[It took some figuring out how to reconnect networks from his own stuff, but eventually she gets a message back. Not that it's very helpful, considering.]
Whoa what? Are you serious???? ...well he was one of them, so I guess that's not that surprising.
[It's a surprise, certainly, but that's how the Seelie are. Self-sacrificing idiots. If he's shardless though...that's sort of dangerous, isn't it? He knows it's not his business, but he's a little concerned about both of them now.]
[ And she doesn't know about all Seelie being self-sacrificing, but Steve certainly was. Hiro's wrong on the danger part, though. Being shardless means Steve is no longer bound by a court, and as long as he doesn't continue to pledge himself to the Seelie -- and she knows him well enough to know he won't -- then they don't care about him either way any longer. ]
I'm going to go get him. You don't come back fully healed when they bring you.
[The scary part is that Nico's equally self-sacrificing and if he felt it was for a good reason he'd probably do the same thing. And perhaps the thoughts on being shardless are a misconception but that doesn't stop him from thinking of the cons.
Granted, if he knew she meant Steve his entire perspective would change. He's met the man and never realized he was the same guy.]
I wouldn't think so since they're basically ripping a chunk of gemstone from your core. But after that...you're bringing him back to Diasbaile. You ARE coming back here, aren't you guys?
[Stupid question, but hey. He's received a few messages recently of people up and ditching the war efforts for one reason or another.]
[She can't see it but there's definitely a sigh of relief. Thank you, Ariadne. That's the last thing any of them need.]
I wasn't worried about that. [Other than the part where he was.] But good! That's good. Make sure to take care of yourself too while you're gone though.
[And from his end of the line there's a lot of shuffling papers and pencil scratching going on. He pauses though and she can probably imagine him raising an eyebrow.]
Seriously? [He sounds sort of exasperated though it has nothing to do with Clarke. He's stumped on a few things, worried about everything around them and now wondering what Clarke has in mind. A break is probably desperately needed.] We can take a day off like tomorrow, right? I wanna finish this outline.
[But he won't say no. He can never say no to Clarke.]
Really? [Something in his tone immediately changes and he stops moving all together. He knows what the south means and he's sort of concerned about it...but he's only caught little glimpses of Clarke's art.] I mean I guess I can finish this tomorrow? I'm not making a ton of progress right now anyway.
[He thinks about video calling, or even audio - but when he thinks about Hiro, and the state Hiro's probably in, Bellamy sticks to text. It's a pseudo wall he's willing to offer, at least for now, at least until he figures out where the kid fucked off to.]
you don't have to tell me where you are, but at least tell me you're safe
[He's pretty grateful that it's text...but he also uses it as a tactic. He doesn't have to respond immediately, and he doesn't have to answer questions. What could go wrong here?]
[Honestly, he's not surprised at all that Hiro took off. It just makes sense, and even though he understands it entirely, it still pushes against Bellamy's chest with concern too. He can't do anything from a distance, except check in.]
I know.
I'm not using this as a means to track you down. I just need to know you're safe, and you'll keep safe.
[Or he will track Hiro down, is the implication in the tone, somehow even over text.]
[He only took off once he was sure Clarke was safe. After that, all bets were off the table and he bolted without really seeing where he was going and throwing himself right into the fight.
In retrospect, it was pretty damn stupid. Part of him feels a tiny bit guilty he hadn't said where he was going. The other part can definitely pick up that subtext.]
I'm safe and I'll be safe until I come home. ...I ran into someone really important yesterday. I'm not exactly ready to leave yet.
[He can tell him that much. Even if he's not with Nico at this very moment, he's been darting in and out, hiding places and sticking close by just to monitor for his own peace of mind while occasionally acting as a medic or defense. For the most part though it's been scoping out the battlefield.]
[Thrall's voice comes through calmly, but there's a sense of urgency. He wants to make sure Hiro is okay after all of ............... whatever the fuck that was. Landing in a new world, quite literally, has left him somewhat shaken.]
Hiro, are you all right? Please respond when you can.
[Normally, Hiro would take his time in responding especially if he was in the middle of something. This time? The answer's almost immediate.]
Thrall! [Oops, too enthused.] Dude, hey...you came back. [There's definitely relief in his tone to know that and before he can stop himself the next question slips out.] Are you okay? [Clearly that's more important than answering Thrall's initial question.]
I'm fine. [He lets out an audible breath, relieved to hear Hiro's voice coming through clearly.] I would not abandon you if I had the choice. I am sorry I could not protect you from the battle atop the Gem, wolf pup... I hope you were not hurt too grievously.
I've gotten better at defending myself. [There's a touch of pride in his tone but he's also keeping his voice nice and relaxed. Thrall doesn't have to know about the way he threw himself head-first into battle and used his magic to keep himself alive, nor does Thrall need to know right now all of the loss he'd had first-hand.] I don't think any of us really had a choice up until the end. But...it's really good to hear from you. What about Snowsong? And the trading post? Everything still standing?
[Thrall figured Hiro wouldn't be able to stay away from the conflict, which is why he just went straight to apologizing. Ah well.] And you, my friend.
Everything is fine. The villagers I had been protecting are gone, and Snowsong cannot find them. I can only surmise they were left behind in the old world. Or perhaps they were reincarnated here. I... I do not know, and the spirits do not know, either.
[He's still not sure where Jaina is, but she'll show up. Probably.]
( On Yule morning, Hiro will find a small collection of gifts beneath the tree for him. For the most part, they're sweets or clothes, things that feel standard for gifts around this time of year, but there will be a couple that certainly stand out.
First, there will be a large envelope with some papers inside; the first page will have a rune drawn on it, and the pages that follow explain how to cast it. Clarke described that the rune was created for his use, and that should he inscribe it on his armour, it should allow him to fly, along with an incantation that will allow him to alter the wind to adjust his direction.
The second gift is a box; inside of it is a large polished iron bowl, which seems very odd as a gift. Sitting in the bowl, however, is a piece of paper with directions. It tells him that on the bottom of the bowl is engraved another rune that echoes memories. If he fills the bowl with water, he'll be able to view any memory that he has by writing the memory on a piece of paper, drawing the same rune on the paper, and tossing it into the water. It is worth noting that a memory can only be viewed once before the paper disappears, and must be written again if he'd like to view it a second time.
A card accompanies it all, addressing the gifts to Hiro, with love from Clarke. )
opening it reveals a carefully (if not entirely expertly) decorated piece of paper, one certificate for Hiro Hamada, promising that one Miss Grell Sutcliffe pledges her absolute aid and talents to a project of his choosing - she swears to not ask questions about the safety or sanity of the undertaking, but only to serve as his assistant for the duration until the project is completed.
a smaller paper tucked in the certificate reads only Happy Yule.]
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