sweet-fauna

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna smiled - she was getting better and better at those handshakes.

"I could always use baking tips," Fauna laughed, more at herself than anything.

Now Vixey had her attention. If there was one thing Fauna loved, it was a unique way of baking. She'd poured through so many recipes over the years and found that many published use the same techniques. Family recipes, though - now those were something one had to earn.

"Do you do any baking? I assume you must if you were raised by an expert."

Vixey smiled a little at the apology. She wasn't gonna yell at a grown woman over getting a few extra apples. They just--did worry about making sure there was enough for everyone. And also that the apples were actually being used. So many people got them because they liked the act of picking them and then they went to waste.

She nodded, understanding the woman's reasoning as they finished picking up the apples. She stood as well, but held onto the apples she'd put in the spare bag that she had.

"Vixey," she introduced with a handshake of her own. "You know, if you need apple pie baking tips, my mama's the expert."

Which was true, her mother had been baking apple pies since they'd moved to England when Vixey was just a little girl. At this point, she had it nearly perfected.

@sweet-fauna

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna knew from past experience that "pretty good" was likely an understatement. While Mirabel might have been used to this sort of cooking, Fauna was not, and she was extremely grateful for any scraps she could get. On days like this, where her own meal wasn't going to plan, she needed them.

"You're both too kind, as always." Fauna accepted the leftovers and set them on the kitchen table beside her current mess, though deep down she wanted to eat them right that second.

Normally, Fauna would feel trepidation about inviting someone into her home. Mirabel, however, had proved to be a pretty non-threatening figure. In fact, Fauna found her presence quite comforting.

"How are you doing? How's everyone?" Fauna asked, pulling out a chair for Mirabel to sit in before fumbling around with her teapot, determined to have made Mirabel something edible before she left.

Mirabel flinched at the yelling, but when she realized who Fauna was talking to (herself), she laughed out of relief. She knew that feeling all too well, when she tried to help Mamá in the kitchen.

Fauna was a rather private person, so Mirabel didn't know a lot about her, but the fairy seemed impossibly cool with her cozy little cottage out in the farmlands. Mirabel liked living in Casita with her family, but she just thought Fauna's house had the best vibe. Mirabel imagined she'd get lonely out here, though.

"That's, um, that's okay," she said, looking around and breathing in the familiar smell of baked goods and flowers that she associated with this place. "Mamá made way too many empanadas, so she wanted me to bring them over. They're pretty good."

@sweet-fauna

[sweet-fauna]

Her recipe? Fauna was intrigued. She didn't mean to snoop, but she felt herself lean over slightly to peer at the book held in the stranger's hands (and the delicious looking beignet printed clearly on it's pages.) If that was in fact this girl's recipe, Fauna wanted it - though she sensed now was not a good time to ask for it. Why did she seem so shocked to see it in there?

"Well...I've got nothing but time," Fauna closed her book and turned to face the girl, now fully invested in this so-called long story, "go on."

Tiana was not the kind of person who usually walked around with her nose in a book. But today was a very special day. One of her friends from culinary school was publishing a cookbook, and she was had sent Tiana an advance copy. After a few blocks of reading and walking on her way from the post office back to her house, though, Tiana realized she was kind of a hazard to everyone around her. So she paused as she flipped to the page she'd really wanted to read— the beignet recipe.

"Oh my god, this is my recipe!" Tiana exclaimed in shock and indignation just as the other woman started talking to her. She looked up, embarrassed. "Uh— sorry. Long story."

@sweet-fauna

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna Greenleaf | 30+ | Garden Talent Pixie | She/Her/Hers | Sapphic

⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘

"It made me smile and hug you then, but now I only smile. But look, the flowers you nearly bought have lasted all this while."

Full Name: Fauna Artemisia Greenleaf Nickname(s): Petals (only by her father) Sex: Female Magick Status: Pixie - Garden Talent

˚₊⊹ Appearance ⊹₊｡ꕤ˚₊⊹

Height: 4' 9"

Eye color: Green, wears glasses when reading

Hair color: Chestnut brown

Hair style: Short and low maintenance (usually covering her pointed ears)

Wing Pattern: Light green and very simple, akin to the wings of a brimstone butterfly

Other: No tattoos or piercings (yet!)

˚₊⊹ Personality ⊹₊｡ꕤ˚₊⊹

Occupation: Baker at Blue Oven, specializes in sweets!

Favorite color: Green. Her home growing up was completely covered in plant-life, and though her mother specialized in creating colorful bursts of flowers, Fauna loved to grow more simple things. Milkweed, Rosemary, Aloe - useful things - and almost always a prominent green.

Favorite weather: Spring! Her birthday is in February so she is a spring baby but it’s also when things grow best.

Favorite music: Fauna has an affinity for classical music, particularly the piano. She has fond memories of watching a piano player on Main Street with her father.

Favorite movie: Growing up, Fauna didn’t watch many films, so when her father took her to see the Wizard of Oz upon one of their first visits outside of the Hollow, it moved her to tears.

Favorite scent(s):Fauna ironically has a distaste for anything that smells too floral. Her home growing up was devoured by flowers and often the scents would clash or just be overstimulating.

Favorite food(s): Cookies! Pastries! Frosting! SUGAR! Fauna likes to try to derive the most artificial sweetness from the most natural sources - if it tastes sweet, she’s happy!

Favorite animal(s): Her pet cat, Sage.

Good habits: Pushes herself to practice or learn something new every day, follows her own goals and not those set for her

Bad habits: Reclusive, won't ask for help if she needs it

Hobbies: Fauna is like the Arthur Weasley of pixies; she's obsessed with all things non-magick. Her skills as a baker are her priority as it is her "first love" outside of Pixie Hollow. That said, she's also extremely fond of reading as it opens up new ideas to her (in the most safe, not-having-to-leave-your-house way possible.) Nobody give her a television set or we might never see her again.

˚₊⊹ Extras ⊹₊｡ꕤ˚₊⊹

What would you find if you googled them? Nothing :) she's chronically offline atm/ too embarrassed to attempt the internet

What would Swynlake Natives know about them: I imagine Fauna goes unnoticed by most residents here (she is mostly holed up in her tiny cottage in the Farmlands.) Those who live near her will have seen her around but don't know her past a few moments of small-talk. Some may recognize her from the bakery if they frequent it! Pixies, however, might be more familiar with her if they've grown up in the hollow. While Fauna still flew pretty much under the radar even in her youth, her mother was a notable figure who made sure their family was recognized as "important."

[sweet-fauna]

"Oh," she deflated a little at the revelation. How disappointing. She did so like when things were real. Fauna took a moment processing the explanation and while she had little knowledge of anything relating to Appalachian America, she was becoming quite familiar with European authors of late. Perhaps she'd like this Charles Dickens, even if a book called David Copperfield did sound wildly boring to her.

"Ah! Yes, very clever indeed," she agreed blindly, not wanting to embarrass herself a second time. Fauna couldn't help but feel she wanted to be in this woman's good graces, being the owner of her favorite book shop and all. She also seemed wickedly smart and successful, two things Fauna was trying so desperately to be.

"So...Charles Dickens...are you particularly fond of his work?"

Belle blinked a little, obviously perturbed at the idea of someone not knowing the Charles Dickens' novel...the name at the very least. David Copperfield was his best work!

"He's not a real person," Belle said, in a very know-it-all manner that she simply couldn't help. Though, she felt bad about it right away and took a little breath before she explained in a tone that was more friendly...and perhaps still a little condescending.

"It's a book by Charles Dickens. Actually, it is a bit biographical, which is why this--" she lifted Demon Copperhead up slightly "--is so interesting, because it takes place in Appalachian America instead of Victorian England. Also, the name is very clever."

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna couldn't understand why anybody would want to read something they deemed mundane or pretentious - especially if they seemingly weren't deriving any joy from the experience. Perhaps there were other motivators for this stranger's decision to continue partaking in the book. Sure, they may not find it enjoyable, but perhaps they found it important in some other way that Fauna could not understand.

Fauna responded eagerly, without a moment's hesitation in her answer that she was most assured of. "Oh, quite the opposite. The chapter I'm reading currently explains in great detail something called electrochemistry. Can you believe that? The captain uses it in miraculous ways to make his underwater vessel run using only the elements of the sea! And the man wrote it in--" she flipped to the inner cover to make sure of herself, "--1869!"

She realized she was practically beaming at the rather reserved stranger and quickly calmed herself. "...it's fantastical, yes. But it's written by someone who was very much a realist. This Verne fellow really knew his science is what I'm getting at."

Intellectual

Well, that certainly was a way of putting it and an interesting choice of words from the other -who, even if confused by the premise, had at least tried to find something good to say about, if not the book, him.

For Tófi kindness was always to be returned in kind, even if that meant overlooking the other's possible shortcomings (of which there seemed to be many) or having to actively ignore other's nature (Magicks, he'd found, were keen of abusing other's generosity).

"It is terribly mundane" they replied, posture shifting ever so slightly as to give create the impression of approachability, of openness "some parts I find terribly pretentious, too"

No, irony wasn't lost on him, but that was his honest opinion.

"What do you like most about Verne, if you don't mind me asking? Is it the fantastical aspect of his tales?"

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna immediately felt herself stiffen at the man's cold response. He was right, technically - and it was sort inane of her to be bothering strangers in the park. But hey, he decided to sit next to her. And a public place certainly lent itself to conversation...or at least Fauna thought it did. She warred internally with herself a moment before finally finding the courage to speak again.

"I...apologize. I suppose I thought it more rude to pry without permission." She glanced at what he was reading and, to no surprise, she'd never heard of it. She unintentionally let out a disgruntled little "hmph" and returned to her own book...for approximately five seconds.

"It must not be a very good book if you can't even talk about it."

Someone was sitting on his bench.

No, it didn't have his name on it, but since it was empty nearly every time he went out there to sit on it after having spent years staking his claim, he felt as if it was an unspoken rule that it was his bench for the hour. People knew better than to bother him by now.

It would have been just as easy to walk the few extra meters to sit on a bench down the way, but Hook was not going to do that. That would mean conceding and showing people that he could be scared away, which he would never do either of those things for any reason, especially not something so minute, like a bench in the park.

Hook sat himself down on the other end of the bench with every intention of intimidating the person on the other end until they, too, learned that when he was approaching, they should leave.

Instead, they decided they wanted to start a conversation.

Wonderful.

He didn't look up from his book, "You can. You can also look for yourself instead of interrupting me."

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna loved her job. Unhealthily so. Upon her arrival as a resident outside of the hollow, getting an actual job seemed terrifying and strange. All of her life, all that was ever expected of her was to simply perfect her talents as a pixie and eventually, one day, pass on that knowledge. Being able to work at the Blue Oven, standing on her own two feet, using her hands every day to craft things - not materialize them but to actually build them- was a magic all it's own for her. And not only that, but she was becoming fairly decent at it! (Even when she didn't use her talents to secretly whip up some extra sweet ingredients.)

One of her favorite parts of her job was being able to socialize with customers, and of course, Cass. Other than the occasional visit from a neighbor, she really didn't talk to many people. Fauna greeted Cass with a smile and followed along in her own usual ritual, setting her things beside Cass' and dutifully tying on an apron.

Fauna wanted to beam with pride when asked about the cake. "A woman came in yesterday raving about those thyme and rosemary cupcakes I make - you know, with the candied lemon garnish - she custom ordered a whole cake! Though, she did ask it to be decorated a little less 'cottage core,' whatever that means..."

Sprinkle Cake Drama || Cana

[sweet-fauna]

It was more than a little complicated to Fauna. War, in general, was a concept mostly altogether lost on pixies who didn't leave the comfort of the hollow. Fauna had come to understand it's importance to the history of humans through literature and various osmosis in more recent years.

She tried her best to hide any dumbfounded expression on her face behind a smile. "Perhaps I should read it, then. I'm afraid I might be a bit ignorant to those sorts of things - and if you read it and learn something new every time, I'm sure I'd learn a whole lot."

Bruno's face scrunched as he tried his best to think of a summary for the book. "It's...a little complicated. It's an anti-war book but the author was a science fiction writer so he put his twist on it. So its about a soldier from World War Two who was abducted by aliens and now he sees time non-linearly... It's really hard to explain," He chuckled. " " But it's a really beautiful book about life and death and the pointlessness of war. I always end up coming back to it and learning something new.:"

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna smiled at his enthusiasm. "It must be pretty good if you read it perennially. I'm afraid I don't think think I've ever heard of him." She glanced at the title of the book and her eyes widened a bit. It didn't sound like the sort of thing she'd be particularly interested in reading even once. Still, she tried not to be judgmental.

"What's it about?" she asked, trying her best to appear polite and interested and not at all mildly afraid by the prospective summary of a book.

Bruno had gotten used to forcing himself outside every few days for some sunlight and social interaction. He learned his lesson a long time ago that being a shut in hermit wasn't exactly good for his physical and emotional wellbeing. He enjoyed his little outings now, Talking with townsfolk and not feeling like a social pariah was nice.

He settled down on the bench pulled out his worn-out paperback of Slaughter House Five and set into it again. A few chapters in a voice broke his focus and the question stunned him for a second. "This? Oh, Just some Kurt Vonugaut. I must have read this book a thousand times. I normally end up rereading it once a year. "

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna tilted her head with a stifled smile and glanced down at the book in question alongside him. Something told her he perhaps wasn't currently reading that book and needed a sort of prop for the day instead. She'd never make assumptions out loud, of course.

Part of her wanted to tease and ask how it was but she refrained. "Gotcha. I think I've heard of that," she lied sweetly, "it's good to stay up on your popular culture, no matter what it may be, right?"

Tae wasn't really the type of person to sit on a bench and read. He was usually much too active of a person to read at all, actually, and this was extremely out of character for him, but desperate times called for desperate measures and here he was.

The thing was, his family was driving him crazy. He wasn't sure how many more times he could handle his sisters bursting into his room while he was trying to relax or how many times he could listen to his hyung trying to explain the merits of his design for the market before he literally exploded into a thousand pieces. His eomma was the least annoying one, but even she was starting to ask him questions that he couldn't answer like what are your long-term goals, Yeongtae.

Tae had long-term goals, but the were fledgling at best and he didn't want to talk about them!

Anyway, reading was one of those things that people sort of respected. They didn't feel the need to talk to a person who was reading, even if that person wasn't really reading and instead listening to their own repetitive internal-monologue.

Well, usually.

Tae started out of his thoughts and looked down at his book, immediately blushing. It belonged to one of his sisters. "Uh--The Summer I Turned Pretty."

Wow how embarrassing...

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna crinkled her brow at the stranger's 'I see' and then quickly shrugged it off. Perhaps they didn't know what she was talking about, and she wasn't going to embarrass them. They seemed nice enough. And after all, she herself had only just learned about Jules Verne's existence. She'd make no assumptions about this person's presumed knowledge. In a town like this, they could easily be from anywhere.

Fauna nodded her head along once more, trying her best to quickly process the words and form a coherent response.

"Ah, well...it sounds very..." Interesting? Well, it certainly did not. Fauna felt herself gulp before deciding on an adjective. "...intellectual. Are you, um...enjoying it?"

Oh gods.

Not only was this a Magick, but was also the kind of Magick that acted like a child regardless of their actual age (which, for immortals as himself was specially unacceptable).

To think people like this had the power to defy nature...!

Tófi couldn't bring themself to feel anything but contempt towards the other presence and their inane rambling about the novel concept of buying books on probably the only bookshop in town-

-that is, until a familiar name was mentioned; Which turned the movement that had been meant to help him to get up and excuse himself into something more akin to that of a person that is making themselves comfortable in place.

Verne.

That man he could respect, even if and when his works had apparently become Elementary-school level reading.

"I see..." he mumbled, ignoring the whole submarine rant and instead focusing on the book and the author "Mine is about an aging actor who, during a visit to a metropolis' center for probably his last job, mulls about social inequity and alienation"

Something inside them wondered what the other's reaction to that would be.

[sweet-fauna]

It made perfect sense that Belle would not recognize her. Fauna lived like a fly on the wall for years in this town, not wanting to embarrass herself as she was still, even now, so new to so many things. Fauna knew Belle by name, but not from any known town gossip or anything like that- it was, of course, from Chapter Three, the book shop that she owned. In fact, it was the very shop Fauna had gotten her book from. To Belle, Fauna must have just been another face amongst many - and understandably so. Their town had so many exceptional beings around...well, Fauna was a hardly notable figure.

She decided it best to act as nonchalant as possible. After all, this woman always seemed so busy and now Fauna could only assume she was searching for some rest in the shade not unlike herself. She'd hate to bother her with any work-related talk.

Fauna blinked slowly in response, unsure of herself as she did not understand one single thing referenced. "Ah...and who is David Copperfield?" she asked absent-mindedly, grinning down momentarily at the rather large dog that had approached alongside Belle.

Ever since being fired, Belle had been walking about in a bit of a daze. No longer was there a rush in the morning to get ready for work, get the children ready for day care and get out the door. No longer did she have rushed coffee breaks and busy work days, with emails piling, piling, piling up. Or her phone ringing or meetings.

It was strange, because she'd really only been working at InterPride for less than three years, but now that she wasn't working there--she didn't know what to do with herself. It had become ingrained in her routine.

And now she was back at the bookshoppe. Feeling both comforted by the familiarity but also restless.

Thankfully, Hades had shown up today to take over just when she was truly feeling cooped up. She had taken her book and stopped by Hatter's and now wandered to the park. Her feet carrying her on her old, familiar routine without her even thinking about it. Shuck, her hellhound, ambling lazily at her side.

She stopped, first, when she saw the tree growing--then the woman sitting under it. Usually, she wouldn't share a bench with someone else. Too shy and independent for that, but she was a little curious now. She thought she recognized the woman (she lived in the farmlands too) but Belle was hardly better with faces than she was with names.

"Oh, uhm, Demon Copperhead," Belle said. "It's a reimagining of David Copperfield."

[outfit][shuck, he's a hellhound but he presents as a normal dog]

[sweet-fauna]

Runicradiance on Instagram ♡

[sweet-fauna]

"Teaspoons, not tablespoons-!" It wasn't unlike Fauna to talk to herself when she was home alone, but full-on yelling wasn't usually her custom. However, this was her third time that day attempting a recipe she'd randomly chosen from one of her many cookbooks and she was feeling especially hungry as well. "Oh, Fauna, you nutbrained-"

The knock at her front door shut her up quick and she composed herself at once. She recognized the voice in an instant, partially because Fauna so rarely encountered others out here. Mirabel Madrigal, one of the girls who lived with her family nearby. Now Fauna wasn't privy to town gossip, but you'd have to quite literally live under a rock to not know of at least one of the amazing Madrigals. Mirabel was Fauna's favorite, though in truth she'd never really met any of the others.

Fauna dropped what she was doing and rushed to greet the girl. "No, no-!" she swung open the door with excitement, "-it's a great time, you know that. I'm never busy. Well, mostly never busy..." she ignored the mess of a kitchen quite visible behind her. "Come in! If you have time, of course. I'd offer you some cornbread but I'm actually failing at making it currently."

Special Delivery | Faunabel

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna nodded her head vaguely as if she were familiar with the work. In truth, she'd only just started recently delving into books, particularly those unrelated to baking. Fiction of all kinds excited her as of late and she had no clue that her reverence for it could be deemed frivolous.

"Chapter Three- hey, that's where I got mine!" Fauna waved the book in the air like a child. She also said this as if there were innumeraible bookshops in town and not just one.

"This is..." she had to flip the book over to the cover to remind herself of the title, after all it was quite a mouthful, "Twenty-thousand Leagues Under The Sea. Jules Verne. Do you know him? I guess he wrote this before humans even invented submarines which is...well, only note-worthy if you've read this, I guess. But still amazing nonetheless!"

Everything was amazing when you just learned what a submarine was after reading the preface. To Fauna, that was the most incredulous part of the book so far. Forget the whole "sea-monster" thing.

"What's yours about?"

The day was sunny.

Generously so.

And while Tófi had never been overly fond of sunny days (Mjaunie being more of an overcast kind of place) this particular one had struck them as a perfect opportunity to sit down somewhere and try to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings -the Main Street Park seeming like the best place to start from, it being both close to The Woods and sufficiently close to the Tea Shoppe, in case the sun became too unbearable.

Alas, what they sooner found unbearable was the sight of a Magick casually doing their will, disregarding whatever potential distribution of greenery the park might keep or which kind of species they decided to force the earth to sprout-

-and for what? something so mundane as some shadow they could easily get anywhere else?

(Gods, this people were absolutely insufferable: not only were they openly defying natural and human laws as if they had the gods-given-right to do so, but also felt like they were owed small-talk)

"´Peter Handke's 'The Great Fall'" they replied, pushing aside any and all kind of indignation and promptly replacing them with what could easily be confused with politeness "A recent purchase from Chapter Three"

Now, did they really care for the other person? No.

But they could feign some interest until the other decided to either move away or to offer something more interesting than small talk.

"Yourself?"

@sweet-fauna

[sweet-fauna]

Fauna nodded somewhat shamefully and quickly knelt down beside the woman, hurriedly scooping the apples back into their bag. "No, please don't apologize. It's a good rule, sorry I didn't follow it. See, the recipe I'm using calls for ten apples and I tend to make mistakes when I'm baking so I thought extras couldn't hurt and...anyways, I'm sorry again."

After successfully regaining her picked fruit and her composure, Fauna got a good look at the woman helping her. She'd seen her here several times and she just realized now she'd never had the good manners to introduce herself. "I'm Fauna," she extended her hand awkwardly for a handshake, a human tradition she was still trying to perfect.

Vixey cringed too as all the apples went rolling in different directions. One of them tripping over her foot on its path. She felt bad for having startled the woman but, at the same time, everyone needed to follow the rules. That's how they kept the farm healthy for the whole season.

"Sorry for startling you," Vixey said. "This is, uh, why we tell you to only buy one bag at a time and fill it up before picking more." And, because, generally, most people thought they'd need more than one bag and they never really did.

She stooped down to start help gathering the stray apples. After all, they were perfectly good and she didn't want them to go to waste.

@sweet-fauna