#goldfinchfreehold

With Sylvi gone here, Piper finds folks coming to HER with questions

Jimmy in this case... "uhm.. Piper? You remember my grandmother right?" Okay. Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. Sometimes it's hard to remember Jimmy!

"Right! Well, no." She admits. "Tell me about her again, Jimmy?"

At least she got his name right, this cheers him "She's getting on in years. She thinks I'm the best guy. Even though I've been caught borrowing she stands by me"

"She sounds really great. Is she kith, or kin?"

"I wish she were kith" he sighs "A bit of the blood. I was wondering, would it be possible to ... enchant her here?"

"Um." She considers this. "I think that would be okay. As long as you take responsibility for ensuring that she's safe while here, and that she doesn't betray the right of ignorance when she leaves."

"But that's really a Sylvi decision to make. I'm handling more of the mortal side of things... like, if you wanted to know where to put a couch for a break room vs. using that room for a workshop or tutoring studio..."

"Well, Sylvi's not here, and you are so... I had to ask." A thought "is there some way I can help?"

"What does your gram do for a living? I mean, before she retired?"

"Well, she's done a lot of things when she was young... she was once a stage magician's assistant but that was like..eons ago. She also was a high school counselor for a time before she quit her job to raise her kids. You coudl do that back in those days, just one working parent? She makes fantastic brownies"

A smile. "I'm not sure if any of those skills specifically apply to Goldfinch, though the stage magician has promise." She laughs. "Tell you what, ask her to bring some brownies when you bring her to visit? And for you... mmm. Do you know anyone good with technical AV setup? Maybe a Nocker?"

"You mean like maybe Wudlig?"

"Wudlig... oh, the guy from Dark Gate? I thought he did..." Remembering. "Puzzleboxes, and cars?"

"Or hidden rooms and passage ways. He works big or small"

"This is high tech stuff. I admit it's beyond me, other than the very basics. I can hook up the speakers, so far."

"Maybe he'd know someone..."

"Well he probably knows how to do it, he has to do a lot of things to do what he does. But I'll ask"

She smiles. "I'm glad of it if he can help. AV is a very specific field, but.. I guess nockers can pretty much work on anything they put their mind to. I don't just want it to work, though. I really need something special. I just...haven't quite figured out what."

At that, he sits down "Close your eyes, just for a minute, and take a breath"

She looks a bit puzzled but... it's not like it's Rikki, so she's not naturally suspicious. Sitting, she closes her eyes, and inhales, exhales...

"now" He says gently, "Imagine this place, not as it is, though that is grand, but as it could be, as it should be... don't look at the poeple you see, not yet... but the floors, the walls... what do you see, and what do you know that others don't?"

A little bit of a smile, humoring him.

Inhale, exhale.

"I see.... a mix between the old, and the new. An homage to the original styles... art deco, mod, glam.... but with modern equipment for recording.

A safe space for those who want to study and learn, but aren't able to do so... either because they're not supported, or they can't afford it, or they don't fit in with "normal" society and can't, or won't, conform and sell out their talent."

"Welcoming, without selling out...giving form to their dreams without trying to make it fit a mold."

As for the equipment... maybe something that can capture... live music, it has a life of it's own. Moreso with magic and those with a magic touch to their music..." Thinking of herself, of Spencer, and also of Phoebe from Fenix... "But there's a LIFE, a breath to it that gets lost once digitized.

Old school records somehow managed to keep some of the warmth, but they're not practical, when we're talking about electronics and streaming.... but if they can make a camera that captures chimerical pictures, why not a recorder? It could be magnificent."

"I think you just figured out what you wanted to ask for help building" A smile can be heard in the tone even if her eyes are closed still

Her eyes flutter open, and she gives Jimmy a little smile. "I've been a bit depressed lately hearing about the stuff in Afghanistan. Banning music... well. You want my opinion? It will never work. They might be able to prevent people from listening to music in public, but music really lives in the heart. And that's not something they can steal."

"I know it might be tip-toeing on 'Ignorance' territory, but hearing isn't quite the same as seeing. If there was a way to create music that helps inspire people, above and beyond how awesome tunes already are... I want to help make it happen, and Goldfinch might be the place where it can."

"Well, there you go. I'll call Wudlig... AND Bert. This may not be their usual gig, but between the two of them, I bet they know some others who can help"

"Who's Bert?"

"Betrand. He made Colton's first artificial art, and he's a genius with glass"

"Glass??" She perks up. "I might have a job for him already!"

"you do?"

A grin. "I do. I mean, I may need to find some dross to afford it, but it's worth it."

"Okay so now it's a surprise" A grin "Well cool. Show me when it's ready? I'm curious."

"You make the connection, I'll let you see it FIRST. Even before Sylvi!"

"On it! " He grins "Happy to be of use"

And soon is texting.

It actually takes only an hour for Betrand to show up.

The nocker is a lanky teenager with a baseball cap

Piper is caught standing on the edge of a couch, so that she can try to clean the dust off a light fixture. wearing old clothes that are good for working in, and with a bandana tied back over her horns to keep dust from her hair.

"Oh, that was quick!" She hops down, and muffles a sneeze as the dust knocked free follows her.

"Howdy ma'm" his drawl is a mix of typical southern and Cajun "Understand you need a glass maestro? That'd be me"

She nods. "I'm Piper, nice to meet you." Wiping her hand clean before offering it.

"See, here's the thing. We have this big front window... or at least, you have to imagine it. Right now, it's all boarded over and plywood. But I had the idea of a front window with the logo of the Studios, right? But... and you tell me if this is stupid, but if there's a way to make it so that when someone Kithain sees it, they see a chimerical version, with the Freehold emblem on it? Like, etched or engraved... however it works with adding design to glass."

He didn't seem to mind and gives a firm shake then looks at the window

It's a large front window... frame. Potential, but clearly it got broken some time ago.

"Shoot darling, that's easy peasy... just an extension of a freehold's nature. Now I'm guessing this one isn't powerful enough to envelope all, but hell yeah I could do that. You want the design to move or tweet?"

Eyes widen. "You can DO that?"

"Piper, I'm Bertrand LeRoy, my family's been working with glass since folks figured out you could melt sand. I can make glass strong as steel, I can mirrors that show you opposing court winking back at you or show you what you'd look like in clothes you named. I can create glass arrows that will be almost invisbile till the moment they hit and shatter insidde your foe- though I do charge extra for weapons on account I am a peaceful sort. I can prisms that cut shadows instead of light. If I can't do sometthing with glass, the dreaming don't want it done"

She is CLEARLY impressed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend. It's just not something a singer like me ever had reason to consider."

She starts to wonder about the sound made from an instrument of glass... FOCUS, Piper!

"Singing? Oh... you want an echo chamber? "

"Hol on a sec" he reaches into a duffle "Got me a sample"