Snippet #1303910

"Come over here, and I'll paint your picture!" A young girl calls out, a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Though it is rather early in the morning there are quite a few people out and about, doing some morning shopping. They look on at the scene the girl is making, staring in wonderment at her energy and wondering why she looks so familiar. She jumps up, ushering people to sit in funny poses on a bench, her eyes lighting up as she laughs in merriment. "Come on, then!" she calls, daring people with a sly smile. "What harm could it do? Just think, you'll forever be immortalized in a beautiful painting that everyone can have a good laugh over. What's so wrong about that?" She is winning people over, she can tell. Though her appearance is a little strange - blonde and bright red dread locks, a nose and lip piercing - her personality is like honey, drawing all the flies to her with little effort.

"How about you?" she calls to a shy woman who looks to be in her mid-thirties. "You can give it to that man at the book store you've been eying for weeks. Free of charge!" The woman blushes, trying to look offended at the young girl's audacity, but her smile is peeking through. "Come on, then. I'll make you look really pretty." Hesitantly, the woman nods, taking a seat on the bench in front of the girl's art supplies. "Oh, wonderful! Just sit there and hold really still, okay?" Her hand flies across the canvas, painting in sure, steady strokes.

"Do you like it?" she asks, turning the finished product around for the woman to see. Her hands fly to her blushing cheeks, her eyes lighting up in wonderment.
"Oh, that's beautiful!" she cries, smiling a genuine smile for the artist. "Is it alright if I refer some of my friends to you? What's your name?"

"That'd be great!" the girl exclaims, beaming. "I'm Orchid. Orchid Dalca." The woman's face pales as she realizes who the girl that had just painted her portrait was - the princess. She had just been painted by the princess!

"Oh! I didn't realize! I'm so sorry, your highness!" The woman bows, another blush creeping into her face.

Orchid jumps up from her chair, waving her hands wildly. "None of that! None of that! It's totally cool. You don't have to call me 'your highness' or whatever. I'm just Orchid, okay? Hey, here's my number. Keep in touch! And tell me how it goes with that guy," she adds with a wink.

"O-of course." Orchid grins, wrapping her arms around the woman.

"We're going to be great friends, I just know it!"