Welcome to Gaia! ::

“C-mon in!” He called. “Door’s open! Invite given!”

“Good good you brought water!” He grinned. “I got extra just in case.” He nodded.

He’d wrapped garbage bags around the bed, not the most glamorous or comfortable set up, though the towels should be nicer to lay on at the least. s

“I’m about set up, have a seat!” He waved a hand at the bed.

“I’ma have to get a nice chair rig so I can do this for people with more comfort.” He said with a chuckle. Little more comfortable than plastic bags eh?”

He’d measured out a small plastic cup with ink in it and set it, along with his tools and some sterile gauze pads on a metal tray.

“Now… if this is too much, or if you change your mind at ANY time, you tell me, alright?”

Zac laughed and nodded. “Yeah, I mean tattooing your shirt would just kind of punch it full of holes.” He grinned. “Don’t lay down just yet though I got to do a little prep okay?” he held up a small disposable razor and a thing of hand soap,

“Got to make sure nothing gets in the way.”

He then turned and tapped another bottle. “Witch-hazel, astringent, also keeps the swelling down, I’ll put some of that on as I go. Smells a little but wonk to me but its really not awful. After we’re going to go over what you’ll need to lay hands on too alright?”

“As for nerves, it’s your first tattoo, you have no idea how its going to feel, its different for everyone mate. It’s the same thing as when people git their ears pierced, some people it hurts like anything. Some people shake it –right- off. So I have to warn you in case of the worst of it, all right? I swear I won’t mock if it bloody hurts, and I’ll tell you right now some spots hurt more than others. I think you chose a good spot to start, eh? Not over bone or anything.”

It might become apparent the more he spoke that he was trying to keep his accent to a minimum as well, all to make sure he was both reassuring and understood.

Zac prepped the area and then applied the template he’d use to outline the tattoo, since it had a round shape to it, it was safer not to do it free hand.

He then fetched out a pair of mirrors.

“Right…want to check the placement? Make sure you like it?”

He had Harland hold one mirror and then held the other himself so it’d reflect the outline.

“Just don’t jump the gun on assuming it’s healed.” He grinned. “If you have questions I can check it for you.”
He instructed Harland on how to lay, carefully adjusting him, frowning, checking how the skin lay, moving him slightly and then finally satisfied instructed him to lay still while he made sure there was enough ink to start.

“Remember, once I start, don’t move. If you want me to stop, you tell me…but if you just up and move you’re getting a different design than you wanted.” He warned.

“Ready?”

When confirmed, he’d brush the chisel over the skin, and make the first tap, pausing for a moment then to make sure that he wasn’t going to be immediately asked to stop.

((Starting at the lowest edge of the design))

Zac chuckled while he worked, setting into a rhythmic motion of careful adjustments and tapping. The more taps he had to do in an area the more likely it was to increase the ache, but adrenaline would also help negate that.

“Sorry I don’t talk much.” He said while he paused to get more ink. “Just a matter of concentrating, you’ll see soon enough I promise, best after I take the temporary cover off it though alright?”

“It’s worth it, promise.” He said resuming the tap-tap-tapping rhythm.

“I’ll give you some stuff to treat it with, share when you’re done alright? I know its not always easy to get stuff on the island so, it’s a good lotion and some gentle soap.”

It took several hours probably before he was finished, the time spent to fill in the design, carefully wiping away blood and checking to make sure he hadn’t missed anything,

Had he not been on the island he might have turned on some music that they both might have enjoyed, instead Harland got treated to some humming music that had a sort of ‘island’ sound.

“Yeah.” Zac nodded even as he said the word aloud. “Tattoo, it’s a sacred art for the Maori, not maybe as much as it used to be but, it’s still a huge part of the history. The fact that I got these tools passed on to me, that’s a big thing on its own.”

He hesitated and then carefully daubed the tattoo with witch hazel to reduce the swelling before he carefully taped some cotton batting over it.

“Gonna let that sit…about an hour, maybe two for the size.” He nodded “So we have time, I can tell you more.”


He leaned back and rubbed his shoulder thoughtful.

“…I thought, it’d be for the best that I should learn more than Ta moko, learn some western designs and the more modern tools, good thing I did learn both though right? Actually, for a while Ta Moko was being down with the electric tattoo guns, but there is a resurgence to the old ways.”