Zeppelin - Bad Day, Part 3

From Masq
Date: Setting:

IC:  08/02/2010
RL: 06/27/2012

Body Art -- Albuquerque

A bell dings upon entering the Body Art tattoo parlor, though the sound quickly fades into the rock and heavy metal that play during all business hours, which a sign clearly states are from noon until 2am, 4am on Friday and Saturday. Bars on the windows protect them from the outside, near the locks sensors can be seen. The waiting area is comfortable, with several couches, and a TV complete with cable for people to watch.

The walls have various tattoo designs, and there are several books with more set on end tables beside each of the couches. The ceiling panels are white, here and there a black square of glass sits mixed among them. A counter sits in front of the back wall, displaying the body jewelry that the shop sells, which ranges from simple silver rings to more exotic designs and low gauge jewelry. There are several smaller rooms set off from the main one where the tattooists and piercers can do their work, and each one is immaculate and equipped with everything that might be needed.

Behind the counter is a short hallway with two bathrooms, and a door that's marked PRIVATE and kept locked at all times.


Cast:
Log:


The shop is loud with music, but it's not a hectic, people filled sort of place. There's no one currently in the front, but voices, the faint buzzing of a tattoo gun, and an open door in the back indicate that someone is working. There's laughter coming from the back. "Man, I hope your mom loves this," one voice says. The other voice replies, also laughing, "Me too, bro, me too."

Zeppelin is taking photos of random places and people. What a better place than in a tattoo shop? Zep is not disappointed as she walks in and takes a few pictures of the place. "Hello?" The woman offers to the shop, loud enough to be heard over the music and the buzzing.

"Welcome to Body Art, be right with you!" the first voice calls from the back. "Make yourself comfortable, check out the flash and the portfolios." A few minutes later, that faint buzzing noise stops. "Alright, dude, go take a look in the mirror." A man steps out of the backroom, slender, pale, but he's just acquired a very macho heart on his shoulder in a vibrant red with the word "Mom" tattooed in it. Finding a mirror, he stands in front of it, letting out a: "Duuuuuudddddeeeeee..." Appearing in the doorway of that backroom, Zane leans in it, watching his customer, grinning. "Yeah? You like?"

Zeppelin doesn't stop to think. Should I not record this moment? Nope. She just takes and aims. She does a rapid quick shot to get the walking out of the back. The man in the mirror. His reaction. She's too busy looking through the camera to realize she knows one of the people.

"Hey, ma'am?" Zane says, lifting an eyebrow as his shirtless customer is getting photographed - there's a shift in his demeanor - he's far less relaxed and far more suspicious, suddenly. "Ma'am," he continues. "Could you not?" The customer himself turns, looking startled at the camera, hands awkwardly trying to cover himself. Sighing, Zane moves around the customer, escorting him back into the room. The door clicks shut. Once the customer's been bandaged and recovers his shirt, they both emerge again.

Zeppelin looks confused and then lowers the camera. When the two come back out, she's still minorly confused, but she offers a sexy smile towards both of them. "Sorry." It is more towards the customer. She even ups her I'm your friendness towards him. "No hard feelings right? It was just so amazing a moment, you know?"

The customer seems at least placated by this. "It's cool," he says with a smile, glancing up, then back down. Zane gives Zeppelin a long look, his suspicion clearly apparent on his features. He turns to the customer. "Alright, you got this stuff," he hands him a bottle of something. "And these directions?" The customer nods and offers Zane a fist to pound. Laughing, Zane pounds back, then the customer moves to depart.

Zeppelin watches the interaction and then frowns a moment at Zane. She seems to be pondering something as she waits for that proverbial lightbulb moment. Her head tips to the side before she gives them both a smile. It might be easy to tell she's trying to figure out how she knows him.

Zane walks behind the counter, reaching under it to pull out a book, writing a down a few things. He looks up at her, when he realizes she's still standing there, and watches her for a minute, a frown creasing his forehead. "Sorry," he begins, maybe realizing he's being ill mannered. "It's just that it makes folks uncomfortable to have their pictures taken without permission." It's stated gently, even diplomatically. "Anyway, I'm Zane. Welcome to Body Art. You interested in a tattoo? Piercing?"

Zeppelin is still looking confused until she's presented his backside when he walks away. "Oh! Shit.. I just met you." And this is crazy... here's my number... "You were with Petra right?" She grins and offers her hand again. "Zeppelin. That prick had me falling off the stupid bench."

Zane takes the hand, shaking hers over the counter. When she says her name, his head tilts, as if he's trying to remember. "Ohhh, right. The wedding photographer? You alright from that fall?" After shaking her hand, he uses his feet to drag a stool under him, sitting.

Zeppelin laughs to that. "I'm just fine. I fall a lot, partly from work and partly from my own stupidity." She comes to lounge next to him. "Now that Adam prick.. he's someone who could die in fire." Her eyes slide up and down his form shamelessly. "So you work here, Zane?"

Zane scoots his stool back a bit to give himself a little more personal space, staring at the ground as he does. "Yeah. I work here. Do you want a tattoo? A piercing?" He gestures at the jewelry. "Can I interest you in some earrings?"

Zeppelin does not move closer to him, she's not looking for a hot piece of ass. "Are you married?" Or maybe she is. There is a chuckle. "My skin is all virgin. I don't know. I hear once you ink then it's all downhill. Men just ask you out to try to ink you some more. Word gets out. People in town start talking about where you've been, making rumors about who's drawing on you."

Zane is behind the counter, sitting on a stool. Zeppelin has come near enough to be talking to him. Music's on, the shop seems open. "I'm not married," Zane replies to something he was asked, glancing up and giving Zeppelin a confused look. "I..." he begins, running his hand through his hair. "I've never heard that before?" there's questioning note in his voice and his eyebrow lifts. "So you don't want a tattoo? You do? Do you want to see some examples?" He finds a book of designs on the counter, pushing it toward Zeppelin.

Zeppelin nods her head to that. "You should have a roomie. I cook. I don't want to fuck for rent. You can do your thing and I'll do mine. I think this is wonderful and decided. Thanks. I'll move my shit in. Or should we just get a different place?" Her head cants and all that appearance and charisma all but wafts from her. "I've actually never thought of a tattoo. What and where would you suggest?"

From outside there's the sound of a motorcycle, and then not long after Katie is walking in through the door with her helmet tucked under her arm and a messenger bag slung over her shoulder. Spotting Zane behind the counter, she heads that way with a smile. "Howdy," she greets him, and then recognizes Zeppelin, since who can forget her. "Ah, it's you. A tattoo huh?" she glances at the book, then at Zane. "What's up?"

There's something about what Zeppelin says that seems to trigger a nerve for Zane, maybe a nerve that wasn't meant to be triggered - his shoulders tense, his jaw sets in a line. "Why...." he begins. "What is is it about me that people think they can come in here and now demand that--" he looks like he could be on a roll about this, some sort of rant or tirade, but then there's Katie. "Hey," he greets her, the tension ebbing from him as quickly as it came. He even smiles. "How are you?"

Zeppelin blinks at Zane for a few moments. "Suggest a tattoo? Because you work here and it's a tattoo shop." She cants her head to look at him a bit. She will smile at Katie and then move to look past her. She's almost waiting for someone else to come in.

Katie seems to be alone, or at least no one is immediately appearing behind her. Though she looks at Zane with a moment of concern as she picks up on his near rant, but she just keeps her smile. "I'm doing just fine. I thought I'd come see you, been awhile. You look busy though? Now a bad time?"

"You can't live with me," Zane informs Zeppelin when he turns back to her. Perhaps he's decided directness is the best approach, because he starts laying down the law: "I can't read your mind. If you want a tattoo, tell me what you want tattooed, and I can draw something that you'll hopefully like. Feel free to look at the books and other stuff I've done." Then he turns to look over to Katie, smiling again, "Naw, it's a good time, I think this nice young lady is going to think about the tattoo she wants, maybe I can draw something up if she decidess while visiting with you both. You two know each other?"

Zeppelin blinks a few times at Zane. "Fuck.." The word leaves her mouth. It's not an angry noise, just a what the.. kind of thing. "I'm good. Really. I was just taking pictures and wandered in. Sorry about the living, geez it was a joke. Do you really see me hauling my stuff anywhere?" She shakes her head a bit and smiles to Katie. "Sorry about earlier. It wasn't you. That prick just really gets under my skin. I mean like really bad. It's odd. I cannot figure out why, but he just makes me pissed off. How are you doing?"

"I left him with the task to try and annoy Annie," Katie says, like this was some sort of karmic punishment. Making her way around the counter, she leans on it next to Zane, so she can have the best look at whatever he might draw. "You have to understand, Zane's got pretty girls trying to get in his loft all the time... it's his shower, it's aaaaahhhhmaaaazing.. I kinda want to try it, but then I might fall under his spell," she flashes him a grin.

Zane sits back down on his stool, reaching for a sketchpad and a jar full of colored pencils. Zeppelin gets a look and a nod, like he might say something else on the subject, but then Katie talks about his shower and maybe covers whatever it is he was going to say. The comments on his shower's magic capabilities get a laugh out of him, and he grins back at Katie, looking up and back down quickly, before selecting a blue pencil and putting it to the sketchpad.

Zeppelin looks between the two. "Oooh. Oh. Well yeah. I wasn't doing that." She holds her hands up towards Katie. "Anyways. It seems I have overstayed my welcome. Sooooo.. I'll leave you two alone." She salutes.

Katie arches her eyebrows, looking between Zane and Zeppelin. "I reckon if Zane wanted you to leave, he'd outright say so. Zeppelin is new to the city," she tells Zane, in case he didn't already know. "She's a photographer, sounds like she might give Petra a run for her money. She does it for money."

"I spook easy," Zane sighs, glancing up at Zeppelin, explaining, appearing more comfortable now that he has his sketch to focus on. "Shop's in a dangerous part of town so I'm always on edge. I got spooked." He looks back down at what he's drawing and nods in agreement with what Katie says: "I'd outright say so if I wanted you to leave. You want a soda or anything?" the first to Zeppelin, the next to Katie, "They've met, she and Petra, looked at each other's cameras, talked about Petra's wedding. I had to run off, Lizzie needed picked up at the mall."

Zeppelin looks between the two. She has a nervous look when Zane starts to open his mouth. Katie has seen that look before when Adam speaks. However, she relaxes almost instantly. "Oh.. okay." She nods and comes back over to them. "Please when I say this, remember I don't know you from well.. anyone. So Zane gets spooked at a joke I made. Which probably wasn't funny, I'm horrible at delivery. Upon hearing about me asking to live with him or demanding, Katie comes in and walks right next to him. It's a show of possessiveness. So in a world where I've so far been more insulted than invited. You can sort of see how I'm getting the signal to clear the hell out right? Like flirty smiles between you two and then passive ignoring towards me." She explains this without anger, just a viewpoint. Not an accusation. She smiles at both of them though. "So.. I misread. Sorry. I like to error on the side of caution too." She nods. "Petra is thinking of hiring me to do her wedding photos."

"Lizzie's here?" Katie asks, a little incredulous, like she has missed out on something epic. "And you didn't bring her immediately to meet me?" Zane gets a little shove to the shoulder, though not when his pencil is to the paper. Then she turns surprised attention to Zeppelin, and she blinks, looks at Zane, blinks again, then laughs a little. "I've already claimed Zane.. I've made him mine forever, but if I was really possessive, I'd have him tattoo my name right here across his forehead. Gothic script.. It'd be cool. Right?"

When Zeppelin speaks, Zane listens - he's not unsympathetic, nodding at points, wincing at others, glancing up every few words. "I'm sorry," he says, and it sounds genuine. At Katie's shove, he blinks, "I thought I told you about Li-" and then he cuts off at the rest of what she says, staring at Katie for a second, his eyes going wide, before he glances down, back to the drawing. "Totally amazing," he finally gets out, his head nodding in rapid agreement. "Especially if I did it myself."

Zeppelin looks between the couple. Well this is sort of awkward. She doesn't say it out loud, but it is in every external reading of her body language. "Oh. Huh." She takes a step from them and glances towards the door. "Well that would probably be an interesting design." She takes a step towards the door and stops. Zep will just hang there for a moment.

"Sorry," Katie says, looking at Zane, then back to Zeppelin. "I'll just go. Sorry to make you feel unwelcome, Zeppelin. If you want a tattoo, Zane's the best." Straightening up, she makes her way back around the counter. "He's a good friend too, if you can get past whatever it is you want."

Zane looks up, suddenly, with a 'what did I do?' expression, glancing between Katie and Zeppelin. "I - no - wait - no one has to - " And then he looks at the sketch again, scratching at the back of his neck. "I won't tattoo my own head if it grosses you out, Katie!" he finally blurts out.

Zeppelin shakes her head a bit to that. One step and then a lean. "No, why should you leave your man? That's just silly. It's just been an off day. First, Adam. Then some chick that didn't seem to like me playing pool with .. the guy that I didn't get his name. Then, I irked Zane here. Who obviously belongs to you. Sooooo.. just an off day. You should um.. stay with your guy."

"He's not mine. I don't date," Katie says, putting poor Zane back on the market. "I thought it was an obvious joke, but I'm not good at joking. So I'm sorry." Then Zane's calling out, and she looks back at him. "I was just joking. It was a shitty joke, I'm sorry. I'll just go."

Zane looks back down to his drawing. "She doesn't. I don't date either," he explains, turning the pencil over to erase a few lines as he does. "We're friends." He looks back over to Zeppelin. "I'm sorry you're having a bad day. I hope tomorrow's better?" And then, finally, "Anyway, seriously, no one has to go. Let's just pretend like we all just walked in." He looks up then, flashing a bright grin. "Ladies, hello, welcome to Body Art. I'm Zane."

Zeppelin lowers her brows a bit more as she looks between them. "Why would you... am I like.. offending people and they need to get backup?" She frowns a bit. "Did he like text or something?" She sighs and nods. "Me too. I'm really tired of everyone's supposed humor."

"You just read a lot into nothing," Katie says, with a shrug. Caught somewhere between Zeppelin at the door and Zane at the counter. "I come here all the time, he didn't text me." Then she glances back at Zane, but her gaze slides away, even as she plays along with his game. "Hello, Zane. How are you?"

"I'm good," Zane replies to Katie, gaze shifting between the two of them, but clearly done with any other sort of comment since he's apologized and promised not to tattoo himself. "How can I help you? Can I get either of you something to drink?" While he waits for a response, he gets off the stool and ducks behind the counter, the sound of papers sliding, shuffling about, like maybe he's looking for something back there.

Zeppelin shuts her eyes and rolls her shoulders. Is she going to freak the fuck out now? She looks like she's getting her energy. Then .. click. She smiles vibrantly. "I'm doing good. Totally new to the area and why the fuck wouldn't I check out an ink spot?" Her lips curve as she moves over towards them. She stands so they are both equal distance from her. "Depends .. are we talking water or are we talking about closing the store.. getting a bottle of tequila.. sitting on the floor and playing I've Never?"

"No, I'm good. I was just stopping in to say hello. I've got work to do, so I'll go. You two have fun, or.. you know, whatever," Katie lifts her hand in a farewell wave, and now that no one is blocking the door she completes her retreat. "I'm sure I'll see you around."

Zane pops back up for a few seconds, just enough that he can look at Katie over the counter. "Okay. Later Katie." And then he moves back down, the sounds of more shuffling following. "Water," he answers Zeppelin's question. "I have an appointment in an hour. Or I have rootbeer or tea."

Zeppelin watches Katie leave and actually seems to feel bad for it. "Look.. I." She pauses. "I didn't mean to upset her or you. It's a.." She smiles. "I like rootbeer." The woman will lean against the counter, but not too long. "You have a computer? I can totally cheer you up and it's kid friendly."

"Yeah," Zane replies, answering both with one word. "I'll go upstairs, get my laptop and get my rootbeer." Everything else beyond laptop and rootbeer goes unacknowledged, although he does cast a glance at the door. Then, reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a ring of keys, unlocking the door marked private. His feet thud on the stairs as he moves up them, and then they can be heard overhead, crossing the floor. When he returns, its with said laptop and two cans of cold rootbeer. Putting all three on the counter, he passes one can of rootbeer to her before opening the laptop.

Zeppelin does not open that rootbeer. "May I? I'll leave your files alone. I just need a browser and youtube." She smiles a bit to him. Her eyes move to the door too. "Oh wait.. were you asking me to clear out? I miss social cues sometimes."

"No, I thinking about Katie and remembering that I should check to make sure she got home okay," Zane explains. He takes the other rootbeer, cracking it open and reclaiming his stool. "Go ahead," he says, about the laptop and files. His computer doesn't seem to get much use, aside from a file labeled "work" on the desktop. The desktop background has a picture of two little boys, on a boat, both holding recently caught fish.

Zeppelin tips her head. "Are those your kids?" She asks as she loads it up and then types it in. The woman then turns around the computer and shows him the video.

It starts talking about the up and coming news reporter who will be a run for the money. One of the other anchors talk about how skilled she is. The station cuts to a live feed and it is our own Zeppelin. She's looking all professional. "Thank you, Arthur for the intro. This is ...." Then the mic and the reporter goes silent. Not because of errors. Nope. The woman forgot her name on live television. In fact, the camera stays on her as she bites her lower lip. She does look adorable, but really. It's sort of funny. Then the screen cuts back to the studio.

Zeppelin points to the hits. "Over a million. I'm a star. I'll be happy to stand around and get you people to come in and get tattooed or something."

"They're my nephews," Zane says, smiling immediately. "That's James," he points to the slightly taller one. "That's William." James is smiling broadly, happy go lucky - William has more of a 'I'm plotting to take over the world just as soon as I can speak in complete sentences' devious look to him. He watches the video and looks over to her, clearly confused. "What were you supposed to say?" Quiet then, maybe he figures out it. "Ohhh... Anyway, don't worry. Petra sent me that video about the girls and the cup, it had way more hits than that. Those girls must be mortified." He smiles, clearly trying to be helpful there.

Zeppelin chuckles. "Um...." She blushes. "I.. Did you see one man and one jar?" She lifts her brows to him and then looks back to the screen. "You want kids someday?" There is a pause. "Um.. with someone not me. I was just making conversation. I mean not that I think that you'd be bad or that I. I mean more like you know not me. Though there's nothing wrong with me I just sort of thought you might think I was trying to get upstairs. I wasn't trying to get upstairs. I just... should stop ... talking." Most of that comes out in one breath as she quickly opens the soda to get a drink.

Zane starts shaking his no at the one man, one jar question. "I haven't, but thanks, now I'll know not to click on the link if Petra finds it and sends it to me. I can't believe those girls wasted ice cream like that anyway. I might want kids," he says, trying to jump in when she pauses. The rest of what she says makes his eyes just get a little wider, like there's a lot for him to absorb and follow in what she's saying. So he just repeats himself, "I might."

Zeppelin coughs. "Sorry." She takes a breath and nods her head. "I don't know how I feel about them. I mean, I grew up where everyone kind of helped take care of each other." She lifts her shoulders a bit and looks at him. "It's why I'm looking for a roomie if you hear of someone. I don't know. I mean, there's a plus to living alone, but then there is a negative to it too."

"I have a one room apartment," Zane explains. "And my apprentice, Gabriel, has a modified room in my office," he jerks his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing at the office door. "Uses my shower and kitchen. We're bursting at the seams. Plus, my sister is in town for a long visit, so I'm sleeping on my couch. And sometimes my other friend crashes when she gets tired of sleeping in laundromats." He takes a sip from his rootbeer. "I dunno anyone looking for a roommate, but I'll keep my ears open."

Zeppelin lifts her brows. "Well.. look I'm not demanding, I'm just tossing this out there. You sound like you have a lot of people. So you understand um... roomies and stuff." She smiles softly, but it's more shy. "If you want to consider.. after knowing me and if I haven't found one... renting a house maybe?" She shrugs a bit. Then her brows lower. "Your friend sleeps in a laundromat?"

"I really like my apartment," Zane says, gently, and leaves it at that. "She does. She usually crashes with another friend, but sometimes when she feels like it, she does." He sips his rootbeer, then spots the sketch he'd started on the sketchpad. Fingers reach for the bottom of the page, tugging the paper away from the spiral binding so he can ball the paper up in his hand.

Zeppelin grins. "Hey the commute is good, so I get it. I thought I would put it out there. One never knows until they ask." She seems a bit more relaxed for the moment. "Bad days end.. right?" It has been one for her. Then she grins a bit more to him. "What are you sketching?" Zane balls the paper up in his hand. "Eh, I dunno. I was distracted, so nothing really got down on paper. But yeah, bad days end. I usually get a milkshake or go running, that turns things around." Crinkling the paper, he looks for a trashcan, trying to toss the crumped up sketch in it. He shoots...

VERIFY(TJAF) Zane rolls dexterity + athletics against 6 and gets 1 success.

The paper gets...thrown away?

Zeppelin watches for a few moments. It wasn't an impressive throw. "You know... you really should recycle that. Do you have a recycling program here?" She is completely serious as she looks at him.

There's a slump to his shoulders, like Zane just seems worn out about something. So he gets off the stool, shuffling over to the trashcan, finds the ball of paper in it, and sets the ball of paper down next to the trashcan.

Zeppelin lifts her brows to that and then cants her head. "Did... Did I say something wrong again? I'm from a commune in Oregon. It's... um.. part of myself that I think recycling is important."

"My sister is visiting me. She's spent the past two days obsessing about every aspect of my life," Zane replies. "I think recycling is very nice. Very good. I recycle cans, glass, plastic. But paper is biodegradable. It might take even more energy to recycle it than to just let it go back to the earth." He shrugs. "But I'm not going to debate that point, because I'm tired from debating all sorts of other points iwth my sister."

Zeppelin nods her head to that. "I'm not going to argue with you. At the end of the day it is your choice." There is a warm smile given to the man as she watches him. "Why don't you send your sister to go do things with other people if she's under foot?"

Zane's face takes on a somewhat perplexed expression. "She's not under foot. She's just worried." His pocket buzzes, and he reaches into it to pull it out. "She's texting me," explained.

Zeppelin nods her head and then smiles. "Well I should go soon anyways. You said you have a client coming soon." She takes the rootbeer with her though.

"Yeah, Lizzie needs me to pick her up, I can do it if I run out and back real quick." Zane lifts a hand, waving farewell. "Nice chatting. See you around."