"Yeah. That's how I died, actually, protecting someone else in a war we were fighting."
Finnick genuinely feels like if he tells Inigo about the true nature of his world, the kid might keel over. He already seems so surprised by things that are basic to Finnick, and his world's special hell is a lot to hear about, even for some seasoned and traumatized folks.
"Let's just say I had to learn to survive and kill at a young age."
Oddly enough Inigo doesn't sound as surprised in the face of this information. Yes, he still looks pretty sad, but it doesn't look like this information is blowing his mind. After all, Inigo also had to learn how to survive and kill at a young age - or at least how to fight, and in his world fights often come down to exactly that. Especially once the apocalypse just outright started happening.
"I am sorry that things happened that way," he first offers - because not saying this would just feel plainly wrong here.
But he's also not the type to ever linger for too long on the more negative sentiment. So after saying that, he can't help but add: "Though you are a very impressive person to have gone down that way. Not many people would be capable of doing such a thing." Deciding that their life isn't as important as someone else's, he means.
Well, it's a very toned down description of Finnick's world. He always feels the need to tone it down, especially with people he doesn't know well, and younger people.
The kid's sentiment is nice, and for once Finnick isn't quick to brush it off.
"Thanks. I appreciate you saying that."
He was in a unique position to help the revolution, and he is learning how to be proud of the things he did. Part of that is accepting it when people tell him he did something good.
"I also learned how to fight at a young age." He prefers not calling it killing and surviving. Partially because he wants to make it all seem better than it really was, and partially because it hadn't really been the initial goal. No one knew just how bad things were going to get when they first started teaching him how to hold a sword and fight with it, after all.
He even tries shooting a slight smile Finnick's way as he's saying it.
"My parents felt like it was an important skill for me to learn." Which is.. true, even if he's omitting a lot of details here. Inigo is pretty good at painting a more sunny picture of things that aren't all that sunny at all. "And it paid off. Being a mercenary is practically my job now. I travel around with a group of other people back home who are all committed to protecting the innocent. We call ourselves the Shepherds!"
"Hm." Finnick nods. To him, it doesn't sound like the boy is looking on the bright side of a bad situation but rather is naive or lives in a very different world from Finnick's. He also generally cringes when people call themselves heroes or have other names for their own altruistic tendencies. In Finnick's mind, helping others survive is just part of living in a cruel world, more of a grim duty than anything moralistic or positive. But Finnick is very cynical.
"That's good that you protect people. That's important."
Finnick is sincere about that. He's always tried to protect others.
But of course Inigo doesn't bother to explain. He's perfectly fine with presenting this view of his world and the things he does to someone else, wiping everything else right underneath the carpet, out of view. He doesn't even realize any of the thoughts going through the other's head either, naturally, so he just smiles at Finnick like he's glad to have gotten a compliment from him.
"Yes! It's one of the most important things in the world, don't you think? I have been doing my best to continue up that duty even in this place, since I wouldn't want anyone to have to be unhappy until we find a way to make this place more safe and for the people who have to go home to be able to return."
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no subject
Finnick genuinely feels like if he tells Inigo about the true nature of his world, the kid might keel over. He already seems so surprised by things that are basic to Finnick, and his world's special hell is a lot to hear about, even for some seasoned and traumatized folks.
"Let's just say I had to learn to survive and kill at a young age."
no subject
"I am sorry that things happened that way," he first offers - because not saying this would just feel plainly wrong here.
But he's also not the type to ever linger for too long on the more negative sentiment. So after saying that, he can't help but add: "Though you are a very impressive person to have gone down that way. Not many people would be capable of doing such a thing." Deciding that their life isn't as important as someone else's, he means.
no subject
The kid's sentiment is nice, and for once Finnick isn't quick to brush it off.
"Thanks. I appreciate you saying that."
He was in a unique position to help the revolution, and he is learning how to be proud of the things he did. Part of that is accepting it when people tell him he did something good.
"What about you? You fight?"
no subject
"I also learned how to fight at a young age." He prefers not calling it killing and surviving. Partially because he wants to make it all seem better than it really was, and partially because it hadn't really been the initial goal. No one knew just how bad things were going to get when they first started teaching him how to hold a sword and fight with it, after all.
He even tries shooting a slight smile Finnick's way as he's saying it.
"My parents felt like it was an important skill for me to learn." Which is.. true, even if he's omitting a lot of details here. Inigo is pretty good at painting a more sunny picture of things that aren't all that sunny at all. "And it paid off. Being a mercenary is practically my job now. I travel around with a group of other people back home who are all committed to protecting the innocent. We call ourselves the Shepherds!"
no subject
"That's good that you protect people. That's important."
Finnick is sincere about that. He's always tried to protect others.
no subject
But of course Inigo doesn't bother to explain. He's perfectly fine with presenting this view of his world and the things he does to someone else, wiping everything else right underneath the carpet, out of view. He doesn't even realize any of the thoughts going through the other's head either, naturally, so he just smiles at Finnick like he's glad to have gotten a compliment from him.
"Yes! It's one of the most important things in the world, don't you think? I have been doing my best to continue up that duty even in this place, since I wouldn't want anyone to have to be unhappy until we find a way to make this place more safe and for the people who have to go home to be able to return."