get me engraved [thessily]

[KENNEDY NYOTA GARDNER]

Although she'd only been tattooed once, every since that first time when needles met skin, Kennedy felt the itch and desire that came from wanting another. She knew that some people felt that tattoos on the body were disgraceful to the figure that “God” gave them. Since Kennedy didn't believe in any sort of higher power, that wasn't really something that she took into account when making any decisions about her life, and any decisions made about her body were just that: her decisions. She was a very independent person by nature, and found that whenever someone started in with trying to change her mind or help her make her decisions, she could get very hostile, very quickly. Whether it was a cut or injury from a fight or a new design with ink and needles on her skin, whatever happened to Kennedy's body was something that she was proud of, and she saw tattoos almost in the same light that she saw all her scars: they were a badge of honor, or artistic merit. They added to her overall aesthetic, and didn't subtract anything at all.

She had talked to her brother AJ about going to get another matching piece, but he seemed to think that staying separate was usually the best way to go about their new lives in Manuka. Kennedy barely even got to see her brother these days, and even though she had gotten somewhat used to spending time apart from him when they lived in separate cities, now that they were in the same place, not seeing him was even harder somehow. Knowing that AJ was out there, living his life and doing day-to-day things without her... it made her sad, because he had always been the biggest part of her life. However, her brother was the more rational of the two of them, and he honestly seemed to believe that it was safer for them this way, and if something was going to help further her mission and lead her to eventually become a vampire so she could spend all her time and eternity with AJ, then she was willing to look past the fact that she had basically lost her best friend. And friends had never been easy for Kennedy to make in the first place.

The hunter had heard about The Heretics' Brand from one of the people in the dark alliance, and said that not only did they do good work, one of their artists had a little something... special going for her, and was available to clients that knew how to ask for it. The fact that a witch was a tattoo artist was a little interesting to begin with, but learning that this particular witch had learned how to spike her ink with magic in order to fortify the tattoos made Kennedy's interest pique more than just a longer for more artwork on her body. There wasn't a specific design she wanted or location, but she knew that she wanted the magic – her human body was getting to be tiring day by day, and she longed for the time when she'd finally be able to leave it behind, but until then, if a little magical assistance would make her stronger, faster, sharper in some way, she'd take it. Kennedy made good money being a personal trainer, and wasn't big on saving it; truth be told, she had a bit of a impulse buying problem, but she'd always been able to crunch her numbers well enough that she could survive without any major problems.

As she entered the tattoo shop, Kennedy took in the eclectic, rock-and-roll vibe of the place and started to look around at some of the designs on the walls and pictures of people who must have been former customers showing off some of the better work. This was definitely a good place, and the artwork was nothing short of incredible. As the hunter continued to peruse, she saw a lanky Asian woman with long hair and the signature violet eyes approaching her. This had to be the tattoo artist that she'd been told about. ”How many of these did you do?” Kennedy asked, gesturing to the pictures on the wall. ”They're pretty amazing, actually.” Despite her harsh nature, the dark-haired woman could be quite pleasant when she had a reason to be, or a reason not to be a complete bitch. She watched the woman looking at her with a mix of pleased curiosity and interest. Kennedy smiled at her, and extended her hand.

”Kennedy,” she said, introducing herself. ”I'm here to get some work done. Didn't make an appointment, hope that's okay. I can wait if I need to – got nothing better to do today.” While she was hoping to get inked sooner rather than later, she didn't want to get passed off to another artist. This was the one she wanted to do her design, even if she hadn't really chosen anything specific.

Maybe she could make a recommendation, since Kennedy was hoping to earn her trust enough to request some of her other offerings before her session was over. The hunter was definitely going to have to be on her best behavior.

[/justify]
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OUTFIT:[/color] Here!

[THESSILY RYUU INGRAM]

One of the very best things about working at the shop- besides the obvious fact that she adored her job- was that she could pretty much wear whatever she wanted. If she could work in it, she could wear t. Self-expression was one of the musts of working at Heretics’ and was in evidence through each one of its employees, and especially the owner. Jaz’s pink hair would stand out anywhere but at the parlor. When your whole job was to give people a way to express themselves through some piece of art on their skin, you had better be able to express yourself equally well, whatever that may have entailed. Today, for Thessily, that meant she got to wear a turquoise jumpsuit and mint-green heels along with bunch of gold accessories. Her hair was in a fishbone pleat all the way down her back, banded and clipped at the bottom, gently tapping her in the ass, back, or thighs every time she moved. It was weird, but somehow reassuring, that weight. It also kept her hair out of the way of her face and hands, which was very important while she was working. She needed to see to do what she did, magic or no magic. Speaking of which, word of her magical ink had been spreading like wildfire. Thess was getting almost more appointments than she could handle, between the regular art and the enhanced work.

She’d had a bunch of consults and a few projects, all before three in the afternoon. Now, she finally had a break, a lull in the day’s traffic with which to perform various chores or greet any incoming customers. Currently, she sat on her rolling stool in her secluded station, quietly beat-boxing and drawing. One of her clients had a very specific idea in mind, and she didn’t want to disappoint him with an incomplete sketch. Something about the feathers, though, was botherin- the rockin’ little chime attached to the door went off then, pausing her mouth and her hands. A soft push had her rolling across the room, spinning like a top before she stood and walked to the front counter. A lovely black woman with a predatory air was wandering around the room, looking at the various pieces that they’d done over the lifetime of the shop. Thess had become prominent enough that her work was heavily featured. A single tap here or there, or an assessing nod passed as some kind of judgment, she could tell. This one didn’t look like much of a talker though, so the witch let her look, unspeaking.

’ How many of these did you do?’ She speaks. Thess grinned and pointed to the east wall of the lobby. ’The whole wall here is mine, actually. I’ve been here for a year plus, but I’ve been inking since I was a teenager. Whatcha think?’ Thessily asked, honestly curious. Her interest was rewarded, as the woman complimented her a moment later. ’Thank you. Honest. I’m Thessily, tattoo artist.’ She gave the woman a little ‘deuces’ wave as she moved around the counter to join her. ’And cliché though it is, how can I help ya?’ The woman introduced herself as Kennedy- and extended her hand, which Thessily shook, as she should- and expressed an interest in having her skin marked up, despite the lack of appointment. ’As it happens, I have a break in the flow. What were you looking to get? You’ve got something in mind, right? Something new? Maybe some touch-up work? ‘Cause we can at least get the consult out of the way now, since my next appointment’s in about thirty.’ Evidently, only the desire for a new tattoo was present, not a particular image or design. Little less than helpful, but it wasn’t the most unusual thing she’d ever heard of in this business. ’Tell you what, let’s go back to my spot, and you can browse my full portfolio, and a basic idea book, see if anything strikes you, and then we can customize it, if you want.’ Seemed good, and they headed back to where Thess had just been. She pointed Kennedy to her client’s seat- which bent and folded and contorted into a bunch of different shapes, depending on the lever combination she used- and handed her a thick black binder and a thinner white one. ’The art is yours for the taking Miss Ken. Black is- obviously- work I’ve done, and white is basic shit. Take your pick, and I can edit it up and quote you an estimate.’ She sat herself back on her rolling stool and leaned her back against the wall to wait on the verdict, actually curious to see what this raven-like beauty would select. But then, she was always interested to know what people would choose. Somehow, it was like a tiny glimpse into who they were. Tattoos were important and personal, after all.

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clicketh for clothes!

[KENNEDY NYOTA GARDNER]

The other woman was... quirky to say the very least. Kennedy tried not to get irritated with people upon meeting them right away, but sometimes, it was unavoidable. However, she knew that she had things to work on, because nobody was without problems, and was doing her best to stay even keel more often than not. This woman, however, wasn't completely awful, for a change. She'd wager a healthy guess that a good ninety percent of the people she encountered made her want to shoot them, stab them, or both. Kennedy had never been known for her patience, even as a child. She wanted things how she wanted them, when she wanted them, and tended to have fits when she didn't get her way, unless she could somehow maneuver the situation to be more in her favor.

Currently, her attention was on the tattoo that she wanted, even if she hadn't picked anything concrete yet. Mostly, she wanted the magical properties in the ink more than the actual tattoo. Her first one had been one she wanted because of the symbolism that it carried for her and her brother AJ, who had a matching piece. The arrow was fierce, strong, and resembled both of them. It had AJ's grace and stoic strength and her bold, brassy personality and character. Kennedy proudly sported it on her forearm, but as she looked at the pictures on the wall, she realized that the woman's drawings and artwork had merit as well. She was talented, to say the very least. ”They're all yours? Wow. Color me impressed,” Kennedy said, giving a little low whistle while her eyes scanned all the meticulously done, intricate designs. The hunter enjoyed being appreciated and admired for what she could do, so she knew how to pay forward a compliment when she actually felt one was deserved. And this woman was certainly due for some praise.

”See, I can't even draw stick people, but these are all impressive.” Kennedy said, then looked at the pictures again. Tribal. Scenery. Portraits. There was definitely some variety too, which she assumed was probably because she had to deal with lots of different clients that all wanted her to do something different. And, from what she said, she'd been doing it a while. Thessily gave her a sideways peace symbol that Kennedy thought was usually used by people who were of her same color, and for a completely different meaning, but she chuckled. ”I've heard about you, actually – word on the street is you're the best.” The hunter explained why she was there, and was pleased to hear Thessily tell her that she had an open spot available, because Kennedy really did hate waiting. She supposed that she should probably start actually making appointments for things, but she tended to operate by the seat of her pants, and knew that such things would never change.

”I don't need touch up work; I'm happy with this baby right here,” Kennedy said, pointing to her arm. ”I did want something original, though, and since you've got the skill, I know I'll be in good hands.” Kennedy heard her say that she had thirty minutes before her next appointment, and Kennedy didn't really want to go through pages and pages of tattoo designs. Even though Thessily was talented, Kennedy just didn't want to waste her time because looking at designs that other people probably had wasn't appealing to her, either. The current tattoo she sported was her brother's work, since he dabbled in art, but wasn't anything on this level.

”Or we could say that I trust your judgment, and if you drew something small, badass, and unique, I'd love to wear it. I just want something original, maybe on my shoulder?” Kennedy suggested, hoping that Thessily would be willing to just roll with it. ”Some ideas might be a good place to start, though.” They went to the back and Kennedy sat in a rather comfortable chair, then grabbed the black binder from the witch. The hunter flinched a little at the impromptu nickname – only AJ had ever called her 'Ken' – but tried not to make it obvious that it bothered her. The irritation would pass, and she actually needed something from the tattoo artist. Not to mention, she didn't want to piss the woman off before she got on the other end of a sharp tattoo needle.

After flipping through a few pages, she noticed that there was an even wider variety than she'd seen out in the main part of the store. Thessily was waiting for Kennedy to select something wonderful, but it all just looked so good and she really didn't have a preference, even though she knew tattoos were serious and permanent. ”I don't want something popular, or something that everybody wants. Let me just tell you what I like: I like weapons, and I'm kind of into that whole 'steampunk' movement. Can you work with that?” Kennedy hoped that the woman would be able to make something workable from her preferences, and before they got started, the hunter would have a window to let the witch know why she was really there.

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[THESSILY RYUU INGRAM]

Thessily had a particular weakness for compliments, and an even greater weakness for laughter. The laughter thing was why she’d dated a comedian for a few months, legitimately, when she never did that. Still, his jokes had worn after a while, and her restless streak had kicked in, the combination making it impossible for her to stay with him. So she’d moved on, to different things, and more one-night stands, which were her preference. Things were just… easier that way. For her. Thess was so very independent, keeping people around who couldn’t grasp that and complement it just wasn’t worth her time. Still, things did root her, things did give her a routine that she was comfortable with. Like her job, her job was routine, because it wasn’t. Every day, she got to do something she loved, and every day, it was a little bit different. Including today, especially today. Kennedy was proving to be interesting, what with her honest flattery, and better praise. The ‘word on the street’ bit was exceptionally nice, making the artist warm to the woman without meaning to do so. So she was more than a little accommodating, because usually, she wouldn’t have offered to help a customer so much when she had an appointment in a little while. Oh, don’t overthink and get it wrong, she woulda made them an appointment for later, maybe made a few suggestions, but actually offered to do the consult right that second? No way.

But the pretty woman seemed nice enough, and just kept laying on the compliments, so she squeezed her in. Why not? She could use another client, sure. And really, having somebody who she already thought was excellent couldn’t be a bad thing. Unless she couldn’t do what the woman wanted… But from the way she was talking, she’d be happy with anything, which was just weird. Why come into a tattoo parlor with no idea of what you wanted? The art itself, in her opinion, was so important because it was so permanent. Even if the only reason you picked a certain design was because, on a whim, you happened to like it, it was still a reason. But to have no ideas at all? It boggled her mind.

’You’ve got no ideas at all? Like none? What the f? I don’t mind original art hon, but I at least need a direction… Serious. ‘Cause our definitions of ‘badass’ might be totally different.’ She acquiesced then, following her back to where her more of her art portfolio rested on the clean white shelf in the neat binders. Kennedy flipped through the books fairly quickly, looking more impressed with every flip of the page. Thessily couldn’t help the wicked-happy grin that was taking her. And here she’d thought the woman would be hard to impress. She finally glanced up from her browsing and spoke, giving the artist a mild direction to go in. ’Okay, yeah. That’s definitely better than ‘whatever small unique thing you can think of’’ she said with a light chuckle and rolled her seat over to Kennedy, grabbing a binder on the way, something more weapons-focused. ’Here, any of these grab you?’ After glancing through the newer one for a couple minutes, the woman showed her a picture. A handgun, a 9 mil that she’d doodled a while ago, something she hadn’t even thought about in… who knew how long. ’That one, really? Huh. Let’s have it here.’ She grabbed the book and pulled the page out of the sleeve, laying it on the little desk in the station that was hers.

The witch grabbed up a mechanical pencil and pulled out her sketchpad, gently skritching lines onto a blank page for a few minutes before wheeling herself back over to where her next victim was waiting. ’Huh huh? Whatcha think? I think we’ll do these basic lines in a blackish-brown, and then a pretty bronze and gold for some of the details that would show up great on your skin, especially this new metallic stuff that I adore… Erm. But we can really use any kind of ink you’d prefer.’ She gave a light little cough of embarrassment. What could she say? Tattooing made her a little more enthusiastic than most anything else. ’Anything in here is optional, of course, but I’m particularly fond of these gears and the pattern on the grip…’ She handed the drawing to Kennedy and nibbled the end of the pen, wondering what the chick would say. ’I’ll have to touch it up before you like it, and work up the line transfer sheet and stuff, and probably make you an actual appointment for later to have this done, since I don’t have the time right now. Got a guy comin’ in just a few minutes to get some tribal on his arm... So yes, waiting is in order. Sorries.’ She grimaced just a touch, apologetic, ‘cause she knew some people got kind of excited about their new ink and a little… grabby, afterwards. But Kennedy seemed to have quite a bit more control than that.

[KENNEDY NYOTA GARDNER]

Kennedy had a good sense of reading people. In her line of work – the kind she kept hidden, at least – she had to be able to read people to a certain extent. It made hunting easier, and sometimes, she was able to apply these skills to clients that she had in the gym. When she could tell someone was reaching their limit, she'd ease off, but if someone was trying to pull a fast one and make her think that they were reaching the end of their endurance but really weren't, she'd push them even harder until they got the maximum effect of their work-out. Everyone thanked her in the end, but some people needed to have their hand held until they lost complete control and put faith in her instead. Already, Kennedy was getting some senses about Thessily. The witch was friendly enough, took her work seriously, and was really professional. However, the hunter seemed to get the sense that she was a tad bit annoyed that Kennedy didn't really know what she wanted and was giving her a handful of vague ideas to work with. Truthfully, Kennedy liked tattoos a lot. She just didn't get as worked up and sentimental about them as other people did. Ink on her body was forever, and she knew it, but as long as she got a design that looked fantastic, she wore it like a great accessory instead of some intimate piece of her puzzle. Her tattoo with her brother was as sentimental as she got, and even that was related to their shared love of the hunt and bloodshed, which wasn't exactly in the same vein as some flower tattoo dedicated to a person's loving grandparent.

Really, Kennedy wanted this tattoo for the magical ink that could come with it. Every little bit of an advantage that she could have in her corner would be well worth it, she knew, especially with security getting tighter and people asking more questions. Everyone was gearing up for the big fight, and things were going to get brutal. Kennedy would have to be ready, because once her cards were on the table, she was going to become the hunted. ”I'm not super picky, what can I say? I've already determined that you're a great artist and I've heard rave reviews,” Kennedy said when Thessily actually voiced her protest to Kennedy's lack of ideas. What more did this woman want? Seriously. ”I'll level with you, though. Don't want to make things difficult for the artist. Or the chick with needles that will be all up in my skin,” Kennedy finished by flashing her a charming smile, knowing that this had a tendency to dull any negative feelings that her manner of speaking to people could spark.

Finally, Kennedy gave her a 'direction.' Steampunk and guns. It would be badass by her own definition, and Thessily seemed to have some kind of idea from it. If she was as good as people said, she'd be able to come up with something on the fly, despite any protests she might have had earlier. Besides, original artwork was the best, in Kennedy's opinion, because it meant that she was original, and that was something she placed high value in. The consultation ended up with Kennedy choosing a nine millimeter gun and Thessily putting some bells and whistles on it. The hunter looked at the final design and was extremely impressed. In short, that design was awesome.

”Oh yeah, that's a keeper,” Kennedy said. ”See? Total faith in you.” Kennedy thought for a minute about placement, and then decided to ask for the professional's opinion. ”I was thinking maybe along my shoulder here? Placement-wise. That'd be hot, right? Or maybe on my hip, where you could see a little as a tease, but have to see a lot more to get the complete picture.” Kennedy didn't really give a hot damn about sex for the most part, but flirting never hurt, and there was just a teeny part of her that thought the tattoo artist had been checking her out when she first walked in. Besides, if she got friendly, she'd be able to get away with asking for what she really wanted.

”We can talk later about ink. After your appointment, so we can make sure all the bases are covered before we start. That's okay?” Kennedy asked, not minding being put on hold, but not wanting to get into a situation when she didn't have enough time to... finesse, in case Thessily would try to hide the fact that she had magical ink or deny her request outright. Kennedy stood up and smiled at the woman again.

”I'll just play Fruit Slice Ninja on my phone or something. I'll be on the couch, call me when you're ready,” Kennedy said, then made her way over to the couch and got her phone out, just like she said. She was actually getting pretty excited, and couldn't wait to hear more about the different properties that Thessily's special ink had. Some things really were worth waiting for, apparently.

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[THESSILY RYUU INGRAM]

Original art, especially the kind taken from her own personal doodling collection, was Thessily’s favorite to apply. Usually, the clients agreed with her, and were always pleased when she promised to never use their design on another person. Even if asked or bribed, so to speak. She wouldn’t… violate the uniqueness of somebody else’s property like that. ‘Sides, when it was on in their skin, it really belonged to them. But to get clients to the point where she point them in the right direction, hand them the right binder, or imagine up the right thing, she needed to have some sort of guidance from them. Something that came from their own heads. She could understand Kennedy’s wish to avoid offending her though, and had heard that sentiment more than once. It always made her laugh, even now.

’Hon, the very definition of my job is ta give ya whatcha want. Nothing about you expressing a preference is gonna mess with me. And I won’t be takin’ it out on you. I just need ta know. How else can we come up with something awesome?’ She wasn’t sure what finally got Kennedy to give her something to go on, but Thess had a direction shortly after that, and finally knew what book to hand over to the other woman for inspiration. When she settled on an older drawing of a pistol, Thess wasn’t surprised, exactly, but it wasn’t really what she’d been expecting. ‘Steampunk’ tended to lean towards a more… classic style of weapon. Revolvers, long-barreled rifles, but not really modern nine mil Berettas… Still, she could work with that. She could work quite well with that, actually… Ideas flowed into her head and out onto her sketch page as Thessily sat on her rolling stool and Kennedy patiently waited in ‘the chair.’ When she finally finished, the witch was pretty damn pleased with it, as it had turned out surprisingly well, given that she’d started out with nothing to go on.

Kennedy seemed equally enthused with her idea, calling it a keeper within, hell, a few seconds of seeing it on paper. The slight Asian woman couldn’t help her chuckle at the other woman’s ‘faith in her.’ ’Faith often gets misplaced. Glad this one landed in the right spot. You like, honest? Nothing you wanna change? Alter?’ Apparently not, and they moved on to discussing placement, which was sometimes more important to people than the design itself- what with some employers’ opinions about obvious ink- and at least Kennedy had narrowed it down to a couple of different places on her body, instead of handing her the same ‘whatever you want’ nonsense that she had concerning the image. Thess smiled, as it seemed that Kennedy grew more enthusiastic now that she had concrete idea, a solid design in progress. ’Personally, I’m a fan of the hip region, but shoulders tend to hurt less, and be less awkward to shower around and stuff. So it’s whatever makes you more comfy and happy. Either way, you gotta take off some clothes.’ The comment wasn’t blatant flirtation- as that had the potential to get her in trouble, given the nature of her work- but it was close. The violet-eyed woman had gotten quite good at reading what people were comfortable with, and she thought Kennedy would be okay with her words, and not get offended. ’Like all things in this endeavor, it’s all about what you wanna do. Including ink. But you’re right, we can talk about that later. As it is, I gotta prep. But we can talk after, fer sure. If you wanna wait a couple hours…’ The concept was foreign to Thessily, but the other woman seemed content to do her own thing in the parlor lobby while the artist worked over another customer. Weird, but the witch just supposed that they were wired differently.

Ben came in just a bit later, while Thess was wiping down the chair and taking out her various implements- tools of the trade- to sign in and read the consent and care forms. When he sat down, she started making the small talk, sanitizing his skin, laying the design basics on his arm, asking if he was ready, and then getting to work. The buzz of the tattoo gun in her hand was like a familiar friend, soothing her as her adept fingers moved over his shoulder and upper arm. Time flew, and soon, it was done, his skin not too much redder for the experience. He was the… exuberant type, and hugged her like crazy, ‘super impressed with how fucking awesome’ it turned out to be. She bandaged him up, went over ‘da rules,’ and they moved back to the front, her taking his credit card and finishing up payment. Another job well done.

’Alright Kennedy, I’m yours for another brief moment. If you wanna follow me back here while I clean up, we can talk about the other stuff. Get you an estimate for time and price, probably.’ The brown eyes of the other woman met her own, and they returned to her station, Kennedy taking the rolling seat this time while Thessily went through cleanup chores. ’Alright, so, I’ve only got questions on color, placement, and allergies. And you can shoot your questions my way, of course. ‘ She was trying to make this as informal as possible, to make Kennedy more comfortable, if she could.

[KENNEDY NYOTA GARDNER]

Sometimes, she really hated people in any service industry. Living in an era of 'the customer is always right' was not something she wanted to perpetuate, even for something as personal as a tattoo. Sure, she understood Thessily's motivations for wanting to please her – tattoos were permanent and all that jazz, but when she said she wasn't picky, she meant it. Kennedy wanted to believe that Thessily was bordering on annoying with her wanting Kennedy to really choose something and make it hers was because she always wanted to have happy, satisfied customers, but if it wasn't for the magic ink the hunter craved, she would have already lost said customer in this particular circumstance. The dark-skinned woman took a deep, calming breath like she'd been taught in the six weeks that she'd endured a damn yoga class, thinking that it would help keep her spry and be fun. It served neither purpose, and really only annoyed her with the hippie, granola nature of everyone involved with the class. Breathing exercises actually seemed to help, because she went along with what the tattoo artist wanted, knowing that if she didn't go along with it and try to appease Thessily, she wouldn't get what she wanted, either.

Even if she was quick to negative emotion, and even quicker to anger and irritation, she was still logical and very, very smart. Kennedy knew when to hold her cards and when to fold them, literally and figuratively. ”Well, I guess I have a few ideas...” Kennedy said, allowing for a more amicable nature to take over for a snippet of a moment. As soon as that mood came, it was usually gone, because Kennedy was certainly not a people pleaser in any sense of the word. No, she definitely preferred people to do things to her, or at least listen to her commands if they weren't compelled to just do things on her own. It was part of why she liked her paying gig as a personal trainer. She got to boss people around, yell at them, make them sweat, bleed, and cry, and at the end of the session, they would not only pay her for it, but they would thank her. And the praise was always something she loved.

The idea she pitched to the tattoo artist was a simple nine millimeter, and it really fit her, because it was one of her weapons of choice in her chosen profession: hunting. The weapon was small, quick, fit her hands well, and while she was very confident about her body, she also knew it well and figured that the design would likely fit her body well. She wasn't a old Western revolver or some fancy machine gun. No, she was more like the Beretta herself. So if the little witch needed something personal that she would enjoy; that would be the tattoo design that she'd want inked. After she finished her sketching, she showed the design to Kennedy, and she loved it. Art to her was very relative, and she could appreciate almost all of it, especially if it showcased weaponry somehow – this was certainly a safe bet, and her glowing enthusiasm (most of which was for Thessily's benefit) seemed to make the little artist happy.

”You're genius, like I said, and I really don't throw out compliments because I'm a nice person,” Kennedy said, a bit of her natural edge creeping into the words as she spoke. Hopefully, that would be enough for the witch to move on to greener pastures. When she did, Kennedy was grateful, and they took to talking about placement a little. To soften the blow, Kennedy decided that some mild flirtation would do the trick, especially because she could have sword Thessily was just a little bit interested. She even suggested the hip region, so Kennedy hiked up her shirt a little, showing off the bottom of her sculpted abs and v-shaped hip bones that protruded just enough to be sexy, and not too much that she looked sickly. ”Maybe like it's sheathed in my pants... 'gangsta' style? You like?” Kennedy thought, just on a random whim. That would mean that the artist would have to tattoo the rest of the gun, which wasn't much, below her pants line. It wouldn't be uncomfortable for Kennedy, of course, she was very secure with her body and confident in her own skin. ”And really, I don't mind the pain. Just counted on it hurting a little.”

Pain was one of those things that she embraced when it came her way. Because after the pain faded, it was exhilarating because she knew that she'd survived something. Even something self-inflicted like tattoo induced pain, which was minor, in her experience. Her pain threshold was really high, and for good reason. She hadn't gotten her ass kicked too many times while hunting, but she'd had close calls, just like any hunter worth their salt. In her opinion, you weren't the real deal unless you'd been bloodied up a bit.

After the consultation, Kennedy went and took a seat, waiting patiently and enjoying the relative quiet. Eventually, it was showtime, and she decided after looking at the clock that the wait wasn't really that long. The end result would certainly be worth it. The moment was going to be brief, but this would be her shot to talk about her ink preference in a relatively safe location where they wouldn't be overheard. ”No allergies, and I like the hip idea for earlier – that's what I want for placement, if that's okay. Color... maybe bronze? A shade that'll really pop against my skin, but stick with the Steampunk feel of it all.” Kennedy looked the witch straight in her violet eyes for this next part, and lowered her voice just a little, conspiratorially. ”Ink... well... let's just say that I've heard some things, and I'm a customer wanting to take advantage of the 'something extra' that you put in your mixes. What do you have for me? I'll pay whatever it costs.” Price didn't matter – she already had an impulse control issue, and made decent enough money that she could spend comfortably and still have enough to meet her needs. She was just hoping now that Thessily wouldn't become skittish or worse, turn her away.

[/justify]

[THESSILY RYUU INGRAM]

She had finally gotten the impossible woman to give her an idea. A direction. It wasn’t as though Thess would just randomly take her needles to somebody’s skin and doodle. Jesus. But, with much pestering, Kennedy had settled on an idea. A cute- if one could call a gun ‘cute’- nine mil Beretta, that actually fit the image of the woman in front of her. The witch would be completely unsurprised if this ebony-haired actually knew how to handle one… She was probably a damn good shot, if the calluses on her fingers were any indication. Kennedy was no stranger to hard work. They had that in common, but the lithe Asian woman doubted that her newest customer would care. She just had this vibe. She wasn’t impolite, or rude. But… her brain struggled for just a moment to find the word that would aptly describe the lady before her. Brusque. Yep. She was definitely brusque. Short, to the point. And a little expectant. Mhmm. Still, Thess had been around far more difficult people before, and at least this one had the decency to know that she wouldn’t get anything from the tattoo artist if she was a bitch.

’’Not nice,’ huh? Never woulda guessed.’ Her look and tone implied otherwise, in a light and teasing fashion. Sure, okay, she didn’t know Kennedy well enough to play with her in such a fashion, but that wasn’t about to stop her. Thess was who she was, and said what she wanted, whether it was an appropriate comment or not. ’Still, I appreciate the compliments. Little recognition never hurts. Only positive feedback is gonna get me a raise, after all.’ It was a working person’s joke, obviously. Though it kind of made the tattoo artist wonder what her new client did for a living. Something decent, if her clothing choices and indifference to cost was any indication. Especially because getting inked could run to the spendier side of the cost spectrum. Still, it was permanent, so the witch had always considered the cost well-worth it. Apparently, Kennedy did too, since she was here. And even willing to offer some input on the placement, hurrah. Thess couldn’t help her chuckle at the woman’s words though. Honestly…

’You’ve never really said that word, ever, have you?’ Her grin had been called infectious by more than a few people, but the brown-eyed lady didn’t seemed affected by her good humor. The witch resisted the urge to sigh audibly, and nodded. ’But I do like the placement idea. It’s a little inconvenient during the healing though, with waistbands and stuff.’ The flash of skin was welcome, but Kennedy didn’t really do pursuits. Oh, she’d show interest and return flirting, but when it came down to it, Thess had to be asked. She was weird like that. Anyway, the ‘pants’ issue didn’t seem to be much of an issue to Kennedy, but she’d have more time to consider while Thessily worked Ben over.

Extra consideration was unnecessary, obvs. She came back and wanted the same thing. ’Bronze is a good choice. And you’ve got a nice contrast skin tone.’ Her gloves snapped as she popped them off and threw them in a nearby biohazard trashcan. All she had to do now was reorganize her equipment and work on this most recent gal. She was lucky that Thessily was willing to work her in. Really, she should’ve been closing down the shop soon. Doing final paperwork, making arrangements and calls. But, eh, Ken was willing to pay and wait. Also, she didn’t seem the type to want to come back. Ah, customer service. There were just a few more details to iron out, and finally Kennedy told her why she really came in. ’Oh fer cripes’ sake. You shoulda just said so in the first place! Then we wouldn’t have had to do this little dance.’ She shook her head with an amused laugh, making her long hair shiver behind her for a few seconds. ’That kind of mod is even less cheap than the regular ink, but now I get why you weren’t so picky about the image… Here I thought you might’ve just been a little masochistic.’ She grinned and settled onto the empty seat and looked at the brown-eyed powerhouse across from her. ’It’s pretty much double, depending on what you want it to do. Speaking of, what do you want it to accomplish? I have some preset varieties, but it’s really easier if you have some idea of what you want. I can do almost anything, but if it’s something bizarre, it’ll be extra time. As in, you’ll have to come back.’ She figured Kennedy wouldn’t really go for that, after all the time she’d spent here already, and hoped that her magical request wasn’t too outlandish. She’d done weird ones, but they were extra, time and money. So she figuratively crossed her fingers and hoped for a more… concrete response than she’d been getting.

[KENNEDY NYOTA GARDNER]

The hunter was trying to do her best to clear the air, mostly for her benefit,before she ended up saying or something that wouldn't exactly be, well, nice. That was part of why she gave Thessily the playful warning that she had, and really, for her that was a very light, almost teasing warning. No malice at all, which honestly was surprise to Kennedy. Aggression was just one of those traits that she held close to her chest and embraced, and there really was nothing passive about it. It was just who she was, and people in her life just had to learn to love it or leave it – either way, she didn't really care much because she didn't really care much for people. Only AJ had been consistent in her life from start to finish. The Montgomerys had done their best, but at the end of the day, they weren't her parents and while they had given her a lot, their relationship had never exactly been warm and cozy. They had been hard on her and on AJ, training them to be the best with a relentless pursuit of championship ingrained into the very fiber of their being. Sometimes Kennedy wondered if perhaps she shouldn't be a little more grateful to them since she loved who she was so much, and without that harsh, rigid environment for training, she would have never become who she was. Hell, she'd probably be dead by now. The human lifespan was shortening, all because of supernaturals, and humans were too stupid to understand why. It was part of why she really didn't want to be human forever, and envied that her brother wasn't. It was simple: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

”Sarcasm? I can appreciate that,” Kennedy said when Thessily commented on never being able to guess that she 'wasn't nice.' Kennedy even laughed a little because even though it was rare for it to truly showcase itself, she did have a sense of humor. It was just different than most people's humor. ”You do a good job, I'll give you a glowing review. That's a promise. I don't doubt you will, though,” Kennedy said, knowing that this would likely just win her more points, so long as it wasn't taken in an offensive or patronizing manner. The rest of the assessment went well, with Kennedy discussing placement of the tattoo and other specifications with her artist. Thessily seemed to like the ideas she had, which was good, because Kennedy totally knew she was essentially pulling things out of her ass. ”Can't say did I have, no. Why? I butcher it or something?” Just because she was dark didn't mean that she was 'down' with the hip lingo. She'd been raised by white people, after all, which wasn't a bad thing, it just tended to influence a lot of her mannerisms, and sometimes caused her to catch hell from other black people. Every time that happened, she kicked their asses, of course, but it still happened. ”So I'll lounge in really, really tiny underwear. My job allows me some flexibility, and I almost never take a day off, anyway. It's all good.”

With that, her initial assessment seemed to be over, and Kennedy went over to a couch to play the waiting game. Which actually wasn't awful or too long. For what seemed like an elaborate tattoo, Thessily did a pretty quick, yet still thorough job on her work. Kennedy had been watching, only in little snippets, when she was in between games of Fruit Slice Ninja. The little Asian was light with the needle, quick with her hands, and Kennedy knew that she'd get great work done that day. Especially if the witch agreed to her extra request. Thessily called her back and asked again about final decisions on color, placement, etc, but Kennedy held fast to her original idea. She liked it, after all, and after it was inked on her skin, she knew she'd grow to love it. Their brief discussion left room for any other questions, and Kennedy finally dropped the bomb about the magic ink she had been hoping for. Thessily seemed remarkably unfazed, which was a good thing. Meant she didn't give off the hunter vibe. ”I just didn't know if you'd be comfortable about it. Seems like some people might want to hide that... kind of thing.” Kennedy said, pressing carefully, not wanting to give too much away, even if Thessily wasn't in direct danger from her. Later, she might tell her that she needed to keep her mouth shut about giving her magic, because hunters did not associate with supernaturals unless it was completely on accident or to set up a trap. Good hunters, didn't, at least.

”I put my body through some shit, but today it's just about the magic,” Kennedy said when Thessily joked about masochism. ”Quote me, I've got the cash,” the hunter said confidently. She made good money, and this was a special indulgence that she not only wanted, but needed for that little extra edge. ”Um, I'd like super strength and to be able to fly, but I don't know what you've got available. So... why don't you rattle off a list? Can I pick a couple, or just one?” Kennedy asked, knowing that limits would be a good thing to keep in mind. She wasn't good with limits, especially giving them to herself, but she did try to pace herself in certain situations. It couldn't be balls to the wall every single time, although it was a nice thought.

[/justify]

[THESSILY RYUU INGRAM]

Thessily was glad that they were finally getting into the meat of the visit. They had done some of the pleasantries thing and that had gone… well-ish? Neither of them had totally snapped at each other, and now they were actually, almost teasing each other. Technically, Thess was doing the teasing and Kennedy was just reacting, kind of. She got a little laugh out of the dark woman, even. Surprising. But Thessily had no intention of curbing herself or her mouth, even for this woman who projected something just a little bit intimidating. The witch wasn’t easily intimidated, truth be told. She had plenty of hidden skills that no one would guess could come out of the slight Asian woman. But she wouldn’t showcase them unless pressed. And she was rarely pressed, given that she got along with people pretty well. Even, a little, the grumpy newest client addition to her list.

’Sarcasm’s underappreciated as it is. Lil’ more couldn’t hurt.’ She grinned, and kept smiling when Kennedy offered her a ‘glowing review.’ The witch even chuckled. There was absolutely no way she couldn’t do a good job for this woman, even though she was proving to be something of a pain in the ass. The whole, ‘I don’t even know what I want’ thing had almost driven Thess up a wall. But now, they had a rough idea. Something that was actually looking like it would pretty wonderful, when it was finished. Even though the placement was a butchered word and would likely hurt while she was healing. ’Only a little. Too much emphasis, is all. And tiny underwear sounds like a brilliant idea. I wouldn’t peg you as one to actually own the stuff though…’ She tilted her head with a grin, set on teasing this uptight hottie, even if it pissed her off. Thess had something she wanted, after all. She was betting she could push a few more buttons without the other leaving. Still, she was just playing.’I get the ‘utilitarian’ vibe, lil’ bit.’ Her fingers made a tiny pincer gesture, and she chuckled. With that, she heard the bell ring, and shooed Kennedy so that she could take care of her other guess. It didn’t take terribly long, honestly. Ben had great skin for the ink, and it was basic tribal work. She’d been doing that kinda shit since she was like… fourteen. Thess had an almost unparalleled focus when she was in work mode, and that was how she managed to be so quick and still so detailed. When she first got hired, she could tell that the other artists worried about her for a minute, ‘cept Jaz, but they’d moved past that with a quickness. She finished Ben the same way, sending him home with his little packet of supplies and paperwork and a smile. A minute later, she pulled Kennedy back to the back, making the other woman sit while she cleaned up. Sanitation was something they all took very seriously. Finally, she was done, and settled the brown beauty in the tattoo chair, and reacquired her stool while they ironed out some final details.

Final details, like magic ink. That was what the woman really wanted. Cheese and rice. Took her long enough to get to the fucking point. And while Thess could understand her hesitance, a little, since she didn’t actually want the word spreading to some people who’d persecute her for it, she was relieved that this little dance around had had a purpose. An expensive purpose. ’Cool. That I can work with. Wow.’ And she gave Kennedy her quote, and the other woman shrugged it off like it was no big deal. Then, it was on to what she actually wanted her tattoo to do. ‘Super strength and flight.’ The witch couldn’t help but laugh. ’Oh, babe. You ain’t gonna be Superman anytime soon. Sorries. And it’s one tat per enhancement. I can do the bonus strength though, if that’s something you weren’t just saying to be cheeky. It might not be ‘super’ per se, but it’s a hell of a lot better than your body would ever manage on its own.’ She moved to a file cabinet, licking her finger, and rifling through her paperwork. ’Otherwise, I’ve got these. Strength actually plays into speed, you know, but speed’s on here. Enhanced senses. Flexibility. There are some purely shallow ones, like changing your eye color hair color at will… shit like that. Here.’ The witch held out the list, and moved back to let her choose something. ’Those are the basics I keep in stock. Any other kooky thing you want, I can possibly manage, but like I said, more time, another visit.’

Kennedy settled on strength, like she originally mentioned, and Thess nodded, slipping her drawing out of the book, taking it into the 'employees only' section of the building, and heating up the transfer sheet, turning her art into a design that would settle onto Kennedy's skin. Finally, she pulled it off the machine, and wandered back into her booth. 'Alright hottie, strip.' She smiled, put the sheet on her counter, and pulled her tattoo gun and inks out of their various hiding places, placing them on their rolling cart for easy, mobile access. 'You don't hafta be completely nude, mind, just down to your underwear. Well... possibly just the bra. I got a towel here to cover you up, if you're totally uncomfortable with being that naked.' She handed over a multi-color towel from the closet and set about mixing her magic ink with the colors she'd need, tapping and stirring as she went. 'Ready?'

[KENNEDY NYOTA GARDNER]

Normally, she didn't like people. It was just something that had always been a part of her personality. Kennedy had never been able to tell if it was because her parents had died when she was little, because she had always considered her brother to be her only friend, or because she honestly believed that most people were just a colossal waste of her time to get to know. However, despite this innate dislike of people, the hunter found that she was still able to make connections on occasion. Sometimes, people she bumped into or talked to weren't so bad. Granted, most of those people ended up left behind or forgotten when she moved on to a new location or just got bored, but she knew that she was capable of making acquaintances and being pleasant, even. Kennedy wouldn't go as far as to call herself nice, but the more she talked to Thessily, the more she got the picture that the little Asian wasn't what she might consider nice, either. She was blunt, honest, sarcastic – she amused Kennedy, and that made the hunter feel a lot more comfortable about sitting under a tattoo gun that would be placed in those artistic hands.

They were talking more about Kennedy's tattoo – a gorgeous, Steampunk style Beretta gun that the woman had sketched up and she was just loving. Placement was the next topic of choice, and Kennedy settled on her hip, designed like it was sheated in the waistband of her pants. Totally badass. Thessily seemed to like the idea, too, and even made the darker skinned woman smile when she commented about her underwear choices, or the fact that she was cool with the healing process and lounging around in her skivvies while everything went back to normal. She wasn't a tattoo newbie, so she kind of understood the healing process. And, while she wasn't as fast of a healer as some folks, she was pretty fast. Took her lashings and kept on walking. Most of the time. ”Utilitarian? Me? Nah, dream on,” Kennedy said, making a wild hand gesture as she spoke. Really, this woman thought she owned anything other than stylish, sleek underwear sets? Sure, she liked to be comfortable, but she wasn't somebody's grandmother, and while she didn't rock lace and thongs all the time, she definitely liked to feel confident in what she had on underneath the visible clothing, just in case 'the urge' struck. Kennedy was too much of a hedonist to turn down a good time. ”I am curious about what made you think that, though.”

Kennedy shook her head a little, laughing softly all the way back to the back room, where she was led by her artist and given a seat. There, she worked up the confidence to tell the woman what she really wanted: magic. Powers. Something 'extra' to blend in with the pretty ink that would go onto her skin and would, with any luck, make her more of a badass than she already was. The little witch had skills, and she knew it, so she didn't doubt her being in good hands. She just hoped the woman was feeling interested in giving her what she wanted. Luckily for the hunter, the witch was amenable. Amused, even, and asked Kennedy what she wanted as far as the magic went. Kennedy was a little surprised that she seemed so... relaxed about it. Like she wasn't sure why Kennedy hadn't just busted the door down and demanded the 'special stuff.' ”I don't expect to be Superman, but I'm already pretty fuckin' strong. And fast. So... how much would these enhancements help me?” If she was gonna pay extra, she needed to know what to expect. Not that she doubted the witch's magic or anything, it was just a curiosity. And then there was the whole 'one enhancement per tattoo' rule that made her think maybe she'd be coming back for a second one. ”You keep that drawing safe, because I might be back for speed later. Another one on the other hip. That'd look sexy, right?” It was about the magic and the aesthetic both, and a professional opinion never hurt.

As Thessily got her supplies together and the design ready to go, she brought back a really loudly colored towel and told her to strip, but not in a weird, perverted, or commanding way. It was logic, and Kennedy was extremely comfortable in her own skin, whether she was in clothes or out of them. 'Down to her underwear' was the first assessment of what would work for the tattoo, so Kennedy shrugged and stripped off her shirt, folding it and setting it on a nearby chair. Then, she unbuttoned her pants and unzipped them, kicking off her shoes before pulling off the pants and stood there, a little proud for a moment because now Thessily would know she wasn't rocking anything 'utilitarian' under her clothes. Then, the little witch changed her mind and suggested that maybe the underwear needed to go, and Kennedy took it as the perfect opportunity to tease her. ”I don't swing for girls, but if you wanted to see more of this, you coulda just said so in the first place.” Then, she winked at her. Thessily offered her the towel to cover up, and Kennedy just waved it off, stripping off her underwear before hopping on the table and lying flat on her back. She wasn't posing in any sort of obscene manner. Her legs were pressed together, and this really wasn't sexual or anything. The woman just needed access to her hip area without obstruction. She got that. ”Nah, I'm pretty comfortable about all of this. But thanks.” Then, Kennedy waved over her body and tucked her hands behind her head, ready to begin.

[/justify]

[THESSILY RYUU INGRAM]

Sometimes, Thessily felt like a doctor. No no no, just ‘cause she’d been medically trained didn’t make her a doctor. Nah, like, a legit doctor, giving birth to something that people would love, like a kid. It was personal to them, a blending of whatever they hoped to achieve, and a way for them to express themselves. Alright, a child didn’t always meet those same standards, but it didn’t diminish the feeling she got, creating something so personal to a person, that they’d have forever. Depending. What with lasers and shit now, they could be removed. Long-ass, painful process… just pick right the first time. And the witch strove to make sure that people did exactly that, when they came to her with hopeful ideas and expectations. Kennedy, however, hadn’t come in like that. Nope. Bitch acted like she owned the place, and fully expected someone to read her mind and figure out what the hell she wanted. That, however, wasn’t Thess’s job. Oh no, pretty troublemaker, you gots ta pick your own stuff. And finally, finally, she did.

A nice choice, actually, a little outside the box, given that Thess hadn’t even thought about it for months… And that little bit of obscurity was actually something that the artist felt fit her newest victim. Even the woman’s second suggested placement was fitting, if a little cliché for a gun. But there was a reason some things were classic. So yeah, it worked. Even though it’d rub something fierce while it was healing… but Kennedy had plans to circumvent that, apparently, and Thessily couldn’t help her laughter when her new client told her to ‘dream on.’ Gosh, nobody had told her that in a long time. She rolled with it though, shrugging like, ‘well, can ya blame me?’ Obviously not, since she was curious about what had prompted the thought in the witch’s head in the first place. ’Are you kidding? Everything about you screams ‘quiet power and efficiency,’ not frilly, sexy shit. No frivolities there. Come on, lookit your footwear…’ Violet eyes pointedly glanced down to look at the boots currently gracing the ends of Kennedy’s long legs. Stylish, yes, but also practical. Built for kicking-ass or running away. Not something as basic and silly as getting someone to staring at your perfectly-shaped butt. Another little shrug, and she led the beautiful black woman to her station again, discussing the final intricacies of a tattoo.

Such as ink. Gods above, she coulda done with that detail early on. Spared them some initial ridiculousness. But now, it was all getting worked out, and Kennedy was actually asking some very insightful questions. Like efficacy. Thess glanced around the room, looking for a something to prove her point on… nothing stuck out, so she knew she’d have to go with- oh hey. ’Can you bend the frame of my stool, Kennedy?’ She stood, moving the solid steel roller across to the woman in her seat, eyeing it expectantly. No normal human coulda done the shit she was proposing. But she tapped it anyways, encouraging her to try. Yeah, nope. So she picked the thing up, and easily snapped one of the footrest bars in her grip. ’I was already strong and fast too. But, numbers-wise… it’s about double? Maybe. It varies, and I can’t guarantee anything. For me, it’s a little more than double, but I’ve got the magic in my blood already. So.’ Her slim shoulders shrugged briefly, watching Kennedy’s face. She still seemed game for that. And even went so far as to ask Thessily to tuck away the design for a later date. Well, alright then. ’Will do. Gotta make up a transfer sheet first, then I’ll put it away in a safe spot.’ Her heels carried her back to the back, laying her sheet on the expensive machine, pressing a few buttons, letting it heat and print her design, before rolling back into her station, Kennedy standing there, still awaiting instruction. So Thess gave her one, purely from a logic standpoint, while returning to a comment the taller woman had made earlier after she was easily showcased in her underwear. The witch’s head tilted, staring at her waistline for a second. ’Yeah, a second one would be hot too. Mirrored, obvs.’ She could not, abstractly, that clearly, Kennedy did not wear boring underwear, as previously implied. Nope. But she was in artist mode now, so while she appreciated how gorgeous the ebony-haired brat was, it was a distant thing. Few people’s hotness ever squirmed past that to get her attention while she was at work. That was conveyed too well, as Kennedy even made a joke about her near-naked state, making Thess laugh out loud, before she demanded her customer put more of that skin on display. Hence the towel. Some people were just more comfy that way. Ken didn’t care, peeling off her underwear before calmly laying herself back on the chair. ’Well, you got plenty of reasons, Kennedy. Props on the bod. Okay, now this is gonna be kinda cold.’ She’d snapped on some gloves, and pulled out some alcohol prep pads, then disinfected the whole area she was intending to work on. Peeling off the top layer, she pressed the sheet onto her canvas’s skin, waiting for a few, before pulling it away. ’Look good?’ Receiving a firm ‘yes,’ Thess got to work. Pushing a pedal on her cart, she heard the buzz of her tattoo gun, dipped it in the first ink- a black, for some of the lining- and started the involved process of making Kennedy permanently marked, and permanently stronger. ’Not even a little flinch, huh? Darn…’ She winked up at the woman, and chuckled, continuing what she was doing.

[KENNEDY NYOTA GARDNER]

It had taken the two women a while to actually get to the part that Kennedy was most looking forward to – ink on her skin. She didn't go to the tattoo shop to sit around and look at all the pretty designs, after all, and while Thessily seemed like a nice enough chick, Kennedy could be sort of impatient. That trait was just one of many that the hunter knew people probably didn't like her for, but she really didn't care, and if she bugged the little witch, she wasn't saying a thing about it and was doing a damn good job hiding any nerves that were tweaked or bothered just by Kennedy being herself. They'd even rolled into a sort of back-and-forth banter, which was something that Kennedy had to give the tattoo artist props for, because in most verbal sparring matches, she was kind of a titan, just like in any other kind of sparring. Kennedy's sharp tongue and quick wit had many uses, and not just for getting her into trouble or making her enemies. Although the trouble and enemies were something that she never really minded – in her chosen profession... at least, the more secret one, she'd made more than a few. But she didn't think Thessily would become an enemy – she was hesitant to suggest they could perhaps have a friendship, because she had even fewer actual friends than any other relationship, but the chick was cool. Time would tell, she supposed. ”At least you notice the power. I've never been much for 'frilly and sexy shit,' but I certainly don't want to be boring. There's a balance, you know?”

It didn't bother her whenever someone checked her out, and she watched Thessily's eyes sweep over her after she'd commented on her fashion sense. Kennedy knew she wasn't the most stylish individual out there, and she wasn't girly, but she didn't want to be all G.I. Jane all the time, either. First of all, she'd never shave her head, and second of all, it was all too frequently that people made the mistake of thinking that she played for the other team – as in the 'all girls' team. Despite her judgmental nature and many different controversial opinions, Kennedy actually didn't have a problem with gay people at all – she just wasn't interested in getting wriggly with another woman. Part of the fun that came from choosing the kind of men that she looked for was making them think that they were all big and bad, and she was a sucker for their various charms, taking them home, and then showing them a thing or two about what a real woman could actually do when she had strength, basically no shame, and desires that were nothing short of self-centered and completely hedonistic.

She followed the witch to her station and all the final pieces of the tattoo inquiry puzzle fell into place. And Kennedy almost felt a little dumb for not just asking, especially when Thessily basically made it seem like no big deal that she had. Except the hunter almost never felt dumb; she knew her place in the world, probably better than a good number of other, less intelligent people did. She'd even wager that she was pretty good at figuring things and people out, and was rarely surprised... until the witch raised a rather loaded, interesting question, and Kennedy wondered what kind of test this was. Was she trying to see if Kennedy was one of the other 'special' beings, like a vampire with already enhanced strength so she could better test the limits of her tattoo magic? Kennedy shifted her weight, looked at the solid frame of the stool, and raised an eyebrow. ”Pretty sure most people couldn't. Why, can you?” Even though the offer was nice enough, she knew she couldn't, and didn't want to make a fool out of herself trying because the little Asian girl likely couldn't... aw, snap. And she did. It did, the metal creaked and bent the metal until it just broke like bone. Like nothing.

Kennedy wanted to go over and test the metal, but didn't – she knew what it was. Had always known, but now... now she had moved past surprised to impressed. ”That's... that's what this will do for me?” Her eyes betrayed a wicked gleam that she knew was likely obvious, but just didn't care because now she was basically a kid at Christmas. ”That is fuckin' wicked.” The fact that it would double her strength... awesome. Kennedy wanted to rub her hands together in fiendish delight, but figured that it would be better for her to at least act professional and try to contain herself. Even though she was really fucking excited. Which was part of why she asked about a second one, because okay, it was an impulse buy, but it was also power, and she had money. ”Then I'm thinking after this one, you should probably hook me up with another appointment so I don't have to own at Fruit Slice Ninja for a couple hours.” Kennedy actually winked at the woman, because that was how much of a good mood she was in.

When Thessily requested that she remove her clothes, Kennedy wasn't shy. She stripped right down and hopped on that table like it was nothing, being just a little bit cocky by her comment and also by not using the towel that had been offered. And even though she wasn't into chicks? Kind of flattering that Thessily complimented her body. ”Well, I'm a personal trainer, so I can't really yell at fatties about getting in shape if I have anything to be worried about myself.” She was blunt, harsh, but effective, and that was why so many people went to her for her services. Also, it was a great way to train for her other job while getting paid. The alcohol was cold on her skin, but she was good, and felt herself get excited again when she heard the buzzing of the tattoo gun so close to her. The design looked great, and she was ready to go. Ready for that gorgeous design and for all the potential it held. When Thessily started, she laughed a little at the woman's remark about her lack of flinching. ”I could fake it, if you'd rather. But pain doesn't bother me. I'm not a masochist, but I kinda... well, I don't hate it, let's just say that.” Kennedy paused, then looked up into Thessily's violet eyes that were fixed on her work and decided that she wanted to know more about the artist. ”But enough about me. Since you've got me basically naked and under your hands, why don't you tell me a little somethin' somethin' about you?”

[/justify]

[THESSILY RYUU INGRAM]

There were a lot of things that Thessily could say about Kennedy. About half of them less than pleasant. Despite that, the witch was actually having a pretty good time talking to the woman. She was brash and a bit rude- though Thess had the sneaking suspicion she was containing most of her rudeness just because she wanted something from the tattoo artist- sassy and a bit demanding. But the small Asian rolled with the punches, even being so good as to deliver some of her own in return. Like the whole but about her underwear selection. Could the witch actually know what she was wearing under those clothes? Of course not. She didn’t have x-ray vision. She could make astute assessments based on the attitude and attire the woman in front of her was currently presenting. And instead of getting offended that Thessily thought she wouldn’t wear sexy lingerie, she just seemed pleased with the Asian for noticing that little aura of strength she carried around with her like a weapon… or a security blanket. But Thess wasn’t gonna mention that last part and risk getting her head bitten off. She wasn’t certain she could handle whatever this woman dished out, and really, she preferred to avoid altercations whenever possible. So far, so good with Kennedy, and she’d be trying to keep it that way.

’Honey, there’s nothing wrong with being a powerhouse, so of course I’ma notice. I just happen to like some frills and sex for myself.’ She winked, yep, dared a wink, at Kennedy after her careful assessment of the woman’s dress. The pretty black woman was clearly one for the kind of shoes you could always be ready to run away in. For Thess, that was every shoe, since she could run in pretty much anything, but that wasn’t the point. There were definitely some that promoted and encouraged preparedness, such as the boots currently surrounding Ken’s feet. But that wasn’t really her business, just a casual observation. Her actual business was the thing the woman had come in there for in the first place, and the witch might as well get to that instead.

Turned out, it wasn’t just a tattoo the woman wanted. Nope. It was the special kick that only Thess could provide. No wonder the brazen instigator seemed to be toning it down. She couldn’t go to anybody else for the special properties she wanted her tattoo to have. First though, she wanted to know what exactly the ink would do for her. Rather than tell her, rather than go into the magic and science that made the shit possible, Thess just showed her. Most preferred live demonstrations anyways. So yeah, the witch snapped her stool like branch, and watched the mild air of disbelief and then awe hit Kennedy’s face, causing a grin to play on her own lips. ’Yep. Well, give or take. I’m the witch who came up with the stuff, and I’ve got the same magic running my system, so it works more effectively on me, but for you, yeah, I’d say double.’ Her shrug then was kinda eloquent, and she watched some genuine excitement start building in her client’s demeanor, making the witch grin. When people were happy about her work before it was even started, she knew it was gonna be a good day. A good session, at least. Especially when she realized that Kennedy had almost no shame whatsoever, easily stripping down to her bra and popping herself up on Thess’ chair. The witch resisted the urge to whistle, giggle and shake her head.

Instead, she set about prepping her tools and her station, getting a towel offer rejected, nodding at the request for another tattoo appointment and then spreading cold alcohol over the area she was working on, actually impressed with the muscle tone in Kennedy’s lean body, until she explained what it was she did for a living, and the whole thing made sense. Thess’ head bobbed a little as she nodded, chuckling a smidge at Kennedy’s choice of wording. Smart mouth on that one. That was probably part of the reason that the witch actually felt herself warming to the woman. Sure, she wasn’t the nicest creature on the planet, but at least she didn’t pretend to be kind and gentle and then bite you in the ass when you weren’t looking. And Thess could appreciate that. Having an unexpected, unprepared explosion where you weren’t ready for one was often more disastrous than the thing you’d been psyched up for a long time ago. There was a reason things like evacuation and disaster plans existed. It was just better, smarter to be ready in case of an emergency. Not that she thought any kind of emergency was gonna happen with Kennedy, it was the thought that counted. And obviously, Kennedy thought she had better be in perfect shape if she was gonna boss those that were less-so around. It clicked, but Thess had never taken kindly to being bossed about. Even when she was in the Marines, she’d been something of a spitfire, getting the job done, and well, but making sure that people knew she did it because she valued them and their lives, not because they’d yelled at or intimidated her. It took a hell of a lot to intimidate the powerful witch, actually, despite the fact that she didn’t like violence and pain. Ken didn’t seem to mind it though, which worked out quite well for both of them, given her current position under the needle.

’Nope. I’d rather people were real with me, if at all possible. And a high pain tolerance goes a long ways in here.’ The buzzing gun felt good in her hands, a tool she was completely familiar with. She had to admit, she kinda zoned out a little when she got really involved in the work, and this was a fairly intricate tattoo, but she did hear Kennedy’s request, and quirked her lips, thinking about how to respond. Well, she had just been thinking about her Marine career, and that was as good place to start as any. ’Feeling vulnerable Kennedy? You already signed the waiver, it’s too late for fear now.’ Purple eyes glanced up, teasing her before taking another breath to continue. ’Something about me. Well, I was a Marine not too long ago. How about that as a starter tidbit?’ Most people were pretty respectful of that, but it’d be interesting to see what this spitfire had to say.

[KENNEDY NYOTA GARDNER]

Kennedy didn't like women. Well, she didn't like people, but she wasn't sexually attracted to women. Really, to her, sex was just another outlet for her to exert control and get a release from whatever killing and hunting couldn't fix, but when she did seek out that release, she liked men. Usually, she liked to find the asshole men who thought they were God's gift to women, and show them a thing or two by totally topping them, but that was just her preference. Secretly, she dug the nice guys. Y'know, the soft spoken, mild-mannered, sweethearts, but she'd never tell anyone that. Kennedy didn't want a relationship – she liked to live her life fast and loose. Easy, dirty fun, and always on her terms. Relationships were... she'd have to consider the other person, and there were just so many feelings that it made her stomach churn, so she stuck to flirting and taking the occasional person home when she hit the bar scene, which wasn't terribly often. Thessily winking at her and commenting on her undergarments when Kennedy discussed what would be underneath when she stripped down down wasn't... unpleasant, but she didn't swing that way. Didn't judge people who did or anything, and she wasn't going to say that she'd never hook up with a girl, just to see, but usually, she was strictly for the men. Whatever they were doing, though, was fun, and the most fun she'd ever had before she got a tattoo gun pressed to her skin. So she rolled with it. Why the hell not? ”Can't follow on the frills necessarily, but the sex? Yeah, sex is totally in my 'plus' column. When it's good, because who the hell would waste their time on bad sex?” Not her, that was for damn sure. Kennedy didn't like to waste her time with anything, because she liked her routine, her schedules, and her independence. Anything that didn't mesh with that was... well, tossed aside.

After they got over the semantics of what would be happening with her tattoo – magic and all – and Thessily did her little display with the metal bar of her stool, Kennedy was excited. Like, 'kid at Christmas' level of excitement because power was good. Power was fun, and she had always wanted to be special. Since AJ had been turned, she had felt a little bit like she couldn't measure up anymore, and while part of her wanted to just say 'fuck the plans' and coerce her brother into turning her early, she couldn't do it. There was a lot riding on what she was doing in Manuka, especially since there was a lot of talk within 'inner circles' that her brother's ears just happened to be privy to that the war would be starting sooner than anyone thought. Apparently, a group of hunters were planning some kind of wide-scale attack, and while Kennedy wanted to get her nose all in the middle of that business, she had made the careful decision to lay low. Get information as she could, and wait it out. Once the war started, she'd be an asset to the local brigade of hunters because everyone would be picking loyalties and sides, finding out who they could trust... and she could pretend to be very trustworthy, and give her real side the advantage that they needed. But it was dangerous, so she was counting on this extra power boost giving her that strength she'd need just in case things got dicey.

For a minute, she wondered where Thessily stood on the whole 'war' thing, but didn't know if it was something she dared discuss, just in case her actual 'status' came up. Of course, everyone would need to think she was a hunter, and if Thessily wondered why she wasn't wanting to hunt her, well, there would be a lot of questions that Kennedy just wouldn't want to answer. ”Whatcha gonna do with all that power?” Kennedy joked, quoting a Kanye West song that she had been listening to earlier. ”No, but seriously – why'd you ink yourself with the extra mojo? Test dummy? Wanting to make sure that nobody picks you off? There's a lot of whispers in the crowd out there about some big shit happening...” Yeah, so maybe she couldn't just completely leave it alone, but the tattoo artist was interesting, and she wasn't good at small-talk. Stuck to business, most of the time.

Finally, the hunter stripped down and ended up on the witch's table, and actually didn't feel vulnerable. Thessily noticed, and even commented about how she was taking the pain. Kennedy was used to pain, even liked it, and said so – the little witch could draw her own conclusions from that information. ”Well, I'm not a little bitch baby, so instead of watching me cry, you're just going to have to talk to me instead.” Kennedy winked at her, just a playful thing like Thessily had given her before, but she was pretty comfortable. Even if she was mostly naked. A lot of people would be concerned, but she wasn't, and the drill and buzzing sound that the tattoo gun made was enough to relax her, almost put her in a Zen state, where she was strangely comfortable and at peace. She'd always known she was a weird one... ”Vulnerable? Me? Not a chance. The way I see it, you're getting a pretty damn good part of the deal, having the chance to ogle me when I can't do anything about it to deter you.” Yeah, she was that confident, and made absolutely no excuses. The hunter raised an eyebrow when she found out that the witch used to be a Marine, and gave an approving little hum in response. ”Color me surprised. Props to you.” The buzzing continued, and Kennedy felt the slight sting from the shading part of whatever the artist was working on, and decided that she could give a little tidbit of her own.

”About me... well, I might seem like a lone wolf, but for the longest time, I had a partner. Well, brother. AJ. He's... he was everything to me. Family's really important, and one of the few things I actually give a damn about.” Then, she shrugged, careful not to move too much, but also not wanting to get all open and sappy. That just wasn't her style.

[/justify]