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

kaiba | orange | closed + ota

[blue_ice]

for siebren

Seto hasn't moved too much for the last day or so. His dreams have been bright and expansive, but his energy is completely gone. It's almost like he'd run several marathons over the last week. But there's one small spark giving him a trickle of energy today, and that's Della.

Her enthusiasm and desire to draw everyone close echoes across the bond, and he's compelled to answer. So he drags himself out of bed, and begins a very, very slow trek up the train. He only makes it to the library before he slumps over a chair at an unnatural angle. If he just rests his legs for a minute...one minute and he tries to push himself up again. It's gonna take a few attempts, and when he sees a shadow approaching...

"It's nothing, I'm just...seeking coffee..."

Yeah, that sounds right.

at the gym-ota, two sub-prompts

Eventually, Seto successfully arrives. He drops almost immediately onto a beanbag chair from Games, dressed in his orange pajamas and holding a stuffed blue dragon with beady eyes on his lap. Does he care about how ridiculous this looks? Not really. He rubs his temple against a familiar headache.

"Anan might've slightly undersold the side effects of anchoring. But was that the only way to get volunteers..."

Or if you catch him at a less grouchy moment, he'll flash a tired smile. "We could stand to look a little more alive."

[blitzcheer]

"Who cares, let's look dead," Tidus contests. "Unless you've got an idea for something we should be doing-" he gestures to the big sleepover pile,

"--This is the 'be dead and social' pile!"

And something about food in there.

"At least this way we're not walking around half-asleep everywhere, you know?"

[blue_ice]

"Dead and social are usually contradictory..."

Seto shakes his head with a snort. But he's down for that. He looks up at Tidus, taking a moment to form words. Everything's just slightly difficult at the moment.

"If anyone could manage to set up all this in the state we're in now...of course it was you two. How do you do it?"

[blitzcheer]

"Welcome to the Voidtrecker Express," Tidus gives in an almost sing-song point, mirth present. But to what Seto say, he hums, a side-way nod of his head.

"I didn't anchor like most of you." So, that explains him. "--And Della was upset rainbow disaster didn't make her a mom in fake world. So - time to be a mom now."

And he saw them hug earlier, but nevertheless:

"Be ready to get extra momma ducked."

[blue_ice]

He yawns and flops back on his seat. So Della's in Super Mom mode, huh? "Didn't stop her from trying to mother me back there. Deep down, part of me still trusted her. But to realize you forgot your family..."

Seto reaches up to touch his locket. "I'd be furious too. It was a cheap trick."

[blitzcheer]

"You still have family too." Not that Seto needs Tidus reminding him that, but he gives the guy a friendly knock on the arm. "How're you feeling about it? You mad?"

[blue_ice]

Kaiba answers him with a friendly elbow. It's weak, given how tired he is, but he's trying.

"It was just...eye-opening. I saw two versions of myself I could've been: the wide-eyed nerd I would've been if I'd been raised by a loving family. Less rough around the edges, but without the resources to be brilliant. And then there's the stick in the mud I'd still be if I'd never arrived here. I ran into another timeline's version of myself. He called me a blundering fool, a weak copy of his greatness who was destined to fail all because I love Yugi and tolerate most of you."

He laughs and shakes his head.

"I'm somewhere in the middle, and that's fine. What kind of weird life did you get stuck with?"

[namethattune]

Siebren has spent a good amount of time since the mission traversing the train, helping with food deliveries, picking up slack on chores, and making sure no exhausted teammates are stranded in the hallways.

Evidently Seto is one of the latter, and he can't help but smile at the weak excuse. "And you had not thought to ask for help?" Still, he offers his son a hand up.

[blue_ice]

...ah, it's Father. Seto has the sense to look a little sheepish as he glances up at Siebren and takes the offered hand.

"Della's called everyone up to the gym. And she's..."

Well, this could be awkward. He pauses a moment before continuing.

"She's like a mother to me. I can't ignore her. But I underestimated the length of the walk."

[namethattune]

He had heard the announcement and thought the plan a good one - if multiple people need tending, it's easier to keep them all in one place, and a number of them would certainly find comfort in the contact.

He raises an eyebrow when Seto explains his relationship to Della but does not comment. Now that he knows about it, it makes sense: Della is certainly the motherly type, and Seto had been lacking in compassionate parental figures in his life. "Then perhaps we ought to get going, before she comes looking for you," he says, helping Seto to his feet. "I would be happy to help you walk, though if you fall again, I reserve the right to carry you."

[blue_ice]

"Thanks."

Seto doesn't need to think. Doesn't have the energy to. He just positions himself at Siebren's side, nods tiredly, and resumes the slow trudge to the gym. It's comforting to have him near.

"Are you...all right? I don't remember much from that last day, but I seem to recall you being. Pretty serious."

It's the gentlest phrasing he can muster.

[namethattune]

Siebren wraps an arm around Seto's shoulders, offering the gentle support he had promised. He is capable of carrying Seto, certainly, but he would prefer his son not fall in the first place.

Then Seto speaks, and Siebren cannot say he is surprised.

"You recall me being Sigma." There is no use in sugarcoating it, and no need to around Seto. He already understands. "I do not have the fortitude to anchor as you and the others did, and so I chose to hold the line. Sigma was necessary."

[blue_ice]

Seto balances his own arm on Siebren's back, leaning on him a little. It's fine. He can make it to the gym this way...

...he responds to that matter-of-fact statement by pressing closer, squeezing into a half-hug.

"You've always protected us," is Seto's answer to that. "I trust you completely. I...wanted to make sure you knew that, because coming down from that must be. An experience."

[miseris_socios]

"Don't know." He hadn't anchored, but he'd seen the people who did. He sits down next to Seto, clutching a pillow like it's a lifeline. He looks exhausted anyway, and sways slightly as he sits.

[blue_ice]

Seto reaches down and gently taps Ken's arm. A little gesture of affection, careful not to overwhelm him.

"How are you holding up?"

[miseris_socios]

He leans into the tap, relaxing slightly.

"... Fine. Mad at the stupid monsters, mad at the stupid illusions... don't know why it put me with Siebren rather than Vexen."

[blue_ice]

Seto is perplexed too, to be honest.

"Chaos seemed to...have different methods for breaking different people. He didn't give Della a family, because she's terrifying as a mother who fights to protect her babies. He kept me with the people I already cared for, because that would keep me complacent. Maybe your bond with Vexen was too strong for Chaos's liking."

He sighed. "Do you still get flashes of the false memories? They're not threatening to take over anymore, but you were a great brother. Just so you know."

[miseris_socios]

"... Not... I don't know. Maybe. Everything feels all mixed up after that... but I remember you being a great brother, too." He leans in a little bit, closing his eyes. "... You're a good person anyway. And hopefully you know that."

He can feel himself drooping slightly. "Meanwhile I ran off and got bit by animals or whatever those monsters were. I'm fine, just... I felt useless. I'm not smart like you. I can't fight a lot of things on my own and I'm not smart enough to think around them."

[blue_ice]

"You're not useless," Seto promises Ken, squeezing him against his side. "Chaos was trying to make all of us feel useless. Exploit our weaknesses. I didn't exactly do much better...my power wasn't strong, and I didn't have the drive I needed to fight."

He thinks a moment more. "People aren't tools. That's the thinking of someone who uses people, not anyone you need to respect the opinion of. You'll find your niche, right?"

[sizedoesntmatter]

Yugi understood at least Kaiba's need to having gone to this and he was honestly a little happy that he was in fact sitting down and resting instead of trying to be everywhere so... progress?

For now Yugi moved to plop on down into the pile of pillows that was by the other face first and making himself comfortable there. The pillows were really soft, he wasn't even sure he would want to get out of them after this.

"They might have, but at least you are now actually resting... So I don't need to bother you about it." He might have to for another certain individual however.

[blue_ice]

"Yugi..."

Seto looks up at hm and smiles, reaching for his hand.

"What, is there someone else you have to wrangle?"

Oh, Yugi. Always doing good for others and never resting. This was what made him so admirable...that other Kaiba just didn't understand, Seto thought to himself.

[sizedoesntmatter]

Yugi soon was peaking out from the sea of pillows. He isn't coming out, but at least his hand is for now.

"Maybe. But it's all in a days work to make sure people actually rest."

Considering he doesn't need to and all.

[blue_ice]

Ah, Yugi hidden in the pillows. Seto crawls closer and flops down, careful not to crush him in there. But he wants to stay close.

"You fought the big battle. After everything we went through this week. The other me was an idiot," he grumbles.

[sizedoesntmatter]

"I didn't fight. It was mostly words now and again, the others did more." But soon he was peaking out a little bit more.

"You mean the other Kaiba I saw? Had a chat with him."

[blue_ice]

"...I hope he wasn't too much of an ass to you, but it wouldn't surprise me. Did he tell you why he was so angry about me dating you? "