Chosen Family (Private with GuardianWolves)

[Lavellan]

It was another bland day at the adoption center. Sarah woke to wet sheets and blankets once more. By now the overseer had made sure to keep a plastic sheet on her matress to avoid stains, but that still meant the blankets need to be washed. The Overseer woke her up with a huff, telling her to go get ready for the day while she stripped the bed. 

Sarah was only 10, but in the center, everyone learned to take care of themselves quickly. There weren't enough helpers around to coddle everyone. Going into the bathroom, she used the sink to clean up as good as she could, not yet tall enough to reach the shower faucets by herself. Going into the room she shared with a few other girls, she picked out a cute purple dress with white flowers on it to wear. It was adoption day. And while she was one of the older girls, she still held hope that someone would adopt her. 

Putting the dress on, she walked down stairs and ate some toast set out on the table. Dusting the crumbs off her dress, she went to the common room where children were running around and playing with each other as the first few people came in the door. Sarah, a shy girl, found herself a nice spot in the corner with a small color book away from most of the ruckus. This was the position she often help on adoption days, but she was just too scared to run up to these new people like the other kids were doing. 

Meanwhile, another supervisor was standing in watch, greeting potential parents as they came in. 

[GuardianWolves]

As the potential parents went inside of the center and fawned and interacted with the kids that were brave enough to stay out in the open and would go and interact with the other parents, A tall man with a plain black shirt and camouflage pants and black boots on walked into the adoption center, he was tall and had short spiky black hair and white skin that looked almost pale when outside of his own house. The man had dark brown eyes that looked almost light brown in the light as well, as the man walked around the adoption center and would watch all of the children as they interacted with the other potential parents. He noticed that there were some that seemed very nervous, after all they didn't know how the parents would treat them or even if they would try and adopt them.

The man finally noticed a timid girl and went over to her and sat down nearby and tried to get her attention by waving at her first, he hoped that she would want to at least wave back at him once she noticed that he was waving at her since she seemed to be interested in her coloring book at the moment and so, he just sat patiently after waving at her for a few minutes and just watched her waiting.

 

[Lavellan]

Sarah was so invested in her book, but her head jerked up as she felt someone nearby. It was a man. He was so tall! It was pretty intimidating. But then he started to sit down and it wasn't so bad. He was still taller than her even sitting, but Sarah gathered her courage. He seemed like a nice man as he waved at her. 

She peeked at him from behind her book, bringing her knees closer. Slowly, her hand reached up and gave a small wave before ducking back behind the book. "H-Hi, mister." Sarah forced herself to say. They taught her to be polite, even when she was pretty nervous. 

[GuardianWolves]

'Awe, she's a shy little one, but she looks so sweet sitting behind that book of hers` The man thought to himself as he watched her retreat back behind her book and then spoke 'hello there sweetheart, what are you coloring in your book?" He asked her softly so as to not make her even more shy than she already was and he just sat patiently and waited to see if she wanted to continue to interact with him or if she wanted to just be left alone for a while and he could come back later and try to get to know her better over a few days and gain her trust, even though he would like to take a young child of his very own home as soon as he could, he didn't wanna make his future son or daughter nervous and afraid of him. That wouldn't be a good way to start off their relationship as father and son or daughter.

[Lavellan]

"Um," Sarah stuttered as she turned the book to show him. "It's a puppy dog." She said pointing to the half colored puppy. It wasn't realistic, mainly just what colors she had on hand. So the fur was red with purple spots and the dog was laying on blue grass. She turned the book back her way, but seemed to be less tense than before. The man had a nice voice. It wasn't angry or growly like some of the tall men she'd heard before. 

[GuardianWolves]

"It looks very nice sweetheart, do you mind if I come a little bit closer, I don't bite, it's okay if you don't want me to come closer, I'll stay right here and talk to you this way." He said continuing to keep his soft tone of voice and just watched her before asking another question "Do you like to draw and color a lot?" He hoped this would help break the ice between the two of them and start to develop a trust between the two of them because again, he didn't wanna make her upset or afraid of him and then ruin the trust that she had with him. In the meantime though, he tried to think of something else that he could ask her that she might like and would also further help break the ice. He had never really known much about what children liked, especially shy girls like the one he was currently interacting with.

He just stayed where he was after the first thing he said and staying true to his word and waiting for her to say that she was okay with him coming a little bit closer to her if she was comfortable with him a little bit. He would then continue to work on getting her to trust him and be comfortable enough with him so that she would want to come home with him and be his daughter forever. He doesn't wanna force her to do anything she doesn't want to, which is why he said what he said first and make sure that she wants him to be her dad or whatever she decides to call him.

[Lavellan]

Sarah bit her lip as she thought about letting the man closer. He was being real nice to her... "O-okay. You can come closer." She said moving some of the other books out of the way with her foot. She held the book close her to as he looked at the man. 

"Yeah...Coloring is fun...and drawing." She thought about what else she should say but couldn't come up with anything. It was making her nervous. Her hand coming up to her face. Her thumb pressed against her chin as if she was going to suck it, but thought better of it. "And flowers." 

Did this man want her? Like to take her home? To be her...dad? Her? When there were other, more social, kids to choose from? It was overwhelming almost. She'd have to get to know him more. 

[GuardianWolves]

He carefully moved over closer to her and then sat within a, what he thought, was a comfortable range where she didn't feel like he could grab and harm her and he could still see her "So, you like drawing huh? Is there anything in particular that you like to draw the most? Can I see some of your drawings if you're okay with it?" He asked her as he watched her do something odd that she either didn't know that she was doing or just was something that happened whenever she was nervous and it was a comfort mechanism for her to be able to deal with stressful situations and help calm down her nerves. Regardless though, she was still sweet in his eyes, even if she did have a comfort mechanism that most kids her age would have already outgrown by now.

He did want her, now that he had been able to make her a bit more comfortable with him, he didn't care what kind of problems that she might have when he went to adopt her at the end of their interaction, but he would let her make that decision for herself and not just force her into it, by doing something that she might not want to do in the first place and it would make her even more nervous and possibly not so trusting of him than she originally might have been if he had let her make the decision on her own. Plus, he felt like he should get to know her first before he even thought about bringing up the topic of adoption to her and then letting her choose whether or not she wanted to be adopted by him or not.

[Lavellan]

Sarah watched him move closer but still a comfortable distance away so that she didn't feel smothered. "I like drawing flowers. And dogs. Big fluffy dogs. I could..." This time her thumb did slip into her mouth. She gave it a few sucks to relax before she spoke again. "I could draw you something?" She offered around her thumb. She sat the book down beside her and pointed to the blank paper and crayons set out on a small nearby table. 

Deciding that's what she wanted to do, she scooted over on her knees to the table. Sarah looked back to the man and shyly waved him over with the hand not currently in her mouth. This way he could stay on one end of the table, and she could be on the other. It was closer than before, but the table between them made her feel safe. 

[GuardianWolves]

"It sounds like you have many things that you like to draw, that's good." He said as he answered her questions "If that's what you wanna do, I would like that very much. Thank you for offering to draw me something." He told her as he went over to the table she had motioned to for him to sit on the other side of and just watched her draw finding that she definitely seemed to be nervous around new people and needed a comfort mechanism like what she did with her thumb (which he chose to ignore) to help keep her in a relaxed state. He let her draw and be in her own semi-comfortable world (at least he thought she was semi-comfortable, but he wasn't sure.).

When he thought she was done, he looked over at her drawing and just waited for her to either ask him what he thinks or something else. Though he did give her the opportunity to ask him questions if she wanted to by saying "If you have anything you wanna ask about me, you can do so, I don't mind." He then waited to see what she would ask or say to him, he wouldn't ask the outright question that he was thinking about regarding her, which was related to her adoption.

[Lavellan]

Sarah loved to draw. It was the quickest way to make her happy. Drawing and books. Sitting at the table, she found herself relaxing more and more. The crayons scratching against the paper making out something that was clearly supposed to be the two of them. It was a bit rudimentary but showed more skill than a simple stick drawing. "What...um..." She hesitated, pausing in her drawing. But a few more sucks on her thumb and she was able to speak again. "What is your favorite... Color?" She asked while trying to get the nice man's hair just right. 

When she finished the drawing, she shuffled a bit closer to him and held it out, wanting him to take it. 

[GuardianWolves]

"Hmm, I have several favorite colors, but if I had to choose one favorite color, I guess it would have to be black. I don't know why I like it, I just do for some reason." He told her as he watched her shuffle over and then hold out a drawing of the two of them and his heart almost melted on the inside as he looked at the drawing that was clearly really good for a girl her age. He took the drawing and said "Thank you for the pretty picture, it's really nice, it's supposed to be a drawing of you and me right?" He asked her as he held the drawing in one hand and then asked "what is your favorite color that you like to color with?" He asked her.

[Lavellan]

Sarah shuffled even closer, to where she was inches away from his side and smiled. Her thumb slipped out of her mouth, too happy to feel so shy anymore. The nice man liked her drawing! She had worked hard on it and hoped that even if he decided he didn't want her, he'd keep it forever. "I like purple. Because it's pretty. Reaching up she pointed at herself in the drawing. See? My dress is purple. And," pointing to her own dress she smiled more as if telling a joke. "My real dress is purple!" 

She seemed to shrink down only a little as she had a realization. "I didn't use black for your picture...but, you still like it right?" She asked leaning just a bit closer and looking at her drawing as if it would magically have black on it. 

[GuardianWolves]

"Yes, I still like it, it may not have my favorite color in it, but it's still a drawing made by someone who obviously likes me or thinks I'm nice to them." He said as he added "I see your pretty purple dress and it's very pretty on you." He told her as he smiled at her and then thought about moving even closer than they already were to her, but he just decided not to and let her come as close as she wanted to at the moment. He then decided to ask the question since she seemed like she was much more comfortable with him, then she was at the beginning of the interaction between the two of them. "Hey sweetheart, I'm gonna ask you something very specific and I wanna know your answer, okay?" He asked her as he paused for a few moments before asking "Do you like me enough that you would feel comfortable with me adopting you and becoming your new daddy and the both of us becoming father and daughter?" He asked her as he looked at her and waited for her answer or reaction.

[Lavellan]

As the man prepared her for the serious question, anticipation and fear rolled around in her stomach. What could it be? Was something wrong? And as the words finally came out of his mouth Sarah felt herself tear up. "You want me? You...you wanna be my daddy?" She repeated but of course the answer was yes. He wouldn't ask unless he meant it. He wasn't mean. Sarah knew that much. He talked to her soft. He liked her dress. He liked her drawing. He was perfect. "Yes! Yes please!" She said nodding quickly as happy tears fell down her cheeks. 

Her small body shot forward to hug the nice man, her new daddy, for the first time ever. He was warm and soft and everything she though a daddy hug was supposed to be. "Yes!" She repeated again as if the message wasn't clear the first two times. 

[GuardianWolves]

"Oh my, such a happy little girl I have here!" He said as he caught her and hugged her happily, glad that she wanted to be his daughter. He just sat there hugging her for as long as she wanted to and then reluctantly let go of her and stood up to his full height again and told her "Why don't you go and grab your coloring book, crayons and anything else that you are allowed to bring with you and then come and meet me back down at the bottom of the stairs to your room okay?" He told her as he went to go and fill out the paperwork to get Sarah adopted into his care forever and then he would take her to go and get some clothes and maybe some more coloring books, crayons and pencils and whatever else she might wanna have for when she wanted to play by herself.

As he filled out the paperwork, he wondered if the young girl had eaten anything yet and if maybe he should also take her to go and get something to eat if she wanted to and then go and get the things she would need. He just decided that he would ask her if she had eaten first and then depending on her answer, he would either take her to eat or take her to go and get clothes and whatever else she would need or want.

[Lavellan]

Sarah watched the her new daddy walk away feeling a small amount of panic. She wanted to follow him, but knew she needed to grab her things. And he told her to go. But she had trouble pulling herself away. She was supposed to be a big girl, but all she wanted to do was cling to her daddy.

Quick as lightning, she scooped up her coloring book and crayons before running upstairs to grab her few dresses. Nearly tripping down the stairs to get back to her daddy, she latched onto his leg, fists balled up in his pants leg. "I got it...daddy." She told him shaking only slightly. Hopefully she wouldn't have to do another thing like that soon. 

[GuardianWolves]

Just as he was finishing up the paperwork to get her adopted to him forever, he thought he felt his leg being grabbed onto and a small set of fists grabbing onto his pants leg, he stopped momentarily with filling out the paperwork and looked down to see who had grabbed onto his pants leg and saw that it was Sarah, she had herself fully latched onto his pants leg, completely wrapped around it like a kitten trying to hold onto a tree in order to not fall off. He just simply reached down and scooped her lightly up higher on his body so that she could hold onto him and used a free hand to be able to give her some sort of support while he used the other hand to finish filling out the paperwork. Once he was done signing for the paperwork and he had her adoption papers that signified, she was indeed his adopted daughter now, he looked to her and told her "wave goodbye to the nice adoption caretakers sweetheart, then we will go to my car and we can go to your new forever home with your new daddy, unless you have something that you wanna take care of before we leave and you don't come back to the center, ever." He told her giving her a hint that if she needed to go potty, then she could tell him and he would take her and let her go potty like a big girl would.

[Lavellan]

Sarah shook her head signifying that she had nothing else she wanted or needed to do here. She should use the bathroom, but that would mean leaving her new daddy and she was sure she could hold it long enough to get home. She held on tight to her daddy while giving a small wave to the caretakers. "Bye!" 

She was clingy now that she knew she was leaving. Still shy, but now attached to the nice tall man who complimented her drawing and wanted to be her new daddy. Resting her head down on his shoulder, her thumb returned to her mouth and she relaxed into his hold. 

[GuardianWolves]

"Okay now, let's start this sweet child's new life with her new daddy. First thing we're gonna do is go and get some food and then go and do some shopping and try to get you some nice new pretty clothes and maybe even some new toys and some more coloring books and a full crayon set, would you like that? Also, what is my new daughter's name and how old are you? I'm Logan." He told her as he held onto her and walked over to his black 2003 Chevrolet Suburban and did his best to hold her in one arm while using the other to put her things in the back with her and then lightly set her down in the seat next to him without upsetting her too much, although she seemed to fit almost perfectly into the booster seat that had been provided for her. It didn't seem like she would need a booster seat, but he didn't say anything and just left it out of his mind and then just buckled her in getting minor resistance from her, but it was to be expected that she wouldn't like it based on her clingy nature now that she had a father, likely her first one ever based on the way she had been hanging onto him, he thought that she might have separation anxiety because she didn't wanna be sent back to the center or get lost from her new daddy in any way.

 

Regardless he would take care of her and treat her the way that she deserved to be treated and or wanted to be treated like. If she wanted to be treated like a big girl, then he would treat her like a big girl, if she wanted to be coddled and treated like she was a younger version of whatever her current age was, then he would do so without hesitation because he wanted to see her happy and just be able to have a nice home life with a parent that she could call mom or dad and be able to have as best of a normal life as he could give her without too many bad things happening during that time. He went over and got into the drivers seat and buckled himself in and then looked over to her "excited to start a new life as father and daughter sweetheart?" He asked her as he smiled at her and drove off to go and take her someplace to eat.

[Lavellan]

Little Sarah let go of her new daddy very reluctantly, but any brattiness that would usually come was overwhelmed by her curiosity of seeing all the new things. She was in a new car. In a booster seat. It made her feel small, but also safe since she wasn't sitting in the big seat. "My name is Sarah. And I'm 10!" She explained as she kicked her feet. 

Her mind was running wild. She was getting more dresses? And toys? And crayons? It was all so exciting. She never had toys just for herself. She was going from one out of many kids to an only child. She couldn't wait. Sarah was practically bouncing as she watched the adoption center disappear behind her. 

[GuardianWolves]

"Very nice name you have there Sarah. It's nice to meet you. I'm happy to have you as my daughter sweetheart." He told her as he drove and wondered what else he should ask her, he then came up with some and asked "So Sarah, what do you like to do for fun besides drawing?" He asked her sweetly as he drove and eventually stopped at a McDonalds figuring that she would like to be able to get a happy meal and have her first toy that was all hers and not have to share it with someone else. He then got out and went to get her, opening the door and unbuckling her as he scooped her out of the seat and into his arms, letting her cling as tightly as she wanted to him and walked into the restaurant, still ignoring her thumb sucking that she might be doing due to her being nervous or shy at the moment. He could be wrong though. Before they went and got something to eat, he thought it might be good if she at least tried to go potty because it was going to be a long while before they were gonna get to his house. "Hey Sarah sweetheart, I think it might be a good idea if we both at least try and go potty before we get something to eat because it's gonna be a long while before we get to your new home okay. If you think you can wait until we get to your new home, then we don't have to use the potty until we get home, but you have to let me know okay? Also, can you do me a favor, if you think you have to go potty, even if it's just a little bit, can you tell daddy that you have to go potty and how badly you have to go? Daddy would like to know so that he can help prevent any accidents that might happen because you waited too long to go potty okay?" He told her as he stood against the wall and out of the way of everyone that would come in and waited for her decision on the matter.

[Lavellan]

"I'm happy you're my daddy now." Sarah told him with a wide smile. She looked out the window at all the scenery passing by, her thumb slipping from her mouth in her excitement. "I like...um...playing dress up! And watching the princess movies." She told him only for her eyes to widen when she saw the bright colors of McDonalds. Kids would mention it all the time but this was her first time actually being there. 

As she was lifted out, she held onto Logan tightly. Making sure she wouldn't be let go. There were a lot of people there, but being in her daddy's arms made her feel safe. But as she was told the potty rules, she tensed. "I need to potty, but I don't wanna go. I wanna stay with daddy." She whined putting her head down. "I only have accidents at night." She says as if that would stop her from having an accident if she held it for too long. 

[GuardianWolves]

"Sarah, I don't think it's a good idea for you to not go potty if you need to." He said as he heard her whine and said "I was gonna take you potty with me silly, I know you don't wanna leave me which is why I was gonna take you with me into the family potty with me, family potties are potty rooms where mommies and daddies will take their little ones when they don't wanna be alone and go potty without mommy and daddy." He explained as he started walking towards the family bathroom and then used his free arm to pull out a token he had saved up from the last time he had come to the McDonalds and slipped the coin into the slot and turned the handle and opened the door, going inside of the room and letting the door close behind him. He then let her down while still holding onto her for security and tried to see if she would try and pull down her own clothes or if she would want her new daddy to do it for her. He also waited to see if she would at least try and sit on the potty by herself for him like a big girl.

[Lavellan]

Sarah let herself be carried into the bathroom by Logan but made no move to to anything by herself. Even as she was put down she looked at the toilet like it was alien. The adoption center toilets used to flush so loud. She didn't want that to happen to her while she was on it. 

 "Help me, daddy?" She asked sweetly instead. He was so nice surely he'd still help her here.