voidtreckerexpress

Entry tags:

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Who: Two idiots (Inigo and Tidus)
When: Grasshopper 14
Where: ~~Inside a cheeseburger~~ Tidus' room, and then.. well, idk, somewhere. Probably. You'll hear them.
What: Inigo made a promise to Taiki and he's intending to live up to it.
Warnings: None. Only the secondhand embarrassment you get when you read this.

Okay, so technically his promise to Taiki doesn't mean as much anymore now Gyousou is back. He can't exactly yell at the train about why it'd take Gyousou away if the man is now back with Taiki.

But he's still going to do it. Especially since it's already been the second time that Gyousou disappeared from the train, and if there's a way, then Inigo would really prefer to make sure it doesn't happen again. He can't quite take the way Taiki always looks so heartbroken whenever it happens. And sure, there's a big chance nothing will come from this, but sometimes yelling about your grievances might be a good thing? Maybe?

Who knows, Inigo doesn't practice self care. He sure doesn't know!

But he knows someone who's way too good at complaining. And who's just.. too powerful. Someone needs to stop Tidus. But not today, because today Inigo sure could use his help. And hopefully the other is a little more well-rested now it's not directly after the mission anymore?

So.. once more, Tidus will hear banging on the door to his room.

"Tidus! Tidus, it's me again! Erm, this time.. it's slightly less pressing? But I still need your help! Pretty please?"

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"Then why were you in bed instead of getting food?" Because some people actually value rest and relaxation, Inigo.. A novel concept, I know.

Thankfully Inigo does at least seem to know where he's going. He wasn't exaggerating with the comment about Nita, after all. She's seen more of him than he would show to most people - even though it wasn't entirely voluntarily. So it's easy for him to remember where her cabin is, making his way back from the sixth sleeping carriage over to the fourth, knocking on the door to cabin B.

"Nita? Are you there right now? I was wondering if I could get your help with something.."

(Also, yes, Nita is not getting the same whiny-Inigo-dog-at-the-door treatment as Tidus got earlier.

Not that it matters much if she's not there, whoops.)

"'Cause I was still tired!" Is still tired, at least exhausted to some degree, but he's not going to leave that uncommented on. What is Inigo even trying to say by asking?? Does he think sleeping is being lazy...?!

And don't think the lack of energy in that doorknocking and calling goes unnoticed either, Tidus waiting on some sign of desperation to come after the second turn, and when it doesn't...

"Where's her begging and pleading?" At least he's kind and isn't loud about his complaint, but he's still normal volume, so who knows if she had been behind the door what she heard? Pfft, this guy interrupts his beauty sleep, but he'll be kind and considerate to Nita?

But, it looks and sounds like they'll be taking a trip down the other cars to find the Train Whisperer.

When that question suddenly comes after his attempt at knocking, Inigo turns to look at Tidus rather than stare at the closed door, his eyebrows raised.

"Why, I just did what was necessary to get you out of bed!" There's a slight pause where Inigo seems to realise something, and then he quickls adds to his statement-- "And I told you that it was totally fine if you wanted to keep sleeping! I would have figured it out myself if I had to, you know!"

Inigo is just outright pouting at this point.

"Not that I'm not glad you came with me.. I mean, I wanted you to come pretty badly, that's why I was 'begging and pleading'! I just thought you wouldn't unless I nudged you enough.."

And with Nita it's just easier to assume she won't ignore him. Because she saw the absolute worst side of him and didn't turn away. But it's not like Inigo can add that to his explanation. Especially since he wants to believe Tidus would do the same, but.. it's so hard to process the fact that one person reacted that way to seeing it. It feels impossible to imagine another might.

Inigo's tone turned a bit more insecure at the end there, but he's quickly to pick himself back up, to cover it up with a smile. A little too hastily and obvious though. And maybe a little too eager to please Tidus.

"And-- You know what, if you want some food, then let's get that first! We can always find Nita after."

This guy... it wasn't a serious comment at all, but Inigo's got to go and defend himself all the way and more. Tidus wonders what he should think about Inigo's strong need to drag him out of bed for this--probably his concern for Taiki, that's what stands out in his mind. The fact this was for Taiki, and the way that Inigo got around the guy...

Well, if he can help the two of them be happier, right? Tidus wasn't sure how any of this was going to go, but at the very least, they were going to try.

"Nita first," he tells Inigo firmly, but not without some fondness; a pat on the shoulder given to go with it. "Then food. C'mon, let's stop hanging around an empty room."

There's no need to tease or huff about it anymore, and he'd rather they get going anyway, get this seen to than mess around. So he'll even take the lead if he has to, taking them away from the sleeper cars, and on and on...getting to the standard coach or the dining area before Tidus pauses to ask, "Did we miss her somewhere?", but they're already this far, so they might as well go all the way to the end...

...or to the kitchens anyway, so Tidus can steal a piece of cake if there's any. And there already, is...!

"Ah-- Neets!"

Fortunately enough, they can have TWO successfully completed Quests(TM) for their troubles: food, and friend!

Nita looks up from where she's been making herself a (not very complex) sandwich, noting that Tidus definitely looks like he's just woken up.

"Hey, you two. What's up?"

It's the little things that help. Like Tidus giving him that small pat on the shoulder and then taking the lead. It's much easier to just follow when he feels like he's threatened to get swallowed up by his own insecurities and worries, so he just walks after Tidus, making sure to keep out an eye in case they might spot Nita somewhere along the way.

Until they apparently just get very lucky in the kitchen.

"Nita.." There's a weird relief in Inigo's voice, though he's quick to fix that. Time to shove negative thoughts down. He sucks in a breath, and before he knows it, there's a smile on his face again. "Do you maybe have a moment for us? You can finish your food first, if you want, but there's something only you can help with."

Ohhh, sandwich. Great idea, and Tidus without a second thought is headed to the fridge like a zombie on a mission. He'll even give a TL;DR version of what Inigo is possibly trying to build up to, but why go through all that?

"Inigo wants you to talk to the train for us!"

When you can get straight into it! The cold air is welcoming to Tidus's face, though something about it and the choices, the colours, gets a yawn out of him. There's probably more details he can throw in there, but hey, that gets them started, right? Tidus is such a good friend.

Nita fetches a napkin to tuck her sandwich in for on-the go, giving Tidus an odd look as she does.

"Sure, I can help with that, no problem!"

Though 'something only you can help with' gives Nita pause as a concept ~~because isn't that what errantry is, in a way?~~, she doesn't change her answer any.

"What did you want to talk to it about, though?"

It's a good thing Tidus is here, because Inigo most definitely would have kept this whole thing up with buildup. It's just-- he knows the way Tidus does it is more efficient, but he wants to make sure to try and respect Nita's time and feelings, okay!

But that bridge has already been crossed now, so he just offers a smile at Nita's easy agreement.

"It's about Taiki and lord Gyousou. Do you know them?" It always feels like Nita knows pretty much everyone on the train, honestly, so Inigo wouldn't be surprised.. "Lord Gyousou disappeared during the mission, and it isn't even the first time he has disappeared."

He wants to add that it's.. let's say problematic for Taiki when Gyousou disappears, but it feels a little like spilling Taiki's personal business, so he doesn't.

"I know the train most likely won't tell us, but I figured it couldn't hurt to try and find out why it takes away particular people more often than others for a while like that. Or at least try to communicate to it to leave lord Gyousou alone."

Tidus is happy to let Inigo do the talking with that, searching the fridge shelves for what goodies he might be able to pick out--and is that some leftover carrot pancakes...?

Don't mind if he does!

So out Tidus comes with a small plate of pancakes than anything for a sandwich, looking around to remember where the microwave is before his ears perk up to the ongoing conversation. He tears off a piece of pancake.

"Oh yeah, plus, when Gyousou was gone, Taiki didn't feel him anywhere. They have some kind of connection that lets them sense each other wherever. Did you know about that when people--poof?"

And he pops the pancake piece in his mouth, and takes the food over to the microwave. La de da...

Nita first frowns, brows furrowing, before nodding to Tidus' question.

"Yeah; we had Darth Vader on this train for the first two weeks or so when I arrived - Taiki and Lord Gyousou too. But before he walked off, no one could sense him."

And his Force presence was... considerable.

"You want me to go ask now, then?"

She takes a non-napkin bite of her wrapped sandwich, considering. Bobo?

/I have asked pertaining to whether the train can tell the difference between those 'disappearing' only to leave at a platform, versus those that are set to return eventually,/ the silent voice at the back of her mind replies.

/There was no response, but that is normal./

Nita sighs. "People have asked related questions before," she says aloud, for the boys' benefit. "Though it can't hurt to get more specific in the asking."

Inigo is more than happy to let Tidus have that food he wanted so badly. He's not grabbing anything himself, but that's pretty typical, isn't it.. Though even if he were hungry, he's much too focused on this conversation now to really care about it.

"I'm not too surprised people have asked it before." There's something a little resigned about Inigo's expression as he says it. He gets it. Inigo hardly checks the roster, but he's done it in some special cases just to see the name having turned golden. He knows the desperation.

He thinks of Yuki walking off the platform, not looking back at him. His stomach turns.

He forces himself to smile.

"But it's like you say-- it can't hurt! I want to at least have tried for Taiki's sake. As long as it's not a bother to you, Nita."

The food buzzing around in the microwave, a soft light coming from inside that shows the plate and food on a slow spin, Tidus looks back to the pair, eyes flitting between them.

"What's a uh, Darth Vader?"

...look it sounded like something either important or that the both of them already know, so he's curious.

why was Tidus brought here again.

Nita confirming that no, it's not a bother to me gets briefly sidetracked by Tidus' interjection.

"... He was a specific kind of magic user. And a powerful one. I think Misa's the only one here still on who's from his world, though."

If she'd read that 'Corellian strawberries' label right, anyway.

"So, should we get going? We can eat as we walk," she suggests.

Inigo almost gives Tidus a look after that last part Nita says. Almost! It's just so tempting to give him a, 'yeah, we can eat as we walk, Tidus' look considering this whole situation, but Inigo wouldn't feel right doing so when he's the one who dragged the other along ~~for emotional support~~ in the first place.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. Come on, let's go." Even as he says that though, he'll let Nita take the lead. She's clearly the expert here when it comes to talking to the train, and.. well, let's face it, Inigo sucks at ever taking the lead in the first place. Instead he looks at Tidus for a moment as they start to leave the kitchen and adds: "You know, I almost forget how short you've been here until you ask those kinds of things."

Which is a good thing! Tidus feels like such a normal part of his life by now, it's almost hard to imagine there were months on this train without him..

Oh. Walking and eating? Momentarily distracted by the answer to his question--or really, the name Darth Vader; what kind of name was Darth Vader?--, there's a small light of recognition at the hint in Nita's suggestion. Tidus spins back to the microwave, popping open the door with the press of a button, the barely warmed food coming out and held in his hand.

Ow. Actually, let's not hold it at the centre and grab it at the side...

"You haven't said hi to the train in a while, right?" Tidus manages to slip in before the remark from Inigo comes out, his already started pancake being folded in half so he can eat it easier. But he pauses before he takes a bite, looking at Inigo curiously.

"Was Darth a big deal or something?" he asks, then a note lower, "Want one?", nudging towards him the plate of pancakes while he chews his started one.

"I... don't think so, actually," Nita admits, preventing herself from taking another bite as she considers.

"I should keep it regular, though."

She hides her smile in her sandwich as Tidus offers Inigo a pancake, before starting them all up the remaining carriages before Stores.

"And it's more that Darth Vader's story is known on a bunch of worlds; most people from certain Earths would recognize him on sight."

It should probably say something about how long Inigo has been here and how normal some entirely not-normal things have become that he doesn't even blink at the mention of Nita talking to the train. It's just one of those normal little things about train life by now, isn't it..

His attention momentarily turns entirely towards Tidus though when he's offered a pancake. His eyes light up, taking one and happily chewing on it. Like this is all that's needed to make Inigo entirely content. Two of his great friends and a half-warmed pancake.

"Oh, I thought it was just because he was terrifying," Inigo adds, mostly audible but definitely said before he's done thoroughly chewing and swallowing the bite of pancake.

If only some of Tidus's friends thought about giving him half-warmed pancakes in the morning.

"Oh yeah, Earth's a pretty popular world, isn't it." He's certainly heard it more than twice, and that was more than he hear about any other world. ...what other worlds has he heard? Definitely no two Spiras.

But Inigo's assessment gets a scoff out of Tidus, whatever level of concern he could have taken over this Daaarth Vader character going down. "Why? Bet I could beat him."

Nevermind that strong energy or whatever source that people were sensing from him. Then again, there's a flippancy as Tidus says it, boasts of a half-asleep guy not interested in logic or facts.

Nita snorts, figuring any 'who would win?' debates could best be settled after Tidus gets his rest.

But before that, it's talk-to-the-train time!

"With the so-called 'billion homeworlds' back home, you'd think we'd have more representation of that here."

But while some peoples could get odd, they still mapped well onto known, modern-day Earth territories.

Mostly.

"It all gets kind of silly if you look too far into it, though."

Tidus. Tidus please. It's a good thing that Darth Vader isn't actually here. Inigo may not have a very detailed idea about that guy's powers, but he's heard some things here and there, and it's definitely not good news.

But he manages to refrain from giving his friend too judgey of a stare. It's just Tidus being Tidus. That guy probably could hear about anything remotely dangerous or evil and instantly be ready to try and kick its ass, for better or worse.

No, instead Inigo just listens to Nita until he realises - by the time Tidus's pancake supply has significantly dwindled, perhaps with more than a tiny bit of help from Inigo - that they've made it to the stores.

"Oh." He pauses, then starts again. "By the way, would.. this be a bad time to say this is my first time doing this?" Or, well, being present for this, more like. Yes, it's a very timely announcement, thanks.

man u both are dweebs, tidus could take on a daff vapour.

It isn't as if the storage car is that far, right next to the kitchens, and so the walk to it is fairly quick. Inigo's confession not taking long to come out.

"That's why Neets is here! She's the expert." And why Tidus is going to take an empty crate and turn it over, plopping himself down on it. The smiley face wall is now a fourth company in their little get-together. "You know? Nita talks to things. That's what she does! You see her do it before, Inigo?"

Not to talk about how interesting Nita's powers are in front of her or anything.

Nita gives Tidus a look, though she can forgive him for tiredness making him loopy.

"It's fine, Inigo, I promise. /As for you - greetings, again,/" she says, switching to the Speech (and the direction in which she's speaking) without batting an eye.

/We're here to ask - is there a way to predict who will end up disappearing-and-coming-back, let alone why some people keep doing so? It's for Taiki, and Lord Gyousou,/ she adds, not that the clarification makes much difference as far as she's aware.

It's much the same as always, a presence, far away. It doesn't come closer, doesn't acknowledge the words or make any reply. But it is there and she gets the sense it is listening.

With a nod, Nita pulls away from the wall again.

"It's listening," she says aloud, and not in the Speech so as to make the distinction. "Still not responding, mind, but it's listening."

So if they just wanted that complaint/worry known, mission accomplished. But as for making something more happen...

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Minor timeskip to Stores?

i'm skipping us ahead!!

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Presuming Inigo or Tidus could tag back in after this!