Event Private Finished Adoption Week: Irene and Shara

Kada

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Shara sat in one of the rooms set aside for the prospective adoptee children and parents to meet and have one on one conversations. Or as one on one as they could be with the counselor watching over the meetings to make sure that nothing went wrong. This was her fourth such meeting: all the rest had taken no time at all in deciding that the blank-eyed little girl was not what they wanted.

Her utility belt had been taken as a precaution. Apparently carrying gardening tools on one's person like weapons was strange behavior. Still, she had managed to keep one of her stolen spoons on her person, which she now rolled between her fingers. It was shiny and she could see her reflection in it as it turned.

That she had not been adopted already was strange to Shara. She was polite. Quiet. She had a number of skills that a parent might find useful. She could manage to cook for herself and repair her own clothes. She could even see up her own wounds if necessary. She had no particular needs. Why then did no one want her?

These thoughts had caused her to think about her birth parents: a dangerous prospect, the Dominion tutors had informed her. Pining after something that cannot be missed. They, too, had not wanted her. At least not as much as her twin. She repeated her mantras to herself in her head. Love was a lie. Hate was a lie. The only truth was the task ahead. Nothing else mattered. And yet her heart sunk as she heard the door open to the room, ready to once again be rejected.

@PixelatedGlory
 

PixelatedGlory

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Irene had lived on manta Carlos for a long time. Well it was peanuts compared to the rest of his lifetime, but in human terms it was quite a while. And every year, or couple of years, he started thinking about adopting a child. He'd been a dad on more occasions than he could easily list. But also left behind just as many families.

So he'd not been able to bring himself to adopt anyone. He was already out there caring for people of all ages at work. Wasn't that enough nurturing. No, it turned out it wasn't. He longed for a little bit of family aside from Asku. Even better if it provided come comfort to a child who really needed it.

Irene reminded himself of all the reasons why he was fit to be an adoptive parent as he opened the door to the room. He was an upstanding citizen, financially secure, knew how to care for a sick/injured kid, etc. Most importantly though... he wanted to be a good father.

He entered the room and nodded briefly at the counselor before taking in the quiet, almost shy sight of Shara sitting there. Almost, because she didn't show much of anything in her face. Not even concern about the man walking in with a strange bird with three sets of wigs perched on his shoulders. "Hello, you can call me Irene if you prefer. And this is Asku," he added with a nod towards the bird on his shoulder.

They had tried to get him to reconsider bringing Asku but... it was imperative that Asku be compatible with any addition to the Paulos condo. There they were.
 

Kada

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Shara's eyes flicked off to the counselor at the side, scanning for a reaction to the man with the bird. They seemed to approve of the pair, albeit begrudgingly for Asku. She returned her gaze to the man and set her spoon idly on the table between them.

"My name is Shara Ohsima. I am told that it is appropriate to say that it is pleasant to meet you, Irene and Asku." The counselor visibly held back a sigh and continued writing on their notepad. Clearly this had been the tone of all of the meetings Shara had been involved in thus far. With her awkward introduction out of the way however, she placed her hands on her lap and focused all of her attention on Irene.

"Some guards on Mes have birds similar to Asku. They are meant to scout from the sky and attack Intruders without the guards having to leave their posts. Is Asku's purpose similar?"
 

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Asku clocked his head a little and trained his piercing eyes on the young girl. And then looked at the spoon. Shiny. But not gold. He turned his attention back to Irene as he sent a series of questioning emotions to the man.

Irene answered with effectively a request for calm and patience as he sat down across from Shara. "It's nice to meet you Shara. That is an appropriate greeting but I get the feeling you dont think it's truly accurate?"

And then her interest had turned to his companion. He chuckled as he reached up to softly brush the bird's feathered head. "My old friend here can certainly scout from above and he's an excellent hunter but that's not the reason he's with me. The two of us are bound to each other."

And there was something else he realized he needed to add. She seemed like one of the more combat-minded arrivals on the island from the way she'd asked about Asku. Made sense given her referencing Mes. "I should probably tell you that I lean more towards healing wounds than causing them. I've seen many wars."
 

Kada

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"Bound to one another," Shara repeated almost automatically. So it was something like Linking? But with the link being only between two individuals, it must have been pretty strong. She nodded once, muttering her usual response under her breath. Thank you for the information.

Then he made an odd comment about healing and causing wounds. And war. "I have seen war. When the Daughters of Flame rebelled against the Dominion and the rule of Vorkhan. I am also adept at field medicine, if the need arises. I have many useful skills."

Her eyes flicked down to the spoon on the table with that last bit. She silently chided herself, digging a fingernail into her knee for letting her inflection change. She could practically hear her Handler now, scolding her for acting like a needy child.

"What would you require of me?"
 

PixelatedGlory

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Irene nodded. It seemed she understood the importance of his link though he personally wasnt really educated on the Linking, capital 'L', she was internally comparing it to. He caught that she was muttering something but didnt bother trying to draw attention to it.

He did however cock his head to the side as she talked about having seen war. His action very very similar to how Asku had done. A very avian mannerism. One that definitely didnt miss the brief focus on the spoon.

"I should hope you won't need to be patching anyone up if you do come to live with me. But if that topic interests you maybe we could teach each other a thing or two," he smiled and stopped petting Asku to focus on Shara. Folding his fingers in front of him as he thought about what she possibly could be doing with the spoon. Definitely not eating, from the looks of it.

"I would wish that any child I adopt at least try to respect when I ask something of them and be honest. If I cant trust them then it's a lot harder to welcome them into my home. For starters... what's with the spoon you have there?"
 

Kada

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Honesty. She could manage that, as long as he didn't ask about any sensitive information. Like the true nature of her mission on Earth. Saeta had given her an adequate secondary goal that she could tell to others and not be telling them a lie.

The spoon, however, was a different matter. She had not told anyone directly, but if honesty was what Irene wanted then she would give it to him. "It is shaped much like the throwing knives I had on my person when I arrived on the island. Said knives were confiscated. I understand that violence is not permitted but it makes me feel... more secure, having something rather than nothing."

"As for your other request, I have never disobeyed an order given to me by a superior officer or one of my Handlers. I will not disobey you."
 

PixelatedGlory

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She was willing to be honest. Including when it meant revealing both that she felt vulnerable and that she was trying to approximate a weapon. Which theoretically could get her into trouble or scare off a potential parent.

It was promising.
"I appreciate you answering me honestly. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to carry a spoon if it makes you more comfortable." Irene didnt mind if she needed to hold something to be comfortable. As long as she wasnt also attacking people with the spoon.

But she was framing this wrong. He wasnt a potential superior officer or a potential handler. He was a potential parent. It saddened him deeply to see that she clearly wasnt used to having a supportive family. "Shara do you know the difference between a father and a handler or a superior officer?" He asked with genuine curiosity. Irene would never call himself a good father. But he knew he could be the proper kind of supportive.
 

Kada

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She shook her head once at that. Then it was back to looking at Irene with those same impassive eyes. "I do not. My parents gave me to the Dominion after I was born to settle debts they had accrued."

She didn't bother mentioning her twin, whom her parents had kept. She had learned fairly quickly that saying anything about them brought up feelings that she had no business having. Questions that were pointless to ask. Shara picked up the spoon and rolled it slowly between her hands once again.

"I am told that the functions are similar though. They provide the care that is impossible for a child to provide for themselves due to the limitations of law and commerce. What else is required?"
 

PixelatedGlory

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It figured. Poor kid.

Irene was starting to feel like this child was the one he wanted to try to nurture. To teach them what having a real parent was like.

But before he got ahead of himself there was of course a long process to go through so he tried not to be too obvious about feeling sorry for her.

"Similar functions maybe. But a parent should also strive to help a child when they encounter difficulties or struggle with questions they dont have the answers to. To love them and show them compassion. It's honestly hard to explain but you know it when you feel it." Irene had to stop and clear his throat a bit. He'd never had a parent himself. At least not that he remembered. And there was a lot to remember about his life.
 
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