An Unlikely Friendship (For Fort)

[raisedbyligers]

It's a long and sometimes dangerous road to Daath, which is why most people make their pilgrimages in groups. Arietta, however, is neither most people nor on a pilgrimage. She's on her way back from a mission. Normally, she'd return on a griffin, shortening her trip considerably, but this mission called for a certain subtlety, and the ability to enter a city, and she simply did not bring any monsters with her. Sometimes, just traveling on her own is nice, though. It's nicer to have monsters, but being able to take her time and not have to deal with people is welcome as well.

Now, though, Daath is within view. She's taking the road less traveled, passing through the forest, but she can still look down at the city. Every time she gazes upon it, a weight seems to fall on her shoulders, so it's little surprise that she decided last night to make a small fire in an equally small cave, where she couldn't see the city. It's not a cave she knows, but it doesn't smell like monster, so it's probably safe, and the fire should keep anything away.

By morning, however, the fire has burnt out, and she stirs as she hears faint movement. A stick breaks, and she's wide awake, fumbling for a rock, a stick, something to defend herself with. It could be monsters... She can deal with that. But it could also be bandits, ready to throw a knife at her before she can cast any spells. Suddenly she feels very alone indeed at that thought, so she pushes it aside as she creeps to the cave entrance, rock in hand.

Comments

[fifthreplacement]

There are times he can't stand to be in Daath any longer. He knows he has to do what he's ordered to, and he does it to the best of his ability, but when everywhere he goes is another reminder of what he is, of how much he's not allowed to exist (and yet he does)...it's overwhelming. Today it's the reminder of the dragons in the Order, the ones who can move about as human freely, who can change back to their true selves and fly that tipped him over the edge. Thankfully at his fastest, no one can see him, running across the rooftops and into the forest.

When he reaches the cave (sometimes he thinks of it as his cave, when his mind isn't reminding him that nothing is his), he doesn't even bother to look around much. Sync lets out a faint growl, something more monster than human. There's a decent sized boulder near the entrance that he sits down on, looking at his gloved hands.

Transformation magic is one of the highest magics a dragon can wield, and Sync learned early that there's not enough dragon in him to use them. His ability with artes was impressive, Seventh not included, but dragon magic was mostly beyond him. The only magic he can muster is that of illusion, and he lets the one on him drop slowly. His gloves disappear as the dark green scales across the back of his hands show up, nails grown into claws. More scales run up the back of his neck, and he uncoils his tail from around his waist, letting it lie behind him. His boots also disappear, his feet built more like a draconian's, weight to be taken on the front, the top of them covered in the same scales.

He growls again, tempted to rip and tear at the signs of the dragon DNA that somehow got into him when he was made. He was more than a failure, he was a freak. Sync digs his claws under the scales on the back of his hand, ignoring the pain as he pulled at them. It was pointless, they'd grow back anyway, but right now he hates everything about them and himself.

[raisedbyligers]

Behind him, Arietta peeks out of the cave, and her mouth drops open at what she sees. She missed the discarding of the illusion, missed that this is Sync she's looking at, but she knows a forbidden half dragon when she sees one. She's more friendly with dragons than humans in general, especially with Van, and she knows that they look down on such creatures as much as, if not more than, humans, that such beings are taboo for them; that's why she's never seen one. Not until now, of course.

He's... frankly, he's a little bit beautiful. Those green scales across his back make him look like a monster, and she's even closer to monsters than dragons. His wing-like nubs twitch, and she has to hold back a gasp as his scales ripple and reflect the light. But he's breathing hard, as if he's in pain, and that makes her worried. Her mouth is dry, so she swallows, a tiny but human sound, before speaking. "Are you ok?"

[fifthreplacement]

His head jerks up at the voice, holding back a cry of pain as the relax makes his claws dig into the skin under his scales. Sync is quick to get to his feet, back rippling as if to try and spread wings that aren't there, putting the boulder he'd been sitting on between himself and the cave. Stupid idiot, no one was supposed to know, Van's going to kill him, he's in so much trouble.

Then he registers the words and blinks. Was he...were they actually asking if he was okay? "...I'm fine," he replies, glancing at his hand and the blood dripping from under his scales. It stung, but he ignored it. More important is the voice, which he swears he recognised, but in his panic he can't place it, and he can't see well into the cave; whoever it is hasn't come out far enough for him to see.

[raisedbyligers]

... It's not like she can help him if he's not ok. As usual, she envies seventh fonists that ability. But his words help her relax a little, and she slides farther out of the cave. Is he alone? Maybe he's making a pilgrimage in secret. Van wouldn't be happy if he knew that, but surely half dragons have scores, right? It only makes sense that they'd come to Daath too.

However, there's something about that voice... without his illusions, Sync's voice is a little rougher, and the pain didn't help. It's familiar, but not familiar enough for her to place, either. Maybe he's been before, in a cloak or something, and she overheard him.

She doesn't worry about that long, though. The acrid smell of draconic blood is in the air. "But... you're bleeding, aren't you?"

[fifthreplacement]

"Tch...it's nothing. It'll heal." He tugs at the scales on his hand again, and with the wounds he's already caused he can tell some of them are loose. But now isn't the time to be picking at them.

Sync lifts his head and stares at the girl as he appears, instantly even more nervous. She can't have recognised him yet, which makes him glance away sharply, but he certainly recognises her. If Van knew that Arietta had seen him without the illusion...he's in so much trouble. He needs to go but he can't, there's nowhere else that's safe and he can't pull the illusion up that quickly.

[raisedbyligers]

As she steps around the boulder, she marvels again at his scales, but is almost immediately distracted by the injury on his hand. Her shyness is to his benefit; she won't easily look him in the eyes. However, that doesn't stop her from crouching near him to get a closer look at his injury.

"What if it gets infected? Should I go look for some herbs or something?" Maybe a gel would help? She's just... unsure. She's not a hybrid like him, so she doesn't know what'll work. But then again what if she leaves and can't find her way back? She'd have to keep careful track.

[fifthreplacement]

He shies away from her a little, perfectly balanced on his feet despite the fact most dragons walked on all fours. The tip of his tail flicks nervously, wondering if he should tell her who he was or not. Maybe if she doesn't know, it would be better...but at the same time, Arietta doesn't seem to mind what he is. Most humans would be screaming long before now.

Sync sighs at seeing how hung up on it she is. "It won't. I can use the Seventh, some. I can heal it." He does so, holding his other hand above the wounded one and healing it slowly. Sync had to learn the basic healing artes, Van couldn't risk anyone else finding out what he was if he got injured. Once the arte is done, he flexes his hand and resists the urge to dig at the scales yet again.

[raisedbyligers]

Oh. A flicker of envy rolls through her. Even half-breeds can use seventh. It's just... it's hard, knowing that she'll never be able to heal her friends so easily, no matter how good she gets at casting fonic artes. But it's just a flicker. She's become numb to it after so long. She's significantly more relieved than envious, relieved that he's healed.

And then she looks up at his face. For a second it feels like the world stops, only starting again as she jerks back and falls on her butt. His face, for once, isn't covered. That's going to be a problem. "W-why do you look like him?! He... he isn't... Are you related to the fon master?" That's her first assumption. Ion probably wouldn't have told her if he had a half-dragon brother, after all. He didn't tell her much at all, to be honest.

[fifthreplacement]

Sync flinches, taking a step back away from her. Damn it. This isn't good, especially with his blood starting to glow faintly. Chances were good she wouldn't know what it meant, but...

"...calm down, Arietta." If she realises exactly who he is now without him warning her to keep it to herself, it won't be just himself dying. And while he hates his own life, he doesn't want to be responsible for Arietta's death just because he's a hybrid. Sync has some pride. "It's...complicated. Urgh, stupid fool, why didn't you check that someone was around..." The last few words are muttered at himself, crouching down and covering his face with his hands. He's going to have to explain himself at the very least and he doesn't want to. But what choice does he have now?

[raisedbyligers]

He knows her name. That's... not unusual, to be honest, she is a god-general. But it's still a little weird for her. She's pale from the shock of seeing Ion's face on a hybrid, but she's together enough to nod and tuck her legs under herself in an effort to preserve what's left of her dignity.

"Ok. I'm sorry." She's not sure why she's apologizing, but it seems a reasonable thing to do. After all, she could have just taken the road back, and not run into him at all. This whole accidental mess is her fault, as far as she's concerned.

Of course, she's also not aware her life is in danger. She knows his is. If any other human had found him, a hunt would have started. It's good that he's in the forest, away from pilgrims, but it's still possible.

[fifthreplacement]

"Don't apologise. This is my fault." It's always his fault. He can't even dislike her like he normally does because this has put her life in danger and it's his damn fault.

Flicking his tail out of the way, he sort of falls backwards into sitting, letting his hands fall into his lap. Sync doesn't look up, not wanting to right now. He doesn't want to know what she might say or do. "You don't realise it, but...you know me. And you knowing what I am, that's put you in danger. Which is why if I explain, you have to keep it to yourself. If anyone knew..." Well, she knows hybrids aren't allowed. And if she puts it together who he is, she'll hopefully realise quickly why her knowing is dangerous.

[raisedbyligers]

Carefully, she listens, and nods. "Okay..." She's kept secrets before. She's kept secrets for Ion, for Van... But then again they seldom share with her. She keeps secrets more as an effort to be trusted than a reflection of her trustworthiness. So to be trusted now...

... It's kind of a nice feeling. She knows now that she's in danger, but she can't help smiling a little. "I can do that."

[fifthreplacement]

He glances up through his hair at her, puzzled by her smile. Why does she seem happy about it? Odd.

Sync sighs, rubbing his face again before holding his hand out, palm up, and concentrating. It takes a few seconds, but slowly the illusion of his mask comes into being. It solidifies and drops, Sync catching it with practiced ease. "Recognise this?" he asks almost quietly, looking at the hated mask for a moment before lifting it and sliding it into place, glancing up again at her afterwards. At least with it on, she'll be seeing him and not Ion. The dragon DNA wasn't kind enough to mark his face in any way.

[raisedbyligers]

That erases the smile from her face. Sync is Ion's... something or another? It's hard to believe. But it does help her focus, recognize the notes from his voice.

For now she has nothing to say. She just nods. She's a little embarrassed, actually, that she didn't notice before, but then again Sync avoids her. If he's connected to Ion somehow, and given that he's a hybrid... It makes sense that he wouldn't want the person who likes dragons and was Ion's guardian near him, doesn't it?

[fifthreplacement]

"I'm a replica," he starts, right as his blood decides to dissolve into wisps of fonons and float off. "I can't tell you why I was made...but as you can tell, it obviously went wrong." Sync is glad of the mask right now, it means she can't see the hurt in his eyes, the pain of having to recount the tale. "Someone mixed something up and when I was born...suffice to say, they tried very hard to kill me."

He crosses his legs, picking at the scales on his thigh. "The Commandant is the only reason I'm alive. Aside from you, he's the only one who knows what I am." And Mohs, but Mohs had written him off as a necessary tool to keep the Score on track, thanks to Van's manipulation. "No one was ever supposed to see me like this. Van would kill me himself if it came out, and he'd probably kill you too if he knew you'd seen me. He can't risk getting in trouble with the other dragons for letting a hybrid live."

[raisedbyligers]

"Van wouldn't... would he?" He's known her so long, and while she knows he can be cruel, Van has a use for her. He's always had a use for her. He might get angry, but she can't imagine him killing anyone he has a use for. That includes Sync.

Then again there was a time she couldn't imagine any number of human or dragon cruelties, and they keep surprising her. Who is she to say what Van is capable of? Ion was cruel too. But, she tells herself, it was nothing she didn't deserve. Her eyes flicker from her hands in her lap to his mask, uncertainty in her eyes. Maybe she deserves Van's anger too, for not coming straight back.

[fifthreplacement]

Sync can only shake his head. "He might. I couldn't say. I wasn't supposed to ever be seen...at the very least I'd get punished for it. He might be merciful to you if he thinks you wouldn't tell anyone." Arietta wasn't the type to tell people things, so maybe Van would be kind to her. But Sync holds no misgivings about how Van would be to him. He's a tool and nothing more. His punishment, if he wasn't outright killed for his stupidity, would be terrible.

If Van found out. He can only hope he can trust Arietta to not tell him.

[raisedbyligers]

"... I won't tell." She could hardly stand to see Ion's face when he was in pain, and now that she knows about Sync, even with his mask on she knows it would hurt too. She may not fully understand the situation, but as long as Van doesn't directly pressure her, she won't tell him anything about this.

"What are you going to do?" Maybe he came out just to... well, let it all hang out, as it were. However, it's possible that he could be seen, and if rumors of a hybrid near Daath came out, even if no one made the connection, he'd get in trouble.

[fifthreplacement]

"...thank-you." It wasn't often that Sync thanked anyone, but right now, that was kind of important to him. While it was true he hated his life and wanted it to end, he didn't want to die just because he'd been foolish and made a mistake. Better to die on his own terms than anything else.

He shook his head at the question. "Nothing, for now. I came out here because I couldn't stand being in Daath anymore today. It's out of the way enough that I can drop the illusion I usually have up...though I'm usually more careful about making sure no one's around first." Sync almost seemed sheepish in a way, rubbing the back of his neck.

After a second though, he brought his hand back and looked at it, suddenly curious. "I have to ask though...why are you okay with hiding this? Most humans would've run for the cathedral to report a vile hybrid." He can't keep the bitterness out of his voice at the last few words. Sync hates what he is so much.

[raisedbyligers]

She listens carefully to his plans, and nods when he rubs his neck, just a little. She knew it. This is his place, and she's intruding.

It takes more thought to answer his second question, though. For that, she pauses. "... When I was first... found... I was dangerous. They kept me in chains." She frowns a little. "Just like they chain up people like you before they... It hurts a lot. They called me a monster because I was raised by them. I kinda was a monster, though... I deserved it." She sighs, and tries to sum things up. "But you're not a monster and you're not dangerous. At least not to everyone. If I deserved a chance, you do even more."

[fifthreplacement]

He nods slowly at first, remembering the reports he'd read. A young girl who couldn't even speak, but was entirely comfortable around monsters and seemed to speak with them. The mention of how they treated other hybrids though makes him wince, glancing away for a moment. Sync had seen what happened to other hybrids, Van had made sure he knew what would happen if he was found out. Chained up like an animal, made to understand what vile freaks of nature they were and fatally wounded in the darkness, left to die alone.

"...I'm not a monster, no. That would be an insult to your friends. I'm a freak." He pulls his legs up to his chest, resting his head on his knees and loosely wrapping his arms around his legs, tail curling around himself. Curled up like this, most of his human side is hidden, and if his scales hadn't been glittering in the light he would almost look like a moss-covered rock. "It's...kind of you, to say I deserve a chance, but I don't. I'm not meant to exist."

[raisedbyligers]

"Someone meant for you to exist, didn't they?" She's a little puzzled. She may not know much about replicas, but from Dist's rants, they have to be made. Someone had to have made Sync.

"If no one ever wanted you, you wouldn't be alive." It's as simple as that, to her, anyway. It's even simpler with replicas, in fact. They can't be an accident. She seems certain in herself, at least, but she doesn't reach out to touch him. Not yet. He's Sync, after all. He might react... badly.

[fifthreplacement]

"They meant to make a replica that fulfilled all their requirements. I failed even at that, nevermind the fact someone got dragon DNA into the machine somehow and created this body." He lifts his head to look down at himself, growling softly and starting to pick and pull at the scales on his hand again, the looser ones starting to tear free of his skin.

"No one wants me. The Commandant wants a tool and it's all I'm good for. No one wants me, no one needs me. I have no right to exist, no right to be alive. All because I'm a useless failure of a freak." He tears several of the scales off the back of his hand and throws them in the same motion across the clearing. It doesn't take them long to start disintegrating but he doesn't care, trying to rip more of them out, claws tearing skin.

[raisedbyligers]

"Sync..." She wants to say she understands, but she feels like telling him about Ion's approach to her wouldn't help. That she would be making it about herself. So instead, she shuffles forward on her knees and takes his hand in hers, smoothing down the scales he's roughed up with the gentlest touch she's capable of, the one she usually reserves for newborn monsters.

"You're not a freak. You're you. And your scales are beautiful. Don't hurt yourself." Please. She had enough of that with Ion. She can't watch it again, can't watch someone fall to pieces when she can do nothing.

[fifthreplacement]

He starts as she approaches, looking up with surprise and a little bit of fear. Some of it is hidden by the mask, but the pain is making his control of his magic slip, and it was beginning to waver in and out of existence. Eventually he notices and just lets it go, glancing away and angry at himself more for being so emotional as to let it slip around people.

"I am a freak," he mutters, not willing to let that lie. But Sync also doesn't tug his hand away, letting her smooth the scales down even if there's now an uneven patch. He almost feels sort of shy all of a sudden. "...you think they're beautiful?" He's never thought of them that way before. He's only ever look at them and felt disgusted by them, by his own deformity.

[raisedbyligers]

"They are beautiful. They're such a pretty green. Darker than your hair, but still matching." They blend in nicely with the forest, too. It's just a pity they dissolve as soon as they leave him. It's probably a good thing, makes it easier for him to hide, but at the same time she'd kind of like one.

"I guess no one's ever told you that..." Van wouldn't be the type to, after all.

[fifthreplacement]

"No...the Commandant's the only one who's seen them, and well...he's a dragon." Everyone knew that dragons looked down on hybrids even more than humans did. And being a replica on top of that made it even worse. "I've always hated them...for reminding me what I am. I've never really thought that they might be considered pretty by others." He's covered in so many of them as well, with his waist down being near entirely draconic aside from the underside of his feet, and the scales covered his back and the top of his arms. It almost makes him self-conscious that he doesn't take the greatest care of them; Arietta would probably be able to tell that some were scuffed and marked more than they should be.

[raisedbyligers]

To be fair, most people would have freaked out and not bothered really looking at him. But Arietta's not most people. She's nearly as frightening to some as he would be, in fact; most people don't like monsters, and she's as close as a human can get to being one. Additionally, she knows monsters and dragons well; some of them are her best friends and companions. People whisper about her when she rides a griffin through Daath, she just knows it. She also knows their care, and she can tell that Sync hasn't taken care of himself. His scales are shabby, to say the least. Briefly she wonders if he sheds his skin, and what that much look like before it too dissolves, but that is only a short-lived distraction. "... So no one ever taught you how to take care of them?"

[fifthreplacement]

Sync shakes his head at the question. "No. I've spent so much time having to do things for the Commandant that I've never had the time to find out, and he never bothered to tell me either." It always felt too risky to try and learn too. Why would a human look up something that would only be useful for a dragon? Even if he could shrug it off as a God-General by pulling rank, the thought of being caught teaching himself that was unnerving.

Making shit up, go!

[raisedbyligers]

"You shouldn't claw at them, for one thing." She shakes her head. Maybe he'll listen. She seems to have gotten him out of his earlier funk. "If you do, it makes it easier for mites to get in. If you want to clean your scales, a shower can work, but you can also try using using a sand or dust bath. There was a little sand in the cave, you could use that." It's not like he could use a dragon's personal sand pit, but maybe he can have his own. "It might scratch up your skin a little, but the abrasiveness can help scales a little. If you really want to do well, though, you need access to a bathtub or spring and clean pure water." She's just listing information learned from scaled monsters and Van, but it might help.

\o\

[fifthreplacement]

He does listen, the expression on his face almost curious. Despite his hatred for himself, Sync does kind of want to know how to take care of his scales better. If only to stop them itching so much when he can't do anything to scratch them.

"Huh...I never would've thought sand would help..." He glances at the cave, almost debating to himself about it, tail flicking thoughtfully. He'd seen the dragon sand pits in Daath before, and it was part of why he'd picked this place; the sand was so little it shouldn't attract a dragon to want to move in. But he hadn't thought it was for helping with scales. "The water might not be easy...the springs around are known to most of the dragons, and I can't risk dropping the illusion in Daath for long..." The bathroom attached to his room had a shower, a locking door and no windows on purpose, only a small vent to let steam out.

Re: \o\

[raisedbyligers]

"Right... But you have a disguise, don't you?" She's never seen him not disguised, after all, not until now. "Humans use some springs too. You can soak or bathe in one just fine." She's used them before, though none let her bring her monsters in. It's a little sad.

[fifthreplacement]

"An illusion, but it's not perfect." He concentrates for a moment, lifting a hand up, and slowly it takes on the shape of a normal human hand. Sync offers it to Arietta to touch. "It's not transformation magic like dragons have. The scales are still there, so water would still flow around them. Someone paying attention would realise it's not flowing to the shape I had." He glances at his tail as if to explain further. He might wrap it around his waist most times, but to the observant, it would be visible as a spot the water didn't flow into when it should've.

[raisedbyligers]

Gingerly, she touches his hand. As she feels his claws and scales, it occurs to her that she hasn't gotten this close to a human since she last spent time with Ion, but given what Sync is, her record still isn't broken. At least, she hasn't gotten this close to humans who weren't trying to kill her.

"Sounds like it could cause trouble... Maybe you should get a bathtub." She's never been in his bathroom, and doesn't know its size, but if he's got a decent-sized apartment...

[fifthreplacement]

"Can't," he admits with a sigh, pulling his hand back and letting the illusion drop, the scales and claws reappearing in an instant. "I have a bathroom off my room but both it and the main room are built so there's no windows on them, only vents. Too many questions would be asked about that."

He needed somewhere that he could crash out, door locked, and sleep off magic exhaustion if he had the illusion up for too many days running without the fear of being caught. But he also hated the room, the mere thought of it making him look up at the sky, the nubs on his back stretching out.

[raisedbyligers]

Arietta has never been to Sync's room, as he is generally a private person (and now she knows why), but she's not surprised by his explanation. It'd need to be a safe place to sleep, and maintaining an illusion in one's sleep, while theoretically possible, would be difficult at best. Thus, his room would have to be impervious to peeping.

She frowns, thinking. "If you get mites ever, you're going to want to take on a long mission so they can die off, and wash yourself thoroughly. I guess a shower will have to do, though it'd be harder to drown them. I'd invite you to the tubs where I take care of my monsters, but if Van found out..." She doesn't want to think about that.

[fifthreplacement]

"Yeah, that...that would be bad." Though...Sync finds himself almost oddly pleased about the not-quite offer regardless. She's actually thinking about helping him, something he never expected anyone to do, ever. "...thanks, though. For thinking about it."

He scratches at the scales on his shoulder, a little embarrassed by it. He doesn't really know what to do when someone offers him something like that. "It's strange...I never really thought about any of that stuff..."