voidtreckernet | video | poi one, afternoon

I am attempting, ( he says, either sounding solemn or looking solemn or having his tail give this all away by perking up behind him and flopping over to one side, sending the shock of blue fur all likewise flopping to the side in a silky rush: ) to speak your language.

( ... )

( now this is a word not said in his own language, so congrats, it may or may not register that it is in fact not in fantasy Mandarin: )

Rice.

[ At first it doesn't register.

Honestly, for a moment? Inigo isn't even sure why Jingyi is saying rice, of all things. It takes a good 30 seconds of the mental Jeopardy thinking music before things finally click into place within Inigo's head.

Even though it somehow manages to provoke the exact same reaction from him as a moment ago, despite the pause. ]

You remembered that word?! Of all things?!

( it takes long enough that Jingyi's tail is pulling an excellent pleased, amused cat impression behind him, curling slowly one way then curling back the other way. then he laughs, and pointedly, exaggeratedly, rolls his eyes. )

Hello, Inigo, rice. If you want me knowing more, how about teaching me, huh?

"Yeah, like that." Idia mumbles back, not to dismiss the comparison, just because he's working. Though not working enough to not jump at just how much Jingyi got into his personal space, it having taken a moment to register he was so close to him, and it instantly putting Idia into panic mode.

"N-n-no, ah, I-I mean, it should be fine now. Unless someone changes the printer or ereader." Wait hold on. "Um... it's like... if there's a guard change on the gate...?" Does that work? He thinks so! It would make sense in one of the manga he read! Oh, though, "Well, printers always are problems, no matter what." Ha ha, technology joke... that Jingyi won't get... oh well. "Let me know if it plays up again." Idia sighs out at the end before handing back the ereader.

It's at least cementing the idea that Idia either doesn't appreciate hovering, or more likely, doesn't appreciate invasion of his personal space. Jingyi's tail swooshes low around his ankles, coming close to thwapping against Idia's leg, but averting back rather than making any contact.

"My clan doesn't believe in random acts of violence," he says, which probably comes off as a nonsequitur, accepting the ereader back. "In case you were worried."

That being in similar space meant anyone might be thinking of forcibly staying there, or whatever it is. He takes a pointed step back, eyes returning to the ereader. "Thanks, hopefully any changing of the guard will hold off for a while." Not that he had the same thing, but he's familiar enough with situations that do have guards to run with the metaphor being delivered.

"Now what image do you tap so the printing happens?"

How did you even remember--

[ 'All of that', he wants to say, but instead Inigo grows silent in embarrassment. He can't believe Jingyi actually paid enough attention to remember all of that, when he barely remembers what the other guy told him back then.

Inigo knows it's mostly since he was so upset back then, but it still feels shameful. Like he doesn't appreciate the other as much as Jingyi appreciates him.

So he really tries. He feels like he's wringing out his brain here to try and remember, but.. ]

Rice. [ He finally manages. And yes, in fantasy Mandarin! It's accented, sure, but it's accurate. ]

.. right?

[ He definitely sounds kind of bashful. ]

...what?

"I... hadn't... even considered that?" But now he is! Why were there so many dangerous people on this train?!

"It's unlikely, I think. Or... I donno, someone may decide to update this all." A shake of his head and a mutter. "Don't know why want to print out stuff in the first place... unless going to make patterns and nets for stuff, I guess." It would just be easier to make it up with a 3D printer. Unless it was fabric, he guesses. "A scanner would be better." That way they could digitize the library books onto digital formats.

"Oh, yeah." Leaning in just enough to see the screen, Idia points a finger towards it. "That one, it's supposed to look like a printer." Motioning to the printer to compare them.

( jingyi's tail shivers as his grin, when inigo starts saying the one word in jingyi's language in return, grows wide. accents being something like dialects in his mind, it doesn't matter when he can understand. he laughs, and it's simple, good natured: so much easier than the headaches of technology or cultural divides. )

Yeah, that's right! Now you can always tell people you're hungry in at least one more language.

( which is ideal to a guy who appreciates food, this bias of his. )

I am serious, though. If you want to endure trying to teach me your tongue, I know different dialects back home. I'm not the worst at it.

( that just depends on personal motivation, and knowing gusu dialect as well as the more commonly shared one was a point of pride as a lan. you know, from gusu. )

"Scrolls, paper, books," he says, pressing the print icon after having assured himself he's announced his nonviolent tendencies adequately, "Don't require anything but themselves to be read."

Meanwhile everything digital required some other means to be accessed, though he doesn't think having them in multiple formats is useless. More is better, right?

Right!

.. or they'll just assume some odd rice fanatic is approaching them. [ Inigo lightly can't help but add.

After all, that sure would be a thing. Just a guy wandering the streets repeating nothing but the word 'rice'.. Like some sort of rice zombie. Terrifying.

Inigo shakes his head though. He knows this isn't the main point here, so he won't dwell on it. Instead he's thinking more about the other thing Jingyi is saying here - the more important thing. It renders Inigo quiet for a few moments. Kind of touched, really.

But in an awkward way. A way he doesn't know how to deal with. People going this far out of their way for him isn't entirely common, after all, hence his hesitation before he speaks on. ]

But.. are you really sure you'd learn? I mean, it's not as if they speak Ylissean all across the multiverse. [ In fact, if this train ride has taught him one thing, it's that it's very much localized to just his world. ] It's not like you'd get many chances to use it.

"Yeah, but you can only read what's on the paper, not have access to numerous writings." Idia would rather the accessibility to much rather than the easier ability to find what you want immediately. He guesses he can understand some form of enjoyment on having the physical item rather than just a digital format. Like collecting merch. Pretty covers and limited edition copies.

Signed copies.

Then a sigh, and Idia's extreme introvert side showing itself. "And you have to go and get the item, not just have it ready to go in your hand."

Who needs a multiverse of people when I've got you?

( Quirking his brow, and canting his head a touch to the side. He doesn't see the point in not learning simply because it wasn't common. He doesn't need it except with Inigo. )

"Yes. We call those places libraries," he says, though his smile isn't mean spirited after, just closer to a smirk than anything else. "I'm not calling what you like dumb or anything, but I think we're both right, and there should be more than one form of any important document."

Though he thinks most of this is in... "Do you just not like having to deal with people, or is the concept of things taking time and effort just weird? Feels like people from all these worlds with technology of certain kinds expect things to happen quickly, always."

There's a part of Idia that wants to shoot back that Jingyi was dumb... but the other part is more than used to having his interests dismissed by 'normies', and really... it's not what Jingyi is doing here, he guesses... but he can't help but snark back a little on that library comment. "And with technology I can search every book in a digital library to find the one thing I want out of all of them rather than having to go book by book." Which as a student was always a pain. This book, this section. That book, that section. Ugh. Just let him cross reference them all at once via a search system.

Though... Idia voicing his earlier thoughts. "I guess I can see the appeal of having books on display... and enjoying something more retro." Like playing retro games despite their systems being old and a lack of more modern implementations that were now common game mechanics.

...don't ask him if he doesn't like dealing with people... by being a person he has to deal with! Seriously. Some people were just so blunt. "There's no point wasting time on connections." Ok, so Idia can be very blunt too. "But in this case I like being able to find what I want when I want it, not wasting time searching for it. I could be using that same time to do other things. If I want to take the time to enjoy things, then I can do that then, but not when I have a goal I need to get done." Efficiency was important.

For him, who has a different library system with it's own catalogue concept, the searchability ease does sound nice. Just matters what's said, he guesses, and with his clan he's not sure how the forbidden library might be done, but it would, where the majority of the sect wouldn't reach. Or maybe it wouldn't, so people would either have to spend or waste time looking for answers?

He shakes his head, brief, to shake away the thoughts.

The comment on connections earns it's own raised brows.

"It's a waste of time connecting with anyone? Are you saying you don't have generation mates, friends, rivals, enemies, family, mentors, elders? And you can't be bothered to connect yourself with even one other person?"

[ W.. Wait, what?

That came so out of left field that Inigo instantly feels his face turn the exact same shade as a tomato. ]

[ He tries to process the words, but only feels himself getting more and more flustered, starting to sputter something that doesn't quite form a word by itself. His hands move, and he accidentally slams the button to end the connection-- ]

[ Only to reappear a moment later, his eyes wide.. and watery.

Look, maybe he's just a little emotionally volatile these days, and his heart can't handle suddenly hearing that without flustering and tearing up. He's been having a rough while, okay. ]

Y-You mean that? [ Inigo squeaks. ]

... Did you just blank screen me?

( he blinks, not sure if that's what the ICP did or if it was trying to flick to another face, the whole interface is still mildly confusing when people are talking. it's momentary confusion, less at inigo's reaction and more the technology, but even through video, sound and the look in inigo's eyes eventually seen, jingyi holding up his hands and making little waving gestures. )

Anyway, you know I do.

I pressed the button by accident!

[ Please, Jingyi, this is so not the time. Just look at Inigo. Look at that water in his eyes.

He's in a glass case of emotion. Even just those words by themselves sounds like he could burst out into actual tears at any moment now... ]

Could he call anyone at his school friends...? Maybe Azul? Then again, Azul would sell him out in a second if something he deemed valuable was offered. But that wasn't the issue with this all, it wasn't the chance of being stabbed in the back or anything like that, since Idia was the same. You did what you had to get ahead.

It was a rather different matter... and not one he's going to talk about. However Idia does actually have an answer to that question. "One person, yes, but he's not here..." Ortho was different. He was always supposed to be by Idia's side, no matter what... but he wasn't. Not on the train.

"Sure, but that means you agree. Bonds are worthwhile. It's not a quantity thing, it's a quality one."

In what point did they come to talking about friendship? More or less down whatever broken meandering came from how does printing work, but to Jingyi, whose best friend is here as a younger man and who feels very strongly for the people he bonds closely with, it's reality.

Bonds are important. Often enough, the ones you make, aside from the social ones that are part of everyone's reality in his world, the ones you make are all that will carry you forward in life. Family, for better or worse, isn't always immediate, or present, or alive.

Maybe you should sit on your hands when using the ICP...

( his lips are twitching. he's sorry, Inigo, but come on, bro, this is kind of funny. )

video | poi one, afternoon

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