When she had arrived at the orphanage, Noble had been unsure of what to expect. She tried to walk into the situation with an open mind.
Orphanage #113 was clean, almost unnervingly so, especially when compared with the dilapidated state of the outskirts around it. The facility was industrial in nature, with each thing designed with function in mind.
It made sense. With hundreds of children filtering in and out at any given time, the need to control disease and keep things orderly was a necessity.
Still, Noble couldn't help but feel that it was missing warmth.
The children also lacked joy. It was not to say they were miserable, but there was a subdued nature to their play and interaction that permeated the air.
Each was wearing the same outfit as the little girl holding her hand: a tan sweatshirt and sweatpants. Opal went on to explain that the school-age children also had the appropriate uniforms, and all children had suitable sleeping gowns as well.
"We have the children separated by age and gender most of the time except during meals, but we make sure that all of our wards are closely monitored throughout their day to keep everyone safe and happy…" Opal continued her speech as she walked them through the playrooms, study rooms, and sleeping quarters.
Noble could clearly see that Opal cared deeply about her job and the children. Unlike all but a handful of the workers there, she had true citizenship in the NQSC.
That kind of status could have granted her access to any number of positions, yet she was here. Noble respected the facilitator very much for her commitment to making whatever difference she could in the hopeless situation.
As Fort checked all the boxes and made all the appropriate notes, Noble spent most of her time gauging the emotions of the child next to her.
The girl's heart raced in excitement as they passed through one of the bigger kids' areas. Many were playing a game with a single ball, and the child seemed riveted by the scene.
A tall boy hit the ball directly at his much shorter counterpart. The dark-haired child caught the toy in his pale hands, signaling the first young man was out.
The little girl hopped excitedly.
"Does that make you happy?" Noble whispered with a conspiratorial smile.
With an impish grin, the girl nodded.
"Do you get to play that game with your friends?" The Awakened felt the child's emotions sink into sadness. She pursed her lips into a pout.
"I see. Well, I do hope you can play sometime soon." Noble wasn't sure what else to say.
She had no power to change anything here. Even her wish for the future somehow seemed empty. There was nothing Noble could do to make the wish come true.
Continuing on, the girl loved the room for meals but hated her sleeping quarters. 'What child likes to sleep?' Noble hid her grin.
Even though the little girl never spoke, Noble felt like she was seeing the orphanage through the child's innocent eyes. The little one had clearly had a rough life. She had lived in the outskirts and lost both her parents to end up here, but she still went around with wide-eyed curiosity.
This was particularly true when they entered the kitchen, which the child had clearly never seen before. The government tried to supply at least one meal a day that was not synthpaste. And just now large pots of something were being boiled for the lunchtime meal.
The girl tried to see into one of the pots, only to be asked to step back by Opal for the girl's own safety. Noble lifted her from afar, and the little one stared at the boiling liquid with her mouth hanging open. It was adorable to see her so transfixed over such an ordinary event.
Noble believed that she could have watched the girl's amazement for hours and still not have grown bored. Unfortunately, they needed to move on.
At last, they came to the final room, which just so happened to be the room where the child currently belonged. Noble could not help but note that they had gone past the room to look at the babies before coming back to this very spot. Not that she minded. She was becoming quite accustomed to her tiny walking companion.
Fort looked through the room and noted a few places that could use some attention. "I am just being nit-picky at this point. You have done a very fine job here, ma'am."
"My staff and I do our best," Opal responded, a flush of pleasure rising to her cheeks. "Thank you for noticing our hard work."
Fort shook the woman's hand. "Thank you. You made my job quite easy."
Noble looked down at the child holding her hand. It felt natural having her there. For the first time in months, the Awakened could truly say that she had forgotten her own sadness while being there. It was nice to let go of that burden, even if the effect was only temporary.
Noble knelt and looked the child in the eyes. "I suppose it is time for me to go. It was a pleasure to meet you."
"Do you want to say goodbye to Awakened Noble?" Opal encouraged.
Instead, tears formed in the little girl's eyes.
Noble panicked, searching for anything she could do not to leave the child behind to cry. "No need. This isn't goodbye. I will, uh, I will be back!"
"You will?" Fort asked.
"You will?" Opal was equally confused.
The girl, too, looked at her uncertainly.
"Do you not allow volunteers?" Noble tried to think quickly.
"We do," Opal nodded slowly. She neglected to mention that they had never actually had one.
"Then I will be back on Monday then to see if there is any way I might be of assistance," Noble offered her contact information to the facilitator. "Please send me anything I need to fill out and what time I should be here before then."
Opal glanced at Fort, who shrugged noncommittally.
"Of course, Awakened Noble," Opal dipped her head, "I look forward to seeing you again on Monday."
Noble could sense a little doubt in the facilitator's voice. It didn't really matter what Opal thought though, as long as she allowed Noble to return.
The floating woman bent down once more to the child's eye level. There was a bit of hope there which stirred indescribable feelings inside Noble's soul.
"I will be back, is that ok?"
The girl looked to Opal. The woman gave her an encouraging smile. "It is up to you, my dear."
The child blinked back the tears and swallowed. Hesitantly, she nodded.
Unable to control herself, Noble hugged the dark-haired girl. The child was so small that the slender Awakened almost felt like she was hugging air. The girl sighed in contentment. 'How long has it been since the last time she was hugged?'
"I will see you soon," Noble promised.
As they exited the Orphanage and the door shut behind him, Fort chewed his lip.
Sensing his nervousness, Noble tilted her head. "What?"
"Nothing…just…do you really plan to come back here on Monday?"
The Awakened's eyes swirled as she took her husband's hand. "Well, I couldn't very well stay longer today. We have a movie to catch, remember?"