poi 01; video

[blitzcheer]

[ Hello, train, Tidus on the screen, and the call is coming from (inside the house) inside the cinema car. Fortunately, when no one's watching any movies.

He gives a fake cough, hand up to his mouth to go with it. ]

Ahem. So! I don't have any muffins or a guy-cute face like Ryo's, but there is a cute guy I wanna talk about, and a vote.

That guy? Is my pal Romeo who's been here way too long. And the vote? Is about the popcorn machine in here.

[ He moves, pointing over to where the popcorn machine sits at the far end of the aisle. ]

Hard to see from down here, but the guy who bought that and buys the kernels? That was all him! And I know a lot of us've gotten fun out of it. So if you have, why not spare a vote to making them permanent? Either that or getting an art car. If you've seen Romeo around, I bet it's been him having fun with the paints!

[ And his mouth draws into a wider grin saying. ]

Thanks for your time! [ He gives a fun little salute. ] And see ya around!

Comments

[flatteries]

.. I have about seven hunderd.

[ Ah. Apparently he wasn't trying to figure out the math for Tidus at all. Even though it sure sounded like it. This brotrayal! ]

[blitzcheer]

[ Don't distract him by saying new numbers, bro!!! ]

Seven, eight hundred -- five hundred's going to be one hundred, so that's around a hundred 'n' fifty, give or take. One-forty, one-sixty. [ There, he did it!! Division on the spot!! ]

The cars were around two-fifty and...three hundred? [ ...Somewhere around that? He doesn't remember. Too many numbers!! ] We're not gonna get them this time round, but...

They're not that far! [ When you really think about it! ] Just - there's a few things I wanna see us get first. Like the medical kits. So I'm not gonna put all my points into those votes... but I can get us close!

[flatteries]

[ There are way too many numbers moving back and forth here now. Inigo is trying to mentally keep track of what Tidus is saying, but adding every new number to the collection up there in his head is a lot - especially since Inigo sure is not a mathematical genius in any sort of way either.

Thank Naga that the other guy includes a conclusion to explain it all to Inigo, because his mind still got stuck somewhere around that one-forty, one-sixty part. Bless you, Tidus. ]

Well.. that's still most of our points for now, right? Who knows how long it's going to take us to earn that many again. [ Especially since they still!! Don't know!! How the train decides who gets how many points! ] Although maybe it won't be that bad if we keep gathering points at this rate..

[ Inigo's voice trails off.

And then he stops altogether. Just for a moment. Because a thought sure occurred to him in that instant. ]

You don't think the train might slow down the points now, do you?

[ Look, it probably can't be intentionally petty, given the information they got about it recently.. but who knows! Inigo sure doesn't know! MAYBE HE'S EASILY NERVOUS, O-OKAY? ]

[blitzcheer]

[ Didn't you hear Romeo, Inigo? The train decides points via teamwork.

But as that worry get voiced, Tidus is a baffled- ] What? No- no.

[ Pff. ] Why would you think that?

[ Come on, Inigo!

...

...

...Wait a second. ] You don't think it will, do you...?

[ Would it....??? ]

[flatteries]

Would you really put it past the way this thing works?

[ Would you, Tidus.

Would you really!! ]

[blitzcheer]

Uggggh, I don't know. I barely get how the train decides anything already! Who knows: everyone else'll get hundreds of points, but we'll only get twenty!

[ Because why not!! ]

[flatteries]

Hey, hey, hey!

[ This is usually more Tidus talk, but honestly, the sheer idea of that is so unfair that Inigo can't help but be the first one to voice the thought this time around. ]

If it starts doing that, we'll have to do something! We can't let this train bully us! [ TIME TO FIGHT, TIDUS. TIME TO SQUARE UP. PUNCH A TRAIN WALL! ]

[blitzcheer]

Well, it shouldn't bully everyone else already! Let people get more points!

[ Mumble grumble he still remembers Yuna barely getting any when she was around...!! ]

But okay, let's watch our points. And if anything looks fishy, we'll complain!

[ AND PUNCH A TRAIN WALL! ]

[flatteries]

[ Alright! The train can't sneak something suspicious by them if they're both keeping an eye out, right? ]

Good, because we're going to need a lot of points to get that pool.

[ Even with Tidus's calculation earlier!

He pauses, and then adds, more reluctantly: ]

.. and the dance studio. [ It's mumbled. ] But the pool first! I want to swim too, you know!

[blitzcheer]

[ He wants to joke around about the dance studio, but even just thinking about a pool- ]

A pool would be amazing. [ Uggggh. When's the last time he's gotten to just float around or sit submerged? Allow him this time to wistfully sigh. ]

But we're aiming for the studio after! I won't forget!

[ Don't think he will! ]

[flatteries]

[ There's a pause.

A pause where Inigo is weighing his chances. Can he tease Tidus about this without it somehow turning right around on Inigo? Probably not.

But apparently he's decided to do it anyway. ]

If you're not too distracted with swimming.

[ Won't swimming make you forget everything, little baby water boy!! ]

[blitzcheer]

There's a shop terminal in every car. [ Pfft! Pah! ] I'll get to it after getting out of the pool!

[ Congrats, Inigo, Tidus didn't manage to turn it around. That sweet beautiful pool life waiting for him... he can't get it off the brain. ]

I asked for it to have the same settings a Zanarkand pool would have. You can make it so it's easy to breathe in!

[ Or hold your breath. Same difference. ]

[flatteries]

.. wait, is Zanarkand water special?

[ It distracts Inigo from the dance car thing, at the very least, though he looks a tad startled all the same as he glances at the screen. ]

I thought that was just a you thing! [ Considering Tidus did hold his breath for a remarkably long time in those hot springs.. So he just assumed that part of being a blitzball pro was having lungs of steel. ]

[blitzcheer]

Oh, sure, [ said with the most casual ease, ] --you can set the water so it's easy to breathe. I think it has something to do with pyreflies...? Don't know if they all do though. It's just a thing pools can do!

[ Which doesn't explain his own lungs, but Tidus isn't making the correct conclusion to the astonishment. Yes, Spira pools are cool! ]

[flatteries]

[ It's true - it doesn't exactly explain what happened back there in the hot springs, since Inigo is pretty sure they didn't have any pyreflies or anything else powering that place.

But even just the thought of all pools being able to do that.. It's so weird. His mind remains stuck on that, unable to further investigate the mystery of Tidus's body. ]

Why couldn't I have learned how to swim in a pool then? [ Whine. ] I swear, I got so much water in my lungs that day on the island!

[ Why is the sea a cruel and callous place, compared to these mystical pools. ]

[blitzcheer]

An ocean's fun too! [ Protesting here in defence of the Jema'grethy Island! The one single defence: it's cool ocean. Miss that ocean. ] Anyway, what's stopping you getting water in your lungs in a pool? It doesn't stop you drinking it.

[ Like Inigo was clearly doing. ]

[flatteries]

I didn't drink it!

[ Look at that immediate sputtered defense. It's like Inigo doesn't even take a moment to do as much as breathe before he's already speaking up in his own defense. ]

It just.. ended up in my mouth! [ Is that the same thing? Not to Inigo, apparently. Because that water got in there without his consent! Rude water! ]

[blitzcheer]

...

... That can happen in a pool too.

[ Especially if you're inexperienced and thrashing and panicking... even pyrefly-instilled water can stop that! ]

You'll be fiine. [ Listen to him, Inigo! Listen to how sure he sounds. ] You just need more training! Maybe we should fill up the sports gym again sometime...

[flatteries]

[ Why must you break his heart like this, Tidus? Why can't water just be a slightly less wild liquid, huh! ]

Okay, let's not get that desperate.

[ Thankfully it seems that the mention of the improvised gym pool is enough to distract Inigo from whining more about the inconveniences of water. ]

Just watch! Give it a month or two, and I'm sure we'll have that pool!

[blitzcheer]

[ (sigh....swimming :( )

Nevermind, Tidus's internal disappointment (and yearning) won't show over the screens. It is a pain and mess to set up. (...but he still likes it)

He just huffs, and: ] Does that include this month, or one or two on top?

[ (whiine) ]

[flatteries]

... Tidus, are you negotiating the passing of time with me?

[ At least there's some playfulness in his voice as he's saying it.

Come on, bro. Maybe the greater situation they're trapped in right now won't be okay.. But Inigo at least has faith in this entire pool thing. Maybe that can be the one thing that goes right for them. Just a little treat for two hard-working boys. ]

[blitzcheer]

[ Okay, now that does get a whine. A sort of dragged out, mmmmmmaayybe he's trying to negotiate the length of time it'll take to get a pool??? And is it working? Isn't he cute, Inigo?

... but he'll sigh (the weighted kind of sigh meant to be heard), and: ] Fine, alright. We'll get one! Eventually. Long as we work hard.

[ There. He's being a good boy! ]

[flatteries]

[ Tidus is cute. Inigo can't help but still grin a little as he's listening to those classical Tidus noises. Look at him, trying to negotiate with forces of nature.

And so, right after Tidus says that, the feed cuts out. But it comes back a moment later. You know why? Because Inigo had to make sure to wrangle the ICP into connecting to only Tidus's for a moment, rather than blasting what he's about to say to the entire train. ]

Oh, I know I'm going to work hard. So I can see you in swimming trunks.

[ HEHE!!

He even shuts the feed down again right after. You just think about that for a while there, bro.

(It's clearly because he's being cheeky, and n-not at all b-because he's embarrassed, okay. Obviously. Clearly.) ]

[blitzcheer]

[ Bro??


Bro!?!?!?

It's confusing when Inigo cuts out one time, leaving Tidus wondering if Inigo hit a wrong button (has that happened before? probably). But then he comes in, that cheek in his voice, and--

And then he's gone again, leaving Tidus blinking at the black screen, stupefied - until it clicks in him what Inigo just did. Did he just...?

Did he just flirt with him over the ICP?!!? Dude!!! ...well, maybe it's pretty nice to be flirted with.

He better keep up the exercise to give Inigo something good to look at! ]