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Adam cluelessly wandered about what must have been the hundredth, or even thousandth, street he clumsily stumbled upon over decades of his cursed immortality. He'd grown accustomed to and comfortable with the feeling of knowing he would endlessly walk this planet without rhyme or reason or purpose.
However, the joy of discovering what he read while scouring over all the books he could get his unfamiliar hands on fueled his desire to live without recourse, as his father instructed.
Adam found himself intimidated by a staircase that seemed all too impossible for his used limbs to climb, tentatively raising his left foot to make contact with the first step. Copying the same method with his other foot was a taxing feat, but Adam eventually made it to the top of the stairs. Not without strange looks from the humans that passed him on their way up and down, but he was used to the beings not quite understanding what he was; he still wasn't sure.
He still wasn't used to maneuvering his limbs to gain motion and create distance between any point. Adam knew his limbs weren't of natural creation; they were given to him and put together in a way that is unnatural. he is unnatural, but that is a thought process for another day.
Upon pulling his attention away from his feet, Adam hesitated once again, taking in the view of ornate doors leading to the inside of his destination. he recently learned the name for the type of building— museum. He had never heard the term before, and spent a long time rolling the word around his mouth to get familiar with the pronunciation. He set his sights on one closest to the village he was temporarily occupying until he would inevitably be questioned and discovered.
Adam's long legs carried him across the threshold, overwhelming him with objects he couldn't name. He saw pictures— no, paintings, he discovered that word recently— hanging from the walls of the boastful room, reaching his hand out to feel them, but stopping after he noticed a sign warning all visitors not to do that.
The Creature spent a long time absorbing the paintings spread out over the room until he came upon a room that contained what appeared to be people. He did not understand what the figures were at first, but began to realize that they were Mary and Jesus from the Bible. The Creature caught the attention of a curator, making himself appear smaller so as not to frighten them.
"Pardon me… What is this called?" Adam asked the human, pointing at the display of the biblical figures. The human looked up at him, hesitating for a brief second before providing him with an answer: "It's Michelangelo's Pietà, depicting Mother Mary cradling Jesus after his crucifixion."
Adam turned his attention back to the figures, then back at the curator. "But… What is it? This is not a painting…"
The human shot a puzzled look at the larger-than-life Promethean creation, not comprehending how he did not know what the artwork was. "It is a sculpture made of marble. One of three made by Michelangelo; the other two are named the Bandini Pietà and the Rondanini Pietà." The curator gestured for Adam to follow them closer to the sculpture of Mother Mary and Jesus, and he did so carefully and quietly as they continued to explain the history. It was just the two of them in the room.
"The trio of sculptures was painstakingly created by the artist over six decades in the sixteenth century, each of them showing the lifeless body of Christ being supported by those who loved him dearly," the human continued, pointing out how Mother Mary held her son with a downcast expression. "Some interpret this one to be a mother mourning her son while admiring his strength and generosity towards others. Do you have any other questions?"
Adam shook his head as he got as close to the sculpture as possible, pulling his tattered jacket close to his form. "No, thank you for your help and patience." The human nodded and left the giant being to his thoughts and the artwork.
He wondered what it was like to have a mother, to have a parent who loves you for who you are. He wondered what his life would have been like if Victor had loved him instead of despising his existence until his last breath of mortality. His creator had been deceased for a long time, but the Creature often found himself wondering what their relationship might have been if he had recognized his harm sooner— If Victor had seen him as someone rather than something.
Adam mourned the life he would never have; he mourned the life that was never meant for him.
A life of mortality and normalcy.
A life and relationship with a human mother and father who would have loved him wholly, despite his flaws.
The Creature felt so alone as he gazed upon the sculpture.