Meeting the Orphans
(Adoption solo 3)
The town that the orphanage was in was a very nice one, to Alabaster's surprise. Everything was colored warmly and seemed to be designed for people just to fly through without a problem. He'd taken the map Silas had shown him and stopped in the market, just to see what kind of things they had for snacks. However, being the impulsive shopper he was, he'd left the area with bags upon bags of breads, spreads, and sweets. He carried his haul over to curb, ate what he wanted, and laughed at how much had left. ... Well, maybe the orphanage needed some extra supplies? What children didn't like sweets? He stood, heaving the bags back up into his arms, and turned to walk down the path.
Though he got lost a turn or two, Alabaster eventually found himself in front of the orphanage. It was a building much like the others surrounding it, but it's walls had sweet, hand painted designs all over them. It made him smile to think that the orphans here were living in such a nice area, even if they didn't have a family to call their own. He adjusted his hold on the bags, took a breath, and knocked. It was a moment or two of waiting before the door opened and a older woman stood before him, her eyebrow arched.
"State your business." She said, leaning against the door. "I've got to wrangle little ones for baths, no time for chatting."
"Oh! Ah, uh..." Alabaster chirped, his stance shifting. "My name is Alabaster Lindenburgh. I've come from the Forests of Aurinead to inquire about adopting a child."
He paused, his arms fumbling a bit with the bags, and looked bashfully up to the woman.
"I... I bought snacks to share, if that's alright with you?" He continued.
The woman's eyes seemed to flex and widen as Alabaster spoke, before she broke out into a laugh. Alabaster's cheeks visibly heated as she went along but soon found himself tugged inside and lead into a main corridor.
"Well, goodness boy! You came prepared, didn't you?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "No need for bribery, though, if that's your plan! These kids want homes more than they'll ever want bread and butter. Come put those bags down and I'll give you the tour."
"T-thank you! Uh... Miss?" Alabaster asked, following the woman down the hall.
"Annabeth, darling. No need for the miss!" She replied, leading him into the kitchen. "You can settle them down here and I'll organize things later. For now, follow me!"
Alabaster placed the bags down on the floor and followed Annabeth out into the living area. There, and pretty much everywhere else he could look, were children of varying ages. Some were sitting and reading, while others were playing with toys and chasing one another around. He smiled at all of them, even if they didn't seem to notice him yet, and allowed himself to be led further into the room.
"I feel it's easier for the kids to get used to you if you just simmer in with them, you know?" Annabeth said, dodging a pair of children who were running by. "That way they don't feel the need to perform and you can see them just as they are. I can't tell you how many kids come back here because their new parents thought they were polite little angels, when really they're happier being covered in dirt and screaming."
Her words earned a nod from Alabaster. He didn't understand how some people could leave a child here solely because they didn't behave the way they were expected to. If his parents had done that to him instead of letting him grow up with Silas, his entire life would have been drastically changed. He said a silent thank you as he continued to look about the room, and laughed when he found himself being tagged by one of the children playing.
"Okay, I got tagged! Now I have to play!" He cheered, moving to chase after the child who had tagged him.
He played tag for at least an hour before Annabeth began calling in children for baths. Some fussed about it, while some were very keen on getting themselves cleaned up. He found himself wandering around the halls after a while, with Annabeth’s permission, and headed toward the kitchen to check on the snack bags he’d brought. There, among a pile of sweets and bread, sat three children. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
“Aww! Look at you guys! You’re covered in chocolate!” He giggled, kneeling down to sit with them. “I brought those for everyone, you know! Did you save any for the kids upstairs?”
He watched, amused, as the older children shook their heads and stuck their tongues out at him, before turning to look down at the little one that was squirming toward him. This child was clearly still an infant, but definitely old enough to crawl, and reached out for Alabaster with their tiny fist full of candy wrappers. The herbologist felt his heart melt the instant that the wrappers were tossed at him, and happily scooped the child onto his lap.
“Thank you, I’ll cherish them forever.” He cooed, before making a series of silly faces. He grinned as the child laughed and flailed their hands, only to find himself looking up at shocked Annabeth as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. He bounced the infant on his knee, and shrugged his shoulders.
“I guess they wanted to sort things out while you were busy bathing their friends.” He said, motioning to mess on the floor.
“I guess so!” Annabeth laughed. “You keep an eye of that little fella while I get this cleaned up, alright?”
“Sounds good to me!” Alabaster replied, smiling down at the infant in his arms. “What about you, what do you think?”
The infant only giggled and latched onto Alabaster’s nose with their sticky little hand.
(977/500+ words; Finished)
(Adoption solo 3)
The town that the orphanage was in was a very nice one, to Alabaster's surprise. Everything was colored warmly and seemed to be designed for people just to fly through without a problem. He'd taken the map Silas had shown him and stopped in the market, just to see what kind of things they had for snacks. However, being the impulsive shopper he was, he'd left the area with bags upon bags of breads, spreads, and sweets. He carried his haul over to curb, ate what he wanted, and laughed at how much had left. ... Well, maybe the orphanage needed some extra supplies? What children didn't like sweets? He stood, heaving the bags back up into his arms, and turned to walk down the path.
Though he got lost a turn or two, Alabaster eventually found himself in front of the orphanage. It was a building much like the others surrounding it, but it's walls had sweet, hand painted designs all over them. It made him smile to think that the orphans here were living in such a nice area, even if they didn't have a family to call their own. He adjusted his hold on the bags, took a breath, and knocked. It was a moment or two of waiting before the door opened and a older woman stood before him, her eyebrow arched.
"State your business." She said, leaning against the door. "I've got to wrangle little ones for baths, no time for chatting."
"Oh! Ah, uh..." Alabaster chirped, his stance shifting. "My name is Alabaster Lindenburgh. I've come from the Forests of Aurinead to inquire about adopting a child."
He paused, his arms fumbling a bit with the bags, and looked bashfully up to the woman.
"I... I bought snacks to share, if that's alright with you?" He continued.
The woman's eyes seemed to flex and widen as Alabaster spoke, before she broke out into a laugh. Alabaster's cheeks visibly heated as she went along but soon found himself tugged inside and lead into a main corridor.
"Well, goodness boy! You came prepared, didn't you?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "No need for bribery, though, if that's your plan! These kids want homes more than they'll ever want bread and butter. Come put those bags down and I'll give you the tour."
"T-thank you! Uh... Miss?" Alabaster asked, following the woman down the hall.
"Annabeth, darling. No need for the miss!" She replied, leading him into the kitchen. "You can settle them down here and I'll organize things later. For now, follow me!"
Alabaster placed the bags down on the floor and followed Annabeth out into the living area. There, and pretty much everywhere else he could look, were children of varying ages. Some were sitting and reading, while others were playing with toys and chasing one another around. He smiled at all of them, even if they didn't seem to notice him yet, and allowed himself to be led further into the room.
"I feel it's easier for the kids to get used to you if you just simmer in with them, you know?" Annabeth said, dodging a pair of children who were running by. "That way they don't feel the need to perform and you can see them just as they are. I can't tell you how many kids come back here because their new parents thought they were polite little angels, when really they're happier being covered in dirt and screaming."
Her words earned a nod from Alabaster. He didn't understand how some people could leave a child here solely because they didn't behave the way they were expected to. If his parents had done that to him instead of letting him grow up with Silas, his entire life would have been drastically changed. He said a silent thank you as he continued to look about the room, and laughed when he found himself being tagged by one of the children playing.
"Okay, I got tagged! Now I have to play!" He cheered, moving to chase after the child who had tagged him.
He played tag for at least an hour before Annabeth began calling in children for baths. Some fussed about it, while some were very keen on getting themselves cleaned up. He found himself wandering around the halls after a while, with Annabeth’s permission, and headed toward the kitchen to check on the snack bags he’d brought. There, among a pile of sweets and bread, sat three children. He couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
“Aww! Look at you guys! You’re covered in chocolate!” He giggled, kneeling down to sit with them. “I brought those for everyone, you know! Did you save any for the kids upstairs?”
He watched, amused, as the older children shook their heads and stuck their tongues out at him, before turning to look down at the little one that was squirming toward him. This child was clearly still an infant, but definitely old enough to crawl, and reached out for Alabaster with their tiny fist full of candy wrappers. The herbologist felt his heart melt the instant that the wrappers were tossed at him, and happily scooped the child onto his lap.
“Thank you, I’ll cherish them forever.” He cooed, before making a series of silly faces. He grinned as the child laughed and flailed their hands, only to find himself looking up at shocked Annabeth as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. He bounced the infant on his knee, and shrugged his shoulders.
“I guess they wanted to sort things out while you were busy bathing their friends.” He said, motioning to mess on the floor.
“I guess so!” Annabeth laughed. “You keep an eye of that little fella while I get this cleaned up, alright?”
“Sounds good to me!” Alabaster replied, smiling down at the infant in his arms. “What about you, what do you think?”
The infant only giggled and latched onto Alabaster’s nose with their sticky little hand.
(977/500+ words; Finished)
