The shop is quiet besides the soft bubbling of the fish tanks, and everything is soothing.Īfter a little while, Pearl lets go of Shantae’s fingers, and Shantae opens her eyes, watching her. As she inhales, she smells the lavender essential oil imbued into the towel, and feels the heat so close to her skin. Shantae closes her eyes as well, and for a moment, lets the aura of the shop control her senses. She continues by running her fingers down Shantae’s arms, along her wrists, before wrapping them into Shantae’s fingers, holding her hands for a moment, and closing her eyes. Shantae gently nods, and Pearl smiles, running her blue nails down Shantae’s shoulders, before pushing her fingers down, and massaging out the tension she feels, forcing Shantae to lower her shoulders, and exhale quickly. The heat of the second towel forces Shantae to gasp again, and Pearl runs a hand along her collar in the next moment, asking, “You can still breathe, correct? I wouldn’t let you get hurt on purpose~” Pearl smiles, and returns to brushing hair out with her fingers, periodically checking that the towel she has draped over Shantae’s face remains hot enough- when it feel it has lost its sharp heat, she quickly heats another, and expertly replaces the first, with not a moment of cool air between them. Shantae shivers with the hot breath washing over her ear, and closes her eyes.

“I can see that no matter what struggles you face, you always treat your hair with respect,” Pearl purrs to Shantae, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “I completely understand- I feel the same way about my own.” Pearl runs her hands through it rhythmically, creating a soft massage while brushing it out. With smooth motions, she pulls loose the band holding Shantae’s ponytail together, and lets her hair drape over the back of the chair and flow down toward the floor. Pearl leans over Shantae’s face, with a glitter in her soft blue eyes like sunlight on the waves, and strokes her half-genie friend’s long purple hair. Pearl spins her around and pumps the chair up in a smooth motion, before wringing her towel of stray water, and draping it carefully over Shantae’s face, from the bottom of her neck to the top of her nose, eliciting a soft gasp, and then a moan.

Shantae happily bounces to the chair, and swings into it. Pearl happily goes to her styling chair, and swings it around for Shantae, before grabbing a pair of towels, and putting one under hot water.

Shantae petrify