#Magic Mirror Beauty Salon

[acknowledge-reigns]

Needy | Jey Uso x Reader (featuring Roman x OC)

Description: Reader has been feeling down with Jey being on the road so much + Roman and Jey bring their girls food while they're getting their hair done.

Warnings: Discussion of depression and anxiety, doubts, suggestive behavior and language, mild angst, fluff.

requested by: @wrestlingbaby

My masterlist can be found here.

You and your best friend Nettie walk into the cozy salon, the scent of hair products filling the air. The salon is empty, save for sisters Elysia and Desia, your other two friends who are chatting with each other at the front desk. They co-own the Salon D+E Beauty.

"Hey, y'all!" Elysia greets you with a warm smile as you enter. "Long time no see!"

Desia nods in agreement, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"We were wondering when you two were gonna show up!" she says, grinning. "We've got the whole place to ourselves today, so we can take our time with your hair. Which is good cause y'all 15 minutes late."

Elysia and Desia usher you and Nettie over to the chairs, pulling out hair products, combs and brushes. They start getting to work, sectioning off your hair expertly.

"How's life been treating you girls?" Desia asks, her fingers moving deftly through your hair.

Nettie laughs, settling into her chair. "Busy as always," she says. "Work, the kids, family drama... you know how it is."

Nettie was a mom of five, married to Roman Reigns. With her husband being so busy doing everything required of him as quite literally the biggest star in wrestling to day, being a stay at home mom with her own online shop kept her on constant go.

Elysia nods sympathetically, her hands never slowing down as she works on Nettie's hair. "Tell me about it," she says. "I've been swamped with clients lately. I barely have time to breathe."

Desia grins, rolling her eyes. "That's an understatement," she says. "She's practically living at the salon these days."

Elysia sticks her tongue out at Desia, pretending to be offended. "Hey, it's not my fault I'm in demand," she says. "People can't resist my magic touch."

Desia chuckles to herself as she begins to seperate the pieces of vibrant ombre blue and black braiding hair for your head while Elysia did fhe same from Nettie, though her hair was a red and black ombre instead.

Elysia catches Desia's chuckle and shoots her a playful glare. "What are you laughing at?" she asks, pretending to be annoyed.

Desia just grins wider, clearly enjoying teasing her friend.

"Oh, nothing," she says innocently. "Just thinking about how humble you are."

"Anywayyy, Y/N, you're quiet. What's going on with you?" Elysia asks looking over at you in Desia's chair

You smile softly, your eyes flickering up to meet Elysia's gaze in the mirror.

"It's.. complicated." You let out a sigh.

"Complicated how?" Desia asked.

"Complicated like.. I've just been down lately, with Jey on the road so much..." You shared with your girls.

Nettie frowns, concern etched on her face. "I know that's tough," she says, "Back when Roman was on the road more I had the same issue. I'm so thankful for his reduced schedule these days."

It was nice to have a friend that actually understood what it meant to be a wrestling wife. Not just a wrestling wife but a bloodline wife. All four women were close, they'd all known each other since college but only you and Nettie share that specific connection.

"Have you guys talked about it?" Desia asked.

"Well.. No." You sighed.

"You know he'd want to know how you're feeling, right?" Elysia says. "He loves you, and he wouldn't want you to suffer in silence."

"Elysia's right," Nettie says. "Jey's not a mind reader. He needs to know when something's bothering you."

"I don't want to seem.. Needy. Or high maintenance." You stated.

Elysia rolls her eyes, clearly disagreeing with your thoughts.

"You're not needy or high maintenance," she says firmly. "You're a person who has needs and feelings, just like anyone else. And Jey loves you for exactly who you are, including the times when you need him."

Nettie gives you another reassuring glance

"Seriously, girl," she says. "Don't let your insecurities get in the way of communication with Jey. It's not doing you any favors, and it's not fair to him either."

➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴

A couple of hours later, the girls' hair is about half done. Nettie had texted Roman that the two of you needed him and Jey to bring you some food since it was going to be another hour or two and you both were starving.

The door to the salon swings open, and Roman and Jey walk in, carrying takeout bags.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Nettie teases, glancing over at the two men.

Jey grins, his eyes lighting up as he sees you standing there scrolling on your phone. He sets the bags down on the front desk and strides over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind.

"Hey, baby," he says, nuzzling his face into your neck.

You lean back into his embrace, feeling a wave of comfort wash over you. The familiar scent of his cologne fills your nostrils, and you close your eyes for a moment, savoring the feeling of his strong arms around you.

"Missed you," he murmurs, his lips brushing against your skin. "You look beautiful, by the way."

He glances up at the half-done braids, his eyes filled with admiration. "You got that blue for me?"

You smile softly, a mix of warmth and affection filling your chest.

"Of course I did," you say, tilting your head back to look at him. "I knew you'd like me matching your gear."

Jey grins, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I love it," he says, his voice low and seductive. He presses a gentle kiss to your temple, his fingers tracing patterns on your waist.

Roman rolls his eyes playfully, shaking his head at his cousin's obvious PDA. "Can you two get a room already?" he jokes.

Jey just chuckles, tightening his grip on you possessively.

"Don't mind if we do," he retorts, giving your waist a playful squeeze.

"He must really miss you too, Y/N. And you thought you would seem needy." Desia accidentally lets slip.

Jey's expression immediately softens, and he glances down at you, concern etched on his face.

"What's she talking about, baby?" he asks, his voice gentle.

The girls exchange guilty looks, realizing they may have inadvertently let something slip. Roman just sighs, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Uh oh, Jey's in trouble," he mutters in a teasing tone to his cousin.

"Oh, shush!" Nettie scolded Roman with a light smack to his muscular chest.

Jey raises an eyebrow, his grip on you tightening ever so slightly.

"Hey, don't ignore me," he says, his tone firm but still gentle. "What did Desia mean by that?"

"We'll talk when I get home, okay?" You offered.

Jey looks like he wants to press further, but he knows better than to push you when you're not ready to talk. He nods reluctantly, his expression a mix of concern and frustration.

"Alright, we'll talk later," he agrees, his voice tinged with a hint of disappointment.

The tension in the room is palpable as the others exchange glances, knowing that there's clearly something unspoken between you and Jey. Roman and Nettie both look uncomfortable, while Desia bites her lip, silently scolding herself for her slip-up.

The air seems to thicken as Jey reluctantly releases you from his embrace. He gives your hand a final squeeze, his eyes searching yours for any sign of what's bothering you.

"I love you" He says.

You return the sentiment, your voice soft and sincere.

"I love you too," you say, mustering a small smile.

The others remain silent, the atmosphere in the salon now a mixture of tension and awkwardness as the guys take their leave.

Once the door shuts behind them, Desia lets out a sigh.

"I'm sorry," she says, guilt evident in her voice. "I didn't mean to let that slip out like that."

"It's fine. I needed that nudge to talk to him anyway" You said.

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The rest of the braiding session goes by quickly, and soon enough, you're all finished. The girls bid you farewell, promising to meet up again soon.

You gather your things and head out to your car, the weight of the conversation with Jey looming over you.

The drive home is silent, your mind racing with thoughts of what to say to Jey. When you finally arrive home, you take a deep breath and step inside, steeling yourself for the inevitable conversation.

You find Jey in the living room, sprawled out on the couch and scrolling through his phone. He looks up as you enter, his eyes immediately locking onto yours.

"Hey," he says, his voice cautious. "You're home."

He sets his phone down and pats the space next to him on the couch, silently inviting you to sit down. His expression is a mixture of curiosity and concern, clearly wanting to know what's been going on with you.

You take a seat beside him, the silence between you thick with tension. Jey turns to face you, his gaze unwavering.

"So," he says, breaking the silence. "Care to explain what Desia meant earlier?"

Jey waits patiently, his eyes never leaving yours. He knows you well enough to give you the space to gather your thoughts and find the right words.

After a moment of silence, you take a deep breath and finally speak up.

"I've been feeling... neglected," you admit, the words feeling heavy on your tongue.

Jey's expression darkens, his jaw clenching slightly.

"Neglected how?" he asks, his voice tight.

You can see the concern and guilt in his eyes, but there's also a hint of anger, as if he's upset with himself for not noticing sooner.

"You've been working a lot lately, Being champion has you on the road even more." you say softly. "And when you're home, you're either on the phone or working out or watching TV. It feels like I hardly ever get to spend time with you anymore."

Jey's shoulders slump slightly, the weight of your words hitting him hard. He looks away, guilt written all over his face.

"Damn it," he mutters under his breath. "I had no idea I was making you feel that way."

"I just miss you is all. And I struggle a lot when you're on the road, with my anxiety and depression and i didn't know how to tell you without sounding needy.." you explain.

Jey's heart clenches at your words, and he reaches out to take your hand in his.

"You're not needy, baby," he says firmly, looking into your eyes.

He pulls you closer, wrapping his arms around you and holding you tight against his chest.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers, burying his face in your hair. "I never meant to neglect you like that. I've just been so focused on work and trying to prove myself that I lost sight of what really matters."

He holds you even tighter, as if he's afraid to let go.

"I promise I'll do better," he says, his voice full of determination. "I'll make more time for you, no matter what. When I'm home, I'm all yours, babygirl."

Jey pulls back slightly, his hands cupping your face as he looks into your eyes.

"I love you so damn much," he says, his voice thick with emotion. "And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you never feel neglected again. You mean everything to me, and I'm sorry if I ever made you doubt that."

He leans in, his lips brushing against yours in a tender kiss.

"You're my priority, not work, not the title, not anything else," he murmurs against your lips. "You come first, always."

He deepens the kiss, pouring all of his love and regret into it. His hands slide down your body, pulling you closer until you're practically in his lap.

"I love you, y/n," he whispers, breaking the kiss to nuzzle your neck.

"I love you too, Jey.." You said.

Jey's lips find your neck, and he presses a series of gentle kisses against your skin.

"I don't deserve you," he murmurs, his hands roaming over your body possessively.

He pulls back slightly, his eyes dark with desire as he looks at you.

"Let me make it up to you," he says, his voice low and rough. "Let me show you just how much I love and need you."

Without waiting for a response, he scoops you up into his arms and stands up from the couch. He carries you effortlessly to the bedroom, his grip on you tight and possessive.

"I'ma show you, baby.. I'ma take care of you."

[simstorian-blog]

New York City: THREE

(CC List + DL)

E X T E R I O R

C O N C E R T S T A G E

H O T E L

Standard Suite I An open concept room with a double bed, hosting up to 2 sims, and living area. It comes with its own bathroom.

Standard Suite II An open concept room with 2 double beds, hosting up to 4 sims, and living area. It comes with its own bathroom.

Premium Suite Private Floor with an outdoor terrace overlooking the city. It comes with the following: A full living room, kitchenette, a bedroom, and a full bathroom.

M A R K E T

Equipped with functional objects. You can grab a coffee and can purchase produce, fish, food from the market stall and/or cafeteria counter! This space has its own bathroom.

B E A U T Y B A R

This beauty bar has 6 salon chairs meeting the minimum requirements for the Shear Brilliance Mod. Alongside those chairs comes a retail counter, seating for waiting customers, 4 mani/pedi Spa Day Chairs, 1 Massage Table, a Staff Room, and its own bathroom.

[W A R N I N G: This lot is heavy. I do NOT recommend it if you do not have a decent system. My personal specs – GTX 1660ti, 16GB Ram, Nvme M.2 Primary Drive with 156GB of CC. It takes me 2-3 min to load for this lot, which is longer than my regular time. However, I have it set to the ‘Lounge’ lot type to avoid the extended load for the ‘Generic’ lot buildbuy when you have a lot of CC.]

World Map: San Myshuno

Area: Myshuno Meadows

Lot Size:  64 x 64

Capacity:

A Beauty Bar – Salon Chairs, Spa Day Items, Staff Room

A Concert Stage

A Hotel – Lot51’s Suite Life Mod Compatible

A Market – Functional

Bonus: 4 Empty Spaces – 3 Small buildings, 1 Spacious Skyscraper Floor

Gallery ID: Simstorian-ish

[Long post, I know! Second half below the line lol]

Packs Needed

Expansion Packs

City Living

Cottage Living

Eco Lifestyle

Get Famous

Get Together

Get To Work

Growing Together

High School Years

Horse Ranch

Lovestruck

For Rent

Seasons

Snowy Escape

Game Packs

Dine Out

Dream Home Decorator

Journey to Batuu

Jungle Adventure

My Wedding Stories

Parenthood

Realm of Magic

Spa Day

Strangerville

Vampires

Werewolves

Stuff Packs

Backyard Stuff

Bowling Night

Home Chef Hustle

Romantic Garden

Kits

Cozy Bistro

Castle Estate

Desert Luxe

Recommended Gameplay Mods

(Please read through what each mod has to offer before deciding if it fits your gameplay style or not.)

Better Build Buy (For the ‘Deletion Protection’ setting, if you want to modify)

City Vibes Lot Traits

Lock/Unlock Doors for Any Lot (Works for Community Lots)

Shear Brilliance (Active Cosmetology Career)

Spawn Refresh

Suite Life Hotel & Resorts

Use Residential Rentals shared areas as Community Lots (For the lot challenge traits)

CC Used

[All credits go to the following creators for sharing their work with the community. It is greatly appreciated and I hope that you all have endless nights of the best sleep ever.]

Helpful Tip: Having Only What is Needed For CC Builds (Tumblr)

Amoebae: Pile in Carpet

Awingedllama: Traffic Light 3

Charly Pancakes: The Lighthouse Collection (Books C + D)

Felixandre: Berlin Pt. 2 (Front Door), Chateau Pt. 1|2|3|4, Colonial Pt. 1|3, Estate Pt. 1|2|3 (CF), Georgian, Gothic Revival (Mirror), Grove Pt. 1|2|3|4, January 2018, London Interior (Cane Chair), Paris Pt. 1, SOHO Pt. 3|4

FlirtyGhoul: Minimart Pt. 1-11

GUA: Air Conditioners

Hamstebelle: Cyberpunk Food Stall (Simlish)

Hanraja: S015 (Shelf Gass Deep), S037 (Dining Sit Booth + Sit Dining 2)

Harrie: Brownstone Pt., Coastal Pt. 5|7, Klean Pt. 1|2|3, Octave Pt. 2, Spoons Pt. 1

HeyBrine: Jessie Livin’ Pack Pt.1, Le Bistro Pack (Tables), Nana’s Collection (Microwave), Noova Collection

House of Harlix: Kichen (Glasses), Livin’ Rum (Frame Tvs), Orjanic Pt. 2

JoyceIsFox: Summer Garden – Tiles Pack (Purity#1 Floor + Wall Tiles)

KiwiSims4: Blockhouse Hallway (Small Lamp)

Kta: Vogue Prints 1 (10s-20s) [Mesh Needed]

Lijoue: A Louer Collection (Fence)

LilacCreative: Keratin Collection

Lili’s Palace: Intarsia Wainscot Wonderland (Polished Marble Floor)

LittleDica: Deligracy Fridge, Roman Holiday

Max20: Happily Ever After (Dining Table Knot)

MintyJinx: Terrain to Floor Collection

Myshunosun: Lottie (Throw Blanket)

Nempne: Cover Sheet Ceiling Tiles

Peacemaker: Hinterlands Living Room (Pouffe), Hudson Bathroom, Vampire Add Ons

Pierisim: Auntie Vera Bathroom, Coldbrew Coffeeshop Pt. 3, Domaine Du Clos Pt. 2|3|4, MCM Pt. 1|4|5, Outside Lunch, Tilable

Ravasheen: CounterFit Mini Fridge, Elevator, Shop Chef

Severinka: Apollo Sofa (Right), Grocery Store Pt. 1|2|4

Simspiration Builds: Portuguese Floors

SixamCC: Hotel Bedroom

Sooky88: Horizontal Oil Paintings

Sundays: Kediri Pt. 1 (Throw Pillows- Solids), Pool Haus, Swell Pt. 1, Ungasan Pt. 2 (Slippers)

Syboubou: Hotel Luggage Trolley

TaurusDesign: Eliza Walk In, Judith Kitchen (Barstool), Lilith Chilling Areas Pt. 1

Tuds: Base Game Curved Windows, Beam Kitchen (Table 1x2), Ind 02|03, Vime Closet

Winner9: Malibu Pillow

Vehicles: Included

DO NOT REUPLOAD MY LOTS.

DO NOT CLAIM THEM AS YOUR OWN.

DO NOT PLACE BEHIND A PAYWALL.

DOWNLOAD (1.82 GB)

[galedekarios]

Hello, big fan of your Gale content um I just saw this post on X that really annoyed me that was a graphic saying Gale would use 3 in 1 shampoo implying he is lazy with his hygiene and that another character was more like that and it had like 6k likes and I just wonder why everyone mischaracterizes our best wizard so much? Generic male expectations? Justice for Gale. He deserved that lavender bath.

thank you for your message and kind words! 🖤

i haven't seen the post you're referring to so i can't say too much about it, but if we talk about the general concept of hygiene and personal care, in my heart i know the following truth:

gale loves his little indulgences and that includes the finer things in life, like taking long baths, perfumes, massages, and the like.

once he feels better again and has the spoons to fully appreciate it, he would have a ridiculously elaborate 13 step self-care routine, beard oils and all of that.

(we know his year of isolation likely led to him neglecting himself, given tara's repeated lines about not eating enough, as well as gale letting his beard growing out.)

in early access, he had this dialogue with the protag, about dreaming of a nice lavender scented bath:

Gale: Time is a precious gift. With time, we may even reach Baldur's Gate, a city rife with magic, wizards, scholars, and perhaps: solutions.  Player: In that case I share your optimism. Here's to the journey ahead.  Gale: And here's to your company.  Gale: Oh, I can picture it now: academies, libraries, laboratories – the assembled knowledge of centuries that may just set us free. Better yet: soft beds, home cooked meals, and all the other little luxuries this wilderness so brashly denies us. Gods, I'd pay a king's ransom for a hot, lavender-scented bath – minstrels serenading as I close my eyes and let the water's warmth dissolve all woes. Plenty to look forward to.

this was sadly cut.

i also seem to recall another line of dialogue in early access where a companion commented on gale using a waterdhavian scent/perfume, which had woody undertones. if i can find it, i'll be sure to post about it.

but still, he still has similar lines in the full release version, like in this banter with shadowheart:

Gale: I must tell you, Shadowheart, the bathing waters here leave much to be desired. devnote: A bit know it all Gale: The ablutions offered at the Temple of Beauty in Waterdeep are far superior. And they have the most excellent soaps. devnote: A bit know it all Shadowheart: Hmm. I was wondering why you always smelled like a wealthy dowager. devnote: Teasing

bathing waters, excellent soaps and ablutions at the temple of beauty in waterdeep. the temple of beauty is a temple to the goddess sune, the goddess of beauty and passion.

"Her temples usually held social salons and displayed mirrors for use by lay parishioners. Some of them even had public baths for the local populace. Her shrines often stood on the corner of busy city streets. They would have a small ornate overhanging roof with a mirror underneath. They were used to check one's appearance while honoring Sune with prayer. Some shrines even held perfume and cosmetic items for those who could not afford such luxuries themselves." [x]

volo's waterdeep enchiridion says this in particular about the temple of beauty in waterdeep:

"If you need to refresh yourself during your travels, or perhaps to primp before an important meeting or a night out, visit Sune’s faithful at the Temple of Beauty. Its marbled public baths and mirrored salons are open from before dawn to after dusk. There’s no fee for these services, or for the advice and aid of the temple’s many pleasant attendants, but donations are encouraged."

there are some other banters & lines of dialogue in the same vein:

Player: I want to be with Gale. I'm sorry. Shadowheart: Don't be. He's charming enough, well-read and well-groomed.

there are more banters and comments like this from other companions as well (including minthara, for example), so yes, i think it's safe to say that gale is not a 3-in-1 shampoo type.

[weoris]

-DOLLYOU!

GNRE enhypen fluff drabble roommates au PRNG sunghoon x female reader OTHR makeup I stole a joke from friends ( the best ) WRDS 485 words

“CAN YOU HURRY UP?” Sunghoon whined as he scrolled on his phone, laying on your bed. You roll your eyes as you put your headband on, “Hoon, I haven’t even started my makeup, it’s been twenty seconds.”

The boy just pouts again and lets you continue.

Sunghoon was just dying to watch the barbie movie, says it’s been his dream to watch it (since 15 minutes ago) and had begged you to go watch it with him.

Honestly, you weren’t a huge fan, but you couldn’t help but agree with his sparkly eyes and pout working its begging-magic. So here you were, applying your blush when you noticed sunghoon staring at you from the mirror with his eyebrow raised comically.

Chuckling, you turned to him. “What, princess sunghoon? You want a schedule at my beauty salon?” He says nothing but walks forward.

“What does this even do?” He says, picking up your brush, and looking at it like it were some unusual artefact. You scoff and take the brush back, “It’s a brush, stupid. It helps with my blush.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You need to wear blush too? I think you’re taking this ‘pink dress code’ thing too far..” he jokes with a chuckle, but it stops when you hit his arm. “Hoon, how are you this clueless? Didn’t you date Haeyoon like a few months ago? You never saw her getting dolled up? For a birthday or an anniversary? Or even a dinner?

Sunghoon pouts and looks up, putting his hands in his pockets and eyebrows furrowing as if he was thinking hard. “Well, she didn’t have a birthday or an anniversary when we were going out.”

“For three years?”

He rolls his eyes and sighs dramatically, “Can you just hurry up please? Everywhere I go, I see people talking about Ryan Gosling’s abs and I have to see them in 4K!”

You chuckle and continue putting the product on, but you feel his gaze lingering on you through the mirror. “I don’t even get why you need all this stuff.. you look.. pretty enough without it.” He tilts his head.

Looking back at him, you say nothing but try to hide your flustered feeling and reddening face with a scoff.

“Look, you don’t even need this blush thing! You’re pink enough right now!” He teased and pointed at your face. “Shut up!” You covered your face and hit his arm.

He stopped laughing and flailing about after a while and put his chin on top of your head, standing behind you and taking your hands in his own.

He slowly removed your hands from your face and chuckled lightly. “You look cute. Now let’s go watch Ryan’s abs, pretty.” Sunghoon smiled, looking at your flush face through the mirror and grazing your hands with his thumb softly, before ruffling your hair and leaving the room.

Also leaving you, a blushing mess.

NOTE 〰️ r u mad at me for the smau schedule.. figured so I made this 🤣🤣 it’s in the works and abt to be release I swear ❕ love yall + don’t kill me 😁

🐩 | ENHYPEN TAGLIST @w3bqrl @boowoowho @ahnneyong @kynrki @ixomiyu @yunki4evr @flwoie @bubblytaetae @ja4hyvn @dimplewonie @xiaoderrrr @trsrina @adajoemaya @stepout-09-15 @justwannachecksmth @ineedaherosavemeenow @lcv3lies @violetinferno @woncheecks @mijuuv @enhapocketz @star4rin @bubblytaetae @dimplewonie @flwrshee @whoschr @jiaant11 @yeomha @mosssi @j-wyoung @artstaeh @spilled-coffee-cup @cowsmicwu @pockyyasii

[thepathwechooseif]

DEMO

In the English countryside in 1914, you live with your two children on your late husband’s grand estate. Two years have passed since the tragic sinking of the Titanic, from which you became a single parent.

Though surrounded by wealth and community, you remain lost in a fog of grief. But with the arrival of summer, the neighbouring family prepares to host their annual month-long house party. Your curious children persuade you to attend, hoping the festivities will lift your sorrow.

Lucas/Lucia Bertham, the family's charming heir, bonds with your children and seems to understand you in a way others cannot. But will secrets regarding their family's future prevent love?

Azra Hays arrives, a traveling storyteller with a gift for magic in their words that soothes your soul. Gardner Isaac Hill has loved you in silence, finding joy through your children's smiles.

More suitors await too - brilliant sculptor Zephyr Langston, whose art mirrors your heart, and Doctor Henry Bellman, who ministers to the people with patience and good humor.

As festivities crescendo with masques, fireworks and more, you start to believe in love and laughter again. But which person holds your whole heart? And will dark forces from the past destroy this new paradise you’ve begun to build?

The summer promises intrigue, blessings, and maybe a sweet romance if you can let go of history and embrace the gifts of tomorrow.

Customise your character as well as your children’s

Choose where you live and how you dress

Your choices have an impact on how society reacts to you!

Uncover secrets from your past!

Pursuing different ROs with varying levels of affection leads to unique story endings that resolve the mystery

Lucas/Lucia Bertham (m/f/nb)

The Heir, 26, Lucas/Lucia Bertham is the only child and heir to the prestigious title and lands of Bertham. They are a successful businessperson, but relish returning to their ancestral home each summer. While other young people prefer to travel abroad, they prefer the simple pleasures of country life. They take their duty as head of the manor seriously, helping tenants with an approachable demeanor. Though destined to marry well for station one day, they remain single and enjoy lively flirtations. While others dance at balls, they are the happiest hosting gatherings under the stars or riding alongside farm laborers by day. Lucas/Lucia lights up any room with their charm, wit and easy smiles. But is there a lonely heart searching for more beneath this carefree facade? As always, only time will tell what develops between Lucas/Lucia and you over the magical summer months at Bertham.

Isaac Hill(m)

The Gardner, 35, Isaac Hill has lived and worked on your estate for years. His strong, weather-worn hands coax beauty from the soil. Gardenings comes naturally to gentle-souled Isaac, as does his way with any creature in need of care. The expansive gardens are his pride and joy, a wonderland open for all to enjoy. Despite his huge build, muscular arms and calloused palms, his demeanor remains soft-spoken yet self-assured. While most village maidens sigh for officers or heirs, Isaac's gentle soul and way with children has turned many a head. But he remains devoted to coaxing new life from the earth, finding solace in small things. Perhaps amid the Bertham's blossoms, Isaac's own heart may bud anew this summer as well.

Zephyr Langston(m/f/nb)

The Sculptor, 27, Zephyr Langston hails from one of London's most prestigious arts families. Though young, their sculptures have already gained fame across England. While many London soirees vie for their presence, Zephyr relishes escaping to the countryside each summer. Using moody landscapes as inspiration, they work tirelessly to capture fleeting emotions in stone. Some say their sculptures are too sensually lifelike, but the Berthams proudly collect their edgy works. Zephyr charms salon attendees but remains unmarried, focused solely on their "passionate mistress," their art. Though prone to brooding moody spells while working, they come alive at parties with a playful wit. Could this summer be when they find inspiration of the heart as well as hands among the Bertham estate's rolling hills?

Henry Bellman(m)

The Doctor, 29, though young, he runs the village medical practice with a maturity beyond his years. What he lacks in words, Henry more than makes up for with his compassionate bedside manner. He listens with steady brown eyes that seem to see into patients' very souls. While others chat idly, Henry prefers observing life unfold with subtle calm. An avid reader, he's as learned as any university man but without pretense. More than one farmer's daughter has blushed starry-eyed receiving his attentions, yet he remains a bachelor focused solely on his work. The Berthams value Lucas greatly for his discretion and healing touch. But does his solemn façade hide deeper passions waiting to emerge? As always, only time will tell what mysteries lie beneath the calm exterior of Doctor Henry Bellman, and what intrigues he may stir in your heart this season.

Azra Hays(m/f/nb)

The Storyteller, 27, Azra Hays is a free spirit , with mischievous eyes like the summer sky. While others settle, Azra is happiest wandering the countryside in their worn boots, flute in hand.They’re a jack of all trades but lives for their art - spinning spellbinding tales that transport listeners far from their daily toils. With their easy smile and flirty manner, Azra charms all they meet. Yet beneath this bohemian exterior beats a kind and generous heart, always helping travelers in need. An orphan from youth, they never take their freedom or talents for granted. Azra makes their coin sharing folklore, gossip and bawdy jokes in villages along their route. But they save their most magical stories for moonlit campfires, weaving magic that leaves audiences in awe. Some say their nose for intrigue could even rival the Sherlock Holmes tales. Will Azra linger longer this year among Bertham's gardens and party revelries? Is there feeling breeding beyond friendship beneath Azra's roguish charm? As always, only time will tell the true depth of bonds woven beneath the summer stars.

[estellan0vella]

Sunshine's Guide To Murder│Lee Minho

Chapter Twenty Nine: Narnia: The Bullshit Chronicles SS: 17 (ignore time stamps and dates) Word Count: 3.3 K & 3.1K (it's a long one) Content Warnings: mentions of cravings and relapse, chan being a good friend (this was meant to be a filler but i got carried away) Previous Next Masterlist

The house is unusually quiet, and the absence of Minho, Hyunjin, Changbin, and Seungmin leaves a strange void that Hayun and Chan are doing their best to fill. Earlier, Chan had picked Hayun up after she’d texted him about cravings, not even hesitating.

Now, she’s perched on the edge of the bathroom counter, dumping out bags of supplies from the drugstore as Chan sits on a stool.

“You think I’ll look good with blue hair?” Chan asks, tilting his head as he examines his reflection in the mirror.

Hayun raises an eyebrow, sorting through bottles of bleach and toner. “I have it in writing from Jeongin a few months ago that if you ever dyed your hair blue, you’d get a blowjob every day.”

Chan’s eyes widen before he grins, settling himself more comfortably on the stool. “Fully sold. Even if it looks bad, I’m getting my dick sucked, so I win either way.”

Hayun snorts, shaking her head as she grabs a pair of gloves and pulls them on. “You’re the worst,” she mutters, but her lips twitch into a small smile.

Chan leans back, grinning. “Nah, I’m a fucking genius. Now, work your magic.”

Hayun grabs a comb, running it through his hair as she examines the strands. “Bleach, then tone, then dye. Sound good?”

“Sounds great,” Chan says, spinning the stool slightly before stopping when Hayun glares at him. “Alright, alright, I’ll sit still.”

She mixes the bleach in a small bowl, and her movements are practised and smooth. “Where did you learn to dye hair?” Chan asks, watching her curiously.

Hayun glances at him as she finishes mixing. “The foster home I was placed in when I was sixteen. Etta, sixty-five, covered in tattoos, and bright blue hair. She could’ve probably fought you if she wanted to.”

“Sounds badass,” Chan says, grinning. “Sixty-five and blue hair?”

“She had stories that could make a nun faint and a priest cry,” Hayun replies, her voice warm with fondness. “She taught me how to dye hair, though I go to a salon now. My entire career is in front of a camera, so it has to look good.”

“She sounds cool,” Chan says as Hayun begins to apply the bleach to his hair, sectioning it off methodically. “What happened to her?”

“She passed away a couple of years ago,” Hayun says softly, her focus on the strands of hair she’s coating. “Left me her house on Jeju Island. She didn’t have any kids, so I got everything.”

Chan hums thoughtfully. “Jeju, huh? Nice.”

“Felix, Jisung, Jeongin, and I talked about moving there after university,” Hayun says, stepping back to check her progress. “It was the plan for a while.”

“Still the plan?” Chan asks, tilting his head to look at her.

Hayun shrugs. “Now it’s complicated. You and Innie, Jisung and Hyunjin, me and Minho, Felix and Changbin.”

Chan blinks, his jaw dropping slightly. “Felix and Changbin?!”

Hayun laughs, setting the bowl down. “Well, Felix at least has a little crush on him.”

Chan leans back, crossing his arms. “Huh. Did not see that coming.”

“Really?” Hayun asks, raising an eyebrow. “Pretty Felix and big muscly Changbin? It’s a trope as old as time. Beauty and the Gym Beast.”

Chan snorts, shaking his head as he rests his hands on his thighs. “When you put it like that, I guess it makes sense.”

“Exactly,” Hayun says, smirking as she grabs another section of hair and begins applying the bleach. “It’s practically fate.”

Chan watches her in the mirror, his grin softening slightly. “You’re good at this, you know.”

“Yeah, well,” Hayun says, her voice quieter now, “Etta made sure I had skills to take care of myself.”

Chan doesn’t press further, sensing the shift in her mood. Instead, he changes the subject. “Alright, so how long am I sitting here looking like a science experiment?”

“About thirty minutes, maybe just a bit over because your hair is so dark,” Hayun replies, checking her phone for the timer she’s set. “We’ll tone it after. Then comes the blue.”

Chan leans back on the stool, stretching his legs out. “Thanks for this, Yunnie.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Hayun says, shooting him a playful smirk. “You might end up looking like a Smurf.”

“Jeongin better keep his promise,” Chan mutters, earning a laugh from Hayun.

"Alright all done and the timer is set," Hayun says. 

"Let's go downstairs," Chan says. "Order some food or something"

The pair of them head downstairs to the living room and Chan settles onto the couch, pulling out his phone to order takeout while Hayun flops beside him, tucking her legs under herself.

The late afternoon light filters through the curtains, casting a warm glow on the cosy chaos of their surroundings. Empty cups, random books, and an assortment of charging cables litter the coffee table, but neither of them seems to mind.

“Non-spicy ramen for us delicate souls,” Chan mutters as he scrolls through the menu. “And spicy ramen for the laughs.”

“You’re gonna regret that,” Hayun says, grinning as she grabs one of the wine bottles Chan grabbed and twists off the cap. She pours a generous amount into two mismatched mugs and hands one to Chan.

“Probably,” Chan agrees, clicking on his choices and finalizing the order. “But it’ll be worth it for the chaos.”

As Chan leans back, sipping his wine, Hayun studies him. “So, big-time producer and music artist, huh? One album with JYPE already, and you haven’t even graduated yet. What’s the plan for you and Changbin once you finish uni? You’re 2RACHA, right?”

Chan raises an eyebrow, smirking. “Yeah, that’s us. We’re working on another album right now. One of the terms of signing with JYPE was that we get to finish university like normal students. After that? National tour.”

Hayun perks up, her grin widening. “You could promote Felix, Jisung, and my podcast on the tour.”

Chan snorts, leaning his head back against the couch. “Done.”

“I was kidding,” Hayun says, laughing.

“I’m not,” Chan counters, sitting up straighter. His eyes light up like he’s piecing together a genius plan. “Wait! Big brain moment! JYPE could sponsor a few episodes of your podcast, right? Then Changbin and I can promote it on our socials.”

Hayun tilts her head, considering the idea. “I mean, it would be good publicity. We’d reach more listeners.”

“Exactly!” Chan exclaims, clearly excited by the idea. “You get a bigger audience, we get to look cool for supporting our friends, it’s a win-win.”

The doorbell rings, cutting off their brainstorming. “Food!” Chan announces, springing up and heading to the door. He returns moments later with bags of steaming takeout, the savoury aroma filling the room as he sets everything down on the coffee table.

They dig into their non-spicy ramen first, the warmth of the broth and noodles a comfort as they chat. Hayun hums happily as she eats, her face relaxed for the first time in what feels like days.

“Alright,” Chan says, pointing at the untouched bowls of spicy ramen. “This was supposed to be funny, but honestly? I’m terrified.”

Hayun nods solemnly, setting down her empty bowl. “Same. But we’ve come this far.”

With exaggerated bravery, they pick up their chopsticks, clinking them together like a toast. “Cheers to bad decisions,” Hayun declares, and they both dive in.

The first bite hits Hayun like a freight train. “Nope,” she gasps, immediately reaching for her wine. “Nope, nope, nope. I’m done.”

Chan, however, stubbornly keeps eating, his face turning red as tears prick at the corners of his eyes. “It’s fine,” he croaks, shovelling another bite into his mouth.

“Just stop eating!” Hayun exclaims, watching him in horror. “You’re going to die!”

“It’s a matter of pride,” Chan wheezes. “I can’t back down now.”

Hayun watches, half amused and half concerned, as Chan struggles through a few more bites before finally throwing down his chopsticks in defeat. He slumps back against the couch, fanning his face. “Holy shit.”

“Was it worth it?” Hayun asks, smirking.

Chan grins through his tears. “Absolutely not.”

“You’re insane,” Hayun says, shaking her head as she sips her wine.

Chan wipes his face with a napkin, grinning at her. “Takes one to know one.”

The shrill beep of the bleach timer pierces the air, cutting through the relaxed chatter in the living room. “Alright,” Hayun says, grabbing her half-empty wine bottle, “back upstairs. Let’s rinse this shit out before your scalp starts a rebellion.”

Chan groans theatrically but follows her, his own bottle of wine in hand. “If I lose all my hair, I’m suing you for emotional distress,” he teases as they ascend the stairs, Hayun rolling her eyes but grinning.

“Please. You’d look good bald,” she fires back, pushing open the bathroom door. “You’ve got the symmetrical bone structure for it.”

“Flattery won’t save you if this goes wrong,” Chan retorts, leaning his head over the edge of the bathtub as Hayun dons a pair of gloves.

She adjusts the showerhead, making sure the water is the perfect lukewarm temperature, and then starts rinsing out the bleach  The water runs milky white, swirling down the drain, and Chan winces as it drips into his ear.

“Could you be less aggressive?” he grumbles.

“You’re such a baby,” Hayun laughs, using a towel to dab his face. “This is nothing compared to the spicy ramen.”

“Okay, fair,” Chan admits, though he winces as she massages his scalp. “But my pride is intact.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she mutters, finishing the rinse. “Alright, bleach out. Now, toner. Don’t move"

“Yes, ma’am,” Chan says, sitting as still as a statue while she applies the toner evenly. Once finished, she sets a timer, plopping down onto the bathroom floor beside him with her wine bottle in hand.

“Timer’s set. Now we wait,” Hayun says, taking a sip.

The door creaks open, and Minho leans against the frame, his sharp eyes scanning the scene. He’s holding a takeout container, chopsticks in one hand. “Hey, princess. What’re you doing here?”

“Avoiding a relapse. I had cravings, so I decided to dye Chan’s hair blue instead.”

Minho raises an eyebrow, glancing at Chan’s hair. “It’s not blue.”

“It’s a process, Min,” Hayun explains, gesturing with her wine bottle. “He had black hair. I had to bleach it, now we’re toning, and then we’ll do the blue. But honestly, Chan? You look good blonde.”

“Thank you,” Chan replies with mock solemnity, though his grin betrays him. “But Jeongin’s terms in that text to you were apparently very specific.”

Hayun snorts. “Oh, yes. Blue hair equals daily blowjobs. I didn’t make the rules.”

Minho smirks but doesn’t comment. Instead, he strides over to the closed toilet lid and sits down, digging into the spicy noodles in his container like it’s nothing. Both Hayun and Chan stare at him in disbelief.

“Wait,” Hayun says, pointing at the container. “Are those the spicy noodles from earlier? The ones that made Chan cry and nearly killed me?”

“Yeah,” Minho replies, completely unbothered as he shovels another bite into his mouth.

Chan stares at him like he’s witnessing a mythical creature. “How are you eating that without dying?”

“Because I’m not a coward,” Minho deadpans, smirking as he takes another bite.

Hayun rolls her eyes, muttering, “Show-off.”

They sit in companionable silence, the quiet hum of the timer and the faint smell of toner filling the bathroom. Minho sets the container aside, watching Chan and Hayun with mild amusement.

“How long will the dye be on once you apply it?” Chan asks, breaking the silence.

“Usually about thirty minutes,” Hayun replies. “But I’ll probably do it for twenty since we’ve already bleached and toned your hair. Don’t want to fry it completely.”

Chan nods, looking at himself in the mirror. “Cool. I trust you.”

“You better,” Hayun says, smirking as she leans back against the tub. She catches Minho watching her, his expression unreadable but soft, and a small smile tugs at her lips.

The timer finally goes off, and Hayun springs into action, rinsing out the toner. “Alright, Chan,” she says, “get ready to be a Jeongin-approved blue-haired hunk.”

Hayun hums quietly as she mixes the vibrant blue dye, her gloved hands precise. Chan leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees as Hayun starts applying the dye. He glances at Minho, who is still sitting on the toilet lid, casually devouring what they’ve now dubbed Satan’s Balls Ramen.

The sight is surreal, considering both Hayun and Chan were crying over the same dish earlier.

“This bitch,” Hayun mutters under her breath, dabbing dye onto Chan’s hair.

“Right?” Chan hums in agreement, side-eyeing Minho. They share a conspiratorial look, then both shake their heads dramatically.

Minho smirks at their antics, not even breaking stride as he takes another bite. “What? Jealous?” he teases, his tone dripping with amusement.

“Nah,” Chan deadpans, “it’s just because you don’t have a soul.”

Hayun snorts, nearly dropping the dye brush as she laughs. “Facts,” she agrees, turning to give Minho a pointed look.

Minho flips Chan off without hesitation, his other hand still holding the chopsticks. “Keep talking shit, just because you're a bitch with the spice tolerance of an infant.”

Chan gasps, clutching his chest theatrically. “Low blow, man. Low blow.”

As Hayun works, she pulls up a playlist and starts playing music on her phone. A soulful voice fills the bathroom, and Chan cocks his head, listening intently. “Who sings this?”

“Ben Barnes,” Hayun replies, focusing on getting the dye evenly distributed.

“Wait,” Chan says, his eyes narrowing as he processes the name. “Like, Prince Caspian Ben Barnes?”

Hayun grins, meeting his gaze. “Yep. My childhood love”

“Same!” Chan says, holding up his hand for a fist bump. Hayun obliges with a laugh.

Minho, however, looks completely lost. “Who the fuck is Prince Caspian?”

The room falls silent except for the music. Both Hayun and Chan turn to stare at Minho, their expressions a mix of shock and horror.

“Excuse me?” Hayun gasps, placing the dye bowl on the counter.

Chan points at Minho like he’s just declared war. “Narnia. Only one of the best movie trilogies of all time.”

Minho shrugs nonchalantly. “Never watched it.”

Chan whirls on Hayun. “Hayun, do not make him your boyfriend until he’s watched those movies.”

“Believe me,” Hayun says, crossing her arms dramatically, “I’m questioning even considering it after this.”

Minho blinks, completely taken aback. “What?!”

“How the fuck have you not watched Narnia?” Hayun demands, waving a hand for emphasis. “It’s a classic.”

Minho leans back, clearly exasperated. “It’s not a big thing in Korea! Chan was raised in Australia. Wait-” He turns to Hayun, his brows furrowing. “How did you watch it?”

“Etta,” Hayun explains, her voice softening slightly. “She was my last foster parent, and she was American-British. She made me watch all her favourite movies. Narnia was one of them.”

Minho rolls his eyes, gesturing at her as if to prove his point. “See? That’s why. It’s not cultural for us!”

Chan shakes his head, muttering, “Unacceptable.”

Hayun takes a sip of her wine, but before she can say anything, Chan drops another bombshell. “Oh, by the way, Minho, Hayun owns a house on Jeju Island.”

Minho’s jaw drops. “What?!”

Hayun shrugs casually, trying to downplay it. “Etta didn’t have kids. I was the closest thing, so when she passed, she left everything to me. Including the house.”

Minho stares at her, stunned. “You’re telling me you just casually have a house on Jeju Island, and I’m only finding this out now?”

Hayun raises an eyebrow. “I mean, we're always busy solving murders and now dealing with your spicy noodle supremacy complex. It didn’t come up.”

Minho shakes his head, muttering something under his breath about “outrageous,” while Chan sips his wine, watching the chaos with a satisfied smirk.

After a moment, Chan sets his bottle down and asks, “So, did you also have a crush on Aslan?”

Hayun pauses mid-sip, narrowing her eyes at him. “Yeah. Why?”

Minho looks utterly baffled. “Who the fuck is Aslan?”

Chan answers first, his tone completely deadpan. “The Jesus allegory lion.”

Minho looks between them, horrified. “You both had a crush on a lion?”

Hayun raises her glass. “First Gil the fish, now Aslan. My tastes are consistent.”

Chan laughs, holding up his hand for another fist bump. “Same. Oh, and animated Robin Hood.”

Hayun nearly chokes on her wine. “Yes! Me and Jisung were obsessed with him.”

Minho looks like he’s questioning every life decision he’s ever made. “The fox? You had a crush on the fox?”

“Obviously,” Chan says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Hayun nods in agreement. “It’s like a rite of passage.”

Minho sighs, shaking his head. “You two are fucking weird,” he mutters, though the fondness in his tone is unmistakable.

As Chan leans back against the tub, sipping his wine, he says with a dramatic sigh, “You know who else was hot? Kovu from The Lion King 2.”

Hayun’s eyes light up as she points at him. “Oh my God, yes! Finally, someone else admits it.”

Chan grins and raises his bottle in a mock toast. “Kovu walked so all the bad boys in fiction could run.”

Hayun laughs and says, “You know who my one was? Thomas O'Malley from The Aristocats.”

Chan gasps, his expression pure delight. “Yes! Yes! The original cool cat.”

Minho, sitting on the toilet lid and polishing off the last of the spicy ramen, blinks at them. “Aristocats? What the fuck is Aristocats?”

Hayun freezes mid-sip, turning to him with wide eyes. “I cannot believe you of all people haven’t seen The Aristocats. Minho, it’s literally a movie about cats.”

Minho raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “A movie about cats? Alright, we’re watching it.”

“Oh, we’re not just watching it,” Hayun says, wagging a finger at him. “We’re having a movie marathon, starting with that and all the other cinematic masterpieces you’ve missed.”

Chan smirks, swirling the wine in his bottle. “Honestly, Hayun, you need better potential boyfriends. Minho’s taste is trash.”

Minho immediately sits up, offended. “Yah! The disrespect is unbelievable. I’m a romantic! I’ve taken her on dates! I’ve cooked for her! I even risked my life trying to teach her how to drive.”

Chan doesn’t even flinch. “Yeah, but you haven’t seen The Aristocats or the Narnia movies, so-”

Hayun hums in agreement, raising her wine bottle. “He makes a valid point.”

Minho groans, throwing his head back against the wall. “The slander I endure in this house.”

“Honestly,” Hayun says, leaning forward as if sharing a secret, “it’s your fault. Have better taste in movies. Have you at least seen Harry Potter?”

Minho stares at her blankly. “No.”

The bathroom goes so silent, it feels like time itself pauses. Hayun’s jaw drops as Chan looks genuinely concerned. “You… what?”

Minho looks between them, defensive. “What?!”

Chan waves his hand dramatically, as if trying to process this revelation. “You cannot blame that on being raised in Korea. Harry Potter is a global phenomenon. Global!”

Hayun slams her wine bottle on the counter, gesturing wildly. “I don’t think I can make you my boyfriend after this.”

Minho glares, crossing his arms. “You know what? I’m tired of this slander. We’re watching all the shitty Disney movies, the movies with the sexy lion, and Harry Potter.”

“Duchess,” Chan says with a smirk, leaning toward Hayun. “He’ll 100% find Duchess hot.”

“Didn’t we all?” Hayun replies with a grin.

Chan nods solemnly. “Some things transcend species.”

Minho throws up his hands. “What the fuck is wrong with the two of you? You’re really out here having crushes on animated animals.”

“Oh, don’t act so high and mighty,” Chan says, pointing his bottle at Minho. “By the end of The Aristocats, you’re gonna be head over heels for Duchess.”

Minho shakes his head, clearly exasperated. “Whatever. Who the fuck is Duchess?”

Hayun just giggles, taking another sip of her wine and Chan suddenly changes gears, looking at Hayun thoughtfully. “Hey, what house are you? Like, Hogwarts?”

“Oh!” Hayun sets her wine down, thinking. “I got Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff when I took the quizzes.”

Chan nods. “Yeah, that tracks. What about me? What do you reckon I am?”

“Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Easy,” Hayun says, and Chan grins.

“What about Minho?” Chan asks, glancing at him.

“Slytherin,” Hayun says immediately.

Minho furrows his brows. “What the fuck is a Slytherin?”

Both Chan and Hayun whip their heads toward him, their expressions full of shock and horror.

Chan clutches his chest as if he’s been stabbed. “You don’t know what Slytherin is?”

“Or Hufflepuff? Gryffindor? Ravenclaw?” Hayun asks, her voice climbing an octave.

Minho shrugs. “Nope.”

Hayun looks at Chan, genuinely distressed. “We’re raising him from the ground up. He doesn’t even know the basics.”

Chan nods seriously. “He needs a full cultural education. Starting immediately.”

Minho groans, leaning back against the wall. “I regret asking.”

Hayun grabs her wine and raises it in a toast. “To fixing Minho.”

Chan joins in, clinking his bottle against hers. “To fixing Minho.”

Minho just shakes his head, muttering, “You’re both insane,” but the fond smile tugging at his lips betrays him.

Once Chan’s hair is dyed, dried, and styled into its new vibrant blue glory, the trio descends to the living room. Chan walks in first, a hand theatrically ruffling his hair as he announces, “Tonight, we’re doing The Aristocats and Narnia. Minho is not ready for Harry Potter yet.”

Hayun follows, snorting into her wine bottle as she flops onto the couch. “Agreed. Muggles need slow introductions.”

Minho groans, falling onto the couch beside her. “What the fuck is a muggle?”

Both Hayun and Chan groan loudly, in unison.

Chan points at him accusingly. “This is why you’re not ready. You need to ease into the magical world before we bombard you with Hogwarts lore.”

Hayun hums in agreement, taking a long sip of her wine. “Baby steps, Min. Baby steps.”

Minho glares between them. “I feel attacked.”

Chan tosses Minho a wine bottle and then settles on the other side of Hayun. Minho, without thinking, pulls Hayun into his side, his arm casually draped around her shoulders. Hayun leans into him, her cheek resting against his chest.

Chan pulls up Disney+ and searches for The Aristocats. “Let’s start with the basics. This is culture.”

As the opening credits roll, Minho leans forward slightly, watching the screen with uncharacteristic focus. “Why has no one shown me this movie before? What the fuck?”

Chan looks affronted. “Honestly? Me, Changbin, Hyunjin, Seungmin, and Jeongin assumed you watched it all the time. You’re literally a cat person.”

Minho rolls his eyes. “And none of you thought to check? Great friends.”

Chan raises his wine. “Cheers to our mediocrity.”

The film starts, and Minho immediately begins commenting. “Why do these cats have a butler? Are they royalty or some shit?”

“They’re rich,” Hayun explains. “French, fancy, and filthy rich.”

Minho watches in silence for another moment before blurting out, “Wait. Edgar wants to kidnap them because they’re in the will? How does a cat get a will? What court accepted that shit?”

Hayun shrugs. “Rich people nonsense. Suspend disbelief.”

“I am trying, but this is wild,” Minho says, taking a long gulp from his wine.

The movie continues, and when the geese and their drunk uncle make their appearance, Minho leans forward, pointing at the screen. “These geese are fucking hilarious. Why is that one drunk? What are they even doing?”

“They’re just living their best lives,” Chan says, nodding in approval. “Be the goose, Minho.”

Minho grins. “Be the goose. Noted.”

As the plot unfolds, Minho’s running commentary only gets worse. “Okay, wait. Why did they make Duchess a sexy cat? This is ridiculous. She has no business being that elegant.”

Chan throws his head back, laughing so hard he almost spills his wine. “I knew you’d find her hot! Welcome to the crushes on Animated Animals club.”

“Do I get a badge?” Minho deadpans.

“Absolutely,” Hayun says, patting his chest mock-seriously. “You’re one of us now.”

The iconic “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat” number begins, and Minho sits up straighter. “This... this is a masterpiece.”

Hayun grins at his enthusiasm. “Told you.”

Minho turns to Chan with mock outrage. “Bang Christopher Chan, you failed me as a friend by not showing me this movie earlier.”

Chan throws his hands up. “Don’t blame me! Hayun didn’t show it to you either.”

Minho waves him off dismissively. “She’s pretty. She’s in the clear. You’ve known me for three years, Chan. Three fucking years.”

As the movie concludes, Minho leans back with a satisfied sigh. “Alright. Aristocats was a masterpiece. Duchess is hot. The geese are iconic. I can’t believe I missed out on this for 20 years.”

Chan claps him on the shoulder. “You’re welcome for introducing you to culture.”

Hayun just leans into Minho’s side, her voice a playful murmur. “One down. Now we just have to get you through Narnia, Harry Potter, and literally every other childhood staple you’ve somehow missed.”

Minho smirks, planting a light kiss on the top of her head. “You’re really committed to this, huh?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Hayun says. “We’re fixing you, Lee Minho, one masterpiece at a time.”

As the opening credits of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe roll, Minho leans forward, wine bottle balanced precariously between his fingers. “So this is Narnia, huh? Why’s the title so long? Feels like I’m about to read a Victorian novel.”

Chan waves him off without looking. “It’s a fucking classic, Minho. Show some respect.”

Hayun smirks, snuggling further into Minho’s side. “Oh, you’re not ready. Lions, witches, wardrobes. Your brain’s about to implode from the sheer whimsy.”

Minho raises an eyebrow, taking a sip of wine. “Sounds like a weird acid trip. Fine, let’s see where this goes.”

The movie begins, and within five minutes, Minho is already ranting. “Wait, hold the fuck up. Who just sends their kids off to live with some random ass professor in the middle of nowhere? I get it’s wartime, but this is peak bad parenting.”

Chan, already invested in the film, sighs. “Historical context, Minho. Bombings. Air raids. You ever heard of those?”

Minho waves the bottle in Chan’s direction. “Yeah, I get it, but what if this professor’s a serial killer? Or worse, like, one of those dudes who collects dolls?”

Hayun laughs, patting Minho’s thigh. “Relax. It’s a children’s movie. No murderous doll collectors here.”

Minho points at the screen as Lucy discovers the wardrobe and steps inside. “Oh, so we’re just walking into random closets now? No hesitation? What if it’s cursed? What if it’s a demon portal?”

Hayun grins, taking a sip of wine. “It’s magic. Suspension of disbelief.”

Minho scoffs, his gaze fixed on the TV. “I can suspend disbelief, but I can’t suspend common sense.”

Then Mr. Tumnus appears, and Minho visibly tenses. “What the fuck is that? A goat man? She’s just chilling with a fucking goat man? No ‘stranger danger’ alarm bells ringing?”

Chan laughs, shaking his head. “He’s harmless. He’s a faun.”

“Harmless? He’s got hooves and horns. That’s demon vibes,” Minho retorts, gesturing emphatically with the wine bottle. “Lucy’s about to get sacrificed.”

By the time Edmund enters Narnia and meets the White Witch, Minho is clutching a throw pillow, his expression incredulous. “Oh, here we go. This little shit. Look at him, following the first lady he meets. And for what? Fucking candy? He betrays his siblings for Turkish Delight? If you’re going to sell out your family, at least do it for power or cash. Not powdered sugar. Turkish Delight isn't even that good, the fuck?”

The chaos ramps up when Aslan makes his grand entrance. Chan sighs dreamily, his head resting against the couch. “Look at him. Absolute king shit.”

Hayun nods in agreement, her eyes fixed on the screen. “Majestic. So noble.”

Minho stares at them, horrified. “You’re both drooling over a fucking CGI lion. What’s wrong with you?”

Hayun shrugs, unbothered. “He’s got a commanding presence. It’s attractive.”

Chan grins. “Big dick energy, for real.”

Minho groans, running a hand down his face. “This is why aliens don’t visit Earth. People like you two would try to fuck them”

As the battle begins, Minho sits up straighter, his attention caught by the mythical creatures charging across the battlefield. His focus narrows on a minotaur wielding a massive axe. “Holy shit. That’s a minotaur. That’s kind of cool.”

Chan tilts his head thoughtfully. “You know, I think I’d fuck a minotaur.”

Hayun hums in agreement, swirling her wine. “Yeah, they’re hot in a primal, dangerous way.”

Minho nearly chokes on his wine, coughing as he gapes at them. “What the actual fuck is wrong with you?”

“Have you seen their muscles?” Chan argues, grinning. “Pure strength. It’s appealing.”

Hayun smirks, leaning into Minho’s side. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”

Minho shakes his head, staring at her. “If you ever try it, I’m throwing you into a wardrobe and locking it.”

By the end of the movie, Minho looks equal parts emotionally drained and begrudgingly entertained. He leans back against the couch, finishing off his wine. “Alright, Narnia was interesting. But Edmund still deserves more hate.”

Chan clinks his bottle against Hayun’s with a smirk. “Cheers to exposing Minho to culture.”

Hayun laughs, raising her glass. “Cheers to Turkish Delight and bad decisions.”

Minho groans, running a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe you two lusted after a lion and a minotaur. I’m reevaluating this entire friend group.”

Hayun leans her head on his shoulder, smirking. “Admit it. You had fun.”

Minho lets out a long-suffering sigh, but the small smile on his lips betrays him. “Fine. But if anyone asks, I’m telling them I was forced to watch this under duress.”

The living room is a chaotic symphony of wine bottles clinking, popcorn flying, and heated banter as Prince Caspian begins. Minho lounges back on the couch, legs sprawled out like he owns the place, a half-empty wine bottle in hand. The moment Ben Barnes’ face graces the screen as Caspian, chaos erupts.

Hayun and Chan lean forward in unison, their eyes glued to the TV, reverent awe practically radiating off them.

“Oh, hell no,” Minho mutters, grabbing Hayun’s hoodie and gently tugging her back. “Sit your ass down, princess.”

Hayun swats at his hand like an annoyed cat. “Let me live, Minho! It’s Ben Barnes. He’s glowing. Look at that jawline!”

“Unbelievable,” Minho mutters, narrowing his eyes at the screen. “He’s not that impressive.”

Chan smirks, leaning back with his wine glass. “Let her have this, man. It’s Prince Caspian. A once-in-a-generation crush.”

Minho points his wine bottle at Chan. “Once in a generation, my ass. Every generation has a pretty boy with floppy hair. You’re all just easily distracted.”

Hayun gasps dramatically, clutching her chest. “You’re jealous.”

Minho raises an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mock offence. “Jealous? Of him? A dude with an accent so inconsistent it’s a linguistic mystery? Sure. Totally.”

Hayun smirks, leaning closer to him. “You’d kill for his hair.”

Minho scoffs, flipping his own hair with exaggerated flair. “Please. My hair’s better. Caspian wishes.”

On screen, the Pevensies are pulled back into Narnia. As they wander through the ruins of Cair Paravel, Minho sits up slightly, already forming an opinion. “Hold the fuck on. They’ve been gone for what, a year? And the whole place is trashed? Narnia’s got the lifespan of a fruit fly.”

Hayun laughs, curling her legs under her. “Time moves differently there. That’s the whole point.”

Minho gestures wildly at the TV. “Differently how? If I go take a piss and come back, is Narnia gonna be a post-apocalyptic wasteland? What’s the conversion rate?”

“Depends on who’s running it,” Chan says, sipping his wine. “Clearly, these kids weren’t exactly stellar rulers.”

“Edmund’s fault,” Minho says immediately, crossing his arms. “Always Edmund.”

When Edmund actually makes a smart decision for once, Minho groans. “Fine. He didn’t fuck up this time. But I’m not apologizing for doubting him.”

As Prince Caspian speaks, Minho squints at the screen. “What the fuck is this accent? I've been trying to figure it out. Is he supposed to be Spanish? Italian? What is this supposed to be?”

“Exotic and dreamy,” Hayun replies without hesitation, her eyes fixed on the screen.

Minho tugs her back again by her hoodie. “Stop drooling. You’re embarrassing me.”

“And you’re jealous,” Hayun shoots back, grinning.

Minho rolls his eyes. “Of a guy who sounds like he learned European languages on Duolingo? Absolutely not.”

The battle sequences begin, and Minho’s commentary only escalates. When the centaurs charge, his tone shifts. “Okay, this is fucking cool. The centaurs are badass. And the minotaurs? Fucking terrifying. They better win this.”

“You’ve changed your tune,” Hayun teases. “Didn’t you hate them last movie?”

Minho shrugs, his eyes glued to the screen. “Last movie, they were just standing around being noble. Now they’re stabbing shit. Huge improvement.”

The group bursts into laughter, the wine making everything seem twice as funny. When Susan and Caspian share a charged moment, Minho groans audibly.

“Oh, here we fucking go. The doomed love story,” he says, flopping dramatically back into the couch.

“Let them have this!” Hayun protests, throwing a handful of popcorn at him.

“Nope,” Minho says, catching a piece midair and popping it into his mouth. “It’s illegal. She’s from Earth. He’s from wherever the fuck this place is. Interdimensional dating doesn’t work.”

As the climax nears and Aslan finally shows up again, Minho lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Of course. Lion Jesus comes to save the day. What a shocker.”

Hayun gasps, throwing another handful of popcorn. “Show some respect! He’s majestic.”

Chan nods solemnly. “He’s a literal god, Minho.”

Minho groans. “God? He’s just a lion with good PR.”

When the movie ends and Susan and Peter say their goodbyes, Minho sits up, frowning. “Wait. They’re just banned? Kicked out? What the fuck? Why?”

“They’ve outgrown Narnia,” Chan says, his tone almost wistful.

“Outgrown it?” Minho scoffs, setting his wine bottle down. “Sounds like Aslan’s just petty. What’s next? A loyalty test? Is there a Narnian HR department?”

Hayun laughs so hard she nearly spills her wine. “Minho, you’re ridiculous.”

Chan grins, already pulling up The Voyage of the Dawn Treader on the TV. “I can’t fucking wait to see how you react to the next one.”

Minho groans but doesn’t look away from the screen. “If Edmund’s still in it, I’m gonna need more wine to deal with Narnia: The Bullshit Chronicles"

As the opening credits of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader roll, the familiar orchestral swell of music fills the room.

The moment Eustace appears, Minho grimaces, setting his bottle down with a thud. “Who the fuck is this little shit?”

“That,” Hayun says, a grin spreading across her face, “is Eustace. You’re gonna hate him.”

“Gonna hate him?” Minho scoffs, leaning forward to point at the screen. “Look at his face. I already do. He’s got that I-remind-the-teacher-about-homework energy. And that name? Eustace? What the fuck kind of name is that?”

Chan chuckles from his spot on the couch, swirling his wine lazily. “It's a 1940s England name. Just wait. He’s unbearable at first, but he has a solid redemption arc.”

Minho doesn’t look convinced. “Redemption? If by redemption you mean he annoys me slightly less by the end, sure. But right now? Someone throw him overboard. Please.”

The movie progresses, and Eustace’s constant whining tests Minho’s patience to its limits. “I swear to God,” he growls, slumping back into the couch, “if this little shit doesn’t fall off the ship at least once, I’m asking for a refund.”

Hayun laughs, snuggling deeper into Minho’s side. “Keep watching. You’ll see.”

As Edmund exists on the screen, Minho groans loudly. “Oh, here we go. Fucking Edmund. What’s he gonna screw up this time?”

“Hey!” Hayun defends. “He’s grown. He’s not the same Edmund anymore.”

Minho side-eyes her, unimpressed. “Grown? Sure. But the bar for that kid was so low it was buried under Narnia itself.”

Chan nearly chokes on his wine, coughing out a laugh. “That’s harsh.”

“It’s honest,” Minho counters, taking a sip. “Let’s see if he proves me wrong. Spoiler: he won’t.”

Each time, Caspian appears, the room collectively sighs, but for different reasons. Hayun and Chan lean forward, eyes glued to the screen, dreamy smiles plastered across their faces.

“Oh, hell no,” Minho says, grabbing the back of Hayun’s hoodie and gently tugging her back. “None of that. Sit the fuck down, princess.”

“But it’s Ben Barnes!” Hayun protests, pouting. “Look at him. He’s majestic.”

Minho narrows his eyes. “Majestic? He looks like he’s been locked in a dungeon all winter. Wasn’t he bronzed and glowing last movie? What happened? Did Narnia run out of sun?”

Chan bursts out laughing. “Dude, you’re not wrong. He does look a bit... pale.”

“Continuity, people. Fucking continuity,” Minho mutters, shaking his head.

As the ship sets sail, Minho finally shuts up, momentarily entranced by the visuals. But the peace is short-lived. When Reepicheep makes his grand entrance, Minho’s eyes light up.

“Finally!” he exclaims, sitting up straighter. “A character who doesn’t piss me off. Reepicheep is fucking cool. Look at him go.”

“Everyone loves Reepicheep,” Hayun agrees, smiling.

“Well, they should,” Minho says. “He’s the only one who consistently has his shit together.”

Things take a turn for the absurd when Lucy encounters the magical house and the invisible monopod creatures. Minho stares at the screen, baffled. “What the actual fuck is this? Why are there tiny, one-legged men kidnapping her? Who wrote this shit?”

“It’s in the book,” Hayun explains.

Minho points his wine bottle at her. “Just because it’s in the book doesn’t make it any less fucking weird. This whole house situation? Makes no sense. The people? No sense. The plot? Absolutely no fucking sense.”

Hayun just laughs, letting Minho spiral.

When the final climactic scenes roll around, Minho is surprisingly silent, leaning forward as the tension builds. But when the film concludes with Lucy and Edmund saying goodbye to Aslan, he frowns deeply, his expression darkening.

“Hold the fuck up,” he says, leaning forward. “So now Lucy and Edmund are banned too? What is this, a Narnian eviction notice? Do they just kick you out for growing up?”

“It’s bittersweet,” Chan says, his tone soft and nostalgic. “They’re moving on.”

“Moving on?!” Minho explodes, gesturing wildly. “They’re fucking kids! You don’t just banish them because they hit puberty. What’s next? A loyalty test? Does Aslan send them a fucking survey asking how much they love him before he decides who stays?”

Hayun laughs so hard she almost spills her wine. “It’s symbolic, Min. Let it go.”

“I will not let it go,” Minho declares, crossing his arms. “Is there another movie?”

Chan shakes his head, looking amused. “Nope. This was the last one.”

Minho’s jaw drops. “What?! Why? There’s so much more they could do! They could—” He stops mid-rant, turning to Hayun. “Wait. What happens in the books?”

Hayun hesitates. “You really wanna know?”

“Yes,” Minho says, exasperated. “Spill.”

Hayun sighs, setting her wine down. “Okay, so... Susan stops believing in Narnia.”

“Of course she does,” 

“Let me finish,” Hayun says, taking a deep dramatic breath as Minho looks at her with wide, expectant eyes. “And then Edmund, Lucy, and Peter all die in a train crash.”

The room falls silent. Minho stares at her, his face a perfect picture of disbelief. “I’m sorry, what?”

“They die,” Hayun repeats. “And they go to Narnia, but it’s, like, heaven or something.”

Minho sets his wine bottle down carefully, as though afraid he might break it in his rage. “Are you fucking kidding me? This is a kid’s book series! They end it with a train crash and eternal limbo? What the actual fuck?”

Chan nods solemnly. “C.S. Lewis was something else.”

Minho throws his hands in the air. “That’s the darkest shit I’ve ever heard. And this was marketed to children? No wonder the world’s so fucked up.”

Hayun pats his arm, trying to suppress her laughter. “Congrats, Min. You survived three Narnia movies. You’re one of us now.”

Minho leans back into the couch, shaking his head in disbelief. “I don’t know if I should be proud or start booking therapy.”

Hayun grins, resting her head on his shoulder. “You’re gonna be fine, drama queen.”

“Fine?” Minho mutters, glaring at the now-blank screen. “I’ll never be fine again. Fucking Narnia, man.”

Taglist: @hityoulikebahng @drewsandsebastianswife @fackeraccount @lily-loves-kpop @stilldontknowhoiam

@ziggy1221 @justaspoonofjam @tr-mha-fan @candycurshidkwhatthehell

@heeseungspookie @smigcrazy @skzstannie @nightmarenyxx @beaann

[fafnir19]

Doll-boy

The Okavango Delta shimmered under the scorching African sun, as Eva and her gay friend, Leander, embarked on their expedition through the untamed wilderness. With Leander's striking blue eyes and tousled blond locks, and Eva's fiery determination, they made an enchanting pair.

Despite their captivating allure, Leander's ongoing quest for a boyfriend left him feeling despondent. "I wish a man would finally be interested in me," Leander sighed. "You just have to make a little more effort, you're actually a pretty handsome guy!" Eva encouraged with a playful grin. However, Leander seemed more inclined to wallow in his misery than take the initiative in finding a partner. In a remote village along the Okavango, Eva and Leander brightened the children's day by distributing toys, sharing joy wherever they ventured.

It was during this charitable act that Eva encountered the village witch. Sharing her concern for Leander's lack of confidence, Eva confided in the enigmatic woman. Offering a wry smile, the witch suggested a voodoo doll to imbue Leander with a touch of mischief. "With the right ingredients, I can craft a doll to bring out the best in him," she mused, tapping her lips with a long, gnarled finger. Fueled by a mischievous glint in her eyes, Eva eagerly agreed. "This could be just the thing to boost Leander's confidence!" With a lock of Leander's hair and a Ken Doll initially meant for the village's children, the witch crafted a doll with mischievous intent.

Back home, Eva surreptitiously placed the doll in a toy gym, hoping to facilitate Leander's transformation unwittingly. Little did he know, the voodoo doll had begun working its magic on him. Leander found himself irresistibly drawn to the gym, with each visit refining his physique until he mirrored the Ken doll.

"Hey, Eva, have you noticed anything different about me lately?" Leander inquired, a furrow creasing his brow as he peered at his reflection in the mirror. "Hmm, now that you mention it, your physique does seem more defined," Eva observed, a mischievous smile dancing on her lips. As time passed, Leander's grooming habits evolved, due to regular trips of the voodoo doll to the toy beauty salon. It ignited Leander's penchant for regular waxing and visits to the barber and it further transforms his appearance. "I've never felt more confident and fresh," Leander remarked, running a hand through his flawlessly styled hair. Unbeknownst to Leander, Eva continued to make subtle alterations to the doll, each change manifesting in ways he couldn't comprehend. Mirroring the doll's evolving style, he transitioned from casual attire to sophisticated tailored suits, emanating an aura of refined elegance. Eva watched from a distance with quiet amusement.

However, deep down Leander was affected by these changes. “It's like I'm becoming someone I'm not,” Leander confessed to Eva one evening with a hint of uncertainty. “I don't know if it's really me or the influence of some strange force that I can't grasp.” As the elegant tailored suits replaced his casual clothes, Leander's inner turmoil became palpable. "I feel like I'm losing touch with myself," he admitted, eyes clouded with uncertainty as he stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the lapels of his new suit. “I don’t recognize the person looking at me.” Eva listened intently, her heart filled with concern for her friend's inner struggle. She knew that while the external transformation was remarkable, the emotional toll it took on Leander was a high price. She tried to reassure him: “Inside you are still the same person, no matter how your appearance changes. I will always be there for you no matter what.” Despite Eva's comforting words, Leander's unease remained, gnawing at his core as he dealt with the whirlwind of changes that was rapidly transforming his life.

As he adjusted to his newfound size, Leander felt a growing disconnect between the person he was becoming and the person he had always been, a tug of war between embracing the appeal of sophistication and being true to himself. And In the midst of this inner conflict, his heart tugged at him and resonated with the quiet longing for authenticity amidst the glamour.

As an additional touch, Eva adorned the doll in silk underwear, a devious addition that seemed to excite Leander with each wear. "I can't explain it, but I feel so seductive and confident in these silk boxers - and so overwhelmingly horny," Leander confessed, grappling with the growing desires he felt. He tried to avoid donning the silk boxers but he couldn't resist the power that forced him to wear it. Initially his constant horniness was a torture, but gradually it became a part of his newfound persona, exuding charm, elegance and an aura of desire at every turn.

Eva discovered that she had unintentionally fallen in love with the Leander she had crafted, captivated by the unintended allure she had imbued him with. Despite her growing feelings, she couldn't deny the sinister nature of her actions.

As time passed, Leander's enchantment grew, his newfound charm and sophistication captivating those around him. Meanwhile, Eva found herself drawn to the very persona she had unwittingly created. Unable to resist any longer, she longed for a single date with gay Leander, even though she knew her actions were deceitful. Taking some of her own hair and affixing it onto a Barbie doll, Eva placed it along with the voodoo doll at a table with candles in her dollhouse. Shortly after, Leander extended an invitation for a date. The evening arrived, and Leander took Eva to a charming bistro. The ambience was warm and inviting, with soft candlelight casting a flattering glow over the couple.

As they delved into conversation, a wave of warmth washed over Eva, her conflicted feelings stirring beneath the surface. Their witty banter and shared laughter filled the air, punctuated by affectionate glances and lingering touches. In that moment, Eva realized the depth of her feelings for Leander, knowing that toying with his love and orientation was wrong. As they parted ways, the energy between them hung in the air, charged with unspoken words and unacknowledged desires. Over the next few weeks, Eva found it difficult to see Leander in the city's gay clubs because she was so in love with him.

One day, John, Eva's brother, paid her a visit, accompanied by his daughter, Emily. As Eva engaged in conversation with John, Emily roamed freely around the apartment, her curious gaze settling on the voodoo doll and the Barbie doll adorned with Eva's hair. With a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, Emily couldn't resist incorporating the dolls into her games, unaware of the repercussions her actions would invoke. First, she dressed the voodoo doll in soccer attire, believing it to be a suitable choice for a boy, before steering it towards tender moments with the Barbie, mirroring the affectionate interactions she had observed between her parents. She then playfully maneuvered the voodoo doll in a toy convertible, setting off a sequence of unforeseen events.

One fateful day, Leander found himself engaging in a conversation about soccer, a subject he had previously detested. Surprisingly, he agreed to join in a game of soccer with some acquaintances, igniting an unanticipated passion for the sport. Perplexed by his newfound enjoyment, he pondered why he had dismissed the activity in the past.

As the day unfolded, Leander visited Eva to unwind. They settled onto her couch, drawn together by the familiarity of their routine. In a fleeting moment of unspoken tension, their eyes met, igniting a dormant passion that surged between them. The magnetic attraction led to an intimate and electrifying kiss, an unexplored territory that set off an unexpected chain of events. "I've never felt like this before," Leander confessed, his voice tinged with a newfound desire, their shared encounter eliciting a cascade of uninhibited passion. The room echoed with ecstatic pleas and fervent moans as Leander climaxed.

In that unforgettable moment, the bond between Leander and the voodoo doll fractured, captivating in fiery tendrils of iridescent sparkles. The once-gay Leander was now straight as an arrow, a transformation kindled by the unseen influence of the voodoo doll and Emily's innocent actions.

Embracing his newfound heterosexuality, Leander delved into a world of allure and grandiosity, captivating all those around him. His once unwavering attraction to men had transformed into a powerful desire for the company of women, leaving him awestruck and curious. "I never thought I'd feel this way about women," Leander admitted to a confidante, his voice filled with a combination of wonder and yearning. "It's like a whole new world has opened up to me, and I'm the prince in this world!" His presence exuded an air of snobbish sophistication and he became the epitome of shallow vanity.

Eva found herself hopelessly infatuated with the man she had shaped, yet realized that she had become an outsider in his newfound world. Leander's gaze no longer held warmth or closeness when it met Eva's, his once-kindhearted nature eclipsed by a veneer of aloofness and disdain. "Hmm, I think it's time for a change in my social circle, Eva is just too common and boring," Leander remarked, his voice laced with an air of superiority that pierced Eva's heart. With a heavy heart, she acknowledged that she was no longer part of Leander's stratosphere. With her heart in tatters, she made the painful decision to step away. Meanwhile, Leander found himself irresistibly drawn to the enigmatic women he encountered, his newfound ardor for their company marking a profound shift in his perspective. As he immerse himself in his new life, he realized that he had become the object of affection and envy, basking in the adulation and allure he had longed for.

This story was inspired by an idea of @objectifiedhimbo

[omgsuperstarg]

Its Hair Day

Couple: Toto Wolff X Black!Reader

Summary: It's that particular time when the reader gives some TLC to herself and her hair. Toto working from home observes one of his love's many rituals in terms of self-care and he even assists.

As a young Caribbean woman, haircare is paramount, and I'm glad I get to share this in my writing. Hope you enjoy it!!!

Hair day is a long process. The amount of time and energy it takes to keep your hair flawless is a task in itself, but it's always worth it because Toto loves to see the unique art you transform your hair into. So here you are in your shared room at 9am in front of the mirror scissors in hand ready to be out with the old! So the process began by cutting your braids 75% length and then losing the rest. Usually, when you do this ritual, Toto would usually find your hair already prepped and wrapped under a nightcap to keep its softness. He always liked to see you with it on because he lived for the bright colours and styles it came with. He knew that your hair was quite important to you and in the short time you've both been together he came to embrace your unique beauty and how you showed it off.

So here you are in the bathroom with light lo-fi music blasting softly from your speakers so as not to disturb your hardworking love, he then appears in your vision thanks to the mirror reflecting him.

"Hey, did you have a good meeting?", you inquire and noting his slightly messy hair and face being spectacle free. "Yes, it went well and I can see you're quite busy yourself", he responds while walking towards your person.

"Did you choose your newest style?", he ponders as he comes to sit next to you. You proceed to show him a picture that you discovered on Pinterest which so happened to bestow you all the best inspiration.

"This would look wonderous on you, and it'll be perfect for the next race weekend", he professes while looking into your chocolate brown eyes.

"Oh, lova, can you drop me off at the salon before heading to Brackley?", you ask him

"Sure but for now, let me assist you in washing your hair", he says while wiggling his fingers playfully going in to tickle.

"Ahhhh Toto, stap!!!!!! This is soo unfair", your laughter ringing through the bathroom,

"I love you, mein Singvogel", the lovable giant professes before bestowing a light kiss on your forehead. Ever since he has heard you singing around the house, he has deemed you his songbird and that nickname always makes you weak in the knees.

So escorting you to the bathroom and sitting you on the tub's edge, he takes the hose and proceeds to drench your hair, his fingers very comforting just as he does on your ebony skin. Gentle yet protective, after that, you add your shampoo and you both scrub together. Taking some of the green apple-smelling suds and swiping some on his face, his hearty laugh filled the room and your soul. By lunchtime, your hair is fully washed and steamed and what was left was to plait them in.

"This is the first time you're actually home to see the entire process when it comes to doing my hair. Most times you would be working and when you arrive home, my haircare would be completed", you speak as you sit opposite him on the kitchen island.

"I always thought what you do with your hair is magical and the versatility of it. Your hair is powerful just as is the rest of you. Resilant, creative, an amazing cook, intelligent and diligent in your work.", Toto professes and by the time the silence comes, you're just in awe.

Getting into a relationship with Toto always had its critics from not matching his level in terms of career to the colour of your skin. The vitriol that was hurled at you always tore at you like razor cuts. You've always felt that you weren't good enough for a man of stature such as him, Toto was larger than life and you were just ordinary but in the time you've been with him, he saw you as equal. Valued your sense of independence. Your input mattered to him, willing to learn and appreciate his strengths and flaws and observe him in his element as well as encourage you in your endeavours and for that, you'll always be grateful.

The next day.....

After Toto dropped you off, it was time to transform your hair. So after about three hours and two seasons of 'The Umbrella Academy' on Netflix later, your hair was finally done and you felt even more beautiful. A new style was so needed and you knew that Toto would love it. In his rush, he forgot his lunch and you decided to drop it off for him and have him see your new hair.

After your arrival at Brackley HQ and with permission from reception, you were allowed to see him but before doing so you texted him to let him know you were coming and notify yourself if he was in a meeting so you would be disrespectful by barging in unannounced. In a swift reply, it was all clear and by knocking on his door and hearing his baritone voice you poked your head through.

"Hello darling, I bought lunch that you forgot when you rushed out of the house", you say slowly walking into his office.

"Thank you Liebling and you look gorgeous.", he says while gently turning your whole body in his arms to view your full visage.

"Im glad you love it, I adore it as well", you said as you gave your love a huge hug and a loving kiss.

[vilandel]

Silver Cats & Black Roses

Chapter 26 – Preparations

A/N In which Charlotte and Vanessa finally learn about each other's relationship 💙💜 I also described their ball gowns in this chapter and I'm rather proud of those descriptions^^

Ao3 link

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“Here is the masterpiece made especially for you, lady Charlotte.”

Soie Velours smiled at her before taking the blanket away from the dressmaker dummy, revealing her ball gown.

Charlotte was not much into fashion in general, but in this case, she was taken aback by work made by Soie Velours, her nephew and her workers.

“As you can see, the finest black silk was chosen, making the shine of the skirt really exceptional in every light you can imagine. Your shoulder and arms are free, only a small ringlet of a black and golden sleeve on your upper arms. Black is the main colour, but as you can see, there a few golden patterns on the fabric. Not much, which makes all the gold even more special and truly standing out of the black, without taking away the purpose of the main colour. Please admire those golden embroideries left and right on the bodice, leaving the front and the back just black, which will underline your fine waist. The same embroideries are found at the bottom, going up more or less to the height of your knees in a rather irregular way. Observe how those golden embroideries have the shape of golden leaves and golden vines with thorns, waved into each other, accenting the theme of the rose. Speaking of, you may have noticed those little black roses on the golden patterns, on the bodice and down the skirt. Those roses are made out of silk as well, for the shine of this particular fabric. We also took the liberty to add some subtle golden threads within those roses as well, to give them a small golden glow. And the cream of the cream, it is a wide skirt that will turn around you like a big black rose, the golden patterns are going to look like golden dew.“

“That last part was my idea,” Lin Velours timidly added, but his eyes were shining with pride.

“It’s a wonderful idea,” Charlotte whispered, slowly reaching her hand to touch her dress. The silk was incredibly soft under her fingers. She really hadn’t imagined concretely how her ball gown would look like, but this expected all of her expectations by far.

She could only hope that Yami would at least like this beautiful dress as well.

Somehow, Charlotte was glad that she came alone to Soie Velours’ shop today, without anyone from her girls and more importantly, no one from her family. Of course, she would have loved if her mother would have accompany her. But today, Orchidea had decided to give herself a mission and find some proper ball clothes for Asta, Magna and Luck.

Still, having no one with her in the private salon of the Roseleis, it made this moment really special for Charlotte.

“I… I have not enough words to say how happy and grateful I am.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, lady Charlotte,” the dressmaker replied, flicking her hand. “Your happiness is our biggest thanks. Besides, it’s better than the nitpicking, scared and stupid worries of some noble ladies who are only satisfied after a whole ocean of flattery.”

Charlotte could imagine that. A lot of nobles were actually more insecure than anyone would thought at first.

“Would you like to try your dress on, lady Charlotte?” Lin asked timidly.

Charlotte thought about refusing first, but she hold back. She had some free time and she knew that it was one thing to see a ball gown on a dummy, but something else entirely to wear it herself, looking in the mirror.

Besides, Lin Velours was way too cute to say no to him.

“Oh, gladly. But you don’t need to call one of your workers, I can put it on by myself.”

“This kind of dress is pretty easy to put on and you can go behind this paravent. It’s a bit heavy since it’s silk, but I believe this won’t be a problem for you, as a Magic Knight and a strong squad captain.“

Soie Velours handed Charlotte the black gown and the captain of the Blue Roses disappeared behind the paravent covered with pink clouds and dark green birds.

The dress was indeed easy to put on, but Charlotte still took her sweet time. Just enough to run her fingers over the silk, the golden embroideries, the silky little black roses.

Charlotte wondered again how Yami would feel seeing her wearing such a beautiful dress. Would he say again that she must being cold wearing it? Or would he actually subtly compliment her?

After all, it wasn’t like Yami cared if she was dressed elegantly or not. Sometimes, when lust clouded their minds, it happened that he ripped her clothes of her in the heat of the moment. Not something she appreciated, clothes weren’t always cheap and there were not eternally repairable. But at least he was trying to hold himself back and not destroy her clothes.

Most of the time.

Still, as surprising as it sounded, Yami had some art knowledge. He just didn’t care most of the time. But maybe he would see that this dress was a true work of art. And that it suited her. Hopefully.

When Charlotte finally put her ball gown on, she realized that it fit her perfectly. The bodice lied perfectly on her, but without feeling suffocating, underlining her frame perfectly. As for the skirt, it really flowed around her practically like a giant rose and the dress didn’t felt as heavy as when she hold in her arms, compared to wearing it.

Soie Velours and Lin had the most admirative glances when she finally appeared from behind the paravent.

The modiste said with a knowing smile, “That dress, which I decide to call Black Rose, is truly a masterpiece. But if I’m being honest, lady Charlotte… I think it’s actually you who accentuate this dress and not the other way around. It wouldn’t have the same effect on someone else. Well, of course not, it was made especially for you, after all.”

“You look like a true princess.”

Lins little awe compliment made Charlotte blush and she offered him her brightest smile. This was after all true admiration and not superficial flattery.

But before she could even reply, a little bell was heard. A little system Charlotte came to know during the days she was on duty here. When a new customer entered, even those who were in the atelier, in one of the offices or working in one of the private salons could hear it. Very practical when it happened that no one was in the shop, which apparently already happened before.

“Lin, my dear boy, would you please go see who it is and maybe, help poor Camilla and Iris if it’s a terrible noble lady? Thank you. And lady Charlotte, if you wanna get a better look at yourself, there’s a mirror behind you.“

While Lin left the private Salon of the Roseleis immediately, Charlotte turned around to take a look in the mirror, probably the largest mirror she ever saw.

Usually when she had to wear something elegant because of reasons, Charlotte usually didn’t recognized herself when she looked in a mirror. But in this case and despite her non-existent sense of fashion, she had no difficulties to see herself. And the dress was not even blue, her most usual colour.

She wondered if it was because it was the first time she wear a dress from Soie Velours, a modiste who built her reputation upon the fact of knowing exactly what people should wear to be look at her best.

Or is it because for the first time, she didn’t wear blue, but decided to wear the colours of the man she loved?

She turned again and now, she even see better in the reflection how much it looked like a big black rose with golden dew.

“You truly breath taking, lady Charlotte. You’re certainly going to be one of the true stars of this upcoming ball.”

Oh, yes. The ball…

She actually forgot it for a moment, given the how the dress amazed her. But this ball was also the reason why she got that dress in the first place.

And given what this ball was implying… Oh, she wished she could forget this again, but Charlotte just couldn’t. Not with everything that’s going to play that night.

The nearer the ball way, the more upsetting aunt Rosamund became and her endless talks about that betrothal with lord Reginald Évantail. It was now such a pain that Charlotte really wondered if Rosamund had something else in mind than just marry of her niece, the most eligible member of house Roselei, to someone who already had been married five times before.

But if there was indeed some conspiracy between Rosamund and Reginald, for what reason? What was the goal? Should she trust her feelings or her guts, like Yami said? Or was she just imagining things? It was true that with this ball and her secret relationship with Yami, she might get a bit worried more than she should. She would fight for him, to be with him and she was also scared to lose him in any way possible.

Charlotte remembered the coded letter they had found during their mission in the Common Realm, with Sol, Asta and Finral. She really hoped it was something that could help them put a hold on whoever was behind those thievery acts. As if the kingdom didn’t had enough to deal with since two years.

Charlotte found it frustrating because it was such a mystery still. They had no idea about the reasons, who could be behind it and assuming things in precipitation rarely lead to the right conclusions.

Not to mention this whole ball. How was it related to the thievery in the Common Realm? Was it really related? Charlotte was not sure, maybe it was only a coincidence. But given how nobility demanded it soon after the thievery acts started and given that in the background, that ball was that specific ball to trap innocent people into some betrothal behind their backs. In the past, it had been obvious, now it’s more subtle.

Which was somewhat worse.

“Miss Velours?”

“Yes, lady Charlotte?”

“Do… do you actually know… what this ball is implying?”

“Oh, that it’s basically a trap for trappy engagements? Yes, I do know that.”

Charlotte turned towards Soie Velours, very surprised by how casually she said those words. But the modiste just shrugged. “I learned about the Three Leaves Glory ball through history books, not the so-called official ones. I was a still a young apprentice back then and since I had to deal with nobles for this kind of business, I had to learn how nobility was ticking. History books, observations while making myself invisible, that kind of stuff. If you want to be successful in your business, you have to know how you customers tick in any, really any way possible, individually and in general. Why do you think I became this successful as a modiste? I had a lot to deal with, to came where I am today. Trust me, it wasn’t easy, even more so since I’m a commoner working in the Noble Realm.”

“So… you know-“

“That there’s something fishy with this ball, yes. I’m not an idiot and that fishy is something I really despise, trust me. But I’m also a business woman, responsible for many workers and indirectly also of their families and even more, I’m also responsible for my nephew. If I refuse to sold and sew dresses every time something fishy or an occurrence I don’t like shows up, all I can do is closing my business. As a business woman, I have learned to compromise in order to achieve all of this. To achieve my dream. Compromises aren’t so bad if they’re done right.”

Soie Velours sighed, looking more serious in a personal way than she ever was. “This atelier, this shop, creating dresses in any way possible… It was my dream since I was a little girl. It’s now also my nephews dream and I choose my workers not only for their craftmanship on this domain, but also because of how much they love what they do, what they create, what they’re realizing. No matter of their backgrounds, I’m also ready to welcome some nobles if they want to work here. I don’t want to give up on that. And besides,” a smug glimmer appeared in Soies green eyes, “in a way, I can also fight against unfairness in society with my shop and my dresses, even though I’m not a Magic Knight. I’m worthless against devils or terrorist groups, of course. But against bigot nobles who want to have more what they deserve, I’m weak to think that I’m rather an expert.“

Charlotte had come to appreciate Soie Velours during the mission for her. But after that speech, she came to respect her deeply.

Soie Velours might not be a Magic Knight, but that didn’t make her less a warrior in her own ways. A strong and independent woman with a business, which in a way was more to just to create pretty dresses.

“Thank you, Miss Velours.”

“Oh, no need to thank me, lady Charlotte. I’m sure you also one of those who need to be cautious during this ball of traps, given the odious rumours I heard about your future marriage.”

“Indeed, especially since I have a secret-“

Charlotte immediately put her hand on her mouth, afraid to have already said too much. She still didn’t want that her relationship with Yami would spread like wildfire in every circle. At least, not before the ball.

But Soie just smiled smugly and kindly. “Oh, you also have a secret lover who isn’t a noble, am I right? Goodness, is this a trend these days, to fall truly in love with someone from not the same circle? Well, if it is, I hope this trend never goes away.”

Charlotte frowned at those strange words. But before she could ask, Lin entered the private Salon again.

“Auntie, it’s lord Nozels secret lover, miss V… Oh, oopsie daisy.“

Lin Velours immediately put both his hands on his mouth, as he realized that Charlotte was still here.

His aunt gave him an affectionate scolding glance, but Charlotte understood immediately what all of this was implying.

So, Nozel had a secret lover as well. Someone who was neither a noble nor another royal. Charlotte smiled. He who was always so strict and loved discipline, allowed himself finally some happiness.

And if she understood correctly, Nozels beloved didn’t had any private salon to have some calm to try her dress. But was she able to afford such a ball gown?

Maybe she was another Magic Knight. Or maybe Nozel would pay for her, maybe he even opened an account here for his beloved.

“Miss Velours?”

“Yes, lady Charlotte?”

“You can tell Nozels beloved that she can use the Roseleis private Salon to try her dress on. Given that I’m in a similar situation, I won’t spill her secret in any way and I would love to support her.“

“You have a really noble heart, lady Charlotte. Come, Lin, let’s tell lord Nozels girlfriend to follow us here.“

As aunt and nephew left the room, Charlotte turned back to the mirror, but not really to admire her dress again. Her thoughts were now focused on who Nozel fell in love with.

Nozel wasn’t the easiest person to be around. But as a captain, he had some qualities that would be also welcomed as a lover. He was loyal, true to his words and even though it was only subtle in appearance, deep down he was also a very caring man. His beloved certainly was lucky to be with him.

Maybe he was more open with her, whoever she was? Lin almost spilled her name, starting with a V. Veronique, Virginia, Valérie, Valentina, Victoria, Vivian, Violet, Venus, Verena, Valencia, Verona, Verity? There were a lot of possibilities of names with V. It reminded her of her dolls when she was a very little girl and searching for the most rare names for them.

Her train of thoughts was interrupted when the door opened again, revealing Soie Velours, her nephew and…

“Vanessa?”

“Oh, hello captain Charlotte. Thanks a lot for letting me use your private Salon. Oh my gosh, that dress looks dashing. I didn’t know that black was as much your colour as blue, it really suits you!”

“Wait… you… you’re…”

♣♣♣

“You’re Nozels secret lover?”

Vanessa immediately stopped to be in awe of captain Charlottes gorgeous black dress, as surprise and shock washed over her.

How did the captain of the Blue Roses know? Well, not really know, since her exclamation was definitely a question. But did she know that Nozel was secretly in love with someone out of his circles. Captain Charlotte was clever and not as dense as captain Yami. She might have saw some things and conclude others.

“Forgive my nephew, Vanessa,” Soie said with a sorry smile. “He half spilled the beans not even five minutes ago.”

Lin stood behind his aunt, timidly poking his two fingers against one another. Oh, he was so adorable and he certainly didn’t mean it bad.

His aunt continued, “But lady Charlotte is a kind hearted person, so she offered you private Salon of the Roseleis. And if we spilled some beans already, she also did it as a fellow who also has a secret lover.”

Wait, what?

“So, Lin and I will bring you your ball gown. We’ll be back in a minute.”

Aunt and nephew left, leaving Vanessa alone with the captain of the Blue Roses. A few seconds, there was some awkward silence between the two women.

Until Charlotte actually moved, taking Vanessas hand and leading to the couch, for her to sit down.

Vanessa was grateful for the gesture, because a lot of thoughts were currently racing in her mind. Captain Charlotte just learned about her and Nozel. And Vanessa understood Soie Velours’ words correctly, it would also mean that…

“Are you and captain Yami finally together?”

“My goodness, is it so obvious that we have to be a thing?”

“To be perfectly honest… yes. Only idiots and dense people would be unable to see the signs. And… I was right next to you when you confessed to captain Yami back in Spade, remember?”

“Oh, Heavens… I haven’t thought about that confession for a while,” Charlotte moaned, hiding her face behind her hands.

Well, Vanessa hasn’t thought about it for quite some time as well. The thing that first came to her mind every time she remembered Spade, was her very first talk with Nozel.

How everything between them started then…

But captain Charlottes confession to captain Yami in Spade also had somehow an impact on herself. Vanessa remembered that by hearing this desperate I love you, she finally realized and admitted that she had never been in love with her captain. That her lost duckling crush on Yami had actually disappeared a very long time ago.

She had a lot of thinking to do back then, which was why she had searched for a quiet place to think peacefully about her new realizations. To think, to decide to take her love life in a new direction, without delusions of a crush that she shouldn’t had cling into it in the first place.

And then, Nozel came to her spot.

Without his cold mask, looking more vulnerable and human to her, like she never dared to imagine before.

And probably without realizing it, Vanessas decision to take her love life onto a new path was already put into motion that day.

Looking at captain Charlotte, who still hiding her face with her hands, Vanessa believed that back in Spade, it was not only the start of what was between her and Nozel. But also between Charlotte and Yami.

What a small world…

“Since when are you and captain Yami a thing?”

“A thing? For a bit more than one month at this point.”

“Oh, same here for Nozel and me. And you kept the secret, even to us Bulls?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, but we wanted some peace before telling anyone. And with everything going on the kingdom… the ball, the boldness of nobles and everything that implied all those things… Yami and I thought it was better to keep it a secret at first.”

“Does anyone know?”

“Except you? Puli and Églantine, two of my knights, and Luck. But those three find out due to… reasons that I rather not explain further.”

Vanessa grinned. Given the deep blush on captain Charlottes face, Luck and the two Blue Roses must have surprised the two captains in a very sensual position. Kinda reminded Vanessa on how Noelle find out about Nozel and her, not so long ago.

“Oh, and my mother knows as well. She even gave us our blessing already.”

Ha, Vanessa always knew that auntie Dea was one of the best nobles in the whole kingdom of Clover!

“And does someone know about you and Nozel?” Charlotte asked, after taking a bit of her blush under control.

“Océane Vermillion knows, Nozels aunt. And besides Soie Velours and her nephew, it’s only Noelle. But in her case, she stumbled on us while we were… in a very sensual position and it took her some time to calm down from the shock.”

“Poor girl.”

Vanessa smiled, but it didn’t last long, as a more serious topic came to her mind. “We kept it a secret for similar reasons than you and captain Yami. Nobles are very determined to marry one of their own to Nozel. And learned recently that some noble ladies called Prudence Évantail and Athénaïs Vitrail are considered the top candidates for his future wife.”

Charlotte made a face at the sound of those names, which made Vanessa grin for a second.

“And… his father seems very determined to marry him of. He was the one who spread those rumours about Nozel wanting to get engaged during this ball and getting married shortly after. It’s not true, of course. But Nozel and I… we want to fight to be together, that goes without doubts. But there are heavy hurdles on this way.”

“I get that,” Charlotte said softly, before taking Vanessas hand again. It was a very comforting touch. “Lac Silva… Is not someone to take lightly, no matter how much you despise him. I don’t know the story between him and the Silva siblings, but I understand that there’s a big shift between them. And… I can’t say the details, it’s not my secret specifically and it’s very disgusting to think about. But Lac Silva had insulted my mother in way that I just can’t have any respect for him.”

Gosh, what did that jerk of Lac Silva did to auntie Dea? Vanessa was very close to ask, but given Charlottes stiff glance in her eyes, she preferred to hold back.

Besides, captain Charlotte continued, “As for Nozels situation with the kinds of lady Prudence and lady Athénaïs, I also can relate. You have to know, somehow I ended up being the most eligible match of house Roselei, despite my curse. The members of my house are trying very hard to find a suitable fiancé for me. Especially my aunt Rosamund.”

“The one who is more shambolic than me? Auntie Dea told me about her during her first visit at the Hideout.”

“If only she could be as shambolic by trying to marry me of. But sadly, Rosamund is stubborn and determined to a point that even being sick with the highest temperature can’t stop her for trying to get what she wants. And for some reason I still ignore, she seems to have only one specific lord in mind to be my future husband. But… lord Reginald is old enough to be either my father or my grandfather and he has been married five times before. He has children from each on his marriages and still wants to find a wife number 6. Which shall be me, according to Rosamund.”

“That’s sounds fucked up.”

“I wouldn’t choose such a crude word, but it’s fitting, I admit. Not to mention that lord Reginald is also the father of lady Prudence. But I don’t remember anymore if she’s a daughter from his first wife or from the second one.”

“Another Évantail?”

“Their family tree is pretty chaotic. Sometimes nephews and nieces happened to be older than their uncles and aunts, for example.“

Vanessa hold her snicker back. This was just so ridiculous. And this were JUST the legitimized Évantails. If they would add Grenadine and any other potential bastard to the bunch, it would surely be more complicated than it already was.

Nobles were for the most part really either complicated, stupid or arrogant, if not a mix of those three words and others.

Thank goodness there exceptions like Finesse, auntie Dea and Océane, Nozels adorable Vermillion aunt.

Speaking of…

“Do you and captain Yami have some plans to avoid the traps during the ball?”

“You mean except holding Yami and probably also myself back to beat up any of my suitors, because this would have consequences and it wouldn’t really help us in the end?”

“Oh, I can relate to that,” Vanessa chuckled, remembering how close she had been to slap Prudence Évantail and Athénaïs Vitrail because of how they talked about Nozel. But maybe it was also good that she didn’t slapped them. Yet.

Charlotte smiled, before continuing with a serious voice, “Honestly, I’m quite unsure. Even Yami isn’t that laidback about this whole ordeal. But he’s still more laidback than I am. My mother told me to avoid any of my suitors as much as I can and to listen between the lines, in case they invite me for that betrothal waltz.”

“Auntie Dea is right, this is already something to do. Nozels auntie, Océane Vermillion, also suggested us to only dance with each other, not with anyone else. Not only would it avoid any hidden betrothal with other nobles but at the same time, giving a clear message to the nobles and especially Lac Silva. Probably also to Prudence Évantail and Athénaïs Vitrail.”

“So… you want to come out of secrecy?”

“More or less, it won’t such a big announcement with trumpets and all the drama. But Nozel is sick of secrets of any kind and the more we are together, the more I see that he doesn’t want to hide me. It’s not like we were extra cautious before, but we were still pretty secretive. And given everything I learned about him since Spade… I understand that. And… I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I don’t know if I can fit into this life, of being a royal. It seems rather scary. But I can’t let insecurities be stronger than what I feel for Nozel.”

“I understand, Vanessa. Yami and I would love to come out of secrecy as well. We just… Well, we quite enjoy the peace we have now, but once we’re out in the open, the storm will 

come onto us. And I’m not talking about nobility only, but also about you Black Bulls. No offense.”

“None taken. You’re right, after all. We Black Bulls are nice people, but we tend to get a bit to wild, it doesn’t matter if we feel insulted or if we’re excited. Especially since my comrades are going to be overprotective over you against our captain, most certainly. Gosh, I haven’t thought how the Bulls are going to react to Nozel and me!”

She indeed hasn’t thought about that. At least, barely. The Black Bulls would indeed have the shock of their lives. Vanessa liked to think that at least half of them wouldn’t make too much of a drama. But the other half… and given Noelles past… Oh shoot, not only the Black Bulls would be shocked, but Nebra and Solid as well! Okay, with how she was today, Nebra might take it kinda good. But Solid maybe not so much.

Nozel might rubbed off on her, because now she almost started to overthink just like him.

“I’m actually glad that Noelle already knows about Nozel and me. She’s a bit like our biggest supporter today.”

“That’s good to know.”

Both women went silent, each of them lost in their thoughts.

Vanessa observed Charlotte. She wondered if the colour of her dress was a way to honour Yami. Black with some trimmer of gold, it was practically the colours of the Black Bulls. A bit like she choose Silva typical colours for her dress.

That dress truly suited her. Her porcelain skin was practically radiant against the black silk. Vanessa really hoped that captain Yami would at least be in awe once he would see captain Charlotte and that he would SHOW it for once. In her own case, Vanessa knew already that Nozel would show his appreciation. Hopefully he would love the dress.

Suddenly, an idea popped in her head.

“Wanna make a deal, captain Charlotte?”

“What? What kind of deal do you mean?”

“Just to support each other and our boyfriends during the ball, in any way possible. We’re kinda in the same boat with our love lives. So, why not support each other? Both our couples are going to need every help they can get in this situation, don’t you think?”

Charlotte hesitated just for not even one second before a bright smile appeared on her lips. “Agree, let’s help each other.”

“Pinky oath?”

“Pinky oath, if you insist.”

Soie Velours and her little nephew entered the private salon just when Vanessa and Charlotte let go of their pinky fingers.

“Sorry for the wait, lady Adelheid Sandler made a real fuss about one little embroidery on her Winter Apple dress,” Soie laughed, before opening a box right in front of Vanessa. “And here, lady witch of the Black Bull squad, is the masterpiece created especially for you.”

A purple dress came out of the box, professionally hold by both aunt and nephew. Vanessa was immediately amazed by her new dress.

“For this particular gown, we have opted for a sheath shape, which will not only accenting your gorgeous frame, but will also flow freely and gracefully around you. Unusual for the sheath, the shoulders are free with just a small, flowing ringlet of fabric around your upper arms, which you won’t even notice. We choose satin as the fabric, for its particular shine, as you can see here. Please notice how the satin slowly becomes more transparent starting from the knees. The transparency will not be fully, only subtle, but enough to show your legs in a small, timidly naughty way. Adding a bit of transparency is not an easy task with satin, since it’s not a fabric used for this kind of work, unlike chiffon, fine silk or georgette. But it is possible for my nephew and me, since we have fabric magic and learned how to do the most impossible things in our craftmanship with our magic. As you ordered, the main colour is a bright and metallic purple, adding more to the shine of the satin. Observe also those silver embroidery which delicately go around the bodice and the skirt, starting from your right shoulder and ending at the bottom left of your dress, without covering them and hiding the beautiful metallic purple. Those embroideries have the form of vines, covered with frost thanks to the silver threads. You may have noticed all those little rose blossoms scattered on the silver vine embroideries. Some in an immaculate white, the others in the palest pink possible. A bit of silver had been added on them as well, to give a subtle illusion of frost and winter. My dear nephew gave this dress the name of Rose In Winter, as a little delicacy. You certainly want to try it on, Vanessa dear, you can go behind the paravent.”

“This is the most beautiful dress I ever saw,” Vanessa whispered in awe, while taking her ball gown delicately from Soie and Lin. “I have no words, I… It definitely will inspire me for my own future needlework!”

“And this is the kind of compliment a dressmaker always loves to hear,” Soie Velours said with pride while Vanessa disappeared behind the paravent.

It was not difficult to put the dress on. In fact, it was pretty easy. But Vanessa had to stop every ten second to admire the shine of the satin, the subtle transparency, the white and pale pink roses, the silver embroidery, the softness of the fabric, just everything…

When Vanessa finally appeared from behind the paravent wearing her flowy dress, Lin Velours looked at her in awe, while Charlotte smiled with admiration, still wearing her own ball gown, and Soie Velours nodded with pride.

“Another masterpiece, indeed. Please, Vanessa, come admire you in the mirror.”

Seeing herself in the mirror was something else indeed. Vanessa was amazed how perfectly this dress fitted her and she couldn’t wait to see Nozels reaction seeing her like this, like a true princess.

Despite the fact that this ball was all bad news, there were still some things for Vanessa to look forward to. And that was somehow comforting.

After a while of silent admiration, Soie Velours spoke up again, “Ah, before I forgot, there is something else for you, for the upcoming ball.”

And from behind her back, she handed both Charlotte and Vanessa two little boxes. It looked like jewellery boxes or something, but Vanessa didn’t know enough about jewellery of nobles and royals to call herself an expert.

Charlotte took a closer look at hers, frowning. “But… I can’t remember to have ordered-“

“Oh, it’s not from you, lady Charlotte. Even though it is for you. But your mother, lady Orchidea, brought it to us earlier today. I think she had it ordered by one of the finest jewellers in the kingdom the moment she learned what you wanted for your dress.”

Vanessa couldn’t help but smile. Auntie Dea was definitely more than a good mother for Charlotte.

The captain of the Blue Roses still frowned, but opened the box still.

A diadem was in it. A golden diadem in the shape of thorny vines, with black gems, probably obsidians. Even better, those obsidians were formed in a way to look like roses. A black rose to the fullest.

“Oh… it’s… I…”

“Can I put it on your head, lady Charlotte?” Lin timidly asked. “It would be like to crown you.”

“Well, then crown me, little one.”

With a smile, Charlotte went softly on her knees to let Lin put the diadem on her head, doing it even like a professional.

Vanessa smiled at this adorable image – Charlotte Roselei would do a good mother as well, just like auntie Dea – before she focused on her box and opened it.

There was also a diadem, a small but also a very ancient one. Only that it was silver and the shape looked like leaves and water drops. The gemstones were probably crystals, in the palest shades of purple, pink and blue, also white.

Silver, purple, pink, blue, white… Some typical Silva colours.

The gems were also formed into flowers, but strangely enough not like roses, but like water lilies. The favourite flowers of lady Acier…

Vanessas eyes widened. Could this be a Silva diadem that once belonged to Acier Silva?

There was a little letter in the box and Vanessa quickly to took it read.

Dearest future niece-in-law

I suppose that miss Soie Velours gave this box to you once you have your surely breath taking ball gown. I wanna see Nozels face once you wear it.

This diadem belonged to my late sister, lady Acier Silva. I’m sure my dear nephew told you once that those were her favourite flowers. She wore that diadem on her wedding and when there was an occasion, she put it on her head again. It was her favourite jewellery and she didn’t lots of those. In her will, she stated that Nozel should have it until he gets married and gave it to his beloved.

I know you and Nozel aren’t married yet, but at this point it’s only a matter of time. Still, my nephew wanted you to have it now, not only for the ball, and I agree with him. You deserve to have it and from now on, this diadem is yours. Consider this as a gift from Nozel and from my dear sister, who would have loved you. It might not fit entirely with your dress, but I think this doesn’t matter, given the symbolism of this diadem.

Océane Vermillion, né Océane Silva.

Tears of joy filled Vanessas eyes. Nozel actually gifted her something that belonged to his mother, something of great emotional value. This was worth more than the silver and gems.

When Vanessa put the diadem on her head, she had the feeling for a second that it was Acier Silva who placed it delicately, as if she was giving Nozel and Vanessa her blessing from the afterlife.

[80siconic]

CHAPTER II - VIGILANTE SHIT.

previous chapter...

content warning(s): none

chapter two

so on the weekends, i don't dress for friends. lately i've been dressing for revenge.

vigilante shit by taylor swift

January, 2022 

                THE first thing that popped into Anika's mind when she woke up was her hair. Her long blonde hair had always been special to her. It had always been her staple but now, she felt indifferent to it. She had been bored with it. Anika looked in her bathroom mirror and made her decision. She was going to cut her hair. The only reason she never touched it was because her mother didn't want her to. Her father couldn't have cared less. So, Anika contacted her hair stylist and told the woman she wanted something different. Her hair stylist obliged, of course. The old Anika sat in that chair with her long blonde hair, and the new Anika now stared at her in the mirror. Her hair was just above her shoulders and dyed a beautiful red colour.

All Anika could do was smile at her new look. She was finally free from her old self. As they say, out with the old and in with the new. Anika was happy as she walked out of that salon. She had left her old self behind. At least that's what it felt like. Anika arrived at home and just waited to see the reaction on her mother's face. Opening the front door, there stood Valerie Dupont just waiting for her. Arms crossed and disappointment on her face. It grew bigger as she saw Anika's hair.

Anika stepped into the threshold and just looked at her mother with faux curiousity like she didn't know what her mother was staring at. "What?"

Valerie Dupont frowned, her face growing angry. "What did you do?"

Anika smirked at her mother. "What do you mean? I changed it." She then touched it. "Do you like it?"

"Of course, I don't like it." Her voice raised. "You ruined it."

Anika scoffed. "I didn't ruin it. You're being dramatic."

Anika moved to walk past her mother, but she grabbed her arm, roughly. "It looks awful."

"Well, what do you want me to do? Magically bring it back?" Anika yanked her arm out of her mothers hold.

"Just get it out of my face." Valerie grimaced.

Anika smiled sarcastically. "Gladly."

"The charity gala is tonight." Valerie shook her head in disappointment. "There's a dress on your bed for you."

With a nod and a darling smile, Anika walked away. As she climbed up the stairs, she clenched her jaw in anger. She wasn't going to let her mother get to her. She was going to make sure of it. After taking in a small breath, Anika calmed herself down and made it to her bedroom. She could see the dress on her bed, and, in all honesty, it didn't look that bad. But she was going to freeze when she was outside. "Beauty hurts," her mother had told her once.

The dress was red, her favourite. She smiled as it almost matched the colour of her hair.  There was nothing stopping her from trying it on, but she wanted to wait until later. Until then, she put the dress over the desk chair. It had been a few days since the meeting with the Marquis, and she hadn't heard anything back yet. She hadn't gotten anything from the Harbinger either, but she understood he was busy.

In all honesty, Anika was not excited for the charity gala. Of course it was for a good cause and Anika loved that but she knew she was only there for the same reason as always. Besides, her parents stole money. None of the money that they had made was from honesty. No one knew that except for her, and them. Truthfully, it was disgusting. Anika didn't expect anything else from them though. This was another reason why she was excited to take her parents down. She wanted to give back to everyone that they robbed from. It was what she wanted.

Besides that, Anika couldn't stop thinking about the Marquis. Meeting him was interesting and he was an interesting person. She did find him slightly intimidating but she did warm up to him. He wasn't as scary as everyone thought but at the same time, she had never seen him kill before. She had never seen him in action. Now seeing that would be quite interesting. The only thing that confused her was that she swore she had spotted a car watching her house. That was the day before. At first, she never thought that much about it but then something had happened. Anika could swear she saw the face of Chidi. The Marquis Second-In-Command.

Anika didn't know if this was the Marquis way of saying he had her back, but it sure seemed like it. Anika made sure to ask him about it the next time she saw him. The best she could do was keep track of the car and when it came around. There was a part of her brain that told her to message him. She thought against it, of course. Besides. His number was only in there for emergencies. But she needed somebody to speak to. In all truth, she felt alone. There wasn't anyone for her to speak to, and she wasn't speaking to her parents.

With a sigh, Anika pulled out her phone and sat on top of her bed. Crossing her legs, Anika went into her contacts and her finger hung over the Harbinger's number. Yes, this was a stupid, stupid idea but maybe it wasn't. Sucking it up, Anika clicked on the button and held the phone to her ear. It had rung a few times before the line was picked up. "Hello?"

Anika cleared her throat. "Hi. It's Anika, monsieur." Absentmindedly, she pulled at the strings on her sweater.

"Miss Dupont?" The Harbinger sounded confused. "What can I do for you? Is everything all right?"

Anika stayed silent for a moment, deciding on what to say. "Nothing, I just—Everything is fine. I just called to see if I could talk to you?"

There was shuffling on the other side of the phone before he spoke up. He was probably sitting down. "What would you like to talk about?"

Anika sighed. She still thought this was stupid but continued anyway. "There's a charity gala tonight. I am not looking forward to it." Anika chuckled quietly.

There was more silence before he spoke again. "Why's that?"

"The same reason as always. I'm only there for one reason and..." Anika gulped. "Look, the real reason I called is because I feel alone. I don't have anyone and you're the only person who I'd be willing to talk to. I don't exactly have any friends." She looked down at her lap.

The Harbinger sighed. "It'll be alright. I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think. Just go, keep an eye on your parents and make sure to get as much info as you can. I know this is frustrating but push through it." This brought tears to Anika's eyes as he continued. "If you feel like you can talk to me, you can. You have allies on your side, and you are not alone. Alright?"

Anika wiped her cheeks and nodded. "Oui." She gulped. "Merci."

His gruff voice replied. "Of course. When do you leave?"

"Well—" She cleared her throat to compose herself. "The gala starts at 7 and my parents like to be fashionably late so slightly after 7."

"Then you have until then to put yourself together. You're a strong woman and I know you know this. Just be yourself." The Harbinger was very motivating. Anika didn't expect this from him.

Anika was about to answer but there were footsteps coming towards her bedroom. She lowered her voice. "I need to go. Someone is coming in."

"Go ahead. I will see you when I see you."

The line went dead, and Anika put her phone back into her pocket before whoever it was walked in. As the door opened, it was her mother. "I want to ask you, how was your lunch with the Marquis?"

That was random. Anika cleared her throat. "It was good. He took me to a favourite restaurant of his." That was a complete lie. "I had fun."

"And why did he ask you?" Valerie closed the door and stood with her arms crossed, giving her daughter a pointed look. "Was that the letter you got?"

Anika hummed with a nod. Her mother would not let up. She walked over to the dress on the chair and moved it so she could lay it on her bed. "Oui. He invited me out. I don't know why but again, it was nice, mother." Anika smiled nicely at her even though it was fake.

"I see." God, that passive-aggressive voice of hers frustrated Anika to no end. "Well, good."

And with that, Valerie Dupont walked out of the room, closing the door quite loudly. Anika sighed and turned her head to look at the dress. She was dreading the evening ahead. Completely. Christ, she really needed a cigarette.

___________

ANIKA fidgeted in the dress as she fixed it. It was comfortable but she didn't feel like herself in it. They had left the house at the time Anika said. Just a little bit after 7. The car was cramped as she sat beside her parents. It was a small car, and she was uncomfortable. When Valerie told Anika that everyone was going to be there, she wasn't being dramatic. The entrance of the hotel was packed with people. If everyone was going to be there, Anika wondered if the Marquis would be there. It did make sense because if she was there, he'd probably be there as well.

As the car was taken away, Anika fixed her hair and made sure it looked fine. Anika was once again, stuck in the middle of her parents. People looked their way and smiled. And none of the smiles were fake. They were all real and genuine. Anika felt uncomfortable as she was being looked at. They made it inside the hotel after they pushed past some people. The banquet room was beautiful, Anika had to give it that. This was one of the most expensive hotels in Paris.

The room was loud with light jazz playing in the background. There was a light slap on her shoulder. "Don't forget to smile." Valerie gave Anika a pointed look.

Anika smiled, but she wasn't happy about it. Her parents walked away from her and were probably going to chat with people they knew. Their "friends" if that's what you wanted to call them. Anika walked around, smiling nicely at people as she walked around. This smile was genuine. Carefully, she took a flute of fancy champagne from one of the trays being carried around, saying, "Thank you" to the woman who offered it to her. Anika stood in the corner as she looked around.

Anika spotted her parents and decided to walk up to them. They seemed to be in a deep conversation with a few people. She was there to eavesdrop and get information. Anika overheard them as she pretended to look at a piece of art in front of her. "The Marquis doesn't seem phased. If you ask me, his spot as Marquis as been taken for too long. He's doing his job for the High Table but to me it seems that someone needs to take his place. We've been saying this forever but well, the High Table thinks he's fitting for it."

Anika almost scoffed until her mother spotted her, calling her name. "Anika, come here, please."

Anika slowly walked over to her mother with a smile. "Yes, mother?"

"What are your thoughts about the Marquis?" Valerie Dupont waited for answer.

Anika smiled. "I think he's doing a great job. I mean, the High Table wouldn't have picked him if he wasn't doing something right. That's why no one wants to overthrow him." Anika shrugged. They'd really chew on their words soon enough.

Her mother stayed quiet and those who she was speaking to looked at each other, agreeing with Anika's words. This made her almost smirk in triumph. Of course, her mother wasn't happy with her words, but she pretended to be. "Anika is very educated in things like this." She sounded passive-aggressive as she always did. "It's admirable."

Anika smiled towards Valerie. "Thank you, mother."

Valerie Dupont gave her a discreet glare. Anika ignored her and spotted her father talking to a group of men. Anika shook her head and quietly sipped her champagne. At some point, the room became louder. Louder than before. Anika looked towards the direction of the yelling and the sound of clicking cameras. Anika almost spit out her champagne as she saw the Marquis De Gramont. All the ladies wanted to get his attention but he ignored them, just giving them kind smiles as he passed them.

Her mother had even gotten silent too. Anika tried her best to not let her jaw drop. The Marquis wore a dark navy-blue suit. His waist coat was glittering. The usual pin he always had was on his lapel. His hair was styled to perfection with not one hair out of place. There was also a ring adorning his finger. Anika also spotted Chidi and another one of his guards behind him. Anika could just feel the anger radiating off her mother. It pleased her.

Anika kept watching him as he made his way over to the same group of men her father was in. Anika was still shocked until her mother hit her arm. This snapped Anika out of it quickly. She turned back around and listened to her mom drone on about how dramatic his entrance was. Anika thought the same thing but in a good way. Perhaps it was her mother who was the dramatic one. Without even thinking, her eyes slid over to him once in awhile as he was still in her fathers' group. They seemed to be civil with one another as they spoke which was a good thing, but they were also in public. It was definitely an act. Anika really couldn't help herself as she looked at him. He hadn't spotted her yet, but he knew she was there. If her father was there, she was too.

He hadn't come to seek her out or look for her, so she just stayed in place beside her mother. But Anika grew bored. She quietly snuck away from her mother the best she could. Thankfully, she succeeded in sneaking away. Anika scaled the walls of the room, and her eyes never left him once. Maybe if she kept looking, he'd feel it. As the approached the food table, a pair of shoes were in her field of view. As she looked up, it was just Chidi. "Evening, little lady."

Anika chuckled all while shaking her head. "Bonne soiree, Chidi. (Good evening, Chidi)

He nodded at her. "I'm surprised to see you here."

Anika raised a questioning brow. "Are you really?"

"No." Chidi chuckled. "Not surprised at all." He then nodded over to the Marquis. "He just wanted me to go find you and well, here you are. He wants to talk to you."

Anika nodded. "Yeah, I guessed so."

There was silence between them until he spoke to her again. "I'll see you later. And, hey, nice hair." Chidi smiled. "I like that change."

Anika smiled happily at him. She was glad somebody liked it. "Thank you, Chidi. I'll see you later."

As Chidi walked away, Anika took a sip of the champagne in her glass. She stood at the table while looking around once again. She caught herself looking over at the Marquis again and to her surprise, he was looking at her too. They caught each others gaze as he chatted with one of the men. After a few seconds, he looked back at him. Anika turned to look the other way; her cheeks were covered in a blush.

As she walked in the other direction to look at another piece of art, someone had walked up beside her. She had a feeling she knew who it was. He was quick on his feet. "You remember what I told you, yes?"

Anika slowly looked up at him. "Every painting shows what the artist was feeling at the time of the creation." I remember. I can't really tell with this one though." She looked back at the painting. "But it is interesting."

The Marquis studied the painting with her. "I was expecting you to be here. I wasn't expecting anything else." He now looked around the room as he spoke, spotting her parents together again and whispering to each other. "I'm surprised your parents aren't guarding you."

Anika looked at them with him. "I snuck away from the grip of my mother's well manicured claws." She clenched her jaw. "She was talking about you. She basically said that you've been in the spot long enough and she wants it." Her accent got more defined as she spoke with annoyance.

The Marquis hummed while still studying the parents. "Yes, well, it didn't quite work out well for them the last few times." He put his hands into the pockets of his pants, standing up straight. "Anything else?"

Anika shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. You understand why were here, correct?" She looked at him with a raised brow.

"Hm, yes. I do." He looked at her with curiosity.

"Yes? Good. My parents are also here to rob people of their money. This is money that's going to those who really need it. But they have ways of getting it. We don't get any money in an honest way." Anika spoke angrily. "You can tell she's looking at me while talking to her "friends." She's showing me off, once again. De toute façon (Anyhow), they're more like her employees, really. She's the Vice-President of some big corporate company. It isn't an honest one either, and that's obvious. Exposing them is a whole different story."

The Marquis looked down at her with curiosity. He knew the Dupont's had something to do with one company, but he didn't know Valerie Dupont was the Vice-President. "Thank you for informing me." He was going to use this.

"You didn't know this?" She crossed her arms.

"Non—" The Marquis cut himself off. Her focused on her hair. He knew something was different. "Your hair."

"Oh." Anika chuckled, brushing her hair out of her face. She decided to switch to French. She only did this because she wanted to hear him speak French again. "J'avais besoin d'un changement." (I needed a change) Anika shrugged her shoulders. "La blonde ne me ressemblait plus." (The blonde didn't seem like me anymore)

The Marquis nodded at her. "Eh bien, ça te va bien." (It does suit you well)

Anika smiled at him and took another look around the room. She noticed some people whispering about them in hushed whispers but they both ignored them. "Are they still looking at me? My parents?"

The Marquis looked in their direction and he saw them look away when he spotted them. "Oui, they were. Have they ever mentioned if they're frightened of me?"

Anika looked at him with confusion. "Not directly. They talk about trying to overthrow you but I don't think they'll do anything with the words they speak. They do talk awfully about you but they're cowards."

The Marquis hummed. As he looked down at Anika, he held out his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

Anika looked at his hand like it was a foreign thing. And it was. No one had asked her to dance before. They were too scared of her parents, but this was the Marquis. He was different. Way different. Anika carefully slipped her hand into his and he guided her to the dance floor. Thank God her mother forced her to learn ballroom dancing when she was younger.

The Marquis took her right hand and put his other hand on her waist. Anika took her left hand and placed it on his shoulder. He led them around the dance floor. Anika had never been this close to a man before. It was the first time and now that Anika thought about it, she'd never really danced with someone before. It wasn't uncomfortable. It was very nice. They didn't make direct eye contact and instead, looked around the room as they danced.

It was obvious to her that everyone was staring at them and she felt like cowering away from the world. But she didn't. Because fuck that. Instead, she took pride in this. Anika Dupont was dancing with the Marquis himself. It didn't feel real. As Anika looked around, her voice was low so only he could hear. She spoke in French instead of English. "J'ai été curieux. As-tu envoyé Chidi pour surveiller ma maison?" (I've been curious. Have you been sending Chidi to watch my home?)

The Marquis finally looked down at her. Anika felt his gaze on her, so she looked at him shyly. They both made eye contact which made her cheeks go red but she pushed it down. He looked away as he spoke. "Pourquoi demandez-vous?" (Why do you ask?)

Anika still looked at him even though he was looking away. "Parce que j'ai vu une voiture surveiller ma maison? Ça avait l'air cher et je ne connais pas beaucoup de gens avec des voitures de luxe." (Because I've seen a car watching my house? It looked expensive and I don't know many people with fancy cars)

It was a few seconds before he looked down at her again. He studied her face before nodding which answered her curiosities. "Oui. Je l'ai fait. Je sais que tes parents ne sont pas bons. Je ne l'ai pas envoyé là-bas pour t'espionner. Je l'ai envoyé là-bas pour s'assurer que tu étais en sécurité. Je ne les laisserai pas mettre la main sur toi." (Yes. I did. I know your parents aren't good ones. I didn't send him there to spy on you. I sent him there to make sure you were safe. I won't let them lay their hands on you) The Marquis thought for a moment and looked at her with curiosity. "Si ça te met mal à l'aise de toute façon, je comprends. Je peux arrêter de l'envoyer si tu veux." (If it makes you uncomfortable in anyway, I understand. I can stop sending him if you'd like)

Anika wasn't used to the kindness he gave her. Her parents did keep her shielded from everything. That's why she didn't have many friends but as he waited for an answer, she gave him one. She stuttered at the beginning. "Ça ne me dérange pas. Je te remercie vraiment. Cela me rassure. Si c'était quelqu'un d'autre que Chidi, je dirais non, mais je te fais confiance et je lui fais confiance." (I don't mind. I really do thank you. It makes me feel more safe. If it was anyone but Chidi, I'd say no, but I trust you and I trust him)

The Marquis gave her a short nod telling her, "You're welcome." He then spoke more seriously. Anika knew he was a serious man. The kindness and casual conversation once in awhile was very, very nice though. As long as it could stay like that sometimes. He spoke in English, his voice quiet. "Chidi will pick you up on Friday from your home. The Harbinger will correspond with you on Thursday for a time agreement. There's a café he conducts his meeting. A café owned by the Paris Continental, so it will be safe for you. Yes?"

Anika nodded in agreement. "Yes." As the song ended (which Anika wished it didn't) they pulled away from each other. The Marquis pressed his lips to her hand which had some onlookers gasping. Anika wasn't used to these actions. Now, she wasn't innocent by any means but when he did this, it genuinely shocked her. "Thank you for the dance."

The Marquis shook his head. "Non. Merci pour cette opportunité. Malheureusement, Mademoiselle, je dois partir. J'ai des affaires importantes au Paris Continental. Mais je vous verrai vendredi." (No. Thank you for the opportunity. Unfortunately, Miss, I must leave. I have important business at the Paris Continental. But I shall see you on Friday)

Anika nodded with understand. "Of course. Au revoir, Marquis."

The Marquis watched as she turned away from him but he called out to her again. "Anika?"

Anika turned around and walked towards him again. "Oui?"

He took her hand as a kind gesture. "If you would like to call me, feel free. If it is an emergency. If you would like to speak, don't be afraid to call. Of course, I might not answer all the time as I might be busy so I must warn you."

Anika shook her head at him. "You're a busy man, Monsieur Marquis De Gramont." She said this in a teasing way as she smirked. "Thank you. Again. And goodbye.''

As she walked away, The Marquis watched her go back to her mother who dragged her by the arm to speak with her. That woman got on his nerves. He rounded up Chidi and his other guard who followed out behind him. As he walked out of the banquet hall, he spotted Valerie Dupont giving Anika a stern lecture, and he could tell she wasn't listening. They made eye contact and she smirked at him.

Anika nodded as her mother was speaking. "Okay, I understand. I promise, mother."

Valerie sighed to herself. "Good. Do not, by any means, get further involved with him."

"I promise, Mama." Anika gave her mother a fake smile. If only her mother knew how much she was involved with the Marquis already. Valerie Dupont would have a heart-attack, but Anika wouldn't exactly be opposed to that.

___________

a/n: hey, guys! this was kinda late but here's chapter two! i'm really, really excited to write for anika and the harbinger. they're going to have a strong father/daughter relationship and he kinda becomes the father she never had so i'm excited to expand on that! it's gonna be very wholesome. anyway, i hope you guys enjoyed!! <33 see you next time

next chapter...

[mongoliannomad84]

Welcome to Regina's Beauty Salon, the hottest spot in town where glamour meets expertise! Nestled in the heart of the city, Regina's is not just a salon; it's an experience. Our talented team of stylists creates magic with scissors and color palettes, transforming clients into the epitome of style. From trendsetting haircuts to flawless manicures, we redefine beauty standards with passion and precision. Step into a world where mirrors reflect not just your image but your confidence. Regina's Beauty Salon: Where every visit is a step into the limelight. Beauty begins here!

[artadorkable]

Eve is the Spirit of Beauty,fertility,and hair .Fashion is her passion. She Owns a hair salon,makeup studio,fashion boutique,and a spa(all in one building). Has magical hair tied to her self worth. Hair is indestructible unless cut by magic scissors. Believed to have connections to fairies.Can speak the language of animals and plants.animals follow her wherever she goes . Flowers bloom and bow wherever her feet touches the ground. Has 2 huge gardens with a pond connected to her business and one connected to her house. She likes chocolate, tea,mirrors,oysters,jewelry,fashion,knitting,sewing, and fries. Dislikes liars,cheap fabric,biscuits,nightime,coconuts, monochrome,and fire .Good friends with bee,fairy,poppy,teddy,duke,and Bambi. Is Rosegold’s boss. Is Candy’s idol. Follower of the goddess Lilith. Design inspired by passion fruit and honey 🍯 ❤️‍🔥🌺🌸🪷🌿🪴🌟🪮💇‍♀️💅

[contentcreator11]

Simple Everyday Makeup: Your Essential Guide for a Radiant Look

It doesn't have to be hard to look good in the middle of everyday busyness. You don't have to spend hours in front of the mirror to improve your natural beauty; the only thing you need is a few basic items and some simple application instructions. Let's experience the world of easy-to-follow beauty routines!

1. Cleanse and Moisturize: The Perfect Canvas

Before you start with makeup, make sure your face is clean and moisturized. This sets the stage for a flawless look. Use a gentle cleanser and follow up with your favorite moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated.

2. Foundation Basics: Less is More

For a natural look, opt for a lightweight foundation that matches your skin tone. Blend it evenly using a makeup sponge or your fingertips. Remember, less is more—you want to enhance, not mask, your beautiful features.

3. Brighten Your Eyes: Mascara and Eyeliner Magic

Eyes are the windows to your soul, so let's make them pop! Apply a coat of mascara to your lashes for instant volume. If you're feeling a bit adventurous, a thin line of eyeliner along your lash line can add definition without being too bold.

4. Rosy Cheeks: Blush for a Healthy Glow

A touch of blush on your cheeks can bring life to your face. Smile and apply blush to the apples of your cheeks for a rosy, healthy glow. A powder or cream blush works wonders, depending on your preference.

5. Lips that Speak Volumes: Lipstick or Lip Gloss

Wearing an additional layer of lipstick or a small amount of lip gloss may improve your lips. Choose a color that goes well with your skin tone. Light pinks and shades of nude are perfect for a natural daily look. Don't forget to rub for a more natural look.

6. Set It in Place: Translucent Powder

To keep your makeup in place throughout the day, lightly dust translucent powder over your face. This helps control shine and ensures a fresh appearance. Remember, a little goes a long way.

7. Quick and Easy: 5-Minute Routine

A quick 5-minute makeup routine can be a game-changer for those busy mornings. Focus on the essentials – foundation, mascara, a touch of blush, and lip color. It's simple, effective, and gets you out the door looking fabulous.

Looking for personalized advice and expert makeup application? Consider scheduling a consultation at Cocoon Salon, where their skilled professionals can enhance your natural beauty for any occasion.

In conclusion, everyday makeup doesn't have to be complicated. By incorporating these easy tips and using simple products, you can achieve a fresh and radiant look quickly. If you're looking to take your beauty routine to the next level, don't hesitate to visit Cocoon Salon for expert guidance and pampering. Your beauty journey starts with a few simple steps!

[senorincognito69]

Skincrawlers (woman into insect TF tale)

(Woman into insect)*

Witchcraft stores are a rather common business venture amongst covens and practitioners of the arkane, a store is, after all, the simplest way to offer your services to those that may desire them. You may not believe it, but one of those stores may be very near you, they may appear anywhere, even in a spot you thought was a Starbucks.

And they can just as easily go away.

The norm in such establishments is to offer the usual mix of magicks, trinkets and other witchey gizmos. Witches tend to be picky about their craft and the variety of spells, incantations and potions a store might offer will be as varied as the members of the coven are. Some witches may choose to focus on offering services rather than goods or goods rather than services. Others, being more entrepreneurial, even try to franchise their kind of boutique, perhaps turning them into spas or salons in which the product being sold is the pleasure of magic itself. There’s also, of course, the ones that, being skillful or comfortable with a particular magical gimmick. become specialised.

Such was the case of that tattoo studio.

From the outside it looked, for the most part, just like any other skin-inker shopfront that you may have seen before, maybe slightly odd, with a wacky name, and you wouldn’t recall having seen that tattoo place before, so it would stand to reason that it only opened recently, making it even more interesting.

If you enter you will be warmly welcomed and, after a short wait, when your turn comes, they will lead you to the back room of the store down a corridor. From the walls of the corridor hang several frames showing the art being offered. Beautiful pieces… shown in squares that seem to be made of skin, living skin, as if a person had been flattened and stretched into a canvas over a flat surface, reduced into faceless pieces of art… their genitals exposed, pussies, dicks, boobs, nipples and some buttholes from those that got their tattoo on their rear…

Subtle muffled moans will then follow.

Then you will reach the place where the magic happens.

One of the most interesting offerings from the studio is a tattoo that grants luck, a tattoo that must be in the form of a bug. An insect, arachnid, mollusk… some sort of lowly crawling lifeform. As long as the tattoo is on your skin lucky things will happen to you, but as those things happen the residual energy of your improved chances will gradually, slowly, accumulate in that bug on your skin.

Until…

Dina had a mantis tattoo on the back of her left thigh.

It wasn’t the only tattoo on her white skin, but it was the one  that her existence was held upon. She was quite an alternative looking chick, with a short bob haircut dyed vivid red, multiple tattoos and piercings, in her lips, nose, ears, nipples… cunt… A very curvy woman about to enter her thirties, with an ample bust and ample hips, juicy ass and juicy boobs. She was walking out of a steamy shower, smirked and winking at her foggy reflection in the mirror, before leaving the bathroom barefoot and holding a towel across her tits.

Carlota, Dina’s roommate, was sitting on the couch in her pyjamas, doing mindless net surfing. She groaned when she saw Dina enter the living room.

“Yikes, bitch, could you put on some pants at least?” she growled after the redhead moved her big butt in front of her. “I don’t need to see your fat ass every day!”

They had been friends and living together for more than half a decade. On that day Dina had a date… with Carlota’s ex.

“Then go live somewhere else!” the redhead answered, chuckling. “I’m thirsty!”

Dina went towards the kitchen, unfortunately her towel was a bit too long and luckily her feet stepped over the fluffy cloth. She squeaked, losing her balance and fell forward, slamming against the floor boobs first. After the short initial shock Carlota burst into laughter watching her pal laying naked and spread on the floor.

“Maybe you should walk on all fours like a pig!” she gloated.

The redhead groaned, rubbing her sore tits as she got up onto her knees. She was about to bark something back at Carlota’s laughter, when she noticed something on the dusty floor under the couch. Squinting her eyes she leaned forward, stretching her arm between carlota’s legs.

Carlota frowned.

“What the heck are you doing now?” she asked, putting her legs on the couch.

Dina didn’t answer until she managed to reach the edge of her objective with the tip of her fingers. Her rear raised up, her boobs pressed against the floor, she stuck her tongue out, stretched out with the nails, slid the paper along the floor…

“Aha!” triumphantly she pulled a fifty dollar bill from beneath the couch, not caring about her nudity as she stood up, one hand on her waist and the other proudly showing off her find. “Am I a lucky whore or what?”

Carlota’s mouth dropped open.

“Hey…!” she babbled. “Hey! Those are the fifty bucks I lost last week!”

The redhead giggled, shaking the money in front of her roommate’s eyes.

“Na! Na! Nana! Finders keepers, bitch!” Dina stepped back, holding the bill with both hands, admiring it. “He, he, guess I’m gonna woo your ex with some extra sweets tonight!” 

Carlota was furious, but her anger was distracted by something else… something that made her frown… she raised her hand… and slapped Dina’s left thigh from behind.

“AY! HEY!” Dina cried in pain, jumping away. “You moron! I was gonna give you the money back, but now I’m keeping it!”

“No!” Carlota swore from the edge of her seat. “I saw something moving under your ass! A bug or something!”

“What?!” the redhead tried to bend to see her own butt. “Where?! If this is a joke I’m gonna be pissed!” a bit of panic crept into her voice.

Carlota didn’t say anything, she was lost for words.

Right below Dina’s ass, on the back of her left thigh, the mantis, the mantis drawn with ink on her skin, was moving, flapping its wings and stretching its insectile limbs.

“What the what…?” muttered Carlota.

The mantis moved as if it was alive… or as alive as a well animated cartoon. It crawled around the two dimensional space, tracing a couple of circles before climbing over her buttocks, Dina’s skin was a silver screen for its display.

“I feel something! Tickles!” Dina complained. “Is it still there?! Smack that fucking thing again! KILL IT!”

Carlota remained shocked.

“T-That can’t be,” she gulped.

“What can’t be?!” Dina shouted, grabbing her buttocks. She put a hand on top of the mantis and the mantis passed from skin to skin.

“Your hand, look at your hand!”

Dina looked where her roommate was pointing, her fingers lost their grip on the fifty dollar bill, her face was instantly disfigured by horror and confusion.

“What the what…?” she muttered.

The ink mantis cocked its head, staring upwards, seeing the woman’s head above and beyond the confines of its skin world. Dina began to yell, fully frenzied, she slapped her hand.

“Get it off! GET IT OFF!” 

Jumping around naked she slapped and slapped, but she couldn’t touch the mantis, but only felt its pointy legs crawling through her skin, under her skin, climbing her arm, sliding down her shoulder.

“NO! NO! NO!”

She tried to squeeze the pest between her boobs, like all the other strikes it accomplished nothing. The bug just walked away from the breasts. Dina’s lips trembling, she dropped to her knees.

“Stop!” the mantis was rushing down her belly, towards her crotch. “NOT THERE!”

In desperation the redhead scratched her skin with her nails, the mantis didn’t even bother to dodge, becoming lost inside the woman’s wide dark pubes.

“STOP IT! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOP! NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH!”

Dina’s neck tensed up, her arms opened wide, she clenched her face, held her breath as her vaginal lips were spread open.

The mantis was in.

She began to gasp again, groaning and moaning, her skin buzzing and red everywhere where it had been slapped or scratched. Carlota, who was ducking scared in a corner of the couch, babbled, half-sobbing: “Dina… are you okay?”

“What do you think?!” screamed Dina, looking down at her defiled crotch with furious tears making her sight watery. “It’s inside me! That thing! It’s inside me!”

“C-Calm down, maybe we can…”

“FUCK YOU CALM DOWN! It’s inside me! INSIDE MEEEEEEEEH!”

The screaming wasn’t going to stop any time soon. Dina tried to stand up only to be put back down on her knees almost immediately. Her joints snapped, her limbs contracted in bizarre ways as she groaned breathlessly.

“FFFFFFFFFFFFFUCK! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! It’s inside! Itshhh nghhhhhhhh meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

Carlota shook her head when Dina put her hands on her crotch and used both of them to start to masturbate.

“Dina stop!” she begged.

“Oooooooooh! AAAAAAAAAAH! Y-You think I wouldn’t iffffff I could?!”

Louder and louder moans.

The redhead put her head against the floor as she shoved as many fingers as she could inside her pussy, her legs spread and her ass was pushed high. Carlota covered her mouth, perfectly seeing her mate going full hog. It was an unreal level of pleasure, but it didn’t do anything to calm Dina’s anger… or fear. She bit her lips with frustration, reaching an orgasm that would bring her little joy.

“HMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

She came and squirted, convulsing until the stiffness in her muscles loosened and she fell flat.

“D-Dina…?” mumbled Carlota.

With a great effort, trembling, dishevelled, sticky wet, Dina got up onto all fours.

“Carlota… C-Carlota…” her voice shivers.

“I’m here, I’m with you…”

“Cccccarlotaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Her cry was followed by a loud cracking sound, her spine stiffened, her asscheeks began to swell.

“This isn’t real!” Carlota sobbed.

The flesh on Dina’s rear pushed forward at once with a slimy sounding explosion.

“YYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

A second pair of legs sprouted fully formed from the redhead’s buttocks. A grotesque vision out of their wildest dreams. Both women yelled uncontrollably, Dina stood up on her two pairs of legs, pulling her hair as looked down at them.

They were real.

They were hers.

She could use them to move, shake the ten extra toes, feel the wetness caused by orgasms on the floor with her new pair of barefoot soles.

“How is this happening?! How is this possible?!” logical questions for an illogical situation. “I HAVE FOUR LEGS!”

As Carlota saw her panicked mutated friend stepping around with double the feet she came to the gnarly realisation that she slowly spoke out loud as if she was in a trance.

“You… You don’t have four legs… You have… six limbs…”

Dina looked at her, she couldn’t take any more.

“What do you mean with thaaaaaAHHHHHHHHHHHHHT!”

Between the four thighs Dina’s crotch pulsed.

“Six limbs… Like an insect… a bug…” Carlota stopped a moment before finishing the sentence, staring at her friend’s swollen vulva as it opened and closed with needy fluctuations, a spark of amazement in her terrified tone. “A mantis.”

“Nnnnnnnnnnnno! No! Don’t say thaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Dina’s pelvis was pushed backwards and she felt the pull in her stomach. Forced to open her legs by the reforming of her hips she put her hands on her front thighs, curling her toes, moaning as loudly as possible. The mass of her rear expanded, stretching beyond its limits. Her pierced pussy and anus grew to absurd proportions, squeezed together at the end of the forming appendage, at a slower pace than the abrupt sprouting of her extra legs, but still too quickly for someone that desired nothing but for the changes to end and reverse.

Comfort and discomfort, mammal and insect.

The reshaping flesh was filled with strange organs and unusual sensations.

An utterly inhuman sight.

“Your abdomen…” Carlota whispered.

“MY ASS!” cried Dina, twisting her neck as much as she could to look at the heavy protuberance that now hung from her rear. “This is not happening to me! WHYYYY! Fuuuuuck! FUUUUUUUUUUUCK! I was going on a date tonight!

The bug-to-be-woman put her hands on top of her abdomen, the skin was trembling, tense, very warm. She slammed a fist against her abdomen, the impact cracked the skin as if it was a dead leaf and from the cracks leaked a greenish substance.

“I’M NOT A BUG! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”

Dina grabbed her head, yelling.

At the same time, on top of her rear and on top of her abdomen, a slimy sound was followed by a piercing pinch. The skin tore apart from the inside, failing as if it was nothing in a spectacular burst of metamorphosis. On her head, above her nose, a pair of antennae sprouted, on her abdomen, more remarkably, a pair of wings. Two sets of pinkish translucent insect wings attached one after the other to her abdomen and what was left of her waist. The human remains fell off from the flapping wings, dry, wrinkled, dust, beneath them was revealed the abdomen’s carapace, it was a lush lime-green shade and bore the brand new shine of an exoskeleton in the making.

The wings flapped, but their owner was too large to fly.

For now…

“NOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Absolute despair.

Her pupils shrank into dark points as the rest of her eyes turned yellow, her skin cracked, more of the green carapace surfacing while her waist shrank.

“NOOOOO!”

A sort of mantis drider.

“Not my arms! NOT MY HANDSHHHHHHHHH!”

The antennas were swinging in distress, on the bottom edges of each of her arms a line of pointy spikes sprouted, her hands lost their fingers when the curved hook like pincers of a mantis front legs emerged, curved like scythes. Legs snapped and gained one extra segment above the thighs, arms one at their end, shoulders compressed.

Dina focussed her attention on her horrified flatmate.

“Ca-Carlottta… Am a monster! Am a f-f-freakkkk!”

Her crackling voice made her seem even more nightmarish.

“Don’t get too close!” pleaded Carlota.

Dina didn’t listen to her demands, maybe because her ears were detaching. With insect-like moves, almost predatory, she moved over Carlota, putting her middle legs on top of the couch and her wet pincers over Carlota’s trembling shoulders. Carlota couldn’t look away from her transforming friend, Dina’s face was breaking, one of her yellowish eyes swelling quicker than the other. She was so close that Carlota noticed the mirriad of tiny hexagonal shapes covering the surface of the cornea.

When Dina spoke her mouth swung in strange ways.

“Help-p-p kkkkk! Tis your fault-t-t-t! Tat tat wash y-y-your ide-de-dea!”

Carlota’s hands had ended over Dina’s boobs.

“How could we know this would happen?!” she wept. 

“I d-d-dun kar-r-re! I kank breath-th-th! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELPPPPP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKIKIKIIIIIIIIIIKK!”

Fear made Carlota squeeze the tits. With that last long shout Dina’s face was torn in two by her mantis head. The large yellow eyes took most of the space, the mouth spread into four lateral pincers, red hair and her piercing dropping away. Dina jumped backwards, standing on her back legs, like a horse or a centaur, kicking the air with her front ones, losing every shred of human skin.

Her boobs had been left in Carlota’s hand, where they also crumbled into pinkish dust, leaving the nipple piercings in her flatmate’s hands. 

A woman sized mantis in the middle of the living room.

“KEKEKEKEEELP! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!”

Seeing Dina’s fractured voice coming out of the mantis’ head was bizarre, but it helped Carlota to snap out from her terrified trance. When the body of the insect began to compress and shrink she leapt away from the couch and ran towards the kitchen, knocking down one of the living room’s lamps.

Alone in the room Dina shrank, her voice diminishing with her size.

“Heeeeeeelp! Tis ka-kant happe to me! Am a WORM! A wommmmh! Pliiiii! Kikikiki! Helppp! Kant be buuuuu…!”

Diminishing, until all that was left was a mantis.

A mantis sized mantis.

Her exoskeleton was pristine lime green, six legs, an alien body. The magic that had robbed her of everything had decided, for some arbitrary reason, to reshape some of her piercings so they remained in her body, a couple in her face and the one in her sex organ at the end of her abdomen.

Carlota came back with a crystal glass in her hand.

The woman walked slowly until she saw the mantis jumping around on the floor, she got to her knees and put the glass over the insect, trapping it. Inside the glass the mantis kept jumping, insectoid moves with human intent. The flickering light of the overturned lamps cast their light over the pierced mantis and the mantis' shadow was projected across the wall.

A large shadow for such a small thing.

With her hands on her beating chest Carlota realised the shadow was odd and big… it was Dina’s naked human silhouette, still terrified of her fate, that’s all that was left of the woman she had been.

Carlota gulped… 

She pulled up the sleeve of her pyjamas, on her right arm, above the wrist, in bright red ink… a ladybug tattooed on her skin…

Now that Dina was a mere bug… how long could it be until she ran out of luck and the tickling of crawling ran through her skin?

---If you want to see more kinky TF shenanigans give a click to these links! ^^

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--And if you want to support and help us do more stuff:

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[headmasters-23]

Makeup & Beauty Services: Elevate Your Look with Headmasters Ludhiana

In a world where first impressions matter, looking and feeling your best is essential. Whether it’s for a special occasion, a professional event, or simply to pamper yourself, Makeup & Beauty Services can transform your appearance and boost your confidence. At Headmasters Ludhiana, we offer a wide range of makeup and beauty services designed to enhance your natural beauty and help you shine. Let’s explore how our expert services can elevate your look and leave you feeling fabulous.

Why Choose Professional Makeup & Beauty Services?

While DIY makeup and at-home beauty routines are great, nothing compares to the expertise and precision of professional services. Here’s why you should consider booking a session with us:

1. Expertise: Our makeup artists are trained in the latest techniques and trends, ensuring flawless results every time. 2. Customized Looks: Whether you prefer a natural glow or a bold, glamorous look, we tailor our services to match your style and occasion. 3. High-Quality Products: We use premium, skin-friendly makeup and beauty products to ensure long-lasting results without compromising your skin’s health. 4. Stress-Free Experience: Sit back, relax, and let our professionals take care of everything while you enjoy a pampering session.

Our Makeup & Beauty Services

At Headmasters Ludhiana, we offer a comprehensive range of services to cater to all your beauty needs. Here’s what you can expect:

Bridal Makeup

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and you deserve to look nothing short of stunning. Our bridal makeup services are designed to create a timeless, elegant look that complements your outfit and personality. From traditional to contemporary styles, we’ve got you covered.

Party and Occasional Makeup

Whether it’s a birthday celebration, anniversary, or a night out with friends, our party makeup services ensure you stand out in the crowd. We create looks that are trendy, vibrant, and perfect for the occasion.

Editorial and Photoshoot Makeup

Need a flawless look for a photoshoot or a special event? Our editorial makeup services are tailored to meet the demands of the camera, ensuring you look picture-perfect from every angle.

Skincare and Beauty Treatments

Makeup is only as good as the skin underneath. That’s why we offer a range of skincare and beauty treatments, including facials, clean-ups, and skin rejuvenation, to prep your skin for makeup and keep it healthy.

Hair Styling and Makeup Combos

Complete your look with our hair styling services. From elegant updos to glamorous curls, our stylists work in harmony with our makeup artists to create a cohesive and stunning appearance.

Why Choose Headmasters Ludhiana for Makeup & Beauty Services?

1. Experienced Professionals: Our team of makeup artists and beauty experts are highly skilled and passionate about their craft.

2. Personalized Approach: We take the time to understand your preferences and create looks that reflect your unique style.

3. Luxurious Experience: Our salon provides a relaxing and luxurious environment where you can unwind while we work our magic.

4. Attention to Detail: From flawless foundation to the perfect lip shade, we pay attention to every detail to ensure you look your best.

Tips to Maintain Your Makeup Look

To keep your makeup looking fresh and flawless throughout the day, follow these tips: 1. Prep Your Skin: Always start with a clean, moisturized base to ensure smooth makeup application.

2. Use a Primer: A good primer helps your makeup last longer and prevents it from smudging.

3. Set Your Makeup: Use a setting spray or powder to lock your makeup in place.

4. Touch-Up Kit: Carry a small touch-up kit with essentials like lipstick, blotting papers, and a compact mirror.

Final Thoughts

At Headmasters Ludhiana, we believe that makeup is more than just a tool — it’s an art form that empowers you to express yourself and feel confident. Whether you’re preparing for a big event or simply want to treat yourself, our Makeup & Beauty Services are here to help you look and feel your best.

Ready to transform your look? Book your appointment with us today and let our experts create a masterpiece that’s uniquely you!

Visit us at Headmasters Ludhiana to explore our full range of makeup and beauty services.

[couturebridaldresses]

Redefining Luxury: Inside Houston's Most Coveted Bridal Experience at Winnie Couture

The search for the perfect wedding gown has transformed into an art form at Houston's premier bridal destination. As the city's fashion-forward brides seek out exceptional service and unparalleled selection, Winnie Couture has emerged as the most sought-after bridal salon Houston has to offer, creating an experience that goes far beyond the traditional dress shopping journey.

Located in the heart of the city, this distinguished Houston bridal salon has redefined what brides should expect from their wedding dress shopping experience. The moment you step through the doors, you're greeted by an atmosphere of refined luxury and warmth that sets the tone for the magical moments ahead. The space has been thoughtfully designed to provide the perfect backdrop for saying "yes" to the dress, with private styling suites and elegant mirrors that capture every angle of each gorgeous gown.

What truly sets this bridal salon Houston apart is their dedication to providing an intimate, personalized experience for every bride who walks through their doors. Their expert styling team understands that finding the perfect wedding gown is a deeply personal journey, and they take pride in guiding each bride through the process with patience, expertise, and genuine enthusiasm.

The collection at this premier Houston bridal boutique  features an impressive array of styles that cater to every bride's unique vision. From timeless classics to contemporary designs, each gown is carefully selected to ensure that brides find pieces that not only look stunning but feel authentic to their personal style. The boutique's commitment to offering diverse options means that whether you're planning a grand ballroom celebration or an intimate garden ceremony, you'll find a gown that perfectly complements your vision.

Among the bridal salons houston has to offer, Winnie Couture stands out for their understanding of the modern bride's desires. They recognize that today's brides are looking for more than just a beautiful dress – they're seeking an experience that matches the significance of their special day. This understanding is reflected in every aspect of their service, from the initial consultation to the final fitting.

The boutique's expertise extends beyond just helping brides find their dream dress. Their skilled alterations team ensures that every gown fits perfectly, creating that custom-made feeling that every bride deserves. This attention to detail has earned them a reputation as the most trusted bridal salon houston for discerning brides who refuse to compromise on quality and fit.

What makes this houston bridal salon particularly special is their ability to stay ahead of bridal fashion trends while maintaining a collection of timeless pieces. Their carefully curated selection includes everything from sophisticated minimalist designs to elaborately detailed gowns, ensuring that every bride finds a dress that speaks to her style sensibilities.

The experienced consultants at this leading bridal salon Houston understand that choosing a wedding gown is about more than just finding a beautiful dress – it's about finding a piece that makes you feel like the most beautiful version of yourself. They take the time to understand each bride's vision, offering expert guidance while ensuring that the final choice authentically reflects the bride's personality and style.

Among the various bridal salons houston offers, Winnie Couture has distinguished itself through its commitment to providing an exceptional selection of designer gowns that cater to diverse tastes and preferences. Their collection includes options for every season and setting, whether it's a breathable, lightweight gown for a summer wedding or a more elaborate design for a formal winter celebration.

The boutique's reputation for excellence has made it a destination for brides not just from Houston but from throughout Texas and beyond. Their understanding of current bridal trends, combined with their commitment to timeless elegance, ensures that every bride finds a gown that feels both contemporary and classic.

As the wedding industry continues to evolve, this premier houston bridal salon remains at the forefront of bridal fashion and service excellence. Their dedication to creating an unforgettable dress shopping experience, combined with their stunning collection of gowns, has established them as the ultimate destination for brides seeking that perfect dress.

For brides beginning their search for the perfect gown, Winnie Couture offers an experience that transcends traditional dress shopping. It's about creating memories, feeling beautiful, and finding that perfect gown that makes you feel like the bride you've always dreamed of being. When it comes to finding your dream dress in Houston, this is where your perfect bridal story begins.

#BridalGownHouston #BridaldressHouston #WeddingGownsHouston