I do not own X-blades in any form. This is a work of fanfiction.
...
Ayumi was a busty girl with a penchant for mashing money, stating that no job was too big or small, so long as the pay was right. She was particularly skilled as a treasure hunt, which had made her rather flush with cash. She lived in comfort with a large house, which had some treasures she decided to keep either for her simply liking them or not being able to sell them for enough money.
In her travels, Ayumi had come across an ancient scroll with a symbol for good fortune drawn in heavy, iron man ink and she decided to get it tattooed on her, around her belly button. All of the modern tattoo artists she went to in town reused to put the tattoo on her. "So, is there any reason I can't get this ink on me? It's not like I can't afford it." She asked her most recent refusal.
"Money has nothing to do with it. I am capable of doing it, and you can afford it, but it's an unwritten rule that only a traditional artist with special schooling can do." He answered.
"I don't suppose you know anyone like that, do you?"
"There's a guy on the edge of town. You'll need to take silver with you, because it's the only kind of payment he takes. Plus,I think it has to do with the link he uses. Something about purity."
...
Ayumi went by the directions the artist have her and found the path to the traditional artists home. It was rather well traveled, as a few people liked to get their body art done in such a way. The path was about a quarter mile long, which was easy going, even with the silver pouch in tow. She gets to his home and noticed a sign that said ' walk ins welcome, go around back'. She went around back and found the artist sitting under a gazebo. He was busy crafting another needle out of bone, as was the traditional fashion. "I hear you do of fashioned style tattoos. You have time for one today?"
"Of course. I got a call about your request. What exactly are you trying to get done?"
Ayumi handed him the scroll. "I wanted to get it around my navel. Will that be an issue?"
"Not at all. You have payment? Something this size will go for about five ounces silver, plus about a half ounce for mixing into the ink."
She put five one-ounce bars of silver on the table and a bag with just under an ounce of silver shot. "I tried to find silver dust, but shot is the finest I could get. Will this do?"
"This is perfect. I actually have a special grinder just for it."
He took the silver shot, put in in the grinder and turned it on. After a few minutes, the shot was turned into a fine powder the consistency of confectioners sugar. The artist laid sterile paper on a surplus cot and instructed her to lay down while he sterilized his hands and tools. He then mixed the silver powder into his ink and rubbed her belly down with alcohol. He started chanting something in an unknown language as he sketched the symbol on her belly with the silver ink mixture. Ayumi could have sworn she felt the air temperature drop a few degrees, even in the humid warmth of the forest.
The artist again cleaned and sterilized his hands and took up the bone needle and a small mallet. "This will feel a bit different from a modern, electric tattoo. Some people say it hurts more."
"I'm not worried. I've had much worse."
The artist went to work, tapping the silver ink into the skin of her belly, chanting something again. The process took awhile, but Ayumi preferred completion over speed.
...
Ayumi left the tattoo artists home and headed back to hers to rest, as she was to leave for abandoned ruins the next day. Her target was a special artifact, one that would fetch an exorbitant amount of money. She felt better, knowing she had the blessing of the symbol of good fortune on her body as well as the purifying silver in her blood. Her mission would make her richer than ever before.
