auroraexpress | Origin Star Finale: Session 1

Who: explorers
When: Day 54, morning
Where: The Final Island

[As promised, two hours after the initial announcement, the train shudders slightly as if in preparation for a Trial. On your Chain is a short message:

If you want to deal with this problem, come on out.

Step out of the lounge car and you'll find a cozy but sturdy-looking airship hovering a few inches above the ground. Its only occupant is Thyme himself -- a small young man with many white, feathery wings sprouting from his back and head. He's familiar to some and new to others, but regardless he looks like he's feeling a bit awkward to be here, and rather concerned about the situation in general.]

Before we start, get the idea of slaying the demon out of your head. This is Malice. You're going in to purify. That said, we're detecting three sources of corruption on the small island, so we'll be doing this in three steps. They're likely totems deliberately set by someone, so you'll need to find and deactivate one each trip.

You're probably going to be up against a lot of creatures, but you need to fight them with your feelings more than your weapons. When you find the totem, throw your positivity at it.

Got it? Let's go.

[Board the airship and it'll take off with lightning speed, though somehow the ride is quite smooth. The ship darts over the ocean and around the back of the island, where you get a breathtaking view of the ancient ruin that takes up a large part of it. The airship stops at a small outcrop, dominated by one large stone door, slightly ajar.]

Here you go. Try not to get killed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ it comes closer, twisting in shape. whatever her fear is, it seems to take the shape of it. ]

[ Something that could trap her, hold her down, keep her locked away in a small, tight space ... she hates the very idea of it, viscerally - ]

[ But she doesn't back away. Instead she sits down a small distance away, ears down and feathers ruffled but no less determined. No less hopeful. Things might be scary sometimes, but fear never lasts forever - there's always a way to overcome, always light at the end of the tunnel. ]

Who are you?

[ it seems to circle her - no, it seems to stretch around her before growing tall, stretching long, a great big slithering snake that threatens to strangle her - so long and large is this terrible beast that, quickly, meridian is isolated from the rest of the group, unable to see anyone else from how tall this snake wall is. ]

[ ALARMED CHEEP ]

[ Quickly bolts back onto her feet, her feathers puffing further and her tail giving a single hard lash of agitation ]

Rude! [ But she's not, she's not alone - ] My friends are here! And they'll help me if I need it!

[THIS SEEMS BAD???]

Meri, we are here, do you need help or have you got this?

Mao! [ Brightens!! ... Audibly, if not visibly, thanks to the snake wall. ]

It might help to all help each other! It's not so scary when you're with your friends!

Okay, give me a moment, I'll try to climb the snake.

I was thinking moral support! Snakes don't have handholds!

[ the snake does not. it is also going to rest its head atop of meridian, closing her off from mao -

it is suddenly very, very dark. ]

'least now I can't see your stupid, ugly scales, you big dumb noodle!

[ she can feel them though, as they constrict tighter and tighter, trapping her further and further. can she even breathe. . . ? how much air does she have left? ]

[Oh Jesus, he focuses on Carolina for a minute-]

Fuck scales! Meri, it's all right to help, right?

[He's asking because you know, SHE TOLD HIM TO ASK, but he's definitely already closing the distance because he will be very confused if the answer is No.]

VERY MUCH PLEASE HELP ME!

Glad you agree!

[He will help with pulling on this snake.]

Because this is a rude ass snake! Doesn't it know it can't ever be as cool as dragon and having feathers?

[ :( be nice ]

[NO]

You can't be as cool as Carolina and you definitely can't be as cool as Meridian!

(no subject)

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[Straight up running and trying to climb up the snake after hearing Meri's distress]

Meri! You can do this, you're not alone! You can be way bigger than this thing!

[ wait ]

[ bigger? ]

[ yes, that's right, that's right, she can be bigger than this thing! ]

[ TIME TO TRY SHAPESHIFTING, growing bigger and bigger and bigger, pushing against the snake ]

[ that only serves to make the situation worse, perhaps? at least, from how it tightens more, unfazed by her shapeshifting, becoming a tighter prison around her ]

[OKAY BUT I'M STILL TRYING TO CLIMB YOU]

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Oh, okay. You can do it Meri!

This snake is dumb!

You're way smarter and cooler than it!

[ except this is terrible and her only response is ALARMED SQUEAKING as it constricts around her ]

[oh no, okay, maybe rushing to try and climb the snake anyway]