Love The Skin You're in(Social/open)

Victoria had traveled to Hargeon Town to do something different besides fight and do jobs. She carried a backpack with her normal clothing in it. She wore a black one-piece bathing suit that covered everything with khaki cargo shorts and her usual white tennis shoes. She could not remember the last time she had worn a bathing suit of any type. She strolled to the busy docks and saw a guy with blue hair and a stylish white bathing suit.

He had blue hair, which was enough to make him stand out in the sea of normal people. He also had a magical signature that was as strong as her own. That meant that he was a mage of some power and skill. Victoria was compelled to approach the stranger.

"Hi there. I'm Victoria Sheridan. Are you looking for anything in particular?" Victoria asked him.

Victoria listened to the guy's story and was surprised by what she heard. He was a mage who could turn into a dragon, but he was trying to gather the courage to do it. She could understand his reluctance. Transforming into a dragon was not something that one did lightly. She kept listening as he described his family.

"So your mother was a normal human and your father was a dragon?" Victoria inquired. The blue-haired guy had a leg up on her because he knew who his parents were. The Sabertooth mage did not have that luxury, but it did not bother her as much as she thought it would because she had been busy with Sabertooth and with carrying out jobs for the guild. She also found an adoptive father in Lawrence Sheridan, the man whose last name she carried. Saving her from slavers on the streets of Capital Crocus, adopting her, and teaching her a viable trade went a long way towards raising Lawrence in the brunette's esteem.

"What do you need to be comfortable with your dragon form? Do you need something special like a book or amulet, a family heirloom?" Victoria asked the guy.

"OK, Haraka. Nice to meet you, Haraka." Victoria said to the blue-haired guy whose name she now knew. So his problem was mainly a mental block and one that could not be resolved by holding family heirlooms. His mixed heritage was the result of a spell that had been cast on him and had unforeseen results. That showed the brunette that there were worse problems to have than simply not knowing who one's real parents were.

"So... how can I help you with your problem?" Victoria asked the fellow. He seemed like a nice enough guy with some confidence issues. Maybe she could help him out. She had helped Ted Cranston out of his unpleasant situation with the Corlones. While Haraka was not in with a crime family, maybe all he needed was some gentle encouragement.

"Oh, sure! I don't mind talking to you. I've got all day. That's no joke." Victoria assured Haraka. He seemed like a decent guy who just needed someone to talk to. She did not have anything pressing to do, so she could spare some time for the blue-haired mage. It was always interesting to talk to another mage. Suddenly he shifted gender into a female before she could give him her name... she waited until the shift was complete before speaking again.

"Sorry about that. My name's Victoria Sheridan!" Victoria introduced herself to Haraka. Victoria had never seen a mage who could shift genders on the fly. She did not even know that it was possible. The brunette learned something new every day.

Ah, the person wouldn't sit as well? To each their own, it just meant that one person was standing while the other was not. They had all day? That sounded nice. Maybe The west fiore trading company member should offer her food? Though it looked like she was getting ready to swim herself and some people really did cramp if they eat before swimming. "It's a pleasure to meet you Victoria. Would you like something to eat? I'm a type of medium, and my plant friends take joy in filling stomachs." Asking was the only sure fire way to find out, not letting thoughts bounce in her head. Should Omaras be talking about her own issue? Maybe, but it would be rude to talk about yourself all day. It was something that could come and go, conversations have an ebb and flow. Also, it was getting increasingly harder to talk about the issue while avoiding big personal information bits. "Do you use magic?"

"I'm good, thanks. I ate a lot before I left for Hargeon Town." Victoria told Haraka. She had consumed a medium salad and quite a few croutons roughly three hours ago. She did not need much else to eat right now. If she did eat something else, chances were high that Victoria might get sick. When Haraka asked if she used magic, the brunette seized on it.

"Yeah, I use magic. It's how I make a living. A decent living at that. Sometimes the danger gets to be a bit too much, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Victoria replied in the affirmative. She could not imagine being anything other than a mage... except maybe a bartender. However, a bartender would have to work a lot of big events to make what Victoria made in one or two dangerous jobs. To Victoria the payout was well worth the risk.

Ah, eating before getting to the city? Then either the other could travel super fast, or hadn't eaten in a few hours. This left the ice blue skinned person wondering if Victoria had eaten recently or not so. What was the point of wondering? Nothing really, it was a mild curiosity that left as quickly as it had entered. Neither answer would make a difference, as it still lead to the other being full. It also reminded Omaras that his amount of hunger was abnormal, if ever a reminder was needed. She made a sound of thought, a long and low 'ah' sound. It was interesting how one could rely fully on such a thing in order to make a living. The current age was certainly a far more free one than that of the past. "What kind of magic do you use to make a living with? How do you feel about that magic past making money?" Enjoying a bit of danger? Some people were just like that, so Haraka lacked motivation to prod on that subject. Why did he care about what magic meant to her? Because in the mixed bloods mind, magic was something personal to those who have.

"I use a type of magic called Merces Letifer. It lets me use all kinds of weapons whenever I need them." Victoria said to Haraka. She did not want to freak out the locals by saying that she was a walking arsenal. That kind of thing did not endear her to people wary of mages. When the subject shifted to how Victoria felt about her magic, the brunette seized on the opportunity to steer the subject elsewhere.

"What I think about my magic? It pays the bills. I don't think about the ramifications too much because it was taught to me by my adopted father. It's kept me safe in the past, so I can't complain." Victoria said to Haraka. She hated to sound dismissive of the potential ramifications of being a walking arsenal, but it was the truth. Victoria did not think too much... she lived in the moment. Merces Letifer magic had gotten Victoria out of many a bind and had kept her pockets lined with Jewels thanks to numerous successes on dangerous jobs. That was all that the brunette could really ask for in a magic.

It should have been something surprising, but really it wasn't. A grandfather figure had something similar to that, being able to use his lightening magic to either allow metal limbs to animate, put more power in tools he used, or to be able to use pipes like they were lightening cannons. It wasn't the same magic, but the creation and use of weapons was still there. It made sense that magics changed as the world changed. It was a bit disappointing that Victoria viewed magic in such a light, but not unheard of. Life can be tough and impersonal. "It's good to be able to defend yourself and pay bills, but I hope you try to make sure to not use it for things that you wont regret. Sometimes our past actions can make chase." She knew that far far too well. If it wasn't the case, then maybe he wouldn't be here. Not looking at the past too much was a good thing, but you had to take a glance at least every now and then. Those glances could be the only warnings you get before it charges at you with shining blades or a burning barrel. Ah, what was she doing? The young looking woman let out a sigh, shaking her head a bit at herself. "Sorry for being a bit nosy, I know that life can be hard and sometimes being able to mull over things before doing them can be a luxury." But that didn't change the truth in Omaras words on the past.

"Yeah, you're right. Our past actions have consequences. Good thing I haven't done too much to regret." Victoria said to Haraka. She did not have many regrets during her mage career because the only people she had "wronged" were criminals and crooked cops who were beating up innocent people as a hobby. Even if they were not killed, they got everything that was coming to them. She had been helpless in the face of powerful bullies and it sucked. Now she was pushing back against the bullies with a Legal guild at her back.

"You're right again, Haraka. Sometimes we don't have the luxury to sit back and think things through. We have to live and act in the moment to stay on the right side of the dirt." Victoria politely replied to Haraka. She did not want to alienate the guy because he was only telling the truth and he was trying to be polite about it. Still, part of the brunette's street kid persona was showing through despite her best efforts. She did not have the luxury to sit back and plan everything through when she was a street kid just trying to live another day in Capital Crocus. She either stole food to eat and fought or she got her head caved in with a tire iron or died a lingering death from starvation.

Haraka frowned a bit, feeling a need to speak up about that. Maybe this was just a change in times, but the young looking person didn't like the idea of her ideals and thoughts being from a time that no longer exists to a degree. "For you planning things out might be a luxury, but there are others who will perish if they don't. A lot of sold goods take a long time to make, even foods." The mixed blood wasn't going to pretend like she knew Victoria well enough to know if it was true or not that the girl didn't have free time to think things through. Honestly that didn't matter. The idea of thinking things through being a luxury? That bothered her. It was rare for some people, a luxury for them, but it wasn't for all people. Some peoples livelihoods depended on planning and patience. There was a few times where his own depended on a lot of that sort of work. But there were a lot of people that also depended on quick decisions rather than deep thinking. Toes stretched out, talons shimmering in the light as if they were made of dark blue sapphires. "But those very people tend to be poor at self defense, which is one of the reasons its good that there are those without time to plan that are willing and eager. I was one of those that needed help, until one day I got my magic to start working a little and joined a guild."

Again Haraka spoke the truth. While she could afford to fly by the seat of her pants, other people had to plan for everything ahead of time if they hoped to succeed. That was especially true for farmers and other food providers. Victoria was aware that she had lead a charmed life and that things had usually worked out for her despite not thinking very far ahead. That was mostly because she knew that she had the backing of a guild.

"I can't complain about guild work either, man. Guild work has been good to me. People in need get help with their problem, I get Jewels, and everyone wins. I've done quite a bit of work for guilds in my time." Victoria said to Haraka. She had done quite a few dangerous jobs for Black Rose before its disbanding. She was now working for Sabertooth and planned to do more risky jobs to build both the guild's reputation and her Jewel supply. Maybe she sounded more than a little mercenary, but she had to keep the lights on somehow.

The west fiore member smiled a bit before closing his eyes, then giving a slight smile. Why? So he could listen and focus on trying to do what he came here for. "That's wonderful." His large wings came out, the deep sapphire blue back as shimmery as ever within the suns glimmer. The long shrimp tail wasn't catching any light however, as it appeared mostly in the shade. These body parts were less summoned and more released. Common people are often scared of the unknown. This was one of the many reasons that she normally kept them hidden away with magic and focus. The glow her body cast was something kept at bay with an old family item, something even given to the children. This was more than likely why it was in his ownership, though not why it was tolerated in the first place. Besides being old, the key was never made with much purpose in mind. What it stood for and meant? There was no way that got under the womans skin. 'Maybe I need to remove it.' she thought before reaching for her neck, the key part of a certain silvery colored item being pulled from under her swim wears top. It looked needlessly fancy and expensive, the bothersome item. She frowned at its sparkle, how it managed to look so good despite the lack of care it gained. It was slightly frustrating that it didn't seem to need the sort of care that non magical necklaces with precious metals and stones would. Then again, a non magical item would have rusted and fallen apart by now.

The Omaras fully removed the necklace, scowling at it a bit. At the same time, she could feel the confidence drain away a bit just by looking at it. The half demon changed into a man, the expression shifting to an emotionally wounded frown. With the ice dragon key necklace off, the dim blue glow started from his body. Besides a glow, it caused different blues to pattern in a glow across the mixed bloods wings and tail. his wasn't something new for him. The young looking man thought of commenting on the item, but didn't really have the courage to until it was tucked away in his large white bag. "...I..." A softer tone than before had escaped those lips. It was like emotions and thoughts had grasped upon their pale ice blue throat. Those people especially wouldn't have wanted to see a bastardized version of what that family had viewed as the ideal type of ice dragon. "Would you like to know about where I came from? It's a long story, but I don't know how else to explain... that. Of course, you don't need to listen. I know it probably seems strange..." How many people would react that way towards something so pretty?

"Sure, Haraka. You can tell me your story. I'm all ears." She said to her fellow mage. He seemed to be unsure of himself and worried that the story might bore Victoria. Victoria did not mind hanging around to hear his story. She had taken the day off from adventures, so she had plenty of time on her hands.

"Just tell me whenever you're ready. I'm in no hurry." Victoria assured Haraka that she was not going to leave if he did not start talking this instant. He seemed like a good guy with a few self-confidence issues. Badgering him into talking before he was ready would not help those issues.

If Victoria was ready for a long story, then it was something she would get. There was no short way to explain things. Omaras had hoped that explanation wouldn't have been needed, but if it wasn't then the man wouldn't have asked if the brunette minded in the first place. "Six thousand eight hundred and three years ago at February thirteenth, I was born in Thaczil di Xarzith, Land of Ice. It was named that for how endless the ice and snow at our land seemed. It was founded by ice dragons. Long before I was born, there was a spell created by four people that others called gods. This spell was to prevent the countries ice from melting. " It was an accidental show in his beliefs during the telling. A person would be less likely to refer to gods as a title that required faith to see its existence if the one in question actually believed such a thing existed in the first place. "DezLovaas was the god of stability and earth. His friend HahdrimAl was the god of fire and riddles. GliiwrWelun was the goddess of the moon and culture, her twin GulBekif was the goddess of the ocean and medicine. The reincarnation cycle the ancient spell created wasn't clean. The spell effected everyone to a degree, since we were all in the giant preservation and restoration spell. I already told you about what being a child of a god was, but this gives a lot less vague context. The lowest degree of effect from the spell was the ability to use magic, it was also the most common. Mages were common there for that reason.

One of the things that determined how much you were work in that culture was which god you were the 'child' of. Around half of the population found out at puberty, as that's when our seals are removed and mark revealed, our day of knowing. What god you were born the child of also decided the classes you could access. As a child of GulBekif, I am sure you can guess which sort of classes would have been available to me if I tell you nobility either killed, disowned, or gave those associated with that goddess born in their family away to the church. My adoptive mother was an outsider, meaning she had no connection to the countries spell. Due to this, it didn't matter how skilled or brilliant she was, or that even nobility would come seeking medical aid from her on their knees. It never mattered to them, she would always be the wild aggressive nothing with far more intelligence than should be allowed. When scholars wrote of her after her death... they decided to write of her in a way that would make her existence palatable. They took out her scars, her temper that stopped those people from walking all over her in life, her strength, and pride. Those were the sort of people most of the nobles in my home country was, and many outside of it. My grandmother... adopted me so that I would have a family crest, giving me a chance to maybe rise to middle class when I grew up. Maybe she thought my mother would keep traveling and take me, or maybe she thought her family wouldn't look my way due to my grandmother having lost claim when young.

My grandmother was from the royal family of that country. She caught a life threatening illness when she was young. While surviving, they saw the sickness wrecked form as inferior to her twins healthy form, thus she was disqualified from possible rule. Her job was to watch over and guard an area of the country, that's how she found me in the snow. Her twin, my aunt? She gave me that necklace, but I am also pretty positive she also looked for any possible reason to kill me. She also tried to give me to a temple, despite me not even being her child. That was how my mother ended up ripping a solid stone pew from the floor of a temple and throwing it at priests... swearing a lot, and throwing one at my aunt... My mother wasn't allowed in temple again after that. They never came to our family gatherings, and their invitations came with offers to fix me though removal of my demon blood. All I had to do was toss away what identity existed in me and become someone who wasn't myself. To do anything less meant... love from them was not killing me for existing. When I see the necklace or wear it, one made just for me... I am reminded that of all the things they had the ability to do to the key, they decided what it needed was to be able to hide my light, something created by my 'dirty' blood... My two sides balance each other out and I am grateful for that." But it didn't change that not everyone looked at half demon as a balancer or a positive in any light. "The only time I ever saw their home, it was through a curtain of blood and flames. I don't know how it looked..

but I think I would be very upset if it looked fanciful because... the more lavish it was it meant the less they used on medicines to treat deadly but preventable diseases that they knew were both deadly and preventable. My mother was a doctor, I saw just how hard it was for those without nobility to get treatment was. There were times she would curse the size of her clinics, as she was the only doctor in the nearby towns... and sometimes she needed far more room and beds than she had to offer them." If there was something he couldn't handle well, it was easily preventable deaths. It felt almost like people getting punished for simply not having a certain amount of money. Was it strange that he would have felt this way? Certainly, he was from a royal family. At the same time? He would have to be reminded of it, as there was only one member that actually treated him like family. That person? Clearly wasn't close to the other members, but was still strictly watched. But you know what? He took the bag off his shoulder, the white large item slumping on the wooden dock. Why was this hesitation? They couldn't hurt Haraka, not now. "Alright, I'm going to try." He shouldn't, but here they were. Here Omaras was not in dragon form yet. This was something that ended up changing though. After a deep breath was slowly sucked in, the mixed blood released the blood that called beneath the skin. It stood at 2.2 meters, from shoulders to toes. The body was far longer than this, the longest parts being the tail and wings.

While not the tallest of dragons, the half blood was certainly a beautiful sight. It was also not so large that being on the dock, even briefly. It was brief only because the sea dragon ended up slipping off the dock and into the water. After some straightening up, the half demon managed to get themselves straight at the top of the waters.

"Wow. I'm sorry, Haraka." Was all that Victoria could say about Haraka's lengthy and heavy story. She had a very faint idea what it was like to be hated for being something beyond her control. However, her experiences on the streets of Capital Crocus were nothing compared to Haraka's in his birthplace. His own mother being considered barely tolerable only because she had a skill the nobility needed and his grandmother losing her right to rule because of a deformity... that kind of discrimination dwarfed anything Victoria had ever experienced. She had to choose her next words very carefully.

She was about to experience when Haraka declared his intent to try and turn into his dragon form. She watched as he successfully transformed into a long and beautiful dragon form. Victoria had never seen a dragon outside of children's storybooks. Even after all the time she had spent as a mage, she was still seeing new things and having new experiences. That could be considered a fringe benefit of being a mage... beside the Jewels, which were a main benefit.

"Do you... do you think you're ready to go back to your former home?" Victoria asked Haraka. She would understand if he was not yet ready to return. After everything that he had told her about one's station in life being determined by the god one was "the child" of and the discrimination his mother had faced, she was concerned that he might not be ready. Confronting such strong negative memories of a place would be hard on anyone.

I'm sorry hadn't really been what the person was expecting. That wasn't something he really enjoyed, but at least that was all the detail Victoria went into on that. It was likely better that the mixed blood didn't know what she was thinking, the misunderstandings she had at what he had spoken would be slightly upsetting. Still, the sorry was enough to get the sea dragon to speak a bit more. maybe he just over complicated things, but the thought of anyone perhaps feeling bad for him, or for that past situation... No, calm down. Don't say anything needlessly, don't jump the gun. Maybe instead of explaining things he just needed to share some of the reasons that it wasn't a bad life. "...In my mothers clinic, I met all sorts of people. I was a quiet kid, so they would talk about stories, or their work, or family. It was how I met a man I ended up calling grandfather... He had a metal arm and a metal leg, both he animated using lightening magic. He was a miner and would tell me about the countries history and myths, things my mom wouldn't know. My grandmother let me nap on her and used to speak about being ready to teach me about flight once I reached puberty, that's when my wings would grow in... My mom... I don't think she was made for a country like that where they liked to keep different ranks separate, she complicated everything to the royal family... but.. she was so amazing to watch.

She taught me everything she could about health, the body, and other stuff. My father figure... wasn't made for hierarchy stuff either, even if he was born in that country. He taught me about hunting and tracking as a way for us to bond. As a bonus, sometimes he would grab wild honey. There's nothing to say sorry for.. because my life at that point was wonderful despite other things." Those 'other things' being family members that left him with deep emotional wounds but... saying that out loud would make everything just said into a moot point. Also, Haraka wasn't sure he could remain in this form if the mind wondered on them more than needed. The last question Victoria asked? It left Omaras back out of the sea dragon form, briefly floating still in the water. The half demon moved himself back to an upright position in the water. "Sorry.. uh, wasn't really..." Deep breath, focus. "My country sunk to the bottom of the ocean thousands of years ago. You will only find it in history books and under the ocean."

"I'm glad that your childhood wasn't all bad news, Haraka. If I may say so, You seem like a pretty good guy because of your family's influence. You didn't let what happened change who you are." Victoria tried to keep the ball rolling in the right direction. Haraka's home sounded rough, but everyone he had described helped him through the worst of his home's discriminatory ways. Despite being brought up in such a close-minded culture, Haraka was an open-minded guy who was courteous and friendly.

Victoria recalled how Capital Crocus society was similarly hidebound and married to tradition as long as said tradition benefited those on top of the social pyramid. The rich got richer. The poor existed to be disparaged and occasionally hunted for sport by bored upper-class youths looking for a cheap thrill. She was glad to be out of that dump.

She also recalled meeting Lawrence Sheridan shortly after he saved her from being just another victim of slavers taken from a neighborhood the rich people would rather burn down or wall off than help bring out of the hellhole it had become. He had saved her in violent fashion and took her out of Capital Crocus and far beyond the reach of slavers. The Sheridans settled in some hole-in-the-wall place where she entered public school and had to scramble to make up for lost time. There he introduced her to Frank the bar owner and helped get her a job as a bartender who worked under the watchful eye of Frank and Gerald the bouncer.

It was a fact that an upbringing had a lot of influence on an individual. Both of them had turned out OK in their own ways. Haraka was a pleasant guy with self-confidence issues. Victoria was a girl who liked fighting, Jewels, and alcohol. There was much room for speculation as to how both of them would have turned out different had their lives been different, but Victoria was not one to dwell on the past too much. She lived in the here and now.

"So it's under the ocean, huh? Can you reach it in your dragon form or do you need help?" Victoria asked Haraka.

Didn't let it change who he was? No... The young looking old man shook his head a bit. It was quite that simple. Then again, what was when it came to the history of his life? Every one of his skills had a root that originated at a much earlier date. Maybe his likes and dislikes? At the least, the sweet outer shell was simple enough. "Despite thee pain most of my dragon family caused, I never knew what real fear or pain was until I was eight and a half. The people who loved me made it very easy to endure certain things because they were so amazing. So, so..." Of course that wasn't the only thing. Was it okay to say? Well, what Omaras was thinking of saying now wasn't exactly a secret. All it took was looking in the right books to find it out, but that didn't make it any less personal to him. What pieces that had been missing, the effects it had on him, the deep fears that it leaves. No, he would share everything but the last one. At least the first two things could be found in books. Those fears? He didn't want to think about it himself, so why would it be shared? Stuff, stuff it deep far beneath the layers of snow and ice, plunge deep beneath a sea. "I was born with a large amount of my soul missing. Fear, love, curiosity, and pride were the only deep emotions I had full access too because of this. I couldn't feel any anger or blood thirst and had a limited amount of access to emotions like willpower, confidence, pleasure, joy, and likely many others that I can't name.

The missing pieces also caused me to be missing certain instincts, it was also harder to connect my learned knowledge with quick thinking actions. With that connection injured, what instincts and emotions I did have reacted first. When I was nine years old, I broke off the piece of my soul that held most of my ability to express things. It may sound brash, but in doing it I was able to trick a very dangerous group and save a lot of lives. I didn't have power or the ability to use magic, but they did. For most of my life I was walking around as almost half of an identity. The full and complete person exists before you only because my guild gave me the strength to grow and push forward." How did it feel to have so little of an identity? It wasn't something he had to think about anymore. The half demon was an entirely complete person now and that complete personality was still developing. It was easier to see the full picture of everything and understand how to properly react in different situations. It was almost amazing how easily he could move it fighting without needing to try to figure out how to put training, knowledge, and experience together with what was currently happening in a combative situation. But it didn't come without downsides. Sure, fighting and properly reacting to emergency situations were much easier now, amazingly so. That was wonderful. These new emotions and the new extremes of old emotions seemed to attach themselves to old memories. It made them harder to tuck away, harder to accept without properly handling them.

But it was still worth it. She thought he should go there? A frown formed. Did he need to go? That would feel. . . "The ice that made my country was weakened to breaking, but most of it has not melted. The ice is magical and was unique to the country, we called it preservation ice. One of its effects is creating an air bubble at it's top side over it large enough for full sized ice dragons to not suffer flooding risks when it was once above water. This means anyone who can breathe under water could get there fine if they knew where to look..." Did she...? Maybe, it felt suggested. Did he need to go there? The thought of entering that area didn't feel all that nice. There was a fear deep inside that the palace would look like the most luxurious place he had ever set eyes on. They never wanted him to even enter that place, not in a 'dirty' state. More important than his health and well being to them had been hoe clean and pure of an ice dragon Omaras could be. Even remembering certain words spoken hurt. But... "Are you suggesting I should go? I'm not sure I could handle myself if I did."