The Rescue Mission
Ami shrugs. "I don't know, Alice. Ask about their services. Ask for a tour, or a... what's it called, when all you do is talk about your skin and hair and all that nonsense?"
Alice giggled at her friend's utter cluelessness. "Are you talking about a beauty consult?"
Ami snapped her fingers. "Yeah! A beauty consult! That ought to buy enough time. See? You're perfect, and you won't have to do anything illegal."
Alice fretted for a moment. "What if you need more time after the consult?"
"You'll just have to improvise. Take your hair down. It's always a showstopper. Ask for a deep conditioning, or a blowout or something. I guarantee that by the time they're pampering all that long hair of yours, I'll be long gone, and you'll be looking gorgeous enough to send a nice selfie to Ethan."
Alice smiled bashfully at the mention of Ethan's name. He always did like her hair, and sending him a picture of her with it looking especially beautiful would be a great way to keep him thinking about her.
She winced quickly though as reality set in. "That'll cost a fortune," she fretted, patting the giant spiral of thick brown hair pinned to the back of her head. When let loose, it was so thick it engulfed her slender frame fully, overwhelming her narrow shoulders and hips like a heavy blanket, and it fell just past her knees. It was her other distinguishing characteristic, and one she was intensely proud of without any sense of conflict, save the pangs it might generate with Nina. It was certainly less conspicuously inhuman than her rae at first glance. Upon closer inspection though, the wonder of it's health and profusion was clearly beyond what a normal human could reasonably grow.
Ami shot Alice a glare. "Alice, we could be talking about Nina's life. I think it's worth it."
Alice's hands flew to her cheeks. "But if I take down my hair and they shampoo it, it won't be covering my cheeks."
Ami hesitated for a moment. "Well... I don't really have a ready answer for that. I don't know, tell them you've got a hormone issue or are on some medication. But Alice, listen carefully to me: Don't by any means let them into the back room before I'm out. Do whatever it takes to keep them busy. Nina's life could depend on it. Ok?"
Alice inhaled deeply, then exhaled out again. "Okay."
"I'll signal you with a text message when I'm out. So keep your phone handy."
They pulled up to the Sunset Spa shortly after that. Alice stepped out at the far edge of the parking lot, and Ami drove off to pull around back. Alice walked into the shop and a bell chimed softly. It was a very chic establishment, very well appointed. An indoor waterfall trickled down the far wall over stones, and the words "Sunset Spa" were projected into the falling water. There was only one person visible, a young woman in a spa apron busying herself in the front area. Alice stopped as she took in the sight of her.
Alice giggled at her friend's utter cluelessness. "Are you talking about a beauty consult?"
Ami snapped her fingers. "Yeah! A beauty consult! That ought to buy enough time. See? You're perfect, and you won't have to do anything illegal."
Alice fretted for a moment. "What if you need more time after the consult?"
"You'll just have to improvise. Take your hair down. It's always a showstopper. Ask for a deep conditioning, or a blowout or something. I guarantee that by the time they're pampering all that long hair of yours, I'll be long gone, and you'll be looking gorgeous enough to send a nice selfie to Ethan."
Alice smiled bashfully at the mention of Ethan's name. He always did like her hair, and sending him a picture of her with it looking especially beautiful would be a great way to keep him thinking about her.
She winced quickly though as reality set in. "That'll cost a fortune," she fretted, patting the giant spiral of thick brown hair pinned to the back of her head. When let loose, it was so thick it engulfed her slender frame fully, overwhelming her narrow shoulders and hips like a heavy blanket, and it fell just past her knees. It was her other distinguishing characteristic, and one she was intensely proud of without any sense of conflict, save the pangs it might generate with Nina. It was certainly less conspicuously inhuman than her rae at first glance. Upon closer inspection though, the wonder of it's health and profusion was clearly beyond what a normal human could reasonably grow.
Ami shot Alice a glare. "Alice, we could be talking about Nina's life. I think it's worth it."
Alice's hands flew to her cheeks. "But if I take down my hair and they shampoo it, it won't be covering my cheeks."
Ami hesitated for a moment. "Well... I don't really have a ready answer for that. I don't know, tell them you've got a hormone issue or are on some medication. But Alice, listen carefully to me: Don't by any means let them into the back room before I'm out. Do whatever it takes to keep them busy. Nina's life could depend on it. Ok?"
Alice inhaled deeply, then exhaled out again. "Okay."
"I'll signal you with a text message when I'm out. So keep your phone handy."
They pulled up to the Sunset Spa shortly after that. Alice stepped out at the far edge of the parking lot, and Ami drove off to pull around back. Alice walked into the shop and a bell chimed softly. It was a very chic establishment, very well appointed. An indoor waterfall trickled down the far wall over stones, and the words "Sunset Spa" were projected into the falling water. There was only one person visible, a young woman in a spa apron busying herself in the front area. Alice stopped as she took in the sight of her.