[2] Gene Jubilee

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"I'm not opposed to the idea as much as my fur would both be in the way and cover it up. Also, I have very limited funds. Sorry. Love your designs, though," Thrax answered sincerely. There was the inside of his ears available as canvas but that painful proposition was a big fat nope. Besides, he really needed to worry first about providing for himself.

[Narrator]

"Children and shifters and furries and all kinds of nonsense," the tattoo artist huffed. "Well, tell your friend the inkstain that her idea of how to drum up business ain't exactly doing much drumming."

[Robin Stanton]

"Hey, the mind is willing but the flesh is restless and fickle. How about I go around sporting some of your art for the day. Get more eyes on it that aren't the kinda folks that play my Dad's goofy games." she chuckles.

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

What in the void was a furry? And why did she say it like that? Was there some bias more human looking mutants had against ones with fur? Should he be insulted? He'd have to ask Robin later.

"And I could try to draw some attention your way once I get back to busking. As compensation for our friend's failure to deliver."

[Narrator]

"Hey, the mind is willing but the flesh is restless and fickle. How about I go around sporting some of your art for the day. Get more eyes on it that aren't the kinda folks that play my Dad's goofy games." she chuckles.

"A walking billboard, huh? You're sure no one's gonna accuse you of faking it? And will it even stick?" she asked, nevertheless clearing the spot on the table off for Robin.

"And I could try to draw some attention your way once I get back to busking. As compensation for our friend's failure to deliver."

"You do advertising jingles now, then?"

[Robin Stanton]

"You know what, I'm not even sure. Maybe it sticks, maybe I'd have to want to be rid of it, maybe I gotta actively preserve it." she shrugs and rolls up her right sleeve.

[Narrator]

"So, what, you're just a test dummy today? Shifters, I swear to god...," she said, shaking her head and huffing. "if it's not one thing, it's another -- usually literally."

"Right. What do you want, then?" she said, reaching over for a binder of samples. Not that she needed much -- her own body was covered with them, shifting and moving and catching in the light. Nothing overly complex -- more like repeated variations on a theme, GIF-like stuff only not quite so repetative. A wheel, on fire, spinning with sparks flying off of it. An anchor and waves, sinking and rising back up. A skull whose eyes would occasionally light up.

[Robin Stanton]

"Ooh, gimme a skull but make it one of those pretty Mexican ones and have it occasionally do a wink that pops out a little floaty heart."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Oh, no jingles." He was too proud a musician for that. Though he supposed it wasn't selling out if he wasn't getting paid. "Just bringing some eyes your direction and talk you up a bit."

As the conversation shifted to what tattoo Robin wanted, Thrax turned his attention to Will. "So, Will, what's it like being a tattoo? Also, you owe me a stamp and a clue."

[Will Stanton]

"Ooh, gimme a skull but make it one of those pretty Mexican ones and have it occasionally do a wink that pops out a little floaty heart."

The artist switched on her machine, and leaned over, headed towards Robin's arm. Even before it made contact, the ink started swirling and flexing around, flowing out of the tip of the needle and leaping onto, and through, the top layer of Robin's 'skin'. Such as it was, in this form, at any rate.

As the conversation shifted to what tattoo Robin wanted, Thrax turned his attention to Will. "So, Will, what's it like being a tattoo? Also, you owe me a stamp and a clue."

"Oh, it's pretty good," the tattoo replied, flexing (and ink coming in and out of existence? How does a two-dimensional person work?) "It's a nice sunny day, too, so it's nice lying here and catching some rays. I'd recommend everyone try it once in their lives."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Nice!" Thrax grinned. "Sadly, few of us even have that as an option. Nevermind the personality required to think of doing it. I can get behind lazing in the sun though; that I can do with the best of them."

[Robin Stanton]

"Ouch! Scrapy!" Robin exclaims and for a moment her skin goes a little too soft and goopy to work with but it only lasts for a second as she puts her focus on keeping her skin, well, skin. "Not sure how worth this is for what might be temporary." she laughs a bit nervously.

[Will Stanton]

"Nice!" Thrax grinned. "Sadly, few of us even have that as an option. Nevermind the personality required to think of doing it. I can get behind lazing in the sun though; that I can do with the best of them."

"Well, I can't do anything about the latter other than a strong propaganda campaign and ads on TV. Maybe I'll eventually figure something out for the former, however. Hey, fad diets are all the rage, and maybe I can bake a croissant that's extra slimming," the tattoo grinned.

"Ouch! Scrapy!" Robin exclaims and for a moment her skin goes a little too soft and goopy to work with but it only lasts for a second as she puts her focus on keeping her skin, well, skin. "Not sure how worth this is for what might be temporary." she laughs a bit nervously.

"What, afraid of needles? Don't worry, on the arm like this, it'll just be like a sunburn. You'll be fine. The adrenaline will get you through."

Pause.

"Do you have adrenaline?

[Robin Stanton]

"Yeah sure. Probably. Or some kinda go-fast juice my body makes. Don't exactly keep track of all my guts 'n stuff if I bother to have them but they do their thing, you know? If I'm in the shape of a person it just kinda defaults to all the bits a person should have as far as I can tell." she winks and goes straight into a wince at the needle hitting a more sensitive spot.

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"As fun as you make it sound, I like my body the way it is. I have no interest in changing it. Not that I've never felt like doing it; there were moments when I was a kid. But that's a conversation for another time."

Thrax broke out a smirking grin and held up the scavenger hunt flyer. "Right now it's clue time."

[Will Stanton]

"Yeah sure. Probably. Or some kinda go-fast juice my body makes. Don't exactly keep track of all my guts 'n stuff if I bother to have them but they do their thing, you know? If I'm in the shape of a person it just kinda defaults to all the bits a person should have as far as I can tell." she winks and goes straight into a wince at the needle hitting a more sensitive spot.

"Then you'll be fine, don't worry about it.

You know, you kinda feel like one of those artificial practice skins. Like, it's close to the real thing, but you can kinda tell there's nothing really behind it..." she said, making small talk.

On Robin's arm, the ink was flowing and shaping itself, twisting around into a rather large sugar skull going up towards her shoulder.

"As fun as you make it sound, I like my body the way it is. I have no interest in changing it. Not that I've never felt like doing it; there were moments when I was a kid. But that's a conversation for another time."

Thrax broke out a smirking grin and held up the scavenger hunt flyer. "Right now it's clue time."

"Monoforms," Will said, shaking her head. "Very well.

They gaze in me to learn what’s true—
But what if I am watching you?"

[Robin Stanton]

"Oof! That one hurts more than the needle!" she jokes. "But hey, I'll take 'not quite real' any day if it means I don't have to worry about all the hassle of standard-issue skin." she says and shifts her face to resemble her wearing a facemask, eyes turned into cucumber slices that move like her eyes would, clearly still connected to her body.

[Narrator]

"Oof! That one hurts more than the needle!" she jokes. "But hey, I'll take 'not quite real' any day if it means I don't have to worry about all the hassle of standard-issue skin." she says and shifts her face to resemble her wearing a facemask, eyes turned into cucumber slices that move like her eyes would, clearly still connected to her body.

"I'm not even going to pretend to understand how that works," said the woman causing ink to flow through Robin's arm, tingling a little as it set.

After a moment, the skull winked, a little pink floaty heart came out of the socket, floated up Robin's arm, and disappeared under the edge of her shirt.

"How is it looking? Once it sets, it's a pain in the ass to change, but at the moment, everything's still fluid."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Monoforms," Will said, shaking her head. "Very well.

They gaze in me to learn what’s true—
But what if I am watching you?"

"I feel like a mirror is way too obvious," he responded, thinking. He couldn't yet think of anything else other than maybe some human fortunetelling tool. Though that would be easier to find in a street fair.

[Will Stanton]

"A mirror's a good tool for shifting practice," Will nodded. "Try to quickly copy what you see. Used to do it for ages with Robin over there. But that might be a bit too easy."

[Robin Stanton]

"I'm not even going to pretend to understand how that works," said the woman causing ink to flow through Robin's arm, tingling a little as it set.

After a moment, the skull winked, a little pink floaty heart came out of the socket, floated up Robin's arm, and disappeared under the edge of her shirt.

"How is it looking? Once it sets, it's a pain in the ass to change, but at the moment, everything's still fluid."

"Love it, that's great!" she says, popping her face back to 'normal' and looking at the work. "And don't gimme that how's that work when you're making ink move in my skin." she scolds playfully.

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Yeah, I thought so. Thanks for ruling that out for me," he said with a smile.

"Anyway, stamp away and I'll stop blocking the sun. Can't very well sunbathe with my fuzzy ass in the way."

[Will Stanton]

"Love it, that's great!" she says, popping her face back to 'normal' and looking at the work. "And don't gimme that how's that work when you're making ink move in my skin." she scolds playfully.

"Touche.

This is where I'd give you aftercare stuff, but you don't even know if it's gonna stick around. If it does, come back to my place and I'll walk you through it."

"Yeah, I thought so. Thanks for ruling that out for me," he said with a smile.

"Anyway, stamp away and I'll stop blocking the sun. Can't very well sunbathe with my fuzzy ass in the way."

"And sunbathing on your fuzzy ass would be difficult unless you invested heavily in a razor."

Will's arm popped off the woman's back, popping back out into three dimensions, as she stamped Thrax's sheet.

[Robin Stanton]

"Coolbeans. Heck, I'll let you know if it fades too in case you get any other shifter clients." she says as she hops off the seat and looks down at her upper arm. It certainly stings but it's far from the angry, irritated skin most folks have to deal with. Barely any blood that needed to be cleaned off either, though there was some. A side-effect of Robin trying to keep herself more flesh and bone like? Who knows with these Stantons.

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Thank you, oh great flat one," he said teasingly, giving a jaunty salute before moving out of the way of the sun. "Enjoy your sunbathing."

He took a moment to examine Robin's tattoo and said, "Nice ink. Kinda wish I had any free, furless skin for one. Alas, I don't intend to shave."

[Robin Stanton]

"Pff, clear lack of commitment." Robin says. "So, what's the about the next clue? Something about soothsaying?"

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

The alien grinned brightly. "That's exactly what I was thinking! There's bound to be a fortune teller at a street fair. Hell, with mutant powers they might even be legit!"

"Not sure what they use for that around here, though." He very much doubted they used bones like they used do on Leucrotta. Perhaps some kind of crystal?

[Robin Stanton]

"Cards, dice, crystal balls, tea leaves. What haven't people used to predict the future?" Robin chuckles.

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Why are people all over so obsessed with the future? There's enough to worry about in the now; why add to it?" he responded. It was more of a Thrax question than an alien question. Thinking about tomorrow wasn't part of his mindset, for better or worse. It made him open to new things but also caused most of the trouble he tended to find himself in.

[Robin Stanton]

"I think it's worry. Or longing for something. Or just wanting to know things. Dunno about your people but humans as a whole love exploring the unknown. You prolly saw the Pacific ocean when you cam down, yeah? Side of the planet that's almost entirely water? Before we had anything close to being motorized people saw an endless ocean and grabbed a paddle. That's probably why Minamida doesn't want everyone to know where you're from. People would strap in and fire themselves into the void." she chuckles.

"I mean, they definitely still will but it's probably better if it is to explore and not to run away from a messy home cause they heard there's aliens out there."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

Thrax gave her a dubious look as they continued on in search of a fortune teller. "I dunno. I've watched a couple of your 'sci-fi' vids and you people seem scared shitless about the idea of alien life. It's a little insulting, really. Not that there isn't some legitimately horrible stuff out there. Also, they've got how space works all wrong but that's beside the point."

[Robin Stanton]

"Eh, that's entertainment for ya. More exciting to blow things up than shake hands most of the time. And yeah, some of the people would bring guns not just for defense. Maybe that's why they should clean up their act first. But then again, half the folks out there aren't any better, at least where I'm from. And I know there's the angry flavor of Skrull here too at a minimum."

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

"Well, yes, conflict is at the heart of all the best tales," he conceded. "Also, yeah, I wouldn't say any of the races I've met are notably better than humans, as much as I imagine they would beg to differ. None of your planet's problems are unique. At, not any that I've heard of in my short time here."

He smirked. "I mean, I could still discover some unique flavor of fuckery I can't imagine. But I doubt it."

[Robin Stanton]

"Let's hope not. Come on, let's get our fortune told!" she says as they make their way through the crowd.

[Narrator]

A little down the street from where the Kneadful Creations bakery was was a tent -- fully enclosed, unlike the open-air stalls where people were hawking their wares. "Fortunes Told Here", the sign read, carefully hand-lettered, "x"s replacing dots over i's and at the end of sentences. Very spooky looking. Smoke billowed out from the front, though the effect was somewhat diminished by the obvious rumbling of a fog machine just inside the entryway. Looking for effect, not authenticity, perhaps.

[Thraxion Ord'Rakar]

Thrax studied the outside of the tent and the fog billowing out of it. The obvious machine sounds gave it away as cheap theatrics but, as a showman, he could appreciate the effort. "Ooh, very spooky. I approve!" he grinned before striding inside.

[Raven Bloodwynd]

The air was thick with the scent of incense -- multiple sticks, in multiple fragrances, swirling through the air. Light was provided by a few round bulbs, which looked vaguely rustic and vaguely like someone purchased them from IKEA. A metric shit-ton of candles -- probably a fire hazard, honestly -- were lit in the tent, too. Hopefully the woman behind the table was paying attention to that.

Oh yes! The woman behind the table. A dark-haired girl wearing a floppy witch's hat maybe two sizes too large for her sat behind there, her fingers steepled together.

"Welcome, travelers. Welcome to my covenstead. You have come, seeking knowledge of the unknowable and clarity of the unclear?"

[Robin Stanton]

"So we have, lady of the Dark and... Mystical arts." Robin plays along though it's not coming as naturally to her. "What can you tell us of the future and possibly also where to find a green-haired imp?"

[Raven Bloodwynd]

"You are seeking someone? A match, for the future? For I can truly part the veils there, as my connection with the occult arts has enabled me to offer a special on compatibility tests and love droughts this moon cycle; a package deal that has been blessed by Hecate herself."

[Robin Stanton]

"Splech! No, that's for the scavenger hunt. Just a general vibe check, see if there's any good or ill portents ahead, opportunities or dangers I should look out for." While the setup certainly looks a bit hokey, Robin grew up with a Goddess and a precog as godparents, so her assumption in these matters tends to start with assuming legitimacy. For all she knows this lady has, in fact, been blessed by Hecate. She is wearing a properly broad and floppy witch's hat after all!