Origin Star Finale: Session 2

[fairwind]

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

[At nearly noon, Thyme's airship returns from the island with the first session's explorers. Everyone receives a chain message:

Time for round two. If you want to go, gather up.

Those who wish to go looking for the second totem can now board the airship. It waits around 20 minutes -- long enough for a quick break for those who are going twice in a row -- but then heads off again with its new crew. Along the way, everyone gets a lecture:]

Okay, for everyone who missed it the last time, here are the rules:

You're not looking for a monster to beat up. You're looking for a totem, that you'll have to deactivate by showing positive emotions. Any creatures you meet on the way can also be beaten with good feelings. Some can be killed, but that's not purifying the soul, so try to avoid it.

[When you arrive, it's at a damp sea cave. The airship hovers over the water, leaving you access to the only viable ground -- a narrow, salt-crusted stairway leading up into a tower.]

Comments

[dereban]

[ aaaaand here's where she's going to pinch the bridge of her nose, sighing as her gaze lowers a bit. ]

I can see that.

But that doesn't mean that we're all like that-- well, I can say that I'm at least not like that. Not all the time.

[ there's warmth in her words, but she follows it up with-- ]

But I guess just saying that won't help you. Instead, let me throw this question at you. Did you try to do something about it? About all the fighting. . . the cruelty? Belief can only get you so far, after all.

[hot_mess_express]

I tried! But Father sold everything to Those People, and almost no one believed me! Only Briar... only Briar... and then Father--

[The flower begins to wail, the fury and sadness of a real person, amplified by Malice.]

[dereban]

[ there's definitely a mixture of emotions written all over Inaba's face. a lot of pity and empathy; she still keeps her distance, trying to keep her politeness as she closes her eyes, trying to mull it all over in her head before responding, still keeping her calm, even tone. ]

'Almost', though. You said there was one person at least, though, didn't you? Someone named 'Briar'.

[ she is this close to making a joke about Sleeping Beauty considering that they're a flower. . . and 'Briar Rose' is A Thing but she does not. ]

That means that there's someone that believes you. Even if the rest of the world didn't-- there was someone that stook by your side. But can you tell me more? It's okay if you don't want to, but. . . I want to understand. If I can understand, then I can believe you.

[hot_mess_express]

There's not! He was the only one, and he's gone! I just know Father did it... All for greed! All for money! If we grew old, wouldn't we become monsters, too?!

It's only right the darkness came!

[dereban]

[ god.

she sympathizes with this flower, she really does. she's seen it so goddamn often - time and again, adults doing stupid, terrible, selfish things and it almost makes her anger boil. . .

but she shakes it off. ]

Did you ask him, though? Was it truly all simply for money? If you didn't say anything, or ask, all you're doing is making assumptions.

And you know what that means.

[ she is a proper 17 year old, clearly. ]

But. . . to answer your question, 'growing old' isn't equivalent to 'becoming a monster'. Age doesn't matter in that context. It's what you do that does. Deciding to make the right choice, or the wrong one. The reasoning behind your decisions. Because we all make mistakes.

That's just normal.

We recover from those mistakes, though. And try to break through them, learn from them, improve. Become better.

Even if people are cruel. . . it doesn't mean we have to be.

[ she knows too well about that cruelty.

the treatment of the Foundation of 6350s wasn't exactly stellar. she was disposable, in the worst kind of way, when she arrived in that world. so she knows about how people can do things like that under 'good' pretenses. so she knows a lot about how multi-faceted things can be. even if she doesn't speak of those things aloud. ]

[hot_mess_express]

I don't WANT to be better anymore! I just want to be left ALONE!

[The flower is hysterical. It's had a hard time.]

[dereban]

[ sounds like it.

maybe she should take a. . . very different approach here. ]

And what do you think being left alone will accomplish, huh? You're just going to wallow in your tears? That won't bring anyone back! That won't help anyone-- and honestly, do you really believe that doing this is worth what happened to everyone?

To your friend?

[ she does realize that this MIGHT antagonize the flower, but sometimes you gotta play the role of a villain in order to get things into their thick skull because simply empathizing with them and trying to help won't work. ]

[hot_mess_express]

[--Well that's rude!! But it does seem to work a bit!]

To... Briar...?

[The flower pauses in its fussing, holding still long enough for Solar to do her Thing...

And you successfully clear the mission. And also gain some cargo.]