Carl in Wellington

[piwakawaka]

Carl's lucky, its not raining at the moment in Wellington when Tiwa takes him through a door and into Civic Square then says with a grin,

"Haere Mai Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara."

Comments

[piwakawaka]

"Was going to get that. Pick a direction."

Its a good day so she's going to let him lead.

[one_man_army]

"You got the bill," he says. "Least I could do was get the leftovers."

He's never been here before, so one direction over the other doesn't matter - but eventually he picks one and off they go.

[piwakawaka]

They're heading towards Te Papa which is bright and has something extra about it and as they get closer, Tiwa even glows a bit,

"You've earned entry to the Freehold if you want. Its kind of in and about the museum."

[one_man_army]

He looks a little surprised at that.

"Really?"

[piwakawaka]

"Just have to know how to look is all."

She grins and blows something sparkly at him through the air so now he's properly enchanted. He'll see that there's actually a strange almost sea beast curled around the museum.

[one_man_army]

That...is one hell of a watchdog.

Carl blinks a bit and then grins.

"Well this is interesting."

[piwakawaka]

"Have to be polite though I won't let him eat you. He's why they took me, couldn't fight him and might leave if we ask him but we're kind of all wrapped up together."

[one_man_army]

"No need to ask him to leave...this is his territory."

(Also, Carl does not want to ask anything that beast-like to leave, especially since she mentioned the possibility of being eaten.)

He glances at her and that is more of a surprise, her true form.

[piwakawaka]

The look on his face brings her smile back and she smiles and does a little bow as the light hits her feathers,

"All in how you look at things."

[one_man_army]

"Hope you don't mind me saying that you're a very beautiful bird," he admits.

[piwakawaka]

Now she just grins again and does a little twirl to show off her feathers,

"Thank you."

[one_man_army]

He nods, grinning a bit as she twirls around (light and freedom and magic and hope) at how utterly happy and content she looks.

"You're very welcome."

[piwakawaka]

"Now come on, I think there's even a performance going on in the Marae."

She grabs his hand and pulls him towards the museum which has a decent crowd arouund it.

[one_man_army]

"Alright, alright."

He's laughing - and she doesn't have to pull him very much, he's very good at following - and weaving through the people as they make their way towards the museum.

[piwakawaka]

Once they get inside, she starts up the stairs where a few people wave at them. Inside things are brighter and more now that he's Enchanted, Maori carving shift and move for a moment,

"Welcome to Te Papa."

[one_man_army]

It's like being buzzed, but without the loss of focus and he's finding he likes seeing the world this way - the details that not everyone can see (they're useful and he's committing them to memory) and the feeling that comes with it.

No wonder she's always so damn happy.

"Thank you," he replies.

[piwakawaka]

Every once in a while there's a spot of dark around a person, usually someone who's grumpy but its more than made up for the light of a child. She's moving quickly up and up the building until they're walking up a long flight of stairs,

"Now this is the Marae here and its a different sort of one than other places but just as powerful as the one up in Kelburn."

Ever so quietly, she starts singing under her breath, she's introducing him to all those spirits listening who are just glimmers in the air.

[one_man_army]

"What's 'Marae' mean?"

She doesn't have to answer him right away, especially since she's singing at the moment - he's more than happy to just watch the glimmers and be 'introduced' to the spirits.

The logical part of his brain is telling him this is ridiculous, but he's managed to ignore it in favor of believing in magic again.

[piwakawaka]

She grins and just lead hims up to the top of the stairs and turns to show him the marae.

Once he's facing it, she just beams at him as the colors shift and change as a group of dancers and audience fill the space.

[one_man_army]

This is nothing like anything he's ever seen before, so you can bet that he's going to soak it all in as best he can.

[piwakawaka]

On the stage, a door keeps shifting in and out, showing a way to another world that's even More somehow. Tiwa slips in front of him and on the tips of her toes meets forehead to forehead and nose to nose as she says,

"Means meeting place but its also the Freehold, can find your way to another world here if you know how to look."

[one_man_army]

"That how you get around?"

He doesn't shy from the contact and it's almost surprising since he rarely allows anyone that close into his personal space.

[piwakawaka]

"Depends where we're going. Now do you prefer history or giant skeletons?"

She bounces back down off her toes and applauds as the performance ends.

[one_man_army]

"Giant skeletons," he says, as he applauds the group of dancers and they take their bows.

[piwakawaka]

"Sweet, we'll see those next. Maybe later, I'll even show you the way to the Dreaming."

He gets another huge grin as one of the creatures on the carving waves to Tiwa and she waves back.