Okay, Take This Needle

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"Okay, so, I need you to take this needle," Zoe explained, holding the recently sterilized bit of metal in two fingers and extending it toward Ezra Cooper, "and I need you to just sort of find where the holes used to be," she gestured toward an ear with her other hand, moving the hair aside as she did, "and just... pierce them?"

And Zoe gave Ezra a smile that tried to communicate that she really thought this was a totally good idea that didn't have any potential bad consequences whatsoever. However, this happened to be Zoe, so she mostly failed spectacularly at doing precisely that. Her expression betrayed her unease at the whole idea, not to mention her near desperation. After all, this was just Ezra's shared dorm room, fairly close to the bathroom (for blood related reasons), not, say, somewhere you'd officially go to pierce your ears. And Ezra was, at least last everyone checked, a male, so chances were this wasn't something he'd done before.

Despite this, Zoe had gathered up her courage and headed over to her friend's room, which happened to be right next to hers, thus making it all the easier to simply walk over with the equipment. Said equipment happened to be a few needles, much like the one Zoe held now, some alcohol, a set of "trainer" earrings, and a cloth for, well, blood related reasons. And Zoe now stood there holding the one and feeling like she should be explaining more but, well, it was rather simple... right?

[Ezra Cooper]

When Zoe said she needed his help, Ezra, always at the ready, was eager to do so. And when he saw exactly what she needed help with, he wondered whether dating Riley had mushed her brains just a little bit. Something to do with too much sugar and sweetness rotting the brain maybe?

He supposed he should also mention that even Zoe didn't have much faith in things going right. Shouldn't she have gone to a professional? It wasn't like the nearest jewelry shop that had ear piercing services, for free even, were that far away.

Ezra looked at the needle and then at Zoe and then back at the needle. He supposed it made sense. They were living on the same floor, he was training to be an EMT, he supposed it made sense.

"Um, do you have gloves in there that I could use?"

Might as well. It wasn't going to be that hard right? If a fictional character in a fictional setting could do it with an apple, he could do it with a sterilised needle. Sure.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe stared at him, as she was wont to do, her pretty eyes blinking several times as if her brain struggled to process what he'd said. She'd been so expecting some sort of denial or maybe just a "lean over the sink" that she hadn't quite calculated a reaction to anything but those few statements. Hence the blank stare that she now leveled at her friend for a perfectly legitimate question.

"I didn't think about gloves," she finally admitted. She blinked and looked down at the needle, before giggling. "Sorry, it's just... I didn't think about gloves," she shot him another smile, hoping that Ezra of all people understood. For that solid year, Zoe had done almost nothing but think about gloves, and touching, and how contact with her was just wholly unsafe. to be there now, where she would have forgotten such a thing, nearly made her giddy.

"But, ah, seriously," she said, offering an apologetic smile. "I did not... I don't have any. Um, do we need to get some or do you have some around...?" She couldn't help but sound a little disappointed, yet still with a hint of that giddiness. Surely gloves weren't necessary, right?

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra did not realise the weight of his question until Zoe stared at him incredulously. He frowned at first before realisation finally dawned on him. He did understand. This was a big deal. Zoe no longer needed her gloves. "Oh..." he mouthed before clearing his throat and properly vocalising it when she explained.

"No no, it's fine. I was just thinking of the whole clean hands thing. Washing can only do so much." He grinned sheepishly before holding a finger up. "Hold on."

He went to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet and found what he was looking for. "There we go. I keep these everywhere in the dorm. Just so I can reach them whenever. We're good." He washed his hands and grabbed a couple of gloves and gestured for Zoe to come on over.

"I've never done this before. I'm not going to lie, I'm going to Google the how to. Why are you asking me to do this, Zo?" He chuckled with an exasperated sigh.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe kept giggling for a bit even as Ezra figured out the whole gloves thing and why that mattered. Technically speaking she could still use them and all, but, well, yeah. She was soon nodding along with that smiling though, confirming that she was more than willing to wait while Ezra went and got whatever it was he was planning on going to get. It didn't surprise her at all to find that he had a pair tucked away in a cabinet: he had some training in this sort of thing after all.

"Well, that's certainly reassuring. I hope you don't need them too often though," Zoe said. She shifted nervously again, looking around and trying to figure out where she should stand or sit or wherever: where the best possible spot for the piercing would be. She nodded along with Ezra. "That's probably a good idea, though I would suppose they're going to insist that it's not something you should do at home."

Zoe chewed her cheek, realizing that her statement backed her into Ezra's question. "I, ah, well, I, um, I have this big date with Riley and... I sort of want them pierced? But um, I don't... money's..." she gestured. Ezra knew her situation, how much of Zoe's funds went right back into her camera and supplies. The TA funding would kick in eventually, but not right away. "I already have to borrow clothes from Vera and, um, I didn't think that Devyn would be.... okay with blood. Plus, I knew you had some training and the heat thing, so I thought..." Zoe gave Ezra an apologetic look. "you don't have to if you don't want to; I'll understand, really," and probably try it herself, which he probably knew...

[Ezra Cooper]

"So far, the only reasons I've been presented to use them is to pick up soggy leftovers that can't just be dumped into the garbage disposal. I know, gross. I don't even know why I told you that. I even have coloured ones! I may have gone overboard." He shrugged with a sheepish grin.

He took his phone out of his pocket and did exactly what he said he would, pulling up a page with instructions on what to do. "We need a cork? You don't happen to have one, do you?" He looked at Zoe incredulously.

With Zoe talking about why he was the one doing this, he gave her a sympathetic grin. He understood. Boy did he understand. "I'm here. I'm here. Come on, grab that stool and get in here." He gestured for her to join him in the bathroom, making sure his smile was warm an inviting and didn't portray his nervousness.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

{OMIGAWD EZRA'S RELATIONSHIP STATUS *hyperventilates*}

Zoe had to let out a slight giggle at the thought of Ezra playing garbage man. It was definitely something she could see him doing: not only doing, but volunteering for. That was probably why the two of them got along so well; they were just the types who would simply do things like that for other people without so much as thinking twice about the matter.

Zoe had, however, thought more than twice about the ear-piercing, and she'd come at least slightly prepared (despite what the little bit about the gloves would make someone believe). She was, in fact, prepared enough that when Ezra asked for a cork, she brightened, dug into a skirt pocket, and produced a smallish one. "It's, um, from a wine bottle?" she said, flushing. "I figured it would work?"

Zoe was already moving to find the stool in question and get toward the bathroom. Relief flooded her, relief that she wouldn't have to argue or debate this issue with Ezra. He'd understood. God, how great it felt to just be around people who understood.

[Ezra Cooper]

[-I KNOW RIGHT- *hyperventilates with*]

Ezra laughed along with Zoe, shaking his head out of amusement. And yes, he did so volunteer to clean up the mess. It was just easier that way. Especially since nobody stopped him.

When she produced the cork, Ezra had to admit he was very surprised. Who thought about corks? Well, wine people to be sure. But really. Anyway, he took the cork and waved for her to sit. "It should. That's what it calls for." Ezra showed Zoe his phone and then set it on the toilet tank.

He slipped his hands into the latex gloves and took the sterilised needle and looked at his phone. "Oh it'd be better if you tied up your hair it seems. So your hair won't get into the hole." He pointed out. Once that was done, he placed the cork behind where the tiny, missable hole was and poised the needle there. He looked down at Zoe and smiled. "Here goes nothing."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe tried not to tremble as she handed over the cork. She saw the picture on the phone, recognized it from her own Google searching on the subject. Oh, how wonderful the internet was, where you could just look up how to potentially injure your ears with the greatest of ease. Zoe nodded and adjusted as Ezra did. Her hands were already tying her hair up and back, going into a slightly sloppy yet still relatively tight bun of hair.

"Right, wouldn't want to make this any more difficult," she agreed, smiling nervously again. She pulled her hair a bit, wanting to make sure it stayed out of the way. Then Zoe tilted, adjusted herself for the best possible posture for Ezra to get started. She forced herself to breathe slowly: this had been her idea. She definitely didn't want to be nervous, because that would make Ezra nervous, and the last thing they needed was the one who had the sharp object in hand to be nervous. Who knew how many holes Zoe would end up with then.

She took another breath as he spoke, making it deep. She licked her lips. "Right, I'm ready. And ah, you won't have to worry about my blood. It's just my skin that paralyzes people. And I just remembered the gloves. Never mind. Nerves," she gave him another smile, took another breath, and held perfectly still.

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra was so nervous. He was pretty sure Zoe could see it too but he was going to have to get over it sooner or later. He was going to be an EMT soon and these types of situation should be small beans for him.

He too followed Zoe's deep breathing. He closed his eyes and let his ability work it's magic. He opened his eyes and smiled down at Zoe reassuringly. "Don't worry. Easy peasy. Maybe think about Riley while I'm doing this." He teased lightly.

Once he was sure he could get a clean shot through the hole he pierced the needle until it hit the cork. "Could you hand me one of the earrings?" He asked calmly with a smile. So far so good.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Sure, Ezra was the nervous one. Right, he wasn't the one trusting someone with a needle and her ear. Then again, Zoe would've been nervous just talking about doing this, let alone actually doing it. She just had to keep putting on a brave face, to act like she wasn't unnerved, that she trusted Ezra. This last proved the easiest: it was the truth after all.

"Are you saying I should be distracted and aroused?" she said teasingly, before flushing. She took a deep breath and licked her lips. It was less Riley Zoe thought of, and more how she would look with the pierced ears, wondering if Riley would even notice. Surely as often as Zoe touched her ears it would be noticeable, right? It wasn't quite pointing a giant sign toward it or anything, but it should be enough for someone as observant as...

"What? That--did you do it?" Zoe asked, before reaching for the earring, palming it and handing it over. She blinked, trying to sort of feel her ear. She didn't feel any different, really...

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing too much at Zoe's response. He had not expected it from the reserved and soft-spoken Brit. "If it helps you to stop thinking about this." He said in almost a squeak.

He took the earring from her with a thanks and threaded it through the needle and pulling it through the hole he had pierced.

"Yep. Almost. There's...there should be a stopper thingie right? To secure the earring?" He asked, putting down the cork on the sink.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

The near squeak would've made things all the easier for Zoe, or at the very least made it all the easier for Zoe to more or less ignore the pain that was sure to come as the needle threaded through her skin. She soon felt the metal sliding in as well, a decidedly more familiar sensation than she would have thought. But there it was: one ear pierced, earring in and everything. "What? oh, right," Zoe said. She slid the backing into her fingers, holding it up for Ezra for a moment.

Then Zoe realized that she could probably just thread it onto the earring herself. She reached up, feeling her lobe. It did feel slightly tender but, well, not noticeably so, and not painful either. "Thank you again for this," she said, straightening up. "I imagine it can't be all that comfortable for you but, well, i just couldn't think of whom else to ask..." she trailed away, flushing and chewing her lip, feeling decidedly embarrassed. It certainly didn't help that they still had another ear to go.

[Ezra Cooper]

Ezra simply smiled at how distracted Zoe was, but didn't comment on it. It was hardly something that needed to be pointed out anyway. He let her continue on her own, making sure he kept her ear numb enough for her not to feel the pain.

Her gratitude was met with a cute little wrinkle of his nose. "It's no big. The site even says the best person to go to after a professional ear piercer is a paramedic of some sort. You're helping me, really." He smiled warmly down at her before walking over to the other side.

Pushing his lips out and to the side, he looked down at the needle and wondered whether he should sterilise it. Better be safe, right? "Hold on one sec." He went over to the medicine cabinet and looked for the alcohol solution he knew was in there and poured it over the needle.

He headed back to Zoe and looked for the hole and did the exact same thing he did with the other ear. Numb, cork, pierce and thread. It was easier than he thought.

"Okay. I think we're done. They look good." He grinned with child-like exuberance. "Not bad, Cooper."

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

No big deal: Zoe couldn't help but smile at that. If she had a dollar for every time someone told her not to worry about something, she'd never have to worry about money again. Ezra probably knew that too, so Zoe didn't bother saying anything. She just gave him a look that expressed her thanks and gratitude for it.

That look turned into one of slight confusion as Ezra looked at the needle. "Is something--" Zoe began, before pausing, watching as Ezra walked off. Should she get up? Zoe started to do so for a bit, only to pause as Ezra came back. Oh, right, alcohol to sterilize. That made sense. Zoe flushed and nodded and leaned over and certainly felt it a bit more this time. Nothing major: just a pinch, nothing to cause more than a slight nip. And then she was helping to put the backings in.

"oh, oh, oh, I need to see!" Zoe said, she started to move to stand up, but paused, looking over to Ezra. Was it okay? Could she move? Should she move? her ears felt fine, though she thought she could feel the metal in them. She really wanted to see it though...