[ Juniper, girl, hold onto your pants because you're about to discover nachos.
And true to her word, Juniper emerges into the banquet hall soon enough; she'd been hanging out inside her room, anyway. When she spots V, she simply walks up to him and gingerly plucks a nacho up from his plate. ]
[V's already seated by the time she finds him, his cane leaning against his chair. On the table in front of him rests an almost comically large plate of nachos, so he’s hardly bothered when she swipes one — there’s plenty more where that came from, not to mention they can always go back for more.]
[Given that V's diet has been relatively abysmal so far, if only out of chance more than concentrated effort, he might actually introduce her to Doritos one day...
But for now, her reaction is amusing as it often is, and he motions over to where there's a whole self-serve nacho set-up over yonder within the banquet hall.]
It's one of the better things I've eaten. Grab yourself a plate and join me. You can put as much cheese as you like on it, apparently.
[It's fine. His nachos are loaded up, too, and he's munching away, one by one, in between her trek to get herself a plate and now. It's easy to feel overly hungry when one forgets to eat throughout the day.]
Hm? [Ah, she forgot again. Well. Nachos are distracting.] Oh, your wild magic. How it works...?
[ She cups her chin thoughtfully. He's not from their world, so she can't just get away with talking about the Feywild when the name might not mean anything to him, so... ]
Hmm. When I was little, I, um... Was trapped in a different plane for a while. We call it the Feywild, the Plane of Fairies. It's a place that's full of magic! So when I was rescued by my guardians, they figured that the Feywild's magic kind of... stuck with me. I mean, with more than just my ears.
[The idea of different planes is not wholly outlandish to V. In his little corner of the universe, both the human world and underworld exist. And the veil between them isn't always as... study as it should be.
So he accepts the idea of a Plane of Fairies with ease, though he shows interest enough, wondering what sort of place it is -- what it must like to be trapped there.]
[ Juniper is quick to shake her head at that, and it's with a bit of a sheepish smile that she answers: ]
Nope! I'm actually an elf... I kind of remember that the almiraj changed my ears after a while. I think... It was soft of... a gift from them, for going to play with them so much...?
[ The aforementioned ears twitch a bit. Her lips press into a thin line as she idly fusses over her nachos. Her memories of her time in the Feywild feel like such a huge question mark sometimes, but that is one that she remembers with a touch more clarity than others. But oh, right— ]
Almiraj are fey rabbits. They're extra fluffy and have a horn like a unicorn's!
[As though that explains everything. Though to be fair to Juni, it does, in a way. V might not know what "Fey" really means in the context of her world, but he's read enough literature in his time, in his universe, to know that one should expect magic, mischief, and mishaps regarding the term.]
It sounds like, despite being trapped, your time there wasn't all that terrible.
[He's fishing, just a little. Was it more fraught than just playing with creatures that granted her rabbit ears in lieu of her elvish ones?]
[ V has gone fishing, and Juniper is just a silly little bunny with a goldfish brain. Because... He's right, in that for all of the bad things she remembers about the Feywild, there were some bright spots, too. She remembers some of the vivid, lush, vibrant sights and whimsy of it, just like she remembers... well. ]
Um... I suppose when I say "trapped," I really mean... I was being held captive there. By a coven of hags who were going to devour me. It was my guardians who rescued me from them.
[Ah, that wasn't hard to unveil. Then again, Juniper doesn't seem the sort to keep secrets. The kind of young woman that wears her heart on her sleeve.]
Hags that were going to devour you.
[How pleasant. How very demonic-sounding.]
But these hags granted you the leeway to play with the local wildlife, too. [Implying that she was kept there for a while, he assumes? That they didn't snatch her up and try to eat her immediately.] Were they hoping to fatten you up first before eating you? Lucky for you and your guardians they weren't in a hurry.
[ Indeed, these were the sort of hags to lay out a long, elaborate plot - to let things marinate, so to speak, so that all the pain and suffering their will rend from their victims in the end will be all the more savory.
Juniper offers an uneasy little laugh. Because V is probably right about all of that. ]
I, um... That was probably it. It's not like I got to ask them, or even if I did, I probably wouldn't remember.
[ ... ]
A lot of people who come out of the Feywild don't remember anything about their time there. And some people come out like... It's been years for them, but it's only been a few hours in the Material Plane, or the other way around. I came out with these almiraj ears, the Feywild's wild magic, and really unreliable short-term memory!
[Ah. V munches on another nacho, then another, as she explains further.]
In that case, I'm sorry for being blunt about your memory before.
[For that was not just Juniper being, well, air-headed that lent her a trait of forgetfulness. It was a result, among many things, of her being trapped in a strange realm, in the custody of hags that wanted to eat her. Eventually.
Not an ideal situation to be in, despite her bubbly demeanor.]
And so the Feywild's magic remains with you to this day. Ever unpredictable.
No, it's alright! Honestly, even without that magical stuff gong on, I'd probably still be pretty dim!
[ Confidently. Surely the magical memory loss doesn't help, but who's to say, really? ]
But... yes. That's exactly it, about my wild magic. These sort of random magical occurrences happen a lot in the Feywild, but for me it comes out when I'm... Well, mostly when I'm really upset or angry.
[Calling herself dim? V's surprised by her candid nature. Or maybe her own self-awareness, which is often proof of someone who isn't as dim as they'd think?]
Or in the middle of battle. As was the case when we sparred, correct?
[You know what? He can't even look dubious. V enjoys a good fight, too; maybe a little too much, even if this body can't really perform as well as he's used to. Battle rage? "Hehe"? That's a mood.]
...You returned? [After being trapped and held captive by hungry hags?] What for?
[ Hold, please, she's munching on a particularly cheesy nacho... But more importantly, she needs a moment to think about her answer. Her lips press into a thin line, her countenance thoughtful and a bit subdued compared to her usual sunshine. ]
Mmm... I've always wanted to go back. Like you said, there were times in that place that were... nice and happy!
[ A beat, as she considers whether to add this or not, but ultimately she always wants to tend towards honesty, and so: ]
And... sometimes I can hear this laughing in my head that reminds me of those times. Lately, they've been sounding less... fun, though - so I started wondering if I should return in case that... changed something, you know? Like maybe if I went back, my memory would be less spotty, or I'd have better control of my wild magic...
[Happy memories in spite of it all. He can understand that, too.]
So it's still like home to you, in a way. Happy memories and not-so-happy ones. I understand. I have places like that, too.
[The rest, though, is a little more worrisome. Less sentimental.]
But this laughing, if it sounds ominous, then... I do wonder if something has changed. I suppose you wouldn't know unless you decided to return. That, or choose to wonder for the rest of your life. And you hardly seem the type.
[ She nods, and she's easily reminded of the last time she saw Declan before he disappeared, before she ran away. He had urged her to think about what would happen if she didn't follow the urge to return to the Feywild. She... She didn't want to be keep wondering, anymore.
"You should follow your heart, Junebug."
And so she did. And what she's learned... ]
I went to this fey carnival called the Witchlight Carnival that was coming through our plane... I knew I would be able to find a way into the Feywild from there. But what I learned... I couldn't help but wonder if I was being drawn there somehow. There's another coven of hags called the Hourglass Coven that's been using the carnival for a long time now for their evildoing!
So my new adventuring friends and I are going to beat the coven someday and bring the old Archfey back, and save the carnival and that little corner of the Feywild and all the fey who live in it!
[ She continues to look solemn, though this time determined, too. ]
But - ah, you said... You have places like that, too..?
[Oh. That's quite an adventure she's being drawn to -- and a perilous one, too. But there's something about Juniper's determination that makes him think she'll just be fine. She's with friends, isn't she? She can protect them as well as she protected himself and Declan in the dungeon. They're all in good hands.]
And in doing so, you may unearth a few more answers to your questions. Hags really are bad news in your world, aren't they?
[But her question causes him to shrug, picking up another nacho.]
Places of happy memories... and sepulchral ones, too. Yes. My old family home, where I spent a portion of my childhood. It's nothing but ruins now, but it's connected to fond experiences that I'll never forget. Still, we all hold a place in our hearts for nostalgia, don't we?
[ Huh... Special... Sepuchral... Tomato tomahto? He sure pronounced it in such a weird, fancy way? ]
Ah... So something happened to your old home..? I'm sorry, V. But, um... The special memories are still there in your heart, so...
I think I understand. For me, too, it's... I don't really remember anything from my life before I got whisked away into the Feywild anymore, so it's kind of... All I have from my earliest memories, you know?
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If you're not busy right now, maybe I can tell you more in person...
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[ Juniper, girl, hold onto your pants because you're about to discover nachos.
And true to her word, Juniper emerges into the banquet hall soon enough; she'd been hanging out inside her room, anyway. When she spots V, she simply walks up to him and gingerly plucks a nacho up from his plate. ]
Oooh... Cheesy!
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And crunchy, too.
[He waggles a hand blithely.]
Give it a try.
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[ She didn't know such a combination could exist... Won't somebody please introduce her to doritos...!
But with his blessing, Juni pops the cheesy nacho into her mouth. ]
Mm... Mmm...!! S'good!!
[ Dear diary: today I discovered a new culinary treasure. ]
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But for now, her reaction is amusing as it often is, and he motions over to where there's a whole self-serve nacho set-up over yonder within the banquet hall.]
It's one of the better things I've eaten. Grab yourself a plate and join me. You can put as much cheese as you like on it, apparently.
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[ Excuse her as she hops off and then comes back shortly with a plate full some loaded nachos.
... She's hungry. In fact, it's not for another few chips in that she chimes back up with: ]
...What was I supposed to come and tell you about, again...?
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Hm? [Ah, she forgot again. Well. Nachos are distracting.] Oh, your wild magic. How it works...?
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[ She cups her chin thoughtfully. He's not from their world, so she can't just get away with talking about the Feywild when the name might not mean anything to him, so... ]
Hmm. When I was little, I, um... Was trapped in a different plane for a while. We call it the Feywild, the Plane of Fairies. It's a place that's full of magic! So when I was rescued by my guardians, they figured that the Feywild's magic kind of... stuck with me. I mean, with more than just my ears.
[ She didn't always have rabbit ears! ]
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So he accepts the idea of a Plane of Fairies with ease, though he shows interest enough, wondering what sort of place it is -- what it must like to be trapped there.]
You weren't born with those ears?
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Nope! I'm actually an elf... I kind of remember that the almiraj changed my ears after a while. I think... It was soft of... a gift from them, for going to play with them so much...?
[ The aforementioned ears twitch a bit. Her lips press into a thin line as she idly fusses over her nachos. Her memories of her time in the Feywild feel like such a huge question mark sometimes, but that is one that she remembers with a touch more clarity than others. But oh, right— ]
Almiraj are fey rabbits. They're extra fluffy and have a horn like a unicorn's!
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[As though that explains everything. Though to be fair to Juni, it does, in a way. V might not know what "Fey" really means in the context of her world, but he's read enough literature in his time, in his universe, to know that one should expect magic, mischief, and mishaps regarding the term.]
It sounds like, despite being trapped, your time there wasn't all that terrible.
[He's fishing, just a little. Was it more fraught than just playing with creatures that granted her rabbit ears in lieu of her elvish ones?]
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Um... I suppose when I say "trapped," I really mean... I was being held captive there. By a coven of hags who were going to devour me. It was my guardians who rescued me from them.
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Hags that were going to devour you.
[How pleasant. How very demonic-sounding.]
But these hags granted you the leeway to play with the local wildlife, too. [Implying that she was kept there for a while, he assumes? That they didn't snatch her up and try to eat her immediately.] Were they hoping to fatten you up first before eating you? Lucky for you and your guardians they weren't in a hurry.
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Juniper offers an uneasy little laugh. Because V is probably right about all of that. ]
I, um... That was probably it. It's not like I got to ask them, or even if I did, I probably wouldn't remember.
[ ... ]
A lot of people who come out of the Feywild don't remember anything about their time there. And some people come out like... It's been years for them, but it's only been a few hours in the Material Plane, or the other way around. I came out with these almiraj ears, the Feywild's wild magic, and really unreliable short-term memory!
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In that case, I'm sorry for being blunt about your memory before.
[For that was not just Juniper being, well, air-headed that lent her a trait of forgetfulness. It was a result, among many things, of her being trapped in a strange realm, in the custody of hags that wanted to eat her. Eventually.
Not an ideal situation to be in, despite her bubbly demeanor.]
And so the Feywild's magic remains with you to this day. Ever unpredictable.
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No, it's alright! Honestly, even without that magical stuff gong on, I'd probably still be pretty dim!
[ Confidently. Surely the magical memory loss doesn't help, but who's to say, really? ]
But... yes. That's exactly it, about my wild magic. These sort of random magical occurrences happen a lot in the Feywild, but for me it comes out when I'm... Well, mostly when I'm really upset or angry.
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Or in the middle of battle. As was the case when we sparred, correct?
[Oh, so does that mean-]
Like... a battle rage? A battle mania?
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[ ✨ hehe ✨ ]
Though a lot of those magical effects... They're new to me, too! I think going back into the Feywild must have triggered something...
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...You returned? [After being trapped and held captive by hungry hags?] What for?
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Mmm... I've always wanted to go back. Like you said, there were times in that place that were... nice and happy!
[ A beat, as she considers whether to add this or not, but ultimately she always wants to tend towards honesty, and so: ]
And... sometimes I can hear this laughing in my head that reminds me of those times. Lately, they've been sounding less... fun, though - so I started wondering if I should return in case that... changed something, you know? Like maybe if I went back, my memory would be less spotty, or I'd have better control of my wild magic...
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So it's still like home to you, in a way. Happy memories and not-so-happy ones. I understand. I have places like that, too.
[The rest, though, is a little more worrisome. Less sentimental.]
But this laughing, if it sounds ominous, then... I do wonder if something has changed. I suppose you wouldn't know unless you decided to return. That, or choose to wonder for the rest of your life. And you hardly seem the type.
So did you learn anything?
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"You should follow your heart, Junebug."
And so she did. And what she's learned... ]
I went to this fey carnival called the Witchlight Carnival that was coming through our plane... I knew I would be able to find a way into the Feywild from there. But what I learned... I couldn't help but wonder if I was being drawn there somehow. There's another coven of hags called the Hourglass Coven that's been using the carnival for a long time now for their evildoing!
So my new adventuring friends and I are going to beat the coven someday and bring the old Archfey back, and save the carnival and that little corner of the Feywild and all the fey who live in it!
[ She continues to look solemn, though this time determined, too. ]
But - ah, you said... You have places like that, too..?
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And in doing so, you may unearth a few more answers to your questions. Hags really are bad news in your world, aren't they?
[But her question causes him to shrug, picking up another nacho.]
Places of happy memories... and sepulchral ones, too. Yes. My old family home, where I spent a portion of my childhood. It's nothing but ruins now, but it's connected to fond experiences that I'll never forget. Still, we all hold a place in our hearts for nostalgia, don't we?
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Ah... So something happened to your old home..? I'm sorry, V. But, um... The special memories are still there in your heart, so...
I think I understand. For me, too, it's... I don't really remember anything from my life before I got whisked away into the Feywild anymore, so it's kind of... All I have from my earliest memories, you know?
What was your house like?
do not perceive me, anna
i unperceived myself, apparently
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