[ braid ] sender braids receiver's hair
PROMPTS FOR ORDINARY THINGS THAT FEEL INTIMATE
Victor w/ Clarice @ablinkntime
The kid had no idea what she was doing, with her tiny, fat, fumbling, fingers, and determined frown, nibbling on tongue and cheek. She just knew that Victor braided his hair every night before bed and that she wanted to insert herself into that ritual. So, she had, after their meager dinner, while the heart was still warm with amber coals.He felt the small tugs on his scalp, the momentary hesitation before each overlay of hair strands, and then the uneven messiness of the resulting braid. Still, Victor tolerated the abuse, hands placed on his knees as he sat near the edge of his bed with his legs crossed under him. Behind him, Clarice' weight shifted the stiff, old springs of the mattress as she worked halfway, and down the middle of his back, to the tips of his hair. He winced at the small tug as she wrapped the elastic around the end. Clarice moved back and surveyed her work. She was quiet.
Victor reached around and hooked a finger around the bulk of the braid. He hummed, frowning slightly at he loose and lost strands. This was going to come out within ten minutes and when he glanced over his shoulder at Clarice, he could guess she knew it too. No use lying to the cub. The rest of the world wouldn't.
"I ain't gonna mince it, kid," Victor said. "... It's shit but for a first attempt, not bad. C'mon, I'll show ya."
He undid the braid, running his fingers through his hair to undo the bulk of the tangles, and then combing through it a couple times real quick. Victor started the braid off, weaving the strands together as he worked down to the ends, explaining to Clarice little bits of the finer details of technique. He then undid that braid and let her try again on his hair, telling her to take her time and to keep the hair taut as she worked. This time she thought a little less and braided a little more, and when she got to the end Victor ran his hand down the length. It was uneven and bumpy but good enough. At least she got all the hair in the braid this time.
"There ya go, cub," Victor said, grinning at her. "Second times the charm."
