There's always a lighthouse

[wheremst]

And just like that, you wake up in the basement of a lighthouse in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There's a circle of 25 pods in the middle of the room, and two more in a room off to the side, and you can imagine who is in which.

An elevator to the side of the room leads up to the ground floor (or to the first sub-basement, if you want to check out the machine that brought you here), where you can for the first time in weeks look out a window and see the sky. Its a beautiful sunny day, with a strong breeze on the grassy ground of the island where the lighthouse stands. Have you ever been this happy to hear seagulls?

You're free. Whatever comes next, you're free and you won. Take some time to relish your victory, won't you? Reunite with friends you thought you had lost, go forth and just... well, enjoy this.

Comments

[baitless]

[The experience of waking up like this isn't an unfamiliar one, but it's been... a long time. A very long time. He does, at the very least, lie there for a bit because he's sure he'll eat shit otherwise, but once he's feeling well enough to get up and leave, he'll...

...get outside, honestly, he kind of needs actual fresh air before he's ready to deal with anything, it's been a time and a half-

...]

Ah.

[...what a wonderful place to encounter after something so miserable. The sound of seagulls, the smell of the sea breeze... maybe he'll just take a break before he decides to be social.

So you know, he's going to park himself somewhere with a nice view of the ocean and watch the waves roll, a content look on his face.]

outdoors

[emberserker]

You must be happy, with everything like this.

[baitless]

Yes, I am.

[he is smiling so much.]

It’s nice to finally see the surface again.

[...]

Ah, but I did want to take some of those illustrated books home...

[emberserker]

Let me guess, the books about fish.

[baitless]

...I won’t pretend I’m not completely obvious in some respects.

[emberserker]

Well, I suppose there's nothing wrong with having an interest or two. My little sister is all about gymnastics. Mother supports her in every competition. Apparently she's a natural talent.

[shieldsister]

[Hey, Seteth. Hopefully you don't mind Aela joining you, because she is here and sitting down nearby.]

It's wonderful, isn't it? It's not a view I've had the pleasure of seeing often.

[baitless]

It certainly is.

[He pauses, taking things in a bit before continuing.]

My wife, my daughter, and I lived by the coast for a long time, so I always find myself lost in happy memories when I visit the sea.

[shieldsister]

Tell me about them. I never did ask about your family, and I'm curious.

[baitless]

[oh no aela you made a mistake.]

Ah, well, my daughter is an absolute gift. The worst I can say about Flayn is that she cannot cook at all and she can be a bit... stubborn at times, and I have no idea where she gets it, but we all have our flaws, don’t we? I can cook decently, and we live at a monastery besides. In any case, if we had access to a peaceful version of the facility in the simulation, I would imagine she would be very fond of it. She does love fish, both in terms of observing them and eating the ones we’ve caught.

My wife was much like her, really. She got along well with everyone and had a very open mind, so I was blessed to have her. I met her in what eventually became one of the biggest cities in Fodlan, but at the time it was more... provincial, I suppose. I wanted to spend more time among humans, and she was honestly much more worldly than I was. We did end up moving around the continent a fair amount, but we spent much of our free time fishing at the Rhodos Coast, since my brother lived not too far from there.

[shieldsister]

[aela has never made a mistake in her life and she certainly isn't starting now!!

Anyway, this is real cute, look at that expression...]

They've certainly been a very important part of your life. You look very happy talking about them.

[It's nice to see after how rough the past two months have been.]

I would argue that you've got a bit of a stubborn streak as well, though. I hope someday I have the chance to meet Flayn; she sounds like she's a very interesting person.

[archboxer]

[Someone is going to join him for a while. Rhea... looks exhausted, honestly, but there's something else there.]

Sometimes I forget how the sky calls to me.

[baitless]

[Seteth mulls it over a bit, before turning to Rhea with a smile.]

Well, I cannot see land from here, and everyone who would see you already knows of your abilities. There’s no reason you can’t spread your wings a bit.

[archboxer]

I am not as young as I once was.

[She admits. She needs more than the desire to change these days but... earlier, there had been a catalyst. Something that definitely could help. She looks up at the sky.

Mira looking at her and calling her Mom.]

Yet I think I can today. [She stands up, giving a running jump and--]

Ah... I have missed this!

[Derg.]

[baitless]

That is true, but you are still doing better than most of us in that regard.

[Goddess, he kind of misses it. Even if he didn’t spend much time in the air in that form, there was still something about turning into a reptile the size of a house that just felt really good...

And hell. He’s happy for Rhea right now. He’ll stand up to call out as she takes off.]

Enjoy yourself, Rhea!

outdoors

[nothingcanstop]

Don't know if I've seen you this relaxed, Seteth.

[ An easy smile. ]

Welcome back.

[baitless]

It does feel as though a weight's been lifted off my shoulders.

[Seteth turns to look at Della and smiles.]

It's good to see you in person again, Della.

[nothingcanstop]

Me too. ...I mean. Technically we hadn't seen each other in person, really, with the whole... Does Fodlan have virtual reality?

[ What a QUESTION. ]

[baitless]

...

No. I have been very lost with all this technology for quite some time, honestly. I understand stasis. That is something that makes sense. I am still not completely sure what encryption is.

[philoxenia]

[ ... for a moment, she remembers something but-- thank god that was a simulation, can you imagine. (She has. She hates it.) But all the same, she sits next to him. ]

Fond of the sea, Seteth?

[baitless]

[ah, Mira! He'd meant to talk to her more before he, you know, ate shit, but welp. At least there's time now!]

Yes, I am. I lived by the sea for a long time, so it brings back good memories for me.

[philoxenia]

[ She's quiet for a little while as she gazes out at the water. ]

Good memories... You know, I thought I'd hate seeing it, after all of this. But I can understand that. For all the bad, some really good things came out of that place.

[ She lets out a soft sound, then looks to him. ]

You're probably anxious to get back home, aren't you?

[baitless]

Well, it is different, looking out over the surface as opposed to being deep underwater. I must confess that I didn’t dislike our apparent environment as much as what was actually happening there, though.

[Plus, he kind of doubted anything could make him hate the sight of the ocean.]

And I would say that I am, though I hope there is some way for us to keep in contact. I do not want to lose track of everyone, really.

[pimpplan]

You'd think there'd be fishing rods all over the place in a place like this.

[ He sighs, kind of sitting off to the side, staring off as he looks into the ocean. ] Could be worse, though.

[baitless]

I do have to wonder if any of the individuals who came here to serve as “janitors” enjoyed the hobby at all. I am not certain if the professor was the type.

...

It would be nice if we had them, though.