[A/N: So... fairly certain that all of these characters are waaaaaaay OOC, but at this point I'm just gonna go with it. Maybe I'll fix it later? I dunno... Thanks for reading!]
Months later, you and your moirail are standing outside of a dreary looking orphanage, documents in hand. You told her you were only going to adopt one kid, but she insisted upon filling out the paperwork for two, 'just in case'. You shrugged and went along with it, perfectly aware that arguing with her was useless.
Latula rings the doorbell, starting to look impatient. She goes to knock when the door is opened by a matronly woman in a faded grey suit.
"Ah, hello. You must be the Striders. Come on in." The wizened woman steps aside and gestures you through to a room that is as dark and depressing as the outside of the orphanage. "Feel free to go where ever… if you find one you want, let me know." You're filled with disgust for the way she's referring to the children, as if they were animals, or swords, or computers.
You wander through the house, and while you see many well behaved kids, you don't really connect with any of them. You're about to suggest that you try looking somewhere else, but then Latula pulls you toward what must be the only door in the place you haven't explored.
The room is pitch black, the only light coming from the door you just opened. In the middle of the room there is a five year old boy, holding hands with a toddler while she colored. The girl couldn't have been more than two and a half, and she was very cute.
Seeing you enter the room, the boy pulls the other child into a protective embrace. "Who are you?" You decide instantly that you like him.
"I could ask you the same thing, little dude. Why are you to up here all alone in the dark?" The kid looks up at you, and as soon as you lock eyes with him, you see them. His eyes are a radiant red, something that he would sure to be picked on for. The boy shrugs, holding the petite girl even closer.
"It's easier for her to color in the dark." His answer is not at all what you were expecting. At this point, the child in question looks up and you realize why it would be easier for her to color in the dark. Her eyes are a pale blue and slightly unfocused, and it's easy to see that she's blind.
Latula leans in and looks at the coloring book page as the door opens even wider.
"There you two are!" It's the woman from earlier, and she looks more than mildly frustrated with this turn of events. "Mr. and Mrs. Strider, this is Dave and Teresa. " The boy makes a strangled noise.
"Her name is Terezi!" The woman shrugs and continues.
"Teresa is blind, and Dave has a genetic disorder called ocular albinism. Ocular albinism is a rare disorder here the cornea has absolutely no filters for light of any kind, which is why he likes to stay in here. Bright lights distress him," she pauses and turns to Latula. "Have you decided which one you want?"
"Yes, I have!" Latula grins at me and I know that we're on the same wavelength. "These two. Fill out these forms," she shoves the paperwork at the woman, "and we'll take the kids and not report how terrible the conditions here are. Deal?" The woman looks distinctly uncomfortable as she nods. "Radical."