Alrighty people, you know the drill

Follow any and all rules set, and have fun!

I looked out of the window of the orphanage, looking at all of the children playing outside, their malnourished chests heaving. ‘This is the right thing. By making the sacrifice of a happy childhood, we’re saving the lives of our families. Or, rather, some of our families.’ I think about how almost a quarter of the children never had families to begin with. “Yasahiro! Get over here you foul creature!” Yelled Mother Emily. My shoulders slouch, fear of what may happen next setting in. “Yasahiro Everett Jones! Hurry your lousy ass up! I don't have all day! Don't make me take out the belt!”

I feel shivers run down my spine. “A-Alright Mother! I'm coming…”

As I walk through the large hallway, I glance at some of the children who would rather be alone. They look so sad, so desperate to leave. Just like me. I quicken my pace, scared that Mother Emily might get angrier than she already was. “What do you need, Mother?” I ask politely.

“Go and get the other brats! It's time to eat!”

Again, I shiver. The meals here are like eating something out of a garbage sight, except that they've been there since before I was born. Honestly, with all of the budget cuts, I wouldn't doubt that it really did come from a garbage sight. “Yasahiro! Go! I have my belt, and I will hit you with it if you do not behave!” I scrambled out of there as fast as I could.

“Guys! Get inside! Mother is angry, and I don't wanna keep her waiting! Hurry, before she whips us as a punishment for being late!” I cry. All of the children hurry inside, sitting down to eat the disgusting food.

A few hours later, I hear the doorbell ring. “Everyone act happy! I do not need you disgusting pests ruining my reputation!” Mother yells. Everyone puts on an act, too perfect to see through. “Yes? Alright! Children! We have some new arrivals! Around, hmm, 8! They have all found their way here on their own, they got abandoned or whatever happened to them! Show them around! Yasahiro! Show them around!” (You guys may now post!)

(This'll Be a short one, as I feel that it's wrong to post too much before the others do. It'll be maybe two sentences.)

"Hi! M-My name is Yasahiro! What're y-your names?

Adbrei Akaiti Kennaway | FtM | 14.5 | Ace/Homo | Mentions; Everyone Else(Ind.).

Adbrei fiddled with the pocket knife in his hoodie’s pocket, standing outside of an orphanage with a group of other kids, about seven total, around him too. His shoulders hunched in on themselves, trying to make himself smaller in hopes that no one touched him. Quite honestly, he already hated this.

--

He didn’t want to be here, he wanted to be at home with his mom. Or dead. Dead would work fine too. He gritted his teeth and glanced around at the other kids, he didn’t know when the doors of the orphanage would be opened. He didn’t know when someone would show them around the place they now had to stay at. He hoped the other kids were in the dark just as much as him.

--

His grip on the pocket knife tightened and he set his gaze on the ground again. He was about ready to simply attack anyone who even accidentally tapped him. He wouldn’t even regret it either, they would’ve deserved it. His whole attitude was obvious on his face, he’d never been good at hiding it, and if someone still tapped him despite the obvious death threat lingering around him- Then they deserved to be beat up. Just like him. Just like he always did.

--

He shook his head to get rid of the latter thoughts. This wasn’t the time. He could deal with them later, get rid of them later, but right now he just had to get through this. Get through the welcoming night and then he could be alone and hate himself as much as he’d like. Or dislike. He still wasn’t sure how to describe that.

--

He huffed to himself and hunched his shoulders in more, glancing up at the still closed door of the orphanage. Quite honestly, he was getting bored just standing there. And aggravated. He may just open it himself at this rate. Except, no, he wouldn’t. He definitely didn’t have the courage for that. He’d just have to wait for someone else to do it instead.

--

But then the big front doors were opening and a new child was walking out, speaking. “Hi! M-My name is Yasahiro! What're y-your names?”

--

Adbrei huffed, rolling his eyes and sending the kid a death glare. Like hell he was going to talk to someone. He wasn’t. He wasn’t going to talk to anyone here. At all. Ever. Just watch.

Garvin | M | 15 | Demi/Bi(HML) | Mentions; Everyone Else(Ind.)

Garvin stood near the back of the group of kids in front of the orphanage, though one of the guards was trying to get him closer to the front. Didn’t want to have him running off again so soon and all… Honestly, how’d he get dragged back here again already? And why were there so many new kids around? And how long was ‘Mother’ Emily and her goons gonna have them all just standing out here in the cold?

--

He had his hands shoved into his pockets, his trench coat buttoned up unlike how it usually was, opened and casual. He knew these adults, knew how crooked they were, how cruel they were. Never be caught wearing short sleeves was basically a personal rule for him at this point. Then again, there’s no way the punishments were as bad as some of the stuff he’d endured on the streets this go round.

--

Okay, so maybe he was a little excited to see ‘Mother’ Emily’s reaction to him being back. Again. After running away. Again. She was going to be so mad. The kids that were still there from the last time he’d ran away, a year or two ago at this point, would also probably have some sort of reaction. He didn’t know what those would look like.

--

He shuffled forward a bit as a guard nudged his shoulder, though he definitely sent a slight glare towards them. And since they were still in sight of passerby on the streets, the only thing the guard could do was stare him down with a glare too. Oh, that was nice. At least in Garvin’s opinion. He knew he was definitely going to pay for it later, but for now? It definitely helped his conscience.

--

Speaking of something that had to do with the head. He was starting to get a headache. Probably from the lack of him smoking since this morning… He did another glance at the rest of the kids, he was by far the tallest there. He was as tall as some of the guards, in all honesty. Six foot, maybe taller. And still growing- If he actually ate enough, that is. But then again, the meals here were better than a dead bird. That he had actually eaten. And he had shelter… He still preferred the streets, even with all that had happened.

--

Then the front doors opened and out came a different child, probably the one that was going to show them around. He wondered if they’d known each other or if he’d already been gone whenever they arrived. He hoped for the latter, but expected the former.

--

And when the child spoke, coming close enough that Garvin could immediately recognize him… He knew it was the former. “Hi! M-My name is Yasahiro! What're y-your names?”

--

Garvin didn’t know whether to grin or not, so he did. He grinned and forced a shaky hand(he ignored the fact it was shaking, hoping Yasahiro would do the same. It hadn’t been shaking when he left, after all) to come out and wave at Yasahiro. “Yo Yasa! How have you been? Terrible as always in the gods-forsaken place?”

--

No, he hadn’t forgotten about the guards or Mother Emily or the punishments. He just didn’t care. He didn’t care because they weren’t the worst thing he’d experienced, not even close when compared to some of the stuff that had happened to him on the streets. He had new scars just from the past year or two, after all. And second, he didn’t care because he would be leaving again soon. It didn’t matter how close of an eye on him they kept, he’d be leaving again soon.

A.A.K/Garvin | FtM/M | 14 ½ /15 | Ace.Homo/Demi.Bi(HML) | Mentions; Everyone Else(Ind/Dir.)

“Garvin?! Why are you back? I thought that you left this place forever! And yes, it still sucks here. We get beaten for doing almost nothing. If mother Emily even THINKS that we're doing something, she'll lash out! It is VERY annoying, and I'm not one to lose my cool, that's how infuriating it is.”

--

Yep, definitely didn’t sound any better than how it was before he left. In fact, Garvin thought it almost sounded worse. Almost. Hard to tell, after all- Maybe Yasa’s patience had just ran out for this place or something. Either way, he decided he did not want to think about it too much at the moment. His head hurt quite a bit and he just wanted a smoke.

--

“Everyone! Follow me into the mess hall for... uh.. food I guess? If it even counts as that..”

--

Garvin gave a stifling laugh at that, it had to be better than a raw, unwashed bird. Nothing could be worse than eating that. Especially after it had been laying on the ground for who knows how long. He almost gagged at the thought, definitely one of his more unpleasant meals out on the streets. But hey! It’d kept him alive(barely), so everything was fine.

--

Adbrei stared between the two in an odd mix of awe, confusion, and spite. And then immediately started walking to follow the one who had mentioned food. He wasn’t that hungry, and he definitely wasn’t going to eat in front of strangers, but he did want out of the cold. Death by freezing was actually one way that he’d prefer not to go by. He still kept a tight grip on his pocket knife though, not wanting anyone near him.

*~*~*

Adbrei was finally in a room by himself after the meal(which he had been able to not eat), which gave him time to take out his pocket knife and look at the shiny blade’s handle residing in his palm… Though he was mostly preoccupied with the blade itself. Already, he could feel thoughts trying to climb themselves up to the forefront of his mind. Thoughts that would leave himself unable to roll his sleeves up in front of other people for weeks, if not months. Thoughts that could leave himself out of this place, out of this world as a whole… He wasn’t sure if he wanted someone to try and talk to him or not. Probably not.

--

After the meal, which Garvin had actually eaten in its entirety(definitely not as bad as the dead bird), he swallowed down the nausea that came from eating too much after a stomach had gotten used to a set amount and instead followed Yasahiro to catch up with him. Most of the other kids that had remembered him had varying faces of sorrow and joy upon seeing him. The two emotions for the exact same reason of him being back. ‘Mother’ Emily had seen him and glared so hard he’d been surprised that she hadn’t just immediately gone and knocked him upside the head. But hey, he wasn’t going to complain about that. Not even with how much his head was pounding…

--

“Sooo... How's the outside? Any better? I know this place hasn't improved at all. If anything, it's gotten worse. Did you know that the meals could get any worse? It did! God I hate it here! 'Mother' Emily Has actually hurt a child into a point of no repair! She was actually sent to the hospital! How's your life been?”

--

Garvin gave a stifling laugh at the air quotes and then shrugged, “Man, slow down with the questions… I can’t keep up with all that no more.” He paused to think back on what all Yasa had said, deciding to tackle the questions one by one. “The outside’s cold, an’ usually cruel. Food’s been gettin’ more sparse recently. In my humble opinion, anywhere’s better than this, but uh… It depends on how ya look at it.”

--

He paused again, running a hand through his hair as he tried to think back to what the other questions had been. He shot Yasahiro an apologetic glance, his memory and his talking speed definitely wasn’t what it had been the last time he’d been here. It’d be so much easier if he had a smoke, or a drink, or a vape, or literally anything else. And sure, he had the first three of those things with him, but he didn’t want to make Yasa uncomfortable.

--

“Okay, so, I’ll have ya know. The meals ‘ere ain’t as bad as they could be. Least she ain’t havin’ ya’ll eat a dead bird that’s been lyin’ on the ground for days raw and unwashed. Never eat that by the way, not unless ya have ta, ta survive. Though, quite honestly, I’d eat another twenty of ‘em ta leave right now again. As for how my life has been…”

--

He pauses, thinking for a moment of the stuff that’s happened over the past two years. For a second, he feels it again, and his hands start to shake where they are. His right in his coat pocket, his left on his lap. He forces them still though, cursing under his breath, he just hopes Yasa didn’t bring it up. He can’t tell Yasahiro about that in particular, but he can share some other things.

--

“Well, ya know… Mostly busy. I have a few new whippin’ scars on my back. Some new burn scars. My clothes got a bit more worse for wear. I learned banjo, that was fun. Ate a dead bird, that wasn’t fun. Got some muscle, lost weight too. Oh, I got tattoos, they’re the same on both hands.” Garvin held up his left hand, thankful that he was holding it in a fist to show the tattoos off so that the shake wouldn’t be as obvious. “Also got some piercin’s, ya can already see the nose one but I also got nine other ones; all ear ones.” He moved some of his hair aside to show off his left ear, it only had five of his nine but it would do to show them off. After he was sure Yasahiro had seen them, he put his shaking left hand back down and into his coat pocket instead. “Oh, I also picked up a few habits. Like smokin’ and whatnot. Nothin’ I’d do in front of ya if it makes ya uncomfortable.”

--

Okay, maybe he was hinting at the fact that he wanted to smoke and/or drink right now, but that was fine. And sure, maybe he wasn’t telling Yasahiro all of his new habits, but hey- Who ever wanted to hear about a friend getting into hard drugs? No one, so he was just doing the dude a favor. Trying to make life a bit easier for him. Just like why he wasn’t telling the younger kid about everything that had happened to him.

--

“Anyway though, how have ya been without me, huh? Find a lucky man yet?” Garvin grinned, one of those grins of his where you could never be certain if they were genuine or not. It didn’t matter how good at face reading someone was, even the best gamblers hadn’t been able to tell throughout the past year. The grin was basically a signature of Garvin at this point, you see it and know it’s him immediately. Doesn’t matter how long you’d known him for, you know that grin.

The atmosphere in the orphanage was tense, as it always was when new kids were introduced into the general population. Or at least, Nicholas was tense. He usually was at the prospect of change, new kids meant new potential for fights and conflict, and potential that someone might single him out as a target. People were unpredictable, which meant they were dangerous until he could figure them out. If he could figure them out.

He heard Mother's raspy shriek, calling for Yasahiro. The sharp yell set off instinctual alarm bells in his head, a jolt running through him, and he hopped to his feet to shuffle to the door. He peered cautiously out of his room, eyes flickering down the long hallway. The older boy in question glanced at him as he passed, Nicholas could see the dread in his eyes and his gaze dropped automatically to the ragged carpet, hoping his silent "good luck" had come across. He heard him open the door, the cold air rushing eagerly into the poorly insulated building, glad to drain what little warmth had gathered in the orphanage.

Yasahiro exited the office moments later, calling for everyone to get to the cafeteria or face Mother's wrath. He didn't doubt that she'd whip anyone who was late, he'd come face-to-face with Mother's fiery rage a few times before. He cringed at the memories, trying to shake them off. He woudl never stop hating her with every fiber of his being, but he'd been broken dowb with time. He would rather obey the rules, however stupid and pointless, than be sent back to Mother's office again.

Lunchtime was uneventful, quiet and solemn, the food sickening as usual. He picked at it as he usually did, trying to find the pieces without quite as much mold on them. He'd been reading about mold and how it could make you sick, some kinds could even cause liver damage. This knowledge made him wrinkle his nose at the kids who were eagerly wolfing down the meal. Tch. They probably had no idea of the risk.

He saw Yasahiro exit the room and heard him welcome the new kids in from outside the front door. The cold air eagerly rushed in as he opened the door, he could feel it even from much deeper inside the building. Nicholas sped up his search for clean food, not wanting anything to do with the new arrivals. He looked around cautiously, watching intently as the new orphans filed into the cafeteria. Some he recognized as runaways, who had successfully escaped the orphanage to the lawless streets and had either returned or been dragged back. Others were brand new though. Maybe from the streets, maybe given up by their families.

Yasahiro| Male | 14 1/2 | mentions: Others around, All

(I will note right now that I will not respond as much or in as great of a length as always, I'll respond at least 4 times a week because of my work schedule.)

He watched Yasahiro as he talked with a much taller boy he vaguely recognized. Wasn't his name Garvin? It didn't matter anyway. He was just another big, mean kid in his eyes, one to be very careful around. He wondered why Yasahiro even liked him at all.

The tall boy always seemed so bent on escaping the orphanage, but escaping to where? The streets? Although Nicholas hated being here with every fiber of his being, the idea of being alone on the streets gave him pause. At least he knew the danger he was in here, and had learned to avoid it. He could survive here, however scantly. What good was freedom if there was no chance of things being better? The whole reason these kids wanted to be free was because they wanted a better life, right? But was there anything better out there? He'd heard Garvin talking about eating a bird earlier... he could only imagine what kind of diseases that had given him. Nicholas prided himself on being realistic, and from what he'd seen of the world, that was far from probable.

He saw Yasahiro get up and start leading the other kids away, following cautiously behind them as he showed them around. He started talking to "Natsu" again, Nicholas watched as he talked happily to an empty space next to him. This seemed to weird the new kids out, they exchanged suspicious glances and avoided eye contact with him. He felt a surge of indignation and anger on the older boy's behalf, his face scrunching into a scowl at the people around him. What rude jerks! Getting all nervous and judgy all over a cat of... questionable origin. He wanted to tell them off, snap at them to get over themselves and be the boy's friend or else. He was just trying to be nice! But he held his tongue, knowing there was a good chance he'd get beaten up if he let his temper get the better of him.

As the day went on and the new kids went their seperate ways no one approached him. After a while of sulking in his room to cool off, he slunk back into the common room to see Yasahiro still alone. He approached him carefully, shuffling his feet awkwardly on the carpet. He was able to gague that the older boy probably didn't want to be alone, and that he could keep him company. But cheering him up would be a completely different challenge, one he had little experience completing. His voice came out too soft and hesitant for his liking, but still with the formality it usually carried.

"... Yasahiro?"