*Gothic Daughter*

 
 
Of course, the tools in maintenance were of normal dimensions, for like normal screws and stuff not microscopic piercings. Instead I scored a few minutes on the patrons computer, Amazon had a set of tiny tools, one click later they were on their way. All being well they'll be here in a couple of days, guess I'll have to remain the human watch strap a little bit longer.

It took me a couple of days to pluck up the courage, but here I am, back at Ace Tattoo. The screwdrivers arrived yesterday, it was a bit awkward but I managed to remove the timepiece, replacing the screws with the original rings was a bit trickier but I eventually managed it. No need for the ribbon at the moment, its not really work appropriate.

"Hi Dawn," I offered as my tattoo artist of 'choice' ushered me into her back room.
"So what can I do for you today, more ink? Some 'intimate' piercing?"
"Er no, some advice for now."
"Advice? Hmm, dunno about that, have to charge you."
"Really? How much?" I enquired, i'm not destitute but neither am I floating in it.
"Just kidding girl, so what're you thinking, a sleeve or something?"
"Erm no, well its like this, I went to this thing down in Kent last week and there was this guy doing these um, micro things, long story short, I got these."

I presented my wrist for her inspection, the watch of course now replaced with the rings again.

"Hmm, pretty."
“Er yeah," I agreed, “thing is, when Trixie goes, I'll need need to lose the piercings, everything else is easy enough but I don't know how to take these out."
"It's not as easy as that with dermals Trix, you can't just slip them in and out."
"You can't?"
"When he put them in, did he show you the anchors first?"
"Yeah, they looked like half a tiny bike chain link"
"Hang on a mo," she went out into the shop and returned. A minute later with a couple of ziploc bags. "Like these?"
I looked at what was in the first bag, "Yeah, same shape but they had like a couple of holes in them, in the flat bit."
She proffered the other bag, "Like these?"
"Exacty those," I agreed.
"Bum!"
"Is that bad or something?"
"Depends on your point of view, if you want a stable, long lasting anchor it's great, if you want to take it out, not so good."
My heart sank, "Oh, I thought you just had to have the right tool, give it a twist and out it comes."
"Did this guy not explain anything?"
"Possibly," I allowed, I wasn't really paying that much attention."
She rolled her eyes, "If it was the plain base ones, yeah, with a bit of fiddling about we probably could pull them out but not with these," she tapped the be-holed anchors.
"Why not?"
"Because your Dermis grows through them, you do know what that is?"
"The underside of your skin right?"
"Loosely, so if we put in a plain anchor it sits there in a sort of pocket so like I said, you can, in theory, give it a bit of encouragement and out it'll pop. Put one of these mamas in, different ball game, it sits in a 'pocket' the same but your body will try to repair the damage, it'll literally grow through the holes in the plate fixing it more securely in place as it does so."
"So i'm stuck with them?"
“before we jump lets have a look,” she suggested pulling on a pair of nitrile gloves.
For a couple of minutes she looked at them more closely.
“you heal quickly,” she observed.
“yeah, scratch one day, nothing the next.”
“hmm.”

She retrieved something from the autoclave, one of the rings was detached and the tool thing replaced it. Then she gently tried to twist the resulting assembly which resulted in a bit of discomfort but nothing else. after a further examination, she sat back.

“so?”
"They can be removed but it's a job for a doctor or nurse really, they'll have to cut them out."
"Sugar."
"So what made you have it done?"
"Not really sure," I had to admit, "There was a girl having this sort of clock thing put on and I thought it looked kind of cool."
"And you had it done despite passing out when I did your other holes. Talking of which, no problems with any of them?"
"To be honest, i pretty much forget i've got them most of the time."

It's true, despite having more holes in my face than mums tea strainer most of the time I don't give them a second thought.

"Look, if you really want them taking out i'll ask around, see if there's anyone can do it, on the side like."
"Er thanks, i'll give it some thought, thanks for the advice, i'll let you get on with some paying customers."
"Don't worry about it Trix, sure you don't fancy a sleeve?"

As if that's gonna happen!

Well that'll teach me. Back out on the street I ruefully looked at the 'offending' additions to my anatomy, its not like I have to have the rings or the watch fitted is it? Feeling a bit down after Dawn's dermal 101 explanation, I set off for the town centre to cheer myself up with a coffee or something.

I guess i'm more comfortable presenting as Trixie in public now, dressed in normal clothes i'm just another girl albeit with pink hair and a few more piercings than most. Certainly nothing to make people point or think i'm not what I appear to be. I'm not sure if that's weird or not, it's not that I like dressing as a girl, or looking like one for that matter, but it doesn't feel weird anymore.

I got my cup of coffee in the Costa by the market then for want of anything better to do started mooching around the shops. As Zak Askwith, a look around the shops would mean games consoles, maybe a trip to one of the music emporiums but that'd be about it.As Trixie i'm finding myself drawn to clothing stores, shoe stores and heaven forbid - the purveyors of makeup! And i'm looking at girl stuff, how weird is that? I even found myself eyeing up 'other' young women, would that suit me, or that?

The trip to Derby with Janey had been truly mortifying but here I am, almost enjoying myself. I even found myself convincing myself that if i'm stuck as Trixie for maybe another couple of weeks that she needs more to wear than one summer frock, jeans, two pairs of leggings and some t shirts. Even if it's only with Janey, this 'girl' isn't gonna live the life of a monk, so there!

Well thats my excuse anyhow. It was in one of those 'budget' clothing places, not super cheap but more affordable if you are on a tight budget. Cream lace over a solid liner, you could almost claim it to be summer Goth! So of course, that meant shoes and a stop in Victoria's Secret supplied some suitably lacy intimates to go with it. I was feeling pretty mellow by the time I headed back to the hotel and my temporary abode.

“What are you doing tonight?” I asked Janey, she was doing the rounds with the wage slips.

© Maddy Bell 10.04.2020