A RIsh Mans Haircut [Gabe/Zane]

The jingle of the door would vibrate through the corridor as Gabe walked in and removed his coat. " Hello..." This was a basic greeting, not necessarily directed at anyone in particular. However, Gabe thought that it might have been the courteous thing to do to make his presence more known to the patrons that were there. Hearing some good things about the barber shop, Gabe thought that I might be a good time to check out the skills of the barber and see if he could get himself a good haircut. "Is any chair available?"

Most of the time when he was open but had no clients at the time, Zane spent his time up on the second floor above the work place so he was able to come down and deal with visitors as soon as possible. It was the best way to not waste time, as he could do other stuff while he happened to not have anyone over. Dressed in a pair of black pants and a white t-shirt, the young man would make his way down the stairway to greet the newcomer after he heard the door open. "Good day, sir." He would nod towards the man once he got all the way down. "You're free to take any seat you wish. I don't have anything reserved for the moment. I don't recall seeing you here before. First time?" He usually did his best at trying to remember more regular customers, as they tended to want similar haircuts and it was easier to do the job if he didn't need to ask all the details each and every time.

Greeting the man with a sharp bow, Gabe would push up his glasses as he took a seat. "As a matter of fact, this is my first time here at your establishment I was wondering if it was ok for me to come here without an appointment I usually cut my hair on my own, but I figured that maybe I could try something a little more different this time around. " After taking a seat, Gabe would take a look at the man once more. "So, from my understanding, are you the stylist on duty today? What do you specialize in today?

"Yeah, I try to keep a more free schedule so it is possible without an appointment, though it's always safer to have one. Can't ever tell how many people decide to stop by at any time." There were days when his work was more sparse, and there were some where he had to take one person after another pretty much for the entire shift. It was almost luck based, really, aside from those that had reserved appointments of course. Zane would move over to stand beside the man for now as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Actually, I handle things pretty much by myself. I own this place. Though, sometimes I wonder whether hiring help wouldn't be a bad idea. I'm kind of used to a calmer atmosphere however." It wasn't bad, really. He could still handle a good chunk of people even by himself, and it was easier to work that way. "At any rate, if you have any wish for what kind of cut you'd like, feel free to say and I'll do my best. Or I can offer you some hairstyle magazines to look through and pick based on pictures in case that works better for you." He couldn't say he specialized in anything exact, as he couldn't afford to be too narrow-minded to satisfy customers. He usually adapted to what was asked from him, as long as the person had hair that made it possible. Can't make an afro from a bald head after all.

"Oh, so you're actually the owner of this business? That's impressive that you manage this entire establishment by yourself. However, i'll have to let you know that your popularity is starting to increase if i heard of this place randomly. Maybe an apprenticeship won't be so bad if there is someone as passionate as you about cutting here. Nevertheless, passion doesn't necessarily always find itself paired up together with talent. But enough of my rambling. " Ruffling his hair a bit in order to give the barber a good look at what he was working with, Gabe would sit back and look at the mirror.



"Well, what do you think? See any kind of magazine-style I can go with? I was hoping for something new today."

Zane would rub at his stubbly chin slightly. “Yeah, it kinda happened. My dad used to do this, so I guess that’s how I ended up in this business. I think I’d hold off on more people for now though. I mean, I’d need to pay ‘em some fat stacks for the job, and I’m not sure I’d be left with much profit that way.” Sure, being able to deal with more customers would bring more money, but would it really be enough to cover someone’s wage and still leave him enough to consider it a wise move. Plus, then he would have to look after someone and make sure they were a good employee. A lot of extra mental work, really. He kinda liked his solo business, to be honest. For now, at least.

Nevertheless, he would turn his attention to the guy’s hair, narrowing his eyes slightly as he gave it a thought. “I think your current style suits you pretty well, actually. You could probably rock some side-swept bangs though. Ever considered going for long hair? You might be pretty fancy with that. Unless ya one of those guys who consider it girly.” Well, in some cases it did look that way, but was it wrong for a man to not look super macho?

"I would say that it comes hand in hand with the burden of being in charge. I do share your sentiments on the op[posite side of the spectrum. I am a manager myself, so i can see that without a huge amount of profit, it might be hard to maintain an ample amount of staff help. However, maybe I could help you with that?" Gabe's mind was already working, a particular trait that always seems to kick int effect when it came to money. If he could somehow make money with this person, everyone could go home happy. "I mean, i could put in a good word for high-end clientele if you are interested in us working together?"

Ha? Well, sudden offers for a business partnership were definitely not what Zane expected to hear. The young man would whistle, a brief low laugh escaping him at the ridiculousness of this situation. Nevertheless, he had to be courteous and respond to this, as shocking as it was. He would cough to clear his throat before leaning his arms against the back of the chair with a lax smirk. "Whoa man, you sure leap pretty fast. Don't you think it sounds kinda shady when you suggest business contracts to near strangers?" Well, he didn't think this guy was really some kinda smartypants trying to trick him, but it was only fair to question just what inspired it out of nowhere. "What's got you so interested anyway?"

"Not a contract of the sort, it's just helping when it comes to bolstering your clientele. I can put in a good word for you, and you might naturally say that it's not needed, but it's rather harmless when you think about it. I can only tell the truth about something, and if i came in my place of work with a stylish haircut that you gave me, i can only be honest about where i got it and how good it looks. So you see, it's nothing to be completely alarmed about, and if you really don't want that, i'll keep my mouth shut." As to why he's so interested, Gabe would actually shrug. " I had a business I really cared about that i lost recently, not saying you can relate, but when it comes to something you put alot of pride in, it definitely shows in worth ethic. I just believed we shared the same worth ethic, that's all...."

"Heh, you're a curious one. You don't see people going out of their way often in this city, ya know? I just figure it's better to be careful in case someone's tryin' to scam your ass. I'm not gonna stop you from spreadin' the word. I just wanted to know what your goal was with this." Can't be too careless after all. You never know what kind of people you're dealing with, and sealing a deal with the wrong person could mean your misery easily. While he wouldn't go as far as doing background checks on people and whatnot as that was a time eater, Zane still liked to at least get a better idea of what he was getting into.

"Well alright, though I have to disagree with you on one point. I think that there are people that are rising up more and more to go out of their way for others. To help out our fellow man in times of peril or danger, or in order to accumulate wealth through making strong alliances. Being unable to compromise is a form of weakness, seeing everyone around you as competition develops all of this into a cutthroat lifestyle. I don't desire failure for anyone else in particular, which is why i act the way that i do. "

At the very least, Gabe wanted to believe there were more people like him. "Now, about that haircut. "

"Well, not everyone can succeed in this world, mate. That's kinda just how it is. I agree that helping out others is a kind gesture in general, but competition will always exist. For many, it's a way of realizing their ambitions and proving to the world that they're good enough to stand against opposition without faltering." There are many reasons why people would want to compete. Whether it's to show they aren't cowards, or to attract more customers for themselves, it was a practice that would never die out. Besides, without there being any competition, there would be no need for people to strive to better themselves. If anything could pass as good enough and get support and compromises, it would invite people to be more lazy with things.

Anyhow..."Well, do you have an idea what kind of style would you like to go for? Your hair isn't super long as is, so there's only so much that can be done without snipping off too much." He doubted the guy wanted to try out bald. It didn't seem like it would suit him either.

It's just that when the competition gets taken too far, a lot of people start to get hurt because of the mere strife of others. Damage control in regards to that would be impossible, so why not find a way where everyone can win, right?" Thinking in his head, Gabe would tap the chair until he thought of something. "We could try a little off the top , maybe a new hair color? I would try straight black this time, my hair has a bit of a purple hue to it. " Gabe's hair color was a bit complicated, but maybe he could fix it this time? Or, at least for the time being.

"Sounds a bit too much like some sort of utopia. Is it really possible in the world we live in? People tend to fight even when told not to. 's not like you can dictate how everyone should act and keep everyone in line effortlessly..." There would always be some people sticking out and wanting it to be different. You can't make everyone happy in the end. Someone loses out, someone wins. The best you can do is aim for the best option available, and not let wrongdoers have the cake. "Pure black, eh? Sure, that can do.", he would nod after a couple moments of thinking before heading to a nearby cabinet and searching through the tubes of colors he had stashed up.

After a while, while enjoying his haircut, Gabe would hum a little to himself as he waited for the man to finish. "I think it's coming along nicely, don't you agree?"    Thinking to himself, he didn't even ask about how much the haircut was. "How much do your hairuts go for?"

OOC: We can wrap it up