middleofsomewhere | The Will to Fight: Conclusion

The Will to Fight: Conclusion

The battles rage loud and ferocious at the gates of the city and off in the ruined wastelands of Erda, and on the walls a struggle of a different kind occurs. The team who stayed behind at the towers are small but determined as they move stoically across the walls to right the stones that have become misaligned, even as their friends battle not too far away.

The city begins to hum. It's a quiet hum, not loud enough to be heard out where the others are fighting but it vibrates even through stone. The recovering monks assure them that it is done, the wards are back up and no demon will be able to enter the city.

Eventually the battle is won, all three battles. The demons fought back and killed, a major blow to their gate system that will keep them back for hopefully a long time. Those waiting in the caverns return to the city and by the time they get there the illusions are gone. Everyone can see the world for what it really is.

But despite the ruins of their world the people are relieved, the adrenaline of the fight coursing through their veins and the mood is one of hope. They will build again, their people will survive.

All Voidtreckers please return to the Voidtrecker Express. Departure will be in a few hours

It has landed not too far from the city, cloaked to make it unnoticeable to the citizens, for all the good that does. No one has been particularly subtle this last week. People can begin regrouping, packing up the camp and getting any wounded not already healed to the train.

However roughly half an hour later another message appears on their SCA.

Passenger Persephone has requested we remain on system System #86525656412355 for an additional day to further assist the people of Erda. The Voidtrecker Express will depart on the morning of Day Fifteen of the month of Kazoo.

The train remains where it is, so the voidtreckers can use its facilities. There is definitely a lot that can be done to assist those of this world and the citizens will welcome any helping hands.

After an extra day they finally depart, returning to the void once more.

(OOC Note: Once the wards are up any characters who are demonic in nature will not be able to enter the city either!)

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You'll still have nine left!

[ .. Maybe that's not exactly the ideal thing to say to someone who's worried about injuring themselves, but look, Inigo is not exactly always the king of tact. And even less so when he's busy straining himself by holding up a board for too long.

But thankfully Tidus says those words. He got it. Thank Naga. ]

Fine though, thanks for getting it in. Then I'll let go of it now..

[ And of course the predictable happens.

Inigo lets go of the wood, and the moment he does, the nail comes right out since it wasn't far in enough.

And so the board comes directly down on Inigo's head, knocking him to the ground. The board even just falls right on top of him. Sadly.

F in chat for Inigo. ]

That's not funny! [ NOW WHO IS BEING CRUEL.

The answer is the plank of wood. Which, honestly, Tidus was about to warn Inigo about: that it wasn't all the way in, that it still needed a few more thumps, that he was just being happy for doing the basics!!

But no. He gets as far as a 'Wait', but then Inigo's hands come down, and so does the board - and Tidus jumps back, away from the potential weapon, hammer in hand and a sound like 'errgh!' from his mouth. Luckily, it wasn't coming for him.

Unluckily for Inigo... ]

What-- [ Tidus kneels and sets the hammer by his leg, putting his empty hands on Inigo's back and shaking him. ]

Do you have to fall every time?!

[ PLEASE. HOW DOES A GUY JUST CRUMBLE THIS EASY. ]

[ Guess who's letting out a groan. This guy over here on the ground. At least it seems to be more of an annoyed groan than a pained one. ]

What else am I supposed to do when you drop a board on me?!

[ Granted, this wasn't entirely Tidus's fault as much as it's just part of the inevitable circus that surrounds these two at all times. ]

I don't think I can get up anymore.

[ A bold lie. But here Inigo is, just.. rolling over so he's laying there on his back instead, staring up at Tidus. ]

I think you'll have to finish up this one by yourself.

If I do, I'll have to step on you, [ Tidus flatly replies. Look at where you are, Inigo, look at the situation you're putting yourself in.

Except Tidus isn't going to let Inigo just lay there and die, as much as he wants to. Tidus shifts into a crouch but on his legs, and he grabs Inigo's closest arm...and starts pulling him, even as he stands more up. ]

C'mon! We get this done, and we'll do boring sweeping and chucking bits of rock to put into the wheelbarrows and crates! I suck at carpentry too!

[ Unfortunately being stepped on so isn't Inigo's kink, so this isn't a prospect he's particularly looking forward to. Which means that the moment Tidus starts trying to pull him up, Inigo actually cooperates and rises back up to his feet, rather than laying on the ground like a useless weight Tidus is trying to lift.

But in return for being helped up, he'll at least keep the sarcastic 'yeah, I can notice that' quips to himself. Instead Inigo starts dusting some dirt off his pants. ]

Do you think there's seriously no one on the train who could make this sort of thing go faster with magical powers?

[ And no, he doesn't mean casting Haste!! Please, they might just end up accidentally killing themselves if they tried to do this while physically going faster.

Inigo is more just thinking.. magical carpentry powers. Something like that. It's got to exist. ]

[ Tidus is quiet. His hands free, he looks at them.

Can he make them go faster with magical powers?

...

...

...wait no, he knows that isn't what Inigo means. So he just huffs, picking up the dropped board. Ugh, where did the nail disappear off to? ]

If they don't want to, what're we meant to do? They might be in another part of town. [ And unfortunately not right here doing their job. ] The toolbox I got Senku has an electric drill - that'd put these nails right in. But, I don't think that'll work...

[ Is he helping? No, he isn't helping. Though, the mention of that guy does get Tidus to suddenly 'whoa!', turning to Inigo with the board in his hand. ]

Hey! Did you hear? He and Gen got engaged!

[ Inigo is about to reach out to take the board from Tidus, or to go find the hammer the other had a few moments ago, but he's stopped entirely by Tidus's words.

And no, it's not the electric drill that confuses him, though he's not entirely sure what that is either. It's only at the last words that Inigo seems to completely freeze up, his eyebrows knitting together in a confused frown. ]

Senku and Gen? They're.. getting married?

[ ????

The question marks are practically visible above Inigo's head. Not that he isn't happy for them, but-- ]

I didn't think Senku was the type at all!

Yeah? [ He says it almost automatically, no particular feelings one way or another. Maybe Inigo's right. Actually... ] Maybe it was Gen's idea.

[ He shoves a hand inside a trouser pocket, pulling a nail out instead of searching for the one that's probably right next to his foot. ]

I guess they want to? You know, it's not really a surprise at this point. Seto got engaged or...promise engaged with Yugi. And then WangJi got re-married with his guy?

...

... That's a lot of guy couples. [ Is he forgetting a girl pair...? A straight pair?? ]

Yes, Tidus. Some people like guys.

[ At least it doesn't sound like it's a dig at Tidus. Not a malicious one, anyway. But the topic of weddings on the train sits a little uneasy with Inigo for obvious reason, especially when it's about male couples in particular..

And so he feels the need to make this a bit lighter. To make a slight, dumb joke about it to keep his mind from throwing itself into the worry abyss.

Taking the board from Tidus, Inigo moves to hold it up again so it can be properly nailed into place this time. ]

But.. well. As long as they're all happy, I guess it isn't so bad. They probably want to just grab their happiness here while it lasts. [ Before they're potentially separated. ]

[ THAT'S NOT WHAT HE MEANT, YOU JERK!!!!!

And he doesn't even get to defend himself before Inigo's pushing the conversation on, to a point where it'd be weird and clumsy to say anything at all. Tidus huffs, wiggling the hammer some as he takes it back in his hand (not because he wants to do anything nefarious with it), but decides to concede, just let it - the subject, anyway - go where it has been, lifting up his arms. ]

Guess so. [ He works at the nail this time, knocking it in but not stopping prematurely to celebrate, digging it in until he can bash it without holding it in place. ] Well, let's get this done and find a new job! What do you think's gonna be for dinner? Persephone made a big pot of pasta back on the train...

[ Is this Tidus's own attempt at moving away from the subject, via food? You could say that. Or we can just pretend he's talking with his stomach.

Which isn't that far off either. ]

[ Thankfully Tidus has chosen the most succesful way possible to move away from the subject. Because Inigo - as ever - is more than willing to believe that Tidus is both thinking and talking with his stomach, as ever. It doesn't even stick out to him as anything too weird.

And it returns some sort of normalcy to their conversation, momentarily making the thoughts fade from Inigo's mind again, being replaced by thoughts of food.

(Maybe he, ironically enough, is kind of hungry too.) ]

.. Pasta's the stringy stuff, right?

[ Look, he's getting there. He's getting there, okay, just.. very slowly.. ]

Wait, hold on, she had enough energy to make all the plants grow here, and then still made dinner afterwards?! [ Sweet Naga, it suddenly feels like the two of them are slacking off, even as they're trying to get this piece of wood nailed down in this very moment. ]

[ Please, they're doing their best with this same piece of wood. Which speaking of, he's moving over to the other side to get that nail in. ]

Nooo, she made the pasta before she did all that. Remember the pasta I brought in for Taiki? It was some of that. She let me take a bowl for him after I let her borrow the higgledies.

[ Good thing those tiny guys can multiple for...no reason! ]

Anyway, you're thinking spaghetti. Or noodles. [ One or the other. ] That pasta was called penne. Penne pasta. It's the one you use for hot pasta.

[ 'hot pasta' ]

[ ...

Inigo just stands there for a good few moments. Just silently holding up the wood while he's thinking. Thinking so hard. One can practically see the little tandwheels over his head as he's trying to figure all of this out.

But apparently he gives up in the end, since the first thing he says when he speaks up again is just: ]

Why does food from other places have to be so complicated? [ How is a medieval boy supposed to keep up!! ]

Why don't you read about it than just eat it? I did. [ Heheheh!!! Here's the jock showing some culture!! ] Back in Zanarkand, some of the fancy places made all kinds of pasta shapes. Never bought them -- but blitzball pasta was a thing.

[ Because of course. Of course it was. ]

[ DOES KNOWING ABOUT FOOD REALLY COUNT AS CULTURE. Go try some dancing, fool!! ]

Was it.. shaped like a blitzball? [ Give him a second, he's trying to wrap his head around the idea. Which is hard, considering he's still wrapping his head around the idea of pasta to begin with. ]

.. Was everything just related to blitzball somehow in Zanarkand?

Yep, [ he answers to that first question, even if the next is only delayed by the processing power of Inigo's brain needing time. But even then, he just laughs as he replies: ]

It was the biggest sport ever! Everyone watched blitzball! That's what life's like when you don't have fiends or wars to worry about. You can play blitzball, day in, day out! People loved it. Every district had its own team! They were split up by North, South, East, West; then you had around four groups in each...

Around that. [ Yeah, that sounds about right. ]

That's so..

[ Weird, he almost says, but then realises that kind of wording is way too insulting. Especially since he doesn't really mean it in that way. It's not that it's bad, it's just.. that it's hard to imagine for Inigo, especially in a world where sports were hardly a thing in the first place.

Then again, Tidus grew up in a world without dragons of all things, so he's pretty sure Ylisse would be just as weird to Tidus as Zanarkand is to him. ]

.. different. I can't even really imagine it. [ He admits, even though he's still thinking. ] But I guess it must have been nice, if everyone just enjoyed themselves all the time.

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The Will to Fight: Conclusion

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