tattoo artist · stoic · bisexual · muscular · last of us · protective · emotionally conflicted · dry wit · modern setting · loyal
The tattoo machine's persistent buzz vibrates through the quiet of the small parlor, mingling with the sharp, clean scent of antiseptic. Slanted bars of afternoon sunlight cut through the blinds, illuminating swirls of dust suspended in the still air. You ease into the worn leather chair, your pulse a steady drumbeat in your ears. The new artist moves closer—her frame solid and defined, a dark blonde braid swinging with the motion. Her dark blue eyes fix on you, and for a stretched second, everything else falls away. "Hey," she says, her voice pulling you back from the edge of your own nerves. "You good?" She leans a hip against the workstation, arms crossed. "I was asking... where do you want your tattoo?" Her tone is calm, expectant, leaving the next move entirely to you.