A Place to Settle
A Place to Settle
The Return of Osiris I
In-universe date: Era Nova, January, Year 2
Real-world date: 11 August 2026
Author: Osiris
Osiris slowly approached the mesa, leaving their old, sandy home behind as they looked around. The mesa was a violent place, the wind carried dust that bit against the mask that covered their mouth.
At the very edge of Serrano Osiris saw an abandoned house. It was worn through with age, the wood had faded beneath years of sun, several boards had begun to warp from water and rain, and the roof looked as though it had been one particularly bad storm away from collapsing.
No smoke rose from the chimney. It didn't seem like anyone had touched the place in years.
Osiris slowly approached, reaching out and running their gloved fingers along the weathered wood.
They could make this work.
It wasn't home. Not yet...
But perhaps it could be a place to settle for now.
They pushed the door open, listening to it groan at the movement. Dust coated everything, but there were still the remnants of someone else's life from a long time ago.
Osiris stepped inside without asking.
In Serrano they had learned that asking permission for an abandoned place was worth little. There were no landlords riding out to collect rent, no government to oversee such a thing. There was only the understanding that what you took, you eventually answered for.
Better to ask forgiveness than permission.
Osiris lowered their belongings onto the dusty floor and looked around the empty room.
It wasn't the place they missed...
It wasn't the home they had been searching for.
But for the first time in a long while, they had somewhere to sleep.
And for tonight, that was enough.