libraryofbabel: (small sam 4)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-07 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
"...why are you doing that?"
constellationprize: (20)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-07 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
Oh - if it's something that you don't like, then I'll stop, okay? ... But, I was thinking about how cute you are and how hard you must have been trying, and I thought that I wanted to pat your head...
libraryofbabel: (small sam 1)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-07 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
"Um, it's fine, but..." She considers. "Is that nice? Is it nice to pat people on the head? I don't get it."
constellationprize: (48)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-08 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
- Oh!

Mm, it's nice, isn't it? I think - ... well, my husbands like to pat my head, and being able to pat theirs, or my younger sister's, or my boyfriend's - or anyone else's, too... I don't think that things like that are very bad, and it's something that they like too, I think . . .

Do you want to try it...?
libraryofbabel: (small sam 1)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-08 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
"...can I? I don't get it, but maybe I could understand it. I don't feel things, but I could learn it, maybe."
constellationprize: (12)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-08 03:41 am (UTC)(link)
[ lets go of her to kneel a bit, dipping her head to put it in patting range ]

There...
libraryofbabel: (small sam 4)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-08 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
Very focused, very serious—she reaches out a hand and. Pat. Pat. Pat.

"What... am I supposed to feel?"
constellationprize: (41)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-08 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ it's very silky and fluffy and soft. ]

What...? Well -

Um, first ... why don't you think about the way that it feels in your hand? There's the texture of my hair, but the warmth of my head too, isn't there?
libraryofbabel: (small sam 1)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-08 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah—that's true. It's... soft, and you're warm, because you're alive." There's not actually any warmth from her own small hand. "...it's like a really nice doll's hair."
constellationprize: (750)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-08 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
Mm. Because my body is like this, blood flows into my brain and ends up making it warm, and the heat rises through my skull, skin, and hair so that it's able to be felt by your hand, right? And there's the texture of my hair, too - ... those are the sorts of things that can be felt when patting someone's head, but everyone's bodies are all really different too, aren't they?
libraryofbabel: (small sam 4)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-08 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
"...are everyone's bodies really different? I never learned any of that stuff or how it works... just how to eat. But I guess... my hair isn't as soft as yours."

Her expression softens a little bit, though; there's a slight curious look to the bend of her mouth.
constellationprize: (1109)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-08 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
For these sorts of bodies, there's - ... the color and texture of someone's hair, and its length and scent, and thickness - and there's the shape and size of the head too, isn't there? Noticing it is... it isn't something that would be noticed all of the time, I think, because a lot of people have hair, but the way that those sorts of things would feel would be different too, wouldn't it? Because they're different, and because their hair can be different, too, can't it ... ?

Your hair is different from mine, and "Iris" and "Grace" are different from you too, aren't they?
libraryofbabel: (small sam 1)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-08 05:22 am (UTC)(link)
"Mm... Iris is a little like me, and people say we look a lot alike, but her hair's darker than mine, and Grace has short hair. I don't get to touch it, though. Just Iris's, since she let me practice braiding..."
constellationprize: (42)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-09 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
Really?

Do you want to try braiding mine? If you want to, then I can take it down for you, can't I?
libraryofbabel: (small sam 1)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-09 03:07 am (UTC)(link)
"Can I? Can I?"

She sounds—excited?
constellationprize: (771)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-09 03:14 am (UTC)(link)
[ !!

sitting herself down on the floor, smoothing out her skirt before reaching behind her head to take her hair down, removing her ribbon first ]

Is braiding hair something that you like?

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-09 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't know if I like or dislike it, but I think I'm good at it."

You can feel her fingers twine into your hair; sometimes she tugs a little too hard, combing through it, but not too much. Eventually she settles into humming quietly—an unfamiliar melody, working carefully.

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-09 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Well - ...

[ she winces occasionally when it's tugged, but stays still throughout, relaxed ]

It was something that you really wanted to try doing, wasn't it? When I offered, it seemed like it might have been something like that...

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-13 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
"Like—fun, maybe. I remember fun—"

There's a pause, and then she says—

"There, turn around!"

Although she sounds a little different.
constellationprize: (750)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-13 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
Mm, like "fun."

[ said a bit like she isn't totally sure about it herself, but - ]

That sort of feeling can be called excitement too, I think... so being that way, isn't that something that's yours?

[ and turning around. ]
libraryofbabel: (miaoshan 2)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-13 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
It's... a different young girl, now? But this one bears a lot more resemblance to Hope.

"Yeah! That looks great," she says, nodding seriously. "That kind of feeling—well, I really like learning new things," she says. "So that's exciting. And you have an interesting way of explaining things."
constellationprize: (36)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-13 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
... ?

[ ??? ]

Really? What do you mean...?
libraryofbabel: (miaoshan 4)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-14 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh! Miss Aradia, you're very thoughtful the way you consider your words and explain things, you know. I can appreciate that better, too. You're a good teacher!"

She bows, politely. "It's nice to meet you properly! I'm Miaoshan."
constellationprize: (16)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] constellationprize 2021-09-14 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
... I am?

[ a little pink in the face, pleasantly flustered - and giving a small polite curtsey in kind ]

Thank you... it's nice to meet you too! Then ...

[ after a pause, ]

Is that the name that you were given by your parents...?
libraryofbabel: (miaoshan 3)

Re: ESSAY

[personal profile] libraryofbabel 2021-09-14 05:20 am (UTC)(link)
Mhm! Or I guess it's my baptismal name, after the saint. Or Bodhisattva, depending on who you ask.

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