#hhh nah not aven

[nightmarearian]

finally got this digital and all neat <3

boothill hair-headcanons! I did some (admittedly short) research on indigenous hair traditions & cultures (x).

A bit too tired to paraphrase rn so direct quotes to get the main points: > "believed that a person’s long hair represents a strong cultural identity" > "As part of the practice in self-respect, we are taught to take good care of our hair through proper grooming" > "adorn their hair with fur wraps, woolen wraps, feathers, fluffs, and bead work for war dancing and ceremonies" > "common to see family members and friends brushing and braiding hair for each other. > "we don’t cut our hair unless we have experienced a significant loss, like the death of a close family member, traumatic event or significant life change." > "When we do have to cut our hair, it is never to be thrown away, but rather, burned with sage or sweetgrass in a ceremonial way. When our hair is burned, all of our thoughts, prayers, dreams, aspirations, experiences, and history rise to the Creator to be properly taken care of." > " hair embodying so much of who we are, boundaries are important. Touching someone’s hair without permission is disrespectful in the Native community."

With that, looking at canon Boothill... I decided that at first he straight up just. Did not have the time to cut and burn his hair at first, and by the time he did he. Couldn't. (He’s dead anyway. Everything on his is dead anyway, so it doesn’t exactly count right now…) (he should be ashamed. He is. Being so fuckin selfish and one of the last of Aeragan-Epharshel and he making a mess of their culture). (He really should. He should stop being selfish but he can't let go of his memories of them and he's sorry, he's so so sorry, please he knows he's nothing more than a fuckin husk he's sorry he's sorry he's sorry-). (Going off of my other boothill art,) He loosely braids where a few of them would usually be, but comparatively it's too loose and he doesn't have as much feathers or sweetgrass or fur anymore but it's as close as he's ever going to get anymore so it'll do.

If any of this is inaccurate, really sorry and please correct me! :)

Text (Sorta. In order of my thoughts, all that, and then some): Aeragan-Epharshel "Boothill" (tesswehas) > had thick, soft, black hair -> current hair is thinner from lack of care + general consequences of becoming mechanized. -> Marie-Antoinette Syndrome + stress turned the majority of it white. > Tight & neat braids (w/ feathers, sweetgrass, fur) -> Family braids his hair & vice versa (-> Consequently, Boothill can't braid his own hair as well as he could someone else's. The difference in doing it to someone else vs. oneself, and all that) > Around~a bit longer than waist length -> Might've gotten a bit shorter when getting mechanized.

Post killing Oswaldo (a few months) > Cuts it a while after killing Oswaldo (while the power vacuum and all the extra stuff that comes with killing a head of department) -> Especially the braids/where the braids would be & the black parts. -> (his hair's all white now). > Burns it with sweetgrass > Additionally (not on drawing), He's tried to tie it back, sorta; It's a bit too short so he uses hair clips and stuff. It's at like mid-neck length. > His red bandana was his little girl's baby wrap. (yk those non-descript cloth wrapped around a baby).

-> (Eventually*) -> *meaning Argenti & Robin are able to keep Boothill from joining the rest of his family + heal/take care of himself > He lives long enough to grow it out. About shoulder length. > He usually has four braids (A/R/Sv/C), all with a few different ornaments. -> Side note, usually I guess one would get their hair braided with their associated accessories (if that makes sense???) but Boothill wants accessories based on his loved ones, so he has a little something. (Still doesn't have enough feathers, either). (Braid Dictionary): Each person's Ornaments, from Neatest -> Messiest: > Argenti(Tied w/ R): Vines & Roses > Robin(Tied w/ A): Metal/Fake flower ornamets (3); They're based of her halo. > Sunday*: "haloes"/rings > Clara (Tied w/ Sv): (Brass) Bolts & sometimes (uncommonly) fluff/fur, or flowers. > Svarog (Tied w/ C): (Steel/Silver) Bolts & Nuts > Hook: Usually doesn't have accessories, but the messiness & bits of dirt/grime (/aff) is enough of an indicator. Sometimes she can "braid"/tie string or smth. + Possibly aventurine? depends. -> neatness-wise would be around Sunday-Clara's; Accessories would be straight up jewlery, yk?

Bonus: Boothill (Makes the absolute neatest braids). Doesn't actually leave much accessories unless asked (Will be encouraged by A or R) -> would be feathers or sweetgrass; The children get flowers too. -> Bullet shells would be like bolts but he doesn't really want to give bullet shells to anyone. If he really wants to, it usually ends up in Svarog's ornament-strings/fur.

Ext. : > Boothill would give Argenti and/or Robin waterfall braids a good amount of the time. > Rose braid either from or to Argenti, to or from Boothill or Robin. > Boothill & Clara braid Svarog's coat's fur + give him strings of accessories.

Ext. Not in Drawing: > Between Robin & Argenti, Boothill gets around to taking proper care of his hair again :). > Sunday eventually joined in per Robin's request (as long as Boothill was okay with it, of course), and he found it calming & also just a good way for these two to bond. > Boothill keeps in his braids as long as he can, until it really has to or he meets the others again. > I only draw Robin, Argenti, Clara, & Svarog's braids in the final-post killing Oswaldo, so Sunday's would probably go behind Boothill's ear, next to Robin's. Hook's goes around the side, near Clara's. > Guess it was sorta implied with the neatest to messiest thing, But Argenti & Robin have the most clean braids, Sunday near close - his perfectionism/idealization is getting to him a bit - Clara & Svarog both have some troubles. It's like. Average-good? Not expert but not bad either. Clara's is a bit messy, and Svarog has some trouble with his bigger, mech-hands. Hook has the messiest. For obvious reasons. Little menace <3

> Oh also Don't think I ever specifically mentioned it but implied open/poly relationship between Argenti, Robin, Boothill & Svarog. (Argenti X Boothill X Robin, Svarog X Boothill). Think that's it. 👍

Original paper sketchpage: