It wasn't often that Joe needed to shave. Once every few months, tops. But it was a chore he took seriously; some guys thought stubble was manly, Joe didn't. He carried a gun and fired missiles at dangerous robots, he didn't need some silly bits of facial hair to prove he was a man.
"Ow!"
A trickle of blood dripped down his cheek where the blade had nicked him, for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. The shaving foam was turning pink, and he still had his chin and the little strip under his nose left to do. Sighing, Joe continued to guide the razor across his face with utmost care. If he moved slowly enough, maybe he wouldn't-
"Damn it!" So much for at least leaving his chin spotless. Note to self, do not use any aftershave.
Half an hour later, Joe strode into the Snack J, his face dotted with bits of tissue. Jun looked concerned, Jinpei and Ryu struggled to hold in their laughter, and Ken just smiled as if he was used to this sort of thing.
"Rough morning, Joe?"
"Don't start with me, buddy, I'm not in the mood. God, I hate shaving sometimes!"
Ken raised an eyebrow.
"Did you by any chance forget to change the blade in your razor?"
After slapping his forehead a dozen times, Joe made a second mental note to go to the drugstore after his race that afternoon.