Star Trek: Starbase 777

The piercer's stand was another tent, though its front flap was currently open, unlike the fortune teller's stand. Inside, working to tidy the space, was a lanky figure, dressed as a particularly elegant mime, wearing a smiling mask. They were one of the few people out here whose dark hair was uncovered, their pale skin peaking through from their black-and-white costume in places.

Xal's hot pink windbreaker gave his approach away. He was very, very noticeable from a distance. This was not a costume, it was simply his vibe. He walked up to the stand happily and raised a vulcanoid eyebrow at the mime-shop-keep and gave a dazzling smile. "Hello there, darling," he said with a dripping sweet voice.

The tall figure turned to Xal, their body language open and welcoming. "Oh me oh my, welcome, welcome!" they greeted, grabbing a swishy chair to sit down on, circling once before stopping directly facing Xal. "Aren't you a colourful one? What may I help you with today, dear guest?"

"Mmm," Xal hummed as they peered around the Body Piercing Tent, curious about the Mime's methods and workspace. Xal had multiple body piercings! Specifically multiple piercings in their lobes from which dangled standard sized hoops as well as a couple gold studs with pink gems inlaid in them. "Why thank you," They said, their voice still honey sweet, watching the mime spin in their chair. "You would never be able to guess what my favorite color is." They said with a wink and another flash of their teeth. "I was curious about your craft, my dear. As you can see I have pierced lobes, but maybe I was considering to commemorate my first real day on Starbase 777 I could get something a bit more adventurous."

"Oh, no, I could never guess. Yellow, perhaps, or a sensible blue? Such mysteries, such mysteries indeed," the piercer said, their tone mirthful, matching their mask perfectly. "Something adventurous, you say? Well, I have to say, the truly adventurous stuff doesn't tend to happen in a tent in front of a circus, my dear. Was there something in particular you were hoping I could do for you?"

"Green, actually," they said, face suddenly lacking emotion for a few seconds, followed immediately by a sly grin and an upturned brow. Talking to this person was very, very fun. "Ah, yes, of course, nothing truly adventurous for little old me." They hummed and brought a finger to their lips, a bit of a thinking pout on their face. "I don't know, I was considering a stud in my nostril? Or two, for balance? Or maybe a ring for my septum... Or!" And their face lit up, their eyes glancing down to their belly, where their little green-gray tummy was poking out from under their crop top. "Belly button perhaps? Oh there are so many choices!"

"Green! A bold choice, certainly, but it suits you," the strange artist said jovially. "As for your piercing... well, I'm partial to things that show my work, myself," they said, standing up, and bending down ever so slightly to study Xal's face. "And the Cardassian nose has such beautiful structure, I'm always honored to enhance it with my craft." (edited)

"Mmm, mmm, I quite agree with you. Thank you, dear." Xal peered intensely into the masked mime's face, lashed eyelids blinking every so often. He studied their features, trying to capture a glimpse of their eyes behind the mask. Xal's eyes glittered in the light, green irises with flecks of gold throughout the middle and a dark green ring. "Why, what an interesting thought." They brought an idle hand up to their cute little cardassian nose. "I am partial to hoops, you see," they said, processing out loud. "We should go with my septum, then." Yes, they had finally settled on a decision. "Do you happen to have any jewelry with pink gems that can be installed, or must I wait?"

"The septum! An excellent choice!" The piercer pulled back abruptly, opening a crate filled to the brim with jewellery he could install. "I don't have any hoops with pink gems, myself, but what a thought. I will be looking into those," they said, presenting Xal with a box that they opened dramatically. Inside were rings of various sizes and thicknesses, both closed or slightly opened with ball closings on either end, all in a metallic pink. "But I do have an anodized titanium collection, if it suits your preference."

"Ooooh," Xal made a happy little noise in awe at all of the shiny jewelry in the box. "How beautiful. I would love to marvel at your collection and I assume your handiwork? Or at the very least your eye," he said, smiling. "Though, if you have a simple closed hoop in gold, I would be partial to matching it to the rest of my setup." He turned his head to the side so that the artist could see his already-pierced Vulcanoid ears with gold hoops in the lowest lobe piercing, and then gold studs and one gold one with a pink gem.

"Some of my handiwork, certainly. I am the one who does the colours, and the designs. The replicator can handle the actual creations for me," they explained, closing the box but leaving it out on the side table as they went to grab a different box, this time presenting Xal with a variety of golden jewellery, all suitable for septum piercings. "Take your pick, my good sir, and I will make sure it ends up in the right place."

"Oh, well you have done quite a good job, and have a brilliant eye for aesthetic." He smiled happily at the masked body piercer and then looked back down toward their hands as they moved. "Ah yes," they said, their eyes following the Strange Artist's hands to the other box. Xal looked the box over, studying each piece carefully before pointing a neatly manicured, barely-pink-polished index finger at one of the pieces of jewelry. It was a standard gold septum clicker that was a ring, but that was also pointed in the middle in a triangle shape. "That one is perfect!" He said happily. "My fate rests in your steady hands."

"Excellent, a very good choice. I shouldn't have expected any less, of course, you clearly have an eye for style," the piercer complimented, ushering Xal further inside of the tent to take a seat on the table set up there, so that they wouldn't be completely in public view. Near the table, a side table with drawers housed his equipment, and he procured the needle and clamp he was going to use, as well as a small dermal regenerator to heal the puncture wound a little once he was done. "Alright, my dear, now before I do anything, I must have your explicit informed consent. I will, with your permission, take this particular needle and add another hole to your lovely face. This is not permanent, and if you get sick of it, using a dermal regenerator on the piercing site will close it right back up. The jewellery is hypoallergenic, and can be exchanged for any other piece after a day or two. Is all that alright with you?"

Xal simply smiled and giggled, following the Strange Artist into the tent and sitting on the table as they were instructed. “Oh, my mother would tell me I don’t need any more holes in my head than the ones that I was born with but yes, absolutely. I give you my express permission to pierce my septum, o masked one.” They smiled again and nodded, fully understanding what they had gotten themself into.

"Mothers, am I right?" the piercer asked, though it sounded... weirdly distant. "Alrighty, then I'm going to ask you to sit very still, and this'll be over in a minute." He had the clamp in his hand then, placing it firmly on Xal's septum before grabbing his needle, removing the sterile packaging as he placed that to the skin too. "Deep breath in for me... lovely, you're doing perfectly, and... out," he ordered, only pushing the needle through as Xal was breathing out.

Xal noticed the slight change in the Strange Artist's tone of voice, but made no comment or acknowledgement. There would be a time and a place to listen more attentively for information, but it was highly unlikely that whatever discomfort this artist had about their mother was relevant to why Xal was on 777. Xal took the breath as instructed and felt the slight pinch when their septum was pierced. Thankfully, the Strange Artist knew what they were doing and it did not hurt much at all! Septum piercings felt eerily similar to ear lobe piercings, it turned out. It was an odd sensation, and it caused tears to reflexively well up in their eyes. It didn really hurt! But their body had this very natural reaction, and they a small giggle bubble up in their throat.

The piercer sat back a few centimeters, evaluating their own work. They nodded to themself, before grabbing the jewellery that Xal had chosen. They placed it at the end of the needle, ready for the final step. "Almost done now," they informed Xal happily, before swiftly pushing the ring through, closing it and running the dermal regenerator over it for a second or two. One more step back, and yep, that was once again a job well done. "And there you go! Let me fetch you a mirror," the artist said, going to their side table and procuring a round mirror for Xal to admire his own visage.

Xal peered at the Strange Artist’s masked face while they examined his nose. He continued to sit very still and felt the odd sensation of the new jewelry locking into place. “Oh!” He exclaimed happily, holding the mirror up so he could see himself with the shiny new adornment. “Oooooh, thank you sooo much!” He held the mirror for a moment longer, making a few cute faces, and then handing it back over to the Strange Artist. “Oh yes I had no idea I could look even more darling than before. Thank you,” he giggled and began to fish for his credits in one of his windbreaker pockets. “Ah yes, now that this wonderful time has come to a close I must be off to enjoy the rest of the evening. I will be giving you plenty of referrals and a 5 star review.” He winked.

At Xal's obvious approval, the Strange Artist simply laughed jovially, waving at him as he left. "That's all I can ask for my dear, have a lovely time at our beloved circus, alright?"

Xal threw them a dazzling smile over their shoulder, laughed happily, and strode out of the tent toward the rest of the circus. “Jolan truuuu, beloved!” And with that he was gone.

Four eventually made their way to the body piercer. They noticed it was another tent, but they could see inside. They looked at the lanky figure and they had a smile. Well...they seemed...jovial. Four stepped closer and bowed at the entrance, with closer inspection they realized it was a mask. "Intriguing..." Four made a note to themselves to potentially find a life like mask of their face. That may help to ease social tension if they could put on a mask that looked like themselves and it portrayed a smile. "May we ask if we came to the right place to entreat the services of a body piercer?" Four asked as they looked within the tent. Their voice still and steeled with a slight mechanical hum.

"Hello, my dear!" the strange artist greeted, moving closer to the opening of the tent. "You would be right, indeed! I am a piercer by trade. Sometimes a tattoo artist, too, but I don't have the time for things like that when I'm only in a place for a few days at a time," they explained, tilting their head as if they were considering something... perhaps they were simply studying Four's face.

Four looked toward the artist and tilted their head. Everyone was rather friendly at the circus. It was very unusual at least for them. Four heard their trade and bowed. "This is good that we have come to the right place and person." Four noticed that they tilted their head as well. They mimiced it unconsciouslly. "We were wondering about what range of piercings you provide. We have been considering additional IV tubes for easier transference of various liquids or power coils to be added to potentially add an additional power source."

At the request, the artist hummed, studying Four more closely, taking a few steps forward and bending at odd angles to take them in. "Well, what kind of work would that require? I am but a humble piercer, you know, I do not have a medical degree. And that does sound like the type one would need to have a medical degree for."

Four seemed confused. "You...are a body piercer are you not? IV tubes pierce the body as well as an external power source due to its need for it to be secured to the body or base attached to the body." Four then wondered how to explain what kind of work it would require. "Well...we assume it will require cutting into us in some capacity. Then connecting the pieces at certain junctions before finally we would use our nano-machines to heal the wounds and create another layer of micro stitching." Four nodded softly. "We believe we misiniterpreted the extent as to which your services go. Perhaps...you could tell us what your most popular service is? So we have a better idea. We apologize connotation of phrases is not our specialty and our database is lacking."

The artist had an expressive body language, and as Four explained the service they had hoped they'd provide, they visibly cringed away, making themself smaller. They didn't seem fond of the idea, at all. However! At Four's question as to what their services entailed, they perked back up again, sticking up straight like a jack-in-the-box. "Well, my dear, let me introduce you to the art of artistic body modification!" They turned around, grabbing a fake skin from somewhere behind them, which had both tatooed art and needle holes in it. "You see, what I provide here are decorative piercings, done through mostly skin and cartilage. I place a clamp as such," and they demonstrated, picking up the clamp and placing it on either side of the fake skin, "and then I poke a needle through it, creating a hole through which jewellery can be threaded. Like earrings, for example. I would say lobe piercings are the most common service I provide."

Four watched intently as they noticed the various different things that the artist provided. They tilted their head as they were unsure if they wanted their body pierced in such a manner. They decided it wouldn't be too problematic. If anything they could heal over the hole rather quickly if they ever needed to with their nano-machines. Four nodded slowly. "We do not own jewellery other than our most recent gift from our friends." They say as they point to the pendant hanging around their neck. "Would...it be possible to get..." Four looked at a few of the services before they decided. "...gauges into our ear lobes? Black if you wouldn't mind, and most likely not too large. Perhaps a medium size for both lobes. If that is alright?"

"Hmmm, I can't do medium gauges immediately. You have to work your way up to that, otherwise your skin won't heal properly, it'll get irritated and hurt. But I can absolutely get you some starters, and you can work to size them up yourself. I'll give you some replicator codes for appropriate jewellery, too!" He picked up a box out of his crate of jewellery, showing off the different gauge sizes as he spoke.

Four nodded. "We trust your assessment. Luckily, our skin can heal quite well due to a variety of factors but perhaps it be best to not have to heal. The replicator codes would be much appreciated." Four said as they then began to look at the different gauge sizes. "Thank you, this helps with the understanding of sizes." Four then heard the screaming. They turned towards the location of the sound. "Potential participant in distress." Four looked back at the body piercer. "That wouldn't happen to be one of the ghosts or events would it? If you do not know of what it may be then we unfortunately must leave. We are a tactical officer here on the station and must fulfill our function of protecting life."

"It's probably nothing serious. I believe the acrobats were practicing today, and sometimes they do scary stuff. But there's safety nets, you know? I'm sure it's all fine," the artist said lightly. They truly did not seem very concerned. "Did you want it done today? You have some time to mull it over, too. We'll be here until Monday, so you have some time to think about it."

"Alright then, we trust you." Four made a light note to check it later but this nice learned perpetually smiling person said yes so, who were they to question that? "We believe you make a good point. We will wait. We are to meet our betrothed soon and we believe it would not be wise to alter our body before our meeting with them. We have heard that she may be opinionated." Four bows. "Thank you for your service and clarifications. We will potentially be back to entreat you for them later."

"Don't be a stranger, my dear! And if you don't come back before Monday, I am sure there will be other people on this station who can help you. There are over 20000 people here, there has to be one who knows how to pierce!" they said encouragingly. They disappeared into another crate, before reappearing with a small data stick, as well as a physical list of replicator codes, which they pressed into Four's hands, waving them off excitedly.

Lhi and Sakchai decided to go to the piercer! Neither of them wanted any piercing, although Sakchai did mention it would be fun to have pierced nipples.

"Hello," the artist waved as Sakchai and Lhi came closer. "How are you lovely gentlemen on this fine day?"

"Hey, doing good," Sakchai waved a feathery arm at the piercer. "What kinda piercings do you do here?" He asked, honestly not really sure what types of piercings there were. Sakchai had no piercings or tattoos for that matter. He had considered it in the past, but never could decide.

"Jolan tru," Lhi also waved and wiggled his body so that the little tassles on his costume would shake too. "I don't think I can get any piercings, but I am here to see what sort of things you offer," Lhi said, turning his head so the piercing could see he only had one ear and the ear that was there had pretty thin skin. Probably not thick enough to hold more than a light stud.

The piercer nodded along to their words, a hand coming up behind his mask to stroke at his chin. "I do a lot of different things!" they announced happily. "Ears, noses, lips, tongues, even eyebrows if you prefer, though those are never my recommendation. I could do belly buttons, if you really desire. Anything that is suitable to be done with the lack of privacy that a tent on circus grounds provides, I can do!"

Sakchai liked the spooky vibes from the piercer and decided to ask! "Okay uhh... Nipple piercings? Yes, no? If not uhh I got ears, but like.. I know I look fluffy," He wiggled his arms and a couple feathers from his costume fell to the ground. "But I'm Cardassian so I got like.. bumpy skin, so my second choice would be ears. Maybe just lobes, nothing crazy. i know, there's not much lobe," Sakchai said, referring to how his ear lobes were pretty close to his face.

"Oh, I mean, I'm very qualified to do nipple piercings, but, what with the openness of the tent and the lack of privacy, I would advise against it. The ears would be far more accessible, and even if we can't do the traditional lower lobe placement, a stud or ring in the upper lobe can be a very stylish addition to one's collection." The artist studied Sakchai closely as he spoke, their mask coming in close to circle his face, stopping particularly to take in his ears. (edited)

"Yeah fair," Sakchai couldn't help but laugh at the artist's polite refusal to pierce his nipples at the circus. Boy would that be a story to tell his family! S'Tven would probably make fun of him for it until the end of time and his dads -- probably would give him the most Vulcan eyebrow raises. His mother would have probably cheered him on, but considering she was down with fascism, her opinion probably wasn't the most sound. "Yeah an upper er piercing would be fine. I got lots of ear," Sakchai said as he traced his pointed ear with his two-fingered hand. "Just one ear is fine for now. What kind of jewellery do you have? I think a silver stud would be cool!"

"Yes, one second!" The piercer went to fetch a box of his jewellery, presenting Sakchai with a variety of studs, some plain, some with a variety of coloured stones, some with designs like leaves, stars, and lightning bolts, among others. "Take your pick, take your pick! The metal is titanium, not silver, as it's tougher and hypoallergenic, but the colour matches!"

Sakchai looked at the metal available and was happy to see so many different shapes! "Hmm... Okay, I was just gonna go with a simple circle but uhh Lhi, what do you think?" He asked, turning to the shorter liberated Borg. Yes, somehow Sakchai was nearly 7 feet and Lhi was 6'9.

"I like the leaves. I wish I could get my ear pierced too," Lhi said as he lifted his hand to rub the thin skin of his left ear. It already had a random chunk taken out, he didn't think the skin would be thick enough to support any metal or any sort of material for that matter.

"Why wouldn't you be able to? I'm sure we could find something that suits you." The piercer came closer to Lhi, studying his ear to see if he couldn't pierce it. "Yes, I don't see a reason why I wouldn't be able to adorn you, my dear!"

"Well my skin is really thin," Lhi said said, pointing to all the little scars and imperfections in his ear. It was the only ear he (naturally) had. "I used to have both ears pierced when I was a teenager," He added, his eyes lighting up soon after when the piercer said they could pierce his ear! He then turned to Sakchai and clapped his hands with excitement. Lhi couldn't express his feelings with much facial movement, but he could clap and make excited 'yip' noises. "Yes I would love that! ACTUALLY--" Lhi said, his voice raising at the end of his phrase before he pulled out -- his prosthetic ear! "Could you have the piercing match this ear? It's my prosthetic. I'm not wearing it because I was scared it would fall off if I moved around too much," He explained, not sure how much excitement and running around he would do at the circus. Not that Lhi could really run.

"The jewellery is lightweight, your ear should be able to hold it just fine!" the piercer said as he took a look at Lhi's ear again, before turning their attention to the prosthetic. "Hmmm... this one is quite inflexible at the lobe, but I could probably pierce a thinner part of the ear without too much issue, something like up here," they said, pointing to a thinner part of the ear, where a helix piercing would sit.

"I would like that very much! Thank you!" Lhi said with a little smile. Getting his ears pierced with a friend! Lhi valued all of his friends and family and it was nice to be able to do something with them. "Me and Sakchai are cousins, well, almost. So this means a lot to me. I like beauty and looking pretty, but I get overwhelmed by so many things to choose from. Oh and I'd like the same leaf as Sakchai. I want us to match!"

"That can absolutely be arranged for you both. Come in, come in! Sit down on the table over there, and I will get you both decorated beautifully!" The piercer seemed ecstatic to have caused excitement with Lhi, and herded the two of them further into his tent as he grabbed his supplies, ready to make new costumers happy.