Private/Closed Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, the jungle
Time: Morning
Tagging: Lyrana, Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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Salem was momentarily at a loss for words when exposed to the honest and open trust and admiration he saw reflected in the little girl’s enchanting eyes. That is until he took notice of his own reflection in them and suddenly felt embarrassed for gaping at her so stupefied. Quickly gathering his composure after she helped him find his balance he tore his gaze away from hers lest he drown in it.

“O-of course, I will be the very best!” he proclaimed proudly. “Like no one ever was!”

“Like no one has ever been,” his sister corrected him playfully, but she went ignored.

“Come with me Karela, I will show you things you have never seen before.”

Salem tugged on Cassie’s hand and bade her to follow him. He did not let go of her this time, he did not want to. She made him feel big and strong and he wanted to keep her close to him, and show her that he was not afraid of anything.

Lyrana watched the pair run off with a smile on her face. She wondered if the foreign girl would be able to keep up with her energetic little brother. One of the reasons why Salem often played by himself was because he was a like storm and too much for most of the other kids his age to keep up with. Even his older brothers only entertained him for short periods before they directed the bundle of unquenchable excitement towards someone else, usually her.

Lyrana herself was often trailing behind the little papaya, forever catching up and just making sure he did not get into more than he could handle. It was tiring, but satisfying. Watching Salem filled her with joy and seeing him accomplish things gave her a sense fulfillment she hoped would never leave her. Their mother had said that he would probably mellow out once he got older and Lyrana prayed that did not mean he would lose his passion.

The teenager shook her head and set off after the children. She could hear their laughter well enough to know where they were approximately, but she knew where they were going regardless. Salem would no doubt take Cassie to the zip line across the river and probably wouldn’t think twice about jumping on, leaving the foreign girl to fend for herself.

Lyrana picked up the pace a little, she would need to show Cassie the safe way around after all.

 

[PentheWonderful]

“Come with me Karela, I will show you things you have never seen before.”

"O- okay!" Cassie chirped merrily, and allowed Salem to tug her on as they once again traversed the jungle underbrush. If she was tired before, then she clearly could not remember she ever had been. She felt re-energized, her spirit fueled anew, and her feet kept up with him, moving as if on their own will.

None of the kids back in the city ever had this much enthusiasm, this desire to live and be alive. They were always content with their toys, and their games, and the pretty gadgets they had and were always so detached and individualistic. They never cared, and they never even tried to care, or include her in their activities. She was always left out, and forgotten. Always the odd one out.

But with Salem, she felt like she was finally a part of something. She felt included, as if she were finally a part of something bigger than herself, and she loved that. And she didn't ever want to lose that.

So she would keep up with him, and show him that she was capable. Whatever it took, she would.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, on top of the world
Time: Late Morning
Tagging: Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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Salem had led Cassie through the jungle which quickly began to curve upwards and increased its angle until there were parts they almost had to climb, but the boy managed to find a route which made sure he did not have to let go of the girl’s hand. He liked having her with him and she was keeping up surprisingly well. Granted he had to pull her up some ledges and more and more he was dragging her behind him, but she didn’t complain and he made sure she could at least follow him easily enough. He didn’t mind pulling a bit of her weight for her.

At some point the climb tapered off and evened out again which was the sign they were nearing the top of the hill. A good thing too because despite her lack of complaints he could hear Cassie’s breath was labored and she swallowed a lot. The physical exertion and warm climate were probably leaving her quite thirsty.

“Don’t worry Karela, we’re almost there, and a little further we can drink fresh water,” he told her and squeezed her tiny hand reassuringly. “It will be worth it, you’ll see.”

He stopped them then because he could clearly hear the roar of wild running water far below them. Turning around he looked Cassie straight in the eyes and beamed a generous smile at her.

“You did good getting here, well done,” he told her before dancing around her and finally letting go of her hand so that he could place both is his on her little shoulders.

“I have a surprise for you,” he whispered in her earn as he leaned forward, “you have earned it, but you need to trust me.”

Without waiting for her response he placed his hands over her eyes and directed her to walk forward slowly.

“Don’t worry,” he kept encouraging her as she blindly felt in front of her with those tiny hands, “Almost there.”

Salem lead the girl to through the last few trees which opened up on top of a very high cliff. It was a dizzying drop down to where the river divided the island and there wasn’t a lot of ground left, but the view was magnificent. Salem himself often came here for various reasons, not least of which was the panoramic view of Acedia Island. From up here one could see almost every part of the island except for what’s behind them and behind the mountain on the other side of the river of course, which they would go to next using the zip line connecting the two peaks. To the side one could see all the way down to the ocean in both directions and beyond that even make out some of the other islands that made up the archipelago.

Up here, so high above everything else Salem always felt incredibly mighty, unbeatable even, as if all the world was at his feet and almost automatically he pushed his chin out and stood a little straighter.

Taking a deep breath he decided that he probably kept the girl in suspense long enough. She was still breathing heavily from the climb, but already began fidgeting.

‘Such a fiery spirit she has,’ he thought bemused. ‘She will be a strong tribeswoman.’

Salem pulled Cassie back against his chest and held her firmly. The last thing he wanted was for her to panic and fall so he forced her to lean back against him.

“Are you ready?” he asked her and waited for a moment before he pulled his hands away and immediately wrapped his arms securely around her.

“Welcome to Regalo Del’Mar,”

 

[PentheWonderful]

The increased incline of their path took a large toll out of the little girl's legs. And quite soon, her hand as well. It felt less and less like a hike and more of a literal climb up the mountain path Salem took her on. But the last thing she wanted was to slow him down, or be unpleasant, so she forced herself through it all, the aches and fatigue, in order to keep up, to make sure their hands remained linked and make sure they did not part. She didn't want to let go, and she certainly didn't want to be let go.

Each time he needed to pull her over a ledge or drag her on in order to maintain their pace, Cassie felt a twinge of fear in her stomach. It wasn't a fear of passing out, or running out of breath, but a fear that the boy would finally decide to release her, and leave her behind. Because she was very sure that the moment he lets go of her, she would lose all strength in her body and collapse right then and there, and she would never, ever be able to catch up.

And that scared her.

But very soon, the ground had decided to be kind to her once more, evening out to a flat expanse. She could hear her heart beating in her ears, and her hair clung to her face from all the sweat she perspired. The humidity was something she was clearly unaccustomed to, and it felt trapping. There was nowhere she could go to escape from it.

“Don’t worry Karela, we’re almost there, and a little further we can drink fresh water,” He squeezed her hand reassuringly, and somehow that allowed her to stand up straight again. He was, in essence, her very first friend. She didn't want to let him down. “It will be worth it, you’ll see.”

"Okay..." She said in between labored breaths. "I trust you."

They soon stopped, and Cassie was soon captured by those bright green eyes of his once again. He beamed at her, and she could feel a small flutter in her chest.

“You did good getting here, well done,” He walked around her in a motion that almost looked like dancing. It was fluid, and pretty, and once she had a glimpse of it, it was difficult to look away. He let go of her hand, and for a brief moment, her heart dropped, but soon picked up once again when he placed his hands on her shoulders instead. That caught her completely off guard, and she had flinched involuntarily at the sudden touch.

But what threw her off even more was when Salem leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I have a surprise for you," And she could feel the blood rushing to her already flushed cheeks, her heart pounding, as if trying to break free from the confines of her chest. "you have earned it, but you need to trust me.”

And all she could do was nod.

Very soon, her eyes were completely covered and she gave into him completely as her urged her forward, keeping her hands in front of her to make sure she didn't run into anything and embarrass herself in front of Salem.

“Don’t worry,” He told her.

“Almost there.” He assured.

And then they finally stopped once more, and she remained blind and at his mercy. For a while, there was only silence. Salem did not speak, and it made her grow incredibly anxious. But suddenly, he had pulled her back against him, and she could feel his warm, lean torso against her back. The girl let out a soft gasp.

“Are you ready?” He asked, and she nodded once again. Her vision was subsequently returned to her, and while her eyes adjusted, she felt Salem's arms wrap around her in a secure embrace. The view took her breath away, but then, so did the embrace Salem had given her. That feeling of being accepted and secure, despite their precarious position on the cliff. Her emotions set off a flurry of butterflies in her stomach and her eyes associated it to stunning view before her. She would always come to remember it now. Whenever he would hug her, she would remember this view, and whenever she saw this view, she would remember the feeling of being in his arms.

All the discomfort she felt before had gone with the cool breeze that carried through the air, and all that effort to reach that peek felt incredibly worth it.

She wanted to stay that way forever.

"Welcome to Regalo Del'mar,"

Shyly, she found herself reaching down to clasp each of Salem's hands in her's. She moved her gaze to where their hands connected, and she found it a much more fascinating view than the wonder of nature presented before her. This view would always be there, waiting to be discovered. But the odds that she managed to meet this boy amongst the billions of people on this world was the true miracle.

"I'll always remember this." Cassie said breathlessly, her eyes slowly drifting back to the view before them, her hair flowing freely in the breeze around them. "I'll always remember you."

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, on top of the world
Time: Late Morning
Tagging: Salem, Cassie, Lyrana
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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Salem looked slightly down at the back of the head of little girl pressed against him. She was only slightly smaller than he was, in fact he had to look around her because he couldn’t look over her, but she had seemed so much smaller before. Or frail, perhaps ‘frail’ was the word he was looking for. Regardless, she didn’t look it anymore and certainly didn’t feel it, in fact she felt comfortable in his arms.

“I’ll always remember you,” she had said.

‘What a strange thing to say,’ Salem thought to himself, ‘of course she will, I’m unforgettable.’

He nodded to himself and as soon as that thought was settled he forgot about it. Now he was curious what she thought of his home. She had called it beautiful before, but she hadn’t seen anything yet then.

Salem leaned over her shoulder and looked at her profile. He wanted to see her eyes, those mesmerizing silver eyes so full of expression. She must have noticed him shifting or caught him from the corner of her eye because she suddenly whipped her head around to face him, their noses almost touching. The movement startled him, but instead of pulling away he remained frozen, caught by those eyes.

‘Those eyes.’

“I will always remember you too,” he heard himself mumble softly and blinked as if snapping awake.

‘What did I just say?’ he thought with a jolt and pulled away from her. ‘How lame! It’s a good thing…’

“Aww Lemming that’s adorable!” Lyrana squealed as she stepped from between the trees.

‘…Lyrana isn’t here yet… Jolines!’ Salem finished his thought, but outwardly he remained silent and only felt his cheeks grow warmer.

“You kids sure are tough,” his sister went on, the smug smile never leaving her beautiful face. “You are going to have to let me catch my breath before I lead our niñita down and around. I assume that’s your plan?”

Salem looked at her defiantly. It was strange because he didn’t quite know why. He had been defiant with his sister before, he was defiant with her and others frequently in fact, but this time it felt different.

“She’s not going down with you,” he stated firmly. “She is going across with me.”

Lyrana’s smile faltered at that and she pushed away from the tree she had let herself fall against.

“I don’t think that is such a good idea, Salem,” she said.

“That doesn’t matter,” the young boy proclaimed. “Karela is braver and stronger than you think and she will come with me.”

“Oh really?” Lyrana asked incredulously, although more at her brother’s tone with her than the statement he made. “Let’s ask her shall we?”

With that she turned to the little girl that Salem still held protectively in front of him. If anything he was holding on to her more tightly now, possessively, as if he was afraid she would steal the girl away and never give her back.

“Cassie,” she began sweetly and pointed to the side, across the cliff while she kept her eyes on the girl. “Salem wants to bring you over there, but instead of letting me guide you there safely and across solid ground he wants to use that.”

Her finger shifted a little to the side and slightly down towards a single, thick zip-line cable that went across the vast expanse of open space. It sloped down at an angle and ran a great length, easily more than a regular man could throw a stone. The river below seemed to roar loudly as if to draw attention to itself. It was a deep drop, deep enough to give any who was unlucky to fall down enough time to say his or her goodbyes to all family and friends.

“Come walk with me,” the teenager implored the much smaller girl. “What do you say?”

 

[PentheWonderful]

“I will always remember you too,”

There was a strange feeling she felt in her heart. It was unlike anything she's ever experienced before, and she likened it to the fluttering wings of a Combee, buzzing rapidly, humming, and it felt oh so light, and happy. Thrilled, like the smiles the bee Pokemon wore. 'He'll remember me.' She thought silently, a thought that made her simply swell with happiness, with relief. This boy, who had paradise at the palm of his hand, so amazing and unique, would remember someone quiet and plain like her. Always.

And looking into his eyes then, Cassandra could see the breathtaking view she had seen just moments ago. The green of his irises a perfect blend of the rolling mountains covered in plant life, and the blue of the vast ocean. She could see it all, she could see it then, and she saw it now. In him. He was as vast, as beautiful as the island and the oceans surrounding it. And he'd remember her.

And she was worth remembering.

She was worth something to him, and that alone made her push her chest out a bit further, stand a little straighter, and hold her head up a little higher. Blooming, like any blossom might with the sunshine it desperately needed, in his arms. And she giggled a little and flashed him a grin, just as he pulled away and allowed her some space to properly right herself.

“Aww Lemming that’s adorable!” Lyrana's voice had come from literally nowhere, and Cassandra felt her heart practically leap from her chest in surprise. Instinctively, her arms reached forward, and she clung to Salem, burying her face in his chest and shutting her eyes tightly before realizing there was no danger to be had, and she slowly peeked towards the teenager.

“You kids sure are tough, you are going to have to let me catch my breath before I lead our niñita down and around. I assume that’s your plan?”

The little girl had only blinked then, in utter confusion. They had only got there on the peak, and they were going to go down already? 'Salem is coming with me though, right?' She thought, and was just about to voice her question when Salem spoke in her place.

“She’s not going down with you,” And the firmness of his voice startled her, in a pleasant way. “She is going across with me.”

'I don't want to go if Salem's not coming.'

“I don’t think that is such a good idea, Salem,”

“That doesn’t matter, Karela is braver and stronger than you think and she will come with me.”

'Yes, I want to go with you!' Came her brave thought, “Cassie,” Came Lyrana's voice soon after, turning her attention to her and pulled her right out of the safety of her thoughts, imploring her to voice them for real. “Salem wants to bring you over there, but instead of letting me guide you there safely and across solid ground he wants to use that.”

And the little girl's eyes traveled to the zip-line over the dizzying drop she had been brought to stand on the edge of. Almost immediately, her bravery dropped to her stomach, shriveling. She gulped and quickly realized how dry her throat still was.

“Come walk with me,” Lyrana coaxed. “What do you say?”

Cassandra blinked her wide eyes slowly, gazing at her, and then the zip line, and finally, she looked to Salem. She could see the defiance, the sureness in his eyes. His belief in her. It was the same look her mother often held when someone doubted her, belittled her, and she was reminded of how terribly lonely her mother was, with her father always so busy and her friends few and far in between. She was all she had. Did that mean it was the same with Salem too?

She recalled the past several days she had spent on the boat, recounted the times Salem had come to visit her. He was always alone, while other children that passed by always seemed to be in groups, or had someone with them. Salem had always arrived alone, and departed for the jungle alone. Once or twice she'd seen him with adults, and other children, and yet he always seemed to be out of place with them, outside of their dynamic.

He was on the inside, yet at the same time, not.

"But if I... Go with you, then... Who's going to go with Salem?" Came her voice, soft, yet determined. "If I walk down with you, then he's going to go down the zip line on his own. I've done lots of difficult things on my own. Sometimes it's... Unpleasant, and sometimes it's fun, but, all I've ever wanted was to have someone to share it with me."

Her eyes were steeled now, full of will and assurance. And her voice changed, becoming so much more firm, so much more willful. "So, I'm going to go down that zip line. But thank you for the offer, Miss Lyrana."

Pulling out of Salem's arms, she looked him in the eyes and nodded surely. And as she held his hand, she told him,

"Let's go, Salem. Show me how to go down the zip line."

She was here now, on the inside with him, and even though they were still out of place, they didn't have to be lonely anymore. Because he had her, like she had him. She won't let him go alone.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, Zip-Line
Time: Late Morning
Tagging: Salem, Cassie, Lyrana
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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Lyrana wanted to argue that Salem would probably take the walk with them if Cassie so choose, but seeing the determination in the little girl’s eyes she wavered.

‘She’s got steel, this one,’ she thought. ‘She might be just the right kind of girl for Salem.’

The thought made her both happy and sad. She had always been the one with the beautiful boy, but she knew deep down that it could never last. One day there would come a girl like Cassie and take him away.

Lyrana sighed in resignation and stepped aside.

“Look after her Salem,” she instructed her younger brother who nodded, all seriousness.

‘Well, at least he’s feeling responsible,’
-

Salem ushered Cassie ahead of him, off to a slightly lower platform to the side. There, a sturdy frame was mounted into the stone from which the thick cable extended across the wide chasm. It was a long distance and a dizzying drop and despite having done this numerous times it never failed to make Salem’s heart pound with excitement. This time he’d be sharing his excitement with someone.

Lyrana came to stand behind Cassie and put her hands comfortingly on the little girl’s small shoulders and subconsciously massaged some courage into them. She was worried too, and easing Cassie’s tension was helping her ease her own.

Salem meanwhile had opened a large crate nearby and taken a steel frame from it. It was a single metal beam which curved at the top like a coat hanger would, except it had a small wheel in the crook of it. Two-thirds of the way down the beam and at the very end of it were two crossbeams which could serve as a seat or stand, whichever the rider preferred.

The boy wrestled with the frame a little before he managed to hook it on the cable overhead. He gave it a couple of test pulls then turned to Cassie and indicated for her to take a seat on the upper bars and hold onto the frame. The contraption lurched forwards towards the edge of the platform when she did, but Salem manage to hold on. Lyrana had her mouth covered with her hands and shock and horror was clearly written across her face. Before she could protest though, Salem flashed her a smile.

“See you on the other side,” he told her and to Cassie he whispered, “Whatever you do, do not close your eyes.”

Salem then pushed off and planted his feet on the bottom bars while holding onto the beam above Cassie’s head. His chest was pressed firmly against the little girl’s back, limiting the chances of her falling off if she let go for some reason.

The children lunched off the platform and for a moment it seemed like they were falling before the Cable caught them properly and behand to slowly taper off horizontally. The wind howled all around them and pulled violently on their clothes. The cable groaned audibly and they picked up impressive speeds. Salem’s heart was thundering into his chest and against Cassie’s tiny body, and he howled his excitement as they raced down and across. Far beneath them the river churned violently, seeming to beckon for them.

The ride across, even despite their breakneck speed took a full minute. Fortunately, by the end they had tapered off enough that they were moving almost completely horizontal now and they were decelerating rapidly now. A good thing too because they were almost at the end. A similar platform as the one they had left came into view beneath the trees on the opposite mountain and they raced towards it. Beneath where the cable was fastened a thick net was woven from strong fibers and right before they hit it, Salem jerked to spin them around so they were moving backwards. He slammed into the net with his back and the force pressed Cassie into him heavily, knocking the wind from him.

They lay there for a moment, a tangled mess of deshelled hair, clothes and scrawny limbs. Salem kept his arms firmly around Cassie and was happy to note that her chest was rising and falling quickly, supplying the girl with the oxygen she desperately required. He didn’t say anything, he just lay there holding onto her, waiting for a sign from her.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Cassandra was ushered to a slightly lower platform from the cliff, where it was mounted on the stone with thick, long cables running across the chasm. She could hear the roar of the river below, but refused to look down. Instead, she looked ahead, and focused on only that. For once she had a good look of the true risk she had just taken, she would surely back down, and the thought of shying away from a challenge in front of Salem gave her enough conviction to keep her eyes set forward.

The little girl could hardly feel Lyrana’s gentle massages on her shoulders from her single minded focus. Cassie took deep breaths, in and out the way her mother taught her whenever she needed to do something borderline dangerous in order to keep up with her during her travels. And then, as Salem set up the steel frame lacking any safety parameters that would carry them across, she doubled her conviction. There was no backing out now.

That being said, she was so caught up in her own intensity, she nearly leapt out of her own skin when Salem turned to her and gestured for her to climb on, which she quickly got to doing the moment she recovered.

It was a bit difficult for the small little girl to climb on to the upper bars, but somehow, she managed to do it; squeaking softly when it lurched forward. She held on to the frame as tightly as her five year old hands could possibly allow her and kept her eyes forward. To the horizon ahead.

‘Look forward, just look forward.’

But then, she felt Salem step up behind her, pinning her between him and the metal frame in front of her, and suddenly she felt a lot less scared. And the reason for that was because she remembered that she wouldn’t be doing this alone; he was there with her as much as she was there with him.

He was her safety net.

Slowly, a smile crept onto her face.

“See you on the other side,” He told Lyrana. And then, to her, he whispered into her ear, setting her heart into a flurry, “Whatever you do, do not close your eyes.”

“I won’t.”

And then they launched forward, and for a moment, they were falling. A gasp escaped her lips and she almost released her grip on the bars in favor of holding Salem instead, but somehow she prevailed. They stopped falling, and instead, they raced forward and amazing speeds.

Cassandra, with her lips still parted, let out a soft whimper, which slowly grew into a scream, then a yell, and finally she was howling above the winds in her own excitement right alongside Salem. Once more, she felt her heart pounding away in her chest, pumping adrenaline through her veins, making her stomach do summersaults and she felt like she could do anything. She felt free and uncontained, no one could catch her, and hurt her; she had the power to simply get away, and she loved it.

She felt Salem’s heart thundering against her back, and she loved that too.

She loved it all, and she wanted it to go on forever.

And she wondered if this was how Flying Pokemon feel as they race across the sky. And she realized that she wanted to fly like them too. Someday.

Too quickly, however, the ride ended, signaled by the sudden halt and the little girl was not quite sure what had happened, but the next thing she knew was that she was lying on top of Salem, tangled in his arms once more.

It was in that time of rest that she realized how quickly she was breathing, how delirious she felt from all the action and how tenaciously her heart beat against her. It all felt too much then, her head felt light and her throat was still oh so dry. Her ears rang, and spots began to take over her vision as her face grew pale, and her limbs all abruptly became so heavy.

They were simply well beyond their limits and exhausted, and it was all finally hitting her.

A soft whimper elicited from her lips, and she slowly slid her eyes shut. She tried to even out her breaths, and yet she was scared. She had never pushed herself so far, and now she wondered if she was going to die because of her recklessness.

However, after a minute of rest, the ringing in her ears subsided, and breathing came easier. She regained color in her face, and she could move easily again. Her eyelids pulled open, and she swallowed only to find her mouth bone dry. But the first thing she said was,

“Can we do that again?”