#WHY DID I RENDER SO MUCH. THIS DOESN'T EVEN LOOK GOOD. EW.

[foxett]

I FINALLY DREW MORE SUNTAN GUYS

[last-flight-of-fancy]

time for some fluffy ff14 fic bc it's faster to write than draw. takes place between ShB and EW but i dont think contains any particularly major spoilers for either of those expansions.

WoL: Hallima, he/they Au Ra

Bonding time with the twins and a haircut

Hallima hears the door open to their room just a little too late, and for one panicked moment considers trying to hide before dismissing that idea out of hand. Absolutely nothing in this room had a single hope of successfully hiding their not insignificant bulk, and even trying would only make them look foolish.

Well, more foolish, as is proven when Alisiaie takes one step through the threshold, sees Hallima, and snorts laughter at them in a decidedly unladylike manner.

Alphinaud peers around her shoulder, curious, and though he doesn't double over the way Alisaie now is, he isn't fast enough to cover his mouth before Hallima can see it.

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up." They grumble, trying in vain to smooth away stray hairs and look even somewhat presentable. This fails.

"Pray tell, what are you even doing?" Alphinaud asks, hand still over his mouth but the laugh in his voice is unmistakable.

"Practicing my High Jump, what's it look like I'm doing?"Hallima is not pouting as they drop their scissors onto the wooden cabinet in front of them, and if it looks like they are then clearly it's the lip paint they're wearing (a very nice shade of blue-purple only a touch darker than their skin tone) and they need to change it immidietly. "You could have knocked."

"We did." Alisiaie puts her hands on her hips, still grinning but having regained her composure.

"Okay, maybe that was a sily question." Alphinaud says. "How about this then; why are you attempting to cut your own hair when I'm sure you could find a perfectly good barber just downstairs?"

"I didn't want anything complicated, just... Shorter." This statment of fact is followed by Hallima catching sight of themself in the mirror, which they give a baleful look.

"Uh huh." Alisaie gives them a once over. "And how's that going?"

Hallima deigns not to answer, grumbling under their breath and picking up the scissors again. 

"Hey now," Alphinaud stepsforward, making Hallima pause. He turns to Alisaie. "Surely we could render some assistance?"

"We certainly cannot do any worse." Alisiaie taps a finger to her chin in consideration.

"Do I not get a say in this?" Hallima asks flatly, already knowing the answer.

"After seeing what you've managed so far? Not a chance." Alisaie snorts, plucking the scissors from their hand and tugging them down to where the much shorter twins can reach more easily.

"Maybe I should do the cutting?" Alphinaud offers. "Seeing as how I am the one with some level of artistic inclination."

"An artist you may be but practiced with blades you are not." Alisaie counters, holding the scissors over her head when he reaches for them. "I'll do the cutting, you can give me your vaunted aesthetic opinion while I work."

Alphinaud pouts, but it's not a serious thing, and the two set to work with an ease that belies their complete lack of experiance. Hallima decides to hold still and let them at it with only a mild amount of trepidation.

(The twins were right after all, they couldn't possibly do worse than what Hallima himself had managed, which was an utter disaster.)

(Why do lizard people have hair anyway? This was a question that had never occured to Hallima before their trip to the Azim Steppe, assuming as they had that they were some kind of freak mutation. Anything goes with that kind of assumption. Knowing theirs is an entire species of dragon kin however, had rather turned quite a bit on its head.

Not that Hallima thinks about it much. Only deep in the night when sleep eludes them once more. Or when they're being forced to sit still while a couple of teenagers wave a pair of scissors dangerously close to their face.)

"Like so?" Alisaie says, taking Halima by the chin and turning their head. Alphinaud makes a humming noise.

"It's not bad. Maybe if we-"

"There's not much left to work with there-"

"I learned to do these braids back in-"

Hallima zones out again. The kids will either figure it out or Hallima will just have to go bald for a while. Not their favourite look, but it wouldn't be the first time.

(Hallima has more than enough money to pay a barber. Spends gratuitous amounts of it on weapons and armour in fact, but old habits died hard, and old habits insisted that money was to be spent on necessities only.)

"There!" Alisaie announces, grinning and proud, prompting Hallima to return to reality. "What do you think?"

Hallima looks into the mirror, and is surprised to find it's not terrible. Much shorter than initially intended, but that had been a forgone conclusion before the twins had even so much as made their appearance. Tight braids run in parallel waves across the sides, which Hallima has to turn their head to see clearly around their horns.

"They're supposed to stay in without needing to be redone every day." Alisaie says. "Though knowing our lives I'm not sure how true that would be for you."

"It looks great." Hallima says, with a genuine smile. "Thank you."

"You're most welcome." Alphinaud answers for both of them. "I'm still surprised though. Did you really hate the ponytail that much?"

"No, actually." Hallima shakes their head. "But with how things have been lately, I've barely had time to get my armour on sometimes, let alone deal with things like putting up my hair."

"I did notice you'd been leaving it down more often lately." Alisaie says, thinking back.

"And it was getting in the way." Hallima sighs. "I don't know how Estinian does it."

"And yet your makeup is always perfect." Alphinaud's tone is teasing.

"You can thank Aymeric for that, actually." Hallima chuckles, opening a drawer to reveal a wide number of small jars in a rainbow of colours. "When we left Ishagard he got me these enchanted paints as a parting gift. They're made to stay days at a time before needing to be reapplied. Much like your braids." Hallima nods to Alisaie.

"I think I've heard of these." Alphinaud leans over the drawer, taking in the array. "They're quite expensive though, even for Aymeric this many must have cost a pretty gil."

"Oh the first set was only three colours. He sends me new shades every couple weeks or so. I think there were eight waiting in my mail after we got everything sorted out in the First."

"Does he now." Alisaie's tone and raised eyebrow imply a great deal, which Hallima resolutely ignores.

"Still, these are only meant for the lips." Alphinaud interrupts whatever Alisaie might have said next. "That doesn't explain the eyeliner."

Hallima blinks.

"What eyeliner?"

"Wh- you mean to tell me that's just how they look?"

"Yes?"

Alisaie tugs on Hallima once more, and they try not to fidget as they stare down a very intent young elezen.

"Yup it's not eyeliner, they really are just like that." She pronounces. "You lucky bas-"

"Language." Alphinaud primly reminds, to which Alisaie pokes her tongue out at him.

Hallima feels themself smile, and then laugh in truth, a much needed lift to their mood after... everything.

They catch Alphinaud's gaze lingering over the frankly absurd number of coloured bottles, and has an idea.

"Considering how long those last, I have no idea how I'm going to get through them all. Would you like to help me?"

"Really?" Alphinaud is somehow surprised (he should know better by now, honestly), while Alisaie positively lights up in excitement, diving into the drawer and sifting through the colours like the kid she is.

"What have you got in red?" She asks, already pulling bottles out and setting them aside. Hallima's grin grows.

"Well, if you're sure..." Alphinaud hesitates a single second more, and then joins his sister with equal enthusiasm.

Hallima makes a silent (suckers) bet with themself that he picks some shade of blue.