middleofsomewhere | The Mountain Top: Grasshopper 25

After the strangeness of their second day on the island for some, with memories and conversations in a cave, the third day goes calmly.

At least until mid afternoon. As the day winds on into evening all of those who have been sharing memories with others will feel a pull.

A pull to climb the mountain in the north. It is a good feeling, that mountain is where you need to be. A sense of belonging, friendship, camaraderie. You don't need to be alone, just climb the mountain.

For those that climb they will find worn wooden benches spaced around the lip of the caldera in concentric circles, the centre set up like an amphitheatre. The Jema syrup spills from crevices around the edges, running down from the peak in well-worn grooves and channels.

The sun sets slowly on Jema’grethy, slowly sinking into the ocean over a period of a couple of hours. During that time pairs of Voidtreckers will feel drawn towards the syrup, to touch the surface.

When they do they will receive a memory and find themselves back in that cave once more. For those watching it is as if they are in a trance, lasting a few moments.

People feel moved at different times and so there are always people aware, sat around the mountain top. It might be that there are other friends they wish to speak to about what they see. It might be that they wish to sit silently and avoid everything, if only their friends will allow it.

But it is a place to be together nonetheless.

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Before

This was just cruel. Why did he have to climb to the top of the mountain? He didn't even have the cache of items he built up with him, nothing more than the knife and axe at his hip, and a pack full of light plants.

Senku had not been underselling his physical abilities to those he'd made comments to. The walk's not that far, but it's kind of steep and at an incline and before long he's breathing hard, but his face is determined. Taking his time is a waste of it, it would be better to get to the top at the very least.

Then he could find a bench and promptly collapse on it to catch his breath.

Once he'd accomplished that, he opened his pack which was not empty but it was filled instead with flora that was light and easy to work with, like the stems of plants. He took out his knife and split it apart and began then twisting and weaving it in together to make himself some sturdy stone age rope, since the other rope would disappear he was told and he wanted to keep his tools in functioning order, also it gave his hands and mind something to focus on.

After

It was less about the memory he'd seen, but the one he'd shared that shook him a little bit. He came back to awareness when his escape was assured from the cave with a bit of a gasp, and a realization that he'd had a tear slide down his cheek.

He was quick to wipe it away and lean back to look up at the sky in reflection.

This was a reminder that he couldn't lose sight of that particular goal. He would ensure that he got the answer they needed to fix Tsukasa. It was a small comfort that Nita had told him time wouldn't pass without him.

Glorfindel saw the rope making and went over to get a closer look. "You don't sing while you're making it?" he asked, puzzled.

"I don't typically sing ever." Senku retorted and blinked, looking up at someone he hadn't met yet.

"Why would I sing?" That seemed like the more prudent question.

"So that the rope knows what to do," the elf said. "I am growing some things to make elven rope back on the Train. I hadn't thought of using the local plant life. But it will likely be just as strong, and light, and cooperative, if sung to, now that I think about it."

The conversation was already so nonsensical from the beginning because Senku couldn't have imagined someone asking him why he wasn't singing to whatever he was creating.

Fortunately, he's intuitive enough to realize they're not from the same world, but he still looks confused.

"I'm...not clear what singing does in this scenario. How does elven rope differ from, uh, non-elven rope?" Senku asked, because that seemed maybe the more pertinent question.

"It's stronger, lighter, and listens to what you need," Glorfindel said promptly. "Non-elven rope, you use it once, to say...climb down a cliff? There you are, at the bottom of the cliff, and you have no rope, because your rope is anchored at the top and the only way to retrieve it is to climb back up."

He smiled. "Elven rope, you give it a tug, let it know you want it to release, and it does. Then you coil it up and put it back in your bag, and you will have rope the next time you need it too."

"I could see how that would be useful." Senku murmured. "I'd be interested in knowing how that works, exactly." He glanced up at Glorfindel.

The discussion of elven rope pinged something in his brain and he blinked. "Tidus told me about you." He offered, by way of explanation. "You look after the plants on the train."

He spoke more like he was fitting puzzle pieces into place, rather than asking about it.

"Fortunately, I'm not going spelunking with this rope, I'm using it on my tools." He held up the stone age knife. "I've been told this rope I swiped from the train is going to disappear, and you never know when you need a knife, so I'll make my own."

[Does it help if you think of it more as nano-tech?]

"You are more than welcome to look at it, when I am done," Glorfindel said with a smile.

"I am one of them, yes," Glorfindel confirmed. He was a little curious what Tidus had said about him.

"That is quite wise and much more appreciated than those who keep swiping knives from the kitchen," Glorfindel said with an exasperated grin. "What other tools are you looking to make?"

"We were talking about plants. I found some here that look like they'd be incredibly useful. They seem very similar to aloe vera. I touched the gel and didn't have an averse reaction. I took three that could be replanted, if you want them. They're on the train now though." He'd emptied his bag before climbing the mountain.

"Ah, I just have to reinforce my axe." Senku said, showing him that one as well. "That should be fine for now. You never know when either one comes in handy, you'd be surprised."

He snorted though. "Kitchen knives serve a different purpose."

"Ah! I am very interested in those, then! Please, do let me help you transplant them when we get back to the Train," Glorfindel said with a smile. He'd also snagged some plants who had been interested in travel and would be getting them settled as well.

"Do you need a hand?" Glorfindel asked. "I am from a world where hand making tools is actually an important skill set to have, as that is the only way to get them. I am not as good at a forge as Curufin or Feanor, but my woodworking is quite decent."

"Yes," Glorfindel said in a flat tone. "For preparing food." His look was a bit salty, but then he relaxed and shook his head. "You should have seen the state of those edges when I first got here. Had to take a whet stone to them all."

"Glad to hear it. I didn't know what I was going to do if you didn't want them and I had nowhere to put them. Turn them into medicine I guess, but I'm hoping that by taking the plants we can grow more. I have one that I was using as a test that I don't have the roots too, so processing that one is what I'm planning on, but the other three..." He gestured at Glorfindel. "All yours."

He blinked at the question. There were many reasons not to let other people interfere with his tools when he was making them, but he wasn't the kind of guy who typically worried about that.

He offered the stone axe to Glorfindel. "Sure, I don't mind." He grinned. "My world's like that too. We've moved beyond the stone stuff into iron and steel, but there's no time for forge building on this short trip. It'll still get the job done."

Senku offered an amused snort at the tone and he nodded. "I bet, yeah, but they're not even shaped the same way to be as useful as what I've got going on here. I mean, really, it's much better for cutting vegetables. I guess if you were desperate it would work but it's hardly ideal. I cook a little bit, at least, I get the science behind the food, but I'm not nearly great at it or anything. More like...functional."

The Mountain Top: Grasshopper 25

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