#bergen_county

Siv and Jonas are busy, and Piper is a bit antsy. Once again, the lodge is facing trouble but she can't figure out a way to help. Well, there IS something she can do, and that's get to know one of the new centaurs. Maybe she can't hunt down Leech or protect people from his reach, but she can make Linwood feel welcome.

Morning finds her knocking lightly on the door to the ground-floor apartment where he's staying, holding a couple of Starbucks lattes and some store-bought muffins.

And she hears.. music

and singing, so that her knock is not immediately heard

"While horsemen ride across the green
and Snow White still remains unseen.
Pegasus, the winged horse,
relays his messages by Morse.
And like some pirate sailor
We crossed the Spanish Main
And brought our magic carpet
to a marble staircased plain.
While Handel plays his melody
Doctors cause uncertainty
And though I know the lifeguard's brave
There is no one for him to save.
And like some pirate sailor
We crossed the Spanish Main
And brought our magic carpet
to a marble staircased plain.
Cock Robin views his frozen feet
and wraps them in a winding sheet
and calls out for his favourite drink
the Persian that's as warm as mink.
And like some pirate sailor
We crossed the Spanish Main
And brought our magic carpet
to a marble staircased plain."

She pauses and listens! Linwood's voice, is it? How good IS the singer?

It's Linwood, and not bad! The keys are his preference, but thinking he is alone, hes singing with more confidence

She waits, and then joins in on the final chorus! Belting along with him, and a hoof tapping the cowbell counterpoint.

"And like some pirate sailor
We crossed the Spanish Main
And brought our magic carpet
to a marble staircased plain!"

They harmonize beautifully, then he opens the door "Piper, hey, come in!"

"I brought coffee! Do you drink coffee? You've GOTTA teach me the rest of that song. I have a sailor of my own to sing it to." Accepting the invite and moving in, looking for a surface to set the treats on.

"Uh sure" He blushes "Only recently heard it myself "Pandora's box by.. PRocul Harum I think? " She sees the lay out is not too different from her apartment, some things a bit flipped but there's a counter

"Hey, thanks but you brought so much"

"Oh, it's just some muffins from the coffee shop around the corner. Doesn't hold a candle to anything Kerri makes, or Tove for that matter. Have you met Tove yet? She's incredible. Dagmar's ma, she is, and a fine skald."

"I have yeah, " A smile "And she is." He opens the pantry too and it, and the fridge look stocked "Have you met the Hearth? SHe's... she's very generous"

"Wow! Oh yes, she kept me from starving when I first got here. I think she pities me a little, I can barely boil water without burning it. Now that I live on my own, I mostly survive off frozen meals and snacks."

She pauses, and grins! "Actually, I don't live on my own. As of a few days ago, I have my own live-in lover and chef." A laugh.

"Hey, that's great" He grins "Congrats. You're seeing... uhm. Siv? Or is it Jonas?"

"It's both!" She says easily with a grin. "We're a trio."

Linwood blinks "WOW, not to judge but doesn't thatl ead to.. problems?"

"It may." She admits. "But that's something for us to work out together. My loves are worth weathering any storm."

he blushes "That's..very sweet."

"SO, how goes the music career?"

"Oh, you know. It comes and goes. Not steady, but I think I'd go mad if it was. Having the freedom to book my own gigs and run my own calendar is a life saver. Or at least, a mind-saver. I also DJ on the regular at a local club, but that's not really like a 9-5er so I like it well enough."

"Yeah you didn't strike me as the 9-5 type" Linwood admits "Frankly I got an offer for some background music at this restaurant on Tuesdays and thursdays? that's their slow nights? But it's like five bucks an hour plus tips?" He's being cheated

She shakes her head. "That's not worth getting out of bed for. You deserve at least twice that, and more if you don't hit minimum wage in tips. But... if you can do restaurant music, got anything that might be suitable for home-style Italian? I know a boggan whose family has a good place, and they might be interested."

"Are you kidding? Some great composers had links to Italy, heck, operatic instrumentals alone..." He moves to his, hey he has a piano! and he ssmiles "And there's always this buti t might tick them off" He plays the theme from the god father movies

Piper laughs! "Okay, Lucia will get a kick out of that, even if her 'rents don't."

"Lucia? I've met her... if her folks are hiring, I'd be happy to offer. Heck maybe even if they aren't. I mean, maybe they'll take a chance" He plays Amore

"Wheeeeeeen, the moon hit's your eye like a big pizza pie, that's AMOREEEE..." She warbles along obligingly with a grin, and then sends a text to Lucia.

Lucia soon responds. She thinks its a great idea

Linwood laughs "Bit heavy on the cheese there" At her efforts

"Here, I'll pass your info..." And adds the phone number to Linwood's mobile so they can coordinate.

They do, and he nods "Thanks again, Piper" A smile "You.. youre' great"

She smiles up at him - comfortable with his height, so used to trolls. "I try. You're not half bad yourself, and anything for another musician."

"I love living here partly because that. I mean, not all musicians, but singers like you, then Etsie, and even dancers" a pause "Rikki scares me a little"

"Oh, c'mon. She's a sweetheart. And she's harmless. She might play a few tricks, but it's not malicious."

"My baby grand played Elephant sounds for an HOUR" He says "I did not expect a bull elephant's trumpet on F flat"

Clearly Linwood still isn't used to the versitlity of cantrips

She laughs! "Okay, but now that's FUNNY. If she did that during a gig, that would be rude, but at home, you gotta laugh it off."

"I did, after I realized couldn't be haunted because it's not REAL Ivory...but for awhile I felt so GUILTY"

Piper hides her giggles unsuccessfully behind her latte.

"Is it just keyboard you play, or any interest in trying your hand at any other instruments? You should find that hoofbeats make for AWESOME improv percussion."

"Huh I guess they would" He holds out his slender fingers "Mostly these are what I work with, and they like keyboards. Sytnhizers, keyboards, Pianos and organs.. I dabbled with the flute but never got far with it. I sing some as you heard but frankly I feel a bit self conscious about that compared to folks like you and tove, never tried the drums, they always felt... you know, kind of like the jock in the room who shoves the nerds around?"

She reaches out an takes one of his hands, splaying the fingers gently and examining. "Good structure, nimble, long fingers. I have trouble with piano, certain songs have too much stretch for short fingers. I'm good, but I'll never be great. You could probably do some good guitar work too."

"You think so? Zane knows some, guitar I mean, but he's been busy" A pause "Oh, what the heck is a gloaming?"

GRIN. "It's a baller party that my cuz throws. Drinks, snacks, wilders, a lil' magic."

"RIGHT, thanks for the warning, I will be hiding with the sluagh guy" A grin though

"Hiding? From a party?" She looks positively offended!

"Not everyone's from Boston, john" he mutters, then pauses "Okay, that 1776 quote doesn't work as YOU are so a Franklin"

She smiles. "You do what makes you happy. And if that's partying, cool, and if that's lingering in the back and playing music, that's cool too."

"Well ..yeah" Linwood nods "THanks. So, you're on your own for a bit? "

A sigh. "Seems like it. I don't think I'm clingy, I like alone time as much as the next goat, but I hate feeling helpless when my blue crew is off fighting the good fight, and I'm left at home like a housewife to await my love's return from the war."