#bergen_county

"Oh, this place always makes me think of late 80s early 90s music." she admits "But whatever you'd like."

"Hmmmm...... so, you feel a little... grungy?" A snicker.

She laughs "Hey... early 90s was pretty darn pop thank you"

"Grunge is just what folks remember"

"Let's see... no electric guitar, no bass, and no drum kits... still, nothing to Grohl about."

She starts with a bit of Alice in Chains...

We chase misprinted lies
We face the path of time
And yet I fight, and yet I fight this battle all alone
No one to cry to, no place to call home...

Then stops, shaking her head. "Too gloomy."

A few chords of Nirvana played, and she stops, thinking again, before adjusting her grip and starting over.

Just a small-town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere
Just a city boy...
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere....

"Well, who doesn't love Journey" Her Aunt mutters but sways along

"A singer in a smoky room" A voice from the building "The smell of wine and cheap perfume..."

Then it muffles

She turns angling herself in that direction, and increases the volume, her voice has been trained to project!

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feeling
Streetlight people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on!

The locked door opens and a figure peeks out

Piper's gaze is glanced down at her strings, but she turns back up, and gives an encouraging smile as she belts out,

Streetlight people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin' somewhere in the night

The man does seem homeless.. he smells like he hasn't showered in weeks.

But he sings snippets of the song...

As the last few notes die away, she nods to the man. "Any requests?"

THe man's heritage is hard to read... Quarter Black , Quarter white, Quarter Asian quarter.. who knows? He wipes at his nose and says "You know 'what a wonderful world?'"

Marsha has gone quiet, cautious, but also sympathetic.

Piper adjusts her hold on the guitar, clears her throat, and...

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world...

Pausing only for a breath - She's focused on her music now, and trying to project an aura of hope and seeing the beauty even in a scary world...

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world...

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Also on the faces of people going by
Even when friends, have to stay 6 feet from you...
They're only saying I love you

The old man hums and bubbles with ..glamour. She's found a dreamer

Something inside whispers, you could just take his glamour. no one knows he's here. and no one would miss him... if only that kinain wasn't watching...

Piper flubs a note as a small wave of greed hits her at the sight of the new dreamer, but then scowls, pushing the impulse down, and just plays harder to finish the song on a high note.

I see babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn so much more than I'll ever know
Then I think to myself what a wonderful world....
Then I think to myself what a wonderful.... .....world.

The man smiles, then nods approvingly "Very good. A classic homage. You could have experimented with the tempo, sped it up, trusting the echoes to make up for that and and a choral effect to counter balance... but I can't argue with music like that"

She trots over closer, hooves clicking and echoing in the empty pool for those who can hear them. "That sounds like a voice of someone with a trained ear."

"I used to teach music for a living... better teacher than performer... you.. you two ain't gonna tell the cops?" The man asks

She exchanges a quick glance with her aunt, before offering, "Doesn't much look like you're hurting anyone here. I think, s'long as you don't out me for coming to play with the acoustics here, we should be about even..." A small smile, eying the caution tape and stay out signs she had walked right over and past.

"Ha, welcome to have it.. uhm.. I don't suppose either of you have a bit of cash?" He asks

"You really shouldn't be going out to stores right now. Social Distancing and all. ...Is it just you alone up in there?" She asks, gently curious. "My auntie always cooks too much. We could bring by something to eat, or some supplies if you need them?"

"Oh .. I'd prefer to have cash.." He says, a tone of a hunger that no food will satisfy

Marsha looks at him, seeming to realize something "i'm afraid cash we don't have. But she's right. I do cook too much. I'll bring you something by"

She bites at her lip a little, and moves over to whisper to Marsha, "I don't think even your peach cobbler will help. Maybe a few bucks. Even if it's for a fix... is it a sin to want to feel better when you're on the bottom?"

"I don't know honey, frankly if it were up to me I'd give him a joint and hope that was a downgrade you know? ease him off"

She whispers at her

A somewhat guilty look, and she whispers back, "Hope you don't ground me for having this, but...." Piper goes into her pockets, and.. yes, here we go, produces a small baggie with paraphernalia and a few gummy candies. "I don't do any in the house, not with Lydia around being all impressionable..." She quickly adds, then moves away towards the man, before her aunt can hit her with potentially judging looks...

"What's your name, friend? I'm Piper. I don't have any cash... hard to come by when I can't busk these days. But I can drop you a little pick-me-up I have here, and maybe a meal later if you'd like? I would like to come back and hear your input on my next song..."

"Huxley" he says "Pick me up?" his eyes light up

She nods. "Just a little MJ. It's a CBD forward strain, I find it helps me relax without too much anxiety. And we could all use a little less anxiety these days. Offering out the baggie with the joint and the gummies.

"you know the funny thing?" he admits

"What's that, Hux? Can I call you Hux?" A friendly smile.

"When Iwas your age I turned this stuff down because i was sure it was a gateway" Huxley laughs

"So I've..never actuallhy had it" He admits, then in a lower tone "But ..right now I'm so eager for something I'd probably try a tie pod challenge for a fix"

"Try one of these candies, and give it a good, um.... twenty, thirty minutes to kick in? The joint is pretty strong and would last a few smokes - don't use it all at once unless you want to fry your throat, and it's not a good time to go around coughing." She moves a little closer as she offers it out, glancing past Huxley to get a quick glimpse inside.

He takes it... and says "Thanks I... appreciate it." It looks like some old office turned into a one room squat in there... messy to be sure

Aunt Marsha seems to be cautious

Piper doesn't move to go inside - even if she had been invited, she's smart enough to know better, no matter how innocent and nice the fellow seems. "I'll come back by later, okay?" She offers. Tempted to sip at his glamour, but... she lets it simmer instead, to harvest this early might cause him to flicker out.

"Sure sure.. I know know what I look like, but I'm... I'm this isn't who I am.. I just... thanks" Huxley says "And.. you have a lovely voice"

"She does, " Marsha agrees, "Piper, you ready to go?"

She nods and gives Huxley a small wave. "See you later..." And returns to Marsha's side to head out.

Marsha walks with her, "Oh SO much for us to talk about... you're going to make me 'that aunt' aren't you?" Once they're out of earshot

She winces a little, and offers, "It was your idea?"

Continuing... "...And it was legal where I bought it, and I don't partake in your house..."

"I have a lot of crazy ideas. Kidnapping Antonio Banderes and making him my love slave? there's an idea. But do I do it? NO.. why? Mostly because he has a body guard, but also becaus eit would be wrong" A sigh "And I know I know... and I DO appreciate you took Lydia into account. But you're just carrying it around where the cops could bust you? Or at least hassle? And then the other scare, Huxley may be a sweet man, or he may not, but we both know how powerful addction can be. Desperation is... it's a monster in us"

She sighs. "Well, that was the last of what I had, and with the lockdown I don't know where I could find any more. So I guess that's that." She walks a few steps. "Thanks for looking out for me, though. "