video

[microbrobotics]

[ A rare video post for Hiro tonight - but then again, this is a rare occasion. He's already gotten past the initial crying phase, so he's just numb and a little blotchy more than anything else, but his voice still shakes a little when he talks. A plain bedroom backdrop, clearly from where he lives in Heropa.

He takes a deep breath. ]

Has anyone seen my brother Tadashi? He's - he looks like this - [ A picture of Tadashi flashes on the screen for a moment. ] - and I'm getting error messages from his comm. Nobody I've talked to has seen him and ...

[ His voice trails off to a whisper. He can't even get through a whole post without tears welling up in his eyes. ]

I just - I need to know, please. If anyone has any idea. I need to know he's still here. If he's not, then ... then he's ...

[ Ported out. And dead. ]

Comments

[megabytes]

[In that case he is absolutely going to keep petting. Any kind of non-aggressive action is good.]

Then isn't it worth holding onto? Even if it's only a once percent chance, it's still something, isn't it?

[microbrobotics]

... It's something.

[ He's not sure he really believes that, but ... ]

[megabytes]

Yeah. And something is...is better than nothing, right?

[microbrobotics]

Not much.

[megabytes]

[Megaman falls silent at that. This really isn't something he's good with, and he has no idea if he's even been doing the right thing. What if he's just making things worse? What if he's not really doing anything at all? Should he leave, stay, make Hiro leave, leave him alone?

Hiro's hurting and he doesn't have any idea what to do.

Eventually he moves again, gently trying to pull Hiro close - practically into his lap - and curling up around him. He has no idea if this is something he should even be trying, but dammit, he wants to do something. Anything. He wants to protect Hiro. He wants to help.

(He just wants his little brother to be okay.)]

[microbrobotics]

[ Hiro wouldn't know even if Megaman asked him. Without Crane as a distraction, all he can do is sink into this well of empty helplessness. There's a reason why he went after the guy, and it wasn't just for bad decision reasons. Anything is better than this. Any feeling is better than nothing ...

But he takes some comfort from just having Megaman close. At least he's not alone right now. ]

[megabytes]

[If Megaman has his way, Hiro won't be alone for a while. It'll take an act of god or mun fiat, same difference to pry him away now. So if Hiro just wants to stay here in silence for a while, Megaman will do exactly that.

Not gonna stop him from nagging. Just a bit.]

Did you eat much today?

[microbrobotics]

[ Megaman's gotta nag. There'd be something wrong with him if he didn't. Hiro has to think for a moment, trying to remember ... ]

I had something last night.

[megabytes]

You should eat something. Skipping meals isn't good for you.

[Trust the guy who actively wishes eating wasn't a thing he needed to do now. If he'd found an out, he'd be abusing the hell out of it.]

[microbrobotics]

I'm in the comm right now. I don't have to eat until I get out.

[megabytes]

You can't stay in here indefinitely. [If that was a thing then Megaman would NEVER FREAKING LEAVE] It doesn't have to be right now, but you should still eat something at some point. Get some sleep, too.

[Megaman will force the issue eventually, but for now, he's willing to let Hiro have some time.]

[microbrobotics]

I can do that in here too. I don't have to go back out there.

[megabytes]

That doesn't mean it's healthy for you. You're still a human, you need some time to actually be human.

[microbrobotics]

Maybe I don't want to be human right now.

[megabytes]

...you should still take care of yourself.

[microbrobotics]

Later. I'll do it later, promise.

[megabytes]

I...okay. I'll hold you to that.

[Translation: he'll force matters if he has to, but he wants to trust that he won't have to.

Still, it's enough for him. He'll let them sit here until Hiro says otherwise or Megaman feels like he needs to bring this up again, whichever comes first.]

[microbrobotics]

[ He'll definitely have to drag Hiro out at some point, for sure. But maybe not tonight. Depending. ]

... How do you deal with it?

[megabytes]

[Either way, their foreseeable future is full of well-meaning arguments and unintentional smothering. Megaman has some things he needs to learn the hard way.]

Deal with what?

[microbrobotics]

Being away from Lan.

[megabytes]

...it depends. Sometimes it's easier to just...not think about it.

[You know, like how he repressed everything until Famine happened. Or that time he dealt with their birthday by just resolutely refusing to deal at all. Or how he still actively avoids most things that remind him too much of Lan. Megaman's not the best example to follow, is what I seem to be trying to say here.]

[microbrobotics]

... That doesn't sound like it helps.

[megabytes]

[He just shrugs. Doesn't matter if it helps, just that it gets him through the day.]

I still miss him, Hiro. I miss him a lot. I just...try to push through it as best I can. Whatever keeps me moving forward.

[microbrobotics]

[ In a small voice: ]

I don't want to. I just want to lie down and do nothing.

[megabytes]

I know. [He reaches out to gently rub the back of one of Hiro's hands.] But you can't do that forever.