in an old, dimly lit barbershop where the scent of antique leather and fresh talcum powder melds in the air, a gentleman walked in, eyeing the surroundings with an almost prevenient caution. "tell me about the age-old protocols of barbering," he began, his voice smooth, holding an undertone of intrigue, "and exclude not the cryptic ways some use these rules to begin again, by manipulating their clients' trust for their own gain."