Under the Sea: Conclusion and aftermath

[voidtreckermods]

Ritual

The jellyfish is no more and as red team take stock of their injuries, or collapse from exhaustion the lights zip around them, singing their song of joy. They gather around the light that had been inside the jellyfish and now that it has been released it is obvious this light is different. Stronger. They surround it and the song gets even louder as they begin to move towards the plinth.

In the caverns where the purple and orange team are there is a stillness. For those in orange team still in the cavern they can only hope that the instructions they gave out had been followed. Luckily for them they have been, Purple team have done a remarkable job of defeating the crabs and cleaning the temple. The priests gather around the shell on the alter, arms linked together in prayer as they seek to re-sanctify their temple. As their prayer begins they will invite the voidtreckers to join them, though no one is forced into taking part in the ritual. They suggest that they use their strange wrist jewellery to open communication with their friends in Bui.

The monster on the beach is defeated and though the fight is still raging against the crabs, a beacon has been built and lit. The islanders who are not fighting gather around it, linking arms, drawing any voidtreckers who don't object to joining them into the circle.

The song begins hesitantly, almost as if everyone has forgotten the words and only half remembers the tune. The SCA translates, the prayer is simple, a blessing on the land and its people, deliverance from the darkness and hope for the future.

The light from the jellyfish reaches the plinth and is set upon it. The song heightens and the light shoots upwards, blinding in its brilliance.

Through the dark storm clouds a light streams towards the island, most of it towards the beacon on the island though there is a break away light that goes towards the train, where some of orange team have set up a second beacon. It swirls around those on the train roof, singing a song of happiness and bounces back towards the island.

The light reaches the main beacon and hits it with a strength that lights up the whole sky. The light splits more solidly into two and speeds off over the ocean. Light pours into the underground caverns, not caring about the ocean and rock in the way, the light pools into the shells, the caverns glow warmly.

Outside the storm calms, clouds roll back, the sun shines. The sea stills. The wind stops. The sun is rising, a beautiful dawn. Any monsters left scuttle away, vanishing into the ocean, away from Bui.

Those with any powers that they couldn't reach before find them returned in a rush. Those who can sense life find this world teeming with it. A song that dances between every plant and creature.

Some of red may have evacuated to the train but those who stayed to see the ritual through, the world around them seems to melt away and they find themselves back next to the rock pools. Among their number there are some confused looking islanders who intrinsically draw closer to those who helped free the lights.

Orange and Purple

Down underwater there's noise and a babble of voices as the citizens of Bui wake up. There's a shimmering around the city now, like a shield though they can pass through easily. Parents scramble to locate their children and all check on loved ones and friends.

The familiar voice of train announcements is heard through Orange team's SCAs. Orange return to the VoidTrecker Express. Once everyone is on board it flies low over the ocean, skimming the waves.

In the underwater temple the priests finish sealing the ritual and then it is time to begin the return trek. There are no monsters this time and after a few hours, as they emerge onto the first of the sandbanks they will find the VoidTrecker Express is waiting for them.

Red and Blue

The monsters gone, those of the island gather everyone from the rock pools and for a few hours everyone sleeps.

At about noon the islanders begin to stir, begin putting things to rights. Wood is moved from the strategic points to more communal campfires on the beach. Any dead monsters that haven't been gathered for food have been washed out to sea, disappeared into the depths. They begin to prepare food and won't turn away any helpers. Though those who have been fighting are encouraged to rest.

The islanders bring blankets and start to gather. Everyone is exhausted but the children, in the way of children find the energy to play in the sea and the sand.

Beach Day

Early afternoon the train lands on the beach and everyone gets a holographic message to their SCA.

Mission successful. Well done Voidtreckers. Enjoy the rest of your day. You will find suitable clothing in the dressing room. A new recipe has been added to the kitchen information points.

The dressing room is indeed open once more, this time it holds swimsuits of every style, shorts, t shirts, wraps and beach skirts. Sun hats and sunglasses can also be found. It's a bit of a mush mash but they should be able to cobble together something other than their uniform wet suits.

Time to laze around on the beach or for those who still have energy swim or play. A few hours later a ripple across the water brings some of those from Bui and they swim or lounge on rocks to talk.

Food and stories

Food is cooked and shared, the islanders will happily try the voidtreckers' offerings and share their own. As the sun begins to set they gather around the fires. Stories and songs are shared and there's even some dancing for the brave.

Voidtreckers can choose whether to sleep in their own beds or spend one last night on the island before the train flies off into the sunrise and into the void.

Comments

[springforth]

Beach Day

The sway and pull of the ocean is still making her queasy after so many nights on rough seas, but the beach is calm, the sand reassuringly warm and mostly solid beneath her feet. With a big floppy hat and a wrap over her white bikini, she wanders up and down the water's edge, looking for seashells, bits of stone or coral. When she finds a particularly beautiful shell, she holds it to the light and shows it off to whomever is nearby.

"Isn't it gorgeous, look how it catches the light."

[enthunder]

"Sure is."

Light is also shell-hunting, although she currently has a fairly large clam shell with soft peach ripples that's her current top contender for being brought back to the train as a souvenir. Persephone clearly has more of an eye for it, though. She realises, belatedly, that she hasn't said more than a sentence or two to her since the haircut the day she arrived.

She can fix that, at least, even if Persephone still looks a little pale and Light feels like she's just woken up after sleeping for a month.

"You gonna bring those back to the train?

[springforth]

"Oh probably not all of them. But it'd be nice to have something to spruce up my bunk. Maybe buy some string and string them up somewhere?"

Anything to make the space more her own. Her life on the train feels very interchangeable sometimes. Like if she left, her bunk would find a new owner and the greenhouse would grow on as usual with whatever the others could do. Sometimes you have to work at things to make them work for you.

"I'm mostly keeping small ones, I think, if I want to do that."

[enthunder]

She nods, often having had the same problem and thus having much the same worry. She'd disappeared enough times, only to wake up in the smog-filled luggage car, that she feels she had to be realistic.

"Don't see a problem with that. Most people fill their homes with souvenirs, so why not us?"

[springforth]

"Have to do something to point out which one is mine, really. If you don't start doing something to differentiate, it's way too easy to pick the wrong one."

She spots a nice one, all spiraled and ridged, and darts ahead a few steps. In one swooping movement, she dips to pick it up and spins to show it off. It lies small in her palm.

"Do you know anything about sea life?"

[loveandduty]

"Wow, that really is beautiful. You could make a necklace or something out of it."

It really was beautiful. Minako herself hadn't been as successful in finding shells that the blonde actually liked. Though there had been a few interesting ones.

"I always have to wonder about the story of the shell though. How does it become the way it is."

[springforth]

"I was thinking of that. Or just brighten up my cabin back on the train."

She tilts it, catching the light reflecting on the smooth opalesence on the interior, contrasting so prettily with the scalloped dark exterior. Then she transfers it quickly to the other hand and tilts her head at Minako.

"What do you mean? How it becomes what it is?"

[loveandduty]

"You could. Either way it would look beautiful regardless."

Minako soon went to kneel down she the moment.

"Like...I know some types of crabs use them as homes, but where did the shells come from? Were they born with them or come with them when they are born... I don't actually know honestly."

[springforth]

"I'm no sea nymph but I'm pretty sure they make them."

Persephone looks over the ground for a moment, then ducks down to find one with the ridges and scalloped edges. She holds it out so Minako can see the top.

"They add little bits to it, like your hair or bones grow as you get older. So--I guess they're born with them. Or they make them soon after being born. I'd have to ask someone who pays more attention to such things."

[marriedanidiot]

"Oh, it is!" Nerdanel comes over to look. "Look at the way the light makes the colors shift!"

[springforth]

Carefully cupping the shell in her hand, she watches the rainbow effect on the interior of the shell, the way it moves and curls along the shape of the shell. It's just different enough from the ones at home to be fascinating.

"I know! It's beautiful, the way it reflects. I bet this is the shell the Bui use to make their jewelry. Or at least one of them."

[marriedanidiot]

"Definitely." Nerdanel agrees. "I wonder if they would let us take some with us? I would love to work with such material. How delicate!"

[springforth]

"I...Oh I haven't actually asked."

Should she ask? Are beaches and shells public property on this world or...

"Sugar snaps, I should ask."

[tinkerheart]

Fëanor intended only to take a relaxed walk on the beach but then he can't resist collecting some of the more exotic-looking shells and even small, sea-smoothed pieces of driftwood... such potential can't be overlooked.

"Those are very good finds," he agrees.

[springforth]

"Find anything good yourself?"

Persephone inches over--casually, to inspect whatever he's got a hold of. Her personal shells are more on the small side, given that she wants to string them up in some way, but his driftwood bits are very intriguing.

[tinkerheart]

"A couple of pieces with potential." He shows her what he found with no restraint at all. "Wood is not my preferred material to work with but those look promising."

Nothing spectacular, he'd picked them up mainly for more variety.

[springforth]

"What are you going to make with them? My shells are just going to be decoration after all."

She still finds his little treasures interesting, tilting her head to give them a better look, probably a little too close. It takes longer than it really should for her to realize that and take a step back, pretending to spot another shell on the ground.

"Do you carve?"

[happyends]

Madoka is also definitely keeping an eye out for seashells here. It sure is a lot easier to find them when you don't have to worry about constant monster attacks getting in the way, huh. And although the girl is very concentrated and caught up in looking for any nice-looking shells, the sound of the other's voice manages to snap her out of her focus - at least enough to look up and blink in surprise as she takes a look at the shell.

"Oh.. Wow, it's so pretty! I don't think I've ever seen any like that before.."

[springforth]

"It's beautiful, these are all kind of different from the shells I've seen at home. Not completely but enough to notice."

Persephone picks her way through the shells between her and Madoka, holding up another cradled in her other hand.

"Look at how this one spirals. I've seen something similar at home but not quite like this."

[happyends]

"You're right! That's not how any shells look where I'm from either." Which makes the shells interesting too, aside from them just being pretty. Especially since Persephone's world sounded very different from Madoka's own world.. maybe every single world out there is just different in that way?

"Were you gathering these just to look at them or are you going to take them along on the train? I was thinking you could make really pretty necklaces and bracelets out of these."

[springforth]

"I was thinking of trying to string them up for my bunk maybe? To have a little something to shine and catch the light. Give it some life, you know?"

And she feels like growing anything in her cabin would quickly get out of hand if she has a bad day.

"And good reminders, right? Of places we've been and all. Some might be made into necklaces, if I can figure out how to do that. Can't be much harder than stringing it up."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin is wandering on the beach as well, though he isn't in swim clothes. Instead, he's wearing an outfit that Tony gave him as a gift, black jeans, black leather lace-up boots, and a black jean jacket. He's added to that a colorful t-shirt from the train's beach clothing collection. It's too hot in the sun right now to wear the jacket, so he has it draped around his hips, the sleeves tied around his waist.

He spots Persephone and comes over to say hello.

"That's a beautiful shell! Are you going to keep it?"

[springforth]

Honestly, her first thought when she actually takes him in is that he must be hot as anything. Style over comfort, she supposes. She'll take something beachy anyday.

"I was thinking about it! I need something to give my cabin a less drab and plan look, don't you think? Every single one looks the same."

[so_dark_a_road]

It's true he's apt to choose style over comfort, but maybe that's a leftover from being a warrior in his world. When he forged a ringmail shirt, he made it eloquent. Shiny, black, and sleek. And he wore it because it made him look intimidating, which is a kind of style.

"I agree about the cabins. They are boring. A few decorative touches wouldn't hurt! Where would you put the shells?"

[springforth]

"Probably going to string them up, tap them into the wall or hang over the head of my bunk? Maybe over the window if I have enough?"

She finds another, kneeling to pick it up and examine it. It gets tossed aside for it's neighbor, a purpley blue clam-like one.

"Anywhere would be nice."