#( sorry about the delay october is mean to me )

[ranpo-v-world]

[Vizerxa taps Ranpo on the shoulder, before holding her hand out, palm up, and offering it to him. She's holding a large tooth, almost catlike but the size of her hand, and three iridescent dark blue scales that're a bit bigger than half her palm.]

"For you."

(- @the-fox-and-the-shadow )

oh!!

[ ranpo just sort of stares at them before taking them. they look even bigger in his hands. ]

…what are they?

[moonxytcn]

Fem reader with billie! She does another vaniety fair interview and they ask her if she's in a relationship and she talks about being in a relationship with a woman for the first time (us)❤️

the same interview

Billie Eilish x fem!reader

summary – billie talks about you in her interview.

warnings – fluffy

word count – 369.

a/n – Thank you for the request and sorry for the delay 😅 I intended to follow the entire interview but gave up halfway hahah

English is not my first language so there may be some errors.

–––

Sitting in the chair and watching Billie prepare for the interview, you feel happy to be accompanying her this time. You've been in a relationship for exactly one year, and whenever you can, you accompany Billie to her interviews. This is one you managed to attend. The same interview she does every year for Vanity Fair.

"This thing is huge." Billie says, holding the clapperboard. "Doing this again." she sings, smiling, and taps the top of the clapperboard.

Smiling softly at her when she glances at you, you blow her a kiss, which she pretends to catch in the air and places her hand on her heart, smiling at you.

What's your name?

"My name is Billie Eilish," She says, smiling at the camera. "October 18, 2024."

How old are you?

"Twenty-two."

How many Instagram followers do you have?

"One hundred and nineteen million Instagram followers."

–––

Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend now?

"Yes, I do, actually." She says, slightly embarrassed and with a huge smile on her face. "I am so excited and happy about it. I mean, it's my first official relationship with a girl, and we're out to the public, and man, she's amazing. Have you seen her? She's like the most beautiful girl in the world." She says, looking from the camera to you, and you just smile emotionally and mostly happy because Billie makes you the happiest person. "And I got her, all by myself." She says passionately. "At the moment, she is the most important person to me, she is my world now. I love you, baby."

"I love you too." You say softly to her, but you know she heard. Billie smiles and turns to continue the interview.

–––

When the interview ends, Billie gets up from the chair, and you practically jump from yours to run into her arms, hugging her and pressing your lips against hers in a kiss full of love.

"I love you. God, I love you so much, Billie. You literally make me the happiest person in the world." You tell her, looking into her eyes.

"The same, princess, I love you so much." Billie says, leaving one last kiss on your lips before you both leave.

[palenutbasement]

(all scenes are depicted as platonic)

So every Inktober I try to do something more challenging, and this year I thought I would make a short comic/fanfic. I think I got the idea for this one a year ago but I was already wrapped up with another Inktober. Eventually I solidified the idea by making my own prompt list some time ago.

This comic is split into three parts with 10 days focusing on each of them, 30 in total, everything is compiled here. I wanted to post them after October in case I wanted to change anything.

This first part takes place in the summit.

The comic is basically all improvised, that means no planning for the composition, plot, or sketching any drawings. The most planning I did was write a few scripts ahead of time within the month to save me some time but most of them would be changed last minute anyways.

As for the plot, I won't go too deep into it because I don't want to talk too much, so you'll just find commentary on the making of the comic and stuff.

This first part is a little gimmick-y compared to the next two, with new elements appearing almost every day. It’s because I relied a lot on the prompts (dog, milk, etc.) to keep things happening, eventually I move further away from them.

What is surprising to me is how much the art changes as the days go by especially within the span of one month. I did refine a few things to keep it more consistent but this is nearly indistinguishable from the original drawings.

I should also mention that my favourite aspect of this project was adding references to the game and subtle details (if you can find it all, awesome!!) This may have been done quickly but I like to have those things and put at least a bit of effort into the dialogue.

Part 2

Eventually I figured that drawing the same setting for 30 days straight would drive me insane, hence why this comic is split like it is. I’m glad I did because it makes the story a little more interesting, seeing the characters have different attitudes in different places and whatnot.

This one takes place in the cave directly after pt 1. Admittedly I do better drawing outdoor settings, it's what I'm used to, but the cave wasn't so bad to figure out.

I remember these two days I was streaming drawing the comic to my friends, so I kinda zoned out while we were talking lol

One of the prompts was about napping, so I made Dwarf sleep. I believe I was tired that day too and it was therapeutic to draw and include that. Also they look cute, I think.

18 & 19 have some of my favourite drawings in the comic. The campfire lighting is what we'd get if I had a bit more energy each day, and I like the perspective in the first panel of 19.

I find this last section interesting, because of all the 30 days, it’s the only one in Dwarf’s POV. I felt like it was fitting to do something like that at the time.

Part 3

Since we were approaching Halloween, I wanted to have a special part for it. It’s related to the other two parts but it takes place some time after. I’m really sorry it’s out of season, if it were up to me I would have had this post out earlier (thank my midterms for the delay)

Out of all the other parts this one is my favourite. Maybe because it’s more recent I’m inclined to think that way but it has some of my fave moments that I've written here.

Other than that I don't have much commentary for this part. More thoughts at the end!

I was caught up everyday atp, but I didn’t have much spare time to prepare for the ending (I wrote it the morning of that day). I think this is a decent conclusion though.

I intend on coming back to this story, maybe next year to make a continuation but we'll see what happens. There are definitely things that I want to come back to someday.

Thank you for making it this far btw. It's been an eventful month for me beyond this (Untitled) comic, but there wasn't a single aspect of this that I didn't enjoy doing. It's a silly project and I care about it.

Also, I'm not going to neglect the 31st of October! That day will get an illustration, where I will pick my favourite panel and redraw it. I want to take my time with this one so it's not out yet, but hopefully I can finish by Christmas.

[mesetacadre]

On Spain, Palestine, and socialdemocracy

I'm sorry to my spanish-speaking friends but this post is mostly meant for the various people who aren't that familiar with Spanish politics so they fully understand the context of Spain's recognition of Palestine, so it'll be written in English instead of Spanish.

Ever since the Spanish government decided to recognize Palestine, amongst other events, I've seen many friends celebrating. This is normal, of course, but the over-enthusiasm makes me think some of you are lacking context.

First, the arms trade. At least since 1995, Spain has sold arms, munitions, explosives, and vehicles to Israel, according to the government's own sources. The total value of arms and munitions exports since 1995 amounts to 36,616,066.21€ ($39,730,901) and 800,417.6kg (1,764,616.6 pounds). The total of "airships and spatial vehicles" amounts to 233,622,074.13€ ($253,495,704.46). Officials have repeatedly stated that, since Oct 7 2023, there have been no arms sales to Israel. However, in November of 2023, this website shows an arms export worth 987,000€ ($1,070,961.56) in the subcategory of "bombs, grenades, torpedoes, missiles". In December of 2023 there is another export with the same category as the last one worth 125,240€ ($135,893.85). The government has stated that the November export was made up of "medium caliber munitions without explosives" (which is weird that it was classified under bombs, grenades, torpedoes and missiles but whatever) and that it had already been agreed upon before Oct 7th. I'm sure that the Palestinians appreciate the munitions they are being killed with do not explode, and that the 552kg (1,216.95 pounds) of "gunpowder and explosives" exported in 2023 will also go very well with those non-explosive munitions. And, regardless, we all know that the Palestinian genocide did not start last October. This is also just the publicly available data, but I think we can trust them to be honest :)

For some context on the political situation. In July of 2023 we had general elections in which a coalition government was formed. The biggest party in this coalition is the PSOE, the president's (Pedro Sánchez) party, a socialdemocratic party that has governed on-and-off since the establishment of the current liberal democracy in 1978, this will be important later. The other member of this coalition is Sumar, a further-left socialdemocratic party that is itself a broader coalition of almost all parliamentarty "leftist" groups, such as IU (United Left) and the PCE (Spanish Communist Party, don't get too caught up on the name because their eurocommunist turn in the 60s has rendered then just another socdem party). The election was very closed and the coalition was almost not formed, and in the end PSOE had to reach an agreement with the pro-Catalan independence parties. All of this means that it has been a weak government without much cohesion, which in turns means every member of the coalition has been doing everything they can to reinforce their position. One example of this was Pedro Sánchez's letter contemplating resigning because of the verbal attacks he and his wife had been recueveing from the opposition. That letter forced every entity in the parliamentary and even some in the extra-parliamentary left to express support for Sánchez, and after announcing he would not be resigning, polling shows support for his government increased, though this is disputed by some and I'm suspicious of it myself.

Anyhow, this is important because the parties that make up the government are being very conscious about their support, more than usual. The decision to finally recognize Palestine (and I'm not even getting into the Palestinian National Authority, which is what they're actually recognizing) comes in this context of insecurity regarding their support, and comes after weeks of encampments and other protests in universities across the entire country. The continued arms exports, the delay in taking the decision and the context of the decision makes it quite obviously an opportunistic move to garner support. But is the recognition actually meaningful for Palestinians suffering a genocide? Barely. It might pave the way for Palestine's inclusion in the UN (the US will veto anyway) (and it's not like the UN can do more than stern condemnations). What does not change is the continuous arms exports since at least when export data was first published, and the commercial relations the government and Spanish monopolies have with Israel, all of which allow Israel to carry out genocide. And even if Spain had never sold even a grain of gunpowder to Israel, and even if no economic relations had ever been established, Spain is an important member of NATO and the EU.

A few days ago it was 43 years since Spain officially joined NATO in 1982 without a referendum, since polling showed only 18% supported joining NATO, and 52% outright opposed it. It was only 4 years later, in 1986, when PSOE carried out a referendum on remaining in NATO (note: the PSOE had gone from fully opposing NATO membership when they were in the opposition to defending it after winning the elections). The question was "Do you consider Spain remaining in the Atlantic Alliance under the terms agreed upon by the Nation's Government to be convenient". This question did not actually say "NATO" (OTAN in Spanish) and it did not make clear what people were actually voting on. 52.24% voted yes. One of the unwritten prerequisites for joining the EU in 1985 was to also be a member of NATO.

NATO is an imperialist alliance that has always defended the continuity of Israel, and its member states have always supplied it with the resources necessary to displace, opress, and kill the Palestinian people. The economic benefits of this fact permeates the economy of every NATO member state. The same goes for the EU, which is one of the most significant trade partners of Israel. And the increase of intensity in the genocide Israel commits is happening parallel to the EU's turn towards a military economy. For example, the European Stability Mechanism, founded in 2011, has given the EU member states 400,000,000,000€ ($434,059,923,120) to invest in the "defense" industry and the "green transition". The European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in early April of this year that "we need to change the paradigm and transition to the mode of war production", amongst other warmongering statements by European leaders. Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany have already expanded military service. This is all, of course, driven by the interimperialist war in Ukraine, but the investment in the war industry will undoubtedly continue to fuel Israel's occupation.

There is no group within the Spanish parliament (and very few outside the parliament) that even begins to question NATO and EU membership. The government can get away with this apparent pro-Palestine (more like two-state solution but that's beyond the point) posturing because regardless of Spain's own exports and positions, its membership in NATO and the EU will be the most relevant factor in its ties with Israel. Recognition of a nation as a "legitimate" country does not have a material effect on the Palestinians' situation, and the unquestioned participation in these imperialist alliances does. PSOE's slogan for next week's European elections is "More Europe". Do not let empty actions distract you from the real facts of Spain's unbroken complicitness in this genocide

[changingplumbob]

Boy oh boy this has been a long one! Sorry it's taken so long. Rotation 9 began all the way back on March 20th which means it's taken me around six and a half months to get through everyone. During this time I have also been plagued by a bad IBS flare up that leaves me fatigued so my guess is that's why things took much longer than normal.

While all households collectively aged a year and three quarters when you put it all together we've lived through 17 and a half years of sim time for a total of 70 sim days. Thank you for joining me on the journey! I'm going to be taking the rest of the month of October off from long form writing while I build SBL back up and engage in Simblreen antics. Rotations and Growing with Glenn will start back up in November.

Now, on to the noteworthy stuff! Main points followed by chapter summaries below the cut. Time to celebrate my sims achievements!

Five Sims Promoted - One max career!

Nine Skills Maxed

Eight New Builds

Seven Birthdays

One Wedding

Four Household Adoptions

York Household, Chapter 9

Calista and Aaron made their first nectar but mostly they were in parent/grandparent mode. Deanna was dumped by Paris and had a bad bug but still passed her first term of university. The youngest York aged up, realised they were trans, and she has renamed herself Artemisia, or Emi or Emisia to her friends and family.

2. Chopra Household, Chapter 6

Rahul worked from home all week to help with his young family. Mercedes and Savannah aged up to children and have started school. Savannah is still feeling the effects of her motor delay while Mercedes may have a speech delay but turns out to be gifted. Viola aged up into a wild toddler and the household is due another shake up as Cassandra discovered she is pregnant for the third time!

3. Romero Household, Chapter 1

Marta helped her fiance Keira learn about Dia de los Muertos as they paid respect to those in the forever save who couldn't attend the wedding. Keira began her job at the Marine Life Institute and Marta met some of her neighbours after barista shifts. Then the couple were married at Willow Creek church and honeymooned in Sulani. They are currently looking at options for having kids.

4. Pancakes Household, Chapter 9

Eliza got promoted to level 9 of the corporate career. She and Bob decided that rather than have another pregnancy they would adopt so infant Tiana joined the family. Ginger got another fur sibling as dog Strawberry joined the household. Fergus aged up to a materialistic teen and after a week of working on their grades and cheer skills Onyx finally got their horse, named Maelstrom.

5. New Goth Household, Chapter 4

Alexander and Milton retrieved Bella's old journals for Milton to begin reading, and the family celebrated Harvestfest with the Chopras. Alexander and James talked about having kids, and James admitted he would like to adopt a teen rather than having an infant. Milton went through a bear phase and Ariadne was adopted by the couple.

6. Villareal Household, Chapter 6

Joey released his first video game and became a one star celebrity. Devin filmed a pirate film and her regular TV series. Luna spent most of her time trying to patch things up between her younger brother Max and his wife. Alfred broke many dollhouses and Rilian got a kiddie pool to play in.

7. Nishidake Household, Chapter 7

It was a speedrun for this family but both Charlie and Kaori have finally reached the rock climbing skill needed to attempt to make it to the mountain summit. Clover learned to not eat trash but continued to knock the bin over for fun.

8. Woods Household, Chapter 2

The murder mystery took a backseat this time. The couple met the Moonwood Collective and Samir ranked up to a Veteran werewolf. Reece started his biology degree and hosted some meditation sessions. The pair have also discovered they are fated mates.

9. Knightstone Household, Chapter 9

It was festive season for the aliens in Chestnut Ridge. While Adam worked on his skills angling for that final promotion he managed to publish three books. Suzanna had a tough time with coworker Faye but reached a truce for the sake of their careers. She also finished a third collection, the My Sims trophy collection. Silas grew closer with fellow aliens Ruth and Tyree and showed off a Red Coral at show and tell. Pollock aged from an infant into a toddler and continued to learn.

10. Foster Household, Chapter 9

Winter ended in Sulani. Harvey managed to get promoted but didn't catch any new types of fish this time. Kayleigh sold enough paintings to become a global Superstar and was our first sim to reach the top of her career! The focus was mainly on Carson who was navigating a crush while figuring out his identity as an asexual. Clumsy flirting eventually led to him officially being Ariadne's boyfriend though.

Woah that was a lot huh? I need to rearrange my navigation for this save before rotation 11 starts but any pressing thoughts? Any bits you loved or hated? How was the new bold and colour coded dialogue? Did it make it any easier to follow when multiple people were talking? Any things you wish will or won't happen next time?

[felassan]

hi felassan, this news article mentions EA only bringing EA sports to gamescom, not dragon age. haven't seen anyone else write about it so I couldn't verify. https://wccftech.com/ea-and-paradox-arent-showing-dragon-age-the-veilguard-and-vampire-the-masquerade-bloodlines-2-at-gamescom/

coolbeegoesbsss asked: sorry for sending two asks about the same thing (no gamescom) but it's somewhat confirmed in the official discord by an EA employee. https://discord.com/channels/1234565251513585736/1245248476305035304/1266132999125204992

hello! ◕‿◕ tysm for stopping by to let me know about this and no worries at all!! [article link] I will update my calendar post about Gamescom.

here is the full article contents for those reading.

"EA and Paradox Aren’t Showing Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 at Gamescom Despite both being slated to launch this Fall, neither Dragon Age: The Veilguard nor Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 will be shown at Gamescom 2024 by EA and Paradox Interactive, the respective publishers. With less than a month left before the beginning of the big European convention, the exhibitors list has been finalized. Since Wccftech is attending with media accreditations, we are looking into which games will be shown there, and we can confirm that neither of two of the most anticipated games scheduled in the latter half of 2024 will appear. EA does actually have a presence at Gamescom 2024. However, we confirmed with the publisher's PR department that the only game shown there will be EA Sports FC 25, which means Dragon Age: The Veilguard is sorely missing. It feels like a weird repeat of what KONAMI is doing with the Silent Hill 2 remake, which is also skipping Gamescom 2024 for some reason despite only being a few weeks away from its October debut. It's enough to make one wonder if a delay is coming, although Electronic Arts has actually shared a lot of Dragon Age: The Veilguard info lately, which pointed to the Fall release window being respected. Another game in a similar situation is Paradox Interactive's Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. The troubled sequel is still formally pinned for a Q4 2024 launch, but Paradox is skipping Gamescom altogether, Wccftech was able to confirm via the publisher's PR, meaning Bloodlines 2 will be nowhere to be seen at the Koelnmesse. A delay in this case would be less than surprising, as what's been shown so far isn't quite as polished as we would have liked to see. It is far from unlikely that the developers will require more time before launch. Even if both games missed their Fall 2024 launch windows, Western RPG fans would still have two high-profile games pretty much assured to debut this year: Warhorse's Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and Obsidian's Avowed, both of which will be shown at Gamescom."

[source]

[Discord link] And here is what the EA CM said:

"I'm surprised so many people are surprised about Gamescom 😄 As an industry professional, I don't view that event as a marketing event at all and its completely normal for companies to not go (IMO)" [source: the official BioWare Discord]

[goldenpinof]

What do you think is happening with the wad recording? What I mean is, obviously Dan’s still working on it and I trust he's doing everything he can, but do you think it will have the same vibe as when it was performed during the tour? Since it's been so long. And do you think, if he doesn't for some reason manage to record it, does he have some kind of backup recording from the tour, be it from one camera, but at least with a passable audio? You know way more about this than I do, sorry if this is not how these things work actually 👀

oi, i don't know anything but i have theories. my roman empire.

i don't think it's gonna be released as wad dvd (not anymore, lol). i still call it dvd because it's easier. it can be put on a streaming platform. he didn't record the whole show during his tour but he has recordings of some shows (segments of some shows) that were used for promo. and i'm sure there is more footage than we have already seen. i think it's a good backup that could be used if other plans went to shit. did they go to shit though?

at the end of October i was told that Inter Talent was reaching out to companies trying to sell wad movie rights, basically (hello, op if you're still here). and then in November Dan told us that, "the oven has almost reached temperature" and i would assume they finally sold the rights. to what exactly? i have no idea. a one-man show? has something to do with the place and the festival we shouldn't name? BBC is involved again? if he actually performed wad show in front of some audience we would have known, i assume. so it leaves me with a theory about the "gay and not proud" format that was surely adapted to wad as much as possible. Bo Burnham: Inside (Daniel Howell edition), idk. or another theory - a mix of the footage they have (the promo one) and Dan "performing" on stage alone. no idea how they would make it look natural but they could try.

in both October and November people called the product a movie and a film. it also makes me think that there's gonna be either bts or actual acting in the final product, instead of just what we saw live. so, not the same vibe for sure.

also, since there were adjustments to the script for almost every live show he probably had to make changes for dvd as well. and also he had enough feedback to modify some jokes. this whole delay of wad dvd is a blessing and curse, honestly. he had a chance to perfect it, and i hope he did.

p.s. if he is only about to perform it in front of an audience for filming purposes, and he was selling only the movie idea to get funds, i'm gonna cry. but it would be funny.

[callsignfate]

Valeria x Chaotic wife Pt. 7

(Sorry for the delay in posting, I've been busy and playing BG3 in my free time. I have a few more posts for today I hope to post!)

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

Valeria: *peacefully working while you relax on the couch quietly on your phone.*

R/N: Do your little spongebobs ever run around the endless fires in your head and lose your train of thought, but make you remember a random memory?

Valeria: I think instead of energy drinks and endless screen time, we should get you a therapist.

R/N: So is that a no?

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

R/N: The world is my oyster, so I'm going to try something new!

Valeria: That sounds like a good idea. It gives me time to finish my paperwork.

*An hour later, R/N comes walking in with torn up and dirty clothes.*

R/N: They oyster tried to eat me.

Valeria: I'm not even going to ask-

R/N: I tried rock climbing- I didn't know you needed gear

Valeria: ...

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

Valeria: Can you think, I mean, can you use more than your three brain cells to do this properly.

R/N: I'm only doing things with the available amount of brain cells I have. If you think I'm only doing something with two brain cells, then I only have two to spare.

Valeria: ...it sadly makes so much sense.

R/N: sadly?

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

R/N: it's beginning to look a lot like ch-

Valeria: *throwing a stapler off her desk at you* SHUT. UP. ITS STILL OCTOBER.

R/N: I like spooky season, but blame the stores already putting up Christmas decorations..

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

R/N: I like to think I'm well rounded.

Valeria: ..in getting yourself injured?

R/N: In life.

Valeria: ...taxes, making your own doctors appointments, making phone calls.. need I go on?

R/N: ...no.

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

Valeria: So.. have you learned anything?

R/N: Ask Valeria before we try to leave?

Valeria: No- well, yes, but no, I meant DONT FOLLOW STRANGERS IF THEY SAY THEY HAVE ANIMALS.

R/N: ...right right.

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

Valeria: Oh, we also need to go- where the fuck did she go?!

*R/N who got distracted by touching soft things.*

R/N: Val- VAL?!

Over the store intercom 5 minutes later: Valeria Garza, your child is waiting for you at cash register 5.

Valeria: Oh for christ sake.

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

R/N: I need to pee.

Valeria: then go pee.

R/N: I don't pee in store bathrooms.

Valeria: ... then where do you pee?

R/N: Only at home... duh.

Valeria: ...

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

*Valeria after taking you home after you had a allergic reaction to food you ate.*

Valeria: YOU DIDNT TELL ME YOU WERE ALLERGIC TO THINGS.

R/N: I forgot?

Valeria: YOU NEARLY DIED.

R/N: Wasn't even that good..

Valeria: THATS WHAT YOUR WORRIED ABOUT?

R/N: ...thought it would taste better.

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

[foxes-that-run]

Do you think the last HS leaks were about Taylor?

Thanks for the ask, sorry for the delay, I was leaving the leaks but today learned something interesting, (thank you to @womanexile :) ) that the 'Lately' Voice Note leaked almost on it's own anniversary. The file includes that it was from 5 January 2017 (or 1 May)

It first appeared on HS News on the 6th Jan. There's a photo of Harry on the next day too.

This date is possibly an anniversary of them breaking up. The Blue dress on a boat was 4 January 2013. They had been spending time together through the end of 2014 to January 2015. Harry arrived at LA on the 2nd and disappeared. Then on the 6th Taylor posted "Clear Blue Water" Lyrics from This Love. They then stopped hanging out and were icy at Caleb Followill’s birthday. Taylor started dating Calvin a few weeks later. Harry posted rain on a window on the anniversary of that post and then wrote this song on the following anniversary.

It's not a finished song so I'll just flag this part, which with the timing, makes me think it could be about Joe and Taylor, it also includes a reference to Clean's "Rain came pouring down"

The rain falls down and I'm heavy now And I fall out [and it's] underground I don't believe what you're saying to me, "that I love him"

Link with Dancing with our Hands Tied

In April 2016 Harry and Taylor had been spending time together before he left to film Dunkirk and record HS1 in May 2016, and also both in NY & LA later in the year.

He and Taylor had both been in London at the start of January and both in LA at the end of January 2017. There was an unconfirmed sighting of them together on 28 December 2016.

3 January Taylor had a Lover Journal entry, that she and Joe had been together since October the 3rd.

5 January he then writes this voice note about a lover told them they love someone else.

12 January Taylor was then seen for the first time in a while in LA at a gym, which is when DWOHT is thought to have been written. DWOHT is about wishing she had another chance with someone but feeling fame ruined it.

Harry started wearing the Rose ring soon after. The rest of 2017 they released and promoted HS1 and Reputation and dated Camille & Joe, with a few Haylor nods

DWOHT

In Secret Sessions she talked about how this scenario was when she wrote Dancing with Our Hands Tied:

That inspiration for the song came when she was back in LA after spending several months out of the public eye. as we know now she spent basically all of this time in the UK without anyone knowing she was in a relationship. back in LA (i think for work), she went to the gym only to be caught by paparazzi on her way out.. the paps shouted all kinds of things at her including comments about her weight… remember this was the first time she had been properly seen in months and nobody knew she was in a relationship.. She described being really overwhelmed by the experience but that her thought process was less about herself and more about how she could possibly have a normal relationship when this was her life. Taylor actually said that after the incident she went straight to the recording studio, cried, and wrote this song.

@cntfightmydemonsthyknowhowtoswim just did a post about DWOHT, in particular the line "If I could dance with you again" means the song is not about her BF at the time, plus it refers to the age Taylor was when she and Harry broke up (25) and water rushing in (Clean, later Falling.).

Interesting that DWOHT and this voice note leak both reference Clean.

[xxnashiraxx]

With Stars to Fill My Dream (11) - Try to Keep the Truth From Showing Up

Hi!! Sorry for the delay!!! I've been having fun learning how to make gifs and things for this fic! It's been a blast, but that's why it's taken so long!

✧˖ Please remember, the update schedule has been adjusted to every other week - Chapter 12 will come out on 10/20! ˖✧

Summary: A street-smart, musically inclined human girl with a tragic past gets abducted by a nautiloid after her painfully average shift at a retro singing diner. What's worse- putting your all into Olivia Newton-John and Travolta for lousy tips, or getting your guts ripped out by a gnoll? Or worse- getting turned into a hideous humanoid squid? Ofelia Montez will have to see if she can survive long enough to find out.

Pairing: Astarion x female!Tav

Warnings: 18+. Mentions of past abuse and trauma. Canon-typical violence and gore.

Word Count: 9,535

I have some screenshots below, as well as the non-spoiler version of the art at the end of the chapter on AO3! Please enjoy and happy October!!!

Behold! The spoiler-free version of this artwork! Just in time for spooky season!

+Blighted Village shenanigans and sucky, angsty stuff.

✧˖Tag List: @khywren

Opening under the cut!

“Won’t you try? She likes you.” Astarion scowls at their annoying half-elf cleric, going back to sewing.

“While it feels good to hear you say it, Shadowheart dear, I’m afraid she isn’t taking visitors. She didn’t even bat an eye when young Wyll’s patron turned him into a devil. I’m sure seeing my face wouldn’t cheer her up much.”

“Ugh, you’re such a prick, you know that? Imagine just trying,” She turns heel, complaining the entire way back to the fire. He snickers, finishing up the filigree near the edges of the piece. It’s adequate, hardly his best work, but it’ll do. It’d surprised him that he’d even started the project, to begin with. He’s hardly ever been one for sentimentality but… well, he’d never been given the choice before, had he? She may think it’s shit craftsmanship, anyhow. Either emotional reaction would be satisfying.

“Knock, knock, darling.”

“Go away.”

“Please let me in, everyone’s worried about you and expects me to do something about it. Nonsense, I know, I told them you hate my guts and wish I’d die.” She flings the flap open, her hair a wild mess winding around her head. Furious eyes glare daggers at him, dark kohl smeared beneath them.

Quite a sight.

“What? I never said that!” Her high-pitched voice makes him snicker and she rolls her eyes. “Right, a joke. Very funny. Look, I told Wyll I was sorry about what happened to him. I gave Karlach an air hug. I told that blue-winged bitch to take a long walk off a short pier. Not that it’d work, she can fucking fly...” Her expletives make him smirk, watching her wave her arms around her head as she turns back to look inside her tent. “Now can’t I just brood in here about what stupid Raphael said, in peace, without everyone trying to butt in?” He smiles, thinking she looks rather ridiculous, before stepping inside and making himself at home atop the little stool she keeps in there. She doesn’t protest further, meaning she’s begrudgingly happy he’s here, and won’t shoo him out.

“You know, when a devil tries to get me to take a deal by dangling things in front of me they’ll know I would want to hear, I don’t take it too seriously. He was only offering it to see if you’d take the bait.”

“Gee, you don’t think I didn’t know that?” She grimaces after she says it, eyeing him apologetically as she sinks down onto her messy bedroll. “Sorry… I just… how else would he have known those things to even offer that?” Astarion waves a hand dismissively.

“They know all, but it’s only to get you to accept their offer. They’ll provide, but once that’s done you’re indebted to them for eternity. Never forget that.” She looks down into her lap, gaze troubled. When she looks back up at him it’s with those wet round eyes that he abhors.

Perhaps they’re starting to grow on him, however…

[linesonscreens]

Let's Read Peanuts (Only 45 more years to go!) – December 1955

There are lots of great strips I just don't have room to comment on. I strongly encourage everybody to read the full month at the official GoComics page. Today's month starts HERE.

December 2 1955

Linus, that’s what we like to call “noclipping”. It just means that you live in a simulation and everyone and everything you’ve ever known or loved is a lie generated by an unfeeling algorithm. Once the novelty wears off though it’s really nothing to write home about.

December 5, 1955

Hey man, I get it. We’ve all fallen down the Wikipedia rabbit hole at some point.

December 8, 1955

Wait are those terms like, dog slurs? Am I going to wake up someday to find my inbox flooded with very angry call-out messages about my past usage of the M-word?

Look, I didn’t know OK!? That’s just how everybody used to talk!

December 17, 1955

Seems a bit mean, but I imagine you can only hear this speech so many times before you get numb to it and start thinking up zingers.

December 18, 1955

Oh. Good. The religion stuff is finally starting to work it’s way into the strip.

Yaaaaaaay.

December 20, 1955

Santa being a tragic figure with a checkered past is hilarious and I’m going to start telling this version to small children.

December 25, 1955

Oh piss off you two. Even if Snoopy was just a normal dog this would be an exceptionally cool thing to do.

Thoughts:

Sorry for the delay! I recently moved and it’s made doing anything beyond opening boxes a challenge. Let’s do our customary look at how the art has changed, shall we?

Charlie Brown

(October) 1950

(December) 1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

Linus

(September) 1952

(December) 1952

1953

1954

1955

Snoopy

(October) 1950

(December) 1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

At some point (I think around March) something I can't quite put my finger on shifted and the strip has felt a bit different ever since. I think a big part of it is how he draws his characters with the heads getting smaller and rounder while character's faces get much more tiny. It's not necessarily a bad thing but it does make them look a bit less cutesy and approachable in exchange for them feeling a bit more grounded. I'll let you decide if that's a good, bad, or lateral move.

Meanwhile, certain individual characters have evolved a LOT this year independent of everything else. The changes around Linus are the most obvious what with him growing up and becoming a proper character, now capable of walking, talking and constantly imagining the violent demise of his many enemies (#relatable). Visually, he's still got a big head and stubby appendages but he’s starting to reach a point where his look is more or less in-line the rest of the main cast.

Snoopy on the other hand is going through a much more interesting change where we’re seeing the entire visual aesthetic shift dramatically. He started as a stylized but fairly grounded depiction of a real world dog but over the course of this year he's transformed into some kind of Looney Tunes character. I suspect that this was because Schulz wanted to draw Snoopy doing goofy faces/impressions but his old design just just wasn't very flexible due to how blocky it was. Again, it’s not ~bad~ really, but I miss the cute simplicity of the original look.

Meanwhile, Charlie Brown’s changes are more subtle but in some ways more profound. While Snoopy has gotten more animated and expressive, Charlie Brown is actually a lot more deadpan with a tiny face on a smaller, now almost perfectly circular head and a more stocky frame that gives him a much more “neutral” or "static" feel (for lack of a better word). He's also almost completely lost that goofy edge he had early on in favor of an early version of the constantly depressed and put-upon personality he will have for the rest of the strip. Personally, I think it's a bit of a downgrade but considering how successful this version became that's probably just a me thing.

Finally, the background art continues to become more loose and less complex. Schulz is still capable of some incredible compositions, but intricate backgrounds are becoming rarer now in favor of minimalist options like using few lines to indicate grass. I don’t really blame him for that one though. That’s a LOT of saved time which is important in a daily comic strip where you constantly have another deadline looming. Still kind of sad to see it happen though.

Overall, this feels like the awkward early middle school years of the strip. It's a transitory period where Schulz is trying new things and figuring out a more sustainable long-term workflow. It's no longer the Peantus of 1953 but it's also not the "classic" Peanuts of the 1960s we're all familiar with yet either. Which is interesting in and of itself, I think.

-------

Thanks again to everybody for reading! It's been very heartening to see that I'm not the only one who finds digging through the archives of this silly strip interesting. I'll see you all in 1956!

[drawberry03]

Sorry if this is super annoying but I just found your TSoF comic and was wondering if it was ever coming back, of if it's been finished and I just can't find the ending

Hello anon, don't worry it's not annoying. Glad to hear you like it so much ❤️ . Unfortunately TSOF is far from being finished 🥺. I haven't been able to work on any of my art for months now actually.

It's not out of laziness though! In fact I've bought a display tablet back in June 😗. The shorthand answer as to why I stopped posting is because I have health issues specifically with my hands and wrist. I meant to post this update months prior but I kinda just forgot about it sorry 😵‍💫.

Anyways, a few months ago I was both working and had my internship at the same time (12 hours + of work 😩). I was a UI/UX designer intern and if that wasn't enough my job required using the computer as well. Due to that my hands have been really tired 🤔. It's either my wrist from using my mouse for long hours or the joints of my fingers from typing and tapping left click and whatnot. This went on for about three months give or take. There have been mornings when I wake up with trigger fingers and it's kinda scary.

If you don't know what trigger finger is, basically the tendons are swollen and I wake up with my finger joints 'locked" into a curled position. And when you try to uncurl it, it's pretty painful and curls back on its own. One time I had to support my finger with a makeshift splint from a popsicle stick and yarn pfffttt.

https://www.brisbanephysiotherapy.com/news/trigger-finger-physiotherapy-management

Sometimes I don't even need to overwork them, holding my phone for too long or even something like cold weather makes my joints slightly ache. Basically my hands have been overworked and though I haven't gotten them checked, I'm pretty certain experiencing these symptoms in my early 20s isn't okay.

As soon as I could, I've avoided drawing (and writing and crochet and pretty much all my hobbies that use my hands). It sucks cuz that pretty much means it'll be a while before I can really have fun with my new tablet (which would've been another learning curve delay). Thankfully with my internship over with, I've been using the extra time to either rest my hands or find ways to support them (I've bought wrist casts, a heating pad and sports tape thus far). Yeah, so I've been trying to take it easy (as much as I can anyways I still have work after all).

Low key it kinda brought up a fear in me of never being able to draw again. And the problem with me is that when I'm in the zone you can expect me to draw for HOURS and I'll barely even notice 👁️👄👁️ . Plus trying to accomplish anything under 1 hour never seems enough to me. So I decided it was for the best to stop completely. To my fellow artists out there I hope you never have to go through the same thing 😵‍💫. Please rest your precious hands, don't be like me 🤣🙏.

For more happy news, I graduated 🎓 last October!!! 🎈 And I have continued working in my job 👏. I'm building my career and doing well generally speaking. My busy schedule is very much still busy but I really miss drawing too 😭.

I'm not really sure when I can go back to posting 🥲 cuz overworking myself again will set my recovery progress back to 0. However I can tell that my hands are definitely getting better (still not a full recovery but at least waking up with trigger fingers has stopped).

Be assured that all my unfinished works (whether its for gojohime, astelle, shortaki etc.) are still in the back burner of my brain. And I will get back to them when my health gets even better 😗.  And a big thanks to anyone that is still waiting by the time I come back 😌 💖.

[tangerinesgirl]

Kinktober 2024 - October 26th

Pegging // Edgeplay // Seduction 

David Haller x Fem!Reader

Rating: 18+, explicit

Word count: 1k

Warnings: watersports, piss kink, no like seriously, don't like don't read, urine, spit kink, orgasm delay, edging, degradation kink, Dark!David, daddy kink, everything is consensual but David does go quite dark here just fyi so still triggering for some, nice aftercare moment in the shower afterwards

Notes: I'm begging everyone to check the warnings. This is my first time writing for this kink (watersports), so please be kind. That means no kinkshaming; in the comments, reblogs, asks or anywhere. My blog is a safe place and I want to keep it that way. If you like it, drop me a nice anon, I would appreciate it. Or, alternatively, if you don't like it, scroll on, which I'm also just as cool with!

Kinktober List || Masterlist || AO3

It's been nearly two weeks now since you agreed to be David's personal slave. You would let him do things to you the other women refused. It is bad that it turns you on? Wondering how he could possibly go any further, what new and depraved act he would do to you next? Taking out his anger and frustrations, or sometimes testing out new powers, on you?

David had left you in this room for...well, it's quite hard to say as 1) there's no clock anywhere. Or anything for that matter. Just dark and cold. And 2) you can't get up to find one as he has tied you down to the floor. He had left a small vibrator running inside your pussy, on a low setting, enough to pleasure you but not enough to make you cum.

"Going to keep you warm and ready for when I get back", David explained. "But don't even think about cumming...I will know."

---

Once, you felt yourself very close to the edge before you heard David telepathically scolding you.

"What did I tell you?"

"I'm sorry David, it won't hap-"

"I'm sorry, who?"

"Daddy, I'm sorry Daddy."

David didn't like you using his name. He told you only people with authority could use it. You're less than that, not deserving of gracing his name on your tongue. Nothing but dirt under his shoe.

---

Daylight shines through the door as David steps into the room. You struggle to open your eyes from the bright light, only seeing his silhouette. He takes a moment to look at you, glistening with sweat from constantly being on the edge of orgasm, as he walks around your body.

Stopping at your head, he takes his boot to your face, putting pressure onto his foot to make you turn your face to one side. The cold of the floor digs into your cheek, gasping out. David steps off you after a moment, and walks away to close the door, before lighting one candle across the room. His hand waves across the wick as it lights by itself. Part of his face hidden in shadow, the candle barely helps you to regain your vision.

"You must be thirsty", David breaks the silence.

You nod enthusiasticly, the restraints digging into your wrists as you jump up at the words.

"Well...open wide."

Your dry tongue hangs out of your mouth, thankful David is showing you mercy. He takes a moment to look at you, begging, before he raises an eyebrow and smiles, somewhat menacingly.

Realisation starts to creep over your face as he undoes his belt, his soft cock bouncing free. You fight every instinct telling you to put your tongue away before you feel the warm liquid start to pour out of David's dick.

Swallowing what you can, so desperate for anything he will give you, the rest dribbling down your chest. It burns as it trickles down your throat, the strong odour filling the room.

You're conflicted. Even though this is one of the worst things he has done, you can't help but find arousal in the way he groans "oh yeah" as he relieves himself, towering over you, smiling at you as you obediently drink him up.

You watch as David moans, directing his stream down south. You're so overstimulated, the feeling of his piss rubbing against your cunt is enough to make you cum. Your body tenses and shakes, walls clench as the vibrator inside you sends you over the edge, dragging out your orgasm.

The warmth of him is somewhat comforting against the cold of the room, as he continues to relieve himself on you for over a minute. He must have been holding it in, just for you. You watch as his stream slows down to a dribble, shaking himself before immediately starting to stroke his cock at the sight of you.

You catch your breath, tears forming in the corners of your eyes. Watching David touching himself makes you try to rub your thighs together, looking for some sort of friction, but your restraints stop you. All the while, your vibrator continues to pulse inside of you.

"Daddy please-", you whimper, craving his touch.

"Did you cum?"

"Wha-"

"Earlier. Did you cum?"

You hesitate... David always knows when you're lying.

"...Yes", you admit, dejected.

"Then you get when you deserve for going against my orders."

He steps over your body, straddling over you, while still palming his cock.

"You're nothing but a dirty whore."

The words sting, David trying to teach you a lesson for disobeying him. But part of you loves it, in a depraved way. Being in your mind, David can always tell when he goes too far with you. But he's surprised he hasn't quite reached there yet. It spurs him on, trying to find your limits. As well as showing you his darker side, which you so desperately love seeing.

"So you're going to take everything I give you, like a good girl...now open that pretty mouth back up."

You do as you're told, your jaw shaking with the effort as you start to become tired. David's lips part, a globule of white sputum slowly making its way towards your mouth. You close your eyes at the impact, the warmth of his spit short lived as it hits the corner of your lips. Soon after, David begins to cum, groaning with the effort. It leaks onto your chest before moving upwards, towards your open mouth. The salty taste mixes with the notes of urine still on your tongue as you swallow, eyes still closed.

Before you can open your eyes, you can feel David undo your restraints and remove the vibrator from inside you. As you flutter your eyes open, you feel him slide his arms underneath you, carrying you straight into the bathroom. Warm water starts to soak into your skin as he places you down on the floor. He carefully starts removing his seed from your face with a flannel, looking at you, making sure you're okay. But he doesn't need to do that, he can read your mind.

Grateful for his care after such a rough day, you smile, looking into his eyes, telling him without words that you are okay. He smiles back, the darkness in his eyes no longer there, before kissing your forehead, as you let him resume cleaning your body.

[rothjuje]

I definitely did not mean to imply that New Englanders are unkind in my last post. I spent 8 years in Texas and I never made a best friend (my TX bff moved there with me from CA). I’ve only known my two bffs here for 6 months and I know we’ll be friends for life. I have 5 friends here that I see on a regular basis, and I haven’t had that since CA.

There is a saying that people here are like jelly beans, hard on the outside but soft once you break through their exterior. I don’t know if I agree with that one, but I do agree with a podcast I heard recently that said that west coasters are nice but not kind and east coasters are kind but not nice. The example they gave was that someone from the west coast would see you struggling with a flat tire and walk on by, saying “I’m so sorry, that sucks, how stressful” while a New Englander would help you change it while talking about how annoying it is. (And people in the south would be so nice about it and offer to help you change it, then tell their friends about the idiot they had to help earlier.)

January 15th marked 6 months in Georgetown. I asked Justin if we could stay in Massachusetts forever and he said probably, depending on job stability/income. Things are going really well at his job, he might get a promotion soon, and he’s getting to travel a lot coming up so he is pretty content. He’s grumpy about the inconvenience and expense of living here, but there are a lot of pros. He has a very east coast personality, and he enjoys that people out here are more proper in their dress and social interactions.

It hasn’t snowed for a week and it’s been such a nice break. Today was warm (50) but the snow didn’t melt all the way which is a little disconcerting. Guess I’ll be seeing snow for a while! It’s not supposed to snow again until next Monday so I should really figure out how to use our snow blower before then. We have yet to have a weather delay day but we have had a weather related early release day and an after school activities canceled day.

Now that I have grocery shopping experience here, Market Basket is hands down the best. Crazy crowded and I will never go on a weekend again, but they have a huge selection, probably more stuff even than Texas grocery stores. What they don’t have our (super expensive) tiny little grocery store has, oddly enough. It works out.

And I also discovered that we have a convenience store open until 10:30 pm! In town! Whattt. Things close so early here, I remember the culture shock when we moved to Texas and grocery stores were only open until midnight. Here they close at 9. NINE.

George had an IEP progress meeting. They’re going to keep him 9-11:30 am M-F until the end of the school year. Their summer program is 8:30-11:30 am M-Th, and in the fall he’ll be full day (9 am- 2 pm). His teachers and therapists are all super sweet and they adore him. Last week George ran to hug his main teacher and didn’t even look back, he’s come such a long way. He hasn’t had a tantrum that lasted for more than two minutes since October. Not even in public places packed with strangers. School has been so good for him and I am so proud of him and how far he’s come in just a few short months.

[squidkidnerd]

Operation Atlantis Notes - "Heatstroke" (chapter 6)

Yay, it's finally... here. Yeah, sorry for the delay on this one guys. I told myself I would do this over the summer, but then I procrastinated on it, and before I knew it I was back on the grind doing college admissions!!! Yay!!! Anyways, those are (mostly) done, so I'm back now. Anyways, enough dilly-dallying, let's talk about chapter 6.

The most difficult part of this chapter is that it's a transition. Compared to the first half of part 1, we're moving from beyond the basic setup and more into the actual plot, with Three and Eight both making some headway during this chapter. For Three, that's the museum, and for Eight, that's clothing. Both pretty trivial things, but hey. They mean something.

Opening poem: I actually really like this one. It's easy, simple, and gets quick to the point, which is Eight contemplating her identity. This is, of course, something we'll see in this chapter as well as the rest of Operation Atlantis.

Three and the Museum: Given that Tartar was created to be an archive of human knowledge, I think it's reasonable to assume that it, and by extension Kamabo as a whole, has access to a bunch of old human media. Hence why Three sees so many old videos of them. It's also, if you think about it, really weird. It's like if we had videos of the dinosaurs or something. Also, we get some background on Kamabo itself. Hm, I wonder how reliable that information is...

Eight and Trying on Clothes: Unironically, this was one of my favorite parts of the chapter. Just—Eight trying on that new sweater and loving it is so wholesome, guys. I love the feeling of finding a piece of clothing you really like, and I tried to convey that here. The other element, though, is of course, the flashback. It was kinda just a cool idea and I went with it because why not. It also forces Eight to get more invested in figuring out her past...

Heatstroke and "How Do You Dance": Oh, would you look at that, it's this chapter's namesake! Yeah, I was pretty excited to introduce them. Their music can best be compared to the style of the band Paramore—kinda like this pop-rock kinda deal. Anyways, the lyrics of "How Do You Dance" were entirely written by me! Yeah, I dabble in songwriting from time to time, mostly for ones about my OCs lmao. The other song Three mentions, "Budding Lilies," is in fact the name of part 1! In conclusion: these guys are super cool and I'm excited to show off more of them. Guess which one's my favorite :P

The Ending 👀: Yeah, Things are going be to happening next chapter, as you could've guessed. Nothing quite crazy yet, but expect some more intrigue and even a tiny bit of action! Woo. Hopefully Three's investigating goes well.

Anyways, that's it! Shorter notes then last time, I don't have as much to say lol. As for chapter 7... I'm not making any promises, but hopefully I can get it out by the end of year. I really wish drafting chapters didn't take me this long, but they do and I'm trying my best to speed up the process :'). Also Operation Atlantis's first year anniversary is coming up soon on October 22nd... man I have to do something special for it.

[love-karens-style]

School of Style – Casual Choice: 3 Fast Facts

(source: © pinterest.com)

“Fresh sneakers are important on a man.” –DJ Khaled

1. Spotless Sneakers – Gentlemen, the first observation, that I’d like to share with you, is about the model’s fabulous footwear, which as you may have noticed, is clean and pristine. Furthermore, the virtuous Velcro, makes it easier to put on, and pull off, so that you don’t waste any time tying or untying shoelaces, which is undoubtedly useful, when you are in a real rush. Going back to the model’s spotless shoes gentlemen, you may have noticed that they clearly complement his shirt buttons, which, to borrow sensational stylist Gok Wan’s words, “ties the outfit together.” Remember my previous edition, where I spoke about using a Micellar Water, as a ‘pre-cleanser,’ for make-up removal if you’re a model, actor, etc? Well, did you know that Micellar Water (the gentle version, for sensitive skin, ideally), on a cotton disc, can help to keep your white leather trainers, spotless and sparkling? I recently read in a beauty article about the brilliant benefits of Micellar Water to help keep white leather clean, as soon as you notice any scuffs. I must advise though gentlemen, that I currently do not own a pair of white leathers, so I have yet to implement this advice, though according to various sources online, it works. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, so gently ‘patch test’ (beautician speak for: try out a small amount, on an inconspicuous not-so-clean area of your shoes, ideally with a cotton bud, or cotton swab), and see how it goes. Maintenance of your fabulous footwear is a must, as according to Thomas Fink, in his book, The Man’s Book: The Indispensable Guide for The Modern Man, “Polishing shoes requires perseverance… The trick is to polish lightly but often.”

2. Best Beard – Secondly gentlemen, I’d like to draw your attention, to the model’s beard. It shouldn’t come as a surprise for me to state that, historically, beards have been associated “With notions of masculinity and male courage.” A succinct statement, by Chris Martin, in his book, A Gentleman’s Guide to Beard and Moustache Management. Gentlemen, based on my studies on the subject of skincare, bearded boys tend to age slower. Why? Well, this is because, according to experts, approximately 90 per cent of skin ageing, comes from the sun’s UVA rays, and I recall, reading in a book, some years ago, or a few books, that beards help to provide protection from the sun. Though, this does not mean you can get away with not wearing sunscreen. Nope. Sunscreen is still recommended (ideally one that does not leave a white cast, especially if you have dark hair, which is typically a chemical sunscreen), to help further delay the signs of ageing on the face, and to ensure proper protection for your beard.

3. Cuff Clue – To close this article gentlemen, I’d like to direct your appreciated attention, to the model’s shirt sleeves. The model’s outfit, as you can see, features turned-up cuffs, which shows off his jewellery. This is so suitable, and in my opinion, gives the outfit and effortless edge. Gentlemen, it’s great news that he doesn’t appear to be ‘trying too hard,’ by adding this, what I like to call, ‘tactical touch’ with the turned-up shirt sleeves, to his look. He does appear to be ‘off-duty,’ so why not? I also absolutely appreciate the fact that, the colours in this frame, are very limited, not only because “less is usually more,” but also because, Coco Chanel once said, “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”

Love, KF X                                                                                            

Happy to help: karensworldofstyle@live.co.uk or karens_style on X (Twitter)

This article was researched, written, edited, produced & published by Karen, on 19th October 2024