Of course, they’re both video game related. The one on my left forearm is the Kirkwall symbol from the Dragon Age series. Yes, I officially have 3 BioWare tattoos. My next one will just be the company logo tramp stamp, possibly with the phrase “Property of” at the top. Jen Bosier and I did this together on our forearms, forever sealing us as unapologetic Dragon Age fangirls. We picked the Kirkwall symbol because I refused to get the Inquisition symbol, as it has an eyeball in it. I have a thing about eyes. We couldn’t find another symbol from the series that we liked nearly as much as the Kirkwall one, even though Kirkwall hearkens back to the least loved entry in the franchise. Okay, well, we also really liked this other symbol, but then we found out it was the mark of the Slavers, and well, there was no fucking way we would ever have that permanently etched on our bodies. So Kirkwall it is, and it looks amazing. So what if I wanted to burn that city to the ground? I had a lot of fun in that game, and it’s one Jen and I still talk about it on a consistent basis about our choices and what horrible things we found hilarious.

The one on the right forearm is from Final Fantasy, the mark of the l’cie from FFXIII trilogy, FFXV, and FF Type-0. I liked this mark when I saw it years ago with FFXIII, but I hadn’t gotten my first tattoo yet, and doing something that large for your first isn’t always the best idea. Not to mention, it’s rather scary to think about when you don’t know what to expect. I mentioned getting this as a tattoo back then, and I was mocked for it, so I put the thought aside. When I reviewed Type-0 earlier this year, the mark reappeared and I knew I had to have it. The mark is from a Fal’cie, which you shouldn’t ask what they are because this is a JRPG and it’s always better to not ask, and Fal’cie will mark humans as a l’cie to perform a specific task on their behalf. If the human completes the task, called a Focus, then the human will live forever and get turned into a crystal statute. Yeah, I know that doesn’t sound appealing, but they’ll be released from their crystal stasis hundreds of years down the line after their loved ones are dead and gone…and I made it sound worse. But if they don’t complete their Focus, they’ll turn into a mindless monster known as a l’Cieth. The mark evolves as time goes on, because the l’cie has a time limit to complete their Focus. I examined all stages of the mark, and the one I wear is the one I like best. No, I don’t want to be some being’s personal slave or anything, but the way I see it, it’s call for me to never lose my focus on the task at hand.

That and I really really like the design. It’s the one I get the most compliments on, as well. My favorite comment has been from the head priest at my son’s school, who asked if it was a design written in Arabic (he just saw a glimpse of it). He could read Arabic and wanted me to show it to him in full so he could read it, which made me laugh out loud.

These are most likely the last tattoos for my arms. I’m not interested in a sleeve, and I don’t want one on the shoulder either. I’m debating if I’ll get any more, but these are the last for a long time.

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Believe it or not, despite the fact I currently have five tattoos on my body, I’m considering a couple more. Three more, to be exact. However, I am running out of spots to put any more ink. More accurately, I’m running out of spots that I am willing to place tattoos.

Tattoo placement is very important for a few reasons. One, you want the tattoo to look like it’s meant to be on that part of the body. One reason why some tattoos look bad or off is because they weren’t placed well, either by the artist or by the client. You want the art to flow with your body and not look like your five-year-old slapped a random sticker on you.

And there is my other issue; I don’t want to look like I have stickers thrown all over me. I currently have tattoos on my wrists, one on my shoulder blade, and two on my ankles. I have the other side of my ankles open, but I don’t want to place another one on the other side as that will look like stickers. I’d need to go to my calf, which won’t happen, or to the top of my foot, which also won’t happen.

I’m currently considering my forearms for these next two. I may draw something on my forearms in the meantime to make sure it won’t look like stickers. I also don’t want it to look like I have the makings of a sleeve coming, because that isn’t my thing either.

I also have this thing about being symmetrical. I have tattoos on each wrist, and both wrists are sets of three (paw prints on one, butterflies on the other). When I got my Zelda tattoo on the inside of my left ankle, I knew that the next ankle tattoo would be on the inside of the right, not the outside. I have one on my left shoulder blade, but I’m not sure I’ll get another on the right side. I like how it’s alone, and that one hurt like the dickens so there’s no way I’m going to get a similar one. After dealing with color on the shoulder blade, there is absolutely no chance I’ll get a tattoo on the ribs.

The hip is another possibility, but I don’t know how much I want a tattoo to be that hidden, something I’d only see in the shower or when wearing a swimsuit. My next ideas are fairly simplistic, and I don’t think either will look nice on the hip.

In other words, yes, I do plan my tattoos very carefully. The last thing I want, or anyone should want, is a permanent mark on my body that I will regret. The next one or ones will supposedly be scheduled in the next couple of months during my Extra Life marathon. If it doesn’t happen, it’s all Jen Bosier’s fault.

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