stuff us in boxes that's where you want us

cardboard is boring, we brought our matches - look how it burns

Another language? Well now he was surely showing off, with his honey laced French words and now apparently cultured with many other languages. Yup, that was some major flexing going on. Although she did like that name it even though it sounded like he called her the armory. Armorouex. "Armory?" She nods in approval. "I think that one suits me. But do your worst, any language." She challenged deviously, her voice was playful but her tongue was sharp. Her eyes narrow in that way that echoed her challenge, a subtle smirk dancing upon her lips. She made a gesture to carry on with a slight wave of her hand.

It would seem that Matteo, as brave as he was has backed himself into a corner and Harley was not going to let up now. She was always one to go for the jugular should the opportunity present itself and let's be entirely honest, she was having too much fun.

Their conversation twisted to a point where she knew most people who be too shy to cross, but never Harley. Not at this point in her life, with all she had gone through, this was child's play. His sigh of defeat, however, was one she did predict. It would seem even he had his limits, which was probably for the better because she hadn't reached her own yet. How easy, too easy she thought. His gaze suddenly shifts from hers, and she was almost disappointed this little game was over. Maybe she was too quick to claim herself as the victor when suddenly an impish smile played upon his lips. The raven-haired woman tipped her head slightly. His words are cryptic and loaded with things that only fuel her vast imagination. Even though a brief flash of surprise flashed across her feature it an obscure promise to an obscure future was not a victory. Her vibrant gemstone eyes seem to assess him then as though she could see beyond the man that stood in front of her. His peculiar silvery eyes met her own. He certainly talked the talk and her brain was apparently content to fill in the blanks. But she didn't give him an ounce of wiggle room, instead, she rises to do what she does best, defy. Even with all those big promises, sexily laced obscurely into those accented words of him. She hadn't expected to actually act on anything. He was only trying to win, at least she thought. She just wanted him to call mercy. "If you think I am going to let you off that easy. You are in for one hell of a surprise." A grin blooms upon her face. A challenge sits beyond the veil of her words before she shrugs idly."But I will allow you to just admit your defeat. How attached are you to your pride?" Was she gloating? Oh, those signs pointed to damn right she was.

What she hardly expected to find was he was fae. It did make sense, no one seemed to walk around like he did. Exuding more confidence in his pinky than most did in their entire body. Harley listens intently as he explains what he was, she was genuinely curious. Her interest was piqued but she had so many questions, too many impossible questions burning in her head. She wanted to pelt him with them until she could piece all those missing pieces together. There was so much to this world that she could hardly wrap her head around. At least just this one time, humans were not on the menu. "That doesn't sound so bad.. but you really got a raw deal with the no strength thing. But I guess it's better than being dead and you still get to enjoy food. So your basically an ageless human with powers.. Pretty damn sweet if you ask me. Why are there so few of you? Can't you just turn whoever? I am sure there will be a line all the way to Canada with willing victims." He did seem very careful not to say he didn't have wings, he only said he had no need for them. Who the hell wouldn't want wings? She wouldn't mind being a badass bitch flying in the clouds where no vampires could catch her. "Tricksters, huh? Like politician trickery?" That seemed to pique her interest though. Did he wield the art of deception? Her bullshit radar didn't go off, but maybe he was just that good. "That explains why you are good at word play. You could probably sell dirt to a homeless person." She admits, hell he could probably make dirt seem sexy. This thought alone seemed to amuse her immensely.

She saw a flicker of what seemed like sadness for but a moment when he mentioned his species demise. But was that not the circle of life? Maybe one day the vampire community would get what was coming to them and the rest that suffered from the oppressors would thrive? Maybe one day they could learn to fear humans, hunters and even fairy alike. Maybe one day. Probably not in her lifetime.

Their conversation bounces from topic to topic. She totally understood the appeal of upsetting one's friends intentionally, not in the asshole way to intentionally hurt them but to rile the up. She enjoyed to no avail embarrassing Isolt. It seemed to come as easy as breathing. "What about Antarctica?" Who in their right mind would want to go to Antarctica? It was the most obscure place she could think of. The majority of her life had been in Canada where she was born and the US where her family moved to a young age. Her parents were scientists, which ultimately got them killed. But they didn't believe in vacations and Harley created her own fun by tormenting the masses. "If you could be anywhere in the world, why Sacrosanct?" She questioned.

As that conversation oddly shifted to cats, he also dared to reach out and caress her hand as though to reassure her of something far more serious than just his words. She hardly expected the contact and in most cases she would probably be quick to snap at any stranger that dared to touch her. But she surprised herself as she let her hand touch his own, as though to just see how it felt. There was no way, he could sway her mind today, no matter how sugary coated his words were. If only he had a fucking clue of what she had gone through. Maybe then he would not try to bark up this particular tree with his passion for kittycats. There was no damn way her and cats were going to be on good terms. No god damn way. She looked to her snoozing pup, feeling instantly reassured. But his words seemed to bug her, seemed to linger in her mind and she wasn't even sure why. She was quick to shovel those words away.

She moved to her workstation, this was her domain. She could control what happened here. She was the master with the needle as her pen, at least when it came to art, she felt a sense of calm. A contentment. She enjoyed marking peoples skin to forever signify their meaningful stories. She didn't have the be haunted by ghosts. Such an odd but attractive man, he suddenly asks her about the French Revolution. First, it was cats and now the French Revolution. What was next? His obsession for poodles? But she was content to humour this strange but entertaining rollercoaster.

The way he spoke about the French revolution it was like he was there. "You talk about it like you were there." She teased but then returned to the topic of his story. "I like this. She actually made the king run away like a chicken from his own palace? I bet that busted his pride.." The visuals were amazing. She couldn't fight the grin on her face. "That woman sounds like a total badass in her time... There needs to be more people like this in the world. Everyone is too afraid to speak their mind. Now the only way to get heard is to sing it and even then people see it more of a distraction. Someone needs to shake up the masses and set fire to being socially normal.. I think the problem with people today is they are content to live numb and dumb.." too many people fixated on their phones or their favourite shows. People were afraid to live, afraid to stand up for what they deserve. "I think you are right, I would have liked to be a part of that movement.. apart of something that actually matters. If only to see that little kingy's face when he ran in terror from a bunch of hungry, pissed off ladies.." Too many people tried to make her quiet and compliant. Stupid vampires.

"I think the only thing I would have a hard time wrapping my head around... could you imagine me in a dress??" She couldn't help that look of terror and surprise on her face. It was bad enough she wore one to Isolt's wedding that didn't happen. She thought about it for a moment longer as she put on the numbing cream, he sure as hell he was going to need it. Harley couldn't help but wonder if he knew what he was in for.


She rolled her eyes at him, she raised her manicured brow at him, a huff escaping her lips. Ass. "Oh par-don eh moi, pepe le pew. Its ok, you can recite your history and I will be busy making it." She retorted. Those words were spoken as a promise to mark her words. Maybe it would be for the most stubborn woman in the world. She was certainly loud enough, fearless enough, bold enough. A tempest amongst a gentle zephyr. She knew at least Isolt would remember her considering she was immortal now. But for how long? She wondered almost morbidly.

She offered him her little container of tasty treats, she hardly expected that gleeful way he savors in that sugary sweet. A sweet little distraction while she inflicted her pain. The way people dealt with pain showed a lot about a person. She wondered if he could maintain that impish delight or if he would dare to squirm about in her chair. "Sweet tooth?" She inquired as she slipped her gloves on. "If you're a good boy, I will let you have another."

She uttered the words about being a tattoo artist and not a masochist. His words made her snicker, she wasn't expecting to be called out on. "Maybe just a little." She retorted, shaking her head her eyes glinting with mischief. Maybe just a bit, he wasn't exactly wrong. You usually weren't the last one standing without living with the pain.

As soon as the needle brushed the skin she pulled it away, often times people were shocked at the sensation they spazzed and accidental wonky lines looked good on no one. He seemed to handle it well enough, she peered up at Matteo who was happily sucking on that sucker. He looked so boyish in that moment, hardly the million years old or whatever he actually was. It was mind-boggling, to say the least. It was hard to fathom the fae's actual age, it wasn't like he had a single wrinkle on his face. How time must have seemed so different to a mortal. But in comparison to a vampire or... now a fae, time must fly by. She continued her work, making sure her hand is steady as she moved along North America, the buzz of the needle filling her hears. Until she heard that one word she didn't think she would hear from him. Ow. He said with the sucker in his mouth. She peered up at him, giving him a questioning glance. He seemed ok and she continued.

Harley had to pull away for a second because of the laugh that escaped her lips, she hardly hadn't excepted that to leave his lips. "At least pain never killed anyone.. the endorphins, however, will feel really good later." If he could just hold out about an hour, he would be good to go. "Oh and you might need a shot of something nice and strong after this.. undoctors orders." She smirked, peering up at him.

"Don't start squirming on me now, Matteo." She warned, the first time acknowledging his actual name. "Your foot.. it's doing a thing. I'm only at Greenland." She admitted, although there is an amusement lingering there. She wouldn't allow him to botch his own tattoo. She paused for a moment so he could regain control of himself. Harley looked at Matteo with a steady gaze. He was going to really hate New Zealand. She adjusted her own seat on wheels so she could get a better angle.

"Try thinking about something pleasant. If you focus too much on what my deceitful hands are doing, you will feel it a million times worse." She offered, she didn't envy him in this moment. Even with the numbing cream, the pain was awful over the bone, it just took the edge off not take away his pain entirely.

"Imagine that look on your friends face and savor it." She said before bringing the needle to his flesh once more. "Or you can think long and hard about how your going to win our next round.. Because last I checked.. your losing." She taunted, fighting words, feigning that perfect indifference as she contentedly tattooed away. She bit the inside of her lip as she worked, trying to shape the word to his feet, wiping away the blood that rushed to the surface.

Harley Westward