[definitely better than none, that's for sure. from what he's learned so far, there aren't too many differences between, and jingyi's accepted him in spite of those, so of course sizhui's doing the same in kind.
one of these days, he'll have to ask about more variations in their worlds, though today is not that day.]
Mmn. [he nods, averting his attention toward the door, also far more focused on making absolute certain that jingyi's alright before anything else. once tidus leads the way, he'll follow close behind, leaving a respectable distance between them despite being eager (and somewhat anxious) to get inside.
his left arm raises, briefly covering his face in an attempt at protecting himself from the heat, the hand brushing his hair back after they've gotten further into the carriage and steam has settled around them.
there's no remark from sizhui yet, just the faintest smile in his friend's direction – wherever he may be! – then he watches tidus head for the dressing room nearby. to change into proper swimwear, he'd imagine, but he doesn't think much on that; it's second compared to lan jingyi, who sizhui's moving closer to instead, readying himself for whatever it is jingyi's going to tell him— or not, he won't force him to talk about anything he's not comfortable with.]
( it's been time enough that jingyi, not prone to lingering around anywhere, has already made his entrance into the spa, resting his folded arms across the lip, staring sightlessly toward the icp in the carriage. he's partly kneeling, partly floating, though he dips himself lower into the water once tidus enters, stays lower and lifts his head with a slow, reptilian blink when sizhui does as well.
a slightly delayed response to tidus, but he replies, because he was never intending to not, does feel grateful that tidus is trying, even if he's a bit irritated by it too, because there's only one reason tidus came to find him, and fuck elidibus right now. sizhui, however, being part of that chained action, being younger and not a dragon and so familiar and so different, is wisdom on tidus's part, and he's pathetically grateful for that, for someone who grounds him, even as he fights for him, for the times sizhui's too polite or too emotional to argue his way through whatever's happening, and oh, jingyi doesn't usually fail for words.
tact, yes, diplomacy, yes, but not words. )
Can't go full size, and even then, I'd leave room.
( coil himself into ribbons to make sure he left room for friends, without saying a word. so he'll shift to the side so there's even more obvious room for tidus and sizhui, and doesn't say anything else, gone watchful and quiet, tailtip twitching every so often, sending ripples across the spa's surface, which is already far from restive. )
Good! [ A single word, given weight, some emotion that's lacking in being voiced otherwise; filling up the room for the two of them, just a natural response for him. Things are too quiet? Get noisy, until you can sense it being unwelcomed.
But that's not his only goal, feet now fully turning in direction of the small changing area. ] I need to get dressed - you two get comfy, 'kay? Hey, if you want, maybe I can see if I can freeze the water - get some of that cold spring chilling you were telling me about!
[ He throws Sizhui a look, no knowing if it'll be caught, a nod and some semblance of reassurance. Who knows if its meaning will be clear in total, the plan Tidus has - to disappear inside the changing for one or two round of tags a time, to give the two some time.
Smart, right??? who even knows. ]
truly, and i love how i'm both "OH YEAH" but also: what kind of koolaid is rakel fhgjdskal
I think so too. [without hesitation (and despite his attention being halfway on tidus at one point), sizhui dips into the water on jingyi's left, sitting cross-legged for now, both hands folding together across his lap. once tidus heads toward the changing room, his own head bobs with affirmation then his attention is wholly on jingyi, head tilted and eyebrows arched questioningly.
—wait, did tidus say something about turning the spa into a cold spring? (can they do that? please, it'd be amazing to have some semblance of a cold pool instead...)
he doesn't comment on that, as it's a ‘maybe’ when it comes to possibility, but it's still an idea he'll file away for later consideration; being momentarily alone with jingyi is what's important now.] So, ah, Tidus sort of explained what happened with you-know-who. [don't use the man's name, just in case it's a sore spot, which he imagines it will be for a long while given the circumstances.]
Are you okay...? I mean, [he pauses, hums with contemplation.] I know that's silly to ask, considering what happened, but. [another beat of silence then,] Well, you know I'll listen.
( he doesn't really consider what the turning it cold means (and tidus, warn him, or be amused at watching jingyi go from coldly angry to deathly pale afraid, because while inigo may have introduced him to the concept of the higglies, it's still hard to, out of nowhere, accept that people have interior spirits that aren't possessing them and aren't true heart demons), blinking again in a far more reptilian manner than strictly human, watching sizhui in the meantime. )
Elidibus.
( 'you know who.' not naming a name is silly, he thinks, because there's no fucking way to know where he is or isn't anyway, and he's not going to dodge around a name.
and no, he's not okay, and he approaches it sideways, in the kind of direct that suits him, because it barrels into the concern under it all. starting with a question posed, to someone, to a human who is and is not his best friend, someone he's loved like a brother and is closer to than anyone else he knows since childhood, something this lan sizhui cannot know. something no one on this train at present can know. )
When you imagine the person you are having your will stripped from you, and your body turned into a vessel for the actions of another, or of mindless destruction. What's the worst you imagine? How many die? What level of destruction?
[if higgledies are involved, sizhui might also have some uncertainty about it, but that's mostly because they're cute spirit things he thought just danced and cheered people up! oh, and maybe also filled water bottles— something that would be elemental-aligned, in which it'd make far more sense to use them for their abilities too. still, he might seem less wary about it compared to their dragon friend they're in the company of.]
Yes... him.
[that's all he offers verbally because shortly after jingyi confirms the name, he launches into explaining what's wrong, different from how other people may approach it and still somehow in a way sizhui recognizes as entirely jingyi. he listens just as expected for someone who's known this person most of their life, for someone he's always been so close to, regardless of their brotherly bond not being a blood-related one. (lan jingyi being a dragon and him lacking said features are sure changes they hadn't anticipated but he'll always think that won't matter!)]
The absolute worst, [comes his prompt answer, except following it, he wrinkles his nose and continues,] I always imagine everything and everyone being completely obliterated, most times before they even know what's happened... because whatever it is taking away my autonomy, they have total control. It would be easy for them to lure in the people I care about and— [sizhui hesitates, open-mouthed and a little frantically wide-eyed during his explanation, the abrupt memory of a recurring nightmare of his hitting full-force.
he exhales, briefly closes his mouth and inclines his head, eyes slipping shut.] I have always hoped someone would stop me before it got too far, no matter what the cost.
[and yes, his death is included because he'd prefer it over suddenly becoming himself again, being wholly aware of all the destruction he'd caused . . . it's frightening to even consider it happening, let alone knowing it could somehow, someway on one of those foreign worlds.]
( something in that answer making jingyi shift his attention to focus, unblinking, on his best friend. younger, not a dragon, but still someone he knows, and he'd fight worlds for, because that's what one does. )
I'd stop you.
( he says, simple as that. simple as saying, without death, because he doesn't... doubt his capability, here, to do that. even when sizhui has the edge on him in skills, he lacks the extra set that he would from back home, and jingyi feels to his bones he can keep his best friend from becoming the fright of that monster, outside of his own control.
[‘i'd stop you,’ jingyi says, and this immediately rouses sizhui's attention, has him turning to meet his friend's gaze, brow softening somewhat though also still faintly pinched.]
I know you would.
[it's one of many reasons why he trusts lan jingyi, after all. regardless of friendship (but because of it too), they've both mutually agreed to stop the other if there ever comes a chance where they are out of control. however, being truthful, sizhui would likely struggle a fair amount while battling a dragon, but he'd die trying before not making an effort.
there comes another sigh following jingyi's revelation, something far calmer than the way his stomach flip-flops at the thought.]
Have you fought often because you are dragon-souled or? [obviously not good either way, he'd imagine, but that doesn't keep him from reassuring,] Even with your advantage, I would stop you too, for what it's worth. [without any ifs, ands or buts stated outrightly.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ain't it the truth
one of these days, he'll have to ask about more variations in their worlds, though today is not that day.]
Mmn. [he nods, averting his attention toward the door, also far more focused on making absolute certain that jingyi's alright before anything else. once tidus leads the way, he'll follow close behind, leaving a respectable distance between them despite being eager (and somewhat anxious) to get inside.
his left arm raises, briefly covering his face in an attempt at protecting himself from the heat, the hand brushing his hair back after they've gotten further into the carriage and steam has settled around them.
there's no remark from sizhui yet, just the faintest smile in his friend's direction – wherever he may be! – then he watches tidus head for the dressing room nearby. to change into proper swimwear, he'd imagine, but he doesn't think much on that; it's second compared to lan jingyi, who sizhui's moving closer to instead, readying himself for whatever it is jingyi's going to tell him— or not, he won't force him to talk about anything he's not comfortable with.]
BOLTS THROUGH A WALL LIKE KOOL AID MAN
a slightly delayed response to tidus, but he replies, because he was never intending to not, does feel grateful that tidus is trying, even if he's a bit irritated by it too, because there's only one reason tidus came to find him, and fuck elidibus right now. sizhui, however, being part of that chained action, being younger and not a dragon and so familiar and so different, is wisdom on tidus's part, and he's pathetically grateful for that, for someone who grounds him, even as he fights for him, for the times sizhui's too polite or too emotional to argue his way through whatever's happening, and oh, jingyi doesn't usually fail for words.
tact, yes, diplomacy, yes, but not words. )
Can't go full size, and even then, I'd leave room.
( coil himself into ribbons to make sure he left room for friends, without saying a word. so he'll shift to the side so there's even more obvious room for tidus and sizhui, and doesn't say anything else, gone watchful and quiet, tailtip twitching every so often, sending ripples across the spa's surface, which is already far from restive. )
no one ever expects the kool rakel
But that's not his only goal, feet now fully turning in direction of the small changing area. ] I need to get dressed - you two get comfy, 'kay? Hey, if you want, maybe I can see if I can freeze the water - get some of that cold spring chilling you were telling me about!
[ He throws Sizhui a look, no knowing if it'll be caught, a nod and some semblance of reassurance. Who knows if its meaning will be clear in total, the plan Tidus has - to disappear inside the changing for
one or two round of tagsa time, to give the two some time.Smart, right??? who even knows. ]
truly, and i love how i'm both "OH YEAH" but also: what kind of koolaid is rakel fhgjdskal
—wait, did tidus say something about turning the spa into a cold spring? (can they do that? please, it'd be amazing to have some semblance of a cold pool instead...)
he doesn't comment on that, as it's a ‘maybe’ when it comes to possibility, but it's still an idea he'll file away for later consideration; being momentarily alone with jingyi is what's important now.] So, ah, Tidus sort of explained what happened with you-know-who. [don't use the man's name, just in case it's a sore spot, which he imagines it will be for a long while given the circumstances.]
Are you okay...? I mean, [he pauses, hums with contemplation.] I know that's silly to ask, considering what happened, but. [another beat of silence then,] Well, you know I'll listen.
lateraid clearly /shades
Elidibus.
( 'you know who.' not naming a name is silly, he thinks, because there's no fucking way to know where he is or isn't anyway, and he's not going to dodge around a name.
and no, he's not okay, and he approaches it sideways, in the kind of direct that suits him, because it barrels into the concern under it all. starting with a question posed, to someone, to a human who is and is not his best friend, someone he's loved like a brother and is closer to than anyone else he knows since childhood, something this lan sizhui cannot know. something no one on this train at present can know. )
When you imagine the person you are having your will stripped from you, and your body turned into a vessel for the actions of another, or of mindless destruction. What's the worst you imagine? How many die? What level of destruction?
y'know, same tbh
Yes... him.
[that's all he offers verbally because shortly after jingyi confirms the name, he launches into explaining what's wrong, different from how other people may approach it and still somehow in a way sizhui recognizes as entirely jingyi. he listens just as expected for someone who's known this person most of their life, for someone he's always been so close to, regardless of their brotherly bond not being a blood-related one. (lan jingyi being a dragon and him lacking said features are sure changes they hadn't anticipated but he'll always think that won't matter!)]
The absolute worst, [comes his prompt answer, except following it, he wrinkles his nose and continues,] I always imagine everything and everyone being completely obliterated, most times before they even know what's happened... because whatever it is taking away my autonomy, they have total control. It would be easy for them to lure in the people I care about and— [sizhui hesitates, open-mouthed and a little frantically wide-eyed during his explanation, the abrupt memory of a recurring nightmare of his hitting full-force.
he exhales, briefly closes his mouth and inclines his head, eyes slipping shut.] I have always hoped someone would stop me before it got too far, no matter what the cost.
[and yes, his death is included because he'd prefer it over suddenly becoming himself again, being wholly aware of all the destruction he'd caused . . . it's frightening to even consider it happening, let alone knowing it could somehow, someway on one of those foreign worlds.]
no subject
( something in that answer making jingyi shift his attention to focus, unblinking, on his best friend. younger, not a dragon, but still someone he knows, and he'd fight worlds for, because that's what one does. )
I'd stop you.
( he says, simple as that. simple as saying, without death, because he doesn't... doubt his capability, here, to do that. even when sizhui has the edge on him in skills, he lacks the extra set that he would from back home, and jingyi feels to his bones he can keep his best friend from becoming the fright of that monster, outside of his own control.
but.
and there's always a but.
but. )
With dragons, it's as you say, and worse.
no subject
I know you would.
[it's one of many reasons why he trusts lan jingyi, after all. regardless of friendship (but because of it too), they've both mutually agreed to stop the other if there ever comes a chance where they are out of control. however, being truthful, sizhui would likely struggle a fair amount while battling a dragon, but he'd die trying before not making an effort.
there comes another sigh following jingyi's revelation, something far calmer than the way his stomach flip-flops at the thought.]
Have you fought often because you are dragon-souled or? [obviously not good either way, he'd imagine, but that doesn't keep him from reassuring,] Even with your advantage, I would stop you too, for what it's worth. [without any ifs, ands or buts stated outrightly.]