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

Sure, his glow may be slightly harder to see under all this sunlight, but Glorfindel manages to stand out on the beach all the same. So it doesn't take too long for Madoka to spot him, and the moment she does she's already walking up to him with a smile. It's hard to not smile around him, really - he's such a kind person! Although the fact they're having a fun beach day sure makes it hard not to smile in general.

"It's a great day!" Her enthusiasm is very apparent. She's even wearing a cute pink swimsuit - Madoka has been participating in the beach fun already. "The villagers here sure live at a nice place, huh? They get to see this amazing beach every day!"

"Madoka!" Glorfindel smiled back in greeting. "It is a great day!" He looked around at the villagers and their fellow VoidTrekkers. "They are quite lucky, we are fortunate thy are sharing so freely with us, after their turbulent lives of late."

"How are you doing? I see you survived the Mission unscathed."

"Yes. It's all thanks to Maru.."

Thankfully it's a lot easier to keep it at just that when she's talking to people who have already met the kitty and heard her talk about him. It requires a lot less explanation now.

"He protected me and kept me safe. And he helped out everyone else too! Although he got really tired because of it, so he's napping in the shade now."

"I will go and look him up later then and thank him for his hard work," Glorfindel promised. If he was a cat, he'd even get ear scritches. Well, maybe if he were human too. The look on Maru's face amused Glorfindel.

"You've eaten?" he asked. "I suspect you were not simply sitting in the background waiting for your knight to protect you. You worked hard too, I'm sure."

She smiles. "Thank you! I--I mean, you don't have to thank him, but it's still really nice that you're willing to do it!" Then again, it's very much like him that he would do that. Madoka just wants to make sure he doesn't feel like he's being forced to or anything like that, she would feel so bad!

Although the following callout makes her look a little more meek again.

"Well.. I really didn't do as much as Maru. I couldn't pull out my bow the way I did back on the train when I showed you, so there wasn't much I could do.. I just tried to make sure everyone else around me was doing okay and taking breaks when they needed them."

"He is my friend, and friends check on each other," Glorfindel said. He was doing a lot of it during that party, in fact. Like just then. It gave him an excuse to spend time with his friends, so he didn't see the downside.

"If you faced the crabs and squid like we did, I can definitely see that. They weren't really suited for a bow. The sharkbears, yes, but I don't know if they came here."

He laid a friendly hand on her shoulder and bent slightly to look her in the eyes. "Providing support for those doing the front line work is just as important." He shook his head, his hair dancing. "Often those who do it don't get the recognition they are due, but having someone checking on people, making sure they get rests, probably bringing them food and drink? It is a very important job and I am sure you did it amazingly well."

[Yeah, he went there. Good thing he's immune to heat, because I bet she's going to blush hard now! LOL]

Oh, that blush is definitely happening. It immediately erases all other things from her thoughts - like how happy she is to hear him say that Maru is his friend! Maru is so cute, not to mention really sweet, so she's glad to see him gaining some friends on this train as well. He deserves it so much!

But nope, no time to comment on that or think about anything else when Glorfindel is praising her so much. It's too much for poor Madoka's tiny, tiny, impossibly small sense of selfesteem. Her face turns just about the same colour as her hair.

"Ah.. W-Well.. Um, I.. I just did my best!" She's tripping over her own words as she speaks. "S-So I'm not sure if I did it amazingly or a-anything like that.. But it's still really nice of you to say that, i.. it really is!"

Even while flustered, the girl apparently insists on making sure her gratitude is conveyed well enough.

"Hopefully next time I can help out with both that and fighting with my bow..!"

"I'm sure you will!" Glorfindel says. He was too nice to push it, with her blushing so hard, even if she was so cute when she was all flustered like that, and of course he feels he's not being nice, he's just being honest. "How about in a couple of days, after we're all rested up, you and I meet in the gym for those bow lessons I promised?"

"That sounds good."

Especially since hopefully the next mission will be better and not keep her from using the weapon. And that means she'll have to be fully prepared to use it by that time!

"I promise to do my best during those lessons..! I won't waste your time."

"I have every faith that you won't," Glorfindel said. "You seem a very serious minded young lady. Who likes sweets. Honestly, we were meant to be friends, right?" He said with a teasing wink and a grin.

That wink and the grin definitely make her giggle. Sure, the compliments are a little overwhelming, but at least Madoka is slowly starting to get used to them coming from Glorfindel - he just seems like the type of person to find something good in anyone.

"I guess you're right. It must be fate." It takes a lot of coincidence for both of them to have been pulled from their worlds to this place and have met like this, after all. And he gets along so well with her favourite kitty pal too, which is also super important!

"Um, I think I have to quickly head off to check up on Maru.. But I'll see you back on the train in a few days for those lessons!"

"I look forward to it!" Glorfindel swept her an elaborate, over the top bow, then looked up at her through his hair with a grin. "Until then, my lady! Do say hello to Maru for me?"

"Ah.. of course! I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from you."

.. Well, if Maru is even awake at all, that is. But Madoka will be sure to pass on the greetings at some point when the other is actually awake!

The dramatic bow makes her smile, and she does return the gesture - although with a much more simple polite bow. It's the smile that's on Madoka's face when she uprights herself that completes it though.

"See you later."

And with that, she turns to go find her cat again.

Under the Sea: Conclusion and aftermath

beach day

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And wrap?

yes! c: