Kapitel 162: Much More than a Trim
Summary: Journey to the semi-distant future and enjoy the story of Chanda Komassa, a businesswoman looking for a simple haircut who gets a LOT more than she expected from her android stylist.
-x-X-x-
Hydraulics squealed as the lift brought the gleaming tube car up to street level. It was a new model, an import; the kind of personal vehicle that only the upper class could afford. It's bright blue metallic paint and brilliant white marker lights stood out against its new surroundings as the platform it rested on rotated, aligning with the sidewalk. The door opened silently, driven by hidden motors, and a pair of black open-toed heels descended to meet the textured surface below.
This part of the city was older, but nicely updated in the current style. Once left to the workers of the lower classes, it was now resurgent, a neighborhood experiencing an influx of younger, more wealthy residents. Amid the bustle, the buildings shimmered in bright daylight, most of them built with a polished piano-black material and covered with glowing strips of low-energy lighting, bright enough that they overpowered the direct sunlight with neon blues, greens, and oranges. Everything was sharp corners, geometric shapes, and set with such machine perfection that no seams could be seen in any of the architecture. Even the sidewalk itself was immaculate, but grooved to prevent pedestrians from slipping.
Chanda Komassa stood to her full height, squinting as her contacts darkened over her olive eyes, adjusting from the dim of the vacuum tunnel to the full-on light of day. She sighed, mostly out of relief. It had been too long since she'd visited this sector of New Francisco, and more importantly, too long since she had gotten a haircut. Chanda could feel her sweat soaking into the heavy synthetic fabric of her restrictive business suit already, and her wavy dirty-blonde hair clung to her sticky neck. It was down to her mid-back now, and in the searing 100º F heat, she longed for a shorter style that would allow for some airflow.
The businesswoman had been away for some time, laying out new contracts in China and Kenya. She was only in her late 20s, which meant her firm kept her busy with travel and other tasks that the older employees were unwilling to complete. Instead they sent the new girl a message and she got it done, whatever it was. Not that Chanda minded at all; she was driven, motivated to become the CEO of the company. No one doubted that one day, once the current leadership retired, she would.
Small street pods moved by silently, carrying the residents of the area to work or maybe to lunch. Chanda watched them, envying their climate-controlled interiors, but resigned to walk to the salon. Even in the dense humidity, it was only two blocks. She could use the exercise, and the sun. Her naturally darker complexion kept her from turning the pasty-white of someone who stayed indoors most days, but she had noticed that she was looking paler than she liked. As she walked, a group of young teenage girls, dressed in the same precise style that informed the architecture around them, parted to allow her pass. The intricate makeup on their faces shifted as they smiled and then giggled to themselves. Chanda smiled back unconsciously, years of business training telling her that it was best to reciprocate with a pleasant reaction.
Across the road was a small storefront of tinted glass, with backlit text built into the facade above that read "SALON TWO" in simple thin lettering. She had scheduled her appointment earlier that week, to make sure that she wouldn't need to wait, and to ensure that the place was still in business. Lucky for her, it was. The last time she had visited, over three months prior, the owner had been talking about selling the business because more and more clients were moving to the trendier establishments that were springing up in the district. But despite that fact, here was Salon Two, still on the same corner and still with the same sign. Chanda waited for the traffic to stop, her wearable terminal registering with the traffic sensors that a pedestrian was waiting to cross. After a minute, the street pods paused, and a bright green path of pulsing lights appeared in the roadway, showing her the path to the opposite side. She stepped forwards, long legs making easy work of the traverse.
Salon Two was far from her apartment, it wasn't as high-end as the salons in her sector, and it certainly wasn't as fast as the laser trims one could have in street shop. Its prices were fair, and its offerings had always been basic. So why had she come here? Familiarity, she supposed. When she was in university, she'd lived in this neighborhood, working a part time job to stay out of debt. Every month for four years she'd come to this very spot to have her hair trimmed and get an hour or so of respite from her busy world. Eventually, it had become her second home, a place where she felt secure and comfortable, and there was no way that she could ever abandon it. So, every chance she had, Chanda made the quick trip through the New Francisco Vacuum Network to have herself styled.
As Chanda approached the salon, the array of sensors and cameras above its entry identified her as a returning customer with an appointment. They also made detailed scans of her body, her attire, and her hair that were immediately sent to her stylist. The doors retracted smoothly into the obsidian walls, and a rush of cool air washed over her, chilling her sweat-drenched skin. She hummed in relief at the feel of the air conditioning, and hurriedly stepped out of the sun.
Her smart contacts took a few moments to adjust to the indoor lighting, and her wearable chimed on her wrist, alerting her that the salon staff were aware of her arrival. She surveyed the familiar shape of the space as she undid the top button of her shirt to allow for additional ventilation. Something about the salon seen different. As her brain registered more and more changes, Chanda realized that the entire atmosphere of the salon had been updated. She paused, momentarily unsure if she was in the right place.
The décor, the lighting, the chairs, seemingly the entire feel of Salon Two, had been redone. Pulsing electronic music played on the sound system, sending low bass through her body. Summed together, the changes made the space feel youthful, energetic, and completely unfamiliar. Well, at least mostly unfamiliar.
One aspect of the salon appeared to have remained the same, and it the most important part of Chanda's experience: the robotic stylists. Several of them moved about the space, carrying supplies, cleaning, and conversing. She saw two in the back working with clients. These stylebots, as they we called, were older models that she suspected were manufactured in the mid-2050s. Each was nearly identical to the others, built with a friendly feminine face and body, and a synthetic appearance formed from glossy black metal, white plastic, and carbon weaves. Unlike the flawless humanoid bodies of the current android generation, these were designed before artificial flesh, and were intentionally robotic-looking to avoid falling into the uncanny valley.
If asked, Chanda would have admitted that she found the stylebots attractive. Despite her conservative appearance, she'd realized in college that she was a pansexual. Something about the perfect female form, the expressive blue eyes, and the plump black silicone lips always grabbed her attention. Plus, they all matched her in height. Even in 2072, a woman over six-feet tall was somewhat rare, and she preferred partners who could look her in the eyes. She'd often fantasized about taking one home, having her reprogrammed, and getting down to business. It wasn't an impossible fantasy, especially after the bonus from her latest promotion.
One of the stylebots looked up as she entered and approached her, motors humming gently as she took long strides across the spotless floor. The only way to tell her apart from any of the others was her "hair," a molded carbon fiber construction that approximated a shoulder-length cut with asymmetrical bangs. The others had different haircuts, each unique, that helped patrons tell them apart. Chanda recognized this one, but had never interacted with her up to this point.
"Welcome back to Salon Two, Miss Komassa! My name is Meruru, and I will be helping you today. Please, follow me." The stylebot spoke with a clear, bubbly voice that sounded so authentic it could have passed for human. It surprised Chanda, because ever since she had been coming here, the voices of the stylists had sounded noticeably synthesized. Perhaps their voice engines had been upgraded, or maybe their entire AI package had been swapped. Despite the unfamiliarity, Chanda followed, occasionally glancing down at the stylebot's seductively swaying hips. The android's designer hadn't left anything to the imagination. Such a pervert.
"Please have a seat here! This one is my station," said Meruru, gesturing to one of the sturdy metal styling chairs. They were definitely new, and judging by the brand and the workmanship, very expensive. Chanda turned to sit.
"I can take your jacket if you like," came Meruru's voice from behind her.
"Oh, thank you," Chanda answered, lifting her hands to undo the front button of her suit.
"Oof!" she gasped in surprise. Meruru's hands were apparently faster than hers, and her metal fingers darted around Chanda's waist to her buttons, unhooking them. She felt the robot lean up against her back, soft breasts pressing against her suit.
"My apologies Miss Komassa," Meruru spoke in a low voice near Chanda's ear, "I didn't mean to startle you. My programming can sometimes be excessively accommodating. Please, allow me to remove your jacket for you."
Trying to relax, Chanda nodded, and allowed Meruru to pull the jacket from her shoulders and stow it on a hook to the side of her station. She hoped that she wasn't blushing, and wondered whether such behavior was normal for the stylebots. Coding errors often occurred when AI systems were upgraded, so perhaps this new system wasn't entirely without flaws. She glanced at Meruru once more, then sat. The chair instantly adjusted to her body, providing lower back support and cupping her toned bottom in a type of electrosensitive nanoparticle foam. She was accustomed to this type of system, but typically it was relegated to first-class flights and expensive tube cars, not to salon chairs. Still, it felt nice, and she felt her muscles begin to relax as her nerves dissipated.
Meruru returned and stood behind Chanda, looking down at her long blonde hair with an expression of mixed disappointment and excitement.
"Miss Komassa, you've been away far too long. You're in desperate need of a trim, maybe more!"
"Ah, you're right! Just a trim, Meruru. Take it up to my shoulders… it's been too hot this summer for long hair, no matter how much I like it."
"Are you sure? Our records show that your finances are more than enough to cover any of our other services… I could…"
"Just a trim will be fine," said Chanda, cutting off the enthusiastic stylebot. She flashed a polite closed-lipped smile into the mirror.
"Sure thing!" said Meruru, masking her disappointment carefully.
The floor-to-ceiling mirror in front of Chanda flashed, and she watched as the image changed from her reflection to include other information. Adds for hair products, new prices for cuts and coloring, and some clothing advertisements scrolled down the sides. Her face flickered, and suddenly she was looking at a version of herself with straightened, shoulder-length hair. When she shook her head, the short hair moved playfully. It was exquisite augmented reality, matching her movements perfectly and providing real-time animations. This wasn't what she expected from Salon Two at all, but the visualization was nice. Last time she had visited, the mirrors were simply mirrors with a few embedded displays.
"That looks lovely!" Meruru grinned at her client's approval, and the AR mirror returned the scene to reality.
The stylebot stepped behind the chair and paused, her system running through her station's controls. "Let's start by giving your hair a wash!"
The chair reclined slowly, silently, and without warning, causing a momentary vertigo that made Chanda clutch at the armrests. As it changed positions, a set of metal plates slid out from the back of the chair and arranged themselves into a washing basin, complete with a drain. Meruru ran her fingers over Chanda's blonde locks, pulling them all towards the sink. An articulated metal tube snaked up from the chair and attached itself to a socket on the stylebot's forearm with a satisfying click.
Cool metal fingers ran through Chanda's hair again, and this time they were accompanied by warm, fragrant water that gushed from small openings in the tips of Meruru's digits.
"Your typical shampoo and conditioner, Miss Komassa?"
"Please."
Meruru massaged Chanda's scalp deeply, with a practiced technique that felt more human than any stylebot she'd been with before. Her hands were now heated by the flow of the water, and the soft tips of her fingers pressed into Chanda's skin, relieving the tension in her facial muscles and opening her pores. As her hair soaked, she realized that Meruru's movements seemed gentle, almost as if the stylebot was enjoying touching her customer's hair as much as Chanda was enjoying the wash. Maybe she was just imagining it, projecting her own fantasy onto Meruru, but the way her hands moved felt wonderfully sensual. Chanda shivered as the bot ran her hands down to the base of her skull, loosening the thick hair that grew there. She felt Meruru pause, then resume her work, and she swore that she saw the robot's lips form a near-imperceptible smile.
Shampoo frothed from one of Meruru's hands as the other washed it away with steaming water. Suds covered Chanda's damp hair and flooded into the basin, producing an inescapable pleasant aroma. She listened to the gurgling noises of the water foaming through her mane, and continued to focus on Meruru's expert touches. If only the men or women she'd been with in the past few years could pull off a massage of this quality, perhaps she might have stayed with one of them for longer than a month.
Chanda realized that her face felt flushed. Even in the air-conditioned salon, she felt hot. If she had checked her wearable, she might have noticed that her heartbeat was slightly elevated. In her daydreaming about Meruru's fingers, Chanda found herself embarrassingly turned on, and she quickly attempted to calm herself. There was a scent in the air, something out-of-place and enticing, that made her feel a little out of control. It took her a few minutes to realize where she'd smelled it before: at a high-end nightclub on vacation to Jordan. Since her last visit, management must have installed an aerosolized aphrodisiac device in the salon. Such systems used a bioengineered compound that was highly effective, especially in women, and was originally developed as a booster for the female libido. It was already popular in clubs and bars, but retailers had realized that an aroused customer is often less inhibited in her spending. And while high-ppm doses were regulated, systems like the one found in Salon Two had been declared legal several years prior. For Chanda, there was no escape from it.
After a quick round of conditioner, Meruru gave Chanda's hair one final rinse. The metal hose disconnected from her arm and slithered out of view. Meruru's fingertip openings issued a blast of heated air, drying the blonde just enough that she wasn't dripping with water anymore. This time, Chanda wasn't surprised when the chair moved again, bringing her back up into a normal seating position where she could once again view the augmented mirror. Her stylist beamed happily, looking back at her. Her right hand transformed, growing numerous bristles on the palm until it was clearly meant to approximate a hairbrush.
"Alright Miss Komassa, I'll start with a straightening, and then we'll get you that summer cut you want! I can give you a traditional flat iron, or you can have a treatment that lasts longer…"
The hairbrush moved through Chanda's hair, pulling loose the few remaining knots. As Chanda thought about the question, she watched Meruru curiously. In a way, it looked as if the robot was petting her head. The smooth tips of the bristles tickled at her sensitive scalp, and the aphrodisiacs wouldn't let her ignore them. Considering her finances, Chanda opted for the longer-lasting option, especially since she didn't know if her schedule for the next few months would allow for another visit. "I'll go with something more permanent, Meruru."
"Excellent! This is, um… a new treatment style. I think you'll love it!"
Chanda watched as Meruru lifted her palms and retracted her brush bristles. The small perforations where they had grown from remained, and now beaded with a clear gel. With fluid motion, the stylebot ran her hands through Chanda's hair, coating it with the substance. The goo was warm and tacky, no different than any of the other hair products one might find in a salon. It seeped into her hair, lending it a sheen that looked unnatural even for an advertisement. Fortunately, the luster faded after a moment as the gel set in the dry air, until there was no evidence that it had been applied at all. Meruru stood back, hands on her ample hips, and waited.
Without a single touch, the long waves in Chanda's hair began to unfurl, like delicate vines growing towards the sunlight. Her natural curl was erased within seconds, replaced with completely straightened hair that looked almost impossible. Meruru ran her hands up the sides of Chanda's head, lifting the hair and watching it cascade back down, each strand perfectly linear.
"How… how long does this last?"
"Well, it's permanent! This product alters your hair at a molecular level, down to the roots. If you want your natural hair back, you'll need another treatment designed to add gentle waviness."
"I see… well, good thing I like my hair straightened!"
"I knew you'd like it!" Meruru beamed at her through the mirror. "Let's just get you covered up before I start!"
At the thick base of the chair, just next to Meruru's feet, a hidden drawer slid open revealing an article of neatly folded fabric. The stylebot bent to retrieve it, her shapely backside raised for the rest of the salon to observe. With a shake, the pile of black cloth unraveled into a lightweight salon gown that was quickly thrown over Chanda. Soft fingertips traced along her collarbone as the garment's ties were drawn around her neck. Meruru lingered with her hands, going more slowly than she should have before fastening the straps with a loose knot. Chanda tensed as the stylist placed both hands on her shoulders, tugging the gown up to cover her sleeves.
Circling, the stylebot made to straighten the cover so that Chanda's legs were not left exposed. She rested her hands on her patron's chest, feeling her heartbeat accelerate. Running the index and middle fingers of each hand across the fabric, she made a path to Chanda's perky breasts, feeling their firmness. Using the sensors at her disposal behind the mirror, Meruru targeted Chanda's nipples, making sure to rub directly over them as she smoothed the gown and continued down. She smiled briefly as the chair informed her that Chanda's skin temperature had spiked. Her hands quickly cupped the underside of the woman's bust, moving the custom 3D printed gown into place.
Meruru wasn't done. She carefully arranged the synthetic layer on Chanda's lap, smoothing the wrinkles along her legs. Chanda felt the android's fingers slide towards her inner thighs, sending a tingling through her nerves. It was a complete invasion of her personal space, but she didn't want it to stop. Meruru's caress was the most action she'd had since she began her business trip, and she bit her lip at the neediness she felt. Meruru couldn't have seen, but the cameras noticed and logged the nanoexpression with the stylebot's AI.
"There! Perfect fit naturally, printed just for you."
Chanda looked herself over, noticing that the fitted gown accentuated every curve of her body. She wondered absently if Meruru had purposefully made it a bit snugger that it needed to be.
"This is umm… lovely, Meruru."
Meruru let out a cheerful giggle of satisfaction, returning to the back of the salon chair.
"Meruru, can I ask you…" Chanda paused, then reconsidered. "Never mind."
"Something wrong," asked the stylebot with a hint of concern in her voice, canting her head to one side.
"It's nothing. Keep going."
"Sure! Let's get you all trimmed up!"
Raising her right hand, Meruru changed its configuration once again. Blades of dark metal sprouted from her thumb and forefinger, linking themselves together with a hinge to form a pair of large shears. She snipped twice to test them, then gathered a portion of Chanda's hair between the fingers of her other hand. The tool seemed quaint compared to the advanced technology that permeated the space, but scissors were still preferred by those who could afford a visit to a real salon. They were safer than the alternatives too. Automated laser trimming might finish a haircut in less than a minute, for a reasonable price, but every few years there would be a malfunction in a poorly-maintained booth. The outcomes were never pretty.
Snip! Golden-brown hairs drifted to the floor as Meruru began her work. Her system told her precisely were to cut to achieve the desired look, and as a result she had no reason to pause or check that her line was level. Chanda felt the tugs in the roots of her hair as Meruru pulled it straight and held it in place. With each clip of the scissors at shoulder level, Chanda felt better about her decision to visit Salon Two. Meruru's hand resting at the back of her head was reassuring, and the chilled air of the salon against her neck brought some much-needed relief. Metal fingers ran along her jawline, shifting her head to the side. Chanda felt herself lean into the caress almost subconsciously.
"I just need you to turn this way for a moment, Miss Komassa."
The synthetic hand remained on her jawline just a moment too long before Meruru pulled away and continued with the trim, focusing on the overlong hair that fell to the side of Chanda's face. She leaned in, possibly to get a better look at her handiwork.
"You know, your hair is wonderfully healthy," the stylebot whispered huskily into Chanda's ear, "I could work on you all day…" Her tone dripped with a sexual energy that Chanda hoped she wasn't just imagining. Surely Meruru was referring to working on her hair, and not something else, something more… intimate.
"I…" Chanda had trouble forming a response to her stylist's compliment. Her face was deeply red again, as if sunburned. Did a robot just hit on her?
Again, Chanda tried to shake it off, struggling to think about business deals instead of her growing attraction to Meruru. The stylebot continued clipping, recognizing her effect on Chanda and casually pushing the attractive businesswoman further and further. Using her free hand, she made multiple passes over Chanda's jaw, cheeks, and neck. She tickled at the back of the woman's ear, pretending to wrangle a few strands of hair that nestled there. Watching a woman struggle to contain herself was what Meruru enjoyed the most about her job, and there were a few moments where she had to deactivate her expression logic center to keep herself from giving away her game.
Somewhere, a fan in the ventilation kicked in, and a light breeze rolled under Chanda's shoulder-length hair and across the back of her neck. It teased at her, just as Meruru baited her with endless subtle caresses. She realized that she wanted more; she didn't want to leave the stylebot's grasp just yet. In her state, she wanted to know what her neck felt like totally exposed, and she wanted to feel Meruru's hands slide over it, tracing along her spine and down below her collar. Chanda shivered with excitement, an unexpected motion that caused Meruru to pause briefly before continuing.
"Almost done!" Meruru said, grasping the last few unaltered sections of hair in her hand. She'd removed more than six inches of length, and the floor was covered in the fine dirty-blonde remnants of Chanda's mane.
"Um, Meruru? I think… I think I want to go shorter and maybe do some additional treatments. This just… it feels great already, and I want you to take it further," Chanda blurted out.
The stylebot looked up happily as she finished her last snips. "I knew you'd warm up to it! I already picked out a few options you might like!"
Three frames appeared in the mirror, floating above Chanda's head, and populated with identical images of her face. As she moved, each of the images matched her motions without a hint of lag. One after another, the mirror added to each the new hairstyles that Meruru had chosen to best match Chanda's looks. Each was much shorter and more complex than anything Chanda had ever considered, even during her more rebellious phases at university. But one cut in the middle drew her eye immediately. A bold, sunset-red inverted bob with short bangs that formed a point in the center of her forehead. Maybe it was just the color, or the intricacies of the style, but Chanda was intrigued.
"Can I see that center one in more detail?"
Meruru nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes, my favorite!"
The other cuts faded away, and the image of the bob drifted down towards her head, until she was wearing it in mixed reality. Another view next to her face showed Chanda the back of her head. The corners of the A-line bob aligned perfectly with her high cheekbones. Its blunted sides traveled up above her ears and wrapped across the back of her skull. She saw that the nape was trimmed down to a few millimeters in length, and shaved to a sharp point, mirroring the bangs up front. Imagining the feeling of liberating herself from so much of her hair, Chanda fell in love with the cut. Its geometric facets reminded her of the city itself, seamless, colorful, and perfect, with all the youth and energy of the teenagers who wandered its streets.
"I… love this style, Meruru. You're a genius."
"Aww, I'm just a stylist," replied Meruru. If robots could blush, she would have. "Well, the good news for you is that the straightening product I used is also a coloring agent. All I need to do is send it the right frequency, and…"
Chanda's dirty blonde hair gradually reddened to full intensity over the course of several seconds. It wasn't just an AR effect this time; she could see the bold color in her peripheral vision, watching until it matched the hue that Meruru had picked out for her.
"This treatment affects every hair down to the roots, but the frequency to change the color is proprietary."
Chanda frowned.
"I know. It seems like extortion, but we have to make sure that no one can walk up to you in a tube station and change the color of your hair to pea green! So, if you ever want another shade just come and visit me. Anyway, let's start on these bangs!" Meruru licked her lips, as if savoring the idea.
Driven by silent motors, the salon chair swiveled until it faced the opposite direction, giving Meruru full access to her client's exquisite face. She brought her head close to Chanda's, pulling her blonde hair down and combing it with her fingers. The woman closed her eyes and scrunched her face cutely as the damp hairs tickled at her nose. Soon, they wouldn't bother her anymore. Looking closely, Meruru beheld Chanda's visage. In it, she could see traces of Indian, Caucasian, and Japanese features that hinted at her customer's mixed heritage. As Meruru made the first slice, well above Chanda's brow, she could tell the woman was nervous by the downturned corners of her mouth and the tension in her muscles. After a few more cuts to shape the bangs, Meruru was worried the Chanda might back out. Salon Two's records indicated that she hadn't had hair above her shoulders in at least eight years. She needed to calm her client's nerves, and she took a less conventional approach.
Her lips closed the small distance quickly, pressing into Chanda's warm cheek with a sharp smack. Meruru's kiss startled the executive, but before she could overreact, the stylebot's lips pushed up against her skin again. This time, it wasn't unexpected, and Chanda found herself engrossed in the thrill of her stylist's affection. She didn't flinch, instead leaning her head forwards to be closer to Meruru. The whole time, the robot never stopped trimming her bangs. With the salon's cameras as her assistants, she was fully capable of simultaneous seduction and styling. The last of the long hair fell away from Chanda's forehead, leaving just the expertly pointed bangs.
"Don't be nervous, Miss Komassa, you're going to… mmpff!"
Chanda planted herself on Meruru's luscious black lips, giving her a kiss so forceful that it surprised both participants. She stayed there, tasting the rubbery flavor of Meruru's mouth until Meruru reciprocated. As they separated, a fine string of saliva remained, connecting the two for a moment before falling to Chanda's lap. She opened her eyes, heart racing as she realized what she'd done. Looking quickly to her left and right, Chanda tried to determine if the other women in the salon had noticed what she'd done. It was difficult to tell in the low light, but no one appeared to be staring in her direction; rather, the other patrons seemed to be occupied by conversation with their own android stylists. For now, she was safe.
"Miss…"
"Please, Meruru, I want you to call me Chanda."
"…Chanda… I'm glad you like the style," Meruru whispered so that only her client could hear.
"Please Meruru, keep going with… with the haircut."
"Very well." The stylebot swiveled the chair back to its original position, readying herself to shape the rest of Chanda's new bob.
"You know," said Meruru, leaning up against the back of the chair so that her perfectly sculpted breasts spilled over and surrounded Chanda's neck, "with a hairstyle so bold, it might be wise to balance it with a full makeover. We are fully equipped to provide the latest trends in makeup, clothing, nails, and more!"
Chanda considered the offer. Her flashy red hair would certainly be at odds with the rest of her personal aesthetic. Her unpolished nails, simple makeup, and traditional business suit all clashed with the trendiness of what Meruru had planned for the top of her head. Perhaps the overly amatory robot was correct; it might look rather strange unless she adopted a completely new look that matched with her clean geometric bob. But having only come in for a trim, Chanda didn't know where to begin.
"What would you suggest?"
"Welllll," Meruru replied slowly, stretching the word. She reached her arms around Chanda's chest, hugging her, and nestled her cheek against the side of the woman's head. "…you could let me surprise you."
"I don't know if…" Chanda paused as Meruru's adventurous fingers circled the fabric covering her nipples, distracted by the intense tingling feeling it produced.
"Pleaseee?" begged Meruru mischievously. Chanda noticed more friction against her breasts, and sighed.
"Go ahead."
The stylebot snapped upright immediately, ready to do what she did best. Her AI had selected a matching makeover routine for the red bob by the time Chanda had chosen it over the other options. The AR mirror flashed, and Chanda's custom printed gown was replaced by a stunning and radically different look. Mouth gaping, Chanda assessed what Meruru had displayed for her on the massive screen. Her black business clothes and heels were gone, replaced with a brilliant white synthetic bodysuit that hugged her skin so tightly that it left no curve of her body hidden. The garment had strips of lighting woven through its seams, washing its snowy surface in a red that matched her hair perfectly. Her shoulders and upper arms were left bare, and the hem of the outfit followed the curve of her breasts seductively, putting her cleavage on full display. There were cutouts along her sides that partially exposed her belly, and she suspected based on the design that her ensemble was completely backless. The suit ended just below her hips, hugging so tightly to her groin that it seemed nearly immodest. More of her bronze skin was exposed at her upper thigh before her legs were covered with a pair of massive, and again skin-tight, boots of the same white fabric that ended with a set of imposing open-toed platform heels.
Aside from her bodysuit, Chanda noticed several interesting touches. Her fingernails and toenails were painted black, with a shimmering red outline. Three glowing red studs lined her ears, most placed in spots where she currently had no piercings. Meruru's makeup plan was incredible, with bioluminescent red lipstick contrasting an ivory loop that pierced her lower lip. Surrounding her eyes were broad streaks of black mascara that came to a triangular point just at the outline of her hair. Matching angular painted-on eyebrows replaced her regular blonde ones. Looking carefully, she saw that the tips of her eyelashes were lit with the same red light that accented her outfit.
"Is all of this really possible?" Chanda asked breathlessly.
"For the right price, yes. We can do everything here except for the outfit. That will be custom printed and delivered to you by the time you return home later today." Meruru could see that Chanda was intrigued by the presentation on the mirror, but she waited patiently for her customer's approval.
Chanda looked over herself once again, feeling apprehensive about the forwardness of the look. But her curiosity, and the dose of aphrodisiacs clouding her mind, told her to take the leap. At the least, accepting would mean that she'd get to stay with Meruru for a while longer.
"I trust you Meruru. Make it happen."
"With pleasure," answered the android's sweet voice.
The augmented layer faded away, returning Chanda to reality, her half-finished bob and form-fitting salon gown reflecting off its surface. Her wearable chimed, alerting her to another withdrawal from her bank account, but she ignored it. Whatever the price, this was going to be worth the cost.
"The chair will treat your nails, just… don't be alarmed okay."
Before Chanda could ask what Meruru meant, the arms of the chair shifted, rising over her hands and trapping them beneath a block of transparent alloy lined with black laser diodes. She tried to wiggle her fingers, but they were completely immobilized by the device. As she squirmed, Chanda felt a cold metal something clamp around her calves. She looked down at the base of her gown, where two stirrups had appeared silently to ensnare her ankles and lower legs in the same glossy material as the chair itself. Once locked, the bindings began to move apart, bringing Chanda's feet with them. The knee length skirt that she wore stretched to its limits as her legs were spread apart. In this vulnerable position, the chair locked her in place. More translucent plates fastened over her exposed toes, imprisoning them just as the armrests had trapped her fingers.
"Try to relax, these are just to make sure the machines can aim accurately. If you need to take a break, I can pause the routine anytime," reassured Meruru, but Chanda could tell that her stylebot relished the dominance that came from having her client restrained in such a way.
As Meruru began to shape one side of her bob, the nail treatment activated. Independent lasers rastered slowly across each of her nails, leaving a streak of black as they moved along. All she could feel was a heating sensation on her fingertips and the sweat on her palms. The cool air of the room wafted up her skirt, playing along her thighs and drawing her focus to her open legs. Meruru tugged purposefully at her hair, cutting a perfect angle with the assistance of her advanced AI. She could tell at this point that Chanda was completely under her control, and as such began to take liberties at her customer's expense. Between snips, the stylebot pecked at the woman with kisses, pinched at her breasts, and made sure to rub up against her whenever she could. Chanda tried to ignore her, afraid that others would notice, but she found herself addicted to the sensations it produced.
"I'm done with the sides. The chair will do the makeup application as I work on the back. This means I'll need to restrict you neck motion temporarily, same as for your nails."
Listening to the clipping sounds coming from the back of her head, Chanda just barely saw several articulating attachments spring from the back of the chair near her head before they were on her. Padded plates pressed against the sides of her head, covering her ears and forcing her to look directly at the mirror. More pieces of the harness projected from the plates, sending spidery arms across her face. Some hovered near her eyes and lips, others affixed themselves with suction to hold her facial muscles in place. Two diodes flashed quickly, running above Chanda's olive eyes, and her eyebrow hairs tumbled away. Others approached, flaring with light as they printed her makeup in a way that matched the method used to apply her nail polish. She watched, fascinated, as her new eyebrows were drawn in, relatively thick and extremely precise at the edges.
Meruru cut an arching line across the back of Chanda's head, letting long strands of hair fall to the floor at her side. A small vacuum bot roved by, carrying with it a pile of discarded tresses that had offended its cleanliness protocols. She smiled at it as she finished with the upper portion of Chanda's hairstyle. The little guys always made her happy when they passed underfoot, like her own little pets. After checking her work, Meruru retracted her shears, and summoned a pair of clippers. They bridged her index and middle fingers, giving her excellent control of their placement. After setting them to just a few millimeters, the clippers turned on with a whirr and a gentle vibration.
Chanda's lips were sprayed with a tacky substance that quickly dried. It made her lips shine with gloss, then gradually reddened to match her hair. Afterword, the bioluminescence kicked in, lighting her lips with a dazzling rose light. She loved the look, but it occurred to her that she never asked whether any of this was permanent. When Chanda attempted to ask, metal arms held her lips still to prevent her from damaging the still-curing lipstick. It strained her jaw, and she quickly learned that she needed to wait for the chair to finish working. With all the dark makeup drawn in around her eyes, several arms shifted, appearing to cover her entire face, and produced a fine mist. As best she could tell, they were applying some type of exfoliating chemical that improved the look of her skin. Suddenly, a deep vibration coursed down the nape of her neck. Had she been able to, she might have moaned loudly.
Carefully placing her collapsible clippers just under the blunt line of Chanda's bob, Meruru removed the first strip of hair from the back of her skull. As she ran down towards the neck, she felt Chanda quake and try to speak. She peeled away another section and watched her client's muscles tense again. Meruru paused, bending down to give Chanda a reassuring kiss on the side of her neck. She could hear the woman's breathing rapidly through her nose as she rested her other hand against Chanda's shoulder.
The smell of hot plastic faded away as the chair finished Chanda's makeup. Silently, the apparatus that pinned her face released itself, then retracted. She flexed her jaw, making a few faces into the mirror. Clippers brushed against her again, and she closed her eyes, feeling the rush of energy along her spine. Perhaps it was the vibration, or the way that Meruru slid the cool metal over her skin, but the close trim of her nape had her body aching for release. Even the chill of the air-conditioning on her nearly exposed nape felt dreamlike, convincing her that she'd made the right decision to let Meruru shape her hairstyle. Her lips parted as she admired their neon glow and let out a few slow breaths. The clippers made contact again.
Another patch of hair was trimmed away, revealing something rather unexpected. Newly exposed at the base of Chanda's neck was a rather large birthmark that had been covered by her hair ever since she was a child. When Meruru stopped to look, Chanda turned slightly, realizing that she'd forgotten about the cranberry patch of skin that she kept hidden. With this haircut, everyone could see the embarrassing blotch. Meruru, traced the mark slowly with the tip of her finger, thinking.
"You've always kept this covered, haven't you?" asked the stylebot.
"I… completely forgot!"
"Don't worry, Miss… Chanda. We offer a solution…"
"…for a price?" Chanda finished the sentence.
"Exactly."
Chanda sighed and nodded, and her wearable registered yet another charge.
"But this is the fun part," said Meruru seductively.
Through the mirror, Chanda watched as Meruru craned down, bringing her face towards the base of her hairline. She relaxed, expecting yet another soft kiss from the robot tease. But instead, Meruru's longer-than-average tongue extended past her black synthetic lips. She felt a strong hand jerk her head to the side, and then the rough feel of Meruru's pure-white appendage dragging across her skin. Its wet surface slathered a trail of spit across her birthmark. Chills ran all through her body as she saw Meruru suck her tongue back in with a purposefully loud slurp. This was one damn kinky stylebot.
"Meruru, did you just… lick me?"
"Well, yes, but that is my method of applying blemish remover." The robot grinned, then whispered, "…also you taste incredible."
The nanoparticles left on Chanda's discolored skin filtered into her epidermis, binding with the cells and altering their color to match her true skin tone. Such a treatment was common in plastic surgery, but had only recently become available in retail settings. Chanda had never heard of a tongue based application either… what a strange way to design an android!
With the blemish removed, Meruru continued clipping away at Chanda's nape until it was a uniform patch of 3-millimeter long red hair below her bob. However, it still needed to be shaped to a point, which meant shaving. Meruru stopped to look at Chanda through the mirror. Her AI, and the data that she collected from the cameras and sensors trained on her client, suggested that Chanda was highly aroused, almost to the point of frustration. If there was anything Meruru didn't want to see, it was one of her customers left unsatisfied. So, she made the decision to throw everything she had at her disposal towards providing Chanda with some relief. Her station was fully equipped with all the tools she would need. If she was right, Chanda would melt in her hands.
The tips of Meruru's fingers slid open on her left hand, releasing a thick lather that enveloped Chanda's neck in warmth. Chanda watched as the stylebot's clippers rearranged into a multi-part razor, unable to understand the workings of the fine mechanical parts. Meruru touched the cool metal to the base of her neck, and moved against the grain of her follicles. It was an archaic method, but far more pleasing than the more advanced laser treatments. And it ensured that Chanda would need to return to Salon Two; making everything permanent would be a terrible business model.
"This lather will slow the growth of your neck hair substantially," said Meruru, as if reading Chanda's mind.
As Chanda thought about telepathic robots, she thought she felt a slight movement underneath her gown, squarely between her legs. She watched, wide-eyed, until she saw disturbance in the fabric.
"Meruru, what's…?"
"Shhhh," interrupted the bot, "just relax, I promise that you're safe."
Meruru's razor moved slowly over her client's skin, carrying the foamy lather with it. But Chanda's attention was focused between her thighs.
"If you want, I can show you what's happening down there."
Chanda nodded vigorously, looking up at her stylist through the mirror. It flickered again, indicating that mixed reality was activated. To her disbelief, the salon gown faded away, and was replaced with her own nude figure. It wasn't perfect, but it was convincing enough considering that it had been modeled from the body scans taken at the entrance of the salon. But before Chanda could react to her naked body on display, she noticed the strange object between her legs. Projecting from the chair was a long metal arm that must have made its way up her skirt. She reflexively tried to close her legs, but found them still fastened in the chair's stirrups. The rubbery looking wedge at the arm's tip was mere inches away from her pussy, and getting closer.
Somewhat embarrassingly, Chanda noticed that she hadn't maintained herself well during her months of business travel. Her slit was surrounded by coarse blonde hairs that she typically shaved. Moments later, Meruru noticed it too.
"Oh dear! We'll have to take care of that mess!"
The forceful touches from the razor ended as Meruru finished up crafting the triangular cut of Chanda's nape. There were a few gobs of lather still clinging to the shining skin, and Meruru kissed at each one, sucking up the foam with her mouth for recycling later. Just as her lips touched Chanda, the blunt tip of the apparatus snaking between the woman's thighs contacted her thin silk panties and wedged into her folds. She cried out, then attempted to stifle herself as she realized where she was. It hadn't occurred to her how much she'd been longing to get some fingers into her pussy until now. Just one gentle touch made her flush, and then the apparatus moved, grinding slowly and powerfully along her slit. Her labia clenched around the rubber wedge, trying to pull it in closer.
Chanda huffed as she felt Meruru lapping up the last of the shaving cream. A soft hand wrapped across her throat, and another traced along the angled line of her bob, tickling her. The stylebot's lips landed on the tip of her ear, momentarily pulling her attention away from the massage occurring between her legs. She felt Meruru nibble at her earlobe, and a new weight that remained. When she looked up, a glowing red stud had been inserted into her vacant piercing, looking identical to the one she'd been shown in augmented reality. The stylebot answered her quizzical look with a curling smile, and nipped at the fringe of her ear again. This time, Chanda felt a slight pinch that quickly faded. When Meruru pulled away, there was another shining earring where she had never had a piercing before.
More playful bites followed, and before long Chanda's ears were outlined with three piercings each.
"That wasn't… too bad… uff," she panted as the mechanical device grinded at her sex.
"Our studs are laced with a custom anesthetic, to make sure your discomfort is minimal. I don't want to hurt you… well, not toooo much." Meruru winked at her, and Chanda wondered why she even had eyelids.
"So Meruru, why… guh! Why does the chair have sex toys? Mmmnf!" Chanda asked, trying her best to talk through the heavy stimulation.
Meruru leaned in and whispered into one of her earring-laden ears, "Does it matter?" Chanda didn't have a good answer for her, so she focused on trying to maintain her decency.
A jet of warm air ruffled her distractingly red bob as Meruru's fingers began blasting away the loose hairs that remained from the cut. As she did, a small wire-like attachment grew from the larger massaging arm and aligned itself above her sex. At its end was a diode, the same as the ones that had applied her makeup. She felt the instrument coil under her panties, stretching them outward to give itself better access. Then she saw flash with laser light, stripping away pubic hairs as Chanda watched on the mirror. The massager paused for just a moment to allow the laser to trim around her vulva, leaving the whole area polished and bare. It moved up to her mons and started to raster, mowing down her patch of untamed hairs.
Meruru finished her cleaning of Chanda, blowing the hairs off her neck and shoulders and sending them drifting to the floor. Then, without warning, she ripped away Chanda's fitted gown, leaving the woman completely exposed, legs pulled open, with a robotic apparatus protruding from her skirt.
"Wahhh!" gasped Chanda, hurriedly scanning the room to see if anyone was close enough to watch. No one was.
"You won't be needing this anymore," said Meruru as she dropped the limp fabric into the drawer at the foot of the chair.
"But…"
Chanda saw the laser trimmer finish its work, then retract. The only hair it left was in the shape of a small heart centered above pussy. The dirty blonde stood out against her darker skin, and the cutesy shape almost made Chanda laugh.
"You're afraid someone might see? Hmmm, well I'd better cover you up somehow. Let's think…"
In a fluid motion, Meruru circled the back of the chair and threw a long leg across Chanda's thighs. The stylebot sat, scooting forwards so that her legs fit just under the armrests, and leaned her body up against Chanda's. Their natural and artificial breasts mashed together; their chests rose and fell. Meruru reached up and groped both of Chanda's tits somewhat roughly.
"There. Now nobody can see what the chair is doing inside your skirt. So. I'll. Just finish up. A few things." The stylebot pressed a finger against the tip of Chanda's pointed nose, almost mocking her position. Her lust for dominance was all too apparent.
Meruru reached out towards Chanda's eyes, getting close enough that the woman's eyelids fluttered and closed. She felt fingertips brush against her eyelashes, running from the center towards the outside of her face. When she opened her eyes, the tips of her eyelashes glowed red like the exposed end of a fiber-optic wire.
"I love this lipstick… with lips like this, you'll never miss a kiss in the dark." Meruru's lips smacked into Chanda's, and their tongues they explored each other's warm mouths. Neither Chanda nor Meruru wanted to stop, so their kiss lingered as they probed with eyes closed. Meruru bit impishly at Chanda's lower lip, and Chanda followed her example. Eventually, it was the robot who pulled away. As she did, Chanda felt a tug at her lower lip, and realized that there was something new attached to it. She looked around Meruru's shoulder to confirm her suspicions. Piercing her lower lip, perfectly centered, was a sizeable white ring. Chanda ran her tongue over it, spinning her new accessory. A metallic taste spread through her mouth as she licked at the loop.
The wedge grating against Chanda's pussy increased its pressure. That, and the addition of an attractive stylebot on her lap, was enough that Chanda actively had to focus to avoid releasing a full bout of vulgar noises. Her thin panties were soaked through, clinging at her vulva as the machine worked. A noise near the entrance to the salon distracted her for just a moment; she turned her head, and Meruru did the same.
Standing patiently by the front desk was a new customer awaiting her own stylist. One of Meruru's twins approached her, and the two began to converse. A hand grabbed her jaw and pulled her back to Meruru's seductive gaze.
"Don't worry about her."
The robot's hands slid over her shirt, searching out her nipples. But Meruru wasn't satisfied leaving it to that. She found her way to one of the buttons on Chanda's shirt and yanked it open, nearly popping off a button. Her fingers forced their way inside, creeping along Chanda's braless breasts to her hard nipples. Meruru groped hard, squeezing the supple mammary between her hands and giving the nipple a powerful pinch that made Chanda squirm. Afterwords, Chanda's nipple felt different, as if numbed and slightly heavier.
"Did you just… pierce my nipple?"
"Of course. Do you like it?" Meruru twisted out of the way, and Chanda saw a rather large barbell-style stud protruding horizontally from either side of her dark brown nipple. The body of the piercing was polished white metal, like her lip ring, but the two thick orbs at either end were the brilliant glowing red that accented her hair. Looking closely at her shirt, Chanda could see the barbell moving about as she breathed. Without an answer from her client, Meruru switched hands, now plucking at Chanda's left nipple to leave a matching barbell. Just the thought of the piercings made her excited, but then chair recognized her arousal and began to move faster over her sodden gash. She bit the corner of her lip and watched Meruru's bright blue eyes scan her face.
"You want more." It wasn't a question; it was a statement of fact that Meruru offered.
The robot shoved a hand under the hem of Chanda's skirt, aiming straight for her clit. She pinched the bud between two fingers and rolled her thumb over it, surprising Chanda before the intensity of the foreplay devastated her mind. Her mouth hung open as Meruru played with her and the chair incessantly rubbed at her pussy, grinding ever so slightly deeper. With expert moves, the stylebot worked her client, sending her into such a frenzy that she didn't even feel the piercing drive through her clitoral hood. Meruru knew that Chanda would discover the fierce red spike soon enough.
Meruru released her patron's genitals for the moment, sliding her palm across Chanda's mons and up to her soft belly. Chanda felt a trail of sticky gel as Meruru moved, and looked down between their heaving tits.
"I thought that your little heart down there would look better in red," said Meruru, "It matches!"
Embracing Chanda, Meruru kissed the woman again, sucking at her lip piercing. Chanda's breath was hot, her skin now covered in sweat. Her cheeks and chest were flushed with color, and she made quiet groans and gasps at every touch of her body. Meruru knew that if she continued, Chanda would orgasm right here in the chair, and that was exactly what she wanted.
As Chanda turned to graze Meruru's cheek in return, she startled, sucking in a shuddering breath. Sitting in the chair next to hers was the woman who had entered the salon a few minutes prior. She looked up, brushing her pretty black hair away from her face, and smiled. Chanda blinked, looking both stunned and somewhat aroused, before Meruru grabbed her face.
"Don't worry about her," whispered Meruru as she pecked the side of Chanda's neck. "But if you keep putting on such a show, you might get her contact info."
"I… ahnn… I think you'd be the one to get it Meruru."
The stylebot laughed, shrugging off the compliment. She leaned in, nestling into Chanda's bosom.
"I should mention, your piercings… they all have a vibrating function. The lip ring should be fantastic for oral sex. The others, well, would you like to try them out?"
Chanda nodded.
"I'm sorry, was that a no?"
"…yes."
"Yes, you want me to stop?" teased Meruru, feigning confusion.
"Yes, I want to turn on the vibrators! I WANT them!" Chanda nearly yelled her demand, already forgetting the customer who sat a few feet away.
"I don't know… oh, I suppose I could…"
Every piercing buzzed to life, sending an electric sensation through Chanda's breasts and stimulating her ears. The strongest vibrations by far shook at her clit, alerting her to the piercing that Meruru had snuck into her clitoral hood. She groaned, biting her tongue to keep from shrieking in extasy. Meruru sucked her face hard, helping contain some of the noises. Between her legs, the mechanical arm doubled its pace as the chair's sensors anticipated her climax. All it really needed was the look on the woman's stunning face.
"You want to cum, don't ya?"
"Yes!"
"You're gonna show me how you cum?"
"Yesss!"
The vibrations increased in force, enough so that they became audible. Meruru wrapped herself around Chanda, wanting to feel every last movement her client made.
"That's it. Cum for me, you little slut."
"Fftt GaHHHH! AHHNNN!" Chanda burst out, her cries overpowering the dance music of the salon and reaching every single customer in the space.
Her orgasm carried through her body in an unstoppable wave, clenching every muscle it found. Chanda thrust her hips forwards, pressing her pussy into the massager and up towards Meruru's groin. Her face tilted towards the ceiling, spine arched, eyes rolled back into their sockets so that they were almost entirely sclera. Her well-built thighs shook as the climax passed through them, setting Meruru's body into motion. The stylebot played along, pushing back against Chanda as if she were grinding along with her. Even after she came, the piercings continued to vibrate, sending aftershocks of orgasmic energy though her dripping body. A hot moistness spread between her legs, heat steaming off her raw labia. Chanda longed to grope her own breasts or grab at her snatch, but her limbs were still locked into the chair.
"That was… fuck that was good!"
Meruru flopped down on Chanda, landing a simple smooch on her luminescent lips. She felt Chanda's heart rate and breathing begin to decelerate.
"I'm happy you enjoyed yourself, Chanda."
"You are amazing."
Meruru took the loose button of Chanda's shirt between her fingers and fit it back into its loop, closing off the access point to her tits.
"Please, come back anytime. For anything you… need."
Meruru tossed Chanda's A-line bob, pushing her hands through the hair and watching it fall back into place. She kissed the businesswoman's forehead, taking in the smell of the shampoo and sweat that covered Chanda's scalp. When she finally moved away, the restraints on Chanda's hands and feet clicked open and slide smoothly back into the salon chair, hidden once more under its seamless piano-black exterior. Meruru sat up and lifted her leg off Chanda, dismounting the exhausted woman. The stylist stood, admiring the gorgeous transformation that she had facilitated.
"I'll walk you to the door."
Chanda stood, stretching out her fingers and feeling the intricate polish. She shook her hair, watching the short bob dance in the mirror. She was typically modest, but she couldn't deny that this look was absolutely magnificent. The best she'd ever looked, without any doubt. Meruru handed her jacket to her, then linked her arm and led her towards the exit. As they walked, Chanda made eye contact with the poor woman who had been next to her as she orgasmed in plain sight. The dark-haired thing looked half traumatized, half intrigued.
"Sorry," mouthed Chanda as she walked by.
"Don't be," answered the woman, doing the best to hide her embarrassment. "You um… may want to look at the display behind reception." She pointed a slender arm towards the front of Salon Two, then quickly keyed something in to her terminal as Chanda was hurried away.
Behind the front desk, a brightly-colored graphic drew her attention. It displayed the name of the salon, and a new mission statement. "An all-new erotic salon. Lose yourself to the definitive sexual relief!" Chanda snorted, now understanding exactly what she had walked into: a salon that sold sex.
Neither Chanda nor Meruru spoke before they parted. They kissed like practiced lovers, and held each other for a few moments. It felt more real to Chanda than any embrace that she could remember. Meruru sighed, and Chanda looked down at the floor coyly, playing with the sharp edge of new hairstyle. After one last knowing look, Chanda turned walked out through the automatic doors. The muggy afternoon heat hit her like an oncoming tube transport, but at least she could feel the air on the back of her neck. She paused, letting her contacts dim the intense sunlight as she savored the after-sex feeling that melted away her stress.
Eager to try on her new outfit, Chanda walked with a purpose as her hair shifted in the warm, aphrodisiac-free breeze. Her heels pounded on the glassy New Francisco sidewalk, shadow momentarily blocking the flow of energy to its hidden photovoltaics. An alert scrolled across her wearable, and she looked down. It was a message from an unknown sender, but one who was in the immediate vicinity. She blinked twice to open it.
Chanda read the contents to herself several times as a wide grin spreading across her face. The message read: "I'm impressed. Let me know if you want to cum that hard again sometime. Bitchin' look too! ~ Spring Tsu."
Meruru was right after all.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein