On being rebooted.

[angustifolium]

It's okay.

It's not the first time. It probably won't be the last. But this time it didn't end because someone tried to kill Curie.

Yes, I'm sad. I'd had hopes this time. But it's something I should've known would happen.

At least I won't remember.

Comments

[thesoulbound]

You don't want to remember?

[angustifolium]

No, I really don't. I don't want to be this miserable. I don't want to have a broken heart.

[thesoulbound]

But wouldn't forgetting be like losing a piece of yourself?

I'm sorry. That's never easy to bear.

[angustifolium]

It's actually the second time this has happened to me. ...Involved the same person both times, though. I guess this is a sign not to get involved that way. [He sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes.] But at least I get to keep Curie.

[thesoulbound]

Ah. I see. I've had bad break ups in the past as well. -=He smiles sympathetically.=-

Who's Curie?

[angustifolium]

Curie is... [Well, besides the obvious...]

Curie is my bright spot. She cheers me up, stays with me... Brings me dead birds to show off what a good hunter she is...

[thesoulbound]

A cat! -=Now you've got him started.=-

I have one, too! His name's Ling and he keeps the mice and rats out of my shop.

[angustifolium]

[But Reid laughed--] Actually, she's not a cat. She's... a very small dragon.

[thesoulbound]

-=Blink blink!=-

A dragon! I thought they were always large creatures.

[angustifolium]

I did too, but then... Then Curie happened.

[And with just a moment of his eyes going distant, there was a soft 'pop' of a sound as a little black dragon, about two feet long including her tail, appeared on his shoulder. She was dark black, her eyes swirling with colours. In truth, she was a Pernese fire lizard, but he didn't know that.]

[thesoulbound]

-=The appearance was a new thing and Al managed not to be startled.=-

Amazing. She's like a perfect representation of a big one. -=As if he's seen big ones in real life.=-

[angustifolium]

[At this point, it didn't surprise him that there was a possibility that someone had seen a larger version.] You've seen one like her? But bigger? ...Maybe she isn't finished growing after all...

[thesoulbound]

Well...no. I mean, I haven't seen a dragon in the flesh-er... scale? Not in a true dragon's body, at least.

-=Yep. He knew very well he wasn't making any sense.=-

[angustifolium]

...Shapeshifting dragons? [He'd read that book. He was just also pretty sure Curie wasn't one of those.]

[thesoulbound]

Not... exactly. -=He scratches the back of his head, inadvertantly showing a collar of roped metal.=-

She was turned into a human against her will. But Saphira's said she's a very large dragon.

[angustifolium]

[The collar has his mind going to crime scenes, to paraphilias, and the effort to try to talk himself out of the same ageism he finds himself guilty of. The young man might well have been of legal age but look young. It happened to him so much.]

Human against her will... Wow. That's... I'd ask how, but I don't know if it could be explained.

[thesoulbound]

We believe it's some sort of magic. Perhaps it has something to do with the collars. -=He rambles slightly as if he was speaking to a fellow islander. And yes, he's been mistaken for being older than he was. It was nice to know that his age was finally catching up to this body.=-

Of course, not many people follow blindly that our captor is a deity. She puts on a decent enough show, though. Some of us believe she's just a higher developed person. Maybe the technology used looks like magic. But I don't know. It's beyond my comprehension.

My apologies - I had to make a quick trip to town.

[angustifolium]

[The collars. Well, that, at least, was... acknowledgement of what he'd noticed.] There's a quote about technology and magic being indistinguishable once they both reach a certain point. That... It sounds, um. Really distressing, though. So, if you have a collar, does that mean you're... considered a slave?

No problem!

[thesoulbound]

For the most part. -=He straightens, pulling up his determination.=- As much as she's able to use me as a slave. She can only use her powers over us for short periods of time. Between that, I defy her as best as I can, the only way I can.

Re: No problem!

[angustifolium]

Good. I... [The idea of slavery just didn't sit well with him after everything he's seen.] I hope that you can... free yourself, or that you can get help to become free.

[thesoulbound]

-=A gilded cage is still a cage, but Al's found more freedom in that cage than he had back home.=-

My primary goal is to free the people who don't belong there. Those who want to go home. -=He looks sheepish for a moment.=- I'll go back when I need to. There are things I want to finish there, first.

[angustifolium]

[And that philosophy has his brows raising. This conversation has certainly taken his mind off his heartbreak.] That's interesting. You're willing to stay in servitude in order to help others in your position?

[thesoulbound]

Yes. -=He's smiling with a flash of gold in his eyes.=-

"Be thou for the people." I'll help them. No one should be trapped anywhere against their will. Not if they don't accept it.

[angustifolium]

"Be thou for the people."

[He didn't mean to be, but he was slipping into interview mode.]

That sounds like a vow of some kind.

[thesoulbound]

Mmhmm. Every alchemist should follow it-but they don't. -=He's not going to be the one who doesn't.=-