#made some wonderful friends and beloved mutuals

[kawareo]

I have drawn these gross old men so much in the last year oh god

[muzansfangs]

I just wanna be silly since Aug 27th is my birthday, but I wonder how jjk characters would act on your birthday, I love shower thoughts🙃

You spend your birthday with them.

Starring: Suguru Geto x f!reader; Satoru Gojo x f!reader; Sukuna Ryomen x f!reader; Choso Kamo x f!reader; mention to Yuji, Nobara, Nanami, Maki;

Format: head canons;

Warnings: fluff, consume of alcohol, jealousy, Sukuna is possessive and there are some red flags warnings in his part, robbery, slightly suggestive, party, wedding, parenting in Suguru’s part;

Plot: it’s your birthday and you are spending it with your beloved boyfriend. What is going to happen? Has he planned something to make your special day particularly memorable? Let’s find out!

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Suguru Geto.

• What a gentleman. He woke you up that morning by leaving a trail of gentle, featherlike kisses down your shoulderblades. As you stirred in your sleep and peered up at him through your heavy eyelids, he smiled softly and kissed the tip of your nose affectionately “Happy birthday, love” he murmured, careful not to startle you as you gradually began to come back to your senses. The peace and quiet lasted only for a couple of seconds, before Nanako and Mimiko dashed into your bedroom and charged at you to squeeze the air out of your lungs with their tight embraces.

• Untangling the limbs of your ‘family’ you finally made it to the kitchen, where you already found an aboundant breakfast ready for you to enjoy. Suguru had made you the queen of his cult and, actually, the empress of his heart and house. Siding with him until the very end, you had helped him with the girls and he had made it his life goal to make you feel loved. He peppered your face with kisses as you ate your pancakes, before a war of cereals and whipped cream began, laughters and giggles filling the air of the house.

• Most of the day was spent shopping with the girls and strolling around the city. However, Suguru had already planned something special for you in the evening. When you made it back home, the girls obediently accepted to spend the evening with a babysitter and Suguru took your hand to lead you back to your shared bedroom. On the top of the bed there was a large black box, a silver ribbon exalting the elegance of the packet as he incited you to open it and wear what was inside.

• A Valentino dress was soon embracing your body as Suguru showered you in compliments and called a taxi for you two to have a nice dinner at the most exclusive restaurant in Tokyo. Fine wine, sweet nothings whispered to your ear as delicacies were served at your table one after the other.

• This man loved gifting you diamonds every now and then. How did you even stare at him in awe as he latched a beautiful necklace of rubies around your neck?

• You spent the night in a five stars hotel, sipping champagne and finally letting him worship your body like you deserved.

Satoru Gojo.

• He gave a terrible migraine to every mutual friend of yours. In particular, he drove Kento insane. It was your damn birthday, how could you expect your boisterous and popular boyfriend to keep it low? He threw a party for you at his penthouse, going as far as inviting the higher-ups as well. Multicolored lights and baloons were in every angle of his house, music so loud speaking with the hosts was nearly impossible. However, you had to admit he had taste in picking the right decorations to meet your expectations.

• Expensive bottles of champagne everywhere and a pile of presents were waiting for you in the middle of the living room. Next to it, a very tired Nanami, choleric at your boyfriend, blew into a silver trumpet with a conical blue paper hat on the top of his hair. His eyes were sincerely wishing you a happy birthday, but you knew he was silently warning you that your dear boyfriend Satoru was going to die by his hand pretty soon. After the party, most likely. You could not blame him.

• Once the party ended, Satoru literally jumped on you. The make-out session was pretty heated, as you two rolled over his king sized bed, kind of tipsy but in your right minds. You did not expect him to give you an extra present. Apparently, the necklace with a sapphire pendant was not enough. The moment he knelt before you with a velvet box in his hand, you gawked. Tears of joy rolled down your cheeks as he asked you to become his wife. How could you decline?

• The moron posted a picture of your hand and the sparkling jem adorning your ring finger a couple of minutes later and you spent the night answering to best wishes and Kento’s comment.

• “Widowed a day after the wedding. Sorry, ‘@ y/n’”.

• You wondered why Yuji had liked that comment, but then you assumed Sukuna had probably just taken over his body to be a pain in the ass.

• Overall, you cuddled a lot, making plans for the future. The first thought coming up to his mind was asking you to move over, because he would have been able to protect you non-stop, if you lived together. And this was the beginning of a fairytale.

Ryomen Sukuna.

• It was your what? A birthday? Mortals and their weird festivities. How could someone be happy to age? A step closer to death and you still seemed happier than ever. The first thing he did was attempting to be nice in his brutal way: he offered you sex. When you shut the door at his face he connected the dots. Maybe, he needed to understand what women liked to do on such special occasions.

• He saw a man buying flowers for his girlfriend and thought you might have appreciated the gesture. A faminine thing for you to enjoy could not a bad idea, right? A few minutes later he was banging at your door demanding you to let him in. He dropped dozens of roses onto your table, leaving you speechless but genuinely suprised.

• “Who told you to buy me flowers? That’s way too romantic coming from you” you teased him, planting a kiss onto his cheek.

• “I saw a fool buying it. I robbed the florist”.

• You facepalmed and offered him to stay with you for the day, because you had invited some friends over to eat lunch together. He did not mind, or this is what he said. He really tried to behave, but your friend was glued to your hip and, according to him, his eyes were transfixed on your ass. He almost sent that poor guy to hospital, but you were lucky he had leave for a last minute mishap.

• Once everyone was gone, you two bickered. However, it ended up in the only way he had wanted to begin the day with. Clothes gone, lips latched onto your neck and a night of passion no man could have ever been able to offer you.

• Unfortunately, you were in love with that savage.

Choso Kamo.

• Man on a mission. Ever since Yuji explained the importance of birthdays and some basics about ‘how to make a girl happy’, he had spent weeks trying to organize a perfect date night for you two. A date night, yes, because he thought throwing a small party at lunch with your mutual friends would have made you happy and it did. But he wanted some attentions too, in private.

• His birthday present for you was a polaroid. Obviously, he could not stop himself from blushing, the tip of his ears turning reddish, as he handed you the small box with a huge purple ribbon to adorn the lid. He told you he had heard you tell Nobara and Maki you wanted to buy a polaroid to decorate your bedroom with pictures of your friends and he admitted he wanted the first photograph you would have taken to be with him.

• He took you to the ferris-wheel in the evening and stared at you enamoured of your smile the whole time. He did not give a damn about the landscape, when he had his whole world in front of him. He was so lovesick, but it did not mind. Once you got off, he bought you anything you wanted. Candy-floss? Peppermint sticks? Pizza? Name something and he went to fetch it for you in a nick of time.

• A powerful boyfriend meant tons of plushies won at the different stalls. When he spotted a huge lilac teddy bear holding a heart in his paws, Choso went straight for it and beated the records indicated on the giant sign at the entrace of the small shop just to see your eyes widen and twinkle in adoration. He might have grinned mockingly at a kid on your way out, triumphantly carrying the plushie for you.

• When you began to get tired, he took you home. Resting your head on the top of his shoudler during the bus ride, you dozed off and he did not have the heart to wake you up, when you looked so sweet and lovely. He might have glared at any person staring at you, whilst you were asleep, but it was his protective instinct kicking in. He behaved.

• Back into your flat, he snuggled into a cocoon of blankets with you into your bed and you smiled, upon hearing him uttering sweet nothings in your ear “I love you, I love you, I love you” he murmured continuously. Naturally, he let you be the little spoon. He would have done anything for his ‘princess’. He wondered if his brother would have been proud of him, because Choso was surely giving it his best shot!

• Sleepy make-out sessions were definitely the best part of the day, before you finally succumbed to sleep.

AUTHOR NOTE.

Hello there! This was supposed to be published sooner, but happy belated birthday honey! I hope you enjoyed this small scrap🥹❤️

Love you,

Luce

[yandere-daydreams]

tw - sex doll au, implied dub/con, unhealthy relationships, possessive behavior, and generally depraved behavior.

You're starting to wonder if you should've gotten a different pair.

You knew what you were getting into when you decided that, of all the androids in Teyvat's stock, you were going to be one of the few brave souls that dared to put two members of the Akademiya Collection that weren't Tighnari and Cyno under the same roof. The salesperson had cringed as you made your selection, your more tech-savvy friends pursed their lips and asked if that was really for the best, and you couldn't mention your specific preferences on any public message board without being berated off the platform entirely. You didn't care, thought. The heart wants what it wants, and apparently, your heart wanted two burnt-out post-grads to rail you into next week.

That's what you told yourself until you got Alhaitham and Kaveh home, at least.

The bickering, you were prepared for. You weren't surprised by the constant passive-aggression, the subtle pokes at Alhaitham's arrogance and Kaveh's bleeding heart, and you managed to stomach it the first time your dreams of a multi-major threesome were dashed because Kaveh mentioned some ancient philosophical principle and Alhaitham couldn't resist the opportunity to correct his wording and you were left bouncing yourself on Alhaitham's cock while he dispassionately flipped through a textbook you haven't opened since you were an under-grad. Minor hiccups, nothing you couldn't forget about when Kaveh buried his face between your thighs or Alhaitham split you open on his fingers while reading your latest research paper aloud, denying you an orgasm for every grammatical error. That part, you wouldn't trade for the world.

The jealousy, though - you could live without that. You've heard that there's supposed to be fail-safes for this kind of thing, measures the developers take to make sure any companion droids can co-exist without tearing each other apart, but their mutual distaste seems strong enough to overwhelm whatever barriers their creators put in place. You've lost count of the number of times there's been a false-alarm in some other part of your apartment while you're on your knees at Alhaitham's feet, how many times Alhaitham's flawless hardware has suddenly 'malfunctioned' while Kaveh has your ankles propped on his shoulders.

Not getting laid, you can deal with, but it's a little hard to be so forgiving when Kaveh spends the better half a day pouting because you took Alhaitham to work and left him at home, when Alhaitham deletes your registered commands from his memory bank because you had the nerve to take Kaveh to a farmer's market that that he'd rather die than step foot in. You've tried to be fair, to divide your time evenly, but they're not happy with that, either. Neither of them would ever say it out loud, but it's clear enough that they both want to be the center of your attention. It'd be cute, if they weren't so spiteful.

The only thing worse than their jealousy is when they put aside their spitefulness, their petty arguments, and decide to agree on the only thing they can ever agree on: that their beloved 'master' should be the one to make up for all those hours of neglect. It's a little like your fantasies, but not quite; your chest pressed against Alhaitham's Kaveh's chin resting on your shoulder, the former inside of you while the latter whispers sweet-nothings against the curve of your throat. It's more violent than anything you ever would've expected from two men so scholarly, more aggressive - teeth buried in your skin, bruises in the shape of their palm painted across your thighs, fingers forcing their way past your lips whenever you so much as consider using your safe-word. You're left strung-out for hours after they're done with you, and Kaveh's free to press himself against your side while Alhaitham tries to pass himself off as the caretaker he so clearly isn't. It's the only time they don't waste their breath on bickering. It's the only time they ever get along.

It's the only time you don't have the strength to focus on anything but your two precious, precious androids.

[urhoneycombwitch]

#17 from that prompt list about seeing the marks left on their partner and getting turned on has got me all kinds of 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 It feels roommate-eddie coded 👀 especially if they have their no-marks rule, but he just kinda loses control one night.

Then we torture him, walking around showing it off, telling him he can’t touch until he learns some self-control…okay, I’m gonna see myself out…

(most assuredly not @rebelfell sending two asks in a row)

foreword: Sarah I’m being so fr how are you literally in my brain… I had a blurb on this very topic set on the back burner bc I couldn’t find a place for it so here it is spruced up!!! (prompt 17 from this list)

cw: Reader has breasts, visible marks, no skin tone/color mentioned, a wee bit of choking kink, not full smut but mdni as always. oh yeah and biting 😈

___

You can feel the weight of Eddie’s eyes on your form, even as you pretend to be oblivious, leaning into the reflection of the standing mirror in the corner of his bedroom.

A few swipes of your pointer finger and your lipgloss is perfect; with a smack of your lips, you straighten up again, tugging the hem of your tee down to meet the band of your jeans. “Almost ready?”

The friendly smile you turn to give Eddie is met with a glower, his dark brows slanted, a death-grip on both knees where he sits simmering on his bed.

“Did you come in here solely to torture me, or do you have other plans up your vixen sleeves?”

Briefly, your eyes flick to the ceiling as you turn back to your reflection, fussing with your hair to keep your hands busy. “Only plan I got is attending our beloved friend’s barbecue. Which we should’ve left for, like, five minutes ago.”

Eddie huffs. In response, you sigh, landing just-left of condescending. “Not my fault you want to fuck me regardless of what I’m wearing. It’s jeans and a t-shirt, Eddie, I’m basically fit for a nunnery-”

There’s a whoosh of spiced air that wafts over first, chills cascading down your spine made worse as Eddie moves in. His left hand lands on your hip, rooting you to the carpet, while the other tracks up, skirting between the valley of your clothed breasts, your collarbone, your neck…

He takes your chin between thumb and forefinger, silver rings biting cold against your skin as your neck goes lax, baring a long, tantalizing stretch of it as Eddie tilts your face up and to the side.

His lips press to the sweet spot behind your ear, then follows the slope of your neck down, stopping at your shirt’s collar that hides the rest of your skin. From your hip, his hand lifts to pull the fabric aside, revealing a scattered canvas of suck marks and teeth imprints that grace the top of your shoulder.

“You really gonna show up with these? Make all our friends wonder who’s been marking you up?”

Eddie’s voice is low, but you’d be a fool to mistake it for softness.

Another shiver licks along the length of your body, and this time Eddie feels it; he presses in closer, hand sliding from your chin to hold just under your jaw as he meets your fluttering eyes in the mirror.

“What’re you gonna say, hm? If Robin asks where they came from? If Steve makes a jock-y comment? If you get teased?”

It’s not like you haven’t been in this situation before- attending events with mutual friends, having to act like your roommate hasn’t been the one checking all your boxes, making up excuses for being late or looking like someone had been using your body as their personal chew toy.

You’ve always made excuses- pretty seamless ones, if anyone’s counting. You don’t even try to squirm away when you respond, swallowing around the light pressure at your throat- “I’ll tell them what I always do. Blind date hookup, one night stand, my dentist’s cousin’s friend that I’ll never see again-”

Eddie bites into the soft flesh of your upper shoulder, hard, free arm wrapping around your midsection like a seatbelt while his other elbow digs into your chest, hand still wrapped around the column of your throat.

The air leaves your lungs in a rush, white-hot adrenaline surging with the sting of the bite, body stiffening against the restraints of Eddie’s arms as you grit out, “Asshole!”

It sounds too whiny and pleasure-soaked to cause any real alarm, Eddie grinning into the curve of your skin (bastard) before tsking, kissing over the thumping mark in partial apology. “Mm. I think you like it. I think you get off on parading our little secret around the poor folks who don’t know any better-”

“As if you don’t.” Eddie may be the one doing most of the biting but you’ve got the bark to match, glaring furiously at the reflection of his maddeningly-cool black-caramel gaze, even as the pressure on your windpipe increases with a minute flex of his palm.

“Yeah. Y’got me there, princess.” His eyes flit across your exposed skin, like he’s trying to memorize all the shades and colors of you combined with the wreckage of his handiwork. “Maybe you should cover up some more. So it’s just you ‘n me who knows what’s under here.”

The cotton collar snaps back into place, covering almost all the evidence (save for the tail end of a day-old scraped hickey). Eddie releases your jaw and takes a step back, the warmth leaving your body all at once, frozen where you stand until sense returns.

You clear your throat before speaking, irritation prickling as you set to fixing your hair again from where Eddie’s interruption had stalled. “Whatever. Fine. But I’m only changing because it’s gonna be cold later, and a long sleeve will be better- not because you told me to.”

“Fine.” Eddie adopts a neutral tone as he settles back onto the mattress with a bounce, tugging absently at the inseam of his dark jeans to relieve some of the mounting tightness. “Have it your way.”

“I will,” you snap back, turning from the mirror on a socked heel, pointing an accusatory finger at the boy on the bed. “And you better have your boots on by the time I’m changed.”

With that, you flounce from Eddie’s room in search of a more conservative neckline, while Eddie pouts and pretends to have the will to disobey you for all of five seconds.

And then he’s up, trudging to the bureau reluctantly to source a pair of socks while scheming for the perfect excuse to take you both on the extra-long route to the barbecue.

[theotherbuckley]

Happy 2025 from NZ 🎆🎇

I just wanted to come here and say how grateful I am for every one of you in the 911 fandom. You’re all so incredible and have made 2024 such an amazing year.

My blog grew soo much this year and I am forever grateful for everyone who has interacted with me.

Bucktommy happened and wow the fandom and community we have created is so supportive and kind and uplifting. You all never fail to spread joy. From all of the positivity projects and all of the love and support in the form of comments and kudos and reblogs, I love you all so much.

There have been several positivity projects this year which have been amazing. I love when fandom comes together to do amazing and beautiful things.

2024 wasn’t all perfect, there was hate mail and fic stealing and other stuff I don’t want to get into but i think it just made us all come together stronger to uplift each other and I am so forever grateful for that.

2024 brought me closer to so many people. It gave me @diazsdimples who is the sweetest guy who I’m so incredibly grateful to know, and who I get to actually go see in person next week 🥰

I am grateful for all of the friends tumblr and fandom has given me @hippolotamus my bfs wife 😅 who’s always so kind and amazing. @lavenderleahy who I connected with through love of crochet 💜. @snarkythewoecrow who beta-ed my fic one time and turns out they’re super cool <3. @bidisasterevankinard who started writing Bucktommy before it was a thing and is always so great to talk to 💜 I have loved talking and interacting with all of you there’s so many amazing people in this fandom I wouldn’t be able to tag everyone. @buffaluff made fanart of one of my fics which was so incredible and overwhelmingly special 💜 @steadfastsaturnsrings who always brings positivity and is always there to talk to 💜 @tizniz who sent me little!Buck fics inspired by @actualalligator there’s actually so many of you amazing people. @actuallyitsellie and @perfectlysunny02 (another two amazing people to talk to) @wikiangela (my first and beloved 911 mutual who has written some spectacular bucktommy fics this year) @diazheartsbuckley @honestlydarkprincess @eddiebabygirldiaz @your-catfish-friend @ladydorian05 @giddyupbuck @eowon @watchyourbuck (who simply has the best content of any kind) @thewolvesof1998 @rainbow-nerdss @cal-daisies-and-briars  @underwaterninja13 @daffi-990 @aspecbuddie @bucks-daddy-issues @monsterrae1 @doctorkinney @pirrusstuff @babybibuck @lonelychicago (who has the most amazing artwork! and made a cute buddie positivity project) @rogerzsteven (who’s been on hiatus but who I love talking to) @bucksbignaturals (connoisseur of all ships) @spotsandsocks @loucifersbitch @slightlyobsessedwitheverything @louvemeanyway @weewookinard @half-oz-eddie (founder of an amazing positivity project as well as hilarious tweets and texts) @xofemeraldstars (became the blog to see gifs and images for bucktommy) @hyperfocusthusly @sherlocking-out-loud @desert--moonchild @bucked-it-up (who gave me the idea for my fic) @swagmaster9k (who you know will always reblog your posts 😅💜) @bigfootsmom (incredible artist and writer for so many ships and aus that never fail to make my jaw drop because they’re always so beautiful) @laundryandtaxesworld @thatmexisaurusrex (the best long form bucktommy fics) @louisferrignojr (who founded an amazing bucktommy community) @girlwonder-writes (who founded another wonderful community) I have well hit the tag limit so I just hope you come across this anyway. I want to tag so many more of you. I sadly can not tag all of my mutuals but just know that if we are mutuals I am so incredibly grateful for your existence. Please never hesitate to reach out to me to talk about absolutely anything 💜

You are all incredible I do not have enough words to express it. To everyone I didn’t interact with as much this year I hope to interact and talk to you all in 2025. I hope you all have an amazing new year and I look forward to what’s to come.

In my own “real” life I start medical school this year which is such and honor and privilege that I didn’t expect and I’m so excited for the journey to come. This year was tough finishing my degree and coping with pains but I can’t believe it but I’ve made it here now. I hope to continue writing in my free time (ha what free time) and I hope this fandom continues to bloom and thrive. This year I posted 13 911 fics on ao3 and a bunch of ficlets on tumblr and which for me is amazing. I also have heaps of wips still unpublished. My first ever 911 fic breached 20k hits which is insane - especially because it’s a hurt no comfort 🫣.

An insane and slightly concerning fact is that I have read over 40 million words of fanfic this year (just beating last year of 37mil) which is… um… lots. Sadly next year it’s likely I won’t have the time to read as much but you bet I’ll try 😅 fanfic is a safe space and home for me. I am so grateful for everyone who posts amazing works for free. We are all so lucky 💜

I’m excited for 911 to be back in March and can’t wait to see where they head their storylines 💜 thank you all for making 2024 amazing and here’s to 2025 which I hope will be even better 💜

[notmorbid]

all-night pharmacy.

dialogue prompts from all-night pharmacy by ruth madievsky.

you're so alive, it's scary.

being a person doesn't come naturally for me.

what's the deal with this place?

you are my best and my worst friend.

are we horrible people?

i like the idea of having someone to come home to.

i can't tell if you're being cruel or if you're just dumb.

these aren't the decisions of a well-adjusted person.

the less you know about my life, the better.

everyone here is a liar and a cheat.

you deserve to have a life of your own.

a person can't be held responsible for what they don't know.

all relationships are transactional.

no one should have that much power over you.

it isn't too late to come back.

you're uninvited from my birthday party.

i love you, but you're such a cunt.

who do you think you are?

forced intimacy makes me lightheaded.

i know you're in there. let me in.

jesus. why do you have a knife?

what happened last night?

it was less embarrassing to pretend i didn't care.

maybe i'm not the mothering type.

i wish i could carry some of this pain for you.

i need a break from feeling so much all the time.

sometimes i can't tell if i'm asleep or awake.

whatever's going on, we'll figure it out.

i don't know what's wrong with me. i'm scared all the time.

this is the most i can imagine for myself.

if you're not asking yourself 'am i ruining my life?' at least once a day, you're not living at all.

you act like you're over it, but it's okay if you're not.

all my life, i've felt like a dead animal with its skin still on.

it's a virtue to rid yourself of anything that doesn't serve you.

i've never had a day of rest in my life.

i chase after you like a dog, leaving pieces of myself behind, and every time, you act like that's how it's supposed to be.

you don't take me seriously. i'm not a real person to you.

i can't play house anymore.

never say that name in front of me.

to you, other people are always the problem.

you can't reach a mutual understanding without spilling blood.

want to make fifty bucks?

the only way to really see a person is to lose everything you have in common.

you don't think we'll get caught?

our loyalty is to story, not reality.

just don't do anything that could result in a lawsuit or a tmz article, and you're fine.

i don't have the energy to keep up with your antics.

our most beloved delusion was that lying to each other was a kind of love.

speaking our fears aloud won't save us.

one day, the mask slipped. i haven't been able to wear it since.

i try not to think about my life at all.

a junkie can spot another junkie without a flashlight.

your voice reminds me of wool sweaters.

boundaries? i don't know her.

i'm just sick of doing the same goddamn thing every day.

you are obsessed with a projection that will never love you back.

think of me as a spiritually connected friend.

i know liars. you don't strike me as one.

you have iconically poor judgment.

has anyone ever told you about your past lives?

you're capable of tolerating a lot. frankly, more than you should.

friendship can be a slow burn. you don't have to consume it like a drink at last call.

i'll give you a clue. i work for myself.

you make me want to feel things again.

criticism is still a cousin of attention.

you don't have to pretend to like something just because i made it.

i know you crave being told what to do.

you don't have to settle for being a person things happen to.

you have desires. act on them.

bitch, does this look like an intro to philosophy seminar?

i thought i had quit you.

my favorite. how did you know?

i feel like my organs are cannibalizing each other.

how did i get here? that's not a rhetorical question. i'm actually asking.

i can't tell if i believe it, or if i'm making excuses for myself.

sometimes i wonder if it's healthy how much meaning you see in things.

you're always waiting for the universe to hurt you or to love you. usually in that order.

that's how it was in my family. reading the room was a survival skill.

where will all the animals go in the rapture?

a bunch of fuckups under one roof doesn't constitute a family.

my little saint.

time passes more slowly as a sober person.

you'd better not pull away from me now.

there's a russian proverb that goes, 'so much is ruined by saying it aloud'.

you wear your emotions like a name tag.

your resting face frightens me.

how are you both the most innocent and the most experienced person i've ever met?

i need you to just be here with me.

our dead deserve to see you happy.

i like the idea of being marked by you.

i don't know what i saw, but it was more than i wanted.

i know what i saw.

i can't tell which of the memories are real, if any.

i can't believe you're mine.

nobody warned me how terrifying it is to get what you want.

you're cute when you're freaked out.

sex is supposed to be unsettling.

there are things i need to atone for.

you can't go back like it's nothing.

i won't live in service of my dead's vision for me.

___ was a real person. a murder isn't a metaphor.

count five things you can see. four things you can touch. three things you can hear. two things you can smell. one thing you can taste.

banish one god, and you'll end up worshiping another.

i want to be with you, but i don't want to keep feeling like this.

you know everything about me, but you won't let me know you.

you aren't someone i can keep at a distance.

i've been reading about intergenerational curses.

resisting something isn't the same as not wanting it.

anything you say stays between us.

i can't decide if i like you.

most people only possess a third of the empathy they think they have.

will it get easier?

hope is a tricky thing: losing it is bad, but so is having too much.

i don't want the future to come. i have a bad feeling about it.

in cartoons, you don't start falling until you look down.

why are you here? where have you been?

how did you know i'd come looking for you?

you never asked what i was going through. you didn't want to know.

i didn't have the language for what was happening to me.

you were supposed to protect me.

there's a lot i don't remember. a lot i don't want to remember.

i wouldn't have looked for me, either.

we belong to ourselves now.

you know where i am, and i know where you are. maybe that's enough.

when i'm down, vigilante justice makes me feel better.

survival is provisional.

[sirhamburrger]

welcome to… kai’s cat café! - 150 followers event

come one, come all to the newest café in town! d'you know what's better than the coffee and pastries they serve? the cats!! and even better than that - the wonderful owner kai who's more than happy to serve you today! || cat divider by @mewryn

the counter is currently closed.

➼ check here to see your order's progress!

number one: put in your drink order! (tropes)

➼ espresso: enemies/rivals to lovers ➼ affogato: meet-cute ➼ macchiato: meet-ugly ➼ english breakfast: exes to lovers ➼ earl grey: friends to lovers ➼ (jasmine) green tea: domestic fluff (with your little kiddos!!) ➼ peppermint tea: sickfic

and why not pick out a book from the café's mini library to go with that, if you’d like? (for a high school third-year/university setting, where applicable)

number two: your desired sugar level! (genre of fic)

➼ 100%: fluff ➼ 75%: crack ➼ 50%: hurt/comfort ➼ 0%: pure, raw angst (you sure? it’s not too late to turn back…)

number three: pick out your food item! (format)

➼ croissant: drabble/oneshot (400-800 words) ➼ cookies: headcanons (max five characters) ➼ muffin: smaushot (max three characters)

number four: secret menu items (more specific requests, or additional specifications)

craving any items that might not be on the menu? try me - i'm sure i can get that for you! any allergies? thanks, i'll take note! (i'm willing to write suggestive content, but no nsfw reqs please)

finally, who’s the lucky ducky you’re dining with today? let us know! you seem like a cute couple…

➼ specify if fem!reader or gn!reader ➼ pick a character from hq, bllk, jjk or mashle, and remember:     ➼ up to five characters for headcanons (from same fandom)     ➼ up to three characters for smau (from same fandom)

but before you put a name down, please see…

the wall of shame: banned customers (sorry i just don’t like some of them :(((( )

➼ eita otoya (had a messy breakup over a cheating incident. while kai took their order.) ➼ toji fushiguro (did the ol’ ‘dine and dash’) ➼ mei mei (i think we all know why…) ➼ ryoh grantz (used flash photography on the kitties) ➼ and any other side characters established by fandom to have little to no basis for characterisation

made your choice? order up at the counter, and another reminder to check here to see your order's progress! do be patient, and i hope you enjoy!

a message from the café owner:

the past five months on tumblr have been amazing, and i've really managed to challenge myself to create more. i cannot thank every single one of you enough for 150 followers! thank you to my lovely irls, my beloved mutuals, and my dear readers! you are what keeps me going <3 ~ xoxo kai

© sirhamburrger || [general m.list]

[atinystraynstay]

Sweet Night - Kim Taehyung

Synopsis: Sleepless nights often lead to wondering. And for Taehyung, his mind always wondered back to you. You were his best friend, but he always wondered what life would be like if you two were together. After failed attempts at dating, he always found himself wondering back to you. Did you think of him though? There's only one way to find out.

Pairing: Idol! Kim Taehyung x Idol! Reader

Genre: Slight angst - previous relationships failed, pining after someone you don't think is into you; friends to lovers

Word Count: 2.7k

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

He unlocked the front door to his apartment. The greeting bell ringing as the door opened. He slipped off his shoes by the front door, not wanting to dirty up his living space. If anything, he kept his apartment clean for Yeontan.

Speaking of his beloved roommate, he heard tiny paws hitting against the wooden floor of his apartment. Taehyung quickly got to work to slip off his jacket before crouching down to greet Yeontan. Tannie's tail wagged furiously, equally as happy to be reunited with Tae. Taehyung scooped his companion in his arms before making his way into the living room.

Tonight, he went on another date. He's been trying over the past few months to put himself more out there. A mutual friend had paired him with a woman his friend swore was "his perfect match."

The two carried a good conversation through the evening. Taehyung admired her fashion sense and her humor. They couldn't take their eyes off one another. The woman was kind and generous but there wasn't a connection. To everyone at the restaurant, it must have seemed like it was the perfect date.

However, there was one thing wrong. She wasn't you.

By fate, you two were signed to Hybe. You were a part of the company's newest girl group. He was amazed by not just your vocal range, but your stage presence. You danced as if that was the only thing you knew how to do. And to some extent, it was true. You have been dancing since you were three.

When you were in your trainee days, BTS took it upon themselves to offer themselves as support systems for you. They didn't want to come across as overbearing, not wanting to overwhelm you and your members. They just wanted to be the support they wished they received in their training days. There was just one member who always seemed to linger - Taehyung.

He couldn't take his eyes off of you. He first fell for your smile. You were polite toward your seniors, but you still smiled brightly. You didn't try to hold yourself back to make a good impression. Taehyung then quickly fell for your personality has he gotten to know you. You were a literally disco ball, the life of the party and capturing everyone's attention.

Since then, the two of you were inseparable. You would do anything and everything together. When you had an idea, you were texting Taehyung first to see if he wanted to tag along. Whatever it was, he was just content that you asked him.

Of course, Taehyung made it easy for you to fall for him. He was the textbook definition of a gentleman. Not only was he respectful and considerate, but he knew how to make you laugh, he knew how to be serious so you could be vulnerable with him, and he was supportive. Seeing him dance to the tunes of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin made it easy to fantasize what it would be like to slow dance with him. It was a bonus that he was just so damn attractive.

Yet, neither of you have confessed your feelings for one another. It was a little secret between the two of you. A secret the rest of the company seemed to pick up on. Taehyung was worried about coming on too strong, about scaring you off. You, on the other hand, was worried he would never be into you romantically. Equally, you both were afraid of repercussions from the company. It was just a tough situation.

With Yeontan in his arms, Taehyung sat on the lavish couch in front of the TV. If he had just confessed his feelings for you sooner, maybe there would be 3 bodies here instead of 2.

Taehyung turned to gaze out of the window. His right hand gently stroking Yeontan's back. Somewhere in the city, you were out there. Has she eaten dinner? Was she already asleep? Was she happy?

Buzz buzz

The vibrations from Taehyung's phone pulled him from his inner thoughts. Almost on cue, he saw your name flashing across the homescreen. Just seeing your name was enough to bring a wide smile to his. God, she has me wrapped around her little finger and she doesn't even know it.

He picked up the phone, unlocking it with the camera recognizing his face. He smiled as he was able to read your message instantly. Especially since he texted you last before his date's arrival this evening.

"Any chance you're up right now?"

Almost all the time, Taehyung was overjoyed to hear from you. Right now though, this was one of the few times he didn't want to hear from you. It was 11:32pm. You should be asleep by now. Why were you up? Was something wrong?

Taehyung's fingers never moved so quickly. Fueled by concern, he knew there was no way he could settle in for the night properly if you were in distress.

Was it odd for him to feel this way for someone he wasn't involved with? Maybe to others. For Taehyung, he was convinced that there was something between the two of you. He just wasn't as confident whether you felt the same, or if it was just a false hope in his head.

'Yeah, I actually just got home. What's going on?"

"Can't sleep ☹️ don't want to be a bother, but are you feeling up for a walk or something? Heard that is supposed to help." "Why don't we go take a walk to grab your favorite snacks? You can come crash over here. I'll even drive us to the company in the morning since we both have rehearsals.

Luckily, your dorm wasn't too far from his apartment. However, he soon glanced at the dog on his lap. Yeontan. Just getting home from his evening plans, he felt a bit guilty of leaving his trusted companion once again even if it was temporary. Especially after being out for the majority of the day due to his schedule.

Yet, he felt like it was too forward to ask you to come over to his. He definitely didn't want to send the wrong idea. Honestly, Taehyung believed he was a fairly confident man. Until it came to you.

"Oh, bring Tannie too. I haven't seen my boy in forever!"

Just at the sight of that text, Tae's smile grew wide. Sensing that something was going out, Yeontan looked up with his tongue sticking out and mouth slightly opened. It was as if he was smiling too at the prospect of getting to see you.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Taehyung cooed gently.

Good thing he had no intention of sleeping anytime soon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With one hand in his pocket, keeping it warm, the other held onto Yeontan's leash. You know, he was trying to keep his free hand warm in case you wanted to hold it or something. You never know. He couldn't help but notice the sight of Yeontan's wondering eyes. Taehyung's own eyes were wondering around the open park.

The two of you agreed to meet by the parking, so you had space to walk around freely without truly being noticed. Or at least not as noticed as you would be if you were in the streets of Seoul. You also were nearby convenience stores if the two of you needed to escape the night's chill. It also worked in Yeontan's favor as he could exert any extra energy with the open space.

Tugging brought Taehyung out of his own search. He looked down to see Yeontan standing on his hind legs every few months as if he could get more distance. Taehyung quickly looked over to see what had caught Yeontan's attention.

"Good boy," he smirked.

You were walking towards your two favorite boys. Your hands were tucked into the pockets of your puffer jacket. You wore a beanie on top of your head, much to Taehyung's satisfaction. He liked knowing you were taking care of yourself, his treasure.

God, he was so whipped.

Taehyung didn't realize he had loosened the grip on Yeontan's leash until the little Pomeranian took off running. Taehung was about to take off running until he noticed Yeontan had his eye on the finish line. You.

From across the park, he could hear your giggle. He watched with fondness as you crotched down, catching Yeontan. Instantly, Yeontan wasn't shy in showing his affection for you. If only Taheyung could muster up the same courage.

He began approaching his two favorite people. You were talking as if Yeontan was your own child, which made Taehyung fall eve harder for you. You peered up as you noticed movement, smiling wide when your eyes met Taehyung's. Yep, he was in love.

"Tannie, look. Your appa is joining us."

With ease, you scooped Yeontan in your arms so you could stand up. This was a sight Taehyung could get used to. Yeontan seemed so relaxed in your arms, resting his own head on your arm.

"Ready to grab some snacks and relax for the rest of the evening?" He chuckled. "I hope you don't mind if I vent to you while we feast."

Honestly, Taehyung could listen to you speak all day if you'd let him.

He honestly felt prideful in the fact you saw him as a loyal friend. He wasn't sure what he did to earn the title of being your confidant, but it was a job he didn't take lightly. Taehyung would do anything to bring you happiness, to bring you peace of mind. If talking is what you needed, then he was ready to listen.

"I hope you know to never say that again because there is nothing I wouldn't do for you."

You smiled wide as you nodded, understanding Taehyung's request. He could have sworn he noticed your cheeks flush.

Before he could tease you about it, he felt your lips touch his cheek. His eyes widened as it was a quick peck that sent shockwaves throughout his entire body.

Now it was his turn to get flustered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I just couldn't believe that she laughed so hard, banana milk came out of her nose," you laughed. "But then she got made at us laughing, so we added an extra 30 minutes of rehearsal."

Taehyung couldn't help but laugh as you retold the antics of you and your members. It reminded him very much so of the early days of Bangtail. He knew the journey he shared with his members was a tough one, but it built such a solid brotherhood for him. It made him feel complete knowing he has 6 of the best friends in the world.

"It sounds like we might need to get your leader together with Jungkookie," Taehyung teased. "I've never known of someone who consumes as much banana milk as he does." "You know, she does have a thing for him. I think she said something about his tattoos, how she finds him so dreamy."

Taehyung's ears shot up at the mention. He couldn't help but wonder what you thought. Not in the sense if you were into his best friend, but he did want to know what you were into, what you disliked. He wanted you to be his new favorite story as he learns about you and from you.

You carried yourself with so much poise and grace. It was hard to believe you were actually younger than him.

And not to mention, going on double dates wouldn't be a bad idea. Especially if you were his date for the evening.

"What about you, y/n? Does someone have your attention?"

Once again, he could have sworn he saw your cheeks flushed. However, not wanting to ruin the moment, he was going to refrain from teasing. He was so close to getting information that could either verify or deny his speculations. He also wanted to know if it was safe to fall for you, that you could see him as a suitable partner.

"There might be someone. I'm still trying to gauge if he's into me, so I'm not trying to spill too much information. I feel like sometimes when I talk especially with the girls, they get too excited."

Taehyung nodded his head even though he was eternally screaming for joy. There was a chance he was the someone you were referring to. And the fact that you have talked to your members about him.

But he wasn't trying to get ahead of himself. Reality was pestering him that maybe it wasn't him you were into yet. Your body language with your flushed cheeks told him differently.

Again, he wasn't going to press for too much information. Not quite yet.

"Well, what I will say is that any guy would be lucky to have you in their life. And as someone who is your best friend, I can confirm that. I'm very lucky to have you."

You smiled wide at Taehyung, gently curling into his side. Your gaze finally shifted back to the movie the two of you had put on but had forgotten about.

Internally, he debated if he should make a move or not. It wasn't odd for the two of you to cuddle. But this felt different. This was far more intimate. He felt your body shift again, getting closer to him.

Coming to a decision, he wrapped his arm around your shoulders. You seemed content at the feeling of his arm around you. He wasn't going to push his luck.

"You comfortable, angel?" "Very," you whispered.

Taehyung prayed you couldn't hear the sound of his fast-racing heart especially since you were in such close proximity. His finger tips ran along your forearm, wanting you to feel comfortable and feel safe around him. If you asked him to stop, he would in a heartbeat. However, tracing his fingers against you somehow brought comfort to himself.

For a few minutes, he tried following the dialogue of the movie. It was something about country boy falling for a city girl?

The movie didn't matter to Taehyung. All he wanted was to hear your voice, your laughter. He just wanted to be with you.

"Did I tell you about the time Yoongi-hyung got locked out his studio? For 3 days?" He chuckled.

However, when he didn't hear your voice immediately, he did look down. And his heart nearly melted.

He was amazed by how quickly you fell asleep but even more amazed at the sight before him.

There you were. Curled up beside you with your eyes shut, eyelashes against the tops of your cheeks. Your head was resting against his shoulder, a hand resting on his stomach. He noticed your chest was rising and following. Your mouth was slightly open. He's never seen a more beautiful sight. And the fact you felt comfortable.

There were bags of opened all over his bed. Yeontan was curled up into a ball at the end of his bed, by your feet. He could get used to this being a part of his nightly routine.

He couldn't help but wonder if you two would ever get to this point. It felt like the two of you were dropping hints, to get a feel of how the other might react. All arrows were pointing in the direction of hi confessing his feelings. But he was still afraid. He was afraid of scaring you off, of ruining what you two have.

"Goodnight, sweet girl," he murmured before pressing a kiss to your forehead.

Just as he was about turn off the light beside him but noticed his phone glow. A new text message. Who could it be this late?

With his free hand, he reached over to check the message. Maybe it was one of the guys? Maybe Hobi would cancel dance rehearsal so he had an excuse to lay in bed with you all day? I mean, you could fake being sick after all.

However, what he wasn't expecting was a text from his date earlier in the evening. He almost forgot about all about her.

"Thanks for the sweet night! Same time tomorrow? 🥰"

Glancing between his phone and you, laid up beside him. He knew the obvious answer. However, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Sure! Same time?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: SO I'm thinking this is laying the groundwork for a part 2 or maybe even a mini series. Not sure so please let me know what you think!!

I also feel like this went ALL over the place but it just needed to leave my drafts once and for all..

[singlethread]

Hey Amelia! 💕💕💕

I will gladly gush about my platonic tumblr crushes and spread some love!

@pirrusstuff - Pirru you truly are my bestie! You are the Maddie to my buck! You make my days brighter and I love you so much my friend. Mwah 😘

@aspecbuddie - Sam my guy! You are amazing! I absolutely love talking with you about anything and everything! Mwah 😘

@ronordmann - Ro, I always love swapping fics and hearing about your day. I love chatting about 911 with you and I think you are so talented with your cover art! You are awesome my beloved 😘

@theplaceyoustillrememberdreaming - Nicole I don’t even know where to begin. I think you are awesome! I think you are funny, kind, and one of the most genuine people I’ve met. You never fail to put a smile on my face and always have made me feel included and welcomed. Thank you. Mwah 😘

@diazsdimples - James!!!!! Oh how I love you James. You are always such a big cheerleader to me and I love you for it. You are a really cool, down to earth guy and I absolutely love chatting with you! You are so friendly and kind and it’s no wonder everyone loves you. Mwah 😘

@theotherbuckley - purple oh purple. How I love you purple. You are amazing! I love your fics and works and just your positivity in general. I love chatting with you too. You are so awesome and friendly and I am so happy we are mutuals. Mwah mwah 😘

@lover-of-mine - ANNAAAAAA you are so amazing!!! I followed you very early on when I joined tumblr and I love you dear friend. I love your metas, fics, edits, countdowns, thoughts. I love it all! Thank you for all the effort you put into all your creations. You make the fandom such an enjoyable place. I see you and appreciate you dear friend Mwah mwah 😘

@half-oz-eddie - ivyyyyyy!! You are awesome! I love your positivity efforts so so much. They have inspired me in so many ways. You are so talented and cool and I love chatting with you. Keep being you dear friend. Sending much love. Mwah mwah 😘

@spotsandsocks - spotty I absolutely adore you so much. I have been following you for quite a while and I love your vibes and fun events you do. I love giving you fic ideas too haha. You are so supportive to me and I love you endlessly for it. You are the best. Mwah 😘

@hippolotamus - my beloved hippo. I believe you were the third blog to follow me and I remember how cool it was someone had noticed me and my writing! I love talking Eddie Shannon with you. I love all your support for my works, and I am endlessly grateful for your help navigating tumblr. Mwah 😘

@monsterrae1 - dear Rae you are so cool! I always love sending you asks and reading your writing. You are so awesome and amazing and thank you for your support on my works. I love you dear friend mwah 😘

@doctorkinney - nolannnnnnn my beloved!! I absolutely adore you and chatting with you! You always brighten my day! Thank you for always sending me asks. You are so amazing. I love you dear friend mwah 😘

@dangerpronebuddie - Maggieeeeee ❤️ we don’t talk much but I love interacting with you and reading your notes on my posts. You are awesome. And I love your fics so much!!!! Mwah 😘

@like-icarus-burns - Icarus! We only recently started chatting but I love you dear friend and think you are really neat! 😘

(1/2) there will be another ask! I’m worried about this one getting eaten before I can continue 😅😅

-❤️🪐

This is the sweetest thing in the world oh my goodness! Thank you for sharing!!!!

[sleepinginmygrave]

⋆˚࿔ jupiter's aquarium 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

300 followers celebration<3

welcome to jupiter's aquarium!!

thank you guys so so much from 300 followers omg, i can't believe so many individuals are following me and interested in my silly life hjjhjjh i love you guys so much<33

𓇼 ⋆｡˚ this will end on the first of july! (i think, probably)

𓇼 ⋆｡˚ this is heavily inspired by @urbanflorals' event because it was just too gorgeous hjgjhh (i really hope it doesn't bother you oml)

𓇼 ⋆｡˚ you can request as many as you want! (just keep it reasonable hjhhjh)

𓇼 ⋆｡˚it might take me some time to fullfill your request, please be patient! i also probably won't answer them in order, i'll just answer some when i have the time :]

𓇼 ⋆｡˚ this is for followers and mutuals only<3

intro post

welcome to our aquarium!! what creature do you wanna see? let me show you what we have!!

⋆｡˚[ sea creatures ]⋆｡˚

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {eels} ࿐ྂ i'll make a small pinterest board inspired by you

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {sturgeons} ࿐ྂ i'll recommend one or a few musical artists/songs i like for you

please precise what type of music you listen to!

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {moon jellies}࿐ྂ i'll make you a moodboard or a stimboard for whatever you want

please precise what you want the stim/moodboard to be about! it can be inspired by you, a character, an animal etc (also precise if you want a stim or a moodboard!)

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {octopus} ࿐ྂ i'll (try to) draw you something!

please tell me what you want me to draw! it will be shitty btw, please don't pick that /j this one is probably the one that'll take me the longer tho, just so you know

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {manta rays}࿐ྂ i'll talk to you about whatever's happening in my life (or just yap about my hyperfixations really)

(i am an Oversharer when it comes to my own life so this is great because i'm allowed to yap hehe)

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {tropical fishes}࿐ྂ i'll assign you an animal based on you/your blog

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {turtles}࿐ྂ i'll tell you three things i associate with you

⋆｡˚[ sharks ]⋆｡˚ (mutuals only)

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {blacktip reef sharks}࿐ྂ i'll tell you what we would do together if we met irl

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {whale sharks}࿐ྂ i'll write you a letter :>

⇢ ˗ˏˋ {lemon sharks}࿐ྂ i'll assign you one of my favorite animal!!

the same as tropical fishes tbh but more personal :3

queue ; 13 visits to go

we hope you had a nice time observing our residents!! thank you so much for passing by<33 don't hesitate to come back!!

again thank you guys so so much, i'm so glad for all the friends i made here<33

⋆｡˚tagging⋆｡˚

⋆｡˚@urbanflorals ; tysm for letting me use your event as an inspo, i almost copied the presentation hjhgjhghh it's so so gorgeous

other moots!!; @bloophasarrived @starmanbutitsregulusblack @aesthetic-writer18 @this-is-me-lolol @in-the-sweet-november-rain @daydream-of-a-wallflower @ev-enhotterthanyou @silence-between-seconds @skeelly @thedvilsinthedetails @marylily-my-beloved @a-wondering-thought @a-beautiful-fool @sceirlose @hansenesque @holdmyteaplease @rorythinks @niallermybabe

(i don't have the energy to tag a lot of people sorry, also please tell me if you didn't wanted to be tagged!!)

[5five5five5five5five5five]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FICTIONAL FAMILY!!!! have some B day hcs under the cut. tw for drinking and drugs

they all go to diego and lila's because they have the biggest backyard

they wish the kids could join them but they know each other, it wouldn't be safe. diego and lila's kids are with lila's parents and Claire is old enough to stay home. (idk if ray is here but tbh he probs stayed home too, this family is nuts when its their birthday lol. he would rather give Allison a wonderful birthday night at home just for her.)

this is probs in the future where drinking around klaus isn't a HUGE risk for relapse. i feel like prior b-days were less booze\drug heavy for his comfort but its gotten to the point where they want to PARTY. he's the designated driver if anyone does want to go home + so is ☂️ ben so the rest have a good sober duo to watch their backs. and klaus has that voice of reason if he does need it. (s3 ending credit ben my beloved, wish he was canon. he exists here.)

bc im about to take gummy and i always kin when i do, viktor and five took edibles beforehand bc that's their norm in my universe.

Allison helps lila set up before hand. i love the idea of them being mom friends and sister in laws. viktor and five were early and helped too.

five brought so many gifts. one for each person+ custom cards. he does this every year and everyone is still in awe that he goes overboard. the 364 days of the year, they forget he can be this thoughtful. but all the gifts are a *bit* off and not 100% personal. like luther got a telescope bc. the moon. this is like the 3ed year in a row. and klaus got smth that five had to suffer though a spencer's gifts to get. it was so painful. five does it more for the wrapping, card making and seeing his siblings smile then actually knowing HOW to be thoughtful and generous.

they all have a nice time outside and enjoying early fall. Diego set up a projector and they watch all their fav movies as kids. they have a fire pit too and do smores. this really is the day they set to BE man-children and regain their childhoods.

lila COVERED the ceiling of their house with balloons and that is NOT fun to traverse though when your high af, drunk af and need to pee.

they each got a personal cake to take home and a candle to blow out at the same time.

they shit on their dad and bond over their mutual hate for their life before but can agree that life is better now (Allison holds her tongue to not say 'i told u so' ray has helped her understand that and other actions would be a 'cunt move'. shes mellowed out bc of him to the point of being allowed here in the first place.)

klaus some how ends up setting something on fire. this has happened for EVERY BIRTHDAY since they were 6. diego has a fire extinguisher on hand...but doesn't know how to use it so lila has to do it.

they do karaoke. Diego complains and yet was the one who got the machine and set it up. he likes watching lila sing~

Klaus made the playlist.

[tarabyte3]

Happy New Year! 🥳🥂🎇

There were a few sources of struggle and stress in 2024 (especially from living in the US) which occasionally made me feel like this

But you know what? Overall it wasn't a terrible year, and my mental health was mostly good! 😊

Highlights with photos below the cut

I got to see Andy Serkis in Indianapolis (with Lorraine!!!) AND in Denver (where I also I got to spend time exploring the city with some of my wonderful friends 🥺)

I went and saw The Phantom Menace in theater for its 25th anniversary, and it reawakened something inside of me (QuiObi shipping) like I was a sleeper agent and someone said my very specific code phrase. I've now read back through 25 years of fanfiction, all which inspired me (seriously, what an amazing fandom) because, for the first time, I have 5 QuiObi WIPs of my own (one of which is at 18k words and close to finished!)

It was a great year of con finds, thrifting, and gifts!! And I had fun displaying all of it with my existing figure/funko collection 😍 (Though I swear Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are eventually going to need their own bookshelf. Like, Jedi Apprentice alone could take up most of a shelf if I moved it all over 😩 OR I will have to suck it up buttercup and take stuff out of the packaging 😭)

I rewatched The Terror for, like, the 8th time, and that rekindled my obsession (with the show and Bridglar) and blessed me with John Lynch brain (I even read one of his books this year!) I now have two cakes old men.

I continued weightlifting, hit some personal strength goals, and kicked ass (mostly my own)!!! (I'm going to be vain for a moment and brag about my biceps because I worked really hard for them 😤)

And I finished 2 fics I'm really proud of! My writing has improved a lot over the past few years, and I think they're some of my best posted work (so far 😌):

The fear has gripped me, but here I go (Liam Black x Reader)

Remember You Are Half Water (Kino Loy x Reader)

I'm not making any resolutions for 2025. Instead, I'm just going to continue lifting weights, making memes and fandom content, and doing my best. I'm going to another AndyCon in March to see more of my beloved friends and mutuals (😍). Andor season 2 comes out in 111 days. And I'm going to FINISH MORE FANFICTION, EVEN IF IT KILLS ME (😠🤞🙏🕯️) including I Want You To Show Me Weak!!!

So here's to more shitposting and blorbo obsessions in 2025. May we all have the motivation to work on our art and the serotonin to make it through.

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week's writer spotlight feature is: @kkpwnall! They have eight Stranger Things and Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson works on archive of our own!

An anonymous nominator recommends the following works by kkpwnall:

driving in your car

love is like ghosts

where's the spark?

if it wasn’t for bad luck i wouldn’t have luck at all

wanted: pool boy at the vampire mansion

KK's works have a consistent feel of genuine, heartfelt, human connection. Whether it’s a big, dramatic scene as the climax of a slow, delicious build-up of tension, or a mundane, slice-of-life tidbit, the characters always feel true to themselves, and their voices are perfectly nailed each and every time. And by that I mean, you can literally hear the dialogues in the characters’ voices—they’re THAT good. KK explores classic Steddie themes in their longfic Driving In Your Car, and they have a handful of wonderful one-shots and two-shots, each and every one of them delving into how much these boys love each other for who they are. In short, KK’s body of work feels like a love letter of the characters. If you love Steve and Eddie, chances are you’ll love their fics. - anonymous

Below the cut, @kkpwnall answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie? 

They’re such a compelling and complementary pairing. Like, it seems like an opposites attract / odd-couple pairing on the surface, but beneath each of their exteriors, they’re so similar. They’re dork4dork, loser4loser, idiot4idiot, they’re both huge nerds but in different ways. They want and need and express affection through physical touch and words of affirmation (I mean, just look at the walking through the forest scene!) Plus they just have this insane chemistry that any time I think “there’s no way they did that, it’s all in my head”, I’ll go back and watch those scenes again, it’s just like “no, this absolutely checks out, they are so into each other from the word go”. And they’re just made for each other! I mean, come on! Matching scars? Nail bat and nail shield? Jock and nerd? They’re two halves of the same coin! What I really love about them too is that they’re both Just Some Guy, they’re silly, goofy, dorky guys! But mostly, I write steddie because it makes me happy and really satisfies part of my brain like nothing else. 

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

Other than “Eddie Munson Lives” hahah, I’ll try just about anything written or recommended by a beloved mutual. Mutual pining, fix-it’s, missing scenes, and first kiss fics are top tier for me, and right now I’m really partial to fluffy romcom fics. If it’s got good flirting and banter, it’s got me hooked.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

My absolute favorite to write is mutual pining (aka the love is requited, they’re both just being stupid). Miscommunication is a close second, the kind that can’t easily be resolved with just a sticky note on the fridge. Whether it’s mishearing something or misunderstanding something (even the character misunderstanding their own feelings!), I find it super compelling to write. But for a specific scenario, my favorite will always be Steve having a bad time at a party.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

It’s impossible for me to pick just one, so I have to recommend 3 of my friends: Anyway It’s About Old Friends by @fragilecapric0rnn, and wanna be the only one for miles and miles (except for maybe you) by @judasofsuburbia, and everybody else (everybody else looks like they’ve figured it out) by @heybluechild. Anything by these fine folks is just fantastic, they’re all incredible writers and dear friends!

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I’d really like to write more AU’s! I’ve been tossing around ideas for college-aged+ aus (writing them a little older), 90s aus, a cowboy au… Mostly I’m just excited to keep writing them!

What is your writing process like?

Ahah it’s not much of a process. I write down every idea I have, no matter how small it is. Sometimes it’s a line of dialogue or a moment of a scene, but it all goes into the notes app and percolates in the back of my brain for a while. Eventually that dialogue or scene might coalesce into something bigger on its own, or combine with other snippets, and then ya got yourself a stew!

Do you have any writing quirks?

I really love writing dialogue, it’s my favorite way to get inside their heads, especially trying to balance what they say or don’t say, vs what they actually mean. I also love adding little details to fill out the world and the scene. It might not be necessary, but it feels like it brings everything together for me. And I like treating writing a fic like building a puzzle, trying to figure out just the right way to get all the pieces to fit together so the whole thing really sings.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I’m still playing around with what I prefer. With driving in your car, I started out by posting a chapter only when the following chapter was completely written, so I’d always have one in the tank. But that got to feel too much like I was just sitting on chapters for the sake of sitting on them, so I started posting each chapter as I finished it and felt good about it. I don’t do super well with a schedule for posting fics, I’ve got too many deadlines in my life as it is haha.

Which fic are you most proud of?

driving in your car, for sure. It’s my baby, my magnum opus, my kitchen sink fic (it’s got everything). It’s got so much of myself in it, it’s very personal, and very near and dear to my heart.

How did you get the idea for driving in your car?

I wrote a long post about this when the idea was just starting to percolate, but the long and short of it is I wanted to read more fics that reflected my own experiences as an older teen growing up in a suffocating small town, where really the only option you have is to just pile in the car with your friends and drive around aimlessly, because that’s the only way you can get any freedom or privacy. I wanted to see what life was like for the fruity four trying to get back to “normal” while also trying to deal with the fact the world almost ended AGAIN, and all their complicated messy feelings for one another.

What inspired love is like ghosts?

Like many people have guessed / suspected, it’s very much inspired by Buzzfeed Unsolved / Watcher Ghost Files, and a loving homage to ghost hunting shows. I’m a huge scaredy cat when it comes to anything horror, but I love a good ghost hunting show. The study room setting is also inspired by the miniscule closet-sized study rooms in the library at the college I went to.

What was your favorite part to write from love is like ghosts?

Parts of their make out scene was the first snippet I wrote and the one that really got the whole ball rolling with that fic, to try to figure out who this Steve and this Eddie are, and what would have to happen lead them to making out that hard in the study room. It was also the first steamy spicy almost-smutty scene I’d written, and it was so fun to learn how to write like that!! I also just love their banter in this fic, they’re both so sassy and ridiculous and completely gone on each other.

How do/did you feel writing where’s the spark??

Ooft this one was a doozy. This is actually the second draft, and the only time so far I’ve all but completely scraped the first draft and rewritten a fic. The first draft leaned really heavily into the loneliness of the holidays, my playlist for it was all of the most maudlin holiday songs, and it really started negatively affecting my mood and mindset. But I got some really great advice and help brainstorming from dear friends, and turned it around into a fic I’m really happy with. The holiday blues are still present, but there’s so much more love there now, and that’s really what the fic is all about.

What was the most difficult part of writing where’s the spark??

Finding that balance of holiday blues and love was really tricky, and I wrote for a lot of characters I hadn’t tried writing before either. From a technical perspective too, it was a big challenge to figure out how to keep the fic moving, and the party moving around Steve when all he wanted to do was wallow.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

It’s so so hard to pick just one, but I love how this line in love is like ghosts turned out: And Steve is dumbstruck, kiss-drunk, half-fucked.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I have a holiday exchange fic coming out soon (hopefully before the holidays, fingers crossed), and I’m excited to dive into my prompt for lex’s winter fic challenge soon! I’d love to get the last chapter of driving in your car ready to share by the end of January. And there’s a secret [redacted] au I’m co-authoring with a very special friend that I would absolutely love to write in the new year!

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

Just that I love this community so much. I’ve made so many incredible friendships because of this show, and I’m so grateful to be a part of this little corner of the internet. I never shared my writing publicly before finding the steddie community, and I’ve been really overwhelmed and delighted by the response to my writing and art (especially to be nominated to do something like this!! Truly an honor!). I was, at best, a casual Stranger Things fan before season 4. I wasn’t even going to watch it when it came out. But then I saw all the gorgeous fanart and gifs, and started reading headcanons, and had to check it out. I’m so so glad that I did, my life has changed so much for the better.

Thank you to our author, @kkpwnall, and our nominator! See more of @kkpwnall's work featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer's Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[a-mel-tomelts]

Boo!!! Have a curse on ye!!!

To breakth the spell, name thou mutuals and what you like about them!!!

(not all of them. Minimum 5)

If I had to do it, you do too. <3

Coral, darling you forget the fact that I am not as popular as you are~

1. My non-Tumblr buddies || 2. Discord buddies. || 3. Tumblr only

1.

@mary-sunday - we don't talk as much as we used to but i cherish you as my first persona/aa friend!!! You were encouraging me to write fanfiction and you're the reason I still love doing it!!! I am happy we got a chance to meet each other and i am forever thankful to Sachi-chan<3

@rustykeymaster - come back to tumblr so i can extort ask persona fanarts from you!!!! A wonderful artist with a very unique artstyle that i've never seen before. My very own tumblr sexy man that i dearly love. Pls do survive and do the things you love!

@misha-dai - YOU. YOUUUUU.

my brother, my bro, my buddy. I am so happy we started to talk more and i appreciate you lots. You just accept me rambling or venting anytime and you are always there for me (be it me bullying you or you bullying me pffft)

the absolute legend that revived tumblr just to agree with my post.

@loustdoesstuff - oh my god. I think there are more things i don't like about you actually /j pffft kidding ;>

my fiance, my son, my weird found family. We were a lot of things to each other and we are still talking!!! My monkey king and dearly beloved. Please find some lego studio and make them hire you for your own sanity or else I'll do it /hj... unless

2.

@himi-wiz - himimimimi. We had a fun yet chill ride!!! I still think calling you a train is genius. Your first dm to me about my persona takes made me feel so flattered I was happy! I am happy we still talk even if not a lot and i appreciate you sharing all the photos and pretty art with me. A wonderful person who i respect tremendously. and i thank you for the next victim mutual in my list :)

@melodiclune - hihi!!! How did you like my ask~? My wonderful, sweet, darling Coral. So much I like about you. You are smart and witty and funny and I love you talking about everything and nothing at the same time. It's nice to hear things from your perspective. A pleasant experience, I'd say. Also, you forgot that I am Hiori to your Rin :^)

@zendersenders - omggggg. ZenderSis. My comrade in RinSagi. My personal first in line reader of spiciness. I love you so much. I find you very fun and charming!!!! I just love your vibe!!! Karasu to my Hiori indeed. Can't wait to read more of your works

@blue-thief - we haven't talked much but i love reblogging from you!!! I also like your BLLK takes. Also i think your title is super cool. Twice the man is awesome. A lot of respect!

@chibihobbitlore - MARIIIII. Your art is delicious, your personality is to be salivate over and I think you have so much gender in you. You can't even imagine. Sometimes I just want to squeeze you and bit you and play with you like a dog. You know, normal things!!! Doomed yuri for the win.

3.

@akechi - we haven't talked at all but i like your aesthetic reblogs!!!

@leonawriter - i appreciate you as a writer and a blog! I like your persona and DCMK posts(even if our DCMK ships are different. My other friend also likes Kaito and Hakuba btw!) and i enjoyed your famfiction! I find you very interesting!

@zullyziggs - it's been a while! A very awesome writer. I appreciate all the little talks we had at discord and i am still a fan of some of your fics! It's nice to see you in my notification feed<3

@chilchucks-timbs - from the loki's sword into s dilf. The proper character development. I think you singlehandedly made me read the DunMeshi manga in full. It was worth it. I enjoy all the fanart. Thank you. It's nice to reblog or be reblogged by you! (Also i tried a demo of TWEWY2. The game is so niiiiiiice. Can't wait to try it in full!)

[britcision]

In honour of a combo Wednesday and then post-midnight Yule, have a WIP Wednesday friends! We haven’t seen Sam for a while and Hanukkah was early this year (finished on the 15) but we are here now!

This chapter’s already gotten intense as hell for Danny and Jason with Lady Gotham but we’ve been tragically without our resident fashionable goth (sorry not sorry Bruce) and we are definitely still a muppet movie, so enjoy Sam-Miss-Piggy creating some extra chaos behind the scenes 👀

No promises about how regular these updates will be because again, plot chapter, I like letting those drop without spoiling the reveals too much, but we shall see

——————

Chapter 18 part i So That Just Happened

Back in her own room on the other side of the country from Gotham, Sam Manson reclined back into giant, coffin shaped body pillow her beloved girlfriend had given her when they moved and contemplated her phone.

The brand new Wayne-chat was blowing up satisfactorily, although apparently Tim was a massive stalker too. That was probably a good thing; it meant she hadn’t actually nuked Tuck’s chances with his nerd-crush. Now they could bond over their mutual stalker tendencies.

But, did that make her revenge less effective?

It wasn’t like she was actually out to ruin his life, but she’d kinda like to leave a mark. Something that would make him think twice about letting her think he and Danny had fucking died in Gotham in her absence.

Or. Well. Gone radio silent in Gotham, which was probably actually worse because if they were dead she’d know exactly where they were.

The Wayne chat were all pretty sure Tim and Tucker were together too, and Sam’s new best friend Babs had even pulled up the feed from their living room tv somehow. Sam wasn’t exactly the tech wizard Tucker was, but… after seeing that, she disconnected her and Val’s TV from the wifi.

And settled in to remote watch Tuck get his ass kicked at Spiderheck, apparently. At least for a little while; until something else on her phone caught her attention.

It was… almost funny. While she knew she was a whole two timezones away, she’d never really felt left out before. Like maybe she should have stayed on the east coast…

Not that she regretted it, of course. She had a good job, a good school, a wonderful girlfriend who’d been so excited to get into a good school and really go to town on the business department.

(Apparently there were posters of Val’s face in the ethics classrooms. Sam refused to ask if they were golden example or dire warning.)

She was just… a long way away. Even a long portal away, and… being back with the guys, even in Gotham, made the quiet of their comfy little apartment seem lonely.

Huffing, she turned and traced her fingers through the leaves of her mimosa plant on the windowsill beside the bed. They curled gently shut at her touch, and made her smile. Just like always.

She was happy to be home. She wasn’t technically liminal enough yet that it was her haunt, but… well, for all the jokes Val made, Sam had to admit she’d put down roots. She loved her job at the greenhouses, and her internship at the botanical gardens.

She loved scaring the hell out of the dudebros in Val’s business classes who thought ethics were a waste of time. She loved sharing messages with Jazz about the boys, laughing that even three hours ahead, Tuck and Danny still couldn’t get up before them.

She was kinda considering texting Harley about Timblr too. Not like, for any particular reason; if Tim’s family weren’t gonna embarrass Tucker enough, Harley probably wouldn’t either. She’d probably think it was adorable.

Or, y’know, worrying evidence of obsession. Psych types worried about stuff like that, usually.

Sam was kinda also considering sending Harley Jazz’s number. Jazz might still be skating just on the neurosurgery side of the line, but she’d always been big into psychology. Big enough to try and double major, and only drop to major-minor after the third pre-exam meltdown.

And she could use having someone else do the shrink bit on her a little more often. Although really, for that Sam should make her a professional appointment; friends didn’t ask friends to psychoanalyze their overprotective pseudo-sisters. And Jazz could use more friends.

Jazz could use a transfer to a specialty that would let her sleep once in a while, a more stable supply of fresh ecto, and about six weeks in a meditation retreat to get the accidental telepathy under control, but more friends would be good too. And less stubborn insistence on her second try for double majors.

Maybe the switch to psychiatry full time would be good for her? Or psychology. Sam was a little fuzzy on the difference, which one Jazz was minoring in, and which one Harley did.

(Jazz’s current second major was neurosurgery, which Jazz insisted was totally less taxing alongside a neurology major because it was the same body part. She was the only person in her class attempting the double major though, so.)

Humming tunelessly to herself, Sam flicked back into the group chat. Babs was still sharing the feed… brows drawing in, Sam frowned at the little spider figures still fighting to the death. Now, she wasn’t as big of a gamer as she used to be, but she was pretty sure Spiderheck didn’t actually offer red berets.

Snorting a laugh, she flicked back out of the chat and opened a new one, adding both Jazz and Harley. All it needed was the perfect name… something that would grab both of their attention.

Obvious. Child’s play.

Snuggling back into her coffin pillow, Sam grinned down at her phone screen.

Danny Has A Boyfriend chat was live.

——————

And in at the last minute, Jazz! We’ll see if she shows up in person this chapter, I’m hoping it’ll be the last big lore dump before the first plot arc begins but We Shall See…

Chapter 20 is right around the corner though, and I like my divisibles of 5 so I miiiiight shoot for that Red Hood Reveal then… 👀

Tag List: @welcometosasakiworld @someonebored0100 @stealingyourbones @starkcravingmad @frostedthroughghost @akikkobara @rainbowbunny0159 @littlefeather345 @violet-catsarelife @serasvictoria02 @wolfjackle @blacksea21090 @secretdestinywerewolf @anime-hipster-the-amazing @undead-essence @skitscratched @blackroserelina @snoodly-boop @mayoota-blog @xysidhe @little-apricot-the-writer @chaoticmistake @the-legal-shipper @bun-fish @aroranorth-west @demon-cat-goes-woof @perfectwastelandcreation @onyxlightdragon @larks-and-katydids @peachesandcreamfemboy @jesus-camp-the-sequel @may-rbi @mothman-the-mothman87 @viyatrix @stargirl1331 @thedepressedrobin @skulld3mort-1fan @rootsmudge @ravenshadow17 @cankoking @phantom-dc @mentalcarebear @magic-pincushion @redamancyardor @lyra689 @itsparadoxlacuna @alcorbearson @asphyxia778 @why-must-i-be-like-this @tkiesai @greenpyrowolf @frivolous-pastel @honeysuckletook @adorkable1291

[kanerallels]

Day two of @spectre-week is for our beloved Captain Hera and oh BOY did I just barely finish this fic in time. Had to scrap my old one, then finished this in a haze of panic yesterday. But I actually stand by this! (It is low key set in my Steve Miller Au but you don't need prior knowledge of it to read this. Just enjoy!)

Once upon a time, Hera Syndulla was an only child.

And then, quite suddenly, when she was six years old, she wasn’t any more. Her mother, Eleni, told her she was going to have a baby brother or sister and Hera, well, she was excited, if a little wary. She’d seen her friends playing with their siblings, though she’d also seen them bickering and stealing things from each other. 

But Eleni told her she was going to be an amazing big sister, and her father was glowing with pride and happiness, boasting to his friends and co-workers, and Hera decided it probably wouldn’t be so bad. At least she’d have someone to play starships with.

Time ticked by, and Eleni’s belly grew, and she spent more time sitting down than standing. When she got up, she groaned about her swollen ankles, but she was still happy. And so was Cham.

The day when the baby came was long, and hard. Hera hated the sound of her mother in pain, and she could tell her father did, too. He paced the length of their house again and again, and told her mother that they should go to a hospital, that she needed help.

But Eleni was insistent. She wanted a home birth, assisted by midwives, in Ryloth tradition. So Cham gritted his teeth and paced, and Hera stayed curled up in her favorite chair, wincing at every cry.

But the end came, and with it, joy, and a new baby brother. Hera sat on her mother’s bed as Cham cradled both Eleni and the new baby close, then took her little brother out to show him off to the relatives. Then she hugged her mother, who kissed her on the forehead.

“I’m fine,” she told Hera. “Just because it’s scary doesn’t mean it’s bad. Your brother is here, safe and sound.”

Hera was a little unsure about the first part— at first. But then, finally, when Cham was back, he gently put her brother in her arms. Their eyes met, wide, for the first time, and Cham said, “Hera, meet Devaar Syndulla. Your little brother.”

“He’s tiny,” Hera breathed, staring at him. His lekku were barely stubs, his skin a delicate shade of green, like she and her mother’s. His eyes were orange, though, like her father’s, and they held hers with a wondering confusion.

“You were at first, too,” Eleni said. “He’ll grow. But he’ll need a big sister to look after him.”

“I will,” Hera promised.

True to her word, Hera kept a close eye on Devaar— which everyone quickly shortened to Dev. Unfortunately, for the first several months, he didn’t do much interesting. Other than cry and sleep and eat.

But, in a way that was painstakingly slow, yet flew by, he grew. Soon he was crawling, and then Hera had a lot of work to do, helping her mother keep him out of trouble.

It only got worse when he learned to walk. Dev had inherited his parent’s propensity for trouble, according to Cham, who laughed proudly and swung him in the air, eliciting gurgles of laughter. He made bolts for the door and for the dangerous stairs, trying to grab hold of pointy things and sharp objects.

Hera got very good at distracting him, oftentimes with her toy starships. She kept her favorite (a VCX freighter) hidden on a shelf where he couldn’t chew on it or break it, but showed him how to fly around the gunships and the starfighters.

Some of them even matched the ones they began to see overhead, more and more. Hera’s father was clearly concerned about them— and one day, it came to a head. The Republic was at war, and Ryloth was caught in the middle.

Hera and her family had to go into hiding, which Dev did not appreciate. But the bombings were dangerous, and the Separatists hated Cham. The feeling was very mutual. Hera’s father spent most of his time away from them, fighting against the invaders and alongside the Jedi and Republic troops.

While she knew it was dangerous, Hera liked to watch the ships soaring overhead. There was a spot not too far from their hideout underground where she could see out of an old drainage tunnel, and she could watch the gunships passing. Sometimes— only when it was safe and her mother was napping— she brought the one year old Dev, carefully watching him to make sure he didn’t run off.

“I’ll be up there one day,” she whispered to him. “Flying, like them.”

Dev babbled something that sounded like encouragement, and Hera decided to take it as such.

After what felt like years, the bombs stopped, and Hera’s father came home, his eyes wearier than last time he’d been with them. They were safe, he said, from the Separatists. And he brought with him a company of clones, who helped Hera, Dev, her mother, and all the other refugees return home safely.

Home was a little worse for wear, but Eleni always liked a project. They started fixing things up, and Hera was just starting to wonder if life would be normal again.

And then, suddenly, it wasn’t.

Dev got sick.

It was just a cough that wouldn’t go away at first, paired with a runny nose. But then it got worse, until the cough sounded like it was tearing apart his lungs. A fever sprang to life, and Dev was wailing with pain.

They tried everything. Antibiotics, half a dozen Republic drugs and even more old remedies that Eleni’s mother had used on her. Nothing seemed to work. Dev got sicker, and sicker, his skin pale and his movements listless. Soon, he barely moved at all, and Hera could read the fear on her parent’s faces.

They thought her little brother was going to die.

He can’t, Hera thought, staring at Dev. She’d stuck by his bed since the fever started, watching over him. Giving him water and cooling him with wet cloths. To think that her little brother would just… be gone? He couldn’t be. The galaxy wouldn’t do something so cruel.

Please, she thought. I’ll do anything. We can’t lose Dev.

Her answer came two hours later, in the form of a knock at the door.

Cham and Eleni had prepared for the worse. They were crouched next to Dev’s bed, tears in Eleni’s eyes and helplessness in Cham’s. Neither of them looked up at the knock. But Hera did.

Getting up, she walked downstairs to the door, keeping her steps quiet so she wouldn’t disturb her parents. Pulling open the door, she started to tell whichever neighbor it was that they didn’t want visitors right now.

But it wasn’t a neighbor. It wasn’t anyone she’d ever met before.

The human woman was hooded and cloaked in white, but when she looked at Hera, Hera could tell she was smiling, even under the shadows. “Hello,” she said, her voice holding an unfamiliar accent. “You must be Hera. I’ve heard much about you.”

“Who are you?” Hera asked, confused. “Are you a friend of my father’s?”

“I’m afraid I’ve never had the pleasure. But the Force told me to come here. I’m here to help your brother.”

That was all Hera needed to hear. Wordlessly, she stepped aside, and the woman came inside.

Eleni didn’t move when they entered the bedroom, but Cham looked up at the sound of the woman’s arrival. Wariness flashed across his face, and he rose, making a barrier between his wife and child and the stranger. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“Forgive me for intruding,” the woman said, her voice soft and calm. “As I told your daughter, the Force sent me here. I believe—”

“She said she can help Dev,” Hera blurted out, and then Eleni looked up.

Gaze locking onto the woman, she rose and pushed past Cham. “Can you?” she asked, looking directly at their guest.

“I can.”

“Then please.” Eleni’s voice cracked. “Please. We cannot lose him.”

“I will do everything I can,” the woman promised.

She looked at Cham, seemingly questioning. Cham hesitated, then said, “You’re a Jedi?”

The woman seemed to hesitate briefly. “Not— exactly. But I promise, I am here to help your son. Let me try, and if you think I’m hurting him, you may remove me.”

Cham’s jaw worked, but he glanced at Eleni and Hera, then at the bed where his son lay. Then he nodded, moving to the side. “Do what you can.”

The woman was at Dev’s side in an instant, pushing back her cowl a little as she knelt. Moving to watching her, Hera saw her rest a hand, marked with geometric tattoos along the back, on Dev’s head.

“He is very weak,” she said. “But I can help. It will take a little while, so—”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Eleni said.

The woman’s smile was just visible. “Of course. You may wish to make some caf, though.”

Cham made a little, and they settled in to wait. Even Hera got a mug, and found she actually enjoyed it— with milk and a little sugar. They sat together and waited, watching and hoping desperately.

It didn’t seem like the woman was doing anything. She was just kneeling there, a hand resting on Dev’s forehead. She didn’t say anything or bring out any props. She just knelt, eyes closed, for a long time. So long that Hera was starting to nod off against her father when a noise cut through her sleepiness.

It was a cry. Dev’s voice.

Hera’s eyes flew open, and all three of them bolted to their feet as the woman rose. “He’ll be alright,” she told them, and Eleni burst into tears. “Give him some water and a little tea tonight. Tomorrow you can give him food.”

Cham, tears in his own eyes as he put an arm around Eleni, said, “How can we repay you?”

Shaking her head, the woman said, “No payment necessary.” Giving them a little bow, she headed down the stairs.

Cham and Eleni went immediately to Dev’s side, gathering him up in their arms. For a moment, Hera hesitated. Then she followed the woman.

Their mysterious guest had already made it out the door and a little ways down the street when Hera caught up with her. It was late, and three of the moons were full and bright above them.

“Wait!” Hera called out, and the woman stopped, turning to face her. Her cowl was lowered, and her face was kind, with bright blue eyes and dark tattoos.

Pausing, Hera struggled for words, then asked, “Why? Why did you help us?”

Smiling, the woman said, “Because you needed it. And because an old friend asked me to.”

“How?”

“The Force flows through all living things,” the woman told her. “I just gave it a little nudge in this case.”

Hera nodded slowly, wrapping her mind around the words. “And you’re… not a Jedi?”

“Admittedly, it is a little complicated,” the woman said thoughtfully. “I was, at one point. Perhaps I still am. But I think what’s most important is that your brother is still alive. Perhaps he’ll help the galaxy someday. And so, I think, will you, Hera Syndulla.”

She smiled, and turned, walking down the road. Soon, she was out of sight.

But Hera never forgot it. Forgot what the Jedi had done for her family. Especially not, years later, when she saw someone do the same thing, far above Gorse.

It wasn’t the first miraculous thing she’d seen, and it was far from the last. Her journey was just beginning.