A few weeks ago I was struck with a sense of spontaneity that had never hit me when it came to body modification. Every piercing, my tattoo, they were all thought out and pondered to death, until I would finally throw my hands up in a fit of frustration and finally get my new mod. One afternoon, however, I let the "spirit" take me and I got my long desired, but never gotten, rook piercing.
At A Glance Author MerryWidow Contact MerryWidow@bme.anon IAM MerryWidow When A month ago Artist N8 Location Newport News, VA The story goes that I was out shopping with my brother, just after Christmas. I was giving him a hard time because he hadn't gotten me anything for the holiday and I had spent a lot of time and energy on him. Then, it struck me. I had been wanting a rook piercing for as long as I could remember, but the timing, the circumstance, and the monetary status had never made it happen. We were standing in line at some clothing store (it alludes me now) and I said, "How about a piercing for Christmas? You know I'd love it..." Now, my brother is pretty much anti-piercing but after much poking and prodding, he agreed.
I fled the mall in a whirlwind of excitement, my brother in tow, and we headed for the only piercing studio I knew was nearby. I'm not entirely sure of the name, I just know exactly where it is and that I NEEDED this piercing. When we got there, no one seemed to be in line aside from a guy and his girlfriend that were buying jewelry. I was completely amused listening to them because the guy had no sense of the terminology or what he was even looking for. He just could not grasp the concept of labret jewelry (with the flat back.) A girl was helping them at the counter (I think she was about to strangle the guy) and another girl emerged from the back to help me. I asked about the type of jewelry and cost of the piercing (making sure it was a reasonable Christmas present.) It was about $23, which was just fine, and she said I had a choice between a barbell and a ring. I chose the ring because in my experience, rings are much easier to clean and care for than barbells.
She took my I.D. and had me fill out some paperwork, always a good sign at reputable studios. She informed me it would be a few minutes before the piercer would be able to take me so my brother and I just grazed in the jewelry section. By this time, my insides were fluttering. I always get nervous just before the event, almost to the point of throwing up, but somehow I always remember that the reward is completely worth the fear. Not even ten minutes later, the guy showed up (lunch in tow) and proceeded to scarf it down at the counter while we chatted. He introduced himself, told me his name was N8. I'm serious, he signed his name N8 (it's Nate for those of you that don't get it.)
We then went back into the piercing room where he washed his hands FOREVER and put on some gloves. I was chatting with my brother as he prepared, getting the needle out, the marker, and all that good stuff. I hate seeing the needle beforehand, so my brother watched out to make sure he was being clean. Then N8 had me sit in a chair, my brother squeezing my hand, and he cleaned my rook. He marked the top of the piercing and it looked good so we got ready to rumble. I squeezed hard on my brother's hand and N8 told me to inhale. Then, on the exhale, it went through. It was probably the most painful of the piercings I've had so far, but it wasn't anything to write home about. The worst part was putting the jewelry in because of all the fidgeting. It's a pretty tight, tender spot, so I was definitely expecting it. He cleaned it up and gave me some instructions on how to care for it. I thanked him profusely, left a handsome tip, and proceeded on my way.
It took the rest of the evening for the redness to go away. It was much too sore to sleep on the first few nights but it's gotten better. I've been very careful to wash my hands and clean it because I have battled infection before and that's just no fun. It's been about three weeks now since I got it done. It still hurts on occasion, still too sore to sleep on, but bearable. I realized talking on the phone with my right ear is practically impossible now, but that's why we have two! I love the way it looks and I'm so happy I finally did it. It was much easier with the spontaneity as well so perhaps I'll keep that in mind for future mods. Anyone considering a rook piercing, I say go for it. It looks so beautiful and you will really enjoy it...but take into consideration which side you sleep on!