fandomtownies | Outside Everything But the Monkey, Sunday afternoon

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Outside Everything But the Monkey, Sunday afternoon

Jane had actually made Priestly breakfast -- when they'd both gotten around to waking up, anyway, Priestly wasn't so far past teenagerhood as to not be able to sleep in like a champion -- and it was even pretty goddamn good.

"Uh, duh," Jane had said. "What'd you expect? I grew up in a restaurant."

Which was a good point, really.

Now, Priestly was taking her on a tour of Fandom, pointing out high spots and avoiding looking at the lows. Jane was dutifully pretending to be interested -- it wasn't actually that hard, she was enjoying finding out her father was a real person, once upon a time -- and looking for the best places to get into trouble on her own.

"And this is where Dinah helped me pick out Ramone," Priestly said, gesturing to the shop.

"I thought you and Mom rescued Ramone from behind the record store," Jane said, referring to her childhood cat. "And who the hell is Dinah?"

"Yeah, sorry, honey, but your universe is clearly defective."

[ooc: open, la!]

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The tattoo artist didn't even blink. "Stylized hedgehog. Sure. How big and where?"

"Shoulder blade," Jane said. "Not too large?" she asked Laurie. "Liiiiiike. . . ." She held up a fist, thumb side towards Laurie. "That, maybe?"

"That, yes!" Laurie nodded with enthusiasm, then said, "Oh, and a nose ring. Something, uhh, silver. Yeah. Maybe with a jewel on it."

"We should do your ink first," the guy said, sketching. "And make sure you understand the after-care. Your girlfriend probably gets all that, though."

Oh we're not-- Laurie folded her lips and bit her tongue, hard.

"Oh yeah, totally," Jane said, giving Laurie a little squeeze. Teasing! Or, you know, not, if Laurie was down with it. "But we don't live together just yet, so going over it all here is good, too."

The tattoo artist gave them a knowing smile and nodded. "Gotcha. Alright, give me five minutes to sketch something out. Maybe take a look at some of our nose screws (https://www.google.com/search?q=nose+screw&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ATliUeHqFcTB4AOqqoHoCw&ved=0CGQQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=681) while you wait."

"Okay," Laurie squeaked, slinging an arm around Jane's waist, restraining her giggles. "We'll do that." Don't live together yet? Wow, Jane was chill.

Under her breath she said, "Thanks for suggesting this. I appreciate it," as she studied the jewelry display.

Well, when you made a habit of pretending to be someone else for shits and giggles. . . .

"Hey, no problem. I always feel better after getting another hole in my head." She smiled. "Endorphins. Awesome stuff." She looked down at the box, pushing her hair behind one ear. "Let's see, lonely sorority girl, lonely sorority girl, Indian bride, lonely sorority girl. . . . Here, the simple ones, with the stones. Classy, but cool."

Laurie covered a snort with her hand at Jane's commentary, half-considering the Indian bride one, then leaning down to look at what she was pointing to. "Ohh, those are nice. Not the red, maybe, those would look like a zit on my skin, but... the purple." Definitely. (http://www.bodycandy.com/cgi-bin/item/27144) Mom might even like that one, which Laurie had mixed feelings about. She pushed that thought aside because this was her adventure. "Do I have to leave it in six weeks, like I would for the earrings?"

"Thereabouts," Jane said. "It'll actually be tough to take it out before then, anyway. But when it heals up, it's pretty easy to swap 'em around." To demonstrate, she reached up and popped her silver stud out to show Laurie. "See, the hook-y part lies against the inside of your nose, so it doesn't feel too weird when you blow your nose or something. The guy'll probably measure your nostril, then make one a little big to account for the swelling. Then you can just get it adjusted when it's healed up, so it doesn't fall out too easy."

"Hunh. I always wondered how that worked." Laurie beamed at her, and leaned on the counter, feeling better about this. See, it was just all about the planning.

The tattoo artist returned, and held up a sheet with a few different designs on it. "Any of these work for you?"

Laurie looked, and grinned. "That one. (http://www.tattootribes.com/multimedia/110/hedgehog-tattoo.jpg)" A racing hedge-hog! Art! Nothing she'd have to regret.

"Nice!" Jane approved. "You'll probably have to take your shirt off, but I think you can probably just move your bra out of the way, right?"

The tattoo artist nodded. "In a private room, don't worry. No one will gawk at you."

"Thanks." She'd started getting nervous again, but now she was committed. And it would be so awesome when it was done. "...Jane can come with though, right?"

"Of course. Moral support is encouraged," the clerk said. "I just have some paperwork to fill out real quick first. Just to acknowledge that you know this is permanent, that we will take all steps to ensure a clean and healthy process and infection risk is on you, and that you're not drunk."

Jane nodded. "We're totally sober, girlscouts' honor." She was just glad he wasn't asking for ID or a parental note.

They'd probably lose half their business if they did that. Not that the girls could know that. Laurie was thinking the same thing.

"Really sober. Not really into that. Straight-edge." Laurie stopped herself from talking too much, and huffed. "And yeah. I get the permanent. I'm good with it." Ahahahah yes!

The tattoo artist had her sign and initial in a few spots, then led them back to a small room not unlike a doctor's office, but with an adjustable massage chair instead of a reclining one. There were surgical looking instruments and bottles of disinfectant, and even a biohazard bin. The artist pulled out transfer paper, disinfectant, and a safety razor. "I'm going to have you take off your shirt and move your bra strap down your arm, away from your shoulder, then sit down in the chair like you're getting a shoulder massage," he explained. "I'll shave and clean the area -- not that you're hairy, but just to be sure no tiny little hairs get in the way -- then apply the design to your back with the transfer paper, kind of like a temporary tattoo. When we've got it all set to your liking, I'll ink it with the gun, then put some salve on it and put a bandage over it, then you can put your shirt back on." He went on into some detail about what she'd have to do to take care of it later ~~that the mun doesn't remember off the top of her head~~ while he got everything set, turning his back so Laurie had some privacy to take her shirt off and get settled.

"Yeah," Jane decided. "This place is good. She reached over to give Laurie's hand a squeeze. "I'll hold your hand the whole time if you want. The first one can be pretty freaky."

"Cool." Laurie's return smile was a little giddy, and a little shaky. She squeezed Jane's hand back, then took a breath, reaching for her shirt. "Let's do this."

She lay down on her stomach, and reached for Jane's hand, moving her hair out of the way so the guy could work. "Ready!"

Jane sat down next to Laurie on one of the stools, scooting in close. "You're going to look so fabulous," she told her, giving her hand another squeeze.

The artist placed the transfer on Laurie's back, then had her hold a mirror so she could see. Once she'd confirmed the location, he wet the transfer paper, pulled it off, and set down to set to work. "You'll probably feel it as a burning sensation," he warned. "Or I've heard some people say it's like being stung repeatedly by bees."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Stick with the burning thing, dude. Bees aren't fun."

The artist laughed and got to work.

"Ow! Ow. Ow." Laurie took a breath, blinking back tears, then forced herself to relax, squeezing Jane's hand tight. "It's not so bad," she said, bravado a little forced. "Told you I could handle it."

"So why a hedge-hog?" the artist asked in order to distract her. "I like 'em, but what's your story?"

Laurie launched into a bit of rambling about a report she'd done, about protecting them from McDonald's containers, how they were some of them immune to snake bites, squeezing Jane's hand tight whenever something made her want to grit her teeth.

Jane squeezed back each time, peering at the tattoo gun as the artist worked. She wanted to drill the man for information on how he got his apprenticeship to learn the craft, but this was Laurie's moment, and she wasn't about to steal it.

"You're doing awesome," she said, during a lull in the conversation. "Fill color's worse. Good job going for the line art."

"Makes it nice and quick, the artist acknowledged as he lifted the gun for the final time. "Alright, the hard part's done. Just need to clean it up a little --" and indeed, he was dabbing off the excess ink and blood as he spoke. "-- and bandage you up. And if you're still up for it, we'll go ahead with the nose piercing."

"What do you think, Laur?" Jane asked. "Done for now, or do you want to keep going?"

Laurie had gone limp, feeling huuugely relieved and accomplished, and tilted her head, catching her breath. "Yeah. I want the whole deal." She winced a little, and tried to peer over her shoulder. "How does it look?"

At the moment? Slight greasy, with the salve. "Fantastic," Jane said. The tattoo artist held up the mirrors again so Laurie could take a look.

"It'll go red around the design for a little while," he said. "And scab up. Let it do that, it's part of the healing process. Whatever you do, don't pick the scab. It'll bleed and the design won't be as sharp as you like. And use sunscreen! Nothing fades a tattoo like UV rays."

"Okay." Whew. Slightly buzzed, Laurie sat up, smiling. "Okay! I did it!" Okay, all she did was lie there and take it, but still! She grinned at Jane and the tattoo artist. "Thank you so, so much."

Jane grinned back, restraining her urge to hug her -- sudden pressure on a fresh tat? Noooot a good idea. "You did it," she confirmed. "And we'll get you some fabulous tops to show it off, too."

The tattoo artist started pulling out supplies for the nose ring, all packaged in plastic with "sterilized" labels on them. Surgical pen, a tapered metal tube and a wicked looking needle prominent among them. "Let me know when you're ready. Piercing will take just a minute or two."

Laurie swayed a little, got herself back in gear, carefully pulling her shirt back on and tying her hair back. "Ready when you are, sir."

Jane beamed at her. Piercings and tattoos were old hat for her, but she remembered the nerves from the first time getting more than ears done (ears were nothing, she had hers pierced the moment she was old enough to know what it was and ask). And Laurie was doing both at once. Talk about impressive.

"Here," she said, holding a tissue out for her. "I can guarantee you'll tear up, so you'll want one of these."

The artist nodded. "Grab a seat on the stool. We'll mark where you want it, clean it up, and then I'll put this," he held up the tube "up your nose to catch the end of the needle and make sure we don't pierce your septum at the same time." He measured her nostril, bent the nose screw she'd selected into shape, cleaned it, and set it to one side in easy reach, then set words to action and held the needle at ready. "Okay. On three?"

"Oh! Okay, thanks." And eeep, piercing a septum? Did she really want this?

Thinking of the last couple fights with her mom, how cool Jane looked, that young Dinah Lance who hadn't done anything yet-- yeah.

"One." Oh man. "Two." Laurie closed her eyes tight. "Three!"

The needle was sharp and slid through easy, with just a light tap on the tube. "Okay, I'm going to pull it out and put the ring in. It'll probably be a little uncomfortable, but then we'll be all done." The artist set the needle to the side, then gently slid the nose screw into place, crouching for a quick look with a flashlight to make sure the curve at the end was resting where it was supposed to be. He let Jane hold up the mirror so Laurie could take a look.

"That's it. I'll give you some antiseptic to take home with you. You'll want to wash it out twice a day, and don't touch it without washing your hands first. Redness and swelling are normal for the first few days, but if you get a bump or a pimple by it, then you want to get it checked out by a doctor. I'd recommend taking an advil or something in the next couple hours to help with any aching."

Jane held up the mirror and grinned. "You look amazing," she told her.

Outside Everything But the Monkey, Sunday afternoon

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