For a moment Inigo worries that Roland may not speak after all. That he'll make some excuse, change the topic, or maybe even just outright leave. But even as Inigo worries about it, he knows there's nothing about it he can do. All he can do is just stay here, staring at Roland, hoping that something about his gaze will be enough to help will the other to open up the potential hurt in his heart.
And then he does speak.
And the story.. It may be about another time, about an entirely different world, but it's not unfamiliar to Inigo. Having been born as the son of the Exalt, having landed straight into war when he went to the past.. Inigo gets it. He knows it. He can imagine what things must have been like in Roland's world, the messy omnious brewing of oncoming war, his desperate attempts to avoid it. Inigo looks at Roland's frown, wondering if that's what his own father felt like as well, trying to avoid the revival of the Fell Dragon.
But it's not a thought he lingers in for long. Inigo does wait for the man to finish speaking, but the moment he does, those final words - I'll keep at it, come what may - searing into his heart, he doesn't wait anymore.
With the very little distance between them, Inigo outright launches himself at Roland, wrapping his arms around the man's torso, tightly clinging to him. Jumblie jumps up from Inigo's shoulder over to Roland's, as if her nature and her connection to Inigo's heart make her way to comfort Roland as well. Wanting to spread some light inbetween the combined darkness of their fates.
"Roland.. I'm so sorry." There's no tears, for better or worse. But Inigo's tone is emotional all the same. Of course a heart as soft as his can't help but immediately imagine the pain Roland must have felt, everything he must have been burdened with. "That's so much to carry. No wonder.."
Inigo doesn't finish that sentence, but he does think about it. No wonder that Roland looked so tired sometimes. Back on the vulcano specifically, when that story about the train in the past must have made him think about his own situation, his previous failure as a leader. All those times on the train when Roland seemed to drown himself at work, and even when Inigo dragged him along to eat dinner with him, he sometimes still saw it in the man's eyes.
This has been here with him. In the back of his head. All the time. How would he not be tired?
His heart races with worry and the desire to somehow make everything, even a situation as big and bad as this, okay again. Inigo pulls back his head. His arms still cling to Roland, but his desperate gaze tries to seek out the other's.
"I-- If you're worried about your world, then.. Maybe once we defeat Grima, I can ask Naga about it! She's a god and can move people to different worlds, maybe she can help fix it somehow!" His words come so hasty, tumbling across his lips, like Inigo can't say them quickly enough. "I still have the Brand, so she should recognize me as a prince of Ylisse and at least listen to what I have to say.. I.. I'm sure she'll realise it's important..!"
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And then he does speak.
And the story.. It may be about another time, about an entirely different world, but it's not unfamiliar to Inigo. Having been born as the son of the Exalt, having landed straight into war when he went to the past.. Inigo gets it. He knows it. He can imagine what things must have been like in Roland's world, the messy omnious brewing of oncoming war, his desperate attempts to avoid it. Inigo looks at Roland's frown, wondering if that's what his own father felt like as well, trying to avoid the revival of the Fell Dragon.
But it's not a thought he lingers in for long. Inigo does wait for the man to finish speaking, but the moment he does, those final words - I'll keep at it, come what may - searing into his heart, he doesn't wait anymore.
With the very little distance between them, Inigo outright launches himself at Roland, wrapping his arms around the man's torso, tightly clinging to him. Jumblie jumps up from Inigo's shoulder over to Roland's, as if her nature and her connection to Inigo's heart make her way to comfort Roland as well. Wanting to spread some light inbetween the combined darkness of their fates.
"Roland.. I'm so sorry." There's no tears, for better or worse. But Inigo's tone is emotional all the same. Of course a heart as soft as his can't help but immediately imagine the pain Roland must have felt, everything he must have been burdened with. "That's so much to carry. No wonder.."
Inigo doesn't finish that sentence, but he does think about it. No wonder that Roland looked so tired sometimes. Back on the vulcano specifically, when that story about the train in the past must have made him think about his own situation, his previous failure as a leader. All those times on the train when Roland seemed to drown himself at work, and even when Inigo dragged him along to eat dinner with him, he sometimes still saw it in the man's eyes.
This has been here with him. In the back of his head. All the time. How would he not be tired?
His heart races with worry and the desire to somehow make everything, even a situation as big and bad as this, okay again. Inigo pulls back his head. His arms still cling to Roland, but his desperate gaze tries to seek out the other's.
"I-- If you're worried about your world, then.. Maybe once we defeat Grima, I can ask Naga about it! She's a god and can move people to different worlds, maybe she can help fix it somehow!" His words come so hasty, tumbling across his lips, like Inigo can't say them quickly enough. "I still have the Brand, so she should recognize me as a prince of Ylisse and at least listen to what I have to say.. I.. I'm sure she'll realise it's important..!"