I'm prepped for the pain. It's going to be my first tattoo, and I really want it. It's also going to be a huge back piece; not a little one.
The pain is a different kind, though. Without meaning to be overly dramatic, it's safe to say you have never experienced a sensation like that - because it's not exatly a stimulus you run into a lot in everyday life.
All that's to say, I can understand both why some say it's unpleasant and some even say they are addicted to it.

For cereal though it hurts, especially the shading.
I don't have shaded ones. I also don't have any images, only symbols: Alchemy, runes, and also some video game originated symbols.
Had a mate of mine do the first one; with a sewing pin desinfected with a lighter & cordial, and some fountain pen ink, back then. He was doing a very good job, too, mind you, but obviously no line is perfectly straight. But I as a geek fell in love with the more tribal- (in the sense of the word), rather than "I have a tattoo"-like appearance, so I demanded all subsequent ones done in the exact same (flawed) style. Some say they're all just crappily done scribbles, but I prefer that they are bound to be unique and also have a more "pragmatic" appearance; like I was prepared for some magic bloody ritual (yes I tell myself it looks that way).
Gonna give a copper some mystery to solve as soon as when I'm finally ever found murdered.