All characters depicted in situations are 18 years of age or older and of the age of consent, even if it looks otherwise. Acts depicted are all consensual. No real or fictional person was harmed in the making of this work
The spacious bathroom of Titans Tower was unusually bright and buzzing with Starfire's hyperactive energy. In the center, facing a large mirror, a high stool was set up for the hairdressing session.
The original idea had been Starfire's: a "girls' day" to experiment with new Earthling styles. To avoid ruining their battle uniforms, they had both agreed to wear swimsuits. Starfire fluttered around the room sporting a bright pink, tight bikini, while Raven wore an equally snug black one, along with an expression of profound annoyance.
"Oh, Raven! This will be most splendid!" the Tamaranean exclaimed, holding up a pair of scissors and electric clippers. "Your energy needs to be freed from its usual darkness."
Raven let out a long, monotone sigh.
"Star, I'll remind you that I only agreed to this so you would stop levitating over my bed at six in the morning," she said in a flat voice. "Just trim the ends and clean up the undercut at the nape. No weird inventions."
Before sitting on the stool, Raven looked in the mirror, clicked her tongue, and reached behind her back. With a quick motion, she unfastened her tight bikini top and then slipped off the bottoms, leaving the garments neatly folded on a clean towel away from the chair. She sat down on the stool completely naked, crossing her arms with a sullen attitude.
"Freshly cut hair is too itchy if it gets into elastic fabric," Raven justified, noticing her friend's curious stare. "Let's just get this over with quickly."
Step 1: The Bob and Undercut
"Of course, friend Raven! Comfort is vital for beauty!" Starfire nodded happily, turning on the clippers.
The buzzing filled the bathroom. Starfire started at the nape, gliding the clippers smoothly over Raven's grayish skin to leave the undercut clean and perfectly shaved. Then, she picked up the comb and scissors, trimming the ends of her asymmetrical bob. The purple locks fell over Raven's bare shoulders and breasts, sliding to the floor without sticking to any clothes.
"There it is," Raven said, trying to stand up. "Healthy and clean. Thanks, Star."
"Wait, we haven't reached the splendid part yet!" Starfire placed her hands on Raven's shoulders and forced her to sit back down. "I have been studying Earth fashion magazines and I found a cut that screams 'organization' and 'cuteness'!"
Step 2: The Bowl Cut
Before Raven could use her magic or protest, Starfire attacked again with the scissors. With quick, decisive movements, she began cutting a thick, straight fringe just above Raven's eyes, and then continued that same straight line all the way around her head.
Purple strands rained down over Raven's gray skin. When Starfire finished, she brushed the hair straight down to settle the style. It was a flawless, sharp, and extremely neat bowl cut. It looked like a perfectly round helmet resting on her head.
"Glorious!" squealed Starfire, clapping her hands in excitement. "You look so tidy and adorable!"
Raven opened her eyes and stared at her reflection. Her scowl deepened so much that an aura of crackling black energy began to manifest around her bare skin. The bowl cut eliminated any ounce of mystery; it made her look like a nineties grade-schooler.
"Starfire..." Raven said, her voice trembling with contained rage.
"Do you enjoy the roundness of your new hair?"
"I hate it. I look like a damn mushroom," Raven hissed. "Beast Boy will mock me until the day I die. I cannot leave this bathroom looking like this."
Step 3: The Shaved Head
Seeing the genuine fury (and social terror) in her friend's eyes, Starfire's imaginary antennae drooped in sadness.
"But the beautiful round hairstyle...?"
"Shave it," Raven ordered, pointing at the clippers on the counter. "Take absolutely all of it off. Right now."
"All the hair?!" Starfire gasped.
"I'd rather be bald than wear this humiliating helmet on my head," Raven declared, squeezing her eyes shut. "Do it before I lose control and blow this tower sky-high."
With a sigh of resignation, Starfire removed the guard from the clippers. She adjusted the blade to the shortest setting and carefully rested it directly against Raven's forehead, right where the stupid straight bangs started.
Bzzzzzz. The cold blade glided backward, taking an entire strip of purple hair with it, exposing a line of pale gray skin. Raven relaxed a little upon hearing the sound and feeling the horrible bowl cut disappear.
Row by row, the purple helmet fell to the floor, covering Raven's bare feet. Starfire was incredibly meticulous, making sure not to leave a single trace of hair behind, going over every contour of her skull. When she finished, she wiped a damp towel over Raven's head and shoulders to remove the leftover clippings from her skin.
Raven opened her eyes. Her head was completely bald, smooth, and gleaming under the bathroom lights. She was still sitting on the stool, naked and surrounded by a sea of her own purple hair. Her expression remained grumpy, but there was an obvious relief in her eyes.
She ran the palm of her hand over her shaved scalp. It felt cold, smooth, and strangely liberating.
"It is certainly... a very bold look," Starfire tried to cheer her up, smiling weakly. "Your dark aura will flow unimpeded!"
Raven stepped down from the stool, walked over to the towel, and began to put her black bikini back on.
"It's still better than that stupid bowl," Raven muttered, adjusting her straps and looking in the mirror one last time, stroking her shiny new shaved head. "Thanks, Star. I guess."