[hider=Self Reflections and Hazy Memories]
[color=#cbc66d][u][b]Roslyn[/b][/u] [/color]
Time: Shortly after the Revolution
Location: Student Dorms. 

Thump, thump... 

Roslyn stepped up to her dorm house's door. Her hand took out her iron from her dress pocket and inserted it into the lock, giving it a soft twist. The door opened with a click. Rustic hinges gave a soft squeak as it the door came open. Roslyn gestured her hand outward, sending her bauble of light ahead. The pale, warm glow illuminated shadows before melting into the faint orange cast by the dying fire. 

[color=#cbc66d] "Uh, I didn't expect someone to still be up this early."[/color] She mumbled to herself and closed the door. Her eyes scanned the room until she found the reason why. 

Sharen, her roommate. The mousy, young black haired girl laid balled on the rug nearest the fireplace. A long, drawn out sigh escaped Roslyn's lips. She stepped closer and leaned down to check the girl. She noticed the tale-tell signs of red smears on her cheek, but there was no trace of a wound. Likely healed over by magic, the brunette thought. 

[color=#cbc66d] "Well, at least you didn't get killed. That's something I can thank the Gods for."[/color] Roslyn use the sound of her own voice to keep her awake and continued to talk to herself. She noticed the flaking logs crumbling into ashes and the fireplace growing cold. Taking hold of the nearby spade, she snuffed out the remaining embers. 

[color=#cbc66d] "There, fire is out."[/color] She turned away and began to head upstairs. 

With each step, exhaustion needled at her and tried to drag her down. Just a little farther, she thought. Her bauble began to flicker and dimmed causing her to side eye it. Roslyn drew from the sounds of her steps causing her bauble to brighten once more. Upon reaching the landing, she proceeded into her room. Once the door tapped shut, she tossed her things to the nearest corner and flopped onto the bed. The bauble died instantly and sleep greedily swallowing her. 

[center]******[/center]

"Roslyn, are you in there?" 

[color=#cbc66d] "Yes, I am. I just woke up."[/color] Roslyn pushed herself upright, sitting up in bed. She hadn't bothered to undress since last night.  Her hand rubbed against her eyes to clear the grit. 

"Good. The letter you gave me should be on your side table. I'm starting on breakfast." 

[color=#cbc66d] "Okay,"[/color] Roslyn said as she reached for the letter and held it in her hands. Inside the folds was a will and apology all in one. A grim reminder of yesterday's risk. 

The events fired slowly by in order. First she fought alongside Rikard, Johann, and Niallus to enter the Violet Enclave. There also was a green Cazenax that joined. Getting through the first wave was hard. When her call for help went unanswered, one of their group made a 'tactical' retreat. It revived the enemies' morale. Thankfully, it seemed someone was paying attention and boosted their strength. The tables started to turn before the doom golem exploded. She had just spotted Rikard get scalded before the flames cut off her escape. Her eyes shifted down to the letter as she thought she was going to die then. She recalled her skin tingled then the pain began to dull, someone smothered the fire until she got back up on her feet. Whoever it was, Roslyn was grateful for it. 

They made it into the Nashorn. The gauntlet proved challenging and confusing as they worked their way through each intersection. She lost a few things along the way and couldn't use binding for a while. Xiuyang seemed be the same level of frustration she was in Vossoriya. Though likely for different reasons. Especially when the woman materializing from shadows and then later with the two Zenos, Domi Durdovin and Van de Waal. Waal sent his goose to finish them off after taking Niallus' offering.  

Recalling the Zeno's words about her compass, Roslyn grabbed her bag from the corner. Flopping back onto the bed, she took it out to examine. Everything seemed to be in order now causing her to frown. She didn't understand what happened, but whatever it was... it was gone now. Stuffing it back into her bag, things seemed to become weirder from that point on. After stopping a demon, disguised as Xiuyang's shadow, from strangling her they were sucked into some part of the void. At least, that was her guess. It had the same feeling as when the black orb slammed down on her during Mano e Mano. 

It took some time to navigate out and they nearly lost Xiuyang, who was the last to hatch. They had transported into some realm of gods. Not any that she was familiar with as they found others. An old woman, the Old Mother, beckoned her and eight others toward her. They rose into the sky before landing in an alpine meadow overlooking a small, beautiful pond. Surrounding the place was a ring of spruce trees. The members began to split as Roslyn headed to the butterfly stirred by Nibbler, She was joined shortly by Penny. Both girls waiting patiently for the insect to draw near for what seemed like hours. Finally one landed on the top of Penny's crutches then another on Roslyn's shoulder, their number growing. Roslyn remembered being left in amazement by the sight of it all. In small little groups, their heads turned and wings beat in a pattern. It was a riddle. Working together, the girls managed to solve it: 

Five steps back, you get the magic. 

The two didn't waste time trying it out. The butterflies then congratulated them, landing upon their bodies before disappearing. It made Roslyn a bit sad to say goodbye so soon. Penny mentioned she was glowing causing her to notice it too. The scene ended as they slowly began to slip into slumber. Roslyn woke in a tangle with Xiuyang exactly where they left off. After that, she was given a choice to keep or give up her memories. She chose to keep them and returned to her dorm to sleep the nightmares off.  

Her fingers traced the name of her family on the letter. How would her family had felt knowing the danger she put herself in? 

Roslyn's head bumped back against the wall behind her. Things were so much easier when she was eight years old. It was before her mother died, her brother grew sick, and her life became a mess. She leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to recall her years in the meadows. Usually with old memories there was a blurry recollection that let her mind fill in the blank. Not this time. She couldn't even see the meadow in her mind's eye. Just a darkness settled in her mind.  

The girl frowned and tried harder. 

[i]"Roslyn-"[/i] A distorted voice drifted in and out, beckoning to her. 

Roslyn didn't recognize the voice as she pushed her head to remember more details. Abruptly, a sharp pain nailed into her forehead. Her breath hitched in her throat and her stomach twisted with a dread. She continued to try and push past the suffering, seeking the missing memories. Something wasn't right. 

Ba-bump... ba-bump. 

Her heart echoed loud in her ears that it drowned out everything else. It felt like her brain was going to erupt from her skull. She didn't understand why trying to remember hurt so much. It shouldn't be this way. Roslyn felt the needling pain spread from the left side of her head toward the right. Like something was trying to stop her recollection. 

[i]"Sholi..."[/i] The word broke past the fogginess loud and clear. A blurred out woman, about a foot shorter than her, vanished then reappeared yards from her. A cold, clammy sensation chilled Roslyn's skin as her hand sought for the bucket near her bed. Roslyn couldn't stop now. Gripping the edge, she lifted the bucket up before... 

Another voice, this time in Avinican, spoke before fading away. [i]"I'm sorry, Roslyn. We have to do this. It will keep us all safe." [/i] 

Her head became swallowed by the relentless, rhythmic pounding. The burning surged behind her eyes causing them to water. That sickening sensation within her middle finally rushed to her throat. Stomach acid splattered into the bucket's bottom. As she struggled to catch her breath, another wave came up. Finally, her stomach was empty. Her headache started to wane when she stopped trying to remember. Roslyn leaned back again and used the back of her hand to clean her mouth. 

[color=#cbc66d][i]W-what the fuck happened?[/i][/color] Wrinkling her nose, she lowered the bucket onto the floor. The liquid sloshed causing her stomach to tense again. Roslyn took several deep breathes before her middle settled again. She'll need to dump that later as she topped it with a wooden cover, hiding the evidence from sight. 

One more thing to add to her ever growing list. Roslyn smacked the back of her head lightly against the wall. Trypano and her removal from the THESIS program still lingered at the top of her most stressful things to do. She didn't look forward to visiting her family. She had no doubts that Garith had gotten worse since last year, but she didn't know how bad. Was he still using a cane or was he bed bound now? It was hard to tell since she was too frighten to face the reality and watch him deteriorate. 

[color=#cbc66d] "I'm a horrible sister... "[/color] She grumbled out loud to herself as she sat there.

She didn't know how much time passed when she decided she had enough self-loathing, her mind drifting to the woman. She felt so familiar. Roslyn wondered if she could repeat what she saw. First she needed to find somewhere with more space. Having something to distract her helped ease her mood. 

Quickly, Roslyn rushed about to clean up, change her clothes and tidied her hair. Before exiting, she paused when she spotted Esmii's salve. A faint theory formed in her head. She grabbed it alongside the compass then headed out. 
[hr]
TLDR Highlights: 

Roslyn comes back to her dorm and heads up to her room to sleep. When she wakes the next day, she reflects on yesterday and her role in it all. While trying to recall simpler times, she discovers one memory is abnormally hard to recall. In her attempts, she suffers a headache painful enough she gets sick and is forced to stop. She tacks it onto her ever growing list before heading out, hoping to attempt to replicate something from that memory.  

[/hider]