✏ PAINTED FACES ✏

[Indigo]

“Given time and space to find her place I do think she will grow into her own.” Indigo rested lightly with her weight at Adley’s side. She glanced at him then back to the general activity of those moving around them. “I think Phineas would be pleased with what has become of his vision.”

Indigo was inspired every time she entered the interior of what he was responsible for. Had it not been for her uncle she would more than likely would be somewhere else, doing something nine to five and bored. All of it had her curious as to what Vita’s thoughts were as she ventured off. As young as she was there was something always there no matter how big she would dream. Indigo knew it all too well. Limits came to mind. Restrictions. It seemed so much of the freedom Indigo currently had the luxury of enjoying was all in some way due to the events that she was dealt early on. Perhaps much of what she had viewed as loss was not such after all.

“I can arrange the supplies for the outside of the building if she accepts. It shouldn’t require more than a few extra hands to be there for her as far as assistance goes. Clean up, whatever.” Sharp, vibrant blue orbs drifted to where the sounds of voices were flowing from. “In here I can clear out a section in the studio and she can have her own wall to display and general work space. Something to call her own and work out of. It would have to be far more accommodating than chasing rail cars or hiding behind a hoodie and spraying on walls that they will powerwash within a week. We can offer her permanence.” She glanced to Adley with a raised brow. “Here in the Apiary if that is something she would be interested in. With her talent and given time to grow her options are going to be infinite.”

[Adley Reed]

Adley watched as Vita inspected the Apiary. His full lips found Indigo’s temple, pressing a kiss to her skin as he, too, inspected the establishment. Except, it was more than just an establishment. It was a second home, besides the Hive; it was where he and Indigo spent a lot of their time. Even when artists came and went, even when some of their faces were unfamiliar, it was still home. The walls made it so, and the artists were like family, strangers or no. Adley nodded.

”I think Phineas would be very proud of what you have created,” he said. It was perfect, a place of peace and community, of generosity and care. ”That sounds good, Bee. Should we go and see how she’s doing?” he asked, peering around the corner and through the door from which he could hear Vita’s voice. She was chatting with one of the other artists in residence, prudently asking the questions she needed to ask.

He heard Javier reply; that he’d been in residence a couple of months by now, but that he couldn’t remember how long, exactly. He lived in a rental, a space far too small to do the kind of work he did without ruining walls or carpet or floor, and he didn’t want to be kicked out. It was like the chicken and the egg; he needed the money for the supplies and had to work in order to get said money, but work took away from his time creating. With the Apiary’s help, he had the time and the resources to create his art, with the hope that one day he might be able to make a living from his art alone.

”I don’t think that she should completely give up the train cars. It’s what graffiti is about, right? It’s a… form of rebellion, a protest against social injustice. If that’s what Vita’s art is about, confining it to socially acceptable places might smother it. We can give her the resources, but I think leave it up to her how she wants to use them,” he said to Indigo.

[Vita (DELETED 9215)]

It still seemed almost too good to be true. Everything seemed...positive. There was a catch, somewhere. Had to be. It's what Vita believed in the back of her mind. Though, Javier's response to anything Vita asked brought that nagging feeling to something that was easily smothered. What Indigo and Adley said were important, but they were the owners of this place and some people could sell toilet water and claim it was the elixir to long life or nice looking skin. Javier's outside opinion was what really mattered to Vita.

She turned back to see Adley's head peeking around a corner. "Thanks, Javier." Vita said with a smile, as she turned back to look at his art procedure again and take in how time consuming it must have been and how on spot the guy was. "Really cool. Would love to see it in the real world sometime." Vita commented, thinking how amazing it would be to see a message; political, societal, or even religion based done as he had done.

He just nodded his head, grabbed some more red paint and went back to work, after a "See ya around, maybe." "Maybe." Vita echoed, before she moved over to Adley and Indigo's direction. "This looks and sounds too good to be true, but if it's legit, I'm in. The difficult part will be explaining this to my mom." She said with a shrug of her shoulders, before snapping her fingers. "You wouldn't happen to have a brochure about this place, or anything, would you? I don't think she's going to be happy with the idea of me throwing away a scholarship without some good selling points." A nervous laugh of sorts passed between Vita's lips, as she brought both her hands together and clasped them in front of her.