Captured Ink, Hidden Hearts

Louis

Hello everyone, I have decided to post an update twice a week, otherwise it would take too long until it is complete.

And now you get to know Louis, have fun 🥰

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Late in the evening, Louis sits alone in his secluded tattoo studio, surrounded by the quiet sound of the music coming from the speakers on the walls and the soft glow of dim lights. The air is thick with solitude as he immerses himself in sketching designs.

His hand moves across the paper, translating the silent symphony of his emotions into intricate lines and shades. Each stroke tells a story of heartache and the struggle to fill the void left by a lost love, the aftermath of his divorce still lingering and casting a shadow on his creative outlet.

As always, his sketches become a kind of cathartic release, a way for him to bridge the lonely hours here in the studio that he would otherwise spend at home and to release the feelings he carries within him.

As he works, his thoughts wander through the corridors of memories, revisiting moments when his marriage was a given. The silence in his studio makes the echoes of laughter even louder that once filled his life. Louis grapples with the uncertainty of the future, unsure of how to navigate the lonely evenings that have become his new reality.

During the day he always finds refuge in his creativity and with his clients, but every damn evening the emptiness he feels inside himself almost grows instead of diminishing. It is often said that time is a healer - so far Louis cannot confirm this.

In the quiet of the studio, Louis confronts his vulnerability and yearns for connection. He just feels so lost. His design becomes a silent plea for understanding, a visual representation of the emotions he struggles to put into words. As the night deepens, he continues to draw, thinking about where the fuck it went all so wrong. Or rather, where they lost each other. Even now, six months after the divorce and almost two years of separation, he still can't understand how all this could have happened. They didn't even argue. They had quietly grown apart and suddenly their dreams were no longer the same. Louis wanted children and she didn't. Louis wanted a dog and a big house and she didn't. She wanted a career. She wanted to live, suddenly panicking that otherwise she would miss out on something. And now Louis is sitting here alone and doesn't even know how he'll ever find someone who isn't as emotionally burdened as he is, who has the same dreams. He will probably die lonely and alone because who wants a divorced tattoo artist who is approaching 40 and has the best years behind him?

Suddenly, the rhythmic tapping on the window catches Louis' attention. Startled, he looks up and sees Liam, his best friend, grinning broadly as he knocks on the window in front of the dimly lit tattoo studio, while the glow of the neon sign casts a subtle light onto the street.

Liam motions for Louis to join him outside and with a hesitant smile, Louis unlocks the door. The chilly night air hits him as he steps onto the quiet street and both men greet each other with a quick hug.

"Mate, you've been cooped up in here for too long," Liam declares with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I've got plans to break the monotony."

„Oh Payno,“ Louis sighs but is secretly happy about the break of his pondering. He locks his studio, lights a cigarette and they weave through the empty streets until they reach a lively bar. As they enter, the warmth and chatter envelop them. Liam is quick to order drinks and then clinking glasses with Louis, obviously determined to lift his friend's spirits.