#I wanted there to be this running theme of leather cords present in that one Sharena design

[hulloitsdani]

DAY 7: Summer!!!

Kiran summer alt real!!! Much like the Day of Devotion alt, I was actually toying with a design for this a while back, but never got around to cleaning it up. Which means its bonus sketch time! Yippee!

So this started as me wanting to draw that summer Sharena design after seeing xander-wolk take a crack at it, which you can find here. It was meant to be more of a warm up sketch but next thing I knew all four of my guys are on screen.

Then I explored the outfit a little more. Debated giving Kiran more dangly bits. But I ultimately settled on what usually works when drawing Kiran; throwing a coat on it.

[laughinglullabies]

Inelaa Locte - Contacts Wanted!

basics ––––

NAME: Inelaa Locte.

AGE: 19.

RACE: Keeper Miqo’te.

GENDER: Female.

SEXUALITY: Straight.

MARITAL STATUS: Taken.

SERVER: Balmung

physical appearance ––––

HAIR: Thick and black, often left down to fall in soft waves and curls around her face. When hunting, she keeps it bound back in a strict ponytail, and there’s often flowers and trinkets wound in the strands - leftovers from playing with her siblings.

EYES: Bright & shiny silver doe-eyes.

HEIGHT: 5′6″, give or take a half ilm.

BUILD: While healthy and nourished, Inelaa’s youthful figure has filled out with curves that haven’t left in the aftermath of her pregnancy. She presents as a healthy pear with a little more chub that she’s still working to get rid of.

DISTINGUISHING MARKS: Like her aunt, Inelaa’s most distinguishing trait is her tail - a full seven-and-a-half fulms long, featuring soft black fur. When hunting, it is dressed in a leather and webbing ‘netting’ that tames the fur to something more like a thick rope, and she can control the limb very well. Additionally, there is a scar along her back gained during her coming of age trial.

COMMON ACCESSORIES: A magitek harp that was a gift from her mother on her 18th Nameday after so many years apart, and a few trinkets gifted by her beloved that she wears on a cord around her neck.

personal –––-

PROFESSION: Whimsical Bard and sometimes Host at the Keeper’s Kiss. Dreams of performing professionally, but does not like the thought of advancing a career with a little one.

HOBBIES: Child care, hunting, and music. Enjoys catching fish with her hands. Likes teasing people.

LANGUAGES: Common, hunt-speak, and smartass.

RESIDENCE: Alternates living-quarters with her mother in the Mist, and her beloved in the Lavender Beds.

FEARS: Leadership, isolation, finding out her father is dead.

relationships –––-

SPOUSE: "That’s none of your business!” She grins. “Still, he’s my sun and I am his moon.”

CHILDREN: "My daughter, Nii! Well, Y’niisa. I wanted her to carry her father’s legacy.”

PARENTS: "Moma is Kiipa Locte-Nulstat, and Papa is Obera’a Polaali.”

SIBLINGS: “I um... I have quite a few! Do you have the time? I should get you something to drink!” She quickly darts off, forgetting to answer the question on her return.

OTHER RELATIVES: "Ah, there’s Papa Gen ( @genpaw​ ) and his mate, Tikka! He’s more an adopted Papa, but that doesn’t make him any less a Papa, and Tikka is more like a sister since we’re so close in age. Then there’s Ahnaa ( @locteshadow​ ), and um... Anton ( @supermegachefbarguy​ )! There’s also Uncle Leroy ( @leroymurrand​ ) and Auntie Keim ( @purple-eel​ ) and Uncle Kweh ( @snow-and-sea​ ) and... oh, you might need another drink? Sure!”

traits –––-

extroverted / introverted / in between

disorganized / organized / in between

close minded / open-minded / in between

calm / anxious / in between

disagreeable / agreeable / in between

cautious / reckless / in between

patient / impatient / in between

outspoken / reserved / in between

leader / follower / in between

empathetic / unemphatic / in between

optimistic / pessimistic / in between

traditional / modern / in between

hard-working / lazy / in between

cultured / un-cultured / in between

loyal / disloyal / in between

faithful / unfaithful / in between

additional information –––-

SMOKING HABIT: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

DRUGS: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess.

ALCOHOL: never / sometimes / frequently / to excess

possible hooks –––-

Keeper of the Moon: Inelaa absolutely loves meeting her fellow Miqo’te, and she can spend bells upon bells asking all the proper questions! Expect a little playful competition if you’re a fellow archer - Inelaa’s the star archer in her clan and she likes to show off!

Musician: Inelaa is fascinated with music of all sorts, and will sit and listen to an instrument for bells. She loves to learn new ones, though prefers to fall back on her voice and small harp. She’s happy to become anyone’s #1 Fan!

Social Butterfly: This girl is never one to cling to the walls for too long. Her happy demeanor and cheerful ways are remarkably infectious, and she’s delighted to meet new people and shove them at other new people. It’s never all about her - expect to be the spotlight if she latches on, and get ready for an adventure!

'Are you my father?’: A hook that has potential in different ways. Inelaa and her father were exceptionally close, and his long-time absence has always been a point of sorrow for her. Not actually her father, but charmed by the girl enough not to correct the mistake? Sure! Actually her father, but maybe age/travel are making memories a little rough? Cool! Actually her father, returned as he promised? Great! This one requires discussion, but also unlocks interactions with her mother and aunt both! Woo!

Any other ideas! I’m very open to all kinds of connections for Inelaa. There’s a lot I can work her into unless it’s very much not her thing.

what I’m looking for ––––

Mostly, just a little more development for the character. She’s a happy and perky young lady who is head-over-heels in love with her beloved and is a very happy mommy, but she needs to get out of the house and socialize!

If you need a little joy in your day, this baby has it in spades!

oocly, I am ––––

I’m a PST timezone player who has a slightly erratic schedule due to fluctuating sleeping patterns - which is to say that the only pattern I have is that there is no pattern.

I don’t mind any length of posts! One liners through to multi-para is fine, though I prefer snappy, quick replies when at events, especially busy ones.

I am available for both in-game and Discord role-play. Discord tends to be a slower medium and I do enjoy in-game a bit more, but I’m absolutely open to any and all forms of medium.

I am open to all themes when it comes to this character. She is best suited for bubbles and sunshine, but I’m okay running with all other themes as well. I have no issues with sexual content, but please mind that Inelaa is monogamous.

a warning ––

Inelaa is an alternate character that I play between leveling Flidais and when the urge hits me. It’s considerably easier to interact with her on Discord, but if you should run into her in game, please know that I am absolutely always in character with her.

Additionally, my putting up this LFRP ad in no way negates the other characters that I have, nor the roleplays that I may have with them. All of my characters are available to play with!

you can contact me via ––

You can always reach me here on Tumblr, either through messages or through asks. If that’s not your style, feel free to contact me via Discord @ ♦ AshadelMG ♦#2352. You can also catch me in-game, though I frequently forget to slap up the RP tag!

[samwrights]

The Game // [4]

Summary: Tom Holland, Harrison Osterfield, and Jacob Batalon started a game back when they first began filming Spider-Man: Homecoming—to sleep with as many different extras as possible before the movie premiered. Their current targets are the ladies of the band Navy Skies, a ragtag group of young adults that were blessed with the opportunity to play in the homecoming dance scene. Fed up with the boys’ sick game, Laura and Zendaya are taking bets on who gets their heart broken first.

Pairing: fuckboy!Tom x OC, fuckboy!Harrison x OC, fuckboy!Jacob x OC, hints of TomDaya

Words: 3094

Inspo:  Mr. Brightside // The Killers High Regard // The Story So Far Dancing On Glass // St. Lucia Placeholder // The Story So Far Closure // The Story So Far

Disclaimer: Lyric graphics were created by me, y’all. I’m not saying don’t steal it cause they’re not that impressive tbh but like don’t steal them.

Warnings: Mild sexual themes.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Weeks later, it turned out the girls had kept their word on never seeing Tom or Harrison again. Their world kept turning, just as it always did when minor setbacks presented themselves. Minor setbacks for them also always turned into new songs. Navy Skies had a whole new arsenal of songs to put on an EP they had been working on, as well as a new set list for their next few shows coming up. Cam had really outdone herself on writing this time around—she didn’t get stuck once and her band was easily able to make her imagination come to life.

They had a show tonight at the very same bar that Cam shot pool at three nights a week. Thanks to being good friends with the current manager of the bar, Navy Skies had a secured performance at the pool hall at least once a month. At the moment, the band was getting ready per their usual pre-show ritual. Mac was in the shower while the ladies did their hair and make up, warming up their vocals by singing along to modern karaoke favorites. Cam started off the bridge to Mr. Brightside. They each took turns doing a line, going a half step higher every time it was their turn including Mac who would chime in from the open bathroom door, despite hating this particular song.

The girls were dressed to kill, sporting leather pants and dramatic winged liner. Tonight, they were hoping for a big break with the launch of their self produced EP, maybe finally sign to a label. They needed to dress to impress tonight. Cameron finished lacing up her signature white Doc Martens as her band was heading out the door.

Being the local supporters they were, Navy Skies watched the other performers while shooting a couple rounds of pool before unloading their van. “Need a hand?” Cameron turned her head to see Tom, Harrison, and Jacob all walking up. She raised her eyebrow, an unintentional look of disgust on her face.

“What are you guys doing here?” She asked, not stopping from helping unloading their utility van.

“We saw you had a show, so we wanted to come watch!” Jacob said cheerfully, almost innocently. He knew he still had a chance to land his target, and he was going to seize the opportunity. Immediately, he started helping them unload a few heavy amps from their utility van. The tiny drummer thanked him profusely.

“Thanks a lot, social media.” Ruby grumbled, figuring that was how the boys found out about their show. She was helping bring their drum kit and a couple more amps forward until Harrison stopped her.

“Hey, can we talk?” He asked timidly, lending a helping hand by taking the amplifiers off the van and placing them onto the sidewalk.

“And then some? Ruby mocked icily. “There’s not much to talk about. You made it pretty clear that you and Tom were just trying to get into our pants, and Cam and I aren’t like that.”

“I know. And I’m sorry that I even said that because that wasn’t what I meant at all.” She looked at him expectantly, her tattooed arms folding over her chest. “We just wanted to impress you two so that we could keep seeing you.”

“I’ll give you a tip, then. Money doesn’t impress anyone, and neither does being a douche. I don’t care if you pay for my meals or my bar tab, or what kind of car you have, or how you dress. I care about what you have to offer that isn’t tangible and what you offer as a human being.” Harrison nodded his head slowly, taking in her words.

“Okay.” He responds finally as he mulled over her statement. “I’m sorry about what went down.  I meant what I said though—I want to keep seeing you, and I hope you forgive me enough to allow me the pleasure of taking you out.”

“I’ll think about it.” Ruby muses playfully, though it was clear that she held no grudge against him. They laughed together as they griped about moving the heavy equipment, the tension in the air dissipating after she forgave him. While this meant that Harrison still had a chance to snag his prey, it was the furthest thing from his mind. The only thing he could even think about was where he wanted to take Ruby out for their unofficial date.

Cameron was inside attaching all the cords to their respective inputs and outputs as Tom and Harrison wheeled more equipment in on a dolly. “Thanks.” She said shortly. Though Cameron didn’t necessarily have a reason to be angry—since Harrison was mostly speaking for himself and Tom the last time they had all seen each other—Tom never disputed his best mate’s words. In her mind, his silence meant agreement; it meant he was still doing whatever it took to sleep with her.

“Need anything else, love?” He asked, looking at her as she put together the rest of the cords in exasperation. She wouldn’t look at him.

“No, I’m good.” The boys looked at each other. Without physically saying anything, Harrison walked away to give his mate the privacy he wished for. Maybe Cameron would forgive him the way Ruby forgave Haz.

“Cameron.” Tom called out. She didn’t stop moving. “Hey, look at me.” She aggressively set down the microphone stand she had just assembled before turning to him

“What?”

“I know I said sorry a thousand times the last time I saw you, but I am. Haz spoke for me, and I just want a chance to speak for myself.” Cameron looked at her watch before flashing her own brown orbs to his.

“You’ve got two minutes.”

“It was never about just taking you home,” He lied. “I don’t know why he even said that. If that’s all it was about, I wouldn’t have even bothered hanging out, I would have just moved on.” His silver tongue was working magic. Fib after fib, and she believed every bit of it. But she wouldn’t give in so easily. “But I want to get to know you.”

“One minute.”

“Please, don’t be mad at me. I’m sorry.” He begged, gripping her delicate shoulders to make her look at him. She groaned with a roll of her eyes.

“Okay, fine. I wasn’t really mad at you per se—mostly just at Harrison. And that’s not fair to you.”

“Friends?” He asked, hopeful.

“Acquaintances.”

“I’ll take it.” She had finished setting up all the wires after Harrison and Jacob brought in the rest of the equipment from their van. While her band was tuning their instruments, Cam was downing two drinks at the bar as fast as she could to help her overcome her innate stage fright. Tom was observing her from a safe distance, immediately noticing the restless tapping of her fingers on the bar and bouncing leg. “You’re anxious, love?” It wasn’t really a question despite the way it came out, but more so an observation.

“Yeah, I always get the jitters.” She replied as she downed another drink. “But I need to go do mic check.” She scurried away, waving to Tom as his friends flanked his sides.

“You guys good?” Harrison asked as they watched the band.

“Yeah, you guys?” Both of them nodded. “Perfect. Game on.”

The show began, flocks of young and older adults gathered around the small makeshift stage as loud power chords filled the bar. “Thanks for coming to the show tonight everybody! Let’s give a hand to the other bands that played!” Cam said into her microphone, causing her audience to erupt in applause. “We are Navy Skies and we were hoping you’d all like to kick it with us.” The pun she used signified the start of the first song of their set list—the very same song they played on the set of Spider-Man.

Their choreographed routine brought the most miniscule amount of nostalgia back to the cast as they watched from the very front. The way the lights were hitting the features of their targets and their incredibly overt, plucky personalities that shone on stage, the boys remembered their goal. Take out your prey, move onto the next. They were running out of time with just a couple weeks left of filming to complete, and Harrison was still in the lead.

Being the punk band that they were, most the lyrics that fell from Cameron’s pierced lip often came out as garbled noise. But for some reason, every word always came out crystal clear to the ladies that had taken bets against their friends. “I almost feel a little sorry for them.” Laura chimed to Z, watching the band play from a distance.

“For who?” Her friend asks, sipping on her rum and coke.”

“The boys. They don’t even realize these girls aren’t going to put up with their shit.” Zendaya shrugs with a playful twist of her features.

“That’s their own fault. They wanted to play this game, but games usually have a winner and a loser. They just don’t know which ones they are yet.”

“Neither do we.” Laura reminded her, though they both were firm believers on their stances of the bet. The girls watched as the boys were jumping around enthusiastically with the band, awaiting patiently for future events to unfurl.

Meanwhile, the band was rolling through their set list; just having fun with their interactive crowd. They had just finished their fifth song and, while Ruby was switching out her guitars, Cameron took over the awkward silence. “So I know we play here kind of often, mostly ‘cause I basically live here and Wayne hasn’t kicked me out yet. Hi Wayne!” She waved to the manager who was standing behind the bar, who gave her a silly wave back. “But we’ve been writing quite a few new songs and we wanted to try something a little different. So I hope you guys like it.” She lead her microphone back to its stand that was resting in front of a keyboard.

A delicate upbeat rhythm came from the keys she played on as she lead her band through their newest song. It was so remarkably different from their typical angst and anger filled lyrics and chords that the audience was unsure of how to react. Typically, they’d be jumping around and bopping their aids, but the airy and nearly careless beat left them confused. Cameron hoped the drama leading up to the chorus got them moving like it did to her band, but she also knew their presence would play a factor in that.

Cameron pulled away from the keyboard, taking a moment to pull her microphone back with her and jump along with her band as she sang the chorus in harmony with them. Much to her surprise, the younger folks in the audience were bouncing along, including Tom, Jacob, and Harrison. It was so different for them, but the positive responses were fueling confidence in the band as they transitioned into a ballad, Mac and Ruby each switching to an acoustic guitar. “We’re gonna slow it down, just a bit.” She announced as her guitarists started another semi-peppy beat.

Cam was bopping her head along to the strums of her mates guitars as the introduction started.

From the very back row of the crowd, Z was smirking as Tom and Cameron made eye contact as she melodically sand such brutal words. The uncanny foreshadowing had to be obvious to more than just Laura and herself. Surely Tom knew that these lines had to have come from previous experience. Hearing such spiteful lyrics to whomever the subject was, was not attractive despite being ironically fitting. There was no chance of Tom falling for this bitter, heartbroken teenager in a young adult’s overly tattooed body.

Navy Skies closed out with another fast paced, angsty song. Cameron stepped off stage and surrounded herself with fans that were singing along with Tom standing at a safe distance. She stood in the center of a pit as she bobbed up and down with the beat of the drum.

From the way the crowd was moving in sync with Cam, Tom gather that this particular song must have been a fan favorite. It was truly nothing short of magnificent to watch the energy that she was bringing to her people. Even her own band mates were coming alive on the stage, holding down the fort and keeping the reset of the crown entertained. “Ready?” Mac yelled into his microphone, the ever growing audience cheering loudly. “Get it!”

Cameron ran back up to the stage, taking a bow as the reverberation from the guitars ringing on. Clapping and yells were sporadically filling the bar as Navy Skies took a collective bow. “Thanks so much everybody, have a wonderful night and get some safe!” The flurry of people slowly dissipated as the band began breaking down their equipment. Well, really it was just Malachi as the girls rushed off stage for their routine post show cigarette together.

“Thanks for abandoning me!” Mac yelled as he brought out both of his guitar cases. Jacob and Harrison were behind him, wheeling one amplifier at a time on a dolly and began helping load up their van. The girls simply waved their hands in dismissal. After they finished their smoke, they went back I to help clean up. Tom was sitting at the bar once again, this time with Zendaya and Laura flanking his sides with a total of nine shot glasses lining along the bar top. He turned to face the singer as she approached.

“Hey, love. Great show!” Tom stood up to hug the young woman, giving her the slightest amount of discomfort as he did so.

“Thanks. And thank you ladies for coming out as well.” She said sincerely, looking at Laura and Z.

“Yeah, it was pretty cool.” Laura added. The rest of the band as well as Haz and Jacob finally came to join after they hauled away the rest of the equipment.

“Ooh, did you buy us a round? Dani asked, glancing at the shot glasses all lined up. Tom started handing each of them out with Z’s assistance.

“Yep, one for everybody.” He raised his shot glass, everyone else following suit. “Cheers to a great show!” Everyone took their shot, followed by a string of whooping, but the celebration never ended there. Countless shots and drink later, and the band had completely lost track of how many drinks they had consumed. Dani was a dancing fool, grinding up on Jacob as the DJ played old school throwbacks. Laura, Z, and Mac were right along side them, giving off a girl’s night out vibe. Cameron and Tom were playing pool together, and Harrison and Ruby were god knows where. “How are you still beating me while you’re drunk?!” Tom jeered to a swaying Cam. She only laughed as she broke the rack once again.

“You just suck.” He scoffed playfully in response to her, taking his shot.

“Yeah? Why don’t we raise the stakes then, love? How about if I win this, you have to go on a date with me?” From the way things were going, it seemed like Tom had the chance to win.

“And if I win?” Cam tried her best to get her hazy mind together, formulating a plan for her victory.

“I’ll take you to the Spider-Man premier and lose the chance to take Haz as my plus one?”

“Deal.” She says as she finishes up a four ball run against him. They both had three balls left on the table before getting to the eight. Tom was fully confident he would win, though he wouldn’t mind it either way. Not that he intended to keep his word on bringing her to the premier. He had hoped the promise of taking her would give him brownie points and he could finally cross his target of his list. He had taken his shot, getting his solid ball towards the pocket, but it ended up rattling. Cameron sucked in air before clicking her tongue. “That’s a shame, Tommy boy. Looks like you’re taking me to the premier.”

“You haven’t even taken your shot yet!” Cameron laughed before finishing off her beer. She lined up for her shot, using delicate speed to get her to the eight ball.

“Back left corner.” She declared, pointing with her cue before she meticulously bent down and sank the eight ball. She turned to Tom, a smirk on her face as she threw a wink at him. A boisterous laughter bubbled from her chest as she saw the genuine disappointment on his face. “Let me know when the premier is.”

“Dammit, I was really hoping I could take you on a date.” He feigned disappointment. But so far, things were going according to his plan.

“I mean you still can.” She pointed out with slurred words as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Tom perked up at this.

“Yeah? When are you free this week, love?” He started to hone in on her, his hands touching her slightly exposed lower back. His fingers began to dance along her exposed tattoos as he looked down at her. Maybe it was the alcohol speaking, but the smolder burning in his brown eyes was affecting Cameron. He was making her weak. Her arms wrapped around his neck, bringing him close enough so that their noses were touching.

“I’m off Sunday night.” Her lips were just barely ghosting over, the metal bar in her lip grazing over him.

“Sunday night, then.” Was all he said before his lips crashed into hers, an act that didn’t go unnoticed by his co-stars as each of them turned to see the kiss.

TAG LIST [Open]

@xxoerinnoxx @araeni @tom-hollands-eyelash

Apologies for any grammatical errors, I didn’t get a chance to proofread it before work. Let me know if you find anything and if you enjoyed this chapter or series, please make sure to like or reblog it!

xosam. 

Ready for more? > [ HERE ] <

[captaincanarygotmelike]

Fic: Twelve Pains

Merry Christmas everyone! This is one of four Christmas-themed fics I'll be uploading (I say four, we'll see how many I actually post).

This is based off of the song 12 Pains of Christmas by Bob Rivers, if you haven’t heard it, go listen to it because it’s hilarious.

Read on AO3

Read on Fanfiction.net

How about that one?” Ray asked, pointing to a tall fir Christmas tree.

“No way!” Nate exclaimed, “There’s a huge hole in the middle! Look at it!”

Nate reached into the prickly needles and twisted the tree to reveal a gap in the thick layers of branches.

“I guess you’re right,” Ray conceded.

Ray, Nate, and the rest of their team were in Central City, 2022. They were spending the holiday season with their retired team members, Leonard and Sara, and their daughter Rory.

That afternoon, they had all headed out to a Christmas tree farm, intent on finding a tree for Sara and Leonard’s home. Last year, when it was just the two of them, it had taken Sara and Leonard a half-hour to find a tree. Now, they had been searching for over an hour with no end in sight.

“Guys,” Amaya said, “It’s Snart’s and Sara’s house. They should be the ones to pick.”

“Thank you, Amaya,” Sara said, raising her eyebrow pointedly at Ray and Nate.

“I thought we both liked the one at the front,” Leonard told her.

“No!” Ray and Nate exclaimed with exasperation.

“That one was awful!” Ray protested as Nate added, “C’mon guys, how did you have such a nice tree last year.”

“It was a Christmas miracle,” Sara said sarcastically as they continued walking through the rows of tall trees.

“Sara,” Leonard said, lengthening his stride to catch up to his wife, “I should take her home.”

Sara followed his gaze to their two year old, Rory, who was asleep in his arms, her chin over his shoulder and her arms pulled in against his chest.

Rory was so excited when they arrived at the Christmas tree farm, running through the trees with insurmountable enthusiasm. One of the workers at the farm had given her a candy cane as they entered, and she’d nearly had a stroke from sheer excitement.

“How come I didn’t get a candy cane?” Nate had whined, “I like candy canes too!”

“You’re not a child, Nathaniel,” Amaya reminded him.

“Still.”

This was the first year Rory seemed to really understand what Christmas was. The previous two years they’d celebrated the holidays, she’d been too young to comprehend what was happening. Now, she was two-and-a-half and the joys of the holiday season were finally starting to dawn on her.

“It’s her nap time and it’s cold out,” Leonard continued, running a hand up and down Rory’s puffer-coat-covered back.

Sara nodded.

“I can take her if you want,” she said.

“No, someone better stay here with them,” he gestured to their old team, “to make sure they don’t destroy anything, and it’s better you than me.”

So Leonard took Rory home. She had napped and woken up again before they arrived with the tree.

Once it was standing in the family room, both Leonard and Sara had to admit it was a good tree, although they agreed that it wasn’t worth the time they spent looking for it.

Now that they had their tree, it was time to start the best part: decorating.

Stringing lights on the Christmas tree was the only thing Sara didn’t like to do. It was dull and monotonous and didn’t carry the same sentimental value as hanging ornaments. She hated getting stuck in the prickly pine needles, and besides, she was never tall enough to reach the top of the tree (even standing on a chair). The task was usually handed off to Leonard who, in Sara’s words, had the advantage of being freakishly tall. He usually complied because it was never advisable to argue with Sara, and anyway, the tree was incomplete without the little, twinkling lights. This year, however, with all the extra guests in the house, he pawned the job off onto one of his old teammates: Mick.

Mick gave in when he was promised booze, and in retrospect, that was the first sign that giving him that particular task was a bad idea.

Mick is not a patient person, and stringing lights onto a Christmas tree requires a significant amount more patience than he possessed. It also didn’t help that he was very drunk while he did it. Although Mick had been at various levels of intoxication since the team arrived, something the rest of the team dismissed because they knew the holidays had never been enjoyable time for their resident arsonist, this was a level they hadn’t seen yet. It was just luck that it corresponded with decorating the tree.

Sara sat and watched him try to hang the lights on the tree for a while, but when Leonard said dinner was on the table and they were all going to sit and eat, Sara left him to do his thing.

He was still at work while she did the dishes several hours later.

The next day, Leonard went downstairs to see that Mick was still hanging the lights.

“I need more lights,” Mick said when he looked up and saw Snart standing in the doorway.

“We only had that one last year and they worked out fine,” he replied, “You don’t need to strangle the damn thing.”

“Wha’?” Mick asked.

“You don’t need to wrap the lights around the tree that tightly, but if more lights is what you need, I’ll make it happen.”

Mick grunted his appreciation.

“Oh,” he said, “And more beer.”

“Talk to Sara,” Leonard replied, “She’s going to the grocery store.”

“Talk to me about what?” Sara asked, coming into the room with Rory balanced on her hip.

“Beer,” Mick told her.

“I’m on it,” she replied. She turned to Leonard and handed Rory to him, “She’s all ready to go.”

“Where are you going?” Ray asked, walking into the room with a mug of hot chocolate warming his hands.

“Good luck,” Sara advised Leonard as she grabbed her coat and headed for the door.

“Beer,” Mick grunted as he saw her go.

“I’m on it, Mick,” she repeated.

“Where are you going?” Ray repeated as Sara left.

“The mall,” Leonard told him as he stood Rory on the floor and helped her into her coat.

“Can I come? I still have some Christmas shopping to do.”

Leonard sighed. His window of time to shop before he had to get Rory back home for lunch was not long, and he certainly didn’t want to waste any of it arguing with Ray.

“You can come if you drive,” he told him

“Why do I have to drive?”

“Because I don’t want to,” he replied, then added, ”and that hot chocolate is staying here. Sara might actually kill me if you spill it all over the car.”

“Aww,” Ray said, but he went to pour the mug into the sink.

In retrospect, letting Ray come may have been a mistake.

“Why didn’t you take that spot?” Leonard growled for the fourth time.

“That guy was there first!” Ray protested.

“Who cares?”

“I care! It’s not polite to cut him off. He earned that spot.”

“He earned,” Leonard repeated in aghast disbelief, “Raymond, it’s a parking spot.”

If he thought that was bad, he was worse in the mall.

Leonard already knew shopping with Rory would be bad. He was ready for her to tear off in the direction of a toy she wanted, and he was ready to drag her way from “Santa Claus” — she already knew the real Santa and would definitely recognize that this was not him.

Leonard was not ready for shopping with Ray, because he was exactly the same way.

“Snart, look at those Christmas decorations — man, does this mall really go all out!”

“Look! A remote control helicopter. I had one when I was a kid. Do you think they’d let me fly it?”

“Raymond, if you don’t get a move on, I’m going to leave you here,” Leonard threatened.

Their last stop was to find more lights for Mick. They were searching for the string lights in the Christmas section of Target, when they found themselves in an aisle filled with candy.

“Daddy!” Rory said, reaching her hand out and snatching up the nearest package within reach.

“No, Rory,” Leonard said warningly, extracting the candy from her fingers and putting it back on the shelf.

“Hey, I didn’t know they made Christmas Kit-Kats!” Ray exclaimed, holding up a green foil bag of candy. Rory took her father’s distraction as an opportunity to grab a plastic candy cane filled with red and green gum-balls off of its shelf. She shook it in her fist, the loud rattling attracting her father’s attention.

“Rory,” he said, taking the candy cane and putting it back, “No candy, and Ray, stop getting distracted. Let’s get out of here.”

As Rory went for a box of chocolates shaped like snowmen, Leonard picked her up and swung her into his arms.

“Daddy!” she whined, “I want candy.”

“I know,” he replied, leaving the aisle. He glanced back to make sure Ray was still behind him, “but you’re not getting any.”

He finally found the selection of Christmas lights and picked out the ones that matched what they already had at home.

“Let’s go,” he said. As they headed for the cashiers, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. With the hand that wasn’t holding Rory, he extracted it from his leather jacket.

“Get batteries,” a text from Sara read.

Leonard sighed.

“Never mind,” he said, turning back around, “Just one more thing — and I’m driving home.”

“Can I get a hot chocolate?” Ray asked.

“No.”

“Sara,” Amaya had asked a few minutes earlier, “Where could I find batteries?”

“What for?” Sara asked, pulling her phone out of her back pocket.

“I got Ray and Nate a karaoke machine for Christmas—”

“Oh God, Mick is gonna flip,” Sara interrupted her.

“One of my gifts for him is noise-canceling headphones,” Amaya smirked, “Anyway, the box says that the microphones need three double-A batteries. Do you know where I could get some?”

“I just asked Len to pick some up,” Sara responded, putting her phone away.

“You really don’t need to trouble him.”

“It’s not a problem,” Sara shook her head, “He’s already out shopping, and anyway, I need some.”

“Really? What for?”

“Yeah, I mean half of Rory’s presents need batteries, and I have a whole strategy with them and everything.”

“Birdie?”

Sara turned around to see Mick standing behind her with a string of Christmas lights draped over his shoulder.

“What, Mick?”

“Where are your extension cords?”

“Mick, just give it up and let Len do the lights,” Sara said, shaking her head in exasperation.

“No.”

“Basement,” Sara replied, pointing to the door.

A few days later, Sara showed Amaya her strategy.

“So,” she began, looking at the piles of different batteries scattered across her bedspread, “I never know which present Rory’s gonna want to play with first, so before I wrap it, I check to see what kind of batteries it needs, and then I put them in the box so it’s ready.”

“That’s actually kind of genius,” Amaya replied.

“I know,” Sara smirked. She ripped the tape off the box of a toy keyboard.

“Won’t she notice it’s already been opened?” Amaya asked, watching her with fascination.

“She’s two,” Sara reminded her, dropping a ziplock bag with two C-batteries inside into the box and closing it again.

“Right.”

“So what batteries does your present need again?” she asked.

Amaya looked on the side of the tall karaoke machine box she’d brought with her.

“There’s two microphones, and they each need three triple-A batteries,” Amaya read.

Sara looked through the plastic packages of batteries.

“Here,” she said, giving her a handful of double-A batteries, “If you want, you can put them in the microphones now.”

“Why didn’t you put batteries in Rory’s presents?” Amaya questioned, opening the karaoke machine box.

“Because most of her toys like to spontaneously make a shit-ton of noise and I don’t want to deal with that right now,” Sara replied, “But you have to manually switch those mics on, so you should be fine.”

They relaxed into a comfortable silence, Sara opening another one of Rory’s gifts, and Amaya carefully unwrapping the plastic packaging of a black, metal microphone.

Downstairs, Jax, Zari, and Nate were in charge of watching Rory.

“Just make sure she doesn’t come up here,” Sara had told them before going up the stairs with Amaya.

“Easy,” Nate had waved her off.

They had given Rory lunch and now she had a newfound surge of energy. “Where’s Mama?” Rory asked, jumping on the couch.

“She’s upstairs,” Nate quickly told her, “Now stop jumping and we can play a game or something.”

Rory launched herself off the couch, landing on the fuzzy white carpet on her knees. She sprang to her feet and ran towards the stairs.

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Jax said, catching her around her stomach and lifting her into his arms.

“Let’s go play,” he said, swinging her upside down. Rory let out a laugh — the amazing belly laugh that Sara never wanted her daughter to grow out of — as Jax carried her back into the living room.

“Where’s Daddy?” she asked as Jax rolled her onto the couch.

“Your dad went shopping again,” he told her, “and somehow he ended up taking Uncle Ray with him again.”

“Why?” she asked, her little nose wrinkling.

“I bet your dad is asking himself the exact same thing right now,” Zari smirked, “He’ll be home soon, but we gotta stay down here and play. Is there something you wanna do?”

But Rory had already jumped off the couch. Zari turned and saw her hopping around on the rug. She was singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to herself, her mouth tripping over most of the words.

Zari stood up.

“I have an idea.”

Upstairs, Sara glanced up when she heard loud music start playing from the floor below. She met Amaya’s eyes.

“Do you wanna go check on that?” Amaya asked, tipping her head towards the door.

“Not at all,” Sara replied, shaking her head. She looked back to the batteries all on her bed. She glanced up every now and then to see Amaya looking intensely frustrated.

“What?” she finally asked her.

“Huh?”

“Why the face?”

Amaya shrugged.

“I guess, even though I’ve been on the team for a long time, this is the first time I’m actually, I dunno, celebrating Christmas,” she began, avoiding Sara’s eyes, “and Christmas wasn’t really a thing in my village. We still had occasions where we gave gifts to each other, but our gifts weren’t like this.” She gestured to the karaoke machine, “They didn’t need batteries or power plugs and they didn’t come from factories.”

“Okay?” Sara said, unsure what Amaya was trying to get at.

“Our gifts came from the heart. It wasn’t anything like this.”

“Things are different now,” Sara replied slowly, “This kind of technology is here, for better or for worse — not that it matters because it’s not like it’s going anywhere, and anyway, I think that gift did come from the heart. I mean, I don’t know Nate as well as you do, but I do know Ray, and I know he’s going to freak out when he sees that karaoke machine, which means Nate will too. It’s something that’s going to make him really happy. Sure, it’s a piece of tech, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t from the heart.”

A loud screech came from downstairs and they both looked in the sound’s direction.

“Still don’t want to check on them?” Amaya asked, her eyebrows raised.

Sara sighed.

“Goddammit,” she muttered. She got up and left the room. As she headed down the stairs, the music got louder. She walked into the kitchen to see Mick shoving a string of Christmas lights into the trashcan.

“What are you doing?” she asked him.

“Nobody told me that when one light goes out, they all go out,” he said frustratedly.

Sara didn’t respond, just continued through the kitchen.

The source of the Christmas music was the den, a cozy little room off the entry way. It had wall to wall shelves in the back that were filled with the books Leonard had collected over the years, along with one shelf dedicated to picture books for Rory — Leonard frequently read to Rory in the den. The coziest couches in the house sat in that room, and they faced a TV hung on the wall. The coffee table was pushed to the side, and in the empty space it created, Rory was dancing to Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree with Amaya, Zari, and Nate.

“What are you doing?” Sara asked, raising her voice over the music.

“Rory-bear wanted to play Christmas songs so we’re having a dance party,” Zari responded, picking up Rory and whirling her through the air.

“We should all go caroling!” Nate said, “It would be so much fun.”

“I dunno, Nate,” Zari said skeptically.

“Stein!” Nate called loudly. Martin was sitting in the living room on the other end of the house, “Stein, you love to sing! You’ll go Christmas caroling with me, right?”

A minute later, Martin appeared in the doorway.

“Pardon me?” he said.

“Will you go Christmas caroling with me?” Nate repeated.

“While I admit one of my favorite pastimes is singing, this is one occasion that I’ll respectfully opt out off it, Mr. Heywood,” Martin told him.

“Aww, how come?” Nate whined, “It’d be so much fun!”

“Even though I don’t partake in much of the holiday season, I do enjoy it because  of the joy it brings so many people. I feel that this time of year, people are kinder to one another and to themselves. However, I wish it were more recognized that not everybody celebrates Christmas. All of the songs on the radio and movies on TV are for Christmas.”

“We can throw in some Hanukkah songs if you want. I think I know all the words to Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.”

“Mr. Heywood,” Stein said, “I hope you aren’t under the impression that Hanukkah is the Jewish version of Christmas.”

“N-no, of course not. I just—I mean, well, uh,” Nate stammered.

“Give it up,” Sara cut him off, “We’re not caroling.”

A few days later, Zari and Amaya were sitting on the couch with Rory, watching Jax flick through the TV channels.

“Oh look!” Zari said, pointing to the TV, “It’s Here Comes Santa Claus!”

“Put i’ on,” Rory gasped, bouncing up and down in Zari’s lap.

“That’s Rory’s favorite Christmas movie,” Sara called from the kitchen.

“Ugh,” Jax groaned, but he conceded, putting the TV remote back on the coffee table.

“Not a fan of the claymation classics, Jax?” Zari asked.

“They just get old when you’ve seen ‘em a hundred times and you keep hearing the music over and over,” Jax shrugged.

“Cherish your classics,” Zari replied warningly, “The music and the movies, because the new Christmas movies in my time are not great.”

“I’ll second that,” Rip said from the dining table, where he was pouring over number-laden documents.

Rip was the only person not taking part in the Christmas festivities.

He had come to the realization that he may have created a monster, well, several monsters.

His rather unconventional career meant he was free from many of the perils and pitfalls of having a job, but he still had his challenges. One of those challenges as of late was money. This wasn’t a problem he often encountered — with a timeship that could fabricate nearly anything (although money was one of the few exceptions), funds wasn’t a necessity of their team of time travelers, but sometimes it was. The Time Masters had created a system for situations such as these: a bank account, created with the first bank in world history. It had amassed a very large sum of money in it’s, so whenever a time traveler was in need of money of any kind, it was available to them, the catch being that they needed to log their withdrawals and submit them to the Time Bureau on a monthly basis.

Rip and his team rarely needed to utilize this system, but for their journey back to the present time (and knowing it was the holiday season), Rip figured his team had earned a reward for the work they did for him, especially because they weren’t exactly compensated it.

Now, as he watched Ray, Nate, Amaya, and Zari return to the Waverider laden with more shopping bags than he thought possible, he dreaded the documentation of their spending.

“The movies are really that bad?” Jax asked Zari with raised eyebrows.

“They’re terrible,” Zari replied.

“I thought religion was outlawed in your time,” Amaya said, then she added “I thought you’re Muslim.”

“I am, and it is, but in my time, Christmas isn’t really tied to a religion — besides in its roots. It’s more one of those consumer-holidays like Valentine’s Day and Halloween. It’s for everyone to celebrate — not that everyone does.”

“Do you?” Sara asked, sitting in an armchair with a mug of hot chocolate.

“Yup,” Zari nodded, “I loved the novelty of it as a kid, and as I got older, I started to appreciate how it’s a time where everyone’s a bit nicer to each other. Like Stein said a few days ago, Christmas is a time of universal joy in a world that I’m sure you can imagine needed it.”

“Still against going caroling?” Nate asked Stein, who was sitting across from Rip at the dining room table with a cup of tea and the newspaper.

“Yes,” Stein replied curtly, without looking up.

“You tried,” Jax shrugged at Nate.

“You know what,” Nate said to Zari, “You’re so right about that whole ‘nice’ thing. There’s all these charity people everywhere — like with the Salvation Army and stuff — and I can’t help myself from donating to them every time! I mean, they’re ringing that bell in my face and talking about the less fortunate and I just can’t resist! I think I’ve spent more money donating to charity then I have buying presents. Seriously. I can’t stop.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Sara saw Rip drop his pen onto the dining table and place his head in his hands.

She stood up.

“C’mon Rory, it’s nap time,” she said, lifting her out of Zari’s lap.

“No-o!” she whined.

“Ye-es,” Sara mimicked her, “and when you wake up, we’re gonna go outside and do something really fun!”

“What?”

“We’re gonna take your picture for the Christmas Card!”

Christmas Cards was one part of the holidays Sara was unfamiliar with.  Sure, she’d had been in them when she was a kid, but that was the easy part. She had no idea how hard it was to get everything done. She hadn’t bothered in the years prior, when it was just her and Leonard, but then, a few years ago, they’d received a card in the mail with festive pictures of Oliver and Felicity’s new twins, Tommy and Mara, printed across holiday card-stock, and Sara instantly knew she wanted to do that when she had a kid.

Four years later, and here she was, taking pictures for the second Christmas card of her daughter, Rory.

“Rory,” Sara groaned, “Can you just stay still for one minute? I’m only asking for one minute.”

She sighed and let the camera swing by it’s woven strap around her neck as she went to reposition Rory.

Last year was so much easier than this. She’d only been one-and-a-half, and when Sara had sat her down on the front step with a potted poinsettia beside her, she had gotten the perfect shot in five minutes. Now, she was two-and-a-half and it was an entirely different ballgame.

“Can you please just sit down?” Sara said, picking up Rory and sitting her back on the red metal wagon she’d just climbed out of for what must have been the fifteenth time.

It’s not like she didn’t know it’d be difficult. She did know, and she’d done everything she could to make it easier: she’d planned the picture beforehand — she’d set up Rory’s wagon in front of young holly plant, the wagon’s bright hue bringing out the red of the berries — and she’d laid Rory’s outfit out so it was all ready to go. She waited until after Rory’s nap so she wasn’t grumpy and tired when they went outside. After that, there wasn’t really much more she could do.

After nearly two hours, Sara decided that of all the pictures she’d taken, there must be at least one good one.

“All done,” Sara said, picking Rory up and heading for the house. She pushed the back door open to see the house was dark.

“Len?” she called, her voice conveying her confusion.

“Mick blew a fuse trying to plug in the lights on the tree,” Leonard explained, coming down the hallway.

“Daddy!” Rory stretched her arms out towards him. He took her from Sara, pressing a kiss onto the top of her head.

“Did you get any good ones?” he asked Sara, tipping his head towards the camera.

“We’ll see,” Sara rolled her eyes, “Someone,” she said pointedly, “was not behaving for Mommy.”

She tickled Rory until she shrieked with laughter. She threw herself into her mother’s arms.

“Oof,” Sara let out as she caught Rory.

The lights flickered.

“Looks like Mick got the lights back on,” Leonard commented.

Sara did get a good picture — she settled on a candid shot of Rory standing in the wagon, her arm reaching towards berries on the holly bush — but the process of sending out Christmas cards was nowhere near complete. It took her another hour to figure out how to format the card, and then it was time to create the list of who she would send it to.

She figured it would go to a few people, just Lisa, Sara’s parents, and Laurel, but then Sara realized that if it went to Laurel, it had to go to the rest of team Arrow, and if it went to team Arrow, it had to go to team Flash and team Legends, and so on until the list seemed to never end.

In the end, she managed to get the cards out with only a week before Christmas.

“Our Christmas card kicked Felicity and Ollie’s card in the ass,” Sara told Leonard smugly.

“What’s new?” he replied, a smirk on his lips.

Leonard played along with Sara’s banter, but he really was not looking forward to spending time with Sara’s family and friends. Sure, over the years he’d begun to get along better with them — the arrival of their daughter, Rory, helped a lot — but it was still rocky at times. He dreaded seeing Oliver Queen most of all. Of all Sara’s family in Star City, Oliver was the only one that made him nervous. Stereotypes of horrible in-laws told him it should be Sara’s father, Quentin Lance. He did, after all, possess the ability to arrest Leonard for the things he did in the past, but over the years, they’d formed an unspoken agreement that as long as Leonard stayed out of trouble, Quentin would keep quiet about what he knew.

Oliver Queen, on the other hand, fell into the same morally-grey area that Leonard did. While Queen was no longer actively trying to make Sara “come to her senses” as he had phrased it, the air between them still wasn’t quite amicable.

Sara lucked out. She had only one in-law: Lisa, and they got along great, but for Leonard, seeing Sara’s side of the family was part of the reason he didn’t enjoy the holidays (although he had to admit, this year had been the best Christmas season he’d had in a while).

“How’s it going, Mick?” Sara asked, pulling Leonard out of his thoughts. He followed Sara into the family room where Mick was still working on the Christmas tree lights. He’d first been handed the task of doing the lights over a week ago, and it looked like there was no end in sight.

“I’m done,” he said.

“Good,” Sara replied, “I wanna decorate the tree.”

“I’m done,” he repeated.

He pushed the plug into the socket and looked up at the tree.

“Why the hell are they blinking!” he roared. He was right. The lights were flashing as if they were in a club, rather than on a Christmas tree. Sara burst out laughing.

“It’s not funny,” Mick growled.

“Keep at it, Mick,” Sara said, still chuckling.

It took him another three days, but finally, he finished the lights. That evening, Zari and Jax made everybody hot chocolate, someone switched on Christmas music, and they all decorated the tree together. Soon, there was only one thing left to do.

Leonard gave Rory the gold star and showed her how to put in on the tree. He lifted her up to the top of the Christmas tree. Rory stretched her little arm up and placed the star on the top-most branch. Leonard lowered her so she was sitting on his arms and stepped back so Rory could admire her handiwork.

“Pretty!” she said, pointing to the tree.

Leonard stood her on the floor. She ran and jumped into Zari’s lap.

Sara smiled.

“Y’know,” she said, grabbing Leonard’s arm and pulling him to sit beside her on the couch, “I wasn’t really sure how all this would go, because all of us together usually ends in complete chaos—”

“I could still argue it did,” Rip cut in. Sara rolled her eyes.

“Anyway, I’m really glad we got to spend the holiday season with all of you. We don’t see you guys much anymore and it was really nice to be with you around this time of year.” She looked to Leonard, “What’d you think?”

“Well, besides all the times I somehow ended up shopping with Raymond—“

“Hey, I thought we had fun!” Ray exclaimed, a look of dismay on his face.

“What do you think, Rory?” Sara asked her daughter, “Do you want everybody to come back next Christmas?”

“Yeah!” Rory chirped, wrapping her arms around Zari’s neck.

“If we really are coming back next year,” Mick said, “I’m not doing the lights.”

As Sara started to laugh, Leonard said,

“No, Mick, no you definitely won’t.”

[fashiontrendin-blog]

Men’s Necklaces Are Going Mainstream. Here’s How To Wear Them With Style

https://fashion-trendin.com/mens-necklaces-are-going-mainstream-heres-how-to-wear-them-with-style/

Men’s Necklaces Are Going Mainstream. Here’s How To Wear Them With Style

Unless you raided your dear mother’s jewellery box when you were younger or ran around South East Asia on your gap year like Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach, chances are, as a man, you’ve never thought about thrusting a chain over your head.

But with an ever-increasing roll call of the coolest men in the world now opting for the men’s necklace (Gosling, Hemsworth, Rocky – need we say more?) and shifting attitudes towards a much-needed blurring of the previously gender stereotyping in fashion (men wear watches, women wear jewellery – let’s all groan in unison) now is as good a time as any to experiment with a chain over your head. Here we take a look at everything you need to get started, from picking the right pendant and length of chain to how you can fit it effortlessly into your already assembled wardrobe.

Ryan Gosling

The History Of Bling, From Henry VIII To 50 Cent

Men weren’t always so averse to a bit of bling around the scruff. The ancient Egyptians were proponents, studding their sheet gold neck wraps and strung beads with amulets and talismans to protect and bring luck to the wearer. Men of the Renaissance period were also fans with the extremely wealthy lavishing all manner of plaques, chains and pendants upon themselves as well as stupendous gem-laden creations that would stretch to their shoulders. Don’t believe us? Check out Henry VIII in his famous portrait by Hans Holbein, sporting a herculean gold chain that would put Run DMC to shame.

RUN DMC

This male love-in with the necklace died out in the 1600s, but returned in the second half of the 20th century when chains once again went from pious symbols of religion to conspicuous signifiers of wealth. Dog tags, Elvis and disco played their parts, but it was in hip-hop fashion that necklaces became the ultimate symbol of decadence with artists punching through the social hierarchy, the ice hanging around their necks offering proof of how far they’d climbed.

In the last decade men’s jewellery has evolved again, now more of a fashion accessory than anything else. Necklaces have sashayed down the men’s catwalk for the likes of Prada, Balmain and Raf Simons in recent seasons. And from high to low, even those unlikely fellas from reality TV show Love Island have been dolling up their perma-tanned torsos with online jewellery retailer Jewlr reporting a 500 per cent increase in sales of men’s necklaces while the show was on the air.

Balmain

“Men wearing jewellery is definitely having a renaissance,” says Alex Simpson, founder of men’s jewellery brand Alex Orso. “There has been a 1990s streetwear revival in recent seasons, which has seen chains, pendants, medallions and rings rise in popularity. This has been picked up on Instagram and street style blogs, which in turn has influenced the styling of characters on mainstream reality TV to create a self-perpetuating trend which I don’t believe has reached its crescendo yet.”

Picking Your Metal

The first step to making like the Pharaohs and the catwalk waifs is to pick out your necklace – starting with the material of your chain and then the pendant to add the unique styling that has made them so popular. “A necklace should feel comfortable and casual almost like a family heirloom,” says Michael Saiger, founder and creative director of US-based jewellery company Miansai.

An oxidised sterling silver chain offers a more masculine and timeless vibe with the colour shade working best in winter months underneath tailoring and next to navy blues and grey. A yellow gold chain is brighter creating a contrast that really pops against black while complimenting warmer tones like orange and brown.

If you’re looking for a casual necklace to fit with a more dressed-down style, then consider waxed cord which especially suits the summer months and days flaunting around the pool while a beaded necklace might have worrying gap year connotations but can add bulk and width to a skinny neck while drawing attention to a sharp jawline (if you’re blessed with one) and works well in combination with other chains.

David Yurman

There are also plated metals to consider but Saiger recommends sticking to the golden two if you are concerned about your skin reacting to the chain. “It’s always best to stick with only sterling silver and solid gold if you have sensitive skin. Those types of metals are extremely fine, and will not react to your skin regardless if you sleep with them or wear them just for the day.”

Aside from the material, there are also different chain designs with the interconnected oval links of a cable chain being the most common. Different chain designs will alter the feel and look of the necklace like the bulkier mesh chain (several different chains linked together for a textured look), the sturdy curb chain (interlocked links designed to lay flat) and the ever-so-fancy Figaro chain (an alternating pattern of differently sized flattened links).

Alex Orso

Make The Pendant Personal

Now, you can of course just stick with the chain, but adding a pendant brings that oh-so-important personality to your look with the ability to turn heads and get the conversation flowing at a dinner party quicker than you can say “Jam Master Jay”. Proud wearer of the men’s necklace Ryan Gosling, has the tag of his beloved dog George attached to his chain, after he sadly passed away in 2017.

However, there’s no prescription for the pendant and it’d be foolish to just follow the lead of the celebs. Just keep your eye out for something that you connect with or can regale an anecdote through, whether it’s a letter or a diamond-encrusted dollar sign. “Ultimately any purchase is personal and based on a selection process,” says Simpson. “What are you attracted to? What complements your style? And what does it say to others about your character?”

Along with a personal touch, Saiger advises looking towards vintage designs in a pendant. “Something that merges the past with the present will always be in style.” For example, one of the key styles at Miansai is the rolled penny necklace which takes its inspiration from the old penny machines found in museums and amusement parks.

David Yurman

Also, note that particular pendants have different meanings. An anchor is an age-old symbol of strength with obvious ties to the sea, while a popular motif for Los Angeles based jewellery brand Nialaya is the Hamsa hand, which is believed to ward off evil spirits and bad luck in Middle Eastern and North African cultures. Other popular pendant styles are the holy cross with its connotations to Christianity, the skull which represents mortality and the feather which is the universal symbol of peace, pacifism and spiritual unity.

“In all scenarios, it must feel natural and should never make you feel self-conscious,” says Simpson. “Some pendants are quite bold or heavy, so it’s worth thinking about where and how long you might be wearing the product.”

David Yurman

Choose Your Length

The most common length of the chain is between 18 and 22 inches, which will sit just below your collarbone while a long necklace will be around 26 to 30 inches long with the pendant hanging around your chest area. A longer chain will help elongate the neck while drawing attention to a broad chest, while a shorter chain will be more readily visible. Anything shorter than 18 inches and you’re getting into choker territory.

“We offer two lengths of chain with the longer length having a more relaxed feel for a night out,” says Simpson, “while the shorter length is to be worn with more formal pieces like a shirt.”

It’s also worth layering multiple chains and experimenting with varying lengths at any one time, with beads working particularly well in a shorter length against a longer chain.

Daniella Draper

How To Wear It

“Long pendant-style necklaces work well over either a loose crew neck or a V-neck T-shirt so the pendant follows the line of the V,” says Sarah Gilfillan, founder of personal styling consultancy Sartoria Lab. When putting together your outfit and necklace, Gilfallan also suggests matching metals for a more considered and put together look. For example, if you’re stepping out with a silver watch on your wrist and a silver buckle around your belt, go for that metal in your necklace choice too.

When it comes to the rest of your clothing choices, the offbeat addition of a necklace suits a casual look such as a white T-shirt and leather jacket according to Gilfillan. “If you do want to wear it with tailoring, I’d go for an open neck shirt with a simple chain showing at the neck of the shirt. If you want to make more of a statement and go for full-on 1980s look, then wear your shirt done up to the top with no tie but with a chain or pendant that is worn over the top of the shirt. Also, ensure your shirt collar is fairly small and neat, and avoid button downs so your necklace can be the point of focus.”

And to kill off two trends with one stone, Gilfillan regards the men’s necklace as the perfect accompaniment to the laissez-faire attitude of a Cuban collar shirt. “The current open neck camp collar shirt styles are perfect for showing off multiple necklaces. Wear with an extra button open to show off those necklaces, and style with slim cut turned up jeans and trainers, mixing gold and silver pendants and chains together for a contemporary look”.

The Kooples

The Best Brands For Men’s Necklaces

Miansai

Hailing from Miami, the bling bling capital of the world, Miansai offers surprisingly subtle signature pendants on chains or waxed cord. Riffing on nautical themes that include anchors, hooks and long, lost treasure in timeless, elegant designs the brand is also favoured by the celebrity crowd with Hollywood actors Zac Efron and Tom Holland both spotted wearing it.

Buy Now: £115.00

Thomas Sabo

Since its founding in 1984 German jewellery company Thomas Sabo has become one of the leading brands in both women’s and men’s jewellery as well as having their designs legally protected worldwide so no-one can steal them for themselves. Its pendants aren’t for the faint-hearted mind, with Day of the Dead skulls and daggers aplenty as well as chunky and colourful beads.

Buy Now: £139.00

Topman

If you were a British teenager in the 2000s there is every chance you raided the Topman bracelet section during your lunch hour with the high street chains necklace range similarly easy to pick up. Inexpensive, stylish and in a range of sizes and designs they make for good layering options with your more expensive pieces or as an entry point if you just want to dip your toes in the trend.

Buy Now: £10.00

Tateossian

A London jewellery maker where the emphasis is on the men rather than the women, Tateossian has become the go-to place for luxury cufflinks in its 28-year history. That’s not to say it doesn’t make a smashing necklace, with some intriguingly unique designs including a diamond pill crafted in aid of the Elton John Aids Foundation and tiny pieces of meteorite sourced from South America.

Buy Now: £295.00

Alex Orso

Minimalist masculinity is the name of the game for London jewellery brand Alex Orso. With pendants in bold designs from 22-carat bottle caps and Komodo dragon claws to polished stone shark tooths, Alex Orso takes a compelling shape and simplifies it for the man who wants to enhance his look, not complicate it. Each pendant comes with a brass chain which you can choose in a short or long style.

Buy Now: £115.00

Luis Morais

Wanting to ignite your inner Keith Richards hipster pirate? Well, a Luis Morais necklace is the one for you with the Brazilian jeweller’s rock and roll vibe favouring the boho beads, colourful skulls and mystic stones the rocker has built his look on.

Buy Now: $900.00

Emanuele Bicocchi

Of course no men’s style list would be complete without a tip of the hat to the Italians. And so we have Emanuele Bicocchi sauntering in for a welcome spritz of sprezzatura. Sterling silver reigns supreme in the Florence jewellery designers collection who has seen his quite gothic creations being worn by the likes of Zayn Malik and Russell Brand.

Buy Now: €149.00

Nialaya

A Dane in America, less a well-trodden Hollywood story trope, more the perfect setting for Jannik Olander to launch spirituality inspired jewellery brand Nialaya. Handcrafted in a Los Angeles workshop, religious imagery from the East features prominently in the designs (especially from Buddhism) which are bang-on for the cosmo gent who wants it to look like he found himself in the local temple on his backpacking tour but really never left the side of the pool.

Buy Now: $219.00

Northskull

Excuse the name, Northskull is not some Danish death metal group born out of the depths of hell, rather it’s an elegant jewellery brand just for us boys. Based in London, reasonable price points and straightforward designs make it an easy choice for those guys who want the designer look to slot into their daily wardrobe without having to shell out on overpriced rosary beads.

Buy Now: £220.00

Sif Jakobs

If you’re worried that the addition of a necklace will have you come across all wannabe show-off rapper, then take a gander at the Sif Jakobs collection of pendants and tell us there is no subtlety in donning a necklace. The Scandinavian jewellery maker creates all its jewellery out of sterling silver and focuses its design on a similar rectangular design spun through various different twists.

Buy Now: €129.00

Serge DeNimes

The fashion brand of Made In Chelsea star and menswear influencer Oliver Proudlock, Serge DeNimes draws heavily on Proudlock’s taste and penchant for boho-chic necklaces. Ever the pacifist, the feather is a recurring motif in Proudlock’s collection as is the patron saint of travellers, Saint Christopher.

Buy Now: £40.00

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In the folklore of many cultures, it is believed spirits cannot resist or are compelled to follow a thread from one end to the other with some believing that spirits have to travel in a straight line. This belief results in spirit traps intricately woven with colourful thread such as the ojos de dios or “God’s eyes” of Central America, the elaborate ghost and demon traps of Tibet incorporating ram skulls, the cross charms of Rowan and red thread from Scotland, the spirit traps mimicking spider webs used by hunters in some regions of Africa, and even the dream catchers of North America (before they became items to sell to tourists). The most common colours used are red, blue, and yellow as they each have a very long history of being used for protection across cultural boundaries. The creation of them can be a highly meditative and spiritual act with the intent being protection and blessing –especially when they are made for children. A main rule of such spirit traps is there must be no knots in the thread. These traps are hung on the roof of a house, in trees, or over the bed. The spirit is extracted from the thread by burning it, putting it in a place where the sun’s rays will touch it to symbolically burn away the spirit, or by carefully removing the thread and placing it in a well-sealed bottle, jar, or box which is then either burned, buried, or hidden somewhere safe. Some spirit traps are made from hollowed out wood, usually two matching pieces that are placed together (or a box), sealed with wax or resin, and then bound with string or a leather cord like the shamans’ spirit trap of Burma/Myanmar. The bottle trees or “haint” trees of the American South were originally spirit traps based on the belief that the spirit, much like a wasp, could not resist going into the bottle but would not be able to come out again. Blue bottles are the most commonly used which makes sense as blue has been a powerful colour of protection for millennia. Some people place items in the bottles to lure spirits – binding herbs, string or thorns for them to become entangled in, or seeds for them to get distracted counting (in folklore witches and spirits are compelled to count seeds, beans, or grains when laid before them). Bottle spirit traps are believed to have their origins from slaves who came from Northern Africa and the Middle East where blue is a prevalent sacred colour. Bottle trees or bottle spirit traps can be found in Europe as well.Tsimshian soul catcher, 1879Some Native tribes of the Pacific Northwest once used carved hollow bones called “soul catchers” to trap spirits by sucking them into the bone and then sealing the two ends with moss or lichen. These, however, were mainly used to trap human souls stolen by supernatural spirits so they could be returned to their owners in healing ceremonies. The medicine man or woman would blow the soul into the ailing person’s mouth to put it back in their body. Some were made of wood, but bone seems to have been much more common. I am quite enamoured with the idea of using a hollow bone due to a similar tool found in Scotland, but there it is used for cursing by pouring the blood of a sacrificed animal through it (not really the same, but cool).Another spirit trap is the well known witch bottle of Europe which is used as a decoy and a spiritual alarm system on top of catching spirits. A witch bottle is first filled with the decoy which can be a combination of hair, nail clippings, blood, saliva, or urine. This fools a spirit into thinking it has found its target (you). Then nails and/or bent pins are added to bind the spirit and keep it in the bottle. Lastly, broken glass or broken mirror pieces are added for protection, to reflect away the evil intent. Then the bottle is corked, sealed, and buried under the front step of one’s house. If you live in an apartment it can be hidden in a wall or a forgotten cupboard, or buried in the soil of a potted plant. It is better for the witch bottle to be outside though to keep the spirit from crossing your threshold. If the bottle breaks, it means it has worked, and caught a spirit with the intent of harming the maker. It should then be burned, the ashes buried or released into running water, and then replaced with a new one. Witch bottles were not originally made by witches, but were used by ordinary people to protect from a witch’s magical attack. The spirit caught is often a witch’s familiar.If you are using a spirit trap not just for protection but to capture a specific spirit or soul, the trap must be consecrated to that purpose and used in a ritual with that intent. If your intent is bind and keep a spirit it must be transferred from the trap to a spirit vessel. If it is a thread trap the thread must carefully be unwoven and placed into a jar, bottle, box, poppet, stone, or skull. If it is inside a bottle, bone, or wood trap it can be sucked out of the trap and blown into the intended spirit vessel. Once in a vessel, a ritual is performed to consecrate the vessel to bind the spirit to it (a basic, customizable consecration ritual for objects is a must have in your magician’s bag of tricks). The spirit vessel can then be well sealed with wax and bound with more thread or covered in sigils or symbols of binding and protection.Once, I turned an entire hallway into one big spirit trap. It was the entry to my apartment with every doorway coming off of it. I put a mirror on each end along with protective amulets and woven spirit traps above each door. I knew it was time to empty the trap when the talismans or the pictures on the walls fell. Or if the trapped spirits decided to slam someone around in the hallway. The same oak picture frame fell and was broken half a dozen times due to this and scared my friends. I learned if you’re going to turn a hallway or a mudroom into a spirit trap, don’t hang anything of value in the space and clean it more regularly than you think you need to.This practice is often a last ditch effort to get rid of a troublesome spirit for which banishing did not work or for a spirit that is too powerful to handle and too nasty to leave running free. If it is a malignant spirit it is usually buried by running water or a crossroad where it won’t be disturbed. If the spirit vessel is to be buried, it should only ever be done with a container that won’t decay easily or quickly. Glass and ceramic are best, then metal. Wood is not a good idea. If the vessel decays or is destroyed or broken, the spirit is set free. Sometimes bound spirits are kept safe by the magician who trapped it, who don’t trust nature or other people and want to keep a close eye on it. If you are going to keep a particularly nasty spirit I recommend some seriously potent sigils and a ring of salt around the vessel wherever you store it. There have been many instances of family and students going through a dead magician’s house and finding bound boxes and bottles sealed with wax and string – never open them! They should be left as they are and given to another magician to look after or to properly dispose of it they have the knowledge and skill to do so.As with most magical practices, trapping and binding spirits is neither good nor evil. It is dependent upon the intent of the magician. They can be used as a preventive measure, as protection, or for healing in the case of PNW medicine men. It can also be dark magic used to bind spirits to steal their collective power to add to one’s own. Other times a dark sorcerer will use this magic to steal and bind the souls of their human enemies to both steal their power and stop the enemies from working against them. There are a very large number of folk tales all over the world where a hero defeats an evil sorcerer or spirit and sets free all the souls they have trapped over years, decades, centuries, or even millennia. If this theme sounds familiar it is because this has carried forward today into horror movies and fantasy TV shows.Any time you desire to bind a spirit make sure it is the right decision over banishing as if it ever manages to get free you are the first person the evil spirit will attack afterward. Good intent is not enough for this to work. You have to have knowledge, skill, and experience behind it to be certain it is done properly. If you cannot see spirits or tell they are in your traps, it is also unlikely to work. Always think carefully before trapping and binding a spirit and, if you yourself are not an advanced practitioner, it is recommended to have one present when doing so in case anything goes wrong.If you are new to this, I recommended starting with a witch bottle, rowan cross, or a god’s eye style spirit trap as they can simply be burned. As you burn the thread or the trap, you can ask your familiar spirits or a deity to carry the spirit away back to where it belongs. I also like to burn a purification incense afterward like pine or frankincense resins mixed with cedar or juniper tips. As a maker of rowan crosses and god’s eyes I’ve found they simply and mysteriously start to fall apart when they’ve been overburdened trapping spirits. If your protective trap falls down or breaks, it is time to burn it and make a new one. I recommend checking your traps every dark moon. If they are full, it is the perfect time to get rid of the spirits.