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!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's funny. Tidus's presence was a lot more omnious when he was still further away, drifting in the water and teasingly calling out his name. By any standard of logic Inigo should be getting more nervous as the prime potential source of getting teased for not being able to swim is getting closer.. and yet he doesn't. Instead it's just like Taiki says. There's something reassuring about having Tidus closer. It feels safer with both of them near.

Before he realises it, he already subconsciously started smiling at Tidus as the other swims closer towards them. It's a little embarrassing, even for Inigo, and it ends up spreading some faint colour on his face by the time he realises that small smile appeared on his face.

He tries to fight the embarrassment by just going for it. He takes a few more steps, this time taking the lead and being the one to gently tug Taiki along, until the water is up to above his knees.

"Um.. So what should I be doing by the point I can't stand anymore..?"

Unfortunately, Tidus can't make any cool calls out in responses--turns out, he really did just guess what the two of them were talking about when Inigo wasn't shouting at him in misery. He comes to a slow down at the point where the ground lurks close under his feet where he floats, arms pushing aside the water to keep him above; watching the pair before coming in, lifting out from the calm waves.

"How about we take him in and let him float and kick his legs first?" --but on an actual positive note is the fact that Tidus hasn't forgotten what they're here for, explaining as well to Inigo what he means. "Me and Taiki can go in the water with you, but once we get in so far, you'll pick your legs up and just float, get used to taking your feet up. We'll be nearby, and you can hold onto us -- and when you're feeling confident with that, you can try kicking your legs with your stomach flat over the water. But you won't be swimming out: you'll be sticking in place. Just so you know what it feels like. Get used to it."

Simple, straightforward, but he knows it can still be scary too if you're not used to it. The thought of not having your feet down. Most people think they'll be swept away within seconds, unable to take back control--and it's usually the thrashing that results in that causes the real danger.

"That's a good idea." He says quietly with another smile at Inigo. Still getting deeper, still being reassuring. "We'll be right here, Inigo."

He can't actually remember learning to swim, he must have done so when he was young, as a small child. He doesn't think he is that strong a swimmer but the sea here is peaceful and he knows Tidus won't let any harm happen to Inigo.

"What do you think?"

".. I'll try," Inigo says after a slight quiet moment. Because he can't back out now. He's already getting so far into the water. And what is he going to look like to both Tidus and Taiki if he'd suddenly pull his hand out of Taiki's grasp and bolt right back to the shore? A coward. An idiot. A big baby. He can't have that.

But it's still terrifying. Inigo takes a few more steps forward after he says it, but he soon gets to the point where the water is high enough that in a step or two he won't have a choice but to pull his feet off the ground. And Tidus is right in the way he thinks - that's the scary part. Inigo has never had his feet off the ground that way. He's never even been up in the air the way Cynthia and Gerome often are.. It's scary to let go of that. A loss of control. Somehow Inigo has faced battle after battle without ever being scared about his own safety, yet this makes him so afraid.

"Okay, I.. I'll take a step and pull up my legs.." The uncertainty is audible in his voice, and his grip on Taiki's hand tightens.

And although he doesn't say anything out loud, his other hand is obviously reaching in Tidus's direction. Please hold his hand, bro, he's scared...

Inigo doesn't have to reach far. Tidus's hands are already near, extending out to take his. They'll need to be careful now.

"Don't panic." It's easy for him to say, and he knows those words along can induce panic - but he needs Inigo to follow them, to take to heart the levelled tone he says it with. "You're not going anywhere, and we're gonna keep hold of you. Once we come in too, we're gonna kick our legs, and we're gonna keep us floating. That's how you keep your head above water. Okay? You wanna practice it too."

Inigo doesn't need names and terms right now - just to know what's going to happen, how it's going to be done. How he's going to keep afloat.

Taiki held his hand tightly, staying quiet as Tidus did the actual explanation. After all he has never taught anyone to swim before, so Tidus is the expert here.

He gives Inigo a reassuring smile though, it will be alright. They won't let go and they won't let him go under.

"Just stay calm, it will be alright I promise."

It would help a lot when it'd be naturally easier for Inigo to not panic. Sure, in battle situations he can keep himself perfectly calm and serious, even the odds look dire, but any other situation is a disaster when it comes to that sort of thing.

He's trying though. It really helps to have Taiki and Tidus with him, actually physically holding his hands through this - if not just because he doesn't want to disappoint either of them, nor look like a loser in front of them.

So he tries to suck in a few deep breaths, forcing himself to be as calm as he can be in the present situation, and then steps forward.

As his legs move down, he can feel that they no longer hit the ground the way they did up to this point. It's a weird and borderline terrifying sensation, but he repeats 'stay calm' in his head like a mantra and manages to keep himself from instinctively trashing at the sensation, instead keeping his legs still.

(He's totally shut his eyes tight at this point though, as if that makes it a little less scary.

But it looks kind of ridiculous.)

Tidus has seen it all. Screwing up your eyes is one of those basic reactions, and he's calm, squeezing Inigo's hand with reassurance once they find the water. His own legs start treading instinctively, on automatic, his free arm sitting over the surface.

"You're fine," he reminds Inigo. Just to speak, so he hears him, can remember it's true. "There's no current, and you've got us. Lucky guy, huh Taiki?" A look and a smile sent over to the other guy.

"I don't feel you kicking though, so start doing that. Kick like crazy! Like a jog on the spot!"

Or he'll start sinking no matter if they are holding him...!

"Yes kick, Inigo. Kick your legs."

His voice is still soft, gentle, his hand still steady in Inigo's as he holds him tightly. He is proud of him, he knows he is frightened and yet here he is, in the water, floating.

.. he is pretty lucky. Inigo knows that, even as he hears Tidus's words. It's something he might admit in other scenarios, where there's more room for him to be sappy, but right now he is just trying his best to not panic in this new and weird situation.

It's still going reasonably well, but he's definitely forgetting to kick for a few moments. He's just so caught up in the idea of trying to stay calm that it's like it overrides any other possible activities in his mind.

A combination between both of them telling him to do so and the fact he's slowly starting to sink into the water sure gets him kicking though. It's uneven, and kind of clumsy, but he's trying. Still with his eyes closed, too, and he involuntarily squeezes both of their hands pretty hard as he tenses.

"This is so weird!" He whines.

Tidus can't help but laugh. "'Cause you're not used to it! You're not even looking! Just kick and take it easy, c'mon."

He tugs Inigo's hand some, just to try and convince the guy he doesn't need to be so scared. At least not to the point of squeezing his eyes closed like he's about to be custard pie'd to the face.

"The beach is right behind us, so what you got to worry about? Just think about that."

"Relax," He reminded Inigo with a smile, "You're doing really well."

He was, his eyes were closed but his legs were kicking and so far they all had their heads above the water.

There's definitely just another whining sound coming from him when Tidus laughs. Inigo can't help but be even more sensitive to that than usually when he's feeling so out of his element.

"I've got plenty to worry about since it's so strange!" But he's still kicking! Even though he doesn't exactly look like he's having fun either... "S-So I can't just.. relax! Sheesh.."

He sucks in a breath before slowly opening his eyes - first just a quick peek, but then he keeps them open.

"I usually don't get scared so easily, you know." Which is true. He can fight the monsters during missions just fine, he hasn't felt scared even a single moment during any of that. It takes other situations entirely to scare him. "So don't think I'm a coward."

"We don't think you're a coward," Tidus states firmly, yet fondly too; like a parent reassuring their child. "A fish walking around on land would think it's weird too. But you're doing it! Just keeping going like this for another minute or two."

A minute of treading in place, just to get more accustomed, a little more confident. Then they could try a few other exercises, slow and easy. This won't be so bad once Inigo does it more, will it? Tidus will just have to shut up and let him get to it so he can't get discouraged by overthinking everything.

"Why would we think that?" He really sounds surprised, as he looks towards his friend. "To come in here, when you've never swam before and you're afraid... That's really brave."

It really was, he would never think Inigo a coward, he had seen him be brave indeed.

Swimming was new to him, strange and it was no wonder he found it hard to relax but he was doing very well and Taiki was impressed.

Inigo can feel his cheeks heating up in that much too familiar way, a blush that spreads across his cheeks and makes its way up to the very tips of his ears as he still does his best to keep his head above the water with his kicks.

What is he even supposed to say when they're both suddenly being so sweet and supportive in tandem?

"I don't know," he mumbles, sucking in a breath. It's hard, thinking and yet trying to keep practicing at the same time. "I just feel like I'm looking dumb."

It's an Inigo attack pals, let's get him where it hurts!

"Everyone kicks their legs like this underwater. We're doing it right now! That's swimming."

Inigo's doing it, Taiki's doing it, he's doing it.

"We can do it without us holding your hands in a sec. You won't notice a difference! We won't go anywhere," he adds, before there can be a panic about that.

"We will stay right here." He reassured with a smile, "And you will still be right there and still above water."

He smiles at them both, Inigo really is doing well for a first time swimmer, even if he felt a bit stupid... He definitely doesn't look stupid.

"Are you ready?"

".. okay."

He definitely sounds hesitant about the idea, but Inigo is aware that he's never going to fully learn how to swim if he's just going to stay here with both of them holding his hands.. No matter how much he loves the hand holding part.

And a natural, childish part of his abandonment complex does briefly kick in - just for a split second before Tidus says they won't go anywhere, before Taiki confirms it too. Inigo presses it down as far as he can though, instead biting his lower lip and nodding.

"I.. I'll try. Just.. please stay nearby. Really. I'll cry if you pull a prank, Tidus, I swear to Naga!"

"We'll be right here, Inigo!" Despite the pleading and how easy it would be to tease Inigo, Tidus is reassuring without missing a beat, no tone that can be misjudged. After all- "We can't teach you how to swim if we leave you all by yourself. And where's the fun in that?"

But it was Inigo who had to make the first moves, once he was ready. All at his pace now, with Tidus and Taiki there to support him.

Tidus returns Taiki's smile, confident and sure.

"We will be right here." He promised again. He knows that Tidus won't tease, not right now. It is too important, Inigo needs to feel confident in the water and he won't feel confident if he's embarrassed or if they abandon him.

"Okay." He looks over at Tidus with a nod, "We will let go after three."

Inigo ever feeling confident about anything in general may be a little bit too much to ask for..

But he's going to try all the same. No matter how much he may be whining right now, he does trust both of them. At the very least he is absolutely certain they wouldn't leave him to drown, so that means there's no real risk here, is there?

"I.. It's okay."

His voice still shakes a bit, but he steadies himself.

"I'll let go myself." Because it just feels a lot less scary that way. Taking action, rather than waiting for the inevitable. (He is closing his eyes again for the moment though, sue him.)

So Inigo sucks in a breath, and then pulls his arms away from both of them. He's still kicking underwater, and though for a moment it goes slightly faster, threatening to turn into panicked trashing, he manages to control himself at the last moment to keep it steady instead.

".. It's.. It's working, isn't it?"

Of course he could just open his eyes and check it for himself (not to mention that he'd kind of be feeling it if he was drowning right now!!), but apparently he wants to hear it from them instead. Like his own opinion and senses aren't enough for him to believe it.

They won't make fun of their friend right now--'least, Tidus won't. There's more of a risk of playful teasing from him than there ever is Taiki, and as for the time being--

"You got it! Just keeping kicking-- but you don't wanna kick too fast. But you've got the hang of it!"

--he's here to give all the words of encouragement a guy could need. Good thing there's no worry in these temperatures of any muscles stiffening up. He's floating, watching and waiting on everything Inigo does.

"You're doing really well." Taiki confirmed, smiling at him, treading water next to him and smiling him in encouragement, even if Inigo's closed eyes won't let him see that for the moment.

"Just keep steady, just as before."

"Ahh, I hate thiiis.."

It's not loud, but it's still definitely whining. Apparently even all the encouragement from his friends in the world can't fully keep Inigo from his whiny puppy personality rearing its head.

"I don't think human beings were meant to do this..!"

Maybe it'll become more fun once he grows used to it, but right now? It still feels weird. Especially since he's just.. hovering in place here! When is that ever going to be useful, huh.

"How long do I need to keep going like this? My legs are going to start to get sore!"

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