journal 🔶 psa from a former fairy

[noblegarnet]

[Ferran isn't unaware of how these journals work, but he's still working out what pages are "public" and which are for his own private use.

Thus, one evening, a sketch of a building slowly comes together, distinguished by its tall stone towers, walls topped with battlements, wrought iron fences, and a large courtyard. The artist pays special attention to the detailing in the texture, making it easy to imagine what materials the imposing place might be made of. To those familiar with the city of Aefenglom, it's clearly a representation of the Coven.

After he's done, he writes in neat print:]

Don't trust the Fae. Whatever else I've forgotten, I know that much.

Comments

[thousandcraneswish]

[ Don't trust the Fae? She is unfamiliar with that term but the bitter sorrow from memory loss is something she understands. It gives her a reason to try out her own journal as well. Her reply is short, tentative, as she carefully chooses her words and they are translated to the universal language with each stroke. ]

I am sorry that you have lost pieces of your memory, and I hope you find a reason to trust again.

[A moment later, another message appears. ]

Who are the Fae?

[noblegarnet]

[Although Ferran has some hope that he'll regain what he's lost—details are becoming clearer day by day, after all—he has his doubts that magical creatures like these will ever prove to be trustworthy. It's such a strong feeling he has about it... something must have proven it to him a number of times.

Being thrown halfway across town by one of those elephant rats hasn't done much to improve his grudge, either.]

Fae are magic creatures, like fairies and those talking animals. Tricksters at best. They don't blink an eye at using anyone for their own amusement, and you don't want to be indebted to one.

[thousandcraneswish]

[ Chizuru is instantly reminded of Kazama and her brother with his description, and her heart clenches a little, wondering if demons are the same as the Fae to him. But then, Sen-chan's smiling face enters her mind. She hesitates, not wanting to start a fight but Sen-chan is her friend. And when they're both in a magical dream realm like this, staying quiet seems to be the worse option. ]

I might not know people who have called themselves the Fae, but some of your descriptions seems similar. And, not all people like that are the same. There are some that think like that — those that don’t know any better — but there are others who are different. Who are kind.

I'm sorry you were taken advantage of and can only see the painful side of such existences.

[noblegarnet]

Think what you want, but don't try to convince me. This isn't a surface judgment.

[Sorry, Chizuru. He's got... a pretty strong feeling about it, and one that's based on experiences that are more personal than even he can guess at yet.

Maybe at some point, after he remembers that he was one of those fairies, he'll realize that his hate of the Fae is tied into his hatred of himself. But that's a long way off.]

It would just be a waste of your time.

[thousandcraneswish]

I understand. I'm sorry for intruding and bringing up bad memories.

[ Chizuru nearly closes her journal there, not wishing to delve deeper into a subject of hate about magical kind, the kind that destroyed her family — even if she doesn’t have many memories of that time in her life. But then again, she has to wonder if staying quiet, if being unable to act, had condemned her father and brother as much as the war that had put them all in that position? After another minute, she picks up her brush again. ]

So far, the creatures here have been quite friendly. I won’t try to change your mind with my experiences, but it would be sad to hide away from this world and have no control over your life.

[ She pauses. ]

This is only a small observation. Forgive me if I have misspoke. I mean no harm.

[noblegarnet]

I'm not upset. I'm just being honest.

[He certainly could have made his wording less blunt, but he's lost so much of the energy he'd used to dedicate to that sort of thing. He is, however, a little annoyed at the idea of being lectured over it. Still, his strokes come at the same pace as before.]

I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that my feelings about this mean I somehow have less control, or that I'm hiding.

[In his life back home, sure, he has no control—he wouldn't argue against that. It's not because of his caution of the Fae, though.]

[thousandcraneswish]

[ Chizuru winces and nearly drops her brush before recalling that she is alone in her new house instead of talking to this person face to face. If she were not, she'd be tempted to bow while apologizing for misstepping. It wouldn't be the first time she's misunderstood the situation at hand.

She tries to correct her errors with her next entry. ]

I apologize, sir. I only meant that fear often clouds people's minds. It isn't easy to see the full picture if you're hurt or emotional. But perhaps, I am speaking more from my experiences than your own. Please forgive me for my oversight.

[noblegarnet]

[There does seem to be some projection, Ferran notes, as if he is not massively projecting, himself... but the apology does enough to dull his irritation into exasperation.]

It's fine. Just be careful, okay?

[Regardless of how nice they appear to be—and honestly, even if he didn't feel any particular way about Fae—it's better not to just trust these strange magical creatures with no hesitation, he thinks. Normal people can be bad enough, but beings with that kind of power are a different kind of risk entirely...]

[thousandcraneswish]

[ Chizuru breaths out and wipes her brow, more from habit than anything else. If she were arguing with anyone back home, she'd usually retreat to the well after. It was the most peaceful location at the headquarters and easiest place to gaze at the stars after. Maybe after this, she will sit outside of the treehouse for a bit. ]

I will be, but I hope you will give the place a chance.

[noblegarnet]

I'm more than fine with the place itself, honestly. [Despite all its missing amenities as of yet.] And the actual people here seem nice enough.

[Hell, even the ones who initially got off on the wrong foot with him apologized almost immediately, and now Chizuru has added herself to that list. Sadly, though, he is not quite soft enough to admit on a public forum to already feeling deeply about some of his friendships here, whether new or carried over from another world.]

I'm not planning to be miserable, either. Just cautious.