Some Legends Are Told, Some Turn To Dust Or To Gold [CEREALIA INBOX]

[zerotohiro]

'Busy, leave a message!
...oh, you've reached Hiro Hamada. Whatever. Still busy!'

Hamada art by D-Joel, found on tumblr

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[covenantal]

What do you think?

[ He's not teasing, he's not mocking. It's an honest question, and his expression is open, serious. ]

[zerotohiro]

As far as I can tell they can't see or hear us at all. It's blocking the entire signal. [He's so excited about this accomplishment. Thank you for noticing, senpai.] I haven't been able to trace where the signal's coming from but it's enough to know that they've been interrupted. This is the project I was working on that I told you about. The one me and Dipper were going to do.

[zerotohiro]

[For a moment he's delighted with watching Widget work. That doesn't last though as the playback begins. He narrows his eyes as he listens to the recording, taking all of that in before his lips turn down into a small frown.]

That's weird. I can get why he'd say that to me and Korra when he caught us inside the tower, but why would he tell you the same thing?

[zerotohiro]

[This just makes everything so much worse now considering how that worked out for Jack...]

Maybe it's time for you to get with the program and get a mascot-buddy, too. Maybe we can find you a nice snowman or something.

[zerotohiro]

Of course he's more advanced. Tadashi and I made him. Come on, stand up and stand still so he can look. [It's only when Jack's in the right position that Baymax will scan, trying to pick up a reading on the winter spirit.]

[psycholawgy]

[ BECAUSE HE'S A ROBOT. which she will tell him later on.

for now-- ]

He might say it's for "fun", but when he talked, it was full of anger.

[zerotohiro]

...I think that by the time there is a time I can do these things myself I probably won't want to anymore. [He glances up at Yu again, smiling softly.] Just give me time to really get used to it, okay?

[zerotohiro]

[PLEASE SHARE THAT THOUGHT ATHENA...]

You think he's mad at CERES? Or what? [He's pausing in his note-taking on Clonco entirely because what?]

[psycholawgy]

That's the thing I can't figure out! I was basically treading on thin ice when he told me that, so I asked what else made him angry. Then he told me that extinction did, and there was a lot of sadness in his voice.

I wanted to ask some more things, but he made me leave.

[covenantal]

[ Yu's expression softens, something that isn't quite a smile, but partway there. He's satisfied that Hiro has found his own answer. ]

Yeah.

[ And he'll be there to back him up in the meantime, too. That goes without saying, and he knows Hiro knows that by now. ]

[covenantal]

[ Yu's never great at showing wide ranges of emotion, but really, he's incredibly pleased, subtle though it is. This is the edge they needed in making real progress. To finally have a way to make plans that CERES couldn't hear and can't have access to... this is it. He remembers discussing it with Dipper months ago. His best idea was Braille, which was wildly impractical. This is leaps and bounds better.

Senpai Has Noticed You, Hiro. ]

No wonder you couldn't tell me. This is what you two have been up to this whole time? [ There's the traces of a disbelieving laugh in his tone. ] You know, this makes it even easier for me to tell you what I was coming over to talk to you about.

[zerotohiro]

Yeah. Dipper wanted to create a cipher but he asked me if I knew a way to block the signal. This is the best thing I could come up with. [/insertshibetailwagemotehere] It takes some time to make each pair but I think I'm getting better at it.

[There's a pause then and he cants his head.] Oh yeah? Lay it on me. [His stomach chooses that moment to growl rather loudly though and there's a sheepish grin.] ...I'm going to grab the food you brought first but start talking anyway. What's up?

[zerotohiro]

Thank you. [...] Sorry for...sorta...crying all over you. [Yes he's highly embarrassed about that, forgive him senpai.]

[zerotohiro]

Classic tactic. You know too much, but he likes you so he had to kick you out. [Oh god this is incredible.] Extinction though...isn't that exactly what CERES started doing to the natives when they built Cerealia?

[covenantal]

Hiro, you don't have to apologize about that.

[ Now he's a little more serious again, his brow knit over a thoughtful look. (Besides, he's used to it. A lot of people do that to him.)

A beat. ]

Though, I guess you could buy me a new shirt if you really felt terrible.

[ ?????????????? ]

[psycholawgy]

I know. That's why it's so strange.

[ speaking of strange-- ]

You'll never guess what else I found. I was able to touch Mosley's body, and it's cold as ice.

[zerotohiro]

[This is Hiro's hand. This is Hiro's hand pushing at Yu's face even if he's grinning lightly.]

Shut up, get Minato to buy you a new shirt. [He looks up from under his bangs, expression pinched into something a little more solemn.] It's just...I don't know. I'm usually better at keeping stuff together? I didn't even cry at Tadashi's funeral. [Though that's probably due to being still in shock more than anything.] I kinda feel like since coming here everything's been really crazy.

[zerotohiro]

Cold like...he was in a freezer or like he didn't have a body temperature at all?

[covenantal]

He told me about that. But why create a cipher when they knew how to crack it in the first place? So we had to do this, first... [ There's a satisfied look on his face. He's very proud of both his kohais right now. ] Let me know if you need any help. I'm happy to pitch in with whatever it is you need.

Anyway... [ He breathes out, then leans back against the work station carefully, so as not to disturb anything, taking a drink of his tea before he starts. ]

I was talking to Rei-san at the carnival, and she helped me realize something. Think back to all the strange experiences we've been through thanks to CERES. Especially what those chips in the library books did to us. Rei-san also told me about an experience she had when Yosuke was here before where they saw twisted illusions of their best friends... [ A beat. Yosuke... he saw me. ] And that it was a source of despair. Can you think what all these things have in common?

[ He wonders if Hiro will pick up on it; he's being a little vague, and he doesn't mind explaining further. Still, Hiro's been here longer than he has, and they've both read Athena's timeline; there's enough here to tease out the thread. ]

[covenantal]

Everyone needs to let go, sometimes. Like I said, you don't need to apologize about that. Cerealia is the kind of place that pushes everyone to their limits.

[ He should know. ]

[zerotohiro]

I appreciate it. We might need back-up soon. [Hiro returns with his food and he settles into his chair again, carefully picking at what Yu's brought him as he listens.]

Twisted illusions, huh? [He hadn't heard about that one, but he can think of how he'd feel seeing a twisted version of Baymax. He's lived that. It would crush him now. He listens, piecing it all together and he stops with a fork dangling out of his mouth as he stares at Yu.]

They heightened everything we were feeling. We all seriously believed we were those characters from the books, just like the people here were all seriously upset about the messed up versions of their friends. You said it yourself. Cerealia's the place that pushes limits. What exactly are you suggesting, Yu?

[He thinks he understands but...confirm it.]

[zerotohiro]

Then we've gotta push right back. That's what I'm gonna do...[Pause.] What we're gonna do.

[He untangles his limbs from the bench, picking up the onigiri that had been neglected.] ...do you mind if I take these with me?

[covenantal]

[ For this, Yu takes the chair that Hiro got for him, wanting to sit down as he keeps doing. He sets his tea down on the work station, too, so he can thread his fingers together between his knees. He meets Hiro's gaze solidly, his expression calm, but his eyes intensely focused. ]

Why else go to such lengths to always cause intense emotions in us? Joy, love, sorrow, grief, anger... they even get robots to drag us places to ensure that everyone experiences these things. They need us to experience these emotions. They must be using them.

[ They're code. Whatever it is they're feeling, all their pain, their happiness, their rage... CERES must have a way to process it all. Otherwise...

Why bother? With any of it? ]

[psycholawgy]

Like he was in a freezer. He's not dead, you know!

What makes things even weirder is he coughed out some black slime. I think it was oil.

5/16, evening

[covenantal]

It reformed.

[ That's all the text says. ]