Dragon Rider Play

"Good. Allow me to finish here and we shall get started," he said calmly. "First the hair. Then the shoes."

"Oh... okay." Blade said nervously. "But I really only need to look good for the hatching ceremony tomorrow..."

"Perhaps, unless you chose to look good for other reasons," Blue smiled. "It would truly be a delight to help you in this, Blade. It..." He hesitated. Why not? "It reminds me of home."

Blade smiled a little. "You miss your home, don't you?" He asked. He didn't mean to be insensitive, but recognized others may have fond memories and attachments to their homes.

Tithenor considered as he pulled on his boots. "I miss my culture. My home had little to offer me, though I hold it in no ill will."

Blade hugged his knees. "I just miss the ability to melt into the crowd easily. I feel too exposed and noticed here. I don't like it."

"You will learn. This is a new terrain that you must learn to blend into, and you will be stronger for it," Blue told him. "Already you are better than any I have seen here."

Blade shrugged. "I do better in crowds. You're less noticeable then. And in chaos."

"You will learn," Blue assured him, standing. "Come. Let's get you polished like a diamond."

Blade stood. "Diamonds are shiny. And worth a lot of money." He commented as he followed Blue.

"And you, my dear boy, are a diamond in the rough," Blue drawled, leading Blade to the washroom. "First, I need you to wash. Really wash. Scrub yourself down until your skin is red. Understood?"

Blade hesitated and did as he was told. He scrubbed as good as he could do before changing back into just his regular pants and shirt. He left the weapons off for now, and set them on his bunk.

Blue sat next to him, showing Blade his own small knife. "I will be cutting your hair now. I may need to touch your shoulders from time to time, but I will try to be brief. Are you ready?"

Blade touched his disorderly hair. "O-okay." he said. He trusted Blue more than most. Blade's hair was thick, and clearly had not been cut often, or well for that matter. Mostly just roughly hacked off when it got past his shoulders. It was halfway there now.

"Thank you, Blade. Tell me about your knives. Do they have names?" Tithenor asked to keep Blade talking and his attention focused as he began cutting the unruly hair. His fingers were quick and delicate, touching Blade as little as possible other than his hair.

"No, not really." Blade said. "I lose some way more often than others, so it's hard to keep names and track of them all. This one knife though, every time I lose it, it always seems to come back to me. It's, uh, sort of become a favorite of mine." He picked up the knife that Blue had retrieved after Violet threw it. "Maybe I should name this one. What do you think?"

"That one has chosen you." Blue smiled, focused on his work. "Elves believe that all weapons have names. Their owners must simply find them. The same as your dragon."

Blade smiled a little. "I'm no good at names. I named myself 'Blade' for crying out loud. One would think you'd come up with a better name for yourself than that is given the chance."

"I am not one to talk. I allow others to call me Blue," he said dryly, moving to the other side.

"But that's not a name you came up to call as your own name." Blade pointed out. "You said yourself when you introduced yourself, you said your elf name first, and then people call you Blue because they don't speak elf. That's a bit different."

"A good point," Blue agreed, working on evening things out now that he'd finished the main body of work. "Why do you not wish to be called by your given name?"

Blade frowned. "No comment." He murmured in a slightly grim tone.

"Very well," Blue agreed. After a moment of silence, he made the final clip and brushed the hair from Blade's shoulders. His hair was shorter now, but with enough length to let it retain that slight curl, giving him a roguish air. "There. Look in the mirror in he wash room. If you dislike it, I can change it some."

Blade got up and went to look. "It looks good. Like, really good." He complimented.

"Good," Tithenor said, gracing him with a rare smile. "Now for the shoes. Come. I am sure the tailor will have extras. Yours are good for work, but when you wish to look a little dressier, it is wise to have a second pair on hand."