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

Thanatos | OTA

[controlsthedie]

Thanatos is here. Sort of. He's taken to helping out deliver food and drink to people and then taking way the used dishes after. He can shift locations. He's not tired. He's not emotionally drained. (Not in the same sense of others here, at least.) While he may not have the best service attitude, he does get the job done with efficiency. He even shifts outside the gym, to and from, to keep the noise low and the light show absent.

How often does one get a god of death doing fetch quests or dish pick up for you? Give him your orders.

... Or attempt to get him to join in the event, as difficult as he may be for it.

[sos_pilot]

Della clears her throat - she momentarily left the car to see Thanatos, unsure if he'd be up for displaying emotion or affection in public.

But the guy needed a hug, dammit, and she was going to give him one.

"Hey... thanks for helping out."

[controlsthedie]

"There's no need to thank me." Thanatos lets Della hug him, but he noticeably doesn't hug back. His expression doesn't even change. The fragile person who had cried in her arms doesn't seem present at all. (Neither is Mort.)

"Is there anything else the gym needs?"

[sos_pilot]

"I was tempted to ask if there was anything you need, but I have a fair guess that you'd say no, even if you were lying about it. Especially if you were lying about it."

She also doubts he's going to spill his guts out to her if he's already putting up a front.

"But actually, I did want to tell you something. You might not believe me, but that's on you - I'm an awful liar."

[controlsthedie]

Could it be called a lie if Thanatos doesn't realize what he needs? He thinks he needs tasks to complete, duties to give him worth and a purpose. He's wrong. (Also, he's a horrible liar even if he did try to.)

Thanatos waits for Della to stop speaking before asking, "... What is it?"

[sos_pilot]

"... I was part of the group fighting Chaos. And, as it turned out, talking to him did way more than trying to kick his non-existent face in. And when I was trying to talk to him... I found myself remembering the talk we had."

She smiles up at him, gently. "It was thanks to you that I think we were able to get through to him... because I tried to treat him the way I treated you."

[fivemilesdeep]

Ryo is seated on a pillow, blanket draped over his shoulders and Lagos tucked into the pocket of his robe, when Thanatos passes by. He knows Thanatos isn't quite there - he hadn't really been during the last day of the mission, and if Ryo himself hasn't recovered, he can't expect Thanatos to have done the same - but...he can't act like nothing is wrong. Thanatos is his friend - in the illusion, Thanatos was his brother - and seeing him checked out like this hurts. He can't stand it.

He doesn't have the energy to handle this - not really - but that doesn't stop him from speaking up. "Thanatos?"

[controlsthedie]

Thanatos stops his floating, some mugs with the last dregs of hot cocoa in his hands. He might as well be a moving statue with how blank his expression seems to be. (Some statues have more emotion than he does.)

"Did you need something?"

[fivemilesdeep]

Oh, this isn't nearly as bad as Ryo had thought it would be.

It's worse.

He locks eyes with Thanatos and his breath catches in his throat, mind going as blank as Thanatos's expression. Words fail him- he's already tired, he doesn't know what to do, and he can't think- an awful silence stretches for just a moment too long-

Broken, thankfully, by Lagos, who has decided that the awkward silence is good for nobody and once again makes his opinion known with a loud rattle. Hey, Mort! What's up with your god? He's acting weird, even for him!

It's enough to snap Ryo out of his shock and leaves him with a flash of inspiration. "I-I think Lagos wants to talk to Mort, and...I don't want him yelling when everyone's trying to rest. Will you sit with me for a bit so they can talk?" It's not even close to a good excuse, but it's all Ryo can come up with right now.

[controlsthedie]

Thanatos waits, not blinking when Ryo locks eyes with his. Sometimes mortals need a moment to think about what they want.

"Mort's not here. He's in the cabin. If you have a message, I can pass it along to him after my duties here are finished." That's probably not what Ryo and Lagos wanted to hear, but if Thanatos doesn't have Mort with him, there's no reason to sit down and talk in his mind. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

[fivemilesdeep]

Mort isn't with him - since when does Thanatos not carry Mort with him? Even Lagos rattles in alarm - this is not good, and Ryo needs to do something!

The problem is, he can't think of what to do, aside from one thing. "Can- can you go get him, please?" Maybe Mort can help, if he can just convince Thanatos to start carrying him again.

[blitzcheer]

One of Della's friends? Tidus assumes so, with the way he slips into helping them, not saying much of anything; just there, or trying to be as less there as possible.

Which Tidus might comply with on some days, but after a while, as more people arrive, Tidus approaches him when he has a tray of emptied cocoa cups, a smile on his face to greet him, tone jovial.

"Hey, let me take that. Why don't you sit down a while and let me get something for you? Do you eat? Drink? I've gotta get a few anyway."

[controlsthedie]

"I have no need to," Thanatos says without giving the tray to Tidus. He doesn't see why he should. "I do not need to rest either, so while many are incapacitated, this is the best use of my skills."

He scans over the passengers collapsed upon pillows and each other. "What's needed? I will get it, and you can join the others."

[blitzcheer]

"Well, then, we'll just go the same way." Thanatos doesn't give him the tray, and Tidus won't give him his answer. A fair non-exchange, with Tidus ready to move if Thanatos does.

"You don't have any friends around who'd want you around?"

...he could have worded that better.

lol Tidus

[controlsthedie]

Perhaps Tidus doesn't realize that Thanatos will just shift locations once he reaches the hallway outside the gym, or maybe he plans on following through the moved transgate. However, he has a little time to talk before Thanatos vanishes on him to the kitchen.

"Not many should make friends with Death Incarnate." He does have friends on the train, but Thanatos thinks the best thing he can do for them is to take care of train duties and let them rest.

[blitzcheer]

Please Thanatos, where else would Tidus be going for kitchen necessities than the kitchen? And a transgate doesn't bother him - it even gives them a second where it needs to be set to the location. A perfect pause.

"That still sounds like some people should!" Tidus remarks. "You met the lady called Death? Plenty of dead...not dead people around too."

Waaait. Unless there's an actual real reason for the guy to say that, that isn't just to sound mysterious. "You're not slowly killing me right or something, are you? Like a...presence drain?"

'I'm deadly to be around'?

[paopuofyourlife]

Kairi waved slightly seeing the familiar face. He seemed to be rather busy for the most part.

"I guess you are helping those who are exhausted."

[controlsthedie]

At Kairi's wave, Thanatos floats over. "I am. I'm not bedridden, and I can shift locations easily." It just makes sense for him to be picking up most of the busy work. "Can I get you something?"

[paopuofyourlife]

"No, I'm hoping to help out myself since I am also not bedridden." She wanted to at least do something. Better than nothing when you are perfectly capable after all.

"I hope you aren't doing too much though?"

[controlsthedie]

"I am Death Incarnate. I normally do more work than this on the regular." The only way he can do too much is to not have any time between tasks. He clearly has the time, so it's not too much.

[paopuofyourlife]

"Oh....I guess you would really be busy normally then." She does still think though that even so she wouldn't want him to do soemthing like that much on the train. Not when there are so many who can help lighten the load.

"Still here remember to take breaks."

Re: Thanatos | OTA

[acapriciousthing]

Of course Death is on the lookout for a god of death. That's an important connection. And a job that she knows can get to people.

It took her eons to figure out the best workarounds. "Have you had a chance to actually try the cocoa?"

She hasn't noticed him stopping to drink yet.

[controlsthedie]

The only work around Thanatos has found is to work hard at the expense of himself. (Then again, he is a very young god compared to Death.) Some of that, a lot of that, is carrying over to now.

"Ryo gave me cocoa before," Thanatos says. He never did figure out what he thought of it. He was too busy being overcome with worry for his world. However, that's not what Death asked of him, is it?

[acapriciousthing]

She nods. "Good. Mortals have developed some remarkable comfort rituals. LIke cocoa."

Sometimes it's just for physical warmth, but cocoa is good for so much more than that. Clever mortals.

[controlsthedie]

He doesn't clarify that it had been back in Jelly, after his first mission, when Ryo offered him cocoa. "Never thought of this as a ritual. Then again, there is not much comfort to be found for the mortals of my world."