61. Sciencey-Makeup
06-08-2024
A/N: You can ignore the outfit pictures that I put for this chapter if you want! I only put it there if someone wants inspiration for whatever they would wear for the selection! The outfit you want is up for interpretation!
(Art credit to rika-dono on DeviantArt)
Q: What kind of fashion style do you say you like or wear?
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In the early morning, Amaryllis had left the Sapphire Cave to get some materials that Senku needed to create a few things. That would include makeup, shampoo, and conditioner--three things you requested of him to make sure the selection goes off without any issues regarding beauty. She ended up coming back with many fruits and different types of flowers, which were used to create the three items.
You sat down in a chair that Senku had set outside the lab. "Okay, before we do anything with the makeup and hair products, what's the plan regarding me?"
"First of all, if we're going to get you selected, we need to come up with an elaborate story on your appearance. You looks nothing like the people on the island, which isn't a bad thing, but it'll cause a lot of suspicion," said Amaryllis as she studied your face and body.
"Would it be smarter if (Y/N) stayed behind...?" Suika suggested with wonder.
Ginro added with a bothered look on his face, "She already told some of the islanders that she knows that Moz guy as a lie..."
"Unfortunately, no... Moz already has his eye on her and is expecting her to show up. If she doesn't appear, he'll go looking for her, which could lead him to this place," the woman explained to all. "As for the people in my village, I'll come up with something after talking with them later. A few of them should be able to help us."
Senku added as he held up his hand, showing the mirror ring on his finger, "Plus, she's the only one who can actually communicate with us from long distance subtly."
"But it's not like she'll be automatically accepted here without a good backstory..." Soyuz worriedly stated.
Everyone began to think so that they could come up with a plan. Gen then had a close-eyed smile on his face as he came up to you. "Then, why don't we tell everyone that she's descended from the heavens? A myth, of some sort, just like in the Hundred Tales."
"You think they're gonna believe that? She's far from heavenly." Haru raised an eyebrow, and you flicked their forehead with your finger.
"Before we believed in science, we also believed in sorcery and gods. I'm sure that if we somehow trick them, we can convince them that (Y/N) is worth choosing!" Kohaku exclaimed.
"Exactly~! All I gotta do is teach her some magic tricks, have her perform some 'sorcery' or 'blessings' in front of the villagers, and get them convinced~" the mentalist explained as he stood behind your chair. He then held your hands up as if you were a puppet. "As long as they pay attention to (Y/N)-chan, they won't know what's happening..."
"You know, I'm still not happy with what you did yesterday, Gen," you casually mention as you snatched your hands away. As he raised his hands in defense with sweat droplet rolling down his head, you added, "I won't mind doing this as long as it gets me into the harem."
"The only problem is that we can't do anything too out of the ordinary. They might ask you to recreate something if you were to perform it at the selection. That means no science involved whatsoever," your boyfriend stated.
Gen then replied with a reassuring smile, "Then, I'll only teach her some tricks that she could keep at the sleight of her hand."
"Like palming?" You wondered as you remembered his little trick he did in front of Magma on the bridge awhile ago.
"Yes," he said, and his hand went directly to your ear. When he flicked his fingers, a flower appeared between his digits as he pulled it back, impressing those around you. "I'll teach you everything you need to know, dear (Y/N)-chan~"
"I guess we're settled then! Now, let's fix her hair and put on some sciencey-makeup! Same with Kohaku!" ordered Amaryllis.
First, the islander aided you in washing your (H/C) hair using the newly made shampoo and conditioner, doing the same to the lioness when you were done. Once it was washed thoroughly, the Kohaku helped dry it by fanning her hair and yours rapidly.
While Amaryllis continued to help the blonde woman, Senku helped you style your threads in a way that you used to do in the modern world. He was using special combs and brushes that he created with the new cosmetics. His hands were soft enough, and he himself knew how to fix your hair in the way you liked the most. You were happy that your partner made everything he could to make sure your wonderful hair wouldn't get ruined.
"Thank you for helping me, Senku," you told him--you sitting at the chair while he lightly touched your strands. "Your hands feel nice on my head."
"Well, I sometimes gotta be gentle with a slowpoke like you," he told you.
"'Sometimes?'" You snickered as you heard that. "Why not all the time?"
He leaned down only for your ears, and replied nonchalantly, "We both know that you're bold enough for the opposite."
Your face heavily darkened in color upon hearing those unexpected words. The looks of confusion were shot your way, causing you to cover your face with your fingers.
"Okay, now that your hair is pretty much done, we should start with the makeup!" Amaryllis said with the clap of her hands. She looked at all the cosmetics that Senku had created and was interested to try them out.
"Hah! So by putting these on my face, I'll become cute by the power of science!" Kohaku exclaimed as she held the makeup like they were weapons. She then started smearing the makeup all over herself in a frenzy--fast enough for dust clouds to form around her. When she turned around, all of you looked in horror at the monstrosity in front of you as the dust had cleared.
"AHHH! WHAT IS THAT?!" Suika and Soyuz screamed in terror. Gen seemed to be throwing up upon seeing her.
You started with sweat rolling down your temples, "...in the nicest way possible, Kohaku, I think that you look--"
"Ugly. Gross. Creepy. Disgusting. Repulsive. Nasty. Vile. Awful. Unsightly. Revolting," Haru listed off as they looked at the blonde woman with distaste. "There's no way this grotesque woman is getting picked."
"You didn't have to bring out the whole dictionary to say what we're thinking here," Senku said, which resulted in you elbowing him and slapping Haru on the back of the head. "Buuuuut, it's a good thing we have (Y/N) here, but we need to make sure her issue is solved. We need more candidates."
"LET ME FIX THIS!" Amaryllis cried as she approached the lioness. "Listen, Kohaku, you're the type whose hair does most of the heavy lifting. You should go for a natural look with a little bit of makeup."
You nodded. "I agree. We should mostly do some touch-ups around her eyes and put a light lipstick color on her."
You and the islander fixed her face with the makeup. Then, Amaryllis gave her a short, pink dress and a ribbon collar that she brought in her little boat for her to wear. After placing a few flowers in her hair, you were basically quick and done with the girl.
"Kohaku looks like the shamaness now! So pretty!" Suika cried as she jumped up and down, seeing how lovely Kohaku looked now.
"She is Ruri-sama's little sister, after all," said Ginro with a happier smile.
"This sciencey-makeup did the trick! With this in hand, I wonder..." she then looked at you and the rest of the group. "The more candidates, the better, right? Let's run with that idea! But let's do (Y/N) first!"
"Ah. I can do my own makeup," you said with your hands up. "Before I start, I need to know what type of beautiful woman would usually get picked at the selection."
She answered earnestly, "Usually...the girls who look young and petite would get chosen."
You cringed as you heard that. "Oh. So the one picking is a creep who likes younger girls...okay, I get the idea now."
You took the makeup from the pile and propped up a mirror for yourself as you did your own work in the lab. It took a little bit of effort, but you did your best to make sure you looked like someone that would get chosen for the selection. You even picked out some clothes that Amaryllis had brought from her pile to match with your pretty face.
"Alright, I'm done. I didn't cake it too much and made sure I looked kinda young," you said as you walked out of the lab.
You could see your friends looking at you with what appeared to be astonishment, except for Senku, who had a satisfied smirk on his face. With their mouths agape in surprise, you couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable with their silence.
Feigning a cough, you spoke first, "Ahem. How do I look?"
Because of your skin tone, you made sure to choose colors that blended well together. You had also made it so that any eyeliner, eye shadow, blush, or lipstick would highlight your facial features in a soft way. The hues around your visual spheres complemented its (E/C) pigment, making it the target for those with the eyes to see. This would have you appearing young, feminine, and most importantly, natural.
However, you did your best to cover any of the stone markings on your face and hands. It would be a dead giveaway that you were an intruder.
"At least you know how to use makeup, that's for sure," Haru commented.
"Woooow, (Y/N)! You look so, so beautiful!" Suika complimented your appearance.
Kohaku nodded in response as she had a tinge of pink on her cheeks. With a proud smile tugging at her face, she replied, "There's no way they won't choose you now!"
Soyuz clutched his chest and had a huge blush on his face as he looked at both you and Kohaku next to each other. Ginro seemed to do the same, except his face was more sleazy than the bald man's.
"You should say something nice, Senku-chan~" Gen nudged your partner using his elbow.
"I don't have to. I always think she looks great, even when she looks messy," Senku said, causing the mentalist to look at him with a dead look on his face. "What?"
"Thank you, guys," you said with a small smile. "This should be enough to get chosen, right?"
"ABSOLUTELY! Now we just gotta do the others, hehehe." The woman's eyes rolled over to the others with mischief. "(Y/N), do you mind helping me?"
With a close-eyed smile, you answered as you cracked your knuckles, holding the makeup supplies, "I don't. I've actually been waiting to do this..."
Soon enough, you were both putting makeup on all of the men in the room. You did Senku's, while Amaryllis did Gen and Soyuz. All the rest watched as they went first.
"This is ten billion percent not gonna work," your partner stated with an annoyed look on his face. With pigtails and a mint-colored dress, Senku had pink lipstick and pink eyeshadow around his eyes, as well as thickened eyelashes.
You held in your giggles as you looked at the makeup and clothing he wore. "Only if you talk! But you make for a beautiful woman, love. You should wear dresses more often~"
"Please stop."
"My voice is one thing I can fake~" you heard an unfamiliar voice speak. You turned your head to see that it was Gen, who looked extremely well in makeup.
"Holy crap, he really sounds like a girl!" Amaryllis exclaimed with surprise.
"Yeah, but he's too tall...and with this makeup, he looks and sounds like an older woman," you replied with a sigh. "You'd be such a good candidate too, Gen."
The mentalist winked in your direction. "Why thank you, (Y/N)-chan~"
"If Ibara wasn't such a dirty, old man, having a nice, older woman would be a great addition to a harem." Haru nodded with a grin on their face. Then they looked at Soyuz. "But this is a hard nope."
You and the others turned to the big bald man, and agreed. "Yeah, no. Too masculine, too deep, and too tall."
"We just need someone petite with a relatively high-pitched voice..." Kohaku stated as the men started taking off their makeup and dresses.
All of you looked directly at Ginro. He was the perfect candidate for the harem selection. A smiled curled on all of your faces in unison.
"No! Absolutely not!" Ginro screamed out and tried to run away. But Kohaku used her strength to keep him in place, causing him to cry.
"What about Haru-chan?" Amaryllis suddenly asked as she looked at the young child. "They already look girl-ish, so a little makeup wouldn't really change them too much."
"Yeah, I'll join! I want in on some action!" Haru excitedly exclaimed.
You shook your head. "No way. They're only fourteen. Not old enough for the selection."
"Aw, come on! You guys need people on the inside, and I'm literally the one person that the old man is definitely gonna choose!" They argued with you.
"That makes it worse. We're not gonna let some sicko look or touch you in any way," you said in disgust.
Holding up their katana, they retorted, "But I can defend myself!"
"You'll jeopardize the mission if you bring that!" You told them.
"Why don't we just put some makeup on and see how they'll look? And instead of joining the harem, they will be the one to relay the message to us and survey the area up close and personal," Senku suggested as he crossed his arms.
You and Haru looked at each other before nodding in agreement. If they couldn't join the harem, then at least they'll be able to help in this way. This allowed the island woman to clean the child, as well as dress up Haru and apply makeup on them.
"I finished Haru-chan!" Amaryllis announced as she finished putting the makeup on their face. She backed away and your group saw the finished product.
The woman was right. She didn't even need a lot of makeup to make Haru look more feminine. The pink lipstick made their pale lips look soft, while the the concealer covered up any stray markings and scars on their face--their mole was left alone. A faint amount of blush was spread to emphasize the cheeks, making them appear rounder. Bright, red eyeshadow was applied to the corners of eyelids and eyes, which highlighted their silver-like spheres. With the finishing touches, Amaryllis tied their hair to have buns on their head, along with two low pigtails.
"Can you please stop staring? You guys look like dead goldfish," Haru said as they averted their gaze from the group. They wouldn't look at your faces, since all of your mouths were agape with surprise.
"Who is this sassy child?" You asked as you pointed at them.
Senku joined in on the joke, "Get this kid back to their mama. We don't know them."
Furrowing their eyebrows, they retorted, "Stop joking!"
"You really look like a completely different person!" Kohaku blurted out.
"Suika thinks you look pretty, Haru!" Suika told them, causing them to blush so suddenly. "Makeup really does its wonders!"
Gen asked the kid, "Haru-chan, you've worn makeup before, have you?"
"It's been awhile since I had makeup on...I don't usually wear it unless I have to go to formal events," said Haru with a sigh. They then looked over to Ginro. "It's your turn now."
"NO, PLEASE!" The blonde boy begged for mercy as you and Amaryllis started headig in his direction. Unfortunately for him, mercy was gone and had flown away to support another.
~~~
"Okay, it's time to go. Ibara will be on his way to my village for the harem selection," said Amaryllis. "Please make sure you have everything you need, because there will be no turning back, girls!"
Kohaku nodded. You remembered that she had hidden a weapon as a leg garter. But you had no idea where she'd gotten it. As for you, you had your wakizashi sheath hidden within your back--the blade pointed down toward your bottom and the handle was pointed up toward your head. The handle was wrapped up in a large ribbon to make it look as though it was an accessory connected to your dress. Besides the weapons, you had a small pouch hanging from your leg, similar to a garter as well.
"You remember all of the tricks I taught you, right, (Y/N)-chan?" Gen questioned you before you headed out.
You nodded, causing the mentalist to smile. "Yup. I'll be sure to use all of them."
"I think we're good to go!" Kohaku confirmed her readiness to leave.
"Ah, one more thing!" you said before stepping on the boat. You looked over to Senku and ran up to him, giving him a tight hug. "I'll miss you."
He tenderly returned the hug. "I will miss you too. Make sure you stay safe. Don't be stupid, slowpoke."
With a chuckle, you replied as you pulled back, "Yeah, yeah, I will."
"Remember, I'll always be here for you, even if you can't see me," said Senku with a smirk. He was looking directly into your (E/C) eyes as he said that with sincerity.
Your heart seemed to have skipped a beat when hearing those words from him. Gently placing your hands over you heart, a little smile tugged at your cheeks. You then placed a light kiss on his forehead, which had him putting his hand over it.
"I'll make sure to give you a proper one when I'm safe and sound. That's a promise," you swore, holding a pinky up to his face.
The scientist chuckled slightly, taking your pinky in his. "Alright. When I see you again, you better be safe and sound so I can get a proper one."
"Can you get on with it already, lovebirds?! We gotta go!" Haru shouted at the both of you. The group was already in the boat, waiting just for you.
You turned your head toward them with an annoyed expression on your face, but sighed. "See you later, Senku."
"See you later, (Y/N)."
-To be Continued-
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Again, the clothing you wear is up for interpretation. Also, for Haru's makeup, I looked at Maomao from The Apothecary Diaries for inspiration.