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He had the right address, he thought, kinda thought? Had scribbled it on a torn off half of a partially whetted by grease napkin with a pencil that was only halfway sharp. Whatever, if he got it wrong he'd just try other places. Spurred on by - ******** - being himself. He'd gone looking for a parlor; older now then he was then. More prone to focus and purpose of form rather then stupid little scratched out messes in ink and blood while half drunk.

What he'd found when he'd gone looking had been a boarded up thing. Ownerless, abandoned, shut down. Closed up and why? He'd wanted to know. Had liked the guy. First person to tell him no on something that even he would've regretted. Older at his trade and had a gentle touch for it - put the ink in and wasn't heavy handed enough to let it to scar. Had advice that was actually good advice. Who'd told him to shut up - because yeah - talking did ruin the lines and hadn't that been a whole exercise in patience for him?

Didn't know the guy from Adam enough to remember his name, but he remembered his work, and that was enough. More than enough even, to spur him on into a gentler sort of hunting. As himself, as Waru, as a concerned citizen who just wanted to check in and like - ask questions - maybe he'd gone private, maybe he still did stuff outta his home, all retired type like?

Whatever...

Knocked loudly the first time. Thought better of it, because rude, and so he knocked softly a second time - paused and just - how many times was it knocking before it was banging down the door. Huffed and made himself wait. Satchel slung over his shoulder carrying goodies - things mothers all the world round woulda approved of, because who knew what sick meant for him? Better to be safe than sorry.

Oh so he did live there - in there - above it? Cool. Waru hadn't expected anyone to answer really, or had maybe expected someone different than the guy he was looking for. Grinned hugely, because jackpot for him, and even though time had passed he could recognize a face, kind of hard to mistake someone who'd put hours in on him. Even if he'd forgotten the name which, shame on him really, for having a mind like a sieve for words but a vault for visuals.

"Yeah, actually, you could.....are you good?" and had to stare a little more, tilt his head like a besotted labrador, because something seemed off. Couldn't tell what, could only tell that the guy seemed all customer servicy and Waru wasn't here for a service yet. Unless he offered, which...

Well if he offered he would've taken it honestly. Said yes at the drop of a pin, but if the guy was offering why close up at all?

"M'not like, selling s**t, itsa - house call kinda? I mean, so, I came looking for here, n the guy who inked me like -gods- ages ago. Figured if it was abandoned then, yeah, makes sense, and then I heard these rumors that he'd died, or gotten sick, or whatever, but you're clearly here n' alive so...did you quit? No wait, are you good? I brought snacks, not as a bribe! Just cause, you hear someone gets sick - and that can mean a lotta things - and the work you did on me meant a lot of things soo...uh..." rambling, on a tangent and rambling and so Waru shut the hell up and shuffled his bag gently. An offering.

“Oh-s**t you nearly died!?” balked a little and was sure there was a story behind that somewhere, wanted it, stepped aside with ease as the guy led him down the steps and around the side.

“Wh-wait what!? No! Oh, no, no, no man, it’s not that, yeah? I came to you, like, years ago. I’m sure that I must’ve been a shitty little teen when I started this thing. You were good, with your hands and the needle, n’ me being impatient as ********? I’m always working on it - adding to it. Wanted more done and just…I guess I thought of your shop? Full nostalgic mood yanno?” Motioned to the sleeve of ink on his arm though it continued down much further then that. Had a vision for it, one that he would put in years on.

Wanted for a good artist with good hands who wasn’t a pretentious p***k about how he pushed his designs. Waru was simple, in mind and body, and so he’d started simple. Continued to weave it out through his skin over time, like embroidery over flesh - an embellishment. Needed a good artist to play the loom and knit in more patterned threads. He’d had an amazing dream and just wanted —-

“It’s Waruhiu by the way, ah, Waru works better tho? Not that I wouldn’t have hit you up for s**t in the past I’m sure, but I tried not to mix my plugs with my daily priority things - and like - it all kinda lost it’s appeal cause nothings as good as straight adrenaline, plus, yanno I kinda got a look I’m going for? Not willing to trade all this off for a good high.” Admired the patio - the table - pulled up a chair and sat haphazardly in it because he didn’t want to loom over the guy.

“The goodie bags like, canned soup, n tissue, n’ mom stuff for sick types? Figured if you were sick - and wasn’t like there were details - but if you were? Gifts are nice, and if you were dead or moved ida just kept it myself…” gestured to the little bag with a shrug and a smile, clearly amused with the whole interaction. Glad the guy was very clearly, alive, not dead, up and waking and talking and maybe - just maybe - still using his shop?

“You got it all in one.” Soaked up his amusement like a lizard in the sun. Liked having someone admire the work who knew what they were looking at, easy to be touched, assessed.

“So do it for fun then? Since you’re not dead, m’glad for that by the way. No need to get all serious on it. Hell you could even patch in what’s faded. Touch ups on old lines always look so ******** sharp.” adoration in a sigh of sound, because it was true, because he would’ve taken anything, was already taking up the guys time. Enjoying it really, talking shop and he would always love to talk. Scenting smoke the smoke tinged air and smiling softly just for the company of it.

“My real goal, eventually? Is to let it eat up my whole back, vertebrate to tailbone, trail into a second sleeve. Tribal demon, something wild, something mean and clean. Like a predator, or ah, like a warning?” he liked being bold, stark, big hard lines for big bold pictures. Simple, clean shapes.

A soft shrug for that, watched the smoke drift lazily, and wanted to prod almost, for the story vaguely alluded to. Let that thought drift off too. Wasn't his place to do. Walk up, barge in, and demand answers just to sate his own brazen curiosity for the thing.

"S'fine, you survived yeah? That's like, the important part outta all that - the uh - whatever s**t it was that happened? You're still here after it." hands splayed in a passive gesture, because that seemed to be how life went. s**t happened, people dealt with it, or they didn't, and whatever followed in the aftermath of it all happened regardless of the rest.

"I'm glad you can use it. I'm not askin for the red carpet tho. If you wanna, if you think you'd enjoy it? S'better to pay people for passion projects." couldn't hide the possible excitement at the chance of it. Even if it didn't pan out. He couldn't help but be happy for the chance encounter. Seeing someone who'd in a small unique way been instrumental in his - himness - and if only he knew how important his tattoos were to him.

How ingrained into his very being, and the power beneath that they'd become. More than mere ink on skin at this point. "Oh - yeah, sure!" pulled his phone out and pulled up his own number in his contacts file - slid the screen across enough so he could take it. "Even if you can't do it...a text'd be nice, even after? To have someone who knows what their doing to bounce ideas off of, so I don't accidently get something insanely generic - like a koi fish." soft slightly smothered laugh, because he'd be damned if he'd get any animals on him. No names, no ex's faces, no 'koi pond x cherry blossom combo'. "Thanks by the way - for talking. I'm sorry I came at you like some tweaker yeah? Jeez." not enough shame to be embarrassed for it, only ever bemusedly astonished at how he could be perceived.

Waru snickered and nodded in agreement, because yeah he didn’t want some generic babies first stick n poke - was the furthest thing from a koi fish - he wanted good, and maybe he could tease out info on who if anyone in destiny city was still good in the ever changing scene of it. Maybe he could wheedle his way in to getting more than just patch jobs and touch ups if he was behaved and friendly about it.

He wanted a good tattoo yeah, the experience of that, but more than that? He wanted a good artist to do it. Wasn’t a lot of s**t he was willing to put up with when it came to needles in his skin - wanted the gentle lulling buzz of someone who knew the works of it - wouldn’t overtax or stress or scar him up, no shitty first timers who’d just gotten off of the probation period of inking up pig skins and their drunken friends.

“Aww, a cat n a bird? Sounds like you’re keeping busy then. I’ll keep an eye out for the text. Just in case.” soft smile and stretched as he left, waved the guy off to have his day and his space back, feeling good about the encounter as a whole.