Obscene Symphony

Of Blood and Magic

_{The Ear-ening}

The vampire behind the counter motioned for Aaron to wait a moment while another mage, a girl with puffy red eyes, hurried out from the left partition. The vampire gave her a sympathetic look and waved Aaron into the one the girl just vacated. She put a small box on the counter, filled with a lotion and replacement bandages, and explained how to take care of the tattoo.

“First time tattoos are always the worst.” The vampiress commented as she rang the mage up. “At least the design you wanted was simple enough for a single session though.” 

Behind the partition, an older man was just finishing wiping down a leather chair that resembled ones from a dental office. The man himself was balding and glasses hung around his neck. A simple black short sleeved shirt showed off the various tattoos decorating his arms and neck as he messed around with his station. From here, Aaron could see the other three sections were immaculate, completely untouched and missing equipment. The man looked up, squinted at the boy briefly, and let out a surprised chuckle.

“Well I’ll be damned. A blood and flesh Starag in my shop.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Thought that girl was taking my leg when she said it but I put it on the books on the off chance since the Sinnenodel name was all moseyed up to it. Good thing I did, eh? Bet that snotty brat out there would have been real pissed.” He laughed again before he smiled kindly at Aaron and stretched his hand to shake Aaron’s. “So kid, what’s your name? Mine’s Jacob and I run this little shop.”

Some of Aaron’s dread came creeping back when he was motioned behind the partition, though of course he hid it well, looking around the area to occupy himself. The stations were clean and organized, a small comfort, though save for one they looked unoccupied. Aaron wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the place, but he figured it would be to his benefit to keep an open mind. 

The man at the occupied station was welcoming, but Aaron found himself momentarily transfixed on his myriad of tattoos. He’d never seen anything like them, covering practically every square inch of his arms, and he had to wonder what it must have been like to get them. Judging by the teary-eyed girl who’d been in here before him, Aaron could only assume it hadn’t been pleasant. 

He remembered himself at the man’s greeting, smiling humbly at his comment and briefly wondering if he’d get a similar reaction every time he met someone new. “Aaron. It’s a pleasure,” he introduced himself, shaking Jacob’s hand. His grin turned a little sheepish, free hand coming up to tug on his left ear. “Your shop is impressive, although I must admit that this is all pretty new to me.”

“I reckon it is. They keep your family all nestled up snug as a bug in that palace with not even a peep of you all. Think it would do some people some good to see you aren’t just myths made up by the vampires.” Jacob shrugged as he patted the leather chair. “Take a seat, Aaron. Standing up ain’t goin’ to do you no good here.” He pulled a chair out for himself and sat across from Aaron, making no move towards his tools yet. He opened a drawer from the desk various implements sat on and pulled out a pitcher and two cups. He poured them each a glass and tapped on them, muttering an incantation. Instantly, steam rose from the cups and he passed one to Aaron. 

“Go ahead and drink a little. First time for anything is always nerve wracking and a little mulled apple cider always calms my nerves.” Jacob sipped at his own with a content sigh. “So, Miranda tells me you have a bit of a life magic resistance. Why don’t you tell me about that?”

Aaron sat as Jacob indicated, wondering if there was any truth to what he said. Did some people really think his family was just a myth? It seemed silly, but he supposed he had no way to be sure. After all, until arriving at the Academy the rest of the world might as well have been myth to him. He watched with mild interest as Jacob charmed two glasses of cider, thanking Jacob for the one he was given and taking a sip mostly to be polite. It wasn't unwelcome, though, and the gesture did put him a little more at ease. 

“Oh, right,” Aaron replied at the mention of his resistance, shifting a little in his chair to tap his pommel. “There’s not much to tell, really. A big part of my training was swordplay, and since I usually learned things the hard way, I was no stranger to the life mages back home.” A nostalgic smile briefly found its way to his lips as he remembered a few especially dumb trips to the life mage from his teenage years, then faded again. “Why, will it pose a problem?”

“Not particularly. Just means we can’t use magic only for this.” Jacob shrugged, still making no move for his tools as he sipped at the drink. “If you hadn’t any, I could do this whole thing with magic. Costs a pretty penny but I doubt that’s much of a problem. Just have to convince your skin that’s how it’s supposed to be but if you’ve already developed a resistance, your body won’t take too kindly to that line of thought. So we have to make a small hole and then I can work with it while your cells are all confused and such. Only catch is, it’ll always heal back with the hole. Even if you slash it, the hole won’t seal itself. Gotta use magic to put it back.” Jacob explained. It was much more complicated than that. It took someone with plenty of skill and control to even consider attempting it but Jacob had plenty of practice when he was still under the heels of the Astorios. It was how he eventually managed to escape their yoke. 

“Nope. It won’t be a problem at all. But if you’ve learn things the hard way, I doubt this’ll bother you anyways. Feels like a little prick, not much else. I’ll easy away the sting soon enough anyhow. Wish I could figure out how to do it with tattoos. Right pain in the butt with people tryin’ not to twitch but oh well. Such is life.” He finished his drink and picked up the box Miranda placed back here while he had been working with the previous client. He flipped it open and let out an appreciative whistle. “Interesting choice you made here. This is some fine jewelry but I didn’t take you for someone so flashy. But the good news is, you won’t be needin’ the stud unless you’re going in for a fight. Ear will be all healed to wear the proper one right away so don’t worry about that at all.” He set the box back on the counter, open and facing Aaron. There were two earrings in the box, one small silver stud set with the Sinnenodel crest and another one on a fine silver chain and ending in a small emerald set above the scroll of the Sinnodel crest. “I guess devotin’ yourself so wholeheartedly to your new family is admirable.”

Aaron had to fight down the shiver threatening to crawl up his spine as Jacob went over the piercing process, and his fingers absently tapped his glass, a small outward indication of the anxiety creeping back up on him. He wasn’t really sure why it bothered him so much, either; it wasn’t the pain that concerned him, and he could handle blood and broken bones with little more than a flinch, but something about sticking jewelry into himself made his stomach turn. Maybe he just wasn’t a fan of putting holes in himself on purpose, though he didn’t care to think hard enough on it to find out. 

He watched Jacob pull out the box, raising an eyebrow at the mention of “flashy.” The talk of studs and fighting didn’t make sense until the box was turned to him, and his eyes widened at the sight. Jacob wasn’t lying; the craftsmanship of the earrings was extraordinary, and if Aaron’s guess was right, they were cast in solid silver. No wonder Varis had been so impressed at the speed at which they’d arrived, Aaron would have guessed it would take weeks to make them to Sinnenodel standards. Still, Jacob was right. The stud alone was more than Aaron would ever wear of his own volition, and the long one - presumably the one he was meant to be wearing most of the time - was beyond noticeable. It was nearly as long as his finger, for crying out loud!

Jacob’s talk of devotion pulled Aaron out of his head, though a sad sort of weight fell over him as it did. Jacob seemed to think he was doing this of his own volition; either that or he was pretending to save Aaron a little dignity. “...Thank you,” Aaron replied finally, though he was a little more stiff than before as he summoned his court smile. “I’m nothing if not loyal.”

He spared another wary glance at the earrings and Jacob’s equipment before shifting in his seat again and clearing his throat. “So, is there anything else I should know before we get this done?”

“Sorry, sorry. Told ya more than you really needed to know anyways.” The older man barked out a laugh, wheeling the chair around to Aaron’s side. He deposited a small piercing gun, sterile wipes, and the box on a small metal table attached to the chair. “Just get my mouth running sometimes. Alrighty, now just relax for a minute. I’m going to sterilize your lobe real quick now and then I’ll mark the spot so don’t flinch when you feel it.” Jacob talked him through each step he took as he did, giving about 30 seconds between each instruction. He gently marked the spot and then wiped it away, leaving just a faint dot, and then picked up the gun. 

“Now, I’ll make a quick puncture with this. Like I said, it’ll only sting for a few seconds until I get my magic around the wound then you won’t feel a thing. Gotta give ten minutes or so to encourage everything to grow right and double check it and then you’ll be right as rain. No long term care or anything.” Jacob explained, bringing it up to his ear and pulling the trigger gently, piercing the ear. His magic reached out from his fingertips almost immediately and his face went blank as he worked, letting the trigger go slowly until the piercing implement finally came free and he moved it away from Aaron’s ear entirely. 

“There we go. All done.” Jacob exclaimed merrily as he wiped at the hole once more with sterile wipes just to be safe. “So, this earring here has a little clasp on the back of it to help stay in. Lose that and it’ll be a right pain to keep it in your head.” He held up the longer one, displaying the clasp on the back. “Did you need help getting it in the first time or you think you’ll be just fine? Gotta mirror right here if you want one.” The man held the hand mirror up for Aaron to use.

The seconds of anticipation before the little gun went off were definitely worse than the piercing itself. Aaron flinched a touch at the sudden sting, but Jacob either didn’t notice or paid no mind, and like he’d said, the pain disappeared almost immediately. A few minutes later and there was no lingering soreness, though Aaron did bring his hand up to his right ear to investigate the change. There was the slightest of bumps in the middle of his lobe, but no swelling, though the thought of a hole in his skin was still not the most comforting one. 

He considered asking Jacob to help him put the earring in, but dismissed the idea just as quickly. He’d need to know how to do it, might as well start now. It couldn’t be that hard. Gingerly he took the earring from Jacob, pausing another moment to examine it again, and carefully slid the clasp off the back of the post, taking care not to drop it. It took a few jabs and a few head tilts in the mirror, but he got the earring through, fumbling a moment with the clasp before he finally got it secured. He took his hands away slowly, distantly worried that the earring would fall out the minute he let go, but it held, and he took a moment to stare. 

The chain was long enough for the pendant-charm-part to fall just below his hair, flaunting the Sinnenodel crest proudly to anyone who happened to look. The emerald setting glinted just so in the light, as if to draw more attention to it, and the silver shone starkly against the gold of his hair. It felt a lot heavier in his ear than it had in his hand, and it swayed with every little tilt and movement, sometimes even touching the side of his neck. Aaron could already tell the swinging and swaying would get on his nerves, but for the moment he was more concerned with how utterly foreign it looked. It wasn’t “jewelry,” that much was clear. It was a tag. Varis might as well have gotten “Property of Varis Sinnenodel” tattooed on his forehead. 

But, again, Aaron reminded himself that this was not the time or place for brooding. All told, Jacob had done an excellent job - clean, quick, and nearly painless - and it would be rude to return the favour with bitterness. So Aaron smiled, offering his hand for the older man to shake once more. “Thank you, it looks excellent,” he commented, speaking more about the wound than the earring. “Is there anything else you need from me before I get out of your way?”

“Nope. We’re all set on this side.” Jacob shook his hand again and gave Aaron a friendly clap on the shoulder. “You come now if there are any problems, okay? And if I hear about any issues and you didn’t, I’ll be sure to hunt you down now. Now go off and do whatever you young folk do for fun these days.” Jacob laughed as he escorted him out to the front of the counter. 

Aaron couldn’t help but smile at Jacob’s antics and nodded. “I will,” he agreed, offering Jacob a wave and thanking Miranda on his way out. 

- Fragmented -

Will this RP be purely modern or will fantasy/supernatural themes and the like be heavily present?

@Dirty Pretty Lies

On the face of it, there will be something like a supernatural influence when it comes to soul bonds. For example, members of a Reunited pair (aka two Fragmented who are soulmates) will, over time, develop a telepathic connection that IC modern science can't really explain. As for anything beyond that, it's hard for me to say much without risking spoilers. What I will say, though, is that we're not terribly firmly rooted in mundane reality, and as the story progresses there will definitely be more where those soul bonds came from ^_^

- Fragmented -

As long as you can remember, you've known you were different.

Don't worry, everyone else did too; the mark around your wrist made sure of that. Some of them looked at you with envy and fascination, others with pity. Maybe a few even shunned you. Maybe the attention bothered you, but you were probably more concerned with that feeling in your chest. That bizarre tug. That longing. That feeling of desperately missing someone. But who?

Maybe you've been searching for them; maybe you're not holding your breath. It's tough, right? Unless you live in a massive city you've probably never even met someone like you, and even then your chances were slim. You probably saw people like you on TV though, in movies, online. Talking about it. That feeling you're missing. About being complete, finding their other half. The movies probably tell you how great it is; celebrities on talk shows might say otherwise. Maybe you've read up on your condition, learned the boons it can grant when things work out. Learned what can happen if they don't.

Are you scared? Excited? Have you been looking at the moon each night, wondering if your other half is looking too? Are you holding out hope that by some miracle your paths will cross? After all, it happens to some people. Why not you?

Well, your chance – probably your only chance – may well have just arrived. You got a letter, in one of those fancy envelopes made out of thick embossed paper, addressed directly to you. It's got one of those cool old-fashioned seals on the back, pink and blue wax swirled together and imprinted with the shape of a lotus. The letter inside looks hand-written, written by people like you, inviting you to attend an event that may well lead you to your other half. Seems sketchy, right? Maybe, but something made you send back your answer, and now you've got all-expense-paid tickets to go spend a week in luxury and take that chance. Think you'll find your destiny?

___________________________________________

Hello and welcome to Fragmented! As you may have gleaned from the blurb up there, this is going to be a soulmate RP, but hopefully with a little (or a lot) more depth than you may have seen before. See, soulmates in this RP aren't just each other's perfect romantic match. Rather, there are three possible types of soul bonds that can be formed: romantic, platonic, and antagonistic (information to come). As well, this RP is not just about finding your partner. In fact, that’ll happen pretty early on in the story. I have some fleshed-out lore coming out in the OOC and there's a lot more to the story than meets the eye, so if you're looking for some lighthearted slice-of-life, I'm afraid that's not what you'll find here. But if you're like me and have been looking at soulmate RPs for ages, loving the concept but wishing there was a little more meat to them, rejoice! This RP is probably right up your alley.

The premise is this: your character is one of a very rare demographic called the Fragmented. These are people who have a soulmate out there in the world somewhere, and are denoted as such from birth by a band-like mark around their wrist. Unfortunately, seeing as your soulmate could be anywhere in the world and the Fragmented are rare enough that you're probably the only one you've ever met, finding your other half is no small task. Sure, some people are lucky and happen to find theirs on their own, but the sad truth is that a lot of your kind die alone, and early at that, withering away without their soulmate.

Your character might be freaked out by the prospect, they might be optimistic that they'll find their partner, or anything in between. What links you all together is that you all got a letter from a pair of mysterious benefactors, two wealthy twins by the names of Raphael and Isaac Abramson who happen to be Fragmented like you. In fact, they’re some of the very lucky few who were born alongside their soulmate, sharing a platonic soul bond. Knowing the benefits of being Reunited with their soulmate, they're sympathetic for those Fragmented who don’t find their other half (often called the Lost) and, as their preferred act of charity, they are holding a grand event at their estate where they've invited people like you to congregate in hopes of finding your match. For most of you, this is probably the first (and likely the only) chance you'll have to meet other Fragmented, and for whatever reason, you've chosen to attend.

This RP will be high-casual and plot-oriented with some possibility for darker content down the line, so I’m making it 18+ to cover all my bases. The setting is our world (with a few changes) in the vaguely near future mostly for my own convenience so I can say that universal translators are a thing. The whole thing will take place at and around the Abramson estate, a large and very opulent property in the Canadian Rockies where the owners invite guests to indulge in every amenity they have to offer. Guests from all over the world will eat, drink and be merry for a week in luxury as they search among the others for their soulmate. As for those who find them, only time will tell…

I’m looking for a relatively small group, maybe 10-12 characters total. People are welcome to play multiples, though I’m going to limit those at 2 characters each; if you’re planning to play multiples, please let me know ASAP. If this gets more interest than that, I’ll narrow the cast down by merit rather than first-come first-served. I don’t plan on playing a character in the main cast, but if we get an odd number of characters I will play one to even things out. Soulmates and soul bond types will be chosen by me; if you have preferences for either you’re welcome to tell me, though I won’t guarantee anything. Characters will be in their early twenties from just about anywhere in the world with pretty much any background, so I invite you to get creative! Travel, lodging and everything else will be provided, so your character doesn’t have to be able to afford the trip, don’t worry. You’re welcome to submit your character in this thread, but I’ll be saving acceptances for the OOC.

Character Sheet

NOTE: Please do not alter the character sheet. Don't add things, don't subtract things. This is just a basic template so you’re welcome to fancy it up all you want, but just make sure you use all the sections that are listed. Please don't add extra sections; you can add additional info in the "Other" section all you want. As well, because my eyes are stupid, I'd appreciate it if you'd put all your images in hiders. If you have questions, comments or anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me!

---

Character image: Non-anime artwork please!

Name: Full name, titles if you have any, include nicknames if you'd like

Age: 20-25 please

Gender: Male or female

Sexuality: I’ll need this to make pairings, so please don’t skip!

Appearance: Extra reference images should be linked or in a hider please! Make sure to include anything we can't see in your image and details like height, weight (this is a good website for figuring out an appropriate weight for your character's height and build!) identifying marks (tattoos, scars, piercings) and general style of dress, as well as any differences from your character image. You know, the standard.
***This RP takes place in the vaguely near future, so it's totally safe to say that fashion has evolved a bit. That is to say, if you want your character to have a wardrobe that's a little more extra than the modern day-to-day, that can be arranged! Don't worry, I'll tell you if it's too much.

Personality: A short rundown of your character's personality. Don't stress too much over this section, there will be plenty of time to demonstrate your personality IC!

Biography: Here's where you're invited to get detailed if you'd like. Your character can be from anywhere in the world and have any background you want, so get creative! Travel, lodging and everything else will be provided and there will be accessibility and translation devices at the manor, so don't worry about expense or communication.

Other: Trivia, miscellany, and anything else you'd like to include goes here! I also recommend sticking your text colour code in here.

Rules ★

General

No god-modding, no metagaming, be civil OOC, take explicit content to PMs, GM word is law, you know the drill. If there is anything at all you're not sure about, just ask me. I don't bite!

I reserve the right to refuse acceptance for any reason. Don't stress though, I'm a reasonable girl. There is a possibility I'll have to restrict character submissions of certain genders or orientations down the line so I can get pairings worked out; I'll make an announcement if this happens.

Put your character sheet in the OOC first. Once I give you the go-ahead, you may post in the character tab. Pretty standard. I recommend using the same post for all your sheets if you're doing multiples.

This RP is largely going to be character-driven, and there's some fun plot in store as well! As a result, despite the lighthearted premise, there is a possibility for darker content down the line. Please contact me if there are any subjects you do not want to breach and I will gladly adjust things accordingly.

Talk! An active OOC is always fun, and as a bonus, makes RPs last longer! Please join the RP discord server (coming soon!) to stay updated on RP happenings, chat, meme, and whatever else you want!

Posting

The partnered nature of this RP requires dedicated players. If you don't think you can commit, then I thank you for your interest but recommend you look elsewhere. Any dropped characters will be puppeted by me until such a time that they can make an organic exit. Thank you for understanding.

Whew, sorry, just needed to get that one out there! I'm not going to jump down your throat if you lose interest later on (it happens to the best of us) but I implore you, if that happens, tell me! Now:

The posting standard for this RP is high casual. 3rd person, past tense, you know the drill. I value quality over quantity and a lean post here and there is no big deal, but do try to give people something to work with. Don't worry if your posts get long; write as much as you feel you need to.

Do your best to use proper spelling, grammar and formatting. We all make mistakes now and then, but at the very least I ask that you proofread your post. It only takes a few minutes and it's an easy way to catch most mistakes -- I make stupid mistakes every other word and proofreading is my saving grace. As with everything in this RP, if you would like help or advice, I would be more than happy to talk to you.

All characters must be posted for at least once a week or they will risk being removed. Due to the paired-up nature of this RP, this is a must. Nobody likes getting stuck because their partner hasn't posted. You don't have to post a novel, but do put out something. If you foresee a problem with this, please bring it to my attention ASAP. To that end...

A weekly update of some kind will be posted by me every Monday. This could be anything from a time skip or event update to a simple benchmark post. You do not have to post every 7 days on the dot, but you must post at least once per update cycle for all of your characters. Speaking of which...

You may have multiple characters, but be prepared to post for all of them. To keep the cast a little leaner, I'll instate a 2-character limit for the time being. I won't accept being swamped with characters as an excuse for inactivity, so make sure you only play as many as you know you can handle.

Please don't include pictures in the headers of your posts. Fancy text headers from places like 1001fonts and fontmeme are welcome and encouraged, but no character images please. To be perfectly honest, this is just a pet peeve of mine. But this time I'm the GM, so I make the rules!

If you have read these rules, please put a star ★ into the "Other" section of your character sheet.

As mentioned, more world information will be coming when the OOC goes up, but if people are lore-hungry before then, I’ll be happy to provide. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask, and thank you so much for reading!

Username Context

I totally lifted this name from a friend of mine. I always thought it was so great and clever and I was terrible at usernames, so when she found one she liked better and transferred her online identity to that one, I took this one. I like to think it's fitting, as despite some moderate effort, I curse a lot more than I need to xD I was also a band kid but that didn't really play into my choice

But now this is my name everywhere! Honestly I'd probably answer just as quickly to "Obscene" in real life as my real name, lol.

Post a random fact about yourself.

I used to sleepwalk when I was younger, and the creepy part was that I was fully capable of unlocking, opening, and closing a door, before walking down a flight of stairs and looting the kitchen in the middle of the night.
I'd also lock the door on my way back up, so I had no clue I was doing it until I was told about it.

Oh, and sometimes I'll sit up while asleep, look at people, have a short conversation, then go back to sleep.
One of the times that always gets brought up is once when I did that and my mother was like "Kuro, you're asleep" and my response was apparently a genuinely surprised look on my face, followed by an "Oh, okay then" before laying back down and resuming my snoozin'.

I woke up the next morning to my mother laughing her ass off about it. It was great.

@Kuroakuma

I used to sleepwalk as a child, but only when I felt guilty about something. I would get up and search the house for my parents, and if I found them I'd have a nonsensical conversation. Sometimes I'd just sit in the dark in the kitchen or something. Apparently a restless conscience made my body restless, and it's the #1 reason I pretty much never lied to my parents XD

People do crazy shit while they sleepwalk. I learned about a court case where a dude drove to his in-laws' house and murdered them both while sleepwalking. Apparently after they were dead he woke up, freaked the fuck out (as one would do if they discovered they just killed people in their sleep) and promptly went to the police station to turn himself in. Crazy eh?

Of Blood and Magic

_{Interacting with: his mom <3}

Ugh, there it was, that if again. If he entered Varis’ service. The thought of surgery was far from comforting, but it was that if that gnawed at him most. For the moment, though, Aaron remembered what he told himself and pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He could brood over it later; in the meantime, Varis had apparently made his choice, and it was time for Aaron to accept the unpleasant reality of this ‘marking’ business. He eyed the tattoo shop warily as they stepped inside, casting aside his former optimism in favour of hoping Varis’ taste in ‘adornments’ was at least less disturbing than his Lady’s.

Inside, the shop was clean and tidy, though the artwork plastered all over the walls did loosen it up a bit. Aaron, of course, was anything but, the casual atmosphere doing nothing to quell his dread. The receptionist bade them to wait, but Varis clearly had no intention of obeying; Aaron was glad for the command to escort the other client out, if only because it gave him something to do. With an apologetic smile, he gestured for the mage at the counter to follow him, opening the door for him as he politely ushered him outside.

Aaron waited a moment for the door to close behind them before offering the mage a somewhat more sheepish grin. “Sorry about that, I hope we didn’t interrupt anything important.”

The mage blinked between Aaron, his scabbard and the tattoo shop for a moment, looking a little dazed. His hand still teased at his pocket, apparently still debating pulling out his phone. “O-oh, no problem,” he finally rushed out, accented by something like a laugh. He shot Aaron a nervous smile and offered a wave as he turned to leave, a partially completed sleeve tattoo on display. “Uh, have a good night!”

Aaron smiled and nodded as the other mage took off, ducking into the first door he reached. He re-entered the tattoo shop just in time for the receptionist to give him a weird look, glancing between him and her screen. Aaron had half a mind to make sure his tie wasn't tied inside-out or something, but the receptionist seemed to catch her composure quickly, returning to her exchange with Varis. “Did Mr. Starag need to select an earring?”

“No, he does not. Just see that he gets through this as quickly as possible.” Varis might have almost sounded kind if not for his tone and clear impatience. He placed a box on the counter for the receptionist to appraise; Aaron guessed that the contents were those ‘adornments’ Varis had mentioned. The receptionist seemed satisfied, and Aaron was more than a little curious. He supposed he’d find out about them soon enough.

Varis snapped his fingers at him again, and it looked like he’d be free of the vampires for the rest of the evening. Aaron sat down where he was indicated, taking a moment to remove his scabbard from his hip and balance it against his knee, and set a quick alarm for 5:45am so he wouldn’t miss his 6am curfew. Roughly two hours to himself, minus however long this appointment took. Not bad, maybe he’d have time to see Salem after all. For the moment, though, he was more concerned with his appointment. The receptionist said ‘earring’, so that meant he was getting his ear pierced, right? Probably the right ear, since Varis apparently didn’t want to do his left. Just an ear piercing, that couldn’t be too bad. Surely it wouldn’t hurt much, though he wasn’t really concerned about the pain; it was just that something about poking holes in oneself and sticking jewelry in them always sent a shiver up his spine. But women got their ears pierced all the time, how bad could it be? Much better than those ones Lady Sinnenodel’s mages had had in their faces, or the one Vanessa had on her back. Right?

He was fighting a losing battle with his nerves when his watch and phone buzzed in tandem, his watch face displaying a phone call from “Mom”. His phone displayed a candid shot of a smiling older woman, with his same blue eyes and silvery blonde hair twisted into an elaborate braid. He was caught between perking up and sinking down at the sight, both happy to speak with her and dreading whatever she might ask. But it wouldn’t do to keep her waiting, so he quickly answered the call, speaking more brightly than he felt. “Hey mom, how are you feeling?”

A call from mom

“How is it that after all this time, that’s still how you always answer my calls?” His mother demanded, though a quiet chuckle betrayed her amusement.

Aaron smiled, looking down at his lap. “Force of habit I suppose,” he replied. “How are things at home?”

“A little hectic since you left, but we’ve finally gotten all your duties straightened out,” his mother reported. Though it may have been mean-spirited, Aaron couldn’t help but feel smug that it took them some time to get his responsibilities covered. “But how are you? You leave for the first time and don’t call for three nights, I didn’t know you had such a wandering spirit.”

Aaron laughed with his mother, though he was happy she couldn’t see his face fall. “Yes, forgive me, I wanted to video call but I haven’t gotten the chance.”

“Of course, it’s a lot of changes in a very short time, I’m surprised you have any time for me,” she reassured him.

Aaron smiled sadly. “Don’t worry, I always have time for you.”

“Oh hush,” his mother gently chided, “you can do much better things with your time than worry about me.” Silence stretched between them for a moment, and when his mother spoke up again, she was quieter. “Everything is going well, then?”

“...Like you said, it’s a lot of changes,” Aaron reasoned. He knew he’d have to do this dance, but he worried all the same. “I’m sure I’ll catch on soon though.”

“I have no doubt.” Aaron swore he could hear his mother’s smile, the same sad one she’d given him when he’d left, and it tightened his throat even now. There was another pause on the line before his mother cleared her throat, forcing some brightness back into her voice. “And your partner? We’ve all been dying to learn who it is, but of course Her Royal Highness is tight-lipped on the matter.”

“I bet she is.” Aaron closed his eyes for a second, letting his head fall back onto the couch. Of course it would be up to him to break the news, though he almost wished Princess Ryner would have spilled so he didn’t have to. Should he just tell her now and get it over with? Wait for a better time, a better place, more privacy? He felt like a child admitting to doing something bad, running through every worst-case reaction he might get. “Well…”

“Mr. Starag, Jacob is ready for you.” As if on cue, the receptionist called Aaron up, gesturing to the back of the tattoo parlor. Aaron had not expected to be relieved to head back for his appointment, but it was definitely the better alternative to what he was about to say.

“I’m sorry mom, I have to go,” he excused hastily, standing and balancing his phone on his shoulder so he could clip his scabbard back onto his belt. “Say hello to everyone at home for me, and I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”

He was sure his mother was less than impressed, but she didn’t let it leak into her voice. “Of course. I love you, Sunshine.”

Aaron smiled, despite himself. “Love you too, mom.”

Obscene's Scratchpad

_{Interacting with: his mom <3}

Ugh, there it was, that if again. If he entered Varis’ service. The thought of surgery was far from comforting, but it was that if that gnawed at him most. For the moment, though, Aaron remembered what he told himself and pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He could brood over it later; in the meantime, Varis had apparently made his choice, and it was time for Aaron to accept the unpleasant reality of this ‘marking’ business. He eyed the tattoo shop warily as they stepped inside, casting aside his former optimism and simply hoping Varis’ taste in ‘adornments’ was at least less disturbing than his Lady’s. 

Inside, the shop was clean and tidy, though the artwork plastered all over the walls did lend it a more relaxed feel. Aaron, of course, was anything but, the casual atmosphere doing nothing to quell his dread. The receptionist bade them to wait, but Varis clearly had no intention of obeying; Aaron was glad for the command to escort the other client out, if only because it gave him something to do. With an apologetic smile, he gestured for the mage at the counter to follow him, opening the door for him as he politely ushered him outside. 

Aaron waited a moment for the door to close behind them before offering the mage a somewhat more sheepish grin. “Sorry about that, I hope we didn’t interrupt anything important.”

The mage blinked between Aaron, his scabbard and the tattoo shop for a moment, looking a little dazed. His hand still teased at his pocket, apparently still debating pulling out his phone. “O-oh, no problem,” he finally rushed out, accented by something like a laugh. He shot Aaron a nervous smile and offered a wave as he turned to leave, a partially completed sleeve tattoo on display. “Uh, have a good night!”

Aaron smiled and nodded as the other mage took off, ducking into the first door he reached. He re-entered the tattoo shop just in time for the receptionist to give him a weird look, glancing between him and her screen. Aaron had half a mind to make sure there wasn’t dirt on his shirt or something, but the receptionist seemed to catch her composure quickly, returning to her exchange with Varis. “Did Mr. Starag need to select an earring?”

“No, he does not. Just see that he gets through this as quickly as possible.” Varis might have almost sounded kind if not for his tone and clear impatience. He placed a box on the counter for the receptionist to appraise; Aaron guessed that the contents were those ‘adornments’ Varis had mentioned. The receptionist seemed satisfied, and Aaron was more than a little curious. He supposed he’d find out about them soon enough.

Varis snapped his fingers at him again, and it looked like he’d be free of the vampires for the rest of the evening. Aaron sat down where he was indicated, taking a moment to remove his scabbard from his hip and balance it against his knee, and set a quick alarm for 5:45am so he wouldn’t miss his 6am curfew. Roughly two hours to himself, minus however long this appointment took. Not bad, maybe he’d have time to see Salem after all. For the moment, though, he was more concerned with his appointment. The receptionist said ‘earring’, so that meant he was getting his ear pierced, right? Probably the right ear, since Varis apparently didn’t want to do his left. Just an ear piercing, that couldn’t be too bad. Surely it wouldn’t hurt much, though he wasn’t really concerned about the pain; it was just that something about poking holes in oneself and sticking jewelry in them always sent a shiver up his spine. But women got their ears pierced all the time, how bad could it be? Much better than those ones Lady Sinnenodel’s mages had had in their faces, or the one Vanessa had on her back. Right?

He was fighting a losing battle with his nerves when his watch and phone buzzed in tandem, his watch face displaying a phone call from “Mom”. His phone displayed a candid shot of a smiling older woman, with his same blue eyes and silvery blonde hair twisted into an elaborate braid. He was caught between perking up and sinking down at the sight, both happy to speak with her and dreading whatever she might ask. But it wouldn’t do to keep her waiting, so he quickly answered the call, speaking more brightly than he felt. “Hey mom, how are you feeling?”

A call from mom

“How is it that after all this time, that’s always how you answer my calls?” His mother demanded, though a quiet chuckle betrayed her amusement. 

Aaron smiled, looking down at his lap. “Force of habit I suppose,” he replied. “How are things at home?”

“A little hectic since you left, but we’ve gotten all your duties straightened out,” his mother reported. Maybe it was mean-spirited, but Aaron couldn’t help but be smug that it took them some time to get his duties covered. “But how are you? You leave for the first time and don’t call for three nights, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were running away!”

Post a random fact about yourself.

@Vampiretwilight Yep, I know the feeling.

Post a random fact about yourself.

I get a migraine at least once or twice a month. ugh.

@Vampiretwilight

Mine are usually once a week, though I've been able to stretch it to 8 or 9 days with magnesium supplements and careful routines.