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Lif is sitting outside one of the cottages in the Freehold Hollow, a notebook sitting against her legs, pen in hand, and she seems to be writing something. Today, she's in a sleeveless shirt and jeans, a cowboy hat on her head.
Jack's presence isn't a regular occurrence in the Freehold, but he's here today, padding out of Ari's office and running a hand through his wavy hair. He's in tight jeans and a tight black t-shirt, a full messenger bag over his shoulder.
"...Lif, right?" He upnods as he approaches. "You got a minute?"
"Ah, yeah, I got a minute. Maybe more, if it's business. You went to History's Cradle, right?" Lif looks up at Jack uncertainly, their cheeks sparkling with the water constantly streaming down their cheeks.
"I did - an' yeah, it's business." Charcoal lines flicker and disappear around his face as he nods. "You went to Patriarch Tree?"
"Yeah. Yeah, we did." There's a bit of a nod. "Me and Annie and Aurelio. You wanna sit, or were you planning to hover and look down into the well, get your answers that way?"
Jack lets out a soft laugh and sinks to the ground with a small groan. "So what'd you find out? An' is it enough to get History's Cradle to stand down?"
"Yeah, so, before I start talking, big picture item: all of us swore not to share the information we learned pertaining to the...heh...root of the problem with enemies of Patriarch Tree. So if Shackamaxon goes to war on Patriarch Tree after I tell you shit, the three of us will be Oathbreakers. But. I truly feel that the war that History's Cradle is trying to declare isn't going to be a productive way of solving the problem at hand." They fold their notebook closed. "They're very much not doing this on purpose, and want a resolution as much as anyone else."
A thoughtful nod, and he leans back on his hands. "History's Cradle wants us to ally with them - we managed to get them to wait until we'd learned more. Sounds like we have - you're sure it's not purposeful?"
"Completely. Yes, the source of the roots is a tree within the territory of the Patriarch Tree Freehold's holdings. But it's also a sign that a Queen who sacrificed herself to the Wyrd is suffering, changing, losing sight of what she sacrificed for. The tree is...possibly a dream bastion, they're going to see if their oneiromancers can get inside and heal Queen Cypress. If theirs can't...do we have anyone who'd be willing to try, do you think?"
"Mmm. There are a few of us, I think. Do you know Alain? She went to Old Iron, pretty sure she knows her shit when it comes to dreams. And I bet a lotta people'd be willing to try, to avoid a war. Fuck, I hope we can fix this before History's Cradle gets tired of waiting..." Jack lets out a long breath, and stares up at the sky. "I guess communication broke down, between them and Patriarch Tree, might need an outside party to mediate this whole mess..."
"Patriarch Tree are sworn to protect the Tree at the Crossroads, the remains of Queen Cypress. So anyone who wants to solve the problem by just destroying the tree is going to be engaging them in war. That, I think, is where the rupture is. That is what's wrong." Setting the notebook aside, they wrap their arms around their knees. "And no, I don't know Alain. But if you think she'd be interested, loop her in. Anyone...anyone who can help. I have a stupid idea of my own, something I'm trying as...because I have to fucking do something. But it won't save the tree in Dover."
"It might be worth putting out a call in the Freehold - I know...not a fucking lot about dreams, or the people who're good at dreams, could be easiest to call 'em directly, if that makes sense?" Jack shrugs, and lines flicker across his forehead as he frowns. "Gonna be hard to convince History's Cradle to stand down, 'f we can't tell'em why they gotta stand down..."
"I get that. Dear fucking hell, I get that. But...the war they want to fight, that won't solve the problem. That's the bottom line as far as I'm concerned. If they want a solution, Patriarch Tree is going to need help. Probably from us, more than anything, because they're not going to let the Cradle offer aid at this point." She tugs the brim of her hat down. "I tried to Read Lucidity on the Tree."
"...What was the exact wording of the oath? Was it only that you three wouldn't share that secret to Patriarch Tree's enemies? Not that I plan on being loose lipped, but if History's Cradle really needs proof that Dover's not doing this shit on purpose...if it's not one'a you three who tells them, will it still fuck you over?" He seems genuinely curious.
"How...did that go? Can you even do that on a dream bastion?"
"I swear to do no harm to the Tree, save for what is necessary to take a reasonable amount of samples for study. I promise not to disclose any information I see, hear, or learn from this visit that may be used to do harm to the Tree to the enemies of Patriarch Tree, including anything discovered from the samples in the future." She repeats the Oath she was sealed to, frowning. "If you pass information to their enemies, are you an enemy of theirs? It's risky, and I don't like playing the Wyrd like that. As for the Read Lucidity--there was definitely a mind in there. Something...ancient and powerful, and I'd go so far as to call it eldritch, in a way. It gave me a headache and shoved me away. Which is more than nothing."
"There's loopholes I'm sure, but there's also folx a lot more skilled than me at exploiting 'em. I'm no Notary," Jack says with a smile. "That's...fuckin' wild. Whatever that eldritch being was, that's what's causing the blight?" he cants his head.
"Queen Meriday Cypress. A hedge ghost I spoke to said she's forgotten her sacrifice, which gave birth to the tree. She's been like this since History's Cradle was formed, in the time of the Underground Railroad, so it's really not surprising her mind is removed from being a person at this point."
"Hell of a long time to be a tree, yeah...whoever tries to go into her dreams is gonna have some fucking time, I bet. If she's so far gone from being a person."
"They sure are. I don't know that I can be helpful there." They shrink a little more. "But I'm not giving up. I'm the fucking Lorax, after all."
"Who says you have to be helpful there?" Jack raises his eyebrows. "You've got more solid information about what's going on with this blight than anyone I've talked to. Not that I've talked to a lotta folx about it, but still..."
"Everyone else has been looking at the symptoms. Trying to hedgespin fruit, help the Rivermen. But if the Tree isn't helped, what's it matter?" She shakes her head. "If we end up sending another delegation to Dover, I have advice on handling Jacob Fireheart as well."
Jack smiles, his animation lazy. "Sounds like you'll be all kinds of helpful, if they call our oneiromancers in. You're the one who knows what's up, you gotta speak for the Tree, right? Or - speak to it, I guess. Or go with the delegation to handle Jacob Fireheart yourself."
"Maybe. Maybe." They brush at their cheek lightly. It doesn't help, the water's a constant thing. "I must be the worst Summer ever, though. Join the court, and then turn around and try to prevent a war through diplomacy and oneiromancy and growing things."
"Eh. What would you do if History's Cradle doesn't back down, and wanted to try to destroy the Tree?"
They close their eyes, not answering that question right away.
After a moment: "I don't know that I'd be the one deciding things at that point. I'm a Page, I take orders. Someone else would probably know what to do. Right?"
Jack grimaces. "...'S a bad question, sorry. What would you want to do? And how would you feel?"
She lets out a burbling laugh, the crack on her neck trickling water faster. "Well, at least they replaced me with solid Joyeuxses when I left Spring. What I'd want to do would be...to help hold History's Cradle off. To buy the time to be able to heal the tree. And I'd be pretty pissed with their impatience and unwillingness to glance beneath the surface of the problem. But...I wouldn't want to fight a war to win. I'd want to stall, to give them a roadblock."
"Pretty sure most Summers don't always just wanna fight for the sake of fighting. Some of 'em, sure, but...knowing when it's worth it to go to war and when it's better to do something else...doesn't make you less Summer. Pretty sure." Jack gives them a slightly self-deprecating smile.
"Maybe. I should talk to more other Summers, more, probably." They sound nervous about the idea.
"Might help, yeah," he agrees. "But you've got what, a couple months in Summer? You don't have to embody the ideals of Summer perfectly from the start - hell, you don't have to perfectly embody those ideals ever. It's a way of thinking, just as much as something to aspire to, you know?"
She nods, and lifts her head to look uncertainly at him. "...do you hug?"
Jack sits up and holds an arm out in response, inviting them to hug him. "You don't have to try to be everything at once. And if anyone makes you feel shitty for taking however much time you need to settle...well don't send 'em to me, 'cause I don't fight, but. They're shitty people, if they do that."
They don't grab, just sort of curl up into the open arm quietly.
"I just...don't feel like fish nor fowl. I don't feel like I belong. Didn't belong in Spring when I left, though, either."
The Darkling gives Lif a squeeze, pulling them against his size if they'll let him.
"Belonging's something that happens over time. For some people, it clicks right away, but not everyone." There's a beat. "Are personal anecdotes helpful, for you?"
They totally allow themself to be pulled in. "Stories always work for me."
"I waited the entire three months, before I went with Spring. Less than a day left, before I finally made the choice. And even now...I wonder what might've happened if I'd gone with Winter, how I might be different. If something would be...better?" His voice is soft. "Spring fits me well enough, but every once in a while...I wonder."
"You're doing a Spring job pretty well right now." She sighs. "Thank you. I know you approached me for business, but...I really needed to talk to someone about this."
"Glad I could help. Pretty new at the whole Joyeux thing. Didn't know if I really wanted to - and if I'd be any good at it." Another squeeze around their shoulders.
"You're definitely good, but I can't tell you if you want to." A bit of a wry smile. "Your desires are your own."
"Heh. Don't I know it. And whether I want it or not, here I am, y'know?" Jack huffs in amuseument.
"So you fortify and do the work and someday look over your shoulder and see how far you've come. Yeah?"
"...Sounds about right. Still afraid to look over my shoulder - I think a lot of us are. But someday this'll feel like ancient history, and maybe I'll be wiser. Maybe not, though. No promises."
"Mm. I should probably head home before my roommate worries. I haven't explained why sometimes I lose cell service completely without warning." She's slow to disentangle, though, a hand lingering on Jack's shoulder for a moment before she grabs her notebook and stands.
"Stay safe." He puts a hand on theirs, giving it a small squeeze. "Can I get your number, to keep you in the loop about any negotiation that happens? And I'll see who I can find who's interested in oneiromancy. Unless you wanna write the note for the Hollow."
They jot the number on a page in the notebook, before ripping it out to offer to Jack. "I trust you to get the best people."
"That's a lotta trust in me, Lif." But his smile is warm, and he stands, too.
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