| osteo | female |
"Hold onto your reasons and plan your escape..."
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At first there was fear in their eyes. Osteo wasn't entirely sure how she'd ended up outside of this particular building, just that she was here now and there was a group of other youngsters crowding around her. The rain fell heavy on her ears.
Their eyes were wide. Even in the dim light with the storm overhead, Osteo could see her fearful reflection there. Was the fear her own, then? Was she just seeing an echo of her own fears there? She couldn't tell, but the curiosity had a tinge of warmth to it as the strange teens looked down at her.
The 'strange' label came from the fact that some of these other kids were not... normal. Some had feathers. Others had odd scales, transparency, and eyes.
They were similar to her, but not quite. She still would stand out.
The rain had soaked her hair. One of the kids offered her a hand, and within moments Osteo was standing up with the rest of the group and being led inside the building. While she had several questions on his tongue, none were spoken, at least not until a surprisingly normal kid turned to her and asked, "Do you know how long you were out there for?"
Osteo shook her head slowly, "N-no. I don't..."
The building's warmth and lights had Osteo squinting as the small group led her along. None of the teens were staring at her, but Osteo couldn't help but worry that her odd horns, disfigured back, and street kid clothing would stand out in this pristine environment. She could never fit in here. She knew she had spent days and nights staring into the windows of store fronts and office buildings longing for the warmth. That was her home. Her shelter. Not... wherever these strange kids were taking her.
"My name's Neowise." The same kid that had spoken up earlier said as they approached a desk, "What's yours? I bet... I bet it's bone! Or Hummus. Wait, no..."
"It's Osteo." Osteo offered sharply as she folded her arms to her chest, "I was named by a store keep that let me stay at her house for some time."
Neowise glanced at her, "Oh! Like bone, but not quite literally named bone. Might've well as called you Calcium. Then your nickname could be Cal! But anyways... We live in this building here. We saw you shivering outside on our way back from the park and... well, we've been there before. Some of us are a bit more.... different than others, but we're all just one family living here. They're.... kind of a superhero center, so they understand the struggles you can face if you're not entirely... normal."
"Oh." Osteo murmured, "So they... won't mind how I look? The... growths or the odd way I walk? I'm not..."
"No, not at all. Actually, I've seen several heroes who have similar bone structures, and they use them as a kind of natural armor. It's impressive! You'll probably be able to find a mentor and get help with things too here." Neowise didn't hesitate to answer as he grabbed a clipboard from the counter and signed them in. Or at least it looked like signing in. Osteo couldn't read.
Osteo still felt shy about things. All of her time on the streets she had spent getting side eyes and stares from passerbyes, and while helping the shopkeep out who had treated her as her own. No one had ever understood her condition. Not even the few doctors she had seen under the shopkeep's care.
Thinking back on the shopkeep had Osteo feeling a pang in her heart. She missed the old lady. It had been almost a year since she had seen her, but that couldn't be helped given that the old shopkeeper had fallen ill and was unable to care for her any longer. And so Osteo was back on the streets, working odd jobs like cleaning the library after hours or sweeping store fronts.
She wondered where the store keep was now. Would it be possible to reach her somehow?
"Oh, Osteo, you listening?" Neowise again. This time he looked more concerned at Osteo's brief disconnect, "I asked if you had any allergies or such? We're gonna go get food at the cafeteria, but I was thinking we could get you food and get you into the dorm
and settled?"
Osteo blinked. Settled. It was such an odd word. A promising word. She might actually be able to find some sort of shelter here, a family, and maybe come to terms with her differences as things went on.
It was a bit hopeful for her tastes and experiences, but it was hope.
She hadn't had hope in a while.
Osteo nodded, "Yeah, that sounds... that sounds like a good idea. I'll follow you guys."
And so Osteo was brought under the wings of the city's supers. She was given a fitting mentor, and came to understand that while there were those that might not understand her and her namesake boney plates, but she had found - or been found - by a family that did. And that was all that mattered. She belonged somewhere, and didn't have to belong everywhere to be happy.
