much to discuss

JUNIPER

you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do

A boxing ring was not exactly where Juniper had expected to meet Torchline's Governor, but when she found herself surprised by the setting, she reminded herself of the need to keep an open mind. Other peoples had their own customs -- and the apparent informality of the setting rather matched the little she knew about Torchline and its residents. They didn't seem to stand on ceremony much, preferring a more relaxed attitude.

"Hello?" she called, looking around the building. She didn't see anyone whose appearance screamed "governor." "Governor Wrenzaok?"

Gods, she hoped she was pronouncing his last name right. Just because Torchline seemed relaxed didn't mean she could be rude.

if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.

table by Skylark

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

He likely could have used the old Governor’s house for this, but given his own personal experience with the Fae the Slagveld seemed as good a place as any. A bit less professional, but a bit more personal — perhaps a bit of a show that he’s a fighter and it would take a lot to take him down. He had been struck by lightning, after all. But it has its bonus as well, the ability to peer at the Fae that comes to visit, to hear her voice and recall the one that attacked Nate, to see if perhaps there were coincidences.

But the voice he hears is not familiar, nor is the height of the Fae that calls out for him. He appears out of the back, approaching her without much fanfare. He doesn’t particularly look the governor type, not yet anyway, with a sleeveless shirt on, scars criss crossing his body, silvery ascended bite marks almost like a ring around his neck, tattoos of stars and waves that run from feather tattooed shoulders down to his wrist that shift and flicker with the stars.

“Ambassador Dubois.” He greets her, approaching and offering a hand toward the seating area off to the side, a place more private where they’d be able to talk. “Thank you for meeting me here.” He takes a seat across from the chair he’s gestured for her to sit in. “I suppose I’d like to start on where you think the Fae sit with Torchline.” His head tilts, steel gaze lingering on her.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

JUNIPER

you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do

Those bite marks drew Juniper's eyes at once, and it took her a moment to figure out what they were, a moment in which she couldn't help staring as she wished, rather acutely, that she knew more about the governor. She tore her eyes away, mind racing. One bite mark might have been an attack; so many indicated consent ... didn't they?

No use speculating. She forced herself to smile, hoping her reaction hadn't been too obvious -- though she suspected it had -- and took her seat. "Thank you for meeting me, as well, Governor. I am unaware of any existing relationship between my people and those of Torchline, at least officially."

if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.

table by Skylark

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

She stares but he thinks nothing of it. Why should he? He doesn’t find her as a threat, imagines that it would be quite the terrible look should she try and pull something here. So she can look all she likes, Sunjata finding no qualms. Sitting makes it easier though, less of a height difference between them all, his gaze focused on her as she answers his question and he can’t help the way that his lips curl a small amount in agreement.

“There isn’t really one.” He agrees quietly, before he leans forward toward her, elbows braced on his knees, hands clasping together. “I guess I’ll start then, and you can figure out what kind of relationship you want with us.” A toothy smile is given her way, a brief pause before he sits up a bit more straight. “I’m married to an Ascended.” A brief pause, hand with his ring on it glinting in the light that filters into the Slagveld. “Last year before LongNight, he was attacked by a Fae with a weapon edged in fire here in Torchline. I spent months combing the streets for his attacker, only to find out someone had dropped off boxes of Ascended parts all around. I only found out it was the Fae from Safrin herself.” Here he pauses, giving her time to understand why he wished to find out what the Fae thought between themselves and Torchline when an attack had landed on his people (specifically his person) on Torchline’s soil.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

JUNIPER

you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do

"Ah." Well, the married to an Ascended part clarified the bite marks. Juniper tried not to speculate, though she couldn't help a vague wondering -- she didn't know that much about the Ascended's abilities or needs, only that they sometimes fed on blood ... Well, that was none of her business. "We do have much to discuss."

She took a deep breath. "I hope your husband is all right. While we do seek justice against the Ascended who have attacked us in the past, we don't support random attacks on the innocent."

Juniper paused, letting her words hang for a moment -- because she had no idea whether Sunjata's husband was innocent, or if he was among the Ascended who'd attacked them. If so, well, that was going to be a big problem.

"Likewise, the dismemberment occurred without our leader's knowledge -- the actions of an individual Fae, not of our people as a whole. And that individual -- both these individuals -- should be held accountable ... along with the Ascended who murdered our people and our goddess."

Juniper hoped she'd navigated that last statement correctly. She didn't want to make finding and punishing the Fae attackers contingent on punishing the Ascended, exactly, but she definitely considered them linked -- and if Sunjata would not help her with the latter, her efforts towards the former would be, say, lukewarm.

if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.

table by Skylark

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

As Juniper speaks, Sunjata finds himself pleasantly surprised. His conversation with Alina had gone poorly, so much sneering and what not at the mention the Flood was with an Ascended. Juniper truly seemed fit for the title she bore, no visible judgements on her face and simply stark honesty that is something Sunjata inherently appreciates given the circumstances.

He doesn’t interrupt her, only to add in a few tidbits of information here and there. “He is fine now.” He comments to her hope that he’s okay. And as for the attack on Greatwood soil? Sunjata had only heard about that roundabout, hadn’t witnessed any of it, didn’t know who all was involved, but he knows who wasn’t. “Then I suppose we are agreed on that front.” Because he was the Arbiter after all, before becoming the Governor. He wanted to enact justice on the Fae that had harmed Nate. He understands where the Fae would come from when it comes to wishing the same on those that had harmed them.

But again, he doesn’t know. So he sits back, flashing an easier smile Juniper’s way, nodding before he speaks. “Do you happen to have any leads on who was involved in the Greatwood incident?” A quiet pause. “I do know that my husband Ascended a while after the attack occurred in the Greatwood.” Despite everything else, Sunjata knows for a fact Nate hadn’t been involved in that.

“But I am one that prefers to find out who was involved directly and enact justice to the individuals rather than blaming an entire race, as you’ve put it.” Another pause, head tilting slightly before he sits up a bit again. “The Fae are welcome in Torchline so long as no attacks occur. If there are, then we can come to agreement on a trial we both can work together with to enact justice. Likewise, I can try to find out who was involved with the Greatwood and do the same. Though I do have to ask that if you find who attacked him and dismembered that other Ascended that the Fae would do the same to whomever did it.” Did that seem fair? It seems fair to him.

He knows Nate isn’t involved, and while he has promised to help the Ascended, justice was justice in the end. So long as it was a fair trial and not a hunt, Sunjata sees nothing wrong with it.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

JUNIPER

you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do

It was a relief to hear that Sunjata's husband hadn't been involved in the attack on the Mathair -- Juniper doubted she had the persuasive skills to convince the governor to put his own husband on trial. "I know that Wessex led the attack. I believe there are one or two others involved who still live, the others having perished in the interim. I don't have their names or descriptions at the moment, but I do intend to gather them from the Fae who were present that day."

Juniper nodded as Sunjata spoke, glad to hear that their ideals aligned -- at least, if he was sincere, and she had no reason to think he wasn't. "I agree: blame should be placed on individuals on their own actions, not on those who simply happen to share blood -- or Ascended fluid -- with them. If you will help me bring the Ascended to trial, I will investigate the attacks committed by Fae and try to bring their culprits to justice as well."

That ... was what he meant by "do the same," right? His wording left Juniper with the thought that he might be asking her to return the violence -- to dismember the individual who'd done so to an Ascended -- and that ... wasn't something she was too keen on.

if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.

table by Skylark

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

His gaze narrows on her as she mentions Wessex, a part of him apprehensive toward that, but he remains silent and only nodding quietly until she’s finished with the first part of the conversation – his mind dancing between all the options that are laid out. “She’s queen of the Grounds again. It will be difficult.” His lip quirks a bit, fingers tapping on the arm of the chair. “The others, though, if they aren’t in Torchline they’re not under me. All I could do is help with the trial in that instance.” Shoulders rise and fall, a deep inhale and exhale of breath, an apologetic smile on his face toward her.

But they’re in agreement on the latter part, at least. “I’ll do what I can.” He murmurs by means of helping bring the Ascended that harmed the Mathair to some form of justice. Otherwise, there isn’t much else Sunjata can do. If it upholds the promise that none of the Fae would harm the Ascended living in Torchline – most importantly his husband – then it’s the least that he can do.

“Is there anything else?” He rumbles, head tilting slightly as he focuses on her again.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

JUNIPER

you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do

"It will," Juniper acknowledged. Bringing Wessex to justice would have been far easier if she had been a private citizen -- with the resources of the Grounds behind her ... "I know you can't apprehend the citizens -- much less the leader -- of other lands, but I had some hope that you might help me pressure Wessex into submitting to trial. On a diplomatic level, I mean. Previously she stepped down when Delah banned the Grounders from the Greatwood; I don't expect you to do anything as severe as banning Grounders from Torchline, but inconveniencing her people might convince the Queen to listen when she otherwise would dismiss the idea out of hand."

She had no idea that Sunjata was personally acquainted with Wessex, though really, the fact that he had married an Ascended should have clued her in. It didn't really matter, though -- she would have asked even if she'd known.

"Thank you. If you have a description of the Fae who attacked your husband, I can look for them." It should be relatively easy to find a criminal Fae, Juniper imagined; since they couldn't lie, all she had to do was ask her suspects. She wouldn't move too far ahead on that until the Ascended's trial started coming along -- for one thing, she didn't want to risk angering her own people when she'd need their support -- but she could put some feelers out.

At Sunjata's question, she frowned, rubbing her chin. If she were a well-trained diplomat, she'd probably have all sorts of questions and suggestions about trade or international law or whatever ... but she was just Juniper, and she didn't really have any other concerns at the moment. "I think that's all. Thank you for hearing me out."

if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.

table by Skylark

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

There’s a nod that accompanies the way Juniper explains that she understands he can’t do much out of his jurisdiction. He understands, too, to the degree of wanting something collectively done about it. “I do remember that, come to think of it.” He murmurs – though he had been very hungover, had recently lost his ex-girlfriend for the second time in his life, perhaps one of the cruelest tricks Caido had to pull on him yet. “I know Wessex. It will be difficult, but she might be willing to hear us out for the trial and go from there.” Of course, he doesn’t know whether the Wraith would be willing or not, but it’s the only option they have right now.

At least, if only to try and cease this Ascended Greatwood war.

“I’ll do some scouring, see if Nate can recall anything else and get back to you.” He murmurs with a bit more thought put into it, before he moves to stand as she confirms that was all she came for. They were in agreement, and he would try. But first he needed to get Torchline in order, in a place where he might be able to accurately continue his job rather than from the boxing ring like now. And so with that and a charming grin, a dip of his head toward Juniper, he guides her toward the entrance once more. “You’re welcome. And thank you for hearing my side as well.” Because if this held true, he wouldn’t need to worry of the Fae moving onto attacking Nate or any other Ascended that lived within the confines of Torchline.

That’s just one more weight lifted off of his shoulders, however tenuous the idea seemed.

FIN <3 (ty for the thread :D)

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell