Her psychology teacher had wanted everyone in her class to pick a subject, preferably one that was either a little controversial, or one that had to deal with a known psychological problem. Shelby had chosen a controversial issue, and one that she felt was rather relevant considering the day and age. The workings of the mutant mind.

Now, considering the fact that she knew virtually zero mutants, she'd chosen a rather difficult subject for herself. She'd been content on simply diving into a few books as study material, until she was informed that everyone would have to interview at least one person in reference to the subject they chose. So, those who'd chosen paranoid schizophrenics needed to hunt down someone dealing with the condition for first hand information... and she needed to hunt down a mutant or two.

This was easier said than done for someone who didn't very much like people, mutant and human alike. Having to find someone that was a visible mutant (since she sure as hell wasn't going to go around asking normal looking people), she'd also need to initiate the conversation. At best she would come off as awkward and shy, at worst she'd come off as creepy and weird.

Thankfully, New York had a school that made her search relatively easy. The Mansion, as a few people called it, housed quite the assortment of mutants young and old. She just needed to find the chatty ones who didn't mind her prying into their innermost thoughts. Before heading on over, she'd called and spoke with someone about doing an interview on school grounds, and gotten permission. Of course, she'd worded the title of her essay a little differently... so as to not offend anyone who could set her on fire with their eyes. 

And hour and a half later, and two bus rides, and she was at her destination. She was buzzed in and with pad and pen in hand, she started roaming the grounds looking for targets. The first two declined to participate on grounds that they had to rush off to class. The third gave her a dirty look when she let the idea behind her assignment slip accidentally. Collapsing on the edge of a fountain after five minutes of searching for number four, she jotted down a few notes about people being unhelpful, and started to doodle.

She'd pick back up after a quick rest.

Most mutants looked like normal people, which was part of the reason the world was so uppity about them. Normal looking men and women but with crazy and extraordinary powers that made them leagues more dangerous than anyone else? And those mutants who did look the part were also under constant pressure, as everyone around them knew who they were and what they were, causing them to suffer stigma as well. But most mutants weren't like Ryoga Honda. Born of atomic fire and sired in the faraway land of Hiroshima, Japan he was an entirely different class of mutant.

More than a ton of draconian might, he put most mutants to physical shame with his majestic form. And the ego required to literally believe yourself to be a living God? Well let's just say he didn't have many friends, and putting up with him for more than a few minutes was impossible for most of his mutant kin. Speaking of the dragon, the girl sitting near the fountain had caught his attention. Most people could usually hear the loud steps as Ryoga moved, his wings and feet distributing that large weight as best they could with thuds as he took each step. But she seemed too distracted to notice.

The dragon crept forward, towering over the girl as she laid on the edge of the fountain. She was so scrawny compared to him, a creature fifteen feet in length, more than twice the size of a grown man and far heavier. His head lowered from it's usual place downt o about four foot off the ground before he blew the air from his nostrils and cleared his throat to speak.

His voice was primeval and thunderous, but not aggressive or violent. More dignified and overbearing than anything. "I do not recognize you little one. Are you new here?" He asked, the dragon's amber eyes glaring down at Shelby, awaiting their first impression of the little mortal.

Her notes page was quickly becoming filled with doodles of bees and flowers, as her mind wandered. She indeed hadn't noticed the sounds of the approaching dragon, nor the shadow that fell over her, not the sounds of something gigantic breathing... ntil the wind of it hit her notes and caused the page to flutter. Then, and only then, was she drawn back into the present. And, my, where had the sun gone?

A booming voice earned a flinch and a quiet yelp, and her head snapped in the direction so fast it sent her hair flying around her shoulders. No normal person stood peering over at her, no... she was never that lucky. There was a dragon (she could only assume he was a dragon. He looked like a dragon!) right behind her, and holy reptiles, was he ever huge.

"I, um, I'm visiting, I guess." Though, she was new to the area. And city. And... east side of the country. "I'm new to the city, however."

She doubted she was expected to offer her hand to shake, so she didn't. She didn't like he expression anyway. No telling where other peoples hands, or claws and paws, had been. "I'm Shelby, Sir. Pleasure to meet you."

Paper in hand, she eyed him quietly. One of her hobbies, or interests... quirks?.. was to study faces. Or, in this case, whole bodies. Normally she was a harsh judge when it came to beauty, as she had her own individual standards... but at the moment her 'pretty' radar was going insane. He was terrifying, sure, as any Dragon-like creature would probably be... but at the same time he was a beautiful color, and she couldn't help but admire the various points and ridges on him. And he had the prettiest eyes...

Realizing she was opening staring, she flushed and corrected herself, turning her attention to the paper in her hands. Maybe he'd be her lucky fourth?

The dragon stared the girl down, his head rising up again as the girl turned to face him. She was surprised, intimidated a bit possibly, but her response was quick and respectable. Perhaps Ryoga would have the pleasure of actual conversation with this one, unlike so many of the others around this Mansion whose arrogance tired the God. The girl explained she too was a stranger to this city, as Ryoga had been a few short monthes ago. His head tilted a bit, his voice silent as the girl finished her introduction.

Short and simple, but effective. Ryoga could accept and respect that, manners were something the dragon craved in this foreign land. He lowered his head to match the girl's point of view before he spoke back, needing to introduce himself in response to her words. "Konnichiwa little one." He started with a bit of Japanese, showing another facet of his unique personality, after all who expected the giant lizard to be Japanese, or even speak another language?
"I am Orochi, Dragon God of Japan." The arrogance began to ooze from the creature's mouth as it continued.

"I am pleased to see a woman with manners, most mutants are too brazen for my tastes." He spoke down about his own kind, though Ryoga didn't beleive he was a mutant, he was far more important and special than the supernatural humans could ever be. "Your introduction was commendable, and I empathize with you. I too was once a stranger to this city, this country even." He pondered why the girl was visiting, perhaps planning to move here among the other mutants? They loved to band together it seemed, an odd thing his Mother must have wanted him to observe or experience, he still wasn't sure.

"Are you planning to join the others that call this place home?" The dragon questioned, his eyes glued to Shelby's the confidence behind them tremendous.

Ko-ni-chi-wa

Japanese? He kept calling her little. Not that she minded; she was pretty short... even more so when compared to him. Was she supposed to bow at the waist now? Or was the rude coming some someone so obviously not part of his culture? She didn't know, so she decided against it. But, the kicker, was he thought she was a mutant.

Very briefly, she considered going with it. Both because it would be fun to pretend she was something special, and because she figured it would up the chances of him opening up to her. But, as she had before, she shot the idea down quickly. She wasn't prepared for such a lie, and knew she'd have no way of backing it up if he questioned her.

Her cheeks did darken however at her supposed manners. She'd never really thought of herself like that. She ate with elbows on the table and wasn't afraid to curse like a sailor when it was called for. She had been brought up to be polite, though, to everyone. So she guessed that must have counted for something. Now if she could just keep the image up she might actually get somewhere!

The fact that he had called himself a god wasn't lost on her. She'd heard it and mentally scoffed three times over. This would be perfect for her paper, though! The psychology of a mutant god. What got better than that?

"Unfortunately, no, your lordship." Good lord, was the the right term to use? "I'm human. The non-powered kind. I'm only here for a psychology assignment."

Flipping her page of doodles over so she had a clean sheet to work with, she turned to face him better, hopefully in a respectful manner. "Unfortunately, I haven't found the right person to interview." How to go about the right way of asking... manners.. manners. Keep it up with the manners.

"...If... if you don't mind me saying, your lordship, you are magnificent. Very... extraordinary; beautiful." She meant it too, and that honesty carried with her words. She could see the terrifying parts... the leathery skin of his wings, the talons and the fangs. But she could see the beauty in them too. She really wanted to try her hand at sketching him, but she had always been terrible at life portraits. They never came out like she wanted, and she didn't feel like she'd do him justice.

The girl was entertaining, respectful but curious. Perhaps she was midly overwhelmed by the attention of a God. However the girl went on to explain she was no mutant, but a regular mortal. How quaint thought the dragon, mutants were at least interesting in their powers, but humans were mostly just background characters to the dragon, his cult comprised of various humans all willing to serve at his beck and call. However this human was at least properly reverent.

So this girl was some kind of student, come to study mutants or perhaps just the mentality of people all grouped together like they were here at the Mansion. "You choose your words wisely little mortal. I'm surprised to see you've chosen this place for a project, humans tend to shy away from their mutated kin." The dragon distanced himself from the mutants with that phrase, referring to them and not us whenever he spoke of the mutants he lived with. It wasn't that he disliked them, he just simply wasn't one of them.

The girl timidly began to appeal to Ryoga's vanity, posing a loaded sentence followed by words of praise, how clever she was. "Truly you're clever with your tongue little one. You state the obvious!" He stated with a thunderous boom, before laughing a bit. The sound was heavy and came from his throat, the kind of laugh that you could almost feel vibrate in your body like the sound of a drum. "But I do enjoy hearing the truth, I can be nothing but majestic!" He loved that word, so powerful and imposing. "But you aren't here just to praise me little human, tell me what is it you wish to study of mutant psychology?" The dragon said through his maw of fangs, perfectly white and pristine, unlike the teeth of a predator Ryoga's body was more for show, everything seemingly constructed for showing off.

He was curious what the girl was here to find, nd since she was playing her role so well, Ryoga might just point her in the right direction. The dragon had never attend any type of university, how could he with his form? Instead he'd studied countless books bought for him, and his knowledge was equatable to one just beginning a college education. So he knew something of psychology. Though he refused to acknowledge that he himself was a perfect example of delusions of grandeur and a God complex.

"I don't see much difference between us, humans and mutants, save for the obvious. I wouldn't shy away from someone who's double jointed, so I couldn't ignore someone who could spontaneously burst into flames, either."

It was her honest opinion, if a little blunt and perhaps easily interpreted in different ways.

"I like to think I have an eye for beauty, oh magnificent one. I tend to find it where others don't or in places others won't look. Yours is larger than life, and thus impossible to ignore." She was being wordy. She needed to stahp. "But, I fear I am embarrassing myself. I don't usually talk this much." Then again, it wasn't everyday a Dragon god spoke to you.

And now, for the carefully worded truth: "The assignment I chose is to try and document the subtle differences of the human and mutant mind. Based on history, power, belief system... what have you. How does our society affect the mentality of a budding mutant? How does the individual power correspond with how they ultimately turn out... Does the person shape the power, or does the power shape the person." She fiddled with her paper. "Not many mutants are willing to share such intimate details with someone they feel can't empathize with them."

The girl made a valid point, however the dragon could barely discern any of the mortals apart, nearly all of them appeared the same to him. Humans and mutants both were frail little creatures, running about and acting out mundane lives, most never knowing a real purpose. A God was different, a being of power and majesty, but more importantly of purpose. Gods ruled, Gods judged, Gods were distinquished. Fame, acknowledgement, and renown. These were what Ryoga craved, his ego starved for attention at all times.

"You all look the same to me little one. Save those of you with fur or tails." He said without a hint of emotion or interest. What interested him more than her opinions, was the praise. How he loved when mortals could do nothing but wallow in his majesty. That was what humans truly did best, gather around an idol and elevate it with their faith and admiration. This is what led humans to be the dominant species on the Earth. Their passion. "No human, your talent for praise is admirable." He goaded her with his own words of praise. Though they were one sided and more about himself than her.

Ah, so the girl was trying to study how being born with power changed a mortal's mind. An interesting topic, Ryoga could understand. Being born into "power" or "wealth" went to the mind of a man, and made him believe himself worth more than his fellow man. No amount of money or land made one mortal stronger than another. It was the soul of a man, his will that made him great. And Ryoga was that much greater, being born a dragon made him powerful, but it was his spirit, the soul of a dragon that made him a God. "Your talent with words shows, but I imagine you struggle to find a subject among the mutants. They...take poorly to focus on their differences." Ryoga understood the racial tensions between the humans and their mutant brethren.

"Their powers make them arrogant, just like wealth does to your kind. Though a human couldn't aquire the same gift as a mutant, they are still easily similar to one another. It's the spirit of a man that makes him special." The dragon asserted, an odd statement coming from one born with a God complex. "Perhaps your project would be most successful by studying a mutant who is clearly different than you are." Ryoga suggested, not yet aware that the girl intended to study him or thought him a mutant.

If she weren't careful, she was going to find herself quickly enraptured with what he was saying. He was egotistical, that was for sure... possibly even bordering on narcissistic... but he made a valid point, and did it in a way she could actually understand. Most of the time she couldn't filter through what people were saying when they got political, or, like her psychology teacher, got lost in their textbook way of speaking.

She admired the fact that he could speak of his own kind and hers in a way that came off both knowing and clouded. She jotted down his 'spirit of man' comment, not wanting to forget it, and tapped her chin with her pen. "Easier said than done, i'm afraid. It it's not my crippling shyness preventing me from approaching a visible mutant, it's something else." She was about to point out the fact that he had spoken to her first as an example, but paused and chose to put a word-wall between comparing him to a mutant in anyway.

"And that's just mutants. I wouldn't have been able to approach you, sir, in a million years. I would have been much to embarrassed."

Now, sad puppy eyes. Maybe it would work on him? She'd never know if she didn't try. Her bottom lip puckered out slightly and she heaved a slight sigh; nothing too big. She didn't want it to seem like she was exaggerating. "Perhaps I should have chosen one of the other subjects. Mental illness, or... or belief systems. Religion maybe."

Insert soft laugh, and scratch of the head. "Of course, how could I have known I was going to be graced with the opportunity to speak with a God? My classmates would probably kill me to have an opportunity like this."

Humans were timid creatures, afraid of differences and yet drawn to them like flies. A curious race, whose love of learning gives them greater strength than any of the world's animals. "Fear and embarrassment are crippling emotions, they serve no purpose. If you want to make something happen, it takes will, it takes confidence in your abilities. You have come to know a God today, what mutant could scare you off now?" The dragon offered a bit of advice, sharing his confidence with the girl so she might become more than she was.

To be lazy, or too timid to accomplish one's goals was a peeve for the dragon, his own people were often timid when put on the spot. But together the Japanese could accomplish great things, and their passion to their society was great. And Ryoga was no different, he was a God, the greatest form of individual, but he too held pride for his people and country. He would push them as he would push this human, towards a goal.
If the dragon could smile, he would have at Shelby, instead he could only speak with a tone like a stern father or guardian.

"Do not question your first choice, weakness will not get you the grade or knowledge you want." The girl tried to cover her lack of ambition with a joke about her classmates. "Fate often surprises us, you chose mutants and ended up with a God. They will have no such opportunity." Ryoga was feeling quite generous with this human, her attitude and reverence sated his appetite for sycophancy. "If you want to study one of the mutants here, show them to me. And I shall encourage them to work with you." He offered as if it were the simplest thing in the world for him to command any of the mansions various residents.

The ones who corner her in sewers. Was her sarcastic, mental reply. His words were beautiful, but coming from someone who fancied himself above mortals, kind of pointless. Gods weren't supposed to fear. Gods didn't have to worry about survival. Fear was bred into every creature on the planet as a way of keeping yourself alive. Even embarrassment had a place in society; it showed humility, and perhaps the understanding that you can do wrong.

Of course, humans warped both emotions into many different things, but that was what her species seemed capable of doing with just about anything. Give a human a toaster and he'll find a way to make it into a projectile weapon.

"Not many i'm sure, save the ones that would be jealous.

His offer didn't fall on deaf ears. If she managed to drag one of the other mutants over to him, she could technically kill two birds with one stone by studying the both of them together. How did two mutated humans react to one another when ones was obviously bigger, and visually more threatening? How would the new subjects power come into play? What kind of effect would this have on the mind?

... She was getting far, far too involved in this assignment. Psychology tended to do that to a person, though. Not many students walked away after without the intense urge to apply their new knowledge to just about everything

"You're right, I can't give up so fast. I think I will take you up on your generous offer, your lordship." Excusing herself momentarily, she hurried off to find someone else to snag. Hopefully someone less in a hurry, and maybe a little gullible. What she found was a girl about her age, if a little younger, who was covered from head to toe (from what she could see) in blue iridescent scales. The sparkled like glitter, and only her face and palms seemed untouched. Two wispy antenna curved elegantly out from her forehead and arched backward. She was lounging on a bench not terribly far off, trying to look busy with a book. Though Shelby had no way of knowing, the girl was actually skipping class. After a short, if a little hurried discussion, shelby managed to convince the girl to come back with her.

The young woman took one look at the Dragon god and pursed her lips. She'd heard about him through a few friends. Shelby re-seated herself as her blue companion crossed her arms and stood. "If this is what you were talking about, it's not all that interesting. I hear he's a real ass."

Shelby's cheeked burned red and she glanced at Orochi. Well, beggars can't be choosers, they say.

Of course you would take his offer little human, to refuse a God was idiocy or insufferable arrogance. The dragon remained as she wandered off to find a target for her assignment, returning with a small blue mutant. A curious little creature, coated in a pretty blue and sporting some sort of horns from head, or maybe like the antennae of a bug. The mutant girl, like so many others though was full of her self and refused to acknowledge the dragon.

Ryoga sneered at the mutant. "Your manners are impeccable mutant, but rather than scoff at me perhaps you could be of help to the human here." Ryoga motioned to Shelby with his eyes. He was growing tired of how rude and defiant mutant kind was, but they were nothing but children after all. "This girl is here to study mutants and bridge the gap between yourselves and the humans. I would ask that you help her with the assignment." Ryoga spoke in his usual commanding tone, even when he made a request it sounded more like a demand.

His natural domineering personality tended to turn the mutants off of him, all of them naturally defiant thanks to their status as mutants. This girl however, he wasn't very familiar with and hoped would be less difficult than the rest of them.

Oh boy... at least he asked, and hadn't outright demanded.

Still, the girl remained with her arms crossed and eyed the two of them silently. "So what, some hippy 'we're all the same on the inside' shpeal?" She scoffed openly, tossing her hair back in a defiant teenage-y way. "Hate to break it to ya, but we are different. The blood runnin' though your veins is red, mine's green. And ain't no essay gonna change that."

She pointed a finger at the large beast, clearly not one to bend to authority. Shelby was busy jotting down carefully worded notes. "And you, what makes you think I'd do anything you asked? You ain't nothing but a big lizard with a big fat ol' ego."

"You can't honestly believe that. That we are nothing alike. I mean, yes there are physical differences, but those aside we are pretty similar I think" Shelby edged in, once the girl paused to take a breath. "... also, that was pretty rude."

Seriously. Don't insult the dragon, dude.

Normally Ryoga didn't phrase his requests as questions, because as a God his will should simply be done no questions asked. But these mutants were arrogant brats, and often took any chance to pick a fight to make up for whatever trouble their condition brought them. Ryoga had only asked because he felt it would get the human help quicker than him having to dominate this little mutant girl with his presence. But of course she was mouthy and problematic. American women were already frustrating for him, but mutant ones even more so. It was a wonder any of these women ever got married and started a family with personalities like these.

However any show of disrespect infuriating Ryoga and he wouldn't let it slide. "I had hoped that your family had given you some semblance of manners before sending you here child, but it would seem my faith is misplaced." The dragon responded to the girl, his tone snide and aggressive. "Mutants complain about the various discrimination's the humans have brought against them time and again, but when one shows up to learn about your people you immediately discriminate against her." Ryoga's voice grew harder and more primal, as if his voice was ready to devolve into the roar of an ancient predator and forgo the words of man at all.

"Red or green, short or tall, male or female, does any of that matter? In the end you're all the same, short sighted and entitled. At least the human tried, but you mutant you shame your kind greatly." He huffed, his breath nearly as strong as a gust of wind. "This place is a serious test of my patience." He mumbled, the stress and anger obvious even without his lack of facial features. "You see human, they are much the same as your race, and make the same mistakes as any other mortal." The dragon was tempted to make further comment to the mutant girl, but if he allowed her to ire him anymore, he'd have been tempted to show the uppity girl the flat side of his tail.

But injuring the residents was strictly forbidden, and Ryoga was loathe to break one of his mother's rules. How he missed a woman who knew both how to show, and earn respect when dealing with others.

She bristled at his words and her antenne stood straight up in rage. She jabbed a finger violently in the big lizards direction. "You think I wanted to come here? This mockery of a school where we can be caged and pretend to fit in with the rest of society? I was sent here because there was nowhere else for me to go! My mum died giving birth to me and my dead-beat sperm donor of a father didn't want anything to do with me! I have seen first hand how normal people act, how they treat my kind, and this wench's assignment is nothing more than a mockery of the problem at hand!"

Ouch. Wench. That was an unusual and harsh word. Shelby scribbled some of the rant down for quotes, making neat little side notes about how the loss of the girls family had clearly had negative impacts on her personal and social viewpoints.

The girl caught her scribbling things down and growled angrily. "You want to know what I think? I think this is a heaping pile of bulls&*%. We're not some labrat you pinkies can study. I'm not something under a microscope you can learn from!"

She angled a finger at both of them, one most people reserved for bad drivers and lawyers, and turned to stomp off.

Shelby watched her go with pursed lips, and tapped her chin with her pencil. "Well... that could have gone better I suppose... but i'm not entirely surprised." Her attentioned turned back to her...erm... godly acquaintance.

"Sorry she called you a big lizard though. It wasn't a very accurate comparison. Nor imaginative. He was more like a ginormous gilamonster. With a cool accent.