A Rumbling Inside: A Desire for More Ink(Part Two)

When my wife mentioned that she wanted to add some writing beneath the tattoo she’d recently had done, I suggested we could book a double session together. I’d previously shown her the design I’d created featuring the transgender symbol, as I touched on in A Rumbling Inside: A Desire for More Ink. She didn’t say much about it, but given the placement I had in mind, the upper part of my right thigh, slightly off to the side, she likely understood it would remain out of sight. 

We arrived in Liverpool City Centre just after 10:30am, and with our appointment not until 11:00am, we had plenty of time to spare. Even so, we headed to the studio early so we could complete the consent forms and pay for our tattoos upfront.

Tais

Tattoo Artist

Design 4 Life Tattoo and Piercing Studio,

Lime Street, Liverpool

https://design4lifetattoo.co.uk/

I’d sent the font my wife wanted for the lettering on her tattoo to Tais the night before, and she already had the artwork I’d chosen for my next piece. Once she arrived, she spent a few minutes with both of us discussing the size and placement of our new tattoos. My wife’s design was fairly straightforward: the phrase “love you to the moon & back” was to wrap around the Forget-me-not and moon tattoo she’d recently had done.  

For my tattoo, Tais had already printed out my design, the transgender logo set against a pink and blue background. We discussed the colours and overall style, but when I checked the placement on my thigh, it was immediately clear that it was much larger than I’d envisioned. 

 

AI image showing my design on a thigh

 

She quickly resized the stencil to make it slightly smaller, and once I was happy with it, she headed upstairs to prepare everything. Before long, we were invited up to begin.
 

My wife went first, and to be honest, it didn’t take long before her lettering was finished. It looked great, and the font was exactly what she had wanted.

Next, it was my turn. Since my tattoo was going on the top of my thigh, I knew I would have to strip down to my underpants or “hot pants,” as I like to call them, so I made sure I was absolutely spotless.
 

I knew Tais would be working close to my more intimate areas, so I wanted to be extra sure I was fresh. A shower and a few blasts of Nivea Pearl & Beauty antiperspirant before leaving the house seemed sufficient, hopefully I’d smell nice for the session. Once I was stripped off, she carefully applied the stencil to my thigh, giving me a final chance to check the placement in the mirror and make sure I was happy before she started.

I climbed onto the tattoo bed, a massage table, lying on my side and using my wife’s sports jacket to cover myself, leaving only my thigh exposed and ready for Tais to work on. It had been about five months since my last tattoo, and I still remembered how uncomfortable it could get. Somehow, I didn’t expect this session to be any less painful.

Like last time, the pain was unpredictable. Sometimes it barely hurt, sometimes it was just a slight discomfort, and for the most part… well, it hurt a lot. It was manageable, though, requiring me to focus on my breathing. I definitely talked less than last time, which was mostly because I had to concentrate. Tais was great though, and anytime I needed to stop or if I needed a quick sip of my Lucozade, she would pause for a moment without any fuss.

Lying on my side and looking away, I never really knew how much progress was being made or how close we were to finishing. Every now and then, my wife, who was sitting at the end of the table, would comment that it was “coming along.” I even remember one of the other tattoo artists, Maryam, walking past and saying “wow” when she saw it, so I knew we must be nearing the finish.

As we passed the hour-and-a-half mark, each wipe of the cloth felt progressively more sore and I began to wonder how much more discomfort I would be able to endure. Eventually, though, Tais was finished, and I could finally see the completed piece. 

It took a few minutes for my legs to start working again after lying on my side for so long. Once I could stand, I walked over to the nearby mirror to admire my new tattoo. 

 

             

Size-wise, it was perfect, the transgender logo was exactly how I’d wanted it, and the colours were vibrant. 

 

While the watercolour background surrounding the logo retained the general shape of my original design, it didn’t have the same airbrushed effect as in my design, a result that likely wouldn’t have been possible to achieve in a tattoo anyway. Even so, considering my design had been AI-generated, Tais did a fantastic job with the shading and colouring, producing an excellent final result. I’m so glad I trusted her with it, and I’m absolutely delighted with the result.

 

This tattoo was never meant to be a feminine design, nor something meant to be seen by others. Its placement is private, almost hidden, and that was intentional. For me, it’s not about making a statement to the world, it’s a quiet, personal acknowledgement of my transgender identity. It’s a way to recognise and honour who I am, a permanent reminder of the identity I’ve embraced and the journey of self-understanding I continue to navigate. 

 

Every time I see it, I’m reminded not just of my identity, but of the importance of living authentically and staying true to myself. In that sense, this tattoo is less about appearance and more about affirmation, a personal symbol of recognition, pride, and acceptance that belongs entirely to me.

I’m already thinking about my next tattoo session (but not about the pain), which will definitely be more feminine and feature even more butterflies. I have a design in mind, you've probably seen it already if you've read through my blog, but I still need to give some careful thought to the final placement. Tais has seen my design too and given me a price, and I’m more than happy to have her turn my design into reality again.

 

So watch this space!

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Lotte x