[for Rapunzel] ink

[and_survive]

Her first tattoo, she'd gotten alone. Or, not really alone, since the tattoo artist had been great and they were still friendly. But it had been her and the person with the needle, essentially. She was kind of thrilled to be doing it this time with Rapunzel. Both of their designs were personal, were about them, but getting them together meant there was that little point of connection, that memory that went with it. That was pretty good, she thought. It went with the spirit of her giraffe.

Of course, Rapunzel had designed hers, so there was that, too. It was almost kind of backwards, like Rapunzel had given her Ellie a gift for Rapunzel's birthday. (Which was why Ellie was going to insist on paying, because birthdays worked the other way.)

They were meeting there, so Ellie lingered in the waiting area, looking at the flash on the walls (for people who didn't have cool artist friends to do their tattoo designs, poor saps) and listening to a particularly squeamish customer make a pained noise every few moments. She wasn't especially concerned about Rapunzel having that issue. Punz was tough. If anything, given what Ellie had heard about ribcage tattoos, she might be the one that needed a hand to squeeze.

Comments

[and_survive]

There was a moment where it seemed like Rapunzel's magic was going to kick in and it wasn't going to work, which would have been disappointing but also kind of interesting. It was sort of nice to think about, that Rapunzel's magic could heal things that happened to her, that she had that layer of protection.

Still, it was better that it didn't, that the tattoo artist was able to complete her work putting the star on Rapunzel's back. Ellie took a moment to examine it, resisting the urge to reach out and touch the design, fresh as it was.

Of course, Raounzel probably had to worry about infection a lot less than most people, so her powers went right back to being good and helpful.

"It looks great," she said. "It's perfect."

[fatesdesign]

“I love it so much. This was such a good idea,” she tells Ellie, giving her tattoo one last look in the mirror before turning away. The artist puts some cream and a bandage on it, which isn’t at all necessary, but Rapunzel stays quiet. She’s actually never had a bandage on before.

Once that’s done, she pulls the strap of her tank top back over her shoulder and hops over to Ellie, giving her arm a squeeze. “Your turn!”

The artist goes to clean up her station and switch out her equipment, and Rapunzel leans against Ellie while they wait. “Are you excited?”

[and_survive]

"Yes. Mostly," Ellie amended, watching the new equipment being swapped in. The needles. She could take it, she was sure, even if someone had told her that the ribs were especially painful. She had Rapunzel's example to live up to, anyway. "I'm like... part excited, and part psyching myself up to get stabbed a bunch."

[fatesdesign]

“Oh, you’ll be fine. You’re tough as nails,” Rapunzel assures her with a smile. They switch spots and Rapunzel reaches out to take Ellie’s hand, threading their fingers together as the tattoo gun buzzes to life.

“I’ll be right here,” she says with a bright smile. “Squeeze as hard as you need.”

[and_survive]

She'd done this before, she could handle it. Probably. She did take hold of Rapunzel's hand, though. The ribs might be painful and also unlike her sleeve, she had to have her shirt off for this, which added an extra layer of vulnerability to the proceedings.

"Okay, but this is going to take a while," she said. "So don't complain when you start losing feeling in your hand."

[fatesdesign]

"I'm sure I'll survive," Rapunzel says with a fond smile, clutching Ellie's hand as she settles back on the table. She scoots her chair a little closer, watching as the needle touches Ellie's skin. Rapunzel leans in closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

"And if you want that healed up really fast," she says with a wink, knowing how Ellie feels about being healed. "You know who to come to."

[and_survive]

"I know whach," Ellie said, squeezing Rapunzel's hand harder than she'd anticipated doing, and probably harder than Rapunzel had hers. No, pretty definitely.

It turned out that ribs stinging more thing had not been wrong. "Jesus. No, I'm fine," she said, waving off the tattoo artist's inquiring look, because she'd just started and wasn't going to chicken out now, also at all. "Okay, you gotta distract me, that stings like hell."

[fatesdesign]

Rapunzel winces at the painful noise Ellie lets out, letting her squeeze her hand as much as she needs without complaint. "Hmm, let's see."

She tries to think of a good story, but she really doesn't have that many. "Well, a little kid came into Dilley's the other day with his mom, but she wasn't really watching him." She laughs a little at the memory, nose wrinkling. "He got into a new display of oil pants and before anyone knew it, he had taken off all his clothes and smeared paint all over himself. His mom was trying to catch him but he was too slippery, you know, because of all the paint."

The tattoo artist pauses to wipe away ink and blood, so Rapunzel waits for her to put the needle back to Elie's skin before continuing. "So I lassoed him with my hair and saved the day. It took me a whole day to wash it all out."

[and_survive]

"...all his clothes? Oh my god," Ellie said, cackling a little, shifting a little before she remembered and stilled herself, shooting an apologetic look to the tattoo artist. She was torn between looking at the work as it was done and not. Not because she was worried about the blood, but because it was easier to let Rapunzel distract her from the pain if she was looking at her and not at the source.

"Just like shooting between everyone's hands? I wish someone had filmed it, that sounds hilarious."

[fatesdesign]

"Yes! Gosh, it was hilarious," Rapunzel says with a laugh. She holds onto Ellie's hand and tells her stories all the way up until the artist declares that she's done. Rapunzel blinks, surprised that so much time has passed, and lets go of Ellie's hand. "Come on. Let's see it!"

She stands up and helps Ellie off of the table, bouncing excitedly as they head over to the big mirror. "Do you love it?"

[and_survive]

Looking at it in the mirror, the giraffe running up her side, she found herself suddenly emotional. Remembering what it had been like, seeing them, and now having that on her side, a part of her. She had to take a moment before she could speak.

"Yeah," she said, resisting the urge to put her hand to it, just looking. "Yeah, I do."