Making it Official

[Nox]

Nox smirked, he tried not to laugh, it was the only concession he could make without pissing the guy off more. He was about to trust his skin to him. He muttered mostly to himself. "I'll wait, it's cold out there."


The pictures on the wall were all sorts of designs, some were crap, not the work itself but the things people wanted to permanently attach to their skin. The buzz of the guns made Nox nervous. He absentmindedly rubbed his forearm as if the needle was already stabbing him. He shook his arms and dropped his hands to his sides. Maybe he should have asked Aurora to come hold his hand. He was trying to not look like a fool or an ass as he fought the urge to smack himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand. He was not a child who needed his big sister to get through this.

Nox started rubbing his forearm again and caught himself. Fuck! Nox didn't excuse himself, there was no point, they'd hear the little bell as he stepped outside. The collar of his coat he pulled up around his neck, the wind was brisk but it was better than the vibrating hum of the tattoo guns.

Nox stood just outside the door to the shop, enough room for people to walk past him, and/or get into the door to the shop. And still far enough away the slush from the street didn't splash on to his clothes, that would only make matters worse. He didn't know how long he stood there, in the cold, wishing he was else where. Wishing he hadn't pissed the man off who was going to be permanently marring his skin with the ancient symbol of the Atharim. He could only pray the man would do his job and not take out his vengeance upon him.

The door to the shop behind him opened and Nox turned to see the pretty girl Lucas had been working on walking out the door. He smiled at her and grabbed the door to let her leave without having to hold it any longer. She smiled at him and went on her way.

Nox took a deep breath and walked back into the door that held the man who was not happy he was there. Nox took off his leather coat and hung it up by the door. He wasn't about to talk off his hooded sweatshirt, he'd roll it up for Lucas to work but he wasn't going to endure cold and needles and the jarring shake of the hum of the tattoo gun.

Nox walked to the counter and pulled the paper from underneath the book and slide it towards Lucas. "I promise not to be a dick today."
He didn't smile, there was no grin, just a straight face. He was trying. He'd get this man to like him, as if his life depended on it. And it really could. He could ask Aria to ditch him, and he was pretty sure Aria would think long and hard about it before sending him packing. And that would just be shit. He wanted to keep hunting with Aria, it was well worth the work he had to do and he could be the friend she needed of him, and he would get along with Lucas just to make her life easier.

Nox tapped on the Chinese dragon eating it's own tail as it curved to make the infinity symbol. It was a pretty straight up design, mostly solid colors, no fancy patterns like Aria's had been. "I want the edges in red, he ran his fingers along the fins and areas he wanted to color. The rest black. Think it's doable?"
He was pretty sure that Lucas was more than capable of it. Right now he'd keep it business, maybe later he'd mention working with Aria on a more permanent basis. But not right now.