middleofsomewhere | Wings of Wonder: Comms

... Yeah. I wondered if that could happen, you know, back when figuring out the writing thing.

( but he nuzzles his nose in, as much as he can when he's frankly too large for it. )

Could be an exercise in, I don't know, pantomime. What words did you pick up during all that? I know you must've learned at least a few.

( Even if the extent of it is a yes and no. )

And you know, Inigo... it doesn't make it less true that these things suck for you, just 'cause they suck for a handful of us. I don't like the feeling like I'm outside of everything and too stupid to catch up. Or any of the things I think are normal, and I find, pretty much no one else agrees, and I'm the weird one, not that we're all weird and messed up together.

[ Oh, wow, look at that last thing Jingyi mentions. Is that not the perfect opportunity to avoid having to say that he didn't pick up on anything because he was much too busy being miserable over the fact that he had to watch other people understand each other, while he was all by himself, language-wise...

Thanks for this convenient out, pal. Appreciate it. ]

You're not stupid though, Jingyi. Both of our worlds seem like they're sort of behind when it comes to technology, right? [ Then that'd make them both stupid!!

Also, don't mind him, he's just busy tying the wood again. ] And you have Sizhui here, right? I'm sure that he's struggling with the very same things as you are.

[ And he knows how close the two of you are! ]

( Inigo moping through moments of ADVENTURE in making cross-cultural exchanges even more of a jest is clearly wasting an opportunity--though Jingyi doesn't bring the conversation back around to that.

He instead just rolls with where Inigo decides to keep the conversation. )

Want more logs?

( As an answer before anything else, since it's mostly rhetorical questions, from what he can understand. )

Sizhui's incredible. You've probably noticed he's adapted well, even if he's weirdly more your age than mine.

( "Weirdly" because it's an age gap that doesn't exist for him back home, at all, but not so weird, because both Sizhui's here, Lan or Wen, are the wrong... age. For him. The wrong species, technically, too, and he can't even really touch on what that means, because his growing up was all with Sizhui. Defending him, pulling him into trouble, getting punished alongside him, mouthing off for him, being signaled to back off by him—Sizhui's his best friend. )

You can remind me of him sometimes, did you know? Not just in adapting well, ( he says this factually, because Inigo is not in fact a screaming, gibbering mess every day ) but in the ways you both can fall back on smiling and peacekeeping over saying what's in your hearts.

( Jingyi, resting bitchface that he often is, does not suffer quietly. His mediation style is in direct clarification, which worked on this mission, and works back home too, in circumstances where that kind of truth helps. He does know how, particularly for the sakes of the ones he cares for most strongly. Sizhui, and his fathers. )

Edited 2021-09-27 06:33 (UTC)

[ There's a slight nod as an answer to Jingyi's first question, considering Inigo is practically done tying these few together. If they put up just a few more, that should suffice as a wide enough makeshift bridge, until the people that live here can properly restore the bridges themselves later..

But then he just listens to Jingyi talk about Sizhui. It's been obvious how important the other is to him - you know, if not just for the fact that Jingyi is always ready to get angry on Sizhui's behalf. It's cute, seeing them being so close. ]

Well, we can't all be direct. [ Like Jingyi being the obvious implication here, but Inigo thinks it's a good thing that Jingyi is so direct. Sure, sometimes it makes things get super awkward, but on the other hand, Inigo would like to be able to be a little more direct himself at times. ] And quite a lot of the things in my heart are just.. dumb anyway, you know? I would much rather help other people instead of talking or thinking about those.

( Another log is the due of it, and it doesn't cost him to bring one back, to Inigo's commentary. He snorts himself, at the comment about not all being direct. He knows it, and knows it eases the world in ways, but finds it obscures things too, to more often do the dancing around a point than cutting across to stating it. But it's a role he serves, and gladly, without bounds fewer people know to recognise.

The log is placed when he pointedly exhales at Inigo's hair again, the way he can ruffle hair like this when his wind control is suspect at best. )

Hearts aren't smart, Inigo. If they were, we'd spare ourselves so much trouble.

( He's aware enough of that, no matter what he doesn't say about it. )

Since at least one of us is direct, I want to hear the dumb things in your heart. I whine about whatever's in mine enough, in case you haven't noticed. You don't have to tell everything, or even anything. That's for you to decide, so I'm telling you this, so you know. I want to know all your dumb heart things. If and when you decide to share any of the rest of them.

( To which he nods his massive head, as if this is a decided conversation, but it is for him on this standpoint: he's said what he wants, if it's something Inigo can keep giving. Even if it ends up being more lamenting at how he's a dumbass dating a guy who refuses to say they're dating, and so he won't call it dating either, and Heavens Help Him for people's weird dating realities when they all thought his lack of any was somehow weirder. )

[ At first Inigo moves to get the log secured to the other ones so they can form a temporary bridge together, but then there's that wind ruffling his hair, and then those words right after.

Those are what get him to actually turn his head to look at Jingyi instead, temporarily halting his work. ]

Are you saying you want to hear me whine about Tidus all day? [ Because that's what it's going to get down to, Jingyi. Inigo has gotten.. maybe not good, but at least better about sharing all other things.

This is the one thing that's an exception to that, since it's something that can never get back to one very specific person. ]

Because I can assure you that that is going to get old really quickly.

Yep.

( There's not even any hesitation, and while he does roll his eyes, he waits until Inigo's looking directly at him to do it. )

If what's bothering you are the things Tidus is or isn't doing, whine to me about them. If that's your worst on a day, we're not doing so bad, are we?

( Because yes, good work on getting in with a fool who is, as far as Jingyi can tell based on what other people tell him dating is, dating you, refusing to call it that out of guilt complexes over his state of existence and his girl who is and isn't here and will and won't be here from the 'right' reality anyway, which hello, but—if it's those matters of the heart, the elected ones? The ones that suck, but Tidus is here to complain about?

That's not a bad day at all. He thinks they both know that. )

I literally whine to the train every day I'm on board, do you think I'm going to mind if your biggest heart's demon is a brown haired boy?

( Remembering those roots Tidus is showing these days. )

... yes.

[ How's that for an honest answer, huh, Jingyi? Because Inigo thinks there's a huge difference between general whining and whining about one's love life - though that thought might just be born from his tendency to be so much harder on himself than he is on others.

But sssh, don't tell anyone else that.

At least that 'yes' doesn't sound entirely bothered or upset, even if it comes paired with a sigh right after, and Inigo slightly shaking his head. ]

But maybe I'm underestimating you, Jingyi. Maybe you're a dragon of infinite patience with guys who can't tell the guy they're crushing on the truth.

( he snorts, though he looks past Inigo at the bridge. )

You need me in full dragon for anything in particular still?

( he can still fly--he'd checked--in human form, using his sword, and he can help with tying better with hands than with talons. even if he does remarkably deft work, which yes, he'll point out, mostly because it gives him the chance to whine over how much effort it takes. (yes. he's that guy.)

this does mean he's putting a pause on answering that, or seems to, until he's saying... )

Inigo, I'm pretty sure if Tidus wasn't so caught up in his own head, you wouldn't have to tell him anything.

( because. really. )

[ Inigo huffs, once more having busied himself with tying the logs together. ]

I think you and I see this situation very differently. [ Re: Tidus, that is. JINGYI, THAT ASSESSMENT IS SO OPTIMISTIC.. Inigo just can't believe in it.

Because the other part just makes Inigo shake his head a little, having way less of any sort of protest in that department. ]

But you can change back if that's more comfortable for you. Though I'm still going to have to go to the other side to make sure these logs are tied down there as well.

Of course we do. I'd break my own heart. You're trying not to have to fully piece yours back together again.

( what he means is they're guarded in different ways, and Inigo does what he does for reasons that Jingyi doesn't have to agree with to understand.

Either way, he makes a noise of acknowledgement before floating backward, calling out a: don't look out of politeness, though he's also turned around so his back's all that's visible when he goes from dragon to the silvered light that condenses down into his humanoid form. A snap of his fingers in an audible summon has the loaned and claw-modified sali nightgown in hand, shrugged into and buttoned up with minimal fumbling. The half-cloak follows, made of fur and fringed in thicker fur, with the hood the deer-like creature's head, as most the cloak is their pelt. He's warm, even if he's barefoot, and leaves the hood down as he pads back over. His sheathed sword is in hand, useful for a purpose: )

We can both head across. If you fall, I've still got my sword.

( He grins, holding it up like this is some kind of announcement. Which it is, from the platform past, when he and Sizhui talked about sword flight. He takes a moment to adjust the fall of his ribbon against his forehead, when its still anchored to his horns. He doesn't retie it, given he doesn't know if he'll be going dragon again at a given moment, but it's nice to walk around on two legs for a while. )

Could have me test out the bridging part by jumping on it halfway across once we're done with the tying?

( But, also, he pauses... and holds his arms open in a sort of "hey remember you wanted hugs and I said two-leg hugs would have to wait, is that still a thing you wanted?" )

[ He's too used to this by now. Jingyi doesn't even have to call out. The moment he notices even the slightest bit of transformation on the other, Inigo is already turning away his head, his cheeks perhaps even faintly pink as he focuses extra hard on tying the last end together here. Certainly not looking at Jingyi's asscheeks, even with that back turned towards him, thanks.

He only looks when the other is next to him, and when Inigo is fully sure the other is actually wearing something. The coat-pelt doesn't bother him once he spots it, at least. It's not exactly something foreign to Inigo's own world, after all. ]

Sure, if you want to. [ But as Inigo is giving that answer, he does notice the other thing about Jingyi right now. Those open arms.

... ]

Are you offering me a hug?

[ That's not a rejection, by the by. Nothing about Inigo's tone or expression seems to suggest as much. It's more just some surprise, since it's not exactly what he expected after all the other stuff Jingyi just mentioned.

Maybe Inigo's head momentarily got too far into trying to focus on his contribution to the mission here to remember that he really wants some physical contact. ]

( If only he could train the whole train to react like this, it would be Jingyi's easy dream... no need to worry about anyone looking unless they wanted to, in which case, wow okay then.

None of that is presently relevant, so when he's padded over and stood there with his arms open, he grunts in response. Yeah. Though words do follow, just in case his grunt of manly communication (or lazy communication) doesn't translate to anything much. )

You wanted one earlier, didn't you?

( Before they're walking out over open air, which has no particular issue for Jingyi, but he could imagine would be more unnerving for someone who wasn't trained to fall through open space and depend on his companions to catch him before things turned lethal. )

.. I kind of always want one. [ Inigo admits.

As much as one could call that 'admitting', though, when it's closer to just being an universal truth. Anyone who gets to know Inigo quickly realises that yes, he does indeed wish that he was constantly hugging and being hugged. At all times.

So there's no more hesitation, no more drawing this out. Inigo just raises to his feet, taking a step or two over towards Jingyi, and wrapping his arms around the other in a tight hug - even his face is pressed against the other.

There is no shame right now.

Only hugs. ]

( He huffs out a sigh, tail swaying back and forth behind him when Inigo takes him up on his offer. It's simple to wrap his arms around his friend in turn, considering that part of him misses the ease of not needing the backs and forths of this, of just nosing or nudging or collapsing into others and not needing to say, this is what I need. Just finding claws preening through fur, or the thwap of a tail against a leg, or any of the ways he's slow to identify as missing in his sense of normalcy.

Hugs weren't as frequent, not in this sense; as reassurance, yes, or when one needed the comfort, particularly when they'd been younger. But he'll take it, too. Subbing in whatever other needs for the one easier to deal with across peoples, by and large.

He rests his cheek against Inigo's head, and sighs again. )

Yeah, well. You have my permission to hug me whenever. Even when I'm small.

( Much as it continues to bother him in a way he just doesn't keep harping on about. Nothing can change it. He knows that, and it isn't the point. )

Wings of Wonder: Comms

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