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"Absolutely not." Erin glares, his arms outstretched to completely block the doorway. Kendal stares down at him with a small frown.
"I took off my boots."
"You are still covered in mud! I am not paying extra fees for this room because you decided to bring the whole forest back with you!" Erin exclaims, gesturing wildly before quickly resuming his defensive stance in case Kendal tries to sneak past.
Kendal doesn't move from his spot, still frowning.
"But I don't have any other clothes." He argues. Erin makes a face at that.
"Don't make me think about the fact you've been running around in the same outfit this whole time."
"I haven't exactly had the chance to get new ones."
"Well–!"
"…What are you two doing?" Alinua peers over Erin's shoulder, glancing between him and Kendal. Her eyebrows raise a bit as she takes in Kendal's state. "What happened?"
Kendal shrugs.
"I tripped."
"And now he's filthy! Alinua, please, maybe you can explain to him why he absolutely cannot be allowed back into the room until he's cleaned himself off." Erin turns to Alinua, almost desperately. "He won't listen to me."
"I am listening. But I don't have any cleaner clothes to change into."
"Oh, yeah, I guess you don't." Alinua frowns. She tilts her head, considering Kendal for a moment. "Maybe you could borrow some of Erin's? I'm sure he has plenty. What do you think?"
Erin opens his mouth, inhaling with a distinct posture of 'I'm about to tell you just how stupid of a suggestion that is' before he pauses, actually taking a second to process Alinua's suggestion.
"Well. I suppose I do have a few extra outfits lying around." Erin sighs, crossing his arms. "Though I expect you to get some actual clothes. I'm sure there's a tailor in town you can visit."
Alinua smiles, and Kendal straightens up a little.
"So, I can come in?"
"No." Erin gives Kendal a flat look. "You still need a bath."
Kendal deflates. Alinua rolls her eyes.
"Come on, Kendal, I can show you where the bathroom is." She slips past Erin, taking Kendal's arm.
"Thank you." Kendal says sincerely, both to Alinua and Erin. "And sorry for getting so dirty. I'll be more careful next time."
"It's fine. Like you said, just be more careful. Now go get yourself cleaned up. I'll drop off some clothes once I find something that might fit you." Erin says, exasperated– but Kendal can tell it's mostly for show. Still, he nods, letting Alinua drag him down the hall.
"You know, I just realized." Alinua hums as they approach the bathroom door. She pauses outside of it, and Kendal does the same, waiting for her to continue talking. "You've never taken a bath, have you?"
"No. I'm pretty sure Vash never bothered. He never really had a reason to." Kendal answers, brows furrowing as he prods at distant, detached memories.
"Well, its not too difficult. Just make sure to read the soap labels and don't use the whole bottle." Alinua says. "If you want, I could help you with your hair?"
"Oh. Sure, yes. That'd be nice." Kendal agrees with a dip of his head. Alinua smiles, and Kendal echoes the movement.
"I'll wait out here, then. Once you're ready, just call." She says, moving to sit next to the door, her back against the wall.
"Alright."
The bath itself was uneventful.
Kendal is careful to not use too much soap per Alinua's instructions, though he does admire the frothy bubbles that cling to his skin as he tries to scrub away the mud and built up grime from weeks of travel. He also manages to work out the worst of the muck from his hair, but he doesn't wash it in depth. Alinua wanted to help, and she definitely knows more about washing hair than he does— there's apparently multiple types of soap for hair alone, and Kendal barely understands what they're for. So, once he's gotten the rest of him cleaned, and the tub refilled with fresh water, he calls for Alinua.
"Erin dropped your new clothes, do you want me to put them with the towels?" Alinua asks as she walks in, fabrics bundled up in her arms.
"With the towels is fine." Kendal answers, leaning against the edge of the tub. "Should I get dressed?"
"You don't have to. I don't mind." Alinua sets the clothes down, and kneels next to the tub. "Also, its annoying trying to keep your clothes from getting wet when you're washing your hair. I would know."
"Okay." Kendal settles back, turning around so Alinua can reach his hair. Once he gives her the silent go-ahead, she gathers his hair up in her palms and starts idly combing through it with her fingers.
"You know, I've been wanting to do you hair for a while, actually." Alinua admits, pausing as her fingers hit a snag.
"Really?"
"I just thought it would be… nice, I suppose. You deserved a chance to relax, and I always enjoyed styling my hair whenever I got the rare chance to." Alinua smooths out the tangle and resumes combing through Kendal's hair. He relaxes into the touch, eyes fluttering shut.
"This is nice." Kendal says. "I'm glad you're here."
"Me too." Alinua agrees, with a quiet note to her voice that gives Kendal pause. He glances back at her, but she's not looking at him, staring at her hands tangled up in her hair. Her gaze is… distant.
"Alinua?" He shifts, carefully pulling away from her grip before he takes her hands in his. "Are you okay?"
Alinua shakes her head, tugging a hand free to wipe at her face.
"Sorry, sorry. I just…" She rubs a thumb over Kendal's knuckles with a sad smile. "I don't know. I just… I was alone for so long. I never thought I'd be this close to someone ever again. And after everything thats happened—"
Kendal frowns, a bolt of phantom pain shooting through his abdomen.
"— I've been so worried about everyone. About you." Alinua looks up, her eyes watery. "I'm just… happy I can do something as simple as washing your hair."
"…I would hug you, but I'm still soaking wet."
That draws a laugh out of Alinua, something genuine and bright that makes Kendal smile in return.
"You can once we finish, deal?"
"Deal." Kendal nods.
"Now, turn back around. I still need to get out all these tangles." Alinua pokes Kendal's shoulder playfully, and he turns around as instructed. "Have you been brushing your hair at all?"
"Not really? I didn't really think about it."
"Well, you should try to occasionally, so your hair doesn't get super matted. We can get you your own brush, if you want?" Alinua leans forward slightly, just enough to catch Kendal's gaze. He gives her a nod.
"That would be nice."
Alinua smiles, and returns to her task. Her fingers gently drag through Kendal's hair, and once again, he finds the tension draining from his muscles as he leans into the touch. It's a relief, to be able to let himself relax so thoroughly after everything that's happened in the past couple of weeks. Of course, he can't entirely chase away the restlessness buried in the deepest parts of him— but echoes of ghosts and kind smiles soothe over the worst of it, and Kendal allows his limbs to loosen and his shoulders to droop.
There's no fight here. No one is in immediate danger, his friends are safe. Vash is waiting, but Kendal has time. He can allow himself this peace.
Alinua continues to work quietly, humming under her breath as she goes. There's little conversation— the two of them choosing to simply bask in eachother's prescence instead. The silence is only broken when Alinua moves on from detangling Kendal's hair and informs him of her next steps— applying shampoo and conditioner.
Kendal decides to help with those, starting with the shampoo.
"I did not realize how much hair you had until just now." Alinua comments as she pours a generous amount of shampoo into Kendal's hair. She splits his hair into two parts, allowing him to work on one half while she did the other. "Though I did always wonder how you managed to fight with it being this long. Mine always gets in my face."
"I guess I'm just used to it." Kendal runs a hand through his hair, quietly noting that the shampoo froths and bubbles like the bodywash he used earlier. "Vash always gave his incarnations long hair. He thought it made his fights look cooler."
"You do look very dramatic and heroic with long hair." Alinua says with a playful lilt to her voice. "Do you like having your hair long?"
Kendal considers the question for a moment, quiet. He's never really thought about that before.
"I don't mind it. I think it looks nice too." He answers, cupping his palms and scooping up some water to pour over his hair. "I don't know if I'd want to cut it. Having shorter hair could be interesting?"
"Maybe! I've never really had short hair, since it's kind of difficult to cut my own hair— and I do just like having it long. But I've considered it sometimes." Alinua hums, echoing Kendal's movement and washing the shampoo from his hair. "It would certainly be easier to take care of."
Kendal hums a note of acknowledgement, leaning back so most of his hair goes underwater to wash out the lingering shampoo as Alinua reaches for the conditioner.
"I wonder what Vash would think, if I cut my hair." He says, frowning up at the ceiling.
This is his body, yes, but it was originally Vash's. Will Vash want it back, once he's freed? Or will he make a new one? Will he even be capable of incarnating, if he's too weakened by the Collector's experiments? Kendal hasn't given what happens after Vash's rescue too much thought, he realizes, too focused on the now to even begin considering what he'd do once his god is no longer in danger. He has no idea what waits for him, at the end of all of this— if he even manages to defeat the Collector.
"Well, it's your body now. Even if Vash prefers the long hair, you can do whatever you like." Alinua responds, drawing Kendal out from his thoughts. "Besides, I don't think he'd mind anyway. He cares about you. I think he'd be happy to see you trying something like that."
Kendal sits up, his hair clinging to his back and shoulders.
"Maybe." He agrees, promptly putting aside that particular train of thought. Alinua glances at him, but doesn't say anything else, moving on to pour the conditioner onto his hair.
Conversation lulls, and Kendal lets himself slip into the quiet peace it brings. The conditioner is applied, and then left to sit for a couple of minutes as Alinua instructed. Kendal distantly wonders what the difference between shampoo and conditioner even is, but he elects to ask at a later time, unwilling to break the silence. The water has gone cold by now, not that he really minds, but its not quite as comfortable as the warmer temperatures it was at earlier.
But, eventually, the conditioner is washed out and Alinua steps back outside to give Kendal privacy as he dries off and changes into fresh clothes.
Erin's clothes fit surprisingly well— the pants are just a bit too short, but they're not particularly tight, and the shirt is nice and loose. They're comfortable, and most importantly, clean. Kendal gives himself a quick glance over in the mirror, running a hand through his hair. It's still fairly damp, but already he can see the effects of the shampoo and condition as his fingers glide smoothly through his hair without hitting any tangles. It's nice. He smiles at his reflection, and then goes to meet Alinua in the hall.
Erin lets them into the room with far less dramatics this time around, giving Kendal an approving nod when he walks in with Alinua.
"Oh, Kendal! Before we turn in for the night, can I braid your hair?" Alinua asks suddenly, grabbing Kendal's hand with an excited spark in her eye.
"Sure." Kendal agrees easily, smiling as Alinua quickly drags him over to the couch and makes him sit in front of it. Falst eyes them from the chair he's sprawled across, his tail flicking.
"What are you two doing?" He asks, watching as Alinua gathers up Kendal's hair and begins seperating it into equal parts.
"I'm braiding his hair." Alinua answers, looking towards Falst. "I could probably do a small one for you too, if you'd like."
"Yeah, no thanks." Falst denies almost immediately, his face scrunching up like he tasted something sour. Alinua rolls her eyes, and Kendal fights back an amused smile.
"Oh, could you do mine?" Dainix asks, stepping away from the stove in the corner of the room. "I could braid yours in return."
"Oh, yes! You can do mine while I do Kendal's." Alinua suggest, patting the couch cushion next to her.
"Aren't you cooking something?" Erin asks, giving Dainix an incredulous look over the kitchen table. Dainix waves him off, walking towards the couch.
"It needs to simmer for a bit. It should be fine."
"If you say so." Erin glances towards the stove, eyeing it cautiously, before he returns to his journal. Dainix sits next to Alinua, who angles herself so he can reach her hair while she works on Kendal's.
Kendal shuts his eyes, soaking in the warmth of his friends and their company. Alinua and Dainix chatter idly, with Falst throwing in the occasional snarky remark, and Erin's pen scratches quietly over paper as he writes— only occasionally interrupted by Tess who sits at the table with him.
Once again, Kendal basks in the comfort of it all. That first time he woke up, alone and dying, desperately clawing through a mountain as his god drifted further and further away, Kendal never would've imagined himself here instead, the happiest he's ever been. It's almost dizzying, the appreciation he has for this moment. He thinks back that conversation with Alinua up on the cliff, shortly after they met Erin.
He remembers how distant and lonely he had felt, back then. Everything was still so new and terrifying, familiar yet not— he barely knew who he was, and even now, Kendal still isn't sure, but he knows one thing for certain.
He's not lonely anymore.
Kendal smiles to himself, a chuckle rumbling in his chest as Dainix teases Falst over something he said.
He has his friends by his side, now.