RP:The Girl With The Mermaid Tattoo

Part of the The Day I Tried To Live Arc

Summary: Khitti and Brand finally get to finish their conversation with Meri that'd been started some weeks ago in Frostmaw and they gain another ally for their journey to the Plane of Shadow. Khitti also manages to say the wrong thing again because #JustAwkwardKhittiThings.

SoulSkin Tattoo Parlor, Rynvale

Meri was in the parlor, yes, and it would not be hard to spot the woman. The parlor itself, while multilevel, was only one room and that room was open so the entire shop within view. The only section of the shop that is 'closed' off from view is a curtained off area for those clients who are more modest or who have presented more risque requests. Some private space needed to be afforded. While the shop is multilevel, the door leading up and the one leading down would both be locked. Not that anyone had a need to investigate them. Who snoops around like that anyway? While it is after hours, the shop door has been propped open by a big sign that shouts 'CLOSED', sometimes the artists needed to work late and the shop got stuffy. Except tonight Meri was not working on anything related to inkwork, she stands in front of the work table that spans along the western wall with paints, brushes, and sizable wooden board.

Khitt almost didn’t go to visit with Meri. It wasn’t necessarily that she hated Meri or didn’t want to talk to her. Things were just, well, difficult lately and after having to deal with Ameno in the days between now and the last time she’d seen the tattooed female, she still wasn’t in any better of a mood. And then, there’d also been the “conversation” with Dominic. -That- hadn’t gone well either. Looking rather like one of those vampires from the eighties with her long black duster buttoned all the way up and the collar popped up, she’d peek her head into the open door with the faintest of frowns, “Meri…?” She’d hesitate a moment, then pulled the door open a bit more to let both her and Brand inside. “Uh, hi.”

Tattoos were one of those things Brand had thought about before but never actually committed to. Plenty of his shipmates on the Sunderia had had at least one -- but most of those were the slavers, and Brand hadn’t been particularly inclined to get any permanent reminder of that time. The pale band of skin around one wrist, where the tracking bracer had once been, was more than reminder enough. As Brand entered the shop behind Khitti, however, his eyes immediately gravitated toward the paints and other tools of the job. Maybe one day, on his own terms and for his own reasons… “Hey.” He nudged Khitti. “You do the talkin’, I figure you know what’s needed best. You’ve had more time with that book than I have.” He was referring to the book the treants had given her, of course -- an encyclopedia of things present in the Shadow Plane, amongst other things. But also, he wanted free rein to observe their new surroundings for a moment.

Meri was oblivious to the dealings with Ameno, but that made sense for Meri was not actually amongst the warrior's guild even though it sure seemed that she liked to hang around their ranks. Had Khitti and Brand not shown up? Well the simplest assumption is often the correct one in Meri's mind, but it's not like she could really take offense. Hearing her own name spoken, blue eyes cut toward the main entrance of the shop only to find a frowning Khitti and Brand. Moving away from the worktable and toward the front of the shop, Meri greets the duo with a smile that's fake -- let's be real. This has the makings of an awkward night written all over it. "Heeeey," she drawls out, "Glad you two could make it. Feel free to grab a chair." Chairs would definitely be found in the immediate vicinity, kept for those walk-ins who needed to wait for Lita or Meri to be available. As for where Meri sits? Tattooed hands grip the edge of the front desk, Meri pushing herself right up and onto the counter where she sits cross-legged.

Khitti side-eyed Brand with a sigh and a shake of her head, “Fine. Vhatever.” There was definitely attitude there. She sits, as Meri offers up the chairs, and removes her coat, sticking it on the chair next to her. “Now zhat ve’re now in some gods’ awful tavern vhere everyone can hear...vhat do you vant to know?” With the coat off, a strange tattoo of some sort could be seen. It was neither Meri nor Lita’s work, of course. The artwork was almost tribal in essence and snaked around the entire length of her arm, starting at a rather large scar on the underside of her left forearm, reaching all the way up to her shoulder and circling around her neck. Idly, Khitti rubbed at what seemed line nothing more than black ink, made to look like it weaved in and out of her flesh, her line of sight settling on Brand again momentarily before the redhead continued, “I know you vere hesitant about it before and I completely understand, but zhings have come up and time has grown short. I can’t put off going much longer. I haven’t even had a damned chance to talk to Lionel about it because he’s been so damned busy. I vas hoping he’d show, but nope. It’s gonna at least have to vait until ve take care of zhese damned bugs. And, I’m not forcing you to go, nothing like zhat, but I vould be grateful for zhe assistance.”

Brand didn’t take one of the offered chairs. He preferred to amble about close to the front door, hands clasped behind his back, eyes scouring every little detail. Anything that could be scrutinized from this vantage point would be -- including Meri herself -- but he wasn’t so rude as to pry into or touch anything. “We’ll send him a letter,” Brand interjected, attention fixed on some particularly shiny trinket in the display case, “and we’ll just have to frakkin’ hope he’s got the time to read it between one thing and another.”

Meri is not shy in staring at Khitti's own tattoo. The fact that it was not Lita's work was apparent to Meri and it went without saying that it was also not Meri's own work. Blue eyes would study the line work of the tribal design but they would ultimately pull away before the stare crossed that line from appreciating the work of another tattoo artist to just being plain creepy. Red lips are pressed together as her gaze instead turns to the ceiling, studying the floorboards above. "Hesitant. I mean, sure, yeah to a degree." Because how confidently can you commit going to another plane with a couple of strangers, based on the memory of a dead man. "But my offer stands, if you guys feel like I can help, then I will help." Brand is eyed for a moment before her gaze shifts back to Khitti. "I mean you already said that there is nothing written that can prepare me for the place. You said there were beings of all sort from neutral to evil so...It is whatever you think I need to know, chick. I'm a little more concerned about the logistics. How long should I be telling Jax," the apprentice not present, "to delay appointments, for example. Should I anticipate it being stupid cold like Frostmaw...Or...."

Khitti shook her head, “I von’t take as long as you’d think. Zhe days zhere pass faster zhan zhey do here. Zheir sun, it’s all veird. Doesn’t last but a few hours. Like I told Rorin zhat night in Frostmaw, ve left very early in zhe morning and vhile ve vere zhere, zhe sun passed over us twice and by time ve got back, it vas only just after mid-day here.” Fumbling with her coat, she pulled out two folded maps, stood, and took it over to Meri. One was of Lithrydel, including Rynvale. Catal, Brand and Lionel’s homeland, and Dhavislaav’s, which was Khitti’s had been given their proper coordinates as well. “Zhere is snow, vhere ve vere here”--she points at the Shadow Plane equivalent to Frostmaw, “--but not anywhere else. Ve’ll be starting in zheir version of Vailkrin, Helshade, because it’s a safe zone. Brand, Lionel, and I vere given ground mounts to take us zhrough zhe forest and zhe cats are large enough for multiple people per.” An index finger slid across the map from Vailkrin, through the White Woods that spanned what would be the entirety of Kelay-Sage and Xalious. “Ve hit zheir Chartsend, zhe Harbor of Horrors--nice name, I know--and get safe passage via zhe tribe zhere. Zhey’re fisherfolk, lots of boats and such and zhey know zheir vay around zhe sea. Zhe people ve talked to in zheir Larket told us as such, and despite other zhings ve vere told, I’m leaning more towards trusting zhem zhan not. I don’t have much of a choice as zhis point because I -have- to go. As for zhe island, vhere my home is, but of course, in zhat realm, it shouldn’t be cold. Not anything like Frostmaw. Probably about like Kelay-Sage zhis time of year. Ve’ll be fine. Zhere is zhe danger of spores going zhrough zhe forest, but ve’ve got it covered. Got enchanted breathing masks, sorta like vhat you’d use for underwater diving, to help vith zhat. Already tested and everything.” Khitti’d noticed Meri’s staring, of course, and only now just addressed it. “Zhings have simultaneously vorsened and gotten better. Amarrah von’t be attacking anymore soon, so zhere’s nothing to vorry zhere, but…” Pausing, she sighed, “A deal has been made and even if something happens, and no one but I can go, it’s got to happen. Zhere’s no vay around it anymore ever.” It was all a lot for Meri to take in, but she hoped that she’d explained it as best as she could. Being the only person to really know anything at all about the Plane of Shadow was becoming a real pain in the arse.

The phrase ‘stupid cold’ earned a chuckle from the Catalian. Khitti was lucky to not be so affected by the cold -- one of the boons of being a vampire. Her coat was for show more than anything. She could probably wander stark gorram naked if she wanted to, though then she’d be baring that strange ‘tattoo’ Amarrah had gifted her and all of her scars to the world, not to mention dat ass, and -- oh. Ahem. Brand’s mind was getting off track for a second there. Reeeeeel it back in outta the gutter, Brand. That’s a good man. “It’s comfortable enough, for a place where everythin’ tries to kill you. Prob’ly just don’t try to cuddle any of the wildlife.”

Meri settles her attention on the maps one they are presented, which is where they stay for the duration of the time that Khitti talks. The blonde nods at points to indicate she is listening but it was indeed a lot to take in and there was only so much that could be drawn from a map and words. The tail end of Khitti's words earns her a confused look, Meri still not entirely sure who Amarrah is. She had really only gotten the short version of what is probably a very long story. Brand's comment about not snuggling the wildlife is met with a half-smirk, "Oh yeah. Totally. Definitely won't try and bring and pets home with me either." Actually! She meant that. She thinks. Never know. On a more serious note, to Khitti, "You said up in Frostmaw that if you did not find a solution for your problem, that Hildegarde would take care of it. Well, I knew a guy, once. So. Yeah it doesn't sound like we'll be walking through a field of daisies on a cloudless day but, I'm in. I suppose anything that could happen to me there could easily happen to me here." The woman shrugs. "Whenever you guys are ready, I'll be there." Blue eyes bounce back and forth between Brand and Khitti, "Anything else you guys think I should know?"

Khitti could almost sense that things weren’t being as absorbed as she liked, but what’s a girl to do right now? She had to take what she can get. The vampiress would smirk at Brand as well and roll her eyes, “ ‘Just keep all hands and feet inside zhe ride at all times’, essentially.” Yeah, you know the drill with amusement parks and their Lithrydel equivalents. This was totally going to be the same thing. Maybe. Probably. Hopefully. Meri’s confused look had been spied and Khitti side-eyed the ground, “I s’pose I should tell you about Amarrah, not that it really matters anymore, I guess, seeing as how ve’re gonna get rid of zhe frakkin’ bitch here pretty soon. Long story short, back vhen I vas a kid, necromancers did some experimenting on me. Killed zhe whole damned village besides me, my sister, and a few others. Zhey -did- end up killing Lydia too, but me...vell, zhey turned me into zheir prized little monster. Zhere vas stories about zhings like zhat back home, called zhem ‘Frankensteins’.” She shook her head, carrying on and getting off that tangent, “Amarrah is from zhe Shadow Plane. From vhat it sounds like, from zhe book I vas given, she’s from a whole tribe of necromancers, people zhat vatch over spirits zhere. -Our- spirits and ghosts and such from here. Zhey found a sweet spot in my arm and stuck -her- spirit in zhere. She’s zhe reason I can make vith all zhe fancy magicks. I got out, vith her, and been lugging her around in my damned body ever since. I zhink all zhe time away from her homeworld has made her crazy. She zhinks I’m zhe one to blame. So, ve’re taking her home...and I get my sister in return.” A tiny bit of shadow-flame alights on her right hand as she brings it over to the scar on her left, “And, if I don’t get Amarrah zhere in one piece and help her father bring her back from zhe dead, I don’t get my sister. And Hildegarde von’t have to vorry about her little death sentence ‘cause I’ve frakkin’ gone and put the noose around my neck for her.” The fire is pressed against the scar and suddenly the ‘tattoo’ sprung to life. What was once like ink now shifted into vine-like shadow tendrils. They tore open her skin at the spots where the vines weaved into her flesh, the ones around her neck threatening to snap it in an instant as they tightened on the inside and the outside of her throat. Khitti didn’t keep the fire there long, though, for obvious reasons. “And, I’m zhinkin’, zhat maybe I’ll be paying you a visit here afterwards, if you’re alright vith it--if I manage to survive vhat’s expected of me zhere. Been getting rather sick of looking at zhis scar of mine and you just so happen to be in zhe right business to go and cover it up. A trade, maybe. For your help. Got another tattoo in mind maybe besides one for zhis, so you’d be getting plenty of money. Aside from zhat, I don’t zhink zhere’s much else. Ve’ll deal vith zhings as ve go, much like ve’ve got to vith dangers here. I don’t have time to vorry about details anymore. Just keep close to us and do as ve say.” She didn’t seem to mean that in a militaristic or bossy sort of manner; it was more just ‘I’m the only one that knows anything about this damned place’ kind of thing.

Brand had seen that ‘tattoo’ at work before. There weren’t many things that got him to visibly cringe, but this -- this was one of them. He turned away during Khitti’s little demonstration, back towards the display case. Someone here had been on many trips around the world, from the looks of it, or else had had the money to acquire such souvenirs without doing the travel themselves. And here he’d spent half or more of his life on another continent or on the open sea, buoyed around from place to place, and hadn’t anything physical to show for it but a collection of scars and one of those odd Tikifhlee cats from the Shadow Plane. “Might get somethin’ here myself, one day,” he mused aloud, in echo of his earlier thoughts, “if I ever figure out what the gorram hell I’d even get. Not really the ‘art’ sort, ‘less that art is stabbin’ people. Or dodgin’ stabs. Or burnin’ things, or gettin’ peach here --” that’s Khitti “-- outta trouble, or…” His mind wandered off with him, but he seemed to realize it soon enough and shook his head to indicate he was digressing. “Anywho, I ever think of anything that doesn’t sound all manner of terribly cliche, I know where I’m gettin’ it.” Apparently all that examining of the shop had left him satisfied.

Meri shifts about on the counter as she listens to Khitti, making herself more comfortable by uncrossing her legs so that they dangle. The woman also leans back and reaches into a drawer to pull out a case of already rolled cigarettes and the means to light right on up, all done while she listens to the woman and completed by the time Khitti gives her little demonstration. Eyes widen a bit when it is revealed that what Meri was previously appreciating for just simple tribal artwork is in fact a far more complicated piece then that. How grim, it may take the award for darkest story behind a 'tattoo' and Meri has heard some stories. "That....is quite a to do list you have to accomplish....And what choice do you have? Hopefully you've got the support you need." What else was there to say really? The subject shifts to tattooing in both Khitti and Brand, something Meri -is- actually familiar with. "That's what I am here for, should either of you decide you want some work done. Lita too. Either one of us would be happy to ink you guys up..." These words are meant for Khitti, "We can cover up scarring." People do it all the time. "I would be happy to give you a new tattoo all together, too." The next for Brand, "No rushing these things, not every tattoo is easy to cover up when you decide you hate it."

Khitti was certainly grateful for the change in subject now, but it didn’t put things out of her mind entirely. “I’m zhinking...maybe...a mermaid, zhough -zhat’s- pretty cliche too.” She did so love her mermaids; Brand could tell you. She could go on for hours about that one fairy tale. Probably best not to get her started on it though. “It’d be big enough to cover zhis, zhough. I’ll sketch something out and give you a color scheme and you could always build off of it and make it better because, frankly, my drawing skills are lacking. I’m not exactly zhe creative type.” Says the girl that can decently play violin and bake better than Mrs. Mallard in Cenril. Khitti collected the maps and shoved them away in her coat before putting it back on. “I suppose ve should go. I didn’t vant to keep you too late. Just, if you change your mind, let me know, okay? Ve’ll be around here for awhile...and even if you do, it von’t change my mind on zhe tattoos. Once we’ve gotten zhings planned out properly, and figured out who’s all going, ve’ll send vord on vhen ve mean to go.”

Brand knew that name, Lita, though he’d not heard it in an age. Dominic had met her once, in fact.He’d had to dig up the memory from some dusty corner of his brain. It seemed a lifetime ago now, though to his best recollection it had only been about a year. So much had changed in that short time. And hadn’t that been in Sage? What had she been doing that far from her work and, presumably, home? Or had she not been working here then? Anyway, he’d tuck that nugget of knowledge away to ponder over another time. Like the lady said (definitely not -his- lady, mind), time to go. “Yeah. I get fair certain on anything, I’ll swing by.” Brand nodded a farewell.

Meri shifts her gaze sideways when Khitti defines mermaid tattoos as cliche. The reason for that reaction right at that particular is definitely the fact that the main focus of the full-sleeve on Meri's left arm is definitely a mermaid. Nothing is said, but her cigarette is pressed to red lips and a deep drag is taken, exhaled through her nose in a thick plume of smoke. "Yeah," Meri says to Khitti, as she dons a smile, "Draw up when you are imagining and send it my way, with the colors you think are wanting to see used. We'll go from there." A beat. "I won't change my mind though." Alas, mind reader is not a talent this psion has so Brand's line of thinking will go unanswered. "Anyway, you're right. It's late. I should probably clean up my mess," a thumb is hitched over her shoulder to her art project, "And get going myself. Obviously I will be seeing the both of you around."

Khitti was being more self-conscious than anything about her choices with regards to tattoos because who wants to make the wrong decisions with those, but of course, Meri didn’t know that. Just as she turns to leave, she actually caught sight of Meri’s mermaid sleeve and literally facepalms. If she’d done it any harder, her hand would go through her damned head. The redhead opens her mouth, as if to apologize and probably stumble over her words a hundred million times, but thinks better of it. There wasn’t time for it. Instead, Khitti just gives her an apologetic look, actually admires said tattoo for a moment, then presses on out the door with a wave. Ugh. Can’t ever say a damned thing right around people, can you, Khitti?