voidtreckerexpress | [open] i make a penny, the train makes a dime

The end of Inigo's agreement gets a small laugh from Tidus.

"Welll." --but there's some hesitance from Tidus, short-lived as it might be, rubbing the back of his neck in a small motion. "Are you saving up your points for anything? You don't have to," he slips in, wanting to get that out before he gets to the point, "but I wanted to get some more potions in, more supplies before the next mission. And I was wondering if you could help...?"

He straightens, shaking his head. "But if you got something you wanna get, don't worry about it! We've got a lot more than we did last mission already."

The odd hesitance on Tidus' part only makes Inigo look more curious. Really, what could Tidus ever want to ask from him that could make him pause like that for a moment?

Said hesitance turning out to be over points of all things makes Inigo smile instinctively. Especially with the way Tidus is so sure to assure him it's fine if he wants to keep his points. It feels oddly sweet, though Inigo is quick to shake his head.

"No, it's fine. I got the present I wanted to get for Gerome, and I can't think of any other particular use for my points anyway." Getting something for himself? Hah! What a joke!

He stands up, shoving the book back with the rest.

"Let's go order them right now before we forget! You just tell me what would be good to get. You're a lot better at thinking of that kind of thing than me."

Wow, look at the guy rushing to have his points spent! Tidus doesn't know if to find it strange or to be pleased that the guy's so eager to help out. He knows all this...extra stuff isn't really Inigo's thing, but he's been supportive anyway. Between this and in the luggage car, and just in general. As a friend.

"Alright!" So despite the surprise that enters into his agreement, he goes along with Inigo to the terminal, talking on the way there.

"I know what we need, so there's no worrying about that. Me and Roland talked about it--there were a few things I forgot to get the first time." They approach the cabinet for the train shop, Tidus looking away from where he's walking to Inigo. "You sure there's nothing you used going around different worlds wouldn't be useful to get?"

Inigo frowns, as if he's thinking. At least it seems like he is taking that question seriously enough.

"You already got potions, and the vulneraries from my world don't seem very different, so that takes those out of the running. Dragonstones wouldn't be of much use to anyone on this train. And we can't get weapons. Those are about the most useful things I could think of." Especially since there just.. wasn't much else in his future. And it hadn't been long ago enough since they had used Naga's power for him to have come across much else.

When they're next to the train shop, Inigo inserts his ticket without any hesitation. "So really, I can't think of anything. If I had come across something incredibly useful that we don't have here, I would most likely remember, right?"

"I guess so," Tidus concedes with a sigh. Not really because Inigo has nothing to offer from his own brain, but- "There's some stuff back in Spira I can't remember the name of. It's a pain! But I guess what we're getting is better than nothing."

A lot better than nothing. The options are waiting for Inigo--or the pair of them--on the screen, Inigo's point count visible to one side.

"You want me to type? Or you want to do it?"

For practice, Tidus figures, but you know. No need to word it like that.

"I will do it!"

He seems.. surprisingly eager about this? It's mostly surprising when you consider the fact that yes, typing is still a very new and unknown experience to him. It's a good thing no one was around to witness Inigo taking up the train shop for half an hour just to try and get that wyvern plush before.

"Just tell me what to type, and I'll do it. I'll have you know that I have become somewhat of an expert by now." He has the dumbest, goofiest grin on his face as he says that too.

Which makes it so very obvious that he's not.

"Maybe we can guess the names of those items you're thinking about? Is it still going to take away my points if we enter the wrong thing?"

Look at his pal go! With his hands free, and no one near to care about accidentally knocking with his elbow (it's not that cramped, they can walk around!), Tidus stands comfortably with his hands on his sides despite the icon choice. Inigo's used the shop before to get Gerome his gift, so Tidus knows he's not completely helpless with it!

He'll even treat Inigo with an 'ohhhhhh', a sound of being impressed at his boast. Congrats, pals.

But anyway. "Nah, let's do that another time. There's a drink we wanna get for the people who need to eat for. FortiGro Plus." He takes a beat before saying it, and then after. "F-O-R-T-I, G-R-O." You get that?

Or did he go too fast?

That impressed sound definitely is making Inigo's grin spread a little wider. What can I say, the boy lives on the smallest signs of positive reinforcement.

It might also be why he throws himself into this whole typing thing with more gusto than he otherwise would. He frowns at the keys, trying really, really hard to find the right key for each letter as he goes. He's typing at the speed of a grandpa at best, but at least he is doing it.

"Erm, I think so.." He squints at the screen. "What an odd name for a drink. Is the 'plus' part of the name?"

It's alright, Tidus leans in to look at the screen over Inigo's shoulder to make sure he's typed it in right. He does want to get in there and type faster for the both of them, but it's a nagging he can easily ignore.

"Yeah, the plus too," he confirms. "I guess you wouldn't have anything like it where you're from. Drinks for protein, supplements, that kinda thing? I dunno what it stands for though. Ask Roland."

"Roland? So it's from his world?"

Judging by how Inigo isn'r protesting any part about the drinks, it seems like Tidus is right to assume they don't have anything like it in Inigo's world. He isn't even sure what protein is, although he can at least guess from the weird 'supplements' that these drinks are supposed to give you something extra.. Then it'd make sense why Tidus wants to order them.

He types in the p-l-u-s at the same agonizingly slow speed, and then looks up at the screen.

".. there. Is it fine like this? Do you think I should try asking for a specific amount?" It's not like Inigo has ordered much from the store before, so it's his first time even really thinking about these things. And he's more than fine with letting Tidus take the lead. He's the expert here, judging by the pile of stuff he ordered.

It's like watching someone without their glasses trying to type, but you know, it's Inigo's points they're spending, so who is Tidus to complain? He looks closer to check that Inigo didn't type any of it wrong, wondering, in a moment of doubt, if he was remembering the name right--but he dismisses that quick. He read the name a hundred times so he wouldn't have to drag his notebook around!

"Hmm... I never do. It's always been around 25 whenever I get anything." But now he's worried himself about that, and he looks at the screen again, points to the keyboard, to the arrow key pointing left.

"Press that...until that flicky stick goes to the left side of the text. Okay? Then add, '45 points worth of'."

There! Genius!

Despite his slowness, Inigo is at least very good at following instructions. He manages to get the blinking thing to the left, and then slooowly adds that..

There. He submits it.

"Done!" He looks rather proud of himself too. Like he accomplished some great feat. And Inigo has learned on this train what to do when that sort of thing happens, what's hot and happening with these modern kids, so he holds up his hand at Tidus for a high five. Yeah, he knows what that is! He's so cool, he's aware.

"What's next?"

There's something about the way that Inigo holds his hand up that's--adorable, in a totally guy way. Just waiting there with it, but Tidus doesn't keep him waiting too long, giving it a hearty slap like any bro would do. He won't let you hanging.

"Just some more potions, and that be fine. Same thing again before it? I wanna leave you with some points for yourself."

Isn't he so generous?? But he wouldn't feel right draining him completely... heck, does this guy even buy himself anything? Maybe he can help him out after this second order.

There's definitely such a grin on his face when Tidus gives him that high five. He did it. He was totally cool there for a moment! Soon he won't even stand out anymore as the weirdly out of touch medieval guy, he's sure of it!

"For me?" He says, sounding almost surprised. "It's fine, you know. These things are for everyone, so I really don't mind it if it uses up everything I have."

He turns back to the keyboard as he speaks, staring to type again.

"Does the train understand if I just write 'potions'?"

You know, Tidus has been on the other end of this himself. People telling him to remember himself, buy something for himself! And he has, a few small things. But when it came down to it, what was there for him to buy? A blitzball, sure--and then just look at it, knock it around sometimes, never have an actual game to play.

It was depressing. But Inigo didn't have to be like him.

"Sure, just put in 'potions'," he says with a laugh, to get rid of that seeming dread of having to plonk at the keys some more. But after a beat or so, surprise, he's not ready to drop some self-care so quickly. "What do you enjoy? I mean, here, back home...whatever. Activities? Smells? Foods? It can be anything, you know."

Maybe this is the true curse of how slow Inigo types - it gives Tidus plenty of time to start topics Inigo was trying to avoid back up.

Because that question is just so awkward to answer. There isn't much. There's hardly anything. But no one would believe that answer unless he explained what his world, what his future was like, and he doesn't want that. And then there's dancing, the one thing he did have, but that feels much too embarrassing to bring up. Even to someone he trusts like Tidus.

So he's quiet for a moment. Pretending he's just typing, but his brain is actually trying to desperately look for a fitting answer to that question that doesn't sound super sad.

"I enjoy.. people. It's nice being surrounded by so many here on the train, even though some others may find it too busy." Inigo wouldn't. He hates being alone, so he'll take absolutely anything as long as it's the opposite of that.

People... well that didn't help with figuring out something in regards to what Inigo can give himself. Is it a complete bust though?

"What about them? Hearing about them?" Where they came from? Because Tidus could relate to that. ...though Inigo had been so skittish when it came to bonding with Bryn or just chatting with her, but well, he can be fair with Inigo about that. She did come off pretty strong.

Listen, Bryn was a monster, okay! That's just a really bad scale to measure things by!

"Their company," he mentions easily. Inigo knows it's probably obvious enough that he's pretty affectionate and clingy, so that answer would sound more in line with that than it'd give away him just having missed having more human contact for a long time back home. "I like hearing about them and the places they come from, sure, but I also enjoy talking about just.. anything. It doesn't have to be something special. I'm pretty sure anyone would agree it's nice to just not be alone, right?"

"I guess!" There's no real hesitance to Tidus's answer, despite the mixed look between being in agreement and thought. Sure, being around people was fun, but wasn't it boring if that was the only thing? There's got to be something he's not asking right here!

"But what do you like doing with people? I mean-- back home, before all the world hopping, or here. What do you like to do with them? What's 'fun' back on your world?"

Ugh.

Ugh.

Ugh, Tidus, why do things always have to be so hard with you, huh? Why can't you just take an answer to a question and accept it for once! It feels like it's harder and harder to dodge giving the truthful answer when Tidus keeps honing in on it like this, and Inigo's fingers aimlessly hover over the key.

"I've.. been pretty busy." Maybe a half-truth is the best here. It's true, and it's a little awkward to say, but at least he could still shove the worst of it under the carpet if he admits this only slightly awkward part. "Back home, I mean. My friends and I were always so busy fighting and helping people that we never really had time to just.. you know. Have fun. That's why I've had no idea of what to do for fun here on the train either."

"Really?" It's the latter of that which makes Tidus look at Inigo with some puzzlement, wondering what not having any idea to do for fun on the train means. Options for fun aren't exactly hard to come by, when you have to walk through every single train car--including the entertainment options.

"So you..." He starts, then figures another way to go about it. "You watch movies or check out the game car, right? You're not just doing nothing all day."

That'd be ridiculous. There's got to be some entertainment that's caught Inigo's eye. Cards? Wait, yeah, he likes cards! What else?

"Well, I do my chores.. And I've gotten quite good at building things with cards. I can make whole castles at this point, I should show you sometime!"

.. Pretty sad as far as a list of hobbies goes, isn't it. Sure, Inigo has seen all the options on board here, but stuff like the movies and games usually only confuse him..

"That's not doing nothing!"

...

....wee woo wee woo, someone call the funbulance because someone needs a charge of fun--

Something of that sort pasts through Tidus's mind as Inigo--Inigo, the same Inigo who's been here longer than him, probably for like, most of the train ride? Which, okay, there wasn't always a games car or movie car, Tidus knows that, but still; for a heck of a lot longer than him--admits to just playing cards for fun. And doing chores. A blank gaze on him where Tidus can't even laugh or feel pity for him.

But oh man.

Oh man.

"Inigo--" two hands come down on his shoulders, clapping with the contact, "--we're going to fix this. Let me at the shop, okay? I know what to do."

Tidus is on the mission. He's got to do this for Inigo. Tidus nudges at one of the shoulders with a hand, encouraging Inigo to step aside so he can get at the screen, looking to move in.

Honestly, it's hard to tell whether or not Inigo realises just how sad his answer was. He's smiling as he says it, after all, and even as Tidus stares at him so blankly ~~while the funbulance drives through his mind for an emergency case~~ Inigo still smiles. So either he is clueless as to how sad that is, or he's well aware and is just trying to cover it up with a smile. Impossible to tell, really.

Though he does look surprised when Tidus's hands are suddenly on his shoulders. Bro?! Bro.

"Huh? Fix?"

Despite his surprise, Inigo moves out of the way instinctively the moment he's nudged aside. And when Tidus is suddenly the one with control over the screen and the keys, Inigo just gives him even more of a confused look.

"What are you going to do-- please don't do anything weird."

"No problem," Tidus dismisses Inigo's concerns with, easy and breezy. He's clicking to look at the options, Inigo's point account. Yeaahh, he's got plenty to waste on some things!

"You read a comic before?"

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