I did not get here alone. Some people deserve more than a quick mention in the footer.
Kain is like a big brother to me, and he has been my rock through some of the hardest parts of my life. Always there. Always picking me up. He trusted me as the very first person to put real skin under my needle. He also bought my first proper tattoo machine and the supplies I needed to get started. Without him, this story would look very different. Thank you for every time you have carried me when I could not carry myself.
Nicklas is my clown brother, a fellow scare actor of several years, and another of my big brothers in everything but blood. He has cheered on my tattooing, helped me meet people, find clients, and dream up new flash ideas. He also knows when to drag me out of the apartment, make me socialize, and remind me that there is a whole life outside my own head. Even when I disappear for a while, he makes me feel welcome when I come back. Thank you for knowing me and sticking around.
20 MAY 2014 · 23 MAY 2025
There is something different about the intelligence of a parrot. They do not just repeat sounds. They understand what their words mean. Whenever I came home, Nikolae would say “Hey Niko!” because, to him, that meant hello.
He was with me through my teenage years, three relationships and three situationships. I cried to him more times than I can count. He was always there. And because apparently being my parrot was not enough, he became an artist himself: he loved painting in children’s apps on my iPad. His favourite colour was red. His favourite food was pancakes.
I lost him on 23 May 2025. He left footprints all over my life, and one day I will carry his actual footprints as a tattoo, too.