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

Guri |OTA

[marvelous_murderbot]

She doesn't say much. Her experience had been...exceptionally rough. So much so that, emotions shut off she'd barely managed to help in the final stages at all.

The bullet wounds don't show under her jumpsuit, but the singed, uneven hair is a definite sign - as is the fact that, though she comes to the social event, she chooses a corner, fortifies it will pillows, and that's it.

[sos_pilot]

Della pretends to knock on the "pillow door", eyebrows raised - Guri's usually lovely hair looking like that definitely sends off a red flag or two.

"Hey... mind if I 'come in'?"

[marvelous_murderbot]

She nods, shuffling over a bit to make room. She draws her knees up, wrapping her arms around them.

"Hello, Della."

[sos_pilot]

Della sits next to her, watching her friend carefully. "... Do you wanna talk about it?"

[marvelous_murderbot]

"No," she replied, a bit sullenly. "But I should, shouldn't I? Otherwise it will only get worse, and fester."

She paused.

"I was happy. And then the world fell down and I was reminded how humans really think of beings like me, in moments of fear and crisis."

A pause.

"I only turned my emotions back on yesterday."

Which, by itself, is a rather major admission. To escape the pain of it, the contradictory feelings warring inside of her - she'd just shut parts of herself down.

[sos_pilot]

Della didn't even know Guri could turn off her emotions! What a surprise! After some blinking, she moved to pull Guri into a hug.

"Some humans would envy that ability... even though they shouldn't." She admitted. "And I'm glad you turned them back on."

[marvelous_murderbot]

"They shouldn't," she agree, "but I had never experienced such conflict and given people were trying to kill me, they were problematic in the extreme."

She pauses.

"They hurt more than the bullet wounds, now."

[sos_pilot]

"Oh Guri." She leans on her friend. "... I was hunted down as well, if that helps at all."

[marvelous_murderbot]

She looks over, mustering a sympathetic look.

"I am unsurprised. It is deeply unfortunate, but...no, I don't think it helps.

She reached down, unzipping her jumpsuit a bit, to reveal the bullet wound to her sternum.

"At least relatively little damage was caused. The wounds to the skin are healing. It could, I suppose, have been much worse."

[sos_pilot]

"Oh, honey!" Della gets on her knees to see the wound. "Does it hurt?"

[marvelous_murderbot]

"Less now. In the moment I had to turn off pain sensors. I've never been hit by slugthrower rounds before. Let alone three total."

She seems more than a little bit miffed she was that sloppy.

"But it lodged against the metal of the sternum, minor muscle damage and to the skin, all of which should heal without scarring. Theoretically, at least - my skin was designed with energy weapons in mind."

[sos_pilot]

"But how much is less? Do you need to lay down?"

Mom's gunna mom.

"Do you want anything to eat? Have you gotten that wound looked at by someone? Do you need more pillows?"

[marvelous_murderbot]

She shook her head.

"I will be fine, Della. I have ensured there will be no infection, but the rest is fine. I have not even been limping from the third one."

[blitzcheer]

...Guri did say she's good at blending in. (Does a pillow fort around herself count? Yes.)

Still, it doesn't go unnoticed by Tidus, and even if she might want to be alone... he comes crouching down beside her Guri-built space, arms around his legs.

"Heyyyy, Guri... hi?"

Slowly does it.

[marvelous_murderbot]

"Hello," she replies, slowly and eventually.

[blitzcheer]

"Hi," he repeats, glad to hear her voice. "You call this a Just Tired fort? Or is this something...more than that."

[marvelous_murderbot]

"It seemed to fit," she replied. "I don't know."

That last by itself should set off an alarm bell - Guri doesn't generally say that about any of her actions.

[blitzcheer]

It is a not-Guri like thing; Tidus quiet for a second, but-

"Don't know if I can help, but... if you wanna talk about it," he tries. "That whole mission - it was a lot."

What part of it really got to her, though?

[marvelous_murderbot]

"Yes. I had thought that with an artificial brain, the illusions could not take full hold of me."

There is a pregnant pause.

"It turns out they found a way to be persuasive - they presented me with a world I actually wanted. Before they just tried to frighten me with the past."

[blitzcheer]

His mouth thins, a sympathetic look crossing his face.

"Are you sad to lose it?"

[marvelous_murderbot]

"Yes," she replied, after a moment. "It was an impossible life, one I can never have. But it was everything I have ever wanted, and so...I was persuaded it was, for a time."

[blitzcheer]

"What was it?" Tidus can't help but to ask, and wonder. "Was it really that impossible?"

What made it that way?

[marvelous_murderbot]

The silence lingers longer this time.

"It was a normal life. I had a shop. I was content. There was...a romantic partner. I was happy."

[blitzcheer]

Tidus is quiet for a moment himself, though the sentiment in him hearing her doesn't evolve from it. Rather, he wants to be careful when he does finally speak; reassuring, encouraging with his words.

"That's not that impossible, is it? You said you used to be an assassin, but then you moved away from that; you've got a life ahead of you. Owning a store and having someone to be with - sounds like a fun goal to me!"

He can't help it, ending on an optimistic note. Guri on some planet somewhere, living her life.

It sounded nice.

[marvelous_murderbot]

"I'm not human," she said, flatly.

"And what I've learned in the past, and this planet reminded me, is that I will always be other than what they are. And when push comes to shove, they remember that."

She shook her head.

"They burned my shop, a mob coming for the scary robot. All their fears about their world focused on something they could strike at - and of course it was easy to portray me as a violent, unfeeling machine."

She looks at him slowly.

"Your optimism is kind, however."