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]

You're not missing much.

I know losing your head in the middle of a battle is a bad idea but it's still weird to meet someone who's totally fine with taking injury and potential death in stride. Most people don't.

What's that saying? It's always the quiet ones? So he's basically calm of just calm in the midst of all the craziness. How long's he been here again?

[cannonades]

Most people shouldn't have to. That's why there's other people like the other pilots to deal with that instead.

I think he's been here for a few months. He was here before I was, at the very least. I don't know if I'd call him quiet, but he's certainly got steel underneath the cute face.

[zerotohiro]

Maybe...

I don't know what's funnier, imagining that description or the fact that you just called him cute. So...he said that you were important to him in the future, right? If he becomes more important to things and you become more important to him and he can at least acknowledge that then...it gives you a good starting base.

But what do I know? Ruby was holding my hand and dragging me around the colony for months before I figured out I liked her and she liked me so maybe I've got this whole thing wrong.

[cannonades]

Well, even objectively speaking, he's got a cute sort of look.

[ Dig that hole deeper. ]

In any case, you're right. There's foundation, but it doesn't have all the details yet.


Did she really?

[zerotohiro]

Like the kind where you're worried about saying the wrong thing because they'll cry? Because those people are dangerous.

[He should know, he can be one of those sometimes.] The strongest buildings are built on the steadiest foundations. You take time to lay the foundation, you create something that's going to keep standing. ...or something. Just pretend that was wise and whatever and not really weird.

...and yes, really. Ruby and I have a really...really...special kind of relationship. I don't even know if I really get it myself.

[cannonades]

No. More like if you're purposely an asshole they'll ruin your life while smiling about it.

[ He has no doubt Quatre could fake cry pretty well though. ]

Alright, wise man.

Maybe it'll start to make sense with time.

[zerotohiro]

THOSE PEOPLE ARE ALSO DANGEROUS. Remind me never to piss this guy off then.

I don't know if Ruby and I will ever make sense and I'm okay with that. It's everybody else I'm starting to wonder about.

[cannonades]

I will. I'm trying to avoid doing that myself, honestly.

People, I've learned, don't make a lot of sense in general.

[zerotohiro]

The good thing is that a lot of people are patient while we're learning how to figure them out. For a really, really long time Tadashi was the best and probably only friend I had and that was okay. As much as I don't agree with half the things CERES is doing or why we're here, I can at least acknowledge some good parts.

...just so we're clear how easy is it to piss Quatre off anyway?

[cannonades]

That's certainly true. Without that patience, I doubt most of us would get anywhere in knowing people.

And if we weren't here, none of what we've been talking about with you and Ruby would've happened. A bright side.


It's not easy to piss him off. Thankfully. Quatre is pretty forgiving.

[zerotohiro]

I'm also still kind of learning how to really be patient. It's not a thing I'm used to either. But it's not like any of us are leaving anytime soon so it's what we've gotta do. And...you're right. She's kind of the second best thing to ever happen to me here. I don't regret that.

Is that how he's put up with you guys for so long? That's a pretty noble trait to have.

[cannonades]

I learned patience by eavesdropping. Probably not the best way to go about things, but it let me put things together the more I listened. People give things away without even talking, too. Sometimes it's still difficult to parse meaning from what they're saying, though.

I guess that's it. He really wanted us to work together.

[zerotohiro]

So wait you spy on people and you test your patience by how long you can go in figuring out what they mean? That's one of the weirdest things I've ever heard. At the same time though I guess that's actually pretty good practice, until you get to the people who say things they don't mean.

You guys didn't know about the other pilots for a long time, right? Quatre was the only one who initially saw the benefit of working together?

[cannonades]

It was either that or go through life naive. Besides, no one pays much attention to a young kid, especially not when they're quiet. You can learn all sorts of things.

When someone says something they don't mean, there's usually a way to get to the truth. Their body language will give them away. After a few instances of dealing with the person, you can get a good read on how they are. Most of the time, anyway.


We didn't. Quatre wanted to work together– the rest of us are more of the independent hard-headed sort.

[zerotohiro]

Trust me. I know exactly how much people underestimate kids.

You've gotta teach me that trick. I'm not as great as it as I want to be at reading people. If I were, I could probably be a little better at my job. [But that's not what this conversation's about.]

What'd he finally say to convince you guys to go for it?

[cannonades]

You think they'd learn by now.

It takes time and patience. I'll show you, though. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.


Circumstances dictated we put our heads together more than he did. We're still pretty divided. After Heero detonated, I haven't gotten any mission missives. That was almost a month ago where I'm from.

[zerotohiro]

I'm almost glad they didn't, that's how I earned a lot of money to keep upgrading my tech. And anyway you say that like I don't have SOME patience already. I can learn. I'm a fast learner.

[Yes he's unaware of the irony of "fast" and "patient" in that sentence.]

Heero sort of told me the same thing in less basic terms. Does that worry you?

[cannonades]

Swindling adults?

We'll see how much patience you have.

[ Trowa has a ton, so get ready. ]

After the detonation? I'm not sure. I don't even know if we're still needed. They're hanging the colonies around our necks. If we move, even as a unit, we're going to get strangled.

[zerotohiro]

Swindling adults and illegal gambling. I was good at it. Probably still AM good but Tadashi made me stop. I have way more patience than you think.

Sucks. Sucks a lot actually...maybe you'll figure out an answer while you're here. We've got enough time to strategize.

[cannonades]

Isn't most gambling illegal unless you're a certain age? Naturally, he's looking out for you. Starting a criminal record at your age...

Maybe. I hope so. I didn't think the other side would sink so low as to use lives as a bartering chip.

[zerotohiro]

Probably? But betting on bot-fighting's illegal no matter how old you are. And I did NOT start a criminal record, they just put us in holding until Aunt Cass came to pick us up.

The worse part is you've always gotta assume people are going to sink low in these situations. I learned that recently too. I'm not saying sink as low, but there's gotta be something to use as leverage.

[cannonades]

What makes it so illegal? You're just pitting robots against robots, right?

That's lucky for you. Jail isn't very exciting.

I knew they were willing to go far, all things considered. But maybe I was naive in thinking they wouldn't threaten to destroy a colony in order to get us to stand down. It seems like overkill, even if it is effective. There isn't much we can do in the face of that.

[zerotohiro]

You'd have to ask the San Fransokyo police department why exactly it's illegal. I guess because it was all underground unsanctioned stuff and the yakuza were involved and just...it was a mess.

And just how many times have you been in jail?

You know what bothers me? We might have to really start applying that sort of thinking to how things are done around here.

[cannonades]

The government rarely enjoys unsanctioned movement. Especially if it's robbing them of a profit.

[ WHOOPS there's his "screw the man" speech??? ]

Once. It was enough to quell any other urges I might've had to put me back in.

We might be dealing with pure AI here, or at least a system built around it. Machines have no mercy, not like people.

[zerotohiro]

I...don't think that's really what it's about, but I guess that's fair enough.

So what'd you do? You've gotta share since I did.

But the advantage is that machines are easier to bring down than people, too. It's a win-win for us if you look at it this way, and you know machines kinda the same way I do. It'll be fine.