matcha !!!

and the wip :D bro is not having a good time

They'd agreed to take as much time as they needed in Santari. Midsummer visitors crowded the village, making it a perfect time to pick up odd jobs and purchase supplies. It also meant no vacancies at the inns, but Scar had sweet-talked a local merchant into letting them rent an empty house she had for sale.

It only had two bedrooms and there was no kitchen, but it had a proper, fully enclosed bath. As soon as they arrived, Bdubs filled the stone tile tub with clear mountain water and coaxed a fire to heat the rocks beneath it. He eased himself into the simmering warmth and began to wash the many days of hard travel from his skin.

He scrubbed the back of his neck and behind his ears, hands moving vigorously into his hair - and catching. He frowned at the knots, dunking his head under the water. He tried to tease apart the snags to no avail.

He soaked in the water until it went cold, then finally dragged himself out to search for the bard.

---

"Four silver."

"I haven't even told you what I want!" Bdubs shouts, standing in the front room in a bathrobe he'd found in the linen closet. He's dripping bathwater onto the floor.

"Four silver and ten copper, if you're going to yell," Scar says with a smirk. "I know you're good for it. Etho buys you everything."

"You did it for free before!"

Scar's eyes narrow at that, his gaze distant. "I never do anything for free. Are you on my favors list?" he lights up at that. "Of course you are! And I have just the favor in mind -"

"You wish! I ain't stupid enough to end up on no list of yours." Bdubs is fast deciding this isn't worth the trouble. Maybe someone in town can help. There were people who cut hair, right? Maybe he should go to one of them.

As he ponders the concept of wielding sharp things for a living and not using them for violence, he unconsciously tugs at his wet hair again, frowning. Scar catches sight of the motion and softens, sitting up from his position lounging on the bench.

"Oh, oh, oh! You want me to brush your hair again? That's on the house, absolutely," Scar is already digging into his satchel for a comb.

Bdubs takes a step back, a little frightened by the enthusiasm. "Well, I was thinking about something else, though. With my hair," he adds quickly.

"Hmm? A certain style? It's got great volume. And it's quite long. We could do some adornments!" his eyes are alight at the possibilities, fingers twitching to get ahold of Bdubs' head. "And with your natural curls, a couple pins here or there, it'd really -"

"I don't need adornments, just - can you braid it? If you braid it, it won't get messed up so quick, right?"

At first, Bdubs thinks the bard has...frozen, somehow, and he looks left and right for any signs of spellwork. Then he notices the half-elf is vibrating, a rictus grin on his face.

"Never mind!" Bdubs tries, hopping back a step. "I'm good, no thanks!"

"Pleaseletmebraid -" Scar inhales. "I will give you silver. Let me braid it. I have an idea. Bdubs, I have a vision."

"No, I really don't think I need to. I'm, uh. I'm okay."

"Bdubs," Scar says, standing now, hovering over the shorter man as if he's ready to attack. "Bdubs, you let me see this through, and I promise you something. A one hundred ten percent patented Goodtimes Guarantee."

"What?" Bdubs squeaks, wondering when Etho and Cleo will get home. Or the bird boy, he can usually rein Scar in.

"Etho is going to love it."

---

Scar parks Bdubs at the foot of one of the beds, sunlight warm and bright on his shoulders as he waits.

The bard combs through his hair with expert grace, parting it with the flick of his wrists. He starts humming as he works, then outright singing, making up a tune about Bdubs as he braids.

Bdubs is grateful for the distraction, at least. His virgin scalp stings as the braids are tugged in, neat rows appearing beneath Scar's fingers.

"Bdubs the brave and braided, sit and just be serenaded, curls of brown and eyes of amber, listen to my splendid timbre -"

"This tune is as much about you as it is abo- ow! about me," Bdubs complains, trying very, very hard not to fidget. He suspects he has a bruise on the back of his neck from Scar yanking him back into place earlier.

"That's because we're making something beautiful together!" Scar insists, finishing off another section of hair and sliding a ring onto the end of it.

After a few more braids are finished, Scar pulls away with a triumphant sound, a sincere grin on his face. "You look incredible," he announces. "Oh, let me find the looking glass!"

"Wait!" Bdubs tries, but Scar is already gone from the room. The druid touches a tentative hand to his head, which is half braided.

Scar returns, shoving a small mirror into his hands.

"Did you get tired? Oh, brother. This is a scam, isn't it? I have to pay to get the other half, don't I?!" Bdubs pouts.

Scar bursts into laughter, hiccuping with it and slapping his leg obnoxiously. "No, no! It's part of the vision - just look, okay?"

Bdubs checks his reflection at last.

His hair is parted on the left, and a little over a third of his scalp bears tight, tidy rows of braids. The remaining hair juts up, then lays soft and wavy, ending just below his cheekbone. He's fairly sure he's never seen anything like it.

He blushes fiercely, looking at Scar in disbelief. "What."

Scar fiddles with one of his combs, mouth uncertain. "You don't like it?"

Bdubs dares a second glance. "It's just," he starts, turning his head left and right. He looks...younger. Put together? Intentional. He feels like he's wearing art on his head.

"I think it's gorgeous," Scar gushes. "It's half - well, half-ish braided, to symbolize how you spend half-ish of your time in dreams. Get it?"

The front door opens before Bdubs can reply. Cleo comes in, arms laden with bags of supplies, Etho following after with a stack of boxes in his arms.

"I've got food!" Cleo announces, poking her head into the bedroom door with a smile. "Grilled chicken and - oh!"

She shifts the bags onto one arm so she can cover her mouth, eyes gleaming. "Ohh? The boys have been having a beauty date."

There's the sound of boxes being roughly deposited on the front room table, and Etho appears in the doorway next. Bdubs stares at the wall, lips pursed, pointed ears glowing red hot.

It's quiet for a while. A worrying while. Scar tuts and knocks Bdubs' hand aside when he tries to touch his hair.

"Oh snappers," Etho finally says, his voice just behind Bdubs' shoulder, making him jump. "That's your real hair, huh? Wow, B," Bdubs finally turns to look at him.

Etho's eyes are crinkled with his smile. "It's a whole new you, bunny! It looks great."

Bdubs puffs out his chest and puts his hands on his hips. "Yeah, it does, don't it?"

---