The entire situation made Cole laugh. It was a bright and bubbly sound that wasn’t often heard but it suited his frame and his soft eyes.
“Yeah. Like a liger but with different species.” He hummed softly, settling down into the couch. He was happy to see that Lucky was getting comfortable, it meant he wasn’t too bad of a host.
“Lactose intolerance might be a good way to think of it. Except my body can’t really process the entirety of my fire gland. Which is rough at times. At least I got lucky and have the fire resistant throat and mouth. Else I think I’d be dead by now.” He mused, sticking out his tongue with a playful air. “But yeah, it is interesting to learn about others. In a strange way it’s almost enchanting. And you don’t have to worry about saying unneeded information around me. I don’t mind it. Say whatever you’d like.”
The halfbreed brought his own arms close to his chest, rubbing at his throat softly as he thought over Lucky’s mention of another dragon friend.
“Don’t worry about it. Maybe don’t mention me to this friend of yours, but it’s nice to know you can at least make friends with my kind. What’s this friend like? Where are they from?” He asked curiously, something sparkling behind his eyes. “Is there any chance they’d lend some sort of knowledge to me?”
Cole's laugh coaxed a smile onto Lucky's lips. The vibrancy in the sound was warm and comforting, loud enough to be present but soft enough to be soothing. It erased any doubt remaining in his head.
"You can breathe fire?" Lucky asked, clearly awe-struck. He leaned forward on the sofa, clutching his knees with whitened knuckles, his smile turning giddy. "That's super cool. Holy shit. Wait… It doesn't hurt, does it? To breathe fire?" he asked, a sudden flash of concern flickering across his face.
"My friend can't breathe fire, but that's probably 'cause she's a Chinese dragon. She does more like, water stuff," he explained, his hands gesturing about the space before him as he spoke. "I won't tell her about you if you don't want me to, but she's pretty chill. At least, she's chill enough to have a human friend. I dunno what kinda knowledge she has to lend, really, but if she has anything, I'm sure she'd be willing to share." Lucky tilted his head to the side, as though further investigating Cole while also speaking to him. "I didn't even know dragons weren't supposed like humans or half-breeds until you told me. It just seems so… silly."
"So, do you have any friends? Other than me, of course," he said, beaming at Cole playfully. One of the major communicative drawbacks of only having one eye was that you couldn't wink, and it was times like this where Lucky really, really missed the ability to do that. "I wanna see what kinda expectations I need to meet to be a quality friend, y'know?"
Cole nodded, grinning and letting a stray trail of smoke curl up and around his teeth for show. “I can indeed. It only hurts when I don’t breath fire for a long time and when I use it too much. But that’s normal for my race of dragon.” He hummed in thought, thinking over his risks and such.
“Chinese are much more open with humans. It’s different with each region. The dragons here in my region where I was born dislike humans enough to not care if they are killed or not. I don’t know much about other races or regions of dragons because I’m barred from knowledge of the other races - most likely to keep me away from leaving my region and finding a place I’m accepted - but I do know that Chinese are really chill and they usually don’t mind much. She sounds like she wouldn’t mind. Just be careful around it, if you would please.”
Cole chewed on his tongue for a moment, studying his bright-expressioned company. He smiled in return and shrugged slightly, a low rumble leaving his chest. With the information that Cole was a half breed, the rumble made sense in the way it sounded like the happy rumble of some sort of non-human being.
“I don’t really have any other friends. Nancy is more of a mother-figure though I guess we’re friends in a sort of way. And then there’s-“ he cut himself off suddenly and huffed audibly. A look of annoyance and something like veiled amusement crossed his face. “There’s Atlas. I’m begrudgingly his friend though. He’s the only human who works in the cafe and he’s very adamant about knowing everything about me. Good guy but he’s infuriating.” He laughed. Atlas wasn’t so bad even if he worked up Cole past the point of murder.
“Other than that, there’s no expectations. I’m not sure of what a friends supposed to be.”
"The only human?" Lucky echoed, his eyebrows inclining upwards and his lips puckering, as though this revelation was particularly shocking to him. It wasn't, but the expression he bore certainly lent itself to that belief. "So, nobody else at the cafe is human?" He blinked slowly at Cole, a semi-incredulous smile occupying his face. "So, is the cafe a sorta hotspot for non-humans, or are non-humans just more common than I thought they were?"
Lucky swept a strand of hair out of his face, gently running his fingers over the hair as he thought. "I'm surprised you don't have more friends. You seem like a very friendly person. Y'know? Just, like, the kinda guy people would gravitate towards." Lucky tapped the joints of his fingers against each other, the movement faintly resembling an unenthusiastic clap.
Frankly, Lucky couldn't help but get a certain impression of Atlas as Cole described him: That of a clingy boy who means well but often fails to recognize social norms. Lucky remained quiet about this, though, knowing better than to offer outward opinions about other's friends (or, in Cole's case, begrudged friends). Instead, Lucky responded with a soft hum, which was followed up by, "Atlas sounds like he'd be fun." He said this genuinely, an easy smile sitting contentedly on his lips as he leaned back on the sofa.
Cole’s fingers moved nervously to the collar of his shirt, it seemed as if he were going to button it back up but some thought had stopped him from doing so. A habit of his was to always check they were hidden. He wasn’t used to showing them freely though the air felt nice on them.
Ah wait.
He needed to make sure his kind didn’t wander too far off. “Well, many of the customers are. Us workers are not. We’re kinda the creatures that aren’t technically ‘registered’ or wanted in our species or governments or whatever group or clan we come from. Outcasts in a way. Atlas is special ‘cause Nancy thinks he’s good for business and human customers or what not. The cafe is a hotspot for non-humans at night though. After 8 we close it to normal customers and it becomes a safe place for beings like us. I don’t usually work those shifts for a few reasons…” his voice trailed off into a nervous grin. He adverted his eyes with a sheepish nature and shrugged gently.
“Regardless of my personality I’m sorta an abomination. Some don’t mind it but there’s a lot of other beings who realize quite quickly I’m pretty much a disability and something rather… gross? I’m not sure. Dragons aren’t supposed to be compatible with humans. It’s sorta the same strangeness or wrongness of the kid of like distant cousins you know? Like it’s on thin ice.” Cole didn’t know how to describe it to someone who hadn’t experienced it. The strange looks and disgust and overall hatred towards him was because he was regarded in the same way a deformed child to nobles back in the 1800’s would have been. That didn’t feel quite right either…
“It’s a cultural thing I think. The ones who don’t mind are usually the ones who come from places where mixes of human and magics aren’t too uncommon. They still think I’m weird or strange but they’re not rude or anything about it. But humans who know about me are ecstatic to meet me. It’s a little funny at times. Atlas isn’t an exception to that. He loves learning about the dragon world and about me and all sorts of stuff that regard my existence. He’s more of a curious puppy than anything weird or creepy. So yeah, I guess he’s kinda fun. You might like him. He’s too full of energy for me.”
As Lucky noticed Cole's fingers dancing around his collar, he slowly turned his gaze downwards, scared of finding himself staring at the scales decorating the other's chest. He forced himself to stare at his thumb's nails, which were resting atop his clasped hands. It seemed impolite to stare, but it also seemed impolite to intentionally avert his gaze. Unsure as to what the custom was for dragons, Lucky felt relief at the ability to distract from his uncertainty by speaking.
"So, is Atlas a bit of a PR stunt? Or, not a PR stunt, but a marketing strategy?" The rhetorical question was accompanied by a coy smile, which was barely detectable with his head still inclined downward. "That seems almost sad. But kinda funny. Well, actually," he paused, bringing his attention up; far too up, in fact, as he looked above Cole's head. "That's kinda like most hirees. After all, you wouldn't hire someone if they weren't good for marketing, or whatever," he muttered, taking a moment to mull over his tangent, before donning a dissatisfied expression and pressing his knuckles against his forehead. "Whatever. I don't know what the hell I'm saying."
Lucky stared at the wall behind Cole, seemingly infatuated with the edges of the corner, his eye tracing the angle. He imagined the color painted on the wall, rolling it around in his brain like someone might test a word on their tongue.
"I admit, I'm guilty as charged," Lucky said, raising his right hand slowly. "I think the whole half-dragon half-human thing is cool as hell. The only people who'd be able to be unimpressed are, like, actual dragons… or, like, non-humans in general, I guess? But, c'mon, what human wouldn't be fascinated by it? Humans are boring. We've got nothing going for us, so why wouldn't we find a bit of excitement in fire-breathing creatures from myths? I can't blame Atlas."
A low, rumbling sort of a snort left the half breed's throat. It tumbled into laughter, the sound smooth and light in the quiet of the room. He pulled at a loose scale as he thought about the irony of having Atlas and a marketing strategy. The male was built large, with wide shoulders and muscular arms that were nearly completely covered in tattoos. He always had dyed hair that was some sort of vibrant warm color like orange or yellow or red and it was cut so that it was short on the sides and long on the top. His face and ears were full of piercings, most of which he took out for the sake of looking somewhat professional and Cole had to admit the guy looked intimidating as all hell. It was all too funny to find that the kid was a gentle sort of giant with a bad teenage history with the law that wasn't all his fault.
Cole gave a thoughtful rumble after his laughter had died down, giving Lucky an amused grin that showed off a row of sharper-than-normal teeth. "I get where you're going. In a way he is a marketing strategy. He's mostly there because Nancy found him after he had been introduced to magic rather violently. An issue with a drug-addicted elemental he was selling drugs to. He's quit doing that now. He lives in the apartment down the hall. Almost all of us here on this floor aren't quite fully human and have some connection to Nancy. We're the… outlaws of the mythical and magical world. A lot of governments require all of us non-human's to be registered as magical but us here aren't in any systems really. I only exist to the dragon community legal wise. Which is why I work in a cafe instead of using my firebreath or other magical abilities in some field of actual work. I don't have papers, I don't exist to the humans. No social security, visa, international papers, nothing. Not to mention if I walked into any normal magical business to work at I'd probably either be killed on the spot or tied up and returned to my kind to be executed." It was a rough situation, but he was lucky enough to find Nancy.
"Mm, I can't blame him either. It must be strange to a human to come across something unnatural or magical. Lots of us are written off as cryptids or deities or 'sightings' but I could imagine they'd be interested in beings like me. But as much as they might wonder at me, I can't admit I'm too sold on the idea of just living with humans. No offense to them or you or any other more human thing. I'm determined to prove I'm like any other dragon. I have to prove to them I'm not an abomination or wrong. My existence needs to be something other than a freakish mistake of nature."
A contemplative hum climbed up Lucky's throat, the palms of his hands hugging his knees. "That sounds really rough. I mean, all of it. Like, a drug-addicted elemental sounds terrifying… And your situation sounds like it… well, it sounds like it kinda sucks ass," he said, a light smile playing at his lips. "I mean, no offense. Just sounds really, really scary. Like, how the hell do you live with that kinda weight, and not go insane?"
Lucky pressed himself against the back of the sofa, his hand twirling thoughtfully in the air. "Oh, yeah. I remember when one of my friends first moved here, she had the shittiest time trying to get all that magical registration. It was like they were intentionally making it harder than it had to be." He rolled his eyes at the image his words conjured in his head, the sigh that escaped from his lips laced with exasperation.
"Oh, I'd say certain people are more than 'interested' in magical beings," Lucky muttered, twirling an erumpent strand of hair around his finger. "Some are obsessed. Have you ever met a conspiracist? They're fucking crazy." He pouted his lower lip out, a pause settling over his words, before continuing with, "I mean, they're not always wrong, but they're still crazy." He chuckled softly, the sound more heavily resembling an airy breath than an actual laugh. "I get it, though," he began, tendrils of sobriety slipping into his tone. "It feels good to be accepted by the kinds of people you look up to. But, I don't think you're a freak at all. Just because your parents are different species… well, that doesn't mean jack shit. My mom had magic powers, but my dad doesn't! Hell, I can't even be sure my mom was even human, but I'm not a freak… at least, I don't think I am."
Cole had started to anxiously pick at a loose scale on his throat. He didn't exactly comment on the words about his situation, but nodded along gently and offered a small: "None of it's really ideal…" instead of something profound or different or more interesting or whatnot. "I've only managed to keep my sanity because of Shihiro, my sort of 'fixed companion'." He added quietly, a small smile tugging at the edges of his lips when the said companion seemed to raise his hypothetical head in disbelief and huffed indignantly at Cole.
He was thankful for the topic change and took it up rather quickly, more to keep the focus away from Shihiro and any probing questions about the whole ordeal. It was hard to explain that he had another soul hosted in his body and that it could actively talk to him and worked as a sort of 'mentor' figure for his entire life. It was how his region of higher dragon kind was able to move away from the broods of normal 'civilian' dragons and live for so long in solitude.
"They do make it harder. I'm fully convinced they do." He huffed, narrowing his eyes at the opposite wall. "It's run by humans with the 'guidance' of magical beings. I think they do it just to feel like they have some semblance of power over us beings who could easily get rid of them." Cole glanced back at Lucky, his features softening for a moment.
"Conspiracists are pretty crazy, I've met a few in my short lifetime and they are… special." Something like a giggle left him. He quickly covered it up and moved along with the sobering tone. He appreciated the mix of tone, preferring it to being completely serious the entire time. He finally managed to get the scale he had been picking at free, holding it between his fingers and sighing deeply as he felt along the space it had occupied. There was a little bit of blood but not enough to be worried about it. Cole could smell the tang in the air from it.
"I don't think you're a freak either. I think you're really interesting." He replied coolly, looking over at Lucky with a firm expression. He offered the other the scale just in case he wanted to look at it, and sighed deeply. "It's less of that my parents were different species and more of the idea that I'm kinda… not right? I'm not sure how to describe it… I know I'm the problem here, and I'd rather not be. So I'm trying to prove that I'm not an issue at all, just another subspecies or mix like a half demon or half fae and that stuff."
As Cole spoke, mentioning something about Shihiro and a "fixed companion", Lucky couldn't help but speculate inwardly as to what the hell that was supposed to mean. Was it dragon-talk for a familiar? Or a significant other? He was about to inquire further about the term when the conversation carried on to the topic of registration, and he was prompted with the feeling that it'd most likely be best if he didn't ask. Besides, he reasoned, it's probably something boring anyways. Totally.
"Ah, the… humanarchy. Honestly, I find it fascinating that humans are somehow the most influential species. Like, we're only one step above literal animals in terms of how advanced we are… Most humans are weak enough to get pummeled by a giant and stupid enough to get tricked by a fae. How the hell are we at the top? We need a species-war to knock us down a few pegs, I think," he said confidently, crossing his legs in self-satisfaction. After a moment of staring pleasantly at Cole, his contentment turned to amusement as he, waving his hands in front of himself, said, "I'm joking, of course. War blows."
Lucky watched with a mixture of morbid curiosity and dismay as Cole plucked one of his scales from his chest, eye fixed on the bead of blood which sat in its place. "That—That doesn't hurt?" he asked, wincing. He'd honestly imagined the scales to be something akin to a fingernail; Flamingo was always complaining about her scales, how much it hurt when they got caught on something or were tugged off. Although, Lucky had to admit she'd always been quite the melodramatic.
"Huh," Lucky mumbled, slowly taking the scale as it was offered to him. He examined both sides interestedly, watching with childlike wonder as it caught the light at different angles. "Right." For a moment, he stopped moving completely, as though lost in the amber glisten of the scale he held. In truth, he was thinking, rifling through his brain for a response to the words which have been set out before him. Condolences danced on his tongue, but he failed to speak any of the sorries he'd imagined. Words of advice sat in the base of his throat, but the more he considered them, the more basic and unthoughtful they seemed. At last, as he slowly extended his arm to offer the scale back to Cole, all he could manage was a strained, "I'm… uh, sorry."
Cole looked a little surprised at the other male’s casual mentioning of war. From what Cole himself had gathered, war was unpleasant and rather violent. Though he himself had seen many horrors and had fought many battles, he didn’t ever want to get caught up in war and found the idea a little morbid overall. But he still chuckled when Lucky revealed it as a joke, his eyes sparkling in amusement at the idea of humans learning they were not quite the top of the food chain in this world. Not anymore at least.
“I admit you caught me off-guard with that one, but yeah… humans do need a little bit of a reminder they’re aren’t as strong as they think they are. Funny beings they are.” It was always ‘they’ with him, as if Cole tried to purposefully reject his human heritage for whatever twisted reason stuck in his head. Shihiro was actively trying to fix that thought process. The humans weren’t all that bad and Cole deserved better than his kind had treated him. Shihiro thought Cole was much better off here in the city.
His thoughts were interrupted by Lucky. He stared down at the scale for a moment, his eyes wide. “Oh! Yeah, it does. It’s the same concept as a fingernail, and hurts like hell when it comes off, but I’ve got a high pain tolerance. Been through worse too, better to get rid of them or they itch badly. For me at least. Don’t know what it’s like for other dragons.” He explained, unbothered by the other’s fascination with the pretty, nearly iridescent scale. He had many of the loose buggers and honestly the wonder he felt towards them was nonexistent. He despised them, found their sheen unbearable even. Though there was a small proud emotion rising in his chest at the wonder the other gave his scale. He couldn’t help that, it was a dragon quality for his specific species of dragon. Pride ran deep in his western, fire-breathing blood.
“No need to be. It’s the lot I was given. Can’t do much about it now.” He stared at the scale for a bit before pushing it back into Lucky’s hand. “Keep that, to remind you that you talked to Cole Sparks.” He mused, winking at the other. “Remember his awkwardness and awful self-pity,”
