It means he takes the older sibling role pretty seriously, too. [Just throwing that out there.]
I can't imagine Tadashi doing that to you if he knew about it and we're close, too. I think they're forgetting the most important part though. [Oh look, the pizza place is finally right in front of them.]
[Eheheh.... right.... big brother Naoki IT'S FINE. she'll talk to him about that.
At some point.
Soonish.]
Tadashi's kinda big and squishy though, isn't he? Like... a marshmallow! Like Baymax! You can totally see why Baymax is a robot he made, they're both marshmallow-y and worry about people a lot.
I dare you to tell Tadashi he's big and squishy like a marshmallow just to see what he says. [He grins, opening the door to the pizza place to let her inside.] And the important part is that if I ever did actually do something they wouldn't like, I'd probably freak out about it before they could anyway and they wouldn't have to do anything about it.
[To be fair, Tadashi would probably be nicer to Ruby than he would be to Hiro if he said the same thing. #siblingpriviledge.
Still, he's not pausing at all with that and even when she stops he lets it roll off, leading her to a table. There are a lot of things he could say here and he's not sure where to start. So instead he grins lightly]
You're thinking about it too much. You know what I mean. [Does she, Hiro? Does she really?] I'm probably always going to freak out over something but I mean like…really big things.
[He rubs at his forehead, realizing he's starting to develop a headache from thinking too much.]
Maybe you're right. [A waiter comes by and drops off menus for the two of them before disappearing again.] ....you really think everything's going to be fine? [Hiro, stop worrying about things.]
[Which is lies, all lies, but she can say that much when he seems unsure, or is worrying. She's confident, at least, in one thing, which is why she reaches across the table to snag his hand again.]
We'll always be fine. Because it's us! We're good at being fine, and now that we're together, we'll be...twice as good at being fine!
[Part of him wants to say "that's not how math works" but why bother? Ruby's doing her best and honestly she is helping him feel better…so he shuts up and threads their fingers together.]
That's…a whole lot of "fine." [But he finds that he's able to grin anyway and he focuses on their hands instead. Right. It's like Yu said. He doesn't have to do these things by himself and it's better not to.] …can I ask you something kinda personal?
Tadashi doesn't think he deserves to be happy here and make friends and date this girl he likes because he's dead. [That. That sure did just fall straight out of his mouth. So much for trying to shut up.]
[Crapcrapcrap. This was such a bad time to actually mention it and yes, okay, he had wanted to talk to Ruby about it but they were on a date. So he uses his free hand to bury into his hair and he frowns at the menu for a second.]
It's been a little over a week since he said so, but this has been going on since he got here. [Months ago. Months and months ago. Yes it makes him upset, but…] I don't know what to really do right now. I know how to fix it in the longrun but now? [Another deep breath.] Sorry...I wanted to tell you a while ago. It still could have waited.
[A beat.] Also I'm not a huge fan of vegetables either, so we can skip those.
[It's fine, they can always go on different dates. Ruby doesn't seem upset about the timing, anyway. The content, maybe, because how could anyone listen to that and not be a little upset?
But even so, she just looks at Hiro with concern more than anything.]
No veggies. Got it. But Hiro... You don't think that's the case, right? I mean--you think he can love someone even though he's...dead back home. Here, because things are different here.
I didn't say love. [The words are quicker and sharper than he intends them to be, and it's not even against Tadashi. It's just...strange, really, to think of his brother loving someone and being close to someone. Realistically he knows that Tadashi should have the chance to date people and go out with people and live his own life, but he's also kind of selfish.] ...but yeah, of course I do. And I told him that. And I told him that it doesn't matter what he thinks will happen when we all leave because his brain and his heart both work here so he needs to focus on that.
...he's worried about what'll happen when we leave. People remembering him or an outline of him and him being dead and not remembering them. So...I told him I'm going to fix that, too.
[That makes her blink--the refusal comes hard and fast, and she wasn't even thinking about romantic love. But then again... she wonders if Hiro was too. In general... maybe there's something else to it.]
... Then we'll work on fixing it. But... I mean, we're all gonna leave eventually, right?
[It's just the case--they can't stay in Cerealia forever.]
But while we're here, we can come up with all sorts of solutions for that, so it'll be fine. I think we can all make as many [...] friendships as we want here! Because... I don't wanna say goodbye forever when we do find our way back home.
So I won't.
[There'll be a way--for all of them.]
And if it's you working on things, I know you'll find a way to help Tadashi no matter what.
[Sorry, Ruby, he's pretty bristly about the idea of Ami and Tadashi dating the more he thinks about it. Sometimes he's okay with it, sometimes he wants to growl and tell people to leave his brother alone. It's a very confusing thing for him.]
…yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't stick together even when we leave. [He doesn't want to say goodbye to people. If he has his way, he's going to stay in touch with his friends for as long as possible.]
I'm doing some research…ways to keep the channels between worlds open and also ways to rewrite some code. Is that crazy?
[That's an easy answer to give, at least. Some things are pretty deep and hard in this conversation, but that's not one of them.]
Why not try to figure something like that out? If we're here and we've got all of this time, we might as well! Besides, I don't wanna lose contact with you either, so...
I've been piecing together a lot of stuff hoping something will stick. It's just a really, really really long process. [...but it's nice to hear that Ruby doesn't want to lose contact with him either.] I've only known most of these people for a couple of months and it's hard to imagine just never seeing them again. There's gotta be a way around it.
[But he shakes his head. Enough sad talk, back to pizza.] It's all the more reason I don't think dating is a bad idea here. Can we just get a pepperoni pizza and call it good?
Of course there is. I mean, if you think about all of the things we can do here... why not? It'd be silly to think we'll never be able to talk again.
[Ruby's going the optimistic route...as ever.]
I like pepperoni, let's do it.
And of course it's not a bad idea! [sheesh.] I mean. Well. If you know what you're doing and you're ready for it it's not a bad idea. [Tadashi...... dating seems to be a tentatively worrisome topic for him?] So... so yeah!
I'm kinda thinking of calling Mosley and asking him. There's a couple of things I want to ask him, actually.
[He'll flag down the waiter then and place an order for a pepperoni pizza. Honestly, they're two growing teenagers, they can probably annihilate a large by themselves.]
Let's just say that I have more dating experience than he does. [And considering Ruby's his first girlfriend...yikes.] She's liked him for a while though. Rei told me. [A beat.] Another friend of theirs showed up from their world and they're thinking of another dinner together. You'll still come with me, right?
[They can totally annihilate a full pizza by themselves, it's fine. They've got this covered.
As for Tadashi..well, it's hard to say anything to that. Neither Ruby or Hiro had much in the way of dating experience, but they seem to be making it work, so... She thinks Tadashi will be able to figure it out.
Sort of.]
You know it! If we go together, then... it'll have to be less awkward.
[...]
Or at least we can be awkward together. I think we'll probably manage one of the two.
And if it gets too awkward we can bail and go do something else. [He shoos the waiter away.] Dipper and I found a really cool spot to set off fireworks in the colony that I wanna show you.
[But that's something to consider.] Do you ever think it's weird how many awkward people are actually in the colony?
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I can't imagine Tadashi doing that to you if he knew about it and we're close, too. I think they're forgetting the most important part though. [Oh look, the pizza place is finally right in front of them.]
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[Eheheh.... right.... big brother Naoki IT'S FINE. she'll talk to him about that.
At some point.
Soonish.]
Tadashi's kinda big and squishy though, isn't he? Like... a marshmallow! Like Baymax! You can totally see why Baymax is a robot he made, they're both marshmallow-y and worry about people a lot.
[...wait.]
What's the most important part?
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[Shrug. Apparently that's a bright side.]
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[SHE WILL DO THIS WITHOUT SHAME she's not afraid of Tadashi!!! And it's true, anyway, he is a big marshmallow.
So into the pizza place she goes without a care in the world--at least, until he continues then, and she freezes, frowning a little.
And she glances back at him, still frowning.]
... You know, I don't really like that idea either. I don't want you to freak out! Over anything!
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Still, he's not pausing at all with that and even when she stops he lets it roll off, leading her to a table. There are a lot of things he could say here and he's not sure where to start. So instead he grins lightly]
You're thinking about it too much. You know what I mean. [Does she, Hiro? Does she really?] I'm probably always going to freak out over something but I mean like…really big things.
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[At least they're both painfully honest once the motormouth syndrome kicks in, because Ruby's just going to keep on going.]
We'll figure things out, you know? Together! So... there's nothing to freak out about and there never will be and it'll be fine! Really. Fine.
No limbs will be broken.
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Maybe you're right. [A waiter comes by and drops off menus for the two of them before disappearing again.] ....you really think everything's going to be fine? [Hiro, stop worrying about things.]
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[Which is lies, all lies, but she can say that much when he seems unsure, or is worrying. She's confident, at least, in one thing, which is why she reaches across the table to snag his hand again.]
We'll always be fine. Because it's us! We're good at being fine, and now that we're together, we'll be...twice as good at being fine!
[Math.]
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That's…a whole lot of "fine." [But he finds that he's able to grin anyway and he focuses on their hands instead. Right. It's like Yu said. He doesn't have to do these things by himself and it's better not to.] …can I ask you something kinda personal?
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Sure! What's up?
[As she pores over pizza choices thoughtfully.
Pizza toppings.]
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...
...]
Mushrooms on pizza, yay or nay?
[Or he can totally chicken out, that's okay too.]
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They're okay, I guess? I don't like vegetables that much but they're important usually I think.
[Uh.]
Are mushrooms really important in your world or something because I totally don't want to overstep but that didn't seem very private to me, so like--
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[That was... not what she was expecting, no, though it makes more sense now than it did before.]
Um.
[.... where does she even begin?]
... It makes you upset, right? To hear something like that.
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It's been a little over a week since he said so, but this has been going on since he got here. [Months ago. Months and months ago. Yes it makes him upset, but…] I don't know what to really do right now. I know how to fix it in the longrun but now? [Another deep breath.] Sorry...I wanted to tell you a while ago. It still could have waited.
[A beat.] Also I'm not a huge fan of vegetables either, so we can skip those.
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But even so, she just looks at Hiro with concern more than anything.]
No veggies. Got it. But Hiro... You don't think that's the case, right? I mean--you think he can love someone even though he's...dead back home. Here, because things are different here.
Right?
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...he's worried about what'll happen when we leave. People remembering him or an outline of him and him being dead and not remembering them. So...I told him I'm going to fix that, too.
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... Then we'll work on fixing it. But... I mean, we're all gonna leave eventually, right?
[It's just the case--they can't stay in Cerealia forever.]
But while we're here, we can come up with all sorts of solutions for that, so it'll be fine. I think we can all make as many [...] friendships as we want here! Because... I don't wanna say goodbye forever when we do find our way back home.
So I won't.
[There'll be a way--for all of them.]
And if it's you working on things, I know you'll find a way to help Tadashi no matter what.
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…yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't stick together even when we leave. [He doesn't want to say goodbye to people. If he has his way, he's going to stay in touch with his friends for as long as possible.]
I'm doing some research…ways to keep the channels between worlds open and also ways to rewrite some code. Is that crazy?
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[That's an easy answer to give, at least. Some things are pretty deep and hard in this conversation, but that's not one of them.]
Why not try to figure something like that out? If we're here and we've got all of this time, we might as well! Besides, I don't wanna lose contact with you either, so...
[...]
We'll find a way.
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[But he shakes his head. Enough sad talk, back to pizza.] It's all the more reason I don't think dating is a bad idea here. Can we just get a pepperoni pizza and call it good?
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[Ruby's going the optimistic route...as ever.]
I like pepperoni, let's do it.
And of course it's not a bad idea! [sheesh.] I mean. Well. If you know what you're doing and you're ready for it it's not a bad idea. [Tadashi...... dating seems to be a tentatively worrisome topic for him?] So... so yeah!
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[He'll flag down the waiter then and place an order for a pepperoni pizza. Honestly, they're two growing teenagers, they can probably annihilate a large by themselves.]
Let's just say that I have more dating experience than he does. [And considering Ruby's his first girlfriend...yikes.] She's liked him for a while though. Rei told me. [A beat.] Another friend of theirs showed up from their world and they're thinking of another dinner together. You'll still come with me, right?
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As for Tadashi..well, it's hard to say anything to that. Neither Ruby or Hiro had much in the way of dating experience, but they seem to be making it work, so... She thinks Tadashi will be able to figure it out.
Sort of.]
You know it! If we go together, then... it'll have to be less awkward.
[...]
Or at least we can be awkward together. I think we'll probably manage one of the two.
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[But that's something to consider.] Do you ever think it's weird how many awkward people are actually in the colony?
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