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Finally he figured out where the voice had been issuing from. A rather short person was lying on the floor, appearing scaly, as the tail seemed to indicate. Zach caught a slight glimpse of the head, but all he saw was a scaly snout. Another lizard, it seemed. And apparently he didn't like it. He scratched the bridge of his long snout lightly at how awkward this situation was. It didn't even look like the guy had clothes on, so he hoped they'd stay on the floor or at least cover themselves if they did get up. Patiently he set his eyes on the wall across from him in the bathroom rather than take a closer look at the fallen islander, missing some crucial details.

"Hey. You're not a monster. If you're a monster then I'd have to be one too, and I'm no monster." He figured the guy had never seen scales and a snout before. Well, before now in his own reflection. The mirror in the bathroom seemed to have been broken, the source of the shattering sound. He gave a frustrated sigh, figuring what he said before simply couldn't be persuasive enough. He let his tail swish back and forth outside the doorway. His next statements were less lighthearted and much firmer. "I mean... if you think of yourself like that you're never going to adjust and move on. You don't have to feel like this."

Zach waited by the door warily, digging his claws into the carpeted floor out of nervousness. He had absolutely no idea what this person had turned into, or if they were dangerous. He could always step out, slam the door and go walking briskly for cover if necessary. The joys of not quite being able to walk were endless, weren't they? He rustled his wings a little. It was surprisingly hard to learn it over again, but he was managing as best he could. Finally it seemed he got a reaction out of the islander and he saw a bit of movement from the otherwise inert body. "No, not a monster, unless you hate yourself that much. Why do that to yourself?"

He was prepared to see a lizard of some kind, like Amaya, like himself. He was not ready to see this. It threw him completely off-guard. He'd seen... horrible things before, but nothing quite like this. Monster was a totally accurate word for this... thing. Limbs... so many, TOO many. It was like Billy only they seemed to be twisted limbs human in shape. If he hadn't seen and dealt with multiple and unnatural limbs before he'd have run for sure. Instead he was staring, dumbstruck, and counting them all. What kind of sick joke was this? His mind took a step away from the subject for a moment, leaving his animal tendencies to blur together and leave him no choice way to escape from this creature. It talked. In English. And it was that guy who'd crawled toward him bleeding the last time he'd changed. Oh dear.

"I... of course I know..." He trailed off, his voice already rather quiet to begin with. He couldn't help but stare. Was that bad? Yeah, it was. But it was probably rude to look elsewhere. So he stared. He was frozen to the spot anyway, right by the doorframe. So many arms and legs, it didn't look natural. Whose sick handiwork was this, Moreau's? Sabin had told him before that he didn't choose these changes as punishments, so it couldn't have been him. Zach knew he wouldn't do anything like that to someone. But Moreau... Moreau was responsible for Cassidy, after all. He felt a twinge of fear just at that doctor's name. He had to focus. He was slipping. He didn't even feel like being agreeable right now but frankly even faking it would probably work for this poor creature. Anything to convince him... He cleared his throat, though it didn't cure him of that ever-present rasp to his voice nor the slight hint of fear that came with staring at that barely-moving mouth. "But I asked first, a long time ago, and they told me. I prepared myself. You've still got a chance to do that too."

"That was you? I remember that." He'd been a little too caught up in his own worries at the time, having no patience for anyone else. If only he knew then what he did now, that he had nothing to worry about. Well, he didn't have to worry that Sabin would turn his back on him for his idiotic fit, at least. He didn't have to fear being stuck entirely defenseless among maniacs. Anything else could be dealt with more easily. This, though, was a new one. But even those who got poor luck of the draw still needed to know who called the shots and respect them, fear them, and realize who owned their lives and be glad for it. And who knew if these many limbs were a mistake? It was intentional. Must have been intentional. He should have seen it before. "It was just a change though, just like last time. Nothing horrible. Sometimes there's a few... surprises."

"Surprises. Yeah." He could feel his frill fanning from his unconscious jaw-clenching. This was not such a good idea after all, was it? He was definitely not beyond having nightmares of this guy and his... scuttling. It was beyond him what this guy could possibly be, even though he now assumed the multiple legs to have been a purposeful addition, much like Antony and her many tails. As long as he rationalized it away it was merely disturbing and not all-out horrifying. His mind raced as he tried to explain his thoughts. "Like... wings. See these?"

For effect, he spread his wings as wide as they could go in the confines of the room. At the same time he spread his arms in a palms-up gesture of showing off. His wings had never been quite showy until now, when their wingspan was longer than three feet total. He felt strangely safer just by doing it, much like he did when he opened his frill. It boosted his confidence slightly, giving him the nerve to take a step toward the former human being. While he was still thoroughly horrified by the number of limbs he was seeing, he just had to remind himself that it wasn't as bad as it looked. After a decent amount of time passed he folded them back again behind his back, launching into another passionate little speech trying to say what this guy wanted to hear. "Sure, it hurt a little to grow them, but they're just... arms and hands, really. And there's a guy turning into an octopus here. You're not the only one with extra arms. Nobody should see at you any differently because of yours. And you can't tell, but my left arm... I... lost it a long time ago, but thanks to Dr. Duvert, it grew back! I don't know what I'd do if it wasn't for this place."

It wasn't a lie. He'd grown attached to this new form and in turn despised what he used to be. Sabin had done him a favor, many favors; it was as an imperfect human that he hadn't been able to appreciate things. It was his fervent belief that Sabin was always right. Nothing could call that into question now, not after his own attempt to had been (quite understandably) ineffective. He held back from saying it aloud, though. One thing at a time. He did try to ponder what sort of creature had ten legs and a tail, but nothing came to mind. "Maybe it's just not obvious right now? After all, you're not done changing yet."

"Hey Victor. I'm..." He paused, disliking having to use his name. It was marred by his human errors, and didn't seem fit for a dragon. But in the end he had to give it. "Zach."

"Well, the pain is only temporary. It'll be gone within the week. I know how these things go. Believe me, I've been through it all and there's nothing to be afraid of. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to scare you." Everyone whined so much about their changes, but they never acknowledged how wonderful they were in the end. It was far better than being trapped in a simple human body. He really thought of himself as though he'd been reborn. But it was obvious this man didn't know that feeling, couldn't appreciate such a stirring anecdote. Perhaps there was something he'd left behind that Zach would have to pry him away from so that he'd have nowhere else to turn but to the labs. This man wasn't going to go back, no one did. And no one should want to. It only led to misery. He could stop this unfortunate individual from treading the same path, and in turn, have one less islander to fear.

"Ah, thanks." Zach didn't really take his eyes off of Victor as he moved toward the chair. The other man hadn't shown any dangerous signs, or animal tendencies, things that Zach associated very strongly with the aftermath of a change. It was good, though. One less thing he'd hear complained about. It would be impolite of him to stand, but sitting was in itself a hassle. However, he didn't want to damage the possibility of an ally in the making. He made a quick glance at the chair before turning his gaze back on the scaly thing that watched him from the bed. When he did sit, he kept his tail tossed over the armrest and leaned forward so that his wings didn't get crushed by the back of the chair. His neck curved upward to make up for it. He made a mental note to see if he could get a more wings, tail, and spine-friendly design of chair for his own duplex. The one he had in his, identical to the one he sat in now, was impractical bordering on painful.

The plead had sounded so similar to something Zach knew he'd said a long time ago. What a fool he'd been then, trying to put off this metamorphosis. He knew exactly what sorts of arguments to draw on, as he'd heard them all before when he'd argued from Victor's perspective. Sabin had raised excellent points, and even if Zach could not recall them word for word, he knew deep down the sort of answers that Victor should hear. "You shouldn't let these doubts run your life. What are you so afraid of? Being a 'monster'? You're not a monster any more than anyone else here, and none of us are monsters. Why live that way, like that? It's depressing."

"Make the best of the situation. You don't have to worry about your job, your taxes, your bills, or any of that. If you need something, the labs can get it for you. It's like a permanent vacation. Anyone would be ungrateful not to appreciate it." He ended on almost a disapproving tone, keeping his eyes carefully just above Victor so that he didn't have to stare at those wriggling, horrible arms. He saw Victor glance at the door, and wondered for a moment what it meant, but there seemed to be little significance to it. And then he told the story of his life. Much as he didn't want to, Zach could... connect on some level with what he was saying. Unlike Victor he'd lived that fear out for almost a decade, and it did come with those horrified stares in some ways similar to what he'd given this man when he first saw all those limbs. People feared change, people feared things becoming different and unpredictable. But he had triumphed over such obstacles and had been rewarded by being reborn a creature that inspired awe in anyone who looked at him, courtesy of Sabin's generosity. Victor... had received the opposite. Gone from a normal human to an abnormal... lizard? "It can happen to anyone, you know. Fear can be... powerful. But like I said, don't look at yourself that way. You're bringing things on yourself by getting depressed over this."

But the raising of the head showed him a sight he was stunned by. Two mouths. It seemed to take a moment to really register. What he'd thought was Victor's mouth wasn't. Multiple limbs he could speak about but nothing he'd ever seen or known could really write that off as anything but a horrible, horrible mistake that nature never intended. It was terrifying but like hell could he run now. He quelled the temptation to start hissing and making himself look bigger to ward off this thing that made his higher thought processes wince. But he couldn't stop now, could he? He had Victor exactly where he wanted him. Without hope, poised on a narrow divide between hopelessness and salvation. And he was ready, absolutely ready, to save an islander from himself, so that one less islander would turn out as Gaius had. He'd been pressuring blindly as it was, carrying on as it had seemed effective. Gaining the trust of another person, a complete stranger, was disturbingly easy. He was already gushing his past to Zach, divulging his fears. This kind of power and influence over another person was exhilarating, though he knew the cause was noble. But for a moment he had to consider whether he would feel just a little bit guilty of leading this man on not because of the cause, but because this was an islander who truly had a reason to be miserable.

In that brief span of time he knew he couldn't feel guilty about doing this. Giving up would be the worst thing of all. The fact that the man's condition was the fault of the labs was written out of his mind just as the islander graves had been. He was doing this to stop the senseless violence at its source. He could protect himself this way, and gaining allies was as easy as a couple kind words mixed with a few suggestions. And if he could convince someone as deformed as this to trust and appreciate the doctors for all that they'd done... he could convince anyone. And Victor was right there, ready to ask for the help of the doctors without a cry of indignance. It was too perfect.

"Of course we can make this easier for you.." he practically crooned, agreeing with the hissing figure across from him while trying to smile as pleasantly as he could. He decided to drop a bit of the formality and show that he associated himself with the labs quite strongly. He had little knowledge of its inner workings, but he was the "pet project" of a very important doctor there. It did have its... benefits. He just had to keep his eyes above that disfigured face, even though that second mouth was no longer visible. That was haunting his nightmares for sure. Was there anything Zach could do to help Victor? "Listen to me. Next time you use your intercom, ask to speak with Dr. Duvert. Tell him I said you should talk to him. He'll take care of you. If you have any other... questions... he's the best person to ask."

"Wonderful! He's a great guy, don't let the horrible rumors around here fool you." He kept that false smile on his face the whole time, drawing it entirely from his feeling of relief that this man had been an easy nut to crack. He lacked the charisma and trustworthy appearance that would have made this go much smoother, perhaps even won the disfigured lizard over entirely. He'd done what he could; he'd just have to keep trying. There was plenty more he could have said, but he knew that Victor just wasn't ready to hear it all. Just as he hadn't been able to fully appreciate it all, once. But now he had an islander exactly where he wanted them to be. It was a shame so many of the islanders were already so adamant about hating their predicament, but for these few who were lost and confused, there was hope yet. They'd see it as he did. He clapped his hands together and stood up, stretching his wings a bit as he did before folding them back again. God, that was an uncomfortable sit. "Any time, Victor. I'm glad to see you're smarter than most people around here. You're doing the right thing."

"Oh, yeah. Changes can be rough, but in the end they're more than worth it. You might not like things now, I know I didn't back when I was new here. But you're being taken care of by the labs. Everyone here is, even if they... resent the goodwill. Try to see the good in this place and don't let other people here scare you into hating yourself and the doctors. I know you're better than that." Actually, he didn't know, but he figured it would make him sound a little friendlier than he'd been coming off before. He continued to keep his eyes focused right above Victor's head to give him the impression they were making eye contact when they really weren't. It was a cheap trick he'd learned for giving speeches, though he rarely had to use it as he rarely did. He made for the door as calmly as he could, though his tail was dragging quite stiffly along the floor and his frill was half-fanned. "Thanks for the invitation. I'll be sure to drop by sometime and see how you're doing."

And with that, Zach made his exit, shutting the door quietly behind him. As soon as he did the good-natured smile he had plastered to his face was immediately dropped in favor of a look of horror. He wanted to think that there was nothing wrong, he wanted to trust that the labs knew exactly what they were doing. But Victor and his two mouths, that wasn't normal, it was terrifying and wrong. No animal was meant to have two mouths and ten limbs. But on the other hand... all of this was in the name of science. Even he himself had been a contribution. And Victor wasn't done changing, perhaps it wasn't a mouth at all. It could be anything. He was just letting his imagination get the best of him. It took him a good five minutes to shake his suspicions. He wouldn't let himself stoop to even considering such horrid things of the labs when they'd proven to be trustworthy many times.

Confident in his assertions, he headed back toward his duplex. His jaw still ached, but it could be ignored. He'd saved an islander from becoming a senseless and violent creature. All in all, he was just ecstatic that it had worked. He certainly didn't consider Victor a friend. No, he wasn't that trusting, to think any passing person was worth such a thing. But if Victor wanted to think he was a friend he wouldn't ruin the illusion. It was even better that way, though. If he could convince this man, with his seemingly poor condition... then none of those bitter, angry islanders had a case.

A Meeting at Dusk

Victor meets Richard after getting a bite to eat

Nighttime alone
Victor makes it back to his duplex and goes to sleep

Victor managed to get back into his duplex after some difficulty with the doorknob, having to balance him back on his sore tail to be able to stand and open the door, almost falling forward once the door had been opened. It really had been an eventful day from start to finish but after meeting Tommy things were looking up, Victor had realized that after the initial shock of his appearance wore off, he didn't really have to worry so much of the other person paniking and running away.

However Victor still had to get used to his own appearance, he had pushed his own feelings about how he felt about this change to the back of his mind, briefly letting them out when he had exchanged a few angry words with Tommy. If he was going to get though this, he had to get beyond the horror of his own body and learn to deal with it.

Just like he told Tommy, one step at a time, one day at a time.

However that was all for another day, Victor crawled up and into bed, so that he could sleep, and sleep came quickly.