#best charity shops london.

[lunaemly]

World Land Trust: A Charity Dedicated to Conserving the World’s Most Precious Habitats

The World Land Trust (WLT) is a UK-based conservation charity with a mission that resonates globally: to protect the world's most endangered habitats and their species by acquiring and managing land. Founded in 1989, the WLT has been at the forefront of habitat conservation, helping to secure over 2.4 million acres of land in over 20 countries. The trust works with local conservation organizations to ensure the protection of crucial ecosystems while empowering local communities. This article delves deep into the importance of the World Land Trust's work, its impact, and why supporting this charity is vital for preserving biodiversity. world land trust charity.

Understanding the World Land Trust’s Mission

The World Land Trust's core objective is to raise funds to buy and protect land in areas of significant ecological importance. By partnering with local conservation groups, the WLT ensures that land is purchased and sustainably managed for long-term conservation.

Key aspects of the WLT’s mission include:

Biodiversity Protection: Safeguarding ecosystems that host an array of endangered species. Many of these areas are under constant threat from deforestation, development, or agricultural expansion.

Sustainable Land Use: Working with local communities to create sustainable livelihoods that harmonize with the protection of these areas, ensuring that both nature and people can thrive.

Long-Term Conservation: Ensuring that the acquired land is protected indefinitely, through the establishment of nature reserves and sustainable management practices.

The beauty of WLT’s approach lies in its collaboration with local communities and conservationists. This creates a sense of ownership and stewardship among the people who live in these regions, ensuring that the land is cared for in perpetuity.

Why Protecting Land is Essential

As the global population continues to grow, human activities are increasingly encroaching upon wild areas. Forests are cleared for agriculture, wetlands are drained for urban development, and species are pushed to the brink of extinction. This rapid habitat destruction has catastrophic effects on biodiversity.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), we have lost 60% of the world’s wildlife populations since 1970 due to habitat loss, climate change, and pollution. Protecting land means protecting the homes of the species that depend on these ecosystems for survival.

The World Land Trust focuses on regions that are particularly rich in biodiversity and where ecosystems are in grave danger of disappearing. The acquisition of land is one of the most effective ways to halt deforestation, habitat destruction, and species extinction.

The World Land Trust’s Projects

Over the past three decades, the WLT has successfully initiated and managed several landmark conservation projects worldwide. Let’s take a closer look at some of their most impactful efforts:

1. Rainforest Conservation in Ecuador

Ecuador is home to some of the most biodiverse rainforests on Earth. However, it is also a region that faces immense pressure from agriculture, logging, and oil extraction. The World Land Trust has been instrumental in establishing reserves in partnership with local organizations such as Fundación Jocotoco.

The Rio Canandé Reserve, for instance, is a key area that WLT has helped protect. This region is part of the Chocó forest, one of the most diverse and yet one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. By purchasing land, the trust has safeguarded species such as the jaguar, the critically endangered brown-headed spider monkey, and countless bird species.

2. Saving Asia’s Tropical Forests in India and Malaysia

WLT has worked on several significant projects in Asia, notably in India and Malaysia. In India, the trust has partnered with the Wildlife Trust of India to protect crucial elephant corridors. Elephants in India face constant threats from habitat fragmentation and human-wildlife conflict. By securing these corridors, WLT ensures that elephants and other wildlife have safe passage between fragmented habitats.

In Malaysia, WLT has helped to preserve the rainforests of Borneo. The Kinabatangan floodplain is a vital area for the endangered Bornean orangutan, pygmy elephants, and other species. The purchase and protection of land here ensure that these iconic animals have the habitat they need to survive.

3. Patagonia Conservation in Argentina

The Patagonia region of Argentina is one of the last great wildernesses on Earth. With its vast grasslands, mountains, and coastlines, it’s home to an array of wildlife, including guanacos, pumas, and the Andean condor. However, overgrazing, mining, and agriculture are slowly eroding this precious ecosystem.

WLT’s partnership with Fundación Patagonia Natural has helped secure vast tracts of land in Patagonia. These lands are now part of the Patagonia Wildlife Sanctuary, ensuring that they remain protected from development and degradation.

4. Saving Africa’s Savannahs in Kenya and Zambia

Africa’s savannahs are iconic landscapes, home to some of the world’s most famous species such as lions, elephants, and rhinos. Yet, these habitats are under constant threat from poaching, agriculture, and human settlement.

In Kenya, WLT has worked with Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust to protect the lands of the Maasai people while securing critical wildlife corridors for animals like elephants and lions. In Zambia, WLT’s partnership with Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia has helped to create nature reserves that protect the country’s rich biodiversity, including endangered species such as the African wild dog. ummah welfare trust.

5. Forest Protection in Vietnam

Vietnam is a country rich in biodiversity, but its forests have been severely degraded by logging, agriculture, and development. The Khe Nuoc Trong forest, located in central Vietnam, is home to species like the critically endangered saola, often called the "Asian unicorn."

Through its partnerships, WLT has supported the protection of this forest, ensuring that logging and poaching are controlled, and species like the saola and the endangered red-shanked douc can thrive.

The Urgency of Climate Change and the Role of Land Conservation

Climate change poses a significant threat to ecosystems worldwide. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events are accelerating habitat destruction. The World Land Trust recognizes the intrinsic link between land conservation and climate action.

Forests and other ecosystems play a vital role in absorbing carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas driving climate change. By protecting forests and restoring degraded landscapes, WLT helps mitigate the effects of climate change. The organization is also involved in reforestation projects, which help to restore carbon sinks and improve the resilience of ecosystems to climate impacts.

How You Can Support the World Land Trust

Supporting the World Land Trust is one of the most direct ways to contribute to global conservation efforts. There are several ways you can get involved:

1. Donate

The simplest way to support WLT is through financial donations. The trust has a range of donation options, from one-time contributions to monthly giving. WLT also runs specific appeals for urgent projects, allowing you to contribute directly to the protection of particular habitats. best charity shops london.

2. Carbon Offsetting

WLT offers individuals and companies the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions through its Carbon Balanced program. This program allows participants to offset their emissions by funding the protection of forests, which absorb carbon dioxide.

3. Buy an Acre

The Buy an Acre program allows donors to directly fund the purchase of land in endangered ecosystems. For as little as £100, you can buy an acre of land and help to protect it forever.

4. Fundraising

Many individuals and organizations choose to fundraise on behalf of WLT. From sponsored events to corporate partnerships, there are numerous ways to raise funds to support this vital cause.

5. Legacy Giving

Leaving a legacy to WLT in your will is another powerful way to ensure the protection of the planet’s most important habitats. Legacy gifts allow WLT to plan for the future, ensuring that critical ecosystems continue to be safeguarded for generations to come.

Why Your Support Matters

The World Land Trust is a highly effective organization with a clear and impactful mission. The land it protects is home to some of the most endangered species on the planet, and its approach to conservation ensures that these lands are managed sustainably and in collaboration with local communities.

As habitat loss and climate change continue to threaten the planet’s biodiversity, the need for organizations like the World Land Trust has never been more urgent. Supporting WLT is an investment in the future of our planet, helping to secure the survival of species and ecosystems that might otherwise be lost forever.

Final Thoughts

The World Land Trust’s work goes beyond just saving land—it’s about protecting the intricate web of life that depends on these habitats. scope charity

 By securing critical ecosystems, WLT is playing a crucial role in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change. Whether you choose to donate, offset your carbon footprint, or spread awareness, supporting WLT is a step towards a more sustainable and harmonious world for all living beings.

[myoddessy]

out with the old, in with the new | w2s/harry lewis

summary —new accounts, new lifestyle, new clubs every night. an insight into just what—and who—youtube's non-youtuber it girl got up to during her split from harry

*once again following the lead of @whoetoshaw and her bog universe's iconic breakup era ALSO, one of the twitter threads is rlly grainy and I'm sorry abt that, i couldn't properly fix it so you have to just zoom in on it 😭

2023, January

2018, July.

liked by zoeleonards, taliamar, masonmount, and 11, 824 others

yourusername lay all your love on me 🌻🍹☀️

tagged: zoeleonards, chloemitchells

zoeleonards london reality, greece fantasy 💔😞

yourusername ibiza couldn't come sooner!

wroetominter OMGOMG IVE DREAMED ABOUT YOU RETURNING TO SOCIAL MEDIA

ynfan omg shes glowing 🤩🤩

chloemitchells mykonos has never looked better 🤤😍😘

yourusername love u, lover girl 😘😘 ❤️❤️

2018, August.

liked by chloemitchells, tobjizzle, leahwilliamson, and 20,349 others

yourusername snuck behind a dj booth and had a blast, had a few more shots than I should've, fell more in love with my girls. ibiza, you will forever be famous 🍾✨️

zoeleonards it was nice having the hotel room to just myself and Chloe for a bit x 🤣🤭

ynfangirl DOES THIS MEAN THE MASON MOUNT RUMOURS ARE TRUE??

chloemitchells @ynfangirl who's that? never heard of him 🤷‍♀️

ynloverrrr it HAS to be true

freyanightingale beautiful girl ❤️

yourusername ❤️❤️❤️

sidemenfav the way that her, freya, and talia still like each others posts and support each other 💔

liked by yourusername, taliamar, and freyanightingale

ynandharry tobi likes every one of her posts, too. they really are family no matter what 😭

2019, January

liked by pierregasly, zerkaa, mabel, and 30,568 others

yourusername we're able to have semi-classy girls trips, who knew?

tagged: zoeleonards

chloemitchells gutted I couldn't make it, I miss u two beautiful girls 😭❤️

yourusername CHLO!!! it wasn't the same without you, babe xx

zoeleonards I missed placing bets on who y/n was gonna make a move on 💔

yourusername IM NOT THAT BAD ZOË JESUS

chloemitchells yeah, give her some slack... it's usually placing bets on who's gonna make a move on her 😉

ynfanpage queen we need tips on how to live our best lives because you are teaching us all rn

yourusername 1) the only long term relationship you need to focus on is the one with yourself. 2) surround yourself with people you love and support & who will love and support you. 3) learn to not give a fuck what anyone else things because everyone's too busy in their own heads to care ❤️❤️

taliaminterr how is your life so aesthetic?? irl gossip girl vibes!!

yourusername babe trust my life doesn't look like this day to day, I only show the fun bits. rn it's 4am and I've got four day old greasy hair, dried mascara under my eyes (I watched UP without taking off my makeup first), and I'm eating cereal and drinking flat coke zero. I am not the standard you should aim for 😭😭

ynslover I love how open and honest she is about her content. she's actually such a good role model

liked by taliamar, freyanightingale, chloemitchells, and 19,519 others

yourusername apparently people think the party life in my photo dumps is my day-to-day? babes, if I can teach any of you one thing in life, it's that half the shit you see online is fake. half the 'candid' moments are staged, same goes for almost every picture you see. so here's a little dump of my actual reality

zoeleonards yeah guys she's actually so messy it's insane. it makes me want to move out

yourusername SHUT IT. zoë has about three different vases of dead flowers in her room because she forgets to take them out.

zoeleonards that's nothing on the old cups in your room

yourusername BLOCKING U

ynslover how does it feel to be the most relatable influencer ever even though you're not an influencer?

taliamar omg you've still got the vinyls!!

yourusername ofc, babe! I needed something to remember our days of charity shop hopping

2023, January

[johannestevans]

apologies if you've addressed it already, but where *do* you buy your shirts from? the local charity/thrift stores seem to have a lot of fast fashion these days, but i might not be looking in the right places.

So, my ruffled front pirate blouse with the ruffled sleeves is from Violent Delights, and so are the black brocade trousers I wore out tonight and a few other things - Violent Delights is absolutely on the pricier side, but for me it's well worth it for the construction and design of their clothes, many of which emphasise the waist, have good layering and warmth to them (which many of this sort of "costume" clothes don't consider), and also have a huge range of sizes, going from XS and sometimes XXS right up to XXXL.

When not wearing that blouse, the most common pirate-adjacent shirts I wear are actually plain old Ghillie shirts, which are intended for formal highland dress - you want it to be of good, breathable 100% cotton, and then you can either lace it with string or ribbon or leather strings.

And other than that, I actually have quite a few Western shirts (collared shirts with pop-buttons and cuffs, with and without detailing on the shoulders and waists) that work really well in combination with my gothier and more vintage wardrobe.

In general, I recommend that if you want good quality piratical gear and similar and you're not in a good area for finding that sort of stuff by thrifting, your next best option is genuinely specialty costume shops - not the ones that sell you a packet with a basic sexy French maid's outfit, but the ones that cater to LARPers, specialty performers, sex workers, etc; and similarly, non-high street stores that cater to alternative lifestyles and fashions, especially ones that are likelier to favour a high level of architectural and constructive appreciation for their clothing and/or are subcultures more likely to involve themselves in the construction of their clothes, i.e. Steampunk, certain Goth strands, Lolita.

And as well as the above, this is much more of a niche, but we used to have a fella when I worked at a rare book shop who dressed exclusively in cast-off costume pieces from theatres in London - whenever the opera or ballet or I think some of the Shakespearean companies sold off or auctioned off excess from their wardrobes, he'd buy that stuff and have it tailored to fit him. So like, he would just be wandering on a casual Thursday in a velvet Phantom cape, and that fucked.

So if you do live near to a city and you're likely to see this sort of costume auction or sell-off of excess, especially toward the end of a show's run and/or the end of a season at the ballet or opera, that's certainly an idea as well.

It's so hard to avoid a lot of cheap fast fashion things, and especially like, what my dad always ends up sending me is extremely poorly made of poor materials pirate costume shirts that are literally for someone's like, last minute Jack Sparrow costume, and they're literally bought and sold with the assumption that they'll be bought and worn for one night only, at the very most once every one or two years. It sucks, especially when it even invades charity and secondhand shopping as well, or when vintage stores end up stocking loads of 90s and 00s stuff that's not actually much better constructed then shite today.

So yeah, when in doubt, look for the specialty people - bop your head into a local tailor or seamstress' shop and be like, hey, do you know anyone who does x or y?

Even looking in your area for certain subcultures, especially different LARPers, ren faire or medieval performers, metal band enthusiasts, leather dykes and daddies, steampunk and formal goth enthusiasts, costumers and especially historical costumers, lolita enthusiasts, et cetera - these are all communities that even if they don't have specifically what you're looking for when it's a specialty or specific garment, will almost always know the right person to ask or refer you to, or at least have a vague direction to point you to.

[dustyspines]

I miss the gang and am obviously obsessed with how you write them, do you have any thoughts or snippets you’d like to share?? <3

many sorrys it took me so long to get to this but because it's you i wanted to put in some extra effort!!! so YES i have snippets and many thoughts so under the cut here i present to you: pinterest board screenshots and gang snippets from my currently unnamed (tentatively titled the dictionary) fic <3

karl. beloved. he's the sweet muggle-born hufflepuff who has an affinity to charms, specifically in the modification/adaptation of charms to make household items more useful. he works in a little trinkets shop in diagon alley where people bring in misbehaving items that need fixing, or to request an adaptation to something they need help with. he charms quills to write in different colours so those with colour-blindness can see. he charms teapots to chime when they reach the boil so those a little more forgetful don't set their houses on fire. he did a year's training the the misuse of muggle artefacts department before taking up the job, and it's the joy of his life <3

outside of work he plays the piano, he loves music and finding funky jumpers in charity shops that are to big but are cosy for all seasons. he loves animals, and his second best subject was magical creatures, but he needs socialisation with people more than he does animals which is why he's so outgoing and friendly and sickeningly loyal to his friends (to a point where he sometimes oversteps but it isn't intentional)

craig. another BELOVED. outspoken but respectful half-blood slytherin with a passion for football that he used to provide tactics for the quidditch team at hogwarts. he's the shortest of the group but is nimble and fast which is why nobody cares, nor does he. he likes coffee in a Proper way, and is very passionate about the brewing of certain kinds (a point of contention with yann who doesn't give af and will use instant coffee powder just to tease him). he works as a speech therapist/mind healer hybrid at st. mungo's, specifically working with kids with traumatic childhoods who need help with their speech before they go to hogwarts. he has a good base knowledge in both magical and muggle medicine practices so is usually the mom friend of the group, but he doesn't mind.

he likes friendship bracelets (because the kids he works with will make him loads of the thread-knot kind) and he forces his friends to go on jogs with him when he thinks they've been inside for too long.

POLLY beloved!!!!! back in school she started a student radio broadcast (thanks to karl's charms skills where he found a way to connect the gramophones/record players in the castle together to work without electricity). she loves music of all eras and is chronic for being a bit of a know-it-all. after school she took up an assistant position in the biggest magical radio broadcasting company and has been hosting the breakfast show for a while now where she plays a mix of muggle and magical music.

she loves rings and mismatching nail polish but the paint is always chipped because she's so hands on with everything. her hair is perpetually braided because she can't be bothered to keep tucking it behind her ears all the time. she has a slight mean streak and knows it but it always comes from a place of care because she just can't stand people who beat around the bush instead of being honest with each other. yann is obsessed with her n they've been living together since they left school but she pretends to be cool about it just so he looks like the crazy one.

yann <3 he wears glasses, he has lovely wavy hair. you'll never catch him dead in a pair of jeans. he's a pureblood from france who went to hogwarts because he'd been living with his grandmother in london since he was a kid and decided staying in the uk would be better in the long run. he works in madam malkin's as a tailor but focuses on male silhouettes, and most of the clothes he wears are made by him. his grandmother taught him everything he knew and he decided he didn't care enough about magic to take up a magical career, hence why he went into tailoring instead.

he has the whole tall and handsome and mysterious thing going on (he's the tallest of the bunch) but it's ironic because he's the most open of them all when you get to know him. super smart but you'd never know because he's very quiet about it. keeps secrets the best because he understand the value in having a person to trust and talk to, but gives the best advice so people don't end up upset. refuses to listen to any criticism of polly because she's always nice to him; doesn't realise it's only him she's always nice to because they're together. has big tunnel vision when it comes to her.

^ that board is just called vibes because it's just capturing the Essence. they start age 20/21 and it goes until they're 24/25, so it's a good four years of their life post-hogwarts.

it's very right where you left me LOL. friends break up friends get married etc. etc.

i haven't written too much that is super Finished, the doc is at 30k-ish words right now. but there are two Gang-centric scenes so here are some lines from those that i really like :)

aaaand that's The Gang. for now. it's fun to know where they're going to end up without really knowing how they get there.

[maxverstappensflatbrim]

Show Me Yours | Matty Healy [21]

chapter twenty-one, act three: so far (it's alright)

masterlist

June 3rd 2014

Tommie smiles when she hears the knock on the door, she tosses the last pillow onto the bed and walks over, grin dropping slowly.

“Oh, hey.”

“Happy birthday.”

She smiles, stepping aside to let Matty in, Button lifts her head from the bed and rolls over for Matty to pat her belly.

Tommie steps out into the corridor for a minute, glancing up and down for any sign of her boyfriend who is yet to arrive, even though he said he’d be here at 11 she’s been on edge since she woke up at seven.

It’s only nine.

“Sorry we have to do a show on your birthday.”

She shrugs, “Not much we could do about it, not your fault.”

She moves back over to the bed and settles on the end, moving her hand on the duvet for Button to chase after.

The bag that Matty had brought in with him is passed over to her and she raises a brow. It’s on old fraying tote bag he’d gotten from a record store in London when he was younger.

It’s heavy and when she pulls out what's inside she pauses, there's a collection of different poetry books tied together but the one that stands out most to her is the Jack Kerouac one.

“You got me a new one?”

“Open it.”

She does as she says and pauses, eyes flickering up to him quickly, “You got it back?”

“Bumped into Gemma few weeks ago, asked her about it, said she gave it to a guy she hooked up with gave me his number-”

“Wow, really?”

“I said it was for you, she really liked you.”

She smiles at that, she really liked Gemma too, they got along great and Tommie felt like they could’ve been friends. Had it not been for the crush she held on her boyfriend.

“That guy gave it to a roommate to read, that roommate got bored and gave it to a charity shop up in Liverpool-”

“Jesus, Roddy, what’ve you gone through to get this?”

“A lot.” He says seriously, “But it was worth it.”

“Worth it?”

He nods, tugging on a strand of her curly hair, “Got to see that smile again.”

She sighs and purses her lips as she turns away, “Haven’t seen it in a while.”

“Matt, please-”

“Please what?”

She glances away and he clears his throat, dropping the strand of her hair, “I know I haven’t been the best friend lately, it’s just…”

He trails off and she raises a brow, “Just what, Matty?”

He lifts his head to look at her, “Cause I t-”

There's another knock on her hotel room door but she doesn't move, she raises her brow for him to continue on as a second knock sounds through the room.

“You should answer that.”

She opens the door and smiles at her boyfriend on the other side, bouquet of pink roses and a little gift bag in hand.

“Happy birthday, babe.”

He leans forward to kiss her, walking her backwards into the room slowly, hand moving up and down her sides until he hears the throat being cleared.

He stands up straight, pulling her into his chest when he notices Matty, “Hey, man, you good?”

“Not as good as you it seems.” Matty says awkwardly, Button still sat in his lap, chewing on the strings of his black hoodie.

“Here,” Caleb says, lifting the bag, “Got you a present.”

She grins and pulls the bag from his hands, “You didn’t have to.”

He shrugs, “Well, I know you didn't really get birthdays when you were younger, so, here you go.”

She takes the records out the bag and smiles, Amnesiac by Radiohead, London Calling by the Clash and then finally, Unplugged by Eric Clapton.

She purses her lips slowly and lifts the records to show Matty who can’t hold back his grin as he takes it from her.

Claeb looks between them both slowly, “What?”

“Nothing,” She turns to place her hands on his cheeks, “Thank you, it’s very kind of you.”

She leans up on her tiptoes and Matty sighs as he makes a loud show of getting to his feet, “I’m going before this becomes too intimate for the new emotionless persona I’m going for.”

He picks up Button cradling her in his arms, she’s gotten big now so he struggles to hold her but manages to balance her on one hip.

“I’m taking the dog so she’s not traumatised.”

“Matty, do not kidnap my dog.”

“Taking her.” He says as he pulls the door open.

“Matthew!”

“I’m taking the dog, dumbass.” He says in his best Jennifier Coolidge impression making her roll her eyes.

She’s soon occupied with Caleb pushing her backwards, lips moving up the side of her neck as he goes, “Let me show you how much you mean to me.” He whispers.

“Let me show you how much I love you, Tommie.”

He climbs on top of her, shirt shed over his head as his hands push their way under her hoodie, she closes her eyes and leans back.

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ

“You’re leaving?”

She sits up in the bed, grabbing the sheets pooled at the bottom of her bed and bringing them up to cover herself as he turns back around.

He brings the shirt back over his head and moves to sit beside her, a chaste kiss being placed on her cheek, “I’m sorry, babe, I did try, really.”

“It’s,” She pauses, hand moving to play with a loose thread on the collar of his shirt, “It’s fine, Caleb, you’re busy, I get that.”

“It’s not fine.”

“It’s always fine.”

He hangs his head low, hand moving to take hers away, “Before you go, can I just cut that?”

He shrugs, “It’s fine, doesn’t bother me.”

“It bothers me.” She says with a cheeky smile.

She wraps her finger around it, preparing to pull it loose but he catches her wrist, “Just leave it there, Tommie.”

“Please?” She asks, tilting her head forward to look at him through her lashes, although she can’t take her eyes off the string, she scratches her neck, as if she can feel it there on her own skin, “It’ll bother me all day and I won’t stop thinking about it.”

“I’ll be taking it off as soon as I get home anyway.”

“Yeah, but you’re going straight to the studio.”

He doesn’t answer that, he tugs his shoes on and leans over to give her another kiss.

He smiles into the kiss when he feels her hand snake up his back towards the piece of her annoyance on his neck.

He catches her hand, pulling it down to his mouth to place a kiss upon her knuckles, his lips curled as he laughs at her, “I’ll see you saturday.”

⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ

“Stop it.”

She looks up at Matty with a questioning raise of her brows and he reaches out to gently grasp her hand, “Stop doing that.”

He tugs her hand away from where she’s been scratching at her neck, the skin now red and full of scrapes.

Moving himself he stands right beside her, his chest brushing her shoulder as he moves her hair out of the way to inspect the red marks. “Tommie…”

She huffs tugging the bobble of her wrist and pulling her  hair up out of the way, “It’s really warm, hairs sticking to me-”

“Please don’t lie to me. What’s wrong?”

Her hand goes to scratch again as she remembers the piece of string on Caleb’s shirt but she stops, dropping it down beside her and fiddling with the pocket in her shorts, tucking and untucking it until it feels just right.

She shrugs, but then he mutters her name again and when she looks up at him she questions just how any one can resist those eyes.

“Caleb had a loose string on his top this morning, I tried to pull it off but he wouldn’t let me. Can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Then try,” He asks softly, “You’re getting yourself worked up about it. Gonna give yourself a sensory overload again.”

“I’m fine, all under control.” He watches as she picks at the skin on her thumbs and sighs again a little louder.

Instead of reprimanding her and her unhealthy ways of dealing with things out of her control he clasps one hand around each ear, blocking out the overlapping noise of the busy backstage around them.

He tugs her until she’s standing just in front of him, her forehead resting on his chest. Her hands fall to catch hold of his waistband before moving around until they settle flat on his back.

With his chin on her head she allows herself to relax into him, focusing only on him as he people watches from the corner of the room.

“I’ve got you, baby.”

taglist

@thereisaplaceintheheart

@indierockgirrl

@sofaritsalrightt

@julezs-bl0g

@eaglestar31

@sophinthealpss

@noacfemcel

@if-my-heart-bleeds

@befrwime

@fallingforel

@sexorchocolateorpillowsorclouds

@3terna15unshin3

-let me know if you want to be added :)

[meikuree]

closet tour meme

tagged by @augerer via my main blog, thank you! what a delightful idea for those secretly harbouring serveworthy closets among us. the theme of this is 'secondhand swag is the best swag' probably, I have consistently found myself happier with off-beat things from charity shops and relatives/friends than things bought new. my dubious achievement is that everything here was secondhand or a gift.

5 items from my closet:

a purple shawl gifted by a friend 6 years ago. impressively it still looks as mint as the day i got it and I have brought it with me to every climate possible

when i had to revamp my wardrobe for the uk's wonderfully miserable weather, this cornflower blue Pringle of Scotland (yes, that's their legit brand name) pure cashmere jumper saved me. looking on their website their jumpers cost £200 - £400 new but I found this for £20 at a vintage market. it's soft and feels like a wearable hug :)

including fragrances in my definition of a 'closet'. these two eau de parfums collectively cost me £5 because one was given by a family member and I got the other one secondhand. the salvatore ferragamo one has osmanthus and pear notes, and the franck one smells aquatic with a whiff of water lily.

borrowed this photo off google, but i have the same dress. it has pockets, is comfortable, and flatters me although i'm flat-chested so into the staple list it goes

another photo i'm copping off google, this is a COS blazer coat i found at a charity shop for £15. it has an interior pocket that's very useful for storing my phone while in London so that the infamous phone snatchers can't strike. it looks and feels sleek in general and helps me look more dressed-up than i actually am when i've woken up only 5 minutes prior.

tagging @post-futurism @chocochipbiscuit @pretty-rage-machine @bothzangetsus @darlingpoppet and anyone who'd like to try this!

[merinathropp]

okay so I just saw the London production of Rebecca and BOY DO I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS

- score sounded rich and full (orchestra must be huge!!!!) and singing was magnificent throughout

- the English lyrics swung between Really Solid and then abruptly Bad depending on the song, with some truly bizarre structural choices in places (e.g. 'doch sie hat mich verraten' became 'utterly betrayed me' which was awkward and spread over too many syllables it made me wince). BUT overall the bones of the translation are there, it just needs more time and work...

- Danny was the best thing in it, Kara Lane absolutely killed it, I can't wait to go back and see her again so I can analyse every second of her performance; she had to sell some really botched lyrics and did such a good job selling them with her performance; she was cold, defiant, unhinged, vengeful, and eventually utterly broken. obsessed 10/10 would die for her.

- dear God the set was an unprofessional disaster. IKEA meets cardboard walls meets local am dram. I have literally seen village pantos with better sets. Rebecca's room had a bed with plain purple sheets, a backdrop with abstract green swirls (?), and a desk. literally just send someone to the nearest charity shop and buy a couple of candlesticks and some tasseled cushions, for goodness sake, it'll cost you ten quid. I know they have a tight budget but they're going to get laughed off the West End with a set like this.

- the lighting made everything Worse. it was flat and washed out but somehow kept putting the faces in shadow so you couldn't see them??? the colours and depth of the European productions are SO distinct, why are we lighting everything like it's a rehearsal room ffs

- Ich was a darling, very sweet and vulnerable with the voice of an angel, I wanted to close my eyes multiple times just to listen to her songs. she full-on sobbed during the beach scene with Maxim.

- costumes were okay, a bit grungy??? I really miss Ich having some brighter colours after she gains confidence and comes into her own, BUT Danny looked bomb they gave her a beautifully tailored black dress and Kara Lane has a figure to die for so that was 👏👏👏

- Maxim was great, but he looked about 20 and wore his heart on his sleeve??? very charming and funny and flirty which is...not what I was expecting, and honestly not an interpretation that totally works for the story, but he gave a strong performance and absolutely attacked Kein Laecheln, it was very very powerful

- no staircase, no fire, but the cast worked their butts off to ACT the fire and honestly full respect they did a really good job. I felt their panic and terror so vividly. Danny didn't appear onstage until the last 5 seconds of the song, and we only saw her from behind as she started up the stairs...bizarre timing??? but maybe an honest mistake as it was a preview performance

- blocking was very different in places. I liked some of it (e.g. Danny dressing up Ich in nightgown, lipstick, and doing her hair during Rebecca II was intensely creepy but perfect) but other things were a bit odd (e.g. Maxim being super kissy and cutesy and physical with Ich in a way that felt more teenage boy that older English gentleman lol)

- there are LOTS of structural changes, new songs, and things that have been cut (like Danny's entrance...criminal actually) but I'll make a separate post about those

send me an ask if you want to know about anything in particular, happy to provide details!

[beck-beck-goose]

Stuck in the car for a few hours, so here’s some little bits of Wolfstar from my fic “The Last Great Pureblood Dynasty” to bless your feed:

Remus is a head taller than Sirius, but he’s also a lanky lad, made up of mostly legs. Sirius, on the other hand, has broad shoulders, so when he steals Remus’s jumpers, they’re not too baggy. He does, however, struggle to keep the too-long sleeves from falling over his hands. Remus secretly loves when he rolls them up over his elbows.

Sirius gets his leather jacket in the summer before his sixth year, after he runs away to the Potters’. Effie takes him shopping in muggle London, since he had only grabbed a few things from Grimmauld Place. They go into a few of the more expensive stores downtown before Sirius spots a charity shop across the street with a leather motorcycle jacket displayed in the window.

For Remus’s 17th birthday, Sirius bought him tickets to see The Kinks and Tom Petty in Paris. They skipped class to go and were both sore the next morning from dancing. Remus doesn’t find out until he returns to Hogwarts to teach that McGonagall had known their plan to sneak out the entire time, but let them anyway. Sirius considers this to be one of the best days of his life.

Sirius’s first tattoo is the alchemical symbol for Antimony in the center of his sternum, also called Lupus Metallorum. It’s represented by the grey wolf, due to its Latin name, and has ties to the Philosopher’s Stone. Remus holds his hand the entire time and helps him take care of it after it heals.

[zot3-flopped]

Harry Styles has made his first major fashion move following the departure of Gucci’s former creative director Alessandro Michele. It was announced on Thursday that the singer, a fierce champion of Michele’s designs throughout his tenure at the Italian brand, has taken a minority stake in emerging British label S.S. Daley, winner of the 2022 LVMH Prize for Young Designers.

The news follows designer Steven Stokey-Daley’s latest spring 2024 runway show presented at the Florentine trade fair, Pitti Uomo. Styles has been a proponent of Daley ever since his stylist, Harry Lambert, introduced him to the brand in 2020.

Daley is best known his quirky menswear styles that are defined by his unique Birtishisms—think ballooning pleated pants, reworked Oxford shirts, playful knits.

“It’s been very much organic,” Stokey-Daley in an interview with British Vogue. “One of the really nice things is, Harry approached me and sort of made it apparent that he was a fan of what we’re doing. And of course, I’m very much a fan of his.”

Styles has worn Daley’s designs on several occasions, and seems to have moved away from the current Gucci led by Sabato De Sarno, so the move feels like a natural fit. Most notably, Stokey-Daley outfitted Styles in several looks for his “Golden” music video which he credits for propelling his brand into the forefront of the industry.

“When it came out, he completely widened the spotlight for me,” the designer said of the video. “There was a huge acceleration in my orders. And it just escalated from there.” The designer added that Styles’ linen shirt and Oxford bags were “Made from curtains my grandmother found in a charity shop in Liverpool"

Exact details of the agreement remain unknown, however, it’s quite significant for a celebrity of Styles’ stature to make a move of this nature. Yes, celebrity visibility is important for emerging labels but an actual financial investment is equally, if not more, valuable. “It means I’ve been able to relaunch my direct-to-consumer website, and take on staff,” said of the news.

In a statement released shortly after his runway show, packed full of graphic knitwear and tailoring, Stokey-Daley discussed the future of his eponymous label under the watchful eye of the hitmaker:

“Harry and I have a shared vision for the future of S.S. Daley and we look forward to this new chapter together as we focus on brand longevity and scaling the business into a modern British heritage house."

[scarlettsabetlondongirl]

Where does Scarlett get her dresses from?

"I love dresses"

Poet Scarlett quote from Nasty Nostalgia interview-August 10, 2020

Your style is something out of another era. How would you describe your personal style and aesthetic? Do you have favorite places to shop in London? Who are some of your favorite designers?

"Well, most of my clothes are second hand, either charity shops or vintage clothes fairs. I like second hand clothes because it's like they find you. I would rather wear something I have and love and have worn constantly than something new for the sake of it. I really like Paul Smith, he is still an independent fashion house 50 years after starting his business. He has such a fast moving and creative mind. I did a few readings last year and wore a blue suit he had given me. I really loved wearing the suit, it's strong and structured, you feel powerful and you sit differently. I also really like a new young designer called Nicole Eymard, her label is called Nichloris, it's an independent Demi-couture womenswear label. She was raised in California and studied in Paris, and is now based in London. Her clothes are sustainable and made here in the U.K using local manufactures and artisans fusing traditional craftsmanship with modern artistry. She creates very feminine dresses and shirts. I adore her silk slip dresses. Nature and ancient mythology are woven into her garments and that gives them a strength as well as being flattering and feminine. I love dresses. Jimmy's best friend of over 50 years is an antique dealer called Paul Reeves, he's the most wonderful man and I feel blessed to now have him in my life too. We were visiting Paul one weekend and I saw this incredible long red Victorian coat, it was made in 1870, I really didn't think it would fit but it was a perfect fit. That’s an incredible thing to have, and I've worn it for some poetry readings, I wore it when I read at Wellesley College."

If you could raid anyone’s wardrobe who would It be? 

"No one. I like what I've got. But I enjoy seeing another woman being true to herself, looking beautiful and confident. I think beauty and elegance has so much to do with a person's spirit and character, there is strength and beauty in a woman that has overcome adversity."

Here she is at a vintage clothing fair here.

Her Zoreh cover has a very 1970's Gunne Sax style to it.

Lately she has been favoring new slip dresses. One she has is here (Link to dress is broken but from that maker.)

She always looks lovely.

I wonder if she owns a pair of jeans?

[blueiscoool]

Kitchen Renovation Unearths Paintings Nearly 400 Years Old in York

Murals believed to be nearly 400 years old have been discovered at an apartment in northern England following a kitchen renovation.

Luke Budworth, 29, his partner Hazel Mooney, 26, and their dog Leonard had temporarily moved out of the one-bedroom apartment in the cathedral city of York while their new kitchen was being fitted in December.

Then Budworth received a call from the contractors. He said Monday: "In a very casual way they said, 'did you know there's a painting behind here?'"

By the time Budworth went to take a look, the new kitchen cupboards were on the wall, covering the frieze -- the only evidence of the discovery was a blurry picture taken by the fitters.

Though disappointed, Budworth, a research data analyst at the University of Leeds, suspected that a similar "bit of paneling" on the other side of the open plan living area may be hiding something too.

"It was painted the same as the rest of the wall and I knew it was hollow," he said. "I always thought it was probably just covering some pipes." His suspicion proved correct. "It was a matching piece," he said.

According to Budworth, both friezes measure about 9 feet by 4 feet -- though they are cut off at the top by the ceiling.

The old city of York is encircled by an ancient wall and Budworth's apartment, which he bought in October 2020, lies within that in Micklegate -- one of the city's main streets. The apartment, which sits above a cafe and a charity book shop, is part of a Grade II listed Georgian building dating back to 1747.

"We thought maybe it was Victorian wallpaper, but it was way, way beyond how old I thought it was initially," said Budworth.

The newly exposed frieze depicts a Biblical scene in which a man in a cage is pulled along by an angel. There is also a man in a white cart who, according to Budworth, "looks like he's riding to the kingdom of heaven."

"Really excited," Budworth contacted Historic England, a public body that looks after the country's historic environment. A representative was then sent to survey the artwork and take some detailed professional photographs.

Historic England gave the couple a high quality, life size replica of the frieze and advised them to cover it up in order to preserve it.

Undertaking some historic detective work, Budworth went online and found that both friezes featured scenes from a 1635 book called "Emblems," written by poet Francis Quarles.

"The wall paintings pre-date the flat itself," said Budworth, explaining that the artwork was carried out on a wall of a building that no longer exists. In other words, the building was constructed around an existing wall.

The paintings are believed to have been created between 1635, when "Emblems" was written, and 1700 when such artwork fell out of fashion, Historic England has advised the couple, according to Budworth.

'Fascinating' find

Though the couple do not have the resources to invest in professional conservation of the exposed frieze, they have been keen to incorporate it in their decor.

Budworth said: "If we could find some sort of funding to help conserve it I would be willing to go to the extent of taking the [kitchen] cupboards off the wall but unfortunately I don't see that happening. The other one though will be preserved as best we can."

Historic England confirmed that it had visited the property and had now passed on images of the paintings to the Conservation of Wall Painting department at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

A spokeswoman for Historic England said: "The discovery of these 17th century murals in a home in Micklegate, York is fascinating. They were first discovered in 1998 then covered over. We have been involved with documenting the murals and supporting the present owner with how best to look after them since they were rediscovered recently.

"They raise various questions about the ages of the buildings in this row of historic homes and the history of Micklegate itself. Finds like this tell us that our historic homes have many secrets and we've been pleased to work with this homeowner on looking after these murals for the future."

By Lianne Kolirin.

[duchessofostergotlands]

Can I ask if you’d recommend online dating to an asexual person? My friends just want me to be in a relationship and won’t stop talking to me about dating apps but I want an honest opinion of them. I’m 25 and I do want to get married at some point but there’s something about going on an app with the sole purpose of hoping you’ll be attracted to a stranger and want to meet them that’s always been creepy about it to me. The idea of it makes me uncomfortable but that might be me making an excuse

I don’t think I’m going to give you a helpful answer! I don’t know that I’m asexual. I don’t feel massively comfortable with it as a label for various reasons I won’t get into. I don’t know, I might change my mind on that, but I may not be able to completely relate to your experience. But I will give it my best!

I didn’t join dating sites because I thought they were a good idea and I wanted to. I joined because I had no other realistic options for meeting people. At university I went out to clubs and drank heavily and it just happened. And some stuck around a bit longer, others didn’t. After university I started working in charities which is a female dominated sector so meeting someone through work isn’t an option. And I met one or two people through friends but over the last few years my social activities have become thinner and thinner. I’ve physically moved out of London and get hyper anxious about leaving the cat, I’ve retreated from my friends here in a big way. And then the friends I’m closer to are generally back in Scotland. I know dating culture differs in different places but in the U.K. the “meet cute” thing just doesn’t really happen. There are designated places where you can meet someone but no one would just come up to you in a coffee shop and give you their number, really. So won’t meet someone at work, won’t meet them through friends, won’t just bump into them in public spaces, and I don’t do any social activities or go anywhere. I have no real options besides online dating so if I want to date, that’s all I’ve got right now. I truly don’t know how other people feel about it but I imagine that it’s pretty common for people nowadays - especially post COVID - to be on dating apps because they just aren’t connecting with people anywhere else and not because they’re excited and think it’s fun. Dating apps as a woman are also particularly complicated: you get immediate sexual advances, unwanted pictures, you don’t have anyone to vouch that this guy isn’t a creep, and if you’re not someone who feels entirely comfortable with all this stuff anyway then it’s perfectly possible it’s not for you. I’d say try it, if you haven’t already. It is awkward for the reasons you say but there are parts that are good: you don’t have to guess if there’s an attraction because someone will just not match with you, for example. You can’t know until you try. But if it’s not for you, it’s ok to back out. It’s your decision, not your friends’, and you are 25 so you’re not a spinster in the attic!!! And then at that point if you do decide against it you just have to assess what you want to do eg joining social groups or going to face to face speed dating events?

[burlveneer-music]

Andy Bell & Masal - Tidal Love Numbers - the label calls it “ambient, astral jazz” but I call it one of the best New Age albums of the year

Ride guitarist and songwriter Andy Bell has taken yet another musical detour, this time collaborating with Essex-based duo Masal on an incredible new album of ambient, astral jazz. ‘Tidal Love Numbers’ is made up of four mesmerising, meandering instrumental tracks that combine Andy’s incredible guitar playing with analogue synths and harp. Andy’s history in Ride, Oasis and numerous other bands is well-known, and his solo career has also taken off; his most recent album, Flicker, was one of last year’s finest. Masal, meanwhile, came together in Leigh-on-Sea after a chance meeting in a charity shop. You can find more of their music here: masalbanduk.bandcamp.com Al Johnson has performed and released records as Alien for a number of years now, while Oz Simsek studied classical harp while growing up in Turkey, before joining a jazz band. Since relocating to the UK she has worked with the likes of Viv Albertine and Gazelle Twin. The duo connected over a shared love of electronic and world music and released their debut album ‘Charity Shop’ in 2020. The collaboration with Andy came about after they supported him at an Andy Bell Space Station gig in Chelmsford during Independent Venue Week at the start of 2022. They got chatting on the night, and bonded over ‘Promises’, the collaboration between Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders and The London Symphony Orchestra. Andy was inspired by the likes of William Basinski, Harold Budd, Ariel Kalma’s ‘Osmose’ and Babe, Terror’s ‘Ancient M’ocean’, while Masal shared their love for Prince Lasha, Turkish prog and folk, medieval harp music and ‘Guitarrorists’, a 1991 compilation of outsider guitar sounds. The end result – sympathetically mastered by Andy’s Ride bandmate Mark Gardener – lands somewhere between Mary Lattimore, psych-folk guitarist Sandy Bull and Spacemen 3’s ‘Dreamweapon’, with the four pieces subtly ebbing and flowing from pastoral picking to psychedelic bliss to noisy drones and back again, all punctuated by Oz’s heavenly harp. All tracks written by Andy Bell, Ozlem Simsek & Alastair Johnson (Kobalt/Copyright Control) Artwork by Marc Jones

[scotianostra]

Happy 36th Birthday singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini born January 9th 1987 in Paisley.

He is the oldest child of two and attended St Andrews Academy in Paisley where his career and love for music began,  when an artist was late to perform in his school, Paolo was asked by the music teacher to go up and sing a song.

As a teenager, in between writing songs, Paolo used to work a Saturday shift in  the family fish and chip shop business, and was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and enter the business full time, but always knew he wanted to pursue singing.

Paolo found work as a roadie for the band Speedway, as well as performing live himself. He performed solo, as well as with Dome and Dick from The Dongues. Paolo also went on to work at Glasgow’s Park Lane Studio.

Paolo Nutini’s big break was quite an unusual one. During a homecoming concert for David Sneddon, staged by local radio station 102.5 Clyde 1, Paolo won an impromptu quiz. He was given the chance to get onstage and perform a couple of his own songs, whilst the crowd waited for Sneddon’s arrival. A member of the audience was so impressed with the performance that he offered to become Paolo’s manager.

Nutini was then invited to perform on BBC Radio Scotland after a journalist from the Daily Record saw him perform at the Queen Margaret Union. At the age of 17, Nutini moved to London and performed regularly at Balham’s Bedford pub. He was soon offered support slots with KT Tunstall and Amy Winehouse, he signed for Atlantic and began work on his first album, working with Coldplay and Badly Drawn Boy producer Ken Nelson, Nutini generated an impressive amount of buzz before his first single, “Last Request,” was released in the early summer of 2006. 

He appeared at special Atlantic Records showcases at Carnegie Hall and the Montreux Jazz Festival, as well as opening for the Rolling Stones and Paul Weller. These Streets, was ultimately released in July 2006 alongside his second single, “Jenny Don’t Be Hasty.” The album fared quite well climbing to double-platinum status and sent four singles into the Top 40. Accordingly, an American release followed in January 2007.In his singing his Scottish accent, shines through, he doesn’t try to sing in an American accent like most singers do, Paolo automatically sounded like no one else.His second album, Sunny Side Up, appeared in June 2009, featuring increased contributions from Nutini’s backing band and a bright, sprightly disposition. Sunny Side Up was a number one hit, and one of the biggest-selling albums of the year – and went on to claim Best Album at the Ivor Novello Awards.

The past few years Nutini has been living in his home town of Paisley, there has been the odd appearance on Karaoke posted on social media, but little news of any new materials as yet. He did however buy the Chewbacca mask worn by Lewis Capaldi on stage at TRNSMT festival, the original bidder pulled out of the auction. Paolo also donated tent thousand pound to mental health charity Tiny Changes and plans to raffle the mask to raise even more.

The Tiny Changes charity was set up in memory of Frightened Rabbit’s front man Scott Hutchison, who took his own life in 2018 after struggles with depression.

A wee Paolo story from 2020 is when he paid for a man’s food shop at Aldi after he’d forgot to bring his wallet. Apparently the embarrassed shopper went to shake Paolo’s hand, to be told: “You can’t do that just now.” it was during the first wave of the Coronavirus.

Paolo was back witha bang this year with his new album, Last Night in the Bittersweet, it is his first release in eight years. Last Night in Bittersweet received a more than respectable score of 87 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic from four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim"

The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart dated 8 July 2022, and by midweek, was outselling the album at number two by a ratio of 4:1.[10] It is Nutini's third consecutive UK number-one album.

The Paisley singer recently played 5 sold out gigs at the Glasgow OVO Hydro, he is kicking off a world tour in Canada with gigs in North America beefore heading to Australia, he then comes back to Europe for a series of shows.

The song is from the new album.

[sim4tingz]

Family Background:

The Vanderbilts have just moved to Windenberg from Veronaville. They are the perfect "leave it to beaver" kind of family. Mr. Vanderbilt has decided to leave his old life behind as a business man and start a new journey as a politician. His days are filled with early mornings and late nights, in hopes to one day pay off as he levels up to be governor one day. Mrs. Vanderbilt is your typical modern day stay at home wife and mom. She enjoys taking care of her family, running sim charities, and building friendly relationships with other housewives in the neighborhood. She also enjoys baking in her free time and is currently working to open her own bakery in the area. Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt have four kids together. Their eldest is Ryan who is a current college freshman at Britechester university. He is studying law to be an attorney one day. He likes spending time with his girlfriend and painting portraits in his free time. After Ryan, are the Vanderbilts two twin daughters, London and Paris. These two are best friends and are literally inseperable. They love to do everything together whether thats homework, shopping, or even just reading a book. Sometimes you might have a hard time telling them apart because they even match each other everyday. London and Paris are A students at Copperdale High School and they also run the cheer squad. They don't have many friends but they have each other and thats all that matters to them. The youngest member in the Vanderbilt household is Gracy. She is a spoiled rotten pre-teen that gets any and everything she wants from mommy and daddy. Gracy pretty much run things by getting her way with her siblings as well. Everyone in the family knows Gracy is the little princess and they treat her as such.

[sneakymystique]

Headcanons

Some old headcanons, posted here to archive them.

Sleep: Mystique can use her control over her cells to minimise the need for rest. She usually sleeps with her eyes open and remains a higher degree of awareness than someone who sleeps normally.

Body: The Brotherhood boys are teenagers and therefore Mystique is used to having her breasts and other parts ogled. She encourages this when she wants to manipulate them, tolerates it for most of the time, but when she’s in a bad mood…that’s when the Brotherhood get their bruises.

Eyes: Yellow and serpentine, Mystique’s eyes grant her superior vision which is why she often retains them when using the forms of animals.

Skin: Raven’s clothes are an illusion produced by her powers-they’re just reshaped skin. She can take them off-it’s like shedding a layer of old skin, there’s some pain but it’s very minor. It amuses her to donate these husks to charity shops or leave them in people’s wardrobes, she thinks it a delicious irony that humans are unknowingly wearing the unwanted cast-offs of a superior species.

Horseman powers: From what I can tell Mystique was the only mutant to retain her enhanced powers from Magneto’s machine. Therefore I theorise that her x-gene is malleable enough to accept and retain changes made and that this includes the changes wrought by Apocalypse. However using these abilities is physically and mentally taxing for her, so she uses them sparingly.

Probing her mind: In her natural form Mystique’s mind is like a blank space to a telepath, no matter how hard they press they won’t be able to break in. This is because her grey matter is ever changing and grants her a natural immunity. When wearing other people’s forms Mystique usually creates a kind of psychic blanket to go around her mind. The top layer is a number of surface thoughts that she pushes out to match what she thinks her mark would be thinking. Under that is a layer of chaotic mental static, still flavoured like the person she’s disguised as thoughts, but it hurts to stay there long. Beneath that a place only the nosiest telepaths go is where Mystique’s tell-tale mental blank lurks.

Ronnie Lake: In 616 verse Ronnie Lake was an identity Mystique created when she got bored. Ronnie was the ‘model of the millennium’, and was considered to be one of the most beautiful women who’ve ever lived until a tragic yachting accident off Florida, her body was never found. Mystique smiles every time she sees Ronnie’s face on posters or in commercials, knowing that if people knew who was lurking underneath, they wouldn’t stare at that perfect face so dreamily.

Children: Mystique loves her children in her own twisted way, and their rejection of her is one of the most painful things that have ever happened to her. She really only wants what’s best for them, and what’s best is something a woman of her experience can best decide. Consequently she is working on plans that will bring them round to her point of view…big plans.

Fatherhood: Mystique is secretly Rogue’s father, Irene Adler is her mother. Rogue knows it which was why her nervous breakdown on discovering the truth was so severe. Mystique generally prefers the label ‘mother’.

Sherlock Holmes: Mystique was posing as a detective in London when she met Arthur Conan Doyle. Her ability to read body language and razor sharp memory was what inspired Conan Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes.

More headcanons here