#I am convinced she has never written anything subpar

[bobbinlacebliss]

Hi, I am starting on my journey to learn bobbin lace (I have all the materials already, cushions, bobbins, patterns etc.) I know how to do the basic stuff and even ventured out to do a VERY simple bookmark. I am planning on doing another one but I am quite lost on how to improve my lace making. All the lace makers I see are super advanced and almost unreachable. I want to be able to some day create those extremely beutiful designs you do but I don't know exactly how to progess withouth feeling so overwhelmed. Any advice on a route to improvement?

Kind regards, M.

A very simple bookmark is absolutely the place to start. That is where I started as well. If you have the basic stitches down, it sounds like you are well on your way. After practicing basic grounds until you are comfortable with them, one thing you can do is try working through a book of beginner patterns - there are many available, though without knowing what style of lace you want to get into and what you have already practiced, it's difficult to give a specific recommendation. In general though, I do recommend finding actual books on lacemaking, above relying on internet resources only. In my experience, most of what is available freely on the internet only advances to a certain point.

Here are some books from my library that I believe may be suitable for beginners (though by no means should these be taken as exclusive recommendations - there are certainly good lacemaking books in existence that I do not own! And these are also highly biased towards Bucks Point, the style I prefer.)

Torchon Lacemaking: A Manual of Techniques by Elizabeth Wade (my only torchon offering, sorry)

A Visual Introduction to Bucks Point Lace by Geraldine Stott (many of the patterns featured on my blog are from this book)

All about making - Geometrical Bucks Point Lace by Alexandra Stillwell (as well as numerous patterns entirely suitable for beginners, includes a great deal of technical instruction and theory - highly useful)

Bucks Point Lace Workbook by Louise West (also a book which introduces the beginner to important concepts in Bucks lace via example patterns accompanied by theory, though I would say it is a steeper learning curve, and less detailed, than Stillwell)

Finally, The Grammar of Point Ground by Ulrike Voelcker is a book that should be in the library of any serious point ground lace student who can get their hands on it, in my opinion. This book has been invaluable to me and I cannot recommend it enough. If you can't find or afford it, I highly recommend seeing if you can borrow it from a local lacemaking guild or even public library. Includes patterns you can work, but is mostly a book about theory and technique.

[ichor-and-symbiosis]

(1/3) Hear me out (Tenko and Hero!GF) imagine this, Kotaro force Tenko to breakup with you by telling him he’ll ruin your reputation. Because your reputation shouldn’t be tinted because of his father, Tenko did. You’re is left heart broken and sobbing without a proper reason. Tenko fell into depression, which mean Kotaro can manipulate Tenko into doing what he wants: marry a girl from a well off family/non-hero. Tenko did. He doesn’t love that girl. But he did to keep his father happy. - 🌹

i am an absolute RAT for neglecting these beautiful asks for so long, especially considering this is my favorite au!! i’m sorry anon, i had this written a while ago and had no energy to finish it until now ;-; 

- there were many clever tactics kotarou thought of to break this relationship apart. he could have told tenko that his villainous quirk will only cast judgement upon you simply by association, or perhaps you had some secret that you did not want the world to know. either way, kotarou stops at nothing to convince tenko to break up with you, because in his mind, he believes he is doing this with tenko’s best interests at heart. this, to him, is not pettiness. this is a father trying to protect his son. - no signs indicated that your relationship would ever come to an end. if anything, you were both certain that you would marry each other soon, because you were madly in love. so when tenko breaks it off with you, you are left blind sighted and completely devastated. you hadn’t even imagined a life without him since you first started dating. and likewise, this was the hardest thing tenko has ever had to do. seeing you cry made him sick with guilt, but he only wanted to protect you from his father. this was a necessary evil. no matter how much you begged him to reconsider, tenko was convinced that you would be happier without him in your life, if only so that kotarou would not bother you. - you both fall into a deep depression after the breakup. tenko was always a bit withdrawn, but he had warmed up considerably when you entered his life. now, he was worse than ever, neglecting his health and personal life and not giving a damn about it. kotarou expected this, so he let his son grieve for some time. but when he notices that tenko isn’t getting any better, he takes matters into his own hands to help him forget about you. resigned to a life without you, tenko agrees to meet the girl kotarou wanted to set him up with. he may as well — they would all be subpar compared to you, so he may as well get it over with.

-  the young woman was born into a wealthy family and reaped the benefits of her heritage tenfold. she is vivacious and larger than life, older than tomura and upholds some of kotarou’s ignorant ideas, and is the perfect trust fund kid who has grandiose visions for useless ideas and far too much money to funnel into her projects. but it keeps her busy, and she is fairly nice to his family, so tenko goes with it. the hardest moments are when he starts to actually enjoy her presence, because his mind would immediately think about you. but those moments come as quick as they go. this woman always found some way to grate his nerves at least a little. -  while tenko struggles to regain a sense of normalcy in his life, you were at a crossroads. as if the breakup hadn’t been bad enough, you discover that you are pregnant. what the hell could you possibly do? should you confront tenko and fight to get him back? kotarou would only think of you as a gold digger trying to use your pregnancy to worm your way into his family. initially, you settle on simply telling tenko about it. no strings attached. you knew him, you knew that he wanted to start a family of his own. besides, this child was the fruit of your love, so how could he not love this child? - you feel invigorated. slowly but surely, tenko would come back into your life. except you stumble upon him with that woman, and all of your hopes and dreams come crashing down. you don’t know what hurts more: the fact that he moved on far quicker than you had, or that you were gullible enough to think he would still pine for you. - you carry through with the pregnancy all on your own. kotarou’s biased logic filtered through your head whenever you headed to work, reminding you that your career put you in danger and increased your chances of not living long enough to see your child grow. children, you had to remind yourself. you were carrying twins. - you decide to retire from the front lines to use your skill set in a safer setting. a simple office job. it was ideal for you and your new little family. the twins already lacked a father; you couldn’t bear the thought of them losing their mother, too. - the moment you see your newborn children for the first time, you break down into tears. they have dark hair just like him. and when their eye color sets in, it is that same crimson shade you loved so much. - it is difficult. motherhood is new territory for you, especially with two babies and a full-time job to juggle. but you make it work, because every time you come home to those sweet little faces, you feel so indescribably happy, even when a part of you still suffered from the loss of your lover. - four years later, tenko is in a hell of a rut. his life is mundane and he is constantly reminded of the fact that he married someone entirely incompatible with him. it had been easy to tolerate in the beginning, but once the honeymoon period wore off, the fighting began. his wife keeps pestering him to finally give her a child, and he dreads the inevitable. worst of all, he had managed to hear by word of mouth that you were no longer a hero, for whatever reason. you were no longer the thing that his father hated, and yet here tenko was, stuck in a loveless marriage when he could have been with you all these years. the thought makes him unspeakably angry at times, and unfortunately he lets it out on his wife. it is not a healthy relationship. - you, however, have moved on for the most part. there simply hasn’t been time to prolong your sadness when you had two hungry mouths to feed. tenko may not be in your life anymore, but you had your beautiful children and that was good enough for you. - you cross paths one day, completely by chance. who could ever think that a boring shopping trip would lead to tenko seeing you for the first time in years. and you looked just as beautiful as you always had. his heart clenched tightly in his chest and he felt his knees go weak at the sight of you. you hadn’t noticed him yet, and he took the opportunity to watch you for a little while longer. he didn’t know if he should go talk to you or not, and while his indecisiveness rooted him to the spot, his attention suddenly shifted to a little boy that tugged at your arm asking for sweets. tenko furrowed his brows in confusion, anxiety welling up within him as his suspicions were about to be confirmed. and then he sees the little girl holding your hand.- and he sees the dark hair. the red eyes. - he nearly throws up from the onslaught of emotions that overtake him. it couldn’t be. it just couldn’t be. - the little girl notices tenko staring at you and shyly whispers to you about the strange man hiding behind a stack of canned food. you lock eyes as the little boy demands tenko to stop being a creep, and you are both rendered silent, too shocked to do anything other than simply look at each other. old feelings resurface in an instant. you both feel a magnetic pull, and tenko nearly succumbs to it. you are the first to regain your senses, because you have children to take care of, and you could not afford to rouse their suspicion. with a brisk nod to tenko you usher the twins forward as you walk away. tenko is left standing there, numb and overcome with feelings.- he wants to go straight to his father’s house and kill him. his hands are practically itching from restraint, and he goes back to his old habit of scratching at his neck, even though you helped him get over this coping mechanism a while ago. tenko goes on a long walk instead, so long that his wife has been bombarding his phone well into the night, but he doesn’t care. he needs to think. he needs to understand what he saw. - one way or another, you both find each other again at the grocery store. tenko had been waiting for you for days in that store in hopes of seeing you, and you knew him well enough to know that he would do something dramatic like this. so you appear one day without the children, distant and polite as you finally muster up the mental fortitude to speak with him. - this conversation warranted a more serious setting, but tenko didn’t want to risk his wife seeing you, and you did not want him in your house. so you go to a large park and find a secluded area to talk. and talk you did, for a very long time. tenko is practically choking with guilt and resentment towards everyone in his life for putting you both in this ridiculous circumstance. if only things had been a little different, if only you two had a little more time together, then none of this would have happened. all of these years, wasted. worst of all, his suspicions were confirmed - those two children were his, and he missed out on so many important milestones. - he wants you back immediately. he wants you so, so fucking much, he’s never stopped loving you. and he tells you this, as selfish as it is. he hates himself for hurting you like this, because you had already moved on, but you are the mother of his children, damn it. you were his real family, not the woman he grew to resent. - you are too afraid to start a relationship just yet, but you do agree to introduce him to the children. tenko pulls you in for a bone crushing hug when you say that. he nearly kisses you, with how close your beautiful face is to his, but he restrains himself. there will be time for that later. he’s going to win you back, and he will never let you go. - for once, his life was starting to get better. tenko finally feels like he has a purpose, a direction in life. but he needs to settle a score. this time, he goes to his father’s house. and as soon as he sees him, he punches the bastard right in his face. the argument that ensues is perhaps the most severe they’ve ever had, even worse than when kotarou had to convince tenko to leave you. - when he tells kotarou about the children, he feels a sick satisfaction when kotarou falls silent, and his family is left in various stages of shock. he forbids them from talking to him, or trying to contact you. he wants nothing to do with his family, even his mother and sister. they may not have had any part in kotarou’s schemes, but they were always ultimately on his side, and he hates them now more than ever. hana of course does not allow this negativity to brew between them. she is team tenko for life from now on and is resolved to help him. his mother is devastated by how everything had fallen apart, how she had grandchildren she never knew about. she cries over this for days and doesn’t speak to kotarou. - when the initial shock of everything settles down, tenko is there for his children every step of the way. he fights hard to win their trust and friendship, which is relatively easy, because he already loves them so much and they can sense his joy when they want to be with him. - and how could your relationship with tenko not prosper? despite everything, you can’t resist falling back into deep friendship. but you can’t bring yourself to enter a physical relationship with him, no matter how horribly tempting it is, because tenko is still married and you can’t condone cheating. you don’t want to be the side chick, no matter how in love you two were. - tenko calls up his lawyer that night, gets those divorce papers, and hands them to his wife as soon as he sees her. and we all know he’s in for a hell of a fight. every excuse he offers is swiftly shut down. he’s fallen out of love with her? tough shit, that’s marriage. he’s cheating on her? now she’s not divorcing him out of spite. it’s only when he confesses that he has children that she becomes genuinely heartbroken. she’s always wanted children, and tenko always made excuses. now that she knows about you, about the history you two shared, she is so overcome with jealousy that she doubles down on her refusal to divorce him. - no problem. enter kotarou, properly whipped to hell and back by his family and eager to get on their good side again. he’s too damn old and tired to keep up the drama, especially now that you aren’t a hero. there just isn’t any point to all of this. his powerful business connections allow him to put pressure on the wife’s family to convince her to take a settlement and sign the papers. to tenko’s endless relief, she relents in the end. - with nothing standing in the way of your happiness, tenko moves in with you and you become a proper family. you get married as soon as you feel confident in his love for you again, and you conceive on your wedding night. tenko loves his children very much, but he is also ecstatic about the chance to be there for your third child, to feel like a proper father and support you like he’s always wanted to. - you better believe ya’ll live happily ever after.

[andiandyandee]

We Are Going to Be Friends Pt. 7

I finally got freakin’ part 7 written, you guys do not realize how much I had to fight with this chapter for no goddamn reason.

Words: 1585

Tag List: @datfearlessfangirl @princemesscharming @illogicalthinking @holliberries

Here’s the series on ao3  here’s the last part in case you missed it

Okay here’s the Fic:

    Logan did not expect that comment in his English class to escalate to.. this, but he didn’t argue when a freshman girl, one of the others who had begun taking high school classes early and was therefore in several of his classes, asked if she could sit with him at lunch, just so nobody would bother her, a few days after the incident. She had braces and glasses, looking far more like a traditional ‘nerd’ than Logan did. He obliged, leaving his headphones around his neck in case she decided to speak. He had chosen not to go back to Remus and Roman’s table, though they had offered. The girl, Alex, didn’t speak much, other to explain that she had been getting bullied by some of the older girls in her Physical Education class.  Logan nodded but didn’t say much one way or the other in her defense. He did, however, give her his cell phone number, and the number of a self-defense trainer he knew. She began classes the next week.

    Logan did not make friends, per se, but he did find himself with a few people more often than not. He had even begun regularly speaking to Elliot and Kai again, albeit tentatively. There were a few others like Alex, who mostly appeared hoping that being around Logan would help them avoid any harassment, but there were a few others, people who also liked science and literature, people who liked the same bands as Logan, a few members of the GSA that despite not knowing Logan’s sexuality adopted him into their groups, and convinced him to attend their meetings. His group was not unlike the group the twins had around them, though they tended to be less rambunctious in the school. Outside of school ended up being a different story, and Logan began spending less and less time at his parents' house. Evenings at punk shows in subpar bars and basements, killing time at parks and people’s houses, study sessions in the only library in town, where the Librarian pretended to shush them, as if they weren’t the only ones there, protests and counter-protests took up all of his time. Logan hadn’t dropped the apathetic nature he had developed, of course, but the people he sounded himself with didn’t seem to mind, and none of them were close enough to actually know that it was an act. He adamantly refused to make up with his brother, who would come into his room every night when he heard Logan climb in through the window to tell him he was being irresponsible. Logan would counter that his grades were even better than they had been previously, he had finally gotten his history grade up from a B to an A, and it had been Larry’s idea that Logan begin hanging out with people his own age, anyway.

    Larry reminded Logan that he had lost weight because he was now regularly skipping meals to sit outside with his ‘friends’ and was never home for dinner. He pointed out that before he spent time with these people, Logan had been in fights, but never to the extent he seemed to get into them now. Logan had not, of course, told his brother that he spent most weekends at mosh pits or punching nazis, so of course he had assumed Logan was fighting. And sure, it wasn’t Larry’s fault that Logan still didn’t have much movement in his right hand, but he had not done anything to help, and that was just as bad in Logan’s eyes.

    And then, as Remus had mentioned on their first day, they began the unit on Shakespeare. Remus immediately began getting frustrated in English class, taking longer to finish quizzes, groaning at the sub-par grades he was achieving. Logan tried his best to ignore it, but eventually, he had to step in.

    “Remus, you’re overthinking this sonnet. You can take it nearly at face value and comprehend the meaning.” Logan had finished his sonnet evaluation worksheet after about five minutes, and Remus had been glaring at his for nearly twenty minutes now.

    “I just.. don’t get it. What the hell is ‘summer’s lease’?”

    “Well, what is a lease?”

    “It’s basically when you like, temporarily own something right? Like renting? What the hell is summer renting?”

    “What does summer do only temporarily?”

    “I don’t know? Exist, I guess?”

    “So, it would stand to reason that summer’s lease would be…?”

    “The.. time it temporarily exists? So it’s just saying summer isn’t long enough?” Logan gave him a small smile, nodding.

    “Precisely.”

    “Why couldn’t he just say that? ” Remus groaned, jotting down the answer. “Are you busy tonight?” Logan raised an eyebrow, but shrugged.

    “Not really, no.”

    “Want to come over? I think Roman is having a weekend sleepover thing, but I really need someone who isn’t going to be singing Next to Normal songs to spend time with or I’m gonna jump in front of a moving train, which means I’ll have to walk to a train station, because otherwise, they’ll tow dad’s car, and it’s so COLD outside right now, I hate winter, so I’ll probably freeze to death before I even make it to the nearest train station, and I-”

    “Did you know Grasshoppers have ears on their stomachs? One on each side of the first abdominal segment, directly beneath the wings.” Logan said nonchalantly, pretending to not notice the way Remus took a deep breath before replying,

    “What?” Logan laughed, slightly too loud in the small classroom, before nodding at Remus

    “I would love to attend, Remus. So long as it isn’t going to cause a problem with your parents, or the other.. guests involved.”

    “Nah, they’ll be fine with it. See you at like five, then?” Logan nodded, going back to staring into space while Remus went back to glaring at his paper.

    At 5 PM, Logan stood outside the Sander’s house, looking blankly at the “For Sale” Sign in the front yard. They were leaving? What was the point of having this “Sleepover” if they were planning on abandoning their group anyway? He heard Remus’ voice call to him from the porch.

    “Specs! Come on in! We only bite with your explicit consent!” Logan turned from the sign to smirk at the teen in front of him. Remus must have seen what Logan was looking at. “Don’t worry, we aren’t going to screw up the house tonight. Dad would probably kill us.”

    “I was unaware you were moving, where will you be going?” Remus looked only slightly surprised.

    “Oh! I can’t believe you haven’t heard Roman bitching about it. We’re just moving across town, like ten blocks over. Dad wanted somewhere that had room for studios and offices and stuff, and this place only has one guest room.” Logan raised an eyebrow.

    “Why is Roman complaining if you’re only moving ten blocks away? You won’t even need to transfer schools.” Remus shook his head.

    “Because he’s dramatic? He drew the short straw so He doesn’t get the attic room in the new place and he’s bummed about it. It has this massive bay window thing that turns into a skylight.” Remus grinned. “And it has an ensuite.” Roman groaned as the two walked into the living room.

    “Are you telling even MORE people about how I was SLIGHTED- Oh, Hi Logan,” Roman immediately stopped talking in his standard dramatic yell in favor of a small, more reserved voice, turning away quickly from them. Elliot coughed, and Kai was patting their back with a grin.

    “Hey, Lo! We didn’t know you were coming!” Kai was still rubbing Elliot’s back, and they were still bent over, body shaking in what appeared to be a quite serious coughing fit.

    “Are they… alright?” Logan was mildly concerned. “They seem to be having trouble breathing.” As if on cue, Elliot wheezed, in what almost sounded like laughter.

    “They’re fine, just swallowed something wrong, don’t worry.” Kai’s grin seemed out of place still, but Logan nodded.

    “Alright. Well, I am in attendance because Remus invited me. I didn’t mean to -er- interrupt.” Roman had laid his head in his hands, and Elliot had finally sat up, tears streaming down their face. Remus chuckled and pulled Logan towards the stairs.

    “Come on, Lo. I want to work on some of the English work before we have to endure them for the night.” Logan, grateful to be pulled away from the nonsense that was occurring in the living room, nodded.

    “Oh, okay!” They made it up the stairs and into Remus’s room, which was far neater than Logan expected. It wasn’t spotless by any means, but it was definitely cleaner than Logan’s room.

    “I am so sorry for him, he’s such a nightmare.” Remus laughed, dropping down onto his bed with an unceremonious ‘oof’.

    “Who, Kai? He seemed a little too amused at Elliot’s coughing, but I wouldn’t call him a nightmare…” Remus looked at Logan incredulously.

    “What? I meant Roman.” Logan was confused.

    “What did Roman do? I mean, I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ve always suspected Roman didn’t particularly like me. I don’t mind it, so long as he is civil.” Remus’s mouth was hanging open.

    “You have got to be kidding.”

    “Kidding about what?”

    “Never mind.” Remus shook his head, mumbling something akin to ‘useless gays, the lot of them’ under his breath before pulling out his English textbook. “Please teach me the ways of the bard before I spontaneously combust.”

[a-simple-imagine]

Queen Material - Chapter 4

Synopsis: You end up spending the day with Valkyrie but things get a little deeper than you anticipated. And just when you think the king can’t surprise you anymore she throws a spanner into the works. 

Pairing: Valkyrie x fem!reader

Words: 1.7k+

Warnings - Swearing and alcohol

You didn't know Valkyrie very well and so you weren't quite sure what she had planned for you. You dreaded some of the places you could possibly end up but it was too late to back out now. You decided to dress casually putting on jeans and a tee and now you were waiting outside your bar. She was running late but you hadn't expected her to be this late. She was the one who wanted to do this and she can't even be bothered to show up. You were just about to give up and head home when someone calls out to you. You turn to see the king strolling towards you, hands buried in her pockets.

"If it isn't my favourite barkeep. You ready to go?"

You consider making some comment about how late she is but you keep it to yourself. Instead, you plaster on a smile that hopefully hides how annoyed you are. "I am. Where are we going?"

She hesitates for a moment and a part of you wonders if she's been drinking. Mainly because you're used to seeing her drunk but she also had a reputation. You wouldn't mind either way as long as she can function. A smile spread over her lips as she turns on her heel and begins walking. "I think I know where we could go,"

If you weren't convinced she had put zero thought into today before, you definitely were now. You begin to question your decision to spend the day with her as you walk along behind her although she didn't give you much of a choice. A silence comes between the two of you as you try to think of something to say but nothing, in particular, comes to mind. "So... how are you today, my king?"

Valkyrie glances briefly towards you, raising her brow in the process. "I am fine. How are you?"

"Pretty good." You hike your backpack further up your shoulders. "Uh... Since I was not informed beforehand of our activities I packed a little lunch for us."

"More sandwiches?" The king calls back to you. You shake your head slowly unsure if she meant her words in a good way or bad. "Just a salad, some homemade biscuits, grapes, strawberries and a couple of beers."

"Beer sounds brilliant," She comments. "Thanks"

Using a slightly quicker pace, you catch up to the woman and walk alongside her. She doesn't say anything to you so you fall back into silence. It's was only a little awkward. The further you go the less idea you have of the destination. You're lead to a grassy field which houses a spacecraft. "Is that yours?" You wonder, pointing towards it. You hadn't seen one since you left Asgard. Valkyrie turns to you and shrugs.

"Thought we could take a little trip." Sure, why not get on a spaceship you weren't sure she actually even owned and go on a trip to Valkyrie only knows where. What was the worst that could happen? You head for the craft, the king trailing behind you. As you head inside, you're surprised by how spacious it is. You secure your backpack down before getting into the passenger's seat and buckling up. The king joins you, taking the driver seat.

You end up just lingering above the Earth. Turns out she didn't want to take you anywhere in particular just... space. You didn't exactly hate the idea though. Being trapped on Midgard was almost suffocating in nature. It was such a self-involved planet despite there being so much more out there. You kind of missed the beauty of space. The calmness. How the stars twinkled. But being up here also pulled at that part of you that missed Asgard; the original Asgard. You're sat on the floor of the ship with the king beside you, tubs of food placed between you as you stare out into the void. Someone would probably find the darkness intimidating but it was a sight you enjoyed. "Do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"Asgard?" You continue, glancing towards her. "The old one?"

It takes her a few minutes before she sighs. "Not really," Her head shakes as she speaks. "Asgard hadn't been my home in a long time."

"Oh," You hadn't known that. It proved just how little you knew about her besides the elite warrior thing. And also the king thing. And that she liked to drink; a lot.

"Do you miss it?" She asks, turning to face you.

"Of course," You nod. "It was my home. Very different than Midgard but in a good way."

"So you don't like Midgard then?"

Your shoulders rise in a little shrug. Your feelings regarding the entire situation were complicated. If you had the decision to turn back time then you would. You'd do just about anything to return to you're once beautiful land but that wasn't an option. Midgard wasn't a horrible place to be but it just wasn't what you pictured. "It's not that I don't like it, it's just not what I expected. I never imagined living in some village running a stupid bar. Having to deal with rapscallions and Midgardians. It's hard to harbour respect as an insignificant barkeep."

"Did you not say you enjoyed your job?" Valkyrie asks looking a little uncomfortable as she looks back to the stars. You reach for the tub of grapes, pulling off the lid. The last time you had these was the first time Valkyrie had engaged in a conversation with you. You roll the grape between your fingers before dropping it into your mouth. Your love for your job was almost equal to your detest. That bar was your baby but it was a baby you had never expected so never prepared for. For every pleasant individual you came across there were at least five waiting around the corner to insult or grope you. There were late nights and early morning. The responsibility of doing most things yourself; sure you could hire more people but that required more assets.

"I do enjoy it... sometimes. Other days, I wish for something more."

"Something more?" The king must have taken you removing the lid to the grapes as Initiative to dig in. She eyes your food slowly, hands hovering over both salads.

"One is Chinese chicken, the other is BBQ. You can have either." She picks up the Chinese chicken salad, yanking off the top. Taking a fork to stab into the leafy greens.

"So... something more?"

"Right," you sigh softly, reaching for another grape. "I don't know what I want. Maybe a purpose? Something that makes me feel like I'm doing something more with my life."

"Not everyone is destined for greatness, barkeep." She shovelled a fork full of salad into her mouth. You focus on the stars feeling a ton of regret settling on your shoulders. Was your entire life a waste of time? Was owning a bar on some subpar planet written in the stars? Was this all you'd ever be?

"Right," you nod. "Not everyone can be king, I suppose- how's that going by the way?"

Valkyrie ignored your question, or she just didn't hear it as she continued to devour the salad you prepared. Pulling out the beers, you pop off your cap wanting to drown yourself in the liquid that was now slipping down your throat. "Is my salad at least good?"

Her eyes fall to yours, mouth full and a piece of lettuce sticking out from between her lips. You offer her a smile. "Being King is everything and... nothing."

"I do not know what that means," you decide to pick up the bbq salad and tuck in.

"I just never expected it to be this hard." Even you could have guessed being the king of new Asgard would be hard so you're not entirely sure where she's going with this. You offer her the other beer which she gladly accepts, immediately pulling off the cap and taking a huge swig. "It's a fucking nightmare."

"I can only imagine," You reply, taking a bite of bbq chicken. It was a level of responsibility you could hardly comprehend but Thor clearly trusted her.

"I wanted to help people: make a difference. I thought I could be a leader but now... now I feel like I've taken on too much to handle. There are Asgardians counting on me and I'm not sure I have anything to offer," she takes a sip of her beer. "Other than my good looks and sparkling personality."

You wanted to reassure her that she had so much to offer new Asgard but you weren't sure that she actually did. You hadn't seen much change since she took over from Thor. You didn't want to lie to her, you weren't close enough to want to spare her feelings. "And a high alcohol tolerance."

Valkyrie chuckles. "That too. But what good is that for Asgard."

You remain silent and continue to eat your salad. You had never seen such a vulnerable version of Brunnhilde, it was almost strange to experience. "You've still got time to prove yourself as a king. Nobody expected anything to happen overnight."

"I guess you're right," Valkyrie offers you a small almost sad smile. "It's just a lot to carry on my own."

"Are you seeing someone, maybe?" You ask rather abruptly, hoping she wouldn't take it the wrong way. You were just thinking that if she was dating then maybe they can help out. Become the queen of Asgard.

"Not really. I prefer to go with the flow and no one has caught my eye yet." Not uncommon for Asgardians. With such a long life span many found that it easier to just keep things open and free. Even if relationships became 'official' you've found that there is a lot less pressure compared to Midgardian ideology.

"So we shouldn't expect a Queen any time soon," you give her a lighthearted chuckle.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Valkyrie shrugs and your curiosity peaked. "I think I may have a person in mind."

"Oh! I thought nobody had caught your eye yet?" You question, a bottle of beer lingering at your lips. Taking a hearty sip.

"They haven't. But I was thinking you could be the queen,"

You beer ends up spit out everywhere and you cough to clear your throat. You laugh a little awkwardly as you glance towards the king but she wasn't laughing. Nothing suggested she was joking. "You've got to be fucking kidding me,"

PREV // NEXT

Tagging per request: @iconicwlw @sarcasticmami

[letscuttothefeeling]

season three episode two

Before we get into the intricacies of this subpar episode, I want you to close your eyes, inhale, and reflect: is the guy you’re dating your boyfriend, or is he a father figure to you? Think about it. Now let’s cut to the feeling.

I don’t know about you, but seeing a groggy Old Man Ish clumsily lumber around in a backwards hat and a short-sleeved gorilla tee while holding his morning coffee made me immediately sick. And I’m just watching it on TV. Imagine being Madisson and waking up to that. Like, yes, this show is my sole will to live, but even I can’t stomach this. It really can’t get worse. Oh my God. Ish just described Brandon as “agro.” It did get worse. 

Thank god Ish is finally off my screen and I’m back to looking at G baby and BG. Appetite restored. Jared’s also there, so I’m unable to entirely recover from the Ish debacle, but I guess this is the best I can hope for. And may I just add that I am absolutely loving this playful “boys” scene? Seeing the guys boolin with their goon squad is bringing the vibes up big time. BG doesn’t even seem upset about Dadisson – in fact, he begins talking about a potential budding romance with Amanda! And just like that, we’re back on track.  

Strap in. The scene I’ve been waiting for. Dadisson’s reveal to her actual, biological father. Fade in. Jon, Madisson’s bio dad, is seated outside at a cute restaurant, completely unaware of the bomb that is about to explode in his face. As he looks up and sees his daughter walking over with her former producer, you can see the confusion setting in. Wait, what? Why is my youngest daughter walking in with Ish, the show’s old producer? Isn’t she supposed to be introducing me to her boyfriend? Oh, no . . . I think at that point, Jon must know, but he’s remaining willfully ignorant for as long as possible. And I get that, Jon. I do.

 Ish has this special oafish trudge that seriously makes him look like some sort of ogre and I am absolutely living for it. When the lovebirds take their seats, a dark cloud rolls over the Key. Reality sets in. Madisson starts telling her real father about her new Daddy, and my heart is racing. After establishing their respective ages, Jon takes a deep breath and calmly asks the most uncomfortable question your Dad could ever ask you about your boyfriend: “Is he a father figure to you?”

Let’s decompress. This has to be one of the rawest scenes on reality TV, so pour one out for Jon, who at this point was undoubtedly racking his brain trying to recall the exact moment he fucked Madisson up so badly that she now actively chooses to bang 50-year olds. I feel bad for you, Jon. Back to the show.

Madisson is crying, Jon is reeling over his mistakes, and Ish is trying to defend his relationship. As for me, I have one question: could Siesta Key have provided these poor souls with drinks before forcing them to do this on camera?

After that cringey scene, I’m more than happy to watch Amanda and BG have a SPICY meetuppé. Unfortunately, Amanda begins serving me really strange vibes and I’m kind of scared of her. There’s too much licking involved on this date and I’m not interested. Let’s cut to the next scene, where Madisson and Brandon meet to hopefully get closure.

Finally, we get a glimpse of the breakuppé timeline! If you remember correctly, Season 2 ended with us thinking we’d get a glorious Bradisson reunion in Season 3. Alas, we have Dadisson instead. Please don’t misconstrue this as a complaint, because it’s very far from that. I’m just a little confused as to how Dadisson came about, and apparently, so is BG. Madisson explains that after she moved to LA, she no longer felt connected to Brandon. Two months after breaking things off, she began taking to Ish. Brandon isn’t buying it. He’s convinced their relationship has been brewing for some time. Personally, I believe her. She’s never lied and I think Brandon is projecting his own issues onto Madisson. Thoughts?

Lots of tough conversations today – now we’re at Cara’s waiting anxiously for her to drop the news we all knew was coming from the moment she started dating Garrett. That she wants to break up. I think now is as good a time as any to unpack Garrett’s love life. Garrett. Get it together. The whole “hot but stupid” narrative is something the producers are pushing . . . right? You cannot possibly be this idiotic IRL. But love is blinding, I guess. Garrett was cheated on by Kelsey (with Alex), used by Juliette to make someone jealous (Alex), and used by Cara to piss off Kelsey and Juliette (and Alex.) Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me three times, and you can call me Garrett Miller.

 Okay, time for Kelsey and Juliette’s housewarming / rosé party! That had to be the whitest sentence I’ve ever written. The party begins and everyone seems to be in good spirits. Side note – I really applaud the film crew for catching everything that they do. They even got a short clip of Garrett having difficulty opening the front door and included it to perpetuate the very true belief that Garrett is actually a failed artificial intelligence robot project gone wrong.

Chloe arrives with a shot ski, but “Con Artist” Robby has to one-up her by bringing a TV. She’s convinced he’s bringing it to make up for how small his dick is. Boys, you heard it here first – don’t even THINK about bringing a TV to a party unless you want everyone to know how small your penis is! Madisson’s not even paying attention to Boring Robby’s embarrassing genital blunder because she’s too busy eyeing Amanda and Brandon. She even has the audacity to whisper, “I just hope he has the best intentions.” Right, because Ish definitely has the best intentions with you. Okay, Madisson.

 Notably missing from the soirée is Cara and my new favorite cast member, Victoria. Kelsey obviously vetoed Cara’s invite, so C and V decided to get a romantic relaxing beachside massage instead. Cara begins explaining that she’s only stringing Garrett along because he functions as her safety net. Meanwhile, at the party, Juliette is having to spell this out to simple Garrett. He looks glum. Suddenly, Garrett’s “unhappy hour” t-shirt seems much more fitting.

 Chloe and Amanda are in a corner, and shocker, they’re talking shit about Juliette and Robby. Juliette overhears, confronts them, and tensions rise. Chloe and Juliette step outside to discuss it further, and it becomes very apparent to me that Juliette is utterly plastered. Chloe is basically sober. What could go wrong?

 Everything! Chloe starts off by asking Juliette what she thinks about their friendship. Obviously, these two have a sordid past, but Juliette is literally too blackout to articulate anything, so Chloe’s immediately won this before it even really begins. Towards the end of the conversation, Juliette starts wagging her finger in Chloe’s face. Chloe slaps it away, so naturally, Juliette retaliates by PUNCHING HER IN THE HEAD. Juliette, I love you, and I’m normally on your side, but this is just not a good lewk. Chloe is straight chilling while Juliette attempts to rip out her extensions. So of course, Chloe looks like the normal one, and Juliette looks like she’s on The Bad Girls Club instead of Siesta Key. Hopefully, she’ll learn a lesson from this, because violence is never the answer!

Unfortunately, Juliette doesn’t learn that lesson! As soon as Amanda steps in to break up the fight, Juliette also tries to hit her. She also can’t understand why Amanda is being so harsh when Amanda was the one who punched Chloe in the face and broke her nose two years ago. Which I feel like is valid! Everyone is screaming, running around and fighting. Genuine chaos. Anarchy. The only person there who is remaining calm is Brandon. He is quite literally the human embodiment of Switzerland. Immediately I’m reminded of that part in Twilight’s third book, Eclipse, when Bella is forced to be the voice of reason and soothe the tensions between vampire Edward and werewolf Jacob. In order to fight the vampire army that Victoria’s newborn lover has created, the vampires and werewolves must put aside their inherent differences and join forces. If not, they could totally ravage Seattle, travel to the quaint town of Forks, and potentially eat Police Chief Charlie Swan!! By becoming a neutral Switzerland, Bella narrowly avoids this horrific fate. Like Bella, Brandon remains neutral in a time of utter disaster. Thanks, Brandon. But more importantly, thank YOU, Stephanie Meyer.

 Kelsey swiftly removes everyone from her home and starts looking for Amanda’s lost phone while Boring Robby hugs Juliette and tries to make her feel better about being the worst. And Kelsey standing around in the background after having to forcibly remove all her friends from her property while her roommate makes out with her boyfriend is such a vibe.

After Cara comes to the rescue to pickuppé the stranded party guests, the episode ends. Overall, I was pretty unhappy with this episode, but I feel that it was a necessary step to get us back in the right direction. I just miss Alex. He needs to return from Europe immediately. I’m tired of all of this girl drama and I want Boring Robby to become Interesting Robby. The next episode seems promising – but we’ll have to wait and see.

[abandonedbyheaven]

All Hail the New God||Not Enough {part 1-3}

Below the cut is part 1-3 of the drabble written for AHTNG.  Anonymous requested it; and again, I am reallllly sorry i can’t give you more from the original story. I’ll work on getting another megodstiel thing going soon; xoxo, D.

She was a bad choice. Meg was many things, but she was not meant to be a consort to God. Who was she to stand with a man fighting for the righteous, when she was a tainted soul herself? God, or the previous, taught his children that she and her kind were wrong. While angels were light and grace, demons were smoke and oppression. They didn’t take honesty or consent, while angels prided themselves with the inability to lie to their hosts. Speaking of, hosts of angels came down to bloodline. Hosts of demons came down to poor timing and bad decision.

Meg wasn’t meant for this. She was meant to ruin what she touched, cause pain, and well, be killed off, only to be replaced by another tainted soul. She wasn’t meant to be remembered. The demon was a small speck of the big, black cloud that made up Hell. When one piece falls, another is already there to take it’s place. That’s just how things were. She, admittedly, survived the longest of the many demons she’d known, and still she knew her cunning didn’t detract from the fact she was never meant to live the life he’d imagined for her.

It was true, Meg was smart. She’d bested many higher-ups in her time, but that didn’t make her qualified for the job he’d bestowed on her. All-Mother? She would never be anything of the sort. Meg wasn’t even Meg, she’d adopted the name from her previous host. This body was named Kayleigh, a name far too innocent for the creature inhabiting it. Meg seemed better suited to her. They knew who she was and there was still a slight wave of fear downstairs associated with her. And that was good, she supposed, looking at the situation optimistically. Ugh, the idea of being positive sent rolls of discontent down her spine.

She’d learned his rules early on. She was the, cringe worthy as position was, submissive in the bonding he’d convinced her to take part in. Subpar. Submissive’s were to listen to no one but their dominant, and that was hard. The demon practically flourished in rebellion, yet for him she was willing. Was he her weakness? Was he the reason she fell so easily when being bonded? Who was to know. She did know leaving without him wasn’t a good idea. While he was God, he was also well known in the hunter community. It was nature for a consort of God to be known in the church. That meant hunters also knew he’d taken Meg as his half, and she’d be enemy number one. After all, hurting a submissive half hurts the dominant.

She knew she would never have a want if she asked, and that was true enough. Castiel provided well for her, having put her in a lavish estate somewhere between the realm of heaven and earth. She was safe, but this wasn’t meant for her. What she wanted he would never give, and she would never ask. He meant too much to her. If she left, she would cause a comatose state to him until she returned. If she was injured, or worse, killed in her flee, he would be just as powerless as she.

Meg didn’t want that.

She wanted him to succeed.

She wanted to give him all of his desires.

She didn’t want to let him down.

But most of all, Meg wanted to be free. She was no Daphne or Amelia. Both women would’ve made much better consorts to the new god, and they would’ve been stronger all-mothers. They’d possibly be more respected than the demon whore he’d chosen. As much as she desired to leave, she would never let him fail.

Padding barefoot into the bedroom that he’d only put in for her comfort, Meg crawled into the California king, burrowing under the blanket; his shirt wrapped around her frame for a small sense of comfort. She never minded heat much. With a deep sigh, she shut her eyes, imagining every way he’d be better W I T H O U T  H E R.

He’d went about doing it again; making her feel wanted. Castiel was good at that. She’d ran from him. Their game of cat and mouse lasted little more than a day, and he’d given her cause to feel, yet she couldn’t bring herself to talk about it. Meg couldn’t tell him where she’d been, or what she’d done. She knew now that the safest place for her, if not by his side, was in his house. When the fuck did she become so damn domesticated?

She hardly had time to put her feet on the floor before her thoughts got the better of her. She was tainted; a dark spot that God was attempting to fix for the good of-. The good of what? It was a simple question, really it was. Jesus healed a whore in the name of his Father. What did Cas do? The smug bastard healed a demonic whore. Though the saying still remains, does it not?

Once a whore, always a whore, Meg. A whore is a whore is a whore, Meg. 

What redemption did she even deserve? He was God.

But what was she? What was her worth in the new world- his world? Their world. The obvious answers were simple. She was all-mother. She was consort. What was she beyond that? Did it matter? Clearly it mattered to him. He wouldn’t have dropped his whole fold to play her game. What a childish game it was. She was frayed. That was all she could manage to think of; frayed. Meg realized she was in their kitchen before she continued that train of thought. It’s best to keep your head clear when tied to a deity. He always knew. He was always there to make her feel; to make her C A R E.

Fingers burn as they drag across her skin. H O M E. He’s home. She’d have known the second he walked through the door if she had the strength to open her mind to him. She won’t though. she’s too weak for that. Binding the souls in him took more from her than she’d admit allowed. 

“Without you by my side I would virtually be nothing more than one of my brothers.”

The memory has replayed in her mind over and over again. This is a power trip. He needs her and it’s clear. She’s pacing their bedroom like a caged animal. And that’s exactly what she is, isn’t it? His All-Mother. His caged bird. His power.

out. o u t. O U T. 

She needs out; her freedom. She needs distance and a clear head. Meg never asked to be his power. She never wanted it all to come to this. How can she hide, the one thing she does best, with an even bigger target on her back? On his? 

On and on the torment plays in her mind, new status warring with the dark base of her being. She couldn’t stay in this extended existence with him; she couldn’t leave him. What option did that leave her? In his own twisted way, he loved her. He trusted her above all else. That wasn’t enough to negate the feeling of a downward spiral. 

Her back slides down the far wall, eyes glued to the blood left from the undevout and werewolf. Throwing the lamp perched on the edge of the bedside table, Meg screams. Pain. This change was painful; the breaking of her frayed mentality hurts worse. 

She knows what she should do, being faced with only one option to save herself; and save him from himself. Meg crawls across the room, palms cutting with each slide forward. Yanking her phone from it’s charger, she dials the only person who can possibly fix all of this; fix him.

Her finger hovers over the call button. If she doesn’t die from the separation, she sure as hell will when the bond between deity and half breaks and he comes for her. She has to have faith; faith that she’s doing what’s best for him. Meg hits call.

‘This is Dean’s other-other cell. Leave a message.’

“Winchester. Power him down. He’s gone too far. I can’t-’ a pause and tremble in her voice creeps up, ‘stop him, Dean, before I can’t help you do it.’

Throwing the phone onto the bed, the demon stands, hissing as more glass embeds itself into the flesh of her feet. She won’t do this without opening her mind to him; business as usual and all that.

Breaking her mental block from Castiel, Meg forces her thoughts to clear and leaving him no trail to what was to come. 

And for the first time since before she sold her soul, Meg prays.

‘Castiel, I want you to listen to me. I can’t. I tried, for you and I have to stop this somehow. I’m so sorry. Forgive me one day. I won’t be here when you come home.’ A-fuckin-men to that.

She’s on her feet, leaving bloody footprints before she can change her own mind. 

He’d come; she didn’t want to be in his line of fire when he did. For her? He would A L W A Y S come.