Jungle Braiding

AN: This idea came about while thinking about Caleb and his ponytail. And I just adore braided ponytails. They are unique and fun.

Walking through the jungle has never excited the blue-skinned tiefling. It's always all sorts of hot and muggy, and the bugs are driving her crazy. She swats at a few more of them with her tail. The auburn-haired human walks in front of her, and she can't help staring at his back.

He had been overheating and had taken his long coat off and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt underneath. It shows off his many scars and the lack of definition of his noodle arms. He had also pulled his long hair up into a high ponytail, and she can't stop herself from staring at it and him. She always knew him to be on the handsome side, but seeing him with his ponytail and naked forearms makes it even more clear just how handsome he truly is.

She continues staring at the ponytail that is driving her nuts and has been for what seems like hours now. It bounces up and down as they go, but several strands are pulling free of the ribbon. It has been frustrating her since she noticed the first strand come loose. What she wouldn't do to be able to just reach out and pull it all loose and start over again. Maybe she would even give his long hair a good braiding. It would look so good on him.

She reaches up and holds her face in her hands as she begins blushing profusely. She's thankful that she's the last person in their procession line. She would surely hate it if someone were to see her blushing just because of her human friend. She has a crush on the taller man, but she would never let anyone know, especially after the fiasco with her crush on Fjord.

And boy howdy was that an embarrassing experience. She couldn't believe that she could've ever been so silly and stupidly naïve. She is glad that she got over her crush, and she wasn't about to allow something similar to happen again. Hell, she wasn't even sure if Caleb shared her feelings. He still appeared to be pining over his ex, and Jester certainly wasn't going to step between the two of them.

Caleb's backside comes up on her fast, and she very nearly knocks him over when she finally realizes that the group has stopped. Her blush deepens as a wave of embarrassment rushes over her. How could she have been so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the others slowing to a stop. She listens as the group discusses how they are going to try and find their way through the deep brush and the exotic looking flowers.

Fjord steps up to the plate and attempts to use his charm and newfound faith in the Wildmother to intimidate the jungle into letting them pass. She muffles a giggle under her hands. Between his tiny man bun, his new physique, and the strong air of intimidation he attempts to project he looks very handsome. At least he does up until the point where a giant hidden flower swallows him whole.

Jester goes to try helping, but Yasha steps up and easily releases the half-orc. She turns her attention back to Caleb as he lets out a long-drawn-out sigh. She watches him wipe his brow with his arm. He must really be sweating hard, she reasons. The offending strands of hair are still there, though, and still just as loose and frustrating, and she can't stand it any longer.

"Caaaaaayleeeeeb!" she calls out as she approaches him. He turns to look at her and raises an eyebrow.

"Ja?"

"Your ponytail is coming all sorts of loose and stuff, and I wouldn't normally, liiiiiiikee, care or anything, but it must be, like suuuuuuper annoying to you and stuff. I can help you fix it, though, if you want. Or, you know, you could just leave it all loose and stuff like that," she rants. He smiles.

"It is?" She nods.

"Oh? Vell, vee can't be havink any of zat, ja?" he asks.

"Nope," she answers with another nod. He pulls his fingers through the ribbon and frees the rest of his hair with a few deft motions. He shakes his hair out, and a wave of heat courses through her body. She bites her lip to distract herself. Caleb doesn't seem to have noticed her moment of lust, though, as he holds the ribbon out to her.

She bounces up and down and claps her hands before taking it from him. He chuckles as he watches her. She keeps bouncing even as he turns around and kneels in front of her.

"Yay! I get to do Cayleb's hair!" she exclaims. His shoulders shake as he chuckles again.

"Hey, can I braid your hair?" she asks. He considers it for a moment before shrugging.

"It doesn't really matter, Jester. Just so lonk as my hair is not stickink to me. It is fery hot out." She nods, but then remembers that he can't see her.

"Okay," she answers. She mulls over what she's going to do before finally getting to work. Her pink nails thread through his hair several times as she combs out the knots. He hums in a cat-like purr that she has to giggle at. Jester's fingers make quick work of combing out and pulling up his long hair, which seems softer than she remembers. She blushes again.

She can't believe that he's not only allowing her to style his hair but is purring at her ministrations. It doesn't take her long to pull his hair into a high ponytail again, and she deftly ties it up with the ribbon. He begins getting up, but she pushes him back down again.

"I'm not done, Cayleb," she tells him. He doesn't say a word as he obeys her command. The tiefling unwraps one of the ribbons from her horns and holds it between her teeth as she separates his ponytail into three sections. With a joyful hum, she weaves the sections together until a high braid sits where the ponytail used to be. She winds her ribbon around the braid's tail and gives him a tap on his shoulder.

"Aaaaaallllll done!" she announces. He gets up slowly and sends her a grateful smile.

"Danke, Jester."

"No problem, Cayleb! You look so handsome with your hair like that!" she begins. He blushes at her compliment.

"Any time you, like, need someone to, like, braid your hair, oooooorrrrr put it into a ponytail or something you can just, like, ask and I'll be happy to do it!"

"I vill keep zat in mind…Sank you again, Jester." She smiles at him, which he returns. Nott glances their way, and Jester hears her compliment him on the braid. He reaches up and touches it, and Jester swears that she can see a blush and a shy smile form on his face. They begin walking again, and her face lights up as she watches Caleb's braided ponytail bounce along in front of her. She would definitely have a much better view now no matter what happens next.