Adia Costas (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chiron_survivor) wrote2019-01-04 09:10 pm
chiron_survivor) wrote2019-01-04 09:10 pm
A special visitor. ((for rogueinladysclothing))
On the day that Amelia is supposed to visit, Adia spends more time than usual cleaning up the cabin, outpacing even Caspar as she bustles about their tiny home to make sure everything is in its proper place. This is the first time she's having a Nexus friend see where she lives, and she wants it to look its best.
Caspar sweeps the floor methodically. Even a little sluggishly. He's been quieter than usual since the New Year began. Maybe it's because he hasn't a good glass of wine since the Solstice; Seth's attempt at sparkling apple cider didn't go much better than his previous attempts at brandy.
Or maybe it's something else. She's been giving him the chance to tell her in his own time. Regardless, she hopes Amelia's visit will improve his mood.
The coordinates she sends Amelia are not for the inside of the cabin, even though that would be the most cautious. Instead, they teleport her to the garden behind it. It's dormant now, the perennials resting until it's their turn to blossom once more, but there is plenty of evergreen forest further in the distance to give the landscape some color. From this spot, Amelia will get a lovely view of her friends' cabin, made of wood but surprisingly modern in its design, with a slanted roof and a large, open-air patio attached.
"Hi, Amelia," Adia greets her when she arrives. "Welcome to Atlantis."
Caspar sweeps the floor methodically. Even a little sluggishly. He's been quieter than usual since the New Year began. Maybe it's because he hasn't a good glass of wine since the Solstice; Seth's attempt at sparkling apple cider didn't go much better than his previous attempts at brandy.
Or maybe it's something else. She's been giving him the chance to tell her in his own time. Regardless, she hopes Amelia's visit will improve his mood.
The coordinates she sends Amelia are not for the inside of the cabin, even though that would be the most cautious. Instead, they teleport her to the garden behind it. It's dormant now, the perennials resting until it's their turn to blossom once more, but there is plenty of evergreen forest further in the distance to give the landscape some color. From this spot, Amelia will get a lovely view of her friends' cabin, made of wood but surprisingly modern in its design, with a slanted roof and a large, open-air patio attached.
"Hi, Amelia," Adia greets her when she arrives. "Welcome to Atlantis."
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"There was no way to do something like that on my world," she offers as an explanation for her laughter. "Or if there was, my friends never explained it to me." Her shoulders rise and fall in a half-hearted shrug. Testing for the purity of a material before using it for a blade or armor makes sense, but Amelia's not certain anymore if it makes sense because of what she knows of blacksmithing or because of knowledge she's picked up in the Nexus. Her lips tug into a small frown as she shrugs again. "I never thought to ask after something like that either."
But this is hardly the reason for her visit and they've been distracted long enough from the braiding lessons she promised. Turning to Adia, Amelia manages a small smile as she nods to her friend. "Are you ready for our lesson? It'll be a bit of show and tell, and then a lot of practice so you can get the feel for it while I'm here to offer advice."
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Even if it's made from a common metal, a meteorite weapon is cool bragging rights.
As the conversation moves on, Adia feels both relief and a smidge of disappointment. She was hoping to hear a little more of Amelia's past, but she has to admit that Caspar has a deft touch at putting their friend at ease. Too bad he likely wouldn't open up to Amelia about his problems, they seem to understand one another better than even she does at times.
"Sure," she answers, smiling and putting her hands on the table. "I'm ready."
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With Adia on board for their lesson, Amelia smiles briefly and then sweeps her hair back over her shoulder. As she settles it down her back, she shifts to give the other woman a better view of her hands. "I'm going to explain what I'm doing as I show you the first time, and then you can give it a try. It may take a few attempts to get the basics, but I'll be here the whole time to help, I promise." It's a skill few take to with ease the first time, but Amelia has confidence that her friend will pick it up without too much trouble.
"To get started with the most basic style of braid," she says after a moment, "you'll need to separate your hair into three separate sections. Each should be as close to the same width as the other two." She pauses for a moment to demonstrate, taking a few extra seconds to show how she checks to size of each section and how she judges one against another. "Once you feel good about that, pull each section tight, and begin pulling the outside locks of hair over the one in the center, switching the side you pull from each time. Keep your hair pulled tight as you do this to avoid the braid twisting in on itself or turning over part way down." As she explains, the rogue's hands work effortlessly to weave her hair into a tight, perfectly symmetric plait down her back. She takes care to go slowly for Adia's sake, but as she nears the end of her braid, she pulls her hair over her left shoulder with one hand and turns to face her friend with a smile.
"When you get to the end," she continues, "you can decide how far down you want your braid to go. You can weave your hair until the very bottom, or you can stop a few inches up. It's all a matter of preference." She smiles, and then takes the end of her hair in one hand as she takes up her ribbon to tie off her plait with a neat little bow. "Make sure you pull your ribbon tight, and the braid will stay in place without trouble." Of course, Amelia realizes she makes it look very easy with how much practice she has, but she knows that everyone could do as well if they'd had as many years of practice as she has.
After checking over her work and giving her ribbon one last tug, she smiles at Adia. "Ready to give it a try?"
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That thought, in light of recent issues, brings a small frown to his face, but he forces it away. It's not the time for that. They're getting a hair braiding lesson, he'd best be paying attention.
Adia doesn't need to remind herself not to get distracted. She's a little mesmerized by the efficient way Amelia braids her hair. There's something vicariously soothing about it, and when her friend asks if she's ready to try it herself, she has to blink a couple of times before responding.
"Oh! Um, sure..." She reaches up to her own hair and divides it into three sections. The truth is, she's made a basic braid like this before, but she was often dissatisfied with how they turned out, so she makes certain to follow Amelia's advice to the detail. Evenly divided, each one held tightly to keep the braid from looking sloppy.
Her shoulder length hair means that she can't flip it over her shoulder to tie it the way Amelia can. "How's it look?" she asks, holding the end together.
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"Pretty good," she says earnestly. "The start of your braid is a little loose, but that's a trouble many people have. Be sure to keep a tight hold on each lock of hair as you pull them into place and, with a little practice, you'll be able to do it without having to think about it." And that is the true sign of any master, as far as Amelia's concerned.
She hesitates for a moment, fidgeting with the ribbon in her hair before asking, "Did you want to try again? Or would you like to see something else? I have a few other styles I could teach you if you'd like something a little more complicated to show off."
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Caspar clears his throat. "I don't get a turn?" he asks when Adia turns her gaze towards him.. The curve of his smile softens his otherwise serious look.
"Oh! Sure, go for it." Caspar gets up and stands behind her, gently brushing out her hair before separating it into three sections. She waits for him to get started before reminding him, "Make sure it's tight enough."
"Not a problem," he replies smoothly, each section perfectly divided.
A small grin appears on Adia's face, one that only Amelia can see. "Are you sure? It feels a little loose. You won't hurt me if you pull harder than that."
"Let Amelia be the judge of how I'm doing," he complains, a faint blush appearing on his face. Must be an inside joke between them or something. "There," he says, when he's done. "How's that?"
Maybe Caspar was a hairdresser in another life, because his braid, as simple as it is, is on point.
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She is, however, quite impressed by how quickly Caspar takes up the task of braiding Adia's hair. His precision makes it seem as if he's had practice before, but she has a feeling it's not that. Whatever the case may be, the finished braid earns a pleased smile from her.
"Well done," she tells him, a hint of surprise and pride in her voice. Given how well both of her students have taken to braiding, Amelia can't help but be proud of the work they've done. "I'll have you doing braid crowns before the end of the night if this is how well you take to the most basic braid. Adia's hair will never be anything less than fashionable if she lets you take care of it for her."
As she lets down her own hair again, Amelia makes a mental note to find a book of braids for the couple. She has a feeling they'll both enjoy it after these first braids.
"Now, who gets to try the next one?" she teases, setting down her ribbon on the table. "I promise to make it more of a challenge for both of you."
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A braid crown sounds amazing, although Adia is thinking less about fashion and more about how nice it feels to have Caspar doing her hair. This is a skill she really ought to pick up for herself, though. "I'll go first again. I need the practice."
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What follows over the next several minutes is a detailed demonstration of how to begin a french braid. Amelia begins the braid several times over to go over various details, her tone and temperament patient through all of the questions and restarts. She reminds both her students to keep the hair pulled tight as they weave the hair, but makes special note of places where it shouldn't be pulled as tight to avoid issues further into the braid.
In the end, the rogue pulls her braid gracefully over her left shoulder, tying it off with her ribbon before turning her full attention back to her friends. "I know this one is much more complicated, but how do you feel about giving it a try? I can demonstrate again first if that would help."
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But this lesson, she absorbs like a sponge. Maybe it's because of her practice with knitting, but she picks up on how the hair is added to the braid right away. She still has questions now and then, but mostly she simply sits and observes.
"No, I think I'm ready to give it a try." She starts to section out her hair, then catches Caspar's disappointed look in the corner of her eyes. "Don't worry, you'll get a turn," she says, smiling at him sweetly.
He blushes a little. Is he that transparent? "Or I could go first," he replies, half-serious.
"No, I need the practice more," she teases. As tempting as it is to have Caspar's hands in her hair again, she needs to concentrate while Amelia's lesson is fresh in her mind. She starts her braiding -- a little loose in spots, but not too bad, overall. "How do I finish the end off? Can I tuck it in somehow?"
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The end of the braid is a challenge Amelia hadn't anticipated, though. With her own hair as long as it is, there's never a chance for her finish off a braid in the way Adia's looking for now. "You can weave the end back into the hair you have pulled tight at the bottom. If it doesn't stay well, you can also use a small pin to keep it in place." A beat, and Amelia digs around in her pockets for a moment before producing a small plastic case with a few bobby pins in it. She offers it to Adia with a smile after popping it open. "I have more at my apartment, so if you don't have any, you can have these." They're not quite the right color for Adia's hair, but they'll do the job they're meant to.
As Adia finishes with her hair, Amelia turns a playful look up at Caspar. "You'll probably need a few of those with various braid crowns. A well weaved ribbon can also be used in some cases, but it's very style dependent. I'll have to teach a few so you have options even when you don't have all of these supplies with you." Why, is the rogue appealing to Caspar's need to make his girl feel pretty? The likely answer is yes.
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Here, she is not having such an easy time of it, and Caspar can't help but chuckle a little. "Need some help?" he offers, before gently guiding her hand holding the pin to where it ought to be. A quick slide into her hair, and the braid stays put. "You could probably use a couple more, but I'd like my turn first, please."
Adia laughs. "All right." She lets Caspar patiently work out the braid. She keeps the thought to herself, but feeling him undo the braid is just as pleasant as him weaving it together. "I used to have some hairpins, but I managed to lose them all. If you don't mind sparing these, Amelia, I'd appreciate it."
"Options are always nice," Caspar replies absently as he gently brushes out Adia's hair before starting his own attempt at a braid crown. Just like last time, it's nearly flawless. He's already adding pretty hairpins and ribbons to his list of things to get Adia, when he's shopping in the Nexus again.
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"Of course you can keep them," she confirms, not quite able to meet her friend's gaze as she says it. "They're easy to come by in the Nexus and I rarely find a use for them. I'd rather you have them than take them back to set them in a drawer where they'll only gather dust." A truth, at least, though it's offered purely to keep her mind occupied and away from those thoughts that always seem to drown her in sorrow.
As she finishes loosening the last few strands from her braid, she fully looks up to check over Caspar's work. Whether it's because of his Cylon nature or something else entirely, Amelia can't help but be impressed by his braiding skills. He could make a large sum of money every day with hands as fast and practiced as the ones he has.
"I don't know if I have anything I could teach Caspar at this point," she teases gently. "I show him something once and he jumps ahead of it without any need for my help. At this rate, he'll be finding new styles and teaching me." Maybe not, but it's hard to tell. Caspar has progressed so quickly that Amelia is honestly astounded by everything's he's accomplished. It feels more and more unlikely that she'll have anything she can offer even as advice to him by the end of the night if he keeps up at this pace.
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He finishes off the braid and skillfully secures the end of it with a couple of bobby pins, then looks up to meet Amelia's approving gaze. He doesn't have to ask how he did, and there is a hint of pride in his expression. Yes, he knows he's good at this. But there is no way he'd ever do this professionally, not for all the money in the world. Touching people's hair? Human hair that has god-knows-what kind of product in it, or worse, unwashed? Ugh, no thanks.
"I'm going to see what it looks like," Adia says excitedly, before hopping out of her seat and going into the bathroom. This is a miracle in and of itself, as she is not one to voluntarily seek out a mirror, but she had no idea Caspar was so good at hair-braiding and she wants to see what the fuss is all about.
Caspar watches her -- from his seat, he can see enough into the bathroom to observe her checking out her reflection, turning her head this way and that and admiring the braid crown on her head. "I'm only good at it because I can see what you're doing," he tells Amelia plainly. "I won't be able to make my own styles, I'm not creative enough for that."
The advantage and disadvantage of his Cylon nature, summed up in two sentences.
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Watching Adia make a dash for the bathroom makes Amelia smile, but not so much as that fond look on Caspar's face. It's sweet to see him so enraptured by her, even as it also tugs at her heart in a way she doesn't like. "There's plenty of videos available to teach you new styles when I'm not around," she counters. "I don't have any saved that I could show you on my phone right now, but they're very easy to find. The library also has a large section of books on hairstyles from time periods across many different worlds if you'd prefer those."
She's found a lot of random things in the library during her hours of searching for new books for research. If Caspar is surprised then Adia clearly hasn't told him how often they meet up in the library or the number of times she's run into the rogue with a new set of books in her arms.
"No matter how you choose to find new styles, I think you'll find your partner always willing to let you try them out." She winks at Caspar to confirm her teasing, then looks up as Adia return to the table. "So, what do you think of this particular style? I might be out of a job at this rate if you like Caspar's version better than mine," she teases.
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Sure enough, when Adia returns to the kitchen table, a pleased smile on her face, she replies easily, "Oh, it's very nice. I can see why women keep their hair like this even when they're working. But it's the same as yours, Amelia. He wouldn't have known what to do without your help."
Caspar waves his hand at Adia. See? She gets it.
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"I'll have to keep showing him all the best styles, then," she jokes with another laugh. "I'll have to spend some time brushing up on all the styles my mother taught me. It's been so long since I've had anyone to use them on and I'm not certain I can do a few of them on myself. The more complicated crowns and braids are difficult to do without being able to see everything I'm doing."
Guess that means she'll have to come over again or have the two of them over to her new place, not that anyone will likely mind. Amelia smiles at the thought and then motions to Adia with a hand.
"Did you want to learn any others tonight? I have a few more that would be fairly easy to teach you since you picked up the last braid so quickly." A beat and she gives a small shrug of her shoulders. "If not, I have some more research to do so I have new material for the next time we meet for braiding practice."
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"I think braids like this one are about my speed," she says, scratching Anastasia behind the ears. "But if you can stay to show us a few more, that'd be great."
"Yeah, I think my brain can handle it," Caspar quips, still with that vague smile of amusement. Though he keeps his tone casual, he's genuinely glad to have Amelia visiting. These braiding lessons have taken his mind off his problems, and if he can put off thinking about them for a while longer, he'll take the opportunity.
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The next few hours pass quickly as the rogue does her best to teach her friends a handful of other braid styles that work well for Adia's shorter hair. At least one doesn't work out at all for the microbiologist, but it's easy to laugh off a single poor suggestion from Amelia when they successfully manage another half dozen. They can't all be winners, as Amelia's heard others say.
By the time it's home for Amelia to return to the Nexus, the sky has grown dark and the rogue is eager to take a break from the braiding practice. She thanks her friends for generously opening their home to her and promises to read up on more braid styles for when next they meet. Then, after a nod to Caspar and a tight hug for Adia, Amelia heads back to her apartment to rest and bask in how wonderful it was to finally visit the world that has become her friends' new home.