bakerstreet | Spruce you up

The Personal Hygiene Shipping Meme

Personal hygiene is just that - personal. By the time we've come to a point in our lives where we notice that the concept exists and we should be prudent about it, we can take care of ourselves. There are also many practical reasons why we don't involve other people in this process. We're not too keen on showing off parts to be cleaned that are private in most contexts, and there's definitely an ingrained aversion to showing so much soft, fleshy skin. Hot water or a sharp razor could spell dangerous with a capital D should they come into the hands of someone with a vendetta against you. No need to be extra vulnerable.

So, if you're involving another person in your cleansing routines, it must be someone you trust. Not only that, but it's most likely someone you're comfortable with and likely at least somewhat open to being intimate with. You may not be dropping all your clothing in front of them, but it's still you opening yourself up to touching and closeness unparalleled in more "usual" moments.

Established and burgeoning couples (or not-so-couples) can bond through this showing of care and good faith. Will you like being pampered and find the attention endearing? Or will things go terribly, terribly wrong?

...you never should have let them near that shaving cream.

Comment with your character and preferences.
Smut is not required. Mention if you want/don't want it.
Reply to others and use the RNG.

Comfort: You've decided to pitch in a helping hand to get your partner to unwind, and warm water or suds may do the trick.
Romantic: The sole purpose of this endeavor is to set a lovey-dovey mood. No shame here!
It Started Out Platonic...: What a good pal you are, volunteering to give your friend a good scrub. Of course, you didn't count on the cute way she squirms as you scrub her back or how he blushes when you shampoo his scalp.
No Choice: Currently, you're unable to clean yourself up. That means that you need assistance, and it might as well be the person you lov- tolerate the most.
Open: You have trust issues. Actually, you have backlogs of trust issues. Still, you want to show the person you love that you're willing and trying to change for them, and what better way than letting down your walls and having the assist in your grooming?
Shave: Whether it's your face, your legs, or...your other places you've decided to shave, there's a certain intimacy involved in letting your lover do it for you. Let's hope they won't leave you looking like you got into a battle with a book with the paper cuts to prove it.
Reluctant: They want to get you clean. You don't want to show off your body at all. It's injured, it looks weird, what if they don't like it...
Forced: You love them, you really do, but you won't kiss them if they continue to look like an unwashed hobo clown. You have to draw the line somewhere, and if they won't take action, you will.
Beat Up: You've been trampled in a fight. Your partner isn't about to let you wallow around in your own mud and blood.
Hair: Some find that there's nothing quite as soothing as getting their hair washed or brushed. Of course, those with more luxurious locks may find any hair care a burden, so the assistance is appreciated.
Make Up: They think you're beautiful already. See how they'll paint you up when they get the chance.
Unique: If you're not human, you probably have your own proceeders you have to do to keep all spiffied up. There are wings with stray feathers to pluck, horns on heads to polish, scales to shave down, all sorts of tasks! Introduce your ignorant (and most likely human) boyfriend or girlfriend to your world...and your pain.
Accommodations: Those with disabilities or prosthetics may also have their own routines, and anyone who wants to be with them should learn how to pitch in.
Sponge Bath: You don't have enough water to do this right or you just want to give them a nice rub and scrub with a gentle sponge or wash cloth.
Wound Care: In order for wounds to heal, proper care must be taken. Bandages have to be changed and cuts cleaned out. It's certainly easier when you don't have to do it all by yourself.
Together: You're both cleaning up, taking a bath, splish splash, in the same tub because there's no where else to go. This is the most likely smut option, even if, again, it starts off "platonic."
Clothing: Don't forget that clean clothes are an important part of personal hygiene. Always make sure your partner has a nice, fresh outfit, even if it's to your taste and not theirs.
I've Made a Terrible Mistake: Somehow, everything's now shit. This little experiment went haywire and you may be sporting anything from the worst hairdo of your life to a Columbian necktie.
FREE SPACE

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ #10 looks particularly nice since he has long hair. ]

So long, so soft...Ahhh, I wish I had hair this pretty!

[ Her voice is breathy with admiration and satisfaction as she gathers his hair up in her hands and presses one cheek against the fine strands. If only her own hair were like this...! Maybe he knows a secret to keeping it nice, she'll definitely have to ask.

With one last sound of delight she lets his hair go, but only so she can pick up a comb. Such nice hair must absolutely be taken care of, after all. ]

Everyone you meet must be so jealous of your hair!

[Canute stiffens a bit when he senses the woman already beginning to touch his hair. His cheeks flush a soft red as his gaze focuses on the ground, his hands places in his lap. He is still a bit apprehensive about talking to people, the only ones he is able to hold a conversation with being Ragnar and Thorfinn (kind of). And he hasn't quite seen a woman like the pink haired Mitsuri Kanroji.]

N-Not...really...

[He's been thought to be a girl on many occasions though he supposes that it is his own fault. He does not use weapons and often takes time to pray. Not a lot of time to get as muscular as the Danes he finds himself surrounded by on the daily.]

But thank you. Your hair is like nothing I have seen before at all. It's really u-unique.

[ Equal parts embarrassment and pride run through her at his words. Good thing she's sitting behind him right now, so he can't see the red that creeps across her face as she ducks her head down. ]

Do you really think so? You don't think it's weird or anything?

[ Her voice drops lower with each passing word as brief flashes of memory flit through her mind. Of the disgusted looks of her fiance, and the sidelong glances from everyone passing by her on the street. ]

I certainly haven't seen anything like it but I wouldn't call it weird...

[Canute keeps his gaze fixed to the floor. Kanroji is definitely a welcome change from the usual brutes that he finds himself surrounded by, most definitely. Even the ways she brushes his hair is nice. He closes his eyes, appreciating the feeling of being cared for by a cute girl. It is something that he should enjoy, right? So he'll take the time to enjoy it.]

You have a lot of it too...do you usually put it in different hairstyles too? [He imagines Kanroji with hair in one giant braid and smiles. That might look nice.] I would style mine but I wouldn't know how to.

(m/m for shipping; ota for gen.)

[ lmk if you want pre or post timeskip ]

( Bring on the brushy brushy. )

( f/f for shipping, ota for gen. )

[150% reluctant about everything if on the receiving side, a bit less so on the helping someone else part.]

(Could a vampire help a girl even if she's been beaten up and there's traces of blood?)

[Sure! It'll be a bit more trying but he can manage it.]

(Or she can be super bruised instead if that helps?)

[Either's fine really.]

*Cue Faye, stumbling from the door of the bar, wisps of smoke trailing in her wake. She hobbles a few steps and leans against the wall of another building, one hand hovering tentatively over her ribs. There's a shadow under her eye that hints at the bruise it will become, a faint trickle of blood falling from her lips. This is definitely a case of 'you should see the other guy'...*

(/steeples fingers, How do you feel about a castmate? Any particulars you'd want to block/encourage/lay out ahead of starter? ~~I'm rusty, but the "aaa" I made, man.~~)

[Ahhh yes! It's D so outright romantic gestures are gonna be really unlikely but otherwise I'm game to try anything that catches your interest?]

(No one is lucky enough for that out of him, really. I was thinking some blend of reluctant, beat up, and wound care? I'm leaning towards post-novel, honestly, if that works for you?)

[true, it would involve expressing an emotion and that is not his strong suit. And all that works fine for me! He could always swing by again on his way after some other hunt.]