#Spray de camera

[midsummer-semantics]

Character Study: Tommy Hagan as Iago from Othello

To begin with, there’s just not enough analysis of Tommy, which is probably mostly due to his complete disappearance in S2. We (fic writers) use him a lot as a plot device for Steve’s King persona or the beginning of his bi-awakening, but Tommy’s presence in the show alone is arguably more sinister than most people give him credit for. He’s still a plot device for Steve, but the same way that Iago is a plot device for Othello.

For those who hear “Iago” and think of the bird in Aladdin, that’s totally valid because the Shakespeare character is 100% the influence for that bird, so if that connection helps the rest of this make sense, hang on to it.

Iago (the character and the bird) gets by on feeding Othello information. His job at the beginning of the play is the banner holder, he follows Othello around with his flag. He wanted second in command, but that job went to Cassio instead. This is kind of where Iago’s character development begins: he was snubbed for second in command, and decides quickly that he needs to do away with Cassio, feeding Othello lies until he believes Iago is a better choice.

In the same vein, Tommy has inserted himself as Steve’s right-hand man. That’s what we see from the literal beginning, Tommy following along with Steve as this second-in-command type of person. We don’t really know if there was a Cassio-esque change over with Steve since he just kind of “pops up out of the pool fully formed” (thank you @peter-pantomime for that), but Iago traveled to Venice with Othello to begin with, was always kind of there regardless, so it’s safe to say that Tommy was too. However, like with Iago, Tommy seems to be the real thoughts behind the operation while Steve is the voice that everyone hears. Tommy is, for all intents and purposes, the bird on Steve’s shoulder. Tommy is the puppet master that gives Steve just enough leeway to think he’s the one calling the shots. This is seen in particular with the spray paint incident, since it’s Tommy who’s literally shown with the spray paint can in his hand in the alley, and can be assumed to be the one who tagged the marquee, but Steve is the one who (however unintentionally) takes responsibility for it by doubling down on the accusation.

On that note, the other person Iago goes after is Desdemona, Othello’s wife. Immediately after Othello and Des are married, Iago is the one who tells her father, painting it as this desecration of his pure (white) daughter by this dark (black) [for lack of a better word] creature. It’s Iago’s idea to frame Desdemona as an adultress that ultimately ends in her death.

If we look at those ideas with Tommy, from the get go he (and Carol) are rude and distancing of Nancy, and while Steve is walking this tightrope of wanting to be seen as the top dog while also being whatever Nancy needs him to be, Tommy (and Carol) are causing problems on purpose. Don’t get me wrong, Jonathan and the secret camera incident don’t help, but ultimately it’s Tommy who whispers the thoughts into Steve’s brain about Nancy being a cheater (she was, at least emotionally, but that’s neither here nor there for this comparison) that ultimately leads to the first big breakup. The “death” of Desdemona plays out in the S1 breakup of Steve and Nancy, especially since their reconciliation is never solidified given Nancy’s withdrawal quickly after.

But what the heck is the motive for any of it?

We (Shakespeare people) know Iago has this weird desire for power without seeming to want anything to do with actually wielding it at the forefront. He seems perfectly content to have power over others in the most conniving of ways, but never an “I want to be king” sort of way. Tommy has that same energy, following Steve until it stops being convenient and then moving on to Billy when he “usurps the throne.”

But it’s this weird, intentional isolating of Steve for Tommy’s benefit that mirrors Iago’s intentions with Othello so well. This whole “if I can’t have him, nobody can” sort of attitude that leads both Iago and Tommy to push back against anyone who gets too close to their focus of attention. It’s a jealousy aspect, not in the sense that Tommy/Iago want to be Steve/Othello, but that they’re the only one allowed to be in that position of proximity to them. Tommy/Iago’s entire thing is shifting attention away from themselves while maintaining all of the power. Iago does it with Cassio, using him as the scapegoat in his plan against Desdemona, two birds with one stone. Tommy does it with Jonathan, using him to convince Steve that Nancy really is the slut he accuses her of being. Basically, the moment Steve sees (or thinks he sees) Jonathan with Nancy in her bedroom and misreads the situation just enough to convince him of her cheating is the equivalent to the handkerchief in Othello.

It also sort of begs the question of whether Iago or Tommy have done this in the past. Is Nancy the first girl Tommy’s actively caused an issue with, or does he do this regularly? Is it because Nancy is the first person Tommy doesn’t feel like he can manipulate, thereby labeling her a threat to his power the same way Iago does with Desdemona? 

There’s a surface-level (heterosexual) reading of Othello that makes it seem like Iago wants Desdemona for himself, which sure, the fact he’s already married to Emilia while contriving this entire scheme intended to break up Othello and Desdemona can be read as a parallel to Tommy’s relationship with Carol and focus on ending Steve and Nancy’s relationship. But going back to the “If I can’t have him, nobody can” idea, it’s more likely that Tommy and Iago are dealing with this unrequited love situation with their respective male subjects that results in not only a desire for power but this obsessive need to isolate them so that the only person they feel they can rely on is already perched on their shoulder at all times.

Spoiler alert, though, Iago dies, and while Tommy just kind of disappears into the ether, that final scene where Steve finally stands up for himself and cuts ties with Tommy is not entirely unlike Othello finally realizing who Iago really is and killing him himself. The death of the friendship reads like the death of the partnership in both cases. Tommy only just makes it one step further than Iago by attaching himself to the next person in line which is Billy, but there’s no telling if Tommy wouldn’t have done the same manipulative technique with him given the chance. It's also an interesting character development parallel for Steve since him standing up to Tommy can be viewed as the "death" of his King Steve persona more than Billy's introduction can, and Othello's last stand before his death is to make sure Iago goes down as well.

Obviously none of this is good, but Tommy doesn’t really get the credit he deserves for being, for all intents and purposes, a poster child for the Shakespearean villain. All of his sinisterness exists in the background, but it’s definitely there.

[blushydiorrb]

blushydior

getting ready for dream girl summer 🌸🫧

a post on getting through the summer flawlessly as a dream girl <3

getting through summer looks like… basking & glowing in the beautiful sun, traveling, going out with ease, having fun, being messy and more. so let’s begin.

♡ categories: 

what does your ideal summer for this year look like? ideas, moodboards

physical: summer essentials, what to wear, makeup looks, luxuries, summer reads and bucket lists. 

mental: mindset, wellness, reads and bucket list ideas

  ♡ what’s your ideal summer? ♡

you create the definition of dream girl and it can always change. so decide what your mind and body needs. is this a time for healing? or is this a time to be adventurous?

do you see yourself in nature, enjoying the silence after a chaotic winter and spring? or going to parties, hanging out with friends, meeting new people and trying so many new things?

or why not both? 💋

some bucket list ideas:

spend more time outside than on your phone

have a morning routine. don’t lose structure in the day. switch it up for summer and make it fun.

make a list of nice restaurants in the city to try out

plan out picnic dates

buy disposable cameras and have them developed at the end of summer!

go skydiving

go to a fancy hotel bar and leave the place with someone’s number (or many)

go on late night drives!

explore a random city

try out new foods

most important of all: follow your gut. keep your safety your #1 priority.

                         physical

♡ summer essentials

sunscreen duhh, is a must no matter the season, especially for summer.

⤷ apply sunscreen before you go out and reapply ever 2 hours. look for products that are: lightweight & nonsticky, don’t leave a white cast, spf 50++

anything from sol de janeiro ugh <3

waterproof jewelry

sunglasses

sea salt spray

shimmer body oil

after sun care

your signature scent for summer (scent recommendations below)

pack light and smart with makeup if you’re one to touch up: lipstick (can be used for your eyes and cheeks also), eyeliner, etc.

hair clips/ties

qtips for makeup smudges

mini fan to cool down

small wallet

have fun and unplug but if it’s a must, carry a portable charger if you didn’t charge it in the car or before you left the house.

tissues (for sweat, blotches)

♡ outfit essentials

sundresses

mini !! skirts !!

mules

bikini tops as regular tops

gold hoop earrings

silk scarves

flowy bottoms, skirts, dresses

a cute cover up

patterns

mini bag

backless tops

                         beauty

♡ warmer weather calls for natural, glowy looks

the sun is out so it’s only natural for me to want to glow when the sun is hitting my face and body ♡ i love to really highlight my highest points.

applying subtle gold shimmer on your eyelids

lipgloss!

preferably one that is hydrating, slightly pigmented to bring out the colors in your lips & glowy. not sticky. my recommendation is the dior lip glow stick.

highlighter

my favorite is mac’s strobe highlighter in peachlite. it honestly gives my skin such a beautiful and subtle pink glow to my face!! i love applying it before my makeup.

⤷ don’t forget your collarbones and shoulders.

there is nothing else that makes me feel like a radiating goddess walking down the street when i put highlighter on my body.

⤷ also, layering powder products on top of wet/creamy products make them more pigmented! this is why you see some people wet their eyeshadow brushes before dipping them into the product ♡

blushed & flushed or nothing!

who doesn’t love a good blushed face during the summer? just because your blush is visible doesnt mean you’re wearing too much!!!! own it!!

have fun with subtle pops of color 💋

it doesn’t have to be too crazy. keep it simple.

ideas can be:

- two toned eyeshadows

- colorful winged eyeliners

- a bold lip

nails ♡

- fun & bright colors like orange & blue

- if you want to keep it simple: french tips, nudes!

♡ summer scent recommendations

marc jacobs perfect

delina - de marly

le labo thé noir 29

chanel chance

replica beachwalk & bubble bath

tom ford soleil blanc, lost cherry, neroli portofino, bitter peach

good chemistry coco blush

victoria secret bombshell beach

ariana grande - sweet like candy

solinotes cherry blossom

              for the mind & soul

♡ summer reads

nothing better than a good summer read. here are some recommendations!

my year of rest and relaxation - ottessa moshfegh

it happened one summer - tessa bailey

hook, line, and sinker - tessa bailey

beach read by emily henry

people we meet on vacation by emily henry

book lovers by emily henry

one hot italian summer - karina halle

malibu rising - taylor jenkins reid

every summer after by carley fortune

the wedding crasher by mia sosa

twisted series - ana huang (twisted love, twisted games, twisted hate, twisted lies)

birthday girl - penelope douglas

love & gelato - jenna evans welch

one italian summer - rebecca serle

hands down - mariana zapata

better than the movies - lynn painter

- have fun. kisses from blushydior ♡

[siebrendeparadox]

Welcome to your one-stop-shop for ultra high quality reference screenshots for Sigma aka Dr. Siebren de Kuiper from Overwatch.

== CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL TAG LIST FOR NAVIGATION ==

You will be able to search by:

skins + weapon customizations

victory poses + highlight intros + emotes

actions + featured body parts + visual effects

special screenshot types including starwatch, goofy shots, transparents, sprays, and the april fools googly eyes shots

You know, a normal level of detail--

== CLICK HERE FOR THE HIGH RESOLUTION DISCLAIMER ==

Because you should try zooming in on these screenshots, really. For most of these, you can see the pores on his nose. And you should know that for any with the high res disclaimer, I have even higher resolution available.

== HOW DO I FILTER YOU OUT FROM THE SIGMA TAG??? ==

Glad you asked!

Settings > Account Settings > Content You See > Filtered Tags > add #siebren de kuiper screenshots

This will cut down my posts to a little grey box you can un-filter at any time without blocking me!

More info about the blog in general below the cut, for the curious.

== WHY?? WHY IS THIS BLOG ==

because i have, ahem, a hobby.

Anyway, I figured that artists who want to draw Sigma should benefit from this uh. habit? of mine, of course.

== ...HOW?? ==

Settings > Video > Graphics Quality > Screenshot Quality > 5X Resolution

This applies a rendering multiplier on the in-game screenshot feature that activates when you hit your [print screen] button on your keyboard, temporarily straining your graphics card for a little more processing power to produce a screenshot at, in this case, 5x the resolution of the window you're playing in. These screenshots are rendered this way during recent highlights [including intros] [not including saved highlights], the hero gallery, and replays.

Almost all of my non-gallery and non-highlight screenshots are taken during replays using the 3rd person camera, replay speed at 0.1x to really control capturing the coolest moments, player outline at 0%, and covering about 5min of gameplay over the course of 3hrs on average, constantly pausing and flying around Sigma to capture his various skins + weapon customizations in various lightings, maps, settings, effects, poses, abilities, and angles.

For skins that I do not own, I am merely capturing opportune moments when I happen to play a game when a Sigma with a skin I do not own is playing, and pinning/importing that replay for screenshotting. It's mere happenstance to catch those moments, for the most part.

Skins I've screenshotted without actually owning them:

Maestro

Beholder

Carbon Fiber [and then they re-released him so i have him now!]

Draik [which I then bought on re-release]

As far as the Drowned Warrior skin is concerned, I hate it on principle for the fact that they released such a garbage and lazy recoloring for $60 - as if they were testing how pathetic of a floor licker we are for this guy - and maybe I'd lick the floor for Sigma, but I will not lick the floor for Blizzard. I will not screenshot this garbage.

[unchataparis]

Colder Than Titanic Water

Liladrien Week 2024 | Day Seven: Date

Lyle checks himself out in the mirror before he leaves. Red leather jacket, white shirt with a dramatic v-neck, distressed blue jeans – looking good!

The gold ring he wears on a near-invisible chain around his neck bounces gently against his chest as he scrunches his nose at his own reflection. The metal is warmed to skin temperature and its pretty metallic surface reflects the dim lights of his apartment. Lyle’s hands are covered with gel that he carefully applies to his pompadour.

One last spray of Acqua Dell’Elba’s Arcipelago and he is good to go.

Outside, it has started raining lightly. The faint aroma of petrichor begins to infest the city as Lyle makes the brisk walk down to his car. He shudders as he pulls himself inside his red coupé Porsche. As much as he had been enjoying Paris, its weather had been testing him lately.

As he drives through the streets, he sees mature women with children on either side of him. Cafés beginning to close as final coffee orders are called out. A bookshop with a black cat in its window front squints its eyes suspiciously at him as Lyle flips it his middle finger back. When the light turns green, Lyle makes sure to squeal his tires loudly enough to startle the wretched feline.

By the time Lyle pulls up before the great glowing mausoleum of the Graham de Vanily Estate, the Sun has all but set. The sky is a Prussian-indigo colour and the clouds are wisps of grey smoke.

Lyle leans out his rolled-down side window and quickly jams his thumb against the intercom button.

The speaker cracks.

“Yes?” comes an irritated, gravelly voice.

“It’s me,” Lyle says, just as irritated. The fucker can see him through the camera. He bears a toothy false smile at the lens. “I’m here to pick up Adrienne.”

The red light remains on for a few seconds more. Lyle imagines that Nicholas is debating whether or not it’s likely Lyle will leave if he ignores him. Fat chance. Lyle will ram his Porsche through the fucking gates of the Estate and make Nicholas pay for the damages to his baby.

The red light blinks off and the doors creak open, an electronic signal commanding them to part as slowly as possible. Lyle growls and flips up another middle finger at the dead security camera before driving through the gates to park neatly at the foot of the stairs. 

The doors of the Graham de Vanily Mansion are already cracking open, sending a pillar of aureate light to filter through like a hand reaching down from Heaven.

Émile Graham de Vanily, in white trousers and a cashmere sweater, beams at Lyle who has just slammed his car door shut and is moving up the stairs quickly, wincing at each cold drop of water that falls from the sky.

“Goodness,” Émile says, seizing Lyle by the shoulders when he reaches him. “You should’ve called ahead, I could’ve met you with an umbrella.”

“Ah, it’s no bother, Monsieur,” Lyle says. “A little rain never harms anybody.”

Lyle says this while wanting to throttle someone for the state of his hair.

“Come in, come in,” Émile says, gesturing for Lyle to walk into the warmth. “No need to catch a cold on this lovely night.”

The doors shut behind them and Émile leads the way into the foyer. Lyle squints down at the marble between his feet, trying to judge by his murky reflection whether or not he needs to duck into a bathroom to freshen up.

Inside the Graham de Vanily Mansion, every last light in each sconce and chandelier is on, making Lyle feel as if he has walked into a hardware store or a house on fire. The rain has started earnestly outside, fat raindrops the size of bullets hammering against windows and drizzling down. 

Lyle feels pity for any poor fucker caught in that storm.

Read the rest on Ao3 here.

[anniekoh]

elsewhere on the internet: jewish currents

Jewish Currents has consistently published articles that I think about for days afterwards. Here are a few pieces from recent issues.

Can Tourist Be Liberatory

Raphael Magarik: People often think of tourism as shallow, consumerist, and apolitical. How is solidarity tourism different? Jennifer Lynn Kelly: In solidarity tourism, guides educate tourists about their context, their conditions, and their freedom struggles. In each of the tours considered in my book—which range from the week-long tours across historic Palestine, to day tours of cities or villages in the West Bank, to two-hour tours in the eastern part of occupied Jerusalem or in West Jerusalem—guides focus on the history of Palestinian displacement and provide an alternative to Zionist narratives. For example, on bus tours through the West Bank, guides will point to sprawling Palestinian terraces and explain how Palestinians have always cared for the land. In doing so, they are intervening in the Zionist idea that Palestine was “a land without a people for a people without a land.” By assembling these kinds of itineraries, the guides are pressing tourism into the service of anti-colonial work.

JLK: Tourism often aspires toward authenticity: unfettered access to an unscripted world. That is a consumerist desire. Solidarity tourism is not exempt from this tendency, but it reveals and subverts the script of tourists’ expectations. For instance, in the book I talk about a moment where a tourist was looking at a blackened wall in Nablus and asked, “What happened here?” And the tour guide said, “Someone was spray painting their bed frame.” In these moments, tour guides are interrupting tourists’ desire for a narration of violence and only violence.

RM: The Israeli siege of Gaza essentially renders in-person tourism impossible. How do guides respond to this problem? JLK: In Gaza, some guides might walk tourists virtually through their space and answer questions about their conditions. Others use recorded snippets to create a hypothetical tour where they say, “If you were to take a walking tour in Gaza City, here is where I would take you.” There are also virtual tours that help visitors imagine a vibrant, thriving tourism industry in Gaza after liberation. Like solidarity tourism, these virtual experiences are a true refiguring of tourism. The result is not just a camera leading tourists through a space but an exercise in imagining liberation.

Portraits of Encounter

Aliza Nisenbaum’s exhibition at the Queens Museum is bookended by a pair of paintings that create an echo. At one end hangs La Talaverita, Sunday Morning NY Times (2016), in which a teenage girl and her father read the paper on a couch.

...

“The best portrait painters working today introduce something new into art not through stylistic innovations, but by whom they choose as subjects,” Dushko Petrovich wrote in an article that discusses Nisenbaum’s work published in T Magazine in 2018. Certainly, there’s gratification in seeing marginalized people get the kind of sumptuous treatment they receive in Nisenbaum’s paintings. But reading Nisenbaum primarily through the lens of representation elides important aspects of her practice—for example, she paints dancers and flowers, and she gets as animated about color as she does about her subjects.

Portraiture gives Nisenbaum a framework in which to encounter other people. In this she’s like the artist Alice Neel, who famously canonized friends, neighbors, and art-world figures in portraits so penetrating, they can be uncomfortable to look at. Neel called herself a “collector of souls”; Nisenbaum, by contrast, seems less interested in baring people’s true selves on canvas than in capturing something of their profound unknowability. Her subjects are often lost in thought or activity, like Marissa in La Talaverita and Pedacito de Sol. Others are immersed in settings filled with material culture—like Andra, a facilities staffer at the Queens Museum whom Nisenbaum depicts in his office,

She also developed a policy of compensating sitters. Before she was selling her work, she would cook for them and give them their finished paintings. (These small gestures of care sometimes yielded significant results; during the Covid-19 pandemic, when they were struggling with unemployment, Marissa and her mother were able to sell two early Nisenbaum pieces to Anton Kern Gallery, which represents the artist.) Now that there is a market for her work, Nisenbaum pays her subjects, and donates to organizations that are somehow aligned with the people she’s depicting in a given project. In the case of the current exhibition, that’s the La Jornada and Queens Museum Cultural Food Pantry, which takes place at the museum every Wednesday.

Such practices build on Levinas’s idea of an ethics grounded in the face-to-face encounter. In the process, they help Nisenbaum mitigate the exploitation that has been a hallmark of art history, especially when the people being portrayed come from groups on the margins of society. But beyond payment, Nisenbaum is interested in mutual relationships as both a standard and a subject. For example, the exhibition includes a large painting of the pantry titled Eloina, Angie, Abril y Marleny, Despensa de Alimentos, Queens Museum (2023). It’s a vertiginous scene of flattened perspective in which produce, volunteers, and “shoppers” form a sweeping, colorful loop of activity.

Bad Memory

an editorial column written by members of the Jewish Currents staff and reflects a collective discussion.

Germany is acclaimed for its efforts to atone for the Holocaust. But its method of repudiating the past has become a tool of exclusion.

..

To show itself fit to enter the community of Western European nations, a new, reunified Germany set out to prove, over the next two decades, that it had sufficiently repented. Germans even coined a new word—Vergangenheitsbewältigung—to name the process of “coming to terms with the past” that has become a linchpin of German national identity. Seeking to bolster its claim to penitence, the newly reunified country trumpeted a “Jewish renaissance” driven largely by immigration from the former Soviet Union—an influx of Jews that, as the scholar Hannah Tzuberi has put it, became the “most valuable guarantor of [Germany’s] democratic, liberal, tolerant character.”

[foreficfandom]

Get Their Makeup Look! Ft. The Boys of Tears Of Themis

Artem Wing (左然 - Zuǒ Rán)

Virtue's Frizz Block Humidity Proof Smoothing Spray

Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free Natural Skin Perfector SPF 20 in "2W1 Natural (light with warm undertones)"

Farmacy's Honey Butter Beeswax Lip Balm

HERMÈS' Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée Eau de Parfum

Vyn Richter (莫弈 - Mò Yì)

BondiBoost's Hair Thickening Therapy Styling Spray

La Mer's The Powder

Armani Beauty's Acqua di Gio Eau de Parfum

Givenchy's Rose Perfecto Lip Balm 24H Hydration in "002 Vital Glow (transparent coral)"

Marius Von Hagen (陸景和 - Lù Jǐnghé)

Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in "Zero (black)"

Dior's Dreamskin Fresh & Perfect Cushion Broad Spectrum SPF 50 in "020 Light Beige (light: neutral undertone)

Ralph Lauren's Ralph's Club Parfum

NARS' Afterglow Lip Balm in "Torrid (sheer warm coral)"

Luke Pearce (夏彦 - Xià Yàn)

Lancôme's Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Full Coverage Concealer in "320 Bisque Warm (medium skin, warm undertone)"

Drunk Elephant's Lippe Balm

LANEIGE's Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer

Caudalie's Vinofresh Natural Aluminum-Free Deodorant

Why these choices? Well, let me tell you!

Like many professional men in Asia, Artem wears a touch of makeup par his typical work outfit, especially if you're the face of the company. Which Artem definitely is, he appears on media every time he finishes a case. A touch of powder for the flash cameras, a dab of hairspray to smooth out his hair. During the boomer era, it was considered fruity to even wear cologne to work, but times are different now. He almost never branches out from his favorites. He doesn't even shop in the boutiques anymore, he just replaces his stock using online shipping.

Virtue's Frizz Smoothing Spray is odorless, and helpfully lightweight for its medium-thick hair focused formula. Artem has a modestly thick mop on his head, and without just a bit of product, it'll lie annoyingly flat and frizzy, especially if its humid. He sprays it at the roots to give it lift.

He gets Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer in shade "2W1 Natural", which is for light skintones with warm undertones. It's a light-to-medium formula, perfect for covering up eyebags and smoothing out the face, but light enough to avoid looking like a patch of rubber. Oil-free means it's not gonna add extra shine to his Asian complexion, and he knows that SPF protection is vital for healthy skin. Most of his workday is spent in front of blue-screen monitors, so liquid products are best for avoiding a weird unnatural glare reflecting off your face.

Farmacy's Lip Balm is a forever staple in his pocket. He drinks so much coffee and not water, his lips are forever cracked and patchy. Without a good lip balm, he'd be peeling all over his chin and that's not proper for Stellis' youngest senior attorney. One swipe of this can last hours. It's flavorless and has only the mildest scent, so there's not a sticky smell right under his nose all day.

HERMÈS' Terre d'Hermès Eau Givrée is on the subtle side of perfumes. It's piney and citrusy, reminicent of a sophisticated summer breeze. Most people describe it as an 'older gentleman's perfume', 'cause its decidedly not sugary or spicy or fun. But it's professional, and suits Artem's reserved personality.

Vyn didn't start wearing makeup daily until he moved to Stellis, but he had prior experience with wearing cosmetics for the public eye. When he saw that a) professional men of Asia like to wear makeup on the reg, and b) he looks good with the proper products, he made that effort to build up a boudoir of luxury beauty products. Unlike Artem, Vyn knows he looks especially beautiful and he likes to primp it juuuust a tad. Shopping for the proper products can be a struggle for white guy Vyn, because the more luxurious you go, the less inclusive they'll be. He's got a cool-toned complexion, fine hair, and dry skin, which is the opposite of Asia's target audience.

Vyn couldn't find proper designer hair products for his hair type, so he went down the line a bit to get BondiBoost's Hair Thickening Styling Spray, which is a more modestly priced brand and that secretly hurts Vyn's bougie soul. But he can't deny it works wonders on his very fine, very delicate hair. It's a texturing spray that clings to the roots to provide lift and volume. He also likes how its unscented, because he thinks most scented hair products smell like ass.

Speaking of bougie, La Mer's The Powder comes in a teeny pot and costs more than a week's worth of groceries. They market it as appropriate for everyone, but it's obvious that it's formulated best for people like Vyn; it has a radient finish to help combat dull dryness, it's not completely translucent and has the slightest pale cast, and smooths out the fine lines that drier skin gets. But its hefty price comes with quality for sure, and it does its job amazingly well.

Armani Beauty's Acqua di Gio isn't the only perfume he owns, but it's one of his favorites for work. It's long lasting and appropriately strong, but doesn't give off any one particular ingredient. It's best described as just "fresh", or "aquatic". Working with mentally ill patients means that he can't have any aggravating sensory distractions, so he applies just enough to make sure it's not gonna reach across the distance between a psychologist's chair and a patient's bed.

Givenchy's Rose Perfecto in "002 Vital Glow (transparent coral)" provides both color and hydration. It also contains the tingly plumping agent that swells your lips just a tad, which thin-lip Vyn appreciates. Not as tingly as many lip plumping products, it feels more like a subtle minty freshness than a dentist's numbing gel. He, unlike Artem, enjoys scented lip products and likes the floral smell it gives off, it reminds him of his garden.

Unlike the other three, Marius loves makeup for its artistry, and is not afraid to wear the colorful, or wild, or niche. Which is easier said than done because his PR team gets on his ass if he dares go to class in green eyeshadow or a chrome metallic lipstick. He might like to say that they can't tell him what to wear, but Marius is pious to his family, and doesn't dare destroy his own image in a way that might affect them, too.

He gets the Urban Decay's 24/7 Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in the more natural "Zero (Black)" than their "Perversion (Matte Blackest Black)", so he can pull off a more convincing 'thick lashline' look rather than full on goth. With some mascara and eyebrow pomade, Marius has popularized a famous 'casual bedroom eyes' moment. This pencil will stay on all day, whether its through the college grind or sweating it in the business conference room, so much it'll takes several swipes of a makeup remover to get it all off.

Dior's Dreamskin Fresh & Perfect Cushion is an infamously expensive liquid foundation, available in four shades. One of which fits Marius' spring/fall complexion. So this is his daily go-to, it's lightweight and evens out his skintone just enough, while providing lots of SPF to upkeep Marius' delicate richboy look for years to come. If he's got blemishes typical of any 20 y/o, this product also meshes well with any additional concealer without separating or curdling. Honestly, wearing something so luxurious is more for the PR than the foundation itself.

Ralph Lauren's Ralph's Club Parfum comes in a sexy opaque matte glass bottle reminicent of a whiskey flask. And its scent matches its ridiculous 'manly' marketing; it's woody and spicy with cardamom, patchouli, and the deep warmth of vetiver wood. It doesn't match Marius' general appearance and personality, that's for sure, but it matches his natural BO. 'Cause young Marius is surprisingly potent smelling, shall we say, and a deeper, spicier perfume goes best with him.

NARS' Afterglow Lip Balm caught Marius' eye just by its name, same with their 'Orgasm' blush palettes. It only gives the slightest bit of color, and it wears off pretty quickly, but that's exactly what Marius needs because colored lips tend to look too childlike on his baby face. So he keeps this in his pocket throughout the day to make sure his lips aren't dull and dry, but not rose pink like a porcelain doll, either.

Luke didn't start wearing most of his current products until MC came back into his life, and one day he looked into the mirror and noticed all those blemishes and acne scars and freaked out just a tiny bit. After googling "beginner makeup for men" for an afternoon, he got his hands on some skincare staples, and a cosmetic or two. Most are only for date nights, he doesn't wear concealer when undercover in the field, or investigating throughout the city. And if he's being honest, he doesn't particularly like having makeup on his face, it feels weird and kinda gross to him.

Lancôme's Full Coverage Concealer is full coverage, and by god will it cover up any bruises, dark shadows, healing cuts, scars, etc. Heck, even interviewing people while investigating goes over better if he's not walking around with a black eye, so this concealer was a great discovery for Luke. It's not just for his face, he applies it anywhere clothing can't cover, like hand-shaped bruises around his neck, or a purpling cut around his forearm.

Luke didn't start balming his lips until he started caring about looking more pretty for MC, so he picked up the boutique brand Drunk Elephant's Lippe Balm which contains all natural ingredients, and has no smell or color. He feels better knowing that the goop he's spreading all over his face doesn't contain any cheap, harsh chemicals, 'cause he may have a biology degree, but he has no idea how [insert chemical here] might affect topical skin. It helps that he doesn't have particularly dry lips, so the natural ingredients of this balm fit him just fine.

LANEIGE's Water Bank Blue Moisturizer is an Asia-orienting brand that focuses on oily/combination skin. This product is very lightweight, great for Luke's sweaty, active lifestyle so there's no clogged pores, and he enjoys its light scent, which is that 'vague luxury smell' which makes him feel like he's injecting a paycheck into his face. Growing up, he didn't even bother washing his face with soap most of the time, so this moisturizer has a lot of catching up to do.

Caudalie's Vinofresh Natural Aluminum-Free Deodorant is by far the only deodorant he's tried (or owns), but he still owns no cologne, so he had to get something better than supermarket Dove for Men if he wants to impress. This stick is a clear gel that won't leave those ugly white stains on his black shirts, and it moisturizes the skin, too, which is great for regulating sweat and oil. It's another all-natural product, which means it's not at superbly powerful as the synthetic ones, but it's healthier for the delicate underarm ecosystem.

[bratty-telepath]

Moments That Flash By

(A David & Darlin fic)

Yo, this is Laveau stopping in to say:

Hi! what you're about to read is David & Darlin fic that touches slightly on Darlin's past w the pack while referencing fics such as "Shattered Glass Makes a Good Weapon" and "Another Night, Out on Another Road" which refer to their bite and leaving of Dahlia. Additionally, I must tell you that this includes a good bit of swearing, aggressive language, a threat or two and mentions of Quinn, de*d p*rents and their general issues involving their social standing in the pack.

Aside from that, Darlin goes by he/they in this fic and is named Darren! With that out the way, enjoy some light angst/comfort :)

"It's been a while since I've seen you pick up a camera."

Darren's eyes were instantly drawn to the voice behind him, quickly turning around to face the speaker of the moment, only to meet David leaning on a nearby wall as he kept his arms crossed. The shifter's first instinct was to take a step back, something David quickly took note of if the change of his expression's hardness to a soft calm was anything to go by.

"You're not in trouble." He sighed. "I just wanted to check on you."

Darren calmed himself slightly after hearing that, the wolf choosing to let his guard down slightly as his stance shifted into ease while he removed his grip from the sides of the camera hanging from his neck.

"Dad would've been glad to see you picking up your old habits again." The alpha mused.

Despite the current picture of David leaning against a brick wall as his upper body was layered in shadow and his more gaunt musculature was set in display of the light, he seemed at peace. His face relaxed and his features gentle as his warm brown eyes kept its steady focus on the younger shifter.

"...sure."

The alpha shrugged. "I assume you're out here for work?"

"Is it your business?" Darren growled.

"No, but I would like for you to tell me."

They took a minute but then shrugged as the shifter shoved their hands into their pockets. "...I'm just destressing."

David's eyes scanned the area. "Weird place to de-stress."

They huffed in response as they took their camera in hand again and turned back to the scene ahead, an empty skating park.

High in the sky, the afternoon sun sat as it bathed the area in a bright, warm glow. The murals and doodles made by teenagers from long ago were given life as their colors became emboldened under the light's touch while faint memories sprang to life in their mind's eye. The wind picked up and Darren could almost hear laughter echo from around them as they brought their camera to their face and started drafting the park for a potential shot.

Surprisingly, David remained quiet throughout the process. If he said something, it wasn't detectable by any standard because Darren could only attest that he heard nothing come from the alpha's lips. For all intensive purposes, it seemed as though he just watched as the photographer did his thing. That wasn't to say Darren wasn't glad to be undisturbed but it did make things feel…off.

Finally the shifter found what they were looking for, a decent setup for a picture. The scene visualizes a set of stairs with an angle looking downward at the flight of steps as though to capture the sun casting shadows that had perfectly overlapped in the form of a X above a sprayed on layout of childish doodles.

The camera clicked and David finally spoke again.

"I just remembered where we were." He remarked.

"What gave it away?" Darren huffed. "The ramps?"

"No, the stairs. That's where we all used to sit back then."

They didn't reply to that.

"You and Asher would be skating." He started. "Milo would be listening and relistening to his playlist on his nearly-dead iPod, and I'd just watch you two while I was next to him."

"Yeah, like a creep." The wolf replied. "Even as a teen, you somehow managed to scare everyone around you with a look."

"I was the oldest so I had to look tough enough so that no one would pick on you while we were out alone."

"Asher and I were getting into more fights than you could count back then, we were more than capable of going by ourselves."

"I had to be there for supervision reasons."

Darren inhaled. "Did you come here to disturb me with your usual shit or was there a point to this?"

David's expression slightly hardened again and he expected to hear the alpha let loose some sign of exasperation but found himself surprised when he got nothing instead but the sight of the other taking a breath.

"I want to talk, Tank. It's been a while."

"Why?" They turned to actually face him, a challenging stare shooting his way as unwavering attention met them again.

"I just said why."

"No, you said you wanted to check on me. Why?"

"It's my job as–"

Darren rolled his eyes. "Forget it."

"What?"

"Forget. It."

David growled. "Fine."

They crossed their arms and waited for something from him–anything of particular interest that showed he was at the very least considerate of his time with them today. Still he said nothing, but he waited. On what? The other couldn't tell but it burnt at his core to have David look at him in silence rather than just say something.

"What? What do you want?" Darren groaned. "Why are you here? What could be so important that you refuse to leave after I metaphorically bite and tell you to fuck off?"

David hesitated to answer–uncharacteristically so.

Darren knew David for a long time since they entered the pack, and they knew he didn't falter when it came to anything he had to say, which only facilitated the questions and assumptions that flooded his mind as he tried to comprehend the circumstances surrounding his appearance through their own frustration.

With a lack of an answer being provided, they continued.

"I'm literally not built for this guessing game shit, David. So fucking tell me exactly what you want or leave me the fuck alone and wait til the next pack meeting when I actually have to put up with you."

"Why are you so pissed at me?" He growled.

"Because you're wasting my time with this mind game of yours as per usual! I didn't learn telepathic magic, I can't read your fucking mind and yet you insist I somehow translate this cryptic shit of yours like I have the capacity to." They let out a harsh breath in their need for oxygen before continuing. "You did it when we were in highschool, in this park. You did it when I got back, at my apartment. Now, you're doing it again, so–"

"I wanted to know that you're ok."

"Why?" Darren questioned.

"You know why."

"No. Tell me why. You don't get to pussy foot your way out of this."

"Because I care about you!"

The defiance in their eyes hadn't died as they studied him, in fact Darren could feel it having grown with more;

Anger.

Anger in this case needed to be tempered. He'd learned enough from being around Sam that he let his temper get the best of him and sought to do better, especially after he had the poorest track record in doing that beforehand. They'd been more prone in the past to get aggressive, and with Quinn that meant being physically violent. Now they'd managed it enough that they would rely on their words before they would use their fists, or claws…or teeth. In this instance, he'd have to do what Logan, the Solaire prince's partner, advised him to do.

They took a breath. "And?"

"And, it's because I care about you that I want to know how you're doing."

Another breath in, another out, and they were able to calmly continue. "I'm fine. I haven't stirred up any more trouble than Quinn since I came back from Washington."

"That's not what I meant."

Deep breaths went out the window as Darren let out a low growl from their throat. "What do you mean?"

"You've been throwing yourself at everything. I've hardly seen you take a moment to rest every time I've seen back at the den, and save today, I hardly hear from you. I want to know you're okay and if you need help."

"I don't want the pack's help."

"You're not answering me."

"Now you see how I feel."

David's face shifted in some sort of realization before he pressed again, this time with more bewildered distraught laced in his face. "I just want to help. You need help."

"The 'help', you're referring to, can shove itself up your ass with the stick you lodged up there."

The alpha sighed. "You've been coming at me for being cryptic and yet here you are! You won't answer me straight, you won't tell me anything about how you're actually doing. All I've seen you do is hunt Quinn at every turn for some revenge quest!"

"You wouldn't know shit about why I'm hunting that fucker down because you don't know shit about me, David! So I suggest you shut your fucking mouth before I slam it shut against the concrete."

A threat. Those never flew well and Darren knew if he told the rest of the pack, they'd call for him to get kicked out–whether David would finalize that or not was something he was uncertain of, but he did know that this was heading down a bad direction. Still, they didn't care. They were mad and they had thrown managing it out the window to let themselves finally go at him.

"I see what you're doing. I've done what you're doing." David took a step forward and Darren took one back, something the larger man took notice of before he stopped and spoke again. "You don't have to carry your problems alone. I did after–", he paused, very likely to process the brief flashes of that day if Darren was correct, "–I learned that I didn't have to do that with mine."

They scowled. "You think you had problems after your dad died? Boo-fucking-hoo!"

That got something to break the stale calm he was holding in his face and deep in Darren's core, they knew a nerve was struck but pressed on even as he continued to approach, stepping back with each move he took forward. Even if it meant he may have been angry, it was at least more of a reaction than the cold, empty stoicism he proudly strutted around with as David the emotionally repressed pack alpha.

"I had no one while everyone tried to help you! You put everyone at a distance, while I actually wanted help and no one gave it to me."

"Tank–"

He was moving faster, getting closer, and Darren's instincts were telling him to be ready for a fight, to gain distance and strike if he made any suspicious movement. Already he could feel his body shift itself for such an occasion as his teeth and nails started to pronounce themselves more under his magic's influence.

"I was alone and you had the chance to get help from everyone, I didn't–"

One step forward, one step back, just like some twisted tango between the two as emotions screamed within Darren and clouded his mind. Unspoken threats buzzed in Darren's head, his lack of care to read whatever David was feeling being pushed further by the urge to hurt in some way.

"–so excuse me when I don't take you seriously for trying to care about me when this pack's 'care' has left me with a goddamn vampire bite and restless nights wondering when exactly I'm going to wake up and find him on top of me again, with his teeth in my neck–"

"Darren!"

His feet hit an edge and Darren realized quickly that they'd run out of space to walk as the floor dipped into a bowl ramp. The next thing they knew now was that they were about to fall. The wolf braced for impact with the ground but quickly found himself in a tight hug as he remained somewhat suspended from falling.

"I'm sorry."

Darren's eyes widened. A part of him doubted he'd actually heard that so naturally his next response was, "what?"

"I'm sorry for leaving you like I did."

The shifter could now confirm he wasn't actually making up what he heard. David had apologized.

David. Had. Apologized.

Something in him said to push away, take the damage from the fall, run and never look back, because nothing here was right. This wasn't normal, none of this was. In all he'd remembered David to be, he knew that he would've lashed out, grabbed him for talking about Gabe, thrown him around for making threats–or, was that what he'd told himself?

"I was caught up in trying to close myself off in order to be the leader that I thought the pack needed, that I neglected the people in the pack that needed me most, and I'm sorry."

Darren froze. Then he started to cry. He didn't mean to, he wasn't trying to, but suddenly everything came at once and he couldn't stop himself from crying into David's arms. He was sobbing and as he felt himself find footing on solid ground again with the larger man's assistance, he reached for closer contact as his arms stretched behind David's back to keep a hold of him.

It was almost humiliating for them to be doing this, disgusting even. Yet they didn't stop doing it. They kept holding onto David and crying as their fingers grabbed tight to his jacket like he'd disappear if they let go, and David let them. He was actually letting them keep him like this, just like every other time they would before;

Just like the nights they couldn't sleep after their parents died, or the times when the pack felt like more than they could handle, or after a hard day back at high school when everything felt set against them. It felt like the good parts of everything that they had before David pushed them back, and Darren half-expected him to do so again, but he didn't.

Instead, he hugged tighter. He rubbed circles into their back with his hand, leaned closer into them and wrapped around them like a large shield to keep them away from the rest of the world.

"I'm sorry for not protecting like I should've."

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes (or however long that was, time hadn't seemed to matter then). Darren stopped crying some time ago and let himself stay there as safety reacquainted itself with him.

Then a click sounded off and the two jumped back in unison, not breaking proximity but quickly searching the area before the smaller shifter looked at his camera and sighed.

In the emotion, one of them hand accidently set the camera off to take a pic. The wolf almost had a mind to delete the photo but stopped when he took a second to look over the image. Somehow the camera angled itself right between the two as they were hugging, their bodies dark against the background of the dying, orange afternoon light above them as the picture looked up from a worm's eye view, like witnessing two greater beings find peace in one another's company away from an all too overwhelming world.

"The camera accidentally went off?" David asked

"Yeah. Wasn't watching my hands." They quickly saved the image, set the camera off and covered its lens with a cap.

"It's ok."

Darren finally took notice of the area around them again and quickly realized it was getting darker, Sam would be up and around soon and he'd worry his ass off if Darren came back later than he said he would've been. Still, the sunset against the city set a gorgeous picture before him as a breeze swept through the old skate park and hit the shifter's face, prompting him to wipe whatever wetness had been leftover from his tears.

"... I don't blame you for leaving." David said.

"...I do." They admitted.

"You did what you had to."

"I ran, David. I didn't have to do that."

"You–" The alpha sought to make a counterpoint to that but stopped as his eyes fell to the other's choker. "You made your choice, and I understand it."

"Right…" Darren huffed. "I'm sorry for what I said."

"I know. I remember your temper. You didn't mean it."

"No, that doesn't make it ok. I shouldn't have said that."

"I've said worse before."

"Yeah…I don't entirely blame you for what you did. I know you wanted to do what you thought was right, and I get that."

"It wasn't right. Not for the pack, not even for me, or you."

"Hm." Darren rose to his feet and offered David a hand, one that he took as the smaller wolf helped him find his standing. "I need to get going."

"Right. Sam?"

The shifter smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I would like you to tell me." He smiled.

"...Next time." They turned on their feet and started walking. "Maybe at the next pack meeting?"

"Or next Friday?" Darren turned slightly to find David standing with both hands in his jacket. "Asher and Milo wanted to get everyone together to play halo."

"Halo?"

"Yeah."

"That shit game we played the last time that kept glitching?"

"The exact one."

Darren shrugged. "Sure."

"You can meet me by the den and I'll pick you up."

"Or I could just follow your scent?" He tapped his nose. "Wolf, remember?"

"Or, you could stop being a little shit and let me carry you, tough guy."

Darren shook his head and smiled as he kept walking towards the exit of the park. "Fine, I'll see you next Friday."

[wweassets]

Costume Contest anon here. Just in time for SummerSlam… It’s time for the Fantasy Summer Playgirl spread! HBK was able to re-connect with his contacts at Playgirl.com to organize a charity photoshoot, and he even personally invited a few AEW guys to participate. Let’s flip through the pages and check out the centerfolds…

BR*N BRE*KKER is at the Mat Gala after-party at night, climbing out the pool after skinny dipping. He’s flexing his triceps as he lifts himself up, with his wet muscular ass shining in the moonlight. He’s looking at the camera with intensity in his eyes, water dripping down his body and his silver necklace hanging from his neck. On the ground beside him is the black mesh bodysuit he peeled off earlier.

W*RDLOW is doing a tribute to his new brief-cut singlet. He’s standing under an outdoor shower at the beach and wearing just a wet black tank-top clinging to his upper body, with his huge ass cheeks sticking out underneath.

L*GAN PAUL is on the beach and walking out of the water wearing a black scuba suit. He’s unzipping it down to the base of his penis, with his round ass sticking out on both sides, even visible from the front-facing view.

M*TT R*DDLE is re-creating his photo with Reese Rideout in a pool in Vegas, except they are both fully nude this time. Riddle’s long erect penis is resting on top of the water, with his arm around Reese.

R*CKY STARKS is re-creating his photoshoot in the waterfall, except he’s taken his swimsuit off. He’s giving a sideways pose and walking through the water, with his fat ass resting on top of the shallow water.

C*RMELO H*YES is sitting in a white VIP cabana at a pool party, wearing nothing but a white floral button down shirt, unbuttoned. He’s holding a glass of champagne, with this huge erect dick pointed upwards and to the right across his muscular abs. A few feet away from him is TR*CK W*LLIAMS, fully nude and laying stomach-down on a lawn chair, raising a champagne glass to the camera and his huge ass sticking into the air.

S*TH ROLLINS is paying tribute to America’s favorite sport - baseball! He’s squatting over the catcher’s mound with his back to the camera, wearing nothing but a backwards retro WWF hat and a catcher’s glove. His muscular cheeks spread apart as he squats, showing his slightly hairy hole. He’s turning his head to the side to reveal a big smile as he laughs maniacally.

PR*TTY DE*DLY are naked mermen, perched up on a giant rock in the sea, with their tails forming right below their fat asses, and their long wet hair waving in the breeze.

LA KN*GHT is in the driveway of his home washing his red Ferrari. He’s wearing nothing but a white tank top, which he’s spraying with his hose making it wet and see-through, and making his erection pointed upwards visible through the shirt.

JD McD*NAUGH and S*M GRADWELL are re-creating their famous nude balcony pic, only they are fully nude and dripping wet, with their speedos draped over the glass railing. They’re both pointing their fat asses toward the camera, and grinning devilishly.

ANG*L G*ARZA is re-creating his waterfall shot in the pool, only this time, he’s fully nude. He’s facing the waterfall this time, with the water falling onto his fat ass and splashing everywhere.

MJF and AD*M C*OLE are on the beach - Max is nude laying stomach-down on the sand, as Adam has begun to build a small sandcastle on top of Max’s huge mountain ass cheeks. Adam is fully nude and oiled up, with his erection resting on this thigh. Both are laughing hysterically, enjoying their summer bromance.

C*DY RH*DES is just… KEN! He’s fully nude, standing still like a doll in the pink box, with his erection pressed up and laid across the plastic case.

Which 3 pin-up’s are you hanging on your wall?

OH SLAAAAAAAAY 🙏🙏🙏🙏thank you thank you thank you!!! you have delivered AGAIN wowowowoowow these are all SO fucking hot :///

ummm THIS WAS HARD AS ALWAYS BUT…

🥉

seth… he’s always gonna be in top, and the vision of him showing of his ass like that… yeah

🥈

cody… i’m just horny for ken and cody doing THAT? yup yup

🥇

angel… simple, so simple, but so effective… that fat ass just takes it

honourable mentions to pretty deadly and bron!

how about everyone else?

[fleurcareil]

East Quebec: Côte Nord part 2

In the morning, when I checked in for the boat excursion for a tour of the western Mingan Archipelo,, I was surprised to receive a thick lifevest-jacket as the excursion the previous day had been on a regular tourist boat... turned out that we were now braving the rough sea on a little speedboat! 😳 Needless to say that we got quite some wave-spray over us but luckily the wind dried quickly again👍.

The first island we passed by was literally covered with hundreds of seals, which quickly slipped into the water when we got closer. Very special to see, especially when a few curious ones came over to check us out 😍. I really need to buy a better camera to capture wildlife but trust me, there's many seals in the pic!

We then visited the Île aux Perroquets which is named after the many puffins which make the island its home. I've seen puffins several times before in Newfoundland and Iceland but they continue to be extremely cute with their beaks & droopy eyes 💖 (There's 3 in the top left corner of the first photo and then 6 in the last one). The island is tiny with a road from the dock to the lighthouse where you can stay overnight - mostly done by hardcore birdwatchers of which there were a few with massive telescope cameras - I should have asked them for a copy of their photos! 😂

The second island we visited was Île Nue de Mingan that has again several monoliths on the shores of a treeless, sub-artic landscape due to the high winds and drought (despite being in the middle of the sea 🤔). Same as the day before, we were greeted on each island at the dock by a Parks Canada guide who would tell us about the geology, fauna & flora and cultural history, which made it feel very welcoming and unique, especially as we were the only group that day as a result of the rough sea. At the end of the visit, the captain had fished (with a mop that they easily cling to 😁) some sea urchins for us to try, a delicious salty taste like oysters! (My mother would not appreciate 😅)

The way back to shore was tough as we were now going straight into the waves, so I arrived back at the car more wet than dry... luckily I got tons of clothes with me on this trip. 😜

An hour further west I did a pretty hike to two waterfalls on the Manitou river, which were very impressive in terms of the water volume and their surroundings (still the same skeleton boreal forest though 😂). Down & then up again lots of stairs meant my muscles were being worked!

For the rest of the day, it was a long slog of 515km driving in the rain & fog to my next stay... The sea is pretty whether it's sparkling blue on a calm day or like on this stormy day, white-capped crashing onto the shore, so it was beautiful no matter what, but the difficult driving conditions (more poignant when I passed by an overturned truck) made it very tiring. Had a quick dinner at a packed microbrewery at Baie-Comeau, thereby officially completing my Labrador loop which I had started in the same town 12 days earlier 😲🥳, and arrived at 8:30pm at a cute B&B in Portneuf-sur-Mer where the lady of the house made me a cup of tea 😊. Didn't see much attractions on this long day and although I could have taken an extra day over this stretch to visit a few more lighthouses, do coastal hikes etc, at the same time I was getting fed-up with all the bad weather and ready to move inland...

But... my very last day on Canada's eastern seaborne turned out to be beautiful once the fog had lifted during a walk on a sandbar (which was nothing special but feels good to start the day with a small walk 😄). The Haute-Côte-Nord area around the fjord of Saguenay is famous for its thirteen (!) types of whales, and Parks Canada manages two great observation centres; the Marine Environment Discovery Centre where the presentation on anemones & sea stars (touching allowed! 😃) was interrupted when a pod of 7 belugas and also two porpoises cruised by 💖, and the Cap de Bon-Désir, where people simply sit on the rocks while an interpreter answers any questions. Two mink whales were the star attraction coming up again & again in different places, but in any case, if you like me have nothing important to do, there's much worse than just soaking in the sun & staring at the sea! 😊😎

I did pull myself away eventually to drive myself over to Tadoussac, which is undoubtedly a nice village when it's not overrun by tourists, to catch the ferry across the fjord. Grocery shopping at La Malbaie where the high waterlevel in the river from the recent downpours was clearly visible, and then finally made my first dinner over a campfire since I started the trip! Glass of wine and off to bed...

Wildlife: 100's of seals, puffins, razorbills & female eiders, 2 loons and 1 porpoise (West Mingan islands), 7 belugas, 2 porpoises & 1 grey seal (Marine discovery centre), 2 mink whales, 2 porpoises, 2 harbour seals, 1 grey seal & 1 loon (Cap de Bon-Désir)

SUPs: none

Hikes: one at the Manitou waterfalls

Distance driven this week: 968km

[snowgraybeautywhite]

Do you happen to have advice on body blushing?

I’ve done a lot of body blushing but I’ve never made a tutorial or anything! I can work on that for the future, but the short list would be… 1) Disassemble your doll first (I’ve heard of people not doing this  but… seems incomplete to me?) 2) Remove the seam lines first. This isn’t 100% necessary but it produces a cleaner final product. I like to sand with waterproof automotive sandpaper in water, to keep the dust down. Don’t sand far off of where the seam lines are unless you’re de-yellowing. I usually start around 220 grit and end around 600; some people start and end finer (imho going too fine will make your doll shiny and I don’t think resin as a material needs it but ymmv etc). Don’t grind on everything with 220, just the seam itself. 3M sponges are also good and can be used wet. 3) Base coat all pieces with MSC, even the ones you’re not blushing, so any potential yellowing (of doll or coating) is even. 4) Build color slowly with pastels. Grind the pastels on your 600+ grit sandpaper and apply lightly with a brush. Use a puffer (like a camera lens cleaner) to puff off the extra pastel, reapply, etc. Coat with MSC after a layer or two of blush. I only usually do one blush layer, unless the doll has dark resin that is taking more product to color. Freckles I do as a separate layer. 5) Look at some photos of human bodies to see where to color. I tend do do hands with some blue on the fat of the thumb and any sculpted veins, and then a warm color on fingertips, etc. Knees, collarbones, shading on the chest is all also good.

Not really 6 but I suspend my body pieces with twine and q-tips to spray the MSC, so that as little as possible is being blocked from the spray. I might have photos somewhere.

Also definitely pre-#1, get an appropriate respirator for spraying MSC (or your coating of choice), and wear a mask while sanding and blushing as well (your snot turning colors is a bad sign). The sanding/blushing mask doesn’t need to be medical grade, but a baggy blue style surgical mask is… better than nothing but worse than a real particulate mask. I can dig up some references for that later too but there’s a good resource on DoA.

I’ll try to put together something a bit more complete but it may take a while! 😅 Sorry!

[verydesperatehousewife]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Figenzi Ma Richesse For Women Eau de Parfum Spray 3.3 oz Fragrance Floral 98%.

[crazy-deals]

Reduceri de pana la 25% pe Equivalenza

Prinde reduceri de pana la 25% pe Equivalenza astfel: -20% la toate parfumurile de 50 ml; -25% la produsele din gama Black Label; -25% la o selectie de parfumuri de camera de 100ml; -25% la spray-urile de corp Promotie valabila in perioada 15.08.2024-30.09.2024, in limita stocului disponibil. Pentru a fi la curent cu toate promoțiile si codurile de reducere active la Equivalenza verifica frecvent pagina magazinului pe Crazy-Deals.ro Read the full article

[booticro]

Cu ajutorul spray-ului odorizant cu iasomie vei umple aerul din casa ta cu o aroma suava care sa te relaxeze si care sa te faca sa uiti de grijile cotidiene.

[novumtimes]

Jury has questions for judge in trial of suspect in Dopwell-Baileys death

Article content The jury in the trial of the man charged with murdering 16-year-old Jannai Dopwell-Bailey is deliberating toward a verdict and it had four questions for the presiding judge on Saturday. Andrei Donet, 21, is charged with second-degree murder in the trial at the Montreal courthouse. He is alleged to have been an accomplice in the homicide along with a person who was a minor when Jannai was pepper-sprayed, assaulted and stabbed minutes after the victim exited his school in Côte-des-Neiges on Oct. 18, 2021. The minor was convicted of second-degree murder in December and has yet to be sentenced. Article content Three of the four questions touched on intention and how it applies to a murder conviction. One of the questions was: “Legally, can we say that hating someone to the point of wanting to kill them (for example, a Ku Klux Klan member toward a Black person) corresponds with an intention if they participated in the murder?” “Motive is not an essential element that the Crown has to prove. Motive is the reason why someone acts,” Superior Court Justice Annie Émond said while answering three of the four questions at the end of the court day. She also reminded the jury that the prosecution’s theory is that a rivalry between two groups — the 51s or the DGs, a group associated with Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, and the 160s, a group based in Côte-des-Neiges — was the motive behind the homicide. A woman places a candle during a vigil for Jannai Dopwell-Bailey on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette files “I repeat that intention is distinct from motive. Your question asks whether a motive can correspond with the intention required for murder. If your question presupposes that the motive is mixed with intent, the answer is no,” the judge said. “As I explained before, a motive can help you to conclude that a person did something and did it intentionally. Inversely, the absence of a motive can place a reasonable doubt on whether a person did something and did it intentionally. ” Article content Another question involving intent was whether the jury should consider whether the accused was influenced by drugs or alcohol when Jannai was killed. During the trial, the jury was shown a video of Donet holding a bottle of rum that was posted on social media shortly before Jannai was killed. “In our trial there is no evidence of intoxication and therefore intoxication is not pertinent to your decision,” the judge said. The fourth question involved video footage recorded by a surveillance camera outside the school on Van Horne Ave. One juror wrote that a witness’s testimony about which person was Jannai in the video, seconds before he was attacked, left the jury confused. While answering that question, the judge reminded the jury that it has the option of listening to a recording of the witness’s testimony. The judge said she will answer the jury’s fourth question Sunday morning. The question indicates at least some on the jury are debating whether Donet is guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter. pcherry@postmedia.com Share this article in your social network Source link via The Novum Times

[vishnuveera]

Madagascar Magnificence Navigating the Optimal Time for Your Journey

Madagascar is a country with diverse climates and geographical features, making it a fascinating destination to explore. When planning your trip, it's essential to consider the best time to visit to make the most of your adventure. Here are some planning tips for visiting Madagascar, focusing on the best time to go.

The dry season, particularly from May to October, is considered the best time to visit Madagascar. During these months, the weather is cooler and more pleasant, making it ideal for outdoor activities and wildlife spotting. The roads are also more accessible, and the risk of tropical cyclones is significantly lower.

The peak tourist season in Madagascar is from June to September and around Christmas. These months offer the best weather conditions, and the tourist infrastructure is better prepared to accommodate visitors. However, it's worth noting that prices may be higher during this period, and popular attractions may be more crowded.

If you plan to visit Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park, be aware that the road is only driveable between April and November, and Grand Tsingy (the main event) is only open from June to the beginning of November. It's recommended to visit no later than late October to avoid road closures and ensure access to the park's main attractions.

The rainy season in Madagascar (November – April) can bring tropical cyclones, especially in the east. The main cyclone season is February & March, and road conditions can deteriorate, making travel more challenging. Some attractions may also be inaccessible during this time.

Madagascar operates on a slower pace, known as 'mora mora' (said 'mura mura'), which means 'slowly', 'take it easy', or just 'less'. Embracing this concept will help you enjoy your trip and adapt to any unexpected changes in plans or delays.

Pack comfortable and breathable clothing for Madagascar, with women dressing relatively modestly. Don't forget to check the temperature and likelihood of rain in the season/places you are travelling. Sunscreen, bug spray, and a good camera with a long zoom are also essential for wildlife hikes.

By considering these planning tips, you can ensure a safe, enjoyable, and well-informed trip to Madagascar.

[msockriter]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Victoria's Secret Bombshell Perfume Women's Spray Eau de Parfum 50 ML 1.7 Oz..