The Tower of Passion

someawkwardflame

As I am getting closer to finishing the pre written Act 1, I am starting planning act 2 - I know a lot of you have idea's suggestions, specific monster girls you want to see. I will in the next few weeks hopefully be doing some polls and questions on my discord were people can choose between some non-plot affecting things they might be interested in for Act 2, as I have too many idea's for all of them to fit. It will be limited to kinks & specific types of monsters, not plot points - but if you want to be a part of this, join the discord. And don't worry - there's still a lot left of act one for you:)

The map leads Fiona and Liddy - just the two of them again, to a trade district. 
"Should be around here" Fiona said, leading the pair through the busy streets, strange smells, and colorful stalls. Down an alley, around a corner, through a store, hop through a window?

The instructions made no sense, but eventually, she got to a trade stall that... Had a door and an open window leading right onto the street. 
Was this Guff's idea of a joke?

"Berserker?" A voice said, and Fiona spun her head to find its owner. An elven woman dressed... Well dressed like Fiona. And about as muscular - no bulge. She was covered in tattoos, intricate designs covering her stomach, arms, neck, and hands. She was standing next to a large chest, seemingly organizing its contents.
"She is - I'm just tagging along." Liddy beamed.
"Yeah... I am looking for my profession."
"Oh great - I am the Gharva, the instructor for [Tattooist], we'll help you bring out additional power!"
Fiona never got a tattoo before transcending, she'd clearly considered it... But never dared. And now she was going to be a tattooist?

"What... What does it do? I'm" her lack of knowledge knocking her confidence again. "Sorry, I only gained the class as I entered the tower my... "Would the lie pass here? She didn't have a choice though - Liddy and Ash certainly seemed to believe her. "My sphere recently connected. "

"Oh - Oh sure, I'll give you the basic intro before I teach you it." She sat down on an elaborate chair clearly intended for whoever was getting a tattoo, and lounged back while indicating Fiona sat on the nearby stool.
"So as berserkers obviously we don't wear armour - we can provide benefits to ourselves, or others through tattoos. The exact benefits depend on your subclass - we'll get to that in a minute." She looked at Fiona to make sure she was following. "The tattoo HAS to be visible - if it's hidden by armour or clothes it won't have any effect. Straps are fine" She indicated a tattoo across her collarbone that had the straps of her top going over it.

Fiona thought for a moment.
"So I have to permanently mark people to buff them?" Her eyes went to Liddy. "I like tattoos but I don't know if my party will like that."

The elf shook her head. "There are two options - it's not like mundane tattoos you might get. First, you paint it, a stencil if you will. That will give a portion of the effect, and be temporary. Then you can make it permanent, increase the effect, and... Well it's there. Forever." She smiled.

She hopped down and stood in front of Fiona, her cleavage right in front of the human's face.
"Now, I'll need to know your subclass if you want help with finding out what effects you have - or I can just unlock the ability for you and help you apply your first ones. It will be easier if I know the effects, as the placement and colours are important, but no pressure." A patient look on her face, happy to wait for Fiona to mull it over.

The choice was simple. Embarrassing, she knew it would be, but simple. She had no idea about tattoos, placement, or anything - she liked them, and thought they looked cute sometimes but applying them? No, she would need all the help she could get.

"I'll tell you, it's fine." She looked at Liddy for support, and the sea gnome held her friend's hand. "How does it work."
"It's really simple - I just have to... Can I touch your forehead quickly?" Gharva asked, hand reaching up to Fiona who nodded her approval and the elf let her fingers gently brush Fiona's forehead, brushing apart the pink hairs of her fringe, a soft red glow flowing between the elf's fingers, pulling out the pink from Fiona's forehead.

"Oh - That's a new one, let me have a quick look." She kept the connection going, it felt strange to Fiona - like someone was rooting through her head "Don't worry - I can only see the tattooist's abilities, you have a lot of options here and... Well I've not seen anything like this." The elf seemed almost bashful, and Fiona could guess. She knew her class. "It does seem to match the rest of your... abilities. Both in design, placement, and benefits."
"What... what does that mean?"
"Well, most berserkers have tattoos that just benefit themselves - you have those, but they all seem to rely on your.. bonds, with your party members." The elf looked at Liddy. "Normally I would recommend a first tattoo on yourself - but with your skillset, I think doing it on another would be a better start for you. Just temporary of course - if your friend doesn't mind?"

"Me?" Liddy asked, bewildered.
"Yes - it will disappear in a few days or so. Just so she can practice."
"Oh, uhm yes! Anything to help Fiona!"

Fiona felt a warmness she hadn't felt in a long time other than with her online friends. Gharva ignored the moment between the friend and carried on.

"Great - monk right? Want increased dexterity, damage, speed?" Liddy thought for a moment, looking at Fiona. A strange expression came upon her face, she seemed almost upset before she spoke.

"No uhm is there anything for healing? Or to make my summons stronger?"

"Let me check - you can kinda scroll through what's available to you just by thinking - or asking the system to scroll through your options. You can also combine designs to add multiple effects - there are limits with temporary, maximum of one tattoo and two effects but the real ones have no limit.on amount." Fiona and Gharva looked through the designs, both of them getting more and more surprised as they saw what was available.

"I've found one... Well, I think if we combine these two? Gharva would that work?" Fiona spoke quietly to the elf who nodded. 

"Yeah, that would work if she's okay with the design and required placement."

The two looked at Liddy.

"It is... it's an interesting one Liddy. I won't be upset if you say no"

"Can I see it first?" The sea gnome asked. Fiona looked at Gharva, who nodded and brought out a blank parchment.

"For the temporary version, you hold your hand out like this" She'd placed the parchment on a table, and held her hand out palm down over it. "And try to imagine the tattoo pushing through your hand."

Fiona nodded, not quite understanding except... As soon as she did, it just felt right. Her hand glowed the now familiar soft pink, and the design appeared on the paper.

In the middle, there was a love heart, surrounded by swirling waves starting at a point below, rising up surrounding the heart before spreading to either side. It had a dark pink outline and a gradient of pink in the middle. Liddy looked at it.

"Oh wow -it... I like it. Where does it need to go?"

She didn't know what it was, because of course she didn't. Fiona knew, knew all too well, and it was so hot and she felt awful. But if Liddy liked it? No one in the tower would know what it was so... It was probably fine.

"Your lower abdomen, uh. Right above your, you know." Fiona indicated on herself. 
"You can't wear anything covering your stomach, but that doesn't seem to be an issue with you." Gharva laughed, eyeing up the sea gnomes' skimpy beachwear. Liddy blushed a little.
"Yeah... You can do it. It looks nice."
"OK little one - hop up here and lie down, and I'll guide Fiona - you can wait a bit before you decide if you want the permanent one."

Liddy easily hopped onto the complex chair, where Gharva pulled some levers and had her lying flat. "You can do this anywhere, but most villages will have a tattooist if you want to use their chair. The first one's free, after that you pay to use it." She took Fiona's hand and held it over Liddy's lower stomach. Her abs. Fiona tried to not think about what it was. 
"Just do what you did with the parchment." 
Fiona nodded, pushing the design through again. It appeared on Liddy's tummy immediately, clear and crisp. It looked... Ho- No. No Fiona. It looked nice. 
"Do you like it?" Her voice was uncertain.
"Yeah, it's... It's cute. Let's see what it did." Liddy's expression immediately changed as she was clearly viewing her profile. Eyes flickering back and forth reading.

"How much stronger is the permanent version?" She asked Gharva.
"Two to three times normally, sometimes up to five." Liddy seemed to do some math in her head, before shaking it. 
"How does she make it permanent?"
"Liddy... You don't have to."
"No. Fiona, it DOUBLED all healing from all sources I do and then DOUBLED all abilities of my summoned creatures. I can't do the math but that's A LOT." The disbelief was apparent. "That's... Even if I hated it, I'd make it permanent. And I don't. This will make sure we stay alive." She held her friend's hand again. "I'm ok with it - and it helps your profession."

Gharva agreed, although her voice was doubtful.
"If that's true that's the most powerful tattoo I have ever heard... And yes, it would help. The skill does not increase with doing temporary ones. " 
"What does the increased skill do?"
"Oh, it.. It increases the benefit of all tattoos you have done that are on yourself or party members." It was Gharva's turn to do math in her head. "This is... Yeah, sea gnome I agree. I would take this whatever it was as well." She sucked her breath in. "You can't give this specific tattoo to anyone else once done, but it's so specific."

Fiona's head was spinning. This morning she didn't know what her profession was, but now she's giving her new friend a wom- a tattoo. A lower abdominal tattoo. A permanent one.
"So how do I make it permanent."
"Right - this is a bit harder, you should have tattooist tools in your inventory once you receive the profession." Gharva started, and Fiona went searching. She pulled out a long needle and a wooden hammer.
"You don't need ink - not for any that uses the profession." The elf spared Liddy a sympathetic look. "This will hurt."

"I don't mind - I can handle it."
"It will take a long time."
"That's ok."
"Right."
Gharva turned to Fiona, and showed her - she had to hold the needle over the fake tattoo and lightly hammer it in. Fiona recognized it as a simplified version of old, old tattoos from earth - and lined the needle up with the lines on Liddy's stomach.

"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Liddy smiled. 

And Fiona started hammering, Liddy struggling to stay still but doing her best. After an hour the sea-gnome went quiet, fists clenching.
"If you stop the entire progress is gone and you have to start over" Gharva warned.
Fiona kept hammering, little dribbles of blood as the artwork set into her friends stomach, fully focused until she suddenly heard someone. walk into the shop. The distraction made her turn around.

She saw a goblin, big floppy witch hat, purple hair falling beneath it. Voluptuous curves, wide hips, big droopy ears holding a crooked witch staff. 

"FIONA?"

Fiona recognize her immediately. She'd seen her every time she turned her computer on. She'd commissioned art of her many, many times.

Annabelle.