Curiousity Killed the Fae! (Dimnersti; Private)

[Tiarela Iceglitter]

Cryxatum, Summer, Era II of the Celestine Mandate.
Era XIV Post Fractum, the Second Era of the Regency of Milo L'Evienne.

It had been positively forever and a brightening since she'd seen the citizens of "Aelyria" that weren't pale faced elves, speaking of the patterns of the Fae Kingdom, the reign of someone other than the Queen, of Nortia, the fabeled Wind Spirit. She'd been so far out of touch with this Empire that Tiarela had absolutely no idea as to what had happened to this "Paxia", why it was in ruin, and why the citizens held within looked so desolate. Sad, really, that her first glimpse of life outside the protective shell that was Ethgan'tor would be the wreckage held before her now. A small sigh issued from the pale lips of fae's small frame, as her wings flitted her just close enough to a rock on this eastern edge of some tent-camp to rest her feet. At least it was summer - something the Fae could tell by the warmth being cast her way from above. She shrugged the lithe cloth chained around her neck off her shoulders slightly, letting it fall to her back. How Nortia had this special cloak crafted, if it even really was hers, Tiarela would never know. Fae folks didnt normally wear cloaks, did they? She imagined normal cloth would get in the way of those beating wings of theirs.

Bracing herself with her left hand and falling gracefully down to the rock's smooth surface, Tiarela's miniscule eyes wandered to and from, wavering over the area around her. Desolate people in tattered clothing here, broken paving stones and muddied tents there. She turned her head away from the saddening scenery, out towards the unforgiving sea. "This isn't funny Kaimela!" huffed the tiny fae, and crossed her arms over her knees while she stared, avoiding eye contact with the desperate folk over in the camp. A few other types, here and there moving about. She watched them carefully, trying to see if any of them looked friendly enough to try and explain what exactly happened to this place. Wandering without reason seemed to be Tiarela's agenda for now. Maybe there was something she could do, though! If it was one thing the fae loved, it wasto help people. The Empire, the government.... she'd have none of it, no... Tiarela was not one to enjoy helping through leadership or any of the sort, but the most rewarding thing was to see someone smile because of what she'd been able to help them with! It seemed there were tons of people who could use her help here... But then again she probably couldn't offer the help they needed. No, the fae could not employ them. She couldn't feed them. Clothe them.

Tia huffed once more. It was so hard to tell the difference between dreams and reality sometimes, now what with her being a devotee of the Dream Giver and such. No, she'd not been able to walk through the plane of dreams after that one time in Ethgan'tor's forest... if that had actually been the plane of dreams, and not some intricate illusion concocted by the crazy appiration that had appeared, walked, and spoken with her until she'd appeared at the entrance to the Esh'lahier's city, secluded in the depths of the forest...
In all honesty Tiarela somewhat feared interaction with others again. She had grown accustomed to Ethgan'tor and it's intricate, comfortable population... Seeing the different tones of peach-colored skin, some light, some dark, it bothered her. But what bothered her most was the presence of incredibly dark skinned people. The color of charcoal. Tia shuddered as visions of Keshal rushed back to her. Pulling her knees tighter to herself, she watched the throng of people intently, too skittish to actually go ask them about what happened. After all, it was likely a very sore subject amongst the common bigfolk.

[Dimnersti]

Finding things to occupy your time during the day in paxia was a chalenge to put it lightly, You had brightenings were work piled on as you ran around trying to get everything aranged and done, then cycles would go by between where you did little to nothing. As a result dimnersti had taken to the habit of spending some days out of the city fishing and generaly just occupying himself on or in the water. When in the city he'd taken to using the limited druidic arcana he knew to stimulate the growth of herbs and the like so that he and what others were able to recognize them could add a bit of flavor to their stews, stews made from what was often a rather random collection of ingrediants, what tubors could be found and gatehred, a rabit here or there, fish was always easy, but it did get a tad mundane after a time.

Today was one of those mundane days, a few fish were hanging from a line on a small pack that hung from his shoulder, fishing pole split and tied to th edge with them, there was also a small bundle of plants in the pack as well as a pair of canteens with fresh water, the cities wells tainted with debree and unlikely to produce any potable water for long period. Would just be a bit of broasted fish with the eternal soup that had become his standard while in paxia.

The sight of a fae, perhaps not as unusual as it could be, silrosia being relativly close, though still not a sight you expected to see in paxia, a fae wearing a cloak.. well that was just weird no matter where you were, how exactly did you fly with a cloak? The fact that she had her knee's tucked in close would have caught the attention of anyone who took the time to pay attention as well, Though it was understandable, fae held a close tie to nature, the current suroundings had to be quite uncomfortable for one, they were uncomfortable for dimnersti and he'd been raised in the bleak enviroments of a vyssie city.

"Ah, serale lil miss, do you need any help?" he said in a soft voice bending at the knee's so he wouldn't loom above her as he spoke. Dimnersti had always had a thing for fae, ever since meeting lil aelana, though he always found it kinda hard not to treat them like children, they were just so cute after all.

[Tiarela Iceglitter]

The exact opposite of what she was expecting to happen had just happened. Not only had one of the people that looked like Keshal walked by, he'd actually approached her and now he was talking to her! Oh dear, it was her worst fears come to reality! Keshal had come after her for helping the poor pale elf and he'd found her because she wasn't a cup this time! or... or...
She shut her eyes tightly and tried to pretend for a moment that Dimnersti didn't exist if she couldn't see him. He's not there, he's not there, he's not there!... Okay, maybe he was. It was silly to think that Tia would just "think" Dimnersti away, even if she was such a self-proclaimed awesome Mystic. Slowly the fae opened one eye, then the next and stared at the squatting Vyssie before her. Two wide, deep blue eyes blinked at him in a bit of suprise, unsure of how to respond. Need help? Help with... what? Where did she start? She was in a town she didn't recognize that apparently has seen its fair share of turmoil, on the outskirts of a tent-camp of refugees from said turmoil, it had been probably a couple of eras now since the fae had actually been outside of Ethgan'tor (thanks for the Forest and how it had a mind of it's own!)...

Her lips parted to reply and she loosened her hold over her knees ever so slightly. It was equally hard not to act like a child, considering the childhood of this particular faerie had been snatched away by some crazy awful man that had pulled her into this Empire for "aid". Hmph. What good were bigfolk anyway?! She tugged at Nortia's cloak once more, which the fae had been continually treating like a security blanket and the odd material shimmered in it's night-sky velvety appearance.
"Help..?" she squeaked, slightly nervous to be talking to someone that wasn't a fae or Esh'lahier in quite a number of... however long she'd been in there. "Well, in a sense no and in a sense yes, I guess? I... I just got here, and, well... what... happened? I've been completely out of touch with the 'Empire' for the past... I... don't know how long, I've never been good with the calendar. The last date I remember was... was... well it was summer! I know that. It feels like summer now, too. It was during Era... Ten?" Tiarela sighed and broke eye contact with the Vysstichi. "It's been awhile, hasn't it." It was more of a statement than a question, because the Fae knew times had changed. It was no longer Era Ten, nor was 'Julos the Mad' as she recalled in power. Who was leader of this retched place now, and why did he let this happen?!

"I guess it matters little though," continued the fae as she got to her feet, wings twitching slightly as if they predicted another flight soon. "I've been terribly rude. My name is Tiarela Iceglitter!" She paused to curtsey dramatically in her light blue dress. "I hope I am not interrupting your... plant fishing. It's nice to meet you, Mr..?" The fae had taken notice of the plants, the fishing pole and the water. The way they were tied togther, one could only assume that this Vysttichi was a crazy man and liked to pull plants from the ground with a fishing pole instead of the convential hand-picking way.

She didn't recognize much of the fauna she could see, but now that Tiarela was also a bit more relaxed she was able to take a sniff, she smelt the faint smell of arcana mingled with the drudgery in the city. Peculiar. Did the Vysttichi know some school of arcana? Was he a nasty Dracon Mystic in disguise silently plotting of how to get her comfortable with him only to cook her up in his World-Class Faerie stew? She eyed him carefully. What was he up to, could he be trusted? And why was he using a fishing pole to gather plants, of all things! Obviously the fae could not see the fish, or had overlooked them and assumed the pole and the plants were related in whatever it was Dimnersti was up to. There must be something in the polluted drinking water of this city - the people of Paxia are a bit... off, to say the least.

[Dimnersti]

"Why hello miss Iceglitter, it is a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dimnersti D'rinishad" He said with a slight nod, a bow being a tad clumsy given his current position, and he very well couldn't take and kiss the back of her hand as he would have any other lady. A regretable thing, as she was proving to be a most adorable lil thing.

Her halting comments hinting at her having been out of empire events for the past four era's was.. unusual, particuarly so as he'd missed about the same amount of time himself, last he'd known a dryad had given him a bark bracer and guidance into the city of the esh'lahier. After that, all he really remembered was stumbling back out of the forest and wandering onto town only to relize he'd been gone for neer four era's. He could only assume the esh had tampered with his memory, and needless to say it had left him a lil bitter in regards to the city, though for the most part, he simply pretended it had never happened. Denial was a survival trait he'd mastered hundreds of era's ago.

The comments of time carefully tucked away and forgotten his mind moved to the next bit of curiousity from the lil fae. Plant fishing... what exactly was plant fishing.. perhaps a game? The fae did have a curious culture from what he had seen. "Umm. plant fishing? well whatever that is I can safely say you havn't interupted it. I was just about to head home well, the tent I currently call home... and have a lil something to eat, would you perhaps like a bite while you try to orient yourself? i'v some sweet grass and herbs as well as small bundle of berries from a bush I managed to encourage along a lil, perhaps a bit of tea? he said with a small smile as he slowly plucked a few small raspberries from his pack, though due to the lack of sensation in his fingers and having not looked back he squished htem al il, the juice lightly staining the tips of his gloves as he offered them to the fae. It was a shame to waste them, it had taken nearly a candlemark to encourage the bush back to health, as well as nearly a bucket of water, wich wasn't easy to gather most of the wells broken as they were. It was a gratifying thing to encourage a hint of green health an dnew life into the city, even if you knew it was likely to be picked clean and back to the ragged state you'd found it by the morrow. The herbs were safer, since not many recognized them, and those few that did were a tad more apreciative of the blessings they offered.

In truth he'd been lucky to only spend a couple of candlemarks effort on this small return, other brightenings he'd spent the same amount of effort only to find the soil simply unable to sustain the growth. It would take a long time or at least a great deal of effort to make paxia any sort of green again.

[Tiarela Iceglitter]

After Dimnersti bowed, the fae was able to see the fish that were also tied to the line. Her eyes widened as she realized that he wasn't as crazy as she'd first thought him to be. The Vysstichi was simply a fisherman, and also gathered herbs to flavor the seemingly dull taste fish tended to have to them. How charming! Perhaps not all Vysstichi were like Keshal after all. For some reason, fishing made Dimnersti seem a bit more... civil? Something like that. As he offered the berries to her, Tiarela extended a small hand to receive them and noticed they had been squished. Well, finesse was generally something left to girls, and faeries at that. She giggled at him audibly and shrugged her shoulders, then responded.
"Something to quell the rumblings of my tummy would be great actually, having been disoriented for quite some time I haven't given much thought to actively seeking food unless my stomach demanded I do so, you know?" It struck her as odd, though, that the dark skinned elf had used the words 'I managed to encourage along.' The fae wrinkled her nose at him. Was he a botanist? Or was the slight tingling of Arcana she could sense with her little fae senses coming from him, a possible druid?

Stretching the muscles that connected to her wings slightly, the fae bent her legs and pushed against the rock's surface to spring into the air as gracefully as all creatures able to fly innately do. "So you know a lot about plant life, eh? Interesting I must say, to be able to find such greenery in an area so devoid of it like this city. You must have a knack for fauna? I didn't think many..." she paused. What was the correct term here? She didn't want to offend the seemingly nice big person by insulting him or his race. How to put it? "...Bigfolk paid much attention to nature anymore, unless they spent all their time in gardens, on farms or were Druids." Yes, that was the right way. Perhaps now Tiarela could get him to fess up to what he was! Her fae senses, after all, were probably damaged in Ethgan'tor and it's highly magical properties. Being exposed to such Arcana for such a long time threatens to damage such abilities to detect it, and so it was likely that Tiarela was sensing things that weren't there, and dull senses were responsible for it.

The fae flitted up closer to Dimnersti and peered at him a bit more closely, waiting."Well, Mr. Dimnersti... lead the way!" Perhaps over a "little something to eat" she could get him to explain more of what happened to Paxia, if he knew... and what was going on right now that was preventing all these people from living in their big-people houses, sitting at their big-people tables and doing their big-people things. It was peculiar, really, and the fae didn't know quite what to make of it. The whole area was kind of rank with devestation though, and as such the fae felt a bit sad. She enjoyed helping, but with a problem she didn't understand that seemed so large, Tiarela wouldn't know where to even think of beginning.

[Dimnersti]

A small gesture, his hand brushing breifly through the air near his shoulder he turned to lead the way to the small tent that was his home while he struggled away at what little work he could within the city. "Well, you'r apt to find greenery everywhere you go, the forests, the sea, even the cold stone tunnels of my birthplace. Heck there is even that wich thrives when presented with the slow flows of molten stone in aslans forge. Carmelya holds dominance over all things and her gentle touch can be found within all of them." he said smiling, his voice low and soothing so as not to hurt the tiny ears of the small fae who fluttered near the spot he'd gestured to earlier.

"Though thats not to say it thrives within the city. Even without the cobles and constant trafick to hold it down as it did when the city was in its full, it has much to contend with. So sometimes it needs a small 'nudge'. sadly, my druidic skills are lacking, so the best I can do is encourage along smaller plants that may be of use to those within the city." he added thoughtfully as he turned down another street to head down into the tent camp. People stared, a vysstichi and a fae, who wouldn't, but mostly he ignored it, half of these people had seen him every day for a cycle at least, but still they stared, what else were they to do, the city offered precious lil other diversion, the gossip flowing around the camp was almost obscene in its simplicity and sheer magnitude.

Moving a lil along the path it occured to dim, he'd not interacted with many fae, did they even eat meat? he couldn't realy imagine they did the small creatures being so much a part of nature "Would you have any prefrences miss iceglitter, I'v a relative knowledge of cooking so should be able to manage anything ismple you may prefer. Though my ingrediants are admitedly limited. I could manage a simple stew, perhaps a salad, steamed vegetables, fish cooked any number of ways. If your going to be my guest I should try to make it as to your tastes as I can manage should I not." He said as he breifly took mental inventory of what he had available so he could respond to any request she may make