AITA for lying about my dragon tattoo to mess with a jealous friend?

I’d been planning a dragon tattoo for over a year that honored my mom, but when a jealous friend started prying, I lied about the design—saying it was Haku from Spirited Away—and things took a petty turn.

Peggy and I had a history of tension: after a night out where our mutual friend Mark (28M) was present, Peggy began targeting me with awkward, petty attempts to single me out for about six months. I’d been planning a dragon tattoo for over a year — a piece that mattered to me because it included my mom’s favorite flowers and a style I worked on with my artist. About a month before my appointment I was chatting with a friend about the tattoo and Peggy overheard; the moment she realized I planned a dragon, she lit up with a grin that felt more schadenfreude than curiosity. That grin gave me an idea.

I’m the friend who wanted a dragon tattoo that honored my mom; when Peggy started acting petty about it, I lied that the design was Haku from Spirited Away and suggested she watch the movie — partly to change the subject and partly because her reaction felt like payback for months of passive-aggressive behavior.

I’d been planning this tattoo for personal reasons — dragons plus my mom’s favorite flowers — and had worked with my artist on the style for months. Peggy’s interest felt less like curiosity and more like glee; when she asked where and what kind of dragon I wanted, I seized the moment. I pivoted, saying I loved the movie Spirited Away, explaining how my dad showed it to me growing up, and casually suggested it would be “cool if he (Haku) was wrapping around my arm.”

"it'd be cool if he (Haku) was wrapping around my arm or something."

Peggy had never seen the film, so I encouraged her to watch it and cut the conversation off there. The lie wasn’t about the tattoo itself — I still intended the dragon and the flowers I’d planned — but it was a small, targeted deception that felt like a way to redirect Peggy’s attention and respond to months of petty behavior.

"I encouraged her to check it out and ended the conversation there."

Beyond that exchange, the story stops — Peggy’s grin, my lie, and my decision to steer her toward the movie are what actually happened in the scene I described. I didn’t say what happened next, whether Peggy watched the movie, or if the lie changed our dynamic long-term.

🏠 The Aftermath

Immediately after the exchange, Peggy was left with a recommendation to watch Spirited Away and a story about Haku as the supposed inspiration. My plan was to keep the actual tattoo I designed with my mom’s flowers; the lie was only meant to deflect Peggy’s gloating reaction in that moment.

There’s no recorded fallout beyond that conversation in the excerpt: no confrontation, no reveal, and no confirmation that Peggy actually watched the movie or reacted later.

What did happen for sure is that a petty, long-running tension got a petty, targeted response — whether that felt satisfying or mean depends on your perspective.

"That grin made me realize I didn’t owe her the real reason — so I lied to change the subject."

I kept the personal meaning of the tattoo private and used a pop-culture detour to handle a delicate social moment with Peggy.

💭 Emotional Reflection

This reads less like a grand moral failure and more like two people stuck in a loop: Peggy’s petty, repeated attempts to embarrass me after Mark’s presence, and my small, private retaliation. My tattoo was meaningful and planned for months; I chose to protect that meaning rather than hand it over to someone who’d revel in it.

People will split on this: some will call the lie petty and needlessly deceptive, while others will see it as a harmless boundary—keeping a personal, sentimental choice out of someone else’s negative spotlight. The situation highlights how repeated passive-aggression can tempt even reasonable people into small acts of spite.

There’s no clear villain established — just old friction, a meaningful tattoo, and a tiny deception aimed at avoiding more drama.

Here’s how the community might see it:

“She’d been petty toward you for months — a little white lie to protect something personal isn’t outrageous.”

“Why lie about it? If it mattered, just say so. Lying to get back at someone escalates things.”

“Context matters: repeated passive-aggressive behavior wears you down. I get wanting to keep the tattoo private.”

Readers are likely to debate intent, proportionality, and whether a harmless-sounding lie is justified by months of provocation.

🌱 Final Thoughts

Keeping a personal tattoo private because it honors someone important is understandable — and choosing to deflect a petty reaction with a harmless fib is a very human response to ongoing irritation. Still, lies can create their own complications if they’re later revealed.

You can sympathize with wanting to avoid drama while also questioning whether honesty would have been the cleaner route. This one sits in a gray area between self-protection and pettiness.

What do you think?
Was my little lie justified as a boundary, or did I stoop to the same petty level I disliked in Peggy? Share your take below 👇