Way too long in the making

[professional_weedkiller]

1
[One of the training fields outside Fort Alhambra has been claimed by Yeong as she goes through what appears to be one of the ridiculous obstacle courses from a shounen manga. Or at least as close to it as she can get without actually being allowed things like live crocodiles, explosives or crocodiles. What's more baffling is that the pretty ordinary looking girl just cleared a jump way larger than most athletes would be able to. While wearing a heavy backpack.]

2

[At some kind of formal dinner, Yeong is sitting as far towards the back of the room as possible absentmindedly poking at her food instead of eating. She's absentmindedly looking towards the table of honor near the center.]

I wonder if Hye's okay...

3

[Yeong's found her way into the hangar and is practically bouncing between robots, impressed by all the more distinctive and unique one. Mass produced units aren't spared more than a glance as she tries to find the one of a kind ones.]

And that one was the one that protected that civilian shuttle from aliens off Mars!

Comments

[holdthefuture]

I have the same kind of goal...

[But for once she isn't as crazy as someone else is about it.]

Just...what makes them so great?

[professional_weedkiller]

The world has been attacked by who knows how many aliens, demons and secret societies and nobody else has properly dealt with most of them. Why wouldn't they be great?

[holdthefuture]

Because I've never even heard of them until recently. It was others who extended a hand to me when I needed it the most.

[professional_weedkiller]

I guess it's because I was in the business I heard more...I hadn't thought about that. [She looks a bit sheepish.] But some of this stuff's been on the ordinary news too...But it's good somebody helped you, even if it was somebody else.

1/2

[holdthefuture]

What you consider everyday news, I only knew some time after I...left.

2/2

[holdthefuture]

Ah, I don't mean to drag this down, though...for better or worse, I'm here now.

And there is something I would like to know...

Re: 2/2

[professional_weedkiller]

Sorry! I didn't know that.

...Also, there's something I want to know too. What's up with the horns?

[holdthefuture]

Ah...

[Well, this subject comes up often.]

Do you know about the Kijin?

[professional_weedkiller]

Yes...My mom was so angry about the announcement that they're here. She doesn't like people who aren't human.

[holdthefuture]

I...see...

[Awkwardness intensifies.]

Well...I'm one of them.

[professional_weedkiller]

My mom's an asshole, I don't agree with her. I mean, yeah, we need to fight threats to humanity, but we can't just act like everybody who isn't human is one...I really fucked this up, didn't I?

[holdthefuture]

Please don't worry about it too much.

[Lenore averts her gaze here. She stares at her own right forearm, which is covered in a blue sleeve. The left arm does not have this.]

If it comes down to it, I'm less of a Kijin than the ones you know of. Even if this appearance does little to help my case.

[professional_weedkiller]

That doesn't matter. People here trust you and you haven't done anything creepy, so who cares what species you are?

[holdthefuture]

[This gives her a moment of pause. Or rather, it's more like she's stunned.]

I've always felt that their trust came too easily, especially when I still can't return it...

But that...that means a lot. Thank you.

[professional_weedkiller]

We can't really hang out with normal people, so we can just as well be friends here. It gets pretty lonely having to hide stuff all the time.