Childhood delights (James)

Freedom, she'd escaped her babysitter. She didn't know why she did it, only that she hated to be doted on like she was incapable of taking care of herself. Even though day was giving way to night, she made no attempt to return to the citadel just yet. She was too busy exploring, checking various nooks and crannies. She even dared to dip the very tips of her fingers into the water that the mermen used to travel in and out of the city. She oooh'd and ahh'd at various things, even though said things were basically piles of junk and useless knickknacks that had been abandoned. She cocked her head when she heard footsteps.

She wasn't sure who they belonged to nor was she afraid like most girls her age probably would have been. She emptied her soft features of all emotion then turned to the near-stranger, glowering boldly up at the larger figure. "Identify yourself!" She barked, puffing out her chest and crossing her arms as her pale eyes narrowed marginally. Even in the dim light, the flare in her eyes was quite visible. "You have 'til the count of three, mister." She warned, her voice dropping dangerously low.

She huffed quietly. "You'd know if you'd been here but nope, gotta play the dumb hero, don't cha? Mommy and me are fine, no thanks to you." She sniffed, the look of hurt and betrayal evident on her face. Quietly, she took a step away from him. "What are you doing here, anyways?" She wasn't about to get her hopes up.

She found it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the urge to run right into his arms, to finally show that she wasn't as strong as she wanted everybody to believe. She wound up giving in at the end but not before doing something else. She marched up to him and smacked her fist against his gut then threw her arms around him. "Daddy. don't leave again...please?" She whimpered, tilting her head back to gaze up at him as tears filled her pale gaze. "I-I'll be good, I-I won't run away from my sitter anymore." She wondered if that would work, bribery seemed to work well enough for other people.