( Character Development. @kimdevl mentioned. )
“HOLD STILL, will you?” Her tone was playful, and the laughter in her voice was unmistakable, but so was the determined gleam behind the amusement in her eyes.
The change was drastic. From his muted level four brown to the warm, golden level six (seven in some areas near the face and at the nape), he lifted like a dream. Slow and steady, they had started early and had the entire day cleared for this project.
Perhaps it was to save the integrity of his hair that she used the least concentrated volume developer–the less ammonia, the slower the lift–or, perhaps it was the thrill of the process she wanted to elongate.
Sometimes life moved just too fast. Growing up, that was something everyone had to do eventually, wasn’t it? Falling in love, too? Finding oneself? Satisfaction. Completion. That’s what people searched for, some sort of conclusion.
No wonder people were always so unsatisfied.
Through the day, she’d picked up some of her favorite ale, prepped and cooked her mom’s favorite pasta dish, and queued up a bunch of movies to occupy themselves with. A day with Deul was rarely dull regardless of what they did, his company was always enough to entertain her. Their interaction was rare, but the clumsy way they moved together was something Alyss could only remember from being in grade school and being able to just have fun with anyone because life was easy and you were young. But, she needed the practice and since he was so willing to let her do so, she put the extra effort in.
She had warned him before hand the risks and the quality he would sacrifice going to her. Only in pursuit of being liscenced, she lacked the fancy yet standard necessities a stylist would need: a salon chair, a vanity, a shampoo bowl to be particular… she recommended he arrive in a shirt he cared little about and possibly swim trunks he was less than fond of, with the possibility of having him jump into the shower for the shampoo if her kitchen sink was lacking.
The finished product rolled around at 8pm, almost a full eight hours after they had began with the lightener, and she couldn’t have been happier. The deep red they had settled for suited him well, made his tan skin look bronzed, and his lips pink. With the slowest developer and the olaplex solution combined, damage was minimal to none, and reversed. There was a renewed shine to his look, almost grazing a candied red look, but the brown brought it to the perfect tone and level. It was just as intense as Deul, a perfect aesthetic to fit his vivid, striking personality, in her opinion.
And yet, after all was said and done, she didn’t want him to leave. One could attest to just how much she enjoyed his company, but that would just be a false association. Alyss expected some sort of satisfaction, one past the ultimate approval of the client. She had done it. Her work was successful and it was over.
The day replayed in her head: the laughter, the productivity, the changes, the leisure, and the satisfaction. She replayed it over and over again and only when she realized that she would rather bask in the process than come to the end. Wasn’t it supposed to be satisfying, and then leave her?
Of course it wasn’t. She always wanted more.
She itched with it, squirmed, unsure whether or not she missed the moments passed where she wasn’t wanting, or if she just belonged in this vicious cycle. It didn’t matter. She’d lost to it. The pull, the hold it had on her soul, it was too strong. Happiness? It made her question if that’s what she pursued. Contentment, or the thrill? God knows she was always an adrenaline junkie anyway.
The change. The thrill. The warmth. The ultimate state of spoiled rotten, and always wanting more. This was Alyss. This was the way her soul had always moved.
Lost in the limbo, she would lose herself in his company, even just for a little while longer. It had been the process she was in love with. The final product made her swell with pride, but the bittersweet feeling knowing she was finished was more bitter than anything sweet.
It was like climbing Mt. Everest, and enjoying the trek more than the view.
It was like waiting in line for a ride at Disneyland, and having more fun in the line than on the ride.
It was like finishing that one amazing series, and coming to its inevitable end.
It was like making love, and leaving your lover shortly after.
Satisfying, but in a very different way. It made her crave for life to slow down. As summer passed and night grew colder and longer, she felt the rush of the holidays creeping up on her. She couldn’t miss the summer anymore, but looking into the fall, as the leaves matched the tone of deul’s hair, she felt change stirring within her. Suddenly, she was excited to watch the leaves change and fall.
