It’s now a few months in, and Viola has converted the office into a much more comfortable study-like space, suitable for research. She doesn’t mind venturing into the glaring whiteness of the halls when she needs to visit the laboratory proper, so long as she has this warm space to return to, where she can really lose herself in her work.

Viola has already become acquainted with many fascinating people from a dizzying array of species and origin ‘verses, even within such a niche and scientifically-oriented department. Many of her fellow lab dwellers are inclined to pay her deference, owing to her senior researcher title, but she’s quick to remind them that she’s not technically their supervisor. She’s merely curious about their work and their selves, she explains, and she finds that her experience as an investigator helps to set her fellows at ease. Over time, she begins to be regarded as something of the office mom, which is a role that she finds suits her quite well. Her cozy little office begins to have regular visitors, and her tea-and-cookies chats with her coworkers are making her quite informed on the various goings-on within the company (and the fascinating social circles of her fellows!).

One visitor stands out above all the others, though, that of her employer! Cellina—she finds it difficult to think of her as “Director Longfeather” the way the rest of the company seems to—visits on a regular schedule for updates on Viola’s research projects, and the arrivals are quickly becoming major highlights of her time in the facility. It becomes clear to Viola extremely quickly that Cellina has a particularly sharp mind, and while the crane’s focus and expertise is of course on the business side of things, Viola is very impressed by the culture of research and exploration that Cellina has cultivated here. She suggests avenues of investigation, but generally leaves the department to do what it does best.

More than the environment she’s set up, though, Viola is most captivated by Cellina herself. The crane’s carefully controlled expression and posture can’t conceal the flash of intelligence behind her bright eyes, and Viola’s accidentally cultivated gossip network is starting to give her a better idea of the less obvious workings of this place. In fact, she’s starting to suspect that Cellina must play a much more active role in the Forest being such a comfortable place to live. A benevolent shadow benefactor? Viola can’t help but be fascinated at the idea as much as she is with Cellina herself. For now, at least, Viola is content with the visits. She’s more than happy to discuss her research, and they give her an opportunity to study her enigmatic employer. Purely out of intellectual curiosity, of course!