Armando
"Oh uh... My name is U- Björn. This is Ves. Daggar sent me for... He called it a shave?" *The Goliath's words made the Shapeshifter and the Elf both look in his direction a bit more. It seemed that using Daggar's name had some level of meaning to them. The elf, tall and cold, simply returned to his work on the man in his chair, snipping away as he spoke to Mikah.* **"Well boy, time to work on your trade. I trust you to give the man an impeccable shave."**
**"Well-yes sir. I will get on that, Tarion-sir."** *Mikah responded, his back straightening when he was addressed by his superior.*

**"Well mister Björn, please take a seat and I will be with you. Your friend can take a seat over there while we get to work."** *The Shapeshifter apprentice gestured with one hand to a seat before a mirror, large and weathered - it was somewhat close to Björn's size for once. His other hand gestured to a long bench that was sat at the other end of the shop, where a few other customers sat in their own conversations or reading in quiet contemplation. A small table was in front of the bench, with a few second-hand books for children laid face up.*

*As Björn sat in the chair, settling in with the creaking, Mikah walked around him and paused for a second... He then rushed behind the shop's counter to retrieve a wooden crate which he hopped upon to stand above Björn's rigid head.* **" So, you came as a recommendation, right? I can tell. This head hasn't seen a single inch of care... We will soon change that! So, is it all coming off?"** *Björn paused for a second... Before asking in a quiet and anxious tone.* "Can you make it look like a real Goliath's head?" *Mikah paused and nodded, considering the question.* **"I can give you a Goliath's shave, that's fine. I'll also throw in some linework for your markings. God's know they'll need it.**
**"Mikah, remember to make that at a discounted price."** *The skilful elven barber cut in as he dragged a strange blade across the customer's throat.* *

*"Oh yeah, of course, sir. Daggar would tan my hide if not! I don't want a repeat of last time."**

*Their conversation was foreign to Björn, words like shave, markings, linework... It made no sense. He would have to wait and see and trust the work of these men. It is their craft afterall.*

||
David
Ves smiled as Björn spoke up, introducing them and explaining what he wanted. It was good for him to interact with other *Friendly* Folk. It made Ves feel good to know that he was capable of managing without her. After all, what if something happened to her? He needed the social skills to get along in the world. Not that Ves wanted anything to happen! She planned on being around for a very long time.

The Kobold moved to sit on the bench, near the others who were waiting as well. She maintained a polite distance between herself and the people, just in case she made them uncomfortable. She eyed the children's books with interest, but did not reach for any. She was embarrassed by her disability and unwilling to look like a fool in front of strangers. Besides. Her level of reading wasn't even comparable to a child's yet. *Soon,* She promised herself. They had time. She would learn.

Instead Ves focused on Björn. She hoped all would go well. There would be sharp blades involved and he was putting himself at the mercy of these people. They were experts, she reminded herself, feeling nervous on Björn's behalf. And they meant no harm. That sharp blade would do away with the Goliath's unwanted hair, not slit his throat. She hoped Björn was realizing the same thing. 

She did wonder what they meant by *Linework.* It was unfamiliar to her. Well, she would soon find out. Ves' tail flicked behind her, the only sign of her anxiousness.

||
Armando
**"Okay Björn... That's how you say it right? I will start with your head and then the beard."** *Mikah said as he pulled open a drawer and retrieved a pair of gloves and some shears for the amount of general hair removal. Björn took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on the mirror. He hadn't seen his face in so long. The last time he saw it was in the slivered reflection of a Kobold's dagger or the wavy distortion of a water trough's reflection. Here, he saw himself for what he was. His scars seemed better, less pink and raw. The salt air had done him good. His hair, however, was matted, coarse, and messy. Ves could only do so much with his head of hair after all.*

*He watched as Mikah put on his gloves over his furry hands and held the shears with quiet concentration he braced himself, only ever seeing blades as tools of war... Snip. Just like that it glided effortlessly through the first clump of hair. Mikah blew gently against the blades as the clump fell to the ground as graceful as a snowflake - a brown and slightly greyed snowflake. The first swing had been made. The battle ensued. The Barbarian gripped the arms of the leather chair with a feeling of stress as his barber cut away at the hedge on his head, bringing it from a messy mop to a short and flat set of hair that looked semi-normal.*

*Then Mikah hopped down to grab a bowl and began mixing a white creamy foam within it on a brush. When he climbed back up, kicking his foot to the side to remove some of the hair from his shoe, he began to lather the foam over his head. Fucking hell that is cold! But then, after the shock, came relaxation... The Goliath felt that it was nice, soothing and light upon his skin. Once an even coating was applied, the Shapeshifter pulled out a long blade from his apron. While the blade was short, like the handle, it was impossibly thin - and sharp in appearance.*

*Björn was confused until he pressed it to his head at an angle and glided it effortlessly over his skin, wiping the f

Oam and excess hair from the blade on his sleeve. The Barber was mindful of the scars on his face and seemingly ones that were hidden under his hair. As he shaved the Goliath's head, it was clear that the scarring from the attack that blinded his eye went further back up onto his head than one could originally see. However, that was not the only new surprise on his head. As he shaved away at his scalp, lines began to become visible on his head, lines that jutted at strange angles and separated his skin tone from different hues on his skin. These must be the linework that the Barber mentioned! They seemed to form a pattern on his head that must have been unique to Björn's body. The markings of a true Goliath, are covered by years of animalistic slavery and savagery.*

||
David
She watched the barber work his magic, smiling at Björn's confidence. *Be strong. Be brave.* She did notice the way he gripped the chair at first, but slowly began to relax. Good. He deserved to relax. So much of his life was spent worrying: over her, over being caught, over their safety. It was nice to forget those worries and simply live life like a normal person.

Ves leaned back a little and let her gaze wander the room. Her eyes met Björn's in the mirror and she nodded her head at him in encouragement. She took the moment to study her own reflection as well. Her horns swept backwards over her skull and her scales gleamed silver and black. She liked her eyes the most: they were a beautiful shade of amber, a lovely mixture of red and gold. Her large ears were unusual: no one else in her clutch had had such ears. She had often been teased about them while growing up. She tried not to let it bother her, but she was a sensitive soul. They made her feel out of place among her own kind. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing.

Her mind drifted back to Björn as it so often did. He was desperate for his own people. What would happen when they finally found the Goliaths? Would they accept Björn as one of them? And what about her? She would be far in the North, in a hostile and strange environment. What if the other Goliaths weren't welcoming to her? What if they turned her away? What would Björn do then? She didn't want him to have to choose between her and his people. But if she encouraged him, it would mean she would be lost and alone in a cruel world. Ves shivered at the thought.

Well, they would just have to cross that bridge when they came to it. It was still a long way off. Traveling North would take time. And who knew what would happen before then. 

||