Shampoo and Conditioner

"Wooooaaaaahhh! This feels amazing!" I squeal, running my fingers through my freshly washed hair. It's so clean, and smooth, gliding between my fingertips. Not to mention, it smells incredible—peppermint with a sweet, flowery twist! I can't stop sniffing it!

"Eris, what is this shampoo? I love it!" I ask, practically bouncing with excitement.

I wish it can make more foam and bubbles though, but other than that, it's a wonderful product, even better than many brands in my previous life!

"Hmmm, let me check." Eris grabs the shampoo bottle and squints at the label like a detective. "It's called Lavendula Cleanse. Made with lavender, rubysage, rosemary, slickeberry extract, and… oh! I know this plant, it's Laventis Root! I used to gather loads of that in the dungeons years ago. If you grind it and soak it in water, it releases a substance that can be filtered to make soap. Super useful!"

"Wow, that's amazing!" I exclaim, impressed. "I can't believe there's a plant that just… makes soap! How convenient!"

Indeed, this medieval fantasy world is nothing like the medieval times I read about on Earth. Not only is fashion more developed and celebrated, but the food is also amazing. And then there are modern-like innovations, like shampoo and conditioner.

I can't help but wonder what else I might find in this world. Perhaps some magical device I've never even imagined?

Eris grins, clearly pleased with herself. "Right? I'm no soap expert or anything, but I think they just add a bunch of essential oils into Laventis soap and ta-da—shampoo!"

"But you still have to get the right balance of ingredients, though, right? It can't be that easy!" I question, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, right! Of course! It's like grilling a fish—put in too much salt or pepper, and boom, it's completely ruined!" Eris says with a playful laugh.

As we chat, Eris pulls down another container, this one with a creamy, buttery substance inside.

"Is that conditioner?" I ask, my curiosity piqued.

"Yep! This stuff will make your hair even shinier and silkier," she says, holding it up like it's a treasure chest.

I take a little sniff, but unlike the fresh, minty shampoo, this conditioner smells kinda… weird. Bitter, even?

"You know," Eris says with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "this conditioner, you can eat it!"

"Wait… what? Eat it??" I blink, utterly baffled.

"Yup!" she grins, clearly enjoying my confusion. "There's a story about a soap merchant who got stuck in a dungeon. When his food ran out, he survived by eating conditioner for days!"

"What? That's insane!" I stare at her, wide-eyed. "You're pulling my tail, right?"

"Nope! Totally true!" Eris giggles, her eyes sparkling. "After all, conditioner is just Laventis Root mixed with animal fat. It's totally edible!"

"Hmmm…"

I squint at the container, still skeptical but way too curious for my own good. Tentatively, I scoop a tiny bit onto my finger and give it a teeny-tiny lick.

Big mistake.

"BLEEERRGGGHHH!!!" I spit it out immediately, my face scrunching up in horror. It's slimy! And bitter!!!

"Eris, you tricked meee!!!"

"No, no! I told you it's edible—I never said it tasted good!" Eris is now full-on laughing, practically in tears.

"Ugh! Take it back!" I shove the container at her, making my best pouty face while she giggles like she just pulled off the prank of the century.

"Okay, okay, let's get your hair conditioned now," she says, still snickering.

Eris then scoops some conditioner and starts working it through my hair, her fingers moving so gently that I instantly forget being mad. The way she massages it in feels like heaven, and I close my eyes, letting out a contented sigh.

After a minute, she rinses my hair, and I run my fingers through it again.

"WWWWooooaaahhh!!! It's soooo silky!!!" I squeal, twirling a strand between my fingers. It feels like I'm touching liquid silk!

"Told ya!" Eris says, grinning proudly.

"Nnn!" I nod excitedly, bouncing in my seat.

I've never cared about my hair this much before, but now? I'm so into it.

Maybe it's because I'm a girl now? Everything feels different. I get flustered more easily, I'm more sensitive to little things, and sometimes I catch myself acting way too cutesy for my old self. It's kinda embarrassing, but I just can't help it!

But at least one thing hasn't changed—I still like girls! That's a fact that's never going anywhere!

Suddenly, I hear Eris gagging behind me.

"BLEEEEHHHH!!!"

I whip around, see Eris spitting dramatically, sticking her tongue out like a kid who's eaten a sour candy.

"WAIT! WHY?!" I'm so confused.

Apparently, Eris had decided to taste the conditioner too. The result? She's now her scrubbing her tongue furiously with her hand.

"I was curious too! Aaaaa, damn! That was shit!" Eris groans, her face twisted in the most pitiful expression.

"YEAH! I told you it was gross!" I laugh, clutching my sides as I watch her suffer the consequences of her curiosity.

After a moment, she recovers, flashing me a playful smile. "Alright, let's get that back scrubbed, shall we?" she says, grabbing a towel and dipping it into the warm water.

"Okay!" I chirp, still giggling as I turn my back to her.

Eris starts scrubbing gently, the warm water and soft towel making my skin tingle, and I let out a happy sigh.