trans_9 | Armed Haircare Intervention [Bendytime to post-plots

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Armed Haircare Intervention [Bendytime to post-plots | OPEN]

Setsuna, for once, was looking relaxed. Or, rather, as about as relaxed as someone as Setsuna could get, which still wasn't very. But at least he was relaxing in the Drunken Dragon, so maybe he was starting to behave like a normal human being!

Or not.

He clearly didn't come to the tavern to drink. Or talk. Or even to relax, or otherwise be social. Or, y'know, do things that normal people do in a bar.

He came there so Lockon Stratos could cut his hair.

The bar stools were the best height for that sort of thing, and while Setsuna may have been 'raised by wolves,' even wolves kept themselves clean and well groomed. Besides, if anyone was going to be holding a sharp object near his head without him flipping out, it had to be Lockon. They promised to clean up once they were done, though, even if only to pacify any potential complaints from ownership.

Still, despite it being only a haircut, Setsuna did seem more at ease than he been at any other time, at least in public. And Lockon was certainly a friendly enough sort. Perhaps now might be a good time approach them.

((ooc: Feel free to talk to Setsuna, or to Lockon (

neraiutsu ), who may be willing to cut your character's hair too.))

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Sakura has been quieter since her return from the far reaches of where the ship had unknowingly sequestered them. From echoes of a battle fought by the previous crew, to coming face to face with a gigantic whale in an even more enormous aquarium, to what was gone by the time they'd made it back, she wasn't sure if there was anything she wanted to talk about.

She did notice that she was spending less time being deliberately alone, since not for the first time, it felt more like being lonely, and less like being properly reserved.

Taking in the men she was looking at, one familiar, and the other not, Sakura drummed up a smaller smile of almost-amusement when she nodded to Setsuna in greeting. "Time for a haircut?" she asked, reminded briefly of Guide back on XaXing. Only she assumed no one was offering Setsuna credits in exchange for his hair.

Sorry, Stacy did not have her own Locks of Love, or Cash for Curls program.

"Haruno Sakura." She'd have to forgive him for not looking at her directly as he spoke, but he didn't want his hair to come out uneven. His eyes tracked her, though, and he regarded her quietly for a moment.

"It was getting in my way." This was mostly about function. Less she think that he was being, in his own way, vain.

Lockon raised one hand in brief greeting and flashed a warm smile. He hadn't been feeling properly friendly, or social, in some time, but if she was going to try to be friendly to Setsuna, of all people, then he had an obligation to return the favor.

Since he was pretty sure Setsuna was just going to be awkward about it.

Lockon was pretty spot on with his assessment. For whatever reason, Setsuna's estimate makes her laugh -- not much, but a little -- and she brushes some of her own hair off her face. "I know the feeling."

She nodded her head to Lockon, settling into polite posture. The polite smile, the polite everything that she was used to. "I don't think we've properly met before. Setsuna's pretty much introduced me," she said, waving her fingers out of deference for the fact the other man was presently engaged. "I'm generally working down in Medical."

To her, that was enough. A name, a place she 'fit,' and then the rest could be polite conversation, or politely moot. How the hell everything had shifted over to polite when she felt anything but polite toward the situation they lived in, the forces that sought to control them all, and the manipulations of the ship itself, well.

"Is he your usual barber?" She asked Setsuna, a nod toward the fact he was putting up with this kind of contact based on something close enough to trust to pass as it, in her eyes. She wondered, like she usually did, and asked, like she did roughly half the time she wondered.

"His name is Lockon Stratos; he's a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being." A group which probably consisted of the three of them en total at this point.

"She's with us," he followed up, though that was directed at Lockon, who was likely wondering why some girl would be chatting so casually with Setsuna, of all people, and why he'd respond with an actual complete sentence when a simple yes or no would've sufficed.

Lockon's eyebrow twitched involuntarily - Celestial Being? That was a different story though, for a different time.

"Yo," he greeted instead, nodding his head quickly. "So tell me, Sakura, how you came to sadly be one of us." He snipped another lock of Setsuna's hair.

"Nice to meet you, Lockon Stratos." Such a force to be reckoned with, truly.

"Oh, I don't know. I'd encountered Setsuna a few times -- you make a terrible patient, you know," she said, eye flicking to his face, taking advantage of the fact he couldn't, for now, look her full on, "Before anything was brought up. Must have been our enlightening conversations where he helped me understand what racism was in context of Earth that started things off."

The last was a jest, and she knew it, figured as much Setsuna would know it. Their discussion on Happy Happy Fun World had been at an odd time, when she'd had her mind turned toward what Setsuna had suggested. That agenda, such as it was, was something she still believed in.

Ask anyone. She liked to know, pursued questions, pushed where she could and read more and worked more than was reasonably sane. Sometimes it came back to bite her in the rear, but it was better than unquestioned acceptance.

"Past that, and pirate watching, there isn't much to tell."

He gave her a look at an angle, but otherwise remained silent.

He smoothed Setsuna's hair and studied it, trying to make sure everything was just right so it had that freshly-but-clearly-not-intentionally mussed look.

"I can only imagine what it was like having him as a patient."

"Lucky," she said mildly, watching him look over his work. "What's your story?" To whatever extent he was willing to speak. Sakura wasn't bothered over much either way right now, if her lips quirked up just a little at Setsuna's look.

Spending extended periods of time with someone overtly sarcastic had rubbed off on parts of her sense of humor, but it wasn't meant to harm. All light kept her more easy at heart, a touch of the irreverent to keep things from getting close to home.

"Looking nice." And a touch of honesty to still keep a grip on the changes in the world (even as simple as the state of another person's grooming).

~~He was a fantastic patient, shut up.~~

"It's out of the way," he responded, glancing off a few inches to the side of Sakura, the only outward indication that he was at all faintly embarrassed by her compliment. But was really about as much as he was willing to address his hair. Even on the best of days, it was bird's nest. Now it was just a more manageable one that didn't need to be tied back when he put on his helmet.

He stiffened slightly, imperceptibly, he hoped. There were some stories you told, and others you didn't. He had told Feldt a story because she needed to hear it. But that wasn't this girl's fault.

"My story? I'm his babysitter," he joked, tapping Setsuna's head lightly and winking.

"Only way mine stays out of anything is when I tie it back anymore."

She watched Lockon, lips quirking into a different kind of smile as she nodded, shifted to the side, and looked over the part of the tavern they were in. "Maybe not so lucky after all," she said, tone light.

Stories going untold was a better, more comfortable medium to operate around. Much more homey, if she was no longer sure when that was supposed to be the norm or not.

There was a sideways glance (the Setsuna equivalent of rolling his eyes), but little more as Setsuna otherwise ignore Lockon's joke.

"You should let him fix that for you," he told Sakura. So, yes, Lockon's services just got volunteered.

Lockon chuckled. "You see? This is why he needs a babysitter. Without me, you'd all be doing all kinds of things for him." He snipped a couple more strands at the back of Setsuna's head.

"Pity. I'm almost halfway decent at haircuts by kunai." A flagrant lie, if she did have the general hacking motion down to a smooth cut through.

Setsuna's volunteering was enough to get her to look back at him, eyebrow quirked up. "What dose Lockon-san have to say for that offer?"

He gave her a look for that question, not bothering to say anything out loud. Sakura should know how to translate him by now.

Either way, Lockon was standing right there; if he had something to say about that offer (including any objections to it having been made), he could speak for himself. It's not like Setsuna could read minds--

...oh, wait, he could. Sometimes. But now wasn't one of those times. He was wearing pants so that was a no go.

Thank goodness this was one of the "pants wearing" stories.

"I can fix it for you. Once I'm done here."

She thought it over (yes, Setsuna, she caught that, thank you), closing her eyes while she breathed in deeply. Exhaled slowly.

He'd liked her hair.

Her eyes opened, and she smiled at Lockon, looking more tired right then than she had before. "If you don't mind, I'd appreciate that very much."

Setsuna noticed that change in her, his expression changing slightly to one of muted concern, perhaps? Or maybe it was just mild curiosity.

Either way, he won't ask. But he'll listen.

He said nothing. Living amongst strangers and silence meant that you got good at reading expressions. Guessing at what they meant, and hoping like hell you were right because your life was in their hands.

"Sure. Just tell me what you want."

"Short." Her smile was quick then, a better mask. There's the smallest shake of her head, as if dismissing the cause. She wasn't going to burden anyone with that. There was too little she finally was understanding herself, and it didn't hurt the way it would have, years ago.

If that was growing up, or growing numb, she didn't know.

"Stupidly short. I'm tired of it getting in the way all the time, mmm?" Enough truth in that statement. "Besides, hair grows. It's been a long time since I've had it really short." She paused, eyeing the ground. "I can help with the clean-up, too, if that's any consolation."

She knew how thick her hair really was, for all it was relatively fine.

Well, if she didn't want to talk, that was fine. The offer to listen, however, wasn't withdrawn. Not that he bothered to state that out loud.

He did look a little distracted, though, if you looked closely. His line of sight moved about an inch or so to the side of Sakura, and his vision seemed more unfocused. Like he wasn't looking at her, so much as looking in the direction she happened to be standing in.

It was hard for him to not think of another girl who had long then short pink hair... who was... he honestly wasn't sure she and he were to each other, but that didn't matter. She was here, but now she's back in the pods. So there was really no point in thinking about her, and he focused on the conversation at hand.

"That won't be necessary." A little extra hair wouldn't be that much trouble to clean up.

Lockon nodded. "I can do short. That seems the most practical, right? Are you sure though? It's very pretty."

Sakura wasn't entirely sure, but... "Shot enough to be off my shoulders at least." She smiled. "It's how I'm used to keeping it, when I stay on top of myself. Long hair takes more time to take care of than it's worth."

At the moment.

She hesitated, looking from Setsuna to Lockon, then finally locking on to Setsuna. "You remember how I was living at the Atori Teahouse? I've been keeping it up since everyone was repodded, making sure the dust never really settles. I was worried at first, right after SHODAN's attack, but pretty miraculously, it survived. Some window damage in the kitchen, but nothing much else. The tea kept fine. Not even a leaf out of place! Not what I was expecting."

Her smile was almost wistful. Almost, because it wasn't much of an act, and it slid into something more thoughtful. A touch sad. (She didn't intend the latter.)

"You should both come over for tea, if you can stand the stuff. I've just got black, but it's good quality. It'd be nice to claim a little bit of something like home."

Nicer to talk, and there was something she did want to share with Setsuna -- and Lockon, by extension.

Setsuna would've looked back at Lockon, but while he didn't really care much about his hair, he did at least want it to end up even. That left him in a slightly awkward position, though only because he knew Lockon preferred coffee over tea. And also because Setsuna never gets invited into people's homes. Not many people want a crazy introverted terrorist hanging out on their couch for some reason.

Still, Setsuna's lack of social grace aside, he had no real reason not to go. Plus he got a hint that this was about something other than tea.

"When?" Consider that a 'yes' on their behalf.

"Tea sounds very nice," he expanded upon Setsuna's terse response, smiling.

"I've got two rotating shifts in MedBay, but anytime after those are over I should be free. When works for you?"

Well, its not as if either of them actually had a schedule...

"We'll meet you just after you get off from work."

Whenever that was.

"Unless you would like to rest first, of course."

"There's no need for that," she said, still smiling. Sakura barely rested before recent events. Now she was being even worse, if that was truly possible.

"Then its settled." Setsuna didn't really see the need to discuss that arrangement further.

Though she had heard of the Drunken Dragon Fuu hadn't yet visited it--she had no inclination to visit a bar. But when she'd actually passed by the building, it had caught her interest--it wasn't every day you saw a medieval European tavern on a spaceship.

It turned out to be something right out of an RPG, and not unlike one of the period museums that had been on Pelau. She wouldn't have been at all surprised to see mysterious cloaked figures lurking in the corners or a group of dwarves singing at the bar. The people who were actually at the bar, though, did quite surprise her, or rather, what they were doing surprised her.

"Ah..." She approached a little hesitantly, conscious that she might be butting in. But it was too much of a curiosity. "Is this also a barbershop?"

Lockon grinned and waved quickly.

"For now, at least. Can we help you?"

Fuu twiddled a few strands of her hair. However long she had been on this ship, it hadn't been enough for it to have grown noticeably. Anyway, his response had called her initial assumption into question. "Oh... I just hadn't expected to see anyone getting their hair cut in here. I suppose I haven't been here long enough to think about that problem."

She smiled politely, feeling slightly embarrassed now. "I'm sorry to interrupt--I hope I didn't break you concentration, Barber-san."

Lockon chuckled. "It's all right, I don't think anyone is supposed to be getting their hair cut in here. Lockon Stratos," he introduced himself, saluting her quickly.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Stratos," said Fuu with a polite bow, changing her form of address when she listened to the words under Stacy's automatic translation. ~~Because she likes to feel clever.~~

She perched herself on a nearby barstool, wondering if she ought to say hello to the man whose hair he was cutting, but decided that if he hadn't said hello before he probably wasn't interested in starting a conversation now. Mr. Stratos seemed amiable enough, though. "What do you do when you aren't cutting hair?" she asked, always curious about the other refugees aboard the ship.

"It's nice to meet you too, miss." He raised an eyebrow at the back of Setsuna's head, but Setsuna was... Setsuna. Silence was to be expected. He just hoped the young lady wasn't watching his face too carefully.

"Usually just try to make sure this one stays out of trouble."

Fuu was the sort who watched people carefully, along with most anything else in the vicinity, but fortunately for Lockon she wasn't well-positioned to see Setsuna's face.

She searched for some polite response. "I think it must be difficult for anyone to stay out of trouble on this ship," she said. "Even when we aren't on other planets, every day seems... eventful."

In this case, eventful could encompass everything from People are forced to share bodies to a rogue AI takes over and tries to kill everyone.

He chuckled. "Eventful is quite the word for it. Are you used to getting into trouble, miss?"

"Well..." Fuu cupped her cheek in one hand. She didn't exactly go looking for trouble, but all of her recent life until this point probably qualified--from being summoned to Cephiro to waking up on Stacy. "I suppose you could say that I am. It isn't through my own inclination, though."

"Ah, well. Some of us go looking for trouble." He nodded discreetly and winked at the back of Setsuna's head. "And for the rest of us, Trouble just knows we can handle it."

He heard that, Mr. Let-Me-Run-Off-After-Ali-Al-Saachez-And-Get-Myself-Blown-Up.

~~IKR~~

"I'm not sure Trouble thinks that about me," Fuu said with a somewhat uncertain smile, but she had to admit that Mr. Stratos' easy attitude was nice to see. "And I don't think it will ever be considerate, especially as I have friends of my own who like to confront it."

She was thinking more of Hikaru and Umi than the people she had met aboard Stacy--if those two were here, Fuu was sure her life would have been even more exciting, but also more enjoyable.

Oh hush. Both of you. He was totally capable of handling that one.

Lockon chuckled. "Ah, well. Then you'll just have to make friends with Trouble too."

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Armed Haircare Intervention [Bendytime to post-plots | OPEN]

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