#bergen_county

A rappa-tap-tap as Piper knocks on the Barn door after school.

Tove opens the door

A smile! She has an instrument case over her shoulder, and a plastic grocery bag in one hand. "Afternoon, Mrs. King! Do you have time for a visitor? I can come back later if it's not convenient. I woulda called first, but realized I don't have your number."

"Oh, I..." A smile returned, "I'll have to rectify that bit about the phone number. Come on in."

She grins. "I brought snacks! Avocados were on sale - they're never as good as you can get fresh in Cali, but they looked pretty good. I'm pretty fond of avocado toast, and I wanted to see what you would add to customize it yourself. Call it... "Avocado Tove". A cheeky grin!

"Oh that's terrible" She says but in a slightly approving way as the satyress hopefully comes on in, "You want me to experiment with the food? I thought you might be here for lessons in music"

"We-ell, that might also be the case. But I figured, why not bring an offering to sweeten the deal?" And she lowers her voice, glancing around. "Technically, I think Avocados are fruit, though... in case that light-fingered monkey is around!"

"RIght, watch the F word out of self defense" Cautious look at the windows "I understand that"

"looks like it's now Snowing right now" A smile "So how goes your music?"

"Frustrating. I've been trying to convert a song to guitar tab, but there's a tricky bit I can't seem to get the fingering right on. I know you compose lyrics, but wasn't sure if you wrote the music too. If so, maybe you can help?"

"Sure sure, set the food down, let me get my own guitar, okay? Be right back"

Tove seems glad to have a distraction.

She sets the avocados aside and gets her own notes and guitar out.

Tove returns shortly, and says "Okay, play for me, I want to watch your fingers while you try this tricky bit"

Piper limbers up her fingers with a quick stretch, checks the tuning, and then starts playing, singing softly along...

"Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling
And every time we kiss I swear I could fly...
'Cause every time we touch..."

The lyrics pause and the instrumental goes on, but it now sounds repetitive. And she stops, frowning down at her guitar.

"It makes sense in the original, because it's keyboard with drums and accompaniment, but it doesn't sound right on just guitar. But I can't skip that section or it doesn't scan right..."

"Okay, some options," She does the instrumental, but rather than the strings alone, introduces a few taps, fingers drumming along the wood, "Takes practice, but done right, it breaks it up a bit.. ."

"The videos I've seen online they just seem to skip over the bridge. But I didn't like it." Then listens to her suggestions. "Oh... you mean like... " And she attempts it with the beats... slower, and then at speed, and her face lights up.

"It's an old folk singer trick" She nods "Not bad... with a bit of practice you'll blend it in and folks will think that's the only way to do it" A grin

Piper has an intent look on her face, as she tries it again from the beginning...

I still hear your voice, when you sleep next to me.
I still feel your touch in my dream.
Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why,
Without you, it's hard to survive...

Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky.
They wipe away tears that I cry.
The good and the bad times: we've been through them all.
You make me rise when I fall.

...'Cause every time we touch, I get this feeling.
And every time we kiss, I swear I could fly.
Can't you feel my heart beat fast?
I want this to last.
Need you by my side......

Letting the last notes trail off. Her playing was careful, intent, and meaningful - and without quite intending to, it may touch on Tove's heartstrings if she has someone who she feels that way about...

A wistful sigh

"That's...that was very good"

She looks up, smiling, and then blinks. "...are you okay? I'm sorry. It looked like you might almost cry there." And attempts, "My playing isn't that bad, is it?" With a grin.

"Ha no no.. I miss my husband, and my daughter" she admits, but she puts on a brave face. " I don't know why they're questiing exactly. I just know they're not here and I.. it's silly, but I feel an ache"

"Your song reminded me of how much I wish they were here"

"It's not silly at all. I understand... I miss my parents, too. And I can at least facetime with them - I don't know if even a Nocker has made a 4G network that reaches the Dreaming yet."

"Well, Chimeranet and dreamnet are in competition, they're doing some amazing things with an MMORPG...so I hear" A shrug "But your moms sound nice. I'm glad you get to talk to them. My dad is right that way. I can talk to him any time, but... for so long he was reliant on me, needed me to be strong...I'm not always comfortable admiting how weak I feel"

"Isn't that like... anti-Troll or something? You always have to be strong. It seems hard... like sometimes, to let someone else be strong for you, without feeling like you're letting them or yourself down..."

"At the time, dad was oathbroken, he was litterally weak as well as..despised. All because he saved me instead of mother from drowning... nevermind mother's wishing it so." A sigh "Jaymes , Jaymes and I, we can be weak with each other when no one else sees. It also gives me reason to be strong. I imagine it's not so different with other troll truhearts. Frank and Brekke are just very very good at keeping that private."

"How the hell - pardon me... no, nevermind, I stand by it. How the HELL does saving someone's life break any kind of oath?! I mean, that just seems all sorts of backwards...." She seethes quietly.

(adjusted as I misread)

"Because, he broke his oath was to my mother, and he chose me..he could only rescue one.. thus, by the wording..." She shrugs "Trust me... it was horrible. Father never blamed me. Never, but I did for a time. Do you know that some of the clans of Thyle tried to take me away from myy father? Because I was still honorable, and he wasn't? Kidnapping..not that they called it that. I escaped, went back to him ..after a while they gave up."

She takes her own guitar and strums it, playing the instrumental version of Metallica's Unforgiven, acoustic

"Oh well, now you know why I couldn't get out of thyle fast enough"

She listens, and nods sympathetically. "I know it doesn't express it well enough... but that sucks. I'm sure they saw it as some kind of rescue, or trying to help you maintain your own honor... but you know what they say about good intentions. ...I'm sorry about your mom."

"me too," Tove smiles "But don't feel sorry for me. I've got my father restored and safe. I'm out of Thyle. I have a man I love and who loves me, and a daughter I couldn't be prouder of..." A smile and a look down at her midsection "And after I drop junior off, I'll have another wonderful kid, and hopefully my figure back. Is that vain?"

"Not at all!" She smiles. "Did I actually say thank you, by the way? My brain is just poppin' off left and right about where I can work that trick in to emphasis songs. And to incorporate it when I need both hands like for fiddling - oh, I bet I can pressgang Zane into banging two sticks together. ...Are your husband or Dagmar musical?"

"No, but Dagmar's taking the lessons my mother taught about wood work and is going to be better than me one day, just you watch"

"I'll look forward to having her personalize the next instrument I get, then. And who knows, maybe Baby King will have talents that direction. ...have you thought up any names yet?"

"SO many" She admits, "I thought about James Jr, but I don't think Jaymes is crazy about that. Thought about Torin or Torak, for my father's side, but among mortals he's got to blend in.. I mean, the boy might be kinian and not kithain and it could be hard enough for him"

"And, of course, so many musician names"

"Jamie is a cute name." She admits. "Just don't name him Sam, or everyone will get confused." A grin. "If he ends up a troll, he's bound to come with a proper nordic use-name, so I wouldn't sweat it that much!"

"True. Jamie is cute" A nod "I thought about Vega, like the last name of one of my favorite folk artists, but I've been told that's a video game character"

"Thor is always classic." A grin. "Thorin is like Thor, and Torin, but then it's also like the Dwarf King from Lord of the Rings."

"Oakenshield... is just me, or was the movie version disturbingly sexy and intense? Dwarves should not be sexy"

"I mean middle earth dwarves mind you"

"Dwarves ARE kinda just short Trolls...."

"Hey, do you have any songs about gold?"

A grin quirks at her mouth.

"If I grow a beard I'm blaming you"

"If you did, it would be silky and luxurious, and the envy of all other bearded folk!"