in the bustling town squares of yore, barbers played a role most pivotal, not just in shearing locks but in weaving tales that could downplay the most glaring of bald spots. ere one's prearrival at the esteemed chair, whispers of a barber skilled in the art of cloak-and-dagger would resume from the start, setting the stage for an encounter wrapped in mystery and intrigue. yet fear not, for these barbers wielded not daggers in malice, but scissors with precision, and their cloaks were but aprons to guard against the cascade of falling hair.