"Are you almost done?" Calix asks. He could see tufts of white hair falling on his lap--after he cut his locks of white, it ended up choppy and uneven.

He could almost relax at your gentle touch. Almost. Calix could feel Zephyr and Orion drilling holes into the back of his head.

"I still can't believe it," Zephyr mumbles. Their signature long white hair was basically tradition: getting rid of it was taboo. Orion could care less. He peered over your shoulder, silently judging your work.