bakerstreet | Sometimes, I wanna get a new look.

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Sometimes, I wanna get a new look.

Hey there, Gorgeous. You look a little down today. What's wrong? Not feeling good enough about your appearance? Maybe it's time for a change. Here's a voucher for our new salon. Why not check it out?

I'm sure you'll love it. Nobody's ever complained.

However it is that you manage to have found the place, a cute little facility that popped up seemingly overnight. The bright lights lead to a bubblegum pink hair salon that looks like it hasn't been used since sometime in the 1960s. Kind of cute in a retro sort of way.

Welcome, newcomer, to the Be Youtiful beauty salon. Perhaps you discovered it during random wanderings of your own. Maybe you found a voucher slipped in the mail or by some of the lovely attendants outside. Or perhaps a lover did and suggested you might want to try out a change. Whatever the reason, the salon is certainly in operating order. It's been freshly polished and cleaned until it sparkles from the bright mod oranges and pinks of the walls to the sleek mirrored workstations. Upon entering, one is greeted by one of the perky attendants dressed in white go-go boots and a getup that looks a bit like the salon's decor exploded on it.

Won't you stay a while to check out the services? If you don't like the way you look when it's done, it'll all be free of charge.

But that atmosphere is merely a cover for a more elaborate organization. At this fetish-friendly full-service salon, the staff is prepared to fulfill your most mundane and outlandish alterations. The salon comes stocked with as much product as a chemistry lab: has someone has decided your character is in need of a literal brainwash? There's a shampoo for that. Breasts too small? There's a cream to fix that right up. Or maybe just a simple haircut and color is in order. Just be careful about sitting under the hairdryer too long. Hair isn't the only thing that machine heats up.

The salon is unisex, so both men and women are welcome to attend. Consensual business would be considered the norm, but in more extreme cases it isn't uncommon for a client to phone ahead and make sure resistant customers are properly ~~drugged~~ ~~hypnotized~~ ~~restrained~~ treated. Of course, if some of the more dominating clientele simply take a liking to the cute staff behind the counter they can consider themselves fully welcome to help themselves to the product on the shelves. Just beware that your character doesn't handle the wrong set of clippers or makeup wedges. Some of the equipment might leave a person feeling compelled to slip into something more mod and join the salon staff.

So who are you, anyway?

1# Customer: You're the star of this production. Everyone's here to dote on you, to bring you in and help you become a better version of yourself. Whether you're in for a trim and polish or have been sent for a full body modification and personality overhaul, someone here will be sure to take care of it. Enjoy your time!

2# Staff member: You don't really remember when you started working at the salon, but that's hardly important. Here you are, fulfilling your wildest dreams. You get to make people beautiful. You're the one who makes sure that everyone leaves with a smile on their face. Maybe they won't have the same figure or mind they had when they walked in, but it's all for the best, right?

3# Significant Other: Things weren't working before. The relationship has gotten stale, and your partner isn't willing to fix it. They're too suspicious, too overbearing, too shy, or not adventurous enough. They're boring and bland and they just need some kind of change. That's why you got them a gift certificate for the salon. What could go wrong?
Or alternatively, maybe you're here to do the rescuing. Someone's done terrible things to your partner, and you're here to stop it, or to talk sense back into someone who's been changed. Try not to get swept along for the ride while you're here.

4# Investor: This is your work entirely. Maybe you handle some black market pornography on the side. But you've got an invested interest in keeping the salon afloat. Be sure to always keep an eye out for good-looking strangers who might be useful as raw material for staff or stock.

And what's the scene?

1# Just a little off the top, please. You were just thinking about needing a haircut, and here comes a hair place just at the right moment! It's a shame you don't know what kind of service you're about to receive.

2# I love you, you're perfect, now change. Either you're here because someone sent you here, or because some of that magic is starting to die out of your relationship. You'll do anything to hold on to it - even if it means changing who you are.

3# Eh, it's a living. You just needed a job. But then you followed a "help wanted' sign and next thing you know, you're piercing strangers' nipples and conditioning clients to give better blowjobs! Did you drink the kool-aid already, or is there some way to dismantle the system from within?

4# This year's model. The dust has settled, the fumes have cleared, and now you're no longer yourself. What happens next? Do you cut ties with your past life? Have you been swept away into a system far larger than yourself? And what do your friends and family say when they see you again?

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[[Makeover? Sure. ~~Would love the drugging/hynotism/restraints involved too.~~ Either her as guest or staff.]]

((Just came in for a haircut and then ended up in way more trouble than he expected. Or he could have been taken over by the place and ended up a staff member.))

[Minako doesn't remember when she started working here. As far as she's concerned it's been forever! And she wouldn't have it any other way. She helps people, makes them better, helps them reach their full potential. It's everything she could ever want in a career. Never mind the way she's coerced into coercing others into treatments they may have never asked for, and never mind that she looks far too young to have been through cosmetology school.

She's at the front desk chatting with the hostess when Ryoji walks in. Even after all the proverbial kool-aid and conditioning, sometimes the stylists just feel a special spark for a client. Sometimes it's organic, immediate, natural. Simply meant to be.

It happens the second he walks in the door. It only takes half a second for her to size him up and decide he was her new project. With a quick gesture to the hostess, she steps forward to greet Ryoji with a too-big smile and something a little dangerous in her eyes.]

Hello there and welcome! What can I do for you today?

[Ryoji is a bit overwhelmed when he first wanders in. From the outside, this place had looked like a normal salon. From the inside... well, the colours were a tad shocking, and some of those products at the stylist stations didn't look normal... And on top of that, the staff were very assertive. He's clearly nervous as Minako approaches him, though his smile does at least seem genuine... Despite her offputting introduction and the look in her eyes, she is very pretty. She obviously knows what she's doing here. He's being silly. He should just enjoy this.]

Uh, hi! I was just wondering if I could get a haircut?

[He has an interview tomorrow, and he wants to look his best.]

[Making people feel at ease and welcome is exactly Minako's specialty, which is why the hostess at the front desk is perfectly content to let her approach and take care of this new boy. She's often the one chosen to assign the more nervous of new patrons to anyway. She knows exactly what she's doing!]

Absolutely! You have great timing, I just so happen to have an open chair right now! If you'd like to come have a seat...?

[She steps sideways and gestures to one garish looking plastic-cushioned seat. Is that glitter in the plasticy fabric? It sure looks like it.]

[Ryoji raises an eyebrow at the chair, but nods. It’s not his place to judge the style of this place. It’s not like they’re going to shower him in glitter or anything. The decor has nothing to do with the skill of the stylist.]

Thanks…

[He sits down, and he’s rather surprised with how comfy the seat is. He could practically take a nap here, but he’d much rather talk to his cute hairdresser.]

[Minako giggles softly to herself at the raised eyebrow. It's a reaction she's used to, and it's never bothered her. She knows her salon is a bit garish, no use denying it! With a perfect Hotel California smile, she stands behind his chair and places her hands on the back of it, meeting his face in the mirror reflection.]

So let's talk about your hair! What kind of cut are we going for?

[He smiles back at her, though it's not quite as wide as hers. Just polite and friendly, but at least he isn't nervous anymore. At her question, he looks himself over, and eventually that smile disappears. Funny, he thought his hair looked fine, but now that he's actually looking closely it's clear he hasn't had it cut in a while...]

I was thinking it'd just be a trim but... maybe we can do a little more? I'd like a really handsome, professional style. I have a job interview tomorrow, so...

[She can sense him starting to relax, and her eyes crinkle a bit more into her smile. Her claws are almost ready for the catch, as it were. For now, she simply plays with his hair a bit, checking the thickness and the texture, pushing it around to see where it naturally parts. It's all casual touch one might expect from a stylist, but her fingers are clever and well-practiced and there's some element of a scalp massage to it.]

Maybe a new style? Something sophisticated? Of course handsome, there's not a thing I could do to detract from that face of yours!

[She flashes him a wink in the mirror.]

Did you want to keep it out of your face, or maybe try something different?

[He can definitely feel something soothing to the sensation of her fingers in her hair, but he doesn’t think much of it. He’s a bit more intrigued by the idea of a haircut now, more than he was when it was just a simple trim. He feels like she has ideas that could make him look a lot more sophisticated than he does, and he wants to hear them now.]

I really don’t have much of a fashion sense, so I was wondering if you had an idea? I’m willing to try anything that’ll make me look good…

[He blushes a bit.]

My face? I’m not that good-looking, really. You’re flattering me.

[As he starts to relax, she starts to add some more familiar touch to her routine, rubbing behind his ears, and tracing circles in the soft hair on the back of his neck. She appears to be deep in thought as she does this.]

Fashion advice is definitely one of the services we provide here.

[Her voice returns to its sing-song quality and she focuses back in on Ryoji's hair.]

There's plenty of length to it, once I release it from the backswept style...

[She pulls it to the side, parting it off above one eyebrow and letting it frame his face.]

Sure you are! One of the most handsome clients I've had in awhile!

[Ryoji can’t help but be surprised how intimate this is. He was pretty sure most stylists weren’t this touchy-feely. Besides that, he couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking so hard about. When she seems to cheer back up, though, he focuses on her advice.]

Oh, it has gotten really long, hasn’t it? I guess it might be nice if I didn’t style it back all the time. Does that sound good to you?

[He isn’t sure why he’s asking for her approval. It is his appearance, right? But the fact that she called him handsome…]

[Minako is a little more hands-on than some of the other stylists, but it's just a simple scalp massage, of course. Complimentary at this salon! They want you to leave feeling your absolute best!]

It's easy for length to sneak up on us! It's no trouble, We can adjust as we go, and if you don't like it we can always change it! Do you want to go very short, or keep a fair amount of length to it? If is your hair after all!

[How cute, he's asking for her preferences already. That's very good. She doesn't want to sink the line just yet though, let him feel independent a little longer.]

[He’s feeling a little better about himself with her, but at the same time, every comment of hers has him looking in the mirror and noticing his flaws. His hair really was so long… did it always look so unkempt?]

Um, I… think I want it still with a bit of length… but short enough to be neat.

[He meets her eyes in the mirror, curious if she likes that idea.]

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Sometimes, I wanna get a new look.

Konoka Konoe | Mahou Sensei Negima | F/F pref

Tamao Suzumi | Strawberry Panic | F/F

Ryoji Mochizuki | Persona 3 | OTA

and here's a lovely staff member ready to help~

oh look at the cute stylist clearly ryoji was worried for nothing

thats right, just come right on in...

okay but u know he’s only here for a haircut right

that can be remedied~

uhhhh you mean you'll remedy his hair to make it look good?

for a start~

he wasn’t aware this was going to be such a long process.

well if he doesn't want to stay...

well, he wouldn’t mind staying to chat with the pretty stylist for a while

As long as she can keep playing with his hair and such...

yeah that’s fine. he might even agree to another (brain)wash