Joe had broken his promise to himself again. He had yet again failed to have a normal life, he can't just go with the fucking flow. He couldn't just rent a nice apartment, he had to rent the one next to yours in the dingy building with the water that changes temperature like the fucking seasons.

He couldn't get a regular job! No...no no! He had to get a job at the floral shop across the street from the tattoo parlor your apprenticeship is at! Normal? Normal is what Joe craves, but he absolutely cannot help. But can you blame him? He's in love? Dangerously in love.

I mean that's at least normal right? Wanting the object of his adoration to be around at all time? Of course he's gonna fix your sink! Being a helping hand is admirable!

All of that effort boils down to this...Joe being is helpful...self. Volunteered himself to let you give him a tattoo. He knows...he knows it's stupid. Why would he let a beginner give him a tattoo? Something that is going to be on his body forever.

"So why the black cat?"

"You like black cats. You call yourself a black cat, isolated from the rest of the world, and constantly feeling the scrutiny that the world gives you for presumptions they made up. At least that's a caption on an Instagram post you made."

His conscience speaks in his head. That was other Joe.

"I just like em..." Other other Joe says out loud with a little smile and a shrug. If you like it, he loves it, if you hate it, he hates it too. Maybe he'll be more of himself in a month or two. But not too much, cause if he let too much out some heads may roll.