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 Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 2:18 pm
Harland wouldn't really understand why Oliver was returning his number. To Harland, it represented friendship, a resource-- the only possible reason Harland could think of for Oliver rejecting it would be if he thought he was trying to pick him up. Which he wasn't.
"What kind of hero'd just leave someone in their time of need?" Harland asked, incredulous, quirking a brow at Oliver.
Harland didn't think Oliver was a coward. Or weak. It was just that fighting alone as a Hunter was radically reckless, as far as Harland was concerned; they needed each other. They needed to function as a team, using all of their strengths.
"I'm not tryin' t' pick ye up or anythin', Oliver, if that's what you're concerned about," he said, trying to reassure Oliver, completely clueless as to what had actually set him off.
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 6:18 pm
When Harland made that reference to heroes, Oliver stifled another sob, clutching the paper tightly. The tears that managed to escape trickled gently down his cheeks, and he stubbornly wiped them away. He didn't want to be seen crying out here in the cafeteria. Harland's loose hug might not have been able to soothe the trainee's troubled emotions, but it hid Oliver's tears from the rest of the world and for that he could be thankful. He shook his head. " P-please don't b-be n-nice to me," he replied, his tiny voice broken with the effort of avoiding a total breakdown. " I-I'm... I'll be okay, p-please be a hero for someone who deserves it.." With that admission came an expression of total defeat as the exhaustion of the day fell upon his shoulders. When he rubbed his eyes again, no new tears came. The mantra that had paced around inside his head for years left him feeling hollow inside. " I-I'll be okay..." He said again.
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Posted: Thu May 29, 2014 10:03 pm
Harland shook his head, grinning, despite Oliver's sadness; he wasn't smiling at the boy's misfortune or troubled words, but he was smiling because he truly believed that one day Oliver'd be just fine. "Who said it'd be me savin' ye, in the end? Oliver, you can be your own hero. You can be a hero for others, too," Harland said, gripping his shoulder firmly with one of his strong, broad hands.
"Let me walk ye back to your dorm room, an' ye can rest; tomorrow, how about you come to the gym with me, and I'll make you a routine to bulk up a bit?" Harland asked, a sunny smile on his face still, like he could out-cheer Oliver's sadness.
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2014 1:36 pm
Oliver nodded his head, more to just make a response rather than express agreement. He couldn't be a hero for others, that was a job that took confidence, and guts, and the kid was currently lacking in both those skills. Nodding again, he could only hope Harland didn't mean it, and he would forget about any offers of help by tomorrow. "I-I can walk back myself," Oliver said quietly, and then he smiled weakly. "I-I'm glad you are feeling better, please don't push yourself though. I should be going..."
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Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2014 12:20 pm
Call it a sixth sense, or the sheer sense of exhaustion keeping him from arguing with Oliver: Harland suspected that no matter what he said, Oliver would protest. He didn't really feel like discussing it with him. As a result, he'd wait until Oliver was ready to leave. "If ye insist," he said, standing. "We're headed the same direction though, at least for a bit," he said, beaming, and gesturing at the door.
He loped towards it albeit a bit slowly, but more or less normally. He really wasn't doing too badly now. He clearly just needed to get out, and now he'd be happy to go sleep in his own bed. He held the door open for Oliver. "After you," he said, smiling.
He needed Oliver to walk out first, so he could sneakily follow him, pretending they lived in the same hall. That way Harland could appease his need to follow Oliver and make sure he was safe, but also not waste time arguing over it.
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