#earthrunes

The boy jumps.. then straightenns his voile "A few months ago, we DeBuke kids had a vote. We found out our grumps were too set in their ways. They hurt some feelings. So..we takingg action. I know Cousin earl is here already... but I'm here to watch noblee sidhe in their native habitat. I don't wannt to serve and I won't bow, but I do want to bend. We have to stop the hating" he says with a nnod

"I do not bend knee. But there is always merit in learning, yes."

"That's what I hope to do. Juniper almost came instead but I think you spooked him good. I'm Stein DeBuke. We've met but you may not remember. I like books. And I got like 10 hidden around the place ready to pay for information "

A little smile. "Well, don't let Bronte swindle you."

"Thanks, Cousin Zara" he smiles a bit

"Is there aught you wish to learn first?"

"Well.. may I sit please?" He gestures to the small table in the library

Zara nods. "Would you care for tea? I could send for lemonade..."

"Oh, Lemonaide please, I'm very sorry but i don't much care for tea" He shrugs "Geraldine says I'm a phillistine."

"Ah, so it goes." She slips out to the hallway to send word.

Word comes quickly, as does Tea and Lemonaid

Zara serves the lemonade in a teacup.

And Stein answers "Thank you," And takes a sip "I think I wannt to know a lot of things. What's good about the nobles here ,why WOULD anyonne serve them? How can we be friends with them without being subjects. I think you would have good answers for that last one"

She nods. "Sidhe tend to be largely traditional - after all, the system benefits them."

"It is not malice, but it is oft a lack of understanding and empathy."

A frown "Sometimes I worry empathy is hard for grumps of all kinds"

"Empathy requires moving outside of oneself. It is difficult for everyone, not just grumps. Why, can you imagine - there are those who delight in spending the day in bright sun, in eating peaches plucked direct from the tree - ere it can age and grow delightfully soft? Those who enjoy to gather and sing bold songs, and to laugh so loudly you cannot hear the crickets?"

"But.. that's GOOD sttuff" he says confused

Zara quirks a smile. "For a DeBuke, yes."

"Oh.. OH" Realization "Because I don't knnow what it's like to be a sluagh I would have trouble seeing it like you do," A beat "Or smelling it, and.." A sligght face "tasting it"

Zara nods. "And so - the sidhe see and feel and understand the world differently than you or I. Understanding that helps with understanding them."

"So our hiding so long has run out of uses" The boy says nodding "Chief told us that"

"Though.. she don't know we kids are takin it a bit further"

"Aye? It seems there are changes indeed brewing. Now, I will have you as my guest - but you must ask Coradel to stay beyond the standard. While I may not care if she be Baroness or common clay, she is the Freeholder here, and due the same respect as Clementine."

"Yes, ma'am" he nods and sips his ttea "Maybe I can help out here to pay for it. "

Zara nods. "There are different tasks you could do. Perhaps you would benefit from page duty - there, you will be able to observe much of Court and how Coradel works first-hand."

"Thank you for the suggestion, Cousin" Steinn ponders , thenn "Uhm.. are there other kids here o play with?"

"Yes. Several pooka, a sidhe kinain, a sluagh, and others."

He looks relieved "that's good to know"

"I could send for them?"

"Oh nah" He says wavinn it off "Can't complain about bowingg and such and then just whistle people up, it's rude"

"Well... they might be curious about YOU"

"Oh..." He looks surprised "I'm just an Iowa troll. Lots of us"

"Not many here - mostly Earl. And he is not typical."

"Oh.. no, he was always the leftt side of odd as my moma says"

"And thus why he left the farm."

"Yeah, but it worked out for him because he's like a world famous artist and done hero stuff... and he got you for Canoodling" A blush "Pardon the language. Just moma says you being is proof there's hope for all God's creatures to find their special canoodler"

Stien's Moma certainly gives her opinions freely

Zara quietly pinks.

He finishes his drink "You have any more quesitons for me, ma'am? Fair is fair"

"Hm. What is the news of the Farm?"

"Well, sides the childlings mission, we WERE going to call it the Childling Crusade but then we googled that and ugh" He makes a face, "Besides that, Folks are thinking it's time the Chief pick a fella. Our new Centaur friennd Buck is working hard, everyone likes him but he got a bit panicky when someone closed the door onn him in the smokehouse. Mountain Emmit's been going off to some cave for a 'ritual'.. and.. let me see what else?" A pondering "The Storm killed himself a Manticore"

"Well, I have found folks can make much fuss over romance. Centaurs do seem to abhor being fenced in. A... ritual?" Eyebrows.

"Sure, what he said.. though he did't go much into details and we learned a long time aggo to leave the Mountain be when he ggets all cryptic like"

"So, obviously, nobody peeked."

A wry, unblinking look.

"well, course not" the troll boy says "Wouldn't be proper"

Siiigh.

"After all my hard work."

"Well.. JUNIPER migght have.. he gets into trouble every other week"