#but raven just followed her for the spindle content

[spontaneousful]

i saw this post

and i just know in my heart of hearts that faybelle's mychapter is full of posts like this, and if you disagree you just don't know her like I do shut up 😭 (joking)

1) she is a villain and proud of this, so she's always posting about her "haters" to make herself look like a big bad villain. however, she also needs to be above them, beating them somehow, cue post

2) faybelle blocks everyone that follows her because villains aren't supposed to have fans, they're supposed to be feared. if she has reasonable suspicion that it is a hate follow, she'll allow it and, possibly hate follow back

3) she also posts pictures of her pom-pomeranian, spindle. these are her most popular posts. as they should be.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

In Stitches 1

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, obsession, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

We've all agreed that The Quiet Ones, Follow You Anywhere, Hidden Treasures and this fic (maybe more) have built the deluluverse.

Summary: You find your work hindered by your client's son.

Characters: Loki

Note: I had to do it.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Asking for more or putting ‘part 2?’ is not feedback.

Love you all. You are appreciated and your are worthy. Treat yourself with care. 💖

You’re not late, but you’re too dang close! You pride yourself on being at least fifteen minutes early wherever you go. Being self-employed, you make a point of always being on time. And you are but that long hand is a bit too close to the tick mark. 

It doesn’t help that Mrs. Odinson is one of your best and favourite customers. You hate to let her down. You shake off that rattly feeling as you pull up to the gate and glance at the time again. Still a couple minutes to spare. 

You buzz in with the button and wave at the camera. You’re never quite sure who’s at the other end but they always just let you through. You suspect it’s standard business and all the help know every face that comes and goes. 

You roll through and steer around towards the vehicles along the east side of the curved driveway. You’ve never seen the sleek silver car you pull in next to but you know Mrs. Odinson’s pear-coloured porshe and Mr. Odinson’s slate grey beemer. They must have company. You can’t remember if she said there was a special occasion. 

You slide into the space and grab your bag from in front of the passenger’s seat. You push open the door and gasp as the seat belt keeps you from climbing out. How forgetful! You unbuckle and untangle yourself, stepping out in your heeled oxfords and cigarette pants. 

Your reflection looks back at you from the sleek polish of the unfamiliar silver car. You smile and shut your door, locking it with a chirp from your key fob. You tuck the key ring into your blazer pocket and bounce up towards the front door. You climb the stone stairs, broad and trimmed with curled railings. You stop at the top and clang the large knocker, a raven’s head with a ring in its beak. 

A man in a dark suit answers the door. You’ve seen him before with his steely hair and sleepy eyes. He’s often the one who opens the door but he says nothing and shows you to Mrs. Odinson’s salon, as she calls it. 

As the man leaves you just outside, you peek in through the open doorway. You see your client before the standing mirror in the corner, swirling as she checks her reflection. You cough and give a gentle knock on the door frame. 

“Ah,” she spins to you with her pretty smile, “just in time, darling.” She struts over breezily, “the hem has come undone on this.” She smooths her elegant hands over her bodice, “so much for designer, eh.” 

“Oh, my,” you give her a look up and down, “shouldn’t be any trouble.” 

“Thank you, darling,” she trills and strolls back to the mirror. You follow her and pull up the stool you often use for such a fix. You have a routine between you, you know what she expects and you do it. 

You sit and open your bag. You pull out your needle and stir through your spindles to find a matching thread. As you thread the eye, she continues to preen in the mirror. 

“Something special going on?” You ask in your usual small talk. 

“Didn’t I mention? My son’s come home at last.” 

“Your son?” You look up as her curiously. 

“Oh, not Thor,” she laughs, “no, no, he’s always about, isn’t he?” She tugs on a blonde wave, trying to make is stay in place, “my other son. Loki. Finally decided to move back home. Not here, certainly, but close by. Near to his mother.” 

“Mm, that’s exciting,” you comment as you grab the hem and work around her movement. 

“Isn’t it? We’re having a little luncheon. At the tea room, I feel a public place will deter an outbursts,” she pouts at herself, “you know how family can be.” 

“Erm, sure,” you agree dulcetly as you tie off the thread, “all done.” 

She swirls, her skirt nearly hitting your face. You lean back on the stool and wiggle your nose. She admires herself. She is beautiful. Her age takes nothing away from her natural grace. You could only dream of having a similar bearing; you’re a bit too short, a bit too clumsy. 

“Mother,” a voice drawls from the hallway. You glance over as you wrap up the thread around the spindle, “we’re due to be off.” 

You don’t know that timbre. It isn’t Thor’s rumbling baritone, rather something smoother, something refined. You tuck away the thread as a slender but tall man appears in the doorway. He tugs at the cuff of his jacket as he furrows his nose. 

“Ready, just needed a touch up,” she faces him, “darling, I’ve a rack for you to take. Wouldn’t want you to make the trip just for a loose hem.” 

She points to several garment bags hung from a rack against the wall. You stand as her son’s green eyes find his mother then drift over to you. His sharp features turn imperious. 

“Must you trouble so,” she swats at him as a loose thread dangles from his cuff. 

“Wasn’t me, mother, I only just purchased the piece,” he counters, “quality, these days.” 

“Darling, come, you’ve some scissors,” she beckons you forth with a flutter of fingers. 

You reach into your bag and take the silver scissors from their sheath. You approach them with a smile as the man stares at you, eyes narrowing. He’s much unlike his brother. Much calmer. 

“May I?” You ask and Mrs. Odinson forces his arm towards you. 

He hums but offers no protest. Your fingertips brush his shirt sleeve as you roll back his jacket cuff and snip the offended thread. You feel the seam with your thumb. 

“Should do for the day,” you advise, “but it’ll come loose eventually. I could do a quick sew-off...” 

“We’re already late,” he declares and rescinds his arm. “Mother.” 

“Yes, yes, I know,” she pats his chest gently, “go on then, get yourself off. Your father and I will catch up. Oh, are you taking Thor with you?” 

“I believe he is capable of tending to himself--” 

“Yes, but... he does enjoy indulgence,” Mrs. Odinson girds. 

“He is an adult and it isn’t yet noon,” Loki reprimands, “I shall drive on my own, then.” 

“You always do as you wish, don’t you, Loki?” She rebukes playfully. 

He grumbles again and his eyes flit toward you one last time, “you might have the tailor see my brother. Perhaps she could sew his lips shut so we might have a peaceful lunch.” 

Your cheeks bulb a bit larger at his joke. You can't entirely disagree.

“Eh, don’t begin,” Mrs. Odinson giggles as she snaps shut a compact and shoves it in a clutch, “you’ve only just returned.” 

“Mm, yet it feels I never left at all,” he frowns, still watching you.  

You chalk it up to curiousity, perhaps he feels it improper to ask, you do feel it a bit much to introduce yourself without prompting. The Odinson household always holds an air of formality you can never quite riddle out. You keep a smile on your face as his cheeks dimple and he tilts his head. 

“Right then,” he straightens his posture and tugs his jacket straight, “suppose I should go and hold our reservation before they think to give it away.”   

He inhales and pivots away, striding off with long, stiff steps. You watch after him before you turn back to the room. You go to slip your scissors back into their sheath and drop them into your bag before lifting it. Mrs. Odinson holds a cape and a jacket before her. 

“Which do you think it better?” She asks as you cross to the rack to gather the waiting hangers. 

“I think the cape would be better, it is rather warm. It shouldn’t rain I think,” you proffer, “is this the hounds tooth?” You peek through the opening of one of the garment bags. 

“Yes, dear, it is so lovely and yet that dang clasp is giving me such trouble,” she sounds ready to swoon at the tragedy, “might you replace it? Perhaps a button might do instead?” 

“I’ll have a look,” you fold the bags over your arm and hike up your bag, “I’ll be off then. Hope you have a good lunch.” 

“Thank you. Don’t you work too hard, dearie,” she trills after you, “much too nice a day to be pent up.” 

You sweep off with your armful. The dresses are heavier than one might expect. You find it surprising how fabric can add up. You go downstairs and once more find that stoic man in his dark suit. He opens the door for you and you thank him brightly. 

You amble down the steps, looking around your load to keep from stepping on the treacherously low edges of the bags. You would hate to trod on one of Mrs. Odinson’s dresses. You’re so distracted with your efforts to keep from mussing up the hems that a honk has you jumping in your boots. 

You yipe as you turn to face the silver car, its bumper stopping just short of you as the headlights flash. Your lips make an O and you quickly scurry out of the way.  You dip your head down guiltily. You should’ve been paying attention. 

The car door opens on the other side as you approach your own. You peer over with a sheepish look, “I’m sorry--” 

“You should be careful. I could’ve hit you,” Loki says, more accusatory than concerned. 

You smile, “I know, I’m sorry. I was distracted--” 

“Certainly, you were,” he affirms, as if telling you exactly how the world works, “and what would I do should you be caught under my tires? Can you patch yourself up so easily as a stray cuff?” 

“No, sir, I’m sorry. Again, I wasn’t meaning to get in the way--” 

“You don’t look very sorry. Not so many people smile in the face of mortal injury.” 

Your cheeks wobble but you keep your smile. You can’t help it. When you’re happy or nervous or even confused, you just tend to smile through it. A smile makes everything a little better. 

“I’m not smiling at that--” 

“Then what are you smiling at?” He hisses harshly. 

You bat your lashes and look side to side, “you.” 

“Me?” His forehead wrinkles. “Are you being smart?” 

You shake your head and your lips twitch, “smart? No, sir, I’m only... I suppose I just smile at everyone.” 

“So you would,” he mutters and angles back to his car, “be sure to stand back then. Wouldn’t want to run over your toes.” 

He drops into the car seat and slams the door. You stand back and watch him buckle in. He takes his time, adjusting his mirror, then his long fingers tap his shifter before he cranks it into reverse. He swerves around and hug the pile of clothes.  

You don’t blame him for being agitated, you’ve had a few close calls yourself. Accidents are never fun. His adrenaline was just going and at least he cared enough to be upset. It’s a good reminder to be more aware. 

🪡

The fabric store isn’t very busy. The higher-end boutiques never are. You don’t often come to them yourself but you desperately need a yard to match Mrs. Odinson’s crushed velvet jackets. You need to replace a full panel and you can’t compromise; she’ll notice. She has a good eye. She never seems to miss. 

Time is hardly on your time. You agreed to drop off the lot the next day. She has a gala and needs that one dress in particular. You know she’ll expect the rest.  

You walk around with a swatch in hand, comparing the hue and feel. You don’t want the new material to contrast. You can’t forget the thread; you don’t have quiet that shade of magenta. 

You stand amid the velvets, flipping over the large rolls, tugging the end, rubbing the fabric between your fingers. Your advance is patient even as your inner expediency nips away at you. As you come to the end of an aisle, you stop short as you look up. There’s a shadow there, waiting. 

You stand still, waiting for them to come down that aisle. You’d hate to get in their way. But they don’t and in an instant, the shadow flickers away. You hear them retreat down the next row and you curl around, seeing no more than a leather heel before the figure disappears. 

How odd. 

The mysterious entity doesn’t distract you for long. The pinks are close, each of them seems just a shade off of what you’re looking for. You sigh and breathe out between your lip, rolling your tongue around the tip of a needle that isn’t there. A habit. 

You lug out each roll and carry them down to the front counter. You lift each up as a woman greets you from the other side. You smile and clear your throat. 

“You don’t happen to have any in the back,” you wonder, “I’m looking for something in between.” 

You show her the square of crushed velvet and she sucks her teeth, “not quite, I think. I think we’ve something close in our catalogue but it wouldn’t be at this location. The north end may have it but I can’t confirm. 

You sniff and nod, still smiling. It isn’t her fault she doesn’t have it. You remember the days you worked in a fabric shop, though it wasn’t as nice as this one. You thank her and take the rolls off the counter. 

“I’ll just put these back then. I need thread anyhow,” you announce. 

“Wonderful, you just let me know if you need anything, hon,” she beams at you. 

You nod and turn back. You take the rolls back and set them away how you found them. When you spin, you feel something shift, as if there’s a breeze in this stagnant shop. You peer around. It’s strange, it’s as if you’re being followed but you haven’t seen a single other customer in the shop. 

You tilt your head and cluck your tongue as you carry on to the racks of thread near the counter. You dive into the search for the perfect thickness and colour. It’s a much more fruitful hunt. As you pluck out the very strands you need, you hear the door. Your head pops up and you glance behind you curiously. You don’t see much of the other person as they leave the store, you never even saw them pass. 

You shrug and take the spool to the counter, “thanks again,” you say to the associate, “better get out of here before temptation gets the best of me.”

[liveddreams]

𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Basics

Name:  Maleficent

Nicknames:  Mistress of Evil

Age:   75 Years Old

Birthday:  October 31st

Title:  Queen Maleficent of the Moors

Fairytale:  Sleeping Beauty

Species:  Dark Fey

Sexuality:  Polysexual

Family & Friends

Father:  ( deceased )

Mother:   ( deceased )

Son:  Draco

Daughter:  Willow

Enemies:  Aurora & Phillip ( primarily )

Allies:  Ursula, some other Villains 

S/O:  x

About

(  then ...  )

Everyone believes that Maleficent is pure evil, that she represents all that is evil, but they don't know the true story. Maleficent was once a benevolent pure young fey who would stop at nothing to guard the Moors and its inhabitants from harm. Orphaned at the tender age of one, her parents King and Queen of Moor slain by humans. However, not even the lose of her parents so brutally turned her evil, no what did it was betrayal by her one true love, her closest childhood friend and lover, Stefan. Who in his thirst for power and the title of King severed her precious wings as she slept in peace beside him. Following the betrayal Maleficent's pure heart began to darken and eventually turned to stone. Becoming the Evil Queen of the Moors, Maleficent is a shadow of her former self, striking fear into the hearts of all, even those closest to her.

She is sadistic and merciless, which she proves when she unflinchingly places a sleeping spell on Stefan's baby daughter, Aurora, that before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and fall into a sleep like death, leaving Stefan's castle with a sadistic laugh at the sweet revenge she just attained. She enjoys watching Stefan plead for his young daughter's life. During the final battle, Maleficent willingly allows Stefan to fall to his death, proving that she never forgave him for his betrayal despite regaining her wings and coldly stands over his body after his tragic demise.

(  ... now  )

For many years following the outcome of her parting with Phillip and Aurora, Maleficent remained...dormant. Allowing her rage to gather with time, and never one to forget a betrayal, or a bitter defeat. In that time she had two children of her own, both from different fey fathers for the explicit purposes of procreation, never to be heard of again. Maleficent doesn’t quite love her children in the way you might expect a mother to. No, she views them as an extension of herself, and expects them to behave appropriately. She does not tolerate weakness from either Draco or Willow. Often especially hard on her daughter, as she sees too much of herself in her early years in her.

Finally after so many years she’s ready to return to cause a little devastation. When Ursula made her proposition, she knew she would be doing the heavy lifting on her end of the bargain, but the plan was too sweet to pass up. She now moves freely in and out of the magical barrier as she sees fit content for the time to enjoy watching everyone squirm like mice cause in a trap.

Powers

When she uses her powers to do something good her magic manifest as gold, but when she uses her powers to do something evil, her powers manifest as green. Basically it’s usually all green these days.

Superhuman Strength

Superhuman Durability and Endurance

Wings/Flight

Accelerated Healing Factor

Decelerated Aging/Semi-Immortality

Gold Color:

Telekinesis: Maleficent can manipulate any matter with her mind/magical powers. For example, when Maleficent is a young girl, she has two dolls dance together while floating in the air.

Atmokinesis: Maleficent can control and manipulate weather. An example of this ability is when she creates a downpour in the cottage.

Transfiguration: Maleficent can magically transform herself and others (objects, people, animals, etc.), both shape and form. An example of this ability is when her wings are severed, she has difficultly walking and transforms a simple twig into a staff to help her walk. She also constantly transforms Diaval into many different forms (such as a raven, human, wolf, horse, etc).

Chlorokinesis: As a child, Maleficent discovers a broken tree branch in her home and closes her fingers around it and it magically heals.

Spell Casting: Maleficent possesses the ability to cast spells. She places Aurora and later Prince Phillip into a sleeping trance, which causes them to fall into a deep sleep and their unconscious bodies to levitate in the air.

Healing: Maleficent possesses the ability to heal any wound and injury.

Telepathy/Clairvoyance: Maleficent possesses the ability to read minds and sense the presence of others, as well as project and broadcast thoughts into others.

Hypnosis: Maleficent possesses the ability to manipulate the minds of others.

Green Color:

Telekinesis: Maleficent used this ability when she knocked the Pixies away and made them fall into a box. She also used this ability to throw Stefan's soldiers around.

Teleportation: Maleficent can teleport herself and others.

Atmokinesis: When Maleficent realized that Stefan had taken her wings with the purpose of becoming king, she caused a strong thunderstorm then returned to the Moors, and the weather began to darken.

Chlorokinesis: To protect the Moors, Maleficent used her magic to create a large Wall of Thorns. When the human kingdom's army attempted to destroy the Wall of Thorns, she magically controlled the thorns and defeated them.

Spell Casting/Curse Inducement: When Maleficent found out that King Stefan's daughter was having a christening, she bestowed a curse upon the baby that will cause her to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a sleep-like-death before sunset on her 16th birthday.

Terrakinesis: When walking back to the moors in anger, she was walking through a passage with walls of rock that began to dismantle as she walked by.

( did i pick this up from her wiki, yes, yes i did cause it’s way more concise )

Appearance 

Maleficent is of course very easily recognized in her normal dark fey form, with her wings, horns, and lethal dressing style. So when in the castle she appears in human form (looking like Angelina Jolie). Her magic of course being a easy give away so she’s very careful when using it. Basically if I use a normal Angelina J. gif then she’s in human form, and if I use a Maleficent gif she’s in her actual fey form.

Connections

Gimme all the hero enemies, and villain allies please. She’s a simple, evil lady and isn’t about to change anytime soon. Someone bring Ursula cause how long can these two actually play nice? But yeah if you have any other ideas just hmu on discord or IM (preferably discord cause tumblr is a butt about notifications even on IM these days)

[samuelmmarcus]

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Industrial Design

  Hi, everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. It was really warm here and it was not that fun. I have to admit that I am not a big fan of extreme temperatures and I can get a little grumpy when it’s too hot or too cold. Mild is always best, in my opinion. 🙂

Thankfully, the weather is better today and so is my mood! And it couldn’t be different since it’s always a happy day to me whenever I share a new “Beautiful Homes of Instagram” with you guys. What I love the most about this series is the fact that I can share so many talented homeowners and I feel we can always learn something new with their individual style. Today, I am happy to have Kendra of @kling_designs. Here, she explains more details about her current home:

  “Hey Everyone! I’m Kendra, from @kling_designs. I am beyond grateful that Luciane from @HomeBunch would even consider featuring me and my Home! So, once again, thank you!

Now, to give you guys a little background. My husband and I have lived in Alberta for just over 8 years! Before meeting in Alberta, he was an East Coast Boy from Nova Scotia and I was a Prairie Girl from Manitoba. We were just drawn to all the beauty in Alberta, from the picturesque mountain views, rolling foothills and stunning glacial waters. Honestly, if you haven’t been here…..you need to make the trip!

Roughly 5 years ago we purchased our first home together. The home was a cute, 2000sq foot builder “spec”. For the first couple years that we were there, we added a few personal touches. After 4 years, and a baby on the way, we felt it was time to size up and start the building process from scratch! We had always wanted to build a home where we could put our own touches on everything.

We chose to stay within the same community (as we love it that much), but start from the ground up. The build and design process was overwhelming, but in an AMAZING way. I had never had the opportunity to hone in on my own personal style expertise (I am by no means a professional

). But it was SO much fun!!! Picking, and sorting, and matching…. you get the idea!”

    Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Industrial Design

Kendra’s home features an open layout, which is perfect for entertaining.

Flooring: Fuzion Flooring -Soho Loft Collection in “Evening Haze” – similar here & here.

Kitchen

The white kitchen cabinets are Kingswood Cabinets -MDF in Ivory.

Lighting

This kitchen features a practical and inspiring layout. The lighting can be found here.

Counterstools: Urban Barn – Other Affordable Countertools: here, here, here, here & here.

Backsplash

Backsplash Tile: Tierra Sol Monokini Westminster 2.5×10 (Arctic white-matte) – similar here – Others: here (textured tile) & here (faux brick tile).

Backsplash Grout: Truffle.

Kitchen Hood: KitchenAid.

Cooktop: KitchenAid.

Sink & Faucet

Thanks to the modern farmhouse era, “black and white” is the latest trend when it comes to kitchens.

Sink is Cristadur Montano in Black – Other Black Sinks: here, here, here & here.

Faucet: Moen in Matte Black.

Dishwasher: KitchenAid.

Hardware: here – similar.

Kitchen Island

The kitchen island measures 8ft x 4ft.

Appliances: KitchenAid Refrigerator & Ovens.

Dining Area

The kitchen opens to a dining room with custom cabinetry.

Dining Table: Custom made – similar: Dining Table – Others on Sale: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Dining chairs: here & here – similar.

Chandelier: here.

Bar

Adding a bar to the dining room adds extra storage and it keeps this entire space feeling balanced with the kitchen.

Kitchen Countertop

Countertop is Quartz, Polaire.

The living room features a stone fireplace. Stone is Eldorado Stone Ledgecut33, Birch – similar here – Others: here & here.

Mudroom

The kitchen opens to a mudroom with custom cubbies and wainscoting.

Paint Color

Wall & Board and Batten Paint Color: “White Tail” by Cloverdale Paint.

Handrail: Custom wood work in “White Tail” by Cloverdale Paints.

Metal spindles: Style-Fusion, Black Raven.

 Console Table: Custom-Made – Others: here, here, here, here, here & here.

Baskets: Homesense – Similar Options: here, here & here.

Wall Art: Homesense.

Master Bathroom

I love Kendra’s master bathroom. Its clean-lined approach is perfect for this home.

Faucets: here – similar.

Hardware: here – similar.

Floor Tile: Sequoia Series “Hazel wood” – similar here & here.

Shower Tile: Ames Soho 3×6 (white Gloss) – similar here.

Grout: Charcoal.

Beautiful Rugs: here, here, here, here & here – similar.

Beautiful Bathroom Lighting: here, here, here & here.

Guest Bathroom

Isn’t this wall paneling incredible? The paint color is “Broadway” by Behr.

Faucets: here – similar.

  Many thanks to Kendra for sharing the details above. Please, make sure to follow Kendra on Instagram to see more! 🙂

Photography: Provided by the homeowner.

  Click on items to shop:

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Best Sales of the Month:

Thank you for shopping through Home Bunch. I would be happy to assist you if you have any questions or are looking for something in particular. Feel free to contact me and always make sure to check dimensions before ordering. Happy shopping!

  Wayfair: Up to 70% OFF Black Friday in July!!!

  Serena & Lily: 30% OFF Pillows and 20% OFF Custom Furniture!

  Joss & Main: Up to 70% off “Don’t Think Twice Sale”!

  Pottery Barn: 20% OFF your order plus free shipping. Use code: SUMMER.

  One Kings Lane :20% Off on order over $600 with code OKLSTYLISH20

  West Elm: 30% Off Bedding, Bath, Rugs & more!

  Anthropologie: Take an Extra 50% Off Sale!

  Urban Outfitters: Take an extra 40% off all sale items.

  Horchow: Up to 30% off the entire site!

  Neiman Marcus: Take an Extra 40 to 50% off !!!

  Saks Fifth Avenue: The Designer Sale: up to 75% off!

  Nordstrom: Anniversary Sale – Incredible Prices!!!

  Posts of the Week:

Florida Beach Cottage.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Coastal Farmhouse Design.

Florida Beach House Interior Design.

White Kitchen Renovation.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Modern Farmhouse.

Coastal Shingle Home.

Neutral Home Design Ideas.

Top 5 Timeless Coastal Design Trends.

Coastal-inspired Home Renovation.

Southern-inspired Modern Farmhouse.

Coastal Farmhouse Home Decor.

New Desert Home Design.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: British Columbia.

Reinvented Classic Kitchen Design.

New England Home.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: How to Build your own Home.

Interior Design Ideas: Home Renovation.

2019 New Year Home Tour.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Urban Farmhouse.

Beautiful Homes of Instagram: Fixer Upper.

Small Lot Modern Farmhouse.Beach House Interior Design Ideas.

Tailored Interiors.

Modern Farmhouse with Front Porch.

Dark Cedar Shaker Exterior.

Classic Colonial Home Design.Grey Kitchen Paint Colors.

Follow me on Instagram: @HomeBunch

You can follow my pins here: Pinterest/HomeBunch

See more Inspiring Interior Design Ideas in my Archives.

“Dear God,

If I am wrong, right me. If I am lost, guide me. If I start to give-up, keep me going.

Lead me in Light and Love”.

Have a wonderful day, my friends and we’ll talk again tomorrow.”

with Love,

Luciane from HomeBunch.com

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[patheticphallacy]

I honestly cannot believe it’s August already!

July was a weird month for me. I went back to work, so a lot of the month has just been going between that and chilling at home, and I kind of put most things on the backburner- including this blog- just so I could get over a really bad June. Overall this Summer has been strange, really, but my mental health is better than it has been since the beginning of the year, so I think I needed July to adjust.

Reading Rush happened! It was kind of a mess in some regards, and I struggled to engage with others again. I’m just still not sure how to navigate being in the book community, to the point where I’ve made two separate Twitter accounts just because I get so overwhelmed with my book one. I’ve been in this community for so long and never been sure how to make friends within it, and that kind of hit me hard with some conversations during the month on Twitter.

I have some things planned for August, mostly in regards to saying goodbye to friends (one of my old roommates is moving to Japan for the year!), and also getting ahead on University reading. I have so many classics to read and I’m just not sure what I’m going to do about it, I have no energy to read anything intense.

It’s been a bit of a weird time for me, and going into the latter half of the year now, I just really hope I don’t completely fall away from this blog. It means a lot to me, but it gets difficult being happy with the content I produce sometimes, which is why I’m trying to understand where I want to go with the content I produce now.

I hope you’ll bare with me, and I hope everyone had a good July!

READING WRAP UP

Sheets by Brenna Thummler– Sheets is one of my new favourite graphic novels. It deals with grief and coming-of-age, and the societal pressures of conformity to fit in. There are major content warnings for child death!

Super Fun Sexy Times by Meredith McClaren– Oh, this was so good. It’s out at the end of August and has five stories following different couples in the super world and the sex stuff they get up to.

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker– I wasn’t as big a fan of this one! I really enjoyed the treatment of sexuality and gender, and I like the overall story, but I don’t think it was paced very well and I struggled to feel attached to some characters.

No.6 Volume 5 by Atsuko Asano– Still going absolutely coocoo bananas for No.6, honestly. This is my favourite volume so far, and I’m aiming to finish the series by end of September for a post I want to do on it come October. 

The Avant-Guards #6 by Carly Usdin– I love these students! There are hardhitting messages and themes being explored, but the charisma of the characters really softens some of the blows and makes this series an easy read while still having deeper layers. 

The X-Files: Earth Children Are Weird by Jason Rekulak– A picture book I bought in June when I went to Foyles, this is just a charming story for anyone, but especially the younger people in your life. It’s so cute, and I love the art. It may be for kids but it honestly captures the personalities of Dana and Fox so well. 

Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett– This was- okay! It didn’t blow me away, and I was ultimately deflated by the ending because it has one of my least favourite tropes, but the romance was cute and most of the mystery was really fun. 

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Volume 3 by Hideyuki Furuhashi– THIS WAS SO GOOD HOLY SHIT. Volume 2 was so disappointing, but this one just blew it out the ball park. I think the creators are doing so many great things to make this a worthy companion to My Hero Academia.

Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant– Meh! Not my favourite Grant, but it’s a decent prequel to Into the Drowning Deep that provides some backstory to the investigation there, and has also convinced me the audiobook is the way to go. There’s a bit where a mermaid mimics a human and it was so unsettling to hear. 

By Night #11&#12 by John Allison— I’m distraught this series is finished. It’s a bit of a mess, honestly, but I’ve absolutely adored it, and I’ll definitely end up re-reading it at some point. 

Teen Titans: Raven by Kami Garcia– While I didn’t find myself completely enjoying the plot, and I found elements of the conclusion cheesy, I really love Raven as a character and I’m so excited this is a series. I’m just- Tim Drake! Might have a volume! My boy! Also, Gabriel Picolo’s art style? *Chef’s kiss*

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson– A very compelling murder mystery. Didn’t completely buy into the romance, but I love the main character’s convictions and how multi-dimensional each character was without ever feeling like a stereotype. When they do, layers are peeled back so you see a side to them that betrays what you initially believe they are, and I love that. It’s like, they’re quirky without ever feeling embarrassing or forced. 

Horimiya Volume 1 by Hero– THIS IS AMAZING. Horimiya is about two teenagers who see a different side to one another and bond outside of the classroom. I love the different character dynamics and how soft this series feels overall, and I like how much miscommunication is addressed and conflicts are overcome without ever making anyone out to be a bad person. 

The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang– Disappointing. The storytelling is a mess of time jumps and poorly developed characters, to the point where the only person who ever feels significant is Akeha. No joke, at one point there’s a time jump of about eight years where you’re told (in the first chapter) someone is pregnant and then expected to believe (in the following chapter) that the child matters emotionally to the characters even though there’s absolutely no development to show this. 

Love Complex Volume 1 by Aya Nakahara– A cute manga about the friendship that comes out of an agreement between a girl who’s 5’8 and a boy who’s 5’1 who agree to help one another get the person they like even though they dislike each other. It’s a very soft enemies to friends back to enemies back to friends conflict that will eventually become a romance, and I’m really glad I picked it up!

After the Rain Volume 2 by Jun Mayuzuki– Eeeeee. I’m trying to stay hopeful that this series won’t actually have a romance between a 45 year old and a 17 year old and it’s just one big long ‘SIKE’ moment, so I’ll keep you updated. It’s annoying, too, cause this volume introduces writing to the plot and I honestly love when writing is a major part of a character’s life. 

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare– This was honestly a really entertaining tragedy. I listened to a fully-cast audiobook for this as I read along with the play, and it really helped with the reading process. 

Assassination Classroom Volume 2 by Yusei Matsui– I’m loving this series! A great cast, really adorable moments, and is not what you would expect when the premise is ‘alien threatens to destroy planet if a bunch of teenagers can’t kill him by the following year’. It’s very soft! 

Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare– My first Spindle Cove read, and I really enjoyed it. It follows the quickly-developing relationship between a blacksmith and one of the local women who moved there for her asthma several years before. One of the better romances, too, although I still don’t rate the sex scenes. 

Do You Want to Start a Scandal? by Tessa Dare– Charlotte is a minor character in the previous novella, the youngest sister of Diana, and I really love her character. There’s a very interesting discussion on consent and station in relationships, and it definitely comes across like Charlotte, in some ways, is the dominant between her and Piers. I’m not sure if that was intentionally done, but it certainly made listening to the audiobook more interesting. 

TBR JAR PIC FOR AUGUST IS:                       OTHER WORDS FOR SMOKE by Sarah Maria Griffin!

TV SHOWS/MOVIES/VIDEOS

In the latter half of July (literally the last few days) I really got in to Knowing Bros, a Korean show- called Men on a Mission on Netflix- where a group of male comedians have guests and play games and run skits. It’s honestly hilarious, and yes, Heechul is my favourite.

I watched a lot of Reading Rush content, but I especially enjoyed booksandlala and myreadingisodd during the week!

This Summer Chelsea and James from Dead Meat have done the ‘Paranormal Pool Party’ where they talk about the Paranormal Activity films on their podcast, and it has honestly been a delight!

I got really into the Child’s Play films this month! I watched 1 and 2 with my sister, and I’m planning on finishing the rest of the series in the coming months.

REVIEWS I POSTED

Three Graphic Reviews: Super Fun Sexy Times, Mooncakes, Sheets

Shame Is An Ocean I Swim Across by Mary Lambert

Three YA Reviews: Serious Moonlight, The Unexpected Everything, The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried

OTHER POSTS I’VE DONE 

Top Ten Tuesday: Childhood Favourites!

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

My TBR for The Reading Rush

  If you liked this post, consider buying me a coffee? Ko-Fi. 

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July Wrap Up! I honestly cannot believe it's August already! July was a weird month for me. I went back to work, so a lot of the month has just been going between that and chilling at home, and I kind of put most things on the backburner- including this blog- just so I could get over a really bad June.

[cfpercy]

The Dream of Sleeping Beauty

The morning quiet was broken by a distant chorus of pipes and bells.  The rooks in the ancient oak on the hill wondered what could be going on.  Concurring that whatever it was sounded interesting, they decided to find out, alighting from the tree in a flurry of cawing and feathers, soaring across the sky towards the city.

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In the city, church bells rang, musicians played in the streets and everywhere positively vibrated with joy. Not too long ago, the King and Queen, who had long wanted a child, had been blessed with the birth of a baby girl. So, to celebrate, they had declared her christening a public holiday, inviting everyone who was able to attend, from the great and the good to the ordinary citizen. That morning, the castle throne room – bedecked with banners and tapestries – was full of people, hoping for either a glimpse of the christening gifts or the baby, whose crib sat between her parents. Shafts of sunlight shone through the mullioned windows, dust motes dancing in the beams. The rooks clustered outside, peering in to watch the proceedings. As well as the people, they’d also invited the fairies who lived in the kingdom, not only to attend the ceremony but also to be godmothers to their daughter. After those among the nobility who had been invited to do so had given their gifts, the fairies clustered around the crib in preparation to give theirs, smiling and cooing at its occupant. But as they began to bless their goddaughter with gifts – beauty, courage, wisdom, virtue and the like – the rooks eyed one another knowingly, for there was another fairy who lived within the kingdom’s borders. There was no way she would have been invited – after all, who invites an evil fairy to any kind of occasion much less the christening of your first and only child? – but the rooks knew that she wouldn’t take kindly to being ignored.

    Sure enough, as the last fairy finished bestowing her blessing, the previously sunny sky began to darken, clouds pregnant with thunder and lightning making the air crackle and fizz. The doors blew open in a sudden violent burst of wind, scattering the people standing there, and in stormed the evil fairy, a furie of cheekbones and angles in black and violet, accompanied by a faint whiff of brimstone.  

   The room froze. Everyone’s breath hitched; the rooks outside puffed their feathers; the princess, sensing the change, began to cry.

  “A grand occasion indeed,” the evil fairy intoned, seemingly oblivious to the effect she had, “and why was I not also invited?” Nobody dared say a word.  She smiled but it was about as reassuring as a grinning panther.  “No matter. Now that I’m here, I too shall bestow a gift upon the little princess.”  She advanced on the crib. The guards tried unsuccessfully to halt her. The good fairies rallied, but they too were easily swept aside. And so, the King and Queen stood powerless as the evil fairy summoned her power and proceeded to curse their daughter. “Before sun rises on her sixteenth birthday, the princess will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and fall into an endless death-like sleep.” And with a triumphant cackle, a rumble of thunder and flash of green light, she vanished, and all was as it had been before.

   Except for the bitter aftershock, lingering in the air with the sulphuric odour left behind.

   The magic was too powerful for the good fairies to undo, so the King later decreed that all the spinning wheels in the kingdom were to be destroyed.  Then it was just a case of hoping for the best.

   The rooks remained unconvinced; they knew it would take more than a rather large bonfire to counter the evil fairy’s curse.  Still, they couldn’t deny that things were getting interesting; it might just to be worth sticking around to see how this story would pan out.

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And so, the years passed.  The princess grew into a girl beautiful both on the inside and out, liked by the people, adored by those closest to her. A princess is given many names, but, as she grew, the one she preferred to be addressed by was Laurel. Gradually, the evil fairy’s curse began to recede from people’s minds, for how could anything really have the power to harm someone so good? And besides, there were no more spindles or spinning wheels left in the kingdom anymore.

    It was decided, of course, that Laurel shouldn’t know.

    Then, in what seemed like the blink of an eye, her sixteenth birthday approached. Preparations for the festivities turned the castle into even more of a hive of activity than usual, to the point where, the day before, everyone was rushing around like proverbial headless chickens. Hoping for a moment’s respite, Laurel used the opportunity of a break from last minute dress fittings and alterations to escape into the gardens. She made for her favourite place: the rose arbour in the centre of the maze, a profusion of red, white and pink after endless leafy green tunnels. She wasn’t alone however. Two years her senior, William was the son of her father’s most loyal knight and his oldest friend; he was also her fiance, betrothed to her from a young age. Happily, what had started out as polite and tentative progressed into a tender and genuine friendship, which was now beginning to blossom into the possibility of something deeper. Fleeing from the menaces of pins and bolts of cloth, Laurel came across him on a break from an errand of his own and convinced him to come with her. It wasn’t difficult. A brief respite from all the nervous excitement wasn’t their only reason for wanting some time alone together: that evening, he would be leaving on a trip with his father, and so this would be the last they saw of each other for a while. They burst into the arbour in a fit of breathless laughter, shattering the quiet.

    “I’m so sorry I won’t be there for your birthday tomorrow,” he said, once their amusement at doing something essentially harmless yet, at the same time, vaguely illicit, wore off, and they sat, holding hands, staring out into the serene seclusion of the garden around them.

    “I know,” she squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him, “it’s alright.”

    “It’s not.”  He shook his head and gave her a lopsided smile.  “You’re just letting me off the hook because you’re too kind for your own good.”

     She laughed, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek.  “Of course I want you to be there tomorrow,” she said when she pulled away, “but it’s not as if it’s your fault, so there’s little point in me being angry with you about it.”

    He sighed.

    “What?”

    “I’m just wondering how I got so lucky as to be betrothed to you.”

    Her lips curved into a mischievous smile.  “Yes, for surely you don’t deserve to be?”

    They burst into laughter again.  For a while, they were content to just sit and watch the sky gradate from blue, to pink, to apricot, listening to the sounds of distant activity.

    “I should go; father will be looking for me by now.”

    “I know.”

     He stood. “Do you want me to take you back inside?”

    “No, I think I’ll stay a bit longer.  There’s only so much fussing about dresses one can take.

    Take care Will,” she said softly.

    He smiled, gave her a reciprocal kiss and was off.  She smiled as she watched his retreating back.  As the onset of evening caused the sky to darken and the air to chill, Laurel conceded that it was probably time to head back inside. That and, by now, she would almost certainly be being looked for. Leaving the maze, a loud caw from overhead made her look up. It was a large black bird. A raven? Crow? She followed its graceful arc across the sky.  But as it rounded a tower, something caught her eye.  Was that a…? Could it be…?  A face in the tower window?  Ghost-like, it vanished almost as soon as she saw it. Who on earth would be up there?  Knowing she should probably alert someone, but, at same time, not entirely sure what she’d seen or that she’d seen anything at all, she decided to go and have a look for herself. Curiosity won out.

   The tower was dark, steps coated with dust – in which she couldn’t see any fresh footprints – walls hung with cobwebs. It was looking increasingly likely that she was walking all the way up there for nothing, only to then face the wrath of Annie and the other maids for making herself dusty. At the top, the door creaked open to reveal… well, nothing much at all. Aside from a strange wooden contraption in the centre, the room was empty.  Both disappointed and relieved, she went to take a closer look.  It was like nothing she’d seen before, with a wheel and wickedly sharp needle.  So sharp in fact that looking at it made her uneasy.

   “Fascinated by my spinning wheel are you dearie?” said a voice like unoiled hinges frombehind her.

    Laurel jumped and spun around.  Behind her, where she was sure there had been no-one before, was an old lady. Gap-toothed, dressed in grey with grey hair and grey parchment skin, she appeared to be harmless.  But her eyes betrayed this appearance. Dark, feral and darting, they didn’t fit the picture.

   “Spinning wheel?”  She tried to look anywhere apart from into those eyes, bracing herself to try and edge around this stranger and make for the door.

    The old woman scuttled closer.

   “Yes, don’t s’pose you’ve ever seen one before, have you dearie?”

   “N-no.” She was backed up against a wall now, her escape route blocked.

    “It’s used for spinning cloth.”

    “Oh, really?” She’d thought the kingdom imported all its cloth.

    “Yes.  Wicked looking little thing isn’t it,” she said, nodding at the spindle.

    “It certainly is.”

    “Sharp as a sword.”

     “I’m sure.”

     “Try it.”

     “What?”

     “Go on, give it a try, just a little prick, see how sharp it is.”

     This woman was mad.  She had to leave.  Now! She looked to the door. The old woman���s eyes narrowed, seeing this, and, before Laurel could move, seized her hand, forcing the pad of her outstretched forefinger down onto the spindle. A sudden, sharp pain gave way to a sensation akin to lead filling her veins, and mad, cackling laughter, was the last thing she heard before she fell to the floor, unconscious.

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 The world was warm and dark.  She was… floating.  Like a baby in amniotic fluid.  It was slightly unsettling; she felt heavy and insubstantial at the same time…

   Then…  What was that?  A single blot detached itself from the surrounding blackness. Gradually, it began to gain definition, becoming something recognisable.  A bird, like the one she glimpsed before.  Raven? Crow?  No, a rook…  The thought came unbidden.  It began to fly away into the distance.

   “Wait, come back!”

    She tried to run after it.  It felt like she was wading through heavy treacle at first, but her movement seemed to give her surroundings solidity, and so, after a while, it became easier.  Up ahead was a mirror. The rook flew through the glass, turning from midnight black to dove white as it did so.  But when she came to it, the glass was as solid as a wall, her own reflection staring back at her.  She turned around, only to find herself encircled in a glass prison. Her reflection began to morph, the colour draining, becoming her negative image.  She stepped back.  The woman in the mirror grinned maliciously, then began to laugh, a sound like nails on glass, exposing a mouth full of sharpened teeth.

    “I have you now,” she crowed.  “I have you now you pathetic little thing.  I’ve won, and there’s nothing you can do about it.  You’re trapped here, forever!” That laugh. That godawful laugh. Multiplied, it ricocheted off the walls in her head, thumping along in time with the blood pumping around her body – blood, red, red mist. Fists clenched, she hurled them at the glass, each hit an extension of that ‘thump-thump’ rhythm. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up! At first, this did little, merely making the woman in the mirror laugh even harder.  But, slowly, cracks began to appear.

    “Wait, what are you doing?”

    The cracks joined.  Her hands were both on fire and numb, blood staining the glass.

   “Stop!”

   One last swing, and the mirror shattered.

  “NO!”

  The cry became a roaring in her ears, and the world shrank to a pinprick, as she faded into oblivion once more…

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 Laurel awoke, not on the floor of the tower room, but in her bed.  She was vaguely aware of a room full of people, but one face hovered over her that she would know anywhere, eyes wet and lined with worry.

    “William? I thought you’d left already.”

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 It turned out that, instead of what, to Laurel, felt like a few hours, she’d been asleep for several days. William and his father had barely left the castle when the news reached them. Any remedy that could be thought of was tried. Nothing worked. Everyone had begun to despair. William, increasingly afraid that Laurel would remain asleep forever, had given her what he was almost certain was to be their last kiss. And, miracle of miracles, she awoke.

   It wasn’t until some time later that Laurel noticed her torn-up knuckles. And, in all the ensuing commotion, no one noticed the rook leave through the Princess’s bedroom window.

   And so, the evil fairy’s curse had been thwarted. (Curiously, following this, the evil fairy herself was never seen or heard from again.) Everyone claimed that it was true love’s kiss that had saved her. William remained humble and, honestly, rather baffled by it, just glad that Laurel was awake and well. Laurel herself knew better, of course, but did nothing to disabuse anyone of the idea, just smiling secretly whenever it was mentioned.

   And so, they went on to live a long and, predominately, happy life together.

  And when any of the young ones questioned, as young ones will tend to do, whether the story was true, all the rook telling the story had to do, was triumphantly produce a small shard of blood-stained glass.

(Originally published at the literary journal Another Way Round: https://awrjournal.wixsite.com/anotherwayround/fiction-carolyn-percy For this and more work from others,please check it out!)

(Apologies for slight paragraph formatting strangeness that occurred during the transfer of text.)