//------------------------------//
// Story XLIV 
// Story: THIS IS A STORY 
// by _NAME_ 
//------------------------------//

The stallion brushed his mane from his eyes and stepped into the barber shop.

A soft chime sounded when he pushed open the door, alerting the sole hairdresser, a kindly-looking, middle-aged mare, to his presence.

With a chipper tone, she greeted the stallion and invited him in, gesturing for him to sit in the chair in front of her.

Flashing a small smile, the stallion slid into the seat, informing the barber that he only wanted a slight trim, but nothing too drastic.

In turn, the mare acknowledged his request, and wrapped the drape around the front of his body, before turning and gathering the few tools she would need.

She turned back, scissors in hoof, and spun the chair around so that he faced the large mirror that lined the wall, and began cutting away at his hair.

After a few moments of silence, the mare started up a conversation, asking the stallion how his day was going, what wonderful weather they were having, and various other topics.

The stallion, though both expecting and dreading this small talk, reluctantly answered her questions and very much wished she would just stop talking to him.

A few minutes passed like this, until the barber eventually drifted off into silence and focused solely on her job.

And all the while, the stallion watched in the mirror as the mare cut his mane shorter and shorter, and then went past the length he had wanted her to cut it to.

He fidgeted in his seat a moment, considering saying something to her, but ultimately decided to just let her finish cutting his mane, which she did only a couple of moments later.

As she brushed some loose hair from his shoulders, she asked him if he liked his manecut, to which he responded yes, and left it at that.

The barber whisked the drape off of him and shook the remaining hair to the floor, allowing the stallion to get up. 

Running a hoof through his considerably shorter mane, he wandered over to the nearby counter, where she joined him momentarily and informed him just how much he needed to pay.

Thanking her for a job well done, the stallion slid over the correct amount of bits, bid her farewell, and promptly left the barbershop.