socialcapital | [ JACKSON HEART ]

It's the meaning in this one I'd like to keep.

Ms. Saida, strange as what I'm asking may be -- do you have any shed feathers I might take with me? I confess I know very little about how your transformations function, so please excuse this request if it's contrary to your cultural norms.

She pops out of Firuz's shirt, shifting smoothly back to human as she does.

"No, it's fine, I have tons of feathers. Here, this one was loose..."

She runs a hand through her hair, shaking it, and pulls a loose reddish-brown feather out, holding it out for Satin.

You honour me. Truly.

[He takes it with care, setting it on the table while he uses a handkerchief to clean and dry the cup.]

A cup from the tent of a savvy merchant who's truly come into his own, leading a life that's beholden to none and able to walk any path he could choose. Still holding the scent of fine tea, and the memories of being able to choose who he interacts with, and when. Negotiation, conference, planning, business, or even the simple pleasure of working with others nearby.

And a feather from the Lunar who has been a friend and companion, someone you trust in a way I have seen you trust no other. And whose spark has not just met yours in this incarnation, but who has crossed paths with you before, and who will do so again -- incarnation after incarnation, in a span of time that will make even the longest of lifespans seem small.

Saida looks DELIGHTED by this interaction, looking back and forth between Satin and Firuz like HELLO???

Firuz looks tsuntsun flustered in the way that people who simply have no defense against people who earnestly like them do.

"You are ridiculous."

[He stage-whispers to Saida:]

For clarity, I have previously expressed to your companion that I hope to court him. While he has not accepted my suit, he has yet to outright reject it, either.

Should we ever meet fully in person, I hope also to ask for your blessing.

"OooooOOOOOOoo~ not being outright rejected is exciting! Does Sky know? Sky should know. Firuz, tell Sky so she stops trying to matchmake you."

Firuz just. Face in hands.

He hasn't had the opportunity to tell anyone. That isn't reticence -- truly it's no fault of his at all. The situation we met in has been complicated, and that complication has only increased.

From this point in time, you could say that I'm a part of his "future". One that has taken place far from Creation, in a world that plays by different rules. And in that world, both he and I lived lives that had no memories of the people we'd been. All we kept was our names, locked away secretly in our hearts.

That parallel self only recently returned to being a Solar, and even now can only access a fraction of their original strength. The same has been true for me and my true nature. We are doing what we can, but until the quest we are on comes to its end, the chances of him being able to contact anyone from your world are slim.

... and when that time comes, I can't tell you if only minutes will have passed from your perspective, or whether it will have been years.

"Hm, well... okay! He's in another realm, that's fine. It's not much different from him being in Heaven or the Underworld or in Malfeas or in the Wyld or... y'know! Whatever!"

Very much like that. He is doing well -- healthy and sheltered and well-fed, and surrounded by people very determined to see that no permanent harm comes to him.

[He stands, taking the feather and placing it within the cup.]

Speaking of which, I should be on my way. Whatever circumstance led to me being here still needs to be resolved. And I'm barely halfway through finding my way to the end of it, if that.

"Okay! Travel safely!"

"... Probably everyone left over isn't... as difficult to talk to."

If I have made even the smallest of differences here, the time will have been worth it.

[He bows, polite.]

Firuz. Ms. Saida. It has been my pleasure.

Saida waves on behalf of both of them because Firuz is being tsundere.

"I'd say 'visit anytime', but I get the feeling that's like... not... a thing! But in spirit! Byeee!"

Fare well.

[He nods, taking the cup and feather and departing for the world outside the tent, leaving Firuz with the remains of his pride and at the mercy of whatever interrogations or teasing might follow.]

The sound of Saida bullying him fades gently into the background as he leaves.

[It's good for him.

He does pause to look longingly at the soup tent... but he has what he came for, and he's caused more than enough of a disruption here already. More, at this point, might very well be too much.

He turns away, heading back to the streets, and the paths beyond.]

As before, the garden stays exactly as it was; the sun hasn't moved, and no stray breeze has moved a leaf onto any path.

[Of course nothing is out of place. If Harmonious Song is the one who remains at the core of this nexus, her aesthetics no doubt hold some sway over how it presents.]

"Supreme perfection", wasn't it?

I can't say it would be my own inclination, but I do appreciate the commitment.

[He places the teacup and its feather in the gate's second divot, beside the rough, misshapen bowl and its fruit.]

"Hm?"

Harmonious Song looks up, a bit curious.

The teacup and feather glow a steady, sparkling gold and silver respectively.

[He nods to her, the same polite gesture he gave to Saida and Firuz.]

It was a moment of my own musings.

I've been told that your patron's domain was supreme perfection. The aesthetics of this garden mimic that -- I wondered if that might be your influence, with the time you were able to have to develop your own environments, or whether it was an echo of that divine inclination.

"Oh. Hm. Well... I suppose you could say the divinity had a little bit of an influence on it... but designing and maintaining it was all him. Normally, this part is very deep inside, though! All of us included."

Truly?

[He takes another glance around -- looking for any parallels to the plants of that long-lost greenhouse. And also maybe ferns.]

I... feel as though I should apologize for intruding. I'd mistaken this for a less guarded place, not for one that was more.

"It's not deep because it's vulnerable."

Upon closer inspection, this is a very well-tended garden; rather than everything just naturally growing perfect, there are little signs everywhere that someone has been working very hard to maintain it. Bent stems are propped up with little stakes rather than removed entirely, and anything spaced evenly does betray some signs that it was carefully measured out at one point. Rather than something inherently perfect it seems like something that someone worked very hard to present as perfect.

Some of the flowers are from Creation; some are from Estoria, and there's a decent amount of low-lying ground cover like ferns arranged in a pleasing way.

[Oh no. His eyes go all soft, looking that over.]

Still. When I have the chance to talk to him again personally, I will do so.

I'm not unfamiliar with plants, or with gardening. And he's put a great deal of work into this.

"I'm sure he'll understand, but I can only encourage speaking with him about it."

I can assure you I will.

[He looks to the remaining two paths.]

Though, if you will pardon me yet again, I'm interested to see whether this bowls-and-things-within-them theme will continue to play out.

Re: [ STONE ]

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Re: [ STONE ]

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