#aerianger hair braiding ♥

[caffeinated-moogle]

No-ish, and no... ish?

Aeryn is very exceptionally terrible at knowing what it is she wants, let alone expressing it once she figures out whatever it might be. The notion of binding partnerships was another one of those confusing things she both did and didn't comprehend when she awoke on the Source with no memories, so she never really considered it for herself. I also don't think she's the type to confine herself or her myriad thoughts/feelings with labels or titles, and I like to think of Urianger as a bit of a free-spirit in the label department, as well. Aeryn is grateful for the comfortable, reserved affection they come to share, and she doesn't really concern herself with trying to iron out what exactly they are to each other.

That said, I do have a very silly headcanon about archaic elezen courtship rituals involving hair braiding, which I've quietly written into Aeryn's fic. It leads to them forming a quiet sort of bond with each other—though I haven't decided if it's part of her canon... or just fluff fic for me to kick my feet over.

Heaps of rambling about Aeryn's hair lore behind the cut!

(Just gonna drop this here and run away quietly screeching because I feel so extremely awkward talking about these two even though I love them and the silly little ship I built for them so hecking much so aaaahhhhhhh okay have some wolship rambling and hair braiding lore, it's trite, okay bye for days.)

Aeryn instinctively keeps her hands occupied, especially when thinking or discontent. She has a habit in ARR/HW/early StB of regularly unbraiding and rebraiding her pigtails.

Though she's not cognizant of it until much later, she feels her appearance is her only potential link to her lost identity. She endeavors to "look" the same, pigtail braids and all, in hopes that someone from her past might recognize her.

In HW, during the Extended Camping Trip, Aeryn starts braiding Ysayle's hair. (i haven't yet written this, so I haven't ironed out how it starts. Regardless, it becomes part of their nightly routine while journeying.)

After parting with Ysayle, Estinien notes Aeryn's discontent with The Everything. He offers to take Ysayle's place, claiming every warrior has their vices. He jokes that Aeryn's, at least, will help keep his vision clear in battle.

Emmanellain later learns of this and, knowing the old custom, gushes to all the world that the Warrior of Light has been courting the Azure Dragoon. (I just assume it went viral via the Alphinaud > Tataru > Emmanellain > Everyone chain.)

Emmanellain eventually explains to Aeryn that, in more archaic times, braiding each others' hair was an elezen sign of courtship. The more serious a couple's relationship became, the finer and more intricate the braided styles grew. If the couple chose to promise themselves to one another, they symbolized it by twining a special bead or charm into their braids. The more magically inclined forged these of their own aether.

Aeryn is mortified, and even more so after learning Estinien knew of the old custom. (He didn't care, calling it old-fashioned nonsense; he was simply glad to offer some moments of peace to a fellow dragoon and respected friend.)

In StB, Zenos cuts off one of Aeryn's braids in their first battle, triggering her underlying identity crisis; and Tataru gives Aeryn her first haircut to even it out en route to Kugane. Aeryn struggles with the loss, still instinctively reaching to braid hair that is no longer there, haunted by the now-all-too-real possibility that she is never going to be recognized—that she can no longer be "found."

In ShB, Feo Ul regularly plays with Aeryn's hair, twining flowers, ribbons, shells, and other pretty things into it. Since they have a unique insight into things Aeryn often keeps to herself, they know this is special to her. When they prompt her, Aeryn opens up about how it felt to lose her braids.

Aeryn has a little fall in Pla Enni. She and Urianger share a quiet moment while he "heals" her (a ruse he regularly entertains in efforts to ascertain how she's adapting to her light absorption). She's slowly becoming more tactile, and because this is her first time in close proximity to him without his hood, she touches his hair. (It sounds silly, but it's such a pivotal moment of growth for her.)

While the Scions recover back on the Source, Aeryn spends a great deal of time resting with them. She's growing less repressed with her own emotional needs and, seeking comfort, asks if she can braid Urianger's hair.

Urianger is a giant dork, so of course he knows of the old customs—but he assumes Aeryn doesn't. In spite of this, he offers to braid her hair in return. It becomes a very sweet little routine for them. Urianger assumes nothing of it, though it's special to him nonetheless.

Thancred quietly teases Urianger about his "courtship." Urianger maintains it has no deeper meaning, particularly not for Aeryn. Thancred calls him out, though, suggesting that, given the opportunity to make an educated choice, Aeryn might still continue the practice, deeper meaning and all.

Urianger is a Very Awkward Fellow when he finds out Aeryn knew. She doesn't quite manage to express herself clearly, but in her own roundabout way, she explains that changing her hair as it regrew helped her become someone new, and she's grateful that he was part of that change.

After reuniting with Moenbryda's parents, at some point before they find Hydaelyn, Urianger forges a bead of aether and asks to twine it into Aeryn's hair. She is upset she can't do this in return (magic block crisis), but she instead takes the bead from her necklace and twines that into his hair.

Nothing changes, because they don't consider the act truly binding in any way—it's more a quiet expression of love, the idea that no matter where they go, they will always have a part of each other close.

Anyway, that's it. I'm a Ridiculous Sap, and they're possibly married? Ish?

I just love them a lot, okay.

Is your WoL married, or is that something they want in life?

[caffeinated-moogle]

Time for another one from this series of love-related asks.

ˋ°•*⁀➷⁠ Round 1 | Round 2

Round 3: eclair and inipit!

6. eclair - do they want to one day be married? ─☆─ No, although it's honestly something she just doesn't consider. If she ever did, she'd come to the conclusion that any sort of public or "official" commitment isn't important to her. As she grows more comfortable with the people she feels a sense of commitment toward, the unspoken bond between them would be evident in their actions and routines together; and that's more than enough for her. (Plus, she actively avoids any situation that puts her on display.) That said, I got to attend an in-game bonding ceremony for the first time some months back, and I really liked the bit about the rings they exchanged being forged of their aether. I wanted to put my own spin on that... so I do have a quasi-bonding headcanon for Aeryn and Urianger. I can't imagine it would happen until post-Endwalker, but at some point Urianger would forge a bead or trinket out of aether and request to twine it into her hair (which in my silly little made-up ancient elezen lore would have been the final stage of courtship, when the couple would promise themselves to each other). Since Aeryn can't manipulate aether that way, she gives him the wildflower she'd preserved alchemically and had been wearing around her neck, because the color of it reminded her of his eyes. And because I'm a complete sap. It would be a quiet moment, just a simple gesture between the two of them in the midst of their ordinary routine, and it would come with no pomp or additional expectations, such that I don't know if I would consider them married in any way. It's more like a quiet request of each other: wherever you are, I hope you might carry a little part of my soul there to keep with you. 7. inipit - what qualities do they seek in a partner? describe physical qualities and personality traits? ─☆─ She doesn't. I don't mean to be obtuse, but Aeryn very especially doesn't seek anything or anyone in terms of partnership. Her every action in those early days is laser-focused on surviving in unfamiliar circumstances and finding answers about who she is. She is initially drawn to anyone who doesn't offer her excess attention and allows her the safe space to just quietly exist alongside them. Later, she begins to understand what qualities speak most deeply to her heart as she discovers them in the person who had already, unwittingly, endeared himself to her by offering her that safety. From there it just evolved without her ever having sought it. The qualities that end up meaning most to her are: respect; patience; support; freedom; and a sense of stability - a constancy despite her flightier, less-constant nature in the early days. She needed someone balanced enough to help bring her moments of comfortable stillness and clarity in the otherwise wild chaos of her journey.

[caffeinated-moogle]

Look at this wee sprout with her baby ARR gear. (╥_╥)

Aeryn's hair journey:

1. ARR - early Stormblood: Pigtail braids! She awakens on the Source with this style and doesn't change it in hopes that someone might someday recognize her and tell her who she is. (Because her hair glows, then turns yellow when cut/broken, her fringe would also be yellow. The highlights in the braids themselves would be less prominent until the end of the tail.) 2. StB - ???: Short crop, half-braid! (And her current style - see 99% of my screenshots!) Zenos cuts off one of her braids in their first battle, and Aeryn falls into a state of denial, refusing to acknowledge what's happened until en route to Kugane, when Tataru offers Aeryn her first ever proper haircut. It becomes the catalyst for an overarching identity crisis. Keeping her hair unchanged had been representative of an idealistic hope to one day reclaim her missing sense of self; and the loss of that feels more severe while the story is so heavily exploring themes of home, family, belonging, and cultural/national identity - all things Aeryn realizes she might now never find. 3. EW (?): The longer half-braid! Aeryn's unspoken goal since StB has been to grow her hair long enough for pigtails braids again, so I'll change her hair to the shoulder-length version of her current style once I feel there's been enough of a time shift. (Not sure if that will be before or during EW - I'm waiting to see what the story gives me, first.) I've also been toying with the notion of turning her highlights white instead of yellow, but I'm not sure if anything in EW would give me a story-reason for that... so we'll see! 4. Future: Once she grows her hair out long enough (maybe after EW?), Aeryn will discover she no longer wants to return to her former style. Though the style doesn't exist in game, she would probably begin to wear her hair in a single braid over her shoulder. It represents the journey she's been on to blend her two selves - to accept and then let go of her mysterious past while also embracing the person she now is... Future side-braid Aeryn also has smaller accent braids randomly plaited into the larger one. I have a teeny tiny little obsession with my WoLship braiding each others' hair. It's important to me. I headcanon that it's an archaic elezen courtship custom. No one will ever talk me out of this. (ꈍᴗꈍ)♡

What hairstyle do you use for your WoL?