[ He's unsure. Unsure as he repeats the word, written in the pull of his brow; as clear as the fact that he's trying to work out if he can get himself to say Yes, but it's hard. He's been going to training for Piccolo's lessons, feeling he owes the guy to not ditch the time he's giving him. And that leaves him tired as it is, let alone how...out of it he's been feeling most days.
Tidus diverts his gaze when he feels his silence growing too long. ]
Uh... well... wouldn't you get something out of it with another guy? I'm not as good as you.
.. you can say no if you really don't want to, you know. [ Inigo's gaze flickers away from Tidus for a moment, and by the time he's looking back at the other, it's with a small smile. It doesn't look fake, but there's something wry about it.
It's true, though. It's not like Inigo is going to be super pushy about this. If Tidus really feels too tired, or too sad still, or anything else.. then it's fine. He'll figure it out by himself. ]
But if that's not the case, then-- that's not a problem at all. [ He shakes his head. Sure, there's a difference in sword skill just due to the difference in their amounts of experience with it, but it's not like Tidus is anywhere close to bad. And his other powers sure cover the gap anyway. ] I thought it might just be.. fun? To do something like that together.
[ Inigo knows it's not the full reason though, and for a second he grows quiet. Thinking about it, it's not fair to Tidus to only be half-truthful about his intentions. ]
And I.. I need to stay sharp. I really need to get stronger quickly.
[ don't call him out, bro. It makes him feel guilty!
And it's as easy to read as the rest, the way Tidus's face drops sheepishly once Inigo speaks, apologetic in the same frame. He should do better. Try more; it's not like he'll want to do more if he's only sitting and laying around all day, right? And when Inigo sounds like he wants to do it to hang out...
'And I.. I need to stay sharp. I really need to get stronger quickly.'
--Tidus blinks. His chin raising a little, curiosity searching Inigo's face. ]
[ He hesitates. Partially since it feels almost shameful to admit to the whole thing when it had been such a dumb thing, such a mistake on his part, and partially since Inigo wants to bother Tidus with his own dumb problems the least when the other is already struggling. When Tidus already has to do his best to keep everything together.
So Inigo is quiet for a moment, averting his gaze while he search for the right words, what to even tell him.
It wouldn't be right to lie to someone so important, would it. ]
Why? [ ...actually. ] Since when did you and Reno have bad blood?
[ Is probably the better question. Why would those two start fighting? Reno's got a mouth, yeah, but would he just randomly pick a fight? ... probably. But also, why? ]
Since he first showed up on the train. [ Inigo admits, honestly.
He isn't even sure how long ago that is. Inigo has been on the train for so long now that the platform days start to blur together, the only way he can tell how long someone has been there by comparing them to someone else he knows and seeing if they've been here longer or shorter than them.
He still doesn't look at Tidus, and he idly picks at his hoodie. ]
Ever since the first time we spoke, he's always talked about how pathetic I am. And how people only pretend they care for me, since there's no way they could really like me.
It's a passage of time Tidus can't calculate, not when he knows. It's too long either way, and a frown already begins to crease the sides of his mouth. He knew Reno was rough, but what happened? A mistake? The guy was in a bad mood?
--no. It's more than that. As Inigo continues, the frown deepens drastically, a scowl in his eyes. ]
That's a load of crap. [ Straight out, no hesitation. A heat and passion behind the statement. ] Reno had no right to say any of that to you.
So what, you wanna kick his ass? [ He continues after just a beat. ] It's his speed, right? That got you?
[ He's got a full attention on Inigo now, something more there, his earpiece pulled out and no longer worth his time. ]
[ Inigo finally does look up and over at the other.
But whereas he was hiding his face just now to avoid looking too openly upset a moment ago, there's none of that upset in his facial expression right now. No, instead he just looks well and truly surprised. This reaction coming from Tidus may not have been all that weird under normal circumstances, but lately Tidus has been - and very understandably so - much more lifeless than usually.
This isn't that. This is so much more like the Tidus Inigo knows, has known for a while now. And while Inigo was desperately hoping to drag his friend into being able to be a bit more like that again, he sure didn't expect it to happen so suddenly or quickly.
Let alone having it be done over some injustice that happened to Inigo.
The earpiece is still awkwardly in his ear, blasting music that is just fully tuned out by Inigo's brain at this point as he keeps blankly staring, only managing to find words after a moment or two. ]
I.. [ There's about a thousand things to say right now, and yet he can't find the words for any of them.
So maybe he should just answer the question first while his brain scrambles to find out how to express anything else. ]
K-Kind of, but.. not just that. If he was just fast, I would've been able to match him. [ Inigo's pretty quick for a guy with no special powers of any kind, after all. Being light on his feet is a specialty born from dancing. ] It's since he has all those powers. I can't attack him if he's just firing those off at me from a distance.
[ A distance fighter? Tidus frowns, thinks of ways to engage with that. Magic's off the table, at least for now, otherwise, a shield-- and wait, didn't he get one for Inigo? A shield alone isn't enough, but it's a start. And then for really dealing with distance-
It's the progression that Tidus's thoughts take; what's behind that averted gaze to the side as he attempts to figure a solution, what he's had to go through as a battler himself. He never had to really worry about a distance fighter--that was better left to Wakka and Lulu--but if they had to, as sword fighters... ]
So you need a way to get him close, right? Unless you got somethin' to fight long-distance too. But what if you could close in the space? [ If he remembers right- ] Light's got some devices that'll move in you fast--you can jump off the walls with it. We can grab one, try it out.
[ Inigo still sounds a little confused, almost dazed. His mind is still trying to adjust to the sudden shift in Tidus while trying to pay attention to the conversation at the same time - and while Inigo doesn't fully suck at strategizing, it's harder when his brain has less room for other thoughts to buffer. ]
He can see me coming for much too long when I have to run at him. It gives him too many chances to anticipate. [ That was the most frustrating feeling of all. Inigo can take hits just fine, he's used to getting beaten up. It's what happens in fights. But it's so much more frustrating when you can't even land hits, when it feels like you're too weak to do even that much. ]
And, um.. he did. [ Inigo briefly pauses. ] You knew about his powers?
[ Did Inigo just jump straight into a fight with Reno without even taking the other's abilities into consideration? Sure did. But to be fair, it wasn't exactly a logical decision as much as it was an emotional one back then. ]
We were on Red together last mission. I saw him with all the fighting we had to do. [ Out in the open, surrounded by those endless orbs -- he saw him plenty, bright and flash. ]
Plus, I saw him when I came to see..
[ --uh. Tidus dips his head, looking away; realising that now isn't the best time to bring that up. It'd be weird to anyway, right? So he shakes his head, hurries to continue. ]
I know he's fast and uses lightning, so we can work with that. [ And if he could teach him Reflect...but magic is a tricky thing, until he realises, looking back up at Inigo. ]
Lemme introduce you to someone: Sakura. She's a magic teacher. Actually- a hero trainer. But she knows magic, and there's a spell I know I bet she knows. If she can teach you, [ he gestures at Inigo, ] you'd be able to learn how to reflect magic!
Inigo has no idea what Tidus is talking about, and there's some confusion in his gaze as he stares at the other. At the same time, he doesn't want to push Tidus on it - if he didn't finish his sentence, it's obviously something he doesn't want to talk about. So Inigo lets it slide, instead focusing on the other thing he says. ]
Can she teach magic to just anyone? [ There's definitely some insecurity in that question, in his tone, that Inigo either can't or doesn't bother to hide. His hands are still fiddling with the bottom of his hoodie a little - nervously. ] I mean, I've never.. used any before. I don't know if I even have a single bit of talent for that kind of thing.
We'll ask. [ He doesn't exactly throw Inigo a smile, but he does confidence, taking one of his hands to hold, squeezing it. ] I'll be there with you. It won't be easy, and it's a pain to learn - but I believe in you.
If I can do it? I know you can!
[ Because why couldn't he? Maybe it'll be harder for some reason, but that's why you have to keep trying, even if you fail. That's the way trying anything new goes. ]
[ It's dumb. He immediately worries, frets. What if he isn't good enough? What if that teacher sees him and immediately deems him a hopeless case with one look? There are just too many terrifying 'what-ifs'.
But then there's Tidus. With confidence. And more life than he's ever seen out of the other lately.
And saying, I'll be there with you. I believe in you.
He thinks back on that talk they had at the tail end of the mission. How much Tidus tried to convince him that it wasn't Inigo's fault, everything that happened between the two of them.
Tidus is always doing this kind of thing for him, isn't he.
Inigo's hand is suddenly - and maybe surprisingly - pulled out of the grip of Tidus's hand, but it's just so instead he can wrap his arms around the other guy's shoulders, tightly clinging to him, burying his face into Tidus's shoulder when he can feel his vision getting slightly blurry. ]
Thank you, Tidus.. [ It's muffled, but even so, it sounds so genuine. Like it's really coming from the very bottom of his heart. ] I-- I don't know what I'd do without you.
[ For a split second, Tidus worries about when the hand is pulled back. Worried about what it'll mean for Inigo's insecurities, 'cause he knows the guy's got them. But then- then there's a warmth pressed into him, a body, and now Tidus is caught by the surprise of the motion. Something that shouldn't be so strange to him, yet- it's not that Inigo did it at all, but...
It's odd. He isn't sure what to do or say, doesn't know why Inigo did it, while it's clear by Inigo's thanks. Taking him a longer pause than it maybe should to round a hand to the back of Inigo's shoulder and rest it there. ]
[ The lack of an instant reaction doesn't worry him as much as it might in some other cases. It's not as easy for worry and insecurity to get to him when he knows that Tidus isn't exactly a hug champion - not with guys, anyway - and needs a moment to process these things. He's already more than glad when he can feel that hand at his shoulder a moment later.
After lingering like that for a moment, as if to soak in the hug, in those words, Inigo pulls back slightly. ]
I.. I know I'm easily discouraged. [ Sure, Inigo does keep going, but mentally? It only takes the slightest thing for him to worry that maybe he can't do something after all. ] But I promise I'll try my best, even if it might not seem to go well at first.
[ Especially if Tidus is making an effort to encourage him. Especially at this time, when it's got to be harder for him to do so in the first place. ]
[ For that promise, Tidus gives his own gesture of affection: a friendly fist to Inigo's shoulder, more of a smile on his mouth for him to see. ]
You will. The hardest part's believin' - but sometimes, you just gotta keep going. Remember what you want. Remember - there's always tomorrow. Or the next day.
But you know that. [ He huffs behind his mouth. ] You've already gone through hard training once. [ With a blade. So he know what it's like: the hard work, the need to get better.
And for the energy that led him here, admittedly, the embrace has cooled some of it. But Tidus tries not to let that still him, continuing- ]
I'll talk to Sakura later. Right now... let's try the grav con. It's kinda fun, actually. You can jump real high.
[ When you don't let yourself get knocked around in the standard coach by 'lightly' jumping backwards- ]
[ It sounds good. Inigo isn't sure how much he'll be able to master it, but.. it's just like he said. He's going to try.
And even if it fails, at least he'll have had some fun with Tidus. And actually gotten the other out of his room. At least he can chalk those up as slight victories, right?
He stands up, moving off the bed. Finally remembering to pull the earpiece out before he accidentally takes it with him. ]
Come on, let's go. Let's see if we can avoid me hitting my head on the ceiling.
Hey, just because I throw you a joke, doesn't mean you can throw it back into the.. the goal-thing, and make a.. two.. points.. pointer? [ That didn't quite work out the way Inigo wanted it to. How does anyone sports?
Said even flatter and poutier: ]
I don't know sports. [ He doesn't seem genuinely upset though. This is just all dramatics, baby. ]
[ He can feel instinct tugging at his brain, especially with how strong his insecurities have been the past week. Or maybe even two. Even stronger than usually. How could you get new moves Tidus doesn't know? How could you be ahead of anyone?
Inigo grits his teeth, forcing them down, gone. Not right now. Get out of here with that attitude. ]
Sure, sure.
[ He starts heading for the door, though making sure to glance over his shoulder to see Tidus is still there, still following. ]
Just don't complain if everyone starts thinking I'm the cooler one out of the two of us!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
blitzcheer) wrote2020-04-28 11:07 am
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[ He's unsure. Unsure as he repeats the word, written in the pull of his brow; as clear as the fact that he's trying to work out if he can get himself to say Yes, but it's hard. He's been going to training for Piccolo's lessons, feeling he owes the guy to not ditch the time he's giving him. And that leaves him tired as it is, let alone how...out of it he's been feeling most days.
Tidus diverts his gaze when he feels his silence growing too long. ]
Uh... well... wouldn't you get something out of it with another guy? I'm not as good as you.
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It's true, though. It's not like Inigo is going to be super pushy about this. If Tidus really feels too tired, or too sad still, or anything else.. then it's fine. He'll figure it out by himself. ]
But if that's not the case, then-- that's not a problem at all. [ He shakes his head. Sure, there's a difference in sword skill just due to the difference in their amounts of experience with it, but it's not like Tidus is anywhere close to bad. And his other powers sure cover the gap anyway. ] I thought it might just be.. fun? To do something like that together.
[ Inigo knows it's not the full reason though, and for a second he grows quiet. Thinking about it, it's not fair to Tidus to only be half-truthful about his intentions. ]
And I.. I need to stay sharp. I really need to get stronger quickly.
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And it's as easy to read as the rest, the way Tidus's face drops sheepishly once Inigo speaks, apologetic in the same frame. He should do better. Try more; it's not like he'll want to do more if he's only sitting and laying around all day, right? And when Inigo sounds like he wants to do it to hang out...
'And I.. I need to stay sharp. I really need to get stronger quickly.'
--Tidus blinks. His chin raising a little, curiosity searching Inigo's face. ]
What for? Did...something happen?
[ Why 'quickly'? Why now? ]
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So Inigo is quiet for a moment, averting his gaze while he search for the right words, what to even tell him.
It wouldn't be right to lie to someone so important, would it. ]
Reno and I fought. I didn't stand a chance.
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Why? [ ...actually. ] Since when did you and Reno have bad blood?
[ Is probably the better question. Why would those two start fighting? Reno's got a mouth, yeah, but would he just randomly pick a fight? ... probably. But also, why? ]
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He isn't even sure how long ago that is. Inigo has been on the train for so long now that the platform days start to blur together, the only way he can tell how long someone has been there by comparing them to someone else he knows and seeing if they've been here longer or shorter than them.
He still doesn't look at Tidus, and he idly picks at his hoodie. ]
Ever since the first time we spoke, he's always talked about how pathetic I am. And how people only pretend they care for me, since there's no way they could really like me.
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It's a passage of time Tidus can't calculate, not when he knows. It's too long either way, and a frown already begins to crease the sides of his mouth. He knew Reno was rough, but what happened? A mistake? The guy was in a bad mood?
--no. It's more than that. As Inigo continues, the frown deepens drastically, a scowl in his eyes. ]
That's a load of crap. [ Straight out, no hesitation. A heat and passion behind the statement. ] Reno had no right to say any of that to you.
So what, you wanna kick his ass? [ He continues after just a beat. ] It's his speed, right? That got you?
[ He's got a full attention on Inigo now, something more there, his earpiece pulled out and no longer worth his time. ]
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But whereas he was hiding his face just now to avoid looking too openly upset a moment ago, there's none of that upset in his facial expression right now. No, instead he just looks well and truly surprised. This reaction coming from Tidus may not have been all that weird under normal circumstances, but lately Tidus has been - and very understandably so - much more lifeless than usually.
This isn't that. This is so much more like the Tidus Inigo knows, has known for a while now. And while Inigo was desperately hoping to drag his friend into being able to be a bit more like that again, he sure didn't expect it to happen so suddenly or quickly.
Let alone having it be done over some injustice that happened to Inigo.
The earpiece is still awkwardly in his ear, blasting music that is just fully tuned out by Inigo's brain at this point as he keeps blankly staring, only managing to find words after a moment or two. ]
I.. [ There's about a thousand things to say right now, and yet he can't find the words for any of them.
So maybe he should just answer the question first while his brain scrambles to find out how to express anything else. ]
K-Kind of, but.. not just that. If he was just fast, I would've been able to match him. [ Inigo's pretty quick for a guy with no special powers of any kind, after all. Being light on his feet is a specialty born from dancing. ] It's since he has all those powers. I can't attack him if he's just firing those off at me from a distance.
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It's the progression that Tidus's thoughts take; what's behind that averted gaze to the side as he attempts to figure a solution, what he's had to go through as a battler himself. He never had to really worry about a distance fighter--that was better left to Wakka and Lulu--but if they had to, as sword fighters... ]
So you need a way to get him close, right? Unless you got somethin' to fight long-distance too. But what if you could close in the space? [ If he remembers right- ] Light's got some devices that'll move in you fast--you can jump off the walls with it. We can grab one, try it out.
[ What else? - ] Did he use his lightning?
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[ Inigo still sounds a little confused, almost dazed. His mind is still trying to adjust to the sudden shift in Tidus while trying to pay attention to the conversation at the same time - and while Inigo doesn't fully suck at strategizing, it's harder when his brain has less room for other thoughts to buffer. ]
He can see me coming for much too long when I have to run at him. It gives him too many chances to anticipate. [ That was the most frustrating feeling of all. Inigo can take hits just fine, he's used to getting beaten up. It's what happens in fights. But it's so much more frustrating when you can't even land hits, when it feels like you're too weak to do even that much. ]
And, um.. he did. [ Inigo briefly pauses. ] You knew about his powers?
[ Did Inigo just jump straight into a fight with Reno without even taking the other's abilities into consideration? Sure did. But to be fair, it wasn't exactly a logical decision as much as it was an emotional one back then. ]
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Plus, I saw him when I came to see..
[ --uh. Tidus dips his head, looking away; realising that now isn't the best time to bring that up. It'd be weird to anyway, right? So he shakes his head, hurries to continue. ]
I know he's fast and uses lightning, so we can work with that. [ And if he could teach him Reflect...but magic is a tricky thing, until he realises, looking back up at Inigo. ]
Lemme introduce you to someone: Sakura. She's a magic teacher. Actually- a hero trainer. But she knows magic, and there's a spell I know I bet she knows. If she can teach you, [ he gestures at Inigo, ] you'd be able to learn how to reflect magic!
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Inigo has no idea what Tidus is talking about, and there's some confusion in his gaze as he stares at the other. At the same time, he doesn't want to push Tidus on it - if he didn't finish his sentence, it's obviously something he doesn't want to talk about. So Inigo lets it slide, instead focusing on the other thing he says. ]
Can she teach magic to just anyone? [ There's definitely some insecurity in that question, in his tone, that Inigo either can't or doesn't bother to hide. His hands are still fiddling with the bottom of his hoodie a little - nervously. ] I mean, I've never.. used any before. I don't know if I even have a single bit of talent for that kind of thing.
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If I can do it? I know you can!
[ Because why couldn't he? Maybe it'll be harder for some reason, but that's why you have to keep trying, even if you fail. That's the way trying anything new goes. ]
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But then there's Tidus. With confidence. And more life than he's ever seen out of the other lately.
And saying, I'll be there with you. I believe in you.
He thinks back on that talk they had at the tail end of the mission. How much Tidus tried to convince him that it wasn't Inigo's fault, everything that happened between the two of them.
Tidus is always doing this kind of thing for him, isn't he.
Inigo's hand is suddenly - and maybe surprisingly - pulled out of the grip of Tidus's hand, but it's just so instead he can wrap his arms around the other guy's shoulders, tightly clinging to him, burying his face into Tidus's shoulder when he can feel his vision getting slightly blurry. ]
Thank you, Tidus.. [ It's muffled, but even so, it sounds so genuine. Like it's really coming from the very bottom of his heart. ] I-- I don't know what I'd do without you.
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It's odd. He isn't sure what to do or say, doesn't know why Inigo did it, while it's clear by Inigo's thanks. Taking him a longer pause than it maybe should to round a hand to the back of Inigo's shoulder and rest it there. ]
I'd be missing out without you around too.
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After lingering like that for a moment, as if to soak in the hug, in those words, Inigo pulls back slightly. ]
I.. I know I'm easily discouraged. [ Sure, Inigo does keep going, but mentally? It only takes the slightest thing for him to worry that maybe he can't do something after all. ] But I promise I'll try my best, even if it might not seem to go well at first.
[ Especially if Tidus is making an effort to encourage him. Especially at this time, when it's got to be harder for him to do so in the first place. ]
I really do want to become stronger.
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You will. The hardest part's believin' - but sometimes, you just gotta keep going. Remember what you want. Remember - there's always tomorrow. Or the next day.
But you know that. [ He huffs behind his mouth. ] You've already gone through hard training once. [ With a blade. So he know what it's like: the hard work, the need to get better.
And for the energy that led him here, admittedly, the embrace has cooled some of it. But Tidus tries not to let that still him, continuing- ]
I'll talk to Sakura later. Right now... let's try the grav con. It's kinda fun, actually. You can jump real high.
[ When you don't let yourself get knocked around in the standard coach by 'lightly' jumping backwards- ]
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[ It sounds good. Inigo isn't sure how much he'll be able to master it, but.. it's just like he said. He's going to try.
And even if it fails, at least he'll have had some fun with Tidus. And actually gotten the other out of his room. At least he can chalk those up as slight victories, right?
He stands up, moving off the bed. Finally remembering to pull the earpiece out before he accidentally takes it with him. ]
Come on, let's go. Let's see if we can avoid me hitting my head on the ceiling.
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But that remark is a reminder, a small scoff- ]
Your head does get knocked a lot...
[ It's an almost thoughtful remark. Like huh, funny that, right? ]
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Hey, just because I throw you a joke, doesn't mean you can throw it back into the.. the goal-thing, and make a.. two.. points.. pointer? [ That didn't quite work out the way Inigo wanted it to. How does anyone sports?
Said even flatter and poutier: ]
I don't know sports. [ He doesn't seem genuinely upset though. This is just all dramatics, baby. ]
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[ Later, since he doesn't want to do any right now, but - sometime. At some point, so Inigo knows. ]
But this is a good time to get some training in so you can show me some new moves. You can be ahead of me.
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Inigo grits his teeth, forcing them down, gone. Not right now. Get out of here with that attitude. ]
Sure, sure.
[ He starts heading for the door, though making sure to glance over his shoulder to see Tidus is still there, still following. ]
Just don't complain if everyone starts thinking I'm the cooler one out of the two of us!