The Stylist (E.V.)

Prologue: The Stylist Of The Dark Stars

    When she was a child, Regina Walls had an idea while playing with her dolls, it was nothing especially extravagant, just as girls who played with toy babies and small kitchens often fantasized about becoming housewives, while she combed her dolls she dreamed with the idea of becoming a professional of "combing people."

    But she would'nt be an ordinary one, she would comb and fix the hair of famous celebrities, like all those she used to watch on TV.

    Childhood dreams most of the time stayed in just that, like a child's ambitions, but Regina was different, she really tried her best.

    Now with 22 years of age, that dream has come true, but only in a "slightly" different way ...,

    - I've finished -

    - Mmm, as always, you are a lifeguard Regina, thinking that I can neutralize one full command of armed men but I am unable to fix my own hair ... Don't you think is very sad? Hahaha -

    - Well, to be honest I don't take care of mine -

    The place was very small, it was a rent warehouse, Regina had often seen in movies and series that this was the kind of place where police usually find everything from weapons and drugs to frozen bodies, also, she knew it was the kind of place where people could keep their darkest secrets safe.

    But this time, just for this day, the small warehouse became a beauty salon,

    - Now I feel a little more confident, it's likely that one way or another my hair will mess up, but doesn't matter, even being a "bodyguard" I'm still a woman, so a little vanity is ok -

    While Regina took off the hairdresser's cape from her, the client who was a woman who seemed to be in her 30s, continued to speak happily,

    - Before I met you, I only used hair ties, and when I tried hair spray the result was a real disaster, thanks to an idiot my head caught fire, that made me so mad that I ended up torturing the poor man unnecessarily until he begged me for to kill him, thinking about it, wasn't such a bad day since I got good profits, haha -

    - Most commercial fixatives contain alcohol, so I use special non-alcoholic fixatives, they are good at preventing hair damage, also to prevent such incidents, I guess -

    The client got up from the chair, she was dressed in an elegant black suit-tailor, her newly arranged brown hair was dazzling and the makeup on her face was quite discreet, her complete image gave the same impression as that of a business woman.

    Regina took a coat from a coat rack and helped her to put it on, then the woman took out a pack of cigarettes, took one and the next thing she did could take anyone by surprise, but not Regina, the client who could pass perfectly as a simple business woman blew lightly on the palm of his right hand and immediately a small flame like that of a lighter appeared, which she used to light his cigarette,

    - I wonder if I could learn how to do "Dragon Breaths" -, with a thoughtful expression Regina looked at her own hand as if she wanted to try to do the same her client just did, - so I wouldn't need to waste time looking for matches -

    - No way, you are such a very nice and honest cutie to do it, you would be more of an "Aqua Fancy" person -, exhaling the smoke from her lungs, the client raised her hand where she had the flame, then, as if gasoline would have been spilled, the Flame grew to turn the woman's hand into a torch, after about two seconds she clenched her fist and with a flash the fire vanish, - besides ... Don't you think having a lighter at hand would be easier? -

    Faced with such a practical (and quite ironic) advice, Regina only threw a kind smile, although in her mind she complained about something like "if you say that, then why the hell people don't you apply that advice yourselves and stop showing off". Usually, most of her clients smoked, and usually they always used that "trick" to light their cigarettes, and more frustratingly, everyone always responded in a similar way when she made them that fully intended and practiced comment.

    Regina hoped that at some point someone would tell her "fine you just have to do this and that, etc.", but nobody gave her any clues or help, even though they acted as if "blowing fire" was nothing special and something anyone can do with a bit of practice,

    - Well well, I better go before an unforeseen catastrophe plunges this fragile country -

    - You have told me that you are a politician's bodyguard, so I guess your work must be very important -

    - Actually, the right thing would be to say that I am a bodyguard of the bodyguards, whether they are at risk or planning stupid things on their own is my job to act -

    - And is it okay for you to tell me that? Sounds like some "top secret" stuff -

    - It's fine it's fine, but I suppose telling you that the bodyguards I watch are those of the President of the United States of America would be kinda problematic hahahahaha -

    The woman laughed childish and foolishly, but Regina's expression seemed to beg for a brand new day tomorrow, she did not doubt a hint of the truth of the words of that client of her, but what she doubted was her ability to take care of one of the most important people in the world, or to keep secrets,

    - I'll transfer the payment to your account, see ya -

    - Have a good day -

    As a child, Regina Walls had a dream, fixing the hair of famous celebrities. She could have the famous "salon talks" with beautiful actresses who would tell her about his gossip and romances, she could make friends with handsome actors and be his confidant, and maybe be the goal of seduction of one, but at some point, instead of delicate women, her female clients were dangerous people, instead of charming men, her male clients were leaders of organizations that did not exist in public, instead of relaxed and meaningless small talks, the conversations were the type that would collapse the whole media.

    Regina knew very well that she had glimpsed an unknown and mysterious world that nobody should know.

    Regina also knew that although she arrived at the gates of that world, she was not part of it, she was just a simple stylist after all.

    But Regina was not afraid, even with all the "fantastic" things her clients could do, she never felt intimidated, on the contrary, she felt amazed.

    And in the end, even if they could create fire with their breaths or if they ruled the fate of millions of people from the shadows, they were still in the most basic aspect, "just persons."

    And at some point, Regina Walls recorded in her heart what became the slogan of her company, no matter who:

                                  - Everybody needs a cut -