[God Quest] my heart is in another place

flora

The stars begin to blink into view like distant embers as Flora climbs the winding path toward the lighthouse shrine on Aumakua. The last breath of sunlight has already sunk into the sea, leaving the world painted in blues and deep purples, the waves below murmuring softly against the cliffs. She walks alone, arms full but steps unhurried. Her curls are swept back in a braid laced with fine gold thread, and the scent of hibiscus and sea salt clings to her skin. At her side, a lacquered tray holds her offering: a folded bolt of pearl-dyed silk, a shell necklace strung with bits of starlight glass, and a polished moonstone resting atop a shallow dish of honey. Soft candles, hand-dipped and wrapped with twine, sit nestled among the gifts.

When she reaches the shrine, she places each piece of the offering with care, lighting the candles one by one, until a flickering half-circle of flame dances gently before the statue. Her voice is quiet when it comes, carried not on ceremony but on something warmer. "Hi," she says softly, brushing her hands together and resting them against her thighs. "I just wanted to say thank you. For what you did. For all of us." The flames shimmer. The surf hums below. Her gaze lifts toward the sky, where the stars are thickening like freckles on dark skin. "I know Dorian and the others said the Family wouldn't come back, but...well. I'm not sure I believe them." She laughs once, gently. "We sleep better with the barriers up. Knowing you're still watching."

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Torchline is turning in their RQ received in once and twice again

1. A thread of at least 3 torchers gathering shells from the Ahi Coast. Hadama, Novacaine, Ronin, Sohalia, Vesper
[RQ] Come out of your shell

2. A PQ placing the shells all around the coast. Must have 8 rounds in total. Flora, Hadama, Jack, Melita
[PQ][RQ] she shells sanctuary

3. A thread with at least 1 torcher capturing a physical piece of a member of the Family. Flora
[SWE] The Punchiest Pool Party

what doesn't kill me makes me
want you more

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

He followed his co-ruler up the stairs, his steps slow and stately in her wake. The Tidebreaker moved with intentional grace, pausing at the entrance of the beacon room to let Flora lay her offerings down upon the altar first. When she finished he stepped forward to place his own gifts upon the polished stone: a delicate diadem of silver and platinum with a fringe of tiny opals resting on a square of pitch black plush velvet and small bottle of smoked glass holding a finely aged port wine.

He sat back then, a slight distance behind Flora as he folded his hands into his lap and bowed his head deeply to the altar. He listened to the prayer that the Doubletake spoke, his pride in her and his agreement with her words silent but profound as he lent his support and strength to their shared request.

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.

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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.