057 Red Letters

[eat_me_beat_me]

Hey guys, if any of you tired parents want to give your kids something to do I'm setting up some arts and crafts in the lobby. Finger painting, chalk, clay... you name it I've got it.

[Nora might still be on crutches but she's somehow managed to set up a few low tables and chairs in the lobby with art supplies galore for the little ones. She's sitting on one of the couches with her leg up on the coffee table sketching as she keeps an eye on things.]

((OOC: Open for all!! Threadjacking highly encouraged))

Comments

[thraxios]

[Gideon could definitely use some time where Zipporah isn't his only company. He returns to the castle, baby in tow, and finds the art tables. It occurs to him then that perhaps the baby is too young to do these activities; he's not sure how old she is, but she can't yet walk or talk, and that doesn't bode well for drawing.

He needn't worry, though, because once he sets her before the supplies, Zipporah is more than happy just to examine them. She picks up individual crayons between her finger and thumb and holds them up to her face, more interested in looking at them than actually coloring.

Before he gets too involved, Gideon tries to catch the eye of the young woman who set this up. He dips his head, both greeting and thank-you for the opportunity.]

[eat_me_beat_me]

[Nora watches the little girl with the crayons, smiling as she examines the red one. Hey, whether she's drawing or not it's still nice to see someone interested in art.

When she notices the father looking her way she smiles and gives him a nod back]

Hey.

[thraxios]

[Gideon gives her a bright smile. He'd like to speak to her from here, where he can supervise Zipporah's examination of the crayons--what if she tries to put one in her mouth, after all? That can't be good.

But that's not possible, given his limitations, and he's not going to make a woman with an injured leg hobble over to him. So instead, Gideon picks Zipporah up, bringing a crayon or two with, and moves close enough to the woman that he won't have to make signs to talk with her. Pulling out his tablet, he writes out a message and hands it to her.]

Thank you for providing this.

[eat_me_beat_me]

[Oh how kind. Her leg is in a cast up to her knee, a pair of tricked out crutches leaning nearby.

She leans forward to see what he'd written. It doesn't bother her speaking to someone like this, she'd been friends with someone who's loss was their voice as well as someone who barely spoke at all until she'd been there a few months. She smiles brightly]

You're welcome. I run the gallery downtown so I figure why not bring a little art to the little ones while they're here, right? I do this every year when the kids are here.

[thraxios]

[Gideon's used to being a bit of an oddity--but here, everyone seems to be. And he's not about to complain if it means people don't question his silence.

Anyway, Zipporah is happy enough to babble in his place for the week. Having grown tired of the red crayon, her eyes alight on Nora, and she holds the crayon out to her.]

I don't think I've seen your gallery; I'll have to visit it sometime.

[originalcopy]

[Holy Crap this is the best idea ever! Church will gladly set Beth up with arts and crafts and let her go nuts. The less he has to actively supervise her the better.

The little red haired girl is going to be happily getting finger paint everywhere. Keeping paint on the paper is so gauche.]

[eat_me_beat_me]

[Hey, man, painting the paper is completely optional. What's the fun in coloring inside the lines, after all? Nora laughs as she watches the tyke getting paint all over the place]

[originalcopy]

[Hey, as long as he doesn't have to clean it up, Church is fine with her making as much of a mess as she wants.]

[eat_me_beat_me]

[He might not have to clean up the mess but he'll have to clean up the kid. Nora doesn't care either way. She's just there to make sure parents don't try to ditch their kids and kids don't die trying to eat crayons or something.]

[minicaptain]

[ having never in her life been around children her own age -- or close to it -- naomi actually wants to come down here. she doesn't have her kadis-kot board for once, as she's more interested in seeing what earth activities might be around, but she's shy about being here, peering into the lobby from a hallway before she slowly makes her way over.

someone wants to teach her all about fingerpainting, right? ]

[eat_me_beat_me]

[Nora looks up when she sees the girl. She's older than the castle-provided kids so she must be a resident. Nora smiles and waves a little]

Hi. Wanna paint?

[minicaptain]

[ she nods mutely for a moment, wondering what this entails. ]

I heard your message over the journals. I've never done any of that before. [ pause. ] It's okay that I'm here, even though I'm not one of the new castle children, right?

[eat_me_beat_me]

Absolutely! This stuff isn't limited to anyone in particular. I think art should be shared and enjoyed by anyone who wants it.

[She smiles] What would you like to do? I can show you how.

[silentrunning]

[Chell is sooo confused now.]

Nora?? What's fingerpainting?

[She writes in the journal.]

[eat_me_beat_me]

It's when you paint using your hands instead of brushes. It's really fun! You should come try.

[silentrunning]

[She comes bouncing into the lobby, a few minutes later and plops down at one of the tables, waving at Nora as she does so. She's just as interested in watching the little kids as she is in painting herself. But she does pick up a piece of paper and dip her fingers in red paint and start painting. God this is fun.]

[eat_me_beat_me]

[Nora grins and waves at her friend]

Staying on the paper is totally not required.

[both_neither]

[Gren is happy to take Nora up on her offer, especially since he was a single father this year and could use all the help he could get. Plus, it made it feel something like a tradition.

He arrives with a slightly older Colby on his shoulder]

How'd you know I couldn't resist finger painting?

[He smiles and swings the giggle child down to the ground]

[eat_me_beat_me]

[She grins up at him]

Sticking your fingers in something slimy and making a mess? How could you resist something like that?

[She waves at the kid, shooting him a wink]

[both_neither]

I know I can't.

[Colby smiles widely and spreads his hands in excitement]

I'mma paint a birdy!

[eat_me_beat_me]

Neither can I.

[She smiles at Colby]

What color are you gonna make it?

[psych0p0mps]

wait the lobby of the castle
you mean were not all in sunnyland or whatever its called?

[eat_me_beat_me]

No, I think just those of you who got kids went there. There's a way to get back and forth, though.

[psych0p0mps]

oh thats good ill have to go and find that
i think they might enjoy some arts and crafts that dont involve smearing slime all over the walls

[eat_me_beat_me]

hey there's nothing wrong with putting stuff on the walls. [She laughs] But yeah I've got plenty of stuff here if you wanna come down.