Suktu Hair Symbolism (SOOK-too)
The shorter a Suktu person's hair, the more an issue from their past weighs on them. Wearing their hair short, medium, or long is a very personal decision for an individual, and cropping it short after a tragic event is extremely common. It is considered rude to ask why someone's hair is short unless you're in their close inner circle.
Execution
Immediately after a tragic or highly distressing event takes place, a Suktu individual will often cut their hair off themselves. If it's on the longer side, they tend to gather it in one hand, slice the majority off with a knife, and either shorten the rest piece by piece or shave it entirely. If it's already short, they skip the first two steps. The initial part of this process typically takes place during the first quiet moment the person has to themselves after the trigger event occurs.
Participants
Though the person cropping their hair or allowing it to grow long is the primary participant, their family and friends may also play a role in tidying a person's new haircut shortly after they've cropped their hair.
Observance
Short Hair
Taia Welsyna's hair is cropped to a few inches in length. She experienced horrific things in her time as an adventurer and is plagued by the memories to this day. Despite her external appearances as a composed, put-together member of society, the shortness of her hair demonstrates a deep sadness she has been unable to shake.
Medium Hair
Espen Pirshala cuts his hair slightly shorter than shoulder-length. This is because, even though it happened when he was a child, the death of his father still weighs on his mind and causes him pain. He has managed to move on to a degree, but the issue is still prominent in his life.
Long Hair
Zimri Ksanai hasn't cut his hair in years, so it has grown to an impressive length. He lives a fulfilling life, is very happy of late, and hasn't gone through any recent tragedies. His hair demonstrates he is content and has been for a while.
Exceptions
Chaya Edoah's brother died a few years ago. Chana's passing affected Chaya profoundly, but in an attempt to conceal the vulnerability the situation forced on him, he hasn't cut his hair to this day. This is very uncommon, but does happen when a person doesn't want to expose something highly personal to them for everyone else to see.
Primary Related Location
Related Ethnicities