#how to clear blemishes on face naturally

[honeytonedhottie]

extra self care routine⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🍦

this 8 step self care routine is meant to be super DUPER over the top but its intended more so to make u feel like the goddess that u are and to simply pamper, and spoil urself as u should...plus you'll smell like a cupcake after 🎀

warning, LONG post ahead but thats because i tried to be thorough and clear on the steps of this 8-step routine.✨🧁

STEP ONE ; ICING UR FACE

the benefits of facial icing include more radiant skin, helps with spider lines, and blemish control. if u wanna know more about icing ur face i recommend u read this.

but typically you'll fill up a bowl with some water and ice and dunk ur face in the ice in 60 second intervals (thats how i like to do it) or you take an ice cube and run that on ur skin.

STEP TWO ; OILING UR HAIR

i personally dont recommend oiling ur hair overnight, once u apply ur hair oil into ur hair let it sit for 30 minutes - 4 hours depending on how much time u have on ur hands, but if ur gonna do the 8 step self care ritual i would assume u had some time.

use the scalp massaging tool for blood flow to ur head and MASSAGE. imagine all of ur stress seeping out of ur body. it might sound strange, but when im doing this step i imagine myself rearranging and organizing my thoughts 💀.

while ur doing this whole routine i recommend playing an affirmation tape in the background, or ur favorite playlist. 🧁

STEP THREE ; MASKS

next i'll use a spray bottle and wet my hair before going in with my hair mask, and once thats in ur hair use the claw clip to keep ur hair up and out of ur face.

now its time for the facial mask and i recommend keeping kind of an ARSENAL of masks, whether its a liquid or clay mask or sheet masks just have them on u because i usually do face masks of any sort 1-2 times a week for my LUSTROUS glow.

while u have the hair and face masks in, its a good time to do some dry brushing to remove dead skin cells and improve blood circulation. some other masks that u can do to be EXTRA are lip masks and under eye masks.

STEP FOUR ; IN THE SHOWER

wash ur hair as you would usually do, use the body scrub before using a body wash that has similar tones to the body scrub (this is called scent layering) and while in the shower i recommend to do a shower meditation.

if y'all r interested i'll make a shower meditation guide and u can record ur own voice doing the meditation so u can use it ✨

while ur in the shower make sure to be meticulous and take ur time while u wash ur body. do double cleansing so that u can ensure that you're squeaky clean.

now is also the time to shave if u like to do that and remember use a body scrub BEFORE u shave and once ur out of the shower to use a body oil to prevent ingrowns and to just have a smoother shave in general.

STEP FIVE ; OUT OF THE SHOWER

use ur body oil and ur body lotion, this kind of goes along with the before bed slugging notion which gives the SOFTEST most amazing skin in the morning so i highly recommend it.

HOT TIP FROM HONEY ; using a warmed up towel adds to the whole spa experience so i def recommend that, warming up towels/blankets/robes makes me feel so cozy and toasty 🧋✨

the formula for before bed slugging is (body oil + body lotion + a thick body butter/cream)

STEP SIX ; REPAIR AND REPLENISH

once your out of the shower and you’ve slugged ur body, use a leave in conditioner to repair and soothe damaged hair.

use a face milk

cuticle oil

now’s the time to use pimple patches

and things of that nature in general

this ensures that ur being absolutely meticulous and replenishing ur body the proper way. taking care of ur base so that u can make it absolutely GLOW ✨

STEP SEVEN ; FACIAL MASSAGE

use a gua sha and any other facial massage tools to help blood circulation and just be EXTRA. to sculpt ur face like the goddess you are.

facial massage stimulates blood circulation, promoting oxygen flow and nutrient delivery to the skin cells. facial massage helps to release the tension held in the facial muscles, alleviating stress lines and promoting a more youthful appearance.

AND if ur consistent with facial massage, you'll can enhance skin elasticity AND diminish fine lines.

STEP EIGHT ; YOGA AND STRETCHES

nothing feels better then massaging and stretching stiff limbs, especially if u have pains or aches in ur body. look up a follow along, super light, yoga routine or a stretching routine.

i think that a rly good stretch is the perfect way to end ur super duper over the top 8 step self care routine 💗🎀

[corroded-hellfire]

Hi! I had this idea for the As you wish - series. What if reader finds her first grey hair or maybe spot the first lines on her face and panics because she thinks "Eddie was drawn to me because I was so young, what if he won't be drawn to me anymore?!"

Ah, the signs of aging. As someone who has had a line across her forehead for years now, I felt this lol. Despite what society tries to tell us though, aging is good! Never forget that.

Words: 2.1k

[As You Wish masterlist]

Waking up before your alarm clock used to be considered a sin to you. It’s not like you were always out partying all night in college when you were younger, it’s just the principle of the thing. How dare your body naturally wake you up just as the sun is making its first appearance over the horizon? The words “early morning” left a sour taste in your mouth, and you’d do whatever you could to get a few extra hours of sleep.

If growing up and becoming a productive member of society didn’t get your body accustomed to waking up earlier than in your teenage years, being a mom of three certainly did. 

The boys are both teenagers themselves now and won’t get up for school willingly, which means you’ve had to learn a few tricks over the years. But one of those tricks was seemingly fading as time ticked by as well. Eliza used to be up before the crack of dawn, her cries or laughter beating the rooster’s crow to the punch. Now that she’s pushing four years old, she often sleeps later than you or Eddie, which means she’s not readily available to bother her brothers into a wakened state. That still leaves Eddie though, and he considers it a joy to annoy his sons awake—payback for all the years they did it to him. 

But this morning you’re awake not only before your alarm, but before anyone else in the house as well. A few emerging beams of sunlight shine through the gaps in your blinds and warm the side of your face as you turn towards it. A content hum leaves your lips as you open your eyes, blinking away the bits of sleep still clinging to the corners. Your heavy head lolls to the other side and comes face to face with your sleeping husband. 

It’s impossible not to smile at his open jaw dotted with scruff, just a hint of drool pooling in the corner. Telling yourself to get up out of bed and not bury your face in his chest and cuddle back into the blankets feels like a Herculean task as you gaze at his handsome face. 

With a sigh, you push yourself up and stretch your arms up over your head. The bright side of being the first one up is that you can go through your morning routine in peace, you suppose. 

The plush carpet is warm on your toes as you slip from bed and pad over to the en suite bathroom. A fierce yawn erupts from your mouth as you turn on the faucet to wash your face. The back of your hands rubs against tired eyes as you wait for the water to heat to an acceptable temperature. The house is quiet and still around you, giving you a sense of calm that you’re sure won’t last once the kids are awake. 

A green washcloth hangs on a hook next to the mirror above your sink and you lather it with your apple blossom-scented soap before rubbing it over your face. The scratch of the cloth on your skin feels good, taking any remnants of the full night’s sleep off and preparing you for the new day. 

You let the wet swatch of fabric fall back down into the sink and grab the matching towel to pat your face dry. As you hang the towel back on the hook, you lean in towards the mirror above the sink and let your eyes roam over your features. Luckily, it seems like that small breakout you had last week has finally cleared up and your chin is blemish free. Your eyes trail farther up and once they get to your forehead your hands grip the side of the sink with enough force to crack the white porcelain in half.

There is a line across your forehead. 

Immediately, your hand goes up and tries to rub it away. Still there. Maybe it’s a smudge on the mirror. All your hand does is smear fingerprints across the glass surface, but the line on your face is still there. 

Gently, you rub the tips of your fingers over the crease in your skin. When you can feel the indent where it used to be firm, an involuntary whimper falls from your lips. Your forefinger traces the line back and forth from the left side of your face to the right. Tears gather in the corners of your eyes and your arms drop down to your sides.

You have a wrinkle. 

The ugly word has the tears spilling over your bottom lids and you squeeze your eyes shut. This is ridiculous, you try to tell yourself. It’s perfectly normal. Aging is a good thing. You force your eyes open and glare at the unwelcome addition to your face. But why does aging mean you’ll start to feel insecure about how your body changes? Wasn’t puberty enough of that bullshit?

A sharp inhale of breath and your hands fly to cover your mouth as a thought occurs to you. What is Eddie going to think? He was drawn to you because of your youth, so what now? Is he going to find this wrinkle gross? Will he find you unappealing now? Are younger, hotter girls going to turn his head?

The thoughts come on too quickly and you're flooded by a wave of panic and grief. Tears flow freely down your cheeks, and you make a conscious effort not to scrunch your face up, lest you get more wrinkles. 

A small sob wracks your body, and you tighten your hands over your mouth. Part of you knows this is an overreaction, that Eddie won’t care, but the irrational side of you has its claws too deep in you now to let go. 

“Babe?”

Eddie’s groggy voice calls out and his footsteps approach the bathroom door. As if it will keep him from seeing you, you press your back against the bathroom wall and keep your hands firmly clutched over your mouth.

A mop of frizzy bedhead pops in the doorway and Eddie looks in the other direction before swinging his gaze around and spotting you. Instantly, he’s more alert as he takes in your body language. He comes to stand in front of you and places his hands gently on your upper arms.

“Princess, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” he asks. 

Not trusting your voice, you shake your head, hands still covering your mouth.

“What?” Eddie asks. “You’re not okay?” Gently, he pries your fingers from your lips and holds them securely in his own hands. “Hey, come on. Please talk to me.”

Try as you might to find the right words to say, nothing comes to mind. Too much is rattling around your head and the only thing that comes out of your mouth are whines as your sobs pick up. Instinctively, you step in towards Eddie and bury your face in his neck. Strong arms wrap around you and hold you close to his warm, solid frame. 

“Hey…” Eddie coos as he rubs a large hand up and down your back. It’s a tone you’ve heard him use with Eliza a hundred times before when he’s trying to get her to take a breath and use her words. “Sweetheart, talk to me. Please?”

It takes a lot of your strength to pull back and wipe your eyes and nose off on your arm. The concern in Eddie’s eyes damn near sends you into another fit, but you manage to keep it together. 

“I-I…” I have a wrinkle is what you plan to say. “I’m s-scared.”

Your husband’s eyebrows pinch together as he studies your face. He’ll probably spot the problem on your face on his own if he keeps looking at you like this. 

“Scared? Baby, what are you scared of?”

At his question, a new round of tears does come. You try to ward them off though, shaking your head and wiping your eyes. I’m scared you’re not going to be attracted to me anymore. I’m scared you’re going to think I’m old. I’m scared I’m freaking out and don’t know how to stop it.

None of those words form on your tongue though, so with a shaky hand you reach up and point to the crease above your eyebrows. Eddie’s gaze drifts to where you’re pointing but this only seems to confuse him more.

“What is it? What am I supposed to be looking at?” he asks. When you jab repeatedly at your forehead with your finger, Eddie gently grabs your wrist and lowers your arm back down. “Angel, you’ve gotta talk to me.”

“A-A wrinkle,” you manage to squeak out just above a whisper. 

Eddie frowns and looks at your forehead again. He squints his eyes and shrugs his shoulders.

“I see a faint line. Why does that scare you?”

“Because it means I-I’m old.”

Laughter is the last thing you expect to hear from your husband. But when you look up at him there’s an amused look on his face as he shakes his head. 

“Babe, you’re twenty-nine. If you’re old, then I’m the damn crypt keeper.”

“M’not like when you met me,” you mumble, looking down in embarrassment. 

“No, you’re not,” Eddie says plainly. “And neither am I.” When you look up at him in confusion, Eddie sighs and gently tugs you closer to him. He takes a seat on the closed toilet lid and pulls you into his lap. “Pretty girl, we’ve known each other for about a decade now. Neither of us are the same. I’ve got gray in my beard now and these crow’s feet around my eyes.”

“They’re sexy,” you’re quick to inform him.

“What makes you think I don’t think your changes are sexy?” your husband asks with a raised eyebrow. 

“This isn’t sexy,” you say with a sigh as you rub your hand across your forehead. 

“Is to me,” Eddie says with a shrug. “I’ve got more tattoos now. You’ve given birth. Jesus hun, I’m in a different decade than I was back then. We’re not a couple in their twenties and thirties anymore—it’s twenties and forties.”

His fingers gently dig into your sides, making you squeak in laughter and squirm around in his lap. 

“Until I turn thirty in a few months,” you say. Words burn at the back of your throat, and you know you shouldn’t say them. But they need to come out and make themselves known. “You’ll still want me, right? When I’m thirty? With these lines starting?”

Eddie stares at you for a moment, his doe eyes scanning your face. You see the moment something clicks in his mind.

“Wait, don’t tell me that’s what you’re scared of?”

When you still avoid looking him in the eye and remain silent, Eddie lets out a long sigh. 

“There is no line or wrinkle that could make you anything less than the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Not a damn thing in this world could make me not want to be with you. I love you. Always have, always will. Wrinkles or not. Acne or not. Scars, gray hair, injuries, sickness, it doesn’t matter. You’re my girl and that’s all there is to it.”

Emotion swells within your chest and it’s difficult to keep it contained. Hoping to convey what your voice can’t, you lean forward and rest your forehead against Eddie’s. 

“Actually,” Eddie adds softly, “I think wrinkles and gray hair are pretty great things. Because it means we’re growing old with each other. No one else I’d want by my side, to go through this with.”

“I’m so lucky to be your girl,” you manage in a hoarse whisper, trying to quell the tears that build up—now for a different reason. 

A soft chuckle has Eddie’s breath ghosting across your lips.

“It’s absolutely me who is the lucky one, princess. I love you so goddamn much.” 

“I love you too—”

“Mama!”

Little hands beat on the wood of the closed bathroom door. You and your husband share a whispered laugh as you drop your head down to his shoulder. 

“What’s up, sweet pea?” Eddie calls back.

The banging stops and there’s a beat of silence before your daughter replies.

“I called for Mama.”

A snort of laughter leaps out of you at Eliza’s tone. Eddie shakes his head in amusement and lets out an overdramatic sigh.

“See?” He speaks softly to you. “None of us can live without you.” The banging starts up again, a little faster this time. Eddie winces and squeezes one eye shut. “Even for a second, apparently.”

[skzfairyyydreamz]

hi!! Ik this isnt very cheerful for ur early request😭 but if u r doing headcannons can i request straykids w an s/o whoes insecure maybe about like acne?? 🫶

Bf!Skz when s/o is insecure about acne❣️

Genre: Fluff, Comfort, Bf!Skz x gn!reader

A/n: Sorry for the wait with this one my love i’ve been a bit busy but i hope you enjoy! Feedback, replies, and reblogs are greatly appreciated! To anyone who may be struggling with acne, skin issues/disorders etc know that your beauty grows from the inside. so don’t ever let something temporary define you. You are so loved. Thank you for being here. Sending big hugs to all who need it right now. 🫂❤️ ~Fae 🧚🏽‍♀️ (M.Lists)

(dm’s requests and taglist are open!!)

© Skzfairyyydreamz - Plagiarism is a crime. Do not repost, alter, translate or copy without my consent.

Chan

Channie is Definitely the “i know you better than you know yourself” kind of Bf so he notices everything about you. Especially when you aren’t happy with yourself.

Physically not being able to sit back and watch you look at yourself in the mirror with disgust; he walks over to you and pulls you away from the mirror.

“Stop that” “stop what?” you immediately respond trying to walk past him avoiding eye contact as if your mind wasn’t racing a mile a minute with negative thoughts about yourself.

quickly pulling you into a tight embrace “C’mere you know you can’t hide from me my love” he says in a soft whisper as he began pressing kisses to your head and the side of your face. You then realize there was no escaping this conversation.

“You are so, SO beautiful and you literally have no idea.” You hug him back burying your face into his chest as your eyes start to water still refusing to look him in the eyes. “but i don’t feel beautiful channie… my skin looks so nasty right now” “it doesn’t matter honey, it’s temporary. Acne comes and goes, its natural bc you’re a human. You’re MY human and a little breakout isn’t going to change the way that i love you or the amazing person that you are. so don’t let it change the way you feel about yourself.”

After a few moments of silence Finally lifting your head up to look at him properly for the first time that morning, you see a smirking chan as he takes his thumb wiping away your tears “oh if only you could see yourself through my eyes darling… ”

Lee Know

is also SUPER quick to notice when you’re judging yourself.

i definitely see Lee know being an aggressive lover so off the rip he is not having it if his s/o is feeling ugly and unhappy with themselves.

Will definitely force you to do self love affirmations.

Standing in the mirror together as he hugs you from behind “Chin up .. now repeat after me…”

on the days you really struggle he is patient but very firm with you bc he is such a loverboy and will NOT accept ANYONE speaking down on the love of his life , not even yourself.

“Go on jagi … say it. We’re not moving until you love yourself!”

Changbin

Soft binnie ofc is very understanding and will also reassure you.

will let you rant and complain about how you feel listening carefully without interrupting.

Will definitely kiss all your breakouts and blemishes.

“Dont worry baby give it 2 weeks tops you wont even remember it was here.”

constantly reminds you how beautiful you look at random times during the day.

“Acne is temporary but my love is forever” he aggressively covers your face in kisses as you fall into a fit of giggles.

Yes .. very cheesy in his true cute binnie fashion lols

Hyunjin

will spoil you ROTTEN to the core.

the very second you complain about the smallest breakout he’s already on the phone booking you facials and skin treatments at a luxury spa.

You come home from work to see a huge gift basket on the kitchen counter overflowing with expensive skincare products. Facial cleansers, serums, toners, oils, spf’s, moisturizers, you name it, its in there.

“Jinnie .. baby what is all this??” “if my honey wants clear skin, then thats what you’ll get” “i swear i don’t deserve you” you say with teary eyes

“wait wait dont cry yet i have something else for you” “HUH??” in confusion and disbelief you watch hyunjin run off and return with a canvas. He turns it around and its a painting of you with the most beautiful flowers blooming from your face in the exact same spots you began to breakout a few days prior.

Han

Another aggressive lover.

you start pouting to him about your skin and it somehow turns into a mini lecture.

“Jagi your acne is flaring up again bc you’ve been too stressed out. how may times do i have to ask you to leave that fuck ass job and just let me take care of you!? “But ji-” “And you stress eating all this junk food isn’t helping either!”

he’s definitely holding you accountable for eating cleaner and making sure you drink enough water throughout the day

And if you fail to do so he is definitely on your ass about it! 😂

Felix

Lix is very comforting when you come to him in actual tears the day before a red carpet fashion event you two were attending together. “lix i cant go like this, look at my fucking face??” “Hun it’s really not as bad as you think, i promise.” “it is lix! i dont know how to cover this up” you began to cry again “would you feel better if i called Maya to come give you a professional full glam for tomorrow?” he reassures you hugging you tight and rubbing your back while already reaching for his phone to text his makeup artist.

But he also disciplines you about talking bad about yourself.

He has this rule where you can only make one negative comment about yourself a day. And every time you break that rule he throws one of your beloved pocket mirrors away (you had a LOT and he knew that)

“ Ew why do i-” “ EH?!? what was that!?” he glared at you with a raised eyebrow. “Gimmie me!” “But lix wait- we’re in public i need to know how my skin looks!” “idc hand it over.. you look beautiful and since you cant be nice to yourself now you’ll just have to take my word for it.” he cut you off with his hand out.

accepting your defeat you sigh loudly closing the compact mirror putting it in his hand and pouting as he got up with a smirk walking away to throw your 5th mirror this week in the trash

Seungmin

much like seungmin you are very strong and independent, you keep your “burdens” to yourself trying not to complain too much or trouble anyone with your issues. Especially if you are insecure about them.

but minnie knows when you’re struggling.

he knows you get a bit agitated when you dont feel your best and thats when you begin to distance yourself a bit more.

His love language being acts of service he would do small things for like make you natural homemade remedies like his mom used to do for him anytime your skin would flare up real bad.

after getting out of the shower still pouty from a long grumpy day, “here” he hands you a spray bottle. “ What’s this min? ”

“Aloe vera face mask” he says simply giving you a kiss on the forehead and walking away not wanting to make you feel bad for bringing up something he knows you’re insecure about.

i.n

whenever you’re breaking out jeongin does everything he possibly can to keep his lover happy.

he will definitely help you create a WHOLE NEW skincare routine.

he’s working overtime researching different products and the ingredients that would work best with your skin type.

even tho you are not happy about your acne he thoroughly enjoys your new way of spending quality time together.

“you know you don’t have to make this an US thing, right? Your skin already looks great” “how about you mind your little business and pass me the toner” you try to hold back a laugh as your sassy boyfriend stared you down through the mirror of your shared bathroom.

buying and trying a ton of new skincare products together.

rating which ones you liked best and which ones didn’t work at all for you.

he will even book you an appointment to see a dermatologist if you need to and ofc he’s gonna be going with you!

Taglist: @hanniemylovelyquokka @milknhoneyracha @tinyelfperson @jiisungllvr @turtledove824 @laylasbunbunny

buy me a coffee?

[kiwi-on-ice]

Kinktober 2024 day 28: Praise Kink with Lifeweaver

Gn reader, NSFW 18+

Also contains slight mirror kink

“Please beloved, keep your eyes on the mirror.” Niran coos gently, holding you on his lap firmly.

With a feather light touch, he gently drags his fingertips up and down your waist, feeling the goosebumps rise up in his path. As you shiver, his grin widens.

“Look at you…such a beautiful creature I have.” He murmurs, his fingers moving to pinch your nipples. At the pain, your back arches as you whimper, so he whispers “such beauty can be found in every single illicit reaction you gift me.”

Your cheeks flush at his words, like they do every time, to which he laughs. “I’m not sure why you get so shy each time I compliment you petal, do I not do it enough?”

“N-No you do it plenty!”

“Clearly not.” He says, a teasing lilt in his tone. “The answer is simply that I should praise you more. It’s what a pretty thing like you deserves.”

You giggle softly, as he begins to circle your nipples. Bucking your hips becomes instinctual, but your lover doesn’t seem to mind.

“Such a gorgeous chest you have. It’s a wonder I can keep my hands to myself. Especially when you make noises like-“

He tweaks them again, and you whimper gently. With a softness, he drags his lips over your shoulder, lavishing the skin in his attentions.

“Although your beauty doesn’t stop merely at your chest. The stunning nature of your form certainly gets better the lower down my hands travel.”

You can tell he’s having the time of his life flustering you at this degree. Not just by his facial expression in the mirror, but his clear erection poking your ass through his sweats. To get him back, you roll your hips, hearing the slight hiss that escapes him as his hands grab your hips tightly.

“Naughty thing. This is about you, not me.” He reprimands, before starting to lick at a portion of your neck. However you gasp softly when he starts to nibble and suck, leaving an obvious mark. “You know how much I hate to blemish your skin precious, but you need to learn to take what I give you.”

You nod softly, a soft whine clawing its way from your throat at his soft dominance. Keeping your hips still proves successful, as his hands trace down to feel you over your underwear.

“Oh petal…so aroused, and all for me. I’m blessed to have such a beautiful flower all for myself.”

His hand moves methodically as he gropes you, feeling you get more and more turned on as he kisses that spot below your ears that makes your spine tingle.

Every moan and whimper that you gift him only spurs him on, looking at your whole form twitching in the mirror. He finally slips his hand beneath your underwear, touching you in the way you’ve been craving.

“That’s it sweetheart, let me hear those sweet noises.” He groans, white hair falling into his face a little as he gets so caught up in the moment.

You grind against his touch, Niran’s words washing over you like a comforting aura, until all you can feel, all you can perceive is just him.

“My sweet angel.”

“You’re so stunning, like a Rembrandt painting turned into flesh.”

“Nothing on earth could prepare me for the divinity that is your body on mine.”

Each sickly sweet compliment only serves to bring you closer and closer to completion. His words make your chest tight, and the heat between your legs intensify, and it isn’t long before your thighs twitch.

“Niran please…”

“Oh beloved, are you going to cum for me?” He states, his other hand coming to rub your nipple once more.

As you nod, and his hand increases its pace, his mouth never stops running with compliments. He practically begs you to let him see your release, and he moans like he’s the one cumming when you finally let go.

“Oh, thank you petal. So good for me…so good.”

[expulence]

💎💄Luxury Makeup 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐒 for a Flawless Look💄💎

With the popularity of skincare these past few years came the desire to achieve a more natural 'your-skin-but-better' makeup look.

♡...Enter the 𝓒𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓷 𝓖𝓲𝓻𝓵 makeup look...♡

It was characterised by minimal use of makeup and an emphasis on enhancing your natural beauty. The foundation needs to look like skin, and the lipstick like natural healthy and plump lips. As simple as this all sounds, it is quite an art form.

So where do you start?

Well, when it comes to achieving a flawless makeup look, quality products can make all the difference. Investing in luxury makeup can elevate your beauty routine and give you a professional finish. Furthermore as high-end products are concerned, a little goes a long way.

Here's a curated list of essential luxury makeup products that you might need in your collection:

𝕮𝖔𝖒𝖕𝖑𝖊𝖝𝖎𝖔𝖓:

A high-quality foundation is the key to a flawless base. Look for a luxury foundation that matches your skin tone perfectly and provides a smooth, even coverage. Brands like Dior and Giorgio Armani offer a range of luxurious foundations that blend seamlessly into the skin, giving you a natural yet polished finish. A good quality concealer can make stubborn blemishes vanish without a thick and unnatural finish.

How to Use:

Apply the foundation using a beauty blender or a foundation brush, starting from the center of your face and blending outwards. Make sure to blend well into your jawline and neck for a seamless look. Start with a light layer and be sure to spot conceal any visible blemishes. This creates a flawless base without the cakey look of layered foundation.

High-end Foundatation/Base Recomendations:

Dior Face and Body Foundation

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

𝕷𝖆𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖘:

No makeup look is complete without mascara. A luxury mascara can add volume, length, and definition to your lashes, instantly opening up your eyes and making them pop. Choose a higher-end mascara from brands like Too Faced or Yves Saint Laurent for a smoother application, intense pigmentation and long-lasting wear.

How to Use:

Start by curling your lashes with an eyelash curler, then apply the mascara from the roots to the tips in a gentle zig-zag motion. Build up layers for added volume and intensity.

High-end Mascara Recomendations:

Too Face Better Than Sex Mascara

MAC Extended Play Lash

𝕷𝖎𝖕𝖘:

A swipe of luxury lipstick can instantly elevate your look and add a touch of glamour. Opt for a smooth that compliments your skintone from brands like Tom Ford or Charlotte Tilbury for a creamy, long-lasting formula that feels comfortable on the lips. Some sheer lipgloss further elevates the look and adds to the glowy final product.

How to Use:

Start by outlining your lips with a lip liner for precision, then fill in the lips with the subdued lipstick shade of your choice. Ad a layer of clear, light pink of peachy lip gloss for an extra glow.

High-end Lipstick/Lipgloss Recomendations:

Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Color

LANEIGE Lip Glowy Balm

𝕰𝖞𝖊𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕭𝖗𝖔𝖜𝖘:

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But never forget..

💰𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲💰

[cr4yolaas]

the night shift — an accident

prologue | masterlist | day 2

now playing: 춤 by damdamgugu

his phone flashes on as soon as he turns it off. the buzzing next to his head is all too repetitive, as if urging him to pick it up, just this once.

so he does.

he’s met with the familiar tune of the store doors closing and the clinking of glass before he can register who the person on the other side of the line is. he glances at the contact, her name plainly typed out with “(coworker)” beside it, both an indication and a reminder.

her words are slurred and her voice muffled by what he assumes to be her sweater, and in the syllables he can barely make out she calls out for a name he doesn’t quite recognize. “jus’ one more ride, please- it’ll be the last, i promise,” she mumbles. he doesn’t respond — he isn’t sure if he’s supposed to respond.

he knows it’s not meant for him (and that she’s far too inebriated to realize that). so, reasonably, he hangs up. the white noise dissipates and kageyama is met with silence.

it’s debilitating, almost, the moral conflict she’s presented him with. he doesn’t want to get up, too comfortable in the depths of his blankets and the darkness of his room. but something tugs at him to go, just in case, to see if she’d still be there waiting. he thinks it’s the nostalgia speaking — the years spent being called upon, being asked for by coaches and teammates and unfamiliar faces; he wonders how he discarded it so easily.

the air conditioning hums on, and kageyama is cold again. the ceiling starts to disappear from his vision. he isn’t sure if it’s right to go.

but he wants to.

——

snow piles up on the windows and around the door. he stands outside with an old sweater and scarf he found in the back of his closet, a habitual action he can’t find the origin of. the sign still reads “open,” despite it being an hour past closing, something that he would scold her for if not for the situation he’s faced with now.

the door jingles open, and in response, she mumbles the customary greeting (far from coherently). her arms cushion her head atop the counter with a collection of newly opened glasses circling her figure. the door to the storage room is cracked open, and the dots connect in his head instantly.

he doesn’t think about it, though. as if on instinct, he moves to clear the bottles and wipe down the space around her, all too naturally. when he’s done, he kneels beside her, her head at eye-level with his. he’s never seen her up close, he realizes. now, with her face deep in slumber and turned towards him, he can see the tiny blemishes and marks riddled on her skin. he can see the shape of her nose clearly, and he can see the length of her lashes. he wonders, in all their almost-year of working together, how he never noticed any of it. he doesn’t know why he yearns to know more.

his attempts to nudge her awake are futile, save for the few sleepy mumbles she releases with each push and tap. it’s exhausting to try any longer, he thinks, so he reaches for the scarf in his lap and opens it around her neck.

but much to his demise, that ghost of a touch is the trigger for her consciousness.

her eyes flitter open, slowly. she doesn’t move to sit up immediately, seemingly yet to process the scene. when she does, however, she nearly jumps.

“oh, fuck,” she all but yelps, and the sound makes him flinch, as well. the scarf falls to the floor behind her and his hands remain stagnant in the air. he can almost feel her breaths, heavy and cold and laced with hints of lychee-flavored beer. he doesn’t know what to do.

“i’m sorry,” he speaks first. an apology feels right.

she shakes her head fervently. “no, no, i’m sorry. what are you doing here?”

he stands up from his spot on the ground to grab the scarf. “you called me.”

he can see the realization flicker behind her eyes, as if recollecting the few moments before she passed out. warmth spreads through her face instantaneously. “oh my god, i’m so, so sorry,” she half-laughs, half-grimaces.

kageyama pays no mind to her endless apologies and instead motions to the sweater he brought, carefully folded and placed on the counter beside her. “you mentioned you were cold,” he states matter-of-factly, and he can’t see that it does little to help her embarrassment. what he can see are the goosebumps lining up on her arms from the short sleeve she dons. he wants to make fun of her, almost, because a t-shirt in the core of winter is akin to self-sacrifice. the remark falls flat on his tongue when he watches her scramble to collect her things and head towards the door alone.

“thank you, i’m sorry, bye-”

“it’s fine. i’ll walk you home.”

she pauses. then turns. then smiles. it’s warm.

“are you sure?” she questions, seemingly too afraid to bother him but not so afraid to turn down the offer easily, given it’s far too late in the night to walk alone. it’s probably the most they’ve ever spoken since meeting. he nods and hands her the sweater. she shimmies into it and the upturn of her lips only grows at the newfound comfort.

like routine, the lights shut off gradually and the sign at the door now reads “closed” (as it should have about an hour and a half ago). they walk into the cold of the night, the gentle breeze brushing against their faces. but this time, they follow the same path.

kageyama is silent, for the most part, because he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to say. on the other hand, she’s nearly bursting with energy, the alcohol still lingering, accompanied by the unfamiliar (yet cozy) scent of his sweater. the silliest things on the street earn a giggle from her — a child’s drawing trashed on the side, a malfunctioning streetlight, a comedy show blasting from the top floor of an apartment complex — but she lessens it little by little when she realizes how unreceptive he is. her first thought is that he’s irritated by the inconvenience, and that alone makes her want to shrivel up. but her second thought is that he’s just far too introverted to hold a conversation, and she decides that sounds more comfortable.

what she doesn’t know is that he’s too busy fighting with his own rationality. he thinks back to the open storage room, the almost-full pack of bottles she’d opened, and he tries to decipher why he doesn’t want to question it. he was taught to report every suspicious action he saw, even when it was his own peers, but something pulls him far, far away from that decision.

they approach the door to her apartment, and as soon as they come to a stop, she unleashes another set of apologies, alongside a promise to treat him for his troubles after their next shift. he nods again, this time with intent.

ᡣ𐭩 kags pining moment. he’s had a small work crush on her for the longest time but he doesnt really realize it

ᡣ𐭩 sho loves doing group activities w the roommates bc he knows he can get really busy at times. usually its always cooking or baking but they never complain

ᡣ𐭩 he also never fails to bring up his disdain for kags choosing not to go pro after hs. he is a hater in the truest sense

ᡣ𐭩 kenma and kuroo are obvs yn’s support system but they worry for her so much sometimes. bc of that kenma gets kinda mean but he means well

ᡣ𐭩 kageyama gave yn his old hs team hoodie and didnt notice the entire time

ᡣ𐭩 she also never ended up wearing the scarf so he was kinda awkwardly holding it the whole time

ᡣ𐭩 also yachi is going to be such an instigator in this smau <3

ᡣ𐭩 idk !! im already kinda insecure about this chapter but idrc 😄

taglist: @causenessus @strawberryuri @iiwaijime @savemebrazilhinata @tiramizuloz @conrad4life13 @wyrcan @zazathezaer @nperoconelcositoarriba @cupidsblonde @winniethepooh-lover

[eldritch-spouse]

Wife innocently asking Kalymir about all of his scars and touching them and fawning over him, seemingly oblivious to how hot n' bothered he's getting.

" YOU'RE STARING AGAIN, RUNT. "

Ah, he caught you. How can he blame you? Kalymir is quite something, physically speaking. It's hard not to notice him, not to stare at him. In such a vivid garnet coloration, it's hard not to focus on the gashes of blush rose that cross his figure, standing out like sore thumbs.

Kalymir doesn't hide them, in fact, he practically goes out of his way to display them, like they're the most beautiful part of his body. He seems to think other people's scars, whether from battle or simple "blemishes" of nature, are also attractive- It was very odd to see him constantly trace a slash across your arm from a soft training session.

Nevertheless, the King is kind of primal sometimes. In the sense that prolonged gazing agitates him severely. It's hard to tell if he enjoys it or not, but you know it definitely reads as a challenge, if the growl under his words is any indication.

" So I am. " You blink.

" IT'S GETTING ON MY FUCKING NERVES, SPEAK ALREADY. " He fumes.

It's clear you caught him in the middle of some sort of scheme, he only ever stands in front of his main (massive) fireplace with his arms behind his back when he's mulling over something. Kaly's already pissed from being interrupted, better not to test him further. But then again, you did come here to make sure he isn't spacing out in his own mind, in a positive feedback loop of fury...

" How did you get that one? " Walking to stand beside your demonlord, you point to his chest, specifically the large patch that crosses it diagonally.

Kalymir snorts, turning. " OH, SO YOU JUST CAME TO MAKE GOO-GOO EYES AT ME? "

You roll your eyes, but a lazy smile still graces your face. " I asked you a question. "

" I HEARD, DIPSHIT. "

Apparently, you've successfully brought him out of his thoughtful stupor, because the Icon grins wide, teeth ever flared, and squats in front of you.

" THIS ONE HERE? " He barks, and you nod silently. " IT'S MY FAVORITE. " And his biggest. You wouldn't be surprised if it was his favorite precisely for that reason. " I GOT IT THE DAY I BECAME KING OF WRATH. "

Eyebrows rise, you gawk openly, rising loud cackles out of him. " No shit-? "

" YEAH BITCH. " He leers, fetching one of your hands and putting it up against the gnarled flesh, just beneath the bone growths on his upper chest. You blush a little, though allow yourself to map it out. " FEEL IT. "

Kalymir flexes. Although you're entirely unaware of it, his tail wags increasingly faster behind him. " I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE IN THAT ARENA, YET I WALKED OUT AS THE BEST WRATH COULD OFFER! "

When he puts it like that, it really is a scar worth showing off. You'd wear it with pride too. It actually sits very well upon him.

"AND THIS- "

Your hand is forced to grope at the scarred flesh harder, every inch of tense muscle felt beneath his hot skin.

" IS MY TROPHY. YOU HEAR ME, PIPSQUEAK? "

" Y-Yeah. " Is his breathing faster? You suppose you'd get excited talking about such a cool conquest too. " That's so brutal! I bet it hurt like a motherfucker too, you're amazing. "

Kalymir beams, puffing out further before you, even going as far as to raise his arms in a perfect display pose so you can see the way the healed tissue stretches to accommodate movement. Your gleeful giggle has him beaming back, happy to show off.

" DAMN FUCKING RIGHT I AM. " He huffs, greedily allowing you to explore the length of said scar, relishing your little hands on him, your words of complete awe.

Kalymir licks at his teeth and groans, wondering how long it'll take before you stop babbling and notice the twitching tent in his loincloth.

[sundew199]

Fluff Drabble #1

tags: no specific p/n's used, except one mention of 'girlfriend', fluff

"Can you please hold still?"

Reiner scoffed, taking his arms that were encircled around your waist and crossing them over his chest, still moving after you asked him not too.

"I'm trying, but it doesn't exactly feel good getting your eyebrows plucked."

"Stop being a baby." Rolling your eyes and yanking another hair, feeling him jolt under you and doing little to hide the laugh. It was his fault for agreeing to this, letting you tweeze his eyebrows and perform your night time skin care routine on him. He grumbled some more when you brushed the spooly over the thick dirty blonde brows, checking to see if there were any more stray hairs to get.

All was clear finding no more, brushing the hairs back down and seeing the subtle arch present again. Immediately, Reiner tried to get up, moving out from under where you sat on his stomach.

"Where are you going?"

He gave you an annoyed look, remembering his earlier agreement to do skincare, huffing and throwing himself back onto the pillows propping him up against the headboard. He was so unnecessarily dramatic, being more of a diva than most girls you went to high school with, but you still loved him. Swinging you legs over him to get up, you dragged him off the bed and into the bathroom, letting him wet his face on his own. You hopped up to sit on the counter in front of him, taking your cleanser and letting it get sudsy on your fingers before rubbing it into his face.

Thankfully his facial hair wasn't as thick, remembering him shaving it off two or three days ago. Foamy bubbles formed on his cheeks and forehead, taking your time running and spreading your fingers over his skin. You envied him for his blemish-less skin, the little to no pores and the natural glow to it. God played cruel tricks when he gave men all the features women desired; long lashes, perfect skin, thick eyebrows, everything a woman at one point in her life strived to have.

"Okay wash it all off." Instructing after a minute, perched on the counter still and waiting for the clean, clear canvas of his face to reappear. Hopping down, you gathered all the products you used on yourself, heading back to the bedroom. Could you have done it there in the bathroom, sure, but why not be comfortable on the bed.

Resuming the same position from plucking his brows, you ran your hands over his face to make sure it was dry. His hands caught your wrists, kissing your palms and inhaling the natural scent of just your skin. Goosebumps raised on your arms, witnessing the attentiveness of his soft lips peppering kisses to the hands that held him.

Reluctantly pulling away, pecking the pout in his lips, reaching for the toner, dabbing it into your palm and rubbing it together to warm it up. The slightly cold liquid made contact with his cheeks, an all too familiar protest coming from Reiner.

"Sorry." Giggling, spreading the product over his entire face, still leaning in close to his face, the tip of your nose daring to brush against his.

"Feels sticky."

"It won't when it absorbs into your skin."

Skeptical, Reiner chose to believe you, resting his hands on your hips and watching you reach for the next product. Scooping some out on your index, Reiner ducked when he saw it heading straight for his eye.

"You're not putting that in my eye."

"Reiner, this goes under your eye, chill out." Holding him by the chin and swiping it just below his lower lashline, like you said you would, swiping what was left on the other eye. Releasing his chin, now holding the sides of his face, letting your thumbs massage the cream into his nonexistent eyebags.

"How many more steps?" He muttered, prompting an exasperated sigh from you.

"Will you just let yourself relax for a minute." Now holding a bottle with a dropper, squeezing out a decent amount into your palm.

Okay fine. Reiner would admit he was being agitating on purpose, but he had other things on his mind and you sitting in his lap wasn't helping. But he did enjoy the treatment from you, the care that went into putting the products on his face, how soft your hands were, the concentration in your eyes. He felt pampered, even more so from you, his insistent girlfriend that bugged and begged him all day to do this. He almost immediately said yes when you asked him at first, but liked pushing your buttons and played it off as not wanting to do it. Reiner liked finding new ways to annoy you, only to make for it when it was time to go to bed.

"Am I going to have perfect skin when you're done?"

"You already have perfect skin, can't imagine it getting more perfect." Patting his cheeks after rubbing in the liquid from the dropper, tossing it beside you on the bed. "Can I do a lip mask or are you going to freak out?"

He shrugged his shoulders, pursing his lips and hearing the laugh you had when he did something cringy but cute. Your finger glided over his slightly chapped lips after he unpursed them, the smooth jelly like cream hydrating his decently plump lips, wiping the remnants from your finger onto his pajama pants. Curious, Reiner barely swiped his tongue over his bottom lip and found whatever it was on his lips tasted good? Odd.

"Okay last thing then bedtime." Rubbing what Reiner thought was lotion in your hands, starting at his cheeks and covering the entirety of his face. His skin felt cold, or cool, that was probably better in describing the final product. You worked extra hard to make sure all of it was rubbed in and absorbed into his skin.

Letting you get up to put everything back in the bathroom, he waited patiently. You returned, climbing in on your side of the bed instead of his, actually looking like you were going to bed. Not tonight you weren't.

Leaning over, slipping and arm under your back, Reiner hauled you back into his lap, trapping you with tight arms around your waste.

"Reinerrrrrr"

"Thank you for making me feel beautiful." He teased through his interruption, chuckling deep and bringing you down for a kiss. You gave in, kissing him back but not melting to his body like he wanted you too. This is what he gets for dating someone as stubborn as him, working extra hard to get you to submit.

"We have work in the morning." Whining against his lips, pushing your hands against his chest, but not putting any force behind it.

"Oh well." Rolling over with you until positions were flipped, seeing you try to hid a smile with your stern look. Reiner pecked your lips softly twice as he looked down at you. He loved getting to do mindless activities like earlier as long as it meant he could lavish you in his own way, a fair trade if he thought so himself.

[meganehaise]

Late but here's my entry for day 4 of Yin Yu Appreciation Week!

Title: Amorphous Relationship: Quan Yizhen & Yin Yu (QuanYin subtext) Prompt: Masks Summary: After turning into a ghost, Yin Yu learns to change his appearance. He feels it's a chance to leave the burden he carries behind. Yin Yu feels his new face is better in every aspect. Yet, when Quan Yizhen sees him, he strongly disagrees. Yin Yu's original appearance is a million times better. If his shixiong can't see it, Quan Yizhen will have to make it clear for him. Also on AO3

It isn’t until a few decades have passed since his death that Yin Yu asks Hua Cheng to teach him about changing forms. 

Yin Yu knows he won’t be able to make a fake skin to the same degree a supreme ghost can, but with his power, he figures that changing his face is doable. Hua Cheng raises an eyebrow at his request, but otherwise doesn’t say anything, and agrees to it.

Changing one’s skin is like reshaping a vase. You have to mold it anew and sculpt the details, infusing it with spiritual energy to set the new form. It isn’t an easy feat. If you don’t have the skills, it will look crude, and if you don’t have enough power, maintaining it in place is impossible. Yin Yu finds it easier to imagine that he’s donning a mask. Once he puts it on, he has to keep in mind its shape and looks, so that it properly hides his true features behind it. It requires mental fortitude and a tempered character. Yin Yu has been practicing it daily, using the form he had visualized for himself. It looks natural enough that whoever sees him won’t liken him to his persona. Not that most people have actually seen his face. Yin Yu still uses his Waning Moon Officer mask when he walks through Ghost City. It’s the sign of his status, after all. The only times he takes it off is when he’s inside Paradise Manor or when…

As he walks through the street, an extra weight befalls him. One hand encircles his shoulder while the other one takes his mask off. 

Yin Yu is more than familiar with the man in exquisite robes that smiles at him. 

“Shixio—!” The greeting dies halfway. 

Quan Yizhen’s expression falls. Yin Yu can’t help but smile in amusement. Everytime Quan Yizhen comes to visit him, he does the same thing. Cling unto Yin Yu and take his mask off. That’s why, for once, Yin Yu had been looking forward to the encounter with his shidi. Not everyday can he leave the Martial God of the West with such a stupefied expression.

“Shixiong?” Quan Yizhen scowls. 

“Yes?” 

Even though Yin Yu’s face is different, his voice remains the same. Quan Yizhen’s eyes widen.

“What happened?” Quan Yizhen asks. “Why do you look like that?”

“Skin changing spells are amazing. Looks real, right?”

Except for its shape, Yin Yu’s new face differs completely from his original look. The skin’s color isn’t the ghostly ivory he has now; it isn’t the cool olive tinge he had when alive either. This new face has a peachy fair tone, resembling warm jade. His eyes are almond-shaped with light brown irises. The eyebrows are sword-like, sharply straight and thinning towards the outer edges. His nose is small and pointy. His lips are soft and rosy. No blemishes are present in his skin. 

Like this, Yin Yu looks exceptional. It’s a face that evokes an elegant charm. A face you would look at twice when spotted in a crowd. 

Quan Yizhen, on the other hand, has his godly features in disarray. 

“Why did you change your face, shixiong?”

“I wanted to. I had the means, so why not?”

“You didn’t need to...”

“Maybe, but this face is convenient. People change how they treat you according to how you look.”

Quan Yizhen’s face scrunches. Yin Yu knows that expression. He has seen it too many times since they were young.

“You don’t like my new appearance?” he asks, although he knows the answer already.

Quan Yizhen twists his mouth. “I don’t dislike it.” He opens and closes his fists. “But I like shixiong’s face the most.”  

“I think this face is better. The other one wasn’t even worth remembering.”

“That’s not true! Shixiong, your face is nice.”

Yin Yu snorts. “Nice, huh? Nice is not always good. This new face is good, though.”

Truth be told, Yin Yu doesn’t particularly hate his appearance. At this point, he’s used to the comments about his plain look and doesn’t take them to heart. Yin Yu wasn’t eager to change his face. However, when he was presented with the opportunity to do it, he didn’t hesitate to take it. It wasn’t much about the end result, but about the freedom of choice. Still, Yin Yu felt good when he saw his new look. It was fresh, it was lively, it was friendly; it was so unlike him. Yin Yu smiled at his reflection for the first time in a long time. 

So, how could Quan Yizhen feel like he has a say in the matter? 

“Shixiong—”

“What did you need today? I’m busy.”

After Yin Yu banned him from coming without a good reason, Quan Yizhen has found every poor excuse available to visit Ghost City. Sometimes he’s after a no-name ghost, other times he comes to give Xie Lian messages that could have been transmitted via the communication array. Most times, he invents something on the fly, and Yin Yu sighs and lets his shidi get away with it because, honestly, it’s more taxing to protest every single time. It’s been their routine for many years.

“I need to give His Highness a gift.” Quan Yizhen replies.

“I see.” Yin Yu says as he puts on his ghost mask again. “Then, let’s head to Paradise Manor.”

There’s no real reason for Yin Yu to lead Quan Yizhen to Paradise Manor. Quan Yizhen knows his way around the place already. If any, Yin Yu accompanies him to ensure that Quan Yizhen doesn’t end up fighting someone or crushing buildings again. 

The market is bustling as always. Ghosts and demons alike move respectfully to let Yin Yu through. 

“Why do you keep using that mask?” Quan Yizhen suddenly asks.

“The ghosts already know it well.” The weeping face in it is more tied to his identity than his own face. “They know it’s the Waning Moon Officer.” 

Before, constantly using the mask was suffocating. The warmth of his breath made him swelter and feel uncomfortable. That wasn’t the case at all now. Without breath and without body warmth, he can go on using the mask as if nothing.

“If you show your face, they’ll learn that’s you.”

“I don’t think my face will evoke the same… respect.” Yin Yu shrugs. “Besides, if I change my appearance from now on, they won’t recognize me so easily. It’s easier to use the mask.”

“I can’t see your face like this.”

“Too bad.”

Quan Yizhen pouts. “I don't like it when you hide your face.”

“I’m not hiding…”

But isn't he? Hasn't he been doing the same thing for decades? Using a mask to close off to the world?

“I’m not hiding.” Yin Yu repeats. “What does it matter if you see my face or not?”

“I like seeing your face.”

Yin Yu scowls under the mask. His shidi likes to spout too much nonsense.

“When I don’t,” Quan Yizhen continues. “I fear you aren't really here, that you’re not the one behind that demon mask.”

The words imprint an ache in his undead chest. Yin Yu turns his head away. “Don’t be silly. You were the one that nurtured my soul for years. Why would I not be here?”

Quan Yizhen doesn’t reply. He opens and closes his fists. 

The surrounding cacophony disperses. Soon, they’re all by themselves. The city gives way to a solitary path that leads to a lake. At the other side is Paradise Manor.

“You could disappear, if you want to,” Quan Yizhen says then.

At that point, Yin Yu understands it all. After he became a ghost, easing into his new situation hadn’t been smooth. He had refused to see Quan Yizhen for a long time. Eventually he gave in, thinking he owed closure to his shidi. Yin Yu was sure they would finally cut ties and that would be the end of their story. Instead, Quan Yizhen had wanted to keep seeing him, and their already tangled relationship continued entwining.

It’s true that Yin Yu’s first instinct whenever he meets Quan Yizhen is fleeing. He has done so a few times already. It’s almost instinct, a reflex he can’t get rid of. However, he hadn’t expected that it had created such a shadow in Quan Yizhen’s mind. Not when Quan Yizhen acts so giddy and undisturbed every time they meet, not when he acts as if they were teenagers again, running around their sect while practicing sword stances. 

“I’ll be around,” Yin Yu compromises, because he won’t make promises he can’t keep, but he can’t stay silent either.

“Can you take the mask off?” Quan Yizhen insists. 

Yin Yu doesn’t have to, but like in many other matters, he prefers to comply instead of fighting worthlessly. He takes off the mask. However, Quan Yizhen’s face doesn’t lighten at that. When he sees Yin Yu, his expression turns ugly.

“It’s not your face.”

Yin Yu scoffs. “It is mine. I made it myself.”

“It’s not the face I know.”

“You better get used to it. You’ll see it from now on.”

“Why? Why do you want to change how you look?”

“I don’t have to explain myself.”

“I want to know, shixiong. I want to understand you.”

Yin Yu is taken aback. “Understand me?”

“Yes. I used to think I did, but I’m not sure anymore.”

Yin Yu laughs once. “You’ve never understood me. If you did, a lot of problems would’ve been avoided.”

Quan Yizhen seems to think about it. Looking back on years of interactions he might have gotten wrong.

Yin Yu shakes his head. “What use is it for you to realize that now? Things have long happened. Forget it.”

“Then… why didn’t you tell me when I got things wrong?” Quan Yizhen asks, his lip hanging.

The emotions about his past that Yin Yu had locked away resurface at once. The guilt, the frustration, the impotence. Feelings that haven't faded even after all this time, but he could ignore most of the time. 

“Why indeed,” Yin Yu mumbles. He suddenly feels exhausted. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Don’t worry needlessly.”

Paradise Manor towers before them. Yin Yu opens the tall doors and they go in. Yin Yu turns to a nearby servant and sends word that His Highness has a visit. They wait in the main hall. Xie Lian is in Ghost City today, but Yin Yu knows he might take a while before he meets them. No matter how long, it’s nothing that two immortals would find bothersome, even two that sit in an awkward atmosphere like them.

“Shixiong,” Quan Yizhen is the one to break the silence, as always. “I still want to know.”

“What?”

“Your reason to change appearance.” 

“Again with that.”

“It’s important to you, so I want to know.” Quan Yizhen clenches his fists. “I don’t want to misunderstand you again.”

Before Yin Yu can reply, Xie Lian enters the hall. He smiles in greeting. A few steps behind him, Hua Cheng silently observes the room. 

“Your Highness Qi Ying, and… Your Highness Yin Yu, hello.” Xie Lian falters a bit. Yin Yu expected as much, it hasn’t been long since he began using this face. Xie Lian turns to Quan Yizhen. “What brings you here this time?”  

“I brought over a gift from… Xuan Zhen,” Quan Yizhen takes a pause before saying the name. Yin Yu wonders how long ago he actually began to remember Mu Qing’s title.

“You didn’t have to bother with this, Your Highness Qi Ying,” Xie Lian says. He means it. He probably would’ve liked it if Mu Qing had come in person.

“Indeed an unneeded travel,” Hua Cheng adds. He means it as well. If he happens to keep count of Mu Qing’s slights on paper, Yin Yu won’t be the one divulging it. 

“I was coming anyway, so I offered to bring it.” Quan Yizhen admits. No one in the room is surprised.

“I see.” Xie Lian grimaces. “Well, thank you. Is there anything else…?”

“No,” Quan Yizhen says. “I have to talk with shixiong.”

Xie Lian nods, anticipating that reply. “Of course, go ahead. San Lang and I will be going to Qiangdeng Temple. You can stay here as long as you’d like.” He smiles with a perspicacity that makes Yin Yu uncomfortable. Yin Yu appreciates Xie Lian’s attempt to help, but he would rather he didn’t do anything. 

Yin Yu cups his hands anyway and lowers his gaze. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian leave with more fanfare.

“Shixiong, are you telling me?” Quan Yizhen asks immediately.

Knowing that his shidi won’t stop pestering him, Yin Yu sighs. “Not here. Follow me.”

Yin Yu guides Quan Yizhen through the corridors of the mansion, finding his way to a small courtyard with a rock garden. It’s a nice private space that Yin Yu frequents. Not even the servants come this way regularly. It’s a place that lets him relax and meditate. It’s the first time he comes here with someone else, though. 

He stops and stares at the long taihu stone that stands in the center of the garden. Every time Yin Yu sees it, he feels that its shape is different. No matter how many times he has seen it, he can’t ever remember it in detail. 

“What a weird rock,” Quan Yizhen spouts. 

Yin Yu snicker at the out-of-place comment. “It’s that what you want to talk about?”

Quan Yizhen turns to Yin Yu. He says nothing else, but Yin Yu can see the seriousness in his gaze.

“You really want to know? Why I changed my face?” Yin Yu asks.

Quan Yizhen nods.

“It was so you could stop finding me.” 

“...Huh?”

“I thought that learning how to change forms would let me avoid you. There. Happy?”

“Is that really it, shixiong? You would go this far to not see me?“

Yin Yu doesn’t have a heartbeat anymore, but he feels a pressure in his chest. “If you get it, go away.“

Quan Yizhen doesn’t go away. He stays beside Yin Yu, as always. They both stand before the amorphous stone without talking. It becomes difficult for Yin Yu to keep his unrest in control. Quan Yizhen is uncharacteristically silent and Yin Yu wonders if this time he finally managed to make his shidi despise him. It would only be right, yet…

“Shixiong, is it because you’re angry at me?”

“Angry at you?” 

“Yeah, do you want to avoid me because you’re angry? What can I do to fix that?”

Those words crack his mask. Shame, turmoil, desperation. They all bloom in Yin Yu’s contorted features. “Why aren't you angry at me?! How can you look at me and not hate me?”

He’s so tired. He hates looking at his face every day, a face that has remained unchanged over the last centuries, and yet that has transformed so acutely. A face that spells jealousy, betrayal, murder. A face that once truly smiled at Quan Yizhen, thinking everything would work out for both of them. Yin Yu hates to see it. He has never wanted to become this kind of person. 

“Shixiong, I don’t hate you. Even if I tried, I can’t do it,” Quan Yizhen says.

“That isn’t right. It doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t care. I won’t hate you.”

Yin Yu sneers. His shidi is as inflexible as always. 

“Why do you keep coming? I don’t treat you well. There’s too many things I’ve done wrong, so, why? Why do you still want to see me?” Yin Yu asks, because he needs to know. He needs a plausible explanation for the nonsense that is his current existence.

Quan Yizhen smiles a little. “I miss our morning training.” 

“What?” 

“You would take some time every morning and spar with me. I really liked that.”

Yin Yu narrows his eyes. “That was so long ago. Just that…?”

“I miss when you read books to me too, and when you braided my hair. I miss you being around.”

“I won’t do those things again. It’s not possible.”

“Why not?”

“Yizhen, I was banished after trying to kill you. How can I act as if nothing of that happened?”

“Shixiong, you didn’t want to kill me, I know.”

Yin Yu shakes his head. “Even if that were the case, I still tried to do it. I cannot forgive myself for that. You shouldn’t either.”

“But I forgave you. That’s in the past. We can do the things we did before all that.”

“It won’t be the same. There are too many things that are different now.”

Quan Yizhen opens and closes his fists. “I just want things to be the same as before.”

“Yizhen, we’ve lived for centuries. It's impossible for everything to remain the same.”

“But—”

“You’re not the child that ran around covered in dirt anymore. You're a martial god.” Yin Yu smiles with nostalgia. “And I’m not the head disciple that looked over you. I’m a ghost. I know you understand it.”

“I’m a god, and too many things are different. I get it… but my feelings haven't changed.” Quan Yizhen bites his lip. “I miss you, shixiong.”

Yin Yu realizes their views are extremely mismatched. Quan Yizhen hasn't caught up with their current standing. He’s still thinking of olden days, before things got hard, and before Yin Yu realized how an awful person he could be. In Quan Yizhen’s mind, Yin Yu’s still a noble person worthy of praise. A person worth pursuing.

No matter what Quan Yizhen believes, the present Yin Yu is stained and can’t erase the past. He wishes so hard he can. If he became an entirely different person, maybe he would face Quan Yizhen honestly and offer some kind of compensation. 

“Shixiong, you don’t need to change,” Quan Yizhen says. “I can recognize you before I even see your face. You said so, I nurtured your soul. I know its shape. Even if you transform, I’ll know it’s you… Sorry.”

Yin Yu rolls his eyes. “You fool, saying sorry when you don’t have to.”

“But you wanted to avoid me and you can’t.”

Yin Yu looks away, trying to overcome his embarrassment. He might be imperfect, but he still had a conscience. “I lied.”

“Huh? Then… you weren’t avoiding me? What’s the real reason?”

It’s difficult to say the truth straight. Yin Yu has a hard time recollecting his words. He looks at the rock garden, going over the shapes and colors. 

“Do you hate your face?” Quan Yizhen ventures. A strange insight on his part. 

There’s no use in evading the question. Yin Yu sighs. He’s genuinely so tired. “I hate what my face reminds me of.” He looks at Quan Yizhen, whose face Yin Yu still remembers vividly full of blood, snot and tears. A face Yin Yu cannot will himself to hate as much as he hates his own. “I was selfishly trying to escape it. It’s not fair of me, after everything I said, but I also wanted everything to go back to how it was before.” 

Yin Yu hated what he had become. So he thought that if he changed his appearance, maybe he could forget about his shameful past. Start anew. 

But now, Yin Yu sourly acknowledges that no matter how he looks, he can’t become someone better. Even wearing this new beautiful face, he still can’t act fairly towards his shidi. He’s still the same old Yin Yu. What a pointless endeavor. 

“I like your face, shixiong,” Quan Yizhen notes. “It’s nice.” He has already said so earlier, and Yin Yu doesn’t see how that amounts to anything.

“Doesn’t it remind you of the bad times? Of the wrong things I did?”

Quan Yizhen tilts his head. “When I see you… I think of the first time we met.”

Yin Yu raises his eyebrows.

“You were kind to me.” Quan Yizhen smiles. “And ever since then, you’ve been the kindest to me.”

“But I was cruel to you too.”

“Even so, you’ve always looked out for me. Thank you, shixiong.”

Yin Yu is speechless. He can count the times that Quan Yizhen has thanked someone with one hand. He rubs his face and his features quiver. 

“Shixiong, there’s no reason for you to use that face anymore.” 

“You want to see my face that bad?”

“Won’t you let me see you?” Quan Yizhen insists.

Yin Yu laughs without amusement. “It’s not like it’s particularly remarkable.”

“It is.” Without warning, Quan Yizhen comes closer and brushes Yin Yu’s eyebrows. “Shixiong’s eyebrows are arched downwards.” He points at Yin Yu’s eyes, and Yin Yu can’t help but blink. “You have phoenix eyes pointing upwards. Your eyelids are not visible. Your irises are dark and small. ” Quan Yizhen touches the point of his nose. “Your nose is round and broad.” Quan Yizhen hovers the tip of his fingers over Yin Yu’s lips, but Yin Yu stops him before he actually touches them. “Your mouth is thin and pale. Your skin is fair, but it has always looked greenish. Now it’s also ashen. And here…” Quan Yizhen thumbs his left cheek, right under his eye. “You have a small black mole.” 

As Quan Yizhen takes his hand away, the mole appears in the place he has touched. Yin Yu feels the skin of energy that covered his face dissipate. Yin Yu’s face has turned just as Quan Yizhen described it. It’s Yin Yu’s face. Nice and palatable, a face easy to the eye but hard to record in the heart. Yet, Quan Yizhen knows it too well. Not a detail missing. 

Quan Yizhen smiles. “There you are, shixiong.”

Yin Yu feels a tickling under his skin. He takes a step back.

“E-enough. It’s my face again. You don’t have to touch it.“ 

Quan Yizhen obeys and stays back. He’s still smiling though. “Like I thought, you don’t need to change, shixiong.”

Yin Yu hears the sincerity in Quan Yizhen’s words. Even though he finds the idea difficult to accept himself, Yin Yu feels an odd warmth because of it. He wonders if one day he will look at the mirror and no longer think badly of the face that looks back at him. Maybe he will forgive himself and let go. Not today. Not yet. Yin Yu has too many conflicts inside his soul, but at least, he can take the fondness of his shidi as a reminder that he has done good things too. 

Today, Yin Yu feels he doesn’t need a mask.

“Let’s go back. I have to patrol the city.” Yin Yu scratches the bridge of his nose. “You can come along.”

“I’ll come, I’ll come!”

They head back, shoulder to shoulder. The atmosphere surrounding them is less harsh, more tender. Maybe things won’t ever be as they were between them. Yin Yu might not be the bright, hopeful youth he once was, but his current being didn’t feel as heavy as before.

“I also liked our morning training.” Yin Yu finds himself saying. “We could try that again, sometime.”

Quan Yizhen’s smile blinds him. “I’d love that!”

From now on, their relationship might keep entangling and morphing into something different, into something new. Change isn’t always unwelcomed. Yin Yu thinks for the first time that it might not be a bad thing at all.

[cambion-companion]

Intrigue and Insurgents

Ok, this is me giving writing Thrawn a go...RIP me. I've been putting this off for forever because writing him intimidates me. Also I had to give him a hard time for wearing those atrocious green goggle things...like I get the reason babe, but damn if they aren't ugly.

Both Thrawn and reader are Captains in the Imperial Navy, there is a rivalry between them for that reason, each reaching for their own promotions within the ranks of the Empire.

Thrawn x reader | rivals to friends to something more? | potential part 2 depending on how this one goes over | requests for drabbles open

words: 680

“He’s not that bad.”

“You can defend him all you want, Lieutenant Vanto.”  You rounded on the young man, your eyes flashing irritation. “But being commissioned to work with Captain Thrawn feels extremely targeted.”

Eli folded his arms, patiently waiting for you to vent your frustration. “Listen, all I’m saying is you should give him a chance.”

You gave a sharp laugh of derision through your nose and continued walking down the dark polished hallway. “We are both Captains in the Imperial Navy competing for the same promotion…I don’t think comradery is particularly what high command envisioned when they arranged this mission.”

The set of doors ahead of you slid open with a mechanical hiss as you and Eli approached.  Within the room ahead stood Colonel Yularen, his crisp white uniform devoid of blemish.  Next to him, already engaged in conversation, stood Captain Thrawn, his dark grey uniform laying in stark contrast to his blue skin.  Your eyes met his glowing gaze momentarily as he looked you over briefly, taking in your look of displeasure and stiff body language.

You gave Yularen a stiff salute. “Reporting for duty, sir.”

“Captain.”  Yularen nodded to you, his grey eyes flicking briefly to Eli. “Thank you for bringing her here, Lieutenant, you may go.”

Eli shot Thrawn a look, his expression remaining professional but betraying a hint of bemusement.  Thrawn watched Eli depart a moment, his face impassive.  Then he turned his attention to you once more. “Captain Y/N.”  His voice was smooth and unreadable as ever. “Colonel Yularen was just debriefing me on the nature of our mission.”

“Indeed.”  Yularen cleared his throat with an impatient gesture towards the two of you. “And since it took Captain Y/N so long to get here, I will leave it to you to give her the details.”  He handed a datapad to Thrawn and shot you another severe look.  

You took the criticism in stride, knowing better than to make matters worse by defending yourself. You attempted to arrange your features into a humbly apologetic expression and gave a small bow. “My apologies, Colonel.  I will endeavor to act with more haste in the future.”

“See to it you do.  Until you have an update I don’t wish to hear from either of you.”

Both you and Thrawn turned to watch the Colonel depart, the doors sweeping closed behind him, leaving you alone with the Chiss.

“He’s in a great mood.”  You quipped, your shoulders relaxing despite yourself at Yularen’s departure.

Thrawn didn’t answer, instead his attention was fixed upon the datapad Yularen had given him.  

You turned back to him and crossed your arms.  Your impatience won out after less than a minute.  You cleared your throat pointedly. “So, what’s the objective Captain?”

Thrawn didn’t look up. “Insurgents allied with Nightswan have been spotted attending several senatorial gatherings over the last few weeks.”  He clicked the glowing blue datapad off and stowed it away, finally meeting your eyes. “You and I are to attend one of these galas and gather intelligence on their precise motives.”

You shifted your weight to the side, adopting a more casual stance. “I’m sure, with your impeccable strategic planning, you will come up with a way to not stick out like a sore thumb?”

Thrawn arched a brow at you, his hands moving to clasp behind his back. “I will endeavor to live up to your flattering image of me.”  His glowing red eyes had an unnerving quality to them as he looked into your face.  He gestured smoothly towards the door. “Shall we begin?”“You are not wearing those.”  

“I don’t see the humor in this situation.”

“I expect you don’t see much of anything with those monstrosities on your face.” You were failing spectacularly to keep a straight face, your eyes watering as you fought down the laughter demanding to escape.  You clasped a hand to your stomach, watching as Thrawn double checked his reflection in the mirror of the apartments on Alderaan you’d been assigned.  The green glasses he’d chosen to hide the red of his eyes clashed terribly with his skin.

He took them off to rub a smudge off the lens and shot you a look over his shoulder, his expression bordering on annoyance. “They avail me the benefit of looking like a Pantoran and will garner less attention than my natural eyes.”

You smoothed the fabric of your dress and shook your head, watching as he placed the glasses back onto his face.  

“We will have enough questions to answer as it is, based upon who we are pretending to be.”

“Yes, well, I’m not thrilled about it either, my Pantoran friend.”  You shifted off the wall you’d been leaning against and walked closer to Thrawn. “Or should I say ‘Senator Rowaan my betrothed’?  I swear high command is having a laugh at this point.”

“We have our orders and our identities.”  You could’ve sword the corners of Thrawn’s mouth had twitched, must’ve been a trick of the light. He turned to face you.  You could see your reflection in the green glass covering his eyes. “Command gave us the covers we need to gain the necessary advantage.”

“Don’t think I’m going to take it easy on you.” You half-smiled, a glint of mischief sparkling in your eyes as you took Thrawn’s arm, the fabric of his black formal attire soft against your bare skin.

You felt his body stiffen slightly at your touch but he didn’t pull away, instead guiding you out of the rooms and towards the grand festival hall. “I would expect no less.”

Whether this remark was meant as an insult or a comment you didn’t have time to dwell on as both you and Thrawn, disguised as a Senator and his blushing fiancée, stepped into the bustling hall full of colorful people and the fragrances of a hundred kinds of food and perfumes.

“Good heavens, never have I been more grateful to not be a senator.” You murmured, unsure if Thrawn would be able to hear you over the din of the gala.

“I am curious it took you until this moment to draw such a conclusion.”  Thrawn’s soft voice was barely audible even as he leaned toward you a bit to be heard.

“Oh, don’t you start.”  You grumbled. “I haven’t even had a drink yet.”

You heard a soft laugh and quickly looked up at Thrawn’s face, your expression shocked. His face, however, was as impassive as ever, his green glasses flashing in the light as his head moved to take in the many people filling the bright hall.

“Did you just laugh?”  You tried not to sound as floored as you felt.

“I did no such thing.”  Thrawn’s arm tightened minutely around your own. “I’m currently focused on our main objective, something you should consider doing as well.”

You weren’t done needling him yet. “I didn’t think you were capable of humor.”

“Perhaps if you had the capacity to say something amusing, I’d be able to manage it.”  

You stopped, pulling Thrawn to a halt with you, your arms still linked.  It took a moment for you to blink the shock away before you let out a genuine laugh at his quick comment. “Touche.”

Your gaze locked briefly on a set of curious eyes from the crowd watching the two of you banter. Quickly you realized more than several party-goers were giving you and Thrawn furtive looks, a lot of curious glances being thrown Thrawn’s way.  You gave a dry chuckle.  “It seems your glasses haven’t quite done the trick, master of disguise.”

“Indeed, I’ve noticed our presence has drawn unwanted attention already.”  Thrawn shifted and began walking with you toward a long table laden with food. “No matter, I anticipated such variables to arise.”

You unlinked your arm from his upon reaching the table and snatched yourself a tempting pastry from a nearby platter. “You have to know how much you sound like a droid at times, Thrawn.”

He didn’t answer you, instead leveling a look that seemed to burn into you even through the green glass covering his red eyes.  In an instant, Thrawn’s demeanor shifted as his attention seemed drawn by something over your shoulder.  The Chiss bowed slightly and you turned to be greeted by a plump looking man of middle age, his wispy brown hair almost non-existent upon his shiny head.

Thrawn moved to your side and bowed sightly. “Senator Goru I expect, a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

Senator Goru, perspiring slightly, gave Thrawn a cursory glance, his eyebrow raised. “Ah yes, you’re the Pantoran I expect.  Curious to see a non-human at such an event.  And who is this lovely creature?”

“Jara Opaal.”  You smoothly used your alias, curtsying and allowing the Senator to take your hand in his sweaty palm.  You fought to not wince, noticing Thrawn shift his weight slightly next to you as if to intercede. You pressed your arm warningly against his, your smile transfixed on the old man as he placed a sloppy kiss to your knuckles. “I am Senator Rowaan’s betrothed.”  You smiled up at Thrawn briefly and he mirrored your practiced expression.

“You are a lucky man, Senator Rowaan.”  Goru gave Thrawn a judgemental glance up and down with his beady eyes, his gaze lingering on those damned green glasses. His attention shifted back to you with an unpleasant leer. “If you desire human companionship again, my lady, I am happy to oblige.”

You curtsied again, the bile in your throat making it impossible to speak without gagging.  Instinctively you curled your arm around Thrawn’s once more and to your surprise he seemed to draw you closer with a subtle movement.

“I will call upon you later.”  Thrawn spoke, still in that smooth emotionless voice of his. “We have matters I’d like to discuss regarding your newest trading partners.”

“Oh, the ones from Wild Space!”  Goru’s unpleasant gaze removed itself from perusing your body like a spacebar menu. “Yes, I’d be happy to divulge the details to you, Senator Rowaan, there are whispers about those men that I’m sure you’d find interesting, providing you bring along your beautiful paramour of course.”

Thrawn bowed slightly, his body language remained relaxed. “With all due respect, Senator-”

“I’d be glad to come along.”  You interrupted, forcing a doe-eyed and hopeful expression onto your face. “I’m quite thrilled to hear more about your illustrious career, Senator Goru.”

Goru beamed at you, giving you another appreciative look. “Until then, my dear.  Senator.”  He nodded at Thrawn before brushing past him, almost shoulder-checking him in the process.

You couldn’t suppress the sigh of relief at his departure, letting go of Thrawn’s arm to lean against the table.  “I appreciate your reluctance, Thrawn, but refusing that man will only hurt our mission.”

Thrawn remained motionless and silent for several seconds, almost to the point you felt like poking him to make sure he hadn’t turned to stone. At last he shook his head slightly and turned to face you. “I didn’t anticipate Senator Goru to behave in such a manner.”

“You’re used to the pristine professionalism of the Imperial Navy.” You rolled your shoulders, trying to ease the tension in your body. “This is a whole different pod-racing arena, as they say.”  A teasing smirk tugged your lips as you looked over what you could see of Thrawn’s face. “You didn’t predict that as being a variable?”

“Perhaps I am less like a droid than you anticipated.”  A teasing edge framed Thrawn’s words as he tilted his head slightly, observing your reactions.

“I’m still on the fence.”  You smiled briefly and took another bite of your pastry.  You cut your eyes across the gathering of people, looking for anyone who might not quite fit into the crowd. “Have you seen anyone who might be the insurgents?”

“Two men in the corner behind you have drawn my attention.  Don’t look.”  Thrawn’s voice hardened as you began to turn around. “There’s also a female Zabrak in attendance who appears to be trying to fit in perhaps too hard.”

“Is she wearing green eyeglasses?”  You couldn’t help yourself.

He ignored you. “I deem it necessary to split up at this juncture.”  With a deliberate movement he pushed his glasses higher up his nose with a finger. “You find the Zabrak and I will approach the two men in conversation. Try to eke out their purpose, pretend to be sympathetic to their cause if necessary.”

“I think we should stay together.”  You disagreed, more for the sake of getting under Thrawn’s skin than anything. “We have our aliases for a reason, why not use them?”

“Time is of the essence, my contrarian fiancée, it is now necessary to act separately for a while.”  Thrawn arched an eyebrow at you, waiting for your response.

You folded your arms. “I’m not contrarian.”

Thrawn’s lips twitched upwards momentarily as he considered you and your stance. “Quite.”  He made a small gesture to the side of the room you’d entered in at. “The Zabrak is over by the fountain.”  He hesitated before leaving you. “Good luck.”

You rolled your eyes in answer and departed towards where Thrawn had pointed, your eyes scanning for this eccentric Zabrak he’d mentioned.  The two of you were matched in Imperial rank and yet he acted like he was your superior officer, it rankled to no end.  Arrogant and self-assured, and yet he’d acted almost protective in the presence of that lecherous Senator Goru.  Or perhaps that was simply part of the act of pretending to be each other’s betrothed.

You ground your teeth, finally sighting on the Zabrak Thrawn had mentioned.  She did indeed look suspicious, even down to the way she was hovering aimlessly by the fountain, looking around with furtive glances.

You couldn’t wait for this mission to be over.

[pink-gladioli]

shit i forgot to post the first chapter before i left my bad

also shout out @/ p-s-yokubo for being my beta reader!!!

One hundred and fifty years wasn’t really long, not at Knightons Knights’ Academy. Peace had thrived in Knighton for centuries, monsters were a thing of the past even a hundred and fifty years ago all that remained of the inhuman creatures was a few weak stragglers at the edges of civilization. But it seemed as if it didn’t matter if there were monsters or not, a threat to the realm or peace, there would always be knights in Knighton just as the sun would rise every morning. So, in order to train these knights, the Knights’ Academy would stay alive but those youths they trained to become knights were far from what was deemed “knightly" all those centuries ago.

The Knights’ Academy had been founded over three thousand years ago, by Reginald Brickland, a member of the Order of the Eight, yet if its founder were to step foot in its halls he wouldn’t be able to recognize the very walls he built. It had gone through renovations, sure, no building can last three millennia no matter how much magic you blast into the foundation, but it was as if the very soul of the Academy had changed. With no monster to fight or major wars across its realm, Knighton had lost the need for rigidly trained knights. Instead, the Knights’ Academy served a more modern purpose, a training center for the kingdom's young minds. Everything from traditional combat training to acting was taught to the over ten thousand students that graced its halls. While every student was required to learn the ways of Knighthood, most didn’t have the intention of actually becoming a Shield Bearer or a Protector of the Realm. Most students attended to have access to the best educators Knighton has to offer, opportunities to raise their social class after graduation, or to mingle with the children of nobility. Regardless, each child that had the privilege of attending the Knights’ Academy was required to take at least some form of combat training which, for some, was part of the reason they worked so hard to enter this academy and for others it was… a pain.

“For the last time- it’s swing perry thrust then you-” “Will you shut up?! I don’t care how its supposed to be done, I finished the-” “Well, if you actually paid attention to the lesson then we wouldn’t have come in last place-” “SHUT UP YOU-”

Ah yes, the sixth years of Knightons’s academy, truly the most civil of knights in training. It was a cool spring day, the sun shone just enough to warm the skin but not too much where it was stronger than the cool eastern winds. A perfect day for outdoor battle practice and that was just what concluded. But unfortunately it was a group practice day in which all the students would be bunched into random groups and pitted against each other in battle. As one could imagine, not every group got along swimmingly.

“Lance, you have to pay more attention and actually try in practice! You act as if none of this matters!” A young boy yelled out, he was slightly shorter than the boy he was yelling at, his hair was a deep brown and was slicked back to not end up with hat hair from wearing a knight’s helmet too long. His skin was a light brown with slight scarring all over his arms and a bit of hyperpigmentation from sun damage. His eyes, much like his hair, were a deep brown but despite their dark color his annoyance was clear as day.

“Because it doesn’t matter! We finished the battle, who cares if we came in last place? I don't care and my opinion is the only one that matters! Get off your high horse, no one here really cares about this, Clay!” The other boy, Lance, yelled back. His hair was the perfect natural blond, styled to the T, that somehow survived the physical battle he and his peers just had. His skin was fair and face lacking any blemishes, most likely from the boy's 12 step skincare routine, and his eyes were such a bright light blue it was a shock he could actually look up at the skin without going blind.

The rest of their battle group did nothing to stop their bickering, they were all used to it. It wasn’t until a tall and lanky boy walked up to Clay and tapped his shoulder when they stopped yelling, if only for a second to listen to what he had to say. “Hey Clay- I uh- it’s time to go back and change into our uniforms, uh class is o-over…” The boy said timidly, nervously twiddling his fingers together as he avoided eye contact with Lance who was staring at him. He was taller, he had a few inches on Lance yet his body language was timid, like he was trying to seem as small as possible despite his size and disappear into the background. The boy was thin, very thin, and if it weren’t for the guaranteed three meals a day he got from the Knights’ Academy one would have wondered if he was eating enough. His skin was almost sickly pale, lacking any warmth, almost looking like lead white clown paint. The only bit of color visible on him besides the school provided battle armor was his eyes and hair. His hair was completely black, not even a direct hit from the sun would show any undertone, but it was hidden underneath the knight's helmet. Yet despite his black and white face, his eyes were a bright emerald green. Despite their glow, they stayed firmly on the ground, avoiding eye contact with both Clay and Lance.

“…Fine” Clay said, giving Lance a quick glare before walking away with the other boy. He ignored Lance’s name calling he whispered under his breath, if he spent more time arguing he would be late to Chivalry and Ethics 102. Clay took a deep breath as he reached the armory, took off his chestplate, and hung it carefully on the rack, “You did good Jestro, really” Clay said as he turned to the taller boy.

“H-Huh-? Oh, uh thanks Clay, I s-still messed up a lot…” Jestro said, looking down at the floor as his hands started to move in small circular movements, almost as if he was juggling something.

“Oh come on Jestro, you have to give yourself more credit! I saw your block after Glaziere came at you with his sword, a few weeks ago you were telling me how you thought you would never learn how to block!” Clay countered proudly, trying to motivate his friend.

“Yeah and immediately after I got hit in the back with an arrow. I’m not good at anything…” Jestro said, his entire soul seeming defeated, but once he got a glimpse of Clay’s facial expression that was a mix of concern and pity he straightened up his posture and put on a weak smile, “B-But m-maybe that just m-means I need to t-try harder! A-And if this whole knight thing doesn’t work out I can always keep s-studing under Merlok!” Jestro said, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself more than Clay.

“That’s the spirit Jestro, I’ll see you at lunch” Clay said with a smile before quickly taking off to his next class. He always made sure to arrive a few minutes before class started, something about how it showed his determination to learn. Jestro didn’t really understand it. He sighed, taking off his helmet and quickly putting on a jester hat. He changed out of his armor and into his school uniform.

If Jestro were to be honest, he would say he didn’t want to become a knight. Who really wanted to be a knight nowadays anyways? Certainly not him, but he would never admit it to Clay, he was so determined to become a Protector of the Realm. Still, Jestro had the suspicion that deep down Clay knew that Jestro didn’t want to be a knight, he just wanted a purpose, something to do with his life. But it didn’t help that everything he did was a complete failure. The only reason his battle squad didn’t get dragged down to last place due to him was because somehow Clay and Lance’s fighting was a greater weakness than his existence. He was reminded of his failure everyday, even as he got onto the Academy’s Holorail he could hear the quiet snickers that he knew were directed at him. He had messed up so many times in practice battles, gave the wrong answer in class, or tripped over nothing he became the prime target for bullying. Lucky for him, the ride to Merlok’s library was short enough where he didn’t hear too many whispered insults from his peers.

As Jestro stepped out of the holorail he looked up at the tower in front of him. It was one of the few old buildings left in the capital, the only real sign of modern day technology was the security system it had in place and even that wasn’t visible. The only tech that was visible was a small keypad and camera at the door but even those had been magically infused to keep them from shutting off if there was a power outage. At the top of the door, written in a magically glowing gold font was the words “Merlok the Magician’s Library,” this was the place Jestro spent instead of going to traditional classes. While the young man still had to take his core classes at the Academy, even Principal Brinkland knew that Jestro didn’t… thrive in these classes, so they simply shoved him to Merlok to get him out of their hair. He walked up and nervously typed in the code. It changed everyday and the only person that knew what the combination would be everyday was Merlok, so every morning Jestro would be awoken by some messenger bird pecking at the window with the code written on a piece of parchment tied to the bird’s leg. Jestro had tried to teach Merlok how to use a phone he could simply text him the code but somehow the teaching session ended up with a blown up phone and Merlok claiming that messenger birds were more reliable because they could take a fire blast without dying. Jestro then had to remind the man that no, birds can’t take a fireball to the head and survive, just like a phone can’t but there was no changing the man’s mind.

The old door stayed closed after Jestro typed in the code so he tried again, nothing. “Huh, that’s odd, it normally opens on its own after I type in the code” Jestro mumbled to himself before trying to push it open one more time and nothing again. So, the young boy took a few steps back before running at the door shoulder first, intending to brute force it open, but right before his shoulder made contact with the old wooden door, it opened and caused Jestro to run into the tower and crash against the wall.

“Ow! Crap ugh that hurt… Of course it opens-'' Jestro got up, ignoring the pain in his side as he dusted off the dirt on his clothes before making his way up the long spiral column of stairs. It felt like an eternity before he made it to the top of the tower, gently knocking on a large wooden door locked before him before pushing it open. “Merlok? Are you in here?”

As Jestro stepped into the library he saw an elderly man standing next to a large table that was covered in books with a staff in hand. The older man looked up from one of the old books and smiled warmly, “Ah, there you are my boy. Come over here I was looking over my old spell books and found some different incantations we could try.” Merlok was a kind soul, the last his kind, yet he did his best to pass his wisdom onto Jestro,

“Oh- uh I-I was kinda hoping we could j-just read and study instead of… practicing” Jestro said as he put down his bag next to the door then walked over to Merlok, his hands shaking slightly as he touched one of the books that was decades older than him. It didn’t matter how many times he interacted with Merlok’s relics, Jestro always felt like was going to ruin the sacred text somehow. “I don’t want to b-break anything…”

“Nonsense! Everything in this library is already preserved under the Royal Palace. Anyone can spend their whole life studying something but if they never apply that knowledge then it’s pointless. And besides, few are even able to use that knowledge” Merlok said with a sly smirk, gently nudging Jestro’s shoulder. Jestro gave a nervous smile back to the magician before he reached down for the small staff laid out on the table. “A-Alright, what are we doing?”

“It’s a simple teleportation incantation, although I’ve edited it slightly to focus more on the first part, making an object disappear!” Merlok said, flipping open one of the many books on the old table open to a page that had much more recent calligraphy in comparison to the century old spells written on the other pages.

“Wait, isn’t this the spell you use for events in the Joustdome? I thought it was a wordless spell,” Jestro asked, “Ah, yes. Of course, with experience even the most complicated of spells can be performed without its incantation, but young sourcers are always taught the incantations of their spells. But don’t worry, this is a simple spell, you’ll get the hang of it and before you know you’ll be performing alongside me in the Joustdome” Merlok said with a warm smile, placing a reassuring hand on Jestro’s shoulder before reaching for a empty potion bottle and placing it on the table. “Now simply read the incantation here and focus your mind onto the glass bottle, just like the levitation spell we practiced a few weeks ago.”

“A-Alright, I-I’ll try not to turn it into a glass pig…” Jestro mumbled nervously as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wooden wand. It was the first item that started his magical journey, Merlok had noticed the fine bits of purple feathers crafted into the small staff would glow a faint light whenever Jestro tried to do anything whilst the wand was near around the boy’s second year in the academy. That was how Merlok discovered Jestro had the ability to wield magic, although faintly and his connection to magic still needed to be greatly strengthened; it had been the first sign of a possible new wizard in decades.

“So it’s uh- Okay, d-deep breaths, you c-can do t-this… E-Evanescet- AH-!” As soon as Jestro raised his wand and the spell slipped from his lips a golden light surrounded the glass bottle. But just as soon as it began to glow, its light faded and violently shattered into a thousand small pieces. How Jestro nor Merlok was hit the young wizard in training didn’t know. But as soon as realized what happened he quickly started apologizing.

“Gah- Merlok I’m so s-sorry I-I didn’t mean to-” Jestro tried apologizing as he panicked at the sight of the broken bottle.

“It’s alright my boy, no one got hurt and mistakes happen. Normally failed incantations result in nothing and I can’t say I remember any of the other wizard trainees of the time of the Council having such a…” Merlok paused for a second, trying to find the right word that wouldn’t break the boy’s already fragile ego, “…violent result to such a simple spell…”

Merlok didn’t have to say it and he never tried to say anything that would hurt Jestro, he knew the boy was trying, but his facial expression showed his confusion, slight disappointment, and worry clear as day. Jestro pushed down the shame as deep as he could, he wouldn’t cry over something this small, no matter how much it hurt him to have his mentor disappointed in him. He knew Merlok wasn’t the best at comforting people so he tried to put on a neutral face.

“But it’s okay, let’s take a break alright?” Merlok said, putting down his own staff and closing the book, “We’ll clean up later. Now, tell me how your interview for your role of Royal Jester went?” Merlok asked, quickly trying to change the subject as he led Jestro out of the library.

so thats all i have so far! pls leave any suggestions and critism you have!! next chapter will probably just be focused on introducing the main 5 with maybe a bit of ava and robin in the background idk

[honeytonedhottie]

hello!! sorry for any grammar mistakes, english is not my first language but i'd like to share my success history abou how i cleared my skin with robotic affirmations :D. it all started at the end of 2023 when suddenly very painful pimples started to show up on my cheeks and comedones on my forehead and cheeks too. i tried a lot of different products for acne and facial treatments with aestheticians but nothing worked, actually all of that only made my skin worse and more sensitive.

then i discovered about loa and affirmations on twitter and went on to search more about it here on tumblr. it was here that i discovered about robotic affirmations and when u decided i would try it.

at the beginning it was a bit hard since i had never really believed in these kind of things and my mind would constantly go "against me" lol. but i persisted and continued to say the affirmations. i would say "i am very grateful to have a naturally perfect skin, free from any acne, blemishes, imperfections, irritations and i am very grateful for knowing that i can eat, drink, use and do whatever i want and my skin remains perfect" (i used this in my native language), and repeat this affirmation every time i remembered or every time i felt my skin itching or hurting, everyday and at any time. i also started listening to subliminals everyday. sometimes i affirmed while listening to the subliminals and sometimes i would just listen to them while doing other things.

as i said, at the beggining i was very doubtful and wouldn't actually believe but as the time was passing i started to believe more and more and at the start of 2024 it was when i started to see the results. suddenly my skin stopped itching and hurting and then my acne just cleared up. just like that. nowadays i dont have any comedone or pimples on my face anymore and i continue to affirm, but much less (since now i have other goals) and listen to subliminals and ever since i never had another problem with my skin <3

WOWOWOWOWOW GIRLIE U DID THATTT ⭐️👏🏽 thank you for sharing, u are SO POWERFUL.

[aangellblogs]

How to look and feel good at school

❥ find hairstyles that suit your face shape eg ponytail, half up, a cute headband etc

❥ find what type of jewellery suits your skin tone (green veins = gold, blue or purple = silver)

❥ if you wear a uniform find cute vests/jumpers/etc to enhance it

❥ if you don’t wear a uniform find a style that’s comfy but still is stylish

pinterest has some really cute inspo pics

❥ if your school is strict but you want to wear makeup use a clear eyebrow gel, a simple lipgloss, mascara and a natural concealer to cover up any blemishes

this will make you look clean and put together

❥ WEAR DEODORANT PLEASE!!

a cute perfume as will make you smell even better

❥ be nice to everyone - it actually makes you seem pretty

pretty personality = pretty appearance

❥ hair oil and leave in conditioner will make your hair shiny and more presentable

❥ paint your nails a neutral colour and shape them

❥ keep your head up and smile, confidence is key

❥ don’t be a bitch, it’s annoying and unnecessary

❥ make pretty study notes and take inspo from an it girl:

eg cher horowitz, blair waldorf, elle woods, rory gilmore

❥ keep on top of work, make a pretty schedule with notion it’s super helpful

and remember you all are beautiful no matter what

[ramayantika]

Samridhi's Journal

I can only express through art. Someone said they saw raw passion and love in my eyes when I talked about how art could only make me feel alive, and how it was the most wonderful, yet also the nightmarish thing to occur to me. I dance through my nightmares too, my feet red and bloodied, and my soul transcending the limits of this body. God, I want this, I crave this so badly -- this must stay forever in my heart, in my life, in my soul.

I am seldom the lover in my life, romantically speaker than the lovers I talk about in my writings. Romance never occurred to me much, not generally with a man, I am a lover, and even having a boy, I still feel that my identity as a lover isn't associated with having a beloved, but for my love for my life and my art. There is madness flowing through me. I yearn to dance, sing and scream. Then I want to sleep for a long time, wake up and dance again. I shall cry hard, weep about the younger selves whom I abandoned years ago. Nothing ever makes sense, and I have so less time. There is chatter around me, loads and lots of, and I still amidst the company of friends feel alone, and I wonder, if this loneliness will ever go away. I turn to art, to my notebooks, and ankle bells in hopes that I will reach home, but what if art is my only home now. It's noisy. It's beautiful. It's ugly. It's sinful. It's messy. It's divine.

Beauty is my failed pursuit, it feels when she points at the latest blemish sporting in my skin. I felt like the glorious sun before, but now I sit quietly like the eclipsed sun. I want to be flawless, and dreamy, but i am after all, nature's daughter. There's gravel and mud through which wild flowers and lotuses bloom, and this silly little blemish seems really insignificant. She talks about how she would hate ageing and wants to look forever young, and I am tired of hearing the same beauty regimen being repeated to me to clear my skin. Pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, my face, but in my heart, yes I am a pretty person, yet I burn in envy, and transform into a monster with my pride and ego. I hate everything. I love everything too. The gods love me. i hate the gods. They make me so powerless, but I am in the end some nights a writer, so I change the tales of some gods.

I am only but a performer, my life a full performance only. When will the curtains draw, and I shall exit the stage with a final bow. Sometimes, I think about dying on stage. There are too many thoughts about death everyday, that perhaps might just attract death to pay a little visit, to see who calls out to him, and thinks of him so often. But, it is the coming of the same death that makes me fear, and not death actually, like Dorian said.

Breathe. Life is tender. I see tenderness in this war-filled world. There must be tenderness somewhere blooming in warm hearts. What is this madness samridhi?? Your thoughts run like a river, maybe faster, and where is it that you take them every night as you furiously type and write them, in hopes that someday something makes sense?

[goldenbeautyavon]

Have you ever contemplated the methods to achieve clear, soft, radiant, and glowing skin that could elicit admiration from onlookers, even the sun itself? If so, you are about to embark on an enlightening journey into skincare practices. Today, I will take you step-by-step through my comprehensive at-home spa day, detailing the specific techniques and high-quality products that enabled me to achieve this remarkable transformation in just over a week of consistent usage. During this process, I will share my skincare routine, explaining how each product contributes to enhancing skin clarity and promoting a luminous complexion.

Furthermore, I will provide a detailed recipe for a homemade coffee face scrub, which utilizes natural ingredients known for their exfoliating properties. This scrub not only helps to remove dead skin cells but also invigorates the skin, leading to a smoother and more radiant appearance. Stay tuned as I guide you through this rejuvenating experience, ensuring that you too can achieve the glowing skin you desire.

Anti-aging: Coffee can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and saggy skin.

Exfoliation: Coffee can remove dead skin and promote healthy cell turnover.

Reduced inflammation: Coffee can help reduce redness, acne, blemishes, and hyperpigmentation.

Tightened skin: The caffeine in coffee can help tighten skin and make it feel more springy.

Reduced puffy eyes: Coffee can help reduce puffiness under the eyes.

Improved blood circulation: Coffee can help improve blood circulation, which can make skin look more radiant.

Cellulite reduction: The caffeine in coffee may help improve blood flow and reduce cellulite.

Soothed sunburns: Diluted coffee can help soothe sunburned skin.

Improved dark circles: A coffee and honey paste can help improve blood circulation under the eyes and reduce dark circles.

Coffee is rich in antioxidants, including phenols, which can help protect your skin from free radicals that can damage it.

The exfoliating coffee face mask wipes out all the dead skin cells promotes blood circulation and makes your skin smooth, soft, and brighter. Benefit 5: Reduce dark circles: The caffeine content in coffee beans treats stubborn dark circles by encouraging the blood vessels!

[changelingsandothernonsense]

josh childhood/teenage years info dump?

Hello! Joshi's childhood is an infodump and a half. There's a few CW for abuse. This one is long so I'm putting it under a cut.

Josh was born to very young parents who had no idea what they were doing but tried their best to make things work. Maera and Yani had fled Blacklight for Cheydinhal a few months before he was born. The circumstances of which involve Yani's connections to the Camonna Tong and the stealing of their branch head's betrothed. That and Maera not wanting to raise a half Ashlander son around her father. Who would only see the child's differences and treat him accordingly.

The first four years of his life were spent in Cheydinhal and naturally he doesn't remember much of it. He has a few loose memories about his father taking him hunting in the forest and him teaching him to draw a little but not much else. He remembers how his mother wasn't the same when he didn’t come back after leaving for a job.

Teldryn remembers how his mother was begging Yani not to go, something about making do and finding a better way to make money. He remembers his father telling him about how he was going to travel through some caves that had whole lost cities in them. He recalls flapping a book around that had drawings of various Dwemeri constructs in it and asking Yani about each one.

Yani Ensirhaddon is the reason Teldryn has a massive interest in the Dwemer. It's an interest he shares with his father, who liked to collect Dwemer artifacts.

He doesn't remember how many months it took before Maera moved both of them back to Blacklight but he doesn’t think he was much older than four or five. So less than a year had passed.

Joshi's time in Blacklight was mixed. This was when his grandmother, Nervynna Sero, was still alive so she shielded him a lot from Ilaro Sero’s outbursts. Though Ilaro would never let him forget he was nothing but the unwanted and inconvenient spawn of an Ashland thief.

Teldryn received the kind of education that one would expect a high-born kid to have. The Sero clan were merchants who made a name for themselves on the mainland with the prosperity of their ebony mines. Most of what they sell is through the EETC, and Nervynna was hoping that her grandson might serve as a negotiator/ liaison to Cyrodiilic interests. Especially once Nervynna figured that he had a gift for languages. (That and his manipulative little face. Lovingly.)

Teldryn's fluent in Dunmeris, Cyrodiilic and High Elvish as well as being well versed in Aldmeris...something he would be thankful for later. He likes puzzles and cyphers and isn't too bad at maths. He creates himself a code to write his thoughts in. Mostly he was writing long love letters to a boy in his tutoring classes. It occupied his mind and stopped him thinking about the things he saw in his mind at night.

His mother would grow increasingly distant as Josh got older and came to closely resemble his father. Her affections were often hot and cold. One moment she's showering him in toys and sweets and the next she's throwing a bottle of liquor at him and blaming him for her misery. For most of his early years, his grandmother served as his main parental figure until she died from a fever that had rocked through Blacklight when he was 13.

His grandfather would move them to Vvardenfell that same year. Ilaro was an ambitious man, and that ambition had made him his fortune, but there was always something in the way. His ambition demanded that he have the backing of one of the Great Houses and since Redoran had made it very clear over the centuries that the Sero clan would not be made members due to a blemish on their lineage (plot important) he decided to try for House Hlaalu instead. They aligned far more with his philosophy anyway. He had started this process years before, planning on securing a marriage bond, but things didn't play out the first time around and Teldryn was living proof of that.

The Sero household moved to Vivec City briefly before Ilaro purchased property in both Suran and Balmora, respectively. Though Suran would be his primary residence.

With the absence of his grandmother there was no one to push back against Ilaro's abuses. As far as he was concerned, Teldryn was a bastard who ruined his chances at getting into House Hlaalu once already. (Maera was initially betrothed to Orvas Dren, Yani popping in and sweeping her off her feet in an awkward fashion weren’t exactly planned or appreciated.) As such he was made to feel very unwelcome. Maera was terrified of her father and rarely ever did she stand up to him. It's something he finds hard to forgive.

Josh starts acting out a lot, and on one trip to Balmora, not long after they'd moved, he and his uncle (who he almost doesn't get along with) get into a fight. Josh ends up storming off to Labour Town, where he finds himself wandering about a Velothi run bazaar. He decides to get his face tattooed and chooses a design that reminded him of the scarification pattern his mother described Yani having. He chooses purple because it's his favourite colour. He gives his mother a shock when he eventually stumbles home. There are times when he regrets getting them, since the motivation was out of spite, but he's since gotten used to them. They're just a part of his face at this point.

Things start to spiral downhill as the years drag on. His tutoring ended when he was 17 (around the time his magical abilities showed up), and it was becoming readily apparent that Ilaro was going to kick Josh out before he was 20. This just made him act out more, he starts committing petty crimes in Suran with a small group of urchins. This is when he starts to catch Orvas Dren’s eye, who, by this stage, has taken over Vvardenfell's Camonna Tong chapter.

He starts paying Teldryn to do smuggling jobs for him. Nothing too fancy, just small items and moon sugar. Josh starts learning he's got a propensity for pyromancy. He would remain largely untrained, however, outside of what he'd pick up in the odd tome he'd swipe or whatever he could find at the Dren Plantation.

When Josh was 19, Ilaro decided he would actively seek membership into House Hlaalu again. This time his sponsors would be the Omanis, who had an interest in partnering with one of his ebony mines.

It was imperative that Josh remained unseen. The presence of a Velothi bastard would only hurt Ilaro's chances in his eyes. This wouldn't be the first time a Velothi ruined his ambitions.

Maera, however, was worrying about what would become of her son. She knew he was out making mischief. She worried for his safety in her own way, her anxiety being triggered by Orvas Dren stepping back into the picture. He had been the one responsible for Yani's disappearance after all.

She was terrified to think of what he would do to her son, he threatened his life once before. It's why Yani left.

She resolved to become more involved in Joshi's future. She hoped maybe the Hlaalu Guard might be good for him. No one would take a Velothi apprentice, so pursuing magic was out of the question, as was him getting a role in the family company.

It was during this time that Ilaro had the clan stay at the Omani plantation so that he could work out a deal with Velanda Omani. It was here that Joshi met Velanda's granddaughter, Maralie Omani, who was a few years his senior and already engaged.

Josh was smitten from the moment she wandered into the kitchens where Josh had been hiding. He thought he was in love, ask him later, and he'd say he was a dumb kid, but a part of him will always have feelings for her. (As would become apparent when Red Mountain erupts).

Josh is caught in the act on the Sero’s last night at the manor and is immediately punished. Maera takes Josh back to Suran whilst Ilaro tries to fix things. Her hope is to get Josh into the guard early, before Ilaro gets back but things did not work out that way.

The Seros were staying with the Omanis for the summer. Teldryn and Maralie had two and a half months together by that point and Josh wanted to elope. He just never had the chance. He still kicks himself that he didn't just ask her. At least then he might have had some semblance of a relationship with his son, and maybe he could have avoided the mess that followed. He just wished he'd anticipated what followed- he didn’t even know Maralie was pregnant.

Ilaro and the Omanis arrived back in Suran to finalise things. It seemed from the outside that Ilaro had managed to fix things between them. In reality, he'd signed away ownership of his Vvardenfell ebony mines in exchange for admittance into House Hlaalu with the caveat that they get rid of the Velothi. Ilaro didn't have to think twice. He was getting everything he'd ever wanted.

Maera is devastated and works up the courage to stand up for Teldryn only to find herself again at the receiving end of his rage. He then goes to find Teldryn and starts beating him senseless while his mother helplessly watches.

Teldryn is thrown out, fleeing over the fence and into the night. He first goes to the Omani estate in Suran to find Maralie but he's ignored. Instead he finds himself aimlessly wandering the streets. He's picked up by Orvas Dren just as he starts to become desperate and hungry. The mer offers him a place to stay and work. He can't refuse.

He wishes that he did.

It started fine, Teldryn would run the usual smuggling jobs with the other kids. He was making coin and Dren was showering him with praise and attention. Things seemed good until they weren't.

After a few months, Josh started being invited into Dren’s office. He hated those nights. He could never scrub himself clean enough.

Eventually, Josh decided he needed to escape the Dren plantation. He managed to get himself back to Suran and asked a guard for help. He was fed, given clean clothes and sent straight back to the Dren plantation. This is when he receives his eyebrow scar and the thin one around his left arm. The punishment he received fractured his brow bone as well as a few ribs.

But the invites to Dren’s office stopped, so that was something. Of course, that was until he was drugged and carted off to the Suran markets where he was sold to an Orcish bastard who ran the day to day of a smuggling ring in Cheydinhal. It seemed that Orvas Dren had grown bored of him.

Josh spent almost four years working for this branch of the Tong. He was mostly used as the group’s fire power. He also worked as a bouncer at the pleasure house the group ran their operations out of.

He wasn’t particularly high-ranking but no one really bothered him. He made do and tried to ignore the silver brace on his wrist that marked what he was. Here he got fed and he certainly wasn’t bored. He wasn't really sure what to do with himself and instead did as he was told. He didn't trust the guard enough to help him and there was little opportunity for escape.

One day they get a request to smuggle people and cargo into Morrowind. They had some new members and Josh had a bad feeling about the whole thing. Though he couldn't affect the situation. All they needed him for was to defend their back in case any guards followed them.

It ended in disaster. The whole thing was a set up, with the new members being Imperial spies. Teldryn is instructed to slow them down. Unfortunately he's untrained and ends up causing the sewer tunnels under Cheydinhal to collapse.

Josh flees the scene but is separated from the rest of the group. He's unsure of what happened, just that he caused a cave in when he tried to summon a wall of fire. He goes into hiding for a few days, thinking to himself that maybe this is his opportunity to escape.

He makes his way back into town, careful to avoid the guard only to find his mother of all people looking for him. She promises to get him to safety, only to turn him in to the Legion in exchange for a lighter sentence for Josh. It was not a promise that is ever fulfilled.

Josh doesn't give a shit about Maera’s intentions (getting him out of the Tong so that he doesn't get killed.) He just feels an overwhelming sense of abandonment and betrayal as his sentence is read out to him.

Execution, for the murder of four Imperial agents.

This would be overturned and reinstated multiple times with Josh only being released 33 years later. Dumped in the province he thought he'd never have to see again.

Anyway I thought I'd draw Joshi at age 22 (think 17-18). Something something mugshot something something he cuts his own hair.