How to Console Your Dragon? (Jack)

Jack normally was never one to break the rules like this, especially ever since he came to U.A. However, due to all the drama happening around him at once, he needed a chance to get out more. He started to take weekends more to himself, doing whatever he pleased, so long as it was within reason. Whether this was 'within reason', though, was highly debatable.

He hopped around from building to building in his tiny dragon form, so that he wouldn't be as noticed as he went about. He wanted to feel free for a bit, and being in either dragon form helped with that greatly. As he hopped between buildings, he would spread his wings to their fullest, letting the wind guide him to his next stop. It was a feeling that many people took for granted, the feeling of life all around them, the feeling of being able to go wherever the pleased, however they could...

The feeling of freedom.

Soon enough, Jack would come across a much larger gap between buildings. The small dragon would smirk to himself as he would prep himself up. He went into a crouch, little white and yellow sparks surging around his body. He felt the energy flowing through him, the surge of adrenaline filling his body like water. It felt natural...like this was just something that he was born to do. Fly free and help people...as the King of the Dragons, Sirius. The feeling was intoxicating, almost. Taking the feeling into full force, he started running for the edge, and then...

He jumped!

Time practically slowed down for the small dragon boy as he embraced the feeling of flight. The wind blew through his soft, fluffy mane of fur on his head, the feeling of plasma coating his body, bouncing off his scales...there was no better feeling-

"IS THAT A MOTHER FLIPPING DRAGON!??!"

The voice was loud, and came practically out of nowhere. It startled Jack so much that he froze in place, and began to fall. He flailed about, squeaking in surprise and fear as he did so. Assuming that the person behind the voice didn't catch him, Jack would only barely come to his senses mere feet from the ground. He managed to land on his paws at the last second, though he stumbled a lot, before falling forward. He huffed in annoyance, not exactly pleased to have been startled out of the blue.

He would get up slowly, shaking himself off as he would then turn around to face the exclaimer. He looked him up and down, backing up a little bit, looking distrustful at the person before him. He was rather tall, with funky looking sunglasses and rather...beachy-looking clothes, despite them being all black. He said nothing, only observed how the man would react to the seemingly mythical creature that stood before him.

Even though he was only really the size of a husky.

Jack eyed the stranger warily as he eyed the small dragon before him. The man seemed rather confused at what he was looking at, which made sense. It wasn't exactly every day that a dragon the size of a dog fell down in front of you, after all. Even so, the stand-off between the two made the dragon a bit anxious. What was he planning on doing? He looked a bit like a vigilante, with his odd getup. That alone made Jack very wary, his body already tensing up, reading for a fight or flight response.

The man then tried speaking calmly to Jack, trying to get him to remain calm. Jack cocked his head a little to the side, wondering what the man's game was. Was he going to try and take Jack in? It admittedly made Jack half tempted to mess with the guy a little, just as a harmless prank that would hopefully get them both to laugh about it after the fact.

That thought was quickly dashed, however, as the man then suddenly summoned a rather massive creature. It seemed to be a giant...isopod? That was the closest thing that Jack could really compare it to as he suddenly backed up even more, his heart racing faster than a jackhammer. He now had two options: to try and run, and, hopefully, just brush off this whole encounter, or to revert and intimidate the guy into submission. Neither option really seemed likely to work, but...considering that the former was even less likely to work...

As the giant isopod would get closer to Jack, he would suddenly revert to his more boyish form, roaring surprisingly deeply at the man and his summon. "BACK OFF, SHELLFISH!" he shouted, getting into a more defensive pose. He would eye the man warily, his sharp teeth bared, and dark plasma blazing around the small dragon boy.

As the man would hopefully question what was going on, Jack would slightly start to back away, looking for an opening to get away. However, if the man was as strong as he appeared, that could be an issue, should he choose to fight. How the hell would he explain this to the police? "See, I was minding my own business, trotting along as a small dragon, until this guy came out of nowhere and tried to take me to the pound"? That wouldn't end well in the slightest.

Well, his sudden transformation seemingly did the trick. Not even just the man, but the summoned creature itself looked equally surprised at the now humanized dragon that stood before them. Jack's long, thick tail swished back and forth in anxiety as he watched the behemoth actually back up a little bit. The movement caused Jack to flinch a little bit, but he quickly calmed down once he realized that the beast was actually backing off.

Meanwhile, the man controlling it looked completely flabbergasted at the situation. The man started to raise his hands, trying to show the boy that he wasn't going to hurt him. He went on to explain that he thought that he was a Quirked animal, as there had apparently been reports of one running along the area. That caught Jack off guard, the boy cocking his head in confusion. This was like...the second time he had really been running around like this. And the first time was months ago...so there was no way it could have been him. He didn't relax fully, but, still looking skeptical, Jack fully calmed down, wrapping his wings around himself and crossing his arms beneath them.

However, the man did give Jack a mild scolding, though he didn't sound angry or anything. He went on to say that Quirk usage like that was, of course, against the law. He then went on to say that he would have to call a Pro the next time he caught him, not really knowing whether he was enrolled or not. The man seemed rather calm about the whole situation, like he really wasn't that mad about him doing so, whereas most people would have freaked out a lot more if they had caught him.

Jack pursed his lips a little, looking down. "...I'm sorry. I just...I needed a day off." He shook his head, sighing a little bit. "A lot of stuff's been going on in my life lately, and when I get anxious it feels really cramped in my normal form. So...I just like to try and relax in that form, y'know? I just wanted a break from it all...to feel free for once..." His body stopped moving in it's entirety, the boy seemingly looking rather depressed. Between school and training and all the drama between him and his sister and even Aki...

All he really wanted was to be free from it all, even if just for a while. No rules, no people watching his every move, no crazy people trying to attack him. He knew it was wrong, but...was it really fair if he wasn't hurting anyone and being discreet about it?

Jack was silent for a moment as the man explain that he needed some kind of voucher for using his Quirk outside of school. He was also now unsure that the dragon boy was the animal mentioned in the report mentioned. An animal that had a white mane...while Jack would have fit that description normally, he wasn't out and about like this enough to be said animal. It made him want to find the creature himself and hopefully set it on it's way in a safe environment. Jack pursed his lips a little bit in thought, deciding not to say anything about it for now.

The man then went on to address him being at U.A. He raised his eyebrow a little bit as the man state the rather obvious fact that internships had started for the Second Years. While if Jack had decided to move on to the Second Year, getting his mentor in trouble would have been a big issue. Luckily, though, he didn't have to worry about that, at the least. "I'm actually a First Year, mister. If my actions would have gotten anyone but myself in trouble, we wouldn't be having this conversation," he stated, letting the man finish in explaining that only a Pro could legally use their Quirks in public. Otherwise...well, he knew what it was considered to be otherwise. Vigilantism or, even worse, villainism. 

Before Jack could respond to that, however, the man actually addressed his dilemma. The man didn't have any legal solutions, but...he stated that maybe talking to someone about it could bless him with help. The boy raised his eyebrows a little, before narrowing his eyes at the man. "Really, now? Like who?" he asked, already getting what the man was implying. The man didn't look like any heroes he recognized...so the fact that the man had used his Quirk earlier as well told him that he was likely a vigilante.

If the man would state that he could help, Jack would stay silent for a moment, eyeing the man suspiciously. He would then look up to the sky, taking a deep breath. He was quiet, however...it would be quite apparent that water fell down his face, despite it not raining. He didn't want to make a scene, but...he couldn't help it. "...I don't think anyone could help me, mister." 

He looked forward toward the man, his face deadly serious, but the look being betrayed by the tears that fell from his face. "Unless you know someone who can fight dragons, I don't think anyone can help my situation. Or if you can heal a broken heart. Or if you know how to not be a punching bag. Or...a lot of things, really." He tried taking deep breaths to calm himself down, but overall...this was the kind of stuff he was wanting to get away from. Now here he was spilling it to a guy he just met...ugh, this really wasn't a good day, was it?

Jack simply eyed the man as he actually went on to suggest maybe strangers or online friends. The dragon boy kept quiet for a moment as he digested what he said. He honestly wanted to laugh, as the suggestion was already something that he's been doing. And if anything it made things worse, given how rather...crude some of his classmates were. "I already tried that, mister. If anything it just makes things worse for me," he said simply, before crossing his arms. "And I'm assuming when you say strangers you mean people like yourself, right?" he asked bluntly, getting right to the point of what he thought the man was implying. 

And, as Jack began to cry because of the stress of all of his troubles, the man confirmed his suspicions when he said that he could fight dragons. The dragon boy once again kept quiet, letting the man continue on with his advice. Of course, it was the standard 'there are plenty of fish in the sea' talk that he's always heard people talk about in terms of love interests. While that would apply under normal circumstances, Jack learned a long time ago that anything involving him was hardly normal.

"Mister...do you honestly thing that many other people would really like this?" he asked, suddenly shifting into his much more gigantic dragon form, barely even fitting in the alleyway they were in. He made sure not to poke the man in the chest with his horn, but otherwise he glared down at the man with much sharper eyes than before. His scales seemed to emit their own sort of light, shining like a rainbow in the sunlight. When he spoke, it was in a much more baritone voice than before. "Or even, for that matter, this?" He shifted back into the smaller dragon form that the man found him in originally. 

Jack shook himself off once more, getting the jitters from transforming quickly like that out of his system. "I doubt many people would want a stinking transforming reptile that pants like a dog as a mate. I'm surprised I even have any friends, considering that I've been alone for most of my life. No parents around because they didn't know how to handle me, no pets, definitely not many friends." He transformed back into his normal form once more, dusting himself off.

"As for fighting dragons...can you honestly tell me you've fought a dragon before in some shape or form? Can you tell me how they fight, what their general weakness is? Because trust me, I'd love to know," he said flatly, his eyes going sharp again for a moment. However, before Jack could continue on his probing rant, he stopped himself, taking a deep breath. "Sorry, sorry...got heated there..."

He sighed, running a suddenly transformed claw through his fluffy hair, pushing it back a bit. "Honestly...do you have any advice in the matter? I probably have a whole gang or something of the things after me, including my own sister. I legitimately don't even know how to handle that, much less my love life or my school life. I'm just a mess..." he said, giving a weird mix of a chuckle and a whimper as he tried figuring out how to sort out any of what he had going on.

Jack frowned slightly when the man went on to state that the U.A. chat didn't count. It didn't offer anonymity there, like uTube or FaceSpace or even just a basic forum.  The idea of that admittedly made him feel weird. On one hand, he wasn't wrong, but even still, it's kind of opening up to a bunch of strangers...at least in the U.A. chat people knew him and could possibly help him out. Not that anyone ever really did, in retrospect.

Then the man confirmed that he was in fact a vigilante. He does hero work, and that meant more than just crime fighting. Jack raised an eyebrow at him when he mentioned he'd give him "freebie sage advice", whatever that meant. However, he didn't really have anything to lose by hearing the man out.  "I mean...sure. What do you have in mind?" he asked, letting the man continue with the wonderful words of wisdom he has to bestow upon this poor lost soul.

Jack then went on to make his point about how nobody would really want a stinking reptile as a mate, transforming twice before the man's eyes. He didn't seem overall phased by either of them, and Jack didn't really know if he had made his point or not, for the man didn't really say anything on the matter. It didn't really give Jack much hope in that matter, but he didn't say anything on the matter.

Instead, they went onto the topic on different dragons. The man made a quick joke about how he's fought dragons in video games. Jack snorted a bit at that, giving him a partially amused "really?" look. That aside, each Quirk and dragon were special in some way. As such, they had their strengths and their weaknesses. However, Jack could learn more about them from books, or folklore, etcetera. He even pointed out a documentary on how dragons could breathe fire like they do in legends. 

After that, Jack would then go on to apologize for himself getting heated. The man was forgiving enough, and then went on to warn Jack about the advice that he was about to give. How it could give him perspective, or could even make Jack afraid of the man and attack him. He raised an eyebrow at that, frowning slightly as he even stressed that he needed to be in human form for this. Jack crossed his arms, his tail swishing from side to side, and made sure that his wings were tucked in properly. "This is honestly as human as even I'm gonna get, mister. I'm a weird mutation/transformation mix, you could say," he explained, before letting the man give his advice...whatever it was.

Jack listened intently to the man as he would regale the boy with his own story. How he was a Quirker, but his parents were not. As a result, they hated him, and beat him constantly. Until one day, he beat his father with his Quirk and ran away. As a result...he became a villain. Jack did a bit of a double take at that, clearly looking startled at the revelation. He committed crime after crime just to survive...Jack couldn't help but look up at the sky for a moment, taking that in. The world really could be cruel like that, couldn't it...? He knew that firsthand, and yet his opinion on humans as a race was conflicted. So much potential, and some do the best they can with that...while many others cause pain and suffering. The man's story thus far gave him a small insight as to why that was. Sometimes...people just have to hurt to survive. While his childhood was shit, at least Jack had been spared of that kind of life. He frowned slightly but continued to listen to the man.

He explained how he himself was alone. No friends, no family, not even a love interest that lasted a day, much less a week. Even so, he had nowhere to go. U.A. didn't exist, otherwise, this conversation may not even be happening. Life beat him down, again and again, making him want to die on numerous occasions. Jack's shoulders slumped a little, sympathizing with that. He didn't like to admit it, but there many, many times that his mental state made him want to die. Even so, he somehow kept going, just like the man...they were so different, yet clearly alike at the same time in that regard. 

The man then explained how at one point he had lost control of his own Quirk, and something terrible happened as a result. "....What was it? If it's ok to ask," he asked, wondering if the man would answer his curiosity. Even so, he was a bit afraid to hear the answer. Even so, the event turned his life around. As a result, he slowly began to turn his life around. He adopted a daughter, and then he met someone who wasn't toxic and adopted another kid. Jack's shoulders slumped a bit further when he heard that. He said nothing yet, but he yearned deeply for some kind of parental figure in his life. The most he got was literally his own classmates, and they obviously didn't count by any means. It did show in his eyes a little, but he was silent as he let the man finish.

The point the man was trying to make was that Jack was young. He had a whole life ahead of him, and that things could always be worse. He'd been through hell and back. Jack was silent for a moment, soaking in his words. It did put a lot of things in perspective...though it wasn't as if Jack hadn't been through a lot himself as well. He was silent for a moment, before asking him "If we're sharing stories now...do you mind if I tell mine?" He'd wait to see if the man would hear him out as well. He understood the man a lot better now, and it put a lot of things in a different light than before. 

Assuming that the man let Jack speak, he would take a deep breath, before sharing his story. "My name is Jack Orion. I wasn't born a Quirker, and was born into a wealthy family. The tech industry isn't obviously something that's too big nowadays, but it still makes a lot somehow. For the first six years of my life...things were normal. I had friends, a loving family, a protective sister...but when I was 4, my sister disappeared without a trace. And two years after that...I don't know if it was kidnappers or burglars or what...but people broke into our house and took me hostage. I couldn't tell who it was who was holding me, but she slashed a knife right across my chest...almost hit my heart." He pulled the collar of his shirt slightly, the large scar that went all the way across where his heart was visible from his collarbone.

"After that...I dunno. Everything went red. I was only told later that I had transformed and attacked in a mindless rage. My Quirk clearly decided that now and then was time to develop, probably because of the stress. After that...well, I got these beauties permanently," he said, flicking his tail back and forth, and showed his razor-sheep teeth a bit. "Since then...people immediately shunned me. I would constantly get beaten up, or sent death threats...people even went as far as using fake needles filled with water on me, claiming to try and "purify" me. My own parents suddenly stopped being around...I only maybe saw them about five times total in the last 10 years. They'd always call and stuff...but it was clear that they didn't know what to do with me. I shut myself out, away from everyone...the only times I went out in public was school, and that in itself was torture. It's a miracle I even passed it, since the teachers decided not to meddle with my grades, probably just to be rid of me. Money really doesn't bring much happiness; that much I can guarantee."

He would gauge the man's reaction for a moment, before deciding to stop there for now. "The rest alone is just a long story, so I won't bore you any longer. Tl;dr, I came to U.A., made some friends, but my mental state was obviously still worse for wear. I...I try my best to be a good person, but...I'm weird, heh. I love affection, I love getting pats and hugs and all that...but it feels like people just don't get it sometimes. They don't realize how much I'm still hurting, even though I practically scream it sometimes. The people who are supposed to be my friends turn their backs on me the moment I even have a mental breakdown, a lot of times because of how they act around me. It just hurts...and that's not even half of it, heh..."

He sighed, shaking his head. "I know a lot of people have it worse; it's amazing to me that they keep going in stride while I have trouble dealing with the shit that I have to, and it's not even half of what some of my friends have been through...what do I do with that? How do I be better? I just...I dunno anymore..." he finished, running a hand through his hair. "I know I have a life ahead of me...but what is it going to become? I don't want to hurt anyone...I just want to help people, and yet I can hardly help myself..."