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svmjaeyvn · 2 months

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love maze, s.jy.

chapter four pairing: jake x afab!reader word count: tbd (series)

masterlist

add yourself to the taglist here!

genre: college!au, mutual friends, fake dating, smut.

synopsis: an unfortunate encounter, drunken mistakes, and a sort of (definitely) stalker leads jake sim ‘dating’ his best friend’s childhood crush.

or, your life gets intertwined with a rich boy’s in attempt to not get sued by his crazy personal fangirl and like with all good cliches, sex overcomplicates things.

contents: smut, sort of strangers to fuck buddies to lovers pipeline, childhood best friend!jay, mentions of best friend! yunjin, curly haired & mixed reader, uni!au, rich nepo baby!jake, enha frat boys, lots of kissing, fake dating turning into fwb real quick, totally way too into it for it to be fake early on, big booty reader that’s jake’s obsessed with, partying and alcohol use, slight violence, he fell first and harder trope, stem bf & writer gf, (kinda overly) possessive jake, some angst to spice things up, daddy issues, hyper independent reader who struggles with her feelings, fluff and happy ending!!

a/n: hello~ i’ve never been a tumblr girly but i have went through my w*ttpad era back in 2018 so bare with me y’all. this will be a series but not that long (i hope) so pls look forward to it. warning tags will be placed before each “chapter” to specify what to expect. pls pls reblog and interact, i’d love to have feedback and see what your thoughts are. okay! yay, for now enjoy and thank you sm :D

MDNI, 18+

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CHAPTER FOUR: FIRSTS

previous masterlist next

word count: 2.9k

warnings: alcohol, partying(what’s new), hints of needy jake, reader being a tease, established desire, highly suggestive themes

a/n: YEAHHH GET INTO IT moving it along now

"I GO HOME for three days and you suddenly have a new life?" Yunjin gapes, hands on her hips as you had just finished explaining the whole story in what happened between you and Jake. From the beginning of the creep at the store, which she was throughly upset that you didn't call her considering she didn't even get laid that night, to the agreement the two of you came up with yesterday.

You were in the process of getting ready, Jake having texted you earlier in the day asking if you were free. After talking over everything, coming up with a story down to the smallest details, and finding a middle ground in how this would work, Jake suggested at least once a week you two would go on a 'date.' In reality it was just hanging out, time to get to know each other better and have the ability to be comfortable with how you'd act in public from then on.

"Apparently," You snort, swiping one last application of lip gloss onto your lips. Puckering them before letting out a small sigh, decidedly put in enough effort for the mock date. "Good?"

Yunjin glances over your outfit. The denim jeans sat nicely on your hips, low rise exposing a good portion of your stomach along with the white baby tee, a brown oversized jacket on top with white shoes to compliment. The outfit was casual but cute enough to show some effort, showing off enough skin that emphasized your curves but also comfortable.

"You're hot," She nods, a wink added to the effect. Watching as you bent over to retie your shoe lace, a loud gasp left Yunjin's lips before her laughter filled the air. "You're trying to get laid aren't you!" Pointing toward the thin string-like material that poked out as you bent due to the low waistband of the pants, the brown thong you wore was exposed and something you didn't particularly wear without good reason.

Quickly standing up straight, a sheepish smile made way onto your lips, shrugging slightly. "Maybe, mind as well have fun with this, right?"

"Sure, fucking your already fake boyfriend sounds like a great idea that won't lead to any problems," Yunjin nods, voice dripping with sarcasm.

You smile, turning back around just as your phone pings. "Glad we agree," You nod, collecting your things as Jake was now waiting outside for you to head down, Yunjin rolling her eyes as she bids you goodbye with a playful slap to your ass as you walked past.

"Text me how it goes!"

JAKE HAD A hard time focusing. Maybe it was the colorful lights that blinked in every direction, or the loud buzz of other people who played along the rows and rows of arcade games, or maybe it was the fact that he got the perfect view of your ass in those tiny little jeans every time you remotely leaned over. He thought he was imagining things the first time you bent over, trying to convince himself that you hadn't been bold enough to wear a thin g-string in those already low pants that exposed the definition of your waist and the two dimples on your lower back.

Surely it wasn't planned, wearing a thin little thong under tight pants that left little to the imagination with how utterly perfectly perky your ass seemed squeezed in them. But it was, definitely was because although he hasn't worn one himself, he assumed having a string up your ass all day wasn't something you willingly did, knowing well enough it was for the view not your comfort.

It took everything in him to tear his eyes away every time you glanced back, though his continued slip ups caused you to grow rather amused. Feeling how his eyes practically bore into your back, you began to have fun with it. Whether it consisted of teasing him with the sway of your hips as you walked or ensuring to wiggle around more than usual when you bent over to place the tokens in the slots of the machines.

The current game the two of you played consisted of basketball, playing on the two player option to go against one another, rushing to beat the others score of how many baskets made in the 90 second period. Jake finished before you, having started a few seconds prior and he smiled seeing the 72 on his scoreboard while yours was slowly trickling up from a mere 48.

Just as he was about to comment on his obvious win, he took note of the two who lingered off the side, seemingly waiting for their turn at the game. Presumably within your age range, the two men stood patiently, one occupied by his phone but the other had his eyes set on you in specific.

From the way his eyes traveled up your body, slow without a care for how bluntly obvious it was to see him checking you out, Jake felt oddly in disbelief at how shameless his actions were. The loud buzz indicated the end of your round, the score finalized at a 54 as you turned around with a small huff.

"Cheater," You tut, your competitive nature beginning to show its colors as you turn to Jake who was now a mere few inches apart.

Quirking a brow, he points to his scoreboard, the big 72 in bold letters along with WINNER flashing after it. "Face it baby, I'm just better,"

You blink, slightly surprised by the sudden pet name while Jake leans in suspiciously closer than before. One of his arms snaked behind your waist, hand resting low on your back and the heat of his fingers against your exposed skin caused a chill to run up your spine.

"Don't be cocky, you're just taller so it's easier for you," You defend with a roll of your eyes, turning away from his gaze that made you want to squirm away. You could feel the sudden shift in his demeanor, one that you wanted to see but it also made you nervous.

Without a word, Jake shamelessly leaned closer. His lips pressed to the corner of your mouth, lingering there for a moment just missing your lips before he pulls away, moving to whisper in your ear. "Your little outfits catching eyes sweetheart,"

He had a smile on his features, a seemingly fond look thrown your way but you could see the hint of something other by his eyes. Glancing around for a moment, attempting to confirm what he was referencing, it wasn't until your turned your head momentarily did you see. From the corner of your eye, you could see the two who stood still waiting, one in particular unable to take his eyes off you no matter how shameless he seemed.

"Is that a problem?" You counter, voice just as quiet as his as you peer back to Jake. This time, the smirk that fell upon his features definitely wasn't in good nature, feeling as his hand slightly squeezed your hip at the words.

"Not at all, I have a hot girlfriend," Jake shrugs, his amusement dripping through his words. "As long as I'm the only one that gets to touch you, they can look all they want,"

Finding yourself at a loss for words, you shake your head at his comment. Breaking the tension that began to linger through the air, you loop your arm around his own and begin to lead the way towards another game in the opposite direction. Jake merely laughs, allowing for you to pull him along without comment.

"Didn't take you as the possessive type," Finally finding your voice as you pulled him along to a less busy area in the building, you stop at one of the claw machines.

"Didn't like the way he was looking at you," He shrugs, pulling two coins from his pocket and inserting them to begin the game. Now focused on the rather weird chick looking stuffed animal that sat at the top of the pile, Jake's tongue was poked out slightly at the corner of his mouth as he concentrated.

You watched, waiting for him to drop the claw before speaking. "Still possessive," You snicker, the stuffed animal being picked up for a few seconds before falling out of the metal grasp. Still, it fell significantly closer to the exit shoot and Jake began his second attempt that the coins bought him.

He merely hums back at your words, redoing his attempt and waiting patiently to watch as the claw picked up and dragged the chick toward the shoot, it falling down in success causing a small smile to fall upon his lips. Bending down to pull it out, Jake takes a glance over it before holding it out to you.

"Well, like it or not, you're mine for the next few months," He reminds. You half heartedly nod at his words, far too engrossed by your newest stuffed animal and picking off a piece of extra fluff around its eye. The baby chick looked rather awkward, far too round and compressed but it made you smile, happy with the weird looking stuffy that'll be added to the rest on your bed.

"I'm fake yours," You finally respond while he raises a brow.

Taking a note of how excited you got over a mediocre claw machine prize, Jake sighs at your words. "No one else knows that, so as far as I'm concerned, you're mine to make it known,"

You smile at his words, a sort of guilty pleasure in knowing just how much he intended to keep you by his side even if it were an unpleasant trait outside of anything fiction. With a small hum, you lace your fingers through his own, pulling him along.

"Careful Jake, someone might think you actually like me,"

"TRY NOT TO let her do a replay of last week, yeah?" Jay spoke rather loudly, leaned close to the couple after spotting them heading for the kitchen. You had been dragged along to the frat house after a call interrupted your date. Allegedly, Bianca had made an appearance to the party, running around making scenes in attempt to find where Jake was hiding out after avoiding her all week.

Heeseung had made it clear that he either needed to come home and kick her out himself, or he'd be throwing her in the pool if she came up to him again cockblocking the girl he was trying to talk up for the night. Thus Jake proposed your first real act in your relationship, something that you were slightly reluctant to but also couldn't pass up the opportunity of seeing Bianca lose her shit over you attached to his hip without room for her to do anything this time.

It didn't surprise you that there was yet another party going on at the house, the boys notorious for being the main party frat on campus. What did surprise you though, was the fact that Jake willingly chose to take you on a date rather than attend.

You rolled your eyes at Jay's comment, shoving his shoulder causing Jake to let out a laugh beside you. His arm was draped over your shoulders, keeping your body close to his own while his other hand sported a red solo cup, yet another jungle juice made by Sunghoon who knew what he was doing this time around. Meanwhile you held a spiked cup of pineapple juice and tequila, keeping the alcohol minimal and pacing yourself.

"Go away," You huff, shooing Jay away with the wave of your hand. Raising a brow, he takes a glance over the two of you momentarily.

"Don't be weird," Is all he says, the comment thrown to Jake who seemingly understood, shrugging halfheartedly but agreed with a nod. With a small sigh, Jay's hand reaches up to ruffle your hair and quick to pull away as you swatted the air. "Bye teeny, don't fight anyone!"

"He's annoying," You mumble, turning back to Jake who hummed in response.

"He cares," He says softly, taking a sip from his cup while you click your tongue.

"Yeah? Too much then," Glancing around, the dim lights that flashed throughout the house provided minimal visibility, mostly shadows of bodies rather than seeing faces. "How long is this public appearance supposed to last before I can head home?" Truthfully, the thought of your bed seemed ten times more appealing than the stuffy kitchen you stood in. Partially sure that you had seen a girl running by about to hurl, the sight solidified your belief of partying sporadically, it gets old fast every week in your opinion.

"You wanna go home?" Jake began to feel around for his keys but only to pause realizing the cup filled with a concoction of alcohols may have not been the best idea.

"Not now," You shake your head. "I can always call an uber later, or have Yunjin pick me up... or even stay with Jay I guess,"

“What, you don’t want to stay with your boyfriend?” Jake teases, leaning closer causing you to roll your eyes. Slightly pushing his face away with the palm of your hand, small giggles began to fall from both your lips and mixing together in a little world of your own that seemed far away from anyone else in the room. “I’m hurt, truly you should be wanting to spend the night with me.”

“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” You hum. Pushing away the few out of place strands of hair that fell onto Jake’s forehead, his eyes glinted at the suggestive tone while his hands sat comfortably on your hips. Moving to your tippy toes, you leaned up to whisper directly in Jake’s ear, the words and your warm breath that fanned against his neck causing a shiver to run up his spine. “We wouldn’t be getting much sleep,”

“You know, I think I’m actually getting a little tired right now,” Jake says quickly, you pulling away enough to make eye contact, his pupils visibly dilated at the thoughts running through his head. “I think we should head up early, could be a good bonding experience,” The cheeky smile that played at his lips didn’t go unnoticed while he squeezed your hip, one of his hands trailing down dangerously low just above the curve of your ass, lingering there without any intention of moving back up.

“I don’t remember that being a part of the contract,” You tease while Jake shakes his head. Maybe it was the low lighting of the party, or maybe it was the more than obvious way he had been looking to you all night that made you so comfortable to entertain the thought. Well that and the fact that Jake was admittedly hot, you had always had the tiniest attraction towards him the few times you met in the past. Plus, there had to be some truth to the rumors that clouded his name, most girls deeming him as some of the best they ever had and you couldn’t help but want to figure it out for yourself.

“Exactly, that means there’s no rules against it, right?” Jake persists. No longer hiding his growing desperation, you were sure he’d kneel down and beg if you asked. “C’mon baby, it’s a good thing you know, for couples to be intimate n stuff,”

“I feel like I’m gonna have to keep reminding you that this is fake,” You snicker, seemingly nonchalant but you took a long sip from Jake’s cup, attempting for some liquid courage to calm your rapid heartbeat.

“We can be whatever you want us to be,” He agrees, hand cupping your face, tilting up your chin up as he placed a light lingering kiss to your bottom lip. “There’s a reason you wore those tight little pants and if not me, you’re out of luck in having someone else take them off cause of your rules,”

A small hum left your lips, your bottom lip tucked between your teeth which caused Jake to look away, finding something else to focus on to push away the thoughts of what your pretty mouth would look like around him instead. Immediately regretting it, your attention was caught by the string of curses that he mumbled under his breath.

Frowning your brows, your head turns to see the culprit of his sudden change in mood. Feeling the same sentiment as you see the faux blonde who looked more than annoyed when your eyes locked, you had to resist the urge to act childishly and flip her off.

Suddenly turning toward Jake, you grab hold of his hand. Raising a brow at your change in heart, he allows you to pull him toward the stairs. “If I would’ve known you had a possession thing too I would’ve said she got here way earlier,” He smiles, visibly pleased at the turn of events and switching to lead the way to his room.

“I’m proving a point,” You huff back while Jake lets out a laugh at your words. Following his lead with no hint of hesitation, you ensure to send a sickeningly sweet smile toward Bianca who seemed to be on the verge of losing her poise.

You had to admit, following Jake up to his room and seeing the look of envy from so many faces boosted your ego in more ways than one. This is gonna be a long night.

my tags!! @slutforsjy @jaklvbub @whowantshota @addictedtohobi

( pls make sure your settings make you applicable to tag)

#enhypen jake #enhypen #jake enhypen smut #jaeyun x reader #sim jaeyun #jaeyun smut #jake x reader #jake smut #jake sim #enha x reader #enhypen smut

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trashysimpaa · 6 months

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GUYSGUYSGUYSGUYS

just, remember many years ago when tfp got into Asia and that's how we got a hundred of artist to arrive here-? And that now these days most of them are..offline,rip,nolstalgia hits hard,you can only find their drawings in pinterest or something like that.

So yeah let's talk ab one that I REALLY LIKE,and just for the sake of them needed to be known more today

Tokiwaakebi or zakushin(I couldn't find translations for these names)

Really much an optiratch artist,I found them by wanting to find who did this one certain drawing here with the help of Google

and then I casually found them in a site copying tumblr called tumblex,and for what it looks like,it's a site that contains stuff from the past..maybe? Because I have tried searching on tumblr itself and their user dosen't exist.

Their content is so nice like literally, most of the artist that I found do alot of bl when it comes to manga,l say also nsfw content too but for me luckily they are not accessible!!

Please go check their art here on this site and tell me if you can find anything about them,I just god i really love tf Asian artist they are my inspiration

Just really, IGNORE THE ADS OKAY,IGNORE THE ADS ISTG-

Anyways go see their art,they are a optiratch and mecha liker artist but they also draw non-mecha art too! What saddens me the most ab the past on the internet is that you find amazing people and they just..poof out of existence on the web..you can only find some posts

________________

AN UPDATE!! SOMEONE FOUND THEIR ACCOUNT HERE! SO IT REALLY IS JUST A COPY OF TUMBLR AFTER ALL.

and they just poofed out of existence ON TUMBLR,they are currently online on Twitter so go to the link above to find their Twitter pls!!!

I will be reblogging one of their arts if you wanna follow them because I think..I THINK,you can't here because it's totally customized

Shout out to @darkchestoftales for helping me find them! So it is just a copy of tumblr lol-, they explained that maybe the URL for this user for some reason is HIDDEN,and that they have found tokiwaakebi from a friend's reblog. THANK YOU SO MUCH, this is ridiculous, just why to this happen?this artist needs to be known! I thank you alot for darkchestoftales for messaging me,really,thanks alot,I hope people can reblog to know them

#transformers #transformers: prime #optimus prime #Ratchet #tfp ratchet #tfp optimus #tfp optimus prime #maccadam #optiratch #trash talk #Artist

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bratshaws · 1 month

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through the hourglass 375. brb x oc

a/n: so sorry for the slow smut, lol im just having weird issues with tumblr again 8) (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none........yet

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

/316/317/318/319/320/321/322/323/324/325/326/327/328/329/330/331/332/333/334/335/336/337/338/339/340/341/342/343/344/345/346/347/348/349/350/351/352/353/354/355/356/357/358/359/360/361/362/363/364/365/366

/367/368/369/370/371/372/373/374

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989 @enchantingharmonyalpaca @callsign-magnolia @mrsbradshaw01

Beatrice has been to one military ball…party…celebration thing. And she knew back then it was to celebrate a fallen Admiral. But this– wow, this was different. For once, she was married to Rooster now and they had three kids - the twins were safely asleep inside the little care room they had for kids in this place.

And Nicole met some friends already, albeit older, around three to four years old. Mav was the one keeping an eye on her, winking at Bea and telling her to enjoy her newly promoted husband, after all his attention would be taken a lot during the night.

She chose not to drink any alcohol, sipping her sweet lemonade as she looks around hoping to find Rooster. She saw him being congratulated by a group of older officers, clapping his shoulder and almost making her 6’2” husband lose his balance.

Beatrice watched with a fond smile as Rooster navigated the sea of well-wishers, his broad shoulders towering over the crowd as he graciously accepted congratulations and praise. Despite the chaos of the celebration, he seemed to handle it all with ease, his trademark smile never faltering as he exchanged pleasantries with his fellow officers.

God,this was her husband, the man she had chosen to spend her life with, and seeing him bask in the recognition of his peers filled her with a sense of joy and satisfaction unlike anything she had ever experienced before.

But amidst the excitement of the evening, Beatrice couldn't shake the feeling of being a fish out of water.

She had never been particularly comfortable in large social gatherings, preferring the quiet comfort of home to the hustle and bustle of a crowded ballroom. And while she was grateful for the opportunity to support Rooster on his special day, she couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness amidst the sea of unfamiliar faces.

She glanced around the room, searching for a familiar face to anchor herself to amidst the chaos. Mav caught her eye from across the room, giving her a reassuring wink and a thumbs-up before turning his attention back to Nicole, who was happily chatting away with her newfound friends.

Beatrice smiled back at Mav and she made a mental note to thank him later, for being such a wonderful friend and uncle to her children.

“There you are.”

Beatrice jumps as a pair of arms wrap around her from behind, and Shells props her head on her shoulder, “Heeey babes.”

“Shells! I thought you left?”

Her best friend sputtered, “Me? Girlie,come on. We gotta have some snacks,’sides we still have to congratulate Rooster-” she leans closer “Word of advice, stay close to him, there are lot of Navy Vultures here.”

Bea blinks, ‘...what?’

“Navy Vultures ,a little something me and aunt Penny like to call the old,horny broads that often ignore their husbands for the younger, better looking officers.” Shels smirks, sipping her drink, alcoholic, of course, “God they hit on my grandpa so much. And he just looked young, he was in his 70s!”

“...oh.”

Shells flicks her blue eyes to Bea, “Yeah…so,” she gestures with her index finger, ‘I suggest you go meet Rooster because I see– ohh,Is that Magdalene Howster? Oh girl, speed it up, that woman knows no bounds.”

As Shells nudged Beatrice forward, urging her to join Rooster, and Bea did, navigating through a crowd of unfamiliar faces…but with the added pressure of fending off unwanted advances, left her feeling overwhelmed.

And protective.

But as she caught sight of Rooster's familiar figure across the room,she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and made her way through the crowd, Shells by her side offering words of encouragement.

The words of encouragement being ‘oh I can’t wait to see this!’

As she drew closer to Rooster, she could see the genuine warmth in his eyes as he greeted his fellow officers. His smile widened as he caught sight of her approaching, and Beatrice felt a rush of relief flood through her.

"Hey, gorgeous," Rooster said, wrapping an arm around Beatrice's waist as she reached him. "I've been looking for you." and he kisses her forehead soundly, nuzzling her hair.

Beatrice couldn't help but smile at Rooster's words, her heart swelling with love for him. "I'm right here," she replied, leaning into his embrace. "You did so amazing up there."

Rooster grinned, pulling her closer to press a kiss to her temple. "Thanks, babe," he said softly, his voice filled with gratitude. "Hey Shells.”

“Hey big man.” she lifts her glass in cheers,”I see you met some…of the old school folk.” and she nods towards Magdalene,who walked away to get something to drink but was coming back.

Rooster looked a bit exasperated, “...yeah.” he clears his throat, “She’s…nice.” but he holds Bea’s waist tighter, whispering in her ear, “Stay close to me?”

"Always," she murmured in response to Rooster's whispered plea, her voice barely above a whisper as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm right here with you."

Rooster smiled gratefully at Beatrice's words, his heart swelling with love for her. "Thank you, babe," he said softly, his voice tinged with relief. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

As Magdalene approached, Shells stepped forward, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she greeted the older woman with a polite smile and a nod of her head. Beatrice followed suit, offering a polite greeting and a smile that she hoped conveyed just the right amount of warmth without encouraging any further advances.

Magdalene returned their greetings with a polite smile of her own, her eyes lingering on Rooster for a moment longer than strictly necessary before she turned her attention back to Shells and Beatrice.

"It's so lovely to see you both here," Magdalene said, her voice dripping with honeyed charm. "And who do we have here?" she added, her gaze drifting to Beatrice. "Who is this lovely young woman?”

Rooster chuckled awkwardly, shifting uncomfortably under Magdalene's scrutinizing gaze. "Uh, yeah," he replied, his voice slightly strained. "This is my wife, Beatrice."

Beatrice smiled tightly, her fingers curling instinctively around Rooster's hand on her waist as she fought to maintain her composure. "Nice to meet you," she said, her voice polite but tinged with a hint of coolness.

Magdalene's smile widened, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes as she turned her attention back to Rooster. "Well, aren't you a lucky man," she purred, her voice low and sultry. "Such a beautiful wife."

Beatrice felt Rooster’s shudder. And obviously it wasn’t a good one.

Rooster swallowed nervously, his grip on Beatrice's hand tightening ever so slightly. "Uh, yeah,I am,very lucky."

Magdalene's smile widened into a knowing smirk as she reached out to pat Rooster's arm,squeezing his bicep a little longer than necessary. "Well, I won't keep you any longer," she said, her voice dripping with innuendo. "I'm sure you have plenty of admirers waiting to congratulate you."

With that, Magdalene sauntered off, leaving Rooster and Beatrice feeling slightly rattled in her wake. Shells let out a low whistle, her eyes wide with amusement as she turned to face them.

"Wow," she said, her voice filled with awe. "That woman is something else. I’m surprised she’s not dead."

“Shells!” the reprimand came from both of them and the blonde just shrugged.

“What? She’s like 134 years old! She has always been ancient!”

Beatrice couldn't help but chuckle,albeit quietly and she leaned into Rooster's side, seeking comfort in his presence as they navigated the sea of guests together. Shells told them she’d meet them at the table, since the rest of the squad wanted to see him too.

Rooster wrapped his arm around Beatrice, pulling her close as they watched Magdalene disappear into the crowd. Despite his outward calm demeanor, Beatrice could sense the tension radiating off him.

“Hey.” she whispers, touching his chest, “You okay?”

He flicks his gaze down and immediately smiles, kissing her forehead, “I’m good…I’m getting old.” she swats his chest, earning a surprised quiet ‘ow!’ from him, followed by his chuckle, “I think I’m losing my interest in stuff like this. But,we can’t go home yet.”

“Why not?”

“Well,there are other people I gotta meet and Nikki,” he points to their one year old, who is running around with other kids, “Made friends, not to mention the twins are napping. We gotta wait for a bit.”

“Oh,I mean we can take the kids but–” she looks over at Nicole, “Well, she is having fun…and the twins are safe…I suppose we can stick around for a bit," she agreed, leaning into Rooster's side. "We can enjoy the festivities a little longer before heading home."

Rooster nodded, his arm tightening around Beatrice's waist as they made their way through the crowd, kissing her forehead. “Nice. So…let’s see. Hmmm…wanna greet some old Admirals with me?”

"Sure, I'd love to," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of hesitation. "But...I'll be kinda quiet if that's okay? I don't want to get stuck in any awkward conversations."

Rooster chuckled softly, his arm still wrapped around her waist as they navigated through the crowd. "Don't worry, I'll be right there with you," he reassured her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "And if things get too uncomfortable, we can always make a quick escape."

Beatrice nodded in agreement,holding his arm as they approached a group of older gentlemen, Rooster flashed them a warm smile, his confidence shining through. "Gentlemen," he greeted them with a respectful nod, "I hope you're all enjoying the ceremony."

The Admirals returned Rooster's greeting with polite smiles of their own, their eyes drifting curiously to Beatrice. Rooster took the opportunity to introduce her, his voice filled with pride.

"Allow me to introduce my wife, Beatrice," he said, his hand resting protectively on her lower back.

Beatrice smiled politely, offering a polite nod to the Admirals as they greeted her."It's a pleasure to meet you all," she said, her voice warm but reserved, leaning into her husband even more.

One of the Admirals smiled, “A pleasure to meet you, Mrs.Bradshaw.” hearing that still gave her the tingles, “Bradley,son,what a wonderful speech you gave.”

Rooster's chest swelled with pride at the Admiral's compliment, his smile widening at the recognition. "Thank you, sir," he replied graciously, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's an honor to be recognized for my service."

The other Admirals nodded in agreement, expressing their appreciation for Rooster's dedication and commitment to the Navy. Beatrice watched with a sense of awe as her husband interacted with his colleagues, just smiling at how easily it flowed.

Rooster steered it towards lighter topics, sharing anecdotes from his time in the Navy -’ hehe yeah i sure did that thing that you did too Admiral Lee’ –and exchanging pleasantries with the Admirals. Beatrice found herself relaxing in his presence, her initial apprehension melting away as she realized how effortlessly Rooster navigated the social dynamics of the event.

Thank god.

Rooster's hand found hers, his fingers interlacing with hers as he leaned in close. "You're doing great, Bea," he murmured, his voice filled with pride, "I'm so proud of you."

Beatrice smiled up at him, her heart swelling with love and gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the din of the crowd, "I’m trying."

Rooster squeezed her hand gently, his eyes softening with affection. "You are great.” he says,kissing her cheek when the Admirals were busy talking amongst themselves now. He looks up when he hears music playing, smirking a bit, “Gentlemen, if you excuse me.” and he takes Bea away from there.

Rooster led Beatrice away from the group of Admirals, a playful smirk dancing on his lips as he guided her towards the dance floor. "Care to dance, Mrs. Bradshaw?" Rooster asked, his voice low and inviting as he pulled Beatrice close.

Beatrice's heart fluttered at the sight of her husband's outstretched hand, a warm smile spreading across her lips. "I'd love to," she replied, breathily.

"You're a natural dancer," Rooster murmured, his voice soft as he twirled her gently across the floor.

Beatrice laughed softly, her eyes sparkling with joy. "I had a good teacher," she teased, her cheeks flushing pink as she gazed up at her husband.

“Me? Pft.” he smirks, “I know two moves and that’s it.”

“You danced amazingly at our wedding.” she says, giggling as he spins her around.

Rooster grinned at Beatrice's comment, the memory of their wedding day bringing a warm glow to his heart. "Well, I had the best partner," he replied, his voice soft with affection as he pulled her closer. His voice soft and deep against her ear as he spoke, ‘And I just love seeing your body moving, gorgeous.”

Her cheeks heat up as she smiles, but she lets him continue.

“And you know,I really love seeing you wearing dresses.” he purrs, “It’s a sin.”

“Roos.”

“I’m serious.” he leans back, appearing as innocent as before while surrounded by people, “...hm.”

“What?’

“...you know, what do you think about letting the kids stay with your parents?” she arches her brow, ‘...I have an idea.” her brow goes higher, “And I mean, I think it’d be fun.”

She smiles, “I assume this idea means no clothes?”

He smirks, sighing softly, “Why,gorgeous, it’s like you can read my mind.”

#im happy yall are still here #bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x named reader #tgm oc #tgm fic #tgm fanfiction

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scribble-dee-vee · 3 months

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Writeblr Intro circa 2024

Hi writeblr!! Sooo, I've been around here since about 2014. (Yes, I am ancient.) However, I've been dormant for the past 4-5 years. Blame college and a brief stint on Twitter. Now that I'm active again, I thought I should make an updated writeblr intro so ppl know my Deal. Basically, I want to engage with other folks who write fiction (esp original SF), and that's a little easier if I have a clear post that outlines what I do. Here to make connections and hear about your blorbos :)

About me

Hi, I'm Vee! They/them, 23, 💖 🤍 🧡

I do journalism/comms in western New York

My literary jam is feminist/adult SF and gothic lit (OG or modern) 🥀 ⚔️ 🌙

Enthusiastic about gay people, body horror, and sociopolitical allegories

I cook, run, play tabletop games, and occasionally draw. Other than that, I'm mostly writing (for work and for fun)

If you were on pre-2020 writeblr, you likely know me from my eight billion daily tag games. (I still like tag games and appreciate u for tagging me. I have also gained adult responsibilities and better mental health, so I respond very slowly now. <3)

Always happy to get asks or dms, tho as I've noted: I may reply slowly.

Sometimes open to beta read! I only read one longer project at a time, but it's always super fun :)

I tag very consistently – happy to tag triggers for followers/moots

Fun fact: I love mushroom hunting and worked as a mycology TA. #cottagecoreera 🍄 🧚‍♀️ 🌱

About my creative writing

I write,,,, feminist/adult SF with gothic leanings (surprise!)

Longform and short! Trying to do more short writing this year, and I'll likely share a bit on Tumblr. It's easier to clip a short story than a 150k novel, god bless.

The Aesthetic: moral g(r)ays, Victoriana, androids/cyborgs, Women™, monstrous femininity, incessant Hamlet/Frankenstein motifs, extremely boring socioeconomic worldbuilding, evil queens and/or dilfs, psychosexual witchcraft, probably a cat. Also, an ominous, plot-relevant letter laced with anthrax from your unhinged and brilliant ex-wife. Open if you dare.

Major projects

I'm going to be writing some short work this year, but these are the longer projects that I have going in the background. If I reblog blorbo-related text posts, they probably have something to do with these.

Let me know if you want to be added to any project-specific taglists 😎

Heart of Lead – Series

The big one

Perpetually evolving

Never ceasing

Pls send help I can't stop adding shit

5-book gothic fantasy epic that I'll definitely publish one day but probably no time soon! My bastard child, my wicked firstborn, my greatest love <3

Character-oriented political drama set in a pseudo-Victorian, dystopian oligarchy where everyone's heart is made out of metal. It's about coming of age and discovering queer identity in a world that is absolutely fucked. God is an extraterrestrial lesbian who gives ppl very traumatizing magic powers. There are cyborgs, shapeshifters, and morally gray women in STEM. It's tight as fuck idk what else what to tell u.

Book 1 is about achillean monarchists, and book 2 is about sapphic anarchists. There are only two genders, I guess.

At this point, I've drafted most of the books at least once. Working to refine a lot of raw material atm!

Tag: "heart of lead tag" or "hol tag"

Lost Letters – Book

Aka the current active HoL WIP, and book one in the revised series structure

Length: 80k as of now; around 120-140k when the first draft is finished, I presume.

Genre: adult fantasy, gothic, noir detective drama?? um?? If you want me to frame it in BookTok terms (why?) it's a dark academia villain x villain tragic romantasy. Hrgh.

Summary: Cyborg soldier goes to college, joins a shady socialite frat, and falls in love with the jilted heir-apparent to the throne. Hilarity ensues.

(By "hilarity," I mean a militant revolutionary faction and a tragedy of Greek proportions.)

POV characters: Charles (the cyborg), Dale (the heir), and Cecelia (Charles' sister, a junior detective, the love of my life and potentially the Chosen One???)

This book is twisty and dark and immensely fun to write.

I'm about halfway through the first full draft! Hoping to share snippets and vaguepost about my children here.

Tag: "lost letters tag" (also "hol tag," tho that one's less specific)

The Last of Mortal Tourists – Book

The next longform project on the docket!

Length: a standalone work that will hopefully fall on the shorter novel/novella spectrum.

Genre: literary SF, cyberqueer, psychological space quest

Summary: The consciousness of a dead coding genius, trapped inside a spaceship, seeks a new planet to sustain their sister, the last surviving human, after the destruction of Earth.

If you're here to get wildly philosophical about gender and the myth of essential self, this is the story for you! That's why I'm writing it, lol. 🏳️‍⚧️ 🚀 🤖

This one started out as a short story (100% finished) which I want to expand.

POV: Archer Alto, the coder. Spaceship? Human? Soul?

Supporting Cast: Pandora, the last human, and Abby, a holographic impression of Archer's childhood consciousness

Tag: "the last of mortal tourists tag" or "tlomt tag"

If you read all this way, you get a whole bouquet of flowers that are certainly NOT poisonous: 🌸 🌹 💐 🥀 🌺

#writeblr #writing #writeblr intro #for my mutuals #scribble-dee-vee #project intro #hi writeblr!#original post #hol tag #heart of lead tag #lost letters tag #tlomt tag #pls feel free to tell me abt u in tags/replies!!#would love to expand my active writeblr connections #and yah like I said lmk about those tag lists #I def want to post more snippets/tags this year

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httpsserene · 7 months

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what's good my fellow f1 fiends. thank you for all the love and reblogs on let's go golfing w/ ln4 !!! a lot of people enjoyed the dynamic and my humor, so it made the effort put into it worth it overall. it was lowkey a bitch to make fit in a single tumblr post, since there's a ten photo limit. anyways i say that all to say, i need help deciding on my next next idea!

im working on one request right now that'll probably come out before whatever is decided here just so y'all know :), pls send me more requests

oh! i also plan to do a few kinktober posts! idk how many or when i'll post them, i've also never written smut before so it's a good time to try and get some feedback

so if you want to be added to a kinktober taglist lmk!

but all the possible ideas listed in this poll below are non-kinktober fics, just regular posts that will have a few requests and kinktober fics sprinkled in between!

my singular anon, u know who u are, i promise you this fic will be out by monday! i just gotta finish the ending, and edit it to be readable

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laylakeating · 8 months

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❤️ ELSBETH'S WILDCATS FOREVER CELEBRATION ❤️

hello wildcats !!!!!!!!!!!! over the past couple of years i have been very privileged to be involved in the wonderful hsmtmts tumblr fandom and i have had a BLAST !! unfortunately the show has come to an end (until the spin off is announced, at least) (guys let me have this) and i for one am NOT ready to say goodbye to something that has become so dear to my heart.

hence this little celebration !! i want to gif and create for hsmtmts for the next however long and i want to create for YOU !! this celebration is both a thank you to everybody who has made my time in the fandom so special and so amazing and will also serve as a way to honour the show <33

if you follow me and love hsmtmts, please send in an ask !! i would love to make something for you <33

rules:

must be following the first rina ever (i am being so serious)

reblog this post

check out my other hsmtmts sets !!

send me:

📌 and a make me choose !! it can be between characters, ships, seasons, episodes, songs, etc !! anything your heart desires !!

🎸 and a character and i'll make a playlist set for them including all their songs in the show !!

🌹 and i'll make a lil icon pack with a character/ship of your choice !! just send me who you want/episodes and colours !!

💋 and a specific request! if you want me to gif a certain ship with a certain song to a certain colour scheme...etc !!

❤️ for a surprise gifset !! — MUTUALS ONLY PLS <33

ty so much to every single person who has made the last four years so special and so exciting !! i have loved seeing your creations and reading your fics (i've read maybe 9 rina fics added up but the point STANDS) and interacting with the fandom !! i love you all so much and i hope we can all celebrate this show we adore together !!

tagging a few of my wonderful mutuals !! i love youuuuu !!

@alinaastarkov, @giallos, @ginaporterr, @ginaricky, @jordanlayla, @jvitzu, @kayascodelorio, @naiey, @princessaurrora, @richiebowen, @tabithatate, @taiturner, @taylor-jewel, @userbettycooper, @userguts, @usernace !!!!

#WHOOOOOOOOO #very excited abt this !!!!#also for those of you wondering. my 2k celebration WILL get finished. HSJHSSJSH #*#*gifs #*wf<3 #userrajan #usersnat #userneptune #userjustine #userneve #useryusi #userlix #tusercarolina #badrituals #addys-beth

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millenialfanfictionaddiction · 2 years

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🦉Being Fukurodani's Manager 🦉

The Gen Z Manager Edition

Fukurodani x GN reader

Warnings: me trying horribly to make Gen Z references 😅

AN: This is an Anon Request! They also requested addition things to be added so I'll link that here!

🌠 Please Like, Reblog and/or Share to help support my writing 🌠

God I hope I don't sound like a mom desperately trying to be cool 🤣

While I am not Gen Z, as a Millennial, I feel like I use quite alot of Gen Z phrases

I also use alot of emojis which might not be cool but is effective for portraying emotions

And okkkk I need to stop ✋️

Bokuto and may of the HQ boys are late Millennials/early Gen Z

The cusp bbys if you will 🥰

Honestly, love that for them!

And honestly, many if their actions show the early signs of Gen Z revolutions

I mean "Hey hey hey" is basically a revolution on its own 💅🏼

But pls no one tell Bokuto he's a trend setter

Poor Akaashi already works so hard

N E WAYS let's get to it!

Are you a trendsetter? Nah

But are you the main character 👀 abso-freaking-lutely!

You're loud, eccentric personality attracts many far and wide!

Your friend group ranges from the jocks to the nerds and everywhere in between

You are what the boomers would call "a socialite" 🤗

Don't mind me, just out educating the youths

You are prevalent on social media's, tik tok and everything in between

Yes I'm aware tik tok wasn't around then but vine was 😏

And vine ran so tik tok could walk 💅🏼

You had a large following from your Instagram to your Tumblr

You write fanfics 😶 sorry I don't make the rules

That's initially what attracted Fukurodani to you

Or shall I say, Bokuto and then Akaashi

Because you see, Bokuto LOVES attention and he would definitely have a social media presence

Meanwhile, Akaashi is just vibing in the background happy to be avoiding emo modes

But unfortunately, Bokuto struggles to get the dances for some of his tik toks down

Enter YN, our resident Gen Z royalty

"Hey Bokuto, why so down?"- You, walking up to a completely deflated owl

"Hi YN, *sigh* I just can't get this dance down"- Bokuto, now slumped on the floor

"Can I help you? Maybe if we do it together?"- you, ecstatic to be making any content

"Really YN!! That would be so cool"- Bokuto

You and Bokuto absolutely slay the tik tok dance and let's just say, Bokuto is absolutely enamored by you

Immediately asks you to be the teams manager ✋️

Like this man doesn't know if they need a third manager but he's willing to risk it

"Alright bet"- you

At practice, Bokuto basically holds you out to the team and is like

"This is our next manager YN"

Nobody agreed to this, it's just happening

"Bokuto we already have two managers"- Akaashi, the logical one

"But YN is so cool"- Bokuto

"Yeah Akaashi, we totally vibe with each other"- You pleading your case

Please seeing Bokuto so happy gives this man hope

They agree to a week trial period and off you go

To prove your worth to Fukurodani

However you don't even need a week 🤚🏻 because by the end of practice Akaashi is already sold

Bokuto is struggling with his cross court shoots

He's missing and/or overshooting each one

Akaashi looks to YN

"Say less"- YN approaching Bokuto

"Bokuto, you are one of the best aces in the entire country! I know you can do this"- You

"Really 🥺"- Bokuto the deflated owl boi

"No cap 🤚🏻 now try it again"- you smiling and walking away

It's like you awoke something from the dead

Bokuto hits a wicked cross court shot that nearly breaks a window

Konoha and Saku think you are the coolest

The immediately ask for your number and you form a group chat

At practice, you start insisting they play music to help them focus

"This song slaps am I right?"- you

Bokuto is just nodding in agreement YN

Please he would lay down in a puddle of mud for you YN 🤚🏻

Akaashi pretty much makes you Bokutos guardian

Seriously he has you sign a paper that says you will take responsibility for him 😅

I wish I was kidding 😃

When Bokuto acts up you will literally be "Bitch I'm your mother, NO DRAMA" 🙅‍♀️

Konoha plays the Reba song for you daily

🎶A single mom who works two jobs, who loves her kids and never stops🎶

But besides being super motivational, you help the team with their marketing

You recruit them to make tik toks from dances to recreating iconic vines

Please Konoha and Bokuto are so into this

Even Akaashi gets into it 😫

Konoha walks by and says "And they were roommates..."

You 👉🏻 Mah God they were roommates 😲

Bokuto is way into tick tok dances

You guys work so hard to master The Jerk

One day you had to leave practice early so you handed Bokuto off to Akaashi-

"I brought you frankincense"- you handing Akaashi his water bottle

"Thank you"- Akaashi

"And I brought you mur-" handing him Bokuto's water bottle

"...Thank you"- Akaashi so confused 🤨

"murDER" you pushing Bokuto at Akaashi as you run away laughing

Please I can hear the groan coming from Akaashi

When it's time for summer training, you all pile into the bus and head to Nekoma

You hit road work and can't resist

"Road work ahead? I sure hope it does" 😅

Please everyone dies 😭

Bokuto is so confused and now concerned that the road doesn't work

At Nekoma, you bond with the other managers by doing learning tik tok dances and simply making fun of our boys

"Hey YN how's camp going?"- Kuroo

"Hey thanks for checking in! I'm still a piece of 🎆garbage🎆"- you

Please Kuroo is in love with you

Kenma might be a cusp but he totally is all over vine 🤚🏻

Everyday you will walk into the gym and say "Hi my name is YN and I have a volleyball game tomorrow!"

"You mean today YN"- Akaashi

"Ok boomer"- you 🙄🙄🙄

"I'm a Millennial YN"- Akaashi 😐

When you train with the third gym squad, Bokuto is so exited

"Hey hey hey YN! Are you ready to train with me?"- Bokuto

"With us-" Kuroo

Bokuto deflates

"Kuroo that wasn't very cash money of you"- you walking over to Bokuto to give him a hug

"Do you need some lovin my favorite Ace?"- You, because consent is important 🥰

"Yes 🥺"- Bokuto, arms wide open

When Hinata and Lev show up to practice you say

"Hi welcome to Chili's"

"Oh im sorry we were looking for a gym to practice"- Hinata

You 👉🏻😐

Akaashi 👉🏻😏 because you finally realize his pain

When Hinata is fangirling over Bokuto, Akaashi will actually surprise you

"Hinata stop simping over Bokuto"- Akaashi

You 👉🏻🖐🏻👁⭕️👁🖐🏻 channeling Tendou

Tendou, another iconic Gen Z king 🤴

"Akaashi, you really aren't as cheugy as I thought you were"- you 🥺

Akaashi 👉🏻 🤨 doesn't cheugy mean uncool?

"Fiznsufhejusbdhs AKAASHI YOU'RE GROWING UP SO FAST"- You 🤗

"I'm older than you YN"- Akaashi 😐

"We love a glow up king"- Kuroo

You are literally freaking out 😭

"I'm a kuroo stan for life"- You

"Hey what about a Bokuto stan?"- Bokuto, of course needing attention

"Bokuto you will always be a snack"- you 🤚🏻

"I like snacks"- Lev

"Lev you are sending me"- you

"Sending you where YN?"- Hinata

"Yn please dont go anywhere!"- Bokuto now crying

"Big Yikes"- Akaashi

"Bokuto im finna throw this ball at your head if you don't stop"- You

"I was hoping this practice would be productive but man this ain't it"- Kuroo

No cap detected their Kuroo 😭

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borderlinebelle · 1 year

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Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me the honor to present to you,

1. The Situationship 👀

2. Breaking the 3rd Wall: tumblr advertisements (zee blaze)

3. I am soft. Pls be nice.

a modern day haiku

😬🤧😩

🤡🤐😮‍💨🥴😐

😫👀👅😛😅🤫😮‍💨

Hear more about this and all the sordid details of my daily ugly American lower lowest middle class life on my live stream in hell -absolute tumblr live shitshack. On tumblr live yeah. i said it. Hear me out? It’s an ad for tumblr live. It’s a makeshift made with my own two tiny hands advertisement. That’s what blaze is. It’s lame ass adz because I would like for people to see my content and to maybe join ME sometime on LIVE content. Streaming is a real thing on other sites. Like damn the staff are not going to keep tumblr live for ME so can I just .. it’s so nice to meet mutuals VIA VIDEO CHAT!!!! AND MAYBE ITS CRINGEY AND HIDEOUS BUT GOD WE HAVE BECOME SO CYNICAL AND MEAN ON TUMBLR. Remember letting other people literally just have a good time and vibe and uplift each other? So yeah I paid .. maybe Iike 50$ to blaze this. I did it. And I literally live paycheck to paycheck. JUST to reach this across the intergalactic highway of tumblr to say,

Hi. Please check out my blog. I am a writer, a photographer, a character, a live streamer.

and yeah maybe tumblr live is the WORST place to start a career streaming because we hate EVERY SINGLE CHANGE TUMBLR HAS MADE OVER THE LAST … 15 years I’ve been here 😏 it’s good for us to collectively hate tumblr and I do but I also LOVE it here. Tumblr has always = home for me. Sooooo here’s my little shit blog. Please watch my live streams or not that’s cool too. Please like or reblog this. Maybe Venmo me $1 so so I can pay back what I spent on this ad AND not fail at capitalism and die in the gutter. It is black history month and you KNOW 🤧 it is not easy to get our content pushed on other platforms. Venmo @tinybelleoleary🤭🤷🏽‍♀️

This is so so long idk are long post texts 100% dead can we revive that form of content consumption?

Pls if you hate this just keep scrolling.. like ripping apart strangers who are oppressed in the same systems you are online, often anonymously, is so wicked cool and just jazzle dazzle me with vicious visceral words to “get your point across” but i actually cry wicked easily and I’m not a strong black woman .. I’m the other kind, the soft tiny frail weak one. My home is so delicate you’d cry in soft pink blankets and fuzzy slippers. Pass me by pls. Thx.

I also want to bring back .. magazines? But maybe biodegradable? Idk let me workshop it.

I’ll be unboxing tumblr merch I bought while manic and unable to sleep the other night… 🤧🤫🤷🏽‍♀️🤭 Will I make the rent? Maybe but I’m doing my best. Thx.

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ashxllbey · 2 years

Text

Starman - Poe Dameron X Fem!Reader - Chapter 27: Go Your Own Way

GIF by nightofthecreeps

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Word count: 12.3k Warnings: fluff, mentions of canon-typical deaths and violence, alcohol consumption, driving under the influence (don't do that pls), swearing A/N: Phew! I'm finally caught up with everything! My tumblr and AO3 are now in sync and I can start publishing the updates on both platforms at the same time. Thank you all for your comments and likes and reblogs, and for the love you've given this fic. ♥

It turned out EVERYONE knew, now. Or everyone knew before, but somehow, they were allowed to talk about it. As Y/N got to her mission of the day, she didn't even make it past the hangar's door. She was doused in expired bacta by a hollering Mala, who high-fived Varun. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THUNDERBIRD!" ...She hated them. She was still drying her hair with a towel when Poe arrived, grinning from ear to ear. After everything that had happened recently, it was nice to see him carefree again. ...Besides, the Bacta wasn't that sticky. "Morning, squad. Y/N, is there a reason why you're so... wet?" "There are about fifty jokes in my mind right now, but I'll only say: fuck you, Dameron," she huffed. Mala burst out laughing. "Someone's feisty this morning! I have half a mind to tell you to drop and give me a hundred." "...Can I take a shower first?"

During their lunch break, she got a gift from the kitchen droid in the form of a second chocolate pudding. She smiled fondly at the memory as she nodded her thanks. Fortunately for her, the cafeteria was half empty when Klana started belting out a birthday song. She was quickly joined by Blue and Green Squadrons and a very amused Finn. Y/N was mortified. But all of her friends stood on the tables, singing their hearts out as she sat in the middle, giggling. It turned out Skylen was a brilliant singer and Poe... Not so much. Even BeeBee did his part, spinning around with his blowtorch to emulate fireworks. He was adorable. The recent worries had seemingly slipped from everyone's mind, if only for a moment. Any excuse to push aside the hovering threats and terrifying mysteries was welcomed with open arms, a common trait amongst Resistance members. Y/N remembered, months ago, Poe had explained that to her. And even though she was less than thrilled to be the guest of honor at the not-so-secret party of that night, she knew she couldn't really complain. Everyone worked so hard. Who was she to deny them the fleeting joy of a celebration of life? Around the room, the few people present were tired. The dark circles under their eyes tainted their faces in shades of purple, testaments of the workload everyone carried. Pilots' cheeks were hollowed by their helmets, worn through countless hours of the day. Poe was the worst of them all. His tan skin was unusually pale, and his attempts at rubbing the puffiness away didn't fool anyone. The other Resistance members were kind enough not to point it out, but as people clapped and cheered and the attention went to Y/N, the pilot glanced at her leader. He wasn't smiling, and his eyes were lost in the distance. Upon meeting Y/N's eyes, he consciously erased any mark of angst from his face. It didn't fool anyone, certainly not Finn, who looked at him knowingly. "So, Y/N, you're joining us for a drink tonight, right?" Petrov asked, and it was one of the only times Y/N had ever heard him speak. "We need to raise a glass for good health." Poe smirked at Skylen, and Y/N chuckled. "Sure, why not. As long as my squad leader doesn't drag me to a mission." "He certainly will not, Keebler." Klana excitedly threw an arm around her shoulders, squishing Y/N's cheek against hers. "Woohoo! I can't wait to celebrate your life! Don't worry, I have the perfect outfit," she whispered. Y/N shook her head with a sigh, though she was smiling. It was very challenging not to be excited when everyone else was. Unfortunately, work couldn't wait, and Poe and Finn soon had to leave for a meeting with a high-ranking Navy officer. They instructed Y/N to take the day off before slipping outside. The group broke up, leaving the three pilots together. "Alright, what's the game plan for tonight?" Y/N asked once everyone was out of earshot. "We'll meet on base for a drink and then head into town to hit the club. Until then... We can do whatever you want; it's your day!" Y/N smiled gleefully. "Then how about jumping into an X-Wing to blow something up?"

Convincing the flying supervisors to open three landing strips for their three ships hadn't been very difficult; Y/N suspected Poe had something to do with it. Their small group had all but run outside like excited children, giggling on the way to the hangar. Their ships, always so pristine, were lined up in their usual spots, and they were quick to board them for a much-needed friendly fly-off. The three X-Wings soon flew above the planet, leaving thin trails of spout water when they caressed the sea's surface on the other side of Kuat. Though it was moderately chilly, it was also very bright. The sun danced on the mirror-like surface of the body of water, only disturbed by the occasional ripples caused by the engines. Skylen led the two women through a training path in the woods nearby, and laughter followed them through the radio frequency as they engaged in a friendly dogfight. The trees weren't too close together, and none of the three pilots had any difficulties soaring past the obstacles, twirling in the air in complicated figures to show off their skills. Y/N laughed as she took her ship for a tight spin, sending Klana's trinket in a looping. When was the last time she had flown for fun? Not for a training session, but just for the sheer thrill of pushing her ship to its limit? It had been months. And if she didn't count the fly-off with Tarsen... Years. She blew up the target right before Skylen shot, and he cursed in her ear, sending her into a fit of laughter. "You're getting rusty, grandpa!" "You're lucky I can't legally kick your ass today, Thunderbird!" "You're just saying that because she's better than you!" "Hey! Whose side are you on, Klana?!" After another hour of aimless flying around, the three pilots touched down in the grass by the lakeside, hopping off their ships to share drinks —stashed by Skylen in his droid's usual spot— as they dipped their toes in the shallow water. It was icy and vivifying, perfectly balancing the warm liquid they were sipping on. "Honestly, you wouldn't believe how many parts there are in the human brain!" Skylen complained as he talked about his classes. "The rest of the psych stuff, I can handle. But anatomy? Man, I have the utmost respect for Feron and his team. I only have two mandatory classes on that topic, and it's the most challenging shit I've ever done. Even harder than surviving the war!" "You're SO dramatic," Klana snorted. "You memorized the entire flight manual in under a week. This should be a piece of cake for you!" "Hey, you try learning the entire brain's anatomy, and then we'll talk." "Skylen, dear, I speak over fifteen languages." "And is one of them the 'let's ask Varun out' language, perchance?" Y/N chimed in, earning a glare from her friend. "Sure! It's super similar to the 'let's have the balls to date Poe' one," she quipped back, and Skylen punched her shoulder. "None of that today, Klana. It's her birthday." She rolled her eyes good-naturedly as Y/N cackled victoriously. "I'll have my vengeance later, don't you worry." To prove her point, she splashed Skylen, and he shrieked, retaliating immediately. As they squabbled, Y/N smiled, gazing into the distance. A flock of swans was out for their dominical excursion away from the shore. Four cygnets trailed behind their parents as they looked around inquiringly. Three of them dove under the water's surface, and only two emerged as the last one kept its head buried, looking for— ... Hold on. Y/N froze mouth agape, with her drink in hand, staring at the animals as realization dawned on her. "Holy fuck." "Y/N? What's wrong?" Klana inquired worriedly. Both her friends had stopped bickering, damp hair unmoving as they stared at her. Y/N bolted to her feet. "No time to explain! We need to go back to the base NOW. I need to see Poe and Finn RIGHT NOW." Before her friends could protest, she took off, running toward her ship, heart thundering in her chest. "Y/N! WAIT!" "I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THE NIGHT THE CHANCELLOR DIED!" She screamed above her shoulder as she climbed inside her X-Wing, with Skylen and Klana on her heels.

The journey back to the base was made with disregard for any safety measures pilots had to follow while on planet. Y/N pushed her ship nearly to the max of its sub-lightspeed limit, bolting across the stratosphere and reaching the base in record time. She only slowed down when she saw the compound in the distance, requesting authorization to land. The landing was rougher than it usually was, but Y/N didn't care. She couldn't have gotten to the Generals fast enough. She was obsessed with the thought, and nothing would stand in her way. She didn't wait for the mechanics to pull up a ladder; Y/N jumped down the ship, sticking another rough landing as Klana opened her ship's cockpit. "I'm sorry; I'll explain later," she apologized to her friend, but the black-haired pilot waved her off. "No need. GO! RUN!" Throwing her helmet to a dumbfounded Varun with a quick apology, Y/N bolted across the hangar, sprinting toward the entrance. She loosened her jumpsuit, tying it around her waist as she ran across the compound under her fellow Resistance members' bewildered gaze. Many people were in the hallways at this hour, and Y/N slalomed between them, shouting at them to move away. Mechanics flattened themselves against the walls, droids beeped as they rolled out of the way, and pilots stared in disbelief, but Y/N barely paid them any attention. But her mad rush quickly encountered an unexpected obstacle: a cleaning droid and its handler, who precariously balanced a pile of crates. He didn't see Y/N. Neither did she: not until she had taken a sharp turn and barged into the hallway. With the divine intervention of her otherwordly reflexes, she leaped over the droid and slid across the floor under the falling crates, stopping them with an invisible push as she froze them midair, suspended in their tumble. She jumped back to her feet. "SORRY!" She screamed above her shoulder as she took a turn right, finally reaching the control room's entrance. She slid to a stop right by the door, breathless and dizzy. Y/N didn't pause to catch her breath, flashing her access card to open the door and trotting inside the room. Everyone looked up, including Connix, who raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Y/N? What are you- did you run here? What's going on?" "Need to... See... The Generals," she wheezed out. "They're still in a meeting with General Valentine. I can take a message for when they get out," Kaydel patiently explained as Vik, who stood by his usual spot, sprung to his feet, offering his bottle of water to Y/N, who accepted it gratefully. She took a swing from it, calming her soar throat. "It can't wait, Kaydel," she croaked. "It's an emergency. It's about the Chancellor." A somber look crossed Kaydel's features, and she nodded gravely. "Alright. Then we shall take you there. I hope you know what you're doing," Connix whispered. Oh, yeah, Y/N hoped so, too. Or else her satisfaction of being Lieutenant would be short-lived. "Odinson, take her to meeting room F45. I'll warn the guard to let you in. Godspeed." With a sharp nod, Vik stood up, gently leading Y/N out under the confused eyes of the communication officers - they were, undoubtedly, used to the unhinged shenanigans of the pilots on base. She followed him through several hallways to a section of the base she wasn't familiar with. She could feel Vik's side-eyeing her with curiosity, though he didn't dare to ask anything. After a few minutes of mildly-paced strolling, he slowed down and eventually came to a halt. "It's right around the corner," Vik indicated. "But if you're going to crash a meeting with the most prominent people of the Galaxy, you might want to, well... Don't take it the wrong way. Tidy up?" Y/N wheezed out a laugh. "I'm a mess, aren't I?" He cocked his head to the side, barely repressing a smile. "I wouldn't say that. You're just... Abstract art, at the moment." Stifling another giggle in case the guard could hear, Y/N nodded. "Right. I'm a mess." "I can help. May I?" She nodded, and Vik immediately reached out, rubbing her cheek, pushing back strands of flyaway hair, and straightening her undershirt. Y/N gathered her messy hair into the slickest braid she could as her friend fumbled through his pockets, producing a clean tissue from one of them and gently dabbing her forehead. "Alright. That should do it. Also, pin your rank on your lapel." Maker, this reminded her of an infamous first meeting with an equally infamous Knight of Ren a long time ago... Straightening her back, Y/N nodded. "Thanks, Vik." "Good luck in there, Teach. You've got this." He gave her an encouraging smile, and Y/N marched to the door with her chin high. The guard greeted her with a nod. "You sure you wanna go in there, Lieutenant?" he asked as he slowly typed in his code. "It's your funerals." She grimaced. "I'm sure Poe wouldn't let me get murdered on my birthday." The guard snorted before nodding toward the door. "It's open. Whenever you're ready." She took one deep breath, summoned the fake confidence she wore whenever she wore her armor, and pushed the double doors open with her hands, marching right into the room.

"...which would provide for an interesting-" Finn stopped in the middle of his sentence, and everyone turned toward the door with a look of utter disbelief. Poe looked like he had just been jolted awake; knowing him, it wasn't improbable. Both had wide eyes and open mouths, and Y/N sent them an apologetic look. The next thought she had was: HOLY FUCK. Connix had warned her they were in an important meeting, but she had failed to underline the forenamed meeting had every single General of both the Resistance and the Alliance in attendance. She took note of that minute detail when she realized all of their holograms were staring at her. General Calrissian, ever the sucker for unexpected events, was smiling delightfully. Admiral Madar, who commanded the fleet, was only staring. As for General Valentine, the head of the Alliance... He was snarling. "Generals. My sincerest apologies for the interruption. This could not wait." Her apologies were directed at Finn and Poe, and the latter immediately frowned, leaning forward imperceptibly. "Considering you just interrupted a highly-classified reunion that concerns overly sensitive details regarding both military forces, yes, I would hope so," Valentine hissed. Y/N had never met him, but she didn't fancy a face-to-face interaction anytime soon. His icy glare and buzz-cut blonde hair were enough in a hologram form, thank you very much. "Who are you? You have thirty seconds to explain yourself, soldier." "I would appreciate it if you showed respect to my pilot, General," Poe interrupted calmly. "She is a highly-trained individual who undoubtedly would not interrupt such an important meeting for anything less important than the end of the world, I'm sure." ...The look he sent her conveyed a very unconvinced "right?". "I'm Lieutenant Y/N Thunderbird, Sir. I'm a pilot." "Thunderbird... Ah, the high-ranking imperial officer who deserted. I know you. Speak, then." He had made no effort to hide the contempt in his tone. But instead of anxiously cowering as Y/N would have done before, she held her chin high, hands joined behind her back. "I believe I have information regarding the Chancellor's assassination. During the viewing of the security footage from the Senate, something bothered me, and I finally found out what-" "Care to explain why a low-ranking officer was shown this confidential piece of information, Generals?" He vituperated. Okay, this level of vitriol had gone for long enough. Before Finn could say anything —because Poe was glaring daggers at his compeer— Y/N clapped back with a tight-lipped answer. "General Dameron and General Finn asked for my expertise not as a pilot but as a Force user. One who was trained by the late Luke Skywalker." The look of pure stupefaction on his face was priceless. A glance at Lando informed Y/N that this was not new to him. Valentine was quick to compose himself, though, dropping his glare in favor of a more inquisitive look. "I see. Speak, then." She took a small step forward, feeling everyone's undying attention on her figure. "In the video of the hallway, there were only four people on the video of them leaving," she stated, excitation lacing her words. While her friends listened with great interest, Y/N was only met with a look of confusion from the General of the Navy. "What? So?" "So, they knew where the cameras were as per our deductions. They made a point to show themselves walking to the Chancellor's quarters. But when they returned, there should have been five figures. But there were only four of them." Y/N was so enthusiastic she was barely enunciating the words clearly enough for anyone to understand. If she spoke any faster, they would require Threepio's translation skills. "We never see the prisoner's face as they drag him away. But what if he isn't a prisoner? Where is the last soldier?" Poe listened with narrow eyes, following her reasoning with imperturbable attention. As for Finn, he was leaning against his chair with arms crossed, listening intently. "Maybe just walking out of range," General Valentine offered. Y/N smiled. "But only two soldiers are restraining the prisoner, and there's one cloaked figure. They're in an enemy base, in the middle of the Senate, with the Chancellor's son as a hostage. Undoubtedly with a small window of opportunity. And nobody is covering their tracks?" She offered. Lando's hum was picked up by the vocoder. "What are you getting at?" He asked. She would gladly answer. "I think we don't see a fifth person because four came in, and four left. And I don't think the guy we're seeing is Jaso." Poe leaned forward even more. "What? But he is missing. And we found his blood." Hah. Good try. An answer Y/N had already thought of. "Right. Jaso's blood. But did anyone actually see him? Do we have ANY footage of him coming to his room before the attack and not leaving?" Silence stretched on as the four men thought about it. Valentine grimaced. "Well, no. We have footage from Jaso early in the morning, but the security system started glitching around noon, and we have no footage from eight to midnight. If he returned during that period, we can't know. But the blood-" "The blood. We found Jaso's blood and signs of struggle, right? And what did we logically deduce? That he had been abducted that evening. Because it's the logical explanation. Blood and signs of struggle equal abduction." Understanding bloomed on Poe's face as his eyes widened. "That's what they would want us to think." There we go. Poe knew. They had had that discussion weeks prior upon examining the body with the Sith symbol. "Correct. But what if Jaso wasn't kidnapped that night? What if he was taken earlier that day when he left the Senate's grounds?" "Then it would mean the Chancellor's murder is just a cover-up. Their true target was always Jaso. Not his father. And we jumped into their trap headfirst," Finn concluded in disbelief, leaning back against his seat. "By the Force, Y/N, I think you're right. General, do you have access to Jaso's agenda? His travels, even the classified ones?" Valentine's holographic silhouette went briefly off-screen as muffled sounds rose from the speaker. "Yes, that can be found. We didn't look it up because... Well. Because we took the easy way out and deduced he had been kidnapped after his father was murdered," he conceded with pursed lips. "But you make some compelling arguments, Lieutenant. Give me one moment to sort the matter with our aides. I shall call you back in a minute." The call was put on hold, and his face disappeared. Immediately, the three remaining Generals relaxed as Admiral Madar cut his hologram feed. "Barging unannounced in a top-secret meeting... Han would be very proud of you, Y/N," Lando joked. "You definitely take after him." "That's a compliment if I ever heard one," she joked back, and he chuckled. "How, in the name of the Force, did you figure that one out?" Poe asked, and Y/N shrugged with an impertinent smile. "Swans." He blinked. "You're way too sharp for me," he mumbled, and Finn laughed. Their friendly banter was short-lived as General Valentine's face popped up again. His facial expression eased the worries about being fired on her birthday Y/N had. And told her she was right. "You need to hear this," he stated with no warning. A fresh face appeared, a man in his thirties squeezed into a uniform he was drowning in. He timidly waved at the camera. "H-Hello. I am Captain Arkis, the head of security in the VIP quarters." "Well? Don't just gawk at them. Tell them what you told me," Valentine interrupted impatiently. "Right. On the evening the Chancellor was murdered, and Vice-Chancellor Jaso went missing, we got a late order for a change in the guard rotation. It was sent in from Jaso's personal commlink. Which was strange because he usually wouldn't give orders through a message like this, but since he had left earlier for an emergency trip, we didn't question it." "Jaso left?" Poe questioned. "Oh, yes, but he used his access card later in the evening, so we weren't worried. In hindsight, we should have been..." "Where did he go?" Y/N wondered out loud. "To Corellia, I suppose. He visits his mother regularly. But since he doesn't use the taxpayers' money for his travels, we let him." Y/N frowned. "How many times per month are we talking?" "Oh, two or three, I suppose." "And if he doesn't go there with the Senate, does he pay for everything?" Finn inquired. "Actually, no. Jaso's mother provides all of the money. She is very wealthy and only gets visits from him. Since she's also very sick, I suppose she is grateful for his unwavering presence by his side. He is truly involved in her path to recovery; it's remarkable." Y/N's wheels spun in her head. So many trips were marked as 'private' and probably with little to no security from the Senate's guards due to privacy reasons... Of course, it would be easy to kidnap him on his way to or back from Corellia. Swipe his code cylinder, use it to move the guards around to a more convenient time and place, and leave unnoticed... Damn Jaso. His trips to his mother might eventually cost him his life. "Who would have been aware of those trips? In details, I mean?" Poe asked. "Well... The Chancellor, I suppose. And Jaso's mother herself. His aide and his pilots. But they wouldn't necessarily accompany him, and his assistant, who did, is a droid and was destroyed in the attack. So... Only his parents would know his whereabouts at all times when on those trips." "I think we need to investigate his mom. Jaso told me she and his dad don't get along anymore. If she is sick, she might have told someone about her son without realizing it. But this certainly corroborates our theory. And since the video is black and white, it's not hard to have someone else pass as Jaso. All they needed was a stormtrooper with similar hair color," Y/N concluded, earning convinced nods from the rest. "Oh! Right! Speaking of which... When we searched the Chancellor's quarters, we found something in the garbage chute. By the time we got to this spot, the machine had gotten rid of a fair share of its load, but we still found white plastoid shards." ...And who wore white plastoid armors? Stormtroopers! Y/N snuck a triumphant look toward her friends, and Poe answered with a muted version of his trademark smirk. What had they learned so far? Jaso was seen leaving the Senate, but no one saw him returning. His access code was used to give orders remotely, which happened to facilitate the intruders' trip to the highly-secured quarters of the Chancellor. He was murdered, and the attackers left without anyone, leaving behind a stormtrooper armor they partially destroyed and blood... It made sense, didn't it? Kriff, Y/N wouldn't be fired!

The soldier was dismissed, and General Valentine returned in the hologram, his blueish silhouette buzzing around slightly. "It appears, judging on the elements and theories we were provided with, that Lieutenant's Thunderbird hypothesis is plausible." "I think you mean 'accurate," General," the Admiral chimed in for the first time. "We now have an idea regarding what course of action we should take moving forward." "We'll ask our technicians to work on the signature from Jaso's commlink," Finn stated. "If the kidnappers sent a message from it, it might be possible to track it to specific coordinates and triangulate the position of the ship he was on. The path between Coruscant and Corellia is a major trade route. We have men everywhere. Someone must have seen something. The Alliance can look into Jaso's mother and the flight logs from the Navy." "We will send you the remains of the droid we retrieved," Valentine offered. "Perhaps your technicians can salvage something." His icy gaze, piercing even through the bluishness of the hologram, landed on Y/N. She straightened her back subconsciously. "Lieutenant. Despite the... peculiarity of your intervention, your insight proved crucial to the case. I have great hopes we will find Jaso soon. Such a shame he will have to spend his birthday in the hands of separatists... I had hoped we would have found him by today," General Valentine sighed. "Regardless. We thank you for your contribution, though I do hope that moving forward, they will be less... unprompted." The message was heard loud and clear. Now was Y/N's time to retreat into the shadows. "Glad to be of help. I shall return to my duties. Thank you for granting me an audience, Generals. Admiral." She bowed in respect before turning on her heels and exiting the room, sparing one last look at her friends. Poe subtly winked, and Finn threw a thumb up under the table. She was still chuckling when she closed the door behind her. The guard perked up upon seeing her leaving. "You're still alive and well?" He wondered out loud in disbelief. Y/N snickered. "Surprisingly." "Y/N! Kriff, you're still alive!" "Why is everyone so shocked?" She laughed when Vik popped up around the corner. "I know what I was doing. Besides, you won't get rid of me so easily. Did you wait here?" He grimaced, scratching his head. "Maybe? I just wanted to make sure you'd be okay. General Valentine is..." He paused. "For lack of a better word, a cunt." He was certainly something. Y/N snorted, walking with Vik toward the control room they had left earlier. "Well, I can't tell you what happened inside, but he isn't half bad. I think everyone is nervous. After what happened..." She trailed off, unwilling to get into the Chancellor's gruesome death, but Vik nodded regardless. "I know. You can almost taste it. Everyone's so stressed. It reminds me of the war a bit too much," Vik mumbled. "But I have faith in you. And General Dameron and Finn." "In me?" Y/N wheezed. "Why me?" Vik stopped before he reached the door, an amused look on his face. He snorted, eyes trailing on a cleaning droid before focusing on Y/N. "Why you? Don't you realize how much help you give them? You haven't been here long, but you're invaluable to them. Not a day goes by without Finn or Poe gushing about your work. Besides, you have the Force. Jedi are rare and sought after. And you're a brilliant pilot." Y/N laughed, cheeks turning pink. She looked away, suddenly finding the droid particularly fascinating. "I don't know about that, but I'll continue to do my best." "I know you will. But for now, I do believe it's your day off. You have a birthday party- gathering to prepare for," he corrected himself with a grimace. The sudden fear in his eyes made Y/N mentally cackle. Poe had drilled the secrecy into their brains. "Right. The gathering. Will I see you tonight?" Vik clearly hesitated, and she stopped feigning ignorance, giggling. "Relax, Vik. I know all about it. I won't tell Poe anyone told me." His shoulders slumped as he breathed out, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Kriff, I was terrified for a second. Then, yes, you'll see me tonight." "Great! Now off you go; I've kept you away from work long enough. Any minute now, pilots will start flying into one another." He laughed good-naturedly. "You overestimate my job, but I appreciate it. See you tonight, Teach." With a giddy smile blooming on her face, Y/N waved. Perhaps she would not screw this up.

"Come on! We're gonna be late!" "Can I even be late for my own pre-party?" Klana whacked her behind the head very gently, and Y/N hissed. "Ouch! Rude!" "You know that's not what I'm worried about! Besides, Poe sent me a message five minutes ago; the food's there. He placed a special delivery and had it taken from town. The Yavin IV special you had with him? Whatever that is." Oh! Seriously? If only she had said that earlier, Y/N would have hurried! Wasting no time, she threw on her shirt and jacket, making sure not to muss Klana's tight braids. "Who's gonna be here anyway?" She inquired while taking one last look in the mirror. Klana tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Finn. Poe. BeeBee. Rose and Varun, both our squads. That's it." "That's it? That's still a lot of people, Kriff." "Wait until you see the party. The turnout's going to be insane." She grimaced and caught Klana's eyes in the mirror. Her friend cackled. "Don't make that face! They're all here to celebrate you. You've become quite popular. Saving BeeBee from that droid scored you some major brownie points." Right. It had also brought its fair share of worries, problems, and questions. This day was lighter regarding Force-related concerns, but it didn't mean Y/N was free of any worries. The new revelations regarding Jaso's disappearance weighed heavily on her mind. Somehow, it felt like they had all the puzzle pieces but couldn't see the larger picture... They were so close to solving this; she just knew it. But now wasn't the time to waste energy on "what ifs." They had a party to attend. Y/N linked her arm with Klana's and happily left for the rendezvous point: a room in yet another part of the base she hadn't explored. Someday, she would need to investigate the ins and outs of Kuat's facility. They heard the laughter and music before they reached the room, merriment spilling out through the open door like billows of smoke, making the air thick with joy. It smelled like happiness, and Y/N genuinely looked forward to spending the evening with her friends. When they finally reached the entrance, delighted cheers and enthusiastic welcomes rose from the crowd. "Finally!" Skylen boomed, slapping his thighs in the process. The glass he was holding spilled a bit, nearly splashing BeeBee. The droid rolled out of the way, hiding behind Y/N's leg. "Don't scare him off!" "Hey, I just wanted to share my drink with him! Speaking of which..." Before she could react, a glass was thrust into her open hand and into Klana's by none other than Finn. "Y/N! Welcome! You're right on time; food just arrived. Sit down!" He led the two women to the gathered couches and the people sitting atop them, chatting excitedly. A massive table had been installed and was nearly buried under the piles of food spread out. It had everything, from appetizers to that cheesy delight Poe had introduced her to. That, and a shit ton of bottles full of alcohol. Y/N squeezed herself between Skylen and Varun as Klana sat down in front of her, between Poe and Mala. Oh, no, her friend and the mechanic would eye-fuck each other for the rest of the evening. "They're going to stare lovingly from across the room; I just know it," Skylen whispered, and she snorted into her drink. "Don't start." Rounds of drinks were served, and the whole group started happily chatting, munching on appetizers as they shared stories of their time together. Y/N was surprised by how much they remembered about her early days on Kuat. She wasn't surprised to learn that her stunt with the TIE she had lured away was still fresh in everyone's minds. "I've never seen anyone so blatantly disregard orders before!" Jessika Pava said, laughing. "Well... Except for Poe, of course." "Jess, zip it," Poe grunted with feigned annoyance. "You're not much better. And don't encourage her!" "I got my ass whooped for that one," Y/N reminded, now laughing almost fondly at the memory. "Not nearly hard enough to discourage you from trying again, I'm sure," Poe countered. She smirked. "You're losing your touch, Dameron." He shot her a warning look paired with the hint of a smile as wolf whistles rose from the crowd. "You're lucky it's your birthday, Thunderbird." "I'm quaking in my boots."

Time went by slower than drinks were emptied. Anytime someone was done with theirs, Skylen or Varun would fill it back up. Y/N had found the trick half an hour earlier, now nursing her beer. Poe's secret food source was a hit with all the guests, and the people who had to leave prematurely were pretty bummed. Seats had been shuffled, and Y/N ended up between Klana and Skylen as Varun and Mala migrated on another couch. Unfortunately, Y/N realized it was a trap way too late, as this new layout allowed her friends to get up to retrieve her gifts. Her cheeks turned redder than a Sith's lightsaber as the first one landed on her lap. BeeBee, the impossibly cute devil, recorded her reaction. She glared at him, and he beeped innocently, zooming as she tore off the pink —Klana's choice— wrapping paper. Y/N was met with a surprisingly light sculpture made of metal and glass and realized its nature upon closer inspection: a tiny replica of the Galaxy, with some routes modeled in blue glass. Wait. Was that a replica of ALL of her missions' flight plans? "By Malachor! You did NOT represent all of my flights with you on this!" "Oh, we did," Skylen cackled, high-fiving Klana. "Had to bribe Vik into looking them up for us. You've been with us for months; it seemed fitting." "It's AWESOME! Thank you!" She giddily hugged her friends, laughing as Skylen's beard tickled her forehead. It was so thoughtful; it made her heart sing. Next, Finn was more than happy to hand her a small orange box with a big grin. Something told her this would be a private joke. Squinting at him —which only caused him to laugh— she popped the lid open, revealing— "You did NOT!" She chortled, taking out a replica of her X-Wing, identical to its full-scale model. But in her other hand, she took out the second item: a tiny TIE with red spokes and her former callsign hand-painted on the side. Hysterical. "Now you can make those fly," he commented, winking playfully. Y/N would have to try later! Her fellow squad members gifted her a bottle of Merenzane gold, and she poured everyone a glass as they got up to dance and jump around. At one point, Poe casually offered to get out and have a drink in a cantina after that, and with a knowing look to Klana, Y/N enthusiastically accepted. After that, she not-so-subtly nudged Finn toward Rose with a pointed look, and the poor man had no choice but to ask her to dance. Poe high-fived Y/N behind the duo's back with a satisfied smirk and a conniving wink. Music and laughter filled the room, and Y/N was dragged into a drinking game by Jessika and Petrov (who was shockingly good at them).

By the time everyone got ready to leave for the party (with excuses varying from amusing to downright suspicious), it was increasingly evident that Poe was quieting down, a mere shell of his usually extroverted self. He didn't seem particularly ill-at-ease, nor did he appear stressed to anyone (Y/N had asked Klana), but there was the slightest shift in his behavior - a tiny change in his default setting that rubbed her the wrong way. He nursed his drink with the occasional smile answering the friendly banter, humoring guests with the occasional low-effort chuckle. Though she was supposed to be enjoying herself, Y/N was drawn to him, her attention fleeting away from whoever was speaking, invariably returning to Poe. She had just downed her third drink (which wasn't unrelated to what followed) when she decided to sit next to him. Plopping down unceremoniously, she made him jump despite knowing he had seen her coming. "Dameron." "Thunderbird." "Why are you sulking?" "I'm not." "Perhaps not, but something's wrong." He seemed to consider it for a second. Y/N saw the emotions playing on his face; a direct live stream plugged into his brain. Contempt, thoughtfulness, hesitation, denial, hesitation, resolve, capitulation. "I think it's useless to lie, huh? You have superpowers now to tell you about this stuff." Y/N snickered. "Hardly. I don't need the Force; I know you. Believe it or not, we're nearing a year of friendship. It's still a few months away, but..." "You're right," he conceded. "But you shouldn't be worried about me today. Besides, I promise it's nothing important." "It's my birthday; I get to decide what's important. Right now, you're the important thing." Y/N could have sworn he was flustered. But it disappeared in merely a second. "I need to give you something. Can't do it in front of everyone, though." "Oh. Kinky." Definitely the three drinks. "...You're insufferable," he decided, though the hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "Ah, ah, ah. Can't tell that to me today," she tutted. "It's past midnight, so I technically can. But whatever, I'll let you win this round." She hit his shoulder playfully, leaning forward in the process. Worried she might tip over, Poe stabilized her with both hands. "Easy there." "I'm fine!" "You were about to fall flat on your face, Keebler." She was not! Skylen called her, and Y/N turned around, chatting with him from across the room, the current argument long forgotten.

Ten minutes later, they wrapped it up and left for the party. A very agitated Klana had to be carried to her room by an equally restless Skylen, who was at least walking straight. Finn escorted Rose, and the rest of the pilots carried Varun out after he had lost a bet earlier. Poe and Y/N were left alone with BeeBee. It wasn't until that point that Y/N realized she hadn't budged. Her spot of choice was still the one next to Poe, and she had moved closer to him. The two were now sitting with their thighs touching and their shoulders bumping. There was no longer a reason since they were the only two humans in the room, but Y/N didn't feel the need to scoot over. She had to shamelessly admit, though, that Poe had been telling her something, and she couldn't focus on anything else than his dimple. This man was a god. "...Y/N." "I'm listening!" He snorted. "You're staring. Come on. I need to give you something."

His stress was palpable. Genuinely so: his leg was tense. He stood up, brushing off invisible dust from his spotless clothes, before walking straight toward a cabinet she hadn't noticed before. Plain and unassuming, it was just a storage unit, but Poe looked at it like it were a treasure chest. Humming to himself, he punched in a code, and the door whooshed open. On the other side, tucked away in the shadows, stood a square, shoulders-wide box. Poe plucked it up gingerly and carried it to the couch, holding it as he stood in front of Y/N. It was neatly wrapped in orange paper that crinkled under Poe's fingertips. He sheepishly looked down. "I didn't want you to open it with everyone else. Figured that's... Not something you'd like to showcase. It's nothing dangerous or weird or anything. Just... You'll understand." He bit his lips and all but shoved the box forward into Y/N's surprised hands. "Careful. It's heavy," Poe warned before letting go of it. Y/N rested it on her thighs, looking up with bashful eyes. "Oh, Poe. You didn't have to get me anything." He chuckled. "I know. I just... I wanted to make your first real birthday special, you know? Figured you didn't get to celebrate during the war, and you don't remember any other ones." Her heart leaped around in her ribcage, and Y/N merely nodded, not trusting herself with words. He was so thoughtful the mere intention turned her into a blubbering mess. Under his watchful gaze, she tore the paper open and popped the metal lid off, setting it aside. A glance at Poe showed her he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, chewing on his bottom lip. She bit hers as she plunged her hand into the box, her fingers grazing against a rough surface. But it wasn't hard, it was... Leather? With a perplexed look, Y/N dug into the box with both hands and pulled its content out— What she found inside nearly knocked her out from shock.

It was, indeed, made of leather. But it wasn't just that. The sleeves were made of leather and met in the breast area under the metallic gorget. The shoulder pieces —made of the same thin black metal— were strapped into place by two sturdy leather pieces and bore the Resistance's Starbird. The tight leather was also used on the bodice, tight and shiny under the neon lights. It went on to the hips, giving way to two metallic tassets and a utility belt. Y/N's thumb caught on the round hook hanging there. Her eyes trailed upward, following the tummy area that featured slim and articulated pieces of metal, allowing a certain degree of freedom to move. And above that, on the breastplate, carved with attuned craftsmanship, stood the symbol of the Jedi Order. Y/N stared at it, mouth agape, eyes wide as plates. This could not be. Her fingers grazed over the shiny, light metal. She would recognize it anywhere; it was Phrik. One of the only lightsaber-resistant substances in the Galaxy. Frozen in place, her hand caressed the armor. Whoever had designed it had done a phenomenal job. She hadn't seen such outstanding craftsmanship since... Since Kylo had gifted her the blade. Stupor and utter bewilderment prevented her from saying anything, let alone moving. It took Poe's voice to startle her back to her senses. "I asked a Mandalorian I know to make it. Kit helped with the design; I'll give him credit. He sketched it from memory, and we improved it. You said... I mean... You said the armor wasn't the problem, that the problem was what it stood for. I wanted you to take your control back. Figured if you're gonna follow Rey... You'd need to look the part. I mean, you can totally take off the Jedi symbol; it's detachable, I don't want to assume... I just... Well. You know. It's made of Phrik; you've probably recognized it, though. I figured it'd keep you safe and-" He was rambling. But by the Force, he could ramble all he wanted for the rest of his life; Y/N didn't mind one bit. What he had just gifted her was... It was beyond what any words could express. This wasn't just a gift designed to keep her safe when Poe couldn't; this was... This was her freedom. As her silence grew, so did Poe's worries, and he frowned as Y/N delicately put the box aside, finally mustering the courage to look at him. "Hey, if you don't like it, it's fine; I don't want to—" "Poe." Her voice broke, and she clamped her hand over her mouth, on the verge of tears. Poe's frown deepened. But before he could get another word out or worry any further, Y/N shook her head and threw herself into his arms, wrapping hers around his shoulders. He let out a tiny 'oof' as the momentum of her action sent them both backward. Poe stumbled until his back hit the wall, but he smoothly caught Y/N, securing her with his arms as he hugged her back. She was trembling, her limbs tangled with his, incapable of voicing her gratitude. "Hey, you're okay, Y/N," he mumbled in her hair, soothingly rubbing her back. Was she? Was she okay? The weight of everyone's expectations was crushing her, but Poe had lifted it off with a box. It didn't change anything about herself or the decision she had to make, but he had gifted her more than the armor; he had given her the tools she needed to carry on the fight. The sheer power of that symbolism knocked the wind out of her lungs, and she took a shuddering breath. Somehow, somewhere, a deity was pleased enough with her in a past life to put Poe Dameron in this one. When she was sure she would keep the tears at bay, Y/N took a small step back, putting some distance between her and Poe. "You okay here?" He chuckled. "Had me worried for a second." Despite still feeling overwhelmed, she giggled. "I'm fine. I just can't believe you did this. Thank you, Poe. Really. You didn't have to do this, and... it means a lot." He smirked. "I mean... I couldn't pass up the opportunity." He was pretty proud of himself, and he deserved to be. He deserved everything, to be honest. "Did you seriously get Kit's help?" He groaned, rolling his head backward. Being this close to him, Y/N could see how his lips quirked upward ever-so-slightly. "Yes. It was as dreadful as you'd imagine. But hey, I sent weapons in exchange, so the guy can't whine." Y/N laughed. She still had her arms around his shoulders and wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. Her amusement died down too soon, replaced by a serious look as she stared at him. "In all seriousness, Poe, I... I don't know how to thank you. This means more to me than you could ever imagine." He swatted her question away with an exaggerated eye roll. "Psht. It's nothing. I'm just glad you like it. Couldn't finish the night without giving you your best gift yet, eh?" She rolled her eyes good-naturedly before settling for a long, heavy look into his eyes. "I think the best gift ever bestowed upon me is you." Poe's jaw dropped. Thanks to her place against his chest, she saw his eyes widen and heard his breath hitch. The physical proximity allowed her to be in the front row to witness Poe's usually subtle expression changes. She realized too late how it sounded. "Your friendship, I mean," Y/N corrected herself with a slight wince. His usual demeanor returned as he grinned. "Sure. But you're telling me that instead of spending a fortune on this thing, I could have just gifted you a day in my delightful company?!" She whacked his shoulder. "Maker, Poe! I don't even want to know how much you spent on this!" His grin turned into a grimace as he stared at his droid. "...yeah, it's better if you don't know. Besides, it's rude to ask. And don't you even think about it," Poe hissed in BeeBee's direction. As the droid beeped innocently, Y/N frowned. "I'm serious." "So am I." "But-" "Y/N Thunderbird, you are worth every credit and then some," he interrupted her, deadly serious.

It was her turn to be speechless. Poe's gaze, as per usual, was so intense that every thought she ever had left her brain. Could he hear her heart beating? Oh, it reminded her of that day, in her room, when she was sure he wanted to... Her brain trailed off as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, scrutinizing her face with soft eyes and a contemplative frown. "What?" She breathed out. He remained quiet for a moment. "I'll admit, I didn't know how you'd react. But I should've known... You never cease to surprise me." "Haven't I proven earlier today how astonishing I am?" She joked, and Poe bit his lip. "I was floored. What you did was incredibly stupid and insanely cool, too." Heh. Y/N was just glad to be of help. "You know," he added, "I-" "Oh, am I interrupting?" Y/N screamed in surprise, flinching away from Poe, who jumped, cursing. Skylen was leaning in the doorway with the biggest grin Y/N had ever seen. "I can give you the room if you need it. I was just stopping by to check on Y/N. Taking an awfully long time in here, Duckling." "I'm coming! We were just talking. And Poe gave me my gift." "I'll carry it for you; I don't want you to get lost again. Come on, we need to get you ready for our excursion in town," Skylen concluded with a wink. Poe rolled his eyes, blissfully unaware of the shared secret between his two pilots. "I'll see you later, Porg Head. Thank you again." He gave her a lopsided grin and a little wave as she left the room with Skylen, who was still grinning like an idiot. "Did I just cockblock you on your birthday? I am SO sorry, Duckling." "Oh, shut the hell up, Furball."

The two speeders pulled up in front of the nightclub, the breeze caressing Y/N's bare legs. Various other speeders were parked up front, some guarded by their owners who sat on them, others carelessly pushed to the side in a tangled mess of metal parts. As Y/N hopped off hers with Skylen's help, she noticed fellow Resistance members stumbling out of the club, barely keeping their balance as their cackles floated into the night. They hadn't even taken that long; Klana's preparations had been quick for once, merely changing Y/N's hair and slapping some sparkles on her cheeks. She had then dressed her friend into a holographic skirt and a top that could light up. That, plus reminding her half a dozen times to act surprised. As they pushed through the thick cloud of smoke, Klana grabbed her hand again. "Hey, don't forget-" "To act surprised. I know," she giggled. The Death Star, the flagship of the Resistance's parties, looked no different than usual. The regulars hung outside, but some whispered as the three pilots walked up to the entrance. Y/N bitterly regretted dressing up, as it was freezing. Loth cats, which were legion in the city, were nowhere to be found, preferring the warm haven of the buildings to the chilliness of the streets. Someone had put a stick of what seemed to be salt in their water bowl; they were expecting the temperature to drop even more. Skylen rubbed her friend's back with a smile as Klana, inexplicably immune to the cold weather, strutted toward the door. "Come on, you slugs! Hurry up! I want to drink something!" With a wink, she opened the club's door and walked in first, partially hiding the club from Y/N's view. Only partially. The second she stepped aside, the crowd erupted in a boisterous cheer. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Clasping her hand together in feigned surprise, Y/N still let out a genuine laugh as all of her friends and coworkers raised their glasses in her honor, led by Poe and Finn, who stood in the middle of the room. Finn jogged up to her and slung his arm around her shoulders. "There she is! The woman of the hour! Come on, put this on!" Before Y/N could protest, he popped a luminous headpiece in her hair, grinning as it blinked. "You look fantastic! Now come on, let's get you a drink, shall we?"

As he dragged her to the bar, Y/N looked around. She recognized everyone; even Tarsen and his squad were present, and he gave her a curt nod when their eyes met. Her students were also all present, including Vik, who had traded his usual white uniform for a leather jacket and a pair of slacks. He timidly waved when he saw her, and Y/N gave him a warm smile. But the person she was looking for had mysteriously vanished in the crowd. They finally reached the bar, and Finn leaned forward, asking the barman for drinks as Y/N leaned against the wall. She focused on her surroundings, doing her best to use the Force to locate Poe. Something prickled at the back of her neck, and she smiled right before his hand landed on the small of her back. "Thunderbird. Fancy seeing you here." His breath tickled her ear, and she turned around, grinning. "General! What a surprise." He, too, had changed out of his previous outfit. He had lost his trusty jacket in favor of an open black shirt with three buttons undone. It gave Y/N a nice look at his upper chest and the dangling ring on a chain around his neck. Her eyes trailed down his silhouette, drinking in the sight of him. When she looked up, she found Poe grinning with a knowing look. She punched his shoulder. "Shut up." "Hey, you're the one who called me a gift to humanity." "I did NOT say that!" Fortunately for her, they were interrupted by the barman who carried a trail of colorful drinks. Since Y/N had already drunk quite a bit, she looked at them with dread. Lining the glasses on the counter, the employee produced a whole cake from behind it, grabbing his lighter and lighting up a candle. "There you go, birthday girl." Y/N opened her mouth to thank him as Klana jumped on the bar, cupping her hands. "ALRIGHT! I NEED EVERYONE'S VOICE FOR THIS!" Oh, no. She was steadily held into place by Finn and Poe —each with a hand on her shoulders— before she could run outside. "Where are you going?" Poe asked with a grin. Preferably anywhere else? But it was too late, and with one united voice, the crowd started belting out a birthday song in her honor. Everyone was so loud and in synch that the floor vibrated and the air buzzed around her, heavy with their enthusiastic screams. Skylen gestured for Y/N to hop on his shoulders, and she obliged, laughing as he picked her up and lifted her as the song went on. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THUNDERBIRD!" Stomping their feet and clapping their hands, they made a ruckus as Skylen lowered her back to the floor, letting her blow her candles. As she breathed in, Y/N made a wish. I want to spend all my upcoming birthdays with the people I love. She blew them out.

Her body was so numb from dancing that she collapsed on the stool with questionable grace, grunting as she raised her glass to her lips. Y/N had drunk too much. Not enough to be loopy, but certainly the right amount to feel the buzz of the Jawa juice she was sipping. It was hot inside the club, and everyone was having a great time. Klana and Skylen sat next to her, drinking their poison. Finn and Rose were going at it on the dancefloor, resuming their previous dancing session. Y/N smiled knowingly. These two only needed some encouragement. But as her eyes glazed over the crowd, she realized she couldn't see Poe. She also realized she was unwillingly looking for him. It had become somewhat of a habit: an automatism that calmed her nerves. "He's on the other side of the bar," Klana whispered. "You should do something about that." Y/N turned her head, locking eyes with her friend. "You think?" "It's your birthday. Go for it. Seriously. Besides, Poe's been staring at you for five minutes." Any other day of the year, Y/N would have turned red and mumbled some incoherent argument, but she was drunk, happy, and still reeling from Poe's gift. She jumped to her feet, raising her chin. "You know what? You're right." Klana's 'you go, girl!' followed her as she marched to the other side of the bar before she could talk herself out of doing it. As expected, the General leaned against the counter, a drink in hand. His hair was a mess of dark locks, and his eyes were blurry; he, too, was drunk. "General." "Lieutenant." The DJ started a new song: an upbeat tune Y/N didn't care enough to try and identify. But it was catchy enough to make her grin instantly. She smiled. "Dance with me!" Poe barely repressed his smile, hiding it behind his glass. "I don't dance, Thunderbird." "Yes. Yes, you do. Besides, I'm asking, and you're not gonna turn me down. I know you want to." He grumbled but didn't even try to resist as she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dancefloor. Before they disappeared into the crowd, she caught her friends' eyes, and Skylen gave her a thumbs up before high-fiving Klana.

They found a nice, semi-secluded spot —as secluded as one could find in a crowded room— and Y/N grinned. Poe was watching her, eyes twinkling devilishly. Y/N took off her crown and put it in his hair, giggling as it mussed it out even more. Satisfied with her arrangements, she started swaying to the music, playfully putting her hands on Poe's shoulders. Though she didn't hear it, Y/N felt his chest rumbling with laughter. "What?" She screamed over the music. "People are staring," he pointed. With a mischievous grin, she looked around, confirming his statement. "Let them. Probably admiring how fancy you look with this thing on your head." Grabbing her waist, Poe pulled her closer to him with a laugh. "No, I'm pretty sure they're looking at you." As Y/N dropped her arms, he followed her movements, swaying to the energetic beat, before spinning her around with her back facing his chest. Y/N shrieked and giggled, losing herself in the music, hips rolling from side to side as his hands followed. "Because you look incredible, Keebler," he murmured in her ear, his breath tickling her. Y/N's heart missed a beat, and she turned her head to the side, inching away from his face. "You're not too shabby yourself, Porg Head." With a dazzling smile, Poe picked up the rhythm, hips moving to the beat as his hands remained glued to Y/N's skin, accompanying her as she swayed to the music. He was intoxicating. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, but his perfume had never been so overwhelming. All she knew and smelled was him. He was everywhere, and her heart thundered in her chest. Could he hear it? Feel it? Hazy flashes from a specific day on Tatooine came to her mind. She remembered the last time they had been physically so close... Her nerve endings were ablaze, set on fire by Poe's respectful but never-ending caresses, fleeting and mind-consuming. Y/N pivoted on her heels, her chest bumping with Poe's. Their height difference was still noticeable despite her small heels, and he nearly towered over her. It was so hot in there. Strands of hair, slick with sweat, had escaped her braids, and Poe's hair stuck to his forehead, messier than ever. "Wanna give them a reason to stare harder?" He asked, and Y/N nodded before she could even think about the question. He laughed. "Then jump!" Jump?! As in... Leap in the air? With a quizzical look, Y/N took a step back, put her arms on his shoulders, and did as she was told- He grabbed her thighs, and she instinctively locked them behind his waist before Poe all but dipped her backward, his hand securing her back as her head tilted toward the ground, back arched to the max of her ability. He effortlessly pulled her back up, barely straining under the effort, before putting her back on the floor with a shit-eating grin. "I thought you didn't dance?!" Y/N laughed as the music changed. Chest heaving, Poe chuckled. "I never said I don't know how to." Around them, some bystanders cheered and whooped, and Y/N bowed jokingly. Her head was spinning, and she could barely think straight. She needed to go home. This last dance had exhausted her; besides, it was already late. Poe led her to the lounge, where they met back with their friends. Trailing after him, Y/N noticed his gait was wobblier than it should have been. Now that she thought about it, he had been drinking pretty heavily all night long... He was probably tired and drunk out of his mind. All his energy had gone into that last dance, and Y/N felt guilty. Well. Not exactly, because she was delighted to have danced with him like this, but still. "I think I'm gonna call it a night," Poe stated, grabbing a glass of water. "You've got some moves, Thunderbird." "That, she does," Klana commented with a smirk. Fortunately, the General was too exhausted to pay her any mind. "I'm coming with you," Y/N stated, pushing back flyaway hair. "Oh, no way. This is your birthday party. I can find my way back," he protested. Finn shook his head and opened his mouth to argue, but Y/N beat him to it. "Poe. You're drunk. I'm not letting you go back to your room alone. You might walk into a wall and collapse or something." "I'm not- drunk. I am tispy. Tipsy." Poe stepped forward to pat her shoulder but tripped on his feet and caught himself right as Y/N leaped forward to stop him from falling. Her brows furrowed worryingly. He was clearly out of it. His eyes were distant; he was kilometers away from the party. "Yeah. Okay. I'm pretty drunk." No shit. He didn't try to push her away as she helped him, excusing themselves to the bystanders. She waved at her friends and said her goodbyes, and they walked —more like waddled— outside the club. Fortunately, the speeder was still right outside. Y/N grabbed the keys, insisting on riding it herself as she was the less drunk of the two, and they made their way back to the base carefully. It was a good thing the town was so close to the compound.

The trip home had awoken Poe as the nippy air whipped at their faces, and she didn't have to steady him anymore. It was still obvious he had drunk too much, but he could walk straight and form coherent sentences, as long as they weren't too long. "Poe?" "Hm." "I've never seen you this drunk," she said as they reached the landing strip and made their way toward the entrance. "Are you okay?" He stayed silent for a second. Perhaps it was the alcohol that made him think about it. Either way, he sighed as they walked in. The hallways were quiet and barely lit. Most of the soldiers were still at the club. "Not really. I... everything that's happening, everything we've learned... I'm worried. About it starting again. Over again." His grammar had been better, but she understood what he meant anyway. She shared the same worries. Y/N sighed. "I know what you mean," she whispered. She couldn't say anything else. There was nothing she could say that would quell Poe's angst. She didn't know what the future had in store and certainly didn't know more than he did. "I'd love to tell you I'll help in any way I can," she started again, turning right to the hallway that led to his room. "But I'm not sure that'd be enough. I... I don't think I can help as much as I want to. I'm not Rey; I'm just... me. I wish I could do more with the Force... I'm sorry." He stopped, and she walked into him, hitting him in the back. "Oi! What the hell?" she wailed, clutching her jaw. When he turned around, he was... angry? Pissed? Annoyed? "Y/N, you need to stop. That's not... you're not... not useful. That needs to go. I don't want you..." He trailed off and shook his head. "Okay. I can't think. You come with me to my room, I'll take a shower to sober up, and we can finish talking." "Can't we do that tomorrow?" She whined. Was she trying to avoid the upcoming argument? ...Maybe. "No." "Why not?" "Because I don't want you walking back to your room alone while you're drunk." She scoffed. "Uh, excuse you, you're drunker than me. And we're inside the base; nothing can happen to me." "You never know," he mumbled stubbornly. Arguing with a drunk Poe Dameron was like talking to a wall, so she decided to not push the matter further. They had reached his door anyway. Poe stepped forward to type his code, but judging by his expression when he looked at the panel, Y/N took it upon herself to open it. "What's the code to your room?" He seemed to think about it hard for a second, frowning, rubbing his forehead, and frowning again before answering: "It's- the year I joined the Resistance." Y/N extended her hand before the answer registered in her brain, and she froze, staring at him in disbelief. "The— are you kidding me? You're the General, and your password is weak enough to be hacked by a toddler?" "Shut up."

She punched the code, and the door whooshed open. She stepped aside to let Poe go in first, and he turned on the lights to their minimum brightness. The door closed behind them. She had never seen his room, but somehow, it was identical to what she had pictured. Way bigger than hers, it was a full suite. Tidier than she had anticipated, though. The main room they were in had its left wall covered in panels, in front of which Poe had his desk. That was a mess. There were maps and folders and countless trinkets lying around. In front of them, a couch, a coffee table, and a tropical plant added some life to it all. BeeBee was powered down in his slot in the corner, the light on his head blinking orange as he charged up. There was a double door to the right, between various shelves on which Y/N could see pictures, trophies, and personal belongings. Poe took his jacket off and threw it carelessly on the couch. "Make yourself at home." Y/N realized the situation and her alcohol consumption didn't go well together when she noticed the spot she was staring at was moving. She groaned. "Do you mind if I lie down for a sec? I think that last glass of Jawa juice hit harder than I thought." He snorted. "Bed's in the other room. You can rest for a bit. I won't be long." Y/N followed with no question until she realized, as he stepped out to shower, that she was in his room and about to get on his bed- ...Maker. She was sure she was bright red and grateful Poe wasn't here to see it. She heard the water turning on. Mindful of the room, Y/N took off her shoes and jacket, setting them on the sofa in the corner of the room. Then, she laid down. His mattress was so comfy. She sighed, pleased, and waited in silence. After a moment, she frowned. "Poe." Silence. "POE!" She repeated, louder this time. The water stopped running. "What?" Came his answer, muffled through the wall. Y/N made a point to gather her thoughts before answering. "Is your ceiling usually spinning?" He thought about it for a second, letting silence stretch on. "I don't know, you tell me." What? "How would I know? I don't sleep here!" She answered with a frown. "Well, maybe you should. Then you'd know." He turned the water on again. She thought about it for a second. It took her all of her willpower to mobilize the brain power that hadn't been drowned in alcohol. And after a few moments, she came to a conclusion. "That is the dumbest kriffing thing I've heard in my life. It doesn't even make sense, you Porg Head. What are you—" The door whooshed open, and Y/N turned her head to the side, the rest of her sentence dying in her throat as her mouth hung agape. She froze. A very wet Poe Dameron was walking out of the bathroom, naked from the waist up. He had put some grey sweatpants on that did nothing to hide his defined torso and his Adonis belt. He looked more alert, and his gait was less wobbly as he stepped inside the room, rubbing his tousled hair with a small towel. His chest was still glistening from the shower he had just taken, and he was— Maker. He was to die for.

He must have noticed her staring because he stopped, raising an eyebrow at her. "What? Please tell me I didn't accidentally walk out naked." Oh. That wouldn't have been so bad. "No," Y/N blurted out. "It's just... I... well... can you put on a shirt?" She expected him to tease her, but instead, he shrugged. "'M too lazy." He flopped down on the bed by her side, staring at the ceiling for a moment. Y/N gave him a side look, admiring his profile as he frowned softly, deep in thought. He was a work of art, carved by whatever deity was out there. The dim light of the room painted soft shadows on his features, and Y/N wasn't sure it was entirely the alcohol's fault that she was breathless now. "You're right. It's spinning a bit. Barely. Looks like the shower helped." Good for him, not so much for her. They stood there for a moment until the ceiling stopped moving. Laying down had been a good move. "Feeling better?" He asked, and she hummed. He stood up again. How he had so much energy after being so drunk earlier, Y/N didn't know. "Good, because I have some stuff to say. I... Maker, okay. You need to stop doing that." ...Doing what? Nothing? Y/N sat up slowly, but he seemed to understand her confusion. "That," he said, waving toward the wall. "What you were doing earlier. Talking yourself down. That's not... no. It's not okay." Y/N shrugged off his frustration, blissfully unaware of how deep it ran. "I mean... I'm just being honest—" "Stop it! Dammit. I know you mean it. That's the worst part. Because you say stuff like that about.. everything. And that's just not true, and I hate it." He had gotten really passionate all of a sudden, and it almost made Y/N forget he was standing there half-naked. Almost. Because his chest was at eye level, and Maker was he hot. She knew she was focusing on the wrong thing. But in her defense, Poe was not making much sense. Again, he realized it. He ran a furious hand through his hair and started pacing as he searched for his words. "You're a great person, Y/N. You're competent as a pilot AND a padawan. Well. You will be. And you're smart and kind, brave, and stunning. And you have no idea how kriffing mad it makes me hear you say you're not. Nobody had a right to say bad stuff about you. Especially not you. Kriff, when are you gonna realize it?" ... Ookay. Y/N blinked, stunned into silence by the spontaneous amount of compliments. They barely registered in her drunken mind. But what she did understand was that Poe was upset. She gently grabbed his arm as he walked past her. "Poe. Breathe," she said softly. "The alcohol is making you more emotional—" "I'm not drunk," he interrupted. "I'm tipsy. And it doesn't change anything. I mean it." "Drunk or not, it's making you say stuff you might regret," she tried to argue. Poe groaned and started pacing again. "The only thing it does is give me enough courage to finally say and do what I mean," he grumbled. Y/N stood up and blocked his path with a hand on his shoulder. He stopped, standing in front of her, muscles tense under her fingertips. Once she was sure he wouldn't start moving again, Y/N lowered her hand, looking up at him. His eyes were unusually stormy, albeit a bit unfocused. "You're the bravest person I know, Poe. I don't understand why you'd need the liquid courage to do anything," she tried to joke. He rolled his eyes, but it was for good measure. "Yeah, yeah. Not when it comes to you. Finn was right. Fuck, I hate that he was right." Y/N frowned. She didn't understand. And the smell of his shower gel certainly didn't help her focus. "What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, curious. He stared at her for a moment, clearly weighing his options— something she could tell by looking at his lower lip that was ruthlessly being nibbled on. "Want me to show you?" He finally asked quietly, biting his lip harder. Y/N nodded. Something had changed in the air; she could pick up that much. It made her hair stand on her skin. Her inner alarm was blaring, and everything told her not to go down that path. Something in his eyes, a glimpse into his mind, frightened her. Not because she feared him but rather the implications of what would follow. "Please. Because you're not making much sense to me right now." Her self-preservation instinct flew out of the window with her voice's steadiness as it broke at the end. He gave her a crooked smile, his eyes drilling a hole in her skull. He licked his lips. "Okay. What was it you said last time? Please don't hit me?" She stared, confused. "Wha-" But she never got the chance to finish her sentence. He closed the distance between them in one step, grabbed her chin, and kissed her.

#poe dameron #poe dameron x reader #poe dameron reader insert #poe dameron fanfiction #star wars #star wars reader insert #star wars fanfiction #female reader

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objectshow-enjoyer · 1 year

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Commissions for Palestine!

quick intro! will probably edit later

Welcome to my silly object show fanart blog!

Doodle requests are open!!

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you can call me Es

I’m a minor

I’m aroace!

my pronouns are paint/paints & xe/xir and you can use more feminine language for me

DNI: racists homophobes transphobes terfs proship zionists etc etc

my general blog: multifandom-rambler

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Tags I use:

my art - my art

other people’s stuff - rbs of other ppls cool art

es.doodles - my lower effort stuff lol

es.ocs - my ocs! (it’ll be es.oc: <character name> for specifics lol)

non art - other stuff

if you need anything specific tagged lmk :D!

reblogs are appreciated!

Currently working on adding descriptions on all my art! posts w/ will be tagged described , and the ones I haven’t gotten to will be tagged undescribed ! (If a post doesn’t have either of these, it’s probably broken and tumblr won’t let me edit it)

Pls give credit if you use my art for stuff!!

#intro post #non art #colored text

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bratshaws · 1 month

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through the hourglass 374. brb x oc

a/n: so sorry for the slow smut, lol im just having weird issues with tumblr (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none........yet

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

/367/368/369/370/371/372/373

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

He cracks his knuckles as he waits, rubbing his wedding band over and over out of nervousness. He was far from Bea now, he still had some time until his name was called but he had to…calm himself.

He inhales, looks out the door that shows the outside and his eyes lock on Beatrice’s head as she swivels it around in hopes to see him. She doesn’t, and Nicole notices her mother’s antics, choosing to do the same by climbing on her lap.

Part of him still can’t wrap his head around…well…everything.

Beatrice was…the most amazing woman ever. Honestly, if someone ever told him what was his favorite thing about her he’d just say her whole self as an answer. Then the kids, fuck,he’s a father of three kids. Normally,if you were in the Military you’d have kids earlier because,well,you don’t know.

He counts himself so lucky to be able to have his kids after accomplishing so much.

His heart is full and his whole self is happy. What is it that Bea says? That his smile makes little wrinkles form on the corner of his eyes, like he’s the cartoon of a smiling sun. And fuck he feels like it a lot.

Rooster did so much, he achieved so much and yet his mind can’t handle the whole process. Yes,he’s happy with his promotion, yes he’s happy with his life. But…he was an angry young man for many years and he is working in his therapy sessions on how to make the child inside of him stop being so angry all the time.

Dr.Paulson asked once what made Rooster happy…and all he could think was his family. He has a loving family and loving friends he considers just as family. Hell,the Schiavoni’s too. They took him in seconds and he had to admit, it felt so good. Beatrice’s family was great, they made him feel at peace and welcome.

Maybe he should reach out to his aunt and uncle.

It’s been so long.

He…well,he never really had a close relationship with them but he could try right? This new step in his life is important and he knows a lot more will come…he had most of his father’s family here - in a way if you consider his family was the Navy and Mav.

Why couldn’t he have his mom’s?

He tried to remember if his aunt and uncle were ever against him joining the Navy and honestly, he couldn’t recall a point where it happened. He holds his clasped wrists in front of his navel, feeling the cold belt buckle touching the inside of his hand as he purses his lips.

Yeah, it’d be nice.

The kids would love it, the more the merrier…and,they were his mom’s siblings. They’d like to know about it,right?

But the fear of rejection still gnawed at him, the scars of his tumultuous upbringing still fresh in his mind. He couldn't help but wonder if his aunt and uncle would even want to hear from him, if they would be willing to forgive the mistakes of his youth.

But then he remembered Beatrice's words, her unwavering faith in him giving him the courage to face his fears head-on.

She had always believed in him, even when he struggled to believe in himself.

And now, as he sat there on the brink of a new chapter in his life, Rooster knew that he couldn't let his fears hold him back any longer.

He would reach out to his aunt and uncle, no matter how daunting it seemed. He would confront the ghosts of his past and lay them to rest, once and for all. He knows it’s the right thing to do, his mom would want that.

The murmurs of conversation ebbed and flowed around him, but Rooster's focus remained fixed on the stage, where the ceremony would soon take place. And his name was finally called.

Suddenly, a hush fell over the room as the Admiral stepped forward, his imposing figure commanding attention. Rooster's heart pounded in his chest as he watched Vice-Admiral Simpson approach the podium, his stomach churning with nervous anticipation.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the Admiral's booming voice echoed through the room, "It is my honor to announce the promotion of Lieutenant Bradley Nicholas Bradshaw."

As the Admiral spoke, all eyes turned to Rooster, who felt a rush of adrenaline course through him. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves as he prepared to step forward.

"Lieutenant Bradshaw, please come forward," the Admiral called out, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife.

Rooster's heart raced as he made his way to the stage, his footsteps echoing in the quiet room. He could feel the weight of all eyes on him as he approached the podium, his palms sweating with nervousness.

His eyes immediately met Bea’s and she offered him a smile and a thumbs up, one that Nicole followed, giving him a thumbs up as well.

As Rooster ascended the stage, he stood tall and confident, his chest swelling with pride as he reached the podium.

"Lieutenant Bradshaw," the Admiral's voice boomed, "For your exemplary service and unwavering commitment to duty, it is my privilege to promote you to the rank of Lieutenant Commander."

The words echoed in Rooster's ears, sending a thrill of excitement through his veins. Lieutenant Commander Bradshaw. It had a nice ring to it, really nice. The whole room erupted in cheers and clapping, so much he almost couldn’t hear his own steps.

He stepped forward to receive his new rank insignia,he bit back the inside of his lower lip, inhaling shakily as the vice-admiral approached him.

“Bradshaw.”

“Sir.”

Cyclone pinned the new rank insignia to his uniform, and Rooster let out a shaky breath he had no idea he was holding. “...thank you sir.” he whispers before Cyclone stepped back.

“...thank you,Bradley.” he then gestures ahead, “Now, your speech,son.”

His brown irises moved to the podium, his heart beating to hard he felt his whole body hurt.. Taking a deep breath, Rooster cleared his throat and began to speak. His voice was steady, his words measured as he addressed the gathered crowd.

"Thank you, Vice-Admiral Simpson, for this incredible honor," Rooster began, his voice carrying across the room. "I…am truly humbled and grateful to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. It is a privilege to serve alongside such dedicated men and women in the Navy,”

“Woohoo!” Coyote shouts from the back and laughter erupts for a brief second into the room “And I am honored to continue my service in this new capacity."

He smiles, licking his lips before continuing. He pauses, tapping his coat only to see that his speech…was nowhere to be found. Alright. No panic…wing it.

Trust your gut.

"I…” he laughs softly, “I’ll admit I had a three pages speech planned, but I think no one here would want to stay that long,right?’ more soft laughter “...I…hm…” he taps the podium with his fingers, “I.. have so much to say, but I’ll make it…as short as possible.”

He licks his lips, then closes his eyes before continuing

"I want to take a moment to thank all of you for being here today," Rooster began, his voice steady as he addressed the crowd. "Your support means the world to me, and I am truly honored to have the opportunity to serve alongside each and every one of you." he smiles at the dagger squad, who just cheered him silently.

He paused, taking a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. "I also want to express my deepest gratitude to my family," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "Without their love and support, I would not be standing here today." he smiles at Mav and Bea, “But…especially…to my wife.”

She smiles softly at him, one hand coming up to her lips.

“...without her.” he continues, not looking away, “Nothing of this would be possible. Nothing at all.”

As Rooster continued his speech, he felt a surge of emotion welling up inside him. The words flowed from his heart, and Bea’s eyes filled with tears.

"She has been my guiding light through all this," Rooster continued, his voice soft but filled with conviction. "Her support and unconditional love have carried me through the toughest of times, and I am eternally grateful for her presence in my life."

Beatrice's eyes shimmered with tears of pride as she listened to Rooster's heartfelt words. Her heart swelled with love for him,and she tried - and failed - to hold some of the tears back.

“...I also,” he clears his throat, “I’m almost done,I promise,” he chuckles in hopes to calm his own tears down. He pauses…then ducks his chin to his neck, clenching the podium with both hands and looking up in time to sniffle quietly, “...I also…also want to…thank my parents. As…as some of you know, they aren’t here- couldn’t be here, unfortunately.” he rolls his tongue inside his mouth, “But,without them I wouldn’t be here.”

"And to my dad," Rooster continued, his voice thick with emotion, "I hope I'm making you proud up there. I miss you every day, but I carry your memory with me in everything I do."

Tears welled up in Rooster's eyes as he spoke, his emotions raw and unfiltered. He glanced over at Beatrice, her eyes shining with tears of her own, but she nodded for him to go on.”

"And to my mom," Rooster added, his voice catching in his throat, "Thank you for your love and sacrifice. You've always been my biggest cheerleader, and I wouldn't be here without you."

Rooster's words hung in the air, the weight of his emotions palpable as he spoke.

"Finally," Rooster said, his voice firm with resolve, "I want to thank my fellow service members. You are the backbone of our Navy, the unsung heroes who work tirelessly to keep everyone safe. It is an honor to serve alongside each and every one of you, and I am proud to call you my brothers and sisters in arms."

A round of applause filled the room as Rooster finished his speech, the sound echoing off the walls in a chorus of support and admiration. He stepped back from the podium, his heart pounding with emotion as he took in the faces of the crowd.

He sniffles, quickly wiping his eyes as he made his way back to his seat.He had poured his heart out to the people who mattered most to him, and he hoped he did a good job.

Beatrice gave Nicole to Mav and immediately rushed up to meet him halfway, hugging his torso and letting him bury his head on her neck, “You did so good.” she whispered, rubbing the back of his head, clenching her eyes when he shook,trying to hold his sobs back in the middle of the crowd, “Baby you did so good, so good.”

"Thank you," Rooster whispered hoarsely, his voice barely audible over the din of the crowd. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Beatrice squeezed him tighter, her own emotions bubbling close to the surface. "You were amazing up there," she murmured, her voice choked with emotion. "I'm so proud of you."

Rooster pulled back slightly, his eyes searching hers for reassurance. "Do you really think so?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Beatrice nodded, her eyes shining. "Absolutely," she replied, wiping her own tears quickly. "You spoke from the heart, and everyone could feel the sincerity in your words. You touched so many people today, Roos."

A small smile tugged at the corners of Rooster's lips, a flicker of pride breaking through his lingering self-doubt. "Thank you," he said softly, his gratitude shining in his eyes.

Beatrice reached up to brush away a stray tear that trailed down Rooster's cheek, her touch gentle and reassuring. "You don't have to thank me," she said with a small smile. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

Rooster's smile widened at Beatrice's words, a rush of warmth flooding his chest. He leaned in to press a tender kiss to her forehead, his heart overflowing with love for her. "I don't know what I'd do without you," he murmured.

Beatrice returned the kiss with equal tenderness, her heart swelling with affection. "You'll never have to find out," she whispered, her voice soft but firm. “Come on, let us sit down, yeah?”

Rooster nodded, holding her hand as she guided them back to their table. Nicole bounced on Mav’s legs, reaching for her father, “Dada!”

Nicole's enthusiastic cries of "Dada!" brought a smile to Rooster's face, his heart swelling at the sight of his daughter reaching out for him. He scooped her up into his arms, planting a kiss on her cheek as she giggled with delight.

"Dada, abuhehu good!" Nicole exclaimed, her eyes shining with adoration.

Cue to her wet kiss on his cheek.

Rooster's heart melted at Nicole's words, his chest swelling with love for his daughter. "Thank you, sweetheart," he murmured, pressing another kiss to her forehead. "I’m so glad you think so.” he looks over at the twins who were now wide awake inside their strollers

“Well,” he begins, “...the night just began,right?”

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