Inkwhumptobertale 2024

Day Twenty-One

Linocut - Body Horror, Tattoo Gun, Spirit Possession, "Let the bedsheet soak up the tears." 

From what I can gather from the internet, linocut is basically a really big stamp. You take a piece of linoleum, carve out the bits you don't want, and put ink over the rest. Then you put paper on it, I guess?

Trigger warnings: tattoos, body..discomfort? I'm not sure of the correct term. Basically, being uncomfortable in one's body? That describes it, I think.

Comments are welcome and appreciated! 

Please enjoy!

~~~~~

Ink never wore short sleeves. In fact, he noticed that a rather noticeable amount of people in the multiverse tended to cover up, even on extremely hot days; it must have been normal. Many judges did, too; maybe it was a job-related thing? But that didn't explain anyone else. Ink had asked his friends about it at times, but only Dream and Blue had ever given him real answers regarding those things. 

"Why I wear long sleeves?" Dream paused. "I do it for others, I guess..they don't like seeing scars on their heroes. They're less positive when they acknowledge that we're not perfect, and that doesn't help me, since my powers come from that.."

"Would you wear short sleeves if you could?" Ink followed up.

"..Yes, I think I would." Dream nodded. "Blue's a lot braver than I am about those sorts of things; I'm not really.."

"I get it!" Ink assured. "I'll ask him about it, then!"

"Thank you, Ink."

Ink found Blue a few minutes later, catching his friend in the middle of a book. 

"Blue, I have a question!" Ink started. 

"What would that be, Ink?" Blue inquired, putting a bookmark between a couple pages to mark his spot. 

"Why do people wear long sleeves? Why do you wear short sleeves? Dream says he does it to hide his scars because people think it's weird; you don't do that, though! Why not?"

"Oh, this again." Blue hummed. "Well, like I said last time, I don't tend to care about what others think; I think my battle scars are cool, actually! The difference is that Dream needs positivity, while I don't."

"..Then why do other people wear long sleeves all the time?"

"Some people are just more comfortable like that; there are a ton of people who just get cold easily, so they wear long sleeves all the time because of it."

"Hmm.."

"Here, Ink, why don't I ask you a question?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you wear long sleeves?"

Ink blinked, looking down at his own sleeves..and gloves. He barely showed any bone at all. Dressing like this was just..instinctual; it felt right. He'd never tried anything else, which was..honestly, rather odd, considering his personality. Wasn't fashion a type of art form? It wasn't one he was good at, apparently.

"I don't know." Ink admitted. "I've never worn short sleeves, I guess. Should I try it?"

"It might help you understand." Blue confirmed. "Come on, I've probably got a shirt you can borrow that'll fit you."

"Um, thanks!" 

"Sure thing, Ink!"

Blue led Ink to his room, where the taller skeleton headed to his dresser and grabbed a t-shirt for Ink to try: a simple tie-dye that Blue had made several years before.