Shave and a Haircut

[Zook Murnig]

The Close Shave, read the sign hanging from the barber pole. The magician's facial hair had been getting scraggly of late, and his hair longer than he believed would be comfortable anywhere but high in the Combs. A simple goatee and moustache would do, and a nice short cut on top.

As he approached the reception desk in the spartan second-story operation, the heady scent of meat-filled pies reached his nostrils, and set his mouth to watering. Definitely a meatpie after.

Glancing around for the proprietor, he tapped out a staccato rhythm on the hardwood counter.

[Amber Eyes]

A young woman quickly approached the counter from a back room.

"How're ya doin today sir?"

She smiled at the customer, who seemed to be enjoying the sweet aroma that drifted up the stairs.

"Smell's amazin' right? Unfortunatly the barber's been out for a couple days, if he doesn't make it back soon they're going to have to shut the pie shop down. Times is hard, sir."

The woman motioned toward a lone barber's chair in the center of the room.

"For a basic shave and trim the cost'll be five gold. I don't give quite as close a shave as the barber, but sometimes that's a good thing if ya know what I mean."

The girl giggled at her own joke.

"Tell ya what, since the barber's out, for the five gold I'll give ya the shave, the trim, and I'll thrown in a bottle o' Nayeli's Miricle Elixar for ya troubles, how's that sound?"

[Zook Murnig]

"Five?" the magician repeated, puzzled. "But the sign in the window clearly said 'Shave and a Haircut? Two bits. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shave_and_a_Haircut)'"

He eyed the woman thoughtfully, and quickly came to his conclusion of what was really going on with the price discrepancy. "Am I simply paying the extra three for this miracle elixir? I assure you, madame, that I won't be needing such frim-frillery. Pure hokum, I say!"

[Amber Eyes]

"Ah' Sorry there, guv nah," the lady laughed as the man tried to finagle her down, "but it doesn't take into the account o the elixar. Whot you read was the barber's 5. He son often gets 'is fives and 'is twos backwards. Five bits or nothing. I assure you that Colby and I more than make up for the barber's skill and finesse."

[Zook Murnig]

Bleh, I'm just not feeling this anymore. I was gonna just change his appearance in the update and be done with it, but I felt like having some fun with it and getting rid of the two gold I have beyond the 100. At the Bazaar mod's discretion, I'll pay what they ask, whether it's the five gold or the two as I had originally intended and discussed with Task.