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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[cryptologic]

Xion's gone
i think
maybe it's just my cerevice malfunctioning

[ He knows it isn't. ]

i don't know what to do.

[zerotohiro]

Shit. [More kneejerk reactions.] Let me double-check. And I'll send one of Tadashi's birds out to look. When did you notice?

[cryptologic]

Tadashi's app pinged me
just a few minutes ago
could it be wrong?

[ He knows it isn't. ]

[zerotohiro]

[Either his brother's pride, or Dipper's heart. Which one is he supposed to protect here?!]

I don't know but sometimes the CereVice does weird stuff. Remember how they acted in the jungle? I'm sending a bird out now to look for her. When was the last time you saw her?

[cryptologic]

less than a week ago
at the carnival
how soon will you know?

[zerotohiro]

Ten minutes, just stay on the line with me. The carnival was only a couple of days ago, that's what doesn't make sense. She seemed fine when you saw her right? No weird glitches or anything?

[cryptologic]

no nothing like that
she was completely normal

[ But sometimes people just vanish.

That's a truth with which Dipper is intimately familiar. ]

[zerotohiro]

[He doesn't say anything because...what can he say? He's waiting for the results from the birds and checking the lists himself, but it's clear to him that she's gone. Finally, he texts back.]

...I'm sorry, dude.

[cryptologic]

[ Well, that's tha -

No. ]

We have to fix this
We have to get her back

We have to get them back

We have to figure something out

[ I can't do this again. ]

[zerotohiro]

I know, I know! I know...I'm already on it, I'm going to think of something but I need TIME, Dipper. I can't do this right away.

[Not with the masks. Not with everything else going on. Not with the mounting stress he doesn't want to admit to...but his best friend's hurt and he has to fix that, too.]

I'll find a way but...I don't know how long it'll take.

[cryptologic]

I can't

[ His hand slips and sends the unfinished message. He doesn't bother picking it back up. ]

[zerotohiro]

Dipper?

[And then a barrage of messages.]

Dipper, pick up the phone.
Dipper.
Dipper come on.
DIPPER COME ON, ANSWER ME.

[If that doesn't work he's calling. Forget this.]

[cryptologic]

[ Eventually, Dipper does answer via text, though it may be after a few missed calls. ]

what do you want me to say.

[zerotohiro]

Anything. I just needed to make sure you were going to pick up and not do something else without us.

[cryptologic]

well there you have it

I'm fine

[ Ha. Hahaha. ]

[zerotohiro]

I am more of an expert on what's considered fine than you, Pines.

[Just saying.]

...give it three days before we rule out the possibility of her coming back. There's a chance she will. It's a pattern I'm starting to notice.

[cryptologic]

[ Right. So Hiro's basically asking him to hold out hope.

He can't do that. He can't do that to himself. He can't bear the weight of going through this a second time. No. ]

No, Hiro. She's gone.

[ She's gone until she isn't. And he doesn't for a second think he's lucky enough that she'll be back. Mabel wasn't. Why would Xion be any different? ]

[zerotohiro]

Dipper. Listen to me. Three days. Give it three days and then there won't be any mystery left.

[He's begging, mostly, because he has to hope that maybe she's just gone back temporarily. That's happened to people before. Why not Xion? He understands Dipper's plight though and he knows in the back of his head that it's not true...but he can't just give up.]

[cryptologic]

[ No.

Except he doesn't text that response. Instead, he doesn't text back at all.

He can't string himself out like that. He can't hope like that. He'd just be proven right in a few days anyway.

Xion is well and truly gone. ]

[zerotohiro]

[He knows that Dipper won't respond. But he sends one more message.]

I'll keep looking and figure something out. Just...take it easy, buddy.

[That's all he can say.]