More this and less that

[Syn]

Matsu had come back to Coruscant with a purpose, she was out for a little break from her studies since she got back. Slowly Matsu walked the streets and stopped as she looked at a sign. She had always wanted to get a tattoo and as she peeked inside saw lots of pictures on the walls. Most tribal or for different species, some in script but then she saw one that made her smile internally. Quickly Matsu checked how many credits she had taken out and went inside, the place was clean and nice looking with the artist in the back and Matsu waited as she flipped through the book to find the picture that was on the wall. When she found it she looked at the price and had just enough to get it and maybe some food after. With a look at where it would go in the mirror Matsu removed her coat and ran a hand along her shoulder and rang the bell.

[this is purely a story thread]

 

[Xyrael]

"Something I can do for you?" a Twi'lek girl called out from the back, popping her head out from behind the corner to take a look at the girl at the counter. A Jedi, she cursed as she saw the girls lightsaber hung at her hilt. A weapon that anyone could easily identify. Serah quickly hid her deathsticks in a cabinet and walked out calmly to the counter, there was no reason for a Jedi to confront her about some deathsticks, her shop wasn't even in their precinct. She put her elbows on the counter and raised an eyebrow at the young girl, analyzing her features. Ah, just a padawan, she thought, relaxing herself. "So, what do you want?" she asked, noting that the girl was looking through some books of her designs.

 

[Syn]

Matsu spoke looking at the twi-lek and pointing as she took out the credits. She sensed something but ignored it, the twi-lek wasn't doing anything that would require to actually act. Plus she really wanted to tattoo. "I would like this one please. Here are my credits."

 

[Xyrael]

"Eh?" Serah grunted as she leaned over to look. "You sure you want that one? It's pretty big for a tiny girl like you," she said, taking the credits and looking them over. She knew a Jedi would never swindle her, but she always checked her money before taking on a client. She grunted, "I charge by the hour, kid. This work will take a bit of time, I'm sure you know. But, this'll do..." she said as she counted the credits. I was enough. Besides, how often did one get to tattoo a Jedi. Inflict a little pain upon a grateful client, and get to post her work juxtaposed next to a lightsaber on her wall and in her portfolio. She grinned a little.

"Fine, head on back, chair's on your left. Take off your shirt and lay down, I'll pencil the work on first and you can tell me if you want anything changed," she muttered, nodding her head to the back, one of her head tails falling off her shoulders with the movement. Her green fingers fumbled with the credits, shoving them into a well locked register before she would follow the padawan back to her work room.

 

[Syn]

Matsu walked in the back and took off her tunic as she lowered the sarashi so her back would be exposed. Slowly Matsu laid on the table and stretched out her arm, she could handle the pain and she had nothing but time. With an internal grin she readied herself the twi-lek was going to use her skin to show off her talent and the least Matsu could do was try and show it to the rest of the galaxy. Also how many got to say they worked on a jedi?

 

[Xyrael]

Serah grabbed a pencil and began to draw on the Jedi's shoulder and upper back. The padawan's skin was somewhat in the way, but this was not Serah's first rodeo. Crazy psychedelic music played from speakers that were well hidden, and Serah's head bobbed slowly as she worked, still she felt uneasy with the Jedi not speaking.

"So, what's your name, and what made you want a tattoo?" she asked curiously.

 

[Syn]

Matsu spoke as she kept her body still. She didn't want to mess the twi-lek up. "I am Matsu, and I wanted to have something to distinguish me from the others at the temple. They have tribal and species and I have snow white skin. I just want a piece of art on my flesh." Slowly Matsu finished as she felt the pencil along her skin and she made sure her hair was out of the way.

 

[Xyrael]

"I've always thought that tattoo's are sort of a representation of where we are in life," Serah mused idly as she drew with pencil. The Jedi's speaking made her lungs shift and move slightly, but Serah was experienced enough to know when to take the pencil away. She put down the pencil and took the pen itself and played with it, checking the needles before putting an arm in front of Matsu. "See this one?" she said, pointing to a tattoo on her arm, "That was the first tattoo I ever drew, everytime I look at it I remember myself back then. Lost, looking for a line of work, thinking I was invincible. This tattoo will help you remember who you are today, even if your life changes you," the Twi'lek smiled, before pointing to a mirror. "Now, check and tell me if that's the design you want, or if you want anything changed. Is there anything special you want in the tattoo, anything that means something to you?" she asked. It was a fairly standard question, she thought, but the answer usually told part of a story that was too taboo for her to discuss further, and she always liked to learn more about people.

 

[Syn]

Matsu looked in the mirror and at the tattoo as she thought about it, the design was what she liked and for the moment there wasn't anyone special but maybe. "Can you make one of the eyes gold and the other azure?" Matsu thought about it Saia and Chora were the closest too her. Not like Adonia who was her friend but they seemed to be more to her at least she thought so. Chora seemed more open to the idea and Matsu liked that but Saia was a wonderful person and she was happy to have her as a dear friend and confidant if that was all she wanted to be. "That is all I want special. Please continue when you are ready."

 

[Xyrael]

Serah began fidgeting with the needles, making sure they were clean, before dabbing them in the containers of paint-like ink. The first layer would be the outline, the least painful, and quickest part of, the process. Despite the 'quickness', the ordeal inevitably took the better part of an hour given the scale of the design. Serah hunched back, cracking her back, and looked at Matsu as she grabbed a cig and started to smoke. Unorthodox, perhaps, but it was her shop afterall. "Hurt much? Next parts the fun part, we'll start adding the shading, then the color..."

 

[Syn]

Matsu remained still, internally she was wincing but she knew you didn't show pain. Slowly she spoke looking at the twi-lek smoke. "No not much, I am ready when you are." Slowly Matsu placed her head back down as she waited for the needles. She had thought it would be easy but in the end it would be worth it as she thought about what the artist had said. How it held a place in her life. She knew two wonderful girls cared for them but Saia was special or at least she was the most unique. Maybe it was that they looked so much alike? Or that despite her being older she was smaller? Maybe Saia was just such a nice person she inspired feeling of friendship. Then there was Chora who was fiery and sharp with her wit and skin. She was more passion and Matsu didn't know if that was good either.

 

[Xyrael]

"This is the pleasant part. Won't hurt on the shoulder so much but," Serah tapped the fleshy skin near Matsu's armpit, "that's the part you'll really enjoy. The rest'll just feel like a bad sunburn." She dabbed the pen in some more ink and, with cigarette still in mouth, hunched back over and continued her work, ignoring the burning paper and the ash that sorely needed to be flicked off.

The length of the work took several session until, finally, she began work on the eyes. Serah knew that Matsu hadn't requested it, but felt that a little color and flare would be nice. She slowly outlined the eyes in blue, working in towards the center slowly, sure to fade it in as though the center of the eye were brighter. Dabbing in a few touches of yellow and a brighter blue, she slowly worked on the eye until that it looked like a gem. Bubbles of blood from the tender, punctured skin slowly surfaced around the eye, and she gently wiped them off to inspect her work. It was perfect, looking almost exactly like a sapphire glinting in the light, a lovely contrast to the rest of the black piece. She began work on the gold, knowing that both yellow and white were the most difficult colors to set, despite improvements in technology and ink. She worked again, in similar patterns, to create a golden eye just as brilliant as sparkling amber. She flicked her cigarette, by now her ninth one, and leaned back to admire her work, spraying water and dabbing off small drops of blood with a towel that had begun to turn red.

"Have a look," she said, hinting to the mirror as she fidgeted, looking for a camera to take a picture of the work. Matsu's entire shoulder area seemed swollen, but the tattoo had set in well and had not embossed on her skin, as it did with some others. She still needed some medtape and a bandage to ensure she didn't scratch at the tattoo or get it sunburnt, both of which would ruin the quality of the tattoo by causing shedding and removal of the ink.

 

[Syn]

Matsu looked in the mirror as she turned her head. She could feel the area as she looked at it. Thousands of tiny pricks along her skin and she nodded in approval. The artist was just that and she sat there when the bandage was put on. She would heal on the trip to the temple and Tython. She would be fine and then get some surprised looks. "It is wonderful, you are truly a master." With a smile Matsu stood up and rolled her shoulder to loosen it up. She kept slid the tunic on and held her coat. With a look back at the twi-lek Matsu bowed and spoke going towards the door. "Thank you very much, If I want another one I know where to come."