#mpivan

Persephone loves the sky. Mostly because whenever she can see it, she’s no longer in the Underworld, but still. Persephone loves the sky. And so, as any good husband is supposed to, Hades has also come to love the sky. Mostly the night sky in his case - the blue skies of day remind him too much of Demeter and her thorn over him kidnapping her daughter. Which is why, when Hades hears of the planetarium, a place where people can watch the stars and almost the entire universe in a very natural state, he decides instantly that he needs to go there.

This time he’s smarter than before and checks the opening hours of the place before he leaves, which is a good thing or he would have appeared at its doors at eight in the morning, when it apparently opens at five pm and closes at seven am. So, Hades wastes the day away by going here and there and doing whatever it takes for time to pass, and then stands at the planetariums doors fifteen minutes before opening, so that he can make sure to enjoy every single minute of its opening hours.

When he enters the place, there is a sign that states admission is free but gifts are always welcome. Which means most probably this place depends on whatever scraps anyone is willing to give it. Not hesitating even a moment, Hades reaches into his jacket and pulls out a wallet. Pulling out all the bills that he currently has in possession, he looks around for where he’s supposed to leave his donation. He eventually finds a pot with a small slit at the top. It’s see through, so the meagre amount of donations there’s currently inside is blatantly obvious for anyone to see. Frowning slightly, Hades steps towards it and tries to shove the entire package of bills into the slit, only to have them stuck halfway in because the amount is too much. Huffing at the discovery - no wonder they don’t get as many donations if they don’t even make the hole big enough - Hades slowly wedges the money back out of the slit, and then starts putting it in with ten bills at a time.

It was Zeus’ second day in the city and he already had quite enjoyed his stay. The celebratory drink of the other night had been great and after consulting the oracle this morning, the god was now freely roaming the streets. Discovering the different districts this city offered him, it was somewhere on the border between the art and red light district that he stumbled upon a very familiar looking parlor. Instantly halting in his steps the moment his gaze caught sight of the tattoo and piercing shop, he looked inside. Only being able to see deep blue walls, a checkered floor and a small part of a single piece of furniture, the god took a step backwards and lifted up his head to look at the name of the store. Taste of Ink, Tattoo and Piercing Parlour

Tapping with his foot on the ground as he read the store’s name for a couple of times over, memories of a certain someone started plaguing him. He could remember clear as day how he had so bluntly bashed Acat, the Mayan god of tattoos and scarification, for nothing less than his tattoo art skills many years ago. For quite some time Zeus had been pondering over the idea of getting himself a lightning bolt tattoo. He figured that he could best go to a god so he’d get himself a tattoo worthy to have. So Zeus had contacted Acat and politely requested him to be the one to mark him with a lightning bolt tattoo. Acat had graciously accepted his polite request and an appointment soon was made. The Mayan god didn’t tattoo everyone, so Zeus was very thrilled with this appointment. Yet on that unlucky day what had meant to become one of Zeus’ better moments in his eternal life got completely ruined by his own sour mood. The lightning god had taken offence in the way Acat had simply asked him about the place he wanted the tattoo to be. It was, of course, a normal question to ask yet Zeus exploded in front of the other. Calling him names and diminishing his art and skills gravely. It ended with Zeus walking out after stating he’d find someone better to give him a tattoo. After that encounter, the two hadn’t met each other again.

There were some things in life that were meant to be appreciated and tattoos and tapas were at the top of Jaewon’s list. Although he only had a total of two tattoos he was still very appreciative of the art, which lead him into Taste of Ink all those years ago. About three years have passed since he first had met Ivan and ever since the beginning he has been trying to convince the other to “bestow” a tattoo upon his skin. Not that anything has worked.

@mpivan

Kibum wasn’t ashamed of his feline attributes. Not really. He just wasn’t keen on having them out at all times. Like at a gala. Being called catboy in his everyday life was fine but at times like these, he liked to see how the other side lived. Luckily for him, today was one of the days that he could control them, hiding them behind a glamor for a special occasion. Idly, he wondered what it would be like to live without that particular insecurity of his appearance.

Leading him to his current predicament. Living in London, the home of the punk movement, he’d seen his fair share of tattooed individuals but none so much like this particular man. From what he could see, he seemed absolutely covered. It struck him for a short moment how comfortable you had to be with yourself to be covered in art of your own choosing for the rest of your life.

Blinking slowly, he belatedly realized that he’d been staring. Like he wasn’t considered abnormal enough, now he was staring at random party guests. 

Good going, Kibum.

Sehun doesn’t usually visit a lot of places, but his steps often lead him back to the tattoo parlour where he’s gotten his tattoo. Why? Probably because he continues to think of having another one. But he has no idea which one, so he doesn’t actually ever enter the place anymore. He just walks by it more often. Which they might regard with a frown, considering the fact that more often is beginning to be a lot of the time, but then who is he to care about what other people think of him? Right.

One more reason, however, might also be the man whom Sehun presumes is the owner of the place. A god covered in his own fair share of tattoos, but not looking like some of the junk people he’s met during his time in the streets. No, this man makes the tattoos look like artwork, like stories of battles won and large victories. This man, just the sight of him, fills Sehun with respect.

And respect is not something that Sehun feels a whole lot of. It’s a very rare thing, actually. So he’s been kind of cradling the feeling and allowing himself to feel something less negative for a change. But he’s not stupid and he knows that the respect he feels is not for an actual person but just for the idea of him that Sehun has in his mind.

So there is only one way to figure out whether or not this god actually deserves his respect. And that is going over to talk to him. So, when his feet lead him to the tattoo parlour yet again that day, and he notices the god walking away nearby, he quickens his steps a little to make sure he catches up.