it's fine to fake it 'till you make it
The candles flutter once—not with wind, but with presence. A shimmer threads through the air, the scent of night jasmine blooming in a sudden hush, and then she is there. Light pools in moonlit gradients across the stone, coalescing into the familiar and luminous form of Safrin, standing just beyond the circle of flame. Her smile is warm, radiant as the stars beginning to bloom above. "My darlings," she greets, her voice a gentle lull against the ocean’s hush. She steps forward, her gaze drifting over the offerings with slow appreciation. "You bring me beauty—such care in each choice. Honey for sweetness, silk for grace, and glass that catches the light like stars caught in your hands. And this..." Her gaze lingers on the diadem and port, brows lifting with quiet delight. "You honour me well, Hadama."
She lifts her hands, one to each of them, fingers briefly brushing over Flora’s curls and Hadama’s bowed head like a blessing. "And you’re right," she murmurs. "They may say they won’t return—but the Family is like smoke. It finds its way into the smallest cracks when you forget to look." Turning, she lifts her hand toward the sea. The sky above pulses faintly in response, and then—like glass catching moonlight—the coast shimmers. A faint, radiant veil unfurls along the Torchline shore, as if the stars themselves have leaned down to wrap the land in their arms.
"Another layer," she says softly, the glow fading but not disappearing. "They will find no easy purchase here." Stepping back, her smile turns to them once more. "Sleep well, sweet ones, knowing that Torchline is stronger than ever." And with a blink of stardust and candlelight, she is gone.
Congratulations! Torchline has completed their RQ and Safrin's starlit barrier has been extended to include the coastline!
~FIN
She lifts her hands, one to each of them, fingers briefly brushing over Flora’s curls and Hadama’s bowed head like a blessing. "And you’re right," she murmurs. "They may say they won’t return—but the Family is like smoke. It finds its way into the smallest cracks when you forget to look." Turning, she lifts her hand toward the sea. The sky above pulses faintly in response, and then—like glass catching moonlight—the coast shimmers. A faint, radiant veil unfurls along the Torchline shore, as if the stars themselves have leaned down to wrap the land in their arms.
"Another layer," she says softly, the glow fading but not disappearing. "They will find no easy purchase here." Stepping back, her smile turns to them once more. "Sleep well, sweet ones, knowing that Torchline is stronger than ever." And with a blink of stardust and candlelight, she is gone.
Congratulations! Torchline has completed their RQ and Safrin's starlit barrier has been extended to include the coastline!
~FIN
'till you do. 'till it's true.
