would be naive to tell her she could. Elliot had his own memories he wanted to forget. But, if he did, even for a second, it would be a complete insult to what he had done. It might not be the same situation, but it was enough to feel confident in his advice.]
But that doesn't mean you have to accept it. Fight to stay who you are.
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[Noel repeated those words, as if trying to analyze it. Could she really do that? From the brief seconds she could remember being Kusanagi, it felt like she had become a completely different person. It wasn't like before, when her body and her mind acted separately. Noel was actually feeling enraged and destructive that time. It scared her to think that she could have those kind of feelings.
Noel looks away.]
But... How can I do that if I don't know which side is the real me? I don't know if the real me is 'Noel' or 'Kusanagi'... Just who am I, Elliot?
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Who do you want to be?
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[Upon releasing that outburst, realization dawned on her. Was it really that simple?]
Oh...
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