[Persephone Dean]

to have a good time

sola dosis facit venenum

Persephone listened to Adri with amusement. The last time a guy had really seriously tried to pursue her had been when she was still trying out the circus life. The fire juggler had been older than her and not just interested in trying to get into her parents – horrifically, he seemed to want to date her too. Since then Persephone had become somewhat of an expert at imposing distance on hopeful potential sexual partners. But the way Adri seemed to have such knowledge, such power over her partners, made Persephone understand more why somebody would choose to entertain themselves with that kind of thing.

She hadn’t yet met somebody who she could consider sexually attractive, however. The idea of sex was not something that seemed particularly appealing to her – not inherently repulsive but not something she felt she was missing out on. If she found somebody who seemed to fit Adri’s criteria maybe she’d give it a try… if only to enjoy the callousness of dropping them like a hot potato the moment she grew bored of them. That part sounded fun.

Did she have any beer? Good question.

She jumped up and headed quickly towards her kitchen. “Lemme see, I don’t tend to drink much but I think I bought some impulsively a few weeks back that I never ended up touchi- Ah ha!” Persephone exclaimed triumphantly as she pulled her fridge door open. “Anchor Steam good with you?”

She popped the top off and brought it over to Adrijana, getting mild horror flashbacks to her time as a waitress. Persephone didn’t exactly entertain guests on the regular and so the vast majority of her experience serving drinks was to annoying, loud-mouth customers. At least Adri, who was currently chattering excitedly about Sailor Moon, was a far more preferable recipient of her service.

“That sounds a little fucked up,” Persephone said, though she was smiling. “In a good way, I mean.”

Picking up the slice of pizza she had abandoned in search of beer, Persephone made herself comfortable on the sofa once more. She was just taking a bite when Adri looked over and dropped a fairly off-hand compliment, the praise slamming into Persephone like a bullet train.

“Me?” she asked, visibly flustered. Composing herself for a moment, Persephone watched Adri’s face carefully for signs that it was some kind of joke – in complete awe that she seemed to be making a good impression on the almighty Evgeniya sisters.

“Oh, dude, I don’t know…” She rubbed her neck, on the edge of blushing. “Her Highness is more than good to me. I owe her so much, you know? I wouldn’t have any of this without her guidance and approval.”

Of course, Persephone knew damn well that she was in Yennefer’s good books. She was even aware of the mild favouritism at play, but she would never have been so bold as to claim that Yennefer liked her. Of all the cards Adrijana had to play on her, this was probably the strongest in the whole deck, and it was working like a charm.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 514

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[Adrijana Evgeniya]

Yes. Adri understood the psychology of her host perfectly now. Beneath that exterior was a girl who was craving, desperate for approval. The way her eyes lit up when Adri told her that Yen liked her was proof of that. Valuation, validation- Persephone longed for those things. Well, Adri was happy to make sure she got them- as long as it was on Adri's terms. The hooks had been set, and she would wrap Persephone until the girl couldn't breathe without seeking Adri's approval.

"Anchor Steam's fine," called Adri, holding out her hand. Actually, she hated the stuff, but the right move in that moment was to offer approval. She saw the look pass over Persephone's features- apparently the girl wasn't quite ready to wait on her hand and foot. That was fine; they'd get there.

"Yeah, it's neat!" said Adri when Persephone commented on Sailor Moon. Truth be told, the show was just background now to the far more interesting project of Persephone herself.

The line about Yen worked like a charm. Fluster mixed with genuine appreciation and joy. God, the prison psychologist would probably call Persephone codependent or some s**t. Well, that wasn't fair. Some people were just made to be ruled by others. It wasn't their fault.

"Well, you know Yen," said Adri, sipping her beer. "It's not like she would admit that she likes you. That would be too... human." She gave a smile to Adri like they had a shared secret. "But you can tell." She watched Persephone rub her neck, imagining a tattoo in that same spot. Hm... that would look nice. Maybe a little flaming spade, to show Adri's touch. She filed the idea for later in the back of her mind.

"So yeah, if you like the tattoo idea I know some people you can talk to about it," said Adri, switching gears. "Something like that, you might be looking at more than one session but I'm telling you it's totally worth it."

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

To Have a Good Time

sola dosis facit venenum

Persephone fixed her eyes on Adrijana, listening intently as she spoke of the Queen of Spades. It was nice to hear confirmation of the Queen’s preference for her Duchess from somebody so close to her. Somebody who claimed ‘you can tell’ even though she’d only just reintegrated into the world of the Spades. To have already made such an impression was mollifying. It was true that others had watched her rise through the ranks with envy, but Persephone did not make it to the top on favouritism alone. It was her talents, her natural gift and her unwavering loyalty that had earnt her her place.

“What’s it like? Being her sister?”

She asked the question in a pause between hungry mouthfuls. Persephone hadn’t realised how ravenous she’d felt until she’d taken the first bite. Maybe it was just really good pizza. Either way, she was enjoying it. The pineapple had been a good decision that Adrijana had made on her behalf.

The tattoo was something that she had almost forgotten in a matter of minutes, swiftly remembering that she still had the marks from Adri’s sharpie work on her body. She tipped her head in thought.

“Sure, when?” Now? a voice inside her queried. “You seem like the expert in this, and your design was perfect.” Maybe it’s the weed talking, but… “I think it’s a great idea!”

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 228

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

”What's it like, being her sister?”

Adri paused, mid-bite, studying Persephone after she asked the question. What was it like? It was a strange question, to Adri. Yen had always been, well, Yen. Driven, relentless, more a force of nature than a person in some ways... yet someone who had always been for there Adri, in ways that Adri had to admit, deep down inside, that she really didn't deserve. Sure, Yen could be prickly, and a lot of people found her hard to get along with, but to Adri she was a pillar of strength that Adri couldn't do without. Yet it had always been that way; how did you describe something that was so intricately a part of life?

Adri was a screwed-up person in a lot of ways, and she loved tweaking Yen when she got the chance, but she loved her sister fiercely, and in many ways it was a point of pride that she could poke her sister and get away with it when so few others could. She would do anything for Yen. B*tch and complain, sure, but she'd do it. And while she'd walk as close to the line as she could possibly manage, she'd never do anything that would really hurt Yen or her work. How did you describe all that? How did you explain something so deeply intertwined into your life? Even in prison, Adri had felt Yen's protective shadow, felt it in cigarettes passed her way with a whispered, “The queen sends her regards.” Felt it that day in court when the prosecutor was giving his final address, intoning that, “Miss Evgeniya is an extremely dangerous and unstable young woman who must be removed from society”, and she had glanced over and seen Yen's face in the crowd and seen, just for a moment, that it was going to be okay. Or the time she'd been laid up in the prison hospital for a week, and the nurse who came by the check her IV had showed her a spade neck tattoo. Yen had been there. Yen had always been there. You couldn't sum that up in a few words.

But at the same time, she sensed an opportunity in the question, a chance to draw Persephone closer to her through an increased level of intimacy. Share something personal, and your relationship deepened. That was something Adri wanted, and could use. So.. she'd share something. Just a little bit. Not enough to matter, but enough to make Persephone feel she was being welcomed.

She leaned back on the couch, tilting her head back and smiling, more melancholy smile than before. “It's kind of funny, especially seeing her now,” she said. “I mean... she's Yen. She can do basically anything she wants, always has.” She shook her head, laughing a little. “She's the impossible achiever, I'm kind of the family screw-up, I guess.” Adri set her plate down. “She was my parent, basically. I owe everything to her. You know she was a super nerd in high school? Chess champ and everything. But even then she could do anything she wanted to. Now I see her, and everyone treats her like she's god, and I think... yeah, that's about right.” Adri shrugged. “For better or worse, we're stuck with each other, and I wouldn't want it any other way.”

That was a serious moment, and Adri was glad when the topic turned to tattoos again. Persephone didn't seem the type to jump up and down in excitement, but Adri thought she saw a look cross her face, like she might get the tattoo right now if she had the chance. Wow, this girl really was malleable. She'd barely had it two minutes and she was already ready to make it permanent? Well, Adri could work with that.

“Oh, whenever you're sure you want it,” said Adri cheerfully. “I mean, it's permanent, don't do anything you'll regret.” There, the reasonable option spoken. Now for a push outside of it. “That said...” she raised her eyebrows and smiled a little wider, a mysterious, testing smile, as if she was offering Persephone membership in an elite class that she wasn't sure the plant girl was ready for. She glanced at her watch. “His shop should be open for a little while still. If you wanted to drop by, talk to him, see what he can do, we can do that.”

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

to have a good time

sola dosis facit venenum

Persephone’s question seemed to have taken the Heiress by surprise. Not an unpleasant one, perhaps, but she was clearly thinking carefully about her response. Or maybe she was just trying to find the right words – Persephone herself would find it difficult to accurately summarise her opinion of the prodigious Queen of Spades on the spot. Her admiration dripped from every syllable when speaking of her, of course, but if somebody asked what it was like to work for her, then Persephone would probably have to pause and think too. She’d want to do Yennefer Evgeniya justice.

The smile that slowly drew across Adri’s face was difficult to pin down. Persephone found herself sitting up a little straighter, leaning forwards to hear what she had to say. Her brown eyes were wide with curiosity – bright at the prospect of gaining insight into the dynamics of the Evgeniya family.

She listened intently, silence broken only briefly to make a soft noise of protest at the idea of Adrijana being a “screw-up”. Gradually, a grin began to grow across Persephone’s face, delighted to hear of her chess prowess. Perhaps one day Her Majesty would indulge her in a game, although Persephone could imagine that Yennefer would have the upper hand. Persephone was good, very good, but Yennefer was coldly logical and calculable by nature. She would read Persephone’s every move like a simple picture book. Child’s play.

Everyone treats her like she’s god, and I think… yeah, that’s about right. Persephone nodded in strong agreement.

“Now you have the chance to take your place by her side, carve your own name into the Spades’ legacy,” she said enthusiastically. “That’s gotta be exciting. If you ever need potions, poisons, perfumes… Well, you know where to find me.” Persephone laughed. She was interested to see what plans Yennefer’s younger sister may have in store – if any at all – and eager to play her part in them if she could.

Persephone looked serious for a moment, concern flitting briefly across her face as Adri warned her not to do anything she might regret. Was she too caught up in her own excitement? Maybe she should reconsider…

Then Adrijana’s smile, almost wicked in nature, pulled her back in.

The THC in her veins danced encouragingly, the fuzzy high reaching a deceptive clarity in her mind. “There’s no harm in taking a look… right? Hearing a professional’s opinion, that kind of thing?” She seemed a little hesitant. In an attempt to persuade herself, she twisted to inspect the marker drawing again and visibly relaxed as a satisfied smile crossed her features. She looked up at Adrijana, more confidently this time.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 442

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

"Hmmm."

Adri's mind drifted away for a moment when Persephone talked about carving her own name into the Spades legacy. Truth be told, Adri didn't think she could ever achieve a anything near what Yen had. Then again, her ambitions were smaller. There was something she had thought about while in prison, turned over and imagined in her mind. An answer to a kind of hunger she felt, an attempt to sate something inside her. She gave Persephone a critical look. Well, perhaps she'd found an ally in that endeavor. Maybe time would tell. She wanted the other girl more slaved to her will before she shared that secret with her.

"I could definately use some poison!" she said eagerly. "What have you got? You can make new stuff, right?" An evil sparkle came into her eyes. "Could you make something that makes a person so they can't move but they're still conscious and they feel pain? Or maybe makes the pain even worse than normal?" She could work with either. More ideas flitted into her head. Oh, she could work with this.

The very small agreement to go now was all she needed to work with. "Great! Let me put my face on and we'll get going."

She slid over on the couch to where she'd dropped her purse when she'd first come in, pulling out a small hinged box. The lid of the box had a mirror and the inside clunked with metal rings and bars. She quickly put these on: a horseshoe at the tip of her nose, a ring in her left eyebrow and another in her lower lip, a bar through two spots in her upper ear, a stud in her chin and another in her tongue.

"Don't like to go there bare," she said as she put them in. "It doesn't fit the mood." As if realizing something- though she'd had what came next in mind for a few minutes now- she glanced at Persephone's clothes. "Hmm, you're dressed a bit normie. Got anything with more twang in it? Wait, I've got something."

She went into her purse again, fumbling around inside before pulling something out in triumph. It was a collar, black and with spikes on the sides, a little lock on the clasp. Adri held a pink dog leash in the same hand.

"Here, put this on!" she exclaimed, pushing the collar towards Persephone. "You'll fit right in!" She smiled.

Come on, you little rabbit. Put it on.

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

To have a good time

sola dosis facit venenum

Unable to properly read the critical look Adri sent her way, Persephone decided to settle for hope that it was a positive kind of critical look. Or, at the very least, not entirely disapproving. Adrijana Evgeniya was a whole different creature to her sister – Persephone had figured that out very quickly indeed – but she was still powerful and impressive in her own way. Adri’s approval seemed to be valuable currency and Persephone was determined to earn it.

“Oh, you could?” Persephone didn’t try to mask her own eagerness. She felt like she had to be careful when talking about her most treasured horticultural interest in the presence of certain people, but not Adrijana. The woman’s enthusiasm was too genuine, too infectious to be anything but a shared interest in the effects of poisons.

She listened attentively to Adri’s suggestion, little sparks in her own mind igniting as Adri spoke. Not enough to formulate the exact concoction, but she’d made similar products before and it would be just a simple case of finding the exact ingredients.

“I could definitely make those with the right materials,” Persephone said confidently, enjoying the certainty that her power whispered in her ear. “Come visit me in the lab one day and I’ll show you the more …exotic plants we take care of. Even some of the plants in this room could potentially be useful in getting the effects you want.” She gestured towards a couple of deceivingly plain looking “house plants” as she spoke.

She played idly with the piercing in her nose as Adri filled her face with metal, particularly admiring the scaffold piercing that Adrijana slotted into place. Her nod of agreement was passive and understanding – there was a certain vibe that one tended to expect of tattoo places.

Her second nod of agreement came with a subtle raise of an eyebrow. A bit normie, huh? Her entire wardrobe was as plain as she could manage. She could maybe raid her selection of Duchess attire but that was just a touch too classy for the venue she was sure Adri had in mind.

A collar. That would certainly make her seem less normie.

Adri was happy but insistent as she thrust the collar towards Persephone. Persephone wasn’t completely naïve to the implications of collars but luckily the connotations held no such significance for her. She was detached enough that her hesitation was just a tiny blade of grass compared to the rest of the field – which was still set on earning Adri’s approval. It meant nothing to Persephone, although she would draw the line at a leash.

She put the collar in place, meeting Adri’s gaze with a steely determination. “How do I look?” she laughed, tossing her head back and forth to make her hair sway across her shoulders. “You are not putting that on me,” she added firmly, pointing at the leash. “The Queen would kill me.” Which was true, if not her main objection.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 494

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[Adrijana Evgeniya]

One characteristic Adri shared with her sister was the need for conquest- the need to come into places and make herself lord of them, in whatever small ways she could. Yen was by far the more ambitious, of course, but Adri still had the same drive to make her surroundings all about her. When Persephone put the collar on Adri licked her lips, feeling the beginning of triumph. It was only at Persephone's next words that she was brought back to earth.

She'd forgotten about Yen. It sounded strange, but in this tiny room with the ither woman, Adri had forgotten the bigger picture of the Spades. And before she could express anger or frustration at Persephone's refusal of the leash, some wiser part of her mind realized the other woman was right. Yen probably wouldn't like it. Adri blanched slightly, realizing what she had almost done. Hadn't Yen told her about the importance of public image? She'd forgotten. Stupid!

Still, she recovered quickly, cocking her head in consideration before her smile returned. "You look great! Hmmm... I suppose you're right, though." She gave the leash a longing glance before putting it back in her purse. "It'd still be cute on you!" She stood. "Come on!"

-------

Diablo's Ink House was a place of darkened windows stuffed into the end of an alley beneath a strip of restaurants. The windows were covered with stickers, presumably representing the designs you could get: flaming skulls, upside-down crosses, geometric symbols, monsters reminiscent of the designs on Adri's back. Adri pushed the door open and a bell rang to announce their entrance. The inside was well-lit and slightly smoky, stencils and hangings of drawings decorating the walls, padded tables and chairs for the clients, earrings and similar things for sale, and, oddly discordant, a jukebox with a large collection of records.

"Adri!"

A man who'd been by the door appeared with arms thrown wide, a smile revealing teeth sharpened to points. He was a few inches taller than Adri, very skinny, hair black with a blue sheen to it, wide bone piercing the front if his nose, neck and arms and chest tattooed in a blue scale pattern. Adri said, "Mark!" And threw herself into an embrace.

"How ya doing? I haven't seen you forever!" He let her go. "Heard you were in jail!"

"Oh, you know," said Adri, doing something that might have been fluttering her lashes. "Some people just don't understand."

Mark laughed. "Don't I know it. What you here for?" He motioned at her neck. "Nice addition."

"Thanks!" Adri gave a smile that squinted her eyes. "I might get something, but mainly I wanted to show my friend your place." She moved aside, indicating Persephone. "She's thinking of getting something."

"Oh yeah?" Mark gave Persephone an up-and-down glance before meeting her eyea. "What are you thinking?"

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

To have a good time

sola dosis facit venenum

Persephone had taken a joint with her for the road, indulging in heavy drags to help fuel her confidence as Adrijana led her to Diablo’s Ink House. A layer of adrenaline bubbled below the surface of her high, some kind of risk-taking volcano. She felt a little in a corner at this point – backing out would surely disappoint the Heiress – but simultaneously she wasn’t regretting her decision to visit the tattoo place.

It was as one might expect of such places – the outside intimidating to more conservative types, but the interior was nothing particularly alarming. If anything, it was slightly more typical than Persephone had been expecting. The collar at her neck had hinted at some place truly dark and shadowy but it was, despite the lingering cling of smoke, quite hygienic looking and actually had decent lighting. She felt reassured.

The guy at the door – Mark – had sharp teeth, which looked a little ridiculous but fit in with his overall aesthetic. She watched as he wrapped his skinny arms around Adrijana, their friendship evident. Adrijana’s time behind bars didn’t seem to bother him at all – if anything, he seemed a little impressed.

Finally Adrijana moved aside to introduce the reason for her visit, and Persephone regarded him with a cool, even look – eyebrow raised slightly as he looked her up and down.

“Right now, I’m a blank canvas,” she explained. “Adri’s tried her hand at something that I think suits nicely.” Persephone smiled at this point and stepped further into the shop, slipping her thumbs into her waistband in preparation. “It’s probably a familiar theme for you, if you’re Adri’s regular – but with a personal twist.”

She turned, pulling down a little at her jeans now to expose some skin. “Wanna see?”

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 293

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[Adrijana Evgeniya]

Adri watched as Persephone stepped forward, seeming to flower under the attention as she explained about the tattoo and offered to show him. Mark looked her over, gaze lingering on her hand where it rested on her hip, then gave Adri a passing glance. Finally he said, "Maybe you'd better go in the back."

He led the way around a corner and through a door that looked like it might have gone to a janitorial closet. Instead, it opened into a new room almost the size of the first. This one was darker. There were three or four padded couches, and by each of those was a lamp. But the room was painted black, and the walls seemed to swallow the light. As out front, there racks on the walls and price tags beside them, but the items offered here were of a different stripe entirely: things of latex and black leather, with dull polished chains and wide leather bands. In one corner there was a rack of magazines, and one glance was enough to tell what sort they all were. There were other things, too. Larger items with bigger price tags that resembled beds or benches but were wrong in all the right ways, perhaps in frightening ones.

Three women were clumped by one of the padded tables, hair dyed in psychedelic colors. One was lying on the bench having something done on her belly button. One was doing the work. The third stood over holding the leash of the laying woman. The one on the bench wore a collar and had something in her mouth.

Adri clapped her hands. "I haven't shopped here in so long!"

"There's new stuff since you were in last," said Mark. "Check out the latest Vanderscamps."

"Ooooooh," said Adri. But she didn't move, glancing at Persephone as they came to one of the benches. Mark motioned at it, glancing at Persephone.

"All right, what have you got?"

He smiled.

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

To Have a Good Time

sola dosis facit venenum

‘The back’ – ah, maybe this was the part of the tattoo studio which warranted aesthetic hints to an alternative lifestyle. She was even more glad now that Adrijana hadn’t insisted on attaching the leash, appropriate though it may have been. She didn’t want to be declaring some nature of a relationship that didn’t even exist – assumptions could be all too easily made and she could imagine the leaps of imagination Mark was capable of making.

The room delivered on its dark promise – quite literally. The lamps made a modest attempt at illumination but it was really nothing like the first room, a deliberately crafted den of shadows and leather punctuated by the occasional spike and chain. The brightest part of the room was in fact the hair of the other women, each falling neatly into the stereotype of such a place. Persephone wondered at whether Adri knew any of them, or whether she had her own selection of leashed friends to ink and pierce.

Certainly, she seemed delighted to be back.

A more sober Persephone would likely have scoffed at the place and left, mostly in offense at the public display of affection that was taking place at the next bench. Affection was perhaps the wrong word, dependent on the dynamic at play, but it was still uncomfortable to witness. Instead of turning on her heel, however, Persephone just averted her gaze and instead turned her attention to the bench Mark was gesturing at.

She wouldn’t pretend to know what he meant by ‘Vanderscamps’, and she wouldn’t pretend to have any intimate knowledge of the tools, instruments and restraints around the room, but she was still set on earning the respect – or at least, good favour – of the Heiress of Spades so she quietly ignored their presence for now.

“Adrijana drew it on with sharpie,” she explained as she settled onto the bench, kneeling and twisting so that he could see what she was referring to. “I think that gives you a pretty good idea of what we want.”

We, not I. Persephone was not so bold as to discount the influence of the Heiress, after all.

She slipped the fabric down and exposed the drawing, pleasantly surprised by her own positive reaction to seeing it once more. There was almost, but not quite, fondness in her expression. She looked up at Mark, meeting his sharp-toothed smile with her own smirk. It wasn’t exactly one of confidence, more of amusement at the entire situation. “What do you think?” she asked.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 420

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

While Persephone getting her work done, Adrijana was shopping.

She got one of those little carts with a basket on top and a basket on bottom, and went around the store cooing over various objects and setting them in her baskets. She hummed to herself, made airplane noises, and gnawed on her nails while she glanced back at Persephone. It seemed to be going all right.

Occasionally she would find some excuse to come over and watch under the guise of asking Mark a question. "Hey, where are the car batteries?" "In the back, by the masks."

From the corner of her eye she watched the tattoo come together under Mark's careful guidance. She didn't want to loom, and anyway there were too many cool things to see, but watched the shape appear on Persephone's skin made her almost shake with excitement.

("You guys still do rentals?" "Nah, health department shut that down." "Too bad...")

After a while her cart was full and she went to the counter. "That'll be $2,325.95." She paid with a credit card. With her purchases packaged and bagged she came back over to check Persephone's progress.

"Oh my gosh, it looks great!"

Persephone Dean

[Persephone Dean]

To Have a Good Time

sola dosis facit venenum

The experience of getting tattooed wasn’t exactly how Persephone had expected it. She’d gotten piercings before and had convinced herself that that was an accurate small-scale interpretation of the sensation of the tattooist’s needle. In fact, it was a unique experience of its own – and not without pain. She had imagined that maybe the fleshier area of her body would absorb the pain but currently it still felt like she was being slowly, carefully, methodically stabbed in the backside.

From the looks of Mark, he probably liked that kind of thing. Persephone was glad for her high pain tolerance or she was sure he’d look even more gleeful with his work. He paused occasionally for her to try and see the progress (Persephone was bendy, sure, but it was still hard to really tell what was going on in any great detail so she just smiled and nodded for him to continue) and each time she caught a sadistically satisfied smirk on his face. It gave her further fuel to spite him by grinning and bearing the process.

Meanwhile, the Heiress wandered her way around the retail area, slipping back occasionally to enquire as to the location of things like car batteries. Persephone wasn’t convinced that Adrijana didn’t actually know the whole place like the back of her hand, but she appreciated the attention too much to question Adri’s thinly veiled excuses to witness the tattoo forming before her eyes.

Eventually she returned with rather heavy looking bags to express her approval.

“It does?” Persephone responded excitedly. Her desire to impress was evident in each syllable, soaking her words. “Well, you did come up with a great design.”

She caught Mark’s eye. “Nearly done?” She was careful to keep any hint of discomfort from her face, which wasn’t hard after the smile Adrijana had put on her face.

TAG: Adrijana Evgeniya
WORDS: 308

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Adrijana Evgeniya]

Adri had always thought that Mark might have a tad of the sadist in him. He was a professional, of course, and wasn't overt about it if he didn't know that his customer wanted it... but still, it was obvious that Persephone was new and doing her best not to squirm.

"Nearly done," Mark confirmed with a slight smile. Adri went around to watch the process. "Maybe thicken the line there and there a bit, add some depth," she said, tapping with her finger. Mark glanced at Persephone and then complied. "And that should be everything," he said, setting his needle down in the tray.

"Awesome!" said Adri. "Don't move a muscle," she said to Persephone, taking out her phone and snapping a picture. She ran back up to Persephone's head to show her the picture. "See? That's you. What do you think?" Her eyes shone with gleeful expectation.

Once the admiration was done Mark rubbes moisturizer onto the tattoo and bandaged it up and gave Persephone a tube of cream, bandages, and a pamphlet on tattoo aftercare. "Keep it bandaged up for at least the next three weeks," he said. "Rub the cream on it twice a day and don't let it get wet when you take a shower. It's all in the pamphlet and you can call if you have any questions."

"Also your butt's gonna be sore as heck for the next couple days." Adri cackled. "I'd sleep on my stomach if I were you. You wanna to do some shopping while you're here? Or maybe get ice cream or something?"

Persephone Dean