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...

He's thinking really hard over here. Did any of his friends do it back home? He's never seen Gerome do it before stepping on his wyvern before, for one.. Maybe Kjelle did it, considering she's so serious? But it's exactly that seriousness that makes him unable to imagine her moving like this.

The whole deal just remains confusing. Which is why, after a moment or two of really, really making those gears in his brain grind away, Inigo just says: "I've never done that before."

At least he's being honest, rather than stupidly bluffing his way out of this.

"....Oh."

It's that knowledgeable kind of oh, where he's thinking through a few things himself, like Have I ever seen Inigo do that? -- and realising, along with Inigo's response, that he never has seen the other guy do stretches. And he's never bothered to bring it up, since who's he to say Inigo was never doing them before he showed up for practices?

So he blinks, taking in this new piece of information.

"Well... let's do some simple ones, see how your body takes to them." Right? He doesn't want Inigo to pull a muscle here, so. He stretches out an arm in its opposite direction, hooking it with his other.

"You've seen me do this, right? These help your shoulders. You wanna do each side for ten seconds, and look the other way. Work on your neck too."

And you don't need to ask Tidus to do his stretches, since he'll stand posing in the way he means, then wait for Inigo to copy him.

"I've seen you do a lot of things."

It's mostly said with a bit of humor, because really, it had been impossible to not see Tidus constantly stretching - but Inigo thought it was just a Tidus thing. Or a blitzball thing. Not a general human thing that he just missed out on because his world seems to be so different from most other worlds represented in this place.

Which is a lot to process here - and honestly, there's a part of this whole train experience that's made more annoying because of it, that it's been almost a year and he's still finding out about new things that some people around him consider deadly normal - but Inigo tries to not think about it too hard for now.

Instead he just tries to do. Moving his arms to copy Tidus. It's a little uneasy at first, considering he's not exactly used to the positioning of this arms like that, but then he seems to get it and starts moving.

Though as he's moving, he slowly speaks up with: ".. Do you think these are just normal in Zanarkand, or in more places?"

There's not a lot of moving, really. They need to keep the pose with a countdown in their heads, though Tidus has done it long enough to figure when to switch and stretch the other side.

"Hmm - yoga's a form of stretching. So, I guess there's other places. You should ask Roland?" He might know, or at least it was another world to compare it with.

"I guess it depends on what you know, or what you've got going on. We learned to do this to help with muscles not cramping up. Trying to keep your body safe so you're not out of it for a week, you know?"

It's casually given, just information he learned from health training. He puts a hand to the side and stretches out the other.

"Try this one, see how it feels. Get it comfortable."

Hopefully, Inigo won't feel any real pain.

Inigo lets out a breath - it's hard to determine the emotion behind it, but while he doesn't exaclty look upset, he doesn't seem happy either, not really.

"I guess we were a little too busy to worry about muscles cramping up."

After all, most of the time they didn't even have time to prepare for battle. Maybe a few times in the past, but in the future? They hardly even had time to rest before they had to get up and run right back into battle, to not even start about the times they had been caught off guard mid-rest. What time to warm up had been there? What energy had been there to worry about how your muscles felt when you were busy just trying to not totally bleed out?

Inigo shakes his head to himself, moving to the other pose Tidus is using now.

".. I'm not sure I like how this feels though." Not that it really hurts, but it all feels so weird. And with how fussy Inigo is? Of course he's going to worry if it's just because he's never done this before or if there's just something officially wrong with him personally. (Thank god there was no way to google medical symptoms in Ylisse the way there is in modern worlds, or Inigo would always believe he was dying.)

That makes sense as Tidus listens to Inigo reflect on back home, nothing he comments on. If Inigo didn't do it, then that's fair; their experiences were different, and why would even that be the same? Did the people in the armies do it? The warrior monks?

Still, Tidus is reassuring, pausing before he moves to stretch his other side.

"That's fine - you're not used to it. It's gonna feel funny the first time you do it. You only spend about a minute doing it, then you get ready for your workout. You stretch your arms, your legs... it's like waking up your body before you really start moving."

Easy, no problem. And instead of doing the stretch he's supposed to, he's goes for one similar to the dance warm-up move: moving a leg behind him while he puts weight onto leg bending forward, hands resting on his sides.

"This one's good for your waist, and stretching your legs. I like these ones the best!"

Then again, he likes the arms one too... especially after getting into sword fighting!

Look at this expert over here.

Though it is true - Tidus has about a thousand lightyears' worth of more experience with this than Inigo, so why wouldn't he be inclined to listen to the other on this? It's why Inigo is following his every move here, although now the tables seem to have flipped. Whereas Tidus felt ridiculous doing the dancing moves, now Inigo feels like he must be looking ridiculous. Especially since he sure can feel that muscle in his leg when he stretches it backwards.

Maybe his body just doesn't want to wake up. Or maybe he's just bummed that even this, even dancing of all things, ends up evolving into something he doesn't understand. Just like everything has, for a long while now.

But Tidus seems so into it that Inigo tries to smile a little all the same as he does it, really trying to push down that mood, though he can feel it brewing in his stomach.

"You really thought before about which of these you like the most?"

"Sure! Everyone has a favourite something, right?" So why not favourite stretches? Though his choices didn't differ far from those that were recommended for blitzballers, and he shakes his arms now, like he's loosening them up that way after a few stretches.

"S'not so bad, huh?" ...though, he is picking up a leg and bending it behind him. He can never turn off the stretches. "You should try them before you do practice! You don't have to spend long, a minute and you're done. What do you think? We could see what other routines they have, if you wanna skip the one we were on."

That was just a warm-up anyway, right? A guy like Inigo would want to see what else they have, surely!

"It's not bad! Just.. strange. Is doing this for a minute really going to do anything?"

Other than make his muscles feel all weird, anyway? Or maybe that's the intended effect. Make his muscles feel weird in advance so they won't feel weird later. Inigo sure doesn't know.

And though he's trying to not show that uncertainty too much, it's hard to not let it slip out a little when Tidus goes ahead and asks him that question.

"And I-- uh, I don't know. I really thought it was going to be a different kind of dancing."

"Let's see what they have!" Oh, Tidus catches that look of uncertainty, and whether it's because he's asking Inigo what he wants from tech, he can take the reins here.

Plus, he isn't sure what this program has, thanks to being Mister 'I don't need to read instructions'. Except there's no reason yet to think that was a bad call while he's still managing to get through the thing, a 'End session?' voice heard in their ears as Tidus backs out of the current warm-up. Choices appear again as windows in front of the holo-figure, who has changed back to an idea pose.

Tidus eyes the different sections by types of dance and music, tilting his head. Then he looks to Inigo, nods to them.

"Why don't you pick one? You recognise any of the dance types here?"

It's time for Inigo to do the ultimate old person move. Apparently it's something shared by people over the age of 50 and medieval people - the thing where he moves his face closer towards the windows, as if he somehow can't see the options from a regular person range.

(Hey, at least the leaning might be its own kind of warming up, though unintentional.)

"I'm trying to look, but I'm not sure.." He glances over at Tidus. "Hey, is there any way to make these images bigger?"

Sorry that you have to deal with the teenage equivalent of a grandpa, Tidus.

"These are bigger than magazines!" Tidus protests, incredulous that Inigo can have a problem here. Look! They're single words on each of the window buttons! Tidus gestures to the selection.

"Just pick one and see what it does!"

Geez Inigo, do you need glasses?? Everyone can read Spiran on this train!

"Excuse me for not being up to date with your.."

Oh gosh, how do they call this stuff again. Inigo waves his hand at the images, clearly meaning to say 'holograms', but having a total brainfart over here. What did they call these things again back on that mission that was at least 70% walking? Why is the single braincell failing him now, in the middle of a protest?!

"Y-Your things!"

Best retort ever.

"I mean, are you really suggesting that I just press it," which he does as he says it, "and then I suddenly recognize whatever odd Spira dance it's trying to show me?!"

Coincidentally, the hologram dancer starts giving away a preview. Of this. And it shuts Inigo up, because the beginning of that? Well, it does seem not all that farfetched to him.

All the way until the lyrics kick in and the dancer starts doing the shoulder thing, and his jaw drops at the moves he then suddenly sees. "Is she imitating a monkey?!"

Your things. Your things!!! Tidus pahs, a scoff as he rolls his eyes, exasperated as Inigo gets whiny right in front of his salad instead of just playing around with the very nicely labelled buttons PROJECTING FROM THE HOLOGRAM. What's so weird about that!! Was he this bad back in Spira?! (yes)

"Well I don't know what you know!" Tidus shoots back, voice rising in that same whiny tone as Inigo is giving him. "Just mess around with it 'til you find something you like! I don't know dances! You're the dance guy!"

All said before the woman gets into the groove of her dancing, and Inigo is just balking.

"Don't ask me," he huffs, but he's watching as the dance continues, and...okay, maybe it's stupid, and so reluctantly - and with a huff - he moves them other of the dance preview, hovers his forefinger in a circle as he looks at the options and picks one at random.

This one can't be stupid, can it!?

Hah! See, he knows Tidus is totally agreeing with him if the other is actually bothering to try and select another song. You can't fool him! Can't pull the wool over his eyes!

And this new one seems.. kind of weirdly theatrical? Dramatic? He can't exactly imagine Tidus being very much into this, but maybe they should just pick something and do it already, or all they're going to do here all day is just stand there. Maybe Inigo can adjust to all this newfangled weirdness somehow. Maybe he just needs to buckle up.

(Not that he knows just how much it goes faster and more intense later on..)

"Alright, let's just do this one." And since he is learning.. a little bit.. he presses the button that makes it start.

The lady's voice rings out in their earpieces again to signal the start of the dance. Better be ready for this dramatic intro, Tidus.

If Inigo's going to settle on this one - and because of the (fighting!!) mood he's already in - Tidus answers with a 'Fine!' that's getting prepared, even as he's shaking his arms again, getting ready for the song and dance to start up properly. He said he was going to dance with Inigo, and if he has to slowly wave his arms around, then that's what he's going to do - without thinking about it! Except for thinking about how he's gonna win this.

Or get through it, anyway, that's mainly the goal. And it seems easy going with the slow intro, but then they're being chucked into tapping their whole leg. The higgledies are down for this, Gibbers ecstatic to be wiggling his tiny leg and squeaking! Waving arms! Hopping side to side!

Tidus isn't thinking about how stupid this is anymore, at least. It's GO TIME.

Maybe this is all the boys needed.

An incredibly dumb distraction. Something to keep their jumpy minds occupied.

And if there's anything this song and dance routine is good at, it's exactly that. Because it starts to speed up, and it just keeps going, making them pump their arms, jump up, kicking up their legs without a break. Now that's a workout.

Inigo isn't realising that though. He's just focused on trying to copy the movements as well as he can, even as sweat slowly starts to drip down his forehead.

The only thing he's able to say while he's still moving is just: "Can you keep up?"

You hanging in there, bro? Pal?

When Tidus isn't thinking about how he must look and just getting into the groove, then whatever he's doing doesn't matter. And he gets out of it what was the purpose in the first place: the fun.

Because keeping up, putting his all in to it, getting to move - those are three of Tidus's favourite things. He doesn't think to glance Inigo's way immediately, but he does take a few in time; to see that he's still doing, but glad he isn't hearing any complaints. If he's not complaining, then surely he's getting into this! Which means Tidus needs to stay focused too.

And hah, asking him if he can keep up!

"You should ask yourself!" he throws out, a friendly kind of bite to it. "I'm gonna dance your socks off!"

By being the best dancer there is!!

Does the dance instructor have an actual scoring system? Probably not, but these two seem to somehow be getting into the spirit of it all the same.

Especially since Inigo won't take that laying down. No matter how worried he is about his actual dancing abilities, they're still the one thing that feel even a little bit like they're his special thing. So..

"You were born a thousand years too late to beat me!"

Pal!!

Though he's definitely going to need a break once this song is done. But is it done yet? No, it just seems to keep going. Or maybe it just feels longer than it actually is, since Inigo's limbs sure are starting to feel the burn, even as he's still moving accurately along with the moves.

"Hah! Show me it, then!"

Tidus loves a competitive spirit, and he loves the burn. There's some delay when they have to switch their moves, but the move sets are forgiving for the most part, easy to predict after a while and when one pays attention to the music along with it.

It's more involved than the warm-up dance session had been, that by the time that the song does finally end, Tidus is putting his hands to his knees, bent over, catching a breath that's finally allowed the chance to be caught.

"Haaa...! Woo!" And up he comes back. He claps once, taking a few steps he has to watch back for, minding not to stumble off the stage.

"How about that!" He may just be throwing out phrases in his rush, but he looks over at Inigo, wanting to see how he looks, his mood. "Well? You got into it!"

Don't hide it!

By the time Tidus looks over at Inigo, the other has already let himself drop to the ground, now sitting on the stage as he catches his breath. It's a lot more intense than the way he usually dances, after all, so he needs a moment over here.

Especially since all the mid-song energy leaves him all of a sudden. It's the usual post-dance confidence crash, but somehow it doesn't feel as bad this time, as his heart still pounds away rapidly in his chest.

".. I did," he slowly admits, sucking in another deep breath, putting his hand on his chest. "But so did you, mister not-a-dancer."

"Hey, if it's shaking my limbs, I told you! I'm a natural!" Truthfully, Tidus wouldn't consider any of what they did dancing (nothing he'd be proud of or be planning to show off, anyway), but he's not going to be bashful about having a good time.

But if Inigo's going down on the floor, then so might as well Tidus, the two higgledies hopping over to the pair, with Gibbers still dancing in the spinning jumps he does to get between them. He waves up his hands, as if proud in their achievements! Or, he's just being a higgledy.

"See? You've just gotta give new stuff a chance! We don't even know what the rest of the dances are yet. Could be something more your style in there."

"Well, this one wasn't so bad either." Even if it was absolutely nothing like what Inigo is used to. Even in the slightest. But he is at least willing to admit as much.

Though for a moment his attention is instead drawn towards Jumblie, as she too moves closer towards the pair until she hops up on Inigo's lap, still dancing back and forth, like she's rearing to go for more! The higgle energy never ends.

It makes Inigo smile a little, and feel brave enough to look over at Tidus and be honest, rather than push everything down.

"I think the stretching thing just kind of threw me off. It always feels so strange to discover things that seem so natural to others, even though I've never even heard of them before." His hand moves to idle pat Jumblie's head over her cute little sunhat. "You'd think I would run out of things to discover after having been here so long, but sometimes it still feels like I don't really know anything."

At least he doesn't seem upset about the words as he says them. That small smile is still present, even as he speaks up about his fussing.

Tidus can understand the higgledies' energies 110%. He'll be rearing to go again before long, but that isn't on his mind as he listens to Inigo. Soft-spoken, telling - in that way where he's attempting to be honest about something that's bothering him. One of those things he can't quite wrap his head around or figure out the words for to start, though Tidus quickly knows what he wants to say.

"Why would you know?" He leans back, with his arms propping him from behind. "That goes for other people too. Hey, you shouldn't get worried because of what I said about stretching before dancing. I don't know what dancers do - I only know what I did to keep fit for blitzball! Everyone's life is different. I'd be just as lost in your world."

He looks away from Inigo, up to the ceiling, over to the higgledies. A smile lifting on his face.

"Know what I learned when I ended up in Spira? Then ending up on this train... sometimes," he says, "you've just gotta accept that nothing makes sense! That way, it doesn't really matter what you know or don't know, right? You're just along for the ride."

Tidus is entirely right in what he's saying. How would Inigo be supposed to know about things that just.. don't happen where he comes from, whether it's due to cultural differences or just the fact that at least half of his life so far has had a total upheaval due to endless war? And yet he somehow can't help the impulse to fuss about it anyway, as irrational as it is. Maybe it's just because he's so constantly worried about what he looks like in the eyes of others.

.. then again, maybe Tidus should be the last person he ought to be worried about that sort of thing with.

He sucks in a breath, hoping to expel some of the nervous energy along with the air when he exhales again and smiles.

"So you're admitting that nothing you ever say makes sense?"

Look. Sometimes dumb jokes are the only way to cope.

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the outfit that woman is wearing would fit in zanarkand

NOW I'M JUST IMAGINING THE PANDA SUIT INSTRUCTOR

unlock the panda suit for ur holo-coach by dancing More

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