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

[sell_tickets]

Uh huh. He's used to this. Jaenelle. Morghan. Cassidy. "When a female we care about with fair skin goes into the sun, we males get told, often, that we are unreasonably fussy about making sure said skin doesn't burn and peal. Think of it this way, I'm protecting myself. Safer to have you snarl at me over being fussy over the hat than hit me over the head for fussing over you smootheringly for the whole of the time your skin is even faintly reddish." He smirked a bit. "So, for my safety, and your sanity, hat, Eva."

[mtsilver_conquor]

"It's winter-? Trust me, even if I wanted, I'm not going to get sunburned. Ridiculously tan though." A pause, then. "Your world only has one sun, right? Mine has two, and we only burn under the summer suns."

Thanks to one of a few a genetic mutations amongst her version of humanity. Not that her people actually know that. "But I'll take a hat if makes you feel better."

Ok, that and the top of her head is kinda hot.

[sell_tickets]

"It does make me feel better, thank you," he said with a grin. Not having to argue and she still does what he wants. "I wonder how much trouble I'd be in if I tell the other boyos about his place..." he mused with a smirk.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Eva snickers. "Why? Are your ladies much more likely to argue instead of compromise?"

[sell_tickets]

"Oh yes, especially about wearing a hat. It is a hard call which is funnier, Jaenelle arguing with Nighthawk because he won't let her ride without the hat, or Cassidy squaring off against a dog that hardly reaches her knee on hind legs. I choose to pick Cassidy and Vae though because Nighthawk and Jaenelle can actually get to me," he said with a laugh.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"And they've never had the problem of a too hot of a head," Eva deadpan with a small laugh. "A hat, at the very least, keeps the head cool. When you get back to your world, tell them it's like sticking bare feet into cool water."

[sell_tickets]

"They never are outside without a hat long enough to have that worry," he said with a lazy self satisfied little smirk.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Good. No one needs a head hot enough to cook an egg on."

That said, there's a bit of a look. "Am I the first you've stuck a hat on?"

[sell_tickets]

He laughed. "No. Though the list of times I've succeeded is far fewer than the list if times I've tried. I can be persistent and I can out stubborn any woman, even my wife."

He chuckled. "Besides, anyone who can survive trying to get Karla to wear a hat can survive anyone." Thank he Darkness Surreal wasn't fair skinned. And wasn't his problem.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"That's a good trait to have. Sometimes we need to be out-stubborned." Not often, if one asked Eva, but she was well aware of a woman's faults and a boy's strong points.

"True, though sometimes it also just takes the right hat."

Like her two hats. Maybe she should try and get them at some point...?

[sell_tickets]

He chuckled. One of my friends decided to just be a ***** and changed things up on his now wife. She put her hair up specifically to have an argument over why she couldn't wear a hat. Oh she swears it was just because it was too hot to have her hair down, but we all know the truth. But Grey..." he grinned impishly, eyes twinkling with amusement, "Grey was ready for her. Called in a sun parasol. Apparently her reply was that he was getting too good at this," he added with a laugh.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"I can't say I've ever used one, though Satoru's sister swears by them," Eva admits with a small shrug before she smirks. "I do feel I need to introduce your world to sun-visors. They're basically hats you can wear with a variety of hairstyles. I've a few myself, all customised of course. Not my favourite style, but they work well enough."

[sell_tickets]

"Do they cover the top of the head?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

"No, but they look something like this-"

She sketches the best approximation of one she can in the sand. "I could pile my hair on top of my head and still wear a hat."

[sell_tickets]

"If you ever show that to the girls, my brothers might just try to throttle you. Something like that only fixes half the problem." and no this was not a place to compromise.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"What problem? It shades the face like a hat's supposed to and it's better for wearing with up-dos."

Nope, doesn't see the problem at all.

[sell_tickets]

"And what about the back of your neck, which is exposed with the hair up? Or keeping the top of your head from overheating, leading to sun stroke."

He is not impressed.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"You could say the same about short hair, or being bald," Eva retorts before shrugging.

He can be as unimpressed as he likes. "That said, avoiding sunstroke's pretty easy, given people tend to seek shade and water. Or, if we're at the beach, head into the water to cool off. Plus, this is a winter sun for me, so even if I had a visor, I'm highly unlikely to get sunstroke."

[sell_tickets]

"That is why a proper hat covers the whole head and has a wide brim around the whole of it."

want to start wrapping this up?

[mtsilver_conquor]

"And now you sound like my dad."

It's completely deadpan with a sour look and while there's not yet, bite to her words... "Thank you for the hat, yet I don't need a lecture on sun safety."

Sure! TY for the thread

[sell_tickets]

"Well maybe you should listen to him," he said, unaware he sounded so much like Shira in that moment.

It was a good one. These two are interesting CR at least!

[mtsilver_conquor]

The sour look only deepens and now, there's a hint of bite and resentment in her voice.

She knows he means well, yet at the same time- "I wasn't being kind with that remark."

She loves her dad yet he can be a pain.

"Thank you for the hat, but I'm sure there's other ladies in need of one, too."

I will miss them.

[sell_tickets]

"How you chose to say it and how I chose to take it are not necessarily the same thing. And I am sure there are," he said settling in beside her more. "Ask me how many of them are friends, however."

Wrap?

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Yet," Eva says with an incredibly sour and displeased glare at him, and while she doesn't like being Blunt... "Being a friend does not mean inviting yourself to be someone's company without asking. Had you done so I might have said yes."

She would have. Because she does like him as a friend. Yet there's certain liberties she feels he's taking and while it's nothing she can pinpoint, and probably everything to do with culture... The end result is this.

And it's better to remove herself from the situation before it escalates than lose her tempter at someone who doesn't know.

"That said, enjoy the beach. Legends only know when we'll get this again."

And with that said, she stands and gathers her things up and heads off, both to find another spot for her belongings and to go cool off before she does something she'll regret.

Sure! TY for the thread

[sell_tickets]

He frowned, watching her leave, wondering what the **** he had done wrong...