#makeup disaster

Serving: Glitter

"Look! Look at this one! It's called 'Sunset Gold'! And this one is 'Diamond Dust'!"

Kalim Al-Asim was vibrating with excitement. He was sitting cross-legged on a pile of silk cushions in the middle of the Scarabia lounge, surrounded by enough expensive makeup palettes to stock a Sephora.

"Jamil said I bought too much," Kalim laughed, waving a brush that looked like it cost more than your tuition. "But look how shiny it is! [....], you have to let me try it on you! Please? You'd look like a treasure!"

How could you say no to that face? Especially when his own eyes were already dusted with a shimmering gold that made his irises pop.

"Okay, Kalim," you sighed, smiling. "But go easy. I don't want to look like a chandelier."

"Yay!" Kalim cheered. "Don't worry! I've been practicing! I watched, like, three tutorials!"

You sat down in front of him. He scooted closer, his face a mask of intense (for him) concentration.

"Okay, close your eyes!"

You felt the soft bristles of the brush tickle your eyelids. "This color is perfect," he mumbled happily. "It matches your soul! Bright and sparkly!"

For the first few minutes, it was surprisingly relaxing. Kalim was gentle, humming a little tune as he worked. You started to think maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be a disaster.

Then, he reached for the loose glitter.

"Okay, now for the finale!" Kalim announced. He picked up a pot of pure, loose, gold flakes. "We just need a little bit of pop right here..."

He dipped the brush in. He overloaded it. Heavily.

"Hold still..." he whispered, leaning in close.

His nose twitched. The dust from the glitter pot tickled his nose. His breath hitched.

"Kalim?" you asked, opening one eye. "Are you—"

"Aaah... AAAH... CHOO!"

Kalim sneezed. A massive, powerful sneeze right into the open pot of loose glitter he was holding directly in front of your faces.

POOF.

It was like a gold mine had exploded. A cloud of shimmering dust erupted into the air, swirling in the draft from the AC, coating absolutely everything in a three-foot radius.

You sat there, frozen. You slowly opened your eyes. Your eyelashes were gold. Your nose was gold. Your uniform was gold. You looked at Kalim. He looked like a golden statue that had just come to life. His white hair was now blond. His dark skin was shimmering. Even his eyelashes were weighed down by flakes.

There was a beat of silence.

"Oh no!" Kalim gasped, wiping his eyes and smearing the glitter into a streak across his face. "[....]! I'm so sorry! I sneezed!"

He looked at you, terrified you'd be mad. You looked at him. He looked like a disco ball had melted. You started to laugh. You couldn't help it. It was ridiculous.

"It's... it's okay, Kalim," you giggled, shaking your head and sending a shower of gold dust onto your lap. "I said I didn't want to look like a chandelier... but I guess a treasure chest is fine."

Kalim’s face broke into a relieved, dazzling grin. "Really? You're not mad?" He looked at his own sparkly hands and laughed. "We match! Look! We're sparkly!"

"We're a mess," you corrected, reaching out to wipe a smudge off his cheek, only to transfer more glitter onto him.

"A sparkly mess!" Kalim cheered. He lunged forward, wrapping you in a tight hug. "Thanks for letting me practice! Jamil is going to be so surprised when he sees the rug!"

Just then, Jamil walked into the room carrying a tray of tea. He stopped. He looked at the gold cloud still settling in the air. He looked at the gold rug. He looked at the two gold-plated students hugging on the floor.

Jamil turned around and walked right back out.

"He loved it!" Kalim declared happily.

A "dish" served with chaos, luxury, and a very messy cleanup! The kitchen is delighted to confirm your reservation.