Log:Welcoming Ting

Welcoming Ting
Participants Oberon (As himself and the ST) and Ting.	9 March, 2017 Dave "Oberon" welcomes Ting into the Spring Court Hollow and takes her to meet the Crown so she can pledge to the Freehold.
Location At Stoneheart Hollow.

In the Mortal World it is cold and cloudy. But in the Hedge, it always depends on the higher Wyrd bearer around. Though, some places never change. Like the Spring Court Hollow and its amazing emerald crystals and all the luxury any Spring courtier would want to have for even a single minute. Today, added to the furniture is a charming man with a violin on his shoulder. And he's playing it. It's something sad and delicate. But beautiful. The man's eyes are closed as his hands make the music alive.

It should go without saying that unconventional introductions and ingratiating into Lost society are a given, but even still the Spring Waterborn knows as Ting has an even more lost aura about her. She is a new face to the area and most certainly the Hollow. Tiptoeing in quietly, she brings with her telltale warmth of her Court as well as the scent of the ocean, that faint saltiness reminiscent of walks on along the beach. In addition to this, her bare feet leave wet footprints in her wake.

She skirts the lovely room, eyeing all the sensuous items brought to bear and settling in on a small table which is most assuredly not meant to be sat upon, but is anyway. Her silence is meant as a nicety toward the musician. The Spring folds her limbs up like a nimble creature and simply watches him. The melancholy tone of his playing does cause her expression to drop. A sad Spring, it cannot be!

The music doesn't take long to come to an end. At that point, the musician opens his eyes calmly as he takes a deep breath. Upon seeing he has audience, he flushes and grins."I didn't notice I had a guest." He comments as he bows like an artist would do."Sorry for the sad music. I picked it just because it's an easy one." He says as he gets close to the other Lost."I'm Oberon. A fellow Spring Courtier as well as you can notice." He then grins and offers a hand with the palm up. His mantle is a weak and discreet one but it is there. The scene of morning flowers.

Ting glances back behind her, should he be speaking to some other member of the audience. But, no. She is the audience. This takes a moment for her to realize, but when she does her smile comes quick. Almost comically quick. His statement about the sad music is met with a shrug and knowing nod. Apparently, his explanation makes total sense to her.

The petite hand is taken to a soft kiss on its top just before being released again."Ting. It's a good name. It fits you." He comments as he goes around and leaves his violin on the table."And I owe you a happy music whenever you want me to play my humble violin to you." He says and offers the Waterborn a soft and gentle smile.

A kiss. Ting watches this with great fascination, a scientist uninvolved in the act but deeply invested in the activity. "A good name. Thank you. Oberon is a strong name." She felt compelled to match compliment with compliment. "I will pay you with a cake. For the happy song. I make cake, like you make music. But you eat what I make." Was that explanation necessary? Not likely. "If I get a favour, I can pay with two cakes. Can I get a favour?" The more she speaks, the more obvious it is that she has a very faint accent. Something Baltic, perhaps. Her English is a little stilted in places too.

"I do like cakes. But I must say sorry, ma'am. I'm a little bit confused here. Are you offering me a favor or asking me one? Both cases, let's have a seat." He asks as he pulls a chair and gestures her to take a seat first."Please." He offers kindly.

Furniture and Ting are strange bedfellows, so the offer to sit is met with her stepping up on the seat and squatting down. She has this way of growing very small in that crouch. She points to herself and something in her expression goes a little perplexed. "I am Ting. I am new. I need a place to sleep. Is this good here?" she asks of the Hollow they now occupy. Stranger things have happened than a new resident squatting inside the Hollow, right? "I need a kitchen for cake. Do we have Spring kitchen? Sometimes there are generous Lost who offer space to the new Lost. Old new Lost. And jobs. Fruit. I have fruit." That would be payment. "I am very good at finding fruit. Do you want some?" She begins rummaging around in a tattered canvas bag on her hip.

Oberon arches a brow and the other Lost talks."Oh. Well. Sleeping here in the Hedge is not a really good idea. At least not in the long run. One night is okay." He explains briefly before taking a seat like a normal person would do."I live in my family farm. I'm pretty sure we do have some spare rooms to guests if you want to have a bed in the mortal world. And we do have a kitchen. It's a big one. You'd like it." He then pauses for a second and stares at the siren."I assume if you're in here, you're oathed to the Freehold. Is that right?"

"Not many days in the Hedge, no!" This amuses her, so much so that she begins to giggle and it is a glittery kind of sound, one that would pull a fit of giggling from observers were they so inclined. In this way she is rather child-like with boundless wonder. "I like farms. I like kitchens. I can pay in fruit. And cake. I should like to be Oathed to the Freehold, yes. I want to do this. Can I do it with you? I was looking for the right people to listen and hear and know." This is really how she speaks. Disjointed, kind of cute, strangely easy to follow despite the strangeness.

Oberon arches a brow to the Waterborn once more as he looks a tidbit confused and hesitates for a blink or two."O-kay. Well. Do you understand the advantages and the responsibilities of being part of a Freehold?" He asks cautiously.

Ting looks excited and nods, lifting up onto the balls of her feet a hint, even as they are perched upon the seat of that chair. She is leaving a mess of saltwater everywhere. "I do. Fealty, uphold laws, honour lords and ladies, protect the Freehold. I know. I am good at this. Can you take me? Can you help me? I can pay in cake." Always with the cake, this one. Eager, innocent, rather Spring-like.

"Calm down. You don't need to pay me with cake. I can take you to the Crown, yes. I just swore the pledge myself. Two days ago when I arrived. I'm a local, but spent some time in the Old Continent." He offers."The Winter Crown is a guy name Charlie. He's not that hard to pick. We can try the Winter Hollow if you want. I heard he usually goes there a few times a day." He says pointing to the entrance to the Spring Hollow.

When told to calm down Ting does just that, going silent and nodding. She carefully steps down from the chair where she was squatting and nods her chin toward the door. Yes, she will go with him. Her smile says that she is grateful he is helping her. Pledging fealty to the Crown is not typically a difficult task, nor a terribly lengthy one. That is, unless the Winter Crown is very interested in chatting with Spring Waterborns. One can never tell. With her bag slung across her body, she follows the green-haired viking lad, leaving wet footprints the entire way. She murmurs something about cake, but it is quiet, and not meant for him to hear.

With a bright smile, Oberon offers his arm to the other Lost to hold so he can lead the way up to the Winter Cave where, not surprisingly, the Winter Monarch is. It's a very brief ritual where the Monarch uses a Contract to check on the Waterborn intentions and takes her oath as it is said by all those that want to take part at the Freehold. When it's all done, the Winter Monarch excuses himself and departs to deal with Freehold matters with his second in command.

"See? I told you it was not a big deal. Quick and sweet." Oberon comments as he, once more, offers his arm to the other Lost so he can lead her back to the Spring Court Hollow.

The Waterborn's intentions are about a pure as they come. Like freshly fallen rain drops. She takes her Freehold Oath, all grins and bright-eyed, then loops arms with her fellow Spring so they can return to their Hollow. "Thank you, Oberon. This is a good welcome. He looked like snow," she whispers to the Flowering. Then she glances up at the Fairest and points to a flower woven into his braids. "I like flowers. What does your farm like to do? Does it like to grow food or does it like to grow animals?"

Upon the comment of flowers, Oberon smiles."Well. A bit of both, I guess. But my family fame product is none of the both. We're famous brewers. Our beers are the best in the region, they say." He comments as the walk."Now that you're oath I can tell you more. The Freehold has a wayhouse. A place to newcomers. It's protected by Contracts and by the Waykeepers. They're a group of Lost devoted to welcome, train and protect the newcomers. If you prefer, I can take you there. I've never been there myself, but I know its location."

"Beer? How do you grow beer?" Yeah, the finer points of hops and barley are clearly lost on the Waterborn. But it is so very funny to her that she begins laughing again. To the mention of a wayhouse, her eyes go a bit wide and she nods. "Yes. Let's go there. I like to be welcomed." Clearly. "Do they have a kitchen?" Kitchens are required for cake baking and Ting has a one-track mind about such things. After the final query, however, she is happy to just walk along with her newfound pal. Springs make fast friends like that.

When they reach back the table where they were previously, Oberon takes his seat back and grins to the silliness of the other Lost."You're a delicate flower, aren't you?" He asks sweetly."I can take you there later, sure. Do you have belongings and stuff you want to carry on? I don't have a truck, but we can figure out a way to get our things to the wayhouse."

Ting retakes her seat/squat upon the chair and drapes her arms over her bent knees, one over the other. When he asks if she is a flower she tilts her head to the side curiously and smiles. "Am I? Water lily?" she asks. "Vesiroos. That is how we call it. Maybe. You are a delicate flower?" she counters, as if this is some social norm, repeating questions right back at people. "I have things in this bag. And me. I swam a long way. You will stay at the Wayhouse or the farm? Both?"

"Me? A delicate flower? I don't think so. I mean, not anymore. I learned some tricks to protect myself and those close to me." The Flowering says and takes a look at the other Lost's bag."I'm staying the the farm right now. But planning on joining the Waykeepers. If that means I'd need to move to the wayhouse, so be it. I don't mind."

"Not anymore means you were once a delicate flower." She is fairly sure of this truth, so therefore, that was not a question. Those tricks of protecting he mentions receives a sly sidelong glance from her. Is she dubious or impressed? Who knows. When he looks to her bag she involuntarily pulls it closer to her body. It can't have too much of import in it, it's relatively small and tattered. Still, belongings are belongings. "You will be a good Waykeeper. You practice with me. All according to plan." Then she goes quiet and just watches him with big eyes and an expectant expression, like she is waiting for him to say something.

"Okay. So. Do you have any question about the Freehold or its members? I'm as new as you, but maybe I can answer one of another question you may have." He offers when he notes she's waiting on him to keep talking and giving information.

Ting slowly sits back on her heels a little then shakes her head in response to having more questions. Clearly not what she thought he might say or ask. Her hand rubs idly at her cheek then she smiles at him. "I will learn. I will meet them. I will fit in." This last part is most important to her, which is why it is stated last. The best was saved for last. That scene of sea air floats up around her. "Where is Wayhouse? In case I get lost." This might be something that happens a lot.

"You don't need to worry about any ot these things. They'll happen, eventually. In the proper time. The Freeholders are welcoming and helpful. You'll like here." He says."I'll write it on a piece of paper so you don't forget it, okay?" Then he retrieves a small piece of paper and a pen from his pockets and writes down the address of the wayhouse in a quick and relaxed writing before offering the piece of paper to the Waterborn."Store it in a place where you'll not lose."

"I don't worry. I want you to know. Waykeeper practice." Ting offers him a 1000 watt smile then hops down deftly from the table. She moves like a sprite - bouncy, flowy, playful. Those wet footprints make her quite easy to track as it turns out. "I like it here. It will help me remember. Being in one place helps." When he hands her the piece of paper she nods down at it them slips it into her tattered, old bag. That might well be the safest place on her. "I can eat a little here?" she asks him, pointing over to some golden service cart set up for Courtiers. "I am going to see the lake again. Then Wayhouse. I am happy I met you, Oberon."

"I'm happy too. I don't have a phone just yet, but you can leave me a message at my family's farm. Or at the Wayhouse." He says and smiles."And sure you can eat." Then, he stands up and takes back his violin."I'll be at the farm. Everyone knows the way to the farm so, if you want a place to crash, you can find me there at night."

"I lost my phone." Of course she did. Cell phones, old bags, and oceans usually don't mix. There is a reason her bag is tied into an unfriendly knot now. To hold her trinkets in. "I will find the farm. I will go see you. You will play a happy song on your violin, you said." Like a promise. She nods her head toward the food cart then begins to prance over to it, stopping just before she knocks into the thing and hovering like an excited bee buzzing a field of flowers. As they are alone in the Hollow, Ting shows no remorse for eating with her hands. When she turns to look back at him, she has a smear of red berry across her mouth. Then she grins, all pink teeth.

To that view, Oberon laughs innocently as he is amused by the innocence and sweetness of the other Lost."You are a delicate flower indeed." He murmurs a bit later after recomposing himself."See you later, then. I need to get back to the Other Side. I need some family business to deal with." He eyeblinks to the girl before turning around and heading out.