His grandmother. On Beta Colony. With pierced ears and Betan earrings. Because of course she would, even he has piercings. (Grown over by now, but still visible if someone were to look very, very closely ... It takes all of his self control not to instinctively reach up to cover them now.) The thought is a little bit terrifying to contemplate.

"They believed you?" he chokes out after a moment. "Why'd you do it? Just to have fun with them?"