𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐌𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊, Lydia Martin

01 | abstract (physchopomp)

"the fear in it's eyes
gone out in an instant"
 - Hozier

"BOY," TOBIAS' HEAD SNAPPED UP, LOOKING like a startled animal as he turned to meet the buff man's gaze. Trying to act like he hadn't just been taking a picture of the flash sheets to send to his sister, he relaxed and moved to inspect the tattooing machine next to Scott once he realised the man wasn't addressing him.  "Good thing you drew me a picture."

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the werewolf sending the artist a mischievous smile. Remembering the design he'd been shown earlier, as he'd jumped into Stiles' jeep, the blond couldn't help but scoff out his own laugh, shaking his head as he did.

"Hey, Scott," The two teens turned to Stiles as he spoke, holding up a binder in his hands and turning it to show a sketch of a kanima he'd found in one of the sheets. "Sure you don't want something like this?" The excited expression in his face dropped when the only reactions he got were a sigh from Scott and a wince from Tobias. "Too soon? Yeah" He answered his own question, disappointedly swiping through the binder afterwards.

"Just wait until the next disaster hits, i'll laugh with you about it then." Tobias moved to pat his shoulder, staying next to the sarcastic brunet as the tattoo artist took his place next to Scott. "For now, we can just watch as our friend does an incredibly permanent change on his body that he'll likely grow to regret within the next month or so. Fun." He sent the werewolf an overly joyful smile.

"I'm not changing my mind," Scott only smiled back, excited. "Plus, didn't you mention once that you also had a tattoo? You're sounding awfully hypocritical there, Tobes." He teased.

"And it's because I have one that I'm telling you this. Ten year old me had no business trying to stick-and-poke a dinosaur onto his ankle." The older man let out a snort-laugh at the blond's serious tone, listening in as he prepared his kit. "I made a kid cry once when he saw it, Scott. It's monstrous, and not in the way I intended."

"Well, it's a good thing you're here as company and not as the tattoo artist, then." The brunet grinned at him, amused at his exaggerated storytelling.

"Speaking of, dino boy," Stiles butt in, receiving a glare from the boy for the nickname. "Why are you here? You and Isaac spent the whole summer attached to the hip once you made up. Did he finally realise just how annoying you are, or what?" Scott didn't say anything to that, but his stare showed that he was also curious for an explanation.

"I've been busy with the internship and preparing for school again. He probably has, too, I haven't seen him in a few days." The blond boy shrugged his shoulders, ignoring the nagging worry that had plagued the back of his mind since the first time one of his texts didn't go through to his best friend's phone. "Now, as much as I love talking about myself, I'm curious; why two bands?" He quickly turned the conversation back to Scott.

"I just like it." 

"But don't you think your first tattoo should have some sort of meaning, you know, or something?" Stiles prodded, eager as always to know everything about everything.

"It's already better than having a monstrous dinosaur made by a ten year-old." Scott tried to justify himself. "Besides, getting a tattoo means something."

"I mean,—"

"I don't think that's—"

"He's right." Both teenagers, voices overlapping, were interrupted by the tattoo artist, who spoke as he grabbed the machine. "Tattooing goes back thousands of years. The Tahitian word 'tatau' means 'leave a mark'. Like a rite of passage."