Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Excellent!" He cried out, immediately walking over to where his shrub lay. It didn't make much sense, at first. He was simply walking over to an obnoxiously overgrown shrub, covered in high stem purple plants that jutted out at odd angles. But he disappeared behind it, quite suddenly out of sight. A few seconds later, his head popped back up behind the shrub, and he stared in confusion at Yuzhi.

"Are you coming?"

"Of course." He replied, as though it was the most normal thing in the world to live in a giant shrub. "I've been staying with my cousin lately, but this is where I have lived for the majority of my time since our world was - well, since the incident."

Best to leave that topic of conversation far, far away.

He held out the long carpet that covered the entrance, so that she could enter. But inside was a startlingly adequate little abode, complete with a bedroll, a small space to hold essentials, and a smelting set up for his work. More importantly, all along the walls that were still made of dense shrubbery hung dozens of exotic pieces of glittering jewelry. They hung off of the branches that stuck out, twisting and turning at odd angles.

He lit a small gas lamp, and the world within lit up with blinking jewelry.

Bastion chuckled at just how lovely his creations were to her; apparently twice as lovely as they were to others, if her repetitiveness had any say in the matter. He let her look around, moving to sit on his bedroll as she inspected his work. "Thank you. I've spent a long time working on these. They're not my best work, though. My best work has already been given away. These.. I suppose I'll sell all these, one day. If anyone ever wanted them."

He picked out a giant obsidian jewel, hanging off of a gold chain, and touched the facets on its surface. "You can touch them, if you want. They're not as fragile as wood."

He took her knotwork out, and plucked the golden chain open. Nimble fingers began twirling the chain itself around the rope, all the way around it, until there was but a small bit left at the middle. This, he tied behind the obsidian jewel, so it hung in the middle of the knot.

"Not many people do." He admitted, trying to remain humble. "I started with a handful of my jewelry, in this place. I barter my jewelry for uncut gems and unworked metal, and I start the process all over again. The jewelry always sells for more than the raw material. I've amassed quite a bit that way. Whenever I run low, I simply take some of my work to trade."

He picked out a small beaded necklace, and dropped it like a crown on her head.

"Tell no one of this place, please? If anyone knew a simple shrub in the woods had this much treasure within.. I would lose everything."

"I appreciate that." Bastion murmured softly. "You can keep that, if you like. It's just a little thing. Pearls aren't really my style, but ah, there was a mare so sweet, and it was all she had to offer for the ring she wanted to give to her betrothed." His eyes took on a soft, far away look. "I could not say no." He chuckled, and looked her way. "I have trouble saying no to a pretty face. Don't you dare ask me for anything, now that you know this. I will never forgive you for taking advantage."

He slowly blew the light out, and held out his hand to her as he pushed open the curtain to leave again. "Careful now, the ground is uneven."

As he watched her exit the shrub, his careful smile fell into something far more unhappy.

He dropped his hand, and the curtain fell, hiding his home in perfect disguise once more. "Why would you say such a thing about yourself?" He murmured quietly. "And why is it that I have heard such lies from the mouths of pretty women far too often, these past few days?" It disturbed him to think that there were so many lovely creatures who thought so little of themselves.

"Has anyone specifically said to you, aye, Yuzhi, you are not the milk and honey dove that the mirror beckons you to recognize? Or is it simply your own eyes that deny the truth?"

He walked back over to his tree, and sat down on it, picking at the piece of wood he'd been working at lightly. He truly looked disturbed. "I feel as though my words mean nothing, nowadays."

It was hard to argue with that. He knew his place, too. He just wished there were no places, at all.

"Know your place all you want, Yuzhi." He muttered out under his breath. "But know that has no bearing on your beauty. Both inside, and out. It simply defines what people see, not what is there."

He really couldn't stand to argue about it, he realized. So instead, he carved into his wood - and broke a leg off.

"Ah." He huffed. "I have lost my patience."

Bastion looked up from the ruined wood and blinked. He didn't expect her to give in, but it was nice to know she wasn't too stubborn to admit the truth. So he offered her a small smile, and turned back down to carve out another piece of wood. It was only when his knife sunk into the tree, that he realized why she'd given in. She thought he'd meant impatient with her. He turned, and his mouth even opened to correct her, but no sound came out.

Why ruin a good thing? At least she'd admitted it.

"Ah.. well. If you must. But you don't really make me impatient, Yuzhi. Just frustrated that you don't believe me when I tell you things. Perhaps one day, you will. But for now.." He threw the tiny wooden leg at her, a smirk playing on his lips. "You're always welcome to come and visit me, when I'm here. As long as you're alone.. no one else may know of this place. You promised."