Shade  watches  that  and he stands back up, and does a regular Salute..his eyes  Blue....

"Excellent... you try, Orria," suggested Henry, returning Shade's salute.

He pulled up a file on sign... [hopefully there's something in the Hermes databanks!]

"If you enter what you are trying to say, it will show you various ways in which you can sign it."

ORRIA

Orria gives it a try, but it ends up in the finger wave again and her fingers are spread wide apart. She giggles a little enjoying the game.

 the File  show  Human sign....and Occui sign..which is  very ,very far off form human sign

"OK, we'll stick to human sign for now if that's all right with you, Shade."

He gave Orria a hug.

"Don't worry, little one. It will come with practise."

After about half an hour, he calls a halt to sign practice before anyone gets bored.

"Orria, it's time the lonox had his dinner. If I show you where his food is, would you like to feed him?"

   Henry mentiosn Dinner  and the Furry Ball scurries  around him and Orria.

  Shade Plops  down on the floor and returns to  his 'city' picture.

Henry gives Shade a final thumbs-up, then leads Orria through to where the lonox food is stored, and shows her what he eats and how to put it out.

"A lonox eats most anything - we call it an omnivore. 'Vore' relates to eating and 'omni' means everything, in Latin," he explained. "Back home on Paradise, they mostly eat insects, but this one at least likes meat and fruit... but he doesn't like vegetables much. Do you like vegetables, Orria?"

ORRIA

Orria nods at being asked help, she watches Henry show her how to put the food out. When Henry tells her about the Lonnox being an omnivore she tries to say the word back, "ommyore." She says, when Henry asks about vegetables she makes a face and sticky out her tongue, "yuck!" she says shaking her head.

Henry giggled.

"So you are a lonox too!"

He helped her put the dish down for the enthusiastic creature.

"Are you hungry? I'm sorry I am very bad at keeping track of time. When did you last have something? I can cook here or we can go to the Rec Dec."

  the  Ornage Lights Come On, Shade looks up at them, , but goes back to his city.

 the Lab techs  think nothing of it as the work on their tests .

ORRIA

Orria shrugs and smiles about being a Lonnox too. "Orria, Lonnox." she says with a silly smile. At the mention of food immediately says "COOKIE." with exuberance bouncing a little. "Orria Ommyore, Ommyore eat Cookie?" she adds asking Henry.

"You're right Orria. Humans are omnivores too," said Henry, enunciating the word carefully. "Om-ni-vore"

"When did you last have a meal?"

Orria shrugs, "hungry." She says looking around "ommm-niiii-vore" she says drawing it out.  Ommmniiivoore hungry, want cookie?" She says hopefully.

"A hungry omnivore needs more than a cookie, Orria... although I do have some for afters. Now, let me see..."

Henry rummaged through the kitchen area, and found the makings for a chicken risotto.

"When you are a little bigger I'll teach you how to make this," he said, stirring the pot.

"Go to the left cupboard over there and get three bowls. Then get spoons from the drawer below. Would you like some fruit juice to drink?"

He went and poked his head around Shade's door.

"Shade! I've made some food. Are you hungry? If so, come and get it."

  Shade came in with his ...ever present ..Vid board. He  looked up at the table, his eyes  got a bit  grey when he didn't se what he was hoping for.

Henry grinned.

"You cannot eat pizza all the time, Shade. You won't know whether or not you like risotto until you try it."

He served out the risotto to all three and sat down to eat.

   Still with Grey eyes, Shade put his Vid board off to the side. he tried to get the  hang of  using  the fork with his  three fingered hand.

  finally getting a bit  he chomps on it ...then tries to fish out  some more.

"You might find a spoon easier, Shade," said Henry, passing one over.

  Shade looks at the  spoon, then the  fork.. he takes the  spoon and  , struggles a bit with it as well, but, at least stuff  are staying on it.

  he   gets a bit more in his mouth this  time, he is easting, but he isn't having a good time.

"OK, well done with the spoon, Shade. Try to tell me what you don't care for... is it rice? Or chicken? Or the general creamy texture?"

Henry paused after each question to let Shade indicate his preferences.

"Or is it just 'not pizza'?"

  The little  guy just try to shrug his shoulder as  he  fussed with the Spoon.  When Henry got to 'pizza'..he  held a Thumbs up.

In reply to Henry Christie (msg # 41):

ORRIA

Orria makes a slightly upset face at not getting a cookie, but the promise of them later placates her. Orria plays with her food a bit, occasionally struggling with the utensils much the same way shade struggles. Eventually she gives up on the fork and spoon and just uses her fingers, it's more fun this way. She plays with the food a bit, managing to get most of it in her mouth but a fair amount makes it all over her hands and face.

"You are making a mess, Orria. Only babies eat like that."

Henry laughed as he wiped her face clean with a damp cloth.

"Shade hasn't made a mess, even though he's finding a spoon quite hard too. And as for you, Shade, you cannot live on pizza alone, maybe next time I shall make you one."

Once everyone had eaten their risotto, he got out some cookies and ice cream for them. (He didn't care much for either, but had got them in specially against Orria's next visit.)

   Shade  gallantly, keeps  attacking the  food, he  does seem to get frustrated  when  stuff falls into the bowl.

 When the Cookies come he slides his  cookies towards  Orria, but settles in on the icecream, since..its almost, like a milkshake.

ORRIA

Gave Henry an upset look at being called a baby, but she dutifully finished her meal. When the cookies and ice cream came she happily munched on hers and shades cookies, declaring each cookie before eating by holding it up, saying "COOKIE" loudly and then giggling. She eats a few bites of her ice cream before deciding it is too cold, and that she's full and pushes it towards Shade offering it to him.