#and then I scoop it out and wait until there’s more liquid wax from my other candles

[aidens-ocean-galaxy]

I have way too much fun with candles

[hawksmagnolia]

The Depths Part 4

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1,184

Author’s Note: Sorry this is a day late! 

This is Part 4 - Links to Parts 1-3 are HERE.

THIS IS NOT ENDGAME CANON. Sorry, not sorry. It’s my world and I can do what I want. 

Please reblog and leave me some love. It really does mean the world to me! This has been an absolute labor of love and I can’t wait for next Friday. -xo- Allie

Despite Thor’s timely arrival, Bucky knew they were struggling. He’d long been out of ammunition and had taken to using the serum in his veins and the sharpest knife he’d been able to find. They’d learned Stark was battling Thanos somewhere in space so they had to defend Earth on their own. 

Suddenly the Outriders stopped. All of them. Every beast on the field locked in place.

They went from feral, violent beasts to near catatonic with their heads tilted. 

“What the fuck?” Bucky looked towards Steve who looked as confused as he felt. Around them, people were slowly getting to their feet and checking each other for injuries while warily watching as the sky to the west erupted into black boiling clouds and when everyone looked to Thor, he shook his head.

“That is not my doing.”

The crack of thunder was enough to make them all wince but the outriders continued their stillness but they slowly began to sway to some unheard music.

Bucky stared at them and then realization dawned over him. He turned back to the swirling mass of clouds that was over the area of his Wakandan home and the nearby village. 

And the lake.

The pearl on his wrist felt hot, throbbing like it was alive. 

He looked back at the hypnotic sway of the beasts and grabbed Steve’s arm. “This could be very good or very bad. We have to get over there. Keep everyone else here.”

“Buck…”

“Don’t ask. Not yet. I just need you to trust me.”

Steve stared at him for a moment and then nodded. The two of them took off towards the storm, Steve relaying for everyone to stay in place and on their guard while they investigated.

Bucky’s blue eyes never left the twisting clouds as they covered ground super soldier fast. 

“This is completely unsettling.” Steve glanced at Bucky as they passed another pack of non-moving outriders.

When they crested the hill that overlooked the valley where the village and lake were, Bucky grabbed Steve’s arm to stop him.

The grass beneath their feet had frozen and crunched under their boots. Both of them stared at the piles of bodies, some human but most were the frozen remains of the invading aliens. At the concentric circles that surrounded a tiny specter in white with her hands to the sky.

“Oh shit.”

I stood on the banks, a water wraith in all her glorious fury. I pulled down the clouds, draining them of their moisture until it filled my hands…and then filled the lungs of the monsters that dare attack the people I now consider mine. 

You don’t have to be in the water to drown, the water just has to be in you.

I made my way towards the heart of the village, each beast that attacked gave me more anger to use against the next. 

It was one of the smaller villages, only housed a dozen or so families. Those still alive were hiding in the largest home.

“Go.” My voice was soft but harsh, but I didn’t want risk raising it and accidentally using the power building up inside me. “Go to the water.”

They ran past me, filing to the lake’s edge. 

The lake shallows now filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes from friendly faced otters to massive ancient turtles. They waited patiently to ferry the survivors towards a small island towards the center of this side of the lake. The last one was the village elder, a soft spoken woman, bent with age. She stopped and put her hand on my arm. When I turned to face her, she tapped her ear. It was packed with bees wax and cloth. She smiled knowingly before she climbed onto the back of a turtle who began to slowly make his way away with her. 

Above me, the sky was an angry bruise, black as pitch as the power in my veins built. I closed my eyes and began to hum, just enough to still the creatures as they poured over the hill. When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by them. They formed multiple ring around me, swaying hypnotically to the beat of my music. 

I shift my weight, still unused to the sensation of legs, of feet planted onto soil that is splattered with the blood of innocents mixed with the black blood of evil. I feel the air around me grow colder, my breath pants in plumes of steam. The creatures began to shiver, I raise my voice enough to hold them locked in my thrall. 

It doesn’t matter the species. If they have blood, they have liquid in their veins. 

And all liquids freeze.

“What the hell is that?” 

“It’s not a what. It’s a who.” Bucky clenched his fist as the temperature continued to drop. He was more than a little shocked at how fast it was plummeting around them. He could feel Steve’s eyes on him and when he met his gaze, Steve’s blond brows were almost at his hairline.

“Is…she?” Bucky nodded and Steve continued. “Is she on our side?”

Bucky’s gaze was back on the figure. “Yeah. She is. She’s fighting for us. Even though I told her to hide.”

“You know her?”

“She saved my life.” He glanced down at the pearl on his wrist, feeling it thump in tandem with his own pulse as her words echoed in his head.

“The world is not a safe place. I accept this. I am not running away scared. I can fight.”

My Tear begins to sing, its twin is near. Which means Bucky is far too close.

But I can’t stop now.

Tears begin to stream down my cheeks as I try to dam the coming tide within me. The tsunami of rage that will destroy all in its path.

Including him. I stagger, unbalanced on unsteady legs. Ice blooms like lace under my bare feet. To some it might be pretty.

People often forget that ice is also so very deadly. 

I drop to my knees, tilt my head back and lose myself in the song.

“Cover your ears!” Bucky shouts as soon as she begins to fall. “Warn the others!”

As they clap their hands over their ears, the sound hits them. Both of them drop to the ground as soldiers are trained, face down in the grass as the Outriders around them began to shriek followed by a wet, crunching sound. Over and over, each of them wincing at the muffled sounds until a silence so abrupt follows that it’s almost a physical ache in their heads.

Bucky tilts his face to the side. All he can see are the contorted carcasses of dead outriders. As  he sits up, he’s shocked to find that they’re all dead. They look as if something…someone had exploded them from the inside out. Each of their bodies is flayed open and the hollow cavities inside are white with frost. Both he and Steve are covered in gore and damp from the grass that is no longer frozen. 

Both of them sit on their heels, knees in the muck as their twin blue eyed gazes towards the village where the bodies have formed a gruesome fence for the tiny white figure who is curled on her side in the fetal position, white hair fanned away from her. 

It’s then he notices how silent, how still the pearl on his wrist is.

“Fuck. No!” Bucky lurched to his feet, boots sliding on the melting entrails as he dashes towards the village, Steve right on his heels.

As they vault and weave their way towards their hero, Sam’s voice comes across the coms.

“I don’t know what happened but half these guys exploded with ice and the other ones turned on each other…Stark just radioed in. They’ve got the stones. Guys?”

In the dark, I hear my mother’s voice.

“Do you want to know a secret? It’s not a song my sweet. It’s a scream, one that drives men to their deaths not because of it’s beauty, but because of the horror is causes. And you, my beautiful daughter, were doubly blessed with the touch of winter. You can command the flow, the sound even the shape of water as a siren. Little fish, you have the ability to wield it like a sword. Never forget you were made to be a warrior.”

I have never felt pain like this before. I feel as if my skin has been peeled from my bones.

My throat constricts as I try to cry out, the muscles spent from the rush of power. My lips are cracked and bleeding.

Sirens bleed red too.

I can hear the faint echo of a heartbeat and I wonder briefly if its mine.

I am so very tired. 

Bucky drops to his knees at her side. She looks so tiny like this. In her siren tail she’s almost double him including her tail but now she’s small, almost fragile. She’s lost the color she’d gained while here, her pearlescent ivory now back. The only color on her body is the scarlet stain of blood across her lips.

Scooping her up he strides towards the shore cradling her against his chest as he makes his way to deeper waters. When she is submerged to her neck, her head lolling against his shoulder. Her pale hair swirls around them like a lacy net and the wet fabric of his shirt clings to her body.

“Is she alive?”

Bucky turned and saw Steve standing on the muddy beach. His best friend looked exhausted, was covered in muck and blood but still his earnest face held questions.

“I’m not sure.”

“What…was that?”

Bucky shifts her in his arms. He isn’t sure if she’s alive. But her gills had flared open when he’d brought her here and then sealed shut. It gave him hope.

“She saved me. I fell into the Bering Sea, figured I was dead. Accepted my fate. And then she swims up. Steve, I thought I was back in cryo. She carried me to the life raft. When I asked to see her again, she gave me..

“The pearl.” Steve finished. “But how did she get here? We’re a long way from Alaska.”

“She followed the pearl. When they put me in cryo here, she thought I was dead. So she swam.”

“From Alaska?”

Bucky nods, continuing as he watches her face for any sign of life. “Eight weeks ago she shows up here. She’s been here ever since.”

Realization dawned on Steve’s face. “She’s the mermaid. The villagers were being serious when they said there was a mermaid in the lake.”

“Siren.”

“What?”

“She’s a siren, not a mermaid.” Bucky is able to hold her in one arm as he pushes wet strands of hair away from her face and behind her delicately pointed ears. He hadn’t even known they were pointed. 

“Whatever she is, she just gave us enough time to win. She’s got a lot of heart in that tiny body.”

Bucky swallowed a hard knot in his throat as he surveyed the wreckage that was the aftermath of a siren’s song. 

When he looked back into her face, he found her eyes the ones that were the exact same color as his own looking back up at him. 

Tag List : @nano–raptor @cchellacat @eurynome827 @jobean12-blog @book-dragon-13 @aesthetical-bucky @marvelgirl7 @sallycanwait68 @buckys-broody-muffin @softpeachbarnes @godofplumsandthunder @azurika-writes @ikaris-whore @this-kitten-is-smitten @randomfandompenguin @bucky-plums-barnes @bugsbucky @littleredstarfish @emilylyoness @hailmary-yramliah @daughterofsteven @crushedbyhyperbole @theycallmebecca @nomadicpixel @bluebell-24   @sevans-is-my-weakness @sebastiansloserclub @justvnash @worldofmarvelaficionado @undiscovered-misunderstood @throwmyheartawayagain @jewels2876 

[btchcrft]

𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐑

weeks have turned to months and your journey to olympus, your acceptance of your life as a demigod, has lead up to this moment. it’s been brutal, wrought with pain and close calls, thick with loss, but you’ve endured. as you begin to get ready to sleep, winding down for the night, something inside of you feels different. there’s a strength that grows that you only dimly knew was there before. you feel stronger, faster, more attuned to your senses and your own inner power. if you ever doubted that you might have divine blood in your veins before, now, more than ever, you feel it.

as soon as your head hits the pillow you fall fast asleep, exhausted from the events that have lead up to this point. who knows however long later, you “awaken”. you’re not where you fell asleep, nothing is as it was when you slept. you have to blink a few times but you realize that you’re in a place that seems familiar to you. describe this place? what does it look like, sound like, smell like?

eyes blink open and i already know where i am. it's the scent of paint, of fresh canvases that line the walls, piled in corners. there's a plush, grey rug beneath my bare feet and, a few feet from it is an area that's sectioned off from the small sitting room of my studio in los angeles. it's the one place that i always came to work, where i felt like i could release everything i've been holding in and no one would judge, no one would tell me i'm overreacting or not being true to myself.

this is home away from home; sanctuary.

there's a large canvas on an easel that's blank, four by four. it's what i was going to work on before having to leave. mixed in with the scent of fresh paint is the salty sea air that breezes in through the large windows that give plenty of natural light. the sun is high in the sky, which is strange since it's winter back in my new home, but this is comfortable, familiar. the furniture is still where i left it. two large, comfortable chairs, the end table with art magazines, the espresso machine on the small kitchenette behind it. a smile dances across my lips and the tension in my shoulders eases.

dust motes dance in the los angeles sunlight like flecks of gold and the air smells of a mix between brine and paint that has yet to cure. it’s a sharp yet oddly comforting scent to you, familiar, soothing. you recognize this place as a rough-and-ready altar that is – for once – not devoted to your mother or any other deity, only you.  

you look around and something upon the once-blank canvas catches your eye. is it blank? it doesn’t look to be, for shapes seem to dance in its ivory depths now, alit with silvery traces that look to be forming a face or an arm or an eye, but it’s all too vague, having no true form until they come out from the canvas as if born from it.

what does this figure look like to you, and how does your heart respond? are they familiar or not?

this place was always magical to me and now i bring magic to it. my eyes focus on the paint that almost drips onto the floor. brush strokes in muted colors begin to leak from the stark canvas. i don’t recognize this as one of my own creation but as i look at it, it shifts.

slowly, as if the paint dries into a solid form, is a large leather bound tome, like the ones in the mageia library. dark brown leather, golden latches and corner pieces, with runes along the spine.

i’m about to reach for it when the canvas begins to drip once more and another figure emerges from it and leaps onto the floating book.

a lilac mittens ragdoll kitten sits atop the book, blue eyes starring at me. the same cat i was about to adopt before the acolytes scooped me up into this new world. my heart hurts, and guilt washes over my expression. i had wanted her so badly back then. a companion, something to come home to.

the leather-bound tome is spitted out of the canvas’ mouth but instead of falling, it only floats slowly towards you. time feels sluggish around everything in the room with the dust motes now suspended in the air, the curtains now undulating slowly. the exception to this phenomenon, though, is the lilac cat that nimbly hops on top of the book and balances itself upon its thick rim. it licks its soft paw, then rests its blue-eyed gaze upon you. for a few moments, the quiet appraisal is the only thing it does.

“i’ve been waiting for this moment, son of witchcraft,” finally, it speaks and the voice stands out, “i've been waiting for you.” is it familiar, or unfamiliar? is it a kitten’s purr, or something else entirely? how does it make you feel?

my hand moves away from the cat instinctively, almost like a flinch. if there's one thing that i've learned it's that touching things that pique my interest might get me killed.

and then it speaks.

at first, i'm baffled and then i remember everything else that's gone on in my life recently. the monsters, the magic, the might. talking animals—after seeing satyrs and nymphs—shouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

the voice is female with a slight feline inflection. there's an underlying purr in the words, a comfortability that shouldn't be there between strangers. it soothes the aches in my joints and my chest, makes me feel like i'm truly back home once more.

"waiting for me?" i rebuttal, eyebrow arched. "why?"

waiting for me? why?

the moment you ask the question, the words seem to have a rippling effect on your surroundings, like a spoken incantation, making the entire room shudder with a silvery sheen. but, somewhere deep within you, there’s a certainty that this isn’t an illusion born out of sinister magic, but something else entirely—an echo turning to a real sound, a remnant becoming a whole once more.

the cat’s eyes gleam then and it walks along the book’s rim, relaxed. the tome is opening now and you watch as ink spills across its brown surface, drawing shapes again as the canvas did before. not shapes, no, you suddenly realize, but runes. they are sigils that you can read, language gravid with ancient power.

“what type of runes are these?” the kitten mews.

the book opens and my eyes stay transfixed on it. each slide of paint, almost like calligraphy, is mesmerizing to me. i can feel each phantom movement in my fingertip. the kitten's question makes my head lilt to the side and my eyes focus on the runes that are forming, ancient sigils that are made easier for me to understand.

"power." i say, confidently. "a means of amplification." i know this because it reminds me of the runes on the inside of the bracelet around my wrist, the same power that courses through me that needs a channel to unleash like a wild fire through dry brush. i reach out and stroke the edges of the book, feeling the power of the runes beneath the pad of my fingertip.

i want it engraved in my bones, tattooed on my body. i think to myself, i never want to feel powerless again.

power, you chant and the rooms shudders again. but this time, it doesn’t halt.

the incantation is spoken, the spell thoroughly read, for the runes from the tome emerge in one swift movement and begin dancing around you like the spirits you summon. the edges of the room, you can see, also start to dissolve into wisps of smoke, swirling in the air around you with a hypnotic rhythm.

amid this occurrence, the lilac ragdoll cats begins to float and swells in size. it is amplification as you’ve wished it, a spark becoming a fire, becoming an inferno. the cat’s limbs dissolve too, as if it has been made of smoke this entire time, and you see that both you and it are glowing the same hue. you are both two supernovas on the verge of explosion. you sense that it has your magic, it has your power, but a much, much stronger form of it.

what color is your magic, and how does it make you feel?

how does your magic behave?

the light begins to glow, begins to leak into the air like dripping liquid until it falls to pieces like the remnants of dried paint rubbed between fingertips. the lilac ragdoll grows and grows, amplifies, like the rune itself took hold, took shape, took motion.

i look down at my hands and my magic is back—not as weak as it had felt when facing nyx and eris' monster, not weak as it had been when i had been foolish and allowed my curiosity to get the best of me, allowing something to take parts of me to make it stronger; no, this was my strength at full capacity. crackling wisps of energy weave between my fingers, black and gold, almost amber, like ribbons that thread themselves seamlessly around my wrists.

this feels...foreign, almost. there's a power to it that i can almost taste, delicious, dangerous, seductive. it washes over me, fills me to the brim. this is what ecstasy feels like. this is what divinity must feel like. i feel alive, i feel powerful, i feel like a natural disaster being harnessed between flesh and bones.

it feels like it wants to burn the world down, summon storms, create chaos, but underneath it, like a mischievous feline, is a calmness that allows me to think, to pause. it waits for me to beckon for it before it waxes and wans, occasionally acting on its own accord. but it behaves like it might be mine, and not something borrowed, not something uncontrollable.

for the first time since arriving at camp, i feel like my magic wants to belong.

as one thought after another flits through your head, the cat’s fur mirrors every single one, turning to a fiery black pelt that trails golden smoke, becoming embedded with cracks of black-tinged lightning, taking on a writhing surface of gold and black. your magic runs wildly as ribbons and scatters everywhere in reckless abandon. it’s chaos, it’s power, and it’s rampant, untamed, feral, until you will it to be otherwise.

until you make it belong inside you.

now, the ragdoll cat’s fur is a mass of dark, wispy smoke, but its eyes are so unbelievably golden like they are coins enchanted to glow in the dark. its size is that of a bear now, looming over you. you are not in your studio apartment anymore, but you don’t seem to be in anywhere recognizable either, the world around you a curious blank.

“interesting,” the cat purrs, with what seems to be a bemused laugh lurking underneath each word. when it prowls ahead, it has the leisure of a ghost and, of course, the grace of a cat. “so instead of letting your power run wild, you wish to harness it and make it yours.” golden eyes land on you. “show me more, son of witchcraft – paint for me what you desire.”

as the words trail, the world around you spasms and dances. the calligraphy lines from before spiderwebs from beneath you and you are certain that they want you to paint – want you to draw a world that belongs only to you.

paint what i desire.

paint what i desire.

under any normal circumstance, this would be easy. this would be just another piece i hang in a gallery, allow someone else to buy, allow them to take a piece of my future home with them.

i look down at my hands and i clench my fingers into a fist, dig my nails against my palm, inhale and exhale. i close my eyes, allowing my magic to coil within me, allow it to purr like a cat and strike like a viper.

and then i begin to mold the world as i see fit.

paint what i desire.

there is a mountain that looks like divinity atop it, a radiant glow that can be see like the stars in the night sky, like the moon that hangs above. the painting moves, shifts, strokes of paint trail away to unravel and become something more. it is their camp, their home, but it is much different—fit for the gods, not their children. marble thrones, marble statues, carved into their likeness, altars and offering bowls at their feet. each statue looks draped in traditional greek god attire—white robes, golden belts, laurel wreathes atop their heads.

then there is me, in the middle, amongst them all.

paint what i desire.

divinity, godlihood—not half measures—a new era, a new god of witchcraft, a new king of olympus.

paint what i desire.

ambition made truth. deepest, darkest desires laid bare. unspoken words turned to canvas; a secret never uttered aloud.

the calligraphy lines unfurl and writs as you will them too and paint spills in colors of your choosing. after everything cures, the sight you’re greeted with is grandiose, your own marble face staring down at you from the pantheon of gods. it’s a dream, but you also feel that it can be real, that you can make it real.

languidly, the cat paddles through the air and floats above head of the statue that bears your likeness in stone. it has a cheshire grin on its face now. “good,” the words are a purr, an agreement. “so you wish to remake the world in your own image.”

slowly, the cat swells again until it’s as large as a temple, a colossal thing. its golden eyes glint when it stares down at you, but you don’t feel any sort of fear. it’s like looking into a mirror, a reflection of yourself.

“this will not come easy, little weaver,” it speaks and the words are a deep rumble in your chest. “magic always has a cost, and the path ahead you is full of dangers. are you ready to accept your power, and the challenges it will inevitably bring your way, remaker? are you ready to bear the heft of witchcraft?”

i look at the statue that stares down at me and my gaze moves to the cat.

"not in my own image, but better than it is now, better than it could be." i wave my hand through the air and the image stays as is, framed. "change needs to happen and i want to bring it."

i wonder, for a moment, if this is what eris thinks, too.

i nod my head, the black and amber-gold of my magic trails up my arms until it dissipates, returning to normal. "since i said yes to my birthright there's been danger. i've almost died. i've been captured, i've been face to face with the goddess of chaos." he smirks. "but i am chaos. magic is chaos. and she won't control me or anyone else."

i close my eyes. "heavy is the crown and all that bullshit. i am magic. i can bear it."

“and your mother is the goddess of magic, of cross-roads, and all arcane mysteries,” it laughs and the sound echoes in your bones. “when danger comes, we’ll simply have to show them who’s more dangerous, won’t we?” the cat’s smoky body begins to swirl then and you can see its arm outstretch, pointing one gigantic claw at you, wispy near the tip like the specters that you summon. “paint runs out, little weaver, but magic never truly does.”

the single claw is beckoning, asking you to touch it.

i outstretch my finger toward the claw and, right before i press tip to tip, say:

"not even in death."

the instant your finger touches the claw, you feel all of it pour into you, the cat, the world you’d created, and the magic, as wisps of gold slither down the fingertip and into your mouth and your eyes. it’s all-encompassing, it’s dangerous, and but it’s also so incredibly righteous. this is your birthright and every inch of you accepts it.

then, you fall, stumbling through the dream, only to wake up on your bed. the moonlight is cool against your skin, and nothing rustles in your room. was it only a dream? was it only a trick of your mind? as you begin to wonder, you notice amber lines shimmer faintly under your skin and draw what can only be a half-finished rune.

[nommy-thoughts]

Chocolate

Characters: Tom: human, they/them. Reggie: tiny (6”), he/him

Ingredients: mouthplay, foodplay, intimidation. contains vorish content

No characters were harmed or coerced in the making of this story. (safe, soft, consensual vore.) No swallowing occurs.

5.5K words

[Tom and Reggie Masterpost]

AO3 | Deviantart

~~~~~

“Reggie?” Tom said, looking over at their roommate. The tiny man looked up. “I had an idea for a Game,” Tom continued. “If you’re in the mood.”

Reggie immediately looked interested. “The aspects?” he asked.

“Powerplay and foodplay, mostly,” Tom said. “Mouthplay, too, of course.” They paused for a moment. “Probably more mouthplay than we’ve usually done; I’m not entirely sure.”

Reggie grinned. “Sounds good to me,” he said. “Do I need to do any special prep?”

“Naw, just the usual,” Tom replied. “I should be done setting up by the time you’re ready.”

Reggie got up, walking over to the side of the table, where he had a permanent climbing line. “You know where to find me,” he said, and rappelled down to the floor. Tom waited until he had left the room before they got up, going to the kitchen.

~~~~~

Twenty minutes later, Reggie sat on the bathroom counter in nothing but a pair of boxers and a fluffy bathrobe, waiting. He had finished showering a few minutes before, and though his hair was still damp, the rest of him was dry and warm.

Tom appeared in the doorway, knocking on the doorframe. “You ready?” they asked.

“Absolutely.” Reggie stood as Tom approached, and the human gently scooped him up into their palm.

“I think you’re going to like this one,” Tom told him as they carried him away, and Reggie laughed.

“That’s kinda half the point,” he pointed out.

“And what’s the other half?” Tom teased.

“That you’re going to like it.”

Tom grinned. “That I am.”

The trip to the kitchen was quick, much faster than Reggie could have made it on his own, and less than a minute later, Tom set him down on the kitchen table. Reggie took a moment to observe his surroundings. Off to his left was a large metal pan — a cookie sheet — covered with wax paper. To his right, towering over him and putting off heat, was a round metal pot on a three legged stand, which Reggie couldn’t remember having seen before, but which still looked familiar somehow. In front, but not on the table, was Tom, taking their seat. They grinned at him.

Then Tom reached for him, and Reggie braced himself to be picked up again, but realized at the last moment that Tom wasn’t reaching for him but past him. Reggie turned to see what Tom was going for, and saw a bowl full of cherries. Next to it was an open bag of pretzel sticks. Tom picked up a cherry by its stem, grinned at Reggie, and dipped it into the pot. When they pulled it out again, it had a dark brown coating, and Reggie realized why the pot looked familiar. It was a chocolate fondue.

Tom set the cherry down on the cookie sheet and reached over Reggie’s head again, making him duck. This time, they grabbed a pretzel stick. This, too, they dipped into the molten chocolate and placed on the wax paper.

When Tom reached past him for another cherry, Reggie realized that he might be waiting a while, and so he sat down on the table, just watching. Tom gradually filled up the cookie sheet, alternating between cherries and pretzels. Then, about fifteen minutes in, they surprised Reggie by plucking him up instead. He squirmed a little in surprise, and Tom paused.

“I’m good,” Reggie assured them.

Tom nodded, using their other hand to untie the belt of Reggie’s bathrobe. With an incredible show of dexterity, they eased the robe off his shoulders, pulling it away. They set it down somewhere on the table down below. Then they turned Reggie about in their hands, looking at him. “Oh, yes, you’ll do nicely,” they teased. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Reggie confirmed.

Tom shifted their grip around him. Now they held him by only two fingers, gently but firmly pinching his sides. Then they lowered him into the chocolate.

At first, Reggie pulled his feet up, away from the molten chocolate below him, but as Tom lowered him further, he let them drop. Though the chocolate was hot enough to flow easily, it wasn’t hot enough to burn, and Reggie felt suddenly grateful that Tom had made sure of that.

Tom dipped him to his belly button. They held him there for a second or two, and when they pulled him out, a thick layer of chocolate clung to his legs. Tom lifted him higher and let him dangle above the pot, dripping chocolate. “Maybe I should have gotten the caramel chocolate,” they said contemplatively. “It’d match you better.”

Reggie laughed. “I guess,” he said. “But you like dark chocolate better.”

“I do,” Tom agreed. They set Reggie down on the wax paper, and he stumbled a little. Ordinarily, he could have kept his feet, but the chocolate impeded his motion, and Reggie fell over backwards.

“Hey, you’ll mar the finish,” Tom faux-scolded.

“Help me up, then,” Reggie retorted, pushing himself up on his elbows. Already the chocolate was hardening, and he didn’t think he could get up further on his own.

“Just a second,” Tom said, reaching for something Reggie couldn’t see. When they brought their hand back, they were holding a familiar pair of orange plastic chopsticks. Reggie grinned at the sight, and Tom grinned back, clicking the chopsticks together. “Need a better grip so my fingers don’t get messy,” they told him.

“I’m half covered in chocolate, and you’re worried about messy fingers?” Reggie said with a laugh.

“Yep.” Tom expertly slipped the chopsticks under Reggie’s armpits from the back, lifting him up so that he dangled about an inch off the tray. “And you’re going to be even more covered in a minute. Secure enough?”

Reggie grabbed onto the chopsticks, adjusting himself a little. “Secure enough,” he confirmed, and Tom lifted him higher.

Tom took a few seconds to look at Reggie from a few different angles, tilting him with the chopsticks. Then they lowered him into the fondue pot again, more slowly this time. Unlike before, they did not stop until he was submerged to his mid-chest.

“Still doing good?” Tom asked.

“Y-yeah,” Reggie said. He took a deep breath. “I’m good.”

“Okay to keep going?”

Reggie hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. “Don’t get it in my face,” he instructed.

“Got it,” Tom said, dipping him in further, so that the chopsticks touched the surface of the chocolate. Reggie found that he could move his legs again. Their coating must have melted.

Reggie tipped his head back to look up at Tom instead of at the sea of chocolate all around him, and was relieved to see that Tom’s entire attention was focused on him.

“Can I dip you in further?” Tom asked.

Reggie swallowed, but he nodded. “Go ahead.”

Slowly, Tom lowered him more. The warm chocolate flowed over his arms and shoulders, now. All that was left out was his head. Reggie took another deep breath to help himself stay calm as Tom carefully bobbed him up and down in the thick brown liquid. Then they pulled him out again. From just below his jawline to the soles of his feet, Reggie was thoroughly coated with chocolate.

Tom let him dangle from the chopsticks for a few seconds, dripping over the pot, before they set him down on the tray. Reggie would have fallen over again, but Tom kept the chopsticks under his arms until he had caught his balance. Then they carefully pulled the chopsticks away, and Reggie’s arms dropped to his sides. They stuck.

“You’re not going to have a lot of mobility in a minute,” Tom commented.

“I don’t have a lot of mobility now,” Reggie replied, trying to get an arm free. “Do you want to eat the chocolate now, or wait til it hardens more?”

Tom considered. “You okay with waiting?” they asked.

Reggie nodded. “I’ll be fine,” he said, still trying to get his arm unstuck from his side, with little success. Tom must have been able to see his struggles, though, because they picked the chopsticks back up and helped Reggie unstick both his arms. Reggie held them a bit out to the side so they wouldn’t get stuck again.

“You sure?” Tom asked, and Reggie nodded.

“I can wait.”

After another second’s wait in case Reggie changed his mind, Tom nodded and turned back to the bowl of fruit. They picked up another cherry, dipping it into the chocolate.

Several minutes later, Tom had filled up the cookie sheet with chocolate covered cherries and pretzels. They unplugged the fondue pot and tapped the first cherry they had done. The chocolate was cool and hard.

“How’s your chocolate coating?” they asked.

“Stiff,” Reggie answered. He hadn’t been able to move anything but his head for the last few minutes, due to the thick shell around him.

Tom chuckled. “I bet,” they said. “Can you move at all?”

“Nope,” Reggie answered cheerfully.

“How’s it feel around your chest? Can you breathe alright?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Reggie said. “A little tight, maybe, but I can breathe.”

Tom picked him up, peeling away the wax paper that tried to stick to his feet. ���Looks pretty good,” they said. “It did puddle around your feet, though.”

Reggie tried to look down, but couldn’t see them. “Maybe you should take a picture,” he suggested.

“Good idea.” Tom pulled out their phone, grinning, and snapped a photo. They flipped Reggie over in their hand and took one from the back as well. Then they set Reggie on the table, lowering theirself down to take one more photo. Reggie stuck his tongue out at the camera, and Tom laughed. Setting their phone off to the side, Tom asked, “Now… how shall we get this off you?”

“Considering I have zero mobility right now, it’s gonna have to be you,” Reggie replied. “And considering that it’s candy… why don’t you have dessert?”

Tom grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.” They picked him up, sitting back in their chair. “Now… where to start…”

“Wherever you’d like,” Reggie said. “A shoulder would give me some mobility.”

“A shoulder it is, then,” Tom said. They lifted Reggie to their mouth, closing it around his left shoulder. For a few moments, they were still, and Reggie noted that he couldn’t even really feel Tom’s mouth. But then he felt a light pressure as Tom carefully bit down, pressing their teeth through the chocolate layer to rest gently against Reggie’s skin. They pried the shell away with their teeth and tongue, leaving Reggie’s shoulder bare.

“‘A-da,” Tom said around the chocolate, crumpling it in their mouth. Reggie looked over at his shoulder, and at the bite his roommate had taken out of his chocolate shell. He tried again to move his arm, thinking that perhaps he could snap the connection that still remained under his arm, and found that he could not. It seemed the chocolate was thicker there.

“Still can’t move,” he told the human.

“Hm,” Tom said, eyeing him for a few moments. Then they moved him back to their mouth and put his shoulder in again, a bit further than before. Reggie could feel their warm tongue sliding over his bare skin now, and a light suction. After a few moments of that, Tom pulled away again. “How ‘bout now?”

Reggie tried to lift his arm again, and found that enough of the chocolate had melted that he could actually do so. It was a bit awkward, but he could rotate his arm almost freely at the shoulder. “Great,” he answered, letting it drop. “That worked.”

Tom grinned, lifting Reggie’s arm with a finger from their free hand. Reggie didn’t resist. “Your fingers are all stuck together,” Tom commented. “Just one blob.”

Reggie couldn’t really see them very well, but he could feel that they were stuck together. “I think I’ve got separate fingers on my other hand,” he said. He couldn’t see those fingers at all, but he knew they were spread out.

Tom turned him so they could look. “Almost,” they said. “I can see the shapes of your individual fingers, but they’re still connected with chocolate between them.” Turning Reggie back to face them again, Tom grinned. “Any preferences on where’s next?”

Reggie lifted his arm. “I could do with movable fingers,” he said. “And I wouldn’t half mind being able to bend my elbow.”

Tom leaned forward, putting Reggie’s hand into their mouth. A second later, they slurped Reggie’s arm into their mouth to about halfway between his elbow and his shoulder. They started sucking on it, which at first Reggie could tell not from the feeling, but from the sight of his arm moving slightly in and out of Tom’s mouth as they sucked. After a bit, however, he felt the warmth and dampness of Tom’s mouth, and the suction. Experimentally, he wiggled his fingers. They felt a bit stiff, but they moved. He tried to bend his elbow, but found that to be impossible. However, he wasn’t quite sure whether this was because there was still too much chocolate on it, or because it was forced straight by the force of Tom sucking on it. Reggie let himself relax into it, and they spent several calm moments like that.

Eventually, the suction stopped, and Tom pulled Reggie away from their mouth, drawing his arm out slowly between their lips. Reggie lifted it up, looking it over. Only a few streaks of chocolate remained, beside the strip running around his upper bicep like an armband. “Good job,” he said. “It’s pretty much all gone.”

Tom grinned. “Want me to get the other one?” they asked.

“For sure.”

Tom lifted Reggie up, nibbling at his other shoulder, and Reggie laughed.

“What are you doing?”

Tom paused, glancing over at him out of the corner of their eye. “Getting the chocolate off.”

“Alright,” Reggie said, still chuckling. Tom went back to nibbling at the chocolate on his shoulder. After a few seconds of that, though, they seemed to decide that it was taking too long, and opened their mouth wider, sliding Reggie’s shoulder in far enough that he could feel their lips on his neck. Reggie affectionately patted Tom on the chin with his free hand, and Tom started to pull away.

“That wasn’t a tap out,” Reggie said quickly, and Tom stopped moving. “Sorry, mixed signals. I’m fine, you can keep going.”

Tom hummed acknowledgement, going back to their previous position. Their lips tickled against Reggie’s neck, and he tipped his head away. Judging by the sounds Tom made, they were sucking on Reggie’s shoulder, but as before, he couldn’t feel it until the chocolate started to melt. As it melted, however, he could feel Tom’s tongue moving around his shoulder and working its tip under his arm. At first, the feeling was dull, but then he could feel it more strongly. Reggie squirmed.

“No, no,” he gasped. “Neptune!”

At the word, Tom froze. Then they opened their mouth, releasing Reggie and pulling away.

Reggie pressed his right arm against his side, grabbing his underarm uncomfortably with his other hand. The chocolate was squishy under his fingers. Tom looked at him with mild concern. “Don’t lick my armpit,” Reggie explained. “It, um. Tickles.”

“Okay,” Tom said. “Sorry.” They paused. “Anything else?”

Reggie thought about it for a second, then shook his head. “No… that’s it.”

Tom nodded, but didn’t move.

Reggie glanced back at his shoulder, relaxing again. Experimentally, he swung his arm back and forth. “I think this one’s clear enough at the shoulder,” he said. It was still fairly covered with semi-molten chocolate, but at least he could move it. Reggie nodded, looking up at Tom. “You can start again,” he told them.

“Alright,” Tom said. Moving a little more slowly than before, they lifted his right arm with a couple fingers. “Okay to get this off?” they asked.

Reggie nodded. “Go right ahead.”

Tom grinned, leaning forward and placing Reggie’s fingertips to their lips. Reggie grinned back. Slowly, Tom stuck their tongue out, sliding it under Reggie’s arm to the elbow. A little more quickly, they used their tongue to pull his arm into their mouth. Then they pinched his arm ever so carefully between their teeth and grinned at him again.

“You know, that’s more effective when I can actually feel what you’re doing,” Reggie commented. “As it is, I mean, this is nice, but the chocolate kind of mutes the sensation.”

“Hm,” Tom hummed around Reggie’s arm. Using their lips and teeth, they drew Reggie’s arm a little further into their mouth, so that their teeth rested just above his elbow, and sealed their lips around his arm.

Reggie looked at the place where his arm vanished into Tom’s mouth and marveled that he really couldn’t feel what was going on in there. It was… unusual. Most of the time when they played these Games, Reggie was acutely aware of every motion of Tom’s tongue. But right now? He couldn’t feel a thing. That changed, though, as the chocolate gradually melted away. Soon, Reggie could feel Tom’s tongue sliding down the length of his arm, and he laughed. Tom paused for a moment, and Reggie looked up at them.

“Tickles,” he said. “In a good way, though.”

The corners of Tom’s mouth turned upward, and they licked Reggie’s fingertips. Reggie laughed again, wiggling his fingers against the large muscle. Tom’s tongue slid back up Reggie’s arm, and then the human rolled their tongue, enveloping nearly Reggie’s entire arm with the soft, warm flesh. With a smile, Reggie tipped his head forward, letting his forehead rest against the part of Tom’s face just above their lips.

“This is nice,” he said softly.

Tom made a sound of agreement almost as softly. Slowly, they dragged their rolled tongue down the length of Reggie’s arm one more time. Then they relaxed their jaw, pulling away and drawing Reggie out of their mouth.

“I think I got the chocolate mostly off of that one too.”

Reggie lifted his arm to get a better look at it. It, too, had only a few streaks remaining. “Yep.”

“Where next?” Tom asked.

Reggie rapped lightly on the chocolate covering his chest. “Maybe here?” he suggested.

Tom considered it, licking their lips. “Might be a bit awkward to get at,” they pointed out. “Least, without putting you headfirst in my mouth.” They looked Reggie over again. “You mobile enough for that, or should we get your legs free first so you can kick?”

“I trust you,” Reggie said, and Tom smiled.

“Thanks, but not what I asked,” they said. “Do you think you have enough mobility to tap out?”

“I’ve got pretty good mobility in my arms,” Reggie said, swinging them. He considered. “But you’re right; we should probably get my legs first, to be safe.”

Tom looked much more comfortable with that plan. “Ready?” they asked.

“Ready!” Reggie said cheerfully, and Tom lifted him again. Tilting their head back, they lowered him into their mouth, feet first. Reggie let his hands rest on Tom’s lips, which sealed around his waist. Just like before, it was odd not to be able to feel what was going on inside of Tom’s mouth, and Reggie waited for the chocolate to start to melt. When it did, he could feel Tom’s tongue resting at the back of his legs, and a gentle suction all round.

The chocolate grew thinner, and Tom swiped their tongue around, licking him. Reggie laughed, and Tom did it again, this time drawing the tip of their tongue all the way down to Reggie’s ankles with a practiced move. Then they brought their tongue up again, swiping it around Reggie’s legs. The chocolate had melted enough that Reggie’s legs could move, with effort. Tom worked their tongue in between them, which pushed Reggie’s legs to the sides, between Tom’s teeth. This allowed Tom to lick the fronts of Reggie’s legs as well, if a bit awkwardly. Reggie squirmed a bit, and Tom paused.

“I don’t need out,” Reggie explained quickly. “Just needed to shift.”

“M'kay,” Tom mumbled around him, and waited for Reggie to still again. After a few seconds, Reggie patted them on the tip of their nose with his cleaner hand.

“Okay, you can go again,” he said.

Instead of licking him again, Tom began to suck on Reggie’s legs, slurping the molten chocolate off. It was still fairly thick, and moved slowly, but gradually, it flowed off.

Before too long, Reggie’s legs were bare. Tom licked him one more time, thoroughly slathering him with their saliva, before pulling him out of their mouth. Reggie dangled from their fingers, and Tom grinned at him.

“Having fun?” Reggie asked.

“Loads,” Tom answered. “How’re you feeling?”

Reggie lifted both hands, giving them a double thumbs up. “A little chilly, though, now,” he added.

“Want to dry off?” Tom offered, and Reggie nodded. Tom got up and carried him over to the cabinet where they kept their napkins. Fetching one, Tom lifted it to pat Reggie dry, but paused before actually making contact.

“Go ahead,” Reggie said before they could ask.

With a nod, Tom dried him off, delicately squeezing the cloth around first one leg, then the other. Soon enough, Reggie was dry, and they went back to the table. Tom set Reggie down for a moment as they sat, and he stumbled briefly on the wooden surface. However, he had enough mobility back that he was able to keep his balance.

After Tom had settled, Reggie strode toward them, lifting his arms. Tom obliged, picking him up. They tapped his chocolate covered chest with one finger. “Ready to get this off?”

“Ready,” Reggie confirmed with a nod. Tom lifted him to their mouth, eyeing him with interest. Then they stuck their tongue out and licked him. Reggie laughed, surprised. “Tom!” he protested with a smile.

Tom grinned back innocently.

Reggie giggled. “Just put me in your mouth already, you big lug,” he said affectionately.

“Okay,” Tom said, leaning over him. Reggie looked up just in time to see Tom’s wide open mouth descend over him. He shivered, intimidated but delighted. Then everything went dark as Tom closed their mouth around his waist. Only a moment later, Tom sat back up, letting go of Reggie with their hand at the same time. The result was that Reggie was lying on his face on Tom’s tongue, his legs dangling on the other side of their lips.

It was disorienting, and Reggie squirmed briefly. He hadn’t lifted his arms earlier, whoops. Now they were pinned to his sides, and outside of Tom’s mouth from about the elbow down.

Tom’s lips parted again, letting in light. Reggie immediately pulled his arms up and in with the rest of him. Tom’s mouth continued to open, and their tongue shifted under Reggie. He started to slip back out of Tom’s mouth. Reggie gasped, grabbing at Tom’s tongue to halt his movement. However, the thick muscle was slick with saliva, and Reggie couldn’t get a good grip. He continued to slide.

Then he stopped. There was a light pressure against his back, and Reggie was confused for a moment, before realizing that Tom had pressed a finger to his back to hold him in place, and as his back was currently covered in a single solid piece of chocolate, the pressure was evenly spread out. Tom’s tongue slid out under him, so that Reggie ended up a little higher on it than he had been before.

Reggie turned his head (between Tom holding him in place and the stiff chocolate covering his torso, he couldn’t exactly twist around to look over his shoulder) to see what was going on. He couldn’t really turn his head far enough to make it out, but from what he could glimpse, along with past experiences, he guessed that Tom was taking a selfie, with their mouth wide open, their tongue stuck out, and Reggie pinned against it. Reggie didn’t mind the photos, so long as nobody besides the two of them saw them, and in fact he’d make Tom show them to him later, but he still couldn’t help blushing. He turned his face back against Tom’s tongue to hide it.

After a few moments, Tom pulled their tongue back into their mouth, Reggie along with it. Reggie relaxed as the large mouth closed around him again. He wrapped his arms comfortably around the large muscle under him, as though he was in bed and the tongue was an unusually warm and wet— though no less comfortable for it— pillow. Tom chuckled in the back of their throat, and their tongue twitched under him. Reggie simply lay there with his eyes closed, his legs dangling out of Tom’s mouth. Tom was probably taking another photo, he thought, and pictured what he must look like. He felt himself blushing again, and was grateful for the darkness.

Then Tom’s fingers curled around Reggie’s lower half in a familiar grip that would both prevent him from unintentionally slipping further into Tom’s mouth, and allow him to quickly signal to Tom if he wanted out.

Tom’s thumb pressed gently against his upper thighs, what would have been his lap if he’d been sitting, and supported what of his hips were not already supported by their lips. Their pointer finger was opposite it, stabilizing Reggie by resting on the part of his back just above his butt. Their middle finger, curled slightly, sat against Reggie’s butt proper, further securing him in place. Tom’s other two fingers weren’t doing anything, but if Reggie lifted his feet, he could probably touch a fingertip.

If Reggie wanted to, he could kick his legs, and Tom would immediately let him out. But Reggie didn’t want to go anywhere. He only moved his arms to fold them under his head instead of hugging Tom’s tongue. Even though Tom’s tongue was a softer pillow than Reggie’s arms, he knew he would prefer this position in a moment. He could breathe the other way, but it was easier like this.

The suction began. Tom’s tongue lifted under him, pressing him into the roof of their mouth. He could feel their upper teeth pressing against his lower back, hard but not too uncomfortable. Their lower teeth bumped into his stomach once or twice, which could have been a bit painful if he didn’t have a chocolate shield there, before they adjusted their tongue under him so it acted like a cushion between him and their hard teeth.

Reggie had no idea how long Tom sucked on him. It was a comfortable, soothing sensation, and between that and the dark, he almost fell asleep, only staying alert enough to make sure his arms stayed folded under his head, instead of slipping toward Tom’s throat and possibly making them choke. At one point, Tom slid him in just a little further, so that they could get at the chocolate at his middle, and Reggie had to readjust his arms, but that hardly woke him up at all, and he was soon nearly asleep again.

But eventually, Tom stopped. Reggie realized then that the hard barrier of chocolate between his chest and Tom’s warm tongue was completely gone.

Tom licked him. Reggie gasped as the cushion under him vanished and he dropped down under Tom’s tongue. They flopped it over the back of his head and his shoulders. Now that there was no barrier between them, Reggie’s hips rested directly on Tom’s lower teeth, which wasn’t particularly comfortable, and compared to what he’d just been experiencing, was downright unpleasant. Reggie tried to push himself up again, but his hands merely sank into the squishy bottom of Tom’s mouth. Then Tom moved their tongue again, sliding it back under him, and Reggie flopped gratefully onto it, settling comfortably down again.

Tom tugged questioningly on Reggie’s legs. In response, he kicked slowly, lazily. A 'sure, get me out,’ but simultaneously a 'I don’t care.’

Slowly, slurping their saliva off him as they went, Tom pulled Reggie out of their mouth. In a moment, he was all the way out in the open, sitting on Tom’s curled middle finger while their thumb and forefinger carefully pinched his waist. Then they dropped Reggie into their palm. He shook himself off and sat up.

“There we go,” Tom said, sounding pleased with theirself.

Reggie looked himself over. His chest was bare, and what chocolate had remained on his arms was gone, but his back still felt oddly stiff. Reggie tried to twist to look over his shoulder at it, but found he couldn’t. “I think you missed a spot.”

“Hm?” Tom leaned over him to get a look at Reggie’s back, and Reggie learned forward as well so they could. “Oh, so I did,” Tom observed. “Most of your back, actually. Do you want to go back in?”

Reggie considered it. Clearly Tom couldn’t get his back clean very easily if he lay on his front in their mouth, but Reggie didn’t much like being in there on his back. Somehow he could never get comfortable. So he shook his head.

“K,” Tom said, not bothered. “I can peel it off instead?”

In answer, Reggie turned around and sat with his back facing the human. Tom gently picked off the chocolate piece by piece with their fingernails, eating it as they went. Finally, they stopped.

“Got all the solid bits,” they said. “But the inner layer melted cause you’re warm, and it’s still there. Once last lick to get it off?”

“Sure.” Reggie braced himself so Tom wouldn’t knock him over, and a moment later felt Tom’s tongue, warm and soft and wet, sliding up his back.

There was silence for a moment. Then Tom said, “That… didn’t quite work. Most of it’s still there.”

Reggie laughed. “You can keep at it if you like,” he said. Behind and above him, Tom made an agreeable sound, so Reggie shifted his position, lying down in their palm instead.

Tom lifted him to their mouth, nibbling gently at Reggie’s left shoulder. He grinned, burying his face in the hand below him. Tom continued to work at the molten chocolate covering Reggie’s back, using their teeth, tongue, and lips to get at it. It tickled, but in the best way, and though Tom bit at the chocolate and slid their teeth along Reggie’s back, they were careful never to nip him. Finally, they slid their tongue slowly up his entire body, and Reggie shivered with delight.

“I think that’s as good as I can get it,” Tom said, and Reggie rolled over onto his back so he could look up at them. “You’ll have to handle the rest yourself.”

“Alright,” Reggie said. “Save me a cherry for when I get out of the shower again.”

“Absolutely. How did you like the Game?”

“It was good,” Reggie confirmed, grinning. “I liked the chopsticks, but you know that already.”

Tom looked pleased. “Yes, but reiteration never hurts. What about the rest?”

“Chocolate’s very interesting,” Reggie continued musingly. “Getting dunked… that was quite good for mild fearplay. And powerplay. Oh, and the temperature was just right, by the way.”

Tom nodded. “I checked it with a thermometer and my inner wrist,” they said, then teased, “Like you’re supposed to do with babies’ bathwater.”

Reggie rolled his eyes a bit and continued with his review. “I do like it better when I have more mobility. Like when you covered me in honey. Chocolate’s a bit too stiff. Plus it definitely took a while, so we wouldn’t do it if we wanted something quick.”

Tom nodded thoughtfully. “So… orange?” they asked.

Reggie shook his head. “More yellow,” he answered. “Next time, I’d rather go in just to my waist, or maybe get drizzled.”

“We can do that,” Tom said, obviously already imagining it. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, one thing…” Reggie said, frowning a little. “I’d rather you didn’t lick me when I’m head first in your mouth. Your teeth are kinda hard, and I’d rather have your tongue between me and them.”

“Oh, right, of course,” Tom said. “My bad. What about when you’re facing the other way?”

“Oh, that’s fine, I like that,” Reggie assured them. “And my legs are lighter, so it’s not uncomfortable. Besides, you usually tip your head back when you put me in feet first, so I’m not on top of your teeth anyway.”

Tom nodded again.

“How about you?” Reggie asked. “Things you liked, or that I should do differently?”

Tom looked thoughtful. “I like it better when you’re more mobile, too,” they said. “And I definitely like being able to taste you. All I could taste was chocolate, almost the whole time. But other than that, it was very green for me.”

Reggie grinned, sitting up. “Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like a lift back to the bathroom for my shower.”

[get-your-fics]

Violent Ends - Chapter Seventeen

Stockholm

Summary: Bruce Wayne is addicted to a lot of things to distract from his dark urges, but his addiction to you might only increase them.

Pairing: dark!Bruce Wayne x reader

Series warnings: Violence, language, smut, rape/non-con, stalking, kidnapping, underage drinking, drug use, torture, abuse

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I watched my fingers run through the red water, leaving small, little ripples in its wake. I submerged my hand further below the depths until it looked entirely crimson, tainted and stained with blood. Then, I pulled it out and watched the ruby red liquid run down my palm and seep into the crevices of the lines tracing my pale skin. Drops trickled down my wrist and wetted the sleeve of my black button-up rolled up to my elbow.

I gripped the edge of the bathtub and leaned over, the lip digging into my chest. I stared at my reflection in the murky water. My jet black curls were tousled, and my eyes looked impossibly dark, like two blackholes sucking in all the light that hit them. My reflection was tinted in shades of red, like my whole body had been bathed and soaked in blood. I smiled and watched the lips of my reflection do the same.

I sat back on my heels and hugged a knee to my chest. “Gorgeous, come in here!” I turned my head and yelled to my bedroom.

You appeared in the open door to the bathroom, pulling your cream-colored, silk robe close around you. “What is it?”

I rose to my feet and walked over to you, placing my hands on your arms. “I want you to take a bath while I make dinner, okay? Think you can do that?”

You looked up at me and wrinkled your nose. “I’m a grown woman. I think I can handle taking a bath by myself.”

I chuckled and ran my fingers through your hair. You flinched at my touch, but didn’t move away. You tore your gaze from me and focused instead on the bathtub. Rose petals floated on top of the water, and soapy bubbles lined the perimeter of the tub. The sweet scent of vanilla wafted from the thick, white candles on the corners of the tub. They flickered with warm orange flames, and heavy drops of wax rolled down their sides. The water was a deep, dark red.

“Why is it red?” you asked the first thing that entered your mind.

“You don’t want to bathe in the blood of my enemies?” I scooped your hair up in my hands and off of your neck. You shot me a glare, and I laughed. “I’m kidding. It’s a bath bomb, rose water something-or-other,” I rambled.

I twisted your hair up on top of your head and secured it in place with a clip from the counter. I reached for the tie around your waist and slowly undid it. You kept your arms glued to your sides and your eyes on the tiled floor, your lips pressed into a straight line. I moved behind you and gripped the collar of your robe. I pulled it down until it fell to the floor, pooling around your feet and leaving your form bare.

I placed my hands on your shoulders, and you tensed under my touch. I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to your shoulder. “Get in the tub,” I commanded in the most soothing voice possible.

You stepped away from me and walked towards the tub. You lifted one foot and dipped your toe in the water. You winced and retracted your foot. You waited a second, staring at the curls of steam drifting off of the surface, before stepping into the tub. Your face scrunched and screwed up as you tried to bear the heat. You gripped either side of the tub and lowered yourself into the water. You kept sinking lower and lower until the leather collar around your neck was completely  submerged.

“Don’t bother. It’s waterproof.” I started towards the bedroom, but stopped in the doorway. I looked over my shoulder and grabbed the handle of the door. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” Then, I closed the door behind me, concealing you from view.

I went to the kitchen and threw on an apron, tying it behind me. I walked over to the radio on the counter and switched it on. I flipped through the channels until I found one blasting classical music. The air filled with the notes and chords of Chopin’s “Nocturnes,” and I got to work preparing our meal.

My thoughts spiraled into how adorable you looked in your robe, how nice it was drawing a bath for you and making dinner for you. I wanted to do stuff like this everyday for you, to pamper you and spoil you like you deserved, as long as you behaved correctly. I could just see this becoming our daily routine. I would lavish and take care of you during the day, and at night, I would fuck you until you broke. I felt my cock twitch in my pants at the thought. I shook my head, distracting myself before I could get too carried away with my imagination.

When I finished cooking, I went back to my bedroom. The door to the bathroom was still closed, and if I listened closely, I could hear the subtle splash of water in the tub. I walked over to the closet and opened it. I spotted a garment bag dangling from a hanger and reached for it. I pulled down the zipper and took the dress off of the hanger inside. Just as I spun around, I heard the bathroom door creak open.

You leaned in the doorway, a white, fuzzy towel wrapped around your bare form. “I bathed,” you stated, looking down at the hardwood beneath your feet.

I looked you up and down. A drop of pink-tinted water dribbled off of your collarbone and disappeared under the towel between the valley of your breasts. I licked my lips. “Good.” I nodded approvingly. “Get dressed, and do your makeup and hair.” I laid the dress out on the white duvet.

You creeped closer to me, staring at the dress. It was a floral pattern with a full skirt fluffed with tulle and a plunging neckline. “How much did that cost you?” You jutted your chin in the direction of the garment.

“Well, it’s designer and custom made, so a good amount.” I took a pair of scarlet heels out of the closet and set them down at the foot of the bed. Truth be told, I had actually splurged on you more than usual with this dress, but seeing it on you would make every dollar worth it.

“Custom made?” You raised a brow.

“Yeah, to fit you.” I looked up at you and grinned. Your face went blank. “What? You think I don’t know your measurements by now? I sleep by you every night, gorgeous, and most of the time we do a lot more than just sleep.” My tone grew low and husky.

I snaked an arm around your waist and pulled you flush against me. I leaned in close to you, smelling the soap from the bath on your skin. You lifted one hand from the hem of the towel and pressed it against my chest, pushing me away just a little bit. I laughed slightly and backed down.

“Oh! I almost forgot the finishing touch.” I opened one of the drawers in the dresser and took out a rectangular, crush velvet box. “What outfit would be complete without a little bling?”

I set the box down on the bed and opened it. Inside was a necklace and matching earrings made of square cut diamonds. They caught the light and reflected it in rainbow fractals. They were worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and most people would have to sell an arm and a leg in order to buy them. However, most people weren’t Bruce Wayne.

You were like a moth drawn to the flame, the sparkle of the diamonds reflecting in your eyes. “What’s this all about?” you asked, furrowing your brow.

“You’ll have to wait and see.” I smirked slyly. “I’ve got something special planned for us tonight.” I cupped your cheek and brushed my thumb over your cheekbone. “Now, you go get ready, okay?” I smiled softly at you and pressed a kiss to your forehead. You nodded and retreated to the bathroom. I returned to the kitchen and served two plates of food on white ceramic plates. I balanced them in my hands as I stepped out onto the patio.

The sky was the color of faded denim, the trees silhouetted in black with their branches reaching up towards the stars. It was the color the sky turned as a promise that night would soon fall and the world would be shrouded in darkness. Strings of lights hung above the patio, lighting up the dark. Rose petals were scattered across the ground, leading to a black, metal table in the middle with two chairs. A dripping candle sat in the middle of the table, burning proudly. It was a warm, summer night, and lush, green plants surrounded the perimeter of the patio.

I set the plates down on the table and smiled proudly. I discarded my apron and rolled down the sleeves of my button up. I grabbed my blazer from where it hung over the back of one of the chairs and slung it on. Tonight was a very important night. If I played my cards right, maybe you’d start to think of me differently. Maybe we could move to the next level, up to the next stage.

“Woah.”

I whirled around to see you standing in the open doorway of the manor leading to the patio. You had the dress on. It fit you perfectly, like a glove. Your hair was groomed and glossy. You had enough makeup on to accentuate your features, but not so much that it was overbearing. The diamond earrings hung from your ears, and the necklace encircled your throat over the collar. You looked absolutely stunning.

You gaped at the patio. “How have I never been out here before?”

As great as it was seeing you all dressed up in the outfit I had chosen for you, my lips twisted into a frown. I raced over to you and pushed you back into the manor. I pressed you up against the wall, knocking the wind out of your lungs. I clamped a hand over your eyes and leaned down so my lips were right against your ear.

“What are you doing? Did I tell you you could come out?” I hissed. When you didn’t respond, I pushed against you harder. “Huh? Did I?”

“N-no.” Your voice wavered, and you shook your head fervently.

I gritted my teeth before stepping back, letting you go. You opened your eyes and blinked rapidly, your ribcage rising and falling. “All well. I have many more surprises where that came from.” I raked my gaze over you. “You look beautiful.”

Your hands raised to fiddle with the collar around your neck. “Maybe... you could take this off? It kind of clashes with the look, don’t you think?” You stared at me, your doe eyes all round and innocent.

I smiled and shook my head. “You look perfect.” You were going to have to do a lot more than that if you wanted to fool me. You should know that by now. I held up a finger. “Stay right there.”

I walked over to the table. I picked up a bouquet of a dozen red roses wrapped in white wrapping paper and tied with a black, silk bow. I presented them to you with a beaming smile on my face.

“Here you go.” I held them out to you.

You looked down at the bouquet in my arms. “Thank you.” You took the bouquet from me and held it awkwardly, like you were unsure of what to do with it. You raised the roses to your nose and sniffed, taking a whiff of the sweet scent of their petals. Your posture was abnormally rigid, and the way you moved was robotic. I could tell by the look on your face that you were uncomfortable in this situation.

I walked over to the table and held out one of the chairs for you. “Please, sit down.”

Your heels clicked against the ground as you walked over to me, stiff and tense. You sat down, and I pushed your chair in. I walked around and took the seat opposite you at the table. You set the bouquet down next to you on the ground and glanced at the food laid out in front of you. “Is that—”

“Spaghetti carbonara?” I finished for you. “Yes, it is. I remember you mentioning that when your parents weren’t busy running their company, it was one of the rare dinners you would all sit down and eat together.” I unfolded my napkin and placed it in my lap.

You stared down at the heap of pasta piled onto your plate. You folded your hands in your lap, fiddling with your chipping french manicure. You chewed on your scarlet-painted lip thoughtfully.

I picked up a bottle of wine off of the table. “Can I interest you in a glass of Pinot Noir?” I asked.

You nodded. I took the cork out of the bottle and picked up the empty wine glass set in front of you. I tilted the bottle of Pinot Noir and poured the dark red liquid into the glass. I stopped when it was halfway full and put it back down in front of you. I filled my wine glass next and put the cork back in before setting the bottle down on the table. I held my glass by its stem and tipped my head back, guzzling some of the sweet, warm liquid. You didn’t touch yours.

I gulped down my mouthful of wine and put my glass down. “Your food’s getting cold, gorgeous. Aren’t you going to eat?” I gestured to the untouched plate still sitting in front of you, waiting. “I know you must be hungry.”

You looked at me and clenched your jaw before flickering your gaze down to your plate. You lifted your shaky hand and grabbed the silver fork off of the table. You brought it down on the plate and twirled a few noodles around the twines. You stuck it in your mouth and slurped the pasta off, chewing slowly. The more you savored the food, the more your eyes lit up and widened in surprise.

“So, how is it?” I asked after a while.

You swallowed. “Good,” you said the word shortly and concisely, but I could tell you meant it despite yourself. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

“I remember everything about you, gorgeous. I can’t help it.” I grinned at you, but you wouldn’t raise your gaze higher than to look at the table. “Speaking of being sentimental, I got you a gift.”

You perked up. “What for?” You eyed me suspiciously.

“We’ll talk about that in a minute.” I leaned over and grabbed the black, gift bag from under my chair. I reached over the table and held it out to you. “Here you go.”

You took it from me hesitantly and looked down at the white tissue paper on top, concealing what was underneath. “What is it?”

“Well, you got to open it in order to find that out.” I cracked a smile. “Go on. Open it,” I urged you.

You tore through the tissue paper and ripped it out of the bag. It floated through the air before coming to rest on the flagstone ground. You picked up the bag with both hands and peered into it, scrunching your forehead in confusion. You reached into the bag and pinched the corner of the neatly folded sheet inside. You slowly pulled it out, revealing a rust-colored blotch staining the stark white fabric. Your eyes grew to the size of saucers, and you hurled the bag away from you like it was set on fire.

“What the fuck?” you shrieked. You scooted as far back in your chair as you could. “What was that?”

“What?” I tilted my head to the side and pouted. “Do you not like it?”

You gripped the bottom of the chair in one hand to stabilize yourself and pointed at the bag laying haphazardly on the patio five feet away from us with the other. “Did you kill someone?” you asked.

I drew my thick brows together. “No, of course not. Do you not remember?”

You stared at me, your mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, and I could tell you were wracking your brain. The legs of the chair scraped against the ground as I pushed it back, standing up. I walked over to the bag and bent down to pick it up.

“These are the sheets from when I cut you during sex the first time.” I took it out of the bag and spread it out, displaying many more stains like the one you had discovered scattered across the sheet. “I saved it as a reminder of that night. That experience was very special to me.” I smiled fondly at the memory.

“You mean you kept those sheets as a souvenir of when you tortured me while you raped me?” you stated bluntly.

My jaw ticked. “You can choose to think of it like that, yes.” I started to refold the sheet.

“I’m not choosing to think of it like anything. That’s what happened.” You leaned forward in your chair. “Why are you doing this, Bruce? What’s with the flowers and the meal and the gifts?”

I stuffed the sheets back into the bag and reoccupied my chair. “Well, it’s our four month anniversary, gorgeous. We met each other four months ago from this day.” I chuckled. “Well, for the second time anyway. And I just wanted to remind you how lucky I am that you decided to come back into my life all those nights ago, and show you how much I love you,” I said the last three words softer and lighter than all the rest.

You gaped at me, your mouth hanging open and your jaw slack, like you were truly at a loss for words. The sound of cicadas chirping in the bushes filled the silence that settled over us. I shifted in my seat nervously, heat making its way up my neck and creeping its way to my face to tinge my cheeks pink.

“Well?” I asked after a while, my voice slicing through the quiet like a knife. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“Like what?” you scoffed. “What am I supposed to say? That night was the biggest mistake of my life. I wish I had never set foot in that seedy, little club of yours,” you spat.

I stuck my tongue in my cheek. “You were supposed to say you love me back.”

Your face went blank again, and you stared at me, flabbergasted. Then, uncontrollable laughter bubbled out of your throat and escaped your mouth. The sound bounced off of the high walls of the manor and rang out in the open, night air. You kept laughing until your face turned red from lack of oxygen and tears leaked out of the corners of your eyes. Eventually, you stopped cackling and had to gasp for air, clutching your stomach that continued to shake with silent laughter.

“What in the world would make you think I would say that to you, hm?” You wiped away your tears with the back of your hand. “Did you really think all the fancy clothes or the bouquet of red roses or the bloodstained sheets would make me fall for you? Or what about what you really were up to all those months, all the stalking and kidnapping and abuse? Or how about when you killed my brother? Was any of that supposed to make me love you?”

“Why are you so set in your ways?” I retorted. “Why do you refuse to look at things from my point of view?”

“Because I’m not demented.” You narrowed your eyes at me until they were slits. “You know what I think?” You leaned forward and pressed your palms flat against the table. “I think you’re scared of me.”

It was my turn to scoff. “Me? Scared of you?” I leaned back in my chair and folded my hands behind my head. “You’re joking.”

“You’re afraid of me, terrified actually.” Your eyes burned holes into me. “I have control over you, and you’re not used to someone else having so much power over you. You feel so useless, so helpless, a slave to your emotions. You don’t know what to do about it.” You smirked smugly, like you were picking me apart piece by piece. “That’s why you felt the need to kidnap me, to trap me and hole me up in your manor. If you just let me run rampant, there’s no telling what I could do with so much control over you.”

I shot out of my chair and wrapped my fingers around your collar. I yanked you out of your chair so your face was inches from mine, wiping the pleased look off your face. “Shut up! Shut up!” I shouted, the sound deafening. “I’m the one with the control here. Everyday, I decide whether or not you eat, whether or not you sleep, whether or not you breathe.” I twisted the collar tighter in my grip until my knuckles turned white, and you gasped. “So don’t think for a second the tables have turned or the shoe is on the other foot, all right? I am in control, and I always will be.”

I let go of my grip on your collar, and you fell into your chair. You slumped in the chair, your chest heaving. I stretched my fingers and tugged on the lapels of my blazer. I sank into my chair and scooted closer to the table, picking up my fork.

“You’re never going to set me free, are you?” I shifted my gaze to you, and your head lolled to the side. “Everyone knows I’m missing now. There’s no way I can just reenter society without questions going unanswered. All that talk about returning to my old job and going to parties, it was all just a sham.” You stared at me. “You like having control over me too much to give it up.”

I dropped my fork, and it clattered against the table. I wanted to feel anger, for rage to surge through my veins and thrum until I was vibrating at a million miles per hour. I wanted overwhelming heat to rise up and swell inside me until it was unbearable and I burst into flames, burning down everything around me. But instead, my blood ran cold through my veins, and tears welled in my eyes. I opened my mouth to scream, shout, anything, but all that came out was a strangled sob.

It sounded so strange and foreign, as if it hadn’t really come from me. You raised your brows, and your lips formed a small ‘o’ shape. You looked taken aback, like you had expected anything from me but this. I felt the same way.

“I just wanted you to love me.” My voice was oddly small and soft. “I just wanted to hear you say it, like when you said it to Brant.”

I felt something wet hit my cheek. I swiped at it and looked down to see a single tear on the pad of my finger. I hadn’t even realized I had started crying. Another ran down my cheek, and another joined it until it was like an endless waterfall of tears trailing down my face. It was like a dam had cracked and broken inside of me, flooding me with grief and sorrow. No one ever loves me. No one ever wants to stay, not unless I make them.

I felt a palm slide over my hand, and I looked up to see a hand resting on mine. I furrowed my brow and blinked through my tears to see you reaching out to me. Your skin was soft and warm against mine. It was such a strangely sweet gesture for someone who was supposed to hate my guts. You stared at me, but there wasn’t any animosity or hostility in your gaze. There was just pity, and sadness.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind me, jolting me out of my stupor. “Bruce?”

I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand and twisted around in my chair. Every muscle in my body seized up when I saw Grace Blomdahl standing a few feet away in a tight, black dress. I slowly rose from the chair, making sure you were still blocked from her view. “Grace? What are you doing here?”

“I rang the doorbell, but I guess you didn’t hear it because you were out here.” She moved closer to me. “I wanted to check up on you, make sure you were okay.”

“Don’t come any closer.” I held out a hand, and she stopped in her tracks. “How did you get here?”

“I drove. Is everything all right?” She took one step closer to me, and her face paled. Her eyes focused on something — or rather someone — behind me, and I knew she had seen you. “(Y/N)?”

You stood up cautiously, like any sudden movements would set off a bomb rigged to go off at any minute. “Grace, listen to me. You have to run away now.” Your tone was calm and levelheaded.

I could practically see the smoke wafting off of what little gears were sent into overdrive in her head. “What are you doing here? I thought you were miss...” she trailed off as realization dawned on her.

You rounded the side of the table. “Grace, run.” Your urgency was starting to show through. “Run now. Get in your car and drive to the GCPD.”

She switched her gaze to me, and it was like she was glued to the spot. “Bruce, what’s going on?”

You took another step forward, but I shot out my arm to stop you. “That’s far enough, gorgeous.” I kept my eyes trained on Grace as I reached for the steak knife on the table behind me.

“You have to run!” you shouted. “Grace!”

Your voice finally shook her out of her trance, and she started back the way she came. But I was on her before she could even take a step in the other direction. I pulled her back flush against my chest, trapping her with an arm around her waist. I held the knife against her throat, digging it into her skin not enough to break the skin, but just enough to sting. Her body tensed against me.

“No!” you exclaimed, holding out your hands to stop me. Your eyes were large with desperation. “Please! Don’t kill her!”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m sorry, gorgeous, but she saw you. I have to kill her, or she’ll squeal.” I pressed the blade in deeper, and she let out a hopeless whimper.

“No! Please!” you begged, tears falling from your red, irritated eyes. “I’ll do anything!”

I cocked my head to the side and pursed my lips. In a flash, I snatched my wine glass off of the table. I moved the knife from her throat and crashed the glass against the side of her head. It exploded into a thousand pieces and rained down on the ground. Dark red wine splattered against her, mixing with the blood leaking out of the bits of glass imbedded in her skin. Her eyes rolled back in her head before she collapsed to the ground with a solid thud.

Your eyes followed her body as it dropped. You exhaled, your chest hollowing out a little bit, and I could tell even though you knew this was far from over, you were relieved. I shifted the knife in my grip. My free hand stung with a piercing pain, and I looked down to see pieces of glass sticking out of my flesh. Blood trickled out of the tiny cuts and ran down my palm. Heavy, red drops dripped off and hit the flagstone ground.

“Did you mean it?” I asked you. “When you said you would do anything?”

You nodded, jerking a single, shaky tear from your bloodshot eye. “Yes.”

I digested your answer for a second. “Good.” I pointed down to Grace’s unconscious body with the knife in my hand. “You can start by carrying her inside.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

[nevervalentines]

Supercorp 6 or 9? Or both because they would be so cute. I love your writing so so much.

Supercorp,piggy back rides

It is the first time Kara Danvershas ever seen Lena Luthor sleep.

She hovers outside of Lena’s glasswalled office before stepping lightly onto the balcony, the night humming quietin her veins. She hadn’t meant to end up here, had fully intended to be in bedby now, curled around her spare pillow, waiting for the sun.

But.

Unlike Lena, dozing among a mess of papers and fastidiously typed notes at her desk, crime never sleeps.

It’s new this thing between them,this friendship, a lie Kara must juggle between two lives.

Just friendship, Kara remindsherself as she tucks her hair behind her ear, shifting her weight uneasily, onlythat. No matter the late-night-movie cuddling or the long kisses Lena pressesto her cheek in farewell. No matter the lunches that stretch to early evening,Lena’s hand finding hers on the tabletop.

Kara steps closer, pressing her palmflat against the balcony door, unsure how many lines she is about to blunderthrough.

It is well past midnight now, the darkenedcity tipping into the witching hour, shadow drenched and vast. There are nostars tonight, no moon, and the darkness presses close against her shoulders,bearing down, a celestial weight.

Lena leaves the balcony doorunlocked these days, and though Kara has never asked, she knows it’s for her.

She steps inside, tip-toeing towardthe desk where Lena slumps, asleep. Her cheek is pillowed on her arms, lipsparted, cheekbones curling sharp under dark lashes. There are glasses hookedbehind one ear, dangling precariously against her cheek, her laptop shucked unceremoniouslyto the side.

Kara feels wonder pull her chest taught,affection thrumming high in her throat. It’s too much, too overwhelming,coupled with notes of guilt and lust and this heady, poignant want. She almost turns to leave, takes afew steps toward the balcony door, before she stops.

Lena shifts in her sleep, hummingout a low noise, wrinkling her nose when her hair, curling loose from her bun,tickles her cheek. Kara smiles slow, taking small steps to close the distancebetween them. She reaches out a hand to pet light at Lena’s hand, tilting hervoice low.

“Lena?” she whispers, moving tokneel beside her, “It’s me. Let me get you home, okay?”

Lena shifts, one hand uncurling toreach toward Kara’s stoop, her fingers twisting absently in the fabric of Kara’scape. Lena smiles, eyes still closed, cheek smooshed against her forearm,humming out a small noise.

“Kara.”

And there’s the guilt again, lancingsharp through Kara’s chest. She clears her throat, eyes darting to the side.

“It’s Supergirl, Lena.” She winces. “NotKara.”

Lena stirs again, blinking her eyesopen slowly, going cross-eyed before she focuses on Kara kneeling beside her.Lena’s hand is still fisted in her cape, but she seems to wake more fully,lifting her head from her recline.

She has a bright red mark on herforehead from the press of her skin against her arm and Kara laughs despiteherself, reaching a hand to thumb lightly over the spot.

“Good nap, Ms. Luthor?”

Lena tries for a mock glare, but hersleep burdened haze softens the expression into more of a kittenish-pout, lowerlip jutting.

“What will people say?” Lena asks,sleep rough and quiet, “When they find out their Girl of Steel crept into myoffice in the middle of the night?” The question is punctuated by a yawn andKara grins.

“They’ll say Lena Luthor shouldn’tfall asleep at her desk at 3 a.m. leaving her vulnerable to all sorts of latenight trouble.” Kara pinches at Lena’s side lightly, smile broadening when Lenasqueals and squirms away.

But then Lena’s face sharpens,eyebrows pulling tight, teasing. “Are you here to defile me, Supergirl?”

Kara feels heat rush to her cheeksand she clears her throat, trying to cover the flustered hitch in her breath.Lena heard it anyway and her smile grows, her hand tugging hard at Kara’s cape.Kara could resist, but she goes easily, leaning closer, putty in Lena Luthor’shands.

“Take me home, Supergirl,” Lena saysand it sounds like a thousand other things, insinuation echoing quiet behindher words.

Kara clenches her jaw tight,averting her eyes from Lena’s rosebud smile, avoiding her careful eyes anddark, tilted brow. “Of course, Ms. Luthor.”

She considers scooping her intoarms, the classic bridal carry, hands pressed into her thighs, curled at herback, but Kara doesn’t think she will survive the intimacy of it. She turns herback to Lena instead, gesturing for her to loop her hands about her neck. Lenadoes so without complaint, limbs still heavy with sleep, and Kara hears hermuffle another yawn.

Kara stands, hooking her hands aroundLena’s legs, feeling the warm-satin press of her thighs, her skirt rucked highin the process. Warmth throbs low in her stomach in tempo with herheartbeat, heat like melted candle-wax pooling liquid at her center.

She blames this night. No good comesout of the witching hour.

Lena rests her face at Kara’s back,and Kara pretends not to notice the drag of her lips against the thin spandexthat stretches taught between her shoulder blades.

**

Lena falls asleep halfway across thecity, murmuring sleep muddled words into the nape of Kara’s neck, arms goingslack around her shoulders.

There are no stars, no moon, andKara wishes this night was endless.

**

Lena doesn’t wake until Kara lowersher into the plush tangled nest of her bed, blankets still mussed from thenight before.

Lena stirs as Kara eases her heelsoff of her feet, undoing the delicate clasps carefully. She reaches out a handfor her and Kara moves back up the bed, perching on the edge of the mattressbefore taking Lena’s hand carefully between her palms.

Lena hums low, using her free handto tug at the zipper that runs along the seam of her skirt. “Help me.”

Kara exhales slowly, inching closer. “Lena,” she says, drawing the syllable long, “I reallyshouldn’t.”

Lena blinks her eyes wide, graspingat Kara’s hand and moving it to her waist. “Please.”

Kara swallows hard, nods. She undoesthe zipper slowly before dragging the skirt down Lena’s hips, seeing a blacklacy band of fabric and a pale thigh before she averts her eyes, pulling asheet up the bed to cover her.

Lena starts to wriggle her shirtover her head before Kara can protest and she stands quickly, turning to thedark, oak wardrobe against the far wall, carding through its contents slowlywith her back turned to give Lena privacy.

She tosses a well-worn sleep shirt overher shoulder in the direction of the bed, getting a quiet laugh in return.

“I’m decent,” Lena calls finally,and there’s a hint of humor in her voice, a note higher than the drowsy rasp.

Kara approaches the bed, standinguneasily at the side, hands knotted in front of her. Lena lies below her, hairfanned dark across the pillows, eyes hooded and lips parted.  

“Will you stay?” Lena asks, and Karashakes her head slowly.

“I shouldn’t.”

Lena doesn’t push it this time, justnods, reaching out a hand to tug at the hem of Kara’s cape. “Thank you fortaking care of me.”

Kara lets herself smile, ducking lowto press her lips light against Lena’s brow. “Anytime.”

When she pulls back Lena is watchingher, young and vulnerable, a question curling at her voice. “Kiss me?”

There are a thousand reasons why sheshouldn’t, but it’s well past midnight, the witching hour almost through, andsome part of Kara believes that come daylight, this starless night won’t haveexisted at all.

She kisses her, chin tiltedcarefully, mouth fitting fully over Lena’s own.  Lena kisses back, sleep messy and wanting, her hand tightening at Kara’s cape. When Kara moves to pullaway, Lena tugs at her, coaxing her back for one more soft, barely therebrush of lips.

When Kara stands Lena’s eyes areclosed, breath even, and she leaves as quietly as she came.

[sablelab]

Three Days in the Highlands Chapter 31

DISCLAIMER:

This is a complete work of fiction and as such is an entirely fabricated tale created in my imagination.  I appreciate you taking the time to read my story and or leave a message. Many thanks xox

SYNOPSIS:

Sam surprises his love and what happens next makes her ever so glad that he had suggested taking a bath.

Chapter 31  

The idea of a bath and soaking in a tub filled to the brim with warm water and bubbles was Caitriona’s idea of heaven. She was glad that Sam had suggested that she relax and soothe her weary body this way for they had an extra large bathtub just the right size for two in the ensuite and the thought of pampering herself and christening the tub made her smile.

Ahhh! Christening the tub ... now there was an idea she thought. They had christened the new bed in the Master suite why not the bath tub too?  Sam hadn’t said that he would join her but that idea was at the back of her mind nonetheless.

Cait walked around the beautiful white porcelain bath and lit the fragrant candles on the side of the tub and those on the small bathroom cabinet.  The air soon filled with the scented perfume of the burning paraffin wax. Soaking in that beautiful inviting bathtub pulled at all her senses and she couldn’t wait until she was able to climb into the soothing water. The tub soon began to fill up so Caitriona squeezed some of her special bubble bath liquid into the water like Sam had suggested and the pounding of the hot water on the liquid soon formed into an overabundance of soapy bubbles filling the entire surface of the tub. Leaning over the bathtub, she turned off the taps and stared at the beautiful, welcoming sight before her eyes. Cait gazed at the delicate foaming bubbles scattered across the surface of the water mesmerized by how the fragile suds had bunched up together in clumps and how they hid the steaming water beneath.  She could feel the warmth rise from the tub and felt the pull of a siren’s call to plunge into the depths of the invigorating water.

Sitting down on the side of the bath tub Caitriona absentmindedly placed her fingers into the slippery foam and scooped up a handful of the delicate, shimmering bubbles. Bringing her hands to her face she gently blew on the spheres and laughed as they rose in the air around her.  Once again she lowered her fingers into the warm water to test the temperature before she took off her robe and got into the tub.  Lazily she swished her hand back and forward through the welcoming liquid knowing that once she had submerged into the tub she would be in seventh heaven.  Satisfied that the bath was just the right warmth Caitriona reached up and twisted her hair into top knot on top if her head but some of her wispy tendrils escaped and fell down across her cheeks.  She tucked the strands of loose hair behind her ear before standing up and letting her bathrobe gently fall to the floor pooling at her feet.  Stepping away from the fabric Cait took a deep, quivering breath before she stuck her big toe into the water, then lifting one leg over the rim of the tub and then the other she gingerly climbed into the bath.

The water was warm and when it touched her colder skin she shivered until her body temperature adjusted to the water’s heat.  Holding on to the rim of the bath she slowly eased her body down into the water.  A huge sigh escaped from her lips as the warm water caressed her naked skin like a lover’s touch ... Sam’s touch.  Cait lowered the rest of her body gently downward into the warm embrace of the water until completely submerged into the fragrant bubble bath. The warm water enclosed her in its arms like a warm garment freshly taken from the dryer.   Resting her head back against the bath headrest she closed her eyes in sheer bliss. The feeling of being completely immersed in the liquid heat was an intoxicating sensation, while the soothing water seemed to seep in to the pores of her skin warming her body as it eased away her aches and pains. She could feel her body’s immediate reaction to the effect that the warm water was having on her tired limbs and she felt a peaceful languid feeling fill her body.

This was heaven.

Ever so gently she took her hands from the rim of the bath and placed them under the luxurious bubbles.  Her eyes gazed down at her body covered with the white foam. In her mind it was reminiscent of Lady Chatterley and her lover Mellors’ passionate, sensual night when they fell into a lover’s game and intertwined beautiful flowers all across each other’s body after making love.  The eroticism did not escape her mind thinking of what it would be like to make love like that with Sam and a breathy sigh escaped her mouth at the very thought of it. They had a very active sex life and were open to ways of pleasuring each other, but they had never made love in the bathtub. Her thoughts suddenly transported her to such a scenario which only made her cheeks flush with desire.

“Stop it Caitriona!” she admonished herself. “You’re here to relax, not think about making love with your fiancé Sam.”

Raising her hands she wiped the moisture from her brow before cupping her cheeks and feeling the warmth there.  They were extra rosy for she could feel the skin was flushed with the heat from the bath but also as a result of her wayward thoughts. The little voice inside her head was about to speak to her again but Caitriona lowered her hand instead and toyed with the delicate bubbles by gathering up handfuls and placing them across her chest. Her erect nipples peeped through the foaming suds which covered her breasts so she placed more bubbles over them to hide her reaction to her thoughts. Looking down at her chest Cait laughed at the analogy with today’s climb, for two twin mountain peaks covered with snow peered back at her just like the view they had seen form the top of Mount Schiehallion.  

Gathering up the bubbles once more she couldn’t resist blowing some more of them into the air and watched as they settled once again into the bathwater where they attached to other clumps of foam then dissolved into the warmth of the liquid. She played like that for a while, just relaxing and letting the warm water ease her aching body and legs. However, the smell of the fragrant bubble bath was heady and it made her a little lethargic.  Closing her eyes she lay there for a while before her mind began to put forward more tricks to try. She lifted her toes from the water and laughed when a tiny collection of bubbles hugged her big toe and Cait watched in disappointment to see them dissolve into the warmth of the liquid when she placed her foot back under the water.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was the sound of Caitriona’s engaging laughter that brought Sam back upstairs to their ensuite.  He stood at the door watching his love cavort in the bath tub and he couldn’t take his eyes from her heavenly appearance.  She looked like a water nymph.  Seeing her skin flushed and covered with soap suds the length of her body took his breath away for his Cait was just so beautiful.  She looked happy and carefree and so delectably desirable that he forced himself to just stand and watch and not react as he would like to.

Sam stood resting his body against the door frame for a little while longer and at the same time admired his love and waited for her to close her eyes before he made a move to approach the bathtub.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leaning back against the headrest, Caitriona blocked out everything but the feel of the soothing warm water around her body and didn't hear the soft footfalls of her partner in crime as Sam approached where she lay in the bathtub.  Sensing that his body was moving closer and closer, she grinned with flushed excitement, but it was only when she felt the gentle touch of his hand against her cheek that she moved.  Sated in a sublime stupor she reluctantly opened her eyes then quickly closed them again feeling Sam’s familiar caress to her skin. Cait mewed and hummed softly as his distinctive, elongated fingers travelled sensually down her cheek, over her jaw and lazily caressed down the column of her throat where bubble bath foam lay on her chest. Like an automatic response to stimuli she moved her head from side to side as his fingers worked their well-known magic to her highly sensitised skin on both sides of her face.   Caitriona sighed as Sam ran his fingers gently over her soft lips which parted to allow him to place one of his digits into her warm mouth. Lazily his finger teased her lips and in response Cait gently bit down on where his finger lay before he reluctantly retreated from her grip.

Cait’s body was already heightened from his touch and the gentle lapping of the warm bath water but when she felt Sam’s cool, soft lips against her own a guttural sigh escaped from her throat.  It was only a fleeting caress but the taste of his lips combined with the soapy flavour of the bubbles was somewhat intoxicating. Her lips responded as his slid across hers in reverence.  However, once his lips drew away, Caitriona turned her head sideways and moaned softly in protest.  Ever so slowly she opened her eyes only to be accosted by a darkened pair of smouldering blue eyes watching her with intent but also with something more profound. Kneeling beside the tub Sam was on eye level with her. Cait felt the thrill of his eyes as they caressed her flushed form in the tub. His penetrating look made her shudder as an immense tsunami like wave of feelings suddenly thrummed in her core.

“Why, hello there stranger,” she purred softly to his smiling face.

“Hi yourself,” he murmured seductively against her mouth.

“Coming to check up on me are you?” She replied lifting her hand from the water and caressing his cheek with her fingertips. In doing so she left a spot of wet, bubble bath foam on his cheek.  Sam felt the bubbles tickle his skin and raised his hand to his face scooping the tell tale suds from his cheek. He bopped Cait on the nose with his fingertip and left the telltale bubbles on her nose with a playful grin.

“Of course. Just following orders,” Sam whispered back cheekily, still caressing her beautiful tapering throat with fingertips that were making her senses reel.  

His fingers idly travelled lower across her shoulder blades then back down her breastbone through delicate soap foam and beneath the water level and oh so tantalisingly close to her swelling breasts.  Cait began to squirm a little as his touch became more intimate and daring and she knew without looking that her nipples had hardened and were most likely protruding from the water for Sam’s gaze.

“Comfy?”  He asked noting Caitriona’s fidgety reaction to his languid caress across her chest.  

A slow smirk appeared on his face that became a wide smile as Cait moaned in response. Leaning in towards her again, their lips met a second time, and just as gentle as the first, Sam kissed her flicking his tongue lightly over her lips inviting them to open for a deeper penetration. Caitriona moaned and parted her lips letting this exciting man explore her mouth at leisure. Their tongues danced slowly from one mouth to the other as they kissed gently nibbling on each other’s lips. Soft groans filled the room for several minutes, until Cait pulled back, much to Sam’s disappointment.

“This would be even better if you joined me,” she whispered huskily, splashing the water a little to emphasize her point.

“Well now, how could I possibly refuse such an offer?” He replied the mirth in his voice resonating to her ears.  “Move over Balfe. Heughan is coming in.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam grinned a wicked smile that left his intentions wide open to interpretation.  Caitriona knew that she was in serious trouble inviting this hunk of a man into her bathtub.  There would be consequences and the piper would be paid. She couldn’t drag her eyes away from her love as he began to shed his clothes in next to no time dropping them where her robe lay on the tiles. He knew that his Cait was taking in each piece of bare skin that was revealed and Sam tore off the rest of his clothes with reckless abandon, unable to wait any longer. Smiling widely he stepped carefully into the tub facing Caitriona, and lowered himself down into the steaming water on the opposite end of the bathtub.  In order to accommodate his size, Cait bent her knees as Sam spread his legs on the outer sides of the tub’s shape.  

Without breaking glance, he reached down capturing one of her long legs and slid his hand down along her calf until he captured her ankle in his palm.  Sam gave it a gentle little tug knowing that it was the one she had injured and pulled Caitriona slightly towards him. Smiling at his actions, she watched the look in her man’s eyes as her love took her foot out of the water and rested it on his chest. With both hands cradling her foot he tenderly massaged the sore ankle area in a rhythmic circular movement.  Sam’s eyes never once glanced at her foot but studied the woman opposite him.  His gaze was doing unmentionable things to her power of thinking and Cait could do no more than succumb to the erotic feel of his fingers gently working the soreness from her foot.  His touch like his gaze was all encompassing as she closed her eyes momentarily to catch her breath.  But when Sam brought her foot to his mouth, she was a goner.  Caitriona let out a guttural moan as his lips suckled on her big toe.  His lips enclosed it and the feel of his tongue caressing the underside of her toe had her practically levitating from the water. With a final kiss to the tip he placed her leg back under the water.  He then positioned his other hand under the soapy bubbles and capturing her other leg Sam pulled Cait’s body in his direction towards him until his woman was propelled completely forward.

He edged further forward until his legs enclosed her lithe body on either side.  Caitriona felt like she was the fly in a spider’s trap and Sam was going to devour her for his meal.  Reaching down beneath the water once more he captured Cait’s legs and placed them over his powerful thighs.  He then wriggled towards her until she was practically sitting in his lap, then drawing his love closer and closer his arms wrapped around her wet body and their foreheads were aligned.  This intimate position was erotically exciting and Caitriona rested her head on Sam’s, wrapping her submerged arms around his waist and snuggling closer.

Ah the pure bliss. Hugging each other intimately he smiled enticing his mate to come hither; she advanced only too willingly to answer his invitation as his gentle touches burned her skin everywhere they landed.

It felt good ... oh, so good.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Thanks for reading. xox

[legendary-bard]

no spoilers here boys but heres a 1490 word slash of chapter 31

this was a glimpse at “what could’ve been”, although I guess in an alternate Out in the Big Wide Woods it could be canon 

new chapter’s due for a release tomorrow! ciao!

Gabriel went back to his room without a word of discussion with Zenyatta. There was something sacred about the futures he had viewed. Even without saying so, Gabriel was fully aware that it was not to be discussed with anyone, even Zenyatta himself.

He wondered if Zenyatta had viewed what he had.

The futures were troubling, the second moreso than others.

Did he have the capacity to do what he did in the second future? His first reaction was to say no, he could never, but the Reaper was nothing to take lightly.

He’d killed them. All of them. Jack was the only one left, and poor Jack… He had seen those marks on his neck, knew the implications. Gabriel knew himself, and he knew exactly what was on his future self’s mind. The slight, possessive touches after that kiss. Gabriel was not a particularly sex-driven man, but there had been a slight, ambling touch on Jack’s thigh…

In that future he had become a murderer, a rapist- A full-blown psychotic and sociopathic demi-god with a short temper.

He thought he’d sooner take the third future than the second, although it was concerning in its own right.

He had seen his own dead body. Seen Liao standing over him. Judging by what she’d said…

She’d killed him.

He didn’t sleep very well that night.

He went down to the kitchen at five. During the summer, the sky would be waxing into faint shades of grey, signalling sunrise- Right now, it was pitch black outside and would be for several hours.

He had gotten sparse, precious hours of sleep, totalling to about four hours of uneven rest in jagged fifteen to thirty minute portions. It was even more exhausting than staying awake, so he elected to just pretend he had gotten an adequate amount of sleep and go get breakfast.

He sat down at the dining room table, glaring moodily at the golem that meekly stepped out of the kitchen.

“Cereal,” Gabriel muttered to it. “Coffee. A small amount of cream and no sugar.”

It nodded, hurrying into the kitchen. Gabriel laid his head down on the table, vainly hoping that he would manage to get some rest. It didn’t work- the hard chairs at the table were far less comfortable to sleep in than his bed.

Something odd- a feeling in his head rather than something physical- made Gabriel lift his head up, and he glanced blearily to his right.

A dark-skinned woman sat next to him, stirring a mug full of an indeterminate brown liquid. How he’d missed her before, he wasn’t entirely sure. She looked vaguely familiar. Something about her purple clothes, long nails, heavy eyeshadow, the shaved side of her head and the long, curled strands on the other seemed to beckon to his memory.

“You’re up early, chico.”

“Vete al carajo.” Gabriel replied, nonplussed.

“Ouch. Not a morning person?”

“If you’re not on my staff I’m going to break your nose for bothering me.” Gabriel muttered, laying his head back down on the table.

“I am on your staff- I’m the technomancer, remember?”

“Hngh. Can you technomance me up a coffee machine?”  

“The golems make it better.” Her chair creaked gently. “Something up, chico?”

“I didn’t sleep well.”

“Nightmares?” She asked, taking a tentative sip of her questionable drink.

“I don’t dream at all anymore.” Gabriel murmured.

“Amelie said the same thing. You know how she’s all stoic and cold? Total ruse. She had a dream the first night after you became the Reaper, and she woke Angela and me up crying ‘cos of it.”

“That bad?”

“No, no, no, chico- She dreamed about a car ride. It didn’t matter what, really- she had gone nine years without dreaming. Three thousand two hundred and eighty seven sleeps without a single dream, and then poof, suddenly she dreams again.”

Gabriel’s guts twisted.

Ten years without dreams was slated for him, too.

He didn’t think it would affect him that badly, and even though he didn’t dream much, he felt as though something integral to the old Gabriel had been secretly ripped clean. The Reaper had stripped away another slice of his humanity and Gabriel hadn’t even known about it until this conversation with Sombra.

The Bastion trundled out, prompting Gabriel to lift his head and watch it approach. It laid a bowlful of Wheaties and a steaming mug of coffee on the table in front of Gabriel, chirping softly.

It was a welcome distraction from this talk of disappearing dreams.

“Thanks,” Gabriel grunted. It whistled happily and headed back for the kitchen.

“Soooo, hey, I was thinking…” Sombra’s nails tapped the tabletop. “You probably don’t want to be here, right?”

Gabriel looked up at her, questioning and tired.

“Hear me out. Angela’s going to teach you how to do boring Reaper stuff, Amelie’s gonna make you do combat training, Zenyatta’s gonna try to give you harmony lessons or something. Torbjorn’s gonna stay in his little workshop, Jack’s gonna do, heh, jack, and the golems aren’t really that cool to hang around with.”

“Spit it out.” Gabriel barked.

“We’re gonna go on a day out.” Sombra’s face brightened. “You and me.”

“I get the feeling you’ve been planning this.”

“Well…” She tapped her chin. “No, not even maybe. Yeah, I have been. Come on, chico, you’re the coolest thing that’s happened to this mansion in years, and it’s been forever since I’ve gotten the chance to leave that wasn’t on missions.”

“Go by yourself.” Gabriel said dismissively.

“But-”

“Later,” Gabriel insisted.

“Come on-”

“The last time I was in public people treated me like I was a monster.”

“It’ll be different this time. You can conceal yourself a little better-”

“No, I can’t, because Angela hasn’t taught me that ‘boring Reaper stuff’ yet.” Gabriel snapped.

Sombra paused, glancing down at her drink. There was a tender silence, and Gabriel watched her, brows furrowed. He didn’t believe she would drop it so easy, not a chance.

“What if,” She said, slowly.

“No.”

“Listen to me! What if we brought Jack?”

That gave him pause.

“Jack’s not allowed to leave the mansion.” Gabriel said, slowly.

“Angela doesn’t have to know,” Sombra coaxed. “We’ll go out and be back in… In an hour, tops.”

“Right now?”

“It’s the best time, isn’t it? Angela doesn’t get up until eight.” Sombra’s voice started carrying a vibrating tone of excitement. “Come on! You and Jack, away from the mansion. You can hang out- No Reaper, no Angela, to mess things up.”

The whole thing left a sour taste in Gabriel’s mouth, but he couldn’t deny that it was… Appealing, to be able to spend a couple hours out of the mansion and with Jack.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts before he could begin to fantasize like a stupid teenager.

Don’t jeopardize your friendship, Gabriel. He reminded himself firmly.

But what about the first future? He and Jack were getting married…

They had to start somewhere, right?

He wished his future self had given more of a stepping-stone. Like where, how, when, or why they had become partners in the first place. That would make this dating shit a lot easier.

“If he says no, I’m not going.”

“Yes!” Sombra pumped her fist, a wicked grin overtaking her features.

“Calm down. He hasn’t said yes yet.”

“But he will,” Sombra said, with all the self-satisfied arrogance of someone who most definitely knows they’re right.

“Let me finish my cereal.” Gabriel scowled. “Then we’ll talk to him. Together.”

“You think if I talked to him and he said no, I’d lie about it?” Sombra laid a hand on her chest, sounding scandalized.

“Yes.” Gabriel deadpanned.

“Well, okay. You’re probably right.” She stood up, downed the last of her drink, and left it on the table as she sauntered out.

Gabriel watched her as she left, wary. He suspected that she had some other scheme planned, but his brain was too tired to completely puzzle it out.

He finished up as much of his cereal as he could manage. One of the golems hovered over his shoulder, waiting for his permission to clear away dirty dishes. He gave it a grunt and the golem seemed to accept it, delicately grabbing his used dishes and lumbering away.

On his way out, he passed Zenyatta. Gabriel did not greet him, and the djinni did not, either. His blue eyes were sympathetic, and Gabriel paused to uncomfortably wonder if he had seen the futures Gabriel had. Did they worry him the same way they worried Gabriel? Gabriel had killed him in the second future, had scooped out his eyes and pickled them, left them floating in a jar and mingle next to Mondatta’s. He had reduced every mythical or magical creature he knew, barring Jack, into a trophy.

“What are you waiting for?” Sombra called impatiently from the top of the stairs. “You’re not a snail! Let’s go!”

[kristablogs]

Can’t get waxed? Remove your hair with sugar at home.

If fuzzy legs are not your thing, sugar can be more than a treat. ( Phi Phi / Unsplash/)

If being hairless on certain parts of your anatomy brings you joy and going to a salon isn’t an option, sugaring is a cheap and easy alternative to razor burn and store bought wax strips.

This hair removal method was likely invented thousands of years ago near Ancient Persia, and it’s still popular across the Middle East and Mediterranean. Part of its appeal is the fact that the paste used in this technique is easy to make and only requires ingredients you probably already have in your house—sugar, lemon juice, and water.

I first tried sugaring years ago, not long after watching Caramel, a Lebanese film where women used globs of caramelized sugar to gracefully flick even the most stubborn hair out of its follicles. It seemed like a dream compared to my experiences with hot wax. And it can be—if you know what you’re doing.

I made my fair share of mistakes, so you can now skip the learning curve and go straight to sugaring becoming a real and useful alternative for all your hair removal needs.

Warning: This hair removal method involves cooking sugar to molten-hot temperatures. Do not touch the boiled sugar without giving it a chance to cool down. Do not expose large areas of your skin to sugar paste before testing its temperature by touching it gingerly. Please read the whole set of instructions before attempting this project, and be careful.

Stats

<b>Time:</b> 15 minutes of prep, 5 to 10 minutes of cool down, 5 to 30 minutes of application (30 minutes to 1 hour, total)

<b>Cost:</b> $5 or less

<b>Difficulty:</b> medium

Materials

½ cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of water

2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice (fresh or bottled)

1 tablespoon of baby powder (or corn starch, talc, or baking soda)

Aloe vera gel (natural or store-bought)

Tools

A nonstick, heat-safe spatula (or a wooden spoon or whisk)

A small metal spoon

A small saucepan

A small bowl

A small heat-safe bowl

Parchment paper (or an oiled baking sheet)

(Optional) A candy thermometer

(Optional) Tongue depressor (or popsicle sticks)

(Optional) Waxing strips (or strips of cotton fabric)

Prep

1. Wash and dry the skin of the area you want to wax. Clean skin will prevent infection and possible in-grown hairs. The warm water will open up your pores, which will also help minimize pain. For best results, your hair should have at least two weeks of growth, but not more than four or five weeks. If you’re not sure about the length, trim it down with scissors to around ¼ of an inch.

2. (Optional) Exfoliate. In addition to hair, your sugar paste will lift up dead skin, so sloughing off some of those flakes before you wax will mean more of the sugar can stick where you want it to.

Make the paste

3. Combine your sugar, water, and lemon or lime juice in a small saucepan. The acidic citrus will help break the sucrose molecules, making for a paste that crystalizes at a higher temperature. This allows the sugar to stay gooey for longer so you can spread it on your skin more easily.

Be careful and never leave your saucepan unattended. (Rachel Feltman/)

4. Heat the mixture on medium-high heat, mixing until the sugar has dissolved. If you have a candy thermometer, pop it into the saucepan, making sure it doesn’t touch the bottom. Keep an eye out for around 240 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, watch for when your mixture turns golden brown.

<b>Note:</b> You’re waiting for the mix to reach what in the candy world is known as “soft ball stage,” which means the sugar has caramelized and has become sticky and pliant. This state passes quickly, though. To prevent ruining your paste and creating a hazardous situation, it’s important that you never leave the bubbling brew unattended.

5. Remove your saucepan from the burner. Do it quickly as soon as the sugar reaches the desired temperature. Put on some oven mitts and carefully pour the sugar paste into a small, heat-safe bowl.

<b>Note:</b> Avoid any accidents by being extra careful when manipulating the sugar. At this point, the mix will be extremely hot and it will burn you and stick to your skin if you touch it. If you spill some, wait until the mix has fully cooled before you clean it up. Once it’s hardened it will dissolve into nothing with a bit of water.

6. Stir the sugar paste with a small spoon. The air circulation will help it cool down faster. Do this for two to five minutes, keeping an eye on how long the sugar paste keeps its shape when you move the spoon around. Once it seems to be holding itself up for a few seconds before oozing back down, the paste should be ready to handle.

Achieving the right consistency is key. (Rachel Feltman/)

7. Protect your hands. Fill a bowl with cool water, dip your fingers to wet them, rub your hands to spread the moisture around, and shake off the excess. This will help protect your fingers as you work with the sugar paste, since the heat of the paste will have to work to evaporate the water before it can warm up your skin.

<b>Note:</b> If you still find the paste is too hot to handle, put it back in the bowl and wait for it to cool down further.

8. Knead the paste. Use your small spoon to scoop a 2-inch ball of sugar paste into your damp hands, and toss it back and forth between your fingers to let it cool a bit more. Once you’ve confirmed it’s not burning hot, knead and stretch it until it turns opaque. If it seems to be melting into liquid, try drying your hands off and repeating the kneading process with less water. Put the ball of kneaded sugar aside on the parchment paper to keep it from sticking, and repeat this step with the rest of the paste.

Application

9. Sprinkle the baby powder onto the area you’re about to wax. Sugar won’t stick to wet hair, so the powder will help ensure your skin is dry. If after the application you have any traces of sugar paste, this will also help you remove it with a quick swipe of a washcloth.

10. Work the ball of sugar with your fingers. Do it until it’s pliable enough to spread.

11. Smear the paste forcefully onto your skin. Smear in the opposite direction of your hair growth. For example, if you’re working on a spot on your legs where most of the hair faces down, you’ll want to smear the sugar paste up the leg. This will help hair come out easier and will also prevent in-grown hair.

12. Flick your wrist in the same direction as your hair grows. Do it while still holding onto the paste. If you’re smearing sugar paste up your leg, you’re flicking it downward to remove it. Make your movements quick and confident. If you’re confused, this video will help you understand the necessary motion.

<b>Note:</b> If you’re finding the wrist-flicking technique difficult, you can use fabric or paper wax strips and just treat the sugar paste like it’s wax.

13. Repeat as necessary. One of the best things about sugaring is that the paste works for multiple passes over your skin. You can go over the same spot one or two more times, or move on to another spot with the same hunk of paste. When it starts to feel too slippery, thin, or just dirty, toss the paste ball and replace it with a new one. Every time you spread it on your skin the paste will pick up your hair, but also dead skin and sebum. Eventually it’ll get saturated, which means that its hair removing powers will be no more.

14. Once you’re satisfied with the results, rinse your skin with warm water and pat dry with a towel. Unlike actual wax, water will dissolve the sugaring paste right off of you or any surface you may have spilled it on.

15. Treat the sugared areas with aloe. Avoid soaking your skin in hot water, sweating, and other potential irritants for 24 hours. Exfoliate regularly to help prevent ingrown hairs.

If you start to sugar regularly and want to make your paste in large batches and store it, there are lots of methods for doing so. This video provides an excellent run-through of how to make and store sugar paste for later use.

[scootoaster]

Can’t get waxed? Remove your hair with sugar at home.

If fuzzy legs are not your thing, sugar can be more than a treat. ( Phi Phi / Unsplash/)

If being hairless on certain parts of your anatomy brings you joy and going to a salon isn’t an option, sugaring is a cheap and easy alternative to razor burn and store bought wax strips.

This hair removal method was likely invented thousands of years ago near Ancient Persia, and it’s still popular across the Middle East and Mediterranean. Part of its appeal is the fact that the paste used in this technique is easy to make and only requires ingredients you probably already have in your house—sugar, lemon juice, and water.

I first tried sugaring years ago, not long after watching Caramel, a Lebanese film where women used globs of caramelized sugar to gracefully flick even the most stubborn hair out of its follicles. It seemed like a dream compared to my experiences with hot wax. And it can be—if you know what you’re doing.

I made my fair share of mistakes, so you can now skip the learning curve and go straight to sugaring becoming a real and useful alternative for all your hair removal needs.

Warning: This hair removal method involves cooking sugar to molten-hot temperatures. Do not touch the boiled sugar without giving it a chance to cool down. Do not expose large areas of your skin to sugar paste before testing its temperature by touching it gingerly. Please read the whole set of instructions before attempting this project, and be careful.

Stats

<b>Time:</b> 15 minutes of prep, 5 to 10 minutes of cool down, 5 to 30 minutes of application (30 minutes to 1 hour, total)

<b>Cost:</b> $5 or less

<b>Difficulty:</b> medium

Materials

½ cup of sugar

2 tablespoons of water

2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice (fresh or bottled)

1 tablespoon of baby powder (or corn starch, talc, or baking soda)

Aloe vera gel (natural or store-bought)

Tools

A nonstick, heat-safe spatula (or a wooden spoon or whisk)

A small metal spoon

A small saucepan

A small bowl

A small heat-safe bowl

Parchment paper (or an oiled baking sheet)

(Optional) A candy thermometer

(Optional) Tongue depressor (or popsicle sticks)

(Optional) Waxing strips (or strips of cotton fabric)

Prep

1. Wash and dry the skin of the area you want to wax. Clean skin will prevent infection and possible in-grown hairs. The warm water will open up your pores, which will also help minimize pain. For best results, your hair should have at least two weeks of growth, but not more than four or five weeks. If you’re not sure about the length, trim it down with scissors to around ¼ of an inch.

2. (Optional) Exfoliate. In addition to hair, your sugar paste will lift up dead skin, so sloughing off some of those flakes before you wax will mean more of the sugar can stick where you want it to.

Make the paste

3. Combine your sugar, water, and lemon or lime juice in a small saucepan. The acidic citrus will help break the sucrose molecules, making for a paste that crystalizes at a higher temperature. This allows the sugar to stay gooey for longer so you can spread it on your skin more easily.

Be careful and never leave your saucepan unattended. (Rachel Feltman/)

4. Heat the mixture on medium-high heat, mixing until the sugar has dissolved. If you have a candy thermometer, pop it into the saucepan, making sure it doesn’t touch the bottom. Keep an eye out for around 240 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a thermometer, watch for when your mixture turns golden brown.

<b>Note:</b> You’re waiting for the mix to reach what in the candy world is known as “soft ball stage,” which means the sugar has caramelized and has become sticky and pliant. This state passes quickly, though. To prevent ruining your paste and creating a hazardous situation, it’s important that you never leave the bubbling brew unattended.

5. Remove your saucepan from the burner. Do it quickly as soon as the sugar reaches the desired temperature. Put on some oven mitts and carefully pour the sugar paste into a small, heat-safe bowl.

<b>Note:</b> Avoid any accidents by being extra careful when manipulating the sugar. At this point, the mix will be extremely hot and it will burn you and stick to your skin if you touch it. If you spill some, wait until the mix has fully cooled before you clean it up. Once it’s hardened it will dissolve into nothing with a bit of water.

6. Stir the sugar paste with a small spoon. The air circulation will help it cool down faster. Do this for two to five minutes, keeping an eye on how long the sugar paste keeps its shape when you move the spoon around. Once it seems to be holding itself up for a few seconds before oozing back down, the paste should be ready to handle.

Achieving the right consistency is key. (Rachel Feltman/)

7. Protect your hands. Fill a bowl with cool water, dip your fingers to wet them, rub your hands to spread the moisture around, and shake off the excess. This will help protect your fingers as you work with the sugar paste, since the heat of the paste will have to work to evaporate the water before it can warm up your skin.

<b>Note:</b> If you still find the paste is too hot to handle, put it back in the bowl and wait for it to cool down further.

8. Knead the paste. Use your small spoon to scoop a 2-inch ball of sugar paste into your damp hands, and toss it back and forth between your fingers to let it cool a bit more. Once you’ve confirmed it’s not burning hot, knead and stretch it until it turns opaque. If it seems to be melting into liquid, try drying your hands off and repeating the kneading process with less water. Put the ball of kneaded sugar aside on the parchment paper to keep it from sticking, and repeat this step with the rest of the paste.

Application

9. Sprinkle the baby powder onto the area you’re about to wax. Sugar won’t stick to wet hair, so the powder will help ensure your skin is dry. If after the application you have any traces of sugar paste, this will also help you remove it with a quick swipe of a washcloth.

10. Work the ball of sugar with your fingers. Do it until it’s pliable enough to spread.

11. Smear the paste forcefully onto your skin. Smear in the opposite direction of your hair growth. For example, if you’re working on a spot on your legs where most of the hair faces down, you’ll want to smear the sugar paste up the leg. This will help hair come out easier and will also prevent in-grown hair.

12. Flick your wrist in the same direction as your hair grows. Do it while still holding onto the paste. If you’re smearing sugar paste up your leg, you’re flicking it downward to remove it. Make your movements quick and confident. If you’re confused, this video will help you understand the necessary motion.

<b>Note:</b> If you’re finding the wrist-flicking technique difficult, you can use fabric or paper wax strips and just treat the sugar paste like it’s wax.

13. Repeat as necessary. One of the best things about sugaring is that the paste works for multiple passes over your skin. You can go over the same spot one or two more times, or move on to another spot with the same hunk of paste. When it starts to feel too slippery, thin, or just dirty, toss the paste ball and replace it with a new one. Every time you spread it on your skin the paste will pick up your hair, but also dead skin and sebum. Eventually it’ll get saturated, which means that its hair removing powers will be no more.

14. Once you’re satisfied with the results, rinse your skin with warm water and pat dry with a towel. Unlike actual wax, water will dissolve the sugaring paste right off of you or any surface you may have spilled it on.

15. Treat the sugared areas with aloe. Avoid soaking your skin in hot water, sweating, and other potential irritants for 24 hours. Exfoliate regularly to help prevent ingrown hairs.

If you start to sugar regularly and want to make your paste in large batches and store it, there are lots of methods for doing so. This video provides an excellent run-through of how to make and store sugar paste for later use.

[timclymer]

Get Rid of Annoying Pimples & Acne (I Know, What a Beautiful Title For This Article!)

Have you ever had a really sore spot on your skin? Almost everyone has a bother at one time or another. Here are some wee tips you might like to try to make your skin all soft and lovely, and most importantly, blemish-free! WooHoo! We’re done with you, stupid blemishes, or, as another particularly angry woman in a very famous play might say, “Out, out, damn spot!” hahaha! Yes, I’m full of great ideas and terrible jokes, but if you have a laugh and find a remedy that really works for you, and then you share that with a friend, won’t the whole world look better?? lol!

I made this discovery a while back, and I can’t believe how well this works. As with anything, try these ideas at your own discretion…

There are so many ‘solutions’ for problem skin (especially Acne) on different shows and in all sorts of articles, but most of them end in ‘see your Dermatologist’, but it’s my guess that the vast majority of people don’t have regular (or any…) access to a Dermatologist, so I think there’s room for my little ideas. Pass the info along if you know someone who might benefit from it!

Go to your drugstore or local pharmacy and walk right past the Skin Care Aisle. That’s right, I said it. Walk on by! Now get rid of any shame you might have, and go to either the Foot Fungus section (for Athlete’s Foot), or to the ever-popular Vaginal Itch section… still with me? Stopped cringing, yet?? Come on, now, this remedy really works! You want to get whatever is the cheapest tube of any product with Clotrimazole Cream, USP 1% or Miconazole Nitrate 2%. For real! I’m telling you, try it this week, and see if you notice a huge difference in your skin. Worth a try, right? I talked with my pharmacist about it, and she laughed and said they’ve known that for years, so just in case I’m not the very last one to find out, too, go ahead and give it a shot. These creams are waaay less expensive than what you will find in the regular skin care aisle, and, in my own opinion, much more effective.

Still here? haha! Once you try it, you won’t think this is so bad, after all… and you might even want to take a stroll over to the Wart section (this is a good time to make sure no one you are even remotely attracted to is watching you! lol!) and see if you can find a ‘Wart Stick’. No kidding. It looks like a chap-stick, but has a really high concentration of Acetylsalicylic acid in it, which is very good for healing skin, but never on any ‘open wound’ (hope you’re not having your lunch while you’re reading this!).

If you are feeling extra-brave, and God has punished you with Skin Tags, for some unknown reason (I’m kidding, just kidding… God’s probably not punishing you… I don’t really know what bad things you might have done last week, I’m just guessing that maybe you’ve had a little extra fun in your life, and now you have these damn skin tags out of nowhere… and you are afraid of getting them lopped off in some sort of surgical procedure, so if this is the case, you could use a small amount of the ‘wax’ in the Wart Stick, placed carefully directly on the skin tag, and just let the thing dissolve away. Oooh, sounds so lovely!

Aspirin: Here’s what to do: put a couple of regular aspirins on a teaspoon, and add a wee drop of water. Set it by the sink for a minute and it’ll dissolve completely. Put on enough of this to cover the Spot, and let it dry. Leave it on all night if it’s a particularly sore spot. If you like, you can mix it with a wee bit of your favourite skin cream, then apply it to the area. You’ll see a remarkable difference in your skin in no time!

I also tried this in a Mask, mixing the dissolved aspirin (any kind — the coating won’t make any difference) with some Liquid Antibacterial Soap. It really tightens up the pores. Take extra care not to get this anywhere near your eyes!

If you feel like it, you can dissolve a whole lot of Aspirin (Bayer dissolves with the smoothest texture…) in a little container (okay, it’s a plumbing part, but only because I happen to have a lot of plumbing parts around the house, on account a’ I’m in Construction!). A small handful of Aspirin — they’re cheap, so use however many you like.

Anyway, I use them as a Regular Face Scrub, now — just scoop some of the Dissolved Aspirin & Water into the palm of your hand and add some Liquid Soap. Removes all the make-up or dirt (male/female…whatever you get on your face!). Again, watch you don’t get this in your eyes and moisurize your skin afterwards. Very refreshing. Make sure you moisturize your skin after any of these little ‘treatments’.

An even easier FaceScrub is with a little bit of Baking Soda, put it in the palm of your hand and add some liquid soap. Use to very gently cleanse your face, but not very often, because you want to stay youthful for as long as possible, so it seems like a Bad Idea to remove facial cells and what-not, too often, right? lol!

I happen to like ‘experimenting’ with different things, so if there’s something else (nothing Internal, of course…!) that you think it might work on, try it. You can always wash it off right away, if you experience any discomfort.

Here’s something else I tried that worked — I put some Hydrogen Peroxide on a little disposable cotton pad, cleaned my face with it like you would use any Facial Toner, and I couldn’t believe the difference that made to my own skin in about 10 days.

Do this every night before bed, and then every morning when you get up (unless you have Dry Skin), and you will be amazed at how great your skin will look and feel. After 30 Days, you’ll see a remarkable difference, then this will be a habit for life! (Oh, and be extremely careful not to go anywhere near your eyes!)

Use Hydrogen Peroxide as a Facial Toner — it’s great! It’ll really clean your skin and refine your pores, which is always good, right?You’ll see an incredible improvement in your skin within 10 days! Just apply it with a little Cotton Pad. Put some Moisturizer on your face after that… I use Lubriderm Hand Lotion because it’s one of the few moisturizers I’m not allergic to…) It’s handy to have in your Medicine Cabinet for any cuts & scrapes, too. You can buy Hydrogen Peroxide at any Department Store or Pharmacy — it costs about 97 cents for a bottle — very cheap for an incredibly useful product!

Cold Sores (or anything in that family…) — apply the Dissolved Aspirin and small amount of Vitamin E, Aloe Vera gel or any over-the-counter Viral fighting gel directly to the spot. You’ll be shocked at how quickly it goes away.

My favorite new product is this Clear Aloe Vera Gel — I think you can get it at the pharmacy. This stuff is amazing for your skin… I initially got it for a sunburn (because I was reading at the pool and got an annoying burn… you’d think I’d know better by now, right? haha!)

I have the worst time with Allergies, and now I can only use completely Unscented Items (with the exception of Citrus, which I’m still Okay with!). This site has all sorts of useful products for folks like me!

When we first got Tia (our wee dog), I had a really bad allergic reaction to her, but we all loved her sooo much, I went in search of a product that might help, and I found one — Allerpet/d (Allerpet, Inc., Farnam Pet Products). You just rub it on your pet (cover all the fur…) and any ‘pet smell’ disappears. The bizarre thing is that we only had to do it a number of times over the first two years, then rarely after that…this stuff really works!

Hair Tip: One of the best Hair Conditioners that I’ve tried over the years is straight Olive Oil. I have really long, and some might say, crazy hair, so this works well for taming crazy hair — or just making regular hair nice and smooth!

Pour some Olive Oil into a water bottle with a flip-up top. It’s just easier to deal with, that way… and you can leave whatever you don’t use right in the bathroom. Anyway, put a towel around your shoulders and pour the Olive Oil right on the ends of your hair and work it in until it’s saturated. I never do the top of my hair, since it seems fine on it’s own.

If you are lucky enough to live in a Hot Climate, pop out into the sun to let the oil work itself into your hair, otherwise, just go spend some time on the computer or reading while your hair has a nice wee ‘Oil Soak’ I usually leave it on for about an hour.

Wash it out with a fair bit of shampoo, then follow with your usual Conditioner. Watch you step, though, since the oil can be slippy when you’re washing your hair. This is when you might want to rethink your earlier plan to drink your way through the hour wait… ya’ha,ha!

This makes my hair extremely curly, for some reason or another… makes it look like I’ve got no life whatsoever and have been sitting curling my hair into ringlets all day… which I swear, although I hardly do have any sort of Life, I can’t be bothered with that amount of work on my hair. I am willing to comb it, though, which I do right after the treatment, then whenever else I happen to remember. That’s the level of special care I allot to ‘Fancy Grooming’!

Anyway, this really works, and it’s very inexpensive. And you can use the rest of the Olive Oil with a wee bit of vinegar and some spices for a lovely Marinade for the met you might have for dinner! See how practical?

Source by Ailsa Forshaw

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/get-rid-of-annoying-pimples-acne-i-know-what-a-beautiful-title-for-this-article/ via Home Solutions on WordPress from Home Solutions FOREV https://homesolutionsforev.tumblr.com/post/185551711100 via Tim Clymer on Wordpress

[homesolutionsforev]

Get Rid of Annoying Pimples & Acne (I Know, What a Beautiful Title For This Article!)

Have you ever had a really sore spot on your skin? Almost everyone has a bother at one time or another. Here are some wee tips you might like to try to make your skin all soft and lovely, and most importantly, blemish-free! WooHoo! We’re done with you, stupid blemishes, or, as another particularly angry woman in a very famous play might say, “Out, out, damn spot!” hahaha! Yes, I’m full of great ideas and terrible jokes, but if you have a laugh and find a remedy that really works for you, and then you share that with a friend, won’t the whole world look better?? lol!

I made this discovery a while back, and I can’t believe how well this works. As with anything, try these ideas at your own discretion…

There are so many ‘solutions’ for problem skin (especially Acne) on different shows and in all sorts of articles, but most of them end in ‘see your Dermatologist’, but it’s my guess that the vast majority of people don’t have regular (or any…) access to a Dermatologist, so I think there’s room for my little ideas. Pass the info along if you know someone who might benefit from it!

Go to your drugstore or local pharmacy and walk right past the Skin Care Aisle. That’s right, I said it. Walk on by! Now get rid of any shame you might have, and go to either the Foot Fungus section (for Athlete’s Foot), or to the ever-popular Vaginal Itch section… still with me? Stopped cringing, yet?? Come on, now, this remedy really works! You want to get whatever is the cheapest tube of any product with Clotrimazole Cream, USP 1% or Miconazole Nitrate 2%. For real! I’m telling you, try it this week, and see if you notice a huge difference in your skin. Worth a try, right? I talked with my pharmacist about it, and she laughed and said they’ve known that for years, so just in case I’m not the very last one to find out, too, go ahead and give it a shot. These creams are waaay less expensive than what you will find in the regular skin care aisle, and, in my own opinion, much more effective.

Still here? haha! Once you try it, you won’t think this is so bad, after all… and you might even want to take a stroll over to the Wart section (this is a good time to make sure no one you are even remotely attracted to is watching you! lol!) and see if you can find a ‘Wart Stick’. No kidding. It looks like a chap-stick, but has a really high concentration of Acetylsalicylic acid in it, which is very good for healing skin, but never on any ‘open wound’ (hope you’re not having your lunch while you’re reading this!).

If you are feeling extra-brave, and God has punished you with Skin Tags, for some unknown reason (I’m kidding, just kidding… God’s probably not punishing you… I don’t really know what bad things you might have done last week, I’m just guessing that maybe you’ve had a little extra fun in your life, and now you have these damn skin tags out of nowhere… and you are afraid of getting them lopped off in some sort of surgical procedure, so if this is the case, you could use a small amount of the ‘wax’ in the Wart Stick, placed carefully directly on the skin tag, and just let the thing dissolve away. Oooh, sounds so lovely!

Aspirin: Here’s what to do: put a couple of regular aspirins on a teaspoon, and add a wee drop of water. Set it by the sink for a minute and it’ll dissolve completely. Put on enough of this to cover the Spot, and let it dry. Leave it on all night if it’s a particularly sore spot. If you like, you can mix it with a wee bit of your favourite skin cream, then apply it to the area. You’ll see a remarkable difference in your skin in no time!

I also tried this in a Mask, mixing the dissolved aspirin (any kind — the coating won’t make any difference) with some Liquid Antibacterial Soap. It really tightens up the pores. Take extra care not to get this anywhere near your eyes!

If you feel like it, you can dissolve a whole lot of Aspirin (Bayer dissolves with the smoothest texture…) in a little container (okay, it’s a plumbing part, but only because I happen to have a lot of plumbing parts around the house, on account a’ I’m in Construction!). A small handful of Aspirin — they’re cheap, so use however many you like.

Anyway, I use them as a Regular Face Scrub, now — just scoop some of the Dissolved Aspirin & Water into the palm of your hand and add some Liquid Soap. Removes all the make-up or dirt (male/female…whatever you get on your face!). Again, watch you don’t get this in your eyes and moisurize your skin afterwards. Very refreshing. Make sure you moisturize your skin after any of these little ‘treatments’.

An even easier FaceScrub is with a little bit of Baking Soda, put it in the palm of your hand and add some liquid soap. Use to very gently cleanse your face, but not very often, because you want to stay youthful for as long as possible, so it seems like a Bad Idea to remove facial cells and what-not, too often, right? lol!

I happen to like ‘experimenting’ with different things, so if there’s something else (nothing Internal, of course…!) that you think it might work on, try it. You can always wash it off right away, if you experience any discomfort.

Here’s something else I tried that worked — I put some Hydrogen Peroxide on a little disposable cotton pad, cleaned my face with it like you would use any Facial Toner, and I couldn’t believe the difference that made to my own skin in about 10 days.

Do this every night before bed, and then every morning when you get up (unless you have Dry Skin), and you will be amazed at how great your skin will look and feel. After 30 Days, you’ll see a remarkable difference, then this will be a habit for life! (Oh, and be extremely careful not to go anywhere near your eyes!)

Use Hydrogen Peroxide as a Facial Toner — it’s great! It’ll really clean your skin and refine your pores, which is always good, right?You’ll see an incredible improvement in your skin within 10 days! Just apply it with a little Cotton Pad. Put some Moisturizer on your face after that… I use Lubriderm Hand Lotion because it’s one of the few moisturizers I’m not allergic to…) It’s handy to have in your Medicine Cabinet for any cuts & scrapes, too. You can buy Hydrogen Peroxide at any Department Store or Pharmacy — it costs about 97 cents for a bottle — very cheap for an incredibly useful product!

Cold Sores (or anything in that family…) — apply the Dissolved Aspirin and small amount of Vitamin E, Aloe Vera gel or any over-the-counter Viral fighting gel directly to the spot. You’ll be shocked at how quickly it goes away.

My favorite new product is this Clear Aloe Vera Gel — I think you can get it at the pharmacy. This stuff is amazing for your skin… I initially got it for a sunburn (because I was reading at the pool and got an annoying burn… you’d think I’d know better by now, right? haha!)

I have the worst time with Allergies, and now I can only use completely Unscented Items (with the exception of Citrus, which I’m still Okay with!). This site has all sorts of useful products for folks like me!

When we first got Tia (our wee dog), I had a really bad allergic reaction to her, but we all loved her sooo much, I went in search of a product that might help, and I found one — Allerpet/d (Allerpet, Inc., Farnam Pet Products). You just rub it on your pet (cover all the fur…) and any ‘pet smell’ disappears. The bizarre thing is that we only had to do it a number of times over the first two years, then rarely after that…this stuff really works!

Hair Tip: One of the best Hair Conditioners that I’ve tried over the years is straight Olive Oil. I have really long, and some might say, crazy hair, so this works well for taming crazy hair — or just making regular hair nice and smooth!

Pour some Olive Oil into a water bottle with a flip-up top. It’s just easier to deal with, that way… and you can leave whatever you don’t use right in the bathroom. Anyway, put a towel around your shoulders and pour the Olive Oil right on the ends of your hair and work it in until it’s saturated. I never do the top of my hair, since it seems fine on it’s own.

If you are lucky enough to live in a Hot Climate, pop out into the sun to let the oil work itself into your hair, otherwise, just go spend some time on the computer or reading while your hair has a nice wee ‘Oil Soak’ I usually leave it on for about an hour.

Wash it out with a fair bit of shampoo, then follow with your usual Conditioner. Watch you step, though, since the oil can be slippy when you’re washing your hair. This is when you might want to rethink your earlier plan to drink your way through the hour wait… ya’ha,ha!

This makes my hair extremely curly, for some reason or another… makes it look like I’ve got no life whatsoever and have been sitting curling my hair into ringlets all day… which I swear, although I hardly do have any sort of Life, I can’t be bothered with that amount of work on my hair. I am willing to comb it, though, which I do right after the treatment, then whenever else I happen to remember. That’s the level of special care I allot to ‘Fancy Grooming’!

Anyway, this really works, and it’s very inexpensive. And you can use the rest of the Olive Oil with a wee bit of vinegar and some spices for a lovely Marinade for the met you might have for dinner! See how practical?

Source by Ailsa Forshaw

from Home Solutions Forev https://homesolutionsforev.com/get-rid-of-annoying-pimples-acne-i-know-what-a-beautiful-title-for-this-article/ via Home Solutions on WordPress

[filtration-products]

Get Rid of Annoying Pimples & Acne (I Know, What a Beautiful Title For This Article!)

Have you ever had a really sore spot on your skin? Almost everyone has a bother at one time or another. Here are some wee tips you might like to try to make your skin all soft and lovely, and most importantly, blemish-free! WooHoo! We’re done with you, stupid blemishes, or, as another particularly angry woman in a very famous play might say, “Out, out, damn spot!” hahaha! Yes, I’m full of great ideas and terrible jokes, but if you have a laugh and find a remedy that really works for you, and then you share that with a friend, won’t the whole world look better?? lol!

I made this discovery a while back, and I can’t believe how well this works. As with anything, try these ideas at your own discretion…

There are so many ‘solutions’ for problem skin (especially Acne) on different shows and in all sorts of articles, but most of them end in ‘see your Dermatologist’, but it’s my guess that the vast majority of people don’t have regular (or any…) access to a Dermatologist, so I think there’s room for my little ideas. Pass the info along if you know someone who might benefit from it!

Go to your drugstore or local pharmacy and walk right past the Skin Care Aisle. That’s right, I said it. Walk on by! Now get rid of any shame you might have, and go to either the Foot Fungus section (for Athlete’s Foot), or to the ever-popular Vaginal Itch section… still with me? Stopped cringing, yet?? Come on, now, this remedy really works! You want to get whatever is the cheapest tube of any product with Clotrimazole Cream, USP 1% or Miconazole Nitrate 2%. For real! I’m telling you, try it this week, and see if you notice a huge difference in your skin. Worth a try, right? I talked with my pharmacist about it, and she laughed and said they’ve known that for years, so just in case I’m not the very last one to find out, too, go ahead and give it a shot. These creams are waaay less expensive than what you will find in the regular skin care aisle, and, in my own opinion, much more effective.

Still here? haha! Once you try it, you won’t think this is so bad, after all… and you might even want to take a stroll over to the Wart section (this is a good time to make sure no one you are even remotely attracted to is watching you! lol!) and see if you can find a ‘Wart Stick’. No kidding. It looks like a chap-stick, but has a really high concentration of Acetylsalicylic acid in it, which is very good for healing skin, but never on any ‘open wound’ (hope you’re not having your lunch while you’re reading this!).

If you are feeling extra-brave, and God has punished you with Skin Tags, for some unknown reason (I’m kidding, just kidding… God’s probably not punishing you… I don’t really know what bad things you might have done last week, I’m just guessing that maybe you’ve had a little extra fun in your life, and now you have these damn skin tags out of nowhere… and you are afraid of getting them lopped off in some sort of surgical procedure, so if this is the case, you could use a small amount of the ‘wax’ in the Wart Stick, placed carefully directly on the skin tag, and just let the thing dissolve away. Oooh, sounds so lovely!

Aspirin: Here’s what to do: put a couple of regular aspirins on a teaspoon, and add a wee drop of water. Set it by the sink for a minute and it’ll dissolve completely. Put on enough of this to cover the Spot, and let it dry. Leave it on all night if it’s a particularly sore spot. If you like, you can mix it with a wee bit of your favourite skin cream, then apply it to the area. You’ll see a remarkable difference in your skin in no time!

I also tried this in a Mask, mixing the dissolved aspirin (any kind — the coating won’t make any difference) with some Liquid Antibacterial Soap. It really tightens up the pores. Take extra care not to get this anywhere near your eyes!

If you feel like it, you can dissolve a whole lot of Aspirin (Bayer dissolves with the smoothest texture…) in a little container (okay, it’s a plumbing part, but only because I happen to have a lot of plumbing parts around the house, on account a’ I’m in Construction!). A small handful of Aspirin — they’re cheap, so use however many you like.

Anyway, I use them as a Regular Face Scrub, now — just scoop some of the Dissolved Aspirin & Water into the palm of your hand and add some Liquid Soap. Removes all the make-up or dirt (male/female…whatever you get on your face!). Again, watch you don’t get this in your eyes and moisurize your skin afterwards. Very refreshing. Make sure you moisturize your skin after any of these little ‘treatments’.

An even easier FaceScrub is with a little bit of Baking Soda, put it in the palm of your hand and add some liquid soap. Use to very gently cleanse your face, but not very often, because you want to stay youthful for as long as possible, so it seems like a Bad Idea to remove facial cells and what-not, too often, right? lol!

I happen to like ‘experimenting’ with different things, so if there’s something else (nothing Internal, of course…!) that you think it might work on, try it. You can always wash it off right away, if you experience any discomfort.

Here’s something else I tried that worked — I put some Hydrogen Peroxide on a little disposable cotton pad, cleaned my face with it like you would use any Facial Toner, and I couldn’t believe the difference that made to my own skin in about 10 days.

Do this every night before bed, and then every morning when you get up (unless you have Dry Skin), and you will be amazed at how great your skin will look and feel. After 30 Days, you’ll see a remarkable difference, then this will be a habit for life! (Oh, and be extremely careful not to go anywhere near your eyes!)

Use Hydrogen Peroxide as a Facial Toner — it’s great! It’ll really clean your skin and refine your pores, which is always good, right?You’ll see an incredible improvement in your skin within 10 days! Just apply it with a little Cotton Pad. Put some Moisturizer on your face after that… I use Lubriderm Hand Lotion because it’s one of the few moisturizers I’m not allergic to…) It’s handy to have in your Medicine Cabinet for any cuts & scrapes, too. You can buy Hydrogen Peroxide at any Department Store or Pharmacy — it costs about 97 cents for a bottle — very cheap for an incredibly useful product!

Cold Sores (or anything in that family…) — apply the Dissolved Aspirin and small amount of Vitamin E, Aloe Vera gel or any over-the-counter Viral fighting gel directly to the spot. You’ll be shocked at how quickly it goes away.

My favorite new product is this Clear Aloe Vera Gel — I think you can get it at the pharmacy. This stuff is amazing for your skin… I initially got it for a sunburn (because I was reading at the pool and got an annoying burn… you’d think I’d know better by now, right? haha!)

I have the worst time with Allergies, and now I can only use completely Unscented Items (with the exception of Citrus, which I’m still Okay with!). This site has all sorts of useful products for folks like me!

When we first got Tia (our wee dog), I had a really bad allergic reaction to her, but we all loved her sooo much, I went in search of a product that might help, and I found one — Allerpet/d (Allerpet, Inc., Farnam Pet Products). You just rub it on your pet (cover all the fur…) and any ‘pet smell’ disappears. The bizarre thing is that we only had to do it a number of times over the first two years, then rarely after that…this stuff really works!

Hair Tip: One of the best Hair Conditioners that I’ve tried over the years is straight Olive Oil. I have really long, and some might say, crazy hair, so this works well for taming crazy hair — or just making regular hair nice and smooth!

Pour some Olive Oil into a water bottle with a flip-up top. It’s just easier to deal with, that way… and you can leave whatever you don’t use right in the bathroom. Anyway, put a towel around your shoulders and pour the Olive Oil right on the ends of your hair and work it in until it’s saturated. I never do the top of my hair, since it seems fine on it’s own.

If you are lucky enough to live in a Hot Climate, pop out into the sun to let the oil work itself into your hair, otherwise, just go spend some time on the computer or reading while your hair has a nice wee ‘Oil Soak’ I usually leave it on for about an hour.

Wash it out with a fair bit of shampoo, then follow with your usual Conditioner. Watch you step, though, since the oil can be slippy when you’re washing your hair. This is when you might want to rethink your earlier plan to drink your way through the hour wait… ya’ha,ha!

This makes my hair extremely curly, for some reason or another… makes it look like I’ve got no life whatsoever and have been sitting curling my hair into ringlets all day… which I swear, although I hardly do have any sort of Life, I can’t be bothered with that amount of work on my hair. I am willing to comb it, though, which I do right after the treatment, then whenever else I happen to remember. That’s the level of special care I allot to ‘Fancy Grooming’!

Anyway, this really works, and it’s very inexpensive. And you can use the rest of the Olive Oil with a wee bit of vinegar and some spices for a lovely Marinade for the met you might have for dinner! See how practical?

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[mealsforsquares]

Thanksgiving, Part 1

(Part 2 is delayed, and will come out in due time, possibly tomorrow)

So this year R had to work on Thanksgiving, so out of solidarity, the household will be having our own, smaller Thanksgiving with just the three of us. This also accomplishes the fact that I like to cook big, elaborate meals, and this would enable me to do so, and also it meant qth we could have a much more low-key experience than usual, which was surprisingly relaxing.

The preparation started on Wednesday, with the things that were easy enough to make ahead and would require too much space otherwise. The first of those was to make mushroom bacon, for a planned Vegetables Wellington (see part 2 for the rest of the information on this). This involved slicing portabella mushrooms*, brushing them with olive oil and salt and pepper, and roasting them in a hot oven until they browned and dried up a bit, concentrating the flavor. When that was done, they got tossed in a mixture of maple syrup, salt and paprika, with a drop of liquid smoke, because it’s winter and I didn’t want to rig up the entire smoking rig for a handful of mushrooms.

When that was done I turned my attention to the rolls**. The recipe involved was a bagel-esque situation that used a yukone to keep the density and moisture up. So I mixed 6 ounces of flour and 2.5 ounces of water together in a saucepan, cooking it down to a paste and spreading it out on a plate to cool. I bloomed a tablespoon of yeast in some warm water. I combined 14 ounces of bread flour and an ounce of sugar in the food processor, brought it together, and then added 6 ounces of cold water, followed by the yukone and the bloomed yeast/water. I patted it down and left it to rise. When it had risen, I shaped it into roll-sized balls on a piece of wax paper, covered it over and shoved it in the fridge for the next day.

The pies were next, of which there were going to be two, for three people, because the other people in my household loves them some pie. Nothing earth-shattering here. I melted some butter and softened som cream cheese, then mixed them together in the food processor with a can of Libby’s***, scooped them out into a pie shell****, and set them aside while I made the apple pie.

I cored, peeled and sliced a half dozen apples into relatively-thick (for pie) slices, because I like apples, and I especially like when apples are substantial and taste like apples, rather than dissolving into applesauce when heat is applied to them. I whisked together a cup of sugar, half as much flour*****, some cinnamon, some nutmeg and some salt. Separately I combined a cup of heavy cream with 2 beaten eggs and a healthy splash of vanilla. I poured the dry into the wet, mixed them together, and then let the apples soak in the cream. While the apples and the cream were becoming friendly, I made up a topping of a cup of chopped walnuts, half a cup each of brown and white sugar, half a cup of flour, some cinnamon and some ginger. I poured the topping on the pie and then popped them both into the oven.

While the pies were cooking, it was time to assemble some vegetable stock. I cut up and browned a couple of packages of plain white button mushrooms. I added three carrots, also browned briefly, any celery stalk that didn’t look robust enough to stand up to being cooked on its own, a handful of dried mushrooms, the stems from some parsley, a whole head of garlic, a knob of ginger, and some soy sauce. I let that simmer until it was, y’know, stock. It came out to a couple of quarts, which wasn’t nearly enough for the whole day, but would represent a start******.

I boiled some water and salted it. While I was waiting, I cleaned and halved a bunch of brussel sprouts - I was parcooking them so that they would come together more quickly while the bird rested, since the plan was to eventually fry them in the duck fat. So they ran through the boiling water for a few minutes, and then I cooled them rapidly and set them aside.

I cut a loaf of sandwich bread into cubes. Both A and R have a weird predilection for boxed stuffing. I can’t stand the stuff, but I acknowledge that it’s a family occasion, so I make the compromise of using supermarket bread, but fixing up the rest of it myself. But that means cutting a loaf of bread into tiny cubes myself, and then drying them out. I waited for the pies to be done, and loaded the bread cubes into the oven while it cooled, with the idea that they would be dried out by the next morning (they totally were).

That plus a huge amount of cleaning and dish-preparing******* was it for day 1 of the Thanksgiving business. The actual serious cookery started the next day.

* normally I don’t use full-sized portabella mushrooms for anything at all, but in this case they were prized for their size and their texture, and they were going to taste like smoke and maple syrup anyway, so it wouldn’t be a big deal.

** well, sort of. The timing of this write up is actually not the same as the timing in the kitchen at the time, since all of these things took place more or less simultaneously, so, y’know, realize taht things are roasting while other things are cooling and things are being stirred while other things are being combined.

*** yeah, yeah. But also it tastes fine and I didn’t have a pumpkin. Go to hell.

**** I don’t care about pie, and I will not be bothered with making my own crust. Go to hell.

***** the flour would absorb some of the liquid from the apples as they cooked

****** see part 2 for the rest of the stock situation

******* the most stressful part of any meal for me is the part where I can’t find the _______, where ________ is the tool that I most need, no matter how many times I have already seen it previously. It is a vegetable peeler more often than I’m comfortable admitting, and it’s a cheese grater roughly 80% of the times that it isn’t a vegetable peeler.

[josephkitchen0]

7 Easy Recipes for Making Goat Cheese

Getting started making goat cheese? Try these recipes first!

If you’ve never made cheese, start with the quick & easy cheeses that need minimal equipment and ingredients and are ready to eat fairly quickly. Once you’ve mastered a few easy cheeses, you may want to move to pressed and aged cheeses. These vary in complexity and aging time; I’ve included a few relatively simple and quick options. We’ll look at some more complicated pressed and aged cheeses in a future article.

  Quick & Easy Cheeses:  A Great Place to Start

Chévre: Soft Fresh Goat Cheese

Heat 1 gallon of goat milk in large stainless steel pot to 72F.

Sprinkle 1/8 tsp mesophilic culture* on the milk. Let sit for a minute or two to hydrate then stir in. Let it sit at room temperature to “ripen” for 2 hours.

Dilute 2 drops of rennet in ¼ cup non-chlorinated water and stir gently into ripened milk.

Cover pot and let sit at room temp for 12-20 hours.

Gently ladle the curds into fine cheese cloth (butter muslin). Tie up cloth and hang over a sink or tie on the handle of a large pot and let the whey drain for about 12 hours.

Your cheese is done! You can add approximately ¼ tsp kosher or non-iodized sea salt, and/or add herbs or other flavors.

Eat within 2 weeks and/or freeze for several months!

* You can substitute 1-2 tbsp cultured buttermilk or homemade sour cream for the mesophilic culture, if desired.

Chévre curd when it’s ready to scoop. Photo credit Kate Johnson

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Feta: Dry Salted, Brined, or Marinated

Recipe #1: Dry Salted Feta

Heat 1 gallon of goat milk in large stainless pot to 70F.

Sprinkle ¼ tsp mesophilic culture onto the milk and continue heating to 86F; stir culture into milk, cover and let ripen at room temperature for 1 hour.

Mix 1/2 tsp liquid rennet into 1/4 cup cool non-chlorinated water; stir into milk; let sit 1 hour.

Cut curds with long knife into 1-inch cubes; let rest 5 minutes.

Stir curds while keeping at 86F for 15 minutes.

Ladle into cheesecloth and hang to drain for 6-8 hours.

Take out of bag and cut slices approx. 1 inch thick. Place on flat dish and sprinkle all sides with kosher salt.

Cover plate with a paper towel and let set at room temperature for 24 hours, turning 2 or 3 times and salting each side again. Drain liquid each time.

Refrigerate for 5-7 days.

Eat within 2 weeks or freeze

Dry salted feta when it’s ready to age. Photo credit Kate Johnson

Recipe #2: Brined Feta

Heat 1 gallon of goat milk in large stainless pot to 70F.

Sprinkle ¼ tsp mesophilic culture onto milk and continue heating to 90F; stir culture into milk.

Mix ½ tsp liquid rennet into ¼ cup cool non-chlorinated water; stir into milk; cover and let sit for 30-45 minutes.

Cut curd into hazelnut-sized pieces.

Slowly stir for 15 minutes; let sit for 5 minutes or until curds settle.

Remove the whey until you can see the curds.

Scoop the curds into baskets, filling them and topping off again.

Flip the cheeses 6 times over the next 24 hours.

Rub with non-iodized sea salt or kosher salt and let sit another 24 hours.

Put cheese in a 10% brine (6 ½ ounces salt to ½ gallon water).

Leave in brine for one month (pasteurized milk) or two months (raw milk) at 50-55F.

Recipe #3: Marinated Feta

Using finished feta from either of the above recipes, cut or break cheese into small pieces. Layer cheese and herbs into a jar. You can use fresh herbs, dried herbs, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. Cover with olive oil. Any cheese that is completely submerged in oil will stay fresh for several weeks to several months.

Cottage Cheese

(While cottage cheese is traditionally made with cow milk, it’s also a delicious goat milk cheese!)

Pour 1 gallon of milk into a stainless steel pot. Heat milk to 75F.

Sprinkle ¼ tsp mesophilic culture on milk; let hydrate then stir into milk.

Optional: dilute ¼ tsp of calcium chloride in ¼ cup non-chlorinated water and add to warm milk.

Dilute ¼ tsp liquid rennet or ¼ tablet of rennet (pulverized) in ¼ cup of non-chlorinated water and add to milk.

Cover pot and let sit for 3 hours at room temperature (if room is cool, you might set the pot in a warm water bath or put in a cooler to help hold the temperature).

Using a big whisk, carefully break the curds up into pea-sized pieces. Let curds rest for 5 minutes.

Slowly warm the curds to 105F while stirring gently.

When the curds are firm, pour them into a cheese cloth-lined strainer.

Rinse the curds gently under cold water until the curds are cold.

Place the curds in a bowl, add non-iodized salt to taste (approx. ¼-½ tsp) and add milk or cream until you get the creaminess you desire (approx. 1/3 – ½ cup).

Best eaten fresh but you can store in refrigerator for up to 10 days.

  Intro to Pressed & Aged Cheeses:  When you’re ready to tackle a little bit more

Queso Fresco

Queso fresco is a Latin American quick farm cheese. It requires a cheese press (or improvise with weights or buckets) but no aging is needed.

Heat 1 gallon of milk to 70F, then add ½ packet (or 1/8 tsp) mesophilic culture.

Let the culture hydrate for a couple of minutes then stir and heat to 90F.

Add 1/8 tsp liquid rennet (or 1/8 tablet) diluted in 1/8 cup cool, non-chlorinated water. Stir for 1 minute.

Allow to set for 30-45 minutes, or until the curd gives a clean break.

Cut the curd into ¼-inch cubes.

Over the next 20 minutes, gradually increase the temperature to 95F, stirring gently every few minutes to keep curds from matting.

Let the curds set, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.

Drain off the whey.

Add 1 tbsp non-iodized salt and maintain the curds at 95F for 30 minutes longer (you can set the pot in a sink of warm water to help maintain temperature).

Line a cheese form with cheesecloth and fill with the curds. (Variation: you can add fresh chopped or dried herbs or chopped canned jalapeno peppers at this stage, if you like.)

Press at 8-10 pounds of pressure for 6 hours.

Remove the cheese from the form and enjoy now. Store any leftovers in a covered container and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

  Guido’s Italian Hard Cheese

This recipe is adapted from a recipe submitted by a home cheesemaker, Guido Giuntini, to the Home Cheese Making book by Ricki Carroll. It’s a nice Italian hard cheese that is very easy to make and uses minimal equipment along with a short aging time. You can use any milk to make this recipe but I especially love making goat milk cheese!

Heat 1 gallon of milk to 70F, then add ½ packet (or 1/8 tsp) of thermophilic starter culture.

Allow culture to hydrate for a few minutes  then stir into milk and continue heating to 90F. Let set 30 minutes.

Dilute ½ tsp of liquid rennet (or ½ pulverized rennet tablet) in ¼ cup cool non-chlorinated water and add to the ripened milk. Stir and let set for 15 minutes.

Cut the curd with a long knife into ¼-inch cubes.

Stirring frequently, slowly heat curds to 120F over a period of 30-40 minutes.

Line a cheese form (or cheese baskets) with cheesecloth, set into a bowl or pot, and ladle curds into the form. Each cheese basket will hold ½ gallon milk so you can stack 2 baskets, then put a third on top with a weight on it.

Set the form’s follower (or another basket) onto the cheese, add a can if necessary for height, and put a 2-3 pound weight on top. Wait 15 minutes.

Take the cheese out of the form, unwrap, turn over, rewrap and put back in the form with the weight on top. Do this once or twice until the rind of the cheese wheel has closed.

Once the rind is closed, let the cheese set with a 2-pound weight for 12-24 hours.

Combine 1/4 pound (approx. 4 oz) of non-iodized salt with 1 quart (4 cups) of water to make a brine solution. Remove cheese from the form and place in the brine solution. Let set for about 12 hours, turning the wheel at the halfway point (more time for bigger wheels, less for smaller wheels).

Remove cheese from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Let air dry for a few days at room temperature, turning once or twice a day until outer edges are all dry to the touch. At this point, you can wax it or allow it to age with a natural rind.

Place the cheese on a cheese mat, in a container, in a cool place for 3 weeks (a dorm fridge turned to the warmest temp. approx. 50-55 degrees, works well for a DIY cheese cave).

For the first week, turn the cheese once a day. After that, turn it every few days.

At three weeks (or longer), slice the cheese and enjoy. Guido recommends serving it as an after-dinner treat with a bit of honey on top and a class of Chianti!

Slices of Guido’s cheese Photo credit Connie Gordon

Want to learn more about these cheese recipes and have me walk through the recipes right along with you? Order my DVD: Cheesemaking Made Easy or register for the online version of the course.

Goat Journal contributor Kate Johnson is the founder and lead instructor of The Art of Cheese – an artisan home-cheesemaking school located in Longmont, Colorado.

  Originally published in the March/April 2018 issue of Goat Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.

    7 Easy Recipes for Making Goat Cheese was originally posted by All About Chickens

[tenacne]

FREE* Face Moisturizers For Acne Prone Skins (Oily, Dry, Normal)

Face Moisturizer And Acne Prone Skin

For people dealing with acne, oily skin and black spot, finding a lasting solution to this annoying skin condition isn’t a stroll in the park. Yes, there are tons of over-the-counter medications that claims to help you effectively deal with your acne, but on the long run, some of this medications cause more damage to your skin; you wouldn’t want that will you? So, what’s your best bet in your bid to rid your skin of acne and blemishes? I’m glad you asked. Read on and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to rid your skin of acne.

For eons, people have believed that curing your skin is just a matter of keeping your skin dry. According to beauty experts, people dealing with acne, whiteheads and acne can absolutely deal with this condition by constantly moisturizing their skin.

If you have acne, especially those annoying ones that results in red pimples on your face, head and nose, you’ll enjoy impeccable transformation the instant you start moisturizing your skin. Again, for people with oily skin having to deal with blackheads and whiteheads, moisturizing your skin regularly will go a long way to help you deal with this skin condition.

  Why Moisturizer?

This is one question everyone dealing with acne can relate to. And this is because there seems to be lots of alternatives to curing acne. While I wouldn’t agree any less, some of the alternatives out there cause more harm to your skin on the long. But by using moisturizers, you can hardly go wrong. Thing is, moisture in the skin helps rid the skin of oil that clogs skin pores, resulting in acne.

Amazingly, moisturizing your skin isn’t so difficult, an occasional splash of water may just be what you need to keep your skin properly moisturized and hydrated. This is not to say there aren’t other amazing moisturizers out there. According to beauty therapist, moisturizing your skin doesn’t only keeps off acne and blackheads, it does lots of amazing stuff to your skin like getting rid of wrinkles and fine lines.

  Is One Moisturizer Enough To Give You That Acne Free Skin?

For many people looking for a lasting skin care from acne, they get to struggle with this question. the truth is, when it comes to curing acne, there has been lots of tit bits by beauty experts; while some are of the opinion that one moisturizer is just good enough to give you that sparkling skin you have always drooled after, others argue that the skin around your eyes, nose and neck needs special moisturizers or ingredients that’s safe and that’s because of the delicate nature of this body parts. While this may be true, there is no scientific evidence to back up this claim.

To make the most of your moisturizer especially when dealing with acne, you’ll want to stick to places that are prone to acne and that’s the face and neck. This should help you do the magic. Also, you’ll want to go for moisturizers that work just for your skin. We all have different skins, what works perfectly for someone else, may not work for you. To make things easy for you, you’ll want to check with a beauty therapist, he/she is in the best position to determine what will work for you.

  How To Use Moisturizers?

Yes, moisturizers are meant to add moisture to your skin. But then again, it also helps locks moisture in your skin. More so, the best time to moisturize your skin is just after you must have cleansed your skin. While it makes a lot of sense to apply when you have patted the face dry, you’ll want to apply when your face is a little bit damp and soft. Don’t wait till your skin is desert dry, that’s a big no-no, you may not enjoy instant result.

Of course, what is and will remain one of the best moisturizers, but then, there are other amazing products that are designed to rid you skin of acne and blackheads. But before you go for any moisturizer you think will do the magic, it will make a lot of sense to go for moisturizers that are recommended by beauty specialist. Don’t just settle for a moisturizer because it came highly recommended by a friend. For what it is worth, you both may have an entirely different skin.

  DIY Moisturizers For Acne Prone Skin At Your Home For FREE

1. Aloe Vera Shea Butter Facial Moisturizer For Acne

Ingredients * 4 tbsp raw shea butter * 1 tsp pure aloe vera gel * 1/2 tsp raw honey * 1 tsp rose water * 4 drops tea tree essential oil * 4 drops geranium essential oil * 4 drops lavender essential oil * Magic Bullet * 4 oz amber glass jar

Directions Add all ingredients to a small blender like a Magic Bullet and blend for a few seconds till you get a white fluffy mixture. Transfer to a sterilized amber glass jar. Store in a cool dry place for up to 3 months. Wash your face, pat dry and apply a pea-sized amount.

Tip Always use a clean finger tip when scooping the moisturizer to prevent spreading germs.

  2. Olive Oil Shea Butter Facial Moisturizer For Dry Skin

Ingredients * 4 tbsp of raw shea butter (get it here) * 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (get it here) * Medium-sized bowl and whisk

Directions Add 4 tbsp of raw shea butter into a medium-sized bowl. Mash it up to make it creamy then add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Whip it up for 5 minutes using a whisk. Transfer the resultant white cream into a clean amber glass jar. Store in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

Tip If you want a scent or added benefits, you can mix in any of your favorite essential oils to this shea butter facial moisturizer.

  3. Jojoba Oil Shea Butter Face Lotion For Normal Skin

Ingredients * 4 tbsp of raw shea butter (get it here) * 2 tsp jojoba oil (get it here) * 6 drops of lavender essential oil (get it here) * 6 drops of geranium essential oil (get it here) * Magic Bullet (get it here) * 4 oz amber glass jar (get it here)

Directions Put all your ingredients in a Magic Bullet (except the essential oils). Blend for a few seconds to get a white creamy mixture. Transfer it into an amber glass jar. Now stir in the essential oils with a disposable chopstick. Store your cream in a cool dry place. Get ready to apply this aromatic & healing shea butter facial moisturizer on your skin!

Tip If you can’t find jojoba oil, use sweet almond oil.

Reference https://beautymunsta.com/3-shea-butter-facial-moisturizer-recipes-for-acne-more/

  4. Rose Petals Moisturizer For Oily Skin

Ingredients * One cup of rose petals * Rose water * Aloe juice

Directions First take a vessel and boil the rose petals with a few drops of rose water. Filter the mixture as you need the liquid only. Add about 2 tbsp of aloe juice after the rosewater mixture cools down to room temperature. Place it in your fridge for a while and apply it on your face.

  DIY Green Tea Moisturiser At Your Home For FREE

Hey! This DIY deep moisturizing face cream is made with green tea so its full of antioxidants and is great for revitalizing your skin. I love this recipe because it is easy to make and it makes my skin feel so nourished. I apply it 1-2 hours before bed as a night moisturizer because this allows it to absorb without rubbing off on my pillows ♡

DIY green tea face moisturizer recipe:

– 1 tbsp wax – 2 tbsp coconut oil – 3 tbsp almond oil – 1/2 tsp vitamin e oil – 1-2 tea bags organic green tea – 5 drops essential oil – I used lavender for its nice smell and skin regenerating properties but you could use for instance eucalyptus, rosemary or tea tree oils for acne, or others for any other effects.

Melt the oils and wax. Pour in green tea sachet while oil is still on heat & leave for 10-15min before straining through cheese cloth. Then whip the strained liquid with an electric beater until it is room temperature and creamy. Store in a jar in a cool dry place, should last until finished because it primarily consists of oils.

Original content here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPC4ONfEYj4

  Best Face Moisturizers For Acne Prone Skin On Amazon

Organic Rosehip Oil – 100% Pure Unrefined and Cold Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil – Best Moisturizer for Face, Hair, Nails – Great for Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Acne Scars, Sun…

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

* HIGH UP IN THE MOUNTAIN AIR OF SOUTHERN CHILE – the Mapuche Indians have been using Rosehip Oil for centuries. This amber oil has been used to protect their skin from the anti-aging effects of the harsh weather, heal scars, soothe burns and treat rashes and stretch marks during pregnancy.

* THIS WONDER OIL CAN HELP YOU TOO – This oil is a great natural moisturizer which will help to soothe dry skin conditions, minimize the appearance of fine lines and slow down skin aging, Many users have also reported a reduction in redness, age spots, scars as well as improved skin tone and elasticity.

* YOUR BOTTLE CONTAINS JUST ONE INGREDIENT – Organic, Cold Pressed, Rosehip Seed Oil. Check the pictures opposite for proof. Your oil comes in a dark amber bottle to minimise light seepage and with an easy to use dropper top. Choose between the 1oz Trial-Gift Size or the 4oz Best Value Size. Don’t forget to use your Coupons for Multi-Buys!

* THIS IS A TRUE HEAD-TO-TOE PRODUCT – When you order today the company will send you a FREE PDF GUIDE detailing all the ways you can make the most of this oil. You might find some surprising uses in there! Karen said on November 30 – “I’ve only been using the oil for a few weeks but already my skin feels stronger and smoother.” Kelly said on November 21 – “Great for a moisturizer and scar reduction! Excellent customer service as well!”

* 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE – The company believe Rosehip Oil is great for all skin types. However, if you’re not 100% satisfied with your purchase they will insist on refunding your money. You even get to keep the bottle so your friends or family can try it out. It’s what they call Risk Free Lifetime Guarantee. Sarah said on October 21 – “Love, love, love this oil. I’d heard good things about it and decided to give it a try and am so happy I did!”

INDICATIONS

Rosehip Oil is the NATURAL WAY to repair dry or damaged skin. Rub several drops of oil between your fingertips and apply to your face, body or hair. Use for fine lines, wrinkles, rashes, burns, age spots, stretch marks, hyper pigmentation and dry skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and rosacea. A truly VERSATILE COMPANION and a great way to START A NEW, CHEMICAL-FREE BEAUTY REGIMEN. The secret you will be telling your friends is Teddie Organics Cold Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil.

INGREDIENTS

Just ONE ingredient ­- Pure, Unrefined Organic Rosehip Seed Oil. The oil is ★ ORGANIC ★ which means the rosehip fruit is grown in an area where pesticides and synthetic fertilizers are NOT used. As you are going to be putting this oil on your face and body, the company want it to be the best quality it can be. The tightly controlled production processes where the rosehip seeds are cold pressed, help to preserve the key nutrients so you reap all the rewards this prized oil has to offer.

DIRECTIONS

Apply 2-3 drops to clean, damp or dry skin and massage in gently. Smooth over fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and on the forehead. Apply directly to dry zones such as elbows, heels, feet and hands to help repair damaged skin. Rosehip Oil is a DRY oil as it quickly absorbs and doesn’t leave any residue. Also add to your moisturizer, shampoo or conditioner to boost hydration. For external use only. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. Avoid direct contact with the eyes. Do not ingest.

      The post FREE* Face Moisturizers For Acne Prone Skins (Oily, Dry, Normal) appeared first on 10acne.com.

from 10acne.com http://10acne.com/moisturizer-and-acne-prone-skin/