He pouted, releasing her with a soft sigh. “Aww. But you’re beautiful.” He murmured, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked over her. “How about I buy you something? My treat?” His expression changed quickly. “Come on, join me for a drink or two.”
She stepped back, pushing her strangely colored hair out of her face with the hand that had been released. "While that offer is extremely tempting," She said, her lips twitching almost imperceptibly as she pulled her other hand out of her pocket, dangling the keychain in the air. "I've got a promise to keep." The movement of the keys drew attention to her hands, and the many scars marking them, that didn't really look like something that would belong on someone…normal. Odd scars, and too many of them, not even counting the burn scars visible along her forearm. "Many apologies. If you're looking for something to do though, I guess I wouldn't mind the company. Up to you." She turned around, shrugging a shoulder and taking a step in the direction she had been going.
He eyed the scars with narrowed eyes before his eyes flickered to her face. “Alright. I’m free,” he replied, winking. He hummed happily, folding his arms as he glanced around. “After would you be willing for s drink?”
Tali offered his arm for her to take, grinning happily. “Let me walk you, where are we heading?”
"We'll have to see what state my brother is when he shows up." Osora said simply, eyeing his arm for a moment before hooking her own through his. More scars. It seemed they were everywhere, more concentrated on her arms. Though the burn scars were still the ones that stood out. All the others could mostly be passed off as accidental, but these ones…the worst of them almost seemed to be shaped like handprints, like the flames had spread from that origin point. "Kitara General. My family's convenience store, just up the road a bit, on the corner."
He stopped her, carefully holding her wrist. “Hey, May I ask what happened here? Does it still hurt?” He asked softly. “You aren’t harming yourself are you?” He asked gently, knowing all too well how bad the thoughts could get… but he couldn’t think that way. He couldn’t afford to die. He was a skin stealer… he had no idea what would happen to his body. Would it morph back? Would it crumble? Would it distort? The idea scared him.
She blinked, frowning slightly in confusion, more emotion than she had shown yet. And then she followed his gaze, the confusion clearing. "Oh, that. The burn scars weren't from me, no." An oddly specific answer, that somehow managed to be vague at the same time. The smells of smoke and burnt flesh, mingling and crowding her senses, invading her lungs. Not enough to block out the pain though, horrible, horrible pain, but if she moved, they would die- "Just an accident."
He traced along a scar on her hand. “I understand the burns… I’m talking about these. You aren’t hurting yourself are you?” He repeated, his eyes narrowing at her. Tali wasn’t all bad. He was somewhat ok. He just used his skin stealing to… well, steal.
She tilted her head, the confusion returning, but this time confusion at why he was so worried. She looked like she was contemplating something for a moment, before gesturing forward. "It's not as simple as that. No, I'm not self harming. Yes, it hurts. I'll explain, if you let me, but only…out of earshot." She said, glancing around them before focusing back on him.
He nodded gently and slowly released her. “Alright. As long as you tell me. I don’t look it but I struggled with a few things too.” He murmured, biting his lip. “Lead me to your families store, there is out of earshot, right?”
"That was what I had in mind." She said, nodding in affirmation. For a moment, her eerie red eyes lingered on him, before she was walking again, at a slow enough pace for him to catch up easy. "I doubt it'll be anything close to what you've dealt with, this specifically, but know I've got an ear to lend myself."
He nodded softly, sighing. “That is understandable. I’m not you.” He shrugged and laughed nervously. He followed after her and shoved his hands into his pockets, eyes lowering to the ground. He was in a bit of a more sober mood, less playful and more serious.
Maybe two minutes later, Osora pulled her keys back out as she stopped in front of a three story building, a convenience store who’s name was written in kanji on a sign above the door nestled underneath the top two floors. She unlocked the door, slipping into the dark store and holding the door for him before heading for the counter. “Hold on one second.” She said, leaning over the counter to punch something into a keypad. “There. So. Explanation.”
Osora turned around, hopping easily up onto the counter. She reached into her pocket again, this time withdrawing a small knife, the blade glinting in the lights that had come on. “I hope you aren’t squeamish.” And that was all the warning she gave before slicing a small line down the arm without the burn scars.
He leaned against the counter nearby, watching her carefully with soft eyes. The male was suddenly more interested in ehat she had to say.
He opened his mouth to complain when the knife came out but was only allowed a moment to gasp before she was cutting herself. He covered his mouth, glaring up st her. “What in the hell are you doing!?” He cried out, glaring at her. “This isn’t ok!!”
Osora ignored him, focused entirely on the bleeding cut as she set the knife down. Oddly enough, the pain didn’t even seem to phase her. Like she was used to it. Too used to it. She flicked her hand over her arm, and for a split second it seemed nothing would happen. And then her radius began to pull itself out of her arm. She pinched the bone, pulling it out quickly and pausing, feeling the bone already beginning to regenerate within her arm. The cut was clotting already. Osora held up her own bone, still as calm and emotionless as ever, as the bone began to change shape, taking on that of a blade, then returning to its original form.
He shuddered as she began to peel the bone from her skin. He squeezed his eyes shut for a split second before he was watching again. “Wha- You’re not human either!?” He exclaimed, suddenly realizing his slip up and flushing a bright red. “The hell did you just do?!” He added soon after, his eyes staring at the clotting cut. It was unnerving, inhuman, utterly terrifying.
Then again, he stole the faces of others…
“Get the truth out of you, apparently.” Osora said simply, letting go of of the bone. It stayed suspended, moving when her hand did as she waved it behind the counter. So I was right. It had been somewhat of a gamble, but apparently worth it. It was one of the better reactions she had gotten, too… “Bone manipulation. My own, so don’t worry. But to use them, I have to get them out first.” Or, in one case, she had had to remove them while her skin was sealed, to escape chains and bindings.
He flushed and awkwardly shifted. “I’ll tell you about me later.” He promised quietly, shrugging. “It just kinda popped out.” He sheepishly smiled and watched the home with interesting. “That is a very morbid power you have there. It’s interesting.”
“Morbid is one thing to call it.” She agreed, nodding. She’d have to figure out something to do with the bone later. Maybe make another knife, just in case. “But I told you it wasn’t as simple as self harm. More a necessity.” The change in his demeanor was interesting, but it was easier to deal with than the worry he had been expressing. She never knew how to react to worry.
He leaned back and narrowed his eyes as he watched her, thinking over his choices. "Alright, that makes sense. I'll let it slide this time. But don't do it as a demonstration again, I don't like the fact that you hurt yourself for no reason other than to show me." He stood straight and sighed deeply. "Well, might as well show you mine." He replied, groaning softly and stretching his arms out. "Hold still, I need to be able to see you well." He murmured, letting his eyes wander over her form, studying each feature carefully. He knew it would make her uncomfortable but it was important for him to really know her form. If not he might screw something up.
After a moment, he sighed and closed his eyes, letting the sound of changing bones once again fill his ears. He hated it. It didn't hurt exactly but it made his skin itch and his insides burn. When he opened his eyes, he was nearly an exact copy of Osora. He laughed softly, stretching out his - well, her - limbs. "I'm a skin stealer… Those that found me first and raised me thought I was a deity." He winked, snickering softly. His voice had suddenly went from his own, expression-filled chatter to her monotonous drawl.
((I love that they're like polar opposites when it comes to emotion and expressing it))
That drew a reaction from Osora. A mix of surprise and awe, mostly the latter, had her eyes wide as she slid off the counter, circling him slowly to take in the fact that she was basically looking at herself without a mirror. "The burns are a bit off, and you're missing the ones on my shoulder, not to mention your posture is horrible, but-holy fuck." Another handprint, on the back of her right shoulderblade. "Does it hurt, to take on another person's form?" She blinked, looking up at him once she had stopped in front him, her eyes narrowing a bit like she was worried. "Can you feel any injuries I have? Or things like long-term trauma? Physical, not mental."
She wasn't scared, that much was obvious. She didn't get scared, not in front of others, so that might have something to do with that. But the main reason was she couldn't be scared of someone else's abilities. Not when her own were so unusual and dark. Instead, she was more curious.
(Honestly same! It’s really fun to write and see how they react!)
He hummed softly, listening to her critique with a soft laugh. “Well, the only way I would get it perfect the first time was if I spent long hours with you undressed in front of me. And that, I can tell, won’t be happening anytime soon.” He replied simply, looking down at the scars and humming softly as he traced a few.
“Well, it doesn’t hurt, hurt. It feels hot… kind of like some is pouring hot oil onto my skin or into my body. It only hurts when I’m low on energy or strained in some way. And as for feeling other traumas, no. I can’t feel anything unless I purposely change my body to accommodate a disability that might be strenuous to the body I currently inhabit.” He took a deep breath and allowed himself to return to his ‘normal’ form. His skin and bones twisted awkwardly but didn’t seem broken.
“You’re right, it won’t.” Osora said, falling quiet again as she listened to Tali describe the process. She watched intently as he changed back, her own features receding from his skin to be replaced by his. “So you can’t feel them.” She said, almost looking for confirmation. Her burns. The skin that had scarred and grown back had nerve damage, like there was a patch over her arm and shoulder that just…wasn’t there. She couldn’t feel much, only in the areas where the fire had originated. The handprints. “That’s…I’ve never seen anything quite like that.” She finished, the awe and shock fading from her face, as it returned to it’s usual expressionless, well, expression.
He nodded softly, smiling happily at her. “I can’t feel it no. It’s strange.” He murmured, stretching out his fingers. They felt stiff after the transformation. “You have small hands. Just going to note.” He replied, laughing softly. “I’ve never seen anything like you either. It’s so cool.”
"I have small hands because I am small." She stated, as though that should be obvious. Though, her expression flickered just slightly when he called her abilities cool, almost like surprise. "Well, I would hope there was no one else who could do the same things I could." She said, turning away to walk back to the counter, returning to her place on it next to the knife. "It takes a lot out of someone, in more ways than one."
He moved over and grabbed the knife, moving it away from her just in case. He didn’t want her hurting herself anymore than she already had. “I wouldn’t know but I’m sorry to hear that.” He murmured, eyes fixated on her face. He wished she would show some emotion.
“Hey, smile for me.”