Ink stained paper, bodies

And then there were the differences. My downtime at the office is spent editing, surfing, and occasionally grasping for air. Alex’s downtime at the parlour is spent with a needle poking into his flesh, gushing out new colours.

This time it’s black: on his upper lip, a tiny French moustache. Unlike the others, it will go away. Eventually. With wear-and-tear, and toothpaste, it’ll probably last two to three years. By then there will be more. Company.

Like a kid counting his quarter-age, Alex is excitedly waiting until the colours crawl into a “five-eights of a sleeve.” More animals, a flower on the elbow, etc. Old school, new school, references to art works: big plans are in the works.

All I can do is watch the storm from the porch with naked skin, and wait to see what appears when the ink dries up.

*Alex’s newest tattoo was featured on the homepage of BME.com, a long standing blog and community forum partially edited by the RRJ’s Jordan Ginsberg. Also check the open tabs—mods, science, and vegan snacks: the man knows what he likes.