Ink [Renee]

[Jesse Fforde]

I nod. She shows me about how big she wants the tattoo, and it’s definitely doable. Probably preferable, that size, so that all the proper detail can be included. I had asked where she would like the tattoo, and her only response is somewhere on the right side. My gaze shifts from her face and travels the length of her body. It’s a nice body – it’s got curves and a nice shape. Although I am definitely undressing her with my eyes, it wouldn’t be the purpose that most would assume of me. Yeah, sure, I’m a whore. But in this moment, I am merely an artist who is assessing, or trying to assess, his canvas.

Although Renee has indicated that she would like the tattoo on her right side, she hasn’t actually specified where. I arch a brow, glance flicking back to her face as my assessment is concluded.

”There’s a lot of real estate on the right side of your body, Renee,” I tell her with a smirk. ”You’re going to have to be a tad more specific. Your hip? Waist, just below the ribs? Over the ribs themselves and directly on your right side, here?” I ask, swiping my fingers down the length of her torso, from under the armpit to below the breast. ”Or a little inward, just below the breast?” I ask – I do not let my fingers stray to that particular area. Some decorum must be kept.

[Renee]

I let out a small chuckle as he swips his fingers down my torso. "I should of narrpwed that down a bit. I want it under the ribs slitghly inward under the breast." It was true that this might limit my clothing opptions for a few days but I could just heal myself to quicken it though I'd reather it heal properly and not risk messing it up in anyway. If worst comes to worst I'd just stay at home and be nacked for a few days. I had enough blood packs to feed my hunger and work could easily be done over the phone or the computer. I trusted the worker after all.

[Jesse Fforde]

A good spot for a tattoo, I think, and I know that given what I have to work with, I can definitely make it look classy. ”Okay,” I say. ”Easy. If you want to go make yourself comfortable – you’ll need to remove your shirt – and go lay on the couch? I’ll prepare the design,” I tell Renee.

I stand at the kitchen counter, transferring the design from one place to the other—making it slightly bigger, including only outlines, making sure that each line is perfect, that there aren’t misspellings or discrepancies. I draw in only the basics – all the shading and the colouring I will do once the design is already on the skin. I work best that way. And, despite what most people might think, a mistake in a tattoo isn’t all that hard to fix. Not that I make too many mistakes, these days.

It’s about fifteen minutes later that I have the design ready on the transferrable paper; I take it to the coffee table next to the couch, along with a wet cloth, some gloves, and a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

”Ready?”

[Renee]

I watch him for a moment before I take off my shirt. I look down and frown at myself bbefore shrugging it off. My scare located over my heart is visable. I had not put any makeup on it this evening to cover it up. I think back to the last time I had had to cover it up and that had been for one of TY's parties. I had had fun though no one knew it was me and I had no clue who anyone else had been. I had no stayed long enough to find out. That was before the other had found a way out so the headachs where happening and I had had to leave before the screaming had started. That had been when I was trying to do something now the only thing I was trying to do was make money and find something new to keep my mind busy. I am unsure if my bra will be able to stay on or not so I decide to wait and if it needs to be removed it would not be hard. I sit down on the sofa and wait for him to finish up. I watch as he brings over all that is needed. I nod my head "Yep. I'm ready." I give a smale smile.

[Jesse Fforde]

I crouch down in front of Renee and place the design where she has indicated that she would like it. If I pay any attention to her bare skin it is only to assess it as a canvas; I have a fascination with skin. I always have. I like it when it’s smooth, and an even colour. I don’t like it when people have ruined their skin with too much sunshine. I am, perhaps, a lot like that serial killer in Silence of the Lambs. Lotion. Lots and lots of lotion is what I always recommended. Dry skin is not good for tattoos. I abhor dry skin.

It’s not exactly a problem where vampires are concerned, however. Their skin is neither too dry nor too oily. It’s always just right. Malleable porcelain. I barely glance at the scar. Everyone has scars. I have a few of my own. They only add to the overall complexity of a canvas; only add to its uniqueness.

I dab at the design with the damp cloth until the paper is wet through, before peeling it away. The black outlines of the crest, the banner, and the hydra are transferred to Renee’s skin. I arch a brow up at her.

”There okay?”

[Renee]

I shift myself up to look at the placement. "It looks great." I lay back down on the sofa, my arms behind my head so I dont move them too much. I let my thoughts drift off for a moment. I think of the few people I would say I am close to now. There is of course my sisters, Ursa and Pagie. I am close to Axel mostly do to the fact that he is in my head. Cat is someone else I feel a strange closeness to. Her sire Doc is another though I am unsure that it is felt back for any of them. Then there is Jesse. I feel close to him like someone would feel close to a mentor. "Jesse? When was the last time you spoke to Axel?"

[Jesse Fforde]

The question comes out of nowhere. When was the last time I spoke to Axel? I do remember the last proper conversation I had with him; the one just after the Fforde meeting I had called. The meeting that he had not shown up to, where the three girls had informed of me of the near-mutual dislike of Axel's actions, recently. I sought him out because I had wanted to talk to him about his childer. He had promised to seek them out more often. The conversation, I thought, had gone quite well, even if Axel seemed, in short, a little too easily swayed and a little too... disinterested. Maybe not disinterested, but he had no spark. I had shown interest in Axel's life; concern for his problems. I give a shrug.

"A month ago, maybe, when I talked to him properly. I've seen him around the Eyrie since," I say, scrunching up the piece of paper and tossing it aside before pulling on the surgical gloves and picking the ink gun - prepped with black ink - from the table.

"Why? When was the last time you talked to him?" I ask. I am curious, now that she has brought it up. Had my conversation with Axel made any difference? Or was he still the same old Axel?

[Renee]

"In person?" I think for a moment about when it had been. "Probably about a few weeks maybe a month. It was after Val had called me up to inform me about not making it into TY. He wanted to make sure I was okay though he did not sound happy...but then again his happy and my happy are probably two different things. He is always in my head though I wouldn't call it 'talking' because its really just him trying to drown out thoughts." She thinks again. "What about Pagie and Ursa? Seen them any lately?"

[Jesse Fforde]

I have pulled up a small stool so that I can sit by Renee comfortably while etching the ink into the skin of her torso. She seems intent on conversation for the time being, however, and so I lean forward with elbows on my knees, the tattoo gun loose in my grasp. It is good that Axel called Renee to see how she was. Progress, insofar as it was - progress, in that he did not call her to berate her or disown her because she had not got into the faction. I light frown furrows my brow as she says he is always in her head, however. And then she moves on, asking about Ursula and Paige.

"Sure, yes. I see them around," I say. There's no need, really, to go into the details, but I have seen the other two girls more recently than I had seen Axel, or any other of my childer. I cant my head to the side, the curious question still burning in the back of my mind.

"What do you mean... drowning out thoughts?" I ask. "His thoughts or yours?" I continue. I don't know why I'm so curious, but I am. It's a curious kind of topic. I'm not one to gossip, but this doesn't feel like gossip. It feels like... staying in the loop, somehow. A loop that I feel like I should be a part of, but which I am not, for some reason or another.

[Renee]

He ask about the thoughts and I feel he should know the story. I had said something before when I thought they were just thoughts but now that I've learned more about them he should know. "Well, I guess you would say they are my thoughts, but they aren't." I take a big breath in, hold it in for a second and then quickly exhale. I know I don't need to breath but this is something that makes me uneasy to talk about but I know Jesse needs to know. "They are more voices then thoughts. At first I thought I was going crazy but then I found out that I have something wrong with me. I'm not fully sure what it is called." I look away from him as I go on. "There is this 'other'. It takes over my body and does things. I know this because It's left me notes and I've set up a cam to see what it does when it takes over my body. I don't remember any of it. It's what happened when I blacked out."