RP:Leaving An Imprint

Summary: Lanara heads to 'The Rebel Room' in Larket to get a surprise tattoo before Valentine's Day, from the tattoo artist, Meri. The two women discuss the difficulty in obtaining the skulls of power to bring back their deceased friend Valrae, how they both are acquainted with Eirik, and animal adoption. They agree to meet up the following week, in Enchantment, with Encara and Talyara to try and collect one of the sought after skulls, and Lana leaves with a tattoo of a wolf's paw print on her lower back.

Lanara :: A cloaked figure meanders through the town of Larket, seeming to go unnoticed by any pedestrians perusing the wares amongst the various stalls, as silent footfalls lead to the desired destination. The Rebel Room comes into view, and the figure pauses in the middle of the street, neck craning to look both left and right, as though making absolutely certain they were not followed. Deciding that the coast was clear, the dirt road is briskly crossed, and the door is opened, as entrance is sought at the tattoo parlor. Minutes later, the hood is dropped from the mystery maiden’s head, and she slides the cloak from her shoulders, resting it upon a peg, as she shakes her pin-straight hair loose from the rubber band that was used to hold it into place. The room is dimly lit, and thankfully no one has jumped from the shadows to imprison the little witch. This was not a set-up. Good. And so, Lana leaves the small hallway area and enters the adjoining larger room, her chocolate hues taking in the decorations of the space, and seeking to settle upon the blonde woman she had met only two days prior, back in Cenril. Panic sets in, though it’s short lived, until she catches sight of Meri, and gives her a small wave, before closing the distance between them. “Hi! Remember me from the Mayor’s meeting the other night? About the tattoo? Is now a good time? I should have written you and set up a date to meet, but I was in the area and figured I’d just drop in.”

While Meri was used to having people just drop in for the work they were requesting of Meri, advanced notice may have been needed in this case. Lanara may not be aware of it, but some changes have been made to the shop since Meri has returned from the Shadow Planes. On one of the white walls of the shop, there used to be 'Tattoos By Meri' painted upon it, but it has been covered up with that white paint. Her tattooing chair has also been pulled off the floor, but that is okay. Meri was more than capable of making do, not every tattoo is done in a nice, comfy, cushioned, and professional chair. The shop was not empty, toward the back of the shop there was an older woman with long, and silvered hair, overseeing a small group of women that are having a painting session. This is a basic painting class so the 'model' that they are using for reference is a basic object, one that is inanimate. Some days they have a vase, a bowl, an arrangement of flowers, fruit. Today they have a prickly cactus with a couple of lovely pink flowers. Meri herself usually leads these classes but today she is sitting behind the counter, flipping through the shops ledger and boredly examining the numbers written down. This study is a half-hearted one, Meri was not overly concerned with how sales were at this moment. Not really. She was just pretending to look busy, not that she needed to as the shop's owner. This 'study' is interrupted when Lanara approaches. Blue eyes find focus on Lanara's face and a smile, a faint one, forms across her red lips. "Hi. Yes. Now is fine. Tattoo. You were wanting...a heart with a wolf paw....? Where did you want it?"

Lanara takes in the shop’s interior, and the fact that there isn’t the customary chair for tattooing, or even any designs hung upon the walls, she nips her lower lip in worry. Meri is here, yes, but there is a painting class going on, and the elf glances around the shop and wonders if she’s in the right place. It wasn’t that she was a stranger to getting inked, as before her death she had sported four custom pieces, though they all magically erased upon her being brought back to life. The confusion is evident in her gaze, as she takes in the sight of the prickly plant that the students were intently gazing upon, before dipping their brushes into the desired color of paint, and placing it upon the canvas. Lana had lived in Schezerade for quite some time, and having worked at the college of Bardic Arts, she had a developed a taste for admiring various forms of artistry. One student in particular, seated near the rear of this class, seemed to have a knack for blending, and her cacti stood out amongst the rest. Walking further into the class, Lana briefly scans the paintings of the others, before Meri notices her presence and inquires about the tattoo. “Yes… I was thinking a wolf paw… And maybe some small hearts surrounding it? I’m not the best with creativity. I can dance. That’s pretty much my only skilled form of art, aside from admiring others that can sing, draw, paint, and what have you…” Her voice trails off as she studies Meri’s sleeves, and purses her lush lips, as though deep in thought. “I was thinking the center of my lower back… Would that be a good spot?” As she waits for further instruction, she glances back at the class, momentarily. “I didn’t know you gave classes. You are a lady of many talents, Meri!”

Meri :: "Ah, the talents are connected, one has to have a knack for art in order to be able to be a tattoo artist. When I left SoulsKin out in Rynvale for Larket and opened this business, I decided that I did not want to have to depend on tattooing for income. The work can be very inconsistent and the people I meet...Well sometimes they are great and I make wonderful friends. I have also been met with arrogance and threats. It's nice to have the option to be more selective, to have other means to support myself." By offering art classes and selling art supplies, not that the studio was Meri's main means of income, but every gal is entitled to her secrets. "If I am being honest with you, it has been about two months since I have done a piece...or even attempted to draw." As Meri is making this confession to Lanara, the blonde is rummaging through drawers to locate her sketch book and the medium she is known to prefer when drawing, a charcoal pencil. It takes her a minute to locate these items but once they are in hand, Meri opens her sketchbook to a blank page. "But with your hesitance to speak the name of your fiance at the meeting, and the description that he is a wolf, I am going to go out on a limb and guess that you are engaged to Eirik? So while it has been a long time since I have done any work, and I am probably rusty." And feeling a little uninspired ever since her return from the Shadow Planes. "I felt a little awkward refusing to try and work with you outright. I did do a piece for Eirik about a year ago and I am sure that information would come out eventually...I did not want to come off rude."

Lanara crosses her arms over her chest, leaning against a table, and fixing the blonde with a smile as she searches for her pencil and sketch pad. The witch wasn’t in a hurry as she had cleared her schedule for the day, and she speaks in a soft tone, so as not to further interrupt the class with her unannounced appearance. “I’m sure the tattoo will come out beautifully, Meri. I don’t have any doubts. And… I have only been to the Rynvale stables, before, though the rest of the area I never had the pleasure of exploring. I was there with this pirate fellow, Leo, as he had to pick up an item from the smith. I enjoyed perusing the stables and playing with the majestic horses!” Lana’s smile infectious as she speaks highly of the animals, the woodland witch in her truest of elements when it came to that with fur, wings, and on the rare occasion, scales. She pauses, before she clears her throat and asks a rather pointed question, though it’s based on curiosity, and there is zero judgment in her tone. “Why did you leave Rynvale and open up a shop in Larket? With all that happened here… I would think you’d have better business in, say, Kelay or Cenril.” The elf’s voice trails off as Meri hits the nail on the head, and names her fiancé, causing her gaze to look everywhere but at the tattoo artist. “Um. I. You. We… He…” At a loss for words, her cheeks rosy with embarrassment at having been figured out, she sighs, drops her arms to her sides, and returns her gaze to Meri’s form. Thankfully, the woman is sketching a design, so their eyes do not meet as Lana offers up an explanation to her best kept secret. “Yes. Eirik and I are engaged. It just happened. But I guess that’s love, right? Unexpected. Impossible. Against all odds. I kept it a secret because I didn’t want this to be about Eirik. Or me. Or us. I wanted this whole effort to be about bringing back Val, and helping Cenril. My sister doesn’t even know I’m engaged.” A beat. “I love him, and he loves me. He’s… Changed. He’s not the ruthless witch-killer that he once was, despite what others may think.” The brunette reveals nothing more, as she knew that her lycan was working undercover to free the imprisoned witches that remained in Larket, under the scrutiny of Josleen and Macon. She would –not- blow his cover, or divulge too much about their love life, at least not at this point in time. A faint smile curves her lips upwards, as she toys with the tips of her chestnut locks. “I’m sorry if this is weird for you. But, please, understand…. If Eirik was a killer, or a witch hunter, or incapable of redemption, I would not have accepted his proposal. Nor would I sleep at his side, share a home with him, and want a life with the man. I trust in my heart that he’s changing, and that’s why I am keeping it a secret. I’m hoping to revive Valrae as a thank you, a thank you for putting Eirik in my life, for cursing him.” She doesn’t mention that the curse was momentarily lifted, and that the lycan had passed with flying colors, meaning his love for Lana went beyond the curse. “I owe it to her to bring her back. To make things as right as they can be. And also, because she’s one of my very own. Witches tend to stick together.” The minutes tick by, and the witch grows uneasy, though the fact that she was still in the room, and that Meri was sketching meant that the tattoo artist accepted her, at least enough to do work on her body. That counted for something. “What piece did you do for Eirik?” She eventually asks, as she had literally memorized every square inch of the lycan’s body.

Meri :: What Lanara was asking Meri to sketch was a simple enough request, a wolf paw and some hearts. It's not a super detailed piece like Meri's sleeves, and that was fine, the blonde respected that tattoos came in all shapes and sizes. It was to her benefit that this request was so simple, it made it easier to force herself to do the piece despite the fact that her heart was not in her work at the moment. Just as Lanara is careful in what she reveals about Eirik, Meri is equally selective about the words that she uses to describe him. If only because Lanara was a client and it would not due to offend her, she seemed like a nice enough gal. "Eirik and I have fought a few battles together, I am no stranger to him, I was there when he killed the witch, I was present at his trial." She was rooting for him, he was a beserker who was triggered and Hanna had gotten in the way....but they have also had conversations that did suggest to her an extreme hate for witches. "It seemed like a prime location, honestly. This spot actually used to be a tattoo parlor, so it was a nice open space for me to fill with minimal effort. It was close to Callum, my boyfriend. Things with Larket were tense, but not nearly so much. It was not this exodus. In hindsight, perhaps this was not the wisest of locations." People were leaving Larket, Callum seemed less than happy with her lately, about the only thing left on the 'pro' list was that the building itself did not need too much work. The store was easy to open. Meri is not really looking at Lanara while she is explaining this, baby blues are focused on the work she is trying to create. "I did the ravens." The sketchbook is turned toward Lanara. If Lanara had encountered Meri before the Shadow Planes, she probably would have gotten a few pages worth of work to pick from. Meri liked options. Options were still presented. There was a paw print within a heart, centered, and probably easily filled in with color. There was a paw print with a few hearts circling around it. Also easily a color tattoo. The third paw print is the most simplistic, the paw itself is meant to be black. The paw print is to one side of the heart rather than centered with a simple stylized line-work heart coming off of the paw itself. "Your lower back is fine, it is probably one of the more sensitive places to get a tattoo though. Not the most sensitive. That really depends on your tolerance for pain. Do any of the designs speak to you more than the other? Do you have a suggestion?" Meri was familiar with the name Leo, but she does not react to that. She does crack something of a smile as she admits, "I have a horse. Kadence is her name."

Lanara is delighted that she has met someone who is equally as talkative as herself, as she had wondered if her babbling would grow on the nerves of the tattooist. Meri describes how she knew of Eirik, the piece she had inked into his flesh, and the location of her shop. As she mentions having a boyfriend, the elf smiles, though the name is a foreign concept to her, as she had never met Callum. And it’s safe to assume that her ignorance of the parlor and the residents of the town are due to the face that they all were in Larket, a place she had been forced to avoid for the past year. It all began with the earthquake, and then it evolved into the witch trials, hunting’s, and sadly, murders. A few still were imprisoned, and unfortunately the King and Queen were racist towards her kin, and were unlikely to change anytime soon. So, she avoided this area like the plague, until she met the blonde tattoo artist at the meeting in Cenril. The things she braved to impress Eirik! Lana leans in to gaze upon the selection of drawings, and she gives pause to the first two, as the third was cast to the far corner of her mind. Her chocolate hues bounce from one drawing to the next, and then back, indecisive, before she taps the second sketch, and bites the inside of her cheek. She had to be sure, as this was a permanent decision. The seconds tick by and she nods, her lips curving into a warm smile, as she meets the blue eyes of the woman. “I really like this one! The paw print with the small hearts circling it…. But perhaps the heart circle can be made into a heart? Whatever you think is best. I trust my artist.” The location of the tattoo she had her heart set on, regardless of the pain, and although she was a tiny thing, she had a relatively decent pain threshold. Lana works on folding her sweater tightly above her navel, thus exposing her lower back, as she folds her hip-hugging leggings an inch lower, should Meri need more flesh to work upon. “I can’t wait to show Eirik the tattoo. I think he will be touched, and it will be the –perfect- surprise for after the Valentine Ball! Are you and Callum going?” She looks expectantly at the woman, though she knows that dances weren’t for everyone and there was a possibility they wouldn’t bump into each other at the Dancing Destrier. The mention of Kadence, Meri’s beloved horse, brings a wide grin to her face. “Aw! I love all animals, really. What does Kadence look like? Do you have any other companions? I have a horse, too… Erm, well, he isn’t exactly a horse, entirely… He’s part, um, shark. His name is Puddles. He’s this magical abomination that I adopted. He has the body of a stallion and the head of a shark, and his flesh is often moist. I would suggest a hose play-date, but he is a bit aggressive… I have several other pets, too. I have a few wolves, a reindeer, and a few others. I’m actually saving up to one day fund an animal sanctuary!”

It was fairly easy to find something to talk about when the woman seeking a tattoo is so full of questions, this was not a complaint from Meri. The design is settled upon and Meri moves away from the counter she has been behind, circling her way out from behind it and motioning for Lanara to follow. Since Lanara has caught Meri in a bit of an artistic rut, and the nice comfortable chair that unfolds into a cushioned table has been packed away -- the two women are just going to have to make do. It is probably not going to be the most comfortable situation for either of them. A high stool is brought out for Lanara to sit upon while Meri locates a shorter half-stool for her tush. "Have a seat. It will only be a couple more minutes of set up. We're going with like a red and black theme?" Black for the paw and outline, red for the hearts. "Shimmy your shirt up, I'll need that skin exposed." While Meri is mixing up the inks, at the advice of Lanara and setting up everything she'd need on a rolling cart (her supplies are more easily retrieved than the chair). While Meri gathers up those supplies, "Naw, I doubt you will see me at the ball." Onward and forward, "I've got a fox that I call Gage. He comes and he goes. Cal has a horse by the name of Storm. Storm Cloud. Mr. Storm Cloud. We mix it up sometimes. I am hoping that the two of them will make some pretty cute horse babies down the line. Nothing near as exotic as a horse..turned..shark?" It sounded like there was quite a story to be told there, Meri was giving Lanara the floor to do so. "Sounds like you definitely need to start up an animal sanctuary. We're just going to dive right into the outline, so just keep talking and try not to move. If it hurts too badly, let me know and we'll take a break." With Lanara's blessing, Meri would start working on the tattoo.

Lanara sits on the upper stool, and rests her elbows on the lower of the two, so that her lower back is completely exposed, and extended, making a nice flesh canvas for Meri to work upon, despite the cramping that the witch would likely feel from sitting in such an awkward position for the duration of the tattoo. She doesn’t complain, for she’s come here for a purpose, and she knew that once the outline was finished being etched into her skin, that the rest would be a breeze, as she’d mostly turn numb. She didn’t know where to begin with explaining Puddles, so she’s grateful when Meri takes hold of the conversation and mentions Gage and Storm. She smiles at the names, and grips the stool cushion, chuckling at the vision of pretty ponies. “You must let me meet those horse babies if they ever meet up and take a liking to each other! I have a litter of kittens back home, one of them has an eye infection and he’s needed extra care, so I’ve been up pretty late with him the past few nights. I think I’m going to keep him. Eirik aptly named him Lucky. I found him as a stray, but then the others found –me- about a week later. They all were pretty underfed and had fleas. But they are about five or six weeks old now and I think all of them will make it. If you’re in the market for another pet, let me know! I often have quite a few strays at a time. So I can’t wait until I have an actual shelter for them all to reside.” As Meri stands behind her and readies the equipment, she falls silent, waiting for that initial ‘sting’ to strike her lower back, as she knew it would hurt like hell in such a sensitive area. A brief nod is given, to motion that yes that color scheme would be great, and that she could begin, whenever she was ready. As the tattooing ensues, Lana swallows hard, and once she gets used to the incessant pinch-like pain, she breaks the silence with some further conversation. “How long have you been in this profession? And… Aw, I was hoping to run into you, again, at the ball. That’s a shame. What is Callum like, have you been together long?”

Meri bobs her head in the occasional nod as she works, but Lanara would be hard pressed to see these gestures. "Well Cal and I were talking puppies, but maybe we could add a kitten to the mix. I would have to consult." Or at least consider how puppy might react to kitty, they had already gotten the stuff for the puppy. The design that Meri was asked to tattoo was not that complex, so the artist was going to be able to knock this one out swiftly. Lanara would feel plenty of sting from the needle, several pauses to clean any excess blood or ink up from her lower back, and then back to the sting of the needle. This process would repeat for about thirty minutes. Meri would try and not let the conversation slack during that time but there were moments of silence. "Cal and I have known each other for about a year now. We've been together for a few months shy of that. He's a good one, trying to keep him for as long as he will let me at least." Here is one of those moments. "Anyway, I have been studying that map that was given out. It looks like these skulls are scattered all throughout the lands. Some of them closer than others." Meri probably has been searching the area for the one in Larket with no particular luck. How could she not? She was not the passive sort. "I was thinking that was should meet down at the Green Fairy. Send word to the gals that were interested in trying to find these skulls. Get things moving to make sure these artifacts fall into the right hands so that we can bring Valrae back."

Lanara winces as a particular sensitive area of flesh is poked with the needle, and her nails lightly dig into the cushion of the stool which she’s propped up against, though she doesn’t fidget or cry out, like some women likely would. The witch was resilient, and being as she had already died, twice, she was handling the tattooing rather nicely. As Meri speaks of looking for a possible puppy to add to Callum and her household, she smiles, though from her position the blonde wouldn’t be able to see her expression. “Puppies are wonderful. However, housebreaking can be a nightmare and of course they keep you up at night, if you get them too young. But… They are the perfect creature to practice raising, should you ever decide to have children.” A long pause is given, as both women find their silence. Meri is having her thoughts on how to maintain a long lasting relationship with Cal, whereas Lana is having an extremely rare maternal moment. The elf had never considered settling down with someone, let along bearing a child, but she finds that she’s suddenly not repulsed at the idea of building a family with Eirik. It hits her, much like the jolting sting against the end of her spine, and she’s quiet for longer than usual. At least she had the experience with raising countless puppies, kittens, and birds, which had lost their mother at too young an age. There also was the occasional rabbit, drake, or exotic creature, too, which required more around-the-clock care. “If you’re in the market for a puppy, I know someone who currently has a pregnant dog, with a litter on the way. Around Christmas I gave a puppy to Ansel and his boys, it was adorable. All fluffy and white, and rambunctious.” Lana listens to Meri’s explanation of being unable to discover the skull that was believed to be hidden in Larket, somewhere, and she goes to nod, but thinks it best not to, as the tattoo was still being worked on. “I think only those with magical abilities can track the skull, though I don’t know that for certain. I spoke briefly with Uma, after the meeting, as I had to return her drapes, and she said that the skulls are meant to ‘call’ whoever it wishes to wield its power. Whatever that means?! And, yes… We have to get things moving. The longer Valrae stays deceased, the stronger the power we’ll need to revive her, and we want her to return whole…” Another pause. “I will get my sister to come to Enchantment and help me to search there… Maybe you can bring that drow woman from the meeting… I think her name was… Encara? Perhaps, we can meet the Friday following the ball?”

The tattoo is finished in a timely manner during the conversation. “I will talk it over with Callum and see what he says. Maybe we can take one of them.” If they ever really get a puppy at all. This was meant to be a Yule present to Meri. “But I don’t think kids are part of the plan for Callum and I, so this puppy is not practice for us.” A beat, with Meri trying to take on a more gentle tone to combat the harshness of her next statement. “I don’t know Encara. I don’t particularly trust drow. I have no real interest in traveling with one...Not when it would just be me and that drow making the journey. So, no. I am not really willing to bring Encara. I am willing to send a letter to inform her to meet us in Enchantment at a specified date, time, and location, and that is it. I’m sorry, but too many harsh lessons. I am willing to work with her in a group setting when there is more than one force to try and stop any treachery.” And once Lanara’s lower back is cleaned up, Meri will disappear one final time to snag up a mirror. Lanara is going to have to bend and twist to catch a view for Meri does not have double mirrors for them to bounce reflections off of. Not anymore, not since she lost her muse. “I don’t know who can or cannot track the skulls. I just recall Uma mentioning that she was going to put a bounty out for them to further drive excitement but she wanted to spread the message to witches and witch supporters first.” It is possible Meri misunderstood or misinterpreted. It was a quick meeting with a lot of information flying about.

Lanara bites her lip as Meri mentions her distaste for the drow, and she nods her head, in complete understanding. “I’m not exactly on friendly terms with their kind, either… The Drow were responsible for the loss of my homeland… Kelvar… One in particular beheaded my mother, and another did unspeakable things to my little sister, before setting a torch to the forest. My entire clan perished, over a land dispute! They deserve to remain underground…” As Lana glowers in her mutual distrust for the drow, the tattoo is complete, and she feels a cloth washing away any excess ink and blood from her lower back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laid all that on you, Meri. I’m just not entirely trusting of others, especially the drow. I’ve gotten much better over the years with accepting them in society, but all in all, I’m not a fan, and I’ve had two run-ins since arriving in the lands with their kin. Should Encara wish to aide us in retrieving these skulls, we will just be wary, and make sure we remain in a group setting, and that she is never alone with a skull. Just to be on the safe side.” Lana hears Meri leave and return, with a mirror in her hand, and she smiles, eager to see her new ink. It takes a bit of maneuvering this way and that to see the image, as its location is hard to view in the mirror, but she –finally- gets a good look and she squeals in glee. “It’s perfect! Thank you so much! You did an amazing job! I think Eirik will love it. I know I love it!” Rising to her feet, she abruptly pulls Meri in for a brief hug, getting lost in the excitement of her new tattoo. After giving the woman a gentle squeeze around the middle, she leans back, a big smile on her fair face. “Thank you, I truly love it! How much do I owe you?” Lifting her satchel from the floor, she rummages for her coin purse, and looks expectantly at the artist.

Meri was such a strange ones about hugs, she was like a cat being forced to be held when it came to them. Not the sort that would claw and kick and have a huge fuss, but she definitely tensed up and was quick to end the embrace, trying to do so without seeming rude. There are very few individuals that Meri was okay with hugging, and even those individuals still received some amount of awkwardness in the gesture. “Yeah. Drow.” Meri confirms. “They have not caused me nearly as much grief as they did you, but I do agree with how we should handle Encara during our trip. You and I? We have a motive for helping.” And Talyara too, though Meri was not sure her motive was as great as Lanara’s who wants to try and repay Valrae in whatever way she can, because of Eirik. But Talyara and Lanara were related so maybe the motive was helping her sister and fellow witches out? Meri was not that concerned, either way. Encara on the other hand...Drow. “We’ll keep a close eye on her throughout.” A beat. “Your tattoo was a small and simple one. Fifty gold for the piece.”

Lanara senses Meri’s hesitation, and so she’s about to release the woman from the hug, at precisely the same time that Meri steps from the uncomfortable embrace. “I’m sorry! I was just super excited and happy with the tattoo!” Taking a step back, Lana counts the gold coins in her purse, and listens to the verbal agreement that both of them would keep a close eye on Encara, should she do something to raise their suspicions. She was a drow, and as racist as it may seem to others, both Meri and Lana had a history with the race and it was only right for them to protect not only themselves, but the skulls, as well. It could mean losing a second chance for Valrae, should their plan become foiled. Both women had reasons for wanting to resurrect the witch, and both would make sure that nothing, and no one, would step in their way. Responding with a nod, Lana extends her hand, and drops one hundred gold into Meri’s palm. It was double the payment, but the brunette couldn’t stop mentally gushing over how great the piece had come out, and she was notorious for giving generous tips to those that deserved a little extra. Plus, Meri had given her good conversation, she was helping out Valrae’s cause, and she didn’t judge Lana for being betrothed to the ex-witch killer. All in all, she’d be back for more work in the future, and she hoped that after the skulls were recovered, the two could become friends. “Thank you so much for taking me on such short notice. Next time I will be sure to make an appointment. I’ll see you next Friday, in Enchantment!” And with that, the witch leaves the room and shrugs into her cloak, before heading into the streets of Larket.