Well I've got thick skin and an elastic heart

[ghost_holder]

She'd been playing with the idea ever since Mardi Gras, when Aggie hadn't been able to stop looking at all the beautiful and opulent jewelry. More and more in Darrow, she's becoming aware of the things that other girls her age might accept as a given that, for her, had been unforgivable vanities in Blithe Hollow. Now it's a source of curiosity and something she wants for herself, especially after one of the girls at school had actually taken a seat with Aggie at lunch, wearing delicate earrings she had made by hand with beads and wire.

Getting her ears pierced requires a guardian's signature, which is what brings her to Krem's door. There's money in her bag and a carefully rehearsed list of reasons in case he objects. Knocking on the door, she waits.

Comments

[krempuff]

Mo nodded and shooed them both out of the room so that she could clean up after them. Krem tucked his rule card into the pocket of his jeans as he trailed out of the room after Aggie, back to the front counter to get some salt and saline spray for himself. He got an extra bottle of the spray to have at his house, in case Aggie was over and needed to use it.

He smiled at her, a bit lopsided for the way that he could already feel his lip swelling a little bit. "Not too bad, right?"

[ghost_holder]

"Not too bad," she agrees. At the front, she buys two bottles and drops her own rule card into the bottom of the little plastic bag. While he pays for his bottles, Aggie looks back at Krem with a thoughtful smile.

"I like it," she says, pointing to his lip. "You look...hm..." For a second, Aggie pretends as if she's never heard the swear before before finally saying, "Badass."

[krempuff]

Krem laughed softly at the way that Aggie deliberated over her choice in words, as if she'd either never heard swearing before or was uncertain of the particular word she wanted to use for the look Krem had achieved. He kept his smile in place and reached over, ruffling her hair gently.

"Come on. Let's go celebrate our new looks. I'll buy you some pizza."

[ghost_holder]

"Mmm, pizza," she agrees. Poking Krem in the stomach, Aggie raises her eyebrows. "Should we celebrate with something that doesn't have dairy?" He might be her designated adult but Aggie can still tease.

"But I do want to celebrate."

[krempuff]

"I'll get a salad," Krem said. It was a lie. He wouldn't get a salad, and they both knew it. But it would be worth it, he was pretty sure. Pizza tended to be worth it in the moment. Most things did. He wrapped his arm around Aggie's shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze, smiling at her. It was a good day, and they deserved a nice treat to go along with it.