day 14, fiddlesticks ; video from sleeper 6

[blitzcheer]

Hey everyone, how you doin'? I'm Tidus. Been here around since the last stop, and I know there's gonna be another one soon, but I've been itching to ask: What did you do for fun in your worlds?

Back home, the biggest entertainment was Blitzball! Two teams goin' up against each other underwater, giving it all they've got to score the ball in the other team's goal! [ He's grinning, excited even to share that. ] That's a simple way of putting it since I can't start showing everyone how to play, and I wanna hear about your guys' fun.

So? What did you do? It doesn't have to be just sport. Did you have videogames? Arcades? Did you have fighting competitions? Draw? What do you do now? I wanna hear what people are into!

And hey, if you ever want a partner for one of the ball games they have here, hit me up! I wanna try as many as I can. Can't do it on my own though!

Comments

[blitzcheer]

You don't! You gotta hold it in until half-time, swimming and making passes and dealing with people coming after you if you've got the ball.

Sounds tough, huh? Training's no joke!

[draconite]

But how is that even possible? Surely, you'd end up drowning... or at least a regular human would...

[ You can see her running all the way to the very incorrect conclusion before she even speaks again. ]

You don't happen to have selkie ancestry, do you?

[blitzcheer]

Uh... selkie ancestry?

[ ??? what the what ]

[draconite]

Yes, selkie ancestry! Or maybe merfolk, but that's much rarer...

[ She carries on blithely as if she's provided adequate explanation (she hasn't). ]

It'd explain why you'd have such an easy time of holding your breath and moving around underwater!

[blitzcheer]

[ bryn your terms are too old-fashioned for this moron!! ]

I dunno about any of that. There's something done with the water for the stadium, but it's all practice, you know? Like anything you do! You train to hold your breath for longer, then you have to train to hold it while moving.

I can teach you the basics.

[draconite]

You really think it's something I could learn?

[ She's getting all excited. God help us all. ]

I'm not very good at swimming, but I'm certain that won't be a problem!

[blitzcheer]

[ Okay, that gets a small laugh. ]

Swimming's kinda important to blitzball, you know! [ Bryn. ] But that's fine, we can work on that later!

[ If they ever get a pool. On a train. ]

For now, we'll work on holding your breath -- you don't need water for that. You have to do this every day, and keep time.

[ ...wait. Keeping time. ]

Oh, yeah... [ His expression turns thoughtful. ] Uh...hm. Maybe you can count in your head?

[draconite]

But, if you can hold your breath for long enough, then you don't really have to worry about the swimming, do you? You just have to be able to get from A to B in the water!

[ You know... like swimming. ]

I suppose it wouldn't be too hard... but surely there has to be a clock or a timer somewhere on this train. It's certainly large enough!

[blitzcheer]

[ that first part? ]

Uhh... yeah! [ M-MOVING ON, HE GUESSES? (????) ] I dunno where it is we do though. You wanna ask around first before I tell you what you need to do?

[draconite]

No, no, do tell me! Even if I can't find a clock, I'm certain I can come up with something. It'll just take a bit of creativity, that's all!

[ If you're thinking this sounds like chaos waiting to happen, you're probably right. ]

So, what do I need to do?

[blitzcheer]

[ Just wait until she hears how boring the task actually is- ]

Alright, so it's easy. You start off by taking a deep breath, then letting it out -- really long, alright? So you clear out your lungs. Then you take another breath or two, and then you wanna hold it. But don't think you need to hold a big breath. Just something comfortable!

Then... you count! --Oh yeah, [ he quickly adds, ] you wanna get comfortable for this when you first start! Relax, sit. But when you're holding your breath, you do it for as long as you can until you need to let go!

And that's it! [ That's all, folks! ] You just do that everyday to slowly tick up your time.

[ Isn't that easy?? ]

[draconite]

[ And, perhaps not surprisingly, her face falls. ]

Is that really it?

That's so... boring.

[blitzcheer]

Yup! Takes forever, too.

[ Not even going to deny it. ]

What did you think it was gonna involve?

[draconite]

Something more interesting than that, at least.

[ She gives a biiiiiiig sigh. ]

Like, perhaps... submerging yourself in a bathtub full of water and holding your breath in there!

[blitzcheer]

I mean, yeah, sure, you do that eventually. But we don't have a pool or bathtub around.

[ Until the next stop comes and his cabin literally gets a bathtub in it. ]

[draconite]

... Yes, that might be a problem...

[ Has she finally seen this as a ridiculous venture and is planning to give up on it??? ]

But perhaps we can improvise one!

[ nah ]

[blitzcheer]

...

[ This girl should not be encouraged. ]

How?

[ BUT TIDUS IS SO CURIOUS. ]

[draconite]

Well, to start with, all you really need is enough water to submerge your face, right?

[ She's starting off with the total confidence of someone who's about to come out with some really dumb bullshit. ]

[blitzcheer]

Yeeahh...?

[ A sink...? The toilet sinks aren't deep enough, are they... ]

[draconite]

So! Just get a bucket or a pan or anything you can fill with water and just use that! So long as you can submerge your face, wouldn't anything work?

[ She sounds... so proud of herself. ]

[blitzcheer]

[ ......... ]


This sounds like a lotta effort just to hold your breath.

Why don't you play a video game while you do it instead?

[ This isn't even about teaching her to hold her breath, but maybe to dissuade her from sticking her head into buckets... ]

[draconite]

But that's so boriiiiiing!

[ God, she's whiny. ]

At least with a bucket of water, you have a bit of a danger element!

[blitzcheer]

[ She just wants a thrill..... ]

Well, bashing in boars was more your style, wasn't it? Do you go to the Fight Club?

[draconite]

I'd like to, but I'm not very sure it's a good idea...

[ I'll give you a moment to get over the shock that is discovering Bryn puts any thought whatsoever into her actions. ]

I'm quite strong, you see, and most humans who'd try to put up a fight against me would probably end up terribly hurt.

[blitzcheer]

Oh?

[ Looking quite human there, human-faced. ]

There's more than humans there though. And there's healers. [ For broken bones. ]

You seen Piccolo? He's got some moves.

[ And is very non-human. ]