[It was hard to say what it was. He'd been feeling more frustrated and confused over the last few days, and while he kept quiet and clung to Rei's side when she was home he never really said anything about what was bothering him. It was hard to put into words, but it made his stomach tie in knots.
He was home early that night and he didn't bother to say anything, brushing past the main room of their home and heading into his room and locking the door behind him. Taking Max the ferret out of his cage, he flopped onto his bed and kept the rodent close and sprawled on his chest as he blearily stared at the ceiling.
What was happening...?
He wasn't sure when, precisely, he dozed off but when he woke up it was dark. The moon shone through the curtains and lit up his room and Hiro didn't exactly feel solid. His thoughts floated loosely as he stared at the ceiling again, ignoring the unhappy chattering that came from Max. Without thinking about it, he got up and put the ferret back in his cage, not quite registering the thin film that trailed from the ferret's fur to the door of the cage.
He approached his bedroom door, still unaware of the wet footprints he left behind. His thoughts were focused on one thing; there was a need to consume everything, and anything that got in his way wouldn't stand a chance. The door of his room creaked open and he slipped out into the hall, slime dripping from his palms to his fingers. He caught it that time, intrigued by the viscosity and curious what it was made of. He continued his trek to the kitchen before pausing in his steps.
He wasn't alone. He wasn't alone, there was someone else he could absorb, and while the thought process should have weirded him out it made sense to keep everything as close as possible.
On the other hand, he had enough humanity left to register something was wrong. It's why there's a quiet and confused:]
Rei? [It echoes through the house and he stands still, shoulders hunched and hoodie bunched around his frame. Consume? Or leave? Consume...or leave...
[Frankly, Hiro's clinginess had been welcome, though she'd never say it. She had been staying in deliberately these last few nights to cope, and because she was worried about her brother. The last few days have been problematic for her at best anyway, with the revelations about this app being what they were. She was just so off, and her worldview had been shaken by memories that weren't her own, even if they were fairly innocuous things.
Drained was definitely a word for how she felt, but that feeling fled when she heard her name called.]
I'm here in the living room, Hiro. What's wrong?
[Settled on the couch with a book, wearing her pajamas, she moved to get up, but thought better of going to him. He may have just wanted to know where she was for some mischief, after all.]
[It's usually the case, yeah. Hiro's kind of a brat and often times he likes to tease her and get her to lighten up with his own brand of mischief. Sometimes he also just wants to know if she's home and if she's awake before he goes sneaking around.
It's neither of those this time and he stays in the dark for a little longer as he tries to parse how to explain what's happening. In the end, it's the same sort of confused tone but he slowly heads for the living room anyway.]
I don't feel good. [It's basic and not entirely accurate given it's more physically feeling off and mentally being thrown. Still, he looks at his hands again and juggles the sludge a little to absorb back into his palms.] And the moon's too bright.
[Rei looks up as he enters the room, closing her book just in time to see him starting to play with something in his hands. The bit about the moon doesn't process, but the thing he's playing with? Gross, this reminds her of the Goo incident.]
[It's fine? He's maybe learned, but also nah...that's a valid thing to worry about and he shoves his hands into his pockets to try and de-slime them as he stops a few feet from the couch.]
Sure. [It's a blasé tone this time, but he wiggles his hands in his pockets as if to show that he's listening. He still doesn't notice the footprints he's leaving behind, or the bit of shine in his face.] My head hurts. Everything feels like...disjointed. [Still not explaining much, kiddo.] The moon's broken.
[He approaches the couch again, sitting on one of the cushions and taking the handkerchief. Somehow that seems just like Rei to have one on her even while she's in her pajamas and the thought's sort of amusing. On the other hand, part of said-handkerchief starts to absorb into his palm and he doesn't notice yet. He makes no moves to wipe his face, but his hoodie is still bunched up to keep him covered.]
I don't know. I came home because it was getting dark and I fell asleep and I woke up like this. [The handkerchief sinks further and further into his hand, and a small handful of drops of purple leak from his fingertips and onto the floor next to the couch. He startles a bit, trying to figure out if he should listen to logic and pull the cloth out or listen to instinct and absorb it to fuel himself.]
[Hiro isn't the only one. Rei's been watching him, and noticing that yes, something is up. When a piece of him dribbles from his fingers and onto the floor, she makes a strangled, squawking sound...]
...Hiro...are you dripping?
[Reaching for him, she takes his shoulder through the hoodie, looking at his hand.]
Hey! [Don't shake him! Especially since her hand will definitely dip a little like he's not made of solid flesh and bone, oops. To answer her question though he's trying to pull the handkerchief back out, but it's now covered in slime.]
H-hey! [It's a minor protest but Rei is still taller than he is and he finds himself being pushed along. The slime's more evident now, coating the sleeves of his hoodie and trailing down to his feet.] I'm not gooping anything on purpose! And you can't ban me to the kitchen forever!
[He slips into the kitchen though, promptly sliding on some of his slime and stumbling into the counter though.] It's real, right? Like this is really happening.
...robots, I think. Artificial intelligence of some kind. I think it was a science school. And I think he might have been my age. Maybe younger. I don't know.
[He doesn't even like high school, why the hell was he in college?]
I don't know when I created him. Maybe I was an actual kid. It's been about a week and a half. I've been trying to figure out what all of it means. I have an answer but it doesn't make sense so I'm looking for a different one.
He was an inventor of some kind. And maybe really, really smart. Younger than sixteen, I know that much. But I remember other robots that were created. I thought I was just presenting them, but I think those might have been his, too. I'm the dumber recreation of that guy.
[He's not dumb, and he knows that, but he's definitely sure he wouldn't be able to get into college right this second so who the hell was that Hiro?]
Maybe not, but I'm not even sure what I would do with it. I can probably expect more robots in the future though. I remember some of his friends, too. Older. Almost your age. They seemed okay. Did your fire powers get stronger yet?
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10/5-6 or whenever you want her infected tbh
He was home early that night and he didn't bother to say anything, brushing past the main room of their home and heading into his room and locking the door behind him. Taking Max the ferret out of his cage, he flopped onto his bed and kept the rodent close and sprawled on his chest as he blearily stared at the ceiling.
What was happening...?
He wasn't sure when, precisely, he dozed off but when he woke up it was dark. The moon shone through the curtains and lit up his room and Hiro didn't exactly feel solid. His thoughts floated loosely as he stared at the ceiling again, ignoring the unhappy chattering that came from Max. Without thinking about it, he got up and put the ferret back in his cage, not quite registering the thin film that trailed from the ferret's fur to the door of the cage.
He approached his bedroom door, still unaware of the wet footprints he left behind. His thoughts were focused on one thing; there was a need to consume everything, and anything that got in his way wouldn't stand a chance. The door of his room creaked open and he slipped out into the hall, slime dripping from his palms to his fingers. He caught it that time, intrigued by the viscosity and curious what it was made of. He continued his trek to the kitchen before pausing in his steps.
He wasn't alone. He wasn't alone, there was someone else he could absorb, and while the thought process should have weirded him out it made sense to keep everything as close as possible.
On the other hand, he had enough humanity left to register something was wrong. It's why there's a quiet and confused:]
Rei? [It echoes through the house and he stands still, shoulders hunched and hoodie bunched around his frame. Consume? Or leave? Consume...or leave...
Where is she?]
10/5
Drained was definitely a word for how she felt, but that feeling fled when she heard her name called.]
I'm here in the living room, Hiro. What's wrong?
[Settled on the couch with a book, wearing her pajamas, she moved to get up, but thought better of going to him. He may have just wanted to know where she was for some mischief, after all.]
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It's neither of those this time and he stays in the dark for a little longer as he tries to parse how to explain what's happening. In the end, it's the same sort of confused tone but he slowly heads for the living room anyway.]
I don't feel good. [It's basic and not entirely accurate given it's more physically feeling off and mentally being thrown. Still, he looks at his hands again and juggles the sludge a little to absorb back into his palms.] And the moon's too bright.
[What?]
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I'm sorry. Tell me what's wrong? [A pause.]
And keep that toy slime off the couch, please.
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Sure. [It's a blasé tone this time, but he wiggles his hands in his pockets as if to show that he's listening. He still doesn't notice the footprints he's leaving behind, or the bit of shine in his face.] My head hurts. Everything feels like...disjointed. [Still not explaining much, kiddo.] The moon's broken.
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Maybe it's whatever's on your face making you feel that way. Did you get something on you?
[Fishing in her pocket, she holds out a handkerchief for him.]
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I don't know. I came home because it was getting dark and I fell asleep and I woke up like this. [The handkerchief sinks further and further into his hand, and a small handful of drops of purple leak from his fingertips and onto the floor next to the couch. He startles a bit, trying to figure out if he should listen to logic and pull the cloth out or listen to instinct and absorb it to fuel himself.]
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...Hiro...are you dripping?
[Reaching for him, she takes his shoulder through the hoodie, looking at his hand.]
...and is my handkerchief inside your hand?!
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I don't know how this is happening.
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What on earth? Hiro! You're dripping!
[No Shit Sherlock!]
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[She's already getting up and pushing him onto the kitchen linoleum.]
And...stop gooping me?!
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[He slips into the kitchen though, promptly sliding on some of his slime and stumbling into the counter though.] It's real, right? Like this is really happening.
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12/3 for whenever, text
I think past-me was in college already.
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Yes, I am happy to hear that.
What was he studying?
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Artificial intelligence of some kind. I think it was a science school.
And I think he might have been my age. Maybe younger. I don't know.
[He doesn't even like high school, why the hell was he in college?]
Robot's got a name too. Megabot. I built him.
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You just remembered all this today, then?
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It's been about a week and a half. I've been trying to figure out what all of it means.
I have an answer but it doesn't make sense so I'm looking for a different one.
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And maybe really, really smart.
Younger than sixteen, I know that much.
But I remember other robots that were created. I thought I was just presenting them, but I think those might have been his, too.
I'm the dumber recreation of that guy.
[He's not dumb, and he knows that, but he's definitely sure he wouldn't be able to get into college right this second so who the hell was that Hiro?]
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Maybe you'll inherit some sort of super-intelligence from him like I did fire.
That wouldn't be bad would it?
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I can probably expect more robots in the future though.
I remember some of his friends, too. Older. Almost your age.
They seemed okay.
Did your fire powers get stronger yet?
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And no, not yet. I don't even remember anything about them.
Just a few people, hanging out when we were teenagers.
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Do you remember their names? Names are missing from my memories.
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I heard that name. That's it.
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