01.11 - With a Little Help from My Friends

Uriah burst out laughing too.

Hannah’s gaze alternated between Uriah, Rem, and Rogue. If stares could kill, this would have been a genocide.

“I hate you all!” she cried out.

Then she grabbed a cushion from the couch and catapulted it at Uriah.

He ducked, still grinning as it barely missed him.

“At least your makeup now matches your personality,” he said, still laughing.

Rem was still biting her lip. Her expression was mostly serene, but a faint blush crept up her neck. “It’s not that bad,” she said. Then she too failed to suppress her giggle.

“Honestly, this is an improvement,” Rogue said. “That look suits you. Really brings out your inner self.”

Hannah grabbed a second cushion and threw it at Rogue’s smirking face, with the speed of a bullet and the precision of a veteran sniper.

Rogue yelped as it hit him dead center, knocking him back against the wall.

“Alright, alright,” Mary said. “Let’s not start a war here.”

Uriah’s laughter slowly faded, and the last of his chuckles subsided.

“Okay,” he said. “Hannah, I’m so sorry for taking this long. But now that I’m here. Let’s sort out this mess.”

Uriah carefully surveyed her smudged, overly dramatic makeup, and his grin returned briefly before his expression turned serious again. “Man, where are we even going to start?”

Hannah hesitated. “So… You’re sure you’re going to fix this? And not make it worse?”

“Have a little faith,” Uriah said.

He then addressed Rem and Rogue. “Alright, you two made this mess, so you two will clean it up. Get rid of it while I get my tools. For now, just grab some wipes or a wet towel or something.”

Rem moved first.

She disappeared into the nearby washroom and returned with a wet cloth. She kneeled in front of Hannah and carefully began to remove the smeared foundation.

“Hold still,” Rem said.

“I am,” said Hannah. ”But you are not making this easy.”

Rogue followed with a lot less grace.

He simply grabbed another cloth and half-heartedly swiped Hannah’s cheek before she batted his hand away.

“Stop it, Rogue!” she said. “You’re not sanding a piece of wood!”

“Just following orders,” Rogue said. “If you want to be coddled, pick someone else to help.”

The cleanup continued, sometimes with less, sometimes with more complaints from Hannah.

Uriah meanwhile sorted through a small bag he’d brought.

He pulled out a modest but well-organized collection of makeup supplies.

“Alright,” he said.

He rolled up his sleeves.

“The first rule of makeup: less is more.”

Uriah knelt down in front of Hannah, studying her features with a practiced eye. “When asked, many people often say they like someone with a natural look, without makeup,” he said, pulling out a small brush and a palette of neutral tones. “But what they really mean is they like makeup you can’t identify as makeup. It’s like a toupee; if you can recognize it, you’ve already lost.”

“Now, pay attention,” “Uriah said. “The trick is to hide the imperfections while highlighting your natural beauty. Not too much. Not too little. Just enough to enhance your face at the right places.”

He dabbed the brush into the palette, then started applying the makeup to Hannah’s face.

“Here we go. Just a touch of concealer under the eyes. We are just going to brighten them up a bit.”

He then traced a line along her cheekbone lightly.

“A bit of contour to give some definition. Don’t overdo it, though, or you’ll look like a mannequin.”

Hannah watched him warily.

“A little blush here to add warmth, but not too much. And for the lips…” He paused, holding up a soft pink shade. “Something subtle.”

Uriah stepped back.

“Yeah, that’s a lot better,” he said, gesturing toward the mirror. “Take a look and see for yourself.”

Hannah was still skeptical as she approached the mirror. When she saw her reflection, her eyes widened in surprise. The garish, uneven lines were gone, replaced by a soft, natural look that brought out the warmth in her eyes and the subtle glow of her skin.

“It…” She hesitated. “It looks good. Might even call it pretty.”

“Told you,” Uriah said. “As I said, less is more. Remember the basics, and you’ll be fine.”

Hannah had an expression between gratitude and begrudging admiration.

“Thanks,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” Uriah said.

He tossed his brush back into the bag.

“Honestly, I would have assisted you sooner, but you never seemed the type to care about your appearance. If you ever need me to help you out, just ask. I’ll do what I can. You’ve saved my ass often enough during hunts; guess I still owe you at least a couple of favors.”

Hannah smiled faintly.

Before she could respond, Rogue asked the question that was on everyone's mind. “Alright, now that we’ve got all that sorted, what’s the makeup for?”

Hannah froze.

“I… nothing much… It’s just… something I felt like doing,” she said. “No big deal.”

“Still, it’s a first,” Luc said. “I mean, not that it looks bad or anything…” His eyes darted toward Uriah, who gave him a mock bow. “It’s just… new.”

“It’s almost midsummer,” Hannah said quickly, her cheeks coloring as she straightened. “People do new things for midsummer. There’s a first time for everything.”

“Hmm…,” said Rem while shifting her head. “I do sense a story behind this.”

“No, you don’t,” said Hannah.