Spring Hollow I

[Ingrid]

The Faerie Pub is open for business.

So what if the drink selection is limited and there is no food to speak of? The Spring Hollow is complete: the Thorns beaten back, hidden behind crafted walls. Light pours in through windows that face the Hedge and a little fire crackles in a hearth. The furniture is a little bland - it has the deep rich colour of wood tempered by long years in an authentic Old Country pub but it lacks the intricate carving and the weight of history. The effect is a little cheap but Ingrid wouldn't change it for the world.

She had built this. Well... She and Seraphina.

While the Freehold shrank to the grounds of the theme park above and the Courts withered, she had ensured that Spring had done its part. Sasha's Blue Note might well be the place for functions, but the Darkling was working hard to make the Spring Court Hollow the effective heart of the 'Hold.

Where else could they let their hair down over a beer?

After all, all they had to do was jump down the Wishing Well...

Ingrid isn't behind the bar but she is leaning on it, perched on a stool thats perhaps a little too hard on her ass. Bottle beer - cheap ale (its all she can afford) - on the counter before her.

A log pops loudly in the fire.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Life had been...life. Interesting. Complex and less so. Busy and boring.

There was an inescapable pressure binding her diwn and making it hard to breathe.

Mhairi would have to do something about this soon....but for now. Letting down her hair and supporting her motley mates sounded like a grand plan.

A warm knit sweater, with cheery skulls on it, and a pair of leggings worn and her signature boots finished her look.

Mhairi eyes the wishing well, shrugs her leaden stole* moving with the motion, she hop onto the lip and swings her legs over and jumps down into the Sprjbg Hollow.

Once the wisp orients herself, she beams at the pub, and the Darking on the bar. "Ingrid! Oh my, this is lovely. You and Sera must have worked your butts off!" The wisp moves closer to claim a seat, and eyes the ale, "You know what would be awesome? Mead. Maybe we could work something out with a Market...." Mhairi wasn't talking about mortal mead of course. Even if some of the Freehold wouldn't apporove of it. "Any way, how have you been?" Mhairi asks as she reaches for something to drink.

*

Mhairi's Mantle's grown!

[Seraphina]

She had been excited about the Spring Hallow. Her and Ingrid, ok, more Ingrid than her, had put in a lot of time and effort.

And it was time to show it off!

So with a Spring, ha, to her step, she hopped down the well and into the Hallow.

Still bouncing with happiness and bubbling with excitement, she enters with a huge smile.

Today she was a little casual in a short jean skirt with a soft white tank top glittering with sequence and a heavy grey sweater over it. The sweater longer then the skirt. The tank top actually played nicely off her gilded skin, which was why she had picked it. Her golden and silver locks flowing around her shoulders in soft waves. Her hedgespun necklace glimmering and changing color as it rested around her neck.

“Hello ladies!” greets the Nix, long bare legs leading her to the bar. She pauses to grab a water before turning back, “Ingrid, it looks amazing!” she gushed.

[Ingrid]

"It does, don't it? Kinda impressed myself..." Ingrid waved at her fellow Courtier, beaming.

"Mead?" With no servants to the Court's name, there were hobs or goblins or even ensorcelled to stand behind the bar. Remembering this, Ingrid eased off her seat and went behind the bar to fetch Mhairi a drink.

"Mead? Oh! Mead!" The Darkling's face formed a surprised "O" as she pressed a bottle into the Elemental's hand. "I had not thought of that. Like, at all. I've been just super busy getting this place kitted out. Forging dreams and beating back Thorns is super exhausting. But the effect. Yeah! The effect!"

Ingrid waved her hands around her.

Then remembered to prize open Mhairi's beer.

"There. Ale. Drink. Now... Fae mead... Um. Where from? That would be some adventure, right?"

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Sera shows up next and Mhairi beams waving as the Nix, quicksilver drops fling out and burn up before they drift to far. "Hey! How're you? This place is awesome! Seriously, the effort and thought...how long did it take to to take the Thorns around here?"

The wisp laughs as she takes the ale, "Fae mead would be nice, I've had it. It was good. Made with nice honey from these hedge bees...anyway. We could get mortal mead if, uh. The Fae kind." Says Mhairi, knowing it was out there, "But yeah the Fae kind would defiantly be an adventure in finding."

[Seraphina]

Finding herself a stool, she takes a seat, taking a drink of her water,

“You should be! You put in a lot of blood and sweat, it’s amazing.” Nod.

“I could see mead being a fun addition, totally goes with the whole pub vibe.” And while she didn’t drink, she could see the others enjoying it. And that was what was important.

Grinning to the Wisp, “Oh, not too bad. Been really busy with a few things, but pretty good. You?” only fair to ask in return.

Looking around, “Not really sure. Ingrid here had most of it done when I stopped by. So she’d know more than I would, as she did most of the work.” Credit where it was due.

Eyes twinkle with excitement, “Did someone say adventure?” she asks with eagerness. “Mortal mead is fine and dandy, but if we offered something a little richer, full of flavor, like a fae mead, it'd be impressive, and I say an adventure is in order. I’m more than happy to help with that.”

[Ingrid]

"Well, lets put it on the list. Do we have a List Of Things To Do? We should do. I think we really should. Then we can add a quest for mead to it."

Ingrid paused for a moment, made some mental calculations - then marched back around to the customer side of the bar, where she rejoined Sera and Mhairi.

"I've been hacking away at the Thorns since we first made the move. I had a vision thing for it... You know, a bar of some kind. For the Court hollow. I thought it'd be cool to have a social scene connected to the Outside through the wishing well. So... Yeah. And thanks to Sera, my vision got the green light."

The Darkling took her ale in her hand.

"So. What else is new?"

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Mhairi nods as Sera speaks, a light smile on her lips. She'd been so busy lately that she hasn't had any time for any thing fun like this.

"Ah, ever since then?" looking around the hollow, you could tell that a lot of time and effort had gone into this. "It sure looks like it....uh. I don't mean that as a bad thing. Just that this place us lovely and shows the time and effort."

Mhairi hopped that sounded better then her earlier fumble.

Mhairi plays with her drink, not drinking it but twirling a finger on the rim. "Honestly? A lot. Enough to start making me tired." Mhairi sighs. "I wish I could just go back and... Mhairi shakes her head. These weren't just done random Courties but her Motley mates. "I just wish I was just Mhairi. A nobody with no stress and burdens on my shoulders. But I'm not." Mhairi sighs again. "Sorry. Don't mind me. Lets get into something fun....ah..." Mhairi stops drawing a blank in what to move the conversation to next.

[Seraphina]

Grinning to Ingrid, “Well, we have a list now!” she could start a list. “And a mead adventure is on the top!” yup, cause adventure!

A quick nod, “I love your vision, a social place, one to relax, is perfect! And I’m pretty sure the rest of the Freehold will as well. And if not, well, then they have bad taste.” See, simple.

A grin was offered to Mhairi and then Ingrid, a see, this place is awesome look.

Deciding to leave the question about what she had been up to alone for now.

Then a look of concern, “You’ll never be a nobody, and the stress, well, maybe we can help?” a look to the Darkling. “Oh, we’ll get to something fun, but we need to make sure we help you too. So tell us,” she leans on her elbows, “how can we help? Do people need to disappear? Does there need to be more shopping trips? Inquiring minds want to know.”

[Ingrid]

"The price of leadership is always high," Ingrid mused.

Her eyes gleamed.

"We could help share the load, if you like. Or provide advice... Even if all we do is act as a sounding board for your thoughts." The Darkling added. Her glance grew slightly heavy on the Autumn Sovereign - a hint for an earlier conversation.

"What makes you want to be simply Mhairi again?" Ingrid continued airily after she had chugged from her ale.