Story: "Brewing Beauty"
Jan. 24th, 2015 03:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis story is from the January 2015 Torn World Muse Fusion. It was inspired by LJ user Sassy_bovine. It also fills the "flirting" square in my 9-1-14 card for the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
ladiesbingo fest. This story belongs to the Torn World project, although it has not yet been approved by the Canon Board.
"Brewing Beauty"
[1521.04.02]
The young scientist looked beautiful. Her skin held just a hint of the Mayaloi dark skin, but her blue-black hair flared with green and violet iridescence as the wind sent it rippling down her back. She stood at the bow of the cruise ship Wavebiter, one hand on the rail for balance.
Mirulani wanted very much to open a conversation of business and pleasure with her. The carnal worker sidled along the rail, letting the sunlight snag and flash on her own copper curls. "Greetings, Citizen," she said. "I'm Mirulani, here for the pleasure of our passengers."
"And you're asking me?" the scientist said, blinking in surprise. Up close, her dark eyes shifted from black to deepest indigo. "I-I'm Kalaida."
"I heard that you're a scientist," Mirulani said. "What field do you study?"
"Life chemistry," Kalaida said. She tucked a long, straight hank of hair behind her ear.
"Ah, then we have an interest in common," said Mirulani. "I have a hobby license for making cosmetics. I enjoy mixing up my own from herbs and such."
Kalaida's gazed turned from idle to intent. It swept over Mirulani's entire body, lingering on her shoulders and the tips of her hair bright with mica, and her glossed lips. "Let me guess ... aloe gel as a carrier for the glitter."
"Yes," Mirulani said. "The base is aloe and glycerin, plus clear mica on my skin and gold on my hair."
"I love your perfume too."
"Plumeria oil, in the body glitter," Mirulani said.
"The lip gloss ..." Kalaida moved closer, swaying a little with the cadence of the boat.
"Don't be shy," Mirulani invited.
"Beeswax of course, for the body, thinned with an oil -- something edible like sesame or apricot," Kalaida said.
"Apricot kernel and calendula oils," Mirulani said. That wasn't all, but she wasn't giving away the rest just yet.
"The color is translucent peach. Beet juice?" said Kalaida.
"Beet juice for depth, and the calendula oil brightens it," said Mirulani.
"Is it flavored? I mean, did you put another oil or extract in for that?" Kalaida said.
Mirulani smiled. "Come and find out."
Hesitant yet game to try it, Kalaida leaned forward and kissed her. Mirulani kissed back, gentle and encouraging. Kalaida dared to nibble at her lip, searching for the elusive flavor.
"Orange!" the scientist exclaimed as she pulled away.
"Correct," Mirulani said. She did not chase after Kalaida. Plenty of women were up for a little exploration with another woman, but you couldn't court them as vigorously as you could with those who preferred women. You had to coax them gently and then let them come to you if they would.
"I wish I could wear cosmetics like that, but it's hard to find ones I really like, and your colors would be all wrong for me," Kalaida said wistfully.
"Well, the gold mica hair gel is right out. The body gel is clear, though; anyone could wear that," Mirulani said. "For lip gloss, I think you'd do better with pure beet for a deeper red, but I don't have a way to make that here on the ship. I do have the ingredients for the hair gel, and I think I have some blue mica in my kit that would look stunning on you. It would accent your natural blue."
"It sounds lovely," said Kalaida.
Mirulani beckoned. "Come back to my cabin and we can mix up a batch," she said.
"I never thought I'd wind up brewing beauty products with a carnal worker, but it sounds like fun," the scientist agreed.
Kalaida was happy to putter through Mirulani's little collection of cosmetic craft supplies. Together they mixed the aloe vera gel and the glycerin. Then Kalaida chose oil of peppermint for the scent. She sighed in admiration of the smooth blue mica powder, which Mirulani added in a careful pinch. They stirred everything until smooth. Finally Mirulani showed Kalaida how to dip her fingertips in the sparkly gel and coat the tips of her hair.
"Thank you," Kalaida said. "This is beautiful!"
It really did look exquisite, a pale blue flash as the end of the long peacock-glossed strands of black.
Mirulani took out one of her calling cards and -- instead of the usual romantic verse -- wrote the recipe on the back. She sealed the card with a lip print of pale peach gloss. "If you wish to share pleasure, you know where to find me," Mirulani said as she passed the card to the other woman.
"I'll think about it," Kalaida said, slipping the card into her bodice.
* * *
Notes:
Flirting with another woman is a basic skill for bisexuals and lesbians. Here are some tips.
(Some of the following links are for Torn World registered readers only; registration is free and gains you perks like seeing more material.)
In the Southern Empire, they use licenses for everything. So the focus is far more on gender licensing than identity or orientation, so according to current Empire-wide law only a couple with someone licensed as a man and someone licensed as a woman may marry -- but the bodies under the clothes could just as easily be both male or both female. (Local laws vary.) They care far less about choice of lovers, and don't seem to draw rigid lines of orientation. So there are some folks with firm preferences, but a lot of recreational experimentation. Prostitution is legal and respected as part of the Carnal Guild.
Here are some herbal makeup recipes.
Mica is used for sheen and texture. It comes in clear, gold, light blue, and many other colors. Think of them like a box of crayons; they mix well.
Plumeria and peppermint are two of many essential oils used in cosmetics. A set of a dozen or so oils with high, middle, and low notes of different types will give you a decent palette, especially when traveling.
ladiesbingo fest. This story belongs to the Torn World project, although it has not yet been approved by the Canon Board."Brewing Beauty"
[1521.04.02]
The young scientist looked beautiful. Her skin held just a hint of the Mayaloi dark skin, but her blue-black hair flared with green and violet iridescence as the wind sent it rippling down her back. She stood at the bow of the cruise ship Wavebiter, one hand on the rail for balance.
Mirulani wanted very much to open a conversation of business and pleasure with her. The carnal worker sidled along the rail, letting the sunlight snag and flash on her own copper curls. "Greetings, Citizen," she said. "I'm Mirulani, here for the pleasure of our passengers."
"And you're asking me?" the scientist said, blinking in surprise. Up close, her dark eyes shifted from black to deepest indigo. "I-I'm Kalaida."
"I heard that you're a scientist," Mirulani said. "What field do you study?"
"Life chemistry," Kalaida said. She tucked a long, straight hank of hair behind her ear.
"Ah, then we have an interest in common," said Mirulani. "I have a hobby license for making cosmetics. I enjoy mixing up my own from herbs and such."
Kalaida's gazed turned from idle to intent. It swept over Mirulani's entire body, lingering on her shoulders and the tips of her hair bright with mica, and her glossed lips. "Let me guess ... aloe gel as a carrier for the glitter."
"Yes," Mirulani said. "The base is aloe and glycerin, plus clear mica on my skin and gold on my hair."
"I love your perfume too."
"Plumeria oil, in the body glitter," Mirulani said.
"The lip gloss ..." Kalaida moved closer, swaying a little with the cadence of the boat.
"Don't be shy," Mirulani invited.
"Beeswax of course, for the body, thinned with an oil -- something edible like sesame or apricot," Kalaida said.
"Apricot kernel and calendula oils," Mirulani said. That wasn't all, but she wasn't giving away the rest just yet.
"The color is translucent peach. Beet juice?" said Kalaida.
"Beet juice for depth, and the calendula oil brightens it," said Mirulani.
"Is it flavored? I mean, did you put another oil or extract in for that?" Kalaida said.
Mirulani smiled. "Come and find out."
Hesitant yet game to try it, Kalaida leaned forward and kissed her. Mirulani kissed back, gentle and encouraging. Kalaida dared to nibble at her lip, searching for the elusive flavor.
"Orange!" the scientist exclaimed as she pulled away.
"Correct," Mirulani said. She did not chase after Kalaida. Plenty of women were up for a little exploration with another woman, but you couldn't court them as vigorously as you could with those who preferred women. You had to coax them gently and then let them come to you if they would.
"I wish I could wear cosmetics like that, but it's hard to find ones I really like, and your colors would be all wrong for me," Kalaida said wistfully.
"Well, the gold mica hair gel is right out. The body gel is clear, though; anyone could wear that," Mirulani said. "For lip gloss, I think you'd do better with pure beet for a deeper red, but I don't have a way to make that here on the ship. I do have the ingredients for the hair gel, and I think I have some blue mica in my kit that would look stunning on you. It would accent your natural blue."
"It sounds lovely," said Kalaida.
Mirulani beckoned. "Come back to my cabin and we can mix up a batch," she said.
"I never thought I'd wind up brewing beauty products with a carnal worker, but it sounds like fun," the scientist agreed.
Kalaida was happy to putter through Mirulani's little collection of cosmetic craft supplies. Together they mixed the aloe vera gel and the glycerin. Then Kalaida chose oil of peppermint for the scent. She sighed in admiration of the smooth blue mica powder, which Mirulani added in a careful pinch. They stirred everything until smooth. Finally Mirulani showed Kalaida how to dip her fingertips in the sparkly gel and coat the tips of her hair.
"Thank you," Kalaida said. "This is beautiful!"
It really did look exquisite, a pale blue flash as the end of the long peacock-glossed strands of black.
Mirulani took out one of her calling cards and -- instead of the usual romantic verse -- wrote the recipe on the back. She sealed the card with a lip print of pale peach gloss. "If you wish to share pleasure, you know where to find me," Mirulani said as she passed the card to the other woman.
"I'll think about it," Kalaida said, slipping the card into her bodice.
* * *
Notes:
Flirting with another woman is a basic skill for bisexuals and lesbians. Here are some tips.
(Some of the following links are for Torn World registered readers only; registration is free and gains you perks like seeing more material.)
In the Southern Empire, they use licenses for everything. So the focus is far more on gender licensing than identity or orientation, so according to current Empire-wide law only a couple with someone licensed as a man and someone licensed as a woman may marry -- but the bodies under the clothes could just as easily be both male or both female. (Local laws vary.) They care far less about choice of lovers, and don't seem to draw rigid lines of orientation. So there are some folks with firm preferences, but a lot of recreational experimentation. Prostitution is legal and respected as part of the Carnal Guild.
Here are some herbal makeup recipes.
Mica is used for sheen and texture. It comes in clear, gold, light blue, and many other colors. Think of them like a box of crayons; they mix well.
Plumeria and peppermint are two of many essential oils used in cosmetics. A set of a dozen or so oils with high, middle, and low notes of different types will give you a decent palette, especially when traveling.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2015-01-25 08:10 am (UTC)Hmm...
Date: 2015-01-25 08:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-01-24 10:49 pm (UTC)BTW: Does the carnal guild ever give manners and poise lessons to children?
[Note: Down South where I was raised, some ladies actually provided LESSONS for pre- and post-adolescent girls in manners, poise, and etiquette. It was quite common and I knew a lot of girls who took them.]
I'm thinking older members of the carnal guild might be perfect for passing these skills on to the younger generation.
:^}
Yes...
Date: 2015-01-24 10:56 pm (UTC)In so many ways!
>> BTW: Does the carnal guild ever give manners and poise lessons to children?
[Note: Down South where I was raised, some ladies actually provided LESSONS for pre- and post-adolescent girls in manners, poise, and etiquette. It was quite common and I knew a lot of girls who took them.]
I'm thinking older members of the carnal guild might be perfect for passing these skills on to the younger generation. <<
I don't think it's the carnal guild that does that. Schools do offer lots and lots of citizenship classes. Some other lessons include related manners, like the music lessons that Rai and Bai took. But there might be more in the carnal guild that I don't know about -- we're still exploring! You could go over to the Muse Fusion, which is open all weekend, and prompt for this.
The carnal guild does offer romantic/sexual education to adults. Many new adults head there for experience and information. Married couples who discover that one spouse has a keen interest somewhere the other has no experience may also seek expert assistance there.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-01-25 06:30 am (UTC):^}
(no subject)
Date: 2015-01-25 03:31 am (UTC)The carnal guild would definitely teach classes of a more personal nature for adults and new adults. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2015-01-25 06:12 am (UTC):^|
Alas!
Date: 2015-01-25 06:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-01-25 03:40 am (UTC)We have a ton of mica here - the driveway absolutely sparkles in certain lights. I've often wondered how hard it would be to gather it and use it in art.
Thank you!
Date: 2015-01-25 03:50 am (UTC)Yay! Mirulani is a repeat from earlier, and the scientist is new.
>> And I want to lick my lips - the descriptions are just yummy. <<
I write for the Llewellyn Herbal Almanac, so it wasn't hard for me to find promising recipes.
>> We have a ton of mica here - the driveway absolutely sparkles in certain lights. I've often wondered how hard it would be to gather it and use it in art. <<
Depends on what you want to do with it. Gathering mica is easy if you have a rich deposit. Grinding it isn't too difficult if you want to put it in coarse media like I did -- I was making sand glass candles at the time. Grind it to the consistency of table salt and you can sprinkle it on paintings.
If you want to mix it into paint or use it in cosmetics, then you are probably better off buying refined mica powder which is like cornstarch. It's not all that expensive.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-08-22 11:05 am (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2015-08-22 08:00 pm (UTC)