voidtreckerexpress | [ OPEN ] "would you calm down a little bit"

Entry tags:

[ OPEN ] "would you calm down a little bit"

Who: Tidus and You!
Where: All over! Armoury, standard coach, training gym, sports gym, and games car
When: Merriment 16 - 20
What: Supplies moving, setting up games and exercise equipment, watching that sports game Tidus is really into and also catching a case of ~~home~~ lifesickness!!
Warnings: Last prompt has connections to death/disappearing, but nothing to do with suicide or negative thoughts.

[ DAY 16 ; armoury car ]

"Heyyyy. Uh, so it looks like the train added the lockers I was hoping for. Since Light left, and Tobes's been gone for a while...," Tidus adds with a mutter, already not sounding that pleased, "--I'm puttin' everything from the supplies into them, 'kay? The healing, shields and weapons. There's a tablet with a list of what everything does and how to use 'em. It's voice-automated too.

So...yeah. That's it. See ya."

It's far from confident, the usual casual-sounding that's Tidus been heard over the ICP, but it's on par to whenever he talks about supplies. Lightning's leave already has his mood down, which is an evident sight to anyone who comes to the armoury, where he made the call (and then switched off, not interested in holding a conversation over the thing). There's nothing exciting going on: just suitcases on the ground with their lids open, the array of healing and weaponry waiting revealed inside that's to be stuffed away.

Maybe you come because of the announcement; maybe you're just passing by. You might hear a "shit!" hissed when one of the finger-sized bottles go rolling towards the other side of the carriage from where Tidus is. His movements are sluggish, and he wears an unguarded, doleful look, uncharacteristically quiet. Unless he notices anyone lingering, or just catches someone's eye -- then he'll pull on a smile, and give a simple "Hey."

Or, he's just taking a second to look at locker and its supplies once it's filled, his back to another locker, sitting on the floor. And you might hear him say-

"Hope you kick that god's ass, Light."

[ DAY 17 ; training gym - standard coach ]

( a: treadmills ~~cw cw inigo don't look~~ )

But he's being better by the next day, or seems to be. In the early morning he's in the training gym, pulling odd square containers out by a wall, with what appear to be bars curled around the sides. To anyone whose attention he gets, he offers cheerily: "Hey, how about a go on one of these?"

It takes some pressing in the right places, and then, the 'box' stars to unfold, turning rectangular while the bars raise - and it turns into what's essentially a treadmill.

"Ever seen one of these?"

Or, he could already be running on one, while the second sits there, a spare waiting to be used. Hop on! Tidus won't stop you.

( b: standard coach - blitzball )

There's a few close CR he might push to join him, but if you're friendly with Tidus and you happen to passing through, he might usher a hand, stop you from where you were going.

"Hey, hey! Wanna see me in a blitzball match?"

He's at a table, a device rolled out and a picture taking up the entire 'screen' and an energy drink open. There's footage similar to this to behold (note: without city destruction), with Tidus perhaps present an outfit like this, and his hair blond. Or, you might even get a chance to see him a year younger, in an outfit the same the rest of his team -- and with his hair a brown.

"Oh man!" He says through a laugh. "I can't believe it got video of me like this! This was when I was starting off!"

[ DAY 18 ; sports gym/games car ]

( attempt a: whomp whomp )

Tidus has got a plan. He's had a plan for a while, thanks to Roland, but now is the time to achieve it. It starts somewhere around morning to noon, after breakfast. There's notices slapped on the outside of the sports gym doors, written in fat felt.

'USING THE SPACE 2 MAKE A POOL'

'SWIMMING POOL INSIDE'
One on one side, one on the other. You might get to read them, before the troubles, or after. What are the troubles? That would happen to be when a sound like the equivalent of a bomb going off sounds from inside the gym, and before the doors can be opened from outside, they slam open from within - and water floods out into the hallway, possibly knocking anyone out there off their feet.

The good of the situation: the water is only knee-high deep on an adult. The bad of the situation: ...the car is flooded, welcoming any unsuspecting person who welcomes through the sports car (and thank goodness someone moved the transgate back out). Tidus can be found inside the car - that's impressive flooded from one end to another, in swimming shorts and coughing up water, while a blue pal is floating on the water the opposite end, wiggling and squeaking 'hiiigle!! piggle!!' desperately. ( But, they're only visible to those with a good heart/of good intentions. )

A plan may have not gone off right here.

( attempt a: dingdingdingding! )

"I've got a pool going in the gym for an hour or two! Come join me if you want!"

But by some miracle, they finally get it right. This pool doesn't take up the full length of the gym but one half of one side, away from the walls and about half the size going up from the ceiling. Tidus might be seen inside the water, or just enjoying floating above it; his blue pal nowhere but to seen, but for those who sense energy, may be able to discern there being entities with the water, that is otherwise nothing more than fresh, natural water.

Grab some shorts from the spa car, come and gawk, complain about the room being used up or whatever you like. Tidus dives into the water and reaches out of the 'wall' of the water, to a large trunk homing pieces of coral, breaking it off and bringing it into the bizarre pool - where it shatters into pieces, and the water wobbles...in delight??

[ DAY 19 ; sports gym - standard coach ]

( a: dance dance dance!! or shoot shoot shoot!! )

Oh no, he's in the sports gym again.

But don't worry, there's no water. This time, there's a holographic figure being projected from a round disk on the floor. About as defined as a wii fit trainer, they stand idle as Tidus - dressed appropriately - flicks through a screen of settings.

"Wanna give it a go with me?" Tidus offers, always happy for company. The dance difficulties he goes for are simple to follow, and there's the option of finding him with Inigo for company, if you want to up the potential for dumery. Two guys just doing repetitive dance moves, and if Tidus happens to catch you staring (though, he really needs to keep his eyes on the coach!), he'll grin and challenge, "Think you can keep up!?", in all his usual daring nature.

( Warning: if Inigo notices a girl/woman looking at ~~him~~ them, the possibility of him shrieking is 90%. )

But when isn't Tidus like that? Always up to something, and willing to include another. There's a new addition in the games carriage that Tidus has been having goes on, aiming to raise his highscore. Look at this wonderful gameplay.

( attempt b: 3am thoughts )

But there's more than only his usual buzzing energy going on with Tidus. He can be found in the standard coach on some of the later nights; another energy drink opened, indulging in a fizziness a guy like him shouldn't be so late. The tablet device sits on a simple stand, while his head rests in his folded arms, watching the blitzball footage.

To some, he just looks focused on whatever he's watching - intensely so. But if he happens to notice anyone come in (a 50/50 chance), he pauses the video, or just brings the device down -- like a guy trying to hide his shame, head turned towards the window, his face a warm pink. He might look back with a not-trying-to-appear-awkward "Hey" if he recognises the person - but otherwise, just, you know. Acting like he didn't do that!

Nothing weird about him, bro.

[ DAY 20 ; sports gym (late) ]

( note: prompt has some allusions to death, may involve talk related to it; nothing negative/suicidal! )

It's late again, and Tidus has something he wants to find out.

Why? There's a few reasons in his head. A few thoughts have been in his head, leading him into the sports gym, out of the way. He could go somewhere more private like the quiet car, but Tidus likes the sports car, spends most of his time in it. He likes the space and silence, as empty as it is right now.

He has a device on him, and he's counting down the time; his SCA on the floor next to him, in easy reach.

Counting how long it takes for his skin and the rest of him to start to discolour, shimmering into greens and blues; until it becomes see-through, until it gets to a point that it scares him, and he can't countdown any more and needs to grab his SCA again, all he can grab at that point.

But as late a time as Tidus picks to do his experiment, maybe he ends up not the only one there, caught with his eyes on the tablet device, ears not picking up on the doors farther away from him when they open.

Unless the person is particularly loud - then he'll reach for his SCA, and scramble to get it on quickly, the colours across his body fading as a more solid form returns.

[ OTHER DETAILS ]

[ Want to do any of the above but on different days? Treadmills, dance exercise, and gaming are available on any of them! Inigo can also be a 3rd person for dancing. Feel free to message me for any questions/plotting!! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This is awkward. Admittedly, Tidus is surprised that Inigo isn't reaching out for him, but he's glad too - that they're on the same page of not knowing how safe that might be, or...not weird. But he does manage to get the SCA strapped around his wrist proper, resting its hand on his leg.

Until it's time for reassuring, and he picks both his hands up in an open-palm gesture.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He says it slow, a means of comforting. There's no panic here in trying to cover anything up, and the face he wears is apologetic. "I wanted to..." He presses his lips together, then nods to the device in front of him. "I wanted to see how long I could stay for -- without leaving! Uh, you know- ah, crap--"

He's noticed he didn't stop the timer in the same instance he's stumbling over his words. At least one is a jab at a button, while the other is taking a second to start over again.

"I wasn't trying to fade," he makes clear. "I just wanted...to know."

There's no touching right now. In fact, even once Tidus is decidedly full on solid again, without the odd colours running all across him, Inigo still doesn't reach out to touch him. Which may be a little odd, considering how he usually touches Tidus at pretty much every single available opportunity - yet right now he's still just kneeling there in the same position, his hands still on the ground in front of them.

But his gaze is trained on Tidus. It doesn't turn away for a single moment as the other tries to explain. The explanation itself sounds a little awkward, but Inigo doesn't think it sounds like a total lie either.

Which brings forth an entirely new slew of questions. Inigo isn't even sure which to ask first, and he starts looking progressively more awkward himself as he settles on: "Why didn't you tell me?"

The awkwardness on his face is mostly coming from the fact that he knows exactly why Tidus wouldn't tell him, and that reason sure makes him disappointed in himself.

There's at least some protest Tidus can have for that look Inigo is already wearing, and again a hand comes up, waved dismissively.

"You were in bed! It just--" he drags out the word, before- "It was a spur of the moment. I thought...why not! I mean- I'm doing it in here, you know?"

Tidus looks out at the largely empty gym hall in emphasis of his point, the one of, 'Who'd choose to come here to test how long it takes to fade?' -- when there's the quiet rooms, or even the stores at this late of time. If you go riiight back, where nobody's going to go for any late night snacking.

...look, he considered both, but he was already sad-dribbling a basketball in the gym.

Anyway. His gaze has come back down to his arms, his hands, twisting them around in his vision, full and solid again. It'd be easy to say, It was just a dumb idea, but that would be dismissing it, and this - this he shouldn't dismiss. And so instead:

"I should know these things. I should... This is who I am."

Right? The barely held together dream. He should be more honest with it.

Why not, Tidus says. Yes, why not see how long it takes for you to literally disappear into nothingness in the mdidle of a train. Why not.

Though it's not that thought that Inigo lingers on as long. Not while the other continues with those words he says later on. Words that makes the look in Inigo's eyes even a bit sadder.

"Why should you know?" Inigo asks, his voice a tad softer.

It's definitely meant as an open question. Why does Tidus think he should know that? When there's no way that this is what Tidus wants to be, even if it's his reality.

Who said those sad eyes were fair to pull out?? Right now, in front of Tidus's dumb experiments? It softens his own gaze in response, a sadder hold of his brow, his mouth.

"I don't want to know because I'm gonna try anything," he says first, to reassure - that it's nothing like that, just in case it seems like it. "But... this is who I am. I just think... I shouldn't ignore it. I want to be comfortable with it."

He rubs the back of his head, sighing. Looking over to Inigo, hoping he'll understand. Even if-

"I know...it doesn't change anything. I'm not gonna be walking around the place with the thing on. But I wanna- I want control! I wanna take it off once in a while, even if it's just for five minutes!"

".. okay," Inigo slowly says.

Not that he looks really comfortable. Inigo doesn't know if he'll ever be comfortable with knowing that the single thing keeping Tidus in existence right now is the train of all things. And the train is one of the most unreliable things Inigo has ever encountered in his entire life.

Sure, it's done a good job with keeping Tidus in a solid form for a long time now, but what if it suddenly decided to stop that? What if the SCAs suddenly stopped working? There's so many worrying possibilities.

But at least he's willing to go along with this for Tidus's sake. Because the other has to live with it. And if he wants to be comfortable with, then.. as such a close friend, Inigo should support him. He knows.

"I'm sorry. I was just worried that you were doing it because.." His voice trails off, unsure how to put it into words. Because Tidus felt bad, or weird? He makes it sound so terrible if he puts it that way, so Inigo doesn't finish the sentence, instead shaking his head.

".. is it okay if I stay here with you? While you try it out?"

Is it a comfortable conversation to begin with? When Tidus already had complicated emotions about this - the experiment, the SCA, where he is in a life where he doesn't know how to look farther than tomorrow or a week. And what more is disappearing than his inevitability?

But right now, he wants anything. Gaze drawing onto Inigo with his request, and Tidus's mouth tightens, but into a small smile.

"Sure. I don't want to hide it. ...not from friends." Nevermind that he's in this corner of the gym hall, away from being easily spotted. But there's a reason he didn't just shove himself inside a quiet room either, boxed away like a secret.

He pauses, but then reaches out to Inigo with a hand; not laying it anywhere on him, but offering it.

"Will you touch me? Just to make sure everything's alright."

He tugs at his smile, making it brighten.

For a second Inigo stares at Tidus. For that second, it's in silence.

But then the corners of Inigo's mouth slowly - perhaps finally - start to tug up a little bit into a shadow of a smile. ".. If you're actually asking me to touch you, then I don't think everything's alright with you."

It's obviously meant as just a joke though, and a moment later Inigo is already moving. Not grabbing the hand, oh no. Inigo is great at taking a mile when he's being offered an inch, so he just moves to wrap his arms around Tidus entirely, pulling the other into a hug.

He feels very much solid, thankfully. But it's the very presence of that solid form that Inigo just basks in for a moment. Just holding it, without saying anything else.

There was a quip for a quip coming, but before it can happen, the hug gets there first. A laugh where Tidus has to admit defeat, and he brings his arms around Inigo, enjoying the spot at his shoulder his chin and cheek gets to rest at a lean. Comforting, this is comforting too. The company of another, a friend.

Not being alone in any of this.

"Do I feel alright?" Tidus teases, the price Inigo will have to pay for his silence. "I don't wanna get any holes in me, you know."

If you can't joke about being a dream boy, what's the point, right? It's its own kind of comfort too. ...as long as it's not too soon for Inigo.

"You feel fine. The same as usually."

The words are a little soft, showing that it's still not exactly an easy thing for Inigo to talk about, but he's trying. It's obvious that Tidus is trying to make light of it a little, probably as a way to cope with the entire thing a little better. So who would Inigo be to not at least grant his friend this one request and try to get a little better about it as well? Sure, the whole thing about Tidus barely being kept together here hits him right in the fear of abandonment issues, but it's probably the hardest on Tidus when it comes down to it.

He lingers in the hug for another moment or two, trying to draw warmth out of it, before he finally releases the other guy and leans back, thinly smiling at him.

"You're not worried? That you might accidentally go too far?" Inigo trusts Tidus to be responsible about this, but then again, sometimes responsibility isn't enough when it comes to something like this.

It's comforting, anyway - a response, soft as it may be. Inigo's company too, and Tidus misses the close proximity between them as soon as the other withdraws, as if his reality fading away gave him a desire for something solid, warm. Another body next to his.

But he doesn't ask for the embrace or Inigo to come back, leaning back where he was sitting. Considering the question with a quiet hum.

"Sure..." he starts slowly. "But I'm not going to go too far. I mean- there's a while where it's off and I don't start going all...blue and green." He waves a hand over his other arm, at the skin. "So, even if I'm sure how long that lasts - that's good enough to know. I don't need to know how far I can push it exactly, just... what I've got."

It's dangerous still, he knows, but he's hoping he won't take it too far; whatever too far happens to be. Looking up from his skin and over at Inigo, his eyebrows raising in a hopeful way.

"You can help me see what looks far enough? You know-" he glances down at himself again. "--I don't know if my body needs time to charge. Does that sound weird? I..."

It's a muttered random word, as he starts squeezing at his arm. Sure, Inigo just hugged him, but are there any holes?? Are you good, body??

Inigo shakes his head.

"You feel fine," he repeats, hoping that it sounds reassuring. He sure didn't feel anything off about Tidus anyway, while he was embracing the other a moment ago. It just felt.. well, like hugging Tidus does. Inigo has done if often enough at this point to know exactly how it feels when he's holding the other's body in his arms.

"I don't think your body needs very long to.."

.. uh.

Inigo isn't sure what word to use for this. Stabilize? Get solid again? They all feel like such weird words to use to describe a friend's body, a friend's existence, and he shakes his head before continuing.

"To go back to normal. Once you've got that thing back on. Or so it seems, anyway."

Tidus hums, a sound between agreement and curious, as he gives his arm another squeeze. Still good, arm? Alright, cool, good.

He flops it down, looking over at Inigo. A pause as there's a thought in his head, and he decides, shifting awkwardly in place...

"I did wanna say... I appreciate, being honest to you about it. Getting to talk about it more, mentioning it, even just joking about. I know it's worrying, but - it's made me comfortable, talking about it. I never wanted it to be a secret, but - I know it doesn't change who I am, but it's still something I deal with."

"..."

Inigo stares at Tidus for a moment as the guy says it. But then he shifts a little, moving so they're sitting side by side - if not just so Inigo can tilt his head sideways and lean it on Tidus's shoulder, keeping it there. Closing his eyes for a moment, just to appreciate the proximity and physical contact in this moment.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel like you couldn't talk about it with me." Which may not exaclty be Tidus's point here, but Inigo wants to make sure to have said it anyway. Because he knows that with everything he's shown Tidus of all people, the other knows that Inigo's feelings bruise like a peach - particularly when it comes to losing people.

And the issue of Tidus's existence is terrible for Tidus himself, but it just happens to skirt right against that issue of Inigo's as well.

"Really, I'm.. just glad that you aren't dealing with it all by yourself." His voice grows lower, more quiet, almost more like a mumble. "I imagine it must be hard, having something that heavy hanging over your head, and not really being able to talk about it with people."

Not without having to explain a whole lot of awkward context and sharing something super personal, anyway.

Inigo worries, even what he worries over - apologises for -- is the opposite of the truth. Where he's been more comfortable having it out there, even if it doesn't change anything. Because it doesn't change anything, and sure, that means his condition, too - but that, he's long made peace with.

He leans the side of his head against Inigo's, content in this particular mood.

"It's alright," he says - admits, even though he knows he can't leave it at that. "I... had time to come to terms with it back on Spira, you know? It doesn't really bother me. What bothers me more...is the way it makes me feel trapped to the train."

There's a pause, and he huffs, tinted with mirth.

"But we know how I feel about that."

No need to get into that, his tone implies, a jab at his own expense.

"But really... in the end, we're all in the same boat." ... "Or train. Our situations are the same. So we're stuck here, just trying to figure ourselves out."

Being happy, being sad. Suffering and dealing with where they are in life. That good stuff.

They are all trapped. It's true. But while Inigo's home situation is.. well, complicated, he at least has some place to go to after he leaves the train. He can somehow figure things out from there. Whereas Tidus's existence is very literally trapped within the train - like a ghost in the machine.

It's not a thought Inigo likes at all, though.

"We'll figure out some way to detach you from the train." There's a beat, and then Inigo quickly continues, almost as if he wants to be ahead of something: "There's some way out there, I just know it. We only haven't found it yet."

(Save us, Jingyi-Wan-Kenobi.)

"And then one day we'll all leave this train behind together. And then you won't have to think anymore about silly stuff, like.." Inigo releases a sigh, his hand seeking out Tidus's own, holding on to it. "Like how many seconds you can still exist without your link to some dumb train."

There's a bump to his hand, eyes glancing to see what it is. The obvious - Inigo's hand. Tidus moves his fingers so Inigo can take a hold of it, something funny in his belly, an ease. This kind of ease where others would be more scared, and it's not always this way, but, often, he wonders if this was how Yuna felt.

Choosing death for life. But here, now... it didn't mean anything.

Still, Inigo gets a small huff out of Tidus, a touch of a chuckle. Asking with a continued mirth. "Oh yeah? Then what will we do then?" Ahhh... "Go and see Naga?"

Ask for a few favours?

"Yeah."

It's a surprisingly serious answer, especially coming right after that statement said by Tidus with such a laugh in his voice. Not that Inigo sounds stern, or too somber about it - if anything, his voice sounds a touch dream-like, like his mind is far away from this place at the moment.

"I just know she'd be able to help you." After all, is there anything Naga can't do? And while Inigo knows that she must have better things to do at the moment, more important things, like helping his father and sister and everyone else back home banish Grima for all eternity..

He still can't help but feel this selfish wish somewhere deep down in his heart.

"I wish I could just somehow reach her here. It's so frustrating to know that help is right out there," help for Tidus's situation, for all of them on the train, "but it's just right out of reach."

Tidus is sympathetic to the feeling in Inigo's frustration; after all, wasn't that too often the case? Help just being out of reach, since they didn't have the means to reach for it. He hums at first, but, with a little though...

"You said you tried before... but it was alone, wasn't it? What if someone could help you?" It's an idea really stretching to be possible, but-

"Remember when Nita held that gathering to try and talk to the train, on the platform? She was directing...kinda mushing all the energies together, that kind of thing. What if someone could do that with you? Make your prayer stronger?"

Prayer boost buff?

That causes Inigo to look over at Tidus, seeming to think about it for a moment.

"Well, it couldn't hurt to try." Right? That's the one upside to this plan. Even though Inigo isn't sure if it'll work, if something about the void itself isn't blocking his connection to Naga, it's not like they'd lose anything by trying out this plan.

At worst just nothing would happen.

He moves a hand up, pulling a hand through his hair.

"We'd just need to find someone with that sort of power. Someone who can amplify things, or something like that.." Inigo is mentally going over all his friends in his head right now, though he's not sure if any of them have something like that.

Who came to mind? ...Nita, obviously, but that was a dead-end there, and he wasn't sure who else there was with a little more thought. Tidus doesn't let that dissuade him though, since if they don't know...

"We'll ask, even if we have to ask the whole train. We don't have to let the whole plan out over the ICPs, but as long as we find someone who can help with prayers, or just amplifying..."

That's a good word, amplifying.

"Off the train's better for that kinda stuff than on, right?"

Was there somewhere he heard about that? ...he's not too sure, but it sounds alright.

"Definitely. It feels kind of odd to do it here from within the void.. And we never know if the train isn't trying to block that sort of thing on purpose."

So it's better to do it away from the train, right? When they're on some world, and the train won't be right there to meddle with their attempt.

He pauses a little, thinking about it. It feels so very long ago by now, but.. "Back home we always tried to call for Naga high up on a mountain." Partially since it's where her sanctuary was, but.. maybe it also gave them a better shot at connecting with a divine creature? "Though that would mean we'd have to get lucky with the kind of world the train would drop us off at."

"Yeah," Tidus agrees, unsure about their luck there. "Let's focus on what we can get. If we get lucky with a mountain, great! Maybe there's something else can get that's useful."

But what? Tidus is thinking back to Spira as he says it, to Yevon and the aeons. There was imagery for Yevon, but that didn't really do anything. And with the aeons, you had to go to their temples - and finding a temple for Naga was less likely than a mountain.

...so, it's probably better to ask: "There isn't anything else that's got a connection to Naga, is there? We have you and your brand..."

Was there more?

A connection to Naga.

Inigo grows quiet, staring ahead of them. It's not that he has to think about the answer. He knows the answer already, it's just that there's a different problem entirely that keeps him from being able to easily answer that question.

"There are some items that are passed down the royal family line that might help."

That was what they, too, had tried to use to summon Naga in their future. It's why the thought had crossed Inigo's mind before about trying to use them here, but--

"They need those back home though, if they're still fighting Grima."

Tidus glances at Inigo when he first speaks, curious. But then he speaks on, and while his face wasn't the picture of hope, his mouth does frown; one that lingers, when he thinks about how Inigo doesn't know what the situation back on his world is. Their fight against Grima...

"We'll do with what we can get," he assures with a nod. "We have you, and your bond. And with the different kind of folks we have around here - we'll figure something out."

Maybe not straight away, but eventually. Time was what they had plenty of.

[ OPEN ] "would you calm down a little bit"

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hi ree from 10 days ago dw is denying me my daily dose of tidus apparently

hi, kissy faces

o///o

😘 i found it