Around the end of October, the orphanages receive plenty of both Hallowed and Non--Hallowed children. Parents who were feeling rather mischievous that month sometimes end up regretting their decisions, and it isn't long before kids are dumped on the steps of local orphanages. Do you have a senior that has graduated academy who wants a child? Lucky for you, there's plenty of kids who need a home, and you may be leaving with a new addition to your family.
Fill out the form below and post it in this thread! Roll 3 4-sided dice to determine the story your character will have for adopting their child. Try to be creative with your interpretation of the prompts, and add as much to them as you'd like! Take the scenarios presented to you by the dice rolls and elaborate upon them in RP. There is a minimum word count of 500 words! You may write more than that, but you must meet the minimum.
Die 1: How did you get to the orphanage?
1: You didn't expect to be here today, but it just happened, and now you're on the orphanage's stoop. 2: Something has caused you to be volunteering for the orphanage for about the last week, and today is the last day you planned on volunteering. 3: You saw an ad for the orphanage that struck a chord within you, so you showed up to the orphanage. 4: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person.
Die 2: What happens when you're invited into the orphanage's play room?
1: You sit down in a chair and don't feel drawn any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. 2: You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you. 3: You take notice of a child who is playing by themselves with a myriad of toys that are all of a similar category (i.e., horses, trucks). 4: You take notice of a child at the coloring table and join them in their artistic endeavors.
Die 3: But just as you're about to leave...
1: You run into a child sitting in the waiting room that wasn't in the play room. 2: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption. 3: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening... 4: The child from the play room runs out and meets you in the lobby to tell/give you something.
Please note that you are not guaranteed a Hallowed child.
Form
[size=11][b]Username:[/b] [b]Cert of Applicant:[/b] [b]List mutations you dislike:[/b] Up to 3. [b]List triggers:[/b] DO NOT POST DISLIKES HERE. This is very disrespectful to people with actual triggers and trivializes genuine fears and panic-inducing phobias.
This contest is completely free. You may only enter ONCE. Applicants must be a graduated from academy senior. If you do not have a senior you may use an NPC character. This is ONLY for those who lack a senior. If you do have a senior, you may not use an NPC character. The NPC must be a senior that graduated the academy. While other members of the family may be included in the RP, the applicant must still be a graduated senior. Please use the form provided. Anyone may enter, whether they are a newbie or not! Staff who are not judges may enter this contest. You may win one kid from this particular contest. Winning a prize from this event does not count towards your one-per-event limit! Whining, guilt-tripping, or generally misbehaving over the contest will result in you being disqualified. Make sure you've read the Guide to the Worlds forum in its entirety! You may not proxy for another person. You may not gift your prize away, and cannot re-home for the first 60 days. If you are very particular about races you receive, this is likely not the contest for you as the kids handed out are a random race.
Username: Blinded By Silence Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: None? Ya'll do good work. List triggers: None
Prompt 1: You saw an ad for the orphanage that struck a chord within you, so you showed up to the orphanage. Prompt 2: You take notice of a child at the coloring table and join them in their artistic endeavors. Prompt 3: You run into a child sitting in the waiting room that wasn't in the play room.
RP Response: Deci was strolling down the street hummung her favorite Hallows song, her furry arms laden with brown paper bags. She was on her way home from the store after picking more decorations and, of course, more candy, when she noticed two young nightmares standing by the doorway to another store, passing out fliers, each with a small jar. Her ears twitched, her curiosity getting the better of her, she slowed down to see what was going on.
"Hey, kids, what's up?" She asked, shifting her bags in her arms.
"Hello, miss. We are collecting donations for the Wrought Street Orphanage, would you care for a flier?" The littlest one said. Despite his pitch sounding rehearsed, Deci smiled and set down her bags.
"Yeah, kid. Hand it over." She reached out a big paw and took the paper into her claws.
Reading over the cheaply made flier, she recalled her own experiences as an orphan living in these kinds of places. Her smile faded and she shoved the paper into her back pocket before pulling out her wallet. Without a second thought she dropped what cash she had into the kids jar before scooping up her bags, not looking back as the kids shouted their thanks behind her.
. . . . .
A week had passed, and December sat cross-legged on her sofa grumpily stuffing candy in her mouth. For the life of her, she couldn't get those kids out of her head! It wasn't her problem, she had already done what she could right? After all, it had been a good fist full of cash, hence why she was eating candy and not, say, fresh groceries. She glared down at the paper unfolded on her lap.
'Volunteers always welcome.'
She gave a great, heavy sigh. Well. She was bored after all. The grimm threw herself off the couch and snatched up a half-bag of candy. At the very least she could play with some kids for an hour. Right?
. . . . .
Half an hour later, there she was, standing in a room full of running feet and shrieks of laughter. Already it was better than where she'd grown up, she thought, looking around the play room. It was bigger, that's for sure. And there were far, far more kids. Too many, actually, the more she thought about it. There wasn't really enough room for them all in here, let alone with her. Deci looked around and spotted a small girl with pale pink hair and pure white skin, sitting quietly by herself with a coloring book and crayons.
'Alright, here goes nothing, I guess.' She thought and she pulled out a tiny chair and sat down awkwardly, "Uh, hi there! My name is December. What are you drawing?" She gave the kid a big grin, despite her knees already complaining from the odd angle at which she was sitting.
The little girl peeked up, and Deci's eyes softened. She had such beautiful eyes, soft and blue. The child didn't answer, but slowly lifted up her coloring book so she could see. It was a Haunted Hallows coloring book filled with big scary monsters in a cute cartoony style. The little girl had colored in most of the page with bright, happy colors.
"Wow, that's pretty good! Can I try?" Deci asked. The little girl nodded and very carefully tore out a page for her. December carefully picked up a crayon in her claws, fumbling with it to try and hold it right, he giggled, "I've never been good at drawing or coloring, anything like that. Claws, it's hard to hold things, you know?"
The little girl smiled, and then gave a bright smile before rushing over to the craft corner. With quick little steps, she hopped back over and presented the grimm with a handful of giant crayons.
"Whoa, good idea, kid! Let's see..." She took one and held it much easier than the small, child sized ones, "Yeah, this could work! Thanks kid."
She spent almost two hours coloring with that little girl. Deci did most of the talking, as she always did. But as time went on she learned that the little girl was named Charlotte, she was seven, and her favorite color was happy. Deci liked that. She said her favorite was fun.
. . . . .
When it was time to leave, December was a bit ashamed of herself for not volunteering sooner. It had been a really fun experience and the kids seemed to really enjoy it too. As she was signing out, she noticed a teenage boy sitting sprawled out on the waiting room chairs with a book in one set of hands while another rested behind his head. His tail twitched as she watched.
"So, you getting a kid?" He asked without looking up from his book.
His blatancy surprised her, and she stammered, "Uh, I-I... I don't know. I don't really think I'd make a good mom." She admitted, setting down the pen.
"Any mom is better than no mom," was all he said. She tried to say good bye but the boy kept reading until, with one last look behind her, she closed the orphanage door.
'Any mom is better than no mom,' she thought. Huh. Maybe he was right.
Username: Bluedemonwolf Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: None? List triggers: Crocodiles/Alligators, Snakes
Prompt 1: Something has caused you to be volunteering for the orphanage for about the last week, and today is the last day you planned on volunteering. Prompt 2: You take notice of a child at the coloring table and join them in their artistic endeavors. Prompt 3: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption.
RP Response:
Sieglinde adored children. So much so that she was going to be starting a new job soon in her field of childhood education, focusing on the wee little ones. However there was a downside to her love of children, she was infertile and thus incapable of having her own. She tried to not let that get her down, instead she focused on helping the kids that she came into contact with. It was one of the reasons why she volunteered at the orphanage so much.
With her starting her new job soon she wasn't going to have much time to volunteer so she had decided this past week to dedicate some time now. The week was almost over and it was her last day. She walked into the orphanage to sounds of little ones laughing, screaming, and just in general craziness. She gave the receptionist a bright smile. "Sounds like the party has started."
He gives her a faint smile with a small laugh. "If that's what you call it, Miss Sieglinde. You're leaving us today, huh? Well the kids will be a little disappointed but they'll quickly bounce back. Go on in and see where you're needed."
She gave him a wave and walked into the play room. She saw a few other workers and possibly volunteers. The reading corner and block area were taken care of as well as the other toy areas. She noticed a lack of adults at the coloring tables and walked over there. "Mind if I join all of you artists?" She asked. She was greeted with a chorus of 'yes' and sat down to color. She helped a couple of little girls with their pictures, mostly commenting on how well they were doing and what amazing color choices. She also had some little boys suggesting ideas and colors for the picture that she was doing.
There were a few laughs when they saw how badly she drew Vespercat. She knew she was a terrible drawer but by showing that it didn't bother her she got a few kids to show off their drawings that they were hiding away from the others. Some of them were rather good and some were like her's and not so good. But the kids only laughed a little about the not so good ones and some even followed up with pointing out what they liked about the picture.
Time flew by as she colored with the kids at that table. So many came and went that it was hard to keep track of them all. Sadly her time to leave came before she knew it. A few kids tried to get her to stay longer, to draw just one more picture, but she had to leave. She tried to leave on a positive note but she saw a couple of kids look a little upset that their new friend was leaving.
With her heart heavy and trying to break, Sieglinde walked out of the play room and waved goodbye to the receptionist. Walking out the door she sighed softly before moving away. She stopped when she heard someone call out for her to wait and turned to see the receptionist come outside. "Was there something I forgot?" She asked.
"No no... I was just wondering... well I watched you with the kids and I just thought to myself 'here's a perfect person to be a parent' so.... have you ever considered adoption? I know it's not for everyone and that not everyone wants kids. But you're a natural and I can tell you love kids... so won't you consider adopting one?" He replied hurriedly.
Sieglinde froze a little a his words, stunned. Yes she couldn't have kids but why hadn't she ever really considered adopting? Yes she was going to be moving into a busy time of her life and in a bit of a transition period as she adjusted to being a teacher but... she wasn't in school anymore and it shouldn't be too hard to raise a child. In fact with her job and future secured now would be the best time to start considering such a thing. "Why.... I don't know why I haven't thought of it before." She replied with a small chuckle, "I may not be able to adopt right this second but yes... yes I can consider adopting a little one."
Username: Green Minuet Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: Nah. List triggers: None! Prompt 1: You saw an ad for the orphanage that struck a chord within you, so you showed up to the orphanage. Prompt 2: You sit down in a chair and don't feel drawn any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. Prompt 3: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening...
RP Response: Took a lot of liberties with the prompts! Broken up into parts.
It started out as a job.
Standing under the porch light by the backdoor, Legion loaded a bolt into the crossbow and pointed it off into the darkness behind the playset. From the shadows a pair of eyes gleamed back at him. He slid his thumb across the safety. The movement procured a faint click.
In sudden a rustle of leaves, the eyes vanished. Legion continued to stare into the darkness, then, when a half a minute had passed, lowered the weapon. “Just a racconoggle,” he said, pulling the safety and closing the arms. It folded down small enough that it fit into his breast pocket.
“Is that necessary?” a woman asked from the doorframe behind him. She was a stocky, bearded woman, with a smile that could melt the heart of cutthroat killer and eyes that could scorch his soul. And in a way they had. Legion could see why the boss was so fond of her. Right now however, she appeared neither warm nor fiery—just concerned.
Legion turned towards her as he smoothed down his jacket. The weapon disappeared into the fabric as though it never existed in the first place.
“Not likely,” he said. He picked up the bag duffel he had left near the door. “More of a precaution than anything.”
The matron’s lips tightened. He could see it in her face that she would not be satisfied with such a simple answer. He continued, “I have no intention of drawing in front of a child. In fact, I have no intention of drawing at all if I can help it. Bloodshed is my last resort. I promise, you and your wards are in good hands.”
That seemed to put her mind at ease, if only a little. He hitched the bag over his shoulder, and the woman moved from the door so he could pass through. He thanked her, she followed him inside. They stood in a dingy play room with dingy furniture and dingy toys. The latter had been cleaned up from the day’s activities and neatly put away on shelves against the wall. Faded stains marked the carpet.
Legion picked a seat that faced the back door, and then set his bag down at his feet. As he rummaged through its contents, the woman hovered nearby. She seemed to be torn. Out of the corner of his eye, Legion saw her mouth squirm.
“You’re not what I expected,” she said at last. She took a seat on the couch across from him, legs together, hands clasped over her knees.
“Was Donovan?”
“Well…” she hesitated. “No, but I wasn’t surprised either. He’s always been different.”
Legion pulled a laptop onto his knees. He pressed the power switch, watching the screen as the device booted. Another moment of silence lapsed between them.
“You know… I almost didn’t expect him to send anyone. When I sent that letter, I wondered if…”
Legion’s eyes flickered up to meet hers. He remembered watching Donovan pour over the letter’s contents, intensity burning across his brow as his gaze moved from the smudged and worried handwriting to the printed flyer with the address. Legion knew better than to go probing into his boss’s background. But some stories told themselves.
“He cares,” he said. “Business is business, but he hasn’t forgotten.”
Relief washed across the woman’s features. She eased back into her seat, hands falling to her sides. Though obscured behind her beard, Legion detected the faintest of smiles gracing her lips.
Beneath his hands, the computer whirred. Legion glanced down and saw that the start-up processes had finished. He inserted a small drive into the laptop’s side port. It chirped and launched a window with video.
“We’re all set,” he said, cycling through the various feeds. “I have visuals on all sides of the building, as well as the entry hall and the upstairs. If anyone decides to show, I’ll see them first.”
“Oh...! Good.”
Legion looked over his laptop at the woman. “I can handle things from here. I’ll stay on watch while you get some rest. Thank you for all the assistance in setting up.”
“Of course.” She got to her feet. “Can I get you anything before I go? Coffee?”
Legion shrugged and leaned back. His face glowed against the light of the monitor. “Thank you, but no need. I’ll be alright.”
She nodded. As she made her way to the door, she paused. “Have a good night.”
“Have a good night,” Legion echoed.
It must have been close to noon when Legion awoke. The midday sunlight felt harsh against his eyelids, though that was only the second thing he noticed. No, the sensation that roused him from his slumber felt acutely like a finger investigating the inside of his mouth. Opening his eyes, Legion saw that was exactly what it was, as he stared directly into the face and hand of a child that could not have been any older than four.
“Ah. Hello,” he said. Or at least that was what he tried to say. It came out a bit more like “hewwo” as his mouth was still full of finger.
“Oh, sweetie, please. What did I say?” a familiar voice interjected. In a instant the matron had swept the child off his lap and placed her on the floor. She gave the girl a gentle nudge on the back. “Now run along. Go check and see if the mail has arrived yet for me, will you?” No sooner had she finished than the child went scampering down the hall, tripping over her own feet. The matron turned to Legion.
“I’m so sorry,” she began. “I tried to keep them from waking you, but I can’t keep eyes on all of them at once. I wanted to let you sleep for as long as possible...”
“Don’t worry about it. Kids will be kids.” Legion stretched back in his chair and covered his mouth in a yawn. His laptop wobbled across his knees, the display closed. He caught the woman’s gaze dart towards it.
“Nothing,” he said, “I was up until sunrise, and he didn’t show.”
“I see…” Her face showed a mixture of relief and concern, and behind that concern, carefully veiled anger. He could see the vexation in her brow.
“I’ll stay at least until the end of the month,” he continued. Setting his laptop aside, he rose to his feet. He rolled his neck from side to side, working out the kinks. “Do you mind if I make a pot of coffee?”
“Go right ahead. There’s a shower upstairs you can use if you like too… if it isn’t flooded.”
Right on cue, the pipes in the walls squeaked, and a moment later he heard the gush of water running through them. The matron’s eyes blazed. She gathered her skirts up around her. “Excuse me. I have some pressing business to attend to.”
Armed with a cup of coffee, Legion sauntered around the playground. In the daylight it looked much less foreboding. Gone were the long shadows of the twilight, and a dozen children romped across the yard, laughing and playing. None of them seemed to notice him watching from the sidelines.
After a few minutes, Legion’s gaze wandered towards the hedge he had spotted the racconoggle the night before. By a big thorny bush, a child hunkered close to the ground, their back turned to him. They poked at something close to the earth in front of them. At his present distance, Legion could not make it out. Setting down his coffee, he started towards them at a brisk but relaxed pace.
“What have you got there?” he asked when he got close enough that he did not have to raise his voice.
The child jumped at the sound of his voice and looked around in surprise, wearing an expression of guilt. He hastily tried to hide his findings behind his back. Legion caught a glimpse of something bright orange and shiny. He crouched down in the dirt beside the kid.
“Anything good?” he asked again. He crossed his wrists over his knees in an effort to look non-threatening. The boy eyed him for a moment, before slowly, retrieving his prize from behind his back. He extended it out for Legion to see. It was a handful of berries.
“Those look pretty nice,” Legion remarked. He looked them over with exaggerated interest. “You don’t want to eat them though.”
“Why not?” the boy asked.
“They could make you sick. Barf for hours and turn your poop green. That wouldn’t be much fun.”
“Ms. Lee says everything in the garden is ‘added bowl’.”
It took Legion a moment to process that one. “Well, Ms Lee would know better than me,” he agreed. “But even so, there’s probably all kinds of nasty bugs and germs and other things on those. Why don’t you bring them in and let her wash them first?”
The boy stared back at him with an intense expression, trying to find the flaw in his argument. When he could not, he nodded. “Bugs don’t taste very good. I’ll let Ms. Lee wash them.”
As Legion rose to his feet, he heard a shriek from across the playground. A seconds later, something small but surprisingly dense hurtled into his back. The force of it nearly knocked him over. A pair of arms wrapped around his neck. “You must be the bodyguard!” the same voice piped into his ear.
Looking over his shoulder, Legion saw a girl dangling over his back and beaming. “Ms. Lee said you were really strong and were part of a secret police force,” she prattled. “I know the secret police have all kinds of powers. Like you can kill a person just by looking at them. Can you do that?”
Extracting her from his neck (lest he choke) Legion placed the girl on the ground. “It’s not something we’re really supposed to do…”
She pouted. “Well, maybe you aren’t strong at all,” she contested.
Legion spun on her, fixing her with a mock glare. The girl gasped. She clutched at her throat, as if clawing for air. Then, when it became too much for her, she toppled over onto her side. She lay there twitching for a few seconds, before falling still. Legion let out a breath. That was a mistake.
The girl began to flail around on the ground once more, gurgling and gasping with great melodrama. He waited until she reached the climax of her scene and fell dead once more. This time, he gave it a couple more seconds.
“Well, there goes another one,” he delivered, deadpan. “It’s too much for me. I can’t do this anymore. I have to quit the secret police.”
The girl shot bolt upright. “Ha!” she proclaimed. “I got you! I wasn’t dead! I tricked you!”
“You sure did,” Legion agreed.
“I think I can do it better than you though… let’s see…” As she planted her fingers on her temples and scowled at him, Legion idly wondered what he had gotten himself into. Playing games was not in his nature and much less a part of his job description. He remembered he still had a half cup of coffee waiting for him back on the patio. There was no time to turn back though. The stakes were too high.
He fell over dead.
The next two weeks found Legion a stranger. He woke up every afternoon to a different world, one without robbery, brawls, or back alley deals. It was almost like a vacation only he kept busy and worked plenty. The first few days, he mainly played with the children while Ms. Lee hurried through her chores. As the days went by however, he found himself offering his assistance more and more, helping to prepare meals, mop and clean, and even repair the plumbing. His nights on the other hand he spent vigilant; once, he saw a figure lurking under a streetlamp a block down the road. He said nothing, did nothing, but stand in the doorframe for twenty minutes, until figure withdrew. He did not tell Ms. Lee.
A idea had begun to buzz in his brain, a curious hypothetical at first, but then a more deliberate question. Legion had never considered himself a family man—not by any means—and had doubted in even his capacity to form any kind of meaningful partnership. He was after all, a criminal and worse than that, a thug. There was no room for familial relationships in that kind of lifestyle. They would only ever be vulnerable, and a child of all things, even moreso.
A child was not, he reminded himself, something a person got on a whim, like a cat or a dog (although he was of the personal opinion that those deserved just as much careful consideration). A child was a commitment, a lifelong one, that he would be obliged to.
And yet still he wondered.
He had a home, insurance, the money, and even a job if he so wished it. He could provide without question all the material necessities a child could ever need. But could he provide more than that?
Rinsing a strainer full of berries under the facet, Legion watched as the children chased each other around the backyard in the rain. He saw Ms. Lee chasing after them with an armful of raincoats. Then he smiled.
Username: Rua the Raven Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: List triggers: Spiders
Prompt 1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2: You sit down in a chair and don’t feel drawn to any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. Prompt 3: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you’ve ever considered adoption.
Username: irishgirl1017 Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: Long Tongue, Maggots and wounds with Maggots, Excessive Gore and Bones List triggers: Snake (I am slowly getting over my phobia small traits are ok, Spiders, Bugs (Butterflies/Ladybugs are ok)
Prompt 1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2: You sit down in a chair and don't feel drawn any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. Prompt 3: The child from the play room runs out and meets you in the lobby to tell/give you something.
RP Response:
Rainbow was sitting in her favorite chair, it was cool outside but nice and cozy inside. She loved having a fireplace, the smell of the wood was lovely. Closing her eyes she began to rock and her mind drifted. Several thoughts entered her mind, things she needed to do, things that needed her attention and things that needed follow up for.
Outside she heard a child laughing and her eyes opened up and she sat straight up in her chair causing her to stop rocking. "The Orphanage! It's been several weeks with no reply, maybe my application and letter has not been reviewed as of yet but I was assured I would hear something within 2 weeks and it has been almost 3" she sighed to herself. Without giving it a second thought she got up, grabbed her coat, keys and purse quickly locking her door she began to walk to the Orphanage.
The wind was cold but invigorating, her tail swaying a little as she walked briskly towards her destination. Her thoughts on what she will say, questions she should ask and if any children would be present.
Upon her arrival no children were outside, probably due to the cold weather. The skies were getting dark and cloudy more than likely a rainstorm is approaching. Not caring if she got wet she hurried inside, and made her way to the receptionists desk. She was told to go wait in one of the playrooms and someone would be with her in a few minutes. Opening the door closest to her she saw it full of children all playing or reading.
Looking around she saw several comfortable looking chairs and she quietly made her way over to one and sat down. She looked around the room at the all the beautiful children. She noticed some were different from the others but that did not matter to her. She was a hybrid herself, who was she to judge anyone especially a precious child?
A small noise caught her attention and she looked down to see a beautiful smiling cherub looking face staring at her. Shyly the child held out a crayon drawing to her, Rainbow took it gently and said "It is beautiful, you drew this? with a smile on her face. The child nodded, eyes going wide and waved shyly as they reached for the drawing before returning to their group of friends who were at a small table coloring and drawing pictures.
The door slowly opened and a woman motioned to her to come with her, she stood up slowly and quietly moved towards the door and out with one last look at the children.
The woman introduced herself as one of the senior staff members and inquired as to what she had come to the Orphanage for. Rainbow took a deep breath before explaining about her application and she had not received a response and she was wanting to inquire as to the status.
Smiling the woman asked her name and looked at her sheet on the clipboard she was carrying, checking over the papers she looked up at Rainbow and said "Your application has been received, sorry for the delay in a response the Orphanage has gotten a higher than usual influx of children this month and the staff handling all adoption requests are helping with the new arrivals. I can assure you a response shall becoming in a few weeks, please do not hesitate to return if you feel enough time has passed without a response. My name is Mallah, please feel free to request to speak to me at anytime." with that Mallah walked her to the door and bade her goodbye before turning and walking off towards a office door.
Rainbow had gotten the information she was needing, turning to open the door she felt a small tug on her dress. Looking down she saw a child from the room, this child was one of the ones at the table drawing. In their hand they held the drawing the first child had shown her, with a quick smile they laughed and ran off towards the playroom without a word. Hugging the picture to her chest, she sniffled. Her eyes became misty and she almost started crying right there. Wiping her eyes quickly she tucked the drawing in her purse and left.
List mutations you dislike: tongue stuff and drooly mouths
List triggers: n/a
Prompt 1: You saw an ad for the orphanage that struck a chord within you, so you showed up to the orphanage. Prompt 2: You take notice of a child at the coloring table and join them in their artistic endeavors. Prompt 3: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption.
Username: Katsura Zanshin Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: extra sets of eyes, things growing out of eyes. List triggers:
Prompt 1: You didn't expect to be here today, but it just happened, and now you're on the orphanage's stoop. Prompt 2: You sit down in a chair and don't feel drawn any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. Prompt 3: The child from the play room runs out and meets you in the lobby to tell/give you something.
RP Response: Madla had left the house to take a nice walk around town while her kids were in school. She couldn't believe how fast they had grown. One second she had two cute little munchkins running around and now they were Juniors at the academy. My, how time flies. Smiling to herself, she looked up to see where she was and noticed she was right outside the orphanage. Madla blinked in surprise; she hadn't planned on coming here. Still, she smiled gently as she remembered the last time she was here. This was where she had found her son, Thayne, a few years ago. Madla was so proud of him and so happy the orphanage had deemed her worthy to take the baphomet home with her.
Turning, Madla followed her feet up and into the orphanage. She didn't have any specific plan or reason, simply driven by nostalgia and a vague idea of volunteering for the day. Honestly she had forgotten it was Haunted Hallows month, the busiest time of year for the orphanage. Instead of volunteering, she was ushered into the playroom as a potential parent. Oops. Well, that was fine too. Madla sat in a chair off to the side, watching the children play and remembering Thayne in here. It was a bittersweet memory of having to stop bullies and gaining a son. This time she didn't see an inkling of bullying and wasn't particularly drawn to any group or single child, so she just quietly watched with a smile. She probably wasn't going to adopt this year, but it never hurt to see if there was an orphan she could give a good home to.
As she was watching the playroom, one of the kids broke away from the rest and ran up to her with a curious expression.
"What'cha doin?"
Mads smiled down at the little Freshling, "Just watching, dear. I came to help out, but it seems I'm not needed today."
"Oh." The child looked down, then back up at her shyly. "Will you color wif me?"
She smiled happily down at the kiddo and held out her hand. "Of course I will!" They headed to a small table covered in art supplies. They colored rainbows and familiars, ancient castles and made up creatures. Madla was in no way an artist but they didn't care about the quality, only the time spent together. Soon it was time to go pick up Ana and Thayne and get back to her other responsibilities. She said goodbye to her new little friend and promised to visit soon.
Madla hesitated in the lobby, staring at the adoption office. Should she? The kiddo she was coloring with suddenly zoomed out of the playroom and ran up to her, holding out a piece of paper covered in crayon. Madla looked at the gift and saw two little stick figures, one was obviously her, and the other was the kid. Their stick person selves we're holding hands. The child smiled proudly and zoomed back inside. Madla teared up a little, spun on her heel and headed into the office to fill out an application. She just couldn't leave without trying to give them a home. She had fallen in love in that short amount of time and she hoped the office workers would recognize that. Fingers crossed.
Username: nasaiki Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: stitched up face parts, things growing out of the eye List triggers:
Prompt 1: Something has caused you to be volunteering for the orphanage for about the last week, and today is the last day you planned on volunteering. Prompt 2: You take notice of a child at the coloring table and join them in their artistic endeavors. Prompt 3: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption.
RP Response: Life for Soriya had no direction. Nothing sparked her interest and she had mostly just been floating by doing what was expected of her: Be the perfect daughter, be better than her siblings. Yet watching her older adopted siblings, she could tell they had plans and a sense of where life was to go. Mai wanted to open up a flower shop and make her family happy. Vanna.... well Vanna was another can of worms. However there wasn't any doubt that he was rather passionate and driven. She wondered if she saw them again, fixed their relationship if some of that passion and drive would find her. So when she saw her chance, she too left their parents and tracked her siblings down. However it was the same, nothing new changed in her routine. Sure interesting things happened, hard not to with Vanna being who he was. However she still had no idea on what she wanted to do.
So what was a younger sibling supposed to do. Seeing no other alternative she brought her concerns up with her oldest brother. His advice was a bit weird and landed her in her currently predicament.
The alarm rung and Soriya sighed leaning over and turning it off. She had no idea how Vanna had talked her into this. You see for the last week she had been volunteering at a orphanage. Haunted hallows was a big event for them, many children often getting adopted and going home. So of course they called in extra help, Vanna had pulled some strings and here she was. Hopefully the children would have better luck with their new families then Mai and Vanna had. Then again checks seemed to be a lot more rigid now days. Still today was her last day and she admitted she would miss a lot of the children, there was nothing like watching their hope and enthusiasm at life. Watching as they worked on becoming their own tiny person.
However for a last day, it was a mostly uneventful day and it wasn't until half way through that something had happened. A frustrated groan caught her attention and she looked over to see where a child was sitting at the art table. They had a cracked mirror sitting down in front of them. During her week here she had actually seen the child often. They were shy and didn't often interact with the other children. Often she saw them alone reading in the corner or drawing by themselves. She was pretty sure the caretakers had called them Eshe.
Soriya had always wanted to talk to them, talk about some of those art books the child had been reading or the pictures Soriya had caught glances of. It just seemed like when ever she tried another child had yanked her away or Eshe had bolted off to another hiding place. It was like a tiny mystery, and Soriya had a bit of a weakness when it came to curiosity.
"can I help?" She finally asked. Eshe blinked and looked around wondering if Soriya was in fact talking to them. When Soriya smiled at them, they blushed clutching the side of the mirror again. It was almost like the child was getting ready to bolt again but surprisingly instead all they did was look away briefly to the kids outside. Hmm maybe it wasn't a case that they disliked others but maybe their aloneness was more due to being shy, if albeit a touch odd. Personally Soriya found odd people to be the best.
"I.... I think so. You see, my mom gave me this mirror along time ago but I was trying to make it all pretty and when I was putting it back together it broke." The child explained getting used to the company. "I want to keep the mirror so I thought I could make it all artsy but i can't think of anything to draw. I thought I could ask some one else but..." there was a sad look that flittered over the child's face.
Ah, there was definitely a story here waiting to be told, possibly more than just being shy. A reason why the child was here by themselves at the art table instead of playing sports outside with the other children. Why it had taken all of Soriya' time here to talk to Eshe. However it was her last day. She unfortunately didn't have the time to figure out what the story was and well Some times children just needed to keep their stories. Then again maybe it really just was nothing and the chimera was adding way too muh was curious and did want to find out but it was her last day. Still she could be good company today no matter what was going on. She would sit down and help with the art project. Make today fun. After all Soriya was good at art.
"Well what if we make it all magical themed. Draw stitches across the cracks, add moon and stars. Can't go wrong with moon and stars" Soriya offered. The child's eyes sparkled and she nodded quickly drawing things in. Soriya offered pointers here and there. Eventually Soriya was handed the marker herself. " you draw, then the mirror will have a memory of you too." Eshe asked. It was a bit of a weird request but there was still a huge blank space.
" hmmm how about a light house with a sea monster" Soriya asked uncapping the pen. Seeing mirror was a memento or something Soriya wanted her lighthouse to be perfect. Unfortunately dry erase pens were not her medium and she struggled a bit to get straight clean lines. Eventually she had a pretty good lighthouse. So of course she added waves, tiny birds and a sea monster.
" it's adorable. I'm going to call him.... Nessie" the child laughed peering over Soriya' shoulder to look at the drawing. " you are a pretty good drawer. It's awesome."
" yeah, my older brother taught me. It's how we bonded as kids." Soriya commented with a smile.
"I wish you were staying more, then you teach me to draw too. However it's your last day of volunteering right?" Eshe brought up. Soriya nodded. " I thought we might be friends when you came but I was just afraid you wouldn't like me either so I didn't try to say hi. However talking now I see I was just being really silly. So.... hiii"
" hiiii yourself. However I still have a few hours left so no sad faces yet and I liked it here. It was fun. It's my last week now but it's not goodbye. I'm sure I'll be back to volunteer and then I'll teach you all about drawing?" Soriya answered. It brought a smile back. Soriya spent the rest of the day with the little Freshling. Eshe loved art and all the pictures Soriya had of her own artwork. It was a fun afternoon, she even got Eshe out to play with the others for a while but eventually the day came to the end. Everyone gave her tons of hugs before they ran off to dinner.
As she was leaving and switching her shoes out, she was ambushed by one of the caretakers.
" i saw you earlier with Eshe, I don't think I have ever seen them smile like that. They don't really talk to others, haven't really since their parents died and they came here. It was good to see them interact today.... you know you were really good with all the kids. Have you ever thought about adopting?" The caretaker asked. Soriya paused in gathering her things. She looked back to where she could see Eshe smiling and looking over the drawing Soriya had done on her mirror. The child smiled back over before they too went to dinner. A smile crossed Soriya's own face.
"You know I hadn't, not really but maybe i should." Was Soriya's answer. Maybe Vanna had been on to something telling her to come here.
Username: Strawberri Stardust Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: N/A List triggers: N/A
Prompt 1: 4: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2: 2: You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you. Prompt 3: 3: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening...
RP Response:
It had been a couple of months since Lethia had sent her letter in to the orphanage. No one had gotten back to her yet. Okay, so she was Hallowed. So what? It didn't mean she was incapable of raising a normal freshling and she knew there were Hallowed kids there, too, if they didn't want to pair her up with a non-mutant. And it wasn't like she hadn't gone over the pros and cons of raising a freshling. Gone over and over and over them.
She had sent the orphanage a picture of herself so they would know exactly what she looked like but she was beginning to think that had been a terrible idea. Forget it. She would just have to go over there, and if they were going to reject her... Well, they could at least do it to her face.
And that self talk was how she wound up standing in front of the orphanage, looking at the door, and... having second (or was it third by now?) thoughts.
"Go," hissed Ticky at her right.
"In," rasped Tacky at her left.
Lethia snorted at her tails, but they gave her the boost she needed to go up the steps and inside.
"Oh, good, you're here! We were going to call you but we just got so busy," said the harried looking Nightmare at the front desk. "Go right into the play room, see if you connect with anyone!"
Well, that went better than she planned. Lethia thanked them and went into the room indicated. Immediately, all eyes were on her. Almost all, anyway. One of the freshlings in the back glanced at her and then went back to whatever they had been doing before. Interesting... She didn't want to be rude to the kids who were now crowding around her and petting her tails but she was going to go talk to that kid in the back.
She fielded all kinds of questions about her tails and the rest of her mutations, and even some of the little ones fed pieces of candy to Ticky and Tacky. They were, of course, ecstatic with all the attention, and played up to the kids until the crowd dispersed. Once Lethia could move again, she wandered toward the back.
"Hey, what are you up to back here?" she asked.
The freshling paused what they were doing and looked up at her before looking back down. "Coloring."
"What are you coloring?" Lethia tried again. Ticky and Tacky tried to peek over the kid's shoulders but they only hunched further over their picture. Lethia tried and tried but the kid wasn't very responsive. Lethia told them goodbye and wandered out of the play room, making sure to say goodbye to the rest of the kids, too.
As she left, the Hallowed Shade wondered if adoption was really for her. She sighed, sinking into her favorite chair at home. "What do you think, guys? Should I just give up? Or maybe just imbue a stone of my own?" She chewed her lip as she thought about it. Tacky kept shaking his head and coughing like he had something stuck in his throat. "What's wrong? Eat something that didn't agree with you again?" Lethia snorted before shifting to help him clear the blockage.
Eventually he spat it out. "Ew," she huffed. "What is it? Paper again?" It was wet, but it looked like there was some kind of writing on it so she carefully pulled it apart until she could see what it was.
"Oh..." she murmured as she finally got a look. It was a drawing of herself. Tacky seemed pleased with himself, which always made Lethia suspicious. "Did you swipe this?" He nodded. "From that kid in the back?" He nodded again, tongue lolling out and drooling a little. Lethia sighed and shook her head at him but...
Maybe she should go back to the orphanage after classes the next day...
Username:-Ghastly Demise- Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: Growths (tumor/cancer looking) List triggers: Clowns Prompt 1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2: You take notice of a child who is playing by themselves with a myriad of toys that are all of a similar category (i.e., horses, trucks). Prompt 3:The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption.
RP Response:
Work in progress
Belladonna was born a doll hybrid, though she was not a pure doll she had the unfortunate luck that she was born infertile like many dolls in the world. She never knew her family and only had the memories of the orphanage that she grew up in, so it wasn't odd that as she got older the thoughts of adopting crossed her mind. Though she was unsure if anyone would adopt out to her because of being a hollowed, she gave it a try anyways. One day she wrote a letter to the orphanage in hopes they would give her a chance to adopt.the letter was written as followed, " I wish to inquire information on adoption. I'am unable to have children of my own so it is my wish to give a home to a Child in your care, please let me know when would be a good time to contact you and come have a look at all the children in need of homes, I have a home of my own and means to take care of a child. thank you for you're consideration. - Belladonna "
She sent the letter out that early morning, worried she covered the hole in her chest, she hoped that they would give her a chance at least, but as the months went by. She checked her mail day in and day out, every day of every week. As time passed she felt more and more discouraged, But one day she gave in, she couldn't wait much longer, she needed to know. "Maybe they are busy." She thought to herself as she slipped on a hooded cloak red in color as she pulled the hood over her head and tied it around her neck, gathering some things she might need like Id and proof of housing. When she was sure she had everything off to the orphanage she went with a shimmer of hope still in her heart and a soft gaze in her eyes. She walked down the road towards the orphanage,nervous but excited. she thought of all the children and how happy one of them would be to come home with her.
As she lost her self in sweet daydreams she had nearly passed up the orphanage, but the sound of squealing children snapped her back to reality. As she turned to face the gate, she clenched her chest were the hole resided and slowly opened the gate entering on to the paved pathway. she was feeling a bit nervous but she pushed on, gathering her courage she walked in the door and to the nearest person at the daycare to inquire about her letter. She was told to take a seat as they were all busy with scheduled parent(s) wishing to adopt, so she did as she was instructed and took a seat.while she waited, Belladonna fiddled with her hands watching the children play and talk to one another, it made her feel as if she were home.
It wasn't long before Belladonna noticed a child, they were playing with horse like toys and a few tractors, pretending they were a farmer. she watched quietly enchanted by the imagination of the child who was playing quietly. But it didn't take long for her to realize they were also playing alone, so she decided to go over and join them being careful too keep her face hidden she knelt down beside the child. " Hello, mind if i join you?" She asked. She tried to interact with them unsure how they would feel about her if they saw her face.but to her delight they agreed wholeheartedly, So she sat there and began to play farmer with them, she took the animals, they took the tractors and tools.
playing together in harmony she got in to character." Moooo. " she mimicked to make the cow seem more real for the child. They played together with no issue for quite a while.Soon she realized it was getting late, starring up at the clock she realized it had been quite a long while since she had checked in, but it was not all at a loss as she met an incredible child she came to care for. She decided at that moment that if she couldn't adopt she might get a job in child care, maybe even go back to school.
Suddenly to her supersize a receptionist came over to check on her, asking her if she needed anything. she shook her head in a reply as she rubbed the kids head gently but then the receptionist sat across from them and began to talk to her. while she played farmhouse with the child, the Receptionist talked about how they thought the connection belladonna shared a good connection with the child. belladonna blushed slightly embarrassed to find out she was being watched the whole time, she stated that she agreed with the receptionist's conclusion.
As they talked a bit more they asked Belladonna if she was planning on adopting, this caused her to feel like an open book though it was obvious that someone who would come here either; wanted to adopt or work here, if they didn't already. while they were talking Belladonna brought up the fact she sent a letter a while back for inquiry, and the receptionist apologized for the inconvenience and explained the issue with the mails delay, she nodded and listened and asked about setting up another day for a screening for adoption. belladonna said goodbye to the child for now and went to sign some papers trading her info and then reluctantly headed back home. This time belladonna felt a little fulfilled with new plans in mined while she waited for her chance to become a mother.
Username: TanuKyle Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: Tumory-growths, Cyclops. List triggers: N/A
Prompt 1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2:You enter the room and are immediately a person of interest for every child in the room except one, who stays away and ignores you. Prompt 3:The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption.
RP Response:
Vito needed an heir. It was as simple as that - his empire was flourishing and he was now everything he’d always wanted to be. Rich. Successful. Well-Known. Terrifying. But with all that came a burden he hadn’t foreseen - loneliness. Oh he wouldn’t admit it to himself, he was framing it in logical terms, telling himself he needed an heir in case things went wrong, in case he fell ill. That he should pass on his skills and knowledge to the next generation...all the things that meant he didn’t have to think about the dearth of relationships he had.
It was more difficult now. When he had been younger and nobody knew him, he’d had few relationship offers, but they had been well meant (at least on the suitor’s side). But he had turned them all down with various degrees of gentleness, (that is to say, mostly none.), intent on pursuing his career. However, now it was difficult to weigh sincerity of suitors. He had lots - and most of them, he thought with a curl of his lip, were sorry excuses for nightmares (or daydreams) looking to ride on his coat-tails.
He’d not allow anyone to drag him down. Oh he’d raise people up….but only if they worked for it. Despite his flaws, Vito was a top-notch businessman, and that meant seeing the strengths in everyone, knowing how to apply the carrot and the stick, how to approach people and bring out the best in them….the list goes on. But the point was, it was difficult having to constantly vet people who wanted to interact with him.He longed for something simpler.
A child would not be simple, Vito knew that. A child would be messy and potentially heartbreaking and full of frustration but also…..they’d be real. The relationship would be real. And god, did Vito want something real. He’d spent time thinking about it of course, doing research. Finding an orphanage that would accept his patronage - because once he’d started thinking about orphanages, he’d found himself realising the potential. He had a revenue stream that directed into charitable causes anyway. Why not double-down on that, direct it to orphanages and fund programs for disadvantaged youths? As well as being good publicity, it’d get him a crop of dedicated new customers or employees.
He justified it by that. (He didn’t think about the money he sent form his personal fortune. That was…..he didn’t have a business reason for that, really.)
Anyway, he had ended up settling on the orphanage he wanted to adopt from, eventually. The funding had been working away for some time now, so he’d expected a response from the letter he’d sent praising the orphanage and wondering if there was any possibility of meeting the children. Honestly? He’d been pretty disappointed when months passed and there was no reply.
It was odd, for Vito to be spontaneous - and yet here he was, at the front door of the orphanage exiting his fancy car, almost….nervously adjusting his cravat, and sweeping into the reception area.
The receptionist looked up and (to Vito’s pleasure) immediately recognised him.
“A-ah! Mr. Lurette, uh, what a pleasant suprise!”
“Please, call me Vito.” He flashed his winning smile at the receptionist and was pleased to notice the receptionist’s ears twitch and cheeks flush. He still had it.
“Vito. Was….there any reason for your visit today?”
“I sent a letter a while back - I was hoping to meet some of the children? I did fill out the required background checks.”
“Yes of course - let me bring it up on the system…..”
If he were a lesser man, Vito would have held his breath.
“Huh, looks like we were waiting for your response to book an appointment, but actually someone cancelled today so we can let you meet them now..”
Lesser or not, Vito took a deep breath this time as he followed the receptionist in. He didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t being swarmed as he was the instant he came in the door. The receptionist was stifling a smile, so it seemed Vito wasn’t covering his surprise well.
It was difficult to pay attention to so many children, but Vito did his best - answering questions, playing games, admiring artwork - and for the older children, giving them advice sometimes. Some of them were almost seniors, looking for advice about careers and future. Vito had to put some thought into that.
Oddly, however, there was one child Vito noticed, who did not approach. They seemed almost to deliberately ignore him, which. He didn’t really know how to handle. If they were shy or intimidated, he didn’t want to scare them….but still. A few hours into his visit, Vito plopped next to them at the art table, watching them scribble furiously in black and red colours.
(It reminded him of himself, a little. Being so angry as a child.)
He didn’t speak, just waited, watched. The child kept sneaking glances at him, as if waiting for him to say something. Instead, he picked up a sheet of paper, and selected a gray crayon. Vito had never been skilled at art - it wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed - but this was crayons, and he wasn’t doing it for the end result of a masterpiece.
He started to scribble, clouds of grey emanating from the centre of the page. Overlaid with a darker grey, and then lit with red.
“That’s not pretty.”
The child spoke, finally, and Vito turned his attention on them and replied.
“Feelings aren’t always pretty.”
The child scowled, but inched closer to him, and slid him the red crayon they had been using.
“This red crayon’s better.”
“Thankyou. I’m Vito.”
“I know. You’re the bigshot guy.”
Vito smiled, amused.
“I suppose I could be called that, yes…”
Vito eventually pulled himself away from the child about an hour later - he had a meeting that he couldn’t miss. He’d already had to reschedule another due to the unexpected amount of time he’d spent here, but. He couldn’t help thinking it was worth it when the previously withdrawn child bumped their head into his leg though, and gripped his shirt with one small hand.
The receptionist caught him on the way out.
“You….were suprisingly good with the kids, Vito. Had you ever considered adoption?”
Vito didn’t even pause before he gave his answer, mind caught on the tiny hand gripping his shirt.
“I would be honoured to be considered as an adoptee.”
Username:Circus of Values Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: Tumour growths. List triggers: -
Prompt 1: Something has caused you to be volunteering for the orphanage for about the last week, and today is the last day you planned on volunteering. Prompt 2: You sit down in a chair and don't feel drawn any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. Prompt 3: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening...
RP Response: WIP
Jarred finished potting the flowers outside the orphanage - peonies, lavender (To attract the bumble bees) pansies (with their happy smiling faces - were some of his favourites!) He brushed his muddy hands on his jeans, and wiped the sweat off his brow using his forearm, he smiled at the work he had achieved, he wasn't good at much, but Gardens - they were his everything! He had volunteered to make their garden something special when he had been walking past on the way to a job and seen the sorry state of it, none of the children were out and playing in the sunshine, avoiding the garden (Which had made Jarred a little sad; and he had walked straight in!) He was on his last day and it was looking so much better, the flowers everywhere, topiary, he even put in a little sand pit for the lovelies, he was so happy to see them dip their toes into the plush green grass, he truely felt he had achieved something! He walked inside and sat down for a glass of water, he watched the children playing with a smile on his face, he had been thinking this past week while working here - he'd love to be a parent to one of the children he
Username: Saiyajin-Neko Cert of Applicant: N/A List mutations you dislike: puss, bloody nails List triggers: Flying insects (i.e wasps - bees- hornets- moths... already feel sick)
Prompt 1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2: You sit down in a chair and don't feel drawn any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. Prompt 3: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption.
RP Response:
Username: Saiyajin-Neko Cert of Applicant: N/A List mutations you dislike: puss, bloody nails List triggers: Flying insects (i.e wasps - bees- hornets- moths... already feel sick)
Prompt 1: You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person. Prompt 2: You sit down in a chair and don't feel drawn any child in particular. However, a child approaches you. Prompt 3: The receptionist admits that he had been watching you and asks if you've ever considered adoption.
RP Response:
Claeya was there for one reason only- and that was to support her friend in his adoption process. He had been wanting to do this for a while now and finally took the plunge this year, rolling his sleeves so to speak and just doing it. Lance had his own house with a small garden that he had built and maintained himself- and she was thrilled when he got accepted to come here and see if any of the small children connected with him.
There were others there; some couples and some alone but all of them showing signs of nerves and contained excitement. The door opens and a smiling woman comes out through it, her plump features and grey hair a calming presence.
Keeping some of the door closed still- she speaks. "Hello everyone, my name is Suu; I'm sure you're all very excited to meet the children. I know they're very excited to meet all of you." She says, gently. You could hear them inside the room giggling and playing. "If you would all just follow me. Slowly- please." She ushers the soon to hopefully be parents into the room.
Lance turns to Claeya "You..?"
She lifts her hand in a gesture that says simply - I'm cool
As the door begins to close completely Suu pops her head out once more seeing the woman standing, arms crossed, propped against the far wall. "You can come in too if you like, they don't bite!" She titters behind her hand and winks, "much."
The taller woman considers her options internally and decides- actually why not. It might be fun watching her friend interact with them all. "Alright, sure." She pushes herself off the wall and walks into the 'Play-room'. It's bright and loud- kids with all sorts of clothes and personalities playing around her. Running past and laughing loudly, or crowding around any of the potential new parents.
"Have a seat Miss- I'm sure your friend won't be long." She winks again and saunters off to speak with her clients.
For a while it was interesting to watch what was happening around her, but the visual stimulation was jarring and painful. The lights too bright- sounds too sharp- smells potent and stale. It was almost developing into a headache like no other. Claeya glances quickly at the door, and then over at Lance whose talking with a little boy in blue dungarees and the cheekiest grin. She twitches and makes to leave, hanging her head so that her long black hair hides her face.
She pauses when she sees the small girl standing looking at her, tail swishing behind curiously. Claeya blinks twice, the child blinks once.
"Hi..." Claeya tests the waters of communication and the child clutches a plushie to her chest, which the woman only now notices. It's a doll with one eye missing, it's head lulling to the side. Claeya notices she hasn't received a reply, and tries again. "What's your name?"
"Bray." She whispers it like a secret and ducks half her face behind the doll, silver hair curling into the soft fabric.
"Hi Bray I'm Claeya- I'm visiting with a friend today. Do you have any friends?"
Bray nods slowly, and glances at a boy with green skin. "I like friends." She says.
"I like friends too." Claeya holds her hand out and smiles gently. "Shall we be friends?"
The girl hesitates for a moment or two- taking all of the adult in. Something seems to make her happy though, and she puts her small chubby hand in hers. It's warm and not as sticky as Claeya thought it would be.
"Ok- but don't tell Tommy. He only likes small people." She rubs her nose into her doll briefly and sniffs- before turning on heel and walking away. Bray's figure seems to melt into the crowd of children.
Huh, well that... was new. She stands up to move away and to the door but something stops her. She turns back- almost hoping to see Bray somewhere out there in the thrum of activity.
"Well- that was certainly fascinating to watch!" Suu says- making Claeya jump. "I've tried to introduce her to adults before and never has she spoken to a single one of them." The elder lady looks Claeya up and down, appraising. "You like kids, Miss?"
"I.. don't usually..." She stops and breathes deeply. "I mean I don't hate them!" She sputters, throwing her hands up.
Suu laughs. "Don't worry I'm not here to judge, only place young kids in happy, healthy homes. Maybe you should think about adoption- I'm sure there's one you will like." And with that she was off again.
Claeya catches Lance's eye and waves, he nods in understanding and then goes back to talking with other adults and kids, happy. Claeya squeezes through the door and closes it behind her, leaning back for a moment. Adoption... she'd come to support not adopt.
And yet. Bray's big brown eyes flashes into her mind, face half hidden behind an old doll. Maybe.
Username: RockerWolfie1616 Cert of Applicant: List mutations you dislike: Puss/oozing anything List triggers: Bugs with many legs (spiders centipedes etc) Spider webs are okay just not the occupant please
Prompt 1:You wrote a letter to the orphanage a while back and received no response, so you decided to show up in person.
Prompt 2:You take notice of a child who is playing by themselves with a myriad of toys that are all of a similar category (i.e., horses, trucks). Prompt 3: You decide for some reason that maybe adoption isn't for you, and you go home empty-handed. But later that evening...
RP Response:It had been weeks since the carefully slithering naga had settled at his desk and written requesting to be an adoptive parent. The male had never considered himself parent material but, something deep within him had an urge to protect younglings. Still..how busy could a place be that they did not respond to a formal written and completely polite request? Eyes narrowed with the vaguest hint of irritation he pushed himself into the orphanage; expectantly eyeing the receptionist. The waiting room only held a few sparse half alive plants and one couple that appeared to be bonded or at the very least they were dating. Gaze flickering to the older figure scribbling away at enormous stacks of paperwork he felt a small jab of guilt at being so irritable. Maybe they were more bust than he had assumed..maybe they didn’t have a lot of staff or volunteers? He felt even worse when the older nightmare looked up and offered a warm kind smile, beckoning him closer to the crowded desk. “Oh hello..I apologize for intruding it’s just..I wrote a letter some time ago requesting paper work to start the adoption process but, no one responded.” With some papers shifted the figure behind the desk held out a clipboard with papers stacked high along with a well used pen that he had to shake to make work. The clock ticked by but, Kaden kept his sanity..filled out every piece of paper and returned it with an uncertain smile gracing his lips. With a few cursory glances the secretary waved him towards the sound of many children laughing & chattering. “Thank you!” Heart racing he moved down the hallways of the orphanage; past bathrooms, a lunch room and a few storage rooms before finding the right place..they really should put up signs. Inside the brightly lit room were all manner of children dashing here or there, some wrestling others reading quietly alone. One such lone figure struck Kaden..his eyes focusing on the child who sat alone playing with what appeared to be every toy that looked like a doll or princess type doll. Sure a lot of the well beloved toys were really gaudy, with their drawn on lipstick and hair that stood up straight in the air. Amused Kaden slowly slipped closer, offering his warmest smile as the child continued to play. “Hello there..I see you like princesses? Mind if I join you?” The child gave an uncertain shrug..hands stilling in their imaginary play..clearly nervous. After what felt like an eternity the little one gave a delicate nod; holding out the ugliest doll of them all. Swallowing Kaden took the hideous toy and pretended to have her dance through the air..humming a tune. After playing for a few moments the kid seemed to get upset; maybe he had played wrong? “Hey little princess what is it?” Frowning his hand stretched out to touch the smaller beings head but, he found his hand slapped away. Like a spark the kid dashed away...angrily stomping as they went..their face flushed red. Dumbstruck Kaden let the ugly doll fall from his hands..sharp jabs of regret and sorrow striking his heart. After fleeing the orphanage Kaden had went home to sulk, curled beneath a warm fluffy blanket. The ringing of his phone drew him from the warm clutches of sleep; listless he answered. “Hello?” On the other line it was very quiet..just as he was about to hang up a small voice asked if he would come play dolls again. Surprised it took Kaden a bit to find the right words “S-sure..I’d like that.” Grinning from ear to ear he could hear the phone being handed back to whatever adult had helped the kid call. “Hello? Yes I’d like to go through the adoption process now..yes I’ll stop by again tomorrow.” That night he could hardly sleep and when morning came the usually grumpy naga found himself standing in line at the toy store..a brand new doll tucked under his arm.
