estoria | ( closed )

Entry tags:

( closed )

Who: Grell

erythristic, Hiro

zerotohiro, Clarke

flamekeeper, & Bellamy

anarchos
When: 7/8 IC
Where: Bellamy and Grell's apartment
What: world hopping leads to awkward family reunions
Rating/Warning: will edit as/if necessary

[In retrospect, he may have been a bit of an idiot when it came to dealing with Hiro. Especially after they'd flat out discussed the whole multiverse and multiworld thing. The opening was right there. But Bellamy ducked away from it anyway, but it wasn't like Grell had been forthcoming either. At least she'd probably been a little more subtle about it. Really, it was only a matter of time before Hiro found out; it's not a surprise that Clarke became the turning point for it.]

[It doesn't mean he's not a little nervous waiting after Grell invites him over. His good intentions don't mean shit most of the time.]

[When the bell rings, Bellamy's the one to get it, with the dog hot on his heels. He opens the door to let Hiro in, and before he even gets a word out, Rhea plows forward, whining and nosing at the kid. She's hesitant though, like she realizes there's something off, but it doesn't stop her from demanding attention from someone so recognizable. Bellamy wonders if he should stop her, but he just takes a step back to give Hiro the space to walk through instead. Rhea won't leave him alone till she's good and ready anyway.]

Uh, hey, Hiro.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[This...is something he never would have thought would happen to him, truth be told. As smart as he is, as much as he can figure out and deduce on his own, he never would have figured this out on his own until Clarke approached him the day before inside ViViD and told him the truth.

"I'm sorry; you don't remember me, do you? My name is Clarke. We used to be friends. Somewhere else. Probably pretty far away from here, but we called it home for about two years; it's called the Drabwurld, and we lived in a city called Diasbaile."

From there the truth came out and he learned that Grell and Bellamy were from that world, that they, too, knew him once upon a time. Knowing that now, he had plenty of questions. When Grell invited him over to discuss everything, of course he said yes. That didn't mean he wasn't nervous about it though.

By the time Bellamy opens the door he's about to say "hello" before a wall of fur barrels into him, nearly knocking him over as the wet dog nose pushes against his hands.]

Whoa! [He stops, glancing up at the others in the room before he grins and crouches down to the dog's height, holding her head and petting her. A dog is a dog, even if he doesn't recognize her. At least it's a good distraction.] You guys always greet your guests like that or what?

We usually allow them to come inside and get comfortable before sending in the cavalry.

[she says it lightly, but Bellamy and Clarke will know the subtle signs in her that means she's nervous - has been all day. she could have said something and didn't. she was ready to let him go on in peace, or at least until she knew he'd be receptive to the idea. do it gently, instead of coming in banners waving insisting that something was there that wasn't in this world.

still, she has to play as though everything is fine for a few minutes more, and so she'll disguise the nerves by going and getting another cup of tea from the kitchen to place in the living room. for Hiro, because it was simple good manners when you had an important guest to offer them something, and because she hasn't forgotten how he takes it.]

[ Clarke hovers nervously when the doorbell comes, fingers twisting together, knotting themselves in a perfect mirror to her stomach. It's not an easy thing, seeing someone so dear to her have no memories that match her own; she can tell him as much as she wants, until she's blue in the face, until her voice has gone, and it won't make him her Hiro.

But it's okay, it is, because Clarke would rather have a Hiro that doesn't remember than not have Hiro at all. She can't imagine a world she travels to where he isn't there, too. He's like Bellamy, like Grell; a permanent fixture.

When Grell returns with the tea, she crosses the room a little faster than she should to loop her arm through Grell's, standing at her side as Diana settles in to sit at her feet. Clarke can see her twitch excitedly, part of her antsy to greet Hiro the way Rhea has, the rest of her too stubborn and dedicated to Clarke to leave her. It's only when Clarke nudges her with her foot that she joins Rhea in welcoming Hiro to the house, tail wagging. ]

You're just an exception to our regular manners.

[Bellamy fits right in alongside their nervousness, antsy in a way he hasn't been around Hiro before. He recognizes that same feeling in Clarke and Grell, which - helps a little, knowing he's not alone in any of this. The cat comes over, rubbing her face against Bellamy's leg before squinting at Hiro, but she waits too, not interested in fighting with the dogs for attention yet.]

I don't know what you guys are talking about. Rhea is the opposite of a watch dog. She has no manners. [Which is true enough, even if Bellamy's mostly saying it to be contradictory. Rhea loves people, and she loves Hiro. Which has the next few words spilling over before he can really stop them.] She probably recognizes you.

[Excellent job, Bellamy. Just bring it all up right off the bat. He flinches right after, grimacing apologetically as his body stiffens.] Sorry.

[It's pretty much exactly what he wanted to avoid this whole time, not wanting to put any expectations on Hiro.]

[There's a lot to take in now that he's looking at all of them. Grell who's arm in arm with Clarke who's blond now and a dog who sticks close protecting her until the dog tentatively approaches him as well and keeps his other hand busy and a cat weaving its way through Bellamy's legs and the nervous energy of all of them--

--and then he understands why. He understands immediately the moment the words leave Bellamy's mouth. He's the only one here who's the odd man out. These people all have memories of him. If Clarke's estimation of time is correct, it's years of memories. Years of memories he doesn't have any recollection of and it's...awkward. Not bad, really, but it's awkward to think of how to approach this.

Behind him just outside the doorway is a red rolling suitcase-like object and Hiro slowly stands up when he's done petting both Rhea and Diana, reaching behind him to grasp the handle and roll it inside behind him. He's unsure of where to go from there and the three of them might recognize his uncertainty. There was much less of it toward the end of their war when he'd grown up under their watch, but it's a familiar sort of behavior as his forefinger and thumb fiddle with the cuff of his hoodie and he faces them again.]

...actually, I don't know if that's it. It's been proven that a lot of animals including dogs actually only really remember people and things that're biologically relevant to them and trigger a certain response, like if the same person feeds them every day in the same place at the same time, they're gonna remember that. [It's a quiet, thoughtful tone even if he knows he's stalling. Science helps him feel comfortable no matter what.] If I had to guess, Rhea's reaction comes from...what, seeing me in the same place usually at the same times?

[...and a pause. Same place, same time...if Rhea belonged to Bellamy and Clarke and Grell (or any combination of them), as did the other dog and cat, does that mean...? The realization that he's much, much closer to these three than he'd initially anticipated hits him like a suckerpunch and he almost feels like the wind's been knocked out of him. In the end, there's a weak smile to finish it off.] Either that or she smells my cat.

[Clarke's presence at her side makes this a little easier. breathe, she tells herself, like she has so many times before. breathe, and maybe they can handle this with grace, or at least in a way that isn't tipping over the entire filing cabinet of memories and feelings and letting those spill over the room.

it has been years. and it's odd to miss someone when they're right in front of you, but she does miss him. misses the way she could appear and go on about structures and possibilities and misses the way she felt simply comfortable around him. a strange thing that had just happened, with time, but that she had come to think of as constant.]

Knowing her, anything goes. Come, sit where you like. You should be comfortable when I'm sure you have many, many questions.

[and so as not to make him feel more awkward, she moves to find a place to sit for herself, glancing to Clarke to see if she'll follow. it's not necessary, but she doesn't know if she quite wants to unlink their arms yet.]

[ Of course Clarke does, falling in step with Grell as they settle onto the couch. The four of them finding a way to settle in together feels a little more normal, a little more like home, and Clarke begins to relax from the normalcy of it; he might not be their Hiro, but it's still him, and knowing that is enough of a comfort for her. She can feel her shoulders easing, and the tension finishes draining out of her when Diana comes to lay down atop her feet.

Part of her wants to reach for Bellamy, to hold a hand out for him, but she knows that he's just as tense as the rest of them, and would rather give him the space to choose where he would be most comfortable, most at ease.

Her attention returns to Hiro without missing a beat, a smile pulling across her face. ]

I'm sorry that I couldn't get too in-depth with you in ViViD, I think I may have caused more questions than I gave you answers.

[There's a hint of a smile on his face when Hiro launches into the science, because it's so typical. Weirdly enough, it does help remind him that even if this Hiro doesn't remember them, he's still Hiro. It won't be the same, but at least it won't be nothing. He still misses his Hiro, but this one won't be a replacement - just another kind of Hiro.]

[As much as Bellamy would like to join Clarke and Grell on the couch, he feels like three people all looming from the same place at Hiro might be too much. He's already awkwardly on the spot, judging from his body language after the science speech. So he just walks passed them instead, squeezing Clarke's shoulder both for himself and for her, and he bumps his knee to Grell's right after in a similar comfort, before moving to one of the single chairs.]

[Rhea shuffles on her feet, torn between hovering near Hiro and flopping on the floor. She whimpers to herself and just nudges at Hiro's legs instead.]

She definitely smells the cat. But she's a fan. [Okay Bellamy, don't dive headfirst into the pool again.] And just - don't feel like you need to ask anything you don't want to. We're not on a time limit.

[Bellamy's correct in that assumption. All three of them united and looming over him would have made him even more uncomfortable. It's only when Bellamy settles that his hand absently pets Rhea's head again before he whistles softly to her to follow him to another chair. The suitcase parks next to him and his hand scratches Rhea behind the ears as he takes a deep breath, looking over the three of them carefully.

They're all very close. Anyone can see that. He has to wonder just how he fit into all of this.]

It's okay. [It's more to reassure the three of them instead of answering Bellamy's statement, but he smiles again even as his eyes are more on the dog than them for the moment.] It's just...you and Grell? That's how you knew about Baymax, huh? But neither of you said anything. I probably still wouldn't know if I hadn't met Clarke, would I?

That wasn't intended to be a permanent state of affairs. We intended to tell you at a time after we'd gotten to know you better.

[the words come out almost clipped, and Grell leans forward both to pick up her own tea and to move the cup for Hiro more towards his direction. settling back, she looks into the tea instead of at him for a moment.]

On my own arrival, almost everyone I met greeted me as though they knew me. Claiming I'd been here prior, which is nonsense. They sought someone who was and is not me no matter how alike our faces and names may be, and spoke with such assured conviction that it was unsettling, to say the least.

[now she looks up to him.]

I had no wish to subject you to that sort of experience. To make it seem as though there were expectations of you that you didn't ask for, brought on by someone that was and is not yourself...that's hardly fair nor right. But it seems as though that course of action backfired. And for all of it, I'm sincerely sorry.

Edited 2016-05-28 05:39 (UTC)

[ Clarke immediately perks up at the mention of Baymax; if Hiro is talking about him, that might be an indication that he's here. While she's tempted to ask, his question to Bellamy and Grell takes precedence; it's a valid one to ask of them, after all.

Instead of remaining in the living room with them, Clarke reaches to give a reassuring squeeze to Grell's arm as she apologizes, offering a smile to Hiro before she stands and removes herself from the room. Not only does she want the three of them to have this moment together, but she fully intends on taking the time to grab her sketchbook. The mention of Baymax reminds her, and she wonders if it might help Hiro to have some proof. ]

[He grimaces a little, nodding along with Grell's response.]

It didn't really feel fair to you, to dump it on you. I saw Grell going through it, and I just didn't want put anyone else through it. Especially you.

[He makes a face.] Grell's right, it did backfire. We probably shouldn't have kept it quiet for this long. [A beat.] That is how we knew who Baymax was though. He wasn't there - but you told us about him.

It's not an excuse. It was a weird balance to try and reach of knowing you and getting to know you all over again, and I'm not sure it worked. I'm sorry too, Hiro.

[While the two of them explain themselves and Clarke gets up to leave the room, he finally pulls his tea closer to take a sip, only mildly surprised to find that it's exactly the way he usually takes it. He doesn't remark on it, knowing what he knows now and instead he waits for them to say their pieces before chiming in again.]

When I first got here, people told me I used to be here before. Not many people, but enough that it was pretty believable. They recognized Baymax, too. I get it. I get why you did it, I guess. [It's still a little questionable but he can deal with that. Why wasn't Baymax with him in the Drabwurld? That's strange.] But then again...? It was a little easier to deal with when I found out that other people were experiencing the same thing, too. You just said it yourself, Grell. And Ruby had to deal with it, too, when she came here a second time. [He sighs to himself, thinking nothing of dragging Ruby into this conversation too. (It's second nature at this point.) It's weird. Timeline shenanigans and multiple versions...it's hard to wrap his head around sometimes.]

I think my next question is just how much you guys already know about me anyway. It's okay. I promise I won't think I have to live up to anything or whatever.

Edited 2016-05-31 22:16 (UTC)

[but she wasn't me. this isn't a second time. the instinctual response is choked back in her throat with another drink of her own tea, swallowing her words along with the caffeine. it's not the same. the same way he isn't theirs, no matter how much they might want him to be.

instead of lingering there in a space she knows will get dark, she thinks about his question. how much did she know?]

...Enough to know a good deal of your habits. Some of where you came from. Your way of speaking, and a good number of your likes and dislikes. That you overwork yourself to the point of exhaustion in pursuit of your goals, and that you have a mind with the keenness of a newly made sword and a library's worth of knowledge. How you chose to fight. Those sorts of things.

[ Clarke overhears everything, of course, but naturally that's to be expected what with her amplified hearing. Realizing it's a good time for her to return, she scoops her sketchbook into her arms before making her way back out to the living room; this time, she settles atop one of the arms of the chair that Hiro is sitting in.

She flips through the pages quickly before she comes to a page that holds a drawing of both Baymax's chip, as well as his piece of armor that Hiro had in the Drabwurld. She hands the sketchbook down to him, open to that page, but she won't stop him if he wants to flip through the rest. It's primarily filled with pictures of Diasbaile, the family, the dogs, and occasionally sketches of various places in both Glaschu and Dorchadas, and everything is always labelled. ]

I know that your favourite colour is blue, but when you were fourteen, red was a close second. I know that you liked to lay in the backyard with Rhea as your pillow, because 'at least sunshine feels the same way here'. [ At which point she flips the page to a sketch of him in the grassy yard with Bellamy not too far away. ] I'm pretty sure that Honey Lemon might have been your favourite friend from home, even though you'd never say as much. Grell's right that you knew so much already, but you were always wanting to learn more, anything you could get your hands on. I don't think I've ever met anyone as smart or naturally intuitive for creating as you. [ She's quiet for a moment, as though debating; even if all of the know about Tadashi, Clarke doubts that's something to bring up right now. ] I knew you for about a year and a half. You also get a bit of a growth spurt by the time you're sixteen. [ That's lighthearted enough, right? ]

[It's the second time he's mentioned Ruby, and there comes with the curiosity one might have toward their Certified Alternative Universe Tiny Son. But he'll find out in due time, because now is not the time to be asking his own questions.]

Honestly, it was pretty cool actually meeting Baymax here. You were always excited to talk about him.

[There's the smallest of fond smiles on his face, despite the words that come with it next.] I know you're not above disregarding the law, if it suits you for a better cause. We may or may not have committed larceny.

Grell and Clarke are right - about everything, but - you're unbelievably smart and inventive. Connecting the dots, creating entirely new technology.

I was helping to train you in the Drabwurld, so I already know where most of your strengths and weaknesses are on that front too. What weapons suit you, what you liked using and hated. [He's half tempted to offer it up again but - he keeps quiet for now.] You like to keep busy, when you have a lot on your mind. I mean, who doesn't? But you're very determined about it.

[He grins, wanting to go out on a more teasing note too.] You ate just about everything and anything, but this weird pseudo mac and cheese was your favorite. Judging from the burgers, you've still got an extra stomach.

[What's mollifying is the fact that they're all correct. All of that makes sense and sounds right, and while there are some things anybody who speaks to him long enough would know (his favorite color for instance, or the fact that he's naturally gifted and inquisitive), but there are definitely things only a select few people would know. He takes the book from Clarke and idly thinks of how nice her drawings are before he begins to carefully flip through the pages. He hovers on the page with Baymax's chip and armor, a little spooked by the specific detail in that before he continues to look and listen to the three of them.

They really got it. They really actually knew and it's…it's…well, it's a lot to swallow. He knows that Adelina had come here and disappeared to another place not her home, only to return here. Could the same have happened to him?

He smiles at what the girls say, smirking more at what Bellamy says and he doesn't take his eyes off of the book.]

Hey, I'm growing still. Don't judge me. [But "creating new technology." "How you chose to fight." Those things stick out to him and he finally looks up at the three of them. He's genuinely stunned, to say the least.]

Wow. [He sinks back in his chair, lingering on the picture of himself and Rhea before looking at one of the Caer Scima.] You guys really weren't making this up. [His brain's on overload, but there's one more important question pushing through.] So wait a sec. That means…I fought in that war, too? With you guys. We were all on the same side, right? [He huffs lightly, mostly in disbelief.] I'm having a hard time imagining that.

Why, do you doubt that we'd all be allies? I'm offended.

[but despite the amusement on her face, she knows what he's truly asking. what was so hard to believe. (he is so young now, comparatively, and though it was so short in years, the stress and experience of a war aged someone beyond themselves. two years could be more like twenty.)

again, she wants to rush forward and hug him, but refrains.]

There are a lot of ways to fight in a war, Hiro. We all found how to contribute - be it on the field, working with fire and steel, or be it evading spies and answering the requests of the divine. You might not know what you're capable of until the opportunity is at hand to show you can do it, but you did.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( closed )

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

rolls on in days late