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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 3, 2009 12:05:09 GMT -5
First week of autumn, Year One of Queen Sabrina's reign
I had finally healed to the point that I knew it would be safe for a visit to the marquist. I knew my marque was a mess from the scars left from Kushiel's priests and the infection that followed. Hell, the ink had needed touching up even before the whole incident. So I had made an appointment with Darien Kachine, as the marquist that had originally done my back had retired.
Five minutes before my appointment, I opened the door to Darien's salon and closed it softly behind me.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 3, 2009 12:23:33 GMT -5
Life seemed to be settling into its normal rhythms again and I was grateful after all the upheaval of late.
I was just finishing preparing for my next appointment when the bell over the door chimed softly. Stepping out into the front room I smiled.
“Hello,” I said. “Perfect timing.”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 3, 2009 13:03:56 GMT -5
We had met briefly the other day when I had made my appointment, and Darien looked exactly the same down to the colours he was wearing. I smiled at his greeting. "Wonderful," I said, moving away from the door. "I wouldn't have wanted to rush you on another customer."
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 3, 2009 22:25:15 GMT -5
“Oh no, not at all,” I said, smiling. “I leave plenty of time between appointments so I have time to clean up and prepare my instruments.” I held the curtain aside and motioned to the back of the shop. “If you’re ready…”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 4, 2009 18:57:38 GMT -5
"Of course," I replied with an easy smile, moving through the door frame and past him. He was a good looking man, and in my days as a Servant I would have shown interest. Of course, that was before I had a gorgeous firecracker that I called my own waiting for me at home. I stripped off my shirt, and then made myself comfortable on the table laid out for me. It wasn't quite long enough, but they never were. I watched his face out of the corner of my eye, wanting to see his reaction. Wanting to see if he could fix it.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 4, 2009 20:20:36 GMT -5
I followed him into the backroom. I could tell by his familiarity with procedure he’d been to the marquist many many times. I knew his marque was complete and that this was repair work, but Valerians tended to have a higher number of marquists visits and it always showed, hazard of their lives.
While he settled in I gave my instruments one last glance then turned around to assess the damage. What I saw stopped me in my tracks.
“Merciful gods,” I exclaimed softly.
Somehow I managed to step closer. “This isn’t all from a lash,” I said, partly in question as I ran my fingers over his back.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 5, 2009 1:07:04 GMT -5
My heart sunk at his expression. I tried not to be vain about my appearance, but every adept took pride in their marque, and it was like a punch in the gut to think it ruined. "No, it needed touching up before... before that particular incident. I was told you were good, Monsieur Kachine, but please be honest if this is beyond your skill," I said, refusing to flinch away from my words.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 5, 2009 13:05:40 GMT -5
My fingers moved over the marks, looking at the way the skin had healed.
“Was there infection?” I asked, noting the texture of his flesh.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 5, 2009 13:15:50 GMT -5
He didn't respond to my request, and I closed my eyes, knowing the worst was coming. "Yes, it infected quite badly. I was in bed for several days," I replied, feeling the way his fingers moved from my flesh to my unfeeling scar tissue and back again.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 5, 2009 13:34:19 GMT -5
I spent another moment studying the damage before straightening up. I moved to the front of the table and pulled up a chair, taking a seat so that I was on eye-level with him.
“I can fix it,” I told him, my voice even. “But it is going to hurt…a lot. Far more than anything you’ve experienced with marquing before. The needles I will need to use to ink the scars are vicious. You may not feel anything now where the scars are, but I will need to drive the ink down to the flesh beneath, and that you will feel. Also, the areas with the scars, they will need to be repaired more frequently than normal and each time will be that painful.” I paused for a moment to let this all sink in. “I can do that and repair your marque to its original state, or I can make adjustments to it and marque only unscarred skin. Your marque was completed already so that’s not an issue, but if I do the unscarred skin what you will have will not be a Valerian marque.”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 5, 2009 18:56:02 GMT -5
From the moment he said that he could fix it, relief filled me, not eclipsed by the news of the consequences if I chose for him to do so. There was no question in my mind what I had to do. Valerian had given me a home when my own parents had cast me out, and taught me that what I desired wasn't monstrous.
"I will be a Valerian until the day I die," I said, my voice soft. "Ink the scars, I'll deal with the pain."
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 5, 2009 19:24:40 GMT -5
“Somehow I had a feeling you’d say that,” I said, chuckling softly and smiling. I squeezed his arm and then stood, pushing the chair aside.
“Do you want to do this in stages or all at once?” I asked as I got out the other set of needles I would need.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 6, 2009 15:25:14 GMT -5
"If we could get it all done today, that would be preferred," I replied, shifting slightly to get comfortable. "But you're the artist."
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 6, 2009 19:17:48 GMT -5
“We can do it all today,” I said, pulling out a contract and filling in all the relevant information. Then I brought it over to him with a quill, offering both to him to sign.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 6, 2009 20:59:17 GMT -5
"Wonderful," I replied, scanning the contract and then marking it with my scrawling signature when I saw nothing out of the ordinary.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 6, 2009 22:51:26 GMT -5
I signed the contract as well and then set it aside. Turning my attention to his back again, I spread my fingers and ran my hands over his back, feeling all of his skin, not just the damaged areas and smoothing it as I passed.
“Comfortable?” I asked him. “You’re going to be in one position for a long time.”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 7, 2009 1:01:43 GMT -5
I chuckled. "I am far more comfortable than other positions I've endured," I replied wryly, settling myself back down as his fingers smoothed over my skin.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 7, 2009 11:35:34 GMT -5
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his comment. “I suppose that’s true,” I said with a smile. I studied his back one more time, planning out my actions. I wondered if it was a patron who had done this to him. It was some of the worst damage to a marque I’d ever seen. I could fix it though, I hadn’t lied to him.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 7, 2009 15:28:00 GMT -5
I enjoyed these few quiet moments before the needles came out, relaxed for the first time in weeks with the knowledge that he could fix me. The pain I would handle, one way or another.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 7, 2009 18:42:28 GMT -5
“I’m going to start with the standard repairs,” I told him as I mixed the inks. “Do you bleed easily?”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 7, 2009 19:49:00 GMT -5
"No one has made any comment to that effect," I replied, watching him work from my prone position.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 7, 2009 20:11:21 GMT -5
“Good, good,” I said, nodding mostly to myself. Moving the things I would need now next to the table, I took a deep breath. “Ready?”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 7, 2009 22:38:49 GMT -5
"Yes," I replied simply, noting how he drew in a deep breath like he was about to plunge into a lake. Not the most comforting thought.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 7, 2009 23:49:12 GMT -5
Slowly I let the breath out, letting the calmness fill me. It would keep my hands steady.
Then I brought the needles to his back and the tapper down, driving the first burst of ink into his flesh.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 7, 2009 23:54:15 GMT -5
It hurt, it always did, but this was the familiar pain of marquing as he inked the lower pieces of my back that weren't scarred. I forced myself to relax as I always did, keeping my breathing steady and normal beneath the taps of the needles. My eyes drifted closed, and I let myself clear my mind of my worries.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 8, 2009 0:03:38 GMT -5
Quickly and easily I fell into a rhythm, needles moving smoothly over his skin. He reacted the way I wished every adept would if I could have a choice. His breathing was even and he held still.
This repair work went quickly, or at least it seemed that way. My back told a little different story as it threatened to cramp when I straightened up.
“Done with this part,” I said softly.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 8, 2009 0:11:01 GMT -5
Repair work always took longer because of its finicky nature, but he worked quickly and my lower back was done soon enough. When he straightened, I knew it was time for my shoulder area. "Alright," I replied. I shifted slightly on the table, but not far, pieces of my lower back holding a low grade buzz of pain. Soon enough it would be forgotten when he inked my upper back with the heavy needles.
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 8, 2009 0:12:57 GMT -5
“Would you like a drink of water before we continue?” I asked. “I can get you one without you having to move.”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 8, 2009 0:20:44 GMT -5
"That would be... Actually no," I said, rethinking the idea mid-sentence. "Perhaps I should wait on that until I see how the heavier needles affect me."
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Post by Darien Kachine on Jun 8, 2009 0:24:14 GMT -5
“Alright,” I said, not questioning his choice, it was his.
I moved around my tools, preparing for the next part. “Ready?” I asked him again.
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