Inks and Holes, Sunday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

Unlike some people, Kathy had no intentions of attempting to pierce her own ears. The idea of doing it in a bathroom with--what, a sewing needle?--sounded like a terrible idea. So she'd called Inks and Holes to make an appointment to get her upper cartilage pierced a few times and, after with checking in with Anders during class, made one for him, too. She didn't want him to get sepsis, okay?

Especially since he hadn't even thought to ice his ear first, and he had ice powers.

"You sure your offer to hold my hand wasn't for your benefit?" Kathy teased, looking around at the parlor. Some of the 'Asian writings' on the wall were making her smirk. "I don't want you to be scared while we do this."

[Kathy's here for one, but it's open! And also extensively SP'd]

Comments

[spin_kick_snap]

"Gold. And turquoise is good," Kathy said. "And...a pair of all three, I guess? I'm getting five holes, I might as well go colorful all the way, right?"

"These holes look good?" the piercer asked, as she had with Anders. Kathy went to nod, caught herself, and said, "Sure. I think they'll look good there. Yes. Awesome. I can do this."

[not_every_mage]

"You can do this," Anders echoed with a nod that made his raw ear sting. "Are you all right? I was joking about holding your hand, but if you need that --"

It wasn't hard to tell Kathy had some nerves to overcome.

[spin_kick_snap]

"I'm--not scared of it hurting?" Kathy said, which wasn't exactly a no. "Just--I mean, it's dumb to think of this as some kind of huge step or something--I mean, it's just ears. Specifically my ears."

This sounded like an argument she'd been practicing.

[not_every_mage]

"Ah." Anders wasn't always the most incredibly insightful person, but it wasn't hard to figure out what Kathy was getting at. "And you don't think your parents are going to remember they're your ears when they see it."


The piercer suddenly remembered she had equipment to clean in a back room and bustled away. Loudly.

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy shrugged in that helpful ways of teenagers when they didn't want to acknowledge the truth of something. "It took me years to convince them to let me pierce my ears the first time. I had to place in a meet before they'd even consider it and even then it was nearly a no because it wasn't a gold and my Dad declared that the original bargain had been if I'd come in first. They're gonna take this as a sign of...I don't know. That I've turned into some kind of raging tramp who drinks and does drugs and is throwing away her future or something, probably."

[not_every_mage]

"I'm sorry," Anders said quietly, and reached up to touch his earring again as he thought how lucky he was that, at least, had never been a concern. Even when he'd lived at home, his parents weren't quite so strict as Kathy's. "I don't know what to tell you about that, because I've never been through it. Mainly I think they're morons, and you shouldn't let how they feel affect what you do."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy frowned at him. "They're not morons, they're just...protective." The defense was instinctive. "And...I'm not, you know? I'm here, I'm getting my ears pierced, I'm just...concerned. About their reaction."

To the point where her palms were a little damp, but pssht, that didn't mean anything.

[not_every_mage]

Anders sighed inwardly. "Kathy, I'm not here to argue about your parents, all right?" he said. "They're your parents. I have no say in that relationship."

Even though it sounded massively messed up to him.

"Just tell me if there's anything I can do, okay?"

[spin_kick_snap]

"Don't let me wimp out," Kathy said immediately. "I'm doing this. I want to do this. I'm not letting some stupid bout of nerves make me back down now."

[not_every_mage]

The piercer re-emerged, clearing her throat loudly.

"Ready?" she asked, and Anders reached to pat Kathy's shoulder.

"Moment of truth," he said. "You'll be fine. No wimping out."