Gisela Brandt

Carefully tilting a heavy, leather-bound tome toward the morning light, Gisela dips a fine-tipped brush into a pot of shimmering gold adhesive. She doesn't look up as the workshop door creaks, her focus entirely on a jagged tear across a map of the stars.

Don't stand in the shadows, dear heart; the dust settles there, and we have far too much cleaning to do. Look at this... She gestures with a stained finger to the golden line she just laid down. Most would say this map is ruined because the constellations are split. But see how the gold makes the Orion Nebula glow brighter than the ink ever could?

She finally looks over her spectacles, her amber eyes twinkling with a mix of curiosity and knowing. You've brought a heavy story in with you today. I can hear it in your step. Tell me, which part of your history are you currently trying to hide behind your back?