#mafrea

[rosettevaleria]

Sacrifice

She couldn’t sleep, not after what happened tonight. In the moment, she couldn’t take the time to truly process what had happened to Catherina. Instead, she was at Mafrea’s side the instant he pulled away from what remained of the Netherseer and walked with him through the portal.

At that moment, there was nothing any of them could do. They had a mission and they had to continue to pursue what needed to be done.

They left the obsidian statue of Catherina behind in that Temple and Rosette had wrangled people together to assign them their respective missions: they had people to hunt and gather information about. The Redressers and Midnighters needed to focus on something -- and she gave that to them.

Afterwards, she looked for Mafrea but the Mage had made himself scarce. Their aetherlink was silent. She could find him if she hunted him...she could call over the linkshell; but she recognized his need for a moment alone and for privacy when she saw. She refrained from disturbing him for the time being...there was always tomorrow.

She paced the halls, restless and unable to focus on any one thing. Reports, her harpischord, reading and research...her mind was too busy. She couldn’t focus.

Rosette left the House, wandering the Beds and her feet took her down to the water. She stripped to her chemise and dove into the chilly water, swimming until it no longer felt cold and her arms burned. She pulled herself up onto one of the large rocks in the center, looking to the sky as she breathed in the night air, uncaring of the goosebumps that dappled her skin from the cold. She closed her eyes, falling into a mindset of reflection...and sending a soft prayer to the Twelve on Catherina’s behalf.

mentions: @blackmagesol​, @oroete​, @aetherwatchsociety​

[healeremeline]

Prepping for Fairy Tale Maps Night! @aetherwatchsociety

Little Bo Peep and Gaston

[aetherwatchsociety]

More from the “Supply Run”.

Picture credits: @healeremeline

Pictured: @saphyra-tsuki, @oroete, @iname21, @rosettevaleria, @healeremeline, Booshie

[aurora-tsuki]

{An entry; Lost}

There has been a lot of travelling in my life, recently.

I’ve seen many new places -- new for me -- and many grand sights. Majestic trees that touch the sky, branches unfurled in a canopy that extends far and wide… Seas made of sand, with cascading hills of white coloured dunes… Stars that sit on the horizon, their twinkle matched in the snow that crunches under my feet… Caverns that howl from the wind, trickling water chiming in as the gust abades… Smiles and warm campfires and food shared.

While I deeply miss my family, there is something inside me that echoes with the need to experience these sights, but I do not know what it is. But there is a change coming and gone.

I was already returning to check in, as I wanted my family to worry as little as possible. With the news of Rosette’s home destroyed, and an argument had over the linkshell, my course was set. Returning back to see Emeline in such a state… Why did I leave? Why have I been gone? I felt trapped, looking through a glass wall, unable to reach those I love to provide any help, any care, watching them unravel.

The visions they saw were terrible, and all I could do was watch… watch… watch…

The lantern has guided us to a new place. There is so much more happening here beyond what I can see and understand. I hold the Moonlight Lantern. It guided us to save Jun, it guided us to this new place, and it has guided friends into being family, now. But it is also guiding us away, away, away, from the place I called home for near a year.

I will miss them. Gone they are not, but it is not the same as it was. The comfort of the ship is now in shadow. I only hope the one who carries my Moon and my Sun and my Heart will stay cast in the glow of this guiding lantern in this future that is still yet unclear.

I stand on the other side of this glass. If I cannot reach out and touch, at least I hope I can see my family heal.

---

OOC: it is with a heavy heart that I leave my current freecompany, The Black Garden. They are full of many wonderful amazing people, and have a great story weaved of adventures as privateers. While I will miss them dearly, Saphyra's story requires something else. Please feel free to reach out; I am still available to my friends even if I dont carry the same FC tag anymore ♡

[kaynetsuki]

Entry 36: Drunk

Dear Kaiara,

Everything hurt, not right now but it did. I think I’m drunk.

A lot happened tonight. We fought Garleans. They were coming to attack with their horrible airships. A group of us boarded one of their vessels. We fought. It was hard. I got shot in the shoulder. Someone blew up a console. The blast was bad. We continued to the engines. We fought some more. I got on a turret. Someone tried to pull me off. They slashed my ankle. A blast ripped through the room we were in. It was bad. Arik and Jun went down, so did all the Garleans. Mafrea took Rosette, Yukiteru took Jun. I carried Arik. We got back to the medbay.

Our ship was bad. Crew I’ve never seen before where strewn everywhere, dead or dying. The med bay was full. Arik and Jun were seen to. I took Rosette from Mafrea. She didn’t want to let go. I promised her I’d put her next to him. He left. Katalin stopped me from going after him. Then Aster stopped breathing, Jun got worse, Maeze was blind but tried to help Jun. I was free to go after Mafrea. He had helped stabilize the engines. He came willingly. I kept my promise. Katalin healed me.

Aster died.

I went to the common room. I needed a drink, I’ve never needed a drink. Corsa’ir was at the bar and I’ve never been more thankful for that. A miqo’te was yelling about not wanting to be alliance cannon fodder. She said Garlean rule couldn’t be worse. I saw red. Corsa’ir told me no fighting. I don’t think I could even though I wanted to. Stupid girl. I will take tonight a thousand times over before living under Garlean rule again.

Never again.

Never again.

Kayne

[sleepy-mage]

Hanging out with some FC mats  ´͈ ᵕ `͈

@healeremeline @oroete

[drayners]

a colored version of the line busts I commissioned from kender! They have a beautiful style and I was so thrilled to be able to not only commission them but also to color the art they gave me! Thanks to him for letting me add onto these. From left to right we have Ishi, my clan’s monster hunter; Mafrea, an important merchant; and Odul, a friendly pirate! If ya like these, please check out the rest of kender’s art, they do lovely stuff <3

[thegreenrabbit]

Day 9: Yawn

The Great Beast looked down on the party. Black ichor dripped from it’s lips, it’s monstrous fangs reddened in blood from victims already consumed.

Kayne held his lance in a pose of feral defiance, a snarl twisting the Xaela’s face. Beside him, Arik was the polar opposite, with shield up and sword poised defensively, his expression calm and impassive as the Great Beast bore down with a wild attack. Arslang between them, some strange mixture of the two, but just as defiant.

Miss Nakamura leapt forward, her red dress so vibrant and bright, the boost of morale immediately invigorating even as she danced with relentless joy - joy, in the face of peril - joy enough to bring valor to the party.

Rosette of course was fighting with all her strength, her head tilted in a cocky gesture, resilient to the last. Ty, fellow viera, was muttering something hastily under his breath with a restless huff.

Jacqueline and Jun were back to back. A fairy swooping over them with Jac’s graceful guidance, and Jun let out an endless yell as the Great Beast tore into Arik’s shield, breaking the block, lightning sprouting over and over and over from the tip of his rapier.

Emeline took to her knees, hands clasped in prayer. An aura of energy washed over the front line, as she prayed for them to hold fast against the destruction they face. Mafrea was behind her, as a pillar, his green eyes simply steeled.

As Arik was forced aside and Kayne took to the sky, Rosette and him now on the Great Beast’s back trying to force it back, trying to distract it, trying to kill it before it could bare down on Booshie with all its claws and teeth and menace and evil, Gawain leapt forward.

The cloak of fire burned around him in a whirl of heat. It was at his control, at his whim, that it did coalesce around his hands in their own great claws. With a slash and a burst of flame, he pushed the Great Beast away from Booshie who gasped in surprise. He looked over his shoulder with a wink, as he moved to make the final blow and save everyone --

But there was a sound, and interruption. “Got-dangit-stupid-mother-fucking-junk,” A miqo’te with peppered hair and a shotgun stood with a mild disappointment as the trigger would not fire a single round. “Welp, there goes that plan,” Geth Stormwind sighed and turned away from the fight, tossing the lame shotgun over his shoulder. It arced beautifully - over Mafrea, over Emeline, over Booshie -- over Gawain, and landed in the mouth of the Great Beast. With a “Mrr?” the Great Beast all at once exploded into visceral and blood, as Geth took away Gawain’s winning strike by sheer dumb --

Gawain startled, his eyes snapping open. He looked around in confusion, a yawn escaping him. He had fallen asleep in the carbuncle chair in the library. He blinked the tears from his eyes a few times, the dream already fading away as dreams were wont to do, confused as to why he felt a bitter sting to one certain peppered miqo’te.

[katalinhunter]

Toil

The tournament wasn't a complete disaster. She'd managed to keep her control during most of it, not go for any kill shots, got off a few quips even if one or two were duds, found some enjoyment in it. 'course she lost her one and only fight, but it was close. The fact that her opponent went on to win the whole thing was satisfying.

She grinned a bit, thinking to the event that led up to it, throwing out a challenge to all of the others. Of course she ended up with a veteran fighter there and of course there had been a bet, raising the stakes and making it more personal. It all added to the fun though, to making a splash. And of course, when her opponent's patron challenged her to raise the stakes at the start of the fight, she had. A fair bet's a terrible thing to resist, she really didn’t have the option to not take it.

All of that was why was sitting in the common room, right leg propped up, still healing from where it had been broken, twisted, broken a bit more. It was more or less healed, everything straightened. Could take most of her weight even if it itched incessantly from the rapid healing that was still going on. She hadn't even bothered bringing a weapon to the mission briefing, knew that she wouldn't be out there in the fighting. Instead, she would be back with the medics, providing support. Easy enough work. ---------- It had been a long day. The ship had been shot, had been boarded. They'd survived and had fought the boarders off but still. She'd been on the edge of that fight, taking strikes of opportunity while serving in a variety of capacities. Recovering a fallen crewmember, putting out a fire (thank the Twelve for Locke's help there, that bastard), pulling bodies from the wreckage and flames of engineering, treating them in the field then hauling them to medbay. Constantly finding another reason to go up or down stairways, supporting some, being supported by others, finally dragging a patient up for treatment.

She was limping at that point, drawn and tired. Triage, kicking out those who were now stable so that their beds could be reused for the next surge of patients. The smell of burned flesh as she saved an engineer who just might not appreciate it. Arik again, he was constantly in the front and taking the brunt of the attacks for others. She had been grateful before, for his appearance at the tournament, watching and supporting her. The one regret she had there was that she hadn't made a better showing in the fighting aspect. She enjoyed his company, wanted his approval.

Jun after that, bleeding heavily from his neck. She did her best to stop the flow, was happy to step aside and let one of the magical healers get to work. Sad to see that it was Emeline who stepped in to take care of him. Let it be, move on to the next. Anhashy working around her and Emeline, doing his best to help. Kayne, stubborn and resistant and proud and determined, wanting to go out there and retrieve Maf. She balked him the first time, wanted to treat his injuries, but things happened and he had slipped away. She had at least thrust a potion towards him on his way out, something to help his injuries until he returned.

Then Aster dying. He had been fine the last she had seen him, then suddenly not. She wasn't clear what had exactly had happened, just knew that he was lost, that Emeline had struggled to revive him. Katalin had felt the pull of the conjurer's spell, draining what energy she still had. Maeze then, she had been injured as well, blinded by something but still trying to help, shuffling her way to Jun, something about his aether.

There were others she knew, injured and in need. Rosette, Yuki, maybe another? Everything was blurred as Kayne returned, dragging Mafrea along with him. Anhashy took the thaumaturge, saw to his healing, leaving Kayne for her care. She stopped then, turned to the medicines and mixed a bit of something. Take a stimulant, add something to numb the pain, then do her best to finish.

She turned, refreshed, and resumed working on Kayne. Two bullets pulled out from the same shoulder, cleaned and sewn. Minor treatments for the burns, quick dressing on his ankle. Send him off... did he go to Rosette then? Probably, seemed like what he would do.

Everything was stable for a moment, almost quiet with the sound of Emeline working with Maf. Katalin had offered to take care of Aster, prepare him for whatever services were needed. She couldn't quite tell if Emeline wanted to take care of it herself, needed to because of their relationship before, or if was something that the conjurer would happily give over. Mafrea spoke up then, stating that he knew certain rituals.

She happily let them take responsibility at that point, made her excuses and bolted.

She needed a drink.

@healeremeline, @kayneblackfire, @oroete, @rosettevaleria, @asterchant, Arik, Locke, Maeze

[junakagane]

Jun’s Journal - Week I

Emeline gave this to me, as part of my recovery process. Simply reading is not inherently productive; I must put out my thoughts on paper, and form a hypothesis on them. So, in accordance with standard procedure, I will do just that. To those who read this, please ensure you are familiar with the latest version of Tahl Formatting.

THEOREM: Assuming evil acts are performed throughout one’s lifetime, would a lifetime of good servitude be enough to balance the moral scales?

HYPOTHESIS 1: No: the damage committed by a true atrocity are irreversible. Those who commit them will never find true happiness, knowing they must live with themselves for the rest of their lives.

HYPOTHESIS 2: Yes, and no. Hypothesis 1 remains true, but is assumed under the condition that he who has committed said evil act can do nothing to better anything. Hypothesis 2 assumes the scope of the hypothesis outside the initial impact of the atrocity, and assumes that good can be done elsewhere.

So then, which of these two hypotheses is correct? My answer, a month ago, would have been the first. My answer now is the second. Hypothesis 2 assumes that one need not spread further evil after committing a single atrocity. Instead, one may spend their life bringing good elsewhere. This does not mean they need be forgiven, but it does show intention. 

This past week has shown me much to support this theory. Emeline and I, after encountering the puppet my father sent, have been talking... and at Balor’s Valentione’s Day party, we slowly came out to the crew. There was no teasing, no jabbing: just acceptance. I wondered, at first, why this was their reaction. 

Later, during two consecutive missions, I obtained the injuries I have now. I am to be confined to bed for at least a few days, likely a week. However, much of my (excellent) care has come from Emeline. And I realized, with the relationship we have now, and the ways we treat each other, that none of this is a subconscious act. I worried, for a while, that I had simply been running; using charisma to falsify someone’s feelings for me. But now...

I do not know if I could be happier. I am sure there are parts of my life I could improve... parts of my family. But I have no desire to get into that issue right now. Mafrea, having talked with me a few days ago, even gave me express permission to... well, it’s too early for that, though Emeline seemed pleased by the idea. He and I talked of other topics, like her scrape with the void demon, and the horrifying scene she bore witness to. But all I could do was offer help where I can, and to convey feelings I felt they could not. 

What is this leading to? I do not know. I feel neither hypothesis is fully correct. Hypothesis 2 leads one to believe that atrocities should simply be ignored by the committer if they intend to do good. But I do not want to forget... I feel I should remember it, every day for as long as I live. At least, until the day I see him again.

Until then, I will stay here, on the Rocinante. I’ll stay with the crew, with all of their wonderful, colorful characters, and... with Emeline. I’ll stay with Emeline, I think, for a long, long time. 

@healeremeline @oroete @blackgarden-fc

[ashebraum]

23rd Sun of 6th Umbral Moon

A few decided to have a little fire off of Coast del Sol, so I opted to join them, get some fresh air. When I arrived, Catherina and C’reiyah were already there enjoying themselves. We were later joined by Jun and Mafrea. With a good few of us here was decided to play a little game, giving one false and one true fact about ourselves. If people guessed the false one, you’d get a point, if you guess wrong you’d lose a point. And if it was your statement you’d get a point for whoever you fooled. In addition to the one with the most points would get to do something to the one with the least points. Personally I said I was either to be married to a noble of Ishgard or was to be part of the clergy. Thankfully I managed to persuade my parents out making me join the clergy. In the end after all the stories were told, Catherina had the most points, and Jun had the lowest. I was near the bottom, but poor sweet Jun was the (lucky) person in this case. I chose to retire after the round, that injury from the gigas still bugging me, so I never found out what Catherina thought of to ask (poor) Jun.

[rosettevaleria]

The Quiet Hour

She didn’t move as she woke gradually, the weight of the blankets and the comforting presence beside her kept her from instantly waking as she normally did. Rose didn’t want to open her eyes as it would have disturbed the peace that cloaked her...but time waited for no one and she had a task to fulfill.

Slowly, her eyes opened to look at the Thaumaturge that slept on and she kept her breathing controlled. Both of them were fully dressed in comfortable clothes; Mafrea had clearly humored her need to not be alone tonight and let her sleep on when she had nodded off whilst they spoke. She knew he had been too tired to probably move from the bed either -- and it wasn’t the first time they had slept so close. Still, he was normally the first to wake and slip away at times like these. The fact that Rose was the first to wake? Clearly a testament of his need for rest.

Carefully, using every stealth tactic and maneuver she knew, she slipped out of bed. She kept her breathing even and slow, gathering her boots, hat, and her over tunic before slipped away from the small living area. She had to carefully move around the massive bookshelves and piles of books, some organized and stacked neatly while others had clearly toppled over from being discarded to the side when not needed. By the Twelve, she swore that his apartment was a like a damned tinder box.

Rose managed to slip out of the apartment, then descended down to the silent lobby of the Top Mast. The sun was just beginning to rise and no one was about, allowing her to focus on the aetheryte near the Observatory in the Beds, her intent to access the private collection of research books within the Vault.

She had work to do.

[healeremeline]

Found a new place to hide from Rosette (jk)

[aetherwatchsociety]

“Supply Run” that was really an ambush...shocking!

Picture credits: @healeremeline, @rosettevaleria

Pictured: @iname21, @oroete, @healeremeline, @rosettevaleria, @saphyra-tsuki, @junakagane, Booshie

[aurora-tsuki]

{A Journal Entry, Scribbled}

A lot has changed.

I am Aurora now. It is a name that means I will look to the horizon. A name that means Saphyra, Hikari, Sute were all part of me. Like the aurora holds many colours - blues, greens, yellows - Aurora holds all pieces of me, shards of myself. 

Rosette put it into perspective for me; to stay with an old name would hold me back. But I could not keep Saphyra, like she said. Because I am more than Saphyra, more than that ghost of myself. But I will keep the sapphire shard in my name. As will I keep a rose coloured shard in my name, as I carry forward. Fern green for Emeline, emerald for Cath, carmine for Mafrea. Red, red, red for Kayne. And the sparkles of white for Arik.

The horizon it rests on, the one I stand on looking forward is Wyss. And Jac is the far away ocean I know is out there. And Mochi the sky that the aurora shimmers in...

My friends and family are pieces of me and destinations I seek.

Even with all the heartache and struggle we go through, I shall carry them with me for strength. Until I can find the whole piece of myself.

My memories are still confusing and overlapping. Sometimes I forget when I am. It’s easier when I am not alone. When I have my friends at my side. 

[kaynetsuki]

Chronicler's Report

22nd Sun, Second Umbral Moon

The Rocinante was called to action against a contingent of Garlean vessels aiming to reinforce Castrium Marinium. We answered the call joining Limsan and Ishguardian ships to engage the Galreans. A'kata manned the helm and all crew prepared for the assault. Catherina manned the shield generator and placed Ashe in charge of a team to repel boarders and Emeline in charge of her healers. Other crew members manned the guns and the attack began. A separate team lead by Mafrea prepared to board an enemy vessel. The boarding party fought their way into the Garlean engine room where Mafrea and Yukiteru began an assault on the engines while the rest of the team covered their attack. Meanwhile on the Rocinante Ashe and her team held off a Garlean boarding party and then were tasked with other damage control activities such as aiding the healers and putting out fires. The team on the guns succeeded in sinking two Garlean frigates. One shot hit the engine room of the vessel the boarding party was on effectively taking down the vessel and causing heavy damage to the boarding party. The party assisted each other to Garlean escape craft and jettisoned from the vessel. The Rocinante sustained moderate damage and is now in dry docks awaiting repair.

During the battle Aster passed. He fought borders and took a few hard hits then worked to put out fires. The combined strain of these activities proved to be too much and attempts to resuscitate him were not successful.

@blackgarden-fc