[Action/Video]

[vianca]

SUPER BACKDATED HOSPITAL ACTION:
Back in ye olden days of late September, Vianca got completely wrecked. The pikmin was carted off to the hospital to have her checklist of injuries taken care of. Concussion, bone fractures, internal bleeding, some unexpected respiratory problems, an alarming amount of black and blue. THE WORKS. WHAT A GOOD TIME.

If you would like to backdate a hospital visit you are more than welcome to do so. She was there for an indeterminate amount of time before hobbling back to the Academy to try and fix the library.

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[MEANWHILE IN THE MORE OR LESS PRESENT she was actually making a video post, which happened practically never. It was, however, still too cumbersome to type very well, and she had a number of things to bring up. None of which were her extended absence, which she didn't expect anyone to actually notice.]

Hello... I'd like to apologize for the disarray in the library. We are working to put it back in order as quickly as we can.

[Because it got wrecked. Wheatley has been doing the best he can, but he was Wheatley. Things were going about as well as anyone could expect.]

In order to speed this process, I would like to ask if there is anyone currently present that is skilled with robotics? My assistant's robotic chassis was... unfortunately incapacitated. It would be greatly appreciated if we could ask for your assistance in repairing it.

[She looks about as uncomfortable as someone who only linefaces could. The little girl looked down at her desk for a few moments and then she picked up a piece of paper with a crude drawing of a flower on it, holding it up to fill the whole frame.]

... I am also... searching for this flower, if anyone has seen one. There used to be a small patch of them in the forest, but that part of the forest no longer exists. I do not know where else to look... They are somewhat large, and come in different colors. I would be very grateful if anyone could point me to where they have seen one. It is... very important.

Thank you.

Comments

[vianca]

[Though his presence was an apologetic one, to Vianca it was simply a surprising question mark in her day. Why was he there? Surely there were more important things he could have been attending to.

She studied him and he studied her, trying to assess what his presence meant.]

Sore.

[Which might have been putting it lightly, if it weren't for sweet sweet pain meds.]

... Thank you. For your help.

[awakeningwill]

[Bless you, painkillers.

In reply, Zero gave a small shake of his head. She didn't have anything to thank him for, really. He hadn't been the one to remove the threat - all he did was call an ambulance.

Instead, he placed a small device on her bedside table: a tiny wireless communicator. It was a lot more discreet than going to the phone to call for security, and could be easily pinned or worn on one's person.]

If there's trouble again... use this. It'll patch a line directly to me.

[vianca]

[Calling an ambulance was still more help than nothing.

Vianca watched him set the device down, and her gaze lingered on it for a few long moments. She did not want to risk moving over to pick it up, for both the sake of her own injuries and the quiet fear that in doing so it would simply disappear, irrational as it was.

She lifted her eyes back towards him somewhat questioningly.]

Would... that be alright?

[awakeningwill]

[A simple nod, short and sure.]

Call me for anything you need. I'll handle it.

[Though he didn't say so out loud, it was more than guilt motivating him. He knew Vianca's name - she had been Knuckles's friend, and Zero owed Knuckles a great debt, even if the echidna himself wasn't aware of it right now. That likely meant he couldn't remember her, either.

The reploid didn't consider himself a worthy replacement at all, but the least he could do was watch out for her in his stead.]

[vianca]

[She nodded in turn. While she didn't think anything much of her own well being most of the time, being able to alert security without being obvious would have kept most of this mess from happening, probably. No. At the very least, it made her feel a bit better about her own uselessness as long as she didn't think about it very much. It would be very good to keep on her person for her patrons' safety.]

I'm sorry. What was your name?

[It felt like it was on the tip of her tongue, but she realized she wasn't super sure.]

[awakeningwill]

Zero.

[Easy enough to remember. He was beginning to get a bit more used to this introducing yourself thing. In a way, it was actually a bit refreshing for people to not know who he was. In the future he hailed from, almost everyone knew him - by reputation, legend, sometimes better than he knew himself. The feeling of being known only for how he expressed himself was... freeing, if a little awkward at the same time.]

[vianca]

[Another small nod, indicating that she had heard him.]

That's right.

[Zero. A simple name for someone that looked as incredibly complex as he did.]

... Are you from the future?

[awakeningwill]

Around 200 years, yes.

[Although who knew when he was actually built. He'd already been in hibernation for a hundred years. It might've even been possible that he was built sometime this century. Once robot hair technology was perfected]

[vianca]

[That was quite a ways. Vianca had more experience with people from the present and the past. The concept of being from so far ahead seemed weird to her, but maybe it was just because hers seemed so short in comparison.]

... Is the past lonely?

[awakeningwill]

[Lonely...

He'd never really spared the time to think about the word. It was true that no one he'd ever known would exist for quite a long time. From time to time he would wonder how they were doing, and what became of the future, but deep in his heart he still believed that they no longer needed him. Even if he wanted to return, his presence would bring nothing but trouble.

So as it was, he didn't yearn for them. And the one person he truly missed was already dead.

As for the people he met here... there were a few he could say he cared for, but even still he was a distant presence. He simply wasn't able to open up to them, whether it was because they were civilians, or for fear of creating a time paradox. His burdens were not theirs to bear.

Consciously, Zero couldn't say it bothered him day-to-day - his job kept him busy enough. But having no one that could understand his feelings... perhaps that was loneliness? He wasn't sure.

At least he had Croire.

After long deliberation, he could only come up with one response.]

...I don't know.

[vianca]

[She couldn't tell if that was a question that made him sad. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to apologize if it had. Was not knowing if you were lonely actually a good thing? Vianca was inclined to say that was true. It would make some things easier.]

I hope not.

[awakeningwill]

[Zero, likewise, wasn't sure how to reassure her. He'd never been particularly good at that kind of thing. Loneliness wasn't something that troubled him, necessarily, even if it was something that maybe should have. There was an emptiness there, but he'd simply become so accustomed to having it.

He tilted his head just slightly, and gave a small shrug.]

It's fine. I'm no longer necessary in the future...

My mission is here, now.

[vianca]

I am glad you found one.