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Ralsei was proud of the salon, if she did say so herself. With a comfortable chair and a large round mirror ringed with lights and cute little leaf decorations, and a smooth black marble counter, she thought it was one of the more stylish rooms she had made. That wasn’t even mentioning the containers of Light World hair dye that Noelle had carefully brought such that they would remain objects, even in the dark world. That meant that even Lighteners could dye their hair here, and have it remain when they went back!
Ralsei squeezed a packet of hair dye into a little bowl as Noelle kicked her hooves in the salon chair, reading the hair dye instructions one last time, for good measure. Ralsei’s brows furrowed, slightly, as she pondered her question.
“Umm… Noelle, if you don’t mind me asking-” Ralsei asked, as she mixed the pitch black hair dye. “Why did you ask me to help with this, instead of Kris or Susie? Not that I mind.”
“Hmm?” Noelle said, looking up from the instructions. “Oh, well, I guess I just thought it might be easier this way.”
Ralsei blinked. “How so? I, um, I’ve never done this before.”
Noelle’s eyes widened nervously. “I, uh figured that. It’s more like you have, uh, like the temperament for it? Like, um, Kris and Susie are kind of the type to get hair dye everywhere, faha.”
Ralsei frowned, despite herself. She grabbed the tub of vaseline from the drawer, and flipped open the lid. “Um, Noelle, can you hold your hair up?”
“Oh! Sure.” Noelle said, and started pulling her hair back into a ponytail.
Ralsei scooped a gob of vaseline onto her fingertips, and waited for Noelle to be ready. Noelle finished putting her hair up, and gave a cursory thumbs up.
Ralsei started smearing the vaseline on the parts of Noelle’s fur closest to her hair. Hopefully that would keep it from getting stained by any loose dye. “I don’t know. Kris can be delicate when they want to, and Susie really cares about doing right by you. I think they both care too much about you to be careless.”
Noelle was silent for a long while, holding her ponytail out of Ralsei’s way. Eventually she said, “I know. That's the problem, I guess.”
The vaseline was cold against Ralsei’s paw pads.
“It’s just-” Noelle continued, “I know that if they were dyeing each other’s hair, or- or- even anyone’s but mine, they’d be reckless about it. And that’s fine! It's nice, even, when they don't think things through all the way. But they’d be too careful with me, because I’m Noelle, and they don’t want to- to- ruin me.”
“Do you want me to be less careful?” Ralsei asked, conscious of her retracted claws centimeters from Noelle’s ears.
Noelle shook her head, then stopped again. “No, you’re fine. You’re just being careful because that's what you’re like. I’m not… special to you.”
Noelle fell silent, and Ralsei finished applying the vaseline. Ralsei turned away, and started the tap with her elbow, washing the slickness off her fingers. When she was done, she dried the fur on each of her fingers with a towel.
Ralsei pulled out a pair of latex gloves from the box, and carefully slipped her left paw into one, keeping her claws retracted.
“But, uhm, you are special to me, Noelle.” Ralsei said as the other glove went on. “Maybe not in the same way, but, uhm, I’ve always admired you!”
“Wh-what?” Noelle yelped, turning. “Why would you- me?”
Ralsei smiled despite herself. “Noelle, you’re a really unique person, you know?” Ralsei scooped down with her now gloved hand into the hair dye. It was just as cold and slick as the vaseline, even with the glove. “I know a lot of things. I always have. As part of that, I have always known you, even if only in small ways.”
“Like- like what?” Noelle asked, closing her eyes and turning her head to give Ralsei room to work.
“Lots of little things.” Ralsei said, as she gloped the hair dye down on top of Noelle’s head, between her antlers. “I knew you liked Susie, and I knew you would stand up to Queen. But, um, the thing that stuck with me the most is what items you could equip.”
Noelle, eyes still closed, furrowed her brows. “Really? I didn’t think any of the things Kris gave me were all that, uh, interesting, faha.”
“But they are!” Ralsei exclaimed, spreading the dye methodically. Her claws flexed. “Noelle, each of us has one weapon type we’re assigned, and that's it. Kris has swords, Susie has axes, I have scarves, and you have rings. We’re free to equip anything in those categories, but never to leave them.”
Noelle gave a tiny breath in, and Ralsei thought she was beginning to understand.
“But, you Noelle, you’re different. You can equip some swords! You can go beyond your role, even just a little bit.”
Ralsei felt herself getting animated, and took a deep breath. “And, um, that gave me hope. That things could change… that maybe I could change.”
Noelle didn’t reply for a long, long time, and Ralsei swallowed back her fear as she worked the dye to the ends of Noelle’s bangs, and then worked her way back and down. The hair dye had warmed up from being in Ralsei’s palm. Watching the black slowly engulf Noelle’s blonde hair made Ralsei think about Darkness, moving like a wave to consume a patch of Light.
It was beautiful, and a little bit frightening. Maybe Ralsei, too, was afraid of ruining Noelle, not really because she was special, but just because she was a Lightener.
Finally, Noelle said quietly, “But I didn’t do anything.”
“You, um, didn’t have to.” Ralsei said. “Just knowing was enough.”
Noelle looked down. “I- I guess.” She fiddled with the hem of the black t-shirt Ralsei had given her. “I- maybe this is selfish- but I wish I could do things that mattered more often.”
“Well, you are dyeing your hair.” Ralsei pointed out.
“I suppose that’s true.” Noelle agreed, reluctantly. She thought for a moment. “But, um, maybe it would go faster with another set of hands?”
Ralsei smiled. “It definitely would! Can you reach the gloves?”
“I, um, thought I’d go without!” Noelle answered. “I think it would be sort of cool if my hands got, um, dyed too?”
“Well, if that's what you’d like!” Ralsei said. “How about I get the back and you get the rest?”
“Faha, sure!”
For a long time after that, the two worked in tandem. Ralsei spread the dye down the back of Noelle’s hair, while she worked on remaining bright patches on the sides of her head.
Once, and only once, Ralsei happened to reach forward at the same time as Noelle reached back, and their fingers brushed. The slick dye on Noelle’s fingertips rubbed off against the barrier of Ralsei’s gloves, equally stained. Ralsei felt her claws flex, and her face flush.
If Noelle noticed, she didn’t say anything. So Ralsei didn’t say anything either.
As the last fading patches of Noelle’s light hair disappeared beneath the encroaching dark, Ralsei wondered if she was like Noelle, or Noelle was like her. Or maybe they were not alike at all, and Ralsei’s rebellious heart was hoping for what could not be: for Ralsei had always wished to be like her.
Either way, it was gratifying to be allowed to participate in Noelle’s changing of herself. It made Ralsei feel brave, in a way. Like her own changes would be okay somehow, as long as she had company. Ralsei and Noelle could face whatever consequences came, together. Perhaps that way, they would be strong enough to break fate?
Ralsei scooped out the last bit of dye from the mixing bowl, and smeared it on the back of Noelle’s head for good measure. “Okay!” She said, “We’re all done. Just let me put up your hair, and then we wait.”
“Wow, already?” Noelle said, as Ralsei grabbed the clips. “I thought it would take longer, faha!”
“Black is, um, one of the easier colors.” Ralsei said, pinning up half of Noelle’s hair up into a bun behind her antler.
“Oh, right, because you don’t need any bleach.” Noelle finished. “Wait, but isn’t my hair light enough that it should be fine? I remember…” She trailed off.
Ralsei put up the other bun.
Noelle didn’t continue.
“Um, remember what?”
Noelle jolted, seemingly having forgotten she wasn’t alone. “Wha- oh, sorry! I, um, got distracted.”
“It’s fine, Noelle!” Ralsei said, then paused. “What, um, did you remember?”
“Oh, uh, when I was little, me and Dess tried to do that thing where you dyed your hair with cool aid. Or well, Dess did. I didn’t really help much. But, I remember, it worked better for me than it did for her, because my hair was lighter."
“Oh, right, that makes sense.” Raslei said “What, um, colors did you go for?”
“I’m not sure. Probably something holiday themed, faha.”
“Would you like to do something like that again? More bright colors, I mean.”
Noelle tilted her head, and then shook it, getting up to wash her hands off. “I don’t think so. At least not for quite a while- I am going grim-dark after all, fahaha!”
Ralsei peeled off her gloves as Noelle washed her hands in the sink. When Noelle was done, Ralsei asked. “Grim… dark?”
“Oh, um, like dressing in lots of black and wearing dark makeup. Kind of the opposite of my usual style, faha.”
“Oh, kinda like my old rockstar outfit…” Ralsei murmured. Maybe she should try to get a new one of those that, was, um, more girly. She did like doing the music games, after all. “I think that would suit you, Noelle!”
“Faha, you think so?” Noelle asked, turning to face Ralsei. “Susie said the same thing when she saw an old photo!”
Ralsei laughed. “Oh, that doesn’t surprise me! Susie and I have similar reactions to a lot of things these days.”
“Oh? What else?”
“Well, ah, like finding new things in Tenna’s video game, that lutes aren’t guitars… that kind of thing.” Ralsei said. There was a lot, wasn’t there? Having friends… sure was wonderful, wasn’t it? Ralsei blinked, and clapped her hands together. “Oh! And of course, we agree about you, Noelle!”
Noelle froze, blushing. “Y- you, um, feel l-like Susie does? A-about me?”
Ralsei’s face warmed rapidly, and she was certain it was showing in a completely non-controlled way. “Ah, I didn’t mean it like that!!! I, um, just meant that I think you’re a wonderful person!! That’s all! Um, not that it’s a small thing, but…” She fell lamely silent.
“Oh, that makes sense.” Noelle said, equally lamely.
They sat in awkward silence for a moment.
Then Noelle closed her eyes and laughed softly. “Fahaha! We’re kind of hopeless, aren’t we?”
Ralsei grimaced. “I’d say so, yes. Though, um, you weren’t the one who said something weird, Noelle.”
“Oh, uh, give it time?” Noelle replied. “I say things wrong sort of all the time, faha. Especially when I'm nervous. Sometimes I can barely hold a conversation, I’m tripping over myself so much, faha.”
“Really?” Ralsei said. “You’ve always seemed perfectly comprehensible to me.”
Noelle shifted. “Huh. I guess that’s because… I’m not nervous around you?”
“Oh, I’m glad!” Ralsei said, recovering herself somewhat. “Making Lightners comfortable is my specialty.”
“Well, you’ve certainly succeeded, fahaha!” Noelle said. “It was… nice, having someone help me with this. I, well, I thought I’d have to do it myself. And, um, I could have! But it was nice. It feels like… I have someone on my side, I guess?”
Ralsei smiled. “Any time, Noelle! And, um, I am on your side, no matter what.”
“Thanks, Ralsei.” Noelle said. Then she seemed to get distracted again, staring off into space.
“Noelle?”
Noelle pursed her lips. “Can I ask a question?”
“Uhm, of course!”
“Does it ever hurt?” Noelle asked, fast and all at once, the words ripped out of her mouth. “Doing things for other people?” She seemed like she was going to keep going, but she closed her mouth abruptly.
Oh. Had Noelle felt that way, too?
Ralsei nodded. “I- sometimes. Not as much recently. I, uhm, it helps to do things for yourself, too. Like this, I suppose!”
“Really?” Noelle looked painfully hopeful.
“It really does.” Ralsei said, and found it to be true.
Noelle sighed and looked down. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see, faha.”
“Yes, that's right." Ralsei agreed. “And, uhm, while you wait, let me know if there's anything I can do, okay?”
Noelle let go of Ralsei’s hand, and waved her own dismissively. “Oh, no, no, it's alright! You’ve done a lot already. I’m afraid that any more… I’d feel a bit useless, you know?”
“I suppose.” Ralsei said. “Uhm, if it helps, my motives aren’t entirely selfless.” She pressed her eyelids shut and smiled. “I’ve admired you from afar for so long, and now that we’ve met, I want to get to know you better!”
Noelle smiled, but it looked kind of strained. “You’re really sweet, you know that? I…” Noelle shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m not the person you think I am.” She took a step back.
Ralsei frowned. “Noelle…”
“But I would like to be. I can’t say how much I want that… to be someone that changes things.” Ralsei saw one of her hands clench. “Ralsei, can you wait here? I’ll be right back.”
Ralsei nodded, and asked, “But Noelle, what-”
“It’s a suprise, faha!” And just like that, she was out the door.
Ralsei stared after her for a long moment. She wondered what Noelle was doing. Slowly, she raised the hand Noelle had held to look at it. Pink paw pads, soft and fluffy white fur, retracted claws. The same as before. Really, It shouldn’t have been a surprise- Ralsei had only ever been marked once by the touch of a friend. It wasn’t something that usually happened, she knew.
And yet, there, on the tips of each of her fingers, was a touch of black dye. It ringed perfectly around her claws- they must have broken through the glove, and the dye leaked in.
Ralsei blinked. She supposed that made twice.
She moved to the sink, and ran each of her fingertips under cold water to remove the dye. When the water ran clear, she dried her fingers and looked at them once more.
The rings of black remained.
Ralsei laughed.
She had been right! Noelle’s freedom, Noelle’s change, meant freedom for Ralsei too. Susie’s blood had washed out with warm soapy water, but this would remain for longer.
What joy, to be able to help Noelle with this!
As her laughter faded to giggles, Ralsei clutched her hands to her chest, and spun in place twice. She sat down in the salon chair with a phumph of her dress, and spun in that too. She only stopped when she began to get dizzy.
She wondered what Noelle was bringing her.
The door opened, and Noelle returned, hands clutched around something small.
“Noelle!” Ralsei said. “Uhm, what were you doing?”
Noelle smiled, and walked towards Ralsei. “I had to go ask Kris for something. I don’t really need it anymore, so I figured...” She shook her head. “Just close your eyes, okay?”
“Okay?” Ralsei agreed, and closed her eyes. She still had a sense of the darkness around her, but it was blurred and indistinct.
Ralsei felt Noelle free up one of her hands, and reach toward Ralsei. Noelle hesitated for a moment, then slid her fingers under Ralsei’s palm and brought their joined hands upwards.
“I, um, thought about what you said about me being able to equip weapons outside my type. And I thought that um, maybe it doesn’t have to just be me, you know?”
Noelle brought her other hand, still clutched tight up to Ralsei’s. She readjusted their hands, the carefully slipped something cool and small onto Ralsei’s finger.
It was a ring.
SnowRing: A ring with the emblem of the snowflake.
Rings weren’t for Ralsei. She couldn’t equip them. They just wouldn’t go.
Noelle squeezed Ralsei’s hand. “You can open your eyes now.”
Ralsei, inanely, thought, This is kind of like a proposal. She kept her eyes shut.
“Um, Ralsei?”
This wasn’t- but Ralsei wanted- but it wasn’t possible-
“This is yours.” Ralsei choked out.
Distantly, she felt Noelle shift her head. Much more real was the feeling of the ring on her finger, pressing ever closer toward her inventory. There was nowhere for it to go. There was no place in Ralsei’s inventory for a ring.
“But, um, I’m giving it to you.”
Oh.
Ralsei remembered now.
Before the cool ring on her finger now, there was a ring of black around each of her claws. Before the dye, there had been Susie’s blood on her cheek. Before the blood, Noelle could equip swords.
It was possible.
Ralsei clenched her other fist, and ripped a new slot in her equipment.
With a sound like melodic breaking glass, the ring equipped.
SnowRing: Cooling ring patterned with a snow flake. Allows the wielder to cast more powerful fire magic without injury.
Ralsei opened her eyes. As advertised, the ring bore an engraved emblem of a snowflake. It was cute.
Noelle let go of Ralsei’s hand, dropping her own to fiddle with her t-shirt. “Ralsei?”
Ralsei fell back into the moment, feeling as though a new fountain was open where Noelle was standing. All roads seemed to lead back to her.
“Thank you, Noelle.” Ralsei said. “I really like it.”
“Really?” Noelle asked.
“Really!”
“Faha, thank you too. It’s nice to know I can do things this way now.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Ralsei stood up, and took Noelle’s hand. “Let's go. Kris and Susie are probably curious, after all!”