#anywhere

"Sam Dagmar Sam and Piper Piper McCormick. " A nod then curiosity "mcCormick? that sounds familiar, do I owe your moms money?"

"Mmmmaybe?" Eyes widening a little. "Vera McCormick, and Viola McCormick née Evans . Viola used to play down in New Orleans, they called her 'Brass n Sass', if you've even been to Sweet Sorrows? And Vera is mid-western, she's more of a songwriter so she doesn't have the same name-fame as a singer would."

"I mean, no! You don't owe them... I mean, um."

"Maybe you know them, though?"

"There are a lot of Satyr McCormicks, though, it's a whole clan..."

A light hand on Piper's shoulder again. Steady, present.

He does seem to recognize some names "Wait, I met your mom.. wonderful voice, sang bass, of course"

A glance up at the grounding hand, and a grateful smile.

Only the last part a lie

about the bass

"Yeah? You did?" Eyes bright. "It would have been about twenty years ago..."

Piper, clearly, looks nothing like the chocolate-brown skinned and curvy jazz-singing Satyress.

Steady and solid as she can be for her friend!

"Twenty years? So I would have been five then" a nod from the middle aged guy "Hey, you were adopted!" a grin "Bet she's a great mom"

"She is. She really, really, really is. Do you, um. Do you have family? I mean, around there? In New Orleans? Like, are you from there?"

"I'm from wherever there's a booking" A smile "But i hatched in Roanoke." At the mention of family , his face goes sad "Afraid the only daughter I had I lost, like car keys." A shake of his head and smile "But you, you a singer like your moms?"

pang, there is a punch in the heart, and Piper can't breath for a moment, then she just nod-nod-nods a strong affirmative to the question about being a singer. "I can't be sure, but I think... maybe, I inherited my singing voice from my father." SWALLOW.

Dagmar is getting a mild buzz of headache, though that isn't unusual for pooka.

"And I know it's a real hard ask without saying who my.. bio mother is, because to be honest, I don't know. All I do know is I have my age, who I am, and a name I was given. And that name is yours."

"So.. uh. Hi?"

A tentative wiggle of finger-wave.

"Oh hey, your moms are the one who..." a blink then "You're saying... your moms told you I was your bio dad and you sought me out?"

Surprised blink. That was actually VERY clear for a pooka.

A tentative nod.

"Wow" Mickey states after a long pause then looks impressed "You're like frog across the road brave." A breath then a smile "I'm suprirsed your not looking at me giong " And suddenly he sounds like Luke Skywalker "No, that's not possible"

She takes a breath, and blurts out, "I understand if ... you know, if it was a mistake, or a one-time thing. I'm not here to judge your lifestyle, or say you're right or wrong, cast blame, or ASK for anything. I just needed to know who you are, just - for me? You know? But if my - if that's a time of your life you're not comfortable airing, then I promise, I won't tell anyone. Dagmar can vouch for me, I wouldn't lie about something this important!"

"And no, I think you're... amazing."

Quiet thumbs-up!

He makes a time out gesture, "Look, out of the three of us, only five us is a habitual liar, and you're looking at him. " A breath "I was born a small black child" Says the very pale fellow, "if I could talk out loud, which I can't, I can tell you my lifestyle is surprisingly hum drum, even sad but I love making others happy. But i an't say that... but your moms were so damn kind nad good, I know, KNOW the woman who birthed you wood be relieved"

A blink, and Piper looks confused.

"He loves making others happy, but is sometimes sad with his own life. And he's glad you got good moms, and your birthmother would be happy you were raised by folks as good as Vi and Vee."

A tap on the beak, nose

"Pooka squire."

She smiles again. "I'd like to get to know you better, too. If.. if you're okay with that."

A nod, and he reaches for a paper tthat advertises the show, and writes on it "My AUtograph"

On it, his personal phone number and email... and then alllmost hands it over "One Condition"

She was reaching for it, then stops, and immediately says "Anything!"

"Hey, talking too freely like that, I see why you brought a support troll" then he looks over at Dagmar and says "Thank you for your service," funny voice there, then bck to PIper "Sometime, I get to hear YOU Sing Jolene in the wig of your choice"

"I'll sing it for you tonight if you like..."

A quiet smile.

"Okay Mister Benny" In a radio show voice far older than any of them but it sounds positive

"I mean it! Just point me towards your wigs..."

"Piper's an amazing singer." Blunt but loyal!

He laughs "Why don't you wear that one" He points to a head sans wig "And just sing your heart out"

She laughs, then says, "I'm serious, you know. I WILL go out there and belt out a tune, so if you were kidding, you'd better say so now."

He gestures to the stage "Pay's lousy"

"I'll show you what I can do." She promises, and struts out onto the stage. She reaches for a microphone, and taps it to see if it's live.

Dagmar offers Mickey her hand. "Let's go see her shine, yeah?"

Mickey takes it, and nods "Like Mister Clean's forehead"

"Hi everyone, I'm sorry to interrupt your regularly scheduled program. I'm Piper, visiting from up River Vale way, and this song is a shout-out to a very special someone from my past. It's not about him, and I can't claim authorship of the lyrics, but I hope to make you smile!"

She gestures for the music to start, and soon the chords to Jolene start playing again... before the audience can boo a repeat song, she starts in with unique lyrics!