In the world of Equestria, there lie a great many things to astound, amaze, and awe. From dazzling displays of magic, to feats of bravery, daredevil acts, and other such gasp-inducing performances. Ponies, after all, love their many varied ways in which to be entertained. This diversity of course breeds other, less mainstream forms of entertainment for adult ponies to elicit their thrills. Gaudy and sometimes ghoulish circus troupes, theater acts, music venues filled with mosh pits and hard cider, and many other such outlets for pony expression - not all of it was for every pony. Although in the vast, bustling city of Los Pegasus and the outlying Applewood, any pony could find just about any sort of entertainment or expression they desired.
This is a story about one such place. This isn't, unfortunately, a story about a pony who rides a flaming dirtbike, or a pony who swallows swords. It's not about a pony who defies death in an amazing magic act, or a pony who rocks the stage with a historical guitar solo. It's about a relatively simple pony; a pony who desires to make other ponies happy through their self expression. It may sound simple, but this pony and her friends are part of a small, yet growing, industry that is still considered taboo by a good number of Equestrians. This story is about Clip Cord, a tattoo artist that works at a cozy little shop in the bustling heart of Applewood.
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Clip Cord had learned a long time ago not to let the staring ponies bother her. She trotted along on her journey from her loft to the shop downtown, whistling a tune and pondering the day ahead of her. She was aware of the eyes on her - after all, tattooing was still more or less taboo to most ponies, and she didn't exactly just sport a couple. Not to mention the stretched ears with plugs, septum ring, and snakebites, which could have made her stand out all on their own. She was a small mare by average standards, suffering the brunt of her best friends' short jokes, and often mistaken for younger than her age. Her coat was a dusty off-white, her short-cropped mane and tail a pale, dusty blue that made her vivid, dark orange eyes stand out. Aside from these features, Clip Cord sported dozens of tattoos, tastefully composed over a good part of her body. Currently, quite a few were covered by her extra-large saddlebags, which were stuffed full of new canvasses, paintbrushes, and an assortment of other creative tools. Her bags also covered her cutie mark - a red heart pierced through vertically with a stylized dagger. She had earned it after ravenously learning about Ed Hoofy and Sailor Neighry, the grandfathers of modern Equestrian tattooing methods. Clip's cutie mark mimicked the famous 'traditional' art of the industry.
With a bounce in her step, Clip Cord grinned extra wide and winked at a passing stallion, who was staring at her quite hard. He blushed and hurried on, as the unicorn mare came to a stop in front of a familiar door, giggling. A quick glance at the dark interior led Clip Cord to smile and roll her eyes. First to the shop, as always! Lighting up her horn, she dug around her saddlebags for a moment or two, before fishing out a set of keys in an electric blue field of magic. Wrestling the correct key into the door of the shop, Clip Cord flipped over the sign to read 'Open', while reaching out with her magic at she walked through the door, flipping the lights on. One more flick and the neon sign in the window came to life, displaying the shop name to the outside world in a splash of bright rainbow - it read Spectrum Tattoo & Piercing, and it always made Clip Cord beam proudly.
After depositing her saddlebags on a hook at her station, Clip Cord tidied up the drawing room, stared into the mini fridge for a while, and finally wandered back into the main part of the shop. She chewed thoughtfully on a granola bar that she pilfered from the fridge, letting her eyes roam over the little paradise her and her friends had created with Spectrum. They had been established for a few years now, and were enjoying a small amount of success. No matter how taboo tattooing was to some Equestrians, there were still plenty who felt they had more to express about themselves than their cutie marks. Every pony came to Spectrum with different reasons - memorial cutie marks of Parents, Siblings, and loved ones were common. More artistic and bold tattoos were favored among the edgy new generation of artists, and even some beautiful models adored having flowing vines and elegant flowers, or phoenixes trailing up their slender legs. Even Royal Guards were sometimes known to get a tattoo in honor of their Princesses. The rare adult blank flank, and even a few ponies who wanted to 'add' to their cutie marks found their way here. All these things made Clip Cord happy to be in her strange little industry, with her strange little friends.
A jingle above the door snapped the pale unicorn out of her thoughts. Shaking her head, she put on a smile and prepared to greet a possible client. Her smile, however, quickly turned to a smirk when she saw who was coming through the door. A tall, slender unicorn mare, her coat a pristine snow white, with a long, flowing, wavy mane and tail that were deep wine red. Her pale, slate blue eyes almost glowed, surrounded by generous eyeliner and dark, smokey eyeshadow. Spiraling from her forehead was a long, majestic horn. Her cutie mark was a red heart much like Clip's, but with a hollow needle piercing it through horizontally. True to her cutie mark, Belle also sported her share of piercings - an industrial bar in both ears, half a dozen rings, and large plugs, plus a delicate septum ring, and a dermal anchor above and between her eyes, underneath her horn. With a dramatic sigh, Clip Cord rolled her eyes and tried to look as disappointed as possible.
"Oh," she said flatly as the other unicorn trotted into the shop, "It's just you."
"Why Clippy!" the other mare paused and put a hoof to her chest, pouting, "Here I thought my BEST FRIEND would always be a bundle of joy when I graced her with my presence!"
Clip Cord snorted, and grinned genuinely at her foalhood partner in crime. Barbelle was the resident piercer at Spectrum, and though Clip Cord hated to admit it, her lovely friend was a charmer with the clients. Personally, Clip Cord thought it was probably impossible NOT to completely adore Barbelle. Not only was she easy on the eyes - even covered as much as Clip with tattoos - but she was the sort of pony that could make anypony enjoy themselves, no matter the circumstances. Belle's natural talent for peace keeping and a keen sense of empathy made her the perfect contrast for Clip's sometimes overly analytical personality and short fuse.
The two mares embraced and giggled at the mutual teasing. Belle trotted over to her own station, hanging up a dainty set of sleek black saddlebags before turning to the wall and admiring herself carefully in the mirror. Belle was the sort of gifted mare who always, ALWAYS looked good. Clip had given up a long time ago about teasing her for her vanity, and tolerated her rockstarish ways. After all, Clip Cord herself was rather tomboyish, and appreciated the Goddess-like feminine presence that Belle brought to the shop. Belle finished examining herself in the mirror and turned to Clip Cord with a grin, tossing her luxurious mane over her shoulder.
"Well! Do we have anything on the books today, Clippy?" Belle chirped, making her way over to the front desk and peering into the appointment book. A frown crossed her delicate muzzle, as she shook her head sadly. "Oooh, WOE is me, I don't have any appointments today!" The tall, slender unicorn put a hoof to her forehead dramatically.
"Pffft," started Clip Cord, walking over to peer at the book herself, "You NEVER have appointments, Belle. You said yourself nopony ever shows up for a piercing appointment, it's practically all walk-ins." Pausing, Clip looked reflective for a moment, narrowing her eyes at her best friend. "Actually...didn't you insist it was some sort of weird 'Piercer's Curse' or whatever hooey you have in that lovely skull of yours?"
"Oh, Clippy....but it's true, I swear!" The snow-white unicorn leaned down, eyes wide and fixed on Clip Cord seriously, "Ask Day Dream - the ones that book never answer. Ask any piercer! They all know what I'm talking about." Nodding sagely, Belle seemed to consider the discussion over.
With a sigh, Clip Cord scanned the book again. She had one appointment herself later that afternoon, with her day otherwise free. The dusty white unicorn smiled to herself - maybe she could finally get back to that big painting today! She had spent all of last week considerably booked and busy. Before she had much more time to ponder over the painting though, the bell above the door jingled once again, snapping her attention to the pony walking in.
It turned out to be a pair of ponies, actually. Clip Cord grinned as her friend and fellow artist, Ink Cap, made his entrance. Ink Cap was a tall stallion, dun yellow in color, with a black mane and tail. His eyes were royal blue, though they were sometimes hard to notice with the way he kept his forelock long. Ink's cutie mark was a bottle of black drawing ink with the stopper out, complete with a couple of tear-drop shaped splotches of spilled ink. The rest of Ink Cap was practically covered with tattoos - far more than the girls. After all, he was the oldest of the group of misfits by a long shot, and sported work from some of the finest ponies in the industry. It was easy to lose Ink Cap's cutie mark in the sea of his work, something that he seemed to be pleased with when mentioned.
Following Ink Cap into the shop was their ever-jubilant shop manager - an earth pony mare named Day Dream. Clip Cord remembered being unsure of her at first; though not one to judge a book by it's cover, Clip couldn't help but wonder if a pony with a name like Day Dream should be responsible for her business. Ink Cap was a friend of hers though, and swore by her. So, when Clip was struggling to keep up with her art, her clients, and the needs of the shop in that first year as profits rose and time dwindled, she invited Day Dream for an interview. After her first few weeks, Clip found out that Day Dream was a pony with ideas. Really good ideas. Dream drummed up new marketing plans, re-arranged the shop inventory, prioritized the books, re-budgetted tightly enough to give each artist a ten percent raise, and integrated new health and safety practices to bring them up to snuff on a code that Clip Cord wasn't even so up to date with. The sweet, chipper, pink coated earth pony with blond mane and tail was priceless to Clip Cord, and they had become fast friends. Clip had done all her tattoo work, which the Earth pony insisted on keeping confined mostly to her front legs - Dream was fond of her cutie mark, which was a white cloud with a rainbow arching out of it, down to a pot of gold.
As the four ponies all exchanged morning greetings in a flurry of hellos, hugs, and hip-bumps, the bell rang again and all heads turned towards the door. All at once, the four ponies smirked. The bell jangled again, and the four smirks quivered with barely-contained mirth. A young pegasus colt had his rump pressed against the door, both wings extended to precariously balance a pink bakery box on one, and a cardboard drink holder with five cups of to-go coffee on the other. The colt appeared to be making a tremendous effort to open the door without having to fold his wings, but also without bumping them against the door frame. A formidable task, it seemed, as the bell above the door rang yet again, yet the colt remained outside growing more frustrated. He turned around and lifted up a front hoof carefully, before giving up as it offset the wing holding the box. With a defeated sigh, he stared into the shop and made eye contact with Clip Cord. The unicorn stared flatly back at the pegasus. With a quick glance to the left and right, and a look of utter defeat, the pegasus grimaced, then turned back to Clip Cord and pouted quite ungracefully.
With a chuckle, Clip Cord broke into a grin and trotted to the door. Lighting up her horn, she held it open for the colt with her magic, and watched with great amusement as he slithered carefully and awkwardly inside, managing to keep his precious cargo intact. As he slipped through the doorframe, a pale pink aura of magic enclosed around the bakery box, at the same time that a dark blue aura of magic snatched away the coffee. Free from his burdens, the young colt grinned, and gratefully fluffed his wings before folding them back against his sides. He was young - though technically an adult by pony standards, he was still the baby of the bunch, and Clip Cord's first apprentice. His coat was a light aqua, his scruffy mane and tail a dark turquoise that framed his vibrant, golden yellow eyes. The colt's cutie mark was really what convinced Clip to give him a shot - It was a 'traditional' heart much like her own, pierced through with a broken arrow.
Clip Cord turned him away religiously when he first started coming around, insisting that she couldn't teach the colt. Unicorns in the industry tended to favor the electric tattoo machine, while earth ponies and pegasi in the field tended to use traditional earth pony methods which consisted of custom needle groups attached to a short wooden pole that was positioned with one hoof and tapped with the other. Clip Cord didn't know these traditional methods as well as she did electric. But the clever little colt eventually convinced her with a tantalizing challenge; to apprentice the first non-unicorn in electric tattooing methods. They had a plan they were hatching to do so - but in the meantime, the colt was the shop's errand boy and Clip's personal slave.
"Oooooohhh, jelly filled!" Belle cooed as she opened the box from the bakery - revealing a dozen delicious looking donuts, and a few apple fritters. Spectrum's resident piercer wasted no time in digging in for a sugary breakfast.
"Mmmmmmm," Ink Cap's deep voice chimed in, his face awash in a content smile as a coffee floated in the dark blue aura of his magic, "Scrub, you know how I like my coffee. I'll give ya that, I don't care what Clip says about ya."
Grinning, the unicorn stallion levitated the rest of the coffee cups towards the other ponies present. Belle and Clip took theirs graciously with their magic, while Day Dream and the colt wrapped a front hoof around their own. All was silent in the shop as each pony tilted the wonderful, life giving liquid of the Goddesses into their mouths. After a content sigh from each, Clip Cord chuckled and shook her head. Another day in Spectrum was ahead of her. Now that everypony was here, it was time to get down to business.
"Scrub," the pale unicorn mare started, walking towards her apprentice, "Thanks for the coffee and donuts, kid," she flashed him a grin, which he returned, "But you're fifteen minutes late," she deadpanned, gesturing a hoof towards the wall clock, "and you know what that means."
With a dramatic sigh, Scrub set his coffee down on the front desk, then shuffled over to face Clip Cord. Slowly, he hung his head, ears drooping and golden eyes looking forlornly up towards the unicorn. Frowning, he swept his eyes across the other assembled ponies, looking for sympathy. Belle and Ink stood, grinning in anticipation as they sipped their coffee. Day Dream sat at her office chair behind the front desk, giggling behind her hoof. The pegasus swept his eyes back to Clip Cord, who raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on the corners of her mouth.
"Do I have to do this?" he pleaded up at Clip Cord. But the unicorn held no mercy, only a calm and expectant stare.
"The longer you wait, the longer it'll take for you to finish your morning chores," Clip Cord stated in a no-nonsense voice.
"Which one then?" the pegasus asked, hanging his head in defeat.
"Hmmmm..." Clip Cord pondered comically for a moment, stroking her chin with a hoof, "Goatye. Y'know...that one they keep over playing on the radio."
With a groan, the pegasus spread his wings, pushed himself to balance on his hind legs, and took a deep breath, before bursting forth into an awkward song and dance, the flapping of his wings supporting him as he flew through a strange routine.
"BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO CUUUUT ME OFF," his voice rang out, face contorting with 'sadness', hooves thrown out pleadingly, "MAKE IT LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED AND THAT WE WERE NOTHING," the colt curled his hooves back towards his chest, throwing his head back dramatically, "I DON'T EVEN NEEEED YOUR LOVE, BUT YOU TREAT ME LIKE A STRANGER AND IT FEELS SO ROUGH!"
The pegasus lifted all four feet off the ground, wings beating, continuing his dramatic performance a foot or so into the air, cracking voice belting out of tune, "NO YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO STOOOP SO LOW. HAVE YOUR FRIENDS COLLECT YOUR RECORDS AND THEN CHANGE YOUR NUMBER," a hoof thrown to his forehead in mock sorrow and anger, "GUESS THAT I DON'T NEEEED THAT THOUGH. NOW YOU'RE JUST SOMEPONY THAT I USED TO KNOW!"
Hoping that just a couple verses would suffice, Scrub landed again, folded his wings, and lowered his head meekly before the judgemental glare of Clip Cord. His sides were heaving somewhat as he caught his breath from all the dancing around, cheeks blushing. His blush deepened as Day Dream broke into a fit of laughter and clapping, followed shortly by Belle and Ink Cap. The pegasus grinned nervously, ears flat as he kept his eyes trained on his lord and master. With a snort, Clip Cord finally broke into a laugh, and knocked her hoof lightly against the colt's shoulder.
"Ah, Scrub!" the unicorn mare managed between giggles, shaking her head, "Kid, you are just too fun to have around. Good job. Get a start on your chores after you have your breakfast, then I have a special assignment for you today."
The pegasus colt broke into a more genuine grin, and nodded eagerly up at Clip Cord. Though the unicorn took every chance she had to pick on him, tease him, and 'punish' him in increasingly ridiculous ways, Scrub was utterly devoted to her and absorbed her every word like a sponge. Clip Cord secretly had very high hopes for him, even though she gave him such a hard time. Scrub had his share of frustration, of course - it was the nature of the game, and during the nine months he had put in so far, he had encountered plenty of worthy foes. Daunted by assignments he didn't think he was capable of, sometimes frustrated to tears after drawing something dozens of times, only to have Clip reject it just as many. The self doubt, long hours with no pay but tips and knowledge, menial labor, and endless rules, tricks and tips to memorize were all things Scrub bravely endured. Then there was the issue of the name.
At first, it had been a very sore spot with the colt, and Scrub had spent his first week in the shop looking overwhelmed, slightly uncomfortable, and a little bit desperate. He had grumbled to himself about 'pony decency' and 'self identity infringement' and had suggested many other names in as subtle a way as he could manage. For Scrub was no Scrub at all. His name, in fact, was Snap Shot. But it was customary for a master to give their apprentice a nickname during the duration of their studies, until they tattooed their first paying pony. After this milestone, an apprentice would choose their own 'stage' name, the handle that they would use in the industry. Clip Cord, Barbelle, and Ink Cap all had different names they were born with, although most ponies in the industry chose something that still somehow reflected their birth-given names. Thus Snap Shot became 'Scrub', which Clip Cord found doubly funny, in that it implied he was both a greenhorn, and the scrubber of her tools and station. Scrub hated it. Over the months, however, he had grown used to it and the strange sort of 'rules' from which the custom was born.
Clip Cord smiled at her young protege as he trotted off towards the back of the shop to fetch the broom, stuffing an entire donut in his mouth and chewing noisily on his way. The tomboyish unicorn strolled over to the front desk, where everypony was gathered round the donut box, still munching and sipping coffee. Clip retrieved her own coffee with an electric blue burst of magic, and managed to nudge the last apple fritter out of the box before Ink Cap could. She grinned victoriously at his smirk, and took a dainty bite. She savored the taste of the rich, buttery, flakey crust hugging the incredibly delectable cinnamon apple mixture of pure goodness inside. For a moment, all was completely right with the world. Then all too soon, Clip had gobbled up the ambrosia like fritter. She drowned her sorrow over the short-lived pastry in the rest of her coffee, then beamed at her co-horts.
"Well everypony, we're almost through our fourth year of business here in sunny Applewood," she started. As she spoke, she stepped over to her station, and lit her horn up, rummaging through her saddlebags, "It hasn't always been easy. We've had our ups and downs, but by the Sun and Moon, I think we've done pretty darn well for ourselves....aha!"
With a grin, she floated a magazine out of her saddlebags, flipping the pages rapidly. Finding the one she wanted, she floated the open magazine over to her friends so they could see it.
"Princess Celestia Speaks About Ink," Day Dream read aloud, "Huh," she added with a grin, winking at Ink Cap, "I didn't know you were such a topic of conversation with our benevolent leader, Inky!"
The magazine was snatched away by a dark blue flash of magic, the unicorn stallion bringing it's pages up close to hide his slight blush. His eyes scanned the article as Clip Cord chuckled and shook her head.
"Basically," the pale mare started with a smile, "It's an interview about Celestia's opinion on tattoos, and their steady rise in popularity. She's actually really positive about it, briefly talks about the history of it from the ancient times, and defends a pony's right to individual expression. She goes on to talk about the increases in health and safety awareness, improved technology, and spells to offset pain somewhat, and how they make the art more accessible."
"Oooh!" chimed in Belle, who was standing on one side of Ink, reading over his shoulder, "She even mentions her recent endorsement of Fakir Moose-Afar's vocational piercing school!" Belle giggled with delight, smiling fondly, "Fakir is such a sweet moose, and such an amazing piercer! You would never think it, but those hooves of his are simply magical."
"HEY!" an overly enthusiastic Day Dream, who was standing on Ink's other side, jabbed a hoof at the magazine, "It even says here that Celestia mentioned that Princess Luna got a tattoo upon returning to Equestria a few years ago! Who would'a thought that!" the earth pony giggled.
At that moment, Clip Cord was about to say something, but was cut off as several things happened at once. A burst of blue magic sent a curled magazine flying across the shop. The burst was accompanied by a shocked "WHAT!?" in the deep voice of Ink Cap, followed shortly by a loud yelp, as the rogue magazine collided unapologetically with Scrub's head. The broom clattered to the floor with the startled pegasus, as every jaw hung open for a moment. All eyes turned back to the source of the outburst. Ink Cap was standing with his jaw tight, eyes wide with shrunken pupils, staring back at his friends. A blush crept into his cheeks, and a strange silence fell over the shop as everypony puzzled over what had just happened.
Scrub was the first to break the silence, pushing himself to his hooves with a groan. Shaking out his mane, he trotted dazedly over to Clip Cord's side like a wounded puppy and shot Ink Cap a frown, though he seemed to otherwise accept his bizarre fate. Everypony still seemed at a loss for words, but after a moment Barbelle stepped forward, and waved a hoof in front of Ink's tense face.
"Yooo-hoooo," she teased, giggling nervously, "Equestria to Ink Cap. What the hay was that about, Inky? You almost took out Scrub!" the tall unicorn tilted her head to the side and smiled, "I thought you would be excited that one of our lovely Princesses has a tattoo. The article didn't even say what it was, or where she had it...but that's a good thing, isn't it?" She raised her eyebrows as Ink Cap seemed to break out of his trance, blinking at her.
"Oh, ah...uh.." he stammered, face still red. He tacked on a nervous smile and looked around at everypony, chuckling, "Ahh...I'm sorry about that guys. I was j-just, uh, shocked. That's all. Heh. Yeah, just, uh, y'know...k-kinda shocked. Uh, Princess and all. Seems, y'know, uh...different," he finished lamely, looking around at everypony. Eyebrows were raised, silence reined for a tense moment.
A dusty, off-white hoof slapped Ink's dun shoulder, the stallion finding Clip Cord smirking up at him teasingly.
"Guess you're just more old school than we thought, huh Inky? Maybe Princess Luna is just in tune with the edgy young generation of Equestria these days. Don't let it ruffle your mane too much," she giggled and gestured to Scrub, who had snuck back to the donut box to cram another treat in his muzzle, "and when I said we were gonna beat some smarts into that apprentice of mine, I didn't mean it literally buddy!"
All the ponies shared a laugh as the tension broke, even Scrub giggled around a mouthful of pastry. After a few more chuckles, every pony wandered to their respective stations, to take stock and figure out their day's activities. The pegasus went back to tidying up the shop, fluttering around efficiently as he polished and sterilized. Clip Cord set up her half-finished painting, and began levitating tubes of paint and brushes out of various drawers. Belle was leaning on the front desk, reading some other article with Day Dream as they both giggled quietly. Ink Cap had turned on the radio and was busying himself at his station, repairing one of his machines.
Clip Cord let all the sounds of the shop fade into the background of her mind as she focused on the painting before her. Soon she was lost in the brush strokes, bringing to life a vivid scene of a pony decked out in gothic-esque carrousel tack and tattoos. The unicorn hardly noticed when Scrub finished his chores, and came to stand silently behind her, watching her paint. Completely absorbed with bringing her creation to it's finale, she carried on blissfully for another twenty minutes, then finally stepped back to admire her work. Luckily, Scrub was well-practiced in what Clip jokingly called 'The Apprentice's Dance', which was basically a funny name for the way Scrub shadowed her, quickly and deftly timing his movements with her own as she moved during a tattoo, or shifted around while painting. Thus, Scrub was able to avoid being run into, and simultaneously stayed out of the way while breathing down Clip's neck at all hours.
Satisfied with her work for the moment, Clip Cord began cleaning up from her painting, levitating brushes over to the sink in the drawing room, followed by cups of water swirling with muddy paint. After washing her hooves and cleaning her brushes, she trotted back over to her station, where Scrub was staring quietly at the painting. Clip Cord smiled warmly to herself - she could tell by the way Scrub's eyes were moving over the painting that he wasn't just admiring her work - he was analyzing and breaking it apart, understanding how she put it together to achieve the results. Scrub's keen eye for detail was something Clip Cord silently admired about her apprentice. The pegasus had admitted to her that both his parents were die hard photographers, so it was little surprise that he was so well-suited to the nuances of art and the importance of a critical eye.
Clip Cord glanced up at the wall clock, then smiled as she trotted over to Scrub's side. Her apprentice smiled back at her and gestured at the painting.
"This looks great, Clip Cord! I really love the contrast of the red corset-saddle against the white pony, and all the little red rose accents," he rambled on enthusiastically, "Not to mention how the strands of pearl really stand out against her black mane. You've really outdone yourself again! You never cease to ama-"
The rambling colt was cut off as the unicorn tapped his nose lightly with a hoof. Clip Cord chuckled and shook her head.
"By Celestia, kid, you're such a suck-up," she admonished him with a warm smile, ruffling his mane. He grinned bashfully up at her, ears splaying. Lighting up her horn with electric blue magic, Clip Cord moved the painting and easel out of the way. She looked over her shoulder at the colt, "Could you set me up please, Scrub?" she asked, "My client should be here in fifteen minutes or so."
The pegasus saluted playfully, then zipped off towards the back room to gather the supplies he needed. Clip Cord was hesitant for a long time to let Scrub set up for her, concerned that he might have a hard time handling certain things that she easily accomplished with magic. The pegasus had impressed her though, and after a few trail and error runs, had perfected his own methods of setting up for what was normally a unicorn art. His wings had proven to be quite useful, and lent him a degree of dexterity that his hooves couldn't quite match. Clip Cord was astounded the first time he set up a machine for her, slowly and carefully, using his hooves to grip the frame of the machine as he deftly manipulated the tube and needle with his wings. He looked a little comical, hunched over in a squat, wings stretched around the front of him as he focused intently on the machine cradled between his hooves. Clip Cord couldn't help but marvel both at his dedication, and at the freaky deaky-ness of pegasi wing anatomy.
Satisfied with her painting, and assured of Scrub's setting up her station, Clip Cord trotted over to the front desk to see what everypony else was up to. Day Dream was flipping casually through two new catalogues, comparing the prices of supplies with their current distributor. Belle was still leaning on the front desk as well, re-reading the article from earlier with a small smile on her muzzle. Ink Cap had put away his machines and was casually standing next to Day Dream, eyeballing the various goods in the catalogues. The stallion looked up as Clip approached and smiled.
"Hey Clip, nice work on that painting." He said, "What's your client coming in for today?" he gestured at the appointment book.
Clip spared another quick glance at the book, then smiled, "It's for a young mare in the Equestrian Navy. I spoke to her on the phone yesterday after Day Dream set the appointment; she said she wanted a fouled anchor on her shoulder, to celebrate her promotion in the ranks."
Ink Cap grinned appreciatively and nodded. The fouled anchor was a very traditional tattoo for high-ranking Naval ponies, signifying the daily struggle of a commanding officer in the Navy. The stallion was always pleased to see the younger generations honoring their roots. Just then, the subject of their conversation came through the front door of the shop, setting the bell to jingle.
"Hiya Sea Foam!" chirped Day Dream cheerfully, waving a hoof at the pony entering, "Welcome to Spectrum!" the pink earth pony gestured towards Clip Cord, "Clip Cord here is the artist you spoke with yesterday."
Sea Foam smiled at the assembled ponies, then held out her hoof to Clip Cord, who bumped it politely with her own. Sea Foam was an aptly named unicorn mare with an off-white coat reminiscent of a sea-shell, and a lovely sea-green mane and tail that curled. Her cutie mark was a pink shell with a large golden pearl nestled in the middle. Clip Cord grinned as she realized that the mare had no tattoos yet - Clip always loved a first timer in her chair.
After introductions, Day Dream started the mare on paperwork while Clip Cord trotted over to check on Scrub's progress. The pegasus was just finishing up, and turned towards his mentor as he stripped the sanitary gloves off his front hooves, followed by the specialized 'gloves' that fit over the few feathers of his wings that he used for touching equipment. Luckily in the expanding industry, finding special gloves for Scrub wasn't too challenging; Clip Cord simply tracked down a pegasus oriented tattoo supply company, and had no trouble setting up her apprentice with the things he needed. What was more challenging, was the art of teaching Scrub not to set his front hooves on the floor with gloves on. They went through endless glove changes before Scrub finally understood how to take advantage of his gloved time to accomplish everything needed before setting hoof on the floor again.
Clip Cord looked over the set up, and nodded to Scrub with approval. The pegasus smiled widely, and watched as Clip Cord washed her hooves, hobbled awkwardly to her wheeled stool, and settled down on her rump. Although ponies normally reclined in more natural ways, it was not impossible for one to form the balance required for stranger sitting positions. Perched on her stool, Clip Cord dried her hooves with a simple spell, floated over a pair of gloves from her jar and pulled them over her front hooves. She also floated into her vision the stencil for the tattoo she was to do, a reference of the finished flash art she had created for it, and a roll of blue masking tape. She tore off a small bit of tape and secured the reference picture to the chair her client would soon be lounging in, taping it where it would be out of the way yet easy for her to see as she worked.
Sea Foam had finished her paperwork and handed it back over to Day Dream, who smiled as Scrub politely led the unicorn mare over to Clip Cord's station. The pegasus then dashed off for a moment, only to return with blinding speed, carrying a pillow and a bottle of fruit punch, both of which he set on the lounge chair for Sea Foam. After the unicorn mare brightly thanked the colt, Scrub retreated to his place of honor - looming carefully over Clip Cord's shoulder.
"So Sea Foam, I noticed you don't have any other tattoos. I just want to assure you that you're in excellent hooves and have nothing to worry about," Clip Cord smiled up at her client, who smiled back at her gratefully. It was hard to tell, as Sea Foam didn't seem outwardly nervous thanks to her Naval training, but Clip was an expert in all kinds of body language, and could tell that the mare didn't really know what to expect. The tattooed unicorn continued, as she applied the stencil to Sea Foam's shoulder, explaining to her the simple spell used to help dull the pain - it couldn't take it away completely, but Clip Cord assured her it certainly wasn't the worst thing in the world. After the stencil was applied, Clip directed her to take a look at it in one of the shop's big mirrors.
Clip Cord waited patiently, perched on her stool as she changed gloves and double-checked the tuning of her machine. After a moment, Sea Foam trotted back over and hopped into the lounge chair with an enthusiastic grin.
"I don't give a hooey if it hurts like hay, girl," she giggled, nervous but obviously excited to actually see the start of her tattoo on her shoulder, "It's going to look amazing, I just know it!"
Clip Cord couldn't help but beam enthusiastically as her client settled on her back in the chair, propping the pillow behind her head and cradling the fruit punch in her free hoof. The dusty unicorn mare took a moment to adjust her client's arm onto the armrest of the lounge chair, where it would be comfortable for Sea Foam to sit through the tattoo, and still give Clip Cord good access to work. With her client set up and ready, and her loyal apprentice's breath on her neck, Clip Cord lit up her horn, made sure her foot pedal was within good reach, and brought the machine close in the aura of her magic.
"Alright Sea Foam, a quick spell to help numb your skin a little," Clip Cord stated as a blue glow covered the other unicorn's limb for a moment. Sea Foam smiled, and watched with interest.
"Now if you're ready, we can do the first line, so you know what you're in for," Clip Cord chuckled, smiling confidently at her client as she nodded. With a tap of her hind hoof, Clip's machine came buzzing to life. She could feel the subtle vibrations in her horn, so sensitive that she could even feel the minute difference when the machine was dipped in ink. Locked and loaded, she leaned close to her client, stretching the skin as she deftly laid the first line.
Clip Cord and Scrub looked at Sea Foam expectantly, who stared back at them for a moment, before letting out a breath she was apparently holding. She laughed for a moment, then smiled bashfully.
"That wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was gonna be," she admitted, "Kinda like an annoying cat scratch."
Clip Cord giggled, nodded, then turned back to her work. It was a standard response, one that Clip always wondered just how many times she would hear in her years tattooing.
"This is gonna be about a two hour long cat scratch, by my estimate. So just relax, and feel free to ask Scrub for anything you might need," the unicorn said as she worked. Scrub nodded helpfully behind her. Soon, Clip Cord was lost in the tattoo, focusing intently on those perfect lines and holding a light conversation with Sea Foam. Belle, Ink Cap, and Dream each wandered by to peek at the progress and nod in approval or make small comments.
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Sea Foam winced slightly as Clip Cord put the final touches on her fouled anchor. Though the Naval unicorn was quite a trooper, no tattoo was truly painless no matter the spells, and Sea Foam couldn't wait to get up out of that chair by the time Clip was almost done. Finally, the unicorn set her machine down and let out a sigh, smiling at her work and blotting it gently with a paper towel trapped in the aura of her magic. Picking up a wrapped bottle of mild lavender soap mixed with sterilized water, she gave the tattoo a gentle misting, a final wipe, applied a thin layer of soothing salve, and then shed her gloves and stepped back.
"Whew!" exclaimed Sea Foam, "I did it!" Clip Cord chuckled at the other unicorn's personal victory. It was a moment that Clip always enjoyed witnessing; the conquering of a fear, the endurance of something unpleasant for something beautiful.
After getting Sea Foam's tattoo photographed, properly bandaged, giving her aftercare instructions, and sending her happily on her way, Clip Cord washed her hooves in the sink by her station, and watched Scrub as he broke her down. She knew she didn't have to watch him anymore, really. He had set up and broke down many times for her before. But she liked to assure herself that he didn't cut corners, and smiled proudly as she watched him thoroughly clean, sanitize, dispose of and put away everything perfectly. Scrub quickly washed his own hooves when he finished, then trotted over to Clip Cord.
"That was a really nice fouled anchor, Boss," he said, smiling. Clip Cord nodded and smiled in thanks. Scrub remained smiling up at her, seeming to shift his weight on his hooves like he was waiting for something. The unicorn raised an eyebrow at him.
"Scrub, is there something you need?" she asked flatly. His wide smile turned even wider, and a bit sheepish.
"Ahh, well...t-this morning you mentioned..." he trailed off, watching her face. She made no move to silence him, so he continued quickly, "uh, w-well, this morning you mentioned that you had a special assignment for me and well, I've been thinking about it all day and I thought maybe you could tell me what it is and why it's so special 'cus you've *never* said I had a *special* assignment before and, and," the pegasus had opened his wings at this point, obviously torn between being terrified of this 'special' assignment, or being overjoyed that Clip Cord had come up with something 'special' for him in the first place. Unfortunately the former won out with the imaginative young colt, and he blurted out in a rush, "and well you kind of scare me so I just want to know what this special assignment is and if it's going to destroy me?" He ended with a high squeak in his voice, his pale face beet red.
Speechless silence once again reined in the shop as all the ponies stared at Scrub. In a twist of irony, the Goatye song Scrub had sang earlier played on the radio, filling the void somewhat. All at once, the older ponies burst into laughter. Clip Cord laughed so hard she actually put a hoof against Scrub's shoulder, leaning on him for support as she cackled. The aqua pegasus managed to look confused, frightened, and embarrassed all at the same time, wrinkling his nose and blushing.
As the older ponies got over their fit of laughter, Clip Cord patted him on the shoulder and looked him in the eye.
"Are you really scared of me? That is just, geeze Scrub, it's priceless," she laughed, shaking her head, "I mean, really..." she paused, looking around at her friends with a grin, "..what is the worst thing you think I would make you do for a 'special' assignment anyway?"
Scrub seemed to consider this question for a moment, raising a hoof to his chin. Then, he looked over at his mentor, seeming to hide under his scruffy bangs as he rubbed one foreleg against the other.
"W-well," he stammered, not quite making eye contact, "W-what if you made me eat scorpions? O-or made me juggle flaming chainsaws? What if you wanted me to arm wrestle Ink Cap?!"
The unicorn stallion raised an eyebrow and managed to look confused.
Scrub stammered on in a rush, "What if you pit me in a battle against a super robot lobster?! What if you send me to some far off place to be a spy, and I get caught, and thrown into a dungeon!?" He gasped in horror, "What if you lock me in a basement and make me draw a thousand roses!? I don't think I could do any of that stuff!"
Clip Cord chuckled at her exasperated apprentice, shaking her head, "Look Scrub," she started, tossing an arm over his shoulders, "you're a pretty good kid, but I think you watch too many late night movie specials. Besides," she teased with a shrug, "all that stuff is way too much effort on my part. Do you know how expensive chainsaws are?"
This elicited another round of laughter from everypony, Scrub included. He tilted his head at Clip Cord as they all quieted down, and cleared his throat.
"So, uh," he started, "You're not gonna lock me in a basement and make me draw a thousand roses?"
Clip Cord raised an eyebrow, and shrugged, "Ya know, that's not a bad idea kid, but I'm sure there's a law against it somewhere," she sighed dramatically, then winked, "Labor laws aside, the assignment I have for you is a sort of, shall we say, milestone in your training." She paused for dramatic effect. Scrub leaned forward in anticipation.
"I want you to do five pages of flash, five designs each. You can draw whatever you want, but I want you to keep it traditional - remember everything you've learned about traditional. Don't be afraid to visit the tried and true - but I want to see your own version, your own twist." She paused again, lifting a hoof up casually as if to inspect it, then continued, "Ink Cap and I are almost done building your machine, and when you're done with the assignment, I want you to tattoo me."
Clip Cord glanced over at Scrub, waiting for his reaction. It was a green light he had been chomping at the bit for and hinting at for weeks. Mouth slightly agape, the young pegasus turned his wide golden eyes from Clip Cord to Ink Cap. The stallion chuckled, and nodded. Scrub turned his gaze towards Belle and Day Dream, who grinned at him enthusiastically. Finally, he looked back towards Clip Cord.
"Really?" he managed in a small voice.
Clip nodded.
Scrub looked down towards the floor, wings shivering, eyes hidden under his forelock, and made a strange sound. Without looking up, he mumbled, "Can I take my ten minute break now, Boss?"
Clip Cord laughed, slightly confused, but waved a hoof in dismissal.
"Sure kiddo, go take your break."
Without another word, Scrub trotted outside stiffly. Clip, Belle, Ink, and Dream crowded by the glass shop front to watch him curiously. The pegasus colt stood stock still for a moment, the warm sun radiating against his coat. Slowly, he unfurled his wings. He took a halting step forward.
Suddenly, he whooped loudly like a wild animal, and quite simply rocketed off the sidewalk and into the air with blistering speed. His victorious cry echoed as he disappeared into the sky, leaving behind a turquoise streak of color in his wake like a jet trail. The cry gained in volume as he plummeted in a tight corkscrew towards the ground again, opening his wings at the last moment to pull out of the dive.
A resounding yell of, "BUCK YEAH!" echoed through the streets as he took off again, whooping and hollering in an astounding display of coltish celebration. The older ponies watched from the window with awe and amusement. Ink Cap and Clip Cord shared a brief look.
Clip Cord sighed, eyes wandering back to Scrub, who was now moonwalking in mid-air past the shop window.
"It's gonna be a long week," she groaned.