ataraxion | [video]

[When the feed switches on, it shows Hiro flushed, breathless, and clearly ducked into a small, dark hiding place with a hand pressed to the side of his head and his eyes shut. He tries to keep his voice down when he speaks so that he won't be easily found, but who even knows what someone might be able to hear. Keeping his voice low also helps with the headache that started pounding behind his eyes; which had happened so suddenly that he'd stumbled into things and gotten him into the mess he's in at the moment.]

So-- here's a question. Totally hypothetical... but let's say you got caught sneaking into areas you shouldn't be in or touching things maybe no one wants you to touch. What would you say is the best way of getting out of it?

[He only asks because his usual tactic of "play the totally innocent/dumb kid card" doesn't seem to work so well on the few staff members he's run into in the engineering area, and even the "I'm so sorry, my head's been hurting and I got confused" angle failed. All of which has ended up with him kind of backed up into a corner. He wouldn't bother asking a whole bunch of strangers otherwise. Hiro bites his lip, glances outside of his little hiding spot, then turns back to the camera with a slightly sheepish look.]

It's not as bad as it sounds. I swear. I just... needed some things.

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[Hiro's starting to get pretty convinced that Firo will share more of Tadashi's way of thinking, in that kids shouldn't gamble or be involved with the underworld. When he smirks back, Hiro immediately feels better.]

What, you mean like with poker and slot machines? No. Not really my thing.

[He can't control the circumstances in normal gambling. Betting on himself when he knows he'll be winning is a much safer route.]

Eh, too bad. If you ever wanna try out a game, I'm always up for one.

And you should show me this bot fightin' stuff sometime if you can.

[Manners, Firo.]

Hmmmm. Maybe. [He smirks a little] I'll think about it.

We'd need some proper things to build the bots, with.

My door's always open.

[He keeps on grinning. He should probably feel guilty for making the offer, but, hey, it's not as if the kid doesn't already gamble.]

You'll know if that metal works once you've done all your fancy tests?

[Firo has no idea what else you would need for a robot.]

For sure. I'll keep that in mind.

[He grins right back, then gives him a quick nod.]

Yeah. It might take some time, but yeah. Then it'll be a matter of getting wires and putting together some circuit boards-- I don't think it'll be hard with all the tech around here.

I'll take your word for it. Don't even know what that stuff is.

...Burglary ain't my thing, so I'm not gonna break in with you somewhere, but if you wanna hand, I can try helpin' you out. Just tell me what stuff is and all.

[So he'll probably be no help at all. But he wants to see these bots.]

[He gives a good-natured roll of his eyes, shaking his head.] I'm not stealing anything. Just finding stuff that no one's using and repurposing it.

But sure. I'll let you know if I need help finding anything.

[He shrugs, still grinning.]

And they'd still lock you up for that where I'm from.

All right.

Hey-- Where are you from, anyway?

New York. It was 1934 when I left.

[Since he knows his time seems to be pretty different than other people's.]

[That- makes him blink.] Huh.

[He's trying - he really is - to get over the whole time travel/multiple universes/wormhole in space/total sci-fi movie land thing that's going on here. Or at least kind of accept it.

Baby steps.]

Well- I'm still technically not a legal adult, so the worst that could happen there is just- get sent to some kind of reform school or juvenile hall.

School? Damn, they go easy on kids where you're from.

[Then again, it's not as if all the arms of the law he knows are on the up and up, so what Hiro's saying probably is what's supposed to happen.]

[Hiro shrugs. He's never really had to worry too much. By the time the law stepped in, most of the time he's been able to play the victimized child card and gone scott free.]

That's if the law catches you, though. If you're dealing with like, a gang leader? That's a whole other story.

[He grins.]

You don't need to tell me.

[Especially considering he's usually one of those meting out the punishments for the gang leader. But he's more thinking of another time.]

When I stole from my Family, I was pretty sure they were gonna cut my throat and throw me in the harbor.

[Hiro quirks an eyebrow, curious. Family? Did he mishear that audible capital F?]

What, were you like, part of a mob family or something?

[That's quick--most people seem to ignore that detail or overlook it. Firo can't decide if he's surprised or pleased that Hiro seems to get it.]

Camorra Family, not Mafia. But yeah, I am.

[Well. He thinks that may be a bit iffy since he ran off to Alcatraz and is now here, but he's holding onto his Family until they eliminate him.]

[You're dealing with a genius, Firo. He may not be good at carrying normal social interactions, but he's plenty observant in most other aspects.

When Firo admits that, though, Hiro just hums thoughtfully.] Never heard of them. But I guess that could be because I'm not from New York. Or the 1930s.

[He shrugs, just slightly grinning.]

We don't have exactly the same rules as the Mafia, but gettin' people to hear about us ain't exactly a big priority.

[There's also the small detail that the Camorra in the United States was entirely wiped out save for Firo's Family.]

So you're more like ninjas.

[He just nods, deciding for himself that this has to be true. Ninjas and assassins are the kinds of groups that value their secrecy and don't want their names out in the open. ...According to Fred's comics, anyway.]

Ninjas?

[He laughs. But, hey, at least it's kind of a flattering comparison, he thinks.]

I dunno about that, but I guess we might be a bit sneaky. Comes with the territory.

[Hiro just shrugs. The technicalities of it all don't much interest him. When you've seen one underworld gang leader, you've seen 'em all.

He's also going to... try not to think too hard on the implications of Firo being part of some kind of gang/mob family and how colorful a past that gives him. He doesn't really feel he has much room in his glass house to be throwing stones.]

Well, exposure would be bad for business or whatever, right?

Exactly. Pay off the right guys and nobody bothers you, but that's if you're not bein' too loud about it. If you make too much noise, then the vice squad comes in to crash everything in even if you did grease all the right palms on time.

[He sighs. Isn't his life so hard? Why must it be this way?]