Overwhelmed

Adora made her way down to the lake. She slowed herself to "breathe" in the last few days of the sun as she walked up to the shore, nearly tripping over a rock she hadn't even seen. The view was gorgeous. The sky from the lake appeared as magnificent shades of fiery reds, sharp oranges, and bubble-gum pinks that tinted Adora's dark skin and warmed her face. She turned when she heard the familiar sound of grass underneath shoes. Atlas was making his way over, already apologizing for the wait. "It's fine, I haven't been here long. Did you trip on that rock too?" She asked, curious. Slowly, Adora lowered herself to the ground, sitting with her knees bent, shoes mere inches from the water. She gently parted the spot next to her, beckoning Atlas over towards her. "And, yeah, I definitely still want to talk, you can count on that." She stated. Even if she did.feel a bit better thanks to the walk down, and getting to lol out at the sunset and just... be, she wasn't all right and cheery just yet. Her mother was still on her mind. She still felt a pang of disappointment in herself because of her struggle to focus in class. There was a cool breeze in the air, and Adora shivered as the small gust hit her skin.

Adora took Atlas' hoodie gratefully, slipping it over her head. The inside was plush and soft, and still warm from Atlas' body heat. It smelled of rain and pine. Adora found the aroma comforting. It reminded her of the woods behind her house, especially after a big rainstorm. The wet grass scent always found it's way into Adora's house, and it was a scent she had grown up with. She read the text on Atlas' shirt and suppressed a giggle. Ironic. Dogs are descendents of wolves. She thought to herself. Why was she making a joke? Adora never found her ability funny. Not with how dangerous it could be! She noticed Atlas seemed to stare off into the distance. He had a worried look on his face, one that made Adora think he'd seen something. She turned her eyes to look where his eyes were directed, only to see the cool mist coating the surface of the lake. "Are you... okay, Atlas?" Adora asked, re-pivoting her focus on Atlas again. He had seemed to come back into reality when she made eye contact. Adora found that the longer she spent with Atlas, the more she though he could trust him. It was an odd feeling, one Adora wasn't quite sure of. Atlas asked what was on her mind. "There's quite a bit that's wrong," Adora began. "My mom lost her job yesterday. I haven't been able to focus at all on my classes. I get these really bad nightmares sometimes, and they were just starting to go away but now they're back for whatever reason, and I just don't know how to deal with any of it. I've never... had to stress like this. I mean, my life isn't perfect, of course, but it was good enough that I've never been so unsettled like this." Adora hugged her knees close to her chest. I hope that made sense... She thought.

Adora nodded along as Atlas spoke. He seemed lonely, and Adora made it her mission to change that. Atlas said that he hung out with dogs a lot, because they won't leave you. He had a point, dogs were some of the most loyal creatures on the planet. Adora wondered how Atlas had gotten to be so lonely... he was so afraid of messing up even though he seemed like such a sweet person. "If it helps... you didn't mess up when you chose this spot. It's peaceful." Adora noticed Atlas' hand, moving to fidget with something that wasn't there. Maybe a sleeve? Adora couldn't tell. Atlas asked about her nightmares. Adora felt a chill go down her spine at the thought of them. They weren't as common as they used to be, but they had just started to go away and now she was waking up drenched in sweat again in a heartbeat. She didn't know if Atlas would be afraid of her if she told him she was a werewolf. Her mind told her to keep it to herself. But her gut told her to take the chance. Tell Atlas.
"Don't be scared..." Adora began. "But the nightmares are because I'm a werewolf. The dreams, most often, are me attacking people that I know, or care about, there was even one where I attacked myself. It's a whole story, I won't get into it unless you want to hear it." Adora felt a humongous weight lift off her shoulders with each word.

She saw his eyes widen, and clenched her fist, already prepared for Atlas to say something about her being "dangerous" or "crazy". Adora watched Atlas as he processed Adora's big bad secret. He seemed to be thinking very intently, like an adult pretending to think about playing with a child before obviously saying yes. The silence was deafening, and thoughts rang about Adora's head trying to fill it. He must think you're nuts. He's considering your danger level, She thought. She had learned that people who didn't know her had a tendency to have an aversion to her moon-bathed side. But Atlas... He was pondering Adora's words. "Are you... Gonna say something? Anythi-" Adora was cut off by Atlas finally sharing his thoughts. He mentioned her loneliness, her fear, but the only thing he wasn't quote right about was Adora distancing herself from others. She never did that, she couldn't bring herself too. If she wanted to protect someone, she'd stand in front of them and do her best. If she was actively transforming, then she'd just run away to avoid physically harming anybody, or worse. " That was deep. " Adora blurted, not realizing her own words. She clapped a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of what she just said " I am so sorry, Atlas, I don't know what just happened! But, you've got most of it. I wouldn't purposefully distance myself from someone to protect them. It's just not in my nature. What I would do is stand in front of them and give it my all to make sure they're okay. " She said, running a hand down her calf.

Adora laughed a little at Atlas's mention of shelter dogs. "They count, don't worry. Dogs are a man's best friend, remember?" She said, nudging his arm with her elbow. She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath in and looking out at the setting sun. Atlas could tell something else was up. She hadn't gone into too much detail about her mom, and that topic was definitely something She need to rant about. "I'll start with my mom. I told you she lost her job, right? She worked in the muggle department at the ministry. She loved her job so, so mich. I remember the way her face would lift up when she realized something. I remember the cookbook she had just before my first accidental magic. She made like, half the recipes in that thing. She's a terrible cook." Adora laughed at the memory of her mother's attempt at meatloaf, how her father had started it down like it was something that belonged in a dump. "But... Now it's all gone. She has no other dream. And I know she won't let me help, she's always been too independent for her own good." She sighed, tracing circles on the soft grass with her finger. "I couldn't tell you why I'm struggling to pay attention in class, but the only explanation for that is loss of sleep due to the nightmares." She made eye contact with Atlas, and watched as his eyes slowly turned from the identical green of her own to a light ice blue. Her face moved from content to a mixture of awe, confusion, and shock. She didn't know how to react or what to say. His eyes were just gorgeous in a way Adora couldn't even describe. Her finger stopped in it's tracks as she wrapped her head around what had just happened. Atlas was now pulling his hair into a small ponytail, and Adora noticed he had his ears pierced. Oh my goodness, he's cool. His eyes change color. Is he like one of those 'mood rings' or whatever Mom studied? She thought, her mouth now almost gaping open. She shut it abruptly, trying to smile, but her words got to her mouth first. "Are you a mood ring? How did your eyes do that? And your earrings are amazing! Enough about me, I want to know more about you, Atlas." She flattened her hand into the ground, ready to listen to Atlas's entire life story.