Indelible Ink (Jaeden)

[Kashik]

75th Day of Spring, 510 AV And I get nothing for my trouble But the ink beneath my skin Warning: Mature content The tattooist of Endrykas was one of the more popular vendors to be found in the entirety of Cyphrus. And how not, when the Drykas so loved adorning their bodies with their accomplishments? There was little privacy for such things, either, as they loved showing off their Windmarks even more. Two men and a woman were getting theirs done at the same time Jaeden was suffering through his, and a plethora of passersby would stop to watch the artists work. And, perhaps a little, to gaze at the spectacular sight of Jaeden Kincade's firm hindquarters on display for the market of Endrykas. It probably didn't help that the Drykas were loose of tongue and quick with a hearty tease or a sultry compliment. He was nearing the end of his ordeal, the tattooist adding the final few taps of the needle, when a lusciously curved body interrupted his view of the floor. Then it bent, and revealed an equally gorgeous face and an embroidered blouse unbuttoned low to let the new tattoo across her chest air out. It was a delicate swirl of abstract lines that began at each collarbone and swept down to meet just between her breasts in an explosion of blue ink; the whole design gave one the impression of lightning just harnessed and injected beneath her skin. "Damn, boy," she laughed, her grin brighter than the lightning her Windmark represented and just as sharp. "Not many a man would take a mark to such tender flesh. Let me see," she giggled, then disappeared to step up beside the artist. "Very nice work, Injal." "He's been a good sport about it," the man snickered, giving one more tap of the needle to fill in a single spot he'd missed. "Whoo! I hope you've got nowhere to ride tonight!" she whooped at Jaeden, her grin clear in her voice - and then, when Injal gave a silent tip of the head to indicate that he was finished, she gave Jaeden a good, loud slap to his unmarked buttock, dissolving into good-natured giggles.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden laid there, wincing lightly as the prick of the needle caused as sting over the skin of his rear each time it broke flesh. He had decided to leave Endrykas after purchasing Fortunado, but found himself stopping for a moment after seeing the open tent to the Tattoo Artist for the Endrykas city. Fortunately for him, the artist with the needle in hand had only the desire to take his time with his work and tattoo the art that his customer requested as perfect as he could possibly make it. This was a simple request for Ranuri to grant, and over the course to two chimes of the bell, Jaeden’s sense of pain over the needle was quickly washed away by the satisfaction that Injal garnered from his work. His tattoo was nothing large, but it was extravagant and had sentimental value in it, as it was the symbol Hex had left etched into the ground in front of Jaeden’s tent the morning she had left. Jaeden took special care to memorize it and sketch it along a simple parcel of paper he had before breaking camp himself. The spectators that gathered from time to time over the course of the work he had done didn’t seem to bother Jaeden. In retrospect, he never seemed to have the problem with crowds that his Mentor and second father, Olevar, had. Injal had asked several times if Jaeden would feel more comfortable if the front flaps were closed, allowing him a little privacy. Each time Jaeden simply shook his head no, telling him that if it didn’t bother his work, he didn’t mind. Point I fact, it didn’t bother Injal, but improved his skill and his desire to do his work having a crowd there. This only increased the power Ranuri’s effect had over Jaeden, allowing him to further his urge to fulfill Injal’s own desires. Jaeden’s gaze was then distracted subtly when he saw the curves of a woman’s hips step before his gaze along the floor. His eyes widened even further when that open blouse revealed the cleavage of the woman when she crouched down, his pupils following the intricate design of the work she had done to herself. He hadn’t even heard her words initially, as he turned his head slightly to try and catch a glance and what further laid underneath the blouse. “What?” Jaeden simply replied to her initial statement before his head shook the cob webs of his ogling free, looking up to the woman’s face again, taking in the beautiful features that now matched with the body. “Well, hello lips. I‘m not like many men I suppose then.” Jaeden then slowly turned his head, following the woman’s walk as she traveled around the table, before gazing down to look over Injal’s work. He simply smirked then as he listened to her comment about riding. “Well, that depends on your definition of riding. Doing anything toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggghhhhhht!?” Jaeden said before he winced at the slap that came to his unmarked ass cheek. “Ow, ow, ow. An Olid pinch stomped on that ass cheek about five days ago. Little tender there too.”

[Kashik]

His words got a round of chuckles from the other Drykas men in the tent. One of them called out to the girl in Pavi, the tone of his voice clearly lewd, and she called right back to him - something clever enough to set the entire tent to laughing, and made the man grin and shake his head. "Sounds like you've a problem with both sides of your arse," she giggled, turning her attention back to him. "I don't know how you plan to sit down for the rest of the week. Have you never had a tattoo before? You didn't even bring something to wear other than pants, did you?" she said, making a tsk, tsk! sound with her tongue and folding her arms beneath her breasts like a scolding mother. Of course, that only served to thrust them up a bit, which got another comment from the man across the tent and another response from the girl which clearly sounded like a last warning, for all that a smile tilted her lips.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slowly rose from the table, still wincing slightly over the sting of both the tattoo and the bruising that had come from his previous hunt days ago. It wasn’t as bad as it was originally, but getting smacked along the bare skin of his rear didn’t help. Jaeden pulled his pants up, fastening them before pulling out two gm and handing them to Injal for his work. It was overpayment of the services he provided, but the gesture made him feel all that more satisfied for the work he had done, which in turn helped Jaeden quell the urge to fulfill his desires. Jaeden slowly gazed over to the woman as she exchanged banters with one of the men from the crowd that had gathered. Her own desires soon began washing over him from the slap along his ass that she had given him moments ago. A smile began to slowly spread over his lips as he reached down, slinging his pack over one shoulder. His gaze traveled up and down the frame of her body, settling along her rear for a short moment. A few steps finally brought standing right behind her, mere inches of air separating their bodies. Jaeden’s hand slowly raised, as the tip of his finger brushed aside strands of her hair, exposing her ear. Jaeden slowly leaned forward, bringing his lips close to the upper lobe of her ear. “Care to take a walk with me?” Jaeden then said, whispering to her ear as his breath brushed lightly along her skin. He then added a subtle slap to her rear of his own in payback of her initial swing. Jaeden then made his way out of the tent, looking over his shoulder to add a smile with the invitation. He paused for a moment outside of the tent, grabbing Fortunado’s reigns as he began leading the horse towards the outskirts of Endrykas.

[Kashik]

She tilted her head a bit as he pulled back her hair, a luscious smile blossoming at the brush of his breath. She shivered deliciously, and the other men likely saw the light that started burning in teal-green eyes: curiosity, excitement, the greedy voraciousness of a girl always on the lookout for something new. When he slapped her ass she gave a bark of laughter and rolled forward on her toes, throwing a grin over her shoulder to reward his boldness. The Drykas around them started cat-calling, and she whistled along with them and shook out her hand as if she'd touched something hot. She grabbed up her own pack, being careful not to let the straps brush against her newest tattoo, and laughed as she followed after him. One of the male bystanders reached out to slap her on the ass as well, and she dodged agily away from his hand and returned the favor with a punch to his jaw that sent him tumbling off his chair. She grinned as she blew him a kiss and skipped out, the men's laughter and ribbing following behind her. She gathered her spear from where it rested against the tentpole, and simply tucked it in the crook of her elbow as they walked. "Semele's sparkling tits, man, is that a Nightwalker?" she asked as she caught sight of his horse, face lighting up as she approached it with the confident, easy gait of a woman born among horses - cautious, but without any trace of fear.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden smirked as he looked back at the woman’s play on words when asking about his horse. “It is. Fortunado is his name.” Jaeden replied as he looked back to his horse for a moment. “Just got him today. Before now, I’ve been walking everywhere. He’s pretty spirited, but I find that we have a good deal in common the more I walk with him.” Jaeden slowly looked back at the woman. “I often catch him checking out female horses.” Jaeden then chuckled as he continued leading them through the Endrykas settlement, the edge now coming into view. He then stopped, standing inches from her once again, as that same boldness she encountered radiated from him once again. “Where are my manners anyhow. Jaeden Kincade is my name. Might I have the pleasure of your name? It seems I should be calling out your name, rather than screaming out Saucy Minx during,” there was a slight pause as he rand his fingers down the skin of her arm, “well, shall we call them extra curricular activities?”

[Kashik]

Her smile turned wry as she glanced down at his hand on her arm, and in that moment Ranuri bucked a little and twisted even as Kashik's own desires twisted and veered off - for she was as fickle as the lightning now etched into her skin, and it suddenly didn't feel so much like an adventure, not if he was going to just say it like that. There was bold, and there was predictable and boring, and she rather hated the second one. Not a single bit of it showed in her face, though, and likely wasn't even a thought or emotion that occurred consciously; she wasn't terribly self-aware so far as that went. Her smile was still just as easy, her eyes still sparkling with mischief as she turned them back up to him. "Kashik of the Brightsmile Pavillion. Diamond Clan," she said, chin jutting up just a little in pride. But then Fortunado snorted, and she was completely distracted by him, her attention like a hummingbird's as she flitted from one thing to the next. "I've never seen a Nightwalker before! He's beautiful!" she laughed, skipping around Jaeden to lay a careful palm beneath the horse's nose. She murmured something to him in Pavi, and the horse's ears tipped forward as he lowered his nose to nuzzle at her hand. She immediately dipped her chin and pressed a kiss to that velvety-soft nose, which got her another rumbling whicker in return. "So what are you," she asked, giggling a little as she scratched his horse underneath the chin, "some kind of rich warrior or something? Not many will pay the price of a house for a single horse," she said, curiosity lighting her eyes once more.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden slowly turned, once again leading them outside of Endrykas, their walk taking them through the tall grasses outside of the tent city. “No, not a rich soldier or anything like that.” Jaeden said in reply to her question. “Just a hunter, with a bit of masseuse on the side. Coin isn’t a huge thing for me in the long run, so when I see something for purchase that I like, I don’t mind spending the coin for it. Fortunado was such a case. He has an energy that tends to coincide with my own. True enough that we’ll have to grow a little more accustomed to each other, but I’m willing to commit to such.” Jaeden then finally came to a stop, as a clearing in the tall grass revealed where he had set up camp. He then took a moment to remove the burden’s from Fortunado back before grabbing some rope and anchoring fifty feet of it to the ground. Taking the other end, he then attached that to his bridal, not wanting him to chase after him since it was his first day with Fortunado. He finally circled in front of the horse, looking him in the eyes. “Alright, you have your water, and grazing grass. Be a good stud for me and try not to break your lead? Jaeden said to the horse, pointing down to the creek bed that laid twenty feet away from Jaeden's camp. Jaeden then slowly turned back towards camp, only to stumble forward as Fortunado gave him another quick nudge to his back with his muzzle. “Hey, watch it. What are you, mister shove ‘n stuff?” Jaeden then said to Fortunado with a smirk, rubbing his hand along the front of the horses head for a moment. Fortunado then just slowly turned, walking casually a couple of paces as he began to graze, stomping along the ground a couple of times to scare away any snakes that may have been hiding in the grass. Jaeden eventually found himself rummaging through a something behind the grasses near his tent as Kashik observed Fortunado for a short moment. Before long, he slowly turned, tossing a long slender stick to her the length and thickness of her spear. When she caught it, he took a couple of steps to the side, unbuckling his belt as he let the gear and sword attached to it, and eventually his pack drop to the ground. Holding up a stick similar in length to his long sword, Jaeden just smirked at Kashik, holding it up in a medium guard. “Well then, my vivacious gem in the grass, shall we dance?” Jaeden then offered.

[Kashik]

She'd been following him more because she'd started following him, and he had a pretty horse, and he might turn out interesting. Maybe. She was staring at the horse when he called out to her. Her eyes snapped to his and widened when she saw his makeshift weapon. Just as quickly, he had her full attention again, and a sun-bright smile tore across her lips. "Really?" she squealed, like a child getting their most desired item for a birthday present. She was beaming at him now, bouncing on her toes in excitement. Fighting a foreigner! Who knew what sorts of moves he knew? He could do anything! She bounded forward, dropping her pack as if it were completely inconsequential, spinning her spear between her hands. "Seriously? Okay, what do we fight to? Are you sure you can handle it, old man? Do you want me to go easy on you?" she called out impudently, her smiling now clearly a challenge.

[Jaeden Kincade]

Jaeden smirked as he began circling around Kashik, the wooden stick kept in front of him in a medium guard. “Yes, I’m serious.” Jaeden said, the smirk remaining on his face as he made a quick jerking motion forward, feinting an approach to test Kashik’s reaction first as they bantered. “As far as what we fight to, how about I leave that up to you? That way you can be certain of what I can, handle. I will say this, if you go easy on me, you’ll end up regretting it, and then I’ll be claiming a prize as reward.” Jaeden then moved in, his speed betraying the actual size of his frame. His stick lowered slightly, before rising quickly through the air towards Kashik’s front. He was aware of the reach advantage that the spear had over the sword, having experienced fighting with a spear user in the past. Depending on Kashik’s skill level, he would have to adjust his own tactics carefully, but in the end it was a matter of slipping in behind the reach of the spear itself.