A Love Blooms In A Starless Night
Some say that the people of Maskerville are nothing but a bunch of insufferable nuisances who do nothing but drink and eat and sing songs of cheer all day long in their funny-looking frilly colorful clothes. As if the clothes aren’t stupid enough, they even have to add an ugly-looking mask to the whole getup. It’s safe to say that they’re rejected by the outside world. But within this small town buds a love that will move the hearts of the world.
Bare-chested, scary-looking, hulk of a figure with piercings all over his face and body, this is Ink. Unlike the other residents of the town, he doesn’t have the luxury to buy their frilly clothing. He is nothing but a penniless tattoo artist, after all. Nor can he afford to buy a mask of his own. Unfortunate as he is, it didn’t stop him from becoming a hero. To the poor who could even barely put food on the table, he was their savior from disgrace. For anyone in Maskerville who walks with their face uncovered are condemned and scorned. But thanks to him, he gave them a way to cope with living. With his intricate designs, he was able to provide a makeshift covering for their faces with his tattoos.
Then here comes Rebecca, the jewel of Maskerville. She is sought by men all over town. Born in riches and wealth, she could never be so different from Ink. Lavished by her father from birth, she had never known hunger or pain. But one starless evening, fate brought these two together.
Rebecca, fascinated by the old ruins of a church she had always seen on her balcony, found herself sneaking out at night to explore the edifice. Little did she know that this has been transformed into a shop by none other than Ink himself. There she witnessed his acts of kindness: the way he tended to the needy, the way he comforted them from the cruelty of the people who discriminated them.
She was so moved by what she had seen that she removed her mask and showed herself to him, “Who are you that you could be so selfless?”
Taken off guard by her sudden appearance and taken aback by her astounding beauty, Ink could only sit still and stare at her… that is until she continued to say, “I too want to be a part of this. Take me and draw on my face.”
Shocked, Ink said, “But I wouldn’t want to mar your beauty.”
“There is no beauty in me. The beauty is in you,” she replied.
“But I am bald…” he says confused.
She then smiled. “I’ve come to realize that people only see what's on the outside. I have seen you for what you are this night. And you are the most beautiful being I have ever laid eyes on.”
This was just the bud of the love story that will soon blossom, changing the town of Maskerville.
