A relaxing stay near the Mediterranean sea

"Come on, Soraya, it's not the end of the world." Marie said, gently caressing Soraya's shoulder while she cried. "Alexis was just an asshole, you'll find someone better."

"I can't believe that bastard cheated on you..." Joanna added, cracking her knuckles. "I'll make sure to punch him when I see him again."

Soraya wiped her tears and smiled weakly. "You... You don't have to do that, Jo... It's me he hurt, not you."

"Hurting you means hurting all of us." Joanna announced proudly.

"Avoid getting in trouble, girls, he's not worth it." Marie replied, chuckling. "Let me spread the word on the campus, it'll hurt him a lot more than a mere punch."

Marie was part of the main student union and the newspaper club, and knew a lot of people at uni. It was a credible and terrifying threat. The three girls were studying Sociology at the university of Marseille.

"Anyway, let's hit the karaoke bar tonight. Vent in a mic and drown your sorrow in ****, right?" Joanna said, giggling.

There was a karaoke bar the trio often frequented right next to the Old Port of Marseille.

Soraya brushed her silver-coloured hair out of her face and smiled more warmly. "Good idea. Singing would do me good."

Joanna was part of the badminton club alongside Soraya. Both were fairly athletic and entered a few competitions, even winning some. In addition, the two girls were part of a rock band, Soraya playing the drums and Joanna singing and playing the bass. Ryan, Joanna's boyfriend, was playing the guitar. The three of them have played in multiple bars since they founded the group, and a few times on the campus too.

"Maybe you'll find a better person there, who knows?" Marie added.

"It's... a bit early for me to look for someone else, Marie..." Soraya replied, sighing.

Soraya and Alexis had been together for almost three years. They both shared a lot of common interests, mainly in music, games, and anime, and quickly became good friends before starting to date at the end of high-school, after Alexis broke up with his previous girlfriend.

"Sorry, you're right." Marie said in an apologetic tone.

"It's okay, I'll get over it eventually. I'll go back home to get ready for tonight." Soraya replied. "Thanks for cheering me up, girls."

"See you later." Joanna and Marie said, smiling.

After a group hug, the three of them separated for now. Marie and Joanna went to take the metro while Soraya waited for her bus. Unlike the other two girls who lived in Marseille, she lived in a smaller town nearby.

While on the bus, she observed the scenery, lost in thought as she put on her earphones and started to play some music.

It's better this way. Forgiving him would have led nowhere. Jerks like him don't learn.

She focused on her own reflection in the window and smiled weakly, her tan face still red from all the crying earlier and her makeup slightly smudged. She then leaned against the seat, closing her eyes and putting her hands on her fishnet-covered thighs, trying to relax before reaching her house.

Alexis has been cheating on her for months, he didn't deserve any forgiveness, even if Soraya's love for him was still strong. In normal circumstances, she would probably have fell for his apologies and given him another chance.

But these are not normal circumstances. I am here to make sure she'll find someone better.

I let out a sigh of relief. I didn't even need to **** it, the tears came naturally after breaking up with him and meeting Soraya's friends, thanks to her emotions influencing me. It was quite draining, but I was satisfied with the outcome. Soraya's life would be better once I decide to leave her skin.

I've been living as her for the last week and a half, after spending a full month as Marie. I left my town almost two months ago, thanking Dahlia for taking care of Claire and wishing her luck.

France was my first destination, most likely due to my fond memories of Sarah and the time I spent in her skin. Instead of Paris, though, I opted to visit the south first, and landed in Marseille under the guise of a tourist, before finding Marie working at the hotel I stayed at.

As Marie, I wandered around the region with her friends and family, under the pretense of writing an article showing how attractive the region can be to foreign students. I witnessed the beautiful and varied landscapes of Provence, from the verdant hills, mountains, and lavender fields to the beaches and cliffs giving to the beautiful azure sea. From the small villages in the countryside with their typical architecture to the big cities and their landmarks, like Notre-Dame de la Garde or the Palais Longchamp. Marie loved the region, even if she wasn't originally from here, and discovering it through her eyes has been a unique and fantastic experience.

I've been quite tempted to try living as Soraya ever since I first saw her as Marie, as I've always had a soft spot for goth and metalhead aesthetics, and decided to take the plunge last week, while the two of us were in private at her place.

And I haven't regretted it in the slightest. I thought, giggling quietly.

Marie was very cute with her preppy style and her curly blonde hair, being her has been incredibly fun. But Soraya was a lot more to my tastes. A pretty and fit metalhead with dyed silver hair and a tan skin, herited from her Moroccan parents. I've almost turned her into a narcissist with the time I spent observing my reflection whenever I could. I found her so beautiful.

I smiled as I got out of the bus. I am beautiful. I am Soraya for the time being, after all.

So far, my time in Marseille has been quite fun. The city was brimming with life, there were a lot of things to do, and it was right next to the sea, with easy access to multiple beaches. Only complaint I'd have, shared with Soraya and her friends, would be the smell and the dirtiness.

They don't talk about that in tourist guides. I mused.

As I approached my house, I grabbed the keys. I could already hear excited paws scratching the door from behind as I unlocked it.

"I'm here, I'm here." I spoke, opening the door, only to be immediately greeted by a large Brittany Spaniel who jumped on me, wiggling her tail excitedly.

"I missed you, Lady." I said, crouching and petting her head.

Lady had been Soraya's dog for the past four years. She often went hiking in the forest near her house with her during the weekends when the weather allowed them to.

I went to the kitchen and refilled Lady's water and food bowls before dropping my bag in my room. I then went to the bathroom with the intent of fixing my makeup.

I paused and looked at my reflection, grabbing my cheek and pulling on it. At first, it simply hurt, but then the skin started to distort, giving me a brief glimpse of my original face underneath Soraya's. A face I didn't really care for anymore. The person I used to be only continued to exist in Claire's mind now. It was hard to even consider myself a man anymore. Ever since I first became a skinwalker, I've only worn women's skins, and never felt the need to try being a man again. I didn't miss it in the slightest, I felt so much better and more free as a woman. I would never have thought that I'd be having so much fun playing dress-up or putting on makeup to look hot or cute.

I then let go of my grip and Soraya's face fully became mine again, a pleasing sensation coursing through my body as it did so.

I caressed my cheek, smiling. I much prefer this face~

I skilfully reapplied some eyeliner and eyeshadow and blew a kiss at the mirror. "Perfect~"

Afterwards, I took Lady for her evening walk, taking a stroll in the forest for almost an hour, enjoying the late Spring breeze. It was nice to have a pet, even if she wasn't really mine. Lady was such an affectionate dog, she was making my heart melt.

I returned home and started to get ready for tonight. Soraya technically lived with her mother, who was a well-off doctor, but she was almost never home, either working or spending time with her partner. She didn't mind, though, Soraya quite liked being alone. It allowed her to focus on practicing drums or playing games without needing to be careful about being too loud.

While waiting, I opened my laptop. My routine every week since I left my previous town was to check the private email address I set up to stay in touch with Dahlia. She and Claire apparently managed to become friends in that span of time, but Claire still missed me deeply, understandably so.

I miss you too, sis... But I'm trying to move on, and you should do the same...

I conveyed my thoughts into the message I was writing, hoping that Claire would finally accept it. I did my best to ignore the pain I felt since I fled and tried to enjoy my new lives to the fullest.

Once it was time to join Jo and Marie, I took a bus back to Marseille and then the metro to get to the Old Port. The salty smell of the sea immediately reached me before I even left the underground station. The sun was setting but the district was still swarming with people, mostly students and young adults eating out or going to the various restaurants and bars there.

After a few minutes, I arrived at the karaoke bar the trio frequented often. Marie, Jo, and Ryan were waiting for me, Marie already eating a crepe she most likely bought from the creperie nearby.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." I said as I came closer.

"Don't worry, we only arrived a few minutes ago. You know Ryan is worse than most girls when it comes to makeup. He took freaking forever to get ready." Joanna replied with a chuckle as she poked Ryan's cheek.

Ryan playfully punched Jo in the arm in response. "Come on, I'm not that bad. It only took longer because I didn't have enough foundation left and had to improvise."

Ryan was a pure goth guy, with painted nails, pale makeup with coloured contact lenses, and Demonia boots. Jo, meanwhile, was more punkish and tomboyish, preferring torn jeans and cargo pants over skirts. They were a cute couple, who have been together for a year and a half already. They were childhood friends, too, so they've known each other for a long time.

We all ordered some drinks and snacks before renting a room. When we walked in, Jo immediately grabbed the mic and started to sing a classic Nirvana song. As the main singer of the band, it was only natural for her to go first. Her deep and powerful voice resonated in the room as she sang her heart out. She had a lot of energy and charisma, and that's why she was the leader of the band.

Ryan and Marie clapped to encourage her while I found myself trying to imitate the drums, imagining how I'd play the song. It was a song Soraya played a lot, so it wasn't too hard an exercise.

At the end of the song, Jo bowed and threw the mic at Marie, who chose a song from Sting. She was into more traditional rock, not that much into punk, grunge, or metal. Her voice was softer and melodious. She used to be part of a choir in school, so it wasn't surprising. I did sing as her twice during the time I wore her, and remembered those moments fondly. A part of me missed her skin and life, but after experiencing these feelings as Carmen and Marie, I imagined that it would be the case for any skin I'd spend a while inside of.

My turn was next, and I picked a song from Avenged Sevenfold, one of Soraya's favorite groups. Soraya's voice wasn't as deep as Joanna's but she was somewhere in between Jo's and Marie's. Although, Jo smoked a lot, her voice deepened because of that. I closed my eyes, imagining myself on a big stage, facing thousands of fans clapping and cheering for me as I sang lyrics I knew by heart.

It was something tempting too, to try becoming a famous musician someday and tour the world with their band. But it wasn't high on my list of priorities currently. For now, I wanted to enjoy simple lives and visit multiple countries, to experience the different cultures Europe had to offer.

Once done with my song, Ryan took over, singing an old Nightwish song. It was a band he adored, but mainly the era with their original singer.

We spent the rest of the evening singing and drinking, apart from Marie who decided to stay sober to drive me back afterwards, something I was very grateful for. These would make good memories for Soraya, and help her get over her breakup with Alexis.

"Thanks for tonight, girls. And Ryan." I said, smiling at them as we left the karaoke bar. "I had a lot of fun."

Joanna pulled me into a hug. "That's what friends are for, right?"

I returned the hug and rested my head on her shoulder. "Right."

"Don't start falling for me, though, I'm already taken." She added, giggling.

"If you keep acting like this, I can't promise anything, Jo~" I replied in a teasing tone.

She laughed. "There are better girls than me out there."

"And yet I'm stuck with you." Ryan said, chuckling.

Joanna broke the hug and walked towards him before punching him playfully. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing~"

Joanna and Ryan left, taking the metro back to the flat they shared, while Marie and I went to hers so she could drive me back home, where Lady was waiting for me.

"Rest well." Marie said as I got out of the car.

"Thanks, you too. See you tomorrow." I replied with a smile.

I immediately went to take a shower as soon as I got inside the house, removing my makeup and cleaning my body. I still haven't gotten fully used to taking showers as a woman, I always felt aroused as I did so. I could control my urges a bit better, though, even if I... relieved myself fairly often. It was a good thing Soraya was mostly alone at home.

I laid on the bed, breathing the sweet scent of the shampoo I used while Lady sat next to me. Today was a very fun day. I already grew to love this group of friends as if they were my own close friends.

France was supposed to be my first step in my journey across Europe, but I've been enjoying my time here so much that I was tempted to stay for a while longer. For a skinwalker, a few months or even years were nothing, after all.