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Description
A commission for Flyer2015

---------------------------------

Aiyana dropped her coffee mug as her face froze in an amazement

$348,962.33

That's the number her donation fund had reached within a mere 2 and half weeks. She held the phone in both hands for a few seconds before the singe of hot coffee on her toes made her jump back in pain. Her long black hair had also been drenched by the caffeinated sky bomb in one section, and even after she had wiped her floor down, the stench of Vanilla Latte followed her around.

She sat down in her recliner and pushed back the long, sideswept bangs from her eyes until it settled again in front her face. A few weeks ago she was working a night shift at the hospital when she overheard some other nurses talking about hair donations and wigs. The hospital had seen its fair share of cancer patients since her new job started, and one by one she noticed bare scalps appearing in waiting rooms, often from those receiving chemotherapy. In comparison, she walked the halls with massive bun and two thick braids swinging behind her all the time. She never felt ashamed of her hair, but more than a few times the patients would glance at her and she would notice a sadness in their eyes, like they were seeing a memory of something they had lost.

Hair had always meant al lot in her family since she was raised to be her tribe's ceremonial healer. In reality she often found that her Rapunzel locks got in her way and made life in the busy big apple a stressful endeavor. More than once she had been tempted by the swirling barbershop pole as she walked down the old street to her favorite coffee shop, but she was never brave enough to make any decisions.

At least, not until that night on duty...

The other nurses and medical staff were fine with aiyana's mane so long as it didn't get in her way at work, and she was certain to make sure it never did. However, she couldn't help but be intrigued by the prospect of helping others with her hair, after all, helping those in need is the #1 duty of a medical nurse. She did some research privately and found out there was an entire online community centered around people with amazing manes who were betting it all for cancer research. One particular online newsletter, The Buzz, was very popular.

After some careful thought and a lot of discussion with her family, and maybe even some alchohol (it was after a very stressful night at work), she decided to bet her hair on a donation fund for cancer research. "All or nothing",read the description. If $100,000 couldn't get raised in 1 months time, the money collected would be given to research but she would get to keep her hair. She even agreed to do a photoshoot for The Buzz to advertise her bet. It seemed like a safe idea at the time...

She had vastly underestimated the human desire to watch hair fall to the floor. With almost $300,000 in the fund nearing the end of her donation period, she knew what was coming. The weekend that the fund closed, she didn't even leave her apartment. Instead she stayed up, brushing her hair vigorously and chatting with her friend who lived 2 floors below her. It was a bittersweet feeling mixed with a lot of anxiousness. She had no idea what being bald would mean for her or how her entire identity would change post-shave, but it was too late to back out now.

She was having cake and watching "New Girl" with her friend when the call came from The Buzz manager

A-"umm...hello...this is Aiyana speaking (gump)"

M-"miss Aiyana, what a pleasure to hear from you. I don't know if you are ware but the donation pool for your hair has vastly exceeded the goal.

A-oh...really! I saw the numbers this morning...that's...uh...that's a lot of money...so I guess your calling about the...well...uh...

M-you don't have to do anything just yet. I know this is a scary thing for you, but please try to think of all the good you have helped achieve. We will give you a period of 2 weeks to think over how you want it all done, but I am obligated to remind you that you signed a contract upon making the fund. We simply cannot return the money, and you will have to fulfill your half of the agreement. If you want to donate privately, that is fine, just be sure to collect the hair in the standard way.

A-(with few tears swelling up in her eyes) Actually...I think that...I think we should do it publicly...not with an audience but definitely with cameras. (Takes a deep breath) I'll let you set up the arrangements and I'll come by the office on Monday at 3. I just kind of want this allover with. Bye

Without another moment's notice she ended the call and burst into tears, but thankfully her friend was able to console her. This was the way it had to be and age had accepted the consequences of her decision. After all, it wasn't going to waste.

------------------

Monday morning came faster than she wanted it to. She and her friend had hung out together testing different hairstyles and taking photos. That morning she woke up and went to the bathroom to get ready. She knew that immediately after the shave ahe would be going to work so she packed a set of scrubs in her purse. Ironically she had to remove her hairbrush and hairspray to make it all fit...but I guess she wouldn't need them foe much linger anyway. She pulled hair back in a simple braid starting from the nape of her neck. She assumed the barber would tie a holder around the base, cut it, and quickly finish her off.

The ride to the 5th avenue studio felt like an eternity. From the front lobby, the stairs went up 4 stories to the periodical's office, but she was instructed by the desk clerk to go to floor 6. Floor 6 turned out to be an open floor space that was used by an architecture company for displaying scale models of city blocks back in the 40s. It had been renovated into a photography studio a few years back and producers often rented the space out for private photo shoots. Upon stepping off the elevator she was greeted by a rather small woman in her early 20s with a short pixie cut and a huge smile.

"Aiyana, I'm Clarissa Day, a videographer from The Buzz, here to assist you through this."

Aiyana shook her hand but felt weak in the knees as she turned the corner into the open room. The center had been draped with a pink cloth against a wall covering of the same color. There were cameras pointed at the middle of the square where there was mounted a beauty salon chair. It has black leather cushions on the seat and would seem comfortable enough if Aiyana was sitting in it for any other reason.

Clarissa motioned Aiyana to the chair, which she sat sown in slowly and shakily, though with a crooked and unstable smile on her face. Her head was spinning but she didn't feel as frightened as she had the past few days. It was actually quite nice in the room, and there was a relaxing aroma pf strawberries in the air.

Aiyana sat in the chair without any instruction for about 5 minutes while Clarissa went into an adjacent room, presumably to get some clippers and a cape. Aiyana assumed she must be the barberette in question since she was the only one beaides Aiyana on this floor. Aiyana leaned forward in her chair and took out her phone. In an effort to calm her nerves, she took a few selfies with snapchat filters to pass the time. Suddenly she felt 2 firm hands grab her shoulders

"Ooooo, I like the dog one best of all. It always makes me laugh when I use it."

Aiyana, stunned, turned around to see a completely different woman standing behind her, giving her a huge grin. She was tall, about 6'2", wearing a white jumpsuit with a red x shape in the middle, red gloves and boots, yellow goggles with yellow lenses, a yellow utility belt, two tiny pearl earrings, and the shiniest bald head Aiayana had ever seen.

"The name is Madame Cueball" she said, extending out her hand for a handshake. Aiyana shook her hand slowly and looked at Clarissa a bot stunned. This woman was dressed like some kind of bald superhero (hadn't she seen that in an anime before?) and she didn't feel like any barber Aiyana had ever seen before.

M-so, I guess we should get started with the fun. She pulled Aiyana back in the chair so her back hit the seat rest with a thud, and she motioned to Clarissa to get the camera's roling. A moment later a long green cape was thrown over Aiyana's body. It rested against her busty figure and was pulled tightly around her neck. Madame picked up Aiyana's braid and threw it over her shoulder, securing the cape around Aiyana's necks with fasteners. She pulled the thick rope of hair back behind Aiyana so it hung all the way down the chair and curled up on the floor for several feet.

"My my you certainly have taken care of your hair...but it won't be as much fun to shave it off with your hair in a braid. Let's try something else"

With anazing speed, madame remove the ponytail holder at the end of the braid and began unraveling the ribbons of hair link by link until Aiyana's hair was loose. Her bangs fell in front of her eyes, leaving only a n inch of space that she could see out of. Her mind was still wondering what the heck was going on with this clown barber. Was she part of the contract?

"Now that you hair is free, we need to secure it so it can be donated. They say you need to put it in ponytails, but as far as I'm concerned, if I pony it 5 feet from your head then it's still technically a ponytail. It just goes both directions."

Madame reached into her utility belt and pulled out a twist tie, grabbed Aiyana's hair where it touched the floor and secured it in a very low hanging ponytail. She released the hair, letting it flop against the back of chair with a sizable amount of force. Aiyana suddenly remembered hoy thick her hair was and how she used to wrap up in it like a blanket for fun. The thought was interrupted by a red glove patting the crown of her head.

"Alright dear, it's time for the real deal shave. Just think of all the kids that will have wigs because of what tour doing right now."

A moment later Aiyana heard the distinct buzz if clippers fill the room and her eyes might as well has retreated to the back of her skull. She looked up to see the vibrating blades get closer to her hairline, until they rested right in the middle of her forehead between the part of her bangs. Aiyana clised her eyes and bit her lower lip.

"Here we go"

BzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzz

The first pass ended and strands of Aiyana's bangs fell free from her scalp, tickling her face as they fell onto her lap. The zip tie had kept them from falling completely to the ground and they made two perfectly seperated piles in the crevices between her arms and her belly. Without hesitation the barberette pushed the clippers back for the second pass, widening the row she had just made. It was then that Aiyana felt the cold metal touch her scalp for the first time and her jaw dropped. She was actually enjoying this feeling.

The passes continued until the entire crown of her head was bare. Clarissa held up her hand and Madame stopped her work for a second.

"Hey, gather up the severed strands in a tail so we can see how much you've cut so far"

Madame eagerly reached over Aiyana and piled all the severed hair strands into her right hand. She held them away from Aiyana and did a quick pose as she admired her work

"Perfect, now you can continue."

Madame pushed Aiyana's head to her right shoulder and ran the clippers up the side of her left temple, freeing the black hair from the side of her head. This continued until both the left side and top Of Aiyana's head were nothing but stubble. Madame worked her way to the right aide and repeated what she had done on the left side. Then she pushed Aiyana's chin down so it touched her breats and began to shave off the hair on the back of her head. Before she could realize it, the hair on the base of her neck came free and there wasn't a hair on Aiyana's entire head more than a few millimeter's long.

"Not that we have the bulk of it done, let's clean you up"

Aiyana was still so stunned by the experienece that she didnt fully comprehend what Madame had meant. After she regained control of her senses, her scalp was covered in white foam and there was a safety razor scraping the stubble from the top of her head. She suddenly realized she was going to have a shiny scalp when this was over, just like madame's, and she felt butterflies in her stomach.

Madame made quick work of removing the stubble, humming little tune as she did so. With the flick of her wrist she wiped off the last bit of foam and stood back for a moment. The skin on Aiyana's head was not very different in color than the rest of her skin, which was an odd occurrence for first time shavees. She put down the clippers and gathered up all the severed hair strands into one hand.

"Alright darling, it's over, you can open your eyes now"

Funny enough, Aiyana was unable to keep them shut after the first pass. In fact, she hadn't even blinked for the entire shave. The feeling of no hair on her head or hanging in front of her face was like being a brand new person. She put one of her hand son her scalp and moved it back and forth across the skin where her hair once took root.

A-"wow...this is...incredible"

Madame rubbed the nape of Aiyana's neck

M-"haha I'd say you look just fine. So fine, in fact, you could be the Mrs. Clean."

The joke made the camerawoman put her face in her palms and shake her head.

C-"Again with the jokes Madame? Ugh, well the footage is all recorded and I don't think I meed to edit any of it. As far as I can see, we're done here"

Madame unsnapped the green cape and flung it off of Aiyana, sending tiny hair strands through the air. Aiyana stood up, still rubbing her head with both hands, amazed at the new feeling. She turned to madame and saw the massive pontyail that had just been sheared from her head.

"That...used to be on my head...how on earth have I been carrying all that!?!"

Madame layed down the ponytail, reached into utility belt and pulled out a tiny mirror.

"Go ahead, embrace the new you"

Aiyana stood in shock at her appearance for several minutes while madame and Clarissa packaged the hair and cleaned up up the set.

M-"Hey baldy, there's another group that has to use this room in an hour so could you try drooling over your own reflection in the lobby?"

Aiyana looked up from the mirror and realized both women were now in the elevator, waiting for her. She grabbed her purse and booked it between the sliding doors. As she rubbed her freshly shorn scalp she turned to Madame and said

"...so, do you take repeat customers?..."

Description
A commission for Flyer2015

---------------------------------

Aiyana dropped her coffee mug as her face froze in an amazement

$348,962.33

That's the number her donation fund had reached within a mere 2 and half weeks. She held the phone in both hands for a few seconds before the singe of hot coffee on her toes made her jump back in pain. Her long black hair had also been drenched by the caffeinated sky bomb in one section, and even after she had wiped her floor down, the stench of Vanilla Latte followed her around.

She sat down in her recliner and pushed back the long, sideswept bangs from her eyes until it settled again in front her face. A few weeks ago she was working a night shift at the hospital when she overheard some other nurses talking about hair donations and wigs. The hospital had seen its fair share of cancer patients since her new job started, and one by one she noticed bare scalps appearing in waiting rooms, often from those receiving chemotherapy. In comparison, she walked the halls with massive bun and two thick braids swinging behind her all the time. She never felt ashamed of her hair, but more than a few times the patients would glance at her and she would notice a sadness in their eyes, like they were seeing a memory of something they had lost.

Hair had always meant al lot in her family since she was raised to be her tribe's ceremonial healer. In reality she often found that her Rapunzel locks got in her way and made life in the busy big apple a stressful endeavor. More than once she had been tempted by the swirling barbershop pole as she walked down the old street to her favorite coffee shop, but she was never brave enough to make any decisions.

At least, not until that night on duty...

The other nurses and medical staff were fine with aiyana's mane so long as it didn't get in her way at work, and she was certain to make sure it never did. However, she couldn't help but be intrigued by the prospect of helping others with her hair, after all, helping those in need is the #1 duty of a medical nurse. She did some research privately and found out there was an entire online community centered around people with amazing manes who were betting it all for cancer research. One particular online newsletter, The Buzz, was very popular.

After some careful thought and a lot of discussion with her family, and maybe even some alchohol (it was after a very stressful night at work), she decided to bet her hair on a donation fund for cancer research. "All or nothing",read the description. If $100,000 couldn't get raised in 1 months time, the money collected would be given to research but she would get to keep her hair. She even agreed to do a photoshoot for The Buzz to advertise her bet. It seemed like a safe idea at the time...

She had vastly underestimated the human desire to watch hair fall to the floor. With almost $300,000 in the fund nearing the end of her donation period, she knew what was coming. The weekend that the fund closed, she didn't even leave her apartment. Instead she stayed up, brushing her hair vigorously and chatting with her friend who lived 2 floors below her. It was a bittersweet feeling mixed with a lot of anxiousness. She had no idea what being bald would mean for her or how her entire identity would change post-shave, but it was too late to back out now.

She was having cake and watching "New Girl" with her friend when the call came from The Buzz manager

A-"umm...hello...this is Aiyana speaking (gump)"

M-"miss Aiyana, what a pleasure to hear from you. I don't know if you are ware but the donation pool for your hair has vastly exceeded the goal.

A-oh...really! I saw the numbers this morning...that's...uh...that's a lot of money...so I guess your calling about the...well...uh...

M-you don't have to do anything just yet. I know this is a scary thing for you, but please try to think of all the good you have helped achieve. We will give you a period of 2 weeks to think over how you want it all done, but I am obligated to remind you that you signed a contract upon making the fund. We simply cannot return the money, and you will have to fulfill your half of the agreement. If you want to donate privately, that is fine, just be sure to collect the hair in the standard way.

A-(with few tears swelling up in her eyes) Actually...I think that...I think we should do it publicly...not with an audience but definitely with cameras. (Takes a deep breath) I'll let you set up the arrangements and I'll come by the office on Monday at 3. I just kind of want this allover with. Bye

Without another moment's notice she ended the call and burst into tears, but thankfully her friend was able to console her. This was the way it had to be and age had accepted the consequences of her decision. After all, it wasn't going to waste.

------------------

Monday morning came faster than she wanted it to. She and her friend had hung out together testing different hairstyles and taking photos. That morning she woke up and went to the bathroom to get ready. She knew that immediately after the shave ahe would be going to work so she packed a set of scrubs in her purse. Ironically she had to remove her hairbrush and hairspray to make it all fit...but I guess she wouldn't need them foe much linger anyway. She pulled hair back in a simple braid starting from the nape of her neck. She assumed the barber would tie a holder around the base, cut it, and quickly finish her off.

The ride to the 5th avenue studio felt like an eternity. From the front lobby, the stairs went up 4 stories to the periodical's office, but she was instructed by the desk clerk to go to floor 6. Floor 6 turned out to be an open floor space that was used by an architecture company for displaying scale models of city blocks back in the 40s. It had been renovated into a photography studio a few years back and producers often rented the space out for private photo shoots. Upon stepping off the elevator she was greeted by a rather small woman in her early 20s with a short pixie cut and a huge smile.

"Aiyana, I'm Clarissa Day, a videographer from The Buzz, here to assist you through this."

Aiyana shook her hand but felt weak in the knees as she turned the corner into the open room. The center had been draped with a pink cloth against a wall covering of the same color. There were cameras pointed at the middle of the square where there was mounted a beauty salon chair. It has black leather cushions on the seat and would seem comfortable enough if Aiyana was sitting in it for any other reason.

Clarissa motioned Aiyana to the chair, which she sat sown in slowly and shakily, though with a crooked and unstable smile on her face. Her head was spinning but she didn't feel as frightened as she had the past few days. It was actually quite nice in the room, and there was a relaxing aroma pf strawberries in the air.

Aiyana sat in the chair without any instruction for about 5 minutes while Clarissa went into an adjacent room, presumably to get some clippers and a cape. Aiyana assumed she must be the barberette in question since she was the only one beaides Aiyana on this floor. Aiyana leaned forward in her chair and took out her phone. In an effort to calm her nerves, she took a few selfies with snapchat filters to pass the time. Suddenly she felt 2 firm hands grab her shoulders

"Ooooo, I like the dog one best of all. It always makes me laugh when I use it."

Aiyana, stunned, turned around to see a completely different woman standing behind her, giving her a huge grin. She was tall, about 6'2", wearing a white jumpsuit with a red x shape in the middle, red gloves and boots, yellow goggles with yellow lenses, a yellow utility belt, two tiny pearl earrings, and the shiniest bald head Aiayana had ever seen.

"The name is Madame Cueball" she said, extending out her hand for a handshake. Aiyana shook her hand slowly and looked at Clarissa a bot stunned. This woman was dressed like some kind of bald superhero (hadn't she seen that in an anime before?) and she didn't feel like any barber Aiyana had ever seen before.

M-so, I guess we should get started with the fun. She pulled Aiyana back in the chair so her back hit the seat rest with a thud, and she motioned to Clarissa to get the camera's roling. A moment later a long green cape was thrown over Aiyana's body. It rested against her busty figure and was pulled tightly around her neck. Madame picked up Aiyana's braid and threw it over her shoulder, securing the cape around Aiyana's necks with fasteners. She pulled the thick rope of hair back behind Aiyana so it hung all the way down the chair and curled up on the floor for several feet.

"My my you certainly have taken care of your hair...but it won't be as much fun to shave it off with your hair in a braid. Let's try something else"

With anazing speed, madame remove the ponytail holder at the end of the braid and began unraveling the ribbons of hair link by link until Aiyana's hair was loose. Her bangs fell in front of her eyes, leaving only a n inch of space that she could see out of. Her mind was still wondering what the heck was going on with this clown barber. Was she part of the contract?

"Now that you hair is free, we need to secure it so it can be donated. They say you need to put it in ponytails, but as far as I'm concerned, if I pony it 5 feet from your head then it's still technically a ponytail. It just goes both directions."

Madame reached into her utility belt and pulled out a twist tie, grabbed Aiyana's hair where it touched the floor and secured it in a very low hanging ponytail. She released the hair, letting it flop against the back of chair with a sizable amount of force. Aiyana suddenly remembered hoy thick her hair was and how she used to wrap up in it like a blanket for fun. The thought was interrupted by a red glove patting the crown of her head.

"Alright dear, it's time for the real deal shave. Just think of all the kids that will have wigs because of what tour doing right now."

A moment later Aiyana heard the distinct buzz if clippers fill the room and her eyes might as well has retreated to the back of her skull. She looked up to see the vibrating blades get closer to her hairline, until they rested right in the middle of her forehead between the part of her bangs. Aiyana clised her eyes and bit her lower lip.

"Here we go"

BzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzz

The first pass ended and strands of Aiyana's bangs fell free from her scalp, tickling her face as they fell onto her lap. The zip tie had kept them from falling completely to the ground and they made two perfectly seperated piles in the crevices between her arms and her belly. Without hesitation the barberette pushed the clippers back for the second pass, widening the row she had just made. It was then that Aiyana felt the cold metal touch her scalp for the first time and her jaw dropped. She was actually enjoying this feeling.

The passes continued until the entire crown of her head was bare. Clarissa held up her hand and Madame stopped her work for a second.

"Hey, gather up the severed strands in a tail so we can see how much you've cut so far"

Madame eagerly reached over Aiyana and piled all the severed hair strands into her right hand. She held them away from Aiyana and did a quick pose as she admired her work

"Perfect, now you can continue."

Madame pushed Aiyana's head to her right shoulder and ran the clippers up the side of her left temple, freeing the black hair from the side of her head. This continued until both the left side and top Of Aiyana's head were nothing but stubble. Madame worked her way to the right aide and repeated what she had done on the left side. Then she pushed Aiyana's chin down so it touched her breats and began to shave off the hair on the back of her head. Before she could realize it, the hair on the base of her neck came free and there wasn't a hair on Aiyana's entire head more than a few millimeter's long.

"Not that we have the bulk of it done, let's clean you up"

Aiyana was still so stunned by the experienece that she didnt fully comprehend what Madame had meant. After she regained control of her senses, her scalp was covered in white foam and there was a safety razor scraping the stubble from the top of her head. She suddenly realized she was going to have a shiny scalp when this was over, just like madame's, and she felt butterflies in her stomach.

Madame made quick work of removing the stubble, humming little tune as she did so. With the flick of her wrist she wiped off the last bit of foam and stood back for a moment. The skin on Aiyana's head was not very different in color than the rest of her skin, which was an odd occurrence for first time shavees. She put down the clippers and gathered up all the severed hair strands into one hand.

"Alright darling, it's over, you can open your eyes now"

Funny enough, Aiyana was unable to keep them shut after the first pass. In fact, she hadn't even blinked for the entire shave. The feeling of no hair on her head or hanging in front of her face was like being a brand new person. She put one of her hand son her scalp and moved it back and forth across the skin where her hair once took root.

A-"wow...this is...incredible"

Madame rubbed the nape of Aiyana's neck

M-"haha I'd say you look just fine. So fine, in fact, you could be the Mrs. Clean."

The joke made the camerawoman put her face in her palms and shake her head.

C-"Again with the jokes Madame? Ugh, well the footage is all recorded and I don't think I meed to edit any of it. As far as I can see, we're done here"

Madame unsnapped the green cape and flung it off of Aiyana, sending tiny hair strands through the air. Aiyana stood up, still rubbing her head with both hands, amazed at the new feeling. She turned to madame and saw the massive pontyail that had just been sheared from her head.

"That...used to be on my head...how on earth have I been carrying all that!?!"

Madame layed down the ponytail, reached into utility belt and pulled out a tiny mirror.

"Go ahead, embrace the new you"

Aiyana stood in shock at her appearance for several minutes while madame and Clarissa packaged the hair and cleaned up up the set.

M-"Hey baldy, there's another group that has to use this room in an hour so could you try drooling over your own reflection in the lobby?"

Aiyana looked up from the mirror and realized both women were now in the elevator, waiting for her. She grabbed her purse and booked it between the sliding doors. As she rubbed her freshly shorn scalp she turned to Madame and said

"...so, do you take repeat customers?..."