Beauty in the Sewer

He grunted softly and flicked his tail again. There. Was she done examining his own personal tail yet? That was his own personal tail which he wished to take with him to find food. He was ravenous! And itchy. So very itchy.

He grumbled and lifted a back leg to scratch at his side, flaking scales around like black snow. He shuddered, growling softly in pain as the itch grew deeper, spreading and sinking into his skin and flesh like a vicious parasite. It hurt! He started walking again, rubbing up against the wall as he went. No more listening to the human. He needed to get away from her.

A sharp pain in his back shocked him. He let out an embarrassingly high-pitched squeak of pain and shook his head hard as it to shake it off. His lips pulled back in a snarl. Damn it all to hell! And Hades and Tartarus and Gahanna and Hel while it was at it!

Then as quickly as it came, it was gone. He lowered his head, panting slightly, his skin still buzzing. Ow. It was close. Not yet time, but close. He wished there was an easier way to tell. Perhaps a light tap on the shoulder, or a faerie would shout, "Hey! Look! Listen!" or perhaps some weird shape like a balloon would appear. Anything would be better than this. He reached around and gnawed at his back as if digging at a particularly stubborn itch then forced himself to stop. He still bore a couple of scars from when he didn't stop himself in time.

Remembering where he was and - more importantly - who was watching, he glanced toward the human female. She could not see anything. That would be trouble. He bolted. Just as he had a night before, he ran from the human and disappeared down into the depths of the sewer system. Down, down he went until he once more found his safe haven behind the mighty steel sheild. Tiny shards of pain flickered through his back as made his way into his nest. It was far too early to sleep, but he craved protection right now. Protection, comfort, and familiarity.

That annoying little human kept snooping around. What if it found his home? What if it discovered him while he was most vulnerable? Sighing, he laid his head down and closed his eyes. Let the human do what it wanted. Maybe it would be the one to finally kill him. That would be nice. Then he wouldn't live in this world of eternal darkness where his only clock was that of pain.

No, no, he couldn't think like this. He had to keep going, if only to protect the others. He could do this! But he'd do it later. For now, he was tired and hurting. He curled up tight, tucking his nose under his tail.
 
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It appeared he had decided time was now up. Ingrid, having her previous worries be put to rest, was content to let him go for real this time. She wasn't sure what sort of event could be so important he had to leave so quickly each day, but really, what could she say? Right now she was the fool who bent over backward to visit a sewer each day.

She thought nothing of the scratching. There was bound to be some scale-rotting parasites mutated down here, and despite risking grave electrical injury to help him out, she wasn't about to play vet nurse.
Starting in the opposite direction to leave, Ingrid found herself suddenly back around at the squeak of pain. Ow- Her body didn't like that. By the looks of things she wasn't the only one either. The way the dragon gnawed at scratched at himself was unnerving. It had to be mites or something. Sadly there was nothing in her power she could do for him--- Not like she had the chance to. As soon as he caught sight of her again, he was sent barreling down the pipes with the same urgency as before.

Ingrid found herself quietly musing frustration all the way home. Frustration that was a double-edged sword. He was so reluctant to let her help with anything! God, how hard was it to understand she (as far as he was concerned, anyway) wasn't going to do anything? Nevermind that it had barely been a week, or that she had no idea if there was prior human interaction, or that she was the exact same--

When she got home, there was still plenty of day left. Ingrid decided to channel her feelings into sorting through the sack of watches. Piles of useless ones, piles of expensive ones, and piles of the ones she didn't know what to do with. There was a decent bit of money here, so at least he'd paid back the chicken sandwich debt.
There was one watch set aside from the rest, though. It was broken, with a large crack across the face, but it stuck out to her. It had trickles of clean water inside, and it brought about the realization that they were all clean. There was no way they were found like that. Had he cleaned them himself?
The broken watch set aside couldn't go on her wrist. Anything that went on her wrist never lasted long; she had the unconscious habit of picking or clawing at any accessories found there. Instead, using old leather coil, she fashioned herself quite possibly the tackiest looking necklace imaginable. She liked it.

Aside from that, the rest of her time was uneventful as it could be. Pick up some trash from the living room to accommodate little mountains of watches, and sulk inside her room to waste away in front of a computer screen. It was annoying how quickly she'd grown dismissive of her work towards the mystery that was a dragon. She'd been thinking of what would happen if she somehow did prove it to someone. He'd be discovered, and likely torn apart in the name of science. Did she want that? Her hand messed with the newly acquired necklace at the idea. Ingrid figured it would help sew and mend the torn patchwork of the past. It was either that, or it would set the entire blanket ablaze. She didn't know.

Oh. Amalie messaged her.
Something about coming to visit her next weekend.
Good luck with that- She had moved since last time.
Ingrid gave no reply. That was probably her cue to go to bed. She wasn't tired, but she didn't want to be awake.
 
His dark night blurred into pain. Nothing but pain. There was no one to see the writhing shapes thrown up on the walls by the lanterns on the walls. No one heard the ripping of leather and the screams that echoed throughout the tomb of a chamber. No witnesses to the agony of bones snapping and twisting.

Then there was silence. Only the occasional drip of water distrupted the quiet. Nothing stirred.

He finally rose and staggered out of his nest. Legs shook under him as he tried to balance, but slowly he found his way. A cold draft pricked his skin, and he shivered. He found protections from the air and climbed in, wrapping a great leather coat around his body, careful not to pull to tight or the spines on his back. Spines on his spine. That was a strange sentence. He shook himself and lifted his head. Up There. Now was the time. He stopped by his collection briefly then started slowly mad his way up..
 
Did it have to be so damn cold? I mean, c'mon, her daily trip was enough to make her nauseous with her current state. Slapping a cold on top of it would make doing anything ten-times harder. It wasn't fair. Nothing today was fair. She'd almost killed herself trying to patch up her scar this morning (pro tip: never leave your wound-cleaning materials next to your kitchen-cleaning ones), her movements were being watched by a certain asshole she still owed money too, and to top it all off she wouldn't let herself have a day off her endeavors. Why didn't she let herself? Why did she feel the need to persist daily? It was always the same: go down there, get growled at by a dragon, try and give him a sandwich to make peace, and watch him walk off.

Ingrid wasn't having a good day.

Weak arms pried open the manhole cover and slunk inside, the woman's small frame eager to shield herself from the chilly outside. All she had to offer protection was her usual jacket- And as cozy as it was, it was nothing compared to the coats people had made for the cold. The wind had apparently stolen a good chunk of her caution, as she wasted no time calling out for the monster as she walked.

"I don't really wanna be here too long, buddy. I have the sandwich you ate last time, and I'd appreciate if there was no fuss in taking it--"
Ingrid seemed to register the intenseness in her tone, and she dialed it back.
"And there's, uh...Well it's mine but if you're a fan of clean water I guess it's here. As a thank you for the thank you."
 
He heard the human's cries echoing down the pipes. That was not the way he usually went, but perhaps this time... he agreed within himself and padded toward the human's voice, his feet feeling cramped in the mismatched teneshoes. One was blue and white, the other black and white. He stood in the shadows, as was his want, hoovering there for several seconds. Then he stepped forward and stood, waiting to be discovered.

She seemed to have caught herself and was speaking in a more reasonable tone as she called out for him, but still he did not answer. His light colored eyes peered out from under his lumpy hood, and his pale skin, even with the strange marking in the center of his forehead, nearly gleamed in the darkness. Yet the dark coat blended with the darkness, waiting for her light to find him.
 
Aha, there he was.
Ingrid knew what to listen out for, and her ears quickly honed in on the sound of movement, drawing her towards where she knew he'd be. She could feel the bitter sting of world-focused anger being chiseled away at. It was dramatic, but it was true; speaking to something did help the loneliness she felt. Loneliness that was her own doing, but it was loneliness nevertheless.

"You're almost lucky you don't have to deal with what's up there, big guy. It's hell on earth with that ch--------"

On cue, as her light shined on a figure she wasn't expecting, Ingrid's entire person switched immediately. The reaction was almost primal; with her stepping backward and reaching for her knife. This wasn't who she was here to see. And if she was really unlucky, this was someone sent to see her--
See her dead.

"What's your fuckin' business here??"
Ingrid barked venomously, forcefully pushing the quiver out of her voice. The humanoid figure was a threat no doubt. No one good ever hung out in a sewer-- She should know. She was one of the no goods.
 
He blinked at the ferocity in her voice, but he did not instantly respond beyond that reaction. Instead, he studied her through different eyes, taking in her shape in a calm, methodical way. Still no weapons, but it appeared she had brought something with her. Now... words. Replies. Hmm, how did one speak to a female in the dank sewer system? Or anyone of either gender, really, he supposed.

"Travel," he finally replied in a voice as delicate as glass that still somehow managed to carry easily. "I travel through here." He fell silent, still watching her. That was enough words for now, he thought. What would this feisty human do now? He hoped she would not attack. He really was not in the position to defend right now, and he might accidentally hurt her in defending himself.
 
'Travel.'

What?

'I travel through here.'

What??

The answer surprised her, so thankfully, no further hostile action was taken. Instead, Ingrid found herself freezing in place while narrow eyes scanned the person in front of her. They were speaking in broken-up words. Were they foreign? They didn't sound it. They also didn't sound like they were phased by where they were-- This place was dangerous!

"Why through here? Seems like a pretty weird way to go. This place is littered with things and people that'll wanna kill you. Are you lost?"
Ingrid fired back once more, shaking her head. This wasn't a place someone just traveled through. This is where someone went to do illegal things, or drag people for doing illegal things, or-
Oh no.
Ingrid felt the food wrapper while reaching for her knife, and remembered why she was here. What if he showed up? Would he kill them both from being spooked?
 
He tipped his head and blinked, soberly studying her. This was a lot of words all at once. When he did deal with humans, it was the humans who ran the shops. Most of them did not want much information other than polite niceties and hollow platitudes as they took money. How did he answer all of these questions? Or should he?

He realized he had been quiet an uncomfortably long time and thus settled for saying, "You are here. Do you wish to kill?"
 
"Wuh-"
Ingrid stammered at the question. It was point-blank and made perfect sense that they'd ask. Of course she wasn't here to kill! The hell did she look like? This wise-ass was nearly twice her size! Even with a knife, she was doomed to fail any sort of tussle.

"N-No! 'Course I ain't! I'm here to--- See someone...
Look. Do you know where you're going? You shouldn't be here."

Hostility fizzled down to wary uncertainty. She was in trouble if they didn't get out of here soon, so she might as well try and move it along.
 
She actually seemed worried, constantly glancing off to the sides. Was she worried that the mighty dragon would lay waste to interlopers? That was kind of her to be concerned for him. Or perhaps she worried that the extra people would scare the dragon away. Either seemed likely.

"I believe I have the same right as you... which is likely very little... to the eyes of the law," he said, speaking slowly and deliberately as he paused his way through the sentence, structuring it in his head as he went. "Why do you fear shadows?"
 
Welp. (What she assumed was a) He had her there.
Ingrid drew back uncomfortably at being called out, frowning and now deliberately looking away for reasons outside of surveillance. She couldn't share what she knew was down here just yet, at the risk of looking even more unhinged then what she did now. The question only seemed to further her uncertain reaction.

"I ain't scared of shadows. I'm scared of whats in 'em- And you should be too."
 
"Do you mean the beast?" he asked politely, watching her face.

He had not been certain until this moment if he was going to bring it up, but now he was curious to see how she would react. She had not seemed eager to reveal his existance, at least not to a stranger, but how would she react if the stranger brought it up?
 
Oh boy.
Ingrid wasn't prepared for the sheer amount of nothingness that filled her mind in mere milliseconds. It was as if her brain had ceased functioning.

So he knew. Not only did this mean she wasn't the first one to discover what was lurking (a bummer, but she'd survive), but this also meant someone else had encountered him and lived. Which begged the question of just how dangerous was he?
And to think, she thought she'd gotten some sort of exclusivity in not being mauled and eaten. It was a little disheartening.

"The hells it to you, if it is?" Ingrid spat coldly, "How long've you known about it? How many people know?? Have you told anyone??" Rapid-fire questions began once more, with her speaking getting faster and more panicked as she went on.
"I swear if you're stupid enough to have told anyone I'll---- I'll--"
 
He waited patiently until she had sputtered herself out. A niggle of pleasure touched his heart. She did not want anyone told! She called him stupid if he had told anyone. Good. Perhaps she might be safer than he had originally thought. Perhaps she had her own secrets to keep and thus understood the importance of keeping this one, the one of the beast in the sewers.

"We coexist in seclussion," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. "Aware of each other, but our paths do not cross. He does not come up here at this day. I do. I have... business... Up There. What business do you have Down Here?"
 
This entire encounter had so far thrown her threw a loop. The previous base assumption of this guy either being not from around here or lost was thrown out the window. She had no assumptions to stand on. She had nothing to stand on. Ingrid felt the feeling. A feeling of being outmatched.

Straightening her posture, her hand reached up to mess with the newly acquired necklace out of nervous habit. How did she answer that? The way he spoke was whimsical. Entrancing, even. He had a nice voice for someone who claimed to co-exist with monsters.

"...I visit. I visit him down here. I bring him food sometimes."
Ingrid answered, quieter than before. Her answer was truthful, and yet she didn't believe her own words.
No! She would not be intimidated too much by this guy!
"Flip the script. What business do you have Up There? If you really live down here, do you go up for food?"
 
His eyes caught sight of the necklace, and he studied it for a moment. Was that not one of the watches he had gifted her? Oh, she was wearing it! Not how he thought it was intended, but that did not matter. She found it useful! That was enough for him. How good that he had chosen well.

"There are occasions which I find it necessary," he confirmed carefully. "There is food to be found here. If one knows where to look."

A moment of silence and contemplation as he debated on what to speak on next. "The beast is likely grateful of the treats you bring. I do not think I have known him to interract. I presume you are different."
 
Ingrid grew less and less tense. Though still on guard, she at least didn't look ready to do something they'd both regret.

His words were considered thoughtfully. It was obvious a person couldn't survive on whatever god-awful 'food' was found down here. No matter how hard anyone looked, nothing down here would come without at least fifty different diseases. Ew. Thinking about it made her want to hurl.

Ingrid was prepared to chime in when the silence fell, but was beaten to it when the stranger spoke again. Grateful? She hoped he was. She did.

"Yeah, well...I appreciate him. And the fact he's willing to give me the time of day."
She prevented any more sincerity slipping into her attitude with a small cough.
"Whatever, though-- You said you only come up here 'at this day', right? And he doesn't?"
 
She appreciated that he did not immediately drive her away? Poor thing. She must live in as deep a hole as he, only Up There. How sad. His gaze took her in sadly for a moment before he responded.

"This is correct," he replied. "I am sorry if you hoped to meet him. He will not be here this night."

He stood staring until the silence just started to feel awkward. Then he started walking, skirting around the human as he started down the pipes toward the best access port. He kept his hands tucked into the pockets of the jacket, the hood pulled up to his eyebrows. There was no need for her to see the other kind of monster that lived in these tunnels.
 
He wasn't here tonight. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little disappointed. It also meant that she was out here for nothing, which annoyed her. She could've stayed in bed..

Ingrid stared at the ground in front of her for the duration of the silence. She was never good with talking nice. This past week had been the longest friendly not-nasty streak she'd had for years, but it wasn't getting easier.

Her thoughts were stopped when she noticed the figure was no longer there. He'd already started walking off. Must be a sewer-dweller thing.
"Hey, uhm," Instead of waiting to be heard and causing him to stop, Ingrid skipped a few steps to catch up to him. "'Least let me walk you out. You prolly know this place better than I do, but still. Er, thanks for not...I dunno. Knocking me out after snapping at you. It's what I would've done, if I wasn't me."

Ingrid offered a sheepish explanation for why she was following, keeping her eyes fixed forward to not stare. She had a lot of questions. So many questions. But she also didn't want to come across more ditzy than she already did. She felt like a child, pestering people and animals(?) instead of doing what adults should be doing. Yet she kept it up anyway.
Because she was bored.
 
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