Aden Warsaw // District Ten

I am not Elon Emberstatt, but I may borrow heavily from his bio description. And then that plan totally backfired as I sunk into a hole of depression reading about Elon. So here's Aden.

Aden wears garments. Not clothes, garments. They fully cover his knees and elbows. He always has at least two layers on, including an undershirt and boxer briefs. Even in the blazing hot summer that threatens to melt and fry everything in Ten simultaneously, Aden is always fully dressed. This may baffle, or even irritate, his siblings, because Aden has been known to hog the Warsaw family bathroom. But it is a part of his philosophy, his belief, to be clean and presentable in the eyes of God at all times.

The parts of him that are exposed are similarly well groomed. Aden always has perfectly round, clean nails, hands free of callouses, hair styled in such a way to leave his face open to the light. He has quite an impressive collection of freckles, especially considering that he doesn't spend really all that much time exposed to the sun. He is by far the freckliest of is siblings, and that suits him, because it is a trait passed down to him through his mother.

He also mirrors her body type, for better or worse. Willowy and lean, Aden has never felt compelled to try to bulk up like his peers. God gave him this body, after all, and all he can do is honor it. So he dresses himself as well as he can afford, hand tailors his clothes so that they form to his figure, but are never clingy, and does his best to appear respectable and modest at all times.

Belief, faith, charity, witnessing and testimony. These are what define Aden. Even as a toddler he was a serious boy with serious concerns. Who would help their mother while he napped? Who would make sure that his toys stayed in perfect order, huddled around the little baby in the manger figurine? While his mother certainly instilled a sense of faith in all her children, Aden learned more by osmosis. He watched, quiet and pensive, mimicking her movements. He learned to cross himself concurrent with walking. When he started to attend school and realize that not everyone followed the beliefs of their parents, Aden turned ever more inward.

It took years for him to realize that keeping his belief a secret was not in service to God, but in service to himself, and his own cowardice around his peers. Over the last several years, Aden has begun to find his preacher voice. He will speak to anyone about the saving grace of their Lord, about giving one's life in service. Of course, not everyone find comfort in such things, and Aden has borne more than his fair share of ridicule and bullying at school. He does not mind. It hardens his belief, and deepens his commitment to proselytizing.

There is something timeless, wise about Aden, even if it is frequently difficult to be around him. He wants for nothing, other than to comfort and guide you. He asks for nothing, not even for you to listen. His patience is infinite. He is secure that the world is right, exactly as it ought to be in God's eyes. You are not wrong, you are not mistaken, you are not misguided. You do not have to love God for Him to love you. Aden endeavors to show all the path to redemption, but he knows that not everyone will find it before death. Lydie Mansonna and Damion Winters did not, and he prays daily for their souls. But their fates are part of a larger tapestry, woven by the one true God.

Aden was born in the image of his Lord, truly his mother's son, although he had two older siblings. In some ways, Aden has always felt like an only child, the only true inheritor of his mother's genes. He even looks the most like her, with his soft feminine features and dappled skin. It goes deeper than that, a bond that can exist only between a mother and son, two people whose belief carries them through both hardships and joy.

It's difficult to say when Aden became religious. Rather, he seemed to soak it up from being in the vicinity of his mother. Even as a toddler he mimicked her quiet strength, parroted back the prayers that fell from her lips. He held fervently to her hand, to comfort her through her mourning for Dorian, although Aden felt no sadness when his father was taken from their family. Instead, this moment, more than any other, affirmed his belief in God's righteousness. After all, while Dorian was a good father, his heart was traitorous, and justice was served. There is nothing that Aden finds more comforting than to see God's will enacted.

Certainly his religiosity has developed and changed over the years. From a mere to parrot, to a quiet but fierce study, to proselytizing, Aden believes he has finally found his path in life. He was not meant to be a quiet bookworm, but a shepherd to the people. This realization came on all at once, during one of his evening contemplations. He had no trouble at all convincing his mother of his new found career, but now Aden has discovered that one just does not become the mouth of God so easily. Many people he approaches in the street ignore him or distrust his words. He needs a flock, even a small one, to get him started.

And so he has been considering something drastic, but in his heart he knows God is leading him. A child's life is precious, and there are so many in District Ten whose lives are utterly wasted. What better way to serve his Lord than to adopt a child and show him or her the way? Is that not both charity and true service? He has hinted at his plan to his mother, as he is only seventeen, she would legally be the adopting guardian. But Aden cares very little for the laws of man and Panem. If he is to father a flock, and that is God's will, officially paperwork will not stand in his way.

Of course, there are others who would stand in his way, namely one Val Stromstatt. But that, perhaps, is a story yet to unfold. For now, Aden spends most of his days praying, committing himself to this path, at the expense of attending school or work. Rather, his work in the home, caring for his mother and siblings, and quietly making room for one more.

Warsaw Family Plot