This is Our Time, Don't Slip Away.

[Kelli-wa]

Ansley hopped in her car only a day after their last gig. She was addicted, she'd admit it. She needed another tattoo. She started the car and revved the engine before she backed up and pulled out onto the road on her way downtown. The shop was open, usually until midnight, the only problem was that Jack, her usual artist was probably not working, considering it was a Tuesday and he was off the first three days of the week. Ansley, however, didn't think about that, only her huge desire to get the latest installment on the masterpiece that everyone else just called their skin.

So with a wad of money in her billfold, she stepped into the familiar tattoo parlor and smiled at the aura that came from inside. Audrey looked at her and smiled, "Ansley!" she said, "Jack's out today, but I bet you could get the new guy to do it. He's an amazing artist!"
Ansley talked to the girl for a few minutes and wondered where this 'new guy' was. "I guess he's in the back?" she asked lightly. Audrey nodded, "Yeah, I can go get him so you can talk to him if you want?" With that, she turned and walked to the break room to get him.

[Alisha]

Evan sat in the break room, hunched over the circular table, his charcoal running across the surface of the paper in long calculated strokes. Sure, it wasn't his lunch break, but he didn't really care. He was cool with the boss. It was getting pretty late, but Evan usually spent the time he wasn't with customer in the back room anyway, sketching or doing whatever he could to pass the time. He enjoyed his job, but it still got boring at times, especially when he chose to be not very social. He also hid back there to avoid his co-worker, a chatty girl who always had something to say to him. He was by no means a jerk, but he kind of didn't understand how she could have so many one-sided conversations with him. Evan looked up with Audrey came strolling in, chatting him up for a few minutes before mentioning a girl who was waiting in the front. He wondered why she waiting so long to tell him, and got up from his seat, closing his sketchbook in the meantime. He offered he a weak smile, "Thanks, Audrey." He said, "I'll be out in a minute." Making his way to the sink, he quickly washed his hands, ridding them of the back markings the charcoal left behind. Evan walked up to the front, a hand towel in his hands, the beads that covered the doorway announcing his arrival. Wiping his hands dry, he offered the girl a smile. "Hey, Evan." He said, "You must be Ansley."

[Kelli-wa]

As soon as she saw the guy come toward her she looked him over skeptically. She was very specific about the people who gave her tattoos and she wasn't going to be any less picky just because he happened to be cute. She licked her lips. "Yeah, I am. Are you any good?" she asked lightly, holding her hand out, "And you might as well give me your book now, because I'm not going to hire you unless I've seen some of your previous work." She knew that she was being hard on him, but honestly, she didn't want a shitty tattoo just because the guy doing it was attractive, and boy was he hot. She licked her lips, trying to keep her straight face.

[Alisha]

Evan furrowed his brow in question. Man, this girl is demanding. He wasn't sure who she thought she was, but he had to admit that she had a point. He sure as hell wouldn't let some stranger ink him without seeing some form of proof that they weren't an amateur. But that black book of his was personal, he didn't show it anyone. Ever. Evan tended to be very private when it came to personal things, and there was no way a perfect stranger was going to see it. He took the book out from under his arm and slid it under the counter. Evan pulled out a different one, a less personal and more work oriented version, and slid it over the counter towards her. "Here." He said simply. Just because she was pretty, he wasn't going to let her push him around. He may have been a quiet natured person, but he hated being a push over.

[Kelli-wa]

Ansley raised a brow at the book that he pushed across the desk to her. "This one's different. You aren't showing me someone else's right?" she asked as she flipped the cover open. Maybe she was being a little too rough, but honestly, who could blame her. It was her skin. Her canvas and if anyone screwed it up, she didn't want to be held responsible for what she might do to he or she. Better to be safe than sorry. She flipped through the book and she had to admit, she was impressed. The pictures were amazing. Vivid color and perfectly executed lines that seemed to flow perfectly. He must be a natural, he couldn't be older than twenty-two. She shook her head lightly and looked back up at him, "I think I owe you an apology. I misjudged you."

[Alisha]

Evan smirked, watching her. "Why would I show you something that wasn't mine? It's my ass on the line if I cant perform." He focused his eyes on anything but her as she looked through the book, trying his best not to feel like his thoughts were being intruded on. Sometimes that's what it felt like to him, when someone was looking at his work. He didn't necessarily create things for other people, it was mostly for him. It was his expression, his emotions put on paper or whatever canvas he had available to him. When Ansley spoke his eyes traveled back to her, nodding. "What were you looking to get?" He asked, curious as to what he'd be working with that night.

[Kelli-wa]

"Some people will do anything to get a gig," she said, flashing her eyes up at him from the page she was currently on. She wasn't completely finished with the book and everything was just so beautiful, she could hardly imagine that they had come from the person who stood before her, but she had no choice but to trust him. She closed the book and looked back at him. "Well, I originally thought I was just going to get something small, but--" she cut herself off and looked down at the book then placed her hand flat on it. "Everything in this book is gorgeous. Would you be up for a side piece? That goes up to the shoulder? I mean, if you have an appointment tonight, it can wait..." She'd been working on an idea for her left side for a while, but she'd wanted it to be perfect. He could do it, if what she saw in that small collection of his work was real, then he was perfect for it.

[Alisha]

Evan nodded, he knew what the business was like. It was like personal expression meant nothing to anyone anymore, and copyright was just some stamp that held no protection over your work. I was kind of why he'd gotten into the tattoo business in the first place, freedom of expression. In a sense, it was futile because whatever art he did for people, just got paraded around anyway. But, at least he got business from the talk, and it paid the bills. "I know what you mean." He said simply, this time keeping his eyes on her as she flipped through the last few pages of the book. Evan gave her a small nod in response to her question. It had been a while since he'd done any large pieces, so he was up for it. "No. I'm free tonight." He said, bending to lean his elbows on the counter top. Evan looked up at her, "What did you have in mind?"

[Kelli-wa]

Nodding lightly at his approval to her question. "Okay, so you know Dia de los Muertos skulls? Well I want that, except on a girl. With roses all around her. I want it to start at the hip on my side and move around to my shoulder blade but not on my lower back, so I can still get an epidural when I'm pregnant," she said, meaning that was a very important step to the process. "I'm sorry if it's too soon... If you need a little more time for that one, I'll give it to you and we'll just do the smaller one today? You know, if you need extra time to sketch it out..." She bit her lip, really hoping he would be able to do the sketch and tattoo tonight.

[Alisha]

Evan just watched her, reaching under the counter to grab a pencil from the old can they used as a pencil holder. He nodded his silent approval when she told him what she wanted. He was pretty well versed in all kinds of different arts, for which he was thankful. It was what made him valuable, that and his raw talent. Flipping open the black book to a fresh page, his left hand hovered over the paper as he glanced up at her. "Nah, I think we can get it done tonight. That is, if you don't mind staying a little late." He said, pausing to stand a little taller. He didn't really mind staying longer than necessary if he was getting paid. Besides, he had nothing better to do than go home and be alone anyway.

[Kelli-wa]

Ansley smiled brightly as he said they could finish that night. For some reason that made her extremely happy. She nodded, "Alright, great. I mean, we can fill it in later, because I don't think I can handle everything at the same time, so maybe just outline it tonight?" she asked, the outline would still take a while, they could be there for at least an hour after the shop actually closed. She sighed lightly. "Uhm, do you want me to leave you alone while you get your sketch, or..." She didn't know how he felt about people watching him work, she would love to, but some artists were weird about it, and she sensed that he was one of those people.

[Alisha]

Ansley smiled brightly as he said they could finish that night. For some reason that made her extremely happy. She nodded, "Alright, great. I mean, we can fill it in later, because I don't think I can handle everything at the same time, so maybe just outline it tonight?" she asked, the outline would still take a while, they could be there for at least an hour after the shop actually closed. She sighed lightly. "Uhm, do you want me to leave you alone while you get your sketch, or..." She didn't know how he felt about people watching him work, she would love to, but some artists were weird about it, and she sensed that he was one of those people.

Evan gave her a small smile and another simple nod. Tattoos could get intense, especially for those who came in seeking to get a large piece for their first tattoo. There had been many times when Evan had to stop because women didn't know what they were getting into. But, by the looks of it, Ansley was no stranger to the shop. "Why don't you come on to the back," He said, picking up the book and gesturing with his hand. "You're welcome to watch." He wanted to sit down, and because it was her tattoo, she had a right to watch him work. After all, it was going onto her skin. 

[Kelli-wa]

She watched him closely before he answered, not really sure what she would get out of him. His reply made her smile even wider. "Oh, awesome," she said, following him to the back. She was so excited about this, more excited than she'd been about her other tattoos. She couldn't wait to see what his mind would come up with. After seeing his other work, she was jittery just thinking about how gorgeous this was going to be. She sighed lightly. "You know, Jack never let's me see his sketch until it's completely finished and then I always want to change something and I feel bad because he worked so hard." She shut up then, because he probably didn't care and that was fine with her, she was just talking to talk. "So, where are you from, then?"

[Alisha]

Evan shrugged as they walked into the back room. "It's understandable." He understood how it felt. He had trouble opening up about his art himself, especially when he didn't feel like it was complete. But, with tattoos it was different for some reason. He could deal, because the art wasn't really his. It was for someone else. It was someone else's vision. "I can be very private about it myself, but the way I see it, is that I want my customers to be happy about it. Why ink something on your body that you aren't going to completely enjoy?" Evan sat at the table and flipped open the black leather bound book, his pencil hovering over the paper. It was already going through his head, he just had to figure out where to begin. "I'm from the beautiful Thousand Oaks, born and raised." He gave a small smile. "It's a small town here in California. What about you?"

[Kelli-wa]

She gave him a small nod. "Yeah, I mean, I understand why, I'm a musician, so I get bot wanting to share something until it's perfect. I just feel like he has to do way more work to tweak something, you know?" she shrugged lightly and smiled at him. She sat down next to him and watched as he started to draw a bit. She licked her lips. This was something that she loved, but she'd never had the opportunity just to sit and watch someone work. She knew that it wasn't the same, but it felt like the process she used when writing a song. She licked her lips. "Uhm, Riverside. I'm from here. Born here, raised here..."