Sha la la la la la {Closed}

Shepard had decided he liked the white stuff that covered the ground. Even if he couldn't pick it up without gloves on. Even if it soaked his socks every time he went to play in it. Shepard didn't mind--well, mostly. Currently, he had been hoisted into the air by his aunt Aleta who had caught him diving into a snowbank on the way to the daycare. His socks got wet, and aunt Aleta didn't seem too pleased. The boy noticed particularly that when the snow got into his boots, it make his socks ultra wet. Though, he still didn't mind.

As soon as they had entered the daycare, the boots were off and socks were replaced by a dry pair. The boy knew what that meant! Playtime. Shepard squirmed in his aunts arms as she kissed his cheek goodbye, resting his feet on the ground. Recoiling with a stick face, the boy wiped his cheek and took off into the play area, waddling steps joined the chorus of children. Blue eyes scanned the room when he took a pause by the play kitchen. Where were his friends?

She was just finishing up a meal of her own, or a small feast for a toddler; hot dogs and carrots and green peppers, a tall cup of juice, all sorts of goodies that Auntie Harm had left her before disappearing to help the other children. Joanna hadn't been alone for that long. Her brothers had visited her earlier and played all sorts of music with her, and it was only just now that she was done eating that she was starting to long for company again. As luck might have had it, she spotted Shepard waltz in with warm wide eyes across the room.

"Sheperd!" The young girl called, making a tiny run for him with open arms. "Hey Shep-er!"

Blue eyes had been glued to another child who gnawed on a plastic chicken wing, when Shepard heard the familiar voice of his friend. In response, he whipped himself around to face her--nearly losing his footing in the process. "Jo!" The younger child grinned back, pulling the taller child into a hug that lasted a few moments. The boy pulled away from Joanna, "Pwa?" he asked in his own language. In what was gibberish to some, made sense to him. He wanted to play!

Totally nailed the rise in tone at the end to indicate a question.

"Yee!" Jo's eyes sparkled as she was pulled into the clumsy hug, wrapping her arms back around him and squeezing as tight as she could - however little tight that was. "I wanna cook!" The girl flicked the hair out of her eyes, then tried to brush her bangs away with a swap of her hand, walking up to the play set and grabbing a cup of pretend milk. Happily she passed it off to him. "I want...?"

She wanted... wanted what? She didn't know. What did he want?

The boy barely flinched at the tight hug, staggering back on uncertain feet. With shining eyes, Shepard watched Joanna brush away her bangs--copying Joanna despite a lack of an issue with his own bangs. The boy took the cup with his empty hand, chicken wing in the other. Following a moment of uncertainty with which to keep in his hands, Shepard dropped the food and kept the cup in his hands.

The toddler shuffled his way to the miniature table, plopping down in the chair. "Mmm...'pagetti?" The blond offered, leaning forward on the table, kicking his feet out under it.