The Start of Something Terrible (Kamren and Clarinda)

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So far, it had only been the woman who was doing most of the talking and Lux was beginning to wonder if her earlier assumption about the man was wrong. She had expected him to be the one to talk, what with him being in power and all that but it seemed like the wife was the more talkative of the two. Until he spoke, she was beginning to think that this was one of those couples where the man was the wimp and the woman was the power lady.

But from the way he spoke, she instantly knew that her assumption was correct. It was very...diplomatic and thought out even to the point of manipulative. Or so it seemed to her. This was a guy used to debating, negotiating and making deals. Finally, she could talk with someone who could stand up to her. That would be an interesting conversation.Most of the people she'd met were just too easy to walk over.

"A family is none of those things. A family is an elevation to bigger and better things."

Lux raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You mean like bigger and better jail cells? In that case, you'd be on point. Does this sound familiar to you? 'I can't go out. My mom won't let me', or 'I wish my parents would disappear. They embarrass me', or simply just 'I hate my parents'," Lux said, changing her voice to suit each of the three scenes she described. "I, on the other hand, have a freedom none of these other kids have." Lux truly meant her words. Even with her many foster families, there was always curfew and rules and permission to ask, all of which she completely disregarded.

When he challenged her, Lux couldn't help but let out under her breath, "Oh you flea-bitten, puny codpiece son of a bachelor." She knew he'd played that card because she'd never back down from a challenge. He was smart, this Camera guy. She pondered it. There was hardly any chance that this couple could change her mind, at least not in the given time. Summer wasn't very long and Lux knew she could hold out that long. The odds were in her favour.

"Fine. You're on," Lux replied. "But in the event that I do not change my mind, I have the right to leave and if I do change my mind - which will happen when pigs poop out rainbows - I have that same right."

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"I, on the other hand, have a freedom none of these other kids have."

Kamren simply smiled in response of the witch's words. Noting them and waiting. She was a clever child, that much was obvious from the moment he'd seen the girl stood before him. But she wasn't as clever as she thought she was. Narrow minded, and reliant on other's words to form her own opinion. Kamren meant this in the nicest possible manner, of course, but nice or no, it was going to be a challenge that he and Clarinda were going to have to face throughout the time they spent with Lux.

The mutterings Kamren hadn't quite caught, he'd seen, but his lip reading skills were not advanced enough to work out the mutterings he'd seen. No matter, he figured they were either insults, or words Lux meant to say to herself, and he wouldn't pry in to her business.

"Of course you have that right." Kamren responded warmly to her request. "So long as you can finish the stay. If you really, really can't see any difference to what you believe now, we will bring you back - because you want to come back here. And, if you would like to come back even after your mind has been opened to the possibilities, then you may also return. However, and I want you to take these words on board and remember them, Lux, you will only come back to the orphanage if you want to come back.

"You won't come back here because Clarinda or I don't want you." Kamren settled, giving her a smile that showed he genuinely meant that.

"Now, would you like to come home with us this afternoon, or would you like us to come back in the morning so you can say your goodbyes?" Kamren asked, taking out his pen from his shirt pocket to show he was serious about all of this. That they were genuinely interested in bringing her in to their family. "That decision is yours."

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Lux wanted to laugh at the long speech Camera made about her coming back to the orphanage only if she wanted to. It was completely ridiculous to even suggest that Lux would do anything against her will. Nobody could make her do anything she didn't want to do. She only ever did what she wanted to do and not because someone told her to. In fact, when someone told her to do - or not to do - something, she'd go right ahead and do the exact opposite. It was how she got her nose and eyebrow pierced.

It had driven her kindergarten and early primary school teachers crazy and she reveled in that - the knowledge that they were helpless to stop her. But things would be different with this couple. The man knew what he was doing and she had to be extra careful around him. Extra extra careful. She had to think ahead, anticipate his next move and how he would respond if she did certain things. She could already tell that they probably wouldn't respond the way most people did and she had to keep that in mind.

With a nonchalant shrug and wave of her hand she responded, "Oh, that won't be a problem at all."

At his next question, a conniving smile crept over her lips. That was a no-brainer question. Who wouldn't pass up an opportunity to say...goodbye, as Camera put it. Oh yes. She'd give the orphanage a goodbye to remember for centuries to come. She could picture it perfectly in her head. Oh, this is so much fun!

"I'd like to stay the night," she said with a smile, keeping her tone neutral. Being emotional wouldn't work in this case. They'd probably see right through her no matter how practiced or how good of an actress she was. And it wasn't like she was going to turn on the waterworks. She'd promised herself DADA would be the last time she ever cried.

» There Is My Heart (Kamren & Clarinda)
» What To Do With a Thing Called Parents (Kamren, Clarinda & Lux)
» Let's Slow Things Back Down for Us (Clarinda & Kamren)
» The Adoption (Lux & Kamren)
» Better in Time (Clarinda)