#i needed something for gregory to be super worried over and well. this universe is already family centric. poor vanessa. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

puhpandas · 5 months

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Veering Off Course

(2,305 words)

Gregory and his family get a call that Vanessa, whos in a different state for college, has gotten hurt. Gregory calls Evan, and Evan is able to use the things he's learned about himself since meeting Gregory to help his friend with his emotions regarding the situation.

Its early in the morning on a Saturday when Evan gets the call. It woke him up, so all he does is blink groggily and swipe at the screen blindly while propped up on his elbow until his thumb hits 'answer' on his phone. "Hello?"

"Evan." It's Gregory, and the serious tone to just that single word clears up Evan's brain as fast as lightning. He scrambles to prop himself into sitting up and rubs at his eyes with one hand.

"Gregory?" Evan asks, looking at the little icon he set for Gregory's contact of a picture of Evan and him at an amusement park. "Is everything okay?"

It takes a second for Gregory to respond, and it causes the anxiety that had steadily began to bubble inside of him to surge. "Gregory?"

"Sorry." Gregory finally answers. "I-- Uh... can you..." His friend struggles for words, and Evan tries to be as patient as possible as it becomes clearer every second something is wrong. "Can you come over? Like right now?"

Evan flounders for words for a second, but manages to force his mouth to say, "Of course."

"Okay." Gregory replies, and a surge of worry shoots through his chest when Gregory sounds like he might cry. He takes a breath on the other end, then, "Please hurry."

After that, Evan only lingers enough to respond with a short confirmation and goodbye before hanging up the phone. It takes him record time to shoot out of bed, sling on some shoes, and get down the street a few houses to Gregory's own.

His mind had played multiple awful scenarios of what terrible thing could have happened the entire time, but his worry does not ebb when he makes it to the porch and knocks on the door to a teary eyed Gregory.

Evan's immediately herded inside. Freddy has his phone in his hand pressed up against his ear, and he's pacing around the room. Aunt Chica and Aunt Roxy sit in the living room. Bonnie is sat in a dragged-over dining chair by Freddy and frowning.

It's dead silent in the house; even the TV and seemingly endless energy flowing through and causing bustling noise is snuffed out to nothing. Evan watches as everyone sits completely seriously and quiet, hands held in their lap or thrumming against something.

Impatience, is what Evan first thinks of. They're waiting for something. News, maybe? Freddy is on the phone. It's so silent you could hear a pin drop. Or somebody else's phone vibrate.

Evan's dread and anxiety only get worse when Gregory shuts the door behind him and tugs on him a bit. Evan follows without struggle, thousands of words and questions on his tongue when Gregory leads him to one of the unoccupied seats in the living room; a loveseat.

He sits down with him, and Gregory's face is scrunched up in barely restrained worry. Evan watches his friend, who's been an anchor for himself for so long, tremble and hunch in on himself. "Gregory?"

Gregory's eyes dart to him, and Evan leans down, hunching forward with his elbows rested on his thighs like theyre their own personal bubble. Evan's own brows furrow, and he feels the familiar thickness in his throat just at watching his friend be upset.

Evan grabs at his hand, squeezing it tight and lacing their fingers together. "I'm really worried, Gregory... please tell me whats wrong." Evan pleads. "Please?"

Gregory nods unsurely after a moment, and Evan watches him swallow thickly before turning to him fully. "Dad got a call from the University of Oregon today."

Evan's brows raise, but he nods to keep going. The University of Oregon is the college Gregory's sister, Vanessa, had left home to go attend. Evan hasnt gotten the chance to meet her, yet. She's already been gone two years strong, with a seemingly bright future. Evan's heard Gregory and his family talk about her enough to know her talents.

Gregory's breath hitches, and Evan wraps his other hand around Gregory's, the one he already has ahold of. He sandwiches it in-between his own and hopes it's enough comfort.

"Somebody called us and told us Vanessa got into a car crash today. On campus."

It's like a bucket of ice water is poured on Evan's head. His feet go cold, and his eyes widen to saucers. Fear shoots like an arrow through his stomach. When he stops reeling from the news, he watches Gregory begin to shake and lose the carefully gathered composure he'd put up since Evan arrived.

"They said..." Gregory's brows are furrowed so much it looks like it hurts. Theres a clench in his jaw and a wetness to his eyes Evan isnt used to. "They said she's already been taken to the hospital and is in surgery." He frowns, and theres a twist in his lip that Evan is so familiar with. "They... a-all we can do is wait. They told us they'd let us know any updates."

The house is thrown back into such jarring silence after Gregory stops talking that Evan's ears start ringing. Which makes it clear as day when Gregory's breath turns harsh beside him.

Evan tears his eyes away from the floor and ignores the twisting feeling in his chest to look at his friend. He has his face buried in the hand that isnt held by Evan and is shaking in a way where you can tell theyre trying so hard to keep it together. Gregory's angled away from him, but Evan can see the panic on his face even from where he can see.

Evan's breath hitches, and the thickness in his throat begins to turn into burning as he scootches closer to Gregory on the couch and sets a hand on his shoulder. He tugs a bit until Gregory gets the message and let's him wrap his arms around his middle and hold him close.

Gregory makes some sort of horrible, upsetting hitching noise that causes the dam to break for Evan, before he sort of flops against him and brings up his own arms to clutch at his T-Shirt. Gregory's head thumps against his shoulder, and it's one of the only times Evan really becomes aware of the height he has on his friend.

"Its okay..." Evan says into Gregory's shoulder, because it's all he knows to do in the moment. He glances around and sees that Gregory's family has shifted to the dining room, leaving them alone. Evan finally feels the tears slip from his eyes as he presses closer, hugging him like his life depends on it. "Its okay, Gregory. It'll be okay."

"It's--" Gregory says, and Evan can hear how much his voice shakes with barely contained tears. "Its not. I can't-- We can't even go see her. We can't go and wait for her to wake up, or anything... we just have to--" He cuts himself off, and Evan feels Gregory shake harshly against him.

"We just have to sit here." Gregory says, voice thick. "I dont know what to do, Evan. I don't know what to do."

And its only that sentence that causes Evan to grapple at what to do, if his friend can't. And all he can think about is how himself would react if it were Gregory getting hurt.

All he'd be able to do is cry, he realizes. He wouldnt be able to do anything. Just wait and be scared.

But that's what Gregory is getting at, isnt he? He can't do anything. That's the thing. Evan has known Gregory long enough to get him. To know, him. Evan knows that Gregory doesnt sit around and cry like Evan does. He prefers to get up and do something about whatevers wrong.

Hes a problem solver instead of waiting around. A fighter instead of a crier. No wonder hes so bent out of shape about this. To have a loved one in danger, and when you're so used to getting up and making a plan to fix a problem and are forced to sit in standby...

Evan eases them down against the cushion of the couch, not once untangling themselves from eachother. Gregory shakes, but he does not cry. "So what would you do if you could?"

The hair from Gregory's bangs brushes against Gregory's neck as he moves his head. "I'd... I don't know. I'd at least try to get to her." Gregory says, voice unbelievably quiet. "At least get to her. Then figure it out from there. Just so I'm not waiting on phone calls."

Evan nods against him, his chin scrunching up Gregory's hair. His tears have long since stopped falling, but he knows he has dry tracks on his cheeks. "You have a plan."

Gregory makes some sort of noise that would sound like a snort in any other circumstances. "I would if I could." Gregory replies, squeezing his arms a bit tighter. "But I cant" He sighs, shuddering and heavy. "I just have to wait."

Evan hums. "You're worried, and you're stressed." He makes the same noise Gregory just did. "I know how you feel... I really do. Maybe not your exact situation, but... I get what it's like to feel helpless." He says. "You know what I would do?"

Gregory hums this time, questionative. Evan rubs circles into his back. "I'd sit there and wait, and wish for it to different. And when it wouldnt be, I'd cry."

Gregorys head shifts against that crook between Evan's chin and chest, almost like hes trying to look him in the eye but the hug prevents him from being able.

"All I ever did was cry." Evan says when Gregory doesnt respond. "Its the only thing that I could do to cope."

"...So..." Gregory asks, and his voice is thick again. "You mean..."

"You're stressed." Evan answers. "You're stressed and you're worried. So... why dont you let it out?"

Evan, out of anyone, knows how valuable emotions can be. He didnt, once upon a time. When everyone would just tell him how annoying it is. How useless it is. How he's asking for it. How he should have toughened up by now. When instead of comfort, he'd receive ridicule and prodding.

That's changed. Ever since a certain someone entered his life. He doesn't think of his emotions, himself so little anymore. So worthless. So maybe that's why Gregory perks up ever so slightly in understanding.

And that's all it takes.

Gregory's trembling turns into shoulder shaking sobs like the snap of a finger. He cries, open and unadulterated, and Evan just hugs him close and rubs his back, offering reassurances like Gregory has done for him so many times.

His own eyes burn when his best friends sobs are heard so openly and he can feel every shudder of his body. Evan's chin scrunches, and the tears fall right along with Gregory as Evan hugs him close, tucking his face into his hair.

"Im--" Gregory cries. "I-Im just so worried about her."

"I know." Evan responds, his own voice breaking as he pets Gregory's hair. His shirt is damp with tears but he doesnt care. "Itll be okay. It'll all be okay."

They stay like that for a while, and Evan can tell Gregory needs it. He needs it. The worry he felt that morning doesnt ever really leave, and it stays ever-present as Evan watches his friend fall apart. They stay stuck together like magnets, eventually only shoulder to shoulder with linked hands on the loveseat, and none of Gregory's family try to peel them apart when they eventually wander back into the living room.

They stay in a state of constant agonizing limbo all day. At 8:00pm, Freddy calls it a night. Gregory protests immediately, but Aunt Roxy calms him down almost seamlessly and convinces him to go to bed.

Of course, Evan follows him. He cant imagine a world where he doesnt. The air mattress stays deflated in Gregory's closet as it has been most of the time nowadays. All Evan has to do is kick his shoes off since he left home in his pajamas anyway and they're wrapped around eachother, tucked in Gregory's bed under his comforter in the dark.

Gregory is silent all throughout the night, even though Evan knows he's awake. Evan just hopes that... he did the right thing. Something knows is that suppressing how you feel isnt good. It never works. No matter how much you want it to.

Gregory taught him that. He just wants to return the favor. Not because he owes Gregory, no. Gregory has long since hammered it into Evan's thick skull that he has nothing to pay him back for. That his kindness is not a deed to Evan, but rather that Evan himself deserves to be treated kindly.

Gregory does, too. Evan knows this with all his heart. Gregory is his best friend and has done more for him than anyone else ever has.

Evan... all Evan did was change. Change for the better. And hopefully he helped the most important person in his life with the things he learned. The things that person taught him.

He hugs Gregory's middle a little tighter, not daring to break the silence. Gregory needs time, but doesn't want to be alone. Evan understands. He does. He just hopes to convey what he truly feels through the one action.

Thank you. I'm here for you. I'll always be here. You're my best friend. I'm so glad you trust me. I trust you as well. So much.

Gregory himself wraps his arms tighter around Evan in turn, and Evan feels like the single movement lso has a deeper meaning he cant read.

They dont speak. They just lay in silence until eventually they fall asleep, stuck together like two puzzle pieces.

ao3 link

#this oneshot is mostly just to focus more on gregorys character and how i imagine him (not headcanon #his actual canon character) to handle problems.#ive always seen gregory as instead of letting fear/emotions take over #he pushes past to get a task done/fix whatevers wrong. so i wanted to translate that into the flashlight duo universe with the emotional/pr #especially because of how important emotions are to evans growth and how gregory is the reason for that growth #and i also just wanted to finally write a bit of evan helping gregory since ive written so much vice versa.#i needed something for gregory to be super worried over and well. this universe is already family centric. poor vanessa.#its a normal ass world okay theres not much i can do #vanessa is okay btw.#the next day theyre supposed to get news about surgery and recovery and plan to go on a road trip to oregon to see her while she recovers #(i actually already wrote some of it but cut it out because i didnt like where it was going.#just veered (ha) too far away from the core of the fic)#so you can imagine that happening.#anyways hope you enjoyed! still need a better idea to showcase evan helping gregory but i think this is okay for now.#i have some other plans for this duo (as always) having to do with love languages so im excited about that.#lets see how long itll take me to actually write it lol #pandas writes #my fics #flashlight duo #flashlight duo oneshots #gregory #evan #the fazbears #oneshot #kinda feel like this is cringe #but whatever im cringe and im free two cakes etc #not my favorite work ive done but whatever #its okay

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disabledpaladin · 6 years

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some world-building bits i’m super proud of ! this is for miscellaneous npcs, rps & tabletop rpgs, flavor text, and the like from the past 2 years

(from a homebrew D&D 5e game)

You come across a curious man, talking excitedly to the donkey pulling a merchant’s cart. Strange herbs and baubles are tied to the posts and to the sales counter on the side, as well as around the donkey. As he spots you, his elven ears perk up and he grins widely.

“Hello, my friends, hello! You’ve come from many places, and you must have a need to unload your wares and worries, right? You’ve found just the man!” He goes behind the cart and suddenly appears inside, bending over the counter at the window to beckon you closer.

As you approach, you can see a large variety of items crammed into the cart. Earthen pottery, beautiful jewelry, and toolkits for unfathomable professions line the walls. A large bookcase behind him only holds trinkets- a glass smokey orb, a golden ticket, and what may be a mummufied hand, and much much more. Before you can examine more, the merchant’s hand is thrust just in front of your face, awaiting a handshake.

“My name is Digiornos, and I am here to serve! How may I help?”

(hireling from a current Dungeon World campaign, with consent of players)

Meredith Hellswing: An excitable and slightly clumsy gal. She's young and impressionable, especially eager to go out and shape the world. Meredith works at the Green Acres Inn (Anstead) as a waitress to save up for good gear before adventuring fulltime.

(location from the same Dungeon World game)

Serendale: A prospering city that is a central trade hub for the many strange territories it borders. Many unique and interesting goods can be found through the market. Many products by the local Guild furnish stores with handcrafted furniture and weapons. The city itself is fairly antiquated- old buildings form the town, some dating back to a century prior with crumbling stonework. The government hosts a royal family rather than the usual council other cities have. Though none of the members have royal titles, their lineage is often cited as their rite to rule.

(various items/trinkets made for a game I was working on & scrapped)

Natalia’s Tears: A small glass vial of a floral and translucent pink liquid. While it looks beautiful, it is one of the most dangerous poisons in the realm. Once ingested, the victim’s body sprouts pale pink crystalline growths all over their body, until they are weighed down and crushed under the weight.

Amulet of Gods: An ugly, heavy brass necklace with a chunky and misshapen pendant that resembles a glassy eye. The wearer can store small items inside by reaching into the eye, revealing a hot, humid and moist chamber. Sometimes the walls and floors quake when something is taken out.

Tent For Two: The easiest tent to assemble in existence! Just throw it on the floor and watch it magically transform into a cozy abode for two. This comes with ASSEMBLY DUST*, poles, tarps, and a complimentary snack to share with your partner. (ASSEMBLY DUST does NOT disassemble, DISASSEMBLY DUST sold separately.)

Wand of the Ocean: It looks like a fish, and smells like a fish. A sea bass, specifically. Imbued with the very essence of the sea, your Mana will be channeled effortlessly through this wand. Also, it will leave your hands covered in salty brine.

(from a current Monsterhearts game, with consent of current players)

Dillard's Farm Fresh Beef was once the heart of the city in the early 1900s, bringing in new workers who often uprooted their families to live here. Anyone capable of working at the packaging plant was hired, especially because of the high rate of injuries caused by large machinery. Children often worked alongside adults in these harsh conditions.

Due to poor infrastructure and poorly surveilled land reports, in 1922, the blood that had been drained from the meat and under the factory floor had opened up a massive sinkhole underneath the building. The building crumbled into the earth on one fateful night. No one had been reported injured or killed in this incident, though the factory's loss was devastating to the local economy at the time.

The sinkhole is now filled in, though the former grounds and remaining structure serves as a historical marker and symbol of tragedy.

(from the same Monsterhearts game)

Gregory Grimaldis was the head librarian of the Lennox Achibald-Elswood Library before the Univerisity bought the building. The University offered Gregory a job to stay on and work for them, but only as a janitor. Gregory refused and left. Gregory now runs the Bookmobile, an old school bus with the original high school’s name blacked out. Instead, white, dripping paint on the sides reads simply “The Bookmobile.” Seats have been ripped out in place of bolted-in bookcases, books held in by belts of strong elastic. He makes runs through the city's residential district, and makes stops at a few of the preschools and nursing homes to exchange books (and promote literacy in the case of preschools.) While Gregory is all smiles, the look in his eyes is vacant and a little dead as he tries to move on from losing the best job he's ever had.

(from a mystery puzzle Storium game; this was the opening scene)

A rainstorm is passing overhead, and thankfully most of Mrs. Miles’ guests have made it into the house before the torrential weather has come down. Luna had welcomed these visitors into her house personally, leading them into the parlor. Unfortunately, the early bird turn out for this event was just a mere six people. Perhaps more would arrive before the first tour began.

The fireplace of the parlor is lit, despite it being a summer evening. The parlor holds its seven occupants without much crowding, though seating is another situation- a couch and two armchairs can sit five, six if everyone squeezes. Personal photos of her and Solomon sit on the mantle, and there’s two large bookcases lining the wall for literature if one was very bored. Naturally, one of them has a large section dedicated to Solomon’s work.

Luna Miles constantly weaves back and forth between the parlor and entryway, making sure everyone will be in order. She looks like a nervous woman on a mission, so maybe it’s not the best idea to talk to her right now. However, it would be a great idea to get to know everyone else, if you were a friendly sort of person.

(from a cyberpunk Storium game that was never released due to illness)

Robots and AI*: Artificial personalities in artificial bodies, and seen as tools by most humans. With artificial personalities becoming more complex, and robots seeming more human-like, sometimes it can be hard to discern they’re a robot… except for their designation card, that is.

AI* exist largely as the virtual version of robots, assistants to users of the Internet, Intranet, and MentalNet. It is very rare their programs get moved into a mechanical vessel (and becoming a robot), but sometimes “cracked” AI programs find themselves in highly illegal parts of the Internet for hacking, putting into a body, or anything else possible.

Some robots and artificial intelligences can be classified as androids or gynoids when they seem “human” enough, which is determined through a series of tests done by the original manufacturer. While it’s an uncommon occurrence, there have been cases of newly classed androids/gynoids being dismantled for holding vital information.

#dp's writing #world building

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beauticate · 5 years

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Monika Radulovic, Model

Happy 2019 to you, our lovely Beauticate readers! To kick off our WHO profiles this year, we’re so pleased to bring you former Miss Universe, Monika Radulovic. Armed with a degree in psychology, a complete obsession with health and wellness and, it must be said, the kind of killerwatt smile and enviable body you might expect from a girl used to wearing tiaras for a living, Monika has parlayed her pageant days into working with brands she loves (including HIVITA Health Care and IWC Watches). We caught up with her to find out her favourite makeup tips, skincare essentials, designer weaknesses – yep, she even admits Louboutins are as painful as they are gorgeous - and every little detail on how she gets that real life glow from the inside out.

“Growing up, I always had good skin (I think thanks to my mum’s genes), so I never really had to worry about acne or other skin conditions.

Because of that, I didn’t pay attention to skincare products - I actually remember a makeup artist lecturing me about the importance of using a moisturiser when I was 19 and not really using much of anything. In my early 20s I delved into the science behind beauty products and their potential for having long-term benefits on the skin. Since then, taking care of my skin has been extremely important to me, and I’ve found that sticking to great quality products and being religious with my regime has made all the difference to the condition of my skin.

I cleanse, tone and moisturise daily and make sure I take off my makeup before bed. This is such a simple thing but makes such a difference to your skin.

I prep my skin with the La Prairie White Caviar Illuminating Pearl Infusion, and I absolutely love the HIVITA Luminous White Skin Renewal Cream and use it to moisturise my skin day and night. It has this velvety texture and is super absorbent, and my skin has really reaped the benefits since I started using it. La Prairie’s Cellular 3-Minute Peel is another game-changing product in my routine; I use it as a weekly booster to help renew and refresh my skin – it’s like giving myself a facial at home, and I notice results right away. I also use my Nu Skin LumiSpa cleansing device every morning and night to give my skin a really deep clean.

My favourite bases for a night out are the Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation and the La Prarie Caviar Concealer Foundation - they feel beautiful on my skin, blend in so well and stay flawless all night.

I love the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow contour palette to sculpt my cheekbones, gently bronze my face and to highlight - it’s the perfect all-in-one palette. Finally, I believe you can’t beat a bold red lip when you want to feel dressed up and confident on a night out, and my faves include Nars Velvet Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl and Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro in 404.

I have a couple of simple makeup tips that I swear by.

Number one? Curl your eyelashes before using mascara. And number two - brush your brows with a tiny amount of hairspray to keep them in place all day.

I have a relatively simple hair care routine.

I wash my hair using OGX Shea Soft and Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner; I discovered OGX a few months ago and I love how soft it makes my hair feel. After I’ve washed my hair I distribute Moroccanoil treatment oil from the middle to the ends of my hair - I’ve been using it since high school and I’m such a fan of how smooth and shiny my hair is when I use it, plus it smells incredible! I blow dry my hair with the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer (it’s the absolute best dryer I’ve ever used; it dries faster while being more gentle), and my favourite styling product has to be Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray. It gives me the perfect sexy, tousled bed hair.

I really fell into working in the entertainment and fashion industry. I never could have imagined in my teenage years that I’d be here one day!

I went to uni straight after high school to study Psychology, and it wasn’t until I graduated from my Honours degree that I started to take my modelling career seriously. I ended up working as a full time model for a few years, before I decided to enter the Miss Universe Australia pageant. I won that competition in 2015, went on to represent our amazing country in the international Miss Universe pageant, and that was the start of this next chapter of my career.

I’d like to think of my style as classic and simple, with a touch of glam. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, whether it be heading to the gym or off to a red carpet event, I always aim to look polished and put together.

My favourite pieces from Aussie brands include Alice McCall, Bec & Bridge, By Johnny and Rebecca Vallance. Another fave piece in my wardrobe is my bespoke “RAD” demin jacket. It was embroidered by Kai from All My Relations, and I instantly feel my cool-o-meter rise when I put it on.

I’m a big believer in buying investment accessories like bags and shoes, simply because you’ll wear them again and again for years. Chanel is my weakness - I think the brand is just utterly chic, and I’ve invested in a few of their gorgeous bags and shoes over the years. My black Chanel Boy bag is one of my most treasured pieces, as is my Christian Louboutin shoe collection (if only they were as comfortable as they are beautiful!). I’m always wearing my Gregory Jewellers diamond engagement ring and wedding band and complete every outfit with my IWC Portugieser Automatic Chronograph watch.

I believe that a truly healthy body is one that feels good inside and out. To me, this means eating healthy foods and working out regularly, which will benefit your physical health as well as your mental and emotional wellbeing.

I’m a serious believer in eating the right foods and for me, that means focusing on eating a huge range of vegetables, lots of healthy fats, grass fed protein and some nuts and seeds. Avoiding sugar and processed foods is something that I think greatly benefits your body, so I avoid eating these whenever I can. I know that may seem overwhelming, but you can make it a gradual process by slowly cutting down on the unhealthy stuff, and replacing it with natural foods that still taste great but nourish your body (for example, I love to snack on berries and activated nuts). I also really recommend supplementing your diet with vitamins, especially vitamins B and C to boost immunity. I always make sure I take my HIVITA Immunity and Women’s Multi before starting my day. Drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated is also very important (boring but true!), and I like to drink warm water with sea salt and lemon in the mornings to rehydrate, boost my metabolism and improve digestion.

Four times a week I head over to my local F45 studio and work out.

The 45 minutes of high intensity first thing in the morning leaves me feeling sweaty, energised and ready to start my day. I also train once a week with my personal trainer, Tony Akindoyin, at Virgin Active, to help with my form and make sure I’m doing the right thing. I also believe rest is really important so if I’m tired I give myself a break and just go for a nice long walk.

I like to maintain a healthy food regime as best I can, which for me means natural, unprocessed whole foods and avoiding sugar and artificial sweeteners.

I love packing my meals with good fats, minimal carbs and plenty of fresh veggies, so for breakfast I typically have two scrambled eggs cooked with coconut oil, sautéed spinach, avo and sea salt. Lunch is usually a huge bowl of roasted veggies with salmon or grilled chicken plus another avo, drizzled with olive oil and tahini and topped with some pine nuts. Then dinner I might have some bone broth with veggies and chicken thighs. As for dessert, my healthy chocolate brownies made with zucchini are my signature (I promise you can’t taste the zucchini whatsoever!) and I love nothing more than having a piece with an almond milk cappuccino.

I’m a huge health and wellness junkie and will try absolutely anything if it might benefit me.

This includes using my infrared sauna for half an hour most days to assist with detoxification, and going weekly to Koa Recovery for cryotherapy, which helps with muscle recovery and to decrease inflammation. I also use my Joovv red light therapy system for 10 minutes every day – I stand in front of the device which hangs from my bathroom door and emits red light (it’s sort of like a whole-body Omnilux facial). It’s amazing and has so many health and beauty benefits, including boosting the skin’s collagen and repairing sun damage, fading scars and wrinkles, speeding up wound healing, enhancing circulation and reducing pain and inflammation - I’m addicted!

My mum is definitely my biggest beauty influence. She inspires me with her confidence and total security in being her true self.

The fact that she doesn’t need makeup or any anti-aging treatments to feel confident is so incredible given the society we live in today. She doesn’t even dye her hair and celebrates the new greys coming through! What mum has taught me above all is that true beauty comes from within and is ultimately defined by the kind of person you are.

I see ageing as a state of mind, and don’t think chronological age is that important.

How many times have you seen someone who is sixty years old that’s just as vibrant, if not more so, than someone in their twenties? I think our true age is more determined by how we feel, and I plan to feel as vital, energetic and youthful as I can for the rest of my life!”

Story by Zoe Briggs. Select images from Monika Radulovic’s Instagram.

#Monika Radulovic #Miss Universe

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