#⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝐟𝐭.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ∶⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ andi⠀ &⠀ regina⠀.

[forelsk3t]

               ‘     ✽     she  would  be  lying  blatantly  if  she  said  a  woman  like  regina  didn’t  make  her  nervous  ,  it  was  her  presence  ,  the  way  she  carried  herself  ,  her  beauty  ,  and  everything  else  about  her  that  made  andromeda’s  mouth  go  dry  and  her  palms  sweaty  .  yet  she  was  a  professional  above  all  ,  not  a  thirteen-year-old  with  a  crush  ,  so  she  kept  her  composure  ,  even  when  the  woman  shamelessly  flirted  with  her  she  was  able  to  keep  the  color  on  her  cheeks  at  bay  ,  her  gaze  stable  ,  and  her  tone  low  and  firm  when  she  hummed  and  gave  her  a  small  ,  knowing  smirk  .     "  you  shouldn’t—care  about  what  other’s  think  ,  i  mean  .  so  …  m’glad  you  don’t  .  especially  because  a  piece  like  this  one  can’t  be  carried  by  someone  who  shies  away  from  things  .  "     and  form  some  reason  ,  she  had  the  certainty  regina  wasn’t  one  of  them    —    she  was  self  confident  and  knew  what  she  wanted  ,  andromeda  knew  this  the  moment  they  started  discussing  the  design  she  will  eventually  get  on  her  body  .  that  was  the  first  thing  pulled  her  towards  the  vampire  .                  at  regina’s  comment  ,  a  low  ,  short  laugh  falls  from  andi’s  lips  .     "  well  ,  a  lot  of  people  come  here  trying  to  get  a  tattoo  while  drunk  ,  but   . . .   i  ,  personally  ,  don’t  work  on  them  .  my  ethics  are  better  and  higher  than  that  .  "     she  did  it  a  few  times  ,  when  she  was  just  starting  ,  when  her  clients  were  always  drunk  sailors  and  herself  ,  but  once  she  got  firm  on  her  feet  about  it  ,  when  she  started  working  better  ,  rules  were  also  set  and  they  have  been  unmoving  since  then  .  even  the  sailors  who  keep  tattooing  themselves  with  her  these  days  know  they  have  to  sober  up  if  they  want  one  of  her  pieces  .  then  ,  at  the  woman’s  question  ,  at  how  comfortable  she  seemed  with  the  idea  of  getting  naked  ,  andromeda  licked  her  lips  slowly  ,  yet  her  head  shook  negatively  at  the  end  .     "  no  ,  then  you  come  back  here  ,  show  me  your  back  so  i  can  put  the  stencil  there  and  we  can  decide  if  you  like  the  place  ,  the  position  ,  and  how  it  looks  overall  .  then   . . .   well  ,  then  you  can  lie  on  the  table  for  me  .  "     she  knew  the  last  part  was  unnecessary  ,  but  she  couldn’t  fucking  help  it  ,  regina  was  simply  delicious  and  she  was  right  there  ,  willing  and  exquisite  ,  and  andromeda  zwart  was  ,  after  all  ,  part  human  .

REGINA DOESN'T TAKE THE idea of permanence lightly. that, and her distinct belief that her body is a temple made her a very picky customer. and she most certainly wasn't the only one -- a select group had the ability to corroborate. however, she had always found herself admiring all artists. visual, physical.. and tattoos certainly fell into that category. it took a gentle hand, precision, and a fuckton of patience that even regina could admit she most certainly didn't have. she is not usually a cordial woman -- instead one who distinctly intimidates, however, she's a gentlewoman first. raised in traditional mannerisms. while she was sure the other artists were more than capable -- in her extensive research, none of them had resonated with her quite like andi. it certainly didn't hurt that regina was a sucker for a beautiful woman. a gifted woman at that.

the lilt in her voice most certainly doesn't go unnoticed. in fact, it causes regina's catlike reflexes to come to life after feeling dormant for days now. they had just met in person for the first time and already, they were speaking an unspoken language. " oh -- i most certainly have no doubt. but by all means, i'll be happy to watch you prove it. " if there's anything the nearly two-hundred year old vampire will do, it's match energy. her gaze does not move as she speaks, engaged in her usual subconscious play for dominance of the conversation. could her words be taken as an innuendo? absolutely. frankly, she's well aware that she's a shameless flirt -- but knows most certainly when to back down. " it's gorgeous... truly. i know some call back pieces flashy, but i've never been one to shy away from attention. nor give a fuck about opinions from strangers. " the woman sighs as she continues to listen, appalled by the natures of others. while she's well aware everyone's lives are their own lives -- she can't help but wonder if they'll regret it down the line. " as long as it's something with some sense -- i'm sure some of them have occurred under the influence, at least one could get a laugh at the memory. " her smile grows further at the mention of her need to disrobe. she had always felt comfortable in her body -- thus that was never an issue. in fact, there were times when she believed clothing was restrictive. " perfect... not a problem. and then i just... lie down on the table? "

[forelsk3t]

               ‘   ✽  there  are  very  few  things  andromeda  zwart  takes  seriously  in  this  life    —    the  ocean  is  one  of  them,    of  course,    she  respects  it  even  more  than  she  respects  the  memory  of  her  father  (  the  seas  have  a  mind  and  a  soul  of  their  own,    they  are  stubborn,    they  don’t  forget  nor  forgive,    don’t  ever  underestimate  them,    my  love  ).    the  few  friends  she  has  are  another,    she  takes  care  of  them  like  a  jeweler  takes  care  of  their  gems.    yet  it’s  her  job,    her  status  as  a  tattoo  artist,    the  one  she  treasures  the  most,    the  one  she  protects  as  fiercely  as  a  puma  protects  her  cubs    —    she  has  worked  too  hard  for  it  to  lose  it,    had  carried  it  proudly  for  too  long  to  mar  it  because  of  a  slip.    thus  she  puts  effort  into  having  everything  in  order,    every  section  of  her  workplace  impeccable,    ready  for  regina.                  "  you  are  in  very  good  hands  indeed,    regina,  "     even  though  it’s  not  her  intention,    the  name  falls  from  andi’s  lips  honeyed  and  low,    alluring.    she’s  always  been  easy  in  the  face  of  attractive  women,    and  the  confidence  and  garbo  with  which  regina  exists  beckons  her  like  a  moth  to  a  flame.    at  the  compliment,    the  blush  that  taints  her  cheeks  is  unavoidable.    she  tilts  her  head  down  for  a  moment,    and  when  she  lifts  it,    is  to  offer  regina  a  pleased  smile.     "  thank  you,    i  had  a  lot  of  fun  working  on  it.  "     she  moves  then  to  create  the  stencil,    now  that  she  has  her  client  approval,    and  a  low,    short  laugh  vibrates  from  her  throat  at  regina’s  question.     "  more  common  than  you  think,  "     andromeda  replies,    focusing  intently  on  her  task.     "  some  people  come  here  without  a  design  in  mind,    even,    they  just   . . .   enter,    ask  for  a  pre - designed  illustration  and  just  get  it.  "     those  are  her  favorite  kind  of  clients,    the  impulsive  ones,    the  darings.    as  she  finishes  printing  the  stencil,    she  looks  at  the  woman  once  again.     "  okay,    i  need  you  to  uncover  your  back,    you  can  use  the  divider  over  there,    i,    uhm,    left  a  rob  that  will  cover  your  front  and  leave  your  back  exposed  so  i  can  work  without  issues.  "     she  offers,    falling  in  full  professional  mode,    the  comfort  of  her  clients  always  her  priority.  

REGINA MADE EVERY EFFORT to convince herself that she wasn't effected by the looming doom over the town that was considered to be a sanctuary. she was stronger than anything the universe could throw her way -- wasn't she? her vampirism had always protected her. offered her a feeling of invincibility that many had deemed cocky. not like she cared, when more often than not -- any pressure applied to her existence only brought the true fight out of her. was the tattoo a distraction? perhaps somewhat so. the piece, although planned, was something she considered investing in down the line.

while regina had never seen the woman in person, andie's work had certainly spoken for itself. as anticipated with a woman of her status, it was no secret that she was as much of a perfectionist as they come. wasn't she well within her right to be, after all? considering the piece she was getting would be imprinted on her body for the rest of her life -- even if she could afford potential removal a thousand times over. " ah, a pleasure. regina. " she introduces herself, despite being well aware that her name is buried within the woman's books. today regina was starting the process of a back piece. although she had a handful of small, visible etchings on her arms -- she adored the allure of a piece you had to work to see. thus, a divine serpent wrapped around her left thigh -- something she could willingly expose. something she knew only added to the allure she had worked so tirelessly to curate. " i trust i'm in very good hands. " the woman hums. although she doesn't often have to think about her demeanor these days -- she enjoys the most consistant comparison she's recieved over the years. she's like a cat, waiting to pounce. and yet, she's simply reaching out to admire the design. " just as i expected. it's stunning... your attention to detail is magnificent. " while she knows she doesn't have to be reminded -- she's well aware that many get tattoos on a whim. " is it really that common... a client getting such a large piece on a whim? "

[forelsk3t]

               despite  the  storm  that  flooded  portum  and  the  fog  that  still  covered  it  ,  andromeda  could  safely  say  that  her  clientele  hadn’t  diminished;  on  the  contrary  ,  it  seemed  people  needed  a  distraction  ,  a  bit  of  pain  ,  and  a  good  conversation  to  distract  her  mind  ,  which  translated  into  a  fully  booked  agenda  that  had  her  and  the  rest  of  her  employees  working  non - stop  .                seated  behind  the  counter  ,  nose  deep  into  her  book  of  the  month  ,  her  head  raised  when  the  chatter  around  her  stopped  and  a  gorgeous  ,  confident  ,  cold  woman  entered  the  shop  and  approached  her  .  andromeda  lifted  her  eyebrows  ,  stood  up  ,  book  forgotten  on  the  closest  surface  ,  and  smirked  mildly  at  the  beauty  that  would  own  her  attention  for  the  next  hour  .     "  that’s  me  ,  yes  ,  "     her  smirk  turned  into  a  gentle  ,  practiced  smile  ,  professionalism  hitting  at  once  .     "  please  ,  follow  me  this  way  .  "     she  walked  to  the  back  of  the  shop  where  everything  was  prepared  ,  precise  and  immaculate  ,  including  regina’s  design  that  she  extended  to  her  with  delicacy  .     "  please  ,  look  at  it  and  let  me  know  if  you’d  like  to  change  anything  ,  remember  this  is  a  forever  thing  ,  and  what  you  get  should  be  something  you’re  comfortable  with  and  sure  of  .  "     it  was  the  same  small  discourse  she  gave  to  all  her  clients  ,  but  one  she  considered  relevant  .  she  didn’t  mind  changing  things  ,  changing  places  ,  moving  stencils  over  and  over  again  as  long  as  it  meant  she  would  have  a  satisfied  client  at  the  end  of  the  session  .  she  wanted  regina  to  be  the  same  .  she  especially  wanted  regina  to  be  the  same  .

@forelsk3t

LOCATION: neon ink. FOR: andi zwart.

WHILE REGINA MAY NOT have many tattoos — she had developed quite the fascination with them since she was forced to adjust to yet another century. her body was art, wasn’t it? a select group of men and women had been given the chance to admire it, and that had been the most consistent feedback. what would be the harm in adorning it? with sunglasses that mimicked a cat’s-eye perched on the bridge of her nose and her usual determined strut, she adjusts the designer bag on her arm as she makes her way to the counter. of course, she can’t help but notice the way the chatter subsided as she entered. just how she liked it. effortless intimidation, all thanks to years of perfectly practiced confidence.

her sunglasses are removed with a flourish, revealing eyes as cold as ice -- before they're replaced by her usual borderline wicked smirk. " andromeda, is it? " a hand comes to rest against the countertop, maneuvering with the grace of a dancer. " i believe i'm your eleven o'clock. " after a moment's pause, she adjusts the bag on her arm. she had spent a significant amount of time analyzing who would best fit her standards. considering art like this would be permanently on her body, it made sense that she would have high standards.