D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

— Kat —

Sue had a particular salon in mind after they’d finished with lunch. She’d headed up a few floors, into the corner and then down what seemed to be some maintenance paths. Kat nearly asked if they were even allowed back there at all but there were a few doors with signs stuck onto them… so instead Kat asked. “Why is this stuff back here?”

“This is mostly the ‘non-standard’ part of the mall,” answered Sue as she paused. “Hang on just let me…” Sue glanced down one of the offshoots for a moment before shaking her head. “No that’s not right must be the next one,” continuing on. “So, not everything unique is down here but a lot of stuff is.

“It’s intentionally set up to be a much quieter area and a ‘if you know you know’ type situation. These lots are traded for a bit of money and a few favours. I know that the salon we’re going to is actually a favourite of the landowner for the mall. So they do free haircuts for them whenever it comes up, and in return they never have to pay rent. I pretty much always go to them too. My Mum’s been getting her hair cut by ‘Trizha’ her entire life. Not sure what Rank she is though…”

As Sue finished explaining they turned down a side path and ‘Trizha’s Place’ sticking out of a small sign in the wall. It didn’t look too impressive from the outside, and when Sue opened the door it looked to be a fairly standard salon place. “Oh customers?” said an airy voice from the back. “Welcome in I’ve got nothing scheduled for today,”

Then the rather large doors at the back swung open revealing a beholder, complete with a dozen eyes and some other tentacles that were holding scissors, a spray bottle, and a razor. “Sue darling! It’s been so long! And you bought friends! Are you all here for a touch-up or a proper session?” asked Trizha.

Wait… why is she a hair dresser if she’s a beholder? She doesn’t have hair!

[That could by why Kat. I mean… if you don’t have hair at all maybe it’s particularly fascinating. Plus beholders in the D&D manual are all about thinking they’re beautiful right? Maybe it’s just a more general obsession with beauty and good looks?]

“Eh, we’re not quite sure. My friends here are Rank 3, Rank 3, and Rank 4 at the moment. Heck I even Ranked up to 2 myself!” said Sue with a smile.

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“Oh dear, that’s not ideal darling. I’ve got my heavy duty scissors off being repaired at the moment. I can cut your hair, but your friends… definitely not the redhead and I’d still be risking my tools for the other two. I’d do it for you if you really want but they seem to be in pretty good condition, so I’m not going to push it,” said Trizha.

“Oh… um… no it’s fine…” mumbled Kamiko. “We sort of new that… going in so um… just like… err…”

“Darling, I can take care of it all. Give you a nice wash, perhaps a bit of product to freshen things up. Are you looking for a change of colour? Perhaps just a bit of something something to make the colour brighter? You’ve got options honey,” explained Trizha.

“Just to add in, I’ve got regeneration,” said Kat.

“Nice to know darling. Probably wouldn’t cut your hair even with my good stuff then… I’m afraid it would all just grow back. You got enough control to grow and shrink your hair for styling?” asked Trizha.

“It’s not something I’ve practiced no. The best I’ve got at the moment is that I can use my water transformation to transform part of my hair away,” answered Kat.

“Nifty trick that, nifty trick indeed,” said Trizha as she pulled out the chairs set at the edge for washing hair. They came out of the floor and replaced the ones for just cutting hair. It was a cool way to save space. “Any of you gals interested in curls? I don’t know if it’ll take but unlike my clippers they won’t break for the trying,”

Kat shook her head, “I’m fine. Not sure I really have enough hair to curl them properly even if my regen might interfere,”

“I’m kinda in the same boat…” mumbled Kamiko. “I mean… hmm… no I don’t think I’m interested in that… but um maybe the stuff to make my hair look nicer and shinier? I don’t think I want to change its colour…”

“I’ve got what’s basically a beastkin transformation. If I get my hair curled will it interfere with that? And how permanent can you make it?” asked Lily.

“Of course darling,” said Trizha as she gave Kamiko a quick pat before turning to Lily as Kat lay down on the chairs before clicking a few times at the one on the end. Kat had no idea HOW a being without fingers could click but with every click the chair seemed to extend with the headpiece changing completely until it was eventually a sort of long platform that almost looked like a giant straightener. For Sue obviously.

“Curlers should be fine darling. Depending on how well your hair takes to things it could last a few days or a few weeks. I’ve got some product that can get it lasting longer though… how long were you hoping for?” asked Trizha.

[What do you think? I’m mostly doing it to try out having curly hair again for a bit. I wasn’t even sure if she’d say yes.]

*Well you can either ask for say… a week or you can ask if there’s a spray or something you can use to extend the effect a bit. Worse comes to worst we can just come back and have her redo things and ask for it to last a while longer.*

Sue slipped onto the large chair and started to unwind her hair before Trizha bopped her hands. “Allow me darling. You’re customers here and I’m perfectly capable of doing a few things at once. Besides we’re all still chatting. Anything fancy for you while the other dear is thinking on the duration?”

“Nah, just a bit of a clean up and a nice clean,” said Sue.

Trizha shook her body around. “Darling, you’re pretty brutal on your hair. Constantly substituting it for a covering. I get why you like doing it, but that doesn’t mean I love the decision. Especially when you skimp out on product,”

“Hey it’s fine isn’t it?” asked Sue.

“Fine! Yes, yes it IS fine but hear at my establishment I like to be fabulous. Still, if the customer wants to make poor life choices I suppose I’m not going to stop them. I’m a hair dresser not a therapist,” said Trizha with a sigh as she pretended to rest her giant eye on one of her other tentacles.

“I think I’ll take the curls. I’m not too concerned with how long they’ll last at the moment. Maybe a week? Though do you have anything that can extend the time if I like the look?” asked Lily.

Trizha turned as she started to pull Sue’s hair apart and lay it down in the long dish. All the while she was carefully applying a powdery substance. “A week should be fine with the basics. I do have some stuff that can extend the look… but honestly it’s overpriced garbage I sell to stuck up customers. As a friend of Sue’s I’d suggest you just wait till you come in next time. It’s much better to use something to ‘set in’ the curls if you want them to last longer then a month,”

Lily shrugged at that not overly concerned. This was just an experiment after all. Perhaps now she was stronger, in a better headspace and was about to have more… professionally managed curls it would be nicer. Trizha was being very careful with Sue’s hair, carefully coating specific bits of it while straightening it all out. Eventually she hit a button on the side and water poured from the top part near Sue’s head, running down along the hair. It was a soft but steady trickle.

Trizha then turned to the others and got to work. Standing between Kat and Kamiko and doing them both at once. Tentacles and eyestalks stretched and moved, throwing different things onto the girl’s hair as it started to foam up despite the lack of water. “Hmm… might need something stronger for you…” mumbled Trizha as she dashed over to the other side of the room and poked at the wall, grabbing two other bottles and dashing back to Kat to add them to the bubbling around Kat’s hair.

Once things were bubbling and hissing Trizha moved over to Lily and pulled a bunch of curlers seemingly from nowhere. She then placed them off to the side and started to apply a different set of products to Lily’s hair, making a bunch of blue bubbles instead of white. It was pretty comfortable and Lily quickly found herself nodding off.