Realistic or Modern Meet The Fosters | Episode 1: Take Me To Church

[Twin Fantasy]

Aiko was relatively silent as the new person entered, and stuck her head out from beneath the table. She wanted his shirt. She probably deserved his shirt more, because she loved fish a lot. Fish were her lifeblood and soul and all that. Honestly, the fact that she was human, and not a wide-eyed goldfish, was a travesty. Part of her contemplated stealing it clean off of his body, but... She would get too nervous.

Besides, there were more important things.

Something about church, from Maxie's mouth.

"I'm busy today." Aiko's words were half-directed at Maxie and half at Kathy. Her fish needed her. It was probably lonely and sad without her, in that cramped tank, stuck with a bunch of other goldfish that also needed extra space and also hated it. She didn't really have any way of getting to the pet store by herself other than on foot, but it wasn't like Kathy could stop her. Aiko had gotten in and out of so many buildings, fences and parks that she was practically Harry Houdini. Toy stores after hours, abandoned buildings, closed-up parks, she'd been places. Besides, there were things more important than obedience. Namely, fish.

If that wasn't valid, or fair, then so be it.

Mentions: mytho
Interactions: Noam Pandaskel

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Rocky felt like his entrance went over like a lead balloon, they seemed to just have looked at him than returned to their own conversation. The kid who came after him seemingly garnering more positive attention than him. He moved to pick one of the plates of food and over one of the kitchen counters as he scanned the room. He was still getting used living with such a large group, in the past he was usually one his own or with only one other child. It didnt fell like a canteen in a school and he had never done well in such a place. Here like canteens, it felt like everyone had already established their groups or cliques and he didn't know how slip in between them or was not given a chance to slip between them.

He noted the two girls chatting among themselves, they were pretty with he one with the white hair he found quite striking. They two seem like polar opposites, the brown haired one more prepy while the white haired one a bit more street. They both however had the air of trouble and he felt like he would be entering the lionesses den if he approached them. Three of the younger boys seemed to have formed a group too and seemed more casual and approachable. He was tempted to approach but than noted an Asian girl nearly looking a little frazzled and as uncertain as he was.

He took his plate and moved to set up next to her."Ehh. Hi, rocky...If we havent i introduced each other yet...Sorry, if we have and i forgot. Kinda hard to keep track of everyone here."

Sook

 

[Sook]

More people arrived and Vik found herself sinking further and further into her seat as she nibbled on her food, which she no longer had any appetite for as she was half entering a little meltdown where she felt she couldn't move, or breathe, very easily. There were things being said around her but she did not really notice the words they were saying. She had been about an inch from putting down her plate and running upstairs towards her bedroom when she heard someone sit down by her and introduce himself. She whipped her head around to face him, probably looking pretty stupid, with her jaw hanging slightly open and her eyes wide. She took a breath in, and tried to relax her face, and calm down. The only way she could possibly respond right now was if she imagined he was the only one in the room and so she tried her best to imagine that.

"Uh... We... I... I haven't introduced myself to everyone yet either." She meant it as a way of relating to him but it seemed to come out a little weird, so she just moved on "I'm Vik." She said shortly. This boy is kind of... handsome. She thought privately to herself, but mentally scolded herself for even thinking such a thing. She couldn't even have a normal conversation with someone, there was absolutely no chance of her ever having a normal relationship. Sure she'd fantasised about it plenty... she'd only ever 'dated' anyone online, and she had no idea who she was even talking to. Although... neither did they...

She focused on rocky again, thinking now that he had singled her out for some reason. Probably because she was the only one not currently already pared off in groups with others. Maybe he felt sorry for her, she had definitely had that here.... Although, maybe he was just as frazzled as she was "Uh... so..." She was REALLY trying to find her voice here. She was sure Kathrine would be watching her and if she looked she'd have a proud face. "Rocky is a cool name..." She noted, actually thinking so "My full name is Victoria" She made a disgusted face "'Vikkie' isn't any better so 'Vik' was the best I could do with it." She explained. "But if you come up with something better let me know" She even made eye contact and gave him a tiny, sheepish smile at the end of that sentence. She was kinda thankful someone came up to her really. She wouldn't have done it herself... at least not in this environment.

Mentions:
Interacting: ThatGuyWithSouvlaki

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Rocky smiled, he found her shy and awkward which was something he could sympathise with and found it quite endearing from her. He felt good about this, he felt he could be someone she would be reliant on him as he gave her a chance also seemed into him. So chances of another betrayal were low so something can come from this, friendship or maybe more. She was cute after all and he always wanted such a connection.

He listened to her as she spoke as if he saw nothing else. He shrugged at her view of her name, yet another thing they had in common. "I don't find your name so bad. A nice name in fact, a lot of history behind it especially as it is a queens name." He said with a shrug. "Better than my actual name, named after someone who gave me away." He added bitterly. "Anyways, so you are newbie like me?"

 

[Sook]

Vik shrugged, not really wanting to go into it. She knew why her family named her that, to her it felt like an attempt to make her just like them. That family didn't have a genuine reaction to anything, everything they did was fake and for show. They had reputations to uphold, and they were very good at upholding them. Even when Vik tarnished their name they somehow managed to put it back in their favor by making themselves out to be these kind, forgiving people who still open their home to her whenever she wants and 'will always love her like a daughter'. It was all so fake, and Vik couldn't stand being associated with it. Anyway it was a subject not for someone she just met. She also did not comment when he mentioned his own hatred for his name.

Rocky assumed she was new too, a fair assumption given her social ability (or lack their of). She looked down at her plate again, embarrassed “No...” she admitted “I’ve been here about 6months but...” she struggled to figure out how to say it “It’s... hard” she sighed with frustration, it was like she’d forgotten how to speak her own language “So uh, that Pasta you made for everyone, I wanted to say thank you but” she shrugged again “I couldn’t make myself a-approach you I was having a particularly... bad day” she finally looked at him again “it was nice, thanks” she finally got out. Boy everything she wanted to say felt like a marathon. Hopefully this would be good for her.

Interaction: ThatGuyWithSouvlaki

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

There was a moment he panicked when he realised let himself reveal the fact he didnt like his own name, wondering if she would think it the wrong way. Simple dislike of a name was different to dislike formed from bitterness after all. However she seemed to take it well, at least that is what it seemed with her shy nature making her hard to read. He needed to be careful of that incase she was not what she seemed.

He smiled at her kind words about his food. "Dont worry about it, i am half Italian on my mother side. That is a have a compulsion to cook and feed people. It is my curse and gift, there is no escaping." He said half jokingly. "Anyways, you told me now thank and better late that never. I hope the bad day wasnt too bad οr still ongoing."

 

[Sook]

He has a nice smile VIK thought to herself, breaking into a small one herself. It was probably the first time in all the 6 months she’d been here that her smile was natural and not forced out of politeness or to make a situation less awkward. “I’d like to learn how to cook.” She said truthfully “I never really got to try again after I tried to make a sponge cake and it came out flat and burnt” she giggled softly even though at the time that had been a pretty unhappy memory as she had tried to do something nice for her family and they ended up making fun of her for her complete failure. “I was only 10 at the time I think” she informed

He commented about her day but she didn’t really feel the need to go into it “Ah nah. I feel ok today” she told him. In this moment she did, but she felt dread welling up at the thought of coming back from whatever Kathrine had planned and going to lunch with her evil stepmother and sisters and her creepy new husband.
ThatGuyWithSouvlaki

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Rocky couldn't help chuckle at her story about her burned cake, he was not sure why though. Was it the story or was there something infectious about her smile? He wondered. "That sounds like the first time i tried to cook a pizza, not only burned but made a hell of a mess with the tomato. My grandmother freaked but my grandfather simply laughed nearby." He said with another sad nostalgic chuckle. "Cant remember how old i was but i wanted to not have my grandmother need to cook for me."

He took a moment to gather himself." Wel anyways, good. We need to find a way to make sure you have more good days." He thought a moment." Why not after this church business i will show you a few things about cooking?" He suggested looking excited at the prospect.

 

[Noam]

"What the fuck are you busy with?" Maxie bent over to peer under the table, where Aiko was huddled with her breakfast. The girl left the house every day and Maxie had no idea where she went, and it was starting to bug her, like things that she didn't know always bugged her. Aiko was weird, but in an interesting way. More interesting than Vik and Pasta-Guy's awkward conversation.

"Actually, hang on a sec." Maxie reached up and grabbed her plate and glass of orange juice off the table, then crawled underneath it with Aiko, accidentally elbowing Kassandra in the shin as she went. There was just enough room for the two of them, and Maxie sat with her knees up, munching her breakfast without making eye contact. Because Aiko didn't do eye contact. It was like. A whole thing.

"If you're busy with not-church, then I'm coming. We can tell Kathy that we're having sisterly bonding time. What do you do all day, anyway? Have you been down to the creek 'cause there's a storm drain that you can walk into and I really want to check it out."

Twin Fantasy

 

[mytho]

Carter Jones
Location: Kitchen
Interaction: Pandaskel
Mentions: Noam Twin Fantasy

Carter turned to the girl who addressed him and nodded in acknowledgment. He could feel her staring at him, and it made him uncomfortable, but it was nothing he didn't expect as the new kid. However, using context clues, he figured there were at least two other relatively new kids at the home, which gave him all sorts of mixed feelings- he felt relieved to share some of the spotlit probing, but also felt incredibly guilty and self-centered for not even noticing that there were other new kids. 'Not everything is about you, Carter' he berated himself mentally. Moving on, who would he try to sit with? This whole thing reminded him of a school lunchroom... and that brought to his attention something he had yet to decide on- what he would be, concerning this house's dynamic.

He didn't actually spend much time around other people, but when he did, he put on a show. Played the role of the Timid Kid™, mostly. He was never really a Tough Guy™ to begin with, so it was easy- he just had to really play up the whole "fragile" thing- doe eyes, wavering voice, the works. Sure, you could call it manipulative. He called it safe. If he acted dumb, he could just ignore things he didn't want to think or talk about. If he acted timid and fragile, he could get more people to feel sorry for him. People feeling sorry for him meant people caring about him, meant people being nice to him and gentle with him. It meant he got out of trouble easier, it meant he got things he wanted without uncomfortable and scary confrontations. He had other favorites- They Hyper One, The Cold/Aloof One, The Flirt. He felt it was kind of late for any of those after this morning, though, and honestly? While he wasn't as fragile as he acted, being The Timid One still felt the most natural. Maybe he really was sort of shy, at least.

Speaking of... maybe he could take this as an opportunity to do something he had been telling himself he was going to do for ages: Just 'be himself'. He didn't really know who that was, though. Still, he thought of his unpacked luggage upstairs. He was planning on leaving soon, wasn't he? Before, with other host families, he had held out hope of staying. So, he had tried to pick the best way to present himself, according to what he thought his hosts and/or classmates wanted from him. But at this point, he was done hoping. That's what he promised himself. So what was the harm in just... winging it? And if he made a huge ass of himself, was an awkward loser that no one liked, well. He could always just leave, right? He was going to leave. He was never gonna see these guys again- but he will have learned more about himself. Wasn't that worth it?

Even so, he didn't quite know how to act. Things would be a lot tougher without a script to follow, but if the motivational blogs he followed had taught him anything, it was that stuff like this (bettering yourself) wasn't gonna be easy. He just hoped he was a strong enough person to stick to it. He wanted to be a strong person. A nice person too, with lots of friends! He had always wanted to have a friend- not an acquaintance, a real friend. Though it might be gone by day's end, he felt a surge of determination to be more open, to be friendlier, to engage.

Carter wasn't any hungrier than he was a few minutes ago, and he didn't want to be wasteful, so he grabbed a simple slice of toast and a glass of orange juice. He had heard a girl under the table say something about being busy. Now, Carter technically had plans... his plan was to do one of two things: stay in his room all day, or wander around town. But, since he was doing this whole 'be more engaged' thing, he decided to ask if there was anything in particular going on that day.

"Are you planning on going somewhere?" He asked Katherine, nibbling at the corner of his toast. He had elected to stand and eat at the counter, instead of joining his... housemates at the table. Baby steps.