#bergen_county

Lyron laughs "I think it could be fun. Zane's right, permits? Really not our thing"

Brenda laughs "My husband can post bail for me I guess"

"Good, that's settled. Now I can move onto more important things" Etsie turns to Piper "I hear you play damn well young lady. Know any rock and roll or are you into more alternative or folk or some such?"

"I like rock and pop, a little old punk and stuff - but I got a good background on country, folk and oldies. And even some gospel and R&B. There's little I haven't at least listened to a bit, though I definitely have favorites. I hear you're an old-skool rocker?"

"Honey, I was there when the Grateful Dead were the 'Grateful hanging in there'"

"And you're still here, rocking it out with a 'Touch of Gray'." A grin!

"The Dead, Hendrix... those are great mellow hits to... uh, mellow out to. Normally I pick something with a bit more energy for my tunes, but I can jam with pretty much anything thrown at me."

"Ha. I like this kid. I like energy too." She says a grin "if you were in a band what would you play?"

She looks thoughtful. "Honestly, I've always liked the idea of making a cover band. Then you have the freedom to play whatever style you want, and you're not pigeonholed into being considered this or that genre. But, I do find that whenever I put my own 'spin' on a tune, it tends to turn into a high-octane guitar version." A grin.

"I have a little something I've been working on- I'll play it for you sometime, I don't want to drown out the party."

"Oh we'll get along fine. I envy your generation.... so much music at the touch of a button.... a fourteen year old can claim the Beatles, or Led Zepplin, they can jam to Pink Floyd or Rush, or hear Red Hot Chill Peppers or listen to the world of the 21st century. And the mixes... Folk songs done to rock, rock done blue grass... amazing fun."

"Oh, I gotta play this for you!" She grins. "It's a version of this old, old musical song, but...uh... more done like, you know, 90's alternative? Like it's a similar pace, but with guitar chords where they had slow fiddle and... it was hard to tell from the original recording, but maybe it had maracas? I used a drum and percussion synth app on my phone."

"Oh hold on then..." A look "Cornelius, can we break out our axes and go to town? I mean, it's clear our debate is solved."

The professor looks at his wife . Marsha nods "Let's not ruin their fun. Zane, grab your guitar too."

"I'm not as good as Piper" he says "But.. sure?"

She lights up and grabs her gear from upstairs in a flash. "Lyron, I won't insult you by asking IF you can give me a beat - but WOULD you?" She taps her fingers on the side of her acoustic guitar in the rhythm she's looking for.

His hoof begins to stamp on the floor

and he grins

"And Zane, if you can give me a steady bass beat? The original has accompaniment so anyone can jump in if they care..."

Zane nods and, begins to strum

She strums her guitar, slowly to pick out the tune from her mind, and then picking it up a touch - faster than the original, but still with purposeful held notes, but now sounding more like an alternative song along the lines of Cobaine or Cornell.

"Maria, Maria
They call the wind Maria
Way out here they got a name
For rain and wind and fire
The rain is Tess, the fire's Joe
And they call the wind Maria..."

Rousing, yet plaintive, sad and wistful in a way that alternative does so well.

Horned heads bob and nod and increase like a building tide as the music inspires and guides them, helping them share the lament inborn in the words and given muscle by the instrumental

"Out here they got a name for rain for wind and fire only...
but when you're lost and all alone there aint no word but lonely...
And I'm a lost and lonely man without a star to guide me...Maria blow my love to me I need my girl beside me
(Maria Maria they call the wind Maria)
Maria Maria Blow my love to me..."

A final strum, and she croons out the final lyric one last time. "Blow my love to me..." And lowers her guitar.

"Oh honey, that was like old musicals and 90s alternative had a love child and she grew up to be a heartbreaker" Etsie says. Clearly this is high praise

She beams. "And would you believe, it was a Troll what suggested I try the mashup? Tove King... when she came out blue, a thousand Satyrs wept." A grin.

"is she hot?" Lyron only half jokes.

"She's married." She says, wrinkling up her nose.

"Life is cruel" Lyron sighs

"Get in line," Zane mutters also wistful

"Marvelous," Marsha says "So glad I recorded it" She puts her phone away

"I think you will impress Tove greatly," The p;rofessor says "And yes, she's one talented young troll. Going to be hard to beat her out for music at pennons and the like"

"Oh! Auntie M, you're the BEST."

"She's amazing." A nod to her Uncle. "Anyone can learn to play an instrument... to some degree... but it takes a true talent to compose NEW music. I hope that I might learn something if I hang around her enough." A grin, though it fades a bit. "It's too bad her daughter hates me."

"Well, the sound quality is..." Marsha pauses "What's this? Dagmar doesn't hate you"

Zane winces "Dagmar's not so much hating her as just...well, Adam was her first and even if they broke it up... she's adapting"

"Oh, Z's right. I exagerrated. But she certainly doesn't really like my company, and... she seems like she's had enough uncomfortable home life in her past, I'm not gonna hang out and bug her now that she's got something good going."

"Trolls take time to evolve," The professor says "Their dreams have been around a long time, like... well, chimerical sharks, and have seen little need to progress"

"A shark troll is a scary thought. Don't say it loud enough for the Dreaming to hear you."

"Ha. Well, maybe sea turtles would fit better"

"Ack! You've obviously never SEEN the inside of a Sea Turtle's mouth..." She can't help but laugh though.

"I admit, Marine biology is not my doctorate" her uncle says with a smile

And music and talk continues, and yes, Marsha puts what she recorded onto Piper's phone, leaving Piper time to rush to Tove's...and show her the 'homework'

(End Scene)