Samantha pouted at her reflection while getting her hair cut in a fancy salon that did not feature an underground crime base, probably. She started the day so happy going out to see a painter friend of Albert’s only to be cruelly let down. The price he quoted to even sketch her vision of the end was more than three times what her and Valerie earned last week on the ‘Pilfering Palace Pear Plan’ as the shadow user liked to call it. That one job was the equivalent of three to four months of adventuring work, but the specialist painter wanted at minimum a years’ worth of coin for the whole piece. While she didn’t quite understand the disappointment, Joanne tried to cheer up the portrait-less girl with some regular, everyday shopping and personal grooming.
They first visited a cobbler who supplied military contracts and long-time adventurers such as the beast woman herself back in the day. After haggling on the price, Joanne was able to secure Samantha a pair of steel toed boots with a small, jagged spike at the heel and tip. If she was going to play the part of a mace she may as well be a lethal one, granted it didn’t guarantee a kill but with time, effort and a whole heap of luck she could maybe scratch monsters to death. Next, they went to a local tailor who nearly dropped dead at the sight of Samantha’s tattered cloak. They were forced to leave empty handed when the man was on the verge of tears begging the girl get rid of the cloak entirely. That exchange only added to Samantha’s foul mood. A costly armourer was their next destination, but they also turned out to be a bust, she was simply too small and thin for any of his off the rack items so she would need something custom made which was wildly outside of her budget if she wanted to afford a painting within her short life span. The last stop on their mini-shopping trip took them to a salon Joanne frequented when having her nails done which really meant sharpening them to a fine point. She may not be an adventurer anymore but still had the strength and tools quite literally on hand to hold her own. Samantha’s own manicure helped cheer the girl up somewhat especially after she opted to have her nails coated in a reflective black polish. They were also in luck as the salon owner’s cousin had come to town. With the aspect of scissors and hairdressing, the traveling stylist was up to any challenge and excelled in giving hairdos that truly reflected a person’s inner self. While the beast woman forewent any changes to her luxurious main, Samantha accepted taking any suggestion the stylist offered. With the hairdresser having to physically touch her, the shadow user was forced to use all her concentration to clamp down on her aspect. So far, she got by controlling her breathing and schooling her aura to ensure people could look in her general direction without cringing or avoiding her but as she grew that was becoming more difficult to manage.
“Aaaaaaand done, so tell me babes what do you think?”
The stylist enquired. Samantha hadn’t been paying attention to the haircut, reflecting on the disappointing morning and actively maintaining control of her powers. Taking in her new hairdo she couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. For the longest time her blonde hair had tumbled down her back like a waterfall, more often than not a nuisance than anything else. She once asked James if he’d cut it, but her mentor refused on the grounds he tried with Valerie as a child, and she still had yet to forgive him for the abomination she became. Now however, with a truly skilled artist, Samantha was thankful she waited. The stylist chopped off more than half her hair bringing it to above her shoulders in what they called a ‘shag’ haircut. Her golden locks hung wild and crazy around her head, but it looked right, it looked and it felt like her.
The sudden shift in her mood unfortunately caused Samantha to lose focus and her eery aura crept back out. Everyone in the salon suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of danger and their flight or fight response was on high alert. The stylist working on Samantha was no exception, dropping her scissors and backing away in terror from the girl. Joanne who had been checking over her nails while waiting for Samantha felt the shift as well deciding now was a good time to leave. Paying for their order and rushing out, Samantha was carried under the beast woman’s arm while trying to apologize for the fright. She didn’t take any pleasure in scaring people so tried to supress it whenever possible but there was always slip ups and cracks in her methods. They walked the streets, Samantha still carried under Joanne’s warm furry arm and met up with Valerie who had been waiting in line outside the guild for some time. Their suspension ended unceremoniously as Valerie was forced to apologise to the offended adventurer who smugly accepted the fake regret. Reinstated, they began taking jobs again, regardless of their surplus of funds, they enjoyed the work and adding to their savings.
“Hey Val!”
Samantha said cheerily as she flipped her new ‘do back and forth. Valerie stared at her friend appraising the haircut, it was very her she ultimately concluded. The huntress opted not to join the pairs shopping trip and instead get a head start on submitting their latest contract report. It definitely wasn’t because she felt awkward doing typically girly things with the beast woman, nope not a chance of that. After setting down the unshakable shadow user, Joanne bade farewell to the pair heading back to her restaurant for some much-needed dish prep and to remind her staff there was only one kind of smoking tolerated in her establishment. Squatting beside Valerie, Samantha played with her hair while the two waited in line. There was something peaceful about the sedate pace they maintained, creeping ever closer to the guild office. Perhaps too tranquil as Samantha quickly fell asleep her grip on her aspects control slipping once again. She was awoken when she fell face first against the hard ground from Valerie kicking her feet out from under her.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Samantha you’ve got to stop doing that, we’re in public for Divine’s sake.”
With her aspect unleashed the people lined up nearby were forced to flee back, their instincts telling them something terrible was amongst them. Noticing the only two not moving brought a series of death glares directed at Valerie and her sleeping compatriot. The huntress sighed as Samantha rose back to her feet and regained control, the pervasive feeling of danger dissipating. If they could use that fear inducing affect to skip ahead in line Valerie would have been all for the girl’s power being unfettered for all to see. Public decency and line etiquette however demanded they remain in the exact position they joined at, only moving up if someone was admitted to the guild or keeled over and so far no one was croaking.
“There has to be a way to fix your problem, you can’t rely on the damn monkey’s ways forever.”
Valerie spat out, frustrated more at the idea that simian remained in her head rent free rather than her friends own problems. Samantha shrugged.
“Maybe Joanne knows someone who can help? She’s been adventuring a long time.”
It was actually a pretty good idea all things considered, yet Valerie knew if Joanne had someone like that she would have introduced them already. What they needed was someone well versed in adventurers, who had seen their fair share of them over multiple years and also had the means to get in contact with them. But who could possibly fit all those bills? As a loud call for next in line to hurry up rung out from the still distant guild doors, Valerie knew she had her answer.
“You want a what?”
Margaretta asked her tone not all too pleased.
“An aspect aura instructor. Theres so many aspect users out there one of them has to share some similarities with Samantha.”
Valerie re-iterated. They just got done handing in their latest contract details and receiving payment before Valerie asked the important question of the day to the old guild receptionist who was none too pleased. Margaretta pinched the bridge of her nose above her glasses.
“…and why, might I ask, do you think *I* of all people would know?”
Valerie felt sheepish in her reply.
“Because… you’ve been working here a long time?”
The receptionist scoffed refocusing her piercing gaze on the huntress.
“Do you want to know how many adventurers have told me the secret to their skills and abilities?”
She held up a hand, her thumb and index making a circle.
“Zero, none, no one, not a soul. People don’t want to tell the guild their secrets because then it becomes an open secret then it becomes common knowledge. You know how many enemies a guild member can have after only a year on the job? Why would anyone want to tell the guild let alone *me* their personal secrets?”
The tirade ended with a long-drawn-out breath from the receptionist. Cooling her temper, she set her hands on the table like a disappointed teacher reprimanding a student for cheating.
“Look, I can’t help you and I don’t know anyone who can. And is it really that bad? She’s standing right there, and I don’t feel a thing.”
Even if she couldn’t make eye contact or maintain her gaze on the girl she could still be in the same room as her. Samantha looked at Valerie who nodded grimly. For just a second, she loosened her control flooding the guild office with her aspects entire eery aura. The effect was immediate as Margaretta’s eye grew wide and her breath caught in her throat. When the sensation ended, she managed to cool her expression, but her hands still shook from the experience.
“Okay… point taken. I am not prideful enough to admit… that got to me. Don’t do it again.”
She said in a shaky voice hastily adding the last sentence believing once was more than enough for her old soul. The pair looked dejected which only made Margaretta feel more useless until a thought crossed her mind.
“Why don’t you just get a class? That might fix it, no guarantee though.”
The duo looked at the receptionist then each other. Samantha opted to take the fall and asked the question both were thinking.
“What’s a class again?”
After another tirade that boiled down to the youths many failings, parents not teaching their children and how we as a society are dooming the next generation both girls were unceremoniously kicked out of the guild while Margaretta went to lunch to cool off. Somewhere in the verbal assault she had thrown out how Albert wasn’t doing his duty as a teacher either so both adventurers opted to pick the librarian’s brain.
“You want to know what a class is?”
Albert clarified after being told of the day’s events so far. They found him where he always was, in the library with a book in hand. He was reading that same fiction book about the shadow aspect user for the fifth time in a row trying to gleam some new insight that could help Samantha. He already made subtle inquiries with his associates in the various academic institutions throughout Capital City with mixed to no results so far. His efforts were still ongoing however as was his research regularly bombarding Samantha with questions and asking for demonstrations of her abilities as they matured even in the short time the two had known each other. He too had experienced the full power of her aura lasting no longer than the guild receptionist but where she showed discomfort, he was the picture of glee asking for the same exposure several times since. As such he was not at all surprised to learn his tenant was finding the unbridled power a detriment to everyday life. If their understanding of the Shadow aspect was better, they could help Samantha and perhaps gaining a class was the best way to accomplish this. Before that however he needed to make sure the girls understand a very important fact about classes.
“Are you both sure you want a class? It’s not something you can walk back you know.”
The duo were dumbfounded as they often were when it came to Aspect theory, mechanics and generally a lot about everyday life. It both disappointed Albert and excited him. Disappointed that his lessons were seemingly going in one ear then out the other but excited that he got to discuss one of his favourite topics.
“Let’s see, where to begin?”
The old librarian said his elation barely contained.