eilonwyj

[eilonwyj]

[eilonwyj]

1001 Nights (1998) dir. Mike Smith, art: Yoshitaka Amano

[eilonwyj]

her dark eyes glittered in the night, the way they completely covered the whites of her sclera engulfed completely before retracting back to something more human looking at sensing the young woman's fear. eilonwy hadn't meant to frighten her, hoping the smile on her face cut through the low light and identified her as friendly. "it is easily done, after a while, the woods do just appear the same," the fae spoke back, stepping towards helen, basket on her hip.

"i hadn't realised how late it was myself," a lie, eilonwy was aware of the time and still decided to stay out past it. it didn't look as if she would be doing that today, knowing that she must guide the lost human back to civilisation.

"come, we must walk together, you can share my light," the light itself was just a firefly she had imbued a little fae magic into, so it could burn bright enough to fashion as a natural torch.

"i promise i don't bite. my name's eilonwy,"

Helen was lost, wandering around the woods and unsure in which direction she had come earlier in the afternoon with her trusty bag stuffed with a thin blanket on which she had sat and tried to remember how to draw. Finding herself home alone in this weather wasn't something she found herself enjoying as much as she had last summer when she had been getting used to the idea of being here. So she had gone out with the afternoon sun, taken a bottle of water with her and wandered. She had bought the sketchpad weeks ago but had been keeping it empty on the table. Alexander had approved of her new hobby as in his mind it was one that required solitude. And Helen did like that part of it too. She had wanted to get away from people and had taken the path towards Babbling ranch, hoping to catch some wild flowers to draw with her simple black pencil, hoping also to get around to buying a paint sometime soon.

But Alexander had drank too much of her before leaving at midnight and though she had slept for twelve hours she had found her eyes heavy and had fallen asleep on the blanket, waking up as something crawled on her face, making her tickle and she suddenly got up.

In the middle of the night the woods didn't seem friendly at all and she could not possibly find her way to the path without being able to see around her, the moon not at all bright tonight. And this is how she was found by Eilonwy, the voice of which had made the human jump in distress.

She kept silent for a bit a she gathered her breth and tried to push her heart down from her throat where it had lodged itself. "I... I do think I have lost my way around. I am trying to get to the town," she said and kept her distance, looking at where a woman was standing with her light.

[eilonwyj]

end!

there were a few moments where she was silent, oddly so, eyes trained on the bug before watching it fly away. eilonwy was unsure whether or not to be honest in the moment, knowing that what she was doing could be easily frowned upon. extending the lives of such fragile creatures, using up her own reserves of fae magic, all to keep everything so alive?

"yes, that's a way to put it, her lifespan is a little extended," she explained with a polite smile, as it seemed easier than fully going into what she was truly doing. "i can't bare to part with her,"

[eilonwyj]

@the--helen

where?; greywood forest

the thicket around the town of greywood was lovely in the daytime, lush greenery allowing even the loudest of minds calm reprieve and time to get lost among the wildflowers that grew and sounds of birds that called to one another amongst the canopy - such a stark contrast to the night, where snarls and shadows grew ten times to strike fear into the most steadfast of people. neither states bothered eilonwy, who had once made a home amongst the trunks and underbrush while recovering from the single most traumatic event of her entire life. the wilderness provided safety, shelter, familiarity in a way the urban jungle on the other side could not. even now, with her quaint little house and thriving garden, the fae often yearned to return to natures womb. bare feet sunk into the loamy earth, searching for a fairy circle so she could harvest the mushrooms that often grew nearby to them. lately, eilonwy had been feel slightly under the weather and found drying them and making a stock to drink out of them seemed to make her feel...better, almost. why? she didn't know, hadn't looked into it. perhaps the pollution of the air was finally taking its toll on her. it wasn't unusual for others to be in the woods but, they were so large it was odd to see someone so close. especially so...frazzled looking? panicked almost. "hello?" eilonwy called out, wondering what else may be around. "are you alright?"

[eilonwyj]

"it is that bad," she confirmed in a rather direct fashion and a nod, as it was quite terrible. or - it was for others. eilonwy enjoyed how busy she had recently become, finding self worth in her usefulness to others once more.

"i know, i just don't wish to see them all gassed or killed so, i'm doing my part," the fae explained with a smile, knowing it wasn't a popular method of ridding greywood of its current bug related issue. "a tea would be wonderful. honestly? i don't mind, being busy is something i really like,"

"It's that bad?" Elena's first thought was immediately to her son - and then to Roman. Did Roman know what kind of creatures were potentially roaming around? Was their son constantly in danger because of it? She knew she had to make the necessary provisions, and soon, to avoid anything dangerous.

"I can imagine. As... nice as bugs might be to some, that's not a very common opinion. At least not among the people that I know." Elena agreed, her thoughts still lingering on her son's safety. She had to check in on him the moment this little appointment was over. "3rd case just today? You must be exhausted. Would you like a tea or coffee afterwards? As a little thank you, at least."

[eilonwyj]

GEMMA CHAN, FLORENCE PUGH ━ “Don’t Worry Darling” Premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival (September 05, 2022)

[eilonwyj]

[eilonwyj]

once again, that temper flared at her solution being difficult - sirens and sea serpents are natural enemies. eilonwy bit her tongue hard to stop it all from rolling out, that it shouldn't matter as they all shared the endless ocean depths as a home. "open waters are large, surely they can just swim around each other?" the fae did know, deep down, that's not how it worked but was perpetually unable to hide her feelings no matter the circumstances. she was still being polite, that was all that mattered, as usually she wasn't. "i met a siren, the other week. he seemed nice, i'll start there,"

it was difficult for eilonwy to accept sometimes, that she couldn't save nor help them all. perhaps it was because she drew to close to what had happened to her - and nobody had come to her rescue.

the flapping of wings caught both their attentions, a large black raven flying in, wings shiny and healthy and a soft look of awe overtook her face. its words made her laugh a little, a hand already reaching around her hair to dust out whatever may be there. "really," though her own response was in english, the next was not, the fae's voice coming out in a scratchy series of throat caws; "don't worry handsome bird, we wouldn't see you starve on our watch,"

“Yes, really disappointing…” Corey sighed, not nearly as aggravated as Eilonwy was. She was out there, in the nature, as connected and wild as it was, while Corey very often had to deal with the human, urban side of things. If he lost his patience often, he reckoned he wouldn’t be able to do much. Hands could get tied in any circumstances, it was only a matter of how gracefully you deal with it that would enable more good than harm being done in the long run for those both Eilonwy and Corey were fighting for, each in their own way.

“He is as alright as he can be. Not happy about all the moving around and travel. And that would be a great idea if not for the awkwardness of sea serpents being a natural enemy to most sirens. I reckon they’d rather not be caught anywhere near one in the open waters. But maybe there are some kind-hearted people out there who might be able to point us in the right direction. It can’t hurt.” He smiled gratefully at Eilowny knowing that she would go about things her way in any case and he wasn’t about to stop her. After all, this was exactly what he admired about her.

That was when a distinct flap of considerably large wings distracted him and Corey looked up, knowingly putting a hand over the plates of jam-covered bread he’d just made because in the next moment Bob, the ravenly rascal, made a flashy appearance, flying over in a ruffle of glossy black feathers. “Making food? Without me? Betrayal of the highest order!” To others, this would sound like nothing but raven cawing but both Eilonwy and Corey would be able to understand it as easily as they would a person. “Now, now, Bob. Behave yourself. We have a guest. And she can hear you.” Corey warned his feathered friend as he patiently allowed him to perch onto his shoulder, tolerating his large wingspan hitting him on the back of his head.

“Oh really?” Bob responded, unbothered, with an eerily human-like doubt in his crooning tone. “Hey! Guest! There’s a twig in your hair!” He cawed at Eilonwy, purely to test her, as if doubting what Corey had just warned him about.

[eilonwyj]

it didn't really move beyond twitching occasionally and moving around on its limited platform yet, made very few attempts to escape or freak hal out, seemingly making its peace with its captors. "that's correct! it's made out of chitin," eilonwy nodded with a bright smile at the others knowledge, however shallow or small. "people have used them to make jewelry for years. so many shades of eyeshadow and fabric try to imitate their shifting colours, they're very beautiful,"

hearing that she did good work was always welcome, as eilonwy put so much of her time and herself into what she did. it felt worth it, when they praised her. "no problem. i can take this little guy somewhere safe? unless there's something else you're having problems with,"

Aside from a reflexive twitch, Hal kept still as the beetle was left in his hands. It wasn't as odd as he expected. He could almost pretend the creature was made of plastic and used as a decoration. "We just needed a mediator like you," Hal mused, smiling. It was beautiful up close, a sight he wouldn't have found in his own time. "What do you call the—" He jerked his chin at the hues of green. "The outside. The exoskeleton?" Hal peered closer. The beetle seemed to peer back at him. "It looks like sea glass."

Certain people had a way with animals. Some even met a colony of bees without protection, like the hives knew its keeper. Eilonwy was the same, although the manner of her approach to the field reminded him of plant lovers speaking to their succulents in the hopes of encouraging growth. But if it worked, if it was successful, who was Hal to question things? "You do good work, Eilonwy. Thank you for educating me."

[eilonwyj]

it was impressive but, it also hinted at something a little sadder - that eilonwy put all her time into these gardens. that she didn't really trust anybody else to keep it all alive and lush, that at a time when eilonwy had nothing, her purpose had been kindly gifted to her in the form of the gardens.

"thankyou, i try to have a variation," the fae explained with a smile, liking to group the colours together of different flowers or, complimentary ones - she had a particular love of the display of monstera leaves amongst the birds of paradise, lush green against bright orange was a delight on the eyes.

"oh, of course. flowers are a good start, i think veggies you need to consider the seasons more, and what you want to eat," eilonwy said with a nod. "honestly? sunflowers. very easy to grow and keep, they attract a good amount of pollinators. sometimes if they grow too tall, they need propping up with a little bamboo but, it's easy to do," the fae suggested.

"if you want something more striking, i suggest lupine's,"

Uriel shook his head. "Still, you're the one who's doing the work. That's truly impressive. I don't know if I could manage that, even with a miracle."

"Snapdragons are great for that pop of color. They're such a unique species of flower, too. I love the shades you used here." He looked around again. The earth was truly thriving there in ways he didn't think he'd ever seen before. He felt it underneath his feet. Felt it in the air he was breathing. He didn't find change easy. At least, not when it was out of his control. He didn't have control over his move here. It'd been a long time since he'd felt genuinely happy. Like maybe things would be okay for him. Not since he'd spoken with Nana last. But there in that garden, he felt good. Better than he'd been in a long time.

"I'm trying right now to get something to grow in my backyard. Not flowers, just some veggies and fruits. But visiting here is definitely making me feel like I should plant some flowers. Is there something you can recommend that's pretty easy to take care of?"

[eilonwyj]

there were a few moments where she was silent, oddly so, eyes trained on the bug before watching it fly away. eilonwy was unsure whether or not to be honest in the moment, knowing that what she was doing could be easily frowned upon. extending the lives of such fragile creatures, using up her own reserves of fae magic, all to keep everything so alive?

"yes, that's a way to put it, her lifespan is a little extended," she explained with a polite smile, as it seemed easier than fully going into what she was truly doing. "i can't bare to part with her,"

Her response was quick and Wyatt responded to it with a blink and a question, "How so? She your familiar of sorts?" He understood well enough that some fae had familiars and that could extend their lifespan but to choose a butterfly felt odd to him who, if he'd been the one picking, would opt for something more useful.

[eilonwyj]

she was completely immune to her own awkwardness and futility in attempting to save or help everything - eilonwy had not yet met a creature she hadn't had a somewhat good relationship with, or couldn't help. without her ability to talk to them, or help, the fae would feel her usefulness would've completely run its course.

without that, what was eilonwy? nothing.

"oh, i'm just going to talk to him," she explained to nathan with a smile. "see what he wants, a lot of them become quite agreeable once you figure out what their problems are. if he doesn't want to talk, then we can go from there,"

Nate tried not to let the awkwardness he was feeling about this whole conversation show in the expression on his face. To help his case he turned away and led her in the direction of where he'd at least last been aware of the creature. It wasn't that he outright thought the bugs should all be exterminated - but there was sort of limit to it, wasn't there? And besides, were these things going to be crawling around in the forest for the rest of their lives? Nathan often liked taking walks through the forest on nice days...but perhaps not if it was crawling with all the bugs that had taken over the town this last week.

Still, he didn't bother voicing any of those thoughts. It seemed she had her own plans, and who was he to interfere? He just hoped that maybe after this full moon the bugs would go back down to...normal quantities.

"Last I knew they were just through here," he says, gesturing towards the door in front of them, checking the handle. Not locked - but certainly firmly shut in hopes to keep the thing blocked in. But then again, there were other exits in the labs. "Could've been crafty and found his way out." He paused, glancing back at Eilonwy. "So...how exactly do you plan on catching it? I mean. Like I said, the thing seems...less than friendly."

[eilonwyj]

she would naturally be at a huge disadvantage if she couldn't talk to all creatures great and small - while back home, eilonwy had always commanded some form of communication with larger and more intelligent beasts. the fae knew how lost she'd feel without her ability though, she was already disconnected from her home and had been for so long now, bugs were the only thing she felt reminded her of it.

they had been her friends, when she had been younger and lost within a world not built for her.

she did smile at the way he spoke of them, nodding. "yes, though that's used for camouflage, they're a lot more than just pretty," for perhaps the first time, eilonwy didn't name butterflies. "cowboy boots on? i never thought of them looking like that. i like it,"

"I'm in-tune with the natural world too." He smiled, though, his definition was likely vastly different to her own. Jasper couldn't control anything, he could barely control himself most days. But, he did spend all his time in nature, and so, there was an argument to be made that he was, in fact, nature too.

"They're funny looking, alright." he disagreed, though wasn't necessarily arguing. "But, they probably think I'm funny looking to them." He didn't mind bugs, and he didn't take offense if they did so happen to find him to be strange in return. "I'm no lump, I've got muscles in there somewhere. They'll be amazed, come summer." he chuckled to himself, following along with Eilonwy's ways of humanising the insects. "Orchid mantis? That's the pink ones, ain't it? Figures you'd like them. They're the pretty fellas. I like weevils cause they look like they have cowboy boots on."

[eilonwyj]

"you could be calmer," eilonwy shot back without a care, clearly completely oblivious or, simply not affected by how jesse was acting. perhaps the fae had always dropped judgement upon him as being small minded, dramatic and not particularly worth anything. all harsh things for a woman to think about someone who was having a clearly frightful reaction to what was going on.

she wiped down the overalls she wore once they'd all gone, silence now befalling the junkyard from the lack of bugs. "i wonder..." eilonwy did wonder what he'd do if he saw her without the glamour, or another fae, or even a siren within the water. it had been a mean thought, only going to freak him out further.

and...eilonwy was a little sensitive about how she looked, and knew he'd insult her.

"are you done?"

"Oh, really? I ought to calm down?" Jesse's laugh came off shrill, like he might very well be losing his mind as he claimed. In reality, it'd been intentionally exaggerated, because nobody liked it when they were told they were overreacting in the face of something that was clearly off-the-wall bonkers. "Is that calm enough for you?!"

Whatever she just did, the insects seemed to have responded, and were now one-by-one dutifully climbing down from their perch in order to skitter off in some other direction. Thankfully, away from him and the junkyard. Soon enough, the woman was back to looking as normal as when she first arrived, which helped to ease Jesse down from that horrified panic. Normal, he could handle. Freaky bug lady? No way, man. He drew the god damn line that that. "I do want normal, but I've got my reasons for being here," he said, defensively. "And even Greywood has a freaking baseline reading of mostly normal-presenting, and it for damn sure doesn't include people wearing insects on their skin just out and about town on the daily!"

[eilonwyj]

she held on tight to the pot, dark eyes watching them all squirm and wriggle over each-other as they tried to escape, unable to scale the pot without another causing them to fall back down. after a while, this behavior seemed to...stop, in a way it probably shouldn't. eilonwy's influence, of course, subtle but there.

"i do," the woman agreed with a nod. "no, i'm just incredibly in-tune with the natural world around us. they're not so funny looking, they're all different. to them, you're just a big fleshy lump, probably," eilonwy pointed out, not referencing herself as she truly didn't appear like this. "weevils? i can understand that. i have a love of orchid mantis' personally,"

Jasper watched her with a tense glare as she took the bugs into her hand. He didn't want to see their sorry faces again. He didn't mind most bugs. He ate some and ignored others. But, he couldn't abide earwigs. There was just something about them that made them unpalatable and unignorable. "Thank you." He bowed his head in sincerity once the pit he'd dug was free of their pinchery presence.

"You seem to know a lot about bugs, don't you?" He asked, almost as if his thoughts were coming out without any real sense of inner management. "Why is that? Are you a scientist? They're all just so funny lookin'. I used to keep a weevil in my shirt pocket as a friend, but, he must have bailed on me." Now that she'd completed her appointed task, he wasn't exactly sure what was the appropriate thing to say, and so he was just rambling, hoping to tide over any awkward silences.

[eilonwyj]

"you underestimate yourself," perhaps his words chosen because he didn't truly wish to do this, only humoring eilonwy who didn't care if that was the case or not. hal cupped his hands together and eilonwy slid the bug in quick enough to take away any doubt or choice he still might've had about such a thing. "see? no hard feelings between you two,"

at the question, eilonwy shook her head. "i haven't," the fae explained. "me and this beetle are far more alike than me and you," it was true, once the glamour dropped she appeared distinctly more inhuman than most. she didn't look at hal as she spoke, watching the small creature move around his palms idly. "i talk to them, as well. that helps, you know, getting them to move on,"

Hal hesitated for a second, then nodded. It was a little ridiculous to give in to the kneejerk squeamishness at this point—Eilonwy seemed to have a way with his unwelcome friend. (Unwelcome, but harmless.) He stepped closer and cupped his hands together, waiting for the beetle to walk over or be left in his hands by Eilonwy herself. "He might act like a real dog and stay where he is comfortable," Hal reasoned, only half kidding now. He doubted the beetle would be pleased to be close to him.

"Where did you study entomology?" Hal asked, still gazing at the beetle. It was happy with Eilonwy, clicking softly. "Other pest control technicians I've met lack your finesse."