Corrin already regretted telling Silas about her plan.

She regretted telling him and getting him involved, which now meant she had to follow through on her idea. The idea that was endorsed by both her therapist and Xander. And Silas, given that he drove her here. Despite wanting to be here, nothing could stop the gnawing anxiety as she stood in front of the building.

"So. You gonna just stand there and stare at it or…?" Silas cocked his head as Corrin snapped from her paralysis.

"Oh yeah. Yep." She awkwardly laughed and gathered her will, along with making a note that she really needed to take her meds regularly. Anxiety was a bitch.

Silas smiled and stepped ahead, opening the door for her and staring at her expectantly. Corrin smiled and entered the empty lobby of the dojo. There wasn't much going on at the time; presumably classes weren't going to start for another few hours, and all they had to welcome them were framed newspaper clippings and Bruce Springsteen over the sound system.

"... you know what song's playing?"

"I'm gay, why would I know who this even is?"

"Fair I guess?" Corrin forgot that Silas didn't listen to Dad Rock. He's missing out, some of that shit rocked, "It's… Born to Run by Springsteen. The song New Jersey touts as their song despite the fact it's about trying to get away from Jersey."

It really didn't matter if he had heard it before or not, the song was fading out and there was a pause before the soft drum opening to Africa by Toto started playing and Silas perked up.

"Oh! Know this one."

"Everyone knows it, it's a fucking jam." Corrin grinned and heard someone approach.

"Hey." A low, smokey, and very unfamiliar voice addressed them. Corrin turned to meet whoever this was, but everything she could possibly think to say just vanished and resulted in a throaty gurgle.

She had no idea who this girl was, but every single part of her wanted to.

She towered over Corrin, dark eyes staring into her soul. Her face was framed with short, bleached white hair that curled gently. Her hair contrasted against the dark tan of her skin, as did the white of her sports bra she wore under a wide open hoodie. Corrin was at a complete and utter loss for words in the face of meeting the most intense person she's ever met.

And all of this moment topped off by the jam of the century.

"U-uh."

"...Hi, so this one's wanting to sign up for classes." Silas picked up for Corrin as her brain continued to malfunction, "She wanted to grab some y'know. Forms. And stuff."

Silas grabbed Corrin by the shoulder and shook her back and forth, trying to get her snap out. Mystery Girl nodded all the same.

"Gotcha." She strolled behind the small desk they had set up front and fished around, "We got some classes that are still open. Some private classes too, but you'd have to shell out for it."

She shrugged and offered the small assortment of papers out towards Corrin, who carefully took them. Corrin tried to calm herself, not even sure what all was going on with her right now.

"I'm… Corrin. Corrin Kaiser." She swallowed, "Sorry about uh- the brain malfunction, it just happens sometimes."

"Happens." The girl smiled and offered a hand to shake, "Rinkah Matsubara."

Corrin took her hand and gave it a shake, trying her best to not focus on how warm it felt or how it made her feel.

"...I'm Silas." He coughed.

"Nice to meet you, man." Rinkah nodded in his direction, "Anyway, everything you'd need to know is in the papers. Prices 'n times, all that."

"Alright, thank you." Corrin managed a smile, "I'll uh. I'll be seeing you around then."

"See you around." Rinkah nodded.

A moment passed and Silas sighed and grabbed Corrin by the shoulder, pulling her out of the door as he gave Rinkah a friendly goodbye.

It was a blur to her after that. She definitely got in the car with Silas, but she couldn't focus on the radio or talking.

She had no idea what she was doing or feeling or thinking, but Corrin's heart was fluttering in her chest. This was normal right? It was normal to be this antsy around someone you thought was cool right? Rinkah was clearly the coolest person she had ever met, and it was what made her antsy right? Corrin groaned loudly and dragged her hands down her cheeks, wanting to just get swallowed up by the earth.

Silas might've just said something but she has no idea what it was.

It's not a crush. She knew girls could have crushes on other girls, Camilla had a girlfriend and that was completely normal. Her girlfriend had dinner with them a lot and they seemed so happy together. Corrin still remembers wanting to be like that, as comfortable as they were. She'd get this weird sense of longing that she never got when Xander would date someone. It was just because Camilla and her girlfriend were together longer, right?

But why did she have to clarify to herself that it wasn't a crush?

"Corn you in there?" Silas snapped his fingers in front of her face.

"Uh-" She jumped and snapped back to reality, "Yeah now I am."

"Yeah you were totally zoned out there, you alright?"

"Yeah I'm good. Just thinkin' about a lot of stuff."

"Like seeing Rinkah again later." Silas gave her a shit eating grin and she smacked his shoulder.

"Shut the fuck up Silas." He laughed at her and pulled into the subdivision Corrin lived in, noticing a moving truck just up the road.

"Oh hey, new people."

"Yeah people tend to move here."

"Wonder what they're like." Silas looked at the house and the movers as they drove past, "That's a pretty nice house."

"It's only nice because it's like one of the first houses you see when you drive in. It's gonna be a bitch and a half to turn out of that drive way."

"God, true."

"Anyway. I don't really care who's moving in. It's not like we're ever going to meet them."

Ryoma carried the last two boxes in the moving truck, relieved that this nightmare was over. It took fucking hours in 89 degree heat with heavy humidity, but they got their things moved in. Ryoma never realized before they moved how much stuff they had. It took three trucks to get everything moved cross-country.

Across the country.

Where he moved.

To Florida.

With him.

Oh it was the absolute dream to have your family still around you when you go to a new college.

Assorted movers and his father moved furniture around to Mikoto's direction as Ryoma carried the boxes to the kitchen. He carefully set them on the floor next to the kitchen island, where Hinoka was busy unpacking plates.

"So that should be the last of it right?" She asked, transferring the current stack to their location in the cabinet.

"Yeah that was the last of it. The movers got everything else so now it's the fun part." Ryoma smiled and grabbed a box cutter, slashing the tape on one of them.

Hinoka gave a small chuckle and tossed the empty plate box aside, "So Takumi already huffed off to his room."

"Oh yeah?" He started carefully removing glass cups and handing them off to Hinoka.

"Yep. He put his headphones in and started blaring one of those emo bands that were big in like 2009."

"Which one?"

"Not sure, most of them sound the same." Hinoka shrugged and sighed, "Anyway, thanks for helping out."

"Yeah yeah. Scarlet wanted to help too, but there was a call in at work and she had to go do that instead."

"I like Scarlet." Hinoka paused to roll her shoulder and sigh, "I'm getting tired of tall people shelves."

"So. How're you feeling about all this?" Ryoma sat himself on the tile floor, "Being dragged cross country."

"...I mean like whatever?" Hinoka settled on the ground with him, "I'm still trying to figure out if my new school will let me try out for varsity volleyball. I was on the team back home- well I guess this is home now but you know what I mean. Anyway… I'll get itchy if I can't do anything."

They laughed and let a moment of peace settle over them, the sound of Mikoto and Sumeragi getting the living room set up in the background. They were trying to find the perfect place to put some kind of picture or something.

It had to be here or maybe over there. It'd look good really here, it'd compliment that. Their discussion was white noise.

Ryoma rested his head against the wood face of one of the counters as Sakura carefully stepped over his legs.

"Oh hey you're quiet." Hinoka spoke up as Sakura strained to get a cup.

"S-sorry… I just wanted to get some water." She fidgeted and gave a small smile, "Why're you both on the floor?"

"It's cooler down here." Ryoma smiled, "It's where the cool kids are."

"Also tiles are cold."

Sakura paused a moment after getting her drink before deciding to sit down on the ground with her older siblings, pulling up her knees and sighing, "Yeah it feels nicer down here…" She giggled and sipped on her water, "I'm… trying to unpack my room."

"How's that going?" Ryoma held out his hand, quietly asking for a drink. Sakura handed it over while thinking of her answer. The way her brow furrowed said a lot.

"I'm… I'm doing it. And I texted Hana…" She trailed off, hugging her knees to her chest, "She said that she and Subaki miss me…"

Her voice wavered and Hinoka and Ryoma shared a glance. They knew that separating her from her closest friends would be a rough transition. Sakura's head buried in her knees and Hinoka scoot over to her, "Hey hey, at least you still have them to talk to! Besides, people are gonna like you at the new school. And uh… well we're meeting our other step-sister! Maybe she'll be like Lilith."

Hinoka gave a gentle squeeze.

Ryoma wondered what on earth Corrin could be like. The last time Lilith visited them before they moved, he asked her if Corrin was like her at all. He just remembered her making a face and just going 'Noooo not really'. Lilith described her as challenging, and a little sensitive; so he was essentially completely blind to whatever she was like.

"It's gonna be fine Sakura. If you need anything you can spend time with me and Scarlet. She loves you to bits. And I do too." He smiled and pushed himself up with a groan, giving Sakura an affectionate pat before standing completely, "Anyway, I gotta get going. Scarlet's getting off work in an hour and a half, and I want to get dinner started before she gets home. Plus I need a shower…"

Ryoma hated how sweaty he was.

"You're leaving already?" He turned and saw Mikoto peering through the entryway to the kitchen, "I thought you might have dinner with us tonight."

"I would, of course, but I want to get a shower in. I'll see you guys for the dinner with Corrin, it'll be fine." He hustled his way past his step mom, keys in hand and giving a hasty goodbye as he hustled to his car. Now to go back to his life.

Corrin perked up as she saw the door to her bedroom crack open, Lilith poking her head into the room. Her older sister motioned for her to take out her headphones, "Hey dinner's going to be ready in a few minutes, Camilla sent me up to come get you."

Without waiting for a response, Lilith came in and sat on the edge of Corrin's bed, twirling newly dyed blue hair around her fingers.

"...so you actually went through with dyeing thing?" Corrin cocked her head and moved her laptop. Lilith had put it off for so long, she had wanted to dye her hair ever since Camilla started dyeing her hair lavender.

"Yeah. Leo and Elise helped me out. Elise is better with hair than we give her credit for." Lilith laughed, "Do I look good?"

"It suits you." Corrin crossed her legs and paused for a moment, a thought occurred to her, "Hey uh… Lily, random question."

"Hm?"

"What's… what's m… Mikoto like?"

Corrin flinched as the words left her mouth. They didn't sound right. She wanted to say Mom, but she couldn't in good conscience. Her mom was Katerina. That's who raised her and that's who will always be her mom.

"Why do you bring it up?" Lilith sat upright, an all too serious expression on her face.

"I mean like… She contacted me."

"She did?" The serious mixed with confusion as she tried to process the information given to her, "Why didn't we hear about it already?"

"Well I mean… my caseworker called me. And we arranged for me to go see her on the weekend."

Lilith chewed her cheek and sighed, "Have you told dad about it?"

"No…" Corrin toyed with the string of her sweatpants, "I could bring it up over dinner."

She couldn't identify what kind of emotion it was that crossed Lilith's face at that idea but she just quietly nodded, "Well. We'll see how it goes…"

The sisters sat in silence before Corrin slid out of bed and the pair headed downstairs, antsy about the conversation that was going to come from talking about this subject.

Camilla had set the table, plates neatly set for every member of the family. It had been rough getting back into the groove of having dinners as a family. It was hard to have one empty chair. Corrin tried to tear her mind off of it as she sat down and helped herself to the food that was laid out in front of her. She stacked her plate high and couldn't help but glance over at the spot that Katerina used to take.

Camilla set a plate for her.

Something about that made Corrin's throat tighten.

She sighed heavily and focused on her food. Focused on the noises of family talk. Focused on her thoughts. Elise and Camilla carried the majority of conversation. Elise chattering about her day at school, and Camilla asking about it. Lilith would chip in with little quips.

Corrin looked over at her father. Garon ate silently, but she was glad he was at least with the family this time. He hadn't really been himself for the past few months. Then again neither had she. None of them were themselves really.

"Corrin~" Camilla cooed and tapped her, "Did you do anything interesting today?"

"Um-" Corrin hesitated and nodded, "Yeah, I went to this Judo place. I got some information, and stuff. Doctor Hoffman said it'd be a good idea and I wanted to do it too, so… yeah! I still gotta give you the papers I got."

She turned her attention to her father who nodded, "I'll look at them."

"And there was um… another thing I forgot to bring up. So I'm… I'm having dinner with my birth mom on Saturday."

If there were ever a time she could describe as being "so quiet you could hear a pin drop", it'd be that moment. Everyone stopped eating and their heads swiveled in her direction, Garon even looking up from his plate with a look of surprise. Lilith hesitated in the quiet, trying not to make too much noise as she tried to keep eating. To regain some sense of normalcy at a family dinner.

"Corrin… when did your mother contact you?" Garon spoke up.

"Well I - I mean my caseworker called me on her behalf-"

He stood from his seat, plate and flatware clattering as he pushed back, "I'm going to have some fucking words with that caseworker, they didn't try reaching you through your guardian like they did with your sister."

His voice thundered and his eyes were dark, he stormed off to his study, leaving the table to erupt.

Camilla immediately started cussing in her native tongue, speaking too fast for Corrin to keep up with. She didn't know a lot of Spanish, but she recognized some of the words Camilla was spitting. Camilla had similar things to say when Mikoto reached out to Lilith for the first time.

Leo started prodding with questions, asking 'what the hell happened' and 'when did this happen' and 'Didn't your mom live across the country'. He didn't bother waiting for answers, being talked over by Elise's nervous chatter asking if she was still going to stay with them or if Corrin and Lilith were going to move back in with their mom. Xander shouted over the noise, trying to get them to calm down as Corrin trembled at the overstimulation.

She knew it was going to be bad to bring this up, she knew she should've just held on to it. Lilith tried to comfort her, gently grabbing her shoulder, but Corrin grabbed her plate and ran to her room. She needed her safety. She needed her quiet.

She sat cross legged on her bed, plate in her lap and she fought the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She could hear her dad in his office below her room, yelling into a phone.

Corrin picked at what remained on her plate. She didn't have the desire to eat but continued to shovel it into her mouth. It was going to fill a void or at least distract her from reality for a bit. Piece by piece, mindlessly putting food in her mouth while staring at a wall. Numb to the world until she hit the realization there was nothing left to eat.

She sighed heavily and set the plate on her bedside table, laying in her nest of pillows and blankets.

"I should've just stuck with talking about Judo…" She muttered, trying to not cry. She didn't need that tonight thanks.

Corrin stared at the wall, losing all sense of time as the sun continued to set, and her room was engulfed in darkness. The only light was the faint blue of her laptop, still charging by her bed.

There was a knock at the door and immediately walking in after was her father, looking tired but satisfied.

"...Corrin."

"Hey dad. Did… did you need the papers?" She laughed weakly and sat up, playing with her thumbs.

He took a few steps into the room, seating himself on the edge of her bed and sighing, "I ran down whoever I could for contacting you first over me. And… you don't need to meet with Mikoto."

"..." She squeezed her wrist, looking down. Observing the patterns on the blanket and noting how she needs to trim her nails. They were getting long.

"I talked to her directly. They'll let you set a new dinner date, if you want to go through with it." Garon shifted, resting his elbows on his knees and folding his arms.

"I'll. I'll give her a shot. Lily did it." Corrin sighed and glanced back up at her dad, "And… I don't have to meet her new kids right?"

"Oh no. It would just be her and us." Garon nodded, "You never go into litigation with a smaller team."

She laughed a small laugh and sighed, "Thanks dad."

"Of course Corrin." He paused and shifted closer, drawing Corrin in for a hug. She hesitated but wrapped her arms around her father as well, resting her face in his shoulder, "We'll make sure things turn out alright."

He pat her back and let her go, getting back to his feet. He didn't comment on her dirty dish, he just picked it up and headed for the door, "Get some rest tonight."

"I will." Corrin hesitated a moment, "I love you dad."

Garon paused, a hand on the door handle.

"I love you too, sweetie."