lazybox | [Dragon AU] Once more into the breach

[Dragon AU] Once more into the breach

Military work. An obligation to any dragon who wanted to live peacefully - to have even a chance of living to old age. Most humans regarded it as a way for adolescent dragons to burn off their hormonal urges relatively safely, especially the males.

The dragons themselves knew that the reality was a bit more complicated. Young dragons had a need to claim territory, but with their own populations dwindling and human populations surging, there was very little territory left they could claim. And with most matings chosen by genetic matches, there wasn't a need to impress potential mates anyway.

So they sent their young to defend human territory instead. It had the side benefit of making the humans think they were tamed, safely under control, and so it protected their kind as a whole. Human technology, quick to develop, could easily spell the end of dragons entirely if their kind was seen as a threat, instead of allies.

By the time they hit puberty, most dragons knew this. It didn't mean they didn't chafe under it, especially those with more stubborn and independent personalities. The dragon seated in a human chair, trying to ignore how his shoulders itched under the shape-changing magic, was a particularly magnificent example of that.

The flight commander's office was small, especially for a facility designed to accommodate dragons, and even though his human shape fit inside perfectly well, Asch couldn't help but feel caged in. Part of it, he knew, was the lack of windows, which itched at him more than it would even most other dragons. Claustrophobia and large creatures didn't get along well.

Military dragons were appointed flight partners for their term of service; sometimes it was more than one, depending on how lucky the human was. Dragons could restore themselves with magic and recover from injury much better than their human counterparts - a benefit to shapeshifting, certainly - but sharing that healing outside of a pair bond was difficult. And true bonds were rare these days.

All the better, as far as Asch was concerned. He wanted this section of his life over with as quickly as possible. Not that he hated humans - just the opposite. He found them endlessly entertaining and innovative... Outside of the rigid structure of the military.

Inside of it, well, he'd already had a face-off with the commander about the length of his human form's hair. The bright crimson, at least, had gone un-commented-on, as many humans knew that bold colorations were critical points of pride, but being forced to keep it short as well...

Well, it simply wasn't happening. He was already going without his ornaments and usual loose clothes, not to mention going along with the polite cultural requirement of maintaining an entirely human form. For this, the first meeting with his assigned partner, he could manage polite, even if it chafed.

And did it ever chafe. Asch flicked his eyes up at the commander before returning his attention to his dull human-shape nails. He'd at least made a good impression by being early. And he was good at most of the actual tasks the military required of their dragons - a fast, strong flier who could easily bear a rider, skilled at magic, not afraid of violence. For his skill, they were willing to let some things slide.

But not everything. And one of the things they weren't going to slide on was 'no solo operations.'

He really hoped that whoever came through that door was tolerable, or the next couple of years were going to be hell.

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There's also been a distinct increase in Asch's comfort level, not that Soma has seen enough of him to be as obviously aware as one of his relatives would be. Even so, by now it's fairly obvious that the redhead is a different person in public than in private. At "home," he's far less prone to the temperamental sparking he's known around the base for; instead, his energy goes into sharp political barbs that have a lot more depth to them.

For example;

"It's not like they treat conquered countries of their own kind any better," Asch says, spinning lightly in the desk chair. He's been fiddling with a jewelry enchantment off and on while they talk, a set of pliers in one hand and a half-open setting on the desk among scattered stones. Most of them are semi-precious - quartz and the like - but there's still enough of a pile that by now, the reasons his jewelry box is so warded are obvious. "It's actually kind of funny, in a painful way. We know more about ancient human societies than humans themselves."

"And that's why I don't like politics. Or any of this other crap, for that matter." Soma sighs, twirling a pen in his fingers. He's been writing down whatever Asch allows him to, seriously considering writing a book of his own. "I'm getting to the point where I'm ashamed to be human."

Of course, being a dragon would mean being subjugated. Dragons and humans work together now, but both sides know who won in the invasion and what lies beneath the surface of the truce.

"It's not as though we haven't done our share of shameful things," Asch says. "There's a reason humans call it fair turnabout. Of course, they ignore that most of the really violent dragons were either already exiles or have been exiled since..."

He sets the pliers down and picks up a set of tweezers instead, picking through the tray of loose gems. Peridot, peridot, where are you... "A few of them are even still alive, or at least unaccounted for."

"Yeah, I've heard there's standing orders to take those dragons out if they're spotted." It's not like the dragon community at large would lose much sleep over those deaths. "Not that I'm eager to engage them. I don't like killing, Asch. I can do it if it needs to be done, but it's not the solution I want to go for first. I know it's weird, a borderline pacifist in the military, but...."

But he has an agenda, a desire to change things for the better for both sides, and that can only happen from within.

At the mention of the orders, Asch snorts. "Honestly? Most of them it's smarter to not engage, anyway. They're old." He waves a hand at the reference books occupying the back of his desk - the one on enchantments is pulled forward and open in front of the rest. "Remember what I said about it being impossible for a human to memorize those in even a lifetime? I don't know of any exiles who are less than five hundred years old."

The most dangerous are in the thousands. That's why they're dangerous. "We only exile what we can't kill ourselves. Either that's because we can't get our claws into them, or because going after them is too many lives for not enough of a chance of success."

"It's all ego." If Soma sounds bitter, well, it's because he is. "Humans conquered the dragon races, what's a few individuals on the fringe? They think the weapons are all they need."

Neither of them has mentioned that Soma's last name is on many of those weapons. Soma doesn't want to talk about it and Asch either hasn't noticed (not likely) or isn't going to put the family's sins on his rider (almost certainly true, and Soma's grateful).

He's tired and doesn't want to think about this anymore, though. Clicking his pen and tucking it into the spiral of his notebook, Soma sits up to watch Asch work. "Mind if I ask what you're making?"

"And there are plenty of dragons who think that we should all just keep our heads down and hide in our airs, because eventually human society is going to destroy itself again." Asch rolls his eyes; he sounds equally bitter. As well he should, given that his uncle is one of the ones that advocates hide and wait, not that Soma would know it.

He's perfectly happy to turn his attention to the work he's doing instead. "This? Simple wind charm. Keeps the air circulating around a space, or will once I'm done with it." Right now, it's just a metal hoop with some runes carved in and a couple of empty settings.

"That's another thing I wish I could do. Maybe it's my wishful thinking way of defying all the technology." And another way to distance himself from his family. "But human is human and dragon is dragon. Wishing doesn't mean a damn thing when there's no magical way to change reality."

It's a rare moment of blatant cynicism from the teenager, a shadow of something dark and bitter in his expression. He does his best to chase the echoes of children's taunts from his memory, scornful barbs at his strange appearance and stranger mannerisms. How many times did he wish he was normal?

There's silence for a minute as Asch uses tweezers to set a gemstone into one of the settings on the hoop. He lifts it and shakes it a little to make sure the gem won't fall out, and there's a faint blowing of a breeze.

"There's no magical button to make things better," he says, a surprising touch of idealism in his voice. Setting the charm back down, he puts another crystal into it to increase its effect. "But that's why we have to work for it with our own hands."

"That's the only reason I enlisted. And it's why I want to write about dragon culture. I want things to be better for all of us."

He closes his eyes, letting the breeze ruffle his hair. In the tropical heat of Asch's room, it feels good.

"I know I say it all the time, but I'm glad we're partners. You're my best friend now, Asch."

A third gem finishes it off, and Asch hangs it from a knot in the ropes supporting his hammock nest before he starts putting things away.

He's... not entirely sure what reply he should make to that. They're friends, sure, but best friends? That seems almost a little much. Even if it's apparent that Soma doesn't have a lot of human relationships in his life, Asch just doesn't know how to feel about it.

Instead, putting gems back into the case, he says, "Every bit will make a difference eventually. I just hope it does within your lifetime. I'd hate for you to feel like it was for nothing."

It's worse than Asch realizes, actually. He's the boy's best friend because Soma doesn't have any other friends. He's the outcast of his family, his peers find him strange, and anyone that might be left to bond with him is kept at arm's length by Soma himself for varying reasons. It's a lonely life, but it's all Soma knows.

"Yeah... I hope so, too. But sometimes I feel like every step we take forward, something drags us back two or three steps. The rest of the squad still thinks we're weird for hanging out when we're off duty."

You'd think he would have found an online forum or something by now, not that the military makes accessing those easy, even when they're off duty.

Asch shuts the lid of his jewellery box and activates the protective runes with a flick of a finger. They glow briefly before fading.

"Fuck 'em," he mutters, with perhaps unexpected vulgarity. He doesn't often curse above a 'hell.' "Even if you tried to make them build a relationship, they wouldn't. Either they'll figure out in real fighting that you need to trust the person at your back, or..."

He shrugs. Soma will know what he means. There's no shying away from death.

"They barely spend time with their own partners. The dragons hang out together and the humans stick to their own kind. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's fallen asleep next to their partner."

Soma's actually nodding off now, the heat making him sleepy the way it usually does. He stretches and yawns.

"Speaking of which, I should probably get out of your hammock before I pass out."

"And then spend all their time complaining about each other, I know."

The mention of Soma moving makes Asch blink, especially given that he was just shy of climbing into the nest himself. "Why bother? It's not like I mind," he says.

In truth, if he's being honest, it's more comfortable to sleep with someone curled up with him. The thing about being a dragon with a same-clutch sibling - nevermind a true twin - is that they do tend to grow up in a pile.

"Aren't you sick of having to share all the time? I don't think I've been in my own bunk more than a handful of times since we got here."

Though Soma won't admit it, he sleeps better next to Asch. But the thought of what might happen if someone discovers what he's doing forces him to try some measure of propriety.

"No. I grew up sharing with Luke." Was born sharing with Luke, really. "Honestly, a strange dragon would be more of a problem, but you're not."

He slides down into the nest, still in human form, and pulls the quilt over his knees.

"I'm not your brother, though. I'm not even another dragon."

But Soma doesn't get out of the hammock. He stays where he is, stretching again before starting to settle in for the night.

"... wait, aren't you going to shift back to your true form?" That's how it usually happens, but Asch would've done it by now.

"You're not. If you were another dragon, we would have snapped each other's heads off about some stupid territory thing by now." But they haven't, so, in Asch's book, that's a good thing.

As to the rest... He shrugs. "Sometimes I like to actually feel the soft things I fill my bed with on my skin. I can't really do that in my real form."

Also, he kind of wants to see what Soma does.

What Soma does is slowly turn a very noticeable shade of pink across his nose, through his cheeks, and to his ears.

"I... I guess I get it... never had scales before, so...." He laughs nervously, rolling onto his side away from Asch. "A-- anyway, we should get some rest. Don't want to be groggy when wake-up sounds."

Humans. Take them out of the trees long enough to speciate and they get all these weird ideas about physical intimacy.

Asch just snorts lightly and curls up around his favorite overlarge pillow, one hand starting to lower the lamps. "Sleep well."

Soma curls in on himself in the dark, suddenly not so sleepy. His heart is racing, despite his best efforts to calm down.

Why is he so nervous? Is it because Asch's human guise is so convincing, his body forgets what the other really is? Is it because if he's discovered, he'll be sent to psych and definitely reassigned, if not drummed out of service entirely?

Humans and dragons aren't supposed to... we're different species!

But those are just the words he's heard repeated so many times by others. It's not how he feels. The world doesn't accept how he feels, though.

I'm an aberration, inside and out.

And to make it worse... Soma might not have realized before, with the size difference and everything, but Asch?

Chronic sleep cuddler. Eventually, he'll let go of the pillow in his sleep, roll over, and awkwardly bury his face into Soma's back, one hand grabbing the back of Soma's shirt.

At least he's as warm as ever, even curled up like this.

If Soma was awake before, he's definitely not sleeping now. He actually squeaks very softly as Asch cuddles him, his eyes round and alarmed in the dark. The scent and warmth against his back are familiar, but it's a human body snuggled up to him.

A very attractive human body.

The poor teen shudders, trying to recite technical schematics in his brain to distract himself. It doesn't help much.

Stupid hormones!

Asch, in contrast, sleeps through the night perfectly fine, even contentedly. Come morning - he's awake a bit before the bells, as usual - there's a sleepy groan from behind Soma as he starts to shift. He sits up and stretches with a yawn that shows way sharper teeth than a human should have, and three's a few feathers scattered in his hair - trying to keep PERFECTLY human while asleep is a lost cause.

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