#kiwi-pie

Smoke curled up around the shop’s vintage light fixture.  It had been another shitty day and Morel’s arm was acting up again to boot.  He sat there massaging it as he watched people’s feet walk past.  His place was sort of like a basement with windows.. offering a view of the sidewalk in the one spot not occupied by a neon sign.  He’d been open for three hours now and not a single customer. Sighing, the man put out his cigarette and wondered what he might have for his 4am dinner. Jangling bells announced a newcomer and Morel turned a little too fast to see who it was.  “Dammit!”  His knee knocked one of his disassembled tattoo guns off the table and sent it clattering to the floor. “Have I come at a bad time?”  A blonde teen stood there, fashionably dressed and slightly disheveled.   “No no, come in you’re fine.  Are you the one who called about the skull and roses?” The Sea Hunter had gotten a message on the machine sometime during the day.. some chick looking for an appointment. “No..I’m just.. coming in..is that acceptable?” The teen shifted uneasily, tired-looking and speaking quietly. “Huh?  Oh yeah.  No problem. See anyone else here?”  Placing the pieces of his inker back onto the cluttered table, Morel laughed and gestured at two empty chairs. Kurapika relaxed a bit but remained standing awkwardly; torn about whether or not to pursue his urge to place a permanent marking on his body.  He’d been plagued by nightmares recently…re-living the despair he had experienced in York New. After much thought, the Kurta had decided to take measures to remind himself of how his life held meaning, regardless of reaching his goals.  In the little underground tattoo parlor, Kurapika wrestled with his childhood belief that the body was a temple to be adorned and not defaced.  He was an adult now, and there were no Kurtas to frown upon his actions.  A chain bound his heart, and now he desired something visible.    Something to keep him balanced and never lost again. Morel noticed the kid’s hesitation. Probably an ink virgin.  He noted that this girl..guy(?) was sober which was slightly unusual, but he got all kinds in his shop.   “So, what you thinking about?” Kurapika’s startled eyes met Morel’s.  “Excuse me?” Were his thoughts detectable?  He was well aware of the man’s aura, but this wasn’t necessarily a problem..or was it?  Was his nen able to read hearts or minds? “What kind of tat are you looking to get? Got anything in mind, or do you wanna look over some of my work?”  Morel crossed his arms over his chest and grinned.  ‘This ought to be entertaining.’

He didn’t expect the paper. His smile faded a bit as the blonde produced some unfamiliar symbols written in neat hand.  He studied it for a moment.  “mmm.  Ok.  I can do this ..it’ll probably take an hour. Where you want it?” Kurapika pointed to his left pec.  He wanted those words close to his heart. No one except this man would see them. “Alright, you can have whatever chair you like..there’s a hook there for your shirt.”  Morel walked over to his inks.  He normally picked out a few that seemed ideal for his clients to choose from.   This job was a simple one.  In his experience people normally liked to have words in shades black so he grabbed two different shades and a scarlet.  It matched the kid’s aura. Kurapika reluctantly undressed and hung his shirt and jacket on the hook with his tie.  His undershirt he kept balled up in his hand.  Wearily he sat down, his mother’s voice echoing in his mind.  “In the outside world, there are some who mark their bodies in strange ways.  Do not let this keep you from helping them, but not to follow their example.”   He sighed and looked around for something to focus on.  Something to help him through these tumultuous feelings.  A hand appeared in front of him.  Three vials lay in the muscular man’s palm and Kurapika’s conflicted thoughts melted away at the sight of the familiar scarlet.  He glanced up at Morel..unsure if this was a hostile act..or simply a kind gesture.  The silver-haired man noticed the teen’s dilemma and spoke freely. “This is just a starting point..  Did you have a color in mind or do any of these appeal to you?”  He grinned. He almost always guessed it on the first round.  Morel didn’t only use his nen to find his customer’s colors, but he also had pretty good intuition.  Kurapika’s light touch surprised him and he looked down to see the boy’s fingers on two of them..nightmare black and the scarlet.   “Can I have two colors?”

“Sure..I can make them look like this, with one being dominant and the other like a shadow, or a number of different things..”  The older man pointed to a sample of his work.  Morel didn’t feel like listing off every single option.. everyone always went with the shadow anyway. “I would like that, black being the stronger..” Kurapika stopped talking as the tattoo man began touching his chest.  Pushing on it and massaging the flesh.  The blonde looked down blushing as Morel felt around for any abnormalities. No one had ever seen him naked other than his parents.. and here this man was, placing flesh against flesh.  ‘Never mind this.’  He thought mildly irritated at his own prudishness.  ‘This is nothing to many people, why should it matter to me?’ “Ok, so I’m going to swab ya, and trace it on..after that you can inspect it before the inking gun.”   “G-gun?”  Kurapika looked up more than a little nervous.   He hadn’t given much thought to how tattoos were actually placed on one’s body. “Hah yeah.  First time?” “Yes.” “I got scotch here if you want it.” “Ah..no.  I’ll be fine.  Please.. continue with you work.” Morel shrugged and wiped the area clean before he began to draw on the boy’s chest with a wax pencil.  It tickled and Kurapika involuntarily shuddered more than once much to his embarrassment.  The Sea Hunter was used to it..many customers found the light pencil brushes to be the most difficult part to endure.  That and Morel often worked on a sensitive areas; the buttocks, inner thighs, breasts.  In no time he finished his preliminary sketch of the boy’s design. “Alright, take a look.  If you like it, I can begin filling it in.”  He handed the teen a mirror.  Morel normally didn’t ask about age.  All of his customers were obviously old enough…but this kid was a deceptive combination of youth and experience.  “You’re over eighteen, right?” Kurapika’s eyes flickered from the mirror to the large man.  Without a word, he fished his Hunter’s License out for the other to see.  Morel grunted as he recognized its authenticity. Good enough.  That took care of his next question; payment.  The silence was broken by the teen’s soft voice. “I am satisfied.  You may begin.”  Kurapika watched Morel load the black vial into the device with apprehension.  “It..shoots the colors into the skin?”  He asked slightly concerned.  Most likely this would be painful. “Hmm?  More like injects.. this uses a needle to place ink.  That brings me to my next question.  The number you choose will determine the look.  The more needles, the sharper the line.. woah!”  Kurapika had fainted.  Morel caught the boy before he fell out of the chair.  Definitely a virgin.

Kurapika moaned and sat up. He was on the floor with his coat over him.   “You ok?”  Morel looked up from him book. “How long was I out?”