#than with jeans and colour block t-shirt
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Ahh the morsetache plus the colour block pink t-shirt…
This was… umm…. a look
#shaun evans#itv endeavour#endeavour morse#moustache mondays#morsetache Mondays#it has very definitely grown on me#although I prefer it as part of a full 70s vibe#it’s somehow cooler#with the uniform and shades#than with jeans and colour block t-shirt#if you need fashion advice babe#or someone to dress you#just saying I could help with that#especially the dressing bit#or maybe undressing#ummmm#my tags are taking an unexpected turn#I should stop now#brb#hot damn evans
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The Heart of a Villan - Chapter 3/5
Chapter Three - Dangerous Play
Summary: Three-thousand miles from home, Henry drags Emma into a land she never imagined venturing to; the realm of English football. She holds no interest in the sport but when she’s approached by Villa Captain Killian Jones, she determines that there could be something in the sport for her after all.
Words: 6907
Chapter One, Chapter Two
Read on AO3
Killian’s fingers drum absent-mindedly against the table as the gaffer’s pre-matchday briefing hits the thirty-minute mark. A morning of training followed by an afternoon of travelling on the team bus, getting stuck in traffic early in the journey on the M6, has Killian quite done with the droning sound of Gold’s voice. He knows, from over a year of experiencing Gold’s meticulous patterns, that he’ll only repeat himself during the morning’s pre-match briefing.
With that in mind, Killian allows himself to switch off, to block out the gaffer’s talk of positions in transitional moments, as he dreamily stares out the large windows of the hotel’s conference room. He’s in London. After five days, he and Emma are finally in the same city once again. It’s a city of almost nine million people and her hotel is right by the Thames whilst his is three miles away in Islington but it’s closer than bloody Birmingham, nonetheless.
His phone is on silent – dutiful, professional club captain mode initiated – but he feels it vibrate in his pocket and a message flashes up on his smartwatch – do not disturb mode not initiated due to a slight lull in his professionalism, caused by the expectation of receiving a message from a particular blonde he can’t shake from his thoughts.
He glances at the notification, a small smile creeping onto his face when he reads her name.
Henry sporting the colors at the palace. The guard doesn’t look too impressed. Think you can use your connections to get us in?
Killian frowns at the message; they’d already done the Palace a few days ago – Emma has been regularly keeping him updated on her London adventures – and she had even referenced his royalty connections then too. He can’t imagine them doing it twice, not when the only thing to do was to stand outside the gates and take in the enormous grandeur of the building.
There’s a picture with the message, one which can’t be displayed on his watch, and it’s driving him crazy. He can do nothing but imagine what the image may be; perhaps Emma and Henry in front of the big, tall gates, a royal guard in the background, watching them closely as if expecting the American mother and son to attempt to storm the place. Emma had made reference to Henry sporting the colours and Killian wonders whether the guard could be a bluenose, not appreciating their rival club’s success being rubbed in their face. His mind focuses on Emma, drawing up images of her also sporting the famous claret and blue; a tightly fitted professional shirt, highlighting her curves, combined with the white shorts ridden halfway up her thigh, the long blue socks rolled down to her ankles, exposing the flesh of her toned legs.
He can’t bare it any longer. He would rather risk the wrath of Gold than allow his brain free reign to draw up such mouth-watering images of Emma. He pulls his phone from his pocket, turning to old schoolboy tactics of hiding it under the table, and pulls up the image.
It is one of Henry and Emma, though Emma’s fully covered up wearing dark blue jeans, a red t-shirt and a blue leather jacket, and they’re not stood in front of the palace Killian envisioned. They’re pictured outside Selhurst Park, stadium home to Crystal Palace FC and the ‘guard’ in the text is in reference to the security guard scowling at the claret and blue scarf Henry is holding aloft.
The second message which pings through provides much more context;
Help me! It turns out we are going in after all. I’ve been unknowingly dragged to an Aston Villa women’s game. Because one match per weekend isn’t enough, apparently.
Killian marvels at how, once again, Emma has managed to sport the colours of the opposition team, her blue and red outfit complementing the blue and red of Crystal Palace perfectly. He shakes his head slightly as he types.
One of these days I will see you in claret and blue.
She replies almost instantly.
That was my plan for tomorrow, but my dad has just informed me that the fancy seats you got us tickets for is a smart casual dress code and strictly prohibits away team colors. What a bummer.
The flashing dots on his screen tell him she’s not finished there.
Henry’s just found out too. He’s mortified. I hope you realize what you’ve done.
He has no chance to reply before another massage pings through.
He’s on a mission to find claret and blue underwear before tomorrow’s game now.
The scheming villan.
Killian is silently impressed at her correct spelling of ‘villan’. Even players at the club had made the mistake of adding that tempting ‘i’ in their social media addresses, an open invite to a flood of comments making them well aware of their innocent mistake.
For a self-professed non-Villa fan, she wasn’t entirely acting like it.
He’s halfway through a response, instructing Emma to find her own claret and blue underwear and beginning a witty remark about proving her allegiance after the game when he’s elbowed in the ribs, hard, by Robin. His teammate snatches his phone from his grasp and glares at him pointedly.
Killian huffs and folds his arms as he’s forced to switch his attention back to Gold’s deep analysis into the areas of weakness across Arsenal’s back line.
-
“I don’t like this.”
Robin speaks apprehensively the very second Killian disconnects from his call with the London Eye’s management. Killian turns to find Robin making himself at home on his bed, as if the man doesn’t have his own hotel room just across the hall.
Robin places his hands behind his head, leaning back against the headboard.
“This is the Eloise Gardener infatuation all over again,” Robin says warningly.
Killian scoffs, “Please, I wasn’t infatuated with Eloise Gardener.”
“The woman was actively jeopardising your career and, even knowing that, you kept crawling back into her bed,” Robin recounts. “Tell me, how is that not infatuation?”
“Stupidity, maybe,” Killian concedes but remains adamant, “Infatuation, most definitely bloody not.”
“Whatever you want to call it, it’s happening again,” Robin maintains. “I mean, think about it Killian, first you’re hooked to your phone during an important meeting, then you sulk like a teenager who’d lost his phone privileges for a week when I took it from you, and now you’re talking about sneaking out to see her the night before a big game. This woman has you acting like a schoolboy.”
Killian ignores him, his plans in place, his mind set. He grabs his jacket from the chair he had thrown it over and shrugs it on.
“Don’t worry, dad,” Killian shoots at him sarcastically as he carries out one final mirror check. “I’ll be home by curfew.”
“Killian,” Robin groans tiredly.
Killian ignores him, walking straight out of his hotel room, letting the door shut behind him, and leaving Robin behind. He pulls his phone out and sends Emma the latest in a series of hilariously bad football themed lines he’d pulled from the internet.
You’ve got me feeling like a substitute, eagerly awaiting my chance to impress you.
As bad a line as it is, there’s truth to it; he is keen to impress her; the precise reason why he’s headed to her hotel, a whole twenty-four hours early, without even so much as a head’s up. He can’t wait any longer.
-
Killian hesitates as he stands outside her hotel door – room 205; the very room he’d sent a bouquet of red roses and blue delphiniums to earlier in the week – realising he has absolutely no idea whether she’s on the other side of the door.
He should have called her. He knows he would have; were it not for the fogginess of his head from training, travelling and a two-hour analysis meeting. He could still call but since he’s right outside the door, he opts instead to go ahead and knock.
“That’ll be the food!” Emma’s voice, slightly raised; she’s in there. “Can you get it?”
He waits for Henry to open the door, wondering whether he’ll be disappointed at the lack of food or excited at his unexpected arrival, or both.
The door opens. Killian’s eyes naturally drop to the expected height level of the ten-year-old; they do not fall on the lighting up brown eyes of Henry but onto the dull grey of a shirt. His gaze slowly adjusts, raising higher until he’s eye to eye with an adult man and trying his best to cover his surprise and the way his heart drops in his chest.
The man stood before him – the man in Emma’s hotel room – appears around a decade older than Emma, early-forties at a push, but Killian can’t imagine an age gap deterring Emma from pouncing on the man who could well have walked straight off the page of a bloody GQ magazine. He looks right at home in the doorway of Emma’s room, leaning his left elbow against the doorframe, bicep bulging around his tight grey sleeve, and his blue eyes hover over Killian warily.
“Killian Jones,” his tone matches the look in his eyes.
Killian hopes he’s not about to get punched.
“Err… hi there, mate,” despite being utterly thrown, Killian attempts a friendly tone. “I was- I was looking for Emma.”
He glances briefly over his shoulder, to the closed door just inside the room, then tells him, “She’s in the shower.”
“Right,” Killian says, his mind jumping to unwanted thoughts of the unidentified man and Emma fooling around in the unmade bed he eyes across the room. “And Henry?”
Speak of the devil.
Henry crashes through an adjoining door on the right-hand wall and throws himself onto the tousled sheets of the bed. He’s up in an instant, bouncing on the bed as if recreating the classic scene from Home Alone, minus the popcorn, and Killian raises an eyebrow at the sugar high the lad is most clearly on.
The man at the door rubs his forehead tiredly, “Henry, we spoke about the bed.”
A similarly exhausted woman with a pixie cut enters through the adjoining door, lamenting, “I warned you that this would happen, David, but did you listen to me? No! You went ahead and got him the extra large pick and mix!”
The man at the door – David – turns to her, “Come on now, Mary Margaret, I didn’t expect him to eat the lot in one go!”
“He’s a ten-year-old on vacation!” Mary Margaret stresses. “How could you expect anything less?”
Killian stares at the light chaos before him, utterly lost as to the connection between Henry and the two adults in the room but the lad looks more than comfortable in their presence, continuing to jump up and down on the bed. Henry’s eyes fall on him and a grin flashes across his face. In a ginormous leap, he’s off the bed and halfway across the room.
“Grandpa!” Henry exclaims, running to the man in the doorway. “Look! Killian’s here.”
David laughs and ruffles Henry’s hair as he returns, “Yeah, I know.”
Killian stares. Grandpa? The man in front of him doesn’t look old enough to be a grandparent.
“Mom! Mom!” Henrys yells, banging on the bathroom door. “Killian’s here!”
The bathroom door opens suddenly. Emma steps out, a towel wrapped around her head, another one around her body. Killian’s quick to notice that his daydreams of toned legs stands true and his eyes linger on her exposed collarbones before drifting downwards, to where the beginnings of the towel wrapped tightly around her chest is an invitation for his imagination to go wild.
David steps across him, blocking his view, and the pointed look in the man’s gaze makes it clear it was a purposeful move.
“Killian, hi,” Emma greets him quickly, sounding panicked, “I thought we agreed tomorrow.”
“We did, love,” Killian replies, scratching the back of his ear, all too aware of David’s eyes boring into him. “I just couldn’t wait another day. If you’re not busy, would you care to accompany me around London tonight?”
“Yes!” she replies immediately; a good sign, and then, with more control, “I mean, sure. Just… give me some time to get ready?”
“David, why don’t you take Killian into our room. I’ll help Emma in here,” Mary Margaret suggests.
David places a rather forceful hand on Killian’s shoulder, guiding him into the room and through the adjoining door into an identical room, Henry following fast on their heels.
-
Killian sits in an uncomfortable window chair, being studied intently by David and he wonders whether it was an intentional decision by the older man to lead him to what looks to be the most disagreeable chair in the hotel room. There’s a tense atmosphere in the room as an oblivious Henry throws question after question at Killian, attempting to gain the inside scoop into the team’s tactics ahead of the Arsenal game.
Killian provides short, worthless, distracted answers; he doesn’t want to think about work. Emma’s still at the forefront of his mind, wrapped in towels, a slight dampness to her exposed skin. David coughs and Killian’s attention is brought back to his presence; a cynical scepticism in the man’s heavy stare.
“So,” Killian clears his throat and glances in Henry’s direction. “Grandpa, huh? I take it that makes you Emma’s father?”
“It does indeed,” David replies with a short nod.
Killian takes in a sharp breath; he has some winning over to do then.
“I’m glad you got hit with food poisoning,” the words fly out of his mouth before he thinks them over.
Shit.
At the very least, David’s hard expression falters, struggling to hold back a chuckle, as Killian attempts to dig himself out of a hole.
“By that, I don’t mean I was glad that you were chucking your guts up, I just mean that from a bad situation allowed me the privilege of meeting your daughter. And to be frank, had you been there when that ball had impacted with the lad’s face, I fear I may have felt the impact of your fist to my face,” Killian has no idea why he can’t just shut the hell up. “And I realise that is a situation which may still yet arise.”
David only hums in response.
Through his years in professional football, Killian has learned a lot about mind games. He knows David’s silence is a tactic to make him uncomfortable, to pressure him into talking, to reveal his intentions and inner thoughts, and despite knowing all that, he finds himself relenting.
“I must say, you look far too young to be her father.”
Killian can’t help but smile, triumphant with himself for finally coming out with something to soften the man, charm him, get him onside.
David grimaces, “That’s not the complement you think it is.”
Killian’s smile falters; of course it’s bloody not.
Henry swoops in, “You know, Grandpa, Killian does lots of work with fostering charities and foster families. They said on the tour that he regularly opens his box up to foster families to watch the game, don’t you?”
Henry turns to Killian, nodding him on eagerly. Killian’s eyes shift momentarily towards David whose expression has softened slightly, watching him curiously.
He thinks about his response, considering carefully, not wanting to inadvertently put his foot in it again, not when Henry had swooped in and helped him make a minor step towards progress.
“From time to time,” he confirms modestly.
David folds his arms across his chest and tilts his head curiously, “Of all the causes, why that one?”
“Some children don’t get the best starts in life. Some go through more heartache and misery in their formative years than some adults experience in their entire lives,” Killian’s more confident in his words since the conversation has been moved onto a cause he has been fighting for his entire career. “If I can provide a small gesture which brightens one day in their lives and gives them hope that their future doesn’t have to be defined by their past, then it only seems right to do so.”
David stands suddenly and Killian tracks his movement across the room to the fridge where he crouches and opens the door. He reaches inside and glances to Killian.
“Want a beer?” David offers.
Killian relaxes into his seat at the friendly display.
“I’ll never say no, mate,” Killian accepts.
“And me!” Henry eagerly tries his luck.
“Not a chance, Henry,” David laughs.
Killian takes the bottle from David with an appreciative nod and they dive into an easy conversation. Emma’s father is officially onside; Killian’s hit the back of the net, with a brilliant assist from Henry.
-
One beer turns into two and David is deep into a hilarious tale about a nine-year-old Emma flat out refusing to have any part in the soccer practise he had taken her to, sneaking away when he had turned for a few seconds, finding a bus to get herself home and sending him into a wild panic in the process. Between joint bouts of laughter, David attests that as much as they laugh about it now, it had been the most horrific moment of his life at the time.
Mary Margaret enters the room and looks at the amicable pair suspiciously, as if determining whether her husband had been replaced by an imposter.
“Not to interrupt… whatever this is,” Mary Margaret, in fact, interrupts, “but Killian, Emma is ready for you.”
He stands immediately and considers downing the half a bottle of beer he has remaining before deciding against it, setting the bottle down on the side. He receives a parting handshake from David and a huge smile from Mary Margaret as he passes by Emma’s parents and steps through the adjoining door.
He has to catch his breath.
Emma stands beside her bed, in a delicate, soft pink dress which immediately draws his eyes to hover longingly over the v-cut neck which gives him just a teasing glimpse of what lies beneath the material. If it weren’t for her parents and her son in the adjoining room, he would have forgone all his plans for the night in favour of ripping the delicate clothing from her, falling into the territory of her already tousled sheets, and inviting Emma’s attacking pressure upon him.
Only her parents and son are right there and he’s only just succeeded in winning her father over. He catches himself, collecting his racing thoughts, and lifting his gaze so to make eye contact.
“You look stunning, Emma,” he tells her.
He offers Emma his arm and she takes it.
“Where are we going?” she asks as he leads the way to the door.
He smiles knowingly, “Wait and see.”
-
Killian always forgets how much he utterly despises the Westminster Bridge.
The place is always rammed with tourists taking pictures and lingering around the cup and ball scams; walking across the bridge at a reasonable speed to get to a destination is bloody impossible. With Emma tightly pressed against his side as they manoeuvre through the crowds, he tolerates it; it gets her close to him and he appreciates the way they move naturally, steps in sync with one another.
They emerge on the other side of the bridge, he keeps his arm wrapped around her and she doesn’t pull away. He leads the way down the stairs onto the Queen’s Walk, past Shrek’s Adventure, the London Dungeon and the Build-a-Bear Workshop until they reach a stop, right in front of the London Eye.
The wheel towers above them, lit up in a bright pink, standing out against the dark night’s sky.
“I pushed for claret and blue but they wouldn’t go for it, bloody West Ham, so pink it is,” Killian tells her.
She stares at him, “You did this?”
“Aye, love,” he confirms with a nod. “I know tonight may be all we get together but that doesn’t mean I can’t make it memorable.”
She clutches his arm just a tad bit more.
“This is just… amazing,” Emma remarks, staring up at the London Eye, radiating pink, wonder pouring out her green eyes.
He smiles as he watches her every movement, captivated by it all; the way her head tilts back to truly take in and appreciate the whole sight, barely blinking as she stares, the way her mouth lingers open from her initial surprise, the way she slowly releases each breath-
“Mr Jones?”
Killian’s forced to break his gaze from Emma, turning to the young man working on the attraction who had recognised, approached, and spoken to, him.
“We’re all set for you,” the young man informs him. “Whenever you’re ready.”
The man makes a move away to give them time but Killian calls after him, “We’re ready now, mate.”
The man leads the way, winding around the ramp leading up to the base of the London Eye and Killian follows him, guiding Emma along.
She leans into his shoulder and whispers curiously, “Ready for what, exactly?”
Killian’s reaches the top of the ramp and gestures grandly to the awaiting pod, illuminated in pink lighting. The oval seating area in the middle has a picnic blanket draped over it, champagne bottle taking centre stage, surrounded by fancy, silver cloches.
“Dinner with a view,” he states proudly. “And by view, I am, of course, referring to you.”
She laughs, “I don’t know what’s worse. That line or the football ones you’ve been send me over text.”
He doesn’t respond, he just stares at her, feeling a huge Cheshire-cat grin pulling at his lips and he lets it.
“What?” she questions him obliviously.
“It appears Operation Cobra was a success,” Killian remarks.
She stares at him, lost.
“You called it football,” he points out.
She considers her words and then quickly brushes it off, “Henry’s been rubbing off on me.”
He doesn’t believe it for a second, but he lets her have it, silently revelling in his victory. He steps into the pod awaiting them and offers out his hand which she takes as she step on.
“Welcome aboard, milady.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
The doors are closed on them, isolating them from the outside world. In their pod, slowly lifting into the night sky, it’s just the two of them; no prying eyes, no lingering journalists – he can be himself, without worrying about consequences or reputations. All the talk of preparation and positions and tactics for the coming game is forgotten, his focus entirely and utterly captivated by her.
Emma approaches the far window, her fingers reaching out for decorative lettering on the window; Emma Nolan in blue, Killian Jones in claret – they had at least agreed to do that much in the claret and blue he’d requested – and to the right of their names was a football, following the colour scheme, with a yellow lion in the centre. Killian had turned down the offer to encircle their names in a heart, thinking it too presumptuous, and had requested, instead, the football – a nod to where they had first met.
“Now, I have-” he hesitates, catching himself before the word ‘lovingly’ can escape his lips way too soon, “worked tirelessly to create your perfect three-course meal.”
“That’s what all those texts with questions about food was about!” Emma puts the pieces together immediately.
“Aye, and I’ve commissioned the top chefs in London to cater specifically to your palate and so you can be sure that the food tonight will ignite your tastebuds but first, drinks.”
He steps to the oval seating, picking up the champagne bottle and offers, “We can crack this open right away or…”
He trails off as he reaches for one of the cloches, lifting the lid to reveal two steaming hot mugs.
“Can I interest you to some chocolate chaud avec cannelle?” he entices.
She raises an eyebrow, “Was that French?”
“Oui, le langage de l’amour,” he returns.
He winces, hoping she doesn’t speak French. If there’s anything worse than dropping the L word as he nearly did earlier, it was dropping the L word in French.
“You can speak French?”
She sounds impressed and, from the way she isn’t responding in French, he thinks he may just have gotten away with it, and he lets out a breath he didn’t realise he had been holding.
“I’ve had many a French teammate,” he explains to her. “One particular player, Gaston, was insistent on brushing up the few words I remembered from seven years of French in school. Now it helps whenever I come up against the French squad on international duty – a little bit of earwigging of their tactics.”
“Well it’s certainly impressive,” Emma remarks.
Killian hands her a mug of hot chocolate and she takes a sip as she stares out at the view of London, the lights of the city before them lighting up the shrinking buildings below.
“You’re so impressive. The top-flight football, the French, this,” she gestures to the pod and sighs mournfully, “How is any man back home meant to top this?”
He steps up behind her, wraps his arms around her and rest his chin on her shoulder.
“Can you do something for me?” he murmurs into her ear. “Just for tonight?”
“What’s that?”
“Can you pretend like we have a chance? Like this could go somewhere? Like it isn’t already doomed to fail?” he questions. “Like there isn’t three-thousand miles between us? Like there’s a future beyond you stepping on that plane in two days?”
She leans her head against his, their cheeks touching, and she sighs wistfully, “That sounds nice.”
He smiles and closes his eyes, soaking in the moment, the sensation of her soft, smooth cheek against his, the familiar combined scent of woody perfume and cinnamon sending him back to the moment they’d spent on the grass at Villa Park, lips inches from touching. He craves them, desperate to know if her lips taste as sweet as the smell of cinnamon wafting into his nose.
“The food smells lovely,” Emma comments.
Clearly, her nostrils aren’t lingering on the aroma of Creed Aventus that he was wearing, not that he needed her to notice it; it wasn’t as if he had spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to determine which aftershave she would most appreciate.
“Then without further ado!” he moves on promptly.
He places his hands on her shoulders and guides her to the pink pillows on the floor before the makeshift table. They sit beside each other, and she leans slightly into his chest as he lifts the lids off the cloches.
“Tonight’s menu, devised especially for Emma Swan, a starter of pancakes, a main course of grilled cheese complete with onion rings not fries, and to finish off, what else, other than bear claws?”
-
The food goes down well, both devouring everything, accompanied by laughter and easy conversation. Killian eases a few more football pick-up lines into their chat and manages to play off a high-spirited ‘are you the Champion’s League trophy? Because I’ve been searching for you my entire life’ as if there wasn’t a deep, sincere truth to the words.
Both stuffed, they lean back against the glass window behind them, taking in the view of the city from the window pane on the opposite side of the pod. Having booked the entire Eye out, the wheel doesn’t stop to let people on or off, instead continuing with smooth rotations and Killian’s long lost count of how many times they have been round. He’d booked the place for four hours – until midnight – thinking they’d only use it until they’d finished with the dinner but sat there, Emma in his arms, conversation flowing naturally, he never wants to leave. He wants the moment to last forever, to keep Emma close by him, to never let her fly back home, thousands of miles away from him.
“I googled you, you know?” her voice is low, a peaceful, calm aura in their isolated pod.
“Oh yeah?” he responds and smirks, “Did you see the modelling pictures?”
The silence that follows tells him all he needs to know.
He continues knowingly, “You did see the modelling pictures! The Calvin Klein ones?”
“They may have been a temporary distraction,” she confesses.
“What did you think?” he pushes.
“You should take that shirt off more often,” she remarks and he does not need tempting. “Very nice on the eyes. And then my eyes nearly fell out of my head when I stumbled upon a website which tells me how much you earn.”
Killian grimaces. It’s a topic he prefers to avoid, not because he wishes to hide his earnings but because the obscene and ridiculousness of it has a tendency to make things difficult and awkward.
“Ah. You’ve seen that?” is the only response he can come up with.
“I mean, it makes sense how you can afford all this,” she comments, gesturing loosely to the pod around them. “A hundred-and-thirty-thousand pounds a week? I converted into dollars and that’s more than I make in three years.”
“Like I said, love, the money in men’s top-flight football is bloody ridiculous,” Killian maintains and feels compelled to delve deeper, “Sure, it allows me to do extravagant things like this, and have a nice car and a nice house and have substantial savings but I don’t keep it all for myself. I give some to my parents – the bloody fools don’t let me give them much but no matter how much I were to throw at them, it would never repay them for everything they’ve done for me. Then a lot of it goes towards the fostering charities; there’s no point it languishing in my bank account when it can help children who have much less through no fault of their own.”
She stares at him with so much admiration that it hurts. He wants her, all of her; always and forever. She looks at him like he can do no wrong and whilst that’s far from the truth – he has many regrets from younger, dumb, more money than sense days – it makes him desperate to be that person for her; to wake up each morning and prove her right only to return home, recount his day to her and maintain the faith she holds in him. His heart aches for it and yet there’s a bloody large pond standing in their way.
But not tonight.
For Emma’s kissing him and he’s momentarily stunned until his yearning melts away and he’s pulled into the moment; she’s there, she wants him, she has him, he has her. Her lips do taste sweet, remnants of hot chocolate and cinnamon lingering on them, and he was adamant that he despises cinnamon and yet there he is, his lips locked on hers, wanting more of her, needing more of her, cinnamon and all included.
When she pulls away, the cinnamon loiters on his own lips and he’ll savour it for as long as it’s there; a little trace of her. A tiny trace, a memory that will always return whenever cinnamon happens to creep into his life.
She settles back down beside him, shoulders pressed against one another, hands clasped together, fingers entangled.
“I was once that child,” she murmurs.
His brain’s not working, lagging behind, reminiscing the kiss and he dumbly returns, “Huh?”
“A child with nothing, through no fault of my own,” she expands. “I was in the system, abandoned by my parents at the side of the road. I know what it’s like to be painfully aware of how much more other children in your class have. I know what a difference your work and your generosity will have on those children’s lives.”
He’s still rushing to catch up, frowning at the words escaping from her mouth, wondering if he’s hearing things correctly, whether he’s fallen into some daydream state; it sounds all too familiar, too close, too understanding.
“You… you were in the foster system?” he checks.
“For eight years,” she nods.
He tries his best not to gape at her and nods slowly, urging her to continue, if she wants to, keen to learn more of her story.
“I was found on the side of the road, taken to a hospital and placed with a family until I was three but then they had their own kid and they sent me back,” Emma recounts, a hint of anger creeping through. “I missed the golden years, the greatest opportunity for adoption and I struggled through the foster system, barely staying afloat. When I was eight, I got pulled from a nasty set-up, foster parents who were only interested in the pay check, and placed with a young couple under an emergency situation; it was only meant to be a night but a night turned into a foster placement and that turned into adoption.”
“David and Mary Margaret. They were the young couple,” Killian realises.
“They were twenty-three when I was placed with them,” Emma confirms.
It makes sense, explaining why Killian hadn’t immediately pegged David for her father and why he’d been so downbeat at the comment of looking young for her father, a reminder that he hadn’t been able to be there for her in the early years of her life.
“I was lucky,” Emma notes. “I found people who cared for me. There’s not many who can say the same.”
“Aye,” Killian hummed in agreement, “but I can.”
It’s her turn to stare at him, slightly lost, as if she can’t quite dare to believe what he’s insinuating.
“There’s a reason it’s a cause so close to my heart,” he expands. “My mother died when I was young and my father moved us around a lot after that. He got into some financial trouble and then some criminal trouble until he got himself into trouble which got him killed.”
“I’m sorry.”
It’s genuine, a full sincerity to it like nothing he’s heard before and he takes his chance, wrapping his arm around her, holding her tight.
“My brother and I wound up in foster care, bounced about a bit and then our social worker started talking about splitting us up, saying finding family’s willing to take in siblings was equivalent to preforming miracles,” Killian recalls. “Then we got lucky. We found Ella and Thomas Rogers. They had a fourteen-year-old daughter of their own but they welcomed an eight-year-old and an eleven-year-old with open arms and never let go.”
“So, Alex Rogers-”
“Is my sister’s name,” Killian reveals, “And an alias I have used on many occasions.”
“There was an Alex Rogers in goal for the Villa women’s team earlier today,” Emma comments.
“I wondered whether you’d pick up on that,” Killian smiles at her. “That’s my sister.”
“Does your entire family just eat, breathe and live football?” Emma enquires.
She’s joking, but she’s not too far off.
“Pretty much,” he confesses with a laugh. “Alex is in the top-level of women’s football and Liam’s currently in the National League but did stints in League One and Two in his younger days. Thomas, my dad, has always been really into the game; I guess it rubbed off on the three of us. He’s the reason I found Aston Villa, as a fan, long before I even dreamed of playing for them, and he dedicated so much of his free time getting us to various training sessions across the county. The day I signed for Villa, twenty-two years old, stepping up from League One to the Championship, it felt like I was repaying him for everything he’d done over the years.”
“I know what you mean,” Emma agrees. “The day Henry was born, the day my parents became grandparents, I watched the way their eyes lit up as they held the tiny baby he once was; I gave them what they’d missed out on with me and, it sounds stupid to most people, and I’d never tell them this, but that day, it felt like I’d proven my worth to them.”
“Earned your keep,” Killian nodded knowingly.
Emma stares up at him, a rare vulnerability in her eyes as she admits, “I’ve never been able to share that with anyone.”
Killian pulls her in even closer and she rests her head on his shoulder. He leans his head gently on top of hers, breathing in the strawberry scent of the hotel shampoo. He understands her, she understands him; it’s perfect, or it would be perfect if it weren’t for the distance issue.
He reminds himself of his earlier remarks, to forget all of the barriers in their way. He stares out at the city of London, lit up like a Christmas tree, with Emma by his side and inside that pod, in their own little world, everything is perfect.
-
It’s gone one in the morning by the time they stumble into Emma’s hotel room, clutching hands tightly and resisting smothering each other in kisses due to the uncertainty surrounding Henry and her parent’s positions. As hoped, they were all fast asleep, Henry crashing on the spare bed in her parents room and Emma gently presses the adjoining door shut, hastily reaching for the lock, all the while Killian’s planting kisses into her neck, delving in the second they asserted the coast as clear.
She waits until he reaches the tip of her sternum before gently pushing him back, his step backwards hitting against the bedframe, causing him to topple onto the bed. He props himself onto his elbows as she takes small, seductive steps towards him.
“I have a surprise for you,” she tells him, the smile on her face causing her eyes to gleam, “but first, you need to help me out of this dress.”
She turns, revealing the clasps up the back.
“Light work,” he mutters assuredly.
He sits up straighter, his fingers dancing quickly over the fastens, releasing them all in an impressive time. She steps away from him before he has the chance to rip the dress from her. She’s teasing him, dragging it out, and he’s both impatient and utterly mesmerised by what she’s playing at.
She turns back to face him, her fingers clasping over the short sleeves of her dress so she can shrug them off, allowing the upper part of her dress to drop. His eyes drop from her captivating eyes to her impressive figure, subtle muscle tone highlighting her curves; not in-your-face muscle but signs of a silent strength. Her hands cup underneath her breasts, drawing his attention to them; to the lacy blue bra doing half a job at covering them; a sky blue, a familiar blue which has him questioning his own thoughts.
Surely not.
Her hands drop to the dress hanging around her waist and she shimmies out of it, stepping forward, closer, and leaving the material abandoned on a heap on the floor. She reaches for his hands, placing them onto her waist, the lacy material of her revealing thong soft and fresh against his hands. His jaw drops as he eyes the thong – and all it reveals – but his fingers trace over the thin material; the rich claret colour.
“I couldn’t find claret and blue underwear so I bought two matching sets and mixed and matched,” she explains.
He doesn’t process a word of it.
“I need you,” he says breathlessly.
He pulls her onto his lap, engulfing her in a kiss fuelled by her repping his team’s colours, fuelled by his passion for Villa, by his passion for her. She barely knew him – not before the evening they’d spent in the pod – and yet she had donned his colours for him.
She lifts his shirt up his body, the movement forcing him out of the kiss so she can continue lifting it over his head. She chucks his shirt dismissively to the side of the bed and her hands quickly move to wander down his torso, pushing him down onto the bed.
He lies there, staring up at her, taking her in in her entirety, the claret and blue really working on her, even more so than he’d dreamt the kit doing so. She lowers herself onto him, her mouth lingering near his ear, her breath warm against his skin.
“We never got to finish our match at the stadium,” she reminds him. “Let resume now; one vs one, I’ll let you go on the inside of me every time.”
His eyes light up instantly; the claret and blue, the dirty football talk – she’s a quick learner. She burrows into his neck, her lips pressing against his skin.
“I’ll remind you, love, we footballers go for ninety minutes across eleven different positions,” he matches her.
Her lips retreat from his neck and they’re back against his ear, murmuring, “Promises, promises.”
He flips her onto his back, rotating positions, a little squeal of delight escaping her lips at his unexpected display of strength.
“I’m like Arsenal,” he tells her. “I’ll stay on top but finish second.”
She chuckles as he tears the blue bra from her. The claret and blue was fun whilst it lasted but there was much more fun to be had.
“I don’t understand that reference,” she admits.
“I ain’t explaining it now, love.”
The claret thong reunites with its blue counterpart, discarded on the hotel room floor.
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Called Infinna, the fibre is already being used by global brands including Patagonia, H&M and Inditex, which owns Zara. "It's a premium quality textile fibre, which looks and feels natural - like cotton," says Mr Alava, rubbing his own navy blue tee between his fingers. "And it is solving a major waste problem."
Around the world, an estimated 92 million tonnes of textiles waste is created each year, according to non-profit Global Fashion Agenda, and this figure is set to rise to more than 134 million tonnes by 2030, if clothing production continues along its current track.
To the untrained eye, samples of Infinited Fiber's recycled fibre resemble lambswool; soft, fluffy and cream coloured. Mr Alava explains that the product is produced through a complex, multi-step process which starts with shredding old textiles and removing synthetic materials and dyes, and ends with a new fibre, regenerated from extracted cellulose.
This finished fibre can then simply "hop into the traditional production processes" used by High Street brands, replacing cotton and synthetic fibres, to produce everything from shirts and dresses to denim jeans.
Much of the science involved in making the fibre has been around since the 1980s, says Mr Alava, but rapid technological advancements in the last few years have finally made large-scale production a more realistic possibility.
In parallel, he believes High Street brands have become more focused on "really honestly looking for changing their material usage", while millennial and Gen Z consumers are increasingly concerned about shopping sustainably. "They are different animals, different consumers, to people my age," he laughs.
The company has already attracted so much interest in its technology that it recently announced it was investing €400m (£345m; $400m) to build its first commercial-scale factory at a disused paper mill in Lapland.
The goal is to produce 30,000 tonnes of fibre a year once it's operating at full capacity in 2025. That is equivalent to the fibre needed for approximately 100 million T-shirts.
"I think the impact could be quite big, if you think about the whole textile system, what exists currently and how much textile waste that we have," argues Kirsi Niinimäki, an associate professor in fashion research at Aalto University, a few blocks away from Infinited Fiber's headquarters.
"It's a really good example of actually how we can 'close the loop'… really begin to move to a circular economy."
Infinited Fiber's growth is tied into a wider vision in Finland, which wants to become Europe's leading circular economy, with a focus on reusing and saving resources. In 2016, it became the first government in the world to create a national road map designed to help reach its goal.
Several other Finnish start-ups are looking at ways to produce new textile fibres on a big scale, while also cutting down on harmful emissions and chemicals. These include Spinnova which, from its textiles factory in Jyväskylä, central Finland, transforms cellulose from raw wood pulp into ready-to-spin fibres.
Spinnova's yarn is attracting plenty of global attention and has so far been used by brands including upmarket Finnish clothing label Marimekko, and outdoor wear firms North Face, Bergans and Adidas, which recently used it in a limited edition midlayer hoodie designed for hikers.
Elsewhere in Europe, there are a range of other companies developing technologies to create more circular yarns, including Swedish startup Renewcell, and Bright.fiber Textiles, which plans to open its first factory in the Netherlands in 2023.
But experts say there are a range of challenges facing these new fibre brands as they plot their expansions.
Ms Niinimäki underlines that the clothing manufacturing sector has, until recently, been slower than many other industries when it comes to embracing sustainability, which could set the tone for a slower transformation than companies like Spinnova and Infinited Fiber hope.
"It has been so easy to produce the way that we have been producing, and just to move towards more effective industrial manufacturing on an increasingly bigger scale," she says.
"There hasn't been a big pressure to change the already existing system." However, she is hopeful that, in the European Union at least, new rules aimed at ensuring clothing manufacturers focus on more sustainable and durable products will speed up "a change in mindsets".
Another issue is whether clothing brands will be able to pass on the additional costs of their new high-tech production techniques on to consumers, especially at a time when the cost of living is spiralling globally.
Adidas' latest limited edition hoodie produced with Spinnova fabric costs €160 (£137; $160) to buy online in Finland, at least €40 more than most of its other technical hoodies.
"Fashion is a complicated area, because even if people are saying that they are environmentally aware, they don't always act rationally," says Ms Niinimäki. "There's also this kind of emotional side when you talk about fashion consumption, and of course, the price is also linked to that."
While both Infinited Fiber and Spinnova insist their business plans look holistically at all aspects of production - for example using renewable technologies to power their factories - climate campaigners argue it is still too early to accurately estimate the net effect of these new techniques on carbon emissions.
"Pulp and other alternative fibres can provide diversity for sourcing textile materials and therefore lessen the burden caused by production of more traditional textile raw materials such as cotton," says Mai Suominen, a leading forest expert for WWF. "However it depends on the use of energy, all the processes they use and how they use waste materials."
Most importantly, she argues, simply slotting more sustainable fibres into the multibillion dollar fashion industry won't be enough to combat climate change, if we keep making and buying clothes at the current rate.
There is no sustainable development unless the overall natural resource consumption is radically decreased to a level that fits within planetary boundaries," she argues.
But within the Finnish fibres industry there is a sense of boomtown optimism that the increased use of recycled or reimagined fibres could be an important part of the jigsaw in the battle to limit climate change.
"The fast-fashion companies who have been kind of creating certain parts of the problem are highly interested in new technologies," says Infinited Fibers chief executive Petri Alva. He believes that if investment continues, the recycled fibres could become mainstream within ten to 15 years.
#textiles#fashion#fashion industry#sustainable fashion#recycled textiles#closed loop economy#artificial fibres
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wip wednesday!!
thanks for the tag @i-less-than-three-you <33
It’s WIP Wednesday, time for a little accountability, sharing your work, and getting a kick in the pants.
Here’s how it works:
In a reblog (or new post w/ rules attached), post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.
Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!
After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file. If the filename is one you can't share from (for example, an event fic), write 3 sentences on it anyway, and then 3 more on another to share.
That’s it! You can invite others to join in, or just post. I’ll be searching the reblogs to find people to send asks to!
wips to choose from:
steddie tws au
barbie actors au (steve as ken)
infidelity au
these 20 years (future steddie angst) snippet 1 | snippet 2 | snippet 3
the bitch & the bird (carol x robin) snippet 1 | snippet 2
—————
snippet! (from barbie actors au!!)
Steve never thought he’d show up to a movie premiere in double denim but here he was.
Blue denim jeans and a blue denim jacket, underneath which was a white t-shirt, ‘Erica Sinclair’ printed upon it in bright pink lettering. The carpet was pink beneath his white sneakers, as were all the decorations outside the theatre.
He supposed it was fitting, after all the entire movie was bright and colourful and pink.
When Erica approached Steve about playing the infamous Ken, he had been hesitant at first. After all, Barbie is the toy all the girls cared about, what use was Ken? He was just another accessory.
But he’d gone into the backyard one day, after seeing a small pile of his daughter, Bobbie’s, toys in the mud by the old oak tree. He’d began to pick them up: a couple legos, a number block, and there, lying face down and shirtless next to a squished lemon, the man himself.
Ken.
—————
no pressure tags: @judasofsuburbia @gothbat99 @cheatghost @fastcardotmp3 @simplebtromance @scarcrossdlvrs @legitcookie 😘
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Romwe x Corpse Bride: A Critical & possibly hypocritical review.
This review will be fast fashion negative, while giving credit to artistic aesthetics. I own some of the items mentioned (some of which, I regret).
A summary of my opinion: most of it is crap.
This is kind of becoming a series, with my previous Hello Kitty and Friends x Forever 21 review
Disclaimer: I do not like Tim Burton. I like a lot of his media (The Corpse Bride, Wednesday, Frankenwinie, etc.) but I do not agree with his attitudes (most notably towards POC inclusion).
If any Shien apologists come my way I will simply block them. This post is not about "is it ok to order from Shien ever?" Or about the accessibility of fashion or anything like that. Maybe I'm a future post, but for now, go read someone else's opinion piece about it
Why did I order this stuff?
The answer is very simple: Nostalgia and scarcity mindset. I've loved the Corpse Bride ever since I was younger. I owned the DVD and watched it more times than I can count. Additionally, I doubt that there will ever be any other affordable clothing collaborations with the Corpse Bride, at least, not for another while. But please send me other Corpse Bride official and unofficial collaborations if you see any. I'll put a little 🌠 next to anything I bought. Note: I may not include everything I bought from the Collab just because I may not have the strongest opinions on that particular garment or my other arguments may better explain.
What did I like?
The general aesthetics. Motifs of the flowers, butterflies, swirls, skeletons, colour pallets. I liked it all! Was it well executed? No. A lot of the patterns weren't done justice (as seen in the review photos)
The stock images were STUNNING. Which is the point, but still credit where it's due.
It appealed to my nostalgia. I think it was lazy, but it certainly did warm my inner baby bat heart.
Onto specifics. This capette
This capette is fun! I love a good capette! There's obvious flaws like how randomly the little pictures are chosen and I feel the white and black is just a little too high contrast, maybe black and light blue would have worked better?
5. This Graphic T. 🌠
I love this design so much I bought one in the black colour way too. Do I stand by that decision? Not entirely. But as a long-term Corpse Bride fan I feel that I will appreciate them for a very very long term.
6. The Legwarmers 🌠
They did these legwarmers so dirty! As seen in the stock images, the ends are rolling up! I need to reinforce them with my own hidden ribbing and also gently steam them. You may also note that those butterflies are PRINTED ON and it's pretty bad IRL.
7. jeans (?)
But if you see a pair of boring jeans in a charity shop that fit well, why not bring them home and customise them with paint, bleach, trims, embroidery or patches? Remind me to write a post on DIY jean ideas. Anyway, could be fun to browse Shien and Pinterest and steal their ideas! Maybe invite some friends and have some snacks and make it 'a little get together'?
I'm stealing the print of these jeans. A reoccurring hot take of mine is that I hate that EVERYWHERE sells jeans. Go into any high street retailer and they have a WHOLE SELECTION of jeans. From skinny to bootcut to mom to boyfriend to ripped and in black, acid wash, proper denim, super light blue and sometimes white. it's all far too much (in my opinion).
The reason why I feature the "?" in the title is because I don't really see jeans as very Corpse Bride, seems more fairy grunge (I've discussed fairy grunge lightly in the past but I do hope to make a longer opinion post about it)
General dislikes
106 listings. Why SO many graphic t-shirts? I need to count the specifics because there's just too many. And I counted roughly 24 hoodies/sweatshirts (given, there could be duplicates of the plus size and straight sizes) but my point remains. Why is there 106 listings?
Excessive reuse of certain designs and many of the designs are really similar.
No collection of that many pieces could ever be of decent quality or with a lot of thought and the proof is in the pudding (the garments). It simply isn't. Typical Shien. Bare basics stitching, low quality materials, etc.
Polyester for undergarments. Cotton, bamboo and hemp are just far superior fabrics for underwear and socks! I can't imagine polyester is good for the health of external private areas.
Objectively these are cute, but I have recently truly understood how dangerous synthetic materials can be especially for private areas.
I will be referencing this print in my future customised clothing.
Future post idea: Cotton vs. Polyester
At some point in the future, I do intend on posting more information about cotton/natural fibers vs. polyester. Including resources that further discuss the oppression of the Uyghur Muslims, modern cotton slavery, the mistreatment of garment workers. Then also, the production and manufacturing process on various fibers and their quality. Additionally, a bit about micro plastics and our clothes.
Most of it will just be directly referencing and providing information from creators who are more knowledgeable on the topic with minimal opinions and input from me, though there will be a sequel post that includes my opinions and a reflection on how I navigate the topic.
If anyone has any links and resources on that topic let me know!
Thanks for reading!
#corpse bride#the corpse bride#romwe#shien anti haul#anti-haul#deinfluencing#romwe x Corpse Bride#romwe x the corpse bride#anti consumerist#anti fast fashion#unmellow opinions#fashion review#shien review#fashion ethics#alternative fashion blog
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Robins fashion style HC
(this is very dumb but once I thought about it I couldn't stop thinking)
Dick - Despite popular belief, Dick knows how to pull together a nice outfit. He knows how to combine colors and styles and fittings, and surprisingly enough he's only a little behind on current fashion. The real crime is that, most of the time, he doesn't bother. He will just wear anything and go with it. Or worse, he will attempt to be "ahead of his time" or "bring back the classics" and it'll be a disaster. He doesn't mind though, half the fun he gets it's from seeing his friends faces anytime they see whatever he's wearing. He also buys a lot of things that he thinks are cool but once he wears it...
Jason - Jason has a very particular style that is more linked to what he sees around him and he likes than what's current fashion. He's also a more practical and easy type of person, so jeans and a tee is his go to (plus the leather jacket, of course.) But, sometimes, he'll see something he like and he'll try to pull it off, except he'll feel insecure and change it. The rare times he opts to go out with that it's going to be an outfit so un-Jason-like that once someone sees him they will have to rethink everything they thought about Jason. (Jason is unaware of that)
Tim - He's effortless fashion. Because of his upbringing it's kind of his second nature to keep up with current fashion, and to this point he knows very well how to pull together any kind of outfit. Not only because he knows how to pair things, but also because he knows how to choose pieces. Tim knows which color favours him, which brands have the best fitting, how to dress for each occasion. He looks good on everything because he only buys things that he knows will look good on him. He also opts for things that are atemporal bc it's a pain in the ass to go shopping everytime fashion changes.
Steph - She likes to joke that she's a fashion icon even though she knows she isn't (to be honest she's more into makeup than fashion but eh). She opts for color blocks or neutral tones that can go with purple. Half the time her outfit it's an statement and the other half is just the first thing she grabbed but she learnt enough from Tim that she knows how to chose what looks good on her. Sometimes she'll try something out of her comfort zone, wear it three times and feel fabulous and then never use it again because it's too much work finding something to go with it.
Damian - For Damian is less about how he'll look and more about the fabric and the colors. From all of them he's the one that have a much more strict colour palette. He likes neutral tones and the most color he will wear it's green or blue (he's slowly warming up to red but baby steps). Damian usually prefers soft natural fabric and oversized t-shirts and he absolutely despises denim. Sometimes Dick likes to play dress up with Damian and Damian will allow it only if he's on a good humour, and even then he'll never go out of the house wearing anything that Dick praises. If he really likes any piece of clothing he'll buy at least three of then (sometimes Jason will joke that Damian look like a cartoon character that only wears one thing. Damian will retort that that's rich coming from Jason).
+ Bruce
Bruce once knew what was fashionable. Back when he was starting into Batman business and didn't adopted any child.
Today he absolutely gave up on keeping up with that sort of thing and he actually pays a personal stylist for when he has to go out as Brucie.
If given the chance Bruce would wear only suits and the bat suit (because there's no going wrong with suits). He's unexpectedly fond of jewelry. Rings, watches, even bracelets and necklaces. He doesn't wear them often though, but he's always happy to lend them to whichever of his child needs then (Tim is the one that wears them the most, followed by Dick).
#yes Selina gives Bruce jewelry and he loves it#he makes a point to wear at least one thing she gave him everytime they have a date/go out together#Tim has a lot of respect for Bruce's collection and always tries to give them back exactly the same as when he took it#sometimes it works#sometimes it doesn't#he always make sure to make up with bruce later#Dick is less careful#but he tries#Jason pretends he doesn't care for the old man rich colletion but once Bruce got him eyeing a watch#Damian genuinely doesn't care and he thinks jewelry are a liability and Father of all people should know that#but he never really says that out loud#batman#batfamily#batfam#mine#batfam hc
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Jamie's Perfect Date, by Baxter Ward
Summary: For his date with Jamie, Baxter spares no effort or expense. She is very appreciative.
Rating: K - Intended for general audience 5 years and older. Content should be free of any coarse language, violence, and adult themes.
Words: 2200
Notes: My college was full of stray cats. The professors loathed them, but they were so amicable, so cute!
Today simply has to be flawless. Baxter will not accept any less, not when it comes to Jamie.
Of course, he holds himself to high standards in all things, but the thought of providing anything less than perfection for she is one that pains him to even consider. Especially now that he had finally gotten the courage or, rather, found the right and proper time to ask her to spend the day with him.
She approaches him at the university quad on her way out of class not long after noon that day. Her pace slows down as she eyes him before he has noticed her, he is sitting a few meters away on a wood bench, tapping his feet and resisting the urge to check his phone for the time again.
Since he could not miss his morning classes again, thanks to a habit of sleeping much too late for his own good, Baxter had also just gotten out of a lecture hall and did not have the time to go home and change, being noticeably dressed in a more casual ensemble of jeans and a t-shirt. Without his usual elegant set of button-downs and designer shoes, she can appreciate the way constant training and a dancing background have toned his slender frame.
Appreciate it, Jamie most certainly does. Though he soon, much too soon, turns to face her, and her eyes dart back up from a rather ignoble place to meet his instead.
"You're as radiant as ever, I see.” He says with a warm smile.
He offers her an arm and she takes it, replying with a grin, "You've already got me for the day, Baxter. There's no need for flattery."
"Flattery implies a measure of falsehood.” He says with confidence, leading her towards the parking lot. "I could never bring myself to lie to one so lovely."
She would have offered to just walk into town, as she often did when she was alone, but it is rather far from campus. The weather was also warm enough to break a sweat under the midspring sun, and the vehicle proves to be a convenient place for her to leave her heavy bookbag, so she raises no objections as he opens her door for her and whisks them away in the traffic.
As they arrive at the town centre and their time together proceeds, Jamie cannot help but feel that, some way, somehow, Baxter has a kind of psychic insight into her personal preferences. Everywhere she turns, whatever her heart could desire is immediately available and set before her with hardly any negotiation at play. At the first flower stall they find, he takes a moment to exchange words with the owner while she admires the sprawling array of colourful blooms and, by the time he returns, he is holding a woven crown of delicate little white flowers.
With an admiring smile, he carefully places it on her head, a hand trailing down a lock of her hair as he pulls away to observe her. With a shy grin, she performs an exaggerated curtsy, prompting the young man with the dark grey hair to laugh fondly and take her by the hand.
He twirls she slowly under his arm, watching she all the while, then says, "They suit you every bit as wonderfully as I'd thought."
"They're my favourites.” She replies.
"I know! Erm, that is, I know of a superb bakery down the block this way.” He seems a bit red in the face, but she chalks that up to nerves.
Baxter is not wrong, though. This bakery is something else. The selection and quality of ingredients is on an entirely new level compared to the grub a poor student like Jamie has had to get used to, and she finds herself overwhelmed even reading down the list of items posted to the wall. By her third pass over the full range of options, the words are starting to dance in her eyes.
A warm touch at her arm shakes her focus, though. The young man leans close to be heard over the rapidly growing crowd at the bakery's counter.
"Might I make a recommendation?" She nods, and he goes on, "I happen to have it on good authority that there's an item not included on this menu that you may like. It incorporates three different treatments of Equatorian cocoa, if that is of any interest to you."
Her eyes light up and she can practically feel the rich sweetness across her tongue already.
"That sounds incredible.” She replies, enraptured by the very thought.
When she starts to ask how he had heard of such a thing, he has already turned to speak to the worker taking orders, and her words drown among the crowd of customers. The speed at which he acquires this mythical pastry only fills her mind with more questions.
How did he manage to purchase an off-menu item so quickly? Would the cost of something requiring those many luxurious imported ingredients not be astronomical?
Baxter returns to her side and guides her out of the crowded shop, and the sight of the delectable chocolatey treat in his hands dashes all other thoughts from her mind. He hands it to her wrapped in a black handkerchief, probably one of his, and she cannot help but immediately plunge in for a bite.
She wears an expression of pure bliss as her mouth fills with sweet, savoury chocolate. "Oh, Baxter, it's so good!"
When Jamie glances up at him, he is watching her with a strangely heavy expression. Once more, his fair complexion is painted a light red. She tilts her head curiously, and he seems to resurface from whatever thoughts had taken him for the moment.
"Here, you should try some.” She breaks off a piece and hold it up to him.
"Are… Are you quite certain? I had intended for you to enjoy it to your heart's content.” He stammers out, evidently still a bit flushed.
The college girl nods. "I want you to get to have some too. Please?"
She hates to resort to puppy eyes with him, but it is hard to argue against the results. He leans forward and accepts the piece of pastry from her hand. She does not shy away from him in the slightest, and so a brief brush of his lower lip along the tip of her finger simply cannot be avoided. He does his best to move past this without acknowledgement, and the two enjoy their treat together as they take in the leisurely bustle of the town around them.
The day continues in kind, with Baxter apparently having painstakingly arranged every element of this date from start to finish. At a local seller of antiques and luxury goods, he secures permission to view and explore rare and dazzling paintings from around the world. Here, he is rather uncharacteristically reserved. Wandering the storage area like their own personal art museum, he watches her with evident warmth as she exclaims at the rich and varied pigments, the innovative expressions of human form, and so on.
After this, he brings Jamie to a family-owned restaurant at the far end of town, where he has reserved the second floor exclusively for them two to enjoy a quiet, intimate meal together. By this point, she has finally gotten around to considering just how much money must have gone into this singular date.
"Baxter.” She says cautiously. "Are you sure it's okay to go through all of this and spend so much just for…?"
He raises a hand to cut she off, then replies, "I assure you that it is.”
The profligate young man takes her hand in his, holding it warmly from across their private table. It is so soft and warm that she has difficulty keeping her mind in what they should be discussing.
He smiles warmly. "Wealth has no value that we ourselves do not assign to it, and I have chosen to spend it on your pleasure. I can think of no greater use for a stack of dollar bills."
The rest of the early evening is filled with pleasant chat and the occasional subtle sweet-talk. As they discuss everything they have seen and experienced that day, the young man engages his date with surprisingly astute comments and observations. He is always at his best when he feels permitted to simply talk with her, as one person to another, free of the pressures and expectations that he shoulders without a thought.
The sun is steadily lowering behind the hills and buildings of the surrounding town by the time they make their way back to the car together.
As they walk hand in hand watching, he clears his throat abruptly and says, "If I may steal you away for just a little while longer, there was... Actually, there is someone I thought you might like to meet."
"Oh? What an honour.” She says with a smile. "Do I get any hints?"
He gives a good-natured chuckle and responds, "Only that I think you'll get along splendidly."
As Baxter pulls over back at the campus, Jamie notes that they are quite a few ways off either her dorm of his apartment. They are right in front of the Psychology lecture hall, on the back, and she can hear the small bustle of students leaving on the other side for the day.
"Eloise?" He calls out in a gentle voice. "Eloise, come say hello, Ellie? Come now, don't tell me you've chosen tonight to become bashful..."
At his call, a svelte black cat with delicate little white paws comes trotting out to meet she. Her heart positively aches and melts at the sight of it eagerly approaching Baxter with clear comfort and familiarity.
"Baxter, you... Have a cat?" She says with obvious disbelief.
"She's one of the school’s strays, to be perfectly honest.” He explains. "She appeared to me a few months ago, hungry and flea-ridden. I took her to the vet and gave her food, but my apartment block does not allow for pets, so I keep her here. Eventually, she grew a bit fond of me."
Fond seems an understatement. The cat very clearly adores him. With a chorus of happy little mews, it circles his legs and rubs against him until he crouches down to offer it his hand.
As he does, a shred of paper flutters from his pocket onto the ground. Eloise targets it like a seasoned warrior and pounces at it with gusto. With a laugh, she kneels down to retrieve whatever this paper she's captured might be.
"Now Eloise, none of that! You must behave genteel-like with guests."
As he firmly lectures the cat, Jamie glances at the paper in her hand. Nearly every inch of it is covered in an elegant, curling script that she imagines must belong to Baxter. It looks like a list of some kind. As her eyes scan down the page, she begins to recognize a pattern. Her favourite flowers, favourite desserts, favourite types of books and places around town. Plus, to the side, the word "cats?" underlined several times.
For a moment, she simply covers her mouth to hold in a snort of laughter. Then, she come to kneel beside her silly date as he is failing to convince his pet to stop swatting at his hair.
"So, you've been taking very thorough notes lately." She says, nudging his arm playfully.
He turns to face she with an immediate look of panic. Dark eyes widen and glance down to the paper in her hand, then back to her.
He visibly deflates and says, "Goodness, you must find me such a fool-"
Jamie presses her lips firmly to his before he can say another word. With a soft noise of surprise, his eyes flutter shut and he leans into her kiss. His lips are wonderfully soft, and the subtle scent of his cologne surrounds her senses as she tilts her head to seal her lips to his more firmly. She is not certain how long they remain like this, only the dull ache of kneeling on the dirt and the incessant sound of Eloise bopping its paw against the paper in her hand bring her back to her surroundings.
When she parts from him, she brushes aside the silky curtain of his curiously-coloured hair to run her hand along his face, and says, "I had a wonderful time today, Baxter, and it means the world to me that you put so much thought into this. But next time, you don't have to study so hard, okay?"
For a moment, he seems speechless. Then, he gives a shy chuckle. "You have bested me yet again, it would seem. How can I ever hope to become a man worthy of you when you are ever more lovely with each passing day?"
Eloise gives an insistent chirp and rubs once more against his leg, evidently tired of distractions from the attention it feels it is owed. Her smile widens, and she scratches its ear fondly.
"I think there's at least two of us who like you just as you are, Baxter."
*_*_*_*_*
Our Life Masterlist
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Marinette’s Closet Part 1
So I admit I’ve not been writing as much lately for my new chapter as I could have been. Suffering a writer’s block of sorts. However, while I haven’t been able to get into the mood to write, I have still been focusing a lot of attention onto my Fix-It Miraculously story.
Instead of writing, what I’ve been doing is a bunch of character design. Now, this is both redesign of future heroes and new heroes that I don’t really want to get into at this point because major spoilers for my series, and also what I have the ability to share here and now with expanding what the characters wear.
However, there are seasons and time passing and all that jazz so I’m dividing things up somewhat. Below is Marinette’s season 1 Fall wardrobe, ie, what she wears for the first few months of the story. Pajamas not included. I’ll talk about each outfit in more detail below the picture counting the top left outfit as (a) and then going across each row in order. Oh, and I literally googled “quick fashion base” and picked the first one that looked like it would work. The base was on really extreme highheels so I had to change the side of the foot in each one, but there you have it. I did it so I wouldn’t take forever worrying about posing and proportions and all of that and could just focus on the clothes.
(a) Marinette’s default outfit from the show. Cute and her, but also not much to say about it because we’ve all seen it a million times. I stated in the beginning of Origins that Marinette, the spring before the series starts, went through a “flower phase” where she was embroidering everything with flowers. So a lot of her left-over clothes from that time will have flower-print somewhere on them. Those that don’t are likely new additions to her wardrobe since spring, which I don’t think is all that unreasonable seeing as she’s a designer who mainly wears her own creations.
(b) Another official outfit of hers, though this one was from promotional art. I used it as her “dressing up” design for Adrien’s birthday when she was trying to give him his present. It’s a frilly-rimmed baby-t with red plaid dress and blue denim capris. I couldn’t make up my mind out of Marinette’s four footwear choices which one looked good with it so I didn’t end up drawing shoes in. But seeing as all pieces of this wardrobe are interchangable with the other pieces, she’ll probably end up wearing all the footwear with at least some combination of clothes.
(c) A top for warmer weather in a pretty pale teal with a pair of ripped jeans. The top is another carry over from last spring as she embroidered a bunch of flowers and leaves into the upper section. Her hair is also in twin plait braids instead of her normal pigtails. I mentioned her wearing her hair like that in a scene with Manon a few chapters back and while it’s not her usual hairstyle cause it takes time to get ready like that, when she is awake early enough and not otherwise busy, she can wear her hair like that as well.
(d) This is an example of her “business” look. It’s the sort of thing she wears when meeting with clients for her commissions, carefully selected to make her look more mature and professional and less like a little kid running a lemonade stand. She IS 13 and trying to start up her own business, remember, so to help people take her seriously, she has to dress the part. So a simple silver shirt and a jacket as well as a pair of black skinny jeans topped with wearing her hair in a bun instead of pigtails to help add to the professional look.
(e) This one was one that I really hesitated on, because it’s not really her normal style. The colours aren’t her usual bright pastels and the aesthetics just don’t quite seem to match. But at the same time I was trying to look a little outside the box with the outfit as early teens is when a lot of people start shifting into the more niche styles as they try to define themselves and she is a huge fan of Jagged Stone, a rock star, rather than the teeny-bopper type music one would usually associate with a preppy/dreamy/hyper-feminine girl around her age. So I figured why not have her attempt experimenting a bit with her style and try a new look from time to time?
(f) In the Origins chapter, I talked about how Marinette really loves cute skirts and things, but because of her clumsiness she doesn’t want to wear them ever in public because she’s worried about tripping and flashing everybody. So instead she just has a couple of skirts that she wears only on the weekends when she’s not intending on going out anywhere because she loves them so much. This one here is a drawstring gathered skirt out of the same material that broomstick skirts are made out of, along with just a simple white blouse and a denim jacket covered in patches and embroidery. Including Jagged’s head-outline design that Luka wears on her right arm and her entire left arm being encased in a winding vine embroidery that she did last spring. There’s potential for more patches to be added in the future.
(g) Another cute skirt, this time a pink cotton skater skirt with a sleeveless blouse. On the white blouse there are embroidered a whole bunch of white flowers.
(h) A pair of purple tights with sheer paneling on them and a top/hat that were inspired straight from Marinette’s concept art where she wore a cream off-the-shoulder dress. I changed the button on the hat to be a flower instead of a ladybug shell because Ladybug merch is only started circulating at this point in the series and Marinette purposefully is a little behind the curve on that trend because she’s trying to avoid drawing attention to the similarities. I also added some flowery embroidery to the top of the outfit. The tights were originally going to be more pink, like a sky magenta colour, but then it ended up becoming more purple when I coloured it in and at the time I was just eager to get on to the next outfit and figured I’d come back later and tweak the colour, then just never did and decided it looks fine as is.
(i) This is just a white denim top and deep pink denim jeans. And another hat, but... the hats can go with many different tops, I just sort of picked which ones to show them on a little randomly. This hat is knitted, something Marinette made before Adrien’s scarf.
(j) This one is a little more of a rock-and-roll look. No, that’s not a leather jacket, it’s a business suit jacket with shorter sleeves, a white tanktop and the skirt that it took me three hours to draw the little red flowers and golden vines patern on all the layers of. The tooth necklace is a real tooth and was a present from Noona Gina from her travels.
(k) Not much to say on this one either, other than that in Origins Marinette expressed that she liked teal and pink together so that’s why I chose the colours I chose for the outfit. That, and apparently coloured denim was a big thing in the 2010s so that’s why all the technicolored pants.
(l) A chinese-inspired red jacket (look at the ties in the front) over the same white blouse as was in (g) only this time not tucked in and shorts. I know short-shorts were sort of the thing to wear with thigh-high socks during this time, but she’s also 13 so her parents didn’t want her wearing short-shorts and she compromised with mid-thigh shorts and slightly shorter thigh-high socks. Also a hat.
(m) The grey striped part is a really thin, flowy material, the skiny jeans continue on the technicolored rainbow of denim. Marinette has multiple pieces of jewelry that she’s cycled through for longer than she’s had her earrings, she just doesn’t wear them with every outfit.
(n) That cotton skater skirt from (g) is back with a denim shirt that she’s tied off. I strongly think there’s likely a big flower design on the back of her shirt, but I couldn’t make anything look good so I erased it and am leaving it up to the imagination of the viewers to picture what it could look like.
(o) Same denim shirt, this time untied, and covered with a cream knit shirt and more skiny jeans, this time with flowers embroidered/silkscreened onto them. Not really sure if I like the necklace she’s wearing. Found it online and it sort of looked like the one she wore in the concept art and thought I’d put it on her here to make the outfit look less plain. Not sure it succeeded.
(p) Just another look I found online that I thought might work. Mainly picked out because of the darker top and red scarf. I wanted her to have more coloured shirts than just those samey pale colours and this one had a nice accessory that came with it.
(q) Black shirt covered with silver flowers and a denim skater skirt and leggings. Maybe something she’d wear outside the house because of the leggings? Still, more cute skirts and another 1hr+ to do the detailing on the top.
(r) And lastly, a simple pink jacket over a white tanktop and skiny jeans. The jeans were meant to be the same ones as in (p) and the white tanktop was supposed to be the same one as in (j) though they ended up having different necklines when I actually looked at them together. But it’s more proof that outfit parts are switched and swapped to make different end results.
So in grand total, that’s 16 shirts, 7 jackets (including one overalldress thing), 16 pants/shorts/skirts, and four shoe options. That’s a lot of ways to mix and match to cover three months of fall before we get into the winter clothes. Some of these clothes will carry over into winter with maybe just a change of footwear while other pieces will be put away until spring or gotten rid of as she rotates in new fashion ideas. I’ll be taking a bit of a break before starting in on her winter wear, but I figured I’d share what I had so far for anyone who happens to stumble across this and decides they’re interested.
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Nine ways in which men can style their fleece jacket
The best part about fleece jackets is that they are soft, textured and lightweight. Air pockets are trapped in between the fibres that ensure that the heat generated keeps your body warm. A fleece jacket is also compatible with a range of outfits which means you can create multiple looks with it.
Fleece jacket styling tips for men:
You can follow these easy yet cool styling tips when it comes to styling your fleece jackets:
Colour Blocking
If you want to rock a sporty, bold and playful look, colour blocking is the way to go. Pair bright shirts with CAT fleece jackets in contrasting shades, for instance, red and blue or neon green and orange. Complete the look with a pair of neutral chinos or pale jeans and converse shoes for an easygoing look.
Oversize layering
There's nothing sexier than layering an oversized fleece jacket with another oversized outfit. For instance, you can pair your collared overshirt with a hoodie. A pair of tapered joggers and runners below can add to the casual vibe.
As a vest
Add a sleeveless fleece jacket over your shirt to create an effortlessly stylish look. You will enjoy the fibre's warmth and the freedom of arm movement.
Minimalistic look
Pick a fleece jacket in a neutral shade and pair it with classics like a white t-shirt and blue jeans or chinos. Go for a classic zip-up fleece pullover and let your "minimalistic styling sense" speak for itself.
With a chunky outwear
A fleece jacket with its tactile finish and voluminous layers is a statement piece for winter fashion. A thick or padded fleece jacket is the best option for a cold winter night to nail the "chunky aesthetic."
Mess-free sleek look
If you want to create a fuss-free, easygoing, and chic look, go for a fleece zip sweater in a light neutral shade with black cargo pants. Both these pieces complement each other well and are super comfortable. To add chic, complete your ensemble with a pair of grey athletic shoes.
Functional look
For functionality and comfort in your style, team up your fleece zip jacket with basic black pants and a pair of cool white canvas low-top sneakers.
Clean boy look
For a neater and put-together look, go for a fleece zip sweater with multi-coloured houndstooth chinos. Add a pair of beige canvas low-top sneakers, and you are good to go for that clean boy look.
Laid-back style
To create a relaxed and laid-back ensemble pair a cat fleece jacket with khaki plaid chinos. You can pull off this look every day in the streets with total ease and comfort.
A fleece men's jacket is probably one of the best investments you can make in your winter wardrobe. It is versatile enough to be styled in different ways to create different looks. You can check out our fleece men's jackets to explore more styling options.
Source: https://www.universal-textiles.com/blogs/news/nine-ways-in-which-men-can-style-their-fleece-jacket
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Are pointed toes ankle boots in style?
The pointed-toe ankle boots are the most stylish way to dress up with jeans. And it is the most popular type of shoe.
Due to their adaptability, boots are unquestionably one of the most common fall and winter footwear forms. Want to keep warm while displaying your legs? Wear knee-high boots with a little skirt. Do you wish to test the western craze? The new best friend you have are cowboy boots. Do your favourite pants tend to become a little monotonous? With authentic ankle boots, you may add a splash of colour. Do you require a shoe dressier than a trainer but less formal than a heel?
Here are ideas to style pointed-toe ankle boots.
Black leather pointed toes ankle boots.
Wintertime is a great time to wear pointed-toe ankle boots. You can dress elegantly by donning a grey wool coat over a grey sweatshirt. Put on the black pointed-toe ankle boots, a tiny leather skirt, and stockings.
If you must wear business casual to work, you can add flair to your work attire by becoming more creative with your blazer. For instance, wear a black and white polka dot jacket over a blue button-up shirt. Black cropped skinny jeans and leather ankle boots with pointy toes complete this business-casual style.
With a blazer and grey jeans
You can put together a chic and understated look by wearing a black jacket over a white v-neck t-shirt as the top. Black ankle boots and skinny grey jeans round out the look. As straightforward as it may appear, this business casual work attire looks professional. The pieces must fit together perfectly to work.
With leather flare mini skirt
In your all-black outfit, you can try this clothing concept to look fabulous with originality and joy. Wear a colour-blocked sweater with striking colours like pink instead of a pure black. A flare mini skirt offers a little more cuteness than a pencil skirt. Leggings and pointed-toe ankle boots should be worn to finish off the look.
For example, layering a short black leather jacket over a white button-up shirt. Put them with a suede pointed-toe ankle boot and a black high-waisted mini skirt.
With Bomber Jacket
Skin skinny jeans and pointed-toe ankle boots can make you look elegant when worn in the proper combination. For instance, slip a white shirt into a pair of skinny pants to make your waistline appear smaller. To counteract the minor difficulty of the tucked-in blouse, put on a green bomber jacket. This outfit will seem cool and tough with a pair of black ankle boots.
Red pointed-toe ankle boots with a blazer
When wearing all-black clothing, occasionally adding a touch of red may liven up the entire ensemble. For a subtle yet stunning style, wear a black jacket, black miniskirt, and red pointed-toe ankle boots.
Pointed-toe ankle boots always look fanatic in any look. And this fashion doesn't go out of style.
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Last Updated on 22nd December 2022
When it comes to looking good, not all of us want to pull out a suit and tie. We want to be comfortable while still looking sharp right?
Well, If you’re searching for something comfortable yet still stylish, look no further than casual wear.
From classic tees and polos to modern-cut denim and blazers, our guide will provide plenty of inspiration on how to do casual wear.
When it comes to casual style, comfort should always come first. Go for fabrics like cotton and jersey that feel cozy against your skin while avoiding anything too tight or constricting – nobody wants jeans so snug they make movement a challenge. And don’t forget the fit! A tailored look is key – have an expert tailor make adjustments as needed.
Layering is a great way to take your look up a notch. A jacket or cardigan not only adds personality but gives you an effortless polished feel. For those cooler days when jackets just won’t cut it, switch ’em out for lightweight sweaters that still turn heads while keeping out any chills.
Sneakers are great for most men’s casual looks, but if you want to add a bit of sophistication try loafers instead. They’re comfortable, cool and will quickly become an essential wardrobe staple.
Clashing prints can be cumbersome and take away from your overall look. Stick to the basics or match a couple of different prints together that complement one another. When choosing between items with interesting prints, opting for one statement piece does the trick best – let the rest of your outfit be simpler for an effortless, clean look,
When it comes to men’s casual wear, there are certain pieces that will always be in style…
1. Classic white t-shirt
T-shirts are the perfect go-to for any casual wardrobe. Whether you’re after laidback, chill vibes, or a smarter look, a plain t-shirt plus jeans and sneakers are the ideal combo. Don’t be afraid to experiment with colour blocking; if you opt for a brightly coloured t-shirt and jacket, make sure the rest of your outfit is more muted for balance.
2. Denim jeans
Jeans are versatile enough for nearly any occasion. Choose a pair of slim-fit jeans. The right fit should sit comfortably at your waist and taper slightly at the legs. There’s no need to stick to the classic blue. Grey, or black work well. For a smart casual look, try pairing your denim jeans with a tucked in button-down shirt and blazer or cardigan. Finish the look off with leather loafers. If you’re looking for something more laid-back, opt for a graphic tee or polo shirt and sneakers instead or add an edge to your outfit with distressed jeans.
3. Chinos
When it comes to mens casual trousers, Chinos are a great choice for smart-casual looks. Neutral shades like navy or beige give off an effortless vibe. With Chinos, the key is to keep things neat and simple. For the top half, a plain t-shirt or polo shirt should do the trick – just make sure your shirt isn’t too tight or overly baggy. To add some texture, layer up with a hoodie or denim jacket. Then, complete your look with some fresh white sneakers or throw on a pair of loafers. Just remember to go sockless for maximum cool points. You can also dress up your chinos further by pairing them with a crisp collared shirt.
4. Oxford shirt
This classic staple can easily be dressed down with a pair of jeans or dressed up with a blazer. We recommend investing in a really good quality oxford shirt, and once again keep it tailored and stick to neutral colours. In colder months, layer your shirt with a crew neck sweater for extra warmth and finish off the look with some relaxed trousers or jeans. To top it off, add a beanie – no matter how casual your outfit is, you’ll still look pulled together and put-together!
5. Blazer
When choosing a blazer for a casual look, opt for something, tailored, lightweight and comfortable. Look for one made from linen, cotton, or even tweed – these fabrics are perfect for adding texture to your outfit without making it too formal.
You can also try playing with different colours and patterns – checks and stripes work especially well when paired with other casual pieces such as jeans and t-shirts.
6. Sneakers
For a more relaxed, stylish look, go for low-top sneakers in canvas or suede materials. They pair nicely with shorts, jeans, and other casual wear items. Keep it simple when it comes to colors and patterns – solid colors work best especially when wearing luxury sneakers in a casual setting.
7. Bomber jacket
Bomber jackets have earned their place as a casual staple in men’s fashion. They add an edge of cool to any look, whether it’s pairing a bomber jacket with jeans and a t-shirt or dressing them down further with sneakers and shorts. Available in a variety of materials and colors, there’s sure to be bomber jacket that matches your personal style. But remember to choose something that fits well and isn’t too oversized or baggy – otherwise you’ll end up looking more like Grandpa than stylish!
8. Hoodie
A hoodie can be a great choice when it comes to casual outfits for men. It’s important to choose one that fits well and is made of quality material. Hoodies in neutral colors like black, white, grey and navy go best with casual looks. To smarten up your look, throw on a blazer or cardigan, alternatively pair your hoodie with chinos or dark jeans.
9. Polo Shirt
Polo shirts are a must-have for any man’s casual wardrobe. Whether you’re headed to the office or a casual outing with friends, a polo shirt can make the perfect statement. They’re also incredibly lightweight and breathable- making them ideal for the hotter months when layering isn’t an option. Accessorise your polo shirt with confidence – a pair of statement sunglasses or a stand-out watch can really elevate any casual outfit with a polo shirt.
10. Loafers
From shorts and jeans to khakis and chinos, loafers can be paired with almost any look for a stylish yet comfortable outfit. For a classic pairing, wear loafers with dark hued jeans and an Oxford shirt. And if you’re looking for something even more laid back, try wearing your loafers with shorts and a polo shirt – perfect for warm weather style.
When it comes to men’s casual dressing, there are a wealth of options—from comfy tees and jeans to classic polos and shorts. Sneakers make any laid-back look complete when paired with jeans, but if you’re seeking something more formal then loafers are the go-to choice for sure. Top off your ensemble with some stylish accessories like sunglasses, watches, or a good-quality belt.
Copyright © 2023 my fashion life
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Things you need to Know About Book Bottomless Brunch in Ruislip
While you book a bottomless brunch in Ruislip, make sure it offers a predetermined fee for several meals and unlimited beverages in the late morning or early afternoon. Typically, you will have two hours to enjoy your brunch meal and various drinks, beers, or wines.
Things to watch out for before you make it to a bottomless brunch
Before you book a bottomless brunch at Ruislip, get an idea of its offerings and whether any discounts are available. Utilise the following points when you are out for a bottomless brunch:
Get accustomed to the terms and conditions.
There is nothing worse than arriving at a bottomless brunch expecting the food to be included when it isn't or learning that there are only mimosas when you assumed there would be Aperol spritzes. To ensure you are satisfied, ask what is included when making a reservation.
Be Fresh
Water is essential to your survival if you intend to continue drinking after the bottomless brunch. If you are having trouble remembering when to drink water, set periodic water alerts on your phone to help you remember. Keep in mind to drink sensibly.
Be punctual
When brunch is unlimited, every minute counts. Give them an earlier meeting time since if someone is late, the whole team will suffer. Additionally, place your meal order early to avoid drinking on an empty stomach.
Why is bottomless brunch becoming popular?
Few people don't enjoy brunches! It's fun and social, and you may indulge in various delectable foods and your favourite unlimited beverages. A brunch is usually a terrific way to commemorate a significant event since it gathers friends, family, and co-workers at one table.
Fashion essentials for going to bottomless brunch
Be sure when you book the bottomless brunch in Ruislip that you have a good collection of outfits ready for yourselves. If not, these are the fashion essentials one can look at while going to their bottomless brunch.
Jeans and tops
Jeans with a good top always work with any situation and occasion. A wide plethora of denim designs available this season will let you put together an ensemble with absolute confidence. There are many ways by which you can dress up your choice of denim, whether it be boot cut, barrel leg, cropped, or straight leg, by accessorising with a chic top, bold jewellery, killer shoes, and the ideal purse.
Adding a head scarf
Head scarves are a terrific way to give your brunch attire a fresh, new dimension, and they are trendy right now. This style, which draws its inspiration from the 50s and 60s, ranges from silky floral head scarves to headscarves in block colours. It's a terrific way to give a bold finishing touch to any ensemble!
Mini Skirt
A staple of every wardrobe, the tiny skirt is seen on catwalks year after year! And it's back with a vengeance this year. Miniskirts are highly adaptable and ideal for any brunch date, whether you dress yours up with a cropped blouse or down with a t-shirt.
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Essential Packing Tips for a Beach Vacation
There is no limit to the joy when it comes to heading for the beach while having a vacation. One may opt to go to the beach during the summer time or during the colder season. Remember the packing tips for a beach vacationaccording to the climate you are setting off to travel. Usual stuff such as maps, first aid kit, flash lights with extra batteries, GPS system, mobile phones, chargers, cameras, sleep wear, sleeping bag, mats, folding beds and chairs, fridge, tables, cooking equipments and essential medicines that might be required in case of any injury or accidents are some of the must-haves for any travel. Are you a BIG lover of 2023 Nude Calendars, find a big collection of Nude Calendars here.
Packing tips for a beach vacation in summer
During summer you would love to indulge in swimming to save yourself from the scorching heat and hence remember to pack up two sets of swim suits as you can use the other one if one gets wet.
Carry plenty of beach towels to keep yourselves dry always.
Pack up a lot of Sun block creams, Aloe Vera creams, Sun tan lotions, antiseptic lotions and other skin ointments in case of you develop rashes or have allergies.
Remember to pack a lot of hats as your head would be prone to direct heat that might lead to problems in your scalp.
Flip flops or beach sandals to walk along the sands of the shores are a mus for every beach vacation.
Light colour and light material clothes to face the heat and that are easy on the skin are a must. Choose apparels that are used for the day time and separate ones for the nights such as sweaters, sweat shirts and jackets made of very light materials.
Pack big umbrellas to sit under during the mid day Sun to safeguard your skin and your kids.
Have your bag filled with lot of elastic hair bands to tie your hair when the wind is harsh as your hair might get tangled. Also have lip balms and SPF rich moisturisers and Sun screen lotions.
Pack just a single bath wear as the chances of you swimming at such a climate is very thin and there is no need to stack up more than one as it consumes a lot of space in the luggage.
Pack large towels to dry yourselves and to lie down on the sands of the beach.
Remember to wear your clothes in layers to withstand the chillness such as T shirts, shirts, pullovers, sweaters, fleeces, jackets, jeans, khakis, shorts and pants to safe guard against the cold weather.
Thick varieties of socks in many numbers of pairs should be kept to be warm throughout the night.
To stay safe from Sun burns, carry a Sun screen or Sun block creams and lotion with a high SPF. This is essential even if you spend only less time under the Sun.
Pack lots of sneakers as other foot wear such as sandals or flip flops might make you even colder.
Also have hiking boots, compass and maps to find your way out in case of extreme conditions.
Packing tips for a beach vacation in cold climates
Some indoor games such as board games or any other games to keep you entertained even while staying inside.
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Tips to Look Stylish No Matter What You Choose to Wear
You're not alone if finding new things to wear and putting together fashionable outfits are constant challenges. Even though it sometimes seems so difficult, being fashionable doesn't have to be difficult! You can truly change your wardrobe and personal style in a few easy, basic ways to look put-together and stylish every day. See the advice we've provided below to find out how to get going.
Make Use Of Your Capsule Wardrobe
Make sure you have dependable wardrobe essentials, such as the classic little black dress, a pair of well-fitting jeans, a timeless blazer, uncomplicated T-shirts and button-downs in neutral tones, and a casual leather jacket (or denim jacket). Looking put together requires investing in a small selection of adaptable fundamentals and learning how to dress them.
Ensure That Your Clothing Fits You Perfectly
Getting a skilled tailor is one tip for making any clothing item appear wonderful. Clothing with a tailored fit not only appears more professional, but also feels more cosy. You won't feel stylish if your clothes bunch up or your trousers drag on the floor. You can begin to experiment with over- and under-sized items in a way that feels attractive rather than sloppy if your capsule wardrobe fits you nicely.
Choose A Personal Look
It can take years to find your own distinctive look, but you can start by making a moodboard. You should always keep in mind that personal style is an experiment; you never know what fantastic looks you'll find until you enter the changing room. You shouldn't let the labels "menswear" and "womenswear" define how you purchase. Spend some time experimenting with colours and forms to discover what suits your individual body type well.
Get Better At Shopping
It will be easier for you to avoid stuffing your wardrobe with clothes you never wear if you know how to buy exactly what you want. When you have items in your wardrobe that you adore, styling an outfit will come naturally.
Put On A Belt
One of the simplest ways to make any outfit look more put together is to add a belt to it. It's also a terrific strategy for creating harmony in an outfit, such as when wearing a long cashmere sweater with a billowy midi skirt that might not otherwise work.
Make Use Of Colour
If you're hesitant to incorporate colour into your outfit, start with one neutral-colored piece and work your way up. You'll learn which colour combinations complement your style the most as you become more used to them. For ideas, have a look at a colour wheel. You can buy stylish t shirts for men to make the most of your choices.
Combine Textures And Patterns
It's no longer acceptable to match your bags to your shoes. A bold fashion statement is made by clashing textures and prints. Start small with modest materials like knits and leather, as well as neutral patterns like stripes.
Think of your building blocks. Make a list of the clothes you wear frequently and the ones that go through the washing machine, then buy a few more of those things like you buy branded t shirts online.
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[ FALL ] or [ COAT ] (from Johnny heh)
Hugging Prompts II Accepting
[ COAT ]
What time was it? He had no idea, but it remained dark. Most of that came from being covered by trees, their great canopies blocking out parts of the sky. All he could really focus on was how cold he was, the biting air nipping at his exposed skin. He managed to salvage the distressed jeans he wore, locating them in some undergrowth where they were quite clearly discarded in a hurry. But his favourite t-shirt was nowhere to be seen; an eyesore with its explosion of swirling bright colours, depicting a UFO beaming up a person with the words 'take me home!' underneath. Heartbroken, there was a high chance it was torn to shreds before he could remove it during his transformation. A sacrifice he was used to -- no less devastating -- but he definitely made the better choice. On the off-chance that somebody found him, he would much rather be naked above than below. Nothing was more shocking than seeing a man wandering through a forest with everything on show.
The mud below his feet was frosty, but solid at least. There was nothing worse than being dirty when the availability of a shower was slim. An alternative would be a river, but he was too disorientated to even think about locating one. Trekking over broken ground, twigs and leaves sticking to the soles of his feet, Reynardine flared his nostrils and breathed in deeply. Any scent was better than none as an indicator of direction. Even if it was the aroma of a human taking a stroll through the woods, somebody he could ask for a general clue as to his whereabouts -- but the idea was utterly ridiculous. Unless they were a serial killer dumping a body, no sane person would risk being out here this late. He had a valid reason, however. And now he wanted to leave, tiredness setting in.
At first, it was difficult to place. Barely noticeable. But making his way towards the sharp aroma confirmed his initial thought of petrol. A burning exhaust, releasing short bursts into the environment. It meant two things; a road was up ahead and a car was stopped, giving him the perfect opportunity to hitchhike. He only hoped that they were friendly, willing to overlook his appearance and offer him a hand. As he advanced towards it, their headlights suddenly switched on and illuminated the treeline. One -- two -- three consecutive flashes, almost like a guiding beacon. It startled him initially, blinking against the harsh hue until he managed to tolerate it and make his way towards the car. He watched as the driver's door opened and a figure stepped out, shutting it behind them with a kick of their heel.
"...Johnny? H-Holy shit." It was the best he could do, words falling from shivering lips. Man, he was exhausted -- even more so when his aching bones knew that they could finally rest. "How the fuck d-did you find me, dude?" Huffing out an incredulous laugh, he moved towards Johnny to give him a grateful hug. As he did, the other male opened up his leather jacket and immediately wrapped it around the werewolf, making sure he was covered. Reynardine pressed into him, burying his face in the crook of his neck to absorb as much heat as possible. "You're so warm, it's unfair." He was like a radiator, giving off enough warmth to bring colour back into Reynardine's cheeks. He could quite happily fall asleep standing up like this.
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These 10 Markets in Delhi Have Affordable and Trendy Clothing for Everyone
Until recently, women were the only ones who went shopping. The metrosexual men of the modern day know how to look sharp, so this summer, prepare to look dashing and fly without spending a lot of money. You’ll find funky graphic tees, cheap jeans, breezy khaki pants, and more at these cool markets in the city. You can give your wardrobe a makeover without the guilt of spending too much on clothes!
1. Sarojini Nagar Market
Sarojini Nagar was meant to be the setting for the phrase ‘the sky’s the limit’. Can you think of any other place which offers such an incredible variety of everything? Among Delhiites, this flea market is the place to go for all kinds of fashion needs, and for good reason. It is a haven for all the guys in town because they can buy jeans, tie-dyed t-shirts, khaki pants, button-ups, blazers, and just about anything else they need at throwaway prices!
Where | Central Market – Lajpat Nagar II, Lajpat Nagar
Timings | 10 AM – 9 PM
2. Janpath
In terms of fashion clothing and junk jewellery, Janpath is a popular market among college students. The attraction is not only for girls anymore. It is also possible to find many options for men on the market. They have it all, including graphic t-shirts, belts, shoes, and denim, at really affordable prices. You can find some great deals if you use your bargaining skills. During chilly weather, you can find jackets or sweats to keep you warm.
Where | Janpath Market, Janpath Road, Janpath, CP
Timings | 11 AM – 9 PM
3. Karol Bagh Market
There is no better place to get affordable yet trendy clothing than Karol Bagh Market in Central Delhi. A polo shirt can be purchased here for as low as Rs 200, and a sweatshirt can be purchased for as much as Rs 300. In the market, you can find everything you need for a stylish wardrobe, including shoes, accessories, jackets, jeans, and more. You’ll also be able to enjoy some delicious street food while you’re there. Take advantage of your visit to Gaffar by checking out the latest electronics!
Where | Karol Bagh Market, Block 1, WEA, Karol Bagh
Timings | 11 AM – 10 PM
4. Palika Bazaar
You feel as if you’re in another world when you’re in this underground shoppers’ paradise. With around 390 shops, it’s an air-conditioned shopping hotspot where you can score an array of great clothes at affordable prices, among a gazillion other things. In spite of how many criticize the products here as defective, the range and variety you’ll find here is pretty friggin’ impressive. In order to shop here, you need to be a good bargainer because you can even negotiate to have a glow-in-the-dark tee reduced to just 200 for Rs 800.
Where | Palika Bazaar – CP
Timings | 10:30 AM – 8 PM
5. Central Market
When you step foot in Lajpat Nagar’s Central Market, your inner shopaholic will rise from the depths of abyss. You’ve got to keep your eyes peeled for funky graphic tees from roadside stalls at this market, so get ready for a total wardrobe revamp. So gear yourself up to be spoilt for choice with apparel in many styles and colours. This bazaar offers a huge variety of shops, and you’ll never be able to choose between them all!
Where | Central Market – Lajpat Nagar II, Lajpat Nagar
Timings | 10 AM – 9 PM
6. Atta Market
Atta Market in Noida, located in sector 18, is famous for its affordable attire from shops such as New Look Collection, JMD Fashion Zone, and others. Stylish jeans, hoodies, shirts, t-shirts, and hoodies in a variety of fabrics and prints are available in bulk in this store. Clothing stores regularly offer sales starting at Rs 150, isn’t that unbelievable? However, once clothes are sold in these shops, they cannot be taken back! Wear it or throw it! Even though it’s a bit far, you’ll be glad to make the trip when it gives you export surplus clothes!
Where | Atta Market – Sector 18, Noida
Timings | 10 AM – 9 PM
7. Chor Bazaar
Chor Bazaar offers goods from virtually every manufacturer in the country, and sometimes even from other countries. In the heart of Old Delhi, close to the Lajpat Rai Market, this flea market comes to life on Sunday mornings. You’ll find almost every type of clothing here at really affordable prices that you might forget you’re even in Delhi for a moment. There’s a famous store named Prince Majestic, which sells a wide variety of clothes in abundance, including really dapper sherwanis and traditional Indian suits for men at incredibly low prices.
Where | Chor Bazaar – Chandni Chowk, Behind Red Fort
Timings | 6 – 10 AM (Every Sunday)
8. Monastery Market
Located right in our very own capital, this market feels like a mini Tibet. There are many options to choose from here, such as shirts, t-shirts, jeans, bags, belts, caps, and even shoes at very affordable prices. College-goers & tourists alike are attracted to its Tibetan charm. It is usually filled with woollen clothing, such as pullovers, sweaters, cardigans, and gloves. A leather jacket is another item that makes people want to shop!
Where | Monastery Market – Bela Road, Monastery Market, Ladakh Budh Vihar Colony,
Timings | 10 AM – 8:30 PM
9. Mohan Singh Place
As we know it, this area was probably the birthplace of the shopping mall. This shop offers custom-made clothing for men since 1968, including suits, jeans, shirts, kurtas, and trousers. A perfect fit is ensured by measuring everything precisely. We can confidently say that their clothing has for sure won over the game of custom clothing since they feel like second skin when worn. The best feature is that they have all kinds of fabrics, so you can bring your own fabric and have them make you a shirt that highlights all your toned muscles. It’s time to throw away those baggy tees & droopy pants & slip into something more classy this summer.
Where | Mohan Singh Place – Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Outer Circle, CP
Timings| 10 AM – 9 PM
10. Yashwant Place Commercial Shopping Complex
This hidden gem is nestled among the affluent suburbs of Chanakyapuri and houses all types of leather items at the most affordable prices and of such high quality, that you won’t believe it’s there! There are a lot of foreigners who come here to purchase high-quality leather clothing, bags, and accessories. For some cool leather jackets this winter, head to this awesome complex!
Where | Yashwant Place Commercial Complex – Opposite Post Office, Satya Marg, Chanakyapuri
Timings | 10 AM – 10 PM
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