(Rotten Roots) Orchard Observations

[Seraphina]

The Nix wasn’t afraid of the Wizand, and as such, stands her ground, “I’m about to open a Gate I found.” She wasn’t going to lie. “Nothing wrong with me, I’m making sure the Gate that Ann had here is gone, and that another one had not been placed. Low and behold, there is another Gate to the orchard she had been using.” Aquamarines staring at the guy. “So the Gate is yours? It leads to your Hollow and is not one placed by someone loyal to Ann and rebuilding what she had? Or maybe it leads to an antique store?”

Then her eyes narrow, “Just because I’m a Fairest does not mean there is any bullshit. You want Fairest bullshit, it can happen.” And I will make you crumble at my feet you weak little thing.

“And I am not going anywhere. You do not own the Hedge and you do not get to tell me when I leave it.” Her eyes not leaving his.

Stats

Hedgespun jacket(+1 INT, +1 DEF), Hedgespun Necklace(+1 singing), dagger, steel toed boots, 2 bottles of water, bag of trail mix, gauze and medical tape, costume jewelry for trading(one necklace, one pin) sun catcher for trading, small tins(3) one with coffee two with tea (lavender and rose) notebook with pencil
Health 7
WP 3
Glamour 10/10

[Saber Sloth]

The Wizened stews, spite colouring his scowl, about to breath out vitriol at the Fairest, he pauses and breathes as Kray's level head reminds him of their Pledge.

Very obviously he's counting to ten.

"That is a Door. To. My. Home. This." he gestures around them, "Is the Hollow. I'm cultivating." comes out more of a growl. "No. I don't. Own. The Hedge. But I own this patch. And if you'd been listening. You'd know. That just because. Some bitch queen had claimed it for her cult of kidnappers. Doesn't mean that the person, coming. in. to. reclaim the wreckage is a bitch queen fan."

Glaring at Sera, then looking back at Kray's still working form, "If she'd to show you the paths out, fine. We have a Pledge to finish, and she can remove herself from my hollow's boundary line. That's back to the treeline." flinty eyes back to Sera, then to the treeline, where they'd come from.

[Kray]

It really does say something about a situation when an ogre is being the most reasonable person in a conversation. Hoe swings connects with soil, is shaken off, he takes a step back repeat, as he has been. Wondering if the double use of a particular term surely referring to Ann, was only referring to Ann or not. "Ah. See that wasn't to hard to resolve now was it." He says as much to the empty air as either of the lost participating in the spat. Kicking a stubborn clump of earth a part to then worry it with the hoe.

Speaking now to Sam. "Hm. I can't make her do anything." Stay or go. "But. you've honoured our pledge and I respect you, and what's yours for doing so. So rest assured for what it's worth when all is said and done between us today I have no intention of forcing my way into your home." Pledge craft underlined just about everything, depending who you listened to of course but a dam lot regardless. Those who respected that were due a bit of respect.

[Seraphina]

And obviously Sera didn’t care about his anger, contently watching him stew.

“Is it? Because I didn’t sense it, I would have sensed it.” Head slightly tilts, “And no, I was not listening, I don’t tend to eavesdrop on my friends conversations when I am not included on them, that’s just rude.” And the Nix was only rude when she wanted to be. A sly smirk forming, “My my, what colorful language for the dead. Not that she doesn’t deserve it.” She did. “The barn exploding was quite spectacular.”

The glare was returned. She was past another Lost intimidating her. She was done being the agreeable one, and she was done being a pushover. “I’m not removing myself from anything, I’m free to walk and stand where I so desire. As you are and our friend is as well.” Aquamarines never left his own flinty eyes, “If my presence threatens you, even if haven’t done anything, then you are welcome to walk yourself over to the tree line if it makes you feel safer.” Not that the distance wouldn’t protect him from her Contracts if she chooses to use them. A bag of trail mix was taken out and a few pieces were munched on as she watched him.

Equp/Stats

Hedgespun jacket(+1 INT, +1 DEF), Hedgespun Necklace(+1 singing), dagger, steel toed boots, 2 bottles of water, bag of trail mix, gauze and medical tape, costume jewelry for trading(one necklace, one pin) sun catcher for trading, small tins(3) one with coffee two with tea (lavender and rose) notebook with pencil
Health 7
WP 3
Glamour 10/10

[Saber Sloth]

"Of course I'd honour a Pledge," he says, trying for the lighter hearted banter that he and Kray had shared before, but it comes out as a scoff, wizened spite twisting and retwisting him as Sera doesn't leave, and in fact, continues to talk. "Clearly you're still not listening!" he barks out, mouth twisted down, teeth obviously grinding. "I'm currently cultivating this space as my hollow." he says slowly, like explaining to a toddler. "That's why I'm. Here. Today. Working."

He pauses to breathe. He sounds much like a bull huffing, a moment away from tearing into, after a red cape. With careful, spindly fingers, he reaches for his pocket, and pulls out a creased lined paper. He scrunches it up into a ball and toses it at Sera. It's an easy catch if she wants to grab it from the air, if not it'll land on the ground.

If she reads it she'll see;

"Finish up the garden.
Check the wreckage for anything salvageable. (Most likely need to chuck the barn wholesale.)
Settle the circle, entice the Wyrd,
Make sure the foundations are good
FIND MORE MURMURLEAF LEAF SEEDS
When hollow's good, check out nearest freehold, (surely they'd like to trade in fruit.)"

"So. This is what I say about Fairest bullshit. You're just content to stomp around the place I'm planning on making my home. My safe place. And you wanted to open the door to another of my safe places. And it looks like you don't even care that you're currently ruining that sense of safety that I want to cultivate."

He pauses long enough to scowl. Long enough to think.

"If you're the image of the Sacramento Freehold. Maybe I'll pick up again and head north, or west." Looking to Kray, "I can finish up today, and our Pledge with this patch, but fuck." Looking at Sera. "Dunno, why anyone'd want to stay long term if all the fancy - powerful - " taking a deep sniff, of the vibrant, verdant mantle, looking at the gliting gold flowers, and catching the sound of birdsong. "Freeholders are like her"

[Kray]

With the talk of wanting to wrap soon in the plot thread I just want to say the only thing Kray is still doing is making sure the pledge is fulfilled. He has nothing else he wants to accomplish here and is good to leave as soon as he is given the all clear that it is done.

You know I thought fairest were meant to be good at the social stuff. Well that's like saying Ogre are meant to be brutish and violent. Which he is. So you know serotypes exist for reasons. "Hey. Mr. Crow you a drinking man? When I come back with the ice, I could bring a decent bottle of brandy?" Because well what unifies people better then food, or well booze in this case. But yeah food and drink are the solution the Ogre is trying to smooth the wheels of conversation. As he continues to work the field, building up a sweat as he will till the pledge reaches completion. That's what they bound to. It might have behoved him to strip of more of the weapons and he is coat really. But well stubbornly keeps it all on.

Oh okay well that escalated. And now he is on freehold reputation patch up duty apparently. "Now. I wouldn't say the spring queen over there is the image of our freehold. But I wouldn't call myself fancy either." Rotating an overlong twisted arm briefly to work out a crick in the elbow joint. Before taking to the hoe again. "Uh. Like Any freehold we got all kinds. Now would you really lump me in with her?" It was his best attempt at humour, something he is notoriously not good at. That his smile looks more like someone sizing up a meal by default does not help. "Ah. You stay or go that s your choice. And it isn't mine to stop you. But you'll find fairest most places you travel." Seeing as he seems to have beef with that particular seeming. "So. Here , there what's worth it. Safety sure. But at least you have some idea of what's what around here." And that's got to make it at least a little safer right?

[Seraphina]

At the outburst, she just shrugs. To her, he was acting like a toddler pitching a fit because he didn’t get a nap.

She’ll catch the note, because, why not. There was a curiosity there, why would he write a note and not say it in front of Kray? That struck her as odd.

“Stomp around? What I am doing is making sure this space, the one you are claiming to want to make into your safe space no longer has ties to Ann. This was the place she used slaves to farm an Orchard, with a barn connected to her warehouse, where she ran some business doing lord knows what. I was there the day she was killed; I was in the barn that day and helped destroy her Gate room and the very Gate that was here, in this Orchard. So if while making sure those Gates no longer worked and I found a new one, you’re damn right I’m going to investigate it and make sure it’s not tied to her or any Lost who are still loyal to her and her bullshit. If that offends you then I’m sorry, but she terrorized not only our Freehold, but Freeholds all across California. And I refuse to sit back and let loyalists to her take root here.” A shake of her head, “I care about making sure my Freehold is safe, that is where my loyalty is, and if that pisses you off then so be it, but they come first above all else.” And she would die on that hill.

“I’m quite highly thought of in my Freehold I’ll have you know. I have fought and bleed for them, and I will do it in a heartbeat without a second thought for my own safety. I have fought the Huntsmen in a Dream to protect my Freehold. Yes, I am powerful, I won’t deny that, but my power is to protect my Freehold, my power to heal is the Freehold, my power to fight is for the Freehold.”

[Saber Sloth]

"If you joined the Pledge, you could have just fucking asked." he points out, "I'm still pledge-bound to Kray to answer honestly. Instead you declined, and choose to go poking around. Because, what. You're too good to get your hands dirty? Spring Queen? Figures. You're a long way from Spring here."

He scoffs. "Sure you can say that, sure you can believe it. But if you really care about more than just your ego you'd have Pledged in."

Turning from Sera, "I'm going to be finishing my patch, answer whatever questions Kray has left, and know. O Great Queen of Spring, you and your Court are not welcome to trade with me."

A heartbeat, another, "Brandy'd be lovely, thank you. You, yours, and the other two Courts'll be welcome here."

I'm good with narrating an end to this soonish, unless Sera has more she wants to say!

[Kray]

The situation does not improve and the giant rolls bulbous yellow eyes. Before finally addressing the spring queen. "Ah. Sarah if you want to know something ask me and I'll ask Mr. Crow here. We get honest answers, his space is respected. We know he isn't one of Ann's. The pledge has held through everything he has answered." When what sounds like a threat is issued from Sam Crow, it's a very good indication of why pledges are useful. With Jasper, doing whatever he was doing and the Ogre pledged to non-violence the Spring queen would have to resolve any altercation she provoked by herself.


Although the talk of Sarah's status in the freehold elicits quite the grin from the ogre, and not an attempt at a nice one, his composure cracking wide open. Not as well thought of as you were and not by everyone. Snorting and chuckling seizing him as he continues to try and work through the fit. It requires him to go back over the last stretch a second time to straighten it out and make sure he didn't miss anything. Besides why would status in a freehold matter an inkling to a lost not in the freehold. Shaking his head to clear the vestiges of the sudden onset.

Sam Crow shows some real strength of character barring not just Sera but the whole spring court from trading with him. "Ha. Brandy it is." And had salvaged the day more or less it seems as three of four courts still get to access to a fruit farmer that is not a hob goblin. "Uh. Understood. That's very good of you." Of course nothing stopped anyone else from trading on behalf of the springs. But it was still an utterly bizarre experience. The Autumn Ogre succeeding where the fairest queen of spring had failed. Goes to show. Not all lost are the same.

[Seraphina]

The urge to roll her eyes was strong, “I had no use for your Pledge, I was here to investigate the location of the Orchard and the barn. If you want make assumptions about me, go ahead, you won’t be the first and you won’t be the last.” And quite frankly, it didn’t bother her. “I owe you no explanation.” His comment on Spring made her chuckle, Spring was all around them, and was only a simple call away.

“Again, I owe you no explanation, and I do not care if you believe me or not. Your words, your attempt to insult me are just that, words. But nice try, thanks for playing.”

A smile then, “And who good sir, said Spring needed or wanted to trade with you? More and more assumptions, it’s a bad look.” A tsk then a shake of her head. Spring had better things to do, and their own Fruits. “But just know this, when Ann’s followers come back through, and you have problems, and lay bleeding, you were quite rude to a 3^rd degree Oneirophysic, Queen of Spring, remember that.” It wasn’t a threat, but the truth. She was feeling less eager to share her healing gifts with those who were as rude as this one.

A look to Kray, “Very kind of you, but I have all I need to know about this one.”