Amanda and Ororo, Friday afternoon

[x-storm.livejournal.com]

Ororo stops by the brownstone to enlist Amanda's help for her belated Halloween costume.

Ororo arrived at the brownstone late Friday afternoon, having spent more time than she cared to admit sitting in traffic to get into the city. She only hoped to complete her 'transformation' and return to the mansion in time for the trick-or-treating, since that was the whole reason for the endeavor. She had a bag of possible clothing and accessory items slung over her shoulder and quickly made her way upstairs, a small smile plastered on her lips.

"Come in!" Amanda called, in answer to the knocking. She emerged from her bedroom, pulling a t-shirt over her head. "Sorry, only just got home meself. Busy day." She grinned at Ororo. "So... did you want a drink or something before we start? You might need it."

"No drinks necessary," the silver-haired woman said, holding up a hand as she shook her head. "But thank you. I trust you not to make this too scarring. If only because I can take it out on Angelo's training schedule if you do," she teased.

"After a month or two of being an invalid, you'll probably have to work on him not overdoing it," Amanda said wryly. She gestured towards her kitchen, and the table and chairs there. "Have a seat. I had a thought for the hair, but it might be a bit much."
Ororo quirked an eyebrow at this as she sat. "As long as there is no dye involved, I can most likely be talked into it. What did you have in mind?"

Amanda reached over and picked up a music magazine from the pile of papers - files, articles, notepads, magazines and newspapers - on the end of the table. Pausing to find the right page, she lay it down in front of Ororo as she took her own seat. It showed the guitarist of a local punk band, mohawk standing proud. "Something like that," she admitted, then added almost defensively. "Well, you did say you wanted to shock folks."

The other woman was shocked into silence for a moment, staring at the magazine with an unreadable expression on her face. Eventually she looked back up at Amanda and gave a short nod, setting her lips in a resolute line. "Very well."

The witch's eyebrows shot up. "Really? You want to try it?" A grin appeared. "I always knew you had stones, 'Ro, but this takes the cake."

"I was due for a haircut anyway," Ororo quipped, shrugging her shoulders with a nonchalance she didn't quite feel. Her inhibitions were rapidly being replaced by excitement, however, and she grinned back at Amanda. "Now quickly, before I change my mind, let us do it."

"Don't move, I'll be right back!" Amanda instructed, before literally racing out of the kitchen and to the bathroom. There was a clatter of things being knocked over, some muffled swearing, and then footsteps as she reappeared, towel draped over her shoulder and electric clippers in hand. "I keep these here for Ange when he wants the buzzcut redone," she explained, holding them up. "He says it's better than going to the barber's, 'cause I do a better job and he gets sex afterwards." Then she realised what she'd said and blushed a little. "Um. We can skip the sex part. Obviously."

"That may be wise. I have to be back at the mansion before the trick-or-treating starts," Ororo said, chuckling. "But I am glad to hear of your proficiency with those." She cast her eyes back at the magazine picture one last time before screwing up her resolve and nodding once again. I will need a camera to capture the look on Scott's face... not to mention Charles'.

Snorting as she draped the towel around Ororo's shoulders, Amanda lifted Ororo's hair from underneath, taking a moment to rub a strand between her fingers. Despite the unnaturalness of the colour, it was as soft and silky as ordinary hair - actually, it was softer than Amanda's own, damaged as it was by recurring dyeing. She unplugged the toaster to make room for the clippers and switched them on, their buzz filling the room. "Right," she said, taking up a stance behind Ororo. "Ready?"

"As I will ever be."

Ororo shut her eyes tightly as she felt the clippers touch her scalp, though she had to admit the unusual sensation wasn't unpleasant. As locks of hair began to fall on her shoulders she could feel the cool air of the room reach her skin and shivered; this would take some getting used to. "I suppose I will save on shampoo now," she said, loud enough to be heard over the noise of the clippers.

There was a snicker above her. "You won't spend as much time styling it either," she said. "Just a handful of gel and away you go. So, promise me there'll be pictures of how people react - it'll be brilliant."

"I am imagining quite a few dropped jaws." Which, Ororo realized, was just fine with her. She was quite looking forward to shocking people and proving that she could be as unpredictable as anyone else. Where this sudden urge to give into her urges had come from, she wasn't sure. But why question it when she was having fun? "Which reminds me, I ought to stop by Remy's apartment before I head back. I cannot imagine what his reaction will be."

There was a pause in the movement, and a slight gulp. "Best to give me a head start on the running," Amanda joked, resuming her task again. She'd completely shaved one side of Ororo's head and moved to the other, leaving a thick strip of hair in the middle.

"Hair grows back, does it not? Besides, I am confident that you will do an excellent job and the only things he will have to say are admiring compliments."

"With you? You could probably wear one of those burkha things and he'd think you were the hottest thing since poutine in a can. You know, you have the fries, and the gravy, and you put the... well, hotter than that, any way." Amanda trailed off, realising she was babbling a little. "I've got a few bits and pieces that ought to go with this pretty well, and you said you had some leather pants, I think?"

Ororo had never been compared to a food item containing cheese curds before; it was an odd feeling. "Yes, and boots that ought to suffice as well. And if I lack for jewelry I have plenty of paperclips and safety pins in my office desk drawer," she added jokingly.

"Just as well, since I'm too short to lend you pants. Or shoes." The pile of white hair on the floor was quite impressive. "And ugh, don't remind me - I went through the safety pin phase when I was fourteen. Used to shove them in anywhere, and fuck, the infections I got. And of course I didn't get to go the doctor."

"I believe my rebelliousness at that age was limited to creating rainstorms indoors on a whim," Ororo said, reaching up to brush her fingers over the side of her head. "Which saved my skin, but not the hallway carpets."

"That's right, you were at the school back then, weren't you?" Amanda asked, carefully shaving around Ororo's ear.

"About then, yes. This.. is very short," she remarked. "Does it look as odd as it feels?"

"It looks fantastic." Amanda wasn't just saying it - there was something extremely alluring about the look. Or maybe that was Amanda's inner punk speaking. "Just about... there, done." She turned off the clippers and set them down, then used the towel to brush the stray hairs from Ororo's head. "You need the gel to make it stand up proper, but you're well on your way to punkdom," she said with a grin and a flourish of the towel.

"Thank you." Ororo wasn't quite ready to look at herself in the mirror yet, so she leaned over to dig through her bag and pull out the leather pants that had been purchased during one particularly outrageous shopping trip with Wanda. "I suppose I ought to go get suited up," she said, standing and slinging the pants over one arm.

"You can use my room, just ignore the mess. Grab whatever you think works out of my wardrobe." Amanda wrapped the cord around the clippers, smiling a little at the shaved X-Woman. "There's at least a tanktop or two that might fit."

With a nod, Ororo disappeared down the hallway and into Amanda's bedroom, emerging several minutes later clad in her 'costume' of leather pants, a fishnet shirt topped with a tanktop, and a heavily-studded belt slung about her hips. Her hair flopped into her eyes and she pushed it away as she padded barefoot back into the kitchen, turning about for Amanda's perusal. "Will I pass?"

"Hell, I'm willing to drag you out to the nearest punk club, if you didn't already have a prior engagement," Amanda said, applauding. "Did you peek in the mirror yet?"

"And barely recognized myself," Ororo said with a grin. "So I suppose the transformation is complete. Thank you, Amanda, for your help. I could not have done this without you."

"You're welcome. Hell, it was fun. I just wish I was going to be there for the reactions." Amanda's answering smile was pleased, and just a little relieved. "Have a blast, 'Ro."

"I will." Ororo stepped forward to give the younger woman a quick hug, then hurried to gather up her things. She paused at the sight of the pile of white hair on the floor, pursing her lips momentarily before drawing herself away. It all grows back. Remember that. It will be back.