Scissors
Inara sat looking in the mirror, her head cocked to one side as she examined her long dark curls. She bit the corner of her lip as she reached up and gently fingered the silky raven locks. It had been a long time since she’d had the length above her shoulders. Most men preferred it long where they could get their hands tangled in it. Most men she didn’t care about.
She looked down at her vanity as she very slowly slid the scissors out of their pouch. They were quite lovely actually, a gift from a client of course. The blades were almost a light gold colour while the handle was a rich dark gold. There was an intricate pattern engraved on the handle and she took a moment to study it. Her fingers traced over the engravings of swirls and other such patterns. Her fingers occasionally ran over the tiny rubies placed sporadically throughout the handle. It really was a lovely pair of scissors.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted the pair of scissors and took a small handful of hair. Snip. She stared a bit shocked as nearly a foot of hair fell away. Swallowing hard, she stared at herself in the mirror as she continued. The first cut was hard, but it got easier as she went along.
Before too long, she was on the opposite side of her head, scissors poised to take off the last few locks. She smiled slightly at her reflection. While she didn’t look bad at all, she looked…different. Not a bad different. Her lips turned down in a slight frown as she wondered what he would have to say about it. The scissors started to close over the last locks of hair.
Mal came in unnoticed while she was examining her new hairstyle and was a bit shocked to say the least. It took him a moment to find the words, but once the scissors closed over the last lock of her long beautiful mane, they came.
“Feel a need to lighten yer load?” His lips curled into an amused smile as he watched her eyes jump to his in the mirror obviously quite startled.
She let out a gasp as she heard his voice, deep and low. Her eyes flickered away from what her hands were doing, to his eyes yet her hands continued.
“Mal, what-ow!”
She returned her attention to her hands and the scissors. Not only had she taken off the last lock of hair, but she’d also taken a chunk of skin along her jaw. Wincing slightly, she quickly set the scissors down and grabbed a nearby cloth to dab it to the cut. Before she could place it on the cut, the cloth was taken rather gently from her hands.
Frowning she watched as Mal crossed the shuttle and put the cloth under water dampening it. “Mal, what are you-why are you-”
He’d returned and was pressing the damp cloth to the cut silencing her. “Iffin ya felt a need to cut on yourrself, I reckon I best hang ‘round, make sure ya don’t really hurt yourself.” His lips twitched into a half smile. It was very rarely a whole smile for him.
“Mal, I wasn’t-I didn’t mean to!” she said a bit defiantly, trying to pull away from him.
Her fingers brushed against his as she took the cloth from him and stood to cross the room. Put some space between them. That was good. She nodded.
Mal’s brows knit together. “Why’d ya do it?”
Inara’s face turned red with frustration. “I told you, Mal, I didn’t mean to do it!”
His eyes went heavenward and he shook his head. “Your hair.”
Her face was still red in frustration when she replied not really having heard him at first. “I-oh.” This time the red on her cheeks was from embarrassment. “I thought… I felt… I needed a change.” She crossed her arms over her chest self consciously. She wanted to ask if he liked it, if he was angry she had cut it. “Not that it’s any of your business,” she snapped defensively. She wanted him to like it.
He blinked and shrugged his shoulders. It was her hair. In fact, he kind of liked it. His lips twitched again into that small half smile. With the curls stopping at her chin now, they fell easier into her face, making her look…younger almost. More carefree. His lips curled into a broader smile and he turned to hide it, looking at the remnants of her hair on the floor of the shuttle.
“You’re gonna clean that up, right?” He turned back to her, his eyebrows raised in question.
Of course. He wouldn’t comment on it. “Of course I am, Mal!” she bite out brushing past him none too gently as she began to clean it up.
She picked up a single lock and held it almost reverently. She was going to miss her long hair, but as she’d told Mal, she needed a change. She smiled sadly. She’d never get a definite answer out of him even if she asked outright.
Mal watched one of her hands absentmindedly rake through her much shorter hair as the other one grabbed clumps of the hair on the floor. When she wasn’t looking, that’s when he smiled a true smile. He really did like her hair shorter. It kind of…flounced. Now where in the ‘verse had that come from?
He exited just as silently as he entered, unbeknownst to Inara.
When she’d gathered all the hair, she threw it into the waste compartment and turned around huffing. “There! Is that-” She broke off upon finding her shuttle empty.
Sighing she sat back down gently before her mirror. She smiled sadly as she turned her head every which a way. She rather liked the shorter length. Mal cold just chiu di yu if he didn’t. Her smile turned into a slight smirk as she grabbed her brush and slowly ran it through her hair.
chiu di yu = go to hell
She looked down at her vanity as she very slowly slid the scissors out of their pouch. They were quite lovely actually, a gift from a client of course. The blades were almost a light gold colour while the handle was a rich dark gold. There was an intricate pattern engraved on the handle and she took a moment to study it. Her fingers traced over the engravings of swirls and other such patterns. Her fingers occasionally ran over the tiny rubies placed sporadically throughout the handle. It really was a lovely pair of scissors.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted the pair of scissors and took a small handful of hair. Snip. She stared a bit shocked as nearly a foot of hair fell away. Swallowing hard, she stared at herself in the mirror as she continued. The first cut was hard, but it got easier as she went along.
Before too long, she was on the opposite side of her head, scissors poised to take off the last few locks. She smiled slightly at her reflection. While she didn’t look bad at all, she looked…different. Not a bad different. Her lips turned down in a slight frown as she wondered what he would have to say about it. The scissors started to close over the last locks of hair.
Mal came in unnoticed while she was examining her new hairstyle and was a bit shocked to say the least. It took him a moment to find the words, but once the scissors closed over the last lock of her long beautiful mane, they came.
“Feel a need to lighten yer load?” His lips curled into an amused smile as he watched her eyes jump to his in the mirror obviously quite startled.
She let out a gasp as she heard his voice, deep and low. Her eyes flickered away from what her hands were doing, to his eyes yet her hands continued.
“Mal, what-ow!”
She returned her attention to her hands and the scissors. Not only had she taken off the last lock of hair, but she’d also taken a chunk of skin along her jaw. Wincing slightly, she quickly set the scissors down and grabbed a nearby cloth to dab it to the cut. Before she could place it on the cut, the cloth was taken rather gently from her hands.
Frowning she watched as Mal crossed the shuttle and put the cloth under water dampening it. “Mal, what are you-why are you-”
He’d returned and was pressing the damp cloth to the cut silencing her. “Iffin ya felt a need to cut on yourrself, I reckon I best hang ‘round, make sure ya don’t really hurt yourself.” His lips twitched into a half smile. It was very rarely a whole smile for him.
“Mal, I wasn’t-I didn’t mean to!” she said a bit defiantly, trying to pull away from him.
Her fingers brushed against his as she took the cloth from him and stood to cross the room. Put some space between them. That was good. She nodded.
Mal’s brows knit together. “Why’d ya do it?”
Inara’s face turned red with frustration. “I told you, Mal, I didn’t mean to do it!”
His eyes went heavenward and he shook his head. “Your hair.”
Her face was still red in frustration when she replied not really having heard him at first. “I-oh.” This time the red on her cheeks was from embarrassment. “I thought… I felt… I needed a change.” She crossed her arms over her chest self consciously. She wanted to ask if he liked it, if he was angry she had cut it. “Not that it’s any of your business,” she snapped defensively. She wanted him to like it.
He blinked and shrugged his shoulders. It was her hair. In fact, he kind of liked it. His lips twitched again into that small half smile. With the curls stopping at her chin now, they fell easier into her face, making her look…younger almost. More carefree. His lips curled into a broader smile and he turned to hide it, looking at the remnants of her hair on the floor of the shuttle.
“You’re gonna clean that up, right?” He turned back to her, his eyebrows raised in question.
Of course. He wouldn’t comment on it. “Of course I am, Mal!” she bite out brushing past him none too gently as she began to clean it up.
She picked up a single lock and held it almost reverently. She was going to miss her long hair, but as she’d told Mal, she needed a change. She smiled sadly. She’d never get a definite answer out of him even if she asked outright.
Mal watched one of her hands absentmindedly rake through her much shorter hair as the other one grabbed clumps of the hair on the floor. When she wasn’t looking, that’s when he smiled a true smile. He really did like her hair shorter. It kind of…flounced. Now where in the ‘verse had that come from?
He exited just as silently as he entered, unbeknownst to Inara.
When she’d gathered all the hair, she threw it into the waste compartment and turned around huffing. “There! Is that-” She broke off upon finding her shuttle empty.
Sighing she sat back down gently before her mirror. She smiled sadly as she turned her head every which a way. She rather liked the shorter length. Mal cold just chiu di yu if he didn’t. Her smile turned into a slight smirk as she grabbed her brush and slowly ran it through her hair.
chiu di yu = go to hell