Tattoos, Devils and Arseholes

Brody was a young and well-recognised tattooist. He had been gifted with the hands of an artisan and had the artistry of a portrait painter. His tattoos were primarily his own creations, but he also reproduced classic and popular images upon request. Not only was he talented, he was also ambitious. His goal was to have a blossoming career and recognition Australia-wide, even though his current tattoo parlour was a humble two-room studio in Belmont, a working-class suburb near the luxurious Crown Casino in Perth.

Covered in tattoos himself, he was a living, breathing advertisement for his artistic services and it was no surprise that within the industry he was nicknamed “Magic Fingers”. Upon the blank canvas of a patch of skin, he would conjure provocative and meaningful art, though admittedly, the art meant more to the wearer than to any curious observer. The decision to get a tattoo is often impulsive, made on the spur of the moment, though it has the obvious consequences of permanency. It is important to get a tattoo that has perpetual relevance, particularly so because in old age the skin sags and the wrinkled image can blur into an embarrassing mess. When Brody completed a tattoo it stood out proud on young, taut skin. Obviously, one might question just how provoking and meaningful it would still be with the passage of time, but that is not ours to judge.

Unfortunately for Brody, the events of one busy evening threatened his tattooing career and aspirations. A young female customer accused him of sexually assaulting her, alleging that he digitally penetrated her vagina while she was being tattooed. This incident had come about when the attractive female, in her mid-twenties, came into his parlour and asked about getting a tattoo. She was alone, and dressed in an alluring top and fashionably ripped brief shorts. He was also alone, having just finished with his previous customer before she walked in. She told him she wanted a small black devil tattooed on her left buttock. This was her first tattoo and she thought it would be best to start with the devil. He showed her his portfolio of demonic creatures and she chose a cute devil with horns and a tail without much fuss, but asked that it be a little smaller – no more than three centimetres in size – and some five centimetres from her bum crack.

Brody quoted a price that was agreeable to her and then asked her to remove her shorts and panties, so they wouldn’t get ink on them or get in the way, and so he could have ready access to the buttock