RP:Inks Gets Ink'd

Summary: A tattoo for Iintahquohae.

Rebel Room: Art Gallery

Iintahquohae dressed properly for the occasion, she hoped. Short, backless dresses were not her style, but to save the time for disrobing to show Meri her scarred back, the seamstress tried to rock it. It's a pale blue as well oddly, instead of her usual edgy black. With matching blue flipflops. She looked more beach-ready than anything. Colorful clothing had drawn her eye more often than not as of late, but Inks couldn't pinpoint why. Not that it mattered. What mattered was seeing what this talented tattoo artist could do with the mess her back was in. The scars of two paws-worth of wolf claws were visible on her back, from roughly the nape of her neck in jagged lines right down to the small of her back. Acquired when she was human, they had plenty of time to heal but hadn't fully faded. She wasn't even certain they had healed properly she realizes, reaching an arm around to run her fingertips over the raised surface of one of the terrible lines. Entering The Rebel Room with a folded bit of paper in her hand, she announces her presence should the tattoo artist be within earshot. “Hello, Meri? It's Inks. I hope this isn't a bad time...”

Meri :: Upon entering the Rebel Room, Iintahquohae would probably be able to tell quite quickly that this space does not serve as a tattoo parlor. While Meri’s reputation as a tattoo artist is still prominent, it seems that the psion, lycan, and artist is trying to make a namesake in other mediums. The Rebel Room, as it stands in Cenril, is an art gallery with a fairly open floor plan. Meri would be in plain sight. A bell would ring as the seamstress enters the gallery, pulling Meri’s gaze to the front entrance. Iintahquohae is recognized quickly, and the blonde is also quick to observe that she is not dressed in the same style that she usually encounters the tall woman. Given their very recent letter exchange, the lycan woman makes no assumption that Inks is in here for a beach day and just happens to be dropping by. No, this is business. Iintahquohae wanted to be a client and Meri was not about to turn down a bit of gold. She desperately wanted to make sure her...rainy day fund...was quite plentiful. A smile curls easily at her painted red lips, calling out to the seamstress, “Hey. I was wondering when you were going to show up.” Meri did not mind the unexpected visit at all. “If you’re hoping for a bit of privacy for this discussion?” Given where Inks wanted her tattoo, Meri assumed she did, “Then I would take a moment to lock the front entrance before you come on over and see me.” Yes, Meri could do it, but Inks was closer.

Iintahquohae enjoyed art, and found herself taking in the gallery space with some rarely-shown surprise. How was she unaware that a gallery existed in Cenril? This is what happens when you spend your life literally under a bunch of rocks. And sand. Meri is clearly very talented, she observes, grinning. The blonde's greeting takes her away from one of the pieces hanging on the wall. “Hey. You do all of these?” she asks, taking heed to Meri's instruction and stepping back to the door to lock it. Once she hears the click of the lock, she turns again to approach Meri and tries smiling. She isn't good at this, or small talk really, but she's trying. “You're really good.” Her dull eyes look about the gallery space a second time. “Sublime, really. I wish I had known about this place sooner.” There's an awkward silence from the seamstress afterward, but she tries to transition into discussing the tattoo. “Oh! Um, well..This is what I want, if it's possible please. All black ink..maybe a bit of blue? 'Dunno. I just know colored ink probably wouldn't look good on me.” She offers the folded bit of paper to Meri. Loosely sketched onto it is the image of her back and upper arms with the approximation of a kraken emerging from some dark depths, that stretches from tailbone to the base of her neck, with some of its tentacles spilling out over her shoulders, winding down her arms to the either elbow. Compared to what Meri could do, the sketch likely looks like a questionably helpful thumbnail.

Meri could tell straight away that Iintahquohae was perhaps no social butterfly, a detail that the artist was just fine with. The blonde could probably talk enough for the both of them, as well as steer the conversation where it needed to go with ease. It was adorable watching Iintahquohae try though. “No, not all of them are mine. Plenty, but not all. I’ve got plenty of space, you see, and sometimes other artists need a place where they can sell their own works. So it’s a joint effort, this gallery.” She does not bother with trying to point out which pieces have been created by her and which by other artists, Inks was here with another purpose today. Meri knew that.The sketch that is presented to Meri is studied in depth, taking it from the seamstress will allow. “Colored ink is absolutely possible, just not something I would trust to a novice artist. However, I think the color choice of black with highlights and shadows of blues would look absolutely gorgeous and is a very fitting scheme for a kraken.” Meri’s gaze is still on the sketch for a bit longer but they finally lift to look Inks dead in the eye, “So something of this size, just so you are aware..? It takes your average person at least two sessions to get done, sometimes more. It really depends on pain tolerance.” Meri is holding the sketch back toward Inks so that the blonde’s hands are once again freed up. “We can start today, but there is one more thing that we need to talk about. The scars. You can tell me as much or as little as you want, but I am hoping to learn how long they have had to heal and also...at the very least, a very vague summary, of the cause. Like. A burn, for example.” Meri clears her throat, understanding how sensitive these subjects can be. “Again, as much or as little as you want. I’ll start getting us set up in the meantime.” Meri would of course ask to see the scars soon, but she first wanted to turn her art gallery into a temporary tattoo parlor. It wouldn’t be too much work, for the psion still had all her old gear. Why part with it? Clearly she had plenty of space to keep such things stored.

Iintahquohae  :: “Oh,” Iintahquohae says, head turning toward various pieces again. She wanted to ask which ones were made by Meri, but like the artist, she had the tattoo as a primary focus. It's reassuring to hear that her thought that black and blue ink would be good, especially since tattoos were absolutely not her forte. As a human, she did get one on her sternum to represent both Selene and Zaytor that the seamstress recalls being one of the most painful experiences of her life, and now she cannot help wondering what her pain tolerance would be like sitting through two sessions at least of tattooing as a vampire. Inks hopes it isn't as bad, but she'll manage. She has to! Mention of the scars prompts Iintahquohae to do an about face, turning on her heel so show the claw marks off for Meri to examine. This gives her more time to admire the artwork in the gallery too. “I made the mistake of walking around the woods in Vailkrin alone before I was sired, and a pair of wolves got me,” she explains. Thankfully she tripped over a tree root and fell flat on her face so the claw swipes only cut into her back and bit at the backs of her legs. If it weren't for the axe-wielding vampire Shen, she very likely would have died, but the memory isn't difficult to discuss. That proud serpent lurking within helped sap the fear and embarrassment away, leaving nothing to hide. “They had a few years to heal up, if memory serves. Before I was sired. I hope they aren't too difficult to work with..” Another attempt at small talk is made in the form of an awkward joke. “I guess if either of them were lycans, I could have become a werewolf...That would be interesting, I think?” she shrugs. “I don't think I've ever met one.”

Meri :: A lot of things were occurring right at this moment. Not only was Meri trying to get set up for the tattoo session, but she was also trying to listen to what Inks has to say and also taking a good, long and professional look at the scarring that the seamstress has presented to her. Both the listening and the looking would take priority over rolling her tattooing chair out of storage, pulling out her cart, locating her needles and etc. “That sounds like quite a story, I am glad that you survived it. And based on what I see? Working with your scarring should not be too much of an issue,” Meri explains as she bustles around. It would be about twenty minutes of setting up, sanitizing, and mixing inks before the tattoo artist would be ready to start her work. The seamstress would not be standing the entire time, for the cushioned tattooing chair/table is the first item on Meri’s ‘to sanitize’ list. As soon as she has done so, Inks is invited to make herself comfortable. “And a couple of years should be more than sufficient time for it to heal.” As much as a scar can heal, Meri means. While Meri is putting the finishing touches on mixing up the various inks she will need, black with deeper shades of blues, the lycan shifts the subject away from the wolves and onto the ‘down to business’ stuff. She’d circle back to the wolves in good time, there were questions brewing in her mind. For now, “So what I will do first, is do a temporary outline on your back and then show you, so you can get a feel for the placement and approve it before it’s permanent. After that, the goal for today is to get all of the outlining of the tattoo done. That’s a must. Once we get through that, we can work on as much of the shading as you can sit through. Do you have any questions or concerns before we get started?” Regardless of the answer Meri gets, she’ll be motioning for Inks to lay out flat on the cushioned tattooing chair/table with the space that the artist needs to work with exposed. Meri’s not looking for this part! She’s professional and has done enough sessions to tell that the seamstress is probably more on the modest and shy side.

Iintahquohae is relieved to hear that her scars won't be a problem. Turning, she smiles at Meri, wondering if she should help the blonde set up. She might be more harm than help she thinks, considering she knew nothing about the equipment or what went where. Once the tattooing chair is available to sit in, she does so after tying her braids up and out of the way with a bit of ribbon wrapped around her wrist so they're out of the way. She fiddles with the clasp at the base of her neck for her dress, uncertain if it'll interfere with Meri's work. The tattoo artist is absolutely right about Inks being modest and shy, but she tries to keep her confidence up. This is how tattooing sessions went, right? She holds one arm pressed against her chest to keep the dress from slipping off of her lanky frame, and gets comfortable on the tattooing chair/table with her back facing up for Meri to work. “No questions or concerns! I'm a little nervous, but I'll be okay.” She pauses, reconsidering her position on the table. “Actually...I guess my only question is, am I laying in a way that works for you? Do you need me to adjust or anything?” The seamstress fidgets a bit, uncertain if she is in a good spot for Meri to start.

Meri proceeds as she explained she would, first Iintahquohae would feel the tickle of a brush upon her back along with a liquid that was room temperature. Not too cold and not too hot, Meri hoped. It was that temporary ink that would serve as the outline. As an adept an artist as Meri is, this would not take the woman long. It was just a rough painting upon Inks’ skin that would serve as a guide for the blonde. While working, Meri explains, “For now, you are fine. There will be points where I will ask you to move so that I have an easier time tattooing and points where you are probably going to want to move as well. Sometimes sitting in the same position for too long can get uncomfortable, I understand. I will tell you when I need you to move, just like you tell me when you need to move. The key is no sudden movements.” By the time Meri is done explaining this, she is also done with the outline of the kraken upon the seamstress’ back. Amongst the gear that Meri had retrieved during her setup are two mirrors, one handheld that is given to Inks and the other is about half of Meri’s height and currently being held in position behind the seamstress so that the vampire can do the whole reflection trick and get a look. Presumably. Inks does have a reflection, right? Hur, hur. For the most part, what the other woman will have a chance to examine will look almost exactly like the sketch that was presented. There may be a few minor tweaks, like perhaps Meri felt a tentacle might be better and would work better with the scarring if it were positioned this way instead of that, but the overall size is what was indicated on the sketch Meri was given as reference and it is definitely a kraken. There would be ample chance for Meri’s client to address any concerns regarding any placement of the tattoo before it is made permanent. Regardless of if Inks’ has any adjustment requests or not, she’ll be asked to make herself comfortable once again...and then it will be the bite of the needle that she feels this time. The most painful part is of course the part that will take the longest during this entire process. Pain is beauty, or beauty is pain...or..however, it goes.

Inks doesn't want to admit this, but the brush drawn across her skin tickles. A lot. Meri might notice her tense up a bit to keep from squirming, gritting her teeth to keep from giggling at the sensation. “Oh, okay. Just nudge me wherever you need to,” she replies. Once Meri has finished the outline and has handed Inks the mirror, she angles it in such a way that she can see the kraken outlines on her back. Her mouth forms a surprised O right away. “That's...Woah! How did you-” For a few moments, she slowly tilts the mirror to look at different parts of the tattoo. Instead of rolling over to glance at the tattoo artist, concerned she'll mess up the lines, Inks tilts the mirror so she can see Meri's face and grins. “It looks so much better than my scribble. I can't wait to see the finished. Thank you.” Next came the needle, she realizes. Hopefully vampire strength meant less pain, but Inks couldn't be certain. She'll grit her teeth and bear it, of course. “Ready when you are for the next step, Meri,” says the seamstress, offering the mirror back to her. “I'm so glad you're the one doing this...You're really talented.”

Meri :: Before Meri actually starts the tattooing process, she is sure to slap on a pair of gloves. It is protection that she normally takes, but she wants to be extra mindful given that Inks is a vampire. The lycan has heard things. The first few minutes will be spent in silence, but as they will be sitting together for a very period of time, Meri tries to pull a bit more conversation out of Inks. This is more for the benefit of the client than it is herself, she had plenty to concentrate on, but sometimes talking helped keep one’s mind off the pain and maybe helped to pass the time a little bit. “So your comment about how the wolves you encountered were probably not werewolves? I think that you are always right. They’d have to not have been lycans, or else you would be one yourself? I thought werewolf bites have like...a one hundred percent success rate? You know. Provided they survive the mauling from a wolf to begin with. Unlike vampire bites, which takes more than a simple bite to turn someone?” Most of this seemed like common werewolf knowledge, so Meri was hoping that she would not raise too much suspicion with these inquiries. The lycan was tempted to inform Inks of her affliction, but she was just going to go ahead and hedge around the subject first. See if she could not figure out how the seamstress felt about solves. Plus, the more the tattoo artist beat around the bush, the longer the two would have to converse, thus hopefully making this entire tattooing process feel like it is going by more quickly. That was the goal, especially since they were working on such a big piece.

Inks doesn't mind the silence before Meri gets going, mostly since she can use the time to mentally prepare for the world of pain her back is going to be in very soon. Meri's remarks on lycans are a great distraction. She turns into a chatterbox. “I wonder what that would be like, being one. I imagine they're not as uh...” she isn't sure what word might be appropriate. “Gluttonous? I'm hungry almost all the time. Parasitic. They're probably better at hunting and stuff too, since wolves are like that.” A thought crosses her mind that elicits a small, albeit pained smile with the sensation of the tattoo being done on her back. “I wonder if they're...more dog like, in or out of their wolf form. Or is it the same personality just on four legs? And - yeah! Vampire bites...Well, so Kasyr bit me, drank my blood, then I drank his, and turned into this.” Uncertain if Meri can see the look on her face, the seamstress is rolling her eyes in some disgust with herself. What she did was messy. “...I try to stick to animals. Horses. They're big enough to keep me sated for a long while and I don't feel as guilty about it.” Another roll of her dull eyes at herself. She didn't like how she sounded as if she were on some kind of vampiric moral high ground. “I managed to get a mammoth with a lot of help once, up in Frostmaw. Now -that- was a wild day.”

Meri is positioned behind Inks, so she is not aware of the roll of her eyes. For the most part, Meri’s eyes are locked on the work, clean lines were important. The seamstress probably cannot see exactly what Meri is doing, but she’ll probably be able to surmise that the times that Meri is not tattooing? She’s wiping away excess blood and ink off of the woman’s back so she does not end up lost in a mess. This also means that Iintahquohae won’t be able to fully gauge Meri’s reaction, at least not based on facial expressions. Meri holds no judgement though, on the issue of what the vampiress prefers to eat. The curiosity of the other woman convinces Meri that maybe it would not be the worst thing ever to reveal that she is in fact a lycan. What was she going to do? Storm out in a huff? Find another artist to finish her work? Meri hoped not, she was about to find out. “Oh no. I feel ravenous..quite often. Like I want a bigger breakfast. Bigger lunch. I always appreciated a good steak but...now?” Meri is almost salivating at the thought. “Hunting is definitely easier though.” Meri pauses in her words again to clean the area she is working with. Inks would feel that Meri is making progress, how much is unclear, and the artist is intentionally not updating her. Just pull the client into conversation, and it would go faster. “That whole heightened sense of smell thing? Definite perk, once you get used to it. It can be overwhelming at first.” The woman does not address the notion of if lycans are dog-like out of their wolf form though. Inks could judge that for herself. “It’s not something that I always reveal to people though, I find that not everyone is accepting of us. If you catch my drift.” Meri was sure that Inks would. Vampires were sometimes met with the same fear.

Inks normally isn't this slow at catching somebody's meaning, but when you're getting a tattoo done it's difficult to focus on anything else but the pain while simultaneously trying to keep still. Her reaction is delayed at the revelation that Meri is a lycan, but when she does react to it she's grinning with surprise. “Wow, really?! Amazing. This is going to sound so dumb, but...is it true? Like...the moons affecting how you turn and stuff? Or can you do it at will?” Her knowledge on lycans stopped at childhood stories her folks told her as a child to spook her. “No wonder you and Khitti are so good at hunting mammoths and dragons...Thank you again for that, by the way,” the seamstress adds. She wants to fidget a little bit, not from the sensation of being tattooed, but the notion of keeping what she is secret. Instead of moving her body so as to not disrupt Meri, she clenches and releases her hands, figuring that would be the least problematic. “Yeah, it's...troublesome, sometimes. I don't like living with secrets, though. Why hide what you are if it's something you're proud of, you know? I guess if you weren't turned by choice I could see the problem...” Falling silent, partially from realizing how much of a chatterbox she was being and partially because if Meri -was- changed by force, this entire conversation probably became awkward because of her. Curse her ignorance. Perhaps talking about the tattoo itself might be better. “How is it looking back there, Meri?”

Meri :: While Meri could not see the grin on Inks’ face, she could tell that the woman was probably smiling based on the tone of her voice. She definitely sounded enthused instead of fearful, which was encouraging to Meri. The woman worked and went on to explain, “Not a dumb question, the moons can affect us. But it’s complicated. It’s not Vaalane that influences us, but Ark’Nuk. I think the reason is that Ark’Nuk is the one with the full lunar cycle, whereas Vaalane is always present. However, just like with vampires, don’t take everything I saw to be the end all be all. Not all of us. Just like some of us can, but not all of us. I cannot. We are also sometimes triggered by anger.” Meri is, she is pretty sure Hudson too, but this information is not shared with her client. “I suppose, for werewolves, outside of the fact that some have an irrational fear of us…? There are others who seem to do experiments on our kind, for a variety of reasons.” Meri has heard stories, heck she has even seen notes. This thought causes Meri to frown, an expression that deepens at the mention of Khitti. It had been awhile since she had heard from the redhead. Then again, if Inks caught a glimpse of that frown the Seamtress could easily interpret it as a reaction to if Meri was or was not turned by choice. The expression is quickly gone though as Meri moves on to address how things are going. She takes his opportunity to give her hand a brief break by allowing Inks a sneak peek at the progress so far. It will be come clear that the outline of the kraken has been completed during the length of time that they have spent together thus far, the conversation has really helped to pass the time. Meri has also begun a very, very tiny amount of the shading. Inks may have noticed a difference in pain levels? But again, Meri was trying to take her mind off of what was happening with a bit of conversation. “We’re basically to the point where we’re just going to go until you can’t take the pain anymore. Like I said, I would be surprised if we can complete this in one session. But. Maybe…!” Meri did used to spend all day tattooing, if Inks could sit through it. Then. Maybe!

Iintahquohae :: “Really?! That's fascinating...Really. But it's ridiculous people experiment on you guys. For what? Your fur or how you transform or something?” Realizing that she did pay Meri to hunt for mammoth pelts once makes Inks grimace, embarrassed and frustrated with her ignorance. “...Sven, was me asking you to hunt for mammoth pelts offensive? I'm really sorry if it was! I don't use wolf pelts, by the way. ...Unless they're supplied to me by whoever wants me to make something. I just...I don't know. You never know if what you buy from a merchant might end up being the pelt from a lycan and that -really- doesn't sit well with me. Is that weird? It's probably weird.” She's rambling again, she realizes, but thankfully Meri is showing the progress on the tattoo to her. Her facial expression says it all when she turns to look in the mirror, holding the front of her dress close to cover her chest up. The tattoo looks incredible already. “Wow. This is going to look so good! Thank you.” Once she is back in position. Her back did hurt a fair bit, but she thinks she can tough it out. “Why don't we try? This is nice. I...don't usually talk this much with people. It's fun, even if I'm getting stabbed the whole time.” Internally, the seamstress hopes she isn't being annoying with all her noise. “What got you into tattooing, Meri?” she inquires, wanting to shift the subject away from herself. “Was it hard to learn? I'd be terrified of making a mistake all the time.”

Meri kept on with the shading, switching periodically from different shades of blues and blacks depending on the area that she was working in. There is a moment of silence before Meri continues on with the conversation, the seamstress had thrown quite a few inquiries at Meri and the blonde was mulling over them. Namely if Inks asking Meri to go hunt a mammoth was offensive or not. She knew her own personal opinion on the matter, but she was trying to consider if anyone else would disagree with her perspective lest she be misinforming Iintahquohae on a serious inquiry. While she thinks, she works. It is about a minute before Meri actually answers, “No, I actually don’t think it would be offensive to anyone. It’s definitely not offensive to me and it is part of what I do. A girl has to make a living, afterall. Bills to pay, mouths to feed. And you know what they say about artists, most of us are starving I hear.” Meaning Meri does not always make consistent gold on her tattoos or her paintings. There is another moment of silence as she considers how to explain the matter of the experiments. “I think it can depend, obviously. Our reaction to silver. Our transformation. Some have the opinion that our affliction is nothing more than a disease and that we could be cured.” This thought causes the blonde woman to crinkle her nose up. It felt like another lifetime that Meri helped Khitti in her search for a cure for her vampirism, and in a lot of ways it almost was a different life. They had unwittingly touched upon a subject that caused the lycan woman to feel a bit sullen and considerably less chatty, but Meri would do her best to mask this. A talent she was actually quite good at. Did anyone really know how she truly felt about much of anything anymore? “As for how I became a tattoo artist? It was just one of those things I suppose. We’ve all got something we’re just naturally good at, I suppose. Drawing is it for me, so I decided to try and make a living on it in as many ways as possible.” A brief pause. “Anyway. We’re getting toward the end. I’m going to shut up while I focus on the final details. Don’t want to ruin your tattoo because I was being a ditz and yacking away.” And that is just what Meri does. Inks could of course talk to her heart's content and Meri might respond with simple one word answers as indication that she is listening? But for the most part, the blonde is finishing up the tattoo. She’s not going to say much of anything until she speaks the following sentence, “Well are you ready to see how the finished product looks?” Meaning. She’s done.

Inks is pretty sure if she wasn't a vampire she probably would have asked for a few breaks from the tattoo session by now. It hurts a lot, but she grits her teeth and endures. If she remembers the pain from the tattoo she got as a human, her back is going to feel like hell tomorrow. ...She never did consider how she might -sleep- while her back heals. Do vampires actually need sleep, she wonders, or did she just do it out of habit? The thought is up there with a handful of other thoughts about what she became and how often she forgets it. Meri can probably hear a lot of mumbled swears coming from the seamstress when she isn't trying to awkwardly try making conversation. It's interesting, listening to someone else talk about making a living as an artist. Something she can relate to for sure. “Oh yeah, absolutely...I don't really have to worry about mouths to feed unless you count my folks, but it's difficult doing something you like doing to make ends meet. It's good though, having a passion and stickin' to it.” The notion of someone, or a bunch of someones thinking lycanthropy is something that needs to be cured makes her brow furrow. People thought that way about vampires too, but that seemed more understandable than lycans. They aren't a bunch of bloodthirsty neck biters like she is. “I can't draw very well...Just little scribbled ideas for clothes mostly. What you do is amazing though.” With that, she falls silent so Meri can focus, keeping herself as still as she can and swearing quietly to herself. Her eyes light up once she announces that the tattoo is done, and tries to quickly sit up to have a look. Gods, her back stings. Stings is an understatement, she realizes, slowing her movement down a bit while pressing her dress to her front with an arm to keep herself covered up. Face fixed in a pained expression, Inks nods to Meri. “I'm ready. Thanks again, by the way. ...And for putting up with me talking your ear off,” she adds, realizing she's probably That Customer right now, the kind that will not shut up.

Meri :: Under different circumstances, Meri might have been more considerate about offering breaks. Yet she knew it was Inks’ wish for her to finish the tattoo in one session if possible. Inks could not have seen it from her position, but there were times Meri had to give pause to flex and stretch her hand and wrist so that it did not cramp up. Of course this time was used to also study the design, make sure she was on track. The tattoo is given one final clean up, wiping up excess ink and blood. Once Meri is satisfied, she steps back and positions the larger of the two mirrors she brought up so that Inks can use the smaller to catch the reflection of her back. The vampire will have plenty of time to admire her new tattoo before Meri applies a bit of lotion to the fresh and raw tattoo, and then covers it with a large bandage. While she finishes up the last bit of her work, she tries to assure the seamstress. “Please. At least you make for interesting conversation. The worst was when I worked out in Rynvale. All those sailors passing through wanting some work done while they’re still on land?” Meri rolls her eyes as she utters a sarcastic, “Deep.” There is a brief pause. “Anyway, we all have our talents. Let me tell you, I probably could sew if my life depended on it. At least not a full on garment. I can do a basic stitch to mend an injury. And maybe patch a hole?” At some point Meri steps away. “You can adjust your garments again.” Meaning, no longer have her back all exposed to Meri. Once Inks is decent and looking at Meri, she will find that the werewolf is holding a jar of salve out. “So you want to put this on in the morning and at night. Don’t do it more than that. The goal is not to over moisturize, but you don’t want it drying out either. A little bit of flaking will happen during the healing process. No picking. Don’t itch. Sleeping and bathing will be awkward until it is fully healed. You do not want to have any prolonged exposure to water while it heals. So no swimming in the ocean. No sun bathing. I don’t know how long it will take a vampire to heal? For a human it will take about two weeks.” An easy smile curves at Meri’s red lips. “As for the charge for this...How about a trade? I would normally think that a thousand gold would be a fair price. How about this though. I’ve got a daughter who loves to play dress up. Still growing, growing fast though.” Meri makes an indication as to Fleur’s height. “How about you send me a few things for her to play dress up with? We’re not picky. They don’t have to fit perfectly.” Not Fleur’s dressup clothes at least. Her normal clothes, yes.