#008 → REBOOT

[everydayhero]

Who: Hiro Hamada
Broadcast: Video
Action: Marsiva
When: 6/14, afternoon

[the feed shows the view out of the windows on the marsiva hospitality deck. they pan over the view for several seconds, and then stop on a distant ship that is definitely glowing some kinda color most of the ships aren't. most people know this as characteristic of the ss bishop, decked out in flashy lights and obnoxious amounts of color.]

That... is my ship.

[the voice doesn't sound very happy about that, for some reason. the feed turns again, and hiro points the camera at himself. he look... a little confused, and possibly frustrated.]

I haven't been on the Marsiva in months. Last I remember, it was April. That's... not what the comm says. What happened?

Comments

[video]

[ishere]

[ it's been tough with ino asleep -- tadashi keeps worrying, maybe irrationally, that she isn't going to wake up, or that she's simply going to disappear and reappear home. he wastes a lot of time on his communicator for that reason exactly: he's trying to distract himself.

and then, suddenly, was a voice he was literally never expecting to hear again. ]

Hiro?

[ he answers before the shock has had time to wear off, his eyes wide and expression baffled. ]

Video

[spontaneouscombustion]

[Oh hey, it's a pony, but... it's not Cheese. For one thing, she's bright, Honey Lemon levels of pink. And the voice coming out of her mouth is high and girly.]

Oh, wow, you went home and came back?! What was it like?!

[video]

[everydayhero]

[hiro breathes the biggest sigh of relief at the sight of his brother.]

Tadashi--Man, I'm glad to see you. What happened?

Video

[everydayhero]

Uh... not like going home. I went to sleep, and woke up here. Is it really June?

[he doesn't react to her being a horse more than blinking a bit at her brightness. what with cheese being a member of his crew for so long, he just makes the assumption that they're from the same world.]

[video]

[ishere]

You, uh -

[ keep it together, tadashi. keep it together.

he glances away, dragging his fingers through his hair, and clearing his throat. when he looks back, his face is as neutral as he can possibly keep it. ]

You're on the Marsiva?

[spontaneouscombustion]

[He'd be correct!]

Yup, it's really June! I was brought here in late April! I'm Pinkie Pie, what's your name?

[video]

[everydayhero]

[after everything they've been through since they both got here, hiro can see the signs. he sees things tadashi did when he talked to hiro after finding out about his death.]

... Yeah. Are you on the Bishop?

[everydayhero]

... Hiro Hamada. I'm an Engineer, I'm captain of the Bishop. Or... I'm supposed to be.

Nice to meet you, Pinkie Pie.

[video]

[ishere]

No.

[ the answer comes reflexively, and then- ]

I mean, my bunk and lab are still there, but I...

[ he spends almost all of his time on the three twins these days. he'd meant to put in for a transfer, then had never really gotten around to it. it wasn't like he needed his own room on ino's ship, after all.

hastily, he adds: ]

But I'm coming back.

[video]

[everydayhero]

... I've really been gone for two months, haven't I?

[spontaneouscombustion]

Oh, you're from Cheese Sandwich's ship, that's great! Nice to meet you too, Captain Hiro Hamada! I'm an engineer too, but I'm on the Caprine! I think somebody named Finrod is the Bishop's captain now!

[video]

[ishere]

[ he shuts his eyes for a moment, pressing his fingers against them and taking another careful breath. ]

Yeah, you brat. You have.

Video

[save_the_souls]

[Whoa, this was a twist of events]

Hiro! You're back!

[video]

[everydayhero]

.... This is how you felt when you got here and couldn't leave, huh.

[he looks really bothered by that. he could use a reassurance hug from his big brother.]

[video]

[ishere]

A little, yeah.

[ he half-smiles at him, the expression oddly strained. he's so glad to see him again that he's almost weak with it, but it's staggering -- he'd just recently come to accept that he wouldn't see his brother again. ]

How are you feeling?

[video]

[everydayhero]

Worried. Is Belthazar okay? Ino, Allen, the crew...

[especially belthazar though]

[everydayhero]

Yeah, Cheese is pretty great.

... Oh. Well, I guess he's who I'd choose... He's been there the longest out of anybody left.

Video

[everydayhero]

Allen!

[RELIEF]

I didn't know I was going anywhere.

Video

[save_the_souls]

That's usually how it happens. Don't worry, I don't think anyone's going to think it's your fault.

[It's a relief to see the kid after well, a pretty crappy week]

How are you?

[video]

[ishere]

[ and then tadashi is just gonna wince again. ]

Hiro... [ how is he even supposed to say this? ] Belthazar went home when you did. I'm sorry.

[spontaneouscombustion]

Oh... are you sad you're not captain anymore? ... How long HAS anybody been here? I know Cheese has been in other worlds for a year and a half, but he also said he was somewhere else first.

[video]

[everydayhero]

[hiro's face falls. he looks... sad. but after a minute, he nods.]

I think... that's better. He would have been so miserable if I left after I promised I wouldn't.

[but he's clearly upset, and it shows in his voice. yesterday, in his head, belthazar was right there.]

[video]

[ishere]

[ tadashi isn't entirely sure what to say to that. hiro's right - it's probably better that the other boy wasn't around to suffer the loss. at the same time, he knows it can't be easy to be back without him. ]

I'm sorry, Hiro. Maybe he'll be back, too.

[everydayhero]

I was here for a year before this happened. More than that, like... fourteen months, or something. And yeah, I'm a little bummed. I took being captain pretty seriously.

Video

[everydayhero]

... Groggy? Confused, mostly. I hear Finrod's the captain of my ship now, and... that Belthazar went home.