at the market open

“You might not always need to stay out late anyway” she replied but what he said surprised him. She held no fear in going out and that even included the slums after dark but perhaps people were different from each other.

“It can be dangerous after dark even here but everybody finds a way to get used to a new place” she added. “I had to do that after leaving LA”.

Orson Ridge

Dinner continued as other children came and went. This place never really stopped until bedtime and a little girl tugged on Sophie’s t-shirt to get her attention. So after helping her with a glass of milk Sophie replied “once you feel settled things will improve. Honestly I think I’ve grown more as a person here than I did before my oddity abilities showed”. That did include settling into a new school and a new home as well as figuring out a new city.

Orson Ridge

“You can’t go wrong with the food’ Sophie agreed and she knew she could try different cooking ideas. Good lessons for her future and it was good to know how to cook. She was also finding it easier to get know people but she knew this paradise still had dangers in its present and future.

“Everybody who comes here gets this offer. Usually children and young adults but a support doll can look like you” she suggested.

Orson Ridge

“If you come down to my workshop I could find a suitable donor doll and once you’ve picked out clothes and accessories you’re half way there. I’d need to take a few photos to complete the fine details. Then I’ll let you know when it’s ready” she replied. A custom doll took longer to do as paint was involved but only a couple of evenings to complete.

Orson Ridge

“They did. I also introduced this idea to the children’s hospital and they ran with it. You’re giving an old doll a new life but it also shows representation. If you can see yourself reflected in your doll it has to help. Something mainstream toy makers don’t pick up on very often”. At least she could get dolls of all strands of humanity but no company would make one that was an obvious oddity.

“We can do that after dinner if you want” she suggested.

Orson Ridge

Sophie figured there was a level of detail she'd be struggling to transfer over so she asked Orson "I could get a good likeness in most things but do you want your tattoos replicated on the doll?" A tiny scale of body art was challenging as she explained "a design could replace those by still showing you have them".

Orson Ridge

Sophie could see room for compromise on this. "You could still have some of them on the doll but once we're in the studio we can pick out what could transfer over to the miniature you. The rest should be quite simple to do" she replied as she wouldn't not leave it out totally.

So after dinner and an exit stage right Sophie had brought a mug of iced tea with her and led the way to her studio. it was a small room with a garden window and it had grown since she'd started with a desk, a few boxes of doll things and little paint brushes. She how had a salvaged power drill on a shelf and boxes of modelling supplies to help her out. There was also an old smart phone she'd linked up to her tablet computer to be her camera set up.

"We can start with some photos and then pick out a doll and clothes" she cheerfully said. That was the start of the process and there was a good selection of both for Orson to look over.

Orson Ridge