[Bat] Nice Tats. (Tethys/Stymphalian)

[Auric Halcyon]

Humans are small minded, Dustin reflected from his luxury seat in the back of the small shop; Glowing Skyn. It was a new building he'd added a few chairs and old props to, printed off some posters and painted with some chump change. The store was advertising 60% off the latest craze in body art; glowing tattoos and piercings. They glowed with a faint green or blue light (the colour was set by the mystery ink) and never faded. There was, of course, no other shop that could hope to boast this because well... it was magical demons that gave the tattoos this property.

He'd stumbled on the idea when he'd seen a woman waiting tables with fresh ink on her skin. Now, he knew nothing about the culture or the attraction of tattoos; but it was a good trap to gather energy with. And finding small, weak youma who really only had one power- glowing and draining energy like leeches. An hour or two and you wouldn't notice it. But three or four days later and his customer base would be comatose zombies; leeched of all their energy from youma they'd implanted in their own skin. Oh, it was good to be inventive about the demise of others.

Dustin swallowed his scotch and glanced at the paper on his desk- the Starlight Academy school newsletter; talking about some star student that had collapsed. The kid had gotten his tattoo done that morning; probably high-stress had released too much energy and the little leech youma had gone into a feeding frenzy. The acolyte chuckled to himself, shaking his head. What was too good to be true, usually was- kids had to learn somehow.

The front of the shop had the rather maudlin looking zombiefied attendant carefully drawing a new set of lines on a repeat-customer. Both looking rather sallow and pale, held under Dustin's control like puppets. They could talk and seemed awake and it wasn't like they were dead; just... well... catatonic.

It was the middle of the afternoon, and soon they'd get gawkers and traffic coming through. So far he'd made a little bit of pocket money from the endeavour; although he really hoped for the energy benefits more.  

[Thaliawen]

Tethy knew nothing of tattoos, but was learning, quickly, that they didn't glow. The report had reminded him of energy drain (something he unfortunately was familar with). Once he learned where the kid had gotten his tattoo, he made his way there. He read the sign on the shop. Sixty percent off on the latest craze? Glowing body art? Huh.

He opened the door. "Anyone here?" He asked. He hoped Ametrine wasn't hosting this party: he'd seen enough of that guy to last him a life time. He stared at the people in the front of the shop, hesitating. These people seemed awake, and aware, but something was wrong... Something didn't feel right.

"Hello," he greeted them.  

[Auric Halcyon]

The shop attendant turned slowly, looking at the strangely dressed kid that had wandered in. If she thought anything of anything, it wasn't reflected in her gaze.

"Please come in. Today's special is flowers; buy a flower tattoo for 60% off. Would you like to take a seat or browse the catalogue?"

Her voice was a flat, unemotional monotone; although if Tethys was paying attention he might notice that while she had stopped inking the customer; the tattoo was still drawing itself. Like tiny little worms wiggling under the man's skin.

Dustin, meanwhile, was checking his phone and playing some stocks; he didn't have a care for another customer in the shop; that's what zombies were for.  

[Thaliawen]

"Oh no, I haven't any money," This was true. Tethy was usually broke, and what he did have, he spent on food and his boyfriend. "But I is,up pose I'll look." He noticed the man's tattoo, hesitated, and then said, "...Nevermind. I'm not interested. Definitely not interested."

Any time now, acolytes... he thought, glancing around the tattoo shop. Who was running this creepy place, anyway? He stared at the attendant, shaking his head. "Do you have pasdion flowers in your catalogue?" H asked, before he could stop himself. Miniata was the sprite of passion flowers, wasn't he?  

[Auric Halcyon]

The zombie looked at Tethys for a long while, clearly the gears in her head were a little slow, trying to compute 'no money' and her mission statement. Finally she moved and opened a large, thick binder full of designs.

"We have a lot of flowers. Please pick one you like. I will ask the manager if you have won the daily free tattoo prize." She pointed at one of the posters that said 'walk in and you might win a free tattoo!' Again, not even vaguely normal for a tattoo shop considering how much the inks normally cost- the prices were the sort of low cost one might associate with a cheap three-day wash out tattoo; definitely not reflecting the price of amazing cutting-edge technology ink that never washed out.

Meanwhile the customer stood up and walked into the backroom where Dustin was lazing about. "Has the new customer won the free tattoo, great lord?"


Dustin glanced up from his phone, blinking at his minion. Right, customers. "They can't pay, I take it?"

The zombie gave him a blank, mindless expression and Dustin stood with a sigh. The trouble with mindless catatonic drones... was... well... obvious. he stepped out of the backroom, his hakama and haori glittering and glowing with the same type of magic that the youma glowed with. Running a hand through his hair with an annoyed air before he plastered a smile on his face directed at Tethys. "Congratulations, you've won the daily prize; your ink will be-- ********> That outfit; he'd seen this guy before, in the park a few weeks ago.

This was the water-bondage guy if Dustin remembered. An annoyed growl fell from the Seed's lips and he pointed at the Senshi. "take care of him!"

The zombified civilians launched themselves at the Senshi.  

[Thaliawen]

That didn't answer his question, but Tethy took the binder full of flower designs and politely flipped through it. Free tattoo? With the high price of inks these days, Tethy didn't think that was right. While he knew very little about tattoos, he knew they were expensive.

Right. Too good to be true? Check. Creepy glowy, probably energy draining objects? Check. Creepy axe guy--

Wait. That was the axe guy! s**t! Tethy remembered him! He was the one who d drained him of energy at the park. He quickly summoned his whips and wrapped them around the civillians. He didn't want them hurt. "Using innocents to do your dirty work, eh? You disgust me."  

[Auric Halcyon]

The Seed shrugged his shoulders in a noncommital gesture, he couldn't well expect a senshi to understand that these people were non-entities now that he was an all powerful being, could he? Of course, the Stymphalian could hardly resist it.

"Innocent? Pfah. So like a senshi- you think anyone in this city is really innocent? What about you- I saw what was in that gateway in the park- you going to say that all those guardians were guilty of some crime or locked up accidentally? These people had no purpose in their lives until I came along and gave them the power to serve a higher being." His thumb jabbed at his own chest, indicating exactly who that higher being was. "You want to talk about innocents, lets talk about crime and the terrible things humans were already doing to each other before I came along."

He waved his hand through the air, summoning his axe. It's weight had a way of surprising him when he did this, and today was no exception. He really needed to work on more heavy lifting soon; building the strength to carry it with more ease. "You want to get on a soap box, how about you tell me what you're doing to stop The War from breaking out again, huh? Cause from where I'm standing the senshi are renigging on the goddamn treaty. Breaking the slumber- you guys did it, didn't you?"
His memory of the wars from before were hazy at best, but he'd invested a little time to know what had been the norm.  

[Thaliawen]

"I didn't lock them up," Tethy snapped, "but no, I don't believe they did anything wrong." Besides try and bite him, but that might have been just Rhys' ferret, Davian. "Pointless?" He echoed, disgusted. ""It's lowlifes like you who take a person's purpose from them!" He flicked a third whip towards Dust in, scowling. "Higher being my a**. You're a weakling who hides behind others! Hiding behind lesser beings! Come on out and play, baby! Or are you too afraid?"

Apparently not, as Dustin summoned his axe. Tethy remembered it well, and it showed. The senshi stiffened, going slightly pale. He took a step back. "I don't know what you're talking about. But I didn't do that."  

[Auric Halcyon]

The Stymphalian chuckled as he saw the effect his weapon had on the other. He liked making an impression. He growled as the other threw a whip at him; barely ducking out of the way of the water and glaring. Here he was, being important, and the Senshi wanted to interrupt his clever speech. No manners.

"So, you're a senshi of whips or something? Pfft. Now that says a lot about sexual repression." He hadn't really been in the mood for a fight with someone in his brand new shop, and he grumbled slightly as he smacked into the seat and knocked some of the vials of ink over; the tiny youma inside dying. Well they weren't exactly strong, were they?

Against someone like this, he probably needed more room to manuever, but that was an advantage for Tethys too, wasn't it? Those whips would be free to move around and ensnare him; so he would have to play to both their disadvantages here.

He took a slightly shorter grip on his weapon, instead of the reach, he'd have to sacrifice for accuracy.  

[Thaliawen]

"Senshi of the ocean," Tethy ground out between clenched teeth. He sent another one towards the acolyte. "Shut up and don't talk about things you don't understand," He tried to wrap a whip around the guys weapon arm. He didn't want to be attacked by that thing again. He remembered what it could do all roo well.

"Draining people of their energy is cheating,'" he complained.