Body Ink [PM for invite; 2/4]

[Vlithra Qing Long]

It‘s the afternoon of a long day in Vale. The Azure Dragon tattooing parlor was in it‘s less visited hours of the day as its owner Jay Qing Long had finished one of the most important appointments of the day. His client... Vlithra Qing Long, his would be niece and former criminal turned Beacon student, who had received one part of a touch up on her masterwork of a tattoo. Having waited the required time for the ink to fully settle into her skin, she clothed herself again. She wore the usual look consisting of boots, black suit pants with chain belt, white short sleeved shirt with her signature green vest and fingerless gloves. She was always dressed for business, even if there was no business as was this occasion. As she moved to grab her jacket she pondered to stick around to keep her old man company, but in the end ultimately decided to use the rest of the days time for other things. She had bothered him enough for the day anyway.
“Come back next week around the same time so that I can finish the touch up alright?“ The old geezer said smiling at Vlithra as she left the room with her jacket in hand, only spotting the smile as she exited the door into the waiting room.

She rounded the counter into the waiting room of the traditional tattooing parlor where many different popular motifs and samples for tattoos hang for customers to choose from. Everything from elaborate pictures telling stories etched into the skin by old techniques to simple motifs using modern machines, Jay could make any tattoo the client wished for. The shop even had been maintained as traditional as it could get. This made it comfy, however at the cost of a fairly small waiting area. Standing in the middle Vlithra threw her jacket around onto her shoulders afterwards fidgeting the chain onto the button on the collar to keep it on her shoulders as she then charged her semblance. As the green lightning softly exploded from her body it blew off the dust that had gathered on her pants when she laid down in the other room minutes ago. Her jacket waved in the resulting gust of wind, as did her hair which she as a force of habit straightened out afterward by running a hand through it.
“Alright then gramps, til‘ next week.“ Vlithra answered as she bent her back and stretched her shoulders, causing her now stiffened bones to make little cracking sounds.

With a sigh of relief the tigress pulled out her scroll to look at the time. Yup, enough time to spend for the day. How to spend it, was the only question really. Hitting up a gym might be a good idea to get rid of her stiffness. Or hell maybe even crushing a few training courses back at Beacons training rooms would also do it. Maybe she could browse a few more shops arround Vale? Many options, she decided thinking them over while walking around town for a bit was a way to start. With that tohught she made her way to the door, opening it with the all too familiar door bell anouncing her taking her leave.

“Be safe dear.“ Jay said with sincereity as he also came into the waiting room to tend to the counter. Vlithra with scroll in hand and a smirk sees him off with a wave and steps through the door to the outside. She always found it funny and endearing with how genuine and dedicated Jay was to his role as ‘uncle‘ to her.

The smirk was quickly wiped off as the sun blinded her as she stepped outside, requiring her to shield her eyes as they adapted to the light. After a short while and being able to see again she quickly scanned around to look for a path to take.

[Ax L Rose]

What a predicament. What a pain. Ax had an idea for new ink she wanted, and she didn't have a single artist in the area that she trusted... all the most talented people she knew were back in Mantle, and there was absolutely no way she was going back just for some ink. So far she'd scoped out a few different places, and she'd checked out a dozen more via her scroll. There were a few people that seemed like they'd do a decent enough job, but most of what she was seeing didn't really have what she was really looking for...

One of the last tips she'd gotten off the CCT net was that this place here was one of the best places to get inked in Vale. The guy that ran the place had a steady hand and a good rep according to customer reviews. She could get a new piercing anywhere, but a good tattoo, well... Ax didn't trust just anyone to leave a permanent mark on her skin. Clad in her usual attire, she stepped along the pavement at the edge of the Residential District. This part of town wasn't nearly as busy as Commercial, and it struck her as a kind of odd place to run a tattoo parlor. Either the guy that ran the place was eccentric, confident, or both. She kept her hands in her pockets as she approached the entryway into the building, intending to just take a quick look and maybe ask about prices for now.

Ax wouldn't have been shocked to bump into a familiar face in Commercial - it happened all the time. Hell, it even happened back around that dingy club over in Industrial. But she stopped in place when she saw a tall figure stepping out from the entryway, a hand raised over her face to block the sun. As soon as Ax saw those almost eerily luminescent green eyes, she couldn't help but rather fondly remember the way this particular woman looked in a swimsuit.

"V..." Ax hesitated. Vithra? Vlitha? Vlithra. That sounded right. Ax didn't want to botch it. While they hadn't talked a ton at the beach, Ax liked to think that maybe the tall, gorgeous tigress from before might remember her partner from the second worst game of chicken Ax had ever played in her life.

"Vlithra?" Ax called out her name, pretty sure she was saying it right. Damn, this chick looked like serious business when she was out and about and like... wearing clothes. If Ax hadn't seen her before, she'd have probably been a little reluctant to greet her.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

“Hm?“ Is the first reaction as Vlithra heard her name somehow being uttered. She raised an eyebrow as she look to where the feminine voice came from. Her face went from stern looking to sort of surprised in a moment.
Not only did this person rock a look that was quite the eye catcher, what with the exposed midriff and leather jacket combined with torn jeans, but they also beared a face that Vlithra had seen before and wasn‘t about to forget anytime soon. It was Ax, the bird faunus she teamed up with at the party. Seeing this girl again was certainly a surprise, especially here in the residental district of all places AND in front of her old man‘s shop nonetheless. A smile quickly formed on the tigresses face.

“Well, if that ain‘t a familiar face. And here I thought I‘d run into you at Beacon. No such luck I suppose.“ Vlithra shrugged and shook her head a little as she fully turned towards Ax. She then scanned her body over once more. Ax‘s outfit of choice was very interesting. If this was her casual outfit then damn, eye catcher doesn‘t begin to describe this one.
Anyone who had the confidence to dress like that in the open and make it look so well and easy had immediate respect from the tigress. Despite the good looks she had Vlithra couldn‘t stare too much. Last thing she wanted to do was to creep out Ax.

“Anyway. How have you been, Ax? Haven‘t seen you in a while, not even on campus.“ While Vlithra stuffed her hands in the pockets of her pants andconfidently grinned at the bird faunus, she was still a bit shocked that she met Ax here of all places.
With how she had seen her a few times on campus before the party, she figured she‘d meet her in the gardens at some point. Strangely enough, no dice. Ax struck her as interesting enough back then to strike up conversations with, but sadly between the sort of miserable chicken game and the bad mood following after she didn‘t get quite the opportunity to do so. Didn‘t matter though, because now was the chance as good as ever to do so. Given how Vlithra was planning on wasting some time anyway, this was perfect.

[Ax L Rose]

Ax raised a hand to greet the tigress as she approached, giving her a bold smile that belied the fact that Ax found this woman to be actually pretty intimidating. Ax's just wasn't particularly used to looking up at a woman from a standing position these days, but with Vlithra it was definitely more than just a height difference thing. The girl's stature, demeanor, her slick, sort of masculine style of dress, the piercing eyes... Ax had to give it up. A person didn't just stumble on presence like this. Vlithra was almost certainly the way she was through the virtue of deliberate action. Even with a sort of neutral expression on her lips, Vlithra looked stern and intense as ever.

Ax felt relieved when she saw recognition in Vlithra's eyes. Ax kept approaching like she knew what she was doing, like she wasn't intimidated in the slightest. It was easier said than done... up until Ax saw those fearsome green eyes trail downward over her body. It was a brief, cursory enough look where it didn't seem disrespectful, but it still gave Ax a little extra boost of confidence. Ax, after all, hadn't cultivated her own presence on accident either.

Ax stopped a few feet away, raising a hand and brushing a bit of hair behind her right ear as she looked up at the tigress. Her smile turned almost smug as Vlithra took another look. Well, they were in front of a tattoo shop. It only made sense that Vlithra wanted to take a look at the ink on display. Ax seemed to deliberately dress to show off the roses and thorns on her hip, the little lightning bolt jewel on her navel, and the jet black symbol like a pair of bladed wings on her chest. If she minded Vlithra's observations, it didn't show on her face. If anything, Ax seemed pretty at ease as Vlithra took the lead in initiating the conversation.

"It's been a hectic couple of weeks," Ax admitted with a little grin. "What can I say? I'm pretty much crushing it at life," Ax lowered her hands and thrusted her fingers into her own jeans, mirroring Vlithra's posture. Since Vlithra was focused on her now, Ax decided to take a second to give the tigress an appraising little up-and-down of her own. She wanted to take in all the little details of this look... and she also wanted to see how Vlithra would respond to being pretty blatantly checked out. Ax didn't wanna assume anything about her... and she'd most likely know if Vlithra was starting to feel uncomfortable.

"It is kinda funny I'd bump into you out here of all places," Ax's cool blue eyes flicked back up to Vlithra's face.

"So... I take it this place comes well-recommended? Shopping around for some new ink? Or do you got something new you can show off?"

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Judging by Ax‘s smile, the bird faunus must be equally as happy to see Vlithra. Therefore the smile is returned in kind. The ink Ax wore was deliberately shown off, one of many ways to embody ones own presence. The most obvious one were the black bladed wings on the birds chest. Simple, but as much as her own tattoo had a story to tell this tattoo would have a meaning as well. The question was... what. Same went for the thorns and roses Vlithra could see at Ax‘s hip. More complicated than the former, but still simple in its execution. Vlithra could only ponder about it for now. Maybe she should ask her while she was at it? Now would be the best chance than ever after all.

“I see. Good to hear.“ Vlithra stated as she nodded towards Ax. This was also when Vlithra would realize Ax giving her a look up and down as well. Wait, was she checking her out? This was something that struck the tigress as odd and was made noticeable by a surprised raise of her eyebrow. Not odd enough for her to be unnerved or uncomfortable, but the way Ax was looking at the white tigress felt… alien to her. Sure, Vlithra was looking her over as well a moment ago so it‘ll only be right for her to be allowed the same, but the feeling she got from that was way different from what she usually got from people staring at her. Ususally its indifference. She knew she looked sharp, tough and intimidating, if people wanted to look at her they could, at their own risk of course. So how was this any different? Vlithra didn‘t quite understand, but in the end didn‘t mind. Her own grin became smug as she pulled up the collar of her jacket. If Ax wanted to stare she could stare all she wanted.

Then came a bit of a shocker. Well-recommended? Seemed like Ax didn‘t know whose shop this was, despite clearly being a fan of tattoo‘s herself, what with her showing of hers so blatantly with her choice outfit. Or maybe Ax just didn‘t hail from the Anima continent? In hindsight that was more likely.
Jay Qing Long may have been a living legend in the tattoo scene there after all, but his reputation wouldn‘t travel that far into other kingdoms. Some not as much as others like it did in Vale, but Mantle and Vacuo were entirely different sotries.

“Eh. It‘s not as uncommon for me to be here as you think. I mean, the guy runnin‘ this place is my uncle. A nice and wise old man. Family aside though, he is one of the best tattoo artists to have ever existed. Guy was a legend in Mistral before he moved here, so well-recommended is quite the understatement if you ask me.“ Vlithra beared a proud grin while she admittedly boasted a bit of her would be uncle.

Vlithra waved away the last quesiton Ax uttered. “Nuh-uh. I‘m not one to get any new tats any time soon. Been here to refresh some old ink, that‘s all. Don‘t know if you have ever gotten a glimpse of it at the beach, but a tattoo like mine is quite the piece of work. Can‘t really get a touch up in a single session.“ Vlithra exclaimed as she crossed her striped arms in front of her chest and moved to lean with her back against the shop window looking at Ax.

“Are you lookin‘ for somethin‘ new yourself? If you do, don‘t worry. Jay may be a bit older, but he is quite good using modern tools. It‘s just his best works are made by hand. Ya know… traditional old school… with steel needle and inked thread.“ She shrugged to play off how painful the process can be if you are not used to it. Remembering the first ever session she had Vlithra chuckled a little bit. The old man could barely work on it, because Vlithra couldn‘t relax her body well enough.

[Ax L Rose]

When Ax looked back up at Vlithra she felt a mix of things. A little note of uncertainty. There was also... curiosity. Maybe interest? Well, Ax had learned long ago that even with her emotional telepathy, her gaydar was maybe only going to be 50% accurate at best. One couldn't assume too much just on looks and presentation alone.

The eventual formation of a pleased-looking smile on Vlithra's face helped dispel some of the uncertainty in the air. Ax decided to quit it with the obvious leering, as she'd probably learned probably as much as she could from just staring. She listened intently as the tall woman in front of her started to tell her more about this place. So, the guy was that good, huh? Ax wondered what kind of feats it took for a tattoo artist to truly be worthy of legend. It made her think of how ancient dust-users would weave dust into tattoo ink. Maybe this guy could do something similar...

"As much as I'd like to marvel at the whole piece," Ax gave Vlithra a coy, playful little smile. "I only caught a glimpse."

Ax nodded at Vlithra's question that came next. She wasn't quite sure she was ready to elaborate on her idea for what she'd get because it was a bit rough at the moment. If this guy was good though, she'd probably feel inspired after seeing some of his work. Vlithra clearly held her uncle's talents in very high regard, and she'd seen enough of Vlithra's ink to know that not just anyone could be trusted to work on a piece like that.

"Can't say I've ever gotten an old-school style tattoo," Ax admitted. She'd read some things in the past. Things like artists that used bamboo needles and such, producing a more vibrant color with the ink. The cost was pain, but Ax was no stranger to pain. She was intrigued. It seemed her luck was turning. Maybe this was the place to be.

"I'm interested. My ink I've had done so far was done back in Atlas. Well, this one was," Ax gestured at her emblem on her chest.

"This one, though," Ax tapped the roses and thorns on her hip with a metal finger, "was done down in Mantle. I don't have a regular place I go yet here in Vale, yet. Sounds like my luck might be turning, though," Ax said with a smile.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Vlithra was prone to show off more than she used to since she came to Beacon, but people seeing her tattoo was sort off a mixed bag. Sure it looked marvelous with its design, colors and scale, but it brought unwanted attention to her especially since it was one of the few trademarks signs of criminal hot shots. At least, that was back in Mistral the case. It was one of the reasons she didn‘t like people getting too close to her. For now Ax would have to settle with however much she had seen of it so far. If Ax was just lucky enough, maybe she‘ll get to see the full piece someday.

Hearing Ax utter her interest in an old-school tattoo made Vlithra jump internally a bit with joy and had her wearing a coy smile of her own. It was easy to see her interest. The way Ax presented herself and the way she looked, she was by all means no delicate flower. If anything ink in old-school style would make Ax look more badass than she already seemed for Vlithra.

Then as Ax gestured to the winged symbol above her chest, Vlithra couldn‘t help but give it another look. Given how ink tended to carry weight and a story, she was wondering what it was with this winged crest on this bird faunus since she had first seen her on the beach. Was it a play on her heritage? A family crest maybe? Vlithra didn‘t have enough time to think about it before shortly after her attention swayed downwards to the thorns on the hip. Also an interesting design that was a tad bit more elaborate than the more simply designed sigil up top. Maybe a testament to her being the tough rebellious type? Hell, both of these tattoo‘s were eye catchers, which was only assisted by their positioning on Ax‘s body.

"Well if you really intent to get an old-school one, you‘re going to be in for an experience. I can guess you are no stranger to pain, but just as a heads up, the feeling ain‘t exactly the most subtle thing especially if its the first time.“ Vlithra‘s expression changed to one of interest and thought. If Vlithra was honest with herself, Atlas was the last place she expected someone to get a tattoo from since she always tohught that it was more a city of nobles and the likes. Guess there were those kinds aswell.

“While we are at the topic. I‘ve meant to ask at the party, but never got the chance...“ The white tigress stopped leaning against the glass window of the shop to fully face Ax. She raises a finger to point at the ink on Ax‘s chest. “Does the ink carry weight?“ A little bead of sweat formed on her head as Vlithra tried to reformulate the question, rubbing her neck like she felt awkward asking it the way she did.
“Or rather, what is the story behind it? Same with the thorns and roses. I‘m just curious.“ She then pointed back and forth between Ax‘s chest and hip areas. Every tattoo had a story to tell and Vlithra was all too curious about Ax‘s story for those two art pieces of ink.

[Ax L Rose]

Ax felt like she'd hit just the right note that time with Vlithra - that had undeniably been a feeling of elation or excitement! She'd been curious about Vlithra since the moment she'd seen her at the beach, especially since this woman was one of the few people so far besides herself who seemed to react to Bartok and Pyry's antics like a healthy and sane human being probably should. This was a great chance to get to know the tough and intimidating-looking tigress firsthand! Ax's lucky day!

Ax shrugged her shoulders gently at Vlithra's warning about the pain, her gaze briefly flicking away and down to her cybernetic limb on display thanks to the rolled back and safety-pinned sleeve of her leather top. Whatever hurt a steady hand with a needle could deliver... Ax had definitely done worse to herself. She replied with a lazy little raise of her eyebrows and a hint of a smile, as if to nonverbally hint at her confidence. She exhaled a brief, amused little breath through her nostrils as Vlithra asked her question, offering the tigress a reassuring little smile as she tried to rephrase. A little elaboration later and Ax's eyes seemed to light up, clearly pleased that someone should ask. It'd been a while since she got to tell this story.

"Yeah, you could say this ink carries weight in that respect..." Ax nodded. They held quite a bit of weight, in a manner of speaking. It wasn't just a symbol, it was a unique and stylized interpretation of one. It was her emblem. It represented Ax L. Rose as a huntress. The rocker rose her hands, gesturing animatedly as she spoke on.

"Long before northbound settlers would eventually raise the Kingdom of Mantle in Solitas in an effort to settle where many terrestrial Grimm would freeze over in the cold, there were men and women already native to the north that came to worship ancient Old Gods whom many would call the Æsir. Fighting to survive in those ancient times was... different from how it is now. Bastions of humanity against the wilds and the Creatures of Grimm that could inhabit icy lands were few and far between, and were usually small groups of tribal people that warred against one another for resources just as much as they fought monsters and beasts. As a result, each group came to revere strength and battle prowess. To live to die of old age was rare, dishonorable even! Many conflicts between people were over resources, and thus among these warlike people it became a terrible crime to destroy food and valuable works. It was said that conquering your foe through, say, starving them out with a siege for example? That was the way of a coward, unfit forValhǫll, or Valhalla - their version of an afterlife paradise. It became an honor to die gloriously in battle. Death was common... expected, really, back then. Humanity was always hanging on by a thread. Cities and feats of technology like the ones we see today had never even been dreamed of..." Ax let out a sigh, a sort of distant look forming in her sharp blue eyes. She looked away, off and down the neighboring street for a moment before she came back.

"Basically, it was as metal," Ax rose a fist and extended her forefinger and her pinky, gesturing devil horns, "as it gets." She grinned, launching into the recitation of a few lines of an old poem. Ax was clearly comfortable speaking dramatically, as if in front of an audience. She was clear and eloquent, her speaking voice a soothing mezzo-soprano.

"The hammer of the gods
Will drive our ships to new lands
To fight the horde, sing and cry..."

Her eyes fell shut.

"Valhalla, I am coming."

Her eyes opened and she rested her hands on her hips, continuing in a more conversational tone once more.

"Their mythology is old and fragmented by history and many of the small settlements throughout the world in those times had mythologies of their own competing to survive. One of the symbols to survive those days was one that inspired this," she gestured to the black mark on her chest. "It was called The Wings of a Valkyrie. The word 'Valkyrie' itself even became a common family name. You've probably met someone with it before, I'm guessing. Right?" Ax paused and briefly trailed off as she reached for the leather pack on her thigh, pulling out a little tin. She produced a little packet of something thin and white and slipped it between her lips, setting it between her teeth and her lip. She put the tin away a second later and continued, barely missing a beat.

"Valkyrja, as in what the world would later call "Valkyries" were celestial beings who hand-selected which warriors would be brought to the hall of the slain - Valhǫll.Valhǫll was only for great warriors who fell honorably in battle, where they would spend eternity training for the greatest battle of all - the fabled Ragnarok destined to be fought at the end of all time - feasting and drinking and partying any time they weren't fighting basically. Not a bad way to end things if you ask me," she chuckled.

"Valkyrja were said to be winged warrior-women who served under the mightiest and wisest of the Old Gods, the Alföðr. Their wings represent protection, purity of spirit... to have a wild heart balanced with a sound mind," she decided to neglect to mention that she'd first learned a lot about this by listening to way too much metal music when she was a teenager, but the memory still made her smile.

"That's why when I decided I wanted to be a huntress someday, I made my emblem a... variation on the traditional symbol of the Valkyrja with a little of my own special twist. It was my second tattoo, comin' after the roses but before the bigger and meaner parts of the thorns here, which came after I had the roses last touched up. It was... pretty impulsive, actually," she raised her hand to tap the thorns on her hip above her belt. She then stepped a little forward to jut her hip out sideways a bit to show off the ink.

"This piece originally mostly just... represented my mom, I guess, to me. She had a rose tattoo on her ankle, I remember. I asked her 'bout it when I was little, n' she told me what it meant, but I didn't really understand it back then," Ax's smile seemed almost sheepish at that admission.

"What they typically mean depends on their color, and different cultures tend to associate them with different things. A pink rose can represent grace or gratitude, whereas a purple one can symbolize royalty or enchantment, a black one can represent loss, a white one can represent spirituality... you get the idea, I'm sure. Red usually symbolizes love, hope, and intensity of the heart. Compassion..." She tapped one of the thorn-covered, curling vines. "...tempered with a sharp edge. A rose's thorns are a symbol of adversity and sacrifice, and a reminder that sometimes compassion requires us to be strong and sharp to defend ourselves and those we care about," she finished strong, planting her hands on her hips again and nodding cheerfully.

"And that about does it. I plan to get some 'fuck-it-why-not' tattoos down the road, too, probably. As fun as it is having ink with some nice symbolic meaning, I have some ideas for tattoos I've been thinking about lately that... really aren't deep at all. They just seem fun, neat, hot. I like tattoos even when they're just for fun."

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Contently and with all the interest that could fit into the tall frame of her body, Vlithra looked at Ax while she elaborated on the meaning of her ink. And damn did it not dissapoint in terms of it‘s weight. Valkyrie was a term that the tigress, home to Mistral, had indeed heard before, but never knew much about. She only knew it was some kind of warrior, but that was about it. All that stuff about Valhalla and death in battle being the most honorable of all, she never heard anything about this anywhere. Well, that happens if you were isolated as kid, didn‘t get to go around the world or were always stuck in your own business. Ax then recited a short poem of some kind, it's lines kryptic and seemingly outlandish to the tigress. And the way Ax told it was so powerful it rekindled the memory of some of the fairytales Jay tended to tell the tigress during her tattooing sessions. Folklore like this was always interesting and nice to listen to and the fact that it seemed as ancient as it could get made it all the more curious and interesting for the tigress who, by the time Ax finished explaining the origin of her emblem, looked almost starstruck at the bird faunus.

Now the rose was less folklore related, but no less interesting to learn about. A flower known for its vibrant color as much as for the thorns it bears, bringing some form of duality to it. Beauty and pain… or something along those lines; Vlithra didn‘t have the right words to explain it. However Ax did and called it adversity and sacrifice, which was quite fitting all things considered. Ax‘s red thorned rose, all in all a symbol of a strong heart with the willpower ot back it up.

“Damn girl.“ This was accompanied by a little whistle as Vlithra pointed back at the wings on Ax‘s chest. “That is pretty metal. Sure, nice to see something associated with family and all, but damn... I never thought there‘d be so much behind a simple design such as that. And its meaning derives from ancient folklore with a kickass belief to boot? Hella dig it.“ After giving a more than approving thumbs up, she smiled looking straight at Ax's emblem on her chest. Before she could stare too much though her gaze shot into the blue sky, reminiscing about the stories Jay did tell her and letting out a small giggle. “Takes me back to when my old man used to tell me about myths and legends such as those. Great stories all of which he very often brings down as ink on skin. Come to think of it, I‘d damn near say that‘s his specialty.“ Vlithra then kept pondering for a moment, taking a step away from the glass of the shop window as if to make room for Ax to look at the motifs put to display. Many of those were tales put down as artwork. One showed the legend of the Koifish that fights the current of a waterfall to eventually become a Dragon when it would reach the top. And another showed an Archer shooting down nine of ten golden crows, each portraying a sun, out of the sky. And lastly there were many gorgous looking artworks of mythical animals and creatures of legend. All of which a customer could choose from and have tattooed.

“Protection, purity of spirit, a wild heart and a sound mind.“ Vlithra mumbled to herself, before then continuing in a normal tone of voice. “Sound like the qualities of a perfect protector. Pretty sure with that story Jay could add some new motifs to his parlor. If he were to make a tattoo worthy of its tales it would probably look slick as hell, not gonna lie.“ She looked over to Ax again and could only imagine what that would look like. Blue, white and golden colors in a piece of art that spoke of those celestial warriors that brought the worthy to what Vlithra now basically understood as warrior heaven.

“Anyways, I‘m getting ahead of myself here.“ She waved her hand as if to shoo away the thoughts she had at the moment. Ax had just said that she wanted to get some tats just for the fun of it and that she thought they were hot. This was also the moment that Vlithra suddenly remembered a little detail about Ax that was not so subtely mentioned by Bartok at the Beach party. Yeah, Ax was into girls only wasn‘t she? Not that Vlithra minded, not at all. Only thing really was that the tigress never really thought about that kind of stuff. She was always way too focused on other things to consider it. Choosing not to think about it further yet, the tigress just nodded towards Ax and continued where she left off.

“That‘s quite some stuff you got already. So now I‘m interested. What else are you gonna get for tats?“ Vlithra gazed at Ax with raised eyebrows waiting for the bird faunus to reveal her ideas for her next tattoos.

[Ax L Rose]

A wave of appreciation washed over Ax as she wrapped up her little monologue about her tattoos, noting Vlithra's stunned, intrigued expression. The tigress had seemed interested and attentive throughout the entirety of that mountain of words she'd just let loose, which actually meant a lot to Ax. She hadn't realized she was rambling until it was too late. A little patience went a really long way with her.

“Damn girl.“

Ax's lips curved into a delighted little grin, clearly very pleased by Vlithra's reaction. She tilted her head down to look down at herself briefly before her eyes flicked back up to the tall tigress. She arched her back and puffed out her chest a bit, more or less quietly inviting the tall, handsomely dressed woman to take a good long look at her ink. It wasn't a complex design, but the shape was perfectly lined and symmetrical. Ax also, of course, wanted to see if the tattoo was the only part of her body that Vlithra was really interested in, too.

"I've always figured the emblem of a huntress should be a strong indicator of her character, her spirit," Ax smiled as she spoke, watching Vlithra intently with half-lidded eyes before she returned to her normal posture, a hand resting on her hip. A pleasant, satisfied echo of Ax's current emotional state lingered in the air in response to Vlithra's approval thus far.

Ax caught the wondrous look in Vlithra's expression and found herself curious what thoughts were behind those fearsome green eyes. She watched for a second before her she noticed the display nearby. It was colorful... detailed. It all looked pretty classy. It seemed Vlithra's 'old man' was probably just the right person for the ink she wanted next. Maybe he'd want to hear the meaning behind her idea first. Ax, after all, considered herself a bit of an artist... more of a musical type than a drawing sort, maybe, but she knew inspiration could carry any artform to new heights. She felt like she recognized a little of the symbolism of some of these designs, but she found herself curious about the full stories she had yet to hear.

Ax bit her lower lip, a little shiver running down her spine, her feathers on her arm puffing out a bit as Vlithra reflected on Ax's earlier words aloud. Yes! A perfect protector! Ax wished more than anything else to embody the Valkyrja of ancient legend. Not only that, but having a design by an expert in his craft immortalized somewhere in his shop was also an appealing idea. If nothing else... it probably wouldn't hurt to check the place out, mention that he was acquainted with Vlithra... share her knowledge of the ancient old gods and see if the old man liked the story.

"You're totally good," Ax said reassuringly, nodding enthusiastically. "After all, I am shoppin' around for ink. You're definitely making a compelling case for throwing down for this guy's skills. I'm willing to part with a pretty handsome sum of lien for quality. If it's gonna be on my body for the rest of my days, might as well be the best I can afford..."

Ax reached for her scroll, pulling up some images she had saved. After finding it, she held the device out so that Vlithra could see a handful of variations on an ancient emblem from days long past.

"Emblems have been used to represent cities, villages, organizations, and individuals since before recorded history. This one's called the Vegvisir. It's a sigil used in the ancient art of dust casting. They say it was also a sort of wayfinder, like a compass. They say if the sign is carried, one will never lose their way through any storm, even when they don't know where they're going. Each runic stave you see on it is a different symbol of protection and guidance. The Vegvisir was carved into sunstones that were used to aid in travel throughout Remnant..." Ax could really go on. She was really into this kind of thing. Runes and sigils even still had their place in altering and regulating the flow of dust in certain esoteric types of dust-tech even used in the modern age... even in Electra Heart, her battle axe.

"Haven't decided where on my body yet. Maybe my arm, above the limb-mount installed here," she motioned to her rolled-up sleeve. "Or maybe my back. Depends on how big I want it to be, if I want to incorporate more elements to a bigger piece. Seeing how detailed this art is... gives me ideas," Ax eyed the display nearby with a wide-eyed grin. Her gaze flicked back to Vlithra.

"I've got a lot of other ideas too," Ax trailed off for a note, her eyes flickering upward briefly in thought, considering her schedule.

"...maybe I could tell you all about 'em sometime. Maybe... over drinks? Coffee, tea, somethin' like that?" Ax raised a curious brow, riding high on her positive impression of Vlithra so far. She certainly seemed composed and confident as she shot her shot.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Vlithra only vaguely remembered the influence Ax could have on people, in a literal sense even. Ax had a semblance that as she had put it at the beach ‘projects her emotions onto people around her‘. Vlithra was strong willed, difficult to influence, however not quite safe from Ax‘s sort of infectious emotions. Vlithra did have her bouts of rage or emotional imbalance from time to time afterall, like back then with Fu on the roof. Thinking back to it, that was an almost embarassing scene. This meant that the tigress could feel everytime Ax felt appreciated, delighted or satisfied in this conversation and felt sort of similar in a way. Or was this just because they got along very well? Who knew and who gave a damn? With Ax, Vlithra had found herself quite the woman for a friend.

An emblem as a strong indicator of their character, huh? In that case, Ax had quite the shoes to fill if she were to embody the spirit of a Valkyrja. While listening the tigress looked the birds body up and down yet again and considered everything she had seen of her so far. Okay now Vlithra should really stop staring so much otherwise Ax might really think she was creepy. The tigress cleared her throat as she tried to look somewhere else, however continueing to listen. Ax was pretty much on the way to become such an embodiment. At the beach she had proven that she was wild with her little outburst, but she had also proven to be calm when it comes down to it, like with the game of chicken they had. Her reactions to everything happening came in clutch there. Only two aspects left to cross of that list, but given how Ax was a Beacon student, her being an embodiment of protection was almost guaranteed.

But thats what emblems were. They encapsulated what the person or the group wearing them was about. They are a trademark, something that people would see, recognize and associate the given person with. They were used by many: huntsmen, families, clans, syndicates… all of them had a way to present themselves in the form of an emblem.

Despite looking away momentarily, Vlithra‘s attentive eyes didn‘t fail to notice Ax‘s feathers puff out at her arm. She deduced it as the bird faunus being excited and couldn‘t help but smile about it. It looked precious in a way almost like a dog wagging its tail, but Vlithra could not say that about Ax especially not to her face. It might ruin the good relation they had going on so far. Calling a headstrong woman like Ax or herself, as a matter of fact, cute is an easy way to offend someone.

As for her uncle, Ax seemed more than convinced to get ink from the man Jay himself. And she was eager to show what else she had in mind for tattoos. She pulled out her scroll and showed Vlithra something she had never ever seen or heard about. Surprised Vlithra crossed her arms in front of her chest and brought her head down to look directly at the image she was being shown. The sigil she saw was as kryptic and interesting as the poem text that Ax cited before. Only when the bird faunus mentioned that it was like a compass, Vlithra could see what she meant by it being a symbol of guidance. Round border and eight runes going into all cardinal points. Yup definetly looks like a compass.

“Now that‘s quite an interesting sigil. Never seen anything like it. Could it be that the people using these were explorers of sorts? If they were carved all over Remnant as you say then that means that their culture has travaled lots over the times.“ While this was just an assumption, Vlithra had a feeling she was right. How else could the carvings be all over Remnant? Unless Ax exaggerated of course, but that was something that Vlithra rather doubted.

What Ax now talked about actually sounded pretty sick. Having something like that implemented in a big tattoo on Ax‘s back would look astonishing, especially on someone like Ax who strived to embody the Valkyrja and the mythology behind it. Calm and collected on the outside, but excited on the inside, Vlithra kept listening to what Ax was saying and kept watching her attentively. After the bird faunus suggested to talk more about it over drinks, Vlithra remembered she had nothing really to do. She had initially intended to walk around town, but only so because she didn‘t know what to do yet. This meeting was almost too perfect really. A grin formed on the tigresses face.

“Sure, why the hell not? I got time a plenty.“ Vlithra scratched the back of her neck a bit, not even a second later that same hand moved to the back of her head and help her stretch her neck from side to side, resulting in some of her stiff joints to crack a little. God, Vlithra hasn‘t been lying down in that shop of her uncle for a long time now has she? “Sorry ‘bout that, still a bit stiff. I could actually go full predator for something refreshing right about now if ya‘ ask me. You got a place in mind?“

[Ax L Rose]

Ax's insights were sharp. A little spark of something shimmery, ephemeral in the back of her skull tingled and made her stomach tie into a little knot. It was a tiny little stab of nerves as she caught Vlithra's eyes wandering. Was little old Ax making the proud, handsome tigress a bit nervous? When she mindfully noticed the emotional exchange happening, focused on paying close attention to her feelings... she could separate just enough from it to feel sort of comforted by it. Vlithra was nervous. That alone was a confidence booster... that Vlithra was so hot with her classy vest, toned physique, and enchantingly sharp eyes only made Ax's ego blossom even more.

The other edge of that sword was that Ax was also seemingly supernaturally expressive. Her feathers were an obvious sign as to what she was feeling, as was the grin on her lips, the playful light in her eyes as she met Vlithra's gaze... the rocker put away her scroll, her stance shifting a bit so that she stood with her hips cocked and a metal-plated hand resting on her side. Her enthusiasm radiated from her, as did a little trace of her lingering nerves despite a somewhat reserved expression, a cool easiness to her smile. Ax's semblance was a window beneath her emotional armor at all times, a vulnerability that anyone could notice if they opened themselves to it in turn... the people who seemed to lean into their feelings the most with Ax tended to also benefit from the most insight into Ax's emotions in turn.

She beamed and nodded cheerfully at Vlithra's active question about the ancient explorers of the North that captivated her so. Her smile seemed take a subtle turn for lazy and contented as Vlithra took Ax up on what was essentially a pretty impromptu date. Ax's boldness was being rewarded so far. She embraced that confidence that emotional telepathy was granting her, but she continued to keep a proverbial finger on the pulse of her heart, watching for signs she was getting ahead of herself.

"Well, if now's a good time for you n' you're seeking something refreshing," Ax tapped her thought in thought, her electric eyes drifting upward toward the sky, a smile still playing at her glossy lips as she pondered where she wanted to bring her newest friend.

"I think the Shark's Den has a fight going on in the cage tonight. Bare-knuckle boxing," she suggests, hopeful the idea will take. She was always eager to bond with fellow Beacon students over the nuances of a one-on-one fight, and going to watch fights tended to be lower-key and better for banter than skipping straight to sparring.

"They have fights weekly. Honestly, I've been wanting an excuse to check out the new blood in the cage, and it'd be rad to get to show it to someone new. It's amateur-level stuff mostly, though, so don't expect them to perform quite on our level though," Ax noted.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Vlithra wasn‘t necessarily the best at social interactions. A fact that only added a bit to the slight bit of nervousness she felt. She however didn‘t need to be all that great with people to notice that Ax was way more expressive than she was back then at the beach, despite the rather reserved expression. The slightly puffed feathers, that seemingly smug grin and that equally saucy pose she was striking now were all the signs she needed to deduce that much. This wasn‘t a bad sign, not at all. If anything, it even added to her charm.

With ethusiastic nodding Ax had quickly confirmed Vlithras suspicion about the northern explorers. Not even moments later she shifted to being more thoughtful, seemingly trying to figure out where to take the bored tigress. Ax was a bold and confident girl indeed, traits only reinforced by her choice for this rather spontaneous date. The Shark‘s Den was a name that Vlithra hadn‘t really heard of yet despite having lived in Vale for almost a year of two. A locale that had bare-knuckle cage fights? How had she never heard of this place? It didn‘t really need anything more than that to entice the tigress. She was a brawler after all and watching others beat the crap out of each other was probably almost as exciting to her as doing it herself in a way. Add one hell of a girl to accompany and chat with and you got an evening well spent. She honestly couldn‘t wait at this point.

“Well, if you need an excuse, you got one now.“ Vlithra chuckled as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her pants and began moving away from the shop window, her eyes locked with Ax‘s. She didn‘t need much convincing when she was offered to visit a locale that almost seemed tailored to the tigresses tastes. “Some drinks n‘ banter while watching some peeps just knocking each others lights out? I‘d definetly be up for that.“ The chuckle quickly became a confident smirk as she was back to her upright and proud posture.

[Ax L Rose]

If Ax was noticing anything out of the ordinary about the emotional atmosphere in play, it most definitely wasn't showing in her expression at least. Ax strolled up beside Vlithra as they started to step away from the tattoo shop - thankfully, they happened to be heading in the right way to end up approaching Ax's bike, though it was still a ways down the road. Ax seemed to mirror Vlithra's body language, lazily thrusting her metal-plated fingers into her pockets, her arm bumping lightly against the tigress' as she walked beside her.

"Was hopin' that'd get your attention," Ax's eyes seemed to light up, a sly little smile playing at her lips as she peered up at the taller girl.

"How d'you feel about motorcycles?" Ax asked a second later.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

They now started stepping away from Jays parlor, Ax bumping lightly into the tall tigress as they walked away together. Vlithra wasn‘t fazed by the little bump at all and continued walking alongside her to… somewhere. Probably the club Ax had mentioned a few moments before. Just then she brings up the question of Vlithra and her opinion on motorbikes. It didn‘t take long to think of an answer.

“Fast and dangerous street machines. What‘s not to like? Never owned one myself though. Never had the Lien to get one.“ Vlithra shrugged with her hands still in her pockets, before looking down to Ax thinking about why she would ask something like this.

“Why do you ask? Ya got a ride of your own?“ Vlithra asked in return as it dawned on her that Ax was definetly the type of girl who would have her own machine.

[Ax L Rose]

Ax smiled a bit in approval, though a pang of wistful emotion washed over her too. She loved her new set of wheels, but hearing Vlithra note the danger of such machines made her wish she hadn't had to give up her old bike. She'd have loved to show off the old Tomahawk.

"I do," Ax answered with a playful grin. "N' there's room for two, if you're not shy about lockin' your arms around me while we ride. You'll have to hold on tight though. Like you said... fast and dangerous. Wouldn't blame you if you'd rather we caught a cab or something," Ax gave the tigress a little wink. She doubted Vlithra would back down from a chance to ride. Somehow she didn't seem the type to hesitate.

"Down the street there a bit, that's my wheels," Ax motioned a distance down the sidewalk. Sure enough in a parallel parking spot about a half-block away there was a sleek blue motorcycle propped up on a kickstand. It was no simple sports bike - this thing looked extremely aerodynamic, and the plating on it was vaguely futuristic in style and presentation. It looked distinctly Atlesian, and therefore a little out-of-place on the busy downtown street in Vale.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

A grin crept to Vlithras face as Ax affirmed her question, but the tigress had to let out a giggle as Ax mentioned that she had to hold on tight. There were more embarassing things than holding onto someone when riding a motorcycle so Vlithra wasn‘t going to object on that one.

“You kiddin‘? Please… as if I‘d miss the chance to snatch a ride on your wheels. That beats taking a cab anyday.“ Vlithra exclaimed quickly as she followed Ax along grinning as they went. It didn‘t take long for Ax to point out her wheels standing ahead.

And there it was. Only half a block away was the futuristic looking blue chassis of the birds street machine. Ax‘s bike seemed to be built for speed what with its aerodynamic frame and sleek looking appearance that suggested atlesian origin. Vlithra couldn‘t help but eye it as they got closer and closer taking in more and more of the chassis with each step they took towards it. By all means it wasn‘t a monster like Citrine‘s machine, whose was built for combat and the rough terrain of Vacuo after all, but nonetheless Ax‘s wheels radiated a similar level of power in a different more elegant and refined way fitting to that of an atlesian product.

“Nice.“ Vlithra commented as the got close and immediately leaned forward to eye the machine more intently than before. “Say this isn‘t you first set of wheels, is it? Looks pretty new.“ Vlithra asked with a raised brow at Ax.

[Ax L Rose]

Ax jogged over to her bike, popping open a leather case on the back and fishing out a pair of sunglasses to shield her eyes from the wind. She would, of course, not be risking her perfect hair with a helmet right now. Her aura would keep her safe even on the off-chance she wiped out driving through the city streets. Courtesy dictated that Vlithra got her pick between the riding goggles and a proper helmet, though.

"I've got goggles, classic helmet, modern helmet with a visor, or you can just ride as you are. You're in good hands, but it's never a bad idea to wear a helmet..." Ax trailed off, giving Vlithra a wry little smile. She couldn't resist any opportunity to learn a little more about a girl like her - even the little choices could be of interest. She slipped her shades onto her face.

The bike was indeed not even close to as monstrous and excessive in features as Citrine's - this was a pragmatic set of wheels for a pragmatic woman, albeit with a few concessions made in the name of style. It also probably couldn't literally hover like Citrine's... probably, at least? It would've taken a pretty seriously skilled engineer to estimate too much about its functions without more time to analyze it in detail. At a glance it didn't look impossible that some components of the machine might have been designed to move or transform...

"You like it?" Ax beamed proudly.

"Yeah, I got this set of wheels last summer, over break. I was riding a sick-ass prototype - concept vehicle, technically not a motorcycle though it functionally resembled one in a lot of ways. The catch was that it belonged to daddy dearest," Ax spat those last two words with a hint of derision. Maybe it was cliche at this point to be yet another kid at Beacon that didn't get along with her father, but it was what it was.

"So... he didn't like that I was out actually driving it. Shame, too. The poor ol' Tomahawk deserved better than to be collecting dust in a garage, getting wiped down with a diaper once in a blue moon when my pop remembered it existed. Wish I could've shown you it..." Ax's eyes lit up after a moment. She suddenly dug a hand into a tight pocket, fishing out her scroll. She could show the tigress those old wheels, actually! She scrolled through a number of images - her with friends, some messy photos of what might've been her room, a few memes, a few selfies - before she found a proper photo of her old bike. Seemed Ax's... best friend (maybe?) was a fox faunus with dark hair and golden eyes - that was the face that showed up in photos with Ax the most, at least, from what Vlithra could likely see.

"The Tomahawk was pretty much the sexiest thing ever. I would just ride it all around Vale some nights, let the hours tick by, seein' all the city lights shining on that chrome. I really miss those wheels," Ax reminisced with a soft, wistful sigh.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

After rounding the bike once more Vlithra had now a few options to choose for protective gear. With how confident and bold she was it was safe to say her answer was going to be an obvious one…

“Goggles. No need for a helmet when you are built like a tank. Besides… if I couldn‘t take the fall with aura, then I‘m pretty sure a helmet wouldn‘t make a difference.“ The tigress shrugged at Ax with a coy smile as she took the goggles. While the tigress fiddled around with the goggles to get them on without pulling at her hair too much, Ax has aready an answer to Vlithra‘s own question. This machine was in fact not her first.

Listening to the bird faunus ramble on about the Tomahawk, the tigress was certainly intrigued. That was mostly thanks to it being, as she described it, being a motorcycle only in function. It certainly sounded unique when she put it that way. Catch was she was apparently not able to hold onto it, due to her father. At least Vlithra wasn‘t the only one with family issues, albeit Ax‘s problems seem to be more family gripes than whatever you call what Vlithra had going on with the people back home. In any case, as Vlithra thought she‘d never get a look at the ol‘ machine Ax seemed so proud of driving, she showed a foto of the so trusty street machine, aside a few other picture that might have gotten the attention of Vlithra‘s keen tiger eyes. Mostly the fox girl she caught a glimpse of several times on different fotos, that may be a topic for later… or another time.

“Figured as much. It does look super stylish and unique at the same time. So I get why you took a liking to it.“ Vlithra put her hands in her own hips and shook her head with a defeated exhale through the nose as Ax finished reminiscing on her time with the old wheels. “What a bummer… Why would he keep something like this locked up somehwere? It‘s like having a super sharp blade and never using it when needed.“ Vlithra commented.

"Ah well." The tigress muttered as she then fully put on her jacket. She wouldn't want it to loosely flutter in the wind while driving. "Let's get rollin'." An anticipating smile plastered on her lips as she said so.