Shaded butterflies in purple, blue and green with black swirling vines and leaves across a person's upper back.

Enlarged with AI from a smaller original

Three butterflies and vines on upper back

Realism · Back · Mixed · Photo

Three butterflies in purple, blue and green sit on the upper back, with the largest at the top right and the two smaller ones lower down. Black swirling vine linework with small leaves connects them, and the wings have soft shading and highlights. The tattoo is set on bare skin with a plain background, and the photo is taken from behind so the head and face are not shown.

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A story inspired by this tattoo · fiction

Dear Oriel, the frost came early to the terraces of Velmora this year, and the vines along the south wall have gone black at their tips. Master Tallow says it is nothing a good pruning will not mend, but I have seen him stroking the leaves at dusk when he thinks nobody is watching, and he has stopped whistling for the gardeners.

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The butterflies came in the week after the frost, as if they had heard about the sickness. A purple one with freckled wings settled on the highest curl of the trellis, then a blue one with gold spots, then two small green ones with painted eyes on their hindwings. They have not left since. The stable boys say they are the old queen's, sent back to keep the vines alive, and the washerwomen leave out saucers of honey as though the creatures were guests at a wedding.

Yesterday the blue one lifted from the trellis and flew straight to the cutting you left in the clay pot by the well. I watched it land on the tender stem you wrapped in wet cloth before you sailed. The stem has put out two leaves since Tuesday. I did not tell Tallow. I have only told you, because you are the only one who will understand why I am writing to a woman on a ship when there is work to do.

Come home when the wind turns. The vines are curling toward the sea road as though they know where you went, and the green butterflies sit with their wings shut, as if they are waiting for someone to open the gate. I have pressed one of the black tips between the pages of this letter. Do not ask me how I found the courage.

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