1My brain wanted a Stormlight college AU. So I wrote one.
"Adolin, what are we doing?" Kaladin questions, shoving his hands into his pockets and following his friend down the sidewalk.
"You need a day off," Adolin says cheerfully, "and I need my dye job touched up."
"So you're dragging me to a hair stylist to watch you get your hair dyed black?"
Adolin spins around dramatically. "Oh no, bridgeboy – "
"Don't call me that – "
"You're getting a haircut too."
"What?" Kaladin stops in the middle of the concrete, much to the annoyance of passerby. "No, Adolin."
"Why not?"
"My hair is just fine," Kaladin growls, sinking deep into his hoodie.
"Just? Kaladin, you can do better than that." The other young man changes tactics. "I'm not suggesting you dye your hair neon green. I'm just saying that you should get it professionally trimmed for once instead of hacking it off with kitchen scissors in a dorm room."
"Can't afford it," Kaladin grunts.
"My treat. And anyway, I know Siri. Let me take care of everything."
"Of course you know the hairstylist. Still on speaking terms with her?"
"I resent that statement. And anyway, she's married. She's been running Royal Locks for years now – you'll love her. Come on!"
"Welcome to Royal – Adolin!" The blond woman rushes over. "How's your brother? And your father? You're here for your usual, right? Trim and touch up?"
"That's right, Siri," Adolin says with a grin. "And look, I brought a friend!"
Kaladin stares at the floor. He feels extremely out of place. Why did Adolin decide this was a good idea?
"Oh, you must be Kaladin!" Siri exclaims. She flashes a sunny smile when he looks up. "Adolin's told us all about you. He wasn't kidding about the height, I see. We'll just put the chair a bit lower – Vivenna! Adolin's here!"
A taller, dark haired woman leans out of the back room. "Hey there, Adolin. Nice to see you! I'll be right with you, okay?"
"Sounds great, Viv!" Adolin calls.
"You know better than that," Siri warns. "Now, Kaladin, what are you thinking about? Just a trim, a new cut? Or has Adolin dragged you onto the dye train?"
Kaladin shrugs. "I don't know."
"Well, then, why don't you come on back and while I get you set up we can discuss that? Adolin, you wait here for just a minute and Vivenna'll be right with you."
"Good luck!" Adolin calls as Siri leads Kaladin back to the chairs.
"So, you know Adolin?" Siri asks. "What chaotic event led to that?"
"…He tried to bribe me into telling a teacher he wasn't going to make it to class."
"That sounds like Adolin, all right. Now, let's get you started!" Siri motions him into a chair. "Now, there are plenty of options. You could just get a trim, or we could play around with highlights or lowlights, though that would be tricky with how dark your hair already is."
Kaladin frowns. "I can't afford anything fancy."
Siri waves him off. "Don't worry about that, alright? Adolin said he's paying. And colors help you if you try to tell him no about something like that."
"I dunno," he hedges. "I usually just cut it when it gets too annoying."
"Well, there's a start!" Siri encourages, opening a cabinet and bringing out an assortment of bottles. "So definitely a trim, then? So it doesn't get in your face as much? Would you like me to offer some suggestions?"
"Sure," he agrees hesitantly, hoping she doesn't suggest something garish.
"I'm thinking a brown a few shades lighter than what you've already got on the lower half. Or maybe a deep purple or blue. Something simple and kind of understated."
"Maybe the brown?" he says questioningly. Adolin hears him as he and Vivenna make their way back.
"That would look good," the other young man says thoughtfully. "It would look fantastic with your wardrobe, throw a little bit of warmth into all that beige and blue."
"Adolin Kholin, don't you start influencing my client's choices!" Siri warns, swatting at him with a hairbrush.
"Yes, ma'am," he says with a cheeky grin.
Kaladin feels a smile crawl across his lips. "I'll ask Syl what she thinks. She's the one who really cares, after all."
"Is that who's been doing your hair?" Adolin asks as Kaladin pulls out his battered phone. "I knew it wasn't you."
"Correct," Kaladin mutters.
Kaladin: The hairdresser suggested I dye my hair.
Syl: You're at a hairdresser's?! :O
Kaladin: Adolin.
Syl: Oh, of course… let me guess, you want advice?
Kaladin: Please.
Syl: Go for it! Send me pics!
He locks his phone again. "Go ahead and do the brown, I guess," he tells Siri.
"Excellent!" Siri claps her hands. "Let's get started!"
It turns out that getting a professional haircut is a lot more complicated then 'hacking it off with kitchen scissors in a dorm room'. Siri washes his hair, complimenting it several times, before using a blowdryer that looks a lot more fancy than Syl's to dry it, only then beginning the trim.
"I've got to admit, for a home job, it looks like you've done pretty well keeping it even," Siri remarks as she pulls a comb through, talking and trimming at the same time.
"That's all Syl's doing," he explains. "I cut it –"
"Hack it off," Adolin interrupts.
"And then she evens it out if I've done a particularly bad job."
"Well, tell Syl she's got talent!" Siri says with a smile.
"Of course she does, she's got waist-length hair and she dyes it – herself!" Adolin exclaims.
"She does," Kaladin confirms. "I don't know how she does it."
"That is impressive." Vivenna says quietly. Siri's older sister seems to be a quite bit calmer than her sibling.
Siri finishes the trim, or so Kaladin thinks. Instead, she lets another section down. "I didn't know you were supposed to cut hair that way," he remarks.
Siri smiles again. "It makes it a bit more manageable. You don't have to do this with every type of hair, but it does help."
It takes hours, but finally, they're walking through the twilight back towards campus. Kaladin has his hoodie up again. His hair feels weird. Adolin is talking again, which is nice. Kaladin doesn't really have anything to say.
"Well, how was it?" Syl asks when he comes into the room and flops onto the couch. "I bet you didn't hate it as much as you thought you would." She reaches for his hoodie, trying to pull it back. He swats her hand away.
"It was okay. Siri was nice."
"Siri? So Adolin took you to Royal Locks?"
"Yeah." Her hand reaches for his hoodie again. He lets her pull it back this time. "Well?"
Syl pauses, examining the highlights. "That works really well, Kal. You chose a really good color for your skin tone, I think."
"Thanks. I think. I don't know what I'm talking about." He realizes he's talking towards the couch cushions. He should probably fix that.
"Will you let me do your hair tomorrow?" Syl asks.
"Sure. Go to town."
He's probably going to regret that tomorrow.
Should I write more? Let me know if you're interested!
