This Individual Fic Rating: G; nothing bad to see here, folks....
Blue Forest Banshee Part 71
"Oh, my god! I love your hair!"
Duo swung around, startled. A teenaged girl stood there, absolutely glowing as she regarded his long braid.
"Uh..."
"How did you get it so long? It's just gorgeous! And so thick!"
Duo blinked. "I- I just let it grow..." he replied faintly.
"Can I touch it? Oh please!"
"Um... I suppose..." he said hesitantly. If she made a grab for it, he would punch her and run.
But she didn't grab. She reached out very carefully and touched the thick, auburn braid with only two fingers, stroking gently at a six-inch section.
"Oh, it's so soft..." she whispered, her tone more suited to describing a religious experience than... hair.
"...Thank you..." Duo managed to say.
She stepped back then before he had to, and sighed wistfully. "You really don't do anything special to it?"
"No. I just wash it every day."
She blinked, looking suddenly embarrassed. "Oh, god! You must think I'm a crazy person! I'm so sorry! I just... just..." She ran her fingers nervously through her own rather fine and wispy hair. "My hair is so awful. It won't do anything! It's just so frustrating!"
Duo eyed her dust-colored hair, and had to admit that his own healthy and muscular tresses were vastly superior. Still, he couldn't actually say that.
"Maybe you just haven't found the right style or the right shampoo," he offered. "Sometimes that can make a big difference."
She gave him a look so pathetic; it stirred something in him. "Do you know about that stuff?" she asked eagerly.
He shifted his bag to his right hand and shrugged. "Not really. But that's what I've heard. I mean, I've never had any problems with my hair, so I never thought about it much. But I guess I hear people talking about how a shampoo works for one and not the other, or certain conditioners are good for certain types of hair. Oh, and I know you have to start with a good cut." That was what he'd heard from the Witches at work; it seemed to be very important from the amount of debate involved. As far as cutting went, no one but Heero or Teal were ever going to touch a blade to his hair. But a good professional haircut certainly couldn't hurt this wispy, wistful girl; might even be half the solution.
He looked her over more closely. Maybe some better clothes too. She looked like she'd dressed from a thrift store, and not one of the nice stores, which sold upscale celebrity castoffs or lovingly cared-for vintage clothing. Nothing matched or fit quite right, and everything was so far out of fashion it wasn't even retro. As for style, well, she obviously had none.
But hanging from her fingers was a bag from Ewe's Fluffy; a bag filled with yarn, patterns and hooks.
Hooks. Crochet hooks. She must crochet.
"Do you crochet?" he asked abruptly.
She blinked. "Um, yeah." She glanced down at the bag guiltily. "It's about all I can do right. Why?"
"I can knit, but I don't know how to crochet."
She gaped at him. "You knit?! I've never met a guy who could knit!"
He opened his mouth to explain about his mother and his Clan, then stopped. She might not recognise that he was a Magical Creature; he wasn't wearing a cloak today and he had dressed in jeans and a sweater to blend. Most Mundane Humans couldn't tell at all; that was how he managed to blend when he was alone in their world. If he didn't mention it, would it really be a lie? If she ever asked outright, he would tell the truth, but if she never asked, why should he volunteer the information? Teal had warned him not to volunteer things. He had taken that advice, and it had worked pretty well for him. Still, he wasn't hiding anymore. He had a home and a job and a... and a Wyvern who loved him. Why not just tell her? What was the harm?
The answer came from that tiny voice in the back of his head.
::Because,:: it murmured, ::If she knows, she will feel differently. Right now, you are just a guy who knows how to knit and who has beautiful hair. If you tell her that you are a Banshee, she will (a) run away in fear, (b) treat you like a curiosity, or (c) expect you to solve her problems with Magick. So just shut up about what you are and go with who you are.::
Of course; don't ask, don't tell. Humans were all for that.
Duo shrugged. "I always wanted to, so one day, I just bought some yarn and some needles and a pattern and learned. But I want to learn to crochet, and I'm having trouble with that."
The girl lit up. "How about if I help you learn to crochet, and maybe you could help me with my stupid hair?" she suggested eagerly.
Duo grinned at her. "You got a deal! I'm Duo."
She stuck out her hand. "I'm Julie! Wanna go to Starbuck's? We can get coffee and I can showing you what to do." She smiled crookedly. "And you can tell me what to do with my hair."
"Sure. Aren't there magazines about hair? Maybe we can stop at the bookstore and pick up a couple."
"Yeah! And some crochet magazines!"
Feeling unaccountably pleased with himself, Duo bowed gracefully. "Lead on, my lady."
TBC...
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