Paine picked up the scissors. She sighed, and wondered if she should really do it. She had had this hair her entire life. But it had gotten in her way so long...
Paine cut away her long, grey gold hair. Nearly 2 feet of it fell to the bathroom floor. Her hair was only high-back now. She sighed, and grabbed several hairpins from the counter. Just as she was about to pin her hair up, Kinoc knocked on the door.
"Paine? Are you okay in there?"
"I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm just - doing my hair..." Paine struggled to keep her hair up and grab more pins at the same time.
"But you never do your hair!"
"Yeah - don't remind me..."
"You don't need any help?"
Paine tripped over a wastebasket. "No, I'm fine!" It was only then that she realized that her hair and the hairpins had completely slipped from her grasp.
"Uh...maybe..."
Kinoc sighed, and opened the door. Paine was sprawled out on the floor clutching hairpins in one hand and desperately trying to style her hair with the other. He helped her up and began to untangle the mess of hairpins that were clinging to her head in a desperate attempt at sculpting her hair.
This took a considerable amount of time, considering that Paine had never done her hair in her lifetime and had usually left it to grow. Surprisingly, Kinoc was able to style her hair in such a way that she wouldn't be afraid to leave the house ever again.
"Wow. Where did you learn to do hair?"
"My parents thought I was a girl for 6 years of my life." Kinoc said without hesitating.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Yes, I am."
"I thought so. Thanks." Paine gave Kinoc a quick hug, and rushed out to her room.
"Why are you dressing up, anyways?" Kinoc asked.
"I'm going to the Crimson Squad recorder selections tonight, and then I'm going to go out with Baralai. I told you, didn't I?"
"You told me about the Crimson Squad, but somehow you managed to neglect the part about Baralai."
"I did? Oh, what a shame."
Kinoc heard a knock on the door, and went to greet the visitor. Baralai stood in the doorway, and bowed to Kinoc.
"Hello, Baralai. Paine is getting ready in her room. Please, sit down."
"Thank you, sir."
Baralai was about to sit down in a wicker chair when Paine rushed out of her room. She was wearing a long light purple and beige dress. Her hair was swept back into a strange hairstyle that looked a bit like that of the captain of the Besaid Aurochs, but less out there and pointy.
Paine grinned and waved.
"So, should we go?"
"Yeah. Goodbye, Lord Kinoc."
"Goodbye, Baralai. Paine, be back before 11, okay?"
"Sure thing, Kinoc."
Paine strolled out with Baralai, silently shaking with laughter.
"You're really going to listen to him, Paine?"
"Of course not, silly."
Baralai laughed too.
"I should know you better by now."
A/N: I am so sorry for the delay, but I just got FFX-2 for Christmas. It only took me 4 days to get to Chapter 5. ^^ And the day after that, I got really sick. Then I was just really lazy. Sorry! Oh, and if you're wondering about the new "Slightly AU" that's tacked onto the summary, I have only just realized that Paine, Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal met in the Crimson Squad. They are apparently NOT childhood friends. But other than that, I think I got everything pretty accurately. If you ignore the romance before the Crimson Squad, then it's actually a pretty likely scenario. And last but not least, I have discovered that Auron is indeed in FFX-2! Sadly, he's in a sphere that is only attainable through a side mission, which I did not complete. *cries* Review or I'll cry MORE.
Paine cut away her long, grey gold hair. Nearly 2 feet of it fell to the bathroom floor. Her hair was only high-back now. She sighed, and grabbed several hairpins from the counter. Just as she was about to pin her hair up, Kinoc knocked on the door.
"Paine? Are you okay in there?"
"I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm just - doing my hair..." Paine struggled to keep her hair up and grab more pins at the same time.
"But you never do your hair!"
"Yeah - don't remind me..."
"You don't need any help?"
Paine tripped over a wastebasket. "No, I'm fine!" It was only then that she realized that her hair and the hairpins had completely slipped from her grasp.
"Uh...maybe..."
Kinoc sighed, and opened the door. Paine was sprawled out on the floor clutching hairpins in one hand and desperately trying to style her hair with the other. He helped her up and began to untangle the mess of hairpins that were clinging to her head in a desperate attempt at sculpting her hair.
This took a considerable amount of time, considering that Paine had never done her hair in her lifetime and had usually left it to grow. Surprisingly, Kinoc was able to style her hair in such a way that she wouldn't be afraid to leave the house ever again.
"Wow. Where did you learn to do hair?"
"My parents thought I was a girl for 6 years of my life." Kinoc said without hesitating.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Yes, I am."
"I thought so. Thanks." Paine gave Kinoc a quick hug, and rushed out to her room.
"Why are you dressing up, anyways?" Kinoc asked.
"I'm going to the Crimson Squad recorder selections tonight, and then I'm going to go out with Baralai. I told you, didn't I?"
"You told me about the Crimson Squad, but somehow you managed to neglect the part about Baralai."
"I did? Oh, what a shame."
Kinoc heard a knock on the door, and went to greet the visitor. Baralai stood in the doorway, and bowed to Kinoc.
"Hello, Baralai. Paine is getting ready in her room. Please, sit down."
"Thank you, sir."
Baralai was about to sit down in a wicker chair when Paine rushed out of her room. She was wearing a long light purple and beige dress. Her hair was swept back into a strange hairstyle that looked a bit like that of the captain of the Besaid Aurochs, but less out there and pointy.
Paine grinned and waved.
"So, should we go?"
"Yeah. Goodbye, Lord Kinoc."
"Goodbye, Baralai. Paine, be back before 11, okay?"
"Sure thing, Kinoc."
Paine strolled out with Baralai, silently shaking with laughter.
"You're really going to listen to him, Paine?"
"Of course not, silly."
Baralai laughed too.
"I should know you better by now."
A/N: I am so sorry for the delay, but I just got FFX-2 for Christmas. It only took me 4 days to get to Chapter 5. ^^ And the day after that, I got really sick. Then I was just really lazy. Sorry! Oh, and if you're wondering about the new "Slightly AU" that's tacked onto the summary, I have only just realized that Paine, Nooj, Baralai, and Gippal met in the Crimson Squad. They are apparently NOT childhood friends. But other than that, I think I got everything pretty accurately. If you ignore the romance before the Crimson Squad, then it's actually a pretty likely scenario. And last but not least, I have discovered that Auron is indeed in FFX-2! Sadly, he's in a sphere that is only attainable through a side mission, which I did not complete. *cries* Review or I'll cry MORE.