I wouldn't offer something I was unwilling to do. I'd prefer this over watching you hack away at it.
[ If only because for all Byleth's outward stoic appearance, he still looked like he was struggling, if not hurting himself.
As for repurposing his hair, it was an unusual thought to entertain as Yuri obliged and placed what he'd cut away in Byleth's waiting hand. He didn't know how much crafting a career mercenary like Byleth did or didn't do in the past. If anything, he was curious as to what he'd make of this unusually tough hair. ]
What do you fancy you'll use it for?
[ He takes hold of some hair again and gets to work, mindful not to tug or pull much. ]
I'm not sure yet, but I'm thinking I could repurpose it into thread. It's durable enough that it'd be suitable to patch clothing or the like.
[Is it fireproof too? Byleth couldn't help but ponder that briefly, eyeing the locks of hair in his palm. He couldn't recall ever burning his hair, but uh, obviously he was very conscious of never setting his hair on fire, accidentally or not. He knew his skin could burn...]
It certainly is tough... [ Yuri had to admit that as he placed a little more hair in Byleth's hand. Maybe he ought to have gotten something to collect it on. If he did this again, he'd have to remember to do that. ] Do you do much sewing then?
[ Aside from an overt love of marine life, much of Byleth's interests and hobbies remained a mystery to him. He was curious though, especially with that sizable collection of books lining shelves nearby. ]
No, not outside of basic patching. I'm quite poor at the task, really.
[He could close a hold in his cloak or shirt, but anything more adventurous than that? The stitches were never even, or weren't done well enough to keep the hole closed. He had resigned himself to never doing anything more than crude patchwork, and wasn't really bothered about it either. Mercenaries weren't fashionistas, after all.]
[ Don't tell Yuri that. He considered himself quite fashionable. ]
In that case, want me to show you a trick or two sometime? Might come in handy.
[ Yuri kept his eyes on his work, carefully angling the knife and trimming away a little hair at a time. He'd hand whatever he managed to free over to Byleth and continued that cycle until his knife seemed to meet greater resistance.
It was cause for him to pause and inspect the blade with a hum. Sure enough, the blade had grown dull, just as Byleth's had. He set the knife aside and pulled another from somewhere within his jacket without missing a beat. Byleth's hair would be tamed well before he ran out of knives, so Yuri was unconcerned. ]
If it wouldn't inconvenience you. I'm always willing to learn new things.
[And learning how to properly sew things would only aid him in the long run. Maybe he could even add it to his slowly growing list of hobbies, even if none of them were all that martial. Writing, drawing, and soon sewing... he know more than a few would boggle at the feared Ashen Demon preferring to pursue activities mostly enjoyed by housewives over anything more 'mercenary-like'.]
Not inconvenient at all. It's a handy skill to have... I could even teach you how to stitch up small wounds.
[ By no means was Yuri a surgeon, but he knew enough to handle small, simple wounds that might otherwise go unattended until a medic could be found. He could well imagine Byleth finding use in that knowledge, on top of learning how to sew better. ]
I picked up a decent sewing kit from the mall, just need to find it... Must be under some fish or other.
[ He spoke lightly as he worked, studiously trimming away at Byleth's hair. The only thing he was unsure of was whether leaving it longer might get in Byleth's way, what with it growing so quickly... Come to think of it, what had Rin said about her horns? ]
[Byleth was reasonably skilled at first aid... though, granted, he was used to augmenting his first aid with his healing magic. As Kenos reduced the effectiveness of such things, maybe learning to be a little better with stitching might be an advantage...
His thoughts were pulled away from such thoughts when Yuri asked his question, though.]
...it's likely. I've never had to deal with my hair being like this before coming here.
[Well, aside from the colour change but the rapid growing and toughness? That was new.]
[ So then, it was probably like Rin suddenly sprouting horns. She'd been tolerating having the things, though whether she felt them any less of a nuisance than Byleth did his hair was debatable. Unwanted changes weren't exactly pleasant.
He hummed as he turned the thought about in his mind, shifting when he found it necessary to continue trimming hair away. ]
There anything you can do about it?
[ Maybe cleansing required means not at Byleth's disposal? It seemed the only reason for him to be struggling like this. ]
[ Methods that required contact... Thinking back on the way Byleth had stiffened like a cat that hadn't wanted to be picked up in Xanadu, Yuri wasn't entirely surprised. He couldn't quite imagine what contact was entailed, but catching his wrist had itself been an intrustion.
Since then, he'd come to think they were similar in that regard. ]
That's troublesome... [ A beat, before he thought to ask: ] Can it affect your health?
In different ways, yes, but only if the Discord becomes too high.
[Byleth wasn't reckless, after all. He only really engaged with one major source of Discord (Set), but that only generated minute levels. His massive burst had been from the Oracle event, where his emotional turmoil and Sothis's intervention had been enough to boost what Discord he had accumulated until it began accelerating his hair and nail growth, and instilling him with a deep uneasiness over the dark.
But those were manageable things. He wasn't like Rin, who had begun to sprout wings and horns, and couldn't stand beneath the sun.]
I won't allow that to happen, though. I do avoid sources of Discord to the best of my ability.
And if it's beyond your control, what's your contingency plan? So much is out of our hands, you should have one.
[ Yuri couldn't tell Byleth what to do. He had no authority over him for one thing, and for another he doubted he held that much sway. Yet if it was something that could harm him if it got bad enough, he needed to have a plan in mind. Surely, there was some option that he could live with.
And maybe Yuri could give him another to consider. Being unable to help, even if ultimately that help wouldn't be accepted, didn't sit right with him.
That, however, was something he kept to himself as he changed knives and continued tidying up Byleth's hair. ]
Not that I'm an expert in any of that business.
[ He simply didn't want to see something happen to Byleth that neither of them could fix. ]
[Byleth's response was... a very helpful shrug. Truth was, he didn't have a contingency plan. He supposed his plan was, if it got that bad, then pragmatism would overcome personal discomfort and he'd go and purge his Discord. He'd just rather put it off for as long as possible.]
If it gets unsustainable, then... I'll take a chance with the strangers. I can set aside my discomfort for necessity. I've done it many times.
Glad to hear at least you won't hold off forever. I don't know how manageable this sort of thing is if it worsens...
[ He set another dulled knife aside and got up to have a look at his work this far. The edges of Byleth's hair were softened at least, which was an improvement. ]
Meantime, my hands'll be close to your face for a second here. Just making sure the length's even.
[ It struck him as best to let Byleth know this beforehand, if only because they were similarly discomforted by abrupt contact outside a battlefield. With his intentions stated, he pinched the ends of Byleth's hair where it framed his face and pulled it straight, mindful to be gentle.
[Byleth held himself quite still when Yuri's came close to his face, his eyes narrowing into thin slits: like he wanted to close his eyes, but neither wanted to fully close them so he couldn't see. It gave off quite a suspicious squint, but he didn't say or do anything to recoil as Yuri pinched the ends of his hair and measured it.]
...is it done, then?
[Not that he found the whole process uncomfortable, but he was anxious to be done as soon as. He was aware he had dulled a few of Yuri's knives at this point...]
[ Yuri could only wonder how Byleth would take to a barber, but he opted not to throw the idea out there. Instead, he procured another knife, trimmed the odd end, and compared again. The squinting was sort of funny, in the vein of a child scrutinizing the food placed before him, or so Yuri thought. It was an effort to tamp down his own amusement.
Once he was satisfied that Byleth's hair looked even, he gently patted the man's shoulder. ]
I think that should do it. How's it feel?
[ He'd left it on the longer side, if only because at the rate it appeared to grow, it was better to make it manageable rather than hack it all off. ]
[Byleth stopped his suspicious squinting once Yuri pulled back, and at the question he immediately shook his head to get a feel for how the hair moved. And by 'shook his head' it was more than he channelled the soul of a dog for a hot sec. The end result that his hair went from lying somewhat neat and flat to looking like he got caught in a wind tunnel.]
...satisfactory. It doesn't get into my mouth.
[Came the verdict, as Byleth blew a lock of hair from his eyes and made no move to fix the messy, frizzy mess it had become.]
[ Sometimes, Byleth had the most curious approach to things. Yuri supposed it was one way to go about testing it, especially where the man was often concerned with combat. The length would probably not be obtrusive unless Byleth spun around, which he did tend to do.
...Hm. ]
Your old man braids the longer part of his hair, right? You may find that keeps it out of the way, and a low one won't get in your eyes.
[ As he spoke, he strolled off to collect a hairbrush, something he deemed necessary either way. ]
[Byleth didn't immediately reply. He was giving Yuri that squinty look again, mostly because he was debating whether to leave his hair as is, or to give the braiding a try. He had looked into it before, realising that eventually he may just grow tired of the rapidly growing hair and just let it become long, and thus needing to be controlled...
Well. He could always just try it out. If he didn't like it, he'll think of another way.]
Alright... I don't see the harm in trying it, at least.
[ There it was again — the skepticism. Yuri wondered briefly if Byleth had tried before and had sore results, sensitive as his scalp seemed to be. Whatever the case, he offered his companion an easy smile when he was given the go-ahead. ]
Worst case scenario is you simply don't like it, after all. I don't expect it'll hurt; I've done this for kids before.
[ For his mother too, for that matter, whose frail health brought with it certain sensitivities as well.
With that, he stepped around the couch, arranged Byleth's hair, and gently ran the brush over it. Starting with a mess could lead to catching a tangle somewhere. ]
[Byleth was already tense when Yuri started to drag the brush through his hair. From his earlier vigorous shake, it was frizzy and snarled, yet very soft and silky, giving the impression of it being thicker than it appeared. It was also easily tangled and matted, since the brush did hit a few snags, and each time Byleth shifted his weight minutely - a stifled twitch.]
[ Who would have thought the Ashen Demon had such very sensitive scalp? He couldn't help being reminded of some of the children from Abyss who'd shy away from combs and brushes outright. ]
You really are sensitive... Hold on.
[ Yuri set the brush down, opting to carefully tease tangles apart with his fingers instead. It was a slower process, but the point was to not hurt Byleth. Those little twitches suggested he was tolerating discomfort where he didn't necessarily have to.
A distraction might not hurt either. ]
So, during that trip, I came across something I thought you'd like.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ If only because for all Byleth's outward stoic appearance, he still looked like he was struggling, if not hurting himself.
As for repurposing his hair, it was an unusual thought to entertain as Yuri obliged and placed what he'd cut away in Byleth's waiting hand. He didn't know how much crafting a career mercenary like Byleth did or didn't do in the past. If anything, he was curious as to what he'd make of this unusually tough hair. ]
What do you fancy you'll use it for?
[ He takes hold of some hair again and gets to work, mindful not to tug or pull much. ]
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[Is it fireproof too? Byleth couldn't help but ponder that briefly, eyeing the locks of hair in his palm. He couldn't recall ever burning his hair, but uh, obviously he was very conscious of never setting his hair on fire, accidentally or not. He knew his skin could burn...]
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[ Aside from an overt love of marine life, much of Byleth's interests and hobbies remained a mystery to him. He was curious though, especially with that sizable collection of books lining shelves nearby. ]
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[He could close a hold in his cloak or shirt, but anything more adventurous than that? The stitches were never even, or weren't done well enough to keep the hole closed. He had resigned himself to never doing anything more than crude patchwork, and wasn't really bothered about it either. Mercenaries weren't fashionistas, after all.]
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In that case, want me to show you a trick or two sometime? Might come in handy.
[ Yuri kept his eyes on his work, carefully angling the knife and trimming away a little hair at a time. He'd hand whatever he managed to free over to Byleth and continued that cycle until his knife seemed to meet greater resistance.
It was cause for him to pause and inspect the blade with a hum. Sure enough, the blade had grown dull, just as Byleth's had. He set the knife aside and pulled another from somewhere within his jacket without missing a beat. Byleth's hair would be tamed well before he ran out of knives, so Yuri was unconcerned. ]
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[And learning how to properly sew things would only aid him in the long run. Maybe he could even add it to his slowly growing list of hobbies, even if none of them were all that martial. Writing, drawing, and soon sewing... he know more than a few would boggle at the feared Ashen Demon preferring to pursue activities mostly enjoyed by housewives over anything more 'mercenary-like'.]
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[ By no means was Yuri a surgeon, but he knew enough to handle small, simple wounds that might otherwise go unattended until a medic could be found. He could well imagine Byleth finding use in that knowledge, on top of learning how to sew better. ]
I picked up a decent sewing kit from the mall, just need to find it... Must be under some fish or other.
[ He spoke lightly as he worked, studiously trimming away at Byleth's hair. The only thing he was unsure of was whether leaving it longer might get in Byleth's way, what with it growing so quickly... Come to think of it, what had Rin said about her horns? ]
...So is this hair situation a "discord" thing?
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His thoughts were pulled away from such thoughts when Yuri asked his question, though.]
...it's likely. I've never had to deal with my hair being like this before coming here.
[Well, aside from the colour change but the rapid growing and toughness? That was new.]
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He hummed as he turned the thought about in his mind, shifting when he found it necessary to continue trimming hair away. ]
There anything you can do about it?
[ Maybe cleansing required means not at Byleth's disposal? It seemed the only reason for him to be struggling like this. ]
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[Well, from what he understood it required an intimacy he was... deeply uncomfortable with.]
It requires contact with others that I'm uncomfortable with. Especially as they'd be practically strangers...
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Since then, he'd come to think they were similar in that regard. ]
That's troublesome... [ A beat, before he thought to ask: ] Can it affect your health?
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[Byleth wasn't reckless, after all. He only really engaged with one major source of Discord (Set), but that only generated minute levels. His massive burst had been from the Oracle event, where his emotional turmoil and Sothis's intervention had been enough to boost what Discord he had accumulated until it began accelerating his hair and nail growth, and instilling him with a deep uneasiness over the dark.
But those were manageable things. He wasn't like Rin, who had begun to sprout wings and horns, and couldn't stand beneath the sun.]
I won't allow that to happen, though. I do avoid sources of Discord to the best of my ability.
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[ Yuri couldn't tell Byleth what to do. He had no authority over him for one thing, and for another he doubted he held that much sway. Yet if it was something that could harm him if it got bad enough, he needed to have a plan in mind. Surely, there was some option that he could live with.
And maybe Yuri could give him another to consider. Being unable to help, even if ultimately that help wouldn't be accepted, didn't sit right with him.
That, however, was something he kept to himself as he changed knives and continued tidying up Byleth's hair. ]
Not that I'm an expert in any of that business.
[ He simply didn't want to see something happen to Byleth that neither of them could fix. ]
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If it gets unsustainable, then... I'll take a chance with the strangers. I can set aside my discomfort for necessity. I've done it many times.
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[ He set another dulled knife aside and got up to have a look at his work this far. The edges of Byleth's hair were softened at least, which was an improvement. ]
Meantime, my hands'll be close to your face for a second here. Just making sure the length's even.
[ It struck him as best to let Byleth know this beforehand, if only because they were similarly discomforted by abrupt contact outside a battlefield. With his intentions stated, he pinched the ends of Byleth's hair where it framed his face and pulled it straight, mindful to be gentle.
A hum, and then— ]
Pretty close...
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...is it done, then?
[Not that he found the whole process uncomfortable, but he was anxious to be done as soon as. He was aware he had dulled a few of Yuri's knives at this point...]
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[ Yuri could only wonder how Byleth would take to a barber, but he opted not to throw the idea out there. Instead, he procured another knife, trimmed the odd end, and compared again. The squinting was sort of funny, in the vein of a child scrutinizing the food placed before him, or so Yuri thought. It was an effort to tamp down his own amusement.
Once he was satisfied that Byleth's hair looked even, he gently patted the man's shoulder. ]
I think that should do it. How's it feel?
[ He'd left it on the longer side, if only because at the rate it appeared to grow, it was better to make it manageable rather than hack it all off. ]
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...satisfactory. It doesn't get into my mouth.
[Came the verdict, as Byleth blew a lock of hair from his eyes and made no move to fix the messy, frizzy mess it had become.]
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[ Sometimes, Byleth had the most curious approach to things. Yuri supposed it was one way to go about testing it, especially where the man was often concerned with combat. The length would probably not be obtrusive unless Byleth spun around, which he did tend to do.
...Hm. ]
Your old man braids the longer part of his hair, right? You may find that keeps it out of the way, and a low one won't get in your eyes.
[ As he spoke, he strolled off to collect a hairbrush, something he deemed necessary either way. ]
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Won't that pull on the scalp, though, like with a ponytail?
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[ Nothing high or tight necessary, with the amount of hair Byleth had. Yuri was accustomed to working with that much, considering his own.
He'd taught his share of orphan kids in Abyss, besides. ]
Want to give it a try?
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Well. He could always just try it out. If he didn't like it, he'll think of another way.]
Alright... I don't see the harm in trying it, at least.
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Worst case scenario is you simply don't like it, after all. I don't expect it'll hurt; I've done this for kids before.
[ For his mother too, for that matter, whose frail health brought with it certain sensitivities as well.
With that, he stepped around the couch, arranged Byleth's hair, and gently ran the brush over it. Starting with a mess could lead to catching a tangle somewhere. ]
But do tell me if I'm wrong.
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[Byleth was already tense when Yuri started to drag the brush through his hair. From his earlier vigorous shake, it was frizzy and snarled, yet very soft and silky, giving the impression of it being thicker than it appeared. It was also easily tangled and matted, since the brush did hit a few snags, and each time Byleth shifted his weight minutely - a stifled twitch.]
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You really are sensitive... Hold on.
[ Yuri set the brush down, opting to carefully tease tangles apart with his fingers instead. It was a slower process, but the point was to not hurt Byleth. Those little twitches suggested he was tolerating discomfort where he didn't necessarily have to.
A distraction might not hurt either. ]
So, during that trip, I came across something I thought you'd like.
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