She wasn't moving away, so for now, he lets his fingers gently move through the strands, marveling at the bright color against his pale skin and how unexpectedly soft it was.

"It can be a burden," he answers quietly, fingers still gentle with an almost idle curiosity. "But like this, it is..." At the last moment, he changes what he was going to say, replacing beautiful with, "Very bright. Perhaps not ideal for combat, but in a time such as this..."