MAEA
Carry me through this world alive
I feel no more, this suffering
I feel no more, this suffering
The thing was... she cared far too much about people. It had always been the reason why they hurt her so much. You didn't give people the power to destroy you unless you loved them, and far too often she had handed her trust and affection to the wrong people. If Maea had been able to set aside her genuine affection for Phoebe, maybe she wouldn't feel so awful about what happened with Sunjata. If she didn't care about him and his feelings, it would have been so much easier to pin the blame of it on him and be rid of the guilt, the same... But she did care. And Maea couldn't bring herself to feel anything but sympathy for this broken woman as she heard the reply, the lackluster tone, the implication that life was not the wonderful gift it should be at the moment.
Relating to that sentiment was only too easy.
"I know," she said quietly, hoping it came out as soothing as she wanted it to. "If you could stand some advice, I think you could use a break. Get away for a while. Take a friend and leave for the Greatwood, just... think of nothing but what's right in front of your eyes. It helps me sometimes." And other times nothing helped, and she could only guess at what this person needed right now.
As for what she wanted for the farm... Maea sighed, slumped down in the chair and rested her chin in the palm of a hand. "I honestly don't know," she admitted. "I haven't found another place to settle down in yet, so at the moment I don't need much. Some new clothes, tools for the trade... I traded what was left from the brewery to the VlamVloed for board, so at least there's that, but... Honestly, I don't know where I'm going yet. It's hard to know what to ask for when I've no clue what I will need."
Admitting this made her break the first rule of trade. Always know your asking price. But this was such a big change for her, and she trusted Phoebe enough not to take advantage of the information. "What could be offered?" she inquired instead, slipping the ball back to the other woman to see if she had any ideas.
In the end, this would benefit all of the Grounds. Phoebe could afford to be as generous as she wished. Or not at all.
Relating to that sentiment was only too easy.
"I know," she said quietly, hoping it came out as soothing as she wanted it to. "If you could stand some advice, I think you could use a break. Get away for a while. Take a friend and leave for the Greatwood, just... think of nothing but what's right in front of your eyes. It helps me sometimes." And other times nothing helped, and she could only guess at what this person needed right now.
As for what she wanted for the farm... Maea sighed, slumped down in the chair and rested her chin in the palm of a hand. "I honestly don't know," she admitted. "I haven't found another place to settle down in yet, so at the moment I don't need much. Some new clothes, tools for the trade... I traded what was left from the brewery to the VlamVloed for board, so at least there's that, but... Honestly, I don't know where I'm going yet. It's hard to know what to ask for when I've no clue what I will need."
Admitting this made her break the first rule of trade. Always know your asking price. But this was such a big change for her, and she trusted Phoebe enough not to take advantage of the information. "What could be offered?" she inquired instead, slipping the ball back to the other woman to see if she had any ideas.
In the end, this would benefit all of the Grounds. Phoebe could afford to be as generous as she wished. Or not at all.
Bury me in this cold light
I feed the wolf, and shed my skin
I feed the wolf, and shed my skin
