#bergen_county

Her feathers have slicked down. "That's fine." Softly.

Rikki watches the wings "You sure you're not part pooka?"

"No." Monosyllabic, hard to hear. Focus on the work.

A moment later, the racoon walks on the rails near where she works, then scampers up, perhaps leaving

Ringtail swaying

Her wings curl around her, like a feathered shield.

And the racoon leaves

And... the work. For a little while, at least, before she snags her water bottle and retreats to the supply closet for a break.

And she hears music, but of course she does, electric guitar... thrumming, strong, defiant. Somone can hit the licks

Music is common here. Eventually, she re-emerges. Her 'zone' earlier is still elusive, but she HAS a job.

The break helped a litlte but argh.

Then, a familar face, on e she doesn't talk to much but she recognizes

Lut, the thane "Baroness Sparrow?" he says "I heard you were working here"

"Yes, for a bit. Hello, Lut."

"You're doing the stairwells? " Appreciative look at the art "I thought it would just be the halls"

"I liked the height..."

"me too" He says putting a hand over his head "How far up is it going?" Then he winces "Sorry, I'm intruding"

"The whole way."

"Nice" he says "I'm impressed already. Going greek?"

"Mostly. I'm going for a Maxfield Parrish kind of thing."

"Wait, I know that name... American artist?" Unsure

She nods.

"I think .. Dayrise ? Daybreak..." Lut sighs "My girlfriend might know. She's a teacher"

"Daybreak, yes. Probably his most famous. He does wonderful skies."

"When we were kids, Tig and I used to get on the top of the roof of the lodge and look at the clouds. If you can recreate half that wonder, I could be spending a LOT of time in this stairway" He smiles slightly, a troll smile, half hidden, but geniune

Sparrow returns the smile with a small one of her own. "Well, I'll do my best."

"If if anyone knows the skies I imagine a lady who can touch the clouds would. Gerd let me fly once, great kid. I had an hour of fun before gravity kicked in"

"Nice!"

"It was." He nods

"I'm not sure how to put some troll things in here, yet..."

"mm i.." he ponders "Would.. it be possible to put the faces of the Storm, Mountain and hearth in the clouds?"

She frowns.

"Too literal, I think..."

"I was thinking, perhaps, of hiding knotwork in the bark..."

"Oh the Chieftain would love that, she works in wood so.. right you know that" A blush

"But I'm glad that it makes sense to someone else, outside my head."

"I think the Chief's first love is the woods around here ... no offense to the Mountain mind, but you know what i mean"

He looks as his phone beeps "Pardon. I have to pick up my girlfriend. Anything I can do for you , bring you some food from take out or the like?"

"No, I'm fine. But thank you."

A troll salute, and he moves on. He seems to be doing well. Whoever his lady is, love has been good for Lut.

And Sparrow, having that happyh thought in head, finds herself moving again ...and ..finds that most precious of things, the zone. She lost it for a bit, but now it's back

Gerd whistles "holy snot" she says

"It's beautiful" her eyes look up the stairwell

Sparrow lost track of time - cartoon is in, and she's been working on the sky!

Gerd blushes and quiets and just admires

"It's coming along okay."

"I think it's marvelous... and there's a lot of details now that i look even more carefully"

"Well, thanks..."

"Are.. is that knotwork in the oak?"

"I mean.. in the painting of it?"