ink written on your soul;

[slicings]

[ dan feng will be arriving shortly, and yingxing can't help but to feel slightly nervous.

it's odd, for him, he's never nervous before his clients come in. he knows his worth, knows his own level of skill - he is one of the luofu's most sought after tattoo artists, most clients need to book well in advance, and yingxing is self-assured enough to never be anxious. but dan feng.. he's different. the moment he first laid eyes on the man, yingxing was entranced, and he knows for damned sure that he wants this tattoo to be up to his highest standards, to perfectly match the elegant, beautiful canvas he'll be applying it on.

they've only met in person once or twice now, to go over the design, most of their correspondence has been via email as yingxing worked on developing the piece, but to say he's got a stupid schoolboy crush would be an understatement. it's embarrassing, honestly, and unprofessional as well, so he's made sure to maintain the healthy boundary between them, even if the idea of seeing dan feng again is enough to get his heart fluttering against his ribs. ridiculous. he's well into his thirties, there's no reason to behave as if this man is his first crush, as if he's not a grown man with a job to do.

even still, once dan feng arrives it gets easier. something about the man simply puts yingxing at ease, calms his soul. he's just finishing sanitizing his station when dan feng appears in the doorway, and yingxing offers him a nod. ]

Come in. I'm ready for you.

[ he says, gesturing to the bench in front of him as he snaps on a pair of black nitrile gloves. ]

Comments

[inexpiabile]

[It's a bit strange, the way Dan Feng feels as he makes his way to the tattoo parlor he'd chosen to finally get a tattoo of his own. It wasn't as if he was worried about the pain people always tended to mention... so the only thing that could be causing a fluttering feeling in his chest is the tattoo artist himself.

Dan Feng honestly felt a bit silly, letting himself get distracted as if he were a teenaged boy still... but there was something about the other man that had drawn him in. At first it had only been his portfolio, the photographs of his work that more than proved his skill... but then they'd met in person for the initial consultation. He'd done his best to remain focused on the appointment and their discussion -- he only had so much time before the man's next appointment would arrive -- and yet his eyes had kept lifting to look at the man rather than his work.

His interest and those odd feelings hadn't gone away, either. Their second meeting had been brief, just a few remaining details to iron out before the actual tattooing... and that same fluttering feeling had settled into his chest yet again. It felt inappropriate, to get the odd butterflies feeling around someone he was only meeting for a job.

But that certainly hadn't stopped the feelings.

Still, he offers the man a light smile as he slips off his coat, does his best to behave properly -- to pretend as if he weren't feeling so strange. Beneath his light coat, Dan Feng is wearing a loose, wide-collared shirt.. something that would keep out of the way while Yingxing worked, and his long silky hair is tied back and held in place by a decorative hairpin.]

I know I've said it before, but I appreciate your willingness to work with me.

[His voice is quiet, conversation just between them as he settles. Not all tattoo artists were willing to work with someone who had something so specific in mind -- the style of dragon, there could be no alterations.. not for this particular tattoo. Dan Feng had spent hours looking through portfolios... and he'd loved Yingxing's work.. and in truth he had been worried that the man would refuse.]