Private/Closed Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, docks
Time: Early morning
Tagging: Salem
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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The sun was high in the sky and beaming down on the topical islands of Regalo Del’Mar. The temperatures were well over thirty degrees Celsius as was the norm, particularly during the summer days, and the people of the various tribes were bustling about their daily lives. Men were out fishing, hunting or training, women were working on crafts or gathering fruit, and the children were either assisting the adults to a fashion, just playing around with each other and some of the local Pokémon, or being watched by the so called ‘Den Mothers’, depending on their age.

Young Salem Archon was a boy that technically should still be watched when venturing out, but was often too adventurous for anyone to really handle. Anyone but his older sister Lyrana that is, who had the day job of looking after her active little brother as his private Den Mother, a job she loved doing.

Salem had recently turned seven when the longest day in summer had passed, the Summer Solstice. He still only stood half a man tall, had a lean figure, wild white-blonde hair, and sparkling sea-green eyes. His skin was a dark tan like that of all the islanders and his clothes… Well his clothes were often missing. Granted his regular attire was normally hardly more than a simple white cloth wrapped around his waist, but with the amount of time the boy spend in the water he was more often naked than not. Right now he was wearing his regular attire.

It wasn’t a strange thing in this region. Many people, young and old were mostly naked. Having no concept of modesty, and often finding excessive amounts of clothes to only get it the way, it wasn’t uncommon to see a man or a woman in their birthday suit. It were the elderly that were more covered up than most. Their activities being generally less physical, and while modesty wasn’t highly rated, it was still more tasteful to keep aging bodies mostly covered up.

Salem at the end of the pier, on the relatively new harbor section of Acedia Island. He was loudly admiring the massive, modern looking boat that had arrived a couple of days ago. A ‘Yacht’ the shippers had called it, and it was big enough to have a name of its own.

‘Vague d’Argent’ it read on the side of the vessel in graceful lettering. The ship came from a place called Kalos, Salem had learned, and there they spoke ‘French’, whatever that was. He had wondered about why anyone would name such a magnificent looking vessel a ‘vague agent’ or was that just a misspelling of the words fake agent, vacant, or perhaps, vacation… ent?

It didn’t really matter, he had given up on figuring out the name before long and had instead focused his attention on the people that came with it. They were all incredibly pale skinned and surprisingly large, the men at least. His father had told him that the ship belonged to some really smart guy who had questions about the island, and that he would be busy showing that man around.

Salem hadn’t been too interested in the smart guy though, he had seen a really small girl on the ship from time to time, and she had caught his interest. Perhaps a new playmate? He wondered if she could swim, or climb trees, because Salem had heard that foreigners don’t do these things much, if at all.

Walking up and down the length of the ship, he was looking to see if he could spot the girl anywhere. He was eager to meet her but so far she hadn’t left the ship, not once.

After a few minutes he gave up and turned to leave, deciding he would check again later. There were other exciting things to be done. His brothers were going to teach him how to dive for pearls for example.

 

[PentheWonderful]

This new world was strange.

Here, the wind was salty and thick, and the sun was bigger, and from what she had seen so far, always shining. Not a cloud in the sky could hide its proud shine. It was different from the sun she knew back home, which was shy, and small, and always cowering behind the clouds. A bit like her.

The flora were alien. Strange. Though the word her father had used for them was, "Tropical." Meaning, an area pertaining to the equatorial regions.

Cassandra Michaels hadn't understood the definition he'd given her, nor did she understand much of what was going on; why they were here, what a 'vacation' was, or why she wasn't allowed to leave the yacht. All she knew was that her mother took one look at the nude natives wandering through the island with their liberal ways and told her not to set foot on there. And she could only nod each time because her parents only had such little patience and attention to spare. Her father, with his work, and her mother, with her baby sister Alice.

Everything there on the island was new. The buildings, so new they were still being built. Their words, the ones that the natives use each time they passed by the yacht. Their accents, whenever they spoke English, differing so vastly with her own. Their appearances, something she'd seen up close from a man her parents referred to as Mr. Archon, whenever he came to pick up her father for his research.

She wanted to come, she always wanted to come, but the answer was always the same.

"No."

Thus, her fate was sealed. For the past several days of their vacation, Cassandra had been confined to the deck of the yacht, which was as far as she was allowed to travel and it was a very nice deck at that. It had it's own little jacuzzi, and she enjoyed its warmth, splashing around in it with the family Skitty as the ocean passes by around them.

But it had gotten old very quickly.

One of those days, she had spotted an islander on the docks that couldn't have been very far away from her in terms of age, and since then on, he always showed up every single day. And of course she told her mother about him.

"Well, Cassandra, if you don't like him looking at you, don't play where he can see you." Jeanne had told her while changing her little sister's diapers. "Come stay with me in the cabin. Shouldn't you be catching up on your reading?"

But she had wanted to see the boy, and she had liked him looking at her. She wanted a friend, and she wanted to explore, but her mother never understood. "You will have your adventures when you turn ten. Only five years away, you better be prepared. No half baked plans." She would always tell her. "Besides, I don't want you mingling with those... Islanders. Don't lower yourself to their level."

So the days flew by, and so did the pages of her books. Sophisticated pieces of literature written by her father's hands, introductions to pokemon evolution and battle items. Tasteful, yet, dull. Cassandra found her eyes drifting to the cabin window more and more often.

And today was the last day of their stay.

"Mama...?" Cassandra asked the resting form that was her mother, half asleep in her cabin room with little Alice in her arms. "Mama, we're going home today, aren't we?"

A long exhale came from the elegant woman. "Oui."

"Can I please go to the island today?" Cassandra asked, her voice barely a whisper as her little hands gently clutched her mother's arms hopefully. "S'il vous plaît mama, je veux vraiment aller..."

A long pause of silence, until finally, "Hm." That was as close as the little girl would get to an okay, and her face was already alight with joy. "Soyez de retour avant midi."

"Vraiment? Tu le penses vraiment?" Cassandra asked, her eyes wide, and her hopes tenfold.

"Oui. Méfiez-vous des indigènes. Ne pas parler à personne."

The little girl suppressed a squeal, and planted a small kiss on her mother's cheek. "Mérci, mama!" And then planting another, gentler one on her sleeping sister's forehead. "A plus tard, Alice!"

And the little girl flew out the cabin, grabbing her sunhat along the way and stood before the bridge to the island docks. Placing the oversized head accessory atop her head, she took a deep breath,

And crossed over to the unknown.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, Archon recidence / Acedia Docks
Time: Dawn
Tagging: Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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As per usual Salem rose with the sun at dawn, after which he ran from the house, down the beach, and dove headfirst into the cool ocean. The boy always relished that initial shock from breaching the water surface. He felt a strong connection with the ocean, it was a part of him as much as he was often a part of it. He felt at home in the water and considered the waves his brother. His mother had once jokingly asked if he wouldn’t rather have his bed placed in the surf so that he could just roll into the ocean upon waking. She had stopped laughing when Salem gave it serious consideration, and had cooed when he eventually decided ‘no’ because he loved his family and wanted to be close to them as well. Besides, Lyrana would have complained.

This morning Salem had awoken before dawn. He was very excited because today was going to be the day that his older brothers would take him with them when diving for pearls on the South side of the island. The cliffs there were high, and the ocean a bit rougher so normally he was not allowed to go there, not by himself at least.

He looked beside him where his older sister was still sleeping soundly. It was not weird for siblings to share rooms and bedding because families were generally quite large, and the houses fairy simple. Everyone pretty much shared everything in their society anyway. They did not really have a sense of ‘ownership’ or ‘property’. If you were not using something then someone else could, should even.

Salem stepped off the woven stretcher, careful not to wake his sister, and walked outside. The horizon was brightening already and the sun would show itself in only a few moment. He was not the only one awake and outside he noticed. Quite a few of the men were already up and about, gathering nets and preparing to catch some fish while they were still sluggish from sleep.

His brothers were sleeping in it seemed. That did not surprise the boy because the older you are the later you go to bed right? Besides, they would not go diving until the sun was higher in the sky anyway. It gets dark very quickly the deeper you go under water, and they often did not have any light sources with them, so were reliant on the sun. The higher the sun sat in the sky, the deeper its rays penetrated the water and the more could be seen.

Salem forwent his morning swim this time and instead opted to go for a stroll to keep himself occupied without disturbing others. If he accidentally woke up his brothers they might decide to not take him after all. He set out down the beach, which ran a great length past the jungle and would, after a couple of bends, eventually come out at the main docks.
-

The sun had risen a little while ago and Salem had to shield his eyes with a hand. He was peering out across the beach from behind the tree line. When he had been about to step onto the dock area he saw the little girl get off the impressive ship that was docked in the harbor. His curiosity had been piqued and he had followed after her from a distance as she made her way down to the beach. This was exactly what he had been hoping for the last couple of days. He clapped his hands together and decided that he was going to welcome this foreign girl the way his sister had always instructed him strangers should be received.

With gifts.

He ran back to the docks where a woman manned the stall that most of the local fruits were delivered to after harvest.

“Shaka!” he called at the elderly woman, recognizing her when he came closer.

There were no strangers within the Acedia tribe. Everyone knew each other and relied on one another for survival and comfort. Shaka was an elderly woman in Salem’s eyes, but the truth was that she wasn’t that much older his mother. She had several children of her own, though all of them were older than Salem. He knew them well enough from the times he had been chasing after his brothers and they had always been kind to him, treating him like one of the older kids.

Normally Salem would have stopped for a chat with the kind woman, but he was in a hurry now.

“Shaka I need a fruit!” he said when he reached her stall and the woman turned her attention down to him.

“Oh, well if it isn’t little Salem,” she said joyfully. “You’re looking ever more handsome by the day.”

“I don’t have time for that now Shaka,” Salem replied urgently. “I need a fruit, may I take one?”

“Of course you may, cariño. You are still growing after all.”

“It is not for me Shaka,” Salem explained, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “It is for the girl.”

Shaka raised an eyebrow at that before she broke into a wide smile.

“Oh, well in that case you should take two,” she said and winked at him.

Salem looked at the assorted fruits on display. There were a lot of options to choose from, but he did not want to take too much time considering. He quickly settled on two that looked impressive and he knew to have interesting tastes, a green melon and a karela.

“Ah, don’t take…” the older woman tried to warn him, but Salem had already dashed away with his trophies in hand, yelling his thanks over his shoulder.

“Oh dear,” Shaka said with a bemused grin and sat back down on her stool, watching the boy run to the base of the pier and then out across the beach in pursuit of the tiny white spec wandering down the shoreline.
-

When Salem neared the little girl in her white dress and with her big hat, he called out to her,

“Hola niña! Wait up, I have something for you.”

 

[PentheWonderful]

The sand felt warm beneath her feet.

Sandals in one hand, she wiggled her small toes, allowing the smooth grains between them. The other hand, holding her sunhat in place. Cassandra found comforting contrast between the cool morning air, still so thick and salty, and the warmth the sand held, even through the night. She idly wondered what it must be like to have a beach for a bed, and sand as your blanket.

Would it be warm? Soft? Or perhaps a little pointy and scratchy?

She tried to find out by digging her feet into the sand beneath her. 'It's warm... And soft...' She thought shyly as a smile pulled at her lips, coloring her cheeks a lovely shade of peach. A small giggle left her, and her eyes soon flicked upwards to watch the sun peep from the horizon, basking in the beauty of the pink and gold hues it painted the sky. "Wow..." She breathed softly. You could never see such a view from the yacht's cabin.

Cassandra let out a surprised gasp when the waves finally managed to lap at her feet, pushing further still until the water rose to her knees, and she had to pull up her dress in order to keep them from getting wet. For a moment, she was scared of being washed away, but the change of texture she felt in the sand her feet were buried in prevented her from moving.

And when the water receded, it was as if it had never been there.

"Wow..."

“Hola niña!" A gasp left her, and the little girl jumped out of the sand while she turned to see who it was that had spoken. And when she did, her eyes widened.

It was the boy. The one she'd often seen walking up and down the docks, occasionally stopping in front of her yacht just to stare. Excitement, fear, and confusion hit her all at once. She was finally able to speak to him now, but had absolutely no idea what to say. He was there, present with her now, and he would be able to come into her space and touch her, and the idea scared her. Added by her mother's warning, resounding in her head. Be cautious of the natives. Don't talk to strangers. And oh, she was so conflicted.

So she turned, and ran. Where? She had no idea. Her feet took off before her mind could process it, and she was running straight into the bushes, into the tropical plants, but she could still hear his footsteps behind her.

"Wait up, I have something for you!”

Eventually, she had emerged from the thick shrubbery to find herself in a clearing of sorts where the bushes refused to growl and all that was left on the ground were dry palm leaves and sand. Her frantic eyes took in her surroundings almost desperately, attempting to find another way out, but it was too little too late. She could hear the boy emerge behind her, and she whirled around immediately to face him.

A look of bewilderment, and slight fear had taken over her expression now.

She was completely trapped.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, the beach
Time: Shortly after dawn
Tagging: Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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‘What an odd girl,’ Salem thought as he ran after her.

As soon as she seen him coming she had turned and ran away, surprisingly fast too. Of course she could never hope to outrun him for long. The soft sand seemed to be draining her energy with every step, as if it the island was calling out him, telling him it would slow her down. Salem smiled at the idea and followed her into the bushes.

He came upon her shortly after in the small clearing. The girl swirled around to look at him, slightly bewildered, and slightly fearful when she saw him approach.

Salem came to a halt right in front of her, but took a small step back when he noticed her clenching and unclenching her small hands and tugging at her dress. She was clearly nervous so he tried giving her a reassuring smile.

“You are new to the island right?” he asked her, his voice heavily accented. “It is our custom to give you a present then. I brought you two so you can choose,” and he held out the two sizable fruits before her.

 

[PentheWonderful]

The girl shook her head quickly, so quickly in fact, it almost knocked her oversized sunhat right off her little head. The color further drained from her fair skin when his gifts were presented to her, and she took a couple of steps back.

His accent, everything about him, was simply too foreign.

“N-no, I don’t want any. I’m not hungry, I already ate.” She stammered quickly, before then silently berating herself for breaking a rule her mother just gave her not half an hour ago.

Her eyes were glued to the two strange items in the little boy's hands. What fruits were they supposed to even be? Were they even fruits at all? Cassandra didn't intend to find out. What if they were poisonous? Would this boy hurt her if she kept refusing? All those thoughts buzzed in her head, and her stomach was churning with fear.

'Maybe I shouldn't have left the boat...' She thought, and her hands clutched tightly the fabric of her dress, yanking and twisting it anxiously.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, the beach
Time: Shortly after dawn
Tagging: Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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Salem frowned a little at the girl’s reaction. This was not how he expected things to go, this was not how things should go, but she looked incredibly adorable with that large hat on her head shaking out of sync with the rest of her, so he persisted.

“They are very flavorful fruits though,” he said and laughed heartily before taking a generous bite out of the green melon, and visibly suppressed a shudder at the incredibly sour taste, his face tensing.

“See, exciting taste right?”

He raised his eyebrows and tried to peep through squinted eyes. His attention was drawn to the girl’s face, her eyes in particular, for she had bright, light eyes that swirled like quicksilver and burned with passion. The look intrigued him and for a moment he did not quite know what to do next, then he swallowed the sour piece of fruit and burst out in chuckles and smiles.

“So the green mango surprised you,” he said hefting the fruit in his left hand. “Perhaps you are more of a Karela girl?”

He offered the girl the other green fruit, this one he held in his right hand, and was distinctly alien looking.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Cassandra felt a cringe pull at her lips in reaction to the boy's tense face.

Her hands had left her dress in order to ball into small fists against her chest, afraid her heart might leap right out of her chest from how scared she was. The fruit he had offered her, and taken a taste of himself, clearly tasted bad, or was at least harmful to the mouth from what she could see out of his reaction and he wanted her to eat it too?

And that was just the less strange looking fruit!

“So the green mango surprised you,” He began, and her eyes darted to him fearfully from those alien death eggs. “Perhaps you are more of a Karela girl?”

Cassandra felt her eyes stinging, and her cringe instinctively pulled into a scowl as she tried to keep the moisture at bay. She immediately repulsed away from the food item as it was offered to her, and a shrill, "No!" Left her. Her hands reached up higher,

And they pulled the large rim of her hat over her face.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, the beach
Time: Early morning
Tagging: Lyrana, Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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“Salem!” a warm, honeyed voice called out across the small bay. “Salem! Donde estas?”

Lyrana lifted her long skirt when she lightly skipped across the tiny trickle of river that would eventually let out into the ocean.

Her long and wild, white hair danced over her shoulders and around her waist. Green eyes, set against her tanned skin, reflected the light of the sun. She was of average height with the women in the tribe, and with a similarly slim build, except Lyrana had been blessed with exceptionally generous curves. It made the young seventeen year old quite a sight to behold when performing her ritualistic dances during festivals, something she excelled at. A good thing because she had very little other skills going for her. Because of this her role in the tribe was that of Den Mother generally, tasked with looking after the younger children instead of helping with crafts or provisions. Lyrana did not mind though, she loved children and playing with them, one boy in particular.

‘Where is that little papaya?’ she thought to herself. ‘We were supposed to be making the trip South as soon as the sun reached the tree line.’

She wasn’t too worried though. Her baby brother had a habit of being distracted by anything and everything, and end up in the weirdest places because of that, but he was smart, in his own way, and capable and always found his way back sooner or later. It was just that he had been looking forward to joining his brothers when they went pearl diving so very much, that she thought it unlikely anything could have distracted him from that. But the appointed time had come and gone and Salem had not shown himself.

Her other brothers weren’t disappointed. They knew what Salem was like and thus never bothered to wait for him because he would always catch up, but Lyrana was a little different. Salem was special to her, he was her precious little Lemming and while she was not worried for him, she would always miss him. So now she found herself visiting all the places he frequented.

The boy hadn’t been in the village, charming the women with his deft weaving fingers and dazzling smiles, nor had he been at the beach where the other boys were practicing their arts. At the docks some people admitted they had seen him hooting at all the passing ships and getting chummy with the fishermen earlier that morning, but he had apparently left in a hurry a short while ago.

Lyrana remembered seeing a larger vessel docked at the end of the pier. It was one of those luxurious privately owned ships that connected to the mainland. They would appear on occasion, more and more frequently, and Salem would often be there admiring the majestic vessels, claiming he would be sailing the world on such a ship one day.

‘It won’t be long before he’s old enough to leave the islands if he so wished,’ she thought sadly. ‘He’s growing so fast, too fast…’

Salem was born shortly before the Annus Volvo festival, which marked a reset of the calendar every year, and had recently seen his seventh passing of it. A big moment for the young boy because now his brothers had started taking him more seriously and bringing him along on some of their adventures.

‘If he shows up of course,’ Lyrana thought with a roll of the eyes.

A shrill yelp, followed by childlike laugher pulled Lyrana out of her reverie. She hurried along through the thick leaves and around the numerous palm trees until she could see into the clearing beyond. There she paused at the edge and remained hidden behind the giant leaves of a small banana tree while she peeked around it.

There was Salem, her little darling, dressed with just a simple white cloth hanging from his waist, but otherwise naked and laughing as always. The sight of him put a smile on her face and she almost called out to him when she realized there was someone else with the boy.

It was a young girl of approximately the same age as Salem. She had lengthy dark hair so she was likely not from the Acedia Tribe. In fact, going by her paler complexion she was likely not from the islands at all.

‘The yacht,’ Lyrana realized immediately and continued her observations, curious now.

The girl was dressed in a breezy, one piece sun-dress and had a comically large hat on her head, hiding most of her facial features from Lyrana. It also didn’t help that the girl was currently shielding her face with her hands and seemingly squirming about something.

Salem laughed heartily at the girl’s actions, then bit down on one of the two fruits he held in his hands and he visually responded to the taste.

“See, exciting taste right?” he asked the girl who looked up at him scowling.

The look was quite enchanting Lyrana noticed with some surprise. Her unique, silver eyes were enchanting to look at and her scowl was very impressive. Something that would only be possible by someone with the breeding for it, but she might as well not have bothered with Salem for all the good it would do her. The young rascal almost seemed incapable of registering negativity at times, and right now he was all smiles and chuckles in the face of this scalding stare.

“So the green mango surprised you,” Salem said offering the girl the nastiest looking fruit on the archipelago. “Perhaps you’re more of a Karela girl?”

‘What is that little tonto doing?’ Lyrana wondered.

The girl reared her head back and wrinkled her nose at the alien looking melon.

Lyrana stifled a laugh and shook her head in sympathy. Of all the fruits available on the island, her free spirited brother had to pick the two with the most extreme tastes. She should come to the girl’s rescue now before Salem pushed her too far. If that happened, judging from the girl’s spunk, she might very well assault her witless, carefree brother.

“You don’t have to eat that,”Lyrana said as she stepped into the clearing. “You probably won’t like it any better than the green melon.” Her voice, every bit as light and musical as Salem’s.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Her light eyes, they were gleaming, threatening to spill, and her lower lip trembled just slightly while her small feet shuffled to get away from the bright eyed boy.

But the sudden soft, musical voice tingling in her ears distracted her from her current predicament.

Cassandra snapped her head quickly in Lyrana's direction, and her eyes widened in both relief and awe. The young woman, so tall and angelic in her eyes with her light hair and mocha colored skin. The gentle expression she wore on her face, and the way her body flowed, almost like water, as she moved. Without thinking further, she'd ran and hugged her leg.

Her little face buried in the cloth tied around the island woman's waist, she allowed her tears to absorb there, wiping them away there, and her lips parted before she could stop it, and she squealed into the leg she hugged, not caring that her voice was being muffled. It was better that way, even. So the boy wouldn't hear her. "I didn't want to eat it! I saw his face pucker in when he ate it, so I know it doesn't taste good!" She complained.

Her sun hat had fallen over in her little sprint, exposing her light skin to the sun. But now, her face was hidden away in Lyrana's cloth and she was simply too embarrassed to look up from it.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, the beach
Time: Early morning
Tagging: Lyrana, Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

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Lyrana was a little taken aback by when the girl ran over and hid her face in her skirt, but almost immediately put a protective arm around her. She let the girl murmur for a bit before she knelt down to meet her face to face. She did this both to comfort the girl, but also because she really wanted to have a closer look at those beautifully alluring eyes of hers. Staring into them now she found herself a quite mesmerized but then blinked and smiled warmly.

“Don’t worry linda niñita,” she said gently, placing a reassuring hand on the girl’s head. “Salem here was only trying to be welcoming to you. Offering food is custom but you don’t have to eat these.”

Lyrana looked past the girl to Salem and smiled when she saw her little brother coming over with the girl’s hat clutched in both hands before him. It seems as though her emotional outburst had surprised him a little.

Looking back at the girl in her arms she smoothed out her hair and dress and made sure there were no tear streaks on her face, then she nudged her head in the direction of Salem who stood there with arms outstretched, offering her, her hat back.

 

[PentheWonderful]

It took quite a bit of coaxing, but the little girl finally agreed to look into Lyrana's eyes, and they grew into saucers when they gazed upon her exotic beauty. 'She's an angel.' Cassandra thought involuntarily. However, this awe was quickly washed away when fear took over her, remembering her mother's cautionary words, and she sunk into her shoulders, as if expecting a chiding from the projection that had displayed itself upon the young woman's face. And then that fear shifted to geniune surprise when Lyrana reassured her instead.

Cassie's eyelids fluttered, seeming confused yet awed at the same time at the comfort she received. The little girl leaned into Lyrana's little touches and relished in the feeling, as if it were something she hadn't experienced before. Her little hands held tightly onto Lyrana's skirt as she timidly asked, "Y-... You're not angry with me?"

And at her gesture behind her, Cassie turned her head to follow in the direction indicated, only to furrow her brow and whimper in fear to find Salem there. Yet, she didn't quite seem to know what to do. She had let go of Lyrana but seemed apprehensive of holding onto her again, but also didn't quite want to approach Salem.

Cassie stood in place. Frozen. She reached up and wiped her eyes quickly because she didn't want Salem to see her cry and possibly make fun of her for it. She was shaking, yet she stepped forward, and quietly took her hat, but avoided eye contact in doing so and placed the said accessory back on her head. Her hands tugged anxiously at her sun dress. "I'm sorry I didn't try your food..." She said quietly,

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, the beach
Time: Early morning
Tagging: Lyrana, Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

----------​

Lyrana watched the exchange between the children with quiet amusement. She was proud that Salem had the decency to feel embarrassed about making this girl so upset, and her heart all but melted when the girl apologized in return.

Not being able to take it much longer she wrapped her arms around the girl in a loving hug and pulled her as tight as she could comfortably get her.

“By the current, you are just the most adorable little thing I have ever seen,” she gushed, and could no longer help herself and kissed the child’s cheek affectionately. “Tell me your name niñita. What can we call you?”
-

Meanwhile Salem considered himself off the hook the moment the girl had taken her hat back, and was all smiles one more. He too was curious about the girl’s name, so he stepped a little closer a puffed up his chest slightly.

“My name is Salem Archon, the great warrior of Delmar and this is my ñaña, Rana!” he explained proudly.

“Lyrana,” his sister corrected with a chuckle.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Poor Cassie was so scared when Lyrana hugged her! The girl jolted and flinched in the teen's arms while her small hands reached up to protect her head. A moment or two passed, and Cassie realized she wasn't hurting, or being yelled at, and she simply looked to Lyrana with a curious, yet, confused expression in her big round eyes. If it had been her mother, then surely she would have experienced a harsh reprimanding already.

Upon Lyrana's question, Cassie glanced between the two of them apprehensively, careful not to make any sudden moves, and shyly pulled a smile on her face while she pulled at her dress. "Cassandra Michaels..." She said sweetly, looking at the ground while in doing so and shuffling her feet. "My papa calls me Cassie."

Realizing that she liked the kindness that these two natives had, the girl began to regain some of her confidence, and puffed her little chest out while saying, "Ravi de vous rencontrer!" She giggled softly at her volume, obviously impressed with herself, and continued. "Your homeland is very beautiful."

Their girl might be shy, but she was certainly very well mannered!

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, the beach
Time: Early morning
Tagging: Lyrana, Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

----------​

“Ha ha ha!” Salem laughed, then asked: “What was that?”

Lyrana was reluctant to let the child go and so she did not, not completely, but pulled back enough to look at her and give her some breathing space.

“Don’t be rude Salem,” she playfully rebuked him. “This little lady is from a different country and culture, and speaks a different language. You know how Senga makes you learn those other words?”

Salem’s face fell a little at that. He remembered alright. There was nothing physical about learning another language and so his progress was slow and sometimes painful.

Lyrana knew what her brother’s look meant and chuckled, then turned back to the girl.

“Ca-sie,” she said mimicking the girl’s pronunciation, then after a moment she said it again; “Cas-sie.” This time however, she gave it an island twist, nodding in satisfaction at the way that rolled of her tongue.

“You are such a pretty little lady, and with such a pretty name,” she told Cassie. “I am happy to hear that you find our home beautiful.”

Salem folded his hands behind his head and struck an aloof pose when he heard this.

“I saw her get off the boat not long ago. How can she say our home is beautiful when she hasn’t seen anything yet?” he questioned, playfully amused.

“Then why don’t we show her how beautiful out home really is?” Lyrana asked him.

“Oh yeah! I can show her, I know all the best spots!” Salem said excitedly. “We should…”

“Hold on there, mister,” Lyrana interrupted him. “We’ll need her parents’ consent first.”

“Her parents need to come send what?” Salem asked, genuinely confused.

Lyrana laughed at her adorably, clueless, little brother. “We have to ask her parents if they are alright with us showing Cassie around the island,” she explained patiently, then turned to the girl she still held onto.

“Would you like to come with us Cassie?” she asked sweetly, smoothening out the girl’s dress and straightening her hat.

“Shall we go ask your parents?”

 

[PentheWonderful]

Cassie watched the exchange between Salem and Lyrana passively, not quite contributing, but not quite ignorant of it either. She was keenly curious of Salem, it seemed. The way he moved and spoke and how casual it all seemed. The people she'd been familiar with all her life were nothing like him and nothing like Lyrana, who was sincerely kind and caring. Nobody she knew or was introduced to before was anything like them, it was almost a baffling change.

But at the mention of her parents, all color drained from her face. "Um-" She glanced nervously at Lyrana, while the teen fixed her dress and hat. She was suddenly terrified. Worried. But then she shook her head. They were still her parents, of course they'd let her have fun, right?

"Yeah. Okay." She seemed to desperately attempt to cheer herself up, and nodded in conviction. "Okay, let's go!"

The girl stepped back from Lyrana's arms, but she grabbed her hand and pulled her along. For her first time on the island, she knew her way around surprisingly well. She knew the turns and paths to take, it seemed she had quite a head on her shoulders.

They reached the shore and neared the yacht. Up the bridge and on the deck, the little girl searched around for her parents. Her eyes twinkled as they settled upon an attractive couple sitting by the jacuzzi. A ragged man with wild dark hair, Cassie's silver eyes and an overall tousled look as he sorted through the papers in his hand, beside him, a slender, stunning woman with midnight black hair and electric blue eyes, plump red lips, and a baby in her arms.

"Mama! Papa!" Cassie ran happily towards them, but once their sharp, cool gazes turned towards her, one would wonder what it was she had to be happy about at all.

 

[Nygenn]

Location: Acedia Island, the beach / docks
Time: Early morning
Tagging: Lyrana, Salem, Cassie
Discussion Thread: Memories of Regalo Del'Mar

----------​

Lyrana was surprised to see Cassie take the lead, but it seemed the girl already knew the way. Granted it was a fairly straight path from where they were to the docks, not literally so, but there weren’t a lot of side roads to detour them.

Another thing that Lyrana noticed with some bemusement, was Salem eyeing Cassie’s empty hand as they walked. He was moving slightly behind the girls and not with his usual grace. It was as if he was not sure how to properly match their pace, or perhaps that of Cassie’s little hand?

Lyrana had to do her best not to reel at her brother’s unintentional cuteness, and managed well enough with only a big smile seeping through instead.

After a few moments Salem looked up, met her eye and grinned sheepishly. She simply returned the gesture and held out her empty hand to him. He skipped forward and took it, falling in stride with them smoothly.
-

When they arrived at the docks nothing much had changed in the short time since she had been there looking for Salem. People were still busying about giving them nods and a few waves. Some women congratulated her on capturing the little devil, and Salem for his part, just dazzled everyone with his cheerful smiles.

When they walked past Shaka and her fruit stand, the older woman waved, then gestures towards the two children walking beside her, and winked. Lyrana understood and winked back conspiratorially.

“What’s wrong with Shaka’s eye?” she heard Salem wondered out loud, and chuckled.

“Nothing silly, it was probably just the sun.”
-

When they got to the big ship at the end of the docks, and Cassie proceeded to lead them up the plank, Lyrana had to keep a firm hold on Salem’s hand. The boy was ecstatic, he had always watched ships like this come and go, but had never actually been on one before. Now that he was about to he wanted to see and touch everything.

“Salem!” Lyrana said, laughing at the little ball of energy she had on a figurative leash. “Behave yourself please, we are guests coming to see the king and queen of this vessel.”

She had purposely phrased her sentence this way to draw on her brother’s love for chivalric stories.

That indeed got his attention and from one moment to the next he went from an excitable Mankey to a calm and cool Treecko. The change was so abrupt it left Lyrana a little unbalanced, but befitting his newly donned persona Salem steadied her, then nodded and grinned. Her heart fluttered, and once again Salem had managed to make her love him just a tiny bit more.
-

On the deck of the ship, by the pool they met the couple in command. The man was tall with dark hair and those same captivating silver eyes as his daughter. Lyrana actually felt her cheeks blush when his eyes glanced over her.

Just as quickly she felt the blood drain from them when her eyes met the electric blue ones of the woman next to him. The woman was very attractive in a classic, proper sort of way, like she had seen in magazines. Unconsciously she compared her own wilder looks to the woman’s and found herself wanting. She lowered her eyes demurely, and would have felt very uncomfortable standing there before this power couple on their luxurious vessel, if not for Salem, bless his heart.

The boy had actually performed a formal bow, or as well an imitation of one as he could have, and then brazenly locked eyes with both the adults without so much as a flinch or hint of hesitation.

It wasn’t a challenging look he gave them, just one of confidence and open admiration.

Lyrana caught herself whispering a soft prayer to the Deep Current, that the couple would not find their presence and behavior insulting. It wouldn’t do to upset visitors of the islands.

Cassie pulled away from her to run at her parents, and now with a hand free Lyrana dropped a quick courtesy.

‘With such an angel of a child these people couldn’t be any less themselves right?’ she wondered, then waited for permission to speak.

 

[PentheWonderful]

A cold, hard gaze, from the wife, complemented by a soft, distracted stare from the husband, which had quickly returned to his work. Blue and silver gazes judged the islanders so out of place on the boat. Barely clothed, wild, and free. It didn't suit Jeanne's tastes at all and was one of the reasons she refused to set foot on the island. But her husband's work was there, so she would follow and support him faithfully. Plus, the idea of a cruise had sounded pleasant. She was a traveler at heart, and it put her at ease to move around. Even with a baby in her arms.

And an older, more troublesome child.

Cassie had approached her mother in an attempt to wrap her little arms around her. Yet, she was far too small and naive to assume a proper position, and only ended up disturbing her mother's hold on her younger sister. Jeanne's cold stare moved from Lyrana and Salem, and hit full force on the little girl. It was a simple stare, yet it spoke a thousand words. 'Get off me, are you blind? I'm holding your sister, show some dignity.'

And yet, Cassie was far too young to understand, and glanced back to her mother in confusion. She tried smiling, in the hopes her mother's gaze would soften. She smiled wider, but nothing changed.

Eventually, Jeanne freed one hand from beneath the sleeping infant she held and took hold of Cassie's hand, discreetly, yet effectively prying her off. "My dear, awfully excited today, aren't you?"

The hold was different from Lyrana's, Cassie quickly noticed. But it was the one she had always known.

"Mama, I want to go see the island. They said they would take me. Can I please go?" She asked hopefully.

In response, Jeanne looked over to Ben, and Cassie followed her gaze. The man was literally drowning in his work. Papers, strewn about his lap, his legs, the entire chair he sat on. There was no space for Cassie. There was never any space for her.

"Papa, can I?" She asked, quieter, less hopeful.

"No, not on my work Cassie." He mumbled distractedly. The man seemed utterly detached. Lost in his own world.

Jeanne clears her throat, and somehow, he snaps back to reality. "Hm? What is it dear?"

"Cassandra would like to go with these... Lovely folk to see the island." Jeanne explained slowly, but while she spoke, his eyes had drifted back to the sheets in his hands. "But she can't go. You have to study, don't you Cassandra?"

"What?" Cassie looked to her mother in confusion. "But mama, you said-" She was raising her voice, and in response, Jeanne clamped down her grip on Cassie's small hand. And she fell quiet.

"No dear. I'm quite sure you have to prepare for your trainer academy exams." Was her icy, slick, and smooth response. She smiled, but it was a smile that sent shivers down Cassie's spine. It was a clear message, 'I don't trust these natives and I don't want you going anywhere with them.' And Cassie wanted to cry. They were kind to her. Why couldn't she spend time with them? She wished she hadn't brought the matter up in the first place.

"Oh, it sounds fun." Was Ben's late response, at which Jeanne turned sharply to him with wide, silencing eyes. But it was lost on him. "Your tests are next week, right Cassie?"

"Y- yes, papa..." Cassie was whispering by then.

Jeanne did not move her gaze from her husband's aloof figure, but she said sternly. "Be back before sundown. I will not allow tardiness."

And Jeanne released her grip, and Cassie was confused on whether she had the okay to leave, or if she was expected to stay. She was simply lost.

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

Salem was unsure exactly about what was going. Cassie was smiling, her mother was scowling, and Lyrana was squeezing his hand ever tighter, so tight that it was starting to hurt a little actually. He looked up at his sister and could see the strain on her face clear as day. She was smiling of course but Salem knew smiles, and he especially knew those of his sister. She was not happy at all, in fact she seemed quite angry, she had to be or she would never squeeze him so hard without noticing.

Salem did not understand what was going on but he decided he did not like it, not so much the pain in his hand, but rather that something was upsetting his gentle sister so much.

He looked around for a brief moment but then gave up forming any sort of plan in favor of acting sooner. Yanking his hand free from Lyrana’s and dashing at the royal couple, he grabbed Cassie’s tiny hand in his, offered a reassuring smile at the upset woman, and ran for the ramp, pulled the little girl along behind him.

He could vaguely hear his sister apologizing, telling the elder couple they would take good care of the girl and have her back on time, but he did not care much for any of that. Salem did not stop running until they left the docks entirely, although he had slowed down enough to make sure the girl could keep up with him.

Soon they were out of sight of the ocean liner and stopped to catch their breath while waiting for Lyrana to catch up. Salem stayed right besides Cassie and looked at her hand, tightly held in his own. It was only slightly smaller than his, but distinctly lighter in color. It looked soft, delicate, and altogether well kept. Suddenly remembering more actions from his favorite books he took to one knee, bend over the dainty little hand and kissed it softly.

“Fear not, for I shall keep you safe always, fair lady,” Salem recited. He had practiced these lines with Lyrana many times because she had insisted those were the best ones.

He looked up at Cassie, smiling eagerly and hoping she would find these lines the best ones as well.
-

From just around the corner Lyrana was peeking at Salem and Cassie. She had covered for her brother’s rude departure and had run after them, but when she was about to round the corner and rejoin them she paused and decided to look instead. The scene she witnessed made her smile and her heart flutter.

She clutched both hands to her breast and willed her heart to calm down. These two adorable angels would be the death of her, she just knew it. There was only so much cuteness a person could take.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Cassie gasped lightly when she was suddenly tugged along for a run. Everything went by so fast, and the confusion still lingering in her mind prevented her from really reacting. So she simply followed.

Past the docks and back beneath the comforting shade of the breezy palm trees where they finally stopped. She found herself out of breath, and was breathing rather heavily when they did, and it was around that time when she noticed their hands were still linked.

She looked at them curiously, marveling at the warmth Salem's hand had, how clearly it contrasted the color of her own skin. Her eyes followed his arm up to his face, where she admired the contrast of his dazzling, bright green eyes against the mocha of his skin and light hair. It was at that moment what Cassie realized how handsome Salem was.

She was lucky her cheeks were already flushed from all that running.

And then, just like a prince from the few storybooks she was allowed to have, he had gone down on one knee and kissed her hand. She felt her heart jump in her chest and it honestly scared the little girl. But it was a nice kind of fright, and a nice kind of embarrassment.

“Fear not, for I shall keep you safe always, fair lady,” He said valiantly, and his gaze locked with her's. For a moment, she was simply wide eyed and mesmerized.

And the emotions from the boat finally caught up to her, and tears once again stung her eyes. Her lip trembled, and this time, instead of cowering away from him, she leaned down and wrapped her arms around him in a chaste embrace.

"My mama is always so mad at me... I never know what to do..." She admitted quietly beside his ear, but the shakiness in her voice showed how upset she was. "But... You took me away, and I don't have to see her so mad now." She tightened her grip slightly and marveled just how lean Salem was at his young age. It was impressive, but not as impressive as the comfort and gratitude she felt for him. "How do you do that...? I wanna be more like you... Salem, right...?"

She sniffled slightly and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, but still not quite releasing her hold on him. "I wish you could always be there to take me away like that..."

And for the first time ever, Cassie couldn't feel her mother's eyes glaring down her back, nor feel the ache in her chest from the neglect of her father. She was just smiling, and giggling. "You're so brave."

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

The little girl surprised Salem when she leaned down and wrapped her arms around him.

Salem was no stranger to hugs. Between his sister and some of the other women in the tribe he did handicrafts with, Salem would be lucky if he could go an hour without being hugged by anyone. He did not mind hugs, in fact he quite enjoyed them, but sometimes those women, especially when gathered in a group, would be pulling him every which way when he just wanted to go somewhere else.

He had figured out what made them target him though, and he had started taking precautionary measures accordingly. Salem had deduced that they were after him because he was the smallest boy around, and so he had taken to bringing his baby brother Arcadus along from time to time. The toddler was barely a summers old and happy to follow behind his big brother, and Salem was happy to take him. If only so that he could feed him to the women, who would all be squealing and cooing over the child, while he slipped away.

Cassie’s hug was different though, much different. First of all they were of about the same size and so they fit together much more comfortably. Secondly it seemed much more heartfelt, almost like Lyrana’s hugs but then somewhat tighter, needier perhaps.

Sale considered the hug for a moment while the girl rambled on about something, and decided that he liked this hug. He put his own arms around the girl and pulled her snuggly against him.

“I wanna be more like you,” she murmured in his ear. “Salem, right…?”

He nodded and relaxed into the sensation of feeling her pressed up against him. He was still on one knee however and when his focus wavered so did his balance. He clung to the girl more tightly and fought to keep them upright. She said something else but he wasn’t really listening to her right now.

The girl giggled and said, “You’re so brave,” and then they went down. Not wanting to crush the little thing in his arms Salem flung them both backwards where they landed on the soft, leaf covered sand, her on top of him.

She slowly lifted her head to look at him and Salem was once more caught by her enchanting silver eyes, especially now with their close proximity. They drew him in and Salem felt like there was something he needed to be doing right now, something tender, but he did not know what. Unconsciously he had inched his face closer to hers, their noses almost touching.

“Whoa, whoa, hold it right there!” Lyrana burst onto the scene and slid into the sand next to the two children. “Are you both alright? You’re not hurt are you?”

“Of course I’m fine,” Salem responded hotly. “And so is… so is…”

Salem suddenly realized he did not remember the girl’s name.

‘What was it again?’ he thought. ‘Something with a ‘K’ sound, Ca… Ca…’

“And so is ‘Karela’, because I saved her!” he finished hotly for no apparent reason.

Lyrana blinked a moment, connected the dots, and then burst out laughing. A cheerful musical sound that, even though he knew she was laughing at him, sounded so pleasant he could help but smile as in response, and his frustration faded.

 

[PentheWonderful]

They were falling.

Cassie didn't know how it happened, or why. But for once, she didn't really think it necessary to find out. Salem had his lean arms around her, pulling her toward him and she fit perfectly in his arms and his torso. She could feel the temperature rise in her cheeks, and suddenly, she was on top of him.

Her soft body, pressed against his warm, comfortingly sturdy one. She pulled back, only slightly, in order to get a look at him, and it felt like she had a swarm of Vivillon in her stomach. Gently tickling her. Suddenly they were both leaning in, but not really knowing what it was they were doing.

“Whoa, whoa, hold it right there!” Lyrana burst onto the scene and Cassie gasped in fear, rolling right off of Salem and onto the sand beside him. Apologies were ready to be said from her, yet they were interrupted by, “Are you both alright? You’re not hurt are you?”

Cassie blinked her silver eyes, and she was baffled.

“Of course I’m fine,” Salem responded first, and she glanced over to him, before looking back in confusion to Lyrana. “And so is… so is… And so is Karela, because I protected her!”

Cassie was even more confused, multiplied by ten when Lyrana started laughing. "B- but... My name is Cassie." She protested, her eyes looking over Salem in utter bewilderment. "It's Cassie, not Kara... Ka... Kare...la..." She furrowed her brows in an effort to say the strange word.

Her eyes glanced to Lyrana, still laughing so freely, and she furrowed her brows, and puffed out her cheeks. "It's not funny!"

She wanted to ball her little hands into fists in an embarrassed strain, but found one of them was still holding on to something. Forgetting Lyrana's laughter almost immediately, she looked down to see what it was. It was Salem's hand. She still hadn't let go of it, and she found she didn't want to. She liked it there, like a steady anchor, and just the perfect size.

However, glancing up to Salem's amused smile, she pouted, fixed the sunhat atop her head, and whispered over to him, "It's not funny."

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

When the girl looked confused and said her name was Cassie, Lyrana could see Salem flush a little in embarrassment, which prompted her to laugh some more. That adorable, prideful little brother of hers would be too embarrassed to admit he’d forgotten the girl’s name.

“Your name is Karela!” he told the girl, in an attempt to save face. “As long as you’re here on the island, your name is Karela. I have decided!”

Oh how could she not love this boy, so pure and full of life? Lyrana ruffled the sand from his hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Still chuckling she said, “Okay, alright. Karela it is then.”

Looking at the pouty little girl she realized there needed to be some convincing.

‘How to convince a cute girl like her to accept being named after a bitter fruit,’ she mused, and then remembered the girl’s mother somehwat bitterly. ‘That woman would probably deem it a fitting name.'

She noticed how Cassie was still holding on to Salem’s hand, clutching it even, and an idea formed in her mind. She moved over to the girl, gently dusted off her white dress and pulled the rim of her head a little higher from where the girl had pulled it down.

“Let’s raise this a little shall we? Otherwise we can’t see that pretty face of yours too well,” she said and leaned in for a quick peck on the girl’s cheek, she just couldn’t help herself.

“Salem has given you a name,” she explained to Cassie. “He has given you an island name. That means you must be very special to him and he accepts you here in his home. Isn’t that wonderful?”

She smiled brightly at the child.

 

[PentheWonderful]

The island girl, Lyrana, she remembered her name to be, was the kindest person she had ever known.

The way she had lovingly cleaned the sand from Salem's hair, and then generously giving him a kiss on the cheek. She wondered if that was normal, if such behavior made sense and existed outside of the island. The people she knew were always all so cold, reprimanding, and tough. They hardly smiled, and if they did, seldom sincerely. They never cared for their own children, they always had maids or pokemon to do that for them.

Deep down she wished she'd been born on this island.

Her little heart fluttered gently in her chest, and her eyes were filled with longing. She wondered why. Why she never had that affection, or love. Why she had been born into the family she belonged to. The pout upon Cassie's face slowly unfurled, and her brows relaxed. As a result, her grip on Salem's hand had also loosened slightly.

She hardly listened to what the two islanders were saying about her name, her eyes were cast on her knees, but flicked upwards in surprise when Lyrana kissed her cheek. Eyes wide, she released Salem's hand in order to touch where the teen had placed her lips. It was scary, in a way, because she hadn't expected to get her wish fulfilled so soon. She watched Lyrana's lips move, but she could hear no sound.

And in the end of it all, she said obediently, "Okay... You can call me Karela."

Her eyes bashfully flicked down to her knees, however, and laced her own fingers together on top of her lap. "Thank you for the name, Salem."

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

Salem stood before Cassie, his hands on his hips but bend forward at the waist to peer at the face hidden beneath the hat.

“Hm,” he uttered.

“Hmmm!” he hummed louder.

“Salem, what…” Lyrana began to question her brother’s strange behavior, but was immediately interrupted.

“Yes!” the boy exclaimed and nodded.

“Karela suits her perfectly, just look at her face,” he said pointing a finger at Cassie so close he almost touched her nose.

Lyrana quickly pulled his hand away and reprimanded him. “Salem! You can’t go pointing at a girl like that. It is rude and you are making her uncomfortable.”

“Nuh uh,” he shrugged. “She already looked unaffordable. That’s not my fault.”

“Un-com-for-table,” Lyrana emphasized almost unconsciously. “And yes it is you little papaya.”

The teenager smiled then and added, “How would you like it if we made you uncomfortable?”

Salem crossed his arms defiantly. “I don’t get un-com-for-table,” he said very deliberately, raising his chin up. “I am a great warrior of Delmar and we don’t let anything get to us!”

“Oh is that so?” his sister said, leaving the girl’s side and getting to her feet.

Salem turned to look at Lyrana and was about to assure her of his case when he saw her approach him, her arms wide. His eyes grew larger in response and he managed a panicked “no!” before the bigger girl tackled him to the sand and began tickling him madly.

“Ahh, ha ha ha!” he first giggled, then laughed as he writhed beneath his sister. “No stop! Ha ha ha, hi hi hi. Please, Rana!”

The island girl was relentless however and continued her assault for a while longer before she managed to pin his legs beneath her shapely behind, and his arms with her hands above his head. She turned to look at Cassie.

“Come on niñita, you tickle him while I hold him down?” she said grinning, and flushed from the excitement.

Salem was wheezing breathlessly, but smiling brightly and occasionally chuckling still. He rolled his head to the side to look at Cassie. He didn’t say anything but his look was one of happy acceptance and he nodded slightly, giving her the go ahead.

He could take it.

 

[PentheWonderful]

Cassie stared back at Salem in confusion, and flinched slightly when he pointed at her. “Karela suits her perfectly, just look at her face,”

"What's wrong with my face...?" She wondered fearfully. But once again, she could only watch the exchange between, in her mind, mother and son.

When Lyrana pounced on Salem, Cassie gasped fearfully. She got up, and ran over, thinking horrible things were about to ensue when, Salem began laughing instead. Her hands hovered above the teen's shoulder, bewilderment overtaking her.

Was she... Tickling him?

Cassie quickly withdrew her hands, clasping it to her chest. "W- what are you..."

“Come on niñita, you tickle him while I hold him down?”

"M- me?" Cassie blinked in surprise. She seemed unsure, almost not wanting to. But then she locked eyes with Salem, observed the smile on his face and his acceptance, and the girl slowly knelt down beside him. "O- okay."

She outstretched her hand, poking his side carefully, inducing a small giggle from Salem, and a smile grew on her face. Cassie continued poking him, soon using her free hand to tickle his bare torso with her small, soft, hands, her little, slender fingers.

She herself began to giggle, softly at first, until it escalated to small laughter. For the first time, her face was bright and beaming and free. Just like a normal little girl should look.

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

Lyrana was already smiling at the infectious mirth of her baby brother, but when little Cassie began laughing as well she could no longer contain herself. The girl had a musical laugh. It was light, innocent, filled with wonder and it was as if the child’s laughter was something fresh, something new to her. Lyrana couldn’t help but feel they were privy to something special.

Laughing right along she let go of Salem and instead pulled the unsuspecting girl into her lap. Careful at first she began to tickle the girl’s side, but soon discovered that hardly any probing was necessarily. This girl was woefully unaccustomed to such sensations, and the realization of this spurred the teenager on all the more.

Salem for his part did not stay idle either. When his sister let go of him and Cassie stopped tickling him he quickly gathered his wits and sat up straight. One again he was face to face with Cassie and mere inches apart. There was a brief lull in Lyrana’s assault and in that moment his eyes locked onto Cassie’s. Something clicked in the back of his mind and he felt unexplainably connected to this foreign girl. He gave her a sly smile before speaking.

“I think we have suffered enough. What do you say Karela, let’s work together and give her some well-deserved payback?” With his chin he indicated his sister behind Cassie, but his eyes never left hers, transfixed as they were.

“Oh, what’s this now?” Lyrana asked and she poked Cassie’s vulnerable sides again, but immediately after felt her wrists locked in Salem’s grip. Salem’s, surprisingly strong, grip.

‘What’s this?’ Lyrana wondered, ‘When did Salem get this strong?’ She fought against her bonds but couldn’t quite break free. ‘This is ridiculous.’

“I have her Karela.” Salem winked at Cassie. “Show me what you can do!”

 

[PentheWonderful]

Cassie's laughter was silenced with a gasp when Lyrana picked her up and placed her on her lap. She blinked in confusion, and perhaps, slight wonder. Neither of her parents had ever allowed her on their laps before. Well, in Ben's case, there was never any room.

She was just in the middle of developing a grin when suddenly, she was attacked by a barrage of tickles herself! Laughter burst from her soft, pink lips and she squirmed about on Lyrana's lap. Her hands tried to catch and seize them, but to no such luck.

In the midst of it, however, during a peaceful pause, she caught sight of Salem's green eyes, so close and clear. She could just stare into them forever and never look away. And she smiled sweetly in gratitude for allowing her the view.

“I think we have suffered enough. What do you say Karela, let’s work together and give her some well-deserved payback?” He says cheekily, and Cassie pulled a toothy grin on her face.

"Yeah, let's do it!"

Cassie giggled at a few minor pokes on her side, but by then was already turning herself to face Lyrana. And when she had the okay, she plunged her little hands to Lyrana's exposed sides and stomach.

She had felt and observed what Lyrana did during her tickle session and was giving it back to her at full force! Added by the fact her hands were so small and soft, it was much easier to get one ticklish with them!

"How do you like that?" She laughed. "Revenge!"

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

Lyrana tried her very best to avoid the onslaught of the two children but there was no escaping it. She made a valiant effort and made generous use of her flexible dancer hips, but in the end Cassie manage to get her hands on her, and the tickling commenced.

“Detener!” she laughed. “Compassión por favor! Salem! Niñita!”

But the children were relentless. Lyrana squirmed and jerked and to an onlooker it might have looked like she was performing an exotic belly dance.

After a few minutes of futile resistance she really saw no other way out and let herself fall forward, into Cassie and then the both of them onto Salem. There, with both children trapped beneath her body she collected herself for a moment then rolled herself and Cassie to the side so she lay on her back next to her little brother, Cassie comfortably on top of her, securely held in her loving embrace. Her luxurious was chest rising and falling as she caught her breath and her hands idly stroked the little girl’s soft hair.

“ñaña?” Salem said breathlessly after a moment.

“Hm?” she inquired with a lazy note, not wanting to shatter the peacefully bubble they’d unwittingly created around themselves in the soft sand, beneath the gently waving palm trees.

“You’re heavy,” the boy said matter of flatly.

Despite herself she chuckled, and reached over to playfully flick his nose.

“You’re not supposed to say that to a girl, Lemming.” She sighed. It was supposed to be a reprimand but she really could not get herself to feint being upset. Instead, she looked down to the little girl resting her head on her chest. The perfect picture of serenity, and Lyrana knew she would be having a hard time letting this girl go when the time came for it, but for now she would just cherish the moment.

She traced a gentle finger along the girl’s cheek to get her attention and said, “You are one of us now, Karela. And we are going to take very good care of you.”

 

[PentheWonderful]

"Sans pitié!" Cassie had exclaimed, continuing her barrage of tickle attacks onto Lyrana's smooth, flawless mocha skin.

That is, before things went south. Rather literally. With Lyrana's warm, soft body pressed against her front and Salem's lean, hard body against her back. She let out a breath, the feeling of being utterly enveloped by flesh was an incredibly new sensation, and it both scared her and left her flustered for a brief moment.

But mostly it was because she couldn't breath with Lyrana's massive rack pressed against her face.

Luckily for her, that was all over within the minute and as Lyrana laid on her back, Cassie reared her head back and took a deep breath. Her little heart pounded in her chest and her eyes lingered on the teenager's face for the short while it took her to recover. She was in awe. Unfamiliar with the look of kindness, softness, and gentle tenderness that made Lyrana who she was.

Slowly, her mind registered her arms around her, simply holding her, loving her. And Cassie slowly lowered her head back down onto her chest, memorizing the feeling in her head and wondering if she would be able to share this sensation with her own mother. Her little arms wrapped around Lyrana's torso, and she held her tightly while her eyes fluttered shut. She was soft, and warm, and she smelled like the sweetest fruits and fragrant flowers. Her heartbeat was slow and steady, and she could just fall asleep to its rhythm.

Lyrana's finger gently traced her cheek and Cassie's eyelids had lifted slightly to watch it go by. Through the thick eyelashes framing her eyes, she glanced to Lyrana, and then briefly to Salem while the teenager's chest hummed with her gentle voice, “You are one of us now, Karela. And we are going to take very good care of you.”

A small smile pulled at her lips, and once again she nestled her face against Lyrana's bosom while a peaceful, yet bright glow took over her face.

"Okay." She said innocently in response, not quite understanding the meaning held behind Lyrana's words, and yet, feeling just as happy about it.

"...Mama."

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

Salem watch the two girls be comfortable together. He had spent a lot of time in Lyrana’s embrace just like Cassie was now, and he understood all too well that feeling of safety and warmth and acceptance the girl was undoubtedly feeling right now. He wasn’t jealous, Salem didn’t get jealous, and instead he was happy for the girl. Back on the ship things had felt weird for some reason, but now everything seemed alright.

Until the girl called his sister ‘mama’.

Salem sat up at that and gave them both a confused look. Cassie seemed perfectly content and not at all aware of what she had just said, and Lyrana looked… Surprised? Happy? Guilty? Whatever it was Salem didn’t like that sister looked unsure. Lyrana was never unsure about anything.

“She can’t be your mama, silly,” he said grinning, as if he just thought of a joke. “She’s already my sister.”

He stood up and walked over to pick up the sun hat that was lost in the tussle. He dusted it off, then came over to Cassie and placed it on her head. Leaving his hand there comfortably, he leaned over to look beneath the accessory and meet the girl’s bright eyes.

“She can’t be your mama,” he said again, giving her a dazzling smile, “but, she can be your sister. I don’t mind sharing.”

Lyrana had been watching her brother and felt enormously proud for him. She hugged Cassie closer to her for a moment then leaned down to kiss the girl lovingly on the lips and laughed at her response. The girl was absolutely adorable.

 

[PentheWonderful]

“She can’t be your mama, silly,”
Cassie's eyes shot open upon Salem's gentle reprimanding. Her blood ran cold and she could have sword her heart stopped. Her ears had stopped functioning at that moment, and her cheeks flushed over and slowly, hesitantly, she looked on to Lyrana with absolute fear in her eyes. "J-... Je suis désolé!" Her voice wavered toward the end and cracked.

Her eyes stung, and when Salem replaced her sunhat on her head, leaving his hand to linger there while he smiled, she glanced back at him with fear and utter guilt on her face. "Je ne voulais pas... I- I didn't mean to..." His lips moved, but she couldn't hear a word he said.

In utter panic upon her mistake, Cassie glanced back to Lyrana, but instead found her lips against her own. Her eyes widen, and finally did Cassie break free of her grasp. She fell backwards onto her bottom, and scooted away with tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I didn't mean to call you mama, it just..."

Cassie's cheeks began to stain a lovely scarlet when she raised her little hands up to her eyes. "It just came out... Don't be mad, please..." She reached higher and pulled her sunhat down over her eyes. "I'm sorry, Salem... Lyrana... I didn't mean to call you mama..."

She paused, as if realizing something, and began again, "Don't... Don't laugh at me."

The girl had puffed her cheeks out at this and gotten up. "It's- It's an honest mistake!" Roughly, she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. She wasn't going to be soft, her real mama wouldn't like that. She had to be tough! "And- anyway! You promised to show me around!"

It seemed she was getting defensive now, but not in a natural, honest way. Her eyes, they were still innocent and guilt ridden, but the entirety of her face showed embarrassment and pride.

"Allez! Let's go!"

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

Lyrana was surprised at the little girl’s outburst to say the least. She really had not expected such a reaction and was now feeling a bit guilty over it. Perhaps she should have expected such a reaction. The girl did not know her, was a stranger to their culture, and she had been rather forward, pushy even.

She stood as Salem came to stand next to her and slid his hand into hers. She gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“She’s a weird one,” he said matter of fact, and for once without a smile on his face.

“She is just unaccustomed to our way of things,” Lyrana replied.

Salem looked up at her. “What does that mean?”

Lyrana met her caring brother's eyes. “It means that we have to show her what life on the island is like,” she explained.

Salem nodded his understanding. “I can do that,” he said, nodding sagely while his smile reappeared. “And I know just the place to go!”

His sister smiled at him. He really was her emotional rock. “Go ahead then. I’ll be right behind you.”

She gentle nudged him and Salem took a few steps in pursuit of Cassie.

“Oh and Salem,” she called after him. He turned to look back. “Don’t mention this mother business to her okay?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” the boy assured her. “The silly girl doesn’t seem to be listen to me anyway.” He faked exasperation and then ran after Cassie.

“Hola Karela, wait up. You are going the wrong way! Like way, way, sentido contrario!”

Lyrana stood there a moment longer, adjusting to the emptiness in her arms where the girl had been so lovingly only a moment before. She hugged herself unconsciously and gently bit her lower lip.

‘Mama, huh…’ she thought to herself, smiling sadly as she watched the children argue in the distance. Salem was pointing in the other direction and waving his arms frantically.

Lyrana looked in the direction where the docks, were the yacht was moored, and the woman with the cold eyes would undoubtedly be. She shivered, then she sighed and started walking after the young boy and girl before they would get away from her.

It would be another gorgeous day in paradise. Warm, hot even. Certainly that, together with a whole day of fun activities and games, would be enough to melt all the ice in that girl’s heart. At least until tonight, she hoped.

‘For a long as she is here with us she will taste true freedom,’ Lyrana vowed. And she prayed it would be enough to ward the girl's spirit against whatever the future might hold in store for her.

 

[PentheWonderful]

“Hola Karela, wait up. You are going the wrong way! Like way, way, sentido contrario!”

"What are you talking about? I wasn't going anywhere!" Cassie protested. Her brows furrowed, and she proceeded to curl her lips into a pout once again. She really wasn't going anywhere! She'd just gotten up and that was it! Honest!

And then she proceeded to watch Salem flail his arms about while pointing in an opposite direction from where she was, and the only thing that came to her for a remark was, "You look like an over-excited Combusken." While crossing her arms. 'But probably a lot more graceful.' Was the after thought that made her pout even further.

Cassie knew she didn't have to be so nice to this island boy. Her mama always taught her to be careful around strangers and never trust to easily. And yet, she still couldn't help but laugh with him, and collaborate with him while tickling Lyrana. She didn't have to be so kind to him, and yet, she was.

"But- anyway! Don't just point me to it, show me!" With that, the girl outstretched her arm and punched Salem's shoulder playfully. She smiled so easily around him. Perhaps it was because of how ridiculous he looked while flailing like that? Oh well. "You promised to."

And she glanced past him to Lyrana. "We're going now right, grande soeur?" There was an anxious hint on her face. The same way her eyes kept glancing back to the sky to see where the sun was. "We're going to explore soon, right?"

Cassie knew she only had such little time to spend. To be free. She didn't want to squander a second of it.

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

Salem was truly amazed, and he was sure it showed on his face.

He had noticed that this foreign girl did not seem to respond much to his words, but now it became clear she was not hearing him at all! Was it his accent? Did he not use the right words? He had never spoken to a foreigner before. Was he not doing it right?

The girl had thoughtlessly been wandering away from them. Then, when he caught up to her and asked her what she would like to see first; the Barrier Reef, Little Garden Island, the Sunken Caves, the Market, the Fruit farms, or perhaps the great inland waterfalls, she gave no indication of having heard him at all. Instead she berated him for only standing there waving at her.

‘Do her ears not work properly perhaps?’ he found himself wondering bemusedly.

Despite her hot tempered comments, strange behavior and foreign words, Salem found the girl looked really cute though. If smiling had not already been his default setting, he was sure he would be constantly smiling, at her especially.

‘Alright, I’ll decide then.’

If he was not reaching her with his words he would just have to communicate with her through actions instead.

He captured her hand in both of his, in an attempt to get her attention, and waited for her eyes to meet his. When he was sure she saw him, he smiled at her brightly and reassuringly. He was trying to convey trust and comfort to her as best he knew how, willing very hard for her to understand, then gently tugged on her hand to get her to follow him.

They would be going to the waterfalls first.
-

Lyrana observed the children quietly and smiled when she saw the direction Salem wanted to go first.

‘Opening with a bang ey? Not bad little brother, not bad at all.’

 

[PentheWonderful]

He took her hands, and with it, her attention.

Cassie never ceased to be amazed by how warm Salem was. His hands. His eyes. His smile. For a good second, her eyes were absolutely enamored by how gently he clasped her hands. Perhaps it was their close size, and possibly age, but she couldn't help but admire how perfectly their hands fit together. And then she looked up to question him on this, and instead found herself, yet again, awed by his eyes.

Her own eyes had widened, amazed by the sudden emotions that had hit her. Comfort. Trust. And yet, it was strange. As if it wasn't quite her own. Cassie furrowed her brows slightly. Wondering.

But then he'd tugged her on and she simply couldn't resist. Her little feet followed after him upon his tug, and her hand had given his a gentle squeeze. Subconsciously, her fingers began to weave in between Salem's, followed by the growing smile on her face as they moved in comfortable silence.

And they fit together like clockwork.

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

Lyrana quietly followed a couple of meters behind the two children as they waded through the dense jungle fauna. She had not wanted to disturb their private moment and so kept her distance, far enough to be forgotten, but near enough to respond should something happen.

The children had been walking hand in hand for most of the trek with Salem a step ahead and guiding, sometimes pulling, Cassie along behind him. When they reached the part where the beach and palm trees began to give way to more solid ground and larger trees, he had let go of her hand because he needed both to push through the thick vegetation. At first he had courteously kept plants out of the way for Cassie to pass by unhindered, but soon enough it seemed he had gotten impatient and just focused on his own path leaving the girl to trail behind him as best she could.

Lyrana smiled and shook her head in amusement. Her brother tried, but he wasn’t quite there yet it seemed.

A moment later she flinched when a particularly large and supple leaf, that Salem had pushed aside, swung back into the little girl pushing her backwards almost a full meter. Salem continued on, unawares and undisturbed, and soon disappeared from sight altogether.

Lyrana halted. Part of her instinctively wanted to leap forward and make sure the girl was alright, but another part of her, a curious and more mischievous part, wanted to see how the girl would respond.

She hadn’t been aware of it before, but now that the girl was alone Lyrana discovered that she was glad to see the children split up. The feeling came from somewhere deep inside herself and she frowned at the nasty emotion. She pushed it away as soon as she became aware of it.

The girl remained by herself for several moments and the teenager was about to catch up to her when rustling from overhead caught her attention. Lyrana recognized these particular sounds because she knew what to expect from this part of the jungle. She looked up and despite knowing what to look for did not immediately see it because of its natural camouflage, that is, until the large Triopus spun it’s head around and looked down, looming menacingly over little Cassie.

The Fruit Pokémon was a friendly creature and would cause no harm, but their size made the leaf covered reptiles quite intimidating, especially if you weren’t used to seeing them up close.

The Tropius regarded the tiny girl before it stoically until it suddenly jerked its head away and reared up on its hind legs with a startled mournful cry. It flapped its large leaf-like wings violently and Lyrana tensed up. She was unsure of what had startled the enormous beast and was caught up between running away, or diving forward to protect the girl.

Before she could decide however, and before the Pokémon could lift off and fly away, Salem’s cry of excitement cut through the startled moans filling the air. He had jumped on the creatures back somehow and was laughingly petting it, trying to calm it down, blissfully unaware he was the cause of its panic in the first place.

‘One day that boy is going to be the death of me,’ Lyrana thought to herself with a hand on her chest and trying to calm her racing heart.

Salem, meanwhile had miraculously managed to sooth the thrashing Pokémon down enough that he could climb up its long neck. She didn’t know how he did it, but Lyrana was always amazed to see the calming effect that her brother seemed to have on Pokémon.

‘No, not just Pokémon,’ she realized as she mulled the thought over in her head. ‘He has a calming effect on everyone, Pokémon and people alike.’

The boy reached the Tropius’ head in hardly any time at all and, hanging on with just his legs, proceeded to feed it something, presumably some of the low hanging wild berries found around the area. When he did this with one hand his other hand reached underneath the reptile’s chin and plucked the banana shaped fruit growing there. He waited until the Pokémon was done eating and reached up patting its head with a grin, before sliding down its long neck. The Tropius hummed, obviously pleased by the surprise treat and the ticklish sensation of Salem brushing past its hide in places it could not reach on its own.

Lyrana stepped out from behind the trees where she had been watching and approached Cassie while the white haired rascal appeared from the underbrush.

“Salem Archon!” she said with a slightly reprimanding tone. “What were you thinking?”

Her brother looked up at her when she approached and held up the elongated yellow fruits he had just acquired with a triumphant smile.

“Don’t just smile at me,” Lyrana continued her soft scolding. “Do you have any idea of the scare you just gave me?”

Salem’s smile did not falter, in fact it only grew wider.

“That’s not what I wanted to give you, but maybe it will make these tastier?” he said, triumphantly holding up four pieces of Tropius fruit.

“Eso,” he said as he handed one of the fruits to Cassie. “You will love this, trust me.”

He handed one of the fruits to his sister, who grudgingly took it while trying to maintain a stern front, and proceeded to demonstrate to Cassie how to eat the fruit with another one. After bending the fruit until the skin split on the side, he took hold of the fringes and unwrapped the leathery layer in a single fluent motion leaving only the smooth, juicy looking meat behind. He took a big bite and shivered with delight.

Lyrana understood the reaction and couldn’t blame her brother for looking so deliriously happy. A Tropius fruit was truly delicious but relatively hard to come by due to the fact that Tropius only grew their fruits twice a year and there weren’t that many of the Pokémon to begin with.

“Tropigarto have the best fruits,” Salem said once his mouth was empty enough to form proper words.

“Don’t you think so too, Karela?”

 

[PentheWonderful]

The track ahead was very difficult for little Cassie. On one hand, she was terribly unaccustomed to the terrain; the heat and humidity threw her body out of whack and she was perspiring much quickly than she normally would, and was silently glad Salem chose to let go of her when he did. Otherwise he might've been surprised by her sweaty hands. On the other hand, she was just terribly small. Smaller than Salem, who looked roughly the same age if not slightly older, and the dense greenery took a larger toll on her compared to the other two islanders. She could only stride so far. One step forward for Salem was equal to two of her's, and her dress kept snagging at every opportunity. "W- wait up, Salem!" She would squeak whenever the boy moved too far ahead after he'd gone impatient of waiting. "Wait up!"

And then it happened.

A giant leaf, giant to her, at least, that he'd pushed away came back swinging, and thwacked her right off her feet and back a whole meter away with a small exclaim. She landed on her bum, but the momentum sent her on her back before she could stop it. "O- ow..." She winced quietly, but already began to flail her little arms in an attempt to push herself back up.

But then the trees began to shift, and suddenly seemed to come alive. A strange, long necked creature, towering meters over her and looking even bigger from her position, had turned its attention to her. Its beady eyes, locking with her's as Cassie felt strangely heavy. Blood drained from her face and her stomach was at her feet. The girl was frozen, her mouth agape and her eyes wide. She didn't move, she didn't dare move. Her mama had taught her countless times before if a Pokemon locks eyes with you, to remain calm and still, so that you do not spook or threaten it.

But then it let out a cry and so did she.

Her hands reached up, immediately defending her head and face, while her legs curled in front of her. She expected it all to end. She expected pain, and numbness, and she shut her eyes tightly because she didn't want to see, but none of it ever came.

Instead, she was left with heavy breaths, and her heart pounding in her chest. She felt her blood running in her veins, and it gave her bravery to look. The creature had calmed down and Salem was on its back. And suddenly, she wasn't afraid anymore. The girl unfurled herself, and rose to her feet, and listened to her heart beating and relished the breaths she still had.

But her eyes were glued in awe at the boy riding the monster, and she felt alive, and she decided she loved this feeling and wanted to be just like him when she grew up.

Bold.

Daring.

Unafraid.

And her eyes followed him when he climbed down, and conversed with his sister. She stepped closer, her hands clasped in front of her chest while her cheeks flushed from the excitement. When her turn finally came for Salem to pay attention to her, Cassie pulled a bright smile onto her face, and wrapped her arms tightly around him. After which, she graciously accepted the fruit he had acquired, and was about to speak, before she got fondly distracted by his demonstration of how to eat the Tropius fruit.

Sniffing the flesh cautiously, she took a small bite and a big grin pulled at her lips as she chirped happily, "C'est magnifique!" And quickly wolfed the fruit down. "You're incredible, Salem! You're so brave! How did you manage to get on the tree's back?"

 

[Nygenn]

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

----------​

Salem felt his pride grow and his ego swell at the praise the little foreign girl heaped upon him, and he decided that he really liked her. She was also prone to hug him it seems and he liked that as well. Her small arms around his shoulders made him feel big and strong. Lyrana hugged him all the time as well, but whenever she did it he felt small and soft. He still loved her hugs very much of course, but Cassie’s hugs were exciting him.

He put his hands on his hips, puffed out his chest and laughed out loud.

“I am the best tree climber and monster tamer in all of Delmar!” he boasted brazenly.

“Also the best swimmer, and fighter, and tracker, and weaver…”

Salem’s posture change slightly as he grew more thoughtful, tapped his fingers and kept listing things he excelled at.

“…the best fisherman, the best surfer, the best diver…”

Lyrana laughed at her prideful little brother and couldn’t help but comment,

“You don’t even have a monster to surf with yet, and I believe today was going to be your first time diving. You are the best cuddle bear though.”

She stepped behind the boy and pulled him briefly against herself, before she pushed him towards Cassie.

“Isn’t that right niñita?”

Salem had not expected the shove and stumbled towards Cassie, flailing his arms wildly as he balanced on his toes to try and keep from crashing into the little girl.

 

[PentheWonderful]

“I am the best tree climber and monster tamer in all of Delmar!” The boy exclaimed with his hands on his hips, and a loud, hardy laugh. By that time, her eyes were wide in absolute awe and reflecting every single ray of light it managed to catch, the resemblance between them and the precious ores they were associated to was almost uncanny. With her hands still clasped against her chest, cheeks flushed from the jungle heat and girlish admiration, Cassie grinned softly, and the young boy transformed into a knight in shining armor before her very eyes.

“Also the best swimmer, and fighter, and tracker, and weaver…”

“…the best fisherman, the best surfer, the best diver…”

And she believed every word.

“You don’t even have a monster to surf with yet, and I believe today was going to be your first time diving. You are the best cuddle bear though.” The little girl looked briefly to the teenager towering over her, but her words did not deter her feelings one bit. In fact, in only fueled a fire in her, a determination, a desire, to see Salem accomplish all those things he just said. To be a success, and the very best, because that made her happy too. She wanted all the best for him, if it meant he would always be grinning and laughing and proud like this. Because it completed a part of her that she lacked, and she felt strangely whole to have it compensated.

So when the little boy was shoved towards her, Cassie instinctively extended her small arms and caught his shoulders. She kept him steady, until he could stand on his own again. And then, she simply smiled brightly as her small face glowed with happiness, and hope, and conviction.

“Isn’t that right niñita?” Lyrana had said to her, but Cassie's eyes were glued to her new playmate's.

And she told him softly instead, "I believe you." And she removed her hands from his shoulders to grasp both of his own. "I just know you'll be the best at everything."