Pay close attention to everything they tell you about maintaining it. The first week is the most important to the long term life and definition of the ink, as well as avoiding scarring. You'll find by now it doesn't hurt like you thought it might - but that doesn't mean you can ignore the care instructions. You're not healed just because it's not throbbing with pain or burning.

Grats on joining the thing that debarks prisoners, pirates, and druggies - ink :p

J/k, but it is something that goes into police record as something that is an "identifying mark" :p So this means you better keep a clean nose from now on :D

My life of crime is behind me, as is the statute of limitations, so I got inked 2 years ago :D

btw, I had no idea your cock was that huge!

The hilt of the sword turned out quite phallic. We kept joking about it throughout!

A lot of art actually has hidden images or things unintended to be there; like the Camel cigarettes Lion & Lady, for instance.

Anyway, you've gotten a lot more ink (in distance) than I have. I had my pattern filled in, so my arm probably hurt a bit like yours is, but more localized, instead of elongated.

Anyway, it's the final step in demarkating your skin to be unique, and now I will tell you a little myth the Lakota (Sioux Indian) people have about the afterlife.

In the afterlife, one of the things you do get to take with you is your skin and hair. This is basically all you have to distinguish yourself from all the millions of other souls of the dead. The Creator (or whomever you like would sit in judgment of you, as well as friends who may like to meet you once they die) can recognize you better if your skin has a unique pattern upon it. It is for that reason they honor tribal tattooing, and the length of your hair basically represents your soul - as it grows throughout your life, just as you did. They seldom want or like to trim it - it is a white man's concept they do not embrace, preferring instead to braid it and decorate it.

Lakota do however cut off their hair during great tragedies, usually the loss of loved ones, to express how this death takes a piece of their soul with them. The letting go ceremony often takes a year to complete - I forget if the hair is cut at the beginning, or the end. I'd guess the start, as that is when the pain is worst. The year is meant to be a time of releasing the spirit of the dead from their heart, of putting a definite end date on grief. And it seems to work.

Anyway, I got distracted. I don't know much else about the Lakota use of tattooing, placement, symbology, whether they chose their own images or shamans did - I don't really know if there are books mentioning this subject in any detail. I just know they believed the skin did identify you in the afterlife, and I'd guess modern Lakota probably choose carefully to a pattern honoring a tribe they may affiliate with, or any advice a shaman may have given - or be respectful when choosing a particular animal, being mindful of what evoking that totem may mean.

They don't know of dragons at all - there's no word afaik in lakota for dragon. (Googled all over the place, and the word separation of 'fly' from 'dragonfly' is not the way to go at it... Nor could I find the word for dinosaur easily, etc - where I had translated/PDF'd a now-lost document on the meaning of many of their old creation myths and legends, including terms like Unktehila, which I use for my Iksar.)

Be well.

I got my ointment ready =P

But yeah, she said it would take about 3 weeks before it was completely healed. I also need to find a long sleeve shirt to sleep in tonight... I don't think I have any :C

You've worked out something by now I guess. No pajamas eh? Adult PJs are necessary for cold nights or sleeping without covers sometimes, now you have your regret about not owning a pair. A big lot of gauze secured all around your arm might be ok. Just make sure sleeping ON it and with it under a pillow will be ok... you have no control over how you turn over and move your arms as you sleep (and no control over what they do, either... so waterproof is best!)... :P

Luckily, I woke up at one point in time and hadn't seemed to move much at all. Also, while searching through my closet (and drawers within), I found a an old plain brown longsleeve shirt that I haven't worn in some years that fit the bill just well. As far as normal sleep wear is concerned, well, I'm a boxer guy =P

I need more boxershorts. Other than that, the PJs for cold months, it's full nude baby

Li definitely had a great style for tattoos, it's really too bad he doesn't come around anymore, I liked him :(

WHERE ARE THE PICTURES, FAGET