Celestine

[psalmofseasons]

Autumn | Sky | Cognition

Celestine is the goddess of mind and emotion, of artisans and readers, of hearth and home. She has domain over the sky, and with it, the weather, the heavens, and celestial bodies. Legends say she keeps clouds in jars on her shelves. She is known for her intellect, introspection, and compassion. She is also the keeper of homes and is said to be a phenomenal cook and lover of food, which is no surprise given that the bounty of Autumn is fully at her disposal. She is often dressed all in gold or silver, and she has a very dark complexion with deep brown hair that coils like a cloud. Her hair and skin are often tinged with silver moonlight or golden sunlight, depending upon the time of day, and it is said that those who look into her large, dark eyes will see silvery stars glimmering in her irises.

The preferred offerings of Celestine consist chiefly of autumnal delights and foraged items such as vegetables, pumpkins, reddened leaves, walnuts, acorns, mushrooms, and pinecones. She also has a special love for books and stories, and is fond of incense and tea. Her symbols include fall foraged items (such as the aforementioned), the written word, jars, fire (particularly in the form of candles, fireplaces, stoves, and lanterns), birds, wolves, bears, weathervanes, clouds, and rain. She also is often represented by tools, particularly those used in kitchens, forges, meteorology, and astronomy. The sun, moon, stars, and planets also fall under her domain, though she shares the sun with Kora during the summer's heat. She is most often represented by the colors gold and orange, though silver, yellow, red, and even rainbows have been used in her imagery.

Celestine is especially fond of those with autumn birthdays, but she is also the patron goddess of homemakers, chefs, craftspeople, scientists, doctors, students, and avid readers and researchers. She has been known to have a soft spot for homebodies and introverts. Those who seek knowledge, pursue crafts, and prefer the indoors are likely to be beloved by her. Out of all mortals, however, none are so beloved as those who spend their nights looking to the stars.

✦ RETURN ✦

Comments

[somebodychildofanyone]

"I have so many questions, but..." A warm smile, small and shy, spreads across River's face, cozy and hidden as an Autumn hearth. "I think my sister might cross the worlds to tan my hide if I was so rude to not ask: what has you interested in my friendship?"

[psalmofseasons]

Celestine laughs brightly, like wind chimes. "I'm so surprised you didn't guess! We both have a strong association with fire, for one, and I prefer the company of artisans and craftspeople. Clever hands and clever minds," she explains. "When you speak, you fancy yourself defined primarily as a necromancer or a mercenary. But when you came to Pumpkin Hollow, you chose to create. You channel fire, a force of great destruction, into the art of creation. You are skilled at many things, River, but in your heart, you are a maker. And a very clever one at that."

At Last, We Introduce The Thing River Needs To Learn Here

[somebodychildofanyone]

"Well - I mean -" Celestine you've got a blusher, but you knew that already didn't you? River tries to hide behind her tea but that trick only really uses with big tavern tankards, so the bit where she's still learning how to take a compliment remains real fuckin' obvious. Her ears twitch and flick, and she has to tuck her long hair behind one when it falls loose.

"Necromancy is an act of creation too," she rallies, feeling her way through it. "I know the local version has...well, probably any version has a bad reputation, but honestly I'd be doing a lot less rotting living flesh and a lot more 'make useful minions and constructs' if I had usable death inside the barrier. The things I could do with like a whalebone corset if it weren't chunking me to look fashionable..."

[psalmofseasons]

"This is true," Celestine agrees readily, disinterested in judgement. "I just meant that your ties to death are not as strong as your ties to craftsmanship. Everyone is complex, and the domains of my kind and that of demons use such an imprecise system of definition. Using firm, single words to try and simplify abstract concepts, and then pushing us, and by extension the mortal beings we protect or destroy, into boxes that do not always appear to make sense."

"But if you boil us down to our bare essentials, I represent people of practical skill, those who use their minds and their bodies and their time to create useful things that better the lives of others. Mortanne, on the other hand, represents something much more metaphysical, those who are defined by a mind and spirit that is not grounded in a body, dreamers and spirit guides. And while you do have a meaningful connection with both, I think deep down you know that what makes you who you are, where you prefer to spend your energy, is more strongly defined by a passion for artisanry. For using your hands to bring things into the world that serve others in a way that makes their lives better."

It's funny, many of the texts of the Temple describe Celestine as shy and withdrawn, but here she is just yammering away. Her expression doesn't fluctuate much, and to untrained eyes probably appears quite stony, but her eyes are alight with passion and love. River is sitting close enough to her to see the stars in her blue-black eyes glimmer occasionally.

[somebodychildofanyone]

Celestine, my lass, Our Lady of Autism, River's got her chin in her hand and is listening to this with warmth in her eyes. She has been infodumped to before, and she's enjoying it immensely.

"You remind me so much of my sister," the elf murmurs. "...Well. She swears more," River corrects with a laugh. "Hazard of the occupation, really, but still. It's been nice, to work with my hands. Anyone who wants the respect of the demons back home, the Secondborn, they have to learn to smith, but my training was rushed and kinda monomaniacal and as much shit as I give having to make nails and pulleys over and over and over and over and fuckin' over again...it's been interesting. I just. Can't help but feel like I could be doing something more for the big obvious problem. That damn book..."

[psalmofseasons]

"That book is safest where it is now--- guarded, and away from the hands that might use it for harm. Those who brought it have no power over it in there," Celestine says firmly. "My tongue is stayed by powers united against me, shaky as their alliance might be, so I cannot tell you the nature of the book. But do not read from it, do not let it out of your sight, and make no further attempts to destroy it."

[somebodychildofanyone]

"...Good thing you said somethin', I was really uh. Gearing up for another shot at that." River's ears droop; she's embarrassed. "But...you get the broader point, right? Like yeah people need their pots mended and hospital beds made and...I know I'm doing good work. But people also need that stupid clown to stop crawling up their asses."

[psalmofseasons]

Celestine nearly coughs on her tea at the crude phrasing. "Who, Mendel?"

[somebodychildofanyone]

"And the other demons. And the monsters, and the curses, and..." River gestures lamely. "I never expected to be the strongest warrior on the island but sometimes it feels like I focus so much on my job because I'm scared to find out how...outclassed...I really am. Y'know?"

[psalmofseasons]

Celestine nods slowly. "I understand the feeling, but it's worth remembering that there are many different people here, from many walks of life, each with their own skill set. You are here for a reason. Besides, you've been limiting yourself pretty significantly, haven't you?"

[somebodychildofanyone]

River opens her mouth.

Closes her mouth.

Opens her mouth.

Closes her mouth, realizes she's doing her best impression of a beatboxing trout, and Thinks. She doesn't want to assume things, but only one idea is really coming to mind and the problem with that idea is that Celestine describing it as a limitation would be, you see, insane and cruel; River hasn't summoned any demons from home because she's afraid they'd get stuck, which would be an unconscionable act of cruelty, a breach of summoning etiquette, and also get River hunted down like a dog by one or more succubi. The gears turn behind her eyes and they compute exactly nothing, so:

"In...what...way?"

[psalmofseasons]

Celestine is a little surprised by the look of horror. "Well, I mean--- your magic functions via the energy of death, correct? And you are trapped in a vacuum-sealed bubble brimming with death whose energy cannot escape. Yet you haven't made use of it."

[somebodychildofanyone]

There is an extremely long pause as River goes through a Visible Facial Expression Journey of Realization. Even someone who doesn't know her at all could guess that she has somehow missed this entirely, and as the dots connect the necromancer realizes what the sensations she's been feeling on the island mean.

She groans and buries her face in her hand, mortified at her own stupidity.

[psalmofseasons]

Celestine immediately looks flabbergasted. "Did--- did I say something upsetting?"

[somebodychildofanyone]

"No, no, you just. Made me realize something upsetting - I'd." River groans and lowers her hand, looking up plaintively. "On a scale from 'literally a rock' to 'village idiot' how stupid am I if I told you that I'd felt that death the entire time but because I've never been around so much I assumed it'd been the curse or barrier in general and not something useful to me?"

[psalmofseasons]

"Oh!" Everything clicks into place. "No, that makes complete sense. It explains so much..." Celestine looks forlornly into the distance for a moment before looking back to River. "I'm so sorry. I really shouldn't have assumed you knew."

[somebodychildofanyone]

"There's no universe where I get away with pretending I did that on purpose. I'ma get so fucking bullied by the other wizards and I'm just gonna have to sit there and take it." River groans again. "...But...this does mean I'm about to be useful in a lot more situations."

[psalmofseasons]

Celestine smiles at this. "That's the spirit. I'm so sorry we never let you know sooner!"

[somebodychildofanyone]

"I don't think I can blame y'all for that one! 's professionally embarrassing for me is all." River coughs into her hand, and then frowns slightly. "...Hey. You kinda implied it'll be hard for you to talk to me like this, after. Which might make it hard to be...friends, y'know, one sided conversations and all...and I think maybe I'd like. To be friends. Is there no way we can stay in touch?"

[psalmofseasons]

"Oh, that's simple. Just write me letters and leave them on my altar. Or stick them in your hearth, whichever you prefer." She says this as if it's a no-brainer. "It might take me several days to respond, at least until autumn. But I can."

[somebodychildofanyone]

"...I kinda like the idea of the hearth," River admits, shyly, turning on the full internal denial beams about her minor to moderate pyrophilia. "I'll stay in touch. I promise."

[psalmofseasons]

"As will I." Celestine smiles. "And I shall see you properly in the fall! I look forward to it. Not that I plan to rush Serranai and Kora out the door."

[somebodychildofanyone]

...

......

.........

"Okay but how funny would that be to do just once."

You ever cause untold ecological devastation for a prank?

[psalmofseasons]

Celestine stares at her for a long moment.

"...You have an unusual sense of humor, my dear."

Wrap?

[somebodychildofanyone]

"When raising an army of the dead is always an option, you either develop a sense of humor or you end up raising that army and someone stabs you in the gut. Tell ya all about it in my first letter?" River cocks a grin, and then: "Oh! Do you receive burnt offerings? Like in general and through the barrier? So I can...mail is the wrong word but mail you stuff, people keep introducing me to new things."