Welcome to Gaia! ::

The day had gone surprisingly well for Amelia. Things were finally starting to look up for the brunette, who was having a hard time being down as she had been only a few weeks ago. Though her time at the shelter was up, she had a plan and was taking steps towards putting it into action. The only thing that got her was how slow that process had to be.

She was leaving the cafe when she heard it, the slick of rubber on ice, a body thudding against the ice and a sharp cry of surprise. Huddled into her coat, Amelia turned and saw that a child sat on the ice, victim to the half hidden patch thanks to the darkening skies and snow. That, more than anything, held her attention and pulled at her sympathies. He had a haggard and frightened look to him, but most of what she saw was fatigue and dismay.

“The ice is out to get everyone tonight, it seems,” she mused with a smile, kneeling down to the boy with an outstretched hand. “It got me going inside, too.”

Watching the boy was like a cruel cartoon, his body failing him as it continued to flail along the ice and break his balance. Amelia was about to pull her hand away, believing he had control at last when his hands reached out, clinging desperate to her own for support. Her knees locked, preventing them both from sliding by some miracle.

“It's alright.” Smoothing her oversized coat, Amelia shook her head and raised a brow at the young boy instead. “Kids your age drink coffee?”

Amelia chuckled, surprising herself with the sound as she shook her head. “You'd be surprised. I've heard of kids your age drinking it like it was going out of style.” Her phrasing was out of style, too, but she didn't care. She was amazed at the boy's manners; he was so polite for someone so young. Paired with the dark shadows under his eyes, she couldn't help but wonder what his story was.

Following Aiden into the cafe, Amelia felt the tension ease form her shoulders as she collided with a wave of familiar warmth. The scent of baked goods wasn't as strong as it would be in the morning, but it was still pleasant when blended with the various coffees and other drinks.

She didn't really want to put the burden on him, but the boy insisted once again, so she relented. A hot drink on a cold night was always a blessing, but she would make sure it was a cheap one. Looking over the menu, Amelia nodded. “A small oolong tea, please.”

Amelia cracked a smile at Aiden's remark, a rare sight for the brunette. It felt strange to be talking to someone so young, as if she had forgotten it was possible or how to do so. Kids just didn't approach her all that much, but then again, she had been the one to approach the young man. She still wasn't sure why she had done so and wondered if her fatigue was finally catching up with her.

The cafe was a warm and welcoming place in both atmosphere and temperature, though no particular holiday decorations could be seen. It felt snug, a little slice of home away from home where you could relax and chat with a friend without being drowned out by music or other patrons. Even the engraved counter had a soft and simple elegance to it.

“It's nice to meet you, Aiden. My name's Amelia.” She stepped closer to let another customer pass, smiling down at the boy who seemed too mature for his years. Was it possible he was hiding something behind those well polished manners? Anything was possible.

The fact that the cafe was non-smoking meant that Amelia didn't have much of a preference where they were, so long as the spot was out of the way of the draft coming through when the door opened. She nodded at Aiden's question, noticing how he seemed hopeful and skeptical at the same time. Again, she noticed the dark shadows under his eyes, though his smile seemed genuine. It, like hers, was polite and not necessarily ready to eat his entire face with endless amounts of energy that she saw in many kids. Maybe it was her curiosity that had caused her to say yes, and nothing more?

“It's fine,” she assured the boy as she took her mug, picking one seat so that Aiden could sit across from her. The heated ceramic felt good against the lingering cold in her hands.

Now, of course, there was the tricky, winding labyrinth of polite conversation to work through. “Do you come here often, Aiden? The barrista seemed used to you being here.”

Amelia still couldn't get over how polite Aiden was. She watched the boy hop down from the table, listened to his manners and watched all the little gestures that made him seem unreal, or perhaps a dream himself. The kids she remembered and saw these days were mostly spoiled brats, and even the better ones didn't go that far.

“Sometime I come here,” she admitted with a small nod. Setting her mug down on a napkin, Amelia studied Aiden for a moment, lost in thought. She hadn't missed how careful he was with his bag, but assumed that it had something fragile or precious in it. The look he gave it now, however, was fearful. She could feel sympathy goosebumps raise on her own arms beneath the fabric of her sweater.

“Does your grandmother live nearby?” She could see Aiden bringing his grandmother to the quiet cafe some days, or perhaps bringing something home to her if the woman wasn't able to get about on her own. And yet, for all that he was sweet-tempered, the brunette knew what it was like to be fooled by something like a sweet smile or enthusiasm. It was a mixed reaction that left her stomach churning before she managed to push the thoughts away. Aiden was a kid of, what? Eight, maybe ten? Was she really so far gone off her rocker that she doubted kids, too, or was it the lack of sleep causing her to seem incoherent?

Amelia wasn't too concerned as to why she hadn't come across Aiden in the cafe before. Most of her chances to do so were during her breaks at the bookstore a couple of streets over, so he was probably in school. She tilted her head to the side, watching him as she listened to the explanation that Granny was a nickname rather than a relative of his. At the mention of the familiar name, Amelia's eyes lit up, her expression warming as she nodded.

“Ah, so you've met her, too?” Her smile turned sad as she realized what this could mean for Aiden. With the way he seemed jittery and fearful, Amelia wasn't placing any bets on his experiencing pleasant dreams. She had come out with a blessing on that one, though the voice in the dream still puzzled her. To have so much hope inside you that you feel like it will burst from your chest at any moment and envelope everyone, that it's so much bigger than you but still trapped inside your own skin, was an exhilarating experience as well as frightening. It shouldn't be possible to hold that much hope inside you, to be so...confident about it. But the more she had the dream, the more potent it became and the more she remembered, it also felt right. If only there was a way to pass that on to Aiden. He looked like he could use some.

She decided to take the plunge and ask a very pertinent question while Aiden was chewing, preventing him from changing the topic right away.

“Do you have...special dreams, then?”