trans_9 | Armed Haircare Intervention [Bendytime to post-plots

Setsuna, for once, was looking relaxed. Or, rather, as about as relaxed as someone as Setsuna could get, which still wasn't very. But at least he was relaxing in the Drunken Dragon, so maybe he was starting to behave like a normal human being!

Or not.

He clearly didn't come to the tavern to drink. Or talk. Or even to relax, or otherwise be social. Or, y'know, do things that normal people do in a bar.

He came there so Lockon Stratos could cut his hair.

The bar stools were the best height for that sort of thing, and while Setsuna may have been 'raised by wolves,' even wolves kept themselves clean and well groomed. Besides, if anyone was going to be holding a sharp object near his head without him flipping out, it had to be Lockon. They promised to clean up once they were done, though, even if only to pacify any potential complaints from ownership.

Still, despite it being only a haircut, Setsuna did seem more at ease than he been at any other time, at least in public. And Lockon was certainly a friendly enough sort. Perhaps now might be a good time approach them.

((ooc: Feel free to talk to Setsuna, or to Lockon (

neraiutsu ), who may be willing to cut your character's hair too.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He said nothing. Living amongst strangers and silence meant that you got good at reading expressions. Guessing at what they meant, and hoping like hell you were right because your life was in their hands.

"Sure. Just tell me what you want."

"Short." Her smile was quick then, a better mask. There's the smallest shake of her head, as if dismissing the cause. She wasn't going to burden anyone with that. There was too little she finally was understanding herself, and it didn't hurt the way it would have, years ago.

If that was growing up, or growing numb, she didn't know.

"Stupidly short. I'm tired of it getting in the way all the time, mmm?" Enough truth in that statement. "Besides, hair grows. It's been a long time since I've had it really short." She paused, eyeing the ground. "I can help with the clean-up, too, if that's any consolation."

She knew how thick her hair really was, for all it was relatively fine.

Well, if she didn't want to talk, that was fine. The offer to listen, however, wasn't withdrawn. Not that he bothered to state that out loud.

He did look a little distracted, though, if you looked closely. His line of sight moved about an inch or so to the side of Sakura, and his vision seemed more unfocused. Like he wasn't looking at her, so much as looking in the direction she happened to be standing in.

It was hard for him to not think of another girl who had long then short pink hair... who was... he honestly wasn't sure she and he were to each other, but that didn't matter. She was here, but now she's back in the pods. So there was really no point in thinking about her, and he focused on the conversation at hand.

"That won't be necessary." A little extra hair wouldn't be that much trouble to clean up.

Lockon nodded. "I can do short. That seems the most practical, right? Are you sure though? It's very pretty."

Sakura wasn't entirely sure, but... "Shot enough to be off my shoulders at least." She smiled. "It's how I'm used to keeping it, when I stay on top of myself. Long hair takes more time to take care of than it's worth."

At the moment.

She hesitated, looking from Setsuna to Lockon, then finally locking on to Setsuna. "You remember how I was living at the Atori Teahouse? I've been keeping it up since everyone was repodded, making sure the dust never really settles. I was worried at first, right after SHODAN's attack, but pretty miraculously, it survived. Some window damage in the kitchen, but nothing much else. The tea kept fine. Not even a leaf out of place! Not what I was expecting."

Her smile was almost wistful. Almost, because it wasn't much of an act, and it slid into something more thoughtful. A touch sad. (She didn't intend the latter.)

"You should both come over for tea, if you can stand the stuff. I've just got black, but it's good quality. It'd be nice to claim a little bit of something like home."

Nicer to talk, and there was something she did want to share with Setsuna -- and Lockon, by extension.

Setsuna would've looked back at Lockon, but while he didn't really care much about his hair, he did at least want it to end up even. That left him in a slightly awkward position, though only because he knew Lockon preferred coffee over tea. And also because Setsuna never gets invited into people's homes. Not many people want a crazy introverted terrorist hanging out on their couch for some reason.

Still, Setsuna's lack of social grace aside, he had no real reason not to go. Plus he got a hint that this was about something other than tea.

"When?" Consider that a 'yes' on their behalf.

"Tea sounds very nice," he expanded upon Setsuna's terse response, smiling.

"I've got two rotating shifts in MedBay, but anytime after those are over I should be free. When works for you?"

Well, its not as if either of them actually had a schedule...

"We'll meet you just after you get off from work."

Whenever that was.

"Unless you would like to rest first, of course."

"There's no need for that," she said, still smiling. Sakura barely rested before recent events. Now she was being even worse, if that was truly possible.

"Then its settled." Setsuna didn't really see the need to discuss that arrangement further.

Armed Haircare Intervention [Bendytime to post-plots | OPEN]

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