middleofsomewhere | Event: Healing Waters

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Event: Healing Waters

"Good morning passengers, it is day twenty three of the month of Grasshopper. All passengers of the Voidtrecker Express require rest. Next stop Jema’grethy Island. All passengers prepare to disembark."

It is a very strange morning message that rings through the train on the morning of day twenty three but as the passengers of the Voidtrecker Express wake their screens glow with the colour of the void and a holographic screen pops up for them to read.

World #2554098133741: A world once inhabited by an ancient civilisation and now preserved as a historical site, nature reserve and well-being retreat. It is famous for its relaxing hot springs, calming atmosphere and beautiful beaches.

It is a popular void-traveller destination, particularly among void missionaries as a place to rest and recuperate after difficult missions.

The Voidtrecker Express will spend three days here, arriving today and leaving on day twenty six of the month of Grasshopper. The dressing carriage is open for your convenience.

It is time for a holiday it seems!

Preparation

For those who go to explore the dressing carriage they will find a variety of beachwear and wetsuits. One cupboard has a pile of tents and groundsheets in all four team colours.

One cabinet is exclusively filled with beach towels, in a kaleidoscope of colours, designs and patterns. Another is filled with different shapes and sizes of plain towel dressing gowns. There is even a cabinet with buckets, spades and small rock-pooling nets.

It seems they are in for quite an adventure.

Arrival

"Shortly arriving on World #2554098133741. Exit from void in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

The train lurches and rattles as it leaves the void they will get a glimpse of silver-purple sky and a beautiful ocean below.

However some passengers might be a little more than distracted, one staring at that table for a second too long, another seeming lost in thought for a couple of seconds, a longer than normal pause in a sentence. They see a vision, a glimpse of a life that is not their own. Not all at once, but here and there as the train descends to the island.

But then it is gone and things are back to normal. Just in time, as they come to land.

Jema’grethy Island

The train has landed on a grassy ridge, overlooking a beautiful beach of white sand and the ocean beyond. It is warm, but not too hot, a cool ocean breeze cutting through the heat making it pleasant. Behind them is a grassy plain, changing to forest in the distance. There is the sound of birdsong in the purple sky. To the west the land is more craggy, the silhouette of a fortress in the distance. In a word, it is idylic. A sense of peace permeates the island.

A little more worrying is the volcano-like structure in the north. But even a quick glance will show it is not a typical volcano. There is no smoke and the liquid slowly running down it in rivulets is pink and blue.

Exploring the passengers will find beautiful beaches, ragged cliffs to walk and caves to explore. Where it is more craggy the beaches are made of pebbles- perfect for rock pooling.

The place has no people, but it is clearly maintained. The eastern beaches have racks of shallow boats, both canoes and one- or two-person sailing dinghies. There is also a small building in which scuba gear is stored, along with several waterproofed manuals and instructional literature.

Ruins of ancient houses are scattered across the island, but the main settlement is built into a rocky section in the north-west that has been secured with ropes and stairways cut into the cliffs, perfect for scrambles and hikes.

There are no living quarters, but there are sheltered sections with basic toilet facilities marked as camping grounds in five different sections of the island - by the hot springs, within the ruined fortress, beside the harbour, on the eastern beaches, and on the northern face of the mountain.

Hot Springs

To the west are the hot springs. They have both outdoor and indoor areas; the indoor areas being wooden loghouse saunas, changing rooms and storage sheds, whilst the outdoor areas are a tiered series of pools spilling down the side of the mountain and shaded by brightly flowering trees. The waters are hot, mineral-rich and soothing.

Perfect for overly stressed, world weary Void heroes...

(OOC: More setting information is here, please feel free to go wild with the setting and have a fun and relaxing time. You can use this post as a catch all for your holiday or make your own posts on

middleofsomewhere. More information about how the memory event is structured is here!)

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Of course Inigo was going to sleep near Gerome. No matter how much he may have run around during the day, Inigo can't think of a single better place to sleep than near him. So the moment night fell he made sure to be back by the other's side - and thankfully it didn't take too long to find Gerome with his bed rolls.

And despite the darkness, it's hard to miss that flash of emotion across Gerome's face. Maybe it's since he has already taken off his mask.. Inigo has grown so used to trying to find even the smallest sign of emotion when the other is wearing it that he's practically an expert once Gerome takes it off and it's a lot easier to just plainly see the emotion.

Inigo speeds up his jog a little when he sees it, and the moment he's close enough to the other guy, he just launches himself at him in a tight hug, a big smile on his face.

"Gerome!"

He doesn't mention a word about what he just saw on the other's face. He's sure Gerome wouldn't want him to bring it up. But he tries to be as cheery as possible in order to comfort the other all the same.

"I can sleep here with you, right? I really want to!"

He heard the running steps but was not nearly quick enough to turn and react before he was tackled by Inigo.

Gerome was pushed back and he threw out a hand to stop himself from falling flat on his back. Sitting as he was, it was a little on the awkward side, but his free arm had automatically moved around Inigo without any conscious effort. Was he actually getting used to this? Now wasn't that the strangest of thoughts he'd had that day...

"Inigo..." Why was the idiot so happy all the time? It confused him. But... he wasn't angry. How could he be? And even if he said no to Inigo's question, he didn't think he would be listened to. "... Do I have a choice?" There was almost the sound of a laugh in his reply.

How could Inigo not look happy in this situation? Not even is Gerome just allowing Inigo to jump him and cling to him like this, but he's even moving an arm around him in turn! There's no way Inigo couldn't be exstatic in a situation like that. Even the question about whether or not he has a choice doesn't bother Inigo or turn him off, since he can hear the way Gerome's tone sounds just a bit off as he says it.. but in a good way. It's almost amused.

That means he really must not mind, and the thought of anyone not minding having him near is always enough to make Inigo's heart flutter in his chest.

"Suuure, you do." He says, pulling his face back enough to be able to give Gerome the biggest faux-innocent look. "You could tell me to get lost, and then I'll go sleep somewhere aaaall by myself on this island. And cry myself to sleep."

The 'funny' part is that he probably would cry himself to sleep if Gerome genuinely told him to get lost.. But ssh, he's just presenting it as a joke here, okay. He actually needs Gerome's company more than ever, since he's worried about the vision he had this morning bugging him even more now it's getting later. He doesn't want to be left alone with his thoughts.

The problem was, that despite the tone, despite the near playful words, there was something in Inigo's eyes and the way he held onto Gerome, that made him think he would cry. And the thought of that just didn't sit right with him at all. He wouldn't address it, he would never embarrass Inigo that way. But he could at least play along.

So he rolled his eyes. "Idiot... Why do you think I brought two bedrolls?" And, if Inigo had been paying attention instead of just launching himself at Gerome, he would have noticed the bedroll beside his own. He'd picked them up that morning after returning to the train to get them. Standing in front of them, he'd realised that there was no way that Inigo would have left him on his own... nor would he have thought to grab a roll of his own. So had taken the liberty of doing it himself. And felt rather smug to find he had been correct.

It's true. Inigo had been so busy launching himself at Gerome that he really hadn't taken in any of their surroundings.. so he hadn't even noticed the fact that the other had more than one bedroll spread out.

He only notices now Gerome mentions it. Inigo's gaze slooowly slides down, until he's looking at the bedrolls.. And though his cheeks colour a bit in shame that he didn't notice earlier, at the same time there's something really genuinely grateful about his smile. It's just.. the little ways Gerome shows he cares. Nothing means more to him than those.

"I don't know.. Maybe you just like spreading wide when you lie down to sleep." Even the joke sounds soft, and Inigo slowly releases his hold on Gerome to instead sit down on the extra bedroll Gerome brought along.

There's a second he's quiet, but then he slowly asks, "Gerome.. This may sound odd, but.. have you seen anything strange today?"

Inigo hasn't mentioned his vision to anyone. He didn't want them to worry. But it's still bothering him now, and he feels like if he doesn't at least try to talk about it, he won't be able to sleep at all tonight.

If Gerome hasn't seen anything odd.. then that's alright. He can just keep it to himself. Maybe this whole train ride has slowly been turning him crazy.

Gerome just shook his head and, once Inigo had moved to his bedroll, he laid himself back down on his own. He'd just lifted his arms to pillow his head when Inigo spoke again.

"Strange? Other than a purple ocean and a volcano spewing sweet smelling goo?" He asked, his tone... very close to teasing. They were, after all, on a very strange planet with very strange things in very strange colours. Everything looked strange. "You will need to be more specific, Inigo. Which strange thing are we talking about?"

Inigo can slowly feel a blush creeping up on his cheeks. Even without that hint in Gerome's voice, Inigo would still feel like he was being teased here.. which isn't too great of a feeling, considering how serious his concern is.

Not that he gets mad though. Gerome doesn't know. He obviously doesn't know, because if the other had seen - no, lived, it felt like - what Inigo had, there's no way it wouldn't immediately come to mind.

So.. what is it? Is he just going crazy? It's tempting to hide it, but something about the crushing feeling of loneliness in his chest makes him speak before he thinks.

".. I think something is wrong with me."

Why else would he be seeing awful things that no one else apparently has? His voice sounds so tiny compared to the usual, and he can't directly look at Gerome as he says it.

That was not the reaction Gerome had expected from Inigo. Definitely not the response. It was enough to make him shuffle and roll onto his side so that he could better see Inigo under the dim light of the stars, the moon and the distant lights of the other passengers.

"... What is wrong with you?" The moment of gentle teasing is gone, replaced by... something close to concern, Gerome's expression is serious, though maybe a little confused. What had happened between the last time he had seen Inigo and then? Had someone said something or done something? Had an alien creature bitten him? Had he eaten some berry that made him feel sick? Gerome just didn't know or understand.

He swallows thickly. Honestly, he hadn't told anyone about it. Even though he had spoken with so many people already today, he hadn't wanted to bother anyone with what seemed like a both very personal and very odd problem.

But he kind of wants to say it now. Even though he doesn't dare to look over at Gerome - instead Inigo lies there, on his back, staring up at the stars. He wants to tell someone, just so they can tell him that he's not going crazy. That he's fine. For some reason Inigo really feels like he has to hear that, or he won't be able to calm down his own nerves..

"When the train arrived here.. right before it let us out," he slowly starts explaining, not letting his gaze slip from the stars above even for a moment. "I had a.. I suppose you could call it a vision, though I'm not sure what it was.. It was as if I was suddenly somewhere else, experiencing something I never had before."

Inigo lets out a breath. It's like he can feel it all over again, now he's thinking about it so deeply. He shuts his eyes, as if that might shut out the images.

"I.. I was being executed, Gerome. I could feel them taking me along, bound and broken. There was.. there was this big crowd, and I just knew all of them were going to stone me to death. I was chained up to a pole, and.." His throat shuts down completely. All he can do is let out a sob.

He hates looking this weak in front of anyone else, but Inigo can't help it. The memory is just too vivid. It still makes his heart pound rapidly even now, and he shoves his hands up to his face, covering his eyes.

Gerome was quiet and waited for Inigo to came around to talking. It didn't take him long at all. He opened his own mouth to let him know he hadn't been alone in having a strange vision. But before he could, Inigo continued...

Inigo was crying. Sobbing from the memory that wasn't his own. Unreasonably, Gerome felt anger toward the one who had passed the memory, the vision, onto Inigo. But he also realised the anger was misplaced. If it was a memory, then that person had also experienced it... for real. How could he be angry with someone who had gone through that?

Shifting forward, Gerome sat himself up before reaching down and gathering Inigo up, yanking him from his prone position and into his arms.

"... It was just a memory. Not your own, Inigo. You are safe. And not alone. I also had a vision... Different, but it seems... many did."

Overwhelmed by the mental images that are pulled back to the very front of his mind at him telling Gerome about them, Inigo immediately leans against Gerome when the other pulls him over. His hands move off his face, but mostly just so he can instead tightly cling to the fabric of Gerome's shirt, like he needs the other to keep him anchored to the here and now rather than the awful reality of that vision -- that memory, apparently. So vivid, as if it had happened to him personally.

Inigo isn't even sure if he likes the idea of it being a memory even better. Sure, it means there's no risk of that happening to him anytime soon, but that means that someone else on the train - or maybe on the island, who knows? - had that happened to them.

It was so awful. It had felt so, so awful..

He lets out a shakey breath, only managing to speak up in a tiny voice.

"You had..?"

Sat up as he was, he had near pulled Inigo into his lap in his sudden need to hug the other s tight as he could. He didn't like those tears. Gerome just wasn't sure how to go about stopping them. He couldn't take the memories away. He couldn't fix this... All he could do was hold him, because he knew it was something Inigo seemed to respond to. It was something he seemed to need on occasion. And Gerome hoped he had done the right thing here as well.

The way Inigo clung to him told Gerome that he had maybe made the right choice.

"A vision of being trapped in a cage." He said, keeping his tone low and even, a point of calm when Inigo seemed to be anything but. "Of being taunted by a strange man, mocked for being powerless. I believe the vision, the memory, was a woman's."

"A cage..?" He repeats. The contents of that vision certainly don't sound much more pleasant, especially with the addition of that mocking man. Honestly, Inigo imagines that even if he would have had that one rather than the vision of the execution, he still would have felt upset.

But Gerome doesn't. Or seems like he doesn't. He sounds just as calm as ever while describing it. Is it just that he figured out more quickly that the visions they were given were just someone else's memories and therefore nothing to be bothered over? Or is it rather that Gerome just isn't as easily affected by these things as he is?

.. Inigo isn't sure if he likes either possibility. Sure, he likes the fact that Gerome isn't upset, because he'd hate to see the other that way, but.. depending on which scenario is true, it makes Inigo either dumb and oblivious or just plain weak. And either of those thoughts feel like a punch in the stomach.

He doesn't pull his body away, still clinging to Gerome, but he pulls his head back slightly. Just enough so he can look at his friend's face - especially since the other already took off his mask, which means Inigo can stare straight into Gerome's eyes, searching for a sign of something. Just to see if the other really is as calm as he sounds. Of course it leaves the wide-eyed panicked look in his own eyes wide and open for Gerome to see, but he figures he's already beared that feeling anyway with everything he's said so far.

"Gerome.. I'm so sorry. That also sounds like an awful memory to experience, even though it isn't your own.."

What he would see in Gerome's eyes was no judgement. He could understand how Inigo would be upset by what he had seen, it would have been terrifying to have a memory not your own just by itself, but to have one that pertained to being killed. Gerome did not believe, for even a second, that Inigo was weak to feel that memory so strongly. If Gerome had been the one to have seen it, he suspected it would have unsettled him as well.

There was also a little confusion there, in the slight wrinkle of Gerome's brow. Because he didn't understand why they were getting these visions. These memories. And why now?

When Inigo spoke, he was quick to shake his head, his arms tightened about Inigo for a second.

"This is not about me, Inigo." His tone was stern, but there was a slight tempering of it, a gentleness that came from understanding that Inigo was upset, and he didn't want to upset him further. "My reasoning for telling you is that you now know you are not alone. That there are others who have shared memories just as you." He paused in thought for a moment, before continuing. "You have seen something you should never have seen... A horrible memory not your own. But it is just a memory. You are safe, Inigo. That memory can not hurt you."

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Event: Healing Waters

NIGHT TIIIIME

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