Fifth floor common room [afternoon]

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla was rapidly learning that the fifth floor common room wasn't nearly as childproof as she remembered.

"Jims, don't pull that wire!"

"Jims, don't open those drawers, please!"
"Jims, off of the countertop."

She finally got him distracted with some fingerpaints (which, for the time being at least, were staying on paper and not on Rilla's dress, the sofa, or the coffee table) and got herself a soothing cup of tea and got back to knitting a sock.

It had been so much easier when Jims had slept all the time.

[OOC: Open, naturally!]

Comments

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

A week in, Maddie was learning that when you were bored, the easiest way to fix that was to go looking for people. So today meant exploring common rooms besides the one on her floor because it wasn't like she had anything else to do.

"Uh, there's a kid in here," Maddie said, just in case no one had noticed, or he was a student that had been transformed and that was how these things worked.

[hawkeye-too.livejournal.com]

"Do you think this is like people turning into animals?" Kate asked. She'd heard vague stories and had vaguely accepted them. Trips through lockers did that apparently.

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

"I heard it happens..." Maddie admitted.

She just didn't know it happened en masse, which to be honest, was probably a good thing.

[hawkeye-too.livejournal.com]

"I'm going to avoid that one," Kate decided. "Because ending up finger painting sounds..."

Okay, kind of fun maybe in the right circumstance.

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

Maddie would totally join this kid in fingerpainting if she didn't have to ask to do it.

"Do we get to avoid stuff like that? It kind of sounded like we didn't get a choice?" Was there a form they had to fill out?

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla nodded. "That's Jims," she said helpfully. "He's eighteen months old."

And covering his face in blue fingerpaint. It was a look.

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

"Oh." So he was supposed to be here, then. That actually made her feel better. "Is he your little brother?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla shook her head. "I'm just watching him while his father's in the army. It's been eighteen months now."

And they'd heard from Mr. Anderson once. He was quite the devoted father.

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

"Afghanistan?" Maddie guessed, looking sympathetic.

[hawkeye-too.livejournal.com]

There was a kid in the room. Kate vaguely wondered that if this Common Room just came with a kid. Which was a very stupid thought. She moved on to a better one.

"Is that your brother visiting?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla shook her head. "Oh, he's not my brother. He's Jims. I'm watching him while his father's at the front."

[hawkeye-too.livejournal.com]

Oh. Babysitting. That made more sense.

"That's nice of you. Is The Front on the island?" Clearly it was a store of some kind. Possibly a business office.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"No," Rilla said, then paused. "How much have you heard about how this island works?"

[hawkeye-too.livejournal.com]

"There's different worlds and timelines and all that?" Kate said. "One of my best friends at home looks like he did over a year ago here."

She paused.

"The front like...in a war?"

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"So much art going on and not nearly enough fingerpaint for me to join in. So sad," Jessica said after getting a good look at the situation.

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure we can find some more if you're really interested," Rilla said with a smile and a little wave.

Jims' wave was more exuberant. "Hi!"

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"Nope. Clearly not enough for me, so don't worry about it," Jessica said. She was not going to let a joke end with her having to fingerpaint. She turned to Jims and smiled. "And hi there to you, too, kid. How's it going?"

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Jims thought about it. "Hi!"

"He's still working on his vocabulary," Rilla said apologetically.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"He clearly has one of the more important words down," Jessica said. "That's a start."

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

"There are probably condiments if you're feeling really desperate," Maddie pointed out. That wouldn't be messy at all!

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I think I'll pass on that. I just ate, so I'm done with food for the moment," Jessica said.

[mummyspromdate.livejournal.com]

"Probably smart. And you probably don't want to teach the kid that paints are edible," she said, realizing that she should have thought of that before saying anything.

[hawkeye-too.livejournal.com]

"It's a sad, terrible thing, isn't it," Kate sympathized.

[craftyladyparts.livejournal.com]

"I'll have to resort to talking to people to pass the time," Jessica said. "For instance, you. You're new, right? I'm Jessica."

[hawkeye-too.livejournal.com]

"I feel like I have a sign painted on my forehead," she said ruefully. "Totally new. I'm Kate."