[Afternoon,Vjaret's Yard]
Shenhe had been avoiding colors all day.
Impressive, really. She dodged. Weaved. Used children as shields. Her white hair remained mostly white, with just a few blue streaks from this morning.
Vjaret's younger cousin—a girl of about eight—had noticed.
And taken it as a challenge.
"You're too clean!" The girl held up a handful of pink. "You need MORE colors!"
"No." Shenhe's voice was flat. "I don't."
"Yes you do!"
"No."
"It's Holi! Everyone gets colors!"
"Not me."
The girl's eyes narrowed. She was clearly not used to being told no.
Then she smiled.
And threw the pink directly at Shenhe's face.
Time slowed.
Shenhe moved.
Actually moved—dodging like she was in combat, spinning away from the pink, landing in a defensive stance that would have made RAW instructors proud.
The girl's jaw dropped.
"How did you—"
Shenhe straightened. Brushed off her sleeve. Looked at the girl with those cold blue eyes.
"Nice try."
Then Angy appeared behind her with a bucket of blue.
"SHENHE!"
The blue hit her back. Her hair. Her neck.
Shenhe froze.
Turned slowly.
Angy was already running, laughing, shouting "WORTH IT!"
Shenhe stood there. Blue dripping from her white hair. Face expressionless.
But her eyes—
Her eyes were murderous.
"Angy."
"CAN'T CATCH ME!"
Shenhe moved.
The chase began.
Vjaret appeared beside me, eating something. "Your maids are weird."
"I know."
"But they're fun."
"...Yeah. They are."
They're my idiots.
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