Sweethaven Daycare

[Veowyn]

Welcome to Sweethaven Daycare! Open to anyone in Minas Tirith, who needs a place for their littles while they are busy throughout the city, are encouraged to bring their children in for a day of fun with friends!
Sweethaven is a 2 story building, nestled within the walls of Minas Tirith. The upper floors is filled with the large shared room for the children, and small rooms for the staff. The lower floor essentially just three rooms. A large play room, with toys and a large table (for learning or crafts); and a dinning room, with a single long table, and lots of little chairs, with the kitchen just off it in the back. Nanny Rian is the elderly headmistress, Carlie and Almiel are her assistants; it is usually Carlie that you will find near the door, greeting children and their guardians, while it is Almiel that runs crafts, or story time. Cookie is a sweet middle aged woman who makes every meal with love and care, she is very patient with little ones who want to "help" as well.

Rules:
Please RP as a child, under 9y (or racial equivalent)
your character as a child, your character's child, or random orphan child... up to you, get creative!
Only adults should be there to drop kids off or pick them up.
HAVE FUN!

[Liläth]

Younger Lilath (About 4-5years human equivalent)

“Nana?” A small hand clasped the bundled woolen skirts of her mothers as the muffled young voice that sounded like silver bells, came from behind them. Canted violet eyes blinked in confusion as she glanced up at her Mother. Her mother's soft hand rested gently on top of her head, fingers running through the mop of onyx curls in a comforting manner. “Yeldë? Hush now, do not fret” The soothing lilt of her mother's voice was comforting to the young elleth but she refused to leave the many folds of the woolen skirts.

For some reason they were in some strange city that had strong scents, strange people and buildings. It was nothing like her Ada’s house near the desert or her nana’s house in the forest. Lilath didn’t see men in bright colors or the women in various shades of green. It was very dull here. Her unimpressed gaze shifted to the cobbled street beneath her feet and she let out a small hiccup and a sigh. Her tiny hand rubbed one of her eyes sleepily while the other continued to grasp the skirts as if she was afraid her Nana would abandon her. She wanted to go back to Ada..

“Nana? Where is Ada? I want Ada?” A shift in the skirts signified her mother was moving forward and her fingers grasped tighter, small padded feet rushing to keep up with the fluid motion that her mother walked with. Another sniffle escaped from her button nose and the stranger looming strange at the door greeted them. Her violet eyes narrowed, suspicious as to why this stranger was smiling and why her mother was laughing. “Nana?..” She asked, tilting her head upwards to see if her mother had noticed the tears in her eyes but she hadn’t. Instead her mother was having a rather animated conversation with the lady. The lady who was now smiling down at her.

“Now my little lilath, my brightest star on the darkest night. Nana needs you to stay here for awhile.” The skirt in which she was grasping so tightly pooled suddenly as warm hands and soft kisses came from her mother. “Can you be very brave and stay here for but a while?” Lilath nodded, unsure exactly what she was agreeing with but the word brave was used and though her mother often spoke to her in her language, she did understand enough English to guess. Another kiss was placed on the top of her head and the only comfort she had known other than her father was gone. Tears pooled in the violet depths and she awkwardly lowered herself to the floor. Her onyx curls shielding half her chubby face as she looks down, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands in between the sniffles and hiccups. Was her Nana or Ada ever coming back for her?

[SidraLockel Eltoran]

(Young Solia – age 6)

Solia trotted along beside her mother who held her hand tightly in her own. “But why can’t I go with you?” Solia whined, wishing her mother wouldn’t hold her hand so tightly. Her mother sighed and continued to pull her along. “Now Solia, we go over this every day, my love. You know I must help out in the House of Healing, and that is no place for a child.” Solia puckered her face into a frown. “I’d be good! I promise!” Her mother smiled down at her as they neared the two story stone building of Sweethaven Daycare. “I am sorry, little one, but you cannot come with me.”

Her mother waved to Carlie who stood at the door of the Daycare. She stopped and knelt beside her daughter, brushing Solia’s dark brown hair behind her ear. “Promise me you’ll be good while I’m gone.” She said, planting a kiss on her forehead. Solia frowned again, but nodded her head slowly. “I promise.” Her mother straightened, and smiled again. “That’s my good girl.” She said as she handed her off to Carlie.

Solia followed Carlie inside. It was the same thing almost every day - her father went to work, and her mother walked her to Sweethaven Daycare before heading to the House of Healing. Sometimes there would be other children for Solia to play with, but usually she was alone with the elderly headmistress and her assistants. Her bright blue eyes widened with surprise when she entered the play room and found a young black haired girl (Lilath) wiping her wet eyes and hiccupping. “Hello.” She said, kneeling beside the girl, her navy dress pooling around her. “Are you alright? What’s your name? I’m Solia.”

[Liläth]

Younger Lilath (About 4-5years human equivalent)

“Hello” A greeting came from somewhere in front of her and small hands rubbed across her eyes again, using the loose white sleeves of her lilac dress to wipe any of the stray tears away that blocked her vision. A girl, not much older than herself, had her face a little too close for her comfort and she shifted her sideways, leaning away from the strange human girl. “Uhh…”

Nothing had prepared Lilath for interacting with strangers. She always had her Nana or Ada around her or atleast close enough that she could observe the social cues required of someone of her station. “Uhhh..Lilath?” She whispered, rubbing her sleeve against her now bright red nose and puffy eyes. “.where..” Hic..”are wee?” She asked, a few hiccups escaping in between the words as she shifted those violet eyes around the room she found herself to be in.

Toys of various sizes and collections were neatly placed on shelves and it seemed to be a fine amount for someone her age. The last time she came close to being around so many toys was in a shop close to her Ada’s home. “My nana said I am not meant to talk to strangers?” She stated in both matter of fact and a question. Was a child her age a stranger or was this the elusive friend that her parents always talked about having.

“Solia...weird name..” She murmured, running her chubby hands down the pleated skirt of her dress while keeping her suspicious gaze on the child that seemed to know nothing of personal boundaries. Not that she understood what personal boundaries were but her nana said that sometimes and it seemed to suit the current situation she found herself in. “Do..you live here? Why am I here?” She asked and her Inquisitive nature was slowly starting to creep up and overtake what danger alarms she previously had. Despite being in a new environment, nothing stood out as dangerous except maybe this girl..this very close..human girl.

[SidraLockel Eltoran]

(Young Solia – age 6)

Solia sat back and smiled. “Lilath? Well I know your name now, and I told you mine…so we’re not strangers anymore, right?” She twirled the dark locks of her hair around her finger as she stared at the new girl. “Why were you crying?” She asked as she looked at the girl’s red nose and puffy eyes. “Wow! Purple eyes!” She said, raising a finger to point towards the girl’s face. “I’ve never seen anyone with purple eyes before! I have blue eyes. See?” She said as she leaned closer so Lilath could look at her eyeballs. “My daddy has blue eyes too!”

She sat back and began to pick at the hem of her dress. She watched Lilath look around the room and gaze at the toys that filled the shelves. “Where are we?” She echoed, “This is the Sweethaven Daycare of Minas Tirith.” She stated matter of factly. She had heard its name often enough from her mother. “Yes, I do live here, well, not here here…but we live here in the city. Where do you live?”

Solia made a face as the newcomer gave her a suspicious look and said her name was weird. “My name is not weird!” She said loudly, “My daddy said I have the prettiest name in all of Minas Tirith!” She pouted and gazed down at her lap. She huffed out a sigh, and looked back up at the girl. “Is your daddy part of the city guard?” She asked quietly. Her outburst from a second ago forgotten. “My daddy protects the city. That’s why I have to stay here. Maybe that’s why you’re here too.”

[Liläth]

Younger Lilath (About 4-5years human equivalent)

A small finger was pointed towards her and Lilath’s nose screwed up slightly in response. The strange girl leaned in close to show her that she had blue eyes. Which she did. It was very blue. “My ada has blue eyes but they get the color of storms sometimes..” Her head tilted slightly and she shrugged, slender shoulders raising awkwardly in the movement her mother does sometimes. “Nana said my eyes are the love her and ada have for each other”

As the girl twirled her hair, Lilath played with the hem of her white petticoat that was underneath the lilac skirt of her dress. “Nana left me and i don’t know when she is coming back” She sniffed, her wet eyes darting around the room before focusing back on the girl sitting beside her. “A daycare? I don’t know why nana just didn’t take me with her. I am a big girl now, much bigger then yesterday” She proclaimed, holding up her fingers to show the girl exactly how old she was. “I am this many! How many are you?”

“Uhh..” At the question in where she lived, she shrugged once more, confusion crossing her features. “Sometimes at Nanas house in a forest and sometimes at Adas in the desert. My nana has pointed ears like mine.” She tucked a few strands of her onyx hair to show small pointed ears. The point was barely noticeable but it was there. “Nana said i will grow into them” She stated proudly, her actions becoming more relaxed as she talked to her new friend. “Do you have pointed ears too?”

“You may have the prettiest name in this city but MINE is prettiest in my nanas home. She said it is.” The girl pouted and she responded with one of her own, her brow furrowing. Solia was a weird name to her but it wasn’t the worst sounding name. “It is ok, Solia is pretty” She patted Solia’s shoulder awkwardly, as awkward as a child possibly could be at showing some comfort. “No, my ada or ..daddy?” She paused, her tiny hand still patting the shoulders of Solia. “ My daddy is a mer..chiant? Merchaanit! He has big horses and lots of colors and stuff i can’t look at. I want to be like ada when I'm older but nana said ‘You will be like that stupid man’..” She mimicked and shrugged again. “I dunno what stupid is but if ada is that, i want to be stupid too”

[SidraLockel Eltoran]

(Young Solia – age 6)

When the young girl mentioned her Nana’s (Solia assumed that Nana was her mother) pointed ears, and then pushed back her black strands and revealed her own small pointed ears, Solia’s blue eyes widened. “You’re an Elf!” She exclaimed loudly, jumping up and clapping her hands! “I’ve never met an Elf before!” She plopped excitedly back down on the floor and inched closer to Lilath. “I don’t have pointed ears.” She said, brushed back her brown locks to running her fingers over her non-pointed ears. “Your ears are pretty! Can I touch them?” She asked.

She clapped her hands again when Lilath patted her shoulder. “We both have the prettiest names!” She exclaimed, a wide smile spreading itself across her face. She liked this girl! She was an Elf! Solia had only heard stories about the Elves, she had never seen one before, and now there was one just inches from her! “Oooohh, horses! I love horses! They are so pretty! My Daddy has a horse! Though he doesn’t get to ride it too often. He says he usually has to walk the walls.”

Solia wrinkled her face up when Lilath mentioned ‘stupid.’ That didn’t seem right to her. She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t think stupid was a good thing. Still, she could be wrong, so she didn’t say anything about it. “Oh, I’m this old.” She said, holding up both hands and the right number of fingers. “I think I’m older than you.” She said proudly. “But even though I’m big too, my Mommy says I have to stay here when she and Daddy are busy. Does your…Nana work with your…Ada?” She had so many questions for her new friend. “Your Nana will probably come get you when my Mommy comes and gets me.” She replied confidently. “Though it won’t be until the sun is going down and the light the torches.”

[Liläth]

Younger Lilath (About 4-5years human equivalent)

The excitement Solia showed at her revealing her ears was surprising. So surprising that Lilath quickly hid her ears with the locks of her Onyx hair and blushed in embarrassment. “Uhh...I am like nana but ada doesn’t have pointed ears...he is like you” She focused her eyes on the rounded ears that solia revealed and nodded her head. Yes, she was a lot like her ada though her ada was a male..and taller...and had darker skin. “..eh..ok” Lilath tucked a few locks of her hair behind her ear and moved her face closer to the girl so that she may inspect her ear if she so wished. She didn’t understand the need to touch them because to her, it wasn’t that uncommon. Most of her young life has been surrounded by elves with pointy ears, rounded ears were far more fascinating. “Nana said that i must keep them hidden when visiting towns of men where Ada lives but i don’t have to keep them hidden here”

“My Ada has…” Lilath held up four fingers and squinted her eyes. “..This many horses. Four horses. They are big and black and look grumpy but the mama horse is very nice and sometimes lets me climb on her back for rides” She exclaimed, light dancing in her violet depths as she smiled. “Do you get to ride the horse of your daddy?” As she asked if her nana works with her ada, she shook her small head, curls bouncing as she did so. “Noooo...nana is a tracker and protects the forest. Ada sells shiny things and sharp things to the towns of men. Nana is an elf but Ada is a..” She paused and pointed to Solia. “A..you? Nana said he is of the men”

Lilath tucked her legs underneath her small frame and proceeded to sit on them, shifting the pleated skirts around her knees and placing her small hands on them. It was a position she saw her mother take often and always looked graceful to her. Unfortunately, considering her legs were on either side of her buttock rather than underneath them, she didn’t necessarily have the position down pat yet. As Solia mentioned the time her Nana would most likely come for her, her eyes looked towards the window and she sighed. The sun was still high, it will be a while before that happens. “I am bigger but nana needs to go to the carpentery person who makes wood things. Arrwows?” Lilath scooted a bit closer to her new friend and whispered. “Is this a nice place? The lady was smiling a lot..”

[SidraLockel Eltoran]

(Young Solia – age 6)

Tentatively, Solia reached out and gently touched Lilath’s ear – just the pointed part. “So your Nana is an Elf and your Ada is Human.” She mused, “Both my parents have lived in the city their whole lives, and so have I.” She sat back, and touched her own non-pointed ear. “I wish I had pointed ears.” She sighed. “I can see why your Nana wants you to keep them hidden; I bet everyone would want to touch them if they saw them!”

She flopped backwards and laid on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. “Wow! So many horses! And you get to ride them! Daddy only has the one, and he only rides it for work. I’m not allowed to ride it. He says it’s not a horse for a little girl.” She said with a pout, “Though sometimes he lets me go to the stable with him and help groom it!” She rolled over onto her stomach and started to pick at the loose thread on her sleeve. “I haven’t seen you here before…has your Ada not sold his shiny sharp things here before?” She asked, lifting her blue eyes to Lilath’s face. She would have liked it if this Elf girl had been at the Daycare more, it was nice having someone around her own age to talk to. Her face turned thoughtful at the girl’s question. “It is nice here, though I’d rather be with my Mommy of Daddy. The ladies here do smile a lot!” she said with a laugh. “They’re nice…Nanny Rian is old, and we usually don’t see her. Carlie usually greets us at the door, and Cookie makes our meals…. I’m surprised we haven’t seen Cookie yet. Sometimes she lets me help make some of the food!” Solia said excitedly.

[Liläth]

Younger Lilath (About 4-5years human equivalent)

Lilath’s small hand adjusted the onyx curls back over her ears and she smiled brightly. It must be a good thing if Solia wanted ears like her own also. She could not wait to tell her nana about the new friend she made today when she is picked up. “Nana said we will be here for awhile because we are waiting for Ada to arrive to take us to his home. Ada has such a loooooong waaaaay to come” She gestured her hands widely to the side to indicate the amount of distance her Ada would have to travel. Obviously the distance from Harad to Gondor would take quite some time but in her mind, she imagined her father galloping in great haste to meet them.

When Solia mentioned she is not allowed to ride the horses, she pouted and gave her new friend a comforting pat. “Ada lets me climb on the horses when Nana isn’t around. Nana said i was too small but Ada said I am a gwron up!” She beamed and nodded her head. Both Ada and Nana were gwron ups and she was very proud when her Ada said she was like them. “Now nana lets me ride at the front of the cart with Ada! It is much fun on the sand” She clapped her hands together and squeezed them, bouncing on her behind slightly with excitement. “Do you like carts?”

At the question if her ada had sold shiny things here, she shook her head. “Ada is not from here. Ada has to wear a biiiiig cloak that covers his face! He looks verra funny” She snorted. “I think it's the sun, it is super bright here and Ada has pretty skin the color of light chocolate.” She mournfully gazed at her sun kissed skin and sighed. “I wish i was chocolate but nana said the sun kisses mine all the time. That is why I have spots” Lilath shifted closer to her friend and placed her face a few inches away from hers, to show the array of freckles that formed across the bridge of her nose. “Do you have spots also?”

When Solia shifted onto her stomach, Lilath laid down also, grabbing a stray lock and releasing it, watching as it bounced repeatedly. “We just came today but I like you, so i don’t mind being here” She glanced around the room to see the people Solia mentioned but they seemed to have disappeared. “I only saw the smiley lady but food is so yummy, except that green tree or the green balls! I hate them, they smell weird. What kind of food? Will there be apple pie?”

[SidraLockel Eltoran]

(Young Solia – age 6)

Solia tilted her head in thought as she listened to her friend’s words. “I’ve never ridden in a cart.” she said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “We always walk wherever we need to go in the city. Mommy says we don’t need to ride in a cart when we have our legs. Besides, we don’t have a horse to pull a cart since Daddy’s is just for his guard work. We don’t usually travel far from our home.” She laughed along with her friend as Lilath talked about her Ada and his big cloak. “Is there a lot of sand where you Ada is coming from?” She asked. She wrinkled her face up as she thought about sand. She hadn’t seen it often, but she seemed to remember seeing sand once when she was down by the water with her parents…or maybe that was just pebbles and dirt. She wasn’t sure.

Solia leaned forward and inspected Lilath’s face, noting the freckles across her nose. “Pretty!” She breath. Smiling at her friend. “I don’t have any spots on my face.” She said, “Mommy says if I stayed out in the sun too long I might get some, but I seem to spend more of my time inside.” She gave a little sigh. She knew she shouldn’t complain, even though she’d rather be outside playing, than inside at the daycare. Still, Solia knew that it was dangerous outside the city walls, and grown ups didn’t like it when children were too loud and ran around yelling outside. She lifted her blue eyes to her friend and smiled. “I’m glad you’ll be here for a while. I like having a friend here! Does your Nana have tanned skin as well?” She looked down at her own pale limbs. She wished she was as tan as her friend.

At that moment a middle-aged woman (Cookie) swept into the room. She was dressed simply in a grey dress and white apron. Her brown hair (which was pulled up into a bun) had veins of silver running through it, and her dark grey eyes had laugh lines around their corners. She carried a small tray in her hands. “Good morning, my little doves!” She said brightly, walking towards a table in the corner of the room. She set the tray on the table and began to set the plates that it carried onto the table top. There was warm slices of bread, a bowl of golden butter, sliced apples, a two cups of milk. “And how are you today?” She asked, turning to face them as she finished setting the food out. “I’ve brought you a little snack! I thought you might be hungry.” She walked over to them and knelt down beside them. “Solia, always a pleasure to see you, little bird.” She said, giving her head a pat, before turning her grey eyes towards Lilath. “And who do we have here?” She asked, smiling at her. “My name is Cookie, and I’m the cook here at Sweethaven.” She said, with a laugh. “Cookie the cook! Welcome to our daycare, little duck.” She gave Lilath’s nose a tweak, before standing and motioning to the table. “Don’t be shy now, come eat.”

OOC:(Lilath, feel free to RP Cookie!)

[Rowena Ellenweorc]

NPC Jairyth
Age 6
A young boy, about three clung to his mother's leg. 'Oh come now, Jair. It's all right now.' The little boy, with brown hair and a single white streak hanging over his right eye still clung to his very stern looking and very Rohirric looking mother, who was rather plainly dressed in slacks and a peasant blouse, looking very much like she came straight from the farm. 'Jair, Ma can't take you with her, I told you this already.' She was speaking in rapid Rohirric, with hand gestures accompanying it. She had learned sign language when her own mother had been poisoned and lost her memory, her voice, and pretty much all language skills. The poor woman had to relearn everything, and signing was even to this day, her preferred form of communication, though obviously not everyone knew it.
'Ma-leave-die-too.' The boy signed at his mother.
'Oh sweetie. I know we lost a lot of people in your little lifetime, but mama's not gonna die. I won't allow it. Nor will Papa.' She said and signed back. 'Plus Marshal Gramma is here too. Anything bad happens, she has a big bad sword. And Grampa is the best with a spear.'
'O-K' The boy signed. It was obvious he didn't believe her though.
Zara smiled wanly at him. For some reason, it was harder to be strong for him in Gondor than it was in Rohan, especially given the reason they were here. It was the third anniversary of her uncle's death. She had dragged her parents along with her this trip, because it was also time for them to get more information. They all were going to talk to Cuthbert's parents, see what they knew about their grandson, the very man who killed Eamon. And Great Aunt Elene and Great Uncle Samuel. She sighed and then said, 'You know what, here, you can take Mama's pendant,' she gestured. 'And you can give it to me when I come to pick you up. Okay? It's a promise Mama will come back. Okay?'
'O-K,' Jairyth signed and then stared at the lady who greeted them. She looked really scary to him. But he would be brave. For Mama.