san_fransokyo | @pushtheboundaries

@pushtheboundaries

[Tadashi stowed his scooter and helmet a few blocks back, hidden in a small alcove behind a dumpster and some strategically placed garbage. They won't smell all that great by the time he retrieves it, but to avoid the attention he'd draw if tried to bring them with him? It's worth the trade off.

Even so, he sticks out like a sore thumb in this part of town, moving quickly past boarded up doorways and flickering neon, stopping only briefly to question a few women lingering by a streetlight ("Why don't you keep us company instead?") before awkwardly skirting around and away from them. The baseball cap pulled down low on his head does nothing to help him blend in, not when everything else about him screams "I don't belong here". His clothes, his posture, the alert, wary expression on his face ("Who the hell are you lookin' at, pretty boy?"). Hiro's the one who was always comfortable roaming these back alleys between shady looking bars and even shadier looking clubs ("I ain't talking unless you're buying."), and while Tadashi isn't afraid, he's far from comfortable.

He's not sure where he's going, or, more importantly, what he actually intends to do if he finds who he's looking for. Callaghan wouldn't leave San Fransokyo while Krei's still around, but he has no leads, and Callaghan made his stance on things pretty clear the last time they spoke... or he'd tried to, anyway. He didn't want to go back, didn't want redemption, but Tadashi couldn't really believe that. Not when he could see the hesitation in his former professor's shoulders and the confusion on his face, hear the emotion in his voice and see the tears that had threatened to fall...

He should leave it alone. How could he even trust Callaghan? He couldn't, not after what the older man tried to do to Hiro and his friends. He should focus on the blessing that is his second chance at life, his second chance to be there for his brother and do the world-changing work he's always wanted to do... but letting things end like that just doesn't sit right with him. He doesn't need to trust to hope. To know that things can be better. To know that more terrible outcomes can be avoided. Someone has to reach out, try to find the Good Man hidden behind the mask and bring him back.

Someone has to help.

So he continues on, keeping his inquiries as vague as possible and directed at those who don't seem immediately homicidal. Older man ("What do I look like, the Grampa police?"), dark coat, seen anyone like that? Maybe a mask...?

("Fuckin' freak.")]

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[Tadashi's hands find their way back into his pockets, posture tightening up in a very uncharacteristic way. Callaghan's not wrong. They do deserve better than this. He knows that if push came to shove his loyalty would obviously be with his friends and his brother, but now, while there's no immediate conflict, he can't just ignore someone who needs help. And he might not be able to admit it, or maybe he just doesn't realize, but Callaghan needs help.

... Not physical help, obviously, but that's not always the most important sort.

The brim of his hat rises just far enough for Tadashi to look at Callaghan again.]

... What about you?

[good. Tadashi's gone back to using his brain. Callaghan's already looking back off the roof, but this time, towards the other buildings, considering the quickest - safest - path home. this deep in Yama's territory, if he wants to ensure Tadashi's safe, he may need to take care of it himself.

when he looks back, it's with another frown, the microbots creeping back towards the other man]

What about me? I'm not your professor anymore. [he's not a professor at all.]

[Tadashi takes a few small steps forward, looking down when hehears the tnktnktnk of moving microbots. It's dark enough that he can't really make out where they are on the ground might be, but now that he's not surrounded by jeering thugs? He can definitely hear them.

At this point he's sure that Callaghan wouldn't hurt him, but the though of them is still oddly unsettling.]

That doesn't mean that I don't care about what happens to you.

[Do you feel even more guilty, Robert? Because you should.]

[just how far does he need to throw you, Tadashi? Robert stares at him for a long few moments before just...shaking his head, microbots swarming and securing around his lower legs.

and crawling up to take hold of Tadashi's.

guilt? he feels some of it. there's also no small amount of frustration, there, and what could be fondness for Tadashi's sheer /tenacity/ but he somehow keeps his voice flat when he speaks]

You need to let this go.

[he bends his knees, slightly, securing his balance as the microbots promptly shift, carrying him up /off/ the roof - and Tadashi with him, bringing the two relatively close together as Callaghan puts his mind towards the path. keeping the higher ground has two advantages; one, the microbots can form a shield from below, keeping them from sight. two, he can move from roof to roof, keeping a visual on his goal...

it's no doubt an odd sensation; it took him some getting used to, at first, letting the things move for him. but he practiced, and he practiced, and with the way things are now, the microbots 'know' enough how to build bridges and carry them along and then pick themselves back up to cycle back in and do it all over again]

[Doesn't matter how far you throw him if you still catch him in the end.

Tadashi starts to respond, but cuts off quickly when the bots swarm over him, loosing a startled little noise and pinwheeling his arms for balance when he's quite suddenly lifted off the roof. Yep... that is just as unsettling as he thought it would be. The quick yank off of the street was one thing, over too quickly for him to really register much more than up. This is a much more sedate pace, his body traveling without any input on his part, his destination completely dependent on someone else. Definitely unsettling, but at the same time...

Even taking the darkness and the particular neighborhood they're traveling over into account, the view is striking. The microbots move smoothly enough that regaining his balance isn't too difficult. After a quick glance over at Callaghan, Tadashi ends up mimicking his pose, knees bent and weight shifting carefully as he peers out over the streets spread below them.]

Wow... this is incredible.

[that's the rub, isn't it? he's unwilling to have any further involvement with something that may harm Tadashi, but here he is, ferrying him to safety. the mask is back on, the persona back- a silent, stoic figure whose face speaks of righteous anger and of power.

that face looks towards Tadashi, makes a short little 'hnh' noise, and then looks back forwards, otherwise silent for now.

it...really is incredible, isn't it. this sort of feeling of freedom and motion almost makes up for everything else. ~~this would be the part in the movie where you get to see it from his/their perspective, and while he's not showing off by any means, it's either this or just walk, and that's not nearly as quick~~. there's also the fact that he's had to use less and less actual thought to control these, depending on the circumstances; often, they move even before he's realized, which is both a blessing and a curse.

it's a good thing that he's (relatively) calm, with no ill will towards Tadashi. agitation with these things so keyed in to him is not pleasant.]

[That mask may inspire fear in others, but Tadashi? Not so much. Not while he's still considering it little more than an obstacle to overcome. Not while he still believes that Callaghan won't intentionally hurt him.

Tadashi's focus swaps between his former professor and the view below as they travel, the thoughts behind his eyes obvious as mumbles distractedly to himself, even carefully reaching down to feel at the bots encasing his feet as they move.]

The things they could do...

[Both brothers are too idealistic. Or were. Hiro's learned a harsh lesson there, at least, but even now a part of Tadashi's brain is dedicated to just how helpful microbot technology could be in the right hands. Not just in construction, but in the medical field as well. Imagining their possible use in search and rescue, returning mobility of all kinds to the disabled... the possibilities branch far and wide, further than he can even get his mind around at the moment. If only they were actually being developed in the right direction...]

I never would've thought this big. Hiro really outdid himself.

[another wordless sound. affirmation? denial? he certainly is shaking his head, once, speaking through the mask-]

Your brother will go far, if he doesn't get himself killed, first.

[he can't keep /all/ of the touchiness out of his tone - Hiro and he have certainly butted heads - but there's a quiet respect there, as well.

and warning.

Robert - Yokai - has resolved to only attack if provoked. whether or not he's able to hold to that remains to be seen, but he's learning that there are others out there who may be far more aggressive in their identifying and extermination of threats]

[That subtle warning earns Callaghan a sidelong glance. Whether it's meant in reference to himself or others, Tadashi's optimism can't be denied, and even now he still trusts his former professor not to harm him, but does that belief extend to include Hiro?

... No. Tadashi wants desperately to see Callaghan come back from this. To see him become the Good Man he once was again. But he won't trust this man with Hiro's life.]

He's got a lot of people looking out for him now. [He pushes those depressing truths away and smiles, wide and warm, the antithesis of Callaghan's cold mask and noncommittal grunts.] And a personal healthcare companion.

This was only the beginning for him.

Edited 2014-11-23 07:11 (UTC)

He's making enemies.

[there's a reason Yama wanted to talk with him. once he started to understand he realized that he had a debt to pay, but the fact remains;]

All of them are.

[for this, he looks at Tadashi with his own face, grim and unhappy and serious.]

If they keep going like this, they'll make more. And more. And while I taught you all to use your heads, these ones rely on other tools.

[he's not the only 'villain' out there; he is, however, one without much of a reason to work with the others. his goals are simple and, perhaps, selfish; theirs are a bit more concerned with power, and those who pose a risk to such.]

[Power draws the hungry.

WELP, there goes that smile. His expression shifts to nearly match Callaghan's, minus a few decades of wear and tear.]

... I don't think they'll stop. [And Tadashi sure can't make them. Even with his worries, he doesn't really want to. Not when Hiro's found something that seems to give him real purpose. He can always hope that this will taper off some, that Hiro will focus on his education and developing more of those new, innovative robots that he's always loved, but he can't take this away from him.

Besides...]

I could barely keep him away from the bot fights.

[at least Tadashi's taken that to heart. he watches him steadily for a long few moments, his 'memory' of their surroundings taking care of things for the moment.]

At best, they're going to end up hurt. I don't know how much, but if this is the path they're taking, then they're taking on the risks, as well.

[he can't and won't give them any sort of allowance. it would do a disservice to them all.]

They only want to help.

[They're only doing what Tadashi's always tried to do. Granted, they've all chosen a very different path than he would've, but that's the difference between the Hamada brothers. They're both forces to be reckoned with in their own ways, and really, after becoming super heroes? Who would want to go back?

Tadashi's eyebrows draw together, worry etched over every feature. He can see the problem, but no solution. No solution that isn't him just deluding himself, anyway. He'll do everything he can to be sure they avoid trouble whenever possible, protect them as best as he can...

But what else can he do?]

Sounds familiar.

[Tadashi wants to keep them safe, clearly; Robert...well, Robert's feelings are more complex. yes, he wants them safe, moreso that he wants them all safely out of his way. and he wants Tadashi to live out his life the way he should have, instead of throwing it away for the slim chance of 'saving' him. and far more selfishly - this way he can keep back what guilt he has, over the fire.

all said and done, Tadashi doesn't understand just how few options Robert has, right now. go back to prison? he wouldn't be there long, unless it was a maximum security facility, and even then. go on the run, long-term? how exactly does one run when their preferred method of travel doesn't involve moving their legs at all?]

[And therein lies the difference between them. Selfless versus selfish. Hope versus resignation. Responsibility versus deflection.

Tadashi's grim frown lightens a little, turning almost fond as he gazes out at the city below them again.]

It should. There's a reason we all get along so well.

[Callaghan would know, having been the one to teach them all. The one to see them each take the first step toward their individual dreams. He was even the one to unite them all together into force they'd become now, ironically enough.]

[oh, he knows the hand he's played in uniting them. that's another thing he can't bring himself to be sorry for. at least that, he did good, even if for a while he was ready to destroy it completely.

he's not sure he wouldn't try and do so again, if he felt it was necessary.

he avoids that dark thought for now, another stretch of silence passing between them before he speaks again-]

What did you think would happen, tonight?

Edited 2014-11-23 08:44 (UTC)

[Tadashi doesn't take his eyes away from the city, but one hand does rise to adjust his hat again, quickly sliding down to rub awkwardly at the back of his neck.]

... I don't know exactly. I didn't think I'd actually find you, to be honest.

[They're traveling over the streets on a cloud of tiny brain-controlled robots. Might as well tell the truth. Even if the truth makes him sound like an impulsive idiot. Let's not lie to ourselves, Hiro and Tadashi are in competition for the Dumbest Smart Kid Ever award.]

But I had to try.

[...Tadashi he is so disappointed. for someone so smart, you have acted very, very dumb tonight. he can only hope that he has - in some small part - managed to drive that point home. just a little.

when he speaks again, there's no doubt some of that disappointment in his voice, hard as he tries to make it.]

Best case scenario.

[He's definitely made some progress where that's concerned. Tadashi's not the helpless nerd that most people might peg him as, but without Callaghan's intervention tonight? He would've been mince meat.]

I just... [Struggling with his words for a moment. No matter how he says this, it's going to come out sounding immature. Naive, even, but that's Tadashi, isn't it?]

I need you to understand that it's not too late. Things won't be easy either way, but they don't have to be like this.

Someone still wants to help you.

[the words reach him...but possibly not in the way Tadashi expects. his fists ball, and all of the sudden the smooth ride that they've both been having jerks to a complete stop.]

'Help' me?

[it's hard to really describe the motion Callaghan makes; he's not quite walking, not quite being carried, but all of the sudden he's facing Tadashi (whose legs are very much locked in position) and getting closer and looking very /angry/.

partly frustrated, but still very /angry/.]

What do you think you can do, Tadashi?! I've a criminal record, now, multiple felonies, I've lost every sort of license or credential I've had, my options are either to turn myself back in and be transferred to a high security facility or go flat-out on the run from everything I've ever known and loved, or deal with the local devil in an attempt to mitigate some of this chaos!

[his voice grows louder as he talks, temper getting away from him, but even so he can't stop himself- nor can he stop the fact his voice is shrill by the time he gets to his point]

What in hell do you think you can do to help!?

[the microbots, too, are responding; Tadashi is held tightly, but their outer surface constantly fluctuates with spikes and points and shifting anger. he may control the mass, but the mass is responding to him even without a direct command, and it's as though someone captured fury itself and translated it in to geometric shapes and ripples]

Edited 2014-11-24 01:42 (UTC)

[The sudden stop forces Tadashi into pinwheeling again. With the microbots keeping his lower legs locked, he very nearly falls over backward before finally regaining his balance just in time to realize just how angry Callaghan is. He's just said something very wrong.

He doesn't mean to flinch away, but he does anyway. Not far, but it's still obvious enough. He's accepted that he probably shouldn't have been out here, but was he wrong to want to help in the first place? What could he do when Callaghan doesn't seem to want the help? When he can't see a way out?

... No, wanting to help can't be wrong, though it's a fair point, really. Robert's choices are extremely limited. Jail or a life on the run. Sure, jail isn't exactly an appealing option, but jail at least has a time limit. A sentence to be served and the knowledge that that sentence will eventually end. Life for the professor can't go back to how it was, but things can still get better. Mistakes have been made and they need to be paid for, but he doesn't have to make a deal with the devil to do it.

Tadashi spares the microbots a nervous glance. The way they're moving is so strangely organic, at least within the limitations of their design. How is Callaghan even controlling them like this? This kind of emotional outburst isn't even close to the kind of concentration the bots usually need to work.]

... I don't know because you won't let me! [He squares his shoulders and sets his jaw, every bit as stubborn as he's ever been in the lab.] You're still so focused on anger and hate and if you don't stop it's going to kill you!

They're the only things keeping me alive!

[the truth practically rips itself from his throat, because it's such an inherent one; anger and hate and pain and rage are the only things keeping him going, and some insane part of him is terrified that if he lets any of it go?

he'll stop.

for good.

nonetheless, the admission has clearly taken a toll on him, because for a few long moments it's all he can do to breathe and try desperately to collect himself. he looks raw and haggard, for the moment not Tadashi's professor, not even this 'Yokai' persona, but a man driven to the edge who has no idea where to go from here.

his options are to fall, or to find a way to fly- and here on the rooftops with the microbots securing them over the streets, this is the closest thing he has to it]

Edited 2014-11-24 03:18 (UTC)

[That sudden admission knocks the stubborn right off of Tadashi's face, and for a moment he's just as lost as Callaghan. That raw look would hurt to see on anyone, but to see it on this man, someone who'd held such an important place in his life...

Callaghan needs more help than Tadashi can provide with just stubborn optimism. Emotional help. Psychological help. All the healthcare companions in the world won't make this better, especially not while the patient in question is unwilling to take a step back.

So Tadashi does the only thing he can think to do. His feet are still locked in place, but Callaghan is close enough for him to reach out. For a hug, maybe, if Robert would allow it? At the very least to take hold of the other man's shoulders, expression an unsteady mix of frustration and desperate hope.]

This... This isn't living.

[in and out, he breathes, feeling as though he's in as many pieces as the microbots. he's let his walls slip, he's let his strength slip, and now he's paying the price for it. who knows how worse it'll be if he lets it go any further?

he can't do that. so while Tadashi's hands may connect with his shoulders, it's only a few seconds before he looks down, grimacing as he makes to pull himself together.]

Maybe not...but...it's better than the alternative.

[he's not willing to stop just yet.

microbots shift between them, rustling over to move Tadashi away- and then, down, moving him towards the street.

Robert's done carrying him. he can't take him any further, not with the microbots, and not with anything else. so he's doing the only thing that he can; getting him to a point where he can let go.]

Edited 2014-11-24 04:17 (UTC)

[He grips those shoulders harder for a moment, but in the end Tadashi has no choice but to let go, hands trailing in the air as if hoping that the microbots will reverse direction for him if he shows them that he's not finished yet.

But they don't.

He looks down at the approaching ground and then back up a Callaghan. This man who's made some terrible mistakes, but was also his mentor for so long. He wants to help, to find the way out, the compromise, and it's all just so wrong-!

Tadashi's voice is quieter when he speaks next, but he's still up high enough that the words won't be lost in the night time sounds of the city below.]

I haven't given up on you. Even if you've given up on yourself.

[oh, Tadashi. if only the mask wasn't back on, in more ways than one; if only the microbots weren't responding to Callaghan's own innate stubbornness, his pride, and his desire to handle this on his own.

this is his role to play. perhaps not outright defined by the mask, but certainly shaped by it. it's a role whose script only calls for one reply to that;]

That's your mistake, not mine.

[and as soon as Tadashi's feet touch the road, the microbots are letting him go, and recoiling back up towards Callaghan]

Don't come looking for me again.

[it may be a useless order, especially with him revoking any authority over Tadashi, but he gives it nonetheless before just like that?

he's gone.]

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