middleofsomewhere | Event: 12 of Beetroot

Event: 12 of Beetroot

It's been a couple of weeks since they had evacuated Osiga. In that time, many of voidtreckers were busy with a project to try and solve some of the many mysteries that surround the train they travel on. By the eight day of Rabbit they've exhausted all avenues, and whilst they have learned quite a bit, there are still some clear gaps.

Just as that investigation comes to a natural end, passengers are woken up by an announcement.

"Attention voidtreckers and passengers of the voidtrecker express. We are travelling to system #2554098133741. I have sent word to the ministry who have arranged recuperation packs for you. You have had a difficult mission and you deserve a rest.

But it is not just for rest. Last time we visited the system voidtreckers shared memories. Though it is understood that many of you did not enjoy the experience it is notable that certain voidtreckers saw memories of this voidcraft. They were memories that this craft had not accessed. It led to more pathways opening up in the operation of this craft.

I have done some research on the system and I believe we can trigger the caves of memory. This voidcraft understands this might be difficult for the voidtreckers and passengers of the voidtrecker express and it is hoped that only those of you who consent to this experiment will take part.

Regardless this should be a time for relaxation also and the dressing room is open for your convenience. We will arrive in the morning.

The dressing carriage is indeed opened for those who go and look. It's filled with swimming costumes, beach ware, summery clothes and sun hats. There's even a cupboard of buckets, spades, rock pooling gear and picnic blankets.

There are also team coloured tents for those who want to go and sleep under the stars for a night or two, though the train is remaining on the island for those for who camping is their idea of hell.

12 OF BEETROOT

RABBIT 9-12 ~ MEMORY CAVES: BONDING ~ MEMORY MAZE: SEARCH FOR THE TRAIN'S MEMORIES
ASK QUESTIONS ~ LOCATION INFORMATION ~ MEMORY CAVES ~ MEMORY MASTER POST

JEMA'GRETHY ISLAND: RELAXATION

The next day the train announces their arrival and they burst out of the void. For those near a window their first view of the island will be of crystal blue sea and white sand. It really does look like a paradise. The train circles down before landing 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 idyllic. A sense of peace permeates the island.

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.

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.

The recuperation packs are found at the closest toilet facilities to where the train lands. They are simple things, small gift baskets with a couple of fragrant soaps, fancier hair products and skin cream infused with herbs to encourage rest and sleep.

There are some sweet fruit biscuits and a cheesy bread. The packs aren't named but there are some suitable for the younger passengers with tiny plush and colouring books. Quite a few designed for teens with a more engaging activity book and components for making a fancy mocktail with a cute stirrer. Adult packs have a small bottle of alcohol- there's a mixture between the packs and what looks like a stone. When placed next to the skin it will either warm up or cool down depending on what is needed.

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.

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.

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.

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.

MEMORY CAVES: BONDING

Shortly before arriving they will receive some information on their SCA. It will explain how those who once lived on this island went about making life bonds. Both people would bathe in the hot springs and then dress simply, barefoot and walk to one of seven rocks on the island. Their maps will pin point these, which is good because there's no real indication of what makes these rocks different to any other on the island.

Here they must offer their wish to know the other deeper and share food and drink. They can then go about their day. Sometime in the hours after they will receive their first memory, seen through their partners eyes.

However it seems that in envoking the ritual they have woken something on the island. Even those who did not take part or chose to bond to someone find themselves seeing a glimpse of another life.

On the second day they see another memory, through the eyes of their pair. When they come out of it they find themselves in a cave with their partner, chosen or not. The same happens on the third day, except for this final memory both pairs see both memories, watching from the sidelines as it plays out. They find themselves in the cave once more and this time, for many there is only one exit, to leave through together.

Please go here to play out the bonding process!

MEMORY MAZE: TRAIN'S MEMORIES

On the third day the train sends another message to their SCA.

"Activating the caves that share memories has been successful. I know this is a lot to ask of the voidtreckers, but any who wish to assist in discovering what it is that I have forgotten, the path is open now.

Those who wish to may go to the sacred rocks. Please be warned, I do not know how voidtreckers will fare. Please only go of your own free will."

Their SCA's once again show the rocks on their maps and when they get there, this time they are faintly glowing. It doesn't take much. One touch and their minds are drawn away from their bodies, into a labyrinth of caves. For anyone who comes across these people on the island, they look like they are in a deep trance, breathing, safe but far away in their mind.

The labyrinth is made of cool, dark rock. The walls have a glow coming from crystals in-bedded in them, allowing everyone to see as they move through.

At first there's no more to this labyrinth, or so it seems. But then they turn a corner, and they are no longer in cavern as it just was. They may be in their childhood bedroom, or in the middle of a battle they once fought. Perhaps they are not in their own memory, but someone else's. Scenes move rapidly and often merge, one persons into another, mixing to make strange scenes.

These visions don't attempt to ensnare them like some illusions, and those with protection from illusions and such techniques, will be able to find their way forward through the cave, and away from this triggered scenario.

Time barely has meaning. Indeed, when they finally emerge from the caves only a few minutes will have passed. But in that time they will have seen much, and eventually they may stumble across a fragment of memory that belongs not to a voidtrecker, but to the Voidtrecker Express itself.

OOC NOTES

OOC Post ~ Questions
~ You can either write memories in your tags or if they are longer/require a lot of content warnings you might want to write them in this post and link to them. Just start a top level with your character name to keep things organised!

~ For those taking part in the memory share bonding the cave post is here. Characters arrive in the cave after the second and third memory but it is obviously up to you if you play out the conversations after each or both! For those who do decide that their characters will bond- the cave after the third memory will only have one exit for them to leave together.

~ For those who signed up for train memories you will receive the snippet that your character sees- use these in tags as you will. There will be a conclusion post on the 24th which will put all of those memories together!

Art Credits: Header: Tropical Jewel by Steven Power, Thumbnail image 3.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Rezo cannot see the way she brightens up, of course, but he thinks she sounds pleased. Although perhaps he’s just hoping she sounds pleased.

“You’ll need to give me more time to get ready, but I should be able to meet you outside shortly after the train comes to a stop.”

He’ll need to change. And if they’re going swimming he’ll need to find some swimwear- which is a slightly uncomfortable thought for a man who normally keeps at least two layers between himself and the rest of the world, but he doubts Lioriley, being a healer herself, is the sort of woman who will have the vapors if she sees a bare chest.

“I’ll see you then.”

Giving a parting nod, Rezo goes off to start rummaging properly through the dressing carriage. Maybe there will be sandals in his size... He'll need sun lotion...

Oh, she most certainly did sound pleased. In fact, Rezo's acute hearing likely assured he heard the soft squeak of delight when he agreed to join her off train.

"Of course! I will see you soon."

And with that, she was off, grabbing the mentioned towel and sun block (just in case) on her way out, as well as a blanket and an umbrella on the chance Rezo would join her for another picnic.

While she waited near one of the restrooms, Lioriley had taken a recuperation pack and was currently shifting through it, humming just loud enough to be heard if she somehow didn't spot Rezo first while she was distracted.

That soft noise makes his chest swell with relief. It’s been a while since he’s heard her sound that happy.

As stated, Rezo will go to find her only a little bit after the train has landed. He’s packed a few supplies in his rucksack and has swapped out his regular clothes for a pair of swim trunks and a light button-up shirt. The clothes are far enough outside of his usual style to give him pause, but any hesitation vanishes the moment he actually steps out into the heat and sunshine of Jema’Grethy.

Following along with the crowd guides him to the nearest campground. There are various different sounds to pick through; people moving and talking, the rustling of the foliage and the tides of the ocean in the background, distant birdsong. As soon as he recognizes the sound of Lioriley humming in the midst of it all, he brightens and calls out her name.

“There you are,” he says, hurrying towards her. Having overheard bits of chatter on the way here, Rezo adds, “It sounds as though everyone has found something interesting.”

Lioriley was not a woman often inclined to stare - but she couldn't seem to help herself when she looked up and saw Rezo striding toward her, clad in attire far outside his usual layers. It was genuinely shocking to see so much skin.

"Here I am." She confirmed once she shook herself out of her momentary stupor. "You look nice. Very fitting for the environment." Seeing as it was hotter than hell (in her opinion, which may have been just a little bias with her affinity for ice and colder temperatures in general) and Rezo might have been roasting had he opted for something more to his tastes.

She looked around, then back to her own pack, and laughed. "Interesting is certainly a word. Do you enjoy alcohol by chance? I seem to have obtained some in the bag I acquired."

Rezo isn’t quite sure what to do with the compliment. “I am glad if I don’t look too strange,” he says. “But yes, this is warmer weather than I normally dress for.”

After Lior tells him about her findings, he holds out his free hand and arm for her to take hold of, so that she can easily guide him down to the beach. (She may notice he has already gone ahead and applied some sun lotion to his arms.) At the same time he continues to blithely make conversation.

“Yes, although it’s far too early in the day to be partaking in that sort of thing,” Rezo says. Especially if they’re going out into the water. He’ll need to keep his wits about him, probably. “I assume you’re offering to share it at some point?”

(Part of him warns him that it may not be a good idea to drink with Lioriley- or at all, for that matter- but he has a decent tolerance. Surely he can set aside a little of his worries.)

She quickly adjusted her bags to her other arm, thankful that the walk to the beach wasn't far with all the things she had gathered for herself - and any extras that she thought Rezo or others might need just in case - and took his arm, looping her own around his elbow. She started to slowly walk toward the beach.

"Well I had not meant for you to drink it now." She scoffed playfully, then shrugged. "If you would like." She had been planning to just give it to him since alcohol did nothing for her beyond sometimes tasting decent, but now it felt rude to not share it with him. "Perhaps when it is a bit darker and we have had our fill of swimming, hm?"

This isn’t the first time they’ve walked arm in arm but it is the first time both of them have left their arms uncovered, and a part of him is peculiarly aware of her bare skin resting against his. Which is absurd, he knows. She’s just holding onto his arm for Gods’ sake, and she’s only doing so to help him navigate the path. Still, there’s that acute sense of touch that lingers in the back of his mind even as they continue walking and talking.

“It would be more enjoyable than drinking alone,” he says. Noting the way she refers to having their fill of swimming, and how much she seems to have been looking forward to this since they first spoke, he says, “You seem dearly fond of swimming. Is it something you often did at home?”

"Not as often as I might have liked." She admitted with a soft sigh, fingers absently squeezing Rezo's arm. "There is a spring near the place of power I was born upon that I used to visit quite often to swim. The alchemical leylines always resonated with me - for obvious reasons, as you may have assumed - and I found it quite pleasant; soothing even."

She guided him toward the sand of the beach, taking a moment to warn him of the change as they stepped forward. "But I have not visited it in some time, and not many bodies of water upon the surface are deep or safe enough to traverse so casually."

Again, Rezo is far too aware of her fingers when they press into him like that. Still, he does his best to keep his arm still. He certainly doesn’t want to do anything odd that might encourage her to let go. It’s just distracting enough that he almost misses how the sound of the ocean is getting closer, so it’s fortunate that Lior alerts him just before they reach the beach.

Even through his sandals, he can feel how the ground softens beneath their feet. The heat of the sun radiates both from above and below, as the sand reflects the sunlight back up at them. It’s a bit much, but pleasant all the same.

“How long have you been away from your homeland?” He has gathered it has been quite some time, although he does not recall if she ever went into specifics before.

Lioriley was glad she had opted for sandals of her own - as well as the wide brimmed hat she had plopped upon her head; assuring she was shielded by most of the sunlight beating down on them. She didn't need to worry about burning, but damn she couldn't stand the intense heat for long.

Plenty of voidtreckers had already taken spots upon the beach, and Lioriley carefully skirted around them until she found a more open patch of sand not far from the water.

"About four hundred years or so." She said as she slowly released his arm so she could reach for her bag, setting it down to take the blanket and umbrella out. "It is far from Garsalia, where I remain to advise the king. And the trip is dangerous, so I have not visited."

That number is quite a lot to absorb- Rezo tends to think of himself as ancient compared to other people, but four hundred years is longer than he’s even been alive. It isn’t news to him that Lioriley is older than he is, by a significant amount, but it always feels odd whenever he’s reminded of it.

Then again, he does often find himself feeling significantly younger than he normally does whenever he’s around her. The peculiar way he feels both relieved and disappointed at the same time when she lets go of him is just one example.

Rezo hovers nearby, not really able to help much with setting up besides by staying out of the way, and considers Lioriley’s story.

“Do you miss Moon’s Refuge often?”

Lioriley didn't reply while she worked on screwing the pole of their umbrella into the sand, the sound of it opening following a moment later. She gently reached for his hand if he let her so she could tug him toward the blanket she had set down in the shade.

"Here. You can set your things down - be sure to duck." Tall as he was, he might bonk his head on the umbrella.

Once that was done, she finally said, "To answer your question: I do. Even if I have not been there for centuries, it is still my home. My teacher, Magister Kurin, writes when he can to tell me how much I am missed. Sometimes I wonder if I should return, but know that I cannot - not while I am needed."

“Thank you.” Rezo’s rucksack isn’t exactly heavy, but it’s not as if he can take it with him when they go into the water. He sets it, and himself, both down on the blanket, and begins to rummage through for the sun lotion he’s packed. He’ll need to apply it to his torso, once he takes his shirt off.

“You know,” he says, tilting his head in the direction he hears her, “I believe that’s about the answer I expected from you.” Lioriley is a dutiful person, so of course she’d be mindful of the needs of others. It’s one of the things that he can’t help but find… lovely. About her.

(…He’s been assuming this attraction will die down on its own after a while, but it is taking a frustratingly long time to do so.)

Doing his best to clear his mind of any strange thoughts, he holds out the bottle of sun lotion. “Do you need to use any of this?”

Lioriley felt her already warm cheeks flush "I am so predictable, am I?" She asked with a nervous little laugh, settling down beside the priest.

When offered the lotion, she shook her head, but started to reach for it anyway; fingertips brushing over Rezo's knuckles. "No, I believe my skin is dark enough to not be as easily burnt as some others." Looking at you, bud. "But would you like me to put some on your back?"

“You probably also have the benefit of your healing factor,” Rezo remarks lightly. He’s unoffended by the implicit poke at his pale skin tone- while he can’t easily compare his appearance to others, he’s received a few remarks on it over the course of his life. And a few sunburns.

Then Lioriley makes her offer and Rezo’s brain goes hgh.

He should… Probably refuse, if he could only come up with an excuse that isn’t ‘that might kill me.’

What he winds up saying instead is “Mm,” nodding his head slightly, and handing the bottle over.

This is… fine, isn’t it? She’s just trying to be helpful, as she is wont to do. He highly doubts there’s anything about his back or torso that would interest her, and it would be deeply disrespectful to repay her helpfulness by thinking far too much about her hands potentially running over his back.

Sternly reminding himself not to be an idiot about this, Rezo undoes the buttons of his shirt, one by one, before shrugging it off. Setting it to the side, he leans forward and waits, shoulders tense, for Lior to get to work.

Lioriley assumed he was going to undress for their swimming lessons, and since she was fairly certain he couldn't reach a few spots on his back, it only made sense to offer her assistance. She definitely wasn't thinking about how his body looked as he unbuttoned his shirt, nor how this was the first time she had seen so much of his skin.

She quickly turned her gaze down to the bottle, squeezed some if the lotion onto her palm, and shifted so she was sitting behind the priest; up on her knees to assure she could reach his shoulders.

"You know..." she said, carefully setting her palms to his shoulders and smoothing down, making sure she coated his skin with the lotion; absently kneading over any knots she found. "If this does not work so well, or you are too warm in general... my alchemy can work wonders in such situations." And, okay, if almost anyone else said that it might have sounded like a come-on, but she genuinely just didn't want the poor guy to die of heat stroke or something. A couple of flicks of her hand and he'd be cooled down in seconds. That was all!

Rezo sits there, listening to her shifting about and applying lotion to her hands with a sense of anticipation that is frankly embarrassing. As soon as he feels the cool touch of her hands against his shoulders, small but strong, he compulsively swallows.

What was that litany Rodimus used…? Clear the mind and nothing can defeat you. Clear the mind…

Lioriley starts kneading, and Rezo’s mental recitation immediately collapses. Gods, why is this affecting him so much? She’s just trying to keep him from getting sunburned.

“Hm? Oh…”

It takes him several solid moments to work out both what Lior says, and what Lior means. Then again, Lioriley could have started reciting the alphabet at him and it probably would have flustered him.

“...Do I feel too warm to you?”

It was all innocent. Just a small Lunari rubbing sun block on her friend and fellow scholar who definitely didn't make her stomach do flips and her heart race every time he smiled at her. Nothing weird or confusing about that.

"Mm. A bit? But it is very hot and we have been directly in the sun. I was just offering, on the chance it became unpleasant." She rambled a bit, and when she realized what she was doing, promptly turned her focus back to the task at hand.

More lotion was applied, smoothed over his back until it was covered in a thin layer of the stuff. She was done in a matter of moments; but her fingers still lingered, gently pressing into knots and working them loose unless he told her to stop. "You are quite tense though. Are you nervous?" About swimming...obviously.

“...I see.”

Rezo doesn’t quite realize that she should be done by now, although he vaguely notes that she’s switched her focus more to massaging than rubbing. He leans forward just a little further, his knees curling up so he can rest his forearms on them.

And of course, she’s noticed the tension in his body. Rezo licks his lips- his mouth is rather dry. Yes, he’s nervous, and yes, it’s because she’s touching him, and yes, it’s absurd of him to be reacting so strongly… He knows, privately- and it will be staying private if he can do anything about it- that he finds her attractive, but still…

And then he realizes the other reason why this is so awkward for him, and he blurts out:

“I cannot remember the last time anyone did something like this for me.”

Her hands stilled, fingertips resting, just below his shoulder blades.

"Truly?" She asked, voice low and yet still very clearly full of surprise. Rezo had, from what he had told her, been a literal saint to those he aided back home. He may as well have been a saint to her too, with all the kindness he had offered her. Had no one thought to return that kindness until now? "I suppose we should make up for lost time, then."

That said, her thumb pressed into his back again, letting it sink slowly into the knotted muscle before she began to roll it in small circles. Her other hand braced on his shoulder, fingers gently brushing along the column of Rezo's neck. "Tell me if I am pressing too hard."

Well, it isn’t as if he’s normally in dire need of someone to touch his back, whether it’s to apply sun lotion or… gentle pressure, like this. And it’s not as if he was poorly treated, it’s just the kindnesses people offered him were usually things like offerings of food and money, free stays at their inns and houses, or building statues of him.

Nothing quite as hands on as this, at any rate.

“It’s fine,” he mutters. “You don’t have to do this, but… Just stop if your arms start to tire.”

Rezo’s head lolls forward until his forehead is pressed against his arms, leaving him seated in a curled up position while Lioriley attends to his back.

It takes a while before Lioriley will feel those muscles relax, and even then progress is gradual. Having someone touch him so closely and gently is a foreign enough experience that it takes him some time to just get used to it enough to actually enjoy it.

But it does slowly happen. The warmth of her hands and the climate seeps into him, easing away the tension, and the white noise of the ocean nearby lulls him into a trance-like state. If he were the least bit sleepy, he could doze off like this, he thinks.

Presently, he tilts his head so that his face isn’t buried in his arms. “...Have you done this often before?” he asks.

"Of course." She agreed, knowing full well that it would take quite some time for her arms to truly tire. Any minor aches were quelled within seconds thanks to her natural healing factor, to the point she barely noticed when they came and went.

Every so often, as her fingers pressed and kneaded and massaged into Rezo's back, she would send a faint pulse of healing energy into him to help with any pain that may have come with the unknotting of tense back muscles. Beyond that, it was all the same repeating motions: fingertips sinking into skin, rolling to loosen, then pushing up to the next spot that needed attention. At some point she had zoned out too, staring absently down at Rezo's back as faint lines of red began to form where she worked.

"Mm?" She looked up, blinked, then realized he had asked a question and chuckled. "Not very often, but I have done it before. Usually with my more, ah... athletic companions who might strain themselves. But I do not believe I have done such a thing since my arrival on the train."

“Is that so?”

‘Athletic companions’ is a bit of a vague description, but Rezo’s first mental image is of swordsmen and similar warrior-adventurers. Either way, Rezo surmises massages must be part of her mending skillset.

“If you want to stay in practice, you could probably find volunteers easily,” Rezo remarks. He rarely ventures there, but he knows a fair number of people spend time in the training gym everyday. There’s probably a few who wouldn’t mind a helpful Lioriley rubbing away their aches on a regular basis.

He thinks about it just a little more. Probably a few virile, able-bodied knightly types who would be eager to have a charming healer woman tend to them…

Recognizing some of the absurdity of taunting himself with this line of thought, Rezo sighs and straightens, rolling his shoulders. He does feel looser, in a good way; hopefully that will be of some help when they enter the water.

“Thank you. I believe I can take care of the rest myself.” He holds out his hand for her to place the bottle of lotion into.

Lioriley thought back to her most recent excursion to the training gym, where she had spoken to Trunks about potential self defense lessons on the chance a world left her without her magic. There had been plenty of people in there of significant musculature that probably could do with a nice massage to ease any aching muscles - not that she had ever considered it until this very moment.

"That is not a terrible idea." Would she go through with it? Who knows. Massages were more something that just...came up while she tended to other injuries. Doubtful she'd make a big deal of it.

She'd think about it more later. Lioriley reluctantly let her hands drop, fingertips grazing along his spine until she retracted entirely to grab the lotion bottle. She handed it to him and settled back to patiently wait for him to finish.

Rezo doesn’t entirely manage to repress a shiver at her fingertips passing down his spine. He takes the bottle and begins the process of lathering sun lotion onto his chest with brisk motions.

Realistically, he reflects, he doubts Lioriley is going to suddenly fall into something with the first attractive adventurer who requests her ministrations. If nothing else, they are all on a mission, so it’s hardly the time for that sort of thing. Rezo’s the fool who keeps getting distracted by her in the first place.

It might be better if she did take up a lover, though. It would probably make her happy- he still finds it strange to think she was single before arriving on the train, given how she obviously enjoys doting on people- and maybe it would get through to his unconscious that nothing is going to happen, so he could stop dealing with this unsettling awareness of her.

Rezo’s done applying lotion soon enough, so he recaps the bottle and sets it aside.

“Did you want to enter the water now?” he asks.

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