Six feet under the stars

Riding high after the cleansing of the Greatwood, Tal had practically floated up to the shrine in the Barrows. Sure, Flora had done most of the heavy lifting re: Channeling, but he'd helped! At least by being moral support, even if he hadn't managed to call upon Vi again. "Hi Safrin," he prayed cheerfully, bustling about the altar as he tidied it up. "Thanks for helpin' us out an' protectin' us!" She had bought them they time they'd needed to regroup, and he wasn't about to forget it!

"I know it's a little late for th'fight, but I finally finished everythin' for my armor." His cheer turned a touch rueful as he settled back on his knees and set the silver chunks he'd mined with Sohalia onto the now-sparklingly clean altar. He hadn't come empty-handed tonight, either; he lifted the crystal vase he'd carried up the slope of the barrow onto the altar, the water within sloshing gently. The vase was filled with the last of the late-season roses picked from the Queen's Gambit, a pale rainbow of whites, pinks, yellows, and reds placed reverently on the cool stone beside the ore. He adjusted his Goggles and bent his head to pray in earnest, eager to see his quest completed.

---

Mastering Hands Off! with Safrin Under the jeweled sky:
1. Get hit by lightning magic Lightning on the brain
2. Complete a Training thread where someone else wears his vest so he can experience it. [SE][Training] Through many miles of tricks and trials
3. Leave the vest outside during a lightning storm Flash, bang, sis boom bah
4. Mine more silver to reinforce the stripping. invisible smoke

SAFRIN

The glade darkened, the stars above blinking out as though something had swept a blanket across the sky. In the thick silence that followed, a light appeared—soft at first, barely more than a glimmer in the air, but quickly intensifying. It wasn't a beam; it was a presence, a glow that emerged from nowhere and seemed to belong everywhere.

"Pretty, aren't they?" Safrin's voice cut through the quiet, as she stepped forward from the air itself. Dressed in a gown that shimmered with galaxies, the lace hugged her form as if it was woven of starlight itself. Her eyes, filled with nebulae and infinite nights, flicked towards the roses and silver chunks Tal had placed upon her shrine, a bemused smile playing on her lips.

She ran her fingers across one of the petals; with a swirl of her fingers, the flowers in the vase bloomed brighter, the colours deepening into rich, almost otherworldly hues. The petals shifted to mirror the constellations overhead, so each flower seemed to contain an entire universe. She turned her gaze back to Tal, the light from the blossoms reflecting in her irises. "You did well in the Greatwood, Tal. Vi may not have answered, but your presence mattered. And for that I am grateful." 

The silver chunks shimmered, lifting from the altar to hover in front of her.

"For your armour, then," she said, her voice dropping to a near whisper as her gaze sharpened. She moved her hand and the chunks twisted, melding together, reshaping themselves under her will. The silver flowed like water, glinting in the dim light, before solidifying into plates that gleamed with a luster that was distinctly divine. As she finished, she lowered them back down, setting them before Tal, perfectly formed and intricately detailed with constellations that shifted and twinkled when looked at.

"There," she said, her smile a touch catlike with approval.

---

Tal's armour has been upgraded!

When the lights went out, Tal's first response was panic. It wasn't anywhere near LongNight and if the Family had done something to Safrin--

But the glow that rose in that darkness brought more than light. It brought hope and reassurance, and Tal subsided slowly back onto his knees, touching his Goggles for luck right before the goddess herself made her entrance. The courier breathed a big sigh of relief as she appeared in all her radiance and a dress that could best be described as out of this world, with a body that matched it.

With a touch of a finger she improved the bouquet, and Tal found himself struggling between his desire to admire what she did to the flowers and her inescapable eyes. Hearing the praise and gratitude that passed her perfect lips made the decision a lot easier as she fully recaptured his attention and Tal straightened proudly beneath her regard, looking as pleased as could be.

He watched her magic unfold with wide eyes that never grew tired of miracles, and when the armour was laid in front of him he gathered it close with reverent hands. "Thanks, Safrin," he whispered, hugging the improved garment close. "Hopefully I won't need t'use it anytime soon!"

But Caido being what it was, he knew it was far better to have it just in case.

~fin