video | orchestra one, immediately post platform

[jingyeets]

( Lan Jingyi, appearing briefly on ICP, soaked from head to toe, actively dripping water with his hair and ribbon plastered down either side of his face, his, er, nightgown likewise... plastered... against him... and it's white, this is a wet shirt contest and no one told anyone who showed up on platform, they all just suffered together. )

Look, if anyone's trying to find me and is confused why I'm not in my tiny short bed cabin, I'm staying in the "inn" carriage the next week.

( that's it, that's him wanting to inform the ones who'd probably want to know but being in a less than happy mood to track everyone down so doing it in the most broadreaching, effective way the train's got going for it. )

Comments

[flatteries]

[ A miracle.

Maybe Jingyi is right. After all, when their universal translating system is taken away, most of them can't even understand what the other is trying to say. And even when they can understand each other verbally, there's still so many customs and ideas that are unique to each world..

It's kind of dizzying.

At least Inigo is sitting up straight now he's seriously thinking about things, though he's still just letting the other guy play with his hair as much as he wants. ]

I don't like thinking about that too hard. [ He finally says, his voice gentle. He's staring ahead instead of looking over at Jingyi. ]

Not that our differences are bad, or that our uniqueness isn't good, but.. on the other hand, it feels a little lonely. Thinking about whether anyone at all out there would ever truly understand all of me..

[jingyeets]

( there are now two rows of tight little braids slowly fraying back into Inigo's usual hair style. Jingyi listens... and he wonders, what does being fully known mean to someone afraid of what that loss would be?

Kindly for the moment, he doesn't ask. )

No one can fully know another person. For good or ill, but I don't think that's lonely. Open yourself up, form those bonds, and you might find the people who see you for who you really are. See you clearer than you see yourself.

( instead of setting into a third row of tiny, tight braids, he gives Inigo's shoulder a squeeze. )

Or you might not. Kinda think being known like that means being aware of what you can lose, and wanting it anyway.

( he does not, frankly, think Inigo can actually handle that. nor does he think Inigo's alone in that. far from it, even in the relatively small numbers of their overall crew: barely a village worth of people. )