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Nothing good ever comes of staying cooped up inside, thinks Nina as she sighs from her station at the base camp’s easternmost entrance. At least, that is what her imagination would like her to believe at this very boring moment, despite how childish of a thought it was.
It had been only a few weeks ago that the weather had snapped to cold, and even shorter still since the other members of the army had begun preparations for the season. Strewn across the pages of her diaries and journals in haphazardly written cursive were countless fantasies inspired by this time of year, the cozy nature of the season serving as the perfect backdrop for her stories featuring the cutest guys her imagination could create. She looked forward to this period every year, fresh pages of paper in her notebook and a recently filled pot of ink eagerly awaiting the new ideas that would spring into her head. At the earliest notice, Nina would rush back to her private quarters once freed from army responsibilities to compose such tales in exquisite detail, filling page after page with text until she was called away to the meal hall.
To her misfortune, today is severely lacking in not only inspiration, but just about anything entertaining to keep her mind off the dreadfully dull atmosphere that encircles the camp. Despite the season, it is quieter than a graveyard throughout the grounds, with not a single couple in sight to spy on. Nina knows everyone must be cooped up inside, enjoying the heat the hearths provide, kindled with chopped firewood and also the joviality of those bodies gathered around it. She kicks a rock out of boredom and watches it skitter across the near frozen earth, cursing her luck at picking the short end of the straw to stand guard on one of the coldest days so far this year, longing for her allotted patrolling duty to be over already.
She pretends not to see Soleil approaching from a ways out, drawing her boot through the light dusting of snow that had fallen on the camp the night previous.
“Hey Nina! Warm enough out here for you?”
“Don’t tell me you’re the only person willing to brave the cold today,” the archer mumbles under her breath, burying her face in the warmth of her scarf.
“Oh, am I not who you were looking for?” Soleil suggests with a wink, striding up to Nina’s side despite her initial unfriendliness. “It’s not much fun standing guard out here all by your lonesome, so I figured I’d offer you some company.”
“Geez, how generous of you. I’ll have you know, this patrol has been going exceedingly well by all standards!”
Soleil laughs. “In all except one way, I take it? The missing sparkle from your eyes tells all, Nina.”
“Is it that obvious,” she sighs, kicking another rock as she leans against the stone fortifications of the base. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so bored out of my mind. Why do all the guys get to stay inside and enjoy each other’s company while I’m stuck out here!”
“Well, perhaps I can entice you with something that’s a little more exciting than watching this quiet gate,” Soleil joins her, hands tucked warmly in her pockets and ears covered by a set of ear muffs. “Why don’t we take each other up on the offers we made a few months ago?”
Nina takes a moment to wrack her head over the mercenary’s proposition.
“You mean how we agreed to listen to what we each have to say about girls and guys?”
“Yeah! I mean, only if you want to though. If it’ll bore you more than you already are, we could always find something else to talk about.”
Looking out across the camp to ensure nothing new is available to amuse herself, Nina takes a moment to think Soleil’s suggestion through, tapping her gloved fingers to hear chin as she weighs out her options. Though it certainly is not the inspiration she would anticipate scribbling down in her notebook once she is free from guard duty, the prospect of learning something new does mildly intrigue her.
Besides, despite initially not seeing eye-to-eye, Nina had started enjoying the time she got to spend with Soleil. It was nice—charming even, if Nina were to describe it like she did in her stories—that she was willing to spend this cold and boring day alongside her.
“Sure, the floor is all yours,” Nina insists, gesturing to the vast emptiness surrounding them. “What’s one fascinating thing about girls that you always catch yourself daydreaming about?”
After a moment of quiet, Soleil answers with a laugh. “Being put on the spot is much harder than I thought! Let’s see…” she hums, rocking from her heels to her toes as she thinks. “Oh I know! I could daydream about styling another girl’s hair for hours on end!”
“Uh-huh… I’m not quite sure I can picture it. How is it any different than brushing your own hair when you get ready for the day?”
“Because it’s not just about brushing hair, now is it? Styling another girl’s hair is so much more than that. It’s an exercise of trust between you and the girl who has given you permission to run your fingers through her gorgeous tresses. She’s placing one of her cutest features in your hands after all! And that’s not even getting into all the different ways you can fantasize about styling a girl’s hair… When it’s long, it’s the best, because there’s no end to the possibilities!”
“So what would be your favourite way to style another girl’s hair? An up-do, cascading down her shoulders…” Nina brushes one of her braids over her shoulder, for added effect. It stirs a laugh from Soleil. “Maybe even braids, perhaps?”
“Those are all excellent choices, but nothing beats the chance to weave flowers into a girl’s hair. In fact, I think your hair would make a perfect canvas for some woven flowers. I can picture it now, splashes of pink and turquoise delicately complimenting the colour of your eyes… Each flower smelling lovelier than the last…”
“H-hey! You gotta give more details than that!” Nina tries to protest, a light blush dusting her cheeks. Soleil’s idle fantasy was turning into far more than she had bargained for. “If I’m going to be a part of this daydream, you have to at least describe the types of flowers you would use, not just colours!”
“Heh heh, so now you’re curious,” Soleil grins, having caught onto her friend’s reaction. “I don’t have any particular varieties in mind, because it’s all about how you make them work together, and the time you spend while doing it.”
“You mean like… it’s not just about styling a girl’s hair with flowers, but also the memories you make along the way?” Nina asks, awkwardly twiddling the ends of one of her braids.
“Now you’re getting it! If I were braiding a girl’s hair, we could idly gossip like we’re doing right now, or maybe I’d compliment her on how cute her laugh sounds when I tell a funny story. And then the best part arrives when she sees all the hard work you put into making her look beautiful, and her lips turn up into a smile as you tuck a flower lovingly behind her ear.”
“That sounds like fun…” Nina muses, unaware of the flush growing on her cheeks until she sees the mischievous look in Soleil’s eyes, which could only mean one thing. She shakes her head to clear her thoughts. “To daydream about! I mean.”
“I’m sure,” Soleil laughs, bumping shoulders with Nina. “You should let me try some time.”
“Try what?”
“Braiding your hair! Surely your arms must get tired having to braid such long hair. Why not let someone else enjoy it?”
“My arms are perfectly capable of braiding my hair, thank you very much!” Nina huffs, holding her book a little tighter to her chest. “Jeez, you’re more forward than some of the guys I like to daydream about together.”
“But you were daydreaming about girls, were you not?” Soleil winks, and gestures to the barracks. “My treat, if you’re interested. Your shift is nearly over by now, is it not?”
“Huh?” Nina scans the grounds of the base camp as the question leaves the mercenary’s mouth, surprised not only to see the sun dipping below the horizon, but also an ally headed in her direction, presumably to relieve her of the station she’d been watching for the last few hours. She couldn’t believe how quickly time had passed since Soleil’s arrival. Indeed, she almost lamented that their little daydreaming session was about to come to a close.
“So it seems…”
“Time flies when you’re in good company,” Soleil enthuses, leaving the support of the wall where she had been leaning. “I have some flowers in my quarters—why don’t we grab some hot tea before heading over?”
Nina’s uncertain what compels her to agree so readily to Soleil’s suggestion, awash with a feeling that was typically only ever reserved for those moments when the couple in her love stories finally had the heart to express themselves after an arduous journey rife with misunderstandings. They work together to prepare the tea in the mess hall and carefully carry the tea set back to the barracks, arranging themselves on the floor as they sit surrounded by saucers and flowers. The small bouquet had been resting on Soleil’s bedside table when they entered, composed of roses, pansies, and camellias. A holiday gift from my family, she had told Nina as they looked upon the roses dyed various shades of purple and blue, recounting the florist’s explanation about how the roses retained the colour as she set to styling the archer’s hair.
Nina notes that Soleil has a nice voice to listen to as she sips from her teacup, the other idly gossiping away in her ear as Nina’s braids come undone. She nearly jumps from her spot when she hears Soleil’s excited squeal; she’s thankful that she didn’t just make a huge embarrassment of herself, her quick reflexes keeping the tea from spilling from its cup.
“...Everything okay?”
“Your hair is just so soft, Nina! You must share your hair care routine,” Soleil cheers, running her fingers through Nina’s hair to brush free the tangles. “What sort of braids would you like? The same you normally wear?”
“Oh… um… so long as it looks nice, it doesn’t matter too much…”
“I would never let you walk out of here with anything less than exceptional,” Soleil reassures, reaching forward to retrieve a stem of miniature roses to weave into Nina’s hair. She begins first by sectioning off all the hair in front of her ears before braiding each individually. It’s quite relaxing, Nina realizes, her own thoughts drifting off into the distance to the daydreams Soleil had shared with her earlier. She doesn’t mind, for once, that something else is preoccupying the idle time she usually spends fantasizing about guys.
Soleil’s voice speaks to her so sweetly that she swears it could be a part of the daydream, if not for the fact she could feel the other girl’s breath ghost over her ear.
“Wow, braiding your hair really does feel like a dream, Nina.”
“You think so?” she asks, glad to be facing the opposite direction as her cheeks burn bright red.
“Mhmm! Hopefully you’ll like it,” Soleil hums, twisting the stems of the roses alongside the strands of the braid she was working with. “I’d hate to be stuck with only being able to daydream about braiding your hair again.”
I’m sure you won’t, Nina thinks, too shy to utter such a sentiment at this point. She keeps such feelings to herself for the time being, tucking them away on a safe shelf within her heart until she can jot them down in her notebook later, along with the rest of the day’s excitement.
“Can you use this flower next?” Nina suggests, grasping the stem of a pink camellia.
From the corner of her eye, she sees Soleil smile. Their hands connect for the briefest moment as the flower is passed between them, brilliantly in bloom despite the time of year, and not just a figment of their imaginations.
The affection shared between them is much the same as that the flower holds in its delicate petals, imbued with a dazzling quality that is undeniably genuine and heartwarming without question.