Veronica made her way down the street and into an alleyway. “Hello Veronica,” a ragged voice called. She stopped to look down at a man who was wearing nothing more than rags, caked in dirt and mud. He gave her a grin, showing several of his teeth, which were missing. “Hello, Jackson,” Veronica said warmly, greeting him.

Despite his rather crude appearance, Jackson was a surprisingly nice fellow who had managed to avoid a life of drugs and organized crime, though like everyone else in the slums, he was not entirely guiltless when it came to swiping the occasional apple from an unobservant shopkeeper. “Is that a kid? Where’d you find it?” he asked. Veronica explained the circumstances to him.

“Ahh...I see. It’ll be difficult to care for her, yanno? This life ain’t kind, even for us, who are experienced…” Jackson and Veronica had lived as homeless beggars for quite a while, so they more knowledgeable than most other beggars, such as knowing the most friendly shopkeepers, the best places to beg, the least filthy places to sleep...it wasn’t knowledge anyone other than a beggar should be proud to possess. And yet, even with that experience, it was a struggle to stay alive, let alone obtain a good meal. “...I’ll have to manage. Serena said she’d do her best to help,” Veronica said.

Jackson nodded. “Ah, the doctor, right? Nice girl...ah, don’t let the others know. I know no one in this area will do anything, but those hoodlums down the road might try and do something,” he warned. In this particular group of alleyways near the Clinic and various houses was a small group of weary but honest beggars. Each of them tried their best to avoid doing too much crime or drawing attention, and incidentally, helped each other out when they could.

Being homeless and poor, it was better to group together and work as one to survive than try to strike out on one’s own. It was also more beneficial as a defensive measure, since there were other people, like the hoodlums Jackson mentioned, who lived off of beating up beggars and taking what little possessions they might have or extorted money. This was one thing both beggars and commoners shared- these malicious individuals would mug anyone they thought they could get away with mugging.

As such, it was typical for beggars in bigger cities like the Capital to form communal, ramshackle communities, though there was no small amount of individual homeless people trying to live on their own. “Don’t worry, I won’t,” she said firmly. Jackson nodded, turning to regard the opening of the alley. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” he asked her. Veronica looked up towards the sky. “...yeah. Too bad we can’t exactly enjoy it, huh?” the two exchanged sad smiles and bid each other farewell. As Veronica came to the small wooden shack she had built, she stooped down low and crawled into it. It was small, but just big enough to not be terribly cramped. “Welcome to your new home, Edna,” Veronica said softly.

Edna let out a soft burble, though her expression didn’t seem to communicate anything other than curiosity at the world around her. However, Veronica became aware of a particularly troublesome effect of bringing Edna into the small hut. “...it’s hot,” she complained. The shoddy constructed hut didn’t have the best insulation and was drafty, but it was still an enclosed space. The higher than usual body heat of Edna had warmed the temperature within the hut, turning it into a muggy and hot atmosphere.

While Veronica was sweating, Edna seemed unaffected by the uncomfortable heat, only giggling...though her joy went downhill fast as she began to cry. “Eh?” Veronica was confused why she was crying, when a certain smell assaulted her nostrils. “...well, I guess it’s time for a change, huh?”

Diapers didn’t exactly exist in this world, but specialized loincloths that basically were the same thing did exist, which was what Veronica was changing. She didn’t really have any experience, however. Luckily, Griselda, a neighbor, had raised two children and was quite skilled, so she provided assistance. “Thanks, Griselda,” Veronica said in gratitude. “It’s nothing, I’m glad I could provide some assistance,” Griselda said, waving off her words. “I’m glad you’ve found a child, but what if there are repercussions?”

“The child was abandoned, I doubt anyone will come for her,” Veronica said. Griselda smiled. “Well, it’s fortunate you found her. Make sure to raise her right, okay?” Veronica nodded. “Yes, of course…”

=======

A few years passed, with Veronica doing her best to raise Edna to the best of her ability. Initially using artificial milk supplied by Serena, Edna had now grown old enough to eat actual food. Her unnatural body temperature never changed, and after one fateful event when she had fallen and injured herself by scraping her knee. The pain was enough that she cried her heart out, but for whatever reason…tears did not come. The little girl was absolutely sobbing, but her eyes were completely dry- it was a stark contrast that was both unusual and quite depressing. But the final clincher that she was abnormal- Edna had brilliant, vermilion colored hair and deep, crimson colored eyes, an eye color that was quite uncommon, and in fact, could be said to be unique, though neither Veronica nor anyone else really knew the special nature of such colored eyes.

As she developed, Veronica and the other beggars did their best to try and teach Edna how to speak, though they had difficulties with teaching her to read and write, given the fact that none of them had an actual education. Luckily, Edna possessed a remarkable intelligence and was able to pick up on things even with the fragments and tidbits they each offered. Her high body heat also proved a boon to her mother- when winter came, she was never cold, since Edna’s high body temperature meant that holding her was like hugging a heater.

Incidentally, it appeared cold weather had no effect on Edna, as one day, at six years old, Edna was happily trudging around in the snow. Veronica watched her, wrapped in some blankets padded with newspaper. Edna, however, wore nothing other than her simple clothes, which had been provided by Serena. They were dirty and mismatched, but Edna did not care. She was happy to have anything, after all. “...no matter how resistant she is, it’s still unnerving to see a kid playing in the snow with nothing to keep her warm…” Jackson mumbled from beside her. The two were sharing a blanket, since Jackson didn’t really have his own.

He smelled, but then again, when one lived this life for a while, being blind to bad smells was a given. “...yes, but she’s an unordinary kid, isn't she?” Veronica asked, watching as Edna picked up a chunk of snow and started to form it into a snowball, only to gaze despondently at the puddle of water that was now in her hands. In truth, Veronica didn’t really have much to offer Edna in the form of a coat or anything, but she was lucky that Edna didn’t require such a thing. As it was, the girl didn’t seem to feel cold, even when her bare skin came into contact with the harsh cold of snow. The dejected look on her face made Veronica want to laugh and pity the poor girl, who, despite loving the snow, could not really play with it effectively. The three of them were in a large public park. There wasn’t anyone nearby, save for some security golems that were doing their daily rounds, but they saw no issue with a kid playing in the snow being watched over by her parents.

“Mommy!” Edna cried, moving through the snow on a whim towards Veronica. The little girl tackled Veronica, who let out a surprised squeak at the sudden move. Luckily, Edna was small, and hadn’t really knocked Veronica down or anything. Veronica let Edna crawl under the blanket and interpose herself between the two adults. Veronica winced as Edna’s slightly damp, cold clothes pressed against her skin, but luckily, they were drying quite fast, another unexpected benefit of Edna’s high body temperature...and soon enough, the pressing cold faded away, replaced by the instant warmth offered by Edna. Jackson melted at the sudden warmth. “Ahhhh...it feels so good…” he moaned softy. Edna pressed herself against Veronica in a hug, grinning. “Feels good!” she echoed with a giggle. Veronica also embraced her daughter.

As a result of her warmth, Edna had proved unexpectedly vital for her adopted Mother’s survival- the winters had grown harsh lately, and Veronica wasn’t sure if she could survive the harsh cold and weather. However, with Edna, it was actually quite easy. The constant contact, however, had accidentally made Edna a bit clingy, who grew up being frequently embraced. It also meant that during the summer, she tended to get a bit depressed, since Veronica couldn’t bear to stand too close to Edna, whose natural aura combined with the summer heat would be impossible to withstand. “Do you want to head back?” Veronica asked Edna, who nodded. “Mommy, why doesn’t the snow want to play?” she asked.

“Well sweetie, snow is actually frozen water, so when it’s exposed to heat, it melts and returns to water,” Veronica explained. Edna frowned. “And since I make so much heat...oh….”

“I’m sure when you get older, the snow will want to play with you,” Jackson told her. Edna brightened. “Really?” she asked her mother with shining eyes, wanting to confirm. “Of course,” Veronica said. The three got up and made their way back to the buildings.