eyes covered in ink and bleach

All in a days work, right?

She is already in the Branches when she leaves Oliver’s forge and returns to the stalls and the word that ebbs and flows there. Nephele is no master when it comes to eavesdropping and manipulating conversations, but the people respect her enough to provide most information freely. It is here that she discovers the creation of an embassy; by Juniper no less.

Pride blossoms in her breast. As disappointed as she is to discover their leader-to-be had vanished (best case scenario) around the same time Nephele began her hunt for the Mathair, at least Juniper had taken up the slack and then some in the aftermath. She is gloriously proud, even knowing that the young Fae never deserved to have been left to her own devices. If Nephele had known...but no, there is no point in regret. There is no changing the past, and she wouldn’t have been in any better position of knowledge regardless.

The embassy is plainly new to her, but it doesn’t impede her straightforward temperament; each step purposeful, the sweep of her gaze perfunctory. A few moments to stop and ask for direction and she’s walking through an archway, looking for a glimpse of blonde hair. “Juniper? Are you here? It’s Nephele.”

Your goodness must have some edge to it -- else it is none

JUNIPER

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

"Hello?" Juniper came from her office, the door on the right behind the embassy's reception desk, which was unmanned, for the moment. Eventually she hoped to find some likely young Fae to sit there and greet visitors, but she hadn't yet.

Only part of Nephele's call had made it back to Juniper's office -- she'd heard her name, but not Nephele's, so her eyes widened in surprise on seeing her. Then her expression turned into a broad smile, delighted by Nephele's return. "Nephele! You're back! I'm so glad to see you -- I had feared ..."

She let that trail off, not wanting to dwell on her fears. A moment's anxiety rose as well -- would Nephele, who had given her the diplomat's job, approve of how she'd carried it out? But Juniper swept that away easily, because she knew she'd done well, whatever some of the more old-fashioned Fae said.

"Come in, come in -- we can sit in the meeting room," Juniper offered, beckoning Nephele over to the other door: it led to the aforementioned meeting room, which held both a conference table and a comfortable seating area. "Where have you been? If you don't mind me asking."

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

table by Skylark

The smile that blossoms on Juniper’s face is beautiful, and any worries Nephele had regarding the woman’s safety is washed away in light of seeing her hale and while before her. Nephele is not seen as a very warm individual, but she has a large soft spot for the younger Fae, and as such her own smile is soft and inviting as she steps closer with a flutter of wings that carry her over the floor. “No need for fear, Juniper. I’ve been safe in my travels. I’m glad to be home, and to see you doing so well.” Both physically and in her role as an ambassador.

She is led easily to the meeting room, appraising with bright hazel eyes and an appreciative set to her mouth. Nephele folds gracefully into her chosen seat, Juniper awarded her full attention as she speaks. “Attending to my mission for Ludo. Lately I was looking for the Mathair’s spirit, exploring the Wilds in search of her. I returned when I heard news that others intended to join the search, to lend what little I’ve managed to discover. If I had known you would be left alone...” her face pinches, darkness gathering over it. Nephele is a vindictive sort, and she is unreservedly angry at the circumstances that had led Juniper to being thrust into such a position unexpectedly. Reaching out, she gently lays her hand overtop Juniper’s, seeking out the younger Fae’s eyes. “I did not mean to abandon you, but you have exceeded all my expectations. As I always knew you would.” She’d had faith in spades ever since they’d met formally in Juniper’s house. Nephele’s instincts are scarcely wrong, and she’d chosen well with the ambitious young woman. “I’d like to hear more of what you’ve achieved.”

Your goodness must have some edge to it -- else it is none

JUNIPER

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

Taking her own seat, Juniper smiled at Nephele's words -- then turned more somber when Nephele mentioned searching for the Mathair. "The Mathair ... Have you made any progress finding her? Remi and I looked for her as well -- we believe she's somewhere in the Feverlands -- but we had to turn back without results."

And as for being left alone: "It's all right. I'm not completely alone, even if Alina ... Well. Remi has been helping prepare the Greatwood for ... well, for war. A war I hope will never come, but it's good to be prepared."

Then, at the compliment, Juniper blushed furiously. Nephele's approval meant a lot to her, since Nephele had been the one to offer her the position in the first place. "Thank you -- I'm honored to hear you say so. Let's see ... I reached out to Halo and Torchline, and I'm glad to report that both leaders were receptive to working with us. The Warden of Halo has agreed to defend the Greatwood if we are attacked, and Torchline's Governor supports the idea of bringing the Ascended to justice for their attack on the Mathair -- though, of course, the Ascended have been less receptive."

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

table by Skylark

A sigh escapes the redhead, and she crosses her legs with a frown. "Unfortunately, no. I was hoping to return, restock on supplies, and determine if you'd made any progress yourselves - it's good to know you have." The Feverlands; a place she hadn't made it to in her travels, but one she tucks away into the vaults of her mind for future analysis and considerations.

News of war, however, has hazel eyes sharpening. Remi's name is still vague to her, only in correlation to Delah and as Ludo's chosen. They've yet to meet one-on-one. "Their war will no doubt bleed here, they are incapable of leaving good enough alone. Either side." Even though the Greatwood has no pound of flesh to be defended in their pathetic war. The notion of choosing a side at all is a mockery of their ways, but preparation is the best course of action.

The flush on Juniper's face has her hackles smoothing, a fond smile playing on her lips. Even now she still has faith in Juniper, and with each word and bit of activism that falls from her tongue it is only solidified. "Ironic then, that the Governor is married to an Ascended himself," she notes, brows rising. Nate's blood - or whatever sinful mockery of it he had - had coated her blade once for that exact purpose. Sunjata's agreement feels hollow because of it. "Of course the Ascended do not wish to pay for their crimes, they scarcely believe they were in the wrong at all." Her jaw pulses as she grits her teeth, unsure of how much to reveal to Juniper. "I wish to help, you know I will not abandon you a second time. But my own feelings regarding the Ascended are not so...diplomatic. Especially with Ludo guiding me. I do not want to taint what you've created here." Vague enough to create reasonable doubt, but straightforward enough to get Juniper's thoughts on the matter.

Your goodness must have some edge to it -- else it is none

JUNIPER

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

Juniper nodded. "As we understand it, she'll need a great deal of raw meat to regain her strength. I've asked our hunters to keep our stocks up, so that we'll have supplies when we find her."

Another, sharper nod. Juniper was a little surprised to hear Nephele speak so -- without the assumption so many had made, that the Greatwood would automatically join a war between the gods, would automatically become the Old Gods' staging ground. But Juniper agreed. She would like to see no war at all, but if it was bound to come, sparing her home would be second-best. "Everyone has assumed that we will fight the Ascended, allying ourselves with -- do you know of the Order?"

As Nephele continued, Juniper frowned a little. She remained, of course, completely ignorant of that blood -- or fluid -- on Nephele's blade; if she had known, this would have been a very different conversation. After all, Juniper had promised Sunjata that she would help find Nate's attacker. "The Governor's marriage may work to our advantage, though. It might give him some leverage in negotiating with the Ascended -- they may be more receptive to someone they have reason to believe has some sympathy for them."

Of course, if Juniper had known the full story of Sunjata's recent travails -- of his deal with Safrin, of the resulting fallout for his family -- she might have spoken differently.

"I'm sure they don't want to face justice, but they may find it a more appealing prospect than all-out war ... though, sadly, the two events are not mutually exclusive." Juniper couldn't promise that bringing Wessex and Samuel to trial would prevent the looming war, but she wished she could.

She listened to Nephele's last words with a furrowed brow, carefully parsing the other Fae's meaning. Biting her lip, Juniper replied, "I understand hating the Ascended -- but such hatred doesn't have to rule our actions. What is Ludo's will in the matter?"

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

table by Skylark

Meat. An interesting prospect, but Nephele will take any guidance she can get on restoring their beloved Mathair. “Perhaps we can entice more trade in the Branches. We don’t want to deplete the forest, so maybe we should look into increasing incentives for trades for meat from other lands.” Halo and the Grounds would likely be the only ones to not come forth with their meat considering their own difficulties with procuring it, but the other lands remained a viable opportunity.

Whispers of the Order have reached her ears, but she gives a slight frown instead of offering her paltry knowledge. “Only vaguely. But we have historically never allied with the humans - I don’t see why we should now.” It is not as if the Fae would - could? - Ascend, and Rae would ensure the Greatwood lived on even if they all died out in the coming war. Nephele considers this problem to be one the humans must contend with. Though her own goals may align with theirs, they had done nothing to endear the woman to their side.

Nephele bites the inside of her cheek at the prospect of negotiation. But she respects Juniper far too much to let her emotions guide her into an instinctive dismissal of the idea. Had Nephele not sought her out specifically to be the bridge between races and lands that Nephele knew she herself could not be? To burn her down would be hypocritical. “They may have both agreed to work with us, but we should do so carefully, on more of an individual basis. Showing too much allegiance to Torchline, being pro-Ascended, may draw lines in the sand that we cannot afford if we hope to stay out of the conflict.” It set them up to be negotiated into treaties and agreements that they would have to stand by. So she reveals her last card. “He attacked me in the Wilds. There was an energy there that was being sought, and one of them - I can’t be sure who - did something to me to make me feel...unimaginable fear. Unfortunately I did throw a dagger at him, but he cut my wings and had some rather inelegant names to call me. Admittedly I’m not inclined to parlay with him after that.” That she’d kept her chakrams to herself in that moment was a miracle, but if they had to work with Nate, Nephele would cleverly keep herself out of the negotiations by using his attack as an excuse. His had been far more public than her own in the way that mattered.

“You say they. Who all has agreed to the idea of justice?” Spoken with genuine curiosity as to these more radical Ascended who would - miracle of miracles - actually submit themselves to the Fae as retribution for their deeds. Did they even know the Fae’s brand of justice? It was not just Nephele who was prone to violent inclinations after all.

Speaking of violence, Nephele frowns and remains very quiet for a few long moments. She cannot lie, though Ludo’s will isn’t something that paints her immediately in the same colors. But Juniper is smart, and Nephele - even acting as a lone agent - has to be careful of how much she reveals. It is a cursed double life she now leads. “Ludo seeks to eradicate them entirely. The Voice poses a great threat to Mort directly by stealing, corrupting, and potentially even utilizing souls that would otherwise belong in Mort’s realm.” A notion Nephele can sympathize with even though she’d worshiped Rae most of her younger years. “The Ascended themselves may be - in some small way - innocent, but they let themselves be led by their creator. And if their creator asks violence of them, it is not hatred that leads us, but a need to protect ourselves.” The Voice had led them to the Mathair after all, and that was proof enough for Nephele to try and convince Juniper with, all other betrayals aside.

Your goodness must have some edge to it -- else it is none

JUNIPER

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

Juniper nodded. "We have a trade agreement with Halo, now, but it's in the opposite direction -- us feeding them, in exchange for their crafts and resources. It wouldn't hurt to bring in some food from ... Well, I suppose Torchline is the main option. I can speak to the Governor."

Nephele's next response surprised Juniper a bit, but she nodded again. Keeping the Order at arm's length -- or further -- suited her, considering how little she liked its goals. "I, too, would avoid allying with the Order if possible. It seems that they have assumed our allegiance, but that need not be so easily given."

After that, Juniper had to consider Nephele's words carefully. "I've never actually spoken with the Governor's husband, but presumed they presented a unified front." She would have said that her alliance was with Torchline, with its Governor in his ruling capacity, not with Sunjata personally -- but those lines were blurred, now, after some of the conversations they'd had. "I don't think there's much risk of appearing too pro-Ascended -- of finding ourselves on the Ascended's side in the coming war. Despite my efforts to keep the peace, everyone knows how our people feel about the Ascended."

Juniper's eyes widened at Nephele's description of an attack. Of course she knew Nephele could not lie, and it didn't occur to her that the other Fae might mislead -- she trusted Nephele. Rather, Juniper wondered if her trust in Sunjata had been misplaced. After all, outsiders could be deceitful in a way Fae could not. Juniper didn't know Nate at all, but Nephele's words shook her image of Sunjata to the core. "I see. I'll ... be more wary of him, in the future. I'm glad you're all right."

It did occur to Juniper that perhaps Sunjata had mistaken Nephele for the Fae who'd attacked his husband. (If only she'd realized how close she was to the truth.) But that hardly made it better, the idea that they might assault any Fae in revenge. That was exactly what Juniper was trying to avoid doing, with the Ascended.

"Wessex rejected the idea, of course. She did offer a deal by which she would submit to our revenge, but I considered her price too risky to pay -- she wanted to see an Order member's compass, and I didn't know what damage that might do. However ... Samuel Wordsworth was receptive to the idea." Juniper's instinct was to keep Sam's agreement secret, to hold that card close to her chest, but she countermanded that desire. Nephele was her friend and partner in protecting the Fae; she deserved to know everything.

Juniper bit her lip as she listened to Ludo's design -- everything she wanted to avoid, coming down as gospel from one of her gods. She shook her head, though it was more of an instinctive reaction than a disagreement. "The Voice is a threat, and I would eliminate her if I could. But the Ascended themselves -- they're just people, who have been led astray. I ... I can't seek their total annihilation." Not after speaking to Bastien and Azrael. "Nephele, there are Ascended children. There has to be -- we have to find -- some way to stop the Voice without wholly slaughtering her followers." Though Juniper knew from her conversation with Sam that without the Voice, the Ascended would wither and die anyway. Not to mention that the Ascended certainly wouldn't stand by and let their goddess be destroyed without a bitter fight. "Even if we did kill all the current Ascended, what's to stop the Voice from creating more?"

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

table by Skylark

Nephele idly taps her fingers on the table between them, considering their options. "Stormbreak does not seem like a viable option for meat by way of their construction, but opening negotiations should be a priority to open up any information on The Order even if they cannot supply much materially." They would not base their political friendship on the information itself of course, that would be far too forward and leave the Fae at a disadvantage. "Play on the assumption you mention, but let them try and work to earn us. We would have the advantage in negotiations almost eternally with how we border the Grounds." They would vie eagerly for both the spying opportunities and environmental benefits in wartime, and the Fae would frankly give them neither.

It is a comfort that Juniper's efforts have not been too successful, for all Nephele wants nothing but good things for the woman. Forgiveness will never be an option for Nephele. The notion of allying with the Ascended in any way makes her stomach churn. Nearly as badly as it does when she carefully words her experience in a way she knows Juniper will take at face value; Nephele had been known for nearly fifty years for her forthrightness long before they met, and it is a burden she must bear that she must now deceive those closest to her. It protects them from the truth of her betrayal and the pain it would cause, yes, but Nephele knows her good intentions do not absolve her of her sins. "Sunjata may be more trustworthy than his husband, I don't know. But we can't be too careful," is her subdued response. As grateful as she is that Juniper will be more cautious, her heart aches to deceive the younger Fae in any way.

For once, the knowledge is safe to be given; Nephele has met the bookseller before, when she'd had a more scientific curiosity for the Ascended. "I have met him once before, I'm not surprised he is open to the idea. I think you were right to deny Wessex however; tangling with the Order is too great a price." She suffuses her tone with praise, wanting to bolster Juniper however she can after having rocked the woman's worldview with what she'd said of Nate. It's a moment that doesn't last long, her own reaction to the notion of children far more violent.

Nephele rears back, catching herself halfway to standing as fury burns like magma in her veins, threatening to find any viable exit to burn the world with. "Children? That is horrific, Juniper!" Her voice shakes with the force of her emotion, terror and despair and fury and so much more she cannot parse. It is a Herculean task to force herself back down into her chair, though her fingers grip the table's edge all the same. "That's - it must be impossible. They tote her dedication to consent like a shield, telling anyone who will listen that she is blameless because she will not Ascend those who are incapable of making the choice. Have we been wrong all this time? Is she changing children now? Was it a ruse?" Her breaths come faster, the questions more musings given voice than inquiries directed to Juniper. With the lifespans of Fae, it feels acutely more monstrous to envision human children Ascending - how old could they be? Ten, fifteen? It makes her stomach heave with the urge to throw up, and Nephele can't imagine what Juniper must see on her face. She feels...shattered. And she knows that she must seek out Ludo immediately. But first - a hand comes to her forehead, fingers clammy against her heated skin as she tries to find a more coherent answer for Juniper. "Nothing would stop her from creating more, Juni. But we cannot directly fight a Goddess either - we can only do what we can to make the job easier for the heralds and the demigods." For that is surely what will end up happening if war is to come. A battle she would do anything to keep her people from seeing. "I'm not suggesting we kill children -" her voice falters, because while it's not a lie as she cannot speak them, she is willing to let them die as an effect of The Voice perishing, "- but some of them would just as soon kill us for trying to end The Voice. I can't be sure that's not what Nate was trying to do. Why should I not be able to try and do the same against those who would try?" It's a dangerous question, even worded as delicately as she can manage as her hazel eyes tentatively seek out Juniper's. "I don't know if there's a way to return their souls to Mort's dominion without killing them anyway, or I would try that first. I would."

Your goodness must have some edge to it -- else it is none

JUNIPER

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

Juniper nodded as Nephele spoke of Stormbreak and their tenuous, presumptive alliance with it. "I'll reach out to them, but cautiously. Honestly, so far I've scarcely managed to track down a name I could even speak to about the Order. Everyone tells me they've only heard rumors."

But with the skyport opening in Torchline, Juniper ought to be able to go to Stormbreak herself and ask, right? She should check it out, anyway.

Another nod, at the mention of Sunjata, though Juniper remained deeply troubled by how off her perception of the man seemed to be. Or perhaps Sunjata had been honest with Juniper, but Nate had deceived him. It seemed unlikely that Nate could so wholly trick his husband -- much less likely than the idea that Sunjata had lied to Juniper -- even if the idea salved Juniper's wounded feelings. "We have to be careful," she affirmed. It was so much more difficult to navigate deceit among outsiders, with their ability to outright lie.

"I'm worried that at this point, my trial idea might only inflame feelings," Juniper admitted. She was glad to hear that Nephele approved of her decision to reject Wessex's deal. "Especially given Wessex's opposition. Honestly, even if I had taken her deal, it would have just given her the opportunity to paint us as vengeful savages."

Juniper didn't expect the intensity of Nephele's reaction -- she almost reached across the table to comfort Nephele, then thought better of it -- though she realized in hindsight that it was well-deserved. She'd become accustomed to, immured to, the existence of young Ascended, but it was indeed horrific, that the Voice would transform someone too young to make that choice. Though the main Ascended child in her mind was Azrael, and Azrael had been born that way ...

"As long as there's nominal consent, I don't think the Voice actually cares whether her victims are truly capable of choosing otherwise," Juniper said bitterly. "Wessex told me of a 16-year-old who Ascended to avoid starving -- and another Ascended I spoke to said his parents pressured him to Ascend at the same age." She didn't mention Samuel's name with the second story, deciding to respect his privacy. "And then there's Azrael, a child created as Ascended by the Voice ... I spoke with them. They were very bright, and very caring, and utterly under her sway."

Still worried about Nephele's emotional state, Juniper reached out again, more thoughtfully, to put a hand on her arm. "There has to be some way to stop the Voice without wholesale slaughter of her followers," Juniper reiterated. "If we could only make them see how she's used them ..."

Samuel had rejected the Voice, even if he had gone back to her in the end -- because she held his life and soul hostage. Closing her eyes, Juniper shook her head sadly. "We have to defend ourselves when attacked, but to strike pre-emptively -- to attack someone for what they might do -- it's wrong."

And then there was the matter of the Ascended's souls, not far from Juniper's mind at the moment. "If we knew that killing them would save their souls, that's one thing -- but we don't know that. It might just make them harder to return to Mort, if the Voice secrets them away."

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

table by Skylark

It’s a plan if nothing else, though Nephele feels an instinctive desire to tag along to defend the younger Fae. But no, she mustn’t. Juniper has been doing just fine in Nephele’s absence. “If you need any help, let me know. I can stay here while you travel to keep an eye on things.” Now that she has returned, the two of them can rest easy knowing things won’t spontaneously combust if they have to leave for affairs. It’s at least a comfort that Juniper seems to be reevaluating her interactions with Sunjata and Nate, her vow of wariness enough to smooth away the edges on Nephele’s shoulders.

“Considering she did nothing to stop Nate, I wouldn’t trust any dangled notion of compliance from her. As much as I want justice, we should focus on returning the Mathair and increasing the forest’s defenses to prevent it from happening again.” Perhaps something like Stormbreak has; from what she’s heard, it’s quite effective. It would have prevented this entire mess from the start. “Neither of our people ages in the same way as humans. We have time to pursue trials; if the war does not solve such problems first.” There’s no eagerness to the words, only a grim acceptance that this may be the way of things. That they will be robbed of the opportunity for justice delivered by their own hands.

It is a disappointment overshadowed by the horrible, dizzying feeling that follows it at Juniper’s revelation. Nephele would not say she is particularly maternal, but the notion of children being Ascended? Her throat feels tight, burning with bile that threatens far worse were it not for Juniper’s hand upon her arm. Nephele reaches almost blindly for her sister in arms, hand shaking and clammy as it reaches to grip Juniper’s forearm. It’s too hard to think, to contemplate morals and the philosophical definition of life and souls when her horizon has been so irrevocably tilted. “That’s monstrous,” she breathes, unexpected tears coming to her russet lashes in some twisted snarl of upset and fury. “Sixteen? Gods, barely more than babes. And doomed to eternal life.” She has lived nearly four times over such an age, and she is still quite young herself, only having mastered her wings within the past few years.

Nephele slumps partway over the table, needing Juniper’s touch to ground herself as the other Fae continues on while her own brain tries to come to terms with the magnitude of this new horror. Minutes prior, she would have never entertained conceding on the point. But now there are children involved, even if Nephele is not convinced their humanity is not a lost cause the moment they Ascend. “They will die regardless without their fluid from her,” is all she can force past her numb lips. “And Ludo did not seem to believe they could be changed back. Only their souls released back to Mort.” Death, therefore, would be inevitable.

But she can concede a point when it’s given, and she turns her hand palm upward towards Juniper as her hazel eyes finally lift to find the younger Fae’s face. “I will visit Ludo again. See if there is any way to free their souls first. But if not...Juniper, you need to understand that I chose you for your mind. For your outlook. I am not as good a person as you are, and I need you to be that moral compass for all of us.” Again with skirting the truth, concealing that which she can’t ever reveal to the younger woman. “But if there is no other way to bring down The Voice, I can’t afford to hesitate. That is my job. It’s not a burden meant for you.” Nephele will protect Juniper from that - from Nephele herself, if needed - no matter the cost. Murder will not stain Nephele’s conscience, but she won’t have a single drop on Juniper’s hands.

Your goodness must have some edge to it -- else it is none

JUNIPER

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

Juniper nodded, smiling. "That would give me some peace of mind. And, of course, I'll keep an eye on things if you have to travel again."

She wasn't sure which of them would ultimately be more suited to finding the Mathair -- probably best that both of them try, two heads being better than one and all that. Juniper did regret, a little, that they probably wouldn't go on that adventure together, but it did make sense for one of them to remain in the Greatwood and look after their people. If only Alina ... Well. No use wishing now.

Another nod, a bit grimmer. "I had hoped that a trial might stave off a war -- mitigate one reason for our conflict. But, as I said, I'm no longer sure it would serve that function. I agree that hte Mathair and our defenses must take priority. Alina had a quest from Safrin, actually, that would help with that -- I think it was to prevent Ascended from using the portal into the Greatwood. But when she went to turn in the quest, Safrin rejected her attempt. I'm not sure why."

Juniper put her hand over Nephele's, squeezing in an attempt to comfort the other Fae. ]"I know. And -- it's not so much eternal life that bothers me as the Voice's stranglehold on their souls."

After all, Fae lived longer than any Ascended had yet survived -- and Ascended could always end their own lives if they found their immortality wearing, though the idea was grim. They could not, however, escape the Voice in death.

"I know." Juniper closed her eyes, feeling her own deep sorrow for the Ascended's fate. Whatever Sam might say about seeking peace, surely he and every other Ascended would defend the Voice if he had to -- for his own self-preservation. He'd already told her that he'd tried to break with the Voice and come back as he starved for fluid. "I don't suppose providing such fluid without the Voice is any more feasible than changing them back. If we could stop her from creating more Ascended, reclaim the souls of those who currently exist -- would it be so horrible, then, to let those so inexorably tied to her live out the rest of their existence with her in peace? Eventually they would die off, through accident and ennui, and we could then be rid of the Voice."

A fraught suggestion, surely; Juniper spoke without really considering how Nephele -- let alone the other Fae -- would react to such an idea, as she'd only just conceived of it herself. She doubted the Ascended would love the proposal either: to live such a fruitless half-life, knowing that everyone around them simply awaited their deaths. But it might be preferable to total extinction.

As Nephele spoke again, Juniper opened her eyes, frowning a little. She wasn't sure what Nephele meant -- but she had an inkling, and she didn't like it. "I will seek to follow my conscience, whatever happens. It is all I can do. But as for your burdens ..."

Juniper thought deeply about what Nephele had said: about Ludo's wishes, about the lack of options around the Ascended, about what decisions Juniper herself could live with -- and what decisions Nephele might have to make. "I fear we both will face hard choices before this conflict ends."

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

table by Skylark

Nephele taps her fingers against the wood of the table, considering. "Have you thought of making your role more official? More permanent? You are effectively leading our people already." It's something she would support her sister in pursuing if she shows any initiative or desire for it. Their people needed a leader, and Juniper was proving herself as one every day.

Ginger brows furrow at the mention of Alina, and a quest she'd never heard of. Perhaps it had happened after she left in search of the Mathair? "Perhaps we should seek out Safrin and see if we can take up the quest in Alina's absence. Though I wonder if keeping Ascended from using the portal would even be possible, when the portal itself is a creation of The Voice." And a major pain in the ass, considering how it allowed so many outsiders into their forest. Ascended especially of course, but the taint of The Voice being permanently in their land disturbs her. Juniper's hand squeezing hers helps that illness in her stomach, and her fingers tighten around the younger Fae's in answering grip. It's a reminder she's not alone, which is what she needs right now.

"It's a romantic idea, but if the Old Gods had the power to stop more Ascended from being made, I would think they would have done so already." She is loathe to destroy Juniper's optimism, but death seems the only final way to end this - the death of The Voice, at the very least. "It may have to be the other way around. To end The Voice, and let them live the remainder they have left. It's more time than many are given before their deaths. To say their goodbyes, get affairs in order." Even if it means conceding and not killing Ascended anymore. But this conversation alone has given her many other things to try and achieve in place of that goal.

"It will not be easy. Morally, physically, emotionally. But I will seek Ludo's counsel, with all you have said in mind." A vow that is not taken lightly. Nephele squeezes Juniper's hand, and her smile is strained but sincere. "Together we will find the right path. I am confident in that."

Your goodness must have some edge to it -- else it is none

JUNIPER

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

Juniper's eyes widened at Nephele's suggestion, and then she paused, considering the matter carefully. It was true: in Alina's and Nephele's absence, she'd been among the most outspoken of the Fae, the one giving her people direction. If she had her detractors, well, any leader did, didn't they? And she had never been well-liked among the Fae, before -- but now some of the more open-minded Fae were coming to appreciate her efforts.

"I ... If you believe I am best-suited for such a role, I am willing to take it." She almost asked if Nephele wouldn't step up herself, but then -- Nephele had been gone for months. The Fae needed a leader who was present and active. Juniper would not fault Nephele for her travels, but they wouldn't make a good leader.

Juniper nodded. "I can speak to Safrin, if you like. I believe the quest required parts of each race -- hair, blood. I did get samples from an Accepted ... Finding the Ascended pieces would be the most difficult."

At Nephele's response, Juniper nodded, sadly. If the Old Gods could stop the Voice, then presumably no Ascended would have been made at all. She didn't want to condemn the Ascended to die, but their goddess had to be stopped, that much was clear. And Nephele had a point; as grim as it was to ask the Ascended to slowly die without their goddess, at least they would have a little warning. But Juniper still had to look for other alternatives. With the hand not holding Nephele's, she rubbed her face. The only other solution she could think of ... "What about a quarantine? The barrier bought us centuries of peace -- if we did it better this time ... But we'd have to destroy the portals first."

The Fae, with their isolationist tendencies, probably wouldn't mind losing their portal. But Juniper doubted Torchline or Halo would be thrilled to have to return to walking through the Wilds -- especially Halo, who could bring in much-needed supplies via portal. Juniper frowned, brow furrowing. "Or at least the Hollowed Ground portal."

Juniper smiled back at Nephele, glad to find the other Fae receptive to her ideas, even if she understood that they couldn't see eye to eye on everything. "Yes. We'll find our way forward -- together."

If a right path exists. But Juniper didn't mention that doubt -- her growing sense that all the options before them were bad.

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

table by Skylark