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

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."

It’s all very pleasantly surreal. They’re underwater, yet he can breathe easily. The water shifts about him, pulling and supporting him, gently guiding him into the correct motions. She has to let go of his hand eventually, but she never strays from his side, little touches accompanying many of her instructions. He’s lost track of exactly where they are but it’s impossible to be worried about that right now, not when his attention is entirely on following her orders.

After they go through several different motions, Rezo is gratified when Lioriley is satisfied enough to suggest they resurface and combine everything they’ve done so far. They’re making rather more progress, he thinks, than he was when he was trying to teach himself.

“Of course,” he says cheerfully. “I think we can manage that.”

He swims, a little clumsily, upwards, breaking through the surface of the waves. The transition is a little jarring; his hair is suddenly heavy with water, he can feel the air flowing against his damp skin, and water spills out of his mouth and nose when he exhales.

(Hopefully nobody noticed- and started worrying about- how long they were underwater.)

After taking a moment to adjust, he calls out, “Lioriley?” and when he’s sure that she’s surfaced along with him, he smiles.

“Shall we get down to business?”

With a serious furrow forming between his eyebrows, he shifts, and starts going through the slow motions of a breaststroke. His movements are, as stated, slow, and of course, clumsy, but he's keeping at it respectably enough.

Outsweep, insweep, return- outsweep, insweep, return- outsweep…

Lioriley had gone into the lesson confident that Rezo, a talented, intelligent scholar and mage, would excell once he overcame any fear or anxiety. He might not be able to breathe underwater all the time (not unless he took to the magic lessons she offered later), but knowing how to keep himself afloat and unpanicked in the water would be beneficial on the chance something tragic happened.

"I am here." She assured him, confirming it further with another graze of her hand against his arm. She was well within reach if he needed someone to hold on to, but far enough (she thought) to give him room to move.

Lioriley bobbed in the water, smiling brightly with delight as she watched Rezo move his arms and kick his legs accordingly.

"Very good! Make sure to breathe, do not over extend and - oh! Ah..." she must not have gauged the distance between them well enough, or had not fully accounted for Rezo's longer limbs and somewhat flailing display. Because he had drawn close enough to graze his hand along her chest, briefly catching on the bright blue nub there and all but throwing the poor Lunari for a mental loop as she tried to recover.

It was all going very well; but then, both of them failed to calculate just how close Lioriley really is to him, and how long his outsweeps are.

Various bits of sensory information piece together: Lior’s exclamation and subsequent flustered noise; soft, warm skin; a small bump against his fingertips…

Rezo puts all this together and very rapidly comes to the conclusion of: Oh, fuck.

“Lior!”

Rezo flails backwards with an impressive amount of speed for a man who is normally uncomfortable in the open water, his discomfort with the environment suddenly outweighed by the discomfort of being far too close. He stumbles, his head briefly disappearing under the water, but is able to scramble to his feet within a moment.

The ground is unsteady beneath his feet- or maybe it’s just his brain that’s unsteady at the moment- but he’s able to stand, the water up to his shoulders, and hold up his hands in the position of a man being held at gunpoint.

“I am… I am so dreadfully sorry,” he babbles, “Forgive me, I did not mean to do that.”

Although he still hasn’t fully processed what, exactly, he did. His hand had gone through the water… He’d hit her, not hard, but he’d hit her chest… She wasn’t- He’d felt-

Rezo’s face is now approximately the bright red hue of his usual wardrobe. Congratulations on flustering the Great Sage, Lioriley.

Maybe she would have taken pride in flustering him if she had 1. meant to, or 2. wanted to for whatever reason. Instead she was equally as flustered and still reeling from the sensation of Rezo's hand briefly brushing against a very sensitive part of her body, along with all the conflicting feelings associated with the motion. Of course it was an accident — as much would have been obvious without his obvious flailing and apologies — but that didn't change the way it made her feel; bodily. While her mind was screaming for her to get her shit together.

"Wait!" Maybe that wasn't the thing to say, but words were just kind of falling out of her mouth before she could think too hard about them. Seeing him fall back into the water, even knowing her spell was still active and nothing would happen to him, sent her into a panic that had her reaching out to try and grab him; stopping short before she could when he resurfaced and held his hands up.

Why, she wondered, did that feel like such a powerful rejection? And why did it make her heart ache?

"I-It is all right, Rezo. I know you did not mean to." But she wouldn't mind if he had meant to. Gods! Lioriley shook her head and unconsciously folded her arms over her chest like she was suddenly too aware of how naked she was even if she knew it wasn't a big deal!

She didn't even know what to say. So she chose, for a moment, to say nothing.

Rezo exhales and carefully lowers his hands. Oh thank Gods, she hasn’t come to the conclusion that he’s some sort of opportunistic lecher. Even if he’s mentally accusing himself of that, right now. And a few other things, besides.

Blind, clumsy, idiot.

He knows he’s overreacting to what was an accident, and that his panicked reaction is probably only making things more awkward for both of them. But damn it, out of all the people here, why did it have to be Lioriley? If it were any other person, he could brush the accidental fondling off easily enough, but it had to be the woman who he 1) is very attracted to, in a way he hasn’t felt in at least fifty years, 2) who he generally likes and admires and thus 3) would prefer her to have a good opinion of him, if only as a friend.

He wants to apologize profusely, but again, knows that would be an overreaction, and it leaves him tongue-tied.

The awkward silence makes him notice the sound of other voidtreckers playing in the distance. It occurs to him that other people may have noticed Lioriley’s current state, probably well before he did, and that thought is irrationally upsetting. He has the urge to scoop her up in his arms, haul her back to shore, and wrap her up in the blanket they left back there as if she were a cat he was trying to pill, because he doesn’t want anyone to see her.

It’s entirely a ‘dog in the manger’ reaction and he suspects she would be livid if he went through with it. Still, he can’t keep himself from saying something.

“Ah… Lioriley,” he ventures. “Could I request a favor from you?”

It shouldn't have mattered because they had been swimming. But now that she was hyperaware of her nudity after that little incident, she kind of just wanted to get back to shore herself and put her dress back on to save herself any further embarrassment.

"Um. Certainly. What do you need?" She asked, her voice low so Rezo — hopefully — wouldn't notice any crack in her tone that might indicate her flustered state. Her only solace was that he couldn't see the way she glowed, nor the dark tint of purple across her cheeks to indicate the nearly dizzying blush that had blossomed there.

Rezo idly notes her voice is quiet, but he’s a little too preoccupied with the matter of how to tactfully say something to read anything into it, other than that she’s likely embarrassed. At least he isn’t the only one.

“Well,” he says, “I may be incorrect, but I noticed you seem to be swimming. Without a swimsuit.” And he will be very embarrassed if it turns out she was just wearing a very thin top.

“I realize that for many people that it is a preference and of course there isn’t anything wrong with that, exactly, but I do think it perhaps isn’t a good idea considering there are people here. Who might see you. And of course, as a blind man, and as a healer, I am, ah, not normally affected by such things-”

Which is why he’s standing at a safe distance and his face is bright red. Because he’s so unaffected.

“-but there are other people who may be affected and. Somewhat. Alarmed by such things, so in light of that and. In the hopes of preventing future accidents, I would request that you kindly… Could you please wear something next time?”

Well. He did try to be tactful about it! A shame about the voice crack near the end there. Not even letting poor Lioriley get in a response, he babbles on. “There did seem to be a variety of swimsuits available in the dressing carriage so I am sure you would be able to find something suitable.” Like a parka, for example.

Lioriley's expression faltered, her embarrassment now mixed with confusion. She wasn't an idiot - she had put together that some people wore clothes to swim in (like Rezo), but the concept of attire specifically made for it was...odd. What was the point?

Modesty, apparently. Which, prior to being accidentally groped by Rezo, hadn't even been a consideration because she wasn't ashamed and didn't think anyone else should concern themselves with what she was or was not wearing. She sure didn't care about their choice.

"I will keep that in mind, I suppose." Her voice still low, but now distinctly annoyed; to the point it might have been a little odd to hear coming from her. "Though I fail to see the point - bathing and swimming are always done without clothing where I am from, and I am not the only one I saw doing as much. But if I am making you uncomfortable..." and she clearly was, given his expression, even if he said otherwise.

God. That still hurt her feelings, too.

Why does she have to be annoyed? Alright, so maybe she’s the one who got groped, but still! He is here, desperately shouting at himself to not say or do anything stupid, surely the least she could do is demurely go ‘Yes, Rezo, whatever you need to calm down.’

“Bathing normally isn’t done in groups,” Rezo mutters, tilting his head away. Which isn’t entirely accurate, but, well. It’s not as if he’s a family member, or a close female friend, or a lover. Let alone anyone else here, although the metaphorical dog in the manger growls at the thought of anyone potentially lining up to apply for the latter position after seeing her today. It seems a very real danger to him, and surely Lioriley isn’t entirely unaware of how alluring she is.

He has a premonition that he won’t be able to fall asleep easily tonight, as he’ll be thinking about her, unclothed and smelling of the ocean.

As it is, he has to take a minute to stay quiet and go over some calming litanies in his head before his embarrassment dissipates enough for it to sink in that he’s just irritated somebody he cares for. Damn it.

He tilts his head in her direction, looking rather more abashed.

“I’m sorry. I hope I did not come across as trying to lecture you,” he says. That somehow seems inadequate, even to his ears, and he hesitates, hands fidgeting together. He sort of wishes he had his staff to cling to.

“...And. I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable as well, with anything that I said or… when I touched you.” He’d already apologized for the latter but under the circumstances, it seems to bear repeating.

"Perhaps not where you are from." She countered. "There are plenty of public bath houses about Valsheria." She sighed. "But you are right, because this is not Valsheria and I should have considered as much. I will be more careful the next time we venture out."

Luckily for Rezo, Lioriley didn't enjoy being irritated and especially didn't enjoy being such toward someone she cared for. He was just looking out for her - either that, or the idea of her being naked was abhorrent, but she was going to hope it was the former.

"You did not - I mean I -" once again, her mouth started running before her addled brain could stop the words from spewing out in nonsenscial, stammering attempts at sentences. She almost said she didn't mind that he touched her and, gods, that would have been an absolute disaster if he truly did not care to touch her at all. Lioriley felt her stomach churn and her throat sting when she swallowed back tears that had started to form in her eyes - don't even ask her why she might cry this time.

"We should head back and I can get dressed, for the sake of everyone. We can...continue this conversation on the beach." It was obvious she had something she wanted to say, but she needed a few minutes to actually figure out how and if it was even a good idea.

She tentatively reached for Rezo's hand. "Unless you would prefer to navigate without assistance..."

Her stammering is alarming and Rezo is instantly faced with his constant companion: Regret. Exactly what part of everything he’s said and done to upset her this much, he’s not entirely capable of working out at the moment. But they’d been having a wonderful time- perhaps genuinely the best time he’s had in countless years, he realizes- and then he’d gone and done that, and it seems he keeps digging himself in deeper.

“Oh,” he says. She wants to go back? It seems a bit early to head back to shore; he’s barely gotten to practice everything she taught him. But on the other hand, he’s not sure how well he’d be able to swim when part of his attention would always be focused on the fact that Lioriley was nearby and naked.

“I…” Rezo feels her hand brush against his and for a moment, he hesitates, afraid that somehow she’ll be able to discern the true motivations behind his embarrassment if he actually touches her.

A mixture of fear that she’ll take a rejection personally and the practical knowledge that he needs a sighted guide, damn him, to be entirely safe, means he takes her hand anyway, his fingertips curling lightly around hers.

“Thank you.”

They could come back. It was only their first few hours on the island, and surely — if Rezo still wanted to — they could make time to get back into the water. Briefly, she even considered what it might take to get a proper pool aboard the train for such lessons to be had when they weren't supposed to be doing a thousand other things. She'd have to figure that out later, when she wasn't mortified and probably about to do something else stupid once they reached the sand.

Right now, she just wanted to get dressed. Her nudity was clearly making Rezo uncomfortable, and given what he said, maybe some others around (though she could not see anyone that even cared or looked in their direction while they were busy enjoying the beach themselves). Best to calm down and try again later.

Relief washed over her when he took her hand, her own fingers lacing between Rezo's almost out of reflex.

"Of course." She replied, carefully guiding him through the water and back to the beach. About halfway to the shore she spoke again: "You were doing very well, for the record. We should try to make a habit of these lessons."

Rezo himself finds he’s relieved to feel her fingers lace through his the way she usually does, even if he’s still all too aware of her physically. Having her so willing to touch him is pleasant even on an innocent level, and on a practical level it is a relief to have someone he can trust to guide him if need be; he would hate to lose this over an accident like the one earlier.

He’s quiet, much of the journey back to shore, but relief comes again when they’re halfway there and Lioriley makes her suggestion.

“I would like that,” he says, offering her a tentative smile. “I have been enjoying myself today, you know, and I hope you have too.”

"I could tell." She said. Her cheeks were still flushed, and her free hand was still set across her chest, but she couldn't help but smile warmly at the image of Rezo lying on the seabed, smiling and elated by the ability to breathe underwater. "I have been enjoying myself, too. I ⁠— I always seem to when I am with you, even when things are... odd." and she wasn't only speaking of the incident a few minutes prior, but their argument a few missions back, along with her crying in his arms after Osiga. It had been nice to have him close even then.

Making it back to the beach, she continued to hold his hand all the way to the blanket and umbrella they had placed down earlier, slowly slipping her fingers free only once she felt his loosen. If they loosened. "Can I tell you something, Rezo?"

His heart flutters. There are a number of things she could mean by ‘odd,’ and few of them are probably flattering to Rezo, and yet. She likes being with him.

Maybe that’s why she affects him so deeply. He has been admired, to the point of borderline worship sometimes, he has been sought out for his wisdom and knowledge, earned the gratitude of countless individuals, been declared a Great Sage and honored with titles, donations, property, statues and paintings and poems, all dedicated to him.

But how long has it been since someone has simply liked him? Enough to seek out his company for picnics and swimming lessons and casual conversation?

He knows why it happens so rarely, of course. His life has always been dedicated first and foremost to his research, to achieving his goals, and he’s never had time for idle living. And it’s that same ruthlessness that has torn apart what few personal connections he had picked up over the course of his life. Some of it he genuinely regrets, some of it he can only recognize as immoral by looking at it objectively, rather than out of any human feeling.

It’s likely that, if it weren’t for the unusual circumstances that they have met in, that he wouldn’t have become friends with Lioriley. Especially not if they’d met in the last few years of his life, when he was so desperately obsessed with curing himself that he was willing to sacrifice an entire country if it meant achieving his goal.

Perhaps if they’d somehow met several decades prior, when he’d had time to recover from the loss of his wife, but hadn’t yet done anything that could potentially drive Lioriley away…

Well. Inevitably, the matter of Ruby Eye Shabranigdu would have reared its head, he suspects. And it’s best not to get carried away fantasizing about something you can never have; Rezo himself is a walking cautionary tale about that.

He’s lost enough in thought that he barely notices when they’ve reached the shore, and he thus doesn’t let go of her hand until they reach the blanket and Rezo (lightly) bonks his head on the umbrella. Brooding has its hazards.

Rezo ducks underneath, settling down to sit on the blanket. He’s expecting to hear the rustle of cloth while Lior puts her dress back on; he’s slightly surprised when she speaks instead.

“What is it?” he asks. He’s curious, entirely unsure what she wants to say- and thus, also, a little nervous about it.

He would still hear the rustling of cloth while she gathered her dress, using the few seconds it took to slip it over her head and let it fall over her thighs to figure out exactly what she wanted to tell him.

A lot of things, really. That she liked him ⁠— a lot⁠ ⁠— and every time she was near him she felt her heart hammering wildly in her chest, and a kaleidoscope of butterflies seemed to constantly flutter in her stomach. She blushed and stuttered and lost herself in the rare smiles he offered her; that he was the one she had come closest to on the train and that she wanted so desperately for him to return her feelings.

but what if he didn't? Lioriley assumed as much; and would probably have to tell him in the same breath that she hoped this admission wouldn't ruin their friendship ⁠— and that was the last thing she wanted.

Maybe she shouldn't say anything at all. But he was waiting now. And she couldn't just keep pretending she didn't feel something; keep wondering if he felt the same or if she was just imagining the looks and the soft touches he offered...minus that last, accidental one.

"I know this may seem odd to admit after what just happened, but I assure you it is... not entirely related." Just triggered another awkward interaction that made her question if she should just say something and deal with the consequences later. Better that than letting that odd tension linger. Lioriley sat down beside him, legs tucked under her, fingers fiddling with the hem of her dress. "And I know that the sentiment is likely not returned, and I do not expect you to reciprocate, but I wish to tell you that ⁠— I."

She could stop now, but Lioriley knew she had to push through, even if she felt like she was going to throw up. "I have...feelings for you, of a romantic variety. I suppose I have for some time, but did not wish to make you uncomfortable if you did not feel the same."

The fact that she is clearly delaying it means that whatever it is Lioriley wants to say, it isn’t something light or casual; and that fact means the curiosity slowly drains away and the nervousness slowly builds until the latter very much outweighs the former. He has the absurd urge to bolt like a panicked horse, but when he feels her sit beside him her presence alone is enough to root him to the spot.

Whatever it is, it’s something ‘not entirely related’ to what just happened. But it will sound as if it is?

“...I know that the sentiment is likely not returned…” she says. What sentiment, he wonders. Is it her fondness for swimming? They’ve already established that she adores the water and he has a healthy-respect-from-a-distance for it. He doesn’t think she would bring it up so dramatically now.

And she sounds anxious enough to make him concerned. Almost like she’s going to be ill. Did he upset her that much? Should he apologize again?

Before he can think to try, she presses on.

“I have...feelings for you, of a romantic variety.”

She says something else after that, but that’s about the point his brain stops working entirely. All that he can think is… What?

After a pause of several stupefied seconds, he finally speaks.

“...What?” he says, faintly.

Rezo gawks at her, insomuch as a blind man can gawk at someone. Water drips slowly out of his hair and along his shoulders. He doesn’t notice. He has, in fact, ceased to be able to process anything except that it sounded like Lioriley just said she has romantic feelings for him, and the fact she is sitting right next to him.

Did he mishear? Did he miss some clarification after that point that would nullify what he thinks he heard? Surely that must be it, because…

“Would you… repeat that?” he says slowly. “Please?”

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Idk if anyone's reading this but CW for idk... accidental groping?

rezo's Character From A Shonen Anime past catching up to him

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