voidtreckernet | merriment 16 ; video (before platform stop)

[ Inigo sputters, like Tidus caught him redhanded in the middle of some sort of crime.

Or maybe that's just because Tidus is so good at making it sound that way. ]

It was in the illusion! [ It sounds like he's making excuses, but he's not! He wasn't as shy about it in the illusion, probably since there were less ways to hide it there?! He sure doesn't know what his illusion self was thinking! ] It wasn't like that!

[ But after a few more moments of sputtering, Inigo seems to give up.

For the moment, anyway.

He lets out a sigh and then finally, finally nods, pulling a hand through his hair. ]

And yes. Yes, that's the one.

[ Pfft. Tidus squints narrow-eyed at Inigo for a moment before flipping back his head. Arms folding! ]

It wasn't like that. Sure! You ran off real fast the other day after he made that call out...

[ He'd started to look away, but with that observation, Tidus snaps his focus onto Inigo. Examining. ]

Was that an illusion too?

[ ...

Sweet Naga. For a blissful, blissful moment, Inigo had totally forgotten that the entire train had been able to hear that. His face starts to light up instantly, and his mouth opens and closes a few times like a goldfish while he tries to find out how to use words again. ]

I-- No, it's--

[ PLEASE, TIDUS, YOU'RE THE LAST PERSON HE'D WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS WITH. ]

I just-- you heard him, right?! He was hitting on me!

[ Tidus's eyes go wide at the revelation, and then.... they narrow, under the weight of his '--wait' brow, trying to remember anything that Jingyi said (which to Tidus comes first as 'I want to punch a guy because I'm nosy into my bro's affairs'), but, his brain is trying to slowly... ]

...Really?

[ ...work?? ]

Yeah.

[ With his face as red as a tomato, Inigo is trying to figure out how to distract Tidus from this thought. Or any thought related to that situation at all.

.. he glances at the whiteboard, desperately thinking-- ]

Do the kids want that pottery wheel? [ H-Haha, a random subject change? He doesn't know what you mean, bro! He's fine, it's cool, he's not sweating bullets here. ]

[ Oh.

ho.

ho.

ho.

Tidus is coming over to the table Inigo's sat in front of, leaning over with a grin on full view. ]

So? [ So? ] How'd it go, stud?

[ There is no distracting Tidus, fool. ]

[ UGGGH.

TIDUS, YOU IGNORANT HETEROSEXUAL.

Inigo glances up at the other from where he's sitting, that grin on Tidus's face only being met by a squint from Inigo.

.. well, a squint and a blush, but to be fair? That blush was already there. ]

Do I usually ask you about every detail of every embarrassing experience you have?

[ Embarrassing? But if Jingyi was the guy hitting on Inigo, then- ]

You turned him down? [ Don't mind Tidus's butt, 'cause it's slipping into this booth with his pal! Move up pal butt, this butt needs room. In payment, an arm will go around Inigo's shoulders. ]

Why? You not into horny tail guys? [ A beat. ] He is confusing talking about that cultivation stuff...

[ That's not a reason to turn down a guy. ]

Yeah.

[ At least he does admit to that, while he's busy scooting over to make some room for Tidus. Even if this is effectively trapping him in the spot, unable to literally escape the carriage to escape the questions..

.. but there's some touch involved.

And Inigo just can't say no to touch. This is a weakness. ]

I don't know, I just told him.. [ The one thing he can never tell Tidus. Not even on his deathbed. ] I just told him that we didn't even know each other all that well!

[ That's not a lie.. technically. ]

I'm well aware I seem desperate, but I'm not that desperate.

[ No matter how Tidus kept on this topic, that smile and the rest, he is here for a pal after a tricky love-situation. Granted, he didn't get turned down or dumped, so it's not that pressing or serious. But he doesn't want to go too hard on the teasing. He knows how Inigo can get!

(Or maybe Inigo's just lucky, and Tidus is going easy on him.) ]

Wellll, there's no harm getting to know the guy, right? Even just as friends. [ and maybe considering in the meantime if he'd be a potential catch!! ] He's...interesting. About as quirky as anyone else on the train.

[ Everyone's weird, after all. ]

But wait... [ Now that Tidus's brain is catching up a little... ] If he was talking about you... who was the guy he wanted to punch?

[ Thank Naga, and absolutely every single god out there, for blessing him on this holy day. For allowing him to totally skip over the true reason for his rejection of Jingyi's advances. Or, well, "advances."

Because they seem to be moving on to another question entirely..

.. and one that stumps Inigo too. Because he sits there without answering, but clearly considering this question. One he hadn't thought of yet himself.

It's almost as if something can be faintly heard in the distance as Inigo really tries to push that one braincell to function. ]

Ah.. Well..

[ ... ]

I don't.. know.. Why would he want to punch anyone because of me?

[ ...are you asking Tidus to remember a conversation he had just yesterday!? This is hard stuff! All he remembers is the punching part and all the stuff about cultivation-transforming-not-magic-but-it-is business!

But he's trying, sharing that music with Inigo as he tries recalling... ]

It's cause...some guy insulted you. By going out with you? But... I dunno - you and the guy hadn't spoken about it yet?

[ ...

...

...did Jingyi really confess to Inigo during that talk...????? ]

...

[ The 'no thoughts, head empty, yet thinking' music just continues on here, huh. ]

Maybe he thought we had something going on because of the poledancing classes..? And the guy he wanted to punch was.. himself..?

[ Does that make a whole lot of sense?

No.

But neither does any other explanation Inigo tries to think of, hence why he's saying this. ]

[ Tidus's eyes...look upward. Trying to make this work. Trying to figure out if they're slamming a circle piece into a square hole. ]

...

...

... I'm really confused, [ he finally gives up and admit. Gaze narrowing as it lands back onto Inigo. ] What happened between you two?

Nothing!

[ It's said so quickly that it's kind of suspicious.. even though Inigo is 100% telling the truth here. After all, nothing did happen between them! Not back in Diagad, and not here!

Other than the sharing of love life woes, but Inigo doesn't think that has to be qualified as something, okay. ]

It was just.. awkward! That's all it was. I'm just glad he still wants to be friends anyway. [ Especially since Jingyi is like.. the one dragon-related person on this train, other than Inigo himself. ]

[ This is involving Inigo's (apparently!!) non-existent love life, so Tidus isn't that suspicious about the quick answer. Of course he doesn't want to go into the details. This is Inigo!

And maybe Tidus just forgot something about the story. Someone that Jingyi wants to punch... that very likely isn't himself. ]

...I guess... [ So he might relent, just because it's threatening to be a headache, with his brain forgetting important details.

...but that doesn't stop him from nudging Inigo. ]

Soooo...

You wouldn't?

...

Wouldn't what?

[ Is Inigo dodging the question on purpose, and is this some really convincing act, or does Inigo genuinely not know where Tidus was going with that?

Either way, he's just blankly blinking over at the other, right after Tidus caught his attention with that nudge. ]

[ Please, Inigo, he was so cool there! But that's fine, that's fine. ]

You knoooow. [ --he can go this way with it; his head tilted, eyes on Inigo, a cheek sly grin. ] What do you think of him? He your type? Looks wise.

I mean, he's handsome.. But isn't everyone from that world?

[ Seriously, Tidus. Have you seen all these beautiful men with long hair? Inigo is pretty sure he's just speaking about an objective fact here, okay!

He's also very, very careful to keep his tone and expression as neutral as possible, because he knows how Tidus gets when he starts with this tone. He's going to make a big deal out of Inigo showing the slightest sign of anything. ]

Personality-wise.. I'm not so sure. I mean, he's really nice and all! But I think that compared to me, he's a little too..

[ .. big brained. ]

.. smart. I'd just look bad next to him.

[ They've all got so much long hair though, Iniiigoooo.

It's definitely an initial start that makes Tidus pause, dubious about his own answer; but everyone from that world is also mainly a bunch of guys, so there drops Tidus's interest in ratings. ]

Wha? [ --But he can say more on the last that Inigo brings up, that assessment getting a frown. ] I'm not going to say the guy's dumb, but what's smart about him? He doesn't seem like a bookworm. Just...

...

... Wordy.

But he knows so much stuff!

[ That's a very, very elaborate description, isn't it. Inigo is a true wordsmith, thank you very much. Maybe he's just proving his own point from a moment ago - anyone at all can look smart next to Inigo. ]

Half the time I don't even know what he's talking about. It's like he makes up concepts on the spot, except there's no way that can be true, since he's way too confident about it!

But that's just because it's a bunch of stuff from his world, right? He's talking a lot about his world! And we don't know anything about it!

[ Pointing at! ] It's like me talking to you about technology! ...except he really, really goes on about it.

[ Sorry, Jingyi. Tidus is just a simple guy and you have a lot to say! ]

Other than that, I bet we're as smart as he is.

[ Unlike Inigo, Tidus has no doubts. ]

[ Inigo almost - almost - says that it doesn't matter if Tidus sounds smart while talking about technology, because Inigo already knows the truth.

But even if that's kind of true, it feels way too mean, so Inigo swallows those words right up before he can even say them. Look, he can be considerate! He's being considerate right here and now, dude!

But the one thing he can't resist saying is: ]

.. you really think we're as smart as him?

[ Dude.

They're not exactly the brain crew together. ]

Sure! I haven't heard him say anything amazingly smart. He blabbed about his friend's love life over the entire to embarrass them 'cause it bothers him. I know that doesn't have anything to do with smarts, but-

[ ... waaaait a minute? Give him a second. ]

...are you sure that call was about you?

[ He's? What?? Sense?? ]

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i only find out i get tags when you link threads to other people