Tales from the Faelands

[Hyacinthus]

"Wha--" Sophie was shocked and thrown off balance by Miersck suddenly leaping into action, taking her by the hand and pulling her away. Her eyes, blinking back tears, could barely believe what they'd just seen-- and as such, weren't sure they actually had. For a moment earlier, there seemed to be... two of Miersck? And then, one of him? She struggled to comprehend what had just happened, stumbling along in a dazed state of mind.

Was that magic? Was it fae magic? Even though tears stung her eyes, Sophie was fairly certain she knew what she saw. It was as if there were two of Miersck, for a time-- and the woman didn't seem to notice the difference. Even now, as they ran, she seemed to be more concerned with the 'other Meirsck' than either herself or the one pulling her by the arm now...

"W-what was that? Miersck..." Sophie's voice, despite her attempted protests, was without any real conviction-- Some part of her knew that on some level, it was wrong of them to use trickery to get out of that situation. But that part of her brain struggled to find the line between what was right, and what she felt right now, as Miersck held her arm and led her away. Had... had he just stood up for her, in his own way?

[visualspice]

Miersck dashed with Sophie into an alley where he suddenly pressed her up against a wall.
"Hold these!" His words were the only warning before he shoved the baked goods into her arms. Then he looked at her firmly, wings pumping frantically and creating hair tossing winds between them.
"Every fly before?"
That was her only warning as he suddenly scooped her up and took flight, grunting with exertion as he struggled to get them as high as he wanted, panting and grunting as he did so. She weighed way more than he anticipated,  but even as he struggled, up, up they went until they were above the buildings and Mierck sought out a comfortable roof where he, gently as he could, landed and set Sophie onto the roof top beside him.

Once the weight was off his arms, he immediately began to rub at their soreness before laughing and peering over the side of the roof. The illusion had faded and the woman was furious, calling for the guards.  But Miersck was all smiles. Apparently it was more difficult for him to be sour when being mischievous.

"That'll show that old toad! Look at her!" He laughed some more before plopping down onto the roof to sit. "That's what she gets for messing with a moth fae!"

And triumphantly he turned to pluck a baked good from Sophie's arms.
"Now we can feast until our bellies are full!"

[Hyacinthus]

Sophie barely had time to think, let alone find her bearings as Miersck pulled her along and brought her to places she'd never been before-- in more ways than one. From the alleyway, to the very skies themselves, to the rooftops above. So much happened in so little time, and the mouse-like girl was only so capable of keeping up with it all, especially given her already clouded mental state.

Miersck was, knowingly or not, doing a lot to help clear that dark fog-- from their close proximity in the alley, to the wonders of being quite literally swept off of her feet. Even now, as she stared almost dumbfounded at how they'd been put into a position to allow them to watch over the admittedly self-inflicted chaos down below, she was less concerned with the older woman, and moreso with her fae companion.

Did he just do that.. for her? The thought began to echo louder and louder in the Sophie's relatively empty head as she quietly stared at the boy, watching his smile... his bright, beautiful smile. Had... had he ever smiled before? It was as if all that was innocent in the world was manifested. Once she realized what she was doing--physically and mentally-- she turned away, heat rising to her ears and face, though she did everything she could to not draw attention to it. "Miersck, that was... I-I'm sorry that you had to experience that." She tried changing the subject as best she could-- for herself more than anything else.

[visualspice]

Only then did Miersck notice a change in his companions disposition.  Then he realized why.
"Here, let me take some of those so you can eat, too." And he used the lower half of his shirt like a basket and scooped up an armful of sweets and dropped them into his shirt, only then did he select a second, victory sweet as he enjoyed the chocolate laced biscuit with a flap of his wings.
"Hey, this one's really good!" And he began to paw through his pile to search for another as he munched.

[Hyacinthus]

Sophie blinked at Miersck's notion-- almost confused as to why he suddenly began taking the baked treats he'd given her back, before she realized the answer was about as straightforward as any answer could've been. And... that was Miersck. Like a lightbulb, the very concept of the moth boy clicked in her head, as if she could see... or perhaps understand him a bit clearer now than ever before. "...Silly," She muttered, before shaking her head and taking one of the baked goods, a small muffin with chocolate chips dotted throughout, and staring at it thoughtfully.

"Most humans are... not quite so confrontational. Hopefully that lady was just, having a bad day or something. Normally I'd recommend that we go and apologize... but it'd probably just make the situation worse." Sophie tried to explain, though she wasn't sure how much of it was actually getting through to the fae's somewhat puppy-like brain as he scavenged for another chocolate treat similar to the one he'd just had. Amused yet empathetic, the mouse girl took a peak down at the few that remained in her own arms, before spotting another and offering it to Miersck. "Here," She said with a warm smile, leaning a bit closer to him inadvertently.

[visualspice]

"Humans...not confrontational?"Miersck made a face, wings bristling. "Are you sure we're talking about the same species? And here I was giving those snakes a chance but nooooo, humans will just be what they always are."

But then his annoyance was taken over by the sudden confection and he nearly ripped it from her hand with a gimme! though the words were simply implied.

[Hyacinthus]

"Th-they can be... sometimes..." Sophie's meek attempts at defending her arguments fell on mostly deaf ears; Miersck was far more preoccupied with the chocolate biscuit than he was with hearing her out, anyway. She didn't hold it against him; the reclusive nature of the Fae wasn't something born of simple folly. Documentation of ages past described how man and Fae used to live in a much more symbolic relationship, before... people did what people always do.

Sophie looked up to the skies and pondered the though for a time. "There are bad people... but there are also good ones. I was... a slave, once. It was mankind that enslaved me, but it was also men that gave me freedom." She furrowed her brow as she thought back to those painful days, but continued on. "I think... I hope, one day you'll meet someone who can do for you what those people did for me, when they set me free."

[visualspice]

Miersck had more or less stuffed the entire second pastry into his mouth and was munching on it when he realized what Sophie was saying, and he blinked and paused in mid-chew, cheeks puffy from their fill.

"You were a slave?" he asked through his food. "That's awful!" He had to swallow it all down in one big gulp. "And you still defend them!?"

[Hyacinthus]

Sophie flinched a bit at Miersck's exclamation— though it was difficult to tell if this was due moreso to his loud voice or the thought that he might choke on the biscuit in his mouth at the sudden revelation. In hindsight, though she mentioned a bit of her past to him earlier (somewhat uncharacteristically of her, at that), she may have neglected to mention a few... minor notes. She took a breath, knowing that what she had to say next might cast her in a sour light of her companion, but resolving to say it all the same.

"Yes... in the north, it's actually a fairly common practice. Anyone that... well, doesn't look like them, might be subject to it. In some cases, even those that do." Slowly, she lifted a pastry-less right hands, and examined it with her eyes as if it were foreign while she continued. "Mages are also not allowed relative freedom there... they're typically rounded up and sanctioned off from the rest of society. I... was raised there. You could call it my home." She explained, a somewhat hurt smile on her face. "I can't help but look back even at those harsh memories somewhat fondly. They're all I have."

[visualspice]

Miersck's face was so skewed it began to hurt. It looked like he was building up some hot air to blow when the look in his eye changed- one to that of realization... connection, laced with fear. His eyes were so expressive, so much more so than any human's, that he couldn't have realized how openly his own internal struggle was on display.

Home... his own home was in danger, a darkness threatening to plaque it as well as...
he felt the alien itch to his arm and turned away, in case the black mark on his flesh was noticeable.

And he couldn't help himself for what he spat out next-

"Not everyone's home is a good home."

There was a rage within his eyes now, those ruby red eyes seeming to boil inwardly as he clenched his teeth. But then he spotted something and his wings tensed a little, and his expression changed to something of reluctance, or perhaps hesitation as he suddenly handed one of the biscuits filled with chocolate.

"Here. Have one. They're really good."

[Hyacinthus]

Miersck's sudden inner turmoil wasn't lost upon Sophie; Rather, she could very clearly see the flashes of emotions far beyond what the mouse girl had begun to perceive him as capable of as she chanced a glance at him after her recollection of past events. "...Miersck?" She wasn't sure if she should've addressed him, given the mood; Her hand hesitated as a result of her senses telling her something was off. What, she wasn't sure-- Miersck kept his cards close to his chest, so to speak, and though Sophie was more or less an open book, she could understand and respect that. But still...

"...I'm sorry. I'm sure that wasn't quite the sort of story you wanted to here." Her apology was less directed in defense of humanity, and more towards herself; an attempt at appeasing the moth-like fae after near-knowingly upsetting him. Deciding to set aside her hesitation for a time, she accepted the chocolate-filled biscuit from him, and after holding it in her hand for a moment, took a small, sampling bite of it. He was right, though Sophie didn't doubt it-- the chocolate wasn't bitter at all. Likely mixed with a bit of honey and milk, to give it a creamy, sweet flavor.

"You're right... not everyone's home is a good home. But we can always do our best to make home a little better than we leave it. That's part of what I do." She explained, finding the strength to smile, if only barely. "I document my research into this land's history-- it's magics, forgotten civilizations, even the inter-relationships between nations. I hope to spread that knowledge to the far corners of the continent-- That there might be some who learn from it, and find a sense of connection with the different peoples and places around them. Maybe... maybe even something as small as that can help make the world a better place."

[visualspice]

Miersck looked rather drenched by her words. He shook his head and turned away.
"Let's.. just not talk about it," he went on, grimacing as he itched idly at the black mark on his arm. Not that it actually itched, but he felt the need to scratch.

He looked a little wilted, and bothered as he avoided her gaze, unsure what to say and suddenly not very hungry. Instead, he stared down at the chaos and gave a light raise of his hand and the illusion vanished, and the next bought of chaos ensued. Although, he was less enthused about it now than he had initially. As a fae, he should have been more giddy.

[Hyacinthus]

As the magicks faded, Sophie watched the onlookers and older woman below descend further into arguments and tribulations. There was an awkward moment of silence between them, one which the mouse-girl wasn't sure how to alleviate; Miersck had gone from mischievous and bemused trickster to looking as though he'd been scolded for his very existence, and she couldn't help but feel responsible for it. If things had gone differently at the bakery stand-- had she not been so passive, or kept a closer eye to him, or explained things better-- Would they still be in this situation?

"...It 'is' a little amusing, isn't it-- like watching a play," She spoke up, trying to lighten the mood for Miersck's sake, though it didn't seem to do much. What should she do? She'd been doing her best not to pry into him-- not to impose. Her hope had been that he'd be more willing to open up to her that way-- but was she going about it wrong? It felt now as if she were further away from him than before.

Unsure of herself and her current situation, Sophie retreated into the only thing she knew she could do right; From a pouch on her waist, she once more retrieved her small, leather-bound book, and began to write in it. Of her day thus far, of Miersck, of what she'd learned of the fae from him... Her mess of thoughts and insecurities, jotted down onto paper.

[visualspice]

Miersck's attention drew to her journal, and he peered over top of her curiously.
"What's this?" He gave a curious poke to it with a finger.

[Hyacinthus]

Sophie had almost gotten herself completely absorbed in her work before Miersck's finger managed to prop her out of it. "Oh, this?" She seemed something entranced, or at least quickly awakening from one; Her concentration on the writings gone (for the time being), she turned her eyes to Miersck against.

"Well, sometimes I write about the most interesting parts of my day, and keep those bits to myself. Things like my new lantern-- and people like you." She gave the moth fae a beaming smile, a bit of blush to her face from her own honesty before continuing. "Sometimes, I find that it's nice to be able to look back and remember how meeting someone or doing something new makes you feel. Sort of like a little reminder that things aren't always bad." The leather-bound diary seemed to show it's age just from the cover it was built with, but the paper within and ink printed upon it was more than legible; It was as if the outside was meant to give the perspective that it was much older and invaluable than it seemed.

"Do Fae write, Miersck? Or read? I don't think I've ever heard of a Fae tome before... or a specific language."

[visualspice]

Miersck looked at the writing strangely.
"You can capture memories with that thing?"
His statement easily answered her last few questions as he looked at her,confused.
"Read? Write? You mean capture memories?" He shook his head. "Not like that.  We just.. remember things with our brains."
Could she not do so?

[Hyacinthus]

Sophie smiled; A helpless smile, but a smile all the same. She wasn't sure what she expected out of the fae, but in hindsight, it made perfect sense that he wasn't particularly versed in scripts and ledgers. It was a very human concept, after all; And fae were uniquely gifted with magics that could tell stories that a normal... well, 'normal' person couldn't without outside help. "I see... That does go some way towards explaining why humans and fae tend not to appear in each other's historical literatures-- or why there are so few historical literatures of the fae in the first place." She put a finger to her chin as she thought through the implications of this, while also trying to keep in mind the more 'humanizing' aspects of such a revelation; Miersck was just one fae, after all. It wasn't right or fair of her to use him as a basis for all fae customs or dispositions. He had his own personal history, upbringing, and cultural nuances, as she was sure all fae tribes did.

Despite that, the turn of the conversation had gone a long way to boost Sophie's mood; It was something she could teach, or at the very least, provide insight into for the moth fae lad, and that made her feel useful... to some degree. "I'm not so sure of how reliable fae memories are-- perhaps you have perfect recollection of events that happened in the past, for example-- But most humans struggle to maintain the accuracy of information in the heads over time... So, with books like these, we 'capture memories' by recording them on paper. Things like conversations, or the weather on a certain day, or rules made by kings and queens from long ago-- We put them on paper so that even if we forget, we can learn or be re-taught that information. That," She somewhat proudly proclaimed, as she twirled her quill in her writing hand, "Is also a part of what I do."

[visualspice]

Miersck still wore an expression that looked like he was constipated.
"And .. you.. enjoy doing this capturing?" He asked, clearly still dumb founded by the idea, but evidently curious as his eyes scanned the page.

[Hyacinthus]

Bemused, Sophie shifted a bit, turning towards Miersck a little and positioning herself so that the two of them could better view the pages she'd been writing in. This little booklet in particular was what she might've considered a diary; Something that contained her own personal thoughts and feelings about the days as they progressed, but for the sake of cultural exchange (and due to her own lack of self-worth) she figured it made no difference if her moth fae companion took a look. Likely he didn't understand the words either way.

"I suppose you could say 'enjoy'... I guess it's better to say it's the only thing I'm good at. Somewhat, anyway." She explained, absentmindedly putting herself down again but moving on from the topic before she could be any more of a downer. Her fingers passed over a line of written text on the open page of the book, where she read aloud for Miersck, "The magicked lantern was the source of the adverse reaction, but open flames in general are capable of causing behavioral changes in some moth fae." Her cheeks went a bit pink at the memory, but she paid it no mind-- trying to instill the idea of the value of paper knowledge to Miersck. "With that, even if I forget-- or someone were to somehow take my memories away from me-- There is an undeniable copy of the truth... or the truth as I understood it at this point in time."

[visualspice]

Her face wasn't the only one to turn pink. He shifted awkwardly.
"That's.   Probably good to know. Fire is... " he shrugged, certain he needn't elaborate.
He blinked and looked at the writing.
"So that's what these strange things indicate? Not a drawing but..." be made a face, lips pursed. "These letters."

He supposed runes were the closest thing he was familiar with like writing, but these seemed more complex. A rune for water looked like.. well water. And typically would be blue.

"What else does it say?" He asked, pressing in close.