Fire To The Flames • •

[Ashton Gideon Hawthorne]

Ashton spent most of his days in the tattoo parlour. He worked there five days out of the week and even when he wasn’t booked up for the day with clients, he still had other things to keep him busy. They had to keep the place tidy, keep everything updated and make sure that everything was ready for anyone who was due in and who had already spoken to him about what new permanent design they wanted inked on their body. Ash loved his job and he was the last person you’d ever catch complaining about it, even if someone came along and wanted a ridiculously specific design or had their heart set on a tattoo that Ash personally thought they might regret in the years to come. He wouldn’t put his name to something terrible, but he also couldn’t reject a client just because they wanted something Ash couldn’t advise them against. He did try, offering suggestions to make it look better or to make it less likely to be a regret, but those who were ‘madly in love’ still wanted the names on their bodies, or they wanted something that Ash knew would just look awful in ten or so more years when the skin aged. There were just some who wouldn’t listen.

Luckily, Ash’s morning had only been occupied by three of his regulars who had planned to add more to sleeves or had unfinished pieces that Ash needed to work on for another sitting or two to complete. As always, they provided him with a good laugh when he was trying to work and commented on something of Ash’s that they hadn’t noticed before. He was a colourful guy to look at and often ended up showing someone something during one of the days he spent in work, playing with the inks as though the clients were his personal Doodle Bears. Once the last guy was finished and booked in for a final sitting, Ash ran out to pick up lunch for himself and everyone else who was working. They had a selection of stops all within walking distance where someone could grab lunch from and it was usually the first person who was finished closest to lunch hour, or if they were completely swamped, the person at the front desk would order in for them all. Grabbing the bag at the deli and leaving with a salute and a wink, he was back at Three Kings in no time at all.

Upon his return, he found out the girl who was supposed to come in next had called to cancel, saying something about a child-minder and a slide. Taking his time with his lunch, he got to laugh with his colleagues and friends. For the next few hours he would probably only have to deal with any walk-ins if they came by. It was good for them at least that there would be a free artist, but for everyone else it meant they had to deal with Ash’s usual insane questions and plans. The last time it had resulted in a paintballing day on the Sunday when the shop was shut. It had been fun, but one or two were still complaining of unfair tactics and bruises the size of grapefruits, though Ash was still convinced they were exaggerating. For the time being, he hung out at the front desk, pawing through the design books as though he didn’t already know them off by heart. The sound of the bell attached to the door caught his attention and he looked up, a big toothy grin already in place.

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• • •

TAGGED! Open <3
WORDS! 642!
OUTFIT! Rough And Rumble!
LYRICS! In One Ear - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Fallon wasn’t the typical teacher by any means, she had a foul mouth, she drank way too much and she had a list of tattoos she still hadn’t gotten the change to get on top of the few she already had. But she was perfect for her job because of what she knew. Growing up in the industry gave the petite blonde the insider knowledge to send her students into the world of film and other media outlets. And then there was the fact that her uncle owned a production studio in both Los Angeles and New York, so she could give them a chance to really see if they were as interested in the world and they thought and if they could cut it in the fast paced world of entertainment. But school was out now, and she’d planned on scratching at least one tattoo off her list.

She’d started it with Devon on their girls’ night but hadn’t gotten around to finishing it all up with everything going on. She didn’t exactly have to take care of Gabe, he was well able to do that himself but she wanted to all the same. At least now he couldn’t tease her endlessly about her poor cooking skills when she manned the kitchen for a couple days after that impromptu trip to hospital. And now the trip to Nebraska was quickly approaching and she wanted it done before they left. She had managed to keep it hidden for the last few days so it would still be a surprise when Gabe saw it. She hoped he would like the piece; it wasn’t small by any means but she thought the guy who had done it, did a great job with it.

There was a lot that needed to be done before they got in the car and drove to Gabe’s childhood home. Fallon was nervous to meet Gabe’s family. She had done so much to their son that she wasn’t sure she would ever be forgiven for being a fool. But she was going to try and prove to them that she wasn’t as terrible as her actions may have led them to believe. She had this time to run around the city, finishing up all the errands she needed to do before they left, and the final pieces of paperwork she’d put off with the end of school. She already did most of what was on her to do list for the day. There was just one last thing and then she could find her home and a couple new movies. Trevor had sent her another one of his lists though this time, he sent copies of the films to the studio for her to pick up. For the longest time she was digging through Netflix or buying the movie from the shop for a single viewing but since she’d said something to Trevor, he was sending her copies to watch; which was better since she had a place to send them now if she didn’t want to keep them. Getting to those movies would be a happy ending to her day if she could bump up her appointment. Hoping to do just that was one of the things on her list. It was the last thing which was why she was walking through the door of the same tattoo parlour sooner than she should have been. A smile played on her lips when she stepped up to the counter. “Hey, how are you?” She asked, slipping her sunglasses into her bag and away from her face entirely.

Tag || Ash!
Words || 599
Clothes || Summer Fun
Music || Young And Wild -- Eric Church
Notes || <3

[Ashton Gideon Hawthorne]

Ash had originally attended college with no end goal in mind. He knew plenty of other people did the same thing, but he had always felt as though there was something wrong with his decision. He loved art, still sketched and painted things away from his profession, but all the time he was in the university studios in Hawaii he just hadn’t felt like his true calling had found him. In fact, the choice to become a tattoo artist was a spur of the moment epiphany that made a hell of a lot of sense not only to Ash, but also to the people who knew him. He had been raised pretty sensibly, despite his childish personality, so he had taken some time to think about it, but the idea had never wavered in his mind and it was a decision he had never regretted. He loved coming up with the concept for the designs, having customers come in with something entirely original and challenging for him and he loved putting the needle to skin.

Maybe he was a little biased, but he couldn’t see how anyone could hate tattoos. He could understand why people may not choose to get one themselves, but he couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that there were people who outright hated to see ink on anyone. Ash had encountered plenty of people like that over the years, given the fact that he looked like a human canvas even when he was mostly covered up. He never let it bother him or put him off adding to his collection. Tattoos were his addiction and it didn’t take a genius to see that! He wasn’t one to worry about opinions, but a small part of him was always happy that his parents didn’t care if he showed up sporting more ink when he came home. His mom usually laughed and asked him what on earth he had come back with now, but she often complimented his pieces while his dad would ask if there was a plan for when the young man ran out of room on his body.

He hadn’t been home in six months, but it was difficult to work around his own schedule and that of his parents. Currently they were back at sea working on monitoring the mating habits of some of the sea life that had taken their fancy in recent years. Ash knew it all too well since he had spent more time growing up on a boat than on land. He had loved every minute of it and much preferred it to being stuck in the classrooms at the schools he had attended. The first chance he had he would be making his way back to the island for a week or two, if only to sit around the science facility and talk shop with his parents. He had been as much a part of it as they had when he was younger, even if he didn’t have his name on scientific journals or the letters after it to reflect some years of hard work and higher education. Being raised around it, he was bound to understand more than most; he just didn’t get a chance to apply most of it to real life unless he was back on Pupukea with his family. “Peachy keen, jelly bean.”

[/color] He said, elongating the vowels as he stood up straight again instead of hunching over the countertop. “What can I do for you today?”[/color] He asked, still with a friendly, lopsided smirk in place.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon <3
WORDS! 633!
OUTFIT! Rough And Rumble!
LYRICS! In One Ear - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

There was too much on Fallon’s plate to even be taking this much time for herself. There was just too much to be done at the studio and at home. She had bags to pack and a house to clean even though she paid someone to come in once a week to keep on top of it. There were lunches with big wigs and department heads that needed to be sorted out and dinners with this celebrity or that one to talk them into doing a part in her studios movies. How she was able to have a life was a mystery but the petite blonde somehow made it all work for her and work well. She made sure to keep on top of things and even hired a personal assistant to deal with the mundane and day to day. They were simple things, but sometimes they were the most troublesome.

Fallon laughed, shaking her head. “Cute,” she said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She pulled her phone from her bag, immediately setting it on silent so she wouldn’t be interrupted if she was able to get in. “I have a bit of a scheduling problem,” Fallon said biting her bottom lip. “I wasn’t thinking when I booked the second appointment to finish my side and I’m leaving for Nebraska next week which is when I booked the second sitting,” She continued shaking her head at herself. To be fair, it was at the end of a long and amusing night. It hadn’t been a wise choice, drinking as much as she had and then deciding a tattoo was a great idea. But at least she had gone with a good choice when it came to the ink she added and not something stupid and silly like some chose in the spur of the moment. “Is there any way I can be fit in or have my appointment moved up? It’s with Chris and I'm Fallon,” she added, thinking having the artists name would probably help in figuring that out.

It had been close if not past two in the morning when they’d stumbled across the tattoo parlour in the first place but she had been sober enough to walk a straight line and get across what she wanted from Chris with this tattoo. And since they would have to do two sittings, there should have been a file or something on hand with the drawings already set and ready to go. Fallon kept her fingers crossed that someone was able to fit her in so she wouldn’t have to wait until after she got back from Lincoln. She didn’t know if she would have any time at all when they did get back from their trip to Gabe’s family home. Trevor was already bouncing around his office in Los Angeles, ready at a moment’s notice to add even more work to her already toppling plate. It was now or maybe never.

Tag || Ash!
Words || 494
Clothes || Summer Fun
Music || Young And Wild -- Eric Church
Notes || <3

[Ashton Gideon Hawthorne]

Ash knew that a lot of people his age were getting ready to stop living like they were still in college, settle down and maybe have that pretty little American Dream lifestyle. He was still going out on the weekends, talking his friends into parties and spending the rest of his free time living his life as though he was eighteen and not twenty-six. His “serious” life was the tattoo parlour and even there he was far from being the guy telling everyone to calm down. There would probably be a trouble and sun filled weekend squeezed in at some point over the summer months, but he didn’t need the beach or the weather to bring him entertainment. He created his own, for the most part, and was usually the loud voice anyone could hear throughout the shop whether he was singing along with the radio or shouting silly comments back and forth with his clients and colleagues.

“I try my best.”

[/color] He said with a soft shrug and a boyish grin. Ash knew he could be a pretty big goofball at times, but it came with a big heart, good intentions and the right moments. It made the days go by that little bit faster, not that he ever felt the hours dragging on when he was in Three Kings. There was always someone or something to keep the staff there entertained. He dropped his chin to his hand as he listened to her talk, nodding his head as he understood her problem. Ash glanced at the book full of a combination of handwriting, names, doodles and notes. It was a wonder anyone could make heads or tails of the pages, but their receptionists had never had a problem and they were the ones who had to deal with the mess before him most of the time. Drumming his fingers against his jawline, he clicked his tongue and then pushed himself upright again. “Chris is booked for the afternoon with a pretty impressive chest piece.”[/color] Ash pressed his hands against his chest, over the t-shirt that concealed his own work of art. “But, just give me a minute.”[/color] He flashed her another friendly smile and then vanished through to the back, hollering affectionately for the young receptionist chatting away with a nervous looking girl getting her first tattoo. Speaking with Chris, taking a moment to appreciate the chest piece coming along nicely, he waited while the file was dug out.

Checking it over with the man holding the needle, Ash looked at the noted card and the work already drawn up. It was a fairly straightforward design and not some almighty challenge that would take several hours. Humming his way back out to the front of the parlour, Ash flashed the design at Fallon for her confirmation and then flicked his messy hair out of his eyes. “Like I said, Chris is pretty much booked up, but I’ve had a cancellation this afternoon if you’re okay with me fitting you in? I know it’s a hassle, but it’s the best we got for now.”[/color] He flicked through the diary, just in case, but usually it was cancellations and a few “assigned” hours for walk-ins, but there were none pencilled in for the next three days. It seemed everyone wanted new ink for their summer vacations this year. “I mean, Chris could probably fit you in on Friday at two if you’d prefer him, but I’d have to check.”[/color] There was a slot, but it was a small one and usually those were saved for the artists if they needed to run out or have their own work touched up. Ash himself was forever making use of those little breaks to have someone add more to his sleeve or extend another piece adorning his skin.
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon! <3
WORDS! 640!
OUTFIT! Rough And Rumble!
LYRICS! In One Ear - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

The nights Fallon spent out with friends were her retreat from her work. Without those nights in clubs with thrumming music, Fallon was sure she would have lost her mind already and she was only twenty five! In her industry, it was usually good to be quirky, but then all the people they said that about were either some of the best directors or actors. It wasn’t usually producers. But aside from the busy schedule it was usually her and Myles forcing everyone out to the clubs to blow off some steam, have a few drinks and party until the sun came back up again. It was a damn good thing she didn’t have classes on the weekends and that her position at the studio meant she didn’t actually need to be there, she just needed to have her phone handy.

“It’s too bad you weren’t here that night. We would have had a bigger laugh than we did!” Fallon said amused. She and Devon had gotten on with the tattooists that were available when they’d gotten there, obviously the work was lighter that late into the night but they’d made the space seem full with their laughter and jibes at each other. Fallon didn’t mind if she had to wait, and turned to lean on the counter when the guy she was talking to disappeared further into the back. She pulled her phone free to answer a couple text messages, some simple things that just needed to be double checked so she reassured her assistant and sent a reply back to Bryce about Devon’s birthday. It wasn’t for a bit yet but she wanted to have everything all figured out long before the actual day. Turn back when she heard someone step up to the counter again, Fallon smiled and slipped her phone back into her bag. “That’s the one.” She said smiling.

It was a good, clean piece fairly straightforward. Fallon nodded, understanding that Chris and all the artists were busy and that walk-ins were not usually the norm but since she’d be getting in a car in a matter of days and going away for a couple weeks, she wanted the piece finished before then. “No, no, I wouldn’t mind at all if it’s okay with him but would you mind if I took a look at your work first? I'm being a pest, I know. I'm sorry.” Fallon bit her lip, looking up at this artist questioningly. She had no objections to another artist finishing the piece but she was picky when it came to her ink and she wanted to make sure she liked the work he was going to be doing, even if it was just some finishing touches.

Tag || Ash!
Words || 454
Clothes || Summer Fun
Music || Young And Wild -- Eric Church
Notes || <3

[Ashton Gideon Hawthorne]

Ash was a total goofball. He didn’t deny it and most of the people in his life realised that soon after meeting him. He knew a lot of people would look at his life and think very little of it, but Ash didn’t give much time to their opinion. He might have been ‘just a tattoo artist’ and a college dropout, but that didn’t even scrape the surface of who he really was. Ash was the guy in the group to drag everyone out and involve them all in silly games and activities just for the sake of it. Most of the questionable photographs from nights out could be traced back to one of his zany ideas and he was not ashamed of it! The whole point of anyone’s twenties was to have fun and do all the crazy things that they would one day probably be declared insane for doing. At least that was the way he saw things and it was the way he lived his life.

Chuckling, Ash rubbed his fingers over his chin and shook his head. They did get some funny stories inside the parlour, especially on the late evenings that they kept the place open for. It was one of things Ash loved about working at Three Kings; the place was just so lively. If their regular clients weren’t sharing amusing stories about their daily lives, the staff were usually up to something or there were walk-ins with tales quite like the one this blonde was talking about. “I’m sure Chris would never have managed to keep a steady hand if that was the case.”

[/color] Ash joked, speaking just loud enough for his fellow tattooist to hear him. The staff were forever teasing each other whether it was with words or immature pranks whenever they got the chance. The quieter days in the shop was usually when the crazy really showed among the team there and Ash was sure that there were moments that if seen by anyone else would probably have them all questioned by someone of some level of authority.

Giving Fallon a thumbs up once he had the right piece, Ash carelessly pushed the hair back from his eyes again and then looked across at her with a small smirk. “Nah, you’re not a pest. Trust me, we’ve had far worse in here before today.”[/color] For reasons of simplicity, the tattooists kept their portfolios to hand by the reception desk. It saved the usual staff who worked up there the hassle of bothering them during a booking if they were busy with another piece of work. “Take a peek at that.”[/color] For added measure he called Harley out of the back from whatever she was doing and did his usual trick of spinning her around and revealing the ink at her lower back. He deliberately ignored her rolling eyes and swat at his arm; he did it enough already that she was used to it. “Just for a live action look.”[/color] He grinned, dropping the girl’s shirt and shoving her away playfully. It was the kind of usual banter and foolishness that he brought to work with him and they had yet to truly annoy anyone.
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• • •

TAGGED! Open <3
WORDS! 539!
OUTFIT! Rough And Rumble!
LYRICS! In One Ear - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Fallon Alexandra Flynn]

Tattoos for Fallon weren’t just ink on her skin. They were art and she took each one seriously. Whenever she spent any time with her students and they had tattoos, she asked questions. Her body wasn’t covered in nearly enough of them for her liking but with time and a serious amount of thought, she would be covered in them. She already had her next few figured out but with her schedule, it was finding the time to sit and get them done. Her summers were supposed to be free to do as she pleased with only a little bit of paperwork involved for the fall semester but that was hardly the case for her; not when her family owned one of the best production studios in both New York and Los Angeles. She was only taking the time now, because miracles really did happen and she had the time before she left for Nebraska to sit for a bit and finish it. Thankfully there wasn’t much that needed to be added and it was more like a touch up than a finish but it was still needed and she finally had the time.

Fallon grinned, not bothering to try for innocence. “He had to stop a couple times.” She admitted, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. The whole night was had been one interesting adventure after another until it all came crashing down. At this point, she was just happy Gabe’s accident wasn’t that bad, all things considered. He could have had it a hell of a lot worse than he did and she would have been pacing back and forth in the hall outside his hospital room door. But in this moment, she knew teasing when she saw it and this group of artists weren’t just co-workers, they were friends. And friends joked around and pranked each other. She was the same way with the group at the studio, when she was at the studio. “You’re being nice but I really am a pain in the ass, maybe not the biggest but still one. I can admit to it.” She said laughing because she knew it was true. There were too many people who denied it all. She was well aware she was a pain in the ass and that she was a drama queen. That second one gave her that extra little thing to do her job so well.

“Thanks.” She said taking a look at the portfolio set in front of her. She liked what she saw so far, turning the page to check out what else was on the pages. Fallon lifted her eyes to look at the ink on the other woman’s back. She was very impressed with the work. “Okay. I’m sold.” She said, closing the book. And while she was there getting this relatively small piece done, she was going to think about booking another appointment later. Just a sit down meeting to sort out the bigger piece she’d been thinking about. She had wanted a half sleeve at least for as long as she could remember. She could have gotten the entire thing done when she was back in California but she’d been picky and then other things were more important that the sleeve, even though it was going to be homage to both her fathers, the one who helped bring her into this world and the other raised her.

Tag || Ash!
Words || 573
Clothes || Summer Fun
Music || Young And Wild -- Eric Church
Notes || <3

[Ashton Gideon Hawthorne]

For Ash, his tattoos meant something. They were a part of who he was and what he believed in or wanted out of life. He also had no plans to stop adding to his collection any time soon. People were forever telling him that he’d one day regret the ink, but those people were strangers who didn’t know the first thing about him other than he had wonderfully colourful skin. Each one stood for something though, but Ash only explained them if people asked. He was proud of his body art, but not one to show them off when it wasn’t wanted. Luckily, most of the people he knew shared his love for tattoos and it was never very long before conversations turned that way, usually discussing what they were thinking of getting next. He didn’t mind people running ideas by him either, after all it was his job and his passion. Ash could hardly complain.

“Yeah, the man’s a giggling idiot at the best of times.”

[/color] Ash joked, speaking loud enough so that his colleague might just hear him if he wasn’t chatting away in the back. “I don’t know how he manages to draw a straight line sometimes.”[/color] Chris had actually been the one to do the work on Ash’s sleeve and it was pretty damn impressive, but that didn’t stop the two men from teasing each other like kids in the school yard whenever an opportunity came up for it. “Nah, trust me when I say it takes a lot to annoy me. Just take your time, it not exactly like you’re picking where to grab dinner. Ink is a little more life changing than that.”[/color] He teased with a wide, cheeky grin. Ash was pretty good at keeping a handle on his temper and if he snapped then it was the most obvious sign that there was something quite serious going on in the man’s life.

While his previous work was examined, Ash tossed a ball of paper at Harley and generally goofed about for a short second. If he wasn’t busy then he turned into the biggest kid going and usually started acting about the shop as though he was five again. Spitballs, silly string and anything else he could find laying around from various events or pranks came out to play again, until eventually his next client or a walk in would arrive and require his professional attention. “Awesome! Alright, let’s head on through and get this show on the road. I’ll let Chris know I’m stealing his girl.”[/color] Ash threw in a playful wink as he gathered the things together from the counter, putting the folder back where he had plucked it from. “Come on through.”[/color] Checking the design again, he led Fallon through to the back of the shop where the other artists were working and the laughter would probably continue. There was never a quiet moment at Three Kings and that was for certain!
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• • •

TAGGED! Fallon <3
WORDS! 536!
OUTFIT! Rough And Rumble!
LYRICS! In One Ear - - - Cage The Elephant
NOTES! <3 <3 <3