#no but strawberry milk does come from pink cows

[ivysodaxd]

she’s her idiot

[snugglyporos]

"Oh, they put a picture of a cow so people know it is cow milk. The reason the missing children are on the back is because a lot of humans drink milk, so more people will see the missing poster! Like how, if a human loses their cat or dog friend, they want to put the lost poster where everyone can see it!" Houou explains. "When you go to the farm, you will see. The cows don't go missing."

Gasp! The cows are not missing? Well, that does sound good. But how do baby blocks know this is not a conspiracy of epic proportions?

Actually, a more important question occurs to them! Have heard of strawberry milk. Have never seen pink cows! But have seen brown cows, so make chocolate milk. Are pink cows? She is pink, the poros around her are pink, maybe the milk comes from them?

[fruitzbat]

Food in Devil & the Deep Blue Sea

I thought we'd kick off the Devilverse commentary on this blog with a topic that I get asked about a lot when it comes to my writing. I'll break it down by book and put it under a readmore!

To wit, the one and only thing I can say I ever felt bummed out about with regards to the worldbuilding of Exandria (par for the course for an RPG) was how little focus Exandrian cuisine gets! But I'm not writing an RPG, I'm writing books! And I love food!

Let me know what other topics you're curious about!

Book I: Crowned Teeth

The idea behind a lot of the cuisine in the Hespet Archipelago is that it's supposed to reflect the history of the area: a lot of the free cuisine has a basis in a Nurari custom or cooking method that they taught to those that had come to Nurari communities after having escaped from pirates, but it took on a very different appearance once the communities went their separate ways. For instance, we have the "timanya" that some of the crew eat, which is a free take on a Nurari dish. The word "timanya" is a corruption of the Sardinian dialect word "timagnera", which means an incense burner/thurible. In Nurari tradition, these dumplings are called as such because they're simmered in a pot -- when you lift the lid, the fragrant steam rises in the same way that incense does. The shape of the parcels, as well, is reminiscent of an incense burner.

We see this, too, early on in Vasta when we go to market. Compare the honey-bread and candied currants to the foods that we see in Ganatar: honey and berries are both sweet staples in the region, but where the Nurari put regional berries in barley milk, the free are using foreign products to emulate a similar result.

The Hespet Archipelago in the series is based considerably on the social and economic history of the islands Corsica and Sardinia. This inspiration is also reflected in one of the Hespet's bigger quirks: there are very few cows. You notice that most of the meat and dairy comes from goats/sheep! Sardinia is known for one of its own varieties of cows in the Sarda, which is considered a very small breed. One could also make the argument that the cows are also too busy sunbathing to make milk for the Hespetarians.

Book II: Wine-Dark Sea

"Timanya", as mentioned before, is a corruption of the Sardinian word "timagnera", meaning a thurible or incense burner. We actually see the Nurari dish when Fjord and Jester have lunch in Visumïa, and it's much lighter fare than the free version that Felaun and the Oxendines ate in Viga. While the Nurari still eat boar or cheese as the filling, instead of the dumplings being fried in pink dough, the filling is wrapped carefully in a thin leaf. This and the marrow and beans from the night before are both supposed to illustrate the reversal in the relationship between Fjord/Jester and King, where it's now King leading them through a world that they don't quite understand.

Kingsley's commentary on how to find nice food and drink in Gallu is supposed to serve as an ironic echo of Giada's own predicament, in which all of the good things on the islands and the best of its products are sent far away to succeed.

There's also the granita scene, which was supposed to reflect how much Marquesian influence has touched both the Hespet and the Menagerie Coast (it's the same word, but Jester realizes that the flavors are completely different -- how can a granita shop not have strawberry?).

Book III: Home to Roost, Act I

The Plank King's lunch in Darktow is supposed to show subtle disdain for how much bounty he actually has, and the way he abuses that prosperity (his copious amounts of white wine is for 'swilling out seeds' from between his teeth, for instance) -- a major theme for him in general. These are all things on his table that would take a great deal of effort to acquire, even for him: chilled soup, citrus, parsley, branzino. We see all kinds of feasts with kings where the meat in question is chicken or a suckling pig; I was trying to go for the Denethor vibe while taking into account that Darktow is an island and a maritime power.

But the most important example I can think of when it comes to this part of the book and food would have to be the "henweigh" concept in the Greying Wildlands. The henweigh's specific selection and serving method is very loosely based on something we have in Dublin called a spice bag. I also thought it would be a fun way of alluding to the purple tief's sliding scale of Irishness on the stream (while Tal was going for a Belfast accent and Lucien's accent is somewhat Generic Southern Irish, the inverse is true of spice bags: they're very popular in the Republic, but not so much in the North), and also referencing his bit in canon where he talks about his favorite food being "spiced cream", which as most people have pointed out isn't really A Thing.

Also, "henway" is a Pun Trap much like "updog", "Greek urn," or "Candice". You now have an answer to the question that isn't "8-10 lbs." You're welcome.

[papermoonloveslucy]

THE DESILU DAIRY

Milk!  It does a sitcom good!

The Desilu Dairy is in business providing milk, cream, and yogurt to the Queen of Comedy!  Mooo!

At their Chatsworth Ranch, Lucy and Desi had a dairy cow named the Duchess of Devonshire. Devonshire Cream is a clotted cream dairy product produced from North Devon Cattle in Cornwall and Somerset England.

“The Elves” (1949) ~ Liz (Lucille Ball) and George (Richard Denning) arrive home from vacation to find that someone has been ordering strawberry ice cream from the milkman every day, and the pink trail leads to the doorstep of their new neighbors.

Upon arriving home, the Coopers notice that their porch has been painted white. Upon closer inspection, they realize it isn’t paint - but milk. Their ‘milk card’ has been tampered with to order strawberry ice cream while they were away - yet none is found. During the early part of the twentieth century, dairy products were usually delivered to homes, rather than shopped in a market. The milkman was part of daily life. Housewives would leave notes (or cards, as above) to request items outside their standing delivery order: Milk, eggs, yogurt, butter, and ice cream, were all offered. It was not uncommon to see back porches with milk boxes and or empty bottles ready to be returned to the dairy.  This service has all but disappeared in favor of supermarkets.

“The Sleigh Ride” (1949) ~ Mr. Negley the mailman decides to use his motorcycle to pull the holiday sleigh, but the load proves to much and the milkman’s old horse is pressed into service. Unfortunately, the horse stops at every milk stop on his route. In the days before milk truck delivery, the dairyman in rural America would deliver dairy products by horse and wagon.  

“The Gum Machine” (1949) ~ When George finds the cream for the coffee has soured, he insists Liz tell the milkman about it - stand up for her rights. The milkman arrives, delivers the milk, and then leaves. Liz chickened out. George calls him back to tell him Hogan’s Frolicking Milkmaid Cream was sour. The milkman (Hans Conried) says that Mr. Hogan will take it out on the cow!  He gives them free items instead of losing their business.

MILKMAN: “You see, we can’t afford a radio program!”

“Valentine’s Day” (1949) ~ When Mr. Negley the butcher storms off, Katie the maid (Ruth Perrott) isn’t too bothered. She has a date with the milkman instead! She’s written him a poem which she left it in an empty milk bottle.

I love you, dear, don’t be surprised. Leave two quarts of homogenized!

“The Gossip” (1952) ~ When Lucy overhears a juicy story about Grace Foster running away with the milkman, Ricky bets her she can’t go without gossiping. To win the bet, Lucy enlists the milkman and a jealous Mr. Foster in her scheme. 

MILKMAN: “He’s after me!  All my milk’s gone sour!” 

Bobby Jellison played the milkman, the “cottage cheese Casanova” and “cow juice peddler” (as Bill Foster calls him).

MR. FOSTER: “From now on, we drink goat’s milk!”

“Lucy’s Bicycle Trip” (1956) ~ The gang bikes from Italy to France and takes shelter in a barn for the night. For breakfast, the farmer brings them bread and cheese, but the milk must come from the cow!  

Lucille Ball was able to produce one good stream of milk from the cow, but she didn’t think the lights caught the stream enough for it to show on camera. Writer Madelyn Pugh later said, 

"It was the mangiest cow I’d ever seen. I went down to the set, and Lucy said, ‘You wrote it, YOU milk it!’” 

Lucille Ball shared the cover of a March 1960 issue of “The Police Gazette” with a cover story claiming that “Milk Can be the Drink of Death”!

“Together For Christmas” (1962) ~ After trying in vain to share their holiday traditions, Lucy and Viv decide to go back to traveling to their respective relatives for the holidays. Lucy says she left a note for the milkman. 

Until the end of the 1960s or so, most suburban homes had daily milk delivery, which involved leaving milk bottles on the porch (sometimes in a milk box). If a customer did not wish to have milk (or other dairy products) delivered that day - or for a period of days - it was standard procedure to ‘leave a note for the milkman’.

“Lucy Discovers Wayne Newton” (1965) ~ Newton sings an ode to his dairy cow, “Bessie the Heifer,” a 1951 country-western novelty song.

Bessie turns up again in the final recording studio sequence - with all Newton’s other farm animals. 

“Lucy and the Countess Lose Weight” (1965) ~ On a lunch break at the health farm, Lucy and the Countess realize if they want a drink with lunch, they are going to have to milk a cow. 

To calm Bossie the cow while Lucy milks her, the Countess hums “The Blue Danube”. Lucy punctuates the downbeat with squirts of milk from the cow’s udder.  

“Guess Who Owes Lucy $23.50?” (1968) ~ Van Johnson sings “Happy Birthday to You” to Ethel - the prize dairy cow of a Texas oil tycoon. 

“Lucy the Shopping Expert” (1969) ~ Lucy teaches Kim about getting the best deals in the grocery store. In the dairy aisle, Lucy loses control of the nozzel on a can of whipped cream. 

“Lucy’s Lucky Day” (1971) ~ Lucy goes on a game show named “The Milky Way to Riches” that is sponsored by the Dover Dairy. 

When Mr. Larson the milkman (Billy Sands) rushes in with good news, Lucy teases him by guessing that Elsie the Cow had triplets. Elsie was the cartoon cow mascot of the Bordon Dairy Company from 1936 until it went out of business in the mid-1990s. Larson tells Lucy that she has won Dover Dairy’s customer of the year and will receive a free pint of raspberry apricot yogurt every week for a year.

“Lucy and the 20/20 Vision” (1971) ~ In order to pretend to be surprised by Harry at the door, Lucy acts as if she was putting out the milk bottle. At the time, rural delivery of milk and other dairy products to residential homes was common. In order to ‘recycle’ the milk bottles, homeowners would put the empty bottles on the porch at night, so the milkman could take them away early the next morning. A famous example of this was seen in the closing credits of the primetime cartoon sitcom satire “The Flintstones” (1960-66, inset photo).

“Lucy, the Other Woman” (1972) ~ Lucy's milkman has a crush on her but his angry wife (Totie Fields) thinks Lucy is having an affair with the dairy deliveryman. Herbie Faye plays Lester Butkus the milkman. According to the insignia on his hat, he works for the Cloverleaf Dairy. This means that in the year since “Lucy’s Lucky Day” the Carter family has switched dairies. 

Mr. Butkas brings Lucy a free pint of banana fudge yogurt, adding to his wife’s conviction that he’s sweet as cream over Lucy.   

The Butkus living room. A milkman lives here! 

[clarencethemouse]

Chrissy Cunningham Headcanon Dump

none of these have a purpose to contribute to this world. I just think them and wish to share. Fight me

also I read a few of these from someone else. Whoever that one person was... hi. I don’t remember you. But if you stumble across this in the future, we think the same :) Head canon buddies :)

(also I’m not getting into her eating disorder at all. That’s just not something I want to touch)

first off her favorite colors are pale pink and yellow

we only see her in the white and green of Hawkins High uniforms, but damn does she look good in yellow

her favorite dress in her closet is a yellow and white floral patterned sundress. She usually wears a pale pink fabric headband with it. So cute

but hates wearing it in school cause it would only feed into the cutesy damsel in distress stereotype the majority of the student body has already given her

needless to say, Chrissy isn’t a fan of the entire student body (+ teachers) scrambling to help her and checking for injuries when she trips up the stairs and drops two papers. It’s gotten annoying

seriously I think they would roll a red carpet in front of her feet everywhere she went if given the opportunity. Chrissy is nonetheless THE most popular girl in the high school, and dating THE most popular boy. They’re a little afraid of her

little do they know she’s afraid to step on ants

had a phase where she thought chocolate milk came from chocolate cows

oh but author, didn’t we all?

not like her. Chrissy Cunningham at seven years old was ready to fight someone over her belief of chocolate cows

...and then her parents took her further west into the state on summer vacation to stay with her grandparents, and they had a farm

there were, in fact, no chocolate or strawberry cows

yeah her grandparents have a small farm. Not commercial selling, just raising their own animals for products and tiny farm life vibes

Chrissy actually really enjoyed that summer of her first grade year and asked to keep going back. And that she did

she helped her grandparents on the farm for eight more years until her grandfather died. Her grandmother had to sell the farm and move into their place in Hawkins. It was a very bad summer month for fifteen year old Chrissy

she really likes strawberry filled/flavored pastries

one of her ambitions in life is to own/manage a pastry shop

joined marching band before cheer

now I don’t know what canon has to say about this. And I really don’t give a flying hoot

I actually don’t think she and Jason were dating all that long. At least not as long as the show depicted them to be

I think they were still in their “honeymoon” phase, where everything is still so perfect during the first few months of the relationship. No arguments yet, no noticeable flaws on your partner

I think Jason was head over heels for her, and she was too. At first

then Vecna came along. She stopped feeling safe with her surroundings, hearing and seeing things, and remembering the darkest bits of her past. She was still so afraid of ruining things with Jason, that he may think smaller of her if she were to approach him with big issues, so she kept it quiet

because I certainly know I’m never fully ready to approach my S/Os with Big issues in my life. It can be intimidating to be that open to anyone, much less someone I’ve been with for only several months

and she went to Eddie as a last resort

Chrissy had grown out of the honeymoon phase and no longer felt comfortable with Jason broadcasting their relationship to the entire damn school. He couldn’t see that, and one thing led to another...

moving on

doesn’t like pizza or ranch dressing

always had flashcards on hand for school. Anyone could ask for flash cards at any moment during school time, and there she is. You get a small stack! And you get a small stack!

physically cannot come within three feet of seltzer water

is unable to keep plants alive for longer than a week

---

Chrissy Cunningham my beloved

Robin

[nikki-romero]

The Wild Flower (Tomoki Matsuba x OC) Prologue

It was finally the long-awaited moving day. I was moving into an apartment by myself. My dad helped me get the perfect apartment. The negotiations had gone smoothly and it was time to move in. I decided to walk to the new apartment to learn the new neighbourhood better.

My cousin and I had stopped and checked the map we had.

"Hmm, it looks like it's this way." My cousin, Ayame, pointed ahead of us. The pedestrian light turned green. "Come on!" She rushed across the street. With how excited she was getting, you'd think she was the one starting a new chapter of her life, so to speak.

"Wha-! Ayame!" I called after her. I quickly shoved the map into my bag before running after her. She turned around to wait for me, and her eyes widened.

"Hotaru! Watch out!!"

I looked to the side and saw a white limo heading towards me. I gasped but managed to leap out of the way before it could hit me, right into a puddle of ice-cold water.

"Hotaru! Are you alright?!" Ayame came running up to me, panicked.

"Peachy." I looked at my soaked clothing in utter dismay. Just as I was about to get up from the ground, a gentlemanly man dressed in black stepped out of the limo. A butler? I stared dubiously at him as he reached out his hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm great," I replied sarcastically. I had the right of way. I should not have had to escape death so narrowly. And I wasn't about to take his hand either. I shot him a nasty glare as I got up by myself.

"Your clothing... This is my fault. Allow me to make it up to you."

"What the hell was that? Don't you know how to read a road sign? Jesus Christ, you could have killed me!" I scolded him.

"You're right, I am so sorry." He bowed to me. "I'll get you a change of clothes," the man said gently.

"I don't need it," I snapped.

"Please, I insist. I can't leave a beautiful young girl looking like this. For one thing, my employer would be angry with me."

"Hotaru," Ayame whispered, "Maybe you should accept his offer. He looks like he feels really bad."

"You're too nice," I whispered back before turning back towards the butler. "Fine, whatever."

He smiled as he opened the door of the spacious limo and ushered us inside.

"My apologies. I should have stated earlier. My name is Aoi Shirafuji. I'm a butler to the Ichijo family," the butler introduced himself.

I stilled. "Ichijo?" I repeated.

"Oh, you know Mr Ichijo?" Aoi asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"No, I've just heard a lot about the Ichijo Group," I managed to force out. "The amusement parks the company has built is really quite impressive." I forced a smile. Somehow I felt like I just stepped on a landmine.

We arrived at a large and impressive mansion and Aoi took me to a room with a large full-length mirror and closets full of a wide range of clothing. "This way. Choose whichever you like."

The clothes were both my style and my size. It sent unpleasant shivers down my spine; I felt sick.

"Does a girl our age live here?" Ayame mused. I didn't answer. "Hotaru? Hey, are you okay? You seem a little tense." She furrowed her brow.

"Mm," I choked out. I didn't feel particularly eager to talk about it. "I'm... going to get dressed. Would you mind waiting outside?"

"Uh, yes, sure." Ayame knew me too well. She knew I wasn't being myself.

I took a shaky breath. Then another. Another. I took several deep breaths until I felt slightly calmer. I really didn't want to be here. Feeling like I wouldn't explode, I grabbed the first dress I saw off its hanger, not bothering to even look at it.

There was a knock on the door as I finished getting dressed.

"Yes?" I replied though I hadn't finished fastening the hook of the dress yet. It wasn't Aoi who entered the room.

"I'm Tomoki Matsuba. I'm one of the butlers here. I'm here to pick up the garments that require cleaning," the butler said. Bow-tied, black-suited and bespectacled, he exuded a rigidness befitting of a butler.

"Right. My cousin; did she...?"

"She went ahead to the garden," Tomoki responded.

"Oh." I bit my lip. Now what? I couldn't reach the clip on the back of my dress. I took yet another deep breath." Would you mind helping me fasten the hook on my dress? I can't quite reach it," I said.

"Please turn around." I did as he said and turned my back to him. He swiftly fastened the hook at the back of the dress before speaking again. "I'm going to do your laundry. Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"That would be lovely, thank you," I answered.

"This way." I followed Tomoki to the garden where Ayame was already waiting for me. She was sitting at a table, drinking from an elegant tea set.

"Kyo Aizawa. I'm a butler. Would you like anything else to drink?" Yet another butler introduced himself to me.

"The tea will be just fine, thank you," I replied formally as I sat down. Kyo promptly poured tea into the beautiful cup. "Thank you," I smiled up at Kyo once he was done.

"It's an original black tea blend using roses from this garden," he informed me.

"It smells wonderful."

"I recommend first tasting it black." A delicate pattern covered the teacup.

"This is Queen Rose, is it not?" I inquired, inspecting the cup. It suited the garden, but I was too on edge to enjoy it. Kyo didn't look the least bit surprised that I knew that.

"That's correct. It was produced in the early 18th century at the Raines factory." I nodded as I delicately held the cup and took a sip.

"How do you even know that stuff?" Ayame asked me. My only response was a small smile. Ayame cocked an eyebrow at me, inspecting my lips, and then my eyes. She gently placed the cup in its saucer and leaned over the table. "Hotaru?" she lowered her voice so only I can hear.

I shook my head. "Don't."

Ayame frowned but left it at that.

"It's delicious," I said after having tasted the tea, but the truth was I could barely taste anything. Silence fell upon the garden. Kyo didn't seem to be the talkative type as he watched over us. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed another butler approaching, a charming smile on his face. This family certainly had a lot of butlers...

"What's the matter? You look so serious," he commented.

"I always look like this," I replied calmly.

"Itsuka Matsuba at your service. You met Tomoki earlier. Last name's the same," he said cheerfully.

"Brothers, I take it?"

"That's right. Now, how would you two like some freshly baked scones?"

"Scones sound nice, don't you think so, Hotaru?" she asked, a little too cheerfully.

"Thank you," I replied. We were stuck here until my clothes got cleaned so we might as well.

"The strawberry jam is made with organic strawberries from our farm, and the clotted cream from milk from our cows." Was that supposed to impress me? Without responding, I cut open the scone and took a small bite.

"It's very delicious," I said before taking another bite. After eating, I elegantly wiped my mouth with a napkin and glanced at my surroundings. The garden was well taken care of. It was filled with gorgeous flowers and the landscape was really quite breathtaking. "You have a lot of pink flowers and roses here," I noted.

"We're growing them for a celebration," Itsuki replied.

"A celebration?"

"It will be our employer's birthday in a month. And his daughter will be introduced to society on the same day," he explained. It took everything I had not to tremble. Not to react in any negative way. I swallowed.

"Is that so? I'm sure she must be wonderful," I said, keeping the bite I was feeling out of my voice.

"She is. A bit of a diamond in the rough. But that'll make training her all the more worth it." I had to keep myself from barking a laugh, and almost faltered.

"Oh? In my experience, I've found that the rough diamonds are far more valuable than refined ones." I flashed him one of my most dazzling smiles. His eyes widened.

"Oh, how do you figure?" he asked.

"I apologise for not being able to put this more delicately, but in this society, I find these 'refined'," I air quoted the word, "diamonds to be little more than sheep." Itsuki didn't hide his shock at my words, and I smirked ever so slightly. "Of course, I don't blame them. They were raised that way. You know, to follow someone else's orders; someone else's plan for their lives. It's been imprinted on them since the moment they were born and it's all they know. Whereas a diamond in the rough, as you put it, is quite rare in high society, but personally, I find it invigorating. It's like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise suffocating world to meet someone who is willing to against the status quo to do what they believe in. You could even say it's like defying gravity, which, in and of itself is already a very impressive feat." I chuckled. "But, what do I know? I'm just a teenager." I didn't fail to notice Ayame's dubious expression directed at me.

Yet another butler walked up to us, holding my freshly cleaned clothes.

"Sorry I kept you waiting," he said. I had to admit, I was taken aback by how attractive he was. But he had a certain vibe that reminded me of my brother, Eisuke, and that usually only spelt bad things. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Yuma Akagi, and I'm the Ichijo family's head butler." Yuma bowed to me.

I smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I would like to apologize for the actions of one of our butlers today," Yuma said.

The corner of my mouth twitched. "I appreciate it. I'm just glad no one was hurt," I added. Yuma nodded.

"Meeting like this was, I think, fate. I hope... that you and I will meet again somewhere." I forced a chuckle as I looked away. If we did, I'd choke all of them. Yuma smiled significantly as he took my hand, then he gently kissed the back of it. The gesture was familiar, but it never got any easier to bear. "You were in the midst of moving. I'll have the limousine take you," he said.

"Thank you," I replied. I quietly watched Yuma give instructions to the other butlers.

After changing my clothes, Ayame and I got into the limo together with Yuma.

Ayame gave me another worried look as she was dropped off. "Hey, um, call me. Okay?"

"Sure." I nodded.

"Again, I am very sorry about today," Yuma said. It seemed like his attention was focused solely on me.

"It's alright."

"How did you find the house?"

"It was gorgeous. Absolutely breath-taking," I replied.

Yuma smiled, brimming with elegance and grace, but I could tell he wasn't actually buying a word I said.

We weren't far from the new apartment when the limousine came to a sudden stop.

"Are you alright?" Yuma's arms were around me, steadying me after the abrupt braking. I felt myself stiffen; my blood ran cold. In a panic, I pushed away from him. "Miss?"

"Sorry, I just don't handle physical contact very well." I shifted uncomfortably.

"I... apologize," Yuma said as he moved away from me. I shook my head.

"It's fine. But is there a problem?" I asked, looking away from him and out the window in an attempt to get rid of the tension in the atmosphere.

"It appears the road narrows up ahead. The car can't continue. This is as far as we can take you," Yuma explained.

"Here is fine. Thanks for bringing me this far."

"Before you go, might I ask how you found our service?" Yuma asked. An odd thing for a butler to ask.

"Oh, your service was superb." I got a sudden idea. "You're definitely on Geo's level."

"Geo?" Yuma asked. The corner of my lips tugged upwards. I got him. Hook, line, and sinker.

"My dad's butler," I replied innocently.

"Your... Dad?"

"Oh! I just realised I never introduced myself. Apologies. I'm just so used to people knowing I am. I'm Hotaru Ichinomiya."

"A pleasure, Miss Ichinomiya." Yuma smiled, but it was forced.

"I know this is probably common knowledge, but my dad, Akira, adopted both me and my brother, Eisuke. You see, my biological father abandoned me and my mother a long time ago."

Yuma's façade almost faltered, and I saw that. I was right; he knew!

"Abandoned?" Yuma asked, almost hesitantly.

"Yep. He didn't even show up for my mother's funeral after she died."

Yuma looked away. "I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps there was a reason he couldn't take care of you?"

I leaned back in my seat. "I don't care."

"You... Don't care?" God, how many more times was he going to feel inclined to make me repeat what I said?

"I don't. No excuse he could have would ever be good enough."

"I'm sure he must love you." I could tell Yuma was choosing his words very carefully without divulging too much information.

"You can't love someone you don't know. I've never even met him. Or talked to him. You see, the way I see it, blood doesn't mean anything. Genetic doesn't mean anything. I'll tell you what does mean something though: When I needed a dad, Akira was there. Akira is my dad. And my so-called father was little more than a sperm donor." Yuma almost choked on his words, and I chuckled. "Not the most delicate choice of words, but it's the truth. The thing is, you don't get to be a dad just because you share DNA. He wasn't there when I needed him the most, and he has no right to take up that role now." Yuma was speechless. "But I'm sorry to dump all of that on you like that. That was really silly and unfair of me. Please, forget I said anything." I made a show of giving a nervous laugh.

"Not at all." Yuma knew I was full of it. And I knew he knew that, but he didn't say anything more.

"Well, it's getting dark. I really should be going."

"Of course." He got out of the car before I did and held the door open for me. I bowed politely to him and turned to leave. I was happy to see the moving truck in front of the building when I finally got there.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry I'm so late. I'm Hotaru Ichinomiya."

"We've brought everything inside. Have a great day, Miss." With that, the movers left. I stood still for a moment and frowned. They brought everything inside? I didn't have to guess how they did that. I had a really bad feeling about this. I just hoped to god I was wrong. I inserted my key and unlocked the door.

"Welcome home, Miss Ichinomiya."

I wasn't wrong...

I was unable to hide my disdain as the butlers bowed their heads gracefully. I slammed the door shut behind me. The composure I put so much effort into keeping all day crumbled in an instant. I stared at them, not saying anything.

"We're here to serve you. Starting today." Aoi said. The butlers brought me slippers. I glared at the slippers, then at them, and crossed my arms.

"Well. I wish I could say I'm surprised," I snapped scornfully. I slipped my shoes off, not bothering with the slippers as I walked into the living room and sat down on my sofa. Resting my elbow on the armrest, I pressed my forefinger against my temple and my thumb beneath my chin. "Well go ahead. Give me the whole speech about why you're here."

Itsuki cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "Do you remember when I mentioned our employer's daughter?" he asked.

"Uh-huh."

"That girl..." Itsuki started, only to have his sentence finished by Tomoki.

"... is you." I didn't respond. "But... you already knew that."

"And that surprises you, how? I have the power, money and resources to do just about anything. You really think I'd go through life being oblivious and naïve without looking into who my father is?"

"You're going to be a sophisticated woman by the time of our employer's birthday," Kyo said. Sophisticated. I could socialise quite well in and I knew how to conduct myself, but there were many in high society who would argue that I wasn't quite "sophisticated" or "traditional" enough. Men in high society liked controlling everything, and I had a reputation for going against the tide. But I've never been bothered by that before and I wasn't about to start now.

"Right. Your employer, Kazuma Ichijo. My so-called father."

"Yes." Aoi smiled. I bet women were putty in his hands with that smile. The stupid ones anyway.

I didn't say anything, and the tension in the air grew ever more palpable. I didn't take my eyes off the butlers either.

As the glaring continued, the front door opened and Mr Head Butler walked in.

"Why, hello there, Miss Ichinomiya," Yuma grinned as he unceremoniously locked the door.

"Oh, great. The cavalry's here," I said sarcastically.

"Yuma, she knows," Aoi said.

Yuma grinned. It was a sinister grin; the same one Eisuke got whenever he was plotting something. "I figured as much. Everything you said in the limo... You knew all along who Mr Ichijo is."

"What did she say in the limo?" Itsuki asked, curiously.

I snorted. "Believe me, if I'd known you were Ichijo butlers before I got in that limo, I never would have accepted your half-assed offer. But then again, something tells me whether I accepted it or not, we'd still all be here right now."

"Enough. I cannot allow and Ichijo to utter such vulgar words," Tomoki said with a scowl.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "Oh yes? Try and stop me, four-eyes."

His scowl turned into an expression of both shock and offence.

"Well as fun as this has been, everybody out. Before I report you for break in and entering."

"I didn't expect you'd treat us like crooks. Not when you're the one violating your lease." Yuma held out a piece of paper.

I snatched the paper from his hand and skimmed through the contract until my eyes stopped at a particular 'special feature'. "Personal butler?" I read out loud. And right at the bottom was Akira's signature. My dad wasn't stupid. No way would he have signed this without checking every detail and have the family lawyer go over it for emphasis. Which could only mean he knew about this and didn't tell me.

"We had you come to the house to make the idea more palatable," Aoi said.

"Yes, yes. You set me up. I figured that out hours ago." I got up. "I don't believe this," I mumbled as I grabbed my phone and went into my room. I slammed the door shut and furiously dialled my dad's number.

"Yes?" He didn't look at the caller ID before answering.

"Hi, Dad. It's me," I said in a voice so sweet it sounded sickening even to me.

"Hotaru! I was going to call you in the morning. Have you settled in?" he asked.

"Yes, about that... Did the lease for my new apartment perhaps come with a tiny detail you forgot to mention?" I spoke through clenched teeth.

"The lease?" Akira remained silent for a few moments as he thought. "Oh! You must be talking about the butler service. It was a special they had just for your apartment. I figured having a butler would make your life a little easier."

My eyebrow twitched as I closed my eyes in exasperation. "So you did know about it."

"Of course. You think I'd sign something like that without thoroughly checking every word on it?"

"And you didn't think to warn me about it?" I breathed.

Akira paused. "You're upset..."

"Damn right I'm upset! Dad, you've been duped!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Those butlers! I wouldn't be surprised if they disguised themselves as real estate agents. They probably played on your worry as my dad, too."

"Hotaru, you're not making any sense."

"They're Ichijo butlers! They orchestrated this whole thing! The apartment, the lease, the butler service. All of it! All so they could, and I quote, 'turn me into a sophisticated woman' for his birthday party."

I heard Akira breathe hard over the receiver in an attempt to maintain his composure. "I'm calling Yuzuru."

"What's he going to do? They're practically untouchable, and not because they work for Ichijo. They planned everything to the finest detail and slipped through all the right loopholes. Everything on the lease is legal and you knew about the butler service when you signed it, so we can't even sue them for not explaining certain details on the contract. There's nothing we can do."

Akira paused. "You're right. But there's nothing on the lease about you following their rules. No conditions about you taking any kind of lessons from them. I doubt I need to tell you this, but you don't dance to the sound of their pipes. You dance to yours."

I smirked, relaxing a bit. "You know it, Daddy."

"Good. I'll call you tomorrow. Love you." I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Love you, too."

I took a deep breath before opening my door. Of course they were still there, and they likely heard every word I said to my dad, too. I took one annoyed look at them and moved to the kitchen.

"All sorted out?" Yuma asked sarcastically as he followed me into the kitchen.

"Why bother asking when you heard my entire conversation," I retorted.

There was a moment of silence before Yuma doubled over with laughter.

"I think this will be very interesting indeed," he said as he looked at me with amusement.

I didn't bother responding as I put the kettle on; nothing good could possibly come from interacting with him. I turned around and leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing my arms over my chest.

Yuma's sinister smile returned. I raised my eyebrows in a motion for him to get to the point.

"All you have to do is accept our training on behalf of our dear employer. It's only a month," Itsuki said.

My eyes flitted to him. "No," I said flatly before turning my back to them.

"You had etiquette lessons, but we need to make doubly sure you didn't miss anything. Not to mention kick that flighty nature of yours. Otherwise, you'd just be an embarrassment," Yuma replied with a broad smile.

I barked a laugh. "Wow. That is just hilarious." I turned back to him. "I already told you how I feel about him. And I know you know I meant every word. But just in case you're still processing, allow me to break it down for you. I can barely stomach the thought of breathing the same air as your oh-so-wonderful employer. He can go fuck himself for all I care. And you would be damn lucky if I decided not to embarrass him and his company on purpose, which, by the way, I'm still undecided on." Tomoki opened his mouth to say something. I pointed my finger at him without looking at him. "You say one word about my language, I swear to god I will punch you."

Yuma sighed, exasperated. "How you feel about him doesn't matter. We made a promise to him and we intend to keep it."

I snorted. "Good luck with that." I turned back to the now boiled kettle and prepared some camomile tea. God knows I needed it.

"Alright, it's time you choose," Yuma said. I could hear the amused smirk in his voice.

"Oh, I get a choice, do I?" I retorted.

"Who would you like to be your butler?" Aoi asked.

Next Chapter

[surveys4ever]

28.

What colour is the photo frame closest to you? Gold!

Are your pets asleep right now, if you have any? She was but she just got up to go get water I think.

Would you have any idea what your parents are doing right now? They just went to my cousin’s wedding so I think they’re on their way home now.

How many windows (roughly) does your house have? 16 I think?

Do you have a good relationship with your cousins? When I was younger we were all close but they’re all either insane or bigoted as hell so I have no real desire to keep a relationship with any of them.

What was the last kids movie you saw? We watched Wish Dragon the other day but it was really cute!

Do you know anyone who was born in Africa? Yes! A few guys on my husband’s crew are from Africa.

Have you ever been to an internet cafe? At this day in age, aren’t all cafes internet cafes?

Are there any upcoming events for you to look forward to? We’re going on a lil road trip soon and I’m pretty pumped for that.

Has the year gone quickly for you so far? This year has flown, man.

How many siblings does your significant other have? 4 but one committed suicide a few years ago and I’m honestly not convinced he doesn’t have any other siblings he doesn’t know about. His dad is a bit of a slut.

Are you one of those people who can drink vodka straight? I can, I don’t want to tho.

Have you ever done three or more shots in a row? Yes.

Do you share a middle name with any of your friends? With my mom.

What was the last movie you saw in theatres? Dracula.

How many pairs of jeans do you own? Ummm...over 10 but under 20. Somewhere in there.

When was the last time you showered? The day before yesterday.

Do you know the name of the pharmacist at your local drug store? I do not, haha.

What was the first cellphone you had and how old were you when you got it? Oh lord. It was a pink Samsung flip phone and I think I was in the 8th grade.

Do you use public transport in your town or city? Newp.

Have your parents ever worked in a factory? My dad worked at a pig plant when I was younger if that counts.

Do you have several best friends? A few!

How many lights are in the room you're in? One overhead light and two lamps.

Is there a Hard Rock Cafe in your town or city? Newp.

Do you eat fast food more than once a week? Definitely.

What flavour is your toothpaste? Mint?

Have you ever shared a shower or bath with someone as an adult? I raaaarely shower alone lol.

When was the last time you had a bubble bath? A few months ago.

Are you sleepy right now? Not really!

How big is your backyard? We don’t have one!

Do you know anyone with Tourette's Syndrome? Not personally, no!

What time does your alarm wake you up in the morning? Beebs is my alarm and it’s usually 9:30-9:45.

What was the last zoo you visited? Our tiny little local one.

Do you like crime films and tv shows? Depends on the show but they’re certainly not my favorite.

When you shop, do you take a basket or a cart (trolley)? Depends on how much stuff I need!

Have you ever tasted milk straight from the cow? Yes! My aunt and uncle have cows and I used to milk them when I visited. It was actually pretty fun. The milk has a very...interesting odor when its fresh tho.

What's your favourite sleeping position? On my tummy with my leg up haha.

What colour is the bra you're wearing? As if I’d be wearing a bra while being at home lol. I barely put one on to go out.

Have you ever seen A Clockwork Orange? I haven’t, actually!

Are you bitter about anything? Definitely.

Do you like to make games out of chores to make them more enjoyable? I do!

How many letters are in your best friend's surname? 6, 7, 5, and 5.

Is there anything in your possession that probably shouldn't be? Newp.

What is your favourite flavour of yoghurt? Strawberry or vanilla.

What was the first online account you remember having? Oh god...either Neopets or Whyville.

Do you listen to music to fall asleep? Nope.

Where did you go last time you left your town or city? A different city to go thrifting.

Do you use emojis? Definitely. I don’t feel like I can properly express my emotions without them.

Have you ever wanted to be a lawyer? I can’t argue without crying so I don’t exactly think I would be the best at that.

What percentage of battery does your phone currently have? 86%

What was the last type of soda you drank? A coke slushie, if that counts!

How far away from your house is your favourite place to shop for clothes? Couple miles!

Do you have supplies handy right now to draw something if I told you to? Not on me at this exact moment in time but I have them in the house.

Have you ever been married? Yup!

What does your deodorant smell like? Cocoa butter, apparently.

Is your bedroom more messy or clean at the moment? Not messy but the bed is unmade and there are some clothes on the floor.

Do you use Twitter? I don’t really post anything, I just watch what other people are doing sometimes.

Are you any good at baking cakes and cookies from scratch? I’m a great baker, yeah!

Is there a floor lamp in your bedroom? Newp.

What does most of your weekly or fortnightly income go towards? I section it out into whatever bills we have coming out, savings, groceries, gas, and then a portion that we both get to spend on whatever we want.

Do you have any hidden piercings? (this includes bellybuttons) Nope, they’re all pretty visible!

What month is your birthday? January.

What can you hear right now? I’m listening to the Bo Burnham Inside soundtrack.

[ieattaperecorders]

Something’s Different About You Lately - Chapter 2

The three archival assistants engage in some highly unprofessional office gossip, showing a lack of respect for the esteemed academic institution that employs them.

Read on Ao3

“He’s going to fire me, I just know it.”

Martin sat miserably at his desk - head down, hands at his temples, trying in vain to banish the tension headache forming behind his eyes. Tim leaned over him, casually tossing one of Martin’s little desk toys from hand to hand. It was a stress ball shaped like a Snorlax, and had done very little to reduce Martin’s stress of late.

“Don’t really think that adds up,” Tim said, “why start being friendly if he’s planning to fire you? And wouldn’t he have, y’know, done it by now?”

“Elias, then. He’s going to fire me and Jon knows about it, so he’s acting nice to soften the blow.” Martin pulled at his hair, dragging a few messy curls down over his face. “Or - - or else he’s just happy I’ll be gone soon. Either way.”

“Or, here’s a thought - -” Tim reached over and set the stress ball down on the desk, about an inch from Martin’s nose. “He’s just decided to be nice. Something nice is actually happening to Martin Blackwood but he can’t accept it, because he’s got worms in his brain.”

Martin glared tiredly up through his hands. “I did ask you to stop with the worm jokes, Tim.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Tim put his hands up. “But that’s a thought, right? He probably just feels bad that you, y’know. . . got attacked by a stalker and her army of flesh eating parasites?”

There was some sense in that, Martin had to admit. It hadn’t been long after his encounter with Prentiss that he’d begun to notice changes in the things Jon said and did. Some of them were nice enough - he snapped a lot less, for one thing. He didn’t grumble and complain over little things Martin did or forgot to do, at least not where Martin could hear it. But other things were just baffling. He seemed to ask after Martin a whole lot more. He’d make strange comments and look at Martin like he expected him to laugh. And more than once, Martin had turned around to catch Jon staring at him with an expression that he couldn’t make heads or tails of. It left him feeling scrutinized. As if it was just a matter of time before he slipped up somehow, made some mistake that would upend his life even more.

Oh yes, and then there was the incident two weeks ago when he’d nearly smashed Jon’s head in with a wrench, and he’d said it was fine and they shouldn’t worry about it. Martin almost had a heart attack with that one. And then, then Jon said to call him if he thought he heard something at night? What did that even mean? Was he concerned that his employee would be making frivolous 999 calls from the institute every time he heard the floor creak if he didn’t keep him from it?

If so, well . . . he probably wasn’t far from right, to be honest. Martin had been doing his best to keep it to himself, but he'd been pretty badly wound up lately. Especially at night, when everyone else was gone and it was just him and a thousand files filled with spooky stories to keep him company. And there was always that sensation of eyes on the back of his neck, no matter how many times he told himself that no one else was there.

To say nothing of the creepy noises. It was an old building, and everything creaked at night. The pipes were especially bad, the uncanny susurration of rushing water that through the walls at night. He tried to ignore it, even block it out with music. But as the long, empty nights wore on, it always crept back into his mind. His sleep-deprived brain making it sound like muffled, unintelligible voices. As if there was something just beyond the walls whispering or singing to him. It made him feel sick inside.

He really needed to get better sleep.

Still. If Jon just felt sorry for Martin after everything that had happened, it would at least explain why he was grumbling less and hovering more. Really, Martin should be enjoying the better treatment while it lasted, because he doubted it would stay for long. Jon probably wasn’t going to ever actually like him. But if Martin could gain some ground with his new boss out of pity, well. That was something, wasn’t it? Better than being hated. And despite everything, he still really needed this job.

Tim’s eyes suddenly widened. He gripped Martin’s arm and smiled brightly, looking over his shoulder to the door.

“Hiya boss,” he called, “how’s decoding Gertrude’s filing system going?”

Martin turned to see Jon enter, a rueful smile on his face.

“It’s a challenge,” he said. “I’m afraid it will be some time before we can expect any progress.”

“We really should come up with a name for it,” Tim replied. “Creepy Card Catalog? Dewey Decimal of the Damned? Oh! How about Old Lady Robinson’s Disaster-o-pedia?”

“‘Disaster’ is certainly appropriate.” Jon's tone was neutral, but he didn't hide his smile. He turned to Martin, setting a mug in front of him. “I ah, I’ve noticed you’re always making tea for the rest of us, Martin. I thought it might be nice if someone else brought you a cup.”

It was the mug that Tim had bought Martin as a gag gift shortly after they’d started working in the archive. The one with a black and white pattern that looked like a Jersey cow, with a pink three-dimension udder sticking out of the side. Martin looked at it, then back at Jon who was smiling expectantly.

“Oh. . . thanks?” Martin smiled back, a little awkwardly. “That’s nice of you.”

Jon’s smile widened. It widened a lot, actually. His whole practically face lit up and it was way too much, and it was weird. Maybe Jon didn’t hear people call him nice very often?

"Least I can do. Given, ah - -" Jon hesitated, as if trying to remember what he was supposed to be grateful for. "Well. Given how hard you've been working, I suppose."

“What, nothing for me?” Tim teased.

“Ah . . . I didn’t think to--” Jon frowned, an expression of mild distress on his face. “But I could? I’ll just be a moment.”

Jon turned back towards the break room, and it was clear that even Tim was startled by that reaction. He’d obviously been joking, setting Jon up for a retort or an excuse to complain. It’s what he'd have normally responded with.

“See?” Martin gestured to where Jon had been standing. “That’s weird, right? That’s not just being friendly, it’s . . . I don’t know what it is. It’s an entire personality change.”

“Hmm. Yeah.” Tim blinked at the doorway. “He’s definitely planning to kill you.”

“Don’t joke about that either.” Martin groaned, rubbing his brow. The stress headache had not left, and he doubted it was going to any time soon.

“It starts with tea.” Tim continued, feigning a solemn tone. “Then, bit by bit, he’ll begin slipping you teeny tiny amounts of poison. Once you’re too weak to fight back or run, bam. Briefcase full of snakes.” He shook his head. “The perfect crime.”

"Come on."

"Snakes can't talk, Martin. That means no witnesses."

Martin sighed and reached for the mug. Whatever was going on, he supposed he was at least getting tea that he didn’t have to make. As he took a sip, a familiar flavor bloomed on his tongue and he choked in surprise.

“Yikes.” Tim looked at him with concern. “Is his tea that bad?”

“No . . . no it’s - -” Martin set the mug down, coughing a little, and wiped his mouth. “There’s jam in it. Strawberry jam.”

“Seriously?” Tim wrinkled his nose. “Who puts jam in tea?”

“I do! Sometimes . . . .”

“And you have the nerve to call anybody else weird?”

“I like it! It’s sweet and - - and anyway that’s not the point.” Martin frowned. “How does he know that? I know I never mentioned it.”

“Eh. He remembers strange things sometimes.” Tim shrugged. “He’ll forget that you had to show him how to use the copier, but he’ll rattle off a thousand details about how it works. He’s probably got an encyclopedic knowledge of how everyone in the institute likes their tea.”

At that moment, Jon’s head appeared back in the doorway. “Tim. I forgot to ask. Do you take sugar or milk?”

“Oh, you know it’s both.” Tim grinned, pointing in Jon’s direction.

Jon nodded and ducked back out. Martin looked at Tim, who shrugged.

“Listen,” he said. “I’ve known Jon a lot longer than you. And one thing I can say about him is this - he’s a prick, but he’s not an asshole.”

“What does that even mean?” Martin sighed, picking up the mug again.

“It means . . . he’s just sort of like that,” Tim gestured vaguely towards the door. “He’s insensitive, and kind of snobby, and when he’s in a bad mood he makes it everyone else’s problem. But he’s not mean-spirited. Most of the time I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it, honestly.”

“Realize it or not,” Martin muttered into his tea - - which damn it, was delicious and he was going to enjoy it regardless. “It’s not very nice being on the other end of it.”

“Oh, absolutely.” Tim smirked. “Like I said, he’s a total prick. But I don’t think he wants to be mean. And he doesn’t like thinking he’s hurt someone. You want to know my guess?”

“. . . Sure.”

“The whole worm thing made him take a look at how he’s been acting, especially with you,” Tim said. “And now he feels guilty. Covertly figuring out your awful, deviant tea preferences is probably his way of trying to make amends.”

“Mmm.”

Martin tapped Tim’s arm and looked at the door, which he’d been watching more closely ever since the first interruption. Jon appeared with a second cup of tea, this one in a mug that read “Over Sixty and Still Sexy!” in pink bubble letters.

“Here we are,” he handed it to Tim, looking pleased with himself.

“Thanks, chief.” Tim snapped his fingers. “Oh, hey! Almost forgot, I followed up on Statement 0162102. The woman in Sussex who saw a manifestation in her backyard? You know. The one with the uncanny, owl-like features?”

“Oh.” Jon raised an eyebrow. “What did you find?”

“Well. I looked up her address and as it turns out she lives half a mile from an owl sanctuary.”

“Ah.”

“Went to investigate like you said. Really nice old lady. He scones were a little dry, but she had all sorts of interesting knickknacks that she wanted to show me.”

“Sounds profoundly fascinating.”

“Anyway, I managed to tear myself away long enough to check out the yard. Shockingly enough, found some owl pellets there. So, stop me if you’ve heard this one, but--” he clicked his tongue loudly. “Think maybe she saw an owl?”

Jon smirked. “Another one for the discredited section.”

“That thing’s filling up fast.” Tim observed.

“Quite unsurprising, all thing considered.” Jon sighed, feigning disappointment, badly disguising how smug he was about it. Given his attitude towards the paranormal, Martin expected he believed that every statement should go straight into that pile. “Still. Progress is progress, and elimination is a form of progress on its own. I’ll let you know when I have something new for you.”

“Sure thing. Still waiting for my chance to unmask the creepy old mill owner trying to scare those meddling kids off his property.”

Jon laughed, sharp and loud, before catching himself and putting a hand over his mouth. There was something in his expression when he looked at Tim that Martin couldn’t quite place, and he found himself wondering if Jon had any interest in men. If so, it would make sense for him to be interested in Tim. Everyone was interested in Tim.

“Yes, well. I’d best be going,” he added hastily, nodding at Tim and then Martin. “Work to do. Good afternoon.”

Off he went again, ducking through the door and heading back towards his office. Tim turned to Martin once Jon was out of earshot.

“See?” he said, sipping his tea. “Deep down, the man’s a teddy bear.”

“Hmnn.” Martin fiddled with the handle on his mug. “Well. You and Sasha have known him for longer.”

“We were a duo of infamous murderers in a past life,” Tim said, “and now we’re being punished for it.”

“I suppose if you guys think this is normal for him - -”

He was interrupted by the loud thunk as Sasha appeared beside them, setting a box full of files down on the desk next to his. She looked at them both and smiled brightly.

“Oh, are we talking about how weird Jon’s been lately?” she asked. “Because he’s acting super weird, don’t let this guy over here tell you differently.”

“Right? Thank you!” Martin exhaled, relieved.

Tim gave Sasha an annoyed look. “Thanks, Sash.”

“Welcome, Tim!”

“It’s tough for me to say this," Tim leaned back, shaking his head, "but I’m honestly not sure that we can trust him anymore.” 

“Jon?” Sasha asked.

“No, Martin,” he made a show of putting a hand over his mouth, loudly whispering. “I found out he’s got this weird jam thing going on. Highly suspicious.”

“It’s not even that unusual!” Martin gesturing towards Tim. “See, he thinks Jon just feels guilty because I almost got murdered by worms.”

“Well, sure. I could believe that was it if he was just being less of a grouch. But there’s other things.” Sasha leaned in, lowering her voice. “I was talking to Cora today about some of the things in artifact storage? Jon overheard as he was walking by and he got . . . oddly upset. Went off on a whole rant about how there was nothing good down there and it would be better for everyone to keep their distance.”

“Well, I sort of get that.” Martin had been at the institute long enough to notice the high turnover rate in artifact storage. He’d heard stories. “That place is really creepy.”

“Sure. I don’t like going down there anyway.” Sasha shrugged. “But he was so intense about it. Like he’s trying to keep something shut up there . . . not sure what, though. Kind of thinking of taking a look around, just to see if anything came in recently.”

She reached over towards Tim and grabbed the mug out of his hand, taking a sip from it. He glared at her in mock annoyance.

“And you know when I hurt my shoulder just a few days ago?” she continued. “I asked if he’d let me record a statement about what happened, since some of it was a little bit odd --”

“What did happen anyway?” Tim asked, “you keep dodging me on the details.”

“Why stop now?” Sasha grinned, taking another sip of Tim’s tea. “At any rate, he wouldn’t let me just tell him about it. Handed me a form and said that I should write it down and he would read it afterwards. Was insistent about it, too, even though Elias says we should be committing as many statements to audio as possible.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh, and there’s something going on there. Have you noticed the way he looks at Elias now?”

Martin blinked. “Not really.”

“Hate.” Sasha said. “Not his usual - ‘ah, how dare you have the temerity to exist in my immediate area while I’m working’ thing. I mean real, proper hatred.”

She paused dramatically to let that sink in. Martin frowned. He wasn’t entirely sure what it meant if she was right, but he didn’t like the thought of it. Elias was an okay boss, as far as he could tell - not that he had much experience. But there’d always been this edge to him, something in his eyes that made Martin never want to be on his bad side.

“At first I thought it was an ego thing, you know?” Sasha continued. “That Jon had some new ideas about how things should be done around here, that Elias pushed back on them, and now they were having a pissing contest.”

“Thank you for that horrible image.” Tim said.

“But aside from the recording, he’s not doing anything differently. There’s just this tension between them all of a sudden. Feels like something happened.” Sasha continued, taking another sip of tea. “Not that I have a clue what it is. Yet.”

“Okay Poirot.” Tim reached to grab the now mostly-empty mug back from her. “As long as you’re solving mysteries around here, how about you catch the villain that keeps stealing snacks from my desk? Sometimes in front of me, while I watch her do it?”

“Oooh. Dunno, Tim.” Sasha smiled. “Got to deal with one thing at a time, don’t I? Don’t want to overwork myself on an empty stomach.”

“Speaking of . . . I should probably get back to work.” Martin said, glancing at the pad of notes he’d been ignoring since Tim sat down and started chatting with him. “Got a lot to get through.”

Work had been piling up since he moved into the archive. He wasn’t getting the best sleep, and during the day he was distracted too often. Occasionally he’d spot what looked like one of Jane’s worms and have to drop everything to lift up boxes and move furniture, make certain there was nothing there. Not the best circumstances for productivity. Jon hadn’t commented on it yet, but he was sure to notice if he hadn’t already, and Martin didn’t want to spoil whatever tentative good will he’d gained too quickly.

“I can take some of it off your hands.” Tim said. “I’ve got nothing to do anyway.”

“Oh, uh --” Martin hesitated, looking at the small stack of folders beside him. “Are you sure? I mean, if you don’t mind. . . .”

“Sure. Archival assistants gotta stick together, right?” Tim smiled and gave Martin’s shoulder a gentle shove. Martin smiled back, something soft and grateful rising in him at the gesture.

“Well . . . take your pick, then- -” he held up the two folders containing statements he hadn’t started on yet. “We’ve got, let’s see . . . a guy who thinks his car is haunted because it’s been making funny noises and, uh . . . someone who claims her parrot is the reincarnation of her late husband.”

“Thrilling stuff.” Sasha muttered.

“I’ll take the parrot one.” Tim said, holding out a hand for the file. “I’m good with birds.”

Sasha shook her head and sighed. “Is it just me, or have all the cases we’ve been working on been really, really dull lately?”

“Hey, I’m developing a real appreciation for dull.” Martin held up a hand. “The last interesting case I looked into got me locked in my apartment for a week. I’m pretty happy to have something where the follow-up’s probably going to involve recommending a mechanic.”

“Hmm.” Sasha sighed, glancing with disinterest at the files she’d brought in. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Got some follow-up of my own to do.”

Martin saw Sasha grab her coat off a chair and walk back out the door, leaving the files untouched. He turned his attention back to his own work.

[workofmark]

when your bestfriend only sees you as a friend - mark lee

[a/n: hiii this is my first sort of angst back so i hope it doesn’t suck too much. please let me know what you think of it!] [a/n pt 2: hey fari, remember when you cussed at me in our dms? this ones for you! @zhengtongue]/ master list

We’ve been friends for years, her and I. It was just a typical friendship when it started out. We had the same math class in middle school and the two of us just sort of...clicked. And though I wasn’t worthy of her time, she gave me all of the time in the world.

We continued to be friends all throughout middle school. We hung out often. Her parents even invited me to go with them on a week long trip to a farm that her grandparents’ had owned. That summer, our lips were stained red from strawberries, hair as wild as the wind, doubled over every second of the day with laughter, sleeping with the fireflies, sun kissed, happy. It’s a summer I’ll never forget. A summer neither of us will. A summer that frequents our late night conversations with questions like “Mark, remember when you tried to milk that cow and totally cried?” or “Mark, remember when we swam in the pond all day long and were shriveled up like raisins for days afterwards?” or “Mark, remember when we spent the entire night counting the stars?”

But there’s one question that has never made it into our late night conversations. A question that keeps me up until the crack of dawn.

“YN, remember when I was pushing you on that old tire swing and you stopped, leaned out and kissed me?”

No. She’ll never bring that up again. And I won’t either.

Because that’s what happens when your best friend only sees you a friend.

The summer ends as quickly as ice cream melts on a long day. We enter high school that year. We start to find out more about ourselves that year.

She joins the volleyball team, I join the music club. She goes to all of my recitals, I go to all of her games. We’re each other’s biggest fans. She and I...we’re best friends and everybody knows that.

But we have our own friends too.

I have Haechan from music club, she has Jisoo from volleyball. I have Johnny from forth period, she has Jieqiong from seventh period. I have Jaehyun from the youth center that I play basketball at afterschool and she has...

She has Lee Taeyong.

And I see that way she looks at him.

Lee Taeyong is our student body president - a junior. He’s tall, smart and handsome. He sometimes oversees the music club when our president, Ten, is out. He’s part of the mathletes, a teacher’s favorite, does the morning announcements, best friends with the principal, number one in class rankings from his year, captain of our dance team and volunteers at the animal shelter on the weekend.

His parents must be so proud of him.

That’s why it’s no surprise to see the way her eyes light up when they accidentally crash into each other in the hall, sending her papers flying like some cliché high school drama. I help out too, of course, but all of her attention seems to be on him. I watch her cheeks flush bright pink and the way she stumbles over her words like she always does when she’s nervous. She pushes her hair back behind her ear and apologizes once more.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Taeyong says, smiling gently at her. His persona now is completely different than when he’s on the stage. His eyes are softer, more welcoming. Nothing like the hard glare he gets when he dances. “You’re YN. Right?” I can see her eyes flash with confusion. How does Lee Taeyong know my name? she’s asking herself. He helps her to her feet (while I push myself up off the ground) and says, “You’re friends with Jisoo. She talks about you to me.”

She makes a noise - a squeak almost. “What does she say?”

Taeyong chuckles. “All good things,” he says. “She says that you’re really into movies.”

And that was the first time I lost her.

Her and Taeyong start to date a little over a month after that incident. They’re the talk of the town. She’s known for how well she plays volleyball, she’s known for how kind hearted she is, she’s knows for her intelligence, she’s known for being the perfect match for Taeyong.

I see her less and less. I assure her that it’s okay. I tell her that if I were in a relationship, I would be doing the same thing and would hope she were as understanding as I was. But one too many times, she blows me off for Taeyong and I’m at Johnny’s house, crying over a tub of ice cream.

“Well Mark,” he says, “if you were going to be this heartbroken over her, then you should’ve just asked her out in the first place. You fumbled the ball there, bud. Now there’s nothing left you can do.”

It hurts. I know Johnny is coming from a good place but it still hurts.

It hurts because it’s true. I did fumble the ball. I could’ve asked her out so many times. I could’ve asked why she kissed me that summer so many times. I could’ve done so much but I was so scared of losing my best friend that I decided to just shove my feelings down my throat and let them stop the words from leaving my mouth.

It’s my own fault. And I know that.

But even if I am hurting, I’m still her best friend. I still should help her pick out her outfits for her next date with Taeyong and I should still help her try to find the perfect gift for him for Christmas and I should still be there for her when she lets me. Because even though I may not be her person, she’s still mine.

Yes. She’s still my person.

It’s a little after Taeyong’s graduation when she tells me of their decision.

“We’re breaking up.“ Her eyes are solemn as she says that, kicking the gravel under her feet as she rocks back and forth on the swing at our neighborhood playground. “He’s going to the states to study and doesn’t want me to stay here and wait for him. It’s for the better.”

And just like that, their two years together are down the drain and she’s here with me again.

We spend another summer together that year. This time, we take the long way home. We’re still kids and we’ll be entering our senior year that next year so we decide to spend this summer to our fullest.

“You’re never gonna know what’ll happen next summer. This is the last summer we’re gonna have together before college, Mark. I want to spend it with you.”

Of course the words make me as sad as they do happy. She’s right. Even though we are both applying for the same college, you never do know what will happen after high school ends.

So we spend the entire summer at pools and at the old park we used to play at when we were young. We go bowling and to the movies and blow our allowances on arcade games and photo booths. We spend almost every day together. Our parents don’t see us all day long and come back late at night. They know not to look for us. We always find our way back home.

We always find our way back to each other.

“If it’s meant to be, then it’ll be Mark,” Jungwoo, my next door neighbor, tells me one night after dinner. I had accidentally ranted about my feelings for her after he commented on our framed picture on my nightstand. “Don’t worry too much about it, yeah?”

And then we chow down on snacks and play video games - content.

Because if it’s meant to be, then it’ll be.

And then, before I know it, we’re both on the road, off to college.

College brings stress.

With that, college brings outlets to relieve stress. While college brought me a new guitar and hours in the studio, college brought her Lucas.

Lucas Huang.

He’s a barista at the coffee shop she really seems to like (but now I’m not sure if she liked it for the coffee or because of him).

Lucas is kind, from what my classmate, Jaemin, tells me. He’s a freshman, like us. He’s kind of an airhead but his heart is in the right place. He’s on a basketball scholarship. He comes from a poor family but was blessed with amazing athletic abilities that lead him to receive a full ride to the college we attended. He’s humble. He’s nice.

He makes YN’s heart pound.

They have math class together and he asks her to tutor him.

“But you suck at math,” I laugh as she glares at me over her drink.

“Yeah but Yukhei doesn’t know that,” she snorts.

“Yukhei?” I repeat.

She sighs, as if she’s offended that I didn’t know who the hell Yukhei was. “Lucas,” she grumbles. “Now if you excuse me, I’m late for tutoring.”

“Whatever,” I roll my eyes as she gets up from the table and leaves to the library.

And then it’s like...all she can ever talk about to me is Yukhei. Yukhei this or Yukhei that. Yukhei, Yukhei, Yukhei.

Yukhei who is sooo good at basketball. Yukhei who smells sooo good. Yukhei who is sooo cool. Yukhei who is sooo funny. Yukhei, Yukhei, Yukhei-

“Enough already, dammit!” I snap at her. Maybe I was irritated because I hadn’t slept in two days. Maybe I was annoyed because I had a raging headache from downing coffee after coffee to keep me from falling asleep. Maybe I was hurt because my person was once more, falling for someone who wasn’t me. “I don’t give a damn about Wong Yukhei, YN! And if that’s all you came here to discuss with me then go back to your stupid dorm! I invited you here to make sure you eat! Not to hear about how head over heels you are for that- that- that airhead!”

She huffs, standing up so abruptly that I almost spill my takeout. “I don’t know what your problem is Mark but you had no right to snap at me like that,” she crosses her arms.

“If you knew my problem, you’d understand why I’m acting this way,” I mutter under my breath.

“I’m leaving,” she says, gathering her things from around me just as I notice little raindrops beginning to pelt against the window.

“Hey,” I stop her at the door. “You forgot this.” I throw my umbrella her way and see the way her face softens just a bit.

“Text me when you’re done throwing your fit,” she tells me.

“Don’t count on it,” I reply as I lazily shut the door.

Doyoung, my roommate, laughs as I throw myself down on the bed.

“It truly pains me to watch you, Mark. It truly does,” he says.

“I’m going to sleep. Enjoy your food, hyung. Don’t wake me up until she’s done with her Yukhei phase.”

And I fall asleep.

The next time I wake up, it’s to a body squishing itself between me and the wall. I open my eyes and see a familiar head of hair. I turn to see if Doyoung is home but he isn’t - probably out for the night with his friends like always.

“YN?” I push her hair back. “What’s wrong?”

”I’m an idiot,” she mutters, face flush against my chest. “He has a girlfriend back in China, Mark. A whole ass girlfriend who he’s very loyal to and who he calls all the time and who he loves. And he only told me that after I confessed. What the fuck! I’m a big idiot.”

“Hey, don’t say that. You didn’t know,” I soothe her, sitting up. I reach over and grab the water bottle off the nightstand, thrusting it her way. “If it’s meant to be, then it’ll be.”

She takes a sip after sitting up herself before screwing the cap back on, and leans against the wall. “Yeah. I guess.”

“What?” I know that look. I’ve seen it plenty of times. That look when she wants to say something but isn’t sure if she wants to say it. “YN, just say it.”

“It’s just...what you said to me,” she shrugs.

“What about it?”

“Well,” she says. “What if there’s something that you want, something that you want so badly that you feel like it’s meant to be but in the end, it isn’t? Then what?”

I shrug, too choked up by everything to say anything. It’s suddenly too hot in here and I can’t breathe.

“Like, haven’t you ever liked someone so much and swore you were meant for that person but in the end, you weren’t meant for them?” she asks. I swear she’s doing this on purpose. My palms begin to sweat the more she speaks. “Like...isn’t that just sad? Loving someone who you know wouldn’t ever love you back in that way?”

“Yeah, sucks.” Those are the only words I can manage, my throat too dry for much else. I take the water from her and gulp down half of the bottle in a single take.

“Mark? You okay?” she asks.

“What? Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You sure?”

I nod. “Yeah, let’s just go to bed. I haven’t slept in days,” I remind her before throwing myself down onto the pillow.

She resumes her previous position of having her head on my chest and plays with one of the strings on my hoodie. If she can feel my heart pounding, she doesn’t mention it. Instead, she sighs and says, “Thanks for this, Mark. You’re gonna make somebody very lucky someday, you know?”

I bite my lip. “YN?” She hums in response. “Can I ask you something?” Her eyes flutter up at me, expectantly waiting for me to continue. “Do you think...do you think that it’s okay for two best friends to date?”

“Like how close is their friendship?” she replies. “Why? Are you in love with Jaemin?” she gasps.

“What?! No! Jaemin is not my best friend, by the way. It’s-“ I stop before I say her name. “Just...tell me.”

“Well,” she begins. “If they’re best friends like that and the feeling is mutual then why not?”

“Best friends like that?”

“Yeah. Like...best friends who have always had heart eyes for each other. Not best friends like us.”

“Like us?” I frown.

“Yeah. We’ve never felt that way about each other! That’s why we’re so close and there’s so much trust. No looking so see if there are other intentions or anything like that. It’s just...you and I. Ride or die. Besties for the resties! Right?”

And she breaks my heart for the millionth time.

“Right,” I reply.

Because even if I see her in that light, even if I love her in that way, even if I want to give her the world, I can’t be selfish enough to tell her that. Not when she’s still in the dark, not when she’s already got her hands full with another person’s adoration.

My best friend will always see me as just her best friend.

But I love her so much that I’d rather have that than not have her at all.

Because that’s what happens when your best friend only sees you a friend.

the end.

[dairyking]

does strawberry milk come from pink cows and if so where are the pink cows

The pink cows are right in front of you, you just haven’t opened your eyes 👁👁

[trolldomblog]

Moon Phases and Correspondences

 The moon has been captivating people since the beginning of time. It’s guided our way on the darkest of nights and pulls at the tides as well as our emotions. There are myths and stories about the moon from every ancient culture, and it is still a central part of many pagan religions and spiritual paths. Here we break down the basics of lunar magick into easy-to-digest chunks including the moon’s phases, magical properties, correspondences, and more.

The Magical Basics

The moon seems to grow and then fade over the period of one lunar cycle (one month). This growing, reaching its full potential, and then diminishing is referred to as moon phases. Each moon phase has magical qualities that aid the individual in his or her magic and healing.

Our Connection with the Moon

Why is the moon so important when it comes to magick and spirituality? The moon pulls at the ocean’s tides, and since we’re made up of at least 60% water, it has a profound effect on our lives too. Ever notice how certain people get a little loony on the Full Moon? The terms loony and lunatic stem from the word lunar which means moon. There’s a reason people act differently on the Full Moon, and when we tune into the moon’s phases, we start to notice just how much the moon affects us and our surroundings. It’s also thought to increase paranormal activity, which you can read about here.

The Female Body & The Moon

Just as the moon is reborn, grows, reaches its fullest potential, then wanes again, so do our bodies. For thousands of years, women have noticed their moon cycles (menstruation – the syllable men meaning moon/month) syncing up with the moon’s phases. This is lunar magick at its core. Just as the moon waxes and wanes, so too does the womb. This is why the moon is often associated with the Goddess in forms of neopaganism and Wicca.

Lunar Magick Correspondences

The moon corresponds to certain elements, plants, animals, and gods/goddesses. Feel free to adapt and change to fit your lifestyle, preferences, and needs. Here are some magical correspondences for lunar magick:

Herbal/Plant Moon Correspondences: vervain, moonflower, jasmine, lemon balm, cabbage, camellia, camphor, chickweed, moonwort, gardenia, grape, lemon, passionflower, turnip, potato, pea, cucumber, pear, peach, willow, poppy, mountain ash, mango, wallflower, rowan, cactus

Animal Moon Correspondences: owls, rabbits, wolves, deer, cats, moths, bats, spiders, raccoons, opossum, cows, frogs, dogs, crabs

Deities Moon Correspondences: Selene, Sophia, Thoth, Artemis, Diana, Luna, Blodeuwedd, Man in the Moon, Rabbit in the Moon, Khonsu, Inanna, Hecate, Cerridwen,

Crystal/Stone Moon Correspondences: moonstone, selenite, obsidian, silver, mother-of-pearl, aquamarine, gold beryl, topaz, emerald, clear quartz, coral, pearls

Where to Start with Lunar Magick

Many people don’t know where to start with lunar magick. My first suggestion is to go outside at night and identify the moon’s phase. Do this time and time again until you instinctively know what phase the moon is in. If you can’t see the moon or can’t get outside, you can also use a moon phase app on your phone.

Simple Moon Rituals

Next, start with a simple moon ritual like a cleansing bath on the waning or new moon. Add a few herbs to the water that correspond to the moon (make sure they are safe topically before bathing in them). On the Full Moon, perform a simple candle spell for protection or love, etc. The next time you want to cast a spell or perform a ritual, look up what moon phase is best and perform it then. Lunar magick isn’t complicated and doesn’t take long to learn. After a little while, you’ll notice your emotions and your life corresponds with the moon’s cycles.

Blue Moon

When two moons fall in one calendar month the second is called the blue Moon, and this is the month that we will use for our wishes. It falls in a different month each year, but it is a very powerful moon. The blue moon is always the second of the full moons in the corresponding month. We need to write down aims and goals for the up and coming year. Place them in an envelope and don’t look at them until the next blue moon. Dress your blue moon altar in the colors that correspond to the month it falls into, and place flowers and fruits from that month, also place pictures of things you would like in your life. Stay real here and keep it down to earth.

) O (

January: Wolf Moon

Also known as: Quiet Moon, Snow Moon, Cold Moon, Chaste Moon, Disting Moon, Moon of Little Winter

Plan a ritual of protection around your home and family.

Nature Spirits: gnomes, brownies

Herbs: marjoram, holy thistle, nuts, cones

Colors: brilliant white, blue-violet, black

Flowers: snowdrop, crocus

Scents: musk, mimosa

Stones: garnet, onyx, jet, chrysoprase

Trees: birch

Animals: fox, coyote

Birds: pheasant, blue jay

Deities: Freyja, Inanna, Sarasvati, Hera, Ch’ang-O, Sinn

Power Flow: sluggish, below the surface; beginning and conceiving.

Protection, reversing spells.

Conserving energy by working on personal problems that involve no one else.

Getting your various bodies to work smoothly together for the same goals.

February: Ice Moon

Also known as: Storm Moon, Horning Moon, Hunger Moon, Wild Moon, Red & Cleansing Moon, Quickening Moon, Solmonath (Sun Month), Big Winter Moon

Plan a ritual to ask the Old Ones for help in planning your future.

Nature Spirits: house faeries, both of the home itself and of house plants

Herbs: balm of Gilead, hyssop, myrrh, sage, spikenard

Colors: light blue, violet

Flowers: primrose

Scents: wisteria, heliotrope

Stones: amethyst, jasper, rock crystal

Trees: rowan, laurel, cedar

Animals: otter, unicorn

Birds: eagle, chickadee

Deities: Brigit, Juno, Kuan Yin, Diana, Demeter, Persephone, Aphrodite

Power Flow: energy working toward the surface; purification, growth, healing.

Loving the self.

Accepting responsibility for past errors, forgiving yourself, and making future plans.

March: Storm Moon

Also known as: Seed Moon, Moon of Winds, Plow Moon, Worm Moon, Hrethmonath (Hertha’s Month), Lentzinmanoth (Renewal Month), Lenting Moon, Sap Moon, Crow Moon, Moon of the Snowblind

Plan a ritual to plant your desires.

Nature Spirits: Mer-people, Air and Water beings who are connected with spring rains and storms

Herbs: broom, High John root, yellow dock, wood betony, Irish moss

Colors: pale green, red violet

Flowers: jonquil, daffodil, violet

Scents: honeysuckle, apple blossom

Stones: aquamarine, bloodstone

Trees: alder, dogwood

Animals: cougar, hedgehog, boar

Birds: sea crow, sea eagle

Deities: Black Isis, the Morrigan, Hecate, Cybele, Astarte, Athene, Minerva, Artemis, Luna

Power Flow: energy breaks into the open; growing, prospering, exploring.

New beginnings; balance of Light and Dark.

Breaking illusions.

Seeing the truth in your life however much it may hurt.

April: Growing Moon

Also known as: Hare Moon, Seed or Planting Moon, Planter’s Moon, Budding Trees Moon, Eastermonath (Eostre Month), Ostarmanoth, Pink Moon, Green Grass Moon

Plan a ritual to physically plant your seeds of desire in Mother Earth.

Nature Spirits: plant faeries

Herbs: basil, chives, dragon’s blood, geranium, thistle

Colors: crimson red, gold

Flowers: daisy, sweetpea

Scents: pine, bay, bergamot, patchouli

Stones: ruby, garnet, sard

Trees: pine, bay, hazel

Animals: bear, wolf

Birds: hawk, magpie

Deities: Kali, Hathor, Anahita, Ceres, Ishtar, Venus, Bast

Power Flow: energy into creating and producing; return balance to the nerves.

Change, self-confidence, self-reliance, take advantage of opportunities.

Work on temper and emotional flare-ups and selfishness.

May: Hare Moon

Also known as: Merry or Dyad Moon, Bright Moon, Flower Moon, Frogs Return Moon, Thrimilcmonath (Thrice-Milk Month), Sproutkale, Winnemanoth (Joy Month), Planting Moon, Moon When the Ponies Shed

Plan a ritual to reaffirm your goals.

Nature Spirits: faeries, elves

Herbs: dittany of Crete, elder, mint, rose, mug wort, thyme, yarrow

Colors: green, brown, pink

Flowers: lily of the valley, foxglove, rose, broom

Scents: rose, sandalwood

Stones: emerald, malachite, amber, carnelian

Trees: hawthorn

Animals: cats, lynx, leopard

Birds: swallow, dove, swan

Deities: Bast, Venus, Aphrodite, Maia, Diana, Artemis, Pan, Horned God

Power Flow: full creating energy; propagation.

Intuition contact with faeries and other supernatural beings.

Strengthen connection with supernatural protectors and beings around you.

Power flowing from the Greenwood Gods and trees.

June: Mead Moon

Also known as: Moon of Horses, Lovers’ Moon, Strong Sun Moon, Honeymoon, Aerra Litha (Before Lithia), Brachmanoth (Break Month), Strawberry Moon, Rose Moon, Moon of Making Fat

Plan a ritual to balance your spiritual and physical desires.

Nature Spirits: sylphs, zephyrs

Herbs: skullcap, meadowsweet, vervain, tansy, dog grass, parsley, mosses

Colors: orange, golden-green

Flowers: lavender, orchid, yarrow

Scents: lily of the valley, lavender

Stones: topaz, agate, alexandrite, fluorite

Trees: oak

Animals: monkey, butterfly, frog, toad

Birds: wren, peacock

Deities: Aine of Knockaine, Isis, Neith, Green Man, Cerridwen, Bendis, Ishtar

Power Flow: full but restful energy; protect, strengthen, and prevent.

A time of Light; Earth tides are turning.

Decision-making, taking responsibility for present happenings.

Work on personal inconsistencies.

Strengthen and reward yourself for your positive traits.

July: Hay Moon

Also known as: Wort Moon, Moon of Claiming, Moon of Blood (because of mosquitoes), BlessingMoon, Maedmonat (Meadow Month), Hewimanoth (Hay Month), Fallow Moon, Buck Moon, Thunder Moon

Plan a ritual to decide what you will do once your goals have been met.

Nature Spirits: hobgoblins (small, grotesque but friendly brownie-type creatures), faeries of harvested crops

Herbs: honeysuckle, agrimony, lemon balm, hyssop

Colors: silver, blue gray

Flowers: lotus, water lily, jasmine

Scents: orris, frankincense

Stones: pearl, moonstone, white agate

Trees: oak, acacia, ash

Animals: crab, turtle, dolphin, whale

Birds: starling, ibis, swallow

Deities: Khepera, Athene, Juno, Hel, Holda, Cerridwen, Nephthys, Venus

Power Flow: relaxed energy; preparing; succeeding.

Dream-work, divination, and meditation on goals and plans, especially spiritual ones.

August: Corn Moon

Also known as: Barley Moon, Dispute Moon, Weodmonath (Vegetation Month), Harvest Moon, Moon When Cherries Turn Black

Plan a ritual to preserve what you already have.

Nature Spirits: dryads

Herbs: chamomile, St. John’s wort, bay, angelica, fennel, rue, orange

Colors: yellow, gold

Flowers: sunflower, marigold

Scents: frankincense, heliotrope

Stones: cat’s eye, carnelian, jasper, fire agate

Trees: hazel, alder, cedar

Animals: lion, phoenix, sphinx, dragon

Birds: crane, falcon, eagle

Deities: Ganesha, Thoth, Hathor, Diana, Hecate, Nemesis

Power Flow: energy into harvesting; gathering, appreciating.

Vitality, health. Friendships.

September: Harvest Moon

Also known as: Wine Moon, Singing Moon, Sturgeon Moon, Haligmonath (Holy Month), Witumanoth (Wood Month), Moon When Deer Paw the Earth

Plan a ritual of Thanksgiving for all the Old.

Nature Spirits: trooping faeries

Herbs: copal, fennel, rye, wheat, valerian, skullcap

Colors: brown, yellow-green, yellow

Flowers: narcissus, lily

Scents: storax, mastic, gardenia, bergamot

Stones: peridot, olivine, chrysolite, citrine

Trees: hazel, larch, bay

Animals: snake, jackal

Birds: ibis, sparrow

Deities: Demeter, Ceres, Isis, Nephthys, Freyja, Ch’ang-O, Thoth

Power Flow: rest after labor; balance of Light and Dark.

Organize. Clean and straighten up physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual clutter.

October: Blood Moon

Also known as: Harvest Moon, Shedding Moon, Winterfelleth (Winter Coming), Windermanoth (Vintage Month), Falling Leaf Moon, Ten Colds Moon, Moon of the Changing Season

Plan another ritual of Thanksgiving.

Nature Spirits: frost faeries, plant faeries

Herbs: pennyroyal, thyme, catnip, uva ursi, angelica, burdock

Colors: dark blue green

Flowers: calendula, marigold, cosmos

Scents: strawberry, apple blossom, cherry

Stones: opal, tourmaline, beryl, turquoise

Trees: yew, cypress, acacia

Animals: stag, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion

Birds: heron, crow, robin

Deities: Ishtar, Astarte, Demeter, Kore, Lakshmi, Horned God, Belili, Hathor

Power Flow: to let go; inner cleansing.

Karma and reincarnation.

Justice and balance.

Inner harmony.

November: Snow Moon

Also known as: Dark Moon, Fog Moon, Beaver Moon, Mourning Moon, Blotmonath (Sacrifice Month), Herbistmanoth (Harvest Month), Mad Moon, Moon of Storms, Moon When Deer Shed Antlers

Plan for a ritual to work on ridding yourself of negative thoughts and vibrations.

Nature Spirits: subterranean faeries

Herbs: grains of paradise, verbena, betony, borage, cinquefoil, blessed thistle

Colors: gray, sea-green

Flowers: blooming cacti, chrysanthemum

Scents: cedar, cherry blossoms, hyacinth, narcissus, peppermint, lemon

Stones: topaz, hyacinth, lapis lazuli

Trees: alder, cypress

Animals: unicorn, scorpion, crocodile, jackal

Birds: owl, goose, sparrow

Deities: Kali, Black Isis, Nicnevin, Hecate, Bast, Osiris, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, Skadi, Mawu

Power Flow: take root, prepare.

Transformation.

Strengthen communication with the god or goddess who seems closest to you.

December: Cold Moon

Also known as: Oak Moon, Wolf Moon, Moon of Long Nights, Long Night’s Moon, Aerra Geola (Month Before Yule), Wintermonat (Winter Month), Heilagmanoth (Holy Month), Big Winter Moon, Moon of Popping Trees

Plan for a ritual to help you remain steadfast in your convictions.

Nature Spirits: snow faeries, storm faeries, winter tree faeries

Herbs: holly, English ivy, fir, mistletoe

Colors: blood red, white and black

Flowers: holly, poinsettia, Christmas cactus

Scents: violet, patchouli, rose geranium, frankincense, myrrh, lilac

Stones: serpentine, jacinth, peridot

Trees: pine, fir, holly

Animals: mouse, deer, horse, bear

Birds: rook, robin, snowy owl

Deities: Hathor, Hecate, Neith, Athene, Minerva, Ixchel, Osiris, Norns, Fates

Power Flow: to endure, die, be reborn;

Earth tides turning.

Darkness.

Personal alchemy.

Spiritual paths.

Reach out to friends and family, the lonely and needy.

Zodiac Full Moon Magick

The Moon spends a day or two each month in each of the twelve signs of the zodiac. The sign the moon is transiting through can be used to good advantage during spellwork.

Full Moon in Aries

A good time to perform spells related to job ventures and all new projects related to money. Also, a good time to develop strength and courage, and lust spells. This is not a good moon for performing divination.

Full Moon in Taurus

This moon is excellent for spellwork related to love, creativity, and inner peace. Spells done at this time take the longest to manifest, but the results will be very long lasting and be stable.

Full Moon in Gemini

The perfect time for spells dealing with communications, healing, and uncrossing spells. Be careful- the moon in Gemini can be unpredictable and unstable.

Full Moon in Cancer

Excellent for any spell involving the home, fertility, children, or divination.

Full Moon in Leo

Spells involving leadership, prosperity, fame and career are best done in Leo, but do not perform any spells involving love, or any other emotion, as Leo may actually counteract it.

Full Moon in Virgo

This moon ensures a spell which involves meticulous detail, especially spells involving education, healing, and stability.

Full Moon in Libra

Excellent for working a spell with a partner, and for magick involving marriage, couples, partnership, peace, and fairness.

Full Moon in Scorpio

Use this energy for mysteries, the occult, divination, and sex magick.

Full Moon in Sagittarius

This is an excellent time to experiment with new techniques or magick spells, but it is not a good time for psychic work or divination.

Full Moon in Capricorn

Perfect for spells to manifest life’s basic needs and for stability.

Full Moon in Aquarius

The best time to work on behalf of others, but consciously stay focused on your heart to maintain a higher consciousness with others, and to avoid selfish motives.

Full Moon in Pisces

Perfect for divination and psychic work, past life regressions, and communication with spirits.

New Moon

The new moon is a time of initiation and new beginnings. It is the time to plant a seed of what you want to grow in your life. Making a wish, an intention, a promise, or a vow is a common custom. It is believed that as the moon grows, that your intention or goal will too usually by the time the moon completes its cycle and returns full circle to new again.

The new Moon offers us its energy of intention, to rid ourselves of the negative habits in our life. The energy of the new moon aids us in ridding our minds and bodies of toxic thought patterns as well as eliminating toxic substances like excess alcohol, processed foods, caffeine & tobacco usage. Starting a new project, or discipline should be substantially less difficult to stick to when started during the new moon. it's important to come up with a ritual that has meaning for you, instead of trying to follow any set guidelines (unless your part of an established ritual group).  Astrology expert Molly Hall has some wonderful insights as to creating a personalized New Moon Ritual.

Creating a New Moon Ritual

Gather Sacred Supplies:  Your altar is where you collect your sacred objects -- pictures, found objects and the like. Using herbs with healing or symbolic properties adds to your ritual. Stones and crystals are another powerful ally. Candles are magical, and in its form contains all four of the elements. A small journal on hand allows you to keep a record of your intentions.

Preparing for the Ritual: This is the most important part of ritual, since your commitment is the key. Take a ritual bath with sea salt to clear your field of any negative energies. Sage is an herb used to clear a space and make it sacred for ritual.

Light the end of the sage wand and blow on it until there is a smoldering glow. Use it around your own body, and in the space of your ritual. Clear your mind with meditation, using music or just quieting down in your cleared, sacred area.

Grounding: This is something that's important anytime, for staying connected to earth energy. Signs that you're not grounded are mania, nervousness, racing thoughts and the like. Too often we forget to feel the earth under our feet. I've mentioned Starhawk's Grounding Meditation a few times on the site, and her tree grounding exercise is one of my own daily rituals. In a nutshell, it's visualizing the roots going down into the Earth, through the layers, into the core, and then drawing that energy back up through your feet again. It moves through each chakra, coming out the top and down around you. Try this or another variation of grounding before you set new Moon intentions.

Your New Moon Wishes: After you've cleared a sacred space and settled your energy, you're ready to set your intentions. Make a list of what you'd like to draw into your life and Dream Big! The new Moon is a moment to conjure what seems out of reach, and creating the vision is the first step to making it a reality. But these are not just words on paper. As you write them down as intentions, you are committing to doing your part to make them real. Some call it is co-creating, since you're opening to universal energies to set dreams in motion.

Dreams of the Soul: Your intentions come from the longings that keep coming up. In the days leading up to the new Moon, give some thought to those longings, and see what images, dreams and streams of thought come up. Use symbolic associations to go along with your intentions. Weave in the element for the new Moon and think about the houses and planets that are affected by it. For an earth new Moon, for example, you might plant seeds that represent your intention. Rituals are a way to work with universal energies, and draw attention to the particular life lessons, or arena (house, planet, etc.) that it illuminates for you.

Symbolic Acts: Here's where you get to be creative. If your intentions are to write a book, or broadcast your ideas out to the world, tie them to a helium balloon and send them off. Write them on a stick and offer it to the fire. To open to love, put lavender and a rose quartz in a small pouch, along with the qualities you're seeking. If you're inspired, add a symbolic act to your intention-setting ritual.

Keep them Alive: A big part of success with new Moon intentions is what comes after. Find ways to keep them in the front of your awareness. Put them in a visible spot or keep them in your wallet. Make notes in your journal about your progress. At the full Moon, find ways to take action on those intentions, and celebrate any signs of change.

 Waxing Crescent Moon

During the days that follow a new moon, it’s time to anchor into your intentions. Focus on one thing you want to bring into existence during this lunar cycle. To that end, practice visualizations and affirmations at this time. Write your new moon intention out clearly and succinctly and read it daily.

When the moon is "waxing" it appears to be growing, the period from the dark to full moon phases. It's magnetic energy assists with bringing things to out. This entire waxing period is the best time to work with constructive magic, or magic that builds things/brings things to us.

The waxing crescent is the best time for magic on yourself (or on the subject) pertaining to new beginnings, such as starting a new project or making plans for the future. If you're looking to conjure energies into your life such as a more positive attitude, more patience, more understanding in your relationship, this is the perfect timing for such goals. When you want to cast spells for self-improvement, such as if you want to improve your psychic abilities, to absorb the information in a new class, or bring out your inner beauty, this is the time to do it. Artists or anyone artistic/creative will find this the best time to cast spells or perform meditations that will bring inspiration and passion into your work.

Set an Intention and Tell the Moon

Many people will tell you to set your intention during the new moon, but I think the first days of the waxing phase are excellent for goal setting. I’ll use the restful introspective energy of the new moon to let my ideas marinate. Then when the powerhouse energy of the waxing moon comes thundering in, I’m ready to commit to my intention.

Once I have a goal in mind, I’ll perform a waxing moon spell around it. Your ritual can include anything you want, but if you need ideas, here’s what I do.

Waxing Moon Intention Spell

Go outside or near a window on the first day of the waxing moon. (This happens about three nights after the new moon phase.)

Write an intention (or a word that represents your intention) on a bay leaf and hold it between your palms.

Thank the waxing moon for being present for your ritual. I do this by holding my hands up towards the moon (with the bay leaf still pressed between my palms).

When you start to feel the current of energy from the waxing moon, bring your hands to your heart (still holding the bay leaf).

Spend a few minutes thinking about something that will bring up the feelings you associate with your intention. For example, you want to call in romantic love, so you visualize yourself getting asked out while you’re sipping a cold brew at your favorite coffee shop.

Next, open your eyes and light the bay leaf on fire. Do this in a fireproof container so you stay safe. Wait for the bay leaf to burn completely.

Watch that intention float up to the moon carried by the smoke.

Trust that the moon has received your intention and that it’s already helping you manifest it.

Thank the moon, and your spell is complete.

Come Up with a Manifesting Plan

After you’ve shared your intention with the moon, start planning how you’ll create opportunities for your intention to manifest. If you’ve decided to manifest a new job with this waxing moon, brainstorm some actions you can take to align your energy with that of a new job. You could apply for jobs online, ask friends for leads, carve out time every day to visualize your job or look for internship opportunities.

After you have some ideas, get out your calendar and mark the last day of the waxing moon. (This will be the night before the full moon.) Plan what days you’re going to do each action. Shoot for one action a day towards your goal—even if it’s just a quick spell before you go to bed.

Finally, decide on how you’ll celebrate the full moon. This can be dinner and a movie, tickets to a concert, or a relaxing bath with some wine. Pick something special that you wouldn’t normally give yourself. Whether or not you stick to your waxing moon plan, enjoy your celebration. You and the moon deserve it!

Let’s say your intention is something huge like writing a novel. You’re probably not going to accomplish that during the fourteen days of the waxing moon. It will likely take you at least a few moons to bang out the first draft. If that’s your goal, plan the action you’ll take during this current waxing moon. You could commit to outlining a chapter a day for fourteen days. Or maybe you’ll choose to wake up an hour early to write. After the waxing phase is over, you can think up some ways to use the waning moon energy for your writing project.

(By the way, if your goal IS to write a novel, put your laptop or writing notebook by your window so the moon can shine on it. The waxing moon is great for cultivating creativity.)

If You Need Clarity, Ask the Moon

The moon has been around almost as long as the earth has. It knows things. It can help you if you don’t know exactly what to manifest. You can access the moon’s ancient wisdom by simply asking.

Take a moment each night during this moon phase to close your eyes and send a question up to the moon. Something like, “What should I focus on tomorrow?” or “What should I create tomorrow?” will work just fine.

Imagine your words flying out of your mind towards the moon like a comet. Then open your journal and spend five- or ten-minutes writing whatever comes to mind. You’ll likely get your answer.

Ask for an Unexpected Gift

I do this every night during the waxing moon and it’s brought me so many crazy wonderful things—a new project, an idea for a story, a random check in the mail, a flirty text from someone cute. It makes me smile just thinking about all my moon gifts.

Try it for yourself. You’ll notice quickly that when you work with the moon’s abundant energy, magic happens in the most surprising ways with very little effort. There are two reasons for this. The first is the moon is already putting off a strong manifesting energy. It wants to send blessings your way. The second reason is the moon knows what you want. It’s been shining down on you all your life night after night. You can trust the moon to send some love your way.

Let the Waxing Moon Charge Your Magical Tools

The moon will charge anything its light touches with whatever energy it’s holding. For fourteen days, the waxing moon’s light will be sending out lots of joyful manifesting energy. Set out whatever you’ll need for your manifesting magic, and let the moon do its thing while you sleep.

These tools can include water, magical oils, herbs, crystals, incense, written incantations, journal entries, candles, magical card decks, or your cauldron. The moon won’t discriminate. Whatever you chose to leave out overnight, the moon will make sure it’s already to go!

You don’t have to make a big deal about doing this. For me, it’s like plugging in my cell phone before bed. It just takes a minute, and I go to bed knowing my tools will be fully charged in the morning.

Take a Moon Bath

In addition to charging your magical tools, you can charge yourself by taking a moon bath. To do this, take a blanket or a lawn chair, and sit outside in a place where you get a nice view of the moon. Hold out your arms and let the moon’s light wash over you. Feel its manifesting power as it lands on your skin and seeps into your body. Breathe in the light of the moon. Smell it. Open your mouth and allow the light to enter your body that way. What does it taste like? Can you feel its power?

While you’re soaking in moonbeams, take a moment to admire the moon’s beauty. Notice the light and dark spots from the way the sun’s light hits the moon’s surface. Look for shapes or figures in the moon. Observe any feelings that come up as you’re doing this.

Also, you don’t have to sit. You can dance, jump around, or lay down. Let yourself be wild under the moon if you want. I feel a juicy sort of energy when I do this like I’m connected to all other witches from the past, present, and future.

Maybe you want to go camping and sleep under the moon. Maybe you’d like to cuddle with your lover, your cat or your family under the moon. Experiment with everything you can do in the moonlight. There’s no limit.

My favorite thing to do when I’m taking a moon bath is to revel in the abundance of the universe. I’m reminded that there are more than enough stars, more than enough sky and more than enough moonlight for everyone in the world. What a great energy to bring to manifesting spells!

Invite the Moon to Make Magic with You

Go outside (or by a window if the weather’s bad) and actually perform your magic in the light of the moon. This could be a meditation, a spell or a tarot card reading. It’s a beautiful way for you and the moon to co-create together.

Be curious about this. Notice any unusual feelings that come up during your magic and journal about them. Keep track of the magical results you see. Are you manifesting faster? Did you feel a burst of energy when you lit your candle? Do money spells work better under the moon? What about love spells? Once you get familiar with the waxing moon energy, you’ll start to know what spells are especially potent when you team up with the moon.

 1st Quarter Moon

The Moon is waxing (increasing in light), and 50% to 75% illuminated.  This phase usually begins the 7th day after New Moon and continues until the 10th or 11th. It will be about 7.5 days until Full Moon (from the beginning of this phase).  This is the 3rd in the 8 phases of the Lunar month. The First Quarter Phase begins when the Sun/Moon angle reaches 90º and continues until the angle reaches 135º (when the Gibbous Phase will begin). This phase is the first half of the 1st Quarter (when the cycle is divided into 4 quarters rather than 8 phases). First Quarter Moon rises around mid-day and sets around midnight. She is brightly visible the first half of the night and can often be spotted during daylight hours in the afternoon.  The name First (or 1st) Quarter is used in both astrology/magick and astronomy.

The First Quarter, or Waxing Half Moon, is the time when energies are most conducive to attraction. Unlike the Waxing Crescent, which is best for going within and bringing things out, this is the best time for magic that attempts to draw things outside of yourself to you.

Use this time for spells and meditations meant to attract things you want in your life, such as money, protection or success. It's also an ideal time for attracting people into your life, such as friends, lovers and clients. If you're looking for an animal companion or have one that you want to bond with, this is a good time to perform the workings.

If you're looking for a lost object, or house hunting, etc., this is a good time to perform spells for success in that area to help you bring that which you most desire into manifestation.

How it effects your life

The deceptive imagery of fragility and hesitancy in the waxing Moon are long gone. She is brilliantly lit, growing rapidly, and visible not only a good portion of the night, but in day as well. Strong and prominent, she victoriously casts her light, and casts her spell of confidence and success. Yet she has not reached Full Moon, we are only halfway through the waxing cycle. She has achieved brilliant light, high visibility, and solid form - but far from reaching the goal. She has simply passed the milestone of uncertainty; strength and momentum abound.

Our visions and inspirations, mere vague yet exciting notions at New Moon have taken shape and gained momentum along with the Moon. Plans are becoming solid and real; our inner visions are coming to the attention of others. Excitement and enthusiasm are returning - things are happening, the vision is manifesting. We are shining brightly now, but, like the Moon, we still have a long way to go. Past the details and glitches of the Crescent Phase, we may be facing more real challenges. However, these challenges have a way of exciting and stimulating, because we are also beginning to see some real effects of our efforts; there is something solid to fight for.

How to make the most of this phase

The First Quarter Phase is often referred to as 'crisis of action' because now is the time to move forward. The vision was born during New Moon, it faced the stresses of development during Crescent Moon, and now it's ready to be put into action. Move forward, build momentum, and take action. The question is how? We've defined our goal and developed our resources. Now we need to refine the plan and act on it. We are beginning to see progress, take it and run with it. But don't run blindly, things are propelled forward with great momentum, and the key is to know where you're going, and how you'll get there, so you can make the most of this momentum.

There is a feeling of success, and a sense of accomplishment in the air. Yet the goal has not yet been reached, success has not been achieved. Many people will feel a surge in confidence (or ego) during the First Quarter Phase. It's all too easy to think things are going well, you are working hard, the goal is within reach. However, if you don't pay attention, and make sure all is going well, and that you are working hard in the right direction, that goal which felt so close could slip away before you even realize it. This is a time it's important to be sure of yourself (not only your actions) deep down. Confident and successful feelings based on the beginnings of accomplishments can be great. But they can be fragile. On some level we know it's pre-mature to think we've won the battle before it's over. But things are progressing so fast we feel it anyway - until someone or something points out how far we still have to go. That's why it's important to be aware of how far we've come, and how far we have left. Be realistic, make a plan, tell yourself you can do it – and do it. Don't set yourself up for a fall.

The Moon is in solid form and shining brightly. The energy level is high; so is the level of activity. The First Quarter Moon Phase is what we make of it. In the Crescent Phase, we encountered problems to be solved and things to be done. In this phase we take deliberate action. This is an excellent time for planning, structuring, making decisions and striving for efficiency and productivity. It's usually easier to develop confidence during First Quarter, so if you have confidence and self-esteem issues, actively work on them. This also makes it a good time for taking on difficult or challenging projects. This is a good time to begin a health or exercise program, organize, remodel, change routines - whatever will get things on track and moving in the right direction.

Take a decisive and assertive approach. This isn't the time to 'decide not to decide'. Things are happening, probably faster than you realize, and you want to shape the way they develop. Push for progress and be quick to take action. There is a lot of energy and forward momentum, tap into it and get things done. Remember, that others are feeling the same lunar energy you are. There is an active, confident, and assertive quality to the mood of most people. It's probably best to avoid conflicts, when possible, unless you want a confrontation. When you find yourself at odds with others, try for compromise, but remember the saying "If you act like a doormat, people will walk all over you". This is truer now than during any other lunar phase. Independence and individuality are important elements during this phase. Do your own thing, and do it well? Don't interfere in the progress of others, but don't let them interfere in yours either.

When planning important projects, you need to begin then within the growing portion of the cycle. Any phase during the waxing cycle is appropriate, but each brings a different mood and energies to your project. The First Quarter Phase is good for fast paced and highly active projects. Things began now tending to be more demanding, and perhaps a bit more challenging, than things began during the earlier phases, but also more structured and dynamic. Planning, structuring, direction and decisiveness will be necessary - this isn't the time for beginning passive or casual undertakings. This is the time for dynamic, active projects - for example, the most recent incorporation of Microsoft, as well as the initial release of the Windows platform were during First Quarter Phases.

In ongoing plans and projects, remember this is the time for action and decisions. If you have things that have been in the 'planning stages' for too long, this is the time to get them off the ground. In projects that seem to be at a standstill, give them an active boost. Look over the situation, and see what changes need to be made. Make decisions and take action. Look for ways you can manage your projects better, take control of your life - anything that falls within the realm of structured, assertive, or active progress.

 Waxing Gibbous Moon

The Waxing Gibbous is still a time for constructive magic, best used towards 'reeling in' that which you've been working for already. If you started a project and it's floundering, stalled, if you're at the point when the thing you're working for is coming into the home stretch and you need some extra energy to bring it home, the Waxing Gibbous will give it a boost.

This phase is a great energy for renewing your strength, will and determination to see your efforts through. If you are giving in to temptation on your diet, working hard toward something and feeling burnt out or are at the point where you're getting lazy and distracted from completing your tasks, give yourself a power boost during the Waxing Gibbous.

The Moon is waxing (increasing in light) and 75% to 100% illuminated.  This phase begins the 10th or 11th day after New Moon and continues until Full Moon. It is about 3.5 days until Full Moon (at the beginning of this phase).  This is the 4th in the 8 phases of the Lunar month. The Gibbous Phase begins when the Sun/Moon angle reaches 135º and continues until the angle reaches 180º (when the Full Moon Phase will begin). This phase is the second half of the 1st Quarter (when the cycle is divided into 4 quarters rather than 8 phases). The Gibbous Moon rises in the afternoon and sets in the early pre-dawn hours of the morning.  She is visible from Moonrise until Moonset.  This is the phase when it's easiest to spot her in daylight hours.  One thing that can be confusing, is you will see reference to both waxing and waning Gibbous Moon.  This is typically an astronomical reference, in astrology and magick usually only waxing is called gibbous.  What astronomers call waning gibbous, astrologers call disseminating.

How it effects your life

The Moon is so nearly full, you may have to look twice, or even consult an astrological calendar as we approach the end of the Gibbous Phase. She is brilliant, nearly round, illuminating the darkness of night.  Truly a breathtaking sight.  Her energy is so strong you can feel it as you gaze at the silvery disc overhead. She is nearly full.  Nearly, but not quite.  It almost seems as if she is poised, yet hesitating, taking a deep breath before her big night.  With time and patience, she proceeds along her path.  It will come.  It will be soon.

If we bring our lives into rhythm with the natural cycles, we find ourselves following the path of the Moon.  We are poised and ready, the goal is so near we can almost touch it, almost reach it.  Almost, yet something is stopping us.  We just don't feel prepared, or it isn't exactly coming together as it should. There is one more detail, or one missing element.  We encounter a last-minute glitch.  Something isn't quite right; something isn't quite ready.  So very close, but not quite, not yet.  Do we give up, after working this long and hard, after pouring so much energy into it in the First Quarter Phase?  Not if we are following the Moon's path; not if we are following her example and flowing with her energy.  We continue, certain that it will happen, it will come, and it will be soon.

How to make the most of this phase

Look at the Moon and feel the Moon.  Draw from, join in her strength and certainty.  The Gibbous Phase holds a great deal of power and potential.  It may take some patience and determination to tap into it.  We find ourselves at the precarious point of being very close to a goal. The vision born at New moon is nearly materialized.  We may think we've made it.  Then something comes up, but don't look at it as a bad thing.  This phase is about refining, fine-tuning, and tuning in. What you have begun may seem ready, but it can be better.  Challenges, really, are always opportunities in disguise.  But this is truer than ever during the Gibbous Phase.  When you find yourself encountering glitches in your plans, realize that it is fortunate they were discovered at this stage, and most likely the result will be improving and enriching your endeavors.

Impatience is so strong you can feel it in the air during Gibbous Phase. Yet patience is one of your best allies.  However, this isn't the sit quietly and wait type patience.  This phase call for having the patience to do things right, analyze, refine, strengthen, perfect…  There is far too much to do for idly waiting, or for rushing it too fast.  Be careful, be certain, take criticism as constructive (even if it's not intended that way).   Just watch the Moon, taking her time, developing the perfect form to create a spectacular display when the moment has come, and not before.  Follow her lead, and as always, you won't go wrong.

The vision was born at New Moon.  It has developed, strengthened through the phases and made great leaps forward during First Quarter Moon.  Now it is on the brink of manifestation.  If there was ever a bad time to give up, this is it!  Work on solidifying your plans, and double check everything.  Take advantage of the analytical and refining tendencies of this phase for anything that you need to revise.  This is a good time for any kind of precision work or reviewing and fine-tuning.

The Gibbous Phase is a good time for reviving what has been let slide. If you have (good) habits and routines you've strayed from, this is the time to work on getting them back. Skills and knowledge can get foggy too. If you have things you’ve learned, but haven't studied in a while, or skills you haven't practiced in some time, use this phase to 'brush-up'.  You will find it comes back more easily than you think.  This can also be a good time for developing natural talents.  If you have flair for art (as an example), but have never tried to fine-tune your skills, this is a good time for it.

Though we have nearly reached Full Moon, the light is still increasing, we are still in the waxing, growing portion of the cycle.  It is still an appropriate time to start a project or launch something new.  Unless you want to encounter the resistance of trying to promote growth in something with ingrained diminishing tendencies, this is your last chance (or wait a couple weeks before the next cycle).  Therefore, most often, the kinds of things we begin during this phase ore those we have been procrastinating on, rather than things that were planned and targeted for launching in this phase.  If you don't want new beginnings during waning Moon, and haven't got around to starting it yet, it's now or never.  Not really never, but you'll have to wait a couple of weeks.  

We have a tendency (it's human nature) to easily avoid and procrastinate, but if we're running out of time, we suddenly become ready and impatient. You can call it synchronicity; you didn't plan it this way, yet this kind of energy fits well with the gibbous phase.  As Full Moon is so very near, there is a feeling of impatience in the air.  As so many things are almost complete, but not quite ready, there is a natural "mad rush' of sorts.  So, if you find yourself frantically scrambling to launch something that you hadn't got around to, yet suddenly can't wait for, don't feel that you've gotten out of tune.  However, do inject some logic before you get carried away.  Ask yourself a few questions.  Can it wait until the next cycle?  If so, are you actually ready; how much could it benefit from more preparation time?

Like the other phases the Gibbous Phase will bring its own, unique energy and inclination to thing began now (whether this is when you planned the launch, or it was a last-minute impulse).  Things began during the Gibbous Phase are likely to need refining, and fine-tuning.  There is a tendency to perpetually seek improvement.  This is a good time for launching things that are really a rough idea, the refining, perfecting, and tweaking will come quite naturally.  It's also a good time for beginning generally analytical, or highly detail-oriented projects.

 Full Moon

When the Earth is caught between the moon and the sun, the result is the Full Moon bearing the most powerful energies of the lunar cycle. The Full Moon is often seen by people as 'all purpose'—its energies are prismatic in that it flows into all areas and needs, be it constructive or destructive.

Even more so than the Dark Moon, the Full Moon is a time you would utilize for extra power when you're facing very difficult challenges. This is not just for minor mundane tasks, such as looking for the energy to reorganize your closet or trying to clear negativity out of the house after an argument; this is a time to reserve for those important things in your life that need major changes or major boosts.

While you can plan spells for anything, utilize this energy for your priorities that really matter in your life, like if you need to win a court case, or find a new job with better pay to prevent you from losing your home.

Magics and meditations revolving around spirituality, psychic development, dreams and divination are particularly well times for the Full Moon.

The Moon is now waning (decreasing in light), and 100% to 75% illuminated. This phase lasts about 3.5 days following Full Moon. It will be about 14.75 days until the next New Moon (from the beginning of this phase). This is the 5th in the 8 phases of the Lunar month. The Full Moon Phase begins at Full Moon, when the Sun/Moon angle reaches 180º, and continues until the angle reaches 225º (when the Disseminating Moon Phase will begin). This phase is the first half of the Full Moon Quarter. The Full Moon rises at Sunset and sets at Sunrise. She is visible throughout the night.  The name Full Moon is used in both astrology/magick and astronomy.

How it effects your life

Half the Lunar cycle has been spent striving for this point. The Full Moon, in all her splendid glory shines brilliantly in the night sky, the earth glows with her divine silver light. The shadows seem vibrant and alive. It is a breathtaking sight, enlightening and mysterious. The darkness of night is illuminated, yet there is much we sense and cannot see. The light of the Moon, along with her power, has reached a peak. We see it, we feel it. The level of energy is higher on Full Moon than any other time of the month.

The Sun illuminates the Moon; she transforms and reflects his light upon the Earth. The illuminated Earth transforms and reflects her light, producing a mystical, silvery glow. These energies of illumination and reflection are ingrained into the phase of Full Moon. We reflect upon our lives and selves, we see more deeply into our own souls, as well as others. We are drawn to the illusive and mysterious.

The power of the Moon is unmistakable, tangible. We see it, feel it, and sense it. We feel our own power, and the power of the world around us. The moon is the natural astrological ruler of emotions. When she is riding high, so are our emotions. We aren't happy, we're elated; we aren't mad, we're furious; we aren't interested, we're excited; we aren't sad, we're depressed. This is a powerful time, of excess and extremes, which can manifest in a positive or negative way.

How to make the most of this phase

Full Moon is one of the most powerful and influential times in the natural cycle, and probably the most widely accepted (even by many skeptics) proof of astrological influence on our lives. Everyone has seen and felt the effects, firsthand. There is an out-of-control tendency that can make it difficult to harness this energy. The first step is awareness. Don't enter this phase unaware of and out of touch with your emotions, or you likely won't know what to do when the emotional high tide comes. Make sure you have used the waxing phases to learn, grow, build and structure. If you approach Full Moon feeling like your life is spinning out of control, it just might.

Although we are only halfway through the entire Lunar Cycle, there is a feeling of culmination. A goal has been reached. The building, evolving, waxing light of the past couple of weeks has manifested. And what a spectacular manifestation it is! You will find things you have worked on and built coming together at this time. Remember the vague visions of New Moon? Now illuminated, we can see them clearly. If they have survived, and you have put the effort into them, they are now a manifestation. Realistically, few goals are reached, or projects completed in a couple of weeks’ times. However, there is a sense of completion and manifestation in some form. Perhaps the idea is just becoming a solid plan, or one phase of a project is completed. Whatever the case, even if it seems to be only in your own perspective, things are more real and solid. Something has been achieved. If you have been going in the wrong directions, you will see the results of that be manifested into solid form as well. Preparation and the right mind frame are key in successful, productive use of this notorious Moon Phase.

The Moon has reached her peak; from the moment of Full Moon the light will begin decreasing. The period of growth and time for beginnings is past. This is the most active period of change. This time can be useful for changing or breaking habits and routines. Bring things to an end, where needed. This is also a highly creative time, with endless poems, songs, and works of art using Full Moon as a subject, demonstrating the point. Make use of the creative influence for artistic endeavors, or creative thinking. Just be careful of coming to firm decisions fight now (especially on the day of Full Moon), as logic isn't necessarily a strong point right now.

There are many dark corners in our lives, and ourselves, both small and large scale. In 'dark corners' I don't necessarily mean negative things, these are (at least partially) hidden or unnoticed things. With Full Moon, comes light, allowing us to see in those normally invisible, dark corners - just as the brilliant Moonlight allows us to see in the normally dark night. Use this time to take a closer look at things, see hidden potential, look for mistakes, and find opportunities. You can also get a clear insight into yourself, as your emotions are much stronger than usual.

As energy and emotions run high, arguments and conflicts are more likely at Full Moon. Although often difficult, compromise is important. In astrological terms, this is an opposition; the Sun is in the opposite position of the Moon. We often find ourselves completely at odds with someone else. It's important to remember, that this can be quite valuable, useful or informative. Opposite can manifest in different ways. When you look in a mirror, the image you see reflected is opposite the actual image yet reflects it accurately. When you encounter opposition, ask yourself if, in some way, it reflects aspects of yourself or your situations you have not been seeing. Other times, these conflicts can provide valuable insight or information. True, absolute opposites each have elements the other is missing. When you encounter opposition ask yourself if this person or event is giving you information and understanding that you have overlooked and could make your approach completer and more balanced.

It is no longer a good time for beginnings, the flow of energy is shifting. Full Moon is the balance point, or imbalance as it may be, in between waxing and waning. She is neither growing nor shrinking, she is full 100% illuminated. For an instant, a fleeting moment, there is total fulfillment, completion, achievement, and illumination. After that moment, the light is waning, slowly and gradually. This phase carries the energy of the moment of Full Moon, as well as the first gradual steps into the waning portion of the cycle. This is a good time for completing long-term projects or completing a phase of them.

This can be a good time for public displays, drawing attention, or presentations. There is a high energy, and highly emotional quality to Full Moon, so don't draw attention to potentially controversial things, unless you want a controversy. This is a time for putting on a show and getting a dramatic response.

The other, quite obvious factor in the influences this phase brings is, of course, light. It's a good time for evaluation, as things are illuminated figuratively, as well as literally. As we enter the waning phase, there is necessary decreasing and endings. Take a good look at your important projects and plans. Where are you stretching yourself, or your resources too thin? This is the time to begin 'weeding out' the unnecessary. There is a focus on excesses right now, and if you can step back and be objective (so that you aren't inclined to go to excesses) it is a good time for spotting excesses.

 Waning Gibbous Moon

After the Full Moon peaks, we enter the waning half of the lunar cycle. Waning energies repel rather than attract, so it's a good time to begin working on spells to get rid of things.

Minor banishing’s can begin with the Waning Gibbous. This is a good time for general cleansings to upkeep your home, office, garden or any of your personal spaces, etc., to keep things from mounting up. This is also a good time to cleanse any personal objects you may have, such as your jewelry or magical tools. Think of this more like routine dusting-- there's no major build-up, you're just trying to keep things clear to prevent problems.

If you have something for which you need closure, or if you're ready to end something in your life (such as an unfulfilling relationship or unsatisfying business venture), this is a good time for spells to bring things to their fruition.

As for meditations and divination, rather than looking to the future or on to new things, it's a good time for introspection. Where have your previous attitudes and actions brought you? What things in your life have been affecting you most? Are you happy with where you are? Do you need to make any attitude or behavior adjustments?

The Moon is waning (decreasing in light), and 75% to 50% illuminated. It begins the 3rd or 4th day after Full Moon and lasts into the 7th day. It is about 11 days until New Moon (from the beginning of this phase). This is the 6th in the 8 phases of the Lunar month. The Disseminating Phase begins when the Sun/Moon angle reaches 225º and continues until the angle reaches 270º (when the Third Quarter Moon Phase will begin). This phase is the second half of the Full Moon Quarter. The Disseminating Moon rises in late evening, a couple of hours after Sunset, and sets in late midmorning, a couple of hours after Sunrise. She is easily visible from Moonrise until Moonset. In astrology and magick this phase is called disseminating; however, astronomers typically use the name Waning Gibbous.

How it effects your life

The Full Moon has passed, though just barely. She still lights up the night sky, and the darkness of earth, although she is visibly waning. The waning phase is primarily about endings and letting go, in contrast to the beginnings and growth of the waxing phase. It's time to begin letting go, to realize that a transformation is needed before there can be further growth.

We have made the transition from waxing to waning, like stepping through a doorway, and now it's time to see what awaits us. In fact, throughout the busy cycle this is the first time we have really stopped to look around. We begin to see where we stand and notice our surroundings and our place in them. The disseminating phase is integrative. Our awareness of others, their needs and goals, their effect on us is heightened. We begin to see where our knowledge may be useful to others, and their knowledge may be useful to us. The visions began at New Moon, the fulfillment gained at Full Moon, the experiences in-between have begun transforming into wisdom and understanding. We are compelled to share it. We absorb what others have to share. Communication is vital.

How to make the most of this phase

Following the natural path of the Moon, it is time to take a step back. Not a step backwards in progress, but step back from situations you are too close to, look at them objectively. From the darkness of New Moon, she has progressed, grown, increased to the peak of Full Moon. Now she is gracefully and slowly slipping into the shadows. She is re-visiting the darkness. Dark does not mean evil or bad. Knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and subconscious all reside in the quiet depths of the shadows. Begin turning your attention to things of this nature.

This is only the beginning of the waning portion of the Lunar Cycle. We begin by seeking understanding. At Full Moon, things are illuminated, accomplished, goals are reached, ideas are solidified. Now we know. But do we understand? The mind is busy, sharing and gathering information, racing with thoughts. This is the time to process those thoughts, bits of information, memories of experiences into wisdom - a valuable tool you can utilize for the rest of this cycle, and all that follow it.

The sharing of information is one of the critical elements of and uses for the Disseminating Phase. If you have a message to get out, now is the time. If others are talking (about something relevant) listen to what they have to say. Study, learn, and absorb ideas and information. The tendency for sharing and interaction is not limited to information, although that is its primary influence. This can be an excellent time for socializing, teaching children to share, charity work. It's perfect for attending (or teaching) classes and workshops, making friends whom you connect to on an intellectual level, or exploring other cultures. Learn and diversify, keep an open mind.

This phase is usually a busy time (at least mentally), but in the rush to share, gain, and digest ideas don't forget that the general tendency of the waning phase is decreasing and letting go. This is a good time for breaking habits, changing routines, and weeding out ideas which aren't useful. Be open to change, as this phase is a beginning of a transformation. Ask yourself what you need to transform.

Now that we are in the waning phase it is no longer favorable to begin projects for growth and increase, because the natural tendency is decreasing. The disseminating phase has a strong focus on information. If you want to get a message out, 'spread the word' this is a perfect time. It's also a good time for gathering information. Think ahead to what you have planned for the next waxing moon and do your research. If you are in the middle of a big project or a difficult/confusing situation or point in your life, ask yourself what you need to know. Information is a powerful tool, and if you don't have all the facts, or don’t fully understand them use this time to remedy the situation. By the same merit if your side of the story hasn't been heard - tell it.

The Disseminating Phase also marks the beginning of transformation. Think change. Even in things we want to progress and grow, the balance of waning is essential. Do you have a stalled project, or feel stuck in a rut? Then something has to change, opening new doors, giving new options. Something has to end making room for new growth or allowing it to be 'reborn' in a different and better way.

 3rd Quarter Moon

The Third Quarter, or the Waning Half-Moon, is the perfect timing for dealing with obstacles or leaping over hurtles that might cause you to stumble on your way. Whenever you've been working toward something, and there's a roadblock in your path, the timing of this moon phase offers appropriate energies for helping you burst through it.

Temptations are the number one thing I like to deal with during the Third Quarter. If I'm finding that I often want to cheat on my diet or lay in bed rather than get up and do my exercise or watch TV and fool around on the internet rather than working, I banish that temptation with a spell.

Another good use of this moon phase's energy is in aiding with transitions, whether these are transitions that you have to make or simply want to make in your life. It can help smooth out any wrinkles that might cause snags as you go on your way.

The Moon is waning (decreasing in light), and 50% to 25% illuminated.  This phase usually begins the 7th day after Full Moon and continues until the 10th or 11th. It will be about 7.5 days until New Moon (from the beginning of this phase).  This is the 6th in the 8 phases of the Lunar month. The Last Quarter Phase begins when the Sun/Moon angle reaches 270º and continues until the angle reaches 315º (when the Disseminating Moon Phase will begin). This phase is the first half of the 3rd Quarter (when the cycle is divided into 4 quarters rather than 8 phases).  The Last Quarter Moon rises around midnight and sets mid-day.  She is visible from Moonrise, until Moonset.  Both astrology/magick and astronomy may use either Last Quarter, Waning Last Quarter, or Third Quarter for this phase. Third Quarter is used more often in astronomy than in astrology/magick.

How it effects your life

Once again, we have reached the balance of light.  The Moon begins this phase exactly half illuminated, but waning.  She is slipping into the darkness, slowly but surely.  Each night we see another sliver of light gone.  She still illuminates the night, but gradually the shadows grow stronger and the light grows weaker.  It is a time of transition, transformation, and evolution.  There is a restless, sometimes uneasy feeling.  Instinctively we feel that something is happening, something is changing.

In the First Quarter Phase we feel the energy of waxing and growing become quite potent at the light overtakes the dark.  We have now reached the opposite point, as the dark overtakes the light and we feel the energy of waning and decreasing with equal potency. However, the darkness is the quiet, the internal, the letting go, the understanding - it is a more subtle energy. The mysteries of the shadows are now more alluring than the discoveries of the light.  The energy is deep and powerful, but not so easy to decipher as the extroverted and illuminating energy we felt in the First Quarter.

How to make the most of this phase

Half-light, half dark.  We are looking back and looking ahead.  Often, we find ourselves at cross-roads during the Last Quarter Phase, sometimes trying to (or needing to) take both roads at once.  Things began early in the phase are coming to fruition.  There are things that still need to be done, perhaps another big push to finish up.  Maybe they should be continued or revived.  It's decision time.  Then, there is the question of where to from here.  What will replace things that have been finished?  What will be started in the next phase?  Again, decision time.

Look back: where have you been, and what have you done?  Look ahead:  where are you going, and what will you do?  This is a time of change, as we are beginning to form plans for the future, realizing the repercussions of the past, and deciding what we will (or must) continue, and bring with us.  This isn't a time to dodge responsibility and avoid decisions.  We often find ourselves facing mistakes we have made and receiving credit for what we have archived.  We become aware of what is finished or needs to be. We've been gathering wisdom, contemplating change.  Now we begin to figure out what to do with what we have, and don't have.

The Quarter Moon Phases, both first and last, are times of balance followed by direction.  This one is vastly different from the First Quarter, however.  This is a good time to break bad habits and change routines. Sometimes the more stubborn habits are easier to break now than in the Disseminating Phase.  There is sometimes a vague feeling of chaos in our lives around this time.  Be careful not to let things spin out of control, but don't be too concerned. It's natural, this is a turning point and there are probably many things going on simultaneously.   Don't let yourself slip into bad habits, and not do what has to be done.  However, don't push yourself too hard either.  Rest and contemplation are integral to the entire waning phase.

The Last Quarter Phase is a good time for taking care of details.  Do things you've been putting off.  Clean out the closet, finish up some paperwork. Work on wrapping things up, and deal with those 'odds and ends' you've been neglecting.  It's a good time to organize, prioritize, streamline, and weed out. Clean up clutter, throw away things you don't need and make room for those 'homeless' things laying around.

This can be an important point in long-term projects and goals. This is a time for making the hard decisions and implementing serious change.  What needs to be eliminated?  If you are have come to a point where you must choose one of two (or more) directions, this is a good time to make your choice.  Now is the time for re-structuring and re-considering plans.  Take a hard look at what has and hasn't worked, make use of information you've gathered.  This is a time of endings, but not always eliminating things.

This is a good time for finishing or beginning the final stage of something. If you have a project near completion, it can be a good time to take the necessary steps to finish it; make time and room for something new.  

Mistakes made along the way may, and problems you've encountered be catching up with you.  Don't ignore them or give up on what you've been trying to do.  See what there is to be learned, and how they may be avoided in the future.  Implement change where needed or use this time to figure out what change is needed. Take an honest look at projects, or things in your life that seem to be going downhill.  Decide if it's worth pursuing or not.  There is a difference in giving up, depressed, frustrated, and illogical or thinking it through and deciding that it's not worth continuing with. Decide whether you're ending the goal or the plan.  If you're ending the plan, but the goal is still worth striving for, consider a new start, a different approach, in the coming Lunar Cycle.  If you're ending the goal, do what is needed to wrap it up, and start thinking ahead.  Consider the possibilities opened by the time and resources you're freeing up.

 Waning Crescent Moon

If you need to clear your life and home of negativity, stress, strife, chaos, etc., now is the time to do it. The Waning Crescent, as it approaches the Dark Moon phase, it suitable for stronger banishing than at any other time of the waning moon phases. Get rid of whatever has been plaguing you—anything you find to be seriously annoying, frustrating or concerning (save things that are serious threats for that Dark Moon).

If you need things to end—not just to finish up and end, but things that no longer serve you that you need to just stop in their tracks-- this moon phase is a good time to do it. Dropping a hopeless project, relationship, friendship, etc. is best done at this time. This is a good time to cast a spell for anything for which you wish to bring about a swift and benign ending.

The Moon is waning (decreasing in light) and 75% to 0% illuminated. This phase begins the 10th or 11th day after Full Moon and continues until New Moon. It is about 3.5 days until New Moon (at the beginning of this phase). This is the 7th in the 8 phases of the Lunar month. The Balsamic Phase begins when the Sun/Moon angle reaches 315º and continues until the angle reaches 0º (when the New Moon Phase will begin). This phase is the second half of the 3rd Quarter (when the cycle is divided into 4 quarters rather than 8 phases). The Balsamic Moon rises is early morning, before dawn and sets in late afternoon. Early in this phase is visible in pre-dawn twilight; a thin silver crescent softly growing in the eastern sky. By the end of this phase she has disappeared, as we approach the next lunar cycle. This phase is called Balsamic, Dark Moon, and Waning Crescent. In astrology/magick the term waning crescent is rarely used; it is by far the most common astronomical name. Dark Moon and Balsamic are commonly used in astrology/magick.

How it effects your life

The darkness is nearly complete. We begin the Balsamic Phase with just a thin sliver of light - you may catch a glimpse in early morning - and by the end of the phase, darkness is complete. We are approaching New Moon; this is the last waning phase. She has withdrawn into the darkness, leaving the night wrapped in shadows. Disappearing, she is resting, preparing for the next Lunar Cycle. As we follow her example, follow her path, we do the same.

This is a time of quiet contemplation. We withdraw into the shadowy depths of thought and emotion, resting, reflecting, thinking, feeling, dreaming, and preparing. To a great degree we exist in the 'invisible worlds' of subconscious, spiritual realms, daydreaming, and our own inner depths. We are often consciously unaware - much is happening, yet it seems that nothing is happening. The past slips away, quietly into the night as the future slips in. While the Moon releases her current cycle, extinguishing the light and preparing for the next cycle, we to are releasing extinguishing and preparing; even if we don't know it on a conscious level.

How to make the most of this phase

This is a time to notice the subtle, especially within yourself. It's not a time of dramatic changes and hectic action. Yet it's a time of chaos, in its own way. There is often an uneasy, restlessness about the Balsamic Phase. This isn't (typically) chaos in the external sense, of noticeable disorder and confusion. This is a deeper, more subtle more meaningful type of chaos. The Lunar cycle is ending, with it our cycle of progress and action is ending. Yet a new cycle has not begun. There is a sense of void, but it's not a void. It's filled with the past, the future, hopes and fears. Externally this should be a calm, quiet time. Allow yourself opportunity to think, feel and experience.

The Balsamic Moon Phase is a time of release. The growing and building of the waxing phase have passes. The actively analyzing, correcting, and changing of the waning phase up to this point has passes. Now is the time for acceptance and release. What has gone too far to be repairable, we must let go of. Perhaps it will be re-started in the next, or a future Lunar Cycle. Maybe it won't. But if its time has come, we must now let go. We must have faith in ourselves, and the natural cycle, knowing what we let go of now will be reborn, the resources will be reused, we are making way for something new, releasing emotions and beginning healing…

Balsamic Moon is also a time of preparation. New Moon is approaching; we are on the verge of the next Lunar Cycle. We are on the verge, but not there yet. Gather your strength and resources; let your mind and body relax. Let your spirit and soul play. Let your imagination run wild. We are following the natural cycle. The Moon is now retreating into the shadows, withdrawing into herself, resting and preparing to come back strong and vibrant in the next cycle. This is the time we should be preparing ourselves to be refreshed and ready for great momentum and new growth to come.

One of the best uses for the Balsamic Phase is rest. If you've been pushing yourself too hard, feeling used up and burnt out, the most important thing to do right now is give yourself a break. It's also a time to get in touch either yourself or nature. This is the time to stop and smell the roses, enjoy the moment. It's also a good time for mundane, routine tasks - the kind of thing you do automatically without having to give it much though. Try to avoid strenuous activities, especially mentally strenuous. This is the time for your mind to relax, and let your subconscious, your soul, and your imagination flow. Don't fill your head with a bunch of fact and figures, that won't let the subtle flow through.

In terms of more 'practical' activities, remember we are in the final days of the waning moon. It won't be favorable time for breaking habits, endings, or eliminating until the next phase. If you have things of this nature you need to do, now is the time. This phase of the waning Moon is particularly good for final endings. Anything you don't want to return or want it to at least be slower than typical - now is the time. For example, if you pull weeds they don't grow back as quickly, if you clean out the junk drawer, it will fill up slower, if you plug a leak it's more likely to hold and so on.

This is not the time to begin anything. It is an excellent time for endings. If you need to end a difficult relationship, break a contract, stop a tough habit, etc. this is your best time. In difficult situations, see if anything needs to be ended and if not, this isn't the time to address the problem. In long-term projects, the Balsamic Phase usually seems to be a time of stalled progress. Don't push for something to happen, wait until New Moon. However, this phase can be an excellent time of inspiration and creativity. The logical and forward moving part of things may be stalled, but often what we really need is a break from the activity and some objective, unusual thoughts on the matter.

[incorrectarmutquotes]

Buse: wait does chocolate milk comes from brown cows??? So there’s pink cows for strawberry milk????

Lilihud: there’s probably rainbow cows even

İrem: did you guys go to school

[recipesbyem]

Brown Butter... It's a thing!

At the risk of turning into the thing I hate (a recipe blogger who spills their entire life story before a recipe), I'm going to share a personal anecdote before we get to the meat and potatoes. Though, sadly, this recipe has nothing to do with either of those things.

When I was a kid, and I'm sure when you were a kid too, I drank chocolate milk. And, one day, I, like many kids, posed the question of: "Where does chocolate milk come from?". Of course, my first thought was brown cows, and that strawberry milk must come from pink cows! Obviously, I now know this isn't true, but whenever I hear brown butter, I think "Well.. It must come from a brown cow!".

Shockingly enough, though, brown butter is essentially just cooked down regular butter! It's crazy stuff, I know, but it's the truth. And, it's insanely simple to make.

The Basics

Brown butter is a lot simpler than making a roux, which is what I talked about in my last post. Brown butter is really just what it sounds like: Butter that has been browned in a saucepan. Martha Stewart describes it as "an intoxicatingly fragrant and impossibly silky brown sauce", and she's spot on. After the butter melts and continues to cook, it foams up some and cooks off the water. Then, the butter will start to turn a goldish amber color and you'll see dark specks at the bottom of the pan. Your kitchen, and likely your whole house, will smell slightly nutty and delicious. In Martha Stewart's words, it's intoxicating! And it's easy to make.

Uses

Brown butter has a lot of uses, and in most cases, can be subbed in for regular butter. It's a game-changer for chocolate chip cookies, and it would probably elevate last post's mac and cheese recipe to the next level, too, if you wanted to give that a shot! The only downside to browning butter is that some of the liquid cooks off. Meaning, if you put in 1/2 cup of butter, you'll get a little less than that after you've browned it. So, I always add a little more than I need if I'm going to brown butter for a recipe.

Martha Stewart also recommends storing brown butter in ice cube trays and freezing it so you don't have to go through the process of making it each time you want to use it.

Common Missteps

Thankfully, there's not a lot that can go wrong with this recipe, other than cook time. If you don't cook the butter enough, you won't really have brown butter; but if you cook the butter too long, you'll just end up with burnt butter... Black butter, if you will. *Ba-dum-tsch*. That may have been a terrible joke, but the point stands. Overcooking your butter will lead it to burn, and if you use it in a recipe, it'll make the whole recipe taste burnt.

The trick to keeping your butter right in that golden sweet spot is to just keep an eye on it and don't turn your heat up too high. While it's tempting to just turn the heat up to high and try and get everything done quickly, it's not worth it. If you heat the butter too fast, you run the risk of burning your butter. Stick to low-medium heat to start off, you can always turn the heat up, but it's harder to cool down a hot burner.

The Recipe

Ingredients - Butter, amount up to you

1. Cut the butter into smaller chunks and put in a medium sauce pan over low-medium heat. 

2. Allow the butter to melt completely, stirring every so often. 

3. After the butter has melted, it should start to foam up. Continue stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan every so often and allow the foam to continue to pop. 

4. Once the foam has gone away, the butter should start to turn a golden color and give off a nutty scent. Continue to stir and let it cook. 

5. As soon as you start to see little dark brown specks in the bottom of the pan, turn the heat off and use the brown butter as directed in your recipe of choice! Or pop into ice cube trays and freeze for future use. 

[lyralumina]

azureship please

Who’s more dominant:

Seto is. Seto does not wear it with so much pride, he does not role like that and plus his wife,Anzu, would tell him to stop that, that it is not a good thing to do and that it is rude. During sexual intercourse they both take turns. Seto finds it very arousing when she is in control.

Who’s the cuddler:

Anzu is. She only does that in the confines of their home, in public they are refined since they both have reputations to bare with.

Who’s the big spoon/little spoon:

Seto is the big spoon while Anzu is the little spoon.

What’s their favorite non-sexual activity:

Dancing.

Eating out at fancy restaurants.

Reading.

Dueling (Only if Seto has time and if Anzu is up for it)

Who uses all the hot water:

Anzu does. She hates cold water and will make this tiny yelp if the water is cold. Seto has heard it many times and he finds it cute.

Most trivial thing they fight over:

“ Honey relax, Yugi is far too busy to duel you, besides you need to go back to work love. “-Anzu

“ I am not fine with eating at such a low end cafe my love. “-Seto

Who does most of the cleaning:

They both do actually. Both Seto and Anzu like their home or work spaces clean and organized. They both get very picky when it comes to cleaning and how clean everything should be. Seto is that one guy who makes sure all of his pens are in their assigned holder and not clicked. Anzu makes sure that her makeup is all in one space where they should be. They also have a very clean kitchen. It spooks the house guests so much. It spooks Mokuba a lot too.  

What has a season pass on their dvr/Who controls the netflix queue:

Anzu does.

“ My love, we have seen Hairspray so many times, don’t you get tired of it? “ asks Seto as he really wants to just go to bed. He has grown tired of all the singing and theatrics of that movie. He pretty much has it memorized.

Who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working:  

They both do. Anzu gets cold easily and during the winter she needs heat.

Who leaves their stuff around:

They both do and it drives them nuts, but they clean up so it all works out.

“ Honey, your papers are on the coffee table. “-Anzu

“ Uh… My love, I found your missing pointe shoes. They were under our bed. “-Seto

Who remembers to buy the milk:

Anzu does. Seto is usually too busy to do so, so she does most of the grocery shopping. They both have very strange diets to keep in shape so on some months they switch up things, Cow milk will be swapped out with soy milk. I do headcanon that Seto has gone through a vegan phase but has gone out of it but did leave in some healthy habits. He is a picky eater. Anzu makes sure that Seto has a fine diet. They care about each other a lot. 

Who remembers anniversaries:  

Anzu does, but so does Seto but he keeps hush hush just to surprise her.

“ Oh my! Oh you shouldn’t have! “ beamed Anzu as she gazed at the present Seto bought for her. She was presented a new pair of hair ribbons and two new pair of performance white pointe shoes since she had worn out her old ones.

Who cooks normally:

Anzu, but then again they are a wealthy couple so they have people to do that but Anzu loves to cook. Seto can help out too but he is prone to messing up.

How often do they fight:

Its super rare that they fight. When they do though, It will take them a while to talk to each other about how they feel. Anzu is the more emotional one. 

What do they do when they’re away from each other:

Seto is busy running Kaiba Corp and Anzu is his right hand secretary, she did not take Mokuba’s spot as Vice President. That would be wrong to both Seto and mostly to Mokuba. Other than that Anzu is a professional ballet dancer so she is out of the house just as late as her husband. Her husband picks her up from her institute. She appreciates that so much.

Nicknames for each other:

Anzu to Seto: Honey, Mon Roi (My King in french), and Blue Eyes.

Seto to Anzu: My Love, Sweet Peach, and My(Dancing)Queen.

Who is more likely to pay for dinner:

Seto. He always does. Anzu would love to pay but Seto acts so quick.

Who steals the covers at night:

Anzu does. She hates the cold and gets cold easily. During the winter months Anzu has more priority so he makes sure to double up the bed sheets and get that heater revved up. He makes sure she is comfortable.

What would they get each other for gifts:

“ Thank you so much for the new designer blue tie My Love, I love it so much. “ Seto said sweetly, God he loves his wife.

“ … Mon Roi! You bought me a new dress and diamond necklace?!! “ Anzu blurted out as she was so surprised he did that.

Who kissed who first:

Seto did. Seto had some of Anzu’s strawberry flavored lip gloss on his lips.

Who made the first move:

Again, Seto did. He was very subtle about it. He made it his best effort to make it unnoticeable.

Who remembers things:

They both do. Seto has learned how to make effective mental notes and hardly ever forgets too. Anzu as a dancer has developed keen memory as she has to memorize steps and combinations. She makes lists too. Seto always knows its her list because Anzu has a habit of writing lists as colorful as she possibly can. Pink ink on blue paper with a yellow smiley sticker on it, it makes him smile all the time, he finds it really cute. Not even Mokuba did that so it’s a first.

Who started the relationship:

Seto did. It eventually got public thanks to press. When Yugi, Jounouchi and Mokuba found out though… 

Who cusses more:

Seto does. Anzu cusses too but lesser than him. Seto uses “Bastard”, “Shit”, and “Fuck” a lot while Anzu uses “Fuck” and “Shit” a lot. She gets embarrassed when he cusses in public, she physically and verbally tells him to ease, that it is making her feel upset. If she is holding his hand she will squeeze it more tightly. If her hand is on his shoulder she will squeeze it and Seto will automatically know that he did something wrong. Anzu also sighs too. When Seto hears her cuss he will always get alarmed by it since she does it so rarely. It makes him go eye-wide. They both never say “Bitch”, “Whore” and “Slut”  it hurts them so much to say it. It is such a terrible word that can bring down their mood in a snap.

What would they do if the other one was hurt:

Seto is more of a rock. He is hard and usually rarely shows his emotional, mental, and physical pain so it takes Anzu a lot to make him confess his pain. Anzu will talk to him about it with some tea. Its best to talk. Anzu has more physical pain since she dances so her body and mostly her feet ache. He treats her with care. He makes sure she takes her vitamins, supplements, and her painkillers daily. When tears fall, They do the best they can to make them smile.

Who is the dirty talker:

Seto. Anzu does it too, usually on honeymoons and anniversaries. Their Birthdays get really heated. Seto loves her body so much, he will ravish her till he can no longer go. She is his queen. He will treat her as a queen. Seto is not much of a loud moaner so she takes all liberties to make him moan loudly. Anzu has rather supple lips too so blow jobs are so great. Anzu loves when Seto actually fingers her first, it makes her wet and ready. He loves to hear her beg and whimper for him to just stick it in. Yeah, they use bondage and toys too. Anzu is usually the first to cum.

A head canon:

“ Seto… My love, have you ever thought about… having a child together? “-Anzu

[surveysonfleek]

088.

Find the nearest book. Read the second sentence on page 13. honestly the closest thing that’s a book is my kindle and there’s no way i’m gna fuck up my place by going to page 13 for this question lol.

Do you own anything that is made of metal and pink? hmm probably only coz i do own a lot of pink.

Is there laundry in your dryer right now? no dryer.

Would you eat a hissing beetle for $1000? i would probably seriously consider it but not do it lol.

If you had to spend a year studying an animal in the wild, what animal? pandas. (this survey is super long)

What is your all time favorite recipe? i had this amazing recipe for the moistest vanilla cupcakes ever but i lost it. i need to find it. i’d always get compliments.

What’s the first thing you think of when you smell strawberries? nothing really.

What’s the nearest thing to your right that starts with an L? lamp. Are there any bells in your house? the doorbell? lol. there’s also bells on the front door, you’ll always hear it if someone opens it.

What’s your favorite informercial? i hate them.

Ever been to AsSeenOnTv.com? no.

If you could have a shopping spree in any store, what would it be? a department store so i can buy something from every section lol.

Where’s the best place to register for a wedding? a department store lol.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever found on the beach? dead blue jellyfish.

Have you ever kissed anyone within an hour of meeting them? no i haven’t.

Can you watch a birthing video all the way through? i’m not sure, never tried.

What would be your act in a talent show? nothing!! 

What channel is on channel 37 on your tv? nothing.

What’s the last thing you wrote? my id number.

Do you have a community mailbox or an individual one? individual. like for my family.

How many keys are on your key ring? only three i think.

What was your first myspace song ever? i forgot.

Besides mama and dada, what was your first real word? haha i have no idea i’d have to ask my parents.

Would you rather be stuck in the desert or in a blizzard? blizzard. i honestly hate the summer heat.

What dessert do you hate? ice cream. like just ice cream. it’s boring.

What candy factory would you love to work at? lindt.

What does an envelope taste like to you? an envelope haha. can’t really compare it to anything else.

What’s your favorite line in your favorite movie? ugh idk lol. i can’t be put on the spot like that coz nothing comes to mind instantly.

Have you ever gone to the bathroom outdoors? yes. i used to go on camping trips a lot as a kid lol.

Would you help a baby cougar w/ the risk of the mama attacking you? no. 

What international monument would you like to visit the most? golden gate bridge - again. i never got pictures with it.

Have you decided where you want to get married? nope. around 30 i guess.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten in a sandwich? meh, i’m not very creative. so nothing too strange.

What’s the most exotic thing you’ve eaten? umm idk.

Is there a crime/criminal that intrigues you the most? no.

What Disney character do you think is the cutest? boo from monsters inc has always been cute for me.

Can you name some of the clever names of OPI nail polish? no lol.

Can you sing the entire theme song to any show? yes. the office. it has no words lol.

Did you ever get ‘the talk’ from either one of your parents? nope. my mum asked me as a kid if i knew how babies were made and i said yes and instantly left her room lol.

Do you remember drinking from a bottle? yes.

What’s in the third drawer of your dresser? leggings, tights and warmer clothes.

What do you keep in the little pocket of your purse? gum.

When people ask for ID, which ID do you use? driver’s license.

Who was the first person you knew who’s name started with a P? pj, my first friend in preschool.

What’s the last form you filled out online? this cashback thing from tolls.

How many times have you had to renew/change your driver’s license? i’ve renewed my license maybe five times now. and this month again coz it’s expiring.

Have you ever been given a bouquet of carnations? no.

Do you have an old computer that just sits at the house? yes lol. we should throw it, no one ever uses it.

Do you read the lyrics in the CD sleeve while listening to the song? i used to when i used to buy cd’s. i’d hate it when the sleeve didn’t have lyrics lol.

Name something you made out of play-doh when you were younger. a ball.

What’s your next appointment for? nothing.

When’s the last time you put glitter on something? on the weekend lol. as eyeshadow.

What’s the worst birthday gift you received as a child? clothes. i hated getting clothes. i was all about the toys.

Do you go into the gas station or stay by your car when pumping gas? stay by my car? then go into the gas station when i have to pay? confused by this question.

When’s the last time you sat on Santa’s lap? omg i don’t remember.

What’s your favorite kind of caramel apple? don’t think i’ve ever had one.

Would you rather wrestle crocodiles or anacondas? crocs. i’d hate to think of dying a slow and painful death with an anaconda squeezing you.

Did you sneeze last night? probably.

Do you hold the remote while watching tv or set it down? set it down unless i’m flicking through channels.

Have you ever done farm chores like milk a cow or shave a sheep? no.

When’s the last time you used a coupon? umm last week when i bought my new hair straightener.

Does your mom know what size clothes you wear now? yes.

Is Love written anywhere in the room you’re in? yes.

What’s the nearest sports equipment to you? basketball jerseys.

Have you ever glued your fingers or hands together? yes. i was fumbling around with superglue trying to fix my shoe and my fingers got stuck together for a good few seconds.

Do you think that they should bring the guillotine back? naaah. too messy.

If you could invent anything to make life easier, what would it be? teleportation so i could travel whenever.

Would you like to run in a giant hamster ball for humans? no.

What were that last kind of nuts you ate? normal peanuts.

Do you own any shirts with political or social statements on them? no.

Do you remember what your 2nd grade teacher’s first name was? mrs. la scala.

Have you ever played Twister & had someone’s butt in your face? haha i don’t remember the last time i played twister.

What was the last thing you cheated on? hmmm idk.

When was the last time you used a walkie talkie? geez probably when i was 10.

Where do you usually go camping? i don’t go camping anymore.

Who do you sleep with when you go camping? well with my family.

Ever been afraid to see a ghost in your rearview mirror when driving alone? hahaha plenty of times. especially after those nights with friends where you just start talking about scary shit.

Have you ever dated anyone whose name started with B? no.

If yes, was it a good experience? -

Do you remember what Doug Funnie’s dog’s name was? i forgot he even had a dog.

What is your favorite episode of The Brady Bunch? no idea. i remember watching it as a kid but totally no recollection of any scenes.

Name a line from a Spice Girls song. coz tonight is the night when two become one. man i had no idea as a 5yo that song was about sex.

Have you ever jumped into a pile of leaves? yes.

What does your swimsuit look like? a black one piece.

Do you like it fast or slow? ha, there’s a time for both.

What’s the last holiday candy you consumed? idk lol.

What’s the last thing you bought at a grocery store? smokes.

Have you ever done a backflip on a giant trampoline? no. don’t think i’ve ever tried doing a backflip in my life.

Do you believe that there is only ONE person out there for everybody? not sure, only because there’s the whole ‘the one that got away’ thing.

Do you prefer flowers or chocolate? chocolates.

Do you remember the first time you used a computer? yeah, there’s a photo of me and everything lol. i was playing some game that came from a floppy disk.

Do you remember the first computer game you ever played? some educational game. i forgot what it was called.

Does your Wii character ever look like you? sorta. but not really.

What’s the last sour thing you put in your mouth? my drink.

Do you remember anything from before you were 3? not really hey.

Do you believe in hypnosis? idk if you’d call it that but there’s definitely a way to get people who are willing to be entranced, to be entranced.

Do you reserve pages in the yearbook for certain people? nope?

Ever had a fantasy about a teacher? haha no. there were hot teachers but i never imagined dating them or anything.

What’s the most humiliating outfit your parent made you wear? it was book week at school and we had to dress up as our favourite character from a book and my mum made me the ugliest tinkerbell costume hahaha. it was true to the character, i just looked terrible in it.

Did you ever want to change religions? no.

Is it hard for you to fall asleep when you have had a lot of sugar? no.

What’s your favorite thing to eat with strawberries? nutella.

How do you eat a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup? i honestly just chomp it. 

What would you do for a Klondike bar? nothing.

What’s the funniest bumper sticker you’ve ever seen? -

Ever been up in the mountains? no.

When’s the first time you ever touched snow? i was 5 i think.

What color is your computer desk? that light brown/yellowish wood colour.

Are you baptized? yes.

What did you dream of last night? nothing.

Have you ever eaten an exotic animal? define exotic? the weirdest thing i’ve eaten was turtle. never again.

What do you think is the funniest movie of all time? mean girls and white chicks.

Name a line from that movie? 'yo momma’s so old, she breastfeed like this *blows powder*’ still hilarious.

Would you be surprised if you found out your mom had tattoos? hahaha hell yes.

Would you wear a leather dog collar for free drinks? hahaha. no way.

When was the last time you danced the Macarena? forever ago. i think on a cruise lol.

Can you sing your school’s song? our school song was written and produce the year i graduated, so naturally i don’t remember it since it wasn’t played on repeat throughout my whole school life.

What was your all time favorite subject in elementary school? probably art. it was always really chill.

What’s the last song you sang out loud in the car? idk haha.

Who is the last person you talked to whose name started with a G? ugh, i can’t think lol. gio i guess.

Have you ever bedazzled anything? my phone cover back when it was cool.

Have you ever bought anything off of HSN or QVC? no. Where do you keep your cash? all in my account. i hate carrying cash.

Do you fold laundry while watching tv? no.

When’s the last time you used a protractor? high school lol.

When’s the last time you used a Victoria’s Secret product? the other day.

Can you name the kids from the Cosby Show? nope.

What’s your favorite show on Nick At Nite? never had nickelodeon.

Have you ever made a rubber band ball? no lol. always wanted to.

What zodiac sign do you find to be the most interesting? none. people who truly believe in that shit kill my life. i could read any horoscope and somehow find a way it relates to my life.

Would you ever see a psychic? tempting but no.

When’s the last time you had cotton candy? ages ago.

Where is your younger sibling? in her room.

What’s the last thing you ordered at a Mexican restaurant? tacos.

Do you have an ant problem in the summer? nope.

Do you tan outside or in a booth? outside. but rarely.

Do you still use scrunchies? no.

Have you ever met someone for the 1st time that seemed so familiar? yes. i didn’t officially meet her, but there was this girl at work who looked SO familiar. i spent all shift thinking about it and realized she looks exactly like baby ariel lol.

What’s the most hours you’ve worked in a week? 40.

Do you keep anything in files? yes.

Do you have special ringtones for different people? only my boyfriend.

How do you eat your steak? rare/medium rare.

Is your birthmark shaped like anything? nah, it’s just a small dash.

Can you put on mascara with your mouth closed? yes.

Have you ever worn men’s underwear? no.

Do you own anything that’s fuzzy and purple? nope.

When’s the last time you were kissed on the cheek? on the weekend.

Do you play with pogs? nope.

What wild animal would you like as a pet? a panda that’s tame.

When’s the last time someone hung up on you? idk lol.

Have you eaten an entire pizza by yourself? hmmm. i probably have tbh.

Have you ever fallen out of a tree? nope.

Did you read the Babysitters Club book series? i was obsessed with it as a kid. i’d go to the markets and scope out garage sales just to collect them all.

How about Goosebumps? ^ same.

Ever worn a flower in your hair? yes.

What kind of car did your parents have while you were growing up? suzukis. they don’t have suzukis anymore yet i do lol.

Do you ever wish your birthday was on a different day? nah. i like my birthday.

Do you sunburn easily? i can if i’m not wearing any sunscreen.

Have you read the Twilight series? the first book only and like halfway through the second.

Why couldn’t you go to sleep the last time you were up all night? i was occupied lol.

What breed of dog do you find the most annoying? the small barky ones lol.

What would you name your first born son? haven’t thought that far ahead yet.

Do you cook anything you don’t like eating? no lol. what’s the point!

Do you watch any reality shows on MTV or VH1? no.

Would you have a better chance of surviving in the Sahara or Alaska? alaska. easily.

When’s the last time you pet a cat? omg maybe over a year ago.

Do you remember Eureka’s Castle on Nick JR? nope.

What would you say is Paris Hilton’s occupation? international dj hahahaha.

Are you wearing a necklace? yes.

Do you have any noticeable moles or birthmarks? i have a small mole below my right eye.

Count to ten in another language. ok i just did.

Do you feel uncomfortable telling friends they have boogers in their nose? no. i’d appreciate it if my friends told me if i had any!

What do you remember from sex ed class when you were younger? yes lol. the class thought it was a joke.

What’s the first instrument you ever played? keyboard.

What’s the last thing you wore around your neck? necklace.

[lumos-star684]

All of them. Just to be a pain

Can’t believe I’m about to answer these but its either this or a marketing assignment so here goes…

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?

more cereal

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?

Yes! 

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?

blank revision cards and raffle tickets

4: how do you take your coffee/tea?

white with sugar

5: are you self-conscious of your smile?

yes

6: do you keep plants?

non but i would like to (in fact, I’m going to buy one next week)

7: do you name your plants?

nope

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?

none im not very creative :(

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself?

yep

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?

side or stomach usually

11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends?

hmmm can’t think of this (wait you should know this any idea?)

12: what’s your favorite planet?

Pluto

13: what’s something that made you smile today?

my little niece started talking to me about flying pigs

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?

like the friends apartment with loads of little quirky shit

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!

Venus is the only planet that spins backwards relative to the other planets.

16: what’s your favorite pasta dish?

good ole simple pasta with tomato sauce and cheese

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?

dark purple 

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.

i have no stories omg 

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?

non

20: what’s your favorite eye color?

don’t have one in particular, depends on the person really 

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.

there was my little karrimor rucksack that i had all throughout (most of ) secondary school and it broke on the day before the last day of Year 11 but still holds a special place in my heart

22: are you a morning person?

nooooooooo (unless its morning where you’ve been up all night)

23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?

make tea and watch tv

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?

nope (i don’t have a lot of secrets though??)

25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into?

a hotel kitchen (by accident i should add)

26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit?

at the moment, my black boots

27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor?

mint?? idek

28: sunrise or sunset?

sunset

29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?

there’s this one little shit that always sends me asks on tumblr

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?

yes

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about sock

socks, my friend, are a fucking brilliant invention. i have a bit of love-hate relationship with socks because i feel like they confine your feet (i mean why would you want to lock your feet into little pockets of cloth?) but on the other hand THEY’RE SO CUTE. little socks with funky patterns and little animals and the super soft house socks as well. having said that, all my socks are black with either pink purple or blue on the foot and heel parts. SO, my favourite thing to do is always wear mismatched socks - but nobody can tell because the main part of the sock is black. It’s like a little secret I can wear all day knowing that my socks are not the same even though it looks like they are.

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.

we’d just left a club in prague and headed over to burger king. we sat down and then out of nowhere in the middle of prague this group of gujarati kids came and sat down next to us. I had a conversation with them and forgot that the other girls hadn’t the foggiest idea what the fuck we were talking about. we were leaving and then one of them asked me to marry him……

33: what’s your fave pastry?

er…something with chocolate? or apples

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?

there was this little black dog that used to be my sister’s, i can’t remember what i used to call him but I’ve still got him somewhere

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?

I absolutely love them but can never bring myself to use them (I eventually did and my Latin notes are so fucking pretty)

36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now?

Bahamas

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?

messy but organised messy

38: tell us about your pet peeves!

when people walk slowly in the middle of the street and when people think they’re better than you

39: what color do you wear the most?

black

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you?

i have a little harry potter necklace i got for my 16th which i wear almost every day

41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving?

me before you

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!

don’t like coffee shops much

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?

nobody

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?

last sunday

45: do you trust your instincts a lot?

no lol they’re shit

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.

all puns are good puns

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?

ermm dunnoo

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?

can’t remember exactly what my biggest fear was, but it’s not the same as today (although probably quite similar)

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?

nope don’t own any

50: what’s an odd thing you collect?

empty glue sticks

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them?

you - la vie en rose

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far?

LOOL some of the trump and theresa may ones have been pretty good

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them?

no but they’re all on my list to watch

54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?

probably a stranger on the train

55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point?

moved out 

56: what are some things you find endearing in people?

people tagging in posts and memes

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?

currently ill in bed so i didn’t even move -_-

58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why?

keef is the wine mom and i reckon you will be the vodka aunt :)

59: what’s your favorite myth?

there was this one where zeus was cheating on hera and when he got caught he turned the woman into a cow

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?

yes! usually just snippets i read on the internet though

61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received?

given is what we gave keef and received…i don’t think ive ever received a stupid gift?

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?

sometimes yes, either the innocent strawberry and banana smoothie or the orange and passionfruit tropicana

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?

music yes, it all has to be in particular playlists and books no, they’re just stacked randomly

64: what color is the sky where you are right now?

bright blueee

65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with?

you :( and a couple of people from school actually

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like?

tiny little black red and purple flowers

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?

a bit eh actually, but also nice if i’m inside and in bed

68: what’s winter like where you live?

not great, just a bit grim and rainy and no snow

69: what are your favorite board games?

monopolyyyy

70: have you ever used a ouija board?

nope

71: what’s your favorite kind of tea?

breakfast tea

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it?

1000000% yes

73: what are some of your worst habits?

picking at the skin around my fingers and overthinking (the standard tbh)

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.

newcastle born and bred sarcastic little shit who can be a bit annoying but also has a heart of gold

75: tell us about your pets!

MY LITTLE BABYYYYY Goghi is my cat - black with little white paws, a white stripe down her front and a white moustache. Softest fucking fur EVER. She has one funny eye, hates people and sleeps all day. I also have about twenty fish in the pond and two little ones in a tank inside. Varying sizes and no names

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t?

a marketing assignment, the laundry and cleaning my room 

77: pink or yellow lemonade?

noooo idea..

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?

fanclub. they’re one in a minion those things

79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?

little things like when people come and see me i cant think of a particular example

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?

beige and nope we just painted the whole house that colour

81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.

*can’t remember what anyone’s eyes look like*

82: are/were you good in school?

yeah i was a pretty good student

83: what’s some of your favorite album art?

the airborne toxic event and green day’s american idiot

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?

yesss but not sure yet!

85: do you read comics? what are your faves?

nope

86: do you like concept albums? which ones?

i have never heard of concept albums (upon googling it appears i do like some of them, yes)

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?

3 idiots, dead poets society and kuch kuch hota hai amongst others

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy?

non

89: are you close to your parents?

eh

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities.

Londonnn - its just….everything (but also expensive)

91: where do you plan on traveling this year?

croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina  and hopefully a couple of other city breaks

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?

drowns

93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most?

hair down if its straight or pony tail if its curly

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?

my little cousin’s birthday was yesterday

95: what are your plans for this weekend?

stay in be all weekend drink tea and eat soup

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?

procrastinate, all the time

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?

INTJ/INTP, gemini and ravenclaw

98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?

ncs? loved it but also hated it because i don’t like climbing

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.

Current favourites: Sometime Around Midnight, Vampire Smile and Wasn’t Expecting That

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?

Future - five years ago i was there and twas a bit shite

oh my god you don’t know how long those took me YOU BETTER READ THEM ALL @findinganiqa XXX