zerotohiro | I'll be the watcher of the eternal flame [Eachdraidh IC Contact]

[Poor Hiro. He needs more friends that aren't medieval era dumbasses. Still, he understands the concept of portal travel. He is, after all, best friends with a mage.]

You had to-- because no one else would. Is that what you mean?

[Hiro really is like his brother. Thrall's expression softens, and he reaches out to pat Hiro's back.] She will have to start over, I suppose. It is not the worst of fates.

I cannot say I would have acted differently in that situation. I wonder if that makes me a poor influence.

Edited 2015-06-21 21:47 (UTC)

[There's a short nod.] Someone had to help. That someone had to be us...we were the only ones who could after everything that happened.

[In a way, it's a lot like what Tadashi did. On the other hand, it's not like Tadashi at all (in Hiro's opinion. But that's a whole other can of worms.) He just flashes a semi-grateful smile in return. At least Thrall's handling this with ease and it's for that reason he continues going through the motions like this doesn't still bother him.]

I dunno about being a poor influence. I would have done it anyway without influence. [A shrug. Not true. Tadashi instilled something in him thanks to his death and they both know it.] But what bothers me is that the same thing can't happen here, you know? I can't do those things for people here.

[Tadashi really did leave his legacy in Hiro. Looking at him now, Thrall can see how he's gotten taller in more ways than one.]

I guarantee that you have helped people more than you realize-- whether it be from friendship, gestures of kindness, or hard work. Salvation comes in many forms. It isn't always a grand, selfless gesture that captures the attention of the whole world.

[He passes out a bit more of the lunch-- garlic-stuffed baked potatoes wrapped in cloth, pieces of poultry. And of course he gives part of his share to Snowsong, because... he's a dog owner, basically.]

[Food is a fantastic distraction from the subject at hand even if his appetite's tanking the longer they talk. But Thrall put in the effort for him and surprisingly he's actually respectful of that.]

You realize that for every good thing I do I end up doing something else to destroy that, don't you? [It's a dry tone, but it's true. Hence being grounded.] I guess I just don't feel like it's enough when everybody else can do so much more and I'm just...["Me." At a loss of what he can do without his usual materials and without asking everybody to help him.] Never mind. You're right. It doesn't have to be something huge. [He ducks his head to focus on his food, also looking at Snowsong out of the corner of his eye.] Thank you. I guess I forgot.

Your words are so dark yet you still have so far to go. When your life ends, you are not judged with your mistakes on one side and your accomplishments on the other.

[Snowsong gives Thrall a white-eyed stare. He sighs and gives her a little more of the prairie chicken or whatever this is.

He eats politely for a minute as he thinks on what to say. When he's done, he looks at Hiro again.]

You have talent and potential. You have the cleverness to sustain these things and the determination to see them through. Even so, you feel you are unworthy because you cannot work the same way other people do.

Find a new way, then. Blend the old with the new, like you did when we healed the land. You say that everything can be improved... So, work on your way of thinking.

[It's a harsh criticism, but Thrall says it gently and without bite.]

[If he's bothered by the judgement, he doesn't outwardly show it. Actually, there's a short laugh of surprise as it clicks exactly what Thrall's saying.]

...Tadashi used to tell me all the time to look for a new angle. [Literally all the time.] And I passed that on to my team. Maybe I just got tired of looking and not finding the angles I wanted. [Screw it, he's just going to take a potato and work on eating that.]

Everything happens really fast here. But there's always time to think things through...right? [He's not entirely sure, but he'd like that to be true.] It's just one more project for me to work on, but at least this one seems easier.

[Hiro mentioning his dead older brother is pretty huge. Thrall's expression softens further. He wants to ruffle Hiro's hair, but that might be too much right now, so he lets him work on eating lunch.] Everyone gets frustrated sometimes. As long as you don't give up, you can be as frustrated as you want.

[His lip curves into a slight smile around his tusks.] There is plenty of time. [Unsaid, but felt: I believe in you. He really does, and he has, this whole time.]

[He's getting better about mentioning Tadashi. It gets a little easier every day to mention Tadashi even if he still is careful about it. He can talk about him, but he's focused on food because it's easier to split his attention.]

I just have to remember that. And at least I have people to remind me of that. [He looks up from under his bangs, giving Thrall a pointed look. He sees what you're saying there, dude.] I'm not going down without a fight though. That's not why I'm in this court. We just need to keep moving.

[And that is what they'll do. They're resilient, then Unseelie court. Hiro's always known that. They've had a lot of hard hits since Hiro and Thrall entered this world but they've made it out each time. They just can't give up.]

I'll be the watcher of the eternal flame [Eachdraidh IC Contact]

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