The Moments In Between

Chapter 2

Author's Note:

I'm sorry to any Nora lovers out there! This chapter won't portray her in a good light. I didn't like her at first (like many other Arlo/Builder shippers), and this was the way I saw her character when I first conceived of this story. I've come to appreciate the strengths in her character in subsequent playthroughs, but I've kept her character this way for all intents and purposes of creating conflict.

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Day 5, Summer, Year 1

It was already way past seven when Arlo turned the corner behind Dr. Xu's clinic to find Nora sitting on the ground reading Journey to the East. She'd settled into a nook she'd found herself next to the well. She looked up and gave him (what she hoped to be) a bright smile when she heard him, even though it was so dark there he wouldn't have been able to tell if she'd been frowning at him.

"Hey, Nora. I'm sorry I'm late."

Nora closed her book, put one hand against the stones of the well and helped herself up. "That's okay! Was it because you were busy on an adventure today?" It only meant he would have a story to tell her.

"Well... kind of. But funnily enough, it wasn't an adventure I personally had. Someone else had it for us this week."

"Oh?"

Arlo leaned against the well. "You've met the new builder, right? Anna?"

"Oh! Yes!" She'd introduced herself to Anna a few weeks ago, and they'd greet each other when they met. But Anna liked to run around. A lot. And she liked to log trees and stand on a muddy bank fishing. Nora liked to listen to adventure stories, but when it came to getting her hands dirty on one herself... she didn't like experiencing them as much. So they didn't have much to say to each other. "She... seems to like to have a lot on her plate." What else could she say about Anna, really?

"Oh yeah. Nobody knows how she does it. Well, after she completed the bridge to Amber Island, Gale asked her to install a removable battery in the cave on the island. Little did both of them know... the cave was infested with hostile Snaillobs and Bandirats."

Nora's smile faded. She could guess what Arlo was about to tell her next, but she had to ask, "Then what happened?"

"What do you think? She faced them. All by herself."

And Arlo proceeded to tell her about how nothing was left alive in that cave, least of all a giant Snaillob and the infamous Rat Prince that had been hoarding stolen items from their fellow Portians, how Anna left it until she'd made it through the unknown passage that came out nearby before she collapsed in exhaustion. How she still managed to pick herself up with a bit of help from Sam, and reported everything to Gale. If Arlo were the actual hero, Nora could gasp and clap her hands for him. Did he expect her to do the same for the new girl with strange-coloured hair and strange-coloured eyes from Barnarock?

"But Arlo, what did you do?" Nora asked.

"Me? Oh, Remington and I gathered all the stolen items Anna told us she saw and we had to catalogue them as evidence before returning them to the townsfolk. It's why I was late." Arlo looked out over Peach Plaza. It was a clear night, so clear that he could see far beyond the city gates a small figure walking by McDonald's ranch. But away from the city, not towards. "Oh, no," Arlo muttered to himself. It was generally safe within the city walls, but Portians had reported seeing monsters roaming the lands outside around the Western Plateau before, especially at night. Whoever it was might run into danger. "I'm sorry, Nora, but I'll have to cut this short. Someone seems to be putting themselves into danger. I'll... talk to you next week?"

"Sure. But Arlo - "

It was too late. He'd already hurried down the hill.

Next time, I want to hear about one of YOUR adventures, was what Nora wanted to say as she watched his retreating figure from beside the well.