Of Dates and Dilemmas (2/?)
By Jubilee
*****
Mike slung his arm over Cissie's shoulder as they walked out of the rave, glow sticks bouncing on their chests in time with their steps. "What time do you have to be in by?"
Cissie looked down and checked her watch. "Barring any complications, I have about 2 hours."
He grinned in delight. "Cool. Hey, would you mind coming to Inferno with me?"
"The tattoo parlor?"
"Yeah. My friend works there, and she's gonna touch up my tattoo real quick."
Cissie smiled. "Sure. Sounds like fun."
Mike gave her shoulders a little squeeze as their steps sped up. "Yeah. It does."
About 20 minutes later, Cissie was seated on a chair and Mike was lying on his back on the padded table as his friend, Morgan, worked on the tattoo on his hip.
"Care Bears were alright, but I loved Rainbow Bright and Strawberry Shortcake," announced Morgan, the tip of her tongue peeking between her lips as she smoothly guided the needle. "I actually did a temp of Rainbow Bright on my friend for my Modern Art project."
"Your project?"
She paused and looked at Cissie, smiling. "Yeah, everyone reacts that way. My project is demonstrating that tattooing is an art form of its own right, requiring skill and creativity. I tattoo and take pictures to use as visuals, and they end up in my portfolio." She gestured towards a big black binder with her head. "They're right there. You can look if you want."
Cissie stood up and snagged the book, flipping through the pages slowly. "Wow…you did all of these?" she asked, her eyes riveted to one lovely, and rather realistic rendition of a fairy, resting on a woman's pale pelvic bone.
"Yeah. A lot of them are real, but some I did with cosmetic ink instead. Looks real, but it isn't permanent."
At the end of the book, there was a hazy picture of a black silhouette on the small of a young girl's back. It was fuzzy, and hard to make out. "What's this a tattoo of?"
Morgan carefully blotted off Mike's blood before glancing over. "Oh, that one. See the sketch across from the picture? That's it. I did it on my niece, but the picture came out bad. I'm gonna have to redo it on someone."
Cissie looked at the sketch and her eyes widened. It was simple, stark and black, and yet beautiful in its simplicity. "It's beautiful."
Mike turned his head. "Why not do it on Cissie? She'd set it off perfectly. It'd look nice on her shoulder, because she's an archer."
Morgan's eyes widened. "I knew I'd seen you somewhere! You competed in the Australia games! I watched you compete on TV! You were awesome!"
Cissie blushed profusely. "Um…thanks…."
Sensing her discomfort, Morgan switched the subject. "Would you let me ink you? I'll use the cosmetic, so it won't be permanent. It'd really help me out."
The blonde bit her lip. "How long would it last?"
"A few weeks. A month, tops."
She looked back and forth between the two's faces, Mikes encouraging, Morgan's expectant and a little desperate. She took a deep breath and said, "Ink me."
**2 hours later**
Cissie stepped up to the bank as the raft neared. "I had a lot of fun tonight."
Mike nodded. "Ditto." He gently brushed his fingers against the large, white pad covering her right shoulder blade. "I really like how this came out. I wish you didn't have to cover it."
"I know, but Morgan said to keep it covered so it won't smear. Besides. It'll be fun to torture Roy."
Mike snorted. "Yeah, I guess so. We're still on for Sunday to watch cartoon tapes, right?"
She smiled brightly. "Of course! Gives me reason to wear my Strawberry Shortcake shirt."
He grinned. "Good," he said, his eyes locking with hers. Slowly he leaned down and kissed his mouth softly. He drew back as dazed little smiles grew on their faces.
Cissie bit her lip and said softly, "See you Sunday," she murmured with a wave as she stepped onto the raft and set sail for Titan's Tower.
Mike stood on the bank and waved back until the fog hid her from sight.
By Jubilee
*****
Mike slung his arm over Cissie's shoulder as they walked out of the rave, glow sticks bouncing on their chests in time with their steps. "What time do you have to be in by?"
Cissie looked down and checked her watch. "Barring any complications, I have about 2 hours."
He grinned in delight. "Cool. Hey, would you mind coming to Inferno with me?"
"The tattoo parlor?"
"Yeah. My friend works there, and she's gonna touch up my tattoo real quick."
Cissie smiled. "Sure. Sounds like fun."
Mike gave her shoulders a little squeeze as their steps sped up. "Yeah. It does."
About 20 minutes later, Cissie was seated on a chair and Mike was lying on his back on the padded table as his friend, Morgan, worked on the tattoo on his hip.
"Care Bears were alright, but I loved Rainbow Bright and Strawberry Shortcake," announced Morgan, the tip of her tongue peeking between her lips as she smoothly guided the needle. "I actually did a temp of Rainbow Bright on my friend for my Modern Art project."
"Your project?"
She paused and looked at Cissie, smiling. "Yeah, everyone reacts that way. My project is demonstrating that tattooing is an art form of its own right, requiring skill and creativity. I tattoo and take pictures to use as visuals, and they end up in my portfolio." She gestured towards a big black binder with her head. "They're right there. You can look if you want."
Cissie stood up and snagged the book, flipping through the pages slowly. "Wow…you did all of these?" she asked, her eyes riveted to one lovely, and rather realistic rendition of a fairy, resting on a woman's pale pelvic bone.
"Yeah. A lot of them are real, but some I did with cosmetic ink instead. Looks real, but it isn't permanent."
At the end of the book, there was a hazy picture of a black silhouette on the small of a young girl's back. It was fuzzy, and hard to make out. "What's this a tattoo of?"
Morgan carefully blotted off Mike's blood before glancing over. "Oh, that one. See the sketch across from the picture? That's it. I did it on my niece, but the picture came out bad. I'm gonna have to redo it on someone."
Cissie looked at the sketch and her eyes widened. It was simple, stark and black, and yet beautiful in its simplicity. "It's beautiful."
Mike turned his head. "Why not do it on Cissie? She'd set it off perfectly. It'd look nice on her shoulder, because she's an archer."
Morgan's eyes widened. "I knew I'd seen you somewhere! You competed in the Australia games! I watched you compete on TV! You were awesome!"
Cissie blushed profusely. "Um…thanks…."
Sensing her discomfort, Morgan switched the subject. "Would you let me ink you? I'll use the cosmetic, so it won't be permanent. It'd really help me out."
The blonde bit her lip. "How long would it last?"
"A few weeks. A month, tops."
She looked back and forth between the two's faces, Mikes encouraging, Morgan's expectant and a little desperate. She took a deep breath and said, "Ink me."
**2 hours later**
Cissie stepped up to the bank as the raft neared. "I had a lot of fun tonight."
Mike nodded. "Ditto." He gently brushed his fingers against the large, white pad covering her right shoulder blade. "I really like how this came out. I wish you didn't have to cover it."
"I know, but Morgan said to keep it covered so it won't smear. Besides. It'll be fun to torture Roy."
Mike snorted. "Yeah, I guess so. We're still on for Sunday to watch cartoon tapes, right?"
She smiled brightly. "Of course! Gives me reason to wear my Strawberry Shortcake shirt."
He grinned. "Good," he said, his eyes locking with hers. Slowly he leaned down and kissed his mouth softly. He drew back as dazed little smiles grew on their faces.
Cissie bit her lip and said softly, "See you Sunday," she murmured with a wave as she stepped onto the raft and set sail for Titan's Tower.
Mike stood on the bank and waved back until the fog hid her from sight.