Nikari walked into the tattoo parlor with a determined air.  She had no clue what kind of tattoo she wanted to get, but now that she was free to do as she pleased, she fully intended to get one.  The hard part would be, of course, choosing where to place it, and what to get.  She had never known anyone that had received a tattoo and therefore was quite clueless of how the procedure worked.

Nevertheless, as she walked around looking at the random objects on the shelves, she had her mind completely made up.  This was the first thing she was going to do to mark her freedom.  Freedom of her mother, freedom from a boss, and she was going to enjoy this freedom.  She stopped looking at the shelves and said aloud to a seemingly empty room, "Hello?"

1115 hours. The Inkwell, Knockturn Alley.


Dietrich had forgot 'bout the parlour's upstairs. Weren't the first time since Lana left either, and he'd gone sent her replacement home when the appointment book turned out t'be pretty damn empty for the evening. So it was just him and a bottle of whiskey, cardigan collar turned up against his neck as he sat back on the inking chair of their Olive Room in the basement.

Quiet night, still too early fer the drunks t'be making a racket and too late for anythin' else. The wizard took a swig of the whiskey, tilting it about and then slamming it down on the side table with a cough. Fuckin' muggle whiskey. Didn't have none of that kick ya get with the good stuff. Last time he ever took payment in trade.

He was considerin' getting a real drink when the sounds came from above. Creakin' door and steps. A customer- and 'bout damn time, too. Dietrich pushed himself off the seat and made his way upstairs, catchin' a voice just as he began to climb the steps with thunderous footfalls.

"Hello yerself," he emerged from behind the front counter and eyed the witch who'd wandered in from the cold night. Young thing with a li'l Veela in her, for sure. Had t'be careful 'round that lot.  "G'evening. You be lookin' to get inked tonight?"

Nikari was startled by the man's sudden appearance, but she tried to hide it.  "No, I just came in here to admire your decor." she told him sarcastically.  She'd had a very boring day.  She woke up, ate breakfast, and went back to bed, then she decided around lunchtime to do something stupid, and now, after dark - here she was.

She looked at the man behind the counter with a calculating stare, and decided that this was what she wanted really, in that moment.  She had never really wanted to be a problem child for her mother when she was growing up, she'd never done anything that could be considered rebellious, but now that she'd quit her job, and her mother was gone - Nikari was feeling a little wild.

"I would like an unusual tattoo, I just haven't figured out what that would be yet." Nikari told him as she walked closer to the counter.  "What would you reccommend?" she asked, her eyes focusing on his and a small smile on her lips.

The lady had some sass, not that it weren't uncommon 'round these parts or anything. Better than the nervous li'l lambs that came trampling through in the summer.

"Well if unusual is what yer lookin' for..." Dietrich leaned forward on the counter, arms along its length. "That's what we're here t'do then. We got us some albums, lots've designs you can flick through."

Emblems and loyalties were the norm, so she wouldn't be tryin' for that kinda rubbish. He knew fellas who came in all the damn time lookin' for unique or different and leaving none the better fer it. It were easier when the clients knew exactly what they wanted but ya couldn't win 'em all.

"Though," Dietrich added thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he squinted appraisingly at the girl. "You probably don't want somethin' that's already strolling out there. Yer Veela, yeah? We can work 'round that. Family names or symbols, y'know."

Nikari thought for a moment, she realized she had no clue about what she would like for a tattoo, all she knew is that she wanted something unusual for a girl to get.  Suddenly she smirked, "A dragon." she stated.  Then she thought about it, "A blue dragon that can be charmed to look like it's hanging on to my arm, or curled around it, depending on my mood, if that can be done." She wasn't sure what the man could do with a tattoo, but she was certainly going to find out.  This was something she had been wanting to do ever since she graduated from Hogwarts and she was finally going to do it, no more puttin git off.  She looked at the man behind the counter, "Is it possible?"

Veela gal with a dragon tattoo, he weren't too sure if that was norm or not. Dietrich figured that didn't matter much anyhow- gotta give the client whatever they're lookin' for. If the lady wanted a charmed dragon that's what she was gonna get.

"Yea, just 'bout almost anythin' is these days..." he smiled easily, scratching his stubble. "Won't be cheap 'cause we'll be usin' a certain kinda ink. Not much more than a usual 'un." The Inkwell didn't pull a great profit, not s'much as it could've if he'd gone opened up on a more respectable alley.

But then again, he gave the girl a once-over, his customers would be 'bout half as interestin' if that'd happened.

"Won't be more than an hour or two if ya wanna get needled now. Got a name?" Dietrich reached beneath the counter and hauled out a heavy log book. He flipped it open to somewhere in the middle, where the names ran down nearly all the way to the bottom. "Don't gotta be a real 'un, just somethin' for the books."

"Avendale." is the name she gave him.  She didn't want her first name used as it was a bit too girly for her tastes, but her last name came from her mother, a full veela, so it might actually have some strength to it.  "I don't mind the expense, I've got plenty to cover whatever I want done." she told him proudly, silently thanking her mother for leaving her all the galleons in her vault.

"How does this work? I mean, shall we get started." she asked as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, trying to stave off the nervousness that had begun to creep into her system the minute the proprietor had shown himself.  "I don't want to have time to talk myself out of this."

Dietrich raised an eyebrow as he scribbled down the name in messy script and shut the book with a heavy thud. Avendale. Sounds like he might've heard that 'un tossed around before but it didn't ring no bells right then.

"Yer a tenderfoot," he regarded her in a blink. "Ain't nothing unusual 'bout trying to talk yerself out of a mark. Just follow me on down to the inkin' rooms and we'll get ya sorted."

From the looks of it,  quicker was probably better. Dietrich weren't a big fan of the virgins but he didn't like losin' customers just 'cause they were fuckin' nervous. She didn't look none tipsy either so it'd be tough to talk her back into the damn idea. He turned, jerking his head at the stairwell behind the counter.

"C'mon. We gotta sketch on somethin' to yer arm before I start needlin'," Dietrich explained as he hauled himself down the stairs. "And if ya don't like what I've gone drawn, we can still change it. That work?"

Nikari nodded as he told her that he would have to get something sketched on her arm first.  Her nerves still hadn't really kicked in and she was still feeling pretty good.  Knowing her luck, the nervousness wouldn't hit until the dude was halfway through with her tattoo. Even with this thought in mind, Nikari took off her coat and waited for him to lead her to where he wanted her to go.

She folded her coat over her crossed arms and briefly thought that she'd have to remove the pullover sweater she was wearing so he could get the design on her arm properly.  She shook her head briefly to rid herself of negative thoughts and turned her attention back to the man who was going to give it to her - her very first tattoo.

"Take yer seat," Dietrich said once they were downstairs, in the Olive Room. The girl had gone taken off her knit and he noted the arm she wanted t'get inked.

Ya didn't get people comin' in to mark their wand arms, what with it gettin' in the way of casting if anythin' went wrong later. He ran his fingers across the inking counter top while Avendale got herself prepped, and turned on the Wireless fer some sound.

Knockturn could give him creeps when it was quiet. Sumthin' generic came on, hollering music and the like. The inking machine was all set so all he had to do was dig out a tracing marker.

"I'll walk ya through this real quick, 'kay?" Dietrich dropped on to his stool next to the barber chair. "I'm gonna quickly do an outline of yer dragon- nothing fancy, just the shapes and stuff. If ya like it, I'll needle ya. If not..." he shrugged. "We'll play it by the ear. Just hold out yer arm nice'n steady and try not t'lean it 'gainst anything."

Nikari listened to what he was saying and nodded to show that she understood what he said.  She held her arm out for him to get started and realized with a blush that she still had her pullover sweater on.  "I should probably take this off, you can't get to my arm through the sweater." She blushed as she stood up from the chair and faced away from him.

She pulled off the sweater quickly and was glad she had worn a tank top underneath it, because if she hadn't it would embarass her even more. She folded her sweater and placed it on her lap as she sat back down in the chair without looking at Dietrich.  "Alright, I'm ready."

Patiently, Dietrich waited till the gal had done taken off her pullover before bringing up his wand and casting an immobility charm 'gainst her arm. That'd keep it stuck, didn't want no shakin' if she were ticklish.

"Mmkay, I'm startin'" he muttered and slipped out the marked from his pocket. "If ye get the urge to wriggle about, don't."


It didn't take much effort- and only 'bout ten or so minutes before he'd done drawn the outline. It weren't a popular request. Ya got a lot of oriental art and dragons wrapping around people's forearms but not so much with the lizards on this side've the globe. So she'd get her claim to uniqueness. Kinda.

"How's that look to ya?" Dietrich pulled the marker away and squinted at the arm. "It'll looking a lot fancier, 'course, when I get it needled in and movin'." A slender gaelic dragon curved gracefully along the Veela woman's arm. It looked a li'l plain but was clearly just an outline of unfinished detail.

Nikari looked at the gaelic dragon on her arm and said honestly, "It's a little plain, but looks good." She wasn't a judge on tattoos, so she didn't know if there was more to this or not, so she asked, "Are you going to add color or anything?"  She wasn't looking at him, or the design anymore, but was focusing on whatever she could to keep from asking more questions.  "I am sorry if I seem rude or am asking too many questions, always happens when I get nervous." she told him and tried her best to sit still.

"Yea," Dietrich tended to the inking machine while he listened to the witch. "Color'n detail, don't ya worry."

The right inks were slotted in but he double-checked his needles before dropping back on to the stool. Better safe than sorry, s'what he's always tellin' the kids who worked at the Inkwell. That's what Marlene used t'tell him before she handed him the parlour anyhow. He wrapped his fingers solidly around the needlin' gun.

"I don't mind me some questions," Dietrich gestured for her to resume the previous position; this time with one side rested against the chair arm. "Get nervous chatterers, singers, rhymers or whatnot. Ya gotta be a certain kind t'come 'cross as rude on Knockturn..." he laughed. She was a lightweight of a girl, 'side from bein' Veela. "I'm startin' now. Just keep on breathin' and it won't seem like it hurts much."

With a quick click, the needlin' gun switched on. He felt it whine and whir in his hand, soothin'. Dietrich breathed out slowly before setting needle tip 'gainst skin.[1]

1.	Barring an immediate response to the needle, you can assume some time has gone by since Dietrich has started the needling.

Nikari froze a little when the machine started up, and when the needle first touched her skin, but she quickly realized she'd been scared for no reason.  This really wasn't all that bad.  At first she watched Dietrich work, but after a while her eyes started to get blurry and cross-eyed from trying to watch everything he was doing.

She was finally getting her first tattoo and she could already tell that it wouldn't be her last one.  Her mother had always told her that getting one was the first step down a bad road for most Veela and Nikari couldn't help but think that her mother just told her that so she wouldn't get one.  But it didn't matter anymore.  Her mother had moved on with her life and here Nikari sat, in a chair - getting a tattoo.

No one could tell her she wasn't spending her mother's money wisely - at least Nikari thought so.  She flinched slightly for a moment, but tried to stay as still as possible.  It didn't so much hurt as it tickled and it was harder than she thought it would be to sit still. "It tickles." she stated, turning to look at the tattoo artist rather than his work for the first time since they started.