ralsei hums softly, fingers absentmindedly running through susie's hair.
they were both sat on the lightner's bed, with the prince carefully beginning
to plait, and braid the other's hair. they'd been chatting about this and that,
whatever came to mind, really. jokes, gossip, and... deeper thoughts, too. ✨
still, susie's next words seem to catch him off guard a little. 'the first time i met
you, i had no idea you'd mean this much', she says, almost too casually, really. ✨
he pauses, for a moment, before getting back to what he was do
-ing, the smile on his face is growing flustered, but still growing,
nonetheless. he's kind of glad she can't see his face right now,
she'd probably have plenty to say about his pinkened cheeks. ✨
" well, i could say the same thing to you, susie! " he says, " i mean, i
always knew you had a kind soul, even from our first meeting, but... "
he's searching for the right words, now, hems and haws a bit, before. ✨
" well, i'm just glad that i get to see it, so freely. " he says, tone soft,
" all this to say, i'm... glad we're friends, too! " and, a light, airy giggle. ✨
" more then you can imagine. " is said, a little quieter. as usual, his usual
concerns begin to kick up, or rather try to, but. with susie so nearby...
well, he'll worry about those things later. right now, he's having a nice
time with his friend. he falls quiet, for a moment longer, before... ✨
" there! all done! um, hold on, i'll get you a mirror. " he says, before
digging inside one of his large, baggy sleeves. he pulls a small, hand
-held mirror from seemingly nowhere. he leans forward, over her
shoulder, holding out the mirror in front, so she can see herself. ✨
" ...well? what do you think? " a bright smile, reflected, as well. ✨
WHEN RALSEI ASKED TO BRAID SUSIE'S HAIR, she was. . . a little hesitant, truth be told. it's not a very tough or scary thing, and while plenty of cool people have had braided hair, the act of braiding itself has never struck susie as very cool itself. it's something. . . quieter, something more intimate.
it's nice. it's something nice. susie is trying to learn to say yes to nice things. she can't exactly tell kris and ralsei that they deserve it, if she's going to continue putting on a front herself. being the strong one is exhausting. she doesn't have to do that here.
speaking of kris, they aren't here, today. susie is here to spend time with ralsei, as friends, because no matter what ralsei might say, susie believes fullheartedly that the time they spend together is real, that it means something. right now, in the moment, she is relaxing on her comfortable bed, plentiful blankets strewn about, and ralsei's hands card through her hair, and this is real. this is all that matters.
a kind soul. . . susie snorts a little, at that. she can't quite recall what she'd said, when they first met, but it was something to the lines of fuck you, and fuck your prophecy.
still, he. . . he had faith. not many people ever did. this, too, is real, to susie. it melts something cold and distant tucked away in her heart, little by little, one day and one braid at a time. when ralsei next speaks up, it is to say that he's done, and susie. . . she's not disappointed, or anything, okay? it just – it felt nice! to. . . be. . . forget it!
“ oooh, lemme see, lemme see, ” says a mouth of sharp teeth and sharper tongue, as ralsei reaches the mirror around and angles it just so. the hair has been twisted and plaited away from her face, bangs brushed away so masterfully susie hadn't even realized he'd swept them up in the first place. every wild cowlick, every tangled knot, every – every strand that susie has ever given up on in her life, groomed and pampered and wound into something. . .
susie realizes that she is smiling.
“ looks badass, ” she declares, turning her head from side to side. it actually looks really sweet. it makes her look sweet. and susie. . . doesn't really mind that. “ you'll just have to start doing this more often, y'know. ” smile becomes a grin. “ i never learned how to braid. better get used to it. ”
it is not just about the hair.
