It's not that bad. Just come here! [Seriously Billy. It's not like he's currently hanging onto a rope several stories in the air and balancing on the side of a spire while using a little bit of his fire magic to defrost stone to lay new parts of the tower with the assistance of a few Aellyn sorcerers.
[And true to that, by the time Billy does show up...yeah, no, Hiro's still hanging off the side of the spire directing one of the sorcerers in laying the stone. Another is on the ground using magic to pull the ropes over a pulley system Hiro's hooked up. Natives and sorcerers are filing in and out of the spire to work inside and it's only by chance that Hiro starts to descend the moment Billy shows up. He doesn't even see him yet as he jumps the last few feet, landing in a crouch on a pile of snow.]
[ Billy will watch him for a few moments, because that's actually pretty cool. He'll consider floating up to him, but then Hiro heads down and makes that decision unnecessary. ]
You know, most people can either levitate or have a safety harness before trying that.
[ He again sounds totally amused, though. Worrying isn't something he feels like he has to do, when there are obviously sorcerers around who could probably stop any falls. ]
Most people don't have a team of sorcerers working for them either. Besides, I've been higher up. [There's a slight arrogance to his tone but not anything out of place for a teenager who got his own way. But he grins, bounding through the snow to get closer until he's practically at Billy's side, sweeping an arm up to the spire. If he were Honey Lemon, he'd probably even add a grand "TA-DA" to that.]
Check out the progress we've been making. [The newer stone only extends by a few stories, but it's clear he means there's progress inside, too.] I've been working out here since we left Ariadne's.
Flying. [Even the mention of flying makes him happy even though he hasn't accomplished it since coming to the Drabwurld. This was close, but it wasn't Baymax. Nothing could top Baymax. He begins to walk though, motioning for Billy to follow.]
Higher and hollowed out inside. You've gotta see the inside. [A slightly mischievous look follows.] And then I can tell you more about the whole superhero thing.
[And off they go, Hiro practically bouncing and leaving Billy in his wake but he assumes the other can keep up. Even as they enter the Spire Hiro's starting to talk about the design, pointing out the flat, smoothed walls and the halls leading into the mountain itself, heading up the stairs to one of the first floors.]
Part of this was already done when I got out here but I wanted to make it even better. Just because it's straight up doesn't mean it can't fan out in the center. The whole idea of having these spires is to make sure they can hold a bunch of people when the next battle hits, right? Why not use the space effectively? [The floors themselves have rooms that Hiro's started to design and a few other sorcerers and natives are inside hacking away and building up. Depending on the floor, sometimes there's only one room and sometimes there's at least five. There's no rhyme or reason that's clear except to Hiro himself.]
I think the problem is I want to build as high as I can but we're not building fast enough. We can't really have windows here either so I'm just sort of trying to make it a little more livable? Especially since we don't have a castle anymore. [He stops, running a hand through his hair briefly.] I'm not really an architect...I'm used to working with machines so I'm not really sure how to make it fancy like Ariadne, but it's stable. That counts, right?
[ Billy's going to focus mostly on peering into rooms and taking the spire in as a whole. He's listening to Hiro, but it's more a case of letting the words wash over him while he looks at the cool stuff. ]
Hey, I'm even less of an architect than you. If you say it's stable and makes better use of space, then I'm going to believe you. Why can't you have windows?
[See, this is nice. It's nice when people just shut up and let him talk about his work and he can at least appreciate Billy being a quasi-captive audience.]
I haven't found any shatter-proof glass yet. [Duh.] I'm not putting in windows without some kind of protection on them just in case we need to turn this into a battle spire, too. I mean it's far enough out of the way but who knows if that'll stop them next time.
[Eventually though Hiro leads Billy up to a room that's quite large and looks like it's meant to be a common area even though it lacks a couple of things. You know. Like couches. Or anything. But there's what looks like a couple of bean bag chairs that Hiro most likely dragged from the Station along with a handful of metal paint cans he dug up somewhere. He gestures to Billy to have a seat before he moves around the room, prying open each can and being careful not to let on he's actually practicing with his fire magic as he lights something on the inside on fire. He'll show Billy later, just...not now.
It soon becomes evident that the cans aren't just for decoration but they're makeshift space heaters. It took a lot of trial and error over the last few days but a certain type of medical alcohol and some toilet paper and a flame found success. Once the room starts to heat he settles on his own beanbag chair, staring at the ceiling.]
...this is what Saber sent me out here to do. [The job he mentioned at Ariadne's spire, he means.]
There has to be a way to make shatter-proof glass with magic. The hard part is figuring out how.
[ Billy's going to watch the can thing with interest. He's not exactly mechanically minded himself, but he can recognize when something takes skills. ]
I know I'm not imagining it getting warmer in here. [ Which is kind of a relief, because super hero uniforms look cool but aren't exactly that warm. ]
I'm still trying to figure out how magic really works. I mean not just here but in general...where does it stop being science and starts being magic? That's all I wanna know.
[The look he gives Billy in return is enough to prove that no, no he's not imagining it.] I like keeping busy. I'm not going to get caught off-guard again and maybe I just miss having stuff to do. Stuff in San Fransokyo was never really boring.
What's the saying? Advanced technology isn't distinguishable from magic? Something like that.
[ He'll shrug at this point. The whole science and magic thing is interesting, but that's so not his territory. In fact, the first person he can think of who's interested in it is Doom, and no one wants Doom here. ]
No, but I've heard of San Francisco and Tokyo. [ He's not super surprised by it any more. It's not like he hasn't seen or heard some strange stuff out traveling the multiverse. ]
Both of those still exist. [There's an amused smirk.] San Fransokyo was established in the early 1900s after a huge earthquake in San Francisco. When they started rebuilding the city they just sort of built another one right next to it and that's where it came from. We're pretty close to San Francisco. ...I kinda miss it.
I don't think you can entirely get away from homesickness here. I miss New York, and the people I left behind.
[ He'll look away for a few moments. Boy, this beanbag chair is super interesting or something. When he finally looks up again, it's with forced cheer. ]
I dunno, dude, I was doing pretty good so far. [And Billy's the only one he'll admit that to. He doesn't even mind changing the subject because man, screw being homesick. Screw this place sometimes.
But he grins even if it's also sort of forced, waving his hands to gesture around the room.]
We need some more places thanks to Caer Scima being destroyed, right? Why not build up this one? Saber asked me to help out and I kinda got carried away. I wanted to make it into something I created instead of just something I was adding onto.
Yeah, I don't know. I think I'm okay, but then I'm not. [ This isn't something he's told anyone else about yet. Not that he wants to sit here talking about his feelings. ] It's a work in process.
[ He'll grin, when Hiro talks about the spire again. ] You? Get carried away? I can't imagine.
["You and me both." But he's not going to finish that line of thought because no, he doesn't want to sit here and talk about feelings either. Maybe another time but there are more important things to discuss right now.] Some things are just progressing a lot faster than others.
Oh come on, it's not that bad. [It's...really that bad.] I don't have a whole city to protect anymore. This was the next best thing. Nobody's stopping me either so it's probably a good idea. [Somehow.]
I bet they're too bowled over by your enthusiasm to even think about stopping you.
[ Not that it's a bad thing. Billy's happy that Hiro seems to have found his place here, especially since Billy himself is still struggling with that. ]
You better watch out, you might get a city to design next.
[That was probably the wrong thing to say because that enthusiasm? Suddenly amped up by another ten or so.] You think? That would actually be really cool. I could make it look like home with skyscrapers and everything, but I'd probably need some more elves...
[Hiro. Focus. He tones it down a little then, giving Billy a slightly sheepish look as he focuses on his hands instead.] Somebody told me there's no room for heroes here, so this is the next best thing. We just started the hero thing anyway so maybe it's better this way.
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Sweet. Look up when you get here and call me if you can't find me.
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Oh. Wait.]
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I'm on my way.
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[And true to that, by the time Billy does show up...yeah, no, Hiro's still hanging off the side of the spire directing one of the sorcerers in laying the stone. Another is on the ground using magic to pull the ropes over a pulley system Hiro's hooked up. Natives and sorcerers are filing in and out of the spire to work inside and it's only by chance that Hiro starts to descend the moment Billy shows up. He doesn't even see him yet as he jumps the last few feet, landing in a crouch on a pile of snow.]
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You know, most people can either levitate or have a safety harness before trying that.
[ He again sounds totally amused, though. Worrying isn't something he feels like he has to do, when there are obviously sorcerers around who could probably stop any falls. ]
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Check out the progress we've been making. [The newer stone only extends by a few stories, but it's clear he means there's progress inside, too.] I've been working out here since we left Ariadne's.
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[ He'll grin at Hiro's theatrics, and turn to study the spire itself. ]
It looks like it's gotten higher? What else have you guys done?
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Higher and hollowed out inside. You've gotta see the inside. [A slightly mischievous look follows.] And then I can tell you more about the whole superhero thing.
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[ He'll gesture for Hiro to go first. ] Lead the way.
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Part of this was already done when I got out here but I wanted to make it even better. Just because it's straight up doesn't mean it can't fan out in the center. The whole idea of having these spires is to make sure they can hold a bunch of people when the next battle hits, right? Why not use the space effectively? [The floors themselves have rooms that Hiro's started to design and a few other sorcerers and natives are inside hacking away and building up. Depending on the floor, sometimes there's only one room and sometimes there's at least five. There's no rhyme or reason that's clear except to Hiro himself.]
I think the problem is I want to build as high as I can but we're not building fast enough. We can't really have windows here either so I'm just sort of trying to make it a little more livable? Especially since we don't have a castle anymore. [He stops, running a hand through his hair briefly.] I'm not really an architect...I'm used to working with machines so I'm not really sure how to make it fancy like Ariadne, but it's stable. That counts, right?
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Hey, I'm even less of an architect than you. If you say it's stable and makes better use of space, then I'm going to believe you. Why can't you have windows?
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I haven't found any shatter-proof glass yet. [Duh.] I'm not putting in windows without some kind of protection on them just in case we need to turn this into a battle spire, too. I mean it's far enough out of the way but who knows if that'll stop them next time.
[Eventually though Hiro leads Billy up to a room that's quite large and looks like it's meant to be a common area even though it lacks a couple of things. You know. Like couches. Or anything. But there's what looks like a couple of bean bag chairs that Hiro most likely dragged from the Station along with a handful of metal paint cans he dug up somewhere. He gestures to Billy to have a seat before he moves around the room, prying open each can and being careful not to let on he's actually practicing with his fire magic as he lights something on the inside on fire. He'll show Billy later, just...not now.
It soon becomes evident that the cans aren't just for decoration but they're makeshift space heaters. It took a lot of trial and error over the last few days but a certain type of medical alcohol and some toilet paper and a flame found success. Once the room starts to heat he settles on his own beanbag chair, staring at the ceiling.]
...this is what Saber sent me out here to do. [The job he mentioned at Ariadne's spire, he means.]
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[ Billy's going to watch the can thing with interest. He's not exactly mechanically minded himself, but he can recognize when something takes skills. ]
I know I'm not imagining it getting warmer in here. [ Which is kind of a relief, because super hero uniforms look cool but aren't exactly that warm. ]
It looks like you've been busy.
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[The look he gives Billy in return is enough to prove that no, no he's not imagining it.] I like keeping busy. I'm not going to get caught off-guard again and maybe I just miss having stuff to do. Stuff in San Fransokyo was never really boring.
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[ He'll shrug at this point. The whole science and magic thing is interesting, but that's so not his territory. In fact, the first person he can think of who's interested in it is Doom, and no one wants Doom here. ]
Wait, San Fransokyo?
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Yeah. Home. [Why so surprised, Billy?] Heard of it?
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[ He'll look away for a few moments. Boy, this beanbag chair is super interesting or something. When he finally looks up again, it's with forced cheer. ]
So what's all this for, anyway?
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But he grins even if it's also sort of forced, waving his hands to gesture around the room.]
We need some more places thanks to Caer Scima being destroyed, right? Why not build up this one? Saber asked me to help out and I kinda got carried away. I wanted to make it into something I created instead of just something I was adding onto.
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[ He'll grin, when Hiro talks about the spire again. ] You? Get carried away? I can't imagine.
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Oh come on, it's not that bad. [It's...really that bad.] I don't have a whole city to protect anymore. This was the next best thing. Nobody's stopping me either so it's probably a good idea. [Somehow.]
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[ Not that it's a bad thing. Billy's happy that Hiro seems to have found his place here, especially since Billy himself is still struggling with that. ]
You better watch out, you might get a city to design next.
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[Hiro. Focus. He tones it down a little then, giving Billy a slightly sheepish look as he focuses on his hands instead.] Somebody told me there's no room for heroes here, so this is the next best thing. We just started the hero thing anyway so maybe it's better this way.
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