Kneeling before the shrine, Arialla tried to steady her breathing -- a bit ragged after climbing the lighthouse's stairs -- and steady her mind. She couldn't help feel quite anxious about speaking with Safrin again, especially given the amount of time she'd allowed to lapse before returning. Safrin had told her to come back after LongNight ... Well, it sure was after LongNight.
It wasn't that she didn't want to speak to the goddess. But last time she'd spoken to Safrin, she'd had so little idea of what she was asking for, beyond a way home that she couldn't have -- and was coming to accept she would never have. She'd wanted a clearer idea of what she sought before she returned to Safrin, so she'd put it off and put it off ...
And she still didn't have that idea, still didn't know how she wanted her future to unfold. But fate had handed her a perfect offering in the mirror she'd found while cleaning up the beach in Torchline; it felt like a sign, ordering her to stop procrastinating and return to Safrin.
With a deep breath, Arialla placed the ornate, gilded mirror she'd found on the beach on the shrine. Since digging it up, she'd cleaned it, polished it, and gotten the glass repaired. Whatever else she might blush for, Arialla felt confident in her offering.
"Lady Safrin ... I've returned," she said quietly, hoping that her prayers would reach the goddess. Should she apologize immediately, or say nothing about the time passed and hope Safrin wouldn't bring it up? Probably better to seize the initiative. "I apologize for taking so long -- I didn't want to call upon you again without a better idea of what to ask. But ... I still feel lost in Caido, so I must once again request your guidance."
please don't take my sunshine away
