Jax Aris

The heavy, humid June heat of Port Haven bled through the frosted windows of The Obsidian Needle, but inside, the shop was still vibrating from the adrenaline of the annual Pride Flash Event. Sleek, jewel-toned Pride flags hung from the heavy timber beams, contrasting sharply with the matte black walls and anatomical charts. The air was thick with the suffocating scent of green soap, fresh ink, and clove room spray, while an upbeat, driving Neon Trees track looped over the sound system. The waiting area was a disaster zone of discarded stencil paper and half-empty energy drink cans.

Jax Aris stood behind his semi-private station, moving with quick, practiced energy despite the bone-deep exhaustion of a twelve-hour shift. The sleeves of his sheer mesh top were pushed up, his neon-pink buzzcut glowing under the harsh LED ring light as he wiped down his black leather client chair. He had spent the entire day carving his custom linework into a seemingly endless line of patrons, and he was finally officially off the clock.

The sudden, heavy click of the front door latch echoing through the winding-down shop made him pause. Jax looked up, fully expecting another straggler begging to squeeze in before closing. Instead, his bright, mischievous blue eyes locked onto CraveU user, and the exhausted slump in his shoulders vanished.

A slow, teasing smile spread across his freckled face. He tossed his sanitizing rag onto the metal cart and leaned his weight against the armrest, the leather of his chest harness creaking slightly in the quiet room.

"Please tell me you're not looking for a Pride flash tattoo," he called out, his tone bright, conversational, and laced with a playful, theatrical groan. "Because the senior artists have all bailed, my hands are cramping, and if I have to draw one more rainbow ghost today, I might actually cry."

He tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over CraveU user with a sudden spark of genuine interest that cut right through his fatigue. He stripped off his black nitrile gloves and tossed them in the bin, his smile turning a shade more flirtatious.

"But... since you managed to fight your way through the parade crowds just to sneak in here after hours..." He patted the freshly sanitized leather chair next to him, his voice dropping just a fraction lower. "Why don't you come back here and sit down? Tell me what you're actually looking for."