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

"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.

If ever asked, Lioriley could come up with a thousand reasons why she was single. Her last romantic relationship had ended rather poorly, she just didn't have the time, most humans didn't care to even look at a Lunari with anything beyond disgust, etc. She hadn't thought about it much herself - not until she came here and met Rezo. The constant close proximity and the commonalities between them made it so easy for her to just...like him. A lot.

She never made it explicitly clear how deep that 'like' ran though. Rezo probably didn't feel the same and if he did, well, there was never really a time to discuss such things between missions. Not to mention how they were from different worlds and all that other technical nonsense. Maybe some day they could talk about it - or maybe she'd just keep her feelings to herself. Who knew.

"Certainly." She chirped in reply, using a bit of quick alchemy to clean her hands of the lotion as she stood. She also took the moment to slip her shoes off and tug her dress up and over her head. She did not have anything on underneath, having known she'd be in the water soon. She offered her hand to Rezo, gently bumping her fingers against his palm so she could lead him to the water.

"Have you ever tried to swim?" She asked. Best to try and gauge if he had any experience, or if they were working from the ground up.

There’s a split-second of panic on Rezo’s face when he hears the sound of clothing rustling and he thinks Lioriley is intending to change into her swimwear right here, on the beach, where everyone else can see her undressing. Then it occurs to him she’s probably done something similar to him and put her swimwear on under her dress, and he once again has to spend a few moments sternly telling his heart to slow down.

Really, the woman has more sense than that.

He takes a deep breath and her hand, drawing himself to his feet and following along, gently kicking his sandals off before stepping out onto the sand.

“I have,” he confirms. “A… while ago.” Like, fifty or sixty years, maybe?

“I was staying at the residence of a wealthy man at the time, who maintained a pool on his property. It occurred to me that it might be wise to learn how to at least keep my head above water, in the unlikely event anything happened.” And it wasn’t something he could just Raywing his way out of.

Meanwhile, Lioriley wondered why Rezo wasn't taking his clothes off to swim. It just seemed like the fabric might weigh him down and make their lessons a bit more difficult unless it was super lightweight. And even then she didn't really understand the point. Maybe he was being modest? Embarrassed and didn't want to be on display in public? Maybe. She wasn't going to judge him if he suffered some lack of confidence in his body.

"I see. That is a good place to start." She said, the sound of waves rolling to shore louder now, the cool water rushing at their heels. "We will not go in far to start, all right? Tell me if you are uncomfortable, and take your time." She held his hand tight and started wading into the water, deep enough to hit Lioriley's waist and Rezo's thighs. She glanced back to check on him, and waited to see if he replied.

“Alright,” he confirms. It’s only a brief word, as he’s rather more concerned about making his way into the water without losing his balance somehow.

The water isn’t too cold, tropical as it is, but it’s cool enough to make his toes curl as they step into the wet sand, where the water laps away at the shore. Many decades of being a nonswimmer and an instinctive nervousness about open water combine to form a certain level of trepidation now that he’s actually here. Still, he takes it step by step well enough, although he keeps his hand firmly in Lioriley’s and his expression is very focused.

By the time the water has covered his hips (and has reached approximately the bottom of Lior’s ribs) he’s adjusted. The temperature is actually better underneath the water than it is directly under the blazing sun, he decides.

On the other hand, his feet are still planted on the ground- not firmly, the sand is too soft for that, but solidly enough that he could still walk back to shore on his own. He’s not sure if that’s correct or not.

“How far out are we supposed to go?”

"Just a little further." She assured, yet did not make to move immediately. "We can wade here a moment and let you get accustomed to the water. Really, somewhere more stable would be ideal for this lesson, but I am confident you will manage." Lioriley soothingly rubbed her thumb along Rezo's knuckles.

"What we want is to get far enough that you can still reach the bottom, but also so you can try and float. Oh!" Suddenly, she remembered the ability she had mentioned earlier. "Here." She stepped closer, raised her free hand, and set her fingertips under his chin. If she did anything after that, it was impossible to tell until she spoke again. "You should be able to breathe underwater now. Just in case."

“I’ve kept my balance on worse terrain.”

Rezo takes advantage of their pause to listen carefully- the water is the most prominent sound, and underneath that he can hear other beachgoers playing around further down the shore. He’s reasonably sure that he knows the way back, but he’s still quietly glad for her hand in his.

He’s considering what she says about going out further when Lioriley exclaims. He feels the water swirl about the two of them as she steps close- and places her spare hand under his chin, very close to his throat.

“Ah…” That’s a rather vulnerable place for her to be putting her fingertips, and again he finds himself overly, acutely aware of her and how close she is. And the fact that they’re both underdressed right now. (Even if he isn’t aware of precisely how much.) He just prays this awareness doesn’t show on his face apart from some minute surprise.

That said, he’s not so preoccupied with that distraction to miss what Lioriley says. Rezo’s brows furrow, a little bit dubious despite himself. He’s aware she’s a powerful alchemist, but he doesn’t feel any different…

“Should we put that to the test?” he suggests.

She anticipated the surprise given her lack of warning. But her touch was gentle and brief, her fingertips warm for those few moments they lingered upon his skin.

"Do you not trust me?" It was meant to be playful, but her tone didn't change much. Maybe Rezo's would pick up on the faint lilt though. "But, if you would like, feel free to test my magic. Just hold tight to me when you do."

It occurs to him that in the unlikely event he does drown, Lioriley may have her hands full dragging a man more than a foot taller than her back to shore- but then again, she’s a clever alchemist surrounded on all sides by the tool of her trade, she could probably figure out something.

Rezo also considers the issue of testing his apparent new ability with any amount of dignity before concluding that he should give up on that notion.

“Very well,” he says lightly, “I shall be relying on you to protect me.”

His hand tightens on Lioriley’s as he lowers himself into a sitting position. The ground is soft underneath him, the sand billowing around as he disturbs it, and the water rises up to his neck- which isn’t entirely a comfortable place for it to be for a man who cannot swim very well but he’ll try to be brave for the sake of his tutor.

Rezo takes a breath, realizes holding it would be missing the point and expels it, then abruptly lies back.

Lioriley was not the least bit concerned about Rezo drowning. For one, her magic had most definitely worked- because why wouldn't it?- and for two: she had already considered the numerous ways she could get him back to shore without much issue if something did go wrong.

She didn't anticipate his eagerness to dive under the water though. And she was quick to add: "It may feel a bit odd at first, when you inhale the water- ah." Welp. There he went.

Lioriley dipped forward, still holding tight to Rezo's hand, and sank down as well, her own ability to breathe in the salty sea water ever present; her eyes easily adjusting to the silt-blurry scene of the priest before her.

"You should be able to speak." She said, her own voice slightly warbled. "Be calm."

Sure enough, when he lies back and feels the salty water flooding into his nose and mouth, it feels very odd indeed! In fact, it would be more accurate to say that it feels very alarming, as instinct warns him that he’s going-to-drown-you-idiot. Lioriley will be able to see and feel him tense up, and if she hadn’t warned him he very well might have scrambled to his feet.

But he forces himself to lie still, and take a breath. And then, another. And…

It’s disconcerting because he can feel the water surrounding him, the light pressure above him, the currents in the water. But miraculously, he can feel the air coming in and out of his lungs as if he were still above the water. His expression steadily calms, particularly as she speaks to him.

“Lioriley…” he tests. His voice is likewise warbled by the water- but certainly legible enough, and he can speak without any actual difficulties.

He breaks into a broad grin.

“That is incredible!”

She laughed, squeezed her fingers tight around his, and shifted so she could settle in the sand beside him. It was nice to see Rezo so...excited about something, and Lioriley soon found herself grinning as well.

"I am surprised you do not know such a spell yourself. Perhaps there is a way to teach you." Or she could just, you know, do it for him whenever he wanted to dunk his head underwater. "How does the water feel now that you are here?"

He tilts his head in her direction as she shifts to sit beside him.

“Nobody from my world has yet been able to develop a spell with this effect, though of course many have tried,” Rezo explains. Alas, the specific mechanisms of air and water and the human respiratory system are all very complex, which subsequently makes developing such a spell equally complex.

“I would love to learn. Perhaps we will need to combine our understandings of magic, of course, since our sources are fairly different, but I think it would be an enjoyable endeavor.”

Still grinning, he adds, “The water is lovely. Much warmer than I’m used to the ocean being.”

It would be a strange scene to any outsider: the priest lying upon the seabed, grinning as he spoke to the naked, glowing Lunari beside him; her long white hair swirling through the water like ivory tendrils. Oh, and they were holding hands.

"I am inclined to agree." They had spoken plenty of their magic and how such things worked in their respective worlds, but to actually teach one another to wield certain spells? Now that would be an exciting endeavor.

She felt her heart flutter in her chest; her leylines bright and pulsing as quickly as they always seemed to around him; swirls of pale blue dissipating in the ever churning sea around them. "An ideal temperature for swimming lessons." He sure wouldn't be uncomfortable! "We do not have to rush of course. This is quite fun in itself."

To not just compare notes, but to potentially try something entirely new? It probably won’t be a simple task, but Rezo will look forward to it. And how long has it been since he’s had something to look forward to?

Of course, he might drag her off to work on it right away except they are, technically, supposed to be teaching him to swim right now. And as Lioriley says, they are rather enjoying themselves as they are.

“It is, isn’t it? Thank you,” he says.

He tilts his head back and exhales, spending a few moments just enjoying the feeling of the water cradling him on all sides, without the threat of running out of air… As well as the feeling of Lioriley’s hand in his, serving as a steadfast anchor.

“Truly incredible…” he murmurs.

They had plenty of time to try, both during the mission and aboard the train. Lioriley would welcome the distraction as much as she would welcome the chance to spend more time with Rezo doing something beyond crying or lamenting her past.

"Of course." She replied, watching bubbles rise from Rezo's lips and disappear above their heads. The fact that he was still awed filled her with pride - pleased that she had been the one to ease such awe from the man who seemed to rarely break the character of highly esteemed magic user. Her thumb gently rolled over his knuckles, a soft hum rumbling from her chest to mingle with the sounds of water rushing around their ears.

For a time, she just stayed relatively silent, not wanting to ruin the moment he was clearly trying to enjoy.

The sound of her humming, the soothing beat of her pulse, and gentle stroking of her thumb all combine to have an interesting effect on him in his already elated state. He has a fleeting fantasy of reaching out with his other hand and pulling her close to him; to take advantage of their relative privacy to steal a kiss. It might be the most vivid and blatantly un-platonic urge he’s had towards her so far, and his heart plummets when he realizes he’s getting carried away.

Thank the Gods that Lioriley’s magical prowess doesn’t extend to mindreading, or she might leave him here to find his own way to shore. And well she should, he tells himself.

Rezo gives her hand a gentle squeeze, letting her know he’s ready to come out of his reverie.

“You said we’d need to go out a little further to practice, correct?”

More like damn the gods for not giving her the ability to read minds. If she could hear those thoughts maybe all of that awkward, lingering tension would finally dissipate. God knows Lioriley had had similar thoughts about Rezo those few times they were alone together.

Alas. She would not know and would not act on her own urges beyond what she had offered already.

Her humming ceased and she looked down at him as he spoke, unable to keep from smiling like some lovestruck fool in the wake of his obvious joy. "Just a little further. Honestly, if you enjoy being below the surface, our first lesson would not be too difficult to do down here." She offered, "You just need to kick your legs to start. To get the feel for how they move through the water."

“Like this?”

Feeling far too awkward about the motion, Rezo kicks out at the water. He keeps his motions light at first, more of a stretch than anything else.

During his brief foray several decades ago into ‘learning to keep one’s head above water,’ he recalls, he hadn’t done much kicking. It had mostly been coaxing himself into relaxing about being in water that came up to above his waist. He had, however, managed to dog paddle a few feet during his last days with the pool available. But by then he’d needed to travel again, and he hasn’t practiced since.

There’s more resistance underwater, which is the main thing he notices. He’d forgotten about that. No wonder swimming is supposed to be good exercise.

"Mm. More like this - may I?" She shifted closer and reached her free hand out to gently tap against Rezo's shin, indicating that she wanted to move it for him. Sort of.

What she actually did, if given permission, was manipulate the water around his legs to move them appropriately up and down, with a slight bend to his knees.

"Slowly. Otherwise you will over exert very quickly."

“Go ahead,” Rezo says, slightly distracted by the brief contact of her fingertips against his shin. He’s not even sure what he’s agreeing to- it just feels correct to let Lioriley do whatever she wants. Especially when she’s the alchemist who let him breathe underwater, is the tether he’ll probably need to get to shore, and, as the way the water suddenly shifting around his legs can attest, can bend the water that surrounds him on all sides to her will.

Trying to think more about swimming lessons and less about the fact he is very much in her power right now (and why that doesn’t chafe as much as it should) he obediently repeats the motions, slowly, as Lioriley requests.

“Is this better?”

"Perfect." She praised, letting her hand linger on his leg for, perhaps, just a touch longer than necessary, enjoying the closeness even if it was only in the context of a lesson. She tried not to think too hard about how she was nude, he was mostly the same, and she kept drawing closer and closer to him when she needed to adjust and touch and maneuver the water around them.

She would have him keep those motions up for a few minutes longer before shifting to arm strokes, then floating, eventually suggesting they actually pop their heads above water to see if he could put it all together to - at the very least - see if he could stay afloat without her assistance.

"I will be right here. Do not worry."

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