Ok, maybe I forgot to mention that this was an orphanage, but it's hard to assume otherwise, because where else would a parentless feral child go?

I mean, not like that's important. Orphanage stigma and all, the place wasn't that bad. Eat there, sleep there, eventually got processed for schooling. Not much to offer here in terms of interesting things to say, albeit I never grown out of eating so fast, and sometimes going back to seconds and then thirds. But at the same time, I was also, a bit influenced from the two who offered me companionship, getting involved in sportswork. I stayed a rather average bodily shape as a result, despite the binging habits.

But there was also after two or three years, the unfortunate realization on why others always left with someone to finally take care of them as a mother should, and why that pattern stayed along until I was legally old enough to leave on my own -- I was always the one who stood out, the obvious deformity of not having normal hands or legs or a face. I was becoming a bit unsightly with puberty or whatever it was, kept the hair long, only cutting it once, when it passed the waist once. And then came with that a new color to my hair, a part of the claws, a bright red. It was often joked about within those I talked to, that strange coloration I suddenly had. A shell covering hardened dough, the rough texture. I was not the prized gentle orphan kid at all, but again, things were smooth sailing in that place, and at least I was off the streets, and at least not in the Depths, no, thank Sea Fairy I wasn't.

Schooling, again, nothing special, pretty much that one kid everyone tolerated, but was also too strange to be approached. But all underneath my shell and demeaner and strange movements I never noticed until maybe decades later, I still yearned for that companionship, those groups, the groups of girls that went out to shop, but perhaps solitude was nice as well. Developing a philosphy and morals early was ok, but nothing can make up for being able to share it and those experiences and memories everyone assumes you have. Teenage love. I mean, there was the one that saved me. I still idolized her in my head, but we weren't close yet. I saw her around the city going back from those classes, but always busy, stepping into the temple, she looked so significant at such a small age, and I could only ponder the role and what occured in there.