The bag full of brushes and ribbons and combs felt heavy on her arm. Well, it hadn’t been that long since she’d last braided Dorte’s tail and mane. It was maybe a little overzealous of her to do it again so quickly…

“Ow! Shit!”

Ah, right. Marianne was right outside the ground floor rooms. That had sounded a bit like Leonie. Marianne had never actually been to her room. Or anyone’s room, really. She had seen Mercedes leaving her room when they were both on the way to the cathedral for their daily prayers, but that was about it.

That door was Mercedes… so one of the other two must be Leonie. She took a hesitant step towards the doors. Would she really be of use? Or would she just be bothering her? She had said she was never a both, but she couldn’t always know that would be the case.

There was another burst of cursing. Whatever was going on in there, she could at least tell Leonie to go see someone who could handle it.

She knocked before she could second guess herself. There was a pregnant pause, the only noise the rain pattering down onto the wood above. Then Leonie’s door swung open. She was rubbing one ear with a cloth, and looked a bit ruffled.

“Ah, is this a bad time?”

“Marianne! Not at all! I mean, I was doing something, but I had to take a break anyways. You’re always welcome to visit.” She gestured awkwardly and stepped back from the door.

Marianne now faced the dilemma of where to sit. She felt embarrassment crawling up her neck as the seconds ticked on. This was such a silly idea.

“You can sit on the bed, it’s comfier. My desk is kind of cluttered right now.”

Leonie didn’t strike her as the kind of person to be overly messy. She carefully made her way to the bed and sat down, back hunched, hands folded in her lap, her bag nestled beside her feet on the ground.

Leonie shut the door and moved to her desk, pushing aside a pile consisting of oil, scissors, and a towel.

“I was trying to give myself a trim, but I nicked myself instead. We usually traded haircuts for haircuts back in the village, so I’m not as good at using the mirror to coordinate it. Not the wisest circumstance to wield pointy things by your ears in, I know.” She rubbed at the back of her neck, where her hair was indeed shaggier than what Marianne was used to picturing when she thought of Leonie.

“I-I hope your ear’s okay.”

Leonie grinned. “It’s definitely seen worse. I’ve had my ears boxed and wet willy’d plenty.” She settled back into her chair, seemingly satisfied with the new placement of her haircutting set-up. “What’ve you been up to today? Bit slow without any classes, huh?”

Marianne shuffled one foot, nudging the bag at her foot. “I was on my way to groom Dorte, but it looks like the goddess didn’t permit it…”

Leonie chuckled. “I guess she figured the crops needed rain more than Dorte needed brushing. She’s always the prettiest horse in the stables, you know. Ferdinand and Lorenz were both jealous when they saw her the other day. Serves them right! If they spent less time prattling on about nonsense and spent more time with their horses, maybe they’d stand a chance. You have a good eye for that kind of thing.”

“Um, Lorenz probably has a better fashion sense than I do…”

“Even if he does, he doesn’t apply it like you do!” Leonie pulled the cloth from her ear and glanced down at it. “Do you mind if I finish up with this? I don’t want to end up with hair as messy as Sylvain’s.”

Marianne looked up at that. What if Leonie cut herself again?

“M-Maybe I could do it?”

Leonie blinked but then beamed. “Really? I’d definitely appreciate it!”

Marianne rose and shuffled over, carefully surveying Leonie’s desk. Leonie picked up the towel, which was already speckled with bits of orange hair, and slung it around her neck.

“Most of it should be taken care of already. Even though you have to cut it more often, short hair really is just easier to manage.” Leonie settled her arms on the desk, propping her head up with one hand. Marianne cautiously picked up the scissors. Just like trimming Dorte…

“I actually used to have it long. My parents just never bothered to cut it. And then one day I was out messing around in the woods and got stuck in a bush! I was trying to follow a rabbit trail. My hair was so tangled they had to come and cut it all off to free me. I was kind of upset, but more about losing the rabbit than the hair. And I just haven’t looked back since. It takes less water and soap to clean and it never gets in my eyes.”

Snip. Snip. Marianne ran the fingers of her free hand through the strands to hold them up and comb out any spare hairs. Leonie’s hair was a bit bristly, like straw. She couldn’t imagine it curling everywhere like Sylvain’s even if she did grow it out.

“Ah, sorry if I’m rambling. You’re free to talk, too. No conversation is bad.”

“That’s alright. I don’t think I have much to say today… But it’s nice to hear someone else talk.”

Snip. Snip. Brushing her fingers against Leonie’s neck to clear it of any itchy hairs.

“Well, that’s definitely in my wheelhouse. You have a free pass to tell me to cram it and shut up some other day, though! Now, where was I.. Ah, right. No one in the village would let me live that down until a few months later, when I did something even more fun to gossip about. I was out on one of my first real hunts…”

Marianne made sure to listen, but she kept her focus on Leonie’s hair. If she messed something up, Leonie would have to wear uneven hair or go bald. Better to not have either of those happen. Clipping hair was at least something she could do, and something her Crest couldn’t interfere with. It was simple and repetitive.

When Leonie seemed to falter in what to say, Marianne managed to pipe in.

“Um, how are things with your mare?”

Which led Leonie down another winding rant. Her and that mare had more in common than either of them would ever say. The thought made Marianne’s lips curl upwards in a small smile.

When she was finally done, she drew back as Leonie craned her neck to examine her hair in the mirror.

“Hey, that looks great! Maybe I should get you to help out with all my haircuts.”

Marianne wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. Leonie seemed to notice and cleared her throat.

“At the very least, I owe you one. If you ever need a favor, just let me know, alright?”

Now, where were the pitchfork and wheelbarrow hiding? They weren’t in their usual place, so she ducked around to the back of the stables. Certain students would sometimes leave it out of its proper place out of carelessness after dumping its contents out. And if Leonie saw any of those certain students around, she’d be giving them quite the earful. But the wheelbarrow wasn’t back here, either. She frowned. With the hay, maybe?

She walked in through the back door, only to be met with a face full of hay. She sputtered, hands flying to her face to brush the dust away.

“L-Leonie!” A pleasantly familiar voice.

Leonie squinted, testing out her vision. Sure enough, there was a blurry but distinctly blue figure. “So that’s where the wheelbarrow went.” She supposed she was lucky Marianne hadn’t been chucking manure when she walked in.

“I was just trying to help out Professor Byleth, I’m so sorry.” Marianne wrung out her hands, and suddenly she was right in Leonie’s face. “A-allow me.” And then Marianne’s delicate fingers were in her hair, deftly plucking out straw.

“Hey!” Leonie squawked out, startled. “I feel like everytime I see you one of us ends up apologizing.” She reached up (gently!) and tugged Marianne’s wrists away from her face.

“I probably spent half my childhood rolling around in hay, don’t worry about it.”

Now Marianne just looked confused, which was a step up in Leonie’s book. “Ah, okay, not that much of it.” she amended. “But I’m no stranger to roughhousing in a barn. That’s what I was trying to say. No harm done.”

“Right…” Remembering their previous talk about carrying on conversations, Marianne rallied herself. “I like the smell of hay.” she declared firmly.

Leonie smiled. “I think I’d like it more if it wasn’t always mixed with the smell of pegasus droppings, but it has its appeal.”

Speaking of, Leonie should probably actually do her chores, or she’d be the one getting an earful, and from Professor Byleth, no less.

“Ah, are you done with those?”

Marianne shook her head. “I need to finish distributing the hay…”

“I’ll come with you then.” Leonie decided. “As long as you don’t mind.”

“Um, alright.”

“Oh! That reminds me! I could use your help with a horse thing.”

Marianne’s eyebrows furrowed together. “A… horse thing?”

Leonie explained her situation with that stubborn mare, complete with impassioned hand gestures. “I’ve never dealt with a horse this difficult. Most of ours back home were pretty well-trained as workhorses already by the time I got near them.”

Marianne nodded sagely as she took it all in. “Dorte’s told me all about her. You need to make she trusts you. And you need to establish yourself as worth listening to. Otherwise, she’ll just do what you say to get a treat and then stop doing it. She’s a wily one.”

Leonie sighed. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do. What am I supposed to do, protect her from a pack of wild wolves or something?”

Marianne giggled as she doled out another portion of hay. “That could work. But just talk to her. Horses are great listeners. I could ask Dorte to put in a good word if you need me to.”

Leonie thought it over. A recommendation from a friend would put someone in good standing with her, but she wasn’t a temperamental horse, now was she?

“I appreciate it. But I think I need to do this alone. I’ll show her that I can be stubborn, too.”

Marianne smiled softly at her, finally setting the empty wheelbarrow down. “If anyone can do it, it’s you.”

The barn suddenly felt a bit crowded. And it was suddenly really important for Leonie to get going, as soon as possible.