Work Text:
“Young Firefly?” Master Mantis called for his student, “Firefly, we need to cut your hair today, just how you like it.” He was confused that he couldn’t find her. She usually was around the area, always excited to cut her hair, she loved to keep a masculine look, but grew angry every time someone called her a boy before, but that became less frequent thru time, maybe she stopped caring what people had said. Mantis still roamed the halls for his student, the one he raised and saw her as a daughter in some way, so he let her do as she pleased. Mantis stopped at the sound of crying coming from her room, he took a moment before he walked up to the door to hear the sobs of Firely. Mantis softly knocked on the door, “May I come in?”
“Y-y-yeah…” Her voice came weakly from the other side, with the door slowly opening after a moment. Behind the door was a girl who looked terrible, her nose was runny, her eyes were red from crying, and- she cut her hair, on her own. It was messy and still too long to her tasting, but it seemed like she gave up half way. She was emotional and could barely talk, Master Mantis frowned as he held a hand out for her,
“Come young one, come sit.” They walked past the shreds of hair on the floor, her dark brown hair was scattered everywhere. She sat down on her bed, where she grabbed Mantis and hugged him, attempting not to cry again. He was shocked to say the least.
“There there…” He rubbed her back as she huffed and sighed, leaning onto his shoulder and letting out what she still had inside, but this crying was quieter, basically silent. Once she had calmed down, she pulled away from Mantis, some of her hair on her wet cheeks. “Tell me, why did you cut your hair yourself?” He put his hand out to touch her hair, the ends were done horribly. She seemed ashamed of what she did, and didn’t respond for a bit. Her eyes seemed to be filled with worry, before she turned to the side.
“Master Mantis?”
“Yes Firefly?”
“I will tell you, but you must promise, promise you will not get mad.” Mantis squinted at her, it was near impossible for him to get mad at his beloved student.
“I promise, I will not get upset.” She rubbed eyes again and fixed her sitting position before let out a longer sigh,
“My hair made me upset.” She admitted
“Upset?” Mantis questioned, “How?”
“Upset as in- I don’t like what I see!” She began, she stood up and held her hands to her face. “I do not like seeing the girl that I am! I do not like seeing this long hair, and with- me growing into a woman now. Not only does everything in my body hurt, but i’ve been thinking a lot and… It hurts to be me, Master.” She looked at the mirror she used before to try and cut her hair, “I was so upset when people called me a boy. But thru time, I found out that I didn’t mind, I found myself liking being called a boy. I had abandoned my feminine clothes much time ago, I do not like my name, I do not like who I feel like i’m forced to be… But…” She stopped and hugged herself, Mantis was shocked with these sudden words, but he stood there and held his own hands.
“But what my student? You are aware you can tell me anything, yes?” Firefly looked at her Master, the man who raised her as a baby to be who she was now.
“But… I feel as if, you would no longer want to- be my family.” She stopped in place, “I love this place, you are like a parent to me, you raised me and loved me. I know you let me do many things while growing up, but- I do not like being the girl Young Firefly.” She bit her lip to prevent tears, “I feel like i’m a boy, Master Mantis.” She covered her face again, in fear, as if she were preparing for yelling, or… something. Why? She wasn’t sure. Instead, she was greeted by his hands rubbing her head, in which she gave a sigh if relief and dropped her hands
“Then I will no longer refer to you as Young Firefly, you are now, you, whomever you choose to be my boy.” The student looked up at Mantis, now, he seemed to have some hope in his eyes, the kindness that Mantis has shown him is more then he could imagine. “But what should I call you? Beetle? Caterpillar?” He joked, making the student laugh as he rubs his eyes.
“I’m not sure- Master Mantis.”
“Hmm… Well i’m sure you will think of something. But first, lets fix this hair of yours, a new you deserves a new look.” The student nodded and stood by the door, they usually sent to a very specific place to get his hair cut, just the way he liked it. Mantis had followed and opened the door,
“Any specific length, Young… Worm?” He joked again, having the student laugh again,
“Something like this?” The boy went under his bed and pulled out a magazine he had, it was men showing off clothing, and one had a hairstyle was kind of similar to what he had when he was younger, but it could definitely be improved to look similar to that specific hairstyle, where it seemed to be big in the top, but the end had somewhat of a mullet, interesting hair to say the least.
“Of course Young Cricket.” He joked for the last time, but the student didn’t respond at first. He stayed quiet as Mantis walked thru the hallway with the student who was holding his magazine, “I’m sure the man would be more then happy to give you the hairstyle you’d like.”
‘Young Cricket…’ The student thought to himself. Quite a funny name.