#and some salt foot scrub like 1-2 times a week

[wingwaver]

bitches were right about all that moisturizer talk all these years

my face skin is so fucking soft

[hauntedhowlett-writes]

take care - chapter 2

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Pairing: Joel Miller/Reader

Rating: Explicit (18+, MDNI)

Read it on AO3

Summary:

After waking up to an empty house and a missing horse, you make the journey to Jackson in to give Joel Miller a piece of your fucking mind.

Additional tags: explicit sexual content, p in v, apology sex disguised as hate sex

When Joel and Ellie finally make it back to Jackson, he expects to feel relief. That his life would get back on track, back to some semblance of normal.

What he didn’t expect was to be greeted by a fist to the face.

“You son of a bitch!” A familiar voice shouts at him. One that he didn’t think he’d hear again. “You stole my fucking horse!”

“Oh shit,” Ellie says with a laugh. When Joel lifts his head, he sees her run to you and wrap you in a hug.

Traitor.

You squeeze Ellie back. “It’s so good to see you.” Your eyes narrow at Joel. “I’m gonna kick your ass, Miller.”

“Have at it,” Ellie says.

“Ellie,” Joel hisses. He takes a tentative step forward. “Look, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“That ain’t worth shit, Joel.”

Tommy chooses that moment to finally make an appearance. “Is everything alright here?”

“Everything’s just swell ,” you say sarcastically. “But I hope you’re ready to be an only child.”

Tommy blinks, head swiveling towards Joel. “You’ve been here for less than ten minutes, how have you pissed someone off already?”

“It’s a gift of his,” Ellie says.

“Alright, alright. Let’s all calm down,” Maria says as she walks up, standing beside Tommy. “You take Joel, I’ll take the girls.”

“Come on, brother. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

Joel follows Tommy, glancing back at you and Ellie. Your arms are crossed over your chest and you raise an eyebrow challengingly at him.

If looks could kill, he’d be six feet under.

________

“So you guys made it to Salt Lake but then…?” You ask Ellie, picking at the meal Maria set in front of you.

You’d been in Jackson for a week now. When you’d woken up to an empty bed, an emptier house, and one less horse in your pasture, you’d made the split second decision to chase that horse stealing piece of shit across state lines because damn it , he owes you a fucking explanation.

After boarding up all your windows and doors in the hopes that you’d get to come back to a house and not a clicker party or a scavenged skeleton, you loaded up Millie, your remaining mare, and set out for Jackson County, Wyoming. It’s the only other place that Joel and Ellie mentioned during their time with you, and it seemed like a good bet.

The trip was long, but quiet. It gave you ample time to stew in your anger and your hurt.

When you’d arrived at the town, you were pleasantly surprised by the community they’d built. After being alone for so long, it was nice to be surrounded by people. Tommy assigned you to farm work and animal care, tasks you were already familiar with from back home.

“Joel said the Fireflies gave up trying to find a cure. That it wasn’t worth the effort anymore,” she said, voice morose. Maria shares a look with you that you can’t interpret.

“Traveled all that way for nothin’, huh?” You joke, nudging her with your shoulder. She flashes you a brief smile. “Glad you’re okay, kid.”

Her smile reaches her eyes this time. “Sorry about your horse. It was Joel’s shitty idea.”

“Don’t make a habit out of stealing.” You tug on her ponytail in reply and she leans away from you, laughing. “Or one day you’ll steal from the wrong people.”

________

“So…you had sex with this woman…and then stole her horse?” Tommy asks, eyebrows raised judgmentally at Joel. “I can’t believe I ever looked up to you.”

Joel scrubs a hand across his face. “It wasn’t my finest moment, okay?”

“Where’s the horse now? You guys came here on foot.”

“I lost him. Back in Salt Lake.”

Tommy barks out a laugh. “Oh, you definitely earned that punch.”

Joel rolls his eyes. Tommy stops their walk in front of a two story house that looks like it’s seen better days.

“This one’s for you,” Tommy tells him. “There’s a garage in the back. Figured that maybe Ellie might like her own space after…everything.”

Joel stares at the house. The siding is faded, and the roof could use some work. “Seems like a lot of space for just one person.”

“Maybe it won’t just be you forever,” Tommy replies before heading up the steps to the front door. “Come on.”

Joel considers his brother’s words as he follows him up the steps.

Maybe it won’t just be you forever.

Too bad the only woman he’d stop to consider forever with hates his guts.

______

When Joel returns to the town square with Tommy, his eyes catch on you laughing boisterously at something Ellie said, the younger girl’s most shit eating grin lighting up her face.

“Since the house needs some work, you can stay in one of the lodge rooms. Your uh…lady friend…is also staying there until we fix a place up for her,” Tommy says. As if sensing someone is talking about you, you glance over at the two men, eyes narrowing at Joel. “Good luck with that.”

With a clap on the shoulder, his brother leaves him standing in the middle of the town in a staring contest with you. He refuses to flinch, refuses to look away in the hopes that something in his gaze conveys the apology he owes you.

The message must get delivered because your shoulders drop just slightly, some of the tension easing from your muscles and your gaze softening. But before he gets a chance to take advantage of your change in mood, you turn and walk away with a wave to Ellie.

“Where’s she off to?” He asks her as he approaches. She smirks.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She says. Joel raises an eyebrow and waits her out. He knows damn well she can’t keep her mouth shut. “Alright, fine! She went to the stable for evening chores.”

He claps her on the shoulder in thanks before heading out after you.

“I’m not settin’ your nose if she breaks it!” Ellie yells out behind him.

Joel rolls his eyes but keeps walking.

He’s got an apology to make.

________

You lay out the last meal of the night in Millie’s stable, patting her on the side affectionately as she munches happily on her hay.

“Crazy day today, Mills,” you tell her. “You’ll never guess who showed up.”

“You talkin’ about me?” A deep voice says, making you jump slightly.

“Talkin’ shit,” you reply.

“Listen—“

“No, you listen. I don’t owe you shit,” you snap, cutting him off as that anger bubbles up inside of you. “And really, at the end of the day, I guess you don’t owe me shit either. And that’s fine. But I had the decency to treat you like a goddamn human and you didn’t give me the same respect.”

“Why’d you come here?” Joel asks, voice quiet.

You pause. “What?”

“Why’d you come here?” Joel asks again, louder. He takes a step closer. “Why come all this way? To yell at me?”

“I—“

“Or is it because you were startin’ to feel somethin’?”

You take a step back as he continues to advance, your back thumping against the wall as he blocks you in.

“Because that’s what made me leave, sweetheart,” Joel continues.

You gape at him. “You’re kidding me, right? You’re telling me the reason you left was because I had a goddamn crush on you?” You shove against his chest with both hands, surprising him enough that he stumbles back a step, leaving enough space for you to slip out from between him and the wall. “Go fuck yourself, Joel Miller.”

You rush out of the stable, ignoring his calls of your name as you head back to town, back to the little room at the lodge they’ve been letting you call home.

________

Joel lies awake that night in his room, the first ounce of privacy he’s had that didn’t involve lying on his death bed or being knocked out cold, thinking about you. About the anger in your eyes as he once again fucked up his words and couldn’t get his true feelings out.

Typical.

With a sigh, he sits up, accepting that sleep won’t come to him until he fixes this rift, this canyon, he’s created with you.

After pulling on his t-shirt, he leaves his room in search of yours. Ellie’s got the one next to him, so it stands to reason that the room at the end of the hall with a sliver of light spilling from the gap between the door and floor is where he’ll find you.

He knocks softly, three times, holding his breath as he strains to hear any movement from you. He thinks you’re going to ignore him, but the soft creak of the mattress and footsteps on the hardwood prove him wrong.

You open the door slightly, just a crack, but enough for Joel to get an eyeful of the exposed skin of your thigh. “What?”

“Let me in,” Joel demands.

You roll your eyes and attempt to shut the door in his face, but he presses a palm against the rough wood. He shoves it open just wide enough for him to slip inside, kicking the door shut behind him with his foot.

________

Joel’s pressed alarmingly close to you after that maneuver, his chest rising and falling rapidly, brushing against yours with each inhale.

Those dark brown eyes search yours for one brief moment before his callused hands are framing your face and tugging your lips to his.

Stunned, your stupid lizard brain takes over and immediately kisses him back, your mouth opening to him without argument. Your hands fist his thin t-shirt, unsure of whether you want to pull him closer or shove him away.

As your logic returns to you, you bite Joel’s lip in retaliation. Hard enough to make him hiss a murmured curse against your lips, but not enough to deter him. Instead, he wraps his hands under your thighs and lifts you, turning to press your back against the door.

What sprinkle of logic that returned to you vanishes as he grinds against your center, the length of him warm even through the layers of sleep clothes between you. A whine leaves your lips against your will.

“That the spot, baby?” Joel whispers against your ear before nipping at the lobe. “Tell me, did this pussy miss my cock?”

Your cheeks burn at his words. Because any time you closed your eyes since your one night together, all you could picture was his body moving on top of yours, even as you told yourself you hated the man.

“I think it did,” Joel continues when you don’t reply. He shifts until you’re propped up on one strong arm, his free hand sliding between your bodies until his fingers slip beneath the band of your underwear.

“Don’t hurt yourself, old man,” you say, but your voice comes out more breathy than snarky. And he notices.

“You wanna play like that?” He growls. Without warning, two thick fingers plunge inside of you, curling mercilessly and making you cry out. “Be quiet. ”

“Or what?” You hiss. You lean forward, sinking your teeth roughly into his neck, causing him to groan.

He withdraws his hand, leaving you disappointingly empty. But when he doesn’t move, it takes you a moment to realize that hand has shoved down his sleep pants and is now holding your panties to the side as he thrusts inside you in one sharp motion.

“Oh my god,” you gasp, back arching from the door. “Joel !”

“That’s right, baby, say my fuckin’ name,” he says, jaw clenched as he pounds into you roughly.

“Joel, Joel, Joel,” you pant, arms wrapped tightly around his neck as you hold on for dear life against the onslaught of sensation.

He buries his head against your neck, pressing soft kisses there that juxtapose the brutal pace he’s set with his cock. It’s in that action that you realize what this is. Not a hate fuck, but an apology.

It only takes a few more well angled thrusts for you to unravel around him, your muscles tightening almost painfully before your release washes over you.

“That’s it, baby,” Joel murmurs as his own rhythm stutters. He pulls out suddenly, grinding his cock against the soft skin of your belly until he cums, hot and heavy.

He sets you down slowly, making sure you’re okay before bending to pull his pants back up around his waist. He lifts you again, this time with one hand around your back and the other under your knees, carrying you a few steps to the bed and settling you down gently.

“Hold on,” he says before disappearing into the bathroom and coming back with a warm washcloth.

“This seems familiar,” you mutter, refusing to meet his eyes. He tilts your head toward him with a finger beneath your chin, pressing a kiss to your lips.

“Not goin’ anywhere this time,” he promises when he pulls back, wiping the mess from your skin before tossing the cloth to the floor.

He crawls beneath the scratchy comforter with you, looping an arm around your waist and pressing against you.

“Didn’t leave because you had a crush on me. I left because I knew if I stayed, if I kept fooling myself into thinking that a life with you was in the cards for me…well, I’d’ve never left.”

You shift in his arms, turning to face him. “Would that have been so bad?”

“You don’t deserve to deal with the shit I come with.”

“Hate to break it to you, Joel, but you’re still here. With me. You just added more steps to the process.” You pause. “All while losing my horse.”

He laughs. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“You ever gonna tell me what happened in Salt Lake?”

He grows serious, then. His eyes harden, jaw clenching. “I don’t…I don’t think you'll like the answer.”

“Did the Fireflies really give up on a cure, Joel?” You ask tentatively when he doesn’t offer anymore information. He shakes his head, eyes looking past you. “Did…did you kill them?”

His eyes meet yours then as he nods, and you inhale sharply.

“Okay,” you whisper. He looks at you in surprise.

“Okay?” He asks, voice incredulous.

“Yeah. Okay.”

He burrows close to you, shuffling forward until he can place his head to your chest. You run your fingers through his hair soothingly.

“Thank you,” he murmurs.

________

When Joel wakes, it’s on the edge of the mattress. You’re splayed out over the remaining third, mouth open in a snore. The sight makes Joel smile.

He nudges you on the shoulder and you blink up at him sleepily. “I’m gonna get us coffee,” he tells you. You nod before turning onto your belly and burying your head into the pillow.

“Two sugars,” you mumble.

Joel laughs as he leaves your room, heading for the lobby. He stops short when he sees Ellie sitting in one of the old stuffed chairs, feet propped on a small table. She smirks at him.

“Hey,” she says. “Thought I’d go with you to get coffee but imagine my complete and total surprise to find your room empty.”

He frowns at her. “Shut up.”

“Great comeback. Award winning. How will I ever recover from such a blow,” she replies sarcastically as he stomps to his room.

“ Ellie. ”

“Must’ve been one hell of an apology.”

“ELLIE!”

As the young girl’s laughter follows him to his room, he shuts the door and he thinks that maybe, just maybe, he’s finally where he’s meant to be.

[lolamaehare]

The only everything shower routine you’ll ever need ౨ৎ

Pre shower

Hair -

Scalp oiling: use a store bought scalp oil or make your own. Cover hair with cling film to stop dust and dirt while it stays in your hair for 2-4 hours.

Rosemary water: boil rosemary in water for 20 minutes and allow to cool before straining into a spray bottle.

Scalp massage: massage scalp for at least 20 minutes once scalp oil is applied, increases blood circulation which helps hair growth.

Face -w

Flaxseed mask: mix 1/2 flaxseeds with 3 cups water, bring to a boil until thick while continuously stirring then put into a container to cool. Apply to face once cool and leave until dried, around an hour.

Shape eyebrows: pluck eyebrows, if wanted use dye to define them further.

Hands and feet-

Foot spa: if you don’t have a foot spa fill a bowl with hot water, add bath salts and essential oil for scent and extra benefits

Remove any nail polish

Shape and file nails

Scrub feet: use pumice stone or another tool, then afterwards a body/foot scrub.

Body -

Dry brush: start from the bottom of your body and work you way up. Promotes blood circulation and exfoliates giving you smooth skin.

During shower

Hair -

Double shampoo: double shampoo when scalp oiling to properly cleanse scalp of oil.

Hair mask: while the hair mask sits in your hair for 10+ minutes it’s a good time to gua sha your face.

Conditioner

Face -

Gua sha: open lymph nodes, go through a gua shaing routine, then drain lymph nodes. There are lots of tutorials online to follow. I gua sha in the shower with a face wash and water. Never gua sha on dry skin it damages your skin barrier and causes premature aging, if you skin starts to feel like it’s pulling add more moisture.

Face wash

Body -

Exfoliate: use a glove, net or other exfoliating tool to exfoliate body.

Body scrub

Body wash

Shave (if wanted): use a sharp razor, blunt razors can cause razor bumps. Shave with a cream or wash, never on skin alone.

After shower

Face -

Face mask

Skincare: if you have products that you only use every so often this is a good time to use them as an extra treat.

Eye mask

Lip scrub: make your own with sugar, honey and coconut oil or use a store bought one.

Lip balm/moisturiser

Eyelash and eyebrow oil/serum: castor oil works great for me.

Body -

Body oil: apply a scented body oil straight out of shower while skin is still damp.

Moisturize: moisturise entire body.

Hair -

Leave in conditioner: depending on hair type the amount will vary, if you have straighter hair add very little and only to the ends to prevent greasiness.

Hair oil: once hair is completely dry warm a tiny amount of hair oil in your palms (hair oil is not the same as scalp oil!) rub into the very ends of your hair to help with split ends, shine and dryness

Hands and feet -

Paint nails

Cuticle oil: apply either bought cuticle oil or another skin oil such as almond oil or coconut oil to cuticles of hands and feet after nail polish is dry.

Moisturize: moisture both hands and feet, add vaseline to feet on top and put on socks to help absorption

Extras

Layer scents: mix and match the scents body washes, scrubs, hair products and moisturisers to create your personal scent. For example fruity, warm and spicy, vanilla, etc.

Pick products for your concerns: curate your products to your skin and hair concerns. Use a more moisturising lotion is your skin is dry, use a repairing shampoo if your hair is damaged, etc.

The best time to do an everything shower is on reset days, although it’s a great way to end and start the week these don’t have to be on Sundays. Of course everything showers can be done whenever you feel like relaxing and giving yourself some love.

[beautyproductsonlineindia]

Summer-Ready Body Care: Tips for Healthy and Glowing Skin

Summer is a time to embrace the sun and enjoy the warm weather, but it's also important to take care of your skin and body during the hot months. As the temperature rises, your skin may become more vulnerable to sunburn, dehydration, and other seasonal challenges. To help you stay looking and feeling your best, we've put together some essential tips for summer-ready body care.

1. Exfoliation for Smooth Skin

Exfoliation is key to keeping your skin smooth and glowing. By removing dead skin cells, you can reveal fresh, healthy skin beneath. Consider using a gentle body scrub or exfoliating glove a couple of times a week to keep your skin in top condition. Look for products with natural exfoliants like sugar, salt, or coffee grounds for a spa-like experience.

2. Sun Protection

Sunscreen is a must-have during summer. Choose a broad-spectrum SPF lotion to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Apply sunscreen generously to all exposed skin and reapply every two hours or after swimming. For extra protection, consider wearing sun-protective clothing and accessories like hats and sunglasses.

3. Post-Sun Care

After a day in the sun, soothe your skin with after-sun care. Aloe vera gel is a fantastic option for calming sunburned skin and providing instant relief. You can also use cooling body sprays or lotions to hydrate your skin and reduce inflammation. Keeping your skin moisturized will help maintain its health and prevent peeling.

4. Hydration and Lightweight Moisturizers

Hydration is crucial during the summer months. Make sure to drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated from the inside out. Additionally, switch to lightweight moisturizers that absorb quickly and provide long-lasting hydration. Look for products with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or natural oils for an extra boost.

5. Tanning Tips

If you want a sun-kissed glow without the risk of sunburn, consider using self-tanning products. Gradual tanning lotions or mousses are a great way to achieve an even, natural-looking tan. Remember to exfoliate and moisturize your skin before applying self-tanner to avoid streaks and patchiness.

6. Hair and Scalp Care

Protecting your hair and scalp from the sun is just as important as caring for your skin. Use hair products with UV protection to shield your locks from damage and fading. For managing summer frizz, opt for smoothing serums or leave-in conditioners. Keep your scalp healthy by wearing hats and using SPF sprays on exposed areas.

7. Summer Feet Care

Don't forget about your feet! Exfoliate your feet regularly with a foot scrub and keep them moisturized with a hydrating foot cream. Choose a bright, summery nail polish to complete your sandal-ready look. For added comfort, use cooling foot sprays to keep your feet fresh during hot days.

8. Refreshing Body Mists

Stay cool and refreshed throughout the day with a light body mist. Choose scents that evoke the feeling of summer, such as citrus, coconut, or tropical florals. Body mists can provide a quick pick-me-up while keeping your skin lightly hydrated.

By following these summer-ready body care tips, you can enjoy the warm weather while keeping your skin and body healthy. Remember to prioritize sun protection, stay hydrated, and indulge in a little pampering for a truly glowing

[fangirlingincamouflage]

Blind Hope: Chapter 7

Title: Blind Hope Author: Rosie Dayze Word Count: 1,232 Pairing: Nick Jakoby x Reader Chapter Rating: PG-13 Themes: Angst, Plot, affectionate frustration Disclaimer I do not own Nick Jakoby, he is the intellectual property of Netflix Originals, I make no money from this fanfiction. Dedication: @14readwritedraw96 and @thezucchini​ (For being so wonderfully enthusiastic) TW/CW Descriptions of pain, long term hospital stay

Previous chapters:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7 <~ You are Here

You are standing in the middle of the pasta isle at the grocery store when your cell phone goes off. It's that distinctive ping of an unknown number texting you. You sigh, roll your eyes, and wonder what is the easiest possible thing that you can make for dinner that night. In the past six days your workload has tripled. June and Em are on a much needed vacation and Nick is still unconscious at the hospital.

You know that because you called right before you left to go grocery shopping. You also called first thing this morning, and last night, and the morning before, and the night before that. You have called the hospital at least twice a day for the past thirty-seven days. You got the exact same information.

“Officer Jakoby is still in an induced coma, and he is not ready to be seen by friends or family.”

It was maddening.

Your phone goes off again and you set a jar of premade sauce back on the shelf. Your stomach isn't feeling red sauce. It isn't feeling pasta. Or oranges. Or any one of a thousand other things you were totally down for eating. You hadn't been hungry since the night part of LA went up in magical flames. Since Nick had been hospitalized.

With a sigh you eased into the snack isle. Is a bag of chips an acceptable replacement for dinner? Probably not, but you've had take out for the past two weeks and absolutely none of it has filled the steady, continuing ache in your heart.

Your phone goes off again.

“What?” you snarl loud enough to make the old lady with a basket full of frozen dinners blink with bewilderment. “Sorry. Not you.”

You pull your phone out and waive it at her. She doesn't look convinced, and doubles her speed to get into the next isle.

With a few swipes you bring up your new messages.

“This is Jessica, the Head Nurse at the Intensive Care Unit at the UCLA Medical Center.” The first message reads.

Your heard pounds so hard in your chest that your vision goes a little hazy. You grip your phone tightly enough to make the screen rainbow with protest.

“Nick Jakoby has achieved a state of continuing consciousness. One of my nurses made the mistake of telling him that you had stopped by.”

That hazy feeling turns to ash. You had wanted to see him yourself, to let him know what had gone on, and why you hadn't talked to him in six, not seven, months.  He must be angry, furious.

The third message is brief, and comes across as a little mad. “In order to keep him in bed, I promised him you would come see him tonight. Do not make me a liar.”

You desert your cart, and take the shortest possible trip to the hospital that you have ever taken. Which is impressive, considering all the times you driven up there in the past month, just in case something had happened between your morning and evening check-ins.

You don't stop at the front desk, you know where you are going. The elevator doors close as you turn the corner, and the wait for the next ones seems like an eternity. The moment the doors whoosh open, you surge inside hitting the buttons for the ICU floor. You don't even wait. You ht the close-door button and watch your reflection stare back at you as the lift starts to rise.

What are you going to say? Should you have gotten balloons? Flowers? A stuffed animal? Would he even be allowed those things? Did he want them from you? Did he want to see you to make up or to have a final talk? In the twenty-eight seconds that it takes to get to your floor, your mind plays out you greatest hopes and worst fears in a strange, overlapping loop that leaves you feeling a little lightheaded.

Though maybe that has something to do with the fact that you haven't eaten well in a month.

Your clothes don't fit right, you think as you tug at the fabric. You should have gone home to change. You were wearing your comfy clothes to go shopping. The fabric weird. Then you realize its not the fabric, its your own skin. You are so nervous that your skin feels like an electric current is running through it. With a huff you roll your shoulders, trying to settle your nerves. It doesn't help.

The doors slide open and as fast as you got into the elevator, you hesitate to get out. This could go wrong. What if his mother is there? His partner? What about Johnassen, the jerk who broke his phone so long ago?

It doesn't matter you tell yourself as you take that first step off the elevator. All that matters is he's awake. You'll be able to see him with your own eyes.

A stern looking woman with stark gray curls looks up from a desk as you approach. She tilts her head and inspects you.

“For Jakoby?” she asks like she already knows the answer. “Follow me.”

Your heart is in your ears as you follow in the steps of her worn out shoes. She swipes her badge, taking you through a set of secure double doors. The sounds of the hospital change. The ICU is bereft of human noises, but it isn't quiet. You can hear televisions on a half a dozen channels turned down low, doing what they could to preoccupy patients who were in layers of pain. The sound of breathing machines hiss and whirl. A man in green scrubs wheels supplies down the hall. There's no happy, warm chatter. Just a strange sense of desolation and pain.

You do not like it here, and you can't imagine Nick here. Nick, with his warm laugh and kindness. Nick who kisses you like the universe exists in your lips. You want to scoop him up and take him away.

The nurse stops outside of a door at the end of the hall.

“They are quarantined behind a see through partition,” she tells you in the kind of no-nonsense voice that must come from years in her work. “Do not attempt to breech this partition.”

She holds out a long medical gown. Confused, you shoved your arms into the sleeves. She spins you, and starts to tie it up, and then she puts another one on your back, spinning you again so she can tie it in the front. She hands you a cap, and a mask, and you put them both on as she helps your feet into medical grade booties.

“How dangerous is it?” You ask as she holds up a pair of gloves to slip on your hands.

“Unknown,” she tucks the end of the gloves over the wristband of the double set of gowns. “But you saw the news, you know where they were. Better safe than sorry.”

She types a number into the key pad. “You get ten minutes. No more, no less. I'm not being mean, but we need to minimize any chance of exposure.”

You nod your understanding. Ten minutes isn't much time, but you'll make the most of it.

“There are armed men in there,” she finally says. “Don't do anything to make them think you are a threat.”

It's the last bit of advice she gives you before the pad turns green and the door is opened.

The room is long, white, and empty save for what looks like a box made out of hanging plastic. Only a few of the lights are on, casting half the room in evening darkness. There are several beds, but only one of them is occupied. The long, lean body of a black male is visible beneath the harsh lighting. Three other people stand guard, dressed from head to toe, AR-15 clutched in their hands. The door closes behind you.

For a moment you stand there, frozen and unsure. A little, ugly thought makes you wonder if this is some weird trick. Then you hear your name.

Your eyes are drown to the shape of a man sitting in a chair. You hadn't noticed him at first because the dark lines of his body blend a little too easily with the pseudo darkness on that side of the room. But now that you've seen him, you can't pull your gaze away.

Nick. You'd know the shape of him anywhere. The broad, strong line of his shoulders stands guardian against the pitch black behind him. There's a blanket across his legs, and an IV in his arm.

“It's you,” he says softly, disbelieving.

“Nick.” You take one step, and then another, and before you know it your legs are carrying you across the room. You almost forget the plastic. When you foot hits it, you're startled. The guards watch you with cold glares. “Sorry.”

And once you start saying it, you can't stop. Over and over again you apologize. You don't realize you are crying until you taste the hot salt of your own tears. You are sorry you didn't call him. You are sorry you left. You are sorry you didn't answer him back. You are sorry for everything you ever did in the last six months because none of those things was going to him. You sink to your knees at the edge of the partition, the tears making it impossible to speak.

He says your name again, so soft you wonder if you dreamed it. You look up, and he's shaking his head.

“Please, don't cry.”

Slowly, unsteadily, he gets up. He doesn't look at you as he pulls the chair from one side of the plastic sheet box to the other. Right in front of you, he plops the chair down, and then lowers himself into it. His staccato motions belie how hurt he must still be.

The pair of you are silent as you look one another over. You see the bruises beneath his woad blue spots; purple and yellow and, in some places, black. You see the stitches in his arm, the thick swelling of his hands. The skin around his cheeks is slack with the lack of food he's gotten in the past month. But his eyes, those gorgeous eyes that are yellow and red and orange all at once, they are filled with pain that has nothing to do with being thrown half a football field by a magical explosion.

“You're here,” he says, his voice soft. “I thought-” He stop short, shrugging, and then wincing.

“I know,” you tell him. While you aren't sure of the exact words he must have thought, you know that it couldn't have been good.

“Why?” he asks.

You open your mouth to tell him, but the words wont come. You remember Elizabeth, his mother, and the way she had looked at you. You could tell him everything, but what good would that do? He might get angry at his mother, it might cause some kind of rift between them and how many people did Nick really have who cared that much for his safety? Not nearly enough, you think as you take in injuries you hadn't noticed before.

Instead you shrug. You can't bring yourself to lie, but you can't bring yourself to tell him the truth either, no matter how much it's burned inside of you. You turn the words that she said over in your mind, pulling an answer from them without revealing their source.

“You got hurt because you were with me.” Your voice cracks as you say it.

His eyes close and his shoulders sag. His body leans forward. You think he's about to slide out of the chair. The pair of you kneel on the floor, staring at one another. Emotions that you don't think have ever been named whirl through you. You want to touch him, you want to hold him, you want to vanish together into the night.

“No,” he said shaking his head. “No. You were just the excuse. When they saw me-” he cuts off, coughs, and shakes. “They'd already decided what they were going to do.”

He looks away. You can tell that there's more to say, that he's struggling. Rather than push you give him a moment. He deserves that at the very least.

“It wont happen again,” he says.

“Why not?”

He opens his palm, I can't see anything there, but he must because he's staring down at it like it's something special.

“I can't talk about a lot that happened that night,” he says. “I want to, I want to tell you everything but...I can't.”

You shake your head. “I just need to know you are safe.”

“I think I am. I mean-I gotta tell you, it was not a normal night. I was...I was blooded.”

Your eyes go wide. You can't help but stare at his lips. He smirks.

“It'll take a while for the tusks to grow. But I don't need to file them anymore.”

You sit back on your heels. “Are you okay with that?”

He shrugs. “I guess that depends.”

“On what?” you ask.

He takes a deep breath and looks at you. It's a long look, a scared and hopeful one. It's like he's weighing a thousand dreams as he watches you and all you can do is wait.

“I thought I was getting over you,” he finally says. “It'd been months. Long months. Really, really long months. My mom even set me up on a couple dates with some unblooded girls from other states.”

Your stomach twists.

“Yeah?” you say, hoping that he's not about to tell you that he has moved on and this whole thing was about him saying goodbye.

“They were nice, but they...they didn't understand me. They didn't like what I do. They didn't like my jokes and they all thought Alaska is stupid.” The two of you laugh and it feels so good. He shifts his position until the two of you are nearly the same height. “I wasn't falling for someone else but I was pretending really hard like I was getting over you.”

You nod, you know what he means. You'd been going through all the motions, acting like you were moving forward when all you were doing was playing the role and hoping.

“I was going to come see you,” he said. “As soon as my shift was over that night. I was going to go right to your apartment. Everyone said I shouldn't because I'd just get hurt, but I thought that it would be worth it. I just..”

Slowly he reached into the blanket still twisted around his legs. His thick, injured fingers shook with pain as he pushed the fabric around.

“Where-hold on-it's here, I swear.”

Your heart, which has already gone through far too much, pounds all over again. Your mouth goes dry.

“Nick...”

“I almost died you know,” he says as he lifts a corner, continues to look. There's a little wetness on his brow, and you wonder if it's fear, nerves, or pain that's put it there. “And not just once. I almost died like four times.”

One of the guards cleared their throats.

“I know,” Nick said, holding up his free hand. “I know. I can't tell her anything. But you only have to look at me to see that it happened.” He went still, and bowed his head. “I did die.”

It's not even a whisper, there's no sound. It's a breath of words that you are sure the guards couldn't hear. You pounding heart turns to ice in your chest.

“What?”

But he doesn't say it again. Instead he looks up at you and his eyes are bright with a hundred emotions. “And all I could think about, was you.”

He holds out his hand. Nested there is a black velvet box. Carefully, he opens it, revealing a ring. It's made of two metals, platinum and rose gold, twisted around one another to form a very simple braid, and right there at the center is a stone in the exact same shade of blue as his spots.

“All  I thought about every day has been you,” he is saying when your ears start to work again. “And I don't want to ever have to worry again.”

You swallow twice before you can speak. “Are you proposing?”

You aren't sure if he's blushing, but his ears twitch. “Only if you're saying yes.”

“You have to ask,” you say. “You have to...ask.”

“Is it a spell? A human thing?” he says.

You shrug, because it kind of is, but mostly you just need to time to stop your thoughts from making such a commotion in your head. There are a hundred ways this could go wrong, a thousand even, but even so-

He says your name and you find that he's shifted yet again, down on one knee in front of you. “Will you marry me?”

[fortheloveoffanfic]

Put Me In a Movie

Keanu Reeves x Reader(A/n- I’ve been meaning to post this since last week, but I’m lazy.)

Summary Prologue  1   2   3  4  5  6 7  8  9  10 11 12

Warnings- Angst

Chapter 13- Hold Me Without Hurting Me

The pack had started warming in his hands, and eventually, Keanu couldn't bring himself to do much more than toss it back to the table and listlessly drag himself back to his trailer, which neighbored Y/n’s. Standing outside, between both metal contraptions; his on the right and hers on the left, he contemplated knocking on Y/n’s instead. He didn’t like the way their earlier interaction had ended; with her in tears, storming out and essentially ending their relationship. 

It was his fault, he’d pushed her.

Keanu had almost made the trek up the steps, almost knocked on the door, almost begged her to take him back. He’d almost done a lot of things, like let himself fall. But alas, for everything he’d almost done, there were a dozen more that he'd done wrong and in the end, he’d just slunk back into the cold cocoon of his own trailer, flopping onto the sofa, groaning as he threw his head back. It hurt though the insistent throbbing, the slight pull of his stitches and heaviness over his left eye felt like nothing compared the new hollowness in his chest.

Truthfully, Keanu hadn't meant for things to go the way they had, it was never his intention to have her leave for good. But it was so foreign to him; it had been a while since he'd been with a woman who'd looked at him the way Y/n had, who's touch alone was enough to remedy physical pain. Who could make his lips tremble but slow his anxious heart at the same time. She was different in other ways too; usually, the girls he dated were willing to go with whatever he wanted, anything just to keep him interested. Sometimes, though more times than he preferred to admit, Keanu would find himself realizing that a woman only adored him for what he was, rather than who he was. But Y/n…….Y/n actually cared. Y/n loved him.

Even if he’d given her a million reasons not to.

Love.

The word made an unwarranted panic rise up in Keanu’s chest. He wasn’t sure if he felt that way, when you feel it, you should know right? But Keanu didn’t know. All he knew was that he wanted her back, unashamedly and quite selfishly, even if he wasn’t sure what his feelings were. Maybe they could patch things up with an emotional band aid, just enough so he could have her, though without letting himself get too submerged. Keanu wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment anyway. He wasn’t the type.

At least, that was what he’d told himself. Convinced himself.

But he was lying to himself. Keanu was always lying to himself

Maybe he really should make things right, heedlessly hold on until he could sort himself out, until he could find a way to to shift things, so if they ever did walk away, he could leave unscathed. Control. That was what he wanted, control. Control over their feelings, over the way everyone saw them, over the way he saw himself. 

Control, he would find it.

Production had been halted for the rest of the evening, and by extension, the two days following Keanu’s accident, hopefully giving him enough time to grasp his bearings. It was without warning, though Y/n understood the circumstances and was immensely grateful for the down time, hoping that she too could manage to pull herself together before they’d face each other again.

Nearly a day had passed, going on twenty four whole hours since she’d left Keanu sitting on a plastic chair in an air conditioned trailer that smelt like Hydrogen-Peroxide and disinfectant, tossing a beady ice pack to his chest, earning herself nothing more than a surprised ‘omph’ in the process. Since then, she’d fluttered through a range of emotions; anger at his reluctance, gnawing sorrow because he couldn’t return her love and finally, frustration when Keanu hadn’t made the slightest effort to swing by her room and pretend to be sorry. 

All she wanted was to get him back, so she could put aside the doubt, at least for a while. Y/n didn’t like the feeling that came with his absence, and even if being with him felt like she was sinking slowly, drowning in a whirlpool resulting from her own devices, being without Keanu felt like she was being pulled under ice cold water, suddenly and without the strength to swim herself to recovery. 

By then her bed had become a haven, one that still held his scent, even if the sheets had been changed. Perhaps it was just her imagination. Y/n had spent far too much time there since she’d returned to the hotel, only ever leaving for lengthy showers or to get food. Not much else seemed appealing anyway and the rest of the hotel would just remind her of everything that she’d poured into Keanu. She ruined things with a good man for him, almost dismantled her relationship with her father for him, sacrificed half her sanity, just for him. And still, it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t enough.

Maybe nothing would be enough for him.

Yet, Y/n still clutched hope close to her chest; Keanu would knock on her door, tell her he was sorry and ask her to take him back. She’d do it in a heartbeat too, even if she was almost sure that he’d be lying. Believing his lies; it had already become her norm anyway. There was a toxicity that came with loving him, and Y/n could readily recognize it; you shouldn't have to swallow up lies when  affections ran as deep as hers, you shouldn’t cry yourself to sleep or have to convince yourself that they care either. But she’d done it, and in the name of hope, she’d keep doing it, until she couldn’t any longer. 

A fretful huff left her chapped lips and shoving the sheets away, Y/n aimlessly hoped that running her hands through her tangled hair would do something to dismiss the thoughts of Keanu; as much as she loved him, she really did want to stop thinking of him. It wasn’t like she could do much about their break up anyway, she’d broken up with him and he hadn’t really done much to stop it. 

As she sat up, Y/n surveyed the room, dimmed by the incoming evening, merely the silhouettes of furniture remaining visible in the hazy room. The air conditioner ran on high, offering a chill to combat the thick, comfortable layers she’d sought refuge in and the remote to the television mounted to the wall remained her only companion. Her phone was somewhere around too, probably hidden away beneath the room service menu on the nightstand, Y/n could hear it buzzing every once in a while, but couldn't summon up the will to pick it up. She’d get back to whoever it was, at some point. 

For a solid minute, she just sat there, immersed in the sea of fabric, wondering if she’d be spending the night the same way she’d wasted the day; sulking in between wine induced naps. Though, three brisk knocks on the front door interrupted her muddy thoughts, causing Y/n to groan as she tumbled out of the bed. On her way to the door, she finished a glass of red that had been sitting beneath her unlit lamp and once again ran her fingers through her hair, that time to vanquish any traces of telling bed head. 

With a strained sigh, Y/n took the knob in her hand, pulling the door open, ready to tell whoever it was that she was busy. But at the sight of the offender, the words didn’t come, stifled by the hope pluming in her chest, “You’re…... “ With glassy eyes and quivering lips, Y/n tried to seem as cool as possible, though she knew the over sized sweatshirt and loose booty shorts, along with the redness in her eyes and flush in her cheeks would be a dead give away.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed sadly when Keanu found that Y/n probably wasn’t going to say much more. His lips were set in a deep frown and the bandage protecting his sutures had been recently changed and switched out for a smaller one. Keanu's hair looked almost as frazzled as Y/n's and she wondered if he'd been nervous about going to see her. "I never meant to hurt you," he carried on softly, exhaling as he shoved his fists into the pockets of worn jeans, "I just-"

Despite her mind's protest, a nagging thought reminding Y/n that she was making it too easy, she held the door open a bit wider, the fondness in her heart growing at just the thought of Keanu wanting her back, "Why don't you come in?"

He seemed stunned at first, eyes widening with confusion and jaw going slack, but eventually gave in and Keanu knew that it would be a lie if he wasn't secretly hoping that things could be that easy, "Okay," he nodded wearily, "Thanks." 

Now standing in the living room, the orange glow from the setting sun washing the room through the glass balcony doors, casting a burnt hue on the furniture and floors, Y/n thought that the atmosphere felt choked and a little clumsy. She couldn’t tell if Keanu was being genuine or not, but she did know that she was going to believe him, just so things could go back to being okay for a while. He stood about a foot away, shoulders hung and head down cast, directed to their feet, still though, she had to look up at him, not meeting his gaze, but desperately searching for some truth in his expression. “What I said yesterday,” Keanu swallowed thickly, shaking his head, “I didn’t mean it when I said that you were smothering me, I just wasn’t expecting you to care that much.”

“I’ve always cared that much,” Y/n turned her face away, not wanting Keanu to see her feelings, he’d already hurt them so much. Her fingers toyed with the cuffs of her grey sweatshirt as she awaited more, eventually trying to propel it with; “Is that what you came here to say?”

“Yeah,” he sighed heavily, removing a hand from his pocket to run it through his tousled hair, scrubbing his nails through his salt and pepper beard before letting it fall haplessly to his side again, “And to ask you for a second chance. I want us to work on this,” finally, he looked at her, and Y/n let their gazes meet. She searched his eyes, only finding turmoil and swirling confusion there. It was nothing like what she offered him; love, admiration and adoration. 

Maybe she could find it there though, one day.

“I……” Don’t do it, he doesn’t care as much as you do. Don’t do it, he doesn’t care at all. Nothing’s gonna change, don’t do it! But Y/n didn’t listen, logic was a dry pill that was too hard to swallow she wasn’t willing to believe that Keanu would hurt her again, even though she knew it was the truth. They had so much to work out before they could even think about being together, they were hurt people, who in the end, would inevitably hurt people, but Y/n didn’t care. She never did. She wanted what they had when he made her laugh, when he touched her and sparked life in shadowy depths of her soul. 

She was selfish enough to want him, despite their brokenness.

“I want that too,” Y/n eventually nodded, dragging herself towards Keanu, thoughtlessly letting herself sink into his sullen embrace. His arms, circling her waist, felt warm, though not in the way she’d expected to. Instead, it was like being enveloped in hot, empty air. It was just a gesture, nothing more than the act. That was in actuality, but in her head, she could feel what he poured into it, convinced herself that this was what he wanted, that things were going to work this time. 

But unless they learned to grow up,  stitch themselves back together,  they wouldn’t. 

But she could hope. Hope that one day, there would be more than emptiness. Hope that at some point he’d change his mind and fall in love with her.

Y/n could always hope

******

Tagging- @harrisongslimited​  @paanchu786​  @thesadvampire​  @fanficsrusz​  @fickensteinn​  @ladyreapermc​  @babygirltaina​  @septimaseverina​  @snatchedbylele​  @omg-imagine @21stcenturyyfoxx​  @magnificentclodpiebanana @allie1804-fan @keandrews  @greenmanalishi  @rdjloverxxx​  @danceoftwowolves​

[romanceismycallingcard]

50 questions tag!

I got tagged by @bl-crossingtheline​! Hello darling! Sorry I’m so late on this. Needed a good block of time and then I just kept forgetting. 😜😂

Questions:

what color is your hairbrush? Aqua/Teal

name a food you never eat: Brussel sprouts. And fish.

are you typically too warm or too cold? Um... in winter I’m just perpetually cold. I prefer to be on the warmer side. But as I’ve gotten older that’s changed a little bit. But I don’t know if I’m like always cold or whatever.

what were you doing 45 minutes ago? lol eating fresh home made sour dough bread with my family.

what’s your favorite candy bar? 100 grand bars

have you ever been to a professional sports game? yes. a hockey game with my family and brothers’ hockey teams. 

what’s the last thing you said out loud?: My brother was leaving so I yelled BYEEEEE HAVE A NICE DAY from my room and he said NO~! YOU HAVE A NICE DAY! so then I said FINE IF YOU’RE FORCING ME TO. lol. That was one of our nicer interactions 😂

what’s your favorite ice cream?: anything with caramel or maybe moosetracks. Or just plain vanilla cuz it’s classic, yummy, and underappreciated.

what was the last thing you had to drink? milk

do you like your wallet?: Yes! I do! I found it years ago at a thrift store and it was just perfect for me. It’s black with a pretty metal thing with engraved flowers on it. It zips closed AND there’s a coin pouch inside. And it’s the kind that folds in half rather than the kind that looks like a clutch purse which I’m really glad about because the clutch purse shaped ones seem to almost never be quite the right size - either too big or too small and sometimes the latch breaks so then it just flops open. :P

what’s the last thing you ate? sour dough bread

did you buy any new clothes last weekend? um.... no. But i did this last Friday cuz I had to pick up some things from Walmart and I impulse bought a $10 dress that looked comfy and light weight and casual and I can wear it on days when I don’t want to wear pants. I didn’t have a good dress for days like that before.

what’s the last sporting event you watched? uh...... i don’t. Unless my friend showing me a two minute compilation clip of the danish (i think?) sport of jumping over rivers with a pole counts. or unless watching super junior perform counts. 

what is your favorite flavor of popcorn? butter + salt or white cheddar

who’s the last person you sent a text to? real texting it was a mom I babysit for. But more recently than that I was messaging blue (musicdramalove) on tumblr.

ever go camping? my family used to go camping a lot - like at least once a year. But we haven’t for several years now since all my siblings and I are adults now. I think I might’ve gone with friends a couple years ago though. idk.

do you take vitamins? nope. If I get sick, I drink a looooooot of orange juice.

do you go to church every sunday? yeah

do you have a tan? not right now. hopefully I will by the end of summer (if not June)

do you prefer chinese or pizza? chinese (but pizza’s good too)

do you drink soda through a straw? not unless I order it at a restaurant and it’s in a glass. But that’s rare. I usually order water or sometimes a cocktail.

what color socks do you usually wear? I have a set that’s cream, a couple greys, and white, and I have a set that’s cream, grey and light pink.

do you ever drive above the speed limit? heck yeah. Usually I keep it to about 5-10 above. But it also depends on what streets I’m on.

what terrifies you? Failing at working a career job or living a miserable life or being alone forever with no one to take care of me when I’m sick.

look to your left, what do you see? my purse on the floor next to my dresser

what chore do you hate the most? scrubbing my shower/bathtub.

what do you think of when you hear an australian accent? steve the animal guy or liam and chris hemsworth or KJ Apa or Rebel Wilson. Or the other day when I was talking to my nanny kiddos about accents and the girl and I could do decent-ish british accents but absolutely failed at an Aussie accent

what’s your favorite soda? root beer

do you go in fast food places or just hit the drive thru? depends on the day or sometimes the line of cars in the drive thru

what’s your favorite number? 4. idky but I’ve always thought of it as my lucky number. Plus I just like it. It’s even. It’s small. 2 + 2 = 4 and 2 x 2 = 4.

who’s the last person you talked to? my brother when I was yelling bye to him.

favorite cut of beef? yeah i really don’t know or care

last song you listened to? We by Yesung

last book you read? honestly can’t even tell you.

can you say the alphabet backwards? YES I CAN AND I’M VERY PROUD ABOUT THIS

favorite day of the week? mmm..... saturday because I usually see my friends on saturday and also refuse to do homework on saturdays.

how do you like your coffee? with a big scoop of hot chocolate powder and quite a bit of half and half. sometimes I forego the chocolate powder but my preference is to have it. 

favorite pair of shoes? oooh..... I love my shoes. I have so many that I like. um... okay I’m gonna say it’s this one pair of brown heels I have. They look kinda like leather, orangey-brown, 4in tall heel, and they’re almost like ankle boots because the material goes to just below my ankle. They look amazing with skinny jeans.

time you normally get up? mm..... somewhere between 8 and 9 I guess if I wake up naturally. But I have to get up at 6:15 for work and 7am on days when I have church bc I’m head of nursery (but church is at 10am and online cuz quarantine)

sunrise or sunsets? hm.... I guess sunset bc it sets behind the mountains and it’s gorgeous.

how many blankets on your bed? rn 1 really light one cuz summer’s basically here.

describe your kitchen plates? white with a red and grey design on them with a red border on the edge

describe your kitchen at the moment? currently a mess bc things are being moved around and sorted and everything is everywhere. Other than that, it’s got a sink, fridge, oven, dishwasher, you know, the uszh. 

do you have a favorite alcoholic drink? mm.... right now I guess my go to is a moscato wine. I think that’s my favorite thing right now. You can call me a wimp but hey it’s a step up from Mike’s hard mango punch. I also really like mules.

do you play cards? yes.

what color is your car? silver. and it annoys me bc it looks like every other unimpressionable unremarkable unmemorable car out there :p

can you change a tire? .............................................no.

your favorite state/province/county/etc.? MINE

favorite job you’ve had? my babysitting job for a neighborhood family. I’ve been babysitting them for about 7 years now and I have been with them for two of their kids’ births and I’ve gotten to watch them grow up and develop personalities and learn about life and it has been such a fun experience and blessing to me.

how did you get your biggest scar? okay so I don’t know about biggest, but the one that I’ve probably had the longest and is still clearly visible is one that’s on my foot. It’s about a cm long and is about an inch or so in from the base of my second toe on my right foot. I got it when I was... I think a sophomore in high school when my family visited my bro and sis-in-law out of state for Thanksgiving. I went to grab a bottle of sparkling apple cider out of the fridge but, in the process of grabbing it or moving something aside or something, the bottle of sparkling cider fell out of the fridge onto the tile floor right next to my foot and SHATTERED. I was frozen in shock. Didn’t know what to do. Felt embarrassed and felt bad about the broken bottle and mess. I didn’t even realize until my mom and sis-in-law were cleaning up the floor around me that there was a small shard of glass somewhat embedded in my foot. I don’t remember feeling any pain from it. I think I was probably still in shock. But I still have the scar. 

Tagging: I don’t really know and I’m tired so ANYONE WHO WANTS TO 😊

[gvbejvmes]

Task: What’s in a Name.

Title: Mighty Low Rating: PG-13 Characters: Maria Palmer James, Francis James, Patricia Palmer Hyde (mentioned), Gabriel James (sorta) Relationship: Francis James/Maria James Trigger Warnings: Misogyny, spousal abuse, description of a miscarriage Brief Summary:  But now, since I have seen the light I'm good by day and I'm good by night.

1965

“Pastor Paul?” Sixteen year old Maria Palmer knocked lightly on the pastor’s door, her eyes cast downward. As the eldest of four children, she had certain responsibilities that her younger siblings did not have - especially after their mother’s sudden death during childbirth. Neither her mother or her sibling had survived. Maria had needed to take on added responsibilities then and those responsibilities seemed to be adding up each and every day. “Father said you wanted to speak with me?”

There was an affirming sound, but Maria didn’t lift her head to see the accompanying hand gesture. Instead she shuffled into the office and hovered near the desk before sitting primly in the chair in front. She smoothed out her skirt and crossed her legs at the ankle before settling her hands into her lap and finally looking up at the pastor.

Instead of looking at the teenager, Pastor Paul continued tallying up the week’s offerings. “Your father is concerned, Maria, and wanted me to speak with you about your siblings. Is there a reason why you’re suddenly refusing to look after them?” He didn’t sound kind - just like he wanted to get this over with.

Maria sucked on her teeth as she searched for the right words. That wasn’t what she had told her father at all. “I don’t mind looking after the kids, but Patty has the mumps and I’ll miss a few weeks of school looking after her. I don’t want to drop out of high school. I want more for my life than that.” 

There was a loud and sudden thwack as Pastor Paul slammed his hands down onto his desk. “What shall your father do then, Maria? Should he stop working in order to take care of the children?” He pressed his palms together as he finally looked at Maria. “Sometimes the Lord works in ways you cannot understand. Not everyone has the privilege of finishing school, child. Your family needs you to minister to the children. That is your path, and there is nothing wrong with that. Women are meant to be carers, Maria. Some just start out younger than others. Now, hurry off to your father.”

Nodding, she was already up and to the door when she even thought of saying anything. “Thank you, Pastor.” She murmured out before hurrying out of the room - even if those were the last words she wanted to say.

1970

Maria sat in the back of the closet, arms wrapped around her knees as tears streamed down her face. She didn’t understand the mission that the Lord had provided her with any more. Her siblings didn’t need much looking after these days - they were old enough to take care of themselves. And she was married now. 

Francis James wasn’t the nicest of men, but he came from a good family. He would be thirty this year, but the nine year age difference worked to her advantage, which was why she’d agreed to marry him. A good job, a home - all the security she could ever want. 

He’d been married once before, but his wife had died young. What Francis really wanted was companionship. He only asked her two things: 1) to run the household and 2) to bear him children. And she couldn’t even do that. They were two years into their marriage, and she still couldn’t get pregnant. 

It was the same every time. Her period would be late, and she thought: this was it, this time I’m going to be a mother. And two weeks later her period would come. But this time was different. It was so different. Three months. She’d been three months pregnant before her period came. No. Before her body rejected the child. 

What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t her body just cooperate with her? The only skills she had were running a house and raising children. She didn’t know how to do anything else. Why couldn’t she just get pregnant?

“What happened?!” 

The closet doors flung open, and Francis was knelt down in front of her. He wasn’t the nicest man, but he had his kind moments. Maria had come into this marriage knowing what she was getting herself into. His first wife, Abigail, had been the love of his life - no one else was getting in there, but Maria… she had never understood the notion of romantic love. She understood familial love and a woman’s duty in the bedroom, but she didn’t need romantic love - as long as she was being taken care of and had something to do to keep herself busy. All she needed was a mission, a goal. But right now? Now was the first time she’d seen a look of concern on Francis’ face. 

“Why is there blood everywhere? There’s a trail of blood, Maria.” 

She looked up at him with wet eyes as he manhandled her out of the closet and started patting her down. His hands froze at the dried blood that clung to her legs. “I lost the baby.” She mumbled out, despite the fact that she hadn’t even told him she was pregnant. She didn’t want to count her blessings too soon, and she was glad she hadn’t. The night before Francis had backhanded her so hard she fell, but she didn’t think that had anything to do with it. Her body just didn’t know how to carry a child to term.

Francis’ hands stilled, and without a word, he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. It was silent as he stripped her down and lifted her into the tub. With a tenderness she didn’t know he had, he washed the blood from between her legs. A part of her wondered if he thought she was Abigail or if he knew that it was only her. Either way, she didn’t dare say a word as he cleaned her up.

Once the water stopped running red, he turned the faucet off and tossed the towel to her. He left the bathroom and she thought he was done with her and would be going to the bar, where he spent most evenings. She was surprised when he came back and thrust her dressing gown at her. “I’ll take care of the floors. You should… rest.” And with that, he left her alone. 

She stared after him for a long time before finally stepping out of the tub, and drying off. Once she was in her dressing gown, she picked her skirt up off the ground so she could start soaking it in salt water so the blood wouldn’t set. She had just passed Francis, who was scrubbing the tile floor, when his large hand settled onto her calf. “I’ll be better next time, Mary. Next time I’ll be better.”

1974

She couldn’t believe it. EIGHT MONTHS! She’d been pregnant for eight months and the baby was still inside her. She kept staring at her reflection in the mirror, her hands coming to rest on the swell of her stomach. The soundtrack to Anything Goes played softly on the record player as she inspected the way her body looked now that she was finally pregnant.

I've been low, Gabriel low Mighty low, Gabriel low But now since I have seen the light I'm good by day and I'm good by night So blow, Gabriel blow

The baby shifted, and she froze. “Are you a fan of jazz, Gabriel?” She asked with a snort as she pushed the little foot protruding from her stomach back to where it should go. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she sank onto the bed. The entirety of her pregnancy it had been baby this and baby that. She didn’t know what gender she was having, and hadn’t picked out a name yet, but as soon as the name was out of her mouth, it just felt right. “Gabriel.” She tried out again, seeing how it sounded.

There was another kick. 

A laugh bubbled out of her mouth. “Okay, Gabriel.” She traced her stomach. “You know, Gabriel is the messenger angel. He told Mary she was pregnant with the Lord. Is that what you are, Gabriel? Are you my little messenger? After I have you, will you be ushering in your brothers and sisters?” She gave her stomach a fond rub. “You’re my purpose, Gabriel. Give me more purpose after you, okay, baby?”

“MARIA! Where are you?”

She jumped off the bed, and hurried out of the room to find her husband. Cole Porter’s lyrics followed her out of the room.

And now I'm all ready to fly Yes, to fly higher and higher and higher 'Cause I've gone through that brimstone and fire And I've purged my soul and my heart too So climb up to the mountain top So start to blow, Gabriel, blow

Song (Sutton Foster version because - hello )

[hindisongsforfree]

DIY Medspa Skin Treatments You Can Do In Your Home

I'm a skin specialist so I know the tricks that make health facility charm therapies work- and also think me, I do them myself in your home for a fraction of the expense. I'm personally in the state of mind for some medical spa Tender Loving Care right now, as well as am going to run a little series to show to you my preferred residence health club treatments. I make it my business to try health club therapies when I'm on getaway. My DIY therapies are adjustments from the treatment menus of some truly wonderful resort health spas. They're dermatologically healing for our skin, hair as well as nails and also we can do them at home anytime we require a little 'SPA-brain'.

With my preferred Do It Yourself house medspa therapies, you can obtain costly day spa results at home due to the fact that you know what the crucial steps are. You probably even have a few of what you need currently in your shower room cupboard or kitchen area. Add a few even more things, develop a relaxing setting, as well as you prepare to make these simple Do It Yourself wellness as well as health medical spa therapies a component of your normal skin care regimen, no pricey health spa expense needed. Combine them all for one of those gigantic day spa bundles that you constantly fantasize regarding doing but don't intend to springtime for! Therapy # 1, Do It Yourself Exfoliating as well as Deeply Hydrating Body Treatment Step 1: 'Taking the Seas'

Turn your house tub right into a therapeutic saturating tub much like at a spa. Make it both luxuriously enjoyable and also deeply hydrating.

Initially, prepare your atmosphere by lighting a candle light and also shutting off the electric lighting. Place on relaxing songs as well as tell the remainder of the home not to disrupt you.

After that begin loading your tub. Usage warm water as well as a handful of Epsom salts for your soak. Include a few drops of lavender essence for de-stressing scent therapy, it functions as well as these two additions are one of the most crucial aspects of the majority of medspas saturating bathtubs. You can include a tbsp of oil too to moisten your skin while you soak. We do this regularly for dermatologic skin therapy. Use your favored body oil, mineral oil and even among the oils you prepare with which are certainly in your kitchen area. Yes, canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil all show up in natural skin care products and they're good for your skin.

Saturate for a minimum of 5 minutes and ideally 15 mins or more in your healing waters as well as breath in the increasing lavender heavy steam. (Keep in mind, if you include oil to the bathtub it will certainly be slippery, so be careful!).

Step 2: DIY Overall Body Exfoliating Scrub Treatment.

Scrubing makes your skin soft. When you have an exfoliating scrub therapy at a medspa all they're doing is rubbing your skin with a rough scrub and a luffa sponge or rough shower mitts. You can do this in the bathtub as well as get the very same outcomes (yes it's nicer to have the medspa professional do this for you, however you'll still get an excellent peeling this way also).

Exfoliate your body and also feet after you've saturated for at the very least 5 minutes. Your skin will be soft as well as prepared for peeling. You'll have creamy, spa-soft skin that lasts for days or perhaps longer after your treatment.

Scrub your feet making use of a pumice or foot documents to eliminate harsh skin. Massage your body skin with a luffa sponge, exfoliating shower mitts or shower sponge and a little of your favored body cleanser for slip as well as move over your skin. Or utilize an exfoliating body scrub. Invest a little additional time on your elbow joints, knees as well as ankles where dead skin truly accumulates. I directly utilize my Salux Cloth with Glytone Body Clean, both of which are available in my Anti-Aging Body Package.

Step 3: Holding On All That Day spa Benefits. When you really feel all set get out of the tub, pat your skin dry as well as trap all that goodness into your skin with your preferred skin cream or body oil. Include a drop of lavender essence to your oil or cream to proceed the calming aroma treatment advantages of lavender. Deeply hydrating oil or moisturizer choices include jojoba oil, additional virgin olive oil or coconut oil (you might wish to heat this first given that it might be solid at space temp). I personally utilize either jojoba oil or the Glytone Body Lotion that remains in my Anti-Aging Body Set for all the anti-aging advantages of glycolic acid.

This is a hydrating, restorative spa treatment that will relax your nerves and also leave your skin feeling and look like you spent a little lot of money at a day spa! It incorporates the vital steps of key body treatment solutions that get on therapies menus from some truly excellent hotel medical spas. You'll have the refined as well as moisturized skin of the 'abundant as well as popular' 24/7/365 if you do this treatment when a week in your home.

Inspect back for the remainder of my DIY residence health club treatments:.

Following I'll provide you step by step directions for exactly how to add:.

A mini-facial. Deeply hydrating hand therapy. Deeply hydrating scalp and hair therapy.

Include them all to your bathtub therapy for that huge spa package you've constantly wanted to do however couldn't rather validate economically!

Ahhhhh

Picture: Thanks as well as Gratitude to Dennis Wong as well as Luz A Vacation home.

[melodramaticfanatic-blog]

Window to your soul(mate) - Ch. 1

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x reader

Warnings: smut…eventually. Fluff and slow burn Summary: 3 months after moving to New York City, Y/N feels like she has finally found her footing. She has a great apartment, is making friends and has a steady enough job to pay the rent. She’s even gotten used to the empty apartment across from hers...but all that changes when a handsome film star returns home after months of being away.

A/N: Multipart fanfic series; no idea how long it might end up being as it has evolved on it’s own. Gonna be posting both Ch. 1 and Ch. 2 together since this is more of an intro piece and doesn’t fully enjoy the delightful Sebby!

Master list

Gif not mine, credit to owner

The apartment was bright, all the curtains opened to let in the spring sun and fresh air. Finally, after several months of living here in New York City, Y/N felt as though it was becoming home. When she had first moved in to the top floor apartment of this cold, industrial building, Y/N had felt as though she would never belong. Deep in her heart she knew she was lucky; there were far worse apartments she could have been stuck with. If the building’s property manager hadn’t been a family friend, there was no chance she would have landed the large 1-bedroom apartment for such a reasonable price. Still, being in the city, surrounded by noise and buildings so close on either side, you could see into the apartment across from you was a far cry from the open farm land where she had grown up. 

When Y/N chose to move, that was exactly what she thought she wanted: something completely different. She had just found out that her high school sweetheart, Dave, had been cheating on her throughout their entire relationship. The revelation had been earth shattering. All through high school, college and even the years after graduation, Y/N had been loyal and believed that Dave was her future. She had been sure that he would take over his father’s farm, marry her and together they would grow old and happy. Instead, Dave had cheated on Y/N with her closest friends and almost any woman that would look his way. 

A change was definitely what Y/N needed. So after spending all her life in a small town, she packed her bags and moved to the big city. 

Looking around the apartment, Y/N had to admit that she had made a very warm living space. Three months ago when she had moved in, the walls were plain, grey and dull. Now they were a light blue, welcoming and tastefully decorated with art prints and family photos. There were beautiful hard wood floors, a small but nice kitchen and most importantly to Y/N, a balcony that protruded from the bedroom. It wasn’t a large balcony, just enough room for a standing plant and a chaise lounge chair, but it looked out over the small garden that sat between her building and the one next door. Having this small amount of greenery in such a big city was a source of immense comfort. It spoke of home. Y/N spent as much time as she could out on that balcony, reading, enjoying the breeze and looking into the windows of the apartment next door. 

At first, Y/N had been shy about the fact that her windows could see right into the other apartment. She had been careful to keep the curtains closed and always checked to make sure no one was out on the balcony of that apartment before going to hers. As time went by however, Y/N realized that no one was ever home. The apartment was definitely owned by someone; the rooms were furnished nicely and there were framed photos on the walls of the living room behind a large couch that looked like a comfortable leather. Yet the lights were never on, no one ever came or went and nothing ever changed inside. After a month of curiously waiting for the occupant to show themselves, Y/N decided the apartment must be owned by someone who had several houses and never came to the city. That or they were on a very extended vacation. Once she had decided that, Y/N became more and more comfortable, leaving the curtains open, letting the balcony doors stay ajar to let fresh air in and even laying out on her balcony in just her bra and underwear; after all, she was on the top floor...who could see?

This Saturday morning however, Y/N had no time to lay out in comfort. After a week of working night shifts at the restaurant where she was a hostess and bartender, Y/N’s apartment had turned into a disaster area. A pile of to go containers peaked out of the kitchen trash can, the floors showed salt stained foot prints from where her boots had tracked across them and a pile of laundry sat in the bin, staring her down as though challenging her to see how much longer she could stretch her wardrobe. With a heavy sigh, Y/N stretched and went to get her iPod. If she was going to spend her precious time off cleaning, she was going to listen to music while she did. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Several hours later, Y/N was sweating and looking around the apartment in a satisfied way. The dishes were washed and replaced in the cabinets, the floors were vacuumed and mopped, she had bagged up all her recycling and trash and dropped it down the chutes at the end of the hall. Y/N had even taken the time to wash all her windows so that the sun could stream into the room as brightly as possible. For a moment while she washed them, Y/N had thought she saw movement in the apartment across from hers through the droplet coated glass. After wiping the cleaner away she stared into the living room that had become so familiar over the months. Nothing had changed and Y/N shrugged it off as a trick of the light. 

Now, standing in the kitchen Y/N looked down at her sweat and dirt covered pajamas. She hadn’t bothered showering when she awoke, knowing that after the marathon cleaning her place needed she would only end up showering again anyway. Pulling her head phones from her ears, Y/N began to strip down, stripping off her tank top and the small shorts and underwear she had slept in. Grateful to be out of the sticky clothes, Y/N walked to the wide window in the living room, looking up at the sky. It was a clear, spring blue, dotted with puffy white clouds that seemed to hang in place as though a painter had splotched them across the sky with a sponge brush. For several moments, Y/N stood looking up at the sky, enjoying the feel of the sun through the glass and stretching lazily. Then her eyes traveled down to the window of the apartment across from hers. 

Y/N’s heart leapt into her throat and she dropped down to crouch against the wall below the level of the window. There was a man in the window across from her! A man was standing there, just staring at her, his jaw hanging open. Cursing her own stupidity at standing naked in the window, Y/N crawled along the floor to the bedroom and grabbed a robe. She hurriedly threw it over her body, wrapping herself into the cotton protection it offered and then immediately rushed to shut the balcony doors and close the curtains, shielding herself from the prying eyes next door.

“Way to go moron,” Y/N muttered to herself as she made her way into the bathroom for a shower. 

While she scrubbed herself clean, Y/N tried to get angry with the unknown man. Who did he think he was, standing there gawking at her? What kind of peeping tom pervert lived there? Yet she couldn’t make herself believe it. This had been her fault. He hadn’t known that she would be dumb enough to stand naked in plain view. Surely, he had just been taken by surprise and unable to believe his eyes. No, Y/N wasn’t mad at the man, she was just terribly embarrassed at her own behavior. 

After carefully getting dressed and making sure every bit of skin was covered, Y/N made her way back out into the living room, intending to close the curtains and drown her embarrassment in a pint of ice cream and some old movies. As she went to pull the curtains closed, something caught her eye. There was a sign in the window of the other apartment. Half hidden behind the curtains, Y/N stood and read the large letters. 

Extremely sorry. Total accident. Wasn’t trying to spy on you

Y/N stared at the sign. The stranger was apologizing for her bad behavior. Walking quickly to the kitchen, Y/N pulled open a drawer and grabbed a sharpie. That was the easy part, but she had no idea what to write on. She hadn’t been prepared to send messages window to window. Spotting an empty pizza box that wouldn’t fit down the building’s recycling chute, Y/N opened the cardboard box up and wrote on the back.

Not your fault, all mine. So sorry, won’t happen again

Unsure what else to write, Y/N took the box and propped it against the window where the man could read it from his side. Then she quickly closed the curtains and collapsed onto the sofa. 

“Well,” she murmured out loud to herself, “that’s one way to meet the neighbors.”

Next

[adulttalk]

Review of New Skincare Products

Hey guys! I recently bought some new skincare and other health related products a few weeks ago and I’ve been testing them out and I wanted to let you guys know how I feel about each product and here it is!

Bioré Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser: 5/5

I really like this product. Previously, I used the Proactiv step 1 cleanser, which I also liked but got tired of paying for. At first I was thrown off by this product because I’m used to having the scrubbing microbeads that come in the Proactiv cleanser, but I’m fine without them now. I really like the cooling sensation that this cleanser gives the skin. It makes me feel really clean. I also really like that it takes like half a pump or less to get it to foam up and cover my entire face. I also noticed with this cleanser that the tiny bumps I had on my forehead (they weren't acne, just weird small bumps) cleared up and my face has a more even color instead of red patchiness along my chin and cheeks like before. The only downside to this cleanser, in my opinion, is that it takes a little longer to clear up acne than I’m used to with Proactiv. With my Proactiv, breakouts would be gone within a couple of days, but with this it’s closer to four or five days before the breakout clears away. However, that could be because I’m really bad at picking at my breakouts, so take this with a grain of salt.

Price: $6.47 USD, bought at Wal-Mart

EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream: 1/5

I don’t like this shave cream at all. Normally when I’m shaving I use conditioner and that works just fine, I just thought I would try something new. I wasn’t impressed. The shave cream doesn’t foam up whatsoever and it has like a lotion-y texture. It takes like three whole pumps just to cover one leg not even counting the thigh. I’m talking just ankle to knee. Now I haven’t used shave cream since middle school so I don’t know the standard amount of pumps it takes to cover one leg from angle to knee but three pumps seems excessive to me when I can take one pump of conditioner and cover from ankle to thigh to shave. It also didn't feel really moisturizing, as the name suggests. It just felt like a basic shave cream to me. The only good thing about this shave cream is that it smells really good.

Price: $3.38 USD, bought at Wal-Mart

Nivea In-Shower Cocoa Butter Body Lotion: 2/5

Let me preface this by saying that I hate lotion. With a passion. I hate the texture, the greasiness, the sliminess, everything about it. However, I still need to moisturize because I hate dry skin more. So I thought an in-shower lotion would be the thing for me. I’ve discovered that it’s okay. I was hoping to avoid the greasiness with an in-shower lotion but that didn't happen. it’s still greasy and feels odd when you’re drying off after the shower. It’s like when you put the lotion on, you can’t feel the air hitting your skin in that area and it makes me feel like I’m still wet when I’m getting dressed. I also feel like when I’m drying off I’m just wiping off the lotion. Also, I didn’t like this scent at all. Overall, I think this is a good idea and I’ll be trying in-shower lotions from other brands. I just didn’t like this one.

Price: $5.48 USD, bought at Wal-Mart

Remington Smooth and Silky Rechargeable Wet/Dry Women’s Shaver: 3/5

I like this razor as a dry razor but that’s about it. You only get 30 minutes of shave time with a full charge, which is annoying. it’s also kind of difficult to use because you have to hold the razor at a specific angle and press just the right amount for the shave to be nice. Even then, sometimes it’s not as close a shave you’d get with a regular hand-held razor. I like this product if I need to remove most of the hair on my legs quickly without getting a shower, since you can use this shaver dry.

Price: $19.88 USD, bought at Wal-Mart

Amopé Pedi Perfect Electronic Foot File, Regular Coarse: 4/5

I’m really happy that I bought this product. I’ve found that pumice stones just don’t cut it for me because the skin on the heels of my feet is just too thick. This file, however, removes the skin after just one use (as it says). It doesn’t remove everything after just one use, but you can literally see the dead, dry skin floating away as you file. It kinda looks like smoke coming from your foot! Also, I like that it’s battery powered so I don’t have to worry about recharging it. And the spinning heads are replaceable so when yours gets dull, you can just replace the head instead of having to buy a whole new file. You can also choose the coarseness of the file, too, if you think you’ll need something a little rougher to really remove all the skin. Overall, I like this product. The only reason it doesn’t have a 5/5 is because it does take a little bit to get the results you’re looking for.

Price: $19.88 USD, bought at Wal-Mart

Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Foot Soak Revitalize and Refresh with Cooling Peppermint: 3/5

I’m on the fence about this because I’ve only used it once so far. I really like the refreshing peppermint smell and the salts are really fine, which i also like. The only thing I don’t like is that it seemed that the salts dissolved so quickly that I really didn’t have time to see if they really soothed my feet. I’m going to keep using them to see if I just need to add more to get them to last longer.

Price: $3.97 USD, bought at Wal-Mart

That’s everything I bought in the last month or so. I hope these reviews are useful, but remember to take them with a grain of salt! Something that didn’t work for me may work for you and something that did work for me may not work for you. Enjoy!

[beautyproductsonlineindia]

Navigating the Body Care Maze: Choosing the Perfect Products for You

With endless shelves of body care products promising the world, choosing the right ones for your unique needs can feel overwhelming. Fear not, for this guide will help you navigate the body care maze and discover the perfect products to pamper your skin and enhance your well-being.

Understanding Your Skin Type:

The first step to choosing the right body care products is understanding your skin type. Here's a breakdown of the most common types:

Normal Skin: Balanced, neither too oily nor too dry. Requires gentle cleansing and regular moisturizing.

Dry Skin: Lacks natural oils, prone to dryness, flaking, and tightness. Needs gentle cleansing and intense hydration.

Oily Skin: Produces excess oil, prone to acne and breakouts. Requires gentle, oil-free cleansing and non-comedogenic moisturizers.

Sensitive Skin: Easily irritated by harsh ingredients and fragrances. Requires fragrance-free products formulated for sensitive skin.

Combination Skin: A mix of oiliness in the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin) and dryness on the cheeks. Requires targeted cleansing and moisturizing based on the different areas.

Essential Body Care Products:

Now that you know your skin type, let's explore the essential body care products you need:

Cleanser: Choose a body wash or shower gel formulated for your skin type. For sensitive skin, opt for fragrance-free cleansers. Moisturizer: Apply a moisturizer daily after showering to lock in moisture and keep your skin hydrated. Look for ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, or hyaluronic acid for dry skin, and lightweight, oil-free formulas for oily skin. Exfoliator: Exfoliate your body 1-2 times a week to remove dead skin cells and promote cell turnover. Opt for gentle scrubs with natural ingredients like sugar or oatmeal. Sunscreen: Protect your skin from harmful UV rays by applying sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to exposed areas before sun exposure. Hand Cream: Keep your hands soft and hydrated by applying hand cream throughout the day, especially after washing your hands. Lip Balm: Protect and hydrate your lips with a lip balm formulated with natural oils like shea butter or coconut oil.  Additional Products for Specific Needs:

Beyond the essentials, you can incorporate additional products based on your specific needs:

Body Oil: For extra hydration, consider using a body oil after showering. Shaving Cream or Gel: Choose a shaving product formulated for your skin type and razor type. Deodorant or Antiperspirant: Opt for a product that addresses your needs, whether it be odor control or sweat reduction. Bath Salts or Soaps: Indulge in luxurious bath products for a relaxing and therapeutic experience. Body Lotions: Choose a body lotion that provides long-lasting hydration and suits your individual needs, such as a brightening or firming formula. Foot Cream: Pamper your feet with a foot cream to keep them soft and smooth. Investing in Quality Products:

When choosing body care products, prioritize quality over quantity. Opt for products with natural ingredients and avoid those containing harsh chemicals, sulfates, or artificial fragrances. Reading labels and understanding the ingredients is crucial for ensuring the products you use are safe and effective for your skin.

Best Body Care Products:

Here are some of the best body care products available to consider:

Dove Deep Moisture Nourishing Body Wash: This gentle body wash cleanses your skin without stripping away its natural oils, leaving it feeling soft and hydrated. Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion: This lightweight and fragrance-free lotion provides long-lasting hydration for all skin types. Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturizing Lotion: This oat-infused lotion is perfect for sensitive skin, with its calming and soothing properties. Himalaya Herbals Gentle Exfoliating Walnut Scrub: This gentle scrub removes dead skin cells and promotes cell turnover without irritating the skin. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen SPF 55: This lightweight sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection from the sun's harmful UV rays.

[mentholcrystals]

10 WAYS TO USE FRESH MINT AS PART OF YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE

There are plenty of reasons to keep a supply of mint in your home. It can flavor your tap water, spruce up a salad, or add a hefty amount of benefits to in your skin and hair routine for cleansing properties that no doubt cheaper than anything on the shelves. While I can't get enough of mint essential oil in my dental care, the natural oils straight that come from fresh mint are known to soothe skin conditions like acne and brighten up the scars from previous outbreaks. That's more than enough reason for me to bathe in the benefits of mint leaves. We, the manufacturer of menthol crystals in India at Fine Organics began our operations in the year 1990, as one of the finest manufacturers, wholesalers and suppliers of this highly commendable range of Mint, Aromatic chemicals, Indian Basil Oil, Menthol Powder and Essential oils.

The anti-inflammatory properties of mint will help alleviate swelling of pimples, but mint also has a unique ability to relieve itchiness and swelling from the pesky bites of a mosquito, bee, or wasp — the anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties make it an ideal natural remedy for treating skin conditions. Mint contains vitamins A and C and in combination with the right ingredients, it helps promote healing of damaged skin cells.

Mint can be easily found at your local grocery or grown at home which is always an added bonus when using natural remedies. Use it from top to bottom on your hair or skin knowing this natural ingredient can support your beauty woes without extra additives and chemicals.

Here are ten of my favorite ways to use mint.

1. Detoxing Pepper-Mint Body Scrub

Mint is more than skin deep, it stimulates both the respiratory and digestive system making it an excellent ingredient in a detoxing scrub when a common cold starts to drag you down. For a pepper-mint scrub that's gentle enough to use near the mucus glands, mix one teaspoon of black peppercorns, 4 ounces of fine sea salt, and 3-5 mint leaves in a bowl. Add a light-weight oil like grapeseed or jojoba and mix vigorously. After a test patch on the inside of your elbow to make sure no dermal irritation is present, apply this body scrub on wet skin in the shower or bath for a weekly detox.

2. Brightening Paste

                        Fresh mint can brighten up your complexion when it comes to lightening unwanted dark spots. All that's needed to make my favorite brightening paste is a few fresh mint sprigs, a tablespoon of raw honey, and 1/4 teaspoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice. To extract the oil from the mint, use a blender or muddle by hand before adding honey and lemon juice and mixing well. Apply on clean, affected areas and leave on for 20 minutes. Don't forget to do a test patch and apply a moisturizer with UV protection because lemons are notorious for causing photosensitivity.

  3. Soothing Foot Bath

According to sources at Fine Organics, soaking your feet in fresh mint can alleviate dry, cracked skin and remove odor. Add fresh mint to a foot bath and soak your feet for 20 minutes allowing the mint to stimulate your body from the bottoms of your feet while you get some much needed chill time.

  4. Skin Tonic

I love making skin tonics to control oil production and lighten any pesky scars that creep up on me after even a mild break-out. Make a mint tea with hot water and add dried roses to balance the stimulating properties of the mint. The combination will keep acne away while giving you the nourishing, anti-aging properties that have made roses famous. Once the tonic has cooled, transfer to a tinted, sealable bottle and keep refrigerated for daily use throughout the week. Your tonic will turn within a day if left at room temperature, but will keep for up to a week in the fridge.

5. Soothes Mosquito Bites And Other Irritations

The strong anti-inflammatory properties of this ingredient soothe the irritation from mosquito bites and other skin aggravating conditions.

  6. Cleansing Hair Rinse

I'm all about a stimulating hair rinse to get my scalp ready for hair growth. This hair rinse can be made with dry or fresh mint leaves, steeped in one cup of hot water with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of lavender essential oil to de-stress your scalp from manipulation and detangling. Apply your rinse on damp locks in lieu of shampoo for about 10 minutes before rinsing well. Condition and style immediately.

7. Acne Relieving Mask

This mask will cost you a fraction of what an OTC mask to treat blemishes and breakouts and you can whip it up in seconds. Blend mint leaves, banana, and a hormone-free, organic milk together and apply immediately on make-up free skin. Leave the mask on for about 5 minutes before rinsing with lukewarm water and applying a daily moisturizer. Ready to get a gentle tingle while you cleanse? Be sure to test out the topical applications for a sensational beauty regimen.

8. May Slow Down Aging

Ensuring that your skin is nourished and hydrated is the only way to slow aging. As mint boosts the circulation of blood to your skin and hydrates it, it also delays the formation of wrinkles and fine lines.

9. May Diminish Under-Eye Dark Circles

Dark circles can be caused by a myriad of factors but mint can diminish and prevent them with its antioxidant content. The antioxidants in mint heal your skin and revitalize it. The skin under your eye is fragile and prone to damage – the antioxidants keep it damage-free by neutralizing free radicals.

10. Prevents Wrinkles

Mint helps in reducing signs of ageing and helps you in getting that firm skin and youthful glow. Mint face mask is the best way to ensure skin elasticity and it will leave you with a natural glow afterwards.

[thatboomerkid]

The Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres

The Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres (a CR 7+ Pathfinder Modern / Urban Fantasy Encounter for Bloodlines & Black Magic)

There are small towns where the Blooded dare not tread.

Little burgs and hamlets, out-of-the-way places like Hobb’s Hollow up in Utah or the quiet city of Rowe over in northwestern Massachusetts. There are thirteen of them in all, and any competent magician of the modern era could probably list at least three off the top of their head: lessons drilled-in by a paranoid mentor during their apprenticeship or else picked-up from idle sessions of rumor, gossip & laughs over drinks with the fellow initiated.

Ask around in any major city and you could probably get a comprehensive list of all thirteen of these infamous scary-spots in a couple of hours. Along with a half-dozen false positives, crackpot theories and bald-faced lies, of course.

These aren’t the sort of towns that you just stumble across, thankfully. Most of ‘em are half-abandoned and far off the beaten path: you’d have to go looking for trouble to wind up there ... or, perhaps, find yourself hopelessly lost following a bad trail of horror about to get a whole lot worse.

Nothing particularly weird can be found-out about these places online, in case you were wondering; the Archons have seen to that, scrubbing the web until it glistens like a raw wound. Feel free to Google them if you don’t mind falling onto a watch-list maintained by the dark heart of the Internet Herself: you’ll find nary a whisper about what happens to those Blooded who set foot in town.

Uncovering the true histories would require access to old & forbidden books, kept by possessive antiquarians in basement vaults under lock & key, salt & spell: held against a purge ordained by the Seven of Secret Names.

These towns? Those of us in the know, we avoid them for fear of the Reverend.

Brought to you absolutely free to play, to test & to share, as always, by the fine folks of my Patreon.

original image from here

Every few years you’ll hear a tale about some brave occultist or another setting up shop in one of these villages: daring the fates, establishing a witch’s circle or a midnight reading-room right there in the shadowy maw of the beast.

Maybe some of these stories are just that: stories. Maybe nobody’s really that stupid. But if you’ve met some of our contemporaries, you know that there’s always someone -- a magus one High Priestess short of a full Tarot deck, if you take my meaning -- dumb enough to try just about any fool errand.

And everything, according to the old legends, seems to go just dandy for a few weeks. Maybe even a few months. On a single occasion, almost a year.

And then one day ... nothing. Not a peep. Every last member of a Bloodline in that town vanishes overnight. Never to be seen or heard-from again.

And life in that quiet little back-country town rolls on, perhaps just a little bit quieter than before. Local police wash out the dead-end alleys; public works officials clear the storm drains. There are bonfires held on the Sabbath, and whispered prayers before bedtime, and everyone pretends they can’t smell the rust on the wind or hear those sharp clicks rattling out of the woods at night.

The Revered walks his appointed rounds slowly ... but he keeps them all the same, with precise & religious care.

NOTE: So, precisely which towns out there exist under the dreadful watch of the Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres? Well ... that’s been left intentionally vague, allowing for greater flexibility on the part of an individual GM.

Of course, it’s possible that some of these towns are used by cabals loyal to the Archons: a village under the gaze of the Reverend is a safe haven where no servant of the Goetic Spirits might ever dare to meddle or intrude.

They say that in life, long ago, the Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres -- whatever his name was, it’s been lost to the machinations of our starry masters for many decades -- served the Archons with unparalleled zeal and efficiency: tempering the roaring blaze of his utter hatred with ruthless & icy professionalism.

By the standards of modern psychoanalysis, we would likely term the Reverend a particularly high-functioning sadist & serial killer: he went to elaborate lengths to understand his targets fully before striking, taking great pains to break each of his victims completely -- mind, body and soul -- before performing a uniquely grisly public execution. His life’s work had genuine artistic merit, from a certain point of view, full of profound allegory & subtle poetry.

He worked for the church, and he hunted witches.

At this task, he was without equal; by his deeds, the Veil was maintained & made strong. No one can say precisely how many servants, sycophants & supporters the Goetic Spirits lost to his blades ... but his victims numbered in the dozens if not in the hundreds, and each of his many obscene “performance pieces” surely terrified another dozen or more would-be-arcanists into hiding.

image from here; the Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres in better days.

In death, the Reverend was rewarded dearly for his strict devotion to the will of the High Seven by no less august a figure than Yasazziel, Grand Archon of Glittering Things and Earthly Delights: he was gifted an Abhorrent Heaven of his very own, a sprawling realm of dark woodlands & villages full of fearful sinners upon which to vent his most grotesque lusts for all eternity.

To this end, his soul was reforged into a new and brutal shape: an Advanced Barbed Devil with the Implacable Stalker template; in this flesh, the Reverend was loaned-out by his mistress to the aid of her sisters on many occasions, rapidly becoming one of the top-tier problem-solvers for the Archons. The Reverend was frequently unleashed to wipe-out entire Lineages that had finally crossed some invisible line or another and drawn the apocalyptic ire of the Masters of Heaven: cities & fortresses alike burned when the Grand Archons took the honorable Reverend out of his toy-box & set him loose in the real world to “make the wicked suffer, as pleases you”.

And then, one day? Something happened. Nobody knows how, precisely, but one group of magicians or another cobbled themselves together a desperate silver bullet, took a long-shot risk ... and it worked. By unknown means -- most-likely an Incantation of incredible power, although nobody’s talking -- the Half-Summoned Creature template (see Bloodlines & Black Magic, pg. 223) was successfully applied to the Reverend.

And it stuck.

He’s slow and confused, these days. Wandering, alone and lost. Can’t tell where he is; can’t get his bearings nor keep his thoughts straight. He wanders between a few familiar cities that remind him of home: stepping casually across the world via greater teleport according to a half-remembered schedule. About once a month, on average -- usually on some high church holiday or the anniversary of an important event in his mortal life -- he’ll experience a full night of clarity.

During these times, he keeps to the code of the Veil: hunting only the Blooded.

He has been killed a few times, since the curse took effect.

It never sticks for long.

Using the Reverend:

If a character’s Threshold increases to an odd number from direct exposure to the presence (or the power) of the Reverend of Razored Witch-Pyres, she may gain one of the following Oddities (roll 1d8):

Your eyes glow like lit cigarettes; this is visible only in the dark. You add produce flame as a 1st level spell to any one spell-list you possess.

You feel heat on the back of your neck and upon your heels whenever you are within 50 feet of a Lawful-aligned non-mundane creature allied to the Archons such as a devil, kyton, angel or inevitable. Note that not all Lawful outsiders are servants of the Archons, and that some Chaotic outsiders are also under their thrall. The range of this ability is halved (to 25 ft.) for mortal Blooded creatures who fit the criteria above, such as Lawful oracles and slayers loyal to the Archons.

You gain an overwhelming scent of brimstone, ash and smoke, and may be freely detected by all opponents within 30 feet purely by sense of smell. If you are upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Your exact location is not revealed, only your presence within range and the general direction toward you. When you are within 5 feet of any creature, however, that creature automatically pinpoints your location even if otherwise blinded to you. Upon whispering a prayer, your stench is suppressed for a number of minutes equal to your level.

You are always treated as if you had directly witnessed the death of the Reverend and are thus susceptible to his Nightmare Resurrection ability. While he is alive, this ability has no effect ... although you often see him in your dreams, calmly watching you.

You develop a severe allergy to silver. If you touch, are touched by or are otherwise exposed to silver or alchemical silver – such as by taking damage from a silver weapon or because you are wearing or carrying silver items – you immediately suffer a –2 penalty to Dexterity and Charisma for 1d4 hours (no save). Multiple separate events of exposure stack, but none of your ability scores can be reduced to zero in this way. In addition, you must stay at least 5 feet away from silver, holy symbols and holy water; you may not choose to move closer to such an object or substance if it is within 20 ft. You also gain immunity to fire.

You gain full knowledge of either the Celestial language or the Infernal tongue (your choice).

You gain vulnerability to fire. If you ever possess less than half of your maximum hit points, you lose this vulnerability and instead gain fire resistance equal to twice your level. You likewise gain this benefit if at least half your body is covered in blood from another source.

Roll 1d6+1 twice, keeping both results. If you gain the same result for both rolls, re-roll one of the dice.

[fortheloveoffanfic]

Put Me In a Movie

Keanu Reeves x Reader (A/n- Everyone, me included, has been wondering how the morning after was gonna go, and, well, here it is. Obviously, I had to make it awkward af. Also, please don’t hate the reader, she’s trying her best, kind of.)

Summary  Prologue  1 2 

Warning- the slightest hint of NSFW, Angst.

Chapter 3- Back to Normal, Sort of

When Y/n awoke the next morning, there was throbbing in her head and a soreness between her legs. Groggily, her eyes split open, only for her to shut them after the first traces of light slipped past her lashes. Gasping, she quickly realized that there was someone sleeping behind her, his arm curled over the dip of a waist. It was alarming because she hadn’t remembered Luke coming to Chicago. In fact, he wasn’t due to finish the shoot until the next week.

Then when her eyes snapped open again, it hit her. That wasn’t even her hotel room, unless of course, she’d started wearing worn brown boots and over sized t-shirts from a Los Angeles based motorcycle company.

She didn’t

But Keanu did,

“Fuck!” Y/n hissed, realizing what she’d- or rather, what they’d done. That was hardly just her fault. It took two to cheat, right?

For a minute, Y/n pondered on the best course of action. Waking him would warrant a ‘morning after’ conversation, slipping out would do the same, though, possibly after she’d brushed her teeth and made herself more presentable. That was the one she should go with.

Y/n tried to slink out of his warm embrace, knowing she’d miss it when it was gone but also knowing that she shouldn’t have been in it in the first place. For the briefest of moments, she thought she had it, though, when Keanu stirred, groaning at the bright sunlight that washed the room, Y/n cringed at her lack of stealth. At least she now knew where she stood on the matter of one night stands. 

“Sorry,” she whispered, not really sure who’s favor her softness was in. 

It was decided then and there; she never wanted to see alcohol again.

What a bold faced lie! 

She need a drink just to get through that conversation. 

Keanu swallowed thickly and Y/n turned against him, trying not to smile at how attractively disheveled he looked; raven mane a mess, yellow rays accentuating the salt of his beard and the laugh lines that had started to come in on telling spots on his face. For the first time since they’d met, Y/n noticed that Keanu had freckles too, right round his nose, peppering his skin. “It’s okay,” he moistened his lips and seemed to be taking stock of the situation. 

Y/n was vaguely aware of his morning wood pressing into her thigh, and it was enough to remind her that just the night before, Keanu had managed to stretch her far more than Luke ever had. “This is.....”

Keanu cleared his throat, returning to the seriousness that had been absent just the night before, “Inappropriate,” he finished for her, “I’m sorry Y/n, if I-”

“Don’t say you took advantage of me,” as she sat up against the headboard, Y/n gathered the sheets in her fists, guarding her modesty, “We were drunk and if I remember correctly; I kissed you first.”

Sighing heavily, Keanu propped himself up on the headboard too, the gears turning in his head. Then, more than ever, he could hardly deny the thing in his head that said he and Y/n were just friends. But it wasn’t like he could do something about it; it couldn’t have been anything more than infatuation anyway.

Infatuation

It was definitely that.

It made sense; Y/n was young and beautiful, she was the kind of woman that any sensible man with some semblance of a sex drive would fawn over. So really, it had to be that. Because, logically, Keanu told himself, he and Y/n otherwise had nothing that would make them a stable couple. She was inexperienced and barely older than a child. And Keanu, he was a grown man who had twenty-something years experience on her. So, despite what they’d shared, it was better that they go back to being friends. Friends who didn’t touch each other the way they had the night before.

The silence broke when Keanu cleared his throat, folding his arms across his broad chest, “Look, Y/n, we’re friends.....and this,” he searched for the right words, he didn’t want to hurt her, but he needed to be a responsible adult and put his foot down, “Maybe we should just try to get back to the way things were. I mean, you don’t have to mention anything to Luke, or you can, that’s up to you. But I don’t think we should read too much into this.”

Y/n’s brows knitted as she mulled on his words, though, before long, she was perking up and chortling nervously, “Yeah, yeah of course,” shaking off the sheets, Y/n swung her legs out of the bed, immediately collecting her clothes and getting dressed, “You’re right, this was a mistake Keanu.”

Well that kind of stung.

Reaching for his discarded jeans as he stood, Keanu pulled them on with barely anytime to zip or button them closed before Y/n was scurrying out on the bedroom. “Y/n,” he reasoned, following her out to the living room, where she collected her fallen key-card off the floor, “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No,” Y/n shook her head, pushing down her feelings and mustering up a quaint smile, “I know, but you are right. We’re friends, and friends don’t fuck each other,” the was a harshness lingering in the last bits of her sentence, but Y/n hadn’t really meant for it to be there. Taking a calming breath, Y/n began again, “It’s okay, really. I feel terrible that I did this to Luke, and it would be better for everyone involved if we tried to get things back to the way things were,” smiling, Y/n stood on her toes, pecking Keanu’s cheek, “I’ll see you later Ke.”

“Okay,” he nodded slowly, “Later.”

She’d tried to contain herself, but by the time Y/n had stepped under the hot spray of her shower, trying to wash off her guilt, she was sobbing quietly. She didn’t know what hurt more, the fact that Keanu wanted to dismiss what they’d done so quickly or the fact that she’d set herself up to hurt a sweet man. 

The longer she stayed there, the more she wished she could wash the guilt away. She wasn’t a cheater. She couldn’t be a cheater. It was a mistake.

Said every cheater ever.

Said her-

Nope, Y/n wasn’t like that. It was just one time and it was never, ever going to happen again, especially since Keanu clearly didn’t see her like that. But did she see him like that?

That was a question Y/n preferred to not ask herself.

Grabbing the loofah and her bottle of body wash, Y/n squeezed a generous amount of the fragrant product onto it and started washing her soft skin. The foam felt weightless and the rough material gently raked along her body. Her fragile fingers gripped it tightly, and with blank eyes, Y/n scrubbed so hard it almost hurt. Still, nothing could erase the lingering feeling of Keanu’s calloused touch; they way his fingers graced her skin, the way his lips felt on her neck. 

Again, tears welled up in her eyes, and despite being all lathered up, Y/n had never felt dirtier. When her hand slid lower, the loofah dragging along the inside of her thigh, Y/n blinked slowly, and in an instant, the feeling of Keanu pulsing between her legs came back to her in a rush. 

After a breath, she gave up, rinsing the little white bath aid before once again stepping under the water. With her head down, the persistent stream hit her head and neck; rivulets running down her back and steam continuously building up in the room. By then, Y/n could barely tell the difference between her tears and the water that drenched her.

Time seemed to pass slowly, and only when her fingers became wrinkled and when the glass shower walls were completely fogged over did Y/n even consider shutting the water off. “God,” she breathed, raising her head, scrubbing her hands over her face. Turning, she took the sliver knob in her hand, and as it went clockwise, the flow lessened until it stopped completely. 

Sliding the door open, she grabbed her towel, wrapping it around herself before stepping onto the fluffy mat at the entrance. In front of the mirror, Y/n used her palm to swipe away to some of the fog, only to regard her sullen reflection; cheeks flushed from her extended shower and eyes red from crying. 

Her breath caught in her throat as she faced herself; she never wanted to be the kind of person who could betray someone like that. Planting her hands on the sides of the sink, more tears fell as Y/n finally let her mind admit a fact that it could no longer ignore. Not while she was staring herself down in the mirror at least. See, Y/n’s guilt didn’t just come from her betrayal, it came from knowing that from there on out, she’d never be able to lie with Luke without wishing it was Keanu.

Plopping onto the bed, dressed only in a clean pair of sweats, sans t-shirt, Keanu planted his elbows on his thighs. His head was downcast and he held his it in his hands, long fingers tangled in his dark hair. At some point, Keanu had deemed himself immune to making mistakes; he’d had so many experiences, done so much, that somewhere along the line, he’d somehow figured that everything he did was on his own, conscious volition, that he could no longer regret anything. 

But he was clearly wrong, because, he’d made so many in the last twelve hours. He’d fucked his friend, a woman he had respect for. And he’d sent her away after, as if she were a one night stand. Keanu could clearly see the look in her eyes when Y/n had left. Hurt or confusion or something that wasn’t good. Truthfully, he’d never been good at reading women, so it was hard to tell. Everyone always praised him on being sensitive or intuitive, but really, underneath it all, Keanu was just a man. One still capable of making mistakes apparently. 

With a heavy sigh, his fingers ran through his drying hair one last time before Keanu straightened up with a heavy sigh. He wished he didn’t think so much. But it alas, it was a consequence of being who he was. Thinking, thinking, thinking. Thinking that he’d hurt Y/n, that he’d lost any right to her friendship. Thinking that if their friendship had just imploded, their work relationship had too. And finally, thinking about how he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Her body, her sounds and worst of all; what he’d do to experience that sober. 

But he couldn’t, that wouldn’t be right. He couldn’t take advantage of Y/n, or anyone like that. 

Standing from the bed, Keanu inhaled deeply, wishing that there were some way to change the events of the morning. Walking out to the living room, he glanced at his phone on the nearby end table. Maybe he should call her, apologize for his behavior. Keanu didn’t really want them to stand another week toeing around each other any way. 

After another minute’s worth of contemplation, Keanu took hold of the device, pressing the power button, surprised that it still hard charge. Finding her number didn’t take very long as it was among a few others that he frequently used. Hesitantly, he hit call, and put the phone to his ear.

It range three times and Keanu imagined that Y/n had hesitated before finally picking up. “Hello,” her voice rang through, soft and unsure.

At first, Y/n wasn’t gong to pick up, but eventually, she realized that the best way to pretend that nothing had changed between her and Keanu, to pretend that she wasn’t exactly who she didn’t want to be, was to grow up and talk to him. When she answered, Keanu took a couple minutes before he spoke again, “I wasn’t sure if you’d pick up,” he determined weakly. 

“Why wouldn’t I pick up?” Y/n had dried her hair and had just slipped into her fluffy white robe, moving on to rummage through her things for something to wear. When he called, Y/n had climbed onto the bed, one leg crooked under her, the other hanging off the edge as she sat sideways on the bed.

“Because of the way things went this morning,” Keanu offered shortly, no longer willing to dance around the issue. They were adults, they should talk about what they’d done, like adults. “I’m sorry about that, by the way.”

“I told you,” Y/n sighed, “It’s okay, we did something dumb, but we can’t just hold onto to it,” even if it wasn’t exactly logical, Y/n thought that the more she vocalized her regret, as in-existent as it was, the more ‘okay’ it was. Like somehow, it would erase what she had done or at the very least, would give her a reason to not tell Luke, “Look, Ke, we’re pretty good friends, can’t we just agree that this was a lapse in judgement?”

For a couple seconds, Keanu was silent, and Y/n hoped that she didn’t hurt his feelings, she hadn’t really thought about them when she said that. It was selfish, trying to cover her ass like that, without the slightest consideration for him, but sometimes you had to be selfish, right? Right. Eventually, just when Y/n had thought that she’d upset Keanu, he cleared his throat and spoke up, “Uh, yeah.” His words were so few that Y/n wasn’t sure if he was upset and didn’t make any move to fill the silence, leaving the ball in his proverbial court, “So we’re cool?”

“Mhm,” Y/n hummed in agreement. To her, they weren’t ‘cool’, they’d never be just ‘cool’. Not when it would probably take months for her to get his touch out of her mind, not when the next time she spent with Luke, she’d compare him to Keanu, not when pushing Keanu away felt so wrong. But she couldn’t say those things; they were drunk and it was a mistake. Besides, she wasn’t willing to risk their friendship by saying that she might, deep down, want more than that with him. “We’re cool.”

“Great,” Keanu was silent for a while again, probably debating weather or not he wanted to say more, “So.....”

“So...” Y/n mirrored, not sure on where they should go from there. It wasn’t like they could just jump back to way things a day or even a week ago. 

Or could they?

“Maybe we could hang out,” Y/n blurted out, painfully hoping that they could immediately revert to their comfortable, not riddled with strange tension, friendship. 

Keanu hesitated and Y/n could feel disappointment setting in, only perking up a little when he offered up his next words, “Sure, what about brunch, tomorrow? If I remember correctly you said you’d die for the mimosas here.”

“I did,” Y/n laughed, genuinely, “Brunch sounds great,” finally, she could breathe a sigh of relief. That was good; pretending nothing happened, getting back to their friendship. Just as Y/n was going to speak again, a knock on her door had her standing, “Ke, I’ve gotta go, someone’s at the door, talk later?”

“Sure, sounds great,” his own relief that they were returning to some semblance of normalcy was evident in his tone, “I’ll make us a reservation.”

“Great,” Y/n was already at the door, still in her thick robe and barefoot, “Bye,” as she hung up, she pulled the door open, her jaw slackening when she saw who was, wide grin plastered on on his handsome face, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a gorgeous bouquet in his right hand. Smile, she told herself. It hurt to split her lips like that, mostly because it was the least genuine smile that she’d ever offered anyone. Guilt, shame, regret. That was what she felt, all over again, “Luke,” Y/n breathed, no doubt in disbelief.

“Y/n,” he immediately pulled her into a hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her before setting her down. A deep kiss followed, but all Y/n could feel when she forced her eyes shut was how it had felt to kiss Keanu, how soft his lips were, how his hands hand felt sunken into her hips, gripping tightly. “I missed you,” he pulled away, he eyed her curiously, “What’s wrong,” his brows furrowed, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Was that her punishment? Having to look him in the eyes mere hours after waking up in Keanu’s arms.

“I...um,” Y/n stuttered, discarding her phone on the nearby table, running a hand through her hair, her nails gently raking her scalp, “No, I just....” Taking a breath, she steadied herself; there was no use crying over split milk, so why would she even tell Luke? They had a good thing going, he was a good man and mistakes happened, telling him that she’d slept with someone else would just break his heart. And Y/n didn’t want to do that. So really, by not telling him, she was doing him a favor. 

That was it. She was lying to protect him. No one could fault her for that.

“No,” finally, Y/n had a handle on herself, her terrible rationalization doing wonders, “I’m just shocked, I wasn’t expecting you to be done in France until next week.”

“We wrapped up early,” Luke wrapped an arm around her waist and they walked over to the living area, “I know I should have called, but you told me you had the weekend off and I really wanted to surprise you.” When they stopped, he dropped his bag on the sofa and offered her the flowers. The bouquet comprised of a collection of her favorites; light pink roses complimented by blue baby’s breath and a few bright white daisies. “Beautiful flowers for my beautiful lady.”

Y/n blushed a little, smiling softly, “Thank you,” standing on her toes, she pecked his lips, “These are gorgeous.”

“Not half as gorgeous as you baby,” Y/n giggled, pretending to fawn at his cliche compliment. Where did he get those lines? 

“I’m going to put these in water,” desperately, she wanted the moment to be over. Luke followed her into the kitchen, watching as she searched for a containment of some sort, eventually opting to empty a vase of artificial flowers, dumping the plastic flora onto the marble counter before half filling the porcelain catchment with water from the tap, before fitting the flowers into it, gently tugging at the petals until she was satisfied.

Luke stayed on the opposing side of the room, his expression caught between a disappointed frown and the ache of confusion, “Did I do something wrong?”

The hurt in his voice pulled at her heart and Y/n’s head snapped up, “No, of course not. Why would you think that?”

Luke shrugged his shoulders, still not willing to believe her. It always stung that he was constantly trying to please her and Y/n could never sum up the resolve to put in the same effort. It confused Y/n too; why would he want to stay with someone like that, with someone who actively proved that she didn’t care as much as he did? “You’re quiet. I mean,” he forced a half smile, maybe to please her so she wouldn’t worry too much, “You’re always quiet, but not like this.”

Y/n sighed heavily, just make it right, she told herself. It wasn’t that hard, she was an actress for god’s sake. “Nothing’s wrong,” a trained smile made its way to her lips as she sauntered into his arms. Luke couldn't help it when they accepted Y/n readily, bending his head when Y/n circled hers around his neck, the tips of her fingers tangling in his honey-colored hair, “I’m just.....hungover.”

“Oh,” he teased, “Someone got carried away last night,” relived, Luke connected his lips with Y/n’s, “We could get some rest if you want.”

“That sounds nice,” it did, though, she was overwhelmed with the need to prove  to herself that she could be with Luke and enjoy it the way she did before. He was good in bed, unless she was comparing him to Keanu, next to him, Luke was at best ‘pretty okay.’ But just a month before, he could make Y/n see stars; he was the kind of lover that put her needs before his own, sweet and attentive. In their year together, he’d never dared to be rough with her, simply preferring to guide her body to sweet release. Nothing like Keanu, who’d certainly proven that he could take control in the kind of way that shattered her world.

Y/n had like it more that she wanted to admit. She had always been too coy to ask Luke to roughhouse her anyway.

“But we could do something else, I mean, we haven’t seen each other in months,” slowly, she peppered kisses on his neck, teasingly nipping at his pulse point, “What do you think baby?” Her voice was low and husky and as arousal started trickling to her core, Y/n tried to push Keanu out of her mind.

“I think.....” Luke trailed off when one of her hands slid to his crotch, palming him through his jeans, groaning quietly when she started rubbing, “I think we should go to your room.”

“Good choice,” Y/n smirked, pulling away seductively, letting him follow a pace behind her, undoing the knot of her robe and letting the fabric slide down her shoulder and onto the ground just before pushing the door open.

Keanu played around with his phone for a while; responding to texts, reading emails and everything in between as he awaited Y/n at the table he’d gotten for them. His foot tapped impatiently and to say he was nervous wouldn’t be completely wrong, though, he would prefer something along the lines of ‘concerned’. He wasn’t really sure how they were supposed to act around each other given recent events. Sure, they could try to go back to the way things were before, but Keanu was almost certain that that was the reason the had ended up in bed in the first place. Friends shouldn’t be that comfortable with each other; goodbye kisses shouldn't have been that close to their lips, he shouldn’t know what it was like to have her head on his shoulder or what it was like to lay in her lap or have her fingers through his hair. 

That was the problem. Too close, too fast.

But there was no use dwelling, especially when they were trying to move past it. Sighing, Keanu put his phone down, grabbing his iced tea and taking a long sip, hoping to clear his head before Y/n could get there. Speaking of, he briefly glanced at his watch; she was late, which was completely unlike her. Keanu had considered calling or texting, but ended up deciding against it; it was just fifteen minutes anyway.

Just as he replaced his glass though, Y/n came through the open doorway, lighting up at the sight of him. She looked exquisite, though Keanu wished he hadn’t noticed. Her plum dress was short, exposing her smooth legs and the chiffon ruffles falling from the neckline left the slightest bit of her cleavage on display.

Much to Keanu’s surprise, Y/n had brought someone along, a tall man with tousled blond hair and bone structure so sharp that it could probably cut paper. Keanu supposed, that to the female gaze, the man was conventionally attractive and he quickly deduced that he must be the infamous Luke. Thankfully, the hotel’s restaurant only had tables that seated three or more.

As they drew closer, Keanu stood, stepping out to meet them at the table, “Y/n,” he grinned, letting her initiate a hug just after pecking his cheek, “Hey.”

“Hi,” she beamed, though, the expression wavered when they pulled apart and she motioned to her companion, “Keanu, this is Luke. Luke, this is my friend Keanu.”

“Great to meet you,” their hands connected with a friendly smack and Keanu wasn’t sure who was trying to firmer the other’s grip. It shouldn’t have been a competition, that wasn’t a pissing contest. Still, Keanu felt the surge of testosterone, encouraging him to stand straighter, feeling a little triumphant when he found that he was a couple inches taller than Luke. 

“Likewise,” Keanu smiled tightly, “I’ve heard a lot about you,” they gripped each other’s hands for a moment, and out of the corner of his eye, Keanu saw that Y/n was eyeing them skeptically. Keanu was the one to eventually pull away, suggesting that they sit, “You look beautiful, Y/n,” smiling at how she ducked, blushing. 

Luke pulled out her chair first before getting seated next to her, his arm draping over the back of Y/n’s seat, “Thanks,” she seemed uncomfortable, and Keanu knew that he couldn’t begin to imagine how unsettling the situation must be for her; sitting at a table with her boyfriend, who wasn’t really her boyfriend, and the man who she’d cheated on him with. “It was a gift, from Luke’s mother.”

And it just got more awkward.

At that, Luke chuckled, “Yeah, mom’s been dying to get her hands on Y/n as a brand ambassador. Can’t blame her though, Y/n/n looks amazing in everything,” quickly, he pressed a chaste kiss to the top of her head. Y/n’s gaze just held Keanu’s and beneath her pseudo-happiness, he could see the guilt, fighting to break through. 

“You know I try to stay away from that kind of stuff,” Y/n breathed, deciding that it was time to change the subject, “Why don’t we order?”

“Sure,” the rest of brunch went by uneventfully, though riddled with awkward tension; conversations were minimal and tense and the one time that Y/n and Keanu reached for the same thing, they both sprang back when their fingers brushed, apologizing profusely.

When it was over, they both breathed a sigh of relief, though, it was short lived because when the check came, before Y/n could even lean forward to pick it up, both Keanu and Luke scrambled to get it, “I should get it, since I intruded on your plans,” Luke chuckled, though anyone could hear the malicious under tones.

“No, I insist,” Keanu argued, gritting his teeth, his hold on the end nearest to him firm and warning, “You’re our guest, it would be rude me to let you pay.”

Lightly, Luke tugged on the little black, “It would be rude of you to reject my offer to pay.”

“I made the reservation, so I should pay,” Keanu tugged a little harder, his platinum card already in his free hand, “Give me the check,” he warned, a little sterner than warranted.  

It was a war of glares and Y/n’s worry continuously grew as she watched it unfolded. Worrying on her lower lip, she hoped that it wouldn’t escalate, quickly deciding that it wouldn’t be wise to wait it out. Discreetly, she reached into her little handbag, getting out her own card, before reaching out and wrestling the leather envelope from their hands, “I’ll get it,” she smiled tightly, and when they went to argue she stopped them, already taking it and signing the bottom of the bill and sending it off with her card, “I insist.”

Keanu had made up some excuse of having an errand to run, just so he wouldn’t have to ride up in the elevator with them. Y/n couldn’t blame him and she was actually grateful; you could cut the tension between the three with a knife. Luke and Keanu clearly didn’t like each other and worse yet, Luke could readily see that things between Keanu weren’t as platonic as she’d led him to believe. 

The minute the were in the room, Y/n kicked off her heels and before he made a move to do anything else, Luke confronted her, “Is there something going on between you two?”

Not knowing how else to deflect, Y/n feigned ignorance. Frowning, she furrowed her brows, “Me and who?”

Luke folded his arms, leaning against the wall that brought the foyer out to the living room. Sighing, Y/n backed into the back of the sofa, planting her hands on either side of herself as she half-sat , “You know I’m talking about Keanu. I saw you two, you still want to go with the ‘just friends’ excuse?”

Rolling her eyes, Y/n scoffed, “It’s not an excuse,” she moistened her lips, knowing full and well that she was probably about to start a fight. Luke wasn’t wrong when he noticed something between her and Keanu, but she was far from willing to admit it. “Keanu is a friend, why are you making such a big deal of this?”

“I’m not making-” Luke cut himself off, hitting his fist with his thigh, “I know what you’re doing,” he accused, “And it’s not gonna work this time.”

“What am I doing Luke?” She raised her brows questioningly, continuing calmly, “Cause I’m not the one throwing around accusations.”

Exasperated, he pushed off the wall, walking to the other side of the room. They didn’t fight often; Y/n was always willing to apologize just to avoid a spat and Luke was always excusing her behavior. “But you’re the one in Chicago with a fucking movie star, having dinner with him almost every night, hanging out with him on weekends. God, said you fell asleep in his room,” he scrubbed his hands over his face, raking his short nails over his five o’clock shadow. Y/n could see the tension in his shoulders, the bulging veins in his arms and on his forehead. It was like he already knew and was just waiting for her to admit the truth, “Just tell me the truth.”

Just tell him the truth.

Y/n knew she should have, he already suspected it anyway. But she couldn’t do it, maybe it was stubbornness, maybe it was cowardice. Y/n couldn’t hurt him like that and she couldn’t admit that she was the kind of person who would destroy a good thing because she couldn’t keep her pants on. Blinking slowly, Y/n approached Luke, tentatively resting her hands on his biceps, “There is absolutely nothing going on between me and Keanu. He’s just a friend. You know how it is,” she reassured, lifting one hand to cup his cheek, “We’re working together almost everyday, and he’s helped me a lot with Jackson, he’s just a really good friend.”

Inhaling deeply, Luke closed his eyes for a minute, his hands finding her waist. When he reopened them, his hazel orbs were glassy and Y/n anticipated what was coming next, “I saw the way he looked at you, the way you looked at him, and Y/n, you,” his voice broke, “You’ve been my world for the past year, and you won’t even call me your boyfriend.”

“Luke,” Y/n reasoned, “You know-”

“Labels don’t matter to you, I know,” he bowed his head, “But they matter to me. I want people to know that we’re a couple, cause I’m proud of you, cause I’m in love with you, even though I’m pretty sure you don’t feel the same.”

“You know that’s not true,” she frowned, sullen;  Y/n had done the one thing she’d been avoiding.

“Then why haven’t you said it back?” Luke pulled away, putting some space between them and Y/n scoffed, defeated. With slumped shoulders and teary eyes, she watched as he picked up his bag, throwing it over his shoulder, “Maybe we should take a break.”

Y/n wasn’t sure what she was feeling; relief because it was over or dismay because the last year of her life was crumbling. She cared about Luke, she really did, maybe she wasn’t in love with him, but she did care. And now he was leaving, because he’d given her his best and she couldn’t even call him her boyfriend. Seeing him like that hurt, the way he fought tears and avoided her gaze, the way he was headed towards the door, without another word. “Luke,” she followed him hurriedly, “Don’t go.”

“Why?” His voice rose as he wretched his hand out of Y/n’s grasp. Sniffling, he blinked quickly, “Say it back, or something, anything that’ll convince me that I’m as important to you as you are to me.”

“I.....” what could she say? What was there to say? 

Nodding slowly when she couldn’t offer up anything else, Luke turned the knob, pulling the door open.

“You’re breaking up with me?” It sounded like a question, but Y/n hadn’t meant it to be. It was more of a realization, a painful one. The scene was reminiscent of one she could recall from her childhood, when her father had left their family’s home the same way Luke was leaving then. Back then ache the was tripled, watching her father, her idol, walk away from her mother was one of the most painful things she’d ever witnessed, and from then on, Y/n had vowed that she’d never hurt someone like that. But there she was, doing it. 

As always, he put her feelings before his, though, it was different that day. It was like he was trying to let her down easy, “I’m leaving,” he corrected, “Because I think we both need some time apart to think, but that doesn’t change the way I feel about you Y/n.”

With that, he was walking towards the elevator, hand in his pocket and head down. When Luke was out of sight, Y/n closed the door, turning to lean against it, planting her face in her hands, sobbing quietly.

There was only one person that Y/n wanted to talk to after that. Maybe she’d call him later. 

*****

Tagging- @harrisongslimited  @paanchu786  @babygirltaina @fanficsrusz  @ladyreapermc  @fickensteinn  @thesadvampire  @septimaseverina​

[paula-of-christ]

Homemade bodyscrub/face mask/cleanser

Hey guys! So I realized people might not know that salt and sugar are actually all you really need for cleaning your face! What I like to do us sometimes use honey, because it's easier to spread than just plain sugar but either one works!

However I also have a mixture that I really like as either a daily face mask/cleanser (since it's so gentle you can use it more than once a week) so here's the recipe below!

The General Recipe

1 part salt*, 1 part sugar** [and-or half part honey], a dash of water. I highly suggest using the honey because it helps keep everything together (as you can tell above I used too much water).

You can use virtually any salt with this! Though I highly advise against kosher salt because the large granules can be really rough on your face, if you're using it as a foot scrub that would be fine!

Recipe used above:

So with what I used above is a slight variation. I used most of volcanic salt (hence the dark color) and a bit of regular salt because I had put too much water in it.

I also used this on my hands to just wash them/my cuticles.

I could have used it as a lip scrub as well but salt+sugar+honey doesn't taste the greatest imo.

Variations:

So, instead of the honey or sugar, you could add powdered charcoal. Just add a bit more water if you use it on top of the 1:1 dry salt/sugar ratio.

You can dilute extracts with water. Only use like, a drop or two. And I'm talking the extracts you find in your kitchen with alcohol in them (alcohol obv helps clean) don't use actual extracts on your skin.

You could also some essential oil(diluted, please don't put that directly on your face) or coconut oil, shea butter, along those lines, but, keep in mind that takes the place of water so be careful.

You can mix virtually any of these products to make something that's best for your skin. I don't like oil on my face, and the honey provides plenty of scent for me but I know not everyone likes that. If you can find it in your kitchen/eat it, it's safe to use on your skin. Though don't just shove a banana on your face.

Yes, technically you can eat charcoal. It tastes gross and has no nutrition but you won't die from eating it (it's just carbon).

This keeps for 2-3 days so plan accordingly. The homey is what makes it look like it's separating on my face but it's really not.

Don't forget to moisturize!!

*I highly suggest washing your face with just salt, because the first few times you do it, it WILL sting. This is normal. Wet your face generously, put some salt in your (wet) hand and light circular motions into your skin. Rinse with plenty of water right away. Get used to doing that with salt and sugar first or the stinging could freak you out at first.

**if you're female don't use sugar or really any of this stuff near your lady bits. The tiny grains won't be washed out completely and sugar is what yeast eats. Inner thigh is okay but be careful.