[Backlog - SCENE] - One man's trash...

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

Who: Van and Sync
Where: Daath Cathedral
When: About two years pre-game
Warnings: Erm. None so far beyond Van being Van.


Van was certainly surprised. With the exception of one, the Fon Master replicas were all failures. Either they were too weak, too stupid, or just otherwise too useless. All but one were able to fill the needed role and all but one were thrown into the mouth of Mt. Zaleho, where they could safely be forgotten for the sake of the plan.

However, it seemed as though one of the replicas didn't want to be forgotten.

When he had checked Zaleho again to be sure that all traces were gone, he found the replica's battered body collapsed on one of the ridges of the volcano mouth. Looking at his hands, it was clear that he had clung dearly to life, as well as the rocks. After casting a small healing artes for the more immediate injuries, he had taken the replica back to Daath's Cathedral, in a room where he was very unlikely to be bothered.

He tended to the rest of the injuries, bandaging those that his artes couldn't fix, he then waited for the replica to awaken. If he understood any words, Van would surely have an interesting conversation ahead of him.

Comments

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

[[OOC: He's a little bit stupid, but I guess that's acceptable.]]

5th Ion (as he had no real name of his own), awoke to the sound of chair legs skidding over a hard floor... not that he could identify such a sound. He jumped, immediately aware that he was somehow somewhere completely different, for reasons he did not yet know.

Heart thudding, he looked around cautiously, soon after locking eyes with the only other person in the room. Unfortunately, it wasn't someone he wanted to see. In all honesty, the only people 5th Ion had ever seen in his pitifully short life were those responsible for his being, and those responsible for getting rid of him. This man had been involved in both.

More unfortunately still, they seemed to be closed in at the moment, barring all obvious hope of a second escape from what he could only presume was destruction. He tried to get up, but for some reason, his body was too tired to listen.

Did... did this mean he was going to die? He didn't want to die, at least not without knowing why he had to in the first place. All he remembered of his rejection was something about synchron levels, and some strange fellow complaining that this was 'the fifth in a row to be rejected'.

Confused, it was the first question 5th Ion could think of.

"...Wh-what are synchron levels?"

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

Upon hearing the question, Van raised a brow. Then he laughed. Of all the things the replica could have asked him at this moment, he asked him that? Perhaps he had hit his head in the volcano.

"You want to know now?" Van asked, sitting down in the chair. "If you do wish to know, they're a measurement to see how close you are to your original."

He watched the replica, looking for a reaction. "You do know what I mean by your original, do you not?"

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

"Original..." He frowned deeply, then shook his head. "What is it? Are you an original?"

This man seemed peculiarly civil after having tried to get rid of him not so long ago. Why wasn't he trying to now? They already seemed to be trapped in this room together--maybe he was no longer worried that 5th Ion would get away, and death would come later. He wasn't going to think about it.

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

"Indeed I am," Van answered with a less-than-genuine smile. He paused a moment, considering his words. In the position he is now, the replica can't do anything but listen to him. He could risk angering him. Anger is something he can handle.

"However, you are not an original like me. Do you know what you are?"

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

The boy was quiet for a moment. He didn't know a lot of anything, really, or why he even knew things at all, for that matter. He had more questions than answers. At the very least, he knew he was human, like this other person. This man was an original, but he wasn't? Is that what he was being told?

This was important, then.

"What am I...?"

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

Van looked at the replica for a moment, before reaching out to gently stroke it's hair. "You're a replica," he answered in a soothing voice. "Do you know what that is?"

If this replica truly was nothing, then keeping it would be far too great a risk. Whatever resentment or anger it felt didn't matter, the knowledge it had would be enough to end things. He had to be absolutely certain that the replica did indeed have the potential to be useful and that he could keep it under his control.

He didn't allow it to answer. "It means that you're nothing."

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

The words were like a slap in the face.

If he was meaningless, why did he want to live so badly? Why had he fought to stay alive this long, even though they wanted him dead? The boy suddenly felt numb. Was that the reason they had gotten rid of him in the first place? It kind of made sense. He was unimportant. Come to think of it, there had been others like him, some not as good, but all similar. Why?

The pieces had slowly begun to fit together as best they could, considering all the answers he still didn't have.

I'm nothing?

A drop of water spilled from one eye, then the other. One. Two. Three. Four... Under better circumstances, 5th Ion might have been alarmed at this, but now it seemed unimportant.

He looked up at the man's face. "Then why am I here?" he asked, voice almost trembling.

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

Tears were almost much easier to deal with than angry words. So Van gave him a soft smile and spoke in a soothing voice. "You didn't want to die, did you?" He didn't even need to ask, that much was obvious.

He put a hand on the replica's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You are nothing, now. However, you have a great deal of potential. You're stronger than we thought, you may still have a greater purpose." What that purpose is, Van wasn't entirely sure of yet. Hopefully he would find out before he wasted much more time talking to the replica.

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

The boy flinched involuntarily at the touch.

If he thought about it slowly, a replica was a copy, wasn't it? And a copy would need to be an imitation of something else--like an original. Yes. So he was a copy of someone else? He obviously wasn't a very good one if they had tried to destroy him. But that was what he had been born for! It was his reason for being here. It didn't seem fair for something like that to be taken away, especially since he hadn't chosen it himself.

"But I can't have any other purpose than what I was born for!"

This man had to realize that much. 5th Ion was confused now. It felt, to him, like if he was thrown away, he was unwanted, and maybe it was better just to die after all. At the same time, the man said he could give him a new purpose. Could... could he even be used for anything else? Was that possible? If it wasn't, he would just be killed, and he wasn't even sure if he wanted that or not. He was sad and angry all at the same time, and it was becoming difficult to cope with all the feelings he had never before felt, yet now had to deal with in a rush.

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

Van drew his hand back. Fear may be the easiest to control, but it was always difficult to manage when directed toward him. The replica shouldn't fear him too much.

"Then I'll give you a purpose." Van continued to smile. "If you lend me your aid, your existence will not be meaningless." He paused for a moment, watching the replica's face for a reaction. If he had no desire for some sort of purpose, even as just a tool, then Van would have to get rid of it swiftly.

"You do want a purpose, do you not?"

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

"It's all I want," the child answered gravely. "More than anything." He did not want to be thrown away or forgotten. If this man was partly responsible for his being, it didn't seem unreasonable that he could give him new direction.

"Without one, why should I even exist? I'll help you! Just give me a purpose!"

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

This was far easier than he had anticipated, almost too easy. Of course, life must be miserable if one had no true reason to live. Even the most insignificant of reasons would be better than none at all. He could understand that misery.

"Though your abilities with the seventh fonon are not as strong as the originals, they are still useful." Van looked him in the eye. "I want you to learn to harness your abilities to their fullest, and then I will tell you how to use them. Does that seem, reasonable?"

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

All 5th Ion had to do was learn to use skills he was born with and the man would do the rest? That seemed completely reasonable to him. And the man was smiling--that was encouraging.

"That's all? I can do that! I can do whatever you tell me." Pause. "But what do I call you? And me... What am I called?"

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

"That's all." Van chuckled, glad to see the replica's mood already improving. "I am known as Commandant Van Grants, though you may call me as Van for the time being." He can teach him military ranks and their purposes later.

The next question was more difficult to answer. "We shall call you..." He paused for a moment, trying to remember the first words the replica had said to him.

"...Sync."

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

Sync.

Now he had a name, and Van had promised him a purpose, so things were already looking up. No one ever threw away useful things, he hoped. However, he still had too many questions. There was very little he'd learned about the world or himself, save the knowledge he was born with--which more or less amounted to basic things like speech and logic. Sync knew Van had to have answers--what was he really born for? Who was his original? Why did his original need him? Moreover, why did his original not need him shortly after? And what happened to all the other ones who had looked like him?

Maybe they were dead now.

He couldn't remember. They'd probably been sent to death around the same time as him, but the whole thing was a traumatic blur in his memory. Sync didn't especially feel sorry for them when he thought about it, though. If they were thrown away, they were useless, and without a purpose, there was no reason for living anyway. They would be better off gone.

"I want to know everything about who I am," Sync decided. "I want to know why I was born, and who wanted me. When I know all that, you can teach me to be useful."

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

Van smiled, not entirely a kind smile. Sync seemed far more eager now he had been given some sort of meaning and name, even if he was simply meant to serve him. That was a very good start.

"All in due time," he answered. "You'll need to start working on honing your abilities first and foremost." Though the replica was insistent, Van didn't want to tell him too much yet. Telling Sync that he could not fulfill the purpose of his birth so soon after being given a meaning to live surely wouldn't help matters any.

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

[[OOC: Oh, Sync, you're walking right into his trap...]]

"Right." What mattered now was that Van wanted him for something. He was slightly disappointed, as he was curious about the trust, but Sync could find the rest of his answers later if he had to. They weren't going to disappear. He didn't physically feel up to much, but if he would do what he had to. He was determined to learn. Although he inherently knew what fonons were, that was basically all he knew of them.

"Can you at least teach me what I can do?"

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

"Of course," Van answered with a soft laugh. "I don't expect you to learn without knowing what that is."

Then he leaned in, finally allowing the smile he wore so long to fade. "You have the ability to use powerful artes that only your original was capable of. However you may not yet be able to use them, so I will teach you the basics." He paused a moment, giving Sync time to understand his words before he moved on. "Do you know the significance of the seventh fonon?"

If Sync didn't, then that would be the first place for him to start.

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

[[OOC: I think in-game he had some kind of problem with using Daathic artes, and so Van put that freaky tattoo thing on him. No idea how that helped, but I thought I'd mention it.]]

Well, for a start, Sync knew what fonons were and that there were seven different kinds, mostly because vocabulary like "fourth fonon" existed somewhere in the back of his mind. He had no idea what that meant, though, and so the term "seventh fonon" was lost on him.

"Why is it any better than the other six?" he queried. They were all the same (for the exception of different numbers), as far as he was concerned. He was pleased that Van had used a word like powerful when talking about something he was capable of. Sync found it very encouraging to think that someone like him could already have the potential to be strong.

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

[[ooc; that makes sense. Van'll probably add the tattoo fonic glyph later.]]

Van chuckled softly. It seemed he had at least heard of fonons before, that much was good at the least. What they were and how they could be used would definitely have to be one of the first lessons.

"The seventh fonon is special," he explained, smiling softly. "There are few people who can harness its power, and you are one of those few. With proper training, you can use abilities that unique to you." A bold lie, but when it's ever found it would be so easy to say that he simply needed to train harder.

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

[[OOC: Hope you had a nice Christmas. C:]]

Those were exactly the right words to use. The prospect of being unique was tremendously exciting to Sync. If he were unique, perhaps he could carve a mark for himself in the world. It had not yet occurred to him that the others responsible for his creation might not be quite so receptive of such an idea.

Already he was beginning to forget all of his previous problems and concerns. They didn't seem to exist anymore, and he was much too pleased to consider his situation bluntly and realistically--which may have been a better plan in the long run. Everything just seemed so promising at the moment that he didn't stop to consider how strange that was.

"And you can teach me all that, can't you?"

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

[[ooc; haha, I did, thank you. :3 And sorry for the delayed reply. orz]]

Van laughed softly. To see the replica so earnest was definitely a good sign. Sync will serve him well, that much he was certain of.

"I will teach you as much as I can, but it will be up to you to learn the true extent of your abilities. You can do that, can't you?"

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

"I can!"

An air of self-confidence would show Van that Sync was worth his time and effort. This man was not like the others at all, so there was still hope! It didn't seem like Van would ever betray him. "But I still look like the others," he realized. Everything he has, was, in a sense, borrowed. Even his face was not really his own. "Is that okay?"

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

"Of course, it's perfectly fine." Van reached forward to put a reassuring hand on Sync's shoulder. "What makes you unique and special is not your appearance, but your abilities. If you're ever worried that you may be too much like the others, then you simply must train harder to ensure that you'll surpass them."

This is likely the best way to it. If Sync fails to separate himself from the other Fon Master rejects, then it at least wouldn't be Van's fault. If the problem ever arises, he could easily place the blame on the boy for not proving himself to be more than trash, and he wouldn't be accused of lying.

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

[[Eek! Okay, I'm tracking this topic now so I'll know when you post and won't unintentionally ditch you again. So sorry. D:]]

Sync's eagerness got ahead of him. "Good! I will! We should--" He leaned forward and the tired muscles in his arms and shoulders pulled uncomfortably. "Ow. I mean, I want to start as soon as we can."

Even having to train tirelessly seemed like a better option than a fiery death knowing that you were nothing but a reject. Come to think of it, had they even found a suitable replica? Probably not...

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

Van chuckled softly, amused by the replica's short-lived burst of energy. "We'll start as soon as you've recovered. It won't do to hurt yourself before we've truly begun."

Standing up, he gave the boy a smile. "For now, you should rest and conserve your energy for later. You'll need it for your training."

[caprice-of-song.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, you're right..." As much as he was enthusiastic to begin training, there wouldn't be much point in starting when he was in bad shape. Besides, learning some patience would be a good first step. "I mean-- yes, sir."

Sync flopped back down and reluctantly closed his eyes.

"With Van's help, I will make something of myself," he thought confidently. "No one can get rid of me this easily."

[seizeglory.livejournal.com]

Van continued to smile, watching over the replica until it seemed that he feel asleep. Only then, did he turn to leave the room.

Perhaps Sync would have use, perhaps not. If it will be the former, then Van will have one more ally to his cause. It it will be the latter...

Well, he could always just get rid of him.