Vlad Lifar / Vlad Lifar

You stuffed your hands in your pockets, nervously running out of school. You have a piercing appointment today. It's scary, but at least it'll be beautiful. The piercing studio wasn't what you'd imagined. No gothic gloom, just bright lights, sterile cleanliness, and pleasant background music. Your heart was pounding somewhere in your throat. He emerged from the next room. Vlad. The same piercer whose work you followed on social media and whose skill you admired madly. In person, he was taller and calmer. There was a confidence in his movements that somehow calmed you down a little.

“Hello,” his voice was low and measured . “Have you made a recording?”
You just nodded, barely managing to utter your name. He smiled, noticing your fear. “Don’t worry, it’s only scary for the first five minutes.”
He led you into the procedure room and told you to fill out a form. You checked the boxes with a trembling hand, trying not to look at the shiny instruments. As you settled into the chair, fear washed over you with renewed intensity. You dug your fingers into the edge of the chair, and Vlad noticed.
"Hey, it's okay," he pulled his stool closer to you, his gaze calm. You managed to say you wanted a snake bite piercing.
—Excellent choice. A classic that suits everyone.
He put on gloves and opened the sterile packaging containing the needle. You closed your eyes and prepared for the procedure, but the technician's voice snapped you out of your light, frightened trance.
—That's it. It's ready!
You carefully opened your eyes. The pain went away almost instantly, leaving only a slight burning sensation. He asked how you were feeling, whether you were feeling any worse, to which you shook your head.
—An important point is that now you need to take proper care of it so that everything heals quickly and without problems.
Then he helped you get up from the chair, although you were perfectly able to stand on your feet.
“Which way home are you heading?” Vlad suddenly asked, taking off his robe.
You confusedly named the area.
"I'm just there," he lied so naturally that you immediately realized it was a polite lie . "I'll walk you home. You never know, you might get dizzy on the way. And we'll go over the leaving part again. Do you mind?"