Work Text:
“Vince, quick! Before Neff changes her mind!” Saz called out.
Neffres just laughed, “I’m not changing my mind. I’m here, we’re doing it.”
She’d been procrastinating for months, but there was no avoiding the inevitable anymore, mostly since Saz had dragged her into Vince’s room. Three months into joining the Banished Shadows and Neffres had managed to avoid getting her tattoo until now. She wasn’t concerned with the pain, she could absolutely totally handle that (probably). The permanence of ink embedded in her skin was what concerned the half-elf. She couldn’t stay with the group forever. If she caught onto a clue about Miryn, she knew she’d have to get back on the trail, even if it meant leaving her friends. Having a tattoo to remind her of them would just make it harder for her to keep herself focused when she left. She’d never be able to make herself forget. But, fuck it, maybe that’d be a good thing for her. There was no use worrying about it now, as she sat down in Vince’s tattoo chair, Saz sitting beside her and teasing her.
Vince looked up from his desk and smiled over at the duo while he got up and began gathering his materials, “Finally convinced you, huh?”
Neffres shrugged, “Saz told me I’d get booted if I didn’t just get the damn tattoo.”
“And you believed her?”
“Not a bit, but if she’s going to keep threatening me about it, I figured it was inevitable anyway, so here I am.”
“You’re welcome,” Saz piped in, flicking Neffres’ forehead.
Vince teased, “It was definitely gonna happen eventually, glad you stopped hesitating. Where d’you want it?” Neffres tapped her upper right arm and Vince grabbed another chair, sitting down by her other side. As he set up his tools, he asked Saz, “You sticking around for her?”
Saz nodded, “Oh for sure.”
Neffres rolled her eyes and looked back to Saz, “You don’t have to, I’ll be fine! You said it didn’t even hurt.”
Saz shrugged, smirking, “Yeah, but you’re a little baby who must be held and protected at all times.” Vince laughed loudly as Neffres stared at her friend, mouth agape.
“Something tells me Saz has a higher pain tolerance than you anyway, so it’s a good idea to have her stick around,” Vince added, causing Neffres to shift her incredulous expression towards him.
“Y’all’re the worst, you know that, right?” she huffed, glaring at them both before redirecting the conversation away from her embarrassing frailty. “Can we just get this done?”
“Hell yeah, we can!” Vince beamed, immediately starting to disinfect the area of skin Neffres had tapped.
As he prepared her skin, Neffres looked back to Saz, “I’m seriously going to be fine, they’re just little needle pokes.”
Saz chuckled and offered her hand to the half-elf, “Just in case.”
Neffres rolled her eyes and gently swatted the half-orc’s hand away as Vince warned that he was going to start. She took a deep breath and nodded to say she was ready. The first poke wasn’t too bad, but as Vince continued, Neffres found herself clenching her fists. It wasn’t unbearable, really more like a bunch of small scratches, but the feeling certainly wasn’t pleasant. As she took a deep breath, she heard a chuckle and felt Saz gently tap on her hand. Neffres was quick to unclench her fist and grab a hold of the half-orc’s hand but made no comment about her actions.
Of course, Saz wouldn’t just let it go, “Glad I stuck around?” The half-elf rolled her eyes and scrunched up her face, making Saz laugh.
Vince spoke up as he worked, “S’a good thing you picked your arm. Places with less skin definitely hurt more, and you’re already not liking this.”
“I’m fine ,” Neffres groaned, “It’s just not a super fun feeling, being stabbed.”
“With a little needle,” Vince taunted, keeping his eyes on his work.
“Shut up,” Neffres whined as Saz laughed.
The teasing continued as Vince worked, but Neffres was more focused on the joy Saz’s laughter brought her than how annoying Saz and Vince were currently being. The pain got less noticeable as Vince began to finish up, but Neffres held onto Saz’s hand throughout the process. She only let go after Vince was done wrapping the tattoo.
She turned her attention to the simple tattoo on her arm and shook her head. “I cannot fucking believe this is what y’all chose for the Banished Shadow tattoo.”
“I mean,” Vince laughed, “it does fully encapsulate who we are.”
“Yeah,” Saz agreed, smiling brightly, “We’re comedic geniuses who know better than to trust all the bullshit we’re fed by the government!”
Neffres smiled at the simple ‘BS’ on her arm, then at her friends, “Yeah, alright, you’ve got me there.” She got to her feet and hummed, “Thanks, Vince, it looks great.”
Vince nodded and tipped an imaginary cap, “My pleasure! Make sure to keep it clean until it’s all healed.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” Saz assured Vince before Neffres could even open his mouth, “She won’t be getting infected on my watch!”
“He now, actually,” Neffres corrected quietly. He was still getting used to being around people who understood his gender again.
Saz nodded and immediately amended her statement, “ He won’t be getting an infection on my watch!”
Vince nodded, “Good. See you two around!”
Neffres nodded and headed out of the room with Saz. As the two walked back towards Neffres’ room, Saz looked over at him and smirked, “I knew you’d want me to stick around.”
“Oh my gods, can you please let it go.”
“No way, I was right!!”
Neffres rolled his eyes, “Fine.”
“Say it!” Saz hummed.
“You were right. I’m glad you stayed.”