Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Public Magic Cyber Tattoos — You Get What You Get (open to drop-in visitors)

"What the hell." Extending his right arm, he forced the jacket's sleeve up to his elbow. "Give me the best you've got."

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The best they had turned out to be static not mobile, bursting with color, segmented and concentric and abstract. You could turn the light on and off with a two-finger touch.

The imbuement was frankly less impressive than the art this time around. It didn't draw on any particular heritage. Skeevi just tried their darndest to think pleasant lucky thoughts in hopes it would lead to an edge at gambling. Zelannia Arcrin Zelannia Arcrin looked like he needed to relax.
 
Walking up, Tessa was hesitant as she watched the booth. Something seemed more than it appeared, but also less. After watching the proprietor work for a few trades, Tessa walked up at a break. A long coat over her flightsuit and gear kept her form and identity well hidden and the cold out. She wasn't sure if anyone remembered her on Denon, but there was no reason to risk any old enemies deciding to cause trouble now.

"Something Corellian. And not some CorSec unit fodder. Something that defines 'rocket fuel for blood'...My family's been Corellian, Green Jedi and pilots for generations... For the Sedaire part, I'll try this."

She was new to parts of her identity, but her father had a ton of tattoos, and this was a way of her carrying on what felt like a family tradition.

Skeevi Merrill Skeevi Merrill
 
"Nice coat," said Skeevi appreciatively. It looked significantly more expensive than their yellow one. Note to self.

The issue here was Skeevi's near-total lack of familiarity with Corellia. They'd known a Corellian or two in passing, admittedly, and Tessa Sedaire Tessa Sedaire had offered usable context. That would need to do.

Skeevi settled on a Dagoyan glyph that had something to do with flight. They jazzed it up for Tessa as they worked.

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As for the imbuement, Skeevi went for always knowing which way was up. That would come in handy as a space pilot, right?
 
Where was this ink shop?

Daiya kept to the edges of the crowd as it pulled her along the strip, her eyes searching and wary. Not the best part of Seven Corners, definitely not the worst. The teen was familiar enough that she could keep her mind off where she was headed and focus instead on finding the shop. Her lips curled, it was not so much a shop as just a single artist.

She'd heard about them from the usual places. Once someone in a bright yellow coat sets up with a deal that's too good to be true, it's either a scam or the best opportunity in a lifetime. The young shadowrunner wasn't about to miss out on either of them, if it turned out to be a scam artist then at least her curiosity would be satisfied.

A few passersby sported new tattoos, promising a lead in the direction they'd come. When Daiya traced them back, the location was empty but for a few other disappointed faces. She trekked on, not willing to give up yet.

There. Another alley, but the look of wonder on a departing customer was unmistakable. Either this scam was better than most, or Daiya had found her opportunity.

Yellow Jacket turned out to be a kid, maybe not even her own age, deftly wielding a cybertattoo gun as well as Daiya would a real blaster. The teen grinned to herself, rolling up a pant leg before she made it to the front of the line. Excitement at getting her third tattoo was swiftly overpowering her dread anticipating how painful it would be.

"Oh my stars, I love your jacket. Where did you get it?" Daiya gushed when she got before the tattooist kid. She presented her blank calf and settled in for the tattoo. "Think they'd have any in pink?"

 
Yula squinted at the symbol etched onto the skin of her lower back. It was still a little red, a little sore, and fortunately she didn't remember that the cyber ink was supposed to move. She groaned as a sudden weight balanced itself on her shoulders, and another pair of eyes stared at her reflection in silence.

"Not a word."

She twisted, trying to get a better look at the design. It was pretty, geometric in the weirdest way.

"…Unless you know what it means."

Shrugging, Yula ambled to the kitchen to grab some breakfast. Her stomach was feeling better since she'd managed to slide from the couch, and the vice grip headache had diffused nicely.

Ria the Cat Ria the Cat
 
"Oh my stars, I love your jacket. Where did you get it?" Daiya gushed when she got before the tattooist kid. She presented her blank calf and settled in for the tattoo. "Think they'd have any in pink?"

"Street vendor in Volgho Hollows a couple years ago," Skeevi said, warming despite herself. "An Ortolan who usually sells headphones. Dunno about a pink coat, but those headphones can be real colorful, yeah."

Skeevi's peripheral relationship with Darkwire wasn't up to speed yet, but the blonde looked familiar. Wanted posters, maybe. Something about that Blue Flame place where the cool kids got drunk...?

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"Here we go," they said at last, straightening up from Daiya's calf. "It's a Dagoyan glyph from Bardotta. It means something like 'to move free and untroubled through traps and dark places.' Couldn't tell you what exactly it'll do, if anything. Dagoyan don't 'use' Force-magic per se, they just kind of...listen and bless and move on. But hey, it's fifty ucks, right?"
 
The Cat Knows Where It's At
That cat mewed as if it had been offended, her tail dipped below the Zeltron's shoulder. Swishing this way and that, it moved somewhat lazily as the cat cleaned its paws. The nerve of Yula Perl Yula Perl to silence the cat - the feline protested by pawing its way across the woman's shoulders. It then nuzzled into the crook of the Yula's shoulders and remarked. Once in the kitchen the cat made the graceful leap from shoulder to counter, pushing off a cup that it had taken exception too. "I might know what it means," remarked the cat softly, teasingly as well, a playful meow before it treaded toward the ice box. "My answer depends largely on what you're going to give me."
 
Ishani looked small and a little pitiful, but she had enough UCks. "Back of my left shoulder. Make it... something good," she said, pulling down her collar and tossing her mane of blonde hair to one side.

Doing so exposed the top part of another tattoo she already had. It ran along her spine, depicting a sword surrounded by a circle of runes like stars in a constellation. It was imbued as well. No wonder she showed no signs of skepticism at the idea of a "magic" tattoo, though she would still flinch at the pain of the needle...

 
"Back of my left shoulder. Make it... something good," she said, pulling down her collar and tossing her mane of blonde hair to one side.

Doing so exposed the top part of another tattoo she already had. It ran along her spine, depicting a sword surrounded by a circle of runes like stars in a constellation. It was imbued as well.

Skeevi got to work by instinct, sketching freehand in a terribly irresponsible way. They kept their sketch small and localized to the shoulder blade. A coherent abstract design began to take form.

"Love the sword," they said absently, focusing on their work. "I could add some holo ink while I'm at it, give it some pop, freshen the lines up. Where'd you get it?"
 
The sword had evidently caught the tattoo artist's attention. "Leave it alone," she said, a little more forcefully than she'd intended. Continuing in a softer voice, she explained, "It has sentimental value. I'd rather keep it as-is."

As for where she'd gotten it, Ishani was quiet for some time before she answered, "An artist on Coruscant did the inking based on a design I made. A... friend made it magic."

No wonder why artists were always warning people not to tattoo the name or likeness of a particular person on one's body. The risk of it serving only as a reminder of a bad breakup, lost friendship, fallen idol, or similar negative experience was always a 50/50 chance. Ishani might not bear his name inked into her flesh, but she bore his imbuement, and that was painful enough. Still, she couldn't bring herself to remove or paint it over.

 
Koh Su Koh Su 's tuning fork vanished into Skeevi's coat. Just as quickly, they snagged Koh's sleeve — the one that didn't pertain to a freshly tattooed forearm.

"Hold on a sec," they said. "Where in the Hollows?" You could catch decent clients on the main drag here in Lum Rouge, but Volgho Hollows had been Skeevi's home any number of times — not just a home, but a training site. The glitbuzzed old Dagoyan lived there, for one, and plenty of other strange characters who'd played a role in Skeevi's growth. So far as you could call it growth.

Skeevi's hand tightened on the woman's sleeve. "Where in the Hollows?"

Koh Su felt the tug against her sleeve, the one left untouched by the needled. There was familiar desperation in the eyes of this young girl, one she often saw in young girls her age, and a look shared by many within the haven of Sargon's Few. It is possible Koh Su, before she had been named, stood before Sargon's Chosen themself and held on to their garments in the same way. The young on Denon were without guidance or at least proper guidance, and it was the duty of the True Believer to shepherd them towards divinity.

A divinity that had scorned her and which she would demand an answer, but perhaps this gifted child would find more blessings than she did.

"You are familiar with the warehouses, the ones empty of corporations? Sing my name, Koh Su, and you will find me among the faithful. Let that implement, be the guide to your instincts." Koh Su would bring her left hand on top of Skeevi Merrill Skeevi Merrill 's, gripping her sleeve, leveling down to her eyes so that they could see each other beneath each of their respective hoods. Her face remained severe, but there was kindness at the edges of her mouth, a kindred connection.

"Does this satisfy our transaction?" The exchange felt bizarrely familiar and comfortable to Koh Su, and she felt the insight on her left arm. Or perhaps, it was something she imagined.
 
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"Yeh, nice, nice, always good to have something to care about."

In keeping with the blade motif, Skeevi ran with an abstract little arrowhead design blended with a longer, fluted blade. They gave it a general mood of alertness and vibrant senses. Ishani Dinn Ishani Dinn clearly moved around and kept strange company: she could use something like that.

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Spooked despite herself, Skeevi held her ground and let Koh Su Koh Su answer.. The answers and Kohl's general vibe held more strangeness to fear than they'd anticipated.

"Transaction satisfied," they managed through dry lips. "Safe travels."
 
Skeevi Merrill Skeevi Merrill

Mercy walked past the alleyway.

Paused and rounded back towards it.

Stopped at the stall. Looked. Shook her head and kept walking.

Then sighed and walked right back to it again. This was some sort of addiction for her, clearly.

"Hey." Mercy rumbled as she looked down to the yellow-cowled creature. "I got a bunch of ink already." Gesturing towards her hands and left forearm. "But... figure it can't hurt to get something more." A look around before she dragged over a stool from a nearby food stall without asking for permission either. "Mebbe something for mah right arm, ya do sleeves?"

She stretched there and bones whined in response.

"Do it well an' ya stand to earn more than fifty, dig?"

If the rude mountain recognized the girl from the food distributing tent Mercy didn't show it.
 
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Mercy Mercy 's sleeve took a few sessions spread out over a couple of days, more to spare Skeevi from hand cramps than to spare Mercy from pain. The enforcer had the highest pain tolerance Skeevi had ever seen, albeit tempered with the occasional macho not-a-whine. But it all turned out just fine in the end. Frankly, Skeevi considered it some of their best work: a jagged, abstract sleeve that covered Mercy's whole upper arm, part of the shoulder, and the meat of the forearm too.

As for the imbuement, buckle up. In the intervening days, Skeevi had followed Koh Su Koh Su 's directions, more or less. Instead of introducing themself and looking for training, they'd simply reconned the cultic presence and started stalking it. If you had a Dagoyan adept's unobtrusive Force presence and the many gifts of a street kid on home turf, you could learn an awful lot by stalking. You could pick up sentiments, priorities, techniques, iconography, and sheer vibe. You could meld some of that — over hours of work — with what you already knew about improvised Force-imbued tattoos. You could get real excited.

All that to say, this cyber-tattoo was a bastardized Primeval strength enhancement that invoked the power of distant godlike things.

Mercy's right arm could now be described as eldritch.
 
Skeevi Merrill Skeevi Merrill

Several days and usually Mercy's attention would have shifted away already.

But even after one day she knew something special was being made. The pain kept her grounded, the imbuement being crafted skin-deep kept her coming back for more. Until at the end of it... it was done. It felt like they worked on it for ages, so for a brief moment Mercy just blinked and stared at Skeevi.

"It is done?" And only then did her attention shift to the arm itself. It took her breath away. Few things did these days, but this was a masterpiece... and it was part of her now.

"Karking hell, it is." She turned her arm. Back and forth. It seemed to move depending on which angle you were looking from. And there was something just beneath the skin. The fingers curled into a fist and Mercy could feel the thrill of power. It... scared her a little. In a way few things ever did and made her quickly rise up to her feet.

Shocked.

Maybe this had been a mistake...

"Hrm." Mercy reached out towards the wall next to the stall and with a crunch broke off a piece of duracrete. As if she was wearing a crush-gaunt. "Okay, yeah, this is some good chit." Leave it to Mercy to use an eldritch arm that could very possibly rearrange reality to break off chunks of rock. "Yar got a real talent 'ere, lady."

Murmured on over to Skeevi with a glance down.

"Gotta be paid well for it, me thinks..." And with a quick button press Mercy transferred a hundred times what Skeevi asked for. "See ya around."

And went to walk off to get something to eat. She was feeling really hungry all of a sudden.
 
Sometimes a Gungan just needed to get away for a little while, and sometimes said Gungan found themselves in the shadier districts of a planet. Har Har liked the shadier spots. He blended in more. Places like this kept his eyes busy, gave his mind something to focus on, kept the thoughts pushed down for awhile. He privately reveled in sensory overstimulation; left to his own devices and suffering from peace and quiet, his mind tended to drift into daydreams of artificially engineered planetary plagues, explosives that could take out capital ships, and using his newly-honed Force powers to make someone's blood run backwards, or to burn them to death through their eyeballs. You know, he mused, the fun stuff.

Still, even a mischievous fellow like himself needed some "me time," and so his wanderings brought him down this particular alley at this particular time on this particular night.

You Get What You Get and You Don't Get Upset? And only 50 UC's? How random and wonderful!

"Hata hata!" Har Har beamed. "Meesa want to take advantage of dis offer! Yoosa maybe do a half-sleeve on meesa's left arm? Shoulder to elbow? Something loconutty chaotic, fulla biggen magic, yeah? Let yoosa mind loose! Get cawazy!"
 
"Hata hata!" Har Har beamed. "Meesa want to take advantage of dis offer! Yoosa maybe do a half-sleeve on meesa's left arm? Shoulder to elbow? Something loconutty chaotic, fulla biggen magic, yeah? Let yoosa mind loose! Get cawazy!"

"Cawazy? Loconutty chaotic, fulla biggen magic? Feth yes, I can do all of that."

A freehand holotat took form, painfully fast, with turbocharged color. Frankly, the quicker Skeevi got this done, the quicker the scary Gungan would go away, but they also enjoyed the challenge. Fast, powerful, loconutty.

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"There we go," they said, sitting back in their folding chair. "What you got there is a serious imbuement, as strong as I can make it. Serious spacemagic, yeah? What you got there will tank a blaster shot, anywhere on the outside of your upper arm. Anywhere there's ink. Now I can't speak for what it'll do against a flamer or a disruptor, but a blaster, definitely. Grade-A protection, better than what I've got myself." Skeevi flexed their hands, and cursed holotats rippled across their knuckles. "Whatcha think?"
 
Liam walked up to the booth some time after the initial rush. He had been busy on a smuggling run and grinned.

"I'm a pilot and gunner. And I'm about to do something hotheaded and dangerous, and maybe lose my life. Give me something memorable, eh?"

It was as good a reason as any to get a tattoo and no worse of information that Liam had seen. He had rolled down the top of his flightsuit and straddled the chair, indicating the mostly blank canvas of his back, as his arms were covered from shoulder down in traditional Atrisian designs for both Strength and Honor, with a blended symbol of the Rebellion and Jedi on the nape of his neck.

"I can pay in barter, credits, favors, or all of the above. I'm a damn good man to have in your callbook for help."

Skeevi Merrill Skeevi Merrill
 
Liam walked up to the booth some time after the initial rush. He had been busy on a smuggling run and grinned.

"I'm a pilot and gunner. And I'm about to do something hotheaded and dangerous, and maybe lose my life. Give me something memorable, eh?"

It was as good a reason as any to get a tattoo and no worse of information that Liam had seen. He had rolled down the top of his flightsuit and straddled the chair, indicating the mostly blank canvas of his back, as his arms were covered from shoulder down in traditional Atrisian designs for both Strength and Honor, with a blended symbol of the Rebellion and Jedi on the nape of his neck.

"I can pay in barter, credits, favors, or all of the above. I'm a damn good man to have in your callbook for help."

Skeevi Merrill Skeevi Merrill

That whole thing set sparks flying through Skeevi's head. They took their time with the tattoo, getting it just right and pondering angles.

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"Here you go," they said, angling a pair of mirrors so Liam Sedaire Liam Sedaire could get a look. "This about your speed, bud? This right here is a Frangawl Cult perimeter alert glyph. It'll tell ya one thing and one thing only: when someone's about to shoot or stab you in the back. Now if that's a good thing in your book, bud...I could sure use a ride offworld. I've never been off Denon. Where you fly?"
 

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