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

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[ 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!! ]

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"Hmm... we might need a few recipes," he considers, then with a bit more mirth, "You'd think the train would give us a few more recipes with coconuts, with how many we get."

He brings over the diced pepper to her, or over to the pot, to be added as Madoka wants it to be. "But it might not be too bad as soup pots, right? A white soup. I can't think of what else to do; all of the recipes are stews or soups to begin with."

Is that what everyone used coconut for? That or cakes. Maybe it would keep with dried fruits.

...geez, he's starting to sound like in his own head like a fussy dork.

The train did give them a lot of coconuts.. Madoka is pretty sure she's never seen that many together in her life before! Not even in the movies!

But rather than remarking anything about that, or even something helpful about what they're making and Tidus's suggestions.. there's another thought that creeps up in her head.

One that Madoka can't help but voice, a small smile on her face.

"It sounds like you're really liking cooking, Tidus."

There's a small scoff at that, an observation that he isn't going to deny, but- he'll hum like it's a bother to answer, a put-on inconvenience.

"I like cooking a lot at once. You know when you get that nagging and you really want to do something? Cooking's like that for me. I don't really like getting in the way of the people here who do it." The cooking, since there's far too many who like to take it up!

"But it's fun. I mean." He huffs, an awkward sound of mirth as he amends, "It's fun when you know other people are going to eat it. I guess I could just cook at dinner times, but it's weird. I'm used to cooking... on my own, in a tiny kitchen. Making whatever's around and sticking it in the fridge as leftovers for later."

The arms bands are his fridges, in this case.

There's a bit of the answer that feels very uniquely Tidus-like, Madoka thinks. Something about the way he jokingly pretends it's something really bothersome. The way he jokes about getting in other people's way - but then all of it mixed up with sincerity at the end.

(There's also that remark of him cooking in a tiny kitchen back home.. Then again, Madoka supposes it's not too odd. Tidus is a little older than her, it's not too strange for him to be cooking at that age, right?)

It's the sort of thing that's probably better to not ask about, and instead she makes a hand gesture to imply he can put the diced ingredients into the pan.

"Do you like eating together with other people too?" She instead asks.

Edited 2021-08-16 19:52 (UTC)

In the peppers will go, whatever tries to cling to the board knocked off with the edge of Tidus's hand. He didn't bring the knife over, ok.

"It's alright," he says, nonchalant. "Eating with the others during breakfast? S'nothing special. But," and the thought is twitching a bit of a smile on him, a glance to Madoka taken, "--eating with a group of pals? That's fun. It's always fun! Going out and hanging with friends was always a fun time."

The cutting board's been settle to the side, and he looks at Madoka proper.

"But that's normal, isn't it? For everyone. ...well. 'Cept the real loner types."

Guess he can't forget those.

"Well, some people also just aren't used to it.. Not necessarily because they want to be alone, but just because they never had time or an opportunity to spend time with friends like that."

Like Homura, Madoka thinks. Some parts of this place could actually have been an opportunity for the other girl, and yet.. she had already disappeared before she could make any real friends here.

She doesn't want to linger on the idea, instead looking back at their stew as she stirs it a little.

"Though it's a little sad, the idea that some people just didn't even have friends before.."

"Yeah," he agrees with the last of what Madoka says, softly. Watching the saucepan the same way if she does, if just to give him somewhere to set his gaze.

"The people here... you can't really guess the kind of lives they've had, but it's usually not that great." It's good to assume, more of the time. "As much as I don't like the train, I like them getting a chance to experience something different. Even if it's just for a while."

Even if they can't keep it, even if they can't take it back with them. Everything about this place is temporary, always temporary.

"Maybe it helps them when they get back. I hope that's the case."

Madoka softly hums.

"Me too.."

Especially when some people's stories just seem so sad. Sure, Madoka had a hard time the last little while before showing up here, and it's not going to be easy when she gets back either - but at least she got to live for fourteen years as a totally normal girl.

A lot of people here didn't get that luxury.

.. Tidus doesn't have some of that luxury either, she thinks, considering what he said. The train is all he has now.

"Did you also get a chance to experience something different here, Tidus?" It's followed by a slight pause that's mostly just Madoka looking at the pan,and then making a surprised sound-- "Ah, and can you please grab some bowls? I think it's almost ready!"

Well, he can't answer if he's on bowl duty. There's a small 'oh!', but Tidus hurries over to where the bowls are kept, opening up and grabbing a pair, getting two spoons to go with it along the way. He sits them on top of the chopping board, splitting them apart with a 'Here', so she can add the soups in.

"Well, I'm getting fish soup right now." A late answer, once the soup is being filled in from the pan to the dishes. Tidus slips a spoon into each, and he'll scoot one of the bowls closer to him, swishing the spoon along the surface.

"Wanna take the first bite together?"

Don't worry. Madoka is a patient girl, she can wait for him to grab the bowls first. She can even wait while she ladles the soup into the bowls..

.. though she does laugh when he says that.

"I'm sure you've had fish soup before!"

Right? .. R.. ight?

Madoka sounds amused enough for it to be obvious that she's joking, feeling comfortable enough with Tidus to actually come out of her shell a little like that, but at the same time she's not entirely sure. Still, fish soup must have been a thing where Tidus comes from!

"But.. yeah, let's do it!" If not just to make this a little more fun. And that's the idea behind this, right? Just thinking about having fun, and being together with a friend, and not much else. "On three! One.. two.. three!"

"But I didn't have it with you," he explains, a slight lilt to it, fun and teasing. Shared in time so Madoka doesn't have to worry or assume the worse about Tidus suffering a life without fishy soup goodness.

Otherwise, he manages to chime in to echo with her 'three!', and with the soup on his spoon, Tidus leans down for a bite, going with putting the whole thing in his mouth than being delicate about it. It's a smoky taste with the paprika, just how he likes it, and he scoops up another spoonful to enjoy, humming positively on that one.

"I don't know 'bout coconut soup, but nothing beats fish soup!" Heheh! He nods his head over to the opposite counter.

"C'mon, let's take a seat. No one's gonna tell us off at this time."

Because there's nowhere to sit except for on the steel tables, and Tidus is here to be naughty. You saved the kitchen from Tidus's butt for a while, but not now, Madoka...! He's picking up his bowl carefully, taking it over with a mission.

(To sit and eat.)

There's a small part of Madoka that, even as she's certainly enjoying the fish soup, kind of wants to pipe up that her parents told her that it's not polite to sit on tables though..

.. but then again, Tidus looks so happy again right now that Madoka doesn't want to do anything to ruin it. So instead she follows him all the way over to the tables - though she has to put her bowl down for a moment to pull herself up onto the table. Life is hard when you're a tiny girl.

"It's okay. People here on the train are so nice.. I don't think anyone would scold us even if more people were up."

(That might be just a sliiightly too rosy view of that, but okay, Madoka.)

If Madoka's little legs need help, then Tidus will hoist her up onto the table than have her fuss and struggle, easy as pie. Get her on there and jump on himself, wiggling his butt into a good spot so he can pick his bowl back up.

"It's nice when the kitchen's quiet like this, huh? ...or eerie," he adds without much space between, nevermind the contradictory qualities. "I can't tell which. Everyone likes to go hang out in the spa if they're still up."

No one ever wants to play late night sports. Weirdos.

"I don't know.. I like it when there's people around to talk to, but at the same time it's also nice to have things being a little quiet for once." After all, it's really hard to find some space to be alone on a train like this. And with just how long Madoka has been here at this point.. moments like these, where she can just quietly sit somewhere with only one other person, tend to be very rare.

Madoka swallows a spoonful of her soup.

".. it's kind of hard to reach anything in the kitchen when it gets busy here for someone as small as me," she admits. Look, she trusts Tidus, he isn't going to find that lame!

Can't you just ask for it? -- so Tidus thinks and might've been about to say, but he knows better; knows Madoka better, that she wouldn't dare to raise her voice or bother anyone.

But that's not going to get her anything, is it?

"Sounds like you need to learn your indoor kitchen voice! When it gets busy, you need to get louder! It's okay to ask, 'Hey, 'scuse me, pass me the spatula over there!?'"

Cue waving a hand over at the opposite wall, where there are utensils hanging.

"No one's gonna mind!"

Tidus is hitting the nail on the head. Please, how could Madoka ever dare to ask anyone for anything? Even when it's for the greater good, like her actually being able to help make food for everyone else?

No way, she's just going to spend five minutes trying to wriggle her way through a crowd to grab a utensil instead. Clearly so much more productive.

(She's definitely shyly ducking her head a little over here, almost choking on her soup in her attempt to quickly reply.)

"I-It's okay! I can just grab it myself, you know? It's only that it takes a bit longer when I have to make my way past everyone first.." She shakes her head though. Please, Tidus, this isn't about her issues!! "I'm just.. um.. I'm just saying that sometimes it's a little nice when things are quiet too, that's all..! Don't you sometimes get a little tired too of how busy every carriage here can get..?"

"Sure," he starts, to answer where she directs their conversation...

...

"...but I think it'd be good for you to learn how to ask for what you need." Fool, fool! He's going right back to his own point, looking at her with a tiny smile on his face. Tidus Mode Activated.

"It's okay not wanting to bother people, but you have to think about it this way: Everything's easier when you work together! If someone's blocking your way, or people are moving around, some people are happy to grab something for you own their way! You'd do the same too, right? So, give people the chance to help you out too! We can even practice."

How? His spoon has been set into the soup bowl, and he gestures with a finger to his mouth.

"Our indoor loud voice."

Tidus, no!!

Or.. well, that's what Madoka would be saying if she had an actual spine in social situations, and she very much does not. So even though she looks mortified - okay, maybe more like 'slightly startled' when she realises that he's continuing to push this path, it's not like she can actually say no to him doing it.

Until he arrives at that last part. Just those last few words are enough to make Madoka wildly shake her head.

"T-Tidus, we can't! It's really late..!"

.. nevermind the fact that they're in the kitchen.

And that there's no way anyone sleeping in their cabin would hear them all the way from here.

It's really late. Is it, Madoka?

Which, with this grin of his on his face, his head tipping back-

"Madoka says it's really late! Is it really late? Who else is up! Hellloooo!"

He doesn't shout, but he definitely goes for 'loud talking voice', looking left and right after, and his expression? Looking far better than it was about five minutes ago.

His smiling expression, that's now turned to Madoka. Cheerily:

"Your turn!"

Look at Madoka's eyes. They grow as wide as eggs while she listens to him speak up at such a volume late at night. Even if it doesn't matter on the train, old habits die hard - even if they're basically at least a year old at this point. Madoka flusters, frets, and when frantically starts waving her hands in Tidus's direction, as if to try and get him to stop - though she doesn't actually touch him in her attempt to do so, as if she's still a little too polite for that.

"Tidus!"

At least she's glad that he's looking happier, so she's trying really hard to not bring his mood right back down, but Madoka still can't help but look like she's fretting to the max.

"I.. I can't do that!"

Please, when does her voice ever rise above regular talking level? Even now, as she's saying his name in such a begging way, it's not really louder than the usual.

"It's not like me.."

People fretting? Because of something that came out of Tidus's loud mouth? Nothing new there, that Tidus only continues to look at Madoka curiously - especially with the last of what she says.

"Why not?"

He knows it isn't, not like her at all. But what would she say when asked that? What holds her back?

"You wouldn't even sing to yourself just to make the room sound less lonely?"

"Huh? Um. Well.."

Look at all these emotions suddenly flashing across Madoka's face, one after another. First there's surprise, then hesitation, then shyness. Isn't that kind of an embarrassing thing to talk about? She's not sure, but it feels a little like it..

Which is why she starts nervously wiggling back and forth a bit while she's sitting, like she's somehow trying to deal with this uncomfortable shy feeling.

"Maybe I'd hum, I guess.." She's definitely staring at the soup, rather than at him. "But that's not that loud."

He could ask her again, 'Why not?', and continue down that path. An admittedly awkward one, but he doesn't want to get stuck repeating himself, just to make her question her feelings. Swinging his own legs a bit, he picks up his spoon again, giving the liquid of the soup a swirl.

Thinking a little, not sure if he knows how to put into words what he wants to say, but...

"It's not bad, you know, to be a little loud sometimes. Just like it's okay to be shy, or quiet, or to like humming. But... I think a Madoka who'd grab a guy's hand and take him to make food to cheer him up isn't so different from one who'd be just as brave to ask if she needed help. As long as she gave it a go - she'd see it wasn't such a big deal after all."

He looks over to her, smiling, tender and reassuring; wanting to instil in her the idea, and maybe it can take seed and come to fruition later on.

And maybe those are words that he should take to heart, himself - that no matter the apprehension and worries that cling to himself this late, they're really...no big deal.

Not wanting to put pressure on her though, just sitting there and staring, he turns back to his soup, bring some up to his mouth and swallowing it whole.

"Mmm.. I love fishy soup like this!"

Thank god for the pressure suddenly fading. Not that Madoka might not have caved in at a little bit more pressure, considering just how bad she is at resisting pressure of any kind, but it wouldn't have been a genuine sort of believing what he's saying. It would just have been her going along with it, feeling awkward about it.

Maybe this method is better. Because she glances at him while he smiles like that and speaks those words, and though she seems to take it all in quietly, perhaps it will sit at the back of her head, ready to think about at some later time or on another day.

And then Tidus speaks up again anyway. It makes Madoka glance over at him once more, realising that.. right, this isn't about her! It's about him!

".. It's nice, right? Having some warm soup.. It makes everything feel a little better." If not just for a moment.

Her smile turns a tad more shy again. "Or.. um, I hope it's helping you feel a little bit better, anyway."

He hums, but adds following it, "And the company.I get too...stuck in my own head when I'm alone. Plus, it's way more boring when it's just yourself."

So why not be up incredibly late, eating fishy soup and sitting on a kitchen counter? Giving in the urge to wave one's legs now and then, just for the fun of it. Who needs an existential crisis anyway?

"Hmm... I wonder what I'll do tomorrow?" Ah- Tidus looks at Madoka. "Have you got any plans?"

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