fragile creatures on collision with our judgement days
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
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#15
WESSEX
after all is said and done
you're just a carnivore
let you in and drink my blood
you're nothing but a monster


Laughing a bit, the Wraith finds herself thoroughly amused at what the diplomat doesn’t know. “I have,” she replies easily. “To multiple people. Just because you don’t know about it doesn’t mean I haven’t done it.” Raising a brow in an expression that is thoroughly meant to be a challenge, the Queen continues. “In fact, I’d say that your track record in shows you know very little about me.”

What’s the phrase, keep your friends close and your enemies closer? While Wessex’s information may be a bit outdated, it’s becoming clear to her who might have the upper hand in that regard. Settling back in her chair again, the blonde woman finds herself actually enjoying this banter, perverse as it might be. It’s an opportunity to win, and winning has been in such short supply recently.

“Take it as you will. Here's how I see it:Anyone at any time could have said anything. No one did. Long lifespan or no, there’s a time and place to say that something is either too much and not enough and where do we draw the line? How many other problems do we as a world open ourselves up to if we say, Yes, you can punish people twice, and Yes, you can wait two years to air a grievance. Everyone with a grudge would want to do it.” Pausing briefly to collect her thoughts, the Wraith continues. “You want to create something out of thin air, an interregional trial, but refuse to accept other ideas, oh let’s call mine a time limit, that are also being pulled out of thin air. You want cooperation, but on your terms.” Her head tilts to one side, considering that vein of thought, and whether to continue it.

“And then there’s the issue of the attack on an Ascended in Torchline, the Ascended parts in boxes… both presumably done by the Fae. You want to heal this wound, yet speak nothing of vengeance already taken. Or the anti-Ascended forces massing in the Greatwood.”
Juniper Dubois
the Amberwing
Diplomat

Age: 57 | Height: 4'8 | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
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#16
JUNIPER
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Presumably Juniper was meant to be intimidated by the laugh, by Wessex's note of condescension. She wasn't, though, simply stating, "You're right. I don't know very much about you. I'm here to learn."

Juniper raised her eyebrows as Wessex continued. "Where do we draw the line? That is, I suppose, a matter of debate, but there is a line to be drawn -- a distinction to be made between any grudge, any time and punishing multiple murders and deicide after two years. Queen Wessex, I am willing to consider other ideas, but not those that completely shut down my people's desire for closure for reasons you admit are 'pulled out of thin air.' That is not cooperation. But if you are interested in cooperation, then tell me: What alternative, what compromise, would you offer?"

Taking a breath, Juniper realized that this was a good moment to transition to address Wessex's next statement. "I would not describe my concept of a trial as 'pulled out of thin air,' either. It was conceived as an alternative to needless bloodshed and revenge -- and the attacks on Ascended are part of what I'm trying to prevent, by slaking my people's thirst for justice. I don't condone attacks on the Ascended any more than I do the Ascended's attacks on the Fae, and I am committed to investigating those attacks. If I -- or anyone else -- discovers the culprit, they too will be held accountable."

As for the anti-Ascended forces massing in the Greatwood, Juniper said nothing. She would address that question if Wessex pushed the matter, but she didn't intend to volunteer information on that front.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.



table by Skylark
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
Played by: Astor Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,156 | Total: 4,350
MP: 0
#17
WESSEX
after all is said and done
you're just a carnivore
let you in and drink my blood
you're nothing but a monster


“How do the Fae deal with such things? Within the tribes, I mean?” Adjusting herself in her seat, Juniper will find that it’s not just a question - a question she actually wants the answer to - but a launching point. “See, Grounders don’t have a history of this trial thing. We barely had a leader for the last three hundred years. Crimes were committed, of course, but we always just… dealt with them. Personally, usually. There might have been some mob action or something, but we don’t have laws and punishments written down. We don’t have anything that says this is the punishment for taking a life, this is the punishment for stealing. We have revenge, and we having dealing with it.

Her gaze drifts towards the window, as if she could perhaps see the northernmost reaches of Caido in the distance. “I don’t know if Halo has any kind of system, and I don’t know if Torchline does either. I suspect, given the smuggling underbelly, that they don’t. So how do we decide what’s a fair punishment and what isn’t? Or who decides? One person, two, three? Five, with majority rule? How do we know if they’re impartial?” As she lays out the obstacles she sees to this, Wessex’s eyes, no longer sharp and hawkish, come back to the diplomat.

“Is there imprisonment? As the strongest member of a very small, very hunted community, I can’t give myself up and open them to a threat. Just recently a sixteen year old Ascended girl was killed. Her throat sliced. And all I have to go on is an older man with dark hair. Do you know how many people that could be?” She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “She Ascended to avoid starving like the rest of her family and it ended up being its own death sentence.” It shouldn’t have been, but she doesn’t need to say that, does she?

“Without these structures in place, without knowing what to expect - nevermind the fact that I don’t agree with the premise - I can’t give you what you want at the expense of leaving my people vulnerable.” Spreading her hands in a helpless gesture, the Wraith leaves that thought hanging in the air. “I can see a way forward, where the Fae get their vengeance and the Ascended stay safe, but it’ll require a compromise.”

Wessex knows where her priorities lie. It’s just a matter of whether or not hers and Junipers intersect.
Juniper Dubois
the Amberwing
Diplomat

Age: 57 | Height: 4'8 | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 3 - Strg: 13 - Dext: 14 - Endr: 12 - Luck: 15 - Int:
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#18
JUNIPER
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper almost let out a sigh of relief as Wessex spoke. Oh, Wessex might not be agreeing with her in any way, but now she was bringing up real obstacles, real questions for them to debate and work through, rather than trying to speciously shut Juniper down. That was a step forward, an important one.

"Our customs are similar," Juniper admitted. "The criminal may be brought before the queen to decide their fate, but more often, those wronged simply take revenge. The queen's role, the government's power, then rests in telling the victims when their revenge is enough -- when they go from punishing a crime to committing one themselves."

For a moment, Juniper considered this in the context of these specific events, of the Ascended's specific crime. "You and your comrades attacked the Fae as a people -- our guards in their official duties, our goddess. If you were Fae, the queen would have passed down sentence -- likely execution -- and any Fae would have been authorized to carry it out on sight if you resisted.

"Because you acted as a group, on behalf of the Voice, many among my people consider the Ascended as a group guilty. And, as you know, some have tried to enforce that judgment."
Juniper sighed a little, then looked up with renewed determination. "I know the exact method of such a trial would need a lot of hammering out. We would need to find a trial method that both sides could agree to as fair -- the number of judges, their identities: I know these would be hotly debated. But it is something I am willing to debate."

Juniper's eyes widened a little as Wessex described the recent murder, and she spoke sincerely when she said, "I am sorry for your loss, and I understand your grief -- and your worry. I hope you find the killer."

For a moment she let that sentiment rest, then continued, "While my personal inclination is to avoid removing imprisonment from the list of possibilities, I understand your need to protect your people. The potential punishment, like the makeup of the trial itself, would need to be carefully negotiated."

And all of that might be moot, if Wessex's proposed compromise was workable -- though Juniper felt a certain degree of doubt that it would be. Still, she had come here to talk, to negotiate, to compromise; she would at least listen to any idea Wessex put forward.

"I would like to hear your alternative," Juniper said. "I admit that a trial is only one of many potential solutions, and I am open to others."
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.



table by Skylark
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
Played by: Astor Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,156 | Total: 4,350
MP: 0
#19
WESSEX
after all is said and done
you're just a carnivore
let you in and drink my blood
you're nothing but a monster


Careful not to get too far ahead of herself, Wessex starts slowly and cautiously, fully aware that the way she phrases this may be what gets the job done.

“I want to protect the Grounds the way you want to protect the Greatwood, and having the Order and the Old Gods setting themselves up in the Greatwood is particularly alarming. Especially when part of the Order’s mission is to completely eliminate the Ascended. While I am violent and guilty, there are many of us who aren’t guilty of anything other than wanting to survive.” Wessex looks directly at Juniper, banking on the feeling that this diplomat might not want the elimination of an entire race on her hands. “I hope you’ll understand when I say it’s the Order that keeps me up at night” (ha ha) “far more than anything else, and I don’t believe that a big, public trial will actually stop anything. Not with the continent racing towards war.”

It’s likely that Juniper knows something about that, if she's in the Fae's government. She lets the last word hang, pregnant in the air before starting again quietly. “I just want to keep the Order out of the Grounds, give my people a chance at living, even if it’s in this… shithole.”

After all, the Grounds can’t compare to the Greatwood. Wessex knows that, Juniper knows that, and everyone else knows it, too.  

“So if I can ensure that, you can put me on trial, privately. A Fae-only event. For the murder of the two Fae I killed. And I’ll submit myself to whatever punishment, with certain caveats - small things, really - in return for help with the Grounds’ protection. I need to see an Order member use their compass. I don’t need to be in the same room - through a windows or something like that. No one will need to know you’re involved and you can be the one who brought the Wraith in. And you can have all that in writing to ensure my cooperation, along with the promise I won’t hurt the Order member.”

Offer given, she grows quiet and still, eerily still, content to let the idea marinate in Juniper's head and trying to remain an open-ish book. For all intents and purposes.
Juniper Dubois
the Amberwing
Diplomat

Age: 57 | Height: 4'8 | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
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#20
JUNIPER
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper took a long, long moment to let Wessex's words sink in. It was a decent counteroffer, and Juniper appreciated that Wessex was willing to make a real offer, though she couldn't help but notice the self-sacrificial tenor of the Wraith's suggestion. I'll submit myself to whatever punishment, without any word on the other two Ascended who had been involved in the attack.

The thing was, Juniper was starting to realize that she was a bit further out of her depth than she'd believed herself to be -- and she'd walked in here knowing that she was treading water. Though she didn't intend to tell Wessex as much, she hadn't known that the Order sought the destruction of all the Ascended, just that they were handling the "offensive" part of the war likely to come ... Which would logically include attacking the Ascended, but Juniper had assumed that was a contingency, not the entire plan -- that they would attack only if the Ascended struck first.

She didn't know anything about this compass that Wessex described, and thus had no idea how important the intelligence Wessex was asking for might be, though she assumed it was pretty major, given how much the Wraith was willing to offer for it.

Wetting her lips slightly, Juniper said, "I can understand why the Order is your primary concern, yes. I have questions about your proposal, however. I think the 'small caveats' to your punishment might be significant, so I'd like more details on those. And I would ask if it's possible to bring the other two Ascended who participated in the attack in as well, though I understand that that's a taller order. No pun intended."

Pausing, Juniper added, "Even I thought this were a wonderful idea -- and I am frankly undecided on that -- I couldn't say yes to you here, today, alone. But I can certainly carry word of your offer back to the Greatwood."

Was that a good thing, or would Wessex view it as a threat? Juniper certainly didn't intend to try to sneak Wessex a glimpse of a compass without the Order's permission -- not when she had no idea what that glimpse might actually mean for the future.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.



table by Skylark
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
Played by: Astor Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,156 | Total: 4,350
MP: 0
#21
WESSEX
after all is said and done
you're just a carnivore
let you in and drink my blood
you're nothing but a monster


“No,” Wessex says with a regretful sigh, but without any semblance of hesitation. She knew where she might concede and knew where she wouldn’t, and there were lines she wasn’t willing to cross.. “To both.”

A small smile slips across her face as her head dips, quietly gazing at her hands. “The deal is for me and me alone. The caveat is no dismembering or removing upgrades. And the offer expires when you walk out that door.” Lifting her head again, the Queen gazes at the Fae with a quiet confidence of a woman who knows exactly what she’s doing and what shes’s willing to give up. “Otherwise, my answer is again, no. And will remain no.”

A Queen's gambit. Fail or lose, Wessex plays the game.
Juniper Dubois
the Amberwing
Diplomat

Age: 57 | Height: 4'8 | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 3 - Strg: 13 - Dext: 14 - Endr: 12 - Luck: 15 - Int:
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#22
JUNIPER
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper sighed as Wessex spoke, then shook her head with a rueful smile. "I hoped you wouldn't say that. This plan depends on the Order's cooperation -- I don't intend to try to deceive them -- and I can't promise you that without consulting them."

Not that Juniper actually personally knew any Order members to consult. (At least, not to her knowledge.) But she imagined that if she brought the problem to Remi, or perhaps Gideon, they would have input -- and would know better than Juniper did just how much Wessex was asking. What would seeing a compass in use enable Wessex to do? It seemed like such a small request, insignificant, but that apparent insignificance only made Juniper more wary. This offer felt like a trap.

Maybe she should just be upfront with Wessex about her reservations. Though she didn't really expect Wessex to answer -- or know if she could believe the Wraith's words if she did -- Juniper added, "How will seeing an Order member use their compass help you protect the Grounds?"
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.



table by Skylark
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
Played by: Astor Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,156 | Total: 4,350
MP: 0
#23
WESSEX
after all is said and done
you're just a carnivore
let you in and drink my blood
you're nothing but a monster


And in return, Wessex had hoped Juniper wouldn’t say that. But here they are, and there’s no point in expressing her wishes. The line between whose team each is on is growing blurry, hands extended in compromise, but not in confidence. “Actually, the plan requires your cooperation. Because in theory, and correct me if I’m wrong, you don’t think all Ascended should be killed. But that’s what the Order wants, or so I’ve been told by multiple sources. Seeing an Order member’s compass in use would allow us to keep them out of the Grounds. That’s it. It removes one of many threats.” And if she could swear to it, she would, because that is genuinely as much as Wessex knows about how it will work.

There are no illusions that threats will come from elsewhere, from other eyes and other sources. In Wessex’s ability to ponder the multiple outcomes, she sees something coming from the Greatwood, through the portals, from people moving back to the Grounds and attacking from the inside.  She likes to think that people who know the Ascended won’t be so comfortable attacking them, but that’s the problem with War; no one knows what they’ll do until they’re in the thick of it.
Juniper Dubois
the Amberwing
Diplomat

Age: 57 | Height: 4'8 | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 3 - Strg: 13 - Dext: 14 - Endr: 12 - Luck: 15 - Int:
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#24
JUNIPER
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
"I don't think all Ascended should be killed," Juniper acknowledged. That was easy enough for her to say. But as for the rest ... Juniper bit her lip, thinking of how much easier this conversation would be if Wessex were Fae. Not in a big way, not because their entire conflict would be different if Wessex were Fae, but because Fae could not lie, and outsiders could. She kept having to remind herself that Wessex could lie -- not just mislead and omit, but outright lie. And this seemed like the moment for a lie, for an obfuscation: telling Juniper that her part of the bargain would be harmless, would only protect the Grounds, when it might actually have much further-reaching consequences.

Juniper did consider it, for a long moment. She would never betray her people, but the Order weren't Fae; deceiving them wasn't quite the same, especially if they truly sought the Ascended's total destruction -- but Juniper had only Wessex's word to trust on that too. Although Gideon had spoken against the Ascended in awfully harsh terms ...

It was still more of a betrayal than she could stomach. And something about Wessex's offer felt wrong to her. The Wraith submitting herself alone to any punishment the Fae desired -- as if she expected to be tortured, as if torturing her would make the Fae feel better -- did not strike Juniper as justice.

"I'm sorry," Juniper said, sincerely. Then she decided to be totally frank, even at her own disadvantage: "The truth is, I don't have enough information about the Order to make these promises. If I knew beyond a doubt that the only outcome of my actions would be to protect the Grounds ... I hope it's not insulting to say that I can't act on your word alone."

She hesitated. Should she offer to get more information and return to Wessex? Or would quietly evaluating the Order on Wessex's behalf compromise her too much? No, she decided, she wouldn't make that offer. But if she learned more about the Order -- if they told her in their own words that they sought the destruction of all Ascended, even the innocent -- well, her conscience might demand that she act. And she could always write to Wessex.
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.



table by Skylark
Wessex Theskyra
the Wraith
General of the Hollowed Grounds

Age: 47 | Height: 5'8'' | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 61 - Dext: 60 - Endr: 61 - Luck: 58 - Int: 2
LOKI - Mythical - Dragon (Energy Blast)
Played by: Astor Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,156 | Total: 4,350
MP: 0
#25
WESSEX
after all is said and done
you're just a carnivore
let you in and drink my blood
you're nothing but a monster


Knowing that Juniper speaks the truth when she gives her opinion is a small win in the Queen’s book. It may be no more than a handhold in this maddening scramble up this obscured cliff face they call life, but it’s a place where she can rest for a moment. Regroup. The long pause after, however, reminds the demigod that she cannot place much hope in this. It is just a handhold. She has to move eventually, before other bits become unstable. Careful not to light up too much, Wessex remains still, tightly wound, waiting to see if the Fae takes the bait.

Of course nothing is that easy, (Gods, but for a moment she’d hoped it might be) and she has to acquiesce. “No, of course not. I’m not Fae. You don’t know me.” Wasn’t that the whole point of a jab earlier? “And while we can talk at length in here, I can’t prove anything at the moment.” It would have required a leap of faith - a leap Wessex doesn’t know she’d take if the roles were reversed.

Rising, because this meeting is nearing its natural end and they have nothing to make small talk about, she makes a note on a pad of paper in a nearby drawer and rips it off, putting it in a pocket. “I don’t expect you to keep my deal a secret, but I hope you might keep it out of the Order’s ears.” Hahaha, the damage is already done on that request, Silly Queen “And of course, my answer to the trial is still no?” A flash of a fanged smile. What can she do but stand her ground on this? No deal made, no reason to be cooperative. This avenue is closed - for now.
Juniper Dubois
the Amberwing
Diplomat

Age: 57 | Height: 4'8 | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 3 - Strg: 13 - Dext: 14 - Endr: 12 - Luck: 15 - Int:
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#26
JUNIPER
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper rose when Wessex did, knowing that the meeting had reached its natural conclusion. Not the conclusion she had hoped for, perhaps, but it could have gone at lot worse (hence those just-in-case letters left with Alina).

"Thank you for meeting me," Juniper said. "You've given me a lot to think about."

That was her biggest takeaway from their encounter, really. While Juniper might not have agreed to Wessex's requests, Wessex's words had impacted her, had taken root in her mind and given her doubts about the Order. Doubts about the war that everyone seemed to think was inevitable ... Juniper was starting to realize that avenging past wrongs might be less important than preventing future ones. If there was a way to keep Caido out of war -- or just to keep the Greatwood out of war -- Juniper intended to find it.

"I hope we'll speak again," Juniper added -- truthfully, of course. Because as long as she and Wessex had things to talk about, negotiations to make, then the Fae and the Ascended weren't at total kill-each-other-on-sight war.

No, they hadn't come to an agreement, but if Wessex could have read Juniper's mind, she might not be too disappointed with today's outcome.

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



table by Skylark


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