#earthrunes

"I am the regent here, and spend what time I may... but no. I am going to college in KC, so my mundane lodging is there. August and I were housemates, but he's transferring to a school here. I think he wants to see me with another fae roommate. It'd be less... awkward..."

"The trod to Firnost and back is swift, so we make things work..." A shrug, the gesture flowing from shoulders to wings.

"Oh." her gold eyes flicker "I may have misunderstood your father entirely"

"I've been to Firnost. It's something of a legend to some Dougal. "

"It's... an experience..."

"I don't mind it so much, though the ladies there seem to not understand that a preference is not... an obligation... " A sigh.

"No wonder they tell tales of the water."

"Oh, tell me about it" A sigh

Suddenly her poise slips, not that she was deceiving, but she did lower her guard a touch

She blushes. "Sorry! I grew too familiar there, didn't I?"

"It's as if, because I am interested in women, I must be interested in all off them"

Relief "Precisely! You too?"

"No no, or if you did, I completely understand" She says "yes, I mean, i've tried..ah.. well, there are many nice men, but it's never as... it's not" A light blush "It's the difference between nice and great for me? " Then she goes on "And then there are those ladies that ffigure because I am that way, then I must be interested in them. I admire a nice form. I admire confidence. I have both myself, but goodness... could we get to know each other before you decide I shall be your new tuesday paramour is what I want to tell them? It's presumptive... I mean, 'them' when I say you. In case I need to clarifiy, but yes it can be frustrating."

She nods. "And, well - it may be a matter of court... where passions drive? But I do not wish only casual paramours."

"And I may be a friend, too, without it being more..."

"Exactly, in the long run, it's friendships, not tumbles, that keep us from being truly lonely. You are a beeautiful woman, so I can't blame any one with interests in beautiful women for wanting to get to know you better, but they should try to get to know you better Mmm same thing for me . We deserve interest in what we do, who were are, not just the surface? And the great thing is, friendship allows that, depth mutually explored. Maybe it's not as pulse pouding as.. ah..crafting, but it's ...solid. It's real. It holds the weight of the world back a little, and we all need that. Am I making sense?"

"Too many see only the face, and care not for what's beneath. Now - a Dougal, so what is your craft?"

Those golden eyes light up in delight at the question, "Well, you have my House pegged . Dougals do or they aren't as some say. I'm a gold smith and jeweler. A blind one, when it comes to mortal gold, but that doesn't' stop me. There's a feel, even through the equipment, you know? And I'm not afraid of a little heat. " She goes on "Not in dresses like these, of course, that's asking for burned bustles and combusting sleeves. I have proper work clothes. Oh my best work is with Chimerical gold, I can see that, but I do enjoy both. I've worked in Silver too if you ever need something done in a Liam colors. I could go on for hours about my favorite twists and styles."

"I'd love to see your work! I'm taking a silversmithing class in the fall, and I've done some wire-wrapping... I mostly paint, it's my first love..."

"Well, here," She says reaching to her wrist, she slides off a bracelet "This is one of my earlier works" And hands it to her. It has tiny bumps along the gold. "If you've done wire-wrapping you've already got a good lead ... but each metal has it's own spirit. Gold is King, proud, imperial...but Silver is the queen who whispers in his ear." A chuckle "Now, do .. do you paint in Chimerical paints at all? If so I could see your work"

"Or...better yet, if I'm allowed to touch it? I don't need to see then as much... though what I visualize might not be what you intend..still, one can some times feels the layers, the boundaries"

"I... have a few chimerical works. Mostly mundane, unfortunately... you can touch those, I'm sure.."

"This is lovely, by the way. What does it say?"

"Worthy of Love" A blush "And don't apologize for painting in mundane... the mortals need inspiration, and beauty, more than I do. I get by" A smile then a memory and chuckle "One time, it even turned out to be a blessing to be blind to the mundane. A drunk flasher on the bus, or so the folks near me told me"

"Uhg. Honestly, it's not that I hate men, but... sometimes..."

"Well, there's a reason I do not wish to be with one..."

"At risk of generalizing, at times they have all the subtlety of a mack truck crashing through a wall?"

"Yes, that's about right. And they are often... forward, without invitation." She offers the bracelt back.

Gowdeen takes it back "Yes, there's something to be said for directness, but it can be over done. It's a fine line to walk. of course, we ladies can be forward without invitation too. See that earlier comment about just because we prefer ladies doesn't mean ANY lady. "

"Exactly... You know, there's an alcove I painted - that one IS chimerical. it's in this hold, so I can show you!" Her feathers fluff, happy.

"oh please do. I only used thishold for trod pass before. Now I'm kicking myself for not seeing the sites and sights alike. Is this piece going to typical of your style? I mean, I don't know if you favor realism, impressionism, Abstract or.. well, you know the terms better than I madame artist" She rises eager to see

"Well, typical in a lot of ways I guess... I like a certain level of stylization. I'm more interested in color and texture... and, well, I have a weakness for scale."

"Go big or go home? is that it? " Intrigued

She laughs. "Something like that. I prefer murals. I do a lot of guerrilla art, a way to make the city more glamorous, to inspire passerby..."

"Oh I love those... no one comlains if you run your fingers over it...and sometimes, the artists take the ..texture into acount, at least how it holds the paint, so the feel can vary. Mind you, most of the time I just feel wall, but sometimes, if I enfuse just a bit of glamour into it I can see it with these." she taps her eye "Costly, but it can be worth it. "

"Beauty is always worth it, isn't it?"

"Beauty is life" She agrees

"Exactly. So... down here... and..." A turn, and there - a verdant wall of color splashed against the bricks, framed by an archway.

Within the painted trees - oaks? - stalks a golden lioness, amidst flowers and birds and the hint of blue sky beyond...

"Oh my" Gowdeen pauses "Oh, Deryn. It's...breath taking. I swear I can almost smell the trees .. or at least imagine I do. May I touch it anyway? Lightly?"

"Please. Murals shouldn't be too delicate, you know?"

The Baroness runs fingers along it, gently, and smiles "Oh, do you make your own paints? The texture is actually slightly different for some of these colors"

"Some. I've traded for a few - the pigments can be hard to find, but nockers often mine the dreaming. The blue, for instance..."

"Oh yes... Hardy miners indeed, though not as good perhaps as the Witchel, not that I'd tell them that." She pulls her hands back and goes back to gazing "It's so pretty I might cry. The lioness?"

"Coradel, my soul-mother."

"Ironically, in this life I am older than either of my soul's parents..."

"August said he had a soul daughter, but I didn't realize both... "She admires the lioness "Assuming you like them, you're very fortunate. For all I know, my beloved grandmother is in the body of a 7 year old pitching a fit in some town in Arizona"

She laughs. "Oh, that would be.. well, the whole thing was both surprising and a bit overwhelming. I am a true changeling, while August and Cora are both Arcadian."

"I thought so, there's a..quality about you that I've only sensed in Liam and the few Scathach I've encountered. There are rumors of Autumn Dougal, those few that stayed behind, but the truth is, if there are any, they are rare. Most were slain before they could fully fuse or so it's guessed. Ugly bit of history that" A sigh then "I'm Arcadian myself. But I suppose its all a matter of degrees? "

"It was a difficult time, and few knew what the end result would be. My memories of it are hazy, but I cannot condemn any for leaving or staying, you know? I have met an Autumn Fiona, but only one..."