A [[Knife]] so thin, love, That I hate to abandon it. Still, it needs be done. I stand up from the floor and wipe the tears from my eyes. I turn on the bathroom light and see the damages I've caused myself. The hair on my head nearly gone. A distinguished shade of green. The shade I was born with and never thought to change. You say I should change it to something I like? What I *do* like about myself is my hair color, though. Green. Verdant. Makes me feel... innocent. Even though, deep down, I'm not. I look at my face. It's been battered, bruised, with a few cuts and red marks along the sides. I look horrible, don't I? "Everyone has their down moments. Just remember to forgive yourself for feeling them." You take out a box of bandages and hand them to me. Precariously, I apply them to the larger areas. It hurts, but I know pain. "I have something for the smaller cuts, if you'd like." You hand me a makeup kit. Makeup? I've never tried it before... Never really liked myself enough to think I deserved it. You sure I can have this? "Yeah! Here, let me do you so you have a better idea of how it works." You eyed up my face. My skin tone is pretty pale. Sorry. You pick a matching color from the kit and apply a powder to the red areas. It's kind of nice, actually. Maybe it's me being touch starved, but the sensation is euphoric. It's nice, doing someone with someone else instead of being alone. "I'm all done! What do you think?" I look at myself in the mirror. I look so... smooth. For once, I like the reflection I see. I regret cutting my hair. It's too short. I begin to cry again... "Hey, hey, it's alright. Do you like the makeup? Maybe we can try something else to make you look better?" I nod my head yes, wiping the tears from my eyes. I look at you. Red hair... and eyelashes that kind of curl out in a mean way, like the hearth of the fire. I wouldn't tell you this, but you remind me of a [[Romance]] catalyst. I turn to face you. Can my eyelashes be done, is that alright? "You'll need to keep your eyes steady, though, can you do that for me?" I take a deep breath and sit down on the floor, my eyes wide open. You follow suit and take a strange brush and apply it to my eyelashes a couple of times. I winced once, but that's okay. You're all done. I look at myself in the mirror again. I look... pretty, don't I? I wonder if... "Yes, Era?" You know, you said I should change my hair color. That doesn't feel right. But, maybe there's something else I could change. The powder brush... maybe I should be the one to change. My name... I can be someone different... You said your name was Mako, right? That means shark, if I remember correctly. But maybe... no, I don't feel like a fish. Maybe something like Ruby? Jade? Emerald? I don't quite feel like a gemstone, though. Maybe a squid... something tactical, something that gets through the smallest of holes without fuss. That would be... Ika? "That sounds like a wonderful name." Hearing that fills me with glee. We [[Register]] in a few days, right? I can get it changed then... For now... you may call me Ika.