Maybe it was Vic’s healing tattoo, or Matt’s talk of getting inked, or just a lucky coincidence. Whatever the reason, their bout of lovemaking on the sofa triggered a new and strange power in Vic, more supernatural than superhuman. On its own accord, his skin began to display spontaneous tattoos. Odd designs darkened various parts of his body, appearing on his skin as if welling up from within. They shone wetly for a few minutes, then disappeared—haikus in kanji letters written out across his stomach, a complicated Möbius strip that spanned his chest, a series of elaborate sand castles that sprang up on his back and then faded as if washed away by an invisible tide. Tiny tribal markings appeared on Vic’s face, framing his lips and goatee, before dissolving away. The fake tattoos played aro
