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

[myblueskies]

"We did!" They did deserve a vacation, those were fun. "I like vacations, you get to go to fun places and play games and see new things!"

Everyone could do with space to relax.

[crimsonsnow]

"And most importantly, you get a break from thinking about work! Maybe the train will be kind enough to stop buy a resort for a few days."

He has literally no way of knowing... But given the apparent crisis going on, he somehow doubts it. Surely they have more important things to be doing.

[myblueskies]

"Maybe! I think it would keep everyone's spirits up if we got to go somewhere fun again!"

It's been a while, though he knew everyone had gone to a market a few months ago. He had been in a suitcase though...

"Back where I used to live after a big fight with some bad cultists we were to Hawaii and that was so much fun!"

[crimsonsnow]

Jade's eyebrows raise at cultists, but he forgoes commenting. Instead: "You know, I don't think I've heard of Hawaii before. What's it like?"

[myblueskies]

"It's really nice! I was only there one day so we really only went to the beach and it was warm and the sea was fun and there were no bad news jellyfish." Luckily!

"I only met one person from there but she was really nice, she sold ice cream and I'd never had it before then and it was so cold it made my head hurt and she helped me!"

[crimsonsnow]

"Beaches are nice," Jade agrees. "I haven't been to one in a while, but..."

He trails off, then fixes Romeo with a look of polite bafflement. "You'd really never had ice cream before then? And here I thought it was a staple of most childhoods."

[myblueskies]

"No." He shook his head. "Before," He waved a hand to signal the past. "I lived in a place and I only got four memories of it but I know it had horses and carriages and I don't think it had ice cream at all."

Like some of the worlds they had visited on the train. "But then I died and went to the heavens to be a shinki, which is a weapon for a god and I forgot everything except my name. So even if I had had ice cream when I was alive I didn't remember it!"

But it had meant he had got to try it for the first time in hawaii and that was great!

[crimsonsnow]

"You died and became a weapon for a god?" Jade repeats, mildly startled. That might be the wildest thing he's heard on this train so far, though he admits he hasn't gone around asking anyone for their backstories.

"...I hope you don't mind the loss of your memories, too much," he finds himself saying. "I know I would, if I were you."

But there's... several reasons for that, most of which aren't really meant for a kid's ears.

[myblueskies]

"You would?" He tilted his head at him. "I guess... I never really knew what it's like to have all those memories. But..."

He frowned, he's been thinking of this a lot. "Now I've been... me, shinki Romeo for a year I think. Maybe a big more and if I think about all the friends I made in the heavens and my friends on the train. If someone told me I would forget all of them and all the things I did and all the places I saw. I'd be sad."

So maybe it was sad that he had forgotten his life before. "A friend from before was on the train and I know he knew so much more about me than I could ever know about him... So that was a bit tricky as well. But I don't get mad about it or anything."

[crimsonsnow]

"I would," Jade agrees. "Though I'll admit it's a significantly more loaded question for me than for you. When you get your memories taken from you more than once... You start getting bitter about it."

He sighs and shrugs, open-palmed. "I think your outlook on it is a smart one, though. There really is no point in missing something you can't remember having. Better to appreciate what you do have."

[myblueskies]

"You got your memories taken too?" More than once?

That sounded... Probably bad. Had bad people did it? If he was bitter about it. Romeo is very curious. He's never met anyone who has lost his memories before. Except other shinki. He's met no one else on the train like that, since he left the heavens.

[crimsonsnow]

Jade hesitates for longer than he usually does, but it's because he's weighing his answer. He doesn't have to be specific... He's just got to find a way to word it that gets enough across without spilling the whole truth.

"In my world, people like me don't die... we just lose our memories and wake back up. It's not so bad when that happens every fifty years or so, but there was a span of my life where I was dying about every three years. It was quite frustrating. Not being able to remember my friends, or that the person I was working for was a bad person..."

[myblueskies]

"You don't die?" He tilted his head. Just lost his memories and woke back up? And he had died every three years. And he had been working for a bad person.

That was terrible. Romeo looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm sorry sir! That sounds really sad, that you died so much and kept forgetting your friends and that your boss was so bad."

Having a bad boss was a really sad thing!

[crimsonsnow]

Hm. That was probably too much. Oh well.

Jade offers Romeo a smile. "There's nothing for you to be sorry for, though I appreciate your concern. It was sad but... It's been a very long time since it happened. And if nothing else, I've found a way to keep my memories regardless of what happens to me."

...through normal blade means, anyway. Who knows what else is out there for him in the multiverse.

[myblueskies]

"That's good sir!" He was glad! "And you don't work for that bad boss any more right?"

Because if he did that would be bad! But it sounded like he had managed to get away and find a better boss now! At least Romeo hoped so!

[crimsonsnow]

"Oh goodness, no. I'm my own boss, now. The bad one is..." Dead. "...long gone."

Jade shrugs. "Though I suppose, considering the circumstances, the train counts as my boss now." This is a joke.

[myblueskies]

That was good! That he could be his own boss and didn't have to do what the bad boss said anymore.

He blinked and then smiled. "I guess it is! Though it's not a super good boss." Not the worst either.

[crimsonsnow]

It doesn't even really need to be said that Jade's had worse. So: "At the very least, if it could give us more information, I might forgive its poor leadership skills."

[myblueskies]

"I think it's still learning." Romeo told him with a small sigh. "Because it tells us more things now than it used to, so I think it doesn't know how to be a good boss but it's getting better..."

He can hope!

[crimsonsnow]

"It's still learning!" Jade repeats, somewhat surprised, but he laughs, grinning. It's not that he hadn't thought of that - but the way Romeo puts it makes it seem so obvious, so certain. "I suppose it is. Here's hoping it figures it out."

[myblueskies]

"I hope so too." He nodded, leaning backwards on the cushions with a sigh.

"And I hope it doesn't take us anywhere bad in a while, because everyone is so tired!"