middleofsomewhere | Under the Sea: Conclusion and aftermath

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

True enough, Sven felt dwarfed by this magnificently monstrous machine with keenly endearing round eyes. He didn't quite know what to make of Orisa...she was like an ancient Golem, only of metal rather than clay or stone. Sven didn't know for certain if she were magic or machinery, but in whichever case, she was still a fellow Voidtrecker.

A fellow Voidtrecker who deserved as much as anybody else to have a good time! But in terms of height alone, he didn't even reach her shoulder, and his hands felt comically far apart as he held her giant metallic hand between them. Still, he could make this work.

"Then let's move a little further from the fire. Everyone's crowded around here, we'll be out of melee-range but still able to see and hear everybody. We don't have to if you don't want to, but with that many legs, you look like you were made to dance!"

"Actually, I was made to protect the city of Numbani and its inhabitants from danger!" Orisa said, raising her fusion driver to make the briught correction. "My primary function is to keep others safe."

She considered for a moment, eyeshields whirling in a complete rotation. "Would I not be taking you away from the enjoyment if we step aside? I do not wish to compromise your evening!"

"What a coincidence! That happens to be my primary function as well." Sven grinned. He was joking, of course, but, well...it was kind of true? El'Nil'm had brought him back to life to defend humanity, after all.

"You're not compromising anything. If my memory of five seconds ago doesn't fail me, I am the one who asked you to dance with me. I'd be nothing but chuffed for you to join me in tearing up this party."

Though, not literally, of course.

"Then I will gladly accept!" Although. Was she supposed to take his arm or something at this point? Her protocols were not terribly specific on this point. Also one of her arms was a fusion driver, that also complicated things.

Don't worry, Orisa, Sven has it covered. His hand still gripping onto her huge metal finger, Sven carefully lead her from the rest of the crowd, waving people out of the way to clear a space for them.

"Party animals, coming through! Move your feet, people, unless you think you're hardcore enough to handle these moves...!"

The two of them soon had a dance floor of their own. The music is loud enough that it still reaches them clearly, even if they're a little far out from the fire to feel its glow. Sven couldn't really spin, dip or lift Orisa like he could his other dance partners, but he could still help her feel less awkward by taking the first dance steps! He moved to the beat, stepping and clapping.

Orisa, once she made very sure that the area was clear and she would endanger no one, reared back onto her hind legs, pawed at the air with her forelegs, then began to -- well, romp, really. Actually, she moved very fluidly, her legs stomping forward and moving back in an excellent rhythm (that looked startlingly alien, thanks to her legs having an extra joint).

Orisa was...something to behold, alright. Sven had never seen anything like the way the metal golem moved, but dance is a universal language and Orisa seemed to be enjoying herself. Sven laughed, feeling the tremors of her steps shimmy through the sand under his bare toes. He tried out his own best bipedal spin on Orisa's dance moves, staying on his toes and hopping from one foot to the other, lifting his knees up in the air.

"I knew you'd make a great dance partner! Look at you go!"

"You are also an excellent dance partner! You are very graceful." And daring, for trying to mesh with her moves. Orisa had to appreciate this, clapping her hand against the base of her fusion driver in time with the beat.

"I'll happily take that compliment, thank you!" Sven laughed. He clapped along with Orisa, the sound of his palms against one another barely louder than a mouse against Orisa's metal-on-metal clapping.

"What's your name, great protector of Numbani and master of dancing?"

Stop charming the omnic, Sven.

"My name is Orisa. It is very nice to meet you!" If they weren't dancing on sand, the stomping would be pretty heavy too -- despite how light on her feet she appeared to be, she weight quite a bit, after all.

But he was simply too charmed himself-! Orisa had an impossible and inevitable charisma.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Orisa! I'm Sven! Servant of the fire god, El'Nil'm. Is this the first time you've ever danced?"

"I have occasionally. It is an excellent way to run a system diagnostic as well as express happiness!" Omnic life could be a bit strange.

"I don't know what a system diagnostic is, but humans sometimes dance to show that they're happy as well! Sometimes you just can't help but move your feet!"

Orisa continued to learn how to put common terms for her into common terms for others, so this one she decided to take a stab at. "Do you ever stretch and move your limbs to see if you have any aches or stiffness? That is much like a system diagnostic."

Nice way of putting it, Orisa. Sven beamed and nodded. "So it's just your way of making sure everything is well with you?"

"That is correct! It is more complicated than that, but not so different in quality from humans." Like so many things omnics did!

Under the Sea: Conclusion and aftermath

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