Opens: February 1st Closes: February 28th at midnight EST Judges: smolderingskies, Kivras
Although romantic love usually gets the forefront of the attention for Hunter's Jubilee, familial love is another aspect that is intended to be celebrated. Therefore, the month of Hunter's Jubilee is one of the most popular times for children to be adopted, as Nightmares and Daydreams looking for a family hope to spread the love.
How this Works:
Fill out the form below and post it in this thread! Roll 3 4-sided dice to determine the story your character will have for adopting their child. Try to be creative with your interpretation of the prompts, and add as much to them as you'd like! Take the scenarios presented to you by the dice rolls and elaborate upon them in RP.
Die 1: How did you get to the orphanage?
1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. 2: You saw an ad for the orphanage that struck a chord within you, so you showed up to the orphanage. 3: You didn't expect to be here today, but it just happened, and now you're on the orphanage's stoop. 4: Something has caused you to be volunteering for the orphanage for about the last week, and today is the last day you planned on volunteering.
Die 2: What happens when you're invited into the orphanage's play room?
1: You sit down in a chair and don't feel drawn any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. 2: You take notice of a child who is playing by themselves with a myriad of toys that are all of a similar category (i.e., horses, trucks). 3: You take notice of a child at the coloring table and join them in their artistic endeavors. 4: You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you.
Die 3: But just as you're about to leave...
1: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening... 2: You run into a child sitting in the waiting room that wasn't in the play room. 3: The child from the play room runs out and meets you in the lobby to tell/give you something. 4: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption.
Rules:
This contest is completely free. Please use the form provided. Anyone may enter, whether they are a newbie or not! Staff who are not judging MAY enter this contest! Whining, guilt-tripping, or generally misbehaving over the contest will result in you being disqualified. Make sure you've read the Guide to the Worlds forum in its entirety! You may not gift prizes from this event.
Form:
[b]Username:[/b] [b]Cert:[/b] please post the character's cert image. they MUST be a senior graduated from the academy! if you don't have a character, you may use an npc.
Prompt 1: 3: You didn't expect to be here today, but it just happened, and now you're on the orphanage's stoop. Prompt 2: 1: You sit down in a chair and don't feel drawn any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. Prompt 3: 3: The child from the play room runs out and meets you in the lobby to tell/give you something
RP Response: It was germy. It had a smell. It was a mistake. Staring at the hallways, hands clasped behind his back, he glanced around and observed. He was being very careful not to touch anything; getting sick was not on his agenda for today.
There was really only one reason he was here. Scooter. The homeless guy he picked up off the street, had tended to and allowed to heal. It was already a headache to convince the stubborn idiot to not go back on the streets; using his house, his money, wearing the clothes he bought him… there was no need to feel uncomfortable. Scooter liked him enough, responded to his affection enough. He was just… fickled about letting Vann take care of him.
So now, he was going to give Scooter something to take care of. A freshling. Sighing, he took a step in, having already spoken to the caretaker. He had been revving himself up to actually go into the playroom, a cesspool of germs and children. He didn’t like children; they were messy, noisy, stubborn, and a recipe for disaster. If he really went through with this, he would need to lay down ground rules; mainly, he would need to devote just a section of his manor to where the child would be allowed. Too many precious artifacts and rooms, too many risks.
But it would keep Scooter with him, keep Scooter too busy to take off.
Finally, he entered the room. It wasn’t quite the disaster zone he had been expecting but the clean appearance didn’t stop the hybrid from imagining squirming germs everywhere. Lip pulling back in a small sneer that he had to smooth quickly, he watched the room for a moment before moving towards a chair in the corner. It looked… relatively clean. Vann squinted, before murmuring a quick incantation to clean it up. There, now he was sure. Sitting carefully, unsure if the chair would take all of his large weight, he rested his wings a bit, eyes observing the children.
This really was a mistake. None of these children were up to standards. They were all so… subpar. He had been about to push himself out of the chair and leave when suddenly, he felt a hard tug on his wing. Eyes flying wide in surprise, he whipped his head to the side to see… the small creature known as a child hanging onto his wing with a delighted giggle. His eyes narrowed, noticing the paint and deities knows what else on the freshling’s hands… his wings felt mildly sticky now. “Let go of me at once,” he told the child evenly, calmly, lowly.
The freshling giggled, continuing to cling. Irritated, Vann flicked his wings slightly and finally freed them. Before they could grab purchase again, Vann stood up and quickly made his way out of the room… and before he could shut the door, suddenly there was a weight on his tail.
Baring his teeth, he turned his head to snap at the child. “Let go-“ and suddenly… he stopped.
The child gave a toothy smile up at him… before rubbing their cheek against his thin tail. “Love you!” was the simple chirp that came from the nuzzling freshling.
Vann stared down at this simple and subpar creature for a moment, before yanking his tail away. Turning his face to the side, he looked down the hallway. “…You don’t know what love is, brat,” he mumbled, before taking off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought. Was he really considering this? Was he really going to bring a child to his home, into his life? Surely he’d be able to minimize contact with the child.
Well… maybe he should just go talk to the managers of the establishment first… perhaps that would help him decide. It would be a mistake regardless but he needed to know if it was a mistake worth making.
[Plot points to clarify: -Child will win over Vann -Think “Annie”, orphan gets adopted into a rich family -Vann has a temper but he doesn’t yell nor lash out; his voice just gets lower. And he does try to take breaths to calm down, most of the time]
- Mynsed - Crew
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Duke of Donut rolled 3 4-sided dice:
4, 4, 1Total: 9 (3-12)
Duke of Donut
Liberal Lunatic
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 9:48 am
Username: Duke of Donut Cert: Using an NPC named Roland.
Prompt 1: Something has caused you to be volunteering for the orphanage for about the last week, and today is the last day you planned on volunteering. Prompt 2: You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you. Prompt 3: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening...
RP Response:
The fluffy imp had been volunteering at the orphanage for a week now, as part of an experiment in determining where he wanted his post-graduate life to go from here. He had always known he wanted to work with children in some capacity, but there were so many options for Roland that he wasn't really sure how he wanted to answer his calling. Teaching didn't seem right, and he didn't really feel a draw to healing or imbuing, but the orphanage... Something about that felt right to him. It was bittersweet work, but it always seemed to end with a happy story.
A great deal of the week had been spent on one side of the orphanage, helping to process paperwork for parents looking to adopt and getting to watch the exciting meet-and-greets unfold. He might be biased, but all of the kids were amazing. They just needed adults to see that and take them home. Towards the end of the week, Roland had been invited to help with visits, but it wasn't until the last day that he was invited to go into the playroom with the kids.
Roland braced himself for a lot of things when he entered the playroom after one of the other staff, ears flattening against his head and tail drooping a little as he looked around. His main fear was that the kids wouldn't like him, or he wouldn't have anything to do in the room but hide in the corner, or he'd be kicked out within minutes for making a child cry.
These were all irrational fears, he knew that. But it certainly helped when the kids in the playroom came clambering over to the New Guy, with some curious about how fluffy he was and others attempting to climb him like a mobile tree. All of them seemed excited to have a new friend to play with... except for one.
It took a little while for Roland to realize he was being ignored, but after a round of being chased around the room and tiring most of the kids out, he spotted him. A little demon boy was sitting towards the corner of the playroom, scribbling on papers strewn all about him. Roland watched the kid for a minute, the demon tail flicking back and forth in a lazy sort of way. Mostly, he noticed other kids steering away from the kid.
"That's Azophel." A short, sweet Baphomet child offered, tugging on Roland's hand with a smile. "He likes bein' left 'lone."
"Oh yeah?" Roland looked down, smiling a little. "Thanks, sweetie." He turned her to the group of children chasing each other, and she went off to play, laughing. Roland turned back to Azophel, and made his way over, slowing and crouching down.
"Hey." He tried, ears perking.
Azophel slowed in his drawing, but didn't stop, and went back to drawing after a minute. Roland watched his shoulders tense when he didn't go away, and the tail curled around Azophel's waist, settling in his lap.
"I'm Roland." He tried again, sitting down and pulling his tail around him like Azophel had done. "What're you drawing?"
Azophel looked over, red eyes narrowing, and he scooted further away from Roland. He took his papers with him as well, stacking them together and tucking them under his foot. Roland smiled a little.
"It's okay. You don't have to tell me." He reached over to take a piece of blank paper from the table next to them, and a crayon, and started drawing himself. Azophel looked over, watching him draw, and furrowed his brow at him.
"Go away." He said softly, glaring a little.
Roland smiled. "No. I'm going to draw with you for a little while, until I have to leave."
That seemed to be a trigger for Azophel. He would be leaving. The demon scooted further away from Roland, situating himself with his back against the wall in the corner and his papers around him, and went back to drawing. Roland did so, too, ignoring the way the kid leaned over to look at his papers and straightened right back up if he thought Roland was looking.
After a little while, Roland looked over, smiling a little. "I have to go." He said, starting to get up and taking his papers with him. "Thanks for letting me draw with you."
"I didn't." Azophel glowered, picking up all of his papers and stacking them again. He turned away from Roland, and went back to drawing, apparently unaffected by his leaving. Roland smiled a little anyway.
"Right. Bye, Azophel." He waved a little, and made his way out of the playroom. He cleared his desk from the week of work, he said goodbye to his new friends and colleagues (with plenty of promises to meet up outside of the orphanage and have meals together), and he went home.
The thing is, Roland didn't volunteer at the orphanage with the intention of adopting a kid. He wanted to work with kids, and he especially knew he wanted to help them find homes after the last week, but he never thought he'd adopt a kid of his own. He was still young, and having been an orphan himself, the only family he had was the one he constructed around himself. He had no partners, only friends to rely on, and from every point he could make it just wasn't the right time to bring a child home.
But the visit with Azophel kept replaying in his head that evening, and the way that Azophel played alone, to the point where the kids didn't even try to pull him along because they knew it wouldn't work, and how he'd managed to get closer than he suspected any of the kids had done.
He could already hear the jokes from his friends, all well-meaning but certainly happy to tease. But Roland couldn't let it go. He sighed to himself, sitting back on his couch. "There's no harm in trying, right?" He muttered to himself with a small smile.
The next morning, Roland was back at the orphanage, making his way through to speak with one of staff. After speaking with them for a while, he made his way back into the playroom, and went over to Azophel with a smile, sitting down and taking a blank page again.
Azophel stared at him, eyes narrowing as he scooted back into his corner. "You left." He reminded him, in a tone that demanded to know why he was back.
"Yep. And now I'm back to draw with you." He smiled, looking over. "And I'm gonna keep coming back, until you want to come home with me."
Azophel narrowed his eyes at Roland, trying to find a lie there. He gave up, huffing, and went back to drawing. Roland watched him with a small smirk, and settled in to draw. It might take a while, but it would absolutely be worth it.
Prompt 1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2: You take notice of a child at the coloring table and join them in their artistic endeavors. Prompt 3: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption.
RP Response:
Fresca was in her office that morning going over the books, emails and possible special edition ideas for her ice cream menu by season or holiday…keeping busy as per usual…when she came across an old email she had sent off to the local orphanage. Despite her other pieces of business that required her attention, she was curious to remember what she had written and clicked it open. It wasn’t too far into it when she recalled what she had written them about; she had proposed to do a free event where the kids could create their own ice cream cakes and she would have a bunch made so they could be sold, then the profits would go directly to the kids for their creations. She would also donate to the orphanage itself so they could continue to give the kids what they deserved until they found families. She had sent the email weeks ago and now realized that she had never heard back from them…which was rather odd. Not even a courtesy email to say they would make time to contact her about the details. Fresca clicked the pen in her hand a few times in a tick of annoyance. No no no, this would not do. She looked at her desk of paperwork in thought for a moment before she hit the PA button to speak to her assistant. ”Shauna? If I have any appointments for today, please cancel them. I plan to be out of the office today. Thanks, hun. Put your lunch on my tab today, ok? I’ll see you later.” She closed up and put away her files and ledgers before grabbing her cardigan and purse, heading out the door with purposeful strides.
Entering the orphanage gave Fresca the strangest feeling of trepidation she hadn’t experienced before. Why was she nervous? She tried to dismiss it, heading up to the receptionist and asking to speak to the orphanage’s director when they had a free moment. He was happy to oblige and said she was free to wait while he passed on the message. She watched as he went back to the main office, standing at the reception desk and looking at the décor of the foyer; it was cozy, homey if not a little sparse. They were displaying some of the children’s artwork, framed with pride, and that made her smile. A commotion of children chattering and moving about came from another room that had no door, just a simple archway, and her curiosity once again got the better of her. Looking in, she saw it was the children’s playroom; toys of various kids were being taken and exchanged between them, groups of friends breaking away to play their games and, of course, kids with various art supplies at the tables. The painting area would be messy, as usual, and she had to marvel at how the staff had managed to keep things clean…but today a lone child was sitting in what she assumed was set for coloring with things like markers, crayons and colored pencils. They were quiet and slow in their motions…..their expression seemed lonely….and it tugged at Fresca’s heartstrings a bit. Glancing back at the reception desk, she saw that the receptionist was still not back….surely a few minutes wouldn’t hurt. She walked carefully through the playroom, smiling and greeting some of the children who noticed before she came over to the coloring table. ”Hey there. Mind if I join you?” She asked with a warm smile.
”…Sure, I guess…” The child looked up at the chimera a little suspiciously but didn’t make a fuss, going back to their coloring endeavors. They were busy drawing a pretty scene; a big open sky of varying shades of blue with hints of other colors.
”That’s a really pretty sky.” Fresca said with a hint of awe in her voice at seeing someone so young using such advanced color gradient. ”Is that sunset or sunrise?”
”Sunset. I’m gonna add in clouds and swirl them with sparkly gold and pink.” The child said rather proudly.
”That’s a great idea! Can I color something, too?”
”Ok…uh….here.” The child found some blank paper and handed it to Fresca, moving the box of crayons between them so she had access to it as well.
”Thanks.” She smiled at them, then selected her own colors and started her own drawing….but she couldn’t help stealing glances at the child’s piece of work. It was looking wonderful and it surprised Fresca how much talent this kid had for only using crayons. ”You’re really good. That actually reminds me of the first ice cream flavor I ever came up with on my own.”
”You make ice cream?” The child looked up at Fresca suddenly, eyes big with curiosity and delight at the mention of ice cream.
”I sure do. Have you ever heard of Dairy Goddess?” Fresca smiled when the child nodded. ”That’s my company. I come up with the flavors and the recipes for all the ice cream we make.”
”I love your ice cream!” The child’s face lit up with a big smile, their hands clapping together in joy. ”I got an ice cream cake for my birthday once; Party Popper Surprise! It was soooo good and so pretty that I almost didn’t want to eat it…but how can you not eat ice cream?”
”I know! It’s so hard.” Fresca laughed. ”I frequently go taste test my flavors. I say it’s to check the quality but…it’s really because I love ice cream so much. I can’t resist it.”
”All the ice cream has such cool names, too. What would you call ice cream that looked like this?” They held up their drawing of the beautiful sky with colorful, sparkling clouds at sunset.
”Oh that’s easy; Sunset Sparkle Swirl.”
”Whoa….that sounds yummy. What would it taste like?”
”I dunno…what do you think it would taste like?”
”Umm…” They looked like they were concentrating for a moment before they spoke again. ”Blueberry? With white chocolate for the clouds? Aaaand….oh! Cotton candy with glitter you can eat!”
”Now THAT sounds delicious.” Fresca smiled. ”If I made that flavor, would you like to try the first batch?”
”Yes! I’d love to!” The child gasped and looked so happy, which made Fresca feel warm inside.
For a few more minutes, she sat there with the child as they colored and talked about so many things that gave her ideas she was afraid she’d never remember them all. The child gave her the sunset picture so she could remember to make that flavor, at least, which touched her. Fresca looked up and saw that the receptionist was standing in the doorway, smiling, and she had a feeling that meant good news. After saying goodbye to the child, with a twinge of sadness felt, she went up to the receptionist to hear what he had to say.
”I did speak with the director and she wanted to apologize for not getting back to you sooner. She would love to discuss the event with you and I am more than happy to schedule a day to do that.” He said gently.
”That’s perfect! I’m sure she has a lot on her plate as well, so any time that’s convenient for her will be great.” Fresca smiled brightly, glad to know that her previous prospect might still be a go.
”Of course….but I did want to say that I couldn’t help but watch you with that child at the coloring table. I usually see them on their own and they always seem so distant. This is one of the few times I’ve seen them so happy.”
”Oh….well, I’m glad that I could brighten up their day for even a short time.”
”I know you were here about some business but…have you ever considered adoption yourself? You’re such a warm presence and you look like you really have fun when you’re around kids. I think you’d be a great mother.”
”I…..really?” Fresca felt a bit stunned by the idea; adopt? Her?
”Absolutely. It might be something to consider somewhere in the future. In any case, I can tell the kids will love you and love doing this ice cream cake event. Lets schedule the day to arrange this with the director.” The receptionist smiled as he guided Fresca over to the desk so they could make the appointment.
As she left the orphanage that day, Fresca couldn’t stop thinking about that child as she stared at the colorful picture they gave her. The receptionist’s words were echoing through her mind. She could be a great mother….what if that was true? Maybe…..maybe she could bring some light into a child’s life that needed it….maybe even help turn this sunset into a sunrise on a new chapter in their life.
Prompt 1: You saw an ad for the orphanage that struck a chord within you, so you showed up to the orphanage. Prompt 2:You take notice of a child at the coloring table and join them in their artistic endeavors. Prompt 3: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening...
RP Response:
One cold rainy night Kryanna was taking a long shower to clear her mind and relax a bit after clients, her gift was draining but she loved her special gift. Her gift seemed to be getting stronger and she wanted to take a long break and concentrate on herself.
Listening to the radio the song finished and a advertisement came on in regards to the orphanage. Something caught her attention with that ad, and she decided the following morning she would visit the orphanage out of curiousity.
Navigating the way to the orphanage was not that difficult, Kryanna relied on her other senses to get her where she needed to go. She knew she need a familiar friend to help her but had not found one she felt an attachment to.
Her sense of smell hit her first, the smell of metal was overpowering. She reached out a hand and felt the tall, cold, pole of the fence that surrounded the orphanage. She felt her way down and over in both directions until she found the gate and opened it without any difficulty.
She moved towards the door, hearing the sounds of children at play, the sounds of the caretakers talking, the sounds of shoes hitting the hard tiled floor. The smells came next, of dirt, crayons, paint and that doughy stuff they played with that made designs. She continued until she came to the door and opened it up confidently. Striding past the desk she headed straight towards the sounds and smells felt her way to the door and opened it up.
Let her senses guide her to a seat and sat there just listening, smelling and she relaxed. The sounds and smells some were familiar others unfamiliar to her. One child in particular caught her attention, they were muttering under their breath almost silently. She heard it and turned her head in that direction and listened. The smell of paint assailed her nostrils and knew that child was painting and did not like what was on the paper/canvas.
Standing up and walking over quietly, she bent down and whispered "Trust your instincts and let your ability flow little one, I am blind and can not see but I can feel and to be this is beautiful" with that she turned and she felt suddenly severed and she left the room and eventually the orphanage without inquiring about how the adoption process worked, what to expect and such.
She began the short walk home her mind turning over what happened today. For some reason that child out of all of them there caught her attention and she knew not why.
Reaching her home she sat down in her favorite chair that rocked and slowly started rocking and the rhythm relaxed her so much she fell asleep and hours later she awoke from a dream that she knew instinctively was what she should do.
Getting up out of the chair she reached for the phone and called to speak to the orphanage after speaking for quite some time she smiled and put the phone down. She knew what tomorrow would bring, then soon after that hopefully if all went the way it should she would have a companion one to love and care for, one who would love her regardless of her flaws and her loss of eyesight.
Deciding she needed a soothing cup of tea she headed to the kitchen and prepared to make it and decided to snack on a small cake she purchased earlier the day before on a whim.
Prompt 1: You saw an ad for the orphanage that struck a chord within you, so you showed up to the orphanage. Prompt 2: You take notice of a child who is playing by themselves with a myriad of toys that are all of a similar category (i.e., horses, trucks). Prompt 3: You run into a child sitting in the waiting room that wasn't in the play room.
RP Response: Effie had been on her way home when she saw it. An ad for the orphanage. She didn't know why it hit her the way it did, but the image of the poster had stuck in her mind all night long. She had never thought about adoption before. Her family was huge, and she always thought she would be like her dads and find someone she could fall in love with. In fact, there was one Nightmare she may or may not have a crush on at this very moment. But she hadn't made a move yet. Maybe soon. Maybe not...
Regardless, she wondered what her dads would think about her adopting by herself. Matty would probably love it. He was a Goblin and was part of the reason their family was as big as it was. Ryker loved having a big family, too, but he was the one who continued to see all his kids as still kids Even though Effie and Popple were all grown up now.
That ad had stuck with her for an entire week. So here she was at the steps that would bring her inside. "Well, now or never," she said and went inside. Immediately, her eye was drawn to a child playing by themselves. They seemed to have a theme going with their toys. She smiled and walked over. "I like your dragons. They're my favorites, too." she told them. "May I play with them, too?" The freshling beamed happily and nodded, then proceeded to tell her the names of all the dragons and what they liked and didn't like. Effie listened intently and played with the freshling and their toys for almost two hours.
"Sadly, I have to go home, I have a lot of homework to do," she said and laughed softly. The freshling hopped up and hugged her before she left and asked if she would come back to play again. Effie promised she would before shouldering her backpack and heading back outside.
In the waiting room, there was another freshling, one she hadn't seen playing with the others. "Hey," she said softly, "How come you're out here and not playing with everyone else?"
The freshling fidgeted a little and looked up at her guiltily. "I hit someone," they told her. "They told me I was in trouble and had to sit out here by myself."
"Ooh, hitting's not nice," Effie said and took a seat next to the freshling. Her homework could wait just a little longer. "Why'd you hit them?"
"They bit me!" the freshling pouted and pulled their sleeve up to show the teeth marks.
Effie winced. "My little siblings used to bite me, too. They stopped when I bit them back," she said and chuckled a little. "Not that I'm saying you should bite back, but... Once they know how it feels they might stop biting you, too." She glanced around to see if anyone was listening before leaning closer to the freshling and whispering conspiratorially. "Make sure no one sees you bite them back, okay?" she said and winked before getting her things. She waved as she left the orphanage.
Prompt 1:Something has caused you to be volunteering for the orphanage for about the last week, and today is the last day you planned on volunteering. Prompt 2:You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you. Prompt 3:You run into a child sitting in the waiting room that wasn't in the play room.
RP Response:( every time i try to get this woman a kid i run out of time XD apologies, please ignore )
Prompt 1: 4: Something has caused you to be volunteering for the orphanage for about the last week, and today is the last day you planned on volunteering. Prompt 2: 4: You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you. Prompt 3: 3: The child from the play room runs out and meets you in the lobby to tell/give you something.
Prompt 1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2: You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you. Prompt 3: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening...
RP Response:
The first time Vüsala had done something like this, it hadn't been him who had shown up at the orphanage to adopt. He'd merely been a friend along for the ride. It had been one of the best things that could have happened in his life. Kanda was a wonderful daughter, though things were getting more difficult as she grew. He worried that she needed another friend in the house. She had plenty of pets and she had a couple friends in her classes, but she didn't have anyone that could connect easily with her at home.
The nine knew that he wasn't the easiest to get along with all the time and with him having school and work and his volunteering, he knew they didn't spend nearly enough time together. With Kanda getting older, he was hoping that he could possibly adopt one of the older kids at the orphanage to bond with her. His letter had never been replied to, a fact which bothered him. Why bother stating that they accepted letters if they never replied to them?
Brushing aside the inconsequential thought, at least for now, he knocked brusquely on the door. It didn't take long for them to get the gist of what he desired and he was lead to one of the playrooms where the older kids were. It was much less bright and there wasn't nearly as much noise and motion as there had been in the freshling's area. Settling his wings more firmly against his back, he took a step in and found himself the center of attention.
That was. . .unexpected. But as he calmly met their gazes, he noticed that many of them looked familiar. It dawned on him that these must be some of the kids that had been in the orphanage when Kanda was still there. Inwardly, he frowned. That meant many of them hadn't found a home in the time that he'd had Kanda. With the influx of new small children and hopeful parents being less likely to adopt an older kid. . .most of them would simply remain here.
With the exception of one lone kid who kept off to themself, the rest of the horde was subtly eyeing him. They knew he'd taken Kanda, and the barely suppressed hope in their eyes told him that they were hoping he might pick one of them. None of them approached him, instead turning to one another and talking amidst themselves, but every so often he would catch one of them staring.
Vüsala studied them all for a time, quietly catching one or two of them alone to speak with. In the end though, he couldn't make this decision alone. Kanda should have as much choice in this as he did. With a heavy sigh, Vüsala picked up the small items a few of them had 'gifted' him, mostly trash and assorted papers. Speaking with the administrators in charge, he left empty-handed. A child wasn't something you could just pick up at the store like it was nothing. Especially with one already home. He'd just. .have to talk with his daughter.
Kanda, unsurprisingly, picked up on his desire to talk with her and kept pestering him about it. He stalled, unsure how to address it best. In the end...he decided straightforward was the way to go.
Prompt 1: Something has caused you to be volunteering for the orphanage for about the last week, and today is the last day you planned on volunteering. Prompt 2: You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you. Prompt 3: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening...
RP Response:
Emmerate's wings flapped curiously as they walked into the orphanage. The nerves that had made him twitch and fumble and stumble over his own two feet. The orphanage wasn't a second home, but he had to admit, volunteering there had made him feel like he was...family, in a way. It was a weird feeling, he hadn't felt the same way since his old pirate crew, which had been years ago. Never did he thought that he could feel the same way again. He had wanted to show the freshlings that it was possible live a normal life no matter what the consequences. He had ran away from a violent family life, had stowed away on a pirate ship, did some terrible, awful things to become the captain and now.......he was here. Retired from pirate life after a huge wake up call, driving carriages for a living and living the life of his current dream with the love of his life. He just didn't expect the kids to give him such a feeling in return.
And oh did it feel good to walk in those doors and be greeted by everyone. Emmerate's lips spread out into a huge, toothy grin, leaning down to greet the kids. If only he could adopt each one of them and bring them home. If only he still had that kind of money to live off of. He'd gladly take them all in. But....there was one missing. His eyes moved up, looking over the gaggle of freshlings that were at his feet.
Where was his "best friend"?
Ah. In the corner. A frown fell upon his lips as he stared at the little punk. But why were they....not greeting them? Why was the kid sending him glares that could kill with how cute they were? One of the freshlings next to him started tugging on his sleeve. "C'mon Emmy, I wanna show you my project!" The chimera didn't move. It was like the freshling had put a spell over him; he couldn't look away...almost. He turned towards the one who continued to tug, a petulant frown on their face and gave them a fond smile. "I'll look afterwards kay?" he bobbed his head towards the one still glowering at him from the corner of the room. "I gotta make their day just a l'il brighter."If he could. It was so rare to see them so mad....just what was going on?
"I hate you! Tears welled up in the freshling's eyes and the furiously tried to rub at them with their sleeve. "Hate you, hate you, hate you!" They emphasized with a stomp and a punch that would have probably hurt another freshling, but for Emmerate, it was practically nothing. What hurt more was his own core--his own feelings.
The chimera's smile became strained as he chose to knelt down, rubbing the thigh that was hit. "You got quite a punch buddy." he took a tissue from a nearby box and offered it to the little one. "What's wrong, kiddo?" He tried to smile, tried to be his usual cheerful self. But really, his heart was breaking. He could barely handle it. How could he make this kid happy?
"You--You won't take me home!" The chimera winced. How--when did the kid figure that out? Who told him? He had mentioned it to the workers but...Oh.
One of the workers must have told him that he wasn't planning on adopting. Man, he hoped they weren't trying to be malicious about it. Trying to protect the kid by giving him the truth. That probably didn't make it hurt any less. "I'm sorry kiddo but--" The freshling started to get even more red, their cheeks flushed. "I can't. Not right now, my boyfriend isn't ready for kids yet." He himself wasn't ready for kids yet either. There was so much to prepare. So much to handle, so many expenses. Sure, he could afford a third person in his life but then money would be tight. Did he really want to ruin the kid's life being poorer than other kids? Did he really want to bring them into a home where they wouldn't get attention twenty four seven? What would the other kids think. The chimera rubbed his forehead, as he tried to think of some way to cheer the kid up. "I can visit you like I have been though!"
The kid's lip wobbled and stuck out before they turned their head away, drawing big thick red x's on a stick figures of the both of them. Shoot. "Go away." A sigh escaped Emmerate's lips. There really was no pleasing the kid. Not right now. "Alright." He let out a loud breath once more, patting the freshling's shoulder. "I'll be over there if you want me." He pointed towards the other freshling that had yanked on his sleeve earlier before moving towards them.
They never came over to him. Emmerate lagged, even stayed after visiting hours to read some of the kiddos a bedtime story. The upset freshling never came over to him. Damn. He really liked the kid. But maybe it was for the best, maybe he'd get attached to another certain someone.
But as he went home that night and took off his shoes at the door he couldn't stop thinking about their teary face. Not even when he turned on the TV. No matter what show, what he did, he couldn't get them out of his mind. Maybe...adoption wouldn't be a bad thing. Maybe....just maybe...he could work it out. There was something more than guilt there. Something special about that freshling. He'd have to ask Vega in the morning. They had been going out for a while..
Username: Lural Cert: please post the character's cert image. they MUST be a senior graduated from the academy! if you don't have a character, you may use an npc.
Username: Melomar Cert: Using an NPC named Cullo and two NPC kids named Firnriel and Hendugaul.
Prompt 1: Die 1: How did you get to the orphanage? 2: You saw an ad for the orphanage that struck a chord within you, so you showed up to the orphanage. Prompt 2: Die 2: What happens when you're invited into the orphanage's play room? 4: You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you. Prompt 3: Die 3: But just as you're about to leave... 2: You run into a child sitting in the waiting room that wasn't in the play room.
RP Response: Part One
Now a senior graduating from Asphodel Gardens with a bright future ahead of him, young fey Cullo Aglaisio had lived on campus since a freshling. He leaned heavily toward enrolling at Grendel University to become a Literature and Writing dual major. He loved the arts and wanted to stay close to that rich culture, though his talents made him better-suited to writing and teaching than performing arts, which he nevertheless favored.
But when he saw the ad for the orphanage it started him thinking. Something about it made him reconsider what he wanted for his life from schooling to career to family. No matter what his career choice might be, he knew already that he would need the companionship of family early on. Since he had even a modicum of indecisiveness about his future, he could not be certain that any of his friends from school would be in touch later on. What if they all left him behind, to pursue schooling at Asterion, or returned to their families in their traditional homes in other cities, or even went Above? What if his family wanted him to return Above?
Even if they were irrational, his fears were real. His insecurity slowly filled him with a cool ball of fear from the root of his flower. It was like a seed of corruption slowly filling his core and branching out to his extremities. It ate away at his confidence in a way the threats of physical and social awkwardness and even academic failure seemed to pale against. He couldn't bear to be completely alone.
In his hour of need, Cullo reached out to his caretaker, the one whom had supported him every time the support of a close adult figure was needed. He expressed those fears and hoped that a solution could be reached. Grendel and its coming school year would not wait for him.
What the ad also did was provide a springboard for the caretaker to work from. Cullo had discovered a new possibility he had not considered before: childcare. As this was explained to him, Cullo clung to it. While his mind gathered in the possibilities, his caretaker sat back and watched it happen, allowing him to come to his own conclusions.
Surely caring for freshlings could be rewarding. Surely he could help them handle their problems and feel fulfilled by it. What if, for the time being, he could volunteer as a caretaker's assistant, or even work his way up to caretaker to put himself through college? That way he could see how mentorship, benefactions, and even adoption might suit him. So he partook of reading material that his caretaker provided him: posters (which he memorized), pamphlets, job applications, and even forms for adoption. Now that school was over, he could focus on this puzzle with all of his focus. He mapped out his future, and, soon he realized that Grendel could safely be in his future. So he also continued with his preparations there.
All that remained of his fear and nervousness from before evaporated completely when he found himself in the waiting room of the orphanage. From there he saw the freshlings through the open door to the playroom. The room seemed bright and cheerful, to almost... exude warmth. It felt like home. He was home.
Part Two
"Go on inside. It's okay!" One of the caretakers wore a crooked but kind and knowing smile and shook her head at him. This fey's uncertainty was not uncommon.
Why did Cullo feel so indecisive? It was not the same old fear all over again, but a sort of shyness. Cullo was not shy. Not at all! That thinking was what propelled him forward as if his wings had done the work. He nearly tripped on the carpet as he made the transition between rooms. He flared his wings to settle himself then looked around for "the teacher."
A murmer slowly traveled around the room as he turned to speak with one of the adults. Apparently the sight of brightly-colored fey wings was stunning to the freshlings. When closed they looked like dead leaves, but when flared as they were the kids got a perfect view of four eyes, stripes, spots, and bright splotches of fire-orange: like a peacock butterfly, for which his family had been named.
When he turned around, everyone was staring at him and some were even smiling. All except for one, who seemed to studiously stare at the wall in front of her.
"Wow! Yor wings a'e greaat!"
"Can you fwy?"
"Who a'e you?"
"Why you heere?"
"Are you going to a-dopt wun of us?"
"Show us how you f'y!" "Say 'please!'" "Peaze!"
"His name is Cullo Aglaisio," The caretakers explained. "He's come to play with us for a while."
He took a quiet breath and nodded. Then he proceeded to visit with everyone and ask for each name. He played with puzzles, drew pictures, built a house with brick-sized blocks and even sat inside of it.
When he reached the girl, she still ignored him. "What's your name?"
No answer. But she shifted in her seat, arms crossed.
"My name's--"
She grumbled. "I don' wanna talk to you."
"--Cullo. Oh." He sat down in a seat next to her, for she was seated at a desk grouped with others. His chair was tiny! "Maybe if I just talk you don't have to. But that doesn't seem very fu--"
"--You gonna take away one of my frien's?!" she rasped. She seemed accustomed to mumbling or whispering.
"Well, no, not today. I just wanted to meet everyone and see what it's like here. It hasn't changed much since I was a freshling," he chuckled.
"You were a freshling?" she asked in disbelief.
"Hard to believe it, but yes."
Well, she chuckled at that.
All too soon, it was time to go. He helped put away some toys that were not being used but remained under foot. The kids seemed to like him...and he liked them all. "I'll come see you all again soon!"
"Cullo!" He stopped at the door. It was the girl that had ignored him. "My name... is Firn. Firnriel!"
"That's a pretty name! Next time I'll tell you, 'Hello, Firn!' Would you like that?"
She was too busy being razzed by her peers to properly respond. Cullo left with a smile on his face.
Part Three
Just as he was leaving the play room, Cullo ran into someone. Or did someone run into him? The boy bounced off his belly and landed, stunned, on his bottom on the floor. Cullo tried to help him up but the boy swatted his hand away with a growl.
"Hendugaul, sit back down. You're back now, but you're still in time out," the caretaker at the desk called.
Perhaps he came from the bathroom? "You'll never understand the gift of charity if you don't accept help from a stranger," Cullo chuckled to himself.
Sullenly the boy glared up at his elder student. "Who are you?"
"Cullo. I came by today to visit with everyone. And who are you?"
"Gaul," the boy muttered as he hopped to his feet. It sounded onomatopoeic when he said it, so Cullo could not be certain it was even a name. "Do you mind? You're in the way." He pointed to a chair now directly behind Cullo. Why it had to be that chair the elder boy could only guess. A favorite, perhaps? Or maybe that was simply the time-out chair.
Cullo turned and glanced backward; the play room was also behind him. "You belong in there? But you're so big."
"Yes. I'm big for my age." Gaul straightened his shoulders until he stood at his full height. His tiny wings fluffed up with a sense of importance. Then he sat down in "his" seat.
"I see. Well I almost missed you. I'm glad I didn't."
"Yeah right."
"It's true," Cullo nodded. "I wanted to meet everybody."
Gaul scowled. "Oh, so. So you want to adopt somebody?"
"Just to visit. I don't even know if I'd make a good parent. But I might want to become a caretaker."
"You don't seem like a dad. More like a friend," the younger boy confirmed.
"Would you like to be my friend?" Cullo was not sure if the boy's response to that was disgust or something else.
"Maybe," Gaul muttered.
"Let's find out next time. I'll be coming back soon."
Ruminating on Cullo's offer the boy repeated, "Yeah, maybe." This time he sounded a little more optimistic.
"Great. I want to know if I should bring something to do with you. What is it you like to do while you're in the play room?"
"I don't know."
"Come on." Gaul shook his head negatively. Cullo shrugged. "No? Okay. Well, I'll stop bothering you, then. See you next time."
"Yeah." Uncertainly, the boy gazed up at Cullo. It was a sideways look, as if he was trying to decide if Cullo was friend or foe. He watched Cullo for a long time, then his back until he was out of sight.
Cullo did not expect everyone to like him on the first day. He still wasn't sure about Firnriel, and Gaul here seemed wary still. What had caused these children to behave this way? Had they been harmed at some point, or were they simply wary by nature? He realized with a certain level of buoyancy that he wanted to know the answers to these questions. Perhaps children were in his future after all!
Prompt 1: 2 - You saw an ad for the orphanage that struck a chord within you, so you showed up to the orphanage. Prompt 2: 2 - You take notice of a child who is playing by themselves with a myriad of toys that are all of a similar category (i.e., horses, trucks). Prompt 3: 2 - You run into a child sitting in the waiting room that wasn't in the play room
RP Response: It had been during one of his pumpkin drop-offs when the flyer had flown into his face smacking him a few times as the wind swirled around him before he was able to take it off. Before he threw it away he noticed that it said “orphanage” on it and had been curious as to what it had been advertising. From the looks of it, it seemed that they needed volunteers of sorts to play and help with the children. And to adopt them. He wasn’t too into finding a kid to adopt, but he did feel bad for the kids. He wanted to volunteer at least. Or that was what he told himself. In reality he was terribly frightened of going to a place with possibly uncontrolled children who would be tugging on his ears and almost ripping them off. But… he did consider it a way to “practice” being around them and messing with his ears.
Still, he had decided to tie them up a bit, so they weren’t as accessible to the children. So, when he got there he was feeling a bit more confident that his ears wouldn’t be ripped off. He was then led into a room where quite a few children were playing, and he jumped a bit when a few ran past him. His “guide” laughed at him and said that children were usually quite rambunctious but if there were any problems he should tell her. He could only silently nod to her and scan the room to see if there were any children who were less… “active” inclined right now. Which was when he noticed one of the children playing with what seemed to be some stuffed and plastic food toys near a plastic kitchen playset. They seem… okay. He thought to himself as he wandered over. As he walked over though, he saw that the child seemed to be… slamming the foodstuff into the oven and then declaring it done. He chuckled, and the child seemed to have heard him as they turned around and asked what was funny. It was then that he explained what he could do with the food toys and that perhaps stuffing them in the oven wasn’t a good idea. The child agreed, and together they played “cooking” for a bit as they made various “foods”.
Peri didn’t even notice the time go by and soon enough it was time for the volunteers to leave. The child that he had been playing with gave him a goodbye hug, and he was led out of the room. The guide was telling him more about what the orphanage was like, what facilities they had, etc. when suddenly Periwinkle could feel himself tripping over something! He slammed into the ground, luckily without hitting it head first. He groaned as he took a moment to get up and could hear crying. It was then that he realized that he had tripped over one of the kids! He got up as quickly as possible, feeling his wrist hurt a bit, but the guide was telling him that it was okay, and the child shouldn’t have been sitting there in the first place. Still, Peri couldn’t stand crying children and made sure that the child had stopped, and their tears had dried before Peri could leave. He apologized quite a few times to the kid, and eventually the kid accepted the apology, realizing that they weren’t in the best of spots to be sitting.
After all of that, Peri was finally led out of the building, and once his guide was gone he let out a huge sigh. While it hadn’t been as bad as he thought it would be, it was still quite the experience. But… he wouldn’t mind going back and playing again when he had the free time.
Prompt 1: You didn't expect to be here today, but it just happened, and now you're on the orphanage's stoop Prompt 2: You take notice of a child at the coloring table and join them in their artistic endeavors Prompt 3: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption. RP Response: It was the storm of the century. Branches were breaking off and rain pelted samhain’s form as he ran down the street. Wind made umbrellas absolutely useless. Unfortunately Samhain found themselves stuck in the middle of the storm. When they had left to walk home the rain had been light and the storm had seemed mild. Suffice to say everything went downhill from there. As someone who spent a lot of time outdoors when he was younger he knew exactly how destructive storms could be. He needed to find shelter and fast. Of course the section of town he was in was practically deserted. Stores had closed their doors and there was no place to escape the storm’s furry.
Well that wasn’t entirely sure. There was one building but Samhain knew those types of places. They would try to make him go home with a kid. His life wasn’t really in a place for one or well he had one at home so another. Okay now that he thought about it, he knew that wasn’t true. He could take care of another child if he somehow got plastered enough to imbue a stone while drunk. He looked up at the storm and the dark clouds and back at the orphanage door. Would it really kill him to go in. Would it really kill him to listen to the spiel. He always had the power to say no. He knew how it felt to be in a place you didn’t feel was home, knew how it felt waiting for a family and then nothing ever went your way.
“Nine damn it” he muttered and jogged over towards the door. The door opened at his push but weirdly no one was around? The rooms where dark, and a sense of silence echoed through the walls. Well not too surprising. It could be movie night or they were all out. Then again the door wouldn’t have opened if they were all out. So more likely everyone was finding a way near the back of the building to pass the storm.
Suddenly a badly played piano followed by a curse caught his attention. Seeing as it was the first sign of life, he followed the noise until he was standing in what looked like a music room. A tiny freshling was sitting there trying to play a song. Samhain definitely understood that frustration, the type that came from something not going your way. From the way they were playing, it was obviously something they wanted to get right. Samhain wondered how long they had been practicing.
“You’re doing it wrong” he called out. The startled yelp as the freshling fell off the piano bench was kind of amusing. Still he walked over and offered his hand. “ you are playing with the whole hand. Set your fingers up like you are playing the g scale”
“Don’t sneak up like that. You scared me half to death” the freshling snapped obviously on the defensive from such an embarrassing position. Samhain raised an eyebrow and laughed. It was kind of cute. Still surprisingly the kid took the hand. ‘You play the piano?” They asked raising their own eyebrow. It went higher as the kid gave Samhain a look over. Samhain could already tell they didn’t believe him at all. Well would just have to rectify that wouldn’t he.
“I do. However words are cheap. Let me show you. You wanna learn how to play that song correctly, right?” he asked. The freshling glared at him and then back at the piano. Apparently the need to perfect the song won out and the kid patted the piano set.
“Yeah, my dad used to play it for me. Only thing I really remember about him really” was the melonchally reply. It didn’t surprise the mutated hybrid. He knew there had to be some reason behind the playing. So he sat down and started teaching. Hopefully the kid did well with his style of playing.
Surprisingly it was an enjoyable next couple of hours. The kid definitely had sass and it reminded Samhain a lot of when he was that age. Angry at the world and using words to defend themselves. He wasn’t going to get attached though, he was just here to escape the wind. Eventually it came time to actually be a parent to his own kid and he ended the lesson. The kid couldn’t yet play the song, but good progress had been made. The piano wasn’t making dying animal sounds anymore.
“You want more lessons, I could come back tomorrow” Samhain found himself saying as he went to leave. He frowned away from the kid’s eyes which was rather easy as they where looking at the piano keys.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” was the response. Samhain huffed.
“Kid, I think I can make time to show up long enough to make you a master at that song. like I said... See you tomorrow” he called out starting to leave.
“My name isn’t kid. It’s beltane!” The kiddo protested. Okay that was the last name Samhain ever expected. He froze up just briefly and had to suck a breath through his teeth. The kid wasn’t that Beltane. It was a name, it didn’t just belong to that b*****d. However he was brought out of this thoughts by a stirring from his other self. His lighter half hadn’t responded to anything in three months. Samhain wondered if he interacted with the child more, if he could bring the real Samhain back.
“Like I said kiddo. I’ll see you tomorrow” he called back.
“Like you said talk is cheap. Everyone says they’ll be back tomorrow and then they never show up” Beltane countered. Samhain knew they weren’t talking about just piano lessons but it wasn’t his problem. He wasn’t the parent personality. So Samhain waved them off and walked out of the room. The kid had a point. Talk was cheap and promises were just words. However he followed his promises.
So he showed up the next day, and the next day. He kept showing up for two hours to help master the song and then weirdly he found himself teaching other songs. When a month passed and Bel smiled when Samhain showed up, he knew there was a problem. Truth was, he wasn’t really Samhain. For the last three months Salem had been trying to be his lighter self. However it wasn’t working. Salem was the personality that came out when the world was just too much for his lighter self. He wasn’t the one who was supposed to face life all the time. Plus he could barely be the right parent for Rune. However he had made a child smile. He made a child look forward to him showing up. Sure most of the time they just passed quips towards each other and beltane always looked like Samhain was just going to disappear but it was obvious the freshling was starting to enjoy the time he showed up.
Gathering up his coat, he looked back to where the music room was situated. Samhain had just finished the lesson for today. He had been here enough, the staff was starting to know him. Starting to just point towards the music room when ever he showed up. He should cut ties now.
“You know I’ve been watching you this whole time.” The receptionist pointed out. Well that was kind of creepy, Samhain thought. “They never looked forward to something before.”
“Huh,” was his intelligent response.
“Beltane. They never looked forward to some one showing up before. They might not admit it, but they wait in the music room for you to show up” the receptionist replied. “I don’t think you are the typical parent we get, but kids aren’t always typical. I think you would be good for them. Have you ever thought of adopting?”
Ah there was the spiel he had been waiting for. It caused a brief look to cross their features. However it wasn’t accompanied by the sneer that would have been there a month back. He thought of the response from his other self, the smile on beltane‘s face when he did come. The knowing look on rune’s face when Salem had talked to his son about beltane.
“No. I haven’t” he answered truthfully and smirked. “However stranger things have happened.” Maybe that’s what the family needed to bring it back together again. He still didn’t think he was the best parent but maybe traditional wasn’t needed here. “Guess I have a conversation to have”
“Talk is cheap” a familiar voice replied. Salem looked up to see beltane standing there in the doorway. Salem would pay good money to bet they had heard everything the receptionist said.
“Talk is cheap” Salem repeated. Beltane gave a knowing smile this time, and it was the kiddo’s turn to walk away. Salem shook his head. Nine damned stormy days. Weren’t they the most interesting though?
Prompt 1:1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2: 2: You take notice of a child who is playing by themselves with a myriad of toys that are all of a similar category (i.e., horses, trucks). Prompt 3:1: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening...
RP Response: Still no reply. Knox sighed, as he sorted through his mail, searching for that one letter that would proclaim if he was able to adopt a child or not. He ran a hand through his hair, tucking it back into his hair tie. He... he was going to visit. Talk to them. It would be probably better if he showed up i n person anyhow.
He dressed well in a dark turtle neck and a khaki slacks and a dark grey duster. Knox made sure his face was clean and hair in place before walking down to the orphanage and politely knocking.
He smiled softly at the care taker who answered it, "I'm sorry, I was hoping to talk to someone about my letter?" He said. Knox smiled charmingly hoping perhaps a bit of politeness would excuse the unexpected visit. He relaxed slightly as he was let in, following her down the hall.
Knox paused, seeing a small child buried nearly under all the cat stuff animals they had gathered in their corner. That was rather cute.
"Sir?"
"Sorry, I'm coming," he said, following along. "Thank you, for giving me a moment of your time. Even without an appointment," he said following. "It is just... there was a child."
"We have many children."
"Apologies," It seemed that he was apologizing a lot... was that bad? "It was just they were alone, surrounded by a hoard of cat stuff animals, and playing by themselves... they seemed lonely." Knox paused. "Just.. I sort of remember being lonely as a kid before." His parents had struggled to have a child and eventually brought in a surrogate and third to just mange to have him.
And he was infertile and it felt at times a bit of a curse... to not be able to easily imbue a child... and a bit of a let down, his parents had hoped that he would inherited magic from their geist friend.
"Sir?"
"Sorry, just lost in my thoughts." Knox said and he was apologizing again. He needed to get it together. He sat down where indicated and started to talk. Yes, he had a job and a home and he had child proof the cupboards and outlets to make sure small hands didn't electrocute themselves.
The more he talked the more overwhelm and under prepared he felt and he left, unsure if adoption was right for him. Was he doing the right thing? He sighed, walking up the steps of his house and shut the door behind him.
He sat down outside the big bay window and paused, reaching back to pull out a small plush he had picked up on a whim for the possible child. It was a small cat with chocolate points and a fluffy graceful tail. Perhaps... that child at the orphanage might like it...
