Illyana and Noriko
Mar. 25th, 2015 07:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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om_mainSince Illyana still hasn't brought it up, Noriko decides, on a whim, to bring it up herself. No, Illyana won't be joining JVX just yet.
Noriko was feeling antsy, for no particular reason that she could figure out. A lot was happening these days, but a lot was happening every day. Today was just one of those days when she found herself running outside until she decided it wasn't helping, wishing Nathan was around, and trying to find someone else to bum a cigarette off of.
But nobody was outside indulging that particular vice, that a quick run around could show her, so she ended up picking another option: going to find someone to go into the Danger Room with her. A sim would help her focus her energy. She was just hoping it was free for use right then.
And hoping she'd find someone to come with her, since they still couldn't use it solo. Alex wasn't in (...or Clint, for that matter, or she might have asked him, too), so the next door she knocked on was Vance's, hoping she'd have better luck.
Illyana looked up from where she was sprawled out on Vance's bed flipping through a magazine at the sound of the knock. She'd popped in about ten minutes earlier, wondering whether or not he wanted to do anything (or if Harry did, if Vance wasn't in), found neither of them, and decided to make herself at home until one or the other got back. She got to her feet, though, and went over to answer the door.
"Oh, hey," she said when she saw Nori standing there. "Vance isn't here - did you need something? Or do you want to come in and wait, too?" She made the second offer reluctantly, given that she was pretty sure Nori a) wasn't especially fond of her, and b) didn't think she was good enough for Vance, but it sounded genuine enough. After all, she was Vance's friend, and it was his room. She could deal.
"Um - no, thanks," Noriko replied, the brief look of surprise gone from her face. "I was looking for somebody to go into the Danger Room with me." She didn't think it'd be Illyana's thing; Noriko tended to take simulations seriously, and their DR play date with Vance and Cal had made it pretty obvious that it was just a game to Illyana. Nothing wrong with that; it just wasn't Noriko's speed.
"Oh. Umm...I can text him if you want? I'm not sure where he is," Illyana admitted, wondering whether or not she should offer to go. Except...Nori had seemed sort of insanely intense about the whole Danger Room thing when they'd been in there last, and really, she wasn't in the mood. Deciding she probably should, she added, "If you're just looking for someone to do a sim with, I'm not busy."
The offer took Noriko by surprise, and she watched Illyana in silence for a few seconds, before coming out with it. She wasn't going to wait until a third person brought it up with her. "It's two people now that have asked me about you on JVX. Are you actually interested?" Segues were clearly not for her.
The question took Illyana aback, and she frowned. "Umm...yes? Why, who asked?"
"Take a wild guess," Noriko replied wryly, frowning at her positive answer. "So if you want in, why haven't you talked to me?"
"Honestly? Because I figured you were giving out invitations to the people you really wanted." Granted, Vance and Kitty had both suggested she talk to Nori about it, but she hadn't seen a whole lot of point. Illyana shrugged. "Vance was all excited about his."
Noriko's frown didn't go anywhere. She doubted that neither Vance nor Kitty would have told Illyana she needed to go talk to Noriko. "I go talk to people I think might be a good fit, and want in. But it's never been invitation-only." Or else Santo really wouldn't be in. And honestly, the fact that she'd had to bring it up wasn't exactly doing anything to impress her.
"So, basically, you invite the people you really want." Illyana shrugged, not seeing the discrepancy. "If you don't think I'd be a good fit, what's the point?"
"Because it isn't about me," Noriko replied simply.
"You're the one in charge," Illyana pointed out.
"So?" Noriko asked with a frown. This was why she hated this whole 'leader' crap. In a real team, yes, it was needed. But in something like JVX? It just confused everything. "I'm organizing things, because somebody needs to." And it wouldn't last much longer, with her birthday coming up. "But JVX isn't a team like Scott's is. It's about kids who want to learn those skills. If you want to learn, and you're gonna be committed to it, then you might want to get over whatever issues you have with me and say something."
"Who said I had issues?" Illyana crossed her arms over her chest. Honestly, what was this girl's problem with her, anyway? "You don't think I'd be a good fit. I don't know that you're wrong. What exactly am I supposed to be saying?"
"Nothing, apparently," Noriko stated after a small sigh. She still didn't sound aggressive, or even particularly annoyed as she went on, although her usual neutral tone was not exactly warm, either. "But for the record, I don't know that you'd be a bad fit. I also don't know that you'd commit to it for real. The fact that you're letting other people bring it up to me instead of speaking up for yourself, and hiding behind my supposed opinion of you to justify not even trying to get in? It's not painting a pretty picture."
Was this girl even for real? Illyana stared at her for a long moment before answering, though when she did, she didn't bother to hide her annoyance. "I didn't ask anyone to bring it up to you. They just did, and then told me what you'd said. But y'know, you're right - I'm not good with commitments, so just forget it, okay? I'll tell them to stop bugging you, that it was my decision."
"OK," Noriko easily agreed. Like she'd said, it wasn't about her. It was about Illyana. And if Illyana wanted to keep using excuses not to commit, it was just fine with her, and she wasn't going to waste her breath pointing out the way the other girl was twisting her words. "I just thought I'd check. I'll try and find somebody else to go into a sim with me, but thanks for offering." She meant it, too, or she wouldn't be saying it. "I'll see you around."
"See you." Illyana closed the door and went over to plop back down on Vance's bed, though this time, she didn't even pretend to look at the magazine. Because at the end of the day, even if she had kind of liked what Vance has said about being a part of something bigger, she hadn't asked Noriko because she really wasn't sure she had what it took. It looked as if she'd been right.
Noriko was feeling antsy, for no particular reason that she could figure out. A lot was happening these days, but a lot was happening every day. Today was just one of those days when she found herself running outside until she decided it wasn't helping, wishing Nathan was around, and trying to find someone else to bum a cigarette off of.
But nobody was outside indulging that particular vice, that a quick run around could show her, so she ended up picking another option: going to find someone to go into the Danger Room with her. A sim would help her focus her energy. She was just hoping it was free for use right then.
And hoping she'd find someone to come with her, since they still couldn't use it solo. Alex wasn't in (...or Clint, for that matter, or she might have asked him, too), so the next door she knocked on was Vance's, hoping she'd have better luck.
Illyana looked up from where she was sprawled out on Vance's bed flipping through a magazine at the sound of the knock. She'd popped in about ten minutes earlier, wondering whether or not he wanted to do anything (or if Harry did, if Vance wasn't in), found neither of them, and decided to make herself at home until one or the other got back. She got to her feet, though, and went over to answer the door.
"Oh, hey," she said when she saw Nori standing there. "Vance isn't here - did you need something? Or do you want to come in and wait, too?" She made the second offer reluctantly, given that she was pretty sure Nori a) wasn't especially fond of her, and b) didn't think she was good enough for Vance, but it sounded genuine enough. After all, she was Vance's friend, and it was his room. She could deal.
"Um - no, thanks," Noriko replied, the brief look of surprise gone from her face. "I was looking for somebody to go into the Danger Room with me." She didn't think it'd be Illyana's thing; Noriko tended to take simulations seriously, and their DR play date with Vance and Cal had made it pretty obvious that it was just a game to Illyana. Nothing wrong with that; it just wasn't Noriko's speed.
"Oh. Umm...I can text him if you want? I'm not sure where he is," Illyana admitted, wondering whether or not she should offer to go. Except...Nori had seemed sort of insanely intense about the whole Danger Room thing when they'd been in there last, and really, she wasn't in the mood. Deciding she probably should, she added, "If you're just looking for someone to do a sim with, I'm not busy."
The offer took Noriko by surprise, and she watched Illyana in silence for a few seconds, before coming out with it. She wasn't going to wait until a third person brought it up with her. "It's two people now that have asked me about you on JVX. Are you actually interested?" Segues were clearly not for her.
The question took Illyana aback, and she frowned. "Umm...yes? Why, who asked?"
"Take a wild guess," Noriko replied wryly, frowning at her positive answer. "So if you want in, why haven't you talked to me?"
"Honestly? Because I figured you were giving out invitations to the people you really wanted." Granted, Vance and Kitty had both suggested she talk to Nori about it, but she hadn't seen a whole lot of point. Illyana shrugged. "Vance was all excited about his."
Noriko's frown didn't go anywhere. She doubted that neither Vance nor Kitty would have told Illyana she needed to go talk to Noriko. "I go talk to people I think might be a good fit, and want in. But it's never been invitation-only." Or else Santo really wouldn't be in. And honestly, the fact that she'd had to bring it up wasn't exactly doing anything to impress her.
"So, basically, you invite the people you really want." Illyana shrugged, not seeing the discrepancy. "If you don't think I'd be a good fit, what's the point?"
"Because it isn't about me," Noriko replied simply.
"You're the one in charge," Illyana pointed out.
"So?" Noriko asked with a frown. This was why she hated this whole 'leader' crap. In a real team, yes, it was needed. But in something like JVX? It just confused everything. "I'm organizing things, because somebody needs to." And it wouldn't last much longer, with her birthday coming up. "But JVX isn't a team like Scott's is. It's about kids who want to learn those skills. If you want to learn, and you're gonna be committed to it, then you might want to get over whatever issues you have with me and say something."
"Who said I had issues?" Illyana crossed her arms over her chest. Honestly, what was this girl's problem with her, anyway? "You don't think I'd be a good fit. I don't know that you're wrong. What exactly am I supposed to be saying?"
"Nothing, apparently," Noriko stated after a small sigh. She still didn't sound aggressive, or even particularly annoyed as she went on, although her usual neutral tone was not exactly warm, either. "But for the record, I don't know that you'd be a bad fit. I also don't know that you'd commit to it for real. The fact that you're letting other people bring it up to me instead of speaking up for yourself, and hiding behind my supposed opinion of you to justify not even trying to get in? It's not painting a pretty picture."
Was this girl even for real? Illyana stared at her for a long moment before answering, though when she did, she didn't bother to hide her annoyance. "I didn't ask anyone to bring it up to you. They just did, and then told me what you'd said. But y'know, you're right - I'm not good with commitments, so just forget it, okay? I'll tell them to stop bugging you, that it was my decision."
"OK," Noriko easily agreed. Like she'd said, it wasn't about her. It was about Illyana. And if Illyana wanted to keep using excuses not to commit, it was just fine with her, and she wasn't going to waste her breath pointing out the way the other girl was twisting her words. "I just thought I'd check. I'll try and find somebody else to go into a sim with me, but thanks for offering." She meant it, too, or she wouldn't be saying it. "I'll see you around."
"See you." Illyana closed the door and went over to plop back down on Vance's bed, though this time, she didn't even pretend to look at the magazine. Because at the end of the day, even if she had kind of liked what Vance has said about being a part of something bigger, she hadn't asked Noriko because she really wasn't sure she had what it took. It looked as if she'd been right.
