#I just want to make sure I get any oil and hair products out when I wash though :/

[girlitfeelsgood]

My hair has been so frizzy lately it's absolutely awful 😭 guess that's what I get for buying really cheap shampoo at the grocery store but haircare is just such a jungle and I have no clue what to get instead

[elicathebunny]

HEALTH SHOULD ALWAYS COME FIRST! PRIORITISING HEALTH BEFORE EVERYTHING ELSE TO LOOK GOOD + FEEL GOOD.

People always leave out the basics when it comes to trying to improve their looks. Prioritising health is so important before going in and tempering with your body. Your base is what you work with and you can definitely level up with what you've got naturally.

DIET

Your diet also depends on what your goals are. Someone who wants to build muscle will obviously eat differently from someone who just eats relatively healthy. So identify what your goals are and work your meals around that.

Here are some videos to give you a better insight: HOW I LOSE FAT AND KEEP IT OFF MEANS, WORKOUTS + EVERYTHING ELSE PROTEIN EXPLAINED, STRENGTH, MUSCLES, FAT LOSS & ENDURANCE HOW METABOLISM WORKS

Diet not only makes you feel better from the inside, but it also reflects on your outside. Your skin is a huge display of how you eat.

When you consume junk food, it can show up on your skin as breakouts or dullness. Your skin is one massive organ which soaks up everything put onto it and reflects everything you put inside your body. Fix the problem from the inside before getting confused about why your skincare routine isn't working.

FITNESS

Again, your fitness will differentiate from your goals. So work out your goals and make a plan around that. There are so many forms of fitness, some more intense than others and with different results. Working out in general is good for you, our bodies are meant to move. So even if you don't have a goal, staying active is always recommended.

HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT WORKOUT PLAN

THE BEST WAY TO GAIN MUSCLE, SCIENCE EXPLAINED SIMPLY

Low-intensity workouts:

Yoga: Focuses on flexibility, strength, and relaxation through various poses and breathing techniques.

Pilates: A low-impact exercise method that strengthens muscles, improves flexibility, and enhances posture.

Walking: Simple yet effective, walking is a great way to improve cardiovascular health and boost mood without high impact.

Swimming: Provides a full-body workout with minimal stress on joints, making it ideal for people with joint issues or injuries.

High-intensity workouts:

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): Alternates between short bursts of intense exercise and brief recovery periods to maximize calorie burn and improve cardiovascular fitness.

CrossFit: Combines elements of weightlifting, interval training, gymnastics, and other exercises to build strength, endurance, and overall fitness.

Sprinting: Short, explosive bursts of running at maximum effort, often performed in intervals for cardiovascular conditioning and leg muscle strength.

Circuit Training: Involves moving through a series of exercises targeting different muscle groups with minimal rest in between, combining strength training and cardiovascular exercise.

These are just a few examples, but there are plenty of other workout styles out there to explore depending on your preferences and fitness goals. Walking every day is just a simple way to stay toned.

SLEEP

Sleeping is important for rest and recovery after workouts and energy-consuming activities. Sleep is needed for the brain to function, mood regulation and performance + productivity. Lack of sleep deprives you of all of these things, so getting your beauty sleep is absolutely needed.

School-age children (6-13 years): 9-11 hours per day.

Teenagers (14-17 years): 8-10 hours per day.

Young adults (18-25 years): 7-9 hours per day.

Adults (26-64 years): 7-9 hours per day.

HYGIENE

Upkeeping good hygiene is always needed anyway. Making sure you are clean (smelling good is a plus). Make sure you always wash your hands and take daily showers to remove any dirt on your body (clean those feet and your back well, don't forget them!). Taking care of your oral health must not be forgotten. Oil pulling and brushing your tongue for a healthy mouth. Make sure your hair is also getting the attention to keep it as healthy as you possibly can make it (this also depends on diet). Doing the extra things like spending time on your nails (making sure there isn't that stuff underneath them), making them pretty.

BODY CARE ROUTINE | FOR SMOOTH & GLOWING SKIN, TREATING KERATOSIS PILARIS, SHOWER ROUTINE

ENVIRONMENT

Having a stress-free environment is obviously the best to thrive in. But clearly not even being lucky enough to live like that constantly. So make sure you have that space to be on your own and have some alone time to really recharge. Keeping your space clean for a clear mind. Surround yourself with like-minded people and really set boundaries for those who prey on your mental clarity (energy vampires). Spending time in nature is one of the best ways to detach, rest time should not equal spending time on your devices. Let go and truly let yourself decompress. Mental health will improve how you carry yourself.

EMBODY YOUR POTENTIAL.

[angelicgirlmj]

an angels guide: before your first day back to school ౨ৎ ⋆｡˚

hi angels! so for many of us it’s approaching back to school season. for lots of people this can be a bit of an anxiety inducing time, whether you are starting a new school year or kind of education there is alot to plan and prepare and get ready for - it can feel extremely overwhelming! here is my guide for having an organised and effective first day back at school to get you on track and motivated! enjoy and as always feel free to comment your own tips or advice.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ───────

the week before ౨ৎ ⋆｡˚

check through stationary and buy anything you need, check subject lists to see what is recommended as well. buy cute stationary in your favourite colours to motivate you!

sort through books, folders etc and organise notes, any loose pieces of paper and any important documents.

assign a folder to each subject, or if already have a folder check through and make sure it is organised and neat.

clear school emails etc, check through and organise into sections and respond to any. check for any information from your school regarding the upcoming year.

finish off any summer work and make sure it is all complete and ready to be handed in on the deadlines provided. check for any extra work if you have spare time, such as a book or article to read.

read up on the new syllabus/lesson plan for your subjects. familiarise yourself with how it looks, any new terms and any possible problem areas.

fix your sleep schedule! start going to bed earlier and waking up at the time you need to be up for school just to make it less of a shock to your system.

check your bag will fit everything and that any additionals such as a water bottle or lunch box are in good condition and to your tastes.

work on your morning/evening routines, plan when you will be doing work and make necessary changes.

figure out your fitness goals and routines - are they realistic for a full time student? time management is key.

if using apps such as notion, ensure it is set up for the new school year and neatly organised.

plan outfits, check through clothes in case in need of new underwear etc or wardrobe staples.

research healthy and nutritious lunch ideas (may make a post on this later!!), buy ingredients if needed.

do any ‘high maintenance’ things, get your nails done, lashes, eyebrows etc.

pack an emergency bag (pads/tampons, spare underwear, cash etc).

check any hygiene products and buy new ones/replace old ones if run out or in need of more!

do more self care, do a hair or face mask, do your own nails, watch your favourite films, have some you time before school starts again.

make a back to school playlist.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ───────

the night before ౨ৎ ⋆｡˚

eat a healthy dinner.

do face mask (use one you have tried before in case a new one causes a bad reaction).

oil hair + hair mask.

dry brush before shower.

wash out oil + masks, shampoo twice.

apply conditioner and leave in.

exfoliate and clean body with soap before shaving.

wash out conditioner and apply bath gel.

finish shower, hair routine (mine is in-depth i have curly hair!), apply body oils.

blowdry, diffuse or air dry hair depending on type.

apply body lotion and perfume.

make tea and drink while doing some journaling (what is my plan for tomorrow, what do i want to achieve etc)

pack bag and organise clothes.

clean teeth, floss and mouthwash.

do gua sha routine and ice face.

do pm skincare routine.

do nail care routine and out hair up for bed.

watch comfort show or read comfort book.

set alarm.

have an early night!

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ───────

the day of ౨ৎ ⋆｡˚

wake up nice and early.

do some yoga/stretching.

tidy room.

eat a healthy breakfast.

pack or plan lunch.

fill up water bottle.

check bag is fully packed.

check school timetable, make note of rooms etc.

have a quick shower if time (shave, body gel etc).

clean teeth and do am skincare.

get dressed.

journal and plan day.

put on back to school playlist!

head to school.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ───────

thank you for reading angels! hope this was so helpful and have a wonderful back to school season. all my love, m.

[chappellroansdreamgirl]

abby taking care of her gf's hair 4 her <3333333 .

author's note - just took my fuckin' braids out after almost a month and i am daydreaming about abby anderson. (what's new i know...)

content warnings - just fluff, explicit black reader.

-------------------------------------------------------

- on days you're going to get your hair braided, abby sends you off with a lil basket full of your favorite snacks and some essentials that you'll need for the day cause you both know that you're not coming home soon.

- sends u messages throughout the day asking for updates: "Can I see now???" , "babe we're still parting😭" . you don't let her see until you get home and she gets so happy. "you look so pretty, sweet girl." she won't stop telling you that until you fall asleep.

- if you have a sensitive scalp (like me...) , this white girl got that scalp oil STACKED, SHE'S NOT PLAYING. she gave that hair store worker hell, probably was in there for about an hour overanalyzing the ingredients and trying to remember if you were allergic to any of the substances that were in the jar. if you're tapping at your braids, she's so quick to get that shit out, massaging it carefully into your scalp, making sure not to mess anything up that didn't need to be touched. she knows how much effort is put in to having nice hair, and she treats yours with ten times the love she puts into her own.

- definitely learned how to take them out for you so you didn't have to do them all by yourself. by the time they're all out, you both are so tired but she's already getting up to start your shower and laying out your hair products you'll need afterwards. (ABBY BABY I LOVE YOU, MY PRECIOUS GIRL.) if you don't want to do it yourself, she's more than happy to comb out your hair, handling your texture with care as she gets knot after knot out with her skilled fingers.

- scalp massages are a must, she never feels like she's done enough until she's able to bring her hands into your hair and rub the lightest of circles onto your scalp.

- when you're braiding your own hair for maintenance, she'll just sit there and admire you with hearts in her eyes. if you let her, she'll lay in your lap and hand you whatever you need, always happy to be of help.

- abby anderson worships you and the sacredness that comes with your hair. she'll always be honored to be trusted with it, and with you<3 .

[moonstruckme]

Hii! I really love ur writing<3

Could i request Sirius black x fem!reader where her hair is really fluffy but after she has showered her hair is like kindy wavy-ish but she brushes it out and it becomes really fluffy. But then Sirius sees that and is like "u have curly hair" but reader is like "nope". So sirius convinces her and shows her his hair routine and it turns out she does have curly hair and all the fluff and everything?

English is not my first languages so I hope that I'm being clear about what i mean😭 sorry for any mistakes.

Feel free to ignore this if you want<33

No worries my love, this was super clear! I didn't learn how to make my curly hair look good until a few years ago, so this was sooo relatable haha! Thanks for requesting :)

Sirius Black x fem!reader ♡ 1k words

Sirius knocks as you step out of his shower, drying off one leg and then the other with the towel he’d given you. 

“Sorry, angel, could I get in there for a sec?” He calls through the door. “I forgot my moisturizer.” 

“Sure, just a minute,” you reply, quickly toweling off before wrapping yourself in a robe. “Okay, you’re good.” 

“Thanks,” Sirius says, steam whooshing out as he opens the door. He grabs a little jar from the counter, toting it about before starting back the way he came, but he stops before he reaches the door. Sirius looks at you for a moment, his lips curving slightly upward into one of those soft smiles you love so much. “You look so pretty like this,” he says.  

You give him a tiny grin in return, pulling the robe tighter over your body self-consciously. “Thanks, Siri.” 

“Is…” his eyebrows come together. “Is that what your hair always looks like when it’s wet?”

You look down at your ends, half expecting them to be purple from the expression on your boyfriend’s face. “Um, yeah?”

He crosses his arms, tongue pressing into his cheek thoughtfully. “And what do you usually do to it after you shower?”

“I dunno.” You pick your discarded towel up again. “Brush it? That’s it, really.” 

You start to run the towel over your hair, scrubbing out the moisture, and Sirius lunges for you as if you’re holding a weapon to your head instead. “No, stop!”

“What?”

“You can’t rub it like that.” He snatches the towel from you, something like offense in his tone. “That’s nearly the worst thing you can do for curly hair.” 

You raise your eyebrows at him. “Well then lucky for me that I don’t have curly hair.” 

“I think you do,” Sirius says, hanging the towel on a hook. “Or wavy, at least. Look at it right now, it looks almost like mine.” 

The mirror is too foggy to see in, but you don’t need to. “It’s not like yours, though,” you say, a touch of envy creeping into your voice. “Yours is so pretty and shiny. You’ve seen mine, it gets all frizzy when it’s dry.” 

“Okay, compliment heard and accepted.” Sirius grins at you. “But I think your hair just gets like that because you brush it, darling. Let me play with it, please?”

You hesitate. You’ve always shied away from messing with your hair because, as much as it frustrates you, you know how to deal with it the way it is. Oil, buns, plaits. You’d rather have the devil you know than whatever might result from angering it. 

But Sirius does seem to know an impressive amount about hair care. His counter is littered with products that testify to that. And you don’t think he’s right, but if he is, and your hair could look anything like his…

“Fine,” you sigh, and Sirius beams at you, taking you by the shoulders and bringing you in front of the mirror. 

“Alright, I’m gonna talk you through it, dollface,” he promises. “I mean, I’ll do it for you every time you shower if you want me to, but I’ll give you the details just in case you wanna know later.”

He begins by rewetting your hair under the faucet, instructing you to only brush it while it’s sopping wet. He introduces you to leave-in conditioner, curl cream, mousse, telling you what each of them do and weaving them into your locks with skilled fingers. You can’t help but admire the concentrated set of his brows as he works, the way his dark hair gleams under the fluorescent light. However this turns out, you like having his hands in your hair like this. You might ask him to do it again just for that. 

“There we go,” he says, affixing one of his t-shirts to hold your hair close to your head. “We’ll leave that on for a bit, and when it comes off we should have a decent idea of how it’s gonna look when it’s dry.” 

You smile at him, and Sirius fixes you with a look that’s unbelievably fond. “Normally, this is when I do my skin routine, while I’ve got my hair out of the way,” he says, speaking softly though there’s no one else around to hear. “Want me to do yours for you, lovely girl?”

You feel your face warm, but you don’t care if he sees, the affection between you too great to be a well-kept secret. “That’d be nice, thanks.” 

Sirius’ touch is gentle as he goes over your face with a warm washcloth, smoothing your various products into your skin while you do your best not to preen.

“So pretty,” he murmurs once he’s done, planting a kiss on your freshly moisturized cheek. You wouldn’t be surprised if you were glowing from the inside out.

You chase him, capturing his lips with yours, and the both of you giggle at the absurdity of it, kissing whilst sitting on his bathroom counter, you all wet in a robe and him fully clothed. 

“Alright,” Sirius says, stroking your jaw as a consolation when he breaks the kiss. “I think your hair should be ready to come down.” 

You find yourself almost excited as he unwraps the t-shirt from your hair, tracking the progress of his grin while he squeezes the last bits of moisture from your ends before taking you by the shoulders.

“Okay,” he says soberly, looking at you with mock gravitas. “Are you ready to see?” 

You roll your eyes whilst you nod, and he turns you. The fog has faded from the mirror, so you’re able to see yourself clearly as your mouth actually drops open. Your hair is still damp, but even so, the bottom half falls in loose waves, the ends curling just slightly. It’s smooth, and shiny, and nothing like you thought it had the potential to be. 

“Not bad, right?” Sirius sounds smug, but you can feel his excitement as he watches your reaction. “I might use less heavy products in the future, and more mousse, but—”

You spin around, wrapping him in a hug. He laughs, arms coming around your back with just as much enthusiasm. 

“It looks so pretty, Siri,” you gush. “Thank you so much!”

“I’ve always said you’re the prettiest girl in the world,” he sounds exasperated, but his grip tightens on you warmly, “so I really don’t see why you’re acting so surprised.”

[pinksatinsashes]

The Dream Girl's Guide to Setting and Achieving Goals

If there's one thing that I am insanely good at, it's planning and setting goals.

However I have not always been great at achieving them.

Call it laziness, lack of self discipline or being over ambitious, you can take your pick. But every year I would set goals and every year I would never achieve them.

This year I was, and am determined to transform. I'm tired of putting it off. I've tried a completely different method (read about that here) and it's finally working out, I cant't wait to share it with you.

Why is Setting and Achieving Goals Important?

Setting and achieving goals will forever be important, no matter what stage of life you're in if you don't want time to pass while you stay in the same place.

If you're happy staying exactly as you are, looking the same way, doing the same thing everyday, making the same money, dating the same guy or having the same conversations, year after year after year. Then this post simply isn't for you.

But for the rest of us, who want more, who understand that wanting something different means that you have to do something different, who want to grow, learn and develop and that who understand that time is the most valuable thing that we have; setting and achieving things, day after day, month after month and year after year is insanely important.

If you are one of us, I'm sure you already knew that, the issue might be actually following through.

You're good at setting goals, not so much with actually achieving them?

Maybe it's not your fault, maybe you're just doing it wrong.

------------- How To Set Goals -------------

How many of us start the new year, or the random day that we decide we need to be better by writing a list of Goals?

Maybe that list looks something like this.

Lose 10lbs

Grow Hair Longer

Dress Better

Save Money

Get 1000 followers on X platform

Can you see the problem here? My STEM girlies are yelling at the screen saying that the goals aren't SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Timely).

The real problem?

All of these goals are end products.

And to eliminate this problem, and make these goals better, we have to turn them into habits.

-------- How to turn Goals into Habits --------

Let's go through our list again.

Lose 10lbs -> Workout 4 times a week, do one form of excerise a day and eat at a caloric deficit.

Grow Hair Longer -> Keep hair in protective styles, use hair growth oils daily, only brush hair when in conditioner

Dress Better -> Sell the clothes I don't like to buy clothes I do like, do a closet clear out once a month, only buy things that are high quality

Save Money -> Budget all money once a month, unsubscribe from things I no longer use, declutter and sell things I no longer need once a month.

Get 1000 followers on X platform -> Post 3 times a week, create meaningful content, reply to all comments left on posts daily, interact with posts from others in the sam niche every day

Can you see the difference?

By changing your goals from the end product to the process these goals suddenly mean more. They're more helpful and seem much more achievable.

End goals cannot always be controlled, you can do everything right, post 3 times a week, reply to all your comments and your following count may still not change for months... then all of a sudden something goes viral and they'll call you an overnight success.

By shifting your focus to the things you can control, rather than the end product, your sense of achievement comes from your consistency and hard work, allowing you to keep going even when you don't see any changes.

This prevents you from giving up when success could be just around the corner.

-------- How To Achieve Your Goals --------

Now that we've gone through how to set Goals, lets talk about how to achieve them.

A lot of people just stop at the first part and never think about the things that they can do to ensure that their goals are met.

Never stop at the list.

Why?

You have no initiative to ever look at this list again so you'll most likely forget you even wrote them down in a few weeks

You haven't factored how your life may make achieving these goals a priority.

The answer to this problem?

Turning your Habits into Routines.

It's all well and good setting goals, even setting good goals. But you also need to make sure that you're creating an environment that's conducive to the goals you want to achieve, the habits you want to keep, and the life you want to create.

------- How to turn Habits into Routines ------

We've written down all our goals, turned them into habits and now it's time of the most important part, turning them into routines.

This is important because consistency is key, always. Instead of saying that you'll do something 3 times a week and leaving at that, let's go deeper.

Which days of the week will you do it? What time? For how long?

Leaving it up to chance is risky. What if you forget?

We need to create consistent routines.

Pick which days to do your habits

Pick what time you'll do your habits

Pick how long you'll do them for

Pick what you'll do before and after.

Try to make this as consistent as possible, for example, same time every day, same day every week.

Make sure that every single hour is accounted for, even if it's just set as free time.

Its easy to convince yourself you don't have enough time to do things, let's put all the things you have to do into a spreadsheet with how long it'll take and when you'll do it. Better yet we can use a calendar app or website.

See all the free time you've got?

Now creating routine is so much more than writing it down and doing it everyday or every week. At first you may have to check the app every five seconds to see what you're meant to be doing but if you stay consistent, after a few weeks it'll become second nature.

------------ Removing Distractions ----------

Organising your time and creating a routine is really eye-opening because it gives you a chance to wonder what the f*** you've been spending your time doing.

Nothing productive probably. Take a look at your screentime, what apps are you spending your time on? How long are you spending? Is this part of the life you'd like to build for yourself?

It might be time for a break.

I am being so honest when I said that getting rid of every single distraction that could be keeping me from my goal was the single most important decision I could've made when planning 2024.

I went full on, no Netflix, no YouTube, no music, no games, no social media. No distractions. For at least the first month of my new routine and I plan on only adding everything back slowly.

I advise you do the same.

Remove the things that you can see could distract you from your goals. What's keeping you from going to bed early? What would you rather do than going to the gym?

I'm telling you, I haven't stopped working on myself, because I genuinely have nothing better to do. I've cut all the distractions out. Going on my one hour walk is now what I look forward to all day. The gym is the best part of my day.

My days currently consist of self improvement, wellness podcasts, reading Jane Austen, being active, cleaning my spaces, skincare and early nights.

But it feels like I'm living my dream life? Whenever I think of my ideal day it's never included 4 hours of mindless scrolling or spending 2 hours down a YouTube rabbit hole.

When I think of my dream life it's always been home cooked meals, reading and fancy skincare routines. I couldn't be happier and I really don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

TRY IT.

This is probably the most important step because the power that distractions have on us is so real.

You can do all the planning and have the best intentions but if your want to play games, scroll mindlessly on social media, text a guy that doesn't care about you or engage in celebrity drama is greater than your want to be better? Good Luck Charlie.

---- Making Your Goal Your Obsession ----

This is actually the fun part.

All I do is listen to podcasts about my goal, read books about my goals, make pinterest boards about my goals and talk to myself about my goals. I'm so obsessed.

Make a reading list, find some podcasts that align with your goals, follow blogs with the same mindset, talk to those of your friends that will get it.

This makes sure that nothing can distract you, and you can't just 'forget' to work towards your goal.

However, you must not let your time obsessing over your goal be more than your time actually working on your goal. Do not forget that.

------------- Books that could help ------------

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

----- May the odds be ever in your favour.. -----

[freeuselandonorris]

💗 (particularly the *inevitable* option 😵‍💫😵‍💫) for any ship you want!!

hi anon!! i decided to take this as an opportunity to try out some jendo, tysm 😘

💗 slow kiss / gentle kiss / inevitable / soft

Jenson’s been telling himself he’s imagining things, as a sanity protection measure.

When Lando looks up at him like he’s hung the fucking moon. When he touches Jenson’s forearm, his shoulder, his waist. Bites his lip and smiles and ducks his head so he can look up through his eyelashes. When Jenson’s asking him a question, in front of the cameras for God’s sake, and Lando stares at him with parted lips and a lovely, dazed expression.

In Monaco, Lando runs half the length of the pit lane to catch up with him, slinging an arm around his waist and insinuating himself into Jenson’s armpit as he tries to keep his breathing even. He allows himself to curve a hand around the back of Lando’s skull, drawing him in close for the duration of three stumbling steps. Turns his head to breathe in the scent of overpriced hair products. 

Lando giggles and squirms against him, disentangles himself, slaps Jenson lightly across the back, and then he’s gone.

“That boy’s got a crush on you,” Mark observes, watching him disappear down the pit lane with narrowed eyes.

They film a sit-down interview for Sky later that day, and Jenson couldn’t say whether Lando leaves his phone on the table on purpose or not.

“I’ll go and drop this off,” he says, waving off the PA hovering nearby as he unclips his mic. “Say hi to some old faces while I’m at it.”

Lando’s sprawled across the couch in his room when Jenson lets himself in, having first been waylaid by Zak and then by Randy. He doesn’t look surprised to see Jenson there. He doesn’t stand up, just swings his feet down and hunches into a corner, tapping the other couch cushion with one hand.

“Sit down,” he says, a hopeful little tilt to his voice.

“You left this,” he says, taking Lando’s phone out of his pocket and holding it out. 

Lando nods, barely glancing at it as he takes it. Jenson sits down. His body turns itself towards Lando; Lando shuffles towards him, legs curled underneath himself in a way that would probably make Jenson’s hip flexors scream for mercy these days. His eyes are fixed on the lower half of Jenson’s face, like he can’t quite bring himself to look him in the eye.

“Can I ask you something?” Lando blurts. He seems to be breathing hard, like he’s just had a fright. Maybe Jenson’s imagining that, too. 

“Go on,” he says. Their bodies are getting closer together. 

Lando swallows audibly, wets his lips with the tip of his tongue. The voice Jenson uses to tell himself he’s imagining the ache of desire in the pit of his stomach is small and weak.

“Would you let me kiss you?” Lando says, barely audible. He flushes as he says it, body braced as if expecting an impact.

Jenson nods, just once, and Lando’s face floods with relief. When he leans in, Jenson meets him halfway.

Lando kisses like he’s not sure what to expect, a hesitant brush where Jenson had been expecting tongue and teeth, the brash tricks of youth trying hard to pretend at experience. He makes a soft, grateful sound when Jenson cups his jaw in both hands and tilts his head, lips parting in a sigh. His breath tastes of eucalyptus oil. His tongue touches the ridge of Jenson’s teeth experimentally and then retreats. 

Jenson presses his forehead against Lando’s when they break apart to catch their breath. Lando’s eyes are wide and dark. 

“I’ve wanted to do that for ages,” he says, with the air of someone admitting a guilty secret.

“I know,” Jenson says, and leans in to kiss him again. “I’ve been waiting.” 

[outpouringstorm]

more transmasc hygiene tips from a trans guy now *checks watch* 983 days on t

general:

if you are for whatever reason unable to brush your teeth, use mouthwash ! it’ll help get rid of some of that bacteria in ur mouth (i was actually told this by my dentist bc i have major problems with this as well)

if you are able to brush your teeth, make sure your brush up on your gums to get rid of bacteria and prevent and treat things like gingivitis

transmasc specific:

if you’re growing or trying to grow facial hair, it’s important to take care of your skin, especially the skin where that hair grows - set up a solid skincare routine including exfoliating your skin around once a week (try not to exfoliate the same day you shave because shaving itself is an extreme form of exfoliation) exfoliating helps get rid of dead skin and prevent ingrown hairs

replace your razor head when you need to and rinse your razor between shaves so you can get a cleaner shave

i myself am really bad about this but don’t dry shave ! use shaving cream and let it sit on your face for a little bit to soften the hair to prevent skin irritation

if you want to grow facial hair it does take time and it has to do with genetics and etc but (and i haven’t tried this yet but it’s coming in the mail) i have heard great things about dr. dht’s growth oil* - dermaroll your face before so the oil can absorb into your skin more and then apply the oil where you want facial hair to grow

*dr dht is a brand created by a trans man and his growth oil is free of dht blockers - dht blockers are found in a lot of other facial hair growth products but dht is necessary for facial hair growth to occur (dht blockers can actually be good for head hair, but facial hair is different)

backing off facial hair now bc not everyone wants it and that’s okay, let’s focus on more transmasc specific general hygiene

you will stink. it’s inevitable- try out different things that work best to get rid of your stink like full body deodorant sprays and different types and brands of regular deodorant and experiment with different colognes and body sprays and perfumes until you find one or a combination that you like

one thing that no one told me about going on t is that i have to do my laundry more often now because my clothes stink more

yknow those car fresheners that work really well? the oil ones you hang from your mirror?

these?

get one for your room. hang one from your fan and put one in your closet - it’s inconvenient to tip them to get them to work but they work better than any other air freshener

another thing i like to freshen up my room is wilson & son spoon company room sprays (they make perfumes and body oils too that smell really good) they’re room sprays are really potent and they have some really nice scents - me and my sister have tried marshmallow fluff, fruity-o’s, and iced coffee and they all smell great my sisters wears the iced coffee perfume every day and i frequently spray my room with the fruity-o’s room spray

i’m out of ideas so that’s it for this post! remember to try your best to smell good even if you think you smell okay with nothing on, im not saying you have to go out of your way to buy expensive products or do anything really im just sharing some things thatve helped me :)

[canaidliafail]

Stay grounded

streamer Abby x streamer f!reader 🌿

[part 1 ]. [part 2]

Not proof read like at all. pure crap. Im just horny had an idea and wrote it down. enjoy tho~ MDI cause it will get explicit in later chapters

CW: college exams, weed

“fuck, give me a caption”

“I like tits”

“literally fuck you”

you mumbled and your friends laughed, enjoying your misery. You stared at the blank space below your post and pursed your lips in concentration. Eventually you started typing cringing at every word

“trying some new products ˖◛��� ⑅ ♡”

and pressed “post” on the photo tossing your phone on the other side of the couch defeated. Been a presence online sure had its fun but you were also filled with the existential dread that people knew you “existed”

150k people to be exact. not much but more than you ever expected to get from your hobby. You usually posted your figurine collection from the most recent games you streamed with the occasional over the top pic of you dolled up and in clothes styled to fit the game of the month which unsurprisingly always over performed in statistics.

you had been doing this for a good two years now give or take and it was a wild turn of events considering how quickly and well your career took off. You loved the financial comfort but hated how exposed you constantly felt.

“Don't you have a stream tonight?” your friend,june, asked and you shook your head rubbing your face and squeezing your eyes shut to hopefully get rid of the persistent ache

“No, I'm resting for the week. Told them I have exams or whatever”

she passed you the blunt and you took a few puffs in silence staring into space

“Mind if I put on some music?”

“no go ahead” you mumbled and went to the kitchen to make coffee as you heard the first notes of mr.kitty after dark play in the living room.

“We need to go on a trip somewhere”. June said and Cassie agreed

“trip? where?” you shouted loud enough to be heard across the halls

“I don't know man but like, leave this town for a bit. Remember how fun we had on our last trip ?”

you smiled. Italy was fun. England was insane and Germany was borderline a fever dream. all three unique and all three with a romantic disappointment that entertained your friend group for months and you had to admit you had been craving leaving your city for a while now. Had it not been for the fact that you were on your last semester at college you would be somewhere else every other week -without any romantic endeavors-

You made the quickest shittiest coffee and went back to the living room sitting on the floor “Once Im done with exams we can go anywhere you want” you promised. Your phone pinged the flash going on and off

“What the fuck”

“Im suing for optical damage”

they yelled and grabbed your phone tossing it your way and you all but laughed

“Sorry sorry my bad forgot to turn off flash alerts”

You tapped your screen and almost choked on your coffee fumbling to unlock your phone the lyrics blurring in the background until they became a numbing buzz

staygrounded69 just made a new post

you tapped the icon and saw the new photo. You couldn’t quite understand what it was about her but she had you hooked and entirely captivated. It wasn’t a crush but you always found yourself checking for new posts or streams.

Abby, known by her public name staygrounded was a gamer who streamed here and there. In a more a casual stream she eventually explained that her nickname was a jab by her friend when she asked for ideas and he said “staygrounded, get it? cause of your fear of heights?” and it just stuck by.

That wasn’t why she had blown up though. No it was due to her coming out as a lesbian and that fueled every female straight and not. She was after all, a tall muscular woman with beautiful blonde hair and a face with unique features that deserved appreciation in the form of oil paintings and perhaps a face seating

you shook your head trying not to let your mind fall too deep into hopeless thirsty thoughts and admired the new photo. a casual gym pic. Fuck she wasn’t even flexing her muscles or anything. she wore the baggiest grey sweatpants with a black hoodie and a black cap with her braided hair and the lower half of her face peaking through sitting on a bench casually

and yet you felt weak. you bit your lower lip and chewed on it a little

“Cotton????” your friends called out to you by your streamer nickname and snapped their fingers. you looked up feeling your cheeks heat up

“aaah did she post?”

“mhm” you nod excitedly and went back to looking at the photo. You tapped the share button and posted it on your story leaving a small note

“her <3”

not been shy of publicly “aPprEciAtiNg” her since she was hell of a popular figure and would for sure not see your reshare.you let out a sigh and june smirked

“what ails you my victorian maiden”

“I love women” you said dreamily and took a sip of your coffee

“Wish they loved you back” Cassie bit and you grabbed your pillow and went over to her “oh you’re dead” you barked and she laughed as you started playfully smothering her with the stuffed item.

“alright time for me to bounce” june said first and grabbed her things “my teacher will probably be up my ass for coming so late” she groaned and you looked at the time “yeah I need to also get going”

“sucks to suck. Ill go take a nap” Cassie said and grabbed her things.

you and June both had afternoon classes while Cassie was happily a drop out who did seasonal work and rested during winter. The two of you were very visibly jealous of her not having to deal with the pain of exams.

“Yeah yeah get over yourself” June said jabbing her at her sides and Cassie yelped running in front of her, June chasing her down the stairs and you being the last one to leave the apartment to lock the door.

•••

You were in class when it happened. Your week ended with a babging 3 hour lecture entirely dedicated to pattern making. You were ready to grab the scissors and stab yourself to end this. You friend also seemed to slowly wither away while your teacher remained as chipper as always

“Now regarding coats-“ she continued and you pushed your chair away from the desk softly getting up to grab fresh paper to start copying the notes she was starting to draw on the board

You spread it out on your desk and grabbed the ruler and pencil and started measuring a No.44 coat purposefully being slower than usual so that you wouldn’t have to do much work. Your brain was squeezed dry for the day and this class was always the most difficult

you grabbed your phone to take a picture of the finished measurements and pattern on the board to have it for later. You opened the camera and zoomed in ready to take a pic

staygrounded69 liked your story

came the first notification and you fumbled with your phone as it nearly fell off of your hands. You sat down on your chair and stared at the icon for a hard long minute not wanting to tap it and see just a fan account instead. You decided to stay delusional

staygrounded69 liked your post

staygrounded69 liked your post

a few minutes later came another few notifications and then that was it. You opened your page and tapped the username that led to her profile.

holy shit

it really was her

its fucking her

You breathed in quitting her page and tapping her username again still in disbelief. She saw your photos. She had specifically liked the ones with your face in.

“Refrain from using your phones in class” your teacher reminded you and you were snapped back into reality

right patterns

coats

you shoved your phone in your bag and tried to focus on the sheet in front of you. for the remaining half hour you faked working on the class assignment and pretending to draw lines and correct them and the second your professor dismissed you, you bolted out of the class and grabbed your phone and checked for any new notifications. There was none and you tried to ignore the soft pang of disappointment that filled your chest.

You did hope she would follow you back or something but that was ridiculous considering how famous she was and by your knowledge she only followed her friends the she hang out with outside her online careers which was a dreadfully low number of people meaning there was no reason for her to follow you

you called june “you won't believe what happened”

“Oh my god. Its about that hot beefy streamer isn’t it?”

“Yes yes it is!”

and you heard screaming on the other line till the mic peaked and muted her out entirely. You gave her a few moments of squealing till she was back on the line ready to question you

“spill. what happened? Did she see your story? did she reply to it?”

“alright no nothing that important but-“

“oh come onnnn”

“BUT!” you interrupted and she waited for you to continue

“but she liked two of my pictures. You know what this means? it means she went through my page and liked two of my pictures June!”

“Wow oh my she will propose to you. She is so in love oh god”

You kept hyping up each other’s delusions all the way to your bus station

“did she text you ? any other notifications?”

you pulled your phone away and checked your page.nothing new so far

“no nothing yet, oh my bus is here”

“alright keep me updated if anything happens”

you hung up and walked inside the vehicle and sat on a plastic seat daydreaming of every possible scenario between you and Abby. However the more you sat the more the high of the excitement wore off and the more you settled back into your usual sorrowful self

ok and? she liked your posts. hell she is probably a player and likes every cute girls posts

you thought and sank further into the seat drowning in the soft music playing from your headphones. you tapped your foot on beat and rested your head against the cold misty windows of the bus. You started lying to yourself pretending this didn’t affect you much and that you'd be over her by tomorrow

You walked back home and tossed your bag carelessly near the shoe rack while taking off your boots and coat in one go leaving them on the floor not caring to tidy up. You went to the sofa and turned on your ps4 feeling excited that you finally had a few hours to dedicate to yourself

You logged into assassin’s creed valhalla ready to continue. This was your third play through and the only game you refused to play on stream. You liked keeping it as a way to comfort yourself and disassociate. You were planning on eventually getting tge ¼ scale Eivor statue that cost the not so humble amount of 1,2k $. Until you were ready to commit to such an expense though you settled for seeing your favorite character in game and left the statue in your wishlist amongst the other figurines you wanted to get

in between enjoying the game you checked the time and remembered today was Abbys turn to stream. You hated to admit that you had purposely made a schedule around hers so that you wouldn’t miss any time she went live, good example being now. You unlocked your phone leaving her stream open waiting for it to start while simultaneously running around in the forest, leisurely exploring the areas in your game

“Hey everyone! Can you all hear me fine? musics not too loud?”

came abbys voice and you snapped your head to your phone looking at her. fuck she was wearing that grey sleevless tank-top again

“Todays stream will be more chill. thought we could just catch up and chat a bit. I ugh had a long day at the gym”

she continued in her usual timid tone. On first look you would never think a woman like her would be so damn shy but she was. Or maybe it was just the camera and audience that caused her to be a bit more chaotic. Its not like you knew what she really was like behind the lens.

“Oh hey Alice nice to see you again!” she said taking her time to greet most of the people viewing her

“Oh we have Nora and Manny in the chat too” she said with a soft laugh. Nora. Oh you knew Nora. Abby usually posted with two women. Both seemed to be friends with her but could equally be suspected to be her girlfriend. One was Nora. They went to the same gym together and often hung out on stream. The second one was Ellie. Another streamer who in the beginning had a very well known hatred towards Abby until one day they miraculously made up and started occasionally hanging out.

not that it mattered to you if either of them was dating Abby…

“Next games? hm..Im not sure. Any suggestions”

you hesitated. You were a silent watcher most days. actually you had never said a damn word other than a donation to her stream and when she called you by your username back then to thank you, you felt so embarrassed that you decided to be one of the lurkers in her stream. Must have been a year ago or so when no one knew you either so there wasn’t a big deal made out of your name being mentioned. You felt stupid for even considering that anyone knew you at all to care if you left a comment. Even in the slim chance that your audience overlapped no one would really bother making a big deal out of it

“Have you tried ac valhalla?” you looked at your comment again and again till deciding to press send and then wait

“yeah not sure about that one..” she seemed to be reading and expanding a bit on which games she considered giving it a go or not. You felt a bit of relief thinking your comment was lost in the sea of others and resumed your game only to pause it shortly after

“Cotton? heh, cute nickname…I haven’t tried any of the assassins creed games but Ill check it out” You heard and your hands started to shake in excitement your ears burning from the heat.

Its not like Abby had any unique accent but the way she said your nickname made you twirl your hair and giggle to yourself. You grabbed your phone again

“oh really? she is?” you heard abby say and you read the comments the excitement turning into plain horror and mortification when you saw people start to recognise you and tease you for recommending the game they had probably seen you continuously post on your stories for a year straight. You exited the stream in shame and gently put your phone on the coffee table continuing your game.

I will end it all for real

this was my last straw

By the time the embarrassment of this minor inconvenience wore off You were in the middle of finishing the Granterbridge arc when you decided to post another story with a short caption regarding the characters. Your phone slowly started going off with notifications with people responding to your story and being in a sour mood you decided to mute it and continue your game till you fell asleep on the couch. The only reason you woke up was because you actually had a really shitty sofa with the thinnest pillows that did nothing to shield you from the hard wooden planks beneath.

You groaned in pain and looked at the screen of your Tv. Your ps4 was on rest mode and at 4.00 am you couldn’t be bothered to do anything about that so you just grabbed your phone and walked to your bedroom quickly going through the unusually vast amount of notifications in case there was something from your friends that you had missed

you stopped in front of your bedroom door and rubbed your eyes. your mind was blank. it was 4.00 am

you read the notification again

staygrounded69: hi

••••

heres my ko-fi tip jar if you enjoy my work 🤍

[witchthewriter]

𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

⤷ gender neutral, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!    

Warnings: book & show spoilers

a/n: I’m trying to write the characters as a mixture of the book and show. Some of the characters act quite differently in the books and it’s a bit difficult to pin point their personality, but I hope I do them justice. Thank you for reading xx

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ      

𝑺𝑭𝑾🌿  

𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: Everyone is settling down into their own homes. I don’t care what is canon and what’s not.

𝐊𝐚𝐳

・Likes things to be in their place. If they aren’t where they left them than he goes into a bit of a tizzy

   “Y/n! Y/n I specifically left them right here and they aren’t right. Here. Where have they gone??”

  “No, you moved them because you thought they were too vulnerable sitting there. Look in the third shelf down to your left.”

*Does what you tell him to do* *is embarrassed* *thanks you but not above a whisper*

・You have a lot of nice things in your home, but the most expensive things are usually the jewels and the jewelry that Kaz has gifted you

・He has a lot of the same clothing, so when you open his side of the closet there’s just ... black ... oh and grey

・His cane is never too far from where he is

・Despises the idea of getting a pet

・And you have to beg and beg

・But none of it worked

・So you had to come up with a plan. It was quite manipulative but hey, how else would you have caught Kaz’s attention?

・The dog you have now was once a puppy who had “accidentally” followed you home

   “How did it follow you home? We live in Ketterdam, there are a million homes here.”

“I guess it liked...me...”

・He ordered it out

・But you didn’t listen and somehow, the pup had wiggled its way into Kaz’s heart

・He swore he wasn’t going to pick up any poops, but that too was a lie

𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚

・Once settled in, she comes to realise that she really enjoys the finer things in life

・Big bed, silks, many many pillows

・A big bath with hot water straight from the tap

・She adores a long hot bath, lots of bubbles, with lavender and chamomile, candles, and a good book to read - or just to lay there and soak

・She hates waking up early, but is the first one to crawl into bed (she just really likes being in bed)

・Has her own drawing nook - a desk near a big window where she can get natural light. Many types of pencils, quills, inks, etc. She draws people, memories, landscapes, dreams

・Her drawings are framed and are all over the house

・There’s also a library; a room with a cosy corner that has all kinds of books; fiction and non fiction - historical, religious, fantasy etc

・Oh and she adores having the fire going. She wants it on even if it’s barely even cold

・But she hates chopping wood, so when you tell her that it isn’t cold enough for a fire, she’ll go outside and use The Cut to get the wood.

・Loves when you braid her hair; loves it even more when you give her head a lil massage too

・She fusses over you whenever you’re sick. Making you soup, remembering remedies from her upbringing in the orphanage.

・If you burn yourself, cut or have any other injuries, she is constantly checking on it to make sure it doesn’t get infected

・She doesn’t mind doing the laundry - if it means you’ll fold afterwards

・There are a lot of different oils, perfumes, bath products, hair products all over the bathroom

𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢

・Yes, he is used to being treated like royalty

・But he’s also experienced life on a ship - and that isn’t pretty (at all...it’s quite awful)

・Yet he has seen his destiny as being a ruler, so the biggest change in both of your lifestyles is ... you

・You would have to learn how to live during court

・You couldn’t just leave your chambers in your pajamas (I mean ... you could but drama would start at court most definitely)

・Both you and Nikolai obviously share the same chambers, and actually you both have your own wing in the castle (So I guess you could just stay in your pajamas if you wanted)

・It’s basically having your own home - or huge apartment

・The majority of the decor is white with gold trimmings and accents. Nikolai said you could change whatever you want

・The castle is never quiet, and there are always people coming and going, but your chambers are very very quiet.

・Nikolai doesn’t snore but does talk in his sleep

・It’s nonsensical, but it’s usually about the dreams he’s having

・You have servants that come and clean up after both you and Nikolai

・When Nikolai is finished for the day, he trots up to your shared wing and slumps against the door once it’s closed

・He sighs undoing his buttons, but you like to be the one to do that

𝐈𝐧𝐞𝐣

・Still very quiet around the home, so you get used to seeing her in different parts of the house in a small amount of time

    “I swear, sometimes there’s two of you!” You once grumbled, while cleaning up a broken tea cup because she popped up out of nowhere

・Doesn’t like loud sudden noises, so you live a bit from civilisation. Not too far though.

・She gets on really well with cats

・You’d end up adopting two kittens that were the only survivors of a litter

・They were tiny, covered in fleas and skinny as can be. But you both fed them, bathed them and made sure they survived

・One is called Umbra, and the other Sol

・You both take on the styling of the home. Inej quite likes the cottage-esque look. However she does want to honor her heritage and there are a lot of colourful cloth that drapes across the ceiling

・Inej had Jesper insert a rod that holds a long silk cloth so that she can practice her acrobatic skills

・Jesper visits as often as he can, and is usually found hung over in the spare bedroom

・As does Nina, who likes to ask what’s for dinner hours before dinnertime (usually an hour after eating lunch)

・You own the land, with Inej’s name not involved - you didn’t want her to feel tied down. And that she could leave whenever she desired

・Although it’s Suli culture to be travellers, Inej said she did want to be apart of the deed and you were more than happy to change it

・Inej doesn’t sleep very often; she knows when her body needs it but other than that, she really cannot get to sleep

𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐬

・Loves the feeling of a cosy home

・Has actually gone off to cry because living with you in such a lovely, warm, safe environment made him overwhelmed with happiness

・I have this feeling that you would be the type of person to rescue animals and Matthias has to put on this ‘No we barely have enough to feed ourselves, we can’t look after these animals,’ but his stance changes so quickly

・So you have about five dogs so far

・But you still go into town and feed as many as you can

・Matthias thinks he’s in charge, but after a few months together he comes to realise that you will always be in charge

・He actually really enjoys gardening

・Has those well-planned and established herb gardens. The ones that are held in perfect square timber raised beds

・Matthias absolutely threw himself into gardening. Bought books about it, spoke to the elders in town about how to perfectly grow herbs. He was both fascinated and in need on something to focus on after the tragedy he had endured

・You encouraged him, but said he had to promise not to make a mess inside.

・Is a very loud snorer, and hogs the bed, as well as the sheets. It’s just easier to sleep underneath him - not that he would notice. Once his head hits the pillow almost nothing can wake him until morning

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚

・Safety; that’s what she wants, that’s what she desires most

・A place that she can let her guard down and not have to worry about being used

・She doesn’t like uninvited visitors, and has special locks on all the doors so no one can break in

・When you introduced the idea of a guard dog, she was apprehensive.

  “What if it can sense ... the darkness in me?”

“There is no darkness within you, Genya.”

・So you got a Cane Corso, a beast of a dog. That scared even Genya the first time she saw her.

・Is a very light sleeper, but once getting your pup, Genya let it sleep on the end of the bed

・Even now, after your dog, Neith, has grown to full size, she still sleeps at the end of your bed (you know exactly when she jumps up and when she leaves because the bed moves...significantly)

・When days seem especially difficult for Genya, you like to leave little notes around the house, reminder her of all the things you love about her

・She likes to wake up before you and move the hair from your face and just watch you sleep

・Isn’t the best at cooking, so you usually take up that job. But she does bake pretty well. Very good at making tea cake 

・Knows a lot about healing so you have a lot of herbs, spices, flowers, vegetables that aren’t for eating per say, but for when someone is sick or wounded 

・Genya hated mirrors for a while, until you helped her get over the change in her appearance. You helped her on the road to confidence and self love. 

・You’re both still involved in helping the Grisha so you see Zoya, Nikolai, Tolya, Tamar etc 

・Genya doesn’t really like having people at the house though. It’s her sanctuary where there are no reminders of The Darkling or the nichevoya

𝐌𝐚𝐥

・Wants a simple life

・Doesn’t care for anything fancy, so you’d be the one to arrange everything

・I can see him as a farmer

・Out in the country, living off the land, but never taking too much and giving back

・We know from the books that he ends up running the orphanage with Alina, living a simple life. Looking after kids who need a home - and I think he would do that whether he was with Alina or not (and in this case...obviously not)

・He would be content with a slow life with you

・But he also wants to be of use to the community; to give back

・So you spend your days finding jobs for people who need them - with the help of Nikolai. You do the paper work while Mal meets the people and waits with them until a horse and carriage arrive

・You also have a huge vegetable garden that you allow the community to use as they please

・In thanks they give you something; knitted blanket, baked bread etc

・You have cows, goats, sheep and horses

・There are stable hands that tend to the horses. Usually the young people from the village (both boys and girls alike)

・The milk isn’t just for you and Mal but you go into town and give it to the people who need it most

・You don’t live far from the village. In fact you can see your neighbours just by looking out the window. They may look far, but really it’s only a ten minute walk

・You also teach people how to read and write

・Mal is absolutely head over heels in love with you

・Always makes sure you feel protected and safe

・Is actually very sensitive and feels things deeply. That’s why sometimes he has to take time to process his emotions alone

𝐙𝐨𝐲𝐚

・We know that Zoya is destined for greatness, hence she would end up living in a castle

・But if not a castle than a quaint chateu will do

・Is a stickler for mess

      “There is no reason for there to be so much untidyness!”

・Has a lot of pictures/drawings/paintings of her family up around your home

・She always needs the bed to be made every day; if you’re the last to get out of bed than you have to make it

・You see a different side to Zoya; yes a softer side but also the undone, sloppy version of her. She actually didn’t let you see her like that until a month into living together

・If you snore she makes you sleep on the couch

・No. pets. She’s the one who wears the pants in this relationship and her decision is final

・Until you start feeding an old cranky cat who doesn’t stray far from your home. You name him, but keep him a secret and sneak him inside when Zoya is away

・She pretends not to notice and lets you have your hidden pet

・Although you’d think there would be servant or maids, that’s not the case. You and Zoya split the chores equally; she doesn’t want another person touching her things

・She actually colour co-ordinates her clothes; they’re in colour order and when she’s especially stressed she’ll do the same for yours

・When clothes are folded, they have to be folded neatly- 

・Is a very, very good cook. She makes these pastries with goats cheese inside that are to die for 

・Has a vanity with ridiculous amounts of make up. When she has a bit to drink she always wants to give you a makeover 

・Takes her coffee and tea very strong 

     “What’s the point of polluting it with milk and sugar?”

・Is the last to fall asleep and the first to wake, but she stays in bed for 20 minutes because she likes being so close to you 

・Whenever guests come over she is the perfect hostess. But if they overstay their welcome she won’t hesitate to tell them it’s time to leave

𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫

・IS SO DRAMATIC WHEN GETTING READY

   “This outfit worked better in my head”

・Wanted to have multiple mirrors in the bedroom so he could “see himself at all angles” but you told him “the fuck we are”

・He relented ... not without whining

・But Jesper’s clothes do end up EVERYWHERE

・He’s awful at picking up after himself in the clothing department

・But he does keep the bathroom really clean ???

・Even if it’s shaving or after a bathe, he’ll make sure it’s exactly how he found it

・Hates weird smells so he sprays perfume everywhere

・Liked the thought of living in the city to be close to the rest of the crows, so you accepted

・But you made him promise not to do anymore gambling -

・Your home is like an escape for Jesper

・Likes to go shopping with you. He likes picking out things so that you can match (you’re against it at first but ... also submit to it)\

・He always knows how to make you laugh, so whenever he forgets to do a chore he can wiggle his way out of it

・Will do all the grocery shopping and any errands you don’t want to do

・Also loves candles, especially scented ones but has been banned from having them burning unless you’re home too ...

・Moves around a lot in his sleep and has whacked you a few times

・Misses you whenever either of you are away. Keeps a piece of your clothing to smell

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

・Although he spends a lot of time at the Little Palace, he wanted a place where it was just you and him. Where he wouldn’t be disturbed by questions or problems.

・A lot of his focus is on his plans, but he keeps maps and the like all in one room

・He wants to keep the bedroom for ... bedroom activities. As well as all the other rooms for their proper uses

・Aleksander doesn’t want his ambitions to hinder your domestic life

・He hates overhead lighting

・Prefers candles or lamps

・Always buys you new clothes, new shoes, new accessories etc. Wants you to have the best of the best 

・And he gets headaches very easily so you have tinctures and remedies on hand as well as around the house

・He prefers the quiet, and too much noise overwhelms him

・Pets aren’t really his thing ... maybe a bird though, but it wouldn’t have to make much noise

・He does love horses though. And would spend hours on them if he could. Just galloping away, far from his troubles.

・Has a maid that comes and cleans the house

・The only time you’ve seen him truly peaceful is in sleep, but that’s only when the nightmares haven’t started 

・He wakes up a lot during the night and doesn’t want to wake you. But you’ve told him whenever that happens he’s more than allowed to wake you up. Being in your arms help him go back to sleep

・100% lets you steal the blankets, without ever complaining 

・He’s more likely to remember things than you are, so he makes/buys you a calender and writes down everything you’d need to remember 

𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐚

・Isn’t very tidy. There are a LOT of food crumbs (especially in the bed)

・Her hair is actually very long, she just keeps it up and out of the way, so you get to see Nina with her long hair down

・But you also find a lot of Nina’s hair ... everywhere

・She does like when you give her head scratches - a lot of golden retriever energy

・You’ve actually been collecting it to prove to her how much she sheds

・Is always hungry and asks if you want to get food nearly every hour and a half

・She’s not that bad of a cook, but you aren’t much better. So a lot of your food is bought rather than made

・Always makes sure you’ve had something to eat though, especially after a long day or after a big gig with the crows 

・You, Nina, and Inej have a close friendship; so Inej likes to ... appear ... in your house

・Most of the time it’s because of an injury. So you keep your storages stocked up just in case.

・But other times it’s for a sleep over! Eating, all sleeping in the loungeroom, telling each other stories and secrets

・You invite Jesper and Wylan aswell... and have asked Kaz but he always declines. Well actually he doesn’t even decline he just doesn’t say anything or show up 

・Is a heavy sleeper when you’re in the house. But when she’s alone she can barely sleep

・Always kisses you when you walk through the door and before you leave. It’s become a ritual and if it isn’t done then it’s bad luck

・Learns your little quirks. Like if you like your sandwiches cut diagonally or straight 

・Nina is very romantic

・She loves going on little dates with you. And always makes sure you have time for a date. At least once a month. Even if it’s just going out to eat and then taking a walk underneath the night sky

[bean-bean2000]

The Maid - Part 8

Pairing: Loki x reader

Warnings: Angst, mentions of violence, depression, mentions of suicide, despair, feeling trapped. Mentions of abuse and rape.

Please read at your own risk. Your own media consumption is not my responsibility. Please read and review the warnings before proceeding.

Thank you and enjoy!

Part 7

Series masterlist Main Masterlist

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You spin around the room, taking in your surroundings. You try pulling at the doors, but they're locked. You try the windows, they open but when you try pushing your hand out, an invisible wall materializes and keeps you in.

I can't blame him for not trusting I wouldn't jump....

What now?

Great... I swapped one cell for another... at least this one is luxurious

You sigh heavily as you flop onto the bed. The room is as large as the king's suite, with a joining bathroom. The closet alone in this suite is larger than any home you have ever stayed in.

Everything adorned the colours of Asgard, and of course Loki's emerald green and gold.

You go through the wardrobe, unsurprised to find it fully stocked with pristine gowns and attire fit for a royal.

This room is for a visiting princess or queen. He just put me here for now. I shouldn't get too comfortable...

You suddenly feel anxiety bubble within you.

Surely he will send me back to the maid's quarters... I'm not fit for such royal chambers... or chambers at all for that matter...I can't go back... not after what I just admitted to, i will be ostricized, treated and belittled far worse than ever before for being a traitor!

You begin to panic, circling the room while biting your nails and running your hands through your hair.

I have to get out of here!

You start pulling at the doors again but they won't budge.

Okay, you need to breathe. You take in a few deep slow breaths.

He said I'm safe here... just wait for him to come back... will he come back?

You go into the bathroom and wash your face with cold water to ground you. Admiring the bath tub you notice the intricate details on the tile floor. Standing back you notice they form a snake in the middle of the room.

You turn to the cupboard and notice the luxurious scented oils.

Surely I can take a bath? Will he be mad if I do? If I don't? Am I allowed or was I supposed to just stay in the room and wait for his return?

Before you can let your anxiety get the best of you, you turn the tap on and splash some lavender oils in the tub. You strip yourself of the silk pyjamas Loki provided earlier and soak in the tub.

You sigh as you realize you can't remember the last time you've been this relaxed and you were going to savour every second of it.

You scrub yourself down with the other multitude of bathing products stocked in the bathroom. Once finished, you slowly get out and brush out your wet hair. Relishing in the smell and the feel of how soft and clean it now is.

Going through the wardrobe, you can only find maiden night gowns, which you have always despised. You quickly pick up the green silk top and shorts that Loki originally gave you and put them back on.

You slip into the bed and sink into the soft mattress. Within seconds, you're asleep.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You wake up a few hours later to the sound of a crow cawing at your window. You groan as you sit up and stretch.

"Sleep well?" you hear a voice from the corner of the room. You scream in surprise and throw the first pillow you can grab towards the sound.

Loki chuckles and he dodges it "I think you're going to need more than a pillow if you really wanted to hurt me."

"I - sorry - I just- I thought I could take a bath while I waited and I - um this is inappropriate I'm sorry -" you ramble as you jump out of the bed and start making it.

"Stop." Loki interrupts your rambling.

" I never ordered you couldn't take a bath or nap or anything. You can do whatever you want. You're not a prisoner." he states slowly.

You look down sheepishly. Loki chuckles quietly again and sits up as he closes his book, from his position on the couch in the corner of the room.

"Lavender is my favourite too. I see you chose to keep my set of nightwear on rather than the ones provided..." a smug smirk forming on his lips and he looks you up and down.

"I - they were just more comfortable. I don't like night gowns." you admit to him, cheeks burning with embarassment.

"There are no rules here. You may do as you please. Whatever makes you comfortable. Do you like the room?"

Caught off guard by his warm approach and the casual conversation you reply but remain guarded.

"Yes. I do. It's bigger than any home I have ever been in."

"You don't trust me." he states matter of fact.

Shocked by his bluntness you stutter out your reply "I don't know what you want, your highness. I am but a maid."

"Oh, you are more than that, darling." he says to you as his eyes lock onto yours. Loki beings to approach you.

Nervousness waves over you. You swallow thickly.

He steps forward, once, twice... suddenly you get scared and take a step back, your arms circling your body. A defence mechanism.

"I understand the lengths at which you have helped me, your highness, and I know not what you desire in return. However, I cannot offer you my maidenhood... for it has been taken from me long ago..."

I will not be your toy to play with.

"Have I ever requested such? I know you are no toy, as you put it. I have never and will never treat you as such. Is that all you think you are worth?" Loki questions.

"Wait... I never said that out loud. How did you know what I was thinking?" you question him, your brows furrow.

"You forget I am a God, darling. I did not mean to read your thoughts, they're sometimes so loud I can hear them." he explains to you.

"Now, you never answered my question. Is that all you think you are worth? Is that all you think I want?" he asks you again.

You shift on your heels, "I have nothing else to give you in return." you reply quietly.

"I ask for nothing in return. I have a debt to pay you, for what you have endured within my castle's walls, which should have never happened to begin with. I am indebted to you." Loki says slowly.

You begin to stutter, unable to form a reply.

"When you said your maidenhood was taken from you long ago... taken is a precise word to use..."

"I know what I said. It has always been taken from me... it was never wanted... not once..." you whisper. You feel tears forming and quickly blink them away.

"I see..." Loki says, hands behind his back and he taps his foot on the tile floor.

"I would like for us to have an arrangement." he declares. "And before you interrupt and assume anything, hear me out. I only want you as my personal maid; and as the kings personal maid you will not stay in the maid's quarters as they are unfit. You will stay here, in these chambers, beside me."

You blink at him with a blank stare. "Um, I -..Yes, your highness -" you reply, knowing no other answer would be accepted anyway.

"Loki.. just Loki, please." he says to you as he walks closer and puts his hand over yours.

For a moment your eyes lock and you feel this spark jolt through your body. Electrifying to the point where goosebumps formed on your arms and you both jolt your hands back in surprise.

You shiver and wrap your arms around yourself.

Loki stares at his hands for a moment and hesitates.

"Care for some lunch?"

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Part 9

Let me know what you all think of the story so far!! Feedback is welcome!

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[russellsppttemplates]

I'm with you all the way (Mick Schumacher)

Baby Aurora is ready to make her entrance to the world

Note: english is not my first language. this is another long piece that I hope you enjoy (I've had this one planned for a bit and I'm so happy I'm finally publishing it)! Also, of you're looking for more pieces of dad!Mick, I also have some pieces on my masterlist where they become a family of four and some other moments too! (You can read the latest one here!)

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Tw: pregnancy and childbirth

Your night routine, especially when Mick was home, had turned into a ritual that he would not do without. Like so, you were laying on the bed already, having done your skincare and brushed your teeth, your loose pyjama top resting just under your boobs while Mick also got ready.

Grabbing the bottle of bump oil, he dosed the right amount on this hands and spread the product on your skin, "you know, today was the last day at the factory before winter break, and everyone was hoping you'd pay them a visit as soon as it was possible. And you got some gifts too, we now have a few team onesies for you, and they also said they would get a pair of headphones ready for when you attend your first race", he smiled kissing the skin above your belly button, "I'm sure that's going to be an eventful day", you chipped in. This routine had been pretty early on and it always allowed Mick to feel closer to his babygirl. He would usually tell her all about his day, random thoughts he had and discussions you would have about certain topics, "did you feel okay today?", he asked, laying his head near your bump but looking up at you, "yes, I mean, at this stage there's always a degree of discomfort, but I've been okay. Spent most of the day changing a few things around and I also cooked a big batch of food to put in the freezer", you added, brushing his blond hairs with your fingers.

You think you managed to sleep about four hours until you were woken up from the pain on your hips and your lower back. They were once than cramps but still tolerable, yet they were keeping you from sleeping all way through the night. They became a lot more frequent, around forty minutes between each of them, leaving you like you were standing on a tightrope: you'd be woken up from the pressure, it would relieve and you'd do your best to fall asleep, only to be woken up by the pressure again and repeat the cycle.

By the time morning rolled around, Mick woke up at his regular hour, turning to face you, "good morning, liebling", he croaked out, his hand landing on your bump with soft strokes, "morning, my love", you yawned, "I did not sleep all that well, I think I might cut out of watching you work out today", you apologised, "it's okay. Take sometime to rest, yeah?", he cuddled you for a little, "but what happened?".

Appreciating the way his body heat was feeling against your skin, you snuggled further into him, fingers tracing shapes on his chest, "I have this pressure on my hips and lower back, I don't even know if they're contractions. In my head, it makes sense that I would feel those in my belly, right? Because of how the baby is coming out? I don't know, I just know I barely slept", you pouted, feeling Mick's lips on your forehead, "maybe it's just some Braxton-Hick contractions", he mumbled, moving his hand to soothe the areas you had complained about.

When you got up to use the toilet in hopes of going back to bed when you noticed some blood, making you finish your business and meet Mick in the home gym, "I thought you were going to sleep? Are you alright?", he wondered, not expecting to see you there, "I had a tiny bit of blood on my underwear and I have just texted my OB about it, maybe it is my mucous plug? And those were in fact real contractions, so maybe there's that", you told him, "but I feel fine, like any other day, Rora has kicked and everything, no now we just wait", you finished, grabbing a comfy chair you had in the gym for the purpose of sitting while your husband worked out. A lovely view, one might had.

"What did she say?", Mick questioned as he set the weight back on the stand, having heard the notification on your phone going off, "she is advising that we go to the hospital to get checked out, and that she'll call me later", you read, setting your phone down, "so maybe after this, we have breakfast and then you pack the rest of your things?", you suggested, earning a nod from Mick, "I can finish now, there's no need to-", your husband began tidying up, "no need for that. I'm feeling fine, genuinely. And, besides, you were just going to do some squats, right? Mama wants to see that", you giggled, tapping his butt when he walked past you, shaking his head from side to side at your comment.

Despite the initial hurry Mick felt, you were able to do things like you normally would, commenting many times how you actually felt pretty okay and if you should really go to the emergency room, "better be safe than sorry, liebling", Mick offered as he finished putting the last things on his hospital bag, "I'm packed, do you need me to get you anything from upstairs?", he asked one last time before he went upstairs to get the phone chargers.

When you go the hospital, you went straight to the CTG room where they would monitor the contractions and the baby's heartrate, talking to Mick and every healthcare professional that walked in time to time just to check that everything was okay, "is it painful?", your husband asked, "a little bit of pain comes whenever I feel the pressure, but other than that, it's the same as any day", you explained, squeezing his hand that was holding yours.

When the doctor on call looked at the paper that was coming out of the machine, she decided to do an observational exam, "your cervix is still in a posterior position, and it's closed still. You are in early labour, yes, and you did very well in coming here today, but this is going to take a few days. You've only had two contractions while you were here as well. So maybe next week something should occur", she smiled.

"Is there anything we can do now?", Mick asked, a little bit more relieved that everything was fine, "just take this time to rest", she offered, bidding you goodbye as you, too, made your way back home.

Back home, you and Mick spent the afternoon in the sofa, only getting up when you needed the bathroom or when you wanted to eat or drink water, Angie cuddled up next to you. While the pain remained at the same tolerable level, it was around dinner time that you began to feel it around every 20 minutes.

The night had proven to be even harder. If you had only slept a little bit the previous night, tonight you couldn't sleep at all. The contractions were coming along every four to ten minutes, and the pain had increased significantly. You went to sleep at ten at night, given your tiredness, and now three hours later, you were past the point of not wanting to bother Mick, "Mick, my love, wake up please", you called, shaking his body softly and firmly at the same time, seeing him open his eyes, "what's wrong?", he croaked out, "I can't sleep because the pain just got a lot lot worse, and I don't think I can be here. And I'm probably in labour", you muttered between another contraction, "let's go then", he said, getting up and helping you up too, putting on something a little more decent other than pyjama shorts and a sleeping gown for you.

The bags had ready been in the car from your trip this morning, making Mick only grab the chargers and head out with you, "Angie, mama is going to the hospital, and by the looks of it, your sister will be home soon", you held the dog's snout on your hands before kissing her, almost noticing weariness in her eyes, after all, her humans were not usually up at this time of the day. "Shall we go then?", Mick asked, guiding you to the car after petting the dog's head.

Driving to the hospital was fine, your body recoiling a little bit whenever you felt another contraction, "we're nearly there, liebling", your husband conforted, his hand squeezing yours on top of your thigh. Sensing his worry, you looked to calm him down a little, "Hey,", you squeezed him hand back , "So far everything is good, and we're finally gonna meet this little lady. So until we have to, let's not worry, okay?", you finished as he parked near the entrance of the hospital, "I can walk from here".

Mick flashed you his dashing smile, leaving his side and going around the car to help you out once he put on the backpack and slung the other bag over his shoulder, "Let's go then", he said, somehow managing to lock the car and support your lower back, along with the bags, along to the door.

Your midwife, Caroline, was already waiting for you at the entrance, "I was just going to ask if you needed help, but you look like you're just fine!", the older women exclaimed once she saw Mick, "perks of being an athete, I guess", he chuckled nervously, "where do we sign in?", he asked once he sat you in one of the wheelchairs as comfortable as you could be.

"Hi liebling, how are you handling it?", he asked as soon as he walked inside the room after filling in all the paperwork, seeing you already in a hospital gown and your OB typing things on her iPad, "I'm good, they're getting stronger, but I'm handling it, I think", you smiled, happy to have him back with you. "Hi, everyone. Sorry, I just came in and didn't even greet everyone", he blushed, "That's okay, don't worry. Like I said to Y/N, she is 4 fingers dilated, so this little one is coming out today", she smiled, "if you need anything, please call someone, okay?", she said before herself and the rest of the team eventually left you two in the room.

"I hate seeing you like this", Mick mumbled against your skin, kissing your sweaty forehead, "it's part of the job, but yes, if there was a way I could give you some of this discomfort, I would give you since you're offering", you said back, chuckling a little before groaning at another contraction, opening your eyes when it finished when you noticed two yoga balls, "I want to go on the ball, I want to try it", you pointed, your husband promptly helping you to do so and grabbing the second one so he could sit and be at your eye level, "I love you, Y/N", he said once he got comfortable, holding your hands in his as you rocked your hips from side to side, "I love you too, so much, Mick. We're finally going to meet our babygirl", you said, "we are, my love. And it's all because of you", he recognised, gulping when he saw you bracing yourself for another contraction, "it took the two of us to do the deed", you attempted to pull a smile out of him, failing by a small margin as only the corners of his lips lifted up and smiled a tight lipped one, "yet you're the one-", he attempted but you shushed him, "None of that. You're being amazing, and I would like some kisses and I don't fancy them if they're not from you", you smirked, seeing him smile a genuine one this time.

Later, you wanted to move to the bed as the tiredness began washing over your body. If this was what happened after two sleepless night, the newborn phase was going to be interesting to go through.

"Here, careful, I'll call someone, yes?", Mick said, the crease between his eyebrows back on his handsome face. The room door opened and Caroline walked in, "how are we doing, Y/N?", she asked softly, approaching you, "I'm okay-ish, they're picking up now, like a lot", you mentioned, "Mick was just about to call someone", you yelped.

"It's 5 am, so you could be going along well. Let me check you, please", she urged, helping you scoot down down on the bed, "okay, you're about 8 to 9 fingers dilated, good job Y/N!".

"You're doing so well, liebling", he mumbled against your skin, "I'm going to check with the OB, but looking how this is going, you should expect to be wheeled into the birthing room in an hour or so", she smiled, typing the new informations on her iPad before leaving you two.

You opened your arms, your husband taking the hint immediately and sitting on the edge of the be, one leg next to your while the other supported him on the floor, his hands soothing your pains around your hips and back area, "does your bump hurt?", he asked as he scattered a few kissed everywhere he could reach, "I don't think I can tell apart the areas where it hurts, it's just my whole torso", you said and immediately regretted it, sensing his tension grow at his helplessness, "but your hands are doing a good job at distracting me, and I appreciate that a lot", you soothed him, hopefully, the feel of his fingers and his scent calming your own body despite everything that was going on.

Between shared affections, words of encouragement and even a video call from Corinna, the time came for you to be wheeled into the birthing room, doctors and nurses ready to.

Your body was urging you to push and you complied. Holding Mick's hand, he helped your support your torso when your strenght was giving out, "C'mon, Y/N, you're doing an incredible job!", Caroline urged you while Mick mumbled into your ear, "a few more pushes and Aurora will be here with us", he encouraged, "you're doing so well, my love, I'm amazed at you".

It took you three big pushes until your baby girl was out in the world. Leaning back against the pillow, you felt Mick kiss the side of your head until your senses focused on the new noise, a high pitch scream from your daughter, "she's here, Y/N, congratulations mama and papa", Caroline said as she placed the baby on your chest.

A head full of blond hair, the softest of chubby cheeks ever and eyes wide open just taking in the world around her, quietly calming down as soon as she felt your skin on her. You briefly looked at Mick and, like you, tears were running down his face as he kept caressing your shoulders and whispering praises and "thank you"s on your ear, his finger coming up to touch his daughter's soft cheek.

"Look at her, she's so tiny", you whispered, kissing the top of her head and looking at your husband again, kissing his lips chastely while the medical team waited for you to deliver the placenta, checking if everything was going like it was supposed to.

After a few minutes of admiring her, Caroline approached you, "you're all set, Y/N, everything looks good and it should heal nicely. Now, we need to take this little lady to check everything with her, okay?", she asked as one of the nurses held out her arms, making your extend your own so she could grab her.

Mick looked at you like you hung the moon and the stars just for him on a regular basis, but at that moment, it was more than that. You gave him the start of his own family, a little girl who had captured his heart the moment you told him you were expecting and new opportunities to form memories.

"I love you so much. Thank you for not letting me give up", you whispered and you kissed his hand that was caressing your cheek and brushing the hairs out of your eyes, "You've made me a father, there's, again, no words to thank you for that".

Seeing your husband holding the baby your love created really was a whole thing. Hormones were flying around since you had given birth, and now back in the room, watchinh your husband being the most attentive ever to your little girl was the last drop. While Caroline checked your vitals and made sure everything was healing nicely, you couldn't stop looking at Mick walking around with Aurora tucked into his chest, his hands holding her against him while he spoke soflty, "and after Opa Michael, there's Oma Corinna, she has been so excited since she knew you were coming, she's going to be enamoured of you, I just know it. I think she's making her way here, actually", he smiled as he turned to you, seeinh you nod, "they're going to spoil you so much, little one", he said before placing a kiss on top of his daughter's head.

"Do you want to do some skin to skin with her? Babies enjoy it a lot, especially when they're this young", Caroline pointed out.

There, that was the last straw, "sure!", Mick said enthusiastically, settling the baby on your chest so he could take his shirt off, "there we go", Caroline helped him place his hands around her small body. And that was a sight you would happily watch all day, every single day, making you grab your phone so you could save the moment forever, "you're both very enamoured with your little one, as expected, so I'm going to leave you. Call if you need anything", Caroline excused herself.

"You know, I'm very happy that she's here safe and sound, but I'm also very happy that my body is preventing me from having another kid right away because right now it sounds great, even though my rational self also knows it would be crazy, doable, but crazy", you mused, looking at Mick and seeing him watch you, "and as I was saying, because mama seems to have forgotten that there are little ears in the room, me and mama are sure to love on you any moment of your life, that is a promise we've made long ago and that we intend to keep forever", he gulped, looking back at you to kiss your forehead, "rest up a little bit, liebling, me and Rora are going to catch up".

[captivatingcherub]

My 🤍Vanilla Scented🤍 Everything Shower

Hello, my dears! This is kind of a step-by-step guide/how to on my shower routine :) my favorite compliment to get is that I smell good and since doing this I get that at least once a day! My go to is Vanilla or Coconut scents! I usually do a combination of the two <3

1. Before your shower

I personally believe you have to set the vibes of your shower first, I don’t always listen to music while I shower, sometimes I just like to take that time to think, but if I do I set up my phone/speaker in the shower, make sure I have a towel to dry my hands if I need, and find a playlist!

I also love incense, candles, or essential oils while I’m showering! If I have a headache or I’m not feeling good I’ll use essential oils that target that kind of thing and I find the steam + oils really helps!

2. Shampoo

I like to go top to bottom when I shower! I find it makes me feel the cleanest! So step one is shampoo, I still have not found the perfect shampoo and conditioner for me yet (if anyone has any recommendations please lmk) I’m using the Tresseme Keratin one right now but I want to try more!

Double cleanse your hair!! After I shampoo and rinse the first time I go right back in and shampoo again! Some people use two different shampoos, I would like to do that but I haven’t found any I love enough yet. This makes your scalp so clean and my hair is on the thinner side and I find that this makes my hair look less weighed down after day 1!

3. Hair Mask (Twice a Week)

I use a bunch of different hair masks, usually for different things (damage repair, hydration, elasticity) but it’s totally up to you! I feel like hair masks are so treatment based you really have to find which one works for you and your hair type/hair needs.

Leave the mask in for 5-10 minutes, we’ll do the next couple steps with it sitting in your hair!

Tip: keep a claw clip or hair tie in the shower so you can keep your hair up while it absorbs the product!

*If you don’t use a hair mask put your conditioner in at this step and leave in to soak into your hair the same!*

4. Wash #1

Double cleansing is everything to me, when I tell you like two years ago I was trying everything to smell good, it’s embarrassing lol but I was struggling because I didn’t know what to do + I have rather sensitive skin that reacts to some products in a less than great way so I have found that double cleansing everything helps so much!

For this first wash I use an antibacterial bar soap! Specifically the Dial antibacterial one but you can use whatever you want, this came in a huge pack and I’m only like halfway through lol. I know people love Dove and I want to as well but as far as I know they’re big time Z**nists and I try to avoid!

So yeah, brand of soap doesn’t really matter to me as long as it’s an antibacterial one! That will get rid of the bacteria that produces BO

5. Shaving Time

I know not everyone shaves but I love have smooth legs so this is how I do it!

First, I’ll go in with a scrub! There are a few I like (Tree Hut has great ones and a million scents to choose, Bath and Body Works has some, they’re not my favorite but they work, I really like the OGX coconut coffee one, not expensive and smells great!)

Then, shaving cream! If I’m out of shaving cream I’ll use conditioner instead but you just want something to kinda lube up your legs before you shave lol. As for shaving creams I’m not too picky, I really like the EOS vanilla shaving cream and I’ll get that when I can but I don’t find that the smells sticks around from it so whatever shaving cream works best for you!

Finally, the shaving, I use a 3-5 blade razor, usually the generic brand from Target lol but I find they work really well and I hardly ever get cuts from them! Anything less than 3 blades I find myself getting nicked way more!

6. Conditioner!

So, after you shave, you wanna rinse the hair mask out completely and apply your conditioner! (I’ve been using the matching Tresseme Keratin conditioner but again I’m not obsessed with it)

*if you skipped the hair mask step you can either keep your conditioner in for longer or rinse it out at this step!*

I like to leave my conditioner soaking in my hair same as the mask making sure to get the ends of my hair really well!

7. Brush your Teeth

Some people think I’m crazy for this but I way prefer to brush my teeth in the shower, plus it gives me something to do while I wait for various hair products to soak in haha, idk if anyone cares about what I use but I use an electric toothbrush and usually Crest Whitening toothpaste!

I also do this every day, not just in the shower but scrape your tongue! It helps keep my mouth feeling clean and fresh all day I cannot recommend enough!

8. Rinse your Hair

Get all the conditioner out! It’s healthiest to rinse your hair in cold water and I really do feel a difference in the smoothness and moisture in my hair when I do but it’s hard lol so if you can do a cold rinse (or better yet rest of your shower) that would be best, I usually turn it to a lower warm and pretend it’s doing the same thing lol

9. Wash, wash, wash your face

Now that my hair is clean and all the product is out of it I move on to washing myself, you want to make sure you get all the product residue from your hair off of you! That’s a huge cause of body acne and irritated skin!

I wash my face first, I like the cleansers from The Ordinary and Good Molecules but keep in mind I don’t really struggle with acne, in fact I have pretty dry skin so I try to go for more moisturizing ones! What is good for my face might not be what you need :)

Oh what’s that? You thought we were done? Nope! Wash your face again! Double cleansing saves my skin but kills my wallet lol! I wear makeup and sunscreen and touch my face all day, I want to make sure I’m getting all of that off and then ALSO cleaning my skin underneath! It has made a huge difference in the way my skin both looks and feels!

10. Body Wash!

Last step! Grab your body wash of choice! I have been using Bath and Body Works Madagascar Vanilla scent but I like pretty much any vanilla scented body washes! Then, I take a loofah and scrub my whole body, making sure to get my back and legs because the run off from the conditioner isn’t good to leave on and will clog your pores!

11. Out of the Shower

Ok! Now that you’re all done in the shower I thought I’d tell you about my post shower smell good process because it’s just as important lol. I start with a body lotion (I use a matching Vanilla scent to my body wash) I hear putting body oil on first then lotion makes your skin super soft but I haven’t tried yet!

Anyways, put the lotion EVERYWHERE, arms, legs, chest, stomach, feet, get your whole body nice and smooth!

I use a body/hair mist, right now it’s the Tropical Vanilla one from Pacifica and I put that in my hair and all over the lotion while it absorbs!

Then for deodorant, literally the only one that works for me and doesn’t give me a rash is the Secret Clinical Gel, it smells like nothing, I wish I could use one that smells good but unfortunately my body hates them :/

Lastly! Purfume/purfume oil! My favorites are Sweet Cream and Fresh Cashmere by Philosophy and I’m using the Creamy Coconut perfume oil by Kuumba Made!

All done! Thank you so much for reading! I hope this helped or you at least found this fun! Have a good one <3

[cocoatonedcurls]

curly hair 101

hii :))

since "curls" is literally in my username, its only natural that I post about something for the curly girls :D

so why not start with a beginner's guide to curly hair :)

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in this guide

hair types/ curl patterns

wash day routine + products

regular hair care

hair styles + cuts

hair types

soo first of all i think its helpful if you get a gist of what hair type you have, e.g 2c, 3b, 4b etc...

its not mandatory and doesn't really mean anything but like it definitely aids when you're looking for haircair & inspo with hairstyles and haircuts and all that jazz 🤗 [ <- jazz hands :) ]

here's a chart to help you

obviously do some of your own research if you're unsure- this isn't very in-depth and doesn't use irl examples

also keep in mind that you can have multiple, and a wide range of types on one head LOLL like mine ranges from 2C -> 3C 🫣

(PS: this guide will be tailored to type 2 -> 3 hair just because that's what I have experience with and don't want to potentially ruin anyone's type 4 hair 😭 but if aspects of this apply then feel free to apply them 😇)

wash day routine + products

alrighty so i see some overcomplication/people being scared of curly hair washing- like looking at porosity and whatnot but IMO its really not that difficult

the only thing you really need to worry about for the washing aspect is getting moisturising (curly recommended) shampoo & conditioner, just cause if you don't it could dry out your hair and have a pretty dodgy finished product 😬 (I use Umberto Giannini for this)

washing is pretty standard:

wet your hair thoroughly, so that no part is dry

shampoo round 1, make sure to scrub thoroughly to get rid of any dirt and grime 🙈

rinse

shampoo round 2, this should turn your hair into its own bubble bath 🫧

rinse

condition, rake through your hair and make sure it is everywhere

let sit for a little bit, ~2 mins maybe

rinse

and thats it :))

don't use a regular towel, use a microfiber towel if you're using one at all so that all the moisture isn't drained from your hair before the rest of the products

now for the curly hair routine:

start with leave-in conditioner and run it through the entirety of your hair - I use Garnier leave-in, like the big tub

then run some curl cream through your hair and scrunch it in, make sure there is an even application throughout all the hair - I use the Shea Moisture curl cream

~ this next bit is optional because its a gel cast + styling but honestly id totally recommend going the extra mile for it cause it holds your curls for longer and makes ur hair softer ~

apply curly gel to your hair and scrunch it in, I use Aussie curl gel

for styling, I take the middle -> top sections of my hair, take some extra gel and finger coil the curls

let your hair air dry or diffuse

once completely dry, take some hair oil and scrunch it through your hair and separate any coils, I use argan oil

then you're done :))

regular hair care

there isnt really much to say here tbh

only that

if you need to refresh your curls, you should be able to do it just by finger-coiling with water

DON'T brush your hair while dry, it causes breakage

if you sweat, your hair will most likely get frizzy

to tie your hair use a scrunchie

sleeping with a bonnet helps reduce frizz but icl I don't 🫣

hair styles + cuts

okay let me preface this section by saying PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEE do some research about curly stylists in your area, I promise it will be worth it because curly hair cutting requires special training (despite the fact we've probably all cut our hair ourselves at some point 🙈)

now here are some things I usually ask for in a haircut:

a trim off the edges to keep my hair healthy (I have hair down past my shoulders)

2 or 3 layers to keep volume around my head so it doesn't look like a flat landslide...

some long bangs at the front to frame my face

obviously thats just me so do some extra research and see what you'd like

not much, but here are some hairstyles i usually do for everyday wear:

hair down (obviously 🤗)

high ponytail/bun with a few curls at the front

half up half down with a few curls at the front

thats basically all the basics 🙃

i know its hard to start on a curly hair journey especially if you don't know what you're doing, so if you are (or aren't) i hope this was able to help you in some shape or form 🫶🤗

- li 🌘

[sharks-n-bones]

FLOYD IS FINALLY HERE!!

Sorry it took so long, guys!! I was kinda struggling with this one and work has been kicking my ass 😭 Anyways!! Without further adue, I give to you

Floyd

- This boy is not a survivalist but he's trying his best

- He was still doing his solo career when the world began to flood. Like most, he didn't realize how serious it was at first. He didn't realize until he found the concert venue he was supposed to preform at completely submerged

- He started heading for higher ground. He figured if the water kept rising, he'd have to make a raft. He'd make a boat, but he'd never made one before, and a raft seemed like it'd be a bit easier

- When he got far away enough from the rising water, Floyd set about building his raft. He got some help from a few other trolls that were in the area, which he greatly appreciated

- He finished his raft just as the water got close enough to brush against the edges of it. So he made sure everything was tied down, pushed his raft into the water and set sail

- Floyd was proud of his raft, honestly. He'd built an awning to protect himself from the sun and the rain, a little water purifier made from branches, stones and a couple palm leaves, a small cooking pit made with stones and branches and some metal he'd found, and a couple storage containers. He'd also managed to make himself a comfortable bed! Overall, he was happy with his raft

- Sailing was honestly pretty nice. Storms were a bit rough on the raft, but he was usually able to find an island afterwards and was able to fix any damage. He'd even made a couple growth plots for fruits and vegetables! He may not be a survivalist, but he at least knew he needed at least a somewhat balanced diet if he didn't wanna get scurvy

- He spent most of his time at different islands. Once he found one, he'd stay there for a week or two, relaxing in the water and gathering resources until he eventually had to set sail again. He would just live at one of the islands for a while, but he wanted to find his brothers and make sure they were alright. It'd been so long since he'd seen them, and he missed them. Sailing on his own was lonely, too, and his brothers would be good company. (He also never forgot the promise he'd made to Branch about returning to him)

- He spent a couple months doing this little routine of his. Sail for a while, find an island, relax and gather resources for a few weeks, set sail, rinse and repeat. Occasionally, a couple techno trolls would peak up from the water and offer him some help, which he often took them up on, if for nothing else than some company and conversation. It was peaceful, but he couldn't wait to find his brothers

- He also noticed a few things as he sailed. For on, he got this awful rash on his neck. He's found some plants on a couple islands that helped with the itching and soreness, but no matter what he did, it wouldn't go away

- He also noticed how dry his skin would get. Going in the water helped a lot, and he was working on trying to make lotion out of coconut oil. Surprisingly enough, his hair and fur was looking better than ever, despite him not being able to use any products other than coconut oil since the flood started

- Eventually, another techno troll came out of the water and struck up a conversation before noticing the rash on his neck. The troll went quiet for a moment before asking to see Floyd's hands. Confused but curious, Floyd complied

- The ocean troll spread Floyd's fingers and his face looked like a strange mix between relief and somber. That was when Floyd took notice that the webbing between his fingers looked ever so slightly longer

- When Floyd asked if the techno troll was alright, they sighed and told him a legend. A legend of sirens and their history with technos. A legend of how they were locked away after the elder technos feared their powers. How they'd escaped their prison around the same time the flood hit. Of how they pumped the ocean full of a deep and ancient magic that altered the bodies of those who lived on land to better help them adjust and survive life in the ocean

- Floyd had been surprised, and rightfully so. He looked at the webbing between his fingers in a whole new light. Soon enough, he might not even need his raft to survive. It was strange to think such a thing was possible, but the proff was right there in the changes that were already occurring to Floyd

- He was sailing again, looking for another island or any ships that his brothers could possibly be on, when a huge storm hit. It was an intense one, he'd never sailed through one so big! He furled his sail and held on tight, trying to keep things together

- Then, he spotted a ship. A troll in a cloak and scarf peered over the edge and asked if he was alright. Before he could respond, though, a huge wave made contact with his raft and crushed it to splinters, throwing him and everything else into the dangerous waves

- He coughed and spluttered as he tried to keep his head above the water. He was a good swimmer, but he doubted anyone but techno trolls could swim in these waves. His head dipped below the water again when he felt strong arms wrap around him and pull him to the surface. He gasped for breath and the next thing he knew, he was laying on the deck of the mysterious stranger's ship

- He coughed and spluttered as he caught his breath, and the feeling of fabric being placed on his shoulders made him look up. The stranger had wrapped his scarf and cloak around Floyd and was now fishing for the remains of his raft with his hair. The troll had a strong build and muted colors, with purple skin and blue hair that faded to green at the tips

- Floyd stood right as the stranger hauled the last of what he could onto the boat. Floyd thanked him, and the stranger offered him a smile. He introduced himself as Creek, and Floyd introduced himself in return

- Creek helped him grab his supplies before leading him to the lower levels of the ship. He made some food and cocoa to warm them up, and they got to talking. Floyd learned that Creek had been a survivalist before the flood, living on his own in the woods. Floyd mentioned how he was just working on his solo career when the flood hit

- Slowly but surely, they grew closer and built a routine. Floyd was good at fishing, so he caught a lot of their food while Creek would forage when they reached an island. He taught Floyd a lot about foraging and surviving, and Floyd appreciated it

- Floyd also helped make repairs to the ship when needed. He learned quickly how to make, fix and repair things while on his raft, and fixing up Creek's ship was the least he could do after he'd saved his life

- When they weren't busy working and gathering supplies on islands, they'd relax — either on the deck of the ship or in the water, just overall having a good time. Creek's company was nice. He had a calming sort of atmosphere around him that Floyd couldn't help but enjoy

- One day, as they were sailing, they came across an absolutely massive ship. It was so big that other ships were able to dock to it. Hell, there were even areas for troll-sized ships to dock! Curious, they decided to dock and board. Creek had put on his cloak and scarf, covering his face and hair. Floyd asked why, confused, and Creek said he'd explain some other time. Floyd didn't push it

- After traveling up an elevator to the main deck of the ship, their eyes simultaneously widened. It was a floating restaurant on the sea! No wonder people were docking here

- They walked around for a bit, just exploring, before they found an area on the bar for trolls to sit and eat and decided to head there. After finding and empty table and sitting down at it, a vacationer who introduced herself as Brandy handed them a couple menus before stating that her husband would be around shortly to take their orders

- It didn't take Floyd long to find out what he wanted to try, and once Creek had also decided, they fell into an easy conversation. They spoke about the flood, the weather, the islands they'd visited before they met, anything and everything

- Then, a voice spoke up from beside them. An oddly familiar one. The voice was asking what they'd wanted to order before Floyd glanced up and they both paused. Blue skin that matched his own. Purple hair. Same smile. Floyd grinned and leapt out of his chair to hug the troll. One of the ones he'd been searching for. One he hadn't seen in 20 years.

- “Spruce!!”

[artfullheart]

Laundry Tips

I've been meaning to make an extensive list of tips as someone who worked in a laundromat. Some basics and a few things I noticed not many people know. This is also coming from someone who learned to take care of my clothes early on to save money cause we're all broke here, so these tips also save you money:

•If you're not sure how to separate colors, have 2 piles, lights and darks/brights. Obviously black clothes and bright colors like red or yellow should be separate from whites. But when you get any color clothing that's not a light color, or if you're not sure if it counts as "light", take a corner of the item and run it under warm water, then squeeze the water out and check if the water comes out with dye. If it does there's a high chance it will bleed dye on your clothes, so wash it with the darks.

•You do not need brand laundry detergent. Any laundry detergent will do. I experimented with a few brands and all brands cleaned just fine. Just know, if you use powder detergent, check the instructions because most have to be used with warm or hot water.

•Don't use that much soap. You're using too much. More soap doesn't mean more clean, the measurements on the container are made to be the exact amount you need. More soap means the machine has to work harder to rinse it out and you get soap residue more than likely, which can make you itchy or make allergies worse.

•You don't really need to wash anything in hot water regularly. Cold water is fine for most things, and makes your clothes last longer. You only really need hot water for things you clean less frequently or things that need disinfecting, like pillows, bath rugs, and comforters.

•With things that need disinfecting like bath rugs, pet blankets, reusable period pads/undies, and soiled sheets, use half a cup of hydrogen peroxide in the bleach tray. It's a color safe bleach so you can add it to any color item. For items that stink, like pet items or workout gear, add half a cup of vinegar instead of softener. It works better than the expensive "sport" detergent. Even on urine smells. I got this tip from a nurse that works in a hospice.

•To be honest, softener is unnecessary. You can soften clothes with half a cup of vinegar in the softener tray. You won't smell it once it's washed, in case you're worried about that. Softener is terrible for clothes, it actually ads a coating to fabric so if an item is supposed to pull sweat from your body, like workout gear, towels, or summer clothing, it looses the ability with just a couple washes with softener. And fire resistant clothing like baby clothes will lose the ability if washed with softener.

•If it's the smell you want, I recommend wool dryer balls. They help dry your clothes better anyway. But for scented clothes, add like 5 drops of any essential oil to a couple of them, or dip them in a hydrosol like rose water for a bit and then toss them in the dryer. I've heard people do this with perfume too, but I've never tried it.

•Treating stains is easier if you do it as soon as it happens. Or as soon as you get home. If you can't wash it right away, put a couple drops of laundry soap on the stain and dab it into the stain with a damp cloth, or use a stain spray if you have one. If the stain is cooking oil, hair products, or any type of grease, put a couple drops of Dawn dish soap on it. There's a reason they use it for oil spills. Just don't add any to your washing machine, it can cause the machine to suds up too much and break it. When you wash the item, check if the stain came out. If not, air dry it. Heat sets in stains so drying it in a machine will make the stain impossible to remove.

•If you have the space please air dry your clothes in the sun. Please. It's so good. It makes your clothes smell great, makes them last longer, helps remove stains, and brightens whites like bleach never could. I live in an apartment but I hang clothes next to the window in the spring/summer and its so good.

-Clothing labels lie. Here's a breakdown of what needs special care and what doesn't:

•Wool and silk are cold wash only. Hand wash if you can, but if you must machine wash, use cold ONLY. Use a delicate setting if your washer has one. It should be air dried. Get a drying rack. If you absolutely cannot air dry, dry wool clothing on cold/delicate for 10 minutes at a time until it's barely damp, then leave it open on your bed/couch or over a chair. Do not dry silk. It's expensive, why would you ruin it. Hang it on a hanger and hook it over your door if you have nowhere else to hang it. It dries quickly.

•Cotton can be washed any temp, but everything lasts longer in cold wash. Dry on normal, only dry on high if the item needs disinfecting or if the item is thick, like a pillow, bath rug, or comforter.

•Linen is indestructible. Linen is stonewashed to soften it, which means people put the fabric in large washing machines filled with rocks to beat it so it softens. Wash on high and dry on high to soften it more if the item is stiff, but a cold wash and normal dry is fine otherwise.

•Synthetics like polyester, acrylic, nylon, etc. are best washed cold and dried on normal/warm. More delicate items like thin blouses, stockings, and anything with lace is best air dried, but can be dried on cold/delicate if necessary. Synthetic clothes are more prone to staining so treat stains as soon as they happen.

•SOME dry clean only clothing is fine in the washer, but I'd say dry clean it if you're not sure. If it's an item with no lining it's usually fine, but always air dry these. Dresses, blouses or skirts with stiff linings will lose their shape in the washer. Easiest way to tell, if you turn a dry clean item inside out and there's a white paper like fabric lining certain areas it can't be machine washed. That's a stabilizer/interfacing and it will get ruined. Always dry clean suit jackets, coats, and anything labeled dry clean that's filled with feathers. Some suit pants can be machine washed, but make sure it doesn't have any interfacing. If a dry clean item has lots of colors on it, like a multicolored shirt, or a black dress with a white collar, dry clean it. It will get ruined otherwise.

__________________

I think that's everything, but if anyone has any questions, especially for doing laundry with a disability/low spoons, ask on this post or in the tags. My inbox seems to swallow messages but I'll keep checking this post.