cuttingremark | Salon buddies for @favoriteanalyst

Salon buddies for @favoriteanalyst

It started about a few months ago. Loki needed to relax after making the mistake of spending his winter holidays with his 'family' (which ended in another spectacular fight with Odin that resulted in one broken window and a lost snow globe Loki has thrown through said broken window), but his normal esthetician was booked solid for the next year and couldn't fit him in outside of his own pre-scheduled appointments no matter how much money he offered to throw at her. Wanda was the best in the city, probably the whole country, so it made sense, but there's still the issue of Loki needing something to relieve his tension so he didn't strangle his paralegals. The thought crossed his mind of setting up a tindr profile for a quick fuck, but he isn't in law school anymore and that was just a disaster waiting to happen.

Wanda saves him from making a bad decision by texting him the information for another technician she helped train. She claims he's new, but very talented, which he figures will do in a pinch. The link she sent him takes him to a rather outdated looking webpage for the "TVA Salon and Spa", an older establishment that apparently started in the 50's as a barber shop, but recent made the jump to full salon under new management. Despite the clunky UI, he's able to schedule an appointment for a basic manicure the very next day with the young man Wanda had told him about.

Casey is a nice young man. Not anywhere as skilled as Wanda, but his nails come out looking acceptable with their basic black polish and the hand massage he gets to begin with is utterly divine. He doesn't go into detail about his family problems, but the other gets the gist that the holidays were strained and is more than willing to play the oh-so-important role of listening ear even if his platitudes do ring a little hollow.

When the appointment is over, Casey hands him a card for a free deep conditioning treatment or 30 minute shoulder massage.

"These are really just for family and friends," he explains, "but you really seem like you need something to help you relax." He thinks about declining, but decides it isn't polite and takes the card anyway before handing the young man a $400 tip.

The stern looking woman at the front desk gives him a serious look as Casey nearly passes out in the background. "I'm going to be checking those to make sure they're real."

"But of course, I would expect nothing less." His usual winning smile does nothing to lighten her glare as she rings him out. She asks if he wants to use the card to schedule something today. Why not? It's a charming establishment and he has some free time coming up.

The masseuse the card is good for, Bee, is apparently booked solid for the next month, but the stylist, Mobius, just had a cancellation in the following week that fit perfectly in his schedule.

That appointment was the beginning of the end for Loki.

So in he walks six months later, having ditched his normal high-end stylist for a middle-aged man who looks like he works in a cubicle rather than a up-and-coming salon. It isn't his normally scheduled appointment, but his cases have been crazy and Thor just left for his "journey of self-discovery" aka backpacking across Europe, so all of Odin's attention is now on his youngest.

Joy.

If Loki were the sentimental type, he'd think it a shame that the lobby area of a salon is more comfortable for him than his childhood home.

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Maybe Loki's hair grows particularly fast, or perhaps he is prone to split ends (they have products for that!), but this feels more like an excuse than anything. Won't call him out on it, though. Not his place to judge.

"Luckily for you, I don't. Think I've always got time for you. Let's get you back for a wash. Just remember that oily hair needs a little extra care, but too much washing strips you of the necessary natural oils that keep everything healthy. A balancing act."

Loki doesn't need told. But he says it anyway. He's pretty sure the guy really just likes having fingers through his hair, and it's also not his place to suggest elsewhere he can get that. A salon's a pretty safe option. The client is fit with the usual flowing bib and led to the sink, lowered back in gently. Start some water, grab some product to lather up...

"So, special occasion? Need to look particularly nice to woo a judge?"

"I just picked up a new deep conditioner, so if you notice any signs of damage, let me know." Loki is well aware how to care for his hair and has all the best products in his master bath just for that. His hair is unfairly healthy even if he has to wash it more often than most.

There's only so much a salon can do to make the washing sink comfortable. Loki hasn't found a one that doesn't hurt his neck hurt, but that is soon forgotten when Mobius starts the warm water. He doesn't know what this man does that makes it so much better than any other stylist, but the second he starts to run his fingers through Loki's dark hair the lawyer feels all the tension melt out of his body.

"No, with Thor on his little vacation, Odin's been harrassing me to make an appearance at some fundraiser or another. I don't know, I've been deleting his voicemails."

Mobius is attentive to his work, but he is also attentive to his clients. His skilled fingers set to massaging into hair and scalp, and his mouth forms into a frown.

"Sounds to me like he should know better. How important is it for one of his sons to make an appearance? You've got better things to be doing."

"Apparently it's something to do with families, so he wants at least one of us to show 'unity' or some other bullshit." It seems the only time he can talk at-length about his family sans-alcohol is when Mobius is fiddling with his hair. Something about the soothing tone of the man's voice and his utterly magical fingers keeps his heart rate down enough to actually finish a sentence.

"Unfortunately, he knows this time of year is slow for the firm so it's hard to make excuses."

"Hm, don't make me come up with some legal issue that you definitely have to attend to right this instant, definitely can't wait." No, he does not occasionally daydream about a little light arson of this place, that doesn't ever happen...

"The best excuse is probably no excuse at all. If you're deleting the messages, that ought to send a clear message in return. 'No' is pretty powerful, too." He hums, though, considering it. "I'm guessing it's not that simple, though."

Loki chuckles at Mobius' offer to cause mischief on his behalf, ignoring the warm bubble that starts forming at the idea that this man might actually do something for Loki outside of his usual professional role.

"It never is. He's recruited Mother into all this, she texted me this morning." It's obvious to anyone who's ever heard him talk about the woman that Loki has a soft spot for his mother.

"She's insisting it would be a good opportunity to talk after the fiasco that happened last Yule." Loki doesn't sound like he agrees with her.

Aaaaand there's the other part of the guy's complicated family dynamics. "You can also say no to your mom. But that's also not so simple." He guesses. His family was never so complicated.

Mobius starts in with the rinsing. "Do I want to ask what happened last Yule?" And who calls it Yule? That's cute. Very European. He's never been. "Something dramatic, if it's a fiasco."

"One does not simply say 'no' to Frigga." His mother is gentle, caring woman, but she is also a force of nature that cannot be moved from it's given path. If she decided he is to be at the gala, he will be at the gala.

"Honestly nothing out of the ordinary for us. He said something about being disappointed I was 'throwing away my talents', I bit back, he disparaged who I spend my time with, it escalated from there." Eyes closed, a wicked smirk spreads across his face. "I did throw one of his favorite trinkets through the window and into the lake before he threw me out."

Was it petty? Yes. But he doesn't really care.

"They get that you're an adult, right? That you're a grown man who can make his own choices, has his own life, his own career, his own schedule?" That's not the point; he's heard stories not necessarily unlike this before. Not this, but not dissimilar either. The dynamics are more complicated. But it never hurts to point out that it could be that simple, in another life.

"Doesn't sound like going home is going to be all that good for you, unless you can avoid daddy dearest. Which, given the nature of the whole...thing..." Big resounding no, there.

"They claim to, but always get so antsy when I try to exert said control." There's nothing to be done about it, he knows. Frigga respects his desire for distance for the most part, but will insist he come home for big events and the holidays. He knows she misses him, and he misses her as well. If only they could get through a family visit without something happening.

"If I do go," said as if it isn't a given now that his mother is invovled, "I will be getting a hotel room. Even if the press finds out, Odin's PR people can spin it some way that doesn't make him look bad." Which means Loki's going to have to try extra hard to not get invited to another one of these things.

"Now I just have to find a date." In the past, he just would have scrolled through his short list of favored sex workers, but Odin knows all of them by now, knows their profession. He might want to cause a little chaos, but it isn't fair to put them through the old bastard's displeasure.

"Doesn't sound like that should be hard." Loki is youthful and attractive and charming with money. He could ask the next person he sees out and most likely get a yes. "But these are modern times, and going stag is an option. Unless that's also bad optics for some reason."

"I could, but then who would I talk to?" He's already going to be bored, might as well try to mitigate some of that boredom with good company.

Wait.

"Say...do you have plans the first weekend of next month?"

"Nice try," with a laugh as he towels up Loki's hair, helps him up to shuffle him over to the hairdryers. "I don't think you want me suddenly caught up in foreign politics or at the mercy of your dad. Maybe if I suddenly get hired to do everyone's hair looking ready for the red carpet, or whatever carpet there is for a festive gala like that."

"Nonsense!" He's just not going to think about the disappointment in his gut at Mobius' dismissal of the idea. "They want someone polite and unassuming, you are both of these things along with being delightful to be around."

He sits under the hair dryer, leaning forward slightly so Mobius can adjust the towel off of his head.

"Come on, it will be fun! You get to see a new place, all expenses paid. We can even book you your own hotel room. It'll be like a vacation."

"An all expense paid vacation, now that does sound--" He stops for a second, squinting. "Was I not going to have my own hotel room in this original plan of yours?"

"Of course it was part of the plan!" No fabrication of the one bed trope here! "I just wanted to make it explicit."

"...Right." Definitely not thinking about sharing a room with Loki. No. Of course that was always the plan. "Not that I'd mind all that much. If money or space were an issue." Which it's not. Clearly.

Why is his brain fumbling and tripping up over this?

"Still. Yeah, no, that sounds nice, really lovely. I'm sure you've got a lot of other people than just a hairdresser you can bring along to be nice respectful company."

"I suppose so, but what if I want to bring my hair dresser?" He does his best not to pout, feeling weird about how disappointed he is that Mobius doesn't want to go with him.

"You're a wonderful conversationalist, you already know the issues with my family, so that wouldn't be a surprise. I enjoy spending time with you." What was that? Weird!

"Just, think about it? You don't have to commit to anything in this exact moment."

He's going to pretend he doesn't hear all of that over the sound of (literal) hot air blowing. Because he doesn't really know how to respond to that. Enjoy spending time with him? Is that why comes so frequently? Is it really just--does this guy really think--is he--

Or maybe it's pity? Or really wants someone to be a sugarbaby and for some reason 'older fella working with hair' strikes him as pathetic enough to be into that? Or maybe it really is just a good amount of teasing, and it's going to come bite him in the ass the second he relents.

No, don't think that way. Loki's a nice guy. Friendly. But if it's not that...

"I'll think about it. You got a business card on you so I can let you know?"

If it's hard for Mobius to hear, it's impossible for Loki under the hairdryer. Luckily he has some skill in reading lips and is able to get the general idea. Under the cape, he digs a business card out from his wallet. It's a sleek black card with gold lettering for all of Loki's professional contact information, but that will only work if Mobius wants to reach him during working hours. What if he wants to call after hours? Or text?

"Hand me a pen?" Once provided, Loki jots down is personal number on the white back of the card before holding it out to Mobius. "Call or text any time."

It feels a little surreal. Yeah, a card is one thing, but then he adds what must be his cell number, and that's another level, right? On the other hand, no reason he should have to go through official channels for something like this, right? He nods his thanks and tucks it away.

If he lets Loki sit there drying like a dog at the groomers for a little bit longer than is perhaps strictly necessary, well, that's just coincidence. And not needing to take five real quick and deal with this internally.

But return he does to make sure it's good enough to work with and not still sopping and leads Loki back to the usual chair. Has it been dealt with internally? Haha, no, not really. He mostly doesn't think he'll bring it up, move along to another topic, but--

"You wouldn't prank an old man, would you?" While getting a comb through that no-longer-mop.

Loki relaxes in the chair, as usual, but his mind is going a thousand miles an hour. Was giving him his personal number a bad move? He was under the dryer for slightly longer than usual. Wait, was he? Or did it just seem like it?

"No!" He wants to keep at least a little bit of his trademark snark in his voice, but it comes out much more earnest than intended. "You've been nothing but kind to me, I would never do something like that to you."

Shit. Not cool enough. Gotta save it! "Also, you aren't that old."

Nailed it.

His hands pause at the earnestness of Loki's reaction. And the...everything else. "Well, that's kind of you. This grey sure isn't dye, though, in case you thought I was making a fashion statement." Meh, age is relative, he knows. Still.

"Just...I'm sure you've got friends who could use a break. Rather than invite someone you barely know to come hang out at home as a buffer between you and your family."

"You wear it well." He's not trying to flirt, really. Just saying something that is obvious. Loki has eyes, Mobius is an attractive man.

"I suppose I'll ask around." He frowns slightly, trying to think of someone who knew about his family and also was tolerable to be around. Sylvie maybe? No, she's more likely to attack Odin when he inevitably says something annoying. Korg? Hiking with Thor. Val, same problem as Sylvie. Bruce?

Shit, he can't do that to Bruce, the man would combust.

Shit, does he really not have friends? Is that why he's insisting on this? "I promise I'll think about it. I wouldn't want to intrude, or be in the way." Just in case Loki wants someone to be in the way. He runs his fingers back through dark hair several times, the way he knows Loki likes.

"Maybe tell me more about what to expect? A grand gala full of press and whispered drama, or a hotel buffet of barely polite conversation and a big fake check to show off?"

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