Return to the light

[Yuthirin]

'An excellent question! I don't know! I need to firm up my force of will. Shed the last vestiges of my fear. I'm unsure how to go about it, as I've held on to my insecurities for a long time. Maybe. It's a work in progress.' Tryll says.

[Anastasia]

"So you have no plan?" Benyen says, "Going to make it up as you go along?"

[Yuthirin]

'Same thing I've been doing for most of my life, to be honest. It's worked out fairly well so far.' Tryll admits.

[Anastasia]

In that case, what's your next move here? You have options for sure.  If you don't take one the others have ideas.

[Yuthirin]

I'm unsure. I think I'll ask the others!

[Anastasia]

Sure.

All of you settle in over breakfast the next morning. It's a sweet stew of apples, cinnamon and candied bacon.

Dana sits at the table, eating up. "So how the fuck do we do this shit about One?"

Miranda sips her soup slowly before she answers, "It seems fraught with peril, a great risk but a potentially greater reward. How do you improve yourself to do that, though? I can say that I don't know with all honesty. I've seen and send others on quests of the self before, but never one so simple and so decisive."

Benyen's attacking his meal with vigor, only looking up before, "Raziel would teach to face it like any other enemy - directly assault it and overcome it through valor, then tend to the wounded."

Jayne perches above the cooking hearth, flames from below matched by flames dancing along her body. "I am a bird," She says.

"That's about how certain you'll need to be," Miranda finishes her soup and goes for seconds. "Jayne might just be well suited for the ordeal."

"So have bird brain do it instead of you first," Dana points out, "If she's got her shit together, maybe seeing her do it and not fuck everything up will do it for you, Tryll."

"That or practice," Benyen says, "I bet we could improve if we tried, since we've done a lot of work lately."

"Or," Miranda states, "We split up and all go to talk to various people who have succeeded already. Perhaps one of them will have some insight into it that proves helpful, while others do something else?"

[Yuthirin]

'From what I understand, it's a test of will and of the force of one's personality. Per the book and from what I can understand, it's a declaration outside of creation that you are sovereign and absolute, a demand of whatever reality exists outside of Creation that you deserve recognition and that you are both powerful and unique. I think.' Tryll says.

"Yeah that sounds like you." Calleigh replies from behind a small mountain of leftover bacon bits.

[Anastasia]

"Still," Miranda goes on, "Regardless, I think the biggest step is mustering the courage to commit to it. Failure is unthinkable, no matter the temptation."

"In other words, do it or not," Dana agrees, "But fuck, anyone prepares properly."

"It's up to us either which way," Miranda agrees, as Jayne lets out a soft trill.

"Is One like making your own nest and convincing everyone it's yours?" Jayne inquires.

[Yuthirin]

'That requires a certain incredible mental fortitude. If someone comes up to you and tells you not to think of a pink mermaid, you're immediately going to think of a pink mermaid.' Tryll points out. 'It's not as easy as it sounds.'

"What's building a nest like?" Calleigh asks.

[Anastasia]

Jayne flies over and snatches Calleigh, "I'll show you!" She cries, flying off with her.

In the meantime Dana says, "So back between the stone and the dick," She points out, "You gonna move the stone or you gonna get fucked?"

[Yuthirin]

'Obviously we move the stone.' Tryll answers drily. "Just need to figure out how.'

[Anastasia]

"Well for now we..." Dana begins.

For the moment another fact also looms that may impact things. Namely level up time draws close. Obviously this is going to impact your planning as well.

[Yuthirin]

Obviously. Just how close am I?

[Anastasia]

It's looming for everyone now, even you.

[Yuthirin]

Terrifying. How closely is it looming?