#rivervale_lodge

At Rivervale , Torin Torad sits down easily

The old grump begins to strum on his strings.

The instrument is a nordic harp of sorts. Fingers moving along. Softly

Frank comes out of his room, and down the stairs. He pauses, listening and watching.

The old fingers dance along the strands, weatherworn knuckles slide along... it's like a waterfall

Frank finishes his descent slowly.

"Hello, Frank, hope I'm not playing too loud?" the old man smiles

"Not at all. Please, keep playing."

His fingers resume playing, it's excellent 'background' music, relaxing, so one can still talk. "Certainly. How goes?"

Frank takes a seat to watch him play. "Well enough. Going to have to make a run soon, but.... not just yet."

"Mmm so you have free time enough to grab a guitar maybe?"

"I'm not as good as you are; I wouldn't want to slow you down."

"Oh what's good? I did have a chance to learn some new tunes from, of all things, a star fish that floats"

And he switches to what sounds like ... is that Toto's Africa

"A floating starfish??" Blink.

"Oh yes. " he continues to play "its the most amazing chimera, seems to learn tunes from you, and pass on what it learned from others. Piper found it, showed it to Tove. To showed it to me. Wonderful dream. Sharing the music"

"That sounds delightful." Frank approves.

"Mind you, some things I do not understand. Why would any group of musicians call themseelves 'redhot chill peppers'? What does that have to do with music, and honestly? How do you boast about that? Red Hot Axes I could understand, maybe 'harps wreathed in fire' but peppers? I... " He shakes his head

"I think a group's name matters most when it's a commercial choice. Doesn't affect their music."

"I don't know, I always felt there was power in names, but I suppose for mortals... less so"

"Oh, certainly, there is power in names."

Steps on the gravel outside, and then Sylvi is coming in through the front door. "Hi, Mountain. Oh, hi, Torin," she adds with a smile.

He switches to Black Parade by my Chemical Romance ...purely instrumental Harp "Kind of like this one.. .oh hello, Sylvi."

He nods to Sylvi in greeting.

She pauses in hanging up her jacket and blinks. "Is that...you're playing Black Parade?!"

"Yup. I learned it from a star fish..that floats"

"That's...wow...I'd never have thought it would work on harp, but it does." She smiles and comes to sit nearby.

"Well, I admit it would be rounded out by more instruments, but some tunes hold up better than one would guess," he smiles

"I bet Spencer would sound great singing with that."

"Coffee, Torin? Or something else?" Frank stands to get himself a beverage. "Sylvi?"

"He would, voice is golden on taht one. Mind you, he needs to sharpen his memory of names and.. oh yes, please" At the offer of coffee

Frank gets Torin a muggajoe, and himself a cider.

Gerd comes in "Oh I know Satyrs are drama, but I'm wondering what ideas Adam puts in Piper's head. Vali comes to her house to help her out like few teachers would and she's acting like he's the enem... is that Black Parade?"

"Names?"

Then, "Oh, thanks, Mountain, but I'm good. Just back from the DeBukes."

"Hey, Gerd."

Frank nods and brings Torin's drink to him.

"Gerd." A greeting.

"You're doing a teacher appreciation thing, Gerd? Or is this a defend-my-Vali thing?"

"Probably more the vali thing" She admits "He's playing Black Parade on a harp..that shouldn't work?" She sits down stunned

Torin pauses to take the drink, "Thanks Frank"

Frank nods and takes his cider to his own seat.

"And yet, it does."

Sylvi looks over at Frank thoughtfully.

"Yes, Sylvi?"

"How goes it with the DeBukes, Sylvi? " Torin asks and resumes playing, this time a harp cover of Billie Eilish's Bad Guy

"Um..." A hesitation.

"Oh, they're all great," she answers Torrin. "New calf. And a bunch of babies coming...." She sort of trails off."

"Tis the season." Frank agrees.

"Yeah..."