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The days which followed were...strangely normal. Or, I guess what I thought normal would be like, at least compared to how life had been up until now. Despite being so far from where we'd spent our lives we felt a lot safer and more at-ease, taking up various household chores to better function as a family unit instead of a bunch of runaways. That wasn't too hard or far from the usual, though-- we mostly just took care of ourselves and each other even back at the foster home. Everyone had some weight to pull and, honestly, it's not like there was a whole lot else to do out in the middle of nowhere, in a destroyed and forgotten town.

Connor handled simple tasks like collecting waste and adding to the compost.

Harley helped with food preparation, dishes, and laundry.

I mostly foraged, but did other small jobs asked of me. I also helped teach Connor and Harley things like reading and basic math if I had the time.

Sura did a lot, like cooking, laundry, and making and mending clothing. We didn't really have much to our names, maybe a couple changes of clothes each, so we appreciated that there was someone around who could fix what we had and make more of what we needed. She helped with a lot of other jobs the little kids had, too, if they needed it-- dishes, food waste, those kinds of things.

Riv, well...we didn't see him a whole lot. He slept during the day so he could keep watch over the place at night, keeping any eye out for foster home staff and any possible hostile corruptions that might come through. In the early evenings he would forage for things Ulimi might need and set off for Huot in the dead of night every few days, making what money he could and coming back with food from the shop. He didn't like me helping him forage for things, saying "I don't want my problem to be your problem" or something along those lines. He'd do what he could to spend time with us anyway, both he and Sura doing their best to ensure we felt safe and cared for. He took his work around here pretty seriously, though we could tell it was stressful.

We didn't want to be here any longer than we had to be, so he worked hard to pull together what money and goods he could get to make the venture north that much easier. People do what they can with what they have, and we weren't exempt from that rule.

***

I stared at Saffron throughout his story, my eyes wet from all this new information. I really had no idea about any of this, just some very subtle behaviors and cues.

"Like I said," Saffron sighed, "Riv is why we're living in some old deserted town ruins and not in a large house back in Huot...but there are far worse things than being homeless. I'd rather be out here living in a basement than living in that...person's house again. I think I speak for everyone here."

"...What Sura told us...makes a lot more sense now," I muttered, hugging my knees.

I thought back to Xhianei and how the doorman treated us in kind. Were there really people like that in the world? If she got hurt like Harley did I'm...I'm not sure what I would do. Could I even do anything? They were a lot bigger than me. I would probably just make it worse if I tried, but I couldn't just...not do anything.

"I do understand that the people here probably look a lot different than what you're used to, Xhias," Saffron said, scratching one ear. "You came from an entirely different region and adjusting to this is hard. We're not new to that kind of thing and we want you to feel welcome and accepted here, but you'll also have to give a little more of what you receive."

I thought about it briefly. Had I really been so unfair all this time? I guess that was a dumb question, mulling over how standoffish I had been these past few weeks. I hadn't meant to be rude or unjust, and honestly didn't think those things made the impact they had. The realization brought tears to my eyes.

"I don't want...to be like my dad."

"Ah, I don't think you could if you tried," Saffron uttered through an understanding smirk. "Some things you just have to learn. It's when you refuse to learn that it becomes a problem. An appearance is just an appearance: Clothes are just clothes, jewelry is just jewelry, hair is just hair. More importantly-- his eyes are just eyes, just like yours are."

With that said Saffron stood back up to his feet and stretched, taking my plate from beside me.

"I'm getting up anyway so I'll take this back with me," he said, turning away to head back.

"Saffron, I...did you..." I wasn't sure how to word my question.

"...No, I wasn't," he looked back. "I appreciate your concern. Connor was never out of sight so he wasn't, either. Sura and I were too old upon arrival."

"...What about--"

I could see a grimace begin to spread across Saffron's face before he turned and walked away, ears flattening and saying nothing else. I slowly turned to face ahead of me once more, holding my knees tightly as my ears sagged with strange, heavy emotion.

I had a lot to think about.

---

Night fell quickly, and before I knew it the rest of us kids were sent to bed for the night. Each went to their respective rooms, Xhianei following me to ours. The both of us flopped onto the straw bed, ready to sleep after a long day. It was nice and cool outside so we made use of the makeshift blankets. It didn't take long for Xhianei to pass out but I found myself just staring up at the ceiling, tracing the moonlight against the hanging tarps and wires.

Down the hallway I heard the hushed voices of Riv and Sura saying their goodnights. The quiet flap of the curtain falling cued the familiar slow shuffle of footsteps down the hall before disappearing up that far flight of stairs.

I laid there trying to figure out what to do. I looked over to Xhianei passed out next to me before looking back up to the ceiling.

...Okay.

I took a deep breath and sat up, scratching my head before rising to my feet. Carefully, I reached out for the curtain in the doorway, pulled it back, and looked down the empty hall. Even with all the people down here, hardly a sound could be heard as they slept. I slowly, quietly made my way down the hall and to the base of the stairs leading outside.

For once I acted without thinking, ascending the stairs as quietly as I could manage and gripping the metal railing to keep myself steady. It wasn't long before I arrived at the top, pushing past one last curtain and stepping into the outside world.

A short distance away Riv sat atop the remains of a wall just staring out across the field, club in hand. He seemed too focused on his survey to have heard me coming. I stopped a couple yards from where he sat.

"...Hey."

His ears perked and he turned just enough to look back at me, those eerie, bright eyes meeting my own.

---

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Description
The days which followed were...strangely normal. Or, I guess what I thought normal would be like, at least compared to how life had been up until now. Despite being so far from where we'd spent our lives we felt a lot safer and more at-ease, taking up various household chores to better function as a family unit instead of a bunch of runaways. That wasn't too hard or far from the usual, though-- we mostly just took care of ourselves and each other even back at the foster home. Everyone had some weight to pull and, honestly, it's not like there was a whole lot else to do out in the middle of nowhere, in a destroyed and forgotten town.

Connor handled simple tasks like collecting waste and adding to the compost.

Harley helped with food preparation, dishes, and laundry.

I mostly foraged, but did other small jobs asked of me. I also helped teach Connor and Harley things like reading and basic math if I had the time.

Sura did a lot, like cooking, laundry, and making and mending clothing. We didn't really have much to our names, maybe a couple changes of clothes each, so we appreciated that there was someone around who could fix what we had and make more of what we needed. She helped with a lot of other jobs the little kids had, too, if they needed it-- dishes, food waste, those kinds of things.

Riv, well...we didn't see him a whole lot. He slept during the day so he could keep watch over the place at night, keeping any eye out for foster home staff and any possible hostile corruptions that might come through. In the early evenings he would forage for things Ulimi might need and set off for Huot in the dead of night every few days, making what money he could and coming back with food from the shop. He didn't like me helping him forage for things, saying "I don't want my problem to be your problem" or something along those lines. He'd do what he could to spend time with us anyway, both he and Sura doing their best to ensure we felt safe and cared for. He took his work around here pretty seriously, though we could tell it was stressful.

We didn't want to be here any longer than we had to be, so he worked hard to pull together what money and goods he could get to make the venture north that much easier. People do what they can with what they have, and we weren't exempt from that rule.

***

I stared at Saffron throughout his story, my eyes wet from all this new information. I really had no idea about any of this, just some very subtle behaviors and cues.

"Like I said," Saffron sighed, "Riv is why we're living in some old deserted town ruins and not in a large house back in Huot...but there are far worse things than being homeless. I'd rather be out here living in a basement than living in that...person's house again. I think I speak for everyone here."

"...What Sura told us...makes a lot more sense now," I muttered, hugging my knees.

I thought back to Xhianei and how the doorman treated us in kind. Were there really people like that in the world? If she got hurt like Harley did I'm...I'm not sure what I would do. Could I even do anything? They were a lot bigger than me. I would probably just make it worse if I tried, but I couldn't just...not do anything.

"I do understand that the people here probably look a lot different than what you're used to, Xhias," Saffron said, scratching one ear. "You came from an entirely different region and adjusting to this is hard. We're not new to that kind of thing and we want you to feel welcome and accepted here, but you'll also have to give a little more of what you receive."

I thought about it briefly. Had I really been so unfair all this time? I guess that was a dumb question, mulling over how standoffish I had been these past few weeks. I hadn't meant to be rude or unjust, and honestly didn't think those things made the impact they had. The realization brought tears to my eyes.

"I don't want...to be like my dad."

"Ah, I don't think you could if you tried," Saffron uttered through an understanding smirk. "Some things you just have to learn. It's when you refuse to learn that it becomes a problem. An appearance is just an appearance: Clothes are just clothes, jewelry is just jewelry, hair is just hair. More importantly-- his eyes are just eyes, just like yours are."

With that said Saffron stood back up to his feet and stretched, taking my plate from beside me.

"I'm getting up anyway so I'll take this back with me," he said, turning away to head back.

"Saffron, I...did you..." I wasn't sure how to word my question.

"...No, I wasn't," he looked back. "I appreciate your concern. Connor was never out of sight so he wasn't, either. Sura and I were too old upon arrival."

"...What about--"

I could see a grimace begin to spread across Saffron's face before he turned and walked away, ears flattening and saying nothing else. I slowly turned to face ahead of me once more, holding my knees tightly as my ears sagged with strange, heavy emotion.

I had a lot to think about.

---

Night fell quickly, and before I knew it the rest of us kids were sent to bed for the night. Each went to their respective rooms, Xhianei following me to ours. The both of us flopped onto the straw bed, ready to sleep after a long day. It was nice and cool outside so we made use of the makeshift blankets. It didn't take long for Xhianei to pass out but I found myself just staring up at the ceiling, tracing the moonlight against the hanging tarps and wires.

Down the hallway I heard the hushed voices of Riv and Sura saying their goodnights. The quiet flap of the curtain falling cued the familiar slow shuffle of footsteps down the hall before disappearing up that far flight of stairs.

I laid there trying to figure out what to do. I looked over to Xhianei passed out next to me before looking back up to the ceiling.

...Okay.

I took a deep breath and sat up, scratching my head before rising to my feet. Carefully, I reached out for the curtain in the doorway, pulled it back, and looked down the empty hall. Even with all the people down here, hardly a sound could be heard as they slept. I slowly, quietly made my way down the hall and to the base of the stairs leading outside.

For once I acted without thinking, ascending the stairs as quietly as I could manage and gripping the metal railing to keep myself steady. It wasn't long before I arrived at the top, pushing past one last curtain and stepping into the outside world.

A short distance away Riv sat atop the remains of a wall just staring out across the field, club in hand. He seemed too focused on his survey to have heard me coming. I stopped a couple yards from where he sat.

"...Hey."

His ears perked and he turned just enough to look back at me, those eerie, bright eyes meeting my own.

---

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