Closed Knowledge Is Skill (Ornea)

[Savos]

40th of Fall, 514 AV

The cold began to settle on a grey day in Lhavit. Savos wandered around outside of the city limits as though aimlessly, on limits between the rocky and the dangerously unstable. The region was littered with traps of the terrain, ravines and unpredictable drops abound, but Savos walked with careful footing, watching every single step he made. He found that these little morning hikes helped to keep the chill in the air from settling in his bones.

On most days, he would go further out and find a place to practice using his bow, or a good spot to draw the millions of little flowers at his feet, the branches that changed the nature of their entanglement from tree to tree. But today, he had woken up late and was expected soon at Lazuli Ink, his place of work. He decided to try to take a shortcut on his way back to the city, to try his luck at a more challenging path. To return to his previous path from here directly, he would have to face a steep climb.

It was steep enough that he had to use his hands to pull himself up the small c cliffside, but the rock was jagged and rough, providing perfect hand and footholds in ample locations. Though Savos found himself panting as he finally pulled himself onto the path, his hands scratched and dirtied, he had not felt the fear of falling that he was so accustomed to feeling around the peaks. Either he was getting better at this or he had forgotten the danger. He decided that he would believe in the latter for now, always choosing to err on the side of caution, even when it came to his thinking.

---

Going through the doorway in Lazuli Ink instantly brought a wave of warmth to Savos, insulated as the little dome was. There was a man he did not recognize inside, speaking quietly with Inecino, who introduced the two and began to relay information to Savos.

The man seemed to be in his mid-thirties, dressed in practical clothing with a rugged but warm look to his face. He wanted to get a very simple tattoo, two lines banding around his calf, no décor of any sort. It was a simple enough task, and he did not explain why he would like one. But his face did not show any hesitation, and Inecino had probably sensed this, for he did not question the man about whether he had spent enough time considering his decision or not.

Inecino expressed that he would like Savos to take care of this client, claiming that it was simple enough and good practice for the budding tattoo artist. Just as he was about to follow the client into the tattooing room, however, Inecino stopped him.

“Also, there will be someone joining us, and Mr. Concino will be out for errands for now while we wait for her.”
“Ah. A loved one?” It was rather common for clients to bring friends or family with them to help alleviate some pain and boredom that came with getting tattooed.

“No, just someone who would like to sit in and understand our practice. She asked me earlier, and did not wish for a personal lesson.”
“Oh.” It was a strange request, Savos thought. If someone was interested enough in tattooing to sit through a session, why did they not simply ask for a lesson? He knew first hand that Inecino was a hell of a good teacher.

“Mr. Concino already agreed to her being here. I understand it is somewhat uncustomary as our sessions are usually private, but more people understanding the craft employed here can help the business. If she has any questions, I trust you’ll answer them to the best of your abilities.”

“Of course.”

[Ornea]

Ornea didn’t hesitate to enter Lazuli Ink once she had found the tattoo shop. It was a small skyglass domed building, accessible only by a well lit and patrolled alleyway. It had been a bit hard to find the way there the first time, but now when she when she knew where it was, she easily found the building made of white stone and skyglass.

She stopped to admire the exterior for a few ticks. An amazingly pretty house, she thought.

The Inarta was dressed in her everyday working clothes, simple brown bryda and vinati, and over this the sheepskin coat called katinu. It was colder now when it was mid fall and the katinu was a blessing. It also made her stand out among the many people wearing Lhavitian clothes. But the Inarta wasn't even thinking of this as a problem. She was used to looking different, so what did it matter if it she was extraordinarily easy to spot in a crowd ?

Her long fire red hair fluttered slightly in the wind. She brushed it away from her face. Then she went up the stairs opened the door and stepped inside, feeling energetic, resolute and quite interested.

It was the first time she had wanted to find out more about tattoos. She had been offered a lesson at her first visit there, but Ornea had declined and asked to watch how it was done in practice. She had been aware that the man had found it unusual, but she hadn’t cared. Her reasons to want it might have been found unusual too, if she had told him about them, which she hadn’t. And so, after some discussion, and Ornea declining all times the man first suggested , it had been arranged that she would watch Savos work today.

Savos. Yes. That was the name, if she recalled it right. The dark skinned man had been sitting next to her in Bright Lights, that ill-fated evening of the seminar about the history of candlemaking. He had said he was a tattoo artist.

Her purposes of being there were two. The first one was business. She had gone quite far in order to make this meeting seem like just a normal business visit on behalf of Lucis and Lucis. Edward Lucis had been really, really sceptical. But he had reluctantly agreed to the idea that she would investigate if tattoos, or something similar to tattoos, could be used to tag the parts of the transportation system and other automaton in Lucis and Lucis premises. It would make it possible to quickly identify them if it worked out. And if something was stolen it would be easier to prove the ownership to Lucis property and get it back. There had been one incident after all ...

Well, it would be pretty big job to somehow tattoo all the mechanical units in Lucis of course, if it was possible at all. This would be up to the tattoo artists to tell Lucis. But if they found it worth the while to investigate this more, she would arrange a work meeting at Lucis where they could have a closer look and maybe experiment if needed. Edwards had told her that would need to be in winter though.

Edward had agreed to let her check up and test her idea for the sake of extra safety. And so she had booked this session at Lazuli Ink. Officially she was sent there on behalf of her employer. But in addition she had made sure it would be with Savos, so she would get a chance to speak with him and try to figure out if he knew more than met the eye about the events at Bright Lights. That was her secong purpose. The man had seemed intelligent and might have observed something she had missed, or thought of things that hadn't occurred to her. Ornea hadn’t heard anything at all about the robbery after that evening in early fall ; she couldn’t know if the shop owner had contacted the Shinya, but if so they seemed to be working at the case terribly secretly. Nobody had contacted her. It had all just been silent.

Perhaps they didn't think it was her business. But she was worried about threats to Lucis, and through Lucis water pumps threats against the city itself. And Lucis business was her business. She was loyal. Saftey and quality were their motto and she wasn't going to just forget about potential trouble.

She looked around quickly in the small waiting room and saw that the walls were adorned with several paintings. These paintings are vivid in color and style, but all have one thing in common. They all feature a brightly adorned part of the body, for these are some of the examples of the work done. There was a small couch to sit on, and a small glass table. On one wall was covered by a large bookshelf, filled to the brim with books.

But there wasn't much time to just stand and gawk at the place. Instead she would announce in a straightforward and energetic tone of voice that she was there and ready to watch, greet the people involved in this session with a hearty gooday, and start to take off the katinu.

...

[Savos]

OOCAck, sorry for the late reply !


Savos wandered into the back to help Soraya with preparations. Clean towels, ample amounts of the dark black ink that would be used, and needles and hammers of various sizes. Savos suspected he might be able to go through the whole tattoo with only one of the needles seeing as it was so simple, but it was good to have the other ones around nonetheless.

He was conversing quietly with Soraya when they heard the front door open, and Savos promptly made his way over to greet whoever was there. Having expected to see Mr. Concino or the mystery woman to wander inside, he was immediately shocked to see someone else entirely.

Ornea, a woman he had met some nights previous, stood in the doorway, announcing her presence with the same confidence she had introduced herself to him with the first time meeting her. It took a few moments for him to realize that she was indeed the onlooker that Inecino had told him about, and only when Inecino offered to take her Katinu did he make the connection.

He had made a few acquaintances the night where he met her, and he honestly would not have even remembered her name if it weren't for the very memorable events that followed. He, along with Ornea and a group of Lhavitians, had been conned into sitting through a scam artist’s candle-making seminar. That speaker getting away with the candle-maker’s money rendered Savos furious at the very thought. He was disgusted by such a low and extravagant tactic to cheat someone out of their money.

What worried him even more, however, was how the woman had gone around asking people for weaknesses, as though it were part of some enlightenment process. In light of the events that followed, however, Savos had constantly speculated that the woman might have had even more motive to ask such questions. There were easier ways to steal from a shop, and if Savos knew one thing for certain, that woman was not an idiot. Melodramatic perhaps, but not stupid.

She had to have a reason for asking people those questions, perhaps as part of an ulterior motive. Savos had been particularly intrigued by how Ornea, among a few others, had given very pragmatic answers as opposed to the metaphorical mumbo-jumbo. The way Ornea had mentioned Lhavit’s water pumps worried him. What would that scam artist do with such information? As vague as the information was, she would probably do nothing. But Savos could not help but speculate.

His thoughts about the candle-making seminar fiasco caused his eyes to glaze over for a moment before he returned to his senses and remembered to greet Ornea properly.

”Hello Ornea,” he said, wondering if he should even mention their previous encounter.

”I’m not sure if you remember me,” he said quietly as he led her into the tattooing room. Inecino had left to go see if their client had returned.

”I was at that candle-making seminar, if I could even call it that now. We exchanged a few words.”

[Ornea]

When the tattoo artist came out to greet her Ornea gave him a once over, while he stopped in his tracks, looking surprised. Savos looked just like she remembered him from the “seminar” at Bright Lights. He wasn’t the only dark skinned person she had seen in Lhavit, but his colors wasn’t common either. His dark face and those thick, shoulder length locks of his hairstyle made him really easy to recognize. He had worn the same burgundy overshirt at the candle shop too. No doubt it was him. A strongly built man with dark skin and a deep voice with strange accent.

“Yes” she said. “You are right. We have met before, Savos. Now, I’m here in business on behalf of Lucis and Lucis, but I hope we can speak a bit about that seminar too, while I watch you work...I have wanted to meet you again. I would like to compare our impressions and memories from that evening, when we get time...”

The other man, Inecino, kept the professional air she remembered and had offered to take her katinu. Ornea gave him the garment and he put it up on a hook on the inner wall, behind a counter. Unlike Savos, Inecino was a living walking advertisement of his craft, generously decorated with tattoos. Ornea had found it a bit hard to not get distracted by the tattoos when she had been there the previous time as it was similar to opening a book and look at the illuminations.

Books...she hadn’t seen a book for a long time, except for the one her mother had given her on her birthday last year. The philosophy of transparency. Mereth had made some very nice picture there, and though tattoos were something totally else, and the style was very different, it was still pictures. How was it, she wondered to carry all those pictures on your skin.

He was an illustrated man, Inecino. But she saw no tattoos on Savos.

She would maybe ask him about this, but not even an Inarta would be blunt enough to start questioning an acquaintance she had only met one time before a lot of nosy questions about very personal things like tattoos. Personal? Yes, it seemed to her like tattoos was something really personal and unique. At least she figured it must be. She would wait and see if she would get opportunity to speak about Savos lack of visible tattoos while he worked, she supposed.

Ornea surprised herself by feeling more curious than she had expected, now when she was here and soon would get to see how they Ornea surprised herself by feeling more curious about the tattoos than she had expected, now when she was here and soon would get to see how they were crafted in practice. Art and crafting was always interesting to her, and the tattoos could be seen as both art and crafting at same time.

“Lucis are interested in the possibilitis with the tattoo technique” she told Inecino and Savos. ”We have ideas about how it could be used for marking our property. Or how something similar to tattooing could be invented for our ends. Well, this is a bit complicated, so I think it’s best to wait with the more detailed discussions. And I think it best to wait until I know more about tattooing too.”

Inecino smiled and said something polite and vague. Ornea guessed this meant he agreed with her. She took it for granted that if the man would have told her if he found the whole thought impossible and silly. In her own culture it was right to be outspoken and direct and it could annoy her when the soft-spoken people of Lhavit wasted time on saying things in a meek way. But the tattoo artists didn’t look meek. Surely they wouldn’t hesitate to tell her their opinions, she thought to herself.

“I’m feeling quite interested in this ...” she said honestly. “Well, what are we waiting for, where is the one who is going to be tattooed? Have you started already? I would like to see the whole procedure from beginning to end if you don’t mind. What kind of tattoo are you going to do ?”

She felt energetic and was eager to start.

...

[Savos]

He wondered why Ornea might want to discuss the events at the seminar. Yes, the ruse that was played out there was a disgusting act, and worth speaking about. But the way she phrased it seemed like she thought that Savos knew more about it than she did. He had sat at the same table, seen everything unfold exactly the way she did. What kind of questions could he answer for her, beyond sharing his resentment for that Mifune character? He said nothing of that, however, and merely agreed quietly that he would not mind speaking about the matter.

Savos had remembered Ornea speaking of Lucis and Lucis at the Candle-making seminar, and nodded in understanding when she described her business for being at Lazuli. Though he knew little to nothing of how her business operated, he had trouble wrapping his head around the idea that tattooing might help her in her work. The art was strictly tailored to the marking of living flesh, and she seemed to be looking for a use for it in crafting her materials at work.

“I'm glad that you're taking an interest,” he said. He chose his words carefully, not wanting to reveal too many doubts about her intended purposes.

“This art form has been tailored specifically to marking the human body, and this is the first time that I've heard of someone wanting to learn about it without the intention of marking themselves. I hope you'll get the information you need from your time here.”

He took one of the small chairs located in the room, and offered her a seat. He himself remained standing, knowing that he would have to sit on the floor when the client returned. Since the tattoo would be made on his calf, they would simple lie the man down to have the best vantage point in their work. Soraya quietly entered and placed some tubs of ink and a set of needles on the floor, and left just as quickly.

Ornea was as eager as ever, and sent a slew of questions Savos' way. He couldn't help but laugh in reply, remembering that the woman had had a similar attitude at Mifune's seminar. Upstart and forward, if not a little restless.

“A moment, he should be arriving shortly, ” and as though the gods had seem it fit to calm the Inarta woman's nerves, Mr. Concino came back through Lazuli's door. Inecino introduced the man to Ornea, and proceeded to ask the man to lie on his stomach near the inks and needles that Soraya had put down. There were a few small cushions there to make him more comfortable.

“We're going to draw two bands around Mr. Concino's leg. It's rather straightforward, so it won't take long compared to our more decorative commissions.” Savos took a used leather strap from around his wrist, and wrapped it around his hair to tie into a ponytail. He would rather not have his dreadlocks get in the way of his vision while he worked.

“I hope the sight of blood does not make you feel uncomfortable,” he said with a slight smirk. The comment was more of a joke than an actual concern, as he suspected that a working craftsman such as Ornea was unlikely to be irked by something so trivial.

He left the woman's side and took his place by Mr Concino, sitting on his knees near the calf that he planned to tattoo. He first took a small paintbrush that Soraya had placed near the needles and dipped into a tub of colored ink.

“This is a natural dye that we use for outlines before commencing the real tattoo, as a guide. It's made from flowers, and would not settle permanently if it were to mix with the tattooing process itself. The human body tends to flush out most to all pigments naturally, which is why colored tattoos are not possible.”

[Ornea]

Savos started to speak about tattooing and Ornea listened. “This art form has been tailored specifically to marking the human body, and this is the first time that I've heard of someone wanting to learn about it without the intention of marking themselves. I hope you'll get the information you need from your time here.”
Had he sounded a little bit sceptic? They were speaking in common, and his accent made it hard for her to be sure of the nuances. “Art tailored specifically to marking the human body” she repeated thoughtfully as she sat down on the chair Savos had offered here.

Savos had remained standing. The Inarta looked up at him as he laughed and said the customer would arrive shortly. Savos didn’t offer any explanations for his mirth, and there was no time to ask about it, because just like Savos had said, the customer, a Mr. Concino, arrived. Inecino introduced them. Ornea found it best to not say so much. A greeting and a thanks for being allowed to watch seemed enough.

A woman Ornea had seen briefly pass by in the tattoo shop a bit earlier entered and placed some tubs of ink and a set of needles on the floor, then left again. Ornea watched while Inecino proceeded to ask the man to lie on his stomach on a few small cushions on the floor, near the inks and needles.

Obviously the tattoo was going to be made on the mans calf and it seemed like it would be a relatively simple tattoo. Two bands around his leg? Well, it certainly sounded as uncomplicated as casting standard cogs and other small standard parts in standardized molds. As “more decorative commissions” were mentioned she felt a vague feeling of disappointment mixed with curiosity about what the more decorative commissions might be.

Just like Ornea herself used to do when she was working, Savos took a leather strap and tied his hair into a pony tail. A sign of being professional, as Ornea thought of it. Long hair needed to be kept out of what one was doing, in order to avoid trouble. She nodded appreciatively. Savos smirked slightly and said : “I hope the sight of blood does not make you feel uncomfortable”.

The question made her feel a little insulted, as she didn’t get that he was mostly joking. Quite bluntly she told him Inarta weren’t weaklings prone to swoon; and her people had seen more blood than he could even imagine. If the tattooing was going to be really splattery she would like to borrow an apron though, as she wouldn’t want to get her clothes ruined.

Mr. Concino moved nervously on the floor and said something about no need to go to extremes, he only wanted his two bands around the calf, and he wasn’t going to pay if something went wrong. Just so they knew !

Ornea watched as Savos took his place by Mr Concino, sitting on his knees near the calf that he planned to decorate. The dark skinned tattooer took a small paintbrush that had been placed near the needles and dipped into a tub of colored ink and started to tell Ornea more about it. “This is a natural dye that we use for outlines before commencing the real tattoo, as a guide. It's made from flowers, and would not settle permanently if it were to mix with the tattooing process itself. The human body tends to flush out most to all pigments naturally, which is why colored tattoos are not possible.”

“So no colored tattoos are possible?” Ornea hadn’t thought much about it until now, but she realized she had somehow imagined tattooing was similar to drawing and painting and the tattooer could make multicolored tattoos as well as monochrome ones. “Do you mean that this art is limited to working with natural dark ink only? Isn’t there any other colors that can be used? I had thought it was similar to painting, just on people’s skin instead of on canvas.”

She looked at Savos, searching him for tattoos again. She didn’t see any. But it seemed intrusive to ask about it, so she just shrugged and continued: “No colors? But what are your more decorative commissions about then? And I’m surprised to hear people only use to watch tattooing because they have already decided they want to be marked. I wonder what makes people want to be tattooed before they have even seen what it means in practice, with all the blood you are speaking about.”

Mr. Concino moved again and repeated his threats to not pay if they messed this up. He also told the Inarta that he had agreed to let her watch the session, but he wanted to make it very clear that he had so not agreed to her participating in the work.

Ornea found it silly of Mr Concino to even think of it. I would be unserious to try to suddenly do artwork in a craft she wasn’t skilled and knowledgeable in at all. It went without saying that she was only a spectator here. But as Mr. Conciono seemed to not understand this, she told him she was a metalsmith and not a tattoo artist. Her purpose for being there was only to study the tattooing in order to get input to development of new marking methods for gadgets, machines and cast metal items. She said this in a very hearty and straightforward way that was meant to be reassuring. Then she asked Mr. Concino what made him want to get two bands tattooed around his leg. "Why, if you don't mind telling me. What is the meaning of it?"

One bell later

One bell later, Savos had completed the tattoo. As Ornea's interested questions had upset Mr. Concino more and more, the tattoo artist had politely but firmly told her that he needed silence in order to be able to focus and do a good job. The Inarta respected this of course. It was always important to her to work and do a good job. So she had stopped speaking and spent the rest of the time watching silently. It had been fascinating to see Savos draw the pattern and then use the tattoo tools to put the pigment into the skin of the customer. It was hard to know if it had been painful or not, as Mr. Concino hadn't revealed anything. Nor had he told Ornea and Savos what the meaning of the tattoo was. As soon as it was done, he had paid and left in a hurry.

After this Ornea and Savos had spoken a bit. She had kept her thoughts about new uses for tattoo art to herself. She and would content herself with just reporting to Edward Lucis next time they would speak at work. Instead she had spent the short remaining time with Savos trying to figure out what he had seen at Bright Lights the evening of the robbery. For reasons, Ornea wasn't keen on saying too much about her own observations. And as it turned out Savos didn't offer any new information about the things she was particularly intersted in. All in all, it was a quite confusing and odd little conversation they had. Then next customer arrived and Savos had to go on to next job. Ornea wasn't sure, but she was under the impression the tattooer was relieved to get to work without being watched this time.

And so she left Lazuli Ink, knowing a little bit more about tattooing, more exactly she exactly how the tattoo of two patterned bands around the calf of a man named Mr. Concino looked. She had watched it being worked at for a bell after all, and it would have been weird if she hadn't memorized it. If she ever saw it again she would definitely recognize it. Though it wasn't so likely that she would meet Mr. Concino in a situation where the bands would be visible, she thought to herself. But, you never know.

Her chat with Savos hadn't given her any new clues about the robbery, bar an unpleasant feeling of distrust in herself and some of her own observations. Maybe her overgiving injured mind had been kidding her. Maybe she hadn't really seen the robbers face wobble and melt like a mirror image on a rippling water surface?

Then again, maybe she had.

She wasn't sure which option was the most disturbing.

OOCDue to real life pressure we needed to wrap this a bit earlier than planned. Savos and I agreed in PM that I could make an end and hand it in.

...

[Brandon Blackwing]

ORNEA

XP:

• Observation +3
• Interrogation +2
• Socialization +2
• Intimidation +1

Lore:

• Lhavit: Lazuli Ink
• Contemplating the usage of tattoos to tag materials and transportation units
• Tattoos are personal and unique
• Mr. Concino and his double band tattoo
• Tattooing: Tailored for human skin
• Tattooing: Colors are flushed out the body rather swiftly
• Making Mr. Concino nervous

SAVOS

XP:

• Mountaineering +1
• Socialization +3
• Teaching +1
• Observation +3

Lore:

• Tattooing: The preparations
• Ornea: Wants to learn a bit about tattooing
• Doubts concerning the use of tattooing in regards to Ornea's plans
• Mr. Concino's double band tattoo
• Ornea's questions make clients uncomfortable

Notes:
Savos, due to you never actually having done the tattooing -except in Ornea's post, but that doesn't count- I couldn't award you any tattooing xp, sorry

The thread itself then. I enjoyed it, yet it could have been so much more of course. I was really getting absorbed in the scene that I barely noticed I'd reached the end already. A shame *Sigh* Well, IRL matters complicate a lot of things, so it's understandable of course Good luck with whatever it is that life has sent your way, Savos!

Please remove or edit your post in the request thread.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding your grade, please do not hesitate to send me a PM.

credit goes to Adelaide Sitai