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]

[Don'tfallforitdon'tfallforit...]

Yeah. Yeah, I do. I don't think Baymax has ever really scanned you before, has he? I wanna see what he comes up with.

[2cool4guardian]

Then have at it. [A shrug. Someone isn't thinking this through.] Computers at home never were lucky, but he's more advanced, right?

[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.]

[2cool4guardian]

You mean he made it and you taught him karate, right?

[Just some teasing, don't mind him. -jack jumps off the desk and stands in front of Baymax, extending his arms and everything but never letting go of the staff. The reading will be... interesting, to say the least. Because a person is definitely there, but there is no breathing, or pulse, or any vital sign at all. Does blinking count? His body temperature is, like Jack said, ice-cube. There is also the blueish tone of some parts of his skin. For anyone (or anything, in this case) with medical knowledge, he pretty much reads like a frozen corpse! Haha... haha... ha...]

[zerotohiro]

[He ignores that quip. He ignores all of that as he stares at the reading Baymax is projecting on Jack and his eyes go back and forth between the spirit and the robot as he takes it all in.]

...I thought you were a spirit. [Spirits shouldn't have readings like these unless they were somehow specially created.] Jack...what happened to you?

[2cool4guardian]

[All the staring and eyes going back and forth are getting on his nerves, so when he answers, he's a bit snappy without meaning to.] I am. What--

[...oh. Well. Baymax is definitely advanced, there is the proof. This was a terrible idea. Jack looks away and sighs.]

I was a human boy, like you. Then I became a spirit. Can you connect the dots? You're smart enough.

[zerotohiro]

...why didn't you tell me this before?

[2cool4guardian]

Would you really go around announcing out of nowhere that you died to everyone you know?

[zerotohiro]

Well no but...[There's really no excuse. He's quiet again, frowning at Jack as he scrambles for a response.]

Sorry. I'm just surprised, okay? They keep bringing dead people here and I don't know what their game is. ["And it's not fair to those people."]

[2cool4guardian]

[Jack sighs, knowing about that little bit, and rubs the back of his head. This is a depressing topic of conversation to have while having Easter eggs. Easter is about life, Bunny said.]

I'm not-- I'm not the same as them, Hiro. I was brought back in my world. I died but... I'm not a dead person? I'm a spirit. What Ceres does to the others, the ones that... moved on... [A pause as he thinks, frowning at some memories only he knows of.] I don't know. They look and act alright, I guess.

[zerotohiro]

They're perfectly fine. [That was oddly firm, but he doesn't like the idea that something may be wrong with the dead revived here.]

Do you remember everything about your old life, Jack? [Life. Life is important.]

[2cool4guardian]

[Oddly firm indeed. Jack squints his eyes at Hiro, but he's distracted by that question. Oh boy. With a shake of his head, he goes back to sitting on the edge of the desk.]

Only some stuff. I didn't know anything about it until-- I don't know, a couple of weeks before coming here, give it or take? All my life, I've lived it as a spirit.

[zerotohiro]

How'd you finally remember some of the stuff? [There's...a very specific reason he's asking, and judging by the fact he's not really looking at Jack while he's asking that's evident. It's a very calculated conversation.] Did it bother you to really learn everything after all that? Three hundred years is a pretty long time to be a spirit.

[2cool4guardian]

[SQUINTING INTENSIFIES.]

My teeth. The Tooth Fairy collects everyone's teeth because they keep your most important memories, so she helps you remember when you need it. [He raises his eyebrows.] Are you kidding me, not knowing where I came from almost drove me crazy. That brown haired guy called Jack still feels a bit disconnected from me, but I know who I am now. And I'd die again if that means saving my little sister.

[There you go, Hiro, you don't have enough older brothers with lessons in your life.]

Where are all these questions coming from?

[zerotohiro]

[He lifts an eyebrow.] That's. Really weird. I never thought baby teeth were actually that important. [He's not even going to say he doesn't believe in the Tooth Fairy considering Jack is sitting right here. Pretty much everything he ever knew is a little bit of a lie, in this case.

But he frowns again. Right. So he's not as sneaky as he thinks...but--]

You had a little sister? [How's that for avoiding the question?]

[2cool4guardian]

Everything about childhood is important. Easter too. [He throws a chocolate egg at Hiro, hopefully sweets will help with the mood.

Also the chocolate rabbit's ears get eaten. He needs sugar too, ok.] Dunno if I should answer that when you didn't answer mine.

[zerotohiro]

[He catches that egg, not at all minding that Jack's taking a bite of the bunny. In fact he's just unwrapping the egg to munch on while he regards him carefully.]

...what about the bad parts of childhood? Those important, too? [He lifts both eyebrows briefly.] I'll answer yours if you answer mine first.

[2cool4guardian]

[Oh boy, this doesn't sound like something sweets will help with. Wtf, Hiro, don't worry Jack like this.]

Yes, I had a little sister. And... children shouldn't have bad parts in their childhood. But I can't stop them all so. [It's very obvious how much it hurts him to admit it.] --so yeah, they're important too.

[They changed the kids when they happen. Jack can't overlook them, no matter how much he'd like to.]

...your turn.

[zerotohiro]

No wonder you're a guardian. [There's a slightly bitter smile with that, and he's focused on playing with the wrapper of the candy egg instead of looking at Jack when he says:] What is it with older brothers doing dumb things to save their younger siblings?

[Dumb things like dying, for example.]

[2cool4guardian]

Please tell me you just didn't compare me to Tadashi. [It's teasing. Maybe. Look, he has to say something stupid, ok. No kid should smile like that.

Jack reaches out to ruffle Hiro's head, sympathy in his eyes.] Would you do dumb things for your bother too?

[zerotohiro]

[He just stares at him. And eventually even when Jack ruffles his hair he ducks his head to try and pull back even if he's hardly putting forth effort to move.]

I've already done a ton of dumb things for him. He just doesn't know about it yet.

[2cool4guardian]

So you do understand why we did what we did. [There, he used 'we' without minding throwing Tadashi in there. Be proud of him!

A soft little breeze tries to push Hiro forward again - not escaping anymore, mister.] You do know the answer, Hiro. Can I have mine?

[zerotohiro]

[The bit of chill goes through his hair and he ducks his head further. Right. An answer.]

...it's nothing bit. There's just somebody I know that's missing a lot of memories and history for things that've happened because they happened after their time. Just sort of debating if it'd be better or worse to leave them in the dark.

[2cool4guardian]

If it happened after it's not really missing memories, is it? [Still, he thinks about it while nomming on more chocolate.] I get why you're confused then, it's kinda different, but... I'd like to know. If it was related to me, I'd like you to tell me.

...did you even ask them if they want to know?

[zerotohiro]

It is if they're stuck facing somebody who has all of those memories and they have to live with it every day, I think. [He rolls his eyes. Somehow he had a feeling that'd be the answer.]

I don't want to ask. And I kinda tried explaining stuff when I first got here but things just didn't work out, and now it's been a couple of months and...I dunno. Maybe it's safer not to tell him until things calm down here.