Gold, love and mint tea (Yuzuru Hanyu )

62 - Fragmented Truth

AN: songs to be quietly played in background of the second part of the chapter (you'll know when as you read)! i recommend skipping to about 2:53 so that the music is a bit more 'cheerful' and fast paced :)

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The hours following the exhibition gala went by in a blur and all I really remember doing is sitting in the shower and staring off into space, dwelling on the fact that my life was falling apart. Or maybe it already had. I stripped myself bare of everything, thinking that once I stopped relying on unhealthy defense mechanisms to keep myself from crumbling I could let it all out, or even cry it out if I needed to, but instead I just felt empty. I was exhausted, be it emotionally or physically, and I did not gave the energy to feel sadness or anger, just emptiness with nothing but time and loneliness to fill the void.

I don't even bother standing up and start washing my hair, still sitting on the floor and letting the water wash away the exhaustion. And the hair spray. All the damn hairspray. Once I was satisfied enough with the cleanliness of my hair, or rather the ratio of hair to remaining hair spray, I crawl out of the shower and sit on the edge of the tub after wrapping my body and hair in towels, shivering slightly now that I was no longer under the scalding hot water. After staying like that for a while, long enough for the towel in my hair to be fairly damp, I drag myself out of the bathroom, throwing on a bathrobe as I march towards my mini bar, sighing in relief when my eyes land on my precious mint tea. Only enough for one cup.

Great! This better be the best freaking cup of tea that I ever make.

I let the tea sit on the bathroom counter for a few minutes, taking this time to brush my hair and apply moisturizer to keep my skin from looking like I spent a month rotting in the middle of a desert because of all the makeup I had to wear the last couple of days. Once I finally deem that it is safe to try the tea, I carefully bring the mug to my lips, blowing on the liquid for a few seconds before taking a tentative sip. As soon as the tea hits my tastebuds I sigh in relief, inhaling the divine smell of what had to be the best hot drink in the entire world.

Ha! Take that chai tea latte!

I felt relief for one because I was glad I managed to make it how I like it despite the unknown variables, such as the honey, and also because I was glad the tea didn't burn my tongue as it usually does, most times because I'm not patient enough to wait for it to cool down to a reasonable temperature. Patience was never my strong suite, not a virtue I possess as the French would say. 

I munch on the sandwich I had brought up to my room after practice, also simultaneously starting to do my makeup, prodding at my face with various brushes and products, taking sips of tea in between. Once I'm satisfied with my complexion, refined and flawless, as well as my eyebrows that were now a bit darker, defined and secured in place with a transparent gel, I move on to eye makeup. I swatch a few eyeshadow colors, hesitating between doing a neutral nude smoky eye or an eye catching lavender shadow with a black winged liner. In the end I opt for the colorful look, deciding I might as well make a statement tonight.

Who cares anyway? Not like anyone's gonna be thinking about my makeup.

It takes me longer than expected to layer on the different shadows on my eyelids, blending them relentlessly until I was satisfied with the results after which I apply mascara and eyeliner with a practiced hand. I take a step back, applying some lip balm while I inspect my hair, trying to decide what to do with it. Without really making a decision I let out a deep breath, deciding to just curl it a bit to make it look presentable and leave it at that. If Chris will let me, that is. Well whatever, if she has anything against my hair she'll have to do it herself and knowing Chris that's exactly what she'll do. I finish my sandwich as I wait for the curling iron to heat up, and speed through the process, parting my hair and alternating between small and big strands, styling them into loose curls that, gave my hair the texture and volume it lacked while still looking effortless and natural.