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Since she's no longer needed to guard the VIP, Ianthe has gone back to doing regular patrols of the local Trods. One of which she's probably either about to start or just finished, since she's dressed in a mail hauberk and coif, sitting on one of the benches in the Freehold, checking over her arrows for any damage they may have suffered, with an unstrung bow rests against her knee.
Lif enters the freehold with a backpack on their back, their mantle touching nearby (wilted) plants lightly with dew like a crisp summer morning. They are wearing a broad-brimmed hat, along with a t-shirt (with a picture of Mother Earth hugging a person on it, along with some text in speech bubbles) and a pair of jeans. As they catch sight of Ianthe, they meanders their way over.
Spicy comes around a moment later, she's dressed in a black set of jeans and a white button up shirt, she smells of baked bread and even has a bit of floor smushed on her cheek, however hard that might be to notice on her sparkling snow-like skin. She carries her big duffel bag about, staring around at the withering hedge vegetation with a worried eye.
Sensing Lif's mantle once the new Summer gets close, Ianthe glances up and over at them, pausing in her work. "Hey. Don't think I've seen you around here before. You new in town?" Spicy gets a quick upnod.
"No, I'm not new. I spent two and a half years in the Spring court before coming over to Summer. But, it's okay, I guess I haven't been worth noticing. Uh...recently flipped out, flipped over, and I'm trying to find my footing." She shrugs, before glancing over at Spicy. "Heya. What's up?"
"Hey there! 'm Spicy." She comments offering a handshake to the newly minted Summer courtier, her grin bright and happy, then moves to take a seat nearby, after dropping her bag down. "How're you two?"
Ianthe shrugs slightly. "Hey, didn't mean to offend you. I'm fairly new here, so I'm still learning names and faces." She considers Lif for a moment. "Is anyone showing you the ropes?"
"I'm not offended." She shakes her head, before moving to sit on the ground near Ianthe's bench, setting her backpack down behind herself as a cushion. "And not specifically. I'm...so far behind I don't really want to bother anyone important, asking to be taught everything. Especially right now, in the middle of the Hue and Cry. It's not urgent. Though. I might get some folks together, try to get an eye on what's up with the Hedge right now, maybe. I may not know how to fight, but this is in my wheelhouse. Maybe."
Spicy throws a little glance toward Lif and then turning her attention back to Ianthe, she drink from a water bottle she pulls from her duffel bag and roll her shoulders for a second. "Any theories about what could be causing it?"
"No solid ones, yet." Ianthe sighs slightly. "There were weird roots on a patrol I did with Ros from Autumn and Gallowglass a couple weeks back, could be related to that." She glances back at Lif, then. "I offer archery training, if taking up the bow is something you're interested in. I can do sword-and-shield stuff as well, but that's not my best weapon."
"I haven't seen enough up close to build theories yet." She pauses and blinks up at Ianthe. "Weird roots? Weird how?"
"And I got some big weapon stuff if you wanted to learn that." She comments off handedly and digs up some kind of PBJ sandwich in ziploc from inside of her bag and starting eating them.
"Just... there's always resistance when you're hedgespinning, but that time it felt more powerful and chaotic than usual. And focused on the roots, not the Thorns."
They give Spicy a bit of a laugh, flexing a (rather noodly) bicep. Water dribbles out of the old crack in their neck when they laugh with an audible burble. "I am not nearly strong enough to even begin to consider big weapon stuff yet, but thank you for the offer. It's very kind."
Ianthe's comment brings a thoughtful look to their face, though. "Roots more powerful than the thorns is damned scary to be thinking about, honestly. Were they, like. the roots of plants that were wilting, or?"
"Hey, I learned not to base myself on appearances for the way people fight." She chuckle along and flex along Lif and then take another bite of her sandwich. She ponders for a moment and she roll her shoulder for a moment, drinking from her bottle again.
Ianthe sighs. "Not sure. This was only a bit after the whole thing with Robin blew up, so I haven't had a real chance to head back out that way and check yet."
"If, uh. If you do go, I want to come with. Please." She looks up, her pondlike eyes leaking water down her cheeks--it looks almost like she's crying, but it's a constant enough state that channels have worn down in her cheeks, like it's a product of erosion somehow. "I may not be useful as a fighter, but...ecology, I can do something with."
Spicy finishes her meal quickly. "Hmm, I do garden goblin fruits back at my Hollow, I could maybe provide some kind of insight on that." she offers as she set back the water bottle inside of the duffel bag.
"We'll have to organise a trip out, then." Ianthe glances at Spicy. "Are you interested in coming with? I don't do goblin fruit stuff, so having someone familiar with that along would be useful."
A figure looms in the distance, ambling into the Freehold proper in a pair of coveralls tied off at the waist (which sort of defeats the entire purpose) and an a-shirt stretched over his frame. He's got tools in one hand, clustered together in a battered old toolbox. When he spies the others, though, he veers off course and heads that way.
Lif perks up slightly, grinning. "Sounds like a plot!" And then they notice Gallowglass, glancing over at him thoughtfully. "Well, hey."
Spicy raise her hand to greet Gallowglass and proceeds "That would be interesting yeah!" she gives a thumbs up and roll her shoulder.
Following Lif's line of sight, Ianthe raises a hand to wave at him. "How've you been?"
He breaks into an affable smile, brows lifting. "Oh, a new arrival or just someone I haven't met?" He touches Ianthe on the shoulder when he closes the circle, lifts a hand to wave at Spicy. "Pretty good. Got my ass kicked by a teenage girl a few nights ago, keeps me humble."
"Someone you haven't met. I've been here for almost three years now. Though I spent most of that time as a Spring, one of the Joyeux." Their mantle is definitely summery now, though. "Lif Loracks. And you?"
She smiles a little bit. "That illustrate my weird point from earlier, I suppose." She speaks toward Gallowglass.
Ianthe blinks at the news Gal got beaten by a teenager. "Yeah? She one of us, or?" She glances at Lif, then, smirking slightly. "Do you speak for the trees?"
"That's fair," he nods. "I ain't met a lotta people; I only got up t'talkin' t'people about...two months ago or so." He hunkers down to sit with the group, issuing a grumble of satisfaction once he's settled. "What're y'talkin' about? Oh, no...she knows about Mages, but that's all I got."
"You're goddamned right I speak for the trees. For the trees have no motherfucking tongues, they can't speak for themselves." She grins broadly at Ianthe. "It gets worse when you realize I work for the EPA. Like, speaking for the tumtum trees and the swomee-swans and the humming-fish is literally what I do. And that's how I ended up a Summer."
"Mages?" Spicy asks, curious for a moment, but then shrug her shoulder. "Oh, they're really that unhappy?" She looks around for a moment, as if maybe a tree was going to come over and smack her over the head.
Ianthe chuckles at Lif's words. "Fair enough. Do you mind if I ask what particularly made you decide to change?" Spicy gets a blink. "Probably not? It's a reference to a classic children's book. The Lorax speaks for the trees."
A mild expression of wonderment creases Jude's features as he watches Lif hit their stride, mouth kicking up at one corner. "Well. Shit. Fuckin' A, preach it."
"I mean...everything, but the final straw was learning about the benzene levels coming out of the Philly Energy Solutions oil refinery--word about it got around in January and I just kinda stopped being able to be civil about it all. You know? I mean, for me, clean water's sort of the default priority, for obvious reasons." A gesture at the crack in their throat which dribbles water constantly. "But that was just...a complete work of fuckery."
Spicy nods "Okay yeah that ought to do it, is that a gill or something else?" She asks, pointing to the crack, uncertain, then looks to Gallowglass, amused by the reaction Lif gets there.
"Oh, yeah, I heard about that. Nasty business." Ianthe grimaces. "And of course the fuckers don't give a shit about the people their mess is making ill."
"Good on you," he praises Lif, nodding. "The riot is the language of the unheard, right? Wrath is another word for...for a passion for justice, if you ask me. Real justice. Not th'shit that gets trotted around in th'courts Ironside."
She grins. "Careful, agreeing that loudly with me is how you get dragged along to protests. Though, ah, don't think I've caught your name yet, cuz."
"Been a while since I've been to one of those" She scratches the back of her head, trying to remember when was the last time.
"Ianthe. Pleasure meeting you." She grins at Lif. "Lemme know if you need someone to stand shield wall so the pigs can't get at everyone else."
"Oop, shit, sorry. I'm Gallowglass. Jude Gallowglass, or Gal, or...I answer t'just about any of it." He offers out a smooth, smoked-glass hand. "Hafta wait awhile for a protest, probably. Run a real high risk of gettin' arrested, and if I do I'll get a whole heap of pretty shitty fallout. Gonna need t'wait until I can get new paper."
"Aha. Well, you can still be ground support, outside the protest. The person to call if someone gets booked, f'rex. Plenty of roles that don't involve being on the frontlines, yeah." She accepts Jude's skin, her fingers cool and clammy and moist.
"Yeah, could always take on the healer route, or helping people leave before pigs come in, keeping an eye out." She fiddle wipes at her cheek and finally seem to notice the flour there.
Ianthe nods. "There's lots of roles, and they're all important. Whether in a Freehold or protest group."
"Probably a better choice for me anyway. I can get real enthusiastic and start punchin', and it becomes a whole thing," he drawls, mouth twitching with amusement. "They get real pouty when you pick 'em up by the back of the vest."
"I can only imagine." But the mental image brings a broad grin to their face.
"Yeet the Police. A new single dropping sometimes this year." Spicy comments with a grin, miming the throwing motion.
Ianthe chuckles. "Better than most things you could do with them."
"At least I'm nice; I don't shake 'em anymore," he points out, features stretching in a broad grin lit from within his glass.
"Just remember. Don't drop cops in dumpsters; they'll only end up in landfills that way." She offers a cruel little smirk. "Compost them."
There's the sound of rustling movement from the withered gardens nearby--the leaves dry and brown, starting to fall. No fruit to be seen growing on them save for a few withered prune-like bits. Still, something is inside them, moving about, rustle-rustling.
Then a small, brown furred face pokes out to peer at the group of changelings, blinking little brown eyes and wiggling a little nose--two small buck teeth poking out from the little hob's mouth. The poofy ball of brown fur wiggles out from the bushes and trots closer, a slightly smaller poofy, buck-toothed hob kit clinging to it's back.
Spicy quick her eyebrow and extend her hand toward the little creature, tilting her head to the side. "Hey there." she sounds a little hesitant when first met with the thing, but still offering a friendly, non threatening gesture of welcoming.
Gallowglass affects a somber expression, giving Lif an austere nod. "You really do care about the environment," he notes. "I will learn from your advocacy." He doesn't quite make it through the whole thing before snerking a laugh. Then, of course, he sees his foster babies and melts. Suddenly he's an entirely different person; he digs in his pockets, producing treats. Stretching out, Jude sets about coaxing his precious little friends closer. "C'mere," he croons. "Come see me."
Ianthe laughs at Lif's joke, before turning her attention to the rustling. "Hey, Nibs. Chip." She smiles at the pair of hobkits. "What've you been up to?"
Lif gawks at the hobs; from where they're sitting on the ground, they might be closest to eye level, and are immediately caught up at the sight of them. "Whoa, hello there!"
The oldest kit looks from one to the other when greeted, blinking. "Hello. Um. Excuse me," the largest kit calls out in a serious but squeaky voice, shifting to stand on his back paws. His flat beaver-like tail flap-flap-flap-flaps against the ground insistently, as if they weren't paying enough attention already. "Chips is hungry! And there's no more fruit to eat. We want food."
"Please," the smallest adds in a softer voice, which whistles some as she talks, due to missing one of her buck teeth.
"Hmm, let me see, I might have something in there." she moves toward her big bag of stuff and rummage through it, trying to see if she left one of her preserves in there. "If not, I can maybe grab something from my garden."
Comprehension floods Gal's features; he tucks the treats back in a pocket. "Right, of course - can you only eat food from the Hedge? Don't worry. I think I found a way to get you home." He nods toward Ianthe. "I'll keep you posted on that, want you t'come with."
"I have some trail mix, at least. It'll help supplement whatever you've got, Spicy," Ianthe offers, before glancing at Gallowglass. "Yeah? Do tell."
Lif glances between the changelings and the hobs quietly, staying out of the conversation at this point and simply admiring the kits.
"I liked the candy!" insists Nibs. "...But I was still kinda hungry after... But it's okay, we ate the fruit here, but there's no more now."
"No fruit..." agrees Chips sadly. "Just like home."
"I bet there will be food again when we get back," Nibs reassures the younger kit.
He glances at the kits again, a fretting sort of aura cloaking him in a decisively protective demeanor. "well, I shouldn't say I figured it out - Mearc did. He's my brain. I was talkin' t'him about these little guys, they gotta get back home, and he mentioned the Old Iron Freehold talks t'a lot of hobs. Figured we might go ask them if they know where we can bring the little ones."
Spicy pulls out a glass jar with a metallic top and it contains what might be mistaken as grape jelly, but is in fact, a sort of jam from the berries that grows in her garden. She untwist the cap and Set the jar down in front of them. "Here, for you." It's a glamour fruit only.
"Where's home for you? Is...the rot, the way things are all wilty and sad happening where you're from too?" Lif seems to perk up visibly, reaching back into their backpack for a notebook and a (metallic green) gel pen.
Ianthe pulls a bag of trail mix from one of the pouches on her belt, opening it before offering it to the hobkits. "Take as much as you need, it's cheap." She glances at Gal. "Makes sense. You wanting to bring Ros along as well?"
"Home is up river," Nibs says to Gal with a blink. But once the preserves are set down the two kits practically tackle it, their tiny hand-paws digging in to scoop out handfuls to shove into their mouths greedily.
"Yeah," Nibs replies to Lif in between (very, very messy) bites. "The roots destroyed our dam! It made the water go WOOOOOSH! And we were washed waaaayyy down river. But thems saved us." He waves a jam covered paw at Ianthe and Gal.
"Of course! I'd be ground glass without that badass," he grins, then nudges Ianthe with a teasing flicker at his lips. "You too I guess." He turns back to Nibs and nods at them. "Upriver, okay. Gonna get you home quick as possible, Nibs." He stops short of promising. He does, however, puff up with pride at the summary of he and Ianthe's daring exploits.
"Can you tell me more about the roots that were destroying the dam? What did they look like? Did they feel any way--smooth, hairy, bumpy? What color were they?" She leans forward, speaking in a gentle, coaxing voice.
"I'll try to bring more soon." Spicy says with a very bright smile, icy teeth glistening in the surrounding lightly as she sees the adorable little Hobs eating from her food even brings her mantle alive for a moment, a refreshing breeze with flowers and fruity smells.
Ianthe grins at the kits, waiting for them to answer Lif's questions.
The looks of gratitude and approval that Spicy and Lif are spared by the Ogre is nearly palpable; both clearly just made an ally for life.
Chips just... shoves her head into the jar once the jam is mostly eaten. Whelp, her head is now stuck. But she doesn't seem to currently mind, just licking the inside of the jar clean.
Nibs licks his paws clean, sitting back on his back paws as he looks at Lif. "Ummmmmm..." The kit just stares for along moment. "They were dark and wiggly and bad. They went BOOM out of the ground, and the dam went CRACK!" He waves his paws around wildly to act out something exploding out from the ground, then something exploding outwards.
"So it was all-of-a-sudden, huh? Not something that was slow, a tiny problem you figured you'd fix later, but never got around to?" They to write notes in their notebook.
Spicy sits down on the ground next to the jar and becomes ready for whenever the Hob wants to removes its head from the jar. She also listens and watch the other hob respond to the questions.
"How many of you lived at the dam?"
He watches Lif work their magic, gaze ping-ponging back and forth between the hobkits and the Summer. He nods to Ianthe in approval of her question, content to let the smarter people handle asking great questions.
"Oh, no, the fruits and plants were dying for a while," Nibs bobs his head. "We were running out of food. It was bad. Everyone was hungry. Momma and Poppa and the others chewed and chewed and chewed to try to get the roots to stop growing, but they always grew back, and I think we made the roots mad cause then it went BOOOM!" He mimes the whole thing again.
To Ianthe, "Ummm... A lot!"
"Did you chew the roots too? Did they taste funny at all, or did anyone get sick after chewing on them?" She pulls off her broad-brimmed hat, plopping it onto Nibs' head while she continues to ask questions.
"Were the fruits and plants dying before the roots became visible?"
"I can get you a sample of th'roots," Gal murmurs in an aside. "Was out on a patrol to find out more and shit hit th'fan, but I can tell y'all about that when th'kits are away."
Spicy smiles and reach into her bag to grab a pad with a pen, writing down some notes there, not to forget and then puts it back into her duffel bag. "do you know how long it took for the root to get to the boom part?"
"I tried, once. It tasted gross." Nibs wrinkles up his nose--then gets engulfed by the hat. He tips it up so he can see out from underneath it, peering at Lif. "It tasted like bad." The child-hob clearly doesn't have enough memory and words to fully explain exactly what it tastes like, alas. "Momma said not to swallow them cause they're bad."
Nibs considers Spicy's question, then points around at the garden. "It was like this, at first. It took a while for the roots to go BOOM!"
With the jar now clean, Chips now starts flailing and flopping her jar-encased head around to try to free herself.
They glance up at Gallowglass. "If you do, I'll give them the best sciencing I can. I've already got a Theory."
And then they reach out for Chips. "Oh, come here, hon. Lemme help you out of there."
Ianthe moves to assist Lif in freeing Chips.
"Oh no," Gallowglass murmurs; he leans forward to try and disentangle Chips from the jar. "C'mere kiddo." He nods to Lif, relenquishing giving aid to Lif and Ianthe. "I'd like t'hear it. I leave the theories t'the smarter freeholders." He glances around. "But if it's spreadin' in our gardens, I'm worried."
Spicy tries to grab for it, assisting with the freeing, she's obviously trying not to laugh at the sight, but very eager to help. "Maybe this ..." pause for physical exertion to help "bad vegetation will explode here too?" she supposes.
It takes a few minutes of prying and wiggling, but eventually they can work together to help the kit's head pop out. Her fur is covered in sticky jam. She doesn't seem to mind, oblivious to the mess in ways only toddlers can be.
"Does anyone have a bottle of water or something we can use to clean her up?"
"Nibs, did it taste really bitter bad like if you brew tea for way too long? Or did it make your mouth itch? Or was it like oily and got all over your tongue?" Trying to help get more detail, as she pulls a bottle of water out of her backpack--a large Nalgene, completely full. "I always carry."
"Just lick the jam off," he instructs Ianthe, giving her a shameless grin. "That's what she's gonna do, I bet."
"Hmmm, I'm not sure which method of cleaning I prefer." She grins and chuckles.
"Yeah, no, I'm going with the water bottle." Ianthe frowns at Gallowglass.
Nibs eyes Chips with an annoyed look at how undignified she looks--as if he also isn't covered in jam. He looks back to Lif, staring again for a long moment. "It was... bitter, I think. Not itchy."
Lif nods, and writes in her notebook some more quietly. "You're being very helpful. Thank you for everything."
"What does that mean?" Gallowglass asks in a hushed tone, as if the kits can't hear. "If they're bitter..?"
She tilt her head to the side, curious about the answer.
"I mean, we know it's not producing some sort of hedge-urushiol...the stuff that makes poison ivy itch...because it's not itchy or oily. That's good news for us, but that's about all the good news. It sounds like we're dealing with something sort of like a mistletoe, honestly, but the root system's so extensive, I can't help but wonder if it's more like Pando. Like, if this root system is all connected to one organism, that's a large fuc..." A glance at the hob-kits. "Fudger."
Ianthe glances at Lif. "I assume the methods for dealing with them depend on what it is?"
Gallowglass rubs a hand along his jaw, contemplation written on his features. "Makes sense it could be all one," he admits, reluctant with dread. "It was big enough that it sends big stuff runnin'. I was out on a patrol and we ran across a bug horde - a big one. Some of 'em six feet or longer, nasty things. So made me wonder if they weren't runnin' from somethin' even bigger."
Nibs starts grooming his fur as the others talk, clearly not interested in Science, licking his paws then rubbing them across his cheeks like a cat.
"Or it could be that the roots are affecting their territory, and they're seeking a new space. Like...we're dealing with a situation where there's scarcity of food, and that's going to travel up the food chain. No grain means nothing for the mice to eat, which means there's no mice for the hawks to eat, does that make sense? As for dealing with them? Far too early for me to even begin to speculate, I'm afraid. I...I think I need to see this in person. No, I'm sure I need to see this in person."
The more emphatic their speech gets, the quicker the water spurts from their neck, until it's a wee little bit of a 'say it, don't spray it' situation.
Spicy smiles and nods at the information being given to her over this. "Alright, that sounds like an expedition needing to happen."
"We patrol pretty regular," he admits, rubbing his neck; he looks to Ianthe. "I'm sure we could - well, I shouldn't assume. But if you need a guard when you go out, I can take you. There's a lot of us that do okay; I'm inclined to at least bring a couple."
"Better to go as a group, yeah, especially if you're likely to go off the Trods."
"I mean, I definitely was not planning to go alone. I'm...well. Still getting my footing in the hedge. So if I can get a solid group to go with, that'd be perfect. Maybe I can even rustle up some supplies to do lab tests. I don't know if they'll translate perfectly to the Hedge, but. Soil samples should be soil samples, right? Dirt is dirt."
The kits, with their bellies now full, seem to decide that adults are being boring and it's now nap time. Nibs is still wearing Lif's hat as he crawls over to Chips and just... flops around her. The two curl up together to quickly drift off into sleep in the grass. Chips starts to whistle softly in her sleep as she breathes through her one buck tooth.
"Oh, I took a jar of dirt, too!" Gallowglass looks spectacularly pleased with himself; mental note - thank Sigrun for having a mason jar on hand. "It's probably with the roots, I can get that for you. But you said you wanted to see it yourself, so we can go adventuring too. I'm never one to turn down a stroll in the Hedge." He offers a crooked grin to the trio.
"We should probably pool contact details, then, so that we can work out a time to do it." Ianthe glances between the others.
"Well, figure if we were all sittin' here talkin' about it - only makes sense that we go, right? I know Ianthe can hold her own, and if you say you can, Spicy - you're a Freeholder. S'all th'proof I need." He nods, rattling off his number to them.
Lif flips to a new page in her notebook, writing her number down three times, then tearing it out to offer everyone. "Feel free to text me for reasons unrelated to this, too. The past few days have sort of bludgeoned me over the head with the face that no one knows me very well, yanno. So I should hang out with people more."
And then she quietly reclaims her hat from Nibs' head.
Spicy nods "I got a big sword and I can use it. I can be sneaky if needed." She stretches her arms around a little bit there, yawning. "Well, it's a pleasure to help you meet people."
"I will," he affirms, stretching as well. "Quit, you'll make me sleepy," he teases Spicy. "I gotta get out of my cottage more. Can't go Ironside and I'm startin' t'get a little restless. Well, I can, just...gotta be careful, and I don't wanna be risky." Except for when you go to an underground fight ring, liar.
Ianthe takes the paper, securing it in one of her belt pouches. "I'll text you next time I'm Ironside, then." She smiles at Lif. "If you want archery training we can set it up that way, too."
She takes the paper too, of course and note the number down. "Why can't you go Ironside yet ? Papers or did you get in trouble?"
Lif tilts her head to one side. "So how'd you get beat up by a teenage girl while staying here, huh?"
He holds up both hands like he's balancing the two options, snorting. "Six dozen of one, half of th'other. Robin got my papers for me originally, turned out they weren't worth shit. And I got warrants, so.." He gives Lif a sheepish grin, nudging them with a foot. "You're not supposed t'notice I mentioned that. I do get out now and again. Mostly t'get food to th'street kids I know." He jerks a thumb over his shoulder. "I make sandwiches all day, throw 'em in a backpack, off I go at night."
"Oh damn, that's a great idea." She looks to Gallowglass, another big bright smile from the normally reserved ogress. "And sure, i can forget you mentioned it, not sure about the others tho."
"I'm glad mine were made in LA, honestly." Ianthe sighs. "That Freehold might have been full of pricks, but at least they were good at getting people new papers." She glances at Gal. "I'm not much of a cook, but if you need help buying the stuff let me know?"
"You could invite me with, when you leave the hedge, Gal. I'll keep you out of trouble." The smirk they give, as they put their hat back on, is definitely suspect.
"Oh yeah, absolutely," he assures Ianthe, giving her a wide grin. "That'd be great. I haven't tried actually cookin' anythin' yet. There's a pretty great soup kitchen in town I send 'em to a lot." He gives Lif the side-eye, lips twitching in faux suspicion. "Yeah...I ain't sure if I believe you, troublemaker."
Ianthe shrugs her shoulders. "Fair enough. Knowing where the good soup kitchens are is an important skill, in that kind of situation." She grins at Lif. "Or at least only get him into the fun kind?"
"Not everything I do is going to get someone arrested, really-truly. We could...I dunno. Go for a nature walk at the Awbury Arboretum. Or go find some ice cream parlor and get a hugeass sundae." She laughs warmly, and stands. "Ice cream sounds good, though. I might go hunt some down."
"Ice cream does sound good," Jude agrees, pushing to his feet. "I don't know if I can keep it cold in my cabin, though."
"I'll see you around, then." Ianthe gestures at her quiver of arrows. "Need to make sure these are all in good condition before I head out."
"I do work at a soup kitchen sometimes, so if you need one, I can point you where to go." Spicy says, looking about the people.
They look at Gallowglass. "Take a big beer cooler and add not just ice, but also water and like. Three or four heaping handfuls of salt to it, then pack your ice cream in it before bringing it here. It'll stay colder a lot longer. Maybe not on the scale of days, but. Long enough to get it here and enjoy it. The salt will lower the freezing point and the water ensures you get the whole surface area of the container cold, instead of just where the ice would be touching it. And with that final helpful science tip of the day, I'm off."
They head for the ironside exit, shouldering their backpack as they go.
Gallowglass blinks, staring after her; once she's out of sight, he turns back to the other two, wide-eyed. "...She's a keeper," he declares. "Which soup kitchen d'you work at, Spicy? Wait..." He peers at her closely, and then brightens. "Yeah, no, I know which one - I saw you there! That's th'one I send the kids to."
Ianthe arches an eyebrow at him. "I should hope so. The court could always use more people."
Spicy gives a thumbs up to Gallowglass "Great!" She grins and smile "Now, let's hope we can fix things up, I wouldn't be super happy if those two had to be hungry all the time."
He nods in agreement. "All right, sounds like we all got shit t'do. I'll keep you two posted about takin' Lif into th'Hedge, then."
"Cool. Have fun hiding out here, Gal." And with that, Ianthe turns her attention back to checking over her arrows.
He gives a thumbs up and then to Spicy as well, ambling off in the direction of the stable Trod.
"Alright, have fun people, contact me when you can." She stands back up and stretches
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