video/action

[sos_pilot]

[Video]

[ Della's face pops up looking... well, like everyone else - exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally. She smacks her beak a bit, before speaking. ]

... So. That sucked.

[ Fully aware that's the understatement of the century, Della draws a breath, and tries again. ]

I think we could all use a nice, long breather after everything... and, gosh darn it, as Train Mom, that is my sacred duty. Hugs? Head on the lap? Head-pats telling you that you did a good job? A shoulder to cry on? Venting out all your feelings without judgement? I'm right here.

[ She slaps her chest, then slaps a small sign on on the sports/gym car. It reads

EXHAUST PILE WITHIN

But as she does this, Tidus enters the scene - Della jumps, surprised, almost forgetting his presence.

He just smiles, holding up two cups with steam coming off them, then addresses the video feed as well. ]

We're also making big batches of cocoa too. Any of you that're gonna stress bake? There's room for that room - s'long as you don't need a nap first.

[ It's a small chide though, his smile small but sympathetic. ]

I've gotten out some incense pots from the supplies - you guys who got your head thrown into a blender by that aash-- uh, that jerk, [ he takes a swift glance at Della, then back ] --it'll help you relax. Just some, but better than nothin'. I'll set some off in Momma Duck's air nest, but if you're not doing great and you think you need a pot? Tell me. Raven made a lot of good stuff for good nights sleep if you need any in the medcar, too.

... So, yes. Cocoa. Incense. Hugging. And if you want to sleep with friends for a couple nights, we got air beds and extra pillows in here. Nobody has to get up and go until they feel ready.

And if that's not enough, that's fine too. Maybe next month we do something a little more organized, if you have any suggestions - movie night, sleepover night, big eat night, whatever, I'm listening. And I'm here for you.

[ Action ]

And inside the sports gym, the pair can be found. They have a few airbeds blown up, but there's more that still need airing up if you pop in straight after their message. There's also a tremendous amount of pillows. If you want to help, get blowing, and make these airbeds look nice and comfy!

The transgate from the standard coach has mysteriously been moved to the sports gym's outer hallway. Who did that? But it makes it easier to bring in the cups of hot chocolate from the kitchens, and for anyone who wants to bring snacks to do so. Take a seat, remember to bring your sleeping bag and whatever else you want. Plushes, your own musical instrument to offer some de-stress medication of your own with a melody.

And there's an area where small incense pots burn away, a gentle mist rising up. It won't heal the mind completely, but it will offer it some peace. And if you're worried about nightmares, a few of Raven's sachets and teas are available.

So come get a mom hug. Come and offer hugs. Just come and get something out of the company, whatever it is. Tidus and Della - and others - will be here to give a hand.

The life you had might've been fake, but the people around you aren't.

((OOC: consider this a mingling post, where everyone is free to tag everyone else! be the comforter, the one offering comfort, both, whatever!))

Comments

setting up

[blitzcheer]

"Thanks for coming to help!" He's seen this guy in passing, doesn't really know him otherwise, but hey, help is help. And Tidus is going to take any when it comes to the mattresses, groaning soon after.

"There's gotta be an easier way to blow up these things. I'm gonna run out of aiiir."

No he's not, he's just complaining because he can (and it makes him feel better).

[dyingpro]

Zag is in the middle of blowing up another air mattress when Tidus starts speaking to him. He puffs out the last of his breath, leaning back for a minute to get some air. "It's really no trouble," Zagreus answers back after a moment, smiling before taking another deep lungful and blowing up the air mattress another half-inch. "Gods, this is tough. I'm sure if Master Hermes were here, he'd have these blown up in no time."

... is it possible to ask Hermes for a speed boost while on the Voidtrecker Express? Does he have to buy it from the Shop, like Charon's many wares? Who knows.

"Does the future have anything that can blow up balloons like this any faster?"

[blitzcheer]

Tidus would very much like to ask their own Ryo if he could wind spell an air mattress ... which he doubts, and knows wouldn't be effective, but when you're getting through as many air mattresses as these, the thought of considering is semi-comforting.

But as for reality: "Pass, I've never seen anything like these. We just got an inn or suffered the ground."

He takes a look at the ones left to blow. Inconspicuous, when they're flat as a pancake, but Tidus knows that means nothing for what his lungs are going to go through, an air mattress only half-filled in front of him.

Still, the taking breaks between is kinda nice. "An air-filling machine... what would that even look like?"

As future-tech as his Zanarkand was, he never saw everything there was to exist. Musing that thought, he starts to blow.

[dyingpro]

"I can sleep when I'm dead," Zagreus jokes, though without knowing him the full context of the joke isn't clear. Needless to say, Zagreus keeps doing his best with the air mattresses, which is difficult by hand.

"Well, like those things we had back on Jinnjar to help dry our hair. Or those machines to blow cool wind in our faces. Or maybe even one of those things you blow up a tire with. Something like that?" If he thought a little harder he might be able to remember what they're called, but it may just be easier to explain what they do at this point rather than struggle trying to recall their names.

After several more puffs, Zagreus finally fills up his air mattress, and he puts the cap back on the airhole so it won't escape as easily. Now time to test it out, obviously! He presses on it a few times with his hands to check for springiness, before belly flopping straight onto it from a kneeling position to check for softness. After both pass the test, he gives Tidus a big thumbs up, sighing contentedly as he sinks into the air mattress. "This is nicer than I expected," he finally answers after freeing his face from its vinyl grasp.

[blitzcheer]

I can sleep when I'm dead. It gets a small huff out of Tidus, at least taking it for the joke it presumably is. He's not the busybody type by looks anyway, but who knows? But as he goes on with all the air blowing appliances, Tidus recognises them all except for the tire one.

"A tire blower thingamajig?" He suggests for a name than asking for explanation, since the description along gives it. But alas, what tires did Tidus need to blow over in that fake world? About as many things he needed to blow air into in his own dream world.

But regardless, Zags air is all blown into his own mattress, and Tidus gives the event the attention it decides, a quirk of a smile on his face. He'd clap to the thumbs up, but he's got his thumb on the hole; but that doesn't stop giving a 'Waheeyy' in congratulations.

"Think we should nag the train for them on missions? With an air pump blowing thingymajig." Ah- "And if you plan on being dead."

[dyingpro]

"So the thing I'm thinking of, there's two types. One is for smaller tires, on bicycles and the like, and you pump it with your hands. Still need some physical labor to use it, but it's got to be better on your lungs overall. And then there's one for bigger tires, that you plug into the wall, and it builds up pressure, and you can then use it to blow up a tire of a car or something with the pressure inside the machine." He squints his multi-colored eyes for a few moments, then giving up with a huff. "I'll think of it eventually. Not that it matters right now, we've still got some more to blow up."

Zagreus finally pushes himself back up, sitting halfway on the air mattress while he picks up another one and pulls it toward him, starting the process all over again. He will stop to answer questions, though!

"Oh absolutely. The people who love to sleep are going to love these on missions," he agrees wholeheartedly, with a bit of a grin at Tidus' continuation of his joke. "I may think about it, if it means I get to sleep on one of these instead of the ground."

[blitzcheer]

Tidus hums, but he's not getting anywhere. Does he know what Zagreus means? There's his memories of being in Jinnjar, but they're faded to a degree; none of the fake childhood clings to him, and he apparently took the trains to get to anywhere (no, he knows that, remembers doing it for 'real'). And his life on a boat - what kind of boat needed tires?

"I'll ask someone," he decides, between a pause for air, and then his lips going back around the flap. There, that's easy - throw the question to someone else. Dennis? Or Della. One of them might know.

He's grinning though, at the guy's approval. Takes him a moment - or a few good blows - to think about coming out for air, or commentary, but it doesn't less the mirth in his voice.

"I'll tell the train to get on it! Though, you might have better luck." And the mirth in his voice increases. "I tell that train stuff it ignores every other day. Loves to ignore me - most the time."

He has to say that, doesn't he - or they wouldn't have any mattresses in the first place.