Coming of Age Arc [https://www.rellawings.com/superluminal/arcs/comingofage.jpg]

scenebreak [https://www.rellawings.com/superluminal/scenebreak/wingsbreak.png]

Out and Outed

Chapter 08 [https://www.rellawings.com/superluminal/chapternum/chaphead_8.jpg]

A little over a year later, the siblings found themselves seated together in their favorite booth back in Au Naturel, the same as they usually took. The spot ensured they could see everyone who came and went without causing a fuss, making it perfect for their favorite activity while there: People-watching.

Even though they didn’t engage them, it was still fun to observe Au Naturel’s patrons. There, it had become Leo’s favorite way to pass the time.

Ever since the ‘Davis incident,’ Leo continued to love pointing out with Quinn the more mysterious-looking customers, particularly the types that seemed like they may lead double lives as villains or heroes.

As their server plopped two iced green tea lattes down onto their table, the two voyeurs grinned broadly up at the woman they knew well. Natalie beamed back at the Ramses’ siblings, reaching to tousle Leo’s unruly, thick mass of hair. The tangle had grown significantly longer over the last year. “You two still up to that rude staring-at-the-patrons game again? It’s fine as long as you don’t pester them again.” She put a hand on her hip and waggled an admonishing finger at them.

Quinn grinned even more at being mock-chastised, typical of her. “Heck yes! Listen to this: there’s this extra creepy-looking guy with a huge beard and sunken eyes! I think he was a rocker back in maybe the eighties or nineties!”

“No! He’s gotta be a supervillain!” Leo’s rebuttal was loud and eager. “He has to be, like, a Necromancer or something super cool and sinister!”

“Oh crap, he’s looking our way!” Quinn yelped. “Hide, hide, hide!” she whispered.

Natalie rolled her eyes and suppressed a giggle when Leo ducked quickly under their table, anxious about having incurred the wrath of a fearsome raiser of the dead. Quinn hummed in satisfaction as she sipped some latte through the included straw. “Yet another crisis averted—he’s gone now.”

Leo poked her nose out from under the table to look into Quinn’s sparkling eyes anxiously. “Really?”

“Oh! It was someone else, my mistake! He’s—” Leo squeaked as she repeated her disappearance act, returning to the comparative safety of the underside of their table.

Quinn covered her mouth while Natalie did her best to distract herself from laughing by instead asking, “You know, if they can hear you, this—” she said.

But interrupting her comments, Leo leapt from under the table with fork and knife in hand, ready for battle. Everyone in the restaurant stared at Leo, the valiant protector, until realizing there was no supervillain coming for them, blushed furiously. Having understood that Quinn had duped her, Leo pouted and glared over her shoulder at her sister, eliciting another soft chortle as she sketched an apology, “Sorry, little goody two-shoes. I didn’t expect you to take it this seriously.” She tilted her head. “Are you so desperate to find some kind of villain of your own to battle? That’d actually be pretty scary. You don’t even have any powers. Or did you plan on getting some along the way?”

Leo thought about that, simply tilting her head as though it were obvious. “I read about powers falling into the heroes’ laps all the time. I mean, yush! If that’s my fate, I wouldn’t complain! Even if I didn’t get any, I’d still protect Quinn and Goonie and everyone here!”

Leo set the knife and fork back down on the table while everyone laughed and went about their usual business in Au Naturel. It wasn’t uncommon to see Ol’ Goonie’s scampers playing around. For them, it was sometimes the highlight of their day, just as long as they didn’t start raising Cain, which they hadn’t done for at least half a year.

“Come on, kiddo. Sit your butt down here and have some of your latte.” Quinn scooched over and patted the sofa-like seat. Leo flashed a sunny grin as she eagerly sat to sip at her own.

Natalie moved over to service another table’s occupants while Quinn said, more seriously, “So, sis… I guess this means you’re finally—”

“MINT!” Leo exclaimed happily. There had been a splash of minty flavor added into the latte that made the whole thing a little different from the usual. She glowed.

“Sit still a second, you hyper little monster!” Quinn laughed. “So this—” She fixed her little sister with her eyes to make sure Leo’s attention was on her. “This means that you’re finally coming to my school—ack!” Leo snuggled against Quinn, interrupting her questioning by the action. “You’re such a needy creature!” She laughed, trying in vain to stay on topic. “Seriously though, why did you want to go to my school, of all places?”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Leo grinned and flushed, fidgeting at being mildly criticized and finally answered after swishing some sweet latte in her mouth, “Um—it’s more fun with you! I always have the most fun when I’m hanging out with you, sis! But—” Leo looked away.

Quinn blinked, pursing her lips as she eyed Leo, conspiratorial. “Leo, are you still sure you really wanna—be my little sister? Are you changing your mind?”

“YES! N-no! Don’t ask two questions! I wanna be a girl!” Leo nodded without hesitation.

Quinn nodded back as she whispered, privately wondering why Leo looked anxious. “In that case, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but Mama’s arranged a special appointment for you, if you were still serious. I knew little about it before either but, as a responsible older sister, I looked it up online.”

Leo nodded wryly, eyes sparkling. “I know. Goonie talked with me about it and told me everything.”

“Did she really? Everything? She pretended it was a big secret with me!” Quinn pouted and huffed as she sipped her latte.

“Yeah… I know all about what it means. I can be a real girl and I won’t have to take that medication anymore, just a different kind! ... Kind of. All I have to do is have some needles sometimes, and swallow a coupla pills every day. It’s probably icky to be poked, but I really want it, even if it hurts!” Leo motor-mouthed with an ultra-serious expression.

Quinn’s little sister was being so earnest and yet cute she nearly fell over as she said, “It’s destiny, really. You always were a cute tyke… I mean, seriously… I could totally imagine you being more girly than you already are——way more than me. Not that I care.” Quinn laughed.

Leo beamed at the compliment and shrugged as she sipped, tilting her head. “You really don’t care at all?”

“Heck, no!” Quinn rolled her eyes and changed the subject. “Tell me, did you think about what name you’d like to change to? If you’re gonna be a girl, you probably shouldn’t go by Leo anymore. Well anyway, I was thinking when I said it was destiny that Destiny would be a really awesome name—how about it?”

Leo tilted her head and chewed her lip. “That’s kind of… I don’t know——preppy—conceited?”

“That’s a HUGE word for you!” Goonie chimed in as she came over to check on her children. “I see you went and spoiled the big ‘surprise’.” She grinned at Quinn, a girl whose smile instantly imploded into a pout and a glare for her mama.

Goonie chuckled and added, “Sorry to steal your thunder, I guess.”

“You really did! I wanted to be the one to tell her! Awwwwww—” Quinn complained.

“I already decided,” Leo spoke to break up the mock animosity between the two.

Quinn looked up from her drink as her impish smile reignited. “Well, don’t keep us in suspense! What brilliant idea did you have for a name? You were about to say it. Was it maybe Mistral?”

Leo faltered, and her eyes widened. Th-that was a possibility? It was a very, very good possibility… Mistral… She could… She finally shook her head in the negative. “No—it can’t be that… Mama, my real Mama—she named me after someone special——someone I never knew. My great grandpa. Yours too, sis… It’s gotta be Leo, but like—it’s too——boyish—so we talked about it and—”

“Leona!” Goonie loudly announced, spreading her arms.

Leo froze mid-syllable and fell over.

“You suck, Mama! First, you stole my thunder and now poor Leo’s too.“ Quinn tilted her head and reached over to hug the now mopey Leo. “Are you okay? Is that the name you chose or was that another joke?” She didn’t really think so.

Leo shook her head, sighed, and then smiled. “You can’t complain too long. It’s a great name and Goonie helped me with it! And—isn’t it nice? I can love my real mom and keep my name at the same time—but just—I can… I can be Leona!!!” Leona announced, as though none of the previous antics had happened at all. Maybe she forgot already, but it was a happy moment.

Quinn laughed and hugged her. Goonie reached down and petted the two of them. “The first appointment is tomorrow. The needles might be a little scary at first, but you’re going to be happy. My lawyer handled the rest of it and prepared your name change papers. By the time you go to school again, you’ll legally be my little Leona!”

Leona chewed her lip. “I don’t know if I’m ready to go to school yet—though I wanna go to Quinn’s school too.” She shrugged and hunched.

“You’ve been going to school until now—why not?” Quinn asked.

“Cuz I don’t want—I don’t want people to see me changing—” Leona whispered.

“Why not?” One of Quinn’s eyebrows rose.

“I just don’t. I don’t have many friends—none really—a few but, I just wish it was easy to be magically turned into a girl and have people forget I was ever Leo.” She chewed her lip.

Goonie nodded and sighed. This was a somewhat unexpected response, but her feelings were understandable. If people saw her change, she’d end up fixed in people’s minds as ‘that’ girl who wasn’t born one. Kids weren’t always very understanding of these sorts of things, and maybe Leona instinctively knew that she’d have to face things like that. It might happen regardless of what she wanted. Sometimes things didn’t go the way people hoped they might.

“My little sis.” Quinn smiled warmly, petting her hair again. “It’s okay. Just take it one step by step. We’re here for you.”

Goonie hugged them both and Leona sighed as she sank into the wonderful family embrace they shared, which was her favorite thing to do now aside from people watching. She would still sometimes think about the inside of that musty old chest her dad had stuffed her into, but these arms around her now didn’t make her feel trapped. She felt free; as free as the wind itself.

Or perhaps like one of the poofy clouds that was blowing through a calm blue sky high above the city.

While old and dirty, San Isidro retained a raw sense of the elegance and wonder it had in its heyday. Tall Gothic and Victorian structures tirelessly grasped in vain to touch the heavens. It would entirely depend on who you asked whether this was a symbol of aspiration and endeavor, or something more Sisyphean.

Across the bay, however, shone a glistening city of glass and steel skyscrapers. The well-to-do mostly kept to that shining city, but there were still some things you could only find in San Isidro.

scenebreak [https://www.rellawings.com/superluminal/scenebreak/wingsbreak.png]