Working my way up
I figure if I start small, I might get to writing about the growups at some point. But for now we have Penelo the Body Modification Genius!
"Okay." Penelo tucked her braids purposefully behind her ears - they slipped back again almost immediately, but the gesture was a professional one, and Vaan appreciated it. "So I want you to be prepared. This is going to hurt, Vaan."
Vaan shrugged. "Can't be worse than a rat bite."
"You have *no* idea," said Penelo. At last she finished rubbing salve on the needle, and pressed the tip to the lobe of his ear. "Okay. Ready?"
"Ready," said Vaan.
"Here goes!" replied Penelo, sounding more cheerful than she had any right to be.
He didn't mean to scream, but it was either that or bite his own tongue off, and really the former was preferable.
"Oh, don't be a baby," said Penelo. "I *told* you it would hurt." She slapped his hand away from the potion-flask at his hip. "Nuh-uh, it'll only heal up."
"I hate you." But the pain was fading quickly. Vaan put his hand up to his ear, twisted the stud, and grinned. "How does it look?"
Penelo grinned back. "Awesome. But don't get too comfy! Remember there's three more to go."
"...Yeah, I hate you."
(And later, when she's a full Sexy Sky Pirate, she also does prison tatts! Of course she pierces Larsa's ears at some point, and the universe is dutifully horrified.)
"Okay." Penelo tucked her braids purposefully behind her ears - they slipped back again almost immediately, but the gesture was a professional one, and Vaan appreciated it. "So I want you to be prepared. This is going to hurt, Vaan."
Vaan shrugged. "Can't be worse than a rat bite."
"You have *no* idea," said Penelo. At last she finished rubbing salve on the needle, and pressed the tip to the lobe of his ear. "Okay. Ready?"
"Ready," said Vaan.
"Here goes!" replied Penelo, sounding more cheerful than she had any right to be.
He didn't mean to scream, but it was either that or bite his own tongue off, and really the former was preferable.
"Oh, don't be a baby," said Penelo. "I *told* you it would hurt." She slapped his hand away from the potion-flask at his hip. "Nuh-uh, it'll only heal up."
"I hate you." But the pain was fading quickly. Vaan put his hand up to his ear, twisted the stud, and grinned. "How does it look?"
Penelo grinned back. "Awesome. But don't get too comfy! Remember there's three more to go."
"...Yeah, I hate you."
(And later, when she's a full Sexy Sky Pirate, she also does prison tatts! Of course she pierces Larsa's ears at some point, and the universe is dutifully horrified.)