Welcome to Gaia! ::

Keeta was wandering the streets, pushing Joel ahead of her in the stroller. The walk was doing her good, helping clear her mind of the various complications she was dealing with lately. Plus, she hadn't been window shopping in a long time and it felt good to imagine spending her money on some of these things, even though most of them, she knew she couldn't afford.

Rounding a corner, she spotted a shop with paintings hanging in the window, including several she recognized. Intrigued and always interested in good art, she headed for the entrance to the shop, nodding politely to the woman that sat outside.

"Hello," Keeta said turning to look behind her as the woman followed her into the store.

"Oh, do you work here?" she asked, not having realized that was why the purple-haired woman was sitting outside.

"You have a lovely selection here, although I don't know that I could afford any of them...." she added a little sheepishly. Artwork could be so expensive. Joel was unusually quiet as he swept the room with his gaze, his three eyes glancing at the various pieces of artwork displayed.

"How low is your average price?" she asked tentatively, still thinking it would be out of her reach. She could probably manage to spend 200g on a painting, but no more. With situations like they were, she was having to make sure she minded a tighter budget than previously.

"Seriously?" Keeta asked, clearly surprised. At those prices she could almost afford two...better mind the budget and stick to one painting though.

"Well...thank you. I'm cetainly going to take my time and find a piece I can truly enjoy. " She glanced around looking for a nice piece that could work in the entry. It was a blank space that had been nagging at her for a while now.

For several minutes, Keeta browsed through the selection, stopping here and there to examine a painting, but nothing felt "right." After a while, Joel started to become fussy too. As much as he enjoyed looking at things, he preferred watching things that moved. And he wanted to move too! Now that he was crawling, he wanted to experience this world!

"Yes Joel, I know this isn't your thing. Sorry honey, just give mommy a couple more minutes," Keeta said soothingly to the boy, trying to get him to quiet down a bit.

At the voice of the purple-haired woman, Keeta looked up from her hunched over position, of trying to soothe her son. She smiled apologetically for Joel's whimpering and glanced at the paintings the woman indicated. They were certainly more her taste. Even a few of what appeared to be Monet's...

"Hmmmm...." she said thoughtfully, rising from her crouch. Heading closer, she indicated one with a close-up view of waterlilly pads and a few flowers.

"Is that a Monet?" Keeta asked, daring to hope. She had always admired his artwork, but she had never dreamed of being the owner of anything more than a cheap print. No she knew she would never own any originals, but she had never thought even a reproduction would be within her range, let alone one of such a high quality, at such a low price.

"You made this?" Keeta asked, glancing away at the painting, to the woman, for confirmation.

"It's wonderful," she said, gently touching the edge of the frame. "And I think the only way people would be able to tell it's not an original would be that they know I would never be able to afford one." She continued with a smirk, glancing back at the painting.

The colors were so calming and peaceful and do was the subject of the painting as well. It was simple...not like many of the others she had been looking at and was "by" one of her favorite artists. If the price really was only 100 gold...

"I'll take it," Keeta said matter-of-factly, glancing at her.

"50?!" Keeta gaped. "Not that I'm complaining, but I thought you said 100. You did such wonderful work....I should pay you what it's worth...." In the back of her mind Keeta's sensible side was also screaming that this was too good to be true and wondering what the catch was. There had to be one...