The One & Only

Archon was busy at school and she knew Camel was also probably busy with finals. So, she was alone. Hosea was off somewhere, probably with Vincent, and the girl had no want to hang out with her parents today.

A bored Callie was no good for anyone. So, she’d taken it upon herself to wander around town and visit her uncle Muse to see how he was doing and if he had anything fun around his shop for her to play with. 

Geometric Black Tattoos Inspired By Balinese Culture

Australian tattoo artist Jaya Suartika expresses his love for Bali, his childhood home, with a series of black geometric tattoos dedicated to the country. The outline of the tattoos paired with the originality of the shapes and geometric motifs present the artist’s signature style.

Whimsical Quilled Paper Designs by Sena Runa

Istanbul-based artist Sena Runa creates stunning quilled paper designs, which lend themselves to colorful compositions and a quirky imagination. Composed of a multitude of vibrant hues and pastels Runa’s pieces are the basis of intricate geometric designs, which are installed into larger figures.

Mainly constructed from a variety of different shaped circles, she proves to have a knack for color theory and composition. Each hue complements the swirl and movement of each shred of paper.

After developing her untapped talent, Runa quickly quit her job in HR to pursue her artistry full-time. Her unique and swoon-worthy technique has gained popularity for its beauty. You can buy her paper sculptures in her Etsy shop.

“We talking Napoleon short or Lord Farquaad short?” Sienna smiled, though she was sensing some of what Archer was saying wasn’t truthful.

“Really? A man who adores cats names his tattoo parlor Nocats?”

Where he lived, tattoos were a mark of ownership, of punishment, and humiliation. If he had the choice, Cosmas would do away with the mark altogether. As it was, he was trading one permanent brand with another. 

“Good night, then,” and he went into the third room.

There was a cot already there. Cosmas assumed that even though Muse said no one was interested in this place, he still got some visitors. Cosmas wouldn’t have minded sleeping on the floor, he was used to it, but he was glad for it. Maybe now he’d have a better night’s sleep. 

He laid on the bed, hand resting on his dagger, and closed his eyes. He had underestimated his exhaustion, for he slept quickly. It didn’t last for very long.

Muse prepares the paste. Over the past few days, Cosmas had stayed with him while the injury healed enough to withstand even more marking. Cosmas didn’t talk much, which was fine with him. If he wanted to mention something, he would have. 

“I’ve got experience handling angry people, no sweat.” ‘Handling’ here had the meaning of subduing for the most part, something Sienna could no longer do but again, she was confident in her ability to perform this job well.

“Nice to meet you, Archer,” she replied and shook his hand strong and firm, looking him in the eye. At least that was a habit she didn’t have to quit.

“I wasn’t sure if this place took walk-ins. Nice. I’ve heard it’s obscenely popular and appointments are booked half a year in advance, especially for the owner-artist.”

Her voice dropped in volume as she leaned in, gossip mode activated.

Archer laughs slightly. “A slight exaggeration. Only the head honcho gets the half year advances. Good luck with those angry because they’re not on the list.”

One of the greatest obstacles a soldier has about adjusting to civilian life is finding employment. For all of the success stories regarding the great programs out there that helped veterans obtain jobs and careers, there were just as many failures. Sienna wasn’t a veteran, she was in the reserves. But this did mean that apart from the weekend a month in which she had to come in to a reserve base, Sienna led a full civilian life.

It was a tough job market and despite the fact Sienna had originally joined the Marines to help pay for school, she had limited secondary education. Her plans changed after her last mission on active duty. Going to school would have been too much to handle at the same time as Zeke’s regime. He could be a cruel bastard.

She decided to apply for the position of front desk receptionist at a tattoo parlor on a whim. Sienna had a tattoo with her squad under the 2nd battalion 2nd marines, and another honoring a fallen member of her squad when an op she was running went bad. They were easy enough to cover up for an office job but she didn’t want to. Sienna had also worked in customer service when she was still a teenager as a sales associate with Claire’s. 

Sienna might have applied on a whim but the moment she got an interview she did her research. She even got to meet a few of the tattoo artists that same day, and they started filling her in on how it was like to work there when she started asking questions. Her diligence ended up paying off because she got a phone call after a few days stating she got the job after. She was excited and a little nervous.

Sienna arrived at Nocats early like she was instructed. She would start her training with Taiki. The parlor wasn’t opened yet, as evidenced by the sign on the door reading ‘CLOSED’. The door was open, however, so Sienna walked right in.

An artist she hadn’t yet met was at the front desk. Sienna assumed he was setting up to start the shift. A job responsibility that would soon become hers.

“Hello, I’m Corpo-,” ah whoops old habits, “-I’m Sienna Nevarrez, the new hire,” she walked up to him and held out her hand.