Rose Tyler is Bad Wolf (_badwolf_) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-03-26 11:12:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, james, rose tyler |
Who: James & Rose
What: Time for a Change!
When: Mid March
Where: Hairobics
Rating: Low
Status: Complete upon posting!
Rose couldn’t remember the last time she had had a haircut; it had to be before she moved to California! She looked down at her hair as she walked down the street, wondering when it had gotten to this point. She usually liked a shorter do, just above her shoulders, but now it fell down to her shoulder blades. It was time for a change.
She had heard of a shoppe close by in the Newport Beach area that had a pretty good reputation, not to mention the owner was on the network. She had such a good run with everyone else she had met, she was eager to make one more friend from online.
When she arrived, she opened the door, happy to see there weren’t too many people there already. She hadn’t thought to make an appointment and was hoping to just drop in. She approached the girl at the counter. “Hi, um, was wondering if there might be an opening? I just need a cut!” She held out her hair as if that was an indication of the situation at hand. The girl wrote down her name and told her the wait would be about five to ten minutes. Rose smiled her thanks and took a seat, picking up a nearby magazine and flipped through the pages, an ear out for her name being called.
James had checked his schedule early in the day. It was pretty free, but that was because he had taken a morning meeting to show his work for a film. He loved the independent projects, almost more than the studio. Now that he was back, he still had several hours before the next customer arrived, one of his regulars that needed her hair swept up in a nice updo for some ceremony. That would be quick, easy and stunning.
He was seated in his own chair when the receptionist rounded the corner with the news of a walk in. The others were busy with their own clients, so he stepped out into the waiting area. James was tall, standing about 6’0”. His long, dark hair hung in his eyes. His face was young, friendly, even a little impish. “Hey there,” he said, taking a look down at the magazine that Rose was holding. “Ready to get started. It looks like it has been awhile.” His eyebrows raised in simple observation. “It has for me too, but that is pretty obvious. The hipster look kind of works for me.”
Rose looked up as she was being addressed and smiled. “Yeah, it’s been awhile and I think I wanna do a shorter cut! Wanted to get a professionals opinion though.” She stood up and held out her hand, introducing herself. “Rose by the way. Glad I could sneak in today!” She couldn’t help but mile wider as she realized how tall James was; she wasn’t the shortest girl but she felt pretty small looking up at him.
“I dunno, I think the look suits you,” she said, following him back to his chair. “How long have you been growing your hair out?”
James looked towards the mirror and made a face, silly in his own way. “I don’t know if I intended to grow it. It just grew.” He shrugged, happy with it either way. It was part of his nature. Even when he was upset, he usually manage to find the bright side with a little effort. “My best friend always said she loved it, even if it is crazy and curly, and when the wind blows, I get what I call the Einstein effect.”
“Come on this way.” He motioned to the girl, ringing her into the back room. “Have a seat, and we can look at some things and figure out what you want.”
Once she was seated, James handed her a few magazines. “I’m James. I’ve been doing this for about 6 years. I also do hair and makeup for movies and theater. I am that guy running around behind the scenes with a hair utility belt and hairspray.” No one realized how much effort was put into hair, especially when shooting outside. He loved it though. It was busy and exciting, and he always had more than enough energy.
“Don’t make me pick up a hair dryer and see that effect for myself,” Rose teased, trying to imagine the hair being whipped around. It was a little crazy, but it seemed very hip at the same time. Rose tried to keep up with the latest trends but tended to fail most of the time. She could definitely picture him in some large sunglasses and a flannel shirt.
She appreciated having James talk about what he did, as if in a way to assure her how qualified he was. She was actually impressed with what he had done, especially since he looked so young. She was sure he heard that a lot though and kept her mouth shut on the subject.
“That sounds awesome! How long have you been doing that?”
“It wouldn’t take much actually. It’s quite the ironic twist, considering what I do. It gives me character though.” His smile was the same, both quirky and charming. Really, he could pull off just about anything and it worked for him.
He sat on the edge of his station, looking completely at ease and he truly was. This was his element, and he was a natural. “You could say that I started in high school. My junior and senior year, I was invited to the girls’ houses before the prom to do hair. Homecoming was the same way. I was the guy that set up outside the locker room where the princesses were getting ready. I had a hair station.”
He laughed, handing Rose a book, which was his portfolio. Most of the book consisted of actors and actresses in various degrees of makeup. There was even one of James running around with hairspray and a teasing comb. “I’ve been in a salon for three years, and on sets for two. I do some wardrobe design on the side.”
“What do you have in mind for you? Do you want to keep it long, maybe add some color?”
Rose returned the smile he gave her, liking him instantly. He seemed laid back, easy to friend and get along with. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Wish I had known you while I was still in school! I was rubbish at my make up and hair. My mum didn’t help much so I kind of had to figure it out myself! Went through every kind of mixed up make-up that teenage girls seem to go through. I guess it’s part of the initiation though, yeah?” Rose hadn’t minded too much; she had some good friends that helped her along the way, but there were days she still didn’t feel like she had the whole girl thing down.
Rose flipped through the portfolio, her eyes growing large when she noticed a few choice actors and actresses she liked from the cinemas. “James, this is amazing! What was it like the first time you ever worked on set?” Rose was sure she could never do something as neat as this; she was the type to freak out if the local weatherman stopped into the Starbucks when she worked.
“I dunno about color, but I wanna try something different. Maybe bangs or side bangs? And shorter!” She looked at him for his opinion. “Whattya think? I also came to get a professionals opinion!”
“I was great with the girls, in a very girly friend way. They knew I was gay before I really knew. I never pretended not to be, but I wasn’t going to identify it. My dad was not having any of it. But I could do hair, and that was worthy of having friends, so it kind of saved me.” He certainly didn’t mind telling the story. Really, it was a pretty common tale, especially in LA, and he was quite at home here.
“The first time I worked on a set, I had no idea what I was in for, and I was gushing all over people. I am not immune to being star struck. Look at this!” He reached between two books of hair styles and pulled out another notebook. This one had pictures of him with various celebrities and autographs, along with a lot of thank yous for his care on set, and for making everyone laugh. “This is my treasure. That’s what it’s like. Oh you get some that are less pleasant, but some that are awesome.”
He gave Rose the book to look at while he picked up a comb, parting through her hair. He examined the length as it was, and the ends. “It definitely needs some touch ups, but only to hold shape. I could see a few inches off, and a side bang would absolutely work for you. Your hair is thick, but not too thick. Shoulder length maybe?”
It seemed a very personal thing for James to share with her and Rose smiled at him through the mirror. She had never had an experience like him, but silently applauded him for going what he was passionate for and being who he was, no matter the difficulties. She always found it unpleasant when a family member didn’t support another, but he seemed to be doing fine. She wasn’t going to press for more information and hoped that he and his father had come to an understanding together.
She thumbed through the book, thoroughly impressed with the stars he had been on set before. “I’m officially jealous,” she said, looking at the various comments and smiling at them. Overall it seemed like he was a beloved member of the Hollywood society! “Who was your favorite and who was your least favorite?” She gave him a little grin, wanting to know the inside dish of the great movie stars.
She looked up at the mirror when he talked about her hair, nodding her head slightly. “I think shoulder length is perfect! And what would a sidebang look like?”
“Zelda,” James said brightly, pointing out a blonde with curly hair. “Now that girl was A-mazing. She produced and directed, as well as starred from time to time. I did her hair for her wedding. She was an awesome friend. She moved with her husband to Ireland, but may come back someday. I think babies were on their mind more than work.” He shrugged, pointing to another picture of one of Zelda’s crews. “She really helped me get my name out there.”
At the mention of a sidebang, he picked up another portfolio, flipping the pages until he found a good one. “I love this. The hair was a little lighter, but definitely fit the thickness and shape. I could also do some highlights, make your color really pop. It’s amazing what just a few highlights can do.”
Rose looked at the photo and smiled. She had such a lovable face and she could see how she might have been able to introduce James to a much bigger society; she seemed to have a very personable nature about her, something that shone through the photo. “She’s cute!” Rose heard that there was a bit more fondness in his tone about Zelda than just a passing client. “Has she ever come back for a visit?”
She glanced at the picture he used, nodding her head. “I’ve never done highlights before! Sure, that sounds and looks great!” She couldn't help but feel a little nervous, having never really done much with her hair before. She couldn’t help but wonder what John would think of all this either...
“Not yet, but we EMail, and Facebook, and Tweet. She is a very rare talent.” He did miss her and it did carry over in his tone. He looked down at the picture remembering the ears. He wondered if she still had the elf ears for a minute. Dreams were a strange thing, but he didn’t know if they continued when one moved away.
“Alrighty then, color,” he said, bringing himself back to his job. He reached out, inspecting several strands of hair. Highlights needed to stand out. “Now with highlights, we can go light or dark. Since your hair is light, I can actually go a little darker, and that will make the blonde stand out that much more. I know it sounds strange, but it will absolutely work. The truth is nobody in a movie has their natural hair color anyway. It’s always enhanced a little.”
Rose smiled at him through the mirror, hearing the loneliness of not having his friend here anymore. “Great to still keep in touch! I’m sure you guys will find some free time when you guys can visit one another. Although Ireland is kind of far away...still, would be a great vacation!” She glanced back at herself, trying to imagine a new style and new color. But she trusted James; he knew what he was talking about and seemed confident. That was why she had gone to a professional, to get advice on something new!
“Whatever you think will work is alright with me! I trust ya!” She gave him a wink.
James nodded, giving Rose a smile that was just as radiant as the last. He had lost a lot of people lately - Zelda, Jessie, and Piers, his boyfriend. It left him a little lonely and he threw himself into extra work. “Ireland was beautiful. She flew us all there for the actual wedding.”
He held a couple of strands up to Rose’s hair just to match up with the color that was already there. He didn’t want to go too bold, or not bold enough. He also had to make sure her skin tone wouldn’t clash. He set up bowls and started mixing the colors. Instead of two, he had chosen three - one for the body, and two different tones of highlights. It was definitely coming together. “Do you get to travel much?” he asked as he worked.
Rose laughed, nodding her head before realizing she probably shouldn’t move her head too much if he was going to cut and dye it. She straightened and looked at him through the mirror. “I travel a lot through my work, but only through the US. No international, at least not yet. I think once I get some more experience, I might be able to grab a flight or two.” Really, it was the international travel that interested her the most.
“But! The domestic travels can be fun too! My flatmate got me a stuffed banana and I named him Waldo. I hide him in pictures and send them to him so he can try and find him!” She laughed, thinking about climbing the tree. “There was this one time…”