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"Oh isn't she wonderful Dahlia?"
Joys sweet voice rung out fondly, a doe-like tone that only Joy could speak so warmly in. She rubbed beneath the purring dragons jaw with nothing but a nursing care.
Cinder, as the dragon was named, pressed into Joys chest; her muzzle pressed beneath her head, melted into her caretakers body with an affection just scraping away from her previous one. A heavenly feeling,
And a tool Dahlia nearly felt guilty re-shaping, for Joys adoration.
"She is.." he agreed solemnly, slowly taking position behind Joy, a small gap divided the flowing dress he had worn and the nurse.
"Is everything alright Dahlia?" Joys voice filled with recognition and concern, looking back at her best friend, her companion.
Cinder laid her head, no longer at demand..at ease.
Joy had been working on tricks with her, because of her energy boosts as of recent. Did you know?
Dahlia simply nodded. "Ah, apologies for disrupting..Carry on."
"Oh, well alright then!!" Joy nodded, her cheeks filling with artificial warmth as her torso rotated back. Her curls bounced cheerfully, and she flicked her wrist up. Cinders hand seemed to mimic that...expecting something.
Joy smiled. Nothing sat between her fingers, she and Cinder had been working without reward for about a week now. Cinder watched, and Joys hand lowered; siggnaling Cinders ability to sit up.
She clicked her tongue and that's all that was needed for her to listen..
She was an amazing dragon.
A beautiful, amazing dragon.
Dahlia was pale, and distant...had Joy known the orders Sol had given him?
The reason why she was ONLY allowed to see the dragon if Dahlia was present?
Cinder, their dead baby girl, had so much potential..
Dahlia couldn't help but wonder if Joy was choosing to ignore it, to keep the growing dragon from becoming an adult before it became a teen.
He had watched Joy extensively, as she piled books in her shaking sleeved arms and checked them out before they ended back at Joys home. The books on 'how to take care of an adolescent dragon' pillared higher than her when placed on her neat birch dining table which typically was only set for two. She'd go through them all and replace them with new ones. Occasionally, she'd talk about the conversations she had with the librarian, Alexandria, or even the progress she had been making with Cinder. Most often she'd end up sipping her coffee and reading right there at the table, and then she'd apologize.
How rude of her to read with a guest right there...Yet Dahlia never minded.
He'd always listen to her talk about the most efficient ways to train Cinder, what methods would hurt her the least,
The most efficient way to tame her, adapt her to Joy.
And as Dahlia stared out into the dragon's relaxed demeanor, a wagging tail and flapping horns,
He felt a pang of guilt,
That all of Joy's work would be worth nothing by the time he completed his assignment.
Joy smiled subtly, clasping her hands to her chest when Cinder had rolled onto her stomach and stuck her tongue out.
"Oh cinder you're such a good girl-" Joy praised, beaming at the accomplishment. "Dahlia isn't she just something else?" Joy verbalized sweetly, before staring back. "Sprite dear, are you alright?"
"I...Sorry, repeat that?" Dahlia's eyes fixed themself, letting themself fix back into his posture.
"Oh- I mentioned how well Cinder has been behaving..You seem– dazed, are you sure you're alright?"
"I- yes, yes, fi- is she-.." Dahlia's sentence cut off as he examined the sight in front of him. "Is she playing dead?"
Joy's posture suddenly exerted, walking to Dahlias opposite side. She released an excited squeal, wrapping Dahlias hand. "We've been working on it." She tried straightening herself out, but the proud grin on her face was more telling than anything.
Dahlia couldn't help but smile back, faintly, but apparent enough for Joy to share the moment with him.
Dahlia released a dry chuckle. "Joy, have you spoken to Sol as of recent?"
Joy seemed to pause for a moment, before she shook her head. "Not- since- the last council meeting, why?" She questioned, tensing up just enough for Dahlia to take note.
"Do you recall what had happened? What Sol had said?"
Joy could only absently shake her head. "I- a lot of what's- going on seems to be slipping my mind- I- why do you ask.?"
"They demanded I train her...and the-..way they need her is far more harsh than your heart needs to take.." Dahlia told sincerely, blunt as he could give..It's always been how Dahlia bests gives information,
And that sincerity from Dahlia seemed to reflect on Joys adjusting expression, terror and conscious guilt. Her smile broke nervously as her palms found their way to her biceps, her fingers clasping around anxiously— much tighter than what would be acceptable for her body. The sound of crushing metal seemed to ring out in harmony with her voice.
"I'm- sure I don't know what you mean..Dahlia..!" Joy insisted, which was expressed with far more anxiety than she'd hoped.
Dahlia gently pressed their hand against Joy's back, rubbing circles into it with his thumb with the rest of his hand stationary in the center of her spine.
"I'm sure you do..And it's something that neither of us want to take in..except we're growing into a time crunch and we need to." Dahlia instructed.
Joy began tearing up, and it seemed as soon as she noticed her head ducked down, as all Dahlia could see was shining ink pouring to the sandy rock floors.
How silly it was of her to get so attached to a dragon..
To save the innocence she had left of her friend while knowing every wrong he'd committed..
Her nose scrunched up as she tried to swallow a sob that she couldn't quite place the meaning for.
That sway and back rub turned into a full hug somewhere in between there.
And it took a moment for either of them to speak.
..
"...."
"..She's a cub..Dahlia..she- she hasn't even grown her big horns in..she has a lot of horns- and- and from what I can guess- it's mutation-!!! Mutation Dahlia- except none of them represent the horns she's supposed to have yet- for- for the dragon- I could find that- closest resembled her-!!? And- I- I don't-" Joy let out a broken weep, before stopping..
She fixed her posture and pressed against Dahlias body..
"..."
Dahlia understood just fine..
Yet even as his hand pressed against her face to examine over, he understood..He understood his mission as a soldier over the support she oh so desperately needed..
She seemed to recognize that hollow fear in his eye.
"Oh Dahlia..don't give me that.." her trembling whispers broke, her head falling limp against his ruffled top. "Don't give me that deafening expression..you know I can't take that expression-"
"She'll be okay-"
"And what if she isn't, huh??! He- He wants to- send her out there to do attacks on innocent Moons just because one of the- doesn't that make us as bad as them??!! Worse!! Even!! There are children in that haven- we've been upmost respectful to them and- and-.."
She stopped and stared out at the tiled ground, her hands falling to her sides limply as her body relied on Dahlias for support.
"I already saw her body once..Dahlia.." she whispered. "I can't lose her..again..I can't be the reason.." she whispered hollowly, streaks of mascara dripping down her cheeks.
Dahlia wrapped his hand over the back of her head, pressing it closer.
"There there..I've got you..There was no declared attacks..We're only training her for a hypothetical..If something were to go wrong.." Dahlia reassured, his voice aligned with the wisps of air. A message for the two of them and the two of them alone..
Dahlia swayed with her, releasing a low hum. Her forehead was pressed against his chest, feeling the vibrations.
His chest would stain with oil,
Joy would typically refuse to cry for that very reason,
yet she felt in need of reassurance, or perhaps she just didn't care.
To lose her baby and to cherish the moments she had..
Joy looked up at Dahlia to see if his expression had changed, even the slightest hint that all of that had been some sort of cruel reaction seeking thing..When had that ever been Dahlias forte? Joy could only question to herself.
She stared for a moment, the expression of a stone faced soldier preparing for what was meant to be precaution. He seemed to know something beyond what Joy would let herself believe, and what he wasn't saying seemed to gut Joy worse than what he did.
It took a moment for her to muster anything up.
"Can you promise me..that we'll take it slow..?"
Dahlia glanced away for a moment,
Considering the massive muzzle and pronged collar, both constructed from the dead star remnants of their old leaders remains, just to keep the beast in line..
The ones being manufactured for none other than Suns baby girl...
Joys, baby girl..
As Dahlia pressed his clean hand against Joys face to clean her oiled tears, he knew what a one-man's job was.
warmth radiated from Dahlia's voice as he spoke,
"We'll take it slow."