The trip back to the gypsy caravan was … interesting to say the least. There were at least four attempts by otters to extort fish out of them. Why, however, is anyone's guess as Liliana doesn't eat fish, and neither does Olivia. There was also a narrow escape from Gunther who seemed to be looking for someone. But, at last Liliana had gotten them back to the camp. The gathering of unusual folks here just watched the two with mild interest. Well, except for Djivan, who made a beeline right for them. Liliana put a quick end to his advancement, though, by ushering Olivia into her wagon. "No, you can' have her tonigh' Djivan," Olivia can hear Liliana outside say. "She' my guest … no I don't inten' to bite her! Well, no' on th' neck anyway."

Olivia looks around the wagon with keen interest. "Hmm. Sorta like my room at the Weavers' – except all the cloth I have is all over the floor and not hung from the ceiling!" she mutters to herself.

"No' she can' come see you later. It'll be late," Olivia can still hear Liliana talking. "And before vou ask, no singin' at my door! I'll thump you wit m' grandma's bloomers if vou even try tha'. Vou'll see her later, sheesh."

One of Olivia's ears twitches, as if trying to zone in on the conversation outside the door. She grins and says to no one in particular, "Grandma's bloomers, eh? If they can actually inspire fear, then grandma must have been pretty fat for an Eee!"

"Eh, we haf anot'er guest in camp? Some freaky thin?" Olivia hears from Liliana next. "Fixed Natasha's wagon, then became all gross? You been drinkin' Djivan? … Ooooh, hidin' freaky stuff under ugly clothes. He wit Natasha now? Eek."

Now both of Olivia's ears perk at the mention of another stranger in the camp. However, when Liliana speaks the fortune-teller's name, the Skeek inwardly winces. "I wonder what that conversation must be like," she muses.

"Eh, Madame Natasha be makin' sure he be no threat. One way or another, no? Better get back to me gues'," Liliana comments. A moment later the door opens and Liliana steps in and she sighs, "Boys. dey are jus' impossible and so one-track."

Olivia thinks back on Zahn and his obsession with flying machines – and Gunther and his obsession with hordes – and grins. "Yeah, don't I know it!" she agrees.

"Soooo," Liliana says with an almost diabolical cheshire grin. She wraps her arm around Olivia's shoulders and says, "Vou' gonna get your fur dyed, righ'?"

Olivia erms and tries to keep a straight face. "Well, uh, it looks really good on you and all… but not for me, thanks. I get enough stares around town as it is." Before Liliana can become too disappointed, she continues, "Although I might do with some ear piercings! I wouldn't want as many, of course, since I don't have all the ear-room that you do."

"I know," Liliana says and winks conspiratorially at her. She smiles fangily and adds, "I do all de ear piercings 'round here. Sharp an' cleanup all in one, no? Bet we coul' get at least five on each of vour ears… "

Olivia tries to head Liliana off at the pass. "Two in each ear will be just fine. But thanks for the offer, anyway!" Then she looks curiously at the Eee. "Um… do you really do the ear-piercings with your teeth?"

"Of cours' I do," Liliana says, looking at Olivia as if she's grown another head. "Dey work as well as needles, afterall."

Olivia cringes and says softly, "That's what I was afraid of. Ah well, I'll just close my eyes when you do it… "

"Oh poo, it won't hurt dat much," Liliana says in a mock hurt tone. "So … what kin' of earrin' you want? Hoops? Chains? Hoops wit chains? Bones? Feathers?"

Olivia snickers a little at the mention of bones and feathers. "Sorry, but I need earrings that will stick close to the ear. I don't want to give Loom #4 any more ammunition against me! If I had big hoops through my ears, it'd just try to tear them off!"

"But, but, if dey small, they won' be that visible!" Liliana says, sounding horrified.

In answer, Olivia turns her head to one side and shows Lili a scar where the fur hasn't grown back yet. "That's what our demon broadcloth loom can do to you," she explains. "Imagine if I got a hoop earring caught in that thing!" Then she smiles. "Well, if you want the earrings to be really visible, don't you have any close-to-the-ear ones with shiny, colored stones in them or something?"

Liliana considers something. "Oooo, I know!" she exclaims and claps her hands together. The Eee scurries over to one of the cabinets and starts going through it quickly. "No, no, no, egad no, hmm, dis looks like a tuber, where'd I get dis? No, no, Ahah!" She holds up her hand.

Olivia peers around so that she can see what Liliana has come up with?

Liliana shows Olivia a small crescent chitin plate inset with various types of glass beads. On the back are actually two pin posts. It's apparently intended to line an ear with a trim of color.

Olivia ooos and leans in for a closer look. "That looks very nice! And it has so many colors in it that it's bound to go with most everything I wear, too."

"It's settled, then," Liliana says with a firm nod. Her ears jingle. "So, time t' do it, no? Sitsitsitsitsitsitsit," she says rapidly.

Olivia sits on command but looks a bit apprehensive as she does so. "Uh, just tell me when you're ready to make the holes in my ears. Then I'll know when to close my eyes!"

"Ve haf some good drin' in camp if vou want some. Coupl' glasses and you won't feel a t'ing," Liliana offers as she gathers up a few things. She comes back carrying a towel, the little bands, and a big bucket labeled 'blood'.

Olivia gulps as she looks at the bucket. She fervently hopes that the labeling is a joke on Lili's part… "Uh, if I drink I just go to sleep," she answers. "Somehow, I don't think it would be polite to snooze through the whole visit!"

Liliana follows Olivia's gaze to the bucket and says, "Oops! Dis is just full o' water. Gotta wash yer ears." She grins sheepishly and says, "Sorry."

Olivia whews! silently and nods. "Thank goodness for that," she mumbles.

Liliana sits down behind Olivia. The tall, thin, Eee towering over her a bit. She dips the towel in the bucket, then goes about cleaning the outside and inside of each of Olivia's ears. It wouldn't be so bad … except the water is really cold.

Olivia shivers and asks, teeth chattering, "I t-take it that the cold water is to numb the ears so it w-won't hurt as much?"

"Bleed less," Liliana comments, "De blood vessels constrict. Plus, it makes vour ears taste more minty and less … ear-y." She sets the towel aside and says, "Okay, I'm gonna do de left one first."

Olivia laughs and almost forgets that Lili is about to bite her ears when she hears this commentary. She closes her eyes and puts one hand over them for good measure. "Okay, go ahead!" she says, bracing herself.

Olivia can hear Liliana shift around a bit behind her, then hot breath surrounding her left ear. The tips of two very sharp fangs can be lightly felt against the surface … then suddenly a quick and painful pinching sensation as her muzzle closes quickly. Oddly, it doesn't feel like something went through, just that her ear was pinched. The Eee holds her mouth closed for a bit, then carefully opens it. It actually hurts a bit more when the fangs withdraw than when they went in. Whistling, Liliana works with the now tender ear, slipping the posts of the band through the holes and affixing the back plate to it.

Olivia winces a little as the posts go into her new ear-holes but the pain isn't all that bad. "Hey, that was pretty good," she comments. "It really didn't hurt a whole lot."

"Oh? So, does dat mean I can add three more to de ear?" Liliana asks hopefully.

Olivia reaches back and swats the Eee playfully. "No, it does not! Nice try, though."

"Pfft, vour no fun," Liliana says in mock annoyance. "Okay, dey right ear now."

Olivia closes her eyes again but this time does not feel the need to cover them with her hand. "I'm ready!"

Much the same procedure happens as before. This time it seems to have hurt a slight bit less, but that may just be Olivia's imagination. Before Olivia knows it, Liliana is affixing the ear-plate. "Sooo … vant to dress more like us?" Liliana asks, sounding devious.

Olivia looks at Liliana's bare midriff and grins. "You mean, do I want to wear less than I'm wearing now?" she teases.

"Dats oooone way to say it, yes," Liliana says and nods sagely. She goes about putting away the bucket and towels she got out. "Or … would vou want to go spy on dis monster gues'?"

Olivia looks at the Eee with great interest. "I heard a little of what you and Djivan were saying about this, uh, thing. For lack of a better word! Did he say what it looked like?"

No' much. Said he sort of looked like if you took and human and a Korv and squished dem toget'er," Liliana tries to explain, making squishing motions with her hands, complete with sound effects.

Olivia ers… "A human with feathers?" she asks, scratching her head. "That would be pretty weird, yeah."

Liliana dusts off her, er, dust free hands. "Well, let's go see dis t'ing, okay?" she says then opens the door and steps back outside.

"Sure!" Olivia says, following after. "What visit is complete without a little sneaking around, eh?"