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When Dove Strider was very young, Sis would keep Dove’s hair short so that it wouldn’t get in her way, especially during strifes and sword practices. One day, Dove asked why Sis cut her hair. After Sis had explained, Dove took it as a challenge. From then on, Dove refused to let Sis cut her hair, promising herself that she would one day win against Sis in strife while maintaining a longer hair style. Sis then started trying to cut Doves hair during their strifes. When Dove noticed, she started wearing her hair tied up in a ponytail or messy bun, and refused to let Sis get a hold of it; going as far as picking up several extra cuts and bruises to protect it.
During their more intimate encounters, Sis had to admit to herself, but never to Dove, that she really did like Dove’s long hair. Mostly due to the soft sounds Dove would make when Sis tugged on it ever so slightly.
After Bec Noir killed Sis, Dove almost cut her hair in despair, but decided against it, after explaining her problem to Terezi, and continued to grow out her hair in hopes of seeing Sis again someday.
She later met Dyke, Sis’s Alpha-verse version, who told her she should cut it as it would hold her back when fighting. Dove challenged Dyke to a duel, where, if Dyke won, Dove would finally cut her hair. However, if Dove won, Dyke would grow hers out. Dove didn’t put her hair in a ponytail since the battle may not end in her favor, at which point her hair would no longer move the same way. Dyke however, used it to her advantage and, once they were both rather exhausted, grabbed a fist-full of the long, golden strands, copying a move she had once seen in an anime. Unlike the anime, Dyke didn’t intend to kill Dove with the move, becoming her downfall. Instead, she planned to cut it herself as her mark of victory. However, Dove’s original preservation kicked in - her hair had basically become the physical manifestation of her pride - and she went into overdrive and ended up beating Dyke by accidentally knocking her unconscious.
When Dyke and Dove finally became girlfriends, Dykes’s hair had grown out to just past her shoulders. Dove found out that Dyke was tender-headed and would avoid brushing her hair and use ridiculous amounts of conditioner during her long showers. From then on, Dove gently brushed Dyke’s hair then would French, Dutch, or Fishtail braid it to keep it from tangling, especially after Dyke proved to be useless at anything other than spiking and cutting hair.
Dyke, like Sis, found that she also liked Dove’s hair long.