2022-12-26: Behind Golden Eyes
- Log: 2022-12-26: Behind Golden Eyes
- Cast: Gridman, Sayla Mass, Renais Cardiff, Guy Shishioh
- Where: Battle Tracto Max's House, Tsutsujidai
- OOC - IC Date: 26 December 0096
- Summary: After facing some harsh responses to his true identity, Gridman opens up to some of his allies who are more familiar with the mutability of identity.
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Gridman has an apartment. He has a place to stay, and things to keep a human body functional. Really, he's done a good job taking care of it, for someone with no experience with household chores.
...but that apartment is a few stories up, with no elevator. And he's not exactly in shape for handling stairs right now... So, crashing at Max's place it is. In a curiously isolated-feeling street, four near-identical houses stand together in a row. Each is two stories tall with a decent yard, though the individual presentations vary widely.
For now, the one that matters is the first in the row. Neat hedges line the front of the house, and a concrete path cuts directly through the small yard to the front door. Everything is orderly and well-tended. Two steps lead up to the door, with a decently-sized porch looking over the lawn. Brand-new looking wicker chairs sit at one end, along with a few potted plants.
Should the door be knocked upon, it will open immediately, revealing an enormous man. Max, of the Neon Genesis Junior High Students, has been waiting for his guests. Guiding them just inside to a sitting room (brand-new looking furniture, two couches and several tables, along with stately-looking lamps), Max disappears into an adjacent room, returning with a few glasses of water. They're placed on the central table.
"I apologize for not having more substantial refreshments. I am not used to keeping food." Max rumbles, then leans against a wall nearby his charge.
Who was once known as Yuta Hibiki sits in a wheelchair, watching those who enter with placid yellow eyes. They were once blue, and vibrant, and full of life. Now, they're dim and still.
"Hello." The young man greets, his hands laid on his wheelchair's armrests. "I am Gridman. I apologize for unintentionally decieving you. We have much to discuss."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
As Sayla is led in to the actual house, she has to repress to urge to go 'this is where you live!?' and ask a whole lot of questions that would simply raise further question. That's not the point here. The point here is to talk to the young man in the chair.
A pang of sadness echoes off Sayla seeing Yuta like this. He reminds of her Leina, both years ago and not so long ago. "Thank you, Max." She says, with a gentle smile to the assist weapon. She takes a seat, sitting across from Yuta- from Gridman. She can't feel it now, a kind of pressure she's felt before. In the school and someone else. It... sort of echoes from Max, as well. Not the same, but so similar as you might think it is.
But the feeling of Yuta isn't isn't... completely gone either. Or rather...
"Good afternoon, Gridman." Using the name herself that he's using. "You seem a lot more... together than the times we've spoken on Junk." He's right, there's a lot to discuss. But she can't help be fascinated by how much the knowledge of his identity has changed how he exists to her.
"...I don't think there's anything to apologize for. You acted based on what you knew at the time- and who you knew yourself to be. I wouldn't call that deceit." She sighs. "Still, I didn't expect to meet the mysterious 'Computer Guy' that Max talked about like this."
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
She steps in behind Sayla, wearing a leather half-jacket, white tee, and short jean-shorts, with a pair of fairly casual black boots. She no room to judge; her apartment was *very* spartan, until recently. There's a smile on her face at the sight of Yuta--of Gridman--conscious and out of the hospital, albeit wheelchair-bound for now.
But she didn't exactly get a briefing from the others; his introduction as Gridman elicits a moment of confusion--though not hostility.
"I'm glad you're okay, Gridman." She'd worried they weren't fast enough--even after being told he would be okay, she couldn't help a bit of fear. "But... if you're Gridman, then where is Yuta?" There's a touch of worry and concern in her tone as she poses the question.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
Well. That's not quite how he expected this to start.
Guy has been meaning to talk to Yuta and Gridman for quite some time - months, by now, as things gradually became more hectic. He remembers seeing the boy once, a long time ago, just discussing the situation as it evolved, and now...
The house, he doesn't know what to do with. Yuta, though...
Guy can't entirely hide a crooked look. He nods when Renais asks the question on his mind as well. Unintentionally deceiving them...is that what he thinks it means?
Regardless, Renais has pushed the question he had, so Guy - as always in that GGG Green Chief uniform he wears - seats himself as well, nodding his thanks to Max.
Then his attention is on Yuta...Gridman. "I'd been meaning to come speak with you for a while, but... ...well, I didn't." A light chuckle; no good excuses. "But I'm glad we can catch up now. There's a lot to discuss."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Max nods to Sayla. "Of course, Dr. Mass. If you need anything else, please, say the word."
"I have been having difficulty with pain. It is a new sensation." Gridman answers Sayla. "And yet a familiar one. I'm glad you're safe as well, Renais. And thankful for your presence. To answer where Yuta is." Yellow eyes close for a long moment, then open again. "I fear the Yuta Hibiki you all knew was merely a splinter of my own soul, refracted through the personality and mannerisms of the true Yuta Hibiki. He has been asleep since my comrades and I came to Tsutsujidai."
Twin memories war in Gridman's mind, some easily melding together, some entirely irreconcilable. Having a face of metal -- having a face of flesh and blood. Impossible to move. Expressive and malleable.
"I still possess the memories of all my time in Tsutsujidai, but as I said, it's... Difficult. To know how to behave. To know who I am. I've already harmed several of my allies by existing in this state."
"I was not entirely sure how to describe your presence, when you were still trapped in Junk, Gridman." Max rumbles in response.
Guy takes Gridman's attention, then, turning those somewhat-unsettling yellow eyes onto him. "I'm glad as well. You and your comrades being here with us is something I regret, but... I'm very grateful. We're at your service, if there's anything we can do. I've been informed of how much you've been doing for the people of Tsutsujidai." With great effort, Gridman's lips tilt slightly upwards. He's trying to smile, and he gets most of the way there! "Thank you."
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
"I can imagine. The hospital gave you something, yes? You've been using them?" If he's unfamiliar with pain, he might be unfamiliar with painkillers. Still... He's hurt his allies by existing, hm? "Is that truly the case?" She asks, her eyes looking over to Max, and then back to Gridman. She thinks back on AL, in the parking lot.
"...That's a difficult thing to determine. Who you were as Yuta is no less you than who you are as Gridman now. For some people, the gap between who they were and who they are is impossible to bridge." Sayla's voice is heavy, there. She can immediately think of two people who know- knew- that all too well. "It's earnest of you to tell them the truth, but it can also be upsetting for people who though they knew who you were. But I would say the you who existed before you merged with Yuta was real as well, but frankly." She looks up at Max. "You're not him any more either." A fragmented soul...
"How you act, who you choose to be is up to you. But there's someone here you should talk to. I told him I wouldn't tell you he was here, but at this point...I don't think Alexis cares about his rules for this world anymore, and we need all the help we can get."
Sayla pauses. Guy may be upset about this, as might Renais. "He's in the body of a teacher at the school, just as you're in the body of Yuta. He goes by Takeshi Todo, but when I spoke to him... he told me his name was Gridman Sigma. Your brother."
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
....ah. So that one's not quite how he was taking it. He glances to Renais, the more personal of Yuta's friends, lips pursed. "I see," is his own statement. "I didn't know you as Yuta that well myself, so, there's no ill will here, at least. As Sayla says, we know a thing or two about how different perspectives can influence you." Though THIS big a change is. Sure somethin'.
For now, though, he continues on: "We wouldn't have it any other way. After all the pain Akane Shinjo's put us through, I'd feel a bit put out if we couldn't help save her ourselves, you know?" He chuckles. "Besides. This is the kind of disaster GGG's supposed to be equipped for. We're here to help out, while you guys focus on Alexis Kerib."
Oh. He looks to Sayla as she reveals Sigma, and he nods, folding his hands in his lap. "I only spoke to him a little, myself. But Sigma and Takeshi Todo were friends of ours. They went with us to the Trinary Solar System, and fought bravely to defend the universe from the 11 Sol Masters."
His eyes cast down. "Which means...Sigma's host is now a Ruin Apostle, and...somehow, through the nature of the Oath Over Omega, seems to have taken away the majority of Sigma's power in the separation. But Sigma was able to escape to this place. One of the things I'd been meaning to come and tell you."
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Renais nods, slowly, as Gridman explains where Yuta went. She smiles a little, and looks over at Guy as Sayla explains... then tenses at the mention of Takeshi Todo being in Tsutsujidai, before relaxing a hair. It's the other half... right?
"He said he was Gridman Sigma... not Takeshi?" she asks, a little wary.
But Guy's reply tells her what she needs to know.
So, her smile returns. "I see. If it's any consolation, Gridman... this isn't too different from how 3G's Vehicle Robots operate. Some are built to combine, like my old Chasseur partners KouRyu and AnRyu. When they do, they're a new being, the sum of their parts and more--TenRyuJin."
She steps up closer to Gridman, and places a warm hand on his shoulder. "The way I see it, this isn't so different. It's hardly Symmetrical Docking, but... you, the Gridman that exists here and now, is the sum of the Gridman you were before, and Yuta Hibiki. You're different from Hibiki, probably moreso than you are from the Gridman you were... but... you're still both of them. So happy belated birthday, Gridman."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"Yes, the medication. Max has been managing it, making sure my treatment goes well." Gridman looks up to the large man as he speaks. "They do help."
Max meets Sayla's gaze. There's something angry in his blue eyes. "...several of our allies have reacted quite negatively. Dr. Daiwel in particular had an." Max clears his throat. "Emphatic reaction. Apparently he considered who he thought was Yuta a very close friend. It has not been easy on Gridman. Revealing the truth of yourself only to be totally and repeatedly rejected. If I had been present--"
"It's alright, Max." Gridman says, interrupting the large man. "I would rather hear the truth of things."
There's a strange echo to Gridman's voice, something almost robotic. It waxes and wanes, though as Gridman talks about the reaction of his allies, it is particularly noticeable.
"...yes, so I have believed." Gridman turns his gaze to Sayla. "I can't find the rhythm of being 'Yuta' anymore. "I... do not know how to behave around those who were close to me. I do not know how to broach the subject. If you have any advice, I'd be grateful, Dr. Mass."
Guy's reassurrances go a long way. Gridman nods to him. "I would be grateful for any advice you have to offer, as well. It's... difficult to be like this. I'm sorry to ask yet more of you, with everything you're already doing. It's such a relief to know you still wish to save Akane, instead of hunt her down. Borr has reported there are people within the city who want to kill her."
Someone he should talk to? Gridman's expression doesn't change, but there's an intensity to it all the same. "My brother." He looks down at his shoes, then back up to Sayla, then to Max. "My brother. I... would really like to see him. As soon as possible."
"What a strange situation." Max offers, as Gridman goes quiet for a moment. "To be separated in such a fashion. None of us can remember Sigma, but knowing he was a hero on par with GGG makes me proud. It makes all of us proud."
"Is there any way we can help save his host?" Gridman asks, a little too quickly. "I don't want him to suffer. Either of them."
Renais speaks up again. A valued ally... a trusted friend. Gridman can believe in her words. And really -- she gets the feeling he's hanging on her every word. Though his face never changes, there's something in his yellow eyes, a hint of light. A hint of expression.
Happy belated birthday, Gridman.
A blink. Another. A hand comes up to rest atop Renais' own. "I." The light in his eyes glimmers more brightly, then overflows, tears dripping down his cheeks. Gridman looks absolutely startled by this. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I was so ready for additional rejection, I wasn't prepared for."
Max steps from the room, returning with an expensive-looking handkerchief. Gridman accepts it, half-drying his eyes, half-hiding behind it.
<Pose Tracker> Sayla Mass has posed.
Sayla looks up at Max as he explains, and she nods. "I... believe I understand the impact that might have on you. And I can certainly understand the fear that comes with it." She closes her eyes-
A table, in a small apartment. She sits across from her best and closest friend, nervous, worried. But she had hid it long enough. They'd been discussing whether Sayla and Amuro would be the godparents- and Sayla was overjoyed- but she couldn't say yes just like that. She had to tell the woman across from her the truth. "MIrai, I... need to tell you something first. About... who I am."
Sayla returns to the moment after only a few seconds, stopping herself getting lost in memory. "If I were in your position, I fear I might do all I can to live the lie. But I don't think that's an option for you, as you've said." She pauses, thinking. "The best advice I can do is to live your life as one that the Yuta you were would have approved of." Oh. "I think also, there are some others who you could benefit from talking to. You aren't the only one in Tsutsujidai struggling with adjusting to a different life." A young sergeant springs to mind. As does the girl in the room with her...
"I'm sure between us, Guy and I can arrange something." She says, looking to the King of Braves. As for saving him... that's Guy's territory too. Renais... is definitely getting better at this. First Ramo, now Gridman. "I'd say that's clear proof that Yuta's still there. Those are your emotions now, shared by the both of you. You may face more rejection- many of your peers are teenagers in a bad situation- but there are plenty of people who'll accept you. Including the ones in this room."
<Pose Tracker> Renais Cardiff has posed.
Renais, if asked, would have a fairly simple explanation: She's saying the sort of things she needed to hear for herself.
A brave heart is a kind heart.
She smiles a little more. "Yuta hasn't gone anywhere. There's just... more of him, now," she concludes. "More of you." The cyborg nods.
She sighs softly as she thinks about the question of how to save Todo, hand touching her belly where Alexis' spear pierced through. "There is a way. As you may remember... I was a Ruin Apostle, myself. We know that methods of purification--including, evidently, Alexis Kerib's spear--can remove 000 from a host. But I'll let the one who's capable of the deed explain more."
She looks at Guy.
<Pose Tracker> Guy Shishioh has posed.
So...people have been cruel to him over this. It's...hard to imagine they wouldn't be, actually. Renais lays out her own view, and it does relax Guy's shoulders a bit, even. He nods to her in thanks for that."That's people, I'm afraid," Guy says, with a sad smile. "They'll hurt the people they care about most, if they twist themselves around enough. Devils like Alexis Kerib take advantage of that, but we'll do it without anything like him involved." Eyes flick down, briefly. Thinking. But then rise again, nodding. "That's why we have to believe in them. Why even when they lash out, we have to accept that they can and should be saved."
Ah...he chuckles. "Maybe I went too high concept on that...well, like Renais says. Regardless of anything else...that time was real. And if it was you doing the work, all those bonds are yours." He nods in Sayla's direction, too. "Starting with doing your best to live with pride, right?"
As for Sigma, Guy nods again. "I'll let him know. Given the current state of things, I'm not sure he's in any more danger than anyone else, at this point..." If Guy's right, Alexis wouldn't just show up and stab the guy even if he were revealed. That's not Alexis Kerib's style. The possibility of Takeshi finding them is worth worrying about, though..." ...he'll go over it with Sigma.
Ah, and Renais calls him up about the purification. He nods. "A few of our pilots can perform it, it's a ritual derived from the Trinary Solar System's psychic abilities. Myself, Mamoru, and Ikumi, we can all do it. The big hangup is we'd have to disable him in a fight and stop him from escaping before we can do it. That's especially hard for someone with a Hyper Agent's abilities." He gives a slightly wry smile. "As you know, I'm sure. That plus the fact we don't really get to pick our fights with the Ruin Apostles are the two main hurdles. But, we'll do our best to find an opportunity."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"I didn't want to lie to the people who are doing so much for Tsutsujidai." Gridman says, seriously. "I don't know what Yuta Hibiki would want, but I will endeavor to perform in a way he would find admirable. There are others? I would also like meeting them. I'm sorry, I'm asking for so many favors. I hope I may be of equal worth to what I ask for."
More of Yuta, more of Gridman. It's a strange concept, one he takes a moment to adjust to. This must be what Renais meant by more than the sum of his parts.
"I remember." Gridman says, quietly, of Renais once-being a Ruin Apostle. "We won't resort to anything to do with Alexis Kerib. The next time he and I meet, I'll defeat him for good."
Gridman emerges from behind Max's handkerchief, nodding to Sayla. "Crying is strange and familiar all at once. It feels so unnatural." Another one of those maximum-effort lip-twitch smiles. "I'm so grateful for your acceptance. I feel I can face whatever rejection may yet come, knowing I have allies who still believe in me."
"Right!" Gridman says, in a familiar tone. "I'll never stop believing that they can be saved. Living with pride is a slightly more difficult ask, but I'll do everything I can." The possibility of Sigma not wishing to see him gives Gridman pause, but he accepts it with a nod. "Thank you, Guy. Even if he does not want to speak, please give him my best."
Max nods to Guy. "Yes, disabling a Hyper Agent will take a concentrated effort, probably from many sides. But when that opportunity arises, we will be there. You may count on our strength."
With a soft exhale, Gridman relaxes his posture a little, leaning back in his wheelchair. It's as though a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, knowing he isn't alone. Kaworu and Rei, Sayla, Renais, and Guy. They can do this. He can do this.