Nocturne grinned at the exasperation but he took a moment to study her face, not hiding what he was doing. “I think ear piercings would work well on you. A couple in each lobe, maybe even go all the way up one ear. Both if you wanted to.” He didn’t have piercings himself, deciding when he was younger with a couple of clip on tiny hoops that they didn’t suit him. But ink did to a degree. He didn’t think he would ever do full sleeves and aside from his left calf and maybe a couple of small ones to match with his sister or someone else, he felt he might be done with them. It was about inspiration more than a simple need to fill up every blank spot he had.
The lack of true enthusiasm over the left bicep’s piece wasn’t surprising. It was most people’s least favourite and he’d been questioned before about why he put it in such a prominent spot. He, obviously, liked it but also felt it fit that body part the best given its shape. “It’s not either of my cats but I guess they inspired it. It’s an enso, something from Zen Buddhism. It represents a lot but I resonated with how it’s done in a moment when the mind is clear for you to create. It’s about letting go of expectations and the beauty of imperfections. I drew it myself and liked that the circle didn’t complete in the first stroke and decided to embrace the teaching and draw a cat face in the space.”
By the time he was done explaining, CJ had already turned her attention to the oak tree and seemed far more intrigued by it. He smiled softly and gave her hand a light squeeze. How did he explain this one? It wasn’t a unique choice of tattoo outside of the artwork itself and he almost didn’t get it but the meaning drew him in and fit a lot of what he wanted to convey. “It is,” he agreed quietly, letting CJ take a little longer to inspect it at her own time. “Oaks represent strength and endurance, even bravery. A lot of that comes from the massive roots they lay down and let spread. The roots also are about family, like a strong foundation lifting you up.”
It was probably a little cheesy but CJ already knew how much he loved his little sister and his overworked Pops from some stories he shared in their texting. “My tree is dying, though,” he didn’t want to freak her out by thinking he had a terminal illness by mentioning his shorter life span but that had played a role in how the branches looked. The other major part had him giving another and much smaller smile as his friend looked up at him waiting to see if he would say why. “A dead tree means death but since my mom abandoned us and I couldn’t say if she lived or not, I went with a dying tree. It’s been weakened but it’s still standing. Still enduring.”
The lack of true enthusiasm over the left bicep’s piece wasn’t surprising. It was most people’s least favourite and he’d been questioned before about why he put it in such a prominent spot. He, obviously, liked it but also felt it fit that body part the best given its shape. “It’s not either of my cats but I guess they inspired it. It’s an enso, something from Zen Buddhism. It represents a lot but I resonated with how it’s done in a moment when the mind is clear for you to create. It’s about letting go of expectations and the beauty of imperfections. I drew it myself and liked that the circle didn’t complete in the first stroke and decided to embrace the teaching and draw a cat face in the space.”
By the time he was done explaining, CJ had already turned her attention to the oak tree and seemed far more intrigued by it. He smiled softly and gave her hand a light squeeze. How did he explain this one? It wasn’t a unique choice of tattoo outside of the artwork itself and he almost didn’t get it but the meaning drew him in and fit a lot of what he wanted to convey. “It is,” he agreed quietly, letting CJ take a little longer to inspect it at her own time. “Oaks represent strength and endurance, even bravery. A lot of that comes from the massive roots they lay down and let spread. The roots also are about family, like a strong foundation lifting you up.”
It was probably a little cheesy but CJ already knew how much he loved his little sister and his overworked Pops from some stories he shared in their texting. “My tree is dying, though,” he didn’t want to freak her out by thinking he had a terminal illness by mentioning his shorter life span but that had played a role in how the branches looked. The other major part had him giving another and much smaller smile as his friend looked up at him waiting to see if he would say why. “A dead tree means death but since my mom abandoned us and I couldn’t say if she lived or not, I went with a dying tree. It’s been weakened but it’s still standing. Still enduring.”
