Looking Glass

#58 - Appearance

How does your character feel about their appearance? Show their reaction to looking in the mirror, or write about how they think of themselves.

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"He's not a complete beast, you know."

My gaze flickered over to the sullen purple creature in the corner. "I know." I paused, fighting the bitter taste of resentment that threatened to creep into my tone. "I know because I'm part of him. All his experiences, his activities, his pain... I have to live through them, too."

Telerand's glass-blue eyes flashed at my words. "It's a two-way connection, you know. Though at this point, he's unaware of your existence, he can still feel your emotions and mood, joy and regret, confidence and disgust. It'll carry over into his mindset too, so do your best not to hate him."

"I don't!" I shouted - almost too quickly, too loudly, too desperately to sound like the truth. "I don't hate the drakon. He technically saved my life, so I could save his. It's just... like a new roommate situation. Takes a bit to get used to. Sharing things. That most people do not share with each other."

"If there's any two individuals made for the challenges of this situation, it's you and the drakon. I'm sure of it. I spend enough time around the two of you to be qualified to make that assertion."

I shrugged. Then I nodded. "Then I trust your judgement. And Zyklare's judgement."

Telerand squeezed my shoulder. "Good kiddo." He turned to leave the room, but paused at the door to say, "His name is Paliskobengar, by the way."

I repeated it to myself a couple of times. "Kind of a mouthful."

"Tell Eichrynn that. She was the one who finally approved his name." He smiled, pulled down his mask, and left the room.

Just me and the purple creature. The drakon. Paliskobengar. We were soul-roommates now, even though he would never be allowed to meet me. To know the individual who had given up half my life-force to sustain his. To ever figure out if we might get along, in happier circumstances. Bound closer than brothers, never to be acquainted with the other.

At the very least, I could give him some token of friendship. A nickname, perhaps, to spare him and others from the pain of a long name.

"We may not ever meet, but we'll get to know each other very well," I whispered to the glass. "So. Hello... Paiko. My name is--"

-

I'll just leave that little bit of tangentially-related lore there without explaining things ^v^ (or revealing the name of the narrator ahaahaa >:D)

I will explain the picture though. Paiko wasn't supposed to know that his project was linked with another individual. But after passing by Telerand's desk one day, he found a collection of pictures from his pre-hybrid state... and a curious chart on a tablet that showed himself. And another person.

He doesn't yet know what the words said. Considering how sensitive he is to being troublesome to others, it might be a good thing he can't read. Because those documents underneath are all proof that he's tangled up someone else with all his troubles now.