#debukefarmhold

Piper enters the farmhold and is... surprised. She does not know this Redcap waiting there.

He's clearly 'on guard' where normally a DeBuke troll would be

She starts a bit, and clips a few steps back. "Um. Hi? I'm here for the school... thing...." She is clearly unarmed... unless maybe there is a tommy gun in that guitar case?

To her surprise, the Redcap seems..friendly? Well, as friendly as the kith gets, even thier 'warm smiles' make a satyress feel a bit like a menu is delightful and they might be on it "Shit girl, if you're here for schooling you're moren 'welcome . I'm Bubba Bux, that's Bucks with an X cause me n money are strangers... but these corn sucking giants done me a good turn teaching muh son proper learning so I'm on guard duty. What's your name? I got to put you down on this list. After you done that, you go on... schools at the far end, mundane turf what used to be the aggro corps, new as fresh road kill so you won't miss it. If you ain't sure where your ass belongs just ring the little bell they got at an office. They'll set you up"

She blinks a few times. "Um, Piper. Nice to meet you, Bubbles. I mean Bubba!"

"Piper piper..." he writes it down "Where from? Rivervale? Chicago? "

"Or you one of the fire babies?"

"Fire... babies?" Seeming duller than the average bear today. "Oh, no. Rivervale, thanks. Who's here from Chicago?"

"Bunch of chicagoans" he looks at her "Word got out for free schooling with acredidayshun and BOOM...trolls got got pimple poppers and kneecap headbutters alike... kinian, kithian and so on. Me? I worry we're falling to communism troll style ,but none of the trolls called me comrade and it helps my son so whatever"

"Who's your son? Maybe I can keep an eye out for him." A tentative smile.

"Oh, that'd be Bubba Bux the third" a nod from him "You go on now... get to learning.. "

She realizes she's kinda frozen like a rabbit asking questions of the wolf - and scuttles off obediently. "Fire babies?" She wonders as she heads towards the AggroClass...

It's weird, the farm, as always is vibrant, strong in glamour and life... but crossing that boundary of the 'new bought ' land is like waking into a place that was bombed and some folks are trying to rebuild. Not banal, but not glamorous, safe at the spots they'ree trying to grow new sources of wonder. A bushel of rainbow berries strives to hang in there and grow. A tree sapling with a shadow of the mighty tree it will grow to be behind it waits... very patiently. And, of course, there's the school house that smells of freshly shaved wood and seems lovingly crafted with designs here and there... but doesn't have that fae mein of a hold ... yet there is glamour flickering in and out of it. the youth are trying to learn.

And she hears music all right. Kids singing

"Boys and girls take warning
if you go near the lake
keep your eyes wide open
and look for sneaky snake
Now, maybe you won't see him
and maybe you won't hear
but he'll sneak up behind you
and drink all your root beer
And then sneak snake goes dancing
wiggling and a-hissing
sneaky snake goes dancing
a-giggling and a-kissing
i don't like old sneaky snake
he laughs too much you see
when he goes wiggling through the grass
it tickles his underneath
Well sneaky snake drinks root beer
and he just makes me sick
when he is not dancing
he looks just like stick
Now he doesn't have any arms or legs
you cannot see his ears
and while we are not looking
he's stealing all of our beer
And then sneak snake goes dancing
wiggling and a-hissing
sneaky snake goes dancing
a-giggling and a-kissing
i don't like old sneaky snake
he laughs too much you see
when he goes wiggling through the grass
it tickles his underneath"

the kids laugh and she recognizes the voice. Torin!

A voice behind her says "Piper, how are you?" Chieftain Clem herself

She was trotting eagerly towards the sound of singing, but pulls up short. A bow to the Chieftain. "Chieftain Clem - a pleasure! It's been a hot minute hasn't it?"

"Oh you've no idea what a can of worms we've opened here. I was figuring on maybe six or seven childlings, four or 6 wilders to be visiting but it's certainly run away from me" A bit of a wince "But we're rolling up our sleeves and with the help of volunteers getting it done.. so far. I do fear the corn liquor may get dipped into a bit more come night fall. So you're looking for the high school level?"

"We-ell...." She shifts her weight a little bit guiltily from hoof to hoof. "I hadn't really planned on looking at all... I missed a year and had to drop back to Sophomore already, and had kinda thought that Pascack closin' it's doors to in-person was my sign to move on from boxed learning." A sigh, and a small smile. "Someone convinced me to check your digs out though.... so here I am?"

Clem looks at her with a mix of sympathy and tut tutting, but with a soft smile to soften it all , "Hell's bells, I suppose I can't throw too many stones. Was a time if it didn't have to do with farming or healing I didn't much care for it. Guess you're about the same with music? You know you want to do things with music, so the rest just feels all.. optional at best?" Guessing

Her eyes light up and she nods. "It's hard to see how drowning in a dull classroom would help me on that path... although someone suggested I might help out with teaching if you needed a hand." Slowly, thinking this through. "And I -guess- if I wanted to, someday I could teach music professionaly, but I'd need some sort of degree. For the class kind, that is." She retorts, arguing with herself a bit. "I can always do the flyer in a coffee shop to teach guitar to individuals without a framed paper somewhere."

"Wait, you're willing to teach music? " A relieved look "Thank goodness. Torin , as you can hear, is volunteering his services now and then but he's also busy with Myrttle Anne's herb busssiness now. If you'd be willing to do even part time, it could be a big help. you prefer working with the little ones or the big ones? "

"I can do either... if they want to learn. Little 'uns are easier to get involved even if they're not sure about it, but if you have teens as bored by tunes as I would be by algebra, I might be tempted to butt them around a bit. And I'm not big enough to make that a real threat." She grins.

"Oh I bet you'd have a kick to you," She eyes the hooves on the girl, "Something to work on... now, about YOUR education" A nod "What subjects are hardest or most boring for you?"

"History... unless there's a song involved. Or an interesting instrument... math... um, science..." Wilting a little, as she names most of the core. "I, uh. I may have gotten teachers to tweak grades for me in the past... not that I'd try that HERE." She quickly adds. "It's.. hard to admit I haven't really kept up."

Clearly embarrassed.

"I didn't want to get stuck back with the kids.... "

Clem nods "Okay. You'll help us, we'll help you. Not tweaking, but with a different take on learning. Welcome to field study. Which means you'll be learning not so often in the class room. " She doesn't judge her "Some folks are hands on learners rather than book learners. So this is how we do it. You walk with me to learn about biology, Symon will be along so it will get morbid if he has anything to say about it, but it won't be dull. You will see where ecology comes into play by comparing our original farm land with what the corporation did to theirs..and beyond. You don't like history, but you like music. So I guess we take you places like where music happened via flicker flash and more... crap. Uncle Emmit will want to handle that one. Will talk your ear off about Woodstock and would gladly go there again. " She ponders

She blanches. "I won't have to... um. In science, I could get a permission slip... please don't make me cut anything up!" Clearly she has met Symon. "I don't mean to be difficult, honest!"

"I can watch if I have to..."

"Relax.. you will not be required to cut anything open" Clem says "But you're wise to make sure. Farm life is pretty brutal at times. No pretense, other wise. But I've been told you're Vegan, and while the Hearth may shake her head, she actually makes some fine peppered brocoli and potato salad that's good even to meat eaters. I figure you'd be more interested in running your fingers through the soil and seeing what flowers bloom where. Watching the behavior of the fish at the stream rather than eating them. Seeing how we affect nature and vice versa for good or ill." A smile "Not sure if you go with dairy, but if you're okay with milking a cow, believe it or not, that can count as a science achievement"

"I do eat cheese," She admits. "So I'm sure I could milk a cow. I mean, they're AWFULLY big, but no worse than those monster horses that we have, and they even let kids up on their backs. So If they can be brave, I guess I can too."

"Oh most of our cows are reasonable about it" She assures "We'll teach you caution"

"So.. I notice no comments about traveling for your history credits"

Her eyes glaze over a bit as she mentally scrolls back up. "I'd love to do that! But isn't your Mr. Emmitt the Mountain here? I'm sure he's too important to be jumping around just to show me some history..." She grins at the mention of Woodstock though. "I'd love to see New Orleans... someday."

"Oh he's our Mountain and he IS important but if we don't let him play now and then he gets all surly. Aunt Agnes calls it 'gadding about' he calls it 'spiritual attunning'" Clem rolls her eyes then "New Orleans? Mm Beaumayn territory now. Your Sir Vali might take you there if you like, but we could do it"

"Birthplace of Jazz? I'm sure I could spend some time with Vali for THAT." A grin!

"Oh I really ought to.." She pauses "nevermind. " Whatever she was going to say she thinks better of it, then smiles "You like jazz?"

A moment of curiousity, but she nods. "I love it. Brass and winds aren't my best forte because if I'm blowin' I can't be singing, but chilling out in a hot tub to some coltrane? That's pretty much bliss."

"Huh" Clem nods "Well, lord knows that's definitely a tie to American history. Yes I think we can make this work. PIper, I can't promise there will be NO box learning... but I'll do what I can to minimize it. You'll still study and work hard, but I think Field learning will be more your thing"

"I think I can make that work." Beaming over to Clem. "And I'm SO happy to help out if you need with music - I mean, that's not even work, you know?"

"Music might not be, TEACHING Music, well that's gonna be work little lady..." Then a bell chimes and Clem says "Step to the side quick." And follows her OWN advice

"Hm?" She looks up, and steps back...

And the doors break open and the childlings, kithain and kinian, swarm forward like locusts "LUNCH" more than one calls out "STARVING" says another ... Faun Satyrs zip to the lead, eshu brats tumble, Pooka either race or play pranks on the would be speedsters, and so on.. had Piper not stepped to the side, she would ..well she'd probably be OKAY, just walked into a few times by low flying childling sized projectiles

"PIE!" Shrieks Connor, and then waves to the Satyr. "PER! PIE-PER!" But he is joyously carried along with the flow!

Piper's eyes are huge and she realizes she's half behind the Chieftain now. "Ah... k-kids, eh?"

"There's a whole PASSEL of them, ain't there?"

"Yup" Clem says, waving to the troll kith and kithin kidlings that like large german shepherds TRY to be on guard, and herd a bit, but also get caught up in the energy

"PIPER HIBYE FOOD IS WAITING" Jack explains from near the front