#my hair is natural brown but I’m wanting to dye it either dark purple or dark green I just haven’t had the time or spoons

[toxicrevolver]

Halloween tag game! Thanks for the tag!!! @serendipminie

Do this quiz find out what horror movie stereotype you are

And make this picrew/dolldivine to design your look

I’m also somehow a tragic hero. Idk. Maybe it’s bcs I’m always trying to fight. In all actuality I’d probably be one of the first people to die in a horror movie bcs I can’t keep my mouth shut (which is filed under reasons I’d do terrible in prison). This was super fun tho. I love doing pic crew things (even tho I hate my face).

And as per usual I’m not tagging anyone bcs I am lazy (and socially awkward) plus I have the big sad. But if anyone wants to participate they can blame me as the reason.

#tag game #about the weirdo who runs this blog #obsidian rambles #hi my wonhyuk friend!!! #<- that’s your tag here. if you want a different one for when you tag me in stuff let me know #I’d say e’last moot but my og e’last moot is Ezra so the title is taken #I’m non-binary and I identify more towards transmasc/agender so like yee on that #my hair is natural brown but I’m wanting to dye it either dark purple or dark green I just haven’t had the time or spoons #it’s currently bleach blonde with very VERY bad roots #and my hair isn’t curly. it’s pin straight but the length is right and it’s a hot mess from bleach damage #so it may not naturally be curly but it doesn’t lay flat either bcs it’s at an awkward in between stage from growing out being bald #also I wear glasses but I didn’t like how they looked so no

[lokittystuckinatree]

It’s my birthday, Pride is half over, and the Sylki fandom is half dead.

Here’s a useless meta proving Sylvie and Loki are closer to an Andrew Garfield vs. Tom Holland Spider-Man situation than “GeNdErBeNt SeLFcEsT”

🐍🐈‍⬛🐍🐈‍⬛🐍🐈‍⬛🐍🐈‍⬛🐍🐈‍⬛🐍🐈‍⬛

When Sylvie was introduced, all Loki variants presented so far resembled Tom Hiddleston. By episode five, we know the vast majority of Loki variants are not Tom Hiddleston clones, (like a Spider-Man, a Loki could be anybody,) so Sylvie likely isn’t his clone either. However, since they’re played by different actors, with vaguely similar facial features, it could still be argued that perhaps Loki and Sylvie are the same individual, just the “other sex.” (Insert iconic Loki eye roll). Today I’m demonstrating why that argument is stupid.

Skin ~ Loki’s skin tone is consistently cooler and paler than Sylvie’s, as demonstrated by earlier films. His skin is more neutral and saturated in the series, a decision by Tom Hiddleston to make Loki seem more alive and tangibly real. Still, his typical skin tone is best described as a creamy ghostly porcelain, whereas Sylvie’s is a light rosy beige. Sylvie has a rougher, less polished, more ‘human’ look, whereas sacred timeline Loki sometimes verges on the ethereal. These skin details suit their characters well.

Tom and Sophia filming season two

Note: Sylvie’s skin seems slightly tanned in this image, while Loki looks as deathly pale as he did in the movies. Likely a difference in lighting, but I think it does a good job showing how different the two characters can look at a glance.

Hair ~ this is the strongest argument. Loki’s natural hair color is visibly darker and deeper than Sylvie’s natural hair color. Loki’s hair is raven black, and Sylvie’s hair is dark brown. Sylvie dyes her hair a muted ash blonde.

Loki and Sylvie side by side.

This hair color difference is suspiciously intentional, and even carries over from final concept art, official merch, and their child actors. Baby Sylvie’s hair is dark ash/golden brown in better lighting. Baby Loki’s hair is always raven black.

Baby Sylki. (Look at these little squishies I want to boop their noses!)

The two variants also have noticeably different hair textures. Loki’s natural curl pattern seems messier and tighter than Sylvie’s fluffy waves, even with too much greasy hair product.

Contrast ~ Sophia and Tom’s eyes are similar shades of blue. Less is certain about the in character eye colors of Loki and Sylvie. The fandom is not in agreement whether Loki’s (and Sylvie’s) eyes are blue or green, so I tend to compromise on blue-green. Tom’s eyes appear slightly lighter than Sophia’s, so I headcanon that Loki’s eyes are lighter than Sylvie’s too. Combined with their hair and skin tone differences, Sylvie has a lower, softer, more muted contrast between her hair, skin, and eyes, compared to Loki, with their higher, clearer and more striking contrast.

Color Season Analysis ~ Going off of that, and taking this next part with a grain of salt, as I am in no way an expert on color analysis, I would guess Loki is a winter, and Sylvie is a summer. Sylvie could be a spring, but from what I’ve seen, her hair is more ashen than yellow, and it makes sense Sylvie would lean cooler then warmer since she, as a former Loki variant, is a frost giant.

Summers typically look best in sunny pastel colors, whereas Winters look best in jewel tones. Sure enough, when Loki and Sylvie venture outside their classic green, black, and gold, the costume department decided to dress Loki in deep jewel tones such as blue and purple (the guard turtleneck, some of their costumes in Ragnarok.)

Another costume department chose to put Sylvie in subtle pastels (her tie die shirt.)

Typically, cool seasons look better in silver (grey) than than gold (yellow). Coincidentally, Loki and Sylvie are both wearing gray in the pictures above. Obviously, Lokis are to gold as goths are to black. However, few people fit a color season perfectly (I’m ironically a winter in the winter and a summer in the summer,) Sylvie and Loki have fairly neutral pigmentation, and saying a Loki wouldn’t look good in gold is blasphemy.

In Summary ~ Sylki are not genderbent clones, they’re not identical twins, and though it’s near certain they don’t share much dna at all, because this is not Game of Thrones, the closest they could physically be is full siblings, and while it would be questionable, your siblings aren’t you, so it wouldn’t be selfcest.

If the multiverse was a cinematic universe, Loki and Sylvie would be two different actors playing two different adaptations of the same character by two different studios, at most. Loki and Sylvie have different personalities, different experiences, different bodies, and different lives. Honestly, they’ve lived such different lives, with Sylvie breaking away from her sacred timeline and Loki identity so young that she’s a different gender and mostly based on Sylvie Lushton, that they are possibly less the same character than any of the Spider Men variants, from Spiderverse through MCU. Likely, all the two share is a mind, heart, and soul. To me, that’s beautiful.

⚔️💚⚔️💚⚔️💚⚔️💚⚔️💚⚔️💚⚔️💚⚔️💚⚔️

#sylki #loki #sylvie #loki and sylvie #Loki series #sylki is not true selfcest

[hanjisick]

hi! if you’re ships aren’t closed i’d like one please! as far as appearance goes, i’m 5’8 (so fairly tall) and both slightly chubby and athletic at the same time. i dye my hair pretty often but currently have medium length dark purple hair and have brown eyes. when people first meet me i either come off one of two ways depending on the circumstances of our meeting: very nice and friendly or very intimidating and cold. i would say as i get more comfortable with people i become more blunt and my personality is kind of a mixture of a lot of sarcasm and being cold at times as well as being fun and joking around. i’m pretty confident most of the time, but have instances where i get insecure. i would consider myself both introverted and extroverted depending on the situation (and my mbti test keeps switching between intp and entp). i pride myself on keeping up with current events, specifically politics and activism, and am not one to back down from a debate. my favorite hobbies include reading, writing (i’m currently writing a book), painting, and watching both really cheesy and awful movies and suspenseful thrillers. i like staying inside during summer because i hate the heat, but actually really enjoy the outdoors in the other seasons. though i’m nice to the people i don’t have any problems with, i am very selective when it comes to hanging out with and actually getting close to someone. as far as style, i alternate between dark academia and more of a alternative/emo type look depending on the mood i’m feeling. dr.martens and hightop converse are go-tos for me. i really enjoy eye makeup, but like keeping it natural sometimes too. and my zodiac sign is capricorn! thank you!!

i ship you with…

jeongin!

something about jeongin with somebody like you is very easy to picture in my mind. a lot of your personality traits are similar but a few are so vastly different that i think it would be such a wonderful mix!

dating a typically confident, tall person with really cool hair and style who is so educated and talented would make him feel so giddy on the inside. he would always brag because— yea, he was able to pull you. jeongin would always beg to take cool couple outfit pictures with you, that’s for sure.

he would be able to relate to you on many things. constantly switching between being an introvert and extrovert, a blunt and sarcastic humor, watching movies, staying indoors— these are things he would relate to as well. meanwhile, he would be dying to learn things from you as well. whether you’re explaining things going on in the world or what you’re currently painting, he would listen intently to every word.

jeongin would also constantly be questioning what you were writing at the moment, and whether or not he’s allowed to read it yet. he’d also persuade you into doing his makeup.

yandere jeongin

again, jeongin would need to show you off. the whole world needs to know that you’re perfect— and very much so his.

he would heavily prefer it if you chose to be cold towards others. jeongin wanted to be the only one who got to witness your sweet smile and kind energy. in fact, he’d rather you not see anyone at all.

but any time there was the opportunity to meet somebody new, jeongin would show them a blank face, staring daggers at them until they were uncomfortable enough to leave the short conversation. then, he’d turn to you and show his fox smile, his aura completely changing when he squeezed your hand. if you had that same energy to others, jeongin would be weak, his chest full with pride and adoration for you.

the summer months would always be jeongin’s favorite, even if you didn’t necessarily enjoy it. he got to have you all to himself, curled up inside while you worked on your hobbies, his favorite place to see you. jeongin would always try to turn the temperature a little too low in hopes that you’d snuggle up to him and read him your latest works. :)

#skz ship requests #skz ships #stray kids ships #ship requests #ships

[leejungchans]

— juliet’s hair through the eras.

aka i finally stopped being too lazy to make this and also i’m losing track of juliet’s different hair colours so this is also a reminder for me 🤠🤠🤠

note: 99% of these aren’t juliet’s face claim hwjsjw this is just to give you guys an idea of what her hair looked like!!

as for in between comebacks, she will either keep the hair colour from the last comeback or dye it back to her natural hair colour (dark brown) if the break was longer!!

— debut era (pirate king/treasure era);

all throughout her trainee days juliet kept her natural hair colour, so for her debut she wanted to change it up but at the same time not have it be too different ahjshwjs 🤡

the end result turned out to be a slightly lighter brown with blonde highlights

one of her favourite styles to this day!! she likes it especially when it’s curled like in the photo on the right!!

— hala hala/say my name era;

she said chop chop bitch ✂️

her hair was dyed to black and cut to around chin-length

this was a pretty sudden decision ie. the boys didn’t know about it until after she got back from the salon

seonghwa: “BAEK MINYOUNG WHAT DID YOU DO WHERE IS THE REST OF YOUR HAIR?????”

“i ate it 😀 of couRSE I CUT IT OFF WHERE ELSE WOULD MY HAIR BE????”

her hair gradually grew into a long bob throughout promotions which she also loved!!

— wave era;

two hair colours for this era!!

she started with a golden blonde which she liked but then atiny started to joke about it looking like spaghetti 💀

so for revenge juliet dyed it to a light, ashy brown mid-promotions like lmao sIKE who’s the spaghetti now 🤠🤠🤠

another very sudden decision; one day she was blonde and the next day she showed up on stage as a brunette and everyone was like wtf when did that happen????

a lot of atinys thought the brown was spray-on dye but it wasn’t (she dipped like half of her hair in water during a vlive to prove it and sat through the rest of it with sopping wet hair 🤙)

— wonderland era;

haha turns out the brown didn’t last long at all bc juliet went back to blonde for this era!! 🤡

compared to the blonde from the beginning of wave era, this one was a lot paler so it looked more like white than blonde

she liked it but she really felt the hair damage during this era can we get a big yikes in here 💀

it had to be maintained all throughout promotions so she had to keep bleaching it and touching up the roots to make sure it stayed whitish-blonde

one night during practice she was extra emotional from exhaustion and sleep deprivation, so when she accidentally pulled a small clump of her very damaged, very brittle hair out she started crying which scared the boys bc ??? what happened ??????

jongho, very concerned: is everything okay??? who do i need to beat up??????

juliet, holding out the hair for them to see while crying: HHHHHjonghoimgonnabebaldwhatdoidoHHHHHHHHHH

it wasn’t that much hair but she was very tired at the moment oKAY 💀

— answer era;

so yeah after that crying incident she went back to dark hair right at the beginning of december 2019 so her hair could take a break 🤡🤡

she also got those wispy bangs which she really loved!!

sometimes her hair stylist would part her bangs down the middle just for some variety!!

kept the dark hair all throughout answer era; she felt it got a bit boring but she wanted to let her hair rest so she wasn’t complaining too much 💀

overall, nothing too special to note during this era but her hair looked a lot healthier and also more luscious!! i mean it was also thanks to hair extensions but shhhh

— inception/thanxx era;

another one of her favourite hairstyles!!

juliet kept the dark hair but this time she added green highlights!!

she loved it bc it was simple but still had some ✨Spice✨ to it

this hairstyle also made her feel a little like shego from kim possible so she definitely wasn’t complaining 🤩🤩

at first only the pieces framing her face were dyed green but towards the later stages of promotion she added more highlights!! (not really shown in the above collage)

— fireworks era;

definitely juliet’s brightest/most unconventional (?) hair colour since debut

but she loved it!! after having mostly dark hair for a year she was ready to sacrifice her scalp to the hair gods again!! 🤠🙏

in the mv and during early promotions the purple was brighter and more saturated

but as promotions went on it started fading to a more muted shade which she also liked!!

the purple lasted until early april before she went blonde again (a similar shade of blonde from wave era)

she’s bringing the spaghetti back yessir yessir yessir gracias 😋🍝

a/n: writing this made me think of a few things 🤠 1) yeonjun pulling out a clump of his hair mid-interview (?) which inspired that bit about juliet crying when she yanked out her hair 2) just how damaged is rosé’s hair???? 😭😭😭 she’s been blonde since 2019 is her hair okay?????? 3) wanting to dye my own hair kinda like the first one with the blonde highlights 🤠

#eras.juliet #ateez 9th member #ateez ninth member #9th member of ateez #ateez oc #ateez addition #ateez imagines #ateez au #ateez female oc #ateez female addition #ateez female member #kpop female oc #kpop female addition #kpop female member #female idol oc #female idol addition #kpop addition #idol addition #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #idol imagines #idol oc #kpop oc #idol au #kpop au

[aboysbestfriendishismum]

Chapter 58 - The deal, the name and the prince (Part Two)

In the previous chapter: Angie has a weird nightmare about her future, where she becomes the author of fantasy-themed chick-flick novels, and she’s awakened by a phone call by Eddie. He reminds her it’s finally Friday, that is the day they’ll finally tell their friends about their relationship. Ater disappearing for some time, to think about what Grace had told him, Stone shows up at her workplace to and they talk things out. Angie and Eddie kiss in he streets outside her condo and they believe Jeff, Mike and Dave, who were in the van waiting for them to go to the Ok Hotel for their show, saw them and now are surely talking about them. Once they get to the van though, they find out they’re discussing the latest episode of Twin Peaks.

***

Pink. They're turning pink. My purple highlights are slowly but inevitably waning into sad off-brand bubble-gum pink, whereas the blue dye is fading out completely to my old boring dark brown. I'm here, squatting over the toilet, examining the locks of hair falling in front of my face, lightedy by the buzzing light of the Ok Hotel's restroom. I flush the toilet and pull up my pants and then I can hear the sound of the club's music going up and down straight away, followed by chattering and laughing sounds of female voices. Somebody else got in so I'll just stay here some more. I don't know why but I don't like meeting other people when I get out of the bathroom, it makes me nervous. I have nothing against going to the bathroom in three, five, ten girls all together, but if I have to pee, I'm the one who always goes last and tells the others to go first and that she'll meet them later outside. I can't use this system with strangers, especially in public toilet rooms in clubs with never ending queues outside the door. What do I do then? Either I hold my pee or I give up, trying to avoid eye contact with the girl getting in after me, who surely doesn't give a damn about me and just wants to fuckin' pee. This time though, it's early, the show has yet to start and the restroom was empty, at least until these people got in. Who knows how many are they? From the voices they seem three, I won't have to wait for that long. I just hope none of them will start wondering why the door of my stall is locked.

“Have you already heard these Pearl Jam guys play?” my ears don't miss the question asked by one of them since I'm focusing on their conversation, until now only to understand when they'd leave, but now even more interested.

“Not yet, but Emma did, right?” another voice, a little higher-pitched than the previous one, replies.

“Yeah, and the singer is so fuckin' hot!” the third voice has a vague Boston accent, I can't decide if it's a real accent the girl's trying to hide or a fake one she's putting up on purpose, I don't know why. And the accent is the first thing that catches my attention, more than what she actually says.

“Well, you don't need to hear him sing to say that, you just need eyes to look” the first voice chuckles.

“Yeah, he looks fine if you just see him around but on a stage? He's much sexier. You'll see and you'll agree with me”

“He's not bad but I'm more oriented towards the bass player” voice number two chimes in again but her friends immediately drown it out.

“We know, we know!”

“You've been oriented like that since Green River, maybe it's time to change your orientation since you've been getting no chance in hell, what do you think?”

“He'll be single once again sooner or later, won't he? He won't marry Miss Perfection, I mean...” the harmless, and after all kind of flattering, nickname these chicks just gave my friend bothers me a little, unlike their appreciation of Eddie. Actually I'm almost... pleased? By what they say? Yes, pleased. Am I normal or what?

“Aim for the accessible single ones in the band, trust me” Emma-maybe-Boston tries to discourage her friend from her crush on Jeff.

“That is the guitar player only”

“Who? Stone? Hasn't he recovered from his fucked up relationship with Psycho Valerie yet? Or you mean the other one?”

“The other one. Stone has a girlfriend, he must have found a new trust in women”

“Or he's just keeping this girl at a safe distance from his guitars hehehe”

Ok who's Valerie? I must remember to ask Meg.

“So the only ones left are the lead guitar and the singer. You're taking the guitar player”

“The singer isn't single”

“Isn't he?” “Really?” the other two ask at the same time.

“No, he has a girlfriend back home waiting for him or who's about to come and move out here with him, it depends on how it goes with the band”

“Where is he from?”

“California, don't know where exactly”

“Los Angeles”

“Shut up. Do you believe someone who wants to make music for a living would leave LA, which is like the center of the world where everything happens, and come to fuckin' Seattle? I've heard he's from near San Francisco”

“NO, SAN DIEGO” in the heat of the moment I almost can't understand who the fourth voice belongs to, then here comes the realization: it's me, coming out of the stall, basically screaming.

“And you... how do you know? Who are you?” now that I look at the trio I see they're nothing like I imagined. Voice number one, who's sort of the gang leader to me, is as tall as me, skinny and all eyes, big beautiful green eyes, dark hair pulled up in a tight high ponytail, giant loop earrings. Boston girl looks like she just came out from an episode of Baywatch, blonde, blue eyes, body of a model squeezed in a black mini-dress. Jeff's fan with the high pitched voice is the tallest one, a swimmer's body with broad shoulders highlighted by a strapless tube top, dark eyes, hook nose that gives and exotic and charming air.

“I know because I know him” I shrug as I bend over the sink to wash my hands, focusing my whole attention on the fuckin' pink strands in my hair in the mirror.

“Wait... yeah, I think I saw you with Stone and Jeff's friend, the blond chick who works at Roxy's... how is she called?”

“Meg, she's my roommate” I answer to the boss looking at her through the mirror.

“Do you know Jeff? Does he still have a girlfriend?”

“Hehe yes, I'm sorry”

“See, I told you!”

“I'll fall back on the singer then, his girlfriend is in San Diego, it's an out-of-sight-out-of-mind situation, she'll never know”

“He's not with that girl anymore, they broke up when he moved here” I stop here before adding any more intimate and unrequested details, although I have a senseless and sudden will to give them all out to these girls.

“SEE? HE'S SINGLE THEN!”

“I knew that”

“Actually... he's dating another girl, a girl here in Seattle” and that would be me and it's like I'm desperate to tell them, but why? What's happening to me? Am I becoming jealous? I told Eddie his jealousy towards Jerry made no sense but at least that had some factual basis. After all Jerry's my ex, he came over looking for me and we spent some time alone in a small enclosed space. These are just some random girls who've only said Eddie's cute. Thanks a lot. He is. It's only natural they like him. Why am I talking then?

“And who's she?”

“Well, dating someone is not like putting a ring on their finger”

“What's his name anyway?”

“Yeah, right, what's his name?”

“Eddie”

“And what's Eddie like? I mean, as a guy, is he nice?”

“He's...” he's sweet, sexy, funny, shy, crazy, romantic, goofy, protective, quiet, clumsy, smart, passionate, practical, loyal, honest, reliable and other 800 adjectives more, which come to my mind and I keep to myself”... he's ok, he doesn't talk much, but he's cool”

“A hot guy who doesn't speak much: the perfect man” the blond girl states and all three of them laugh.

In the meantime I keep on washing my hands and if I go on like this I'll get webbed fingers soon. I turn off the tap and shake the water off my hands in the sink before heading up to the dryer hanging on the wall next to the door, feeling three pairs of eyes on me.

“Can you introduce us to him?” the beanpole asks me when I already have one hand on the door handle and I'm about to leave.

“Sure!” I smile at them and I'm still trying to decipher my behaviour when I get out of the bathroom, followed by the gang of three, and who do I find standing right there, one hand in his pocket and the other one holding a full glass?

“Hey, there you are finally! I was getting worried. Was there a queue?” he asks, noticing I'm not the only one coming out of the restroom. I walk up to him, my hands are still kind of wet so I rub them on the legs of my jeans, I'm conscious I have the trio's eyes still on me and then I do something honestly uncomprehensible: I throw my arms around Eddie's neck and kiss him like I had last kissed him last month and not twenty minutes ago, backstage, trying to get some kind of reaction out of Stone and Dave, who right at that moment were not looking at us though. What's wrong with me? Have I become a showoff?

“I was chatting with the girls” I back up from his lips, steal the beer from his hands and take a sip, then I turn around to face the trio of dropped jaws behind my back.

“He doesn't talk much but makes himself clear” the leader is the one who breaks the ice and makes her friends, and me I must admit, giggle.

“Very clear, I see” the tall girl adds.

“Haha come on, let's go. Bye Eddie, good luck with the show!” Boston vamp takes the other two by the hands and they all say bye and leave.

“Bye Eddie!”

“God, we made fuckin' fools of ourselves”

“Why? We said nothing bad after all”

“It was embarrassing though...”

I follow their conversation as long as I can and when the girls are out of my radar, I turn back around and find Eddie's perplexed eyes staring at me.

“Do you know them?”

“More or less. Come on, let's go, you're up next soon”

Eddie and I part ways after a kiss right in front of the stage, after we noticed Meg coming our way. Anyway when we end the kiss we see she's more focused on cursing against a guy, who's guilty of bumping into her and almost spilling his drink on her new t-shirt, rather than looking at us and noticing our public display of affection. Eddie shrugs, nods at Meg and goes backstage to get ready for the concert.

“You can stop pretending you know nothing about Eddie and I now”

“Really? Ok but that jerk really wasn't even looking where he was going!” she searches for the stranger in the crowd but he's already gone and disappeared.

“Yeah, we decided to tell everybody. I mean, to let people know. Stop hiding, you know”

“Uh! So is that why you're randomly making out all around the club?”

“Shut up!”

“Right, maybe you didn't stick your tongue into his throat right under the mixer station. And not even in front of the restrooms”

“Hahaha stop it! Anyway, ehm, it actually happened in front of the restrooms, also”

“HA!”

“Talking about that... I need counselling... with Dr Meg”

“Uhm”

“You know I don't like to take advantage of your psychology studies”

“Very poor studies”

“And of your great and not academic only enthusiasm for the subject but... I'm weird and I need you to tell me why I'm weird”

“Ok so, first of all thank you for your surely mistaken trust in me, because it must be huge if you think what I know is enough to solve the Angelina Pacifico's enigma”

“I'm being serious”

“And I'm also flattered, 'cause usually it's me intruding your private life trying to analyze you and make you reason BUT this time it's you asking me spontaneously. I feel tears coming out of my eyes”

“I acted strange earlier and I can't say why”

“Ok, shoot”

I ignore her sarcasm, even though I appreciate it, and tell her everything about the three girls I met at the bathroom, while she listens to me in unnatural silence. Unnatural both for her, 'cause honestly I don't think I've ever heard her keeping her mouth shut for so long, and for the place, a crowded bar full of people, voices and sounds, I mean, pure chaos.

“So? What's wrong with me? Am I jealous like Eddie? Is jealousy contagious? Or have I just become a bitch?”

“Is Eddie jealous?”

“Yep. Well, yeah, a little” I don't wanna talk about this right now, maybe next time.

“Healthy amount of jealousy”

“Healthy... I mean, what's healthy? Jealousy is not healthy, it's stupid. And it looks I'm getting stupid too”

“I don't completely agree with you about that. Anyway your scene has got nothing to do with jealousy, my dear”

“No?”

“OH no, that's not jealousy, I'll tell you what it is. It's three things”

“Three?”

“Number one: you're pedantic”

“Romantic?” I can't hear shit in the noisy crowd with the loud music on.

“I said PEDANTIC! You're pedantic, you can't help it. If someone says a wrong thing you gotta correct them, nothing can hold you back, not even your pathological shyness. Had it been a matter of jealousy, you'd have jumped out immediately, insulting them and telling those three to keep their hands off your man. Instead you just stayed there, locked inside that stinky stall listening to those girls drooling after your boyfriend until they've started churning out incorrect facts. That's when you lost it, you had to speak up and give them the truth”

“So I put myself at the center of the attention only to lecture them?”

“Not just that but also for that. In this you and Stone are the fuckin' same, let me tell you. You're scarily the same”

“Shut up, you give me the creeps!”

“Number two: you're seeking approval”

“Approval?”

“Everybody wants to be liked, but someone wants it more than others, especially those with a wobbly self-esteem”

“What's self-esteem?”

“If you were jealous, you'd describe those three like sluts or ugly monsters of both, but you didn't. It almost seems like you liked them”

“Because I did, I liked them”

“Exactly. Three nice funny girls who shared a common interest with you, without knowing. You told them you knew Eddie because deep inside you wanted them to accept you and approve you”

“Oh”

“Number three... well, number three is my favourite”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah. Because, Angie, my friend, I'm glad to tell you that at the venerable age of 18”

“And a half”

“Eighteen and a half...” she corrects herself rolling her eyes “... after all this time, you finally learned one of the main concept of life, as well as one of the most pleasurable feelings”

“That is?”

“Hahahaha showing off, of course”

“Showing off? I've never shown off anything in my whole life!” maybe just a couple of seconds, that infamous unlucky night, with the waitress of Canlis restaurant, waiting for Jerry. And see what happened next.

“That's why I said it took you a few years to get cocky...”

“Getting cocky for what then?”

“Because Eddie's your boyfriend!”

“And what's with me? It's not like I did anything, it's not a merit, it's not something one merits and shows off like a medal!”

“That's what yo say but your subconscious thinks differently. Think about it, you found approval from your new friends and when you saw Eddie you could have just introduce them to him briefly and just leave with him, but you didn't. You aimed right at Vedder and kissed him right in front of them, knowing exactly you'd have made their jaw drop. And don't even try to tell me it just came out like that and you didn't think for a second about their reaction because I won't fuckin' believe you”

“Well, actually, ok, yeah, I thought of it, a little...”

“You're with the guy they all liked, that's the ultimate approval, almost a consacration”

“I show off for no valid reason, what have I become”

“Don't overreact now, please!”

“I'm a horrible person!”

“Angie-drama starting in 3, 2, 1...” Meg counts down with her fingers inches from ny nose.

“Can't you understand? It means I treated Eddie like an object, like a bargaining chip”

“You're with a cute guy and you rubbed it in those girls' faces a little, it's not like anyone died or something!”

“A trophy to nurture my self-confidence”

“You're making it worse and bigger than it actually is. That is, as you always do”

“A decent guy gives a fuck about me and my head gets big all of a sudden?”

“A decent guy gives a fuck about you, you're a couple and you don't have to hide for any reason. When was the last time it happened to you?”

“Err... quite some time?” a normal relationship? I'd say it's been years. Anyway, have I ever had a normal relationship at all?

“You're with the singer of a fucking cool band everybody's talking about in town, I'd scream it at the face of everyone I meet. Listen to me: aren't you proud of Eddie and what he's doing with the band?”

“Yeah”

“So you're proud and your showing, like you showed those three”

“Sucking face with Eddie right in front of them?”

“Exactly. By the way, considering you're sucking face with him in every corner of this place, they'd have seen you anyway sooner or later”

“Not necessarily, especially if they're as watchful as our friends, who haven't noticed yet”

“Or maybe they noticed but just want to be discreet”

“Discretion? Stone?”

“Well, thinking about it...”

“Talking about Stone; who's Valerie?”

“OH MY GOD, VALERIE?? WHERE IS SHE?!”

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

“It's so weird to me that everybody hates the Kingdome. I mean, that's your stadium!” since I came here in Seattle I've never met a single sports fan who hasn't complained about the stadium or easily dismissed it as a simple location that's not so much loved by the citizens. Jerry is no exception, as we talk at the bar waiting for our drinks.

“It's not like we hate it, it's just it could be better, you know? Surely it doesn't suck as much for footbal as for baseball. Or maybe it's just a matter of different point of views: if the Mariners didn't play like shit, it would be the place of the heart, like Wrigley Field for Chicago hehe”

“Sacrilege! I've never been there yet, I gotta go and see” I playfully push him away and grab the glass the barman has just given to me. Cantrell does the same and says thanks with a nod since I buyed him the drink and keeps on talking.

“I walked into the field, actually I ran on it! Six years ago, no, seven, when the Seahawks beat Raiders 13 to 7 at the Wild Card Game and the supporters stormed the field at the end. The following week we'd fuck it all up and Miami would destroy us but in that moment we believed we could make it! Anyway the people is what makes the Kingdome good”

“The twelfth man, right?” I nod and as I look around I casually make eye contact with Angie, who's not so far.

“Yep, other than that and the adrenaline, the field itelf sucks, it seemed to walk on concrete covered with green carpet”

“Wrigley though, I'd sleep on that field...” I look the same direction as before but I can't see my girlfriend anymore “On the bleachers too”

“At the Kingdome you can sleep well too, the roof protects you when it rains. Some parts of it might break and fall onto your head but how bad can it be?” Jerry chuckles and sips his whiskey but he almost chokes on it, and I do too, when someone casually appears between us from out of nowhere and basically yells into our ears.

“HI GUYS! ARE YOU HAVING FUN??”

“Jesus! Hey Angie, uhm yeah, sure” Jerry gives her a perplexed look whereas I instinctively put my arm around her shoulders.

“WHY?”

“What do you mean why?”

“I mean, uhm, you know, what for? What are you talking about?”

“Baseball” I answer probably with star-shaped eyes, just like every time I think about my favourite sport.

“And football” Cantrell adds then drinks up his whiskey with one last sip.

“Sports uh? A typical conversation between male friends...”

“Not necessarily betwe-” I'm about to argue with the idea sport is an exclusively male interest when my colleague interrupts me.

“Now I think I gotta go and find Sean. I saw Layne with Demri before so I think they made up and he'll go to her place so I probably have to go home with my drummer. See ya!”

“See you!” I say bye as he leaves with his hands in his pockets and Angie does the same but in a louder voice.

“BYE! Ok, what's going on? What's wrong?” she addresses me right away with an extremely serious expression on her face.

“What's going on? Nothing's wrong”

“What were you talking about for real?”

“What do you mean? Sports, we told you”

“Sure. And I'm Doris Sams” she folds her arms and gives me a side look.

“Are you a secret baseball player as well by any chance?” I let go of her, I fold my arms too and look at her suspiciously.

“No”

“I can't believe it! We gotta go out and throw a ball sometimes”

“I can't play! But I know the game and I know a couple of history facts, I remind you my dad is a fan of basically all the sports”

“I don't know... you're very good at pretending not to be able to do things, aren't you?”

“And you and your friend are very good at pretending nothing's happening and changing the topic of the conversation at the right time, aren't you?”

“My friend?”

“Jerry... well, friend, sort of...”

“We were really talking about the Kingdome”

“Sure. And the debate was so animated you even shoved him”

“Haha I gave him a little nudge, as a joke”

“Oh you were just kidding, of course”

“Angie, I don't know what's going on in your head and I don't know what you saw but really, we were just making small talk”

“Small talk?”

“Yes”

“You and Jerry talk?”

“Yeah. As you know, human beings are social animals, they interact with each other and-”

“Cut the crap! You know what I mean...”

“It's not like we're best friends or something but we know each other so we happen to have a chat from time to time” I shrug and on one hand I find it funny that Angie came here running, fearing for an upcoming duel between me and her ex, on the other hand I think he'd actually deserve a couple of punches after all.

“And you didn't talk about anything else?”

“No, what would we talk about?”

“I don't know, maybe you told him something about the other night...”

“Why would I?” I thought Angie would tell me to fuck off after that fuckin' scene I made but we made up the next day instead, problem solved. Why would I rock the boat?

“Well, I don't know, maybe because you threw a fit at me!” she retorts and suddenly she almost looks disappointed.

“That's different, I'm with you, not with him...”

“Ok but you almost ate me alive on the phone. And with him? Nothing? He just gets away with it like that? A chat at the bar like two old friends?”

“Sorry Angie, I don't understand. One second ago you were all alarmed because you thought I had told him something and now you're offended because I didn't. Is it that I'm limited and I just don't get it or does it make like no fuckin' sense at all?”

She opens her mouth as if she's about to answer, then she shuts up and looks around like she's looking for the right words through the crowd. In the end she admits, almost mortified: “It doesn't make fuckin' sense at all, I don't even know what I mean honestly”

“Hey, it's alright, ok? Jerry and I are on normal decent terms as two colleagues. And who gives a fuck about Jerry anyway” I take her face between my hands so she's forced to look at me as I smile to reassure her and let her know she's getting worried for nothing.

“Ok. But how do you do it? I mean, like, when you talk about me”

“Easy: we don't talk about you. Do you want something to drink?” I answer straight, turn back towards the bar to get the bartender's attention and order another round for me only, since Angie shakes her head no.

“Ok, right, but what if it happens?”

“It doesn't happen. Not even coke? Or juice?”

“No, thanks. But how can you be sure? What if my names comes up during a conversation, what do you do?”

“We don't do anything because that can't be, Angie... Windbreaker?”

“Wrong answer. Anyway the fact it hasn't happened so far doesn't mean it can't happen in the future” Angie smiles at my casual attempt at guessing her second name but doesn't let go on the topi.

“I'm 100% sure it can't happen. Jerry and I don't talk about you, we just don't”

“Never?”

“Never. We have a deal” the last bit slips out of my mouth and I regret it one second later, as soon as I see Angie's face as she registers this piece of information.

“You have... WHAT??”

“We made a non-aggression agreement that satisfies both parties” ok, I'm not 100% satisfied, and Jerry neither for sure, but it's working now.

“You made a deal with Cantrell? About me? And when?” after every questions she takes a small break that lasts a couple of seconds, in which I shake my head yes. But the third question requires a more articulated answer.

“In San Diego” kind of articulated.

“SAN DIEGO? You told Jerry about us when I left?”

“Actually, before that...”

“BEFORE??”

“And it wasn't me telling him anyway, it was the other way round” Angie doesn't look convinced or maybe she's just confused. So I tell her about the little quarrel Jerry and I had at the Yates Club, about how Jerry had figured it all out and got mad at me for not telling him.

“Wait, correct me if I'm wrong: you mean he did everything he wanted when he was with me but he had the nerve to get angry because you hadn't let him know on advance that you were interested in his ex girlfriend? The ex girlfriend he treated like shit? Why would you show him this courtesy? And how did he understand we liked each other anyway?”

“Maybe he's a good observer.” or maybe I just suck at hiding what I feel but I don't say that because she sucks as much at understanding other people's feelings and I don't wanna hurt her “Anyway he was right to some extent, we were on tour together and from time to time he asked me about you and confided in me and I could have told him or just talk about something else. Instead I just stayed there listening to him. So I was kind of an asshole too”

“He confided with you?”

“Yes”

“And what did he say about me?”

“Why do you care? Is it important? And then, well, can't you imagine?” if I got so jealous the other night is also because I know he's still into her.

“No, but I'm curious to know: 1) how he's still alive, 2) how you held back throughout the tour”

“I don't know, maybe it's just because of a certain promise I made to a certain special person about not kicking the ass of a certain ex and keeping a certain secret and not starting any trouble in general”

“Wow, you're a man of his word then”

“I'm someone you can trust”

“Will you make a deal with me too then?”

“Sure, anything you want princess”

“The deal is... we won't talk about Jerry anymore”

“Uh”

“Like never, ok?”

“Well, I mean...”

“I won't mention him to you and you won't mention him to me. It's not like we can erase him from our lives, we simply won't actively have any more conversations about him, what do you think?”

“It's not that simple...”

“Well, if you can make an agreement with him, I can't see why you can't make the same kind of deal with me, since I'm also your girlfriend” she folds her arms once again and from the look she's giving me I know I won't get out of this alive if I don't accept this fuckin' agreement. The only thing I can do is trying to get the most out of it.

“In fact I can do it. I'm in...” I hold out my hand for her to shake it “on one condition”

“What is it?” she lets go of my hand and looks suspicious, I think she really don't know where I'm getting at.

“That you finally tell me your second name” she rolls her eyes and barely hides her smile, maybe she was expecting something worse.

“Ok, agreed” she shakes my hand again and I'm all ears.

“So?”

“You know I'm giving you the most powerful weapon, right? You'll make fun of me as long as I live for this”

“I bet it's a beautiful name, I can't wait to know, I'm super psyched”

“Just like my parents when they chose my second name, like I'm pretty sure they were literally under the influence of psychedelics when they decided to call me like that”

“Call you what?”

“Angelina... Something Wind Pacifico”

“But if you're a W. it can't be-”

“The other half of the word starts with a W too”

“Whirlwind!” I say straight off and for an immediate word association the lyrics of Like a hurricane by Neil Young start running in my head and I can already picture her as the perfect main character of that masterpiece of a song.

“No, it's all together but actually it would be a separated word”

“Oh” are you sure? Because that name was pretty perfect.

“It's an adjective” she points out while, in my daydream, I leave the hazy bar and close the door behind my back.

“Windy Wind?”

“Hahaha fuck you, Eddie!”

“Ok, I'm serious now. Warm wind?” I think about the warmth of her hugs and her presence in general but she shakes her head no.

“My mother was... is a fan of Nina Simone. So?”

“Uhm...”

“Maybe I can help you a little more if I tell you Station to station by David Bowie”

I mentally run through the album's tracklist until I get to maybe one of Bowie's best vocal performances ever, right at the end of the record.

Wild is the wind

“Angelina Wildwind Pacifico”

“Guilty as charged”

“It's fucking cool!”

“Ok but... wild wind? Me? Can you picture me with a name like that?” she blushes and shakes her head and hides her face behind her hands.

“Actually it suits you perfectly”

“Sure, it suits to the most boring and average person on the planet”

“No, it suits to the strongest and most unpredictable and most breathtakingly beautiful person in the world. At least, in the part of world that I know, which by the way is the only part I care about because you're there” Angie removes her hands from her face and looks straight into my eyes without opening her mouth and for a minute there I get the illusion I managed to leave her speechless or, at least, in the condition of being forced to take a fucking compliment for once.

“Hahaha well, it really is a shitty world!” she cracks up all of a sudden and hugs me, so tight.

“How fuckin' stupid are you from 0 to 10?” I hold tighter.

“I don't know but I'd say we have a deal now, right?” she looks up and gets free from my embrace just to stretch her hand towards me and seal this agreement for good.

“Right, deal done” I shake her hand, then pull her back to me to kiss her and seal this pact my way.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Time to take a ride, time to take it in a midnight eye

And if you want to go, get on below

“Ok, where the hell are those two now? Dave and I have to unwrap our presents!” we all more or less managed to bunch up around a couple of tables at the Ok Hotel. I tap Krusen on the shoulder and he suddenly awakes. He zoned out completely when the Sonic Youth's song started. Or maybe when the whole evening started.

“I kind of saw them earlier at the bar” it's the drummer's wild guess and considering he basically spent the whole time at the bar, before and after the show, he could have seen Angie and Eddie any time. They could as well be in Mexico by now.

“They're not at the bar anymore, that's where we're coming from” McCready and Staley join us with two fresh beers in their hands, talking of people who should tone it down a little.

“Huh they must be tongue-kissing around here somewhere” Stone is sitting right in front of me, keeping one hand on Grace's shoulder and waving the other hand in the air while he speaks, as to brush it off like an unimportant thought.

“Who? Eddie and Smurfette?” Cornell Gazette from the other end of the table couldn't miss the breaking news and both Stone and Grace nod.

“They've been doing nothing else all night, they're on the edge of public indecency” Mike enriches the gossip story some more, followed by Ben and Kim, who put up a show and got us all bent in laughter.

“I've never seen anything like that”

“At some point we timed them”

“We were bored”

“Twelve minutes and a half of tongue”

“Contjnuous, uninterrupted tongue. I mean, with no breaks whatsoever”

“They looked like two fuckin' 14-year-olds”

“Well, Angie's still a teenager after all, it makes sense”

“Ok but what about Eddie? And how... just on a practical level, I mean, I don't get how they could fuckin' breathe through all that”

“They must have gills, fuck if I know”

“Hahahaha you're such assholes!” my girlfriend scolds us all but only slaps me on the nape.

“Well they're just making up for lost time and you're just jealous” Meg joins her in defending the two lovebirds.

“I get it but TWELVE MINUTES AND THIRTY SECONDS” Kim repeats punctuating every single word about the record timing.

“Jealous and peeping Toms!” Graces chimes in too.

“They were on top of the stairs, it was impossible not to see them” the guitarist shrugs and his bass player nods.

“From every view point and corner”

“Twelve minutes and a half on the stairs?” I playfully add fuel to the fire, the two musicians look at me and their arms flap out.

“Yes!”

“Then the record is that Angie didn't fall down the stairs on anybody, given her history” Chris snickers under his moustache.

“God you love that story so much!” Layne almost chokes on his beer then laughs at Cornell's face.

“Ok ok, anyway, you're shit guys, this all mess for some P.D.A.s? Just because they loosened up a bit, it doesn't mean they're living 24/7 connected at the mouth li- Oh wait, yeah, there they are, they're kissing next to the door” Meg abruptly interrupts her speech and it's kind of comic because we all turn around together at the exact same moment and among those in the back there's someone standing up, getting closer or stretching their neck to give a better look at the not-so-new couple. Even strangers passing by turn the same direction to see what the fuck we're looking at.

We don't know if it's been more than twelve minutes and a half since the beginning of their laters make out session, but those two break away from their kiss and Eddie looks right towards us. We turn the other way around and in a second we're back at talking, well, pretending to talk as if nothing happened, as if he hadn't caught us red handed. Out of the corner of my eye I see them coming over and I casually lift up my voice.

“Alright, I love Goo too, it's a hell of a record, it goes without saying. What I meant is that putting it on in a club and just playing it front to back for two or three times, letting it go, it just gives me a sense of... sloppiness? That's how you call it, right? I'm not saying you have to pay a dj or some fucking guy just to put records on and select music, but they could at least take some time to make a fuckin' mix tape or something and put that on, even on repeat, it doesn't seem so difficult to me. Oh hey guys, where have you been?” I address Stone and Dave first, who look at me weirdly, then to Andie and Eddie walking up to the table.

“Round here. Have you already opened your presents? There's mine left!” Angie rummages into her bag looking for something, then picks out a not so small package.

“Cool, a new brush set, thank you!” I cheer as I unwrap it.

“A little bird told me you needed new ones...” Angie looks up playing dumb, exactly like the bird I know very well who's standing beside her. These two fuckers belong together.

“Oh and this is mine” the little bird sticks his hands into his girl's bag and takes out another package, which turns out to be Subway art, a photobook about graffiti art I've been wanting to buy for ever.

I can say this was a lucky birthday for me, with strings, cords, tool kits, acryic paint set, a couple of gift cards for Easy Street Records, which I loved quite as much as the supermarket voucher Meg gave to me. All useful presents but I loved the (apparently) less useful ones too, like the Marshall jack rack key holder with four plug key chains: thanks to the Alice guys!

During the whole presents and wishes exchange, Eddie and Angie are sitting in a corner and basically being the special observed ones, since everybody watches them like you watch a documentary about animals during the mating season. The couple takes part to the conversation and just ignore the rest, yet they whisper something to each other from time to time.

“By the way, Angie's got something to tell you” Eddie comes out of nowhere with this, in a moment we were all silent, catching our breath after a joke by Stone, who suggested Touch me, I'm Dick as the title of the stand out song of our fake band in Cameron Crowe's movie. By the way, who knows if Chris has already wrote something for the songs of Cliff's solo demo? I gotta remember to ask him.

“What?” Meg asks first, since nobody's speaking, not even Angie, who first gave Eddie a nasty look, then turned pale as she looked at us one by one.

“Is it about the movie?” Layne asks.

“No, it's not about the movie”

“Are you quitting college?” Dave tries.

“No! Why should I?” Angie denies it firmly.

“Is it personal?” if I didn't know him, I'd say Stone is trying to put Angie at ease and help her spit it all out. But since I know him too well, I can say without a shadow of doubt he's just enjoying himself playing with the poor girl.

“Well, yeah, but... mmm... it's not just about me, you know”

“Who else then?” I inquire.

“Eddie” “Me” the two lovebirds reply at the same time.

“Oh fuck, are you pregnant?” McCready stands out as usual for his caution and sensitiveness.

“OH MY GOD, NO! WHAT THE HELL, MIKE?” Angie stands up in shock while Eddie simply laughs.

“So? What's the news?” Cornell is all ears and right now I'm picturing him armed with a pen and notepad as an old-time reporter.

“What Angie's trying to say is that-” Eddie wipes his eyes with he sleeve of his shirt and tries to give an answer but the girl is faster.

“We're together”

“...”

“Eddie and I, we're together”

“...”

“We've been for a while”

“Almost a month” he suggests to her in a low voice.

“Almost a month” she repeats and she looks into our eyes searching for something she can't find and apparently she's just concluded the best thing to do is to keep adding details or to repeat the same concept with different words until she'll find it. Or until any of us opens their mouth.

“...”

“Something more than three weeks”

“...”

“We're basically a couple”

“...”

“I mean, he's my boyfriend and I-”

“And she's my girlfriend” Eddie ended the sentence for her.

“Wow, what a coincidence!” Stone can't hold back and I hide my face between my hands not to show I'm laughing.

“What do you mean?”

“Ok. You're together... and?” Mike tries to investigate some more and if he asks her if she's pregnant once again I swear I'm gonna laugh so hard that I'll fall out of my fuckin' chair.

“And nothing, that's it” Angie replies and sits back down.

“And that'd be great news?” Kim asks keeping a straight face.

“Why? What's wrong with it? Is it because you think I'm too young for him? Look, I know, we know. We talked about it actually, I understand tha-” Angie's about to launch herself into a hornet's nest with no way out but her roommate stops her and we all finally crack up.

“Totally unmotivated Angie-drama in 3, 2, 1...”

We all, but Angie of course.

“Why are you laughing? Is ther something I don't know?”

“What you don't know is that now everybody knows that what you believed none of us knew was actually well known by everyone” Stone answers in his style and Mike's face tells me he didn't understand shit.

“Huh?” exactly.

“He means we're laughing because we already knew what the news were about” I explain and the lightbulb in his head lights up.

“Uh!”

“You saw us then, I mean, tonight? Because, well, you didn't say anything...”

“Who do you think we are? We're discreet people!” Cornell states and it almost looks like he believes it.

“We knew before tonight anyway” Ben adds without thinking.

“You knew before? How? MEG?? You told them, right??” Angie stands back up and roars against her friend.

“How could she tell if she didn't know?” Eddie asks puzzled his now official girlfriend.

“No! Right! She didn't know! But... I don't know, maybe she figured it out. DID YOU FIGURE IT OUT?”

“I figured it out” Meg confesses.

“THAT'S IT!”

“But I didn't tell anyone, I swear” she holds up her hands, Angie believes her and looks at us one by one, before aiming straight at her boyfriend.

“YOU TOLD THEM!”

“No, I can assure you I kept my mouth shut, as you asked me”

“How did you know then?”

“Stone told me” McCready's voice of innocence out of nowhere.

“Stone told me too, because I was there as well that night. And Dave too” I confess and the drummer nods.

“Stone told us too, but it was some other time, at least I think so” Chris looks at Kim and Ben who shake their heads yes.

“For obvious reasons, he told me too” Grace raises her hand and shyly admits.

“Jeff told me because Stone told him” Laura chimes in.

“Is there someone Stone didn't tell anything to?” Angie blurts out.

“Me! I figured it all out by myself! I'm a genius!” Layne raises his hand and waves it around, as happy as the winner of a tv quiz.

“And you, how did you know, genius?” Angie turns to Gossard snarling at him but he answers calmly.

“I believe I knew even before you that you'd end up together, Smurfette”

“What do you mean?”

“That you both suck at playing the oblivious lovers. You're made for each other” I translate it all in Jeff-language and everybody nods in agreement, Eddie included.

“Were we so obvious?”

“Noooo”

“Not that much”

“It's not that”

“It's just Stone's a very good observer”

“It's just Stone doesn't mind his own fuckin' business”

These are just some of the answers we give in no particular order just not to make her feel little Angie like shit.

“Come on, it was clear from the beginning they had a connection. Since the first time they met at the Off Ramp, I realized it at my own expense since I had bet on it, do you remember Mikey?” I like the fact that Stone, just like me, remembers old memories based on bets we placed.

“Right! I lost ten bucks too because I thought you wouldn't talk to each other, yet you got along immediately, it looked like you already knew each other”

“I'm gonna ignore the umpteenth bet you made over your friend's head but... actually we already knew each other somehow” Angie reveals and the alarm goes off in my head.

“WHAT? REALLY? HOW?”

“Jeff?” Stone calls me immediately as I keep on trying to disguise the truth clumsily.

“HOW DID YOU KNOW EACH OTHER? THAT'S SOME NEWS!”

“I had met him at Roxy's the previous night, he came over to eat”

“NEWS AS IN IT'S A NEW THING, A NEW FACT I'VE NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE”

“So you didn't know about it Jeff?” Stone doesn't let go and by now it's obvious I got caught, I'm fucked.

My shit show at least has one merit: the following little bickering between Stone, Mike and I about the twenty dollars, which they think I owe them back, moves the attention away from Angie. Now she's finally free from the awkwardness and can sit back and enjoy the show of our friends kicking my ass, holding hands with her new boyfriend.

#fanfiction #grunge fanfiction #grungefic #grunge #eddie vedder fanfiction #pearl jam fanfiction #eddie edder #jerry cantrell #jeff ament #stone gossard #dave krusen #mike mccready #layne staley #chris cornell #ben shepherd #kim thayil #soundgarden #alice in chains #chapters

[crownjimin]

✰ 099 | no takesies backsies

la vie en rose ━ in which lee aera, a girl who has been crushing on choi soobin for a long, long time, is starting her junior year and her friends decide that its time for her to make her move.

( masterlist | prev | next )

A/N: whoop! one more update + the epilogue and we’re donezo!!

“I can’t believe it’s really red—,” He flipped and shuffled his hands through her hair as he said this.

“So bright, so pretty,” Soobin muttered to himself, going as far as to bend down and push his nose into her scalp, taking a long, dramatic sniff. “Oh, it doesn’t smell like strawberries.”

Aera laughed at this, shoving her not-boyfriend away from her softly. “Of course not. That’s like me saying your hair should smell like chocolates.”

Soobin had recently dyed his hair back to brown--well, dark brown, and as much as it made Aera sad to see the purple gone from his hair, it was well past due. His roots had grown out terribly, meaning that he was either going to have to redo his roots or retreat back to his natural brown. Also, the purple was less purple and more of a faded ash gray, from all the washing Soobin did to his hair.

For a while, he was set on just letting his hair grow out, then cutting it at the brown once the ash gray was to the tips of his hair but Aera told him he would look crazy. They debated about it for a few days, but one day Aera showed up at his house with a kit with brown hair dye and a few hours later his chocolate brown locks were back. 

“Well, if you used strawberry shampoo it would smell like strawberries.”

“I will when you use chocolate shampoo.”

Soobin pouted. “I bet Ariel’s hair smells like strawberries.”

“Go sniff her head then,” the red-head quipped. “And I actually highly doubt that is true. She lives in the ocean, you know. The place where fish pee--that ocean.”

“Is there another ocean that I should be thinking of?”

“Yeah,” There was a teasing lilt in Aera’s voice. “The one I’m going to toss you in if you keep sassing me.”

The two were currently sitting in Soobin’s living room on Saturday morning, Soobin having asked Aera on Friday night if she wanted to spend the next day with him. Of course, without hesitation, Aera agreed, telling him that she would be there by ten, and now they were there.

Soobin had suggested watching YouTube in his living room until his mom got home from the gym, and Aera found no issue with the idea. During the past hour and a half, they had watched way too many Girls’ Generation music videos, and even attempted to learn the choreography to Catch Me If You Can. After forty minutes of them attempting to get past the first verse, they called it quits. Soobin claimed that he was too talented in girl group choreography to continue and further embarrass Aera with her lackluster movements.

But if you asked Aera, Soobin just didn’t want to have a dance battle, because he knew he was going to lose.

At noon, Ruha walked through the front door, her arms loaded with three market bags, filled to the brim with groceries.

“Soobin-ah,” Ruha yelled, a little too loud since she hadn’t realized he was right there in the living room. “Come help me with my bags!”

Both Soobin and Aera rushed to help Ruha, the older woman being slightly startled by Aera being there but she quickly perked up and said, “Oh good, Ae Ae is here. More hands to help!”

Everything felt so natural with Soobin and his family. Aera had spent a lot of time at his house since the picnic, and his parents seemed to love her. Soobin’s dad was obsessed when he saw how small Aera was, often leaning his elbow on her head whenever he stood beside her as a way to ridicule and tease her about her height. Then when she turned up with red hair, he almost had a better reaction than Soobin, dubbing her Strawberry Shortcake and hasn’t stopped calling her that since.

Aera had also gotten Soobin’s parents’ phone numbers, Ruha often texting Aera at random times throughout the day whenever Soobin talked about her.

ruha-ssi

he said you brought him lunch to school today. says that he loves how much you care about him

i’m sure he cares about me way more than i do him

ruha-ssi 

does he show it well?

that he cares for you.

wouldnt ask for him to treat me any better than he already

does ruha-ssi.

Or the time Ruha told her that Soobin was sleep talking and had muttered her name.

ruha-ssi

he’s napping.

[picture attached]

ruha-ssi

he just grumbled your name and had the biggest smile

aw that’s so cute

ruha-ssi

i know :)))

Soobin was aware that Aera had his mother’s number, but he didn’t know that his mother was revealing just how lovestruck he was. Aera didn’t plan on mentioning it to him either, thinking that Ruha is godsent for giving her so much dirt and content to tease Soobin with whenever he decided to get too sassy with her.

Plus, Soobin has had Dongmin’s phone number much longer than Aera has had Ruha’s, and she is one-thousand percent positive that her mother lived to embarrass her, so Soobin for sure had some dirt on her.

 It’s a win-win situation, all is fair in love and war.

“So, Soobin-ah,” Ruha spoke as she walked into the kitchen. “What time do you want to head out?”

Aera was busy placing things where they belonged from the market bags (yes, she knows where their groceries belonged—she’s been over there that much), but she raised an eyebrow at Ruha’s question.

“Head out where?” she asked.

“Soobin wanted to take you to an early dinner today,” Ruha paused, with a nervous expression on her face. “I-I don’t know if it was supposed to be a surprise or not-”

“No, mom, it’s fine,” Soobin waved it off. “It wasn’t really a surprise, I was gonna mention it to you later, Pouts.”

Aera walked out of the pantry, an excited glint in her eyes. “Will there be steak at this dinner?”

“Do you want there to be steak?”

“Yes.”

“Then there will be steak.”

━━━━━━━

The restaurant Soobin had chosen was very dark, Aera noted. The only light that was supplied was from a single candle lit in the center of the table, which left everything as shadows and tinted orange.

It seemed super expensive, and once Aera picked up the menu, her suspicions were confirmed.

“Soobi,” her voice seemed hesitant. “How are you affording any of this?”

She should’ve realized that the meal was going to be an expensive one when Ruha had offered Aera one of her old dresses, seeing as Aera had came over to their house in a pair of ripped jeans and a tattered t-shirt. The dress Ruha lent her was a dark blue, high-necked dress, where the waist tapered in and then flowed out to mid-thigh. Luckily, Aera had worn black flats that day, those being the shoes closest to her front door when she left for Soobin’s house.

Soobin was dressed in a simple button up and black slacks. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and the top button of his shirt was undone—if Aera hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought Soobin was a young adult that worked a nine-to-five office job and not a sixteen year old boy taking his not-girlfriend out for an early dinner.

Everything was fancy, and the two of them were tucked into a corner booth where once they sat down the hostess had wished ‘Mister and Missus Choi’ a nice evening. 

“Months of allowance that I’ve saved up,” Soobin lifted his gaze from the menu and once he saw how worried Aera was, he rushed to reassure her. “Plus, I work a summer job! Don’t worry, Pouts, I promise it’s not too much.”

“You don’t have to spend your allowance on me, Soobi,” she spoke softly. “You should spend it on something you really want-something to make you happy.”

“Seeing you happy makes me happy.”

Aera blushed. “Don’t try to flatter me into running your pockets dry.”

“Ae Ae, seriously,” Soobin put down his menu and reached his hands across the table to touch her hands, which laid on the table. He tugged her index fingers once, attempting to soothe her and get her to not worry. “It’s fine. If it makes you feel better we can just split something, so that way I won’t have to spend much.”

The crease in her eyebrows gradually faded and she nodded in agreement. “Are you okay with splitting a steak?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he nodded. “Just order whatever, I’ll eat anything.”

Aera looked over the menu, her eyes skipping over the more expensive items but honestly the cheapest things were the hor d'oeuvres and even those weren’t cheaper than 74,000 won. 

“How about I choose one, you choose one, then we pick something together?” she suggested. “That way we can both enjoy something.”

By the time the waiter came to the table, they had decided on their personal picks and their combined choice, and once the food came to the table, Aera knew it was more than enough. The steak she had chosen ended up being as big as her face and had the both of them gasping in surprise once it was set on the table. Soobin decided on a rose pasta, in a dish large enough that it could feed a family of five. And their combined choice was a large platter of American-style french fries, but the way the menu phrased it made it seem like they were ordering a fancy potato.

Soobin offered to have the kitchen take it back, but Aera refused to give back french fries--she’d be crazy to ever turn down french fries (plus it came with a gravy boat filled with a white sauce that Aera could literally guzzle down in one go, so she was more than happy to keep it).

The moment the waiter told them to enjoy, Aera was shoving her fork into the steak, which was thankfully pre-cut, and the second she bit into it, juice ran down her chin and she had to squeeze every muscle in her throat to not let out a moan.

Soobin noticed her expression, the way her eyes fell close and she paused mid-bite. “Is it good, Pouts?”

“Tho goof,” she attempted to speak around her bite but she just gave up and nodded enthusiastically. 

“It’s so juicy,” she said once she swallowed. 

When they were ordering, she wanted to get the steak cooked well-done, but Soobin had told her to get it medium preaching something about it being more tender and juicer as if he knew everything and anything about steak. Aera argued and said she didn’t want to cut into her steak and hear it mooing back at her, and Soobin chuckled but promised if it was too raw for her when it came out, they could just send it back and she obliged.

She most definitely was not sending back this beautiful piece of heaven, and shoved another piece into her mouth. The scene from Ratatouille when the rat fused together strawberry and cheese and had color swirling around his head played inside Aera’s head the second she took another bite of the steak. Her eyes were closed, her head lolled from side to side as she swayed euphorically to the warmth of the steak and the flavor on her tongue.

Once she noticed what she was doing, she sat up stark straight and opened her eyes, watching as Soobin recorded her and laughed silently at her actions.

“You seemed to be enjoying yourself alot there,” Soobin ended the recording and set his phone on the table.

“Delete that.”

“I won’t. Here,” Soobin held out his fork where some of his pasta was twirled on the end. “Try it.”

Aera opened her mouth, letting him guide the fork inside and once she closed her mouth around the fork, the Ratatouille scene played again. She pulled away from the fork, her hand shooting over her mouth as she chewed and her eyes shot wide.

“Good?” Soobin asked, stabbing his fork in a piece of steak and eating it, much less dramatically than Aera had. 

“Is amayshin,” Aera muttered. “Why ish ev-wee-shing hwere sho amayshin?”

Soobin swallowed and laughed. “It better be with these ridiculous prices.”

“Oh, yeah,” she nodded and swallowed her bite. “It’s so worth it.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“I’m glad I like you,” Aera giggled, shoving some fries into her mouth. “You buy me expensive steak.”

“Only because of the steak?”

She nonchalantly shrugged. “Pretty much.”

Soobin faked a scoff, halfway knowing she was joking, but once he watched her pick up another piece of steak, and then kiss it before she ate it, he wasn’t so sure if she was joking anymore.

━━━━━━━━━

Thirty-five minutes and an entire steak later, Aera and Soobin were slouched over, bellies full, with their plates cleared.

“I am going to sleep so well tonight,” Aera grumbled as she rubbed her stomach. “This was so amazing.”

The waiter came to give the receipt and return Soobin’s card, wishing ‘Mister and Missus Choi’ a good night, and left them to their vices. Aera chuckled at being called Missus Choi, because did she look old enough to be married?

Did married people dye their hair red? She didn’t know but did she look married? Did her and Soobin resemble a married couple? Oh god, that just fueled her fantasy of marrying Soobin and she knew that she would never let this go.

“Alright,” Soobin groaned, shoving the receipt and card into his pocket as he stood and rounded the table, reaching his hand out to help Aera up from her chair. “You okay?”

Aera blew out a breath. “I’m stuffed.”

They both stood in place, Aera swaying a bit from standing up too quickly and Soobin attempted to stabilize her by setting a hand on her waist. “Careful.”

“I’m fine,” she tapped his hand on her waist. “I’m okay, just stood up a little too fast. Let’s go.”

They walked out of the restaurant hand-in-hand, Soobin somewhat leading Aera as she momentarily closed her eyes as a way to wheeze out air around her full belly. This was the best meal she has had in entire life, one that she never imagined having unless she was filthy rich and drank gold for breakfast, lunch, and dinner but here Soobin was taking her on a date just because he wanted to see her happy.

When they made it outside, Aera tugged his hand, causing him to stop and turn to her. She eased her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder as she softly hugged him. He returned the gesture immediately, cuddling his head on top of hers and they just existed in the moment, in each other’s arms.

“Thank you for this, Soobin,” Aera squeezed him tightly, nuzzling her head further into his shoulder. “You made me really happy by doing this—you make me happy always.”

“I’m happy to make you happy,” Soobin chuckled, pulling away from the hug. “But the night isn’t over, we have one more stop!”

“Is  it far?”

Soobin nodded. “My mom is going to take us there. She’s on her way here now.”

“Where is it?”

“The beach.”

“The beach?”

Soobin nodded again. “The beach.”

“The beach,” Aera said flatly. “I like the beach.”

“That’s why we’re going.”

“Hm,” Aera sighed happily. “The beach.”

━━━━━━━━━━

Upon their arrival, Aera realized that when Soobin said the beach, he actually meant the boat dock by the beach. Well more like the yacht dock by the beach, because as they made their way to the end of the dock, they passed massive yachts, the type that only rich people could afford. Ones with balconies and two-stories that have some corny name etched onto the side that were either named after an important woman in their life or something like Old Betsy.

“What are we doing on a dock,” Aera giggled, swinging her and Soobin’s hands where they were connected. “I’m almost positive we aren’t supposed to be here.”

Soobin laughed as they came to stop in front of one of the smaller yachts, which wasn’t exactly small (but in comparison to the other yachts it was more compact), where a man was waiting for them.

“Choi Soobin?”

“Yes sir,” Soobin nodded, then gestured behind him. “And this is my mother, Ruha.”

The man extended his hand to Ruha, giving it a firm shake. “Yes, we spoke on the phone. Everything is set, if you guys want to climb on in, we’ll head out in about ten minutes.”

“Thank you,” Ruha said as the man helped her onto the yacht by her hand. 

The man then lent his hand to Aera, but instead of grabbing it, she took a step back, a conflicted look on her face.

“Wait,” Soobin placed his free hand on Aera’s wasit, causing her to look up at him. “You aren’t afraid of water, right? Boats or anything? Because I was just trying to surprise you, that’s why I didn’t as-”

“No, no,” Aera shook her head. “That’s not it, but Soobin how much was this?”

Soobin raised an eyebrow at the question, confused as to why she was asking this. “What?”

“It’s just—” she sighed. “You’re spending a lot of money today, and I don’t want you to think you have to blow a bunch of money just to make me happy. You could’ve just given me a bottle of water and I’d be happy that it came from you, so I don’t get why you are taking me to all these expensive places and things.”

“I just want to spoil you,” he softly replied. “Even if it’s just for a day. I want you to have some of the best experiences with me, so I don’t mind spending a lot of money on you.”

“But, Soob-”

“And plus,” Soobin smiled wide. “My friends chipped in to help, they wanted to make us both happy so they offered to help. You don’t have to pay them back, I don’t have to pay them back, they were just doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. Me as well.”

Aera stood there frozen.

“I just want you to be happy.”

“But I’m already happy with you.”

Soobin leaned down to rest his forehead on Aera’s. “Yes, but you’d be even more happy on the boat, so let’s go!”

Aera laughed as she reached out for the man’s hand, him having stood there and watched that whole sappy ordeal, and he pulled her into the boat. Soobin followed and guided Aera to the very front of the yacht, where Ruha sat with a blanket over her legs.

“Choi Soobin, this will be the last time you spend a shit ton of money on me, do you understand?” Aera scolded, her finger pointed at Soobin but a smile was on her face.

“Yes, ma’am, never again,” Soobin spoke jokingly, totally not meaning a word of what he just said. 

“You’re not going to listen to me are you?”

“Nope.”

The yacht got moving a few moments later, things feeling a bit shaky for a few minutes, but Aera acclimated to it quite fast. She and Soobin had taken to roleplaying the scene from Titanic that nearly everyone does when they are at the frontmost point on a boat.

Soobin held her waist as Aera held her arms out to her side, feeling the wind whip on her face and the smell of salt infiltrate her nose.

“The ocean is kind of stinky,” her nose scrunched up as she said this. “Smells like raw fish and high cholesterol.”

Soobin cackled, tightly wrapping his arms around Aera’s waist as he pulled her into his chest, her back to her front. “You ruined such a good moment.”

She giggled, placing her hands over his arms and squeezed. “I was just telling the truth.”

“Kids!” Ruha called out. “Come sit down for a few minutes, you’re making me nervous by the ledge.”

They obliged, walking to sit across from Ruha and they talked amongst themselves for a few minutes, playing a few rounds of rock paper scissors to pass the time.

“So are we just going to cruise around the ocean for a few hours or what?” Aera asked, peering over the side of the boat to look down into the water. “Because no offense to the ocean or anything, but this is a bit boring.”

Soobin pulled out his phone, checking the time before he answered, “Actually, no. Just seven minutes until what we came here for happens.”

Aera looked intrigued now, “Oh, is it fireworks? Are we looking at fireworks?”

“I don’t think lighting explosives on a yacht would be smart.”

“A yacht,” Aera chuckled. “Never thought I’d see one of these in my entire lifetime.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything.”

“I’m glad my first time was with you,” she softly spoke, her voice almost a whisper.

“Me too,” Soobin smiled. “We’ll have many firsts together, hopefully.”

“Hopefully.”

At the moment, they were sitting side-by-side with their waist turned to face one another, but Soobin pointed behind Aera as he muttered, “Look.”

Aera turned her body around, to face the ocean, a gasp leaving her mouth as she absorbed the breathtaking scene in front of her. She watched as the sun burned a hypnotizing orange and pink hue, reflecting on the ocean’s surface. Slowly, the orb lowered to meet the horizon line, kissing it softly as the glares glittered across the rippling water.

She had seen nothing like this, ever. Mother nature and the Earth’s natural occurrences never appealed to Aera, they were never something she found interesting or attention-catching, but this—this was so worth it.

Her awestruck trance was broken when Soobin rested his chin on her shoulder, whispering, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It’s-I-” Aera searched for the right words but there were none that could accurately describe exactly what she was witnessing. It made her speechless, her jaw going slack as she once again watched the sun move lower and lower.

They sat in silence, taking in the scenic view before them. Ruha sat opposite of them, snapping pictures of the sunset as she oh’ed and aw’ed at the scene.

“Pouts,” Soobin muttered into her ear, keeping his voice low so as to not ruin the moment. “I, uh-”

“Hm, Soobi?”

“Please, be my girlfriend.”

All of Aera’s breath left her body, all of her blood seemed to run cold. Was she hallucinating? Was she hearing things?

“Huh-” Oh god, she sounded so stupid. Who responds to the boy of their dreams asking them to be their girlfriend with ‘huh’.

“I-” Soobin sat up straighter, Aera being able to feel so behind her. “I really like you-no, love you, and I want to be with you. Officially. For a very long time.”

Aera eased her way around, turning to face Soobin who looked like he was going to pass out any second if she didn’t give him an answer within the next millisecond. So she carefully raised her hands to his cheeks, cupping his face softly.

“I’d love to be your girlfriend, Choi Soobin,” she breathed. “I’d kind of be an asshole if I said no after all of this, am I right?”

Soobin held onto her wrists. “I hope that isn’t the sole reason you are saying yes.”

“Lucky for you, it is not. It’s probably one of the lower list reasons.”

“There’s a list?”

She giggled. “There has always been a list.”

The sound of her giggle seemed to have him smitten, his eyes zoning in on her lips which caused her heart to skip a beat. She wasn’t dumb, she knew what he was thinking of, what his eyes were asking for, and for some reason, she had no qualms about complying.

Her first kiss was always something Aera fretted about, thinking about how awful it was going to be, how she was going to mess everything up. But for some reason, right here, right now, with Soobin, she knew for a fact it was going to be amazing. This is maybe the first and only decision Aera didn’t hesitate to make, and so she leaned in.

The touch of their lips was soft. Simple. A measly, quick peck.

When they pulled back, both of their cheeks were colored rose, a look of fondness between the two of them and Aera leaned in to kiss the the corner of Soobin’s mouth before pulling away and dropping her hands from his face.

“No takesies backsies, Choi Soobin.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Lee Aera.”

#choi beomgyu #choi soobin #choi yeonjun #hueningkai #kang taehyun #kpop #choi soobin x female oc #social media au #txt #txt social media au

[af-answers]

This question goes to anyone who wants to answer!: If you wanted to dye your hair, what color would it be?

Juliet: Oooo, that’s a fun question. I know my obvious answer would be jade, but I actually like the idea of an undercolor of bright purple, and silver also looks fierce.

Holly: Silver would be nice. And it would match my dark skin tone.

Butler: I think I’m naturally silver now. I haven’t checked in a while.

No.1: I don’t... have hair...

Butler: It’s OK, buddy. I don’t either.

Foaly: I sported blue streaks in university, but I think I could only tastefully get by with highlights at my age. Though a nice bleach fade in the tail would be stylish.

Mulch: Maybe it’s my dwarf camouflage instincts kicking in, but I can’t imagine my hair any other color than its natural brown.

Minerva: Pastel colors are in vogue at the moment. Perhaps a light lavender?

Artemis: I agree with Mulch on this one, though for different reasons. I can’t envision myself with another hair color, even if partially or temporarily.

#artemis fowl #juliet butler #domovoi butler #butler #holly short #foaly #mulch diggums #no.1 #minerva paradizo

[artickoushi]

Hey is it possible to do a matchup? No rush on getting it done or anything j just wanna give it a shot :)

okay so I literally wrote all this down so I’m not rambling—

My name is Spencer (or I go by Spence, I like nicknames lol they’re cool) & I use he/him pronouns. I’m like 90% I’m into dudes & not girls so preferably a guy for this if you can please

Personality description ig: I’m a living contradiction and that is n o t an understatement. I care a lot about people but rarely do I ever take care of myself (ever), or there’s times when I’m super super quiet and refuse to speak and there’s times you can’t get me to shut up. Also raging superiority but also inferiority complexes. Idk it just works that way. Former gifted kid and live is ✨hell✨ but we’re making it work Y’know

Zodiac: Leo babyyyy

MBTI: INTP (Logician) (basically a smart emotionless bastard lol it’s the life)

Favorite anime is either Disastrous Life of Saiki K, Ouran HS Host Club or Haikyuu

My friends said I remind them of the colors maroon yellow purple & silver

My personal favorite color is probably red/maroon or black idk I wear it a lot

I do this weird thing where I stare into peoples eyes so I can look at their eyes?? Like people’s eyes are so pretty

I would give anything to look like Bokuto Kotaro that’s gender envy right there

Hobbies? I write a lot a lot a lot of fanfic and I’m currently in a compliment war w one of my friends bc were writing comfort fics for each other and I’m losing and it’s not good. Anyway I also do music stuff and can play eight instruments (I just haven’t picked up a few of them in a while—guitar & piano are my main. Sometimes a little bass & ukulele) also I sing

Talents: if like to say my writing? Idk. Music I hope too. I got a couple of subs on YT so apparently I don’t sound like a dying cat 😂

Quick physical desc: 5’10” (or ~177cm depending on if you’re American or not lol), I’m constantly dying my hair different colors but rn it’s naturally dark brown, brown eyes, pale AF because I need to go outside for once in my life

Do I have a type? Idk my mom picks on me for having a thing for blonds but that’s just a preference. I either like the emotionally unavailable ones with daddy issues or the wholesome babies who would just want to cuddle. Depends on my mood.

I hope all this works! Again no rush! Thank you so much!

hey spencer! i match you with ...

Nishinoya Yuu!

alright so i think we all know that he isn’t the brightest when it comes to school so maybe you could help him with that? like honestly just bribe him with cuddles or candy he’s a legitimate man child

omgomgomgomgomg ok so hear me out- hair dying dates ajshosjs

he would love to sit with you and help you dye your hair

he would be totally supportive of any color you choose and might even go as far as to either match you/choose a color to compliment your color

him literally just listening to you either play an instrument or sing (he’d honestly try to learn in secret so he could do your backup stuff for music. like he’s not an amazing singer but he trys)

this boy is 100% on the more cuddly attached boyfriend scale rather than the emotionally unavailable ones with daddy issues

i believe the two of you could just sit on the couch for maybe an hour or two just looking into each other’s eyes (cause both of you got gorgeous eyes)

and if you don’t take care of yourself, prepare to get aggressively yet lovingly taken care of. ok? he will feed you, cook for you, clean, do laundry- literally everything so you could get some rest or take the time to emotionally heal yourself.

he will take care of you. he might not be amazing in the kitchen but he will make you toast and toaster waffles (or he’ll run out to get you something from a store)

nishinoya would 100% read all of your writings if youd let him but like if you don’t want him to thats fine he’s cool with it but he’s still gonna hype you up to his friends like even if he don’t actually know what your stories are about

not to mention he’s an aries and aries are compatible with leos-

so you mentioned having days where your either quiet or loud and i think that he would easily adapt to whatever your feeling!

if your having a day where you feel more quiet, he could easily keep a conversation going with him doing most of the talking

or if you having a day where you feel more talkative, he would happily just sit still and listen to you ramble on throughout the day adding a comment or two whenever he finds it necessary

#artickoushi #haikyuu #haikyuu x m!reader #matchups #nishinoya yuu #nishinoya #yuu

[katastrophekidarchive]

kj space pirate au appearance/fashion hcs!!

Jacket hcs for the Four are here! Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of the backs, but the embellishments would be the same as canon pretty much I guess.

Jet • Him tall. Big. • Probably the most traditionally piratical-looking of the Four • Cutlass to go along with his raygun • Blue & purple hair! I don’t think they bleach it, just dye it over their natural brown so it’s definitely visible but not like, neon. (Haven’t decided for sure yet if it’s going to be mixed in all galaxy-like or like, half and half. thank u to everyone who chimed in on the poll lol i hadn’t thought to do both until that)  • Haven’t decided if they have their eyepatch yet or not in this first fic either :/ :/ They’ll have one eventually tho!! Either way he looks bad@$$ • Stompy pirate boots, the kind with the big cuff folding down over the top. u know. • I’m feeling dark purple trousers?? They could either be loose for more of the pirate look or more like skinny jeans for more of the scifi look, idc • Earrings! Small hoops, I think, for everyday, but they probably switch them out when they want to be fancy

Ghoul • His signature green shade is super neon and loud • Truly awful hair, just chunks sticking up everywhere bc he just hacks bits off when it starts getting too long. Styles it in a messy mohawk sometimes • is That One Character who has miscellaneous weaponry stashed Everywhere. In shoes, stuffed in the endless cargo pockets of his vest jacket, in secret pockets, in pant legs, sleeves…. • Has a pair of machetes he keeps at his waist that are his favorite weapons when he has to go acoustic. He’s totally ambidextrous, but he only has the one raygun so sadly unless he can borrow another off of someone else in his crew he can’t go into laser claps two-handed • Does already have his mouth scar, and the opposite eye has an x scar cut over it too. (Eye’s fine tho, unlike Jet’s rip) • Almost laughably short but makes up for it with crackling energy and a vicious good humor, almost spiteful in its intensity. Always grinning that grin of his and making offensive jokes in the worst of deadly-serious situations.

Kobra • Would cut quite a dashing figure, if he weren’t such an awkward dork and constantly tripping over his own boots or falling off the rigging • (That said, he’s a d*mn good fencer, it’s like a whole different part of his brain clicks on.  A fencing rapier is his favorite acoustic. He’s a terrible shot with a raygun tho) • Perhaps a delicate snake tattoo winding up his neck? (Again, it’d make him look totally bad@$$ if he wasn’t so babey) • Long, slim, swishy red leather coat (picture linked earlier), just perfect for swashbuckling. • Still has his fingerless leather gloves. Great for racing and for Not Having To Touch Things • Maybe little stud earrings, just for a bit of shine without the danger of them catching on stuff

Poison • I feel like he has two full tattoo sleeves that he’s very proud of/vain about even though he wears his long-sleeved coat most of the time?? • His red hair shade is vivid, but not orangey. musicvideo!Poison’s hair is too bright and orange, but pirate!Poison’s isn’t rusty or dark exactly, either. idk • Has that swashbuckley/gunslinger thigh-holster crap going on for his raygun. Lots of extra straps and doohickeys because he thinks it’s cool (it is). • I’m playing around with the idea of him not having a sword, exactly, because he more prefers hand-to-hand over at-arms-length skirmishing when going acoustic. Maybe he has a switchblade he likes to whip out in close quarters

Bonus: Cherri • Blue hair streak! Of course!! Maybe even slightly longer hair than comics!Cherri • Classic white blouse, poet/pirate style, u know how it be • Coat something like this with that cape-thingy bit on top, a whatsitcalled. Majority of the time he can’t be assed to actually put his arms through the sleeves • Katana he borrows from Doc. Ooh maybe he could have a back sheath for it that would be cool. (Doesn’t carry his gun anymore, for reasons. Doc keeps his old one for him) • my freehaw-obsessed brain wants to give him a battered old stetson, but that’s sadly probably not true to the ‘verse • Maybe just a forehead scarf/bandana sometimes, yknow? • Adorkable round glasses for when he’s reading

And alas, the Fab Four have only one (1) classic pirate tri-corner hat between them. They each think they look coolest in it and fight over it and steal it from each other constantly

#killjoys #danger days #jet star #fun ghoul #kobra kid #party poison #cherri cola #kj space pirate au #i'd put show pony too but #show pony dresses the same in every universe: terribly #you love to see it

[brutal-nemesis]

For the ask game, can I get Erebus to answer all (or most if that’s easier) of them about himself, just because I know it would torture him. As for Neteri, can we get eyes, smile, hair, and first noticeable thing?

Strap in folks, it's gonna get very ˢᵉˡᶠ ˡᵒᵃᵗʰⁱⁿᵍ up in here

Erebus:

👁 What is your OC’s eye color? Do they have any eye-related habits, like winking or rubbing their eyes? Do other people tend to notice their eyes?

"My...my eyes are just white and that's it. No pupils or anything, just...freaky. I don't think I do either of those things that much...and I'm sure other people would notice these eyes, I mean...they used to notice my eyes before, you know? They used to be blue like the sea, like Mother's...and I loved them." He sighs. "I hope I really do get them back someday."

✋ Are your OC’s hands smooth, rough, or average? Why? How do they keep their nails? Do they bite them, paint them, neatly trim them, et cetera?

"My hands are pretty average, I think. They're not as soft as they used to be since I don't have lotion or anything anymore. As for my nails..." he winces, "Neteri notices when they're getting long and she trims them for me. I hate the feeling of her handling me like that."

🦵 Are your OC’s arms and legs strong, weak, or average? Why? Do they have any common mannerisms that involve their limbs, such as tapping their foot or fiddling with their fingers?

"They're...they're pretty weak, they really always have been, even when I was training in sword fighting regularly. I guess I'm just not good at developing muscle. As for mannerisms...I used to play with my hair a lot, but now that it's...it's gone...I tend to fiddle with my collar."

👄 What is your OC’s smile like? Is it bright and wide, or thin and reserved? Does your OC wear any lipgloss or lipstick? Do they chew their lips?

"I don't really smile much anymore, and when I do I've gotten in the habit of covering it with my hand so you can't see my teeth. Not that anyone besides Neteri will see it, but just the thought of my smile having fangs..." He shakes his head. "I never really wore anything on my lips, and I don't bite them, of course. Well, I guess I do bite them on accident from time to time with my fangs. But never intentionally."

👤 What is your OC’s skin like? Is it unblemished, or are they prone to breakouts? Do they have any scars, tattoos, or other skin markings? Does their skin tend to be sensitive to things that get on it (lotions, cleaning products, etc.)?

"It's pretty clear and isn't really sensitive, thankfully. And I...I have a lot of scars now. It used to just be this one on my knuckle here, from-" he stops, pointing at completely unmarked skin on his right hand. "Right...this isn't my arm. Well...yeah, I have the scar from that surgery...all the whipping scars...the...the brand..."

💇 What is your OC’s hairstyle? How do they maintain their hair? Do they wash it and/or cut it regularly? Have they ever dyed their hair?

"Short." He pauses. "Very short. I don't know what else you want me to say." He tugs at the hair on the top of his head longingly, where it's not quite as short. "I used to take really good care of it, but now I just get really basic stuff for it, and it's not like it really matters anyway... Neteri's probably going to keep cutting it short until the experiment is over." He sighs. "Hopefully I can grow it out again afterwards. And I would never dye it, that would just look...wrong."

🦷 Does your OC brush their teeth regularly? Do they tend to eat foods that get stuck in your teeth?

"Of course I do, I'm not an animal. And I don't really get to have sweets anymore, so...not really."

👖 What type of clothing does your OC generally wear? Why? Do they have any “signature” accessories?

"I'm just given these sets of short-sleeved white shirts and black pants, and nothing else. I wish they covered more, but at least they're comfortable enough. My 'signature' accessory used to be Mother's ribbon, and I still have it, but..." he trails off, fiddling with it where it's tied around his left wrist, "I take it off for experiments so it doesn't get dirty, and no matter what...I'm always wearing this stupid collar."

👀 What is the first physical feature people notice when they see your OC? Why?

"Probably my eyes now, I mean, they're so horrifying..."

🪞 How does your OC perceive themself? Do they believe themself to be attractive, unattractive, or average? Does their view of themself affect their self-esteem, or are they unbothered by their physical appearance? (If your OC does have things they’re confident or insecure about, what are they?)

"I'm...I'm disgusting now, alright?! And I can't help but be bothered by it, my image, how I looked to my people...it was always really important to me. And I used to have so many things I liked about myself, about how I looked but now-" he chokes back a sob, "now they're all gone."

Neteri:

👁 What is your OC’s eye color? Do they have any eye-related habits, like winking or rubbing their eyes? Do other people tend to notice their eyes?

Her eyes are dark brown! She winks to be funny sometimes, and she might push up her glasses when she's thinking. I wouldn't say her eyes are anything noticeable, though.

👄 What is your OC’s smile like? Is it bright and wide, or thin and reserved? Does your OC wear any lipgloss or lipstick? Do they chew their lips?

She has a big, bright smile, and she's kind of always got a lil smile by default. She doesn't wear anything on her lips except on occasion, and she chews on them when she's nervous.

💇 What is your OC’s hairstyle? How do they maintain their hair? Do they wash it and/or cut it regularly? Have they ever dyed their hair?

Vaguely short? Long enough that it partially covers her ears and she could tie some of it in a lil braid. She doesn't do much work to maintain it, which is part of why she keeps it short, but she still takes decent care of it and trims it herself. She's never dyed it, and if she did I don't think it would be a crazy bright color, but also not something natural looking. Maybe a subtle purple idk.

👀 What is the first physical feature people notice when they see your OC? Why?

Probably the fact that she is TINY because wow she's tiny. A solid 5'0''.

#wow an ask #his-unspoken-words #erebus #neteri #thank you for the giant ask jay lol this was fun :) #*slaps erebus* this boy can fit so much self loathing #*slaps him again but just for fun* #we are all love making erebus think about his appearance and how much he hates it #you can see the princey boy being appalled that you think he wouldn't have good hygiene #erebus sweetie you're so attractive okay stop being a baby and accept the hot demon boy aesthetic #i have the subtle purple in my mind but no clue how to actually describe it i just know what i mean #another reminder that erebus is one foot (+1 inch) taller than neteri because it is one of my favorite things about Them

[phantom-of-nrc]

hi can i have a matchup? 

im a 4'11 agender person who uses they/them pronouns! my head is shaved and im about to dye it green! I’m very pale and I have dark brown eyes. I have glasses because my eyesight is terrible. I like writing poetry about difficult times I went through, blankets and oversized clothing. I dislike photos being taken of me without consent, school and sleeping. I have 5 cats that I love with all my heart and a dog.  My favorite colors are pink and blue, but I hate the color purple. I listen to music a lot, and the music artists I listen to the most are girl in red, Boy Pablo, Mitski and the Orion Experience. I’m an ambivert but lean more on the introverted side because of my anxiety.  I have PTSD, BPD, ADHD, Severe depression, GAD, and tic disorder. My main tics are “Beetroot?”, “POG”, and “I’m a lawyer”.  My current hyperfixation is food fantasy and if somebody offers i will rant about it for hours. I’m very affectionate and i can’t date somebody who hates affection. My BPD affects my relationships a lot, as because of it i get very jealous and insecure easily, and it just affects everything about me. I maladaptive daydream as a coping mechanism to escape reality when it becomes too much, which is very often.  Also I’m an INTP-T and a sag sun, virgo rising and libra moon. My hogwarts house is hufflepuff and i’m an 9w1 - Ry

ℌ𝔬𝔴 ℭ𝔬𝔪𝔢?

📱 Before I continue one, I would like to apologize if I mistook some things. 

📱 While it’s true that every single student in the NRC is unique in terms of appearance, from their hair to their skin to their features, you caught Idia’s attention from the view of his tablet’s camera lenses. It was rare for him to see anyone with shaved head. He had to admit, it intrigued him. His hair may be made of fire, but he doesn’t think he could ever shave his hair. Even if he does, he probably won’t pull it off. 

📱 Since you mentioned that you dislike photos of you being taken, Idia could relate to that. He doesn’t exactly want the world to see his face.. Being seen by the public was nerve-wracking. Being seen by the whole world was on a whole another level. At least he has someone to relate to when it comes to distaste of being taken pictures of, even if you don’t like pictures of you being taken without consent and Idia not liking pictures of him being taken in general.

📱 You have 5 cats?? And a dog too. 👉👈.. Is it alright if Idia could cuddle with your cats..? He loves cats! There was evidence to back this up too! (Ahem.. I wouldn’t want to spoil anybody even if I like spoilers so..) Oh wait.. You like oversized clothes? Looking at our dear Ignihyde dorm leader, would you look at that!

📱 He’s not exactly the best at sleeping. He spent days and nights with no sleep, playing games, watching anime, keeping up with the updates of his interests, farming for gachas, especially limited gachas! Speaking of gachas.. YOU LIKE FOOD FANTASY TOO??? (Ahem.. Pardon me, but I may or may not have played it too but I couldn’t manage my restaurant so-) Is it possible to add friends there? I forgot.. But if it’s possible, no hesitation when it comes to sending friend requests to each other! Guaranteed to have one of the strongest support if you friend Idia in Food Fantasy! You rant about Food Fantasy? Then it’s time for a Ranting session with Gamer Idia!

📱 But while writing this matchup. If you decide to pull a Yuu from another world.. I imagine that you’d capture Idia’s attention not just with your unique style, but with all those juicy otherworldly games you know, he’d be ranting with you. You ranting about your current game hyperfixation, and him returning the gesture with his own ranting of his current game. The two of you could play each other’s game. Him playing Food Fantasy, you playing his game. That is if you consent. 

📱 Idia does use internet slang too, so imagine when you’ve said ‘POG’! Of course, he’d be confused on the word, he’d ask you. Once he learns of the word ‘Pog’, expect him to be the second student to use ‘Pog’. Of course, he’d also ask you of what you mean by ‘Beetroot?’ and ‘I’m a lawyer’. He doesn’t mind your tics, honestly.

📱 I actually spent a lot of time and days wondering about the affection part. It was known that Idia doesn’t like skin-to-skin contact when Deuce tried to touch him. Relationships aren’t always perfect. His tendency to not like being touched and your naturally affectionate self.. However, as days and arguments go by, he’d slowly warm up to your affections. He’d still not like other people touching him. He’s only used to your touch. He’ll savor in your affection in general. This man is secretly affection-starved.

📱 Idia is also an insecure fellow. There’s bound to be days where one of you blurts out or just confess your insecurities to each other. Expect a compliment in the disguise of self-deprecation from Idia. Of course, this would lead into a.. Kind of angsty-sad moment that would lead to comfort cuddles of reassurances.

📱 Ortho serves as the… Mediator between the two of you at times. He’ll be glad to receive and return your affections, he’d never think twice to chase your insecurities away, reassure you whenever jealousy comes to you. He’ll cherish you just as much as he cherishes his big brother. Learning of your mental disorders, Ortho would research right away, searching for ways to help you.

📱 Speaking of.. Idia has blue fire for hair! Compliment his blue (color-wise) existence and he’d be blushing, flustered from your compliments.

📱 Idia Shroud shares the same rising zodiac sign as you! Meaning, the two of you are, without a doubt according to the zodiac signs, compatible!

𝔐𝔢𝔢𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤:

    Being transported in another universe was a beloved plot that has been used by so many. Whether by fanfics or shows or movies. Being transported in another universe was a rare occurrence, being transported to another universe was either considered a blessing or a curse, some consider it as their dream, some consider this phenomenon as their nightmare, while others simply don’t think much of it. It just so happens that you were the chosen person to be transported in another world. 

  No, you weren’t Yuu. You weren’t going to wake up to the sound of a pyromaniac cat wanting to take your clothes. But you did wake up to the voice of a young boy, or rather, a robot.  “…. dition is healthy… no signs of.. ries..” A sigh of relief then escaped the robot’s hidden lips as you opened your eyes.    Found and taken care of by a young robot boy with flaming blue hair, mind trying to comprehend what had just happened. Your heart began to pick up its pace, a detail that didn’t go unnoticed by the young robot. 

  It wasn’t really an easy journey, getting used to your new environment. Thank goodness the belongings you carried with you came with you in this new world. However, thanks to the aid of your savior, Ortho Shroud, and his big brother, Idia Shroud (whom you have yet to see his face.. Maybe..), you had managed to survive in this new world. Along the way, Ortho had grown fond of you and even considered you as a big sibling figure. Idia was a bit pouty about that..

  He was sure that you and him wouldn’t ever grow closer with you, considering his social anxiety, and your anxiety. Even if he rack his brain for ways on how to befriend you, he was undoubtedly sure none of them would work. 

 However, it would all change under one night. 

  Sure that there would be no one awake, Idia went out of his room to catch some snacks for his gaming marathon. However, he paused just in front of the doorway to see a sleeping green hair, phone in hand. Must’ve fallen asleep, good. His original plan was to get some snacks and get out before you could wake up, but he went out of track as soon as he saw the screen of your phone. Levels over a map, a lady in a gown that shows her legs, hair styled up as a hat attached with a veil over her head, she was brandishing a gun. Idia immediately knew that this was a game, a game from another world. 

  Too busy examining the game with interest, he didn’t notice your fluttering eyelids which soon revealed your dark brown eyes framed by your glasses. The first sight that greeted you wasn’t an empty kitchen, but a young man with flaming blue hair, blue lips, and an oversized hoodie.

That hoodie looks cozy and big..

  All it took was a shift of your movements for his amber yellow eyes to find you awake. “… Eh?”

It took a full minute until the two of you processed what was happening. 

  The man with the flaming blue hair ran back to his room, covering his flushed face as you sat there, frozen. Perhaps the bridge to your relationship is a game from your world and the interesting words you speak.

#twisted moon #twisted wonderland #twst wonderland #twisted wonderland matchups #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland matchup #twst matchup #twst matchups #twst wonderland x reader #I... I need to level my writing skills up.. ＞﹏＜ #submission #Matchup #Matchups

[sophiexteresa]

If the sides didn't look like Thomas, what do you think they would look like?

Tessa, I love you. This is one of my favourite asks I could possibly ever get.

Let’s begin! I like them as teenagers/ young adults:

Patton: Short, of course, with scattered freckles across the bridge and tip of his nose. His dirty-blond/blond-brown hair is naturally curly and a sometimes needs brushing away from his eyes (cough insert [ship] cuteness here cough). Round glasses with gold wire frames compliment his round or heart-shaped face, cheeks naturally rosy. His body is like, tubby? Round and soft, perfect for hugs, but he doesn’t always like it. Love you, Pat.

Logan: White, super structured face but not chisled. Slim and tall (tallest side, always) with dark and thick eyebrows and frustratingly long lashes which sometimes brush against his thick, rectangular black glasses. Dark brown hair that’s cut neatly and styled very well, in a classic yet modern style. It seems straight, but when it grows out it becomes wavy and lighter (he doesn’t like it but everyone else loves it). Thin pink lips and deep blue eyes. English accent, but why don’t we give him Greek roots?

Roman: I love the Hispanic twins, but I’m from Europe so making them Spanish makes more sense to me. Both the twins are the second tallest after Logan, but guess who is just a little bit taller? Haha! Roman’s got a few strawberry blond streaks painted into his longish dark brown hair, complimenting his reddish-brown eyes. He works out often, building a healthy amount of muscle. With sorta-thick brows on tanned/olive skin, he’s the sort to fawn over - especially given his brilliantly chisled jaw, wide bridge of his nose and straight white teeth (the only straight thing about him). A small amount of acne crops up on his temples and chin sometimes, which he is usually comfortable enough not to cover up with makeup. But he does sometimes, and that’s great too!

Remus: Skin and facial structure are the same as his brother, but his nose is a tad thinner. He gets acne more often than his brother but never conceals it, and decides not to shave either — so, he has a moustache growing (I couldn’t help myself). While Roman has strawberry blond highlights, Remus has his grey chalky dye which he likes to re-do every week or so, if he isn’t experimenting with another colour (he likes green too). His hair is longer, too (but still short), and falls into his eyes a lot! Unlike Roman, he does not work out. Instead, he’s naturally more muscular (which made Roman jealous enough to work out, himself). Remus has freckles up and down his arms, and he loves them (rightly so!). His teeth are also straight!

Virgil: Basically the face of @/romanapologist’s human au Virgil. Pretty, dark brown eyes, the front of his hair dyed purple, slouches... plus some purple eyeliner and purple eyeshadow under his eyes (when the last episode came out and confirmed the colour I was so happy), he’s super good at makeup and gives the others tips if they want them. Soft/average facial features, and average height - like I said, he slumps a little (I kinda want him to be tall bc ‘heightened’ anxiety but that doesn’t exactly work with everyone else in my mind). Second shortest, only taller than Patton. Short lashes too! But he doesn’t mind. Pretty thin; goes out for runs with his music to clear his head every weekend or so.

Janus: I think he’s Black, and tall, but other than that I have no set Janus! I love every version of him ever: people are so creative in ways to replace his scales.

#Logan basically looks like my brother #ish #ask #tessa tag #pattonc asks #sanders sides #sorry this took so long

[love-the-purple-cat]

Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me - Chapter 1 Part 5

“Yer hair again?” She asks, idly kicking one of the men when they try to get up.

“Not quite. They got mad I beat up their men who made fun of my hair and decided that I needed to be taught a lesson.”

She snorts unattractively. “Do ya even like yer hair colour?”

Once again, Ichigo pauses in though. “...Why do you ask that?”

“Cause, no offence, but yer hair keeps gettin' ya inta trouble, and ya don’t even seem ta’ appreciate it. If it’s too much then just dye it sumthin' borin'.”

...It’s not that he hadn’t thought about it, it’s just that it was one of the few connections he had still with his mother. Dyeing it seemed like a betrayal, and felt like giving up and admitting defeat after fighting others about it for so long.

“Ah, that does sound like a good reason not ta' dye it,” She says when he unintentionally thinks aloud. “But yer missin' ma' point: Are ya happy wit' yer hair? The colour will still appear when ya grow it out, it’ll just be temporarily hidden.”

He lightly fingers a strand. It was getting longer.

“I'll think about it.”

She nods. Neither pleased nor displeased.

 ------------------------

“Come over this weekend.”

They are eating lunch in her classroom, in a way celebrating becoming friends after knowing each other for a month. Her classmates occasionally throw them looks that they ignore.

“Sure. What are we goin' ta' do?”

He thinks of the box of black hair dye that he got on his last shopping trip with Yuzu two days ago. Yuzu had looked at him questionably but hadn’t said a thing to their family. “I need help with my hair.”

Cherī raises a brow, not getting the hint.

“I’m...” He swallows, eyes flickering to the other people in the room. “I’m thinking of trying something new. That thing you talked about a few days ago.”

It takes a moment longer for her eyes to light up in recognition and understanding. “Sure, where will we meet up?”

The corner of his lip twitches up.

 ---------------------------

“Yer mom famous or sumthin'?”

He looks to where she is examining his mother’s poster. “No, my dad got it after she died.”

She appears to be contemplating something before looking away. “So, where’s yer bathroom? Ah’m not gonna lie, da dye will stain yer bathtub/tiles like a bitch when ya wash it out. Best ya put on some old clothes too.”

Ichigo nods and leads the way, feeling nervous and calm at the same time.

Cherī orders him to sit on the edge of the bath, or bring a chair but then there’s a chance that it would be stained so he doesn’t. She starts by brushing his hair and parting it before beginning. “Ya sure ‘bout this, Ichigo?”

“Yeah.” His tone is breathless, heart thumping hard in his ribcage and something is lodged in his throat.

“Okay.” Her voice is soft and quiet, though not in comfort. It just is.

His eyes close, a foreign calmness taking over him as she works on his hair. It isn’t as short as it used to be, but it isn’t as long as he would have guessed it would be after not seeing a hairdresser for nearly a year.

“An’ now we leave it fer 25mins.” Her voice arouses him from the half-asleep state he had been in. He turns to look at himself in the mirror, but she blocks his view. “Let’s leave that fer later, okay?” Her voice is soft again.

He swallows thickly and nods. “Okay.”

They go to his room. They don’t talk, not really, but the silence doesn’t feel suffocating. She looks around the small space, and the though of how empty his room looks strikes him. There is only the essentials of a bed, a desk with a corkboard over it, and a chair. It doesn’t have any personality.

But, why does he care what his room looks like to an outsider?

“Ya got any favourite books?” Cherī asks, done looking around the bare room.

“Shakespeare.” He answers automatically.

“He’s good. Don’t know much ‘bout his works, only Romeo an' Juliet an’ that’s just a general idea. Ah like Dracula, an' Dr.Jekyl an' Mr.Hyde. Ya know, books wit' what could be considered a homoerotic undertone nowadays.” She looks at the notes stuck on the board. Most of them are related to school or past commitments so he doesn’t see a problem with her looking.

“Ya got any relatives? Ah got at least two first cousins an' a bunch of other great aunts an' uncles that ma' parents want me ta know ‘bout even though Ah only meet ‘em once every five years. Kinda pisses me off when they get annoyed that Ah don’t know any of their names, but that’s what happens when ya barely see someone.”

He blinks. This was the first time since the first day that she is mentioning family. “Not on my mom’s side, I think. But on my dad's...”

Did he have relatives in Soul Society? There were quite a few similarities between him and Kūkaku, and Ukitake-taichō had mentioned that he looks like his former lieutenant Shiba Kaien.

“’s okay ta' not know.” Cherī says. “Family’s confusin' sumtimes, an' it doesn’t help when they keep secrets, or don't bother mentionin' important stuff.”

She was right. His father had kept the fact that he was a shinigami from him, what’s one more secret?

“Time ta' wash yer hair. Ya need help wit' that?”

“No.”

She doesn’t smile, nor does she frown. “Okay.”

 -------------‐-----------------

He doesn’t like how he looks.

No...

He hates how he looks. He looks way too similar to Kūkaku, with his sharp chin and eyes.

He looks way too similar to them.

What was one more secret?

-The past is never dead. It’s just buried underneath soil and concrete-

“Ichigo,” Cherī calls, brown brows furrowed in concern. “Are ya okay?”

No. “Yeah.” He croaks. He clears his throat and tries again. “Yeah, just getting used to the new look.” He tries to smile but it must have come out as a grimace with the way she frowns.

“Okay. Ya got a dark hat or sumthin'?”

“Why?”

“’Cuz we're goin' ta' da store an' we're gonna buy ya a new dye.”

“This one is fine.”

“No, it ain't.” Her voice is a touch harder. “It’s makin' ya sad an' that’s da opposite of what we were aimin’ fer.”

“Cherī-“ He tries but is cut off.

“There's nothin’ wrong wit’ not likin' how ya look. Nothin' wrong wit' not likin’ black.” She says, and for a single moment, it feels as though she is talking about something else, like she knows what his inner tumour is about. “Let’s go get ya a new colour, Ichi.”

He nods, and chokes out an “Okay.”

 -----------------------

They're at one of the shops on the main street.

The first thing that greets them when they enter is hair dyes on one side of the aisle and deodorants on the other. Ichigo browses through the ‘natural’ colours first before going to the more ‘fun' – as Cherī calls them – ones. 

 All the colours of the rainbow were here: red, green, blue, purple, yellow and orange, along with a couple of other colours, each having different shades from lighter to darker. 

“When Ah first started dyeing ma' hair,” Cherī says, picking up a box and examining it. “Ah did it in ma' favourite colour – purple. Months later, Ah found out that if Ah planned on continuin' ta' dye ma’ hair fun colours, da colours would need ta' be ones that can easily be turned inta the next. Fer example: Ya dye yer hair blue, few months pass and ya want a new colour, yer either gonna havta bleach it or yer gettin' it done in green. Understand?” She places two bleaching kits in the basket.

Ichigo nods, examining the colours. His eyes stray towards the blue dyes, specifically the one that reminds him of Grimmjow.

He swallows.

Several months have passed since he had last seen the Espada; how would he react if he were to see him now – powerless and alone?

Well, he glances at Cherī as she compares two different shades of pink, not quite alone.

“Do ya like blue?” She asks, both boxes securely placed in the basket.

“Yeah,” He wets his lips. “I do.” It feels like he is confessing a sin by saying those words and thinking about his enemy. Were they even enemies now?

“Then get it.” She doesn’t reach for the box, preferring to wait for him to do it.

“It will clash with my complexion.” He argues weakly. Raising two girls since he was nine forced him to dive into fashion and learn the rules: body types, complexions, colour schemes and such. There were many other things he had to learn and do while his father was in mourning to survive but now was not the time to think about the past.

“So? This ain’t a fashion statement, Ichi. It's about makin' ya feel good and happy. But... if ya want a more autumn colour we can get red.” She reaches for the box and he grabs her wrist.

“No, not red.” Red reminds him of Renji, who reminds him of Rukia. Neither has bothered to visit him the months following Aizen's defeat. The excuse of him being unable to see them wouldn’t fly, not when he knew Urahara keeps gigais in his shop.

-There are bodies in the soil-

“Okay.” She says, slowly pulling her hand away. “Not red then. Bad memories?”

He winces, releasing her wrist to rub at his neck. “It’s... complicated.”

The girl huffs, “What does it remind ya of?”

He meant to say, “Nothing”. He wanted to say, “Renji”.Hell, he could have said nothing and she would have accepted his silence as an answer. Which is why he is so surprised when the word leaves his mouth without his permission.

“Blood.”

And it is true. The shade she was reaching for also reminds him of blood. It makes him remember the wound he had been inflicted in Hueco Mundo, where he quite literally died and was dead for a while, long enough for his inner Hollow to take control and battle the cuatro Espada Ulquiorra and win, before he managed to wrestle back control of his body. It also reminds him of the markings on his hollow mask.

Cherī looks surprised - not mortified, just... surprised. “Okay,” She repeats. “Not red.”

She’s examining the colours, searching for one that would fit his complexion, when he reaches forward and plucks the blue, Baby Blue, one and puts it in the basket. She doesn’t question him, doesn’t even indicate to have seen him do it but he knows she saw him and he appreciates her silence.

“What ‘bout green?”

His first though is Ulquiorra with his acid green eyes, marble skin, and black black bat wings that carry him over the sands of Hueco Mundo.

His second is Nelliel.

 “I like it.” He picks a turquoise shade called Mermaid.

“Pink?”

He likes pink, he's worn it often enough when he was younger and his sisters wanted to dress him up, but...

“No, not today.”

“Bad memories?”

He thinks of Yachiru, the girl with what he would describe bubblegum pink – even if that shade is called Cupcake here – hair and the man whose shoulder she would ride on.

“Not really.”

She nods, then juts her chin violently towards a reddish-pink colour named Love Letter. “What ‘bout that?”

The colour is nice so he gets it.

They continue on like that for a while, choosing and comparing colours - some of which repeat since Cherī also likes them - until the basket is overflowing. As a final colour Cherī chooses Snow – a pure white colour that reminded him of his inner Hollow's hair.

There's so much hair dye that he wonders whether he would ever be able to use each at least once.

The cashier is baffled by the amount but remains silent while she rings them up. It's as the numbers climb higher and higher that he begins to worry, given that he hadn’t brought that much money. But before he can open his mouth Cherī is already handing her credit card with a, “Could you also add one strawberry and one cherry flavoured chapstick? Thank you.”

He turns to look at her in bafflement. This was the first time he hears her speak ‘properly’ and it honestly unnerves him.

“Not ev'ryone can understan’ me, Ichi.” She says, handing him one of the bags.

They make their way to his house, talking about which colour they should do first. Cherī wants to see him in Love Letter or Milan – a light yellow colour that reminds him of an éclair's filling – but he says that he wants to try Baby Blue. She nods and gives him the strawberry chapstick.

“Yer lips are chapped.” She says and he accepts it.

#bleach #bleach au #ichigo kurosaki #kurosaki ichigo #cherī akao #akao cherī #Protector and Cherry AU #The Past is Never Dead AU

[illegiblewords]

Notes under the cut!

These aren’t all of my lady WoLs, but they are some of my favorite designs and I tried to specifically show different things with each of them.

I think with design, beyond different silhouettes it’s worth it to be able to look at a character and get a sense of their personality and background. Sometimes lifestyle depending on how realistic you’re going, although Final Fantasy is a bit “fuck practicality we’re running on rule of pretty” lmao.

With these ladies specifically I also wanted to 1) pick fashions that would work well with the body types and proportions 2) create specific tones 3) play with expectations. I also, personally, wanted to explore different forms of femininity in a positive way. I’ve seen some cases where people seem to think the only way to have a “strong” woman is if she’s made traditionally masculine. I have no problem with traditionally masculine women by any means, but I’m really not into demonizing femininity either. So if I have the option to actually explore femininity in a game in positive ways I like to do that!

Nheu/Pink Miqo’te: I wanted to make her a kind of scrappy character, loud and probably a bit obnoxious, a shameless delinquent sort who immediately demands attention with neon color schemes. Going with Keeper of the Moon miqo’te let her have a toothy smile with little fangs too! I didn’t want her to look mysterious or alluring. This is one of my favorite archetypes tbh, I should really use it more.

Lagogeim/Turquoise Roegadyn: I wanted to make a dragoon who tied to Limsa Lominsa instead of Ishgard or even Gridania, who took the concept of Llymlaen with her harpoon and really built into the motif of pirates. So beyond evoking the sea as much as possible, I wanted to use an unnatural skin tone and hair color since people shy away from those a lot. I tried going for a harder fem look too for her--many roegadyn players embrace this angle so I decided to this time!

Eir/Blue Highlander: I’ve seen a stereotype that hyur highlanders have tall, sexy bodies but less attractive faces. I wanted to make a very short, cute looking highlander girl who isn’t the extreme end of curvy, give her a short/cute haircut that still felt strongly feminine, and pair that with a heavier, more traditionally masculine-perceived job like Warrior. I also tried to make her really, REALLY feel Ala Mhigan both in gear and color scheme/features--I drew some aspects of her coloring from Ilberd to be honest!

Asklona/Green Roegadyn: So I mentioned that a lot of people do hard fem looks for lady roegadyns very well, and I’ve seen critics go after femroes saying they have mannish bodies and ugly faces before. I disagree with that a lot, and decided in this case to go as soft and traditionally feminine as I could. I also went with the least saturated Sea Wolf color and tried playing with blushes/hair color combos to help her look a bit more natural (as opposed to blue/greenish) in this case. Another angle I went with was bard specifically to close the gap between Limsa Lominsa and Gridania, playing into siren and pirate themes since this character is a Sea Wolf. Beyond choosing green to fit with my Famfrit team in a unique way, I chose it as that bridge and because the green being a complementary color to red would make any pink hues stand out more!

Osk/Purple Viera: The stereotype I’ve seen for viera has involved them being hyper sexualized. I personally also rarely use brown hair or the color purple apparently so far as those choices go. What’s more, I wanted to make a look for the scholar job that would be a little more versatile, clearly not mistakable for any other job (healing or otherwise) and that would keep this particular character both elegant and more conservatively dressed. I didn’t want the character to feel like she’d hopped out of the woods either given that’s the most frequent angle for Viera--going a more urban direction was something I wanted to do as a contrast to that.

Nivienne/Gold Elezen: Wildwood elezen tend to be pushed with more natural skintones while Duskwights are more likely to have blue undertones that let them feel like drow. In this case I wanted to make a Wildwood elezen who, due to color combinations, felt fantasy-golden and a little otherworldly. I did a lot of designing to foil Emet-Selch in the name of fanfic lmao (use of gray and gold in different places to different degrees, height, etc.) but I also wanted to make a summoner character who, like scholar, felt extremely visually distinct from other casters. The biggest Summoner-specific look involves horns so that stayed, but for the rest I wanted there to be a flowing and mysterious feel. There was a critique I saw in the past that female casters end up looking like magical girls, so I wanted to challenge that. I also was careful with how the face and shoulders were framed to make sure that Nivienne would feel proportional, since that’s a potential risk for elezen.

Acja/Brass Viera: Another alternate take on dragoon! This time, I wanted to make a viera who tied to savanna aesthetics as a contrast to forest ones, and I did look at Sub-Saharan African fashions as influence. I couldn’t get things exact/used some “it’s Final Fantasy people wear five billion belts” artistic license (and offhand I don’t remember the exact country I used, it might have involved Ghana’s historical armor?) but I tried to match silhouettes, materials, shoes, etc. as best I could. Part of this is also that I know African visuals get used less often in video games, which is a shame because they’re incredibly gorgeous and distinct! So Acja is one design where I did try to bring that in.

Kokono/Orange Lalafell: I’ve seen people lament lack of canine race options in FFXIV and honestly, I agree with that sentiment. We have so many cats and it would have been cool to get dog options. Since it’s not an in-game thing though, I figured this was an opportunity to make the type of character instead. In this case, I used the dark nose option for lalafells and combined with pieces from the werewolf set to make a little fox! She has a few different influences to her visuals due to backstory stuff, but I do think there are ways to make more foxes and small dogs for lalafells as well as wolves for Hellsguard roegadyns.

Eshe/Yellow Au Ra: Another African-influenced design, this one tying to Ethiopian historical fashion and armor! Same rules apply though, the top goes hugely with the “it’s Final Fantasy” brand of artistic license. I know au ra are mostly associated with Othard/Eastern regions, so I decided to shift things to a different tone while trying to keep things fully immersive. I made Eshe a paladin because the swords and shields have some options that resemble African sword designs (WHICH ARE SO FUCKING COOL) and I wanted to try a different tone for paladin from the Western knight-in-shining-armor as well. I didn’t want Eshe to feel overly cutesy or innocent, but did want her to feel very graceful and strong.

Mitsu/Red Midlander: A few things hit me in combination here. First, I’d been nerfing myself to a degree with hyur midlanders when I knew there was an approach I liked. Second, I haven’t seen a lot of traditional-looking characters from Othard and I wanted to switch that up. By this I mean that looking at Far Eastern NPCs, often they are midlander hyurs with black, dark brown, or occasionally gray hair. Not a ton of dye. I love that the Warrior of Light could come from anywhere, so I tried to design someone who credibly could have been an NPC in Kugane. She’s a summoner because there is an Othard tradition of summoning, and she wears red because to my knowledge it has symbolism for good luck in both Japan and China besides being pretty. I also wanted to make a very different summoner (and general caster) visual compared to Nivienne.

#final fantasy xiv screenshots #final fantasy xiv #final fantasy 14 #final fantasy gpose #ffxiv

[furby-organist]

// Aight here’s what’s up with Alastor’s hair, brought to you by a veteran hair dyer/bleacher, brace yaselves.

So this isn’t where I think canon is headed at all, but consider: Alastor is greying. He’s canonically in poor health, my headcanon is that whatever he contracted with to get his power is leeching at him. Some people go grey early. I’ve been having grey hairs since undergrad and I know someone who went full grey in his 30′s. Maybe he’s greying, roll with it.

So, we start with the presumption that his natural hair color is red, possibly a darker red than what we see now.

And then, he starts greying at the roots. So he dyes all his hair dark brown.

Why dark brown? One, because it’s what his hair color in life was. Two, because it’s a forgiving color and it’s dark enough to cover the existing red without requiring bleach, and three -- because dyeing grey hair is not like dyeing not-grey or simply bleached hair, let me explain, hang on.

Most color is formulated to interact with existing color in your hair, largely, either natural colors, or the result of bleach (which is a brass color unless you lighten enough. my hair is the color of a trombone rn). 

If you know basic color theory, then you know that purple/blue is on the opposite side of the color wheel as orange/yellow. You neutralize a color by combining it with the opposite on the color wheel. So, for example, if you want to reduce the post-bleach brassiness/orange and have your hair a cooler brown/blonde, you can use an ‘ash’ toner/dye. The dye has blues in it that neutralize the orange/warm tones in your hair.

If your hair is grey, then your hair just turns blue/green when you dye it with an ‘ash’ toner/color because there’s no yellow/orange to cancel out. Same with red dyes, they’re often formulated to build on the existing underlying orange/yellow (or brown) and they look wack on grey hair. I have greys and you can tell where they are bc of how they process reds.

One type of color that does work safe for grey hair is a series of dye marked as N, it’s a brown line of color, and it actually has brown pigment on it’s own. It’s not just made to add to existing hair color. 5N is a medium brown, 3N is a dark brown, 1N is as close to black as you’ll get with a brown base, etc.

So! Anyway! Al over here’s going grey and dyes his hair brown, like a nice 3N/4N color.

Here’s another thing about grey hair: it doesn’t hold color as well as pigmented hair. It fades really easily unless you’re using a dye made for grey coverage, and even then it’s not always good. You can see my greys now because they lost all the color where the rest of my dyed hair is still dyed!

So!

The part of Alastor’s hair that isn’t grey does hold the brown. The grey part at his roots? It fades. It fades to a shitty red, bc the red pigments in it cling like hell. Brown in general fades, stuff like red and black cling forever, don’t ask me why, idk.

Canonically, most of what’s in Hell is off-brand shit that doesn’t work well, Viv said it in a stream lol. He doesn’t get that nice high-ammonia 100% grey coverage long lasting stuff. 

So the bottom part of his hair is holding that nice brown color, the rest has faded to shit.

So he says fuckit and just dyes it red. If it’s gonna go to red anyway and red clings, might as well just stick to red. It does fade, too, he’s probably using Manic Panic vampire red but it fades down to the color it is now and it requires upkeep.

The brown part of his hair is too dark to pick up the red, so it stays brown. (Lighter colored dye won’t show up on darker hair -- that’s why you gotta bleach it, and Alastor isn’t going to run his hair through the bleach ringer without good reason. Do not get me started on bleach.)

So! Al’s hair is the combination of him greying and a few dye attempts. Now he just keeps up with the red when it starts to fade or his roots come in. Or when he has a mental breakdown. Dyeing your hair when you have a breakdown is Not Straight culture I’m pretty sure.

#a ritual in the garden soil (headcanon) #// ok to reblog if you're inclined to i guess

[sparklyandchic]

𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕥𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕒𝕕-𝕥𝕠-𝕥𝕠𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕘𝕦𝕚𝕕𝕖

 ✨ first, a disclaimer! this is a list of things which i have found to subjectively improve my own appearance. i’m sure there’s many more treatments i’ve missed, and you may also feel that some of these treatments aren’t for you- i’ve just included everything which i have enjoyed personally in order to inform you of your options, from which you can make your own decisions on which to take part in. also, little blurb; what society or others think of you doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things and it is not my goal to promote being concerned with these things here. these are meant to help you be more excited about your own appearance every morning when you wake up, and take more time and care for yourself. partaking in these activities should add to your life, not subtract. ur all cute and valuable already ✨

also second disclaimer: i initially tried to make an amazon storefront as i thought i could put all the products i mentioned on one page so you could have access to them easily, but it turns out regular people can only get an amazon affiliation. this means that if you buy anything through the amazon links i provided, i’ll receive a very tiny percentage of the profits. this doesn’t benefit you, nor does it make the price higher for you, but if you’d like to support what i’m doing, it would be cool if you bought things through the links i provided. if you hate me or something, you can just search and buy them through amazon yourself! these are all products that i used and bought from amazon far before i signed up for the amazon affiliation, i’m just genuinely obsessed with amazon but i’m not affiliated in any way with any brand i mentioned.

✨ 𝕙𝕒𝕚𝕣  ✨

bleach/dye: personally i am a huge fan of foil highlights! tons of gals look amazing with dark hair or their natural hair color, but i have found that, for me, they really brighten the face and add depth to my hair. you could also darken your hair, do balayage, or tone it a different shade. i always recommend going to an actual well-rated salon rather than attempting to do it at home. they can ensure you’re getting the proper undertones and the correct volume developer for your hair. if you’re getting your hair bleached, look for a salon that uses olaplex or a similar bond builder in the mixture to avoid completely damaging the structure of your hair. at home, i tone my hair to remove gold/brassy tones with either this pravana mask, or a tiny amount of this semi-permanent violet hair dye mixed into my conditioner (you should only leave this in for a minute the first time as it can be very strong). i’ve found most purple shampoos are quite harsh, especially on fragile hair, so i always go for conditioner.

at-home protein treatments: if your hair is damaged from dying or styling it, i highly recommend using a protein mask on it at home once a week when you can to restore the structure of your hair. olaplex no 3 is a popular option but i really like this k-beauty collagen mask for a way cheaper option that works just as well in my opinion! many brands make protein and keratin masks though so feel free to order whichever you like.

cleansing conditioner: if you’ve used every “hydrating” and “repairing” shampoo + conditioner under the sun but your hair is still dry or fragile, i recommend using cleansing conditioner instead! shampoo, even sulfate free ones, can create friction and cause tearing in your hair, but cleansing conditioner cleans your hair without stripping or damaging it! i love this one from renpure and it’s a lot cheaper than other cleansing conditioners like wen, which i found to be less effective and weigh the hair down. if your hair does ever start to feel a little weighed down or oily, use shampoo to clean it more deeply- i tend to use it once every 1-2 weeks depending on how much i’ve been working out. cleansing conditioner will also help maintain a keratin treatment as it won’t strip the treatment from your hair, which brings me to this next consideration...

keratin treatments: keratin treatments are a semi-permanent treatment which help to make your hair quite a lot straighter, and much smoother, softer, shinier, and dry quicker! these help so much if you have frizzy or damaged hair, or your curl pattern is super irregular like mine! curly hair is beautiful too but if your curl pattern is tough to manage and make look pretty, then they’re a great option. a lot of people ask me if they're damaging but i find that they really help with my damaged fake-blonde hair and my hair stylist agrees, but he said to stay away from relaxers or japanese straightening treatments if your hair is fragile as those can be very damaging! if you’re in nyc, i recommend ‘hair bar nyc,’ their treatments are around $100 and last a couple months before they start to fade. i always go for their strongest solution, the 24 karat.

hair growth vitamins: personally i had short hair for a long time and loved it and still think it looks great on so many people! but i’m currently growing it out, so i’ve been taking hair vitamins daily to speed up the process. any brand works, but i love this brand ‘hair anew’ on amazon, or any store-brand which contains extra nutrients like zinc and pantothenic acid (not just plain biotin) as i feel that they work better and also clear my skin. they also help grow your nails longer and stronger, your eyebrows thicker, and your lashes longer and thicker!

hair extensions: these are less common/necessary, but for girls whose hair is much shorter than they want it, is damaged from bleach/dye/heat, or whose hair is quite thin, clip-in extensions can be a game changer. i’ve had tape-in extensions before and found that not only did they damage my hair and thin it out incredibly badly afterward, but they also truly were a lot of work to style and still looked bad after half an hour of trying to get it to work. a pair of clip-in remy extensions should also only set you back $60-100 while any sort of semi-permanent extension is far more expensive. i currently have this brand fullshine from amazon but it may also be wise to find a beauty supply store where you can match your hair to the extensions. this is also a great method of showing your hair stylist exactly what color you want your hair dyed to be! and pro-tip, never ever use shampoo on your extensions if you want them to last more than a month before they’re ratty and you need new ones. only ever wash them with plain conditioner, every couple of weeks!

shower filters: if you live in a place which has hard water, this can make your hair more brittle, dry, frizzy, tangled, and even make your hair a shade of green, due to the dissolved minerals drying in your hair. i installed this water filter in my shower to purify the water. it only takes 5 minutes; you simply twist off your showerhead,  twist the filter on, and then twist the showerhead back on. they also help with acne, eczema, and dandruff! i definitely noticed a difference in my hair softness when i got one.

leave-in treatments: i figure my favorite leave in-conditioners and serums are worth a mention here! i’ve been using the same 2-3 products for several years and i’ve never found anything that works as well as them. the two non-negotiables for me are it’s a 10 leave-in conditioner with keratin, and either biosilk or chi silk infusion. and if and when my hair is very dry or damaged from recent bleaching, i also put some moroccanoil on the ends. 

✨ 𝕖𝕪𝕖𝕤 ✨

brows: at-home tinting is a quick and cost effective way to make your brows more defined! i’ve used henna dyes before, which also dye the skin beneath the brows and make them look extra thick, but i found that lighter colors were always more orange than “light brown.” instead i love and use this brand of lash/brow dye. i don’t buy their developer- i just followed a reviewer’s instructions to mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and dye, and it works great! and obviously choose the color which suits your hair color. also worth mentioning, the light brown can be quite light or quite dark depending on how long you leave it on so start with 5 minutes and go from there! 

also, of course always keep your eyebrows well-shaped! if you’ve never had them shaped before, it’s a good idea to get it done professionally first and then maintain it at home with tweezers. i’m a big fan of benefit brow bar for waxing! they have stand-alone locations or smaller bars in a lot of ulta’s.

lashes: getting your lashes done is a great way to feel more done-up even without makeup! lash extensions are amazing at defining your eyes and making them look bigger and more awake, but they’re also a lot of money and upkeep. personally i love lash lifts as i have long lashes (from hair growth vitamins woo) but they just don’t curl very well and are super blonde; a lash lift dyes and curls them and lasts far longer than extensions with no bi-weekly touch-up appointments! if you're not opting for any treatments, i’d still recommend hair growth vitamins to grow your lashes longer!

you can also dye your lashes at home! i’ve tried at-home lash lift kits several times and i found them all messy and completely ineffective, possibly due to my lack of skill, but i couldn’t personally recommend them as of yet. i would recommend at-home lash tints though! if i don’t currently have my lashes curled and tinted from a lash lift, i will use this dye, which is the black version of my eyebrow tint, and use the same hydrogen peroxide formula as described above, to dye my lashes black. it’s great if you’re lazy with makeup, going swimming, or wanna look a lil extra cute when you're at home.

✨𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖 ✨ 

professional facials are a great option if you want to feel pampered, get extractions from someone who knows how to do it properly, or get an intensive peel or mask. but they can also get incredibly expensive, while some of their treatments can be done entirely at home! 

physical exfoliation: this is pretty important for basically any skin type, in order to remove dead skin cells! you should avoid harsh scrubs, like those with walnut shell, as they can create microtears in the skin. sugar-based scrubs are safe, but personally i use either of these two items:

-facial brushes! i got a clarisonic years ago, and i love it! if i remove my makeup, then wash my face with my hands, but then wash my face with the clarisonic, there's generally still makeup that comes off on the brush. i would recommend a clarisonic but there’s now highly rated much cheaper versions on amazon so i don’t think i’d recommend spending $100-200 on one when this $33 version with similar sonic vibrations is available.

-microdermabrasion is a great, more advanced option, for removing dead skin cells and helping to clean out your pores. the ‘diamond’ tip runs along your skin to exfoliate dead skin cells, while a vacuum pulls off the skin cells and unclogs your pores. they are a bit more expensive- i got this $90 one for christmas and love it, though there are also similar ones which run around $60 and also have great reviews. i only use this about once a week.

chemical exfoliation: this is great for brightening up the skin. whenever my skin simply looks tired, dull, or congested, i opt for a chemical exfoliant. there are tons of chemical exfoliant options, but my go-to has to be these pads by dr dennis gross. they consist of 2 pads- one with the acids which will exfoliate your skin and one with a neutralizer- and only take about 5 minutes total to use! they are an all time favorite, as i see a difference in my skin right away, but aren’t so harsh that i get any redness or peeling afterwards. the ordinary is also a great skincare brand for all kinds of acids and oils for really cheap! they make a peeling solution which one of my friend uses and she loves it, and i’ve tried a lot of their products over the years and loved them too.

general masks: there are tons of different masks to help with different skin problems and skin types. basically, you've got clay masks for oily skin, hydrating masks for dry skin, and undereye masks for when you're tired as hell.

radiofrequency machine: i first found out about this from stephanie shepherd’s top shelf interview. it’s somewhat commonly used in high end facials, and my friend who is going to cosmetology school said they're great for acne and skin tightening! to my understanding, it works by killing bacteria in the skin, and stimulating blood flow and collagen production. the one i have is only $40, which makes it seem too good to be true, but apparently studies have shown they’re effective in wrinkle reduction, and i’ve found it really helpful for making breakouts heal faster.

other products: i haven’t actually found many other products that i think are a “holy grail” item, besidesss the embryolisse lait creme concentre. i have really dry skin, especially in the winter, and actually bought myself the smallest jar of la mer available this past christmas to see if it could help, but i found it to help absolutely nothing. the lait creme, though, has made my skin actually look like normal skin again, when it used to be extremely flakey and irritated. it’s known for commonly being used backstage at a lot of couture fashion shows, which sold me on it initially lol.

✨ 𝕤𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕖 ✨

teeth whitening: i use crest whitestrips to whiten my teeth at home! i’ve found them really effective, but i’d recommend using them a bit less often than the instructions recommend. the kind i have recommends using them daily at first but, anytime i’ve used them two days in a row, my teeth were sensitive and in pain for a whole day afterwards. otherwise they’re great though, just space them out a bit!

also, of course, floss and brush your teeth morning and night! i’d also recommend adding a tiny bit of baking soda on top of your toothpaste, to help with whitening. i used to do this daily back in high school and started actually getting compliments on my teeth being white.

lip filler: as many of you know, i’ve had lip filler done, and I've received a lot of questions about them, so i thought i’d include the basic rundown here. these obviously aren’t something that you should feel ugly without. your lips can be beautiful whether or not you’re following this trend. personally, i never thought i would get lip fillers, but last year i did start noticing that when i smiled in pictures, my top lip would totally disappear. i was hesitant but went and got my lips done knowing that it would dissolve in time, and i ended up loving them and feeling totally glamorous with them! i must caution you to avoid getting too much “lip flipping” done if any. over time, my injector started putting the filler around the edges of my lips to flip my lips out and make them appear bigger. it’s okay in small doses, but some injectors start cutting corners and over-doing it, which leads to the “duck face” look, and my lips have started to look slightly pursed even at rest, but are also completely lacking volume in the middle. i’m getting them dissolved and re-done soon, but let this be a lesson to you to ask for little to no lip flipping, and ask for the filler to be more in the center of your lips. before lip flipping, no one ever seemed to notice i had anything done, then suddenly after two appointments with lip flipping, everyone and their mother started asking if ive had my lips done. so i’d highly recommend them, with that caveat in mind.

 ✨ 𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤 + 𝕗𝕖𝕖𝕥 ✨

manicures: okay so you can do your nails at home if you’re doing regular polish, or even if you're using an at-home gel polish set. you should file them into a nice shape (i prefer them round as opposed to square, as they’re less likely to break), push back and trim your cuticles if needed, and paint them. but personally i love getting acrylics or dip powder! i always get tips added if my nails aren’t very long at the moment, and i feel that it makes my fingers look longer and more elegant and feminine. either way is cute though!

pedicures: okay so getting a pedicure at the salon is a great experience, but i also see no reason to get one given that i can just trim and paint my toenails at home. i would highly recommend ordering some peeling foot masks though- these are the ones i have. they’re these little plastic sock masks that you leave on for an hour, take off, and then ~3 days later an entire layer of your skin starts peeling off and your foot is baby soft. if it’s taking a while to peel off, go soak your feet in a bowl of warm water or in a bath/shower and scrub it off. i used to sit with a foot exfoliation machine for like 20 minutes whirring away at my feet but with these you can just chill on tumblr for an hour and then a few days later  your feet are totally renewed.

✨ 𝕓𝕠𝕕𝕪 ✨

self tanner: self-tanning is probably my #1 beauty tip. honestly i’d give up makeup, conditioner, whatever, as long as i could hold onto my bondi sands dark tanning foam. a good tan makes you look so fresh, healthy, glowing, and fit and toned. before tanning, you should try and exfoliate yourself in the shower. i use a scrubby mitt, specifically this one, which also comes with an actual tanning mitt and a mini facial tanning mitt for applying your tanner. afterwards, you’re going to want to apply some lotion on your knees, elbows, and heels, as these areas tend to be dry and soak up more self tanner and turn darker than the rest of your body. then just apply your self tanner all over with a tanning mitt, and blend well. i swear by bondi sands dark foam! st. tropez gives me an allergic reaction personally and a lot of other ones smell bad or have an orange guide-color, but bondi sands smells like coconut and has a really pretty cool-toned tan guide-color. (DHA is the active ingredient in self-tanners- its a clear chemical which reacts with the skin cells and turns them darker after a few hours, while the initial color that you see right out of the bottle is the guide-color. self-tanners will market their tan as “not orange” or something like that, but this only refers to the guide-color, not the tan itself, as they all contain DHA which turns skin the same color. regardless, i love that bondi sands has such a nice guide-color, so even when i’m pale, i can just throw some on and run out the door looking tan!) after a week or two, your tan is going to start getting patchy no matter how many layers you’ve added, so you’re either going to want to exfoliate as much off as you can and do a fresh new tan, or if i have time i’ll apply the bondi sands self-tan remover before exfoliating to get virtually all of it off.

glitter: this is a bit more out-there, but i love love love using shimmery lotions on my body. i feel like a fairy princess, but also it gets rid of that chalky flakey dry look my skin can get in the winter. before swim shoots or the victoria’s secret fashion show, models are always getting slathered in shimmery lotion or oil. there’s a lot of expensive shimmery body oils out there, but you can also just make your own with cosmetic mica and your favorite lotion (i use a gradual tanning lotion to keep my tan looking fresh). cosmetic mica is basically what they use in all the shimmery makeup you buy, and it doubles as an amazing highlighter or eyeshadow!

✨𝕞𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕦𝕡 ✨

basic tips: i’m by no means a makeup guru, but i do feel as though my makeup skills have strengthened a lot since i was a little hippie at 16 years old who just wore hemp lip balm and organic powder foundation sometimes, so here’s some tips i picked up since then. i did also take a one-day makeup masterclass in LA with a celebrity makeup artist who has done the kardashians makeup, which is where i learned virtually all these tips:

✰  let your moisturizer sit for a few minutes before applying foundation ✩ beauty blenders tend to be far better for blending liquid makeup into your skin than brushes  ✰  using just one shade of foundation on your face can make your skin look flat. either use a few different shades of foundation, or a light concealer and a darker contour stick, to add dimension to the face. also, use 2 or 3 different blush colors to add dimension  ✰  blend. more than you think you need to. your foundation, contour, blush, eyeshadow, everything. just keep blending.  ✰  don’t make your eyeliner too thick along the entire eye. this makes your eyelids and eyes look smaller. it should be thin until you thicken it at the outer corners of your eyes.  ✰  as for the rest, fill in and brush your eyebrows, wear a lip color that goes well with your skin tone, highlight the inner corners of your eyes to look more awake, use a setting spray if you want to look dewier and make your makeup last longer ✰

if you’re curious about my full makeup routine here are all the products i use:

✰  embryolisse lait creme concentre moisturizer  ✰  giorgio armani luminous silk foundation  ✰  tarte shape tape concealer  ✰  anastasia beverly hills contour stick in ‘mink’ ✰  too faced born this way setting powder ✰  wet n wild blushes in ‘mellow wine’ and ‘apricot in the middle’  ✰  huda beauty rose gold eyeshadow palette (this is pretty but doesn’t blend super well you should probably buy the abh modern renaissance palette)  ✰  stila micro tip eyeliner  ✰  too faced better than sex mascara  ✰  abh clear brow gel ✰  eyebrow powder, doesn't matter what brand but i got tamnova at the makeup course so i use that. thin eyebrow pencils are good for a natural look but my brows are too thick for them lol  ✰  this cosmetic mica for highlighter  ✰  glossier generation g lipstick in the color leo  ✰

makeup bag: a somewhat extensive list of on-the-go beauty products for you to consider carrying with you in your makeup bag:

✰ perfume. you can buy small on-the-go perfume bottles like these and fill them with your favorite scent ✰ lip products, such as lip balm, lip gloss, or lipstick ✰ lotion. i bring a small hand lotion bottle, and also carry a small container of my body lotion and cosmetic mica mixture ✰ mini lint roller ✰ tide stain stick ✰ downy wrinkle releaser fabric spray ✰ eyelash curler ✰ foundation powder ✰ mascara ✰ mini hairbrush ✰ mini dry shampoo ✰ mints, mint gum, or mini mouthwash ✰ mini deodorant ✰ summer’s eve wipes ✰ hydrating facial mist ✰ blotting papers ✰ 

✨ 𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕤 ✨

no matter how manicured, tanned, and sparkly you are, if you act with jealousy, spite, and hatred, you will never be beautiful, on the inside or outside. live authentically, act with integrity, and be kind ♡

#prettyandchic #skinnyandchic