#Gift 4 mystery

[iloveacronix]

A RONIN I MADE 4 MY POOKIE @wingsofmystery RAHHHH

[designernishiki]

I feel like I liked yakuza 5 a lot more than most people for some reason

[brokehorrorfan]

Run up that hill to get House of Mysterious Secrets’ Stranger Things 11x17 poster featuring Kate Bush lyrics. It’s only $4.99, and all prints are buy 4, get 2 free.

[koukoupepia]

this news is mega old already (since 2018) but the other day i found out that someone set up a private server for internet function in gen 4 and 5 pokemon games, including gts a and mystery gift to receive old event pokemon and it still works as of late 2021. so im gonna try to set that up soon :))) 

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Yakuza x Reader (II)

Reader is cozying up to her unusual home, and her new friend decides to surprise her with a romantic gift. Or at least what he considers to be romantic: a small reminder that no one else can mess with her. Continuation to the yakuza landlord idea!

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]

Content: Female reader, obsessive behavior, mentions of stalking, violence, death, mild gore

Tags: @depressed-but-make-it-cute

You search for your keys and open the postal box, retrieving a thick envelope. You've been living at the new apartment for several weeks now and truth be told, you could get used to this lifestyle. Your commute to work is much shorter, the path is never devoid of people, and there are multiple bakeries on the way back with some of the best pastries you've tasted in your life.

You turn around and look for Daitou, somewhat distracted and dreamy. It really feels like a Hallmark movie. A peaceful, idyllic life. Ah, there he is! The scarred man is standing guard before one of the stores. The curtains have been pulled, blocking any glimpse of the inside. You walk towards him with a certain joyful bounce in your step. As you approach him, you can hear muffled screams coming from the building. He notices you and flashes you a smile. 

"Don't come too close, I hear the owner's been avoiding his loan payment and getting all friendly with the neighboring Family. We're questioning him in the back."

"Don't you usually do the interrogations?" 

"Only if we don't need them afterwards. I'm not too good at keeping them alive, ya know?" He scratches the back of his head and laughs awkwardly. "Do you need anything?"

You open your mouth to speak, but it's a little difficult to formulate a full sentence with the interrupted moans and cries occasionally making their way out. The door is ajar and you avoid glancing in its direction, fixating on the man before you. 

"I...uh... just wanted to know if this letter is intended for me or the landlord. It looks like an official document."

You show Daitou the envelope and just as he is about to grab it, he notices the blood stains seeped into his glove. He quickly removes it, wipes his hand on his shirt, and nonchalantly plucks the paper from your fingers.

"That's for Boss. I'll pass it on, so don't worry."

You nod and bow slightly before hurrying back home. Well, doesn't make it less of a movie, you suppose. Just more of a thriller. Or something like that. You drop your bag, slip off your shoes and throw yourself onto the futon with a loud thud. The warmth of the sheets envelops you and the wails of the shop owner become but a distant dream. 

Without the worry of stalkers, or finding a roof above your head, you can finally rest. 

Tonight is rather dark, with the moon shrouded in heavy clouds. Daitou yawns silently as he observes the masked man testing out passcodes for the entrance. Every now and then he lets out a whispered curse, crossing out another number combination on his little crumpled note. It doesn't take a genius to figure out this is the famed stalker you'd complained about earlier. No one else currently lives in the building. 

Eventually, the keypad lights up and the door unlocks. The mysterious man lifts a fist victoriously and reaches for the handle. 

"Oop! Not so fast!" Daitou drops his heavy, sinewy arm over the man's shoulders, pulling him in a friendly embrace. Like two old pals meeting at an intersection. "Let's take a walk together, what do you say? (Y/N) sleeps until noon on weekends, no need to hurry."

With a grunt, the stalker tries to shove himself out of the tightening hold, but the yakuza doesn't budge. He towers over his new friend with an unfaltering, unbothered grin. 

"Now listen, I don't blame you one bit, ya know? I ain't blind, at least not in this eye", he continues as he points to the real counterpart of his glass prosthetic, "so I'm damn well aware of a pretty girl when I see one. And (Y/N)? That's some good taste alright." 

He gives the man an affectionate pat over the chest, pulling him away from the building into one of the side streets. 

"If you want, we can have a drink before the deed, I know a good place five minutes from here. We can share some stories of our favorite girl, eh?" Daitou looks at his watch, feigning mild concern. "But I'm afraid you're not leaving this neighborhood either way. In one piece, that is." 

His arm goes limp and the masked man is released from the iron hold, tripping over from the sudden lack of support. He crawls against a wall and fumbles for something, swiftly pulling out what seems to be a pocket knife. His breathing is erratic and he points the tip of the blade towards the yakuza, now with his features darkened by a frown. He sounds like an entirely different person and the instant switch to a ragged voice startles the stranger.

"See, the trouble is, I promised miss (Y/N) I wouldn't allow a fucking dog like you to be in her presence ever again. Sadly for you, I'm a man of my word." Despite the threatening tone, his posture is relaxed and he stands before the stalker with his hands bare. 

"If I were you, I'd use that little butter knife on my own throat. I don't go easy on horny cockroaches. Especially the ones that mess with my woman." His final words spill out in a bitter growl. 

A small animal in the trashing jaws of a predator. Blood splatters and pools in the asphalt cracks and drained hands claw at the walls, hoping for an escape. As despair sinks in, the alleyway becomes quiet again, save for the merry whistle of the remaining party. Daitou carefully ties the trash bags with the focus of a child wanting to impress the parents with a chore well done. Halfway through he stops and gasps, surprised.

"Oh man, did I really just say 'my woman'? How embarrassing." He blushes and shyly pushes the wrapped slabs away. "I haven't even asked her out yet, ya know? Better not rat me out, Mr. Stalker." He snickers at his monologue and continues the cleanup. 

"Can you really not refrain yourself from smoking in here?" You try to fan away the puff of smoke, scowling at the young blonde man sitting across the table. 

"Why do you even care so much?" Kazuya groans and stuffs the remains of the cigarette in the ashtray.

"I don't want my carrot cake tasting like tobacco. You're lucky the old man is afraid of you, otherwise you would've gotten your ass banned a long time ago."

"You know, I've been thinking about it lately - haven't you gotten quite the attitude? You have a big mouth for someone surrounded by dangerous gangsters. I could blow your brains out right now." 

He lowers himself in his seat and briefly lifts his shirt, flashing a carelessly tucked in gun. He stares at you for a few seconds, as if expecting a reaction, then lets out a chuckle upon seeing your indifferent expression. 

"Shameless. You could at least try to pretend you don't know I have a soft spot for you."

"Just a wild guess, but your Boss probably wouldn't appreciate you shooting civilians in the middle of a café. That's all." You respond with a shrug. 

Your banter is interrupted by Daitou's heavy footsteps nearing in your direction. Kazuya waves, signaling your location, and kicks a chair out, inviting his friend to join. 

"Where the hell were you last night? I thought you'd come with us for drinks after that long ass questioning."

"Sorry, I had to take care of something." Daitou returns an apologetic smile and tilts his head to gaze at you. "Which reminds me, I brought you this."

Your eyes widen in surprise and a faint red tints your cheeks. Was there some special occasion you didn't know about? He places a small box in your hands and leans back in his chair with a cheerful smirk on his face. Kazuya watches the interaction, equally curious as you. 

You open the mysterious gift, giddy with anticipation. The nauseating smell abruptly invades your nostrils and you can feel the contents of your stomach bubble up and pile at the back of your throat. You gag involuntarily and slap your hands over your mouth, as the box tumbles down. A single severed human finger and some teeth glistening with moisture roll out. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

Kazuya jumps from his seat, toppling over the table in the process, and lunges at Daitou's throat. The latter can only stare in shock, baffled at a reaction he didn't foresee. There's genuine confusion shaping his features.

"But-...I thought..."

"What the hell did you think, that you'd show up with fucking human remains over some tea and cake?! Jesus, Daitou, she ain't our Lieutenant!"

"But I did- I did tell (Y/N) I'd..." he tries to find you with a pleading, worried look. 

Once the risk of vomiting on the floor has diminished, you shove yourself between the men and gently try to remove Kazuya's arm, still clawed around the other man's throat.

"Let him go, Kazuya. He didn't mean to scare me." You glance at Daitou reassuringly. "Does that mean the stalker guy is now a solved matter?"

The yakuza nods energetically, his eyes now sparkling with pride. He knew you'd understand. Once the tension is lifted, you quickly sweep the gory tokens back into their box and explain the situation to Kazuya. He collapses back in his seat with a frustrated sigh, facepalming himself. 

"I'm so sorry, (Y/N), I should've told you he's being serious when he says shit like this." He glares at his friend. "She didn't actually expect you to go ahead and do it, dumbass. Couldn't you just mention it or something? 'Hey, I took care of that pervert following you around'! You think she would've demanded proof?"

Daitou is nervously fidgeting with his glass eye, as if searching for the proper words.

"But you always say women will like you more if you surprise them with gifts." He concludes with a pout.

There's a prolonged moment of silence and you burst our laughing, as the blonde simultaneously lets out an exasperated whine. You cannot get over the bizarre sight in front of you: someone as massive and imposing as Daitou, cornered like a punished school boy. 

"See, this is what I've been telling Boss. You're a lost cause." Kazuya rests his elbows on his knees, closing the distance between him and Daitou and continuing with a lecturing tone. "If you got a crush on someone, you bring them flowers or something! What are you, a crackhead? Do I have to teach you basic manners?"

"More importantly, uh...what should I do with these? I guess jewelry made of teeth is a thing, but the finger? Won't it go bad?" you cautiously dangle the package next to your ears, listening to the rustle of its contents. 

Kazuya rips the box from you.

"I'm starting to suspect you don't have all the tiles on your roof either. I'll get rid of it, so you better pretend nothing ever happened. Are we clear?"

Both you and Daitou nod obediently.

On your way back, the man can't help the excitement building up in his chest. You liked his gift, didn't you? He hasn't done anything wrong. Does that make it official, then? As he ponders the implications, he peeks at your small frame, barely managing to keep up with him. Would it be alright if he reached for your hand? Is he supposed to ask first? All these steps confuse him to no end.

Nonetheless, he couldn't be more thankful for you. 

[cottoncandybitchfuck]

Fabian Aramais Seacaster, a darling boy, the son of William Seacaster and Hallariel Seacaster. He's a fighter, and his money got him everywhere he wants to be in life. He punched Gorgug on the first day, and he got detention. He didn't get on the owlbears. He ends up in a detention room full of weirdos. They fought in the cafeteria and he could not get on the tables! Two of them die... They became friends while solving a mystery. He got a motorcycle holding a demon within it. He bought gifts for his new friends and didn’t tell them he got them until many episodes later. He learned how to protect people, he became a team player. He became captain of the Owlbears. He mercy killed his dad…He told his mom to get her shit together. He helped kill a dragon and he was just a freshman. He went to his dad’s old stomping grounds and he lost his confidence after he got many pirates killed. He de-classed, and almost killed his motorcycle. He met his grandfather and became a dancer, connecting with his mother’s side of the family. He kissed a fire elemental and gained bardic powers. “Spring Break, I believe in you!” He helped his friends. He went to hell, his motorcycle is a hellhound. He fights on his father’s ship in hell and fights all of the people he helped kill in his freshman year. “You have no heart!” “Toxic Masculinity is dead. I dance Now!” He tried to claw his way through stone to Kristen when she was in danger in the temple of the Goddess of Mystery. He found Gorgug in the Nightmare King’s Forest and hugged him, a different greeting for the two. He knew they’d be okay because they were the bad kids. He helps seal the Night Yorb, almost getting run over numerous times. He was in love with a mirror, but his friends helped with that. His best friend is the Ball, but he’ll never admit it. He is living alone, and that sucks. He threw a ton of parties and had many study sessions. He did anything to not be alone. He slowly falls in love with another bard but he almost loses her a few times. He lept into a briefcase without a plan to save his friend. His mom is having another kid, and she might love this one more than she loved him. He saves the world again, and finally gets to see his dad. His dad says he would love him without his name being written anywhere, and would give up everything to spend another day with him. But his name is written places, because he is Fabian Aramais Seacaster, and he’s a part of the bad kids. 

It is 4 am (1 pm) in a warehouse in Santa Monica (dorm building, not in Santa Monica) and I am emotional about him

[sfehvn]

new religion

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Description: AU- Astarion is enamored by you, and while he fights it at first, he may have just found his new religion. A/N: Just a tad bit of sweet smut to be honest. This was my listen while I wrote if you were curious. Enjoy! xx Rating: M (18+ minors DNI) Word count: 2,069 Characters: soft!ascended!Astarion x fem!au!Tav

━─━────༺༻────━─━

  From the moment Astarion had seen you, he knew he had to have you. Walking through the animated city of Baldur’s Gate, your radiant smile was the first thing that had caught his eye. Flowing hair kissed your shoulders adorned with freshly plucked daisies. Your aroma was the most intoxicating scent that had graced his nose in all of his years. Your rose-tinted cheeks teased with the blood flowing beneath your flawless skin. Your eyes sparkled with wonder, reflecting the rays of the sun above. He had never been a believer in the love at first sight nonsense, yet there you were. If his undead heart could beat, he was sure it would be skipping against his ribcage. It was the only time the vampire had found himself utterly speechless. 

  For months, he watched from afar, finding excuses to go into town. Not that he had to excuse anything to anyone, but the newfound feelings were frightening, to say the least. Alas, day after day Astarion went out, whether for a drink or an unnecessary shop trip, and he would wait to get even the slightest glimpse at you. He was aware that this obsession was snowballing out of his hands as he fell harder and deeper. Hells, he had never even spoken to you. Yet he knew nearly everything there was to know. 

  He knew every other day you made your way to the apothecary to pick up medicines for your sick father, whom you cared for. He knew once every fifth day, you picnicked in the graveyard next to your mother’s grave. He knew your favorite color was yellow because it reminded you of the summers you spent with your mother before her untimely passing. You had six siblings: an older brother and five young sisters. 

  Astarion had also realized that you had a death wish, apparently. You were constantly staying out past sundown, running errands or helping neighbors. Did you even comprehend the dangers? He would often think to himself. Of course he had to follow you home to ensure you made it inside safely. You were becoming a liability to him, and quite frankly, he was terrified of how you made him feel. Just when he had decided to end this one-sided arrangement, there you were. Sat on the side of the road with tears pooling rivers down your cheeks, his body felt out of his control as he approached you.

  He stood in front of you, his words caught in his throat. You stared at him with those big doe-eyes, and his knees felt like jelly. “Are you alright?” He finally managed out. Gods, what am I doing? I should just sink my fangs into her and be done with it. It’s just bloodlust. This was something he had tried to convince himself of many times already- a lie.

  “Oh, yes.” Voice sweet and smooth, like the finest honey gold could buy. “Just this silly book.” You giggled, holding up the novel you had previously been engrossed in before Astarion had found you.

  “Right. Good.” He clears his throat in an attempt to regain his composure and still his spinning mind. “I’ll just be on my way then.” You nod, gifting that sweet smile to him. Astarion felt his legs would give out beneath him if he stayed longer, but he didn’t move an inch.

  The man intrigued you, ruby red eyes and skin pale as the snow that fell during winter. He was gorgeous. An aura of mystery surrounded him, and you were keen to discover those mysteries. “Say, you live in that big fancy manor?” You question, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen you two.

  “I do. Why?” Skepticism was palpable in his tone. 

  You disregarded his tone, and he believed it to be your naive nature. “You have the most exquisite daffodils blooming alongside your walls. I didn’t want to pick them without asking.” Your smile is sheepish, innocent. Astarion doesn’t speak, his face unreadable. “I-I enjoy putting bouquets together. I don’t mean to-” He already knew this, obviously.

  “They are yours.” Astarion can’t contain the smile that tugs the sides of his lips.

  As you two stroll to the location of said flowers, Astarion finds himself loosening up in your presence. He watches you intently, the way you move your hair from your face as you carefully pluck a few from the group. He urges you to take more.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother. These are plenty.” You assure. In response, he crouches down next to you to help pluck the remaining flowers.

   After walking you home, Astarion ordered flowers to be planted around the grounds. With the help of just a little magic, within weeks, roses, peonies, sunflowers, and carnations bloomed healthily. You would come with a fresh serving of food, a bouquet as thanks, and collect the flowers. As naive as you were, you could recognize what Astarion was doing. The daffodils were a one-off in that area, but now flowers surrounded the entirety of his property. The rate at which they grew, too; you were aware some effort went into getting them to blossom so hastily. At every mention of a new flower, the next time you came, they were miraculously in bloom.

  This compromise had been in full swing for months when you finally questioned him about it. Astarion was on his knees as he snipped red roses from the bush, insistent on doing it himself so you didn’t prick yourself on a thorn. “Why are you doing this?” You question, a wicker basket that was already overflowing held firmly in your hands. 

  “I told you, you’ve nabbed yourself on these blasted thorns one too many times.” His reply came without a look in your direction as he continued to snip the stems.

  “That’s not what I meant.” A soft chuckle emanates from behind closed lips. He looks up at you in realization, his hands coming to a halt. Your breath catches in your throat as he stares at you wordlessly, longingly. Standing slowly, he takes a step closer to you. He drops the roses into your basket before cupping your cheeks, closing the distance between your faces. The kiss is electric. You drop the basket to your feet, arms snaking around his neck while he presses your body tightly to his, clinging to you like a prayer. His lips were a colder temperature than you expected, but they were soft and hungry. 

  That��s how Astarion ended up with you in his bed. As he eagerly ripped the pale blue dress from your body, you took note of the bouquets around his bed chamber. Every single one you had gifted to him was on display and in perfect condition. Your heart flits in your chest, eyes closing in ecstasy as wet kisses trail up the inside of your thighs. A soft moan is elicited from you as his mouth reaches your warmth, his tongue flicking teasingly along your slit. Your fingers thread into his stark white hair, instinctually tugging with every contact against your clit. Colors explode behind your eyelids from the euphoric excitement.

  He pulled away briefly, with his starving mouth against your thigh, he spoke muffled words, “I don’t think you realize how long I’ve been waiting to hear that, darling.” Your breathing quickens as you look down at him between your thighs with hooded, lustful eyes. His mouth returns to your clit and he suckles lightly, two fingers dipping into your dripping center. The sensation brings your back into an arch, aching to feel him deeper inside of you.

  The swirling motion of his tongue brings you close to the edge, your legs shaking mercilessly. Astarion’s free hand moves between his torso and your legs, holding them steady as he continues his work on your body. Just as you are about to cum, he places a final kiss on your mound before his eyes meet yours. “You’re much naughtier than I thought.” He tsked, crooning his neck at you before moving up your body.

  Your lips meet passionately, his tongue slipping effortlessly into your mouth to meet your own. He creates a gap between you as one hand holds him up, quickly removing his trousers and undergarments with his other hand. He pressed his bulge down onto your warmth, hitting your sweet spot as he grinds against you. “Do you taste how lovely you are?” He murmurs, plunging his tongue further into your mouth. You can only let out a delighted moan in response.

  Once he breaks the kiss, you press your slippery core harder against his erection. “Please fuck me.” You whimper lustfully, “Please-” Your words are cut short by the sensation of him rubbing the head of his cock against your clit, causing a delicate moan to leave your throat.

  “Fuck. You’re soaked, my darling.” He coos. As much as Astarion wanted to continue to play with your body, he needed to be buried in you as quickly as he possibly could. He slides the head of his member from your clit, pushing slowly into your welcoming embrace. He savors every sensation as he enters you. There is a momentary flicker of pain on your face as you adjust to his size, and he falters for a moment.

  “Have you done this before?” He asks quietly, pressing his forehead to yours, avoiding your throat to save himself from temptation. He cursed himself inwardly for even asking; he shouldn’t care. This woman brought a side out of him he had never met before- a softer side. The scariest part is he actually, well, liked it.

  You wavered for a second before shaking your head, confirming that he was indeed the first man to have ever been in such a position with you. The thought makes him feel feral. Such a sweet flower trusting someone like him to take your virtue; he would never admit it to anyone, but honor and pride swelled in his chest. He nodded in acknowledgment, “We’ll go slow, pet.” He reassures, hips rocking delicately into yours as he fills you with as much of him as he can manage without causing you discomfort. He lays a gentle kiss on your forehead as your pain turns into pleasure, still-shaking legs wrapping to engulf his hips.

  “A-Astarion.” His name sounded like a hymn gracing his ears from your mouth, and he wanted to devour you right there and then. It took everything in him not to plow you into the bed. His hand rests on the bedframe as he finds a comfortable rhythm, eyes never leaving your face. He wanted to soak up every reaction to his touch.

  “You drive me crazy, pet.” He grunts as his pace quickens, gripping the mahogany wood tighter at the magnetic pleasure buzzing through his body. He uses his free hand to effortlessly move you further up into a slightly seated position as his thumb once again finds your clit to draw purposeful eights over it. 

  “I-I’m- Oh my gods-” The moan is loud, music to his ears as your walls tighten around his cock.

  “That’s right. Be a good girl and cum for me.” It’s a stern demand, all to mask just how close Astarion was himself. His words push you over the edge, your body clinging to his for support as the euphoria rushes over you. Every hair on your body standing on end, you throw your head back and scream Astarion’s name thrillfully. 

  With you coming undone, he allows himself to reach fruition, his seed filling you to the brim. His hand on the frame loosens, and his head hangs, face full of gratification. He looks down at you, pulling his now-soft member from you, a satisfied sigh leaving your lips as you stretch contently, much like a cat. Your eyes were droopy, a giddy smirk on your face as you fought to keep them open. Astarion chuckles, pressing another kiss to your lips. “You can sleep, my darling. I’ll wake you in a little.”

  Astarion swore he felt the tiniest tinge of warmth in his heart at the sight of you so comfortable cuddled into his side as you dozed off. This could be a welcome change. Maybe his undead life just needed his very own light, his own sun. All he knew was that he was done fighting it. One weakness couldn’t hurt.

[lazyjellyfish300]

Gentleman part 2 🌼💌

GeneticistCEO!Miguel O'Hara x Fem Intern College Student!Reader

Synopsis: after receiving a generous gift from Dr. O'Hara, you intend to thank him the next day. Word count: 5.8k

A/N: a little Fifty Shades of Grey inspired with the whole document situation. Here's what Dr. O'Hara looks like btw. 🫶🏽

TW: MINORS DNI, suggestive (no smut but talk of sex, alludes to sex), heavy kissing, bullying, little angst, some controlling behavior, Sugar daddy relationship, ooc Miguel , boss/employee relationship, I don't condone IRL

Part 1, Part 3, Part 4

@scaleniusrm @laysmt @to-the-endoftheline @oharasfilipinawife

------

You feel like you're floating as you read the note over and over again etching every curve and spike of Dr. O'Hara's messy signature on the card into your memory. You lean in, smelling the gorgeous flowers, closing your eyes, a warm feeling making itself known in your chest. This truly felt like a dream come true. The way this went from one of your worst days to the best in a matter of hours. This mysterious, handsome scientist being the cause. Everything about your life changed in a matter of minutes. You were going to go to bed hungry, and instead woke up to a 5 star meal and your favorite flowers.

"What is that?" Isla asks sharply, causing you to spin around, tucking the card under your arm. 

"Nothing.....just-ah...some flowers....and food."

"What the...." She takes a step closer, scanning you suspiciously. She smirks, "I didn't know you had a boyfriend." 

You feel your face heat up and try to shuffle away quickly in annoyance. She takes note of the way you're turned away, trying to conceal the card and who it's from. 

"Well come on, who is it?" She presses. Heather and Vivian walk up and stand next to her in mutual curiousity. 

"He's....um.....Greg?" 

"Greg?" 

"You don't know him." With that, you bolt for your room, leaving your roommates with raised eyebrows and suspicions. 

You lock your bedroom door behind you and place the takeout bag on your bed, first arranging your new flowers on the windowsill in a vase before you dig in. When you open the bag, there's three different entrees of your favorite things to order from the restaurant, two of your favorite appetizers, two desserts, and two large to-go cups filled with two of your favorite beverages and those delightful pebble ice cubes that gave that satisfying crunch and sounded so heavenly when it clattered against the plastic. 

As you took your first few bites of the piping hot food, you leaned back in your bed with a sigh of contentment. You could probably die and go to heaven with how delicious everything was, your belly and your bank account nice and full.

You stood up and changed into your favorite pajamas and lounge wear, putting a show to watch on your phone while you continued to eat to your heart's content with your gorgeous bouquet as the perfect backdrop against the setting sun outside your dorm window. 

-------

The next morning, you woke up, deciding that you'll get to Alchemax bright and early to give Dr. O'Hara a proper thank you. You figured this would be a one time thing and nothing you could do would be enough to pay him back, not to mention the moral implications of a manager doing this for one of his interns. He really put it all out there for you and you didn't want it to go unacknowledged. 

You wrote out a heartfelt letter on some notebook paper and grabbed a poppyseed muffin from the common area and hoped that he'd appreciate the thought behind it. You did your hair, dressing in one of your nicer outfits, makeup just the way you liked it and walked out the door with a spring in your step. 

-----

Alchemax 

Miguel took a generous sip from his coffee mug. It had a picture of him and Gabi as stick figures that she drew in preschool as the custom design he had printed on the mug. He looked at it fondly with a little smile as he remembered his reason for it all. 

His eyes widened when he saw you standing at his desk, a muffin in a brown paper bag and a note in your hands. 

"Buenos Dias." (Good morning) He said pleasantly. 

You smiled at him, your heart pattering in your chest a little bit now. "Good Morning..." 

The way you finished your greeting made it sound like you had something else to say.  Miguel waited, his face a little unreadable as he left the floor open for you to continue your thought. 

You clear your throat. "I just wanted to thank you, for everything you did for me yesterday. It's-uh. It's just unbelievable and...and I don't know how I could possibly p-pay you back..." 

You reach out, offering him the note and the muffin. "I wanted you to have these..." 

Miguel's eyebrow raises. 

"I-I know it's not a lot....heh. It's absolutely nothing compared to what you've done for me...but it was the least I could do." 

Miguel hums and sets down his mug, taking the note and the muffin. "You're welcome...and thank you, for this..." He peers inside the paper bag. "Poppyseed?" 

You nod, absentmindedly fiddling with your fingers out of nervous habit. 

"One of my favorites." He says with a little smile. However the smile quickly disappears as he walks past you to his desk. "I'm going to have you work with Dr. Drew and the junior intern group from now on." 

"Dr. Drew?" You give him a confused look. "But, I thought..." 

"I have something different in mind for you." He said shortly, sitting down and opening his laptop, peering over his glasses. "I believe Jess's direction will be better suited for your needs. Her group has an opening anyway." 

You feel your stomach flop. This was unexpected and you didn't have anything against Dr. Drew, but Dr. O'Hara's group was extremely hard to get onto and this was basically a demotion. Senior Intern just looked that much more attractive on your resume. You were startled at having this change so quickly, uncertain what this would mean for your career and the impression it would leave on your transcript. 

"Doctor...with all due respect." You said slowly. "I wanted to be on your team. I mean, I wrote that thesis, I collaborated on that project last year with Dr. Parker and I really really worked my tail off..." You feel a lump in your throat. "Please don't take me off your team." 

Dr. O'Hara looks up at you a little sternly from his desk, "I understand your concern, but trust me, this will be a better move for both of us. Jess is a brilliant scientist. One of my best. She will lead you better than I." 

"Is...does this have anything to do with what you did for me..?" 

Miguel cuts you off, a little harshly this time, saying your name in a firm tone. "Please. Do not argue with me. She's already expecting you and doesn't like to be kept waiting." 

You take a step back, a little alarmed and immediately regretful at pushing back. You turn around quickly, walking swiftly towards Jess's office without another word. 

-----

Dr. Jess Drew has a lovely smile for you when she sees you walk in. "Hello! Remind me of your name?" 

You give it to her and humbly enter the lab, a tall, young looking blonde with one side of her head shaved with the tips dyed pink, and another tall young man with curly dark hair are handling some lab chemicals with safety goggles on their faces, stepping back as the concotion begins to fizz. 

"Gwen and Miles here are studying chemical reactions. You'll help me supervise them." 

You nod, returning the kind smiles that they both offer you, before they go back to their discussion.  

"So, Miguel tells me you are studying Bio?" Jess asks, trying to start up conversation. 

"That's correct." 

"Wow, and you're going to apply to medical school?" 

You nod again. Jess smiles, impressed. "Well, good for you, girl. An Alchemax internship will definitely make you stand out." 

You give her a weak smile. "I hope so...to be honest with you, I didn't see this coming. I was kind of expecting to stay with Dr. O'Hara's group until December, then I could be eligible to apply for a full time position." 

Jess nods in understanding, a sympathetic hand on your shoulder. "Well, I've known Dr. O'Hara for over a decade now. If he made any changes, it's for good reason and probably best for your individual career path. Can't argue with the CEO." 

"CEO?" Your ears perk up. 

 "Oh..." Jess gives you a little embarrassed smile, nodding towards Gwen and Miles as she motions for you to join her a little further away out of earshot.

"Yeah...he recently started the whole internship program and likes to be hands on with up and coming scientists, so they're fully prepared to work under him and meet his standards. He hates it when people bring up his status as CEO. He just is under a lot of scrutiny and dislikes media coverage in general, so he keeps quiet about it...don't tell anyone I told you that." She murmurs to you with a wink. 

Finally, it all makes sense. The money, the lavish gifts, how powerful he was. It made sense Miguel was the elusive CEO of Alchemax that liked to hide from the public eye, despite Alchemax's blaring position in the limelight as the cutting edge of innovation for science and tech. A crowning jewel for the economy of Nueva York, putting them on the map as a technological hub and source of income for over 200,000 employees. 

You nod and go back to helping Jess, Miles and Gwen, continuing to work while being unable to get Dr. O'Hara to leave the back of your mind.

----- 

When it's time to leave and go to lunch, Jess stops you after Gwen and Miles had already left. "Hold on a sec!" 

Jess hands you a small white card with elegant gold trim around the edges. 

"You're wanted in the executive suite for lunch. Floor 99. And the code is written down here." She points to the neatly printed black numbers on the card.

"Now, this is important. You are forbidden to share this code with anyone, let alone tell anyone you were up there this afternoon. Got it?" Jess lowers her voice. 

"For-bidden. Meaning if you tell anyone, not only are you fired, but I am too, because I was the one who gave it to you. And I have no problem hunting you down... got it?" She shoots you a warm smile. 

You smile back, understanding she's mainly joking, but just trying to emphasize the importance of keeping it confidential and covering herself. You nod. "Absolutely...I'll, I'll guard it with my life." 

"Atta girl." 

You smile and walk out to the hall towards the elevators, impossibly wondering why on Earth your presence was needed in the part of the building less than a handful of people had privilege to access.

-----

You punch the button for floor 99. Nervousness and jitters rising in your body almost in sync with the glass elevator's ascent, passing floor after floor. 

Finally, floor 99 arrives with a loud ding. The doors open, revealing a polished marble hallway with a large, fancy door at the end. You walk down it, the sound of your shoes echoing off the walls, noticing the they are adorned with some of the finest artwork.

Cubism style paintings that must have cost a fortune. You pause at one of them, admiring the art, then resume your walk again, arriving in front of the large door. You look to your left and there's a small keypad. You enter the code: 

2-0-9-9

You jump back, startled as the door automatically, slowly creaks open, revealing a lavish, lounge suite. Floor to ceiling windows cover the wall on the far end you're facing, a wall with various pieces of tech and advanced looking gadgets are organized in a black case to your left. Gentle harp music playing from a speaker fills your eardrums. There's several tan, cozy looking sofas and sleek coffee tables in the middle. A water feature is on the wall to your right, tranquil water trickling down polished rocks and lightly splashing into a peaceful pond with green lily pads dialing up the degree of luxury. You walk towards the windows, taking in the afternoon cityscape of Nueva York and discover a huge buffet table laid out in front of it. 

Platters of the finest pastries and breads: croissants, Challah, assorted bagels, muffins, brownies, danishes, strudals, fritters, and the like. Next to it is freshly cut deli meats: ham, prosciutto, salami, pastrami, turkey, and roast beef arranged beautifully on wooden planks. Then a huge collection of cheeses  with cheddar, swiss, havarti, muenster, fresh mozzarella, a large wheel of expensive looking brie, raclette, camembert, and smoked gouda with elegant serving utensils.

Your mouth waters as you take in the sight of an enormous porcelain bowl of fresh fruit. The juiciest, greenest looking grapes you've ever seen with plump strawberries, fresh pineapple, delectable looking kiwi, freshly washed raspberries and mango. 

If you thought that wasn't enough food, there's also salads in crystal serving bowls: Wildberry, Cesar, Cobb, and a yummy looking pasta salad with bowtie noodles. 

You hear sharp clicking of stilettos behind you on the marble and you turn around. 

"There you are!" 

Lyla comes walking up to you with a smile, a little frazzled from all the other errands she's been running this morning, wearing a pink blazer with slacks to match, her brown bob hanging neatly around her cheeks.

"I'm glad you could make it! Miguel is running a little late. He's in a meeting, but in the meantime you're welcome to begin and get served up, then if you want to just have a seat at that table." She points to a large oak table next to the waterfall.

 "Oh, and what juice do you want, sweetie?" 

You blink, so overwhelmed by all of this fancy food and attention. This level of luxury something completely foreign to you. 

"Um...what do you have?" 

"It's all freshly squeezed." She says with a smile and adjust of her glasses. "Umm, lemme see if I can remember...okay, yes we have orange, apple, grape, cranberry, mango, passion fruit, grapefruit..." 

You think for a moment then tell her your selection. 

"Great! Coming right up. Oh, and there's also a coffee station, water station and assorted teas over there." She points to the end of the buffet table as she hastily walks into another room. 

---- 

A short time later, you're sitting with your huge plate of food and three drinks, munching away with a content look on your face, watching the city below outside the window as you dine on the fancy lunch. 

A door opens on the far end of the room and Miguel comes walking through, loosening his tie and shrugging off his blazer. Your cheeks heat up as he approaches, his white dress shirt clinging to his body and sparing you no detail of every bulking muscle of his figure, an endearing slight pudge of his stomach and a little smile on his face as he greets you for the first time. 

"Is the food to your liking?" He asks gently, draping his blazer over the back of the chair next to yours. 

"Oh! Um, yes. Yes, oh my God. Everything is amazing. Thank you, doctor..." 

"Miguel." Miguel responds firmly. "Please call me Miguel from now on." 

You nod, "Miguel..." 

Miguel's body gets warm at the sound of his name leaving your lips. He's a little ashamed because he'd love to make you say it again...a little louder eventually. 

"Well, eat as much food as you like. Feel free to take some with you. I'll have Lyla package it up for you." 

Miguel walks over to the table, dishing up his own plate. "I'm sure you might be wondering my reasons for all of this. Why I changed your internship and why I invited you here." 

Miguel finishes dishing up his plate, just a generous helping of the Wildberry salad with vinaigrette and a croissant, sitting next to you. Sauvage by Dior coming off his neck making you clench your hands into fists. 

"I invited you here because...I want to be straightforward with you. I'm very intrigued by you."

Your lips part, your fork falling out of your hand and clattering against the porcelain plate making you jump. A trace of amusement flashes across Miguel's face, then he returns to looking at you with a sincere  expression. "I've taken an interest in helping you with your career. With this medical school journey you are on." He continues, turning his attention to his salad, stabbing some of the lettuce.

"I'm a man who makes deals. If you are comfortable with it, I'd like to work out an agreement to where I provide you with anything you might need or desire in terms of funds, clothing, food..." He coats the bite of lettuce in some dressing. "In return, all I ask for is your complete loyalty and companionship. With the ability to negotiate what that looks like." 

You dab your mouth with your napkin, trying to make sense of what he's telling you. If you weren't mistaken it sounds like, "You want me to...be your sugar baby?" 

Miguel smiles, blowing a little air out of his nose. "For lack of a better term, yes." He takes a bite of his  croissant, then a generous sip of lemon water. 

"But, why. Why me? I mean...all the other girls in my dorm at my college, the smart women you work with, surely, there's someone else that would be a more equal fit to you. Why such an interest in someone like me?" 

Miguel pauses, setting down his fork. "Because I see in you what you don't see in yourself. You have potential. You're smart and determined. You've demonstrated you can work hard. You're different. I've noticed you're a lot kinder than your peers. You're humble, and you don't show off." He smiles. 

"You're a perfectionist and you put extra care into your work. I want to make your dreams of medical school happen for you. I see an investment that's very worthwhile." 

"An investment?" You ask. "I'm just a business proposition?" 

Miguel chuckles. "No...no....you are certainly more important than that. Traditionally, with these kinds of arrangements, there's a...a more intimate component to it." His brown eyes shine with the tiniest hint of mischief. "Typically, I'd provide all of this for you, and you'd give me something in return." 

Your breathing gets a little heavier. 

Miguel notices your flustered reaction and smirks, putting a reassuring hand on yours. The warmth of his palm radiating over your skin. "But, my mother raised me to give freely, without expectation of receiving anything in return. I would be fine providing for you as long as you'd let me. As long as you continue to work hard for my company, perform well in your studies, and agree to not to see anyone else while we are involved with one another, but I'm getting a little ahead of myself."

You remain silent, a quiet analysis underway in your mind as he slides a folder to you with a fancy ballpoint pen, the click of it alone sounding like a year's salary. "Open it." 

You obey and open the folder with shaky hands. A lengthy, formal agreement is neatly typed in small black letters, with ample blank space in between some of the clauses of the agreement, presumably for any changes you'd like to make. 

Miguel opens his own copy of the document, taking another fancy ballpoint pen in hand. "Now...this first paragraph details the money aspect of our arrangement. Since I sent you $1,000, that would be considered an advance on your allowance, and I would not send another payment until two weeks from yesterday. Unless, you are needing more before then?" He asks. "Why don't you list all of your debts for me and their respective amounts, and I'll write them down here." 

You nod, going through the list. There's your phone bill, your Netflix account, Spotify, your insurance, groceries, your three maxed out credit cards, a personal loan you owe the bank, as well as anything you need such as toiletries, medicine, and clothing. Miguel takes note of each one and writes it down. The room silent except for the gentle flick of his pen. 

"Perfect. These won't be an issue at all." He scans the next paragraph. "Now, for this portion, I need you to fill out this form." 

He slides you a new paper, and your eyebrows furrow in curiosity as you look at its contents. It almost looks like a personality quiz, asking for your favorite foods, drinks, places you like to go, your favorite colors, your favorite fashion brands, what makeup you like to use, jewelry you prefer, your height, and measurements. 

"What are these for?" 

"These are for me. So I can take care of you properly." Miguel says. 

You feel the area between your legs get hot when you notice one of the items. "F-favorite... position..." 

Miguel smirks. "Like I said, we can negotiate on that portion. I'm not expecting you to do anything intimate with me if you are not comfortable. But if you are..." He stands up, leaning over you a little bit. 

"Then I'd like to know, so I can pleasure you accordingly. In just the way you'd like..." 

You can feel yourself getting dizzy. Everything about this arrangement seemed so good to be true, you had yet to find any downsides to it. But it felt wrong, almost naughty. This man who was supposed to be your boss, now turned into your personal butler, chef, piggy bank, providing and pampering you with anything and everything a girl could possibly dream of or want.

"I...I might be okay with little things like...I don't know...kissing?" Your face heats up and you look down at your lap. Were you really talking out loud, in explicit detail about a proposed physical relationship with your boss? 

Miguel smiles and nods. "Alright..." He jots that down. "Anything else?" 

"Anything but...sex." you say the last word quietly as though it was a sin. 

Miguel gives you a reassuring smile, perking up a little bit in excitement at the idea of you opening yourself up to him a little more physically. "Could you be more specific?" He asks quietly. 

Your face burns and you look around to make sure Lyla or someone isn't around. 

"It's just you and me, cariño..." He says quietly, leaning a little closer to you. "I need you to be as specific as you can about what you are comfortable with doing together. Nobody will know, but you and I..." 

His tone is gentle, just above a whisper. You feel your insides curdle into honey. "Um...kissing, like making out..." 

"Mhmm..." Miguel nods slowly, writing it down. "Please, go on." 

"Um, touching..." 

"Over, or under clothing..." 

"Um.." you bite your cheek, trying to keep your composure. "....both." 

Miguel cocks his head at you, a smile curling on his lips. "You sound unsure." 

You shake your head "No I'm, I'm sure..." 

Miguel looks at you curiously. "You don't need to lie or say what you think I'd like to hear." He sets down his pen. 

"To be frank, your pleasure is positively correlated with my own. In order for mine to be optimized, yours must be completely satisfied...and I'd like to get as much as I can." 

Your eyes flutter and you swallow, nodding. "Ah-okay.... Um...yeah let's just do touching outside of our clothes for now." 

Miguel hums and takes note. "We'll revisit that part later, when we have more time. This next section is extremely important." 

He runs his finger down the page. "Now, these are just a few housekeeping items. I prefer minimal public displays of affection, and if there are any, they are extremely modest. Any public dates we go on will be limited so you are not spotted by the press. You are not to post of our relationship on social media. You must reject any romantic advances from anyone else. Does this all sound okay?" 

You blink a little at the rigid terms but nod. "Okay, yeah, understood." You look back down at the document, scanning over the next paragraph, noticing the next section, "Transparency...so, I'm allowed to ask you any questions I have before I sign the agreement?" 

"Yes, any questions you have, I'll answer. So you know what you're getting into." Miguel says, leaning back in his chair. 

"Have...have you had relationships like this before?" 

Miguel nods. "Yes, I have." 

You gulp, a little uneasy at his answer but you slowly digest it. "Have they been...employees of yours?" 

Miguel pauses as he recollects his memory. "No, admittedly. You are the first. That's why I moved you under Jess's leadership. To try and avoid any entanglements that would compromise my business."

You nod, biting the tip of your pen thoughtfully. "It says here you don't do marriage?" 

"Marriage? No. That's correct. I will not marry anyone." 

You hesitate. "Can I ask why?" 

Miguel nods, taking his seat next to you again. "I built this business from the bottom up. It means a great deal to me. I have entirely too much to lose. My fear for the security of my assets, along with the messy emotions of a marriage are why I refrain from entering into it again." 

"You were married before?" 

"Yes, once. She passed away shortly after my daughter was born." 

"I'm sorry..." You say quietly. 

"Don't apologize, it happened a long time ago. But, my not wanting to get married has caused many of the women who were in your position before to end the relationship. I understand if this is a deal breaker for you." 

You contemplate for several moments. Marriage was something you dreamed of, but with all of the amazing benefits he was offering you, perhaps you could put up with a ring being taken out of the equation, for now. "I think I can handle it." 

Miguel smiles and nods. "Very well...just know that you can terminate this arrangement at any time, and I won't harbor any feelings of animosity towards you if you do. I understand my requirements are extensive, but I intend to make sure it's completely worth it and you are happy and taken care of. If you sign this agreement, you will still be mine entirely. Anything you desire, anything you want. I promise it will be yours." 

His hand finds yours again. "Now...if you'll sign, please?" 

 

You quickly write your signature on the bottom line. A small breath leaving you as he tucks it back into the folder. "Wonderful...thank you. This means a great deal to me...with that said and done..." He takes you by the hand, helping you stand up. 

His eyes look into yours. You hold his gaze, a look of wonder on your face as you look back at this beautiful man who just promised to be all yours. Your wish his command. Every pretty and fine thing in his world at your disposal. He purrs quietly, bringing you closer. 

"Will you put your hands on my chest, please?" He whispers. 

You obey, your lips parting as you feel the dense muscle underneath your palms. A quiet rumble vibrating through him at the sensation of your touch. Your eyelids droop when you feel him bringing his hands to your hips. 

"And...I can put my hands here...?" He murmurs. 

You nod silently, wetting your lips. 

Miguel smirks at this, his own eyelids becoming heavy and he leans down towards you a little bit. "Can I have a kiss, before you go?"

You utter a shaky breath and nod, "Yes..." 

He carefully and gently presses his full lips against yours in a delicate kiss. He was softer than you were expecting. He hums quietly and begins slowly to open his mouth against yours, releasing little breaths into your mouth when you hold the kiss. 

Any anxiety you had about this arrangement seemed to dissapate as quickly as your lips met in a tender first meeting, your body now reacting with a mind of its own, your hands slowly sliding up his body, finding the back of his hair. 

Miguel grunts a little eagerly, pleasantly happy with the way you're responding, and he pulls you closer, sliding his tongue into your mouth, sucking your bottom lip, using one of his hands to angle your head, requesting permission to leave his kisses elsewhere besides your lips. You groan and tilt your head back, letting him gently move his lips along your throat. He chuckles against your skin. "Perfect...." 

He sighs and cups your face in his hands, looking at you with adoring eyes. "I have to go away on business until Friday..." He brings you back in for another kiss, gliding his tongue across your lips, smiling as he hears you moan open mouthed into him. 

"Mmm….this...should hold me off until then." He presses his forehead against yours. "In the meantime, don't forget to fill out that paper of all your favorite things." He nuzzles the tip of his nose against yours. "I also need your phone number." 

You beam at him and eagerly enter your number into his sleek phone while he gently kisses the top of your head, watching you do it. Before you part, he speaks up. 

"One more thing, with me, you will be looked after and offered personal protection." 

A man enters the room. He's tall and lanky, sporting a grey turtleneck under a fancy tweed black trenchcoat and circular framed glasses with dark brown hair. He's rather cute and looks like a mashup of The Matrix meets Peaky Blinders. 

"This is Noir. He will be your personal driver. You're to let him know where you're going at all times and if there's anything you need, okay? He has my number as well, so any questions or concerns you have for me, you can also relay to him in the event that I'm unavailable." 

"Ma'am." Noir greets you with a friendly smile and polite kiss on the back of the hand. "Your wish is my command. Your safety and comfort is my utmost priority. If you're stuck in front of a train, my only job is to throw myself in front of it." 

Miguel clears his throat, a little annoyed with Noir's dramatics. "Yes...right. Take her home, please. Make sure she has anything she needs until Friday." He pulls you back in for one more kiss and hug. "And I'll see you...." He kisses you tenderly. "Very soon...¿Vale? (Right)

"Right..." You agree, giving him another gorgeous smile. "Thanks, Miguel. I'll miss you..." 

Miguel gives you a warm smile and one more peck on the lips. "Awh...te extraño más(I'll miss you more)." He winks. 

"Take care of her for me, Noir." 

"You got it, boss." 

----- 

Noir drives you in a sleek Mercedes back home, opening your door and making sure you have everything you need before he drives off into the night. 

You walk in your shared dorm with a big smile, only to have it wiped away when you open your fridge. Your leftovers from your takeout last night were missing. You close the fridge with a frown and walk towards your room, pausing outside Isla's room. You hear her voice along with Heather and Vivian's speaking in low volume which abruptly cuts off when they hear someone approaching. 

"Hey..." 

The three girls look up at you from their places on Isla's bed as though you killed their cat. 

"H-have you guys seen my food that was in the fridge?" 

"Don't know, don't care." Vivian snaps. 

You tense up, wondering where this hostility is coming from. "I don't get it, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing's wrong, except Professor Hill came in and bitched at all of us not cleaning the bathroom." 

You take a deep breath. "Okay...but, I told you guys last week, I'm tired of being the only one who cleans it, and this week I'm not doing it, so one of you needs to decide who's taking a turn this time." 

"Um, actually it is your job this week. Since you want to be a whore and sleep around with the boss." Heather says, crossing her arms. 

You feel a knot in your stomach. 

"What are....w-what..." 

"Huh, um what, duh?" Isla responds, mocking you in a deep voice with dramatic facial expressions. "Stop playing dumb. Now you think you're hot shit, getting to skip out on work now that you're his little slut and he's sending you flowers?" 

“First of all, it's none of your business, second of all, why are you privy to any of this, Isla? Did you go into my room while I was gone?” 

“It's none of your business, since you wanna play that game with me, you hoe.”  she retorts. 

"It's not my fault he chose me over your desperate ass, Isla!" 

Isla pauses, then chuckles darkly. "Oh sweetheart...." She gets up, shoving past you and racing towards your room. 

"What the-" you attempt to run after her but Heather and Viviana hold you back, pushing you against the door. "Ow-stop! Please!" 

Isla takes the bouquet of flowers from your window sill and the card, "ThAnK yOu FOr tHe sAnDwICh and fOR yOur DiliGEnt woRK fOR mY depaRtmEnt. EnJOy- Dr. O’HArA!" She reads in another mocking tone. 

"Isla, those are mine!" Heather and Vivian restrain your arms, preventing you from entering your room. "Stop!!" 

Isla smirks and opens your window, tossing the gorgeous bouquet of flowers out of it. 

Your heart sinks from your chest to your stomach and you bolt outside, Heather and Vivian cackling at your expense. 

Your lip trembles and eyes fill with tears as you crouch down, trying to pick up the pieces of the shattered vase and the tattered flowers that lay on the ground. 

----

Noir notices you're not as talkative as he drives you to work the next morning. “Long night?”

“Eh…” you try to brush it off. “Just issues with my living situation.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Noir asks, adjusting his mirror so his gray eyes look into yours. “I'm all ears.”

You make a tiny scoff, running your tongue along your teeth as you recount your confrontation with Heather, Isla and Vivian, sniffing as you tell him how they've made your life hell and picked on you ever since you moved into the sorority.

Noir nods, taking silent notes in his head as he quietly drives.

“Hey…” Noir says to you as you go to exit the car. “Don't let the bastards get you down, little lady.”

You crack a small smile, nodding and entering the building with a loud sigh.

----

After work, as you slide into the backseat, you gasp at the sight waiting for you. A fresh bouquet of red roses and babies breath even bigger and more gorgeous than the old one, with a new note from Miguel.

This vase is shatterproof. ;) Please tell me if they give you any more trouble. You're more precious to me than any flower. I hope this proves it.

All yours,

-Dr. O’Hara

----

[howtfdidthishappen]

Howdy hey, I'm Threa, and damn that feels good to say again. Either way, here's some drawings I made that I forgot to update last time

First, larger drawing that I've been working on for a week and a half and should be able to finish on like Wednesday

And then, smol worm doodle because I got a shiny giritina in Pokémon omega ruby recently :)

[dinoberrypress]

Little Wolves is crowdfunding NOW!

It's finally here, y'all! The crowdfunding campaign for our tabletop RPG of folk tales, fae queens, and werewolves is live on Backerkit~

Support our work here!

From the award-winning publisher behind Motel Spooky-Nine, You’re In Space And Everything’s Fucked, Dinocar and more, Little Wolves is a tabletop role-playing game about adventuring through a realm of folk & fae as shapeshifting werewolves.

In Little Wolves, you’ll craft real-world paper masks that represent their characters, modifying them over the course of their adventures to reflect the marks their experiences leave on them while transforming between your Wolf and Mortal forms!

The crowdfunding campaign aims to bring the game’s vivid world to life in an 8.5” x 8.5” full-color perfect bound book loaded with gorgeous art from a team of 4 artists accompanying setting & mechanics from award-winning designers Julie-Anne Muñoz and Nevyn Holmes. 

The crowdfunding campaign launches May 14th, running through June 11th, 12pm US Central with an initial funding goal of $19,500 USD with plenty of stretch goals to unlock for more art, more content, and even an expansion!

Making masks & shifting forms

In your Wolf form, you have access to the benefits of your beastly Attributes, can sing magical Spellsongs, and can resist harm with your Resolve. In your Mortal form, you'll switch your Attributes, Spellsongs, and Resolve out for strong, flexible Mortal Powers that can turn the tide of any situation they're used in. Through character advancement, you can strengthen yourself as you see fit. Perhaps you favor one form over the other, or you may switch between them frequently. The choice is yours.

The Enchanted Forest

As you explore this dense forest you'll meet the powerful and mysterious Queens and aid them, and their courts, through all manner of quests and favors. As a werewolf, you're uniquely gifted in traversing the forest, capable of making it to every edge of the woods, meaning that only you can learn its deepest secrets.

✨ A free demo/quickstart for Little Wolves is available to download and play, get it here! ✨

[eldritchravens]

Welcome Home - The Homewarming Update : A compilation of the secrets I could find

⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD!⚠️

This post is simply a compilation of all the things I could find during my exploration of the website. I'm not going to delve too much into theories. Enjoy the read!

1- Statics

Every background is now filled with statics. I tried zooming out but I couldn't find anything. Not really a secret, but still interesting to note.

2- It's a dog! Oh, and a pea!

Found in the "Official Welcome Home Cook Book" in the merchandise page. I am... A little worried about Barnaby. For those who are aware, the pea is foreshadowing for a much bigger secret.

3- Audio distortion

Surprisingly, I was only able to find one instance where the audio distorts. In the "Homewarming Storybook Record", when Wally speaks here (timestamp is 18:16), the audio gets distorted. Please let me know if you found more audio glitches on the main website!

4- The page is breathing

I was able to capture something that made my skin crawl. Look very closely at this illustration. It's... breathing. I'm unsure if any other image in the website does that too. Very troubling.

5- Lost track of time

Uh-oh! Looks like our beloved writer is losing their perception of time itself. An effect of the black substance maybe? You can find this on the News page.

6- Pixels? Smudges? Oh, and a new friend!

In The Neighboorhood page, Home now has little white pixels around him? I'm unsure if this was intentional or not. Interestingly, the secret link under Home dissapeared along with every other traces of Wally.

The logo on certain pages looks... dirty? Look closely, there are brownish stains on some letters. This doesn't appear everywhere.

And! New friend! Hello new friend!

7- Symbols!

Okay, now onto the main course. Something I think we've all noticed straight away! There's a ton of tiny little doodles splattered around the website. The doodles are all named after a letter. Here is every letter translated from their respective symbol you can find on the website :

Home : M I O A Merchandise : P Y E R Media : Y G About us : A R Stickers : E News : T Neighboorhood : S F N E Wally : W Exhibition : N Ghestbook : W W W Transcript : Y

"www" huh? Interesting, like a web link. At first, all of this doesn't really mean anything, until we stumble upon this!

Fascinating, it's a code! Eddie here is giving us the translation to every single doodle. Next, if we solve the question here "What does Home wear at parties?", it gives us the next clue we need. The answer is "ADDRESS". Address? Now, remember the "www" thing? That's right! We need to assemble the letters we found to make a link!

8- Away from Prying Eyes

After assembling a link, you will be able to visit a secret page. In it is by far the biggest secret in this update : https://www.awayfrompryingeyes.net/

When I tell you I lost my marbles when I discovered this. There is a lot to say here! Firstly, one thing to note is that unlike any other secrets we had found in previous updates, Wally didn't put this here. Instead, it was this mysterious "W". Go read the whole thing! It's PACKED with information!

"W" purposely put this here for US to find. W is in distress, confused and scared; this looks like a call for help.

Might or might not be important, but the word "Paranoid" here starts with a capital. It did catch my eye, so maybe it is noteworthy.

This entire phone call is absolutely fascinating and gives us answers about the lore. I highly recommend people to give it a listen : https://www.awayfrompryingeyes.net/phone

AND THIS??? OH MY GOODNESS!!! Clown is spoiling us with gifts for this Homewarming! Truly, thank you Clown and the whole WH team, you're doing such a marvelous job. Watch the whole thing here : https://www.awayfrompryingeyes.net/commercials

And what's this hidden among the commercials? Eddie! Remember how I said the pea was foreshadowing? Eddie can hear Home's heartbeat. Well, our dearest mailman doesn't look too well :( Thankfully Frank seems to be looking out for him!

_________________________

Important things to note: This update is almost completely void of any trace of Wally infesting the website. The symbols were placed by the website manager here. Wally is not there anymore. Also, Eddie is purposely left out of the main update, only to be the center of attention in the commercial compilation.

Well! That's all I managed to find for now! Please let me know in the replies if I've missed anything. Thank you for reading, and Happy Homewarming! <3

Edit : Added some new things I just noticed!

[sayhoneysiren]

seductive habits

1. slow down. walk slower. eat slower. speak slower. don’t respond to others so quickly. try to avoid rushing. slowing down gives you a relaxing presence.

2. put your needs first. pamper yourself. always make sure your needs are fully met. never rush into anything or make promises you can’t keep. just keep it real.

3. be mysterious. make your presence a gift that not everyone has access to. it is a privilege to be near you.

4. sensual body language. relax your shoulders. lean into your curves. express yourself with sensuality. instead of being aggressive and showy, be calm and natural.

5. connect to your core. learn to belly dance. do yoga and core exercises. work with your sacral chakra.

6. balance softness and firmness. having a dual nature will make you appear more interesting and irresistible. (ex: assert your boundaries with a calm voice).

7. learn you archetype. know thyself. your strengths and weaknesses. your personality. like and dislikes. you don’t need to change yourself, just embrace who you are.

8. build your confidence. master your fears and insecurities. never compare yourself to anyone. you are ‘one of a kind’ and that is powerful.

9. choose the right target. choose someone who is infatuated with you (not the other way around). seduction isn’t about being weak, it’s about using your targets weaknesses to get what you want. and their weakness is you.

10. enjoy the game. be a naughty child again. break the rules. keep it lighthearted and never get too attached.

follow @succulentsiren for more dark feminine energy posts♠️

[leeeeeeef]

im still thinking abt 3-1's impact on phoenix as a character. because in 3-1 he's so trusting and open and unabashedly friendly until he realizes the truth abt dahlia. and just before dahlia is apprehended, she says this to him:

and after that he.. just doesnt tell anyone anything??? he never did get to tell mia about larry and miles and why he became a lawyer. and he doesn't tell maya either until she literally stops him and forces him to tell her. and he didn't tell maya about miles's disappearance. and he didn't say anything about his involvement with iris at the beginning of 3-5.

and in aa4, that secretiveness is only exacerbated after not only his client but the entire legal system suddenly turned on him. right out of the gate in 4-1, phoenix is very selective with the information he discloses, like when he chooses to plead the fifth and refuses to elaborate on his game with shadi, or when he lies to the judge about his locket (through omission, but a lie nonetheless). and even throughout the game, he never tells anyone about his work on the mason system and he doesn't tell apollo and trucy about their mother.

and not only that, but he works as a poker player!! the entire point of poker is to be secretive and misleading!!! and he keeps up this facade throughout the game, projecting this character of a sleazy, shady poker player, even leaning into the rumors of him forging evidence. all when he's trying to enact generally positive legal reforms!! it's as if he's keeping up this poker face throughout the game, and it only makes him even more secretive and cryptic.

my point is, there's such a stark contrast between the bubbly, emotional, and forthcoming college student phoenix wright and the mysterious, closed-off poker player phoenix wright. and even lawyer phoenix is secretive to a degree!!

and i can't help but think that dahlia's last words to phoenix before she was arrested contributed to that change at least partially. do you think dahlia would have never resorted to murder if phoenix didnt tell anyone abt the necklace? do you think he blames himself for doug swallow's death? he was just innocently gushing about his girlfriend!!! how could he have known it would lead to something like this!?? and if this much harm could have been caused just by telling people about a little necklace, i'd understand why phoenix wouldnt want to talk about his life at all!!

but as much as he's been betrayed or weathered down, no matter how many walls he builds or how he changes, there's one thing that has stayed constant throughout his life as we've seen it, and that's especially apparent with his beanie and locket. his beanie, likely a gift from trucy with the word "papa" stitched onto it, and the locket with a picture of his daughter. both symbols of his love for trucy, just like how he wore the bottle necklace and the sweater made by iris as a sign of his love for her. and if there's anything to glean from these parallels, it's that there's a part of phoenix that never faded away after all those years, that still cares for people so ardently and so strongly and with all his heart. and that's something that will probably never change.

[cyb3rtarot]

How You Love + Healthy Love Advice: Pick a Pile

Disclaimer + Important Note: “relationship” and love refers to ALL KINDS OF RELATIONSHIPS when not specified. Romantic, platonic, familial, etc. Readings are not replacements for professional advice. Don’t force a reading to fit!

pile 1 ✿ pile 2 pile 3 ✿ pile 4

✿✿✿

Pile 1 [moon, man, fish, mountain, sickle, clouds, bear, mouse, dog]:

Hi pile one! You could really like gifts or other forms of physical appreciation; this makes you feel important to others. This could be you giving gifts or getting them, but some of you aspire to dynamics where people freely share and give to each other to the point where one person may be seen as a provider or benefactor (your family could have been generous in giving to you or others?/upbringing could influence why this is important). Or, your presence brings abundance to those you commit to. You encourage people to follow their dreams, you make it seem like anything is possible. This is a way loyalty is demonstrated for you. Help, benefits, gifts, encouragement, etc shows the words someone says are real. You feel relationships should improve the lives of those involved; there should be indications as to how you’ve helped each other grow and move forward (at least physical experiences together at minimum). However, you may have found it hard to determine people’s true character & intentions with this mindset, or people feel this way about you. Some of you are the ones who like to take on that role of sharing wealth, making dreams come true (or you really wish you could). That makes you wonder if people are really loyal to you or just like what you do for them (or you have this fear of the future). Because when giving, you also give yourself.

You want to cut to the chase or get to the gist of it in relationships. If you like someone, you want to dive right in. So, you might be very generous (or expect generosity) with acquaintances who you want to know better, like buying them meals. You might not have known someone long before it feels like it’s been a lifetime. You're able to give pep talks and make people feel strong/inspired without knowing them for long.

Security is extremely important for you. There’s a deep seated/constant stress about trueness, faithfulness, loyalty. This pile is very quick to enter and exit lives, or cut people off. Or, for other reasons you find it difficult to maintain relationships over long periods of time (moving a lot?). It’s a wall put up for fear of loyalty, especially if your fears were proven true in the past by someone important. This could also be how your love feels—very fast, like becoming best friends with someone in two weeks, or entering a relationship three days after meeting. A few of you were the ones who were disloyal to someone important and then lost them, so now that regret backdrops your other relationships.

People may find you confusing and mysterious. On one hand, you desire to improve the lives of those around you and remain steadfast, but on the other hand your presence is ephemeral & transient. You have struggled with remaining loyal to the wrong people for too long (especially family or an abusive partner). You remedy feeling small by showing strength through others.

For some of you, the fear comes from a specific prominent male figure in your history. This person didn’t have a lasting presence,  or you associated their presence with anxiety & unsureness. Your desire to be true to others may be influenced by this yet your willingness to run is also influenced by it.

You help others overcome; you show them how to be strong when things don’t go right. People may find it hard to place what’s so magnetic about you, but it’s the underlying strength, a subconscious commitment to keep going if not a conscious one. 

Some of you go through periods of being far more focused on money or accomplishments rather than relationships; it’s hard to do the perpetual trust fall with others. But, you’re hopeful of good connections in the future. You’ve done a lot of work to begin healing. Even if you’re not sure how to navigate intimacy and still have anxieties, your pure and strong intentions can guide you. 

Your love is like a dream. You seem to spend forever in it, but when you wake up the memory is already faded. You respect yourself and others by recognizing when the dream is over.

Advice for Healthy Loving [Shine Bright Like A Candle, Clock Time rx, ]: 

SLOW DOWNNN DAMN! It’s like you're trying to run every red light in love to get to the destination super fast, but the destination is just like, an empty parking lot or something 😭 That’s how the message wanted to come out lol. You tend to race into things as if there’s a timer on you, like you need to get to the end right now! You need to know who this person is now, you need to understand everything about them now. In your mind if a relationship is meant to last then the pacing doesn’t matter, and if a relationship can’t keep up with your pacing then you might use it as proof that it wasn’t meant to be. But, you aren’t the only participant in this race! It’s like your speeding down the road cursing because you’re gonna be late but everyone else is standing on the side like this “😀?” You might get very jittery and antsy when people take a while to reveal what role they’re going to play in your life. Slow down, you can survive the slower stages of relationships (both getting to know someone and also working through issues) and be glad for it. You can get through it even if it makes you anxious. Some good things take time. The relationships meant to be in your life only grow more beautiful and complex when you let them marinate, and it also gives you a chance to be truly understood, seen, and appreciated. Somebody purposefully dragging their feet is a whole other issue than someone not having an instant, deep connection with you!

A select message for those that know you have been very self-centered in love: this stems from anxieties + fear about self worth & commitment that you need to work on to have more fulfilling relationships.

Extra Details: a brother especially younger (10 year old kid w/ freckles who smiles like the MAD mascot). Unclear relationship with a younger sibling—you feel familial responsibility and want to help them, but both don’t understand the other easily, particularly because of the age gap. Enduring, “boy crazy” (could be someone close to you), “sprinkle sprinkle,” relationships that started out of benefit or convenience, no BS, avoidant attachment style, upper middle class or rich loved ones, South Asia, Taurus N Node/ Moon/ Venus/ ASC/ 4th/10th house (Taurus 10th house could especially be someone else close to you), revenge cheating or revenge in general, not seeking new relationships right now because of one that’s ended, networking event, “forbidden” relationship or love interest, work relationship, violin/viola/cello, I hear “trust fall” again so that could be significant. Absent, anxious, or angry father, hanging out in someone’s house because it’s huge/nice (the friend group treats it like a mansion but it’s really just a big suburban house; McMansion?), living alone (may frequently visit & stay with family anyway), drummers, a friend group from high school, basketball, immigrant family, feeling anxious or lonely but just putting up with it, “people come and go but things…things are forever.” Touch starved?

✿✿✿

Pile 2 [cross, fox, bouquet, anchor, sun, mouse, book, key, coffin]:

Hello pile two! Your love is a warm beacon—a safe shore from ravages of the world. You know how the world hurts people, so you know how to provide real solace. You have wisdom. To others, it might seem like you always have a clever or unbelievable way to overcome things even when the odds seem impossible. You find small but sure ways to survive. Your love shines through the world and reflects off others just by you being yourself. It’s not that you’re some pillar of infinite strength. Most of you actually have a tendency of feeling down and maybe a lot of relationships that ended? So you might be like “huh” at what I’m saying lol. But you’ve been through so many things and actually learned the lessons or grew in your emotional intelligence from them, and now you naturally exude warmth towards those you love since you know how hard life is. 

You excel at reading others and understanding the situation at hand, so you find it easy to know things people like or what they’re going through. People are confused on how you just know or are able to do the correct thing regarding them lol. You strive to be a key that opens doors for others? You strive to make things better in a way others don’t fully grasp. This pile is the type to handle a situation for someone else before they ever knew what was really wrong (if you are spiritual this could include doing spiritual work for others, like protection, cleansing). You could be really adept at helping others through their own grief and anxieties; you help close chapters in other people’s lives (even if you struggle to do the same in your own. You could stick things out when the love or time for partnership has already ended, especially if you think the person will come around if they just understand you more).

For lack of better words, you guys have “baggage?” Just in a life has happened to you kind of way. A lot of you have gone through a major death or similar loss in life and this heavily changed the way you view & give love. You know this lifetime is finite and opportunities come and go, so you want to make the most of it. But, that very fact makes it hard for you to move forward, analysis paralysis out of fear of wasteful actions. You might bear a lot of strong grief that makes emotional vulnerability harder. You could feel like others don’t understand (or don’t want to understand) this part of you, they just see the effects of the “baggage” but don’t comprehend it in itself. Some of you have been treated like you’re hard to love or understand because of this, and you internalized it, so you just move through life with this assumption. A subconscious wall. But, this emotional history is the key to really seeing you as a person, it’s just that not all people are willing or capable. You shouldn’t despair over those people. It’s a blessing to not be bound with people who aren’t willing to bear witness to your reality, who can only be fair-weather loved ones. You & your love aren’t defined by how people treated you.

Some of you also have a secret or something that’s hard to open up about. You might have to be strategic with this info and who you share it with which adds another layer to why it’s hard to be seen by others. Others might have treated you like you were dishonest or crafty because of this, and you internalized that as well. Some people have info or history not everyone should know. As you trust and love yourself more, you alone can decide the appropriate time to share it. With the Sun and key under the fox, I feel like you want to be very open but others have seen what they want to see, not what you actually did? When I connected to you guys I got lover energy but people might not readily understand this about you due to things they’ve heard, seen, or think they know.

You may have gone through a phase where you tried to be more self-serving (or this is how people perceived you) but I don’t really get that vibe from you guys so I think it was/will be a temporary defense mechanism. Alternatively, you need to make sure your needs and desires are also being met instead of trying to be a saint.

A few of you could have strong beliefs or boundaries (religious, moral, etc). This either guides your love & relationships, or you need compatibility with those beliefs for a relationship to be long-lasting.

Advice for Healthy Loving [Keeping Up rx, Falling]:

How this pile shows their love can be very taxing. You are constantly doing all these things, big and so small no one else notices, to maintain the relationship and cover “deficits” you feel anxious about. Or, something related to emotional intimacy is a lot of hard work where you might’ve washed your hands of purposefully pursuing connections. This could be a way to keep control, by constantly trying to find anything that might go wrong or that can be improved/patched. The truth is nothing you do can make things 100% certain. You can balance the whole world on your head, think + do nothing else but the relationship, and the other person will still have their own agency. They’ll still find ways to surprise you. Don’t fight a war with free will (or your desires) or take on everything for your loved ones. They must also manage, grow, and learn from things. A relationship shouldn’t be 400% on your part only. Be smart, protect yourself, but loving others is vulnerable. It’s trusting them and building confidence in ourselves to manage if the relationship does end.

Not everyone you meet will be like the people you once knew.

Extra Details: easily distracted/you distract yourself to not think about things or fill your time while waiting for what you want? (ex, working extra but not because you care about the money or job, you just need something to pass the time), distracting others or redirecting the conversation so they don’t learn about you, pineapples? Sea animals, magazines or zines, creative, in love/infatuated or loves love. Fashion industry. Those that have gotten tarot or psychic readings before (or in other PACs), I wonder if anyone ever told you your energy is hard to read because I don’t think I’ve ever struggled to read a pile as much for no reason 😭 it was like a wall of confusing energy lol, stressing about people “seeing” or knowing you. Feeling like a burden. Some of you are mediums or channelers—if this resonates you receive knowledge through this which guides your relationships, but others don’t understand, so to them it seems like you’re using strange means to get info. You might use this to help others without them understanding as I mentioned. Either way, this pile is very intuitive or innately knowledgeable but it might’ve felt burdensome. Like knowing when things aren’t right, but you can’t explain it, so no one believes you, or you wish you didn’t pick up on things. Some of you have a son you worry a lot about, or this could be the deceased loved one you think about? If you call your emotional history “baggage,” you might feel better or more confident by calling it luggage instead lol This pile is close to me, even as I was struggling to read the energy I knew I could get it because it’s like me! Even if you think no one understands, there are people that do ❣️

✿✿✿

Pile 3 [woman, mountain, heart, stork, coffin, ring, stars, house, whip]: 

Hi pile three! This pile has a lot of childhood trauma or similar experiences that made it harder for you to experience healthy love. This could also be things that happened in the home or domestic sphere, things that happened with someone (especially a feminine figure) that had power over you, things that happened in that area of life where outsiders tend not to see. For some of you this is a long term [ex] partner or spouse? Regardless, those experiences created a huge blockage to expressing love, especially with yourself. It could be a tangible blockage, for example, you might still live somewhere you feel constrained? Right now, you’re entering a new era. There’s a transformation happening to the way you love. You’re in the beginning-middle of this where you feel you’re losing motivation or energy to heal. But, you want better things for yourself (you might have a deep wish or “fantasy” for more fulfilling love?), so you know you have to keep going. “Too late to turn back now” vibes. I’m happy for you guys! This pile should know you’re not going to be perfect just because you decide to heal. But, so much more life opens up. You guys have so much love, such a big heart waiting for YOU to find again. It’s not going anywhere, because it’s a part of you.

I don’t know who needs to hear this but your heart is not impure or tarnished because of what you’ve been through or the kind of person you became. Somebody has some kind of nagging feeling, like your love being less than, or the purity of the love you have has been lost? Purity is not something that can be taken away by others!

When you love, it is final and resolute. You make a strong, long-lasting choice to love. That person has a home in your heart. This can make it hard to leave unhealthy situations behind, you might even want to stay in relationships to prove you can keep loving someone unlike others? Or to prove others wrong? But it also makes your love valuable. “Honest,” I hear. You are not a fair-weathered friend; you will be there in every peak and valley with those you love. For better or for worse. Remember to also give this love to yourself! Because of this commitment you have, your love is very transformative in others’ lives. This aspect especially may help you heal—the commitment through thick and thin, and the grace with accountability you already hold for others.

You guys tend to be very harsh on yourselves. Or, you show love harsher than intended, especially if you’re frustrated that the person could do better. This directly stems from that traumatic or toxic environment mentioned, like defense mechanisms that are now automatic to you. A healthier manifestation of this is you can be sharp-tongued in a witty way, and your loved ones can count on you for more than empty flattery.

Because of your past or the kind of person you are, your heart is very guarded (and most of you prefer it that way). You hold on to your love and rarely give the real deal out. You might appear loving but it's hard to experience it on a deeper level. Other people might feel like they need to pass “tests” with you. They see you care, but they know there’s much more they’re not privy to. If your heart is a home, then people are free to mingle and stroll in the garden, but very few are ever invited inside the doors. You have to be special to get inside. That’s why you’re truly side by side with those who enter.

Advice for Healthy Loving [Power (Moon in Scorpio, 8th house), Such a Curious Dream rx]:

I heard “taking back your power.” This “curious dream” card is about being grounded and coming back to reality, but it’s in reverse. You guys may be getting discouraged; you feel pessimistic but confuse it with being realistic. Or, some of you feel “knocked down” a few pegs, like something was said that crushed the optimism you had. I don’t feel like this pile really gives away their power to others. But, there might be people or environments that hold a lot of space in your heart (not necessarily love)? You don’t rely on others to feel good but you might need to practice grounding methods or something similar because I feel like people are able to control your mood swings. This also applies to you sweeping yourself away in your own pessimism. 

Also, it might not be a person you give your power to but society, or a societal structure. There’s something larger than just one or a few people that has a hold over you, expectations or something about the physical society you live in?? Or an institution. And you need to recognize what this is so you can bring balance to it. I specifically feel like the answer is not to fight a struggle against it but to restore balance or go your own way. Which can include actually moving. Not brute forcing the system but still being subversive using tactical means—and ensuring safety. Another specific message, this dynamic might be mirrored in one of your interpersonal relationships.

In the middle of your transformation you can feel like “wtf am I doing here.” Healing is depicted as a beautiful path to serenity, and it is beautiful but often not in that way. It’s messy, harsh, a whirlwind. You hear these good things coming to people after healing so you set out on the path all enthused, and next thing you know you’re in the middle of a hurricane and don’t feel much better than when you started. That is also healing. It can be serene or it can be a hurricane. But in the messiness is where your transformation is. Idk if any of you live in hurricane zones but after it passes there’s branches and dirt strewn everywhere but a calm feeling too. If you guys have been feeling in the dumps, you might need to hold onto that feeling or image of the peaceful scene of destruction after the storm. Just because your path is messier or harder doesn’t mean there won’t also be serenity and “rewards” I heard. 

Extra Details: you might feel awkward or self-conscious, like you can socialize but you wouldn’t consider it in your top skills lol. Eloise Bridgerton. Likes reading. Dark/adult cartoons, horror, sci-fi, psychological genres. Seeing more dark birds than usual. Public transport, the power might’ve gone out while you were on a train/metro/subway? Courage the cowardly dog. A dark/melancholic time. Power struggles. An overbearing authority, maybe not overbearing in a typical way but their energy is overbearing. Like a guardian whose judgment has a hold on you, or someone/a group whose decisions affect your trajectory. More people in this pile who have guardians who are not their parents. You might give people a serious/stoic/dark vibe but I think it’s the way you carry yourself (like having RBF or wearing a lot of dark/“edgy” clothes). Most of y’alls inner personalities are not so serious or “stuck up” (people might see you that way?). Feeling tired all the time (not sleepiness but exhausted with life). Eye bags, dark circles, or lines. Seeing love as a choice you make every day rather than a feeling. Undertale.

✿✿✿

Pile 4 [tower, ring, heart, child, woman, tree, moon, garden, paths]: 

Hi pile four! When you love, it’s for forever and ever. It’s eternal, ride or die. You pour your love into people with the intention of them always being in your life, to grow old together. You might imagine you and your loved ones as old people together lol. There are a lot in this pile that highly value marriage and family/legacy building, though perhaps not in a traditional way. You might only want a perfect relationship or perfect dynamic and can’t be bothered with the rest (including friends and family), or you might romanticize relationships in a similar way. This pile is very choosy with who you love and you don’t need a lot of people in your life, you may even feel like just one person is enough. Though, I feel like if you wanted a large group of friends you could obtain it. Alternatively, you may have a lot of friends but very high standards for partners, so you haven’t had many if any. I mean this in the present time, as I feel it could’ve been the opposite situation in the past. Some of you might’ve been lonely children, but this only made you more resolute in what you seek. A lot of you guys have big plans for the future so that’s part of why you’re selective about giving your love, because you are considering long term goals.

Because you seek the most long-lasting love, you like having a lot of options lol. You don’t want to be constrained, rushed, or to lose your freedoms and time to the wrong situations. Idk why I want to say situations more than people; you might fear the consequences of being with the wrong people? Or people in your life have ended up in bad situations because of who they committed to and you don’t want to repeat that mistake. When you tie yourself to others you want it to be because you’ve seen many options, you’ve had experiences, and you’ve weighed pros and cons. Not because of a haphazard decision. You want to have freedom within love and commitment; you don’t want to feel regret or amiss. When someone doesn’t seek to change or constrain you, that makes you confident that they’re a safe place. Consequently, there are more people in this pile in their “have fun/live life” phase before getting into big commitments, and this can also extend to material things (career, house, car).

Outings and keeping plans are important for this pile. That doesn’t necessarily mean you go out a lot, but that when you do it’s significant for you. So, quality time and acts of service could be the main ways you show and receive love. Some of you also like to go out because this is how you will observe or bump into new people? Some of you are looking for something in particular. This could also represent part of why you need so much freedom in relationships; knowing you can go where you want and do things without being stopped by other obligations is important.

Of all the piles, this is the one who understands most deeply about the need to love oneself—and put oneself first when necessary. This is not to call you guys self-centered because I feel someone will interpret it that way 😭 There’s an extremely strong energy of commitment you give and you also are able to give this to yourself, whereas other people in their own journey may struggle with giving nothing to themselves.

This pile doesn’t seem romantic but I think most of you are totally hopeless romantics at heart. Even if it’s with close friends or family you could wish to be very mushy or affectionate with them.

It feels very important to be with people who make space for your inner child. Seeing that someone can bring out that part of you and make you still feel welcome shows that you can “put all your eggs into one basket,” that you can trust that person for the long haul. Those who want children in this pile find it (or will find it) very important to be with someone who they view as a compatible future parent.

Your love is a breeze billowing the sails of a ship at sea! You show other people what long-lasting, freeing love is like as opposed to love that holds one too tightly.

Advice for Healthy Loving [Painting the Roses Red sideways, Lead the Way sideways, You Can’t Go Back to Yesterday]:

There’s a few different things I’m getting. Some of you do things or live a certain lifestyle because that’s part of your image, but doesn’t really represent you. You might always act a certain way because that’s how you really were before, but now this lifestyle or personality isn’t as comfortable. For example, if you were always the single friend ready for a good time, maybe you continue to be this way even when there’s curiosity about getting into a serious relationship. Or people expect a certain behavior out of you, and you don’t want to disappoint them, or you feel like people are looking up to you/at you. Your advice is you can’t eternally embody past versions of yourself. You need to operate out of who you are in the present moment, not out of your judgment of what that may be, what you were, out of others’ idea of you, nor out of an image.

There’s also advice to focus on what’s happening in front of you instead of past incidents. Some of you restrict your behavior in a certain way based on past embarrassment or regrets. Like, you may avoid some relationships because of shame surrounding someone you lost in the past? Whatever your individual case, the cards being sideways are not suggesting anything is inherently wrong with your current actions nor that these are purposeful decisions you make. But, love grows when you live in the present instead of only operating out of mindsets from the past.

I also think some of you put on a certain attitude or air about your lifestyle or something you do? For example, acting like you casually date because you don’t care for commitment but maybe it’s also because you’re wounded over something. Or acting very happy-go-lucky at parties to cover up feeling sad. Many of you are in a position that influences others, so being a little more open or vulnerable with your loved ones can be a positive force amongst all of you. Especially if you influence a friend group, sibling, or social media following, as I feel like the actions you take can have domino effects or encourage people to take steps in their own lives. You can inspire people to be their true selves. I just keep getting this feeling that there’s some regret or shame about the past or in your motivations, but that you hide this feeling under something else. It’s a way to vent at or blame your past self, but forgiving and accepting your past self will allow more love and healing.

Extra Details: wanting children, so specific but if you’ve ever watched something with a time loop I feel you guys would be the ones going back over & over to save someone, or to accompany someone. Committed to work, social life, or cultivating your image. Traveling or going out a lot. Obsessiveness. Some in this pile have more of a struggle between wanting their freedom and wanting to settle, there’s this dualistic energy. For example you might’ve been very overtaken or obsessed with others before so you cope by being less attached, but might flip flop between the two? I also think there are more polyamorous people in this pile but I am getting people who might flip flop between monogamy and polyamory at different stages of life. Heavy or significant Aquarius, Sagittarius, or Taurus placements (you might have one singular Taurus placement but find it very major, Taurus 2nd house?). Multiple 11th house placements. You might talk slowly, beat around the bush, or use a lot of filler words to “soften” your delivery (for example, instead of saying your opinion outright you might open with “I don’t know, but I feel like maybe…”). I think you guys need some fiber in your diet or something 😭. You might like silly or “childish” humor (like yo mama or poop jokes). Anxiety when you think about the past so you immediately distract yourself. Content creator, influencer, “local celebrity?” I also heard “fashion icon” lol, might have or be curating designer pieces. That might also be why you like to go out, for the fashion scene or to show off your outfit. Blocked throat and/or heart energy. Wanting to be married + have a family since you were a child, or knowing what kind of relationships you wanted since childhood.

I sense some of you feel judged or chastised reading this but I’m not judging you lol

✿✿✿

[daedelweiss]

NEW MASTERPOST✨

first up: Life Mission: Save My Brothers (Comic) 🌟

"Life Mission: Save My Brothers" is a Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles separated AU (alternate universe) where it explores on the concept that Splinter saved only one turtle after the mutation process: Leo. The other turtles are separated in the world: Raph was brought to and raised by Big Mama to be a Battle Nexus Champion, Mikey was taken by Draxum and trained to become a warrior to combat humans for the Yokai to take over the surface, and Donnie was thought to be dead but was taken in by a mob until he ran away and found Big Mama at the age of 7. Their story involves their process of finding out that they are not alone, that they have family, and how they reunite and become the ninjas they were always meant to be.

THE COMIC:

THE RED KNIGHT'S ARC Episode 1: The Buried Memory

SET 1 (Beginning of Episode)

SET 2

SET 3

SET 4 (End of Episode)

Episode 2: Found Alone (Coming Soon)

WEBSITE 🌟 SPOTIFY PLAYLIST YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

TRAILER:

TAGS: rottmnt life mission AU, life mission AU, life mission comic

more AUs under the cut 💖

Quiet Your Mind (Fanfic) 🌌

15 years into the Krang invasion and everything is going south: food was running low, everyone had to take multiple shifts in multiple jobs, and almost everyone is missing a family member. Mikey's mystic powers haven't developed fully and Donnie's and Leo's were dwindling. There was one way to regain that power, one way to turn the tide to their favor, and, possibly, save the twins' bond.

The cost? Silence.

TAGS: rottmnt quiet your mind, quiet your mind

Pieces of Home 🌊

"Pieces of Home" is an original TMNT iteration where Donnie is the oldest, followed by his twin Raph, their middle sibling Mikey, the youngest turtle Leo, and their little sister April. The turtles were all once human and lived a happy, normal life until one day, a mysterious person cursed them with a green, magical liquid that burnt away their human bodies and mutated them to half turtles. Their father, Splinter, was mutated to a rat and his husband was never seen since. 12 years later, Leo ventures to the surface despite his oldest brother's wishes and finds secrets about his other father. Their journey begins when they discover who he was and when they receive gifts he left them.

(More about the iteration coming soon...)

TAGS: my tmnt, tmnt: pieces of home, pieces of home AU

Links to my other socials can be found in the bottom of the Life Mission website ✨

[hedgehog-moss]

I realised I hadn't posted a greenhouse report since spring, and today seemed like a good day for a 2023 home-grown food review!

2023 was a great year for fruit; my apple & plum trees were so generous! In the greenhouse my most successful crops were tomatoes, red chilli peppers, beans, and pickles. I was able to make spicy plum chutney using my own plums, onions and peppers:

On the other hand I was unlucky with my non-greenhouse vegetables, there were so many insects this year and my courgettes got absolutely decimated. But then I complained about my bad courgette luck to some neighbours and was gifted 9 courgettes and 3 pumpkins. I spent the first half of my autumn cooking and freezing and pickling and preserving to try not to let anything go to waste; I made:

7 jars of pesto (with greenhouse basil); 8 jars of pasta sauce (with courgette-pumpkin-tomato-red peppers-onions-basil, + parmesan); an unknown but large amount of pumpkin-tomato soup (I put them in empty glass bottles and freeze them); 7 jars of spicy plum chutney; 2 small bottles of spicy oil for my pizzas (with some of my chilli peppers; the rest are still drying by the stove to become chilli powder); 5 jars of plum jam and 3 of blackberry jam (I also froze several kg of whole blackberries for winter desserts); 6 jars of pickles (they are delicious!! I'd never pickled pickles before this year, I'm really happy with the result); 12 small bottles of elderberry syrup; 4 large bottles of elderflower syrup; hundreds of little apple sweets; several bottles of apple juice; an absolutely dizzying amount of apple puree / compote / jelly, because I refused to leave any leftover apples for the dormouse population. They are not my friends.

(If you think I'm being too mean to the dormice, please know that a) they are unrepentant thieves; b) I became so competent at hiding my apples that a dormouse ended up sneaking into the shower at night to eat my soap. My bar of homemade (not by me) goat milk soap. It's hazelnut scented so I guess if you're a rodent it just smells like lunch.)

I took some stuff out of the freezer just long enough to take this family picture; though I already gave away a lot of things to guests and neighbours, so it's just what's left! (I also froze enough chopped onions to last until summer I think)

I am terrible at labelling my jars; in my hubris I always assume I'll just remember where I put which kind of sauce or flavour of compote. I never remember. I end up having to give my guests mystery jars, like "this is fruit jelly! Made with... fruits"

So it wouldn't get too monotonous I added various fruits to my apple purees: apple-raspberry, apple-blueberry, -plum, -blackberry... I also made a few jars of apple-pineapple-pumpkin compote because I had too much pumpkin and I regret not focusing on that from the start, this combo tasted so good and was the most cheerful yellow colour.

I finally used my last apples last week, making apple-quince paste which is currently drying in order to become sweets. I bought some pretty & thick paper to origami a few boxes to put them in, so I'll have New Year presents for my courgette-providing neighbours. <3

(My cats are currently banned from this room so they won't try to lick the fruit paste) (they don't even like it, they're just cats)