The color was vibrant and full. She had never seen it so gorgeous. “Wow,” she whispered. “This is me?”
“No,” Ian declared, grabbing a clump of her hair and cutting it down. Moving so fast that she could barely keep up, he strategically cut it down. He dipped his hand into another substance found in a jar and rubbed it into her hair. He combed furiously. He brushed with purpose, and after a few minutes had passed, he tapped her on the shoulder.
“Now,” he said.
She raised the mirror again, and she did not gasp this time.
Her hair had been cut short on one side and left long behind the ear of the other.
“It’s called a rose cut,” he said as he stepped back from the chair, allowing her to take herself in.
It was attractive, but not boisterous. Loud but quiet at the same time, like an elevated whisper. The last style had put her in league with all the girls she had envied in childhood. The ones that got the compliments and the love. But this hairstyle…this one made her an individual. No less strong. No less majestic.
She was a magnificent and mysterious creature that garnered attention but did not demand it.
“This is me,” she whispered, nodding into the mirror.
“This is who I see,” Ian declared. She swiveled around in her chair and looked at him. It was then that she felt most at ease in his presence. There were so many conflicting emotions that had bombarded her upon meeting him.
That he was weird.
A little dorky.
A creep.
Egotistical.
Just another guy trying to win over a girl.
But he was all and yet none of these things. His personality changed with the situation, for now, standing before her with scissors and brush in hand, he was masculine and appealing. It was then that she noticed how toned he was, and so he had to care to some degree about his appearance. She realized then that he probably did like the clothes and hairstyle he had sported earlier, but he had only gotten dirty for her amusement.
Most of all, she was impressed with how he had understood her so intimately with very little to go off of.
He was a lot more mature than she had previously thought.
“We leave in a week,” she said, and he simply nodded.
They stared at each other for a full minute. And when staring into one’s eyes, a minute can feel as if eternity has passed.
Chapter 5 – Follow Me
“You never asked for my name,” Remi said as Ian stood in the doorway. He smiled and leaned up against the frame.
“I wanted to wait until I was worthy enough to have it.”
“It’s not like I’m giving you my heart.”
“No, but you have mine. And it’s rude not to reciprocate.”
“I can already tell I’m going to sick of you,” she replied.
“That’s what I’m aiming for,” he winked.
“It’s Remi,” she said.
“Not bad,” he said.
“You don’t think it’s beautiful?” she asked, assuming he was going to say so.
“No, but it’s cute.”
She frowned. “You do know that you may never see me again, don’t you?”
“I’m hoping I made a good enough impression,” he said, pushing himself off the frame. “But even if you don’t want to see me again, your hair sure will.”
She patted the side of her head.
“You’re not twenty,” she said.
“Do some research on me,” he said. “And find out for yourself. I’m being truthful. The thing is…because I grew up in Paragon, I didn’t have to spend all my time trying to survive like I would’ve on Terra. Instead, I was able to learn more about the human condition and what people are like. It has its perks and its downfalls.”
“Such as?”
“I’m a terrible fighter,” he admitted.
“So is Kace.”
“No clue why,” he said. “Especially if he’s a Quietus.”
“I didn’t think people aged in Paragon,” she said.
“Yeah, you would think I would be stuck as a baby forever, right? Man, that would have sucked, especially if my mind had continued to grow. But thankfully, here in Paragon the atmosphere
“No,” Ian declared, grabbing a clump of her hair and cutting it down. Moving so fast that she could barely keep up, he strategically cut it down. He dipped his hand into another substance found in a jar and rubbed it into her hair. He combed furiously. He brushed with purpose, and after a few minutes had passed, he tapped her on the shoulder.
“Now,” he said.
She raised the mirror again, and she did not gasp this time.
Her hair had been cut short on one side and left long behind the ear of the other.
“It’s called a rose cut,” he said as he stepped back from the chair, allowing her to take herself in.
It was attractive, but not boisterous. Loud but quiet at the same time, like an elevated whisper. The last style had put her in league with all the girls she had envied in childhood. The ones that got the compliments and the love. But this hairstyle…this one made her an individual. No less strong. No less majestic.
She was a magnificent and mysterious creature that garnered attention but did not demand it.
“This is me,” she whispered, nodding into the mirror.
“This is who I see,” Ian declared. She swiveled around in her chair and looked at him. It was then that she felt most at ease in his presence. There were so many conflicting emotions that had bombarded her upon meeting him.
That he was weird.
A little dorky.
A creep.
Egotistical.
Just another guy trying to win over a girl.
But he was all and yet none of these things. His personality changed with the situation, for now, standing before her with scissors and brush in hand, he was masculine and appealing. It was then that she noticed how toned he was, and so he had to care to some degree about his appearance. She realized then that he probably did like the clothes and hairstyle he had sported earlier, but he had only gotten dirty for her amusement.
Most of all, she was impressed with how he had understood her so intimately with very little to go off of.
He was a lot more mature than she had previously thought.
“We leave in a week,” she said, and he simply nodded.
They stared at each other for a full minute. And when staring into one’s eyes, a minute can feel as if eternity has passed.
Chapter 5 – Follow Me
“You never asked for my name,” Remi said as Ian stood in the doorway. He smiled and leaned up against the frame.
“I wanted to wait until I was worthy enough to have it.”
“It’s not like I’m giving you my heart.”
“No, but you have mine. And it’s rude not to reciprocate.”
“I can already tell I’m going to sick of you,” she replied.
“That’s what I’m aiming for,” he winked.
“It’s Remi,” she said.
“Not bad,” he said.
“You don’t think it’s beautiful?” she asked, assuming he was going to say so.
“No, but it’s cute.”
She frowned. “You do know that you may never see me again, don’t you?”
“I’m hoping I made a good enough impression,” he said, pushing himself off the frame. “But even if you don’t want to see me again, your hair sure will.”
She patted the side of her head.
“You’re not twenty,” she said.
“Do some research on me,” he said. “And find out for yourself. I’m being truthful. The thing is…because I grew up in Paragon, I didn’t have to spend all my time trying to survive like I would’ve on Terra. Instead, I was able to learn more about the human condition and what people are like. It has its perks and its downfalls.”
“Such as?”
“I’m a terrible fighter,” he admitted.
“So is Kace.”
“No clue why,” he said. “Especially if he’s a Quietus.”
“I didn’t think people aged in Paragon,” she said.
“Yeah, you would think I would be stuck as a baby forever, right? Man, that would have sucked, especially if my mind had continued to grow. But thankfully, here in Paragon the atmosphere
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