Chapter Text
It’s one of their not so rare days off when Enjin’s entire life gets flipped on its head like a turtle being pushed on its shell. He knows the kids are less kids and more young adults these days, but he still wasn’t prepared to walk head first into proof of that concept. Okay, so not walk necessarily, as he’s sitting at one of the recreation tables playing cards with Gris on one of their rare days off.
“Oh hey, Remlin,” Zanka looks up from where he’s just finished absolutely demolishing Tomme and Follo at pool to address the Artist as they wander into the room, sketchpad in hand. They pause on their way to where Rudo, Amo, and Fu are sitting (Enjin’s still not sure if the four of them are just close or if there’s some sort of four way relationship going on there and he’s actually kind of scared to ask) and look over at Zanka with an oddly fond expression.
“What’s kickin’, Zanka?”
“Are ya around for a few days?” The younger man asks curiously, trading his cue for Assistaff as Tomme and Follo track the balls for a round against each other. Their current goal is to somehow beat Zanka at the game, but seeing as Zanka has never lost, Enjin figures it will take a while.
“Oh yeah, at least a week. Amo is letting me do a big ass mural in her room. She wants a tulip field for some reason and said I could do whatever else I want with it so long as the flowers are there,” Remlin says, babbling off like a rocket. Zanka is surprisingly patient with them, nodding along to their idea of an orange and gold sky and spell woven clouds to help Amo sleep and ward off bad dreams. It’s sweet.
“Why’re you asking?” The artist asks when they’re done with their explanation.
“I was going to see if ya’d be willing to add to my tattoo,” Zanka says.
Enjin’s cards slip out of his fingers. Gris’ brows raise a bit, his attention going from the scatter of cards on the floor and table to Zanka and Remlin as Enjin’s head snaps around to look at them.
Remlin’s calm smile cuts into a rather intense grin. “What were you thinking?”
Zanka hums, sort of reaching up to curve his free hand over his shoulder. “I really love the little blue stars and it’s sorta sad I can only see them in the mirror. Any chance you can do more of them down my arms?”
Remlin is already furiously flipping through their sketchbook to a clean page, pulling their vital instrument from behind their ear. With a spin around their fingers, the tool lengthens and thins into an odd looking pencil. “What about the clouds? I can bring them around as well, twist them around your arms as a backdrop for the stars.”
This time Zanka flushes slightly, his eyes flicking over and widening when they meet Enjin’s as if he didn’t expect the older man to be listening. Swallowing, the younger man drops his gaze back to Remlin who is already sketching away at the speed of light. “Whatever ya think will make it connect to the original piece properly. It doesn’t have to be today if yer too busy.”
Remlin’s pencil pauses and they look up from the sketchbook to where Rudo, Amo, and Fu have been not so subtly waiting for them. “Hey guys! Do you want to come up to the infirmary with Zanka and I? I’m going to add to his tattoo!”
With a mad scramble and a gathering of sweets, the teens are on their feet, trampling their way over to Remlin as if all of the adults aren’t staring at Zanka in abject confusion. Enjin can’t help it, he surges to his feet as well, giving an apologetic grin to Gris as he moves towards the already retreating group.
“I honestly forgot you had it,” Rudo comments. “So much happened after you got it done that you never even got to show it off.”
“It was never about showing it off,” Zanka says, heading the group with Remlin at his side, Assistaff lightly pressed to the artist’s back so they won't walk into anything while they continue sketching.
“Mmhmm,” Remlin nods. “It was an apology from me to Zanka, not some special.” They glance up at Zanka. “I’m glad you like it though. I’ve wanted to do more tattoos but no one really asks for permanent stuff. They just want spells.”
“Riyo wants a tattoo,” Rudo says, trying to get a look around Remlin’s shoulder at the sketchbook. “Something about finally having enough skin on her bones to try and decorate it.”
Enjin’s heart does a weird little twist. He’d noticed both Riyo and Rudo were starting to become less skin and bones and had been more than a little pleased about it. The idea that they’re getting healthier makes a bit of joy surge inside him.
“Amo wouldn’t mind a tattoo,” Amo comments. “Amo took very very good care of her piercings when she got them and is still careful with them.”
Zanka hums. “While the tattoo wasn’t a spell, it did heal much quicker than a normal piece that size. I think that was due to yer vital instrumentat.”
“Just how big is this tattoo of yours, Zanka?” The words slip out of his mouth before he can stop them.
Four teens and one flushed young adult turn to look at him. Amo is a little better at hiding her distaste for him these days but Fu is literally no better at hiding his excitement. Zanka, well he suddenly looks like he’d rather be anywhere but here.
“It’s not anywhere near as impressive as yers, Enjin,” the younger man says and Remlin looks a mix of fond and annoyed next to him which is an interesting thing to pull off. “I mean, it only took a few hours, nothing near as encompassing as all yer blackwork.”
“Zanka was a great sitter to have for my first time tattooing,” Remlin takes over, already turning to keep marching towards the infirmary. “I don’t mind another person coming to watch me work on one of my masterpieces.”
“Ah, it’s our first day off in a while. I’m sure Enjin was just on his way to gather some things to go out,” Zanka reasons, following behind the artist, Assistaff once again nudging against their hip to actually make them turn a corner rather than walking straight into a wall. When had Zanka and Remlin become so familiar with each other?
“Actually, I wanted to see the tattoo.”
Zanka’s shoulders tense a bit but he doesn’t look back. Instead, it’s Rudo that slows down to walk next to Enjin. “I was there when Remlin did it. Zanka almost fell asleep, it was crazy, but with their vital instrument they don’t even have to stop to change ink colors or anything like that. It’s really impressive.”
“Did it get done in the infirmary then, too?” Enjin questions.
Rudo nods while digging in his bag for a hard candy. “Both Remlin and Zanka were pretty serious about making sure it wouldn’t get infected or anything. Lots of gloves, alcohol, and even those skin bandages Eishia usually uses for burns.”
“That’s smart of them,” the older man says, “I’ve seen a lot of people get sick from unclean tattoos.”
Before the conversation can continue, they’re pushing into the infirmary and encountering Eishia and Riyo, the former dressed down from her uniform for once, her power cord looped through the beltloops of her jeans. It seems like they’re on the way out but the blond wavers at the sight of them. “Did someone get hurt?”
Zanka gives her a sheepish smile. “Oh no, Eishia, please go enjoy yer date. Remlin is just going to be adding to my tattoo.”
Riyo immediately slips her arm around the other girl’s waist, clearly intending to drag her away with a thankful grin in Zanka’s direction only for Eishia to let out a concerned noise. “You’re sure I don’t need to supervise like last time?”
Zanka, clearly sensing the girl’s hesitation, gestures to Enjin. “Enjin has the supervision covered and he knows more about tattoos than all of us. Ya and Riyo have been waiting for a day off where no one is hurt for forever, don’t waste it looking after me.”
“Exactly babe! Enjin’s here,” Riyo chimes in, pulling the other girl past the older man with an odd little brow wiggle and a wink in his direction.
Once they’re gone it takes little time for the teens to scatter around the room. A chair is gathered for Zanka to sit in and a stool is scooted over to it for Remlin. There’s a side table with adjustable height dragged into the area for Zanka to use as an arm rest as well. Rudo, Amo, and Fu pile into the closest bed to the cobbled together tattoo station as Remlin starts grabbing things from the cabinets and Zanka leans his jinki against the wall to begin pulling off his casual top.
Truthfully, it’s all very collected and concise for something that has only happened one time before several years ago.
Enjin gathers himself a chair and settles it next to the bed and its pile of teenagers. These ones aren’t as comfortable as the ones in the rec room but he can deal with lounging in one until he inevitably has to go find a window to smoke. He’s just made himself comfortable when he finally looks up to find Zanka twisting around to straddle the chair that has been picked for him.
On Zanka’s back is his jinki.
Lovely Assistaff is in its activated form, done up in vibrant blues and dark greys. The staff part of the vital instrument follows the line of Zanka’s spine and then its arms spread open to take up the berth of Zanka’s shoulders. The tattoo is beautiful and the bold colors and heavy lines of the staff are only emphasized by the delicate white clouds and teal-blue stars swirling around it.
Remlin was right to call it a masterpiece.
And Zanka? He’s the most breathtaking canvas Enjin has ever seen. The ink seems to caress his fair skin, stars and clouds swirling around the tattoo version of his staff in a way that brings out his lean, strong form. It’s no wonder Zanka wants to be able to see parts of this tattoo outside of the mirror, it suits him so well.
Warmth settles low in Enjin’s core and he has to swallow and look away. He knows that Zanka is attractive, and maybe he’s entertained a few thoughts in the past of trying to get up close and personal with that beauty. Maybe he’s thought about running his hands over the younger man’s body and memorizing every line of him and maybe now he’s thinking about those tattoos, running his tongue along the lines of the clouds and pressing kisses to the stars.
It’s not worth ruining their relationship over.
He knows that. Zanka is too important. Enjin cares about him too much. Relationships have never been his strong suit, he always forgets things or gets things wrong. Sex would just screw everything up, never mind the fact that when he stops being so busy and actually sits down on days off like these he wants more.
Enjin gets so lost in his spiral that he doesn’t even notice things have changed until he hears the buzz of the tattoo gun. Looking up he finds that Zanka’s arms have already been shaved and wiped down if the stuff in the small garbage can between he and Remlin’s feet mean anything. The young artist is already pressing a hand against Zanka’s left shoulder, working completely without a stencil — something Enjin had never thought Zanka would allow… then again he also never thought Zanka would be the type to get tattoos.
“You had music last time, do you want music?” Rudo asks around a sucker, one of his gloved hands running through Fu’s hair where the other boy is resting on Amo’s pierced thighs.
“Is there a speaker hookup in here? I had mine last time.” Remlin doesn’t even look away from Zanka to answer, the tattoo gun as at home in their hand as any other version of their jinki.
“August spends too much time in here for there not to be,” Zanka answers, casual as can be with a needle in his shoulder.
Enjin knows he can withstand pain, they all can, but for some reason he thought the younger man would be more tense. Getting tattooed by an untrained artist in front of a bunch of people… Enjin suppresses a grin. Any time Zanka actually indulges in something carefree like this it makes him glad, the kid really does push himself too hard.
“Fu,” Remlin says and the boy perks up like an excited dog at the prospect of being given something to do. Remlin leans back from Zanka a bit. “Get my MP3 and put on the Shirts and Skins mix.”
“August’s speaker system is in that last drawer on the left,” Zanka informs, tilting his head towards it while Fu hops off the bed.
The teen walks over to them and casually sticks his hand down Remlin’s shirt to dig through their cleavage. He produces a small, beat up MP3 with what looks to be one of Gob’s pieces on the back and does as instructed. The music is good, stuff Enjin usually hears in Canvas town with a sharp, upbeat tone and most everyone in the room starts bobbing their heads to it.
This is shaping up to be the most interesting day off Enjin has had in a long time. He settles in to watch, pleased with the energy of the room and the show he’s being given. It’s not like it’s going to affect him in the long run or anything like that.