Riding on the coattails of a fellow contributor's recent article, "5 Things To Consider Before Getting Tattooed," I bring you a brief look at the colorful collection of tattoos from Eastern Michigan University's Odyssey team. What began as a just some friendly chatting between friends and co-contributors evolved into a directed sharing of both ink and, in most cases, the stories behind them.

Not every one of my fellow comrades possesses ink nor were they all interested in sharing, but we have a fun collection nevertheless.

Regarding the tattoos themselves, some are geeky and others less so. Some are profoundly meaningful while others are your not-so-run-of-the-mill decisions of spontaneity. One, which the author of this article (me) declines to share is a testament of why you shouldn't decide on nor receive a tattoo while under the influence of alcoholic substances.

Well, without further ado, here they are. Hope it gives you cause to smile and, perhaps, even some inspiration.

Hannah

Seems only fitting to start this show with Hannah leading the pack. It was her article, after all, the prompted my thought processes and curiosities, thus, this article.

We all know that the Pokémon franchise is wildly popular, but it is tattoo popular? Hannah definitely thinks so.

It's "my pride and joy," Hannah says of her Pikachu tattoo, demonstrating that she's no mere casual fan of the miniature monster catching phenomenon.

Hannah's not only about catching all the pokémon, however. She's also about waving her friend flag all about, even if that flag waving is non-literal and located on her ankle.

"My BFF and I got these, too," Hannah shares.

Far from just a flavor of Faygo. "Ohana," in case you didn't know, means family in Hawaii. A sweet way to solidify the feels you have toward another person.

Molly

Beyond her impending Star Wars tattoo, which, sure as Yoda is green she will get, Molly has a cute collection of smaller tattoos gracing her skin.

Our contributor editor from afar shares a four-in-one image displaying all her ink for our visual pleasure. Let it be said now and forever, Molly's got the cute and small tattoo flavor on lockdown.

And if If calling Molly a "contributing editor" wasn't indicative enough, the inclusion of an ellipses and semicolon tattoos should really drive it home that Molly is a writer. Pretty damn good one, too.

Hunter

When he's not breakdancing at Baskin Robbins, Hunter tends to scoop up some pretty amazing content for the Odyssey. However, what sort of flavor is on Hunter's skin?

Hunter cites he received the ink on a whim, but that it reminds him that, "What is coming is better than what has gone, let that belief aim you in the direction you need to go," a well-loved quote from author Karen Salmansohn.

"I want to get the Yin and Yang symbol on the same spot on my left arm," Hunter mentions before expressing that he'd like to have more tattoos to show.

"I wish I had more to share, but I’m broke."

Chloe

When it comes to tattoo story sharing, Chloe is pretty much most forthcoming of us. Her introductory story speaks of her semicolon tattoo and how its a reminder of both her inner strength and a reminder to not falter in her struggles with mental illness.

Acquired when she was just 16 years old, Chloe shares that whenever she's going "through a rough patch, it's always a reminder for me to keep going."

The semicolon, if you're unaware, is a typographical mark signifying that there is more to come. Fitting that it is also a testament to one's determination and not giving up.

"Lotus flowers grow in muddy waters," Chloe reflects, sharing that her senior year was a difficult, or "muddy," period of life.

"At the end of the year, I really turned into something beautiful," Chloe says.

Her third bit of ink, Chloe cites this as a present to herself for making it through her senior year. The open triangle encourages her to remain open to change and the arrow above encourages her to never stop moving.

"It keeps me going forward in life when so many things are changing."

"Last but not least," Chloe admits that she's just really "fond of lotus flowers."

Katie

A fan of inspirational quotes, Katie shares this small, yet impactful, tattoo.

"There's always a new adventure waiting for you," Katie writes. "Sometimes they might be scary, but you never know what'll happen unless you take that leap of faith."

Amber

Sharing a healthy trio of ink, Amber leaves us eager to know the stories behind them.

Cute a simple, Amber's multicolored heart rests on her wrist.

Embracing duality, Amber possesses a sun and moon on her upper back.

Citing a past trip to Ireland, Amber relates that "Whiskey In The Jar" is an Irish folk song with which she became enchanted.

"I was fortunate to have played with some Irish musicians and this is one of the songs we played."

Andy

Andy's me, the very author whose words you've been reading. If you've stayed with me for this long, I'm sure you're interested in what tattoos all us crazy people possess, so I'll start sharing mine.

For years I talked about getting a Waldo tattoo, but the placement was an issue. Rebuffing suggestions to get it on my derriere, among other locations, the idea languished as nothing more than an interest.

One day, out of left field, someone asked, "why not get Waldo in your armpit?"

Less than two weeks passed before I found myself under the tattooist's care and a freshly shaven armpit. No, it didn't hurt as bad as you might think, but the healing process is second to none the worst of all my tattoos. It was worth the pain and has since become one of my favorite tattoos.

On the side of more meaningful, I have (obviously) the word "love" tattooed on my arm. Inspired by the non-profit, "To Write Love On Her Arm" as well as friends that struggled with their urges to inflict harm on themselves, I found this tattoo easy to get. Unaware of the movement, people often ask, "Why get love on your arm?"

My usual and very cryptic response is, "why not?"

In all, I've been tattooed 19 separate times, although not all are separate works of art. I thought to include them all, but I'm disinclined to thrust this article into the NSFW category. Also, this article isn't solely about me, and it's likely that I have more tattoos than the entire remainder of my fellow contributors.

Future Ink?

While I possess more than a few tattoos, I still want more. Some of my peers are of the same mindset. Some are primed to get their first and are just looking the right inspiration or right artist. Some might even lack the desire to get a tattoo, which is cool; you'll not see or hear me disrespect or dishonor my inkless friends and families.

Just for schnitz and giggles, I'll post a few images that inspire my next big projects:

Featured in "The Fountain," a 2006 sci-fi film, this tree borrows elements from the "Tree of Life" and "Fountain of Youth" myths. I'd develop it and add more leaves to its top, but I dig it.

If you don't remember this scene, I'm not sure we are good friend material. The mammoth beast, known as a "lion turtle," would look crispy underneath that tree, don't you think?

Since you've stayed with me this long, I'll tell you a little secret. A few of us may (or may not) be discussing getting Star Wars tattoos this December. Not certain what either of us will get, but the likelihood is increasing daily. It may even have been the first tattoo for one of us.

Hope you like this piece, but now I'm left wondering. What do you have? What's your favorite ink? What do you plan to get next? Deets, man! I need deets!