Closed to [imthequick]

[chickenleggy]

It was early summer. Prime time for freshly graduate highschoolers to get tattoos of anchors and birds and nautical stars. Hanzo couldn't say he wasn't glad that it was almost time for it to be over. He rarely did those types of tattoos, his own prowess and skill lending him more to the traditional (for him) Japanese style tattoos or even an experimental watercolor style. But his coworkers would tattoo 18 year olds with whatever piece of body art they wanted, so there were currently teenagers in and out the front door at all hours of the day.

"You can't have your coffee back here," he snapped at a teenage girl and she jumped - any protests she was about to start spouting cut off at the severe look on his face. "In the reception area," he said, pointing. She went, and the front door opened with a chime. His appointment wasn't due for another fifteen minutes so he turned back to disinfecting his station, fussing with his autoclave.

Coverups weren't his usual thing, either, but the man had come to him on a recommendation from his brother - Genji had been insistent, and the man, Jesse, hadn't been completely insufferable, so he'd agreed. He could understand wanting to cover up a gang symbol, he had covered his own years ago, and done the same for Genji not long after.

Hanzo was a well-built man. For somebody who sat all day hardly moving, he was thick with muscle across his shoulders and back. He had two full sleeves, and tattoos working across his shoulders and chest and legs, and multiple piercings - pretty much willing to get a piercing to let one of his coworkers practice, he kept the ones he liked, which led to ears glittering with jewelry, several studs in his nose, and two barbells in his tongue. The name plate at his station didn't sat his name but instead careful kanji. He told everybody it was his name, but the characters really read 'dragon man'. A joke from Genji, thinking he was so clever.

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[imthequick]

Jesse fully expected to live with the reminder of his wasted youth for the rest of his life. Tattoos were permanent after all and the garrish skull on his left forearm was going to be there forever. The Deadlock gang was supposed to be forever too. Being young and stupid the tattoo was a great way to show his loyalty to the biker gang.

It wasn't until he met Genji Shimada that he thought about getting a cover up. Genji was absolutely certain that his brother could make the Deadlock skull into something nice to look at. He still thought about it for awhile before he booked the appointment.

He was really not sure what he was expecting when he walked into the tattoo parlor. He certainly wasn't expecting the amount of teenagers and college kids hanging around. They were about the same age he was when he got his mistake. Poor idiots didn't have any idea what they were signing up for.

"Hi," he said with a charming smile at the receptionist. "I've got an appointment. Sorry, I'm just a little early."

[chickenleggy]

The receptionist - who was really more of an 'artist wrangler' than anything - looked from Jesse to her schedule on the computer. "Jesse?" She asked, and across the room, Hanzo's head lifted.

He turned on his stool. The man standing at the desk was tall, broad, and rather shaggy. Genji had sent him a picture of the tattoo on the man's forearm - black lines that seemed hardly faded by time - and had come up with a few ideas already. "Come on back," he said, gesturing. Normally, he would do consults in the waiting area, but since it was full of teenagers, his workstation would do. He dragged a stool over from a neighboring workstation so Jesse wouldn't sit in his chair and make him have to replace the wraps afterwards, and dragged up his sketchbook. He'd printed off the photo of the tattoo and paperclipped it to one of the pages, and the few following it was full of ideas.

Genji had said 'he's a cowboy' so one of the first sketches was of a modified southwestern scene complete with full moon and coyote - it did work rather well, so there were a few more that were more refined than that, but also motifs of flowers, and clouds, and some blackwork that he'd always wanted to play around with.

[imthequick]

Now, Genji had tattoos and piercings but not quite to the level of his brother. Jesse was a little surprised when he got his first look at the guy. Honestly? He looked like someone that Jesse would bring in but the tattoos and the piercings they all worked for the guy. He didn't look like a idiot like someone else might.

Jesse sat down on the stool and politely took his hat off. He left it resting on his knee instead of putting it on any of the carefully maintained station.

"Howdy," he said, offering a hand. "Nice to finally meet you. Genji talks about you a lot."

[chickenleggy]

"I am not surprised," Hanzo said, then shook the offered hand. "Good to meet you as well. I am Hanzo." He pushed the sketchbook over to Jesse. "Genji sent me a photo of your tattoo, so I started drawing up some possible ideas."

Jesse was a large man. He smelled like smoke and alcohol. Genji said he was a bounty hunter, and he was certainly broad and burly enough for it. "If you have any ideas, I can draw them out. This was mostly just playing around.

"If this was just a normal cover-up, we could use the tattoo in the design, but since it's a gang symbol, you don't want any of it to show. That does make it a bit harder, especially since the lines are so thick and dark."

[imthequick]

"Definitely don't want any of it left," he muttered as he looked over the design ideas. The desert scene was appealing. He tapped his finger against it and looked up at Hanzo. "Something like this is good. Always did love the open road in the desert. If you can manage it."

Not that he doubted Hanzo's skills considering the artwork he saw around his station but the Deadlock skull was big, thick and well not that great artistically. It was clearly done by an amateur. It was obviously the tattoo of a young and stupid man.

"And how much is this gonna run me?" Jesse wasn't dirt poor anymore but he still had to be careful with his money. Bounty hunting wasn't always the most profitable.

[chickenleggy]

"Sure, that should be easiest." Hanzo started sketching again, adding in a road running away from the darkness of the shape of the skull to pull the eye away from it. The shape took form quickly enough - the spires of rock pulled from the long, scraggly 'teeth' of the skull, the head of the skull turned into a low, full moon, a coyote outlined to draw attention. It really looked like it could be part of an entire southwestern sleeve scene, which would be interesting to do.

"Eh..." Hanzo shrugged his shoulders, looking down at the design. "Let me see your arm?" A picture was different to reality, and it would be impossible to get a really good idea of how much it would cost without seeing the actual thing to be covered.

[imthequick]

Jesse held out his left forearm where the skull took up almost all of the skin. He had foregon the usual Deadlock in black letters that other gang members had and just left it as the signature skull. That was a small blessing. He imagined it would be much harder the change the lettering.

"Ain't much to look at, I know," he said feeling a little self conscious under Hanzo's intense gaze.

The man had the most serious expression Jesse had ever seen. Ge no was much more relaxed, much easier to approach. Hanzo seemed to be the exact opposite of his brother.

[chickenleggy]

Hanzo reached out to take Jesse's arm. He turned his arm this way and that, looking at the tattoo. It was indeed thick and dark still, and would be an ass to hide very well, but he was sure he could do it. "Annoying enough, I am sure." He reached over to pick up a ruler and laid it on Jesse's forearm, measuring the length of the tattoo. "I'll do my best to keep the tattoo from going down onto your wrist where it could be seen past your shirt sleeve, but it comes down far, it'll be a pain. I think to make it look good we'll have to have it wrap around to the back of your arm. You could make it into a full sleeve in the future if you want, it could look cool."

He looked from Jesse's arm to his sketch and made a few adjustments. Then he let go of Jesse's arm and turned more of his attention to the sketch, solidifying some lines. "How is this?"

Hanzo's demeanor was definitely one that not all the people that came in to see him liked. He was more practical than anything, and rarely was visibly excited about a design, but for the clients that came back to him, he was one of the best. Very much a big fish in a small pond, but he had no desire to be famous - no need to draw more attention than necessary and risk the Shimada-gumi finding both him and Genji.

[imthequick]

"I'm not sure a full sleeve is what I'm lookin' for but I'll keep it in mind," Jesse said as he took the sketch from Hanzo. It looked like a scene straight out of the gorge he'd grown up near and the gang had taken its name from.

It made him smile softly to look at it. Just like home.

"Yeah, yeah that's mighty fine." He might have to get a few extra bounties from Reyes or tap Jack to see if the police commander had something but he'd find a way to cover the cost whatever it was.

"Guess I better go schedule the first sitting." He could already tell he was going to be spending a lot of time with Hanzo for this one. That much work was going to take multiple sittings.

[chickenleggy]

"Four hundred for this," Hanzo said. "This will technically be a half-sleeve tattoo." He touched the inside of Jesse's elbow, marking how far up the tattoo would go.

"I can do it in eight hours, probably. If it was just a regular tattoo it would be easier, but we might have to adjust as we go due to the coverup, so it's better to just give some extra time."

Hanzo scooted his rolling chair back. "I should have time later this week to do it."

[imthequick]

Jesse whistled through his teeth. Four hundred was steep be he could scrounge it up. It might mean ramen for a few days and cheap diner food but he'd manage.

"How late are you open? Might have to come after work and my schedule's a little... unpredictable." He shrugged a shoulder. Could be he would get his catch fast but sometimes he would be gone all day after a target.

Jesse was a little relentless sometimes.

[chickenleggy]

"I can stay late, depending on my schedule." Hanzo took back the sketch and wrote a number on the bottom. "You can call me directly, I know what I can do later at night. I don't usually work late, so Mia won't schedule you for it, but if you call me I can add you in manually." He passed the sketch back, after signing it with his name. Both in Japanese and English. If Jesse was paying attention, he would be able to see that what Hanzo wrote did not match the name plate on his work station.

"And you don't have to come in right away to have it done, if you need to save up money first." Hanzo shrugged, not too bothered by the process. He was used to having to split up sessions over weeks or even months so his clients could afford their tattoos, and as long as they didn't attempt to go to anybody else for cheaper, he was fine wiht it.

[imthequick]

"I'll keep that in mind." He got his phone out and put the number in. Since he couldn't do the characters he put in the first name. Hanzo. He was going to see a lot of him in the next few days, maybe weeks depending.

"Don't worry, I'll get your money," he said firmly. "Not gonna cheat you."

He absolutely refused to not pay or take his time. The next time he sat with Hanzo he'd have the money for him. He was an honorable man no matter what his past was.

"I'll set up a time and let you know if I can make it or not. How's that work for you?" he asked, running his fingers over the screen of his phone.

[chickenleggy]

Hanzo nodded. "That sounds good to me." He turned from the counter to look over the mess that was the shop, checked the time, then stood. "I'm going to get out of here. Too many teenagers." And he had time until his next appointment, thanks to Jesse turning up early. He could maybe get a coffee or something. Hanzo scooped up his phone and dragged on his jacket, hiding the majority of his tattoos from sight.

It didn't hide the arrows tattooed on the outside of his index and middle fingers on each hand, or the hint of the dragon poking out the end of his left sleeve. "I'll follow you out," he said.

[imthequick]

"Oh, uh, sure." Jesse was a little surprised at the offer and the change. With the jacket on Hanzo sort of looked like everyone else, except for the piercings and the attitude.

He made his next appointment with the receptionist, giving her a wink on his way out. She giggled, apparently charmed by him which meant it was a good day. He headed out and when he stepped outside and had his hat back on he held out a hand.

"I know I said it already but thanks. I really appreciate all this." What he really appreciated was Hanzo never asked what he got the tattoo for or any stupid questions about his past.

[chickenleggy]

Hanzo nodded. "Not a problem. Genji speaks highly of you. And I know what it means, to want to get rid of a mark like that." Gang marks, though Hanzo was sure that his own, at least, had been professionally done. And it had not been a young man's desire to prove himself, but a pledge to his family.

Getting rid of the mark on his back, between his shoulder blades, had not been an easy process. He shook Jesse's hand firmly. "Though yours is definitely larger and easier to see than mine was." His lips quirked in a small smile. "I'll see you when you come in next." Then he stepped back, intending to head down the street to the starbucks and get a coffee before heading back to work. Maybe he would sit outside for a while, until he had to go back in, though.

[imthequick]

"Tell your brother I said hi and I'll see him around." Jesse grinned. "Maybe I'll catch him when I stop in. I'll see ya soon, Hanzo."

He was actually excited for this. He wouldn't be marked by his past for much longer. He walked away whistling a country song and rolling his sleeve down to cover the tattoo. In a few days the whole thing would start and he'd be free of it.

It was worth every penny and crappy meal he was going to eat for days.

[chickenleggy]

"Sure," Hanzo said and nodded shortly. He headed off to get coffee.

Three days later, most of the teenagers seemed to be done getting tattoos, and it was time for Jesse's first appointment. The studio was quiet, most of the other artists either off or not busy, so Hanzo looked up when the door opened. He had a finished sketch in front of him, transfer paper ready, and was just reassembling his tattoo gun when the door opened.

"Come on back," he said to Jesse, pushing off from the counter and leaving his gun lying there. He stripped off his gloves and stood.

[imthequick]

Three days had given Jesse a lot of time to get the money together and get a few extra bounties from Reyes. He was doing okay and glad to see Hanzo ready for him.

"Sure thing." He hung his jacket on a hook in the waiting area and rolled up the sleeve of his flannel shirt so the old tattoo was visible. "Gotta say, much nicer her without the teenagers."

He strolled into the back and sat down in the prepared chair. Everything looked in order to get started. "How long do you wanna go tonight?"

[chickenleggy]

"I agree," Hanzo said, settling back down on his stool. "I can go as long as you can," he said. "We can at least get down the base lines, and I can start filling in." He offered out the finished sketch. "This is the finished design... If it looks right to you, we can put it on the transfer paper ad get started."

[imthequick]

It looked really good, much better than anything he could imagine up himself. Hanzo had some real talent. "Yeah, that looks great. You're a real artist."

After a minute Jesse realized that sounded a little insulting and he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Not that tattoos aren't art. I mean, clearly they're art. Just look at you. You're a livin' canvas. A real work of art."

Which probably came across as flirtatious but he was being genuine. Hanzo looked good with his ink and piercings.

[chickenleggy]

Hanzo smiled at that - small, but warm. "Thank you for the compliment." He was wearing a tank today, and it showed off both the full expanse of the tattoos on his arms, but also the designs at his throat and on his back. Mostly he was wearing it to avoid having fabric rub against the new subdermal piercings on his collarbones.

"It is common, among my family, for the men to be heavily tattooed. Tradition, maybe." He gestured to his left arm, and the blue dragon that lived there, before taking back the paper. "Let's go shave your arm," he said, standing, then continued with what he was saying. "I received this tattoo at 16. Genji has one as well, on his leg, I am not sure if you have ever seen it." The green dragon consumed the entirety of Genji's right leg, its head curling on the outside of his hip, an open-mouthed, snarling thing. "I like traditional Japanese designs, but it is not something I want to have on my body any more than I already have. Other styles have much more freedom in them.

He led Jesse back to the small bathroom, where a disposable razor and cream was already waiting for them.

[imthequick]

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that." Jesse sighed. "I hope you've got a few razors."

He was a fairly hairy guy in comparison to Hanzo who looked mostly smooth. Jesse just seemed to have hair everywhere. He kept the hair on his head and face trimmed but everything else was just hair.

"You gonna do the honors or want me to take care of it?" he asked, watching Hanzo in the bathroom mirror. He didn't know how involved in this part Hanzo go. Some tattoo artists were really involved, every step of the way others just wanted to make the art.

[chickenleggy]

"Are you capable of not missing any hairs between your hand and your elbow?" Hanzo was not anybody's babysitter and while he didn't have a problem doing it, Jesse also seemed fully capable of shaving his own arm. He offered out the razor.

[imthequick]

"I guess we're gonna find out." Jesse took the razor and set it down on the sink edge.

He shoved his arm under the sink, turned the water on hot and started to scrub down his arm. He had never shaved his forearm before but he figured the more soap the easier it was for the razor.

It took him a few minutes to feel confident he had gotten every hair he could and it was a weird sensation. He rubbed a towel over the bare skin and then his hand to feel it. Without the hair the tattoo stood out more prominently. Yeah, he was really glad they were fixing this.