I tried my best- this is some Obimaul (with Obitine hints) tattoo parlor AU! I hope you enjoy it dearest @panthermouth (also @sunsetofdoom bc well.. mobitine ahaha)
“You seeing this?” Maul gestured casually out the shop’s front window. He disguised the movement as a stretch, getting up from his desk and and moving to top off his mug of caf at the small bar.
Savage glanced over his shoulder discretely, setting down the gun he was cleaning.
“Jumpy guy on the corner?” He asked and then added, “get me one.”
Maul grunted, pulling a new mug off the shelf above the caf bar.
“He’s been hovering there for an hour,” Maul went on, fixing the second drink, “D’you think he’s ever gonna work up the nerve?”
Savage shrugged, returning to his equipment.
“He probably saw you glaring at him and got spooked. You’re not exactly easy on the eyes.”
Maul barked a laugh, sharp teeth splitting a grin on his severe tattooed face.
“Not exactly easy on the skin either. I hope he’s not expecting pain suppressants.”
Maul walked back across the shop and put the new drink down the on table where Savage workered, ink stained towels littered along the surface while he cleaned.
Savage glanced up, then over Maul’s shoulder and out the front window.
“Don’t look now, but I think he’s finally coming in.”
Maul rolled his eyes and said, “about time.”
He turned when the front door chimed.
Standing in their shop was a man not much older than the two zabrak brothers. Cropped red hair, neat and professional, wearing some kind of uniform Maul couldn’t place. Maybe a school or political office- it was bland and official whatever it was.
“Hello,” he started quickly, voice clipped and heavily accented. A Coruscant native then, and upper level by the sound of it. “I don’t have an appointment…”
Maul leaned over the front counter.
The man glanced about the empty shop.
Maul smiled and waved his hand to forestall any more small talk.
“Just messing with you- what are you looking to get?”
The young man fumbled through his pockets for a moment, until he pulled out a slightly crumpled piece of paper. He walk up to the desk and handed it to Maul.
Maul took a brief glance at the simple jagged shapes.
“Mando’a? Don’t see that very often…” he squinted at the sheet, “I don’t recognize this- Savage?” Maul held the paper up for his brother to see.
“No idea,” Savage answered, hardly looking up.
“You get this from a reliable source? I’d hate to see you the butt of joke…”
The man shook his head seriously.
“A very reliable source. She wrote that herself.” He gestured to the paper Maul held.
“It’s not her name is it? We don’t do that-”
“No, no,” the man cut in, blushing a little, “nothing that… obvious.”
Maul wasn’t entirely convinced, but shrugged.
“It’s your skin. Got ID?”
The man seemed to hesitate again. But finally reached into a pocket and pulled out a small card.
Maul took it and had to hide his surprise.
It was a pilot’s license- but not for mere civilian crafts. This was a military issue permit… but other than telling Maul that the Man’s name was Obi-Wan Kenobi, 25 standard years old and certified to fly a ship that could raze the surface of Coruscant itself, he could glean no other information.
“Normally we like to see birth certificates…” Maul said skeptically. The man fidgeted.
“I- don’t have access to that…”
Maul called Savage over with a wave, still studying the card like it might be a fake. He was sure it wasn’t, government permits were nearly impossible to forge.
Savage wandered over and glanced around his shoulder. He stiffened almost imperceptibly when he read the card.
“Looks legit,” was all he said out loud. But a quick shared glance and Maul knew his brother was just as curious.
“Alright,” Maul finally handed the card back. The man seemed relieved. “
Step into my office, Obi-Wan.”
Maul ushered their new client around the front desk and into the back where a few privacy curtains hung between the tattoo chairs.
“I didn’t catch your name?” Obi-Wan said as he scooted on to the raised chair.
“Maul,” he gestured over his shoulder “my brother, Savage.”
“You own this shop?” Obi-Wan said curiously, making conversation to distract from his nerves.
“Five years now, ever since we got off Dathomir.” Maul distracted himself fishing gloves from the nearby drawer. He didn’t like small talk- but it was the rare client who just sat down and shut up. “Tattooing is a bit of a Dathomirian tradition. The only skill we really had- well… only legal skill.”
Normally that line got a rise out of clients, Obi-Wan only smiled thinly.
Maul had hoped revealing some of his story might have opened the other up a bit. But Obi-Wan had gone quiet.
Maul worked quickly to make the stencil and then returned to the chair where Obi-Wan sat.
“So where’s this going?” Maul asked.
“I want it discrete so-” Obi-Wan made a gesture towards his ribs.
“You ever had a tattoo before?”
Obi-Wan shook his head and started to say, “if it’s about the pain I assure you-”
“You’ll pass out,” he said flatly. “You will cry and pass out. No. Pick another spot.”
For the first time, Obi-Wan didn’t seem hesitant.
“It’s important to me that it’s there. I can take the pain.”
Maul caught Savage’s incredulous look as his brother walked by. Obi-Wan wasn’t the first client to come in insisting on a placement they couldn’t handle.
But something in the man’s words rang true to Maul.
Even though Maul had not yet agreed, Obi-Wan pulled off his tunic.
And though Maul’s expression did not change, he was surprised to see the fine spider webs of scarring on the other’s chest. Faint and light from bacta, but there nonetheless. Maul looked at the marks for a moment longer.
“Alright,” he finally said, “but if you start feeling cold or sick you tell me. I don’t want you passing out in my chair.”
With the stencil placed, Maul didn’t waste time starting.
The Mando’a script with thick and dark, so while the design wasn’t terribly complicated, it was going to take several passes with the needles to get the pure smooth black the brothers specialized in.
Under his hands, Maul could feel the other man’s slow and steady breathing- and a remarkably even heartbeat.
Even as the needles passed over the thin flesh above raised ribs, Obi-Wan hardly flinched.
Maul couldn’t help but feel his curiosity pique.
“So what’s it say?” Maul asked once the delicate outlines were done and he paused to change the size of his needle.
He could sense Obi-Wan was reluctant to answer.
“It doesn’t translate well to basic,” he evaded.
“Try me.” Maul lined up the new needle against his skin.
“Well… literally you could read it as ‘valuable thing’ but… I suppose it’s a bit more like ‘treasured’”
“Hhmm,” was all Maul said, his focus returned to his work, then added on impulse “First marks are always special- she has quite the honor of claiming you.”
Obi-Wan’s flush was hard to hide shirtless and Maul so close.
“You use that chat up line on all your first time clients?”
Maul laughed and dabbed away the excess blood and ink.
“No, but Mando and Dathomirian culture has some overlap. I’m surprised she didn’t carve this into you herself.”
Maul worked in silence for a while more, occasionally Savage peered over his shoulder and offered a soft grunt of approval.
Despite Obi-Wan’s initial fortitude, as the time went on the skin grew raw and he began to make small pained noises when Maul would wipe across the tattoo. The sting of the cleaner and cloth lighting up the abused flesh.
Maul gave him a toothy grin.
“I’m starting to see the appeal.”
“Sorry?” Obi-Wan ask, a little breathless.
“Nothing. She has good taste- that’s all.”
A few more minutes of swift work, and Maul had finished. And just in time, the man in his chair looked- well looked like a bit of a wreck. It was a good look on him, spent and breathing hard against the leather chair back. Ink stains and blood still smeared across his ribs.
Savage elbowed him as he moved to help tape up the new tattoo.
Maul huffed, only pretending to be offended.
In a few moments the new tattoo was cleaned, taped and Obi-Wan had put his shirt back on. Maul waited at the front desk to cash him out.
Obi-Wan fumbled giving him the credits, his new tattoo obviously paining him.
Maul tossed a couple to Savage who caught them. Obi-Wan watched the exchange bemused.
“I bet him ten credits you would cry.” Maul shrugged. “Next time maybe?”
Obi-Wan laughed and Maul couldn’t help returning a small grin.