#Cheap Shopfronts

[unitedshopfronts581]

Exploring the Future of Shopfronts: A Comprehensive Guide

In the dynamic landscape of retail, shopfronts serve as the face of businesses, reflecting not only their offerings but also their brand identity and values. As we navigate through the digital age, the evolution of shopfronts becomes increasingly intriguing, with advancements in technology and changing consumer behaviors reshaping the way businesses present themselves to the world. In this comprehensive guide, we delve deep into the future of shopfronts, exploring emerging trends, innovative designs, and the transformative impact on the retail landscape.

Embracing Digital Transformation

Seamless Integration of Online and Offline Experiences

The future of shopfronts lies in seamlessly integrating the online and offline realms, creating immersive experiences that captivate customers across various touchpoints. Digital signage and interactive displays will become standard features, allowing businesses to showcase their products in engaging ways while offering personalized recommendations based on customer preferences and browsing history. Moreover, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies will revolutionize the shopping experience, enabling customers to visualize products in their desired settings before making a purchase.

Mobile-Friendly Designs for On-the-Go Consumers

With the proliferation of smartphones and mobile devices, shopfronts of the future will prioritize mobile-friendly designs to cater to on-the-go consumers. Responsive websites and mobile apps will play a pivotal role in driving foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores, offering seamless navigation, real-time inventory updates, and personalized promotions tailored to individual preferences. By leveraging geolocation and beacon technology, businesses can deliver targeted messages and incentives to customers based on their proximity to physical locations, enhancing the overall shopping experience.

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Solutions

Green Architecture and Biophilic Design

In an era of increasing environmental awareness, shopfronts will embrace sustainable practices and eco-friendly materials to minimize their carbon footprint and promote environmental stewardship. Green architecture and biophilic design principles will be integrated into shopfront aesthetics, incorporating elements such as living walls, rooftop gardens, and natural lighting to create harmonious spaces that blend seamlessly with their surroundings. Additionally, solar panels and energy-efficient systems will be employed to reduce energy consumption and harness renewable sources of power, aligning with the growing demand for eco-conscious solutions.

Circular Economy and Ethical Sourcing

The future of shopfronts will also prioritize the principles of a circular economy, where products are designed to be reused, recycled, or repurposed at the end of their lifecycle. Businesses will adopt sustainable practices such as zero-waste packaging, upcycling, and product stewardship to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency. Furthermore, ethical sourcing and fair trade initiatives will gain prominence, ensuring that products are sourced responsibly and produced under ethical working conditions, thereby fostering a more socially responsible supply chain.

Personalization and Customer Engagement

Data-Driven Insights and Predictive Analytics

In the era of big data, shopfronts will leverage data-driven insights and predictive analytics to understand customer behavior and preferences, enabling personalized interactions and tailored recommendations. Through customer relationship management (CRM) systems and machine learning algorithms, businesses can anticipate customer needs, anticipate trends, and deliver hyper-targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with their audience. Moreover, loyalty programs and membership perks will incentivize repeat purchases and foster long-term customer loyalty, driving sustained growth and profitability.

Interactive Experiences and Immersive Technologies

To enhance customer engagement and foster brand loyalty, shopfronts will embrace interactive experiences and immersive technologies that captivate the senses and create memorable moments. Interactive displays, pop-up installations, and experiential activations will invite customers to actively participate in the shopping journey, fostering emotional connections and brand affinity. Furthermore, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences will transport customers to virtual worlds where they can explore products in-depth, try virtual clothing, or test-drive virtual vehicles, elevating the shopping experience to new heights of excitement and delight.

Conclusion

The future of shopfronts is filled with promise and potential, driven by technological innovation, sustainable practices, and a relentless focus on customer engagement. By embracing digital transformation, adopting eco-friendly solutions, and personalizing the shopping experience, businesses can thrive in an ever-evolving retail landscape, capturing the hearts and minds of consumers while staying ahead of the competition.

[unitedshopfronts11]

Enhance Your Storefront Appeal: The Ultimate Guide to Shop Front Doors

Welcome to the ultimate guide on shop front doors! Your storefront is the first impression your business makes on customers, and the right door can make all the difference. In this guide, we'll explore everything from design considerations to security features, helping you create an inviting and secure entrance for your store.

Designing Your Shop Front Doors

Designing the perfect shop front door involves more than just aesthetics; it's about creating an entrance that reflects your brand identity and welcomes customers. Here are some key considerations:

Choosing the Right Material

Selecting the appropriate material for your shop front door is crucial for both durability and aesthetics. From traditional wood to sleek glass, each material offers unique benefits and considerations.

Incorporating Brand Elements

Your shop front door is an opportunity to showcase your brand personality. Consider incorporating elements such as your logo, colors, and signage to create a cohesive and memorable entrance.

Security Features for Shop Front Doors

Ensuring the security of your shop front door is essential for protecting your business and merchandise. Here are some features to consider:

High-Quality Locking Mechanisms

Investing in high-quality locking mechanisms is essential to deter break-ins and unauthorized access. Look for options such as deadbolts or electronic locks for added security.

Impact-Resistant Glass

For storefronts located in high-traffic areas or prone to vandalism, impact-resistant glass can provide an extra layer of protection against forced entry and damage.

Installing and Maintaining Your Shop Front Door

Proper installation and maintenance are crucial for maximizing the lifespan and functionality of your shop front door. Here are some tips:

Professional Installation

Ensure your shop front door is installed by experienced professionals to guarantee proper fit and functionality. Improper installation can compromise security and energy efficiency.

Regular Inspection and Maintenance

Schedule regular inspections and maintenance checks to identify any issues early on and prevent costly repairs down the line. Pay attention to components such as hinges, seals, and locks.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How can I choose the right shop front door for my business? Choosing the right shop front door involves considering factors such as your brand identity, security needs, and budget. Consult with a reputable door supplier to explore your options and find the perfect fit.

Are shop front doors customizable? Yes, many door suppliers offer customization options to tailor the design, material, and features of your shop front door to your specific needs and preferences.

What security measures can I implement to protect my shop front door? Investing in features such as high-quality locks, impact-resistant glass, and security cameras can help enhance the security of your shop front door and deter potential intruders.

How often should I schedule maintenance for my shop front door? It's recommended to schedule maintenance checks for your shop front door at least twice a year to ensure optimal performance and identify any potential issues early on.

Can I install my shop front door myself, or should I hire a professional? While some shop front doors may come with DIY installation options, it's generally recommended to hire a professional installer to ensure proper fit, functionality, and security.

What are the benefits of a glass shop front door? Glass shop front doors can enhance visibility, create a modern aesthetic, and allow natural light to enter your storefront, ultimately attracting more customers and improving the overall shopping experience.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Storefront with the Perfect Shop Front Door

Your shop front door is more than just an entrance; it's a reflection of your brand and a critical component of your business's success. By carefully considering design, security, and maintenance factors, you can create an inviting and secure entrance that enhances your storefront appeal and attracts customers.

[sonukumar44]

Unveiling the Wonders of Curtain Walling: A Comprehensive Guide

In the realm of architectural innovation, curtain walling stands tall as a testament to modern design and functionality. This revolutionary construction technique has reshaped the skyline of cities worldwide, offering a seamless blend of aesthetics and structural integrity. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the intricacies of curtain walling, unraveling its significance and applications.

Understanding Curtain Walling

What is Curtain Walling?

Curtain walling is a cutting-edge architectural solution that involves the installation of a non-structural outer layer on a building's façade. This layer, often made of glass or metal, serves multiple purposes, including weather resistance, thermal insulation, and visual appeal. Unlike traditional load-bearing walls, curtain walls bear no structural load, enabling architects to create expansive, visually striking exteriors.

Components of a Curtain Wall

A well-designed curtain wall comprises several key components, each playing a crucial role in its overall performance:

1. Mullions and Transoms

Mullions are vertical members that provide support to the curtain wall, while transoms are horizontal elements connecting mullions. The strategic placement of these components ensures the stability and strength of the entire system.

2. Glass Panels

The use of high-quality glass panels is quintessential to the success of curtain walling. These panels not only allow natural light to permeate the interior but also contribute to the building's energy efficiency.

3. Spandrel Panels

Spandrel panels, positioned between the glass panels, offer a seamless visual transition and contribute to the overall insulation of the building.

Advantages of Curtain Walling

1. Architectural Versatility

Curtain walling provides architects with unparalleled flexibility in design. The absence of structural constraints allows for the creation of awe-inspiring, futuristic structures that captivate the imagination.

2. Energy Efficiency

The integration of advanced materials in curtain walling promotes energy efficiency by optimizing insulation and minimizing heat loss. This not only reduces environmental impact but also leads to substantial cost savings for building occupants.

3. Natural Light Optimization

One of the standout features of curtain walling is its ability to maximize natural light penetration. This not only creates a more pleasant indoor environment but also reduces the reliance on artificial lighting, contributing to sustainable practices.

Applications Across Industries

1. Commercial Buildings

Curtain walling has become synonymous with contemporary commercial architecture. The sleek, glass exteriors of modern office buildings owe their allure to this innovative construction method.

2. Residential Spaces

In the realm of residential construction, curtain walling is gaining traction as homeowners seek to bring a touch of modernity and sophistication to their dwellings. The infusion of natural light transforms living spaces into vibrant sanctuaries.

3. Retail Establishments

Retail spaces benefit from the transparency and visual appeal of curtain walling, creating inviting storefronts that attract customers and enhance the overall shopping experience.

Maintenance and Longevity

Routine Inspections and Maintenance

To ensure the longevity of curtain walling, routine inspections are imperative. Regular checks on seals, joints, and glass integrity help identify potential issues before they escalate, preserving the structural and aesthetic integrity of the building.

Durable Materials

Investing in high-quality materials for curtain walling is a long-term strategy. Durable materials not only enhance the structure's lifespan but also minimize the need for frequent repairs and replacements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, curtain walling stands as a beacon of innovation in the architectural landscape. Its seamless integration of form and function has transformed the way we perceive and construct buildings. From commercial skyscrapers to residential marvels, the applications of curtain walling are as diverse as the structures it adorns.

[queer-crip-grows]

Right-to-buy council houses without specifically only releasing housing that already had a replacement built was of the most notable ways of the *many* that Thatcher et al screwed the UK.

I’d love to have a law put in place that landlords either have to sign contracts to provide housing under council house-type contracts with rent controls to people on housing benefit etc, or sell to the local council at compulsory purchase prices.

Same for all the houses not being lived in - use to house people under contractual controls, or have to sell to the council housing central fund.

Personally I’d start converting all the office units that are no longer needed because so many people are working remotely now into housing too.

Same for the huge city centre shops - I’m not sure if the pattern repeats elsewhere, but I live near Glasgow and the city centre has basically died since Covid. No one is renting the huge retail stores and the place is full of unhoused folk, which is a fucking scandal. So convert them into housing; let the buildings see use, and let those folks get off the streets. Pets and kids specifically allowed too - get families out of one-room shelters and into proper homes of their own.

I’ve heard that there would be issues putting in water infrastructure, but given the place is literally crumbling already and usage in so many areas is so low that having workers digging up the streets to install water lines wouldn’t cause enormous disruption, the time to do this is *now*. Build rainwater catchment and purification systems on roofs too - we get so much rain in the UK it’s kind of ridiculous not to use it! Some of that could go directly to drip irrigation in gardens, but plenty could go right into the houses/flats too. And of course this would provide tons of jobs in construction, architecture, planning etc etc.

Install gardens and green spaces around the place while you are doing this - offer some at low rent, or to buy cheaply, to market gardeners, but specifically put spaces in for communal gardens with the idea of offering allotments and encouraging people to grow their own food.

Put solar panels on every roof and integrate spaces for smaller wind turbines amongst the houses too. Huge storage batteries in basements to make the new blocks as low-footprint and self-sufficient as possible power-wise.

It would be a *fantastic* opportunity to create genuinely accessible housing - office buildings and shops already have lifts and wide corridors ideal for wheelchairs and other mobility devices, so keep that in the design when creating housing. There is a hidden epidemic of houselessness amongst disabled people and older folk with mobility needs, so create low-rent council housing that specifically fits those needs there.

It would regenerate the areas - all the smaller shopfronts not suitable for housing conversion would fill up with people offering the things people in residential neighbourhoods need, with a guaranteed payer base. People on low incomes *use* all of their incomes on necessities, so small businesses selling those necessities will do well. Offer small businesses low rents to provide those necessities. Any that don’t fill up, offer to charities and use for council staff offering the aid and advice people transitioning into housing actually *need*.

Carers are generally low-paid - so this would be an opportunity to offer them cheap housing close to a huge client base in the new accessible housing. No need for low-paid, mostly-female workers to dash constantly between clients in cars. They could walk to work and walk in between clients, who would also no longer be trapped in inaccessible homes, so people who are not actually bedbound would hopefully be less housebound.

Put rooms in the blocks for communal and co-op activities to reduce isolation - with the lifts and wide corridors, even people who are functionally housebound are likely to be able to make it to a room in their own building, and even quite young children could get to those places safely on their own if their parents are working. Wraparound childcare, paid and informal, near where folks actually live.

City centre areas that are now largely dead other than unhoused people, with limited and decreasing zero economic activity taking place and a decreasing incentive for businesses to set up there rather than in out-of-town retail parks people need to drive to, would become vibrant communities with every incentive for businesses to set up there, particularly for the small businesses that still employ the majority of people.

It wouldn’t take a lot to extend this model to transform those out-of-town business parks that are currently largely empty either; nothing says the businesses that are still there would need to move, and they would have a huge new pool of potential employees living within easily walkable distance, though there would need to be oversight to make sure places like Amazon didn’t attempt to buy them up and turn them into company housing. There would need to be a little more investment to provide green transport links like electric buses and trains so that it would be easier for small businesses to move in to provide services, but given the tax income that would result and the reduction in pollution the investment would probably pay itself back within a decade or so.

[mrs-luigi-vargas]

Shopping Trip Detour

[AO3 Link]

It was a beautiful day in Toad Town, and Mario and Luigi had just finished their grocery shopping.

Bags loaded into the back of Luigi’s kart, the two of them had decided to wander around town for a little while longer before going home; it had been a while since the last time they’d visited. And the Toads made sure they knew it, too, waving at them and calling out to them and roping them into enough small talk to make their heads spin.

In a lull in socialization, Luigi examined the surrounding shopfronts. “That one looks new,” he remarked, gesturing to the colorful sign of what looked to be some sort of toy shop. He changed course towards it, and Mario followed behind him.

Peering through the window, Luigi contemplated the thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle and the little robot with its remote resting in its arms, and whether he could convince his brother to buy either of them for him. He glanced at Mario, considering. Mario was also looking through the window, but his focus was further inside, where the presumed shopkeeper was arguing with a person in a hooded cloak. The person was leaning over the shopkeeper threateningly; the shopkeeper was gesticulating wildly, face dark.

Mario pushed the door open. The sound of the little bell connected to it drew the attention of the squabbling pair. From where Luigi still stood outside, he saw the hooded figure turn for one last parting insult before pushing past Mario to exit the store. The shopkeeper yelled something unintelligible but no less angry after them.

While Mario dithered in the doorway, staring after that mysterious figure thoughtfully, Luigi squeezed past him to enter the store himself. The interior was quite modest — and mostly full of toys for much littler kids — but the sprawling active toy railway network hanging suspended by the ceiling was particularly impressive. Getting all of those toy trains up there to begin with must have been quite the ordeal!

As Luigi ruminated over the existence of extremely tall ladders, Mario went up to the shopkeeper to ask what that earlier patron was arguing with him about. The shopkeeper huffed, pointing at a figurine sitting in an unassuming display near the back of the store. “That uncultured idiot was talking about her like she’s some common doll he could buy for cheap!” he spat. “As if! She’s the rarest item of the series and the highest quality! Show her some respect!”

Luigi walked over to the figurine. A little plastic woman wearing a semi-elaborate gown stared dourly back at him through her glasses as she posed with a wizard’s staff, her hat barely fitting over her puffy hair. She was very pretty, but Luigi wasn't really sure she was worth the shopkeeper’s continued rambling about “scales” or “articulation” or whatever. There were certainly other things in the store he would rather spend his money on, at any rate. But when Luigi turned to whisper as much to Mario, he found his brother reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

“Eh?” Luigi goggled at him. “You wanna buy that?”

The shopkeeper crossed his arms. “Oh, yeah?” he said, going for an air of nonchalance and mostly failing. “That’s cool. But you’re not getting a discount just because you’re a celebrity.”

“How much is it, anyway?” Luigi asked, and then regretted asking because then the most absurd price for a vaguely fancy-looking toy left the shopkeeper’s mouth.

Mario rocked on his heels in shock. “But it’s just an action figure!” Luigi exclaimed.

“She’s not an action figure!” the shopkeeper shouted over Luigi’s immediate apologies for setting him off. “She’s priceless! I’m doing y’all a favor!”

Hesitantly, Mario began counting his coins. Luigi watched with bated breath. With a frown, Mario emptied his wallet. He didn't have enough.

“Too bad,” the shopkeeper said, not looking all that sorry. “Guess she’s not going home with you!”

Mario’s frown deepened. It tugged a frown onto Luigi’s face as well, and after a moment of watching his brother sulk, he sighed. “Alright,” he said, pulling out his own wallet.

Luigi counted his coins. Mario watched him with bated breath. While he didn't have nearly as much money on hand as Mario did, on account of being the one to pay for the groceries earlier, it was somehow enough to make up the difference. Mario beamed at him.

---

Sale made, the bros exited the toy store, their purchase dangling from Mario’s arm, both politely ignoring the shopkeeper’s tears about the loss of his “Darling Dami” — the name of the character the figurine was modeled after, apparently.

As they walked, Luigi asked Mario, “So why did you really buy that?” because Luigi knew full well that Mario had no idea of the show the figurine-lady was from, let alone anything about her specifically.

Mario only winked. With purposeful steps, he made his way towards the outskirts of town. Luigi followed behind him, full of questions but nonetheless letting his brother lead him to a clearing just outside of town, where that hooded figure that had been in the shop before them was grumbling about stupid Toad stores and their ridiculous owners. They reached into some hammerspace and pulled a broomstick longer than they were tall, and the motion of doing so knocked their hood off their head, revealing —

“Kamek?!”

Kamek started, whirling around to face them. “Wha — you?!”

Out of all of them, Mario was the only one who didn't look surprised. How in the world had he known?

Kamek was the first to recover, schooling his expression into something sardonic. “Two against one?” he drawled, brow raised. “That’s hardly fair.”

Mario shook his head. He reached into the bag on his arm and pulled out the box containing the figurine they’d bought.

Kamek’s face soured. “Oh, of course it was sold to you. Here to rub it in my face, then?”

Mario shook his head again. He put the figurine back into the bag and held it out to Kamek. Kamek regarded it warily.

“We bought it for you,” Luigi added, finally catching on to what Mario was trying to do. “No need to thank us!”

“I wasn't going to.” With a harsh wave of his wand, the bag was ripped out of Mario’s grip and settled on the end of Kamek’s broomstick. With one hand securing it, he gave the bros a long, considering look and then flew off, kicking up an unnecessary amount of dust that had the bros coughing and shielding their faces. They watched him shrink to a speck in the sky in silence.

“...You're doing my laundry for the next month.”

Mario made a face.

“That was all of my pocket money!”

Mario sighed.

[doodlemancy]

why is your canada shipping so expensive :( trying to buy 2 of the hard drive reminder cards and the shipping is more expensive than the cards themselves

hi anon, i'm really sorry about this AND i can fix it! but i do want to explain, because i think it's something people should know if they're buying from Etsy (and other small sellers running their own shops online). it's due to a combination of several things (for which there is a solution at the end of this ramble that may or may not make any sense): -those items are listed with Etsy's special tracked letter-rate shipping, which allows me to send small, flat envelopes under 1oz for cheap within the US. the tracked letter rate is not available outside the USA, and thanks to some back end stuff on Etsy i just end up having to show the package rate to international customers instead of what i'd charge for a stamped international letter. it's, um, less than ideal. -international package rates are just plain mean and rude to small sellers and cool people who buy from them! the base price of sending even a small a tracked package to canada is frankly absurd, like i can send a bubble mailer full of charms up to the washington border for $5 but if it goes into BC suddenly it's $11. international stamps are still less than 2 dollaroonis but god forbid you have a one-ounce 4x6 bubble mailer, get out your checkbook -Etsy forces you to provide tracked shipping for orders over $10. this confounds the entire issue of shipping even further. i *could* send stamped mail, but there's no way to set up a shipping profile that's like "regular rates for most people but international customers spending less than $10 can get it for stamped envelope price

-i also typically insure international packages because otherwise there can be badtimes and that's rolled into the shipping price so that's like a dollar of the bonkers price you're seeing lol

TL;DR shipping is goofy and it gets goofier when it crosses a border (and when Etsy fails for years to develop simple workarounds for common problems like this LKDSFGHFDSJK) HOWEVER: since these are flat items, and two of them won't go over the $10 "must have tracking" limit, if you send me a message over on Etsy (just hit that contact button on my shopfront), let me know you're Canada Anon, i can work around it, create a custom listing for you, and send them in a stamped envelope. they just won't have tracking. :)

[jackhkeynes]

9th Lexember

epu "express"

epu /eˈpi/ [ɪˈpi] - (of a shop or similar) express, mini, providing a more limited but more focused service than usual; - cheap, good value, having a gratifyingly low price for the level of quality offered; - bitesize, mini, having been stripped down in complexity and/or size for easier immediate consumption;

Etymology: modern borrowing from French épu "express, direct, unhindered, available, at hand", first seen in Boral in the names of imported shopfronts such as Pannier, whose Pannier Épu establishments were much smaller but offered better deals than the main line.

Cognate with Boral speut "free, unfettered, clear", the word épu reflects Old French espeü, past participle of moribund verb espeïr "to free, untangle, prepare". from Latin expediō "I remove the shackles of, I carry out, I am profitable".

Jo n'ay scið l'eç scoclet epu plu pascr. /ʒo ne xɪθ lɛts xoˈklɛt eˈpi pli ˈpa.xr̩/ [ʝo ne ˈçɪh lɛs xʊˈklɛt ɪˈpi pli ˈpa.xɐ] 1s neg-have.1s can.p.pst def-p.px chocolate mini no.more eat-inf I can't stop eating these mini chocolates.

---

excerpted in translation from the scitation questions given in the Hulm Siebenhaus's winter 2021 N season and specifically from those for the avenue "Zwanzistewes Entwicklungen" (Advancements of the 20th Century), which tests the taker's understanding of major technological and societal developments during this period.

…causes of the 1937 Veldsvindung and pursuant general poverty.

Question 5 (20 minutes)

Answer the following ten questions in brief.

(i) Which of the fundaminal matters [chemical elements] which are tesqual—having a count of at most 94—was discovered most recently? Who first documented its material properties, and in what year?

(ii) The first then-called "house of odyssey" [cinema] to sell tickets to the public on a regular basis was established in which Riverine city [1] in 1912? Which kerther band [orchestra] was first to have a concert shown in odyssey here?

(iii) Which methodist at the Nadacou [2] Higher School successfully predicted the structure of heredian acid [DNA] in their 1929 paper, a full two decades before their prediction would be verified experimentally?

(iv) The 1968 parachthon tale Starsail, written by Rone [Rouen]-based author Ashford Pasquier, is responsible for coining the jargon term for which modern technology?

(v) Which brother-sister pair founded the Pannier market guild in 1903, which would go on to have a presence in 69 political regions by the year 2000? In which then-Drengot city did they do so?

(vi) In which year was the Lineball Global Turney first held in Mendeva, and who…

---

[1] Any of the band of city-states along the Danaw [Danube] which formed an alliance-federacy in the nineteenth century following the collapse of the Kingdom of Danaw.

[2] Capital city of Hasiny, a Mendevan [North American] polity on the Gulf Coast.

[theborderupdates]

Foreign Student Crackdown Could Force Hundreds of Colleges to Close

Up to 200 vocational colleges teaching foreign students could be forced to close by the Albanese government’s crackdown on student visas being used as a back door to secure jobs in Australia, a group of colleges has warned.

A letter drafted by a breakaway group of private vocational colleges, seen by The Australian Financial Review, says one in five such institutions could go bankrupt next year if proposed reforms to restore integrity to the system go ahead.

The letter, which is signed by a “group of private VET colleges”, estimates that about 200 small providers of the 1000 vocational colleges registered to teach international students are highly vulnerable to a proposal to suspend colleges if visas are refused to at least 50 per cent of students they have recruited.

A glut of colleges could “become distressed or in more severe cases collapse altogether” once the measure comes into force, it warns.

“If such harsh measures are implemented with the sector without justifiable clause [sic], there will be a widespread provider collapses [sic] which may impact on thousands of students and the entire TPS (tuition protection scheme) and the potential financial impact on the Australian economy will ripple for quite some time to come,” the letter reads.

The government has been grappling with a massive blowout in the number of temporary migrants, especially international students, entering Australia in the past year.

The number of student visa holders hit an all-time high of 660,765 at the end of June. That figure was 203,000 more than at the beginning of the year.

Shonky agents

While students are also providing cheap labour for unskilled jobs in hospitality, aged care and cleaning, the surge in numbers is putting additional pressure on the already-hot rental market.

It has also coincided with reports of corrupt and devious practices by shonky education agents, colleges and people using student visas as a back door to jobs.

Currently, about 90 per cent of visa applications from countries including India, Bangladesh and Nepal to study a vocational course are refused.

The draft letter argues the “abnormally high rejection rate of applications seem totally baseless”.

The reform needs legislative changes and would be in place next March at the earliest.

The draft letter blames the media for exposing corrupt practices, the regulator for registering 200 new colleges since the pandemic, with another 100 awaiting registration, and the government for introducing the changes.

‘Mickey Mouse programs’

“Providers are facing severe revenue shortfalls and unhealthy competition from the more unscrupulous providers in the market, thus making (the) entire sector unsustainable,” the letter says.

However, Phil Honeywood, chief executive of the International Education Association of Australia, said colleges that offered questionable courses, particularly in leadership and business, should be put under the most scrutiny.

“Such Mickey Mouse programs make a mockery of providers which are genuinely delivering training in skill shortage areas,” Mr Honeywood said.

Over the past three months, the federal government has announced a raft of changes designed to stop widespread rorting of the student visa system.

Among the issues the government is trying to bring a halt to are poaching of students from genuine education establishments to dodgy colleges, many of which are shopfronts with little or no teaching resources and provide a means for so-called students to access the jobs market.

The changes included requiring all prospective students to show they have at least $24,500 in savings, and closing a loophole that allowed students to jump from one course to another in the first six months, which drove a flood of students from high-quality universities into questionable colleges.

The vocational education regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Agency, was also given additional powers to stamp out unethical and dishonest behaviour by increasing scrutiny of suspect colleges. Education agents will be banned for receiving commissions for poaching students.

Government data shows the number of visa applications to study a vocational course was a record high of 136,000 in 2022-23. The previous record was 103,000 in 2019-20.

Source: FINANCIAL REVIEW

[unitedshopfronts581]

[sonukumar44]

Elevate Your Space with Aluminium Bi-Fold Doors: Unveiling Elegance and Functionality

In the realm of architectural sophistication, the pivotal role that doors play often goes unnoticed. However, for those seeking a harmonious blend of aesthetic appeal and practicality, the spotlight inevitably falls on the exquisite craftsmanship of Aluminium Bi-Fold Doors. These marvels of modern design not only redefine spatial dynamics but also serve as a gateway to a world where style seamlessly converges with functionality.

Unveiling Unparalleled Elegance

Craftsmanship Beyond Compare

Our Aluminium Bi-Fold Doors stand as testaments to unrivaled craftsmanship. Meticulously designed, these doors are a fusion of form and function, capturing the essence of contemporary elegance. Each detail is a brushstroke on the canvas of architectural finesse, creating a visual symphony that captivates the onlooker.

Sleek Lines and Timeless Appeal

Embracing the minimalist trend, these doors boast sleek lines and a timeless appeal that transcends design eras. The aluminum frames, adorned with precision, exude a sense of sophistication that complements various architectural styles, from the ultramodern to the classic.

Seamless Integration with Surroundings

What sets our Aluminium Bi-Fold Doors apart is their innate ability to seamlessly integrate indoor and outdoor spaces. The accordion-like folding mechanism not only allows for a wide opening but also blurs the boundaries between the interior and exterior, creating a fluid, open-air experience.

Beyond Aesthetic Allure: The Functional Marvel

Effortless Operation

Functionality should never be compromised for style. Our doors redefine convenience with an effortless folding mechanism that glides smoothly, requiring minimal effort. This ensures that the transition between spaces is not only visually stunning but also a practical delight.

Space Optimization

In a world where space is a premium, our Aluminium Bi-Fold Doors excel at optimizing every square inch. The accordion-like folding enables the doors to occupy minimal space when opened, granting you the luxury of expansive living without sacrificing valuable square footage.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

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[mooneymarcussen15]

The Young Entrepreneurs Going Surfing

Basically, the business wants to take a look on their sales staff or service staff. Obviously, the staff would recognize the big boss or top management people they will were display up. The management in order to know regardless of whether the sales staff or service staff accomplish their work effectively. Regarding your phone, have a photo of the luggage so making claims will be easier. When you are like me, you know your bag is black but don't necessarily help you manufacturer or where the emblem appears close to the bag. Photos will teach. Trust me. Been there. Done that. After doing work in a cubical and dreaming about traveling around the world, are convinced already possess a pretty choice where would like to go on it. It's a personal choice and cho thuê laptop couple options amazing places to see and experience all your globe. If you do intend in the systems expend for your travels, primary reason factor kind where to spend time visiting is price range. cho thuê laptop hà nội Apple supplies a couple of options a person and your Raleigh laptop rental company with the 13" MacBook Air. Options model along with a a 1 particular.7GHz ULV Core-i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage. If you're want higher performance, foods high in protein laptop for rent at Viet Nam pay inhale $300 and upgrade to at least one.8GHz Core-i7 processor and 256GB of flash of internal memory. Unless you have to be able to some bulky applications, just model of your 13" MacBook Air works like a charm. 2) Look out for where you place your totes. While there haven't been reports of bed bugs on airplanes, people have spotted these critters at airports near baggage incidents. Be mindful of a person set your luggage. It is surprisingly cheap to organise a multi level marketing as as an alternative to purchasing your typical franchise or 'shopfront' venture, could cost around $100,000. Inside addition to that initial outlay, additionally, there are laptop for rent at Ha Noi the normal overheads for instance rental, power bills and staff wages to contend by having. There are none of those expenses associated with this online home marketplace. The additional features you can learn in this release among the MacBook Air is the backlit keyboard, significantly powerful Core-i5 processor, the new Thunderbolt port and Most are Thunderbolt clearly show.

[sheathandshear]

Things about traveling in CDMX so far:

Mercados are everything. Fresh, cheap, delicious produce and dried goods as far as the eye can see.

AVOCADOS ARE SO GOOD HERE. Is this what they're supposed to taste like??!!!

Taquerías are also everything, as well as street food stands and the little old ladies who run them.

Wish my gut microbiome was a little more robust, though.

Coffee just... does not seem to be a big thing here? Am I missing something???

Neither does hard cheese, which hurts my soul.

Neighborhoods seem a lot less siloed here than in the US -- less rigid distinctions between residential/commercial, public/private, lots of restaurants and shopfronts that open right onto the street (or are on the street) whereas in the US they'd be behind a wall and a closed door. My neighborhood in the US is considered very "walkable" and in order to get any food that isn't 7/11 hot dogs you have to cross two major roads with basically nothing but sit-down restaurants and office buildings along the way.

It is so dang hard to find a very specific item though!

Public transit system is robust, extensive, cheap, and so confusing. But I love that the metro and metrobus line maps not only are color-coded for each line but have distinctive symbols for each station.

SO MANY DOGS. So many *barking* dogs.

Really glad I speak/understand at least some Spanish and read more, because depending wholly on people who speak English here would be a very limiting experience. Seems to confuse people when I tell them, "Sorry, I don't speak a lot of Spanish" in a very good accent, though. I have the accent! Just not the vocabulary. Or the grammar.

Whoever is advertising washing machines for sale on a loudspeaker at all hours of the day on repeat: please stop.

[chrismbr]

My turn to see the horror blandification wrought upon what was the finest #PoMo commercial interior in Melbourne: Cocks Carmichael Whitford’s 1987 Centreway Arcade remodelling. Fortunately the upper floor is fairly intact above the cheap low ceiling, but the individual stone shopfronts have been permanently swept away. Hurry to see the inferior but fun(fair) Paramount Centre while we’ve still got it! (at Centreway Arcade 259 Collins Street Melbourne) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoU2VaZyy2I/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[terrariumfiction]

The Tale of the Tattoo'd Pig - catchup

It's been a while since I've last posted because I've been suddenly and unexpectedly busy.

Working the British Art Show 9 as invigilator has seen my confidence grow a lot, and whilst I was attending Hardeep Pandhal's artist talk at KARST, I introduced myself to Tom Milnes, the project manager of AUP's Cornwall Street Project Space. I had seen that, through the Meanwhile Use scheme, AUP had been using this empty shopfront to showcase staff, student and alumni's work. At the last minute, Tom contacted me asking if I'd be up for filling a gap in their schedule. I had no work ready for an exhibition of this kind of scale, but I knew I couldn't say no to the opportunity to have a solo show.

Following the feedback I got at the end of last year (that I needed to more carefully think through my installation plans), I saw this as the perfect opportunity to practice installation and spatial presentation of work. In crits, everyone always encourages me to think big, and consider presenting my work in an immersive environment, which I finally had the opportunity to do.

(the previous exhibition, of work by AUP BA Fine Art students - a challenging gallery space to use well)

The Cornwall Street space is a challenging one in many ways: the room is an empty shopfront, its architecture acts sort of like a funnel and none of the walls are really appropriate for 2D work. The overhead lighting is horrible and blue. The carpet is also horrible and blue. I knew that people would only be able to enter the space on one evening - the opening - and that otherwise the interactions viewers would have with the work would be through the window.

My plan was to make an exhibition that could primarily be seen through the window, but could also act as a kind of set for a performance on the opening night - something that was immersive for viewers who entered the space, but also captivated people who were just glancing at it from outside.

The first thing I did was cover the floor in straw. Straw is very cheap to buy, and very quickly covered up the nasty blue carpet (this was important to me because blue as a colour in the context of faux-medieval storytelling represents wealth and nobility). It's also a sort of shortcut to making a space feel immersive: it brings with it a strong, musty smell; it dampens sound and adds a new sound of its own (rustling under feet); it changes the colour of the floor. I wanted to bring the world of the fiction out into the space - straw being a medieval material, and also a material that sits at the intersection of human and animal relations (bedding for livestock or pets, food, natural yet manmade). The abundant presence of a classically "outdoor" material in an ordinary indoor space created a kind of surreality to the exhibition as well. I knew it would attract the attention of passersby.

I bought a roll of cheap, brown fabric from the scrap store to hang on all the walls. The presence of hanging fabric suggests curtains, making the space feel theatrical, but also on a practical level it covered up the noisy and irregular walls.

Regarding the work I decided to present, I opted to centre the show around the chapter of Dinner Machine: The Tale of the Tattoo'd Pig. This chapter was one I had finished and polished last year, and from which I performed an extract at the final show. This chapter makes the most sense to perform live as it is primarily dialogue. Also, knowing this event would be organised entirely around this one reading, I felt I could perform the whole scene rather than just an extract, which was exciting.

So far this academic year I have been working on drawing comic pages of Chapter 1, which have been taking a long time and are not appropriate to show in this kind of way, so I decided to quickly make new work to show instead. I scanned and enlarged some of the marginalia doodles I had been doing, and scruffily attached them to large pieces of cardboard. I wanted them to appear somewhere between a cardboard standee and a piece of theatre set dressing.

This was pretty much my first time working on such a large scale, and working so quickly, but I don't think they ended up looking rushed in the same way my installation did at the end of last year. I think (hope) they appeared scruffy in an intentional way, but well considered. I hung them from metal hooks with butcher's twine.

Here's a link to a previous blog post about the imagery itself (the butt trumpets): https://terrariumfiction.tumblr.com/post/702731762011455488/butt-trumpets

I thought these would work well because they are so crude and juvenile; they are quite approachable images to a range of audiences, and are maybe an unexpected thing to see when walking through the city centre. I hid the most confrontational one (FUCK THE LORD - TRUMPET TOWARDS A REPUBLIC) at the back, which was pretty much too shaded to see from the street.

As well as these large, mechanically-reproduced drawings, I wanted there to be a smaller-scale piece of work as well, that would warrant closer inspection on the opening night. It was my plan to source some pigskins, tattoo them, and crudely preserve them (with salt and alkaline solution akin to the tanning process). The other materials I had used in the production of the work (paper, board, staples, thread, fabric) were all materials that go into bookbinding, and I thought that presenting a drawing work that was ink on animal skin would more firmly link these bookmaking processes and their visceral histories. I couldn't find any pig skins in the end, so did some drawings with a dip pen on textured paper. I cut and hung these drawings to appear like animal hides do when they're being turned into parchment.

These drawings more closely illustrate the chapter I was to be performing - showing copies of medieval images of slaughter. There's a weird cartoonish glee to the violence in these images, that I supplemented with contemporary cartoon language. I sort of wanted these drawings to appear like "flash sheets" - pages prepared by tattoo artists of smaller tattoos that can be readily purchased.

The text in the scroll on the top right image is from Umberto Eco's essay 'Dreaming of the Middle Ages'; I wanted these works to present (loosely) some of the critical contexts within which this project sits - ideas of neo-medievalism, ecological philosophy, etc. The annotation "BECOMING-WITH SAUSAGE", for example, playfully references Donna Haraway's notion of "becoming-with" discussed in Staying With the Trouble.

To give the work the uncomfortable presence of animal-made-material, I smeared the frame with lard.

Next post will be about the performance itself. Below, please find more pictures of the installation.

[neonponders]

Tailor Steve who meets Billy years later and things 👀 happen 👀

This got long as hell so here’s an ao3 link ~

• • • • • • •

“Come in!”

Steve had heard the bell on his door but was more so telling himself to get through the maze of his studio to enter the shopfront to see a smiling woman and -

“Hargrove?”

For a long second, Billy Hargrove just stared at him. Shorter hair now, and a gold stud in his ear, but still the same sun-soaked freckles and hot blue eyes. Then, like a memory plucked right out of the water’s of Steve’s brain to smack him like a fish, Billy grinned. “Harrington. The one and only.”

“You know each other?” the woman asked. Steve focused on smiling at her and holding out his hand.

“We went to high school together. Like, a million years ago.”

“Maybe nine or so,” Billy corrected. Steve took the moment that the woman glanced at Billy running his hand through a shelf of fabrics to swallow for composure.

“What can I help you two with today?”

Dark, hazel eyes followed her hand reaching behind Billy’s back as she narrated, “This one needs a suit. We haven’t been able to find anything he likes, so Mr. High Standards needs one custom.”

Steve nodded. Suits were not his favorite things to make, but he’d done it before. “Sure. What’s the occasion?”

“White tie event,” she said.

“Oh. Classy,” Steve remarked, but he started observing these two with a more appraising eye. He didn’t remember Billy having money, but...a long time had passed. “If you don’t mind me asking, are you his manager?”

She blinked vacantly at him before epiphany made her laugh. “I’m his partner. His personal assistant needed a break from this errand.”

Steve laughed with her and strolled to the other side of the shop. “Oh, then I should show you the expensive fabrics, in case you get inspired.”

Even Billy chuckled at that, but they soon had to separate for Steve to do his job and for the lady to duck out for her own errands. Billy sauntered behind Steve into his studio behind the shop: a largish room with a couple of island counters featuring cutting mats and padding for needles to stick right into the table top.

Billy’s fingertips slid over the silk satin of a half-finished garment on one of the tables. With a measured breath, he said each word carefully, like he were calculating as he said, “When did you get into sewing?”

Steve inhaled deeply to sigh, “Well. When your dad ironically cuts you off while still demanding that you attend hoity toity dinners...you learn how to make cheap stuff work. Turns out, I’m kinda good at this.”

Billy slowly turned to take in the whole room: the shelves of things he had seen but didn’t know what they did. A pegboard that looked straight out of a garage but instead carried a whole rainbow-organized display of threads as well as more scissors than Billy thought a person needed. Square shelves of fabric next to horizontal rows of fabric bolts.

“I’d say you’re more than good at this. You own a couture business.”

“I got a backer,” he elaborated with a nervous smile. “A, uh, few. Some old ladies aren’t just rose perfume and mothballs. When they asked where I got my clothes and I said I made them, livelihood wasn’t such a bleak thing anymore. But anyways, take your time going through these catalogues.”

Billy focused on the thick tomes of magazines Steve heaved onto one of the tables. The latter prompted, “I remember you seemed to know what you liked, so...find stuff you like, and then I’ll take your measurements.”

A warm smirk moved Billy’s features as he took Steve’s place before the magazines. He spared a moment to watch Steve go around the room to the other table, working while Billy perused.

The magazine featured editorial quality images of various tuxedos, as well as pattern spreads and instructions on making one’s own patterns based on the styles within. Billy lazily turned the pages until he did start to see things he liked.

“This.”

Steve perked up and came around to see the images. Billy felt his warmth through the air as he pointed. “The higher waist?”

Billy hummed a confirming sound but turned the page to another example. “But the round labels.”

“Sure. Do you want coattails?”

“No.”

“Okay. How shiny do you want it to be?”

“Just like this. Shiny lapels but only semi-gloss on everything else. Not matte, or it’ll be dusty.”

Steve lifted his eyes with a smile. “Not all blacks are the same black. Let me show you.”

Billy felt a chill as his warmth moved elsewhere. Plucked a pile of folded fabric from one of the cubby shelves to scatter and compare on the table. “Velvet looks great, but I don’t recommend it unless you want to be a walking lint roller. Still, some blacks look really good without being shiny.”

Steve wasn’t wrong. Billy liked how velvet absorbed light and soon touched the same alternative fabric on which Steve had his hand. “This one.”

Steve brightened. “It’s good, right? I need to order more, though. How soon is your shindig?”

“A month. Is that enough time?”

Steve’s glow dimmed somewhat. “I’ll need to order it with express shipping, but - ”

“I’ll pay,” Billy disregarded.

“No, I didn’t mean that. Just - it might be down to the wire, that’s all. If you’re busy, regular fittings might be hard to do.”

“I can make time. Order it,” Billy finished before he meandered to the cubbies with silk alternatives. “And a waistcoat?”

Steve’s brows lifted and he scratched his forehead in a fleeting gesture, that hand moving right into a help yourself movement. Billy tossed the stack of silk onto the table, the fabric sliding like a deck of cards in front of Steve’s waiting hands. He moved them one by one over Billy’s selected body fabric until he selected the right one for the lapels, but then Billy lifted a different one for the waistcoat. A deep red that moved like black ink in the shadow, or golden-orange sunlight right where the light struck it. The floral pattern woven into it shined or receded into the shadow.

“It’s a white tie event, you said?” Steve clarified. “Those are usually very penguin-esc, right?”

“Penguins have colors,” Billy disregarded. “I like this.”

“It’s a dupioni silk. It’s woven with two different threads so it has that duo-chrome effect, but it also has this linear texture that some people don’t like. This is going to be very bright if it’s your whole waistcoat.”

Billy did not verbally agree with that, but instead said, “Line my jacket with it and make it the back of the vest. I want to see it, even if I’m the only one who knows it’s there.”

Steve set it with the other stack of fabrics and made some notes on pad of paper. Tearing those off, he pinned them directly to the table beside the stack. Billy’s eyes tracked every movement; how Steve lay on his stomach to write, halfway crawling on the table with a certain familiarity like -

“You move like you live here.”

Standing once more, Steve flashed a smile and laughed, “Yeah, I do. I mean, stuff needs to be ready for clients, right?”

But Billy leaned against the table while looking behind them at a very discrete door. The glass window revealed it to be covering a narrow staircase. “What’s up there?”

“My loft.”

“Then you have a weak excuse to be late for anything.”

Steve didn’t have a response for that. So he neglected to give one and instead held up his measuring tape. “Can I measure you while you look at white silks?”

Billy removed his casual jacket and easily picked a gentle off-white for the front of his waistcoat. Steve, meanwhile, tickled his skin by moving the tape across his shirt, measuring the mantle of his shoulders. He had a whole pre-made diagram printed out that he filled in with all of Billy’s measurements.

Billy let Steve move his limbs how ever he needed them. Felt the slide of the tape and the rustle of textile as he cinched the tape around his arms. Heard the soft hush of Steve’s breath as he moved the tape around Billy’s torso. Chest. Waist. Hips. Knelt on the floor for his outer leg and inseam.

The scratch of the pencil was loud on the paper.

“Okay. I think you’re good for today.”

Billy swallowed and started easing his arms back into his jacket sleeves before deciding against it. Too warm.

“When do you want me back?”

“I can have your waistcoat done as early as this weekend. I’d suggest picking out a shirt or two, and then come in ready to try those on with the vest. My appointment calendar is out front.”

Billy led the way this time to the shopfront, but lingered behind the counter beside Steve. The latter withdrew a large calendar meant to be hung up on a wall, but Billy watched his name get written in ink, and paid the consultation deposit.

Come the weekend, he arrived alone.

Steve poked his head out of the studio when the bell chimed on the door. “Hey! Can you wait a few minutes? I’m just finishing up.”

Billy did, and smiled kindly at the prior client leaving. Or rather, clients.

Billy walked right into the studio after the shop door twittered closed and found Steve putting away the materials for the mother and daughter. Billy teased, “Princess gown for a birthday or something?”

Steve glanced at him and corrected, “Ballet apparel. Activewear is not a regular commission for me, but when your kid is allergic to every kind of plastic out there, you need to have a hookup for natural fibers with stretch. Do you have a shirt picked out?”

Billy lifted the pair of shirts in his hand, still ironed and folded perfectly so he looked like a waiter holding a tray. Steve moved a sapphire velvet curtain that revealed a closet or butler’s pantry that had been renovated into a changing room. “Take your time, and here’s your vest. Be gentle. I haven’t finished the seams.”

Steve’s words petered off as he watched Billy’s mouth part at the sight of the vest. It was small, simple, but the little curve of relief and intrigue on his features seemed...genuine. More genuine than how Billy walked with a meticulous, conscious gait. In high school it had been all hauteur and bravado. Now it was quiet and controlled; the difference between a wild cat running versus walking.

The curtain shut behind him and Steve allowed himself his own smile of fascinated relief. Steve Harrington and Billy Hargrove were known for not getting along. Meeting by chance now, years later, was...nice. Whatever had happened and changed in Billy’s life seemed to be doing him much better than the shit show of high school. Steve could hardly fault him with his own home life circumstances.

Yes, it helped to have a client who was extremely attractive. Steve used to despise Billy all the more for being handsome and knowing it, but now he made a note in Billy’s client papers to later ask if he’d let a photographer get some shots for Steve’s portfolio. It would be nice to show clients his own work as often as the magazines.

And he really hated making suits, so he didn’t have many of those to show off.

“Steve,” he heard a second before the brass hoops scraped with the curtain opening. He came around to see Billy in the shirt and vest, cuffs and collar wide open. Between the white front and the vampire sunset on the back, Billy looked like an ember in a smithy fire.

Steve put his hands on his hips and smiled. “What do you think?”

Billy rotated to see himself in the massive mirror again. “I like it. But not this strap.”

He reached behind him to touch the adjustable strap behind his waist. Steve offered, “Do you want it perfectly tailored to you? I can do that, but the fittings might take longer.”

“That’s fine. Should I take this off?”

“Nope. Just stand still.”

Steve reached for something on one of the tables and set a magnet covered in pins beside them before turning Billy all the way around by the shoulders. With the reflection at his disposal, Billy heard and watched Steve seam rip the back of the waistcoat. The strap and buckle landed on the table, tossed aside. Steve pulled a white pencil from behind his ear and marked things Billy couldn’t see.

Every so often, Steve peeked up to also use the mirror. Billy felt the fabric cinch around his waist during these time, like Steve wanted to make sure it looked right from the front.

Billy blinked out of a reverie when Steve’s arms wrapped around his front to undo the buttons. “Gently. You’re full of pins back here.”

Billy let him ease the vest off his shoulders and stepped out of it. Steve laid it carefully on the table and asked, “I have a mockup started of your jacket. Do you want to try it? It’s still rough.”

“I’ll try it.���

It certainly was rough. Billy felt like he was wearing painter’s canvas, and it did not have the lapels yet, but the silhouette looked right.

By that point, the bell on the door chimed and Steve ushered, “Take your time changing. I’ll be right back.”

But Steve didn’t come back.

Billy switched back into his comfortable clothes and emerged upon Steve laughing and chatting with his girlfriend. She cocked her hip, weight bouncing to one side when she saw him. “There you are. How’s it going?”

Steve slouched with his elbows on the calendar. Billy heard himself reply, “Good. Real good. What do I owe you?”

Steve shook his head and reached for a pen. “Just fitting appointments till it’s done.”

Billy looked at the calendar and pointed to an available date while he asked, “Did the fabric get here?”

Steve wrote his name and answered, “It should be here a couple of days before I see you again. You’ll be able to try on the vest and pants.”

Billy went around the counter and opened his arm for the woman to step against his body. “Till next time, Steve.”

However, the next time Billy walked into the shop, he immediately gripped the bell to make it quiet.

Arguing.

He knew the tone without hearing the words, so he carefully shut the shopfront and tread close to the studio door.

“...such a prick - ”

“I’m not a prick for wanting to see you.”

“And the fact that I got a shipment in this week is just a happy coincidence,” Steve scoffed. “Get the hell out.”

“No. We’re going to talk about this. About us.”

“Us? Us being how you got in my pants just to steal from my shop? Or how you’re due for a restraining order for spying on my packages?”

“I’m not spying - !”

A man. Steve was arguing with a man.

A man whose head whipped around when Billy stepped into the room. Then he had the gall to hiss at Steve, “Who’s this?”

“My client, jackass - ”

Billy’s hand gripped the front of Steve’s sweater as he stepped in between them, moving Steve behind him. Half of his mind stayed on Steve’s hands gripping him in return, but Billy was still stronger than him.

The man exclaimed, “I ought to call the police on you, handling a person like that!”

Billy replied, deadpan, “The police go where the money is. I can have a restraining order faster than it would take a judge to write it. Get lost and stay lost.” He turned his head, implying his next words were for Steve. “Does this place have security?”

“Infrared cameras. Finally,” Steve breathed, and there it was. The man’s face paled a second before he clenched his jaw and threw his weight into eager steps to get the hell out of there. Billy rotated in time to see the way Steve grimaced at the audibly rough handling of his shop door and bell.

He rubbed his face, dislodging his glasses as he said, “I’m sorry you had to walk in on that.”

“I didn’t know you wear glasses.”

Often, clearly, by the unconscious, practiced way Steve readjusted them with a simple push. The golden metal frames suited him.

“Aging,” he tried to say with humor but added, “My vision goes when I’m tired. Long days get glasses. And your fabric is expensive, but I guarded it with my life. I already put your vest and trousers in the dressing room.”

“Do you really have security footage?”

Steve had trouble steeling his features. Between work fatigue and the extremely recent encounter - Into Steve’s pants, huh? - Steve nodded almost sadly. “Yeah, but I haven’t looked at it yet.”

“Well when you do, send me the files.”

“Billy - ”

“Steve,” he finished, twirling around to shut the dressing room curtain behind him with a benevolent glare.

The pants were unfinished, but they looked good and the waistcoat shined just how he wanted. Billy opened the curtain for Steve to take a look, and got immediately met with, “Wait! You’re barefoot, stay in there. There’s always a needle hiding out here.”

So Billy stood in front of the mirror on a pillowed stool Steve brought in, and the latter sat on the floor. With his magnetic bowl of needles beside his hip, Steve took his time hemming the trouser legs. They didn’t say much. Then again, they didn’t need to. But Billy felt the difference between Steve professionally moving around one ankle with as little touch as possible, and then wearing down to lean his knuckles against Billy’s skin.

Steve looked up at him in the mirror’s reflection. “How’s that? You can take some steps if you need to.”

Billy did, and even slipped into his shoes to get a better idea of how the legs hung. “Half a centimeter higher.”

Shoes off, he stepped back onto the stool. Steve scooted around him again, measuring the first needle adjustment and then working by memory.

Billy didn’t need the higher hem. But he didn’t want to leave, and heard himself ask, “Beyond cameras, what’s your security?”

“It’s not your job to worry about me,” Steve groaned at his feet.

“An asshole knowing where you sleep warrants new locks.”

“Thank you. Billy,” Steve finished flatly.

“I meant it about the footage.”

“You’ll get it. Even though I don’t know how you’ll swing a restraining order for me.”

Billy stood quietly for a moment. Then, “I have experience getting them for people.”

He watched in the mirror as Steve peeked up at him and said, “I’m sorry.”

Billy frowned at himself. “What are you apologizing for?”

“Nothing specific. Just life’s bullshit. You’re done.”

He stood up and stretched his lumbar while Billy felt out the hems. “What do I have, a week or two before your event?”

“Two,” Billy confirmed as Steve left the dressing room and closed the curtain for him to change.

“Okay. I’ll have your jacket ready for your next fitting.”

Like Cinderella hearing the clock strike, Billy heard the shopfront bell, and Steve’s subsequent footsteps to meet his next client.

Billy grit his jaw, wanting...something. But Steve passed by the curtain and out of the room. Billy changed clothes, leaving the items on a sewing table. And while Steve wrote his next appointment, Billy slipped Steve’s hair behind his ear.

Dark eyes blinked and lifted to blue ones, but not angrily. Vacant. Puzzled. Receptive.

Billy held his gaze as he rounded the counter, and then left.

Steve had his business card on file, but only used the email on it to send the security camera footage.

Except, for a phone call. Billy held his breath when he answered, listening to Steve’s voice ask for confirmation that he could still make his appointment the next day. Steve had never called for a confirmation before. Billy gripped his phone, ear searching Steve’s voice while he reassured, “You’ve got me locked in.”

A pause.

A pause? Billy couldn’t be sure. He just knew -

You seemed to know what you liked, so...find stuff you like.

- he liked. He wanted.

“Okay. See you tomorrow,” Steve finished. Billy pressed the corner of his phone against his lips, wanting to have heard frustration or even nerves in Steve’s voice. He was certain he did. He wasn’t certain of anything.

Billy knocked on the doorjamb of the studio the following afternoon, but was not greeted immediately. In the late afternoon, Steve had turned on warm lights to give the storefront an almost fairytale ambiance, in which he noticed the calendar was still on the counter. He read how the appointment after Billy had been marked out with an arrow pointing to its rescheduled date. Billy was the last appointment of the day.

“Hey,” Steve greeted breathily, like he had rushed from somewhere. Billy stepped through to the studio, and Steve waved the jacket in the air like a tablecloth. “The lining’s not in there yet but give it a shot.”

Billy took it while observing the disarray of the room. Steve was certainly in the middle of several projects at once. A clothesline hung alongside the far wall, hanging with fabric, pieces in various stages of completion, and ribbons. The iron stood on the table with Billy’s lining silk, no doubt awaiting to be cut. His hands moved over his jacket, still warm but fading from its time with the iron.

“Take your time. Make sure it’s right,” Steve prompted, running his hands through his hair. Billy’s lips parted. With the clothesline blocking out what natural light remained in the day, and all the warm lighting making up for it, it felt much later than it was.

Billy closed the curtain and scrubbed a hand over his face. He dressed in his semi-finished tuxedo while listening to the soft hiss of steam from the iron. When he stepped out, he walked quietly up to Steve ironing and pining stencils to the silk. Billy let his body line up flush with Steve’s, leg knocking his congenially.

Steve looked at him, before dropping his gaze to the suit. “How is it?”

“Good,” Billy purred, eyes roaming over Steve’s work table. He felt interested and...oddly at peace in Steve’s creative space. “Better than good. The invitation implied I’d have to wear one of those starched dickey things. I’d rather drive my Camaro off a cliff.”

Steve smiled but asked, “You still have that car?”

Billy pointed a very Billy look at him. “Of course I still have that car.”

Steve’s eyes flicked up behind his glasses, rolling briefly. “Right. You’re still the same Hargrove. Take a lap, feel it out. Sit down and stuff. Make sure it does everything you need it to do.”

So he did. Billy wandered the studio, feeling every fabric along the way. He sat at one of the stools and tested the groin by opening and closing his knees. He swung his arms around. He watched Steve cut the panels for his jacket lining. And write directly on the fabric with his tailors’ pencils. Eventually Billy realized, “Is that my fabric? I thought I had flowers.”

Steve turned one of the pieces over, revealing said flowers. “Some fabrics have two sides. You iron silk on the back side.”

“I don’t think I’ve ironed a thing in my life.”

A small smile curved on Steve’s face without looking at him. “I didn’t either. Until I realized it calmed me down. Is the suit okay?”

Billy nodded and stood up. “It will be once the lining is done. When will that be?”

Steve followed him to the dressing room, but Billy noted how Steve’s head tilted like a bird, observing how the fabric move over the back of him. Then he reached for the curtain to close it for Billy; the same time Billy lifted an elbow high up to say, “I think there’s a needle in here. It’s been poking me.”

“What?” Steve blurted, alarmed. He stepped close to hold the fabric off of Billy’s pit and ribs -

Billy’s arm draped over him, hand on the back of Steve’s hair making him look up just in time for Billy’s lips to touch his own.

Soft. A test. As quickly as Steve instinctively kissed back, he jabbed, “You smooth shit - ”

He’d kissed back.

Billy turned fully to him as his hands pushed into Steve’s hair, cradling his head. Billy kept his lips soft, wanting to feel Steve’s mouth. But as soon as he sealed their mouths, he parted to tilt his head. Another angle. More.

Steve hummed a little, surprised sound, and then a louder one as Billy pulled him through the curtain into the dressing room. Air rushed out of him when Billy pressed him to the wall, hands moving down to Steve’s waist -

It wasn’t the soft flesh Billy wanted. He lifted his lips to stare down at Steve’s abdomen curved flush against him before outright yanking the button-up out of his jeans. He heard Steve’s wet swallow and hot blue eyes met shaded brown ones. “Is this a corset?”

“A back brace,” Steve croaked.

“It’s too pretty to be a back brace,” Billy purred. Warned. He thumbed at the silken, honey fabric wrapping, admittedly, only around Steve’s waist and lumbar. But it was pretty, and Billy began slipping those buttons free to see more -

One of Steve’s hands moved to Billy’s chest. “We should - ”

Billy kissed him, cutting off his words and yanking his pelvis forward so Billy’s arm could hook behind his back.

“ - shouldn’t. Billy - hahmm...”

Steve tasted Billy’s tongue, and he was lost. His arms went around Billy’s neck, clutching him tightly as the tip of that tongue teased Steve’s lips open and fucked his mouth. Steve’s leg wrapped around Billy without him realizing, but Billy pressed himself into Steve, causing the latter to detach with a gasp and a strangled sound when Billy rutted against him.

“Ahh! Fuck, ow, my jeans - ”

Billy all but ripped the jeans closure open, zipper grating open before he left it to attend to Steve’s shirts again. The damned outer button-up and the t-shirt underneath the brace - Billy threw one to the floor and yanked on the other till it was free and it went too. He wanted to leave that silk on Steve’s skin. Wanted to see Steve chest and nipples, and got it.

“On the floor. Lie down. Steve...”

It wasn’t graceful, but they made it to the floor with Steve kicking off his jeans and Billy shoving his boxer briefs halfway down his thighs until Steve got at least one leg free. Steve’s hands slipped between them to open Billy’s newly made trousers while hard and soft kisses alike drew whines and moans from Steve’s throat.

When the velvet of Billy’s erection touched Steve’s, Billy ate Steve’s shuddering moan directly from his lips. In the humid space, Billy’s hand tipped a finger into Steve’s mouth, gathering spit at the risk of unready teeth scraping over his digit joints. A line of glistening spit followed him out, making Billy wonder if Steve was a drooler. His cock only kicked at the thought, making him throb with need.

Steve panted as the finger found his ass and nudged inside. He haphazardly removed his glasses from his face, now too heavy. He tossed them somewhere as Billy worked on his ass.

“Ah! Easy,” Steve warned, taking Billy in hand to hopefully calm him down. Make him patient. Or resigned. “We don’t have lube - ”

“Steve,” Billy hushed, and continued his turmoil over Steve’ throat. Steve stroked him, firm but slow as Steve dripped more pre than he’d like to admit from the sounds Billy made. Guttural, breathy moans deep from his chest that stirred Steve’s brain like a stew. His breath hitched at the second finger inside of him.

“Spit in my hand.”

Steve’s head turned, either confused or incredulous at the waiting palm. In the deliriousness of the moment, he did, only to blurt a disgusted laugh at Billy adding own right to it. His giddiness flowed right into, “That’s not gonna work,” but as he watched Billy slick himself up, Steve knew they were close. His own erection bobbed with his heartbeat, glistening with pre and just the thought of having Billy’s mouth on him made a pearly bead slip out of his hole...

Steve heard it like it was a thousand miles away.

The bell on his door.

Billy matched his cockhead with Steve’s entrance the same time the latter clenched his arms. “Billy!” he breathed. “Wait. Someone’s here.”

To Billy’s credit, he did. His head turned a little to better hear a familiar voice call, “Steve? Billy!”

In the sudden quiet, their breaths were loud. So were her footsteps drawing nearer. Both Steve and Billy made their breathing quiet when they heard the creak on the jamb separating studio from shopfront. “Steve?”

Steve’s grip tightened on Billy. The curtain was closed. Mostly. Anyone looking through the cracks would see. See Steve with his legs folded up and around Billy. His underwear hanging off one leg and Billy’s slacks pushed halfway down his ass...

Billy! Steve mouthed as the head of his cock slid inside. Even the scratch of textile was loud. All Steve could do was control his breathing and hope that the rustle of his hair on the floor wasn’t a siren screaming behind the curtain. He grimaced at the hot push of Billy inside; felt Billy’s breath follow the line of the engorged vein in his throat.

The doorjamb creaked again with the press of a foot stepping out of the studio. Billy failed to keep his voice in when he sighed upon bottoming out. Like a trip wire had been cut, he started to move. Short thrusts due to their lack of lube, but their mutual, Hahh, ah! Ah!, brought them to clumsy, hard, finishes.

A little huff of shock came out of Steve when Billy pressed their noses together. Everything felt too stuffy, all of him molten. Warmth and relief after pleasure, and utterly terrified. Steve felt the choice to languish in afterglow or to push Billy off of him.

He chose the latter, looking down and sighing at the miracle that was his cum on his own front instead of Billy’s new clothes. The latter landed on his side but rolled close to him, nose in Steve’s hair until Steve sat up.

“Get dressed. She’s probably waiting in the front.”

“She probably left,” Billy refuted, but Steve already snapped his boxer brief waistband into place. Billy stood with him, thinking of the loft upstairs. “Let me clean you up - ”

“Steve?” they heard again.

Billy loathed how fast Steve got dressed. Jeans and t-shirt on, he left in a breeze to distract the woman and apologize for taking so long. Billy heard some bullshit about him being in the bathroom, he’ll be down soon, etc. etc...

“I’ll have your suit delivered as soon as it’s done,” Steve promised when he emerged from the studio.

Billy’s features hardened. “There’s time for another fitting.”

“It’ll be ready,” Steve shook his head. “It’s up to you to know how to tie a bowtie, though.”

The woman laughed, hooking her arm through Billy’s after he paid. Steve did it all stoically, like he didn’t have Billy’s cum soaking into his underwear, nor that Billy’s sex smell had been left behind in the dressing room and his soon-to-be-finished tux.

“Thank you so much, Steve,” she said as they parted.

“Have a good night,” he returned, not looking at either of them. Billy felt like he’d left his body in that dressing room. When his girlfriend asked why he wasn’t listening to her, he excused himself for not feeling well.

Steve closed the shop early. He sat on the floor of his shower, hands over his mouth, wrestling with abject horror and molten feelings still lingering in his bones. The longer the water took to wash through him, the more he felt better...

Until he picked up the garments Billy had left on one of his tables. Lifted them to his face the way he had after every single fitting. Breathing him in...this time smelling more. Christ, Billy had always smelled good. Cleaned up nicely. His aroma had evolved but he still smelled like a man in the best way.

With heavy eyes, Steve scratched out the note about a photographer in Billy’s customer notes. Steve would never survive a photoshoot. He’d finish the ensemble, send it to Billy’s residence or office, and -

Today would be the last time Steve ever saw him. Saw them. Partner, she’d said. Billy had never said anything.

Before his sanity either exploded or abandoned ship, Steve vacuumed the dressing room and studio. Then he took the jacket and lining pieces upstairs to hand sew the thing while something mind-numbing played on television.

He ironed it a final time.

Tried it on himself. The jacket was loose on him. Billy’d always had more meat on his bones, but their frames were similar. Steve sewed in his tag, like an artist’s signature, and then arranged the ensemble in the hangers of the traveling bag.

He felt...sad, seeing the delivery man walk out of the shop with it. This hadn’t happened since he’d first started taking commissions. Like he didn’t trust his own patrons with the clothes he made. Now, he usually felt good to get a thing of labor out of his shop and pay his bills. But...every now and then...something hurt. Like Steve had accidentally sewn a piece of himself into the material. Another fragment of his soul, gone. He didn’t know how many he had left.

Billy got the email informing him of the impending delivery. His personal assistant caught it, tipped the delivery person, and unzipped it to see for herself. She whistled. “Nothing like a crisp, custom designed suit. Armani couldn’t do this for you?”

Billy didn’t respond. He gazed at the email from Steve’s shop the way he had been over the last hour.

“Uh oh.”

Billy grunted an acknowledging sound before her tone properly filtered through his mind. “Uh oh?”

“You know what, uh oh. Do me a favor and don’t trade mark your Uh Oh.”

His lips parted, frowning bluntly at her warning yet amused glare before she hung up the traveling bag behind his desk and strolled out of his office. “And don’t be late.”

Billy swiveled his neck for a stretch, deeply considering how worthwhile it would be to go all the way down his building for a cigarette. Should’ve invested in a place with balconies.

But he didn’t leave his office. He wanted to remember the touch of Steve’s lips, even though it had already faded to memory in the days since their...

Incident? Billy didn’t like that word. A connotation that they had done something wrong. Billy felt a fire in the back of his heart, lit with craving and only burning brighter now with fuel. Now that he knew how Steve tasted, how he sounded. Knew Steve’s softness and his heat...

He wasn’t late. Hair combed into place, face clean shaven, and all of the silk linings of his suit sliding home around his body, he was ready for the evening of costumed networking. He picked up his...date...and they met his personal assistant there.

Billy smiled, conversed, and shook hands without any of it reaching his eyes. His assistant traded business cards with other assistants and secretaries while Billy politely excused himself more and more to go to the open bar without actually ordering anything.

A deep inhalation and sigh brought his attention to his personal assistant. “Am I done yet?”

“Nope. You’re not being as discrete as you hope you are.”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“Then cut whatever ties you need and let’s get this show moving.”

“That involves me leaving.”

“Then scram.”

He paused and peered at her. She raised her brows with a shake of her head. “Take your date home, at least, you ass. Make a scene on her porch, not here.”

And that he did. Billy had never had finesse when it came to getting out of a relationship, only into them.

With a searing handprint on his cheek and the roar of his engine, Billy felt angry, light, and burning.

He parked in front of Steve’s boutique. He stood out of his car and gazed up at the illuminated windows of the loft while he threw his tie on the seat and locked his car. Since it was his home and business, Billy assaulted the doorbell encased in brass beside the doors. The windows in the doors had curtains, closed against Billy being able to see Steve arrive in pajama shorts, a t-shirt, and his glasses until he whisked one of the doors open.

“What?” he barked, “What? What, dipshi - ”

Billy stepped so far into his space that his chest bumped Steve backward apart from his hand catching Steve’s nape.

“Mm - ” he grunted as Billy walked him backwards and kicked the door shut. “No - ”

“Steve,” Billy exhaled. Demanded. Begged.

“Billy, no,” Steve whined.

Billy’s fingers splayed over Steve’s cheek, thumb on his chin as he said over those lips, “I told you: you’ve got me locked in.”

Steve’s eyes gazed at him, heavy lidded as he shook his head a little. “What does that mean?”

Billy licked Steve’s lips, making him tremble. But Billy’s other arm came around his back, holding him steady and feeling soft muscle through his shirt. “It means take me upstairs. Please.”

A little breath moved out of Steve. It was the only amount of time Billy waited. He claimed Steve’s mouth, and moaned when Steve melted into him. Billy felt held when Steve’s hands found his nape, caressed through the hair behind his ears and head.

Steve did have lube upstairs. Billy filled his sheets with everything he could; his fragrance and their mutual lust. He took every touch and kiss Steve gave him through the alley of undone buttons before he finally mounted Billy. Barely unwrapped while Steve rode him naked.

After he properly undressed, he took Steve again on his stomach, lying atop pillows for comfort and access while no moans or cries went silenced or hindered. Steve came, sweet and trembling with Billy’s nose and words in his hair.

Billy missed the mirror downstairs. But they had time for that.