grimmadventures | maybe one of these days they'll go on an actual date

Of course it's okay. [The anger from earlier seems to be on pause even though his posture is tense still.] I told you before we left that place that you could always come find me. I just didn't think it'd be so soon.

[At that, she raises her head, managing a small, watery smile. Then she reaches out for him. He's close enough to be crouched down in front of her, which means he's close enough to hug.

...though she'll let go if he stays tense for too long.]

Thank you.

[He's close enough that she can hug him and he doesn't exactly move away. Instead, he looks at her almost unhappily and leans his head into her even if he doesn't move his arms to hug back.]

Yeah. [He sounds a little lost, but certain.] We'll take care of everything and keep you safe here. I promise. My aunt won't even know you're here and we can make it work.

[If Hiro says it will work, she'll believe him. He may only be fourteen, but he's a genius and one of the most resourceful people Yona knows, and she doesn't think he would tell her it will all be fine if he didn't believe it.

...that unhappy expression of his gets her to let go after a few seconds, though.]

I'll do my best to stay out of the way. She definitely won't even know I'm here. [...] ...you said you and Baymax are going out again, right?

...yeah. I have to stop someone who's been getting away with murder for way too long. You understand, don't you?

[She understands, but she doesn't want to. If he was someone she'd grown up with, if they hadn't shared the experiences they did in the castle, she probably would have clung to his arm and pleaded with him not to go.

Now, when he says murder, she remembers her father bleeding out on the ground, and she shudders as her overactive imagination substitutes Il's form with Hiro's. What if he doesn't come back? Hiro's capable, she knows that, but if this person has really been getting away with murder for so long...]

...I won't stop you, but I- I want to come with you. I want to see for myself that you're okay, I don't want to have to sit around waiting and wondering what's going on. [She looks up at him.] I'll stay out of the way, but I want to be there for you. Please?

[He's already shaking his head no.] No. Yona, you've already seen me kill way too many people. I don't want you to have to see this, too. And it's dangerous. I don't know what he's going to do next, but I'm not letting him get away. I know how to take care of it, but...you need to...your ankle.

[He's not sure what he's trying to say, but the message is clear. He wants her to stay.

Baymax, meanwhile, suddenly chimes in.]

Tadashi.

If it's dangerous, you shouldn't go alone--

[Baymax probably knows that Yona's argument won't be of any use (mainly because she's 100% going to try to stop him from actually killing the man if he brings her along, and Hiro most likely knows that), which may be why he interrupts them.

She looks between the boy and the robot, confused.]

...Tadashi... that's your brother's name, right?

[He freezes. He doesn't know how to change the subject, but he freezes and he stares at Baymax.]

What?

[The response should be enough for Yona to understand that she's right. Tadashi's his deceased brother, and Hiro's unsure of why he's being brought up now.]

Is this what Tadashi wanted?

[His eyes narrow suddenly.] It doesn't matter.

Tadashi programmed me to aid and--

Tadashi's gone! [The yell is so sudden and his fists slam into the wall next to him out of anger, echoing through the garage and Hiro immediately goes silent. He's surprised by his own lack of control on his emotions, eyes darting between Baymax, Yona, and his own hands. He doesn't move, but he bows his head as he sinks to the floor in front of Yona's feet.]

Tadashi's...gone. [Baymax appears to be unsure of what to make of his charge, head tilting even as the soft light on his vinyl belly glows and remains unobstructed since Hiro de-armored him.]

Tadashi is here.

[He shakes his head, shoulders jumping just slightly but keeping some control over his voice.] No. He's not here. It's why I have to go.

[...oh, Hiro.

Yona doesn't flinch when Hiro raises his voice and slams his fists into the wall, but as he sinks to the floor, she slides off the chair she's been resting on, settling herself on her knees so that she can wrap her arms around him.]

Tadashi is her, [Baymax repeats, as the form of a college-aged young man in a cap flickers onto his belly screen.

Yona stares at the screen over Hiro's shoulder.]

Tadashi Hamada. Aaand this is the first test of my robotics project. [Onscreen, Tadashi presses a button. Baymax's customary greeting comes from the speakers - Hello. I am Baymax. - before there's an unpleasant sound and the display is distorted by bars of varying colors. Tadashi flinches back and waves his hands.] Stop! Stop stop stop!

[The tests continue - seventh, thirty-third ("I'm not giving up on you"), all the way up to number eighty-four.]

This is Tadashi Hamada and this is the eighty-fourth test. What do you say, big guy?

[Yona's arms tighten around Hiro almost imperceptibly.]

[He doesn't look at Yona. He looks at Baymax instead and barely registers that she's holding him even if he's subconsciously leaning into said-hold. He watches the screen and the change in his breathing is noticeable. It's...been a painfully long time since he's heard his brother's voice or seen his face. He's in shock for the most part, watching for a moment.

The eighty-fourth test works. It works, and he watches Tadashi dance around like a goddamn fool and Hiro can't help but smile even as his eyes brim with tears.]

Just wait until my brother sees you.

[Like always, everything Tadashi did involved Hiro somehow. Tadashi says he's satisfied with his care and the video freezes on his cheerful, pleased expression. Hiro can't decide if he's happy or sad by the presence of his brother and a hand comes up to brush a few stray tears from his face as he sniffs. He doesn't say anything for a moment.]

Thank you, Baymax. [...and then, to Yona:] ...he would have liked you, I think.

[Tadashi is a good brother.

That, Yona can tell just from watching the scenes of his tests play out on screen, from the sheer joy when Baymax finally works, and from the love in his voice when he talks about Hiro. She can tell even though she's never had any siblings.

...if she could have a sibling, she'd probably want them to be like Tadashi.]

I'd have liked him, too. [Her voice is very soft.] ...are you alright, Hiro?

[The answer is "no" because he's not going to be alright for a while, maybe. But for the temporary time being...he nods.]

I'll be fine, yeah. Sorry. [...] For everything, I mean.

[Being murderous isn't a good look on him, maybe.]

[...it's not the best look on him, but it could be worse. yona's seen him murderous once already and stuck with him through that. even if he didn't snap out of it, she'd still stick around until he got tired of her.

so when he apologizes, she shakes her head.]

No, it's okay. I'm sorry... for not understanding right away. [It may have been some time since he lost Tadashi, but the pain seems as sharp as ever. ...having lost her father, she's a little closer to understanding now than she was back at the castle.] ...I'm here for you, okay? I'm not going anywhere.

[She literally can't, but even if she could, she wouldn't.]

I know. You've stuck around even when I didn't want you to before. [Which is something he's grateful for. But now that he's regained control of himself, he tilts his head in thought.]

...you still haven't exactly explained what you're--[He doesn't get to finish his sentence though because there's a voice from just outside of his garage. Honey Lemon's calling his name and Hiro's eyes widen.]

--you have to hide. Fast.

Well, that's-- eh?

[Hide? ...right, there are voices. And even if Hiro's okay with her being here, that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be the easiest thing to explain to the people around him. She nods and lets go, her gaze darting around the garage.

There's a supply closet. She makes a dash for it, putting weight on her bad ankle--] Ow, ow...! [--and pulls the door shut behind her before holding her breath as his friends arrive.]

[Baymax is alerted to Yona's cries of "ow" and tries to follow, but he doesn't get very far before the nerd herd enters the garage.

"Guys, I--" He doesn't get to explain before Gogo hugs him and he falls quiet, allowing the contact for a few seconds. He doesn't get to explain anything, and Honey provides the flashdrive with the key piece of evidence. Hiro studies it, coming to the conclusion that Abigail was the lost pilot and deciding they have to go back and catch Callaghan.

He sounds like a real leader, actually, delegating his team and instructing them to meet him tomorrow morning when it'll be easier for them to catch the guy. Baymax needs to charge, and they should all get some rest. It takes some reassurance that he'll be fine before his friends will leave and he shuts the garage, waiting a few more minutes before wandering to the closet Yona's hiding in.]

...you can come out now. They're gone.

[Somehow, she manages not to alert the entire nerd herd to the fact that she's hiding in Hiro's closet. Some people have skeletons in their closets! Hiro has princesses, apparently.

She inches the door open and peers out when he lets her know the coast is clear. Her expression is solemn and a little contemplative.]

...you have really good friends here. They care about you a lot. [She can tell just from listening to them.]

...they were Tadashi's friends. I just met them like a month ago. But they're good people. [It's why he feels bad about fucking off and leaving them to fend for themselves.]

We're going to have to figure out a way to explain why you're here.

[They might have been Tadashi's friends to start, but they care about Hiro too - and not just because he's their friend's brother. That's the impression Yona gets, anyway.]

...we can't just say I came to visit, can we? Because then people would want to know where I came to visit from.

Exactly. We could make up a place...say you're from a different country or something, but then we have to explain why and how you got here and how long you're staying. We'd have to come up with a whole new backstory for you.

That seems like it would be really easy to mix up. Also, if I'm from a different country, how did you and I meet?

[

guess who doesn't know about the internet]

...you know that people from other countries can meet all kinds of people, right? We're a big tourist city. Or I tell everybody I met you in an MMO. [How many of those words won't make sense to her...]

[Well, she was going to ask him some logistical questions, like "what country am I supposed to be from" and "Kouka doesn't exist here, does it?" but then he distracts her, so. What she asks instead is -]

What's an MMO?

Massively multiplayer online. It's a type of video game where you and a bunch of people around the world are playing the same game against or with each other. I can show you if you want.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

let's pretend i didn't typo here as her

no never

cries

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject