Next up is a fairly simple set up piece by Tarvel. As we saw with Jay/ Catrina, a piece like this could easily go into a bigger roleplay / co write as an opening. But it could also be posted alone as a short piece, which is the route this one went.

The subtitle says it all, so let's check in with one of our space elves.

 
Tarvel adjusted the coloration on her cysuit just a bit and smiled. The coming mission would likely be a taxing one based on the input received from Dash and the others who knew what this other dimension would be like. She looked forward to the challenge, however. The beasts of this so called Hey Daze would likely be worthy of her combat training and capabilities. Her suit, she liked to think, was eager for a good fight. Even if she knew that it was mostly just her.

Ultimately, the knowledge gained from the research had a chance to be a big help back home. The choice was always there, of course: venture into space, or accept the fact that you wouldn't be moving on to the afterlife when you left this world. Just why this happened was still unclear, of course...but many elves felt that it was a sacrifice worth making.

Tarvel wrapped up inspecting her gear before setting out for the Spooky Forest where they would be meeting, Glyn having left already. The inspection was all-but unnecessary as the cysuit could diagnose itself under almost any circumstances, but the routine inspection was still part of the protocol. She knew that certain aspects of the protocol were mostly ignored as guidelines instead of actual procedure by most of the space elves, but she always felt that they were worth upholding. Especially before potentially monumental missions.

Before leaving the ship, she checked her personal effects, few though they were. She pulled out a small holographic projector, a novelty that she'd bought at the academy. She activated it and looked at the image.

She was on the left, smiling, and another elf with orange hair grinned more nervously having just, as Tarvel knew, been pulled into the frame by her past self. They'd both gotten through the academy together, even been assigned to the same ship. However, a family emergency delayed her departure by two months.

Just shy of two months later, after Tarvel had made it to space, she'd received word of the accident. Her friend died before leaving the planet. But Tarvel wouldn't see her again.

After a few moments, Tarvel turned off the projector and put it back in its place. She took a few breaths to steady herself, smiled, and left the ship, knowing that Glynn would be ready to analyze everything unusual about this strange dimensional afterlife.

"Let's figure out where you went," she said to herself, "and why I can't go there too."

I think it was supposed to say something about staying on the planet OR "accept the fact that you wouldn't be moving on to the afterlife.." but I wasn't sure enough to fix it myself. But I did want to point that out. Oh, and a sad little bit of backstory, just like we got in a similarly short solo piece with Zed.