"Just let me know when you'd like to set a date, and I'd be happy to have you back."

Kitra couldn't help but let out a giggle, a good giggle mind you. "A date hmm? I wouldn't mind a date." She coughed slightly before pulling her shirt back over her head, more so to hide her slight blush. Recovered, she turned back to Dante, looking much more professional and calm. "How much do I owe you and yes lets set a date, perhaps two." Kitra smiled somewhat mischievously as she pulled her boots back. Her smile quickly turned to a small wince as she had forgotten that she had put boot daggers in them.

Moving quickly she pulled them out and put her feet in and rearranged her daggers back in her boots. Kitra looked up at Dante with a careful smile, "One can never be to careful eh?" With that she straightened and noted with an inward giggle that her boots put her about three inches above Dante.

Kitra retrieved her wallet and then grabbed her trench coat and purse and looked to Dante awaiting his response.

The date crack got him a rather healthy giggle. And then a cough after she responded. They were still talking about tattoo appointments, right? Eh, better to play it safe and just assume yes. Especially if she was to become a regular. When she spoke again, she had a more professional air about her. Reorganizing his things, he made his way back to the desk, doing a little bit of math. He hated this part, but it was how he got paid, so it was important. Every teacher he'd ever had was right: there was no escaping math.

He blinked as she put her boot back on and winced, then saw why. "From what I understand, one really can't. Especially not these days," he said, standing back to his feet. "You've pretty much got free reign over when you wanna come in; I'm new in town so you're one of my first couple clients since my plane touched down. And as far as payment, I'm thinking one twenty-five," he said thoughtfully, noting that she was a good few inches taller than him even without the boots. Normally, he charged closer to one fifty to one seventy-five for something like that, but she seemed nice enough, and was real easy to work on.

Besides, she was coming back, and like any business, return customers were important.

Kitra's eyebrow quirked up, she would have charged closer to two hundred for that tattoo. Especially since he had a steady hand and worked well. "I do believe you're actually undercharging me. I will happily pay $160 for this piece." She angled her leg so it was easier for her to see, no need for her to show off her balance and stand on one leg though! "The color blending and shading is one of the better works I've come across."

She sighed, looked Dante in the eyes and spoke quietly and with a slight hint of trust in her voice. " I've traveled the world for years and have seen much work in progress and beautiful finished art." Kitra's voice turned serious yet still trusting as she went, despite little alarms bells in her mind telling her to shut up. " I've also done all my tattoo work myself, and I do mean all."

She went quiet as she slipped her trench coat back on, slightly worried about meeting Dante's eyes now. Why oh why did she say that!? Not all mutants are trustworthy. She knew it wasn't a trick of the light what she had seen earlier. Kitra slipped her hand into one of her pockets and pulled out some cash while she waited for a response, any response at this point.

He chuckled lightly, smiling, though a slight tint of pink rose to his cheeks. "Heh, well you caught me, one sixty's perfect," he answered with another slight chuckle. She'd already agreed to come back, and last time he checked, cutting a discount with someone wouldn't make them not want to return, so he felt he was in the clear.

"Thanks," he said, his growing more uncharacteristically sheepish. Not many people that weren't family had ever actually praised his work. And Kitra seemed to know her stuff, so it actually carried a little weight with him. Especially considering the one who'd done her previous work was leaps and bounds ahead of the young mutant. His eyes met hers as she spoke, and he noted a change of tone, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was, though it was almost like she was telling him a secret.

Wait. What. The. Hell? She really...all of....how?

He pondered in silence as she put her coat back on, and he bit his lip, wondering how the hell to address that. "Really....? You're telling me you did that realistic piece....on your back....yourself?" It was definitely possible, considering he was a guy who daily kept a steady supply of smoke in his lungs. But at the same time he was having trouble wrapping his head around that. It didn't take him long to figure out she was a fellow mutant, obviously.

But at the same time....it still brought upon some questions. "That really is a hell of a gift you have, then," he said, his voice sincere. "Whatever that gift may be."

Kitra breathed a sigh of relief and almost instantly relaxed, just seemed he was curious and in some disbelief. Which, in hindsight was completely understandable. " A gift I used to have." She shrugged and smiled at Dante with a bit of forlorn, " Not sure what happened but things became, different."

She shrugged while smiling at Dante. Kitra handed Dante two hundred, while he went to make change she slipped a one hundred dollar bill into his notebook he had been using earlier to sketch out her piece. She quickly straightened to make sure Dante hadn't seen her. But did notice one of the other artists give her a thumbs up and pointed to him and pointed at his sketch book. She smiled and turned her attention back to Dante. "Anytime next week for the touch ups would be fine."

He quirked a brow at her words, though sure it wasn't exactly his place to pry. "Well, that's pretty odd. From the looks of it, a damn shame, too," he murmured, really unsure of what else to say. He didn't really know how to react; how he should handle it, so he just nodded, sympathetically.

She handed him two hundred, and he made his way back to the drawer to make change, and with his back turned, he didn't see what the woman was up to. He'd counted out her change, and by the time he'd turned back to her, she'd already straightened up and Dante was none the wiser. Once back to his desk, he pulled out his appointment book.

"Let's see....how's Tuesday? I'll let you pick the time," he said looking over at her again. If things kept up like this, he'd be settled into the city in no time.

"Let's see....how's Tuesday? I'll let you pick the time."

"Hmm, 11am would be fine." Kitra glanced at him as he was looked at her. She smiled as a small 'oh what the hell' thought crossed her mind. "But, I am curious as to what you might be doing after work this evening?" The pinkish tint was barely noticeable under her tan, but it was still there. A low whistle could be heard behind her and she responded with a wry smile and a roll of her eyes.

Kitra shook her head, rather amused. A small business card seemed to float from her pocket and landed lightly on Dante's appointment book. Her card read;
Kitra Mavrick
Freelance Artist
Tattoo Artist
Martial Artist
[e-mail]
1-888-909-7278

A small gasp of astonishment was heard behind her, "Dude, she's hot, into tattoos and can move sh*t with her mind? I'd tap that." A loud thwack was heard and muttered "Shut it man. She ain't flirting with you." Kitra held her laughter in, but it was just barely.

"Eleven a.m. Tuesday...." he murmured back, writing it down in his appointment book. But at her next words, his head shot up, quirking a brow as he looked at her. Was she...well, that was surprising.

"After work, I really didn't have plans," he said with a shrug as the card....floated out of her pocket and onto his appointment book. That was pretty damn impressive. "Though I think that may have changed," he murmured with a light smirk.

He chuckled at the exchange between the other artists, shaking his head slightly. That, he was going to have to get used to. The friendly banter, oh and the fact that he had a date. "So I'll....call you when I get off," he said, his cynical demeanor having somewhat melted.

Kitra grinned and turned on her heel to head out the door. She couldn't help chuckling to herself for a bit. She had a new tattoo, would have a date later and her need for wandering was somewhat sated. Kitra left the tattoo shop and headed back to her apartment building. It had her studio up top and maybe, just maybe, she would work on some of the new orders that starting pouring in as soon as her clientele found out she was back in the states.


Continued in Date Time! (yes, she's nuts(Dante)(pm otherwise)

He'd sat back down at his desk, watching her leave; that...had definitely not ended as expected, but for once it hadn't bitten him in the ass, so he guessed that was a good thing. Then again...the way he saw it, all situations had the potential to backfire. Maybe he wasn't ready for a date, but at the same time...he always had been the risk taker in the family; the first one to rush something head on. So why change now?

The rest of his shift passed uneventfully; he'd made no more appointments that day, so he'd decided to just organize his area, sweep everything, and then doodle. It was then that he'd found her little tip. Damn, that was something he'd never remotely expected. Pocketing it, he felt something weird tugging at the corners of his mouth. Was that a...smile? Not a cynical smirk or a crooked grin. A smile. It was gone as quickly as it'd appeared, but it was there.

The shop had closed, and Dante made sure to grab his things on the way out. He made his way home, pulling his phone and her card out of his jacket pocket, and dialing the number.

"Hey. I just got off. Need to feed and walk my dog right quick, but I'd be good for anything after that," he said, realizing that probably meant he'd have to dig some more clothes out of a box somewhere. His apartment still looked like a freaking warehouse.