Adessa adopts au 1
The rain pelts down in relentless, icy sheets and Adessa curses inwardly. Her feet break the previously peaceful, inky puddles like shattered mirrors and already her socks are soaked through. She pulls her coat over her head and bemoans her decision not to bring one with a hood, and starts to run faster, maybe she can escape the worst of the storm. Adessa ducks into an alleyway, a short cut back to the village. The rain keeps falling. She's almost at the end of the alleway when a quiet, continous whimper makes itself known to her ears. She listens curiously,dropping the coat from her head and manages to pinpoint the sound. It originates from a sodden bundle of rags she recognizes to be a child, and she seethes with rage. The child hasn't noticed her, instead it curls up tighter in an effort to protect itself from the rain. She walks across to it and squats down in front of the child. Gentle she reminds herself, find out who the parents are and return the child to them if it's safe.
"Hello" she murmers softly, arms loose at her sides. The bundle gasps in fear and lifts its, no her face to quickly look at Adessa, before hiding again. Adessa catches a glimpse of a dirty, tear streaked face.
"Hello" she tries again. "Are you okay?"
The girl hesitates slightly before shaking her head slowly.
"Can i help you?"
Again the girl shakes her head and tries to pull the remnants of what once was a dress and a cardigan tighter around her. Adessa tuts and sighs deeply, before stripping off her coat and draping it over the child. The child freezes up, hesitating before she pulls the coat fully around her.
"Are you sure i can't help you?" She tries again.
The girl shrugs, clearly enjoying the warmth of the coat, but she's tense as though she's worried Adessa will pull the coat away from her.
"I'm not going to take the coat."
The child's voice is quiet and croaking.
"Promise?"
"Promise." Adessa confirms.
The rain falls harder on her head, and her hair long since freed from her bun hangs loosely wround her shoulders drenched. What to do next? The parents, she reminds herself.
"Where are your parents?"
The girl umms and ahhs. Soft, but firm she tells herself.
"Where are your parents please?"
The girls large, sunken eyes brim with glassy tears. Adessa panics.
"Wait, wait. No, no it's alright. Please don't cry."
The child sobs harder.
"No, no please. Shh it's okay"
Shit, what do parents do? Adessa can't recall for a second. Hugging? The thought isn't a pleasent one, but a crying child is even worse. She holds her arms out, and the girl hesitates for a second before throwing herself fully into them. Adessa hugs back carefully, and the girl shakes in her arms clinging to her suit jacket desperately.
"It's okay." She soothes. "Could you tell me your name?"
She mumbles something.
"Pardon?"
"My name is Aria."
"Hello" she murmers softly, arms loose at her sides. The bundle gasps in fear and lifts its, no her face to quickly look at Adessa, before hiding again. Adessa catches a glimpse of a dirty, tear streaked face.
"Hello" she tries again. "Are you okay?"
The girl hesitates slightly before shaking her head slowly.
"Can i help you?"
Again the girl shakes her head and tries to pull the remnants of what once was a dress and a cardigan tighter around her. Adessa tuts and sighs deeply, before stripping off her coat and draping it over the child. The child freezes up, hesitating before she pulls the coat fully around her.
"Are you sure i can't help you?" She tries again.
The girl shrugs, clearly enjoying the warmth of the coat, but she's tense as though she's worried Adessa will pull the coat away from her.
"I'm not going to take the coat."
The child's voice is quiet and croaking.
"Promise?"
"Promise." Adessa confirms.
The rain falls harder on her head, and her hair long since freed from her bun hangs loosely wround her shoulders drenched. What to do next? The parents, she reminds herself.
"Where are your parents?"
The girl umms and ahhs. Soft, but firm she tells herself.
"Where are your parents please?"
The girls large, sunken eyes brim with glassy tears. Adessa panics.
"Wait, wait. No, no it's alright. Please don't cry."
The child sobs harder.
"No, no please. Shh it's okay"
Shit, what do parents do? Adessa can't recall for a second. Hugging? The thought isn't a pleasent one, but a crying child is even worse. She holds her arms out, and the girl hesitates for a second before throwing herself fully into them. Adessa hugs back carefully, and the girl shakes in her arms clinging to her suit jacket desperately.
"It's okay." She soothes. "Could you tell me your name?"
She mumbles something.
"Pardon?"
"My name is Aria."