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iffeelscouldkill · 3 years

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TSCOSI Week Day 1: Violet / Nature

A/N: I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE A WHOLE DAY LATE FOR THIS AND THEN IT TURNED OUT THAT THE WEEK STARTS ON THE 25TH! Made it with 35 minutes to spare in my timezone dfsgghshshjs

(Watch me now be late for every single other day because I spent all my time on this one fic and have nothing else written for the other days xD)

Anyway, this is Day 1, prompt: Violet/Nature! It’s set kind of ambiguously around season 2, i.e. they’re on the Iris II, but there’s no other specific references to events of season 2, so this is spoiler-free!

Enjoy!

Violet sneaked as quietly as she could through the corridors of the ship, doing her best to conceal the bundle under her arm. The seller at the market stall had been nice enough to wrap it up in extra paper for her to disguise its shape, though he’d cautioned that she should be sure to unwrap it as soon as she had the opportunity.

She just needed to avoid bumping into anyone on her way to her room who might ask what she-

“Did you get what you needed?”

“Gah!” Violet jumped and whirled around, then relaxed when she saw who it was. “Uh, sorry, Captain, I thought you were – yes, I did, thank you.”

Sana eyed the bundle under her arm with interest. “Am I allowed to know what you doubled back for?”

“It’s uh…” Violet hesitated. It wasn’t Sana she was trying to keep it a secret from – if anything, Sana was the ideal person to confide in, but she felt suddenly embarrassed, wondering if she’d misjudged her spur-of-the-moment decision. “It’s something for Thursday.”

“Oh!” Sana’s face lit up. “Violet, that’s great. I’ve bought some ingredients to make one of her favourite dishes for dinner, but she’ll definitely love your… mystery gift. And if you need any help getting her in place for the surprise, just let me know!”

Violet smiled at her. “I will, Captain. Thank you. And thanks for… telling me, as well.”

“Of course!” Sana replied, beaming and dimpling at her.

Back in the safety of her room, Violet was finally able to unwrap her purchase. Her room had a kind of desk that folded down from the wall, and Violet unfolded it so that she could set the little terracotta pot with its seedling occupant on its surface. Then she studied it.

To say that Violet was not naturally green-fingered would be an understatement; if anything, she had a flair for killing off plant life, and her friends and roommates had learned very quickly not to trust her with anything green and growing. People had a tendency to gift her with pot plants (the joys of having a flower name), and Violet had taken to lying through her teeth when asked about how they were faring. She’d once had a cactus that had survived for a record six months before dying of what was either neglect or possibly a lack of sunlight.

So the fact that Violet needed to take care of this plant until she could give it to Arkady on her birthday in a week’s time wasn’t ideal. Sana had been the one who’d told her about Arkady’s approaching birthday, explaining that it had taken her years of friendship to even pry the date out of Arkady. “She says that she hates people making a fuss,” Sana explained. “But I think it’s because she could never… do much for it, growing up. I’ve tried to make up for that where I can.” She’d given Violet a significant look at that point.

Violet also didn’t think it was a coincidence that Sana had told her this right before they were due to land and resupply near a harbour town with an extensive marketplace.

Violet had only caught sight of the little stall with its rows of pots and tiny green shoots as they were leaving the market. She’d waved the others on ahead, and then covertly made her way over to the stall to inspect the range of plants and their prices.

It was a shame that they hadn't had any fully-grown varieties, but the stallholder had assured her that it would be much more rewarding to grow and take care of from a seedling. “You don't have the bother of germinating it, but you get to watch it grow," he said. “Just make sure you water it regularly, and keep it in a semi well-lit spot.”

Violet hadn’t liked to ask what that would look like on a spaceship. She hadn’t been prepared to rehearse too much of a cover story for buying a plant. But it was only for a week, right? She could take care of one little plant for a week, and then it would be in Arkady’s expert hands.

Right.

---

Three days later, Violet was definitely panicking a little bit.

She still hadn't figured out how to get a plant the equivalent of natural daylight on a spaceship, and the seedling is definitely starting to look a little droopier than before. She watered it the other day - even though it maybe didn't really need watering - so it's definitely not drying out. Of course, there could be any number of other things wrong with it, and Violet wouldn't know, because she had only ever owned plants involuntarily and did not know how to take care of them.

Okay, Vi, don't overthink this, she instructed herself. You're a biologist - you understand living things in principle. They need shelter, they need water and nutrition. And when you're in an environment where you can't get all your nutrients naturally - say, space - you have to find artificial substitutes. After all, it wasn't like humans could get sunlight in space either, but over decades of space travel, they'd found ways to adapt. Vitamin D supplements were a staple on long-haul ships, as were Vitamin D-rich foods, as there was a limit to how much your body would absorb from pure supplements. As a state-of-the-art vessel, the Iris (one, not two) had also been equipped with sun lamps that the crew could sit under for short periods to stimulate their skin's Vitamin D production. But Violet hadn't found anything of the sort on the Iris II. Except-

Violet sat up abruptly on her bed. The Iris II’s medbay was pretty state-of-the-art compared with the Rumor (okay, her medicine cabinet in undergrad had been state-of-the-art compared to the Rumor’s medbay, but still) and she still hadn’t finished exploring all its various fittings, but she distinctly remembered that the lamp over the examination table had an ultraviolet setting.

What was more, Violet didn’t think that she’d have any trouble keeping Arkady away from the medbay for the rest of the week (since she only ever went in there under duress).

Delighted with her revelation, Violet opened the door to her room, intending to go straight to the medbay and test out the lamp – and found Arkady standing on the other side, fist raised to knock.

“Arkady!” Violet exclaimed, quickly re-angling herself so that she was blocking the view of the table with its plant occupant (and thanking every single one of her stars that she hadn’t picked up the seedling to bring with her to the medbay). “Hi!”

“Uh, hi,” said Arkady, smiling a little quizzically. “I was just coming to ask- well, it’s more like the Captain told me to come and ask-”

“Is your leg hurting again?” Violet asked, quickly catching on.

“Not- excessively,” Arkady hedged. “But uh, more than yesterday?”

“I should definitely check it over,” said Violet firmly. “And I can give you more of that Zaletenol to help with the pain for the rest of the afternoon.”

So much for easily being able to keep Arkady out of the medbay – though, at least Arkady had picked now to ask for a checkup and not after Violet had installed the plant somewhere visible. Her leg had been bothering her a lot less recently, or maybe it was just that Arkady had stopped mentioning it. Violet tried to keep a close eye on Arkady as she moved around the ship, watching for any minute signs of pain or discomfort. Unfortunately, Arkady was very good at masking injuries.

“Thanks,” Arkady said, falling into step alongside Violet as they walked towards the medbay. “Also – hi.”

“Hi yourself,” Violet said, smiling at her. Arkady’s cheeks went a little pink.

“Are you sure you didn’t just come by because you missed me?” Violet asked, because she could never resist leaning into the flirting. RJ, whenever they were within earshot of it, called their flirtation “distracting”, but Violet was more than okay with that.

Sure enough, Arkady’s blush darkened. “I… did, actually,” she said. “I was going to come by anyway after my shift ended to see if you wanted to make something in the kitchen together. Jeeter’s promised to leave it alone for the evening.”

Violet, who had been expecting a quip in return, was temporarily lost for words at Arkady’s shy honesty – not to mention the implication that she’d gone to lengths to secure the kitchen so that they could spend some time together. “I – yeah, I’d love that,” she said, knowing she was definitely blushing as well.

Arkady stopped walking, and Violet stopped too, a little puzzled. “What?”

“We’re…” Arkady gestured at the door opposite them. “We’re at the medbay, Liu.”

“-Oh!” Violet couldn’t help snorting with laughter at her own inattentiveness as she hit the door release button. Now who was the one being distracted?

Arkady’s wound was still healing, but showed some signs of swelling that suggested she hadn’t been staying off it like Violet had told her to. “You know what I’m going to say,” Violet told her as she rolled off the biodegradable plastic gloves that she’d been wearing as she gently probed the edges of Arkady’s leg wound, and dropped them into the waste basket.

Arkady rolled her eyes and leaned back on her elbows. “Keep my weight off my leg; I know, I know. It’s just- hard.”

“I get it,” Violet said sympathetically as she dug out a gel pack and squeezed it to activate the cooling crystals. It expanded and inflated slightly as it began to work, which was always equal parts unnerving and satisfying to watch. She handed the pack to Arkady, who laid it against her leg, wincing slightly as it came into contact with her skin. “Sitting around isn’t your style. But the alternative-”

“-Is worse,” Arkady finished for her. “Yeah. I believe you, I guess I just… thought I’d be able to use it again by now.”

“You can use it,” Violet told her. “But go gently. And no running. Not even small amounts.”

Arkady grimaced guiltily, and Violet hid a smile, her hunch proven correct. “I’m going to relay these instructions to the Captain as well, so that she knows what to keep an eye out for,” she said. Arkady huffed indignantly.

“I don’t need monitoring.”

“I didn’t say you did,” Violet said mildly. “But she needs to know how your recovery is progressing so that she can account for it when she gives you jobs to do.” The fact that she didn’t expect Arkady to give Sana this information of her own accord went unsaid. “You need to hold that on your leg for ten minutes,” she added.

As Arkady sat there with the cooling pack held against her thigh, Violet fiddled with the settings on the overhead lamp – making a soft noise of triumph when the lamp switched to an ultraviolet setting.

“Uh-” Arkady said as the two of them were suddenly bathed in an odd black-violet glow, the white floral designs on Violet’s green top shining with unnatural brightness. “Is that the ‘tanning bed’ setting?”

Violet laughed and switched the lamp back to its regular mode. “Sorry, I was just testing – a lot of these more state-of-the-art long-haul ships are equipped with ultraviolet lamps, to counteract Vitamin D deficiency. It can also be a useful treatment for skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.”

“Huh,” said Arkady, sounding interested. “So, the supplements we take-”

“Don’t account for all of what you need, though if we make landing often enough on planets with a nearby star, you can generally stave off a more serious Vitamin D deficiency,” Violet finished for her.

“Generally?”

“It helps to have one of these on board, just in case,” said Violet. Then, hoping she sounded convincingly casual enough, she added,

“You must have rigged up something similar on the Rumor, right? For the plants in the greenhouse, at least. They’d need some kind of imitation of sunlight in order to grow properly.”

To Violet’s relief, Arkady immediately nodded. “Don’t ask me about the engineering ins and outs of it, but Sana was able to incorporate a couple of ultraviolet bulbs into the greenhouse’s lighting system. Pure ultraviolet light is generally not a good idea, at least long-term – the plants need a balance of ultraviolet and white light to grow properly. So we had a mixture of both.”

Violet nodded in understanding, hoping it didn’t show that she was mentally filing away that detail. “That makes sense,” she said. “I guess I never thought too hard about the practicalities of growing plants in the middle of space.”

“It’s not as hard as it sounds,” Arkady said, and Violet almost laughed. “You just have to have a few key things. Light, water, drainage, enough nutrients in the soil… Well, okay, some types of plants are more picky, but the ones we grew on the Rumor were pretty hard to kill.”

Violet snorted a little, figuring it was safe enough to offer up this one detail. “In my experience, no plant is too hard for me to kill. I’m… not particularly good at taking care of them.”

Arkady laughed, and Violet eyed her, a little bit offended. “Sorry, it’s just – you’re a biologist. But you can’t keep a houseplant alive?”

Violet smiled ruefully. “Sad but true. I guess I’d better stick to taking care of people.”

“You, uh…” Arkady looked down at the cooling pack on her leg, gently pressing down on its edges. “You’re pretty good at that one. I mean, not pretty good- well, you are, but- very. You’re very good at it.” The cooling pack was really getting flattened now. Violet smiled, and reached out to gently touch Arkady’s hand and still it.

“Thanks,” she said simply, but tried to show in her expression everything she was feeling. “Shall we go make dinner? You can take the cooling pack off now.”

---

There was still something wrong with the plant.

After managing to persuade Arkady to divulge the secrets of plant care in outer space, Violet had snuck her gift into the medbay for a few hours each day under the guise of ‘inventorying the supplies’, and sat it under the ultraviolet lamp. The rest of the time, the plant lived in her room under a regular white light.

The system had seemed to work at first - the plant visibly perked up, and Violet was now thoroughly familiar with the range of equipment and supplies in the new medbay, which was a big bonus. But now that Violet was studying the plant under the ultraviolet light again, the evening before she was due to give the plant to Arkady, she could tell something was wrong. The plant’s leaves – which had become bigger and more numerous in the short time she’d been taking care of it – were drooping more than they had been, and some of them looked yellow. Frustrated, Violet mentally ran through what Arkady had mentioned you needed to grow plants. Water; she’d watered it twice. The man at the stall had said to water the plant “regularly”, but how often was that? The soil didn’t seem dried out, at least. She’d been giving it light, and as for nutrients in the soil, well, Violet had no idea how to check for that. But it wasn't like she could do anything about the soil if it was no good; they didn't exactly have fertiliser stocked on the ship. Squinting at the plant more closely, Violet was more convinced that something was off. There were these little... bumps on the stem and the underside of the plant's leaves. Bumps that were...

...moving. Violet reared back, clapping a hand over her mouth. Insects. Her – Arkady's – plant had an insect infestation. What was she going to do?? Mentally, she cursed the stallholder for selling her a bug-infested plant. But she realised that was uncharitable. Insects were a part of nature; you couldn't avoid that. He probably hadn't known about the bugs, and it wasn't as if she'd been checking for them anyway. But she couldn't give the plant to Arkady now. What kind of a present would that be? “Happy birthday; here's a sickly, bug-infested plant. Good luck!” She hated the idea of just throwing it out, though – of having to admit failure (again) after she'd tried so hard do things right this time. And she wouldn't have a present for Arkady's birthday. Obviously plant owners dealt with insects all the time, but Violet couldn't ask Arkady about what to do without arousing suspicion and ruining the surprise. Still, which was worse - giving the game away, or letting things get worse because she had no idea how to treat an insect infestation? That was when Violet had an idea. Banking on the fact that no-one was likely to enter the medbay without her there, Violet left Arkady's plant under the UV lamp and closed the door behind her. Looking up and down the corridor, she picked a direction and speed-walked, blowing past a confused RJ, who said, “Uh-” and almost bumping into Brian. “Hey, dude, everything all right?” “Have you seen the Captain?” Violet asked him. “Think she's up in the cockpit,” he replied. “Great, thank you,” said Violet, relieved. If Sana was up in the cockpit, that meant she was with Krejjh, which was... better than her being with Arkady. Not by a lot, because Krejjh was not renowned for their subtlety, but Violet would take what she could get. Coming to a halt in front of the cockpit door, Violet had just realised that she had yet to memorise the entry code for the new ship when the door opened. “Violet!” said Sana in surprise. “Are you okay, is something wrong?” “Not exactly,” Violet admitted as Krejjh, seated at the controls, craned their head around in interest. “I uh, needed your help with something.”

Sana’s expression immediately turned interested. “Okay. Do you wanna talk in here, or...” “Uh, just somewhere-” Violet didn’t want to hurt Krejjh’s feelings by saying ‘somewhere private’, but privacy would be ideal. “-else? It’s about...” Sana’s eyes widened in comprehension. “Oh! Don’t worry, Arkady’s busy with something in the engine room at the moment.” Krejjh fully twisted their body around. “Are you avoiding First Mate Patel?” they demanded with glee. Violet cringed slightly, wishing the Captain could have been a bit more discreet. “Not... permanently, just at the moment.” “We’ll fill you in later, Krejjh,” Sana promised. “Shall we talk in the kitchen, Violet?” Violet nodded, and the two of them made their way through the still jarringly shiny and unfamiliar corridors of the Iris II until they reached the kitchen. Once inside, Sana said, “So, what can I help you with?” “Uh, so this is going to sound like a weird question,” Violet hedged. “But... when you guys were growing food and plants on Cresswin, what did you use for pesticides?” Sana blinked twice and then frowned a little. “Gotta say, I wasn’t really involved in any of the growing – I’m not very good with plants,” she admitted, and Violet almost burst out laughing at the irony. “That’s more Arkady’s domain. But I do happen to know what Campbell uses on his tomato plants, and I think he mixes...” She turned to the cupboards and began pulling out bottles: vegetable oil, baking soda, dish soap. “Depending on how much you need, you want to use twice as much oil as baking soda, and just a little bit of the dish soap,” Sana explained. “And then you want to dilute it with a couple of quarts of water. You can put it in...” She produced an empty spray bottle from yet another cupboard. “This! I was going to make a cleaning spray, but your need is greater.” “Oh God, thank you so much,” Violet said, picking up the bottles. “Did Campbell really tell you all the quantities?” She tried to think when this might have come up over moonshine. Sana smiled, one of her dimples showing. “I helped him make it once. He was having a bit of a crisis.” Violet laughed. “So, a plant, huh?” Sana asked her, her expression knowing. Violet’s shoulders sagged slightly. “I’m not very good with them either,” she said. Sana smiled at her. “Luckily for both of us, Arkady is. And she will love it,” she said, and headed for the door. “Bugs and all.” Violet put one hand over her face and groaned, but she was laughing. She unscrewed the top of the spray bottle and got to work.

---

De-contaminating the plant was harder work than Violet had bargained for. Violet supposed that most people treating their plants with bug spray weren’t so concerned with appearances, but she really wanted it to look good for Arkady. (And dead bugs were not a good gift). So after spritzing the plant carefully but thoroughly with her homemade spray and then leaving it for a couple of hours to take effect, she used a cotton swab to dust the tiny stalks and leaves and carefully remove any traces of the bugs and the spray.

By the time she was done, it was well after midnight. Violet stretched her arms over her head and breathed a sigh of relief. The plant looked okay. Not in peak health, but okay, and maybe by the morning it would have perked up fully.

Even after midnight, there was always someone awake on the ship, but that someone was usually Krejjh, Sana or Park in the cockpit, which was why Violet deemed it safe to carry the plant with her from the medbay back to her room.

She realised that had been a mistake when, after taking just a few steps away from the medbay, she rounded the corner and came face-to-face with Arkady.

“Liu!” said Arkady, her expression lighting up in a way that Violet was slowly coming to realise might actually be just for her. It quickly gave way to confusion as Arkady spotted the plant. “Oh hey, that’s – cool, where did you…? I didn’t realise you had a plant.”

Violet briefly tried to think of a way to explain away the plant, before realising it would just create more confusion and giving in to the inevitable. At least it was after midnight.

“Um, I’ve been keeping it secret because it’s… for you,” she said, proffering the plant. “I was actually planning to present it in a much nicer way, maybe with a ribbon around it? Which is my fault for carrying it openly around the ship, but I thought you’d be asleep, and you’re not and now you’ve seen me, so uh… Happy birthday!”

A dumbfounded silence greeted her words. Violet waited, breath coming quicker as she nervously started to second-guess herself. Oh god, she hates it! The leaves look really yellow under this light, I didn’t realise – or did Captain Tripathi get the date wrong? Maybe it’s not her birthday after all? “I-if you don’t like it, though, I can just-”

“No!” Arkady said, her arms shooting out to take the plant quickly. “I mean yes! It’s great! I was just trying to think when you – when did you buy this? We haven’t made any stops for a week.”

Violet nodded, feeling giddy with relief. “I bought it at a market on Rodinia,” she said. “I’ve been hiding it in the medbay pretty much since then.”

“The ultraviolet light,” Arkady said with dawning realisation. “But you – hate taking care of plants. Right? Or did you just say that to throw me off?”

“No, that was true,” Violet said ruefully. “It’s a miracle this one is still alive.”

Arkady stared down at the plant with a complicated expression, but fortunately Violet was familiar enough with Arkady’s ‘I’m-coming-to-terms-with-someone-doing-a-nice-thing-for-me’ expression not to panic this time. “It’s a bonsai tree,” she said gently, to fill the silence as Arkady processed. “Well, one of several varieties – I know bonsai is actually about how you take care of the tree, and not the variety. This one’s a Japanese maple. Captain Tripathi said you liked trees, and I thought… you can keep this one in your room and grow it yourself.”

“You got me a tree,” Arkady said softly, and Violet could detect a tiny tremor in her voice. “My own… tree.”

“I hope it wasn’t too much, I-”

“No,” Arkady interrupted her quickly. “No, Liu, it’s… perfect. Really.”

Violet knew she was blushing, and smiling so widely it was almost painful, but she couldn’t care too much about either of those things – even though they were still standing in the middle of the corridor. “Happy birthday,” she said again. “I’m really glad you like it.”

Arkady looked up at her, holding the plant pot close to her chest, almost cradling it. “How did you know it was my birthday, anyway?”

“The Captain told me,” Violet admitted. “I hope that’s okay. She said you don’t really like… fuss around your birthday, and we don’t have to do anything else for it or even mention it at all if you don’t want to, but – I think she wanted you to have something nice. And so did I.”

Arkady’s face did something complicated again, her mouth twisting into a half-smile. “She’s too perceptive for her own good,” she grumbled. “She’s cooking dinner for me, isn’t she?”

“She is,” Violet confirmed.

Arkady sighed, but it was the sigh of someone who was secretly pleased and trying to hide it. “Just so long as there’s no singing.” She lifted the plant slightly. “I’m gonna go put this in my room. Want to… come with? You can tell me all about how to take care of it.”

Violet snorted, bumping her shoulder lightly with Arkady’s as they walked towards Arkady’s room. “I can tell you about all the ways I nearly killed it before your birthday.”

“That works, too.”

#Violet Liu #TSCOSI #TSCOSI week #Arkady Patel #Sana Tripathi #Krejjh #I got really into the headcanon that Violet sucks at taking care of plants #because 1) it's hilarious #and 2) it makes a kind of sense with her 'you make plants grow in the middle of cold empty space' line #like she's extra in love with Arkady for that talent because she just can't do plants #I like plants a lot myself although I've never had to treat one with homemade bug spray so Google provided the details on that #ditto the UV light stuff #and I mean in canon they probably just have sun lamps installed throughout the ship so that no-one has to worry about Vitamin D deficiency #but that wouldn't be nearly as fun!

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rosepetals-flyingbirds · 4 years

Text

Don’t Leave.

With: Bucky x Reader.

Words: 3.548.

Yes, i have a similar version with Ivar.

“Do you love me?”

“Yes.”

“Say you love me.”

“I love you.”

She would ask that, she didn’t want to sound clingy, probably why the moments she asked those simple four words were always when they were the most intimate.

How beautiful she is. Bucky could never grasp why she was with him. Y/N would always laugh when he said something as cliche like “I’m so lucky to have you”,“you’re so beautiful, what are you doing with me?”, "my sweet little angel", "my doll".

The truth was that Y/N found Bucky extremely handsome. She could watch him all day if required. She loved his eyes, his lips, his facial hair which seemed to grow by seconds, his soft hair, his jaw, his scars, his metal arm, his nightmares.

Everything.

But she also loved his personality. He was such a complicated person! Traumatized, stubborn, closed off but… he was funny, so damn smart, sweet, surprisingly romantic, and truly cared about her.

Both were too scared to start something when they first fell for each other. Bucky had such a terrible life filled with torture and loss. So even if unconsciously, he expected pain from all the situations, and if he couldn't love himself how could someone else love and accept him?

And Y/N had too much trust issues to trust a guy. Maybe it could be her father’s responsibility for cheating on her mother, hell, even her mother’s fault for cheating on her father!

Maybe it was all the people's fault for cheating on their s/o and acting like it was okay… like it was some animal instinct that overpowered them.

Weak.

But she allowed Bucky in her heart, how could she not? Never a guy has made such sweet displays for her. It was in the details, when he saved the last cupcake for her. When he would give her his jacket. Or offered her a ride on his motorcycle when she needed to go somewhere and Bucky didn't want her feeling crowded in the subways and buses.

Even so much as buying flowers. Back in the day it was normal, to court someone. Buy some flowers, a box of chocolate -or in the case of New York's depression, a flower stolen on the neighbor and some candy his parents had saved in the fridge- but in the modernity, it seemed as "clichê", he thought of asking help to make a cd to you, but then they said now it was a playlist-thing and he excluded that idea because it was getting too weird and he didn't want to ask help. So he did buy flowers, not a bouquet, but a small jar with a tiny flower so she could plant, then another, then a small cactus, and when the idea of receiving flowers from him was something expected; He bought a bouquet.

And it was stunning.

A mix of blue roses, with white tulips, lavender, and blue nemophila. Only the most distinct, so Y/N could feel he thought about her in the whole process. Which everyone could see he did. She was the only thing that mattered to him. He was so gentle, never pushed her to do something she wasn't comfortable with, on the contrary actually, y/n that initiated the first time they had sex, the kisses grew deeper but Bucky wasn't ready so they waited until he felt comfortable. He was honest, kind, and even with his nightmares... he opened up to her, allowed her in the vastness that was his mind. His guilt, his pain.

He trusted her, and Y/N thought it was amazing.

Once -while friends- they went to a small gathering Fury throw to celebrate a successful mission that took a couple of years to be done. And everyone was dressed up, and even that some said it was a small party, it ended up with 200 people. Bucky didn't want to go at first, but Steve told him it would do good, and then Y/N was excited too so he made the effort.

Besides, since he started working with the team, the shield agents took a likening to the metal armed man.

Bucky thought in holding his hair together in a man bun, but then he felt weird so he took it off. So he tried another style but it was also ridiculous. He ended up letting it freely, as usual, she seemed to like in that way.

But deep down he just wanted to look good. For her.

They went together to the place, of course it was high safety so they could relax, even for just a moment. Y/N looked stunning, per usual, she didn't like to use makeup on the daily basis, and she was a fucking piece of art. But she also managed to look striking with those products on her face, Buck giggled as she held his arm for support since she was wearing Natasha's heels, and since people always saw them together and adding that in the party people were sure they got together.

Steve was proud, very much. Even though his heart broke a bit since he had a major crush on Y/N since the day he saw her for the first time. But the way Bucky looked at her... that was what love glowed like.

But as the night went on and Y/N mixed with her other friends, Bucky kept alert and spotted a man staring at her, he was Jay Halstead, a good guy, great agent, and Y/N's friend, and what pissed Bucky more was the fact that they would look great together.

If Jay was a prick, it would be easier but he was a good fella, as good at the level that he served with Sam in the army, good as he was the one that helped Steve to find the best psychologic on the country.

Annoyingly good. And he would be good for her.

Buck was talking with Steve and Clint when he got a glimpse of Jay approaching y/n, and she was very happy to see him. Hugged him and even allowed him to linger his arm on her shoulder.

Buck's stance changed and Steve realized why.

Clint drank his beer and shrugged. "If she isn't your girlfriend you can't be pissed because other guys like her."

Buck didn't agree, nor responded but he knew what Clint meant.

Before Steve could give some advice Buck smiled, y/n waved at him and called him over.

Buck looked at Steve who told him it was okay.

Jay smiled seeing Bucky, shook his hand and Buck was glad Jay’s arm wasn't around y/n's shoulder anymore.

"Hey, just wanted to congratulate you on the last mission, saw the files and you fixed what Fury has been trying to fix in 12 years."

Taken aback by the praise Buck only nodded, but a small smile lingered on his face. "Thanks, man."

"And also he now beats Steve in the mornings run." Y/N confessed.

Jay laughed and by Y/N’s smile it was clear it was an inside joke. "No one can ever beat Steve Rogers, I fainted last time I tried."

"Well, I have been winning in runs over the punk since we were 10. Some things don't change with time."

"Yeah, i have to go. Mission tomorrow morning, just passed by to say hello to everyone." Jay leaned and kissed Y/N's cheek. "Bye, sweetheart. Good to see you." And then extended his hand again to shake Bucky's. "And congratulations again, i am happy you're in the avengers. The world needs you." With a tap on the shoulder, Jay left and Bucky stood a bit shocked for what the man said.

But after all, it was all Y/N has been saying over the months she met him.

And after what seemed like ages Y/N finally let him in. And Buck also fought his demons and allowed to be loved and cherished by someone.

And it was amazing.

...

Meeting her family took a bit longer than the ’normal’ couples take. Her family was okay, but she was worried about how they would feel and most importantly how Buck would feel.

Y/N’s family lived far and using Tony's jet they flew to her homeland, her cousin flirted with Bucky wich made Y/N glare at her almost all barbecue. Y/N's mom was a bit worried about her daughter date a man in such a dangerous life, but she was happy so that was all that mattered.

And Bucky's family was Steve, so it was clear that he accepted them together.

Buck has never felt so much like he did with her.

...

Dream.

Dream was the word Bucky could only imagine when Y/N danced for him. Her small satin dress covering her smooth skin, he loved how her hips moved so graciously, the scent of her shampoo, how she kissed his cheeks when he made coffee for her. Y/N could be in her period, feeling awful wearing baggy pants and still, she managed to steal his heart even without trying. He was sure that no one had ever loved someone as much as he loves her.

He could do anything for her.

...

On a mission, Bucky was looking the area of the attack arguing with Sam of where was the best point of attack, he was really close to yell at the man who never agreed with his tactics when his phone made a ping sound letting him know a message has arrived.

Hey baby, I hope you’re okay and you haven’t slapped Samuel! I’m watching you, mister! ;)

I’ll have to make a small trip with Brenda, she had a problem with her parents and she needs me to help her. I’m sorry but I really have to go. See you in a few days.

Bucky, I love you. With all that I am.

Bucky found it weird, Brenda’s family lived in another country, why she would make such travel in a hurry?

Of course, Y/N was a good friend, but she didn’t do such spontaneous things.

As he glanced at his cellphone with a keyboard (designed for him, since his metal arm managed to break the last smartphones) he re-read the messages before he tried to call her only to be met with a voice message. He tried to calm his nerves down and finish his work. She had warned him after all, it wasn’t like she went away without telling him.

At their apartment, he saw a few notes here and there, one in the fridge telling she left some leftovers for some days.

Another in the bathroom reminding him to buy shampoo and one on their bedroom saying: “You won’t die if I stay a few days away.”

Silly girl.

But even if Buck was suspicious of the sudden new he needed to trust her, he couldn’t be the crazy boyfriend who didn’t trust his girl.

However on the next day, he found it completely weird that she didn’t call him, she sent a text saying she was okay and safe but she couldn’t call him, he asked why but she just asked him to trust her and quickly stopped answering his texts.

Really really weird.

Was she kidnapped? Was she cheating on him? Was she really traveling with her friend? His mind couldn’t stop making ideas up. Bad assumptions up.

Gladly Bucky had a great memory so he remembered Brenda’s adress when Y/N went there a few months prior, he had to go there and see if Brenda was at home, if his girl was there or if she was actually out of the country. If she was out of danger.

Finally reaching the the street he stopped the car before walking to Brenda's house. He knocked on the door praying for no one to be home, but after a few seconds, it quickly opened with Brenda showing him a confused face. “Hey? What are you doing here?”

Fuck. “Hey, um, is Y/N here?”

“No, actually I haven’t talked with her for weeks now. Why? Did you guys had a fight?” For Brenda, it was almost impossible for you and Buck to fight, but as herself had a realtioship where she thought the man was perfect, she knew to expect anything.

Y/N lied, what was happening?

Knowing it wasn’t for the best to let her know about the situation he made a small smile. “Yeah, we did, I thought she was here. Thanks.” He hurriedly left not waiting for her response.

All the -painful- way home Bucky overthought his whole relationship, why would Y/N lie to him?

He couldn’t place a reason for it, the only things that were hammering on his thoughts were the hypothesis: Kidnap, cheating or she simply got tired of his traumatized self.

But why would she cheat on him?

Wasn’t he a good boyfriend? Does she suddenly feel tired of his problems?

Was she tired of his hard personality?

Wasn’t he satisfying her in bed?

Have you found someone else?

Why?

And most important…if so, with who?

Bucky's mind was around doubts and adding all of his insecureness wasn’t helping much.

He didn’t even realize he reached her building until he saw his neighbor going for a walk with his dog. The whole walk he was pinned by fear and rage that he didn’t even count his steps.

To not help much his case he called her with no answer, he texted her with no answer either.

What could he do? He didn’t know where she was, or with who she was.

Was she safe?

“What is happening, my heart? Why are you lying to me?” He mumbled alone in their bedroom.

His heart cracking each thought he had.

After five longs and painful days, he received a text.

Hey Bucky. I’m going home we need to talk.

Bucky couldn’t answer, he couldn’t possibly ask what she wanted to talk about? Why would she leave him?

...

There she stood, a single suitcase in her hand and a tired face.

Bucky wanted to hug her, to get in his feet, and to say how worried he was… but no! He allowed his rage to consume him when he saw she was alright and no enemy of his has taken and hurt her.

He was mad.

“Hey Bucky we-”

“Why?” Without letting her finish her sentence or even getting up from the couch, he asked.

“What?”

“Why you left and lied? Are you tired? Do you want to break up? Because i re-create the past weeks and i can’t see a reason for this, Y/N. You ran away and lied to me saying you traveled with Brenda to Brazil?”

She didn’t argue, only let the suitcase on the floor and rubbed her face. And with her silent stare, Bucky knew the end was near.

And that would break him, make all of the pieces he built in the last years since he got free from Hydra to fall apart.

Letting a sarcastic chuckle his frustration over the last weeks started to show with full force. “You’re selfish! I always said that i don't need your help, that i was broken and still am but you didn't have to stay with me. I always warned you and now that i'm so fucking deep in love with you-you will destroy this. But please, tell me what is it. Am I not satisfying you enough? Or is the nightmares? Maybe because i ca not go to the library with you or because we can’t go to the movies and i know you always says that Stark's is almost the same but you love movies and Y/N-”

For more dramatically Bucky sounded, she knew he was self-conscious about his state, of course, he did therapy to help with his self-loathing but seeing the most precious thing getting ready to leave was about to break his cold-mended heart.

Making all his therapy process going to air.

Y/N stood there, looking tired and staring at him. She knew he would be mad, she was mad at herself for lying so blatantly. “Are you done?”

Taking a deep breath and placing his hands on his pockets he nodded, trying to control the tears to leave his eyes.

“I’m not cheating you, I never did, I never will. And i'm not tired of us. I’m not overwhelmed, you are the most important thing in the universe to me.” She took her jacket off and walked to the couch.

Bucky looked at her carefully while she approached him, so what was the problem then. “Tell me.”

“I’m not trying to break up with you, if that is what you think.”

He nodded and let a small sigh let his nostrils. A lock of hair leaving his man bun and Y/N's fingers itched to pull it behind his ear.

“I… I needed some time to think, I didn’t want to lie to you but I really needed some time alone without you getting worried.”

Was she sick? Why was she so sad?

He sat by her side and looked at her lap taking a deep breath, her gaze met Bucky's and she nodded her head almost telling herself it was the proper moment. “I’m pregnant.”

The time seemed to stop for Buck, such a brilliant man and that was the only thing he hasn’t anticipated to leave her beautiful’s lips.

It made sense for him now, Y/N was always predicting the worst. Always waiting for the day he would grow tired of her and leave, or only try to have some “fun” and fool around with someone else.

She didn’t want to have a child because she was afraid she would have to do it all by herself.

“Y/N… baby, I’m-”

“I don’t want it.” Her answer was firm but her lips were trembling with nerves. “I-” Her eyes filled with tears, even with the past days being of pure anxieties and sorrow, she still had tears left. “I can’t have it, Bucky. I- I-, I’m so scared.”

He couldn’t control his eyes when they glanced at her belly, his child was there, growing each day. He wanted the baby, wanted a boy or a girl to cherish and take care.

And only the thought of a baby so pure and ethereal as Y/N meant a lot.

It was his.

After everything he suffered, everything he did that provoked people to suffer, he was blessed with a son or a daughter.

But he needed to focus on her.

“Will you try ab- abortion?” He didn’t want her to do that, he would try to change her mind if she said yes but he knew it was her choice.

“I… I don’t know! I mean no I won’t. I can’t! But Bucky, I’m so so scared.”

“You think I’ll leave.” He said softly, she looked at him startled, but she shouldn’t. Bucky always knew her. “You know I would never abandon you, especially not with our child.”

She nodded, her heartbeat going faster and faster by the second. He could hear it, of course he could. Apparently, the time to “cool off” didn’t help as she has thought.

Bucky gently held her waist and thigh and pulled her to his lap, Y/N hugged him tightly and started to sob. Bucky was her home.

And she was terrified he would leave her, especially with a child to take care of.

“Shh shh, pretty girl. It’ll be okay.” His hand started to caress her scalp softly trying to bring her some comfort.

Some minutes of pure comfortable silence passed before Y/N straightened her back and looked at the deep blue of his eyes. “I’m sorry I lied…” She murmured.

Bucky chuckled at the thought of how angry he was 20 minutes ago at her, now it seemed really stupid the way he allowed his demons to make him think the worst of his angel.

“I forgive you. Y/N,” He raised his hand and touched her cheek softly, she leaned in and kissed his palm. “I know you’re worried I’ll leave or that you will have to raise that child alone but I promise you that I won’t let you down! I won’t let our child down!” He placed his other hand on her belly, Y/N smiled at the vision.

Of course, she didn’t have a bump yet, but seeing Bucky hand touching a place where half him and half her was growing was a new comforting feeling.

Y/N nodded and smiled at him, lifting her pinky she pouted. “Promise? Even that the serum has some effect or if someone tries to take them away from me. Promise you will be there for me?”

He chuckled at her cuteness but realized how deeper the worries about a child was, interlacing his pinky with hers he nodded. “I promise.” She leaned in and kissed him lovely. She missed him.

He gazed at her, and as he passed his thumb under her eye to dry a tear, he was more sure than ever that she was the light of his life. “We got this, my love.” He affirmed his hands holding her face softly. “We do.”

Bucky Barnes is good at protecting the ones he loved, so he will do the possible and impossible to protect his perfect little family.

…

<3 <3 <3

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you

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astroyongie · 4 years

Note

Could you please do 127 as brothers like you did with dream?

Note : sorry for taking so long ! Hope you enjoy it ❤️❤️ also for this I made him as older brothers !

NCT 127 As Brothers :

Taeil:

The kind of brother that will pretend that you don’t exist

“You were adopted anyway”

Despite the teasing he loves you a lot and you can always count on him

Would sing to you when you were smaller and you were afraid of the dark

Has once caught up in a beating with Bullies for protecting you

He will steal roll his eyes when you being annoying tho

Doesn’t follow you back in any social media because “I’ve a reputation”

Still, a lot of laughs and internal jokes between you two

You guys also fight for who has the right to be in the front seat of the car

Lots of arguments about food

There’s the “no sharing what I found” rule

Johnny:

Please you would be so embarrassed

The type of brother that brags into your bedroom when you have your friends over

That will sit down and steal your friends, specially if they are girls

Probably has already told secrets about you to others

Will drive you everywhere

But okay a lot of laughs and internal jokes

You guys send each other memes

Johnny would be the type of brother to ask you to like his tweets

All of your boyfriends/girlfriends would be intimidated by him

Wants to have matching tattoos

You steal his clothes and he won’t say anything about it

But won’t complain if he steals your skin care products

Will always blast loud music to annoy you

Also ? You never won a fight against him, never

Taeyong:

What a sweetheart

He will clean your room without you need to ask but he would complain not understand how you can be so messy

A very protective brother get would be more into warnings that actual action

Calls you a lot when you guys are apart so he can have news about family

You guys fight for Ruby’s attention

You once killed one of his cactus

A very close relationship

Taeyong has tones of pictures of you on his phone

Loves you a lot and he will voice it whenever he can

Won’t like when you get too close to guys, for him you will always be too baby

Loves to go shopping with you and just have quality time with you

Already lied to his parents to save you up

Would bore you money whenever you need it

Yuta:

AHAHAHAHAHA brother

Like you can’t date my dear

Yuta wouldn’t have it

Annoying protective brother

Throws you his dirty Laundry to shut you up

You definitely have a love hate relationship with brother Yuta

He can be super chill and pleasant where you guys are just bad mouthing aunts or he can be super rude to the point you want to punch him

Steals your rings and then pretends they were never yours to begin with

When he is in a good mood he will let you do his hair

Long night talks for sure. Sometimes you guys just need to talk it out . He would listen and care

Would beat the crap out of anyone that even tries to harm you

Calls you only to ask for favours

He would give his kidney for you tho

Doyoung:

The strick brother to be honest

That just because he loves you and he doesn’t want anything to happen to you

Yet Doyoung definitely would become very annoying sometimes

He would be like a second dad

Always eyes your friends/partners as if they were some disgusting creatures of the underworld

However he would always give you the best advices

Would sigh when he heard you cry in your bedroom. Would proceed to get in, and comfort you after saying “I told you so”

Stalks your social profile but won’t ever admit it

Will tell the family during social gatherings that he is the smart brother

Definitely already has blackmailed you just to get thing his way

Won’t mind the accompanying you when you go outside

Or even pick you up after parties

He might be annoying but he cares a lot

Jaehyun:

The brother that everyone thinks is your boyfriend

Jaehyun wouldn’t be too annoying not also not too present

You guys would have a good relationship

Very sticks rules in the house, like KNOCKING

Won’t mind if you steal his clothes as long as you ask first

Gets annoyed when you try to argue with him about stuff

Family gathering always make you both competitive to be the best kid

Bathroom fights

You have that girls want to be your friend just to get close to him

You guys also solve a lot of problems by rock paper scissor

Wouldn’t mind your partners but will make them know they better not hurt you

You once bargued into his room without knocking. You regret until today

Jungwoo:

Another annoying brother

Will come to you Saying a new joke and you will have to pretend it’s funny not to hurt his feelings

Very susceptible

Will always demand for hugs and cuddles

You probably already caught him trying out your clothes

You guys make evil packs together to get rid of awful rules your parents made

Despite being annoying you guys will protect each other and support each other during family arguments

Calls you a lot to make sure you are okay

You guys have things very clear habits, like watching a movie together every Saturday night

He has once forgot to pick you up at a party

Lies to you so you won’t ask for favours

Mischavious, always is able to get what he wants from you

Mark:

The cutest come at me

Like all the laughs you would have with him eye-

You guys send each other memes and jokes on twitter

Comes to you for advices when it comes to love

Will sing and play his guitare when you are stressed

You guys probably have the same hoodies

Your friends love him

When kids your parents made you both wear the same clothing

You would share everything, egoism isn’t part of your brotherhood

Will always be proud to say that you are his sister

Would huff in annoyance when you persist on going out with him

You guys would be very comfortable around each other there’s no awkwardness

Haechan:

But who wants to have him like a brother honestly 😭

He would be so annoying yet so lovable ITS EVEN MORE ANNOYING

Like Hyuck would annoy the hell out of you and then come back giggling and throwing finger hearts

Like no bro you mad

Anyway, lots of fighting over the PlayStation

And over the remote for the tv of course

He either says you look amazing or like shit there’s no in between

Once you woke up and left your room and he screamed scaring you. When you asked what was wrong he said your face

Sends you ton of texts when bored

Loves to squat in your room and touch your things

Probably already has read your diary

A lot of cute pictures together

Loves to cuddle you before saying eww

Is probably the reason why you still single

#nct #nct 127 #nct reactions #nct astrology #nct headcanons #nct imagines #nct blurbs #nct scenarios

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filabe · 3 years

Text

The new age of skincare

In a time where everything is uncertain - safety, vaccinations, travel, work; our lives are on hold, and our skin seems to be paying the price. Whether its maskne (the delightful little side effect of a mask trapping oil and clogging your pores), or the increasing damage of blue light (from our hours of working at home in front of a laptop), there seems to be a constant parade of skin issues being talked about around us…and the advice on social media is never ending.

One of the items we can all agree on, however, has been the return to the natural. Being at home and giving our skin a break from daily makeup, pollution, and other harsh treatments has been a strong benefit from this unexpected period in our lives. Alongside baking banana bread, playing games online with friends, and buying tie-dye oversized sweatshirts, has come a self care surge.

More people than ever are taking their skincare seriously. The Covid-19 pandemic may have seen a dramatic fall in the purchase of makeup, but there has been a stark increase in sales of luxury soaps, hair care, dye and nail care. This indicates a shift towards beauty at home, with women taking care of themselves rather than relying on regular visits towards the salon. In the same way, skincare has become minimalistic, with women actively choosing skincare products that trend towards natural ingredients, less harsh chemicals, and an overhaul towards healing, rather than concealing.

Filabe of Switzerland has always honored the commitment to being natural, relieving, and sustainable. It uses wholly natural active ingredients to treat your skin issues, nourish your skin and help it regenerate overnight. Filabe is the only night care regimen that is delivered without any nasty additives, unnecessary oils or creams that end up sitting on your skin, instead delivering all high concentration ingredients while cleansing your skin, all in one intelligent wipe. Filabe is also an entire skincare routine in one product, so forget the ten different items you’re using that all interact and still have no effect.

For instance, the Filabe Irritated Skin, meant for dry, sensitive and inflamed/acne-prone skin, combines OM24™ with prickly pear cactus. OM24 ™, a high-tech ingredient from the tea plant, reduces redness and irritation and prickly pear cactus has a lasting soothing effect on your skin. At the same time, glycerin provides your skin with intensive moisture. This clears up and stabilizes your complexion. There’s a reason Filabe Irritated Skin has won several best acne care product awards!

There’s also different versions for oily skin, acne/pimples, hyper-pigmentation, and anti-aging. Take a quiz to find out the right Filabe product for your skin HERE, and let’s bring your skin into balance.

#luxury skincare products #skincare products

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writing-the-end · 4 years

Text

WS Chapter 39: Alone

Previous Chapter

Masterpost

Sorry yinz, I just had to leave you all at a cliffhanger! Red and I were so excited to leave you on this- and I won’t say that this is the last time either. For those wondering, the world the wanderers are from doesn’t have respawn mechanics, but thanks to Xisuma the hermit world does. Boy those world wizards are useful!

Ecto belongs to @cooler-cactus-block (Still can’t @ D:)

Red belongs to @theguardiansofredland

Warning: Contains mention of death, character death (respawn), language, and mentions of blood and violence

Red gasps for air, grasping at his chest with one hand and the ground with another. His fingers dig into sand, warmed from the sun. A shuttering cry is caught by the wind, pain just now coursing through Red’s body.

But the bolt is gone. The pain remains, but the deadly arrow is no longer skewering Red like a fish-kabob. Red looks down, gasping for each breath of air like it’s his last. It should be his last. He should be dead.

He was dead. Was. But now, by some miracle, he’s back. He remembers the fight. He remembers freezing the vindicator right before he let his axe swing. He remembers the pride when he saw Ecto and Avon’s relieved faces. And he remembers the shock of being shot. He didn’t even have time to experience the pain before he was gone.

And then nothing. Nothing for infinity, nothing for a second. And now he sits in the warm sand, a cool ocean breeze playing with the curls of his black and orange hair. There’s no blood on his vest, no arrow through his chest. But the pain remains, slowly dying back with every breath, every step away from death. Every moment of being alive again. “Wha-what happened?”

Red’s voice cracks, carried away by the wind. But no one hears her question. She’s alone, on a tiny spit of land in the middle of the ocean. There’s no distant sound of horns and fighting, no massive towers built in the plains. Her pockets are empty, all the potions and potatoes missing. Wherever Red is, it’s far away from the battle. Far away from all her friends. Far away from everyone. Alone.

He did it again. Utterly useless, always in the way. Red thought he was helping, and for a moment he felt like he actually was. He managed to freeze a whole line of illagers in their tracks, and he was able to deliver much needed supplies to the hermits. He was able to do something actually productive to the team, actually be a part of the fight. Be a part of the solution.

But Red was a fool to think he was anything but worthless. That he could do anything to help. Instead, he just got in people’s way. He got into his own friends’ ways. They had to worry about him, and his safety. Potentially ignoring their own to make sure Red wasn’t in harm’s way. And in the end, Red’s own inept efforts got him killed.

He’s not observant or clever like Ecto. He can’t use his surroundings like her, turn plants into tools and the very ground into her traps. He can’t see solutions in the problems before him, or alternate paths that no one would think of.

And he’s not determined or fierce like Avon. He can’t stick through a fight, even when all the odds are against him. He can’t take on half a dozen enemies and grin about it. He can’t survive the harsh reality that she has taken on.

Red’s weak. Sensitive. He always chooses the wrong path, makes the wrong friends, decides the wrong fate. He’s no fighter, he’s not sure if he could ever kill someone. He’s not a survivor, he can hardly even start a fire. Red never should have left the safety of his ocean, his monument. The safety of his family. He never should have gone with Avon, he only slows them down. Gets in the way. And now, his home could be gone. And he’ll be alone. Just like he is now.

The battle has quieted, the raid vanquished. Blood mars the green grass, and in a few rains the field will be filled with poppies. The hermits are celebrating their victory, and the sudden popularity with the nearby village. But amongst bodies, shot down pillagers and defeated ravager beasts, Avon and Ecto mourn the loss of something more precious than any emerald or armor.

Red is gone. Dead. Shot through the heart, and they can only blame themselves. They should have done more to stop her. Done more to protect Red. She was the only one that kept the team together. She was the heart of the team, the glue that kept everything from falling apart. Ecto and Avon would’ve killed each other a thousand times over if it wasn’t for Red and her peaceful nature. How will they go on?

“Alright, we came here to ask questions, not fight pillagers.” Xisuma strikes his diamond sword into the dirt, cleaning away the blood as he pulls it out.

“Though that was loads of fun.” Stress adds, looking up and repositioning the flower crown on her head. Their voices carry closer to Ecto and Avon, huddled close and holding onto the bolt that struck down Red. Both are fighting a losing battle against their anguish, tears welling up in their eyes and threatening to spill over.

“Thanks for the help, guys. Guess in all this farm construction I didn’t notice I had the deep dark bad omen thing.” Tango flexes his arm, looking at his pale skin. He should’ve seen the effects on his body, but he was so busy he didn’t take heed. Tango puts his bow away, rubbing the back of his neck with a smile. “What can I do ya for?”

Ecto looks up, shocked that the hermits can be so...so...nonchalant about this. Avon and Ecto just lost their friend, the sweetest, kindest person they ever knew. And the hermits are acting like nothing happened? Mumbo wipes the sweat from his brow. “We were hoping to ask you about your work in the nether. Did you see anything strange?”

A strangled hiccup escapes Avon’s lips, swallowing the cries and trying to keep it down. Ecto’s eyes narrow at Mumbo, watching as he leans against a tree. Xisuma continues the questioning, but both of the remaining wanderers are hardly listening. Mourning has morphed into anger, furious that the hermits aren’t bothered by the sudden death of their friend. What kind of monsters are they? Ecto stands, vision blurred by tears she refuses to let fall. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Aren’t you fiends even going to acknowledge this?”

Mumbo raises an eyebrow, looking at the bloody bolt clutched in Ecto’s hand. He notices that Red isn’t with them. The littlest wanderer isn’t fluttering around anywhere. She must’ve died. Didn’t he see her with a totem before? But rather than fall into grief with Ecto and Avon, he just shrugs. “What’s the big deal?”

In a blink and a breath, Mumbo’s own life is a hair away from death. He tips his head back, trying to escape the weapons brushing against the skin of his neck. Daring to press into his adam’s apple. But the further he backs away, Avon’s trident and Ecto’s sword only follow. Mumbo jumps as his back bumps against the bloody corpse of a ravager, and he has nowhere to hide from the seething anger before him.

He looks down the shafts of the blades, for once both Ecto and Avon in perfect sync with one another. Completely different people, unified over the loss of their best friend. Anguish lashes against the fury on their faces, teeth bared and gritted. Square jaws as still and ready to strike like their weapons, each and every breath laden with anger and loss. Mumbo raises his hands to try and ease the anger, but it only snaps Avon. “You didn’t protect him! Why weren’t you there for Red? Why weren’t you strong enough, why wasn’t I fast enough to stop him? Why didn’t I do anything?”

Avon’s anger whips across Mumbo, but her words are more for herself than him. She doesn’t even realize she’s begun berating herself, yelling at him because she can’t yell at herself. It wasn’t Mumbo’s fault Red’s perished. Avon swore to protect him, and she failed. But she is furious at him for a whole different thing. Avon’s hands begin to quiver, tines of the trident brushing against Mumbo’s neck. “Red is gone...and there was nothing I could even do.”

Avon remembers the last moments Red spent in his home, at the ocean monument. He didn’t pack a weapon because he didn’t think he’d need it. And he promised Mama Gummi he’d be back. But he won’t. He’ll never go home, never keep his promise with the elder guardian. Never see his bed, or his girlfriend, or his family. Ever again.

Silence has fallen across the field. None of the other hermits dare to step closer, to interfere with such a delicate situation. One wrong step, one wrong move, and the wanderers will turn on them. Mumbo watches as the tears overflow in Ecto and Avon’s eyes, and rivers fall across their clenched jaws, falling like heavy drops of rain against the bloodstained grass. One release leads to another, and Avon’s trident collapses to the ground with its wielder. The weight of the blade, the weight of the loss has taken away all of Avon’s strength, anger breaking down into its core form. Grief. Ecto kneels a moment later, a thin trail of blood falling down the edge of her iron sword.

Mumbo falls too, grabbing at his neck and gasping with relief. A thin scratch mars his skin, no deeper than a papercut. Any deeper and it could have killed him. The sword and trident cross in the bloody grass, left unattended by their owners. For once, not fighting each other. Fragments of words fall from Ecto’s lips in between sobs. Avon’s crying is a silent anguish. How much more can she lose? How many more people could Avon fail to protect?

“Red is dead, and you… you bastards don’t even have the fucking hearts to e-even give condolences?” Ecto sobs, hand grasping for her mouth. For once, it seemed someone cared about Ecto. Wanted to stay around. But ultimately also left her. She tries to stop the crying, to just be one emotion. To just be angry, without the sorrow. But one fuels the other.

Xisuma remembers to breathe, looking at the scene before him. Ecto and Avon are collapsed amongst the blood and death, weapons discarded as they try to fight off an enemy no blade can defeat. Trying to hold back their emotions, the anger that bites at the heels of Mumbo and the loss that claws at their own throats. Tearing sobs out, ragged and lost. Mumbo’s neck bleeds, but he managed to keep the two from killing him on the spot. Xisuma steps forward, slow and cautious. He’s dealing with rabid animals. “I think….I think we have a big misunderstanding.”

“What kind of misunderstanding?” Avon whispers, a person so normally reserved suddenly overflowing with emotion. “What the hell is wrong with you people? Don’t you care?”

“I think our world is different from yours. Death works different here.” Xisuma keeps his voice just quiet enough to be heard over his helmet. “Just...hold on. It’s better to show you.”

Xisuma stands, pulling out his enchanted diamond sword as he walks to Tango. He takes his friend’s hand, grasping it tightly and offering a relaxed smile.

And plunging the sword directly into his gut. Glimmering crystal pierces Tango’s torso and shredding through his armor, red blood dripping from the blade’s tip. Staining the grass the two stand on. Blood blooms, dual flowers on either side of Tango. Tango’s form begins to dissolve, flecks of starlight fading into nothingness. Returning to the stardust that formed him, formed the entire world.

Ecto and Avon are horrified. These hermits aren’t just crazy- they’re butchers. Completely unaffected by death. Killing for no reason, even their own friends aren’t safe from being cut down.

The starlight glimmers, dancing through the air and recollecting atop a white bed near the brightly colored towers. Luminescent light fades into shades of yellow, red, and blonde. Reshaping into a person. For a brief second, he’s just asleep. Tango gasps his first new breath, clutching at his side and immediately sitting up from his bed. “What the fuck, man! At least give a guy some god damn notice!”

Ecto blinks, rubbing away the tears in her eyes. She makes sure she’s seeing what’s right. Tango walks past her, picking up the supplies left behind. She reaches out, stumbling to her feet and grabbing at the collar of his grey vest. The fabric is real. He’s real. Tango is alive, albeit somewhat pissed off. Ecto turns, looking to Avon for an answer. She always has an answer.

“World magic.” Is all that Avon manages to gasp out, trying to regain her breath as her mind struggles to realize the incredulous news.

Xisuma nods, offering a comforting smile. “Red is very much alive. And I’m pretty sure I know exactly where she is.”

#hermitcraft #wandering stars #avon #ecto #red #mumbo jumbo #xisumavoid #tango tek #grianmc #gtwscar #cw death #death cw #blood cw #cw blood #violence cw #cw character death #language cw #writing #hermitblr

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ephemeralseraph · 5 years

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Easy Self Care Things ~

- Remember to get a new toothbrush. I tend to get a new one every month or two.

- Find a mobile game that doesn’t require much commitment and is fun for you!

- Watch something educational or inspirational in the morning to get your brain ready for the day.

- Take a bath once a week or once bi-weekly. Baths are good for your skin, muscles, and mood!

- Drink plenty of water. If getting the recommended daily dose of water (approx. 8 cups, I believe) is hard because you’re not used to it, gradually start drinking more and more every day starting at your typical intake.

- Wash your face at least once every day. (In addition, over-washing and/or over-treating your face tend to worsen oil production and acne).

- Wash your face before bed. This will keep your pillowcase and the surrounding sheets clean.

- Wash your bedsheets bi-weekly!

- Take on a small, easy project. Completing this project may give you a sense of fulfillment even if it is small.

- Try drinking water first if you feel like snacking but aren’t physically hungry. Sometimes your body actually needs water.

- Apply Vicks Vapor Rub on your temples as quick relief for tension headaches. This even works for my migraines. Drinking cold water pairs well with this remedy.

- Find something easy to commit to and care for. Devote yourself to caring for a gaggle of female Beta fish or take care of a succulent or cactus.

- Don’t bring your phone to the toilet. Just sit there and think. Take that time to expel your emotions whilst you expel your --

- Take time each day to just do nothing and just think. It’s harder than you’d expect but so beneficial.

That’s all I have for now! Reblog for your own collection and/or so others can see and spread the vibes!

If no one’s told you they love you yet today, you’re hearing it from me! Don’t know you, but I’m sure I’d be lucky to. Keep giving things your all, and I wish you the best in all your endeavors ~

Ephy out!

#self care #positivity #good vibes #self love #not writing #idk i just really felt like doing this #i hope this helps some of you #i know a lot of self care tips and ideas aren't easy for everyone #so i tried to make these as simple as i would need them to be!#self care isn't always aesthetic and it isn't always costly

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thetaoofbetty · 4 years

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tagged by the ever-lovely @riverdalenerdlol

ARE YOU STAYING HOME FROM SCHOOL/WORK?

i work from home so i’m home more often than not but i do a lot of home visit stuff that i can’t do right now but have deadlines for. and a lot of school contact stuff that i need to do but can’t

IF YOU’RE STAYING HOME, WITH WHO?

me, the mister, and the dogs

ARE YOU A HOMEBODY?

i am but also i’m not. which, sounds absurd. i stay home during the week when i can because i like to be productive at work (and save money) but the mister is extremely social and outdoorsy so we do a lot on the weekends that we can’t do right now and i didn’t realize how much we actually went out until we couldn’t

AN EVENT YOU WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT GOT CANCELLED?

our vacation 😔

WHAT MOVIES HAVE YOU WATCHED RECENTLY?

oof. penelope, 9 to 5, tangled, jumanji, ghostbusters, the princess bride, the money pit, pride and prejudice (the hand porn alone will see us through this), rocky, mulan, harry potter and the goblet of fire (it’s the best one, fight me), and despite the fact that i’m almost certain i’m the only who’s ever seen and liked this movie, i will always rewatch the legend of billie jean. plus many more. i’ve been sort of mindlessly watching movies tbh

WHAT SHOWS ARE YOU WATCHING?

nothing really. i haven’t really enjoyed tv for a couple of years due to the writing so if i’m watching a tv show, it’s older so i can just marathon it in the background for noise

WHAT MUSIC ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

i’ve been in a 80′s/90′s mood with some 70′s and current stuff thrown in there

WHAT ARE YOU READING?

not a lot, tbh. fic if i can concentrate on it. books with lots of breaks. my concentration is pffffft at the moment so i don’t want to do anything i haven’t previously read the disservice of not paying it the attention it deserves

WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR SELF CARE?

it’s been told to me repeatedly that i can’t punch anyone so now i’m just making sure i eat. taking care of my skin (i had to turn my humidifier off? to clear the bronchitis? that was hurtful? and rude? i’m a cactus again?). exercising indoors. baking (which is meditative but not all that healthy so, eh, you win some, you lose some). blue shelling the absolute shit out of the mister on mario kart. hanging out with the birds in the yard. writing fic

tagging: @indiebughead, @joseyp1, @2catwrangler, @soupershipper @sprousehartstarchild, @alllthingsart, and anyone else who wants to 💜

#tag thingy

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casemouth19 · 4 years

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Limp Christmas Cactus: What Triggers Wilted Or Limp Christmas Cactus Branches

The flavor of lamb is succulent and juicy, while the texture is among the more tender cuts offered, and this mix implies that it is one of the most costly cuts of meat in stores. It indicates that there are roots that can absorb more water. Water them one or two times in a month. Environments like deserts, dry areas, and semi-barren regions receive less rains than other parts of the country, making water scarcity a common problem in these areas. Customize your place card like travel luggage card that holds the required information and required the message. For that reason, you can place white lampshades next to a console table in grey to make a subtle yet trendy statement. In reality, identity theft often starts with mail theft: letters and packages taken from unlocked or vulnerable mailboxes-- frequently put along rural or suburban roadways or organized in front of apartment or condo structures, where access is easy and oversight is nil.For an identity burglar, the haul can be significant: credit cards, motorist's licenses, bank declarations, boxes of unused checks, Social Security payments, medical insurance cards, tax information, and other sensitive information. 1. Paint it white: If you have the liberty to do it, paint your whole home the lightest white. If your cactus has fungus on it, you ought to get rid of the contaminated part to manage the spread. Watermelons are hot favorites with the Americans and those who still keep aloof from it, are keeping their body from helpful nutrients. Watermelons make exceptional pudding, cakes, pies, salads, pickles and a lot of snack products. The trunk and branches can be droopy and make charming long waterfalls. Overexposure to cold can eliminate them. Window is also cold from outside air temeratures. Remember to buy oil that is hexane totally free, cold pressed and essential is being organic. The food was tasty and while I was waiting at the counter I saw a bottle of "Wholesome Organic Agave Nectar" that I assumed they used instead of walking stick sugars. Agave is a succulent that mainly grows in Mexico and the southwest. Despite the fact that the starch in agave goes through the very same process as HFCS, it is not needed by law to be called "High Fructose Agave Syrup", which is exactly what it is. For the very same quantity of money, or perhaps even less, you can really get more lobster that you can share with the whole household when you order from an online lobster delivery service. The durian tree grows mainly in Burma's Mon State situated in the southernmost part of the nation, belongs to the 'bombax' family 'Bombacaceae' and is categorized as 'Durio zibethimus'. The grapefruit tree is covered by dense foliage of thick dark green leaves, grows to a height of approx. Store through dollar tree discount coupon and avail free shipping on the spot! Antioxidants work out control over these complimentary radicals to help avoid the beginning of fatal diseases. In this manner, you are ensured of the very best quality lobsters, unlike what you would overcome the counter from your regional supermarket. Second, a cook might have purchased grass-fed meat for numerous reasons-- ecological, ethical, or to support regional companies-- however still desires a hit of full-on steak-house taste once in a while. I encountered your link while losing enormous amounts of time tonight (practically 2 hours!) trying to ID a cactus I bought a couple months earlier. Soil: None mounted. Otherwise, potting mix or cactus mix. Transferring succulent plants permits you to refresh the potting mix and boost pot size.

Make use of a top-notch industrial potting mix with lots of perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand added. There are a lot of these stores online. Pepperomia is a substantial genus - lots to select from there. Did you understand that the Gasteria genus includes the most exotic and uncommon succulents of all? You can discover loads of succulent sets and succulent devices and numerous succulent seeds when purchasing succulents. Lastly, you can purchase succulents in bulk with confidence knowing that you will receive succulents with incredible variety and quality. Succulents are add a splash of color and character to any house and they are also extremely easy to take care of. In this blog, we will discuss some concepts to style a console table in any corner of your home. Have a look around your house and if you have any DIY cabinets, tiling, floor covering or shelving think about contacting a professional to develop a perfect finnish. A method to guide your plant selections is to determine if your heat is wet or dry, and after that seek to the natural places that are either hot and humid, or hot and dry for concepts. Unless you stay in a district with a really moderate environment, it's best to leave your Aloe plant in the planter and put it near a window that gets a great deal of sun. Once your leaves callus over, it is now all set to put it in the vessel you have actually prepared. She would put it outside among some ground based ivy next to the woods where it was constantly shaded and never saw the sun. Considering that these are tiny plants, it is best to keep them out of direct full sun to avoid sun damage and sunburn. Move these plants to a shadier area, or slowly accustom them to direct sun. Since of their popularity, Aloe vera plants are available at just about all garden stores or garden centers. Aloe Vera is an excellent remedy for sunburns. The Chinese have actually been utilizing it for over a thousand years to treat whatever from sinuses to skin illness. It has just recently ended up being far more popular and numerous items are now offered for skin care containing this active ingredient. https://christianlouboutinshoessaleinc.com/how-to-grow-succulents-from-cuttings-2/ can be included in your day-to-day diet without much ado. If, however, you can wait a while, then you can have as lots of succulents as you can handle for next to absolutely nothing! What other succulents are you interested in? Lobsters are big marine crustaceans and thought about a delicious seafood delicacy by many. They make our summertimes delicious! Most sites gather information to individualize your experiences with them and make their site work better. Simply as you might expect, where to purchase succulents is just as essential as purchasing them in bulk. With technology making our lives simpler, we can, at our convenience, purchase groceries online form an online supermarket. Decreased https://christianlouboutinshoessaleinc.com/how-to-plant-a-succulent-container-garden-in-a-bowl/ suggests minimized surface area, whether by making leaves much shorter and thicker, or longer and thinner. If the plant you acquire is infected, you'll have to get it all over again when it dies, and this implies money down the drain.

youtube

#propagating succulents

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starstruck-xavier · 4 years

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Homesick

last night i ran out of conditioner before shampoo. so i wrote this hhfgjfhgjfd

ao3 || wattpad || bthb masterpost || fanfiction masterpost

words: 1956 ships: implied LAMP warnings: none, just lots of sadness! bthb prompt: loneliness fandom: sanders sides

summary: Why does the conditioner bottle always run out before the shampoo bottle? Logan huffs a sigh and continues to shake the bottle in his hand, silently interrogating it, trying to get as much out of it as possible, but all that’s left is already in his other hand, outstretched, easily containing the hair product that fits snug in there despite the tremors that always torture his muscles like a soft breeze that constantly annoys you rather than caressing you gently, rushing through your tree branch arms and blowing your hair into your face. Your unconditioned hair. In which Logan is a (figurative) tree trying to survive in the (figurative) desert.

X - finished, O - work in progress @badthingshappenbingo

Why does the conditioner bottle always run out before the shampoo bottle?

Logan huffs a sigh and continues to shake the bottle in his hand, silently interrogating it, trying to get as much out of it as possible, but all that’s left is already in his other hand, outstretched, easily containing the hair product that fits snug in there despite the tremors that always torture his muscles like a soft breeze that constantly annoys you rather than caressing you gently, rushing through your tree branch arms and blowing your hair into your face. Your unconditioned hair.

He mentally curses the manufacturers for not making the bottles at least translucent. If he could see the levels where the physical limits of the product sit inside their containers, maybe he could work towards having them run out at the same time. Alas, now he has to use just the shampoo for a few days, his hair coarse and rough until he has an excuse to buy both bottles again. A distant friend’s sardonic voice in his head suggests just using the rest of the three-quarters-empty shampoo bottle in one go; Logan exhales through his nose, barely a laugh on the outside as he works the pitiful lump of conditioner through his roots.

Ever since he moved away for work, Logan has felt like his tree roots haven’t been the same. Parts of him were cut away in the uprooting process, left behind, useless, lifeless. The grass that always surrounded him and kept him company is back there, spreading itself back over the mound of dirt that’s left to replace him. If he stays here long enough, his roots will readjust again in the desert sand and he’ll be stuck here forever. The tremors increase at that thought, an awful jerk of the arms, the breeze teetering on a gale that threatens to pull the dying leaves from his head, losing even more of himself.

It takes a little too long to realise that the feeling of leaves being torn away is merely him subconsciously pulling at his own hair, his fingers digging into his skull with hopes that he could crack it open and switch off his brain. Another sigh escapes him as he brings his hands down to hug himself loosely, and he hears a shrill but soft voice catching on the drum of water hitting his back, telling him that sighing gives you wrinkles.

Logan wishes he could hear that voice for real, in person, muffled into his shirt or whispered against his lips or exclaimed excitedly from a different room, just any proof that they can both be physically together again. He doesn’t want to think about the muffled sobbing, the whispered goodbyes or the excited helloes that crinkle in his computer speakers from millions of lightyears away, just reminding him of how far away they are. His other friends’ words and shouts and gasps and cries and heartbeats all too sound distant from all the way up there, in his brain, distorted and faked up by the mirage of memory, but this one specific person just might spur him to quit all of this, move back there.

And God, does he want to.

If only life was that simple. If only Logan could call his boss, say he doesn’t want to do this anymore and live out the rest of his days with the ones he loves most, but life doesn’t always work out. The inspirational, empty, cursive-written words in frames that litter every local furniture shop he wanders through say to live every day like it’s your last, that home is where the heart is, to make your life the best experience ever, but how? These signs don’t come with an instruction manual on how to go about these things, only how to hang it on a wall so you can look at it every now and again and smile at the aesthetics, the way the letters curve around each other and how the display compliments the kitchen cabinets, the meaning not even discernible because the cursive is so hard to understand. As Logan tilts his head back into the shower stream to bid farewell to that last pump of conditioner, he faintly pictures the face of a friend who would jump at the chance to buy another one of those signs.

The sardonic voice comes back with a witty quip. Logan smiles to himself.

His branches creak in the wind that continues to shake him around as he steps out of the shower and grabs an old towel, not caring which one, just hoping that he can scrub with it at his skin hard enough to peel the scratchy bark away and reduce himself to what he really is. Human, small, mortal, confined to the constant ticking of time much like any other creature, but with a much shorter lifespan than something as amazing and significant as a tree. His arms jerk again and that sardonic voice grows soft and endearingly grumbly, telling him to breathe in. The leaves on his head susurrate and crinkle with the towel absorbing the extra rainfall from them.

The hair feels coarse and rough already, deprived of the usual amount of conditioner that he would use if the manufacturers had made the bottles translucent and made his life a little more bearable.

Usually, Logan would make calls from the cellphone, but this time it seems to be calling out to him, temping him to walk over to the table where it sits and make the call, say “I quit” and be happy. Why is that never easy? He fleetingly considers taking note of that question to ask his therapist, but then remembers where he is.

Half the world away.

Suddenly, he just feels so homesick. A crushing, awful, guttural loneliness sinks into his bones and grinds down every single one of them into a fine powder, scattered across the grey carpet like ashes in the wind that whips around him relentlessly and has him shaking so hard that he’s sure he’ll pass out like this. Tears suddenly drip onto the table, sugary sweet sucrose escaping from the phloem in his roots, mixing with the water from his xylem, those hollow, empty tubes made of nothing but dead cells powered by living ones. Dead cells inside him, having exhausted themselves, all for him to mope about and feel this dreadful melancholy creak and snap inside him like a discarded twig, making him tremble even more, reduced to a sobbing mess, his body on the floor but his mind back home.

Home is where the heart is, a theatrical voice floats in the wind akin to sycamore seeds, twirling about like ballerinas. Perhaps that’s why he’s been feeling so empty and depressed lately; he left his heart behind when he left. It’s still at home, galaxies away yet only on the other side of the tiny, pathetic little earth at the same time.

A familiar ringtone shakes Logan out of his head, leaves rustling as he picks himself up off the floor to look at the phone screen. He answers the video call, not bothering to wipe the sucrose tears from his face, adorned with tiny little world-weary wrinkles from a lifetime of sighing, and his three favourite people in the world are looking back at him. They all remind Logan of individual flowers, their soft, youthful, conditioned flower petals sprouting into different styles atop their crowns whilst his own leaves hang limply with moisture, wet from the shower yet still dehydrated of proper care and gentle hands running through it while he quietly dozes in their arms. If only he could do that now.

The one on the right is like a rose; a bold red, passion for romance, loud, boisterous acts of affection that Logan could never fail to shy away from. Even the rose thorns are only reserved for the people who try to hurt his loved ones, something rarely shown but exceptionally beautiful in its own way. Then, to the left, is a purple zinnia, enduring and long-lasting despite the hardships he’s been through, a calming violet that symbolises his transformation from a reserved brick wall to a soft and loving human. In the middle, however, is the most beautiful blue forget-me-not that Logan could ever lay eyes on. He’s full of memories - a string of fairy lights with blurry, candid polaroids pegged across, captioned with words that Logan could read again and again. The blue in his eyes shines like a polaroid lens through his circular glasses and Logan briefly registers him asking if he’s okay.

Logan tells them everything. He misses them, his roots have been left behind and now he’s stuck in this desert, dehydrated and sunburned. If he were a cactus rather than a tree, brittle and spiky on the outside so no one can get too close, he’d be able to survive all the way out here, but his softened insides are crying out for home, and he just feels so bad and wants hugs from them because he can’t just ask for hugs at his new workplace, that’s unprofessional, and he doesn’t even have any friends here, so, so, lonely, lonely, lonely.

Their voices sound like the monsoon season. They sink into his roots, revive his xylem and provide a little colour to his dying leaves. Suggestions make their way to his ears, the main ones being that if he really isn’t enjoying his work he should come home, that they’ll be here for him, the gate unlocked so he can be welcomed home whenever he’s ready. Somehow, hearing it from them makes the idea feel a little less insane.

So, around an hour later, with a fond smile pulling at his lips as he waves goodbye to them with a promise of return, he hops from one call to another, like sycamore seeds twirling in the wind with a newfound determination to plant himself back at home, where he belongs.

The phone rings once, twice.

Only another hour later, as he sprawls out underneath the plain, white bedsheets, it really sinks in. Within a matter of days, Logan will be catching a plane home, granted his wishes after divulging to his boss just how much his mental health has deteriorated over the months. Upon hearing the news, the gale shaking his branches around ceases again into a simple breeze, still there, still adding kinetic energy to every single atom in his body, but it’s not so bad anymore. His leaves are still shaken and falling out, clattering faintly against the pillows and the mattress underneath him from the stress damage, but that shrill yet soft voice sounds again in his head, telling him that in due time, when he returns to his deep blue, galaxy-adorned bedsheets, the leaves will grow back with new life, a beautiful, healthy green.

While he packs his things, he makes a point to leave the quarter-full shampoo bottle in the bathroom alongside its fully drained friend. When he returns home he’ll go to the local grocery store, greet the manager like he’s always done upon visiting, and pick up two bottles, one labelled shampoo, one labelled conditioner.

Because even if the bottles are opaque, it’ll feel so, so much better to be able to fill his entire hand with product until it nearly spills over in his excitement to be where he belongs again, that part of him doesn’t even care that he may run out of conditioner again before his shampoo.

When he has his soulmates with him, the question of why the conditioner always runs out before the shampoo will be the last thought at the front of his head.

#badthingshappenbingo #bad things happen bingo #sanders sides #sanders sides fanfic #sanders sides fanfiction #logan angst #logan sanders #ts logan #xavier's fanfiction

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kazimacosmetics · 4 years

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Which Cosmetic Products Are Beneficial To Use For Dry And Sensitive Skin?

After trying that new skincare product your best friend (or, for example, your Instagram feed) persuaded you to buy, you were left with red, irritated and burning skin. When it comes to skincare, there is no one-size-fits-all, and if you have sensitive, easily irritated skin, then you need to be extra careful while incorporating new products into your routine.

However, the good news is that for sensitive skin Kazima Cosmetics Skin Care Solution has a wide range of products, whether you are looking for a non-drying face wash, mild foundation or gentle shampoo. And to make it easy for you and your face to just have a damn thing, I went ahead and hand down some of the best sensitive skin-friendly products below.

Lotion Make-Up Remover

Kazima Cosmetics is a Third party manufacturing cosmetics in Delhi who provides different types of make-up remover which can lead irritated, broken- out skin. This gentle, non-rinse cleanser, toner, and makeup remover does not contain alcohol, soap, or oil. In addition, it is spiked with soothing ingredients such as chamomile and hyaluronic acid that cleanse your skin as well as hydrate you.

Pure Gentle Foaming Cleaner

Our ultra-gentle face wash is ideal for hypersensitive, yet oily, skin, thanks to its simple ingredients (thanks to soap, oil or fragrance) and foaming texture. It is specially made for your skin by a Personal care products manufacturer. Give it morning, night, or both to make your skin soft-dominant.

Redness Relief Night Cream

The skin becomes irritated by redness, so this thick-ass moisturizer and aroma-free and non-comedogenic formula will soak your sensitive skin with ingredients such as licorice root extracts and hydrating glycerin before you jump into bed.

Calm water gel

A cocktail of sensitive-skin-friendly ingredients moisturizes this day with a no brainer. Think: Apple fruit extract (which helps soften your skin), ultra-hydrating glycerin (which reduces your skin's moisture, and skin soothing cactus pears (to soothe irritation lightly).

To get your skin or hair related products online, visit Kazima Cosmetic's website https://www.kazimacosmetics.com/. Here you will find moisturizing cream, aloe vera cold cream, body lotion, rose water and soothing gel related to your skin which ends your skin redness.

Link:-

https://kazimacosmetics.blogspot.com/2020/05/which-cosmetic-products-are-beneficial.html

#Private Label Cosmetics Manufacturer

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neshabeingchildish · 5 years

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Poly Wanna?

A/N: So, I had some different ideas rushing through my head of who and how I wanted these characters to be. They may start in a place that you would not expect or can’t imagine, but just keep in mind that I try to write things a little differently each incarnation of a fic and hopefully nobody checks out within the first few paragraphs. Gimme a chance. It’s delicate content, and I promise I’m trying to do their relationship justice, not just write some trash that throws them all together. I will say that this may be the most adult content of all the content that I bring into this fandom, but STILL no sm*t, okay? Will definitely mention some things that take and have taken place. Enjoy, and let me know how you feel, unless you hate it. Then, Chile stop reading and go. I don’t wanna waste neither of our time with that situation.

And just to tag the folk who initially expressed interest the first time, and lemme tell y’all… This tagging was a little difficult for me, so I shalln’t be doing it again, I don’t believe. You ain’t gotta read it, either. I just wanted to extend the invite for anybody who might have been interested: @adorkable-blackgirl @chenoahchantel @cactus-con @up-the-tube @riebellion @itsyaapollochild @oof–musicals @lesbian-so-what @woahjusttakeiteasy-man @meadowstryingtobepretty @imma-sensitive-btch @okaygal21 @midernacht @divinereign4ever @xoxoemille @starry-nightschool

Plot: Pansexual Playboy Henry Hart finally decides to settle down, with his two best friends, Jasper & Charlotte. Each have a history with him and a present with each other, and he simply can’t let either of them go… Not this time around.

01. Reality Bites

Charlotte had just moved the last of her things into Jasper’s apartment and was not even the least bit interested in trying to unpack, yet. She had packed two all encompassing luggage bags with all of her necessities to live out of for a moment, just in case it didn’t work out wonderfully and she had to abort this mission. In the meantime, the beginning of their little life together was at least cute. Jasper had cozy surroundings. His parents didn’t like for him to have things growing up, so he was one of those people who was satisfied with less. But… Charlotte was used to high quality and high maintenance, so she would definitely be turning this place around, if they lasted.

She was having some trouble getting on her feet. It wasn’t that she wasn’t qualified to do things. She definitely was. She went to school. She got degrees. She applied for jobs. She worked them. The thing was that she had this bad habit of putting in less effort than the company wanted. A lot of productivity rules were just busy work and programming. She only wanted to do what was necessary to get her work done. Bosses hated her for that. She was constantly getting fired and had gotten to the point where her parents were sick of it and forced her to get out of their place. “You could always go back to the Man Cave,” Jasper had suggested. Yeah, right. Where Henry was?

He was part of the problem. She had put so much into him, into them and he simply moved on as soon as it got a little bit difficult, as was his romance method of operation. After that, she wondered why even try to hard when you could simply to whatever you had to and get good results. To be fair and honest, had she thought more about it, she might have realized that what she was actually experiencing was heartbreak and depression. But, she thought that she was just tired of people taking advantage of her.

Jasper, on the other hand had been doing fine. He wasn’t doing great, but he was at least working regularly and was able to afford to take care of himself. Then again, he didn’t eat healthy, keep groceries stocked, or have the best products in the place. In fact, at the moment, he had wine on the kitchen counter, half a bag of tortilla chips in the pantry, and one shelf of condiments on the door of the fridge, with beer on the top rack. So… He didn’t have himself together, but he did have working water, electricity, a vehicle, a home… stuff that she was lacking on because she couldn’t be happy in any career path she had tried, thus far.

But, they found each other again, after some time apart and some distance. Their friendship faltered slightly when he admitted to her some years ago (some months after she and Henry were over) that he and Henry were together. WTF? She didn’t know what part of bro-code,girl code… (friendship? code) was being violated by that relationship, but she felt in her bones that it was betrayal and so, she was good on him. She was good on him a couple of years later when he apologized and told her that karma had caught up to him, because Henry had broken things off. She was good on him up until she came into this bar to meet up with a friend for a promotion celebration and he was serving drinks and let her drink for free.

It became her thing. She certainly wasn’t able to buy her own drinks, not regularly, anyway, and she’d forgotten how good of a listener Jasper was. She could complain about her problems and drink them away, and she had a good listener available who wasn’t going to take advantage of her if she got too drunk. After a while, it started being hanging out socially, then talking on the phone, texting, social media and finally, she began spending nights.

They didn’t put any label on things. Labels made Charlotte nervous and Jasper was simply in a headspace where he just wanted to try to enjoy life, with or without someone in it, but it was wonderful to have somebody in it that he had known for so long. It was also good to know her in this new way.

By the time that she was moving in and looking for another job, they had been seeing each other for five months. That was also around the time that Henry called about his opportunity to be on a reality tv show. He called Jasper, not Charlotte, but upon learning that they were together, invited her along, as well. The last thing that she wanted to do was see Henry, but she also didn’t trust him around her Jasper, so she went along just to feel him out.

Whenever they got to the place, Junk N Stuff was gone, as were several of the neighbors to it and now there was this brownstone and Charlotte was confused, but Jasper went right inside, like he’d been here before. There was a doorman there that looked familiar to Charlotte, but she didn’t know why. “Hey, Gooch. What’s up?”

“Gooch?” She repeated and took a look at the guy. He did look like the Gooch she remembered, but he was much younger. “Wait, did Schwoz find some kind of way to reverse aging or something?”

Jasper laughed and said, “It’s Gooba’s son. Finding out about him was one of the reasons he left. Anyway, we can talk about that later.” Gooch’s son was staring at Charlotte. He looked a little bit younger than them, but not so much that he wouldn’t have been a full kid whenever they initially worked with Gooch. Anyway, she smiled politely and kept following Jasper.

“How long has this been here?” She wondered.

“Couple years.”

“It’s conspicuous. What does Henry even do that people would reasonably believe that he could have this built and live here?” She wondered.

“You… really have chosen to fully avoid him, huh?” Jasper asked.

“He’s the worst. I don’t need that kind of energy. Mine already sucks.” Whenever they entered the place that she guessed was Henry’s she quickly had that confirmed by the huge, wall sized painting of himself, nude, but covered gingerly with flowers, in a flower crown with flowers what, falling from the sky? She sighed at the painting, rolled her eyes and they followed his voice.

“Well, I don’t have the time for that type of contract, Levi! I’m about to be in talks for my new show…” He noticed them and smiled, waving them inside, “And I have guests arriving now. No, not clients. I told you, I don’t have appointments today. Look, just fix it. I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up and turned around, “Char!” He said, excitedly and rushed to hug her and pick her up from the ground. “You look gorgeous. I see your teeth are still perfect and you’ve let your hair and skin join the perfection club, as well.”

“They always were, but thanks for noticing.” She blushed and looked at the ground as Henry went to hug Jasper, too.

“And you! Buddy… You gonna cut the beers, or nah?”

“Char’s fine with the beer belly.”

“It’s not a beer belly,” she cut in. “He’s always been a little bit gooey.”

“He wasn’t with me,” Henry said and gave Jasper a smile that said that he was thinking of those days, or nights, or… whatever.

Charlotte stepped in between them and reminded him, “Well, he isn’t with you.”

“Right! The two of you, now. So… That’s interesting. Unless both of you have changed drastically, I never would have pegged you two to be sexually compatible.”

“What, are you a professional sexual compatibility… person?” Charlotte asked.

Henry smiled and corrected her, “Liscensed sex therapist, with special focus on sex positive therapy.” She sighed. Of COURSE, he’d get a degree on sex. “Don’t look like that. My work is very important! I help save marriages. I help people not hate themselves for being normal. What kind of fancy schmancy science is keeping Charlotte Page’s attention these days.”

“The kind where I bring drinks to tables until I get back into another lab.”

“Her bad attitude gets her fired a lot,” Jasper said.

“Not my bad attitude. Corporations’ insistence on overworking people who know better than to allow themselves to be used,” she corrected.

“Having a money issue?” Henry wondered.

“I haven’t found the right lab yet, that is it,” she insisted.

“Okay. Well, if, while you’re looking, you don’t mind having a camera or two pointed in your face, I want to invite you two to be a part of the cast for my new reality show adventure.”

“How the heck are you gonna have a reality show whenever half of your life is a secret?” Charlotte wondered. “Wait… Are you no longer Swellview’s hero? Because, I will definitely work in the Man Cave if you’re not gonna be there.”

“I am the new hero man of Swellview. Captain Man is still working, because he is indestructible and not super old yet. But, yes, we are partners.”

“Are you Man Danger?” Charlotte asked.

“He’s Dr. FeelGood,” Jasper said.

“MISTER FeelGood. Dr. Feel Good is copywritten.”

“Both are corny,” Charlotte said.

“You’re a waitress who has like seven degrees,” Henry said.

“Ouch,” she replied.

“To answer the question you asked before the cascade of shade that you threw me, I’m gonna do the show with production that knows that I’m Mister FeelGood, so they will never record or release anything that has me working in that way, because they work for me.” Charlotte raised her hand. “Yes?”

“So… Was Man Danger unavailable in the superhero names database, Danger just too vague? Captain Danger too much like Captain Man? Like… what possessed you to go to Mister FeelGood?”

Henry smiled and rolled his eyes then pointed to Jasper, “You in?”

“In? Like… What is the show even about? Just following you around and recording all of your life when you aren’t fighting crime?”

“It… Is about me coming out of the shadow of all of my Swellview celebrity friends and trying to become a Swellview celebrity, in my own rite.”

“Swellview has celebrities?” Charlotte wondered.

“Whenever I go places, people still say things to me like, “Hey - you used to be friends with that science girl, Charlotte. Whatever happened to her? Or, hey - do you ever still talk to Jasper Dunlop? It was so cool that he was a real hero, much like Kid Danger. I thought WAS Kid Danger, at some point! Or, what’s happened to the guy who used to own that junk shop? He doesn’t get voted for as the most handsome man in Swellview anymore. Did he die?” Charlotte and Jasper were both laughing and leaning on each other. Henry said, “I have my own private practice. I help people in my daily life and I’m a superhero. I would like to be seen as something other than the guy who’s dated TWO girls from Kids in the Woods.”

“OH MY GOD!” Charlotte said and cackled.

“I totally forgot about that! And I just had spa day with them last month!” Jasper said.

“With Bianca and Chloe?” Henry wondered.

“Yep. They started taking me with them after you and I broke up. There’s a Henry Hartbreak Plan, so you’re definitely not riding on just our forgotten celebrity alone.”

“A Henry Hartbreak Plan?” Charlotte repeated.

“It’s a boost of vitamins and painkillers, a punching bag workout set to music, a shower. massage, detox, and a long snuggly nap. The spa owner has some history with Hen, too.”

Henry sighed and pointed at finger at Jasper, “That was mostly in her head!”

“That spa day sounds valuable. You didn’t tell me about all that. You just said Girls Day with the Hartbroken Club.”

“Come next time,” Jasper said.

Henry watched the two of them talking. They were both still extremely attractive and each had that lovers’ glow with each other. It made him miss them, both. He missed their friendships and he missed being with them. Of course, those were two separate relationships, but he missed those relationships. He had never had anyone like either of them before. He thought that he would never get over Jasper and still wasn’t, but the surprise of seeing Char again, and her being even more perfect than he’d remembered… He was unsure of how he had ever gotten over her. Looking at them both right now, he realized that he hadn’t. He just thought that he had. “It’s only a thousand dollars per episode for this first season, if it even goes beyond that, but…”

“I’m in,” Charlotte said.

“I could use an extra couple of thousand, as well,” Jasper said.

“Cool… Why don’t you let Bianca and Chloe know. Of course, everyone will have to speak with my production team on camera to see what they think, but… I believe that they’d like to have all of the components of my celebrity associations for this thing.”

“So, does that mean that Piper is involved?” Charlotte wondered.

“We can’t really pay Piper to be involved, but she did tell me that if the show makes waves, then we’ll talk…” He was barely done with his comment and Charlotte was laughing at him. “She told me that you two still talk, though. She didn’t give me your number.”

“I girl coded her not to years ago, when I changed it,” Charlotte said.

“My assistant Levi will need it, to let you know about appointments and stuff.”

“It’s cut off. Just call Jasper. We live together,” she said with a shrug.

“You live together? It’s… that serious?” he wondered, a little bit heartbroken, though he wasn’t sure from which one, but leaning towards both.

“I mean… It’s going great,” Jasper said and wrapped an arm around Charlotte.

Henry nodded, and blinked away the sadness that he felt might show in his eyes. “Well, congrats on that. You two deserve to be happy, more than anybody else that I know.” He reached forward to pull both of them into a hug. Jasper returned it, but Charlotte froze up, and he noticed that she’d done so earlier too. He pulled back and looked at the two of them. They clung to each other as they both fought to tear their eyes away from Henry’s face, so neither of them had seen their reactions to him, but he had seen both. “Later,” they said. Henry smiled and saw them out. So, they were in for the show at least. He hoped that the cameras wouldn’t catch too much of all of that emotion that was floating through the room.

#Poly Wanna #Nesha HD Fics #henry danger #henry hart #charlotte page #jasper dunlop #hd ot3

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