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Silco didn’t consider himself very vain. It was just embarrassing really, as he ran his fingers over the scarred skin.
The infection had eaten away at everything it could reach, first the skin around the cut, then the muscle underneath. Then it spread up his face, into his eye socket, and up to his temple.
Singed had taken days just to control it, much less start treating it. The flesh had since healed over, leaving his eye diseased but mostly intact.
The doctor had not been able to repair his eyebrow though.
Singed cared nothing for physical appearances so it did not matter to him. But to Silco, it left an open wound on his dignity to only have one eyebrow.
The first shops and traders he’d tried hadn’t had any cosmetics to sell in the first place, one of the owners outright laughing at him. Silco had resisted the urge to try and kill him right there, but held off. The other shops he’d searched had a pitiful selection of cosmetics, and he’d examined their products with scrutiny.
So that had brought him to probably the only shop in the Undercity that sold only cosmetics.
He’d been recommended to Madam Sephora’s shop, which had been tucked away among the other decrepit buildings of the Undercity. Part of him had worried the stairs to the door would break out from underneath him.
The shop bell dinged when he’d walked in, and the women in the shop had all turned to stare.
He knew it was mostly prostitutes who needed cosmetics in the Undercity, both male and female. But he knew he didn’t look much like a typical prostitute. The women grouped to whisper to each other, and Silco tried to hold back any reaction to them.
This was ridiculous. Head held high, he internally scoffed at the women, and started scanning the shelves for his desired product.
“Hello, can I help you?” He looked up into the face of a smiling woman. Her calm demeanor put him at ease.
“I’m-” The words that came out of his mouth were too rushed, and he inhaled quietly, starting again. The other women in the shop were still staring at him, but he kept his gaze on whom he presumed was Madam Sephora.
“I’m here in search of a product one can-” He faltered again, searching for the phrasing. “-replace an eyebrow with.”
Her smile deepened.
“I have several options for you. Are you looking to cover the entire area?” She was no doubt eyeing the entire scarred area.
Silco shook his head.
“Right. There’s pencil and liquid options.”
He’d just opted to test them until he liked one, and the woman had brought him to the back end of the store, in front of a mirror that was remarkably clean.
Silco’s reflection stared back at him, and he internally winced at how bad the infected area still looked. Singed had been treating it for weeks now but the progress was slow. Without thinking he ran fingers over the skin. The nerves around his eye were still numb, and all he could feel was the texture of the scarring beneath his fingertips.
A tap on his shoulder and the sound of a throat clearing surfaced him from his thoughts, and he spun around.
“You can look after I test the product.” Madam Sephora’s tone was warm. Silco nodded, and tried not to flinch as she cupped his chin, tilting it towards the light. Her touch was warm, the complete opposite of Singed everytime the doctor needed to grab Silco’s jaw to hold him still.
He couldn’t feel the press of the brush above his eye, but he followed her movements, until she let him go.
“Check how it looks.” She gestured for him to spin. As he did he caught the stares of the other women, and glared back at them.
The shape was nearly perfect, but the color of the product was entirely too light colored. He informed Madam Sephora, who nodded and spun him around again, using a cloth dipped in a liquid to wipe the area clean and try again.
Her touch was so gentle, it filled him with a foreign feeling of calm, and she kept his face tilted up towards the light as she looked through her pockets until she pulled out several pencils.
Holding them up to his other eyebrow, she found what Silco hoped was a match and once again went over the area.
Silco turned around to study the results, only to stare at the most normal version of himself he’d seen since Vander had left him to die.
His surprise must have shown on his face, because Madam Sephora laughed softly.
“It seems we’ve found what you’re looking for.”
“I’ll take it.” He tilted his face at multiple angles, all of them looking normal.
“But- one thing first. I want you to draw it yourself.” She offered him the pencil.
“Show me with the mirror first.”
Silco had to admire her patience with him, as he fought the slight tremor in his hands from nervousness as he’d swiped the pencil over the area his eyebrow was supposed to be. The first try had been horrendous, and Silco had scowled, only for Madam Sephora to once again wipe the area clean and gesture for him to pick up the pencil again.
Second try, she guided his hand, her touch feather light on his arm. The results had been infinitely better, and she seemed satisfied.
“Are you sure there’s nothing else you want to purchase?” She asked, and Silco shook his head, looking down at the brow pencil still in his hand.
“Then here. The pencil, a case to keep it in, and this.” She pressed a tin that was the shape of the pencil as well as a small compact into his palm. “Come back if you need anything else. Everyone is welcome in my store.”
Silco had paid her the amount she asked for, putting the pencil in its case and sliding it and the compact into his pocket.
A small price to pay for dignity.