Hands deep in the soil and with careful precision, Allison lifted out the mandrake root, grinning at it’s largesse. Most plants she used in her teas didn’t have a long period of growth and were easier to jumpstart. Mandrake roots took years to come to full maturity and if grown too fast, she’d found they were small and misshapen. Aria had also said they didn’t seem as potent as previous mandrake she’d worked with, roots that had a chance to develop over the full three years. It had taken some experimenting but she’d finally found a good balance between letting them mature naturally and boosting their growth. Each batch took her about four months to complete but Aria hadn’t had any complaints about their effectiveness and by the end, they seemed even larger than the ones grown without any help. Wrapping each root individually, she placed them in a small carrying box and headed out the door.
It didn’t take her long to get to Herbs and Hexes. Using her back to push open the door, Allison smiled at the few people she recognised browsing the shop’s shelves and went up to the counter, putting down the box with a relived sigh. “I swear, these roots gain ten pounds any time they’re put into a box. Is Aria in the back?” she asked the young cashier, having not seen the familiar witch out front.
Date: January 13 - 19 (1 day in the Faerielands)
Location: Faerielands
Word Count: 2426
Triggers: None
Summary: Aria and Allison share a drink while contemplating the diminishing population of the Fae @ariafcwn
After separating from August, Aria was feeling very ambitious with her desires to make the most of her time spent in the Faerielands. After all, there was no telling when there would be another time. She made her way to the dessert table and started to eye all the different things she could try. After nibbling absently on a very good pastery, she settled for taking a glass of the shiny champagne and turned to leave. A fae had been approaching the table as Aria turned and knocked over her drink. It spilled all over his suit. “Shit, sorry,” she said quickly. The fae was looking down at his stained ensemble with alarm before glancing up to glare at her. The glare turned into a look of surprise and then a strange sneer. Aria felt herself get on the defensive immediately. ‘Hey, no problem. Not everyday we get to see pretty humans in here.’ ‘Why don’t I show-‘ He took a step too close and Aria stood her ground. With three fingers on his chest, she pushed him away and glared. “Witch,” she interrupted. “Not human. I’m not interested in whatever you have to show.” The man did not enjoy her attitude and opened his mouth to angrily retort, putting up a finger. “Oh, I would think really hard about what you’re going to say next,” Aria interrupted again before he could. ’How dare-‘ “Because the second you smiled like that,” she said a little louder. “I knew I wouldn’t mind causing a scene to embarrass you in front of your fairy friends. We wouldn’t want that, would we?” A handful of fae had turned to witness the drama unfold, especially when Aria begun to project her voice.
Allison was picking at the food table, placing small delicacies on her plate, when nearby raised voices caught her attention. Turning, her mouth dropped open as she saw a beautifully dressed Aria facing off with a peeved looking fae. “Shit,” she muttered, tossing her half filled plate onto the table. Why was she here? And who let her in? And why didn’t they warn her not to annoy the other fae? Sidling up to the witch, she wrapped a gentle hand around Aria’s arm and gave it a warning squeeze. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere - I told you not to wander off.” The male fae took the opportunity to interject, a lascivious smirk on his face. “She’s a pretty little thing isn’t she? Is she yours? Because I’m willing to share if you are.” He winked at Aria. Holding her tongue, Allison straightened her spine and sharpened her tone. “I don’t share. And if you touch her again tonight, I will personally see you can’t touch anyone again for the next century.” Allison began to steer Aria away from the situation and away from the prying eyes of the watching fae. She didn’t let go of her arm until they were well away and tucked into an empty corner.
Aria could immediately tell the fae was fuming at being embarrassed in front of the other faes by a stranger. But despite the situation, the witch did not falter in her sharp gaze or firm stance. Aria heard someone slide up beside her and felt their arms around her back. She was ready to elbow whoever it was when their hand squeezed at her arm and Aria looked beside her to see it was Allison… At least she was mostly sure it was Allison. She looked a lot like she always did but there was something much more ethereal about the emerald glow she had. She looked amazing. And despite herself, Aria was thoroughly relieved and happy to see a familiar friendly face. Her words had Aria grinning. She didn’t argue as her fae friend steered her off in another direction. Casting one last cocky look at the man, she followed Allison until the two were far away and alone. There were still a few lingering looks but at least her friend had picked some where by the large, covering plants. Aria had to resist the urge to take some samples for herself. “Oh my God, Allison. Thanks,” Aria breathed out with a smile. “I was on the verge of punching that guy and that probably wouldn’t have been the best idea…" She let out a small laugh. "I’m surprised to see you here. You look... different.”
“That would have been a very bad idea,” Allison responded and relaxed once it was clear no one had followed them. Crisis averted. “Surprised to see me? I’m surprised to see you! Look at you!” Gesturing to Aria’s outfit, Allison smiled widely. She was still clearly human but only if you looked closely. At a quick glance she blended in well with the rest of the fae. “You look beautiful!” How did she get here? There were only a handful of fae that lived primarily in Ashbourne and she didn’t think any of them would have brought a human in and then just left them to their own devices. Worry crept into her smile and bit her lip nervously, yellow eyes creasing. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see you but why are you here?”
Aria’s smile grew a lot more sheepish as her ridiculous dress was pointed out. “Thanks,” she said half-heartedly. As beautiful and high-quality as she knew the dress was, it made her feel like a different person. At least it was comfortable - she had to give her props to Kolya for that. “I was invited as a plus one with…” She glanced around the area but couldn’t catch immediate sight of August. He was probably mingling and the area was huge. “My friend. Who’s somewhere nearby, probably eating.” She looked back at Allison. A hand waved dismissively. “Don’t worry, we’re fine. A fae named Xander or- er- Vitalis led us in. My friend August has an audience with the High Queen for some reason we don’t yet understand. I came to accompany him and make sure he didn’t get into trouble.”
She wasn’t surprised to hear Vitalis was here but the second name caught her attention. ”August is here? And the High Queen invited him?” Allison parroted the information back, unable to think of anything else. She didn’t know the Queen well but it was odd for her to invite other species into their midst, especially given their fragile status. Absently, she wondered if Dresden had made it as well. This definitely seemed right up his alley. “You seem to be doing a fine job of getting into trouble on your own,” she teased but there was still an undercurrent of worry in her voice. She liked Aria and August and while she would never question the Queen, she didn’t want to see them get hurt. The whole situation made her uneasy. “Come on,” she said abruptly. “I don’t know about you but I need another drink.”
Aria nodded, lips pursed. She looked clearly uneasy with that fact. But while the situation was suspicious, this had been the chance of a lifetime. August would not have passed it up and so it was better they were there together. Besides, she revelled in a new experience that got her out of the town she’d been stuck in her entire life. Sorta. She let out a small, amused scoff at the jest. “I don’t look for trouble, trouble finds me.” It was a joke but she couldn’t claim for it to be completely true. While Aria truly didn’t mean to find real, dangerous trouble - she still seemed to make choices that she knew would lead there. It was a habit. “Ugh, yes, please.” Aria walked alongside her as they made their way to the bar. “So, what is you’re doing here? Do faes have parties like this all the time?” She glanced over at a beautiful plant as they walked. “... And Vitalis said I can’t pick any plants but... would they kill me if I took a leaf or two?” She had so many questions. What did these parties mean? Were they just for fun? Who was the Queen and what was the best way to approaching a conversation with her? Allison was the only fae she was acquainted with. The only one she was willing to trust at least a little.
Leading Aria through the crowd, Allison waved and smiled at a few of the fae she recognized, politely declining their invitations to play with a quick laugh. “Don’t pick the plants,” she warned. “The Queen is earth, much in the same way I am and I highly doubt she would take kindly to someone plucking the decor.” Allison grabbed another glass of wine, the clear crystal sparkling under the lights of the hall. This would be her second of the night - not something she’d usually care about but she was a notorious light weight and knowing that Aria and August were both here made her wary. She didn’t want to be caught off guard if something went wrong. “I’ve been away for a while,” she explained. “Something that’s not exactly encouraged and I just had this gut feeling I should attend. Whether it was because you were here or because of the way things are going in town, I honestly couldn’t tell you.” Taking a deep sip from her glass, Allison surveyed the room over the rim and tried to imagine what it must be like for Aria. Like so many fae, Allison always kept her glamour up in town, dropping it only when she was safely tucked away in her bed. She hardly noticed the drain on her energy and it was only now that she was realizing how alive she felt. “The parties are partly for fun, partly to take stock of how many fae are left. The world is shrinking Aria, even if it doesn’t feel like it in Ashbourne, and we’re running out of room.”
Well, wasn’t she popular. Aria observed Allison interacting with the other fans with a small smile. It wasn’t exactly surprising so many knew her… Allison was just a sweet and genuine soul. Aria felt lucky to have her around the party. It was someone to count on that she actually knew and trusted more than whoever that Xander, Vitalis guy was. Aria could just pout a bit at the idea she wasn’t allowed to take anything with her. But she decided it wouldn’t be a worthwhile risk to take breaking rules in a place she needed help getting out of. “Fine,” she responded. Then she listened and wondered what exactly Allison was thinking. Gut feelings never meant good news for Aria. She thought she’d also felt strange coming into this but also the uncertainty of a new place and creatures she wasn’t too familiar with was natural. She tried to dismiss it all as paranoia and her always strong desire to be prepared for everything. “… How do you mean that?” Aria asked, brows furrowing in concern. “What's going on with the fae right now?”
“We’re dying. Slowly, but it’s still noticeable.” Allison lowered her voice, until the din of the hall practically swallowed her words. It was a depressing truth and Allison had no idea how many of her friends were still left or if their trees had been destroyed. Allison worried her lower lip, hesitant to reveal too much. But if they kept it all to themselves, would they be able to stop anything? Or would they fade from existence without anyone noticing? “As humans continue to expand, they destroy anything in their path. Including our homes.” It was vague but Allison didn’t know how else to explain.
Aria’s eyes narrowed and a strange guilt started to squeeze her insides. Here she was worrying about nothing but her magic and keeping her people safe when there was something like this affecting an entire species of magical beings. She had no idea. In a way, she’d always lived in a sheltered life stuck in Ashbourne where the trees and grass were always green and the flowers blooming. She’d heard about climate issues only through books and internet and seen its real life effect in minimal quantities. It was a horrible thing beyond explanation - one of the shittiest things about the world out there. But now to know it was also killing the fae? “… I’m sorry,” she said, feeling like that was completely inadequate. The words felt meaningless and small compared to what they were for. “That’s not right.” Aria sighed. “Do you know if there’s anything they’re doing to fix it?” Her brow raised. “Anything… the witches can do too? Surely with all these people here they’re figuring something out.”
Aria’s concern brought a soft smile to Allison’s face. What was happening to the fae was awful and she was sure if they reached out to others, there would be people who cared enough to help figure out a solution. There had to be. She wasn’t so beaten down by the world that she had stopped believing in others. “I’m sure the Queens and the courts are working on it. Here and outside of Ashbourne.” It was like an anvil hanging overhead – at some point it would fall, she just didn’t know when. And since no one seemed to be immune from what she’d seen, it was a rallying point for all fae no matter what their status. She had been out of the loop for so long though, that she had no idea what could be done. “I’m not sure. I think it would be worth asking but that isn’t the fae way,” she said, her words undercut by a small amount of bitterness.
Aria smiled half in dark humor, shaking her head. “Not a big fan of some of your people’s customs? I can relate to that.” She sighed and looked out at the crowd. “Hopefully they’re not as stubborn as witches. But if you ever need any help with them...” Aria looked back at Allison. “I don’t really have good ties with my coven anymore, but there are ways of making due. I think if something affects the faes and the world, it’s going to affect everyone else. Who knows? Maybe they can work together.” She offered a smile. “... It's funny to think about it now but you’re really the only fae I know personally. I’m hoping the queen has more in common in you than just being an Earth fae. Maybe we can get along.”
