#and not one consultation with a wardrobe worker

[allstrangeandwonderful]

The Ted Lasso Amsterdam episode is beautiful and sweet and whimsical and romantic and lovely, no question

…but did they really expect us to believe that anything Rebecca wears is dryer-friendly

[xwingsandohs]

‘Haunted Beauty’ | Spencer Reid

prompt: ‘Person A likes to sketch, and B catches them sketching, and asks what they are drawing. Person A had been drawing B, so they stutter out an excuse while slamming their sketchbook closed.’

word count: 2.3k

content warnings?: none. fluff

a/n: this is the beginning of a renaissance where i come back to tumblr. bare with me while i reformat stuff and checkout my recent posts if ya can

When you reach eleven days without being called out to the field for a case, there’s a lull in the BAU that leaves everyone bored and irritable.

Morgan sits at his corner desk twiddling his pen, spinning on his chair and occasionally ripping up small pieces of paper to aim at someone’s (usually Reid’s) head. His aim is terrible, only because the small, rolled-up balls weigh so little, so you can watch with suppressed giggles until Reid finally notices his game. A hit to the head leads to an irritated “Hey!” - While you and Morgan laugh openly.

Morgan walks over to ruffle the messy hair of your colleague and picks up the small mess he’s left on the floor around him- Spencer shuts the small notebook he’d been working in at the disruption.

You spin around on your chair to see Emily not-so-subtly looking for cheap flights on her laptop- one of her favourite ways to guarantee her time-off is approved is by booking the trip before she even puts in the request. There’s no need for the efforts really, Hotch has never denied a PTO request since your jobs are so demanding, though it doesn’t hurt to be sure.

JJ comes up behind Emily waving an empty mug, asking if she wants another coffee too. She nods, groans into a “God, yes please.” - before JJ begins to ask about her vacation plans and where she hopes to go, pointing at her computer.

Coffee sounds like a fantastic idea, so you stand from your chair and do a lazy spin towards Morgan - “Yes please, mama.” - and taking the empty cup from Spencer’s extended hand too before he even gets the chance to ask. You smile at him warmly- and before you even get a chance to lean over and see what he’s been working on, he’s slammed his notebook shut again and said “Actually, I could do with a break too, I’ll join you.”

You nod and shrug acceptingly, and Spencer jogs across to JJ when she shouts to make enough for everyone, and grabs the two mugs from her hand as well. “Thanks, Spence.”

It takes you only a minute to prep the coffee, replacing the filter and dumping in some grounds and Spencer has swooped in to fill up the water jug before you get the chance. You thank him, and watch as he turns to the sink in the small kitchenette, flicks the tap on and watches as the water fills its container.

He’s wearing a comfortable-looking navy cardigan, it’s well-fitting and you’re acutely aware of how he’s allowed his own sense of style to come through in his working wardrobe over his years in the BAU. You allow yourself an indulgent look at your co-worker while his back is to you, grinning slightly as you enjoy the view.

“How’s the case files?” He asks as he finishes loading the machine and presses the button to let the coffee drip. His hands glide in their motions after so long of using the machine most days.

“I finished all my consults, now it’s just an endless pile of cold cases to keep me busy.” You drag out a few vowels as you speak, teetering close to yawning in exasperation but the easy nights at home have kept you well-rested.

“Me too.” He shrugs, gently pushing the tub of sugar closer to the mugs to use when the coffee has finished.

“What are you making notes on?” You ask, and lean your body comfortably against the countertop.

“Notes?” He scrunches his face.

“You’ve been scribbling in your notebook for the past half hour.” “Oh!”

Realisation washes over his face, and you wonder if there’s a reason for his unusually cloudy brain. You laugh just once and raise an eyebrow in confusion at him.

“Nothing in particular, just some musings to keep me busy.” He shrugs.

There’s an old metal tin sitting on the side, some cookies that an agent had made and brought in for everyone to take from. You reach across and open it, looking closely for the biggest one before taking it. You snap it in half and present the biggest piece to the man beside you.

“Thanks.” He utters, before taking an indulgent bite.

“What kind of musings are keeping Dr Reid busy on this fine Thursday afternoon?” You ask with a glint in your eye.

He shrugs, and begins to mumble through his cookie-filled mouth before pausing to actually swallow before he speaks. His action makes you giggle. “I was asked if I’d like to do a guest lecture on profiling for the FBI Academy and I’m not really sure if I want to do it.”

“Why not?” You ask sincerely.

“I think a lot of my stories about the job might change their mind about working here.” He smiles, you both laugh, and then he shakes his head. He’s not wrong. “No, I’m kidding. I’m just not sure if I’m ready for doing something like that alone, I think there’s a lot of pressure for lecturers to be engaging and informative, and I tend to go off on a tangent.”

“I love your tangents.” You reply honestly and with a smile, which he returns appreciatively, and a little rosy in the cheeks. “But I know what you mean, I’m a profiler for a living but I don’t think I could get on a stage and give a good lecture on it.”

“I, um,” He smiles wistfully and nods his head as he speaks, something he frequently does. “I’d love to run my own classes at the Academy or maybe Georgetown one day, but I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility yet.”

He’d be a fantastic professor, you know this. And you’re sure he’d have a lecture full of hopeful psychology fanatics just like you both once were. “Maybe a guest lecture is a good trial run, even if it’s a little out of your comfort zone.”

“Yeah.” He smiles, then begins to pour out the coffees. Each mug is almost identical- white or navy with some variation of the FBI logo on, but somehow he knows who’s is who’s, and leaves enough room for cream in cups that need it. “Which case would you choose?”

“For a guest lecture?” He nods. “Um…”

It’s difficult, while every case is important you know that a balance needs to be found in a case chosen for an Academy lecture- it can’t be too standard, it wouldn’t show off why your jobs are so important or might even struggle to keep the audience interested. But you can’t choose one of your worst cases either, some of them can be particularly heavy even for you all to think back on.

“Maybe the zodiac imitator?” You suggest with a shrug. “You can go through how you deduced it wasn’t the real zodiac, looking for messages in online articles, Garcia going through MENSA records, you could even talk about navigating all the reporters and public attention.”

“Y’know, I was thinking about that one.” He agrees and you tap his arm playfully. “The trainees always enjoy the imitator cases.”

“As much as you can enjoy this kinda thing, right?” You laugh humorlessly. Spencer knows everyone’s coffee preference off by heart, you know that, but it still makes you feel a little hot when he perfects your drink and holds it out to you.

“Maybe ‘interested in’ would be a better way to put it.” He corrects himself with a similar chuckle. You nod in agreement.

You both take a small moment to enjoy a sip of your drinks before taking the rest of the mugs to the members of your team- Morgan grins at Reid as he passes his mug, and JJ and Emily thank you when you bring their drinks too.

“What do you think,” JJ calls you by name. “Where would you go for a beach holiday?”

“Beach?” You say and laugh lightly. “Wherever Morgan’s not going.”

They both grin and laugh, and you hear Emily begin to say “Y’know I’ve seen those pictures of Morgan’s Jamaican resort…”

You head back to your own desk, you have Reid right in front of you and Morgan at a table across from you both, it makes for easy conversation and sharing of the sweet treats you bring in when you try to hide them from the rest of the team- more for you that way. Every so often you stop on your way to work and fill up a pick ‘n’ mix, you know by now that Spencer’s favourites are the chocolate jazzles and Morgan loves anything sour.

Emily shouts for Morgan to help her find a holiday destination, so he shakes his head playfully and taps you on the shoulder as he walks past you.

The coffee is perfect as you sip it, just slightly hot, not too sweet and not too strong. You cradle it between two hands as you step past your desk and stop in front of Spencer’s, leaning gently against the table. He looks up at you, mid sip, and raises his eyebrows to ask what you need from him.

“Can I see what you’ve been writing?” You ask innocently, pointing at the small brown book that sits central on his desk. A pen sticks out of the top of it to hold the page he was using, and he seems unusually shocked by your question.

You’re profilers, though Spencer is a surprisingly good liar, you have a feeling he wasn’t pondering a guest lecture for the Academy.

“There’s nothing important in there.” He shakes his head and instinctively goes to pull it out of reach.

“C’mon, Reid!” You giggle, putting your coffee cup down in a space on his desk. “I just wanna know what’s been keeping you occupied. You’ve been scribbling in it all afternoon, so secretively too.”

“I-I’m not-” He pauses, stuttering and puts his own mug down and out of reach before pulling the pen from between the pages of his notebook. He leaves the brown pad where it is. “being secretive, why do you want to see?”

“I’m just curious.” You say, bowing your head in apology. “I didn’t mean to pry, I’ll just leave you to it.”

“N-no, wait,” He stops you, seeing your small change in demeanour and immediately washing with guilt. Your body language changes just slightly, not quite closed off but a little less open and maybe a smidge of your own guilt for possibly upsetting him. He’s not upset, and he certainly does want you to be. “I’m sorry. I-I’m just, um,”

You turn back to him, offering another apologetic look. It’s not necessary, and he holds the notebook tightly in his hand, looking at it while he thinks. “Would you like to see?”

“Only if you want me to.”

“Why not?” He hums, gently passing the small brown book to you. You take it, just as gently, curling a finger into the gap created by the pen to hold the open page.

The brown book is worn on the edges, creased from opening so many times and his recent page is over half way through. You’ve seen him scribble in it frequently, and you’ve seen the way he slips it into his satchel at the end of the day- it’s important to him, you know that.

You open the page and it’s a drawing, a sketch in black biro. You’ve seen some of Reid’s drawings before- wavy lines, shrunken eyes and wiry hair, it’s his own unique style of illustration and you love his hidden passion for it. His drawings have been of imaginary characters, animals, even halloween decorations; they have a haunted aspect to them and you admire his talent for capturing the way he sees the world. This one is adorned with small wavy lines bouncing off the central figure.

“It’s-” This one you recognise, an unhidden smile and the shape of the hair. “-me. You drew me?”

“Um… yeah.” He smiles, but it doesn’t hide his nerves as he shifts in his chair while you look over the lines he’s made.

It’s today, you know the top you’re wearing today and one wiggly line for the chair you’ve been perched on. Your hair is styled as it is today, but you haven’t smiled so brightly today, you haven’t had the reason. That part, you realise, is from his memory. You like that he thinks of you as a happy person- the lines show that too, they add a bright, liveliness to the illustration of you.

There’s small flowers on the page adjacent- lavender, daisies, chrysanthemums, with what you assume is the scientific name underneath. They dot across the page like a printed pattern, but with the handwriting you know of Spencer all around. Underneath the drawing of you, though you’re not sure if it’s meant to describe both pages, it says “Beautiful”.

“Wow, Spence- I mean- Spencer,” You stutter over your words, grinning and feeling flushed at the thought of him spending his afternoon drawing you so dearly. “It’s amazing, you’re really good at art, y’know.”

“Thanks.” He replies sweetly, face unabashedly pink and smiling from ear to ear. “It’s um, really tempting to draw you when you’re sitting right across from me. I wanted to try and capture your smile but my drawings have given you more of a… haunting beauty.”

You don’t know what to say, still smiling and stuttering over nothing at all as you look over to him, to the drawing, then him again. His pride in his work makes his face light up in a way you rarely see on the job. “A-and Spence is fine, if you like.”

“Thanks for letting me see, Spence.” You say, dancing lightly around the last word, an affectionate nickname you know is only reserved for the special few. It feels good to be special to him. “I’ve never been very good at drawing.”

“I don’t think skill matters when you’re passionate about what you’re trying to recreate on the page.” He says with a simple smile, then bites down on his bottom lip to stop it from being too bright.

“You think so?” “Yeah.”

—

a/n: and just for funsies…

[koolades-world]

Obey me! height headcanons

This isn’t revolutionary but I couldn’t stop thinking about this, especially asmo’s. For reference, I’m 5’2 and almost all of my shoes have platforms or are raised in some way because I like pretending I am taller than I actually am 💋 although in this case I think I’m winning for once (please tall people let me know what it’s like, the tallest person in my family is my dad at 5’5)

While I half wanted to make them unnaturally tall but I kept them within human possibility since these were their humans forms

1. Beel

100% the tallest, a beefcake of a man. Perfect for a boost up high, like during hanging up decorations or cleaning. When it’s the twins birthday, it’s a struggle to hang up the decorations. Nobody is as reliable as him. I imagine he’s about 6’3 or 6’4. The best for using scary dog privileges, going anywhere with him guarantees elite treatment. It would be so easy for me to get piggy back rides cause he wouldn’t want to leave me behind

2. Lucifer

He can’t be that far behind. I imagine him at like 6’2. Part of the reason people are scared or HoL is because of his height. Me personally, I’m scared by anyone I have to look right up at and he definitely falls in this category. Lucifer would make me shit my pants. At least Beel isn’t consult scowling and yelling. Would definitely use his height to my advantage, like making him clear a path for my through a crowd or to tell the fast food worker I wanted no pickles on my burger.

3. Levi

I definitely picture him as a taller dude, but nobody can every guess because he has terrible posture and is always staring down. Like, tall Levi is doing something for me. Lanky little gamer guy that no one knew was actually like 5’10 because 95% of the time he’s at home and the other 5% is when he’s playing a game.

4. Belphie

Another one I picture as lanky, but is constantly asleep so people don’t realize. He’s always curled up somewhere. Another sloucher 100%. He still insists on being carried around by Mammon even though he’s taller. Probably 5’9 or 5’10

5. Satan

I feel like he’s the Mr. Average in the height department. He’s the only brother who’s a demon, so it makes sense to me that he’s the most normal. Not that being super tall or short is bad, but he would fit in the most (which is saying a lot). I think he’s about 5’8. Demons are probably tall since it’s harder to intimidate a human if they’re taller than you. Nobody dares to comment on this, though. If they’re not Mc, you’re probably going to die which lucky us!! we are mc

6. Mammon

Short king! Not the shortest but I feel like him being not super tall adds to his appeal as a tsundere. He’s just short and (pretending to be) angry. I think he’s 5’6 or 5’7. He gets made fun of his height by his brothers even though Asmo is shorter. I like to think he also likes shoes that make him taller, it seems very him. he’s just cute ok <33

7. Asmo

He’s not that short but he just happens to be the shortest in their family. I imagine him about 5’6 which is funny to me to think this twink is taller than my father. I’m foaming at the mouth thinking about sharing a wardrobe with him, and if you happen to been a similar height to him, then it’s like you just won the lottery. I’m dying to have a mini fashion show with him 😭 it’s kinda funny to me to think that Asmo, who I personally think is the shortest, is stronger than Beel, who’s universally agreed to be the tallest. Height isn’t everything is what I learned from this

[leiandroid]

otayuri week | day five - workplace au

otabek works the nightshift of a movie store, and yuri is a film and photography student that comes to rent&buy movies.

@otayuriweek22

canons and scenes of this verse discussed at length under the cut >>

as usual, i can't write for shit and bridge ideas to anything cohesive or create dialogue that isn't cringe and unnatural so have this list instead (i need y'all to get the full picture ya know) >>

yuri is a film & photography student (more interested in photography over film, which ended up meaning he has a lacking knowledge of movies and the programme requires him to know and watch a lot of them)

otabek is the night shift worker of the movie store. georgi works the day shifts.

yuri started going there to rent/buy movies. at first he went during the day and had initially asked georgi for suggestions but after his third time coming back with georgi's recommendations, which was another over dramatic and terrible romance, he stopped asking. one day, he was late going home from university so he stopped by the movie place at night and that's when he first met otabek on his night shift.

otabek is a semi-pretentions "film not movies" kind of guy, when he saw the stack of films yuri intended to leave with he didn't say anything, only had a look on his face which yuri straight up asked "what's that look for asshole?" to which otabek said nothing and just rang up the tapes and asked "you buying or renting?"

when he returned the movies the next time it was during the day, and yuri went back to rent movies some nights later after evening classes. this time, when he entered the shop otabek was digging through a box of new arrivals and was stacking them on the shelves. yuri browsed whatever movies were on display til curiosity brought him to the box and he asked otabek if there was anything interesting to watch in there.

otabek, finally puts his largely useless (but in this case, useful to yuri) movie knowledge to action. he rifles through the tapes and hands him a film. yuri looks at it with with pursed lips but takes it anyway "this better be good" he warns. otabek just shrugs. yuri adds 2 other movies to take with him from the new arrivals.

this time yuri intentionally returns at night to catch otabek, he puts the tapes on the counter and says "i liked it" then turns away to go peruse the movies. he comes back with 3, and otabek rings them up as yuri watches with mild interest. then asks if he has another recommendation to which otabek stops what he's doing, bites into the lollipop (cherry) he was sucking on, and chews on it as he goes around the counter and walks towards a specific shelf and grabs a tape off of it and rings it up without consulting or showing it to yuri. yuri rolls his eyes before leaving.

yuri takes notice of several things: otabek has a barbell piercing on his left eyebrow, an eagle tattoo on his neck with the wings wrapping around the sides (the lattice of the kazakhstan flag is a band tattooed around his left upper thigh, but yuri doesn't know of it), and a small hoop earring on his right ear. (the gay ear). (also this is set in the 90s). yuri momentarily wonders if he's gay but immediately dismisses it because otabek seems painfully straight and concludes he probably just didn't know about it. it's more ironic than a rule anyway.

yuri has both ears pierced with black studs. he likes to wear rings on both hands and carries his camera with him everywhere. he develops his own photos, has developed them for a long time. he had a bugdet redroom he made in his wardrobe at home in moscow (with blackout curtains, drilling a hole into the back to put in a bulb he painted red, and lined the floor of it with a basin and enlarger). now he uses the university's lofty development studio and practically lives in it. (they are in st petersburg).

otabek smokes and when he isn't smoking he sucks on lollipops and hard candies, his preferred flavour is cherry but he fucks with cola flavour too. he bites lollipop sticks to shreds through the course of his shifts. he tries to keep it to 2 smoke breaks maximum during his shift. the nights are slow so if he doesn't have that self imposed restriction he could spend the entire night on the curb outside the shop smoking till someone came in.

there are bins of candy and snacks on the counter of the movie store, otabek helps himself to the hard candies and lollipops regularly. he drops in a weekly tenner in the register to cover the cost of what he takes (it doesn't, but he deems it close enough).

weeks pass by in similar fashion, otabek's movie recommendations keep making their way into yuri's purchases, they talk about the movies every time yuri comes back to exchange tapes for new ones. yuri rants about the arthouse movies, deciding he hates the genre. he cites that photography is for telling fragmented stories, movies are for telling complete ones. those pretentious films that tell nothing but drone on and on with useless imagery and jarring soundtracks make him furious with hate. otabek drops in an especially awful film of that genre just to piss yuri off and hear the epic rant that yuri will no doubt have prepared for the next visit.

up until that point, all of their interactions have been in the movie store. one day whilst otabek was driving through the streets on his motorbike, he spots yuri and pulls up to him to say hello. yuri had just finished class and was going to grab a bite to eat and asked otabek if he wanted to come with. they become friends. they hang out frequently.

otabek is a hacker by trade. he learns code and hacking shit and does odd jobs for companies to test their security networks by breaking into them and giving them a rundown on their weaknesses and what they need to lock their shit down better. he lives on energy drinks and cigarettes and thinks working out offsets his unhealthy lifestyle.

a handful of times otabek and yuri go into the backroom to watch a movie together from the pile yuri intends to rent. otabek keeps the door slightly ajar, plus there's a small cctv set up of the store in case a customer walks in whilst they're in there.

otabek discovers two things: one, yuri does not shut the fuck up during a movie, and two, his commentary is hilarious. yuri also discovers two things: one, otabek tastes like candy sweet ashes, and two, the earring was definitely a signal.

EXTRA

some details about the shop itself since they wouldn't leave my head and it's hard to represent it in 1 drawing. the shop in the art looks way more clean and official than it does in my head. in reality it's a more dilapidated back alley shop with shitty lighting, old movie posters and sellotape marks littering the walls. the walls have some stains from previous water damage. it smells of air freshner, dust, and a hint of cigarette smoke.

i'm operating on 0 knowledge of a russia in the mid 90s and just borrowing details from unofficial/pirating dvd stores from my home country, but the place makes copies of movies to sell. original vhs tapes are for rent, whereas copies are sold. the backroom is a work station for downloading movies on shitty dial up and copying vhs tapes. the backroom smells of stale smoke since otabek sometimes smokes in there whilst running the recording machines and downloads, etc. he was hired because he knows how to rip files and find movies and hack his way into movie databases to get new/old/obscure releases.

if they don't carry a movie that a customer wants then they can request it and otabek will click around the internet to find and download it and put it on a tape. in the picture, otabek is holding empty vhs tapes that he plans to record movies on to. the shelves have the legit movie copies, but if you want to buy them, a copy is made and you're given a regular tape with its factory sleeve and the movie title written on the label.

they sell and rent originals of russian movies bc they're not hard to obtain and are in demand, especially ones that star russia's heart throb viktor nikiforov (he is especially popular amongst mothers). christophe and the crispino siblings are actors in this verse.

yuri primarily rents the original movies and comes back to buy copies of ones he really really likes after returning them.

the shop is owned by yakov, georgi works the dayshift, and otabek works the nightshift. yakov mostly leaves them to their own devices bc they do a good job. georgi and otabek think he really should hire one more person so they can have some liberty to switch around their shifts when needed but yakov is a stingy old fuck that does his best to not have money leave his pockets. they are open from 8AM to 12AM. they're one of the more popular movie stores in the area since they carry a lot of western movies that aren't easy to find elsewhere and for so cheap.

10pm to 12am are pretty dead hours which otabek uses for pirating shit. similarly the early hours of the dayshift have light traffic so that's when georgi finishes otabek's work from the night prior.

[hxhhasmysoul]

i'm not into roleplay and yet i had to roleplay a karen for a few hours this evening to write a stern letter to a furniture company that sold me furniture that is made without taking the furniture making principles into consideration and literally dangerous.

my family of course is like it's my fault i didn't expect a furniture factory to sell stuff that is not structurally sound, and after i consulted a couple of wood workers and they explained to me how such furniture should be made, and i told that to my fam, my whole fam acts like they'd know that before, and of course they wouldn't have been taken for a ride like my stupid ass... because why was i buying furniture in the first place without being an expert in furniture making... i'm just so done, it's so fun to have bad luck and an abusive family to rub it in..

i cried half the weekend, the one i wasn't chronically online about jjk. honestly the cursed cat always drops that kind of chapter when i most need it, when i'm so fucking stressed i can only forget about when i'm elbows deep in meta mess. praise be the cursed cat.

anyway i'm now literally afraid to buy furniture online, i was recommended one guy who's an artisan woodworker and i will ask him for a wardrobe, however much he will ask for it. because i can;t live scared to open then closet to get dress, lest the fucking thing falls down on me :/ and no i can't get a built in one, the one room i have is very strange and you can't really make something built in in it, it'd look atrocious and also feel very suffocating, my previous furniture was almost like a built in closet, it was huge like that, just not fully modular, and it was making me hate the room so fucking much.

sorry for the vent. at least i found a new big desk, so in 2 weeks to amonth i will be able to put my pc and speakers on it instead of a folded out plastic garden table... also maybe the bed will come in 2 weeks so i won't have to sleep on the couch my nieces broke...

[ethanfernandez]

Week 7: Social Media and Slow Fashion

Surprisingly, social media, which is frequently held responsible for encouraging quick fashion trends, can also support slow fashion. Let's investigate how these platforms are altering the field of fashion.

In the fashion business, slow fashion is a trend that puts sustainability and quality above speed and affordability. This strategy places a strong emphasis on cautious production procedures and treating industry workers fairly. Additionally, slow fashion promotes the use of eco-friendly materials and longer-lasting clothing (Colucci, n.d).

Put an end to fads! Influencers in slow fashion push for wardrobe essentials, restyling existing pieces, and the skill of "making do." Lessons on clothing repair and upcycling give worn-out clothing a fresh lease on life while cutting down on waste.

Materialistic people are constantly seeking for more and, above all, more than others in terms of following, automobiles, clothes, and travel. They are more likely to engage in passive and addictive user behaviour because social media gives them the perfect opportunity to compare themselves to others. In the end, this makes individuals stressed out and results in a terrible quality of life. This negative cycle, which makes materialists unhappy, was discovered through an online poll with over 1,200 respondents (Williams, 2024).

In conclusion, social media is an effective instrument for influencing attitudes and raising awareness. We can learn from, share with, and motivate one another to adopt a more sustainable and conscientious approach to fashion by following slow fashion firms and producers. Therefore, please share, like, and comment on your slow fashion journey. Together, we can change the global fashion industry, one stitch at a time.

References:

Colucci, L “What Is Slow Fashion: The Ultimate Guide - Italian Artisan” n.d., Italian Artisan, accessed 15 May 2024,<https://italianartisan.com/what-is-slow-fashion/>.

Consult, T 2023, Harnessing the Power of Social Platforms to Drive Sustainable Fashion  In recent years, social media platforms have played a significant role in shapi, accessed 15 May 2024,<https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/harnessing-power-social-platforms-drive-sustainable-fashion/>.

Williams, R 2024, How Social Media is Driving Overconsumption and Unhappiness, accessed 15 May 2024, <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-social-media-driving-overconsumption-unhappiness-ray-williams-zlk8c/>.

[char1ottee]

Sustainable fashion🌱🪡

Sustainable fashion is a term that’s increasingly used (and overused) these days, as we all become ever more aware of the serious environmental impact of our clothes. The industry is responsible for a shocking four to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions every year – a figure that can’t be overlooked considering the urgency of the climate crisis we’re facing right now.

But what does sustainable fashion actually mean? In short, it’s an umbrella term for clothes that are created and consumed in a way that can be, quite literally, sustained, while protecting both the environment and those producing garments. That’s why cutting CO2 emissions, addressing overproduction, reducing pollution and waste, supporting biodiversity, and ensuring that garment workers are paid a fair wage and have safe working conditions, are all crucial to the sustainability matrix.

Considering the number of factors involved, there are still too few brands out there currently tackling all of these complex issues, and even those that are will admit that there’s always room for improvement. This means simply shopping for items labelled “sustainable” is not enough; we need to completely rethink our purchasing habits and the way we consume clothes.

Buy less and buy better

It may be a cliche, but the mantra “buy less and buy better” is key when you consider that a staggering 100 billion garments are being produced globally every year. Before making a purchase, sustainability consultancy Eco-Age’s chief strategy officer Harriet Vocking advises that you ask yourself three all-important questions: “What are you buying and why? What do you really need? Will you wear it at least 30 times?”

Invest in sustainable fashion brands

Buying better can also mean supporting designers who are promoting sustainable practices, including the likes of Ahluwalia, Connor Ives and Collina Strada, who all use upcycled textiles in their designs. Narrowing your search for specific items can also help, whether that’s seeking out brands producing activewear more sustainably (such as Girlfriend Collective and Indigo Luna), swimwear (including Stay Wild and Fisch) or denim (Outland Denim and Re/Done).

Shop secondhand and vintage

With secondhand and vintage now increasingly accessible thanks to sites such as The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective and Depop, consider buying pre-loved items when looking to add to your wardrobe. Not only will you extend the life of these garments and reduce the environmental impact of your wardrobe as a result, you can also find one-of-a-kind pieces that no one else will own. Look to the likes of Rihanna and Bella Hadid – both vintage aficionados – for inspiration.

Try renting

Instead of buying a new dress for that wedding or BBQ this summer, it’s now easier than ever to rent something to wear instead. According to one study, an astonishing 50 million garments are bought and worn just once every summer in the UK alone – a dirty habit we need to quickly ditch, given that the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is burned and landfilled every second.

Avoid greenwashing

As consumers become ever more aware of their environmental footprint, greenwashing – brands using vague, misleading or false claims to suggest it’s more eco-friendly than it actually is – is becoming increasingly prevalent. Look beyond buzzwords such as “sustainable”, “eco-friendly”, “conscious” and “responsible” to see if brands have detailed policies to back up their claims.

Know your materials

Understanding the impact of materials is crucial when it comes to making more sustainable purchases. A good rule of thumb is to avoid virgin synthetics, such as polyester – which makes up 55 per cent of clothes globally – as these are derived from fossil fuels and take years to break down. Not all natural materials are made the same: organic cotton, for example, uses significantly less water than conventional cotton and doesn’t use harmful pesticides.

Be conscious about vegan fashion

While animal-derived materials, such as leather and wool, come with environmental and ethical concerns, vegan alternatives – which are often made from synthetics such as PVC – can also be harmful for our planet. Even plant-based alternatives usually contain a degree of synthetics, although these are likely to improve over time.

Ask who made your clothes

With the pandemic highlighting the extreme difficulties faced by garment workers around the world, it’s essential that the people who make our clothes are paid a fair wage and have safe working conditions. Seek out brands who openly disclose information about their factories and their policies around wages and working conditions.

Look for scientific targets

To find out if brands are serious about reducing their environmental impact, a good place to start is checking whether they have committed to scientific targets. Brands who have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative, for example – which includes Gucci-owner Kering and Burberry – must have goals for reducing CO2 emissions that are in line with the Paris Agreement.

Support brands who have a positive impact

Eco-minded brands, such as Mara Hoffman and Sheep Inc, are starting to consider how fashion can have a positive impact on the environment rather than just reducing its impact. Regenerative agriculture – which involves farming practices such as no-tilling and growing cover crops – is a growing trend within fashion that aims to restore soil health and biodiversity.

Watch out for harmful chemicals

Hidden chemicals that are used to treat our clothes are a serious concern, polluting local waterways and posing a risk to garment workers. Keep an eye out for the Made in Green by OEKO-TEX and Bluesign certifications, which set out requirements for chemical usage during the manufacturing process.

Reduce your water footprint

Given that the production of textiles uses an astonishing 93 billion cubic metres of water annually – the equivalent to 37 million Olympic swimming pools – we should all be more conscious about the water footprint of our clothes. As mentioned previously, organic cotton uses significantly less water than conventional cotton, while the use of low-water dyes also reduces water consumption.

Take care of your clothes

Extending the life of your clothes is key when it comes to lowering the environmental footprint of your garments, and ensuring they don’t end up clogging landfill sites after just one or two wears. Ensure your clothes last as long as possible by not overwashing them (which will also lower your CO2 emissions and water consumption), as well as repairing them instead of throwing them out.

Avoid microplastic pollution

As it’s difficult to avoid synthetics altogether (nylon and elastane are still required in activewear and underwear to get that all-important stretch), washing clothes can release thousands of microplastics into our waterways and oceans, causing harm to marine life that ingest the tiny particles. Luckily, there’s a simple solution: investing in a microplastics filter such as a Guppyfriend washing bag, in which you can put your synthetic garments or a Cora Ball that you put in with your laundry.

Ensure your clothes have a second life

When clearing out your closet, being conscious about how you dispose of your clothes will help stop them from ending up in landfill. Re-selling your clothes or organising a clothes swap is the best way to ensure they’ll have a second life, as well as donating to charities and organisations that are looking for used clothing. For worn-out pieces that can no longer be repaired or reused, look for recycling schemes specifically for those items, where possible.

Circularity is important

There has been a lot of talk about creating a circular fashion industry of late – a system where all garments can be reused, recycled, or returned to the earth (if biodegradable or compostable). While the industry is a long way off becoming fully circular, thinking about whether your clothes can re-enter the system in any of these ways is crucial when it comes to sustainability.

[chloeunitfive]

Sustainable Fashion Tips:

Sustainable fashion is a concept that is becoming more popular (and overused) as we become more aware of the serious environmental impact of our clothing. The industry accounts for four to ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions each year, a figure that cannot be underestimated given the gravity of the climate crisis we are currently confronting. But what exactly does "sustainable fashion" imply? In a nutshell, it's an umbrella phrase for clothes that are manufactured and used in a way that can be literally sustained, while also safeguarding the environment and those who make them. That is why lowering CO2 emissions, addressing overproduction, minimising pollution and waste, promoting biodiversity, and ensuring that garment workers are paid a fair pay and work in safe circumstances are all critical components of the sustainability matrix. As we grow more aware of the serious environmental impact of our apparel, the concept of sustainable fashion is becoming more popular (and overused). The industry accounts for four to ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions each year, a quantity that cannot be overestimated given the intensity of the current climate problem. In a word, it's an umbrella term for clothing that is created and utilised in a way that is literally sustainable, while also protecting the environment and people who make it.

Tips:

Buy less and buy better

It may be a cliche, but the phrase "buy less and buy better" is critical when you consider that 100 billion clothing are made globally each year. Harriet Vocking, chief strategy officer at sustainability consultant Eco-Age, advocates asking three crucial questions before making a purchase: "What are you buying and why?" What exactly do you require? "Are you going to wear it at least 30 times?"

Invest in sustainable fashion brands

Buying better can also mean supporting designers who promote environmentally friendly practises, such as Ahluwalia, Connor Ives, and Collina Strada, who all incorporate repurposed textiles in their creations. Narrowing your search for certain items might also assist, whether you're looking for more sustainably produced activewear (such as Girlfriend Collective and Indigo Luna), swimwear (such as Stay Wild and Fisch), or denim (Outland Denim and Re/Done).

Shop secondhand and vintage

With companies like The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, and Depop making secondhand and vintage clothing more accessible, consider purchasing pre-loved pieces when adding to your collection. Not only will you be extending the life of these items and lowering the environmental impact of your wardrobe, but you will also be able to find one-of-a-kind pieces that no one else will have.

Renting:

Renting something to wear instead of buying additional clothing is now easier than ever. According to one estimate, 50 million clothing are purchased and worn just once every summer in the United Kingdom alone, despite the fact that the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is burnt and landfilled every second.

Avoid greenwashing

As customers grow more conscious of their environmental impact, greenwashing — companies making ambiguous, misleading, or deceptive claims that they are more eco-friendly than they actually are – is becoming more common. Look beyond buzzwords like "sustainable", "eco-friendly", "conscious", and "responsible" to check if businesses have clear policies to back up their claims.

Know your materials

Understanding the influence of materials is critical when choosing more environmentally friendly selections. Not all natural materials are created equal: organic cotton, for example, consumes far less water than conventional cotton and does not contain any hazardous pesticides. Global Organic Textile Standard (for cotton and wool), Leather Working Group (for leather), and Forest Stewardship Council (for viscose) certifications to ensure the materials used to produce your items have a minimal environmental effect. Recycled materials have a smaller environmental effect than virgin materials, but it's important thinking about whether those fabrics can be recycled again once you're done with them.

Be conscious about vegan fashion

While animal-derived materials, such as leather and wool, raise environmental and ethical problems, vegan substitutes, which are frequently created from synthetics such as PVC, can also be hazardous to the environment. Even plant-based alternatives typically contain some synthetics, but these are expected to improve with time.

Ask who made your clothes

With the epidemic showcasing the terrible hardships faced by garment workers worldwide, it is critical that the people who manufacture our garments be given a decent pay and work in safe circumstances. Seek out brands that freely publish information about their factories, as well as their salary and working conditions standards.

Look for scientific targets

To determine whether a brand is serious about decreasing its environmental effect, look to see if they have committed to scientific objectives. Brands who have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative, which includes Gucci owner Kering and Burberry, must have CO2 emission reduction objectives that are in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

Support brands who have a positive impact

Eco-minded brands, such as Mara Hoffman and Sheep Inc, are starting to consider how fashion can have a positive impact on the environment rather than just reducing its impact. Regenerative agriculture – which involves farming practices such as no-tilling and growing cover crops – is a growing trend within fashion that aims to restore soil health and biodiversity.

Watch out for harmful chemicals

Hidden chemicals used to sanitise our clothing are a major worry, damaging local rivers and endangering garment workers. Keep an eye out for the Made in Green by OEKO-TEX and Bluesign certifications, which specify chemical usage limitations during the production process.

Reduce your water footprint

Given that the textile industry consumes an astounding 93 billion cubic metres of water per year - the equivalent of 37 million Olympic swimming pools - we should all be more concerned about the water footprint of our clothing. As previously stated, organic cotton consumes substantially less water than conventional cotton, and the use of low-water colours further minimises water usage.

Take care of your clothes

Extending the life of your clothes is key when it comes to lowering the environmental footprint of your garments, and ensuring they don’t end up clogging landfill sites after just one or two wears. Ensure your clothes last as long as possible by not overwashing them (which will also lower your CO2 emissions and water consumption), as well as repairing them instead of throwing them out.

Avoid microplastic pollution

Washing clothing may discharge millions of microplastics into our streams and seas, causing damage to marine life that ingests the microscopic particles. Fortunately, there is a simple solution: invest in a microplastics filter, such as a Guppyfriend washing bag or a Cora Ball that you can put in with your clothes.

Ensure your clothes have a second life

Being mindful of how you dispose of your clothing while cleaning out your wardrobe will help prevent them from ending up in a landfill. Reselling your clothes or arranging a clothes exchange is the greatest method to guarantee they get a second life, as does contributing to charity and groups that accept worn clothing. Look for recycling programmes designed exclusively for worn-out things that can no longer be repaired or repurposed.

Circularity is important

There has recently been much discussion about developing a circular fashion business - a system in which all items may be reused, recycled, or returned to the environment (if biodegradable or compostable). While the industry is still a long way from becoming entirely circular, considering if your garments may re-enter the system in any of these ways is critical for sustainability.

Havard referencing:

Emily Chan. (2022). 16 Things Everyone Should Know About Sustainable Fashion. [Online]. British Vogue. Last Updated: 18 April 2022. Available at: https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/sustainable-fashion [Accessed 6 November 2023].

[shkopstore]

Bags - A man's bestfriend

In the bustling city of New York, there lived a man named Daniel who was an unassuming office worker with a penchant for classic men's bags. He was content in his life, blending into the sea of business attire in the corporate world. However, everything changed when he discovered his love for bag fashion.

It all began when Daniel stumbled upon a stylish leather messenger bag in a small boutique while running errands during his lunch break. The bag's rich brown leather and meticulous craftsmanship captured his attention, and he decided to make the purchase. Little did he know that this choice would set in motion a remarkable transformation.

As he started carrying the messenger bag to work, Daniel began to receive compliments from his colleagues. They admired the bag's sophistication and versatility. Encouraged by the positive feedback, he delved deeper into the world of bags. He researched various bag styles, brands, and materials, slowly curating a collection of bags that reflected his evolving taste.

His newfound passion for bag fashion not only changed his wardrobe but also his confidence. He felt a newfound sense of pride in his appearance, and it showed in his work and interactions. With his stylish bags as a conversation starter, he made new connections in his workplace and beyond.

Daniel's bags also became an extension of his personality. He chose bags that matched the occasion – from a sleek briefcase for board meetings to a rugged backpack for weekend getaways. He even started a blog to share his insights and reviews on different bags, gaining a following of fellow bag enthusiasts.

One day, while attending a corporate event, Daniel's bag fashion caught the eye of a prominent fashion blogger, Isabella. Impressed by his style and knowledge of bags, she featured him in one of her posts, describing him as a "rising fashion icon in the world of men's accessories."

As his popularity in the fashion world grew, Daniel was invited to collaborate with bag designers and brands. He began consulting on bag designs, offering his unique perspective on what made a bag not only stylish but also practical. His life had taken an unexpected turn, and he was thriving in a world he had never imagined himself a part of.

The transformation in his life was not just about fashion; it was about self-discovery and self-expression. The bags he carried had become symbols of his evolving identity, and his passion had opened doors to a new and exciting career in the fashion industry.

In the end, Daniel's journey showed that sometimes, a simple accessory can be a catalyst for personal growth and transformation. His bags were more than just items to carry his belongings; they were the key to unlocking a new chapter in his life, one filled with style, confidence, and opportunities he had never thought possible.

[educationalinstitutesindia]

Etiquette Tips For Professional Dinner Meetings

For most business professionals, having dinner with colleagues, managers, higher-ups or clients is a regular occurrence that must be taken seriously. Whether it is for a holiday party, a celebration or a shared meal with co-workers, it’s crucial to know proper etiquette before attending so that you remain as professional and proper as possible. Here are some important tips to follow when having dinner with other professionals. First, always accept an invitation from a senior person. It may be nerve racking at first, but ultimately it is a great chance to get to know this person outside of the office. Always make sure that you have enough time to attend (many business dinners can take up to three hours). Do not schedule yourself for any other appointment that evening, so that you can focus on the dinner and networking. The host should sit at one of a table. The most important seat at the table is to their right. When arriving, ask your host where to sit. If they are impartial to seating, sit anywhere except that seat. This applies to any size table, whether square, round or rectangular. As for alcohol, feel free to partake in a glass of wine. I would recommend one to two glasses at most. In terms of food, order that appetizer or salad as well as a main course. The host should always order first, then follow suit with the same amount of courses they have chosen. If you aren’t sure what to order, ask the host for a suggestion of what to eat at this particular restaurant. This will show them that you trust their taste. If you happen to receive your food first, never start eating until everyone else at your table has been served. Always follow general dining etiquette by using silverware from the outside in. Never place your elbows on the dining table. When you have finished a course, place your dirty silverware back onto the plate. Always offer bread to your left and pass it (along with the butter) to the right. Drink out of the glass to the right of your plate. If at some point you need to leave the table during the meal, excuse yourself and leave your napkin on your chair. When the meal ends and the check arrives, it is expected that whoever invited you to the dinner will pay the bill. If you were the one to initiate the dinner then you should pick up the tab. If this is the case, tell the host or the waiter ahead of time to five you the bill or offer your credit card up front at the beginning of the meal. Remember that business meals are not just about food, but spending time with your colleagues in a social atmosphere. Use the time to network, learn things about your co-workers and have a light-hearted time. Building powerful relationships with those you work will yields a better workplace and greater success in your work ventures. Relax, have fun and enjoy! Sharon Kornstein AICI CIP is the owner of Image Design Consulting LLC. They are a full service style and image consulting company in Livingston, New Jersey. Some of her services include personal shopping, business dinner etiquette training for clients in the New Jersey area, wardrobe organizing and virtual makeovers virtual makeovers. Sharon also speaks to graduating college students about the proper way to act and function in business settings. Read the full article

[discoscoob]

Partners in Crime | Loki x Female Reader

Loki (Marvel) x Doctor Who

You go undercover and infiltrate the TVA in an attempt to rescue Loki from the shady organisation.

Part Nine | Part Eleven | Chapter Index

Words: 5.2k

Warnings: descriptions of Loki’s death in Infinity War

Read on AO3

You had ran back into the TARDIS and straight to the wardrobes, you dressed in a formal black work suit with a white blouse and a pair of black court shoes, a far cry from your usual style but since you had decided you were going undercover you thought you might as well look the part. You had covered the scrapes you acquired on your jaw and cheekbones during the battle of New York with some concealer and applied some light makeup to complete the look.

 You straightened out your suit jacket and checked your hair was neat enough by gently patting it with your palms to feel for flyaways, as you made your way back into the deserted control room. Your eyes landed on the Doctors jacket, as you passed it, noticing it was still discarded on the seats, since the Doctor hadn’t took it with him when he left.

 Despite already knowing the control room was empty, you glanced around just to be sure before you fished into the inside pocket of the suit jacket and felt around for the wallet containing the psychic paper. While you were feeling around you felt your fingers brush against the sonic screwdriver, you decided it might be useful so you pulled it out and slotted it into your own pocket before you returned to hunting for the psychic paper.

 You discovered that the Doctor wasn’t kidding when he said his pockets were bigger on the inside, you dragged out a yo-yo, a pair of retro 3D glasses, the yellow water pistol you used in Pompeii and a stethoscope before you finally managed to find the wallet containing the psychic paper. You discarded all the random objects on the seats along with the jacket before you turned on your heel and made your way out of the TARDIS.

 While you were in the unlit room the TARDIS had landed in, you blindly felt around for a light switch, until you remembered you had the sonic screwdriver, you used the small blue light on the end of it as a torch, it wasn’t very effective but it provided some visibility and from what you could see, you were in a maintenance closet.

 After slipping the sonic back into your pocket, you carefully pushed the door handle down and slowly cracked the door open and peaked out of it with one eye, exactly like you had done earlier. This time you were looking along the ceiling for any visible security cameras, from your position you could not see any.

 The corridor was once again deserted, so you proceeded to pull the door open wider and poked your head out to look both left and right. The decor was dated with an orange and brown patterned carpet which you might have found in a cheap hotel in the 70s and the walls were painted a creamy coffee colour.

 Swiftly you slipped out of the maintenance closet and gently pulled the door shut behind you, while still vigilantly looking up and down the abandoned corridor, now you had to decide which direction to go.

 To your right you were closer to the end of the hallway where there was a set of mahogany double doors with frosted glass panels, while to your left, the end of the corridor split off into two other separate corridors, after weighing up your options you decided to head towards the double doors. 

 The room you entered was spacious and well lit by large round lights that covered the entire ceiling. In the centre of the room there were retractable line divider belts in place which lead to a glass incased service desk, where you could see a bored worker was slouched in their seat. You took a deep breath and straightened your spine before you began to walk through the winding barriers towards the desk.

 Once you arrived you looked down upon the chubby, middle aged man who had not yet acknowledged your presence as he hunched over the desk, reading a colourful comic that was spread out on the surface in front of him. Your eyes nervously travelled around the room again as you double checked no one else was there before you hit the shiny, gold coated service bell with the palm of your hand.

 “Have you had your consultation with Miss Minutes?” The guard, who wore a name tag which informed you he was called Edgar, idly addressed you without looking up from his desk.

 “What?” You asked, already beginning to feel your nerves spike.

 “Every prisoner must have a consolation with Miss Minutes before standing trial for their alleged crimes.” Edgar explained, as if he was reading from a script.

 “Oh... I- I’m not a prisoner.” You nervously laughed, you were here to break Loki out, not get yourself arrested too.

 The guard finally lifted his eyes to you and took in your appearance and formal attire, you pulled the psychic paper from your pocket and held it against the glass, willing it to show him something that will grant you access to the prisoners.

 “You’re a psychiatrist?” Edgar questioned, appearing dumbfounded.

 “Yes.” You nodded confidently, as you returned the wallet to your breast pocket, “I am here to evaluate one of your prisoners.”

 “You’re in the wrong department.” He informed you as his eyes cast back down to his comic, you waited for him to tell you where to go, but he remained silent.

 “Which department do I need to go to?” You prompted him.

 “The prisoner department.” 

 Another pause. You rolled your eyes.

 “And where is that?” You tried to remain patient but getting information out of this man was like pulling teeth, you could feel the frustration building in your chest.

 “Down the corridor, to the left, take the elevator to floor VG2.” You were already making your way back through the winding line dividers by the time he was halfway through his sentence, you would have ran if you weren’t meant to maintain a professional cover, alas, you were confined to speed walking.

 As quickly as you could, you made your way down the carpeted corridor and turned left until you arrived to a pair of elevators with metallic gold doors. You pushed the black round button on a panel between the two elevators to call for one. You tapped your foot as you impatiently waited with your hands clasped in front of you. 

 The ding prompted you to lift your head just as the elevator doors began to slide open, your whole body halted to a stop mid stride as your eyes locked with a pair of familiar frosty green ones, which stared right back at you, holding just as much surprise. 

 You and Loki were completely frozen as the pair of you did nothing but stare at each other for a solid moment, which felt much longer than it actually was. You took in his appearance, the bulky collar he was wearing around his neck along with a loose fitting, beige jumpsuit which had an orange TVA logo printed on the left side of the chest. 

 Loki was the first to break contact as his eyes fleeted with panic to Mobius, who was stood next to him, but luckily he hadn’t noticed you as his attention was focused on studying a brown paper file which he held open in the palm of his hand.

 Quickly you jumped out of view and pushed your back flush to the wall between the two elevators before you heard Mobius tut with a sigh.

 “Don’t you just hate when the elevator stops on a floor and no one is there?” You heard Mobius say, there was no response from Loki before the doors slid back shut. 

 You rolled back off the wall with a sigh of relief and put your hand over your racing heart to calm it after almost getting caught. You looked up and followed the floor numbers above the elevator as they lit up, indicating which floor it was at, until it stopped in order to find out which floor Loki was being taken to and memorised it as you pushed the button to call another elevator. The doors to the other one opened and you stepped in and selected the floor which Loki was taken to. 

 With a ding the doors parted to reveal a concrete corridor, much different to the one you were on earlier. It was filled with people dressed in uniforms, some in plain brown suits and others dressed head to toe in black combat armour carrying weapons, you were wary of those ones. Your heels clicked against the hard floor and the sound echoed off the walls as you slowly made your way further down the winding corridor. You tried to not appear too inconspicuous as your eyes shifted around in search of a familiar face.

 You passed several dark wooden doors, any of which Loki and Mobius could have disappeared behind and you would have no idea, it wasn’t like you could go searching behind each individual one without drawing attention to yourself. 

 “Excuse me, are you lost?” A petite woman with a friendly disposition approached you, obviously having noticed the way you were aimlessly wandering without any direction. She had warm eyes and showcased her pearly white teeth with her plump glossy lips stretched into a kind smile. You instantly felt comfortable in her presence, so you were confident enough to be somewhat honest with her.

 “Yes actually, I’m looking for Mobius and I can’t seem to find him.” 

 Her eyes widened with delight at the fact that she knew exactly where he was and could help you as she pointed to a pair of double doors a few paces behind her. “I saw him go in there with one of the prisoners not too long ago.” 

 Your eyes shifted to the double doors and you noticed there was two security guards stood in front before you looked back at the friendly woman in front of you, “thank you,” you smiled.

 “No problem at all.” She told you as she began to make her way towards the elevator.

 Once she was gone, you searched for a corner to hide behind which also gave you a perfect view of the double doors as you waited for Loki and Mobius to come out. 

 A few minutes passed before you saw the door open and Mobius stepped out without Loki, you watched him disappear down the corridor before you rushed to the double doors, you were quickly halted by the security in front but you maintained a calm exterior as you reached into your pocket and showed them the psychic paper, they studied it for a moment as your heart raced with nerves, before one of them grunted with a nod and granted you access. 

 You let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding after you shut the door, with your back turned to the room you just entered.

 Heat flourished through your stomach at the sound of Loki’s voice saying you name, as a smile curled at the corners of your lips before you turned around to see him.

 In the dimly lit room, Loki was rising from his seat, his face was illuminated by a holographic projection that was playing against the wall furthest from you, as he began taking quick strides towards you.

 Before you could even say anything, you felt his palms rest on both your cheeks as he pulled your face towards his own and greeted you with a hungry kiss.

 “If I might interject.” Loki’s voice filled the room and interrupted your kiss, as you pulled your lips away from his and glanced over his shoulder at the projection, which displayed footage of Loki.

 “What is that?” You asked him as your eyes bounced between his face and the projection.

 “Never mind that,” Loki shook his head dismissively and grasped your hands in his. “I can’t believe you’re here, you’re alive.” Loki once again gently grasped your face in one of his hand as he stroked his thumb against the apple of your cheek.

 “Thanks to you. You saved my life.” You smiled gratefully at him as you brought your own hand up to rest on the back of his but he retracted it just as you did and you pinched your brows together with confusion.

 “No thanks to me,” Loki corrected you as he shook his head and took a step back from you, “I am the reason you got hurt in the first place.”

 “Loki, it wasn’t your fault...”

 “It was. It was me. I am the one who shot at you.” Loki admitted and you remained silent as you let the information sink in.

 “Almighty Thanos... I, Loki, Prince of Asgard... Odinson... the rightful King of Jotunheim, God of Mischief do hereby pledge to you my undying fidelity.” The projection once again caught your attention.

 “Thanos...” Your eyes drifted back to Loki, “when is this from?” 

 “It... it’s...” Loki tried, but your focus shifted back to the projection as a deep voice filled the room through the speakers.

 “Undying? You should choose your words more carefully.” You realised the new voice belonged to Thanos, who was now displayed on the projection, his larger frame dwarfed Loki’s, proving just how intimidating he was. 

 Loki had his arm extended above his head as he clenched a dagger in his fist and held the tip to Thanos’ throat, but the mighty titan encircled Loki’s arm with his large hand, making it appear no larger than a twig, he twisted his arm and the dagger fell from his palm as he raised his other hand to Loki’s throat.

 Your face paled and stone cold horror surged through your thumping heart as Thanos began to lift Loki off the ground, causing his body to thrash around violently as he tried to struggle free from the deadly grasp.

 “He... he’s killing you.” Your voice trembled as you watched helplessly, you turned you face away when it became too difficult to keep watching, wishing you could also close your ears to the unsettling noises that filled the room.

 “You... will never be... a god.” Was the last thing you heard Loki say through the speakers before you almost jumped out of your skin at the sound of a door slamming shut with such force it overpowered the noises from the speakers.

 You turned around to find Mobius with his back to the doors, a curious smile played on his lips as his eyes shot back and forth between you and Loki. You instantly stepped back towards Loki and encircled your arms around his and pulled him closer to you, keeping him in an unyielding hold. 

 “So I’m assuming this is some sort of rescue mission slash prison escape?” Mobius casually spoke as he began to walk further into the room. 

 You and Loki shuffled back together, ensuring you maintained the same amount of distance from him as he moved around the sparsely furnished room. 

 “Something like that.” You mumbled with your chin held high in defiance but Mobius appeared unfazed as his eyes fell to Loki.

 “I’m afraid he won’t get very far wearing that.” The agent brought his finger up to point at his own neck in order to demonstrate that he was talking about the collar, which was secured around Loki’s neck, you raised an eyebrow and tilted your head curiously.

 “Then, I guess, it’s a good job I brought this with me, isn’t it?” You smiled, knowing you had the upper hand as you pulled the Doctors sonic screwdriver from your pocket and held it in front of you.

 Loki’s own lips lifted into a triumphant smirk once he realised what you had held in your hand. You pointed the blue glowing tip to the electronic latch of his collar, a low-pitched buzzing emitted from the sonic before you heard the latch click open and with a quick shake of his head, the collar easily slipped from Loki’s neck and landed on the floor at his feet.

 “Ah, shit.” Mobius sighed under his breath, with his gaze focused on the discarded collar.

 “This is nothing personal.” Loki told him as he raised his palm, Mobius hardly had time to react before green mist was shot in his direction, his legs gave way beneath him as he collapsed to the floor unconscious.

 “Is he dead?” You worried as you took a couple steps towards Mobius’ body.

 “No, he’s just sleeping.” Loki assured you as he conjured some rope out of a shimmering green light and he strode towards Mobius.

 “This will buy us some more time.” Loki told you as he pushed Mobius’ limp body on to his front and began tying his wrists together behind his back, before he tied his ankles together. 

 You watched wordlessly until Loki rose back to his feet then walked towards you, he clasped you by your shoulders and looked down at you intensely.

 “I have a plan.” He told you.

 “Loki, what was that projection?” You worried, no matter how hard you tried you couldn’t wipe the horrific images from your mind.

 His eyes cast down and he stroked his hand up and down your upper arm to offer you comfort, “It’s a lot to explain, but right now we need to get out of here and I need you to do something for me.”

 “Anything.” You said without hesitation.

 ***

 “Oh my god...” Your hand shot to your throat, “why hasn’t my voice changed? I still sound like me.” 

 You were currently looking into a handheld mirror, which Loki had conjured for you, getting used to the fact that the face staring back at you wasn’t your own. You ran the tips of your fingers over the facial hair above your lip and gently pulled it between your forefinger and thumb. 

 Loki had transformed you into a double of Mobius, as a green shimmer ran down the length of his body and he changed from the prison jumpsuit into the same TVA uniform he had been wearing when you first met him in Pompeii.

 “I can’t change your voice, you will have to refrain from speaking to anyone. We just need to get out of here and back to the TARDIS. It should be easy enough.” Loki explained as he fixed the collar of his jacket before he crouched beside Mobius and riffled through his pockets until you heard the jingling of keys. Loki threw them over his shoulder at you and you managed to catch them as you cradled your hands together with your palms open and the keys landed right in the middle.

 “We will lock the door behind us,” Loki explained and you nodded as he approached you. 

 “I don’t deserve any of this after what I did to you...” He saw you open your mouth to cut him off so he rushed to continue, “when the elevator doors opened and I saw your face, I thought it was a figment of my imagination... When the TVA captured me, I wasn’t sure if I would ever see you again or if I would ever find out whether or not you made it out of New York alive. I have lived with the weight of my actions on my shoulders, ever since the mind stones influenced faded but I have never felt anything even close to how I felt when I saw your injuries and I knew I was the one responsible for them. I will do whatever it takes to gain your forgiveness.” 

 “Do you really think I would be here, looking like this,” you gestured to your form disguised as Mobius, “if I hadn’t already forgiven you? You weren’t fully in control of your actions on that day but you were fully in control when you saved my life, despite knowing that using your magic would attract the TVA’s attention, you put yourself at risk to save me and now I’m doing the same for you.” 

 A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Loki’s lips before you took his hand in your own, “now let’s go before he wakes up and alerts everyone that you’ve escaped.”

 You let go of his hand just as your other reached for the handle of the door and you lead the way out with Loki following behind you. You acknowledged the two guards on either side of the door with a silent nod as you looked at the keys on the keyring and realised you didn’t know which one fit the lock on this door.

 You glanced at Loki for help, hoping your wide and confused eyes were enough to make him understand your predicament since you couldn’t use your voice. Loki subtly raised his finger to point at the key you needed and you quickly locked the door, before you made your way down the winding concrete hallway, towards the golden doors of the elevators.

 Your heart was already leaping out your chest after your blunder with the keys, but apart from a few nervous glances towards Loki, no one really paid the pair of you any attention and you were relieved to see that the plan was working.

 The familiar ding alerted you to the fact that the doors were about to slide open. When you saw a curly haired woman, dressed in a brown suit decorated with an orange sash, exiting the elevator, you stepped aside and offered her a polite smile, with the intention of letting her pass by, but she stopped in front of you and Loki and stared at the pair of you with suspicion. 

 The polite smile faded from your face, as your pulse once again began to quicken under her scrutinising gaze, you chanced a glance towards Loki in an attempt to gage how he was handling the situation, your inner panic spiked when you noticed the worry hidden in his eyes as they bounced between you and the woman stood before you.

 “Agent Mobius, where are you taking the Loki variant?” She questioned you. 

 You focused hard on trying to maintain a calm exterior while you were internally experiencing a meltdown as panic rose through your chest and your mind raced with the millions of possibilities for how this could go wrong, since there was no way you could answer her, you had no idea how to get yourself and Loki out of this situation.

 “I have decided join your little club and help protect the sacred timeline, Mobius and I are about to head out on a mission.” Loki answered for you and you sent him a grateful look, once the woman turned her attention to him.

 “Mobius, you know variants aren’t allowed out on missions without my clearance.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sent you a disapproving look.

 “You already gave me clearance.” Loki answered and the woman rolled her eyes before turning to him again.

 “That was the first time and you ended up running away with a genocidal Time Lord.” 

 “The Doctor?” A confused crease formed between Loki’s dark brows.

 “He destroyed the Time Lords.” She said, the tone she used made it seem as though her answer should’ve been obvious.

 “Well, if they were anything like you, I can’t say I blame him.” You had to bring your fingers to your lips to stifle your laughter.

 “Mobius!” You jumped at the sound of ‘your’ name and stood straight as you looked to the authoritative woman before you. “Wait for me in my office, while I return your variant to his cell.” 

 Your internal meltdown only worsened and you glanced at Loki again hoping he would offer you some sort of sign that he had a plan, his eyes were twitching back and forth as he stared at nothing in particular, you could practically see the cogs turning in his mind as he raced to come up with a plan. When the woman’s gaze flicked over to him, all evidence of his plotting was wiped from his face and his lips stretched into a sly smile.

 “Lead the way, Your Honour.” Loki hit the button to call the elevator, since it had already arrived earlier the doors slid open instantly. He held his hand out and offered the woman to enter the lift first, as she did Loki glanced at you and subtly nodded his head towards the corridor, directing you to follow that direction.

 Trusting that Loki knew what he was doing, you began to back away until you turned around and started walking down the corridor. You didn’t let the fact that Loki called her ‘Your Honour’ go unnoticed, you realised that was Loki’s subtle way of telling you who she was so you would be able to find her office. As you walked down the corridor you glanced at the engraved gold plaques above each door, until you stopped in front of one which read ‘Judge Ravonna Renslayer’ before you proceeded to enter.

 Inside, the office was dimly lit and lacked any windows, you realised that you hadn’t seen any windows throughout the entire building and it only added to the mysteriousness of the entire organisation. The walls were made off sculpted dark wooden panels and the floor was covered in an orange and brown carpet, similar to the one which decorated the corridors upstairs. 

 A single stained glass lamp, which stood on the large wooden desk in the centre of the room, was the only source of light. Behind the desk was a large, red leather chair and in front of it were two smaller brown leather seats. The surface of the desk was kept neat, a stack of files perfectly piled on top of one another sat in the centre, apart from those and the lamp there wasn’t much else on it. 

 On the far back wall, behind the desk, to the left and right there were two book shelves neatly filled with large leather bound books of various colours. Between the two book shelves, there was a wall, decorated with the wooden sculptures of three heads, you found them rather ghastly to look at so you diverted your eyes back to the surface of the desk as you lowered yourself into one of the seats in front of it and waited.

 The only sound that filled the room was the constant ticking of a clock as each second passed and you were beginning to find the repetitive sound irritating, your leg bounced up and down with nerves, as you hoped with all your strength that Loki knew what he was doing. You had no idea what you were going to do if Judge Ravonna Renslayer walked through that door and expected you to speak with her.

 You glanced over your shoulder when you heard the sound of the door click open, hoping you would be greeted by the sight of Loki, but your heart dropped and an array of colourful language raced through your mind when the Judge entered the room instead.

 “Agent Mobius.” She formally greeted you and you stood from your seat and offered her your hand to shake as a form of greeting, since speaking would blow your cover, although you doubted you would be able to last long without saying anything.

 The Judge just stared at your hand for a moment, with confusion behind her eyes, before she swatted it away and stepped closer to you almost making you jump when her arms slid around the back of your neck and she brought her face inches away from yours.

 “No need to be so formal when we’re in private, Moby.” Her breath fanned across your lips, as she whispered seductively and you could hardly control the way your eyebrows shot up to your hairline as you gulped, completely thrown off guard by the unexpected turn of events.

 Your mouth moved like a fish out of water and you didn’t know where to put your hands, but when she let out a snort of laughter and took a step back, you tilted your head with suspicion. A green shimmer illuminated the dull room and Loki was stood before you, still laughing to himself but at least now he was looking sheepish about it, as you glared at him with your arms crossed over your chest.

 “I’m sorry, that was cruel,” he held his hands up defensively, “but your face... or rather Mobius’” 

 “Now is not the time for games.” You scolded him as you swatted at his chest. 

 “There is always time for games.” Loki answered defensively and you affectionately rolled your eyes.

 “What did you do with her?” You asked, curious about how Loki safely escaped from the Judge.

 “Transformed her into me and put her in my cell before I shifted into her form.” Loki shrugged like it was nothing.

 “Will she look like you forever?” You worried.

 Loki shook his head. “Once we leave, my magic will leave her.”

 “Let’s get out of here.” You said and Loki shifted back into the Judges form as you made your way out of her office. 

 This time you successfully made it to the elevator and to the floor that you had left the TARDIS on without any interruptions. You lead Loki down the deserted corridor towards the maintenance closet, just as an alarm started blaring throughout the entire building.

 “Do you think that’s for us?” You looked at Loki with worry.

 “We’re not going to stick around long enough to find out.” Loki answered as he grabbed your hand and started running the rest of the way to the closet.

 “Stop them!” A guard dressed in black armour shouted as they burst through the double doors at the end of the corridor, leading a group of other guards behind them. 

 “I guess that answers your question.” Loki mumbled as the pair of you ducked when they began shooting their weapons at you, Loki moved to ensure that he was shielding you as he reached for the handle to the closet and ushered you through the door once he opened it.

 You pushed through the TARDIS doors, with Loki hot on your heel, relieved to be in the familiar control room but you still needed to get the TARDIS out of the closet before the TVA guards followed you inside.

 Without hesitation Loki was immediately at the control panel, figuring out how to pilot the ship, some sparks flew off the console when he flicked one of the switches and he ducked while you let out a yelp, before he stretched his arm out and reached for the leaver, the one the Doctor had told you was called the Time Rotor Handbrake, and the TARDIS began trembling as it dematerialised. 

 Loki and you both held on tight to the console to maintain your balance, before the tremors subsided and you both let out sighs of relief, knowing you were finally safe.

 Loki and you shared a glance and with a flick of his wrist you both transformed back into yourselves before you fell into each other’s arms. You snuggled the tip of your nose into his neck and he planted a gentle kiss on the side of you head.

 “I’m never letting you go again.” Your voice was muffled as you spoke.

 “I’m not going anywhere.” Loki promised.

[betweentheracks]

can you tell us what your credentials are and what sort of studies/coursework did you have to take up to get to your position? and, if not too personal, what your day to day work life might look life in and out awards seasons or other big ticket events your clients might need styled for?

This is long and rambling, I do apologize. 

Regarding coursework and education routes into becoming a pro stylist, the thing is that there isn’t necessarily a need for a specific type of education. You could literally drop school and strive for success by the grit of your teeth and iron will alone if you really want and still could gain great acclaim. It isn’t exactly common but it does happen if you strike upon fortunate circumstances and garner experience wherever possible to form the base of your portfolio and profile which will later shape your reputation. 

As it is, most studios and clients do tend to give more consideration to those that come from an academic qualifications and learning. While experience if the foreground on which all stylists (and any other set of industry workers) tread, having the support and security of studying styles and fashion and marketing and all manner of related blather gives a sense of merit and provides opportunities for your to be selected for a job despite a lack of reputation or experience. The best stylists fall from both trees and the worst do as well; there is no guaranteed recipe for success in this field as fashion itself is too fluid in expression to be quantified. 

As for what I did; I had hands in both pots and have the educational background that assures I know what I am doing in terms of textual/technical understanding as well as experience from moments of pure luck compounded by my audacious efforts. I have a Bachelor’s compromised of fashion merchandising, fashion retailing, marketing, and visual arts. I took side courses at a fashion technical institute with a more tailored program that catered to the fundamentals of fit, body (and measurements) assessment, design and trends, media styling, and fashion industry principles. Additionally I did half a semester of social skills in a business. From there I went on to snatch up an internship and spent a bit more than a year being a shadow of the stylists for the company I work for before grasping a golden chance to become notable and step beyond that restricted role. I also have the certifications of AICI CIC and AICI CIP with hopes to one day finally snag the coveted AICI CIM (respectively; certified image consultant, certified image professional, certified image master).

I had friends that have worked in and out of this end of the industry and knew from the jump that I wanted to pad my portfolio with the safety net provided by academia and use it to bridge the gaps in my experience early on. I figured if I had the knowledge of how to deal with the business side of things as well as the styling side then I was a bit more valuable and, worst case, could go be a consultant or advisor for retailers or big wig company heads. As it is, the only reason I have any clout to my name at all is due to my internship - it paved over all the potholes in the road I was on and has been very favorable, but not everyone is as fortunate as I have been and this is not an easy path to undertake and forge into a career with any real sense of stability or security. Freelance stylists have a completely different struggle despite the majority coming from similar backgrounds as myself. 

Now, onto the daily scope and specs of wardrobe styling ~

Please take into consideration that I am an admitted workaholic/perfectionist/overachiever within the boundaries of my work. I’m quite lazy in almost every other sense of living and make existing seem like a wreck and I’m the one driving the struggle-bus that caused it, but for the job I have I am a supremely different breed (though still a lunatic). So yeah, I do a lot more than most would in my position and it is actually something that my company head both loves and hates and is rumored to be writing a clause for all employees regarding allowable working methodology due to the sheer amount of paperwork I alone generate. I am the hazard of our company, but I am also an asset. 

Anyway, I start most of my days with a lot of reading through emails that range from client comments and commands to vendors looking to use my company or clientele to bolster their credibility, to brands extending offers of product usage for marketing and campaigning reasons, and a variety of back and forths between me and the PAs or clerks of photographers, other studios, and fashion houses. Next comes hours of phone calls and reviewing schedules to ensure there is no intersections between client-oriented event slots. For one photoshoot I typically spend 3-4 weeks on the semantics of lighting quality and set features and then the rest of the time is dedicated to wardrobe and piecing out however many styles are called for, and then usually adding in at least 2 extras just for good measure. There's so many meetings my butt goes numb and touching base with the other members of my glam teams to reaffirm that we are all working on tandem and on the same page as far as vision goes. I sometimes have a turn in taking care of a new trainee or intern that is wandering our workplace like a fawn on clumsy legs and have questionable instincts.

When it comes to pulling apparel to make up sets, I have been known to be in the rack rooms and show rooms and fashion archives for over 7 hours a day. Our archivists know me as personally as I know my assistants and friends from how often I am in there territory and have to rely on their hardwork and favor. I spend days doing this until I have what I need and then dedicate every bit of my attention designing and creating looks which is another 5+ hours of one day, over the course of many. I have had days where I have been at work for 16 or 17 hours before I realize it, which is why I am such a thorn in my boss’ ass and often told to take a day off or get sent home midway through the morning - my hours alone could have business bureaus raising their eyebrows at the legality of my working hours. (This is cranked to max when shows and events are in the schedule; Awards Season is a nightmare and tours are the bastard offspring of Hell actually. The amount of hours put in are truly horrific). 

Also worth mentioning for the sake of perspective is that my job is as expansive as my clients allow; if they request me for one of their various activities in the public eye or in media, if available, I am obligated to prioritize their needs above the projects that my company has assigned to me as per our contract and am expected to either find a replacement or delegate to my assistant and apprentice when possible. The opposite is also true: if my clients have a light workload or are on break from their careers, I am typically doing the busy work of in-studio tasks or tracking rising trends and other features of the fashion forecast. I also host a multitude of temporary contracts with all manner of clientele from brand ambassadors to photographers to celebrities to commercial shoots & services. These jobs come upon official requests made through the company and then negotiated into the terms of how short the working schedule will be, what work I will be undertaking, and an assessment of skills vs revenue to maintain a balance of my time as a professional being properly valued within the sad decline of styling budgets before it will be officially taken on in my name. For these I tend to make better use of my status and hand off most of the project unless I am specifically needed. I make appearances as necessary but am mostly an advisor rather than the producer, instead focusing on my exclusive clients all while staying keyed in so that the work isn't below standard. This is all a badly kept secret of my company and myself - the clients do typically know and accept this is how I handle things in general and are aware that they are paying for an absent role of by way of my name/credentials unless they specify otherwise. There have been times when a side job like this has more prestige than all the years of my experiences combined could generate which ostensibly is treated with much more care and most of my other work pauses in deference to this. 

Being a stylist, especially a wardrobe AND fashion stylist, is just so much I don't think I could fully capture the scale of it for a proper index of what we do. 

In short, I don't have routine days. I have days that are at the beck and call of a workload that changes at the drop of a pin or the half digit uptick that dictates the emergence of a new trend or the downwind of when a trend skews into becoming mainstream. I can be paced out and looking at a light day at my desk and suddenly be crammed into a pitch meeting or called out to a set. I've also spent many days lounging on the sofa in a client's dressing room playing on my phone and cracking jokes with the glam team as we wait for our client to return between performance takes. And then there are days when I only go into work for our weekly meeting and review before heading back home. It's constant and consuming and sometimes I can't catch my breath before I'm shoved into the show room under a daunting time crunch because an entire ensemble has been misplaced or ruined. Just a matter of days before I was felled by COVID-19 I was having a nap during a photoshoot which I had already fulfilled my purpose and had no further need to participate in.

The reality is that I spend the majority of my time carving out a balance of my work life not superseding my time dedicated to being with my son and making sure he knows no matter what, he is above my hectic career always.

[fertilityvins]

Surrogacy Cost in Delhi | Vinsfertility

The Cost of Surrogacy in Delhi ranges from INR 18 Lakh to INR 23 Lakh depending on the Surrogacy doctor’s experience, success rates, and Surrogacy clinic location which includes the IVF Drugs, Consultations, Investigations, Ultrasounds, Oocyte Pick Up, IVF Lab, and embryology, Embryo Transfer, Sperm Freezing 1 year + Egg Donor Compensation by the IVF doctor. Gestational surrogacy is one of the most efficacious treatments and is chosen over other surrogacy methods.

Without the IVF technique, surrogacy is incomplete. During gestational surrogacy, eggs and sperms are collected from the female and male partners, mixing them all for natural fertilization. the overall costs can be between INR 18 Lakh to INR 23 Lakh if the couple can donate their eggs or frozen fertilized embryos. These involve fees to the agency, gestational carrier, attorney, and social worker, along with legal and medical costs and money to cover the carrier’s maternity wardrobe and medicines and disposables consumed expenses. It also includes the costs of harvesting the egg or embryo.

[growup-gloup]

Hello! So for this upcoming year I want to focus on my glow up, among other things, and I was wondering if you could grant me some advice on clothing. When it comes to go shopping, I’m not certain of what I should buy or how to combine different pieces, or what flatters me the most. The same goes for accessories. Thank you!

Hi kitten,

I can’t tell you what exactly you should buy because that is dependent on your personal style, traits, and budget. I can, however, give you some things to remember that will help the process feel easier.

Never mix metals. This includes things like what your jewelry is made out of and any metallic looking features on your shoes and bags. They don’t have to be real silver or gold, but if the material looks metallic silver, gold, rose gold, bronze, or copper, try to keep the rest of your accessories with the same theme. It seems insignificant, but helps you look way more put-together.

Be mindful of colors and patterns. Some can make you look taller and slimmer while others can wash your natural complexion away and make you look sick. For your undertone, an easy way to check is what kind of gold looks better on you. Do not confuse this for what kind you like. I’m saying, wear something that is yellow gold and white gold, and see which one looks better on you. If yellow gold looks the best on you, that means you have a warmer complexion and you should stick to clothes with warmer shades for the best results. If white gold and silver look better on you, then you are cool toned. If both look equally good on you, then you hit the complexion jackpot and you can pull off most colors and shades. Black is versatile and looks good on everyone, but if you are going for a monochromatic outfit, make sure that the shades match, or are at least complementary. For more than one color, you can consult the color wheel. Also, keep patterns to a minimum, and don’t mix two patterns. Also wear animal prints with extreme caution and keep it to a small thing, like an accessory rather than a dress. 

Aim for versatile pieces. I included a link with the basics at the end of the post, but when you are trying something in a store, you should make sure that you can see yourself wearing this piece with three separate outfits and can see yourself wearing it to three separate occasions. Say you picked up this really nice red shirt. Can you see yourself wearing it with three separate pants/skirts that you have? Can you put together three different outfits with this red shirt using what you have? This helps you save money, and you get more use out of the item, especially if you get something of high quality.

Quality over quantity, always. This ties in with the previous point. If you have a lower budget, buy fewer versatile and timeless pieces, but don’t sacrifice the quality. These pieces will get you more uses so you save money. Avoid fast fashion places like Fashion Nova and Forever 21. Not only is the quality of these pieces so bad that you barely get a couple uses out of them, but they use sweatshops and keep their workers under poor conditions, and use environmentally detrimental techniques, to get you the cheapest products while still making a profit. Don’t fall for it. Bad ethics aside, they rely on the latest trends, which look outdated sometimes even by the end of the month, making the article of clothing obsolete. Timeless pieces are things that were in style a few decades ago and are still in style and you can see yourself wearing it for at least another decade or so, like leather jackets and denim.

Own yourself. With the media constantly bombarding us with a certain beauty ideal, it’s no wonder we feel insecure about ourselves. Yes, certain articles of clothing look better on certain people, but if it fits you properly and you are mindful of the aforementioned rules, you can look amazing regardless. What separates a good looking person from a not-as-good looking one isn’t a certain body type, feature, color, etc. It is about how you accentuate the traits you have and the confidence you do it with, alongside a genuine smile and personality. 

See Also:

Versatile wardrobe basics

How to feel feminine

How to upgrade your wardrobe on a tight budget

When you feel like you don’t fit with the western beauty standards

💋

Ko-Fi

[psychopersonified]

Tale of the second drawer...

Part of the prequel series to "Are we ever going to talk about this?".

I'll post little snippets of their 'not dating' days in this series. Little events that draw them together and the intimacy they share in plain sight.

--------

Q pokes at the plaster with his undamaged hand, tracing the outlines of what must be an impressive blister underneath. “Owww... With luck, I might end up with a wicked scar. Makes for an interesting conversation starter.” 

Bond smiles indulgently at his exaggeration then lobs a half-hearted line at him, “Would you like me to kiss it better?” His calloused thumbs running back and forth lightly over the open palm. 

Q can’t help but laugh at that,......

----------------------------------------------------

Agent 006

“Yes I know, our appointment was 2 hours ago. Sorry Q, M had me in his office for 2 more hours than expected,” Trevelyan apologises when he reports to Q.

Q looks up from the textbook he is consulting with and peers over his glasses at him. The text is a mass of hexagonal scribbles and lines that 006 recognises as chemistry symbols. There are handwritten notes in the margins and liberal application of highlighter all over the page.

“Ah 006, no worries. Your kit is waiting for you on the table,” Q gestures to the workbench behind 006 where a brushed aluminium case sits. Inside are what looks like a dozen silver pens.

“Deposit them around the areas of interest and it will detect any wireless enabled equipment within its radius. This will allow us to find the weakest link and likeliest backdoor where we can tunnel in with. As you can imagine, it only has a limited battery life, so you’ll need to be strategic about using them and coordinate with us for the timing—...”

Alec tries to listen carefully to the instructions, but his stomach objects to being ignored any longer and makes its displeasure known - loudly. The meeting with M ate (pun intended) into his lunch hour.

Q pauses going over the instructions. Trevelyan gives him a thin lipped smile hiding his embarrassment.

“...Hungry? There are some snacks in the second drawer.” Q motions to his desk with a tilt of his head.

“Ta!..” 006 all but skips to the desk. There is a selection of protein snacks and Alec rummages through the drawer to find a variety he likes. As he shuffles through the drawer, the other contents piques his interest. He peeks at Q who is still preoccupied with repacking his kit.

006 takes the opportunity to investigate:

a pair of solid gold cufflinks - judging by the weight

aviator sunglasses - non prescription, not Q’s

an Aston Martin car key fob with a separate key attached to it - the key does not correspond to the car, its for a door or a lock.

a neatly folded tie, heavy silk, designer label - not Q’s usual style

Curiouser and curiouser. Finally, an employee ID badge - he flips it over, a very familiar face is printed on the ID. James Bond.

Alec smiles -confirmation-. 006 sees it for what it is. But it is odd that the Quartermaster tolerates such territorial behaviour - unless a) the feeling is mutual or b) he’s not aware of it, which is more likely. He wouldn’t have let Alec rummage through his drawer otherwise. Oh James, you poor smitten sod.  

“Anything to your liking 006?” Q catches him smiling.

Alec grabs a random protein snack, rips it open and takes a huge bite of the bar. “Oh…mmm….” he chews around his words, “—thank you.” He holds up the bar in thanks.

When Q turns back around, 006 thinks this is the perfect opportunity to screw with 007... but how? How do you piss off a possessive territorial lion? ...By planting blatant evidence of intrusion of course!

Alec checks himself, his tie-pin - gold and crusted with small diamonds. Much too gaudy for 007’s tastes. It’s the perfect juxtaposition. He unclips it and drops it into the drawer.

When he leaves Q-Branch, he’s feeling particularly wicked. Its ingrained in him, to look for and act on opportunities when it presents itself. The others would expect no less of him. He pulls out his phone to text 003 with his discovery.

Agent 003

Two weeks later, 003 returns from her mission seducing the son of a manufacturing tycoon in South East Asia, with links to human traffickers luring workers into modern slavery that span the region from Philippines to India.

She stops by Q’s desk to  return her kit consisting mostly of trackers and hidden video cameras. They all served their purpose but one of them had an issue with the sound quality. She recalls the text 006 sent her weeks earlier so before leaving, she contrives feeling hungry.  

“Q, you don’t happen to have something to munch on do you? I’m feeling… peckish.”

Q is pre-occupied, checking over the piece of equipment with a macroscope to understand what went wrong. “Oh, second drawer. Help yourself to whatever.”

Perfect. She goes to his desk to retrieve a snack. She only needs to remove the first packet and she has to stifle a laugh.

She spots 006’s panther shaped Cartier tie pin, next to it is 005’s Tiffany tanzanite and platinum drop earrings along with 002’s Bvlgari gold and onyx signet ring. Finally under all of it is 008’s Hermes silk pocket square.

Shoved further into the back of the drawer are the items that Alec told her about, those that belong to 007. The ID badge pushed right to the back facing down - you’d be hard pressed to notice it if you didn’t know it was there.

She had heard that 007 won’t back from Venezuela till Friday, so she’s just in time to add her calling card. She shifts around the snack packets to burry 007’s things and then drops in a stick of Chanel No5 lipstick in its signature flaming red tube - 007 will not be able to miss that.

----—

Quartermaster

Last 36 hours had been exhausting. Q had altogether probably 3 hours of sleep in that period. And he needs a shower. The cats are alright, he just checked the cameras - Q has an automated feeder set up for emergencies like this.

Q had spent the better part of the time hacking into system after system covering tracks, laying traps, planning infiltration and escape routes; all culminating in last night’s tense Ops trying to save 009 from premature death when his cover was blown by a double crossing informant. It was over now, with 009 safely extracted by their allies and on his way back to England with miraculously minor injuries all things considered.

So yes, his hand eye coordination is shot. His fingers slip on his mug handle and liquid sloshes over the top, splashing over his shirt and onto his desk. Q uses his tie to quickly mop up the spilled tea before it  spreads onto the paper schematic open on his desk.

He takes the mess to the pantry sink to cleanup. The wet spot on his shirt sticking uncomfortably to his skin. Its a good thing he’d removed his cardigan earlier. He can hide the stain on his shirt under it.

As he’s attempting to remove the stain and dry his shirt as much as possible he feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulls it out - its a text from Eve:

:: Where are you?? Meeting’s started ::

What meeting? Q tries to recall. He checks his calendar app. Shit! 2:00 pm Joint Executive Oversight meeting. He checks the time. 2:15pm!

He abandons the mug and tie next to the sink. No time to wash it now.

Q rushes back to his office to put on his cardigan. The cardigan doesn’t hide the topmost stain - a tie would do the trick. Also god forbid he walks into the meeting dressed so causally. They would think the young Quartermaster was starting a mutiny.

There must be a spare tie in his desk somewhere - Q thinks as he rummages through his drawers. He’s about to ask Nish to borrow his tie when his hand brushes fabric under the stash of snacks and protein bars. He fishes it out - a tie! Yes! He loops it around his neck and starts to tie it - the knot is uneven, but he has no time to worry about it now.

He grabs his laptop and rushes out the door - informing Nish about the meeting and the mess he left next to the pantry sink. He’ll clean it up later.

In the lift on the way up, as he adjusts the hastily knotted tie - he tries to remember when was it that he purchased an accessory this fancy.

——

After meeting. He tries to get back to being productive to make himself feel better. What an ordeal; he had to face-off with Timothy Hayden (IT-Branch HOD) in the meeting - no surprise there. Normally he’d be fine to hold his own. But today, suffering from sleep depravation and a wardrobe mishap meant that he was uncharacteristically flustered, which Hayden took advantage of.

His stained and slightly damp shirt front was passably hidden behind the cardigan and tie, but it still made him self-conscious. What was more, Tanner and Eve kept looking at him oddly. The navy replacement tie looked dark enough in warm light, but when it caught the harsher fluorescent light, it had a slight iridescence to it that clashed with his mustard cardigan - it clearly wasn’t his style nor his tie.

Q fires up the soldering iron. He plans to finish the circuit board for the prototype controller that will be used in a portable drone. Once he confirms it works, he’ll have the schematics sent to a manufacturer to have it miniaturised. He could at least get this bit done today.

Twenty minutes into the ‘zone’ and he has finished a round of soldering. He pauses to check his work against the overall drawing. It doesn’t look quite right.

What? He flips the drawing around. Argh! He grabs a fistful of his hair in frustration. It’s upside down!

He slams his hands down on the work table. The vibration causes the soldering iron resting on its holder to tip over. The weight of its power cord starts to pull it off the table.

Reflex makes him shoot out his hand to grab the iron. But instead of grabbing the handle he misjudges and grabs the tip instead. The 400’C tip burns his palm instantly.  

“Ah!!” Q yelps and jolts back in pain. The pain makes him drop the iron - right into his lap.

He stands hastily to avoid the heated tip - and bangs the back of his head against the top baffle of the fume cabinet as well as upending the stool he was sitting on.

“Fuck!!” The escaped curse is something between a hiss and a yell.

His pained curses and bangs draws his minions to investigate. Nish pokes his head around the corner and asks “You alright sir?”

Nish takes in the toppled chair, the disheveled hair, and the way Q is holding on to his hand and makes the correct deduction. Who hasn’t burned themselves soldering?

“Go to medical boss. I’ll tidy this up for you.”

Q hangs his head in utter defeat and sighs heavily. “I’m done for the day I think. Thanks Nish.”

--—-

Agent 007

Bond is back at HQ. Ops had made it clear that he must hand them the USB stick with the time sensitive info he stole as soon as he gets back. They need to link together the web of supply chain involving the cocaine shipment from Venezuela-France-England before the people involved go back into hiding.

So here he is, direct delivery from Heathrow. He had handed the USB stick to R since Q wasn’t around. Then he had gone to the Quartermaster’s desk and the second drawer to retrieve a snack while he waits for Q to return. As jet-lagged as he is, he hasn’t seen the quartermaster for nearly a month and well... he wants more than just the voice to sustain him.  

Something on top of the packet grabs his attention. A bright red tube of lipstick. What the...? He shifts the contents around, a gaudy diamond and gold panther tie pin?? And whose bloody pocket square is that???

He checks the lipstick label - Chanel No5… Bloody 003!

He takes stock of the other items again, they -all- look familiar. How do they even know about this drawer? Did Q just let anyone rummage though his desk? Worse, are those snacks not just for him?

And what about his things? A first he can’t find them, then he pulls the drawer all the way out, until the wheels catch on the stoppers. They’re buried under a pile of snacks and shoved all the way to the back. Everything is there, no wait - except the tie.

He slams the drawer shut with enough force to move the desk a few centimetres. Those bastards!

Bond storms out of Q-Branch. None of them better be in the building, especially Trevelyan. This whole thing reeks of his idea.

——

Quartermaster

Medical patched him up and sent him away with a box of hydrogel burn plasters. Dr Chen tells him that they stock it specially for Q-Branch. But that also means she is obligated to report the incident as a work place accident. Great, more paperwork and the irony of having the HOD become a statistic.

Q shuffles morosely back to Q-Branch - will this day end already. He figures he should have a nap before going home. At this rate he is likely to accidentally walk right into the path of a moving bus on the way home.

There is a set of old brown leather Chesterfield sofas, deliberately semi-hidden behind a rack of storage shelves on this floor of Q-Branch. A relic of the 1950s in perfect condition that they found in storage during one of their inventory audits. Q had it brought out to serve as a makeshift lounge, usually used by those working late nights or during pizza parties after CyberWar nights.

He removes his cardigan to use as a blanket and flops onto the sofa.

Hours later, he wakes up and the place is mostly dark except for the safety lighting. Most of his minions have gone home. It’s not uncommon to leave Q here alone when he’s pulling all nighters, but the last person would usually check in on him before they left. Not tonight.

Q indulges in a good stretch and sits up. His head feels better. It doesn’t feel like its swimming or floating anymore. But he is hungry.

He makes way to his desk to collect his things but stops short - startled by the sight of 007 lounging in his chair, feet propped up on the desk, a textbook on Advanced Biofuels open in his hands. He’s not wearing a suit, just a button down shirt and khakis which probably means he just got back from Caracas and hasn’t gone home yet.

“You’re back. What are you doing here?” Q asks softly. Genuine question, what is he doing sitting in a darkened Q-Branch.

“Came to drop off the usb drive. I’ve given it to R since the Quartermaster was temporarily out of commission.”

“Ah. Sorry about that — “ checks his watch and yawns. “That must have been hours ago. What are you still doing here then?”

Bond doesn’t answer. Instead he asks, “Is that my tie?” gestures to the loosened tie around his neck.

“Is it yours? I was wondering about it. I found it in my desk.” Q undos the tie and folds it back neatly before handing it over to Bond. As he does, he notices his own tie now hanging on the shade of his desk worklamp. He reaches for it.

“Leave it. It should dry by Monday.” Bond tells him.

Q opens his mouth to tell him that it needs a wash, but pauses when he catches sight of his Scrabble mug on the table under the light of the worklamp, the white porcelain gleaming pristine - he peeks inside, even the stubborn tea stains are gone. Q blinks in confusion.

Something about the way the two items are arranged prominently on his desk and the feigned nonchalance hiding a pleased look on Bond’s face that makes him wonder.

“Did you.. wash my tie and mug?” Q is having trouble putting together the image of 007 fresh from an infiltration job in Venezuela that involved drug trafficking and a traitorous national guard, then returning to England to do something so mundanely domestic in the pantry sink - by hand no less.

Bond doesn’t answer, then again Q doesn’t expect him to admit it even if he did. He just opens the second desk drawer purposefully and deposits the borrowed tie back in there.

“Are you hungry Q?” Bond asks instead. “Can I tempt you with supper?”

There it is. That odd way that Bond sometimes says ‘Q’ when they are alone. That slight change in tone - softer, less clipped and almost affectionate. He’s beginning to be able to tell Bond’s ‘Qs’ apart.

At the mention of food, Q’s stomach responds with an embarrassing gurgle. “Famished. Something hot with fast service please. I don’t know how much longer I can survive without solid food.”

Bond smiles, pivoting in the chair to put his feet down. He picks up and hands Q his messenger bag - laptop and charger already packed inside, keys and phone in their usual compartments.

Then he switches off the worklamp and picks up an unsealed brown envelope from the desk before ushering Q out of his own office. The package rustles-jingles with the sound of loose items sliding about inside.

“Advanced Biofuels.... How did you like the book?”

“The scribbles in the margins were enlightening,” Bond smiles wryly, “Was it even written in English?”

In the brighter lights of the lift lobby, Q can see his own refection in the lift doors - the washed out tea stains still visible on his shirt and his frightfully mussed hair from the nap. He thinks he should be embarrassed, but can’t bring himself to care. When he looks up, he sees Bond staring him through the reflection.

“Don’t ask—“

“I figured… the mug and tie in the pantry, and the splotch on your desk.”

“Bloody spies.” Q accuses fondly as they step into the lift. He tries to adjust his cardigan so that it hides most of the stains.

“How’s the hand?” Bond asks concerned, his warm fingers reaching out and curling around Q’s that were fussing with his cardigan. He pulls them away from their fussing and spreads them palm up so he can see for himself.

Q pokes at the plaster with his undamaged hand, tracing the outlines of what must be an impressive blister underneath. “Owww... With luck, I might end up with a wicked scar. Makes for an interesting conversation starter.”

Bond smiles indulgently at his exaggeration then lobs a half-hearted line at him, “Would you like me to kiss it better?” His calloused thumb running back and forth lightly over the open palm.

Q can’t help but laugh at that, the flirting is so ingrained into their banter now that both of them recognise the ridiculousness of it. With the others, it is still a competition, a display of one up-manship - but with 007, it has shifted. Like they’ve called a truce, or simply didn’t care about the outcome anymore. Between them, the rules have changed. The fun was no longer in deciding a winner with a knockout blow, but in the simple joy of engaging in comfortable playfulness for as long as possible.

“I don’t know about the science of that; but I will give you the honour of hand feeding an invalid,” Q counters with a line of his own.

At the mention of hand feeding, Bond’s eyes go darker, pupils dilating. He doesn’t say anything, but doesn’t release Q’s hand until the lift dings on their floor which was (un)fortunately just a moment after.

On their way out to Bond’s car they stop at a security desk. Bond tips out the contents of the envelope onto her desk and leaves the empty envelope next to the items. The night guard’s eyes grow wide at the collection of expensive trinkets.

“Would you mind putting these in the Lost and Found please? Their owners are probably anxious to have them back. Thank you.” He walks back to a waiting Q with a smug smile.

—————-----------------

Note: If you liked this fic, there’s more like it on the blog. Including my take on a kidnapped Q. Enjoy!

[nikibogwater]

A Shot in the Dark: Chapter 2 (Author’s Commentary--pt. 2)

Read the fic here

Author’s Commentary pt 1

General Notes:

So this is the second part of my personal notes on Chapter 2. I had so much to say about Rivan as a character and his dynamic with Douxie that it ended up needing its own post. So pt 1 of the commentary was all about Douxie, Nari, and Archie’s scenes, while this part is exclusively about the antagonist introduced in this chapter. I don’t expect tons of people to be super interested in Rivan--he’s an original character whose purpose in the narrative is simply to give the protagonists a hard time, but even so, I put a lot of thought into creating him, and I had some notes. So...yeah, here they are. 

Rivan is probably the second most self-indulgent part of this story (the MOST self-indulgent thing is yet to come lol). He was my opportunity to craft a villain with all of the traits that appeal to me in such a character. He’s conventionally attractive, scarily adept at his job, calm, self-assured, and so freaking polite. The best part about creating him was the fact that I didn’t have to worry about giving him an agenda. Rivan’s not trying to change the world or force his misguided ideals on anyone. He’s just trying to do his job, get paid, and go home. He treats his career in bounty-hunting like it’s your average blue-collar job. While he has an excellent work ethic and wants to maintain a good business reputation, at the end of the day, it’s still just his job, and nothing more. The only thing that keeps Rivan from being a true Neutral is the fact that he's associating with the Lawful Evil. But as long as he gets his money, that’s all he cares about (maybe someone should’ve told him that the Arcane Order are more likely to kill him than pay him). He’s a Tired Soul who has been walking this cruel earth for far too long, and run out of things to live for.

Passage-Specific Notes:

The man in question certainly didn’t look particularly threatening. In fact, he looked like the kind of person Douxie would find unbearably dull, all business and academia and such. He lacked any trace of youthful energy or optimism, though his physical appearance suggested that he wasn’t a day past twenty-five.

In case any of you were wondering, I did do a rough conceptual doodle of Rivan’s general appearance:

Not my best, but it helped me nail down his prominent features. Also Fun Fact: Rivan has a professional fashion consultant who helps him with his wardrobe. Whoever that person is, Rivan probably trusts them more than anyone else, if he’s confident that they’re not sending him out in some kind of clown costume.

“Forest-child? I think you’re in the wrong city, mate,” Douxie chuckled, his fingers twitching with the desire to activate his magic vambrace. “At least, I’ve never heard of anyone like that. Certainly not here in the Big Apple.”

“...Haven’t you?” Rivan’s tone was irritatingly polite, as was the inquisitive head tilt that accompanied his words.

Rivan disarms Douxie in more ways than one. Writing their interactions was a bit tricky, because Douxie’s first line of defense when it comes to villains is his speech--he can be smooth and persuasive, or sassy and infuriating. But there’s no persuading Rivan here, and it’s harder to sass someone who is being perfectly polite. And Rivan is not the type to be infuriated, even by an upstart little punk wizard. So Douxie loses his first weapon mere seconds into their first interaction, which is why he starts to get genuinely snippy towards the end of the scene. 

“Mr. Casperan--” Rivan paused and turned his head in Douxie’s direction, though Douxie got the strange feeling that the man was not really looking at him from behind those sunglasses. “That is your name, right? That’s the name my employers gave me, at any rate...”

One of the first things I decided upon when it came to writing Rivan and Douxie’s interactions was that Rivan always sounds just a little like an exhausted customer service worker trying to placate a Karen. 

“...As for seeing...” Rivan sauntered over to Douxie and slipped off his sunglasses. The area around Rivan’s eyes was burned and scarred over, red, bumpy flesh stretched across the permanently sealed lids. Douxie forced himself to swallow the bile that rose in his throat. “...I’m afraid I haven’t done much of that--at least, not with my eyes--since the late nine-hundreds, when your kind attempted to wipe the Shades from the earth.”

I was actually kind of hesitant to incorporate Rivan’s handicap into this story, because that’s the kind of thing people can be sensitive about, and I wasn’t real keen on accidentally hurting someone’s feelings. But my beta reader told me to go for it--his disability is an integral part of his character and a crucial element in shaping how the plot unfolds. And since this is a fantasy, I wasn’t completely bound by the laws of real-world accuracy--Rivan can’t see anything with his physical eyes, but his specialized magic allows him to “see” the world around him almost just as well. I also like the fact that, in spite of what happened to him, Rivan has kept pushing on, becoming a successful bounty-hunter even in the face of seemingly opposing odds. There have definitely been times where targets managed to give him the slip for a few days because of his lack of physical sight, but he always persevered and still managed to bring them in at the end of the day. He may lack empathy and passion, but he’s a trooper, and he doesn’t let what happened to him keep him from succeeding. 

So that’s all for Chapter 2. Next week, the conclusion! Thank you all for reading (and again...I’m so sorry!). 😅