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i remember: nipples

i was bitten by the tattoo bug close on 20 years ago. i went to a tattooist in camden called bugs. he was french and looked like he could have been in the proclaimers, but he could sling the ink like few others. back then he was a known tattooist, now he is a superstar tattooist and is referred to as evil in the ink.
my first tat was done on my shoulder blade; it was quickly followed by one on my arm, then one on my chest and then one on my other shoulder blade.
all done by the same guy.
all superb pieces of work (if i say so myself).

the last one was a hopi indian symbol (yeah i am pretentious, so sue). it was a simple design that i had coloured in red and yellow. striking. it was a tat i really wanted. i was up for it. it was the time i least liked in mr. scratchy’s chair. not sure why but it hurt like buggery and seemed to take forever. i didn’t enjoy the experience.
luckily the tattoo is fantastic.
it was my last tat.

a year or so later i wanted more body art, but i couldn’t find a piece i wanted. so i chose a different route. i went for a piercing.
now i have make a little digression where i was working was filled with people who were seriously into body art and a few who were interested in it so as to look cool. so i made the big decision and decided that as i had tats i would go the piercing route. i chatted to a few colleagues, got a recommendation for the place to go. booked a day off work (we were probably one of the few companies where staff did actually take time off for such activities…)

so off i went to smithfields. i had booked in for a having both my nipples pierced.
i confess there was an element of fear and trepidation about the whole thing, but i was there and no turning back.

stripped to the waist sitting in a dentist chair i was beginning to sweat a little bit as the bloke started to get the nipple ready. a clamp put on the nipple, well he tried to but i was sweating so much it slipped off. another attempt and there it was on. the clamp had holes in it so the needle could go through the nipple and a ring put in.
shit! shit! shit! look at the size of that needle.
more sweat.
the needle goes in, not quite like a knife through butter…
the thing that has stuck with me was the sound it made – think of biting in to a ripe peach, well that is the sound a needle through a nipple makes.
one done. one to go.

first i had to get up and walk around, calm down and prepare myself.
second one was a little easier.
i was sweating like a pig throughout. the poor piercer had to wash the chair down.
he told me i would be high as a kite from the endorphin kick i would get later on in the day.

i remember i went into the west end and bought my first modem. went home and fell asleep.
so much for the kick.

i loved the nipple rings, even if it meant i had permanently erect nipples.
sadly i didn’t look after the rings and nipples properly and soon i was waving bye bye to the rings as they grew out through the nipples.

now i am piercing less, but i do have smiley nipples.

they still get erect though.