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At the present moment Eugene is standing by one of the gardens in the Spring Hollow, near to the door, and looking down at the garden which seems to be withered and struggling to even stay alive. They're dressed in their usual way, with black jeans and a black tank top that shows their extensive tattooing, which gives some actual shape to a limb that would otherwise look like just a swirling mass of smoke. After a moment they crouch down for a better look and let out a thoughtful hmmm.
Annie enters just as Eugene crouches, glancing around before spotting her partner and strolling over to them. The Nymph's satchel is slung across her back as usual, but she's also got her instrument case in hand. Probably planning to practice. The attempt to sneak up on them is probably foiled by her Mantle, but at least that lets them know who it is approaching.
Petra had been dozing up on a roof in the sun where she'd tucked a little nest against the chimney. She stretched, flapped her wings and flew down before shifting back into her usual self. "Just the people I wanted to see." She leaned in to inspect the plants Eugene was inspecting and frowned. "Still not growing right?"
Eugene turns their head to look as someone comes up behind them and the mantle starts to touch theirs. The sight of Annie makes a smile form in the whorls of their face. "Hi love," they say before turning their head again at the sound of Petra's voice. "Hi Petra." They rise from their crouch. "It's not," they confirm. "Hopefully we can figure out why. What did you want to see us about?" Then they hold their arm out toward Annie and beckon her in for a hug.
"Hey, Petra. How have you been?" Annie smiles at the birb, before moving to hug Eugene, kissing them on what's probably the cheek, given where the smile is located. "Hopefully it is not related to what Robin was pulling." She glances at Petra again. "You wanted to see the both of us?"
"Well even with her head decorating the freehold and the fact we're out of the Hue and Cry, I still think it's important to organize as healers- physical and mental both. And you guys are the top of my list on that front."
Eugene kisses Annie's cheek too, and gives her a light hug with the one arm, but doesn't fully distract herself from Petra, either. "I think that's a good idea," they tell Petra. "Which probably doesn't surprise either of you, since that's pretty much my entire skillset. Healing mind and body alike." They look at Annie and wait for her thoughts.
"I am definitely interested in organising as healers," Annie admits, smiling softly. "Both mind and body are important to keep healthy, of course, even if my studies are focused on the latter Ironside." She glances between the other Springs. "Have you found anyone else interested, Petra, or would it just be the three of us to start with?"
"Nobody who's willing to commit. There are a lot of people who have a contract or two that would make ideal medics in an emergency though. I think we should start with us and then draw in as many others as we can."
A thoughtful sound comes from the smoke that calls itself Eugene. "Should we go sit down and talk about the details?" they suggest. "We should probably know what one another's skills are at the very least."
"That makes sense," Annie nods, releasing Eugene. "In one of the cottages, or will over on the grass do?"
"Grass. I need all the sun I can get, no point in cooping ourselves up inside." She stretched and headed over to a nice patch of lawn and sprawled out. So. Skill-wise, I'm an ironside paramedic professionally, though my actual skills are beyond that. I just didn't want to have to deal with patients bedside or have that degree of mortal scrutiny. Fae-side, I have Gift of Warm Blood, Shared Burden, and Dreams of Earth- which sends people to sleep and is super useful on obnoxious or combative patients."
"If we had any reason to be secretive I'd say a cottage, but since this sounds like more of a public service affair than a private one we might as well talk about it where anyone could hear, right?" Eugene gestures toward the grass and then follows Petra that way, while reaching for Annie's hand with hers. "I'm a psychologist, so mental health is my focus, but I did finish all of the pre-med work as well, and have gone through first aid courses, so I have decent skills for patching someone up physically in an emergency," they say as they sit down too. "As contracts go I know Read Lucidity, Shared Burden, and Gift of Warm Blood."
Annie takes Eugene's hand without thinking, following the other two over to the grass, sitting with her legs tucked under her, much as she usually does when not playing. "I am a medical student ironside, planning to go into general practice." She leans against Eugene's shoulder. "For contracts, I know Fortifying Presence and Gift of Warm Breath, but am still working on learning others."
"And I'm happy to help teach what I know too," Petra said earnestly. "Both contracts and the mundane skills to back them up. I think freely sharing and teaching is an important element for the motley."
Eugene leans against Annie too, but listens to Petra and Annie alike as they talk about their various skills. "I think so too," they agree with Petra. "If we're going to make a motley around being healers, we'll need to figure out an oath, what kind of resources we want as a group, and so on. Do we want to establish a Hollow that can serve as a medical facility, for instance?"
"Having a Hollow to serve as a medical facility could be good," Annie nods. "At least so there is somewhere specific we can check on people who have used Shared Burden, or for when people are wanting to talk about things privately. In light of recent events, having somewhere set aside to house people who are in Clarity comas would be useful, too."
"I wonder if we could contribute to building those facilities in this hollow," Petra said thoughtfully. "They'd be more accessible to the entire freehold if they were here rather than another hollow down the trod." She dug into a pocket and pulled out a worn piece of paper folded a few times with the prospective oath written on it- scratched out and replaced in parts. "I've put this oath together based on the traditional healer's oath doctors take."
Eugene holds their hand out of the piece of paper as they reply to the other's thoughts. "It sounds like we all agree that facilities would be good to have, one way or another, and we'll just have to figure out how to make that work? Making it easily accessed for anyone who needs it is important."
Annie nods again. "If we want them to be easily accessible to the entire freehold, perhaps in that communal hollow would be better? Healing may be associated with Spring, but getting into trouble and needing healing is something members of all the Courts do, even if it is most common for Summers." She pauses, taking a sip from the water bottle she carries everywhere. "Do we want to have set facilities ironside?"
"Freehold hollow could be best," she agreed. "Maybe we can take one of the cabins. Ironside... I have After Party- the RV I've refurbished into a multi-person ambulance. My only concern would having an underground medical facility discovered by the mortals could have serious consequences."
"Having some ironside facilities might be useful, but Petra is also right about the potential complications involved," Eugene agrees with her. "Depending on how well equipped they are, at least."
Annie shrugs one shoulder. "Keeping them safe from discovery by mortals would be important, yes. We could ask the Mages for help with that, but I am unsure if that would bring more risk upon us."
"It also depends on how many people join and support us, and what kind of demand there is for our services. We can use our contracts anywhere. How often do we need long term care that can't be done here in the hedge?"
"That is true," Eugene confirms. "Most of the time we're going to patch someone up and then send them on their way immediately, aren't we?" They nod slowly. "I think keeping things within the Freehold is probably a good idea."
"Makes sense to me," Annie admits. "Having had the discussion is never a bad thing, of course." She glances between the other two. "Do we need to discuss the details of the Oath, or are we all agreeable with it as it stands?"
"Well I'm ok with it, obviously. It really just boils down to teaching healing contracts and skills freely with each other, being required to heal freeholders if we're able and to call for help if we're not- not being required to heal anyone who asks because that's just a fabulous way to be held captive by an enemy and get completely screwed over. And keeping people's shit private."
"I think that we should formalize a process for leaving the motley and no longer being beholden to the oath within the oath itself," Eugene suggests after looking it over again and considering for a short while. "And possibly a direct statement saying that the oath applies to the treatment of the Freehold's members only? I agree with it in general, though."
"Maybe 'If I no longer wish to be bound by this Oath, I will renounce my membership before another Aesculapian and wash my hands with water from this cup'?" Annie suggests. "I am not sure how to word a clause applying the Oath to only treatment of other members of the Freehold, though."
"The second clause already specifies using our abilities to heal and protect the Freehold of Shackamaxon in reference to treating the sick.
Wouldn't that limit the reach of who we have to treat?"
"I would add words like Annie suggests," Eugene agrees for the first part. "My concern is that the wyrd might take the first and second parts of that statement as separate clauses. The way the Wyrd will interpret our words can be a bit unpredictable, sometimes. I would probably add to this first part," Eugene sets the paper down and points to the first line of the oath, "a statement along the lines of 'I will carry out according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indenture as it pertains to the sworn members of the Shackamaxon Freehold' to make it clear that the entire oath, for purposes of the Motley, applies just to Freehold members."
"That seems workable to me," Annie admits after a moment's thought. "Do we need to add anything else to make sure we are not bound to anything we do not intend, and bound to the things we do intend?"
Petra frowned some in concentration, then pulled out a pencil and took back the paper to scribble in the changes before passing them back. "Those are good ideas. Fucking Wyrd," she grumbled. "Always helpfully biting us in the ass at the worst moment too. I think that the second clause won't require us to go beyond what we're able to do. It specifically lets us treat patients according to our ability and judgement. None of us should be bound to sacrifice our lives to treat a single individual since that would be harmful to the freehold as a whole. The fourth clause also lets us carefully and considerately take a freeholder's life as necessary."
"Let's hope that's never necessary," Eugene says quietly to that last. "We should say it in case it ever is, though. I think that I'm comfortable with the oath if we make those two changes."
Annie nods. "Is there anything else we need to do before we officially form the motley? Do you have the cup you intend for us to use with you, Petra?"
"I was thinking we could Hedgespin a cup as necessary. Then we aren't screwed if we lose the cup. The cup becomes a symbol and not a specific vessel. I mean fuck me if we lost a cup and no one could leave the motley when they want, right?"
"Do we want to add a clause stating that any vessel a member of the motley declares to be Hygieia's cup counts for these purposes?" Eugene suggests. "Then it makes things easy for all of us, and we can be as ceremonial or not as we wish."
"Do we need to?" Petra asked with a frown. "I mean Hygieia is a symbolic representation of health and cleanliness. She's not a specifically real person who owns a bunch of cups."
"Maybe stating that the cup is symbolic of Hygieia's, and that any cup recognised as such by two or more of the motley counts?"
Petra groaned and flopped back. "This is why I hate oaths! I'm not a lawyer. I don't want to be a lawyer. If I try to rules lawyer the Wyrd I'm like to get a thorn bush shoved somewhere that isn't too comfy for my trouble. Add what you guys want. I just want it to sound like an oath and not a housing contract."
"We're probably overthinking things a bit," Eugene does agree, their soft laughter making the smoke of them pulse. "I suspect none of us are likely to leave the motley anyway, given our perspectives."
"Doubtful, but we could always end up moving somewhere else." Annie shrugs slightly. "I am not intending on doing so, though." She turns her head to kiss Eugene softly. "Are we agreed on this, then? Shall we swear this Oath?"
"You could always get promoted and have duties other than healing to think about," Petra pointed out. "Life happens. We can't anticipate where it'll take us."
"That's true." Eugene returns Annie's kiss and says, "I think I'm prepare to make such an oath." They look at Petra. "I think the one thing I'd want to bring up is whether or not you have any concerns related to Annie and I being in a relationship and also part of this motley. I could assume you would have already mentioned it if you did, but I'd rather ask and be sure."
Petra blinked. "Uuuuh, no? I don't assume your relationship status is ever going to interfere with your sworn obligations to our patients."
Anne shrugs one shoulder, watching Petra. "I think Yu Jin is worried less about it interfering with our obligations to our obligations to our patients, and more about it interfering with our obligations to you as a fellow Aesculapian, or that you might be uncomfortable with the two other members of the motley being tied to each other more tightly."
"If I had been making assumptions that's more or less exactly the answer I would have assumed you would give," Eugene does answer, and the suggestion of a smile passes across their smoky face. "I'm glad I wasn't completely off base in my guess, and it puts me at ease to hear you say it."
It was obvious from Petra's moderately confused expression that the idea hadn't even occurred to her and that she was still having some trouble processing it when spelled out by Annie. "If you guys are happy, I'm happy for you. If you join other motleys that are more family that public service oriented, I'm also going to be happy for you. I hope that I'll be able to find my own family at some point but in the meantime I just want to serve my court and freehold in a way that I can do best."
"Not a guy, but I am definitely happy with Yu Jin," Annie grins slightly. "More than that I will not go into without consent, though." She pauses to take another sip from her water bottle. "I have no plans to join any family-oriented motleys as things stand, but I have been discussing forming one focused around art with a few of the other Freeholders. I do not think that will conflict with those, though."
"I hear you, Petra," Eugene says gently. "I don't think I have any other concerns to raise at the moment, then. Whenever we decide we want to make this happen, that works for me." They do look at Annie, not really surprised, before nodding as if they understand what she's saying about another motley.
She grinned. "Want to swear? Then we can get to work."
"Sounds good to me," Annie nods. "Do we have a cup to swear with, or should somebody make one?" Beat. "It is not technically a cup, but my water bottle could serve, if just being a vessel is the important part."
Eugene laughs again. "We could spin one out of the hedge, if we want to be a little bit more ceremonial than your water bottle."
Petra dug a bit of ribbon out of her back and put a tourniquet around the stem of a wilted flower. It blossomed into a flower shaped goblet with a vine twisting around it so it looked like a snake.
"A little more ceremonial it is," Annie grins slightly. "Shall we use the water from my bottle, or move over to the pond and take from that?"
"Very nice," Eugene says. "Let's use the pond," they say as they start getting up, then they stop and say, "no, given what's happening to the gardens, lets use your water bottle. I'm not sure if drinking the water in here is a good idea."
Petra laughed. "I think the bottle's going to be more sanitary anyways. People swim in that pond. Which means some of them probably pee in it."
Annie grimaces. "Really? I am definitely not drinking from it, then." She offers Petra her bottle, then.
"As someone who has swim in that pool, I kind of wish I hadn't just heard you point out what I probably would have realized myself if I'd thought about it," Eugene grumbles, but they're laughing too.
Petra grinned and held out the cup to be filled. She took a sip, then passed it around to Annie.
Annie takes a sip in turn, before passing the cup to Eugene.
Eugene also takes a sip, then passes the cup back to Petra.
"With this sip from Hygieia's cup..." Petra carefully made her oath to the others and the Spring's mantle- the scent of warm earth and living things rose around her as she fulfilled one of her greater desires.
Annie joins in, reciting the oath in unison with Petra, her own mantle flaring, song in a language neither of the others present likely understand joining the music that always accompanies Annie.
Eugene joins in the recitation of the oath as well, while powering the words with their glamour. The scents of petrichor and poppies grow stronger around them as they do, and the fragrant breeze of their mantle makes their smoke whip and stir faster as the magic rises.
"Ah, that feels great," Petra said with excitement. "I'm really happy to be working with you two."
Annie smiles softly. "Pleasure to be working with you as well, Petra." The smile turns into an outright smirk as she pauses for effect. "Yu Jin already knows how much I appreciate them." They get a kiss, then, as if in demonstration.
"I'm glad we're all demonstrating our commitment to this, not just for the sake of each other, but for the rest of the Freehold," Eugene says perhaps a bit more verbosely, followed by returning Annie's kiss. "Let's all hope that our motley ends up being simultaneously as effective and as unnecessary as possible, because if there's one skill I'll never feel bad not needing to have often, it's the ability to heal the injuries of others."
"Agreed," Annie nods, sobering slightly. "We should probably go and place an official announcement on the Freehold's notice board, so that people know about it and can contact us if they need help. Or need to get someone else help."
"Yep. Want to post it up, Annie?"
"I can do that, yes," Annie agrees, standing.
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