#Best selling lifestyle books

[bookswagon-india]

Lifestyle Books To Take Back Control Of Your Life

In times of stress, personal wellness and health are often the first two aspects of your life to take a backseat. Now’s your chance to get back in the driver’s seat, our selection of some of the best lifestyle books will offer a holistic approach to wellbeing. Exactly what you need to take back control of your life!

So get started and also get these books today from Bookswagon, trust me you won’t regret it.

ALIVE!

ALIVE! Lifestyle Changes to Age-Proof Your Mind and Body by Rachna Chhachhi is essential reading in a post-COVID-19 world, where an integrated approach towards strengthening our immune system has become even more critical.

The writer shares a holistic living plan that can help slow down the ageing process, fend off disease and improve quality of life.

Focused on opting for an unhurried pace to heal yourself, building the mind-body connection and, this nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management programmed follows four steps which includes eliminating what harms you, imbibing what heals you, discover your mind-body balance, nurture your healing lifestyle.

The Lifestyle Diet

The Lifestyle Diet is a culmination of the author Rohini Patil’s several years of practice in the fields of diet, nutrition, fitness, mental health and overall lifestyle. The book offers you the practical techniques and some very handy checklists to make your lifestyle diet work. It also talks about the various components that contribute to a healthy lifestyle that is unique in their own ways. The 101 diet plans that cater to all kinds of lifestyles, is the bonus point.

The Power of a Positive Attitude

The power of a positive attitude, Your Road to Success will help you uncover your hidden abilities and achieve success and a lot more.

It helps us to show how to be positive in every situation and if you are facing any issue how to deal it with positivity. And how that positivity is going to affect you.

This book by Roger Fritz details the dos and don’ts in dealing with your boss, provides handy tips for overcoming negative attitude, managing stress, and coping with burnout, and expounds on how converting negative thinking to positive action can bring about a change in life.

The Everyday Hero Manifesto

Robin Sharma makes his transformational system available to anyone who is ready for monumental productivity, undefeatable positivity and deep spiritual freedom. In this book you will discover a breakthrough blueprint to battle-proof yourself against distraction and procrastination so that you produce magic that dominates your domain, the hidden habits used by many of the world's most creative and successful people to realize their visionary ambitions, pioneering insights on adopting world-class routines that will lead you to achieve superhuman fitness and become the most disciplined person you know, original techniques to turn fear into fuel, problems into power and past troubles into triumphs and a lot more.

You can get all lifestyle personal style guides books from Bookswagon at the most affordable states worldwide.

[milunalupin]

— tale as old as time

chapter two

chapter one

beast!remus x beauty!reader ★ 1.9k words

The sun had risen in Riquewihr, your father's chickens clucking outside of your small home on the outskirts of town. You tiptoed through the house to not wake up your father, grabbing and putting on your shrug that was laying over a chair. Collecting the book you had to return to Mister Longbottom from the dining room table you left the house, making your way into the town's center. You wrapped your shrug tighter around you as the brisk morning air ran a chill over you, your shoes echoing over the cobblestone path. You always went to the bakery first to make sure you got the freshest bread for you and your father.

"Good morning Madame Potter, you look puzzled." You chuckled as she walked up to the baker's stand.

"I woke up today feeling like I've lost something again, I just don't remember what." the merchant replied, one of her ceramic bowls in her hands as she looked around her space in confusion. She stopped her search to grab a fresh loaf from her basket and handing it over to you in exchange for a few coins. "Where are you off to today, amie?"

"I just finished reading this book, I'm on my way to return it now. It's about two lovers in northern Italy."

"Sounds boring." Lily scrunched her nose with a smile.

You laughed and waved at the red head , turning to walk towards the town's tiny library. You didn't have to look around to know that the other villagers were staring at you. Since arriving, your father and yourself were often pushed aside and looked down upon. Your father was older, and an inventor. Apparently being the two meant that there was something off in your head. And you, a young woman with no intention of finding herself a husband, were promised to a life of loneliness and poor lifestyle. Many assumed that once your father was gone, you would end up on the streets begging for scraps, a woman with nothing with the ability to read, deeming you useless.

Lucky for you, friendship was easily found in Lily Potter and Frank Longbottom, the kind owner of the library. You continued your stroll, the bell tower ringing to indicate the start of the day.

The town square was the most colorful part of the village, stands full of perfectly picked flowers and buckets of the season's harvests. Vendors shouted over the crowd selling textiles and meats, a cleaver just barely missing your arm as you got pushed around the hustle and bustle of the market.

"Y/N!

A self proclaimed war hero. An arrogant hunter who all the women in the village were in love with. Evan Rosier was Riquewihr's most eligible bachelor, his tall stature and aristocratic features apparently the best thing since fresh bread. He wasn't the brawniest, but he held himself such a way that made all the ladies swoon.

"Here, beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady."

You did your best to keep a polite smile on your face as Evan just about shoved the bouquet into your arms. This unfortunately wasn't your first encounter with the hunter, and you feared it wasn't the last. You knew he was considered the most handsome man in the village, but no amount of attractiveness could overlook such a sour and vain personality. Glancing down at the colorful arrangement of flowers in her hands, you nodded towards Evan and took a step back to continue on your stroll.

"Thank you Evan, I'll see you-"

"Dinner, tonight. I'll arrive just before sundown." he smirked,

"Sorry, I'm busy!" You began walking away from him, the flowers slowly getting ripped apart as you squeezed you way through the crowd to further distance from him. Apologies Mister Longbottom, the books will have to wait for another day.

"Not too busy for a gentleman's company, I'm sure!"

You weaved around the market, slipping into an alleyway, holding your breath to hear if he was nearby. As soon as you saw him strut by, you let out a breath of relief, letting yourself leaning against the stone wall for a moment before turning towards the direction of your house.

Surprisingly, Evan wasn't even the worst part of Riquewiher. The villagers weren't as good at whispering as they thought, or perhaps they meant for you to hear all of the mean comments they made daily. You weren't oblivious to the nasty glares and insults. You didn't share the same miniscule mindset as everyone else, and you wished that one day you could leave it all behind and explore what else the world has to offer. Until then, your books will have to do.

With your little cottage just up ahead, the coast felt clear. But of course with your luck, an obnoxious smile and shiny boots stopped you in your path.

"That's a nice book you have there."

"Evan, do you read?"

You stand there looking confused as he let out a boisterous laugh, shaking his head. "What kind of man do you take me for, of course I don't."

"Of course, how silly of me to assume there was anything in that head of yours besides.. well, is there even a brain in there?"

"Ladies mustn't speak like—" You shut the door behind and blew out a breath, relieved to be at home in your safe space. Hearing your father's whistling from the dining room table, you smiled and walked over to him hunched over his newest invention. It seemed to be his favorite project, a small metal replica of what you believed to be your old family home in Paris. Inside sat tiny figurines identical to your father, mother, and a small bundle which had to have been yourself.

"I don't think the villagers like me very much."

"What's not there to like about you? You're beautiful, very smart, and most importantly, you're kind." he sent you a certain look, the side of his mouth twitching up. "Sort of like someone I used to know."

Your eyes softened at his response. It warmed your heart to know that no matter how much time went on since your mother's passing, his love for her never faded.

Your father gives you a sympathetic smile, coming over to kiss the top of your head before turning back around to collect his things and packing them in a trunk. That's right, it was the time of year that your father left town and traveled to the market to sell his work and meet other creatives. Though you'd missed him dearly, his trips took no longer than a few days.

"Alright my little flower, what shall I bring you back?"

"You already know father. All I'd like is a rose."

The journey to the market was a relatively easy and familiar one. Your father and family horse, Philippe, take the same woodland route every few months. Upon reaching a fork in the road he doesn't remember existing, a breeze of cold air runs through the forest, sending a bit of a chill throughout his body.

"Well Philippe, we've got to make sure we pick the right path." he laughed to himself , nudging the horse towards the right. This path was unfamiliar, but it couldn't take him too far off from his destination. Besides, he'd look bad making that joke to Phillippe only to take the opposite route.

He had to say, the treetops blocking out the sun did make it a little chillier, and the lack of the usual river he followed deprived him from the calming sounds of the running water. The two continued on through the forest, making the most of the greenery and the.. snow?

Philippe's hoof clacking became muffled as the fluffy snowfall increased, a far away howl waking up the artist from his calm state. He was not at the age to try an outrun any wolves, especially not with the precious cargo he had strapped to his horse. Nudging his hooved friend with his calf, they carefully trotted along. The sun had begun setting an hour later, making it harder to see for the older man. Philippe and himself were tired, they were not expecting for this journey to take as long as it had, perhaps he should've taken the left path instead. Just as he was about to give and set up camp among the trees, metal gates came into view. As they got closer, he realized that the metal gates stood at the entrance of a large garden, with an even larger castle standing tall behind it.

With the drop in temperature, your father wasted no time in passing through the gates, tying Philippe up outside, and entering the castle. The foyer was dark, apart from the warm glow from the crackling fireplace. He quickly made his way over to the the heat, rubbing his hands together and letting out a big sigh of relief from escaping the cold even just for a moment.

A clinking of ceramic pulled his attention away from the fire, eyes scanning the room. They finally fell upon a a teacup sitting on a saucer, sliding across the floor in his direction. The teacup then looked up at him with his eyes and spoke. "Papa said I wasn't allowed to move, in case I scare you. But you looked cold so I thought you might like a hot cup of tea."

He blinked, nodded politely while his mind ran a thousand kilometers a minute. "Right, well.. I actually-"

Your father may not be young enough to outrun wolves but he hopes he's faster than this teacup. Philippe's lead had never been untied faster, hoping he was only experiencing hypothermia induced hallucinations while inside. He mounted the horse find his way to his original destination when he notices rose vines nearby, a speckles of red peeking out from the sheet of snow.

"Oh," A cloud of cold breath joins his laugh, "How could I forget?"

Jumping off Philippe, he step towards the prettiest flower to take home to you, when a deep snarl stops him in his tracks. He looks up just as the shadow looming over him presents itself, shaggy fur and giant horns making him fall back onto the snow. He tries to crawl quickly back to Philippe but the monster took hold of his arm and dragged him back into the castle. The frightened horse manages to escape and run off, leaving his owner in the hands of the massive predator.

"Please, let me go! I'll never tell a soul I was here, I promise!" his cries echoed through the candle-lit stairwells on the towers, reaching no one. Roughly thrown into the cell by the creature, he sat with his back against the wall and held his arm in pain.

"Oh I'll make sure of it." The giant beast growled lowly, locking the cell door and stomping away.

Your father had slumped down in his cell, his heart feeling heavy thinking of you alone back home. The stone was ice cold and rough, and the cell had a large opening that led to nothing but what seemed to be a fifty foot drop to his death.

On the steps leading to the West Wing sat a clock, a candelabra, a teapot, and a teacup. They watched in sorrow as their master stomped passed by them to his bedroom where an encased rose sat, one of its enchanted petals falling off and wilting away.

taglist ♥︎

@propertyofrjl @urmomw4ntsme @gooseycaboose

[callmeurbunny]

so u wanna be an “it girl”?

do u wanna be a miumiu esoteric lana del rey lily rose depp angelcore my year of rest and relaxation rococo painting coquette 60s french girl dior east coast chanel sylvia plath it girl? the lifestyle may seem exclusive, allusive, unreachable even (i mean, that’s kinda a major facet of the aesthetic/lifestyle) yet there is hope! regardless of your age, race, gender, health status, socioeconomic status, size, you too can be the it girl of your dreams!!

꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎

clothing:

the simplistic vintage vibes of the style are actually rather easy to thrift! simple sweaters, skirts, etc. tend to go for super cheap (especially in colder/temperate climate regions)

i’ve gotten some of my best pieces via hand-me-downs. my tiffany and co bracelet that i wear daily was a hand-me-down :)

estate sales are another great avenue for true vintage pieces that are unlike any other

tights of all sorts are great accessories. most pharmacies and general stores in the us and mexico sell women’s tights for super cheap and in a variety of styles. i’ve also found many unopened pairs at thrift stores!

knee socks are a great alternative, altough some may find them too youthful for their personal style. definitely don’t knock ‘em til you try em tho!! this is perfect option for people w/ conditions that require compression socks

beauty products:

the makeup is super simplistic and often a little messy. u don’t need much more than some pharmacy mascara, lip gloss, and brow gel. personal fav for the brows is nyx brow glue!

you don’t need fancy chanel or guerlain perfume to smell like a doll. dollar stores & wholesale stores tend to actually have excellent body sprays/perfumes. a favorite of mine is cancan burlesque by paris hilton, found at 5below.

some perfumes offer body spray versions with the same scent, just a cheaper price. my favorite perfume (pink sugar by aquolina) retails for $18 at walmart, yet you can find the near identical body spray version for just $7!

media:

podcasts on spotify are free & have no ads! one i love is nymphet alumni

many books that are cult classics (ie. the bell jar, lolita, my year of rest and relaxation) can be found in free pdf form online

soundcloud, youtube, spotify, and bandcamp all offer free music (although they have ads)

you can find old dvds or even vhs tapes of older films at the thrift store and newer ones are often available on youtube. there’s always sketchy sites like soap2day but i don’t want anyone to get crazy malware!!

[howtofightwrite]

Clothes Followup

Hi there. Professional sportswear outfitter and part-time athelete here just chiming in on how these choices are perfectly believable, in my humble opinion: #1 SHOES "sneakers" is a loose definition. but, if the character is wearing casual/lifestyle "sneakers" like jordan lows, vans, etc., these type of shoes are FLAT (not narrow running shoes). Flat soled sneakers are often preferred training shoes for mixed arts or lifting at the gym. You could wear boots, but you're sacrificing agility. As a female, I can say that a female character likely would not inflict such a handicap as BOOTS on herself. Feet are very resilient and resistant to pain and injury. Being able to move on your feet matters a lot more than protecting them does. PASS #2 PANTS. you are not punching someone's pants while boxing. and have you watched fight club? they mostly wear jeans. they're durable, wick moisture (although it feels unpleasant), and if they're fitted properly, they're not going to get in the way of your agility. Jeans are light armor if you're speaking in tabletop rpg terms. PASS #3 SHIRT. a good tshirt of a decent quality will wick moisture, will not be bulky or baggy, and will move with its wearer. tshirts are not expensive and are the best option outside a sleeveless top or topless for martial arts. Especially if you have boobs. Boxing in only a racerback sports bra is also viable, but a tshirt will provide light protection to the skin, which is a good idea in amateur boxing. If they're WEARING GLOVES, nobody is grappling anyone's shirt so there is no risk of clothes-grabbing violations happening there. If this ring is literally underground, it's probably cold. Clothes can be shed between matches, but it's often more important to be clothed appropriately so as to prevent both overheating and chills. Becoming chilled between fights is a greater danger to performance than getting sweaty is. PASS I also have questions as to the type of boxing gloves being used. Are they full padded gloves? Light knuckle pads? Do the boxers wear headgear? Mouthguards? What areas are allowed to be hit or is it a free-for-all? Maybe you think these details are mistakes, but I disagree. Half my job is punching boxes all day. Hot, sweaty, fully clothed, wearing comfortable shoes. Lots of moving around. If I am going to punch boxes (or faces) for hours, that's exactly how I'd dress. The rest of my job? Literally outfitting people with boxing equipment. Literally selling people clothing for athletics. I am also a footwear specialist. Thank you for taking the time to read this. :) -lilkittay

So, apologies in advance, lilkittay, but you're about to get dragged. This might come as a shock, but I actually have a copy of the novel Fight Club. I just found it wedged between a copy of Hell's Angels by Hunter S. Thompson, and the Demolished Man by Alfred Bester. I'm not going to try to figure out what lead to that sorting peculiarity. The book is exceptionally good, and if you've never read it, it's an easy (if somewhat unpalatable) recommendation. Stick it up there with books like Native Son, or Ivan Denisovich, in that it covers some really ugly subject matter, but discusses a problem exceptionally well. And, in the 27 years since the novel was originally published, it has proved itself fairly prescient. It's not about the violence, it is an excellent discussion on the underlying psychology of toxic masculinity.

Now, the last time I mentioned Fight Club, someone immediately piped up with, “you've lost all credibility.” That's their problem, but I didn't actually define it, and it is a term that gets thrown around without being defined. Toxic masculinity refers specifically to an individual who cannot engage with their own emotions, particularly painful ones, in a healthy way, because they view those behaviors as effeminate. As a result, they respond aggressively and, or, violently. That's the toxic part. You get dumped. Your pet dies. You get passed over for a promotion at work. And, instead of dealing with that in a healthy way. In any healthy way. You go out into the world and try to make someone else suffer. That is toxic.

Unfortunately, Fight Club is not the grown up version of Calvin and Hobbes, though that is an amusing fan theory, and something that holds together better in the film thanks to Brad Pitt's costuming decisions.

I'm saying all of this to point out, the characters in Fight Club have no idea how to fight.

More than that, jeans are not light armor. Motorcycle leathers? Sure, those would be light armor. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're described as light armor in D20 modern. But, the only place I'd expect to see denim categorized as light armor is a game that used, “light armor,” for mage gear, “medium armor,” as rogue's leather and chain, and, “heavy armor,” as warrior gear. Which is to say, yeah, that's not how that works at all.

The problem with jeans as armor is, they're really bad at it. Someone with a crowbar? Yeah, jeans aren't going to do anything about that. Someone with an axe? I've heard about the aftermath, it was not pretty. Against a sword? Nope. Against a knife? Personal experience says the knife will win without issue. In an underground fighting arena against someone driving a shin kick into your knee? Yeah, your jeans may look fine after the fact, but you're probably not using that leg again anytime soon.

But, that RPG comment made something click together a little, so back to footwear for a second.

Why would someone wear boots? Now, personally, I wear motorcycle boots in my day to day life. Not because I'm a rider, but because I find them more comfortable and convenient than normal dress shoes, and so long as I keep them buffed out, they pass for men's dress shoes at a glance. The interesting thing about this is that my heel has a wide, flat, block of wood under it at all times. If it was a matter of life and death, I could probably grind off a significant chunk of my heel bringing a bike to a stop without suffering any injury. Now, I bring this up, because driving 200-300lbs of force behind a sharply edged wooden mallet into your unarmored instep will not improve your agility.

In the real world, armor doesn't work like D&D. There's no equivalent exchange between mobility and being able to soak a hit. (And if you think there's an irony in substituting a term from one RPG for another... well, yeah. You're not wrong.) If you think someone's going to stomp on your foot, bring steel toed boots. What you lose in agility today, you make up for in your ability to walk without a cane tomorrow.

The paradox of humans is that we are both stupidly resilient, and horrifically fragile, at the same time. Now, at this point, I do want to say something genuinely nice to you, even if it sounds a tiny bit condescending. You've never looked at another person as 150-250lbs of ambulatory meat and considered the best way to take them apart with your hands. And you know what? That is a good thing. Embrace that, and don't let go, because never finding yourself in that kind of a place is a credit to you, and the world you've been able to live in.

All of that said, fighting another human being is not a workout. It's engineering. You're looking at an organic machine with roughly the same parts and pieces you have, and your goal is to make that machine stop thrashing around, screaming, and leaking on everything, before it does the same to you. It's not better. It's not worse. It's different, and it comes with different considerations. You don't dress to look good or stay comfortable, you dress to avoid life altering injuries if at all possible.

Competitive fighting does land at a meeting point of these two considerations however. The fighter wants to come out intact, the sponsors want good show, one that will draw an audience. This leads to things like fighting in a sports bra. Yes, it may be the most, “agile,” option, but if you're going to be in a fist fight, a heavy leather jacket, preferably one with fiberglass plates may not breathe, but it will take far more abuse than your body can. (Actually, I think sometimes the inserts are made out of memory foam these days, which should also take a hit pretty effectively, especially against an unarmed foe.)

This isn't a major issue, but it is something to consider, when thinking about the temperature of the arena, it's important to remember that human body heat in a crowded space is somewhat cumulative. So, a room that starts out at around 60 degrees, could easily warm up to a comfortable temperature once the spectators are present. There's actually consistent math for calculating what you should set the thermostat for in an amphitheater when it's unoccupied so that the temperature is comfortable when the seats are filled, but I can't remember the numbers, and can't find it on short notice.

You do bring up a good point, the original Anon did not specify what kind of gloves were used. I assumed those were nominally regulation boxing gloves, but those could be something like the UFC gloves from a couple decades back, that left the fingers exposed while armoring the knuckles. The armor on those gloves allowed the wearer to inflict all kinds of horrific injuries on one's foes. In an event Michi is quite happy to recount, her younger brother almost lost an eye to a skull fracture from one of those during a poorly supervised sparring bout. It's fairly credible to suggest that an illegal fight club might use those simply to excite the crowds with actual bloodshed.

Now, as someone who has worked in shipping, I know full well that sometimes boxes do hit back. However, they are the exception rather than the rule. There's nothing wrong with practicing on punching bags, but boxes aren't trying to break you. At worst, they may just want to take a nap on the floor without regard to whether you're in the way or not. Live opponents? They're looking at you as however many pounds of meat machinery, and trying to end you. Looking good doesn't make their job harder, but armoring up does.

Anyway, like I said to the original Anon, nothing in their explanation was outright wrong. A lot of it was non-optimal, but not to such a degree as to shatter belief. The mistake you're making, and I really do say this with respect, is that you're looking at it like any other physical activity. As I said, combat is not a work out. Combat as a hazardous environment beyond the reach of OSHA. You wear protective gear (if you can) because that protection may be the difference between walking out alive and (basically) unharmed, or never walking again. You wouldn't (or at least, really shouldn't) take a bike out on the freeway at 60mph in jeans and a tees, you really don't want to get in a fight wearing them either.

-Starke

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[sarahreesbrennan]

Erin go bragh! (Ireland forever.)

Behold, the special Irish edition of my book. I love how golden and fancy it is, like an opulent special treat just for me. (And others. While stocks last!) And it highlights the gilded wings of the queen’s bone throne. I think the gold colour also brings out the cracks in the title, which form in the story and everyone’s lives (distress the title more I coaxed my poor patient designer… now more… hey check out this Sex Pistols logo… Designer: hey shut up (not really, he would never, but he’d be justified).)

Note: it is a paperback, because my people hate hardcovers. I don’t know why, the Irish simply don’t buy them. Sarah J. Maas is super fancy bestselling and I just saw her latest House of Flame and Shadow in paperback on a fancy table in the airport, with the other fancy paperbacks. I buy hardcovers for my favourites myself! I like that they last. (The UK purple edition is what you want, currently, if you wish a hardcover.) But I’m so excited to have a fancy exclusive edition, in the format the Irish most prefer. There aren’t very many copies (exclusive!) so I’m nervously hoping it might sell out!

I’m also excited that it’s Irish. People often think I’m American - maybe because I have a weird accent (Liverpudlian plus Australian plus Scottish plus Irish leads people to go ‘American?’ and Americans to go ‘Canadian?’) or an American literary agent (I would never part with Suzie). I once saw someone ask why I make a fuss about being Irish American - the outrage! No offence Irish Americans, thank you for buying me drinks when I flash the passport in Boston, but I can’t have learned compulsory Irish from age five for nothing. They didn’t let you go to the bathroom without asking in Irish. Someone had an accident! (Not me, I work well under pressure, but not great.) Countries are made up, but I’m still proud of mine. I translated Catullus’s Latin poems into Irish, and the Irish poets in my life (Ireland teems with poets) were so pleased I was breaking away from my filthy prose lifestyle. Ireland doesn’t tax writers (or musicians, or any creators) if they make under a certain amount, which has saved me and some of my friends. As imaginary countries go, it’s a good one. So this feels like celebrating my country, and my country celebrating me, and believing in the book of my heart.

Should you wish fancy limited gold, pray preorder below! Kennys.ie might be the best bet for those outside Ireland. If I collected many colours like Pokémon, which one would you want to see next?

EDIT: The book is in English! So sorry to be confusing. As are Sarah J Maas’s Irish editions. Very few of our books are in Irish, though… perhaps one day… I’d love it, even though despite training from my youth, I’m actually a lot better at Latin.

[johannestevans]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[princesssmars]

in the darkened forest, i see you.

some stiles stilinski x witch reader headcanons

your whole life you knew you had a destiny to fulfill. its hard to juggle your magical heritage and your nosy best friends, but you wouldn't have it any other way.

wc: 1.328

contains : fluff. reader is a witch. mentions of some of season ones violence.

a/n : very self-indulgent and based on my very. very long and detailed teen wolf script. enjoy.

the name of your hometown always made you laugh inside your head. beacon hills, a sprawling town in northern california. by the title and looks you'd think the only things gravitating here would be families preparing for the future and seniors looking to settle down.

but there was so much hidden beneath the surface that almost every resident had no idea about.

when you were but seven years old you realized your family wasn't like other childrens.

where heathers dad worked in a home office, yours worked in a dingy but atmospheric antique shop selling various artifacts you've never seen before, ranging from "eye of newt" to "crushed cricket leg powder" to a bundle of weird-looking talismans.

where benjamins mom spoke english as her first language, you found out those funny words your mom would say when reading from her big book was her second language which was called latin. and how sometimes when she spoke it while cooking your food always came out tastier and you'd go to sleep feeling stronger than ever.

its on your 13th birthday when your parents sit you down and tell you the truth, how you've been born into a long line of witches from both your mother and father's side. how they can tell you've been curious as they were as kids, but they see something in you that pushed them to decide to let you in sooner to the lifestyle than other witchlings, who normally started learning before a witches becoming ceremony on their 16th.

"your magic can be a blessing and a curse," they said, sitting with you on the couch while your father showed you the family picturebook holding portraits of ancestors dating back hundreds of years. "but in our family, we've always put the greater good of witch kind before others. we protect our own and they protect us. you'll always have someone in your corner when things seem impossible. "

your parents were kidding, with you being introduced to some of the other witch kids in town. contrary to what you were thinking they were pretty popular, and welcomed you into their circle nearly immediately.

being popular means meeting many types of people though, and that's what led you to meet the one and only stiles stilinski.

he was a bit nerdy, and definitely less popular than you were but that didnt really matter. your first conversation was in english class freshman year, when you asked him for a pencil and he accidentally gave out four at once. you laughed at him and he told you that you had the prettiest smile he'd ever seen, and that since smiling made people live longer he hoped you live to be 110. it was weird but cute.

since that day you'd been friends, hanging out with stiles and scott often. you'd even show up to cheer at their lacrosse games even if they sucked. you tried giving them small luck charms before games which luckily seemed to work.

even if you found yourself growing close to them, you still kept the knowledge of your heritage close to your chest. even if stiles, being the mini detective he was, seemed to nearly figure it out multiple times.

but it's during the latter end of your sophomore year when things take a turn. stiles shows up to your house in the dead of night asking you to come with him to get some snacks and chill. figuring you had nothing else to do, you agreed and decided to walk the short trek with him to scott's house.

what he didnt tell you was that the three of you were going into the woods to find half of a damn dead body, the boys ignoring your complaints from behind them as they searched the forest floor. sure you could've gone home, but it'd be a lie to say you weren't just a bit interested yourself. and scared they'd get themselves killed.

the funs cut short when you and stiles are caught by his dad, who on the drive home awkwardly insinuates that he thought you two had snuck away to fool around in the woods, making the both of you loudly deny it. but after you get dropped off at home you start thinking if it'd be the worst thing in the world to date the stilnksi boy.

the next few weeks are chaos, with you finding out that not only are werewolves back in beacon hills but the newest addition is scott himself. you try to give him as much help as you can without seeming too suspicious.

but it's one afternoon when stiles comes up to you acting the calmest you've ever seen him and tells you he's taking you out for burgers, his treat. you agree because one free burgers and two alone time with your...best friend stiles. win-win situation, right?

wrong, because as soon as you're settled in the passenger seat and ready to eat a burger after the crappy school lunch, stiles turns in his seat and asks "are you supernatural too?"

you looked at him and knew you couldn't lie to his face, the truth spilling from your mouth faster than you could comprehend. he seemed more excited to hear about you being a witch than you did when you found out you were one.

you swear him and scott to secrecy, telling him it's already dangerous enough that they know. your secret is safe with them but god are they annoying about it.

what spells can you do? do you have a cauldron? do you have any family members who died in salem? could you put a curse on jackson? not a super serious one just so he...ok nevermind.

as irritating as it could be, you knew that they meant well.

sometimes when you're in your room studying your grimoire, stiles will ask you to translate the little latin notes on the sides to him. when you start to get annoyed you'll explain one to him and tell him that whatever you just said is a curse and because he asked you to say it its now on him. his face is priceless every time.

the day of your becoming ceremony is pure chaos to put it simply. your parents wake you up and give you your favorite breakfast foods which is always nice. the stiles picks you up from school while he and scott are acting completely suspicious about a surprise they have for you.

you find out what it is when you get to school and see a giant banner at the front of the school that reads "happy birthday y/n!". it's almost enough to make you cry.

once the school day is over you have to head home for the ceremony, but not before your best friends beg you to tag along, not knowing that you haven't exactly told your parents that you told them your secret.

its safe to say they were pissed off when you got home, but we're more understanding (and slightly shocked and scared) when you told them that scott was a werewolf. but the more supernatural the better!

the ceremony goes off without a problem, and by the end you already feel stronger. the new power surging through your veins gives you a boost of confidence.

you drive with stiles as he drops scott off, before he takes you up to your favorite spot overlooking the city. its one of your favorite ways to end a night, looking out at your home and talking to your favorite person in the world. with your newfound confidence, you admire stiles as he rants about something before grabbing his face and bringing him in for a kiss.

you pull away after a few seconds, looking at his dazed face to see if he reciprocates your feelings or not. when he gives you that signature dopy smile of his and kisses you, its more magical than you could've hoped for.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Completely made up: Prince Harry allegedly watched The Crown to learn about his own family by u/Maleficent-Trifle940

Completely made up’: Prince Harry allegedly watched The Crown to learn about his own family ‘Completely made up’: Prince Harry allegedly watched The Crown to learn about his own family | Sky News AustraliaA biographer of Queen Elizabeth II has made bombshell new claims about the late monarch’s private outrage over her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle.The Sussexes stepped back from royal duties in January 2020 and later publicly slammed the monarchy in interviews, books and the couple’s Netflix series.Author Craig Brown believes Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022, would be mortified by Harry and Meghan’s efforts to continually undermine the royal family and cash in on their royal titles.“The Queen was quite disapproving of their drift towards celebrity,” he told SkyNews.com.au.“She gave Harry and Meghan sort of short thrift, Harry in his memoir was quite irritated by her, when he wanted to see his grandmother before leaving she would only see him with a lot of other people in the room.”Mr Brown is the author of the new book A Voyage Around the Queen, which combines biography, essays, cultural history, dream diaries, travelogue and satire to reveal a new side to the iconic monarch.While Elizabeth II remained diplomatic towards the Sussexes during her lifetime, Mr Brown believes the Queen left clues, including the famous “recollections may vary” statement after the Sussexes’ Oprah Winfrey interview.“That’s one where you could discern what she meant: ‘you’re lying really’,” he said.Earlier this week, the Sussexes’ released a new teaser for Harry’s Netflix series Polo the day after Princess Catherine confirmed she had completed chemotherapy treatment for cancer.The stunt was the latest in a mysterious pattern of announcements by the Sussexes which coincided with royal occasions.Mr Brown said he was wary not to “speak for” the late monarch but believes based on her lifelong commitment to duty that she would be displeased about Harry’s new celebrity lifestyle in California.“I guess the Queen would find that vulgar,” he said.“But she was good at ignoring what she didn’t want to think about.”The author also revealed a new theory that Harry may be relying on fictional programs like Netflix’s The Crown for “information” on his own family.“The Crown devoted a lot of time to the Queen being jealous of Princess Margaret, but that was completely made up,” he said.  “I’ve read everything and there’s no suggestion that the Queen was ever envious of her sister.”Mysteriously, Harry mentioned the debunked story of Elizabeth II’s supposed jealously towards Margaret in his best-selling memoir Spare."As I grew older, it struck me that Aunt Margo and I should've been friends,” he wrote.“Her relationship with Granny wasn't an exact analog of mine with Willy, but pretty close."The simmering rivalry, the intense competition (driven largely by the older sibling), it all looked familiar."Mr Brown suspects the Duke of Sussex, or Harry’s ghostwriter, lifted the story straight from The Crown and believes it is evidence Harry has watched the fictional series to learn about Elizabeth II.Meanwhile, the author claimed Prince William is looking to the smaller and less scandal-prone monarchies in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and will likely use the Scandinavians as a model for his reign.“William is more like the Scandinavian royal families, they will scale down and place less emphasis on pomp,” he said.  post link: https://ift.tt/rnv9kY5 author: Maleficent-Trifle940 submitted: September 14, 2024 at 08:48AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[vivaciousofficiall]

Move In Silence & Protect Yourself From Monitoring Spirits.

Hello ladies, welcome to Vivacious Official.

Today we’ll be discussing how to move in silence & protecting yourself from harmful spirits.

As a woman on a spiritual or self development journey, you have probably encountered "monitoring spirits". This is due to the fact that you are a woman with a purpose & not everyone is happy about that.

What is a monitoring spirit?

In simple definition, a monitoring spirit is someone that is hyper fixated on you with the intent of causing harm. This being is triggered by your existence. This is often fueled by feelings of insecurity, envy & inferiority.

The truth is if you are of woman of faith then remember you’re divinely protected.

As God said "no weapon formed against thee shall prosper"

In addition to God’s protection you can always protect yourself too.

Signs of a monitoring spirit.

1. They study you closely. (Mannerisms, Style, Relationships, etc)

2. They seem to want to know everything about you even though you can sense their distaste for you.

3. Smear campaigns : They go around slandering your name. (Especially to the people closest to you)

4. They are extremely competitive with you.

5. They put doubt & fear in your mind ( especially after sharing a personal goal)

Why should you move in silence ?

1. Self Validation

As I grow further in my journey, the need to show my personal life decreases. This is because I don’t need external validation. That is a sign of growth.

This is how you must see your life. You are sacred and you have a purpose. You don’t need to prove to anyone what God has already qualified you for.

If you feel the need to post every single thing on social media or telling random people, that is sign of needing validation from others.

2. Protection

When you post "good news" the people that are truly gonna be happy for you are those that have a similar mindset to you. (ie. positive people) As sad as it is, the population is filled with negative people that are stuck in scarcity mode. They see your success as a personal attack. They don’t believe there is space for both of you to win in your respective fields. Your win is then seen as their loss.

How to deal with a monitoring spirit

If you don’t have to be around this person then my best advice is to quietly let them go. There’s no need to confront these types of people because they will never admit to being envious. Choose yourself. You deserve a life filled with people that love you.

If you HAVE to be around this person ( boss, colleague, family member, etc) then I have some temporary advice for you.

Note : this advice isn’t a permanent solution, the permanent solution is low/nocontact. This is a temporary solution as you are getting ready to go no contact. (eg: while you are looking for another job, while you’re trying to move out of your family house, while you’re in school etc)

1. Grey Rock : Become as boring as a grey rock. Don’t share anything with this person. Let them think you have nothing interesting going on. Save your interesting stories for the people that mean well.

2: Be Evasive : Look up celebrity interviews. When asked an intrusive question they are able to answer it without actually answering the question. Learn to say something while saying nothing at the same time.

3. Sell a story : Instead of talking about your personal life, talk about the most irrelevant things but make it sound interesting. You could exit a whole gathering and all they would know is how you’re getting a new couch.

Stay Safe Ladies!

Xoxo, Vivacious

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[puzzlesketch]

Red and Blu Spy Headcanons

Red- Was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He lived a very relaxed lifestyle where he was waited on hand and foot and became a bit spoiled and selfish due to that. That being said he was forced into a mold, told to be a perfect child and harshly punished if he tried to act any different than what was expected. He completely rebelled in his older years, having grown tired with having to be on his best behavior 24/7 and ran away to live a more dangerous and adrenaline filled life.

Having come from a life of never having to do anything for himself he’s more than a little messy sometimes, his room usually having papers and books strewn about everywhere as well as dirty clothes. While he does get upset about his clothes being dirty or ruined he doesn’t care too much as he has enough money to easily replace them. His room is also scattered with expensive decorations and beautiful artwork on the walls, these being the only things he tries to keep from being destroyed.

He’s quite arrogant at most times, believing his opinion to be the only one that matters and that he is right at all times. He sees most of his teammates as being beneath him and will roll his eyes at there “brutish” and “childish” antics. Due to how he views and speaks to his teammates he’s quite distant from most of them, and those he does form any kind of camaraderie with he won’t talk to unless it is a one on one setting.

He is competent on the field and usually can be relied on to execute plans perfectly. That being said, his arrogance sometimes gets the better of him and will result in him making hasty decisions that get himself or his teammates hurt. He will try to escape the blame as best he can, being too full of himself to accept that he screwed up and not anyone else.

Blu- He came from a life of poverty and from a young age was taking up odd jobs here and there to try and help his family. He also became extremely good with pick-pocketing and a very talented thief. He learned how to swindle sellers easily, mainly by bringing on the waterworks when he was little and slightly exaggerating just how bad things were at home. As he got older and the tears stopped working he instead began honing his thieving skills and slipping different fruits, vegetables, or other items into the large pockets of his coat, which he would wear even in the grueling heat just to be able to steal food or items he could sell or trade. In his teens his odd jobs started becoming a tad more dangerous, usually getting involved with illegal groups, then selling information about said illegal groups to the police and placing a massive target on his back.

He does his best to be tidy, often owning very few things but feeling extremely excited when he buys something he never dreamed of being able to afford when he was younger. His room often looks bare, his valuables hidden away so he doesn’t risk anything happening to them. While he does enjoy being able to splurge a little on expensive clothing he will usually wear more cheaply made clothes while on the battlefield, to avoid ruining the others.

He is very humble and quiet, preferring to listen to his teammates and chip in his own ideas occasionally. He’s usually surprised that his teammates think highly of him and want him to contribute more. Due to being socially awkward, unless he is pretending to be someone he isn’t, he will keep to himself as he enjoys being able to keep up some of the charade that he is more refined and regal than he lets on.

During battles he is more than capable of handling himself, as well as others. He is despised by the red team because of his ability to almost perfectly impersonate them and so easily slink around and pick them off. His sneakiness and acting has earned him a lot of respect from his teammates but some worry that he may use that against them one day.

[cookiesupplier]

Catch You When You Fall - Part Five

pairing: Nicholas Ruffilo & ofc (Catherine)

warnings/tropes: slow burn, angst, murder, mystery, smut, mentions of speciesism, mentions of violence, trauma... (to be added.)

summary: A new soul has arrived in the Afterlife. While she appears to adjust just like anyone else might in the new environment of the world of life after death, despite the ordeal she experienced with her death. The question is has she really, and can Nicholas help her without crossing lines that he knows he shouldn't?

Authors Note: Unbeta'd as usual! And Nicholas makes and appearance!

To find the others in the Hell AU Universe: Combined Hell-Verse Masterlist

If you would like to be added to this tag list please see THIS FORM

tags: @missduffsblog @tearfallpixie @spicywhenspeaking @sorrowsofsilence @wild-child-7747

@lacktoesandtoddlerants @blackveilomens @valiantroeagleangel @bngurngheart @collapsedglasshouses

@embracethereaper42 @emmmm127 @sunsshinesunny @dominuslunae @xxkittenkissesxx

@philomenie @dontdiganothergravetoday

Between Ishtar and Ellie, Cat had had an amazing time having lunch with both of them, and it was the first time she’d gone out to just socialise while she was here in the Afterlife, and she felt, so, free. Yes, Bryce had been showing her around for the past week, but if she was honest, a lot of all that, felt a bit like… a commercial. Those she’d seen on TV about promoting a new sitcom, or selling a lifestyle that someone wanted you to buy into so that they could get something out of you. She wasn’t sure what Bryce might have been trying to get out of her, if anything at all. Was there some kind of purpose to all of this from him, maybe? But that was the distinct feeling she’d gotten from the last week, anyway. 

Of course, she could be wrong, perhaps that was just his personality quirk, people had them all the time, she knew that. After all, hers was being the quirky book girl, or so she’d been told before. Sue her, she loved her books, she loved to read, there was nothing wrong with that, and she refused to apologise. Didn’t stop her from enjoying getting along from everyone she met along the way. Just like she got along with Bryce, Ishtar, Ellie, and yes, Folio, despite how Bryce had made him sound like she shouldn’t… she still didn’t, and would never understand that. It didn’t matter, she refused to let something that Bryce had said when she’d just arrived here change how she saw anyone, not Folio, not Ellie, and not whoever this Jolly turned out to be when she met him. Cat was sure she would at some point considering she’d already met Folio and Ellie and they both seemed like wonderful people so far, she was bound to meet Jolly somehow. It was weird, the Afterlife, at least, this part of it, did not seem like that big a place. 

Maybe that was why it was broken up into parts. Then again, a lot of souls might just want to go back, not question, too. Cat swallowed at the thought, going back, shivering, no, perhaps one day, but certainly not now, not for her.

Her attention on Ishtar and Ellie, she smiled warmly before heading towards the door, waving towards them as she said her goodbyes.

“Thank you for lunch, I had a great time.”

“Wait!”

Ishtar called over to her after they paid, Cat setting out, ready to head home. She was not sure if she could figure out where would be a good place to go do her shopping in time for anywhere to still be open this afternoon. Sure, she had time, but she still had to find out where was the best place to go, get there, and figure out what she actually needed to get for what she wanted to do. There was no way she had the time for all of that today. No. It would be best for her to go home, do the research, and then look into the information first, and that way, tomorrow after work she could jump right into it. Perhaps just grab some food on the go and be on her way. That sounded like a decent plan, right? Right!

It would seem, Ishtar had another idea, and from the excitement Ellie showed as well, she might just share the enthusiasm when Ishtar asked.

“You are still planning on shopping for your garden, right?”

“I was just going to wait for tomorrow, I have no idea where to look, honestly, what to look for, I’m very new to all of this. I won’t be surprised if I kill all the flowers a few times before I get this right.”

Cat couldn’t help admitting painfully. She was going to feel so guilty if that was true, but it was likely going to happen, she was being honest here, she’d never successfully kept a plant alive long term, outside a plastic one. Those, did not count. 

“Okay, that’s it, we got you, I know just where to take you. I love gardening, and all I have is some tiny-potted plants on my balcony at my apartment. If you’ll let me, I’ll help you keep your babies alive. Truthfully, if you let me help you with your garden, work on it with you, I would love you forever.”

The way Ishtar grabbed her hand as she said that, had Cat smiling softly, like they could be actual friends instead of just her boss.

“Ah, are you sure? I mean-”

“Oh Cat, trust us, you’d be doing her a favour, her favourite date activity is nature walks.”

Cat looked from Ellie as she assured her, nodding, and then over to the demoness herself, who looked a bit like she could be a kid hoping to go to a candy store. That thought alone made her want to giggle a little.

“I, well, I.. okay.. Okay lets go.”

This felt a little crazy, but who knows, maybe it could work out well. At least this way, she had some help. She was probably going to need the help with her black thumb.

Nicholas was the reliable one of his siblings, he was well aware of this, and that included the favoured sibling that went by the name of Noah Sebastian. Blood relation or not, everyone knew his mother considered him like just another member of their family. There had been a time that she had hoped that one of his sisters would even find their partner in the wayward demon lord, but boy had that been laughable in the end, from both sides of the equation! Nick had a feeling she was actually glad of that in the end, because with Noah, had come along Ellie, and his mother absolutely adored her. So much so, that even his <i>mother</i> berated him for how much he’d upset her for how badly he bungled up when she’d come to Hell.

Yea. Exactly. And some people wondered if he was really joking when he said that if his mother could, she’d disown him and adopt Noah! Maybe it would be Ellie now… but no, not really, his loved his Mama.. Who didn’t love Mrs Ruffilo? Anyone that didn’t love Mrs Ruffilo, just didn’t have any brain cells, she was a darling, and she was wonderful to anyone that came through her door. She was the kind of person that helped someone without a second thought, which, was probably how Nicholas had gotten into the trouble he had been in with Ellie. 

He learned to help people from her.

No, no, he was not blaming his mother. No way was ever going to claim that, no, he was not about to try that, because it would break her heart then his whole family would come down on him like a tonne of bricks. What do you think, he was insane? Hell no! No, no, he knew what he’d done was his own damn fault thanks, him alone, simple.

Anyway, he learned his lesson, and moving on. It wasn’t going to happen again. 

All the same, Nicholas knew the moment his mother had called him that afternoon asking if she could pick a couple of things up for her, that there’d be no way he’d say no. Her coming to him, usually meant at least one or more of his siblings had already said they were too busy. She liked to give them a chance to help out when she could, since he was always helping out, and today was one of those days when it came full circle back to him, the most reliable one. Just needed him to pick up a few things for the house. Alright.

That was how he found himself at the hardware and garden supply store, picking up different things.. He was here because his dad had decided to take a few things onto the list his mother had given him. Of course, he had, and had Nicholas said no, absolutely not. He knew Noah was going to troll him for this later, if he told him of course, if he got this all done and never said a thing, he’d never have to find out. Then again, if Noah made fun of him in front of his mother, he’d get his ear clipped, loved him or not, she never took disrespect from anyone, ever, so maybe he would tell him, at just the right time.

He was pushing a cart along an aisle when he heard his name called out, and at first he wasn’t sure if he was hearing things or not. That was until he heard his name again, and then he was sure. Glancing around, and sure enough, there she was, trying to flag him down as she called him over, Ellie. Shaking his head a little with a small smile as he looked over to her, his hands on the bar of the cart as he moved to push it over towards her. As he approached, he realised she wasn’t alone, but Ishtar and another woman were both with her, one he didn’t recognise.

“Hey Ellie, Ishtar.”

Once they got to the supply store, Ishtar didn’t waste any time grabbing them a cart before starting to stock it full of different things she thought that she would need. Admittedly, a lot of what Ishtar was explaining to her as she added items to the cart, Cat wasn’t entirely sure she understood perfectly, but she was just trying to trust that Ishtar knew what she was talking about. Trust that she would be able to explain it to her slower while they were actually planting the flowers in her garden at home. One thing she had understood, was that they were going to be planting bulbs and not already flowering plants, Ishtar thought that they would flourish better. Why she wasn’t certain, but, the thought of watching the plants grow and thrive slowly, actually excited Cat a little, it had to be something to look forward to, right?

Anything, anything, was better than this gnawing feeling. She was looking down a packet of iris bulbs in her hand, others had been put in the cart, but Cat was just following along as the pair were discussing something. Thoughtful as she considered everything that had been happened, a ringing in her head, a pressure around her throat, neither were new and neither were feelings she wanted to consider. Flowers, she was focusing on flowers. Only flowers. 

“Nicholas!”

Hearing Ellie call out suddenly pulled her back to the present, and Cat’s head snapped up, looking around, wondering what had Ellie suddenly almost shouting out. What, who, and then, with another call of the name, she saw the man whose attention she was seeking. Nicholas. He was beautiful, slightly sun kissed skin, covered in even more tattoos than Folio and Ishtar, or even Bryce were. He appeared to have long dark hair that looked to be pulled up into a messy bun at the back of his head, and was now pushing another cart over their way. Once he approached them, and said hello to Ellie, Ishtar, and his eyes met hers, Cat couldn’t help but swallow. His gaze felt like they saw right into her soul, which was ridiculous. Wasn’t that all she was now, a soul?

“C-cat.”

One of the others almost seemed to giggle at the way he raised an eyebrow at her.. Oh, my god.. Could she sound more ridiculous, just blurting that out like that.. Cat.. right.. perfect.

“I mean, Catherine. My name, that is, it is. Catherine, but everyone calls me Cat.”

Smiling to him slightly as she felt her face flush warmly, all kinds of heated in embarrassment at the stumbled meeting with this absolutely gorgeous man. What was she even thinking, how much more of an idiot could she sound? Ground please, swallow her whole right now, she’d mentally ask for the universe to kill her, but that wasn’t going to help matters any now would it?! She was already dead! Oh, Cat had thought her attempts with men, and women for that matter, had been bad enough when she was alive, she might have just topped that perfectly. Bravo Cat, bravo. Time to be single for eternity, she couldn’t even look at a breathtaking man and not make a fool of herself even if she were dead!

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

[mirandasidefics]

How is ruhn danaan personality like? I never read cresent city b4

Oh boy, I will be as concise as possible without giving away too much of the plot(s) for the series as it stands now. My fic does deviate from the third book, but only mildly and mainly in relationship to the timeframes of each event.

*If you haven't read this series yet I highly suggest that you do, but if you don't want to read the books you can also check out the Crescent City wiki.

Per the wiki article on Ruhn's personality:

"Ruhn is often seen to be both funny and sarcastic, but also very protective of his friends and especially his sister, Bryce. He is kind, as seen with his treatment of his mother and the three sprites he has allowed to stay in his home. Ruhn is also an open-minded person, thinking beyond the traditional Fae beliefs, which has led him to accept Ithan and Hunt as well as to rebel against the Asteri themselves. He is disgusted by Fae hierarchies and politics. He also hates that everything he has is bankrolled by his father. Despite being trained to be a lethal, efficient killer, Ruhn doesn't enjoy being a warrior. His Starborn power is just about the only part of himself he likes."

My own additions to how I interpret his personality:

Ruhn is a survivor of childhood physical and psychological/emotional abuse at the hands of his Father, the Autumn King. I believe that as a result of not really developing healthy coping skills after leaving his father's villa, he turned to a form of escapism through self-medicating with alcohol and drugs. Earlier in the series he and his friends frequently indulge in the party lifestyle and many readers have expressed their dynamic reminds them of stereotypical college Frat guys. Ruhn still takes his job as the Leader of the Fae's division at the AUX seriously, but he also knows how to have a good time. Work hard, play hard.

While Ruhn may despise Fae traditions and politics, he still adheres to them (for the most part). He also isn't afraid to utilize/exploit traditions or the political field if it means protecting someone he loves. Basically, Ruhn knows how to the plan the game, but just hates having to do it. (There are times when he doesn't make the best decisions but that's for a different conversation). This is seen in the first installment House of Earth and Blood (HOEAB) when he claims ownership of Bryce, citing the Fae tradition of females being the property of their male relatives, thus Fae females do not have the ability to consent to any legally binding agreements or contracts without the approval and consent of said male relative. Its an absolutly archaic traditional that is rarely used, but still considered to have legal standing and must be followed. His actions in this instance are so surprising that even his friends are speechless and basically appalled at his declaration. But his enacting this tradition prevents Bryce from selling herself into slavery with Sandriel to save Hunt.

Ruhn can also let his irritation, anger and stubbornness get the best of him. There are times when his mouth moves faster than his brain and he'll say things that he doesn't really mean. This is also seen in HOEAB when he and Bryce think back on the fight that drove them apart for years. He does try to make things right and is genuinely remorseful when he realizes that his words and actions have caused unintentional harm. Its seen again in House of Sky and Breath (HOSAB) after he meets Agent Daybright and later finds out she is Lidia (aka the Hind) who is a notorious spy breaker/interrogator for the Asteri. He allows his shock and hurt from feeling betrayed and lied to, to fuel his anger towards Lidia and effectively shuts her out.

What I really love about Ruhn is that he is not afraid to be vulnerable and express his emotions with those that he feels the closest and most comfortable with. In canon, the only time (that I can recall) where he keeps his vulnerability somewhat in check is when he is trying to process the pull that he feels towards Lidia, whom he had considered an enemy for decades. In House of Flame and Shadow (HOFAS) Ruhn is able to process this and identify what Lidia is to him and his feelings for her. He is able to accept this and eventually find happiness with her.

In my fic however, Ruhn doesn't exactly get this opportunity, which deviates from canon in HOFAS. He has to do this processing without Lidia as she did not survive the rescue of Ruhn and Hunt from the Asteri dungeons (they were captured at the end of HOSAB).

While Ruhn greatly cares for Reader and genuinely loves her, he never got the opportunity to explore his and Lidia's dynamic. Thus, he hasn't been able to properly mourn Lidia which would allow him to fully give his heart to Reader. And Reader recognizes this before Ruhn does and encourages him to do this inner exploration of his feelings towards Lidia. She does express that she is willing to help in whatever capacity he feels comfortable, but she doesn't want to pressure him into sharing this journey with her if he doesn't feel comfortable being this vulnerable with her. She knows that just because she is able to be vulnerable with him, doesn't automatically mean he has to return that vulnerability with her for them to continue their friendship.

Reader genuinely wants Ruhn to grow for the sake of his own happiness and well-being, and not simply because she would benefit from the potential of a romantic and loving relationship with him. However, if they are to build and live a life together, the ability to have open communication and show mutual trust is part of a healthy and loving relationship. So if they are to become romantically (or sexually) involved, she does need for him to open up moving forward. Equality in a relationship is highly important for her.

This ended up being much longer than I thought it would be, so I will end it here. I love and adore Ruhn so much and could go on forever about how much I love him.

[ourdreamsareneon]

it's crazy the level of discourse there is about antis/pros and how teenagers just devolve into purity culture so quick. I'm sure I used to be like that, but somewhere between dating gang members and reading copious amounts of philosophy the world became a lot more gray to me when I entered my twenties and I've realised three things that I think are important for teenagers to know:

To quote my favourite childhood book series: "People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salads, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict." Sure, going to car meets, selling drugs, drunk driving, stealing cars, playing chicken with cops are all examples of bad things that you shouldn't do but am I going to sit in my lovers bed and tell him that this life he was born into that saw all his friends die in drive bys and that saw his own dad pull a gun on him when he was a kid makes him a shitty person? Even though I can see all of the good in him, and can tell he doesn't want to do this, I should ignore it and focus on the negatitives? We have all done bad things, we all do bad things, and we all will do bad things. It doesn't make you a bad person.

Purity culture hurts everyone. There's a great book about this called the History of Sexuality that delves into how purity culture and the censorship of sex is at its essence the capitalist authority controlling the means of reproduction. At large scale 'pray the gay away' and 'contraception is a sin' make it so that men and women couple up more (instead of same sex coupling) and have unprotected sex. On a smaller scale 'AO3 is evil because it has pedos' and 'watersports is the grossest thing ever' do the job of the capitalist authority on a more digestible level. Us vs Them no longer is 'alt right vs communism' they use your words to make it 'pure good hobest people vs pedos who like piss play.' you are making bullets for your enemy and handing them your own damn gun. I promised I wouldn't make this whole post this one point tee hee sorry if you want me to elaborate just ask lol

Fetish ≠ real world experience. I'll build my own pyre as an example: I love me some good CNC (consensual non-consent) in my fanfics but in real life sex I have a praise kink so bad I have cried during sex multiple times. I am into tooth rotting sweet stuff and the kindest people in the world in real life. The media you consume 1000% has an effect on you, I'm not arguing that. I am however arguing that if you have media literacy and know what media is and is not harmful to you, it shouldn't effect your real life drastically unless you have other shit going on. I know this is rich coming from the "I have dated people in gangs" guy because that may show what kinda guy I'm into but prommy that's not a sexual attraction thing, it's 100% a lifestyle thing that again I will elaborate on if you want. Point being, porn ≠ reality and what gets that blood flowing isn't necessarily a reflection of how good or bad you are (ofc there are kinds of porn that are bad but that's beside the point and a very complicated thing for me to type while I'm this sleepy)

thank you for coming to my ted talk. pls I am begging on my knees for people to stop having black and white world views but i also know that's just a product of being a teen so if you are a teen pls! go out there and! consume media from different cultures and people with different lives to you! the world is at its best when it is wide!!! and full of love <3

[rarepears]

"go ask your mom"

But instead

"go ask your martial uncle/aunt"

Whenever they dont know the answer.

But they do it TO EVERYONE.

"Liu-Shizun, how do i do this?"

"... GO ASK SHANG QINGHUA!"

"Qi-Shizun, where do i put this?"

"go ask Mu Qingfan."

If Cang Qiong was more of a family (and less concerned about outward appearances/ rumors popping up about their incompetence and other negative portrayals), then this would be hilarious.

Especially when it comes to Shen Qingqiu.

For once, all the disciples, even when their shizun tells them to direct their question to the Qing Jing peak lord instead, are too scared to actually ask Shen Qingqiu. They know that the peak lord will bite their head off, assign them punishments, and more as the rumors say.

But! But! But!

They have no choice! If they don't go to ask Shen Qingqiu, they won't be able to complete their mission or assignment and then they would be even more screwed! So they go asking their fellow peers for tips on how to approach the Qing Jing peak lord and so forth.

The disciples, like all teenagers and kids, are quick to pick up things. Like the fact that Shen Qingqiu will scowl and scold, but he's softer towards the female disciples and will answer the questions thoroughly. It's best to ask him questions after his tea break, especially when he's eating something sweet. Never approach the man if Yue Qingyuan was spotted on the peak the same day.

(A little black market forms. The female disciples make good money by asking questions on behalf of their male fellow students. Older disciples sell information about when and how to ask questions towards Shen Qingqiu. One smart An Ding peak compiles a "FAQs" book of questions that Shen Qingqiu frequently gets from disciples; it can be borrowed by the hour.)

Something else that the disciples notice? The way that Shen Qingqiu's punishments are actually no more harsh than their own shizun's regular punishments. They notice how Shen Qingqiu's favoritism towards girls is nothing more than a overprotective paternal affection - and some misbehaving disciples who snuck into town even reported of how the peak lord's visits to the brothel always resulted in the whole place being shut down.

(The male disciples all applaud the Qing Jing peak lord's... uh... manliness. But only in private! Still, they theorize Shen Qingqiu's ability to please women and then some decide to mimic the peak lord's lifestyle to see if it would help them out with the ladies too...)

[ttexed]

Larry Williams - She Said Yeah

‘Larry Williams (May 10, 1935  January 7, 1980) was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana. Williams is best known for writing and recording some rock and roll classics from 1957 to 1959 for Specialty Records, including "Bony Moronie", "Short Fat Fannie", "Bad Boy", "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" and "She Said Yeah," which were later covered by British Invasion groups and other artists. John Lennon, in particular, was a fan of Williams, recording several of his songs over the course of his career. "Bony Maronie" is listed as one of the Top 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll. 

Williams lived a life mixed with tremendous success and violence-fueled drug addiction. He was a long-time friend of Little Richard. As a child in New Orleans, Williams learned how to play piano. When he was a teenager, he and his family moved to Oakland, California, where he joined a local R&B group called the Lemon Drops. In 1954, when he was 19 years old, Williams went back to New Orleans for a visit. He began work as Lloyd Price's valet and developed a friendship with Little Richard Penniman, who was recording at the time in New Orleans. Price and Penniman were both recording for Specialty Records at the time. Williams was introduced to Specialty's house producer, Robert Blackwell, and was signed to record. 

 In 1957, Little Richard was Specialty's biggest star, but bolted from Rock and Roll to pursue the ministry. Williams was quickly groomed by Blackwell to try to replicate his success. Using the same raw, shouting vocals and piano-driven intensity, Williams scored with a number of hit singles. Williams' three biggest successes were "Short Fat Fannie", which was his first hit, reaching #5 in Billboard's pop chart, "High School Dance", which also made #5, and "Bony Moronie", which peaked at #14. Both "Short Fat Fanny" and "Bony Moronie" sold over one million copies, gaining gold discs. Several of his songs achieved later success as revivals by The Beatles ("Bad Boy", "Slow Down", and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy"); The Rolling Stones ("She Said Yeah"); and John Lennon's versions of "Bony Moronie" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy". 

 Williams had been involved with underworld activity since his early teens, and had reputedly been a pimp before he ever recorded music. After 1957 Williams did not have much success selling records. He recorded a number of songs in 1958 and 1959, including "Heebie Jeebies", with band members such as Plas Johnson on tenor sax and Alvin "Red" Tyler on baritone, Barney Kessel on guitar, Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Ernie Freeman or Williams himself on piano, and Earl Palmer on drums. He was convicted of dealing narcotics in 1960 and served a jail term, setting back his career considerably. 

 Williams made a comeback in the mid-1960s with a funky soul band that included Johnny "Guitar" Watson, which paired him musically with Little Richard who had been lured back into secular music. He produced two Little Richard albums for Okeh Records in 1966 and 1967, which returned Little Richard to the Billboard album chart for the first time in ten years and spawned the hit single Poor Dog. He also acted as the music director for the Little Richard's live performances at the Okeh Club. Bookings for Little Richard during this period skyrocketed. Williams also recorded and released material of his own and with Watson, with some moderate chart success. This period may have garnered few hits but produced some of his best and most original work.  

Williams also began acting in the 1960s, appearing on film in Just for the Hell of It (1968), The Klansman (1974), and Drum (1976). 

 In the 1970s, there was also a brief dalliance with disco, but Williams' wild lifestyle continued. By the middle of the decade, the drug abuse and violence was taking its toll. In 1977, Williams pulled a gun on and threatened to kill his long-time friend, Little Richard, over a drug debt. They were both living in Los Angeles and addicted to cocaine. Little Richard bought drugs from him, arranged to pay him later, but did not show up because he was high. Williams was furious. He hunted him down but ended up showing compassion on his long-time friend after Little Richard repaid the debt. This, along with other factors, led to Little Richard's return to born again Christianity and the ministry, but Williams would not escape LA's seedy underworld.'

 SOURCE: Wikipedia 

[hccn-overseer]

Issue 32, 12/06/2023 - The Overseer

Issue Masterpost About the Overseer

News from the Shopping District

By Mateo

There has been a lot of activity in the Shopping District as of late, with shops getting busier likely due to the time of year, so I’ve decided to make a little recap of the past few weeks!

Several newer citizens have been taking the time to tour around the shopping district to explore and meet potential friends, and many citizens are seeing familiar faces in nearby shops. There are people that may or may not be going on dates, and others learning that they have more freedom to be who they are and enjoy life more, and yet more who are just visiting their shopkeeper friends. 

Our own Roo has been venturing around, meeting new people and making friends, and we are all very proud because socialization is difficult.

Open Mic Night at Get Vexed Diner, run by citizen Atelo, is always an amazing option if you want to sing to your favorite song without getting judged. Citizen Stitches, a plushie shop, is temporarily closed so that co-owner Jax can have a day off. Nox, of Nox’s Flowers (and Sculk Clearing), could probably use some positivity in these trying times.

There are several shops open dedicated to clothing, a few bookshops with mysterious owners, places where art drives the entire shop, several bakeries, and the well known Overseer Headquarters, among others like the pirate ship off in the distance that sells various treasures and trinkets.

There are so many talented shopkeepers that if we were to name all of them, the list would be longer than the wait for someone to get home so you can see their response to your latest message.

Not everything is fun and games, however. A shop has had to close down in the past few weeks due to a shift in management and repairing damage done to various parts of it. The Pharmacy™, formerly run by citizen Ender, has been taken over by citizens Avid and Cordelia (a new addition to the server) because of an incident last week involving sculk catalysts, a frying pan, several unsuspecting bystanders, and a mooshroom island. The two have been giving their best efforts to de-sculkify the shop and fix it up so it can get up and running again, but it is a slow process.

Other places have been affected by sculk spread, with several shops, including The Pharmacy™ and Nox’s Flowers (and Sculk Clearing), being visited by a citizen by the name of Mos, who is having a midlife crisis at the ripe old age of seventeen, but that is about par for the course of the Hermitcitizen Lifestyle™. If anyone sees them, just be careful.

I also write bearing a suggestion from Raidne of Raidne’s: Tailoring and Outfits for All Occasions and a newcomer, a skeleton named Roman with a pretty cool cape and active hatred of the sun. Please consider, if you haven’t already, that there are a lot of people on the server who can’t be out during the day due to the lack of shade and being partially or fully mob. If you can, if you have a shop, it might be a nice idea to have covered walkways in the shopping district so that people who are hurt by the sun can still come around and say hello.

Now onto other news below the cut!

Affiliate Summaries

By Mateo

Mumbo: Send help they're making the Josh Hutcherson whistle edit with irl Mumbo and it's scary, and also they're luring British people with tea— OH GREAT HEAVENS

Pearl: Soup (in the soup bowl)! And Wet Cat Wednesday!

Scar: The Scarland art book has been released and affiliates are celebrating! Go check it out— it's full of very talented artists.

Grian: A chandelier with birds on it. Don't ask, it's just majestic.

Joe Hills: Joe Hills (Joevember has ended).

Anyways that's all that news! See y'all next week!

Weekly Weather Report

by: Mateo

These are in Celsius! Apologies, fellow Americans!

Wednesday: Temperatures will reach highs of -1° and lows of -12°. Light snow is expected with little wind.

Thursday: Temperatures will reach highs of 0° and lows of -9°. Skies will be cloudy with wind speed of 20 miles per hour

Friday: Temperatures will reach highs of -3° and lows of -11°. Expected flurries and wind speeds of up to 30 miles an hour.

Saturday: Temperatures will reach highs of 2° and lows of -4°. Skies will be partially cloudy with little wind, but about a 50% chance for light rain later in the day.

Sunday: Temperatures will reach highs of -1° and lows of -8°. Expected thunderstorms early in the day but clearing up in the afternoon. Wind speeds from 10 to 15 miles per hour.

Monday: Temperatures will reach highs of 0° and lows of -7°. Skies will be clear with little to no wind.

Tuesday: Temperatures will reach highs of -4° and lows of -12°. Skies will be clear with higher wind speeds of 15 miles per hour.

Wednesday: Temperatures will reach highs of 3° and lows of -10°. Skies will be cloudy with wind speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, with chances of snow later in the evening.

Scarland Volcano ready for action!

By Azurecake16

Following the recent opening of Scarland, work has begun on the park's next area, Adventureland! Alongside stunning gardens, and Ellie the Elephant, this area will feature the long awaited Volcano of Scarland! Made using almost 50 000 blocks, this attraction towers over even the main castle, and is surrounded by seemingly charred forests, and is buried deep in the jungle! Wander through Adventureland to see it for yourself, it’s impossible to miss!

With many rides, plenty more secrets to come and more areas being built up, we here at the Overseer can’t wait to see where Scarland will take us next!

ADVERTISEMENTS

By Jamie

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Greetings to all citizens! As you all very well know, Scarland is one of the fastest growing places of fun on the server, with dozens of our friends and fellow hermits working there! This past week the official Scarland Art Book was published and is open for FREE download. Please go check it out at the link!

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To all Garden members : This Friday there shall be a meeting in the sculk bolder amongst Dwayne (Grian's Base). Please bring a mandatory daisy for entry, as well as any other florals you deem fit. Do not be late. —————————————————

CALLING ALL AVIANS! There shall be a council meeting held at the treehouse in two weeks time to discuss the possibility of a flying (elytra) course! If you have any ideas on the theme or how the trials should be set up please be prepared to present them on the 20th.

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Fun and Games

This week's fun and games are brought to you by Azure and Rookie!

Brain Teasers by Azure

Coloring page by Rookie

And that's all for this week folks! Big thank you to our new writers and contributors and thank you to you all for reading!