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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[zerotohiro]

[Theres something about how she reacts that zaps pretty much all of th the usual arrogance out of him and replaces it with glee. Granted she's also hugging megabot and people usually don't do that. It's...sort of cute. In a Ruby way. Because it's almost expected at this point, no other reason. He can't help but roll his eyes at the added sentence.]

Close enough. [He lets her hold onto him as he steps down from the stepstool.] I want to use the same kind of design to build a weapon here. Something that splits apart and pieces that move independently. If I did make a sword I could make the blade split into pieces and move on their own and reattach via tracking device. That's how Baymax's rocket fist works. What do you think?

[undaunts]

Now that sounds pretty cool.

[A weapon like megabot.... a weapon that splits up and is able to move on their own, but still come together back into a sword when he needs it? That'd make for a pretty good weapon. And it doesn't sound ridiculous to her at all because RWBY weapon standards because it seems like the sort of thing that could be used long and short range.

Needs more guns though. And she's still not putting megabot down because she can.]

It could be long-range and short-range all at once! How many pieces would you use? And how big would the pieces be? Oh, and maybe make it so it does something else when the blade is all split up and moving on its own, or you'll be weaponless, you know?

[So maybe...the hilt could do something on its own too? Like turn into a gun.]

[zerotohiro]

[She can hold onto Megabot for as long as they're in the shop. He's busy digging in his bag again to pull out a sketchbook, flipping through pages of half-ideas and designs.]

Exactly. It'd be at least three pieces and then the hilt which I guess could be a melee weapon. The pieces could be the size of standard daggers. Like six inches each? Maybe eight.

[He honestly isn't even thinking the hilt could be a pistol even though logically it makes more sense than just having something to hit people with.]

Remember what I told you about the microbots and my neural transmitter? Maybe make a second one that controls the blade pieces when they're split up. [He shrugs slightly.] I've been thinking about this since we met the griffins.

[undaunts]

[She peers at his sketches curiously as soon as she can, nodding along thoughtfully. Three pieces seems legit, but the hilt as a melee weapon... well, Hiro's pretty small. Ruby herself only gets power out of the velocity and momentum that swinging around a giant scythe can bring.

So after a moment, she hums thoughtfully.]

Well... you did really need a weapon back there. Like. Really. [Really.] But that sounds pretty good to me! Except I'm not sure how many monsters you'll be hitting with the hilt.

[That seems....implausible. And she's from a world where people beat up monsters with designer bags.]

What if it was a machine pistol instead? I mean, the general shape would be right, and then you could put the trigger down here, like this...

[She's just going to go ahead and scribble a drawing of the hilt in an unfilled corner of Hiro's notebook (sorry Hiro), flipping it on its side to show the general shape.]

[zerotohiro]

[And there's a broad grin.] I knew you'd have my back out there so I wasn't too worried. [Even if he actually didn't know where she was or what she was doing. It's still a point.

He looks at his drawings and he listens to her, humming under his breath as he thinks on that. A pistol wouldn't be a bad idea since he could control it at a short range. There's a noise of slight protest when she draws on his sketches but he doesn't mind after a moment as he watches her demonstration.]

Huh. That's...not a bad idea. I'd have to make the hilt bulkier to accommodate for the clip but that's not too bad. It was easy to build the sniper rifle into Crescent Rose wasn't it?

[undaunts]

Well...of course I will! I'll always have your back, Hiro. [That much is said easily enough; there's no doubt in her mind that when Hiro needs her, she'll be there for him.

But still, it'll help if he has a weapon. Then they can be back to back badasses. It'd be the best.

Either way, she nods brightly at that, grinning.]

Yep! I kind of built her around the idea, you know? Since my Semblance is speed and all, I can move a lot faster if I use the recoil from the sniper rifle part of Crescent Rose when I attack. It helps a bunch!

[zerotohiro]

[He seems to have the same thought as he begins to write notes and calibrations in the margins. Designs and numbers and formulas and though he's still actively talking to Ruby he's focusing on what he's writing.]

Momentum, then. You get an extra kickback from the shot to propel yourself forward. [Yes Hiro that's exactly what she said...] I don't know if that'd help me since I don't have a Semblance. And I don't know how to fire a gun. [A beat.] Has she ever backfired?

[undaunts]

[And Ruby's going to go ahead and watch curiously, thoughtful. It's just fun to watch Hiro work, admittedly; he has a lot of energy when he does things like this, but it isn't nervous energy like when they're out of his comfort zone.

It's fun.]

Well... yeah, sort of. [She's sheepish when she admits it, but sincere.] I mean, I was totally awful when I first started, so I messed up the recoil a lot. [Smacking herself in the face with Crescent Rose: not fun.] So it took a lot of practice and my uncle's help before I could really be super pro with her!

But you don't have to have a Semblance to make use of the recoil, I don't think...sometimes it comes in handy in a pinch.

[zerotohiro]

[Theres a distinct difference between how Hiro presents himself to the outside world and how he presents to people he's comfortable with. He's always a mix of nervous and arrogant when he's trying to prove he knows what he's doing to strangers but here in Tadashi's lab with Just Ruby he's generating ideas faster than he can explain them and he's more relaxed than usual.]

It's hard to imagine you being really bad with her. I know you had to start out as being terrible but I've seen you wield her enough. Crescent Rose is like an extension of you.

[He pauses to examine his new drawing. A sword with a hilt designed much like Weiss's with a revolving base to accommodate the clip, trigger small enough just for his hands and a breakdown of how the daggers connect.]

So what you're saying is I just need to practice a lot. [Hes not used to having to practice to be good at something. There's a heavy sigh before he furrows his eyebrows together to change something in the design.] Maybe I'll finally go back into ViViD and run a game myself to test stuff out.

[undaunts]

[It's a nice difference. She hasn't quite pinpointed all of the differences exactly, but she can tell that he seems more comfortable, and that's good enough for her. After all, this sort of thing should be fun; she's glad that they can have fun doing it together.

Or, well, Hiro generating ideas, and Ruby watching interestedly, eyes bright and grinning. She'll toss in ideas when she has them, but she doesn't really think Hiro needs them right now.]

Yeah, I was garbage. [QUITE FRANKLY.] Thankfully Uncle Qrow was able to help me out, and I got much better. Now Crescent Rose and I are partners!

[As you must be, with your weapon.

His looks...well, it looks like a great start.]

Practice makes perfect, and all of that! I bet Yang and I could practice with you too--it'd be fun!

[zerotohiro]

[Its really all he could want in a friend, honestly. Someone who doesn't mind that he's working and designing and is actually invested in what he's working on. It's kinda like having Baymax but...different. He hasn't quite figured out what it is but he likes it. However...]

Your uncle's name is Crow? [He shakes his head] At least you had someone to help.

[He doesn't say that he plans on talking to Yang later to learn to fight, but he looks mildly hopeful at her suggestion.] Yeah? Maybe Tadashi can come with us, too. He has his gloves that he's still tweaking too. ...but not until I get better at this thing, whenever I finish building it. Just don't think I'll go easy on either of you.

[undaunts]

Yeah! I'm lucky that he uses scythes too, and he's really good at it. Like. Amazingly so.

[Thank god for that. What a sad series this would be with an incompetent protag. She could've been Jaune!! (Sorry Jaune.)

Either way, she just tilts her head thoughtfully at that.]

Sure! Tadashi can come too. I'd like to see what he can do, I think. [And, entirely earnestly:] We won't go easy on you either so that's perfect!

[Run the other way honestly.]

[zerotohiro]

Then I guess the goal is to get better than him. [Because why wouldn't things be a competition. He's already starting to daydream a little about showing off his (imaginary, for now) skills for Tadashi and the girls.]

This shouldn't take too long to make this thing. We can test it out when I'm done. [A beat.] Tadashi said ViViD could be fun but I haven't played it outside of the game I met you in and the one where we were all playing the classics.

[undaunts]

Of course it is! [Duh.] I'm going to be so good, when I walk by people will be like "whoaaaaa" and "can I have your autograph?"!!

[Sure, ruby, sure.]

But yeah, ViViD's pretty fun. It's not quite the same as fighting real monsters, but it feels pretty real, and it keeps us all in shape! Yang and I play it a lot.

It's a lot safer when you go into it voluntarily instead of when new people show up. It's always a little wonky when that happens for some reason.

[zerotohiro]

In that case I should get mine now so I can be like "hey, I knew her before she was famous." […Hiro what. He seems to realize he's being kind of a dork because he promptly shuts his mouth and gives Ruby an unreadable look before shaking his head.]

Anyway. It probably gets weird because it's introducing a bunch of new code versus reading code it's familiar with. When new people show up you're introducing a lot of new coding and formulas and a ton of other stuff that its system probably gets overloaded? It's like trying a new food for the first time. You have all of your senses in overdrive trying to decipher how it looks, smells, tastes, and feels.

…either way? Maybe the four of us should play later. Two on two could be really cool.

[undaunts]

Er-- [That was not the response she was expecting, that's for sure. She blinks at him in response a little awkwardly, before managing a weak grin.] --usually people laugh at me, but uh...really?

[She will totally give Hiro her autograph if he really wants one BUT YEAH OKAY FOCUS ON IMPORTANT THINGS. LIKE. THE REST OF THIS.

A-ahem!!]

Riiiight... because we're all code. Got it. Sometimes I forget, because I don't feel very code-y. I feel really solid, y'know? But I think two-on-two could work! Though Yang and I are preeeetty good at combo-ing. We're on the same team back home, so we get a lot of practice.

[And they spend time coming up with attack names like nerds.]

Fair warning.

[zerotohiro]

[Way to go, Hiro. Now you've just made yourself look stupid. There's a hesitant grin as he lifts his shoulders in a fast, sloppy shrug.] Why not? [Yup. Playing it off and trying to be cool is obviously how this should be handled.] Anybody who laughs at that just doesn't know any better and they'll have to be surprised when you show them up. I'm, like, the last person who would laugh at that. [Hiro spent a good chunk of his time in school being picked on because he was different and too smart for his own good. It turned him into someone sort of awkward and sarcastic and constantly on guard around people he isn't always comfortable with. He would never want that for Ruby. Ever.

What a funny thought.]

I feel pretty solid, too, but Baymax is solid and mostly made of code. It's kinda like that I think. And who said you and Yang would be on the same team? That doesn't seem like a fair fight.

[undaunts]

...Well. [She doesn't really know what to say to that, if she's perfectly honest. She wasn't expecting him to take her quite so seriously, but...it's nice. It's nice to be believed in. He says he wouldn't laugh at her, and she believes him; she smiles a little more shyly at that, and is surprisingly quiet in her response:] Thanks.

[Anyway, back to business.]

Ooooh, I see. Splitting us up! I'm onto you. [It's probably wise to not put them on the same team though, now that she thinks about it; after all, they're the ones who go to a combat academy.]

So then--you'll be on my team, right, Hiro? [Seems logical to her!! She may as well be on the team she wants to be on, and if she can't have Yang, she wants Hiro. She likes Tadashi too, of course, but Hiro is... well, he's Just Hiro.]

[zerotohiro]

[He doesn't say anything for a moment, mildly stunned by the expression on her face and quietly contemplating something before deciding not to say anything at all. He can mull that over later.] Sure.

[But he smirks after that.] It's called thinking smart. We could totally crush Tadashi and Yang though. You and me? We already know we're a good team and if I finish this weapon we'll be unstoppable. Can you imagine the look on their faces when we win against them?

[undaunts]

[Right. It's easier to think about the battle. Team battles are fun anyway, and fighting alongside Hiro and facing off against Yang and Tadashi sounds...

Well, terrifying, because Yang. But it also sounds like a wicked amount of fun.]

Yeah! It'll be like [Here she mimics Tadashi as best she can, deepening her voice:] "What, no, how could you guys have beaten us, I made this super cool talking dog-weapon-healing-bot thing!!" and [And then Yang, as best she can (which is admittedly a bit better than her Tadashi voice):] "Hey little sis, way to yang in there!"

[A beat.

She makes a face. Yang puns. Gross.]

...Ahem, so. Yeah, we should win.

[zerotohiro]

[He blinks for a second before he laughs. It's hard to say if it's because of her Tadashi impression, her Yang impression, or because Ruby's just funny herself.]

I dunno. Demo's pretty sweet but definitely not his best work. [He's biased. Baymax is definitely a big reason to be biased.] I can't believe your sister actually uses puns that much. At least Tadashi's jokes are just bad most of the time.

[When he's talking about Tadashi, even though he's still pretty chipper there's a slight slip in expression to something more guarded and wary. Tadashi…yeah, he's still a little worried about him even though he's back. But the important thing is that he is back.] We'll come up with a good strategy and crush 'em.

[There's a pause as he stares at his notes. The drawing's 100% complete, all formulas written in his slightly scratchy penmanship but definitely solid. He knows exactly what he's doing now.] You don't mind looking at this thing whenever I finish it? You can help me test it out.

[Other than they won't have time because jungle adventures round two but they don't know that timeline, it's fine.]

[undaunts]

[He is biased, but it's okay, Ruby agrees. Which she will prove by nodding in response, with a simple:]

Baymax is pretty much the best thing ever.

[You know. Aside from weapons. Because Ruby can never admit her beloved weapons are not The Best. And Ruby doesn't exactly catch onto the expression shift, though...she can at least tell that there's something different going on here.

She pauses, but ultimately lets him change the subject. It's fine. It's Hiro. When he's ready, he'll talk to her.]

Right! We're totally gonna win, but--yeah, of course! In fact, I'd be kind of offended if you didn't show me when you finish it because it sounds like it's going to be really cool and. I like cool stuff.

[Naturally.

No, please call her over at any time to look at your cool separate-y sword, Hiro.]

[zerotohiro]

[His thought process seems to go a little something like:

"At least she knows what's up and that Baymax is the best."
"I can't wait to see what Tadashi and Yang have to say."
"I want to show Ruby everything I make."
"I think it's cool and that my stuff's kinda cool...does that mean I'm kind of cool? Does that count?"
"Eh. Whatever."]

I should have something put together in a few days...I need to make a new battery for Baymax before anything, just in case. That's also part of the reason I asked you to meet me here. I wanted to pick up some supplies to take back to the apartment to keep working. [He gestures to a back cabinet where he knows Tadashi keeps parts and tools.] Give me a sec and we can head back out.

[undaunts]

[If you're cool stuff, Hiro, that means by extension she likes you too.

Either way, a few days seems reasonable to her; she nods thoughtfully in response. Besides, she has projects of her own she has to finish--Keimi's bubble baton, Kagari's brass knuckles (that are also a gun. obviously.), so there's no reason for her to hover, especially since he told her that he'd show it to her when it was done.

Good enough for her.]

Okay, sounds good to me! [Supply ruuuuun.]

And then you'll show me a bit about how Baymax works, right? I mean, he's super neat and that's part of the reason I want to know, but... [She quiet for a moment, musing.] You know how people disappear here a lot at random?

Well, sometimes their stuff stays behind, when they're going to come back... but then Baymax would be all alone. So--I want to learn, so that I can look out for him until you come back, if you ever disappear again for a little bit!

[...is that weird.]

[zerotohiro]

[He may not understand this yet, but that's exactly where he wants to be.

Still, he's busy dumping stuff into his backpack as Ruby talks and for a moment he doesn't respond. At first it strikes him as a little strange because Tadashi would be around...but then again, maybe Tadashi wouldn't be. Tadashi's proven that he doesn't always stick around and does dumb things like getting killed. And it wouldn't hurt to have another avenue.]

That's actually not a bad idea. Tadashi and I know how Baymax works but nobody else does...and you're starting to work with robotics and stuff, too. It wouldn't be hard to teach you all of the basic maintenance work for him and his chip. [He zips up his backpack with the supplies before he turns to her, a thoughtful look on his face.] If you want, I can always leave him with you for a day so you can get to know him. He seems to like you.

[Yes, he's offering her a chance to babysit his best friend. That says a lot, considering how attached he is to him.]