The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw (Fae)

[xiulan zhou]

Early September 2028
90 Eaton Square, Flat Q

Ever since she had first met Fae Cloudbreaker, the High Druid of Hy-Brasil, two years prior, Xiulan had tried to keep herself up to date with what was happening on the island. Hy-Brasil and the Druids' culture were very different from her own, but she had found Fae to be eager to learn about everything that she could and deeply devoted to her people.

It came as a shock, then, for Xiulan to read an article in the Daily Prophet about new members of the Druid High Council and how there were growing concerns by some on Hy-Brasil about Fae's leadership. Wanting to understand what was going on without the biases of the newspaper or the people who had been interviewed, Xiulan had sent a letter to Fae, requesting for her to come to her flat so that they could converse.

Between Xiulan's schedule with her clients and Fae's duties on Hy-Brasil, it took some more letters back and forth before they were able to pin down a time that worked for them both. From Xiulan's side of things, she didn't want to cause any more problems for Fae; if she was already facing pressure from her people for being too close to "mainlanders", then they had to be cautious. That she lived in a Muggle building made it safer, potentially, for Fae, too. The magical community at large wouldn't be hovering. Anywhere else, they wouldn't be guaranteed privacy.

In an effort to keep the meeting casual despite her concerns for Fae, Xiulan had brewed tea and had an assortment of snacks set out on her table. Though she didn't really have the time with Fae already seated across from her, she wondered if she should have sent Nessa out to purchase a few bottles of butterbeer.

fae iona cloudbreaker

[fae iona cloudbreaker]

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Frustration. That wasn’t even the proper word to describe how Fae had been feeling regarding the Council’s decision. She had spent a lot of time for self-introspection over the last few weeks, trying to figure out exactly where everything had gone wrong when the new members had been named and officially met up. There had always been dissenters on Hy-Brasil; those that were more religious and conservative than the younger druids were. Ones that had scoffed at her being named the new High Druid eight years prior. Someone with so little life experience to be their leader? But they ultimately bit their tongues and accepted it, as it wasn’t any of their decision at the end of the day. Funnily, that was the same response that was given to her when she tried to argue back against the Council’s choices to hide themselves away again. There were definitely times where she wondered herself if what they were doing – what she was doing – was worth it at all. Were the druids ready for a joint companionship with their contemporaries on the mainland? She had thought so, maybe a little too selfishly, from her frequent trips. Everything seemed to be moving smoothly, and the children that attended Hogwarts apparently liked it well enough.

Apparently, she had assumed too much though. The disappointment that followed had been immense. Fae knew that this was bound to be a game of longevity. The median age of the current Council was older than even her parents, bordering on the ancient side. She had decades, maybe even a century if she was lucky, left until her time was up as High Druid. So she had steeled herself and decided that this was merely a bump in the road for druid-kind. The Council would eventually change again, and more sympathetic voices would enter. Ones that were more understanding of what Hy-Brasil needed to do in order to not be left behind again. They could still maintain their culture without completely bending the knee to the mainland. Wasn’t that what they had been doing these last few years since the barrier came down?

Those on the island that were closest to her and understood where she was coming from, had quietly agreed with her, of course. It was mostly the younger crowd. But there were others that asked her not to rock the proverbial boat too much either. That pushing too hard would only make the elders hold on tighter and fight harder for what they believed in. Fae disagreed with that, mostly, but shutting up and waiting seemed to be the smart answer for now. Regardless of what the Council thought of her leaving the island frequently, Fae was still a leader in the magical world. Hy-Brasil was no longer isolated as it once was, and that required her to step up in a way that no prior High Druid had in centuries. The Council would never truly understand that though.

The letter that had arrived from Xiulan soon after everything had happened was unbelievably welcomed, as it made her feel like she wasn’t crazy in all of this. Fae quickly scribbled back when she would next be in London and followed through on it. She needed this, because people on the mainland seemed to understand it all a lot better than her own did. Plus there was the little tidbit about Xiulan being a prophet. Having someone of such capabilities on her side was truly useful for everyone, whether or not the Council agreed with her on that.

”I am not exactly sure what to do next,” Fae said as she leaned back in her chair. Xiulan had prepared a spread of tea and snacks, though the druid had only touched her drink so far. Eating and discussing world politics often times felt strange to her. ”On one hand, I do understand where they are coming from and their worries about losing aspects of our culture. On the other…it is extremely old fashioned. They would rather I act solely as their spiritual leader than in the capacity that I have been doing these last few years.” Going back to the way she had been prior to the barrier collapse sounded so…dull. Merely thinking about it made her hair lose its vibrancy, turning to a muted, lifeless blonde.

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MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0

[xiulan zhou]

Early September 2028
90 Eaton Square, Flat Q

Talking politics was complicated under the best circumstances because of the wide range of beliefs within the magical world alone, but Druid politics were particularly thorny. Their traditional beliefs went against those of many other witches and wizards in one way or another, which meant that any (in)action in relation to the Ministry of Magic or the "mainland" was going to be somehow contentious. That also put Fae in an uncomfortable position, and she was open about not knowing what to do from there.

As she explained it, the dilemma sounded simpler, with those Druids who were concerned about losing their traditional culture on one side and those who were looking to modernize Hy-Brasil on the other. It wasn't only that, though, as Fae herself pointed out. "They would rather I act solely as their spiritual leader than in the capacity that I have been doing these last few years," she explained.

Xiulan truthfully had no idea as to what the right course of action would be without bringing divination into the conversation. It was why she wasn't and had never been a politician, she supposed. More than anything else, Fae needed to regain the trust of the people on Hy-Brasil who had come to doubt her abilities as their High Druid. How to do that, however, was the question. Regardless of her choices, someone was going to be unhappy with her. She had to minimize any backlash, and anticipating from where it might come was one possible strategy.

That was where Xiulan could be of assistance. "I could give you a reading," she offered, "if you think that might help?"

fae iona cloudbreaker

[fae iona cloudbreaker]

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What Fae really wanted out all of this was for the Council to wrest control of her Ministry duties and attempt it themselves. Because they would have to do that. They couldn’t close the borders again, as the island was too far along now for that. If their barrier had still existed, or could be created again, it would be a different story. Fae knew that this all stemmed from their insecurities of suddenly being seen by the world. On one hand, they preached a level of kindness and inclusion that the mainland lacked immensely. A progressiveness towards humans, animals, and plants alike. Except against those that were non-druid (for some on the Council) or demi-human. As if most werewolves chose to be the way that they were. That was their newest boggart that they were worried about. Because of course it was.

She sipped on her tea again, and it acted as a conduit, bringing her back to reality with Xiulan. Her friend was offering a reading, which Fae had tried to avoid up until this point. Not that she didn’t think Xiulan would lead her astray with whatever appeared; it was more that Fae was worried about what she would end up receiving, and how that could ultimately change the course of Hy-Brasil. But she was also at the point where she’d take any help she could get.

”I think that may be a wise choice,” she said as she gently set the tea cup down. She was still unsure about fine porcelain pieces, much preferring the wooden cups of her shack. The Council would have a conniption if they saw what she was drinking out of right now. ”I hate to admit it, but I am almost at my wit’s end. It will only get worse if I do not know how to confront a lot of their demands.” Which were borderline insane. They wanted the barrier back, ignoring her research she had spent all of her free time conducting over the last three years. It was weaponized incompetence on their part at this point, and Fae hated it.

xiulan zhou ● 352

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0