Day 16- Tup + Dogma
There are some friendship that occur from necessity.
There are others that come from a genuine interest and care.
But there are also those that are stuck in the middle of the spectrum, a strange mix of genuine concern, but also a reluctance to get involved.
Such was how Tup and Dogma came together as close brothers.
Dogma had always been a strict followers of rules, to the point he wanted to make sure others followed the rules as well. This included trying to keep other cadets in check, even if it wasn't his place to do so.
The competitive environment on Kamino resulted in fights between cadets, which Dogma would try to stop. The environment also bred spite and hatred among some cadets. Dogma saw that as against rules, and so did his best to stop it.
It was the spite that Tup often found himself a victim of. Not his own spite, but his batch mates, and others. He was mocked for trying to grow his hair and his frequent freezing during training earned him no respect either. Thus, Tup would find himself looked down upon and declared defective (this was no good for his self-esteem).
But Dogma saw this bullying and, as he had before, tried to stop it. First in the mess hall, when they would try to pull Tup's hair; he sat next to Tup. Then in the halls; when Dogma would see Tup cornered, he would try to break it up. He eventually resorted to just walking with Tup. For the most part, it was effective.
It was one of the few cases where Dogma succeeded in deterring fights. What he didn't know was that he also stopped Tup from breaking rules of being out after hours, attempting to shower without snide remarks.
And Tup was grateful for the help.
As soon as he realized he wouldn't be scorned by Dogma, he stuck by his side; he was safe there for the time being. And Dogma made most of the decisions anyway about what they should do in their rare free time. It took more stress lifted from Tup's shoulders.
So, perhaps it was accidental that the two of them ended up being close. Dogma only wanted to bring about order, but Tup saw him as a savior, someone he needed. Gradually, Dogma became more concerned about Tup's well-being, rather than whether or not he was at the center of disorder and getting hurt when he really shouldn't. Tup came out of his shell more, looking after Dogma, making sure he didn't go chasing after something too big for him to handle.
So, they never had intentions of becoming friends. But they wanted to be together, and so, they became friends.