From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
Unsure what exactly it was Juniper intended to do about it and not knowing anything more about the Mathair attack anyway, Bastien was glad to see her drop the topic. All he could do there was speculate, and probably run his mouth right into a problem he didn't know about.
Art though, that he could speak on for hours, and he was excited to hear of a whole new world of crafts that was out there, even if actually visiting it was a distant possibility at the moment. "Fascinating. What is your jewellery made from? Do you have any examples of these things on you? I would love to see." For someone technically 'dead', Bastien was obviously very passionate about this, an animated smile on his face as he asked. "Perhaps we could do some kind of trade - some items from my Sanctuary for some from Sidhe."
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper smiled, won over by Bastien's enthusiasm. "We use a variety of materials in our jewelry, but we source many of them from the Greatwood itself: dried flowers, insect shells, leather and bone. Though we also value precious metals and jewels, like any other people -- but they can be hard to come by. I have this."
She pulled a necklace out from under her shirt: a delicate chain from which hung a mosaic of pastel, slightly translucent pieces. Removing the necklace, she offered it to Bastien for closer examination. "These are mostly resin."
Tilting her head slightly, Juniper considered the prospect of such a trade. It was the kind of outreach she would like to facilitate -- but she imagined few among her people would want to see their work going to an Ascended. "It ... might be possible. At the very least, I can ask around, see if any of our artisans are interested."
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
It was fascinating to see how much the surrounding area of an artist affected their work; a lot of things in the Hollowed Grounds were casted in muted colours, made from the earth and rocky caverns that littered the land. It made sense that the Fae would create from their forest. Bastien reached to take the pendant with the gentlest of fingers, letting the chain droop between his knuckles as he looked it over appreciatively. "Beautiful."
He knew it would be a long shot for a cultural trade to happen, but that she would try was appreciated. "Thank you. Of course, I can gather things here for the Fae. We have our own wonderful artists." Perhaps not quite as exciting for them as the Fae were for Grounders, but something new nonetheless.
With their problems discussed and offers made, Bastien hoped that this conversation had made a difference. It was a first step, at least, even if they had to take it back and forward over and over again. "I appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. You are always welcome to ask me more questions - if I am able to answer, I will."
Oh, and there we were all in one place A generation lost in space
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Watching Bastien appreciate the necklace, Juniper smiled. Here was proof, if she'd needed any, that the Ascended were not so different from the Fae -- they could both appreciate beauty and craftsmanship, and perhaps someday they could build a relationship based on that. Oh, there were a lot of obstacles standing in the way of such a future, but Juniper was prepared to take them on, one at a time. "Thank you as well. I'll ask around among the Fae to see if there are artisans who might be interested in such an exchange."
She doubted she'd get many takers, but she felt she owed it to the idea of peace to ask. Maybe it would help, maybe it wouldn't; she could only try.
It was a first step indeed, and Juniper could only hope it wouldn't be the last. "I'm glad I got to talk to you. I should be going, but I'd like to keep in touch, so I hope we'll speak again."
After all, even the possibility of such a conversation might mean a lot, if it meant the Ascended and the Greatwood weren't at war. Peace, above retribution, had become Juniper's ideal.
- FIN
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
