Inigo moves a hand up when Roland leaves her on Inigo's shoulder like that, almost like he wants to make sure she doesn't fall off and hurt herself. Inigo isn't even sure whether the higgledies hurt like people, or whether falling hurts them, but he sure doesn't want to take the risk with something so precious either way.
It's nice though, having her there. Warmth radiates off her, through Inigo's skin, warming his body through their shared bond. It makes listening to Roland a little easier, even though something about the words is painful, if not just because they bring his mind back so vividly to those years he spent in that hellscape future, just trying to help anyone he could come across to survive, and failing most of the time. Trying to make people smile during their last days, or despite the terrible circumstances, at the very least.
He's quiet though, just listening, not speaking up until he's sure Roland is finished. And when he does, it's with a very slight shake of his head.
"It's not.. done. Yet. We're getting there, but we haven't defeated Grima just yet." There is hope in those words, genuine belief, maybe strengthened by the higgledy's presence, but at the same time something about them sounds a little tired. "I know we will make it, but it's just.. it means I will have to go back home first. To finish it."
That's the easy thing to get out of the way first. It's just facutually true. The next part is harder to talk about so plainly, but it'd feel unfair if he didn't say it in front of Roland after everything the other said.
"And after that.. I don't know."
Now the fatigue seems to take over more.
"I never thought about having a future." Or.. well. Maybe he did one time, here on the train.
And then it was taken away from him.
"I just.. I assumed I'd keep on fighting until either Grima was defeated or I'd fall in battle. And after that, there would no longer be any use to me existing." He falls quiet, but Jumblie chitters, Inigo hearing it in his head, plain as day. Encouragement to keep going. Don't hide it. Share it with Roland.
He makes you feel happy, Jumblie says inside of Inigo's head, reading his heart. Safe. Don't hesitate to indulge in that comfort, young traveller!
"Actually, I.. I haven't really felt like I was really living for years now." Not since his parents' passing. Not since living became only about survival, about desperate attempts to save a world long gone. "Maybe you've heard about it from Gerome, or noticed it from him, but.. life like this here on the train is really strange to us. We're not used to it. It took so long for me to stop looking over my shoulder every other minute to make sure there wasn't any danger around. Even now I still sometimes feel terribly out of my depth just trying to get by as normally as everyone else here." Hence why he never imagined a future either. A normal life seemed so far away from him. From all of them.
He smiles a little. It's painful, but he's trying - and making sure to look at Roland now.
"It most likely all sounds really dumb, doesn't it..?"
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It's nice though, having her there. Warmth radiates off her, through Inigo's skin, warming his body through their shared bond. It makes listening to Roland a little easier, even though something about the words is painful, if not just because they bring his mind back so vividly to those years he spent in that hellscape future, just trying to help anyone he could come across to survive, and failing most of the time. Trying to make people smile during their last days, or despite the terrible circumstances, at the very least.
He's quiet though, just listening, not speaking up until he's sure Roland is finished. And when he does, it's with a very slight shake of his head.
"It's not.. done. Yet. We're getting there, but we haven't defeated Grima just yet." There is hope in those words, genuine belief, maybe strengthened by the higgledy's presence, but at the same time something about them sounds a little tired. "I know we will make it, but it's just.. it means I will have to go back home first. To finish it."
That's the easy thing to get out of the way first. It's just facutually true. The next part is harder to talk about so plainly, but it'd feel unfair if he didn't say it in front of Roland after everything the other said.
"And after that.. I don't know."
Now the fatigue seems to take over more.
"I never thought about having a future." Or.. well. Maybe he did one time, here on the train.
And then it was taken away from him.
"I just.. I assumed I'd keep on fighting until either Grima was defeated or I'd fall in battle. And after that, there would no longer be any use to me existing." He falls quiet, but Jumblie chitters, Inigo hearing it in his head, plain as day. Encouragement to keep going. Don't hide it. Share it with Roland.
He makes you feel happy, Jumblie says inside of Inigo's head, reading his heart. Safe. Don't hesitate to indulge in that comfort, young traveller!
"Actually, I.. I haven't really felt like I was really living for years now." Not since his parents' passing. Not since living became only about survival, about desperate attempts to save a world long gone. "Maybe you've heard about it from Gerome, or noticed it from him, but.. life like this here on the train is really strange to us. We're not used to it. It took so long for me to stop looking over my shoulder every other minute to make sure there wasn't any danger around. Even now I still sometimes feel terribly out of my depth just trying to get by as normally as everyone else here." Hence why he never imagined a future either. A normal life seemed so far away from him. From all of them.
He smiles a little. It's painful, but he's trying - and making sure to look at Roland now.
"It most likely all sounds really dumb, doesn't it..?"