[Kitsumi]

This roleplay is rated 'M' for possible violence and language, including brief discussion of topics such as neglect, abuse, murder and suicide.


Cory

"Here we are," the social worker paused in front of a large, two-story building.

Cory scoured the home with a critical gaze. The cheery yellow door was garishly bright in comparison to the pale blue siding that covered the outside walls. The sidewalk leading up towards the front door was lined with pink, white, and yellow flowers. It looked as if someone had put a lot of care into making the house look welcoming.

It only made Cory feel sick to her stomach.

(1)

[Kitsumi]

Diane & Lola

Before they had even reached the front porch, the yellow door swung open and two women stepped out. The taller of the two had a kind smile and dirty blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail. The shorter woman was having a hard time keeping still, her purple bobbed hair bouncing slightly with her energetic movements.

"Welcome, Cordelia!" the shorter woman called out happily. "I'm Lola, and this is my wife Diane. We're both so happy to have you here!"

Frowning, the girl clutched the black trash back closer to her chest. "It's Cory," she mumbled.

(2)

[Kitsumi]

"Of course," Diane spoke this time. "Cory it is, then. We don't want to call you by a name that you aren't comfortable with."

"Cory's a swell name," Lola added. Glancing at the social worker, she gave her a friendly nod. "I think we can take it from here. Unless you need to come in and check up on anything?"

The woman shook her head. "Oh no, I believe everything is in order." Turning towards the young woman, she squeezed her shoulder. "Don't hesitate to call if you need anything at all," she said. "I'll be back to check on you in a few weeks, okay?"

(3)

[Kitsumi]

Cory had never really considered the social worker to be someone that she felt close to. But now, watching her walk away, she felt a sudden wave of anxiety. She was about to be in a house surrounded by strangers, and she had just said goodbye to her last familiar face.

"Let's head inside," Diane said. "We can introduce you to the other kids now, or if you need a bit of time to yourself we can show you to your room? It's up to you."

The girl shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me," she replied, deadpan.

(4)

[Kitsumi]

The blonde's eyebrows furrowed together in concern, her lips slightly pursed. She seemed to want to speak, but her wife silenced her with a gentle hand on her arm. The two shared a moment of wordless communication before they both turned to face their newest charge.

"Well if you don't mind, we'll introduce you to the others first, then," Lola said. Her excitement was somewhat toned down now, as she didn't want to overwhelm the poor girl. "They've all been anxious to meet you."

Together, the three females walked further into the house.

(5)

[Kitsumi]

The living room seemed huge to Cory, who was used to cramped group homes that tried to fit as many kids into as small a space as possible. A brown leather L-shaped couch provided most of the seating, although there was also a small loveseat and a recliner. The fireplace in the corner of the room crackled and filled the space with heat, while the television provided most of the noise in the form of some sort of action film.


Minnie
"She's here!" a young voice cried, and suddenly Cory felt two small arms wrap around her waist. Looking down, she felt her heart grow heavy as she saw an adorable brunette - probably around six or seven years old - hugging her.

(6)

[Kitsumi]

Suddenly, the room became a bustle of activity. Cory found herself surrounded, and it was like all of the air had been sucked from her lungs. Her eyes widened, and her hands clenched into fists.

"Okay, back up guys!" Lola shouted, clapping her hands to get the attention of the kids. "Let's do the introductions one at a time, yeah?"

Diane managed to pry the smallest child off of Cory's waist, picking her up and propping the girl on her hip. "Minnie's big on hugs," she explained.

(7)

[Kitsumi]

Sarah & Ben

"Sorry, we didn't mean to overwhelm you," a girl spoke, shoving to the front of the group. She looked to be slightly older than Cory, maybe a year or two difference. "I'm Sarah." Grabbing the younger boy next to her, she pushed him in front. "C'mon, introduce yourself."

The boy - who looked to be around twelve or thirteen - glared up at Sarah for a moment. "I was gonna, if you just give me a second," he complained. Then, to Cory, "Hi! I'm Ben."

(8)

[Kitsumi]

Just as Cory was beginning to hope that the introductions were over - after all, sharing a home with three other foster kids was already a lot - Sarah grabbed the arm of a boy who was hiding behind her. He looked like he was around Sarah and Cory's age. He also looked incredibly uncomfortable as he shyly introduced himself.


Xander

"Hey," he practically whispered. "My name's Alexander, but please just call me Xander." He managed to make eye contact for all of three seconds before timidly looking away. "I know it's a big crazy house," he continued, bravely. "But everyone here is really nice. You'll see."

[Kitsumi]

"Okay," Cory said, speaking in a wary voice. "Is... is that everyone?"

The six strangers looked around, seeming to count themselves. Then, Diane spoke up. "Oh, no... we're missing Lucas."

"He's probably painting," Sarah guessed. "He didn't really care that we had someone new coming in today." Her eyes widened as she realized what she said. "Oh, not that he doesn't care about you specifically! He's just... well, he's a little..."

"Lucas is asocial," Diane explained. "So please don't be offended if he is rude or standoffish at first. He's like that with everyone, but we're working on teaching him how to properly interact with others."

(10)

[Kitsumi]

Lola frowned slightly. "We talked about this, and he knew that he should be here. I'll go find him." Without waiting for a response, she darted off.

"Cory, please make yourself comfortable," Diane said. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I baked cookies today to celebrate your arrival. I hope you like chocolate chip. I can bring you a couple, and a glass of milk to go with them?"

The girl shifted uncomfortably. "Um, yeah, okay, thanks." She really didn't like being the center of attention among all these new people.

(11)

[Kitsumi]

Cory attempted to retreat to the couch, but three of the other kids - Minnie, Sarah, and Ben - followed her. Minnie sat so close that she was practically on the older girl's lap, while Sarah stood in front of her and Ben plopped down on the other side.

"Have you seen your room yet?" the youngest girl asked. She spoke again without giving Cory a chance to answer. "You're gonna love it! Me and Sarah and Diane all went together to pick out the blankets and stuff. And if you want to change the color, you're allowed to paint it! All you hafta do is tell 'em you wanna change it, and they'll take you to pick out some paint."

"Oh, uh..." Cory managed a weak smile. "Cool."

(12)

[Kitsumi]

"Look who I found!" Lola returned, with a teenage boy in tow.


Lucas
Lucas was tall, thin, and pale. His face was an expressionless mask, and he didn't bother to even spare a single glance in Cory's direction. Instead, he looked to the side as he made a half-hearted attempt at an introduction. "I'm Lucas, I'm almost seventeen, and I like painting." It sounded very rehearsed, and as soon as it was over he turned to his guardian. "Am I done here?"

The woman frowned. "Come on, Luke. Don't you want to stay and get to know the newest member of our family?"

"No," he said simply, before turning and walking back the way he had came.

(13)

[Kitsumi]

Lola sighed, shaking her head as she watched the teenager walk away. Turning to Cory, she offered a sheepish smile. "Please don't take it personally," she said. "It's not that he doesn't like you or anything. He just doesn't like socializing in general."

"I understand," Cory said quietly. Honestly, she didn't really care about any of the other foster kids in the household. She didn't even want to be here.

But no one else seemed to understand how she felt.

(14)

[Kitsumi]

"I've got the cookies!" Diane reentered the room with a plate in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. "Here you go, Cory," she said as she passed the snack over to the girl. "You'll have to let me know what sorts of food you like, so I can cook them for you."

Cory shrugged. "I dunno," she said. "I'll eat anything." A lie, of course. She wasn't necessarily a picky eater, but she did have her limits. She just really didn't want to talk right now.

(15)