2023-01-13: Brothers
- Cast: Yuta Hibiki, Takeshi Todo
- Where: Tsutsujidai
- Date: U.C. 0097 01 13
- Summary: Gridman's wanted to meet his brother for months. Today, it seems, his wish is granted. How do you interact with family you can't remember?
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Even in the oppressive rain, Junk Shop Aya radiates welcoming energy. It feels good to spend time there, even without much of a purpose. Gridman's finally convinced Max to take a rest, and so, finds himself without a chaperone for the first time since he was in the hospital. Not that he's really minded having his comrades present, but... It's good to have some time to yourself, too!
Except... Gridman isn't quite sure what to do. After wheeling himself down to Aya, he parked his wheelchair just inside the door. Walking short distances is no problem at this point. Brilliant red hair falls neatly, emphasized by a singular blue hairclip just above one of his horizontal spikes. Today, he's dressed himself in jeans, a comfortable shirt, and a hoodie. It's chilly, with all the rain they've had.
Wandering through the shop, Gridman makes his way to Junk. There's a noticeable patch of mostly-faded red on the floor in front of it, something he steps around carefully. Junk itself looks good, clearly repaired capably. Twin memories bump into each other -- looking out from within the computer, and looking in at himself. It's a little disorienting.
"I guess we've both changed." Gridman says to the computer, putting a hand on it. "I hope you're not lonely like this."
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
What a whirlwind few months it has been. The nature of Tsutsujidai has changed, seemingly irrevocably. But such is how it is when the world itself is a reflection of a young woman's heart. Especially when that heart has been so ruthlessly broken, the shards carved to knives and buried in the breasts of those who would mend it.
Like, not /literally/ in this case, of course. That box cutter was not originally a piece of Akane Shinjo's heart, but someone else's entirely. Someone who has been through similar hardship and heartbreak. Who even now is digging his own grave with a cosmogone spade.
Speaking of THAT GUY, though...
A new face approaches Junk Shop Aya from underneath a clear plastic umbrella. He wears the attire of a schoolteacher- a white shirt and black tie- underneath a beige trenchcoat that has been drenched at the fringes. His glasses are speckled with raindrops that refract the alien brilliance of golden eyes. "Pardon the intrusion," he says as he pushes the door open, chiming the bell. "I had heard a rumor that a certain somebody was finally awake," the man adds, shaking his umbrella out under the awning before folding it up and placing it just next to the door. He presses into the shop, making his way towards the ancient computer and the young man staring into the grey-black void of the CRT monitor.
"I thought I'd better check on you. A shame about all this bad weather, but I'm sure it'll clear up soon enough. Still, I'm glad you're up and about again." He had appeared at the beginning of last year and largely become an odd, if benign presence. A man more passionate about computers than the subject that he was ostensibly in charge of teaching. "Yuta Hibiki," says Yuta Hibiki's math teacher with a smile, "Or should I say, Gridman."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
The 'young man' turns as he hears someone enter, socialized enough to not want to be seen talking to a blank computer screen. The sight that greets him brings a blink of surprise, then two more.
Gridman walks up to the man, meeting Takeshi's golden gaze with his own of brilliant yellow. There's a certain stillness to his expression -- he hasn't quite mastered displaying emotions in this way.
"Would you like to sit down? I think there's some hot chocolate mix, if you'd like." Gridman doesn't seem quite sure how to react, but he's clearly curious. His voice echoes with a metal-like edge. "Thank you for coming to check on me. It's been a difficult path, but I'm determined to keep going!"
Leading the way to the couches, Gridman hovers by the cafe counter, waiting to see if Takeshi will take him up on it. It feels different talking to Takeshi now that Gridman knows he's, well, himself.. Gridman is torn between wanting to hug him and wanting to appear capable and strong. This is his brother, after all. How do brothers interact?
In the end, he takes a breath, and decides on: "I'm really glad you're here. Thank you. I'm not sure what to say, but... I'm really glad."
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
"Hot chocolate would be wonderful, thank you. It's bad enough that it's so dreary out, but did she really have to make things so cold...?" It's a reflection of Akane Shinjo's heart. What does the fact that it's rain-drenched and frigid mean in that context...? Sigma nods gratefully and makes his way to the couches. He takes a seat in an armchair, slouching forward onto his elbows, his fingers knitting together patiently.
How /do/ brothers interact? It's... different, here. They're not in their original forms, both of them fragments of themselves, awake though they may be. But more importantly, they are no longer in the Hyper World. Communication is... different when limited to language and listening. "I'm glad to see that you're... doing better. I suppose I should have seen it coming. That she'd use that boxcutter like that. History does not necessarily repeat, but it often rhymes. Still. For that, for not being there for you all this time..."
He bows at the waist. It's an awkward thing considering he's seated. He basically has to fold in half to make it work. "I apologize. Really, truly. I had feared that waking you prematurely would have jeopardized the situation /and/ your mental state. Perhaps if I'd done something earlier, you wouldn't have been placed in such peril. But instead I left you to fend for yourself all this time. Still, you've done admirably, Gridman. I... am sorry I did not come to you sooner."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
With a gentle nod, Gridman makes his way behind the counter. Silently thanking Rikka all over again for her luck in finding the mix, he quickly prepares two cups. As the water warms on the stove, Gridman sneaks looks up at Sigma. Remember something, Gridman begs himself, remember your brother.
Nothing.
"She's hurting." Gridman murmurs, measuring out the powder with great care. "But I agree, it's frustrating. The forever-summer was a lot nicer. Yuta Hibiki only has the one hoodie, I'm worried I'm wearing it out."
Sigma mentions the boxcutter, and Gridman's hand stutters, clinking his mixing spoon against the side of a ceramic mug. "You knew about her boxcutter? I thought it was just a random object, was there meaning to it..?"
"Oh--" Yellow eyes shimmer with emotion as Sigma bows and apologizes. Gridman holds very still, listening, watching, until--
Every bit as awkwardly, arms wrap around Sigma's shoulders. It's a hug, as much of one as he can manage. Gridman's run toward his brother, sitting next to him on the couch and hiding his face in the taller man's shoulder.
"It's okay. It's okay. All that matters is that you're here, now." Gridman's metallic voice shines with emotion. "I'm sorry you were faced with a choice like that at all, and what happened isn't your fault. Thank you."
A breath, and he goes on. "I'm sorry I can't remember you. I've been trying so hard. I don't know that I've done admirably at all, I feel like I've failed at everything... For myself, and for everyone around me."
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
Memory is a troublesome thing. Even though Gridman's identity might have reawakened, his memory is still fragmented. Sigma's expression turns complicated as he considers the situation. Is this a result of being fragmented? If Gridman's memories are spread amongst his other parts, then only when combined could he hope to remember...
But that in itself is a tough nut to crack.
His reverie is interrupted by something perhaps more important, though. Gridman is... hugging him. It's an extraordinarily awkward thing, between the two of them. Not only is Sigma's borrowed form something like half again the size of Yuta Hibiki-- at /least/-- he's also... still somewhat bent over.
But it's still a hug. And one that Sigma returns with one arm-- if only because that's all he can reach with. "...Memories will come in time. I can only hope that it doesn't take /too/ long," Sigma says, softly. "...The box cutter. You don't remember it either...? I suppose you also don't remember this face, or Naoto and the others. Mm... How should I explain this...?"
He sighs, wrapping his fingers around one mug, feeling the warmth sooth the ache in his frozen joints. "That box cutter. It used to belong to the original owner of this face-- to Takeshi Todo. Once upon a time, he was much like Akane is today. Victim to, and host of, a hyper devil named Khan Digifer. In those days, he was a withdrawn, malevolent soul, the evil and loneliness in his heart stoked by the Hyper Devil to serve its ends. One day, another Takeshi appeared. One which was everything he was not. Good-hearted, kind, and beloved by those he met."
"Takeshi-- the real one-- could not accept that part of himself," Sigma explains, "And used that box cutter to try and murder his better half. Only to be reminded, at the last, of better times, of a time where he dreamt of someday growing into a great man."
"In that instant, the other Takeshi disappeared, returned into the sea of the original Takeshi's soul. The Box Cutter was cast aside, and Takeshi took his first steps towards breaking free of Khan Digifer's control." Sigma leans back and sighs, "In a way, that Box Cutter represented his connection to the Hyper Devil-- something that turns a creative soul's heart into a weapon against itself and the world. How Alexis found it, and why it's here now... I don't know."
"Even if I am here now," Sigma admits, his tone tinged in regret, "I'm afraid I can't be of much help. Much of my power is gone, taken by my other half. The other Takeshi. The true Takeshi. The Gridman that shines with the light of Dawn."
"You saved him once, Gridman," Sigma adds. "You were the one who defeated Khan Digifer, years ago. History does not repeat, but it often rhymes. It may be that you will need to be the one to save him again."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
Gridman looks up at Sigma as he's hugged in return, a little smile flashing across his face. He doesn't care if it's awkward, he's just happy to be here. "I hope you're right." Gridman responds, pulling his arms back so he can properly talk with his brother.
The hot chocolate is ready, and Gridman quickly brings it over, offering a mug for Sigma and keeping one for himself. There's a quick shake of his head as Sigma asks about the box cutter, then he takes a sip of the warm drink. It's a little weak, made without any extras, but Gridman still has the appetite of a teenage boy, so it's just fine.
"Takeshi Todo." Gridman murmurs, an echo of Sigma's voice. The original owner of his face... Is that going to happen to Gridman and Yuta Hibiki? Refocusing, he listens carefully. "He does sound a lot like Akane. I'm sad to hear he was another victim."
A good half is surely unusual. Gridman finds himself thankful not to have experienced something like this. "He tried to murder himself?!" Shock, in those yellow eyes. "With the very same weapon. I think, when this is all over, we should find that box cutter. After it's been used for so many horrible things, we should make sure it doesn't hurt anyone ever again."
"I'm sorry. It must be terrible to have to watch him use your strength to hurt people." A long pause, as Gridman sips his hot chocolate and considers. "I want to save him. I'll do everything I can. But if we do, what happens to you, Sigma? Will you disappear, like the other Takeshi did?"
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
When Sigma first saw that box cutter, he was inclined to do the very same thing. "In the end, it should be nothing more than a tool. But anything that a Hyperdevil goes out of its way to find is surely more than meets the eye." OR Alexis Kerib is just a nostalgic plagiarist trying to make sure that every variable lines up in the way that he wants, even the seemingly irrelevant ones. Sometimes a knife is just a knife. "I agree, though. I think Takeshi would want to see it gone, too."
"It is sad," Sigma admits, blowing softly across the surface of his chocolate drink, "To be made a victim s always sad. But... that's something I've learned to love about the human spirit, Gridman. He was a victim, he was ground down into something that could only revile the very idea of bettering himself, he was so utterly without hope. And yet for all of that, he grew past it. He became something better, crawled out of the shadow and decided to keep on living. The human heart is something precious. It's not a fragile piece of porcelein. It accumulates scars, its shadows grow dark and leave indelible marks, but it has the capacity to heal, to grow, to fall and stand up again. As long as it has something to guide it-- a dream, friends, loved ones, even just raw spite and anger, determination and hope-- no matter how stained it becomes, it can always shatter the shadows. Even after what he's done in the name of Dawn, I'm confident Takeshi will be able to stand tall again someday."
"Humanity," Sigma says with a genuine, tender smile, "Is an amazing thing. To live such painful existences, knowing full well that their time is finite, that any respite is temporary, and to persevere to find meaning in it all... It's incredible, to me. Beautiful, even."
What will happen if the true Takeshi is saved? Sigma sips slowly at his drink. "We are Hyper Agents, Gridman," is this something his brother has also forgotten? "No, I won't disappear. We'll be together again, but my voice will be separate from his. It's like how it was for you and Naoto, once upon a time. He and I were partners, and will be again. So don't worry. I'm not intending on going anywhere."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"I'm sure once we reach Akane, she'll want to give it up, too. She's a sentimental person for this sort of thing. I know she must feel horrible about the whole thing." Gridman says, quietly. "I met someone who knew Alexis Kerib before he was a Devil. He told me Alexis was a good person, once. If... kinda annoying sounding."
Gridman's lips tilt up into a quick smile.
"It's difficult to imagine, but I was told details and stories, by someone like us. I'm sure it's true."
Takeshi sounds so similar to Akane. Gridman can't help but feel distressed by it, his eyebrows furrowing as he listens. But... Takeshi's story ends on a hopeful note. It'll be that way for Akane, too. "Human beings are unbelievably strong. I'm a little envious." Gridman takes a sip of his drink. "I believe in Takeshi, and Akane both. Akane has someone she loves, and who loves her, very much. I never realized it before." He adds, an embarrasssed blush on the Hyper Agent's cheeks. "But I think her light will be enough to break through any shadow."
"You sound like someone very important to me." Gridman adds, a fond smile on his face. "He's always talking about how much he loves humans -- he calls them 'Lilim', though. I'm not really sure why. He's a mysterious guy. But I agree. With the exception that Repli-Compoids are every bit as wonderful."
Gridman's eyes are wide and soft as Sigma promises not to disappear. Slowly, watching for any sign his brother may not want this, Gridman leans in, pressing his shoulder against Sigma's. Scooting just close enough so they brush together.
"Thank you." He's quiet for a moment. "I can't remember anything before Tsutsujidai, except fighting Alexis Kerib and being torn apart by him. And even that's only a flash. I can't remember what it was like, before this. Or... Naoto." The name echoes when Gridman speaks it, something in his heart resonating to the sound. "But as long as you'll be okay, that's enough."
<Pose Tracker> Takeshi Todo has posed.
"Alexis Kerib, before he was a Devil..." Sigma sips thoughtfully at his mug. It might be a bit thin, but it's still warm and just sweet enough to take the edge off the frigid night. "It's terrifying to think what might have caused someone to go down that road. I wonder... He had some knowledge of the Dawn even before it arrived. Perhaps it was something to do with that...? A previous encounter...?"
Alexis Kerib is a mystery, even if he is rather, uh...
...Simple? In his appetites?
"You know, as much as Takeshi's tried, he's never really found someone who really understands him enough to love him. Though his circumstances are unique, admittedly." He's kind of a GIGANTIC NERD who is also super traumatized. You'd need to find a saint to deal with that kind of emotional baggage. "It's a shame, but he'll figure it out. He seemed much happier once he joined GGG. Something about finally being able to be around people who he could talk to on a more even level, I think." I.E. there's a bunch of eggheads in GGG. Takeshi finally found people he could nerd at about computers and kaiju with, and it was great.
"I think he'd get along well with Akane, once they're both free from their troubles. They've... got a lot in common." Sigma nods vaguely in the direction of the distant, rain-drenched cityscape. Where the Venora used to stand. "The kaiju that Akane was using to repair this city and emit that amnesia fog-- those were Takeshi's designs. If Alexis is trying to make her into a second Takeshi, then I'm sure he somehow took their blueprints. But even if she didn't make /them/, they're both incredible at creating kaiju, for better or for worse. In a way, it's a method of expressing what's in their hearts when words are too hard or frightening."
"This person you've met," Sigma adds with a smile, "Sounds like a good person. Lilim, though..." An exception. Sigma's eyes widen, but he quickly chuckles, "Oh, you're right. I'd been thinkig of them as human this entire time, I admit. But I guess they're slightly different."
Gridman leans against his shoulder, and Sigma leans back. Brothers, indeed. How are they meant to interact? They'll figure it out. For now, they can be there for one another. "...I can try to fill in what I can, to tell you the stories of the times before. But even if I do, until you find those memories within yourself, it won't feel the same. Still, if it would help, I'll do my best. Though I admit it's mostly second hand information from Takeshi."
<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.
"Yeah. Maybe, despite everything, even Alexis Kerib is a victim." Gridman wonders, calmly. "He does seem to be entirely alone, except for the people he's trying to use. Once, I tried to talk to him, and he ran away the second I acted friendly. He's really a strange man, even beyond all the fire and such."
Another look of wondering, at the thought nobody has loved Takeshi. "Really? Even though he's so human? I think that'd be the most loveable trait of all. I'm glad he at least had GGG. I've met a lot of great people from that organization. They must be eager to save him, too."
Maybe, once Akane and Tsutsujidai are safe, they can turn their attention to Takeshi?
"Really? Takeshi made the scenery kaiju?" Gridman sounds impressed, looking out with Sigma to where the Venora used to stand. "That's incredible. I can't imagine what they were /supposed/ to be used for, but, it really is an amazing design. It kept the whole city asleep for... who knows how long. At least a year."
It's difficult for Gridman to think about Akane's kaiju positively, after so many of them hurt him, but... they really are all nice designs. Even Anti's was well-made. "Akane is an amazing sculptor. I'd love to see her work on something when she's not being used by a Devil. But I think you're right, she and Takeshi will get along. I'd like it if they could be friends."
Gridman sips his hot chocolate, imagining a future where Akane has a kaiju-designing partner. Maybe they could even sculpt together. He smiles, an ephemeral thing, picturing a blue-and-gold sky.
"His name is Kaworu." Gridman says, with pride. "He's my boyfriend. For a while, he's gone to Tsutsujidai High, maybe you met him? If you have, you'd know it. He stands out in pretty much any company."
Sigma accepts his presence, and Gridman sighs quietly in relief. So much rejection has fallen on his shoulders in this form -- but it seems he won't have to endure any more. "I'd really like that, Sigma. If it wouldn't be a burden on you or anything." Gridman is so small, in this form. Yuta Hibiki is a very short young man, despite his dancer's strength. Briefly, he wonders if he or Sigma is 'older', in their proper existences. He certainly feels like the younger brother now, in any case.
"I'm really happy you found me." Gridman says, again, finishing his hot chocolate. "Thank you so much." Settling in to listen, the Hyper Agent closes his eyes, letting Sigma's stories of their past life gently come to rest in his heart.