NOVEL SIMPLE Haircut, History, Panic
With an awkward air, I took glances at Jack now and then, and every time, her eyes would meet mine. I don't like her the way I don't like Seria.
Just being near her gives me warnings from Survive, she is dangerous. The question is, by how much compared to Seria?
I put some distance between me and Jack, feeling uncomfortable. Even with Athen and Enna in our ways. I regret not taking the front seat, at least I won't be making eye contact with the Ripper even if I can feel her gaze burrowing into me.
And she made me say swear words.
That she did~ but I'll let you go for now...
Reverie can be scary sometimes with its dangerous warnings.
I glanced over to the driver, trying to ignore Jack. He's the boy younger than me, and the one more important than me in our upcoming mission, Rita. One thing I have to point out about him is he's too carefree for the so-called God of Chaos and Destruction.
He went unconscious when I tried to tease him by giving him a hug, after all.
Through the mirror, I can see his red eyes with an 'X' marked over them, glancing at me every now and then, shivering as we made eye contact. I am quite good-looking, myself.
Hm, should I cut my hair short?
"Rita.", I called him out.
"Um... what can I help you with...?", he nervously asked.
"Can we go to a barbershop? I want a haircut.", I mixed in Euphoria with my clear and innocent tone.
"Charlotte.", Athen sighed, "You can't just demand something out of the blue."
"I didn't, I asked.", I stand my ground.
"Come on now, Athen~", Jack chimed in, "We still have three days until the weapon comes to Novah. Now, Rita my dear, let's go on a detour, I also need to dye my hair a different color~ peach is standing out too much!"
"Uhm... okay.", he nodded.
We turned to another route, and after a couple of minutes, we stopped at a salon shop. I get out of the car with Jack and Athen. Enna and Rita will stay back to watch the car, the Fallen Angel of Rage, and the Gem Holder of the God of Chaos and Destruction, I want to see who would dare to attack them.
I went in first, greeted by a man with a very big pompadour, half the size of his head actually. He bowed, "Welcome to Enevil Hair Salon~", and then he winked.
"I would like a haircut.", I dart my eyes around, looking at the different haircuts they have on display... look what I found, a picture of my father with his slicked back spiky haircut, "I want that style, but make it shoulder length. Can you do that?"
She pursed her lips in a very girlish way, "Of course, dearies~ there isn't a style I can't make!"
"And I want to dye my hair!", Jack raised her hand, " Blond, please~"
"Of course~", he gingerly smiled, "Doris, honey, prepare the premium hair dyes, we are going for some big shots!!"
I quietly sat down on one of the empty chairs, looking at myself in the mirror. My current appearance now is something I can appreciate, beautiful? No, but good-looking in an androgynous way, you would be forgiven if you confused me with a boy...
Hey Euphoria, why do I look like a boy?
Fufu is just what you imagine yourself in the future, and I comply to make that future a reality.
But I want big tits.
Fufu~ as amusing as always, my dear. You will get them, eventually, but not now.
Hah...
The man who greeted us wrapped a cloth around me, he lifted my hair out of it. His hands were on my shoulders and a kind smile was plastered on his face.
"Your hair is lovely, do you really want to part ways with such luscious and silky hair?", he asked me.
Do I want to... hm...
I took another glance at the picture of my father, he looked really cool... I like cool things.
"Yes.", I answered with conviction.
"Alright~"
He started working on my hair, as gently as he could. Lifting up a bundle, with his scissors he snips my hair, little by little...
"I am trying to imagine the shape, with your hair being so long, no offense, it's really rare to see someone that keeps her hair as long as you are... without the intention to sell it."
Right, some people have to sell their hair for money. But I'm rich, yet I can somehow relate, must be the Akashic Records giving me the feels. I can relate to people when I think about them, so I don't think about others besides myself, so I don't have to feel bad about their circumstances.
"So, can you tell me more about Mu? This is the first time I have been here.", I asked him.
"Oh~ from where do you want to start? Since Mu is a relatively new nation, only existing for just over sixty years.", he replied with an amused tone.
"How was Mu formed?"
"Mu was originally two nations, The Western half was called Entrost, and the Eastern half which had the original Mu, is now called Old Mu. After the Japanese went and attacked Pearl Harbor, Old Mu launched an invasion force in the beginning of 1942 with the aim to take over the West Coast of America as it was an ally of Japan."
"What about Entrost?", I tilted my head, giving him a better view of my hair.
"Ah, Entrost was a neutral party, it didn't want to be a part of the war at all. Old Mu and Imperial Japan had to begrudgingly accept its neutrality because of the Gem Holders of Entrost, which had The Red Baron, Fear, and Jack the Ripper."
I glanced over to Jack, then back to the barber.
"The rest you could imagine, in the Ten Days Countdown, Abigail Sillarco etched her name in the annals of history, all by herself she destroyed the navy fleet of Old Mu in three days, then she traveled to Old Mu by using the very same vessels as her counter invasion fleet in four days, and in the last three days, the Guardian of the West Coast razed the entirety of Old Mu to the ground, it's people, it's history, it's legacy, she burned everything."
He ruffled my hair, making some of the strains fall out.
"It was comparable to the Burning of Britain in 1640 by The Witch.", he commented
Burning of Britain... Seria... she did say she burned down half of Britain.
"So, after the Ten Days Countdown, Entrost and Imperial Japan were scared shitless by the power of the Six-star General, Entrost obviously folded and welcomed its new trigger-happy overlord that is America, while Imperial Japan was too deep in the shit and pressed on for 'honor' and ended up being the testing ground for the nukes. Surprisingly enough, the U.S. offered to help to rebuild Mu anew after the stunt of the Guardian of the West Coast."
"I see— blah.", I spit out the strains of hair that fell into my mouth.
"General Sillarco became a hero to the Allied Forces, while to the Nazi, she earned herself another Epithet, the Pandemonium Princess, not that she uses that title at all~", he shrugged.
Oh no, she definitely uses that title, she really likes it in fact. She lives up to that Epithet rather well.
"Entrost became the sole nation of this land, and with the help of the U.S, they became New Mu under the order of General Abigail as a reminder of what is to come if Mu betrays the "kindness" of the U.S."
"So it's like their motto of Manifest Destiny, right?", I tilted to the right, letting him have a better view.
"Not in the textbooks, no. But it sure feel like it.", he chuckled, "Then in 1946, the building of Novah was commenced, building the City of Darkness in the excavated mouth of this volcano, Danovak. And in 1960, the city was finished and it became the resting place for many experiments and groundbreaking findings, like bionics, for example, it helped many people after the war."
Bionics, augmentations...
"I am not a fan of those, they make me feel... uncomfortable.", I voiced my opinion.
To that, the barber frowned, "So do you have prosthophobia?"
"No, not really. I can understand why people would replace their limbs out of necessity, but it still creeps me out sometimes. What I have a problem with is those who willingly replace their limbs with their old ones, for what? For some fun? Mutilation is never fun."
"Hmm, well, I have no problem with your take. But don't mention that around the politic radicals, since the Prime Minister is just a brain piloting a metal mech.", he snickered, "And the Sanctum of Steel."
The Sanctum of Steel, is a cult of East Mu where they mutilate themselves and replace their body parts with bionics and augmentations. I read a report on them, one of the factions I have to watch out for in this operation...
It doesn't help them that their shortened slang is SS, which is also the shortened name for the Schutzstaffel of the Nazis. And their number one provider is Amor, Romulus' company, another reason to hate him.
Really, I met two people who are involved in cults. First is Hoa with her Cult of the Madden Flame, then Romulus with the Sanctum of Steel.
Well, there is also Seria... she has two cults dedicated to her, one in Britain, the Sisters of Blood, and the people who fawn over her as the Guardian of the West Coast.
Oh, he brushed my hair, combing my bangs back... ah...
No... I can't...
"M-Miss? Why are you crying?", the barber froze, thinking he did something wrong.
But no... he didn't do anything wrong...
"It's nothing...", I smiled, trying to hold back the tears, "I just look like someone... I look like 'him'."
My face looks very similar to my father's, I have his eyes and his hair... yeah... crying doesn't suit me at all... the eyes belonged to someone who is determined, someone selfish, someone who abides by their code no matter what...
"Thank you...", I smiled, "I love this style, thank you."
Then, after some cleaning and a very comfortable hair washing, I was given some hair wax. My hair is naturally silky, so it's harder to keep my father's hairstyle, but that's alright...
"So, the payment is 54 Enmit.", the barber said, "Ten Enmit for the little Miss' haircut, and the rest is the Lady's dye."
54 Enmit equals 30 Dollars, a fair price in my opinion... since the hair dye has Unicorn extract in it.
"Do you take digital?", Jack asked, pulling out her phone.
"We do.", he took out a QR code to let Jack scan it and paid the shop in a quick motion.
"Let's go, girls!", Jack raised her hand in excitement, "We have a job to do!"
"Thank you for your patronage.", he bowed as we left the shop.
"So~ how do you think about my new color—"
Jack stopped her words, it's reasonable why. Because our car is gone.
"Uh...", Jack looked around, "Shit, wait a bit and I'll call them."
"We did make them wait for four hours for your dye.", Athen pointed out, "Maybe they went out for a snack or something?"
Jack clicked her tongue, showing an annoyed expression, "Dammit, and here I thought I got competent people... can't follow basic orders."
"To be fair, you picked a thirteen-year-old boy, a gluttonous angel, and the very essence of unpredictability.", Athen looked at me.
"I'll call them—"
I cut her off, "No need for that."
"Enna, come."
And I waited.
"What are you trying to do?", Jack tilted her head, looking at me.
"Just wait... ah, here she comes."
Just as I expected, Enna came crashing down in front of me. Having an angel slave is very convenient.
"Ow... I don't like this at all...", Enna groaned.
"So where is Rita?", Jack asked, with her smile full of hostility.
"At the park?", she stood up, dusting the dirt off her black dress and wings.
Suddenly, Jack tensed up, "Shit! Shit! Shit! We gotta move!!! We can't leave Rita alone!!"
And she began to run away... in the opposite direction of the park. I got this entire city mapped out with Survive already, and Jack is nowhere near the park at that.
"I'll be going now.", my emotions went cold as Survive partially took over, "Enna, come with me. Athen, chase down Jack."
Before Athen could say a word, I started running. I still have to find Pan, leaving any animal in a car for too long...
And I don't know the deal with Rita... yes... this excitement is growing... mysteries... let's find out what Jack the Ripper is so scared about.