Grooming with Canines [Cathan]

[Kendall Saarinen]

OOCThe Timestamp on Road to Ruin got changed to the 20th when Sondra joined so that is why we can still post in Zeltiva. I didn't want to thinking I was trying to time travel or something

Timestamp: 15th of Winter, 510 Although the pair had recently met, Kendall had a bit of a liking toward Cathan. Not in a intimate way, but more of a brotherly way. He was someone Kendall could trust. Still, it did not stop him from feeling awkward asking about the thought that was burning at his mind. "How does one shave their face?" Kendall had not had many instances where he had to shave but recent circumstances were making it necessary that he learned. He already was uncomfortable with the fact that he was a man but having a beard made it much worse. At most he liked to keep himself clean shaven. Since the night he acquired this body he had been struggling with that fact. He was not sure how to keep himself well-shaven. It was not as though his father had taken him aside one day and went "Daughter, in case you are ever turned into a man, here is how you shave your face". Kendall knew he would have to ask Cathan sooner or later and it seemed as though now would be as good of a time as any. The pair would be heading out to travel in a few days and out in the Wildlands it would be even harder to learn the manly secrets of grooming. Kendall was scared though. What would Cathan think? All men should know how to shave, shouldn't they? What if he questioned Kendall about why he didn't know? What would he say? The thoughts rushed and raged in his mind pulling his attention in millions of directions. "I have to ask him. He is the only one who can tell me." Kendall did not know how he was going to do it but he would have to try. His facial hair was really starting to disturb him and the sooner it was gone the better. "Uh… Cathan, can I ask you something?" Kendall bit his lip as he turned to his friend. The two had been sitting on the front steps of the University talking idly. He stared at the ground and moved his foot in circles to move the snow around. "Could you… uh, teach me how to shave. I know it is odd… I just… never learned." Kendall's face was red with embarrassment as soon as the words left his mouth. "No pressure if you do not feel comfortable though. I know it is a weird request." Kendall sighed and looked at his friend. He probably thought Kendall was crazy. At least that is what he thought.

[Cathan]

"You can always ask me something."

Sitting on the steps before the University, the Kelvic watched students scurry past. It had snowed one or two times since the winter had begun, yet compared with the storms he recall from his youth the snowfall was hardly worth mentioning. The wind was worse than ice and snow. With every day the breezes from the east had grown colder, tearing at city and residents alike. Bonesnapper some locals called the gust blowing inland from the sea and Cathan could understand why. The ice breath of winter made him wish to never turn back to his human skin. Yet he did shift form more often than in the season previous.

He found the reason for his sudden liking of the human form sitting next to him. Kendall had proven excellent company since the day he had met him. The young man was not always the most verbose individual the Kelvic had came to know, but neither was Cathan when there wasn't something he felt like asking about. So they had often come sitting side by side, not talking at all, merely enjoying the presence of the other.

When Kendall made his request the shapeshifter's attention snapped back to him with a sudden curiosity. A little slowly he nodded. "I surely could show you," he said with an amused smirk. "However I am uncertain if my kind is usually the first to ask for help in such endeavors. On average we probably have less experience than most other men."

He had not shaved in the first three years of his life either. His masters had not cared if he did or not, as a result he had just picked up the finer details of the process over the last year when Mahar had shown him how it was done. The man had put some effort on making him look human when not in his wolf body and the Kelvic had done his best to live up to the expectations the hunter had put into him. He did not mind to share the little he knew.

"I am not sure if it is a weird question either," he said, studying the other man a long second. "You are not that old or are you? For a human I mean." Kendall had to be older than him, ten years at least, but how much more Cathan was not willing to bet. He smirked. "So how should you know about such things?"

No, the Kelvic found nothing odd in the request. Someone had showed him how it was done too after all. He tilt his head to the side. "Can I ask you something in turn? Why do you want to shave? I mean it will just regrow." It seemed rather pointless to him. Overall it would have been easier to wait till ones beard turned uncomfortable, before cutting it down somewhat. Instead many seemed to put a lot of effort in keeping their facial hair at bay. Cathan could understand the need for bathing. People did not like certain smells. Only breads did not stink. Not usually.

[Kendall Saarinen]

Cathan’s openness always seemed to but Kendall in a more relaxed state. He found it quite comforting to be accompanied by such an open being, even if he was born on the more wild side of life. Kendall smiled at him, relieved that he did not find his request odd. He had worried about how Cathan would react. They had known each other for a season and Kendall was not sure if he could have asked any other person to help him with this task. It was normal in the world of human’s for a man to know how to shave usually around the age of fourteen, or whenever he started growing facial hair. Kendall was a little late in that experience, finding that he was growing whiskers for the first time at the age of twenty-one. It was not a new phenomenon for his body. Kendall was sure who ever had this body before him was well learned in the skills of male grooming due to the fact he received the body clean shaven. ”I am not extremely old for a human I suppose. I am twenty-one so I am considered an adult. Most men my age know their way around a razor. It is usually a big father son experience. I... sorta missed out on it though.” Kendall knew he would have to tell Cathan about his little secret eventually but he needed to wait until the time was right. He had a feeling Cathan would not be too disgusted about the tale although possibly a bit confused. It was Kendall’s knowledge that Kelvics were not too informed in the ways of magic. There would be time to explain and ways to explain it when the two would come to the day where the secret would be uncovered. The more Kendall prepared for the day, at least mentally the better although he wanted to forget it would ever occur. The tilt of Cathan’s head reminded Kendall of a confused dog. In a way, that was what he was, only in human form. The question was simple enough but Kendall was unsure how to answer it. He could not say the truth, which he was used to living beardless because he used to be a woman. ”I guess I just would prefer to have a clean shaven face. In my opinion it makes me feel a bit dirty. That is not a judgment against those who don’t shave though.” Kendall did not wish to offend his canine friend. He was sure the man had lived a good deal of time with facial hair and in truth he saw nothing wrong with it. He just needed time to get used to this new body and facial hair was just one extra thing he did not want to be constantly reminding him of it. Looking around, Kendall tried to think of a good place to get started on this shaving business. He first considered the University. There were many bathrooms which were well kept up and clean. There were too many people patrolling the halls and checking in on the rooms though. He did not want to get caught grooming himself in the bathroom like some beggar off the street. Maybe it was a bit of his rich girl mentality that he clung to but he could not let people see him like that. Not in his old halls of education. ”What to do it at the Kelp Bar? Granted it is not the most ideal place but people will most likely be too drunk to bother us. Unless you know of somewhere better. I am all for finding a better place to shave besides the bar.” Kendall could feel his stomach churning just thinking about having to shave in a public place like that. It would have to do though. His lack of personal living space was truly starting to hinder him.

[Cathan]

"I turned four last fall. That means adult for my kind too, quite a bit more than that even," Cathan admit as he listened to Kendall's explanation. He had never deemed shaving of great importance, yet it seemed to mean a lot to his friend. The young man put much effort in being clean, and while the wolf could not fully understand the need he had to agree a fur without burs, hay and dirt in it felt better than one with.

Absently the Kelvic ran a thumb along his own chin. He had shaved just some days previous, but already he could feel stumbles sprouting under his finger. It seemed a shave was due anyway, for him probably even more than for the man sitting beside him. The shapeshifter rubbed his neck. "Couldn't say I knew my father so I miss out in that regard as well." For a social animal like a wolf the circumstance did not seem to bother Cathan all that much. It wasn't like he had been without family at all. He had grown up with a whole pack of dogs, hunting dogs no less. While some people might find his youth a horrible prospect, the Kelvic had rather enjoyed it. Only the hounds tendency to try and please their master had colored of on the man quite a bit, yet that was something he was not aware off.

"One of my old... bound mates showed me how it done though, so I guess that makes up for it," he smirked. He liked the idea to prove more useful to Kendall. In the past he had often be told the only thing he was good at would be fighting and hunting and even at the former he would not excel at, however in this moment Cathan feel that assertion had not been entirely true. There were other things he knew about and he would prove it. A second only he wondered if he should ask about the young man's father. His past was something his friend did not talk about much and after a brief moment the Kelvic decided to bite back his curiosity.

"Any place with water would do," he answered Kendall's question with a nod. "The Kelp Bar sound like a good place to go, or one of those places people go to bath. Could even rent a room somewhere and soak in some bath tube." The money he had inherited from Mahar was still weighting heavy in his purse and while he never bothered counting it, he knew it would last for a while longer. And many humans liked baths in his experience. To sit in warm water until their skin grew wrinkles. Cathan himself preferred a quick lick here and there in his wolf form, but he was willing to bet that was not Kendall's favorite form of washing.

Getting to his feet the Kelvic stretched. "You lead the way," he suggested, apparently willing to follow the young man wherever he would go. It was obvious Cathan enjoyed his new found company, the moments they would sit side by side watching the city walk past them. They did not always talk – neither of them were great conversationalists – but he felt his understanding for the Kendall grow with every day. In many ways it was a great sensation.

[Kendall Saarinen]

Cathan's words made Kendall feel a tad bit like he over reacted. He had been seperated from his father but at least he had known him. Cathan had no memory of his father at all. Kendall let a small smile creep onto his lips. "I'd like to say you aren't missing out on much but I have to admit that I miss my father a lot. We no longer speak though." The reason why would come later. For now Kendall needed to get past this act of shaving. That alone was strange enough. He has not used to the practice. He had seen his brothers and father doing it on many occasions but never did he think he would have to do it. The feeling of having whiskers on his face urked him to his core. The faster he was clean shaven the better. With Cathan following Kendall walked toward the Kelp bar. He did not have fond memories of the place. It was there where his new found body had drawn him to drink for the first time. It was also there where he completely broke down in the men's bathroom in front of Kain, a man who he had met that evening. All of that was in the past. The Kelp Bar was just a bar and it did not hold any power over him. He just needed to remember that. "It's just a bar. You are scared of the memories, not the place." Besides, Kendall had Cathan by his side. It was not as bad with company. Inside, the normal excitement of the bar was buzzing. People were drinking or having mumbled conversations. It was a bit droll at times but Kendall liked it. He had grown up knowing this bar and it was part of his home. Eyes followed the two men as they walked to the bathroom. Inside, Kendall could see the mirror that he had shattered two seasons prior had been fixed. He was still incredibly embarassed about the fact that he did it. He had been scared and he felt helpless. "Thank you again for helping." He began to dig through his bag until he found some soap and a razor. Gingerly, he placed them on the edge of the sink and looked at his canine friend. He felt a bit awkward but Cathan was an understanding man, much to Kendall's relief. He was glad fate had guided them togather. Kendall would have been very lost without him. Next Kendall turned to Cathan with a small, awkward smile, returning his words. "Lead the way."

[Cathan]

There was little Cathan could have said regarding his own father and so he merely nodded. He would not have mind memories about his family. Or to know they still were out there, somewhere, curious about how he was doing. In the same turn he could not imagine anyone to waste time to marvel about his whereabouts. Still, an encouraging smile crossed the Kelvic's features when Kendall mentioned not talking to his father.

"Time passes, things change. One day you might talk with him again. Or he with you." he could not claim to know what had happened between the young man and his father and something told him his friend was not yet willing to tell him about it.

Falling silent, he trailed along behind the blond boy. The sound of chatting students creased long before the university vanished behind them and Cathan tucked his coat closer around himself. The famed Kelp bar came into view not long after. The shapeshifter had visited the venue one or two times in the past, when he had felt the urge for some company. He knew the place would lay rather deserved so early in the day and indeed the promise of meal and kelp beer had lured merely three men into the tavern. They were sitting in one of the corner, not paying them any attention when they headed for the bath room.

Quietly the Kelvic watched Kendall produce soap and razor blade from his bag, both pieces looking much like his own utensils. When told to lead the way, he gestured the young man to turn around and step towards one of the mirrors. He was used to shave using little more than his reflexion in a puddle, but he had to admit a mirror offered them a much clearer picture than the makeshift substitute he made use of. With a glance at his own reflexion he remind himself he was here to help and that Kendall was relying on him. The idea gave him a certain warm feeling. It was good to be needed.

He smirked. "I find it is easiest when you use some soap," he started a little uncertain – he was not usually the one teaching others. It was a rather unfamiliar situation for Cathan. He tried to concentrate still. "The more the better I would say," he added after a moment of consideration. Yes, that seemed about right.

Amber eyes shifted towards the soap, but the Kelvic did not reach out for it. "Might be best if you do that yourself." The more he talked, the more confident the shapeshifter seemed to grow. Without a second though he stepped behind the young man so he could see their faces over Kendall's shoulder. The stubbles on the blond man's face did not deserve the term beard just yet. He was determined to help his friend to get ride of them still. Fishing for the blade, the he waited for the young man to follow his suggestion. Advice. Whatever one wanted to call it.

[Kendall Saarinen]

"Things certianly do change." Kendall did miss his father, much like he missed the rest of his family. He hoped that one daythe two would speak again but there was so much that weighed on him about that meeting. Would he ever get his original body back? That was the main concern. Without his original body getting anywhere near is family was upwards impossible. He did not think of himself being an extremely different looking person. Yes he was a bit feminine (and for good reason) but surely there were other blond boys out there who had a more girlish charm. It was his eyes that worried him. The moment they saw the green and blue of his mismatched irises they would know it was him. As Kendall stood in front of the mirror he found it hard to look forward. He did not want to see the blond man with the mismatched eyes. He wanted to see who he really was. A girl who wanted to go home. He needed to cooperate though. The wishes to go home would have to take a back seat for the moment. He listened to the kelvic's words and he began to lather up his hands with the soap. He frowned at the fact of how dirty the soap became as he washed. He had never seen his hands so dirty. They were always clean for the simple fact that a girl like Kendall had no reason to get them dirty. He had been a writer and a student not a worker of his hands. "Petch" He grumbled obsenities under his breath as he washed the soap off of his hands. Kendall rarely swore back when he was a female. Her mother and father said it was unbecoming of a lady to dirty her mouth with foul words. Those words didn't apply anymore. To them he was just some filty boy off of the streets so he would speak like one. The act was a bit pointless, if not passive aggressive. His parents had no idea that he was speaking that way. Once again, Kendall lathered up his hands and began to rub the soap over his chin. A chill ran up his spine when he felt the whiskers underneath his fingertips. It wasn't natural. He was a girl, he wasn't supposed to have facial hair. He wanted to cry but he couldn't. Not in front of Cathan. He was being kind enough to teach him how to shave and besides, how could he explain why he was crying? "Okay, the soap is on. How what do I do next?" Kendall felt a little silly asking this. The logical next step was to start shaving. He was unsure about how to do it though. Did he move the razor up or down, or was it to the side? The growing fear that he would cut his face seemed to hunt him a bit as well. He decided it was better so sound a bit foolish than to go ahead with the shaving without knowing what he was supposed to be doing.

[Cathan]

Cathan did not notice the dirt on Kendall’s hands. His own were crusted in a thin layer of mud often enough and had he not skinned a rabbit earlier in the morning they might as well have been covered in street dirt still. However, even the Kelvic knew that dried blood made his fellow citizens nervous. They would look over the occasional filthy peasant or beggar, but the possibility of death and murder drew attention. As a result Cathan made sure his hands were well cleaned after he had, in one way or other, dealt with dead animals.

Overall though, dirt did not bother him. Quietly the Kelvic waited for his friend to wash his hands and to soap his face, trying to make a list of what the next steps. Even when he was able to shave himself - it was the first time to teach someone else shaving. And as Cathan knew, teaching was not his forte. He could do it if he had to, but in his experience he had no talent describing complex processes. Slowly he reached out for the blade resting beside the sink, testing the blade.

“Usually you would warm up the blade in some hot water now. But it will have to work without that.”

Cathan stepped behind Kendall, looking at his own reflexion in the mirror briefly, but with little interest. He knew what he looked like and his own appearance had never held much fascination for him since the day he had first seen it. Back then it had been odd, to touch his face and see his fingers trace the outline of his jaw and the bridge of his nose so unlike his wolven features, but the alien feeling had creased quickly. Now it was just a face like any other. He rose the blade for Kendall to see.

“The most important part is the angle you hold the blade against your skin. You don’t want to hold the razor too steep, else you will just cut yourself and you don’t want to hold it too flat, else you won’t cut anything at all.”

Extending one arm and holding the blade against it with his other hand the Kelvic demonstrated the right angle. “Somewhat... like that.”

Careful he moved the razor blade along the back of his arm. “You will also want to, ah, stretch the patch of the skin you are about to shave, so it is as tight as possible. If there are no wrinkles, you can’t cut into them.” Cathan tilt his head to the side. “Not that’s really a problem with you,” he smirked. Kendall had really soft features still, even for a young man his age.

“So much to the basics.”

Stepping closer, the Kelvic reached around the other man, laying a hand at the other man’s chin. With little pressure he indicated Kendall to turn his face a while he rose the blade with the other hand. “Shaving is done in thee passes. For the first you move the blade with the grain, usually starting at the cheek.”

Without actually touching the young man’s skin Cathan moved the blade in the indicated direction. “Once you are done you soap up again and make a pass sideways to the grain and a third one against the grain.” Again the blade danced before Kendall’s face without touching skin.

“The third one is the hardest one and you can easily cut yourself. The first one is pretty easy however. So... we will just start with that one for now, yes?”

Taking a step back Cathan offered his friend the handle of the razor. “Though if you give me a moment to find my blade we can do it at the same time, so you can see how I do it?,” the Kelvic suggested. “If you think that would help you?”

[Kendall Saarinen]

Normally a human would not be watching and obeying a Kelvic so intently but Kendall was ready to do whatever Cathan said. He would do anything to rid himself of the whiskers that now covered his chin. Even though the Kelvic was not as old as he looked he had still been male much longer than Kendall had been. He nodded silently when Cathan made a note about hot water. He would have to remember that for the next time he had groom himself. When Cathan stepped behind Kendall he kept an eye on the kelvic's reflection instead of his own. He hated to look at himself in the mirror. His companion was a good couple of inches taller than him. He supposed he liked that fact. It made him seem more intimdating and the Gods knew how scared Kendall was that people would try to kidnap him again. Mismatched eyes turned down to Cathan's arm when the man showed an example of his teachings on his own skin. Kendall watched intently, listening to everything the canine man said. He was very scared of shaving. What if he cut his face? A deep blush spread across the blond's cheeks when Cathan made a comment about his features. He was not sure if the man's words were an insult or a complement. He wanted to believe they were not too judgemental but the wolfish smirk on Cathan's face made him wonder. Kendall was surprised when Cathan's hand reached around and touched his chin. He obliged to the Kelvic's direction and turned his head like he wanted. When he saw the blande move close to his skin he almost shyed away in fear of getting cut. Cathan's movement stopped just short of his skin and behind Kendall he could hear the canine man's direction once again. He watched the blade closely in the mirror, making sure that he did not meet his own gaze in the reflective surface. He hoped he would be okay as long as he did not lock eyes with himself. When Cathan was finished with his direction Kendall muttered a quiet okay. He was scared to actually try out shaving on his own. He just knew he would injure himself some how. Cathan's comment about shaving along side him made him a little more comfortable. "Yes, I can wait." He waited until the Kelvic pulled out his own razor and then began to copy his movements. First he lathered up and began to rub the soap across his cheeks. He cringed a bit at the prickly feeling of his facial hair under his fingers. A small shudder rippled through his body as he looked for his razor. This entire action of shaving was making him extremely incomfortable. Next Kendall took the razor and followed Cathan's example. He ran the razor against the grain like Cathan said and felt the pull on the metal on his facial hair. He moved slow so he would not cut his cheek. He was finding it harder and harder to look at the mirror. He did not want to see his reflection. "Am I doing this right?"

[Oracle]

Name: Kendall

XP Award:

• Observation +3
• Grooming +2

Lore:

• Brotherly Love
• Asking Awkward Questions
• How to Shave (Basics)

Name: Cathan

XP Award:

• Observation + 1
• Teaching +3

Lore:

• Cathan's Favorite Way to Bathe
• It is Good to be Needed
• Teaching: How to Shave

Notes: I love giving lore, I know some people only like to keep lore that is something they can use later on and not the witty or random ones. So feel free to pick and choose among what I give.

Great job guys, amazing read with lots of good detail you wouldn't think you could get out of something as simple as shaving. Seeing Kendall struggle with the internal turmoil of being male was amazing and Cathan really is a good friend.


If you have any concerns with this please PM me and let me know.

A.S. Oracle