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Ranboo's afternoon started with the search for a pair of good scissors. He had a decent pair back at his L'Manburg house but well, needless to say, he can't go back to find it now.
The black part of his hair grows at a slow pace, which Ranboo doesn't mind at all. The white part, on the other hand, always grows like weeds in the summer. He had to trim it every two weeks just so he wouldn't look ridiculous. He hadn't got the chance to trim his hair ever since he joined Phil and Techno, having too many more important thoughts circling his mind.
Playing with the bangs now covering half of his face, Ranboo decided it was time to tackle the issue.
He knew how to make a shear for sheep just fine but from experience, he knew using it on himself was the most uncomfortable thing. The edges snag and pull on the hair and the cut was not clean. The fact he sucked at hair cutting in general also counted. Back when he still lived in L'Manburg, Niki always enjoyed helping anyone who needs a haircut, Fundy was surprisingly good with scissors, and if the situation calls for it, Eret at least has steady hands and some free time to offer.
He had no memory of how he dealt with it before coming to the land or anything in general at all, so there's that.
After no one coming to answer his knocking, Ranboo poked his head through the spruce house's door frame.
Techno never bothered with locking the door, saying that if anyone wants to get in they will find ways and he'd rather not have his house exploded or burned over some gems or mineral. Phil went along with it saying people ought to learn their lessons already to mess with their supply again.
Looking around the quiet house, Ranboo found no sign of Phil.
He sighed. Ranboo was hoping to borrow from the older man as he was still a little wary of Techno, despite the piglin seemed to stop wanting to kill him at sight. Opening the chests and fumbling around felt wrong, so he promised himself to return with some iron ingots to compensate for the use. Searching around the supply chests only produced him a small dagger as the closest result. Thinking back to Phil's fluffy short hair with jagged ends and Techno's mop of pink, Ranboo couldn't help but consider the possibility that maybe they really just did it the old-fashion way.
He tested the edge with a strand of white hair. It was disappointingly dull.
"That's just a souvenir."
The sudden voice made Ranboo jumped in surprise, almost cutting his finger if not for the dagger's incredibly dull edge. Techno simply took off his snow-covered cloak and started to pat it dry in the doorway.
"Phil got it somewhere as a gift. It was more for decoration. If you need something sharp, you can use my spare sword."
Ranboo stood up timidly, tried to straighten his back but at the same time didn't want to make it look like he tower over the shorter man.
"I just wanted to see if I can borrow the scissors."
"Scissors? You doing some sewing?" Techno put down his satchel full of gold ingots on the table. "We have a pair in the sewing kit. It doesn't work too well though, too small to cut large pieces. Phil left the good pair in L'Manburg."
Well, at least they have something in common.
"No, it's not for sewing." Ranboo shook his head. "I need a haircut is all."
Techno studied him for a while. He led him to the small bathroom they had, side of the basin cluttered with items from two men who cared a lot about their appearance living together. He picked up a straight razor.
"This is how we do it here." He said in his usual monotone voice.
Ranboo glanced at the razor nervously. He had bumped into Phil using it when still living in L'Manburg, hair slightly damp and stray hair on the towel wrapped around his neck, so he knew it worked. However, he was not confident in his own skill of wielding a razor.
Holding up a strand of pink hair between his fingers, Techno opened the razor and leveled it with the hair.
"You just, lift the hair up and cut upwards. Like this." He chipped away the tip.
Ranboo fidgeted. He didn't want to let Techno down after he went as far as cutting his own hair as an example, but he also felt he was far from qualified in using it.
Seemingly sensing his resistance, Techno flicked the razor close.
"I'd offer my help," He said, looking into Ranboo's mismatched eyes. "But I've only ever cut my own hair." He flicked his shoulder-length hair for demonstration, which Ranboo knew was waist-length before the wither accident. "Phil left for his base and won't be back for another five days or so, so..."
"It's okay." Ranboo shook his hands, not wanting to trouble the other further. "It doesn't bother me that much. I will find a hair tie or something. It will just look ridiculous for a few days so please don't laugh at me."
Techno hummed, tilting his head to study Ranboo's left side.
"You know, if you are going to tie it anyway, how about a braid? It looks long enough."
He pointed to the single braid next to his left ear, adorned with a golden clasp and a shining emerald. Ranboo knew Phil had a similar emerald attached to his right ear and a tiny braid in the same style behind it, hidden among the man's short choppy hair.
He doesn't have an emerald, at least not one from Techno, but a braid sounds nice.
And that's how Ranboo found himself sitting stiffly on a chest, crown now resting on his laps, while Techno lounged on the chair behind and took a brush to his hair. The brush was a fine one, with soft bristles and a backing made from polished oak wrapped in a leather strap. He swiped it across in small strokes, carefully removing all the tangles and knots, movement surprisingly soft and gentle for a seasoned and renowned warrior.
The feeling of callused fingers and bristles with the just-right hardness brushing against his scalp was heavenly. Ranboo leaned into the touch, feeling his shoulders relax. Weeks ago he would never dare to show his back to the widely-feared Technoblade, but now at least he trusts the pigling hybrid to not stab his neck. Maybe it was the fruitful nether trip or it was the rare sunny weather on the tundra, Techno seemed to be in a good mood as well, even humming a quiet tune under his breath.
It was a wonderful feeling.
When the comb hit the just right spot Ranboo felt his ear flicked uncontrollably, like Enderchest's when he scratched its chin, then blushing immensely for his behavior. Behind him, Techno chuckled lightly.
"When's the last time you brush your hair?"
"This morning?" He replied with a small yawn.
"I mean with a comb or a brush."
Ranboo curled his tail in embarrassment. He tried, but his mental state didn't allow him much headspace to care about his appearance in the last few weeks. Some cleaning then a few strokes with clawed fingers were all he had to offer.
"Um, late December?"
Techno just hummed again, thankfully non-judgemental.
"You can have the brush after this."
"What?" Ranboo jumped in surprise, almost slipping off the chest. "No, no, I have a comb." A clunky thing with uneven ridges, but it does the job. "This is too precious to be given to someone like me."
Techno waved his hands dismissively, signaling for Ranboo to sit back.
"Phil had wanted to give you some personal care items ever since you came. Part of the reason he went back to his base. More spare stashes there." He put the brush back in place and Ranboo closed his eyes at the wonderful tingling sensation, tail swishing lightly in his delight. "There aren't many craftsmen here in the tundra and, you know, now is probably not the best time to visit other factions."
"But I can't just take yours."
"Eh," He can feel Techno shrugged with the brush lifting temporarily. "I got other brushes."
Ranboo almost whined when Techno finally pulled the brush away, curling his tail around his leg to mourn the loss of contact, but the fingers soon came back to separate his white hair into parts and the brush was dropped into his lap.
"Tell me if it's too tight." Techno's low voice rumbled behind his ear. "It needs to be longer to have a loose braid or it will just fall apart."
Instinctively Ranboo wanted to nod but soon remembering he probably shouldn't be moving his head. He twitched his ear around so Techno could work with his hair easier, feeling the hair got methodically twisted together. They fell silent again.
Ooh, small talk chance. Quick, think of something to say.
"What kind of braid is this?" He suddenly spoke, breaking the companionable silence. "I don't know much about braids, but it looks different than the ones Niki had."
"Hmm, I don't know the official name of it, actually." Techno hesitated, tucking in the stray hair into a strand. "Phil taught me how to do it when I was younger. He just calls it a flat braid."
"You guys had known each other for a long time, huh?"
Damn it, that was stupid. Good job on stating the obvious, idiot.
"Yep." The piglin hybrid didn't seem to mind. "We go way back."
"How did you..." Ranboo muttered, before regretting his choice of words. "...Actually, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to, sorry."
"Phil was the only one willing to team up with me."
"Oh." He fidgeted with his fingers again, unsure of what to say.
"I fought in the arena for years, made a name for myself, had to enter a team competition because the admins suddenly decided that teamwork is the new murder, and realized no one wants to team up with a guy who was titled the Blood God."
"But Phil wouldn't mind."
"He didn't." Ranboo could hear the smile in Techno's voice. "And we won by a landslide."
"That sounds awesome."
"Yeah, Phil always had a knack for it." Twisting the ends in his hand, Techno started finishing the braid. "I think that's why he took you in."
Ranboo chuckled, careful not to let his head move too much.
"Because I was homeless and lonely?"
"Here, hold it when I go get something." He passed the end of the braid in Ranboo's hand and taught him how to hold it properly. "And nah, that's not the reason. Otherwise, he would've adopted the homeless teletubbie by now."
Standing up and shuffling forward, Techno started to search through their storages, voice muffled by the wooden chests.
"You have your beliefs and morals, Ranboo, and you are willing to stand up for them. I think that's what Phil saw in you. He saw you as someone who was faithful and could be trusted." The pink-haired man turned around, A small golden clasp in his hand, painted orange by the sunset.
"And that's how I see you, too."
As he approached closer, Ranboo could see the shiny emerald embedded on the smooth surface. Something was stinging his eyes and made his throat close up.
In contrast to his practiced movement during braiding, Techno put the clasp on the end rather awkwardly. "I made this for someone else and...I guess he doesn't really need it." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, shifting backward. "Just, just think of it as a payback for the axe you gave. Oh, wait, actually the axe was your rent. Um, just think of it as a receipt? But it doesn't mean I will give your one for every rent you pay though that's..."
"Thank you." Ranboo wiped the moist that started to cloud his vision away with his sleeve before it can burn his cheeks. "Thank you, Techno. It means a lot to me."
Techno gave him an awkward half-smile, but it was one of the most genuine smiles Ranboo had seen in a while.
"Welcome to the Arctic, Ranboo."