#debukefarmhold

"Glad to hear it though you'll understand I take it with a grain of salt. Now, are you okay with your teachers? "

"Yes, Chief."

She raises a brow at something then says "If you're sure. " And leaves it be

"In that case, thank you for helping with the gryphon"

"Your welcome."

And she starts to go... oopening the door and...

A hand is raised in the air about to knock. "Chieftain Clem? I..." Piper stops suddenly. "Adam!"

"Howdy Piper. You okay? Those young ones were a bit wild I noticed"

"I may have started a pre-lunch snack riot. I hope it was okay that we raided the kitchen. I'll clean up after, I promise." She may not be aware that she has a smudge of grape jelly on her pert nose.

But her eyes are on Adam.

He turns, looking stricken for just a moment. "Hi."

"Well, Hearth Agnes is talking to an old friend, but we have her back up Hearth ready to help with damage control. So when you'd like. I advise to go light on the suguar"

A small wince. "I don't suppose that was sugar-free jam." Too little, too late.

"Ah well." Clem says "We move on" A smile "Pardon me. If there's nothing else i need to tend to some crops"

That to both

And back to Adam, Clem near forgotten. She hesitates, hands twining a bit, and finally, "It's... nice to see you? I thought you were... off being trained at the Fiona barony these days."

"Guess not anymore."Bleakly.

"You look good. Didn't know you were here." No less hopeless.

She blinks, surprised. "What does that mean? Adam... are you okay?" A concerned expression, and she reaches out a hand for his arm.

set the channel topic: More than just Squash and Trolls. There's also school!

"I don't know what it means. I woke up this morning and everything changed. Sir brought me here and....."

He doesn't move away from her touch.

"Sir?" When he doesn't flinch away, she lightly takes his arm and steps towards the door. "Walk with me? You look like you need someone to talk to. I'm no pooka... but I can listen if you want?"

It is a lovely autumn day for a walk

"Sir Bachdion." A well-known teacher in fiona circles. "He's one of my mentors. Or was. I'm not sure anymoree." He is led by her for a walk.

"Oh, I think Siv mentioned him. A satyr grump?"

"Yes. I don't want to go to school at all. If I have to, I want to go in Jefferson City. But I'm here."

She bites her lip a little. "I wasn't planning on coming back, either. Vali of all people convinced me... that maybe it wouldn't be such a drag. He took me on a... I guess it would be a field trip? We got to see this amazing freehold in New Orleans... it may not be around very long, so I'm glad I got to experience it... and he said there could be more trips like that, like hands-on learning and not just the classroom stuff? ...do they have a school for us set up in Jefferson City, too? Like this one?"

"No. I'd go to online or in face public school. But they won't let me."

She shivers. "I'm not going back to public school - not in this life. Online... I guess it's better, but? I don't GET anything from it. It's just like, going because someone made me, and no one was making me, so I wasn't going to? But this... actually has been fun." A glance over at him, and her brow creases a bit. "Were they being jerks to you again?" Remembering Adam's earlier run in with some less noble-favoring members of the clan.

"No." Quietly.

She bites her lip a little, and asks hesitantly, "Do you hate us all that much?"

"No. I don't hate you at all, Piper."

"Why don't you want to be here? If it's not the DeBukes... and it's not me? I mean, it's a bit low-tech, not fancy like I'm sure you're getting used to at that Barony... but they're not so bad?"

He looks sad. "I'd rather be learning useful stuff."

"You sounded great. Before."

"Huh?" She looks confused. "What can they teach you in mortal Jefferson that they can't teach us here? And they can add some magic stuff on alongside..."

A blink. "Before?"

"I hear you singing. With the kids. I'm not in to magic; I want to learn combat. And I had a job at EarthRunes."

"Did you lose your job?" She smiles a bit at the comment. "The kids here are pretty great. Mostly - a few of them may actually have especially good voices, but they almost all enjoy the singing at least..."

"Idon't know. Iwoke up this morning and got brought here. No one's said anything about it, but there's someone I was kind of sharing the job with so it's probably hers now." That doesn't seem to help matters any.

She frowns at that. "Maybe they just didn't bother to explain." A snort. "Grumps - and some grumpy older Wilders - be like that. I wouldn't count it gone until someone hands you a pink slip, though? And I bet you COULD learn some combat here. I was hoping to find out if anyone does Archery..."

"I have a mortal gig, and I'm schooling here too. AND I'm doing some teaching here... though so far it's more like babysitting with music. Who says you can't do more than one thing?"

"I was. But at least online I could fit it around the schedule. Animals have to eat then they have to eat. Exercise and train, too. And I'm -here- when that happens, at least for some of it."

"Maybe that's why they had two of you on the job." Offering a point.

"Nah. I offered to share it with her."

"Do you like it here?"

She looks thoughtful. "So far I do... maybe you could give it a shot? I bet Zane would be glad to have you around."

"Well, maybe that was foresight. This way you can share the load and get a bellyfull of book learning without having to stare at a screen or sit in a classroom that might as well be a cage."

"I miss Zane." He admits "You want me to give it a shot?" There's a subtext there.....

Quiet for a moment. "I think it's a good thing they got going here, and it's worth giving a shot."