Creative Influences Amidst Blank Slates [Kousetsu/Closed]

The streets of Tokyo were busy, as they always were it seemed. Kousetsu had only been in the world of the living for a few days, and was still getting used to the modern life of which humans lived. Kionchi, whom was now her teacher, sent her off on a task to find small orbs that had apparently been filled with the Shinigami’s reiatsu in varying amounts. It was a test to gauge how much of her powers she had control of.

At first the test didn’t seem so daunting, but she was quickly proved wrong as she walked throughout the large and strange city. She knew Kionchi was somewhere nearby, watching her progression, or there lack of. Even Kousetsu could sense that large of spiritual pressure.

She found herself strolling precariously down a line various stores and booths. Kousetsu began eyeing an area around a bench surrounded by beautiful flowers of all types. It didn’t seem as if it was too crowded around there, so she wouldn’t feel dumb looking around for these objects. She wasn’t even sure exactly how large they were to begin with. Kousetsu made her way over to the bench and began looking around hit thoroughly.

Where the hell is it? It’s faint, but I can feel it.

She rummaged through a small bit of shrubbery impatiently. Just as she was about to give up, her hand brushed over a small marble-sized sphere, her face lit up in joy as she yanked it from the brush. The sphere was nothing special, just a tiny ball that obviously held some sort of energy inside. What was Kionchi thinking though, what if a small child had made off with the object and disappeared? Then Kousetsu would have no possible way of finding it! No matter, she pocketed the marble and got up from her crouched position, looking around once more. She had no idea how she was going to find any more, the one she found just now was by pure luck and being in the same general vicinity.

As she looked around, the store in front of the bench caught her eye. It might have looked like any other storefront, except for the intricate designs and pictures on the front set it way apart from the others. She walked up to the glass curiously, looking into the building and peering around thoroughly.

There were a few reclining chairs in the space that were occupied by people laying in them. What was weird to Kousetsu was what seemed to be workers hunched over the laying bodies, seemingly piercing writing utensils of some sort into the client's’ skin. She only deduced them as clients because they were obviously lying there willingly letting them mark away at their flesh. It was an odd spectacle to say the least, though a faintly familiar of some sort.

Standing there glued to the window and transfixed by the on-goings inside, Kousetsu could almost feel her tail flick curiously even through her gigai.

---

500/500

As the petite woman walked past the stranger, she felt a small tingle go up her back, stopping at the base of her skull. Shion looked back at Kousetsu, if only briefly, with wary eyes. Why did she feel like there was something so… off about the unfamiliar woman?

Shion shrugged her shoulders at the concept, simply blaming it on the strange feeling using Irezumi caused her on occasion. It was a force against Gods themselves, changing life in such ways. Such unnatural ways. It wasn’t like Shion cared of the Gods so much as the unnatural sensation of knowing all she needed to do was scribble a tattoo on someone and she’d be able to turn it into a beautiful outline of a grand tattoo. It took the fun out of her career.

That’s why she limited it to using it to correct errors. Sadly, she couldn’t use it to correct errors, like the buff man who couldn’t stand still. If only women swallowed at the right time. The tattoo artist sat down at a bench across from her workplace, taking a small cigarette, hardly a few puffs, from her breast pocket, with a small box of matches following its withdrawal.

“Lady? If you want a better look, you’d do well going into the place. The outside view doesn’t do any of our art justice,” she remarked to Kousetsu, striking the match on the box and lighting her cigarette briefly.

[241]

Kousetsu spun frantically as she heard the voice. Her eyes met a girl who was mindlessly puffing on a cigarette. No one had ever spoken to her up until now, so it came to be quite a surprise. She almost didn’t know what to say until words began to spill from her mouth.

“What? No… I was just curious…” She started, looking around nervously. Her mind drifted slowly back to her task. “Do you happen to know where a map of the city is located?...I need to find a place.” It should have been enough to get her out of the situation quickly. Kousetsu wasn’t too sure how she should have handled herself around humans, so she figured she would just leave as soon as possible.

It was already enough that the city was foreign to her, but the fact that she didn’t know anyone here besides Kionchi - despite him being somewhere close by - was daunting. Kousetsu was hoping to get her task done quickly, and that meant that she could have no distractions. Though, it couldn’t possibly hurt to have a bit of fun here and there, as long as it was sparing. She just didn’t know where she could possibly have any sort of “fun”.

---

208/708

The artist looked at Kousetsu curiously, taking a quick drag from her cigarette. Who was this girl?

“If you’re curious, you can always go in. It’s easier to window shop for tattoos when you can see the artists at work. You get a feel for what and who you want,” she commented, turning her head to the side to let out the smoke that had slowly slipped out of her lips. Shion put the cigarette out on the ground, stubbing the little remains of it out and putting it back behind her ear.

“Come on in anyway. I think someone in here has a phone that can pull up a map for you.” Shion stood up and walked past the arrancar, casting a gaze at her once again out of her peripheral for just a moment, waving her hand behind her. “Come on in, we don’t bite. We just tattoo.”

[149]

Tattoo? The word was foreign to her, she couldn't muster up anything in her past life that could have given her any hints as to what it was. Kousetsu nervously shrugged her shoulders and slowly followed the girl inside the building.

A bell rang above the door as it was swung open, filling the air with a light and frilly sound. It was oddly charming compared to the scene that lay before her. Men and women alike, grunting as workers seemed to labor over them. It wasn't a horrible sight, but it was definitely different to Kousetsu. She had no idea what was going on.

A low whisper came out, just enough for the girl she was following to hear. "You're not torturing them, are you?" It sounded stupid coming out of her mouth, but she was genuinely concerned for the victims.

She wasn't necessarily afraid, but she was still attempting to get acclimated to the world she was dumped in on, and because of that, everything she did made her a little timid. Kousetsu had a hard time adjusting to new situations as it was, let alone being drug into a random building when all she needed was directions. The girl said she would help her, though. Hopefully, Kousetsu wasn't making a mistake. 

Taking a closer look at the people on the chairs, she could make out what looked like art being scribed onto the skin. Kousetsu had always appreciated art of any kind, the creativity it took to make something out of nothing was inspirational. In fact, she had planned on asking Kionchi for some art supplies at some point, but she didn't want to bother him with her frivolous wants. She had more important things she needed to focus on anyways. Like her training. She just needed to figure out exactly how to find the orbs, though. 

---

310/1018

"No, we don't hurt our customers. No more than they're prepared to deal with. It's certainly not torture." Shion smiled somewhat mischievously, waving to the woman she saw just moments ago that allowed her the break she nearly demanded. The dull hum of the guns permeated the air, bounding off the walls only to land in the ears of the newest person to walk into the establishment. There were occasional sharp buzzes that meant someones needle was acting up, or the person in the chair decided to move at an important point and possibly fucked up the tattoo, but there was no different noise that warranted distress or fear.

"Tattoos aren't torture, they're painful to some people though. Do you not know what a tattoo is?" she asked, looking at the woman curiously as the individual looked around like a child seeing the world for the first time. Shion sat in one of the chairs, looking at Kousetsu wander around, waving away anyone who tried to scoot her away or tell her she wasn't allowed to simply window-shop. Was it even window-shopping? You'd think there'd be actual windows, in that case, not flesh and such.

"Do you want one?" she asked, smiling wider. A tattoo virgin was always nice to work with. The biggest issue was pain tolerance, she always thought, and that was probably going to be the only issue she'd have with this... oh so petite woman, if she was to tattoo her. New friends, new canvases.

[249]

Kousetsu continued to stay curious and amazed as she looked around the room and witnessed different pieces of art sprout up on different people's bodies. It was a weird way to express creativity, but a unique one at that. In that room alone, there were already so many people she saw who shared the same hobby, it was a nice thing to think about. All those people probably experienced that fad in an entirely different way, but they all love it just the same and  continue to do it.

She walked over to a station near where the woman was sitting, and delicately picked up the contraption others were using to create the art. She didn't attempt to function it, but she eyed it meticulously as she tried to figure out how it worked. There seemed to be a vial of dark liquid that fed into a pointy tip at the end of it, as well as a trigger of some sort, accompanied by a cord that led into an outlet. It was a weird thing, but she appreciated it none the less.

Kousetsu blinked a bit as the female asked her if she knew what a tattoo was. "Well...No, I don't think I do." Her attention was quickly averted back to the workstation, picking up what was labeled "ink". 

So that's what's in these things. She waved the art utensil around again, eyeing it thoroughly.

She put the thing down, turning back to the girl after she asked if she might want a tattoo. She blanched a little at her, thinking for a moment while the question sat in the back of her mind. What was the purpose of these things? They didn't seem to be giving anyone enjoyment of any kind, they just looked uncomfortable. Although, she did enjoy the look of some of the art that they had, it sort of brought a smile to her face. 

"S-sure? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do, though..." That was true enough, she saw everyone laying down and being worked on, but she didn't understand the application. 

All the while, Kousetsu had completely forgotten about her task at hand, transfixed by this new discovery.

---

367/1385

"Well, a tattoo, first off, is... well, art. You can get anything your heart desires tattooed onto your skin, really anywhere. It may not be comfortable at first, especially if you've never had a tattoo, though. If you'd actually like one, we'd hafta do something small for you." Shion smiled softly at the woman as she went on to further explain what a tattoo was or, in better context, what one could be.

"Think of any painting, drawing, any phrase or design you've ever liked in your life. You could re-create it exactly onto your arm, or your back, or anywhere on your body. You see that man over there?" she gestured to the man she worked on prior to introducing Kousetsu to the shop. His portrait was looking eerily lifelike as he sat, someone wiping the little beads of blood and ink from his back with an alcohol pad. "He wanted his wife's picture on his back. It's a lot of work, but you see how realistic it is? With some colour to it, you could stand his wife next to him and you'd see every little detail. The mole on her cheek, the laugh lines from probably laughing at her klutz of a husband, and more."

She pointed to someone in the booth next to them, where they were getting a koi tattooed on their arm, with the motions in the ink showing that the current artist was working on the colouring of it. "Animals, people, even weapons and words. We can do it all, as tattoo artists. We're well-rounded, at least the good ones are."

Shion reached for the tattoo gun, holding it up and aiming the needle at Kousetsu. "This? We use this. Like a pen or pencil is used to draw, we use a needle and special ink to tattoo. It only hurts for a little bit, because the needle goes on your skin really fast, but someone even as little and... delicate-looking like you could probably handle something small. I'm not going to pressure you into it, though. You just seemed interested since I caught you skin-shopping."

Inside of her mind, she patted her back to reward her for creating a good word for 'looking for tattoos'.

"So what do you think?"

[378]

Kousetsu considered Shion as 'tattoos' were being explained to her, the woman seemed to be extremely passionate about what she was doing, and so did everyone else in the shop. Kousetsu nodded along, taking in every bit of information her acquaintance had to offer her. In reality, Kousetsu already sort of had an idea of what she wanted, she didn't really need much more persuasion, but she let Shion talk on, hopefully making her feel good in the long run for seemingly helping someone out.

She was directed to look at a few pieces of art. It was a nice sentiment, some of the art the people were getting etched onto them had genuine meaning behind them. Others had more trite reasons for getting art done on them, but it was a hobby and a lifestyle nonetheless, one Kousetsu could wholeheartedly appreciate.

After being shown some of the art, Shion presented Kousetsu the ink gun she had eyed earlier. The mechanism was more simple than she had thought, which made Kousetsu appreciate the device even more than she had before. It was just like a pencil, but for the skin.

All the while Kousetsu was considering what piece of art she would like to have engraved on herself. There wasn't much in her life that had much meaning to her, nor was there really anything that motivated her. She was stuck for a while. However, as she looked further to more simpler things, she stumbled across her name. 'Falling Snow' Kionchi had said it meant. It was so simple it was brilliant. Her eyes lit up and she waited anxiously for Shion to finish with her spiel. 

"I think I might like one, a snowflake," she replied with a small grin on her face. She pointed eagerly to a spot on her arm right below the shoulder. "Right here!" She exclaimed.

It was unlike Kousetsu to get so worked up over something so petty, but she hadn't had the time to find joy in anything since she was training all day. Mixing art with something so unique as a painting on flesh was something that sparked Kousetsu's imagination and made her giddy.

She decided she would tone herself down a little bit, though, as to not make herself seem like a fool in front of Shion. "I-if that's alright with you, that is..." She said quietly, scratching lightly at the back of her head. 

Kousetsu was glad she had decided to come inside after all.

---

415/1800

The artist smiled softly at the eagerness of her candidate for a first tattoo. "Of course it's alright with me. It's my job to make your tattoo wishes come true. Think of me like a Fairy Tattoo-Mom."

She turned on her chair, reaching underneath her tabletop and grabbing strange sheets of paper, far lighter than normal paper, and easier to see through. The woman grabbed a pen, beginning to sketch small designs of snowflakes into it, each one different and carrying their own unique flair, like the subject of the drawings themselves. When she was done, she had around ten different designs for Kousetsu to eyeball and decide which she'd prefer on her body for an eternity. Shion turned back around, placing the delicate paper on Kousetsu's lap so she could figure out if any of them quite fit what she wanted, or if she wanted to design her own snowflake.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, why a snowflake? It's your first tattoo, so what meaning does it have to you exactly?" she inquired, not coming off as rude as she had to many of her older customers, but quite gentle and making sure to speak in a ginger tone. Those who came in for their firsts, or people who were enjoying their first time in the 56 Tattoo parlor were usually those who saw the kindest side of her. Everyone else got the short end of the stick.

[241]

Kousetsu smiled gently as she was becoming more comfortable with Shion, it wasn't normal for people to grow on her. Her arms swayed contently at her sides as Shion turned to work on some art. She appreciated how much the woman was into her work, it really showed in the way she spoke about the hobby.

Kousetsu sat in a chair, glancing around the room some more as she waited for the girl to finish.

Soon enough, she was startled as Shion placed a paper in her lap. The thin material showcased multiple designs of snowflakes on it, all with a unique and interesting design that made her feel different emotions for each of them. Her face lit up as she scanned the small catalog of designs. Kousetsu hovered her hand over the paper and closed her eyes. "Well, my name means 'Falling Snow', so I thought it'd only be fitting if I got a tattoo that that meant something special to me. Also, being scared to do different things all the time won't get me anywhere" After a moment she placed a finger down randomly on the paper, which produced a soft crinkling sound amongst the other noises in the shop.

Kousetsu opened her eyes, not bothering to look and see what she had chosen. Instead, she looked up at Shion with an eager smile. "This one!" she said quickly. In reality, she didn't care which one she received from Shion, they were all beautiful in their own way and served the same purpose. She was sure that with Shion's passion for the job, that anything she got would be great.

---

272/2027

Shion smiled as Kousetsu let Fate decide, with a small finger landing on a spot on the paper. She chose a simple snowflake surrounded by several other small falling flakes, each a different shape and form. When Kousetsu explained the meaning behind the tattoo, it seemed like the only image of 'falling snow' seemed like the ultimate choice, one that Fate seemed to decide for the petite woman righteously.

"It's good to sometimes be scared of some stuff. It reminds you that you're only human. Emotions are nice." Shion tore the image from the others, separating it entirely and getting her work prepared. The woman began to pull her inks out, getting them set up on the table and making sure everything was back in a place it belonged to. Glancing over at Kousetsu, she made a quiet laugh as the situation became a little more humorous to her. "I hope you're wearing a bra of some sort underneath your sweater, hun. If you want this tattoo where you want it, you'll need to take your sweater off. Is that alright?"

[181]

Kousetsu watched as Shion prepped her workstation, the woman obviously very familiar with her surroundings. Once again she was transfixed by the amount of passion Shion was showing for her job, it was very admirable. Kousetsu gave a soft smile, keeping silent and attempting not to bring any unnecessary attention to herself in the crowded shop. There had already been a few pairs of eyes wandering towards her direction ever since she started snooping around the establishment. Honestly, it made her slightly skittish.

Kousetsu could almost feel her ears twitch curiously through her gigai when Shion asked if she was wearing anything under her sweater. Instead, she blinked a couple of times before shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Well..." She started, glancing around the room to see if anyone were watching. "I do have a bra on indeed," Uncertain as to why her cheeks flushed red whilst making this statement, she bit her lip. "I don't think taking any of my clothes off would be appropriate, though." Kousetsu looked around the room once more, making note of the many people who had some sort of clothing removed from their body - It was futile.

She looked back at Shion and cleared her through nervously. "I suppose I could get rid of it for this..." She crossed her arms, taking ahold of the bottom of either side of her sweater, lifting it up until the piece of clothing was over her head. She kept the shirt close to her body, covering her chest area as she stared at Shion intently. 

She wiggled the now balled up sweater in front of her. "What should I do with this?"

---

275/2302

"Well, it's not really inappropriate if you're a consenting adult," Shion laughed quietly, holding out her hand for Kousetsu to place the article of clothing in. The woman put it behind her on her desk, just perilous inches away from her inks. "You can uncover yourself. I know it's a shy thing, but trust me, there's men around here with more than you have that proudly show off what they work with. You've got a nice body. Work it, girl."

Shion gave Kousetsu a small pat on the back, her warm hand leaving behind a small trace of heat behind on the arrancar's bare back. The artist turned in her chair, pulling a pair of blackened gloves from a small box, putting them on with an audible snap. She put her hand back on Kousetsu's back, giving her a moment to adjust to the latex feelign before bringing the pen into the mix. She began to re-sketch the snowflakes onto the area where Kousetsu suggested her tattoo to go, replicating it flawlessly.

"Alright, so it might hurt for a bit, alright? It's a small tattoo, though, so whatever pain you do feel will be very little. Is there any colour in specific you want," she took a moment to pause, reflecting on what Kousetsu said previously to try to figure out her name. "Kousetsu?"

Her ebony hair moved with the rest of her body in soft waves as she grabbed her gun, fixing a needle into place that allowed her to simply draw upon Kousetsu's skin. A litany of other needles lined the side of her ink capsules, though she doubted she'd need them. It was always good to stay prepared, in Shion's work at least. "I've got all sorts of blues, especially this light blue that I think would look good on your skin."

[305]

After handing her sweater to Shion, Kousetsu's arms fell awkwardly to her side as she looked around the room anxiously. It was unlike her to feel embarrassed about these things - Especially since she had completely naked when she met Kionchi. Maybe being in the town where she currently resided had given her a sense of privacy and made her understand the importance of "common courtesy". She shouldn't have been too uncomfortable, though, considering she was, in fact, wearing a bra underneath the piece of clothing that was now missing from her small form.

Nice body? Kousetsu thought. She had never received a compliment such as that one from anyone and it puzzled her slightly. She quickly brushed it off, however, making it out to be some sort of human phrase that meant absolutely nothing.

Kousetsu shivered in her seat as Shion touched her back, the warmth of the woman's hand was very different from her skin and it shocked her for a moment. Even thought the gigai wasn't actually her, it all still felt very real and much like her real skin.

She watched Shion turn around again to prep the rest of her materials; Pulling on a pair of gloves, getting the tattoo gun ready, organizing colors. It wasn't a difficult setup but Kousetsu appreciated it all the same. 

Soon, Shion returned to her, touching her skin once more with the gloves on their hands. The material felt smooth and rubbery, most likely latex, and was just as cold if not colder than Shion's hands. Kousetsu held in a giggle as she was drawn on with a pen, the tip of the utensil tickling her ever so slightly. It was over before she knew it, though, Shion working quickly and diligently as Kousetsu had suspected she would.

Kousetsu nodded for Shion, confirming her name to the woman. It seemed like Shion was trying really hard not to make her uncomfortable, which made her relax a little after having taken off her sweater. "You're the professional here, surprise me." She said with a small burst of confidence.

---

347/2649

Kousetsu's tidbit of confidence gave Shion a reason to smile as she turned on her chair, dipping the needle lightly in a capsule of cerulean ink. "You're in good hands, hun."

She made sure the bra didn't get in the way, brushing a few errant strands of Kousetsu's hair from her shoulder and leaving a bare canvas for the woman to begin to work on. She pressed her feet on a pedal that allowed her machine to hum to life, bringing just one more buzz to the cacophony of dull noise in the parlor. Shion brought the needle to Kousetsu's skin, the needle breaking through the gigai's epidermis and beginning the permanent inking process. Within a moment, the first, smallest snowflake was finished with the once-over. Shion reached behind her without taking an eye off of Kousetsu's pale skin, grabbing a wipe to remove the ink and any drops of blood that may have begun to rise.

Starting the gun up once again, the woman began to work on the others, erasing the pen with a more permanent ink, slowly creating a small little masterpiece on Kousetsu's body. Once each snowflake was ran over once more, really defining them, she worked on the one that would've required a bit of colour. She began to work her magic once more, tracing over pen with needle and leaving behind thin drops and lines of bloody ink. The woman kept a careful eye on Kousetsu, noticing any hint of pain or movement that would've deterred her process. Surprisingly, the woman within a gigai made no movements, staying still for the woman to work on her.

"Are you doing alright, Kousetsu?" she asked absentmindedly, finishing the outline of the snowflake. In comparison to the others, the lines were thinner and less emphasized, though Shion had a plan that would've brought a bit of beautiful colour to Kousetsu's first ink. "You're doing good. Do you like it so far?" Shion asked, pulling a small hand-mirror from her drawer, holding it to Kousetsu so she could see the back of her shoulder where the tattoo had taken form.

[352]

Kousetsu sat still as Shion prepared to start her task. She hardly noticed that Shion had started because when the needle pierced her gigai's skin, she only felt a tinge of pressure and not any sort of pain that may have been evident through any other customer in the shop. The utensil actually felt sort of soothing against her, Kousetsu thought of it as if it were some sort of mini massage being given to her by an inanimate object. It was quite nice.

Shion would lift the tattoo gun every once in a while and seemed to be inspecting her work throughout the process. Kousetsu was glad that the person working on her was so experienced with their work. It made her feel more comfortable with going through with something so foreign to her. Kousetsu started to wonder what Kionchi would think of her endeavor even though she was obviously neglecting her task at hand. This thought started to slightly bother her, so instead of not training at all, she decided she would search for the small orbs she was looking for originally. Kousetsu closed her eyes, reaching out with her reiatsu and hunting for anything that mirrored Kionchi's signature. 

Ah, there's one-

She was interrupted briefly by Shion's concerned voice. Kousetsu opened her eyes to meet a mirror in front of her face, very clearly showing the beginnings of the tattoo she was receiving on the back of her shoulder. It was beautiful, there wasn't more she could say about it. The art matched Kousetsu's personality - and name - perfectly. Shion had done a wonderful job so far. "I love it," Kousetsu replied with a small smile on her face."Thank you." She wasn't going to wait for Shion to get done with the tattoo before thanking her, the woman had already been so nice to her anyways that it was only appropriate to do so.

Kousetsu closed her eyes gently again, calming herself down as she began to search for the orbs again, and letting Shion finish her job.

---

341/2990