Always in motion

Life can be tough, there's no doubt,
But hope is the thing we can't do without.

The trek to the shrine still bothers him, the distance requiring time and planning, but it's effort he's glad to put in if it means another quest. He's already made informal offerings since the battle in Hak Etme, small prayers here and there to thank Safrin for her invaluable assistance, however, it doesn't compare to the gratitude that still warms the memories, the weight that always comes with a deity's assistance.

While Sol chases butterflies through the distant patch of flowers, Zavien makes his way up the hill, a bundle of various items in his arms. He hadn't been able to pick what to bring, so he'd settled for everything: a large purple amethyst etched with a star, a pair or silver earrings that look like falling starlight, a bouquet of white roses, and a bag of starfruit that someone had given him after doing some manual labor around town. He knows it's too much, but that doesn't stop him from laying it out in the sunlight, kneeling down in front of the stone shrine with delicate appreciation. "Safrin, thank you again for your help against the Void Leviathan. We couldn't have won without you. Thanks to you, we were able to cleanse the desert without injuries or fatalities." The last being the most important.

Lifting his hand, Zavien runs a finger against the leather strap around his wrist. "I didn't get a chance to use this in the fight, but could you help me strengthen it? I don't want to relax, even after such an amazing victory." Because who knows when the next fight will find him or when the next call for help might come? Especially with Dahlia out of commission, he doesn't know what that means for Stormbreak and what's to come.

---

Zavien is asking for a quest to upgrade his Starlight cuff! If he doesn't roll high enough, please use his CotS pass. Thank you! <3

Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Starlight Cuff | A leather cuff intertwined with threads of starlight that when activated, extend the movement of the user's hand to 5ft total. Includes effects from items/weapons.

With so many spirits around you, you attract the attention of the gods when visiting a shrine. Roll with advantage when praying at a shrine. (In order to use this, make sure to note the ability at the bottom of your shrine post).

Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Zavien

Right things with joy will come about...
In good time.

Safrin

The sunlight shifts. Not in any earthly way—there is no cloud to cast a shadow, no breeze to scatter dust—but the light grows softer, deeper, as though the stars themselves have momentarily joined the sun in watching. And then she is there.

Safrin appears as if drawn from the brilliance itself, her form coalescing in a shimmer of celestial hues. Nebulae gather in the sweep of her gown, her dark hair threaded with starlight, her eyes aglow with fondness. She stands barefoot on the stone beside the shrine, radiant and utterly at ease, her gaze resting warmly on Zavien. "My dear boy," she says, her voice velvet and fond, "you always bring too much, and somehow it is always just enough." Her fingers trail gently over the amethyst, then the earrings, a soft hum of approval vibrating through the air as she takes in the white roses and the ripe starfruit with a teasing smile. "A feast fit for a goddess. You spoil me."

Without ceremony, she moves closer, reaching out to cup his jaw with one elegant hand, thumb brushing just beneath his cheekbone. "You fought well, all of you did. I am always happy to answer when you call."

Her hand drops, fingertips grazing the cuff at his wrist. "And this," she murmurs, the glow in her eyes brightening as she examines the leather, starlight curling from her hand into the bracelet. "Let’s make it stronger."

---

Zavien has been given a quest (he rolled high enough on his own)! He must

1. Complete 2 training threads, one where he uses his cuff, and one where someone else uses it against him
2. Experience something with more gravity than it seems it should have *interpretation up to you
3. Experience something with less gravity than it seems it should have *interpretation up to you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Life can be tough, there's no doubt,
But hope is the thing we can't do without.

Her arrivals are becoming more familiar, a shifting of the sunlight that feels like it fractures into thousands of brilliant tiny pieces, each one bending to her will just as he bends his head. Regardless, he always finds himself humbled by her presence, pleased by the approval of his offerings and the warmth in her tone. It never ceases to baffle him to be in a deity's presence. It's why he can speak with full honestly when he says, "And yet it's still not enough." Not enough to show his appreciation, not enough to compare to Safrin, and not enough to deter him from bringing more next time. 

Zavien accepts the caress of her hand like a soldier might the tap of a blade against his shoulder, his breath catching and his spine straightening like he might offend her if his heart beat the wrong way or like he might blemish his honor by breaking her gaze. He can't think of what else to say when she offers her praise, so all that comes from his lips is a soft "Thank you" that barely shifts his jaw against her touch. 

When her hand drops to the cuff, Zavien still doesn't take a full breath, listening as she gives her instructions, the starlight - her starlight - pulsing against the leather. He nods his head, waiting patiently for her to finish before speaking. "I can do that. Thank you."

It's only once all traces of the goddess have faded from the shrine that the Dragoon rises to his feet, offering another respectful dip of his head before departing to find Sol still skipping through the flowers. 

[FIN]

Zavien

Right things with joy will come about...
In good time.