You ask if you can switch off the grating music, going through the former Jared's CDs to find more appropriate tunes. There are waaaay too many winners to pick, so you end up putting on a compilation of some really awesome ska music. If Jared minds now, he says nothing. The two of you sit down on the bulging couch. Your stomach flutters a little when you realize Jared has chosen to sit directly next to you. He throws a lanky arm around your shoulder and plays absentmindedly with the long straw-colored strands of your hair. You allow yourself to lean into him a little, not resisting the suction of the spongy sofa. You smell his neck, noticing both weed and the scent of a fresh shower too. He's wearing slightly more presentable clothes today - still sweatpants, but a nicely fitting t-shirt that has a tropical pattern on it. His flip flops are sitting beside the couch, to your surprise. This is probably the first time you've ever seen him without his iconic footwear.
You have to admit that you rather like Jared. Sure, he has some faults, and he's not as intelligent or put together as your other partners have been. But who cares? He is such a kind person, and you have to admit that you haven't been able to stop thinking about yesterday, even if you don't want to. And the ring, too. Not everybody could take such a strange and large announcement at face value, but here he is, grinning happily. He's kind of cute when he's all cheerful like that. You're going to have to send Travis, your recent partner, a disappointing message when you get back home -- you don't want to be a cheater. And right now, you're unusually excited to see if things with Jared will go anywhere.
Jared breaks the silence in the room by propping himself up and reaching for an already-packed bong. "I don't know, [name], man, I still like my first idea." You tilt your head. "The tattoo thing?" The stoner bobs his head up and down eagerly. "Yeah, I've always like, wanted to get a bunch of stuff done. But it's expensive and I don't even know what I would get, you know?" You decide to ask the obvious. "Well, did you have someone in mind? The tattoos need to come from somewhere, right?" Jared thinks for a minute, but then nods. "Yeah, I guess the dude who made me think about getting some tats is that reality show tattoo guy, Slade Hartley?" You shake your head -- you have no idea. He rummages in his pocket for a beat-up looking phone, and then pulls up a picture on his cracked screen. "He's dope, dude," he assures you.
It's a photo of a man with raven-black hair, short on the sides and long on top, slicked back stylishly. Slade Hartley is shirtless in the publicity photo, his arms crossed defiantly, a rehearsed smirk on his face. He's wearing thick eyeliner, and shiny, tight-looking pants. Both are an inky black that match his hair. He has full sleeve tattoos, done in a traditional sailor style. You see red roses, skulls, dripping bloody daggers, carefully rendered quotes, and more, all rendered in vivid color. Some smaller tattoos cascade along Hartley's jutting collarbone and chest -- a symmetrical pattern of bats, with a stylized vampire figure in the middle. The last visible tattoo is where his treasure trail should be. The reality star is completely smooth -- his publicity people probably made him shave and coat himself in oil before the shoot for supposed sex appeal. The tattoo that draws a line to Hartley's pelvis is a Celtic cross, illustrated to look like it is on a chain that comes out of his belly button. It seems that the dark-haired man also has quite a few piercing. There is a silver loop in his left ear, another two rings near the center of his bottom lip, and then a barbell through his nipple.
Jared replaces his phone in his baggy sweatpants and then leans back again. You follow suit. "So, what do you think, my dude?", Jared says. He is looking at you expectantly. "Yeah, he seems cool," you say, although you don't really mean it. What you really mean is that you think Jared will look cool with this body art -- you don't care for this weird poser who ended up as a reality TV star. You put the ring in Jared's palm, and then close his hand around it. "Go for it!"