RP:Don't Fear The Raven
We’ll be able to fly
Don’t fear The Raven
Summary: Brennia arrives for her appointment with what the Alchemist whipped up and she even had to use something her Apothecary friend made for her a while back. Meri does beautiful work in this odd situation.
SoulsKin
There is a faded message painted across this shop's front door which reads, abandon all Hope. It may be just cryptic enough to pique your curiosity... Two glass display cases dominate the center of the room, filled with trinkets and jewels from around the world. In the back corner, beneath the stairs that lead to a second floor, there is a bookshelf with a comfy armchair next to it. A low work table lines the entirety of the western wall, a couple of chairs and a bench sitting in front of it. There is a curtained partition, for those that might wish to have their ink work or body modifications done in privacy. The work table is usually littered with bottles of ink in various colors and sketches of viable tattoo designs. Feel free to chat up the artists who might be working if you're interested in having some work done.
Brennia carried a small locked pouch with her, something that was cushioned inside to secure her precious cargo within it. Landing graciously she gave a worker on their smoke break a startle and tried to smooth their nerved with that kind smile of her’s. She gently pushed the door to SoulsKin open after folding her wings about her like a cloak and those large blue eyes look about. Before she can move any further into the establishment she’s stopped by the ink swirling atop her caramel skin and it seems the ink is not happy about this decision. She sighs softly while pulling a pre written note from her bag and set it on the front counter of the receptionist desk and a strange eerie voice can be heard while Brennia’s blue eyes ink over to black, “Don’t do this!” Brennia shakes her head as if talking to herself, “You’ve left me no choice Raven.” She reaches into her bag to procure her churchwarden obsidian pipe and alight the herbs within with a bardic hum. Precautions necessary, she takes a long drag from the pipe and instantly the ink settles on her skin once more and her eyes go black blue… The note is for Meri to read.
Meri was in the building, just not immediately within sight but verbal privacy is not a luxury afforded in this small shop unless doors were locked and customers were gone. Every word Brennia said is overheard by Meri but the artist's reaction to what sounds like Brennia talking to herself is kept hidden as she was presently cleaning up a partitioned off booth for the upcoming appointment. The voices call her out of the curtained off area, booted feet bringing her over to the receptionists desk. The chap that works behind it plucks the note up off of the counter and offers it over to the artist. Said note is delicately opened and unfolded while a curious look is pinned upon Brennia. What could she need to inform Meri of that she must write down versus speak? "Well hello, Brennia. It is good to see you again. I am sorry I wasn't the best at being social at your friend's party, I just didn't want my giant friend to end up being a wallflower. I hope all is well?" Despite all of the talking, Meri is also reading the words penned for her by Brennia.
Brennia only gave a warm smile to her as those large blue eyes look as if ink dripped into water and then dissolves to the tandem of a heart beat. Once Meri would start on the note she would know why: “Much apologies if by the time I arrive I cannot talk and must take the herbs in order to keep the ink at bay for The Raven is not going to go without a fight. I can only speak how Zachael does though so you won’t understand anything I say to you after this, but I will understand you. I had my business partner procure a counter measure liquid, but I warn it is laced with silver so if anyone has an allergy to it I recommend we take precautions. I am excited to be working with you today.” She holds up the pouch in her hand which houses the flask holding the liquid they need and awaits directions from her.
Meri finds red lips pulling up into a sky grin as Brennia's note is read. The comment is harmlessly flirtatious, for Meri wasn't actually into women quite like that, but there was no sense in not having a good time. "Naw, you know how I feel about your native language. I am afraid that I can't let you sit there in total silence. You should sing to me while I work." In French. "Maybe by me some dinner afterwards." This is punctuated with a wink. "I have no known allergies so I believe we do not have to worry about any reactions to silver. I am glad that you had success though." Meri's booted feet take her away from the receptionists desk and back into the parlor, motioning for Brennia to follow suit. "I have readied a more private area. If we try and tattoo your side out in full view, you will end up attracting an audience of drooling sailors. I am pretty sure if one of them catches sight of a hot girl getting a tattoo they sing it to the world...and tell their bros to go be peepers." The curtain to the partitioned area is pulled back and Brennia is given full reign to make herself comfortable with Meri makes other preparations needed for this job. "So as you know I will need access to the area I am tattooing so please, lay on your side and either lift your shirt or remove it. Whichever you think would be more comfortable for you." Yes, in this profession it is apparently okay for Meri to demand people take their cloths off.
Brennia’s kind smile lessens into more of a smirk at Meri’s come on and she warns her that talk like that might be taken seriously by someone like herself. Comes out sounding like, “épargnant, je pourrais avoir à vous prendre au sérieux sur cette offre.” The herbs are laced with a potion to keep her darker side under control, but the application is still ‘herbs’ and it caused a soft raspy giggle to emit past those plump lips. She does as she is told and hand the care package off to Meri before slipping out of her shirt. She makes some remark about being used to getting gawked at with, “Ça ne me dérange pas du tout. Je suis habitué à être bafoué à.” For good measure she puffs a bit more from her pipe and directs the dense and dank smoke away from her before an apology of, “Beaucoup d'excuses.” She makes herself comfortable atop her tattooing surface on her side that isn’t getting tattooed shamelessly as her upper half entirely exposed.
Meri | Out of all the words that Brennia said, only one is understood...or at the very least Meri believes that she understands it. A combination of tone and the word 'excuses' cues Meri in that she must be apologizing for the smoke. "Indulge all you like, it is of no bother to me." The rest of what Brennia says, no clue, it sounds very lovely though and so Meri will smile and nod as though she understood. She did not. Before Brennia's top comes off, the curtain is closed for her privacy and then Meri promptly sets about gathering the final few supplies she'll need for this. A cart is moved closer the tattooing table and on it there are bottles of various blue inks, the black ink that has been altered, rags, needles. etc. Anything that the artist would need to have within arm's reach and at a moment's notice while working. "This first part," Meri explains while taking brush within her right hand and ink up within her left, "is not going to hurt at all. It's just to make sure that you're good with the size of the tattoo and the position before we make it permanent. It's a last look before you can't get this thing off your skin anymore, okay?" Red lips do not even finish explaining this before Meri dips the thin tipped brush into the well of temporary ink, first painting the a rough outline of the tattoo on Brennia's side. The lock, as discussed. The shackle of the lock does intersect with parts of Brennia's existing tattoo design. Maybe a way for the ink they are using to work to counteract Brennia's more problematic tattoo? Maybe presumes at bare minimum the two tattoos must touch. Provided Brennia is not exceedingly ticklish, this part would be easy for Meri to complete and the artist would soon be angling a mirror to the design so that Brennia can admire it. Ah but there was the trouble of the language barrier should she have any requests to voice. Meri has not thought of that quite yet.
Brennia simply giggled again before she started saying something along the lines of ‘oh please go gentle, it’s my first,’ in a sarcastic tone and a playful smirk. Those large blue eyes gloss over and take on a more pinkish tint where the whites of her eyes are while she watches the artist work her own magic. She stayed still almost expertly, but with the expansive one she already adorns, one wouldn’t be surprised of the fact. Once she is shown its potential position she takes another long drag from the churchwarden pipe for good measure and billowing the smoke away from Meri once more. Taking a long look at the lock a smile spreads across those shapely lips once more with a nod. “Merci Très bien.” She takes another drag before the tattooing would begin.
Meri used Brennia's body language, her smile, and the actual tone of her voice to determine that she was actually satisfied with the layout thus far. The words actually spoken? Still a nope. With the approval she was seeking gained, Meri switches from brush to needle. The usual countdown is given, "Three. Two." No one, because one is marked by the sensation of a needle digging into Brennia's side. It would start with the outline and the ink that she was using was indeed the ink that Brennia had worked to have altered just for this purpose. With the work that Brennia wanted done, it would take time. She would not be stretched out on that table for just a few minutes and so while Meri works, she also goes on to explain, "If at any point you feel like you need a break? Please just let me know. Otherwise, just breath easy and relax. Usually I would try and make conversation with my clients but...." There was again that language barrier the two women were presently having. And so Meri would work in silence. The outline of the lock would not take Meri that long to complete but the details to come would take more time. It's obvious when Meri completes the outline, there is a pause so that excess ink can be cleaned up off of skin to make the canvas clean again. Once Meri switches to a needle more suited for shading and begins to fill in the embellishments, the pain would increase but until Brennia objected she would work away. Blacks were first, a clean up, the oceanic blue to add a bit of color, another clean up, softer highlights of blues, and then finally Meri would finish with highlights of white to add that contrast between Brennia's cursed tattoo and her new design. Her dark markings put against something lighter and brighter.
Brennia continued to lay there without a flinch and if someone didn’t know better she seemed quite content with the pain. She would just talk in that soft alto timbre at Meri knowing she cannot even understand, but she just wanted the air to hold something other than silence. Mentioning how she's been getting tattoo work since her thirteenth birthday and how many times she had to have it touched up, the most sensitive area she’s gotten tattoos were surprisingly her hips. A shallow short chuckle as to not disturb the work when she was mentioning how it tickled so bad when the tattoo artificem worked on her hips. She points out an area on the inside of her left forearm that looks like half of a royal family crest where the intricate pattern beautifully transitions to harder lines. A mentioning of how crystal clear the beaches were and that on this one patch of land there was pink sand for no reason. Had she not been talking she might fall asleep and every once in awhile she would pause Meri so she can take a hit off her pipe for her to be able to continue. The expression on her face looked more serious when she mentions the ink made her kill a few people and she doesn’t fully remember to only be conscious during the aftermath of it all. The last straw is recently when the ink egged her on and made her use her bardic powers on a student Guild Member and that she's doing this for them so they are safe from her, but eventually she would smile again mentioning all the plans she has for the Bard’s Guild and the college as well, how some of the students a exceedingly bright as if she was a proud mother.
Meri is thankful for the constant jabber coming from Brennia, not because the language was appreciated for its cadence and rhythm but also because Meri was not used to working in silence. Dear Brennia, mental note from Meri to you, please come up with a way to get some tunes into this place. That would really liven the environment. No space for a live band though. Brennia can bare her soul to Meri in the language of love and the artist just nods. Oh you are pointing to your arm? She must be talking about the ink. A nod. "It must have taken a lot of time to do that design, it is quite lovely." Oh you killed someone? Nod, though even if Meri could understand that point there was a high probability she actually would not care. She is more sinner than saint. Time passes, there was the occasional pause so that Meri can take a break and flex the muscles in her hand a few times to keep it from cramping up, and then after several hours Meri is done. Another clean rag is dirtied and stained with ink of hues of blue and back, gingerly cleaning Brennia's side up. One more time she is gifted with a mirror, this time Meri does not angle it herself for Brennia but let's Brennia hold it so that the bard can take her time in admiring the lock tattoo and the shades of blue and black. Hoping that her client will be distracted with this for a minute or two, Meri stands and bustles about to gather a few more items: a salve and some bandages. When she returns she'll be applying the salve to the fresh tattoo and then covering it up with a bandage that is meant to be no more than temporary. "I do hope it is to your liking. Do you need a reminder on how to care for your tattoo while it is healing? Or do you recall the details from past tattoos?"
Brennia was so comfortable and their time went too fast she almost forgot the special fancy whisky she brought with her, but she figures that can wait to the end and she will add that as bonus tip. She would pause a moment while Meri worked and just watch her, watch the artist work with a smile of admiration also making some mention that a bard could easily work a corner of the room and strum a mandolin to sing calming tunes for her guests. She makes a mental note of it. Once she was done Brennia holds the mirror with a bright smile beaming on her face and a soft giggle came from her as she loved. The way it was done so beautifully and how it contrasts against the dark intricate pattern. When she mentions how to care for a tattoo Brennia nods taking her advice even though she knows it. Reaching behind her back once more while reaching behind her she pulls the elaborate glass bottle of specially distilled whiskey and offers it to her so she can put her shirt back on… Gently that is. Brennia hops down and pulls the woman in for a hug before dropping a pouch of coin being 1,500 gold. She takes the remainder of the liquid in the flask bc, as her Alchemist said, she needs to get touch ups for it to keep working. “Merci beaucoup Meri.” She gives her that stone-heart-melting smile before making her way out to find some drink at a tavern and a room for the night.
Meri | The bottle that Meri is presented with earns Brennia a slack-jawed look. There are a number of things that suggest to Meri that this is the sort of whiskey you are really supposed to savor, such as the elaborate glass bottle. This was going to be a bottle that would last Meri quite a long time, and she'd probably only drink it on rare special occasions sort of thing. However, one of those occasions is going to include Brennia Meri has determined. "This is a fine looking bottle you are gifting me with and I would very much like to drop by your college to have a drink of it with you." This was not so much an askance, Meri would show up at the College within the near future so that she and Brennia can share a drink, perhaps share the details of the tattoo and the need for touch ups that they were unable to cover today due to Brennia's inability to speak in the common tongue. Meri definitely had questions about what she had been smoking, what can affect the language in such a manner? Plenty of questions to be had, plenty of things to discuss. Instructions first. A smaller jar of the same salve that Meri used upon Brennia prior to bandaging is pressed into the avian's hand, "Apply this twice a day, once in the morning, once in the evening. Don't over apply, but don't let it dry out either. A little bit of flaking is normal but if you start flaking too much it is probably a sign that you are not using the salve enough. Do not go swimming in the ocean. Or your hot tub. No prolonged exposure to sun. You can resume your normal habits in about two weeks once healing is complete...which is the standard healing time for humans. I don't know if you perhaps will be able to heal faster." Brennia's departure leads Meri to believe that there are no additional questions and that everything was understood.