#tea tree oil and dry eye

[greenwitchcrafts]

August 2024 Witch Guide

New Moon: August 4th

First Quarter: August 12th

Full moon: August 19th

Last Quarter: August 26th

Sabbats: Lughnasadh/Lammas- August 1st

August Sturgeon Moon

Also known as: Barely Moon, Black Cherries Moon, Corn moon, Dispute Moon, Harvest moon, Herb Moon, grain moon, Mountain Shadows Moon, Red moon, Ricing Moon, Weodmonath & Wyrt moon

Element: Fire

Zodiac: Leo & Virgo

Animal spirts: Dryads

Deities: Diana, Ganesha, Hathor, Hecate, Mars, Nemesis, Thot & Vulcan

Animals: Dragon, lion, phoenix & sphinx

Birds: Crane, eagle & falcon

Trees: Alder, cedar & hazel

Herbs: Basil, bay, fennel, orange, rosemary, rue & St.John's wort

Flowers: Angelica, chamomile, marigold & sunflower

Scents: Frankincense & heliotrope

Stones: Carnelian, cats/tiger's eye, emerald, fire agate, garnet, jade, moonstone, peridot, red jasper, red agate, sardonyx, topaz & tourmaline

Colors: Dark green, gold, orange, red & yellow

Energy: Abundance, appreciation, authority, courage, entertainment, finding your voice, friendship, gathering, harvesting energy, health, love, pleasures, power, prophecy, prosperity, vitality & wisdom

The name Sturgeon Moon comes from the giant lake sturgeon of the Great Lakes & Lake Champlain; this native freshwater fish was readily caught during this part of summer & an important food staple for Native Americans who lived in the region. At one time the lake sturgeon was quite abundant in late summer, though they are rarer today.

• August's full moon is the first Supermoon of the year, which means that it will appear bigger & brighter than the full Moons we have seen so far!

Lughnasadh

Known as: Lammas, August Eve  & Feast of Bread

Season: Summer

Element: Fire

Symbols: corn, grain dollies & shafts of grain

Colors: Gold, golden yellow, green, light brown, orange, purple, red & yellow

Oils/Incense: Aloe, apple, corn, eucalyptus, safflower, rose & sandalwood

Animals: Cattle (bull & calf)

Birds: Chicken/Rooster

Stones: Aventurine, carnelian, citrine, peridot, sardonyx & yellow diamond

Food: Apples, barely cakes, berries, berry pies, breads, colcannon, cider, corn, grains, honey, lamb, nuts, potatoes, rice, sun-shaped cookies & wild berries

Herbs/Plants: Alfalfa, aloe, blackberry, bramble, corn, cornsilk, corn stalk, crab apple, fenugreek, frankincense, ginseng, goldenseal, gorse, grape, medowsweet, oak leaves, pear, rye, sloe & wheat

Flowers:  Clyclamen, heather hollyhock & sunflower

Trees: Acacia, apple, myrtle,oak & rowan

Goddesses: Aine, Alphito, Bracacia, Carmen, Ceres, Damina, Danu, Demeter, Ereshkigal, Freya, Frigga, Gaia, Inanna Ishtar, Kait, Persephone, Sul, Taillte, Tea & Zaramama

Gods: Athar, Bes, Bran, Dagon, Dumuzi, Ebisu, Ghanan, Howtu, Liber, Lono, Lugh, Neper, Odin & Xochipilli

Issues, Intentions & Powers: Accomplishment, agriculture, challenges, darkness, death, endings, release & transformation

Spellwork: Abundance, bounty, fire magick, rituals of thanks & sun magick

Activities:

• Bake fresh bread

• Weave wheat

• Take walks in nature or along bodies of water

• Craft a corn doll

• Learn a new skill

• Watch the sunrise/sunset

• Leave grains and seeds in a place where birds, squirrels and other small animals can appreciate them

• Eat outside with family/friends/coven members

• Donate to your local foodbank

• Prepare a feast with your garden harvest

• Give thanks & offerings to the Earth

• Trade crafts of make deals

• Gather and/or dry herbs to use for the upcoming year

• Celebrate/honor the god Lugh by hosting a competition of games

• Participate in matchmaking or handfasting ceremonies

• Decorate your altar with symbols of the season

• Clean up a space in nature

• Plant saved seeds or save seeds to use in the future

Lughnasadh or Lammas is a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of the harvest season. Historically it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland & the Isle of Man. Traditionally it is held on 1 August, or about halfway between the summer solstice & autumn equinox. In recent centuries some of the celebrations have shifted to the Sunday nearest this date.

Lughnasadh is mentioned in early Irish literature & has pagan origins. The festival is named after Lugh the god of craftsmanship. It was also founded by the god Lugh as a funeral feast & athletic competition/funeral games in memory of his foster-mother Tailtiu. She was said to have died of exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture.

• Tailtiu may have been an earth goddess who represented the dying vegetation that fed mankind.

• Another tale says that Lugh founded the festival in memory of his two wives, the sisters Nás & Bói. 

In the Middle Ages it involved great gatherings that included ceremonies, athletic contests (most notably the Tailteann Games which were extremely dangerous), horse racing, feasting, matchmaking & trading.

• With the coming of Christianity to the Celtic lands, the old festival of Lughnasadh took on Christian symbolism. Loaves of bread were baked from the first of the harvested grain & placed on the church altar on the first Sunday of August. The Christianized name for the feast of Lughnasadh is Lammas which means “loaf mass”.

Some believe this is the time where the God has weakened & is losing his strength as seen in the waning of the day's light. The Goddess is pregnant with the young God who will be born on Yule.

Sources:

Farmersalmanac .com

Llewellyn's Complete Book of Correspondences by Sandra Kines

Wikipedia

A Witch's Book of Correspondences by Viktorija Briggs

Encyclopedia britannica

Llewellyn 2024 magical almanac Practical magic for everyday living

[creatingblackcharacters]

🌹Ice's Lazy Loc Wash Routine🌹

I wanna preface this with two very important things:

I do not retwist my own locs! It would take far longer if I did. I have the tools and the means, and I know how to do it. I just hate doing it 🤣. It takes patience and arm strength and I lack the will. When I have the money I just schedule a retwist. Usually about every three months (which is longer than usual)

This is the way EYE do it! This is one experience out of countless, so don't assume my way is THEE way. There are people that will probably scream at me through the screen. But alas... It is "lazy" Loc wash day for a reason. And I do still care for my hair, and it's healthy and thriving for seven years (as of this Wednesday) 👍🏾

Okay? Okay.

Washing

The misconception about locs is that they are dirty. They're no "dirtier" than any other type of hair, nor do they require dirt to lock. That's a lie, and a racist one at that.

That being said, locs will end up holding the weight of life lol. Skin, sweat, dust, pollen, smells (and for me, bc I have dermatitis, scabs); all those things will end up weighing your locs down. Some people will do an Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda wash to detox their locs.

However, I use this!

Essentially it's water, apple cider vinegar, orange peel, and some essential oils in a spray bottle, so I can spray it directly on my scalp and locs and massage it in deeply. Let it sit for a bit. Because I only wash my hair every 2 weeks or so, it's fine, but I wouldn't do this if I was washing it more frequently as it could mess up my scalp pH. Again, I have painful dermatitis, so it helps me get closer to my problem spots. Does it burn? Yes. It's working 👍🏾

Then I use this soap bar, which has things like coconut oil, aloe vera, eucalyptus, tea tree, almond, lemongrass, and more in it to scrub my scalp. You're supposed to rub it into your hands and scrub it in, so naturally I put the bar directly on my scalp. Be better than me. Smells AMAZING though and leaves my scalp clearer than it has ever been.

Medicated Shampoo

I use a medicated shampoo last. While that sits, I bathe 👍🏾 Bathe well, too 👍🏾 Please make sure your characters are bathing when they wash their hair 👍🏾

Once I'm done, I gently pull my locs apart (they WILL start tangling at the root IMMEDIATELY), then I wrap my hair in a beach towel. You're supposed to use t shirts because they're softer on curls, but I don't like water dripping on me while I get dressed. I put on easy to wear clothing. Tits loose clothing. I gotta be comfortable.

Medication

So if you know me, this is something I complain about ALL THE TIME. And it's how dermatology does NOT cater to Black patients! Even my shampoo says "for 30 days, wash every night". I'm Black with locs. My shampoos last for months bc that is impossible without me sacrificing my entire night, every night. Even if I had an Afro, we're still not supposed to wash our hair every night for fear of stripping the natural oils.

So I have to DEMAND I be given a medicated liquid solution. No petroleum based products!! A solution is the easiest way to reach my scalp. Does it burn? Yes. It's working. 👍🏾

So if your character has a skin issue (dermatitis, psoriasis, exzema excema eczema) on the scalp... Solutions are the easy way to go.

Moisturizing

I promise this isn't free ads lmao, I just happen to be experimenting with this company and I like what I've seen so far. This is a real lite oil spray with rose water and essential oils, and it cools my scalp.

Aloe Vera, the goddess of healing. Also cools my scalp and addresses those burning, pink spots from my dermatitis.

Drying

Drying depends on the length and thickness of your locs, and the temperature. Mine are shoulder length, pencil thick. Today I dried at real high heat (unintentionally) and it only took about an hour. At a lesser, safer heat, about two. This hair dryer bag is LIFE fr.

Conclusion

If I don't have anywhere else to go (and I don't, bc I plan my loc wash days like this) I spray my scalp with oil one more time, put on my loc sock, and then I'm done 👍🏾

Total time today: about two hours. Normally 3 at a lower dry temp. Not bad at all.

[mermaidchansons]

Princess Charming: Shuri One Shot

Shuri x black!Fem Reader

Summary: You try to keep your crush on Princess Shuri in check while working as one of her lab assistants. Fluff!

A/N: Hi, it’s me again lol. The undercut got me and I had to write this story. She’s just too fine. Please reblog, like, and ESPECIALLY comment!

Song recs for reading:

Let My Baby Stay - Amandla Stenberg

my slime - Fousheé

To say that you had a crush on Shuri was an understatement.

It had been two years since you were recruited as a lab assistant for the princess’ lab in Mount Bashenga. Ever since day one, the two of you had become close. She was your first friend in Wakanda. And yet, you kept it to yourself; the fear of rejection outweighed your curiosity about what she might say. But Shuri was so easy to talk to, you were surprised you hadn’t already let it slip. All those late-night lab sessions with just the two of you, working shoulder to shoulder. She always smelled of freshly whipped Wakandan shea butter and tea tree oil. Her fresh undercut and toned physique in her crop top constantly made you sweat.

It was in those times when she caught you staring that she’d ask about your love life and laugh when she saw the nervous look on your face.

“Y/n, why is it that whenever I ask you this, you freeze up? You can relax, I won’t bite. Unless you want me to,” Shuri chuckled, her eyes scanning your form and immediately making you hot.

You tried your best to keep your pining to yourself but you just couldn’t keep it together; laughing too hard at her jokes, daydreaming about being in her arms each night, stealing glances at the princess as she worked intently, wanting so desperately to smooth out the lines of her furrowed brows with your fingers.

The whole thing was too much to the point that you took a sick day to talk some sense into yourself. You couldn’t handle heartbreak in a country that was not your own. Who would you lean on? You had a crush on your boss who you see every day. And this wasn’t a job that you could just leave. You definitely could not tell her. After all, she was the princess of the most powerful nation. How would it look if she dated one of her assistants?

~The Lab~

Shuri walked in, examining the newly made tech samples on the table.

“Griot, can you pin y/n so she can review these?” She scanned the sample with her kimoyo beads, prepping the specs.

“Yes, princess. But I must inform you that Y/n is out sick,” the AI sounded.

Shuri had noticed you had been less talkative around her the past couple of days but you didn’t seem under the weather.

“She wrote in her day off request that she was feeling sick yesterday afternoon. Would you still like me to send the specs?”

“No, I will take them to her myself. Bring up her location and inform Okoye that I am going out.”

~The Ikhaya Eliluhlaza Apartments~

You sat curled up in your Yitty onesie and matching blanket, laughing at an episode of Living Single. The doorbell rang and you sighed, not wanting to leave your cozy corner. But you knew that the doorbell meant that your jollof rice and piri piri fish had finally been delivered. You groaned as you stood, stretching your arms as you walked to open the door.

To your surprise, your food was not behind the door.

“Princess, what are you doing here?!” You spit out, looking up at her.

“Griot informed me of your sick day and after doing some research, I brought you some medicine. I actually found a really funny tweet, apparently, you need to watch a show called judge Judy for it to work.” Shuri chuckled, holding up saltine crackers and Canada Dry ginger ale.

You stood there wide-eyed and moved aside to let her in.

“Oh, thank you, nkosazana. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my day off.”

“Don’t worry about it. Wow, look at your place; it’s so you!” She waved you off and slipped into your apartment, setting the ‘meds’ on your coffee table. You followed apprehensively as she looked at the paintings on the wall.

“What is that supposed to mean?” You scrunched up your face at her comment and she chuckled.

“American.”

Normally you’d give a quick comeback, but your mind was elsewhere. You couldn’t help but notice how beautiful her brown skin looked against the cream of her windbreaker. Her fit was on point as always.

Realization of your own attire flooded your mind and you remembered that you weren’t wearing anything under your onesie. You wrapped your arms over your chest, pushing down your now erect nipples.

“I should change, excuse me—“

“It’s too late for that. I’ve already seen you. You look good as always,” She smirked, looking at you from over her shoulder.

You playfully rolled your eyes as heat rushed to your cheeks, leaning against the island counter.

“Where are your glasses? I’ll pour you some of the ginger ale.”

“They’re in the top left cabinet.” You watched as she maneuvered through your small kitchen.

“You’re clearly not sick, judging by how loudly you were cackling. Are you avoiding me again?” Shuri said, handing you the chilled glass.

She stood across from you, watching you look everywhere else but at her.

“Lo mfazi, let me ask the right question. How long have you had feelings for me?”

You stopped drinking and gulped down what you had in your mouth. She lifted her brow, waiting for you to answer.

“I um, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you whispered.

“You think I haven’t seen the way you look at me?” Shuri took the glass from your hands and sat it down behind her. Closing the space between you, she pinned you against the island with her hands painfully close to your waist.

“How long, y/n?” She whispered in your ear and a shiver ran down your spine.

“Like 8 months... maybe a year.” You held your breath as you watched her face contort with frustration.

“A year?! Why didn’t you say anything,” she yelled, throwing her hands up. You finally exhaled and backed away in surprise.

“I was scared—“

“Of what,” she questioned, cutting you off,” that I wouldn’t feel the same way? Bast, woman. I couldn’t have made it more obvious.”

Shuri’s words caused you to nervously chuckle. Was this a joke? Had all those times when she had humorously flirted with you, been real?

“Shuri, please don’t play around like that. I’m real fragile right now.” Her eyes softened as she looked at you, softly kicking the air in your bunny slippers.

“I’m not playing around, y/n. Come here,” she sighed, pulling you in by your onesie. With an arm wrapped around your waist, she lifted your chin; your eyes meeting hers.

“Ubuhle, I wouldn’t joke about this. I wish you would have told me sooner. I adore you, y/n.”

Your eyes welled and you looked away, a tear escaping.

“Damnit, Shuri,” you mumbled, cursing her for being so sweet. She smiled, placing a small kiss on your temple. You hid your face in the crook of her neck, hugging her shoulders.

“Does this mean I have to quit working in the lab?”

Shuri belly laughed and grabbed your face. She quickly took your bottom lip between hers and kissed you so sweetly that you could feel your knees go weak. This was so much more than you had dreamed. The softness of her lips and the gentle way she caressed your cheek; it was everything. She was everything.

“You do not have to quit the lab, intombi eswiti. It will be far easier to fall in love with you while we work together,” Shuri whispered against your lips. Warmth washed over you and you leaned more into her touch. You never wanted this moment to end.

“Now let’s talk about what’s under this onesie,” she lifted your zipper and looked down the hem, darkly laughing. You smacked her hand away and tried to fight the smile that crept onto your face.

“Shuri, cut it out!”

Tagging my new bestie: @tchallasbabymama

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Beauty Playbook: Tips & Tricks To Feel Clean, Confident & Seductive Daily

Some beauty tips and tricks to feel your best daily.

Starting off with some miscellaneous advice: Coconut oil is the most versatile ingredient – for your hair, skin, nails, and even down there. Find your signature scent (apply it to your clothes instead of your skin whenever possible). Sugar scrubs are the answer to most flakiness or bumps on your skin. B vitamins, vitamin D, and omega-3s are essential to healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Hope this helps xx

Hair:

Shampoo your skull, condition the rest: Focus shampoo on your roots and work it through your scalp; concentrate conditioner on the ends and work your way up until you reach the base of your skull - around your upper ear lobe.

Always comb, never brush, your hair when wet: Gently use a wide-tooth comb, from root to tip, on wet hair to prevent breakage.

Use a special towel to dry your hair: My favorite is from Crown Affair (pricey for what it is but worthwhile in the long-term), but a Turbie Twist from the drugstore works infinitely better than a regular towel that weighs down and causes frizzy, damaged hair

Always use a heat protection spray before blow drying or straightening/curling your hair: (Briogeo and Oribe products are my love for all haircare products, including their blowdry creams – also love R +Co. for a heat protection styling mist).

Choose your hair ties wisely: Use seamless or silk hair ties exclusively to prevent breakage or awkward creases on your hair. Wear a silk scrunchie if you prefer. These hair ties from Amazon are my holy grail (only $7 for 100 hair ties!), and they come in a portable ziplock bag.

Skin:

Always use a disposable cloth when washing your face: Regular towels store bacteria and can cause breakouts too easily. These facial wipes from Amazon are my holy grail.

Wear sunscreen daily: Yes, even when you spend all day indoors. UV rays can interact with your skin through windows, too.

Niacinamide, Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid, & Tea Tree Oil are among the few skincare ingredients almost everyone should consider incorporating into their skincare routine.

Learn the correct order to apply the products in your skincare routine: Cleanser, Toner, Serum, Eye Cream, Spot Treatment, Moisturizer, Sunscreen (or Retinol/Skin Oil at night).

Remember: From a dermatologist's perspective, your face starts (or ends) at your nipples. So, ensure you're cleansing, exfoliating, and applying sunscreen daily to your neck, chest, and décolletage to keep your skin smooth, youthful, and well-hydrated.

Vaseline is a great (affordable) alternative to traditional eye creams.

Sugar scrub your facial hair for a more gentle alternative to waxing (Combine sugar, lemon, and water). Laser hair removal, especially under your arms and your arms/legs is life-changing.

Follow up a warm shower with a dry brush and coconut oil for smoother, firmer skin.

Always apply a hydrating lip balm, mask, or Vaseline, hand cream, and moisturizer to your feet before going to sleep.

Layer complementary scents. Ensure the scents of body wash, lotion, and perfume work well together and don't clash.

Makeup:

Learn your skin undertones and educate yourself on color theory (I can share a post on this on the Post+ feed if you want some more educational content on these types of topics – I write about them for a living!).

Test any foundation, concealer, or face powder on your wrists, too.

Don't forget to color-match your bronze and blush: They can appear orange or muddy if you don't find a product with the correct shade or undertones for your skin type.

Invest in products that go on your face, brow products, and eyeliners. Great mascaras and lip products are easy to find at a drugstore or relatively cheap (I suggest Covergirl and d NYX, respectively).

Apply concealer in a triangle; don't dot it around your eyes for better coverage.

If you have oily skin (or it's humid outside), apply powder before your liquid/cream products. Set them again with a light powder to lock the color in.

Apply mascara from tip to base for the best lashes of your life: One coat on the tip, another from middle to tip, and the last coat from base to tip.

In a pinch, use a fragrance-free moisturizer and a q-tip to remove excess makeup (no more raccoon eyes).

Use a light nude or white eyeshadow underneath your brow to make them appear more defined.

Apply face powder under your eyes to help the eyeliner on your waterline last longer.

Create a simple daily makeup routine formula: 1 skin coverage (foundation/concealer), 1 skin color (a favorite blush or bronzer), brows, mascara, an eye-definer (eyeliner or shadow), and a signature "your lips but better" lip shade (1-2 shades deeper or lighter than your natural lip color): This formula provides you the basics, so you never have an excuse not to put yourself together for the day (5-10 minute routine here).

Discover your day-to-night hero product: Always keep a slightly deeper lipstick, a smoky eyeshadow, or liquid liner in your bag to transition your day look into the evening with one portable product.

[kiwanopie]

I was super surprised when people were asking for a part two but I have delivert! Not completely sure if I’m acknowledging this plot as canon

Resolution

crime lord!Kiyoomi x reader

cw: mention of a toxic power dynamic, more lore about the reader (kind of), insinuating past thoughts of suicide,

wc: 3.5k

He’s bridging an inhale when he walks in, the smell of tea tree and coconut oil immediately turns his eyes glassy.

It smells like you. Overwhelmingly so, does it smell just as he remembered. To such a degree that it reopens those kindred wounds left by grief and desperation, and bleeds until his mind is all but soaked in thoughts of you again - until it’s all you again. Like where you’ve been. What’s this life you’ve cooked up without him? Why did you leave and take his heart with you? Kiyoomi doesn’t know whether to be furious or confused, so he splits the difference and settles for overwhelmed.

The apartment looks like something you’d like. Quaint little thing, but you’re all over it; and just that could make a shack feel like a bel air mansion. Little paintings and mounted instruments, framed posters that point him down the hall. Discarded house shoes sit haphazardly near the dinner table that are reminiscent of old habits. Like putting the honey where you can see it, leaving dishes in the drying rack, or leaving the bedroom door cracked whenever you’re not home.

The barrage of familiarity hits him like a freight train when he enters your bedroom.

It immediately turns him pink. Hot under the eyes carnation that stings as much as the reassurance soothes. If the front of the home were trace remnants of you then this is you all but laid out for him. To the wall paint to the decorative pieces, fairy lights that twinkle in your absence. It’s a reminder, all at once. That’s you’re alive, that you’re living, and that you’re still you; that you’re still his.

Kiyoomi takes a seat on the plush mattress and grabs one of your pillows. Suit jacket crinkling as he lifts it up to his nose and takes a big whiff - he ignores the fresh wet stains as he pulls it back for another look.

He’s holding the flowery little ball of cotton up to his chest when he hears the front door click open.

Those quiet footsteps make him furrow until there’s a voice accompanying it.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just came straight home after the conference. I’m gonna make a protein shake and then barricade myself in my room.”

He’s immediately holding back a sob.

It’s you. God, it’s you. It’s you. “I’m fine! I’m-… I was just really frazzled yesterday and I spoke without thinking. I’m not a danger to myself.”

He hears the telltale sound of house keys clicking against glass tabling as you move for the kitchen. “Well, why did you even bother asking?”

You sigh and Kiyoomi can almost see the pout on your face. This has all gotten so surreal that he’s frozen in place. Staring at the door like a locked up cat and trying his best to maintain his composure. “Well, text me when you’re on your way. So I’ll know it’s you who’s at the door.”

“A’right,” You clink a few pieces of silverware. “Okay, see you then, Tooru-kun.”

Tooru-kun.

He shouldn’t feel so nauseated hearing another man’s name come out your mouth.

Your footsteps interchange as you pad through the apartment, amplify and lessen as you move from room to room. Your bare feet make dull thumps against the solid wood following the hallway - a door opens. You mumble something under your breath as you toe into a further room, and then exhale as you exit.

You’re walking toward your bedroom.

Kiyoomi’s breaths are shallow as you come nearer. He doesn’t dare to move a muscle.

You open the door.

You stare at each other.

You don't know when your room suddenly became so airless. You don't know when your apartment building lifted off its hedges and floated off into space, when the walls started moving, or when you stopped producing spit in your mouth. - You just know that everything is going too fast and then not at all. Your little sundress feels like string, your skin feels thin and papery, just seeing him in here has you throbbing like an open wound. Stinging. Your heart is beating into your chest so hard you can hear it in your ears. Your fingers twitch. You feel like you should be making a run for it but you’re welded into the ground. The pillow in his hands feels completely removed from the black hole that is him and that is turning your little safe haven into fragmented pieces. He’s looking at you and it's overbearing - already you feel like a pinched nerve. There’s nothing you can do to escape and just the thought of that makes you feel like your ribs are breaking.

He’s been crying.

He’s been crying so much that his skin looks pale, much in comparison to the deep raw spots that turn the bottoms of his eyes boysenberry. He’s lost a few noticeable pounds. There’s scabbing left on some of his knuckles but that’s not what’s new, it’s that he’s been clearly picking with them, out of some new nervous habit or just to feel the sting; but he’s clearly been disturbed in their time apart. Grieving and falling apart. He looks like a victim. You could say there’s some irony in that.

Kiyoomi’s eyebrows twitch. They furrow and then they’re neutral again. He’s in such an internal struggle to find an appropriate reaction that his face can barely keep up. But residentially he’s dumbstruck. Slowly stepping into motion as your strings pull taut and every bit by bit gets faster.

And more desperate.

He’s pulling you in his arms before he knows what to do with himself.

Your body goes limp as his arms cage around you. He’s hugging you like it’s the only thing that’ll keep you solid, and real, - and alive. Even when your heart jackrabbits he can only be thankful that it’s around to hear. He digs his nose in your hair and breathes it in till his lungs ache. Your stray hairs catch softly on his lips as he cranes his head to scatter desperate kisses on anything they can land on. You’re here. In his arms again and warm with blood and beating arteries. He can feel your chest expand every time you inhale, hear your breaths when you blow them out of your nose. You’re real. You’re real. And you’re all his again. In his arms where you belong and he’s gonna do everything in his power to keep that true.

Kiyoomi’s voice is cushioned by the top of your scalp as he speaks, it smooths out the little warble in his words. “Oh god… Where have you been…”

“How could you do something like this to me? What…” He shutters. His tears are wetting your hair. “…I thought you were dead… I thought you were gone…”

You meekly push against his stomach when his hold starts to make it hard to breathe. “I love you so much… I love you so much… I love you. I love you. Please, god… Please… I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t-… I can’t go through that again. You can’t do this again, it’ll kill me. It’ll-“

Kiyoomi’s body heaves forward as he tries not to openly sob. He expands and then tightens all over again. He’s cradling you so desperately that it muses your hair out of place. He’s groveling.

“…I’ll do anything. Anything. Whatever it is… I just… Not this,” He sniffles. “Anything but this. - Anything but this. I’m not… I won’t make it a second time,”

Kiyoomi avows and your blood runs cold. “I won’t. I won’t. This won’t happen a second time. I’ll burn this whole fucking nation to the ground if I have to, do you hear me? I won’t lose you again.”

“K-… Kiyoomi…”

The sound of his name on your lips turns him spongy.

Kiyoomi hiccups into your hair. “Fuck…Fuck..!”

————

You haven’t slept like this in a while.

If there’s one good thing about his poisons it’s that the residual effects don’t linger. You’ve kept your tolerance to the nausea thankfully enough. Vertigo that the sedative induces only happens in split second intervals, it’s only a few blinks till it’s gone. And all that’s left to deal with is the muscular lethargy, temporary at least, but it feels like you’re being weighed down by bell bars. You’ve always hated waking up like this.

You raise on your elbow to push the stray hairs out of your face, he’s already sitting you a cup of coffee on the bedside table.

You lay again on your back with a long sigh. Everything’s still the same. Same light vanilla smell, cologne on the blankets, same plush fabric - so preserved it feels new. You’d almost say he was the same Kiyoomi, if not for the new bags under his eyes.

You count his tousled curls in the ceiling mirror as he sits on the bed beside you. His palms are hot to the touch as he rests one on your naked leg.

His thumb draw’s circles. “Explain.”

You blow out a quiet sigh. You haven’t had to tell this old story in a few years. You hope you still remember the fine details.

“…Gesethame scouts used an emp to disengage my tracker while I was walking around the venue. I didn’t even notice until I heard the car blow up.”

Kiyoomi nods. “Why didn’t you come back to me when the smoke cleared?”

Not like any of this was entirely willing. “They were already waiting for me when I caught my bearings. My director was already there.”

“She…” You swallow. “She never knew that the two of us were… together. And when she found out she immediately disapproved. She said that I had wasted the freedom she gave me. Threw back in her face… So, she gave me two choices,”

Kiyoomi stares into his coffee cup. “Resume my position as a scout and renew my elite status. I'd be working the same contracts under my old alias, she’d still be my director, we’d pretend to like none of this happened,”

“Or, I gamble. I make myself useful and try for power, maybe become an asset. She’ll let me have that freedom if it’s on a leash.”

“But- And this is a big but,” You breathe. “If she ever thinks that I’m living my life and using my borrowed freedom in a way that she deems is insufficient, she takes it back and I have no choices. I work for her, I don’t complain, I don’t so much as wipe my ass without her saying so.”

“So you chose politics?” Kiyoomi furrows.

“I stumbled upon it. Before you and I met I was friends with this guy whose father was a big part of national access. When I popped up in the same neighborhood again he sought me out. He said that the local government was looking for new perspectives, that his dad could get me in. That my “worldliness” qualified as experience,”

“It wasn’t hard to get in. Even if I wasn’t seasoned.” You close your eyes. “His dad guards the prime minister.”

You can almost hear Kiyoomi start to clench his teeth.

“I was graded in the upper house, so I’m probably in their system. I suppose that’s how you found my address.”

“Your director’s blackmailing those people, you know. Those same people used to work for me.”

That ties a little knot in your throat. “Huh.”

Kiyoomi takes in a wide breath through his nose and blows it out slowly. His broad back makes shadows in the morning light from where you’re laying, thin cotton turning eggshell in the sun rays. He slept in his clothes from yesterday, you notice. Kiyoomi doesn’t usually touch the furniture before jumping into a hot shower, you know he gets itchy if he’s in the same thing for too long. - But telling by his dark eyes and pale cheeks, slow movements that stutter as they rise; you can tell he’s tired. That he’s been tired, and that these last few years have been torture for him.

You hate how much seeing him like this makes your heart ache. You hate that in the time that you’ve been gone you’ve missed him dearly.

He shakes his head. “I could’ve saved you. You could’ve come to me, I wouldn’t have let her touch you.”

“You don’t know my director.” You whisper. “You don’t know what she’d do just to get the things she’s owed. I wouldn’t have wanted you to get hurt in the process.”

And even though you’re buttering him up you mean it to a large extent. Long gone are the days you wanted him bleeding, dead, or worse. Long is the time you’ve spent reflecting on your time with him, on your feelings for him, on your feelings for the whole situation in general. You wanted a choice. It’s what you’ve always wanted. And you can’t be blamed for getting out of one inescapable situation into another, and then resenting that. But Kiyoomi at the very least had your best interests at heart. Loved you and meant it when he said he did. Never hurt you, never intentionally put you in harm’s way. Sure, he took away your autonomy. But it’s better to be owned and cared for than to be used up until you’re no more.

He promised that he couldn’t live without you. Gave you his heart and trusted that you’ll keep it within reach. In the time you’ve been gone you can see that he’s neither lived nor loved. There's reassurance in that.

The bed mumbles as you lift yourself off your back, the mattress gives under your knees. You watch him goosebump as you crawl toward him, and melt completely when your arms wrap around his waist.

“I’m sorry.” You murmur against his back. “You don’t deserve what grief has done to you.”

Kiyoomi feels hot behind the eyes.

“I missed you so much I wanted to die.” He holds his hand over yours. “I considered it a lot. Just leaving and being with you.”

You coax his fingers into yours.

“I never got rid of your name.” You whisper. “It was a bitch to get it expunged from my records but it’s still on my license. I still called myself a Sakusa.”

You press a warm kiss to his shoulder. “I’m still your wife.”

He feels like he’s dreaming.

———

Tooru furrows at his phone.

Cutie pie: btw i just got It Takes Two on digital! im gonna set everything up for when u get here so we can play!

Tooru: How fun!! Can’t wait to be bad at it!

Tooru: hi:) open up! i will literally scream if this dinner gets cold

Tooru: Yellow? I’m here!!!

Tooru: Cutie?

He spams the doorbell a fifth time. Where the hell are you?

Tooru takes a long thoughtful moment to stare at your front door before he’s placing the bag of Onigiri and his feet. And for a split second he debates if his concern is worth coming off like a pervert. But he decides to squint in your peephole anyway. Lowering his neck as he cups his hands over the little glass, he sees nothing but the beginnings of your living room and the faint glow of your hallway light. He pulls away with a grimace. He knows your roommate won’t be home for the next six or so hours, and that the last time you two spoke you were settling yourself at home after that procedure conference. He ducks for the bag again. Maybe you have your headphones on?

Tooru pulls the backup key out of a bush of thistle on his way up.

The apartment is silent when he opens the door, soundless as he slides his shoes off. Not even the hum of a running heating unit can be heard as he walks further in, which is odd, because despite the way you carry yourself - You always make sure to keep the apartment toasty in these early winter months. You wore a sundress today. Complained that you were cold and then rolled your eyes when Tooru called you stupid for dressing like it’s May. But he gave you his jacket anyway. He glances at the coat rack. It’s not there.

Did you leave? “Sunshine?”

No response.

He furrows.

It’s not like you to just ditch him without saying anything. Maybe you assumed he’d come in anyway? You still wouldn’t leave without saying anything. Your house shoes are still half flipped over under the dining table, hallway lights set dim in the hallway. He knows you were here recently but, wouldn’t he have passed by you at some point?

Tooru gets to your door and twists the handle, it opens with a neat click.

“Pretty? Are you in the bathroom?” He sets the bag on your bed. The bathroom door is slightly open but he doesn’t see any shadows moving. Something about this doesn’t feel right.

He takes a deep breath in through his nose. You wouldn’t do anything stupid to yourself, would you? No. No, that shouldn’t be his first thought. He knows you’ve been all wound up since this whole thing with your old boss and the Sakusa corporation. That you’ve been jumpy and nervous and saying things out of fear, but he doesn’t think you’ll hurt yourself. He trusts you when you say you were only speaking without thinking.

But even still he pushes the bathroom door open without so much as knocking. “_____?”

Not in here.

He peers at your box of hair care products and finds that none of them have even been touched yet. The floor is still dry, the tub hasn’t been touched, the lotion is still where you keep it. Not even a hair tie has been left out of place. He knows you’ve been here? He heard you walk through the door. What, did you walk in and walk right back out?

Tooru trots through your bedroom down to your roommates. He knows that he should at least knock before barging into someone else’s room but he’s currently trying to talk himself out of a crisis. I mean, there’s no reason to panic. You probably forgot something and went out to get it again. Probably thought you’d be back before he got here. Come to think of it, he didn’t even check to see if your shoes were in the genkan.

He exhales. Not in here either.

His eyes catch something before he backs out of the room.

“She didn’t…?” There’s a PlayStation unplugged and sitting on the counter.

He jogs to your bedroom to gather his phone, already pushing your contact and pressing the phone to his head before it can even ring.

The dial tone bristles for a complete minute.

“03-3715-4893 is not available to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone.”

Tooru kisses his teeth and tries again.

“03-3715-4893 is not available to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone.”

Again.

“03-3715-4893 is not available to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone.”

And again.

“03-3715-4893 is not available to take your call. Please leave a message after the tone.”

“What the fuck?”

His fingers messily fumble against his phone as the dial tone rings over the speaker. All but swallowed by the silence of the apartment, the empty air, and your pastel walls. He doesn’t know what’s gotten louder at this point, his breaths or his heart. He just hopes to god that this cold sweat is for nothing, and that he’s panicking over something small.

You probably left to go to the store.

You’re probably in the parking lot.

You’re probably already making your way up the stairs.

Tooru: Where are you? I’m seriously getting worried

Tooru: Did you go to the store or something? Wherethe hell are you?

The texts are sent with a silent vibration. He’s speaking into the room as it delivers.

“_____, sweetheart, it’s Tooru. Where are you?” He paces around the room. “I texted you almost… an hour ago and said I was here. Did you go out again? I see that you didn’t plug up the PlayStation like you said and I’m worried something might’ve happened. Is your phone dead or something? If you’re not here by seven I’m gonna start looking for you.”

Tooru sighs a little exasperatedly. “Just text me and tell me you’re okay if nothing else. I won’t be mad if you-“

Tooru’s eyes catch something on the bed.

He pauses as he inches towards it, bristles and stiffens like a frightened cat. His eyes scour it like it’s something else, like it should be something else. Traces the zipper, the writing on the sleeve. Pale whites and water blues that are still haughty in the falling sun, still unshrouded by dusk but the more he looks over it the more he feels crowded in a casted shadow.

It has to be something else.

He moves the bag of Onigiri aside and blanches.

It’s his jacket.

He nearly jumps when his phone vibrates in his hand.

Cutie pie: I went to the market! Can we hang out another time maybe?

Tooru: Who the hell is this?

The texting bubble shakes.

And then it stops.

“You can no longer direct message this contact.”

Tooru feels his heart sink.

[lisbeth-kk]

May Prompts (27) Jealousy

The Luckiest Girl in the World (chapter27)

Summary: Rosie and Timothy travel the Greek islands. An intriguing experience on Santorini, puzzles and irks Rosie immensely. When Timothy doesn't react to her liking, there's only one option on how to move forward.

Twenty-Seven Years Old

To celebrate my birthday and my new fulltime job as a political risk analyst, Timothy and I went island-hopping in Greece. Liwia and her girlfriend had done it last year, and it appealed to us both. Having nothing but the flights planned, made me feel a bit reckless but it was quite freeing as well.

The only thing we’d decided on was to stick to the Cyclades and we started our journey by taking a ferry to the small island Antiparos. Several people who let out rooms stood waiting on the quay as we disembarked. An elderly and friendly looking man caught our attention, and the room he had to offer was more than sufficient.

Our first breakfast is one I’ll remember forever. The small restaurant was situated by the seafront where the fishing boats came in with their catch. Faded coloured fishing nets hung to dry in the sun, the scent of salt weaving its way to our nostrils.

Freshly pressed orange juice and the fluffiest omelette I’d ever come across, ensured the perfect start of our day.

We hired a moped to explore a little. The trip took us through a landscape of olive trees and flowers we didn’t have in the UK. Our destination was the famous cave with stalagmites and stalactites. The stalagmite at the entrance is apparently 45 million years old, the oldest in Europe. 

We were warm and a bit sweaty after standing out in the sun, while we waited for our guide. The air inside was pleasantly chill and got even colder as we descended the 411 steps to the heart of the cave. It was a mesmerising sight, and knowing that this was the nature’s own doing, left me amazed and humble.

At a cosy taverna we ate the best Greek salad to date. The ripe tomatoes paired with the salty feta cheese, olives, onions, the rich olive oil and the homemade bread, almost made me religious for a moment.

The beach close to our quarters, was small, secluded and blessedly free of crowds. We had taken a boat to a famous beach the day before, but we’d barely found a free space to lay down our blankets, so this felt like paradise in comparison. 

Another short boat ride away was the bigger island Paros. We took the bus to the other side of the island. I don’t remember anything else from that trip than the hours we spent in Naoussa. Several boats painted in bright colours lay bobbing in the water close to the restaurants that encircled the bay. It may sound simple, but it was the most beautiful view, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. We sat there for hours, eating seafood and drinking Greek white wine. 

***

So far, it had been a “normal” vacation, or tedious as Papa would’ve called it. That all ended when we sat foot on Santorini. Getting a room was easy enough, and relieved of our heavy rucksacks we went for a stroll in the main street of Fira. Every other shop was a jewellery shop, and the necklaces displayed bore the resemblance to what pharaohs and Cleopatra wore. Heavy, massive and ridiculously expensive. For each shop they seemed to grow bigger and uglier. We had quite a laugh at that.

The most peculiar thing happened at the restaurant we had lunch. It was a terrace with a breathtaking view over the Aegean Sea. We’d decided to stay for a while and ordered more iced tea, making ourselves comfortable under the big parasol. We had both brought a book, and for a while we read in silence. A repetitive sound of paper being ripped, caught my attention.

An elderly woman had taken up residence at the table next to ours. She had short frizzy hair, more grey than brown now, her glasses were round with a white frame. The summer dress she wore had big patterns in green, red, white, and orange. On her feet were white flip-flops. 

“Stop staring,” Timothy whispered.

He startled me and I looked annoyed at him, but averted my eyes and took a sip of my drink. The moment the sound of ripped paper reached my ears again, my eyes were drawn to the spectacle at the other table.

The woman read a book too. A paperback. The curious thing I almost couldn’t fathom, was that whenever she finished a page, she ripped it out and placed it in a pile under her plate. Why would anyone want to do such a thing? What if you needed to go back some pages to look up something you’ve missed. It could never be read by another person, since she apparently left pages wherever she sat down to read. It bore no logic, and it irked me.

“Aren’t you curious about why she does it?” I whispered to Timothy.

“Not particularly. My book is far too interesting, and you won’t get an answer unless you ask her, and I guess you aren’t inclined to do that,” was his phlegmatic answer.

Timothy’s ability to turn off the world and disappear into his reading or writing, was admirable, but now it almost made me jealous of his book. I wanted to speculate with someone, solve this odd conundrum. There would be no more reading on my part after this, so I took out my phone instead.

Want to solve a mystery for me?

Pray tell! I’m bored to death and about to shoot the wall. P

Also available on AO3

Friendly warning: after 25 years the mystery is still unsolved. Don’t be shy about suggesting what the meaning of this appalling behaviour could be 🤭

@calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @helloliriels @raina-at

More tags in the replies

[heisenposting]

Imagine taking Karl Heisenberg by the hand and leading him to the bathtub. You ask him to let you pamper him. You give no judgement about his hygiene, because there have been periods of time when you didn't, you couldn't, take care of yourself.

Perhaps it's a long soak in the tub, gently scrubbing his back and rubbing his shoulders, using Epsom salt with eucalyptus oil for his sore, neglected muscles. Perhaps it's less ritualistic, a shower in which you use a washcloth to massage a pine-scented body gel into his skin, covering him in suds and rinsing him off. You use tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner in his hair, you whisper for him to close his eyes while you gently exfoliate his face ("you only have to do this once a week," you assure him. Of course you'll be there to help if he wants. Of course.)

He feels a little overwhelmed. You can see it in his eyes and his posture. You smile warmly at him and kiss his eyelids, and he lets out a sigh that he didn't realize he'd been holding in. You thank him for his patience, and you dry him off with a loving touch.

You apply medicated powder where needed. You sit on the toilet and wordlessly prop his foot on your knee. You rub away the dry skin from his neglected feet with your thumb, and before he can protest, you trim his nails.

He's glancing away from you. He swallows hard. He holds his arms against his chest.

"Too much?" You ask. He finally meets your eyes, and he shakes his head no.

"I'm fine," he says. He's uncharacteristically quiet.

You stand up and take his hand. "We're almost done." You take him into your bedroom, and you sit him down on the bed. His eyes light up when you rub cocoa butter into his arms and legs, his hands and feet, when you work it into his stomach and chest and his back in small, slow circles. He holds you while you straddle his lap and apply a little more lotion to his face and neck, and he's smiling by now.

One last touch—you reach for your lip balm on the bedside table, and you gingerly hold his chin as you apply some to his lips. They're already so kissable, you tell him, but you want to protect them from the hard water.

He's quiet the rest of the night. He holds onto you tightly as you sleep, stroking your hair until the both of you are about to fall asleep. He whispers a small "thank you" before he closes his eyes.

[passivenovember]

“Do we have a mop?”

Mrs. Harrington looks up from her crossword puzzle, razor sharp #2 poised to hack and slash her way toward victory, “Our house is covered wall to wall in tasteful black hardwood,” She says, because her husband’s time last week was 3.35 and she plans to shave at least ten seconds from her own today. “Of course we have a mop.”

Steve shuffles in the doorway, rapping four knuckles against the wood to get her attention. “Could you tell me where it is?”

“Steven,” She sighs, “I’m a little--”

“I want to clean up.”

She resists the urge to dig her fingertips in her ears. Bites down on shock and thrill that her son has finally taken to the perfectionism that runs the roots on both sides of his family tree. “Go dig around the mud room,” She says, returning to her crossword, “That’s where one usually keeps mops, vacuums, dustpans--”

“Thank you,” Steve disappears, leaving Mrs. Harrington’s study in blissful, waving quiet.

She makes it another ten words before all hell breaks loose.

“Mom!” Steve shouts, voice muffled by walls and imported rugs. “Mom, I can’t find the--”

“Goddammit,” She hits the stop-trigger on her alarm clock. 4.15. Her husband’s going to have a field day with this development. 

The kitchen is filthy, but only in the way that shows her son is trying his best. Her precious marble counters are streaked with forgotten all-purpose cleaner, and the rugs have been removed, shaken out, and put on their stay mats crooked. 

Every dish in the house has been left in the sink and somewhere, past the sound of Steve digging through the pantry and mumbling to himself, something is burning. 

“What on Earth--”

“Mrs. Wheeler used to make Nancy clean the floors with pinesol,” Steve breathes, his face as red as a lobster when he pokes his head around the doorway, “But we don’t have any pinesol, mom, I’m not sure what--”

“I don’t like pinesol. Smells too much like a burning nuclear factory.”

“What am I supposed to clean the floor with, mom?”

Mrs. Harrington tugs a mitt onto one hand and removes a sheet of charred sugar from the oven.

Thinks maybe they’re chocolate chip cookies, or brownies, or--

She turns the oven off, crossing her arms over her chest. “What’s gotten into you, Steven?”

Steve charges out of the pantry and stops dead in his tracks. “Nothing,” He says, gripping the mop handle so tightly that Mrs. Harrington is positive it’s going to snap in half. “It’s just. I have someone coming over tonight, and--”

“Do you fancy this person?”

“No. Yes, I don’t. I don’t know--”

“You know, When I met your father he didn’t know you couldn’t clean glass with dish soap.”

Steve’s eyes get big. “You can’t?”

“No, it leaves streaks all over the place,” She rolls up her sleeves, turning the faucet water on as hot as it will go. “Anyhow, the first time I came over to study for our pre-law exams that first year of graduate school, he had tried to clean his entire apartment. It was a massive failure because he didn’t have anything in the way of a conventional cleaning product.”

“What did dad use?”

Mrs. Harrington laughs, unable to help herself. “Olive oil.”

Steve saddles up next to the dish rack, using a clean tea-towel to dry whatever’s handed to him. “Dad’s an idiot.”

“Yeah, but he loved me. Maybe he didn’t know it at the time, but I felt it. The second I walked in and fell into the wall because the floor was so slippery,” She pins Steve with what she hopes is a gentle, knowing look, “It meant the world that he’d even try.”

Steve looks thoughtful for a moment. “Okay,” He says, drying his hands on the seat of his Levi’s. “But what do I use to mop the floor--”

--

Two hours later, the house is clean enough that Mrs. Harrington doesn’t feel guilty returning to her crossword puzzle. 

She sits down and restarts her timer just as the doorbell rings. She listens, straining to imagine the big, goofy soft smile that matches the tone of her son’s voice. 

“Billy,” Steve says, and he might as well float around on heart-shaped clouds. “I made some cookies--”

“Smells like you almost burned the house down,” The second voice answers. 

Mrs. Harrington holds her breath and hopes against all hope that this kid won’t break her son’s heart.

There’s a long pause and then, quiet as a sunrise, Billy laughs. “I’ll choke ‘em down for you, pretty boy.”

For you.

Mrs. Harrington starts the timer and doesn’t even care that her husband beat her record. 

5.18. He’ll smile when he sees it.

[quaithe-seastar]

The Dragon's Gold

Chapter Three

Pairing: Aegon II Targaryen x Aerys Reyne (male oc)

Summary: Aerys Reyne, son of Naerys Targaryen, the second-born daughter of King Viserys and Queen Aemma, has been best friends with Aegon since childhood. As boys, they had been inseparable. Many said that it reminded them of the early days of King Jaehaerys reign. When the princes Aemon and Baelon were still children. Wherever one boy was, it wasn't long before the other came running behind him. That was until forbidden desires of the heart forced a wedge between them. After the death of his grandsire, King Viserys, Aerys finds himself torn between two sides: stand by his oldest friend or stand by the only mother he has ever known.

a/n: I want to clarify that Aerys is the same age as Aegon. Dialogue in italics means that the characters are speaking in high valyrian. I was just too lazy to attempt to translate it. Though, there may be some high valyrian thrown in here and there. No beta, so I apologize for any or all grammar and spelling mistakes.

Aerys

Red sap was leaking from the eyes of the carved face of the heart tree. It reminded Aerys of something he had been told years ago. A boy from House Blackwood said that when a Weirwood tree cries, it is a sign that something bad is coming. Aerys had believed it to be nothing more than superstition, but now he was unsure. Perhaps there was some truth to the tale. Now that everything in his life had seemingly gone wrong.

His bones and muscles ache from sleeping on the hard stone floor. Though the hot bath he took earlier helped. The old maid had stayed by his side, using soaps and oils to scrub him clean before she allowed him to get out of the tub. Fortunately, he had been allowed to dry himself, but she insisted on helping him dress. She had chosen a black tunic with the red lion of his father’s house embroidered in red thread on the breast, soft black lambswool breeches, black leather boots, and a black wool cloak.

The boy assumed he must have slept at least two or three hours. Not as long as he’d hoped, but it would have to do. The poor old maid who had found him lying naked on the floor also had the misfortune of informing him about the passing of Lady Laena Velaryon. In truth, the news did not trouble him greatly. He couldn’t recall ever even meeting the woman. Prince Daemon and his lady-wife had run off to Pentos shortly after their wedding. They had refused to return, even after the birth of their daughters, Rhaena and Baela. 

Aerys felt for the two girls. Even if he did not know them, the pain of losing a mother was all too familiar to him. Aerys was informed that he and the royal family would travel to Driftmark to attend Lady Laena’s funeral. 

His fingers toyed with a stray thread on his tunic. The events of the previous night still haunted him. Aerys had yet to face the rest of his family. Instead, he had chosen to hide away in the garden until it was time to go. No doubt, the whispers of his face were spreading throughout the castle. The lords and ladies of the court were prone to gossip. He could hear it now; the king’s eldest grandson was a clumsy, drunken fool. As if they needed something else to whisper about him and his family. Aerys had heard the terrible whispers about his parents many times before.

His father, once a highly skilled knight and jouster, suffered a terrible leg injury during the tourney he had hosted in honor of Aerys’ birth. His horse had fallen on top of him, crushing his leg completely. The man had become quite dependent on the milk of the poppy to dull his pain. This caused his father to have violent mood swings, and unfortunately, his mother was forced to take the brunt of it. This continued for a few years until he died after catching the pox from some Tyroshi whore.

Aerys’ mother, Princess Naerys, took the death of his father very hard. The maesters had to lace her nightly tea with sweetsleep for her to get any rest. Most days, she would lock herself away in her bedchamber. The only person she would see was Aerys. Rhaenyra had told him that his mother would hold him in her arms and sob for hours on end. 

However, after weeks of this, his mother's mood had finally begun to improve. The princess seemed to be returning to her normal self. That was until two women came forward, claiming that his father had sired bastards on them. These women were both of noble birth, so their children were acknowledged by his paternal grandmother, who acted as regent until his brother Robb came of age. Despite his mother’s many protests, his father's three bastard sons had been sent to Castamere, to be raised alongside Robb and Aerys. 

Not long after, his mother went to sleep and never woke up. The maesters determined that there was too large a dose of sweetsleep in her usual nightly tea. Whether his mother was killed or had taken her own life is still debated. Though Rhaenyra maintains that his mother had been killed. Whatever the truth was, his mother’s favorite handmaiden was found responsible and had lost her head because of it. Aerys did not remember much of this, as he had only been four years old at the time. 

Aerys lifted his fingers to graze over the cut. The wound on his cheek was beginning to scab over, and the bruising on his cheek and around his eye was becoming visible and sensitive to even the slightest touch. He flinched and dropped his hand back down to his side. Noon was approaching; soon, it would be time to set off. The King, Queen Alicent, and Aemond would travel by ship, while Aerys, Helaena, and Aegon would all travel on dragonback.

Aegon. 

The prince hadn’t left Aerys’ thoughts since the moment he awoke. He was the one Aerys wished to avoid the most, but the gods were never kind enough to grant his wishes.

“I knew I would find you here.”

Aerys scrunched his face in anguish. Of course, speak the Lord of the Seven Hell's name, and he shall appear. Aerys bit his tongue to stop himself from lashing out. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure how to express himself. He didn’t think saying whatever came to him in anger would be the right thing to do. So he stayed quiet, hoping the old gods before him would grant him mercy and send the boy away.

“I was hoping we could speak before we had to depart-”

“There’s nothing to discuss.” Aerys retorted, clenching his hands into fists.

“Aerys,” the prince sighed. “I am sorry. I was a coward. It’s all my fault-”

“You’re right. It is your fault.” Aerys turned around to glare at the boy.

Aegon's eyes widened. For a moment, blinded by anger, Aerys had forgotten the state of his appearance. He covered his cheek with his hand, turning back towards the tree.

“What happened?” Aegon asked, his voice cracking.

“I tripped and fell down the stairs.” Aerys scoffed, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

The prince stepped forward, taking Aerys by the hands. Aegon turned Aerys around to face him, his thumbs running over his bare knuckles. Aegon's hands were cold to the touch, as they normally were.

“Please, don’t be cross with me. I am sorry for what he did to you. I will go to him, and I will confess that it was all my fault. That I was the one who convinced you to lay with me.”

“No, you will not.”

“What...?”

“Nothing happened, Aegon. I was distressed about Rhaenyra’s departure and spent my night wallowing in my sadness. I got drunk and slipped while trying to find my bedchamber. That’s all.”

“No, what happened between us, it-it meant something. I know it did.” Aegon sputtered

“Nothing happened!” Aerys asserted, wriggling free of the prince’s grasp.

Aegon flinched, his lips trembling. His violet eyes welled with tears. In Aerys' mind, the prince looked like a sad little puppy. He wanted nothing more than to pull him close and apologize, but he could not. This was the way it had to be. It was better for both of them.

“The carriage is ready. It’s time to depart!” Ser Criston’s voice called from behind them.

Aerys did not speak another word. Quickly, he passed the white knight, keeping his head down, not having the courage to look the man in the eyes. No doubt Ser Criston knew what had happened. He was the queen’s sworn protector, her confidant. There wasn’t much she didn’t tell him.

When Aerys made his way to the outer yard, the royal family had already been gathered there. Helaena and Aemond stood off to the right side of the carriage, silently waiting. Queen Alicent was attending to the king in front of the carriage entryway. Finally, his eyes landed on the reinstated hand of the king. The man stood to the queen's left. Though Aerys quickly averted his gaze. 

Ser Harrold moved to whisper into the king's ear. The man swiftly turned his head around.

“Gods, be good! What happened to you, my boy?!” His grandsire asked, his eyes scrunching up as he looked over the boy’s face.

Aerys found his gaze moving towards the queen and her father. The queen kept her head down, not making eye contact. Ser Otto kept his face neutral, and his eyes held no expression.

“I had a bit too much wine last night. I slipped, your grace.”

“Yes,” the king hummed. “It’s been difficult for us all. Princess Rhaenyra’s presence shall be missed. Come, sit with me.”

The king was loaded into the carriage before Ser Harrold motioned Aerys to follow. He sat on the king’s left while the queen sat across from them with their children. Aerys kept his eyes trained on his lap as Aegon entered the carriage last. Fortunately, Ser Otto would be riding behind the carriage on horseback. So Aerys did not have to worry about facing him just yet. 

The journey to the dragon pit was not a very lively one. No sounds were made except for the king's small grunts of discomfort. His illness was getting worse; everyone knew it. The maesters had removed one of his arms just a few years back. The man spent most of his days sitting in his chair. The simple act of standing for too long could take a heavy toll on him. It saddened Aerys to think of his grandfather being in so much pain. He couldn’t imagine being so helpless, unable to do anything as his own body began to deteriorate.

“Do you remember-” the king coughed. “Do you remember the lady Johanna Westerling?”

“The lady of Casterly Rock? I know of her, but I'm afraid I don’t remember much of my time in the Westerlands.”

“Yes, of course. I forgot how young you were when you came to court.”

The mention of the court caused the boy to shift in his seat. He had been very young when the king requested him to be brought to court. It had only been a fortnight after his mother’s death. Aerys was under the impression that he would only be visiting. That was until his brother Robb had informed him of the truth. 

Aerys remembered crying the entire journey to King's Landing. He had just lost his parents, only to lose his brother later as well. As the firstborn son of their father, the lord of Castmere, Robb had to stay in the Westerlands. The only communication they had was through letters and the incredibly rare visit. Robb had become so busy lately that it had been two years since they last saw each other in person.

“Well, the lady Johanna has proposed a marriage between you and her eldest daughter, lady-”

“Lady Cerelle?” Aerys questioned, interrupting the king.

“So you remember her?” The king mused, raising his brows with a sly smile.

“She was at court for some time before returning to Casterly Rock. We got to know each other a little, that’s all.” Aerys shrugged.

The lady Cerelle Lannister was quite a boisterous little thing, with hair like gold and beautiful emerald eyes that reminded him of Agana. Though Aerys found her antics amusing, Aegon never took a shine to her. He would always try to convince Aerys to run away and hide from her whenever she tried to play with them. Aerys remembered how Cerelle had given him a daring kiss for all to see during some great feast. Aerys wanted to melt into the floor as all the lords and ladies laughed at the two. That was until Aegon moved forward and pushed her to the ground. He received quite the scolding from both the king and the queen. Aerys shook his head to rid himself of the memory.

“What was your reply?”

“I have yet to give it,” the king groaned. “I had wished to speak with you about it first. You're nearly a grown man now, Aerys; it’s time to begin thinking about such matters. The daughter of the lord of Casterly Rock would be a good match for you, but there are others. You’re quite popular with the young women of the realm,” the man smirked.

Aerys blushed, dropping his head to hide his embarrassment. It was a fact that his grandfather liked to taunt him with. Aerys’ popularity with women was never something he had strived for. All he had ever done was be kind and gallant, as a man should be.

“I believe we’re here,” Aegon grumbled as the carriage stopped.

“Already?” the king sighed. “The three of you will arrive at Driftmark first, as you’ll be on Dragonback. It should go without saying, but I expect you to be on your best behavior. You represent not only yourselves but our entire house. The way you conduct yourselves is important.”

The three dragon riders nodded in agreement. Helaena was the first to exit the carriage, and Ser Criston extended a hand to help her step out. Aegon went next, with Aerys trailing behind.  The shadow of the giant pit began to loom over the three of them. The guards outside of the dragon pit noticed them immediately. A moment later, the giant iron doors creaked loudly as they opened. Two of the older dragon keepers came to meet them at the entrance.

“Jiōrna, Aerys!” The dragon keepers called as he entered. “ And welcome to you, Prince Aegon and Princess Helaena .”

“ Thank you, ” Aerys and Helaena replied kindly.

“We’d like to get on with it,” Aegon said.

“Of course, my prince,” the dragon keepers bowed.

The three followed behind as they led them deeper and deeper beneath the dome. The sun's light shines through the thick outer iron doors of the man-made caves, which open to the hillside. Helaena went ahead of the boys. Dreamfyre was resting in her nest., something the she-dragon was very protective of. The dragon keepers did not think having the boys near the pale blue dragon was wise.

Aegon was next to leave. The light reflected off of Sunfyre's beautiful golden scales. It was almost blinding. The beast lifted his head as they passed before laying back down. A few dragon keepers were already waiting with Sunfyre to assist Aegon. 

Syrax, Vermax, Arrax, and Sea Smoke had all gone to follow their riders to Dragonstone. Only three dragons remained in the pit. Sunfyre, Aegon’s golden dragon. Dreamfyre, Helaena’s beautiful pale blue dragon. And Agana, Aerys’ dragon with scales of silver and aquamarine. The aquamarine scales surrounded her emerald eyes and trailed down her spine. Small pearlescent white-colored horns grew from the top of her head like a baby goat. The dragon keepers that remained with Aerys came to a stop when they reached the end of the dragon pit.

The sunlight did not give off the same radiance that the moonlight did when reflecting off Agana’s scales. A loud purr echoed in the air as the dragon stretched her neck forward. She pressed her muzzle against the giant iron bars to reach her rider. Aerys raised a hand and stuck it through the bars. He held it out, and immediately, the dragon nuzzled her face into it. The heat of her scales filled him with a sense of strength. It was not unheard of. The dragons were the true power of the Targaryens. It’s said that when King Aenys Targaryen bonded with his dragon, Quicksilver, the sickly king began to thrive. 

“I missed you too,” he said softly.

Aerys pulled his hand back as the large gates swung open. Agana lowered her head to the ground. His small hand ran down her long neck. Aerys stopped to walk around her giant wing. The boy used the ropes attached to his riding saddle to help scale his way up her back. When he reached the top, he grabbed one of the saddle bars to pull himself up. Aerys swung his leg over the saddle and strapped himself as he had done a hundred times before. He believed he could do it even with his eyes closed.

“Open the gate!” He yelled to the dragon keepers.

Agana moved to stand on her feet. Aerys held on tightly to the handlebars of his saddle as she began to turn around. He could feel the ground tremble beneath her every step. The sounds of chains rattling filled the air as the giant gate that opened to the hillside began to rise.

He didn’t even need to give the command before the dragon was off. Agana ran forward, her large wings beginning to fan out. As she reached the end of the cave, she leaped into the air. Aerys felt himself being thrust forward, but the saddle straps kept him secure. His grip on the handlebars tightened. The loud flapping of Agana’s giant wings was all he could hear.

There was no other feeling in the world as great as the one you felt being on a dragon's back. The power of looming over everyone and everything. The freedom of being able to fly. There were many times he never wanted to go back to the ground.

Agana flapped her giant wings as she went higher into the sky. Then she began to glide, only flapping her wings now and then. The boy released the handlebars and stretched his arms out to the side. He closed his eyes, enjoying the wind blowing through his hair. Agana suddenly dove down. Aerys could see the sea surrounding them below. The boy quickly took hold of the reins and pulled back. Just as they were about to dive into the waters, the dragon pulled up. There was a giant splash behind them from how swiftly the dragon moved. She was toying with him.

It seemed like they both missed the sky even more than he thought they did. It had been a whole week since Aerys had taken her out to fly. The dragon disliked being kept inside the dragon pit. The two used to be free to fly together nearly every day, but then life had become busy. Aerys found himself always stuck with tutors and septons. He understood how she felt in a way. Sometimes, the red keep felt like a giant cage to him as well.

Agana let out a roar, freeing her rider from his mind. He looked forward. Aerys could make out the silhouette of the giant castle far into the distance. They will be arriving soon.

—

Agana landed in a clearing not far from the shore. Aerys held on tightly to the reins as he was jerked side to side. He waited for Aegon and Helaena to land before he loosened the straps and swung himself off the saddle. He began to climb down the dragon's side. When he was a couple inches off the ground, he jumped the rest of the way down. Agana growled and moved her neck to shield her rider. The boy sighed and peeked around her head.

“I’ve been waiting for you to arrive,” Rhaenyra smiled. 

However, her smile disappeared when she got a good look at him. The boy rubbed the dragon's muzzle before he moved forward to greet his aunt. The woman gently took his chin into her soft hands. Her violet eyes hardened as she examined him.

“What happened?”

“It was nothing, I fell.”

“You fell?” She asked incredulously.

“Yes,” he replied, pulling away from her grasp.

“Hello, sister,” Helaena called warmly as she and Aegon stood at Aerys' side.

“Hello, my sweet sister.” Rhaenyra greeted her with a small smile. “And you, Aegon.”

The Targaryen prince gave her a brief nod. “To you as well.”

“If you’ll excuse us, Princess, we wish to express our condolences to Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys.” Aerys cut in.

The woman furrowed her brow and nodded. “Of course, come on.”

Aerys held out his arm to Helaena. The princess readily accepted it, wrapping her arm around his. He helped her keep her balance as they made their way from the sandy beach to the castle.

The hours seemed to pass by so swiftly. Aerys had done his best to avoid any run-ins with a certain Targaryen prince. Instead, electing to spend his time with his cousins, Jace and Luke. The younger Velaryon had clung onto Aerys the moment he saw him. Jace had been unusually quiet. Probably due to the news of Ser Harwin and his father, Ser Lyonel. Aerys himself was saddened by the news. Ser Harwin was a good man. He cared deeply for the princess, and she cared deeply for him. The boys learned a great deal from him. 

The rest of the royal family had arrived a few hours after they landed on Driftmark. Everyone was waiting around for the burial to take place.

“It’s time, boys,” Rhaenyra called, motioning for her sons to follow. 

Aerys traveled alongside them, holding Luke’s hand as they walked. The boy looked over at all the people's faces. Most had their heads hung low in respect. He spotted Ser Laenor. He looked so sad, so defeated. Aerys wanted to make his way to him, but he noticed the boy standing next to him. It was Aegon. He had been staring at Aerys since he arrived. Aerys looked away, choosing to stand beside Jace. They watched silently as the ropes were attached to the casket. Then Vaemond Velaryon, Lady Laena’s uncle, began to speak. Aerys watched as the man’s gaze turned to Rhaenyra and her sons. He could hear the venom in his voice as he spoke of Velaryon blood. Aerys had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Of all the places, did he need to do this here? Now, in front of all these people? In front of the dead woman’s husband and her weeping children? The boy was glad the man spoke in Valyrian rather than the common tongue. Only a few in the crowd were fluent enough to understand.

Then Prince Daemon laughed. It had initially startled Aerys, but he supposed everyone grieves differently. Perhaps he, too, was appalled by the lack of courtesy. To use a woman’s funeral to take a jab at the princess, how tasteless. As the casket hit the water, Aerys felt himself being watched. He turned his head to find Prince Aegon still staring unabashedly at him. Aerys turned his head back towards the water. Perhaps he could escape through the crowd as they made their way back.

Everyone had returned to the castle shortly after Lady Laena’s bones were laid to rest. The sky had begun to turn dark. The wind started picking up, sending a chill down Aerys’ spine. He was wandering about the castle. Lord Corlys had wished to speak with Luke, and Jace had been pulled away by his mother. Aerys dashed to the castle, trying to avoid Aegon’s eyes. Fortunately, Aemond had unknowingly provided Aerys with the perfect distraction.

Aerys found the castle a bit ominous. Skulls decorated the halls. Trophies were displayed everywhere, evidence of the Sea Snake’s many conquests around the seas.

“Do you plan to avoid me forever?” There was a slight slur to the prince’s words.

Aerys stopped in his place. He closed his eyes and let out a weary sigh.

“Perhaps I do,” the boy said, turning around. “Did you need something, my prince?”

Aegon sauntered over, raising his hand to run his thumb over Aerys’ lips.

“I like it when you call me that.”

“Call you what?” Aerys tilted his head in confusion.

“My prince. You always call my brother Prince Aemond or just Aemond, but you call me your prince. I quite enjoy being yours,” he smiled sadly.

“Stop it!” Aerys hissed, pulling his head back. “We already had this discussion . ”

“Don’t pretend it meant nothing. I know it did, for both of us...”

Aegon took Aerys by his forearms. Aerys raised his head, looking towards the stormy-looking ceiling. Why did he insist on making this so difficult? 

“The feelings we have for each other go far beyond the love of family. I understand how you feel. The shame, the guilt, the self-loathing. I felt it all, too. But I can tell you now that the thought of not having you by my side is worse than all those feelings combined.”

Aegon took Aerys’ hand, placing it over his beating heart. His violet eyes welled with tears, his lips trembling as he smiled. It broke Aerys' heart to see him this way. His iris eyes wandered up the castle walls. His cheek began to throb.

“Aegon, it didn’t mean anything,” Aerys said, forcing himself to pull away. “We were drunk, and we made a mistake. There’s no need to make it more complicated.”

“Well, I’d say it already seems a little complicated to me,” the prince retorts.

“What do you want me to say, Aegon? How did you think this would play out? I am a man, as are you! What we did, nothing can come of it. I am a man of the houses Targaryen and Reyne, and you are a prince of the realm. Us, this,” Aerys gestures between them.

“It can never be.”

“But it can!”

“And how would that work, Aegon? We marry women and then sneak off in the dead of night to meet each other in dark hallways like we are doing now?”

Aegon cupped Aerys’ face in the palms of his hands, pressing their forehead together. Aerys’ body stiffened but did nothing as he allowed Aegon to pull him close. It was so easy to give in to him.

“Just because I have to wed Helaena does not mean this has to end.”

Those words immediately brought him back to the present. Aerys pulled back his head to stare at the prince incredulously. Aegon, as if just realizing what he said, went pale. Aerys immediately pushed him away. The boy stared at him in disbelief.

“Aerys, just listen-”

“Helaena? What do you-”

“My mother confirmed it this morning. Helaena and I are to wed within a fortnight.” Aegon said as he kicked at the stone floor.

Aerys scoffed, running his hands through his hair.

“You’ve been betrothed, and instead of telling me, you dare to confess some love you have for me? You want me to be your whores? Is that it?”

“No, of course not-”

“Really? Because that’s what it sounds like to me.”

“I didn’t mean it that way. Just tell me what I can do to make this up to you?”

“There’s nothing you can do, Aegon, just leave me be.”

“No, not until you forgive me.”

“There’s nothing for me to forgive. You’re not mine, and I-.”

“But I am!” He yelled desperately.

Aegon’s hands grabbed onto Aerys.

“No, you’re not. Last night was a mistake. It was an awful mistake, and I regret every moment of it.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do.”

“No, you don’t.” His hands cupped Aerys’ face. “Please look at me.” He begged.

It took Aerys a moment before he allowed his eyes to meet Aegons. He is sure that Aegon’s tear-filled eyes matched his own.

“That night was special. It meant something to both of us, and you can’t deny that. What we feel for each other, what I feel for you, it’s real.”

“No, I was drunk and upset about Rhaenyra, and you were just...there.”

“That’s it?” He scoffed. “So, what? I was just some plaything to give you comfort?” The prince spat in disgust.

Aegon dropped his hands and stepped back. His eyes had gone cold as he glared at him.

“I suppose so,” Aerys said.

The prince looked as if he were about to cry. Quickly, he cleared his throat, hardening his face as he sniffled.

“Alright then,” he muttered.

Aerys did not have a chance to speak before the prince rushed past him. Their shoulders collided, and Aerys struggled to keep his feet planted on the floor. With tears streaming down, he dropped his head. He raised his hands over his face to stifle his cries. How could this happen? Why was everything going so wrong? None of this was supposed to happen. He had been so stupid. He should have never gone out to the city. He should have never gone into that brothel. He should have never allowed that kiss to get out of hand. But how could he stop himself? When there was something inside of him begging him to continue. Something inside that longed to touch him, to kiss him, to hold him. 

The boy shook his head. No, he needed to stop thinking about it. What happened was a mistake. One that could never happen again. The throbbing in his cheek was a reminder of that. He raised two fingers to dig them into the small cut on his cheek. He could feel the wetness coating the tips of his fingers. Quiet whimpers escaped his lips as he struggled to push past the pain. He deserved it for what he had done. 

— 

Aerys stared up at the white canopy above him. He watched the shadows from the candle flame on his bedside table dance. His arms rested above his head. The young man hadn’t slept at all. It seemed his mind had refused to rest. He had been staring up at the canopy for hours. The giant castle had gone silent. There was a pleasant chill in the air. Aerys found himself enjoying the cooler climate of Driftmark. The boy sighed and turned to his side. He stared at the wooden shutters in hopes it would lull him to sleep. 

An urgent knock on the door made him jump. Aerys pushed himself up, putting all his weight on his hands.

“What is it?”

“Something has happened. The princes were injured, my lord.” A maid called from behind the door.

Aerys jumped to his feet. He quickly redressed and slipped his boots back on. Aerys could hear the loud chatter as he sprinted down the hall. As he descended the stairs, Aerys could see that everyone in the castle seemed awake. Everyone was gathered closely. He gasped when he saw the kids. The twins and the boys had blood on their faces. Aerys was infuriated by the sight. How could this have happened? Who had done this to them? The girls were a little roughed up, but they seemed alright. He immediately went to the boys. Little Luke was crying and clutching his nose. 

“The maester says it’s broken,” he sobbed.

Aerys placed a kiss on the top of his head. 

“What happened, Jace?”

“It was Aemond, he stole Vhagar!” He said in a hushed voice.

“What...? Where is he?” He asked.

The boy turned and pointed his finger. He patted the boy’s head and went to find the white-haired prince. He squeezed his way through the crowd of people. Aerys saw Queen Alicent kneeling beside a maester. The boy noticed Aegon standing near the fireplace and went to stand at his side. He peered his head around and gasped. The maester was stitching the left side of Aemond’s face.

“It will heal, will it not maester?” Queen Alicent asked.

“The flesh will heal, but the eye is lost.”

Gasps filled the room when the maester announced that. 

“Where were you?!” The queen demanded as she stepped towards Aegon.

“Me?” 

Aerys gritted his teeth and turned his head when the queen slapped the prince across his face. It was an unseemly thing to do. He watched sadly as the boy cupped his face. 

“What was that for?!” He exclaimed.

“That was nothing, compared to the abuse your brother has suffered while you were drowning in your cups, you fool!” The woman had a wild look in her eyes.

Everyone turned as the lord and lady of the castle made their way down the stairs. Aerys took the chance to look over Aegon's face. He frowned when he noticed a handprint start to form. The prince discreetly squeezed Aerys' hand and smiled to reassure him. It did little to comfort him. Rhaenyra and Daemon were the last to show up. Aerys and Aegon stood quietly as both sides began arguing back and forth. Aerys had to bite his tongue when the queen claimed Lucerys had wanted to kill Aemond. Lucerys was a sweet boy, a handful at times, but sweet. Aemond may not have been Luke’s favorite person in the world, but he doubted the boy would kill him.

“It was my sons who were attacked and forced to defend themselves!” Rhaenyra refuted. “Vile insults were levied against them!”

“What insults?” The king questioned. 

“The legitimacy of my son's birth was put loudly to question.”

“He called us bastards,” Jace put in quietly.

Aerys noticed the looks exchanged between the lords and ladies in the room. The thick tension in the air had grown. Aerys had heard the rumors before. It was hard not to. It was practically all everyone whispered about at court. 

“Aemond, look at me. Your king demands an answer. Who spoke these lies to you?”

The room grew silent as they waited for the boy to answer. It took a moment before he raised his head to look at his mother. Of course, he had heard it from her. The strained relationship between the queen and Rhaenyra was no secret.

“It was Aegon.”

Aerys frowned; as much as he would like to deny the boy's claim, he couldn’t. Aegon was fond of Rhaenyra’s sons; he always has been. But even Aegon has muttered the word bastards when talking about Rhaenyra’s sons. He did not do it around Aerys, as the first and only time he did, Aerys refused to speak to him for a fortnight. 

“Me?” The boy replied, confused.

Aerys felt the boy tense up as the king approached them. He quickly pulled his hand away from Aegons.

“And you, boy. Where did you hear such calumnies?”

The prince remained silent. The two jumped when the king screamed the boy's name.

“Grandfather, he would never-”

“Silence! Tell me the truth of it!”

“My king-”

“We know, father. Everyone knows. Just look at them...”

Aerys stared at the boy sadly. Aegon would not even look at him. Aerys stepped away and turned to face the fireplace. His grandfather’s yelling caused him to tense up. Aerys stayed quiet as the king and queen began to speak.

“I will have one of her son’s eyes in return.”

Aerys turned to look back at the queen in horror. The woman had seemingly gone mad. Everything was happening so quickly. The king tried to calm his wife, but she would have none of it. She ordered Ser Criston to take Lucerys’ eye. Fortunately, the man had refused.

“Alicent, this matter. . . Is finished. Do you understand?” 

The crowd watched silently as the king began to walk away.

“And let it be known: anyone whose tongue dares to question the birth of Princess Rhaenyra’s sons should have it removed .” 

No one failed to see who the king's words were pointed at. He was making it clear, not just to everyone, but to the queen herself. Rhaenyra thanked her father before turning back to her children. Aerys could feel the tension only rising between both sides of the room. He wondered if his grandfather’s words had done more harm than good. 

Suddenly, the room turned to chaos as Queen Alicent ran at Rhaenyra with the king's dagger. Aerys had tried to run to her aunt's side, but Aegon grabbed a hold of him and kept him at his side.

Everyone had gone quiet as they watched the standoff between the queen and the princess. Rhaenyra had gotten the last word before the queen brought the blade down. Lord Corlys had caught Rhaenyra so she would not fall. The blade had sliced open Rhaenyra’s arm. Aerys had gotten away from Aegon. Quickly, he rushed to his aunt’s side, looking over the wound. A heavy trail of blood began trickling down her skin. 

“Do not mourn me, mother. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon.” Aemond rushed to his mother's side.

Aerys turned his head, his dark eyes scanning over the crowd. He noticed what was clear for all to see. The lines had been drawn.

—

The sun had seemed to rise earlier than usual. The crowd dispersed quite quickly after the events between the queen and the princess. The king had Queen Alicent and her children escorted to their chambers immediately while their ship was being prepared. Daemon had gone with Rhaenyra and the boys to have a maester tend to their wounds. Aerys was preparing to head back to King's landing. Aerys shared tearful goodbyes with the boys before they were ushered to bed. As he exited the castle, he found Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon talking. Prince Daemon noticed the boy first, nodding his head towards him. Rhaenyra turned her head to look for him. Daemon stayed behind as the Princess walked towards Aerys. 

“I am sorry we did not have another chance to speak earlier.”

“There were more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Your cut looks fresher than it did yesterday.” She frowned. 

“Aerys, you know you can tell me anything. If someone hurt you-”

“I reopened it in my sleep. That’s all.”

“Perhaps you should join us at Dragonstone-”

“My place is at court. I must do as my king commands.”

Rhaenyra huffed, a smile spreading across her lips. Her violet eyes traveled across every inch of his face. Warm, soft fingers trailed across his uninjured cheek.

“My little dragon, always so noble.”

If only you knew, he thought. The woman pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head.

“You’re always welcome at Dragonstone.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The woman pulled him into her arms for a hug. Aerys was careful not to touch her injured arm.

“We have to go, Aerys!” Helaena called from behind.

The two pulled away, sharing one last silent look of goodbye. Aerys walked with Aegon and Helaena to the sandy shores where their dragons lay. Dreamfyre was the first to perk up as she spotted Helaena. Sunfyre and Agana continued to rest their heads together. Vhagar was lounging away from the others. Aemond was not allowed to ride the ancient-looking dragon on the way back due to his injuries. Aerys was still deciding how he felt on the matter. Aemond was well within his rights to claim Vhagar, but he did feel sorry for little Rhaena. Luke had told him that the girl wished to claim her mother’s dragon for herself. But claiming a dragon was not so simple. The rider doesn’t simply choose a dragon and gets to have it. The dragon must also accept the rider, and Vhagar had accepted Aemond.

Aerys pulled on a pair of riding gloves to protect his hand. Once again, he scaled up the silver dragon. The four dragons stood to their feet and began to shake off all the sand.

“Race you home!” Aegon called after he commanded Sunfyre to fly.

“He’s a fool,” Helaena sighed.

Aerys watched as the giant pale blue dragon lifted off into the sky. He gripped the reins to prepare himself.

“Sōvēs, Agana!”

[mordenheim]

Vitamin D For Growth

Just a fun little growth-filled tale for the wonderful @goattrain Author Icon by the lovely https://www.furaffinity.net/user/redband.jackalope

================================================

Alice grumbled, staring at herself in the bathroom mirror. The poor goat was covered in bright green goop from horn to hoof. Wincing, she pulled off her shirt as she felt the gunk soaked into her shirt sucking at her skin and tugging at her fur.

“Never thought I would have to wear a hazmat suit into the company greenhouse.” She grumped out loud as she finished peeling off her clothing. Apparently they had been testing some sort of plant food int the sprinkler system designed to magnify the plants' photosynthesis. However instead of coming out as a fine mist it blasted out right on top of poor Alice as a thick green slime.

Tugging off the last of her clothing and tossing it straight into the trash, she stomped off to the walk in shower. Her little hooves clopped cutely on the tiles. Throwing open the glass door she stepped inside and closed it behind her.

Reaching for the faucet handle, the one thing to go right today was that the new water heater was working perfectly. There was no waiting for warm water as her fur was doused by a warm, steamy blast. She turned slowly in the downpour for a few moments, rubbing her three-fingered hands over herself, relieved when the gloop seemed to be water soluble. She looked down at her hooves to see it gurgle and slurp away down the drain.

Rubbing the water out of her eyes, she reaches out a grabbed her bottle of deep cleaning shampoo that was ironically also a dark green color. She popped open the lid and took a sniff, enjoying the scent of tea tree oil and cucumber. Squeezing a hefty dollop into her hand, she started scrubbing it through her fur, working up a nice, thick lather.

She let out a soft baa as she was enveloped and warmth and scrubbing the thick, wonderful smelling soap through her fur, scrubbing every last inch of herself until she felt the fur squeak through her hoof tipped fingers as it rinsed clean. She could barely see anything through the thick cloud of steam that followed her dripping form as she stepped out of the shower.

Drying her soft fur on a towel that covered up most of her body, she made her way back over to the mirror. Not paying too much attention at first, she reached out to wipe away the condensation, then gave out a bleat of dismay.

“Wha.. wait.. WHAT?! I'M GREEN!!!” She practically shrieked, looking down at herself. Her fur was indeed a pale mint green and her hooves were a much darker shade. Looking back into the mirror she could see that her little horns were the same shade of deep green and even her normally pink eyes had taken on an emerald hue.

“Al! When I get my hands on you I'm gonna… I'm… ah, forget it… I'm tired…”

Not even bothering to wrap the towel around herself, she dragged it dejectedly down the hall to her bedroom. She tossed checked to make sure that there were no green stains on the white terry cloth and tossed it into the hamper. She took a moment to slip on some comfy flannel pajamas, buttoning the shirt up the front before just flopping onto the bed on top of the sheets. She'd overheated a little in the shower and needed to cool down. Before she knew what was happening, she drifted off to sleep.

Morning came, the sun rose, and the birds began to sing in the branches outside of Alice's home. A beam of sunlight fell in through the open curtains of the window beside the cute goat's bed, landing on the back of one of her hands.

The fingers splayed out flat as though trying to soak up as much of the sun as they could. The fur thickened a little, looking shaggy before her hand grew. Her fingers lengthened and thickened and the palm expanded. Her forearm stretched out of the cuff of her shirt before the arm within it inflated a little. The growth spread up her shoulder and through her body. Her breasts blossomed and ballooned out a little causing gaps to form between the buttons of her top as it stretched up, pulled away from her bottoms and exposing her soft belly fur.

It spread to the other arm and up to her head, her horns scraping against the headboard before spreading downwards. Her rump widened a little, straining the durable flannel cloth a bit. Her thighs bulged outwards a bit as her growing hooves stretched away from her cuffs.

The sun continued to rise, pouring more of its light into the room, bathing her in its warm, inviting glow. She gasps, squirming in her sleep, smiling as she feels a warm, comforting energy flowing through her, settling into the pit of her stomach. It was like she had just eaten a bowl of the most wonderful, comforting soup you could imagine.

The growth was more powerful now, more evenly spread throughout her body as she stretched and swelled. Buttons snapped off and were scattered across the bed as her breasts burst forth. Her thighs shredded through the tough cloth, as did her rump. Her fur thickened and took on a lovely shine. The more of her body that was exposed to the sun's rays, the more it seemed to speed up.

It was the crash and the sudden drop to the floor that finally awoke her. She looked around the room, finding that her bed had broken underneath her giant form. Not the first time she had experienced this, she took it in stride and pushed herself up off of the floor. Her horns immediately stuck up into the ceiling. She sighed and prepared to duck out of the room when she felt her horns push upwards, deeper into the plaster of the ceiling. She hadn't just grown, she was growing, and fast!

Gripping the tattered rags of her clothing about her as best she could, she rushed through the house towards the front door. Every window she passed she wanted to slow down for a moment as the wonderful sensation she felt in her sleep returned, but she didn't know how fast she might be growing and didn't want to ruin another house! Each doorway she passed through she felt like she needed to duck down a little more until she finally reached the door to the back yard.

She threw open the door and was bathed in bright sunlight. She gave a soft bleat as the last strands of her pajamas burst and fell away and she was forced onto all fours by the ceiling! Crawling as fast as she could, she squeezed her upper body through the door, barely. She shifted onto her side as her hips wedged in the opening, swelling rapidly as she placed her expanding hands on the outside walls and hauled herself out with an audible CRACK! She shivered and whined a little as she felt her hooves sliding farther back INTO the house as her legs stretched and grew. Crawling rapidly, she pulled herself free of the house and stood up in the morning sun.

She felt herself filled with that wonderful energy again as her fur fluffed out even fuller. She wanted to stop growing, but it felt so good at the same time. She was so conflicted as she slowly backed away from the shrinking house. There was a loud crunch as her deep green hoof came down on the wooden fence at the back of the yard.

“Why is this happening?!”

She suddenly froze. The warmth of the sun replaced by a cold chill as she watched the world around her shrink. The goop that she had been doused with, that turned her green was supposed to increase the photosynthesis of plants. Meanwhile she was stuck outside on a gloriously sunny day. Taking a deep breath, she opened her giant maw to bleat:

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!”

[rip-regulus]

random things I associate with the valkyries

lily - flowers, having a picnic in spring, freckles, collecting pretty shells and rocks, wavy auburn hair, sunlight filtering in through curtains, baker boy hats, knees being covered in grass, red mary janes, stomach rolls, strawberries, bicycles with a basket in front, cardigans, sisterhood, pastries, feminism, herbal tea, lacy lingerie, moss covered statues, a tire swing attached to a tree, academic burnout, eye creasing smiles, little women, hanging laundry up to dry in the sun, hair rollers, being nostalgic

marlene - pop of red, rock star gf aesthetic, carabiners, a car wash, wolf cuts, cherries, pool tables, tramp stamps, black waterline, smirnoff vodka, electric guitar, roller skates, kissing girls, motels, bleaching your hair, tooth gap, skin picking, talking in a bathroom, arguing with men, dangling your legs off a balcony, traffic lights, slogan baby tees, knee high socks, cherry coke, kitchen countertops, the sex pistols, retro radios, glitter in a kesha way, photo booth pictures

mary - fur coats, kiss marks, grwm videos, heart shaped sunglasses, an open plan apartment, clubbing, hot chocolate, a cluttered vanity, victoria’s secret, hip tattoos, fire escape ladders, slumber parties, survivors guilt, sabrina carpenter, the big apple, writing with lipstick on a mirror, bread with jam, valentines day, bay window seats, kitten heels, sims 4, white wine, sex in the city, silk robes, vogue magazine, hibiscus, curly hair, steam rooms, vanilla perfume, a walk in wardrobe

dorcas - the night sky, silver jewellery, clean girl, rage rooms, braids, enemies to lovers trope, hands, blackberries, silhouettes, dark skin, a haunted mansion, twisted tree branches, body oil, sirens, pillar candles, an antique silver plated tea set, cowl neck slip dresses, a coffin, black loafers, chocolate ice cream, a really deep well, dark purple, a brass tap, revenge, the horror genre, jasmine tea, padlocks

pandora - luna moths, a tarot card deck, walking bare foot, hallucinating, puss in boots, having a gut feeling, crystals, mushrooms, translucent fish, foggy landscapes, trinkets, mythical creatures, platinum blonde hair, incense, lilac, candlelit baths, heart lockets, baby’s breath, lambs, science, fever dreams, aquariums, getting white clothes dirty, maximalism, haunted dolls, glass bottles, rock spirals, mosaic tiles, guardian angels, canopy bed curtains, a lighthouse

[redd956]

Do you have any ideas on how to come up with fictional vegetables, resource plants, or livestock? I keep coming up with fruit since I can’t really think of any ways of making a vegetable interesting or unique to a setting. The only resource plants I can think of is one that gives cotton and livestock has me stumped.

(Context: My world is full of rabbit-human hybrids that are omnivorous but mainly eat plant food, meat is usually eaten during special events. I want to focus on a world reliant on different crops for food and resources. There’s different biomes like a wooded area, an almost volcanic area, a snowy area, and a naturally occurring magic area.)

Yes, I do!!!

A lot of fruits and vegetables themselves are very similar in growth and function, the main difference being fruits come from fruiting bodies while vegetables are just part of the plant. That's when we get that weird middle group like corn, tomatoes, and eggplants.

But there's a lot of aspects to vegetables that make them unique, with lots of worldbuilding room

Everything is Edible

Creative juices flowing questions... (I'm also grouping grains and vegetables together btw)

What parts of the plants are primarily consumed? The stalks, leaves, roots, bulbs, flowers, tubers? (carrots are roots? Guess I learn something new everyday)

How is the edible part extracted from the plant? What does the plant look like in a crop field? How do people know when it's ready?

Does the vegetable need to go through a preparation process before being eaten? (Crushed, cleaning, cut open)

Does the plant have edible leaves, bean pods, kernels, nuts, oats? Does it have multiple uses? Does it produce more than one edible factor?

Is it harvest from the ground, water pools, trees? How tall is the plant?

How does it spread/reproduce? (flowers, potato eyes, seeds)

Usage & Flavor

Is the vegetable eating directly, usually added to something else, used as a spice? What does it taste like? (earthy, bitter, tangy, sour)

Is it used to make something else that's edible/used in cooking? (Oils, beers, yeasts, flavorings)

Are there non food related uses? (Medicinal, potion brewing, material)

Gourds (fruits but equally fun)

My family fries/grills the blossoms on pumpkins & zucchinis, and I couldn't stop thinking about that so here's some bonus rounds

How do people break into the hard casings to reach the edible parts? Is anything does with the hard casings? What funky shapes are the gourds?

What's inside? What does it look like? Tastes? Seeds? Other uses?

Does it have any decorative uses? Any holiday relation?

Tea & Coffee

What kind of drinks can be made from plants? What extra benefits and effects does it have? Any magical properties? Any recreational properties?

How is the plant extracted? How is it prepared into a drink?

Anything culturally significant?

What does the brew look like? How strong is the smell?

Environmental Factors

What vegetables survive in dry or unforgiving environments? How important are these two the people who live there? What were to happen if harvest failed?

Any diseases or bugs that affect produce? How do farmers protect their crops these? Any animals or technology help in the harvesting process?

How does temperature and rain effect the produce? Anything grow underneath the snow? Soil? Water? Underground? (Huge fan of snowy plants in worldbuilding)

How does the vegetable itself try to protect itself? (cactus needles, thorns, caffeine, poison)

[rakysglowup]

Korean Skincare?

Alright, let’s dive into the fabulous world of Korean skincare! First off, can we talk about how freaking adorable their packaging is? I mean, seriously, these products look like they belong on the cover of a beauty magazine. They totally caught my eye every single time. But here’s the tea, it’s not just about the cute looks. These products are a solid 10/10. And the best part? They won’t break the bank like some of those bougie brands we know.

The Magic of Ingredients

Now, let’s get into the real magic ingredients. Korean skincare is all about using the coolest, most unique ingredients you can imagine. Think snail slime (yes, you heard me right), propolis, fermented yeast, and all sorts of exotic plant goodies. And guess what? These aren’t just for show. Snail mucin is like a hydration hero, and propolis is a skin-soothing superstar. It’s like every product is a little magic potion, custom-made to fix your skin’s issues and keep it glowing. My fav is the one from COSRX, top!

The 10-Step Routine

Alright, pretties, don’t freak out when you hear about the 10-step routine. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. It’s more about finding what works for you and layering up the goodness. The steps usually include oil cleansers, water-based cleansers, exfoliators, toners, essences, serums, sheet masks, eye creams, moisturizers, and sunscreen. Each step has its own special job, making sure your skin gets all the love it needs. You don’t have to do all ten every day—just mix and match based on what your skin needs.

Customization and Personalization

One of the best things about Korean skincare? It’s totally customizable. You can tailor your routine to exactly what your skin needs. Got dry skin? Pile on those hydrating toners and rich moisturizers. Breaking out? Look for products with tea tree oil or salicylic acid. It’s all about experimenting and finding the perfect combo for you. It’s like your skin’s own personal fairy tale, and you get to be the author.

Affordability Meets Quality

And here’s the kicker—these amazing products are super affordable. Yup, you heard me right. High-quality, effective skincare without the crazy price tags. Brands like COSRX, Etude House, and Innisfree offer fabulous products that are budget-friendly. You can build a whole skincare routine without feeling like you just maxed out your credit card. It’s like living your best skincare life without the guilt.

Innovation at its Best

Korean skincare is always ahead of the game with their innovations. From bubbling masks to peel-off foot masks and lightweight gel creams to cushion compacts, there’s always something new and exciting. And these aren’t just gimmicks—they’re designed to make your skincare routine more effective and fun. It’s like a little skincare party every day, keeping things fresh and fabulous.

Community and Culture

Skincare in Korea is more than just a routine—it’s a cultural thing. It’s a bonding activity, shared between family and friends. There’s a big emphasis on starting skincare young and seeing it as a key part of health and wellness. This approach is spreading globally, encouraging all of us to take better care of our skin in a holistic, consistent way.

Final Thoughts

So, whether you’re a skincare newbie or a seasoned pro, Korean skincare has something for everyone. It’s a beautiful mix of science and tradition, luxury and affordability. Next time you’re shopping for skincare, give Korean brands a try. Your skin—and your wallet—will thank you.

Remember, skincare is self-care, and with Korean products, you’re in for a treat with every step. Enjoy the journey, experiment with new products, and most importantly, have fun. Glow on, gorgeous!

Stay tune for more glow up informarion!

[astrhae]

alright I just read your hanaki!Wesper story and when I tell you it emotionally wrecked me in the best way possible im being so for real!!! I never cry at fics it's like a flex for me but this made me sob like a baby

its so poetically written and gut wrenchingly heartbreaking and I hope I can tear somebody apart so lovingly and put them back together like you do with your wonderful writing one day!!

akdjdhdhk hi hello! one day i hope to read your writing and be lovingly torn apart and put back together by it 💙 also, thank you so much and sending you all the hugs and *slides some tissues and a fluffy (ish) deleted scene* i hope this helps with the tears :)

Some days, Wylan still coughed, dry and painful, the phantom feeling behind his throat forcing him to claw for air. Even with the flowers gone from him, his body still remembered, still carried all the marks of his past mistakes. “I love you,” Jesper would remind Wylan on those days, his gentle, gentle hands tucking Wylan’s curls behind his ears, forcing Wylan to look at him. To look, and to be seen in return. “I want you,” Jesper would add, his voice a wave lapping gentle over shores of hurt. “You have me.” And Wylan would tilt his head until his lips brushed Jesper’s palm, a kiss and an apology. A kiss, and a confession: you have me, too. Like this: wretched and broken. Wretched, and healing, and trying. For you, for you, for us. “Thank you,” Wylan would say after, when the clouds had passed and his lungs were light, and Jesper would shake his head. “Don’t.” “Why not?” “Because,” Jesper would lead them “Because,” Jesper would always have a warm cup of tea ready, sweetened with just a hint of honey to help soothe the cough, “I haven’t even earned your forgiveness yet.” “I’ve forgiven you,” Wylan would remind him, because he has, and he will again. “And I’ve forgiven you,” Jesper would reply, because Wylan hadn’t been faultless in it either. “But it’s harder to forgive myself.” They’d taken back out the old oil paintings that Wylan had hidden away after Jesper had left. The miniature portraits that Marya had painted of them grinning, the grand canvas of them stealing glances at each other that used to hang over the entryway, naive and young and still fresh with a love untested, the first thing anyone would see when they entered the Van Eck mansion – at least, if they entered it the proper way, without lockpicks and shadows. The first thing: a declaration of their happiness. But Marya had painted a new portrait of them for the entryway, with Wylan’s hand clasped in Jesper’s, and a ring hanging from a chain around Wylan’s neck, and a laugh shared between them, their eyes crinkled around the corners and their cheeks flushed with fondness, with a love hardwon. It was, Wylan realised, less a declaration of happiness, and more of hope. One day, one day they’d get there. “Jesper,” Wylan would offer the tea back to him, “I loved you. I love you. I don’t regret it.” And Jesper would shake his head again, as lost as Wylan had been. “Why not?” Wylan thought of Kaz and Inej, Nina and Matthias. He thought of his mother, and his father, and he thought he understood a little better now, a little braver now. “I can’t regret it,” he repeated, “because I can’t regret us.” Some days, they still needed time to find their way back, but Wylan tipped his chin up toward the sun, toward the future, toward Jesper’s smile, and he smiled back. Sometimes forgiveness looked like patience. Sometimes love looked like Jesper’s spoons beside Wylan’s forks, like Jesper’s shirt on Wylan’s shoulders. Sometimes, happiness looked like this: fractures, fractals, the branches of the cherry tree reaching higher into the sky, covering the blue with greens and pinks and the edge of promise. Sometimes, happiness was this: a cup of tea passed between them, warmth spilling inside them, and the truth, the truth sitting between them – less a poison, more a bedrock.

[femmefatalevibe]

Hello! I love your blog and would like to ask for your advice. I want to look like an elegant, expensive woman. However, I am having a hard time applying makeup and setting up a skin care routine. Do you have an tips or resources on how to wear makeup elegantly and care for one's skin (for those new to makeup and skin care)?

What are the basic products needed for a dewy, classy make up look? Do you have any tutorials?

What are the basic products needed for healthy, minimal skin care routine?

Thank you for reading this ask! Have a great day!

Hi love! Sharing some of my tips below:

Skin:

Always use a disposable cloth when washing your face: Regular towels store bacteria and can cause breakouts too easily. These facial wipes from Amazon are my holy grail.

Wear sunscreen daily: Yes, even when you spend all day indoors. UV rays can interact with your skin through windows, too.

Niacinamide, Vitamin C Hyaluronic Acid, & Tea Tree Oil are among the few skincare ingredients almost everyone should consider incorporating into their skincare routine.

Learn the correct order to apply the products in your skincare routine: Cleanser, Toner, Serum, Eye Cream, Spot Treatment, Moisturizer, Sunscreen (or Retinol/Skin Oil at night).

Remember: From a dermatologist's perspective, your face starts (or ends) at your nipples. So, ensure you're cleansing, exfoliating, and applying sunscreen daily to your neck, chest, and décolletage to keep your skin smooth, youthful, and well-hydrated.

Vaseline is a great (affordable) alternative to traditional eye creams.

Sugar scrub your facial hair for a more gentle alternative to waxing (Combine sugar, lemon, and water). Laser hair removal, especially under your arms and your arms/legs is life-changing.

Follow up a warm shower with a dry brush and coconut oil for smoother, firmer skin.

Always apply a hydrating lip balm, mask, or Vaseline, hand cream, and moisturizer to your feet before going to sleep.

Layer complementary scents. Ensure the scents of body wash, lotion, and perfume work well together and don't clash.

Makeup:

Learn your skin undertones and educate yourself on color theory (I can create a short ebook/PDF if you want some more educational content on these types of topics – I write about them for a living!).

Test any foundation, concealer, or face powder on your wrists, too.

Don't forget to color-match your bronze and blush: They can appear orange or muddy if you don't find a product with the correct shade or undertones for your skin type.

Invest in products that go on your face, brow products, and eyeliners. Great mascaras and lip products are easy to find at a drugstore or relatively cheap (I suggest Covergirl and NYX, respectively).

Apply concealer in a triangle; don't dot it around your eyes for better coverage.

If you have oily skin (or it's humid outside), apply powder before your liquid/cream products. Set them again with a light powder to lock the color in.

Apply mascara from tip to base for the best lashes of your life: One coat on the tip, another from middle to tip, and the last coat from base to tip.

In a pinch, use a fragrance-free moisturizer and a Q-tip to remove excess makeup (no more raccoon eyes).

Use a light nude or white eyeshadow underneath your brow to make them appear more defined.

Apply face powder under your eyes to help the eyeliner on your waterline last longer.

Create a simple daily makeup routine formula: 1 skin coverage (foundation/concealer), 1 skin color (a favorite blush or bronzer), brows, mascara, an eye-definer (eyeliner or shadow), and a signature "your lips but better" lip shade (1-2 shades deeper or lighter than your natural lip color): This formula provides you the basics, so you never have an excuse not to put yourself together for the day (5-10 minute routine here).

Discover your day-to-night hero product: Always keep a slightly deeper lipstick, a smoky eyeshadow, or liquid liner in your bag to transition your day look into the evening with one portable product.

Hope this helps xx

[pop-punklouis]

Hope, what products do you use for your skin care?

hi bb. i'll link the products while i list them.

Burt's Bee's Cleansing Oil (I use this first as it melts all my makeup off, then I properly wash my face)

Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm (use this around my eyes to wash away my eye makeup. the Burt's Bee's formula makes my eyes burn and I hate using makeup remover wipes if I don't have to because they also burn and dry out my under eyes. BUT this is super expensive for what it is, so it is most definitely not something i recommend unless you can afford it. It does last a while though)

The Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Wash OR Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser

Thayer's Unscented Witch Hazel Facial Toner

Sunday Riley B3 Nice 10% Niacinamide Serum (Helps with Dark Spots, redness, and to brighten overall complexion. With my past with hormonal acne, I have some dark spots and hyper-pigmentation that this has helped tremendously with)

Lumin Dark Circle Defense Balm

Cerave Daily Moisturizing Lotion

I'm more than aware that many of these products are not. realistic price wise. and i'm sure there are tons of dupes and cheaper products that do the same thing!! buuuut over my skincare journey when my face changed back in my early twenties, i chose to spend more on certain products just because it was worth it to me and my facial appearance, personally.