[ she shrugs. ] I've been planning it for a while. Getting the paints I needed took longer. It was tricky, but a couple of the Athena kids helped me figure out the base.

[ returning to her box, mal gets back to work coaxing a balcony out of the black. the painting is nearing completion: the portico is the only major piece missing. for the gardens, she will either have to use cutouts to get the tiny spots of color she needs or else use a brush. as she has neither at the moment, she leaves the space blank and focuses on the palace itself. ]