A Hurricane
AzureKate
If there was one place in the entire universe that could induce an unrelentlessly swirling hurricane of emotion in Jomy, it was the Shangri La's Blue Room.
No place on Ataraxia or Naska made him feel the same. Everywhere else was just a place. But the Blue Room was something else. In the Blue Room, Jomy felt both at home, and as far from home as he could possibly be. He felt safest in the Blue Room. When he was standing beside Soldier Blue's bed, or sitting on its edge, Jomy felt every emotion at once, swirling together in what he'd come to call his hurricanes. Happiness at what he'd accomplished, and happiness at being so close to Blue; sadness that Blue was still trapped in his sleep, with no signs of waking; worry for the future of the Mu, and for the future of Blue himself; anger at his inability to unite the young and old, and his inability to wake Blue. It was a confusing place to be. All of the feelings mixed together, creating a feeling Jomy couldn't describe to anyone, not even to himself.
Jomy always went there when he could. In the morning when he woke up, at night before he went to sleep, and any free time in between. Jomy made sure to always check that Blue was comfortably tucked in, sleeping soundly and peacefully. Undisturbed. The Mu were finally coming to view him as their Soldier, and so feelings for Soldier Blue were at last beginning to disappear—especially in the younger Mus who never really knew Blue. The older Mus were still holding on desperately to the memory of their tragic leader, whom they adored. But aside from the few of them, the others had come to move on, even though he wasn't dead. Jomy was their Soldier.
Aside from Jomy, the only others to ever really visit Blue were Physis, some of the older generation, and occasionally Leo. Physis was Jomy's closest competitor for most frequent visitor…but even she couldn't rack up enough time in the Blue Room to compete with Jomy. Jomy practically lived in the room, beside Soldier Blue where Jomy felt he belonged. Jomy cared deeply for all the Mu, and wanted nothing more than a happy future for them. But he found happiness for himself when he was beside Soldier Blue.
He would gaze down at Soldier Blue morning and night every day, looking at his pristine, peaceful face. It was the most perfect face he'd ever seen. Jomy adored everything about Soldier Blue. He idolized him, looked up to him more than he looked up to any other elder on the ship. Soldier Blue saved him from death. It wasn't Harvey who appeared to save him, or any other member of the old generation. It was Blue. Blue was there always when Jomy needed him most.
Aside from the feelings induced in Jomy from being in the Blue Room, the feelings he felt toward Blue were pure. Jomy loved the feeling. It was pure love, pure awe. Soldier Blue was perfect in every way. Jomy couldn't find one single flaw in the perfect being that lie in the bed.
Physis, again, was his closest competitor. But even though Physis had an undying and absolute loyalty and love for Blue, she couldn't compare to Jomy. And she didn't dare try. She knew how Jomy felt, and she knew how Blue felt. For decades Blue had talked about the boy who they eventually came to know as Jomy. Blue had known about him for a long time, always talking about him with a passion that Physis knew was unrivaled.
The whole ship—the entire Mu race—knew and understood the feelings shared between the two.
It was never a topic for conversation or gossip. Everyone held the two in the highest regard, and everyone had the highest respect for both—or at least for Jomy. Many of the children didn't understand the tragedies Blue had endured for their sake. Jomy was one of the few young Mus who was able to grasp it in its entirety. He was one of the few who knew exactly what Blue had went through. It was because he had experienced it for himself; he'd seen the tragedies with his own eyes through Blue's memories of them. He and Blue were connected on a spiritual level, and because of that, he was one of the only young Mus who truly understood Blue.
And though nearly all of the young Mus were completely for Jomy's vision of a perfect, happy future, Jomy still stood with the older generation. Jomy had a deep desire to fulfill Blue's wish. The older Mus held the same wish for themselves, but Jomy lived for Blue. He was only there because of Blue's wish. The only reason he'd found his way to the Shangri La was because of Blue and his wish for the Mus to reach a happy future on Terra, their promised land.
While Jomy wasn't confident in his abilities to grant Blue's wish, he certainly had the determination to try. And he wasn't ever going to give up.
Sure, he'd found a temporary peace of Naska, but it was just a pit stop. Though the young Mus were determined to stay there and build a life for themselves, their own future, Jomy, though he was hesitant, never truly let himself believe that Naska was going to be their true home. Jomy, through Blue, desired Terra. He and the older generation all sought Terra with a passion. Jomy twice as much so, since he always worked extra hard to fill in the gap that Soldier Blue had left after falling into his deep sleep.
And it was when Jomy sat on the edge of his bed in the Blue room that he really thought hard on it. Some of them were happy on Naska, but he knew it wasn't a peace that would last. Jomy would look down at Blue's serene face, and see in it hope. Even in the deepest sleep, as far from reality as he could be, Blue still radiated hope like an aura, enveloping all who came near. Jomy wasn't sure if it was just him who felt it, perhaps imagining it—or if it was real. He truly wished more people would visit Blue in his room, just take a moment to look at his face and feel the air around him. He was the most unique, perfect person, and Jomy could barely perceive it. And Jomy wished he could share that with everyone. Not just Physis, Leo, and the elders. On the days when the young generation were being rowdy, or trying to boycott the Shangri La, he wished they would take a moment, and just come to the Blue Room.
And just be near Blue.
And every night he sat on the edge of the bed, adjusting Blue's hair, touching his face. Adjusting his blankets. Telling him everything that had happened that day, telling him all of his feelings. Confiding in him everything he felt. Jomy knew that even though Blue was trapped in a deep sleep, he knew that he was always listening. He knew that Blue could hear every word. And that was why Jomy needed to go every morning and night, to let him know he was still there and working hard to make his wish come true.
And it was only in the late night when Jomy's eyes began to droop with sleep that he'd finally get up from Blue's bed, fuss with his blankets one final time, and then finally head to his own bed to sleep for a few hours, before he'd return in the morning to let Blue know it was a new day.
And he'd do that for all of eternity. Because it made him happy.
And sad, and confused, and angry.
Because even though the Blue Room caused him an unpleasantly beautiful hurricane of emotions, the Blue Room was where Jomy belonged.