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Scott's head felt fuzzy. He felt something brush his hand along his jaw pulling his head to look up at the person in front of him. But his vision must also be fuzzy because the man looked like him.
They had a smirk and were scanning his face. “You really do look gorgeous.”
Scott didn’t answer just scanning the person in front; they remind him of a corpse, sharp feature pale skin, and no red in their face.
“The roots of your hair are blue.” The man ran a hand through his hair. “It is a strange dye choice.”
“It started to turn blue after my magic progressed.” Scott leaned into the hand in his hair.
“Oh, is that the ice you were throwing at Pyro?” The man tilted his head, as he gently scraped his nail? Claws? On his scalp.
Scott only hummed, too lost in the gentle touch.
His eyes shot open as the hands grabbed and pulled his hair.
“Sweetheart, I ask you a question.” The man had a sickle sweet smile that edged on impatientions.
“Yes, That was an ice beam but I ah-” Scott yelped as the man shifted, pulling his hair again, “I can do many things like ice path, make a blizzard, make ice cream, it even made what I’m wearing.”
Scott braced himself for another tug, only for the hands to fall back on his head gently running them through his hair again.
Scott shakily snuck a peak only for the man to have a genuine smile on his face. “Do you think you could turn your hair white?”
Scott swallowed shakily, speaking. “I’ve never tried it before, I didn't even do the blue on purpose.”
“Oh, that's okay.” The man pouted. “I just thought you would do this one thing for me.”
The man pulled his hand away from his hair, turning away from him, his cloak flowing dramatically behind him as he walked away from Scott.
“Wait!” Scott shakily stepped forward, his legs collapsing under him making his knees slam into the ground. The world was spinning from the short fall. Scott felt like throwing up; his stomach felt horrible.
He curled into himself feeling bile crawl up his throat, retching on the floor. It didn’t take long till he was dry heave on the ground.
It reminds him of when he got sick one winter. His very bones ached as he was hungry and cold, but he couldn’t make it anyone's problem.
“What a waste.”
Scott looked up to the man crouching down with a frown on his face as he stared at Scott’s sick. If his head wasn’t so fuzzy he would have been a lot more worried about the red that had come out of him.
“You know how much work that was for Pyro?” The man looked at him with pity. “You waste that after we take such good care of you? How ungrateful.”
“No-” Scott whimpered, “I can be useful, I'm sorry.”
“It's okay.” The man took a hold of Scott's hair pulling it back. “I’m a very forgiving Sire.”
Scott felt the hair grow lighter as the man hummed, Scott had a pretty good guess what the man did but it was confirmed as the man pulled his hand back in front of his face to show a handful of Scott’s hair.
The man drops the hair into the puddle of blood. Scott stared into the puddle. It didn't have a very good reflection but he would see the outline of one for him, but there was nothing where the man was sitting.
“Come over here.” Scott looked up at the man who was reaching for Scott’s head again.
Scott’s hand shot up, grabbing the man's wrist before he could grab his hair again.
“Oh well I guess that makes sense.” The other Scott smiled, not even flinching as Scott increased his grip, almost crushing the bone. “You are a very big guy, but that won’t be hard to change with a little work.”
Scott threw a punch at the doppleganger only for him to easily dodge and tackle Scott into the ground. Sitting on his legs and forcing his arms down to his side and shifting them under his legs the doppleganger looked thrilled.
He grabbed at his hair using it to pull his face closer as the man scanned it, the doppleganger would feel his own face as he scanned over Scott. “A little too tan, too much fat on the face, the nose looks like it's been broken a few times.”
It was like ants were crawling under his skin as the man seemed to look through him, he thought it couldn’t get worse but the man looked him straight in the eye. His smile grew wider as he raised a finger, his claw barely touching his eye, he didn’t even dare breathe.
“I’m sure all of it has solutions, even the eyes.” The hand on his eye pulled away, disappearing from view letting him take a deep breath.
But it was short lived as he saw a bottle of crimson. He was able to free a hand grabbing a rock smashing it into the man's face making him fall off Scott. The bottle slipped from his hand and shattered. Relief flood Scott knowing at least one threat was gone.
The man was hunched over himself with bangs falling in his face but it didn’t hide the small drops of bleed that fell from his face.
“You really should have gone for the easy way.” The red-eyed man laughed. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Scott has good reaction time but he barely processed as the man pushed him over hand on his throat squeezing. The man didn’t even react to Scott kicking and clawing at him, only gripping hard on his throat cutting off his breath.
It was unnerving how a warped version of his face smiled down at him with such glee as Scott choked on his own breath. It was only a slight reprieve as one of the man’s hands let go and the other lightened but not enough for Scott to get away.
The other hand trailed up to the gash on the man's face digging into it making for blood gush from it falling on Scott face, he clamped his mouth shut before any of it could fall into his mouth. The man scoffed and trailed up Scott’s face, getting some finger in his mouth pulling it open.
Scott bites down hard on the fingers making the man hiss only to knee Scott in the gut making him yell in pain giving the man the chance to rip his mouth fully open.
Scott squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the blood fall into his mouth. Scott felt something else warm join it but it was more like liquid and salty, he could feel himself crying but he could feel it falling down the side of his head not into his mouth.
He hesitantly opened his eyes and througg blurry tears he could see the other man also crying with a grin on his face. It only made Scott’s whine crying harder as he coughed on the blood, tears, and snot made its way down his throat.
He couldn’t die this way, he had to find Amber, Legs, Pyro, he thinks Osteon was also in the ritual circle. They were all capable and he trusted them but he needed to help them.
He felt the fuzz coming back as he let out a shaky sob. He wants his home, Pyro, Igna, his parents.
He wanted someone to hold him close and be able to fully envelop him in a hug, who could promise that he would be okay and he could just give up and let go let someone else take the burden.
But that was the selfish thing to do.
“No it is not.” Someone brushed the tears away, their nails lightly cutting into his skin. “You should just rest, let me take care of you.”
Scott did recognize the voice but who was it?
“You can call me Sire.” The voice played with his hair. “I’ll make you beautiful, just calm down.”
Scott listened, letting the fuzziness take over.
Scott stepped over Legs, his Legs, not wanting to wake him. They were right now in the Doctor's home. Where Legs wouldn’t leave his side since they got Scott away from Goldsmith.
He was sure how long he had been with the vampire, everything was blurry and fuzzy. The only clear thing was how he hurt his friends, especially Legs, who was having to deal with a broken leg. Even Osteon struggled to beat him.
Without killing him.
Legs had explained in anger how Osteon had said they needed to kill Scott but most people had denied even threatening Osteon. He was glad they cared about him but he could help agree.
He had hurt them, proven to be a threat. He didn’t care about how he was a threat to the noble or kingdom, he was a threat to his friends, to his home, to the people of this town, even the vampires.
Scott stumbled out of the room. It wasn’t a big house, or well clinic, with the Doctor’s Room and Legs room which he had insisted on sharing with Scott, even if Scott broke his leg, even if people would flinch away from him and give him looks of pity.
There was the bottom floor which was mostly open spare with medical supplies here or there. He didn't have trouble navigating even though it should be pitch black.
He was going to slip out the door when flinched so hard he tripped over himself. Why was Goldsmith here? He should be able to get into the house and Scott should be safe.
Scott looked up to only see himself, it was a mirror. Scott had jumped at his own reflection, but it made sense and was so unnerving. His hair wasn’t how he kept it anymore, long enough where he could easily throw it up.
It was short in the back well and the front bangs were asymmetrical, one side being longer than the other. Even unstyled he could see Goldsmith. It didn’t help that his hair was pure white or his pale skin and the less fat clinging to his face and bones.
He still had his muscle luckily or he would completely look like Goldsmith. He felt out a half sob half laugh, he wasn’t Scott Goldsmith, he was Scott Boralith his home was Tegrith his parents loved him same with the dagmeares.
Especially Igna that love jump him so he would play hero with her or the other littles that would dress him up-
No
A hand shoots up to his hair gripping it only to flinch away from that to only being able to think of Goldsmith hands in his hair. He let out a sob, why?
He didn’t look like Goldsmith. He was in some of the spare clothes from the townsfolk that felt too tight, He didn’t know where his original clothes went.
That was a lie Goldsmith had him burn them preferring to squeeze him into too small outfits, so Goldsmith could coo at him and poke at him to where he needed to be improved.
Scott pushed himself up trying to ignore his reflection only to make eye contact with a knife on the counter. He could still see Goldsmi- himself; he didn't look like him, he had purple eyes and red under his skin.
But he kept looking at his hair and only being able to see him. He grabbed the knife, gripping his bangs, ignoring memories that tried to climb up and he sliced. He slice and slice and slice.
There was no method or rhythm; he just wanted all it gone, all the white. Eventually the knife slipped through his sweaty hands making him jump as it hit the floor. Tears were streaming down his face as he stared at all the strands of hair, there was no blood, on the floor.
He shakily looked up at the mirror, it wasn't a goldsmith, it was a man with bags under his eyes and messy uneven hair. There was some white hairs but there is also red ones, he just ignored how it from blood.
He was Scott Boralith.
He was Scott Boralith.
“Boralith?”
Scott whipped his head around glaring at the figure.
He couldn’t quite make out the figure with them holding a candle that had him blinking to get used to the light.
“What happened?” The figure had heavy footsteps. “Are you okay?”
Scott recognized the figure as they got close, its the Doctor or the other Legundo.
They waved a hand in front of his face looking at him concerned. “Scott?”
“Yeah.” Scott's voice cracked.
The doctor sat down in front of him grabbing his face, Scott stopped himself from flinching away. “Does anywhere else hurt?.”
Scott stared at the doctor, didn’t he ask a different question? “I’m fine?”
Scott could hear the doctor sigh. “Do you want help cutting your hair?”
“No!” Scott grabbed the Doctor's wrist, yanking it away. “Don’t touch it!”
The doctor pulled his hands away, the doctor looked at him calmly. It made him feel crazy, it was, its just hair and it looked stupid right now. “Sorr-”
“It's fine.” The doctor's hand fell into his lap. “I won’t touch your hair but can I patch up the cuts.”
Scott took a deep breath, trying to stop himself from shaky. It didn’t work too well as he could feel himself shake even as he nodded his head.
“Okay.” the doctor didn’t move. “How do you want me to do it?”
“With gauze?” wasn’t the Doctor a Doctor?
“Okay” The doctor nodded. “How do you want me to get at them, do you want to stand, sit me on equal ground or are you okay with sitting well I stand?”
Oh, that made sense. “Um I Guess both sit.”
The doctor nodded, standing up, which stupidly made Scott flinch, and grabbing two stools then gathered supplies. Scott pushed himself up hissing at the soreness.
It didn’t take long for the Doctor to finish patching him up, none of them were too deep so it just needed some antibiotics and a few spots getting gauze.
It felt calming how gentle the doctor was. Everytime he brushed Scott's hair, making him flinch, he would apologize and wait till scott gave him the go ahead.
It was strange to be treated so fragile. He hated it but he also craved it, it was nice to take care of and protected.
“All done.” The doctor's hand hovered over his shoulder only to pull it away at the last second. “Sorry.”
Scott just nodded, he would probably be crying if he hadn’t used them all up earlier. It was stupid to be flinching at such a little gesture but so nice to have someone notice and no mention but still acknowledge it.
“It's still late.” The doctor gathered up his supplies. “Do you want to go back to bed?”
“Yeah.” Scott stood up. “Thank you.”
The Doctor just looked up at him smiling gently. “Oh course, tell me if you need anything, Boralith.”
Scott nodded, heading back up to the room. The door creaked open as he slipped in; he tried to be quiet only to hear a small voice.
“Scott?” Legs sat up rubbing his eyes.
“Sorry.” He tried to smooth his voice but it still sounded rough.
“Are you okay?” Legs pushed himself up. “Can I do anything-”
“I’m fin-” Scott stumbled over the words, swallowing down the deflection. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh,” Legs slowly lowered himself down, “It can help to talk about it.”
“I know,” Scott rubbed at his eye feeling the fatigue getting to him, “I just want to go to bed.”
Legs was quiet, which Scott took as a sign to slide into bed.
“Do you-” Scott rolled over to look at Legs who was playing with his hands. “Would it help to… to sleep together?”
He didn't like the Doctor touching him but this was Legs they were friends. “Would it help you?”
“I’ll be fine.” Legs looked up at Scott even if he could see in the dark room too well. “Just being in the same room as you is reassuring that you are here.”
Scott nodded, curling into the covers and letting the fatigue from the day pull him under.