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The day was long, and the sun was wan in the sky hiding behind the tall tenements of Mutant Town. Sometimes people came here to forget a world where they felt entirely different. Sometimes people came here because they had nowhere else to go. Sometimes people came here because it was all they had left to hold onto for failure of other options.
For Caliban it was home.
Well it was home now.
It was what home could be, and so it was.
The camp, the puddles, the echoing allies.
Those that tried not to catch fire when they sneezed?
These were neighbours now.
Twenty years later and sometimes it still caught him by surprise. His eyes were watching a puddle move on its own, something unseen that could be heard splashing around creating much a noise disturbing the water while the scarred and deformed albino hermit sat on the stoop watching occasionally, but also looking up the street as if waiting for something.
Something or someone.
Some can pass, Theresa is one of those people, but that doesn't mean that she's not against turning up in places like this for some reason or another. Thankfully today she's not armed with the map that screams tourist, and is instead simply wandering down the sidewalk, a light jacket worn that allows her to have a pair of pockets to tuck her hands into.
Mutants? Throw a rock. Caliban sat amid the busy hive able to track where the mutants wandered to which in this case had him call out in a rasp, "Pozor Shuna!" His eyes flinched as something collided with Theresa and barbed quills jabbed into the brick of the building across from the walking woman out of… nowhere? There was a yelp from whatever invisible thing or person was careless and ran into her. The albino was on his feet holding his hands out for Theresa to stop moving and also, hopefully, to see she wasn't skewered with one. "Please, please she is very sorry. Are you alright?
That impact does cause her to come to a hard stop, hands pulling out of her pockets but when the other voice is heard she stops whatever she might have been about to do. Realization dawns, and then she shakes her head, glancing down at herself, "I'm fine, thank you…"
There was a sound of a young person holding their breath, afraid. The albino watched the general space they were moving to and tried to assure, "She is alright. The lady is alright. It is okay, Shuna. She is not hurt. She is like us." He did look apologetic to Theresa all the same though a small voice offered "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Lasers weren't flying and guns weren't drawn. All was well for the moment. He offered to Theresa, "Children. They get carreid away. Sometimes they don't know."
"It's fine, luv. Truly. No harm done." Theresa assures the…well, air. Unlike Caliban she can't really tell where the young mutant is, so is likely looking in the wrong spot, but the sentiment is there. She really does look alright, and she's not going on the defensive, or taking the offensive here. "Children are children, even invisible ones."
Caliban couldn't see her but had an idea of where she was and blinked. He offered, now that his blood pressure was slowed back down. He offered to the Irish woman, in his faint Eastern European accented musing, "I tell her yes people cannot see you but also now people cannot see you. Being careful? it is still a thing." His hand closed around something, presumably a hand and gave it a squeeze. "I have not seen you this way. Not recently. It is a strange welcome, but I suppose there it is."
"Seen me?" Theresa pauses at that, then shakes her head, "Ach, no…I'm new to the whole city, to be honest. New enough to the States in general, as well. Although I've been in them a few months longer than here."
Caliban gestured a hand vaguely "Welcome to New York. See the sights. Watch the streets catch fire, but? It is not Europe right now so maybe this is something. Nothing is perfect." His hand stretched across his chest and he said almost formally, "My name is Caliban. Very nice to meet you." He looked down at whoever hand his hand where the young girl was presumably attached. "Shuna?" He blinked. "Sh…Shuna? Are you waving? because you know she cannot tell. I cannot tell." He blinked and the child's voice said "Hi, lady." He sighed. Someday… someday he will teach that kid formalities. He offered, "This is Shuna."
"Theresa." She replies, smiling a bit more, looking to where she hopes the girl is now, "It is very nice to meet you, Shauna." She then shakes her head, returning to a previous statement by Caliban, "No, nothin' is perfect. But perhaps one day we can get close to it, yeah?"
Caliban was a far from perfect sort, shunned by light and people. Still the albino covered in scars smiled with a nod to her. He gave Shuna a squeeze of his hand and slowly the pale girl faded into being wearing a dress that she'd still have to grow into, galoshes for the puddle, and had bare arms with translucent quills that ran down the back of her arms and neck. She observed, "Hey you have red hair like me." Caliban nodded and warmed a grin to encourage the kid. "She does not say hi very often, Theresa. What brings you to New York?"
"Did you know that red hair is rare, luv? They say it's one of the rarest." Theresa confides, leaning towards the girl like she's sharing a secret with her, then she straightens, "Oh, just explorin'. Curiosity, mostly. I've never been here before, and it seemed like quite the thing to do."
Shuna got wide-eyed and made a small 'oooh!' sound "Really? That means I'm like super-duper super rare?" Caliban cracked a wry grin and shook his head. "Yes. You are absolutely more Mutant than the rest of us combined, and wonderful for it." The child broke a wide grin lifting a small clawed hand wanting to touch Theresa's hair. Fast as a firefly Caliban caught her hand and said "Shuna Sassi, what did I tell you?"
The girl looked momentarily frightened and said quietly, "Ask…before touching."
He let go of her hand. You'd think a girl half covered in quills need not be reminded of that but she asked quietly, "Soooorry. Can I touch your hair?" At least asking seemed to satisfy his need for some semblance of manners.
Caliban offered to Theresa, "If you are looking for a place to go there is Eight Ball just down the street. The music is decent, the company amicable. It is still a safe place for us." How he knew Theresa was an 'us' he didn't say but seemed not to mind.
"My hair? Of course, luv." Theresa replies, crouching down in front of Shauna, tilting her head so that the girl can touch her hair, hopefully without risk of quills in anyone's face. "I think I might have been by there, once, or in…but I don't remember much."
A small clawed hand, maybe not entirely unlike a bird' reached up and carefully touched Theresa's auburn red hair delighting her. It was rare and it might be a rare thing for the kid here in New York to see anyone with any traits similar to hers. There was that look that had a sense of belonging to it.
Caliban watched his ward and offered to Theresa, "Thank you." Clearly in reference to giving the child something to smile about. "I would invite you to be careful here in New York. It is a dangerous. Some say there are riots in nearby boroughs. There is panic in Harlem. Some say Queens and Hell's Kitchen may be behind it by a bit. I'd be happy to recommend safe and friendly places if you are looking."
"Riots?" Theresa shook her head a bit, not moving too fast so that the girl can keep touching her hair for a little while longer. "I've no seen any riots, but I'll be sure to keep myself out of those areas. As much as I can."
Caliban nodded solemnly. "Just down the street there you can see some of the scorch marks from last week where they set our streets on fire. Werewolves some say. Stupid mongrels." He sighed shaking his head. "There are… Monsters here in Mutant Town. Mostly below but for the most part even they try to mind their own business and we try to encourage them to keep up the good work of doing just that. Even so where else are they going to go> We're all a bit in the same bind."
The child looked back to Caliban and said in a worried tone, "Caliban, are we going to have to move again?" He offered her a wan smile, "Not if I can help it."
"Werewolves?" Theresa's shock is rather evident, but she shakes her head, "I'll be careful, I assure you." She then glances towards Shauna, giving the girl a worried look, "You just stay away from werewolves, luv…Wouldn't want any of them trying to make you the leader of their pack now."
Caliban tilted his head like 'yes, but what can ya do about them?' He sighed and circled his hand around, "There's a variety of… unfortunate things that must survive in the world. I just don't know why they must set our street on fire to do this?" He sighed tiredly. "Very bothersome. But yes, peanut. You are enough wonderful things. Please don't get carried away."
"Literally." Theresa murmurs under her breath, getting back to her feet before she glances around, "You said that there was a place for drinks around here? I'm feelin' a mighty thirst all of a sudden."
Caliban waved a hand and sighed "Yes, literal fire unfortunately."
The child hopped, "Oooooh vanilla malt! Archie's puts the whipped cream on it!!"
Caliban sighed. He wasn't that old but he was starting to feel like it. His hands went up and he gestured down the street. "It is a block away if you are up for company we can show you>" He looked up and the sun was just past set but he pulled his hood up anyways. He made a gesture with his hand for it to be taken. Shuna took his hand and ghosted invisible again giggling as kids do when they think they are being completely clever.
"I would…but another time. I see someone that I need to be speaking with." Theresa replies, which with that said she begins to hurry off to see to whatever she needs to sort out.