#Gold Bar in UK

[bullionhouse12]

Why Gold Bars for Investment Are a Smart Choice in 2025

Investing in gold has always been a trusted way to protect wealth. When markets are unstable and inflation is rising, many people look to gold as a safe and steady option. Among the many gold investment products available, gold bars for investment stand out as one of the most secure and cost-effective choices.

[snqjjw]

Sustainable Alternatives: Eco-Friendly Solutions in the UK

Many eco-friendly products are emerging in the UK as people seek to reduce their environmental impact. From reusable razors to bamboo straws, these alternatives provide effective solutions without contributing to waste.

Read Here::https://www.edocr.com/v/3xwxkjkm/shyanaarora1/sustainable-alternatives

[ur-mag]

Drug kingpin caught hiding gold bars, cash and luxury watches in Harrods safe slapped with Super ASBO | In Trend Today

Drug kingpin caught hiding gold bars, cash and luxury watches in Harrods safe slapped with Super ASBO Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[konsum]

Cadbury Wispa Gold, 5x38,3g=153,4g

[alpha-mag-media]

How builder Blair Adams emptied bank account & fled abroad fearing for his life…before half-naked body & gold bars found | In Trend Today

How builder Blair Adams emptied bank account & fled abroad fearing for his life…before half-naked body & gold bars found Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[reeceint]

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You'll also want to consider the style and color of the stirrups. While safety should always be the top priority, there's no reason you

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[sturnsdarling]

the library

love and cigs, merc

(!) indicates smut, (✯) are my faves

!'I don't know how to forget you' ✯

matt and y/n have been best friends their whole life, but after a drunken kiss and a night of tangled limbs, everything is changing.

‘I get them too, sometimes'

y/n has an anxiety attack and Matt calms her down the only way he can think of in the moment (based on the ICONIC stydia scene)

'lets just stay here for a while'

{part two of 'I get them too, sometimes' } anxious!reader has an anxiety attack so bff!matt kisses her to calm her down, after, they agree to not go back to the party and just hang out with each other for a while.

!'Dinner and a show'

Matt and his girl go to dinner, but little does he know she has something planned for him when they get home.

!‘never have I ever; shared a girl with my brother' ✯

Matt and Chris’ best friend takes an innocent game of ‘never have I ever’ as her opportunity to ask the boys something she’s always wondered

!'Birthdays in Boston' ✯

a prequel to 'I don't know how to forget you', and the full story behind the photo of Matt and y/n on the fridge

!'save a horse...'

you and Matt go to a ranch for your anniversary and end up finding an old abandoned barn, taking the perfect opportunity to live your true wild west fantasy.

'teenage dirtbags', Intro, part I, part II, part III, part IV

Skater!Matt and Overachiever!reader have never gotten along, but after Matt needs her help passing philosophy, everything starts to change.

'gloves off'

Hockeyplayer!Matt is on the ice, and a guy from the other team says something about his girl, so Matt deals with him

!'It's 2am, and I miss you'

You and Matt broke up months ago, but he cant seem to get you out of his head.

!‘need to taste you’

ex!matt is in his feelings, and they’re all directed at you….

!’flashing lights’

you and matt discover his new LED lights have a clap on/off setting, and take full advantage of it.

‘cherry cola’ ✯

you ask for Matts assistance in dying your hair red

‘it’s so obvious’

the boys’ best friend joins them for a stream, and fans notice the tension between her and Matt

!’after party’

tour!matt and his girlfriend can’t wait another second once he gets off stage…

!’english love affair’…incoming

Matt and his brothers go on tour in the UK, and whilst in a crowded london bar, he meets a girl that he can’t get out his head

!’I know you will’…incoming

you’ve been desperate for matt all day, and you’re finally alone

you're my only option...incoming

figureskater!reader has a major competition coming up, but her partner dropped out last minute, leaving hockeyplayer!matt her only shot at gold

...more tbd

'are you still awake?'

Chris and y/n had a stupid fight, but he refuses to go to bed angry

!'just need t'feel you around me'

part two of 'are you still awake?', Chris can't keep his hands off y/n once they make amends after an argument.

'Chris likes girls who don't like him back' ✯

Late night streaming with your best friends turns to a conversation about the boys' type, and Chris gets called out.

!‘never have I ever; shared a girl with my brother ✯

Matt and Chris’ best friend takes an innocent game of ‘never have I ever’ as her opportunity to ask the boys something she’s always wondered

!’take it’

You and Chris have had sex a thousand times, but this time, after a dirty comment you thought nothing of, Chris’ secret obsession comes to light

'lazy days'

Sometimes you just need a pretty girl on your lap and some good music, and that’s what Chris has with his girl.

!'I can make you feel better'

Chris has been in a mood all day, and theres only one thing that will get him out of it

...more tbd

*indicates fratboy!mattXreader | *indicates fratboy!chrisXreader | **indicates interaction with both (if it's both, fb!matt is always the romantic interest)

*!'you're much better company, tough girl' ✯

fratboy!matt has met his match with smartand'mean'!reader, and he can't get enough of her

*she's the coolest person I know'

fratboy!matt tries to play it cool about him and smartand'mean'!reader spending alot of time together, but fratboy!chris and nate aren't convinced

*'stay the fuck away from her'

fratboy!chris leaves shy!reader alone at a party for the first time and it goes south, quickly.

**'what the fuck is wrong with you?' ✯

fratboy!matt calls smartand'mean'!reader after the fight, telling her she needs to come look after shy!reader, but after she finds out what happened, she lays into fratboy!chris, giving him the reality check he needs.

*!'you look like this song'

smartand'mean'!reader is getting ready in fratboy!Matts room, listening to Nirvana, and he can't keep his eyes off her.

**an unlikely friendship' ✯

fratboy!chris needs a girls help with a deal, and the only girl he knows he can trust, is fratboy!matts.

*fratboy!matt and smartand’mean’!readers insta launch

“yeah my boyfriends pretty cool…but he’s not as cool as me”

*'boyfriend' ✯

smartand'mean'!reader goes to one of fratboy!matt's freshers parties, and has a run in with a boy that doesn't end well.

*'beast boy and raven'

smartand'mean'!reader convinces fratboy!matt to dress up for halloween

*insta posts

some things found on fratboy!matt and smartand’mean’!readers instagrams

**!'all I wanted'...incoming

fratboy!matt and smartand'mean'!reader find themselves at their breaking point

!'lemme jus' put it in

how and when Chris/Matt would beg for you to cockwarm them...according to merc

!'what chris is into'

the kind of stuff chris is into…according to merc

!'how the boys fuck', II

links and blurbs on the boys' style...according to merc

...more tbd

[jadiealissia]

Worldbuilding Countries (Part 1)

I've lived in and visited a few countries in my life, which gave me a lot of inspiration for my fantasy novel. I'm not an expert, but I thought I'd share what I learned!

Climate

The climate will most likely come up at some point. Do you mention the cool breeze, or the orange leaves on the trees? All those nice weather descriptions will depend on the climate!

If you have a couple of different countries, it may be a little weird if they all have the same climate (especially if they are far away from each other), so there's a few things you can consider to make them a bit more specific.

Climate is of course a very complicated topic, so I will simplify it a bit.

Temperature

I like to pick a real country/city and look at its temperature graphs on Wikipedia. One important thing to note is that countries aren't simply colder/warmer than one another. I know a lot of people think that a country like Russia is cold all year round, but it is actually quite warm in summer. Some areas have a larger variation between temperature throughout the year than others (normally, the closer to the equator a country is, the less variation there is. They also tend to be warmer).

Look at Singapore:

The temperatures are basically stable all year round (the letters up top are the months). The numbers are the average minimum and maximum daily temperatures. You can see that on average the variation every day is less than 10°C.

Here is Moscow:

The temperature changes quite a lot throughout the year. Note that the maximum temperatures (summer) will occur at the opposite times of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.

You can see this demonstrated in Copiapo (Chile):

This city is in the Southern hemisphere, so their coldest months are June and July :)

One thing you may have noticed is that the bars here are taller, which means that the variation for the daily min and max are higher too. Why is that? I'm simplifying it a bit, but generally, the dryer a place is, the more variation you will get in daily temperature. Which brings us to the next thing to consider:

Humidity/Precipitation

There are a few things to consider:

Rainfall. This can vary month-by-month, and due to some complicated factors, some countries have more rain in their colder months, some have more rain in their warmer months. Some places don't follow a neat pattern or stay consistent throughout the year. Have a look at climate pages on Wikipedia to get some ideas! Even just this page on Chile has a lot of cool examples. Each city is quite different!

Although of course the "wetness" of a country related to rainfall (e.g. you'd expect greener grass somewhere with more rainfall, brownish dry grass or a desert somewhere with less rainfall), it's not that simple. UK is a wet country, right? And if you've heard of Gold Coast (Australia) it seems pretty dry, right? Well, actually the Gold Coast gets twice as much precipitation (rain) as London!

To demonstrate, I took a screenshot (randomly selected street in each city) from Google Streetview.

Why this difference? I suspect it's because the Gold Coast is much hotter. Living in Australia, puddles are normally gone by the next day (often the rain even evaporates as it hits the ground!), but in UK, the puddles would always stay around for a while.

The UK is always mossy, often the clouds hang in the sky for ages. It can look quite grey. When it rains in the Gold Coast in summer, the raindrops evaporate as soon as they hit the pavement, which makes the air feel very humid and smell strongly of rain. You can use these sorts of sensory details in your stories :)

Also, one thing I noticed, is that in hotter weather, rain can be much more heavy than in colder weather. In Australia we often get heavy rain that causes flooding. In UK the rain usually dribbles all day but doesn't get heavy. In a place like the Gold Coast you can get rain that last 10 minutes but soaks you all the way through and floods the street.

The rainfall may also vary year-by-year. Australia goes through periods of floods and droughts that last a couple of years. The mechanism is a bit complicated so I won't go through it now, but it gives you something to google!

Humidity: Deserts have low humidity, which means that you can cool off more easily in the shade and the nights are colder. The breeze feels more refreshing at low humidity as your sweat evaporates.

High humidity (like Singapore) will feel much hotter at the same temperatures and it is normally still quite hot in the shade. High humidity feels really muggy, the air feels thick. The sweat doesn't evaporate as much, so you are left all wet and sticky. The breeze can feel much less refreshing because of this.

When the temperature is below freezing, the humidity gets very low, so your skin may need more moisturiser or your lips may crack.

Those are just some things to consider while describing your weather!

Generally, closer to the sea will be wetter, further inland is dryer. Have a look at some climate maps on Wikipedia, you will learn a lot! Climate is quite complicated since there are so many factors, so there's a lot you can do with it.

UV: This is one thing that people often forget about when they think about weather. In the UK, even on a very hot and sunny day, you are unlikely to get sunburnt (unless you are very pale). In Australia, you can get sunburnt very easily in even Tasmania, which is our coldest state, even when the temperatures are chilly.

You can't actually feel being sunburnt, which I fully understood when I visited Tasmania. I was freezing, but the whole time I was being sunburnt.

Normally, UV index is higher closer to the equator, which is why people who live closer to the equator tend to have darker skin. The melanin acts as protection against the sun. Still, this protection isn't perfect, so in the real world people in Africa used different methods to protect their skin, such as using clay as a "sunscreen".

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. This is partially because most people in Australia have pale skin (originally from the UK), but the UV index is high.

This is something to consider in your story, since it can play a bigger role in behaviour than you'd expect if you live in a cold climate. In Australia, they recommend staying indoors between certain hours of the day to avoid sunburn, and if you do go out you should wear clothes that cover your skin, a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen. Someone with very pale skin can get sunburnt in minutes. Wide-brimmed hats are compulsory at schools in Australia - you are not allowed to play if you forget your hat.

In low-UV areas, there is the opposite issue. People with darker skin can have problems getting vitamin D. Same goes for people who cover their skin with clothing (e.g. for religious reasons). However, this is a bit simpler to fix with some vitamin D supplements.

How do I use this for worldbuilding?

If you have a map of your countries, you may want to keep their location in mind when deciding on the climate :)

I like to draw up some graphs with the temperatures throughout the year for each country and some quick notes on the humidity, rainfall and UV.

You can also add some other elements to your story. Is it a fantasy? Maybe magic affects the weather! Sci-fi? You can play with the distance of the planet from the sun, axial tilt, sun size etc. (I won't go into that since it's a whole another topic and really complicated as well)

You probably don't need to know the exact details of the climate for most stories, but having a general idea will allow you to consistently describe what sorts of clothing your characters wear, the weather etc. Those are the sorts of things that comes up in almost every story (if it's long enough).

If you read this and found this useful, please reblog so I know that it was helpful. If it seems like people enjoyed this post, I will make more (I was going to talk about so much more, but this is already too long).

[shintaru]

Character sheet: Poel Reynolds

Windbreaker writers guide

Also known as: Phantom Ship

Height : 6’0 or 6’1

Gender : 🚹

Weight : possibly 70kg

Age : N/A

Place of birth: United States, New York

Birthday: N/A

Occupation: world class cyclist

Affiliation: gold rush crew leader/ captain

Body modification: ears pierced & heavily tattooed

Bike: Poel has a fixie bike zipp tires, titanium frame , & Aero handle/ drop bars.

I can’t read what’s on the side of the bike but I think it’s something like this PPI NI TI?

Marital status:  Single ( confirmed when he says Shelly is his type)

Likes: Shelly Scott

Dislikes: texts & calls being ignored it makes him worry

History : N/A

Background information : N/A

Tricks: Parkour

First appearance: [part 4] Ep.141 #519

According to Monster

"If Light Calvary represents the UK... then Gold Rush represents the US" - Monster

"They used their physique and unpredictable strategies... to completely overturn the paradigm of cycling" - Monster

"And the leader of a crew that famous came just because Bale called him." - Monster

"Just as I thought, they are just like those guys (referring to Owen Knight & Chris D'Char) they're at the very pinnacle. (he is talking about Oliver & Poel here after witnessing their race against Dom & Jay)" - Monster

Analysis:

Coming soon

My observations:

Close with Bale & somehow knows oh Mahon not sure if it's just from who Mahon is or if they were somehow connected once when Poel was a kid or if he just admired Mahon because of his relationship with Bale. He is also very understanding & reassuring you can see this with his conversation with Oliver after asking him to join the team.

Dialogue:

From [Part 4] Episode 141 #519

(conversation over reuniting with Bale)

• "Bale! You never call me unless you need something from me! That's totally not cool, man!"

• "You've been ignoring my all my calls and texts! What have you been doing all this time?!"

• "Do you know how worried I was?!"

• "I was afraid you overdosed and were lying dead in the street somewhere!"

From [Part 4] Epsiode 141 #519

(conversation with Oliver)

• "Oliver?"

• "What's this? Did you tell me to bring my bike..."

• "... Because of Oliver?"

• "Did you finally decide to join our team?"

• " I swear, I never know what Bale's thinking."

From [Part 4] Epsiode 141 #519

(conversation with Jay Jo)

• " I was hoping I could meet you one day. What are the odds?"

• "Yep."

• "Ever since your one-on-one against Owen."

• " And then there was your race with Light Calvary against Kazuma Crew."

• " And to top it off, you're Mahon Jo's nephew. How could I not be interested in you?"

• "This may be a friendly, but I'm not holding back."

• "No way I'm gonna look like a chump in front of Oliver."

From [Part 4] Epsiode 141 #519

(conversation with Oliver)

• " But the same goes for you! You'd better not hold back either!"

From [Part 4] Epsiode 141 #519

(conversation with Bale after he possibly feels left out over hearing Bale give Oliver a pep talk/ advice before their race against Dom & Jay)

• " Don't you have anything to say to me?"

From [Part 4] Epsiode 141 #519

(Talking aloud during race)

• " Now I'll show you... why they call me the "Phantom Ship"

Author's note: I couldn't help but think of the Flying Dutchman when I saw the pirate ship panel

• " Let's go!"

From [Part 4] Epsiode 141 #519

(conversation with Oliver after their race with Dom & Jay)

• " How was it? It gets your blood pumping, Don't it?"

• "You still have no interest in joining our team?"

• "I know where you're coming from."

• " but you'll always have a spot on the team. Just let me know if you ever change your mind."

Disclaimer:

I'm didn't add every piece of dialogue because some parts I felt were unnecessary. For example he said "What?" In response to Bale telling him and Oliver he wanted them to race against Dom & Jay. That's something everyone can say but I noticed as I was reading he had a specific way of saying things using words and phrases like "totally" &  "I swear" (used x2) and if you compare him to Wooin or Hyuk these words aren't in their vocabulary and if they are then I'm wrong.  I just got this idea when reading the chapter Poel first appeared in so I don't remember everything other characters have said and I'll have to go back and re read windbreaker to get their dialogue.

Author's note:

I'm still debating if I should add chapter recaps to these. If I where to I'd give a short summary of 5-10 chapters that they are in or however many chapters they are in so it jogs your memory where you can accurately write them.

Also I created a windbreaker wiki page for Poel I’m working on updating it!!

Dedications:

@bfwooin @dzvelinaskebiyars @sylith

I have 44 more characters to do this with…

[emkayewrites]

Chapter 40 of my slow-burn, friends-to-lovers Lukola fanfiction. It's a few months before the Bridgerton S3 press tour and their relationship is getting interesting.

26th August 2023 – London (UK)

“Oh, Jaysus. I’m starting to take this weather personally,” Nicola muttered as she slid into the plush booth, her jacket slipping off her shoulders as she exhaled. The warmth of the bar wrapped around her, a welcome contrast to the crisp evening air outside. She had just returned from a sun-soaked winter in Sydney, only to find London already tipping into autumn.

“You definitely missed the standard three days of British summer.”  Camilla said with a sympathetic shrug, already halfway through her cocktail.

Around them, a soft hum of conversation filled the bar, muffled by the golden glow of pendant lights that swayed gently above each table.

“Anyway, you’re late,” Camilla added, nudging a menu across the table.

“It’s these bloody heels. Why do I do this to myself?” Nicola lifted one foot, revealing a pair of deep velvet platforms that were as beautiful as they were impractical.

Camilla laughed. “Because you have taste. And a flair for drama.”

She was effortlessly chic in high-waisted black trousers and a cream silk blouse that shimmered with every movement. A delicate gold chain rested at her collarbone, perfectly paired with bold red lipstick she wore like a signature. Nicola, by contrast, had chosen a midnight-blue wrap dress woven with subtle silver threads—a quiet mix of comfort and elegance.

“So,” Nicola said, reaching for the cocktail Camilla had already ordered for her—something citrusy with a hint of spice. “Tell me everything. What’s the latest on your side of the world?”

“Nah, we’re not talking about my mildly chaotic collaborations or my eternal battle not to check emails after ten,” Camilla said, shaking her head. “Not when the plot twist of the season is happening right here.”

Nicola laughed.

“I’m sorry, but I’m still digesting the absolute wildness that is your life right now,” Camilla continued. “You and Luke are basically imitating art.”

Nicola grimaced. “Can we not say that?”

“What?” Camilla arched a brow.

“Imitating art just makes me feel... weird.”

It was funny how some realisations hit you all at once.  As the words left her mouth, it dawned on Nicola that it was hard to confront the fact that their very private love story was also a very public love story.  Although she and Luke had not explicitly spoken about it, she knew the thought of their on-screen romance being compared to their off-screen relationship would not sit right with him either.

“Hmm.” Camilla pursed her lips thoughtfully at her best friend. “I was wondering how you were feeling about that side of it. I don’t imagine it will be easy to navigate.”

In that moment, Nicola felt more grateful than she had ever felt before for Camilla.  To have such a close friend who knew you so well but also shared the same industry as you and just understood your dilemmas was invaluable. 

“Understatement of the century.” Nicola took another sip of her drink.

“Well, is there a world in which your boyfriend being your on-screen boyfriend makes your life easier?” Camilla teased, flashing a mischievous grin. “Think of the brand potential! The collabs! Social media gold! That’s where the real money is anyway.”

Nicola narrowed her eyes. “Don’t.”

“What?  Look at Mollie Mae and Tommy Fury – minted and happy.”

She was clearly joking, but the image alone made Nicola queasy. She knew that she was feeling a deep love for Luke, and she was sure he was feeling the same thing for her.  She also knew that they were not interested in the idea of celebrity, they were both serious about wanting to be known for their craft and their craft alone. 

“I know you’re trying to be funny right now, but I might actually throw up and if I do, I’m aiming at it you.” Nicola grimaced, making Camilla chortle.

“I think you’re going to need laughter to get through this.”  She shrugged. “That and a bit of advice from the old Shondaland PR team.”

Camilla was right.  The production of Bridgerton was a very well-oiled machine, and every moving part was accounted for with some contract or another.  As season leads, she and Luke had signed and notarised a hefty tome that had every kind of stipulation you could think of – everything from ‘no physical alterations’ to ‘morality’ clauses.  There was a prominent section in there about dating one another which stated that it was something that had to be reported to showrunners immediately. 

Although she and Luke were already starting to feel apprehensive about publicly presenting as a couple, and the pressures that would place on them – neither of them had really thought about their contractual obligations.  Would the Bridgerton team even support them dating?  It was not unusual that a network might ask actors not to date especially when it might affect promotional tours and even more so when it might affect the way a fandom connected to a romantic pairing.  What would happen if they dated and then broke up as they started press for the newest season?  Would they have to fake being together for the sake of the show?  What if they stayed together and were going strength from strength as the tour kicked off?  Would they be asked to lean into it, to perform their relationship for the audiences whilst they were in civilian mode as just Luke and Nicola?  Was that the kind of relationship they wanted?  Luke detested sharing anything that was not work on his Instagram and although she was more laidback and happier to share parts of her day and personality on her own social media, even she had a limit.  Her closest relationships were the limit.  Her family were never featured.  She did not intend to feature her boyfriend.  Yet, it would become inevitable would it not?  Then there would be the scrutiny.  Not just of Colin and Penelope but of Nicola and Luke.

“If it means anything,” Camilla said gently, cutting through her thoughts, “I’m really happy for you. We like to act like we’re cynics about love, but seeing you like this? It makes my heart grow a little.”

This elicited a smile from Nicola. “Who said anything about me being happy?”

“Please.” Camilla rolled her eyes. “You practically blush when I say his name “I mean, where did the script end and you guys begin?”

“You know, I think I forgot sometimes.” Nicola let out a deep sigh. “He’s got Colin’s heart but without all the misogyny and fancy tailoring – and he’s so easy to… it’s just so easy to like him.”

“Woah.” Camilla was wide-eyed as she drank in the dreamy expression on Nicola’s face.  She had never seen her quite like this before about a guy.  There was usually something unbothered and casual about her approach to dating and relationships but here, Nicola was most definitely bothered.

“So, what do you think did it?” Camilla leaned forward almost conspiratorially. “Was it filming all those sex scenes?”

Nicola could not help but to flush at this. 

“Oh, God, the sex scenes.” Nicola held her face in her hands.

“That good, huh?” Camilla chuckled.

“Something like that.” Nicola smirked. “Alright, can we get the spotlight of me?”

Camilla looked at her thoughtfully for a moment as she stirred the straw around her drink.

“You seem really… in love.” Camilla finally stated.

“Fuck, I think I really am.” Nicola admitted, a glint of fear in her eyes.

For a moment, they both sat there in silence listening the voices of the men a few tables behind them who were animatedly discussing cryptocurrencies and the stock market.

It was a big deal to digest the fact that she was in love with Luke and to do it out loud with one of her closest friends was really cementing it for her.  This was a real thing that was happening to her. 

Love. 

Being in love.

Being invested in someone. 

Trusting someone.

The only thing she could compare this experience to was with how Ezra used to make her feel.  The difference was that with Luke, she felt on steady ground, and things felt easy.  There was nothing unspoken, there was no tension.  It all just fit together and happened without much effort. 

“Sorry, pal.  I asked you out for a night of fun drinking and catching up, not to give you more to worry about.”

“No, it’s good.” Nicola reassured her. “It’s good to talk about this stuff.  Especially about the work side of things.  Luke and I have just… I think we’ve tried to avoid thinking about how it’s going to affect work.”

“Well, amen to avoidance.” Camilla held up her half-finished drink.

“Amen to avoidance… at least for another night.” Nicola agreed, meeting their glasses together with a clink.

--

Later that night, Nicola lay in her bed with Luke’s body curled against hers.  She was in a deep but troubled sleep with her forehead creased and her breath catching in little starts.

In the depths of her subconscious, she found herself on a bright red carpet.  Cameras flashed in every direction, a frenzy of light and noise.  She moved down the carpet, feeling disoriented.  She had no sense of what she was wearing or even what she was doing there.  In fact, she was feeling something she rarely felt anymore when she was out at an event – she felt self-conscious. Watched. Small.

Then suddenly, Luke was beside her, smiling that easy smile of his. He looked sharp, golden. Every part of him effortlessly camera-ready. He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together.

“You guys are a beautiful couple!” A female reporter declared.

“What’s it like dating Luke?” Another reported shouted at her.

"Luke’s girlfriend, give us a spin!" Another disembodied voice coming from somewhere.

She tried to open her mouth to answer but no sound came out.

The camera bulbs flared brighter. Her cheeks burned. She tried to step back, to let go of Luke’s hand, but it was like her feet were glued to the floor. The more she tried to pull away, the closer the noise, lights and people seemed to get. 

She knew she was dreaming.  She knew it was a nightmare.  Yet, she did not wake up.

Instead, she nightmare replayed itself over and over again.  Sometimes it started with her on the Bridgerton set being interviewed about Luke.  Sometimes she was on a red carpet again.  Yet, the theme was always the same: everyone around her had a hungry, obsessive need to know everything about her relationship with Luke, and no one was interested in their work as actors and more importantly, in her work as Penelope.

She woke the next morning to a migraine and bright light pouring in through her floor-to-ceiling windows.

Her mouth was dry and her eyes stung.

Luke was still in a deep sleep next to her.

She tried to shake off the uneasy feeling she had, reminding herself that alcohol and anxiety were never a good mix, and she had had quite the cocktail of both the night before.  Yet, the feeling was proving hard to shift.

She really hoped it wouldn’t linger.

(Excerpt taken from my fanfiction 'Curtain Fall')

[bullionhouse12]

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[nextdaybullion]

How to check the authentication of the 24-carat Gold bar? 

Gold and silver are the most precious metals on earth because these are easy to work with and also are available in mesmerizing designs along with bars. People are always looking to buy the Gold Bar 24 Carat but due to its high demand, there is also a risk of getting fake gold bars. To avoid the risk of spending your money on these it is advised to get your gold and silver bars from a reputable dealer like next-day bullion in the UK. 

However, you must know the various methods that help you in identify the original gold and silver bars. Here we will discuss those methods so you can be aware from next time when purchasing the 1kg Silver Bars or more. 

Authentication methods

Each method is different from one another but in the end, all of them will tell the originality of gold and silver bars. These methods are-

Weight test

This method is primary and straightforward to check whether the Gold Bar 24 Carat you have got is original or not. Genuine gold bars are precisely manufactured their weight is marked in grams or ounces. Gold is the densest metal on earth and the physical properties that are hard to replicate. That means that any metal that is a copy will likely be less compact and it would take more of it to replicate the certain weight that is of gold. 

Test with magnet

It’s another way to identify if you get the pure and original gold and silver bars or not. As gold is not magnetic a real gold bar will not get stuck to the magnet. By using the strong magnet you can check the originality of 1kg Silver Bars or gold bars at home on your own. To avoid all these you must buy the bullion from reliable dealers like us in the UK that takes guarantee of their product. 

Ping test 

The gold ping test exploits the acoustic properties of gold due to gold’s density and the speed at which sound travels through it. You need to strike the gold bar with another metal and listen to the sound it produces to conduct this test. The original one with produce a clear ringing ping while the other that is fake produces a shorter duller sound. This test is useful for distinguishing gold from base metals with different properties. 

Nitric acid test

When you buy the Gold Bar 24 Carat and want to check its authenticity then you can also conduct the Nitric acid test. But it is not easy like the other tests and cannot be performed on your own to conduct this test you need a professional. 

When you put nitric acid in the gold bars it does not react which demonstrates the gold’s purity as gold is known for its resistance to corrosion and oxidation. Whereas if your gold bar is impure and has other metals then it will react with the nitric acid. You need to be careful when performing this test as it can damage your item also. 

Wrapping it up!

Whenever you need to buy 1kg Silver Bars or gold bars that are pure you must not go anywhere other than the next day's bullion. We are the trusted and reliable gold and silver bullion providers in the UK and will take full guarantee with our products. So, find us now to get the original gold bars and to avoid such a test.

[ur-mag]

Drug kingpin caught hiding gold bars, cash and luxury watches in Harrods safe slapped with Super ASBO | In Trend Today

Drug kingpin caught hiding gold bars, cash and luxury watches in Harrods safe slapped with Super ASBO Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[operafantomet]

Hi! I’m currently doing an MA in historical costuming and for my final project I will be making Christine’s “Slavegirl Hannibal” costume as well as the “Elissa” costume, I want to try and base it off of Lucy St Louis costume and I was wondering if you had any in depth, detailed photos of her version of the costumes? Thank you in advance!!

Oh, how awesome!

As per maria Bjørnson's costume design, the bodice is meant to be fairly hourglass-shaped, with gold ornaments over the bust, and as a "belt" around the hips. The skirt consists of "ropes" - this has been solved different in different productions. In the front skirt there's also rows of beading, and the same can be seen over the arms.

The Hannibal bodices usually consist of ten vertical panels in alternating red and green velvet, closing in the back with hooks and bars, or hooks and eyes. They are lined with cotton; sometimes white, sometimes black. The UK ones often have black lining. They can have boning channels in the middle of the lining panels, or sewn on as separate boning channels attached over the inner seams. They may or may not have an inner waistband, and they all close in the back. Here's the inside of a UK bodice from 2016:

As you can see, this depicted bodice has additional padding over the chest and hips. This can be done either for general comfort, or if an existing costume is re-fitted for a new actress / dancer.

Lucy St Louis' bodice had a nice hourglass shape, with two rows of pleated trim in front, one row of the same at the side and back seams, alternating with a narrower looped gold trim.

The larger gold panels in front and back is built up of various gold appliqiées and red and green gems. Albeit not Lucy's, they typically look like this when not attached:

Here's a closeup from Lucy St Louis' collar, which shows the various components better, and the placement of the gems:

As for the grand Elissa gala skirt, it feature a sort of bodice continuation, ending into a pointed front. The grand skirt is just put on top of the main bodice, which allows a super quick costume change, going from ballerina to leading lady:

You have to sit close to notice the discrete horizontal line where the bodice and skirt meets, especially when it's so neatly done as in Lucy's costume. They made the false bodice continuation a lot shorter than previous skirts, which mimick's Carlotta's bodice well.

The skirt itself is made of a shimmering green taffeta (?), possibly shot with black. The hem is multiple rows of fold trims, pleated, and decorated with X-shaped gold trims with gens and tassels. Then an additional red/golden trim on top, and another wavy red/golden trim a bit further up. On top of this is four tabs, red with golden decorations, and a red apron with green/gold trims, fringes and "brooches". There is furthermore a green/red waterfall backdrape, with one of the red tabs on top. Here's the skirt in making, with just the main base and the red apron:

With all decorations it looked like this:

This backdrape is the one they made for Paige Blankson rather than Lucy St Louis. It is not identical, but similar in materials, and identical in shape. So it can serve as an illustration:

Same with the tabs for Paige's costume - not identical, but similar materials and shape:

The skirt is lifted by various layers of tulle, netting and sometimes also hoops. The skirt should ideally have a hint of bustle, to reflect on what was the fashion of the era even if it's a costume. But some versions go more panier, with wide hips and flatter in the front and back. Like the bodice, the skirt closes in the back with a closing hidden on one side under the backdrape.

I think that is the main breakdown of the costume. I hope it gives you a decent base to work on, at least. I can also make you a photoset, showing the photos overneath plus some more. Best of luck with the project, and have FUN!