voidtreckernet | merriment 16 ; video (before platform stop)

Tidus, I want you to look at me.

[ Inigo will even pause. Giving Tidus the opportunity to - hopefully - actually do that. ]

And then look back at the board. What do you see?

[ Tidus stares at him. Blankly. A blink.

And then he looks at the board.

...

... ]

... A list?

[ Wow. Look, bro, he was trying to be gentle about this! You're the one forcing his hand right now to be a little more direct as he says: ]

No one can read your handwriting like that! What does that first line even say?

Ah? [ Pah? What is Inigo saying here?! Tidus swings his head back and forth- ]

What are you saying? It says 'bouncy house-castle'! Read it! [ Ugh, he can't move the ICP screen into view, so - let him grab the whiteboard off the back of the seat and bring it closer. ]

Now can you read it?

...

[ At least Inigo is quiet, rather than complaining again right away. He's really trying over here. Looking at the now closer whiteboard. Squinting. Hard. ]

It says.. bunny.. ounce.. ladle.

[ Nailed it. ]

I can't make anything else of it!

[ Tidus gives another swinging look between the two, before, with a scoff- ]

Not my fault you can't read! [ Hah!! ] Anyone else can read it!

[ No one else has complained! See! Inigo's the problem!! ]

They're just too nice to tell you!

[ Clearly. Who else would dare harass Tidus the way Inigo does, huh? That's a right that's only reserved for best friends! ]

Here-- Just wait! I'll come over, and rewrite it all for you!

Wha- who do you think you are? Roland?

[ LIKE THAT ONE TIME HE CAPITALISED MY ORDER-

is he really coming, since Tidus won't stop him. Can he stop him?? unfortunately not. ]

[ Tidus definitely can't stop Inigo. That much is made clear from the fact that Inigo apparently doesn't even listen to the other guy's response. Instead he already cuts the feed right in the middle of it, like he's already walking off towards where Tidus is.

Which means he shows up only a moment or so later - thanks, transgates - looking like he's absolutely ready to rumble. ]

Come on, come on! Give me your..

[ ...

Inigo clearly has no idea what is generally used to write on one of these boards. ]

.. whatever you just used to write with! You need to make sure people can actually read this stuff, how else are they supposed to know what to vote for, huh?

[ RUDE!! ]

[ But Tidus hands over the black pen as it's asked for, rolling his eyes in the process. ]

It's fine, what do you have with my handwriting? You can read what I write, it's just a different language!

[ Words that make total sense on a void-travelling train. ]

It's the way you write it!

[ Please, Tidus. With that sort of handwriting, you might just break the train's translation service. It won't be able to figure out anymore what the words are supposed to say!

Hence why Inigo is taking the pen and heading towards the board. At least he won't erase what Tidus himself wrote - instead he's picking an empty spot next to it, slowly.. starting to.. write himself..

The slowness is mostly due to the fact that he's not really used to writing like this, okay. And because he wants to make it neat! In fact, Inigo's handwriting is perhaps just.. a little too neat. It's all loopy and flowery. It makes the words look like some wedding invitation, rather than. You know. A temporary list. Not entirely appropriate. ]

See, it's much more legible this way!

[ Tidus isn't about to pick on the guy for being slow. He can guess the guy isn't used to writing on a whiteboard, but he still has his mouth bunched up to a side, impatient to see whatever it is Inigo's going to do that's so different to his own writing.

And it...sure is a handwriting. Tidus tilts his head, furrowing with the way everything just...connects to each other! And not only that-- ]

Why's it so...tilted? Is it supposed to look like that? [ Leaning iiiin. ] How's this any better than mine?

[ Inigo looks towards Tidus, though at least it's not with a 'ready to fight' sort of expression on his face. It's more just curious, especially when he hears what the other has got to say. ]

Of course it's supposed to look like that. [ Is it not. Is cursive not the norm. ] It just makes it look more neat!

[ But Inigo is quickly realising that they're just going to go back and forth about this, not seeing the other's point.. but there's a quick and easy solution to that. ]

Here, we should just ask someone else to read it, and then to tell us whose handwriting looks better!

[ This is starting to feel dumb, even for him, and at the suggestion he shrugs. ]

If you want- but I'm not trying to make my handwriting look fancy. As long as my signature looks good, who cares about my handwriting? You can still read it!

[ ... unless your name is Inigo! ]

[ .. It's that shrug.

It's that shrug that makes Inigo seem to deflate entirely. He puts down the pen - somewhere, he doesn't care, as long as it's not on the ground - and just flops down on any nearby seat, letting out a sigh. ]

I was taught it's important.

[ Oh no, did he pop an Inigo balloon.

And he might be able to understand why, if he wasn't so tech-involved in life. Instead he looks confused, or some, head tilting slightly. ]

Why? Who's going to see your handwriting?

[ Who even looks at written words anyway?? Except Roland. ]

[ There's a bit of confusion on Inigo's end at that answer, but then he figures that maybe Tidus is looking at this from a train point of view. Where - it's true - Inigo doesn't really write, let alone for everyone to see. ]

When I was younger, I mean. [ He clarifies, if that might help a little bit. Inigo still looks a little fussy - because his mood never clears that easily - but at least there's no part of him that looks really upset with Tidus as he looks over at the other guy. ]

A lot of stuff changed, sure, but.. I was raised as a prince, you know? Everyone was going to see my handwriting. Tons of important people from other countries too!

Ohhhhh. [ Ohhhhhh. ] I never thought about it like that.

[ He leans against the back of a chair, at the edge, facing Inigo with a curiosity. ]

What...kind of things did a prince have to write?

[ It might be a dumb question, but Tidus doesn't think Inigo would throw his ignorance in his face. ]

Mostly diplomacy stuff. Letters to rulers of other countries or other important people we keep in touch with. Or invitations for important occasions at the palace..

[ It's true - Inigo doesn't seem offended by Tidus's question, nor does he make fun of the other for asking. After all, Tidus knows just as little about his prince life as Inigo does about the other's sports celebrity life. ]

Not that I've ever actually done any of that. [ By the time he was old enough for it, there was absolutely not a single kingdom left to correspond with in the first place, let alone room for celebrations. ] So I mostly just practiced a lot.

[ He gestures at the board. ]

If I'd write any differently than this, Frederick would have gotten on my case for sure!

[ Princes have to do things like that? He's seen princes some in the movies, but it was rarely about them writing to anywhere - all of those stories were about wars and riding out to them, or standing around in rooms and getting angry. Usually the kings more often.

Tidus is examining the handwriting from a new angle now, however. A cock of the head, taking in the flow of it. ]

So I guess this would be fancy writing where you come from. [ And, to not sound mean- ] It's hard to tell when it's not my language. Back home... you could write stuff, sure, but all the lessons I had were on machines. Typing, like on the feedback post.

[ Why waste paper when you had endless gadgetry? ]

So if we ever need a really nice letter written, [ he goes on, tone turning teasing with his smile, ] we should get you to do it?

[ Tidus's remark about the typing isn't too surprising. After all, Inigo has seen enough people use that function on the terminal for the feedback post by now to know that apparently it's a skill people have like it's a natural thing in quite a few worlds - of course they must have learned it back home.

But he's snapped out of thinking about that by Tidus's question. Inigo's eyes trail up to Tidus's face, seeing that teasing smile, and he gives a small, half-defeated smile in return. ]

I think Roland would prefer doing it.

[ After all, they know how much that guy gets carried away. Way too far away. ]

I think I will defer to the handwriting master and the typing master, and instead find some different speciality.

Why don't you write a guide?

[ Do things ever spontaneously come out of your mouth. It does for Tidus. ]

A leaflet. A letter. [ Yes, a letter! ] For people who come from worlds without technology, and letting them know - well, what you know? What it's been like for you. That it's okay if things are confusing, and what they are.

Wha--

[ Please, Tidus. Watch what comes out of that mouth!

Because the idea of writing a guide, or anything in general that other people could read, is fine in theory. But in practice? Please, it might get him Perceived, which is the last thing Inigo would ever want. ]

I already catch pretty much everyone who's unused to technology on their first day here! [ Listen, he knows The Look, okay. The sheer amount of people he's seen staring at the washing machine.. It's a true mood for Inigo. ] I explain it to all of them already using my mouth words!

What about your fancy writing words too? [ Hah, see! He can say 'words' too!! ] Microwaves, the ICPs, whatever else is weird and different to you- [ Because Tidus can only guess those two on the fly. ] You'd be a pal in spirit!

It doesn't have to be like those paper guides that get handed out - just a small handy booklet in the library. [ He tips his head to a side. ]

I think it'd be neat.

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