#but it just annoys me. like the concept of it

[hyunjincanraptoo]

Mother may I have some prompt number 5

Nooo, don't call me mother haha I would be a terrible one. Sorry it took so long, I hope you like it 💜

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: a lot of drinking, angstish, mostly fluff, pairing model!reader x jealous!hyunjin. DON'T GET TATTOOS WHEN YOU'RE DRUNK!!!

Alexa, play Tattoos Together by Lauv

5. Tattoos together

The venue was fancy, like really fancy— crystal chandeliers, mirrored walls, the echoing click of Jimmy Choos on the marble.

Hyunjin hated it.

He adjusted the collar of his blazer, already regretting saying yes to tonight. He wasn’t on the schedule, hadn’t even walked a show this week. But you were there. And you looked like every designer’s fever dream.

In black silk and red lips, you were radiant but also  paired up with a model type who clearly didn’t understand the concept of personal space. Your assigned partner for the campaign, you had explained. Just for the night.

Still, the man kept hovering too close, whispering something into your ear that made you roll your eyes but also, smile.

Hyunjin stood at the bar.

“Another gin, please”, he muttered.

The bartender, used to broken hearts, handed it over without saying a single word. Hyunjin took the glass in one hand, jaw tight, and threw it back like it was water.

He didn’t even flinch at the burn.

When he looked back toward the center of the room, the man had a hand at your waist casually— too casual for his liking

He ordered the third drink. He downed the drink all at once.

You weren’t flirting. Hyunjin knew you, knew the way your posture stiffened when you were annoyed, the way you didn’t laugh with your eyes when you weren't truly comfortable. But the guy wasn’t reading that. 

Or worse, he was, and didn’t care.

He clenched his fists tight, refusing to get into a fight and ruin your night.

The fourth drink came— vodka this time.

A soft jazz melody played in the background, while conversations in French, Korean, and English faded into a far hum, like they were happening across the street, not around him

He lost count around the fifth drink.

By the time someone clicked a photo of you and your partner in front of the press wall, Hyunjin had sunk into the bar stool, glass twirling in his hand, eyes narrowed like he could burn the man down with a stare.

You met his eyes for a moment, just a second.

He looked away first.

Somewhere between the sixth and seventh glass, he stopped feeling his limbs.

Somewhere between one photo and the next, the jealousy turned into something uglier.

At some point, Hyunjin slipped out. Silent. Sloppy. Not waiting for you. Not trusting himself to look at you without saying something he'd regret.

✧˖*°࿐

You found him behind the venue, slouched in a shadowed alleyway like a missing line in a love poem.

He didn’t see you at first.

Or maybe he did and just ignored

His back was against the wall, one hand dragging over his face, the other still curled around the glass. His blazer hung open, shirt tousled at the hem, and he looked like he’d aged ten years in the past hour.

“Hyun”,  you said gently, stepping into the alley.

He flinched.

Just barely. A shoulder twitch. A muscle jerk. But you felt it like a slap in the face.

You stopped, throat tightening as if he had choked you

“Don’t” he muttered, voice hoarse, “Don’t pretend like he wasn’t all over you”

You frowned, “And don’t pretend like I wanted him to be”

He didn’t answer. Just stared at the ground like it would give him the right answer.

You stepped closer without touching him yet.

“You think I’d let someone touch me like that if it wasn't you?”, you asked quietly, “You think I’d look at anyone the way I look at you?”

He didn't answer 

You reached for him and this time, when he tried to pull away, you didn’t let him.

You grabbed his wrist. Shoved him back against the wall and pinned him there with your body and a fire in your eyes he hadn’t seen before

Hyunjin stared at you, lips parted, breath shallow. “What are you doing?”

You leaned in close, voice steady despite the pounding in your chest, “"Reminding you, I'm completely out of his league, and you're a fucking idiot for thinking I would be”

He blinked, surprised.

Then, suddenly, the corner of his mouth curled smugly.

“You wanna prove it?”, he whispered.

Your brows lifted, “Try me” 

He grinned, drunk, slightly heartbroken and desperately yours, “Let’s get a tattoo”

You blinked, “What?!”

“Right now. Matching ones”

“You’re not serious”

“Dead serious. Prove I’m the only one that gets to stay on your skin forever”

That made you pause

“You’re being ridiculous”

“And you love me anyway”

“Yeah”, you murmured, “I do”

He leaned forward, forehead pressed to yours, breathing exhaling alcohol, “Then let’s make it permanent”

“Guess I'll need some drinks first”

✧˖*°࿐

The tattoo studio was tucked into the corner of a street you couldn’t pronounce, the kind of place that looked like it specialized in regrets. 

 Inside, a man with a bleached buzzed hair and a septum piercing barely acknowledged you when you stumbled in, breathless from laughing too hard at nothing.

Hyunjin went straight to the counter, “We want… tattoos”, he declared, slapping a crumpled napkin down.

The artist blinked. Took one look at you both— your smeared makeup, his flushed cheeks, the way your hands were laced together like you couldn’t stand to be apart for even a second— and shrugged.

“D'accord”, he muttered, “Petit?”

“Yes”, Hyunjin said confidently, “Petit. Tiny. Forever”

You giggled into his shoulder, “This is a terrible idea. Your manager is going to kill you”

He waved the napkin like a flag of pride, “This is art, baby”

The sketch was anything but art— two stick figures. One with big round eyes, long black hair and arms swinging wildly in the air, clearly Hyunjin. The other with a huge pink mass in one hand, and a little heart over her— or better, your— head.

“She’s holding strawberry ice cream”, Hyunjin explained to the artist, “Because she’s sweet. And because of my song, you know… ice eso cream, ice as a cream …”

You crackled when he started to sing

“You’re so drunk”, you murmured, resting your head against his arm.

He kissed the top of your head, “Drunk in love.”

 “Cute”, the artist said in accented English, “You sit”

The process was a blur of laughter, ink, and Hyunjin whispering ‘ouch’ dramatically every two seconds just to see you laugh.

 You watched each other get marked with tiny, silly figures forever on your wrists.

Sloopy? Yes. But also perfect.

“You two are… romantique”,  the artist said, shaking his head with a smile. 

You left the studio grinning, tattoos on your wrists, hands locked as Paris slept around you. 

✧˖*°࿐

The first thing Hyunjin felt when he woke up was thirst. The second was regret.

He blinked at the morning light, then slowly, painfully rolled over.

You were still asleep, curled in the duvet, your cheek squished into the pillow, arm stretched out— exposed tattooed wrist 

Hyunjin sat up too fast. Instant headache.

Then he looked down at his own wrist.

And screamed.

“WHAT THE…?!”

You groaned into the pillow, “Oh my God, what now…”

He held out his arm like it was a cursed artifact, “WHY IS THERE A STICK FIGURE OF ME SCREAMING ON MY SKIN?!!”

You blinked at it, “Because you said that’s how you feel when you are around me. Loud and chaotic”

He gaped, “I LOOK LIKE A BALLOON WITH LIMBS, YN!!!”

You snorted, “Well mine has an ice cream as big as my head. It’s giving… preschool”

He stared at you in horror, “Where did my artistic ability go last night?!”

You sat up, smiling, “Left your body after drink number five, babe”

There was a long pause.

Then Hyunjin groaned, collapsed back into the pillows, and let out the most dramatic whimper ever

You laughed, leaned over, and kissed his temple, “It’s terrible”, you whispered, “But this is us”

He turned to look at you, smiling despite the whole situation, “It is kinda cute, though”, he mumbled.

You kissed him again. And again.

Until the regret faded into softness and chaos— permanent, like the ink on your skin.

If you enjoyed it please consider liking and reblogging. Feedbacks and loves notes are very much appreciated 😊

Taglist: @hyyunjinnn , @jehhskz , @mbioooo0000 , @nightmarenyxx , @rozsdascsaptelep, @thatonegirlonhere , @notmedina127, @sweetlifeofjoy , @jeonginsleftcheek , @yelhsaa, @my-neurodivergent-world , @hyunles , @lexlikesbts , @imagine-all-the-imagines , @mysterysold , @teenagepeterpan , @hangonhyunjin , @yxna-bliss

[blue2black]

*COD Characters, based on things my Civics Teacher has said*

———

*Modern Warfare (2019-2023)*

Price: My dad died. The world’s now a better place.

Gaz: I am NOT ☝🏻 one of your subjects 😐

Ghost: I’m not trying to hurt you! I just want you to be uncomfortable.

Soap: Did you know that we’re the only animal in the world that have grasped the concept of death?

Alex: Did I tell y’all about the story when I bought a rooster and officiated a lesbian wedding in a Dollar General parking lot on the same day?

Farah: It feels like someone’s getting human trafficked every time I go in there.

Laswell: My wife punched a dude in the face who was twice my size. It was great.

Nikolai: Yeah, my cat started talking, I dunno what’s going on ✋🏻😐🤚🏻

Graves: You got any war plans?

Shepherd: I don’t mean to belittle but I kinda do-

Roach: I couldn’t afford a social life.

Alejandro: Her husband is such a d-bag.

Rudy: *silence* This is really annoying 😒

Valeria: “Stealings not nice” ehehehehehehehe 😆

———

*World War II (2017)*

Turner: Oh sweet Jesus, I’m gonna lose my mind.

Daniels: Pretty harsh, but sure! Hahaha *long nervous laughter*

Stiles: I can’t believe you made a Police Academy reference…now I wanna watch it.

Pierson: Yeah, I saw you guys and regretted being here.

Zussman: I’m leaving that up there because I was a wanted felon Y’ALL- ✋🏻😀

Aiello: Report and observe, bro.

Crowley: You gotta stop, girl, you gotta stop 🙄💅🏻

Rousseau: When you have clowns you get a circus.

Vivian: My inhaler’s my best friend right now.

Davis: *quotes a past coworker* “Don’t be gay, drink it straight.”

———

*Ghosts (2013)*

Logan: I’m starting to believe we’re all just in a simulation…there have been too many glitches in the matrix…we’re all sim characters.

Hesh, mimicking someone: “EuGh, NoW i CaN’t FiNd My PaPrIkA.”

Elias: Imma give (name) the Senior Superlative of “Most Likely to Rob a Sephora”.

Keegan: Good aunts and uncles are supposed to corrupt you and make your life harder.

Merrick: I would rather step on hot coals bare-footed.

Rorke: That’s what dudes do. The dude is gonna do it again with another dude. The dude and dude will do the dude do.

———

(Lol, he has ADHD and terrible parental figures, so it makes sense on why he says the shit that he says. You could also think of this as like “My Civics Teacher Core,” y’know? These are also my favorite COD games…please try not to judge me 😅)

[theorphicangel]

heaven can wait | satoru gojo x reader | chap. 2

pair: guardian angel! gojo x fem! reader

description: the last thing you had expected was to come face to face with your very own guardian angel to which you had no idea that they existed.

now you have to deal with an annoying six foot-something angel who leaves nothing but feathers and chaos behind him. but as time passes you begin to learn more about him and he finds himself bending the rules just to be around you a little longer.

however there is one rule that guardian angels like him must always abide by.

they mustn't fall in love. ever.

tags: strangers to lovers, no curses au, modern au, satoru is annoying but you learn to love him, forbidden love, semi-slowburn, i think, eventual smut, fem! reader, angel! satoru, more tags to be added

art cred: @aidonotknow, original work is here, please check out their art!!!

taglist: @therealisttheillest @ohmygeto @bunheadusa @czarixoxo @lalalandincraz @descargueestoporgojosatoru @emochosoluvr @celear @thoreeo @moxieisanalien @amberbalcom14 @13-09-01 @k-kkiana @tyyqqaaa @ehcilhc @entr4p3 @fushiguroooozzz @marajafarli @slutlight2ndver @twinkling-moonlillie @pickledsoda @satansthiccasscheeksreblogacc @worganmalker @rorel1a

let me know if you would like to be on the taglist!

chapter two: explanations

wc: 970-something

author's note: this is a little shorter and i was debating to add it to chapter one but whatever. enjoy.

playlist

series masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter

You’re still choked up. 

Your palms are sweaty and clenched as you try to come to terms with the stranger sitting in your house. There’s a bag of takeout sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch that he’s sitting on. Or perhaps lazing should be the right word to describe this…person.

He’s spent the last twenty minutes explaining to you the entire brief history and concept of a guardian angel. It’s confusing but you're grateful for the theology and religion classes you picked for extra credit. He hasn’t explained the important things yet like who sent him to you or how long he’s here for but those are questions you’ll ask later if he ever stops talking.

“Therefore,” He drags on, “ I was the reason you didn’t lose your life out there.” He points behind him with his thumb and a cheeky smirk on his face. You don’t respond to him having decided to remain completely silent throughout his whole explanation. 

So. 

Guardian angels exist. 

This…man with giant angel wings is real. You’ve studied his face for the last few minutes but your mind still thinks that you’ve gone completely crazy. Maybe you woke up in the wrong universe today. Maybe you hit your head last night and haven’t realised that you’re living in a delusion. 

“It’s normal to be confused.” Satoru disrupts your thoughts, reading your expressions. “I know it may not make a whole lot of sense right now and you’re totally discombobulated but that’s completely okay, it takes some time to get used to it.”

He’s surprisingly gentle about it all. As if he’s explained this a million times before. And judging from the fact that angels are immortal he probably has. You wonder how many other people he’s looked after. How many people is he protecting right now? How long has he done this for? How does an angel become a guardian? 

There’s so many questions running through your mind at total speed and you can’t pick which one to ask first. 

You’re silent for a little while but your angel doesn’t mind this. He watches you try to comprehend your entire situation. 

“Satoru.” You test out his name on your lips. 

“That’s my name.” he grins. 

Your mouth opens. And then closes. The words you want to say out loud linger on your tongue, almost spilling out from your lips.

“I’m not sure how to say this but…”

“Go ahead.” he reassures, smiling to reveal a perfect set of pearly white teeth. What else would you expect from an angel from above? “There’s no such thing as a stupid question.”

“How do I stop this?”

“Stop what?” He tilts his head in curiosity. 

“Stop you from being assigned to me.”

Satoru’s smile drops. This is a question that he’s never been asked of before, never in his many years of being a guardian angel. There’s something in his heart that churns at your sentence and at the tone of which you asked it. Sure, you don’t have to have anything to do with him but asking to end the contract with him was something he hadn’t expected to hear.

“I didn’t ask for this, I didn’t ask for any of this.” You explain in a rushed tone, “I don’t want someone watching me all the time and creeping me out and leaving fucking feathers everywhere in my home.” You rise from your seat. “I’m grateful to you for saving my life but I've survived perfectly well without a guardian before you arrived and I’m pretty sure that I’ll be just fine afterwards.”

At this point Satoru is confused. He’s never been in a situation like this, where you can’t even stand to look at him. Your tone isn’t asking but rather telling him to leave you alone. 

He looks down at his hands as he thinks, his wings swaying a little.  “I can leave but I can’t stop the contract put into place between us.”

“Well how does it stop?” you say impatiently. Your frustration is getting the best of you but you can’t help it, having a random creature in your house is enough to cause you to spiral after all you’ve gone through today. 

There’s a pause and within that pause Satoru’s face turns completely serious. This time he’s not afraid to meet your gaze and there’s something in his tone that bites. “How’d you think?”

Oh. 

The realisation hits you like a ton of bricks and you flop back down into your seat. 

For him to end the contract you’d have to…die.

“Look, this is my first day and I don’t want anything crazy to happen, else there’ll be a lot of paperwork to deal with upstairs if you know what I mean. And there’ll be questions and I’ll be downgraded and–

“Downgraded?”

Satoru hums. “There’s a whole system to it but it wouldn’t make sense to explain it to you right now.” He lets out a sigh. He’s not giving up on you but he hasn’t had a human put him through the ropes like this in – well – forever.

“Nothing makes sense to me right now.” You retort. 

Satoru raises his hands, “Look, all I’m asking is for you to trust me.” His eyes meet yours and the shade like blue diamond engrosses you completely. If anything he seems genuine and wants to simply do his job which is to protect you. If you’ll allow him. 

“Can you do that for me?”

[yanderes-galore]

Marvel Rivals Magik awakened something in me, can I ask for a concept of her, please?

Yandere! MR! Magik HCs

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Blood, Implied murder, Kidnapping, Yandere aware of actions, Stalking, Oblivious darling, Biting/Marking, Tasting blood, Dubious turned forced relationship.

Illyana, at least the one you play as according to her lore, is Queen of Limbo.

She rules over demons and acts as a general, fighting against gods and deities.

She has a naturally commanding presence, some fear her, some respect her.

Due to this fearsome and intimidating version of herself... I imagine her yandere tendencies would make her ruthless.

That's not even mentioning Darkchylde/Darkchild, whom I imagine makes her quite possessive over you.

She's a queen, a ruler in this timeline.

Only fools would try to tempt what's hers.

Illyana is normally very stoic due to her title and role.

She's the Queen of Limbo, a master of demons.

She isn't really one who relies on others in this universe.

All she has are her demons and the constant war of Darkchild within her.

I feel Illyana mostly tries to keep herself controlled and reserved.

Although I imagine her yandere behavior manifests as something more... primal or feral due to Darkchild?

Illyana originally saw your partnerships as just that, partnerships.

You're both stuck fighting wars due to the timeline entanglement.

She already had a lot on her plate in Limbo, yet her fellow Mutants and even Wanda needed her aid.

She just saw you as an ally she could rely on to get things done.

Even during downtime where you two could talk, Illyana would keep things hidden about herself.

She isn't a person to give into mushy feelings.

Which may be another reason when she is obsessed that it comes off... animalistic.

Illyana is slow to obsess because she's used to being alone and hiding impulses.

Even when she has positive interactions with you, she still has that disinterested tone or... is trying to keep herself controlled.

Part of Illyana probably wants to be closer to you, to finally find some sort of comfort in someone...

Another part of her is no doubt aware of what will happen when she does.

For Illyana, her reason for her obsession is a combination of her being alone for a long time and her dark side.

Actually... Mostly her dark side.

She knows if she relaxes around you, Darkchild may have other plans.

So part of her stoic disinterest may actually be for your own safety.

It's a chance to quit while you're ahead.

However, if you continue to support her, to try and be close to her...

She begins to hesitate.

You've seen her dark side in battle... So part of her thinks you somehow just didn't get the message being friends is a poor decision?

One time during downtime, Illyana decides to try to use Darkchild to scare you off.

She knows she's a monster and for your safety needs you to see it.

She shows you the large horned beast, the glaring crimson eyes with purple scales.

She shows you a being truly known as the Queen of Limbo.

She has more control of this form due to Strange according to dialogue, but is still incredibly sadistic and feral in this form.

Yet what does she get for trying to intimidate you?

"You won't hurt me, it doesn't benefit you... You know we need each other."

You aren't scared... It's nearly frustrating.

Illyana's tail thrashes as Darkchild, the demonic queen huffing as she reverts.

"You're annoying." Illyana grumbles, cursing herself for being unable to push you away.

"I'm sure you've had worse company."

She snorts, yeah, you're right there...

But that's the problem... You're so damn pleasant.

You're like a forbidden treat to her.

She wants you... so bad...

She just wants to give into the thoughts she has around you... but remains controlled.

She tries, she really does try to push you away.

In her eyes, she's done her best to avoid temptation and keep you safe.

So, if you're going to keep pushing her... to get close to her... right after finding out what she is...

She doesn't feel responsible for what happens next.

Once you accept her and befriend her, Illyana starts letting some behavior slip.

Part of her feels guilty, yes, but...

It's not like you left when you could.

It starts small... Remember her intimidating behavior?

You could just be speaking with someone or trying to defend yourself in the back of your team...

Only for Illyana to just be close by, grip on her Soulsword tight.

She's possessive due to Darkchild.

The Queen of Limbo has just found someone who managed to get close to her...

You aren't leaving her now.

You just wanted to be friends, you naively thought she was misunderstood.

No, it's hard to misunderstand the Queen of Limbo.

You walked into this, so it shouldn't be a problem when she cuts down people over you.

She's used to the blood, she's used to demons.

She's completely fine with giving into primal instincts with Darkchild running free to maim.

She hides her guilt and focuses on her more intense instincts.

No, you seem fine with it...

You're hers.

Even as Darkchild, Illyana is oddly careful with you.

She's still animalistic, but even as a demon her tail sways, as though resisting the urge to wrap herself around you and mark you.

She has control, she remembers Strange's teachings with her portals and Darkchild....

But the need to give in still claws at her.

Eventually Illyana allows herself some physical contact with you.

She allows hugs to sate her desires, silently scolding herself for thinking of anything else.

No... she doesn't want to bite your neck... to taste your blood... to mark you....

Safe to say, she has to quickly end hugs to keep them friendly.

Darkchild makes things so difficult for her.

Honestly she's desperate to change your bond to romantic at some point.

Will that make the feelings better or worse...?

Illyana also refuses to speak with anyone about this.

No Strange, No Logan, No Wanda...

She's ashamed of being so possessive of you... but can't restrain it much longer.

Not with you caring so much... or others being so close....

Others seem to know something is up with the Queen of Limbo though... she has a certain crimson glint in her eye when it comes to you.

It's pretty much been game over since you accepted her... but there's really no going back the second you are engaged in a romantic relationship.

Darkchild in her is practically purring once Illyana breaks down and confesses or even worse... you do it.

You poor damned soul....

Poor girl has to hold herself back from lunging onto you, eye twitching before she forces a downright animalistic smile.

"Oh, dear... You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, huh?"

By the time you're 'dating', Illyana doesn't bother holding back.

She kisses and marks your neck to sate her craving, apologizing when she draws blood... sometimes.

Her beastly instincts shudder when she tastes you and feels your warmth.

She's bad enough in her normal form, pulling you to secluded areas to kiss you or remind you of what you got yourself into by coming too close.

But as Darkchild?

Darkchild is possessive, sadistic, and craves you.

As Darkchild Illyana drags you away, her long tail wrapping around your waist as she growls.

One would argue it's a purr... But you're the only one who hears it.

As this form, bites always draw blood and make you flinch, the Queen of Limbo lapping at the blood eagerly as she looks over the mark.

Her claws dig into your skin, tail squeezing tightly as she growls at anyone who even thinks of approaching. (A death wish, honestly....)

Illyana is terrifying to those she sees as trying to take you.

Her normal form practically glares daggers into others, no matter how strong.

Plus, having Darkchild behind you?

I think that's beyond scary dog privilege.

For the most part you can talk things out.

You understand her behavior is from Darkchild and try to help her contain it.

You want to love her... even if you shouldn't...

But you can't excuse her using a portal as Darkchild to drag you to Limbo.

When it comes to Darkchild, anything can set her off.

With this whole Timeline Entanglement issue, she may be worried about your safety.

Or maybe she just feels... this is the next step between you.

Illyana would kidnap you then blame you for it.

If you didn't get close to her and acted like you cared so much... You wouldn't be here.

The demons won't touch you, not when she announces you are the Queen of Limbo's partner/consort.

She's put her demons in line if she has to.

But they won't touch you... They, like you should have, fear her.

Illyana, even in Limbo, treats you as if you're precious... occasionally marking your skin to sate herself.

She loves you, she's simply... a demon queen.

Others may try to dissuade her, no doubt sensing the possessive demeanor in Illyana...

Yet she's adamant that you wanted this.

She warns others that whoever tries to take you will be at the mercy of Darkchild.

You don't need help.

No one has come so close to her, the Queen of Limbo...

You're the only one, you asked for it.

She's warned you she's dangerous... She's shown you Darkchild.

You were fine then... you aren't now?

A shame, sweetheart... but you don't dangle meat in front of a demon then tug it away last minute.

She's claimed you, fair and square.

Now you'll reside in Limbo with her... Forced to lie in the grave you made...

She was never going to let you go once you tempted her, honestly.

[unfairlyfallen]

Okay, so I was talking to my friends about this, but is it just me, or is The Dark a weak ass fear?

Like, "Ohh, who turned out the lights" lookin' ass.

It reminds me of those villains from cartoons who just wanted to make an eternal night and I'm like "GOOD. IT'S TOO DAMN HOT AND BRIGHT DURING THE DAY."

Anyway, sorry if I'm bothering or annoying you with all the interaction, I just think you're cool.

Yes, through a modern lens, I fully understand where you are coming from on this.

There is no DEEPER fear associated with the dark: stuff could be out there, it might want to hurt you, you can't see it.

-BUT, it isn't ripping your deepest traumas from your mind against your will, or replacing the people you know and love with 'something else', or infiltrating your body with insects and festering disease...

That being said,

I will argue that "the Dark" is one of the *oldest* human fears. 'Human' is even too recent a term, we were afraid of the dark long before we were 'us'. The dark is the unknown, and back before we had a way to fend it off, to casually treat it as nature's "suggestion" that the day had come to a close, it was all-encompassing, and (similarly to the Vast) much, MUCH larger than us.

The Winter Solstice only exists at all, because ancient people needed to be given hope that the sun would, at some point, return. It was a promise (however uncertain that 'promise' might have been in reality) that the world had not, in fact, been plunged into eternal darkness, betrayed by the gods, and abandoned. The light would be back, the same as it had been every year before...

But, until we began to understand the concept of seasons, the Earth's rotation, our orbit around the Sun, RHYME and REASON to light and dark... We could never be certain. Every time the winter months stole away the vital sunlight by which we grew our food, did our work, and warmed our bodies, humanity was struck by the sickening, crippling fear that this time, the sun might finally decide not to come back.

In a world without electricity and modern comforts, being wholly consumed by darkness was a death sentence. You, your crops, your livestock, and everyone you cared for, would simply perish. And there would be NOTHING you could do to stop it. No enemy to fight. No ailment to cure. Nothing.

Just you, and a sealed fate you wouldn't even *see* yourself succumb to.

I, personally, think that's pretty scary.

.

.

.

[returnofeternity]

mom's bsf lottie who convinces r's mum that r needs some tutoring or something to keep r busy since your mom keeps sharing on how you wont look for a job wont move out and you've taken two drop years after school and you're always going out and drinking and your mom is FED UP and lottie offers to take care of that but she's super vague "oh I'll maybe tutor her" and "oh I'll keep her busy" but your mum accepts regardless because she's desperate to get rebellious! unemployed? r

the concept of moms bsf lottie....so very yummy. need her to prey on me i mean what

whenever ur mom talks about you going out and drinking, she wishes she was there with you 😔 thinking about her subtly trying to ask what bar(s) you go to so she can maybe go there and 'accidentally' bump into you, but ur mom never knows -_- she also tries to make up fake jobs that she needs you to do around the house but you never show up >,> things like mowing her lawn, repainting a room in her house, or cleaning up the pool. but ur too busy sleeping in to get up and go over.

thinking about lottie who just wants to whip you into shape. lottie who finally gets to take care of you and have you around all the time because ur mom accepted her offer. maybe you have to live with lottie until you get ur shit together. it's not like ur annoyed about having to live with her, it's just an inconvenience because now ur gonna have to do shit 😞

miss matthews was always tough on you, and now that you're grown, she can be as rough and tough as she wants. 'specially since ur living under her roof now.

but also thinking about lottie who just lets you do whatever because all she rly wanted was you. she tells you she'll provide everything for you so long as you pleasure her. she coddles you constantly, telling you that all you really needed was some loving!! n maybe you do get ur act together! i mean, why would you keep going out with friends when you can stay home and kiss your mom's best friend all day?

[saturnyukaa]

Tristeva is such an obsession of mine but they also endlessly frustrate me with their terrible writing. the concept of their relationship is adorable but then i look a little closer and i’m like oh. this kind of Sucks .

making all of evangelyne’s development and pivotal character moments centre him is SUCH misogynistic writing and it drives me insane. please god let her exist outside of him. her character has devolved into His Wife and it’s fucking stupid when she has such potential to like. DO SOMETHING.

for gods’ sake they don’t even explain what initially attracted her to him. what could she POSSIBLY see in this man … can you elaborate on that maybe because all you’re giving me is that she likes that he thinks she’s pretty which is . stupid.

ALSO!!! as far as i’m aware; he ONLY likes her because she’s pretty!!! there are a few moments in s1 where you can tell he likes how she can hold her own in a fight which is kind of cute, but then they immediately damsel-in-distress her after they get together so like. what was the point of all that.

most of their relationship has just devolved into her yelling at him for being stupid which is annoying and misunderstands their dynamic terribly. they had an entire fight about this in s2 so why is she Still Doing That. they’ve basically become one big “i hate my partner” joke which SUCKS because i really love them

there’s definitely potential there for him to challenge her stick-in-the-mud attitude and ego and for HER to challenge his immaturity, but they just. never do that. their relationship has so much groundwork for a push-and-pull dynamic where they’re constantly challenging one another to grow and change and the writers completely ignore that for more Iop-Brain jokes.

i’m so tired💔

[chiippss]

Happy Birthday! Oh! Wait, is that blood?

Context: It's Caleb's birthday and although you both had been opening up to each other, there were still so many secrets and words left unsaid.

Tags: fluff, angst, happy ending (yay!), established relationship, mentions and allusions to experimentation (not that kind, the bad kind u freaks lol), physical injuries, arguing (it's not that bad, i swear), birthday fic, reverse comfort, I tried to be realistic here man idk, mentions of Spatium core, set in current timeline, Toring chip also mentioned, multiple sides of Caleb shown (i tried, i think?)

A/N: Hey, so first time actually, oh I don't know, WRITiNG SO MUCH?? Unsure, if the angst is a lot or not actually, a little excited to release it to the world, and if enough people are interested I think the whole project "Lipton" would be great as separate concept (´∩｀。)

Word count: 4.3k

Credit for divider: @/cursed-carmine

A week before.

“Is it really necessary?” His voice held that teasing lilt, his brow cocked as he chuckled at you.

“Come on! I know it’s been years but seriously! What do you want?” You met his gaze slightly annoyed, a bit of a furrowed brow of your own as you tried to be taken seriously.

Caleb’s birthday was coming up, and although it had been literal years since **you two had celebrated his together you felt a wave of nostalgia as the date was quickly approaching.

“Pipsqueak, y’know anythin’ you’ll give me will be treasured by yours truly, seriously! You don’t need to do anything! ” He reiterated once more.

“But I want to! Omg! Caleb, you’re so…argh!” You groaned and quickly turned away from him, a pout forming on your lips at his stubborn insistence.

A mirthful chuckle left his lips as he slowly wrapped his arms around your waist, his chin resting between the slope of your neck and shoulder before he whispered teasingly, “I’m serious babe, all I want is for you to be with me, together, just spending some time alone, hm? We’ve already missed out on so much, can’t I just want somethin’ small?”

A press of his lips was followed afterwards, the soft, “Chu” sound that elicited making you warm in seconds. “Caleb…” you managed to mutter, now less annoyed.

“I can…make it more personal I guess, I just wanted something that you’ll enjoy, like when we were kids, y’know?” you bashfully muttered.

“Yea, but this year I just want to spend it with my lovely pipsqueak, rightt here” he hummed against your skin— the drawl that left his lips adding a touch of tenderness to his words—his touch warm and intimate as he flexed his fingers against the supple flesh on your hips before interlacing them with your own hands.

A defeated sigh left your lips at his response, deciding to ultimately pull out the white flag. You admitted defeat, “Fine, just…ok-yea, this is your birthday, so it makes sense we do what you want” a sheepish smile formed as you admitted error. “Sorry for getting carried away like that” you muttered out.

“It’s alright pip, I don’t mind a bit of jibber jabber, especially when it’s about me but just slow down a bit first, okay..?” he added, his voice growing warmer and less serious before giving my hands an affectionate squeeze. His warmth seeping past his chest and onto my back, the small snicker of pride earning a quick, defensive reply, “I do not jibber jabber!”

Caleb: +1 Point

You: -1 Point

3 days left.

It was the following morning, and what should’ve been a bubbling mixture of excitement and anticipation was warred with the impending feelings of nerves and stress.

“Cue for deployment in 30 minutes, I want all witnesses investigated and throughly examined.”

His voice rang through the intercom, his tone calm and collected with finality as he ordered the officers to deploy their aircrafts. Unlike them though, he wasn’t commanding the ship. Instead, he gaze focused on the contract below, it read:

Farspace Fleet Authorization, “Operation Lipton”— Hunters’ Association Intel.

His gaze hardened once more as he read through the contract for the millionth time that night. His knee bouncing repeatedly, his posture tense, and head pounding from the brights lights of his office. The table slightly trembled with each bounce, the whirr of the AC accompanied with the luminescent lights making him wince once he decided to peel his eyes away.

One had to read between the lines, Caleb in particular, knew that it was just another step in Professor Lucious’s plans.

The contract stated the following:

By signing on the line below, the recipient, Caleb Xia is hereby authorizing the clearance of “Operation Lipton”, that of which pertains to infiltrate the Hunters’ Association located in Linkon, China for the purpose of gathering intelligence regarding the ‘Spatium Core’. Allowing officers: Fake Name, Fake Name, Fake Name to go undercover as Hunters for a period of 6 months, each of who will independently report and explain their findings throughout the duration of time. Upon returning, all officers and adjutants will undergo a series of questions and examination (ie. polygraphs) in order to reevaluate their allegience to the Farspace Fleet. In addition, they will also agree to be participants regarding the possible investigation and research into said ‘Spatium Core’.

Finally setting the paper aside, his head tipped back against his seat, a small curse falling from his lips before he directed his attention elsewhere. His eyes scanned the room before ultimately settling where they always did in his times of distress, her.

The small portrait of her he kept on his desk, both of them smiling, holding up their apple shaped plushies they had won at the arcade. He remembered that day as if it had been yesterday. You both looked so happy, his eyes trained on you instead while you smiled for the picture; it had been one of your first dates, and he? Well he was as smitten as one could be. His hand reached for the frame before bringing it closer to him, a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth before bringing the glass to his lips.

“Oh pips…” he murmured, his voice just a hair away of worry.

Reluctantly, he set the portrait down before his eyes flickered once more to the contract: what to do, oh what to do.

As his gaze lingered on the piece of paper, his pen laid next to it, the line underneath calling out to him like a vice. He sighed.

It would be so easy, so simple if he could just sign the damn piece of paper, yet not only would that completely go against his morals; if these bastards had any, but they would also hurt her.

As his hand reached over, his finger pressed another button on the intercom. The numbers were punched in one by one, each a reminder of the weight of the situation. He waited patiently as it buzzed in the man on the other side, the hum of the machine surely going off across the other line.

“Ring!”

“Ring!”

“Ring!”

“Caleb?” the other voice on the line picked up. Instantly, the colonel’s lips formed into a thin line, his tone somewhat cordial and collected as he spoke calmly yet veiled with curtness.

“Professor Lucious.” He simply stated, the dull tap of the pen hitting against the table being the only sound heard aside from his voice. “What do you need this time?”, the professor instantly picked up the colonel’s cue, and decided to drop the act as well. “Your ‘physical examination’ isn’t due until another week, and as far as media’s concerned the fleet’s doing just fine.”

“I’m aware, I wanted to discuss the detail’s of ‘Operation Lipton’…it says here that we plan to obtain intelligence regarding the Spatium Core, correct?” A soft breath left his lips as he stared at the words on the contract as they began to blur.

“Yes, don’t you have a copy with you? Why are you bothering me with such questions, haven’t you signed it already?”

“Why does the Farspace Fleet need to concern ourselves with the new Protocore? Aren’t we already making technological leads and leaps when it comes to the modifi-”

“Caleb.”

“Apologies professor….when it comes to the enhancements of the fleet”

A long pause followed afterwards, both men were quiet. Lucious was the first one to speak; his tone simple and to the point, yet Caleb knew better to assume that it wasn’t sinister nor calculated.

“We should meet in person to discuss the details of the project if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Professor-”

“Lets do…3 days from now, so the 13th?” His voice cut in instantly, polite yet leaving no room for argument. The tone one that reminded Caleb that even as the Colonel, he just a lab rat when it came to the professor.

“I-uhm…the 13th?” he swallowed thickly, his voice losing that composed edge he eyes looking elsewhere as he bit back his tongue, Fuck this guy.

“Yes, let's met then, hm? I’ll write it down on my agenda, it seems we need to review our objectives and end goals here Colonel Xia.”

Caleb let out a chuckle, the intercom picked up the hint of wary in his tone as he replied a bit too strained, “Yea, sure—I’ll see what I can do…thank you Professor…”.

With a final goodbye from both men the intercoms system beeped, the silence that followed heavy. A wallow of anxiety coveted by the composure a man of his ranks should have showcasing through the subtle shudder of his body.

Leaning back against his chair, moments passed before his heart rate picked up. His body tense, yet his mind jumbled as he sat there, his thoughts muddled by the anxiety of being in there, in that damn lab again just for something he said and on his birthday?

“Fuck…” he muttered bitterly. His head fell back against the leather seat, hand reaching to tip off his hat and card through the now damp hair.

His adam’s apple bobbed, his eyes now filled with a horrible sense of inpendement.

Caleb’s Birthday.

The decorations were set out, the cake neatly place upon the coffee table, the blend of the orange and vanilla cream matching perfectly with the silver accents of glitter you had added. The dining room filled with Caleb’s favorite dishes and a bottle of hard apple cider next to two glasses. A smile left your lips at the scene, I hope he loves it.

With a soft sigh you looked around the room, everything was perfect.

The myriad of colors within the balloons: orange, cream, and blue. All tied and placed neatly around the living room. In addition, the coffee table had been draped with a beautiful table cover, it’s pattern simple yet elegant. Not to mention you had brought out the apple plushies: the Honeycrisp red and the Granny Smith green ones you had won at the arcade with him. The room held a cozy and lively atmosphere, the lights dimmed just enough to make the room almost glow with the hung up fairy lights.

It had taken hours, but it was worth it. Now all that was left to do was put on your birthday outfit and get ready.

…

With a bouquet in hand and the lights turned off you wait in the dark, your eyes darting to the door ever so often as you hear what you can only assume are Caleb’s footsteps through it. A shaky sigh leaves you, nerves gradually increasing as you bounce your knee repeatedly.

Wirth your heart pounding and body growing warm you hear the shuffling of dangling house keys. The sound catching your attention in an instant.

Quickly, you scrambled to the door, a smile prepared as you bit back your excitement to wait for the perfect moment to just…

With a soft click, the door begins to open,

“Happy Birthday Caleb!”

Without thinking, you jump into his arms, your grasp firm as you wrapped yourself around him: giggling and smiling like the walking rom-com cliche you swore you’d never become. Yet here you were: bear hugging the man of your dreams, one who in a few minutes was about to see your week’s hard work all bundled up into today just for him.

“Ah! I’m so excited baby, come on, come on!” You exclaimed, your birthday wishes filled with glee and maybe more eagerness than he. The man in front of you, however, was too caught up in his world. The moments you basically tackled him knocking the wind out of his body and leaving him speechless for a few moments. His body aching with a dull pain from his earlier “meeting” with Professor Lucious, his body weakened by the session, something that he may have intentionally been hiding from you since the start.

What was supposed to be one of the best days of his week, his perfect day celebrating with his lover, his partner was now tainted by the cruel reminder that even someone as powerful as the colonel was held by puppet strings too. Nothing more than a marionette for Ever and those bastards.

Still, how could he not find that laugh of yours infectious? Even in his weakened state, sweaty, warm, and heavy he put on a smile for you. His heart momentarily fluttering at how eagerly you had surprised him. Yet, he felt too tired to speak, his reluctance and borderline refusal to authorize the project earlier that week had earned him an early exam and more experimentation. His arms in particular throbbed, his right one almost searing as he felt the unfamiliar fluids they had injected him with course through his bloodstream. And if it weren’t for his uniform his adjutands would’ve picked up the heavy scent of blood that emminated from him.

After your ramblings had eventually subsided you began to notice the lack of reply on Caleb’s side. Confused, you pull away just enough to get a good look at him, a small worried chuckle falling from your lips as you began to speak, “Caleb? What’s wrong..?” The slightly concerned expression on your face quickly morphed into horror as you caught sight of his state: cold sweat, mused hair, and… was that blood on his lip?

“Caleb!” you squeaked out instead, you hands scrambling to take off the now tipped hat, your eyes flickering with worry as you scanned him up and down all while he remained completely still, a soft incoherent sound leaving his lips. The weak attempt at humor that died in his throat almost immediately upon the look on your face. “No it’s…fine baby, just bleedin’ a bit is all..?” The words were laden with humor that eventually trailed off into a sheepish grin.

You were pissed.

Setting the hat to the side, you maneuvered him with ease. Slinging an arm over your shoulder you decided that questions could wait, not that he seemed in a state to respond. Quickly, you set him on the couch and huffed, a small groan leaving his lips in repsonse, his back slightly sore as he hit the pillows with a, “Thump!”

“Stay here, and take off the uniform” you sighed, a frown forming at the sight of him. Caleb nodded, his eyes looking elsewhere before he tried to explain or change the subject. His lips parted, and before he could utter a word you furrowed your brow, pissed, “Not now, I’m mad Caleb, but not now just…just take off your uniform, ok?” you muttered a bit firmer than you had intended.

Turning onto your heel, you beelined it to the restroom quickly opening the cabinet for the first aid kit, painkillers and a fresh set of clothes.

Caleb had a knack at diversion and defecting, something he often did when you had found out one of his secrets or when moments grew particularly vulnerable, and although both of you had made significant progress regarding that area in your relationship there was still so much your boyfriend left unsaid. He was strong, yes that much was obvious, but the man also bit off more than he could chew. And now, as his lover and best friend since childhood it was up to you to unravel all those layers and pain he had left and still leaves hidden. Just like he did with you.

The moment you were out of sight and entered the bathroom Caleb let out a low grunt. His body feeling the aftermath of having needles and being tested over and over, pushed to his limits to not end. His head throbbed, the Toring Chip warring with his mind as he tried to relax and resist all at once. Shakily, his hands took off his coat, the clammy fingers tugged at the leather lapels.

With another dull, “Thump!” the heavy leather coat fell onto the floor, the thick material slightly stained with dried droplets of blood. Next, he began to undo his dress shirt, some buttons harder to undo than others due to previously being mismatched. He had been frantic to leave, the session much more intense than he had anticipated, his clumsy attempts to redress himself leaving him looking mused and frazzled.

Now, his fingers felt numb, the heat of his body throbbed, his fingers felt swollen and numb as he undid each button, one by one.

“Shit…this is bad, she’s gonna kill me… “ he hissed under his breath, a soft almost quiet stifled whimper leaving his lips while he slipped off the thin, white fabric. This time, his hands accidentally brushed a bruise, and his face momentarily contorted with pain.

It felt unbearable.

Finally, a fresh wave of cool air hit his skin, a mixture of lingering sting and relief crashing through his body as he finally slumped against the couch, now only dressed in his slacks and work shoes.

He had never told her— At least not explicitly— that he was being experimented on by Ever, however, he wouldn’t be surprised if she had known by now. Her determination knew no bounds when it regarded him. As his thoughts began to wander he found himself chuckling softly, his voice mingled a humor and a sense of pity, “I feel like we’re starting to rub off on each other pipsqueak…“

Finally, you had gotten everything you needed; emerging from the bathroom, you held the first aid kit and a few other materials in order to clean him up. Giving yourself a few minutes to collect yourself and the rampant thoughts that began to crawl thier way onto your frontal lobe you sighed.

The reflection of yourself in the mirror serious and alarmed, coupled with a party dress and an updo well…looks like the night was full of (horrible) surprises.

Sauntering out of the bathroom, you made your way over to Caleb, materials in hand and a soft worried expression your face. Yet, the moment your eyes landed on his body you felt you’re heart almost leap put of your chest. Sure, you had fought countless Wanderers and given your profession you were no stranger to the blood and injuries that accompanied it but…

Your lips slightly parted and the moment Caleb met your gaze he looked away, ashamed.

“It’s not that bad pipsqueak, just a few bruises here and there…and the gash” he muttered out.

“What are those?” you prompted, your voice tense, your eyes narrowing in as they landed on the gash on his left hip. The mark an open wound, my eyes widened as he tried to reason.

“Look, I know it looks bad but I can deal with it myself, it’s just a minor injury, the fleet deals with this all the time, the only reason i didn’t get it checked out was because the day was over and I didn’t want to keep you waiting-”

“Stop lying, Caleb! We’ve been through this multiple times, It’s—hah! It’s like you don’t even realize how your actions affect me” I quickly stepped closer and kneeled ignoring the ache in my knees as I slowly pulled his hand away from the gash.

“Oh my god…Oh my god..” You eyes widening as you took in the scene, your voice a stunned murmur as the shock hit your system like a cold bucket of water.

“Baby, what happened?” You breathed out before bringing your hand to your mouth, unable to believe what you where seeing.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle” he spoke, his voice holding a hint of resolve as he looked at me with a slightly furrowed brow, whether it was out of stubbornness or pain? You wasn’t sure.

“This is the fleet’s doing, isn’t it?” you replied, a hint of bitterness in my tone.

“I’m so sick of this, of you hiding things for the sake of my safety. Caleb you forget that you’re pain affects me too, and on your birthday?”

A sigh left your lips, your features slowly contorting with despair as you grew increasingly upset.

“Do you ever stop and think that seeing you like this, knowing you’re hiding things from me, when I tell you everything—when you know everything about me, doesn’t hurt me? Doesn’t upset me?” You brought your hand to yourself, a mixture of anguish and worry in your tone.

“I thought we moved past this, I thought-” you paused to take a deep breath. Swallowing thickly, you decided now was not the time, not when it was his birthday, not when you had planned everything down to the table covers.

“Look, here’s what’s gonna happen: I’m going to clean you up, we are going to relax and unwind and you are going to enjoy your birthday and celebrate with me, ok? Ok.” You didn’t wait for a response, you voice slightly wavered as you caught yourself on the verge of tears.

“I…” he looked into your eyes wide, donning that expression where one could tell he wanted ton say more, that he wanted to spill everything out but instead he nodded and went quiet.

“Ok baby” he sighed, a wry smile managing to lift the corners of his lips instead and slowly lifted his arm, the movement heavy and stiff as he made way for me to bandage his wound. A small nod was all you gave in acknowledgement before turning your attention to the kit. In a few minutes bandages, disinfectant, and cotton swabs were all opened out alongside a soothing ointment.

…

Slowly the wound was bandaged up, the room eerily quiet, the only sound being the hum of the ice machine, the occasional rustle and the sounds that left Caleb ever so often as I prodded and treated him.

“Tell me if it hurts, ok?” you mumbled, your voice slightly muffled due to your posture. You were in an awkward position: your head basically hooked over his thigh as you settled between his knees, your arms at an awkward angle and slightly lifted. Regardless, you did the best that you could, your deft fijngers working to disinfect, clean and treat him to the best of your ability.

As you went through all the steps, you made sure to meticulously swabbed the healing ointment onto the gash, careful to not brush along the edges or apply to much pressure. Allowing the open and somewhat dried tissue finally having a moment of respite while Caleb leaned his head against the couch himself.

“Yea, mhm…” he groaned out, his eyes fluttering shut, a hand on his stomach as he tried to settle down. Although he was relatively quiet, his body told a different story. No matter how much he tried to act tough his thighs and muscles tensed, his core a bit too engaged as he made an effort to take keep quiet.

“That’s it baby, don’t worry…almost done…” you added, hoping your words of comfort would at least make him feel safe. Sometimes, you would pause, your hands stilling before you would steal the occasional glance at him.

After a few minutes, you pulled away with a satisfied sigh, your hands sliding down to your lap before giving a small stretch.

Your body slightly sore from being in the janky position for a while. Before looking back up at him you decided to to place the materials back into the kit first. Your voice content and like a coo as you broke the silence,

“Well, now that that’s over we can at least celebrate your birthday, hm? I made some of your favorite dishes and the cake took forever-!” You chuckled to yourself, you fingers clasping the kit before setting it to the side.

“Not to mention the gifts that I bought you! Look, I know the night came off to a rough start but seriously, tonight is all about you…” a delighted hum left you before you met his gaze, your eyes slightly widening as you came face to face with his adam’s apple instead, “hm? Caleb? Baby?” you asked, confused due to his lack of repsonse (again) but less worried.

With a small groan of protest, Caleb lowered his head and made eye contact with you, his expression one of fatigue and fondness, “Hm? I’m here, I’m here…” he groaned and languidly reached to pet the top of your head. His fingers slowly and almost drowsily carding through your fingers: a sign of a appreciation.

“Did you hear anything that I just said?” You felt that familiar smile of your own start to form on the corners of his lips as his voice rang in your ears.

“No…not really” he laughed and met your gaze, his head slightly tilting to the side before he slid his hand to cup your cheek, “Thank you though, really…I mean it” he murmured, his eyes filled with that adoring glint, a his brows slightly furrowed before he added, his tone muchmore lighthearted, “and for my birthday party too” he gestured with a nod to the rest of the living room.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice how much effort you put into our night, or—well, what was supposed to be”, he gave a small shrug and stroked the counters of your face with his thumb pad, his calloused skin brushing against the soft supple flesh of yours.

“Yea, well we didn’t exactly get to celebrate it” I murmured a bit disappointed yet amused.

“Well, for what it’s worth, I spent it with you, didn’t I? That’s all I ever wanted baby” He leaned down and pressed his lips to your forehead. The action earninga soft and delighted sound to leave your lips as he lingers.

“Really?” you meet his gaze, wide and open as you recount the events of the night. Even now, all battered and treated, Caleb still made sure you were accounted for, the thought brought a smile to your face.

“Really.”

“Caleb?”

“Yea, pipsqueak?”

“Happy Birthday.”

Extra Note: Tell me what you think! I'd like to grow as a writer so feedback is greatly appreciated! ٩(ˊᗜˋ )و

[nickeverdeen]

Aight could I perhaps get a platonic hermes x GN!reader imagine?

Yknow that one imagine you wrote where Joel beats up Reader's abusive father? Could we get a similar concept here, except instead of the dad being abusive, it's Reader's older sister?

Like, basically Reader befriends Hermes randomly one night when they're out on a walk to clear their head. Hermes just happens to show up. At first, he mainly "bothers" Reader for fun, but then they gradually warm up to each other and become friends.

One day, Hermes notices bruises and abrasions on Reader's skin, despite Reader trying to cover it up. They claim their sister's abuse is just her way of joking, and that she shows love through aggression. Hermes proceeds to confront Reader's sister. He doesn't necessarily have to beat her up, just ... teach her a lesson one way or another. To not mess with his favourite human. And maybe he comforts Reader at the end (optional).

Thanks!

Not a Bystander | Hermes x platonic!gn!reader

Pairing: Hermes x reader (platonic)

Type of fic: Hurt/Comfort, Found Family

Warnings: Emotional abuse (sibling), implied past trauma

Summary: A walk to clear your mind ends in an unlikely friendship with a god of mischief. But when Hermes discovers the bruises your sister left behind, the tricks stop - and he starts playing for keeps.

—————————————

You weren’t really sure what you were looking for when you left the house that night. Just… air, maybe. Space. Something that didn’t feel like clenched jaws and closed fists and words that hit harder than any hand ever did.

It was late. Stars were bright but cold. The path through the park was mostly empty, just you and the hush of leaves under your shoes.

And then-

“Well well well,” a voice purred, like silk draped over a knife. “Isn’t this a delightful surprise. A lonely little mortal, out past bedtime.”

You stopped walking.

There, leaning lazily against a lamppost that wasn’t there five seconds ago, stood a boy. No—man? guy?—he was hard to pin down. Wild curls, mischievous eyes, a grin that could get away with murder and probably had. Wings. Tiny, actual wings fluttered at his heels.

“…You lost?” you asked.

“I never get lost,” he replied with mock offence. “I just occasionally detour through mortals’ lives to keep things spicy.”

You stared. “Right.”

“I’m Hermes.” He held out his hand, which you didn’t shake. “God of travelers, thieves, and questionable decisions. You?”

You blinked. “You’re what?”

“Greek god. Divine mischief. Patron of headaches and really, really bad ideas.” He winked. “Which means befriending me would be a terrible decision. Lucky you.”

“…I didn’t say anything about being friends.”

“No, but you will. Eventually.” He strolled beside you like you’d invited him. “Tell me, what’s got you out here all broody and poetic at this hour?”

You didn’t ask how he knew your name. You just walked.

At first, he was annoying. Popping in at random, teasing you mid-thought, calling you names like “walking mood swing” and “my favorite dramatic mortal.” He talked too fast and too much, stealing your peace but filling the silence with something brighter.

And then… you started looking forward to it.

He always showed up when you needed distraction most. He had this way of making the world feel less heavy, like it was all just one big elaborate joke he’d let you in on. Somewhere between the sarcastic banter and his cocky, chaotic swagger, you started to laugh again. To breathe again.

You didn’t tell him everything. But he knew something wasn’t right.

He noticed the way you flinched at loud noises. The way you always looked behind you. The way you pretended like bruises didn’t hurt and biting words were “just jokes.”

And then one night, he saw them.

You hadn’t meant to let him. You thought the hoodie sleeves were long enough. But when he blinked into existence next to you and bumped your arm, you winced—and the cuff slipped up.

His eyes dropped. His voice stopped mid-sentence.

“…Huh.”

You froze. “What?”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment.

Then: “Who did that?”

You tugged the sleeve down. “It’s nothing.”

“Try again.”

You didn’t meet his eyes. “My sister. She’s just… rough, you know? That’s how she is. It’s her way of… loving, I guess.”

The silence that followed was unnatural. Like the world itself paused.

When you looked up, Hermes wasn’t smiling. Not even a little.

“I see,” he said quietly.

And just like that - poof - he was gone.

You found out later what happened. She never told you directly, of course. But she stopped hitting. Stopped yelling. Started giving you space.

You’d overheard a phone call, once. Her saying something about someone showing up at her work, smiling way too wide, casually reminding her how easy it was to make people disappear. How thin the line was between memory and myth. How fragile humans were, especially the cruel ones.

You never doubted who it was.

When Hermes came back, he acted like nothing happened.

“You should’ve seen the look on her face,” he said, balancing upside down mid-air like physics was just a suggestion. “Like someone licked her soul.”

“Did you threaten her?”

He gasped, hand to his chest. “Me? I would never.”

You arched an eyebrow.

“…Okay, mildly. But I’m a god of words. I didn’t have to touch her. I just reminded her who she’s messing with.”

“And who is she messing with?”

He floated closer, just enough that you could see the rare flicker of seriousness in his eyes.

“My favorite mortal,” he said. “And if anyone touches you again, they’re going to learn what divine punishment really looks like.”

Your throat tightened.

“Why?” you asked softly. “Why do you care?”

He shrugged. “You’re fun. You’re real. And you laugh at my jokes, which makes you rare and valuable. Also, if the world breaks you, who else is gonna call me out on my bullshit?”

You smiled a little. He grinned.

“Now,” he said, standing upright with a theatrical stretch, “I know a place where time moves backward and the stars taste like strawberries. Wanna go?”

You hesitated. Then nodded.

And maybe, just maybe, for the first time in a long time, you felt safe.

[thesweetpianowritingdownmylife]

51-60

I almost got down to one shelf again....and then my birthday happened. For which I had specifically asked for books. Also I took a dive into my wife's danmei shelf lol. Half of the books here came from there.

51. (🌹) The Theatre of Glass and Shadows - Anne Corlett: Another random pick, one that didn't turn out as well as the others, sadly. While I loved the concept of the Theatre District, the protagonist was so annoying that it soured the entire experience for me. And I get that thinking she was special was literally a plot point, but I couldn't stand how she dismissed the people around her because of it.

52. (🌹) Elphie - Gregory Maguire: Found this by chance, didn't even know of its existance before, but I got it immediately, since I have all the other ones in the series and I like them. I get kinda annoyed by unnecessary prequels (which this was) but this managed to be good by just... offering another part of Oz, and the way that people live there, more than explaining things just about Elphaba. By which I mean I found it interesting on its own right.

53. Guardian 1 (Zhen Hun) - Priest: My wife likes this series and we just started watching the tv show together, so I decided to give it a try, too. It's kind of a murder mystery with gallons of gay longing, so ya know. Nice, but not life-changing.

54. (🌹) Parable of the Talents - Octavia E. Butler: I wanna say stuff about the world-building and the politics and ethics of it and the spirituality but I'm so stuck in how he stole her fucking child. He STOLE her. Fuck this guy forever.

55. The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish 1 - Xue Shan Fei Hu: I got sick and I needed something light... enter my wife's fish danmei. It is funny, unapologetically silly, and actually has the leads be friends before any romance happens... Exactly what I needed.

56. The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish 2 - Xue Shan Fei Hu: I was still sick the next two days. This is the silliest book I've read this year. Can't wait to get the other two in the series.

57. Guardian 2 (Zhen Hun) - Priest: These men are unwell about each other. The kind of pairing that you ship as a contingency, so no one else gets exposed to this bullshit. Trying to make him move house behind his back??? Stopping that fool plan bc he found the other's shrine dedicated to him?? Please never involve anyone else in whatever the fuck you two have. Toxic yuri with men.

58. Henry V - William Shakespeare: In the introduction it says "No one bored by war will be interested in Henry V" and... they were right. I did not like it.

59. Guardian 3 (Zhen Hun) - Priest: After being sorely disappointed by the end of the show, this was awesome. A bit complicated lore, and lore that was lies, TWICE, I sure am happy my wife recommended I watch a video on Chinese creation myths before reading this series because good gods. Literally.

60. (🌹) The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time 5) - Robert Jordan: Everything happened in this one, didn't it? Rand conquered two cities and killed a Forsaken. Egwene and Elayne joined the circus and befriended a heroine of old (who you KNOW is a sapphic inspiration for girls everywhere in-universe). Moiraine died, allegedly. Asmodean died twice. Rand flings balefire around like it's candy regardless of the consequences, I'm sure this is not gonna come bite him in the ass later on...

Prayer circle for me managing to get the second murderbot so i can read them all... The internet buying experience has been troubling recently.

Books I've read in 2025

(there are short shitty reviews mostly to remind myself what I thought about them, not as like, a rec)

My goal of reducing my shelves of shame to a singular shelf of shame is going well! I'm gonna update the list every ten books, I think.

1-10

This January's reading productivity has been sponsored by shitty things happening at work that I desperately wanted to stop thinking about 🙃

1. Frieren n.1 - Kanehito Yamada & Tsukasa Abe: I read it at my best friend's home. I'd heard from a bunch of people that I should check it out if I liked dunmeshi, and they were right, I liked it too! Big fan of the exploration of friendships between people of differing lifespans. I will read more issues if I get the chance.

2. The Mighty Nein Origins: Caduceus Clay - Wells, Espiritu, Mercer, Jaffe: I love my pink boy. My wife got me this book. The artwork was GORGEOUS, and I liked the story, even if it was a little short.

3. The eye of the world (The Wheel of Time 1) - Robert Jordan: Dad got me the first three books, because we have been watching the show together over skype. I was happy to have watched it first, because I think I would have had a harder time getting into the world otherwise. It's nice to read some long-form fantasy, I've rarely read this kind of thing. My favourite part was how Rand kept thinking "if only Perrin was here, he would know how to deal with girls" only for the focus to shift to Perrin and have him have the same thought but about Rand. And Loial! Really liked him in the book.

4. Fuego Queer - Ed Meat & Rita "Bo" Brown: A nonfiction I got at a book fair in the anarchist booth, about the George Jackson Brigade and the Men Against Sexism carceral group. A very interesting read, about something that I knew very little about.

5. Bury Your Gays - Chuck Tingle: My mom gifted me a coupon for my favourite fantasy & scifi bookshop (where I got my last Tingler) and I went to get this specifically. I read this in one day, I stayed up late to finish it, it was really fucking good. Going back to my roots of horror books, and Tinglers are fucking awesome.

6. Marburg - Guillem Clua: This is a play I saw 15 years ago, by a Catalan playwright that my mom and I like. I found it a little bit ridiculous at times, but I think it's because you're supposed to watch it live, otherwise it's too dramatic. Cannot describe why, but it reeks of Catalan theatre (and I love that, don't get me wrong), something I miss watching since I moved to Finland over eight years ago, so it was kinda nostalgic. The play also had one of my favourite Catalan stage actors, Eduard Farelo.

7. The Year Of The Flood - Margaret Atwood: I like this author, and especially her dystopias, which this was. Very different from what I imagined it would be from the blurb, but I still liked it. Loved all the "I don't actually believe in this cult" from people who very much believed in it.

8. El viatge de Shuna - Hayao Miyazaki: Got it for Christmas last year, I think, from my dad. It was a short read, but very beautiful. Very reminiscent of Nausicäa.

9. Ghostwritten - David Mitchell: His first novel! I got it from a secondhand shop. There were a couple of cameos of characters from Cloud Atlas. It was essentially nine different stories, and I liked some more than others, but it was cool how it was all part of a whole while kinda jumping between genres.

10. Quatro relatos - Rosa Pérez Antón: I got four short stories from this author at the three wise men fair when I was in Barcelona. She had several to choose from, and we talked a bit about what I liked and she recommended specific ones. I liked some more than others, but she inspired me to do my own thing, since she publishes and binds her own stuff creatively. There is a certain naiveté in what she writes, but it's the vulnerability of putting yourself out there as you are, and I respect that.

Look! We've gone from 2.5 shelves to only 2! This is working!

[lonisaiou]

Girldad Ekko world domination

[keferon]

May I ask what were the best transformers media you ever saw/read?

Well Transformers Prime, Transformers 1986 and IDW comics are having the first place that’s for sure

And then the second place is kind of shared by Fall of Cybertron, Exodus, Prime wars trilogy, Robots in disguise(2001) and Transformers One.

The third place goes to G1, Animated, Earthspark, Armada, War for Cybertron Netflix series, Aligned Robots in disguise, Bumblebee, Rise of the Beasts and Cyberverse because I only liked some little parts of them.

And then I also saw some of the Bay movies, Victory and Headmasters and didn’t like them at all.

Separate first place for J-Decker. It is not exactly Transformers but it is a show about giant robots and I loved it

[fatedroses]

Tallphinaud, and him being the elezen brand of lanky muscular that is just misguiding enough to fool enemies into thinking that he can't judo throw someone bigger than him (zenos) with ease.

[nattikay]

the constant inner struggle of a Na'vi speaker/teacher browsing Na'vi OCs

[sunnibits]

potentially hot take but this is a pet peeve of mine

[altschmerzes]

seen one too many snide posts about this in the last week or so but did you know that if you don't enjoy scenes in smut establishing consent or checking in then you simply don't have to read them and you don't have to go online and whine about how they're Consent Posturing and Purity Culture and Sanitizing Everything and God Just Kill Me Now. like you can have a preference without making it into a three act morality play, which is ironically what you are accusing other people of doing.

the same goes for like, detailed content warnings on fics. or content warnings at all. you can just skip those. they're not a sign of Purity Culture Gone Too Far or Those Damn Puriteens or whatever. you can dislike things without being an asshole about them or implying they're Taking Away What's Good And Correct About Fic Or Creativity.