Private Notation From The Stars

[Arcturus Dinn]

Five more days? But...

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Oh don't tempt me," he said, all at once, "I'll keep us in orbit for five days if that's what it takes..." Five days indeed. But no, they had an appointment to make. So with a soft sigh he made to leave the bed.

Though not before Ishani began to creep beneath the sheets. Something within him stirred, his mind whirring a mile a minute. Then she popped her head back out, to ask him a question. Mood totally blown. He shook his head, groaned at her, and then pulled off the covers. "I don't know if I even want one" he stated, lightly shifting her so that he could move his legs over the edge of the bed. Ready to get up and get ready. "I mean, maybe one day?"

Probably should shower, too. Two bodies in one bed was sweaty business even when nothing happened in the night. Body heat and all of that.

"Come on, sweetheart, Coruscant soon awaits..."

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“If that’s what it takes to what?” she asked innocently.

So that was a no to getting a tattoo. When he started to get up, she scrambled out of bed and knelt down in front of him. “Hey, we still have… thirteen minutes!” Her voice turned pleading. “Please Arc, I want you…”

She was trying to delay the inevitable, among other things. Regardless of whether he assented or denied her, they arrived on Coruscant soon after.

The last time she’d been there was with Dagon Kaze, and her view of the famous ecumenopolis had been confined to the Jedi Temple. She’d left those younglings there in exchange for searching the prison cells for any signs of Arcturus; finding none, she’d taken her leave, returning to Korriban alone.

On her second trip, the endless city remained as tangled and confusing as ever. She found it intimidating, the crush of life overwhelming in the Force. Being with Arc this time certainly helped her to stay grounded, but she was still afraid of becoming lost.

“So, where’s your, uh, contact?”

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"To make you eat your words" he chuckled, groaning as he finally rose up to his feet. Or... Well... He would have risen up if not for the move Ishani pulled soon after. Oh she was getting good at this, wasn't she? He reached out and stroked her cheek, and gave it a moment's thought.

Whatever choice he made didn't seem to affect their arrival time at any rate. Soon enough they had the ship parked within a hangar bay and then they were out in the busy streets of Coruscant. It was weird to be back, and Arcturus found himself just a little more on edge than he'd been expecting. Last time he was here with a Jedi, which should have been far more harrowing but it wasn't. If anything it had been something of a security blanket; nobody was going to bother him if Starlin was there, right?

Plus, all in all, he didn't really leave the Rand residence all that much. Here they'd have to find some sort of hotel, or else return to the ship to sleep.

Ishani drew him out of his contemplations as they walked, and soon enough he was turning a grin her way. "Couple of levels down" he informed her, "You want to head there now, or you want lunch first..?"

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“I can’t eat a bite until it’s over,” she muttered. “Don’t let me stop you, though.”

She stuck close to Arc as he led the way. All the streets and most of the levels looked the same to her, at least topside. She tried to pick out individual landmarks, just in case—a certain type of restaurant there, a certain store there, a sign or a symbol or a statue that was unique and stood out.

Unfortunately for Ishani, she also hated heights. Looking out over a ledge at the plummeting drop below made her feel like her soul was leaving her body. Merely going from one level to the next prompted her to grab Arc’s hand, holding on for dear life.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"I had a bad feeling you'd say that" he stated, reaching into his jacket pocket as he did to pull out some sort of protein/energy bar. He handed it across to her, and for a moment his expression turned stern-yet-loving. "You can't get a tat done on a completely empty stomach, love, you'll pass out. Here, try and nibble on this a little while we walk, alright? It shouldn't be too heavy on your stomach, but it'll do the job and keep your blood sugars up."

Provided she took it, he reached for her free hand and walked with her like that through the streets until they reached a turbolift which could bring them down a few levels. Well, a few in Coruscanti terms wasn't like one or two. They plummeted a decent amount before the lift came to a stop, and Arcturus ushered her off.

"Not long now, love. You alright?"

If Ishani was paying attention she'd likely notice the change in scenery. Up top was nice and clean and sparkly, it was meant for tourists and people of importance, but down here? This was where the real denizens lived. Not quite so bad as the Undercity, but certainly not as bright or polished. Some of the storefronts were closed down, others looked a little worse for wear. There were street vendors around, and the aroma of freshly cooked food wafting from some of the stalls.

Interesting, a cultural melting pot, but maybe not the sort of place you actively went to get tattooed...

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

She reluctantly accepted the protein bar, taking a bite. "Tastes like a cardboard brick. Thanks."

Her humor could get a little more biting than usual when she was dreading something. Still, she soldiered on, nibbling on the bar and looking around.

The level they wound up on was a bit on the dumpy side, definitely not a place for tourists. Arcturus at least seemed sure of foot, leading her past the dingier shopfronts and grimy alleys. "Is this where you were hiding out?" she asked. The smell of food taunted her shrunken stomach, so she finished off the protein bar to keep it quiet.

Arcturus Dinn

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"Nah," he replied, when she asked if this was where he'd been when he was avoiding Korriban. "They weren't so low down, but I was here a while, you know? Once Starlin headed back out into the Galaxy I took to roaming a little. It's how I met Hix."

Ishani's stomach grumbled a little, even once the bar was finished, but for once he didn't pull her up on it. Nerves were understandable, and she knew her own body better than he ever would. If she didn't think she could handle a real meal, far be it for him to try and insist. Instead he just led her further on, his hand never leaving hers.

And then he turned toward a store. From the outside it looked just as grimy as the rest, no doubt sending Ishani's mind spiraling, but once they crossed the threshold it seemed rather well taken care of. There were a tonne of framed tattoo mock-ups on the wall, various different reclining seats set here and there, and a couple of different artists and patrons about the place. Some were working on sketches, others were currently putting needle to skin.

All in all though, there was a clean scent in the air. Vaguely of rubbing-alcohol.

A previously leaning Bosph pushed from the wall and raised all four of its stocky arms upon seeing Arcturus. "Eyyy, Starboy!" He made his way around the others, and almost immediately swallowed up Arcturus' free hand in two of his own as he gave him a warm handshake by way of a welcome. "Long time no see, boy. Where you been keepin'?"

Arcturus grinned, a slight amount of colour rising within his cheeks - though surprisingly he didn't seem super embarrassed, just a tiny amount.

"Hey Hix, business looks good. You get the sketch I sent you?"

"Best believe it" Hix whistled appreciatively, "And it's for this lovely blonde I presume? Never could tempt you into getting some ink of your own, after all." He glanced at Ishani, then nudged his head in Arcturus' direction with a glint of mischief in his bulbous, bug-like eyes. "Real afraid of needles, this one."

"I am not!"

Hix nudged Arcturus' ribs with his elbow, then beckoned them further into the shop.

"Alright, alright, let's see..." He stepped around one of the desks and pulled out a holopad, projecting the sword tattoo soon after. "This the right one, hun?" the Bosph asked Ishani, sliding the pad toward her. While she made sure everything was in order, he shifted his attention to Arcturus. "And uh... You know what you're doin', right? Infusin', imbuin', whatever it is. You're sure you got it?"

Arcturus nodded once, firmly and with confidence. "Aye, I know what I'm doing."

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“Starlin?...”

Oh Force, the place looked dirty from the outside… though it looked clean on the inside. Then the sterile twang of rubbing alcohol hit her, and she caught sight of someone being poked, and she nearly turned tail and ran back out again. But Arc’s hand was warm in hers, and the Bosph guy seemed friendly, at least when he wasn’t joking about needles…

Ishani was jerked from one emotion to the next, standing next to Arc with a deer-in-headlights expression. It was still on her face as her design was projected, and she nodded her head mechanically. “Yeah,” she rasped, then cleared her throat. “That’s… that’s the one.”

She didn’t faint or squirm, but all the blood had drained from her face.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

"Oh, uh, haven't I mentioned him before?" He tried to think about it, even squinted a little, before he pushed open the door and held it open for her. "Yeah, I uh... I stayed with him. His mom." Rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, not sure how much was actually safe to say given that Starlin was a Jedi. Not that he didn't trust Ishani of course but...

Well, sometimes he couldn't shake the feeling of being listened in on. Even though if that had been the case, well, he'd have been well and truly karked a long time ago.

Thankfully Hix was a wonderful distraction.

Ishani's suddenly quiet state did not go unnoticed, even if it looked as though Arcturus was having a whale of a time catching up with his buggish friend. His one hand never left hers, and at various intervals he gave it a light squeeze of reassurance.

"You alright, girlie?" the Bosph asked, suddenly looking a little concerned by the colour of her skin, "You know, we don't have to do this, right? Seein' this ole knucklehead's more than enough for me, without y'all feeling like you have to give me your business and what not."

Arcturus shifted his gaze across to her, head tilting to one side.

"We really don't," he assured her, reaching out to move some stray hairs behind her ear and get a good luck at her face.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"He let you stay with his mom? Awww."

Any further commentary on Starlin or Arc's previous time spent on Coruscant were sidelined by their arrival at the tattoo parlor, where Ishani found herself being looked upon with concern. Hix suggested that they didn't have to do this, and Arc was quick to say the same. Ishani opened her mouth to reply, then hesitated.

"We came here just for this, didn't we?" she asked, her eyes darting between the two of them. "I've got to get an imbued tattoo to be able to... y'know." She gestured vaguely, not sure how much they could say in public about their weird little experiment. Not that they weren't already drawing attention to themselves.

She had begun to breathe a little harder, her chest rising and falling. Shifting her weight from one foot to another, she looked around again, then suddenly reached forward, holding Arc's face in her hands, and kissed him hard like he was a drink that would fortify her courage. Pulling away, she shook herself, then said, "Okay, let's do it. Where do I sit? Or lay—it's gonna be on my back."

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

She wanted it for what it could provide, but she didn't want it in any other sense. Maybe he ought to figure out another method for calling items, for people like Ishani who didn't need something quite so permanent. Yeah, maybe he'd suggest something else, the runes could be placed on something else right? Yeah, he--

Ishani kissed him, before he could think to start explaining, and in his shocked state he didn't think to stop her as she quickly turned to Hix and asked him where she should go.

Hix's elbow jabbed into Arcturus' ribs once more, he made a kissy-kissy face when Ishani wasn't looking - after all, he wasn't trying to embarrass her just Arc - and then turned to follow her. "This way, this way, look at you, more nerve than he has that's for sure. Do you want a breath mint, can't imagine he tastes all that good, you know..."

He rambled on like this, a little bit of lighthearted banter, for a little bit as he led her to one of the chairs. "Alright, well since it's on your back you're gonna have to take your shirt off. Uhh..." He looked over at Arcturus, and waved him closer. Blinking, Arc followed suit. "C'mon, cough up your jacket lad. That way she's got something to cover with."

Without thinking, he did precisely that. Then paused. Then looked at Ishani. Was she okay with this? Force, he hadn't thought to ask her to wear something that was backless.

What an idiot.

"I can uh... Go and see if I can find something that's backless, if you want? There's stores nearby..."

Either way he handed over the jacket, something she could wear backwards like a kid in their dads shirt acting as an apron for messy arts and crafts.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"Oh no, he tastes great," she replied without thinking, still a little bit stupefied. A nearby patron who was in the middle of drinking something nearly choked and started coughing.

There was some fussing over Arc's jacket, which Ishani cut through by reaching around, pulling aside her hair, and unbuttoning the back of her dress. "Thanks for the jacket, I was getting chilly." It was still warm and smelled faintly of Arc, a great comfort as she laid down with her back exposed, waiting for a needle to be poked into her skin. Oh, feth, don't even think about it...

"Come over here and distract me, please. Say something, or, or just sit and look good I guess."

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Hix pulled a face when she replied to his jabs, but otherwise didn't say very much at all. He didn't want to even think about the idea of someone enjoying Arcturus in such a way, nope nosiree not at all. Instead he crossed two of his arms as he waited for the boy to hand over his jacket, only for Ishani to simply unbutton the back of her dress.

That worked.

"Smart girl you got here" he mumbled, before waving Arcturus into one of the stools meant for the artists themselves. "Alright lad, focus, because it's not like I can restart this, alright?" Eyes shifted to Ishani. "Remember to breathe, girlie. Worst thing you can do is forget to breathe."

Arcturus slipped into the offered stool and slid it to Ishani's side, so that she could turn her head and look at him. He reached out, gently shifted some of her hair back behind her ear, and smiled gently. "I have to focus, love, or this will all be for naught. But I'll be right here, and if you need me to I'll hold your hand, alright?"

For now he satisfied himself with gently caressing her cheek. Hix placed a stencil of the design upon her back, centering it along the spine. Paused, considered its placement, then nodded. "Wanna check the position?" he asked her. If she didn't like it, he'd clean it off and reposition. Rinse and repeat until she was satisfied, and back on the chair.

Ready to begin, the tattoo gun began to buzz, and Arcturus began to draw upon the Force in response, pooling it down through the touch of his hand on her cheek and into the soon-to-be ink filled layers of skin upon her back.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

It’s not like you can restart this. Ahhhh.

She was breathing, all right. Arc’s hand against her cheek was a small reassurance, but she jolted a little merely feeling the stencil against her back.

“Heh, I’m ticklish,” she mumbled. The marks were made along her spine, the point of the sword reaching the middle of her back while the handle rested between her shoulder blades. Once the tattoo gun started to buzz, she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself.

She felt the prick of the needle and stifled a whimper. Right, not so bad. Not even as painful as getting a shot or having blood drawn. Then the prickling turned into more of an itching—but before it could become too unbearable, she was distracted by the sensation of Arc imbuing her. It felt… weird, but not in a bad way. In fact, it was almost sort of—

“Ow!” The vibration of the gun had struck bone. She bit her lip, muffling any further yelps or cries. Her skin felt hot, and she couldn’t tell if it was because of blood rushing to the site of the inking or the imbuement. Probably both.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Hix had been at this game a long time, and he instinctively raised the needle when he felt that first rough patch. "Careful, careful, you got's to be still. Nobody wants wobbly ink, alright?" As abrasive as the words might have been, he was doing his best to keep his tone friendly enough. It wasn't uncommon for patrons to be this way at first, after all, but she'd find her groove soon enough, or he'd adjust to the sorts of movements she made.

Arcturus kept his hand upon her cheek, lightly stroking against the softness of her skin. For the most part though he seemed absent, lost within the throws of the Force. He didn't say anything, and his breathing had taken on a sleep-like quality, steady and restful. There was a slight strain upon his brow though, a furrowing he could not shake.

Such work required focus, and a certain intensity.

And so it was that their afternoon bled away in such a fashion, though for how long exactly Arcturus could not tell.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Trying to keep still was a lot more difficult than was ideal. If she wasn’t in pain or itching, she was being tickled, and the urge to squirm away was an enemy she had yet to conquer. Ticklishness: truly the bane of Sith everywhere.

But she soldiered on as best she could. Time passed, and eventually the tattoo was finished.

Ishani sighed in relief. “Yeah, no, sorry babe—I’m not getting your name tattooed on me.” She felt stiff from lying there for so long and her back was aflame. “Did the imbuement work?”

Sitting up, she stretched her limbs. “This better not break the bank, ‘cause I’m starving.”

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

The buzzing stopped, and Hix wiped away the last of the residual ink which had welled up on her skin. It took a little while longer for Arcturus and his silently moving lips to cease, by which point a thin sheen had formed over his exposed skin. Goosebumps lay all along his arms where the jacket no longer lay, and his mouth had the distinct feel of cotton balls.

Pulling back, he leaned back in the stool only to find it had no backing. He lost his footing, slipped, and crashed back against the wall he'd been sat before.

Hix was quick on the draw, and he scooted his rolling stool over to catch him before he could end up sprawled on the floor. Concern wrought itself over the creature's expression, though he tried to keep his tone good humoured all the same. "You know, usually it's the one in the chair that faints... Alright, big guy, c'mon..."

Four arms made it a little easier to distribute the weight of a body, and soon enough Arcturus had been deposited in the only other empty reclining seat in the establishment, short of Ishani's being vacated in the wake of what had happened. "He's alright" Hix assured her, waving off the concerns of the other artists and patrons before they could arise "Probably locked his joints or somethin', terrible for circulation that. Here, go check it. There's a mirror behind you."

Then the creature squinted. "Feel any different? Did the lad actually manage it, you reckon?" He sounded... dubious. By this point the alien had procured a bottle some sugary drink, ready to force Arcturus to drink it once he'd come to.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Eyes wide, Ishani scrambled down from her seat. Hix got there faster, hauling Arcturus into an empty chair. She was at his side a moment later, stroking his hair.

“Aw, I knew I should’ve tried to help you. I thought about it, but I was afraid I’d mess you up…”

She hovered over him anxiously, her tattoo completely forgotten about. Had it worked? Probably. But she wouldn’t know for certain until she used it to summon her weapon, and it didn’t seem like a good idea to do that in public.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

Arcturus was understandably groggy as he came to. His head hurt like nobody's business, and swam when he tried to lift it up from the chair. All at once Hix thrust the bottle at him, and he felt Ishani's hand in his hair. He took the drink, unscrewed the lid, and chugged it down without pausing.

"Feth, did I ruin it?" he asked, unsure of when he'd actually passed out in truth. He lifted a hand, ran it along his face, then blinked and glanced over at Ishani. "You alright? Look like you've seen a ghost, love."

"You had the good sense to wait 'til I was done" Hix stated, with a nod. "So at the very least the ink wasn't ruined when this one ran to your side. Do me a favour, next time you have a crazy idea like this... Don't."

Arcturus just chuckled. "Like that's ever gonna happen." Hix grumbled. "Besides, didn't you promise to show me the ropes some time? You said you would..."

He was feeling better now, much better in fact. The sugar water definitely did wonders. He grinned over at Ishani, and made a twirling gesture with his finger. "Alright, let me see then..."

It wasn't just an excuse to see her exposed back. Nope.

Ishani Dinn

 

[Ishani Dinn]

"You alright? Look like you've seen a ghost, love."

"Ugh, you faker." She leaned back, smirking at him. "To think I was actually worried about you for a second there..."

She turned around, hair over her shoulder. The ink sword rested against her flesh, hot as a brand it seemed. "So you do want to learn how to do this on your own?"

Arcturus Dinn​