Participants:
| Scene Title | Raquelle's Day Spa |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | A stranger entering Raquelle's salon turns out to be a more familiar face from bygone days, and a happy reunion ensues. |
| Date | March 10, 2021 |
Tranquil and Fabulous wrapped up in warm and inviting colors and the sleek lines of Japanese architecture…Cambria Salon and Day Spa is a fashionable paradise. Dark almost black wood paneling has been used through out the salon, fresh flowers are found in glass vases and exchanged with flower shaped candles every day at 4 PM. There is a different theme for just about every day of the week, but nothing set in stone. There are 8 or so individual work stations with leaf shaped mirrors and comfortable chairs. There are a couple of private rooms for waxing, facials and massages and the like including a private station and office for the owner. The reception area is designed for comfort with the black seats and couches, glass coffee tables and glass/wood reception desk. Over all the salon is edgy and sleek, it is Cambria Salon and Day Spa.
There are some things that even a civil war can't change. One of those things is Raquelle — the aesthetic in Cambria's Salon and Day Spa is absolutely as Raquelle as it gets. Lovely, lush purple chairs and silvery accents. The mural on the waiting area's wall and floor is a hand-brushed amethyst, lavender, and black on the gray floor wall withhite accents for pop and pizzazz. The bell over the door sounds just like it used to in the old location, before the war closed it and forced the move into the Safe Zone and such.
Music plays quietly in the background, though the source isn't clear. There's only one radio station in town, though, and it doesn't sound as if it's probably from there. It could be CDs or records, if one knows Raquelle's taste in music.
When the bell jingles over the doorway, the petite little brunette manning the sign-in station glances up, gray eyes watchful despite the welcoming smile on her face. She might look just a little out of place, wearing comfortable-looking jeans and a peach scoop-necked T-shirt. She's not exactly dressed fancy, but she might be a favored canvas for Raq's skills — those gray eyes pop behind lush, dark lashes and eyeliner that is sharp as knives, offset by a gorgeous palette of colors that subtly enhance porcelain skin without in any way looking overly made up. She eyes the newcomer and holds up an index card that asks simply, Hello! What can we do for you today?
Once in the safe zone, the first thing Kendall did was go to the places he was familiar with, namely the safehouses he stayed in and the places where he used to work. He was nonplussed to find that some of them were now museums, of all things, but was appalled when he went to the original location of Cambria Salon to find it destroyed. A little asking around, however, and he learned that no, Raquelle wasn’t in there at the time, and instead had simply relocated.
Donning businessman attire (lol) he makes his way to the new location, stepping through the door and hearing the chime. He takes his time looking around with a faint smile. Ah, yes, Raquelle is ever eternal. His scrutiny means he doesn’t notice the card right away, but the brunette is noticed, and his brows raise up. Ah. Taking a step into the room closer to her, he looks her over musingly. Hmm, using a card instead of speaking, so 50-50 chance of being either deaf or mute. He turns to face her fully and speaks at an even pace. “I am here to see Raquelle. Is he in? Perhaps a trim.” well it’s true, he could use a haircut, though perhaps not with the way he looks.
Life is an everturning cycle of winning, losing, hurting, and comforting. It is something that the Salon has represented ever since it was first funded, built, attacked, and shot up. Then when it didn’t even exist for a while save for in backrooms of rehoming locations and bunkers. Then when it was rebuilt and set up as the ‘hangout’ that’s never been the official hangout for those wanting grooming, ice cream, flattery, or the Raquelle experience.
Today however, still tall and immaculately groomed…the owner of this establishment is sporting a very clean undercut, dark blondes and blacks mixing in the part left long and tousled stylishly. Gone are the days of the emo fringe. Fitted black jeans, glittery dark purple chucks and a dark purple band-tshirt worn under a dark vest.
A well groomed eyebrow quirks as he notices they have company and he takes a few steps forward, tsking as he signs and speaks at the same time. “You are /not/ officially on duty yet little Miss Monet.” Dark purple nails glinting as he turns his attention to the ‘customer’, a hint of wariness in those blue eyes but a friendly smirk, a wariness developed after years of ya know, war and hardships as one struggles to be a beacon of hope. “I got you.” He nods towards Brynn, hands still moving as he speaks. “You want the gel liner to take with you to play around with it?”
Brynn looks up as Raquelle comes from the back and though she has no idea what he's saying, the tone itself brings a smile to her features. She loves Auncle Raquelle's voice. I don't know, I still think it looks a little strong in my face, I can't help it! She has always been really low-key in the make-up department! Raquelle is convincing her to branch out though — she looks pretty sharp. And she knows it, too, though it's enjoyed with a sort of shy pleasure.
Her sign language is not perhaps as smooth as it should be, but she's fluent and fluid enough in her motions now that at least there aren't any half-finished signs. He's looking for you personally anyway. Because Raquelle has a cute businessman asking for him! Brynn's gonna tease.
“An associate of mine had good things to say about this place.” which could be anyone, really. The sign language just reinforces the fact that she has an invisible disability, but not something he’s going to comment on. Instead, his full attention is given towards Raquelle, who is exactly like he remembered! Well, not exactly, Raquelle changed hairstyles the way other people changed clothes in a dressing room. Which, in its own way, is something to remember.
Without giving up the jig, he nods towards him. He’d offer to shake his hand, and it even lifts up slightly, but he thinks better of it and leaves it at that. “Just a trim.” he repeats for Raquelle’s benefit, glancing around again. His gaze goes again towards Brynn, filling in the spot he himself vacated ten years ago. Not many bosses let you goof around on the internet on the clock.
But he’s not here for her, he’s here for Raquelle, and once more the aesthetician is regarded expectantly.
Priorities of course, Raquelle purses his lips and regards Brynn quietly for a moment before signing as he replies thoughtfully. "For when you want to look or feel dressed up. Use it as the accent and keep the rest neutral. Frame those beautiful windows to your soul." He winks then turns his attention back to their guest.
The businessman gets a once over and a head tilt. "I thought, around here, I knew all the dapper Dans 15 or so years from retirement cloaked in eau de I could be a sugar daddy with a boat." He drawls wryly before shrugging a shoulder. "But you know my name and what you want from me so you are apparently ahead of the game today."
A pause.
"Alright, lets get you caped and washed. Mr…?"
The roll of gray eyes at Raquelle's 'windows to the soul' is expressive and amused. Brynn slants a look from Raquelle to the businessman, and then she perches her elbow on the counter, clearly making herself at home to watch Raquelle at work. She grins at the client, shooing him gently. Cuz, you know, she really has fun listening to the rise and fall of the cadence of Raquelle's dulcet tones. The one thing she's learned watching all this is how very smooth Auncle Raquelle is compared to other people.
Finally. “Rickers.” he responds without pause, then looks over to the seats. Well, he could go sit down at one of them and make himself at home, but would that be presumptuous? He slowly starts walking over, waiting to be guided. In reality, he’s getting really impatient, though he knows better than to show any of that. But really, it’s agonizing. And though he does give Raquelle a look of askance over the commentary, that’s all he gets for now.
Well anyway he’ll just go ahead and get shooed by Brynn, seating himself. It’s not like there’s other people here, he made sure of that before he walked in. Couldn’t help having Brynn here, ah well.
A cape is retrieved, dark purple as usual, and shaken out with a practiced snap as he waggles his eyebrows at Brynn. “Ahh, very well then Mr Rickers.” Raquelle’s top lip twitches as he processes that name and gives a tiny shudder. “For some reason I just remembered what a snickers bar tastes like.” He runs his tongue along the back of his top teeth and tsks.
Once the business man is settled though, Raquelle waits so he can drape the cape around and over his front. “Just a wash, a trim then, keeping it simple?”
Brynn makes a soft sound that might be a snort. Her hands come up and she signs to Raquelle, Were those the ones with coconut in them? Yuck. I mean, I'll eat coconut if I have to — it's food and all. But yuck. Canada in the war and even now in the US later on? Candy from before is hard to come by. I remember Hershey bars! Oh…. those were amazing.
As he takes a seat and the cape is draped around him, he watches Raquelle carefully, waiting for his moment. "A wash and trim, nothing extra, yes." He knows Raquelle's entire routine, and doubtful it changed in all that time. He has to get his specialized tools of his trade from the nearby counter, after all.
The second Raquelle turns away from him, only Brynn would be able to see how the businessman’s appearance shimmers and then suddenly blips out, revealing an entirely different person. The one in the chair is thinner and younger, no longer wearing a suit (though that’s mostly obscured by the cape) and has the absolutely biggest shit-eating grin on his rather familiar face.
“Hi, Boss.” he says oh so casually by way of greeting. “Why didn’t you bring out the purple sparkly one?”
He can’t help it, he starts snickering, even before Raquelle can say or do a thing.
“Coconut? I think those were Almond Joys.” Raquelle signs after a moment of contemplating what exactly is in a snickers bar. “Well, Diana I think was trying to figure out how to make chocolate or discover chocolate or something.”
Now, people used to his routine know that Raq gathers what he needs before moving people to the shampoo bowl. He’s always done that. And he turns to do that, picking up a small plastic caddy and bending down to rummage in one of his cabinets.
As he turns though, and he sees the shimmer and hears the voice seconds of one another and his world slows down. His eyeliner framed eyes widen a fraction and with a blink are glassy as he drops his caddy of shampoo and conditioners and quickly moves around to the front of the shampoo chair. And his exhale is something between a sob and a shocked inhale.
He stairs for a moment and unless Kendall moves he’s being pulled up/out of the chair and into a tight embrace.
The shimmer of a face change brings Brynn surging to her feet with a strangled wordless sound, off balance and using the desk to keep from falling on her ass. Alarm is her first instinct, and the goldendoodle that was snoozing at the foot of her stool behind the counter where he couldn't be seen comes to his feet with a low growl at the same time. The stool clatters backward onto the floor, and whatever Brynn would have done next is halted by Raquelle's hugging on the new arrival.
The brunette is small, barely clearing the 5-foot mark in height, but apparently she was all feral protection of Raquelle. Her hands are white-knuckled on the counter and she's leaning heavily against it. With Raquelle now hugging the newcomer, she's closed her eyes tightly. The goldendoodle seems to have no idea which way to go and he wags his tail hesitantly once back and forth at Raquelle as if asking what to do.
Kendall was fully expecting a reaction like that, so he has no intention of moving as he’s dragged out of the chair, and he returns the hug gladly, probably squeezing all the air out of Raquelle in the process.
“Ahaha, I’ve waited ten years to do that! You have no idea how hard it is to stay hidden like that when you just want to say hi…” he lets go of Raquelle, taking a step back and almost falling over because for whatever reason he already forgot there’s a CHAIR there.
Belatedly he does remember there’s someone else in the room, and he turns to give Brynn an apologetic look, but also he didn’t know there’s a dog there. Oh. “Ah…. sorry. I guess I scared my replacement. Guess you still surround yourself with underaged jailbait, eh Raquelle?” heh. A joke, of course, Raquelle would be nothing short of scrupulous with anyone. “Speaking of which, your girls doing ok? I bet the older one is just that age to be chasing the boys, huh.” pause. “Or girls, I guess.”
1st things 1st, after squeezing and rocking with Kendall for a moment, Raquelle lets some of his gift seep into his voice (something he rarely ever if ever did around Kendall back in the day), for shimmers of reassurance that things are okay. Not just for Brynn but for the fluffbaby. “Its okay babies, this. This is…”
He waves at his eyes, to try to keep them from running but no, he’s crying a bit, having to retrieve a convenient tissue. “I’ve never hired jailbait, but I am still a softy for young people who need someone to believe in them.” He softly replies. “Oh I swear to god if this is another trick and you aren’t really my precious little Ken doll, I will beat you to death with a curling iron.”
More dabbing at his eyes. “Hm? BJ is the same age if not a bit older than you were when I first hired you and is a baby disaster lesbian and Diana who…god, who you used to baby sit is almost as tall as me but still under 16.”
He takes a deep breath and looks back to Brynn, signing. “He…he was the very first. Before the war. The very kid I let work here.” As he speaks with a hint of a quiver to his voice.
If Brynn had her eyes open and saw 'jailbait,' she might have words. She's 21! But the soothing nature of Raquelle's voice has the desired effect on Doodlebug and even on Brynn herself — which is a whole new and exciting moment in the girl's life.
When she opens her gray eyes, she looks calmer, although her knuckles on the counter are still white where she's using it to hold herself upright. She nods slowly to the signing, noting the tremor in the voice. She's begun being able to differentiate tones. That's cool! Brynn pulls in a breath and leans on her elbow to sign, Auncle Raq, would you mind grabbing the chair? I knocked it down and I'm afraid if I try to get it I'll just look more stupid.
The young woman finally offers Kendall a smile and wave. She's glad that this is someone Raquelle is thrilled to see!
“Oh god Raquelle please don’t start crying, then you’ll make me cry and however will my fragile masculinity cope.” Kendall jokes, swiping at one of his own eyes. Oh come on, just a little bit of emotional show and that happens. “I promise, what you see is… me. Don’t worry about that, there’s no onion layers… aha.” he clears his throat, then looks over at Brynn again, then back at Raquelle, watching the sign language. Then, with the slow and faltering mode of those who do not use it often who probably barely know what they’re ‘saying’, he starts to sign too. Hello, my name is… he hesitates at that, a flash of anxiety crossing his face before he starts spelling out his name. K-E-N-D-A-L-L. maybe he’s worried he forgot how to spell it?
He then shakes his head. “Sorry, I don’t know much more than that, and don’t know how to follow either. Hmmmm.” Kendall thinks about it for a moment. Since they’re signing, that means she’s deaf, not mute, and that means she probably needs to watch him talk to know what he’s saying, right? …..HMMMM.
“Oh I just got a great idea!” Kendall beams at both of them and flicks his hand, and a black bar shows up under his face, right around chest level.
“How’s about that? Subtitles!" And true to his word, as he speaks, his words appear on the bar. He looks entirely too pleased with himself.
The hairdresser is moving quickly to go right that chair, lingering near the front desk to retrieve a basket of dog treats. He’s taking the time to make sure he’s pulling himself together though. Raquelle slips a biscuit to the furbaby.
When he pops up and sees Kendall interact with Brynn with a small smile. He takes a deep breath and exhales softly and then addresses the elephant in the room. “What…the hell have you been doing with your hair?” He presses a hand to his chest. “I know I taught you the /basics/. Civil war is no excuse for what the heck..” Obsessing over other people’s hair is how he copes.
Brynn's gaze follows Raquelle for a moment and then she grins in delight at the subtitles. That is primal! And although she doesn't understand the words Raquelle is throwing, she knows that body language and turns to see the last bit — 'civil war is no excuse.' Doodlebug noses Raquelle's hand for treats — he knows what that bucket is! He's a happy boy!
Uh-oh, Brynn teases with a grin, You got Auncle Raq fluttering and you're endangering the eyeliner! You are so in for the hair lecture. Gray eyes sparkle with amusement as she carefully retakes her seat. Her affection for Raquelle is patently obvious. What had been promising just to be a quiet morning now looks like it might be a lot of fun.
All that and it's his hair that's the elephant in the room? Raquelle pls. “Ten years and you still fuss." he mutters. Too bad Kendall outed himself with the subtitles, but ANYWAY. “The world ends but it's my hair you focus on. Come on Raquelle, you know you're only happy when you fuss over someone, and I did come here for a trim.” or maybe an intervention.
As Brynn and Raquelle sign at each other some more, Kendall looks thoughtful as he sits down in the chair he got dragged out of. “Hmm.. let me see if…” he tries adding subtitles to Brynn next, using Raquelle as a 'translator' since he's able to understand her signing.
That name ‘Auncle’ has made Raquelle’s eyes twinkle with amusement everytime he’s heard or seen it signed and he just tsks and finishes gathering the hair products he needs. There is a moment where he cocks his head to the side and watches what Kendall is doing with his ability.
He worries his bottom lip for a moment and just shakes his head. There is a gentle tap to Kendall’s shoulder as he nods over towards the shampoo bowl. “C’mon Ken Doll, lets get you washed and conditioned. The world hasn’t ended /yet/.”
There is a pause as he looks between the two and then gives another slow nod as he starts testing water and prepping to shampoo. “So.” A long pause. He signs with damp hands to sign as he speaks. “Ho-how have you been?” Safest question to ask these days.
The subtitles are both cute and practical, and Brynn is kind of impressed. More so when she signs next and sees her own words light up in front of her so Kendall knows what she's saying. He's obviously been not doing well, cuz he needs a manicure too, Auncle Raquelle, she teases. Just look at those cuti— EEP!!! Kendall now knows she's being a sassy-pants at Raquelle. Oops!
She turns a light shade of pink and ducks her head a bit sheepishly.
“What?! Oh don’t say that, Raquelle will spend the next six hours fussing over me!” Kendall rolls his eyes comically as he reads her subtitles now (and that totally isn’t a euphemism) And Kendall knows how to use a pair of nail clippers, tyvm.
When Raquelle gestures, Kendall moves right over, though hesitates with an actual serious response to a legitimate question. “To be honest, this is probably the best I’ve been in a while. At least now I’m around people I know and I don’t have to hide anymore.” if that doesn’t kill the mood, nothing will! “Not that I did anything that made me need to hide.” he is quick to add to reassure them, since that might worry Raquelle a bit more, especially if they think he brought trouble with him. “I just kinda… felt like I needed to, until it was safe.”
—
There is a moment of pause as Raquelle flashes back to Kendall’s days of trying to learn various Salon tricks and such. He gives a quick shudder and just flashes a grin at both of the ‘youngins’ so to speak. “We’ll cross the cuticle bridge when we get there. Maybe you can show off what you’ve learned my dearest.” He winks to Brynn before turning his attention back to Kendall.
He takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry.” He starts out carefully. “When the Salon was shot up and when they relocated me and the girls and…everything in between. I kept your name in my book, so I could try…” He swallows and clears his throat before tugging on Kendall’s hair to get him to tilt his head back so he can start.
“Nobody has to hide here. That’s something that’s never changed dollface, and never will.”
Brynn simply grins at Raquelle. Auncle Raquelle is primal. He looks out for all of us, anytime. Her adoration of the stylist fashionista is brutally obvious. The salon is a home away from home for the young woman. She settles in to the corner of the reception desk and rests there, just leaving the other two to talk.
“Well I had a reason for hiding when I first came here, heh.” Kendall grins again, although the subtitles fade away at this point. Brynn’s about to leave his line of sight and conversation is all but impossible that way even with his illusions. Sorry Brynn.
When his hair is tugged, he tilts his head back and lifts his eyebrows at Raquelle. “Remember the first time I came to visit you after being uh… gone for a while?” at least that time was only a month! Well, a month of being DEAD, which is worse? “Could say I’m one of the reasons you dye your own hair after all that, huh?” all teasing aside, he chuckles. “I always feel safe coming here, no worries about that. Think I’m ready to go about and see who else is still around.” his smile fades a little. “Hope most of them are but…”
There is a roll of his eyes and a fond ‘tsh’ sound as the insinuation that his little chickadees have contributed to him going grey. But as his firm yet gentle hands go to work, scrubbing and such, he shrugs a shoulder. “I don’t look back anymore on who might or might not still be around. I focus on just being here for those who are here, however long they’ve been here. Spent a long time hurtin’ about those who are lost but until I get a confirmation I just hold out hope of them being found.”
Raquelle leans forward a bit into Kendall’s line of sight. “I might be a bossy bottom, but patience is a new skill I’ve learned and so far…so far if I wait long enough, those closest to my heart pop back up like illusionated daisies.” A warm smile. “Now close your eyes so I can get you rinsed.”
"Better than pushing up daisies, illusory or no." Obediently Kendall closes his eyes, and sighs. "There's really one person I've been looking for but so far I haven't heard anything…" he falls silent for a moment. "Know anything about Melissa?" his tone is diffident, like he couldn't care less, but Raquelle would know better. He grimaces for a moment, then quickly adds, "And speaking of names, uh, what's hers?" Talking about Brynn, because it occurs to him that he doesn't actually know? The subject change isn't very subtle, but Kendall might have decided it was better not to ask.
—
Hands moving quickly, firmly, and mostly muscle memory by now, the hairdresser has to pause as the question as he takes a deep breath and gives a small shake of his head. “Her name is still in my book, but I haven’t yet…” Raquelle trails off as he rinses out suds and then starts soaping his hair up again. Then he smiles softly glancing back over towards Brynn and then back to Kendall. “That’s Brynn. She did all of that…” He gestures towards the beautiful muralistic artwork. “And she helps out around here.”
Kendall can't see Brynn but he did notice the artwork on the walls, naturally. "Well gee, an artist too? I'm feeling some deja vu here. It's like you went out to try and replace me in every way, except she's cuter." he jokes, focusing on that rather than the disappointing news.
"I'd say she's pretty good, too. You know how to pick 'em, huh. So how have YOU been? Salons blowing up and disaster lesbians aside."
There’s soft laughter as Raquelle works on adding something to Kendall’s scalp, head tilting to the side thoughtfully. “I never replaced you, just remained inspired by you. I have all sorts of teens and youngins’ in and out. If they need a job or just a safe place to rest.” He shrugs a shoulder.
But the question makes him pause before he chuckles softly. “I’m okay. Doing what I can. Being who folks need me to be.”
In goes the conditioner.
"A fact that I didn't appreciate at the time, but at least I enjoyed it. The thong and attempts to get me to learn how to do it, not so much." Smirk. Good thing Brynn isn't able to follow the conversation, that might make her blush. Then again, if she's been working for Raquelle, she might already know.
Kendall hmms as Raquelle gives his hair a thorough cleaning. "It wasn't that bad, was it? I'm pretty sure I washed it this week. And I thought I at least did a half-decent job keeping it even on both sides." No, you probably didn't, Kendall.
“Not that bad. You must’ve retained a tiny bit of learning from your time here.” Raquelle smirks gently before quietly and efficiently finishing up the hair care process, adding in the deep conditioner and letting it sit. “You got a good place to stay around here?”
The hairdresser idly rinses off and out some instruments he had been using for the wash, detangler brushes and the like and smoothly sets a timer. “Like. A safe place?”
"Well I did learn from the best." Kendall smiles innocently over at Raquelle. At the question, though, he lightly shrugs. "Heh, I'm always safe. Can't find me if they can't see me, I'm really good at hiding by now." As he just demonstrated, of course.
Well, perhaps Raquelle is looking for a more concrete answer than that. Kendall "Yeah, yeah I got somewhere. Just temporary for now but it'll do until I find somewhere permanent. A roof over my head and a place to sleep, check!" he doesn't go much into detail beyond that, looking a little shifty as he watches Raquelle fuss at his torture equipment. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
Eyeing the timer, Raquelle smirks gently to himself as he folds his arm and hits a lean against one of his counters. “If you don’t, you need to tell me. I know quite a few people around here and how things work in the safe zone.” He gestures vaguely around the shop and towards the door. “So you ever need help, and you don’t ask.”
He sucks his teeth and quirks a well groomed eyebrow as he moves to start setting out some more torture devices for post the deep condition. “I will find you, invisible or not, and aggressively assist you at that time.” He winks and gives a small shake of his head. “I get to erase a question mark from beside your name and that is…such a relief.”
"Consider me hunted down." Kendall manages to keep a straight face, but the idea of Raquelle chasing him down being all rawr with a pair of clippers in one hand and a curling iron in the other is almost too much for him.
"And likewise, once I get settled down. Ever wanted to see what it'd look like to redecorate without actually spending money to change anything?" he glances around, and Kendall changes the decor to all pastels and lacy frills, like some sort of lolita style. He twitches an eyebrow at Raquelle to see his reaction. "Well I'm not going anywhere this time. You're stuck with me."
There isn’t quite a twitch but Raq’s eyes widen a fraction at the temporary illusion and he makes a fake retching sound. “I can never unsee that.” He gives a shudder before rolling his eyes and moving to start rinsing the deep conditioner off. “I’ll get you evened up, and trimmed and put you on the books for a regular visit after today.”
He takes a deep breath. “If you ever have to miss an appointment…just try to tell me this time, okay darling?”
The pastel monstrosity disappears, returning the room to normal. Yeah, no one in their right mind would want to be surrounded by that aside from like… a really little kid. Probably. Hopefully.
On a more serious note, though… “Well trust me, I was NOT planning on disappearing like that. It just sort of… happened.” and judging by the way Kendall avoids looking over at Raquelle, he doesn’t really want to talk about it, either. He spends a minute staring at the wall, then quickly shakes his head, returning his gaze to the present.
“But you got it. I promise that I’ll let you know. And you won’t need to make appointments to keep me coming back, you know. I’ll even come of my own volition!” pause. “…I will pass on the pedicure though.”
Brynn, working in the corner on the scheduling book for Raquelle, looks up in time to see pastel monstrosity and looks horrified! And then it's gone and she rolls her eyes expressively, giggling a silent giggle over there. She's not following the conversation, obviously — being deaf means there's privacy for the other two to get reacquainted. The young woman is simply minding her own business over there. But periodically she shoots a smile at Auncle Raquelle because…. it's Auncle Raquelle. And he is a blessing in her world.
—-
“I’ll put you on the books for my own peace of mind.” Raquelle drawls softly before idly cracking his neck and getting back to work. Most people’s lives really in this day and age don’t go the way they wanted.
He swallows and finishes rinsing Kendall out before nodding towards the syling chair. “Go have a seat.” He waits to catch Brynn’s attention before signing as he speaks. “We’ll get take out for us all tonight.” With a soft smile before looking between two members of the next generation and he takes a deep breath.
There’s still hope.
“All right, all right. And I’ll even let you know if I can’t make it, because the world is crazy now and who knows what’s going to happen. But heaven forbid I miss a hair appointment.” Kendall grins at Raquelle, then catches Brynn’s eye and nods affably towards her before going to sit in the chair. And after another four hours of Raquelle fussing over the styling of his hair (slight exaggeration… HOPEFULLY), Kendall gives his cell phone number to Raquelle so the appointment can be made, waves to Brynn, then saunters off.