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

I, uh... got into a bit of an accident, but...

[ Cue flashback to Jaune and Rapunzel falling off a skyscraper on to a moving bus, then Jaune falling off the bus and rolling into a signpost. ]

...it's all good. Aura back to normal! What happened to you? Y'know, aside from the whole... "I'm gonna kill Callagram" memory thing. That was his name, right? No, I'm thinking of an app... that's an app, I think...

Uh. That's not really something you just sort of drop on somebody without explaining. What happened? Are you okay? [Pause.] I mean I guess you've gotta be okay if you're here talking to me but you know what I mean.

[This is fine. Totally fine.] His name's Callaghan. And you're probably thinking of--wait, never mind, not important. Sure. that's the name of an app. [Jaune Arc, you're a gift/curse.] Two big things happened. Tadashi saw the same memory you did, and I almost got killed by someone who stabbed me with a sword. And no, that someone wasn't Tadashi so don't think the two things are related.

But I'm fine. Everything's back to normal here, too. [Other than all of the emotional ties to people but whatever.]

Wait-- what? Someone tried to kill you? Why? We gotta stop this person before they attack anyone else! It wasn't Callagra--han, was it?

Callaghan already tried to kill me, like, four times, but for once he wasn't responsible. It's fine, it was because of those dumb masks. You wouldn't believe me even if I told you who it was either but it's been taken care of. They're not going to attack anybody else. I hope.

[Sorry Weiss, still not entirely trusting you with that.] Anyway...what's going on? ["Why did you call?"]

[ He'll get to that in a sec. ]

Wait, are you really not gonna tell me who it was?! I poked you, too, remember? Doesn't that, like... make me part of the... stabby circle or something?

And that was also a totally bad idea, but you also didn't have glyphs on your side. [There. Maybe Jaune will figure it out and he won't have to say her name out loud. Although...] You sure the "stabby circle" is a circle you want to be part of?

[ Jaune pauses, as if the answer depends on: ] ...is there such a thing as a "stabby circle"? How often does this happen to you?

...Hiro.

Did someone try to frame Weiss by attacking you like that?

No, Jaune. There's no such thing as a stabby circle.

And...if by "someone" you mean the mask she had put on and then hunted me down with then yeah. That's exactly what happened. [Pause.] Some people who wore their masks had their entire personalities altered. We're still not entirely sure how yet.

What?! How come she didn't try to attack me?! [ Priorities again... ] Actually, Weiss and I worked pretty well as a team, so... I guess there's an argument to be made for that. Personalities shifting, I mean... [ AGAIN NOT THE POINT ]

Weiss tried to attack you, then? Is she okay?

[And as usual, he lets Jaune ramble for a bit.]

She's really strong, Jaune. She's fine. [Emotionally distraught probably, but that's not Hiro's problem right now.] She came out with pretty minimal damage, I wasn't going to shoot her when she wasn't herself.

[ True, enough people would shoot Weiss when she is being herself. ]

She must feel so awful... [ UH, WHAT ABOUT HIRO, MR. WHITE KNIGHT ]

S-So are you, uh... back in the inventing garage? Or... lab, or... wherever your science studio is. Is science studio a thing? I was wondering if you could help me make something, but, y'know... no rush. You should definitely rest up! Want me to bring you some jelly doughnuts?

[ how badly did weiss fuck him up... ]

She probably does. [Luckily for Jaune, Hiro knows (or believes he knows, at least) how to take care of himself and he thinks nothing about the weird sentence. He knows he'd feel awful trying to murder someone, too.

Mostly.]

And just call it a workshop, or a lab. [He inhales quietly, already debating what it is that Jaune could be asking for.] I mean I won't say no to doughnuts but I'm okay. I can take on another project. What're you thinking of?

[The easiest way to answer that is to not answer at all.]

I'm thinking two words. But, you combine them into one word. What do you get?

Jetpacks.

[ Why does this sound like the start of a TED Talk presentation... ]

Jetpacks. Did Ruby tell you about the rocket boots I made for the cat or what? Why jetpacks?

Wha-- a cat has rocket boots and I don't?!? Man, I gotta get with the program...

U-Uh, no, let me... like, not jetpack-jetpack, as in... I-I don't wanna fly around or anything. That's not my style, y'know? [ More like he knows he'd be throwing up all over the place if he did. ]

I just mean... the monsters I've been fighting lately, they've all been unfairly ginormous, and I can't jump high like Yang or Ruby. I mean, they can't either without the boost of their weapons, which... brings me to my point! I need a little booster to help me jump higher, or... to slow down my falls. N-Not that I fall a lot. But... y'know... it happens. From really high places.

It was a personal project back home, not that big of a deal. [But they're pretty cool, if he says so himself.]

[But he listens. It's...noble, in a strange way, that all Jaune wants is something to help him help their friends fight. Isn't that why he made his gear in the first place? So when he responds, there's something almost like understanding in his tone.]

Gotcha. I think I've got an idea. I'll have to see what parts I can find but--okay so have I told you about my team at all? There's six of us, me and Baymax included. I made all of their gear myself and my friend Fred wanted two things. One of them was the ability to basically super-jump, so when I designed his suit the feet were spring-loaded. He cleared his entire house and his house is a mansion...which is weird and you'd know why if you met Fred, but anyway, I bet I could work something out to help you slow your falls, too.

[He already has ideas. Jaune, why did you do this to him personally?] When do you want it done by?

[ This is great. All they need now is a training/testing montage to "Immortals" when it's ready. ]

Right! So like a booster thing, right? Remember, it's gotta look cool and organic, we can't just sticky-tape springs on my shoes. N-Not that I tried it or anything. But! You're the inventor! Do you need me to draw, like, blueprints or anything? Does it need to be in a blue pen? I got other colours, too! Ahh, Hiro, I'm so psyched for this!! Have you started it yet?! [ ...That should answer his other question. ]

What do you take me for, an amateur? I'm kinda offended, dude. Nobody's stick-taping anything to anybody. [...] That's...not how blueprints work. Just leave it to me. I can probably skip out on a couple of my other projects that aren't making a ton of progress for a bit to work on these.

One condition though.

Condition? Yeah, let's hear it.

[ Jaune is pretty comfortable with a condition being attached to this, since he has no money to offer and Hiro is already going out of his way to work on this for him. This is reasonable. ]

I wanna be there when you test them out just to see 'em in action. Deal?

Heh, is that all? Sure! No problem, Hiro.

...
A-Actually, to be completely honest, you'd probably have to explain to me how it works anyway. A-And don't bother with a manual or anything.

[ Jaune Arc does not read manuals. ]

Tactile learner huh? Cool, I can work with that. It shouldn't take too long to get a prototype created and we can test them out in the park. What size shoe do you wear anyway?

[ Some inaudible yelling can be heard in the background... ]

Agh! Can't talk! I'm supposed to be in detention.

[ what ]

I'll text you all my deets, okay?! Keep me posted! Hiro, I'm so freaking exci-- okay, okay, SIR, I'm hanging up!

Bye!

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

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