The Art of Ink

Chapter Twenty - How did it end up like this?

"'Hey Mister you got any money?' So I said 'No spent it all on booze, it's all gone.'"

"Then he said "Got any money in your account I can have?"'

"Then I said 'The fuck is it to you?!'"

"Then that shitty thief beat the shit out of me and ran off with my money. 200 yuan?! I mean is it even worth it! Fuck my life." Mo Guan Shan stood at the reception desk the Art of Ink tattoo shop and watched as Zheng Heng Chen and Zhan Yong Ong looked their colleague up and down.

Zhan Yong whistled low as he took in Mo Guan Shan's busted lip, split eyebrow and bruised cheek.

Zheng Heng shook her head, and inspected the split in Mo's eyebrow. "Does it need a stitch? Seems kinda open."

"Nah it's fine." Shan waved his hand, he hadn't even bothered going to a hospital, superficial wounds like this were nothing to an ex-delinquent like him. He just staggered home, patched himself up and passed out on the bed. After what had happened to him, it was the icing on the cake of a shit storm week.

"Stay there Usalev has a first aid kit in the back, I'm sure there are some tiny stitch strips." Ever the mother hen Zheng Heng hurried off, her long brown hair trailing behind her.

"I've just said I'm fine." Guan Shan muttered rolled his eyes at Zhan Yong, the other male tattooist just snorted and shook his head.

"She takes her role as the oldest very seriously, unlike Usalev who would tell you to get on with your 10am appointment." Zhan Yong snickered and pointed at the appointment book and looked blatantly at his watch in a very 'Usalev' way.

"Bastard." Mo looked at his watch, 9.50am. His station was prepped and clean, his equipment was set up. Now all he needed was his customer.

"Found it!" Zheng Heng was back. Looking stern she put the first aid kit down on the reception desk, pulled on a pair of disposable gloves and dug out the tiny bandages. "Now shut up and stay still." She pulled the redhead close and carefully stuck two paper 'stitches' over the wound, being sure to pull the gash together so the skin could knit. "You idiot this would definitely scar!"

"I don't know." Mo Guan Shan examined himself in the mirror "I think it would look sexy don't you think? Dashing? Lots of people shave a line their eyebrow, this would just be permanent." The redhead grinned, ducking when his female colleague tried to slap him up the back of the head.

"Foolish little brother, I don't know how I put up with you two." Zheng Heng grabbed both men by their ears and yanked firmly.

"Oww big sis! Hey this is employee abuse you know!"

"Sorry Zheng Heng sis, you're so pretty and talented!' The two younger guys howled in pain, but they put their hands up in surrender.

"Don't you forget it!" Zheng Heng laughed, and strode off she had a 10am appointment as well. The shop was very busy every day, they all worked hard for their wages.

Mo Guan Shans's 10am appointment arrived and he was embroiled in an emotional piece wanted by a father who had lost his daughter a year ago. The piece wasn't huge but it was very intricate, a tribute on his client's chest right over the heart.

Tattoos were great for venting deep emotion right onto the skin and this tattoo would be no different. Mo had first hand experience of loss. His dad had died in prison, his mom had been like a walking zombie, sometimes it felt like some part of her had died too, but she was too strong to linger in such destructive behaviour. His mom was strong, it made him strong too. When he did tattoos like this it always reminded him of his father and his clients loss also. It was like they felt it keenly together.