Smile
Chignon 1.
Her fingers slipped between the locks of her hair, spinning it carefully into place.
A simple braid, or a simple bun, she'd be able to do easily. After all, that's how she usually wore her hair under her hood. This particular hairstyle was entirely more complex, and far more frustrating. Barriss held the coil in place, and gave Ahsoka a small nod. Her Togrutan friend handed her a pin, and she quickly jabbed it into her hair.
Her fingers rose, hovering, and the two of them held their breaths. After a few seconds, when it remained in place, they both sighed. This was the third attempt they had made to get Barriss' hair to behave itself. A holoprojector, sitting on the dressing table, was repeatedly running through the steps to twisting hair up into an elaborate chignon.
"Sorry I can't do this for you," Ahsoka said as Barriss began twisting another curl up into the rest of the bundle of curls she'd made. She picked up another pin and held it out, anticipating Barriss' need.
"You don't exactly have any hair to practice on," Barriss replied wryly, trying to ignore the ache in her arms. Holding them over her head during attempt after attempt was getting as tiring as a marathon lightsaber match. She took a deep breath, then held her fingers out. Ahsoka placed the pin in them, and she quickly stuck it into the twist.
They paused again, breathing quietly, waiting to see if it would hold. When it did, they let out another sigh. "Last one," Ahsoka said, and Barriss gripped the last tendril of hair falling over her shoulder and began spinning it upward to join the rest.
She was going undercover. Having to pretend to be the spoiled daughter of a prosperous Mirialan merchant – played by Master Luminara, of course – was going to be interesting. She had a shimmersilk dress of deep violet laid out on her sleeping couch, and she was a little nervous about wearing it. It wasn't that it was skimpy – there was plenty of material – but it was expensive, and elegant, and entirely unlike any of the plain, dark clothes she ever wore as a Jedi.
Barriss carefully wrapped the last coil of hair around the rest of them, Ahsoka handed her first one pin, then another, and she stabbed them in.
It held. The two girls let out a final sigh of relief. "I feel so unlike myself," Barriss admitted, looking into the mirror. Her indigo eyes were outlined in black kohl, touched with a bit of eyeshadow to accentuate their color. A bit of colored gloss tinted her lips. With her black hair in its chignon, she looked quite different from the somber padawan she was accustomed to.
Ahsoka smiled and folded her arms. "You'd better be careful, Barriss. You're going to get plenty of attention looking like that."
Barriss blinked at her. "Attention?"
Ahsoka laughed and waved a hand. "I just wish I could be there to see how the 41st reacts."
Barriss made a puzzled face for a moment, then flushed, primly turning back to the mirror and shutting off the holoprojector. "I'm not dressed like this to impress anyone, Ahsoka. It's for a mission."
The Togrutan girl merely smiled, shrugged, and straightened from where she was leaning against the dressing table. "Of course it is. I'll let you get dressed. See you in a bit, Barriss."
Barriss kept her attention fixed firmly on the display of cosmetics resting on the table until the door shut behind Ahsoka. She touched her cheek, fingers sliding over the bit of darker green blusher she'd applied and rubbing off on her fingertips. She sighed again, then went to her couch and slipped out of her robe, tugging the various pieces of her dress on: a thin petticoat, the shimmersilk skirt and loose sleeved shirt, as well as the velveteen vest with elaborate toggle buttons.
She stood in front of the mirror, smoothed down her skirt, and touched the elegant black coils of her hair, twirled so neatly behind her left ear.
She wasn't dressing this way to attract attention, and had little interest in making herself into a walking fashion statement. She preferred her dark robes, and the familiar comfort they gave.
But still, looking back at her was the shape of something she could have been, but never really was. An ordinary girl, with a look of ordinary beauty about her.
She was pretty. It was a silly bit of vanity, but it pleased her nevertheless.
Standing alone in her room, Barriss Offee smiled.
Thank you so much to all of you reviewers! I'm so glad you all liked the first chapter! To those of you who offered ideas, extra special kudos to you, and I'll do my best to work on your suggestions. All of your thoughts and suggestions have seriously made my day, each time I've gotten one.
You all rock! /hugs to you all!/
~Queen