xp_logs | Brighton: Clarice, Amanda

Amanda and Clarice and adventures in body art - Amanda gets her nose pierced again, and introduces Clarice to an old friend who happens to be a tattooist. And a deal is made.

"You sure no one will care?" Clarice asked for what seemed to be the zillionth time that morning, trying to somehow blend into the shadows.

Amanda sighed and rolled her eyes. "Clarice, look around you. There's a bloke over there with six arms, for fuck's sake, an' he's walkin' around happy as Larry. No one's goin' to beat you up for bein' purple. They might if you glitter 'em, but that'd be yer own bloody fault."

She pushed her hair out of her face, once more agreeing with Amanda. "I left the glitter in the States!" she protested. One little glitter incident and everyone went nuts.

Amanda chuckled. "I was just jokin'. Got you t' stop tryin' to merge with the wall, didn't I?" She stretched, enjoying the brief glimmer of March sunshine. They were on their way to a piercing parlour Amanda knew, mainly because the witch wanted her nose re-done, but she had asked Clarice along in case there was a chance the younger girl would want something to. "'S good t' be home," she said, looking and sounding much happier than Clarice could ever remember seeing before.

"So, how come you're getting your nose pierced?" Clarice asked, toying with the idea of getting something done too. She'd always wanted her bellybutton pierced but with fencing she could never do it, but she still wanted something.

"Been wanting t' get it done again ever since that bastard soldier tore it out. Just haven't had time." Amanda shrugged. "Dunno know I started with the piercin's in the first place - seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I like it. An' Frank, the bloke we're goin' t' see, he considers himself somethin' of an artist. He's good to talk to, got some great stories." She looked over at Clarice. "You still thinkin' 'bout gettin' something?"

"I dunno.... I can't get another piercing and still be able to fence while it heals," Clarice explained, "Maybe a tattoo. I think I want something fencing-related."

"Talk t' Frank about it - he might be able t' come up with somethin'" Amanda paused at the side of the road to let traffic go past, taking Clarice's arm when the American girl nearly stepped in front of a car from looking the wrong way. "Place is just across the road. Tell you what, if Frank can find you somethin' you like, you can do somethin' for me."

"Like what?" Clarice was still gawking like a tourist at all the obvious mutants and strange looking humans. "This is all just too much..."

"Easy, mate. Take a few deep breaths, they ain't gunna hurt you." Amanda kept her grip on Clarice's arm as they crossed the road to the piercing and tattoo parlour. "An' I ain't wantin' anything much. Just you t' leave the image thingie at home tonight. Come t' the club with yer real face."

"But..." she started her usual protests, "I wish I didn't need it in America. "

"Me too. But ain't that what the X geezer’s dream is all about, not havin' t' need it? So we're workin' on it. But I'd like you t' do this for me: have fun without hidin'. Yer got the chance, an' it'd be a fucking shame t' waste it." Amanda let go of Clarice to push open the door of Frank's shop, but turned to grin at her before she did. "'Sides, it's half-price entry if yer got an obvious mutation."

"You're fucking joking," Clarice declared in disbelief, "No fucking way." She stepped inside the tattoo parlour, letting her eyes adjust to the semi-light. She immediately headed to the display of
tattoo designs, studying them intently.

"So you'll think about it?" teased Amanda, but before she could say anything more, she was engulfed in a bear hug. The man doing the hugging was quite bear-like himself, if the bear had been shaved and every inch of available skin tattooed, including his scalp.

"Frank!" she cried, somewhat muffled.

"Amanda! You're back! There were rumours, but I didn't believe them, because if you had been back, you would have come to visit your old mate Frank. How are you? Last I heard you were at some fancy school in America," Frank said, his voice loud and booming. He released the witch from the hug, stepping back and holding her arms to inspect her. "You're still too bloody thin."

"Homily's working on it - I'm staying with her in London for a few weeks," Amanda replied with a wry grin. "Frank, this is Clarice, from the school."

"Hi," Clarice grinned up at him, "Amanda says you're an artist."

"The best there is," he replied, with an answering grin. He looked over at Amanda. "I like this one. Can I keep her?"

"The teachers might have somethin' t' say 'bout that, Frank," said Amanda. "Clarice was thinkin' 'bout joinin' the body art club, but she ain't sure about what t' get. Can you give her some ideas?"

Frank beamed. "Of course I can. I just love a new canvas! I'll get Sharon to help you out - you're wanting that nose redone, aren't you?"

"Will it hurt?" Clarice asked, following him to a bench to discuss ideas.

"Won't lie to you, darlin', it will a bit. But you're lucky you're here with the witch girl - her magic will take care of it. My customers loved her." He tilted his head, looking at Clarice speculatively. "So, did you have any ideas at all?"

She shrugged indecisive, "Not really…I want something simple though. And I can’t get anything that might interfere with fencing."

Frank pursed his lips, looked Clarice over. "Well, you could go for something on your shoulder, but that would be a waste - with your colouring, you should have something dramatic. To bring out your uniqueness, yes? I think I have just the idea..." He grabbed a piece of paper and started sketching. "See? A kind of slash mark? Fits it with the fencing. I thought perhaps on your face somewhere, if you're all right with that..."

"Ooh, I like it!" Clarice looked at it, tracing the simple design with a finger. She held the paper up to her face trying to imagine what it would look like on her, "What do you think Amanda?"

Amanda looked up from where Sharon - Frank's daughter, who had more piercings than the witch did, if it was possible - was showing her nose rings. "I like it," she said with a grin. "Told you Frank was an artist, didn't I?"

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding. "Okay then," she pulled her hair back into a quick pony tail so it would be out of her face, "Um…this will be all sterile, right?"

Frank looked hurt. "Oh course it will. I'm not some backyard butcher, you know." He sat her down in the big dentist-like chair and reclined it so she was looking up at the ceiling. "Amanda, love, care to do your part?"

"I ain't really supposed to be using the magic much, but this counts as healin'..." Amanda came over and laid her hands on Clarice's face, incanting a brief spell. When she'd finished, Clarice's face was numb.

"Wow," Clarice said blinking up into the ceiling lights, before finally giving up and closing her eyes. She didn’t like hospitals or needles or anything like that so she wasn’t entirely certain why she had agreed to this but she knew she didn’t want to see the tools Frank was going to use, "That’s cool."

"Just don't tell Rom an' we're good," said Amanda, taking a seat herself so Sharon could do the piercing.

"She's a marvel, isn't she? I keep telling her, any time she wants a job, she’s got one with me," said Frank, busying himself with his equipment. "Now, don't worry about a thing, Clarice, this won't take long, and you won't feel a thing.

"No problem," Clarice told her, quieting as cool antiseptic was wiped on her face. She tried not to be tense but couldn’t help it her knuckles were almost white.

"So, how are you liking Brighton?" Frank asked, seeing her tension and knowing chatting helped his more nervous clients.

"It’s fun," Clarice started relaxing, "I’m not used to being able to go out though without hiding what I look like, so this place is great! I think we’re going to a club tonight, or something."

"Which one?" Frank asked.

"The Honey Club," Amanda answered for Clarice sounding slightly muffled as Sharon bent over her with the piercing gun.

"Good place," nodded Frank. He started work, carefully making the outline, starting above Clarice's eyebrow. "You're doing beautifully, Clarice.

"Uh huh," she muttered, even though she couldn't feel anything except a dull tingling she wasn't entirely relaxed. After what seemed too short a time, Frank announced he was done.

"Ya like it?" he asked, obviously pleased with it. He handed her a mirror so she could inspect his work.

As promised a reddish slash mark cut through one eye like a fencing streak. "Yeah," she breathed "Totally cool...but my mom's going to kill me!"

"The thing that matters is you like it," Frank said with a smile. "It's your face, not your mother's. And it's a lovely one too, I might add. A pleasure to work on."

"Frank, you old sleaze, she's younger 'n Sharon here," Amanda protested, chuckling. A faint amount of reddening marked the skin around the new piercing - obviously she'd been using her magic on herself as well.

"An old man's got to get his fun where he can, Amanda, love. And it's not like you'll ever be on my table any time soon, so I'll have to make do with your pretty friends."

“Frank…” Amanda said, a warning note entering her voice. Clarice looked puzzled, and the big man made a zipping gesture across his mouth.

“Not another word my dove, cross my heart. Now, how about another hug before you disappear for parts unknown again?”

“That I can manage.” The witch stepped into the tattooist’s arms and was engulfed in another of those bear hugs. “Good t’ see you, Frank.”

“Better to see you, love. Especially looking so well. You look after yourself, you hear? And if you ever need it, that job offer’s open. My art, your craft… it’s an unbeatable combination.”

“I’ll think about it,” Amanda said with a muffled laugh. “Be seein’ you, Frank. Ta, Sharon.”