#And on that note for BB I need to see it for myself

[bonefall]

For everyone hearing about StormClan and doesn't mind Ivypool's Heart spoilers, here's the details I've heard so far;

(Remember to take this with a grain of salt, as always, because this is third hand information I've collected from various spoiler threads)

This is not a major plot thread in Ivypool's Heart. It's actually quite secondary.

StormClan was created at some point after DOTC, when Galestar of WindClan and Stripestar of ThunderClan fell in love.

They combined their Clans into one and left the territory.

At some point, Galestar, Whitebreeze, Rosebush (or Shadebush) and some other guy betrayed Stripestar.

Some cats came back to reform ThunderClan and WindClan.

But not all of them came back; these remnants stayed as StormClan.

Ngl StormClan's traditions are UNIRONICALLY very cool. Instead of contacting a centric StarClan, each one has a "Spirit Guide" (a lot like my Patrons and Demons, but more personal!)

Spirit Guides give their chosen disciple a full name, and can be channeled directly when needed. VERY cool.

Sisters are a breakaway group from StormClan. Less cool, imo, I wanted them to be closer to the Tribe.

StormClan cats also tend to be aggressive, and have actually been several of the unnamed rogues across the series.

Ivypool is going to have several flashes to the StormClan founding drama, or spiritual visions, or something. Basically she's going to give us a window into the history of StormClan.

We get confirmation that fading is connected to forgetting, BUT a faded spirit can be brought back if they're remembered.

There's a big soul river thing that connects all the afterlives.

So, overall, imo this seems fun. I'm actually glad that the Erins are being a bit more creative with the afterlife systems, and this is a nice way to riff on the structure of Clans. While I am still (rightly, imo) wary of the team's ability to juggle all of these new groups, I think StormClan is an interesting addition to canon.

[autism-corner]

=3=

[girl-lostconnection]

kissing you sloppy on the cheek for a/a/o throuple 141. barking screaming crying sobbing pleading begging meowing idc PLEASE more at your convenience if you wanna continue it I love you 🫶🫶

Imagining Kyle and Johnny finding alpha!reader the most delicious looking person they’ve ever seen. not normal at all? Intriguing. Hormones fucked? Scent fucked? Sign them up. Maybe alpha!reader is beating themself up over their shitty second gender. Maybe they can fix you.

Kissing your cheek sloppy in return, anon. I just saw your ask and god BLESS you for it. God, I’ve been dying to talk about it.

Kyle and Johnny might as well be the whole construction crew with how much they are in the “I can fix them” trenches. On more serious note, I think they won’t really try to “fix” anything because they like Reader already as they are.

Reader is runt Alpha, a thing I came up with (let me know if it already existed and I’ll humble myself) at some point during my fruitless omegaverse snippet writing, all of which went into the desk and was forgotten.

But in short the idea was that runt Alphas are generally smaller, they have weaker scent, they are more sense sensitive to what other Alphas wouldn’t be. They don’t get Omega’s adaptability or Alpha’s strength or even Beta’s stability. They have less ruts, many of runts are actually late bloomers, “ugly ducklings” of omegaverse if you wish.

Johnny and Kyle aren’t alphas and they have seen their fair share of bias throughout life which in my head means that they would look past the whole secondary gender thing. But even with it, they genuinely would think that Reader is in fact the most delicious fucking alpha they have ever seen and smelled and had pleasure to interact with.

Reader doesn’t smell as strong as most alphas? Perfect, they like that Reader has softer not as aggressive scent because both Kyle and Johnny would have issues with “submitting” to average alphas. Because why would they?

Reader has fucked up hormonal balance? That’s okay, bb, they are gonna gently herd Reader to check it all out and see if there is anything that can be done to help and/or accommodate the imbalance. If not, that’s okay, they will work it out themselves and see if any accommodations would be needed.

Alpha!Reader is very much beating themselves over second gender but maybe not in a typical wallowing way. They are just stubbornly resigned. It’s a devastating kind of defeat, one that was born out of years and years of jumping over their head and never reaching the set bar. It’s not that they can’t believe that someone would want them — it’s that not believing in it feels safer. They aren’t sure if they won’t fucking shatter if they get reminded in such vulnerable situation how not enough they are.

I think Kyle and Johnny are going to win because they accept Reader exactly the way they are, while Price has very high standards for how alphas should be if Reader was to try and prove that they deserve place in the pack and they deserve place in the Price x Simon x Reader throuple.

But really, how much can you push someone before you finally push them off the edge?

[ssinnerplazahotel]

WC:3k

Warning: 18+, age gap, smut, fluff, yandere elvis, it’s the 50s/60s, painful-difficult-devastating-life-changing-extraordinary love

Pairing: elvis x black reader

Disclaimer: full of inaccuracies, inaccurate timeline, inaccurate depictions of Graceland, historically inaccurate themes and items

Note/: intended for black readers but written with no physical descriptions—all reader’s welcomed

When you saw him watching, you couldn’t help but put on a show. He didn’t seem like the type of man to approach a woman; you imagined he wouldn’t have had to do so often. Instead, he watched you move around the crowded lounge for over half an hour. He smiled softly whenever you caught his eye but otherwise only looked when you weren’t. At one point you had moved to the opposite side of the room and you thought you’d lost him. But when he managed to find you, you managed to find it in your heart to put him out of his misery.

He spoke first when you were close enough to hear him over the band. “You’re good at that.”

“At what?”

“Dancing.”

You laughed. “You’re good at watching.”

“What’s your name?”

“What?”

“Your name?”

You pretended not to be able to hear him over the music and offered to go upstairs to talk some place quieter. He hesitated and although you wondered why, you didn’t question it. You managed to get through the dense crowd without losing each other and you guided him upstairs.

“Yo, Treasure.” You found a familiar face lingering by the staircase.

“Chuck, baby, why am I not surprised to see you here?”

“You can’t be more surprised than me,” He said. “You look good.”

“You look the same as when I saw you last.”

“Who’s your friend?”

“He doesn’t have a name yet.” You smiled and continued up the stairs with your new friend in tow.

“Your name’s Treasure?” He asked.

“It is for Chuck.”

“What is it for me?”

You thought for a moment. “…Birdie.”

“Why ‘birdie?’”

“Have you ever seen a bird stay in one place for more than a few seconds?”

“No.”

“Exactly.” He was still confused. “I’m saying that I refuse to stay still.”

“You refuse?”

“Yeah.”

“…I struggle keeping still myself.”

“I guess we’re the same.”

He stepped towards you whenever you stepped back, keeping the space between you minimal. “Do you live around here?”

“I’m not from here.”

“Where are you from?”

“Nowhere.”

“W-What’s that mean?”

“I sorta go wherever I want and do whatever I want.”

“Is that right?”

“Yeah, and I don’t stop by the same place twice.” He looked disappointed. “My mother was the same way, so I can’t really say I’m from anywhere.”

“Oh.”

“What’s your name, baby?”

“O-Oh, it’s uh, Elvis.”

“Uh-Elvis?”

He chuckled softly and despite the dim light you saw the tips of his ears turn red. “Yeah.”

“I saw you up there talking to BB.”

“Yeah, w-we uh—I know him.”

“He ever show you this room?” You went over to the window and looked out. “They used to leave me up here when I was too little to party.”

“You were little? I-I mean, y-you knew him w-when you were little?”

“Come look, you can see the road from here.” You waited for him to cross the room, watching his expression as he looked out the window. He didn’t look too impressed.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…w-why’d you ask?”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Why would you?”

You shrugged. “Just being careful.”

He stepped closer. “You don’t have to be careful with me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

You slipped your hands onto his shoulders. “Still okay?”

He nodded.

“Yes?” You wondered.

“Yes.” He confirmed.

“You can touch me, y’know?”

When he realized that his arms were still motionless at his sides he moved to hug your waist; you smiled as your body pressed against his.

“You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

You laughed.

“I-I don’t—y-you’re just…I don’t think I’ve met a girl like you.”

“You need to get out more.”

You couldn’t make out his expression as he examined your face. “Can I kiss you?”

You were shocked that he had been polite enough to ask. “Only if you promise to buy me a drink.”

He nodded. “Whatever you want.”

He wasn’t only polite in asking, he was polite in letting you make every move. His lips were soft when they met yours. He was nice…too nice.

“Remember when you said I didn’t have to be careful with you?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“You don’t have to be careful with me either.”

“Okay.”

“Touch me, Elvis.”

“Okay.”

He deepened the kiss but it was up to you to take his idle hands and make them grope your breasts. After that bit of encouragement, they were all over you as he held you against the windowsill. You wondered if anyone could see the two of you from the road but you didn’t care enough to stop.

You guided his right hand under the skirt of your dress and he rubbed you through the damp fabric of your underwear. You smiled against his lips when he pushed the fabric aside and his trembling fingers met your arousal. He kissed you more eagerly and touched you with the same vigor. Despite his nerves, he was sure of himself as he fingered you within an inch of your life.

“Yes, baby, that’s perfect,” You whimpered. You could feel his confidence growing with every word of encouragement. Soon he broke the kiss in favor of meeting your eyes; forcing you over the edge with one final thrust in the right direction. Before he pulled away, you guided his hand to your lips.

“No,” He whispered in awe, watching with lust blown pupils as you lick his fingers clean.

You kissed him again, grinning at the desperation behind his tongue but stopping suddenly. “H-How about that drink, huh?”

His shock didn’t go unnoticed. “O-Oh…”

“You owe me, remember.”

“Y-Yeah…okay.”

He looked confused when you moved to unbuckle his belt. The sound he made when you touched him scratched a certain part of your brain—it made you want to make him fall apart. It’d be so easy.

“Oh my god,” He muttered breathlessly as you tucked his errection into his waist band.

“We’ll just tuck this away for later. No one will ever know.” You instructed him to fix his belt while you grabbed your purse.

“W-What, uh…What drink do you want?”

“Something sweet.”

“Something sweet,” He repeated. “…Sure.”

“Go, I’m right behind you,” You said, stopping to wipe your lipstick off his lips before ushering him the rest of way out of the room.

You followed him out after fixing your clothes and makeup. When you got downstairs you stopped the first man you ran into.

“Hey, baby, come here.” You smiled and motioned for him. ��Wanna buy me a drink?”

“In exchange for what?”

You almost rolled your eyes. “You choose.”

“What do you want?”

“Something sweet.”

He looked like a man who struck gold as he rushed towards the bar. You spotted Elvis there too and you couldn’t help but laugh watching the two order similar drinks.

“Hope this is sweet enough for you, doll,” Elvis said as he handed over the drink, kissing your cheek along the way. BB showed up and began pestering him about treating you right, but you could hardly pay attention as you kept an eye out for the tall dark devil you sent to the bar. Your stomach churned in delight when you saw him making his way over. You took a seemingly harmless step away from Elvis and BB when he neared, abandoning the drink that had been placed in your hands just moments before.

“Something sweet,” He said when he found you.

“Aw, baby, you really shouldn’t have.” You felt Elvis’ eyes boring into you, how could you not when he was only a few feet away.

“I bet you’re the sweet one, really.”

“Stop,” You chuckled.

“Once you finish that we can roll.”

“Roll where?”

You choked on your strawberry daiquiri, covering your mouth to hide your amusement at the sound of Elvis’ voice.

“Is there a reason you’re talking to me?”

“Is there a reason you’re talking to my girl?”

“Your girl?” The stranger looked at you.

“I’ve never seen that man in my life,” You said with an oblivious expression, ignoring BB’s horrified one.

“Hold on just a damn minute~” Elvis started as the man went to defend you, stepping in front of you to act as a barrier.

“BB you oughta get this flamingo outta here, he don’t fit no way.”

You backed away discreetly, moving away as BB kept the two men from attacking each other. You abandoned your drink on a nearby table, slipping down the wooden steps of the lounge and into the cool night. You were relieved to be outside again. You sauntered into the street, hardly dodging the few cars that still lingered that late in the evening. You looked back at the club once more before disappearing into the night with a final laugh.

*

“I don’t know when you’re gonna stop coming back here. I can’t keep blocking off streets for you.”

“Anything?”

“Oh, I’m fine, thanks for asking~”

“BB, please.”

“E.P…” The man sighed, pouring a drink. “It’s the same as I told you before, I ain’t seen her since that night.”

“Has anyone seen her?”

“Nah…” He offered Elvis the drink but he declined the glass.

“I’m getting on the road tomorrow,” He said instead. “I dunno when I’ll be back in Memphis again.”

BB looked thrilled. “That’s good to hear~”

“I wanted to see her again before~”

“That girl’s probably halfway across somewhere by now. She don’t stay put.”

“You said she’s your cousin.”

“That’s how I know. I heard stories about her for years ‘fore I actually laid eyes on her, that’s how fast she moves around.”

“…There was something about her.”

“There’ll be something about someone else soon I’m sure.”

“What’s her name?”

“I can’t~”

“Please. I’ll never see her again anyway. Neither will you from the looks of it.”

He looked conflicted but ultimately answered. “…It’s Y/n.”

“Y/n?”

“Are you bunnies talking about me?”

BB groaned and rushed to push the door shut before any desperate stragglers slipped through. “Can you get that maniac upstairs before I have to board up another window.”

You couldn’t tell if Elvis was the maniac or if you were. “Oh, BB, aren’t you happy to see me at least?”

“Upstairs!”

“Fine.”

You huffed and led the way upstairs. You faced Elvis when you were behind the door of the small room upstairs. He looked the same as when you saw him last, only the circles under his eyes were darker and he looked more stressed.

“What happened to not stopping by the same place twice?”

“You remember that but not the part where I told you that I do whatever I want.” He rolled his eyes. “You look tired.”

“Thanks.”

“Are you okay?”

“I called that number you gave BB.”

“He’s really not supposed to be giving that out.”

“A man picked up.”

You liked the jealous undertone in his voice, it made you smile. “Did he say ‘hi?’”

“Who was it?”

“Does it matter?”

“Did he give you my message?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

His jaw twitched. “…I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“I know that’s why I came today.”

“You couldn’t have come sooner? Shit, I asked BB about you a million times in the last five weeks.”

“That’s a lot of asking when you could’ve just called.”

“And talk to your man?”

“And talk to my dad, jackass.”

He looked stunned and you laughed. “Y-Your dad? You live with your father?”

“No, but I stop by to pick up my mail when I’m in town.”

“Which is…whenever you want?”

“That’s right, bunny.”

“Uh-uh, don’t go giving me one of your freaky little nicknames, alright, I got a name. I like my name, I want the whole world to know it~”

“I didn’t mean to get you all flustered~”

“I don’t get flustered.”

You bit back a smile. “Okay.”

He sighed and looked off. “I can’t believe you’d wait til tonight to show up.”

“I came as soon as I got the message.”

“You’re playing with me.”

“I’m not. You’re the only reason I came back.”

“You’re lying.”

“Come on, bun…Elvis.” You inched towards him, waiting until he met your eyes to continue. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“I’m happy to see you, I just wish I didn’t feel like I had to stare at you for the next five hours to make up for the past five weeks.”

“You count like a girl.”

“You get around like one.”

“How dare you~”

“Where do you go when you run off in the middle of the night? You aren’t sleeping in the street are you?”

You were shocked by his forwardness. “It’s none of your business, honestly.”

“Of course it isn’t. Because you do whatever you want, you go wherever you want to go~”

You groaned. “You’re making me regret even showing back up in this old, deadbeat town.”

“I feel like an idiot. All these days I’ve been holding you up here when really you’re subpar with the rest~”

“It’s not my fault you spent the last five weeks hoping you could fuck me before tour~”

“I don’t want to fuck you, I want to talk. I hardly said two words to you the last time I saw you.”

“I’m not the talking type.”

“Where do you go at night?”

“…I just…fly away.”

“You fly away?”

“Yeah, but…I gotta stop by and pick up my mail tonight. Wanna come?”

“Sure,” He responded sarcastically. “I’ll just pull my fucking jet around.”

You laughed. “I’m serious. Unless you’re too mad at me.”

“…I’m not mad at you,” He finally said.

“Then come with me.”

“Fine.”

“Can you get us out of here?”

“Yeah.”

“Perfect.”

*

You were hoping to avoid running into Ron, but he was up waiting for you when you got there. You couldn’t make out his expression, but you knew he wasn’t happy.

“This is Elvis. I told you about him.”

“Elvis? What kind of name is that?”

Elvis started to respond but you stopped him in time. “Some guys were bothering me so he was walking me home. We were just saying goodnight.”

“Bothering you where?”

You shook your head. “Nowhere, just up the street b-by O'malley's…”

“…We need to talk.”

“Okay, baby, I’ll come talk to you in a minute.”

“It was nice to meet you, Ron.”

“Yeah…”

You stopped Elvis when he headed back toward the door, holding your finger to your lips until you heard Ron’s bedroom door shut behind him. You motioned for the stairs and carefully crept up them—showing him how to avoid the creaky parts of the steps. You were relieved when you were behind the door of your bedroom.

“That wasn’t so bad.” You slipped his coat off your shoulders and threw it on your bed.

“That’s your dad?” He looked uneasy.

“Yeah, but only when he’s sober.” You laughed.

“Is that your father?”

“…No.”

“Are you together?”

“No…he don’t care what I do as long as he gets the final word.”

“And does he?”

“Does he what?”

“Does he get the last word?”

“Why does it matter?”

“Because it don’t seem right.”

“Bunny, don’t make it more complicated than it is~”

“I’m not playing your game right now, I’m serious.”

“So am I—leave it alone. You can go back where you came from if you think you’re gonna be sitting up here interrogating me like you’re my goddamn daddy.”

“But he can?”

“Yes, he can. And can also put a bullet between your eyes if I ask him to.”

He looked shocked. “I’m trying to protect you.”

“Do I even have to say it?”

“Say what?”

“I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Y’know what…fine, that’s fine.”

You almost felt yourself stopping him when he turned to leave. You refrained and instead faced your window to light a cigarette. You heard the shuffle of his coat going on before there was silence.

“Is this where you’ll be?”

“Aren’t you leaving tomorrow?”

“Is this where you’re going to be?”

“Not if I can help it.”

He sighed. “Will he give you my messages?”

You nodded. “I’ll get them whenever I drop by.”

“Can you try to do that more often?”

“Drop by?”

“Yeah. So I can hear from you while I’m on the road.”

“…I’ll try.”

“Will you?”

“I’ll try, bunny, I promise.”

When you heard from him again it had been weeks later when you received a copy of his latest record in the mail. Ron got real quiet when he saw what it was—not good. You flew away quickly that night; leaving the record behind as proof of how much it meant to you.

The next time you heard Elvis’ voice, you just so happened to be in town when he called.

“Hello?”

“Birdie?”

“Elvis?”

“You’re home?”

“Elvis…”

“Hello?”

“Y-You can’t call this late, you’ll wake up Ron.”

“Why are you whispering? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just…h-he just now went to sleep and I don’t want to wake him up.”

“I called last week and I ain’t heard nothing back.”

“Sorry, he…” You checked down the hall before dropping your voice some more. “He’s still mad about th-the record you sent.”

“He is?”

“Yeah, y-you really can’t do those kinds of things.”

“I thought you said Ron don’t care.”

“…Ron takes care of me, Elvis.”

“Okay?”

“Okay, so if he asks me not to accept gifts from other people I don’t accept gifts from other people.”

“For someone who does whatever they want he has you on a leash this big~”

“I’m hanging up.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“I can’t talk.”

“I’m sorry about the record. I s-sent em around to everyone. I-I didn’t think anything of it.”

“I know…don’t do it again, that’s all.”

He fell silent on the other line and you didn’t rush the silence, you just let it be until he spoke up again. “Where are you going to be tomorrow?”

“I don’t know,” You responded. “What about you?”

“I don’t know…”

You couldn’t let the silence sit that time. “I have to go before he realizes I’m gone.”

“…I’m starting to think you don’t feel safe.”

“What’re you gonna do about it?”

“I’m gonna come get you.”

You stifled a laugh. “Oh no.”

“I’m serious.”

“Come get me then.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Will you be there?”

“You always ask the right questions, don’t you?”

He was serious. “Birdie.”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Will you be there?”

“Honestly? I hope not.”

He sighed softly but he didn’t say anything about being disappointed. “I’m gonna be in Ohio for the next two weeks.”

“Okay. Good luck in Ohio.”

“…Thank you.”

“…You’ll break my heart if you make me hang up first.”

You heard him chuckle and after a beat of silence the line went dead.

*

“Every time I see you I go to pinch myself.”

“Do you know what it takes for a girl like me to get this far this fast?”

“I’m sure Ohio’s happy you’re here.”

“Ohio better not be the only thing happy to see me. I might turn my ass around.”

He laughed. “Y-You wanna ride with us?”

“No, I can’t.”

“Why?”

“I’m headed to meet someone. I just thought I’d surprise you while I was here.”

“Where ya headed? W-We can drop you off on the way.”

“I’m going back that way, opposite direction.”

“What way?”

“That way.” You motioned vaguely.

“Let’s go, EP. Truck’s already rollin.”

“You should go.”

“W-Will you come with us?”

“Baby, I already said~”

“Please? You don’t know where you’re headed anyway, what’s the difference?”

“They’re going to leave without you.”

“Get in the truck.”

For some reason you hesitated and you found yourself rushing to respond. “I-I really can’t.”

“Why?”

They blew the horn and he got this anxious expression on his face that made you feel bad. “I can’t just leave you standing here~”

“Let’s play a game,” You said, opening your purse and rummaging around for a moment. “Take…uhm, take this, okay?”

“Why?” He asked, letting you put the silver compact mirror in his palm.

“So you can give it back when I see you next time.”

Another exasperated blow from the car horn.

“Kiss me.” You stood up on your tiptoes expectantly and waited for his lips to touch yours before pushing him away. “Go. Be careful.”

“Me be careful?” He wondered as he skipped a few steps toward the truck. “You be careful.”

“Elvis!” You called just as he climbed into the truck and shut the door. You laughed when you saw him sticking his head out the window.

“What?” He called as the truck started rolling.

“I love you!”

“What?”

“I love—“ You motioned to your heart and then to him. “—you!”

You couldn’t make out his expression as the truck picked up speed and made its way down the road. You watched until the vehicle was out of sight, suddenly feeling the emptiness of the night as you stood there alone.

*

“He’s in a bad way…there’s no telling how long he’ll be over there.”

“I don’t know what you expect me to do about it.”

You rummaged through your purse in search of any change, collecting the loose dimes from the bottom of the handbag.

“I’m only telling you ‘cause he’s been here every night since he found out. I been boarding up windows and blocking off doors~”

“I’m waiting for this to turn into my problem, BB.”

“This is your problem, this is solely your problem.”

“I don’t even know when I’ll be in Memphis again.”

“Can’t you get one of your men to bring you down here? How much they be paying Ron anyway?”

“It’s not about the money~”

“However much it is, I’ll pay him back if you can get here ‘fore he ships out.”

You laughed. “What is it about that man that makes you do whatever he says?”

“I could ask you the same damn thing. I’m tryna get a problem off my hands.”

“So am I.”

“Nobody put you in the position you’re in.”

“…I don’t know if I can be in Memphis before next week. It’s too short notice.”

“Don’t be like that.”

“Ron’s sick of hearing about him and he’s starting to take it out on me. Things were good before, I don’t need all this.”

“Well maybe you shouldn’t have told him you loved him and you’d see him again.”

“I didn’t think I would, that’s why I said it. I was just trying to make his night.”

“You made it alright.”

“…I’m on my last dime, baby.” You turned the silver over in your palm before dropping it into the pay phone.

“I know you can be here, you can be anywhere.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Come by the club, have a drink with the man. Do all your little tricks and disappear like always.”

“I’ll see, okay? Don’t be mad at me…I can’t handle you being mad at me.”

“Then don’t give me a reason to be.”

[pinkkop]

Another week has passed! And I'm still sticking to my weekly recap, though I know 2 weeks isn't super impressive but I'm sticking to this!! I've actually set up a whole system to make these posts and I'm probably going to make a post explaining how tomorrow (link to post)

As always, any constructive criticism is welcome and I'll probably keep improving this format for a while.

QL Recap for Week 2

The 6th of January to the 12th of January

🇹🇼 See Your Love

Episode 13 of 13 || Watching on: Gagaoolala

Final notes: This show was just so good and it definitely stuck the landing. Both couples were great, felt very fresh and I was super invested in both. If they'd had a longer runtime they could have definitely used more time on the core plot and the second couple but that's really more of a wish of mine. They used the time they had well and I can definitely see myself returning to this. And just the cherry on top of two great pairings came an interesting plot which didn't treat Shaopeng's disability as something to be fixed and instead showed all the ways he was perfect just the way he is.

🇹🇭 ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat

Episode 5 of 13 || Watching on: Youtube

Another great episode! Was a little surprised that Thame hadn't realized he has feelings for Po yet but at least we got there now. I'm not entirely sure what Jun's problem is yet but at least it seems like Po knows he is up to something. Nano's fear of failure and desperate need to not feel like a burden to other people was so relatable and I'm really happy they all were there to help him understand that it's okay to rely on other people. It's safe to say I'm very invested in this show!

🇹🇭 The Heart Killers

Episode 7 of 12 || Watching on: Youtube

Oh this was delicious! Just the intricacies of Bison and Fadel now also knowing Kant and Style's motives and pretending they don’t. The BB gun scene was insane because it felt very close to home when Bison and Fadel are used to being out shooting people but this was just for pretend. Two things were said in this scene which I'd bet was foreshadowing: Style asking to be allowed to help which might mean he'll be shooting a real gun in the future and Kant saying he'll shield Bison which I'd bet means he'll try and shield Bison for real in the future and might actually get shot. Overall the acting in this episode was phenomenal!! Particularly the final boat scene was just *chef's kiss*

🇹🇭 Your Sky

Episode 9 of 12 || Watching on: iQiYi

Oh they are just the sweetest boyfriends!! Can't wait for Hia and Real to finally get their shit together and have a proper talk but luckily they'll take steps towards that next week. This show is just my happy space right now.

🇹🇭 Fourever You

Episode 16 of 17? || Watching on: Gray

I'm still one episode ahead but I wont spoil anything so don't worry if you haven't seen episode 16. I feel a little bad but I was pretty happy about having an episode for just Johan and North. I absolutely adore them so it was so great get more background story on them. For some reason I thought this show was only 16 episodes so I have no clue what the total nr. of episodes are anymore. I wouldn't mind a couple of more episodes with Johan and North as the focus though because they're the highlight of this show for me. I do also love seeing the two friend groups and their friendships which to be honest I could use more of. I love that even the very masculine group of friends have each others backs and are able to be vulnerable in with each other.

🇯🇵 Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu

Episode 10 of 10 || Watching on: Gagaoolala

Final notes: Oh these two! This was such a good story of living in a world that doesn't accept you. Just two lonely lost boys finding love and a home in each other. Even when they get their happy ever aften they still live in a society where they have to hide and it just breaks my heart. I just hope they find better friends. Overall I really liked this show and how it was produced. I could easily feel the pain of these two and put myself in their place. It was by no means perfect but it was a good little show with all the things that made me enjoy watching it.

🇹🇭 Petrichor

Episode 7 of 10 || Watching on: iQiYi

I'm still enjoying this very much and putting the killer in-between our two main characters was so delicious. The crime plot and the romance are heavily intertwined and one enhances the other. This was the same with Spare Me Your Mercy but also the reason why when SMYM didn't develop the relationship enough it also affected the rest of the plot. I don't find that this is the same problem here though.

🇹🇭 Caged Again

Episode 10 of 10 || Watching on: Gagaoolala

Final notes: This concept was absolutely bonkers but they made it work really well. I loved how they played into the animal characters because it made it feel more believable and original and fun. I fully believed that the two were transformed from specific animals and it made it great. It kinda lost it's magic towards it's end but I still think its well worth a watch.

🇹🇭 Perfect 10 Liners

Episode 12 of 24 || Watching on: Youtube

I'm still invested in Gun and Yotha, and I'm loving Arc's presence in their lives. I however was very confused about Aou and Boom's couple suddenly getting screen-time. I like these two as actors but since their characters came into this show already established and with very little screen-time before this week I'm not invested in them at all.

🇹🇭 The Boy Next World

Episode 2 of 10 || Watching on: iQiYi

This show is suffering from the large amount of shows airing on Sunday because I'm struggling to pay enough attention to actually get invested. The acting and production value is there and I like the plot a lot but I usually get to this third so I'm usually tired and anxious about in being Sunday when I get to it which isn't an easy situation to get into a new show.

🇯🇵 Futtara Doshaburi

Episode 1 of 7 || Watching on: Gagaoolala

I don't understand how you can slowly start moving your beds away from each other in a relationship. They got some serious issues and desperately need to talk about it but are doing anything but that. I'm a little confused about the otsee your loher couples(?) dynamic, are they dating? Just roommates? They're acting like they're more than roommates at times but I guess we'll find out. I assume that all that is something we'll find out so I'm intrigued by this show, even if I worry a little that they'll get into "cheating" territory at some point which is not my cup of tea.

🇹🇭 Sangmin Dinneaw

Episode 3 of 8 || Watching on: iQiYi

Sangnim and Dinneaw are super cute and I love all the languange stuff and I'm also interested so see where the second couple goes. But other than that I kept thinking all episode: "What even is this show? " The Pony thing still isn't my kind of humor but I'm assuming someone is finding it funny. The third couple however, what even is the point of them? We don't know them at all so I'm not invested in them or their relationship and I don't even know what those sex scenes are? Like they're neither funny nor sexy, why are they there? This is the one time where I'll allow NC scenes to be called unnecessary. I'm just so confused so if anyone has any insights please let me know!! Maybe it's just not my thing? I don't ever remember watching a show where I really liked parts of if but then absolutely didn't like other parts.

🇨🇳 I'll Turn Back This Time

Episode 1 of 6 || Watching on: Gagaoolala

I really like Meet You at the Blossom so I'm very curious to see if this can live up to the hype. They pretty much speed ran "enemies to lovers to something more" so I'm worried that this will come back to bite them in the ass later. Either way I'm intrigued and I'll wait and see the show unfold more before I make more of a judgement on this show.

🇹🇼 Eternal Butler

Episode 5 of 12 || Watching on: Gagaoolala

I'm watching this incredibly casually because I'm not big on robots in romantic relationships and, like it's predecessor, Anti Reset, you shouldn't think too hard about the plot.

That's it for this week!

For links and airing schedule check out World of BL (Only for BLs)

[thelovelylolly]

Tech bb 1 and 9 from ur valentines prompt list

Take Care of You

Summary: After a close call on a mission, you find comfort in Tech Warnings: mentions of violence and injuries Word Count: 705 Notes: I LOVE TECH OMG HOW HAVE I NOT WRITTEN FOR HIM BEFORE????? I LOVE HIM SO MUCH LIKE ITS BAD AHHHHH

The first thing you noticed when you woke up was how little pain you felt. The last thing the remembered was a rouge bomb going off close to you, throwing you yards away and knocking you out. You tried to sit up, then the pain caught up with you, hitting you on your back.

"Ah, you are awake," Tech's voice came from beside you.

You realized you were in your bunk on the Marauder, and you turned your head to see Tech by your side with his datapad in hand.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, typing away as he spared a quick glance up at you.

"Sore," you mumbled as you slowly turned yourself to dangle your legs on the edge of your bunk.

"I suggest you stay here for a bit longer, I'll give you another dose of pain medication in an hour and then you can begin to move around," Tech quickly said when he noticed you sitting on the edge of your bed.

"How long was I out?"

"Only a few hours. We've been traveling in hyperspace, so you haven't missed anything of importance. You are lucky, any closer and that explosion could've caused more serious injuries."

You looked over at him just as he looked up at you, your gazes meeting. He adjusted his goggles and didn't look back down at his datapad like usual.

"I'm also lucky I have a great squad member to take care of me," you said with a weak smile.

You could see pink dust Tech's cheeks, but he acted like he didn't notice his face warming up.

"Yes, well, I only trust myself when it comes to taking care of injuries like the ones you sustained. I don't believe you'd want Wrecker to tend to your injuries," he replied, looking back down at his datapad.

You laughed weakly, only to be cut off by a sharp pain from your back. You inhaled sharply through your teeth before trying to breath through the pain.

"How much long did you say until I got another dose of pain meds?"

"About an hour, I'm sorry I can't give it to you any sooner. I'll leave you to get some rest until then," he answered.

"You don't need to leave so soon," you quickly said right before he turned to leave.

His gaze found yours again. "Why is that? There is nothing I can assist you with, so I should give you some quiet time in order to sleep."

You patted the space next to you on your bunk, and Tech hesitantly sat next to you. He turned his eyes to the wall across from the two of you, setting his data on the side opposite of you. Slowly, you leaned your head on his shoulder, his somewhat cold armor offering some distraction to your pain.

You felt Tech tense at your action, then start to relax. A moment or two later, his arm came up and around you, careful not to brush up against any of your injuries. He rested his hand on your shoulder and held you close, his head leaning on top of yours.

You smiled, grateful for the peace and quiet with him. You felt yourself wanting to fall asleep again, a yawn escaping you, but you didn't want to fall asleep on Tech. You didn't want to keep him from his other jobs on the ship, so you tried to move away to let him go.

"Wait," his arm wrapped tighter around you, careful not to hurt you with your injuries but strong enough to keep you where you were, "don't pull away...not yet."

"I don't wanna fall asleep on you, Tech," you reply quietly.

"If it means you are distracted enough from the pain to get some rest, then you can fall asleep on me, cyar'ika. I'll wake you up when it's time for your next dose of medication."

You smiled at his sweet words, whether he meant them as sweet or not.

He picked up his datapad with his free hand and started to scroll through some article, his other hand absentmindedly running up and down your arm gently. You closed your eyes and let Tech's breathing lull you to sleep.

[dem-obscure-imagines]

I Know the End | Vol. 2

I Know the End

Poe Dameron x Reader

Fandom: Star Wars

Summary: You were one of the Rebellion’s greatest weapons in the Galactic Civil War, a Princess from a distant planet, a Jedi with wings. Now, you’ve found yourself in a new world, a new war, your old friends long gone.

When Poe Dameron was sent on a wild goose chase of a reconnaissance mission four systems out, he never expected to find the key to his heart…

Note: At long last, here it is. Thank you for your patience. I love you all. I honestly wrote this as a long-winded attempt to make Poe Dameron’s dumbest line “Somehow, Palpatine returned” into a gut-wrenching and emotional moment and it got way out of hand. I am no Star Wars expert, but I did a lot of research for this and consider myself waaaaaaay more of a SW nerd now than I was a mere two months ago. Could probably write a dissertation on it at this point (I say as I literally churned out a novel). It is my first time writing for the fandom, though, so, here goes nothing. I did make up a fair bit of stuff and a good handful of OCs for this. Let me know what you think!

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, lightsaber and blaster wounds, alcohol consumption, war and the implications of it, gets a little steamy but no smut, reader has nightmares, misuse of the Force, Rewriting the Rise of Skywalker a lil bit…

Word Count: 82.7k total (Split into four approximately 20k chunks)

Reader Is: 24, a Jedi, a Princess, has butterfly wings

Vol 1. | Vol 2. | Vol 3. | Vol 4.

Charms in Trees

A few small battles came and went. It was pilot stuff, mostly. They’d go, blow up a First Order transport, and be back in time for dinner. You always offered your help, but it was never needed. Still, you’d take any excuse to go see Poe, especially in that orange jumpsuit. You weren’t sure what it was about it, but you couldn’t get enough of it.

Sometimes you thought about taking it off of him.

It was a growing problem, your little unspoken thing. You’d forgotten just how all-encompassing a crush could be, especially when it was as attainable as the one sitting in front of you right now. You shared a base, lived just down the hall from him. Maker, you could feel that he felt the same way about you, but you still couldn’t bring yourself to shatter the normalcy.

Part of you wanted him to do it, finally take that leap of faith. You were patient. You could wait.

So you did.

Supplies began to dwindle, so you put on a utility uniform and went with some of the others to get more, lifting boxes with your arms instead of your mind. You helped Aspen and some of the other mechs with repairs. You spent time with Soren, both training and not. He was fun to hang out with, a funny guy. Had your sense of humor.

He told you that Laesynda had taken him out to Mariposas a few times when he was growing up. They’d leave flowers outside your pod, light a candle for a while and tell stories. It was haunting, almost, the funerals people held for you despite the fact that you weren’t dead.

Poe had been refurbishing an old X-Wing in his free time, which wasn’t very much to begin with. Leia had been upping his responsibilities, clearly bracing for something. Whether it was an attack or a defensive move, you couldn’t tell, but it had him stressed out.

On a beautiful afternoon, you looked for him in the hangar, armed with some baked goods. BB-8 chirped to welcome you and Poe kicked a shelf in shock, a toolbox teetering for a moment before it started its descent straight on top of him. You caught it in mid-air. The tools floated out of the box, your arm outstretched, heart racing. You set them all down gently, safely away from that pretty face of his.

“Didn’t mean to scare you, Dameron. Came here with a peace offering.”

“Peace offering?” He asked, rolling himself out from under the X-Wing. He peeled his work gloves off, dusting himself off as best as he could.

It looked pretty close to finished, you noted, looking it over. It would need a paint job, of course, but all of the major parts seemed to be accounted for.

“Finn said you’ve been in a mood lately…” You admitted. “Figured I’d bring you something to take your mind off it.”

He grinned, looking at the gift and then up at you. There it was, that infamous flyboy grin of his. “Sunshine, you’re all I need to take my mind off of it. But these are appreciated, too.”

Your heart fluttered at the nickname, handing him the container of sweets. “How’s it going in here? It looks good.”

“Thanks. Should be done soon.” He reported, busting into the box and biting into the sweet, berry-filled tart. “And then we’ll really be in business.”

“I’m sorry about your other one, by the way. I feel partially responsible for that.”

“It wasn’t my first. I knew it wouldn’t be my last.” He chuckled. “At least it got to go out with a bang.”

“And some flames, as well. It was on fire, last I saw it.”

“I am glad I got to take you for a spin in it, though. Think I could get you into this new one sometime?”

“I’m always down for a joyride.” You told him, eyes sparkling, words sincere. “Let me know when it’s done and I can try to fit you into my busy Jedi princess schedule.”

“You’re serious.”

“Always.” You nodded. “I’ve been wanting to spend more time with you.”

He pouted, gazing at you through those dark lashes, a little bit of fruit filling stuck to the corner of his stupidly pink lips. His tongue poked out to get it, but failed. “Wish I’d known that a week ago, I would have carved out more time.”

“Don’t worry about it, Commander.” You said, resting a hand against his chest. You reached up with the other hand, gently wiping corner of his lips. “I know you’re busy, too.”

He held your hand against his cheek, meeting your eyes. “Not too busy for you, your Highness.”

“Good.” You replied, thumb gently stroking his stubble.

He turned his face, pressing a soft kiss to the pad of your thumb. He met your eyes, gaze all innocent despite the way your cheeks were flushing. “Did you get it?”

“I did.” You nodded, making a speedy recovery. “Couldn’t let the best pilot in the Resistance walk around with jam on his face, could I?”

“Well, thank you, for the treats, for sparing my reputation, all of it.” His eyes scanned down your face as you finally removed your hand from the side of his. “You got anything going on today, (Y/N)?”

“Training.”

“Mmm. What time?”

“Soon.” You said, glancing at the watch around your wrist. It had been Luke’s, Leia had given it to you. “About fifteen minutes.”

“Could you move that panel for me real quick?” He asked, pointing up at the wing of his X-Wing, where a patch of machinery was exposed, a heavy piece of sheet metal leaning up against it.

“Oh yeah. Absolutely.”

He set his box of tarts on the workbench and rolled a ladder over to the X-Wing while you lifted the wing cover into place, arms out in front of you, the heavy piece floating in mid-air. He stopped and watched for a second, chuckling to himself.

“What?”

“Still getting used to it, is all.” He confessed, gently pushing the piece into place, where you held it until he started bolting it into place. “This thing weighs like two hundred pounds, and you just…You’re amazing. You know that?”

“You think that’s cool, you should see what I can do with some pretty hefty rocks.”

He glanced over his shoulder at you, the whir of his wrench stopping. “Oh I’m sure it’s phenomenal.”

“Anything else you need while I’m here?”

He shook his head. “I’m all set. Good luck with training. I hope you…you know, move things good.”

“I’ll certainly try.” You chuckled, turning and leaving the hangar.

Over and over in your head, you watched him turn his face and press the gentlest kiss to your thumb. You may have been the one with wings, but he was always the one that gave you butterflies.

***

Your final bits of training that day just so happened to be wing-centric. That morning, you’d flitted from tree to tree, hanging metal charms in the branches with lengths of twine. Rey had been given some other independent activities to work on, but it was clear you and Soren had some ground to cover, or…not cover, flight being the main objective here.

The two of you stared up at them. He looked at you for instructions, but you simply repeated what you’d already said.

“Go get them.”

“What, with the Force?”

“Nope. We’ve been using the Force for hours. Time to stretch those wings, little prince.”

He laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever been up that high before.”

“That’s why I need you to be comfortable with it. If you go about it the right way, you can get some serious height. More, if you strengthen your wings with practice and exercise, and more yet if you use the Force for a little boost.”

“Could you…show me?”

You chuckled, hands on your hips, looking up, up, up at the charms. Yeah, that would definitely be a bit daunting if it was your first time flying. “Sure. I’m not gonna cut them down, though, because I’ll have to go up there and hang them all again.”

You spread your wings, shaking the accumulated dust and humidity collected on them from Ajan Kloss’ temperate ecosystem. And then you took off, running at a stump on the ground and using it as a springboard, wings carrying you to the first branch, where you hit the hanging charm sending it swinging.

You flipped from the first branch to the next, a few feet higher, touching that charm before heading to the next, and the next. You were like a dancer, graceful, fluid, gliding from branch to branch, using your limited flight to climb until you were near the top of the highest tree in your training grounds. You took a moment to look out at the camp, admire the Resistance crew bustling from building to building, doing their daily tasks to keep your movement up and running.

And then, doing one last somersault, you dove down, catching yourself with your wings and a burst of air, kicking up the leaves scattered on the forest floor.

Soren stared with wide eyes, Rey having joined him on the ground.

“And you expect me to do…that?”

“Not all of it.” You assured him. “That last jump is definitely something you’ll have to build towards. It’s a leap of faith. But that’s why I’m here, to catch you if the landing isn’t going so smooth.”

“Alright.” He nodded. “I can try.”

“Do or do not. There is no try.” You said, the words familiar, even if they weren’t yours. Sometimes the Force spoke through you; you could feel that this was one of those times. “Aim for five charms today. Any more than that and I’ll be impressed.”

Soren looked up at the first charm, on a low, sturdy branch, deceptively close to the ground. Like you did, he took off at a run, using his wings to get some height and land–somewhat shakily–on the branch, but he did it, youthful face breaking into a grin.

“There you go!” You encouraged, Rey smiling as she watched.

“It’s really great, what you’re doing with him.” Rey said, voice sincere. She reached for your hand and you gave it to her, just as you had that very first day you met. Long ago, you and Leia had shared a sisterhood, and now you shared that with Rey.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

“I hope so. He’s…well, he’s my first Padawan. After you, of course, but you had a head start.”

“I wish you had been here when all of this started,” she confessed, squeezing your hand. “It would have been…nice to know I wasn’t alone in this.”

“You’re not alone.” You told her. “A long time ago…I was meditating, trying to find other Jedi out there. Luke and I thought we were alone, too. I found someone, another Jedi, a young woman. The Force works in mysterious ways, of course, because…it was you. You wouldn’t be born for another, what, eleven years? But I know it was you. We were meant to be here. I was meant to help you and…I plan on doing that. No matter what.”

Rey smiled, words failing her. She pulled you into her arms instead, resting her head against yours. You hugged her back, rubbing comforting circles in her shoulders.

“You know, I’ve always wanted a sister.” She admitted with a laugh, tears in her eyes.

“Well now you’ve got one.”

“I got seven charms, Aunt (Y/N).” Soren said, dangling them from their strings when you turned to look.

“How was the landing?”

“A little shaky, but…” He shrugged and then looked back up at the next charm, even higher than the last. “I think I could get another one.”

“Go ahead. Round two.” You encouraged, motioning him up into the tree.

Finn and Poe walked over not long after, chatting animatedly about something, BB-8 rolling alongside them. It was clear, even from that distance, that Finn was teasing him.

You couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“She getting you up there next, Rey?” Finn asked, pointing up at the trees, where Soren had very clearly already gotten the hang of it, throwing a few flips and flourishes into his movements. You grinned, proud.

“Oh, no, I don’t think so.” Rey shook her head. “I will after you do.”

“Fair enough.” Finn chuckled. “How’s it going, ladies?”

“Good. Really good. Good, productive day today.” You said.

“Good view up there?” Poe asked, shielding his eyes as he glanced up at the highest branch, a glittering charm still hanging from a thread.

“Great view.” You said.

“I thought you said you could only cover short distances, that looks like quite a height.”

“You have to build up to it.” You told him, pointing to all the shorter branches on the way up to that point. “I can’t just fly straight up there. Maybe with some strength training, but these things aren’t what they used to be.” You gave them a flutter, noting the way his eyes caught on them yet again.

“Well, it looked great, from what I could see.”

“That’s high praise coming from you, flyboy.”

“Well, from one flyer to another…you’re a natural. Literally. You were born to be up there, doing that.”

You smiled, voice soft and sincere when you said, “So were you.”

“That means a lot, (Y/N).” He said, head turning downwards for a moment while he thought. “Anyway, uh, Finn and I were wondering if the two of you would join us at the cantina later? Rose’ll be there, too. Things have been so tense lately, we thought we could all blow off some steam.”

“I’d love to.”

Rey nodded. “Yeah, me too.”

“Just let me get changed into something more casual.” You said, flourishing the skirts of your Jedi robes.

“What, the robes aren’t fit for a night on the town?”

“The robes aren’t fit for…much other than looking solemn and kicking ass.” You said with a chuckle. “Unlike your flight suit, which is fit for any occasion.”

“Back to that, huh?” Poe grinned, letting out a laugh. “If you really like that thing so much, maybe I’ll wear it more often.”

You smirked. “I wouldn’t complain.”

“I would.” Finn chuckled. “It needs a good wash, buddy.”

“Alright, alright.”

You watched as Soren landed once again, wings powerful, stance strong. You gave him a nod, pride blossoming in your chest. He was getting there after all. Your training was working. You just hoped that, when danger came, he’d be ready for it.

You hoped you all would be.

Cards on the Table

You sat in your quarters with Rose and Rey, getting ready for your night out with the boys. You braided a few strands of your hair, tying them off with small gold rings at the end.

“This one?” Rey asked, holding the dress up against her frame, a sage green color. It was one of the ones you’d given her.

You nodded. “That color suits you. Brings out your eyes.”

Rey considered your words for a moment before beginning to change. Rose sat at your desk, looking through the accessories you’d pulled out. You plucked a pair of earrings from the collection, setting them in her palm.

“Are you sure? I’ve never worn a princess’ earrings before.” Rose said, staring at them. They were a pair of gold, dangling leaves. They’d go with the blouse she was wearing, a natural pattern on them.

“First time for everything.” You said with a shrug, turning your attention to your own outfit. A wine-colored top with a corset front, the back swooping just low enough for your wings. With it, you’d paired some dark brown pants with flared legs, a decorative gold belt made of metal hoops. You tucked your lightsaber into your bag, instead of displaying it at your hip.

“Oh this…” Rey struggled with the back of her dress. “I can’t get it to stay closed.”

“Here, let me.” You walked over and pulled ribbons from the sides of the dress, tying it closed above the large divot for where your wings went when you had worn it. “I sewed these in for Leia. She and I shared a closet during the Rebellion, more or less.”

Rey’s eyes scanned down her reflection, hands smoothing out the green fabric. “Thank you.”

“You look great.” You told her, words warm and reassuring. “You both do.”

“So do you!” Rose complimented.

A few minutes later, you decided you were ready, not that there was any pressure to be. This was just Finn and Poe you were talking about after all. But you had a feeling quite a few other members of the Resistance crew would be there.

The three of you arrived and it felt like time stopped. Poe and Finn were in a round booth in the corner and they both looked up, faces lit with anticipation at the sight of you. It felt good to be wearing something other than your robes or your standard Resistance gear, a luxury you did not take lightly.

They stood up and crossed the room, meeting you somewhere in the middle. Poe was wearing that leather jacket of his, the one you’d mistaken him for Han Solo in. Beneath it, a button-up that seemed to be missing a few buttons. You swore he was doing it on purpose.

“Hey, Princess.” He grinned. “Glad you made it.”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

Several Resistance folks milled about, dancing, playing games. A few droids manned the bar, where there were paper lanterns strung from the support beams, casting the room in warm, ambient light.

The five of you shimmied back into the booth, Poe going almost out of his way to make sure he got the seat next to yours, right on the end. His arm settled on the seat behind you, that strong sandalwood scent drifting from his pulse point. Maker, you could get lost in it.

When the droid taking drink orders came around, you each requested something, settling in for a nice, casual night.

A song you recognized came over the speakers in the corners of the room and you smiled. It was familiar. A place like this, people like these.

The more things changed…

“I requested some oldies for you.” Poe confessed, just about causing your heart to melt. “Thought it’d remind you of the good old days.”

“He put ten whole credits in the jukebox.” Finn tattled, earning a pointed look from the pilot. “Stood there forever picking out songs.”

“Well that was very sweet.” You said, leaning a little closer to him subconsciously. “Not to sound incredibly old, but the new music is still…growing on me, we’ll say.”

“How old were you?” Finn asked. “I’m sorry if that’s rude. I don’t think we’ve ever asked.”

“I’m twenty-four. I’ll be twenty-five in…well, I don’t know when my birthday falls now. Four months? Three months? Something like that. Give or take thirty years, of course.”

“You’re younger than me.” Poe murmured, almost in shock of the fact.

He’d taken it for granted, he guessed, just how young you were when they’d put you in that pod. But you’d existed his entire life, etched into legends and stories told by anyone who remembered the war. To him, you’d existed forever. But he was older than you, by eight years.

“Were you…alive when I was?” You asked, running the numbers in your mind.

“I’m thirty-two.” He said, meeting your eyes. There was an odd look in them, like he was asking permission for something. He chuckled, covering the flash of insecurity with a smirk and a quip. “I know I hardly look it.”

“You would have been really young, then.” You bit your lip, letting out a little laugh at the new information. The whole situation was ridiculous. You doubted your paths had ever crossed, so it didn’t matter, ultimately, but still. “That is a little weird.”

“It is.” Poe agreed, eyes still ever-searching yours for some sign that it was still okay, the feelings floating around his heart.

“That means you really are the Han of the group.” You said, in an attempt to diffuse the tension that had blossomed in his chest. It worked. You could feel it instantly. “He was like thirty and the rest of us were in our twenties.”

“Does that make you Leia this time?” Rey asked, catching your eyes, a spark of mischief in her gaze. She knew exactly what she was implying.

“I think it does. Which means you get to be me this time. Congratulations, you are now a princess. Use the title well.” You joked, sitting back against the cushioned bench, also, coincidentally, against Poe’s arm, which was still there, perched on the leather. Warmth emanated from him, both literally and figuratively.

Eventually, the drinks came and you took a few sips of yours, loosening up. You all chatted and joked and laughed. Eventually, Rey and Rose got up to dance with the mechs over on the dance floor. Finn followed behind them.

Jessika spotted you and motioned you over, a broad grin on her face. Beside her was Aspen. Snap was there, too. They were hanging out near the holodart board mounted to the wall.

“Wanna play some darts?” Poe smirked, following your eyeline.

“If you’re ready to get your ass kicked, sure.” You teased, getting out of the booth after him and walking over to where his friends were waiting.

“You look great, girl!” Jessika said. “Give us a spin.”

You did a little twirl, showing off the top, the pants, the accessories. Your wings fluttered behind you like a cape, folded down and out of the way, as they always were.

“Dameron said he was gonna try to get you out here tonight.” Snap said, jostling his buddy’s shoulder. “Glad you joined us.”

“Do you guys do this often?”

“Not often enough.” Aspen said with a laugh, perched criss-cross on a barstool. “But our schedules have us all wound up tighter than a drum. I think we all needed to let off some steam.”

“How have things been for you guys? Missions running smoothly?”

“As ever.” Jessika said. “Thanks, of course, to our fearless commander.”

“Stop, stop, you’re too kind.” Poe said, playfully brushing off his shoulder. “It helps that I have the best team in the galaxy at my disposal.”

Snap motioned you closer, handing you a glowing dart. “Alright, enough chitchat. I want the Jedi on my team.”

“That is not fair.” Poe protested immediately. “It’s only fair if she’s on my team.”

“Sorry, Poe, I’ve been spoken for.” You shrugged, throwing the dart and landing in the outer ring of the bullseye.

Snap’s face lit up and he high-fived you.

“That’s gotta be cheating.” Jessika said, looking to Aspen, who was serving, apparently, as the referee. Pilots took their holodarts very seriously, after all. “Ref, tell her she’s cheating.”

“No, if I was cheating, it would look like this.” You took a second dart from Snap, covered your eyes with one hand, and threw the dart, using the Force to pull it through an exaggerated loop-de-loop on its way to the board, where it hit dead on in the center. You lowered your hand and shrugged innocently. “I just genuinely have pretty decent aim, as hard as it is to believe.”

“She’s pretty and she’s got a sense of humor. You’re a goner, Dameron.” Snap said, elbowing him while you were distracted, laughing with Aspen and Jessika.

Poe chuckled, crossing his arms, eyes teeming with tenderness. “Believe me, pal, I know.”

***

The night went on. You had a few more drinks, toeing the line between tipsy and drunk, but not quite getting all the way there. You and Poe continued to dance around each other, but he didn’t make a move. Well, any further than he already had. But after watching him interact with some of his friends, you’d come to realize that he was a touchy guy. It was definitely his love language.

You sang some songs at the karaoke machine in the corner of the room, sharing the stage with Rose, who had a really good voice, as it turned out.

At the end of the evening, when the crowd began to dwindle, Poe walked you back to your quarters. You, somewhat clumsily, punched in your code, the doors sliding open smoothly. You lingered in the doorway, turning to look at him.

“Thanks for taking me out, Dameron.” You said, breaking the warm silence that threatened to swallow your moment. “I had a great time.”

“Thanks for coming. I, uh…” He reached for your hand and you gave it to him, letting him fiddle with your fingers. It was comforting, his touch. You doubted you’d ever tire of the feeling of those calloused palms against yours. “If you were serious about that joyride…I’m taking it up tomorrow. Little test-drive, checking perimeters. Two porgs, one stone, you know. It’ll still be a tight fit, if that’s alright.”

“Well we both know I have no problem with getting close to you, Dameron.” You teased, giving his hand a squeeze. “What time are you picking me up?”

“After breakfast? Or…well, whenever works. I know you’re busy.”

You nodded, eyes glimmering. “After breakfast works.”

You could feel it again, that warmth sweltering in Poe’s chest. That desire laced deep in his eyes. He was thinking about kissing you. The fantasy playing out in your mind, you weren’t sure if it was yours or his, at this point.

Him, grabbing you by the hip, burying a hand in your hair, kissing you fiercely, passionately, lips exploring every inch of your own. Hungrily. Like he’d been waiting for it. You heard the way his breath hitched, felt his large, warm hand wander further up your back, towards the base of your wings as he kissed you. Cards on the table, heart on his sleeve.

But he didn’t. Didn’t move, aside from giving your hand another squeeze.

You smiled at him, still reeling from the images that had just flashed through your mind, but doing your best to hide the way your heart was racing. “It’s a date.”

These Haunted Wounds

You woke with a start not long after you drifted off. An hour or two at most. Nightmares. Figured.

This time, it was about a different saber. A red one, two little offshoots on the side of the hilt. It looked dangerous. Poorly constructed, if you were honest. One wrong move and the wielder would slice their own hand off by mistake.

No, the scary part was the guy wielding it. Long, foreboding figure, black cloak that drifted in the wind. He wore a mask over his face, voice deepened by a modulator of some kind. It brought back memories in all the wrong ways.

Despite the fact that you hadn’t seen him yet, didn’t know what he looked like, you could just tell. This was Kylo Ren. Had to be. That type of energy could only come from someone who was trying his damndest to stand in the shadow of Darth Vader, an entity you were still all too familiar with.

Luke had made his peace with the guy. You had never gotten that opportunity.

Kylo swished his cape and from his shadow came Insidia, still haunting you after all these years. She plunged her saber into your heart, the pain scorching and real, a scream tearing itself from your throat, and that was when you woke in a cold sweat.

You sat there, hands shaking, heart racing, collecting yourself before trying to lay down to sleep again. Just as you were about to lay back down, there was a knock on your door. Eyebrows furrowing, you swung your legs out of the bed, crossing the room and opening the door with a click of a button on the wall panel.

Poe was standing there in his sweatpants, panting, armed with a piece of a pipe. It was clear he’d run there. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“Huh?” You asked, rubbing at your bleary eyes. You stopped, staring at his bare, toned chest for maybe too long before meeting his gaze. “I’m fine.”

He lowered the pipe. “Oh. I heard screaming.”

Had you screamed out loud? Maybe you had. Maybe you’d projected it on accident, through the Force.

“It was just a nightmare.” You reassured him. You chuckled when you looked at the pipe hanging from his grip. “Nice.”

“Hey, I could do some real damage with this thing.” He defended, giving it a test swing to demonstrate.

“Oh I bet.” You gave a tired smile, let out a sigh, that spot in your chest burning, where Insidia had stabbed you in this dream.

She’s dead. You reminded yourself. She can’t hurt me anymore because she’s dead.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Same old.” You shrugged. “Stabbed with a lightsaber this time. Right through the chest.”

He frowned, nodding. “Is there anything I can do?”

“I’ll be okay.” You promised him. “But thank you for rushing to my rescue. Very daring of you, Commander.”

“Any time.” 

You could feel that he wanted to stay. But you could tell he wasn’t going to ask. Ever the gentleman in the presence of a princess. It was kind of refreshing. You smiled at him. “Get some sleep, flyboy. See you in the morning.”

“You too. Goodnight.” He smiled. He held up the pipe in his hand. “I better go put this back.”

You laughed, watching as he walked back down the hallway. He glanced back at you, meeting your eyes before returning to the room he shared with Finn.

A soft smile pulled at your lips and you lingered in the hallway for a moment before closing your door and walking back to your bunk. You sat there, wondering what it would have been like if you asked him to stay. It wasn’t that you didn’t want him to, but…maybe there was a reason he was waiting.

Maybe he was waiting until after the war to get attached. That would be smart. You knew so many during the Rebellion who did just that. 

Some hashed everything out in the heat of the war, sure. It was hard to get comfortable. It was hard to know which base would be your last, which fight would end it all. Some people chased comfort, wanting to get close to each other while they had the chance.

But others wanted to wait, to make sure they were going to make it to see the peace after the war, and whatever relationship, whatever life awaited them after.

You rolled onto your side, staring at the wall. You wonder if he knew the way he had his hand wrapped around your heart, a little X-Wing orbiting it around and around.

Tomorrow, you promised yourself. Tomorrow you’d say something, up in the X-Wing with him. Arms around you, chest pressed against your back, legs tangled in the cockpit. And one way or the other, you’d finally have your answer.

This time, when you fell asleep, the only thing you dreamt of were his lips.

The Crash

The next morning, Poe met you and the others for breakfast, already dressed in his orange jumpsuit, the collar flipped open. You could not keep the smile off your face at the sight.

“I can’t believe this is really what does it for you.” He laughed, drunk off the look in your eyes.

“It suits you.” You said, eyes lingering on the collar, fighting the urge to reach out and fix it. You rummaged around your mind for some quip to fire back, but came up empty. He’d stolen the words right from your mouth.

The group of you finished eating and Poe cleared your plate, leading you towards the hangar. 

“I don’t have it painted yet, but the mechs checked over it yesterday and gave me the okay.” Poe explained.

“So we’re not going to crash, is what you’re saying.”

“Not with a Jedi on board.” He said, eyes meeting yours. “I still think about that transport you caught. I didn’t know you could just…do that.”

“Took a while to get to that point. Ships are heavy. It helps if I’m not fighting the trajectory. Laesynda’s ship was on its way down, I just…cushioned the fall.” You explained.

“You’re real humble for a Jedi, you know.”

“You think so?”

“More humble than I would be if I could lift spacecrafts with my mind.”

“Oh I’m aware, flyboy. If you were out here with a lightsaber, none of us would ever hear the end of it.” You teased, looking over his flightsuit, still enamored. “You’re already an ace pilot, you can’t possibly have all the skills.”

He opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by the harsh blare of a distress signal. The two of you looked at each other before booking it to the strategy table, where Leia was, hand still over the button.

“It’s one of our settlements. First Order troops on the ground, TIE fighters.” She made eye contact with you, Rey running into the room right after. “Kylo is with them.”

She dispatched groups of fighters, sent you and Rey and sent out the Black Squadron. Poe marched through the hangar, yelling orders, getting his team ready for battle. You forced your eyes away from him as he loaded BB-8 into his X-Wing, strapped your saber to your belt, and loaded onto a transport with Rey and Finn.

Soren walked over, saber at the ready. You stopped him with a shake of your head, something akin to a maternal look in your eye. “I need you here. It’s just Kylo. Rey and I can handle him.”

“I’m ready.”

“I know you are.” You said, hands on his shoulders. “That’s why I need you here. Someone’s gotta protect the base.”

He nodded, understanding. He took a few steps back, standing with the others as they saw you all off.

You made eye contact with Poe, one last lingering glance before he climbed into the cockpit and took off into the sky, blasting off at lightspeed with the rest of his squadron to clear way for your transport.

The ramp of the transport closed and Finn looked at you. “He’s like you. Soren.”

“Reckless?” You asked.

He shook his head, eyes serious and warm. “Brave.”

You smiled at the thought and put a hand on Finn’s arm. “So are you.”

The ride was short, but shaky. You didn’t like turbulence, especially in a craft that only had thin, tiny windows. It left you uneasy. But eventually, you touched down, saber in hand, leading the charge with Rey.

There were dozens of Stormtroopers, opening fire on not only the scattered Resistance members, but any civilians they could get their hands on. You put yourself between them, deflecting their shots with a few swings of the saber. The fighters that had come with you ran out of the ship, assessing the situation and adjusting as quickly as possible.

In the air, a battle had broken out as well, X-Wings and TIE fighters firing at each other, as well as the ground below them. You tried to identify which ship was Poe’s. You could feel him up there, but it was hard to get a lock. All you knew was that it was a black ship, an orange stripe painted down the side. Black Squadron.

Another trooper shot at you you and you shifted into battle mode. You used the Force to mow over a row of troopers, pushing them onto their backs in the dirt and leaving them scrambling to get back to their feet. One came at you with a melee weapon, electrified, but you did away with it quickly, using the Force to throw him at a tank, the force of it taking out the canon with a loud explosion.

More troopers focused their aim on you and quickly met the same fate.

Overhead, an X-Wing twirled around, almost drifting through the air and taking out one, two, three TIE fighters in quick succession, firing at a cluster of troopers on the ground immediately after. That had to be Poe.

Another turret fired near the civilians and you ran towards it, using your wings to get some height and jumping up the length of it, burying your saber in the metal paneling on the side and riding it back down to the ground as it was destroyed in a cloud of fire and smoke.

Finn ushered civilians to safety, taking out any troopers that got close with a well-placed blast. Rey worked with you to take out the remaining turrets, keeping the troopers at bay as more of them unloaded from landing transports.

You heard a boom overhead and looked, hoping to see a TIE fighter on its way down, but instead catching sight of an X-Wing, black and orange, one of its engines engulfed in flames.

You reached up and caught it with the Force, directing it away from the thick trees it was aimed towards and turning the nose, bringing it down gently in a clearing of grass and dirt, away from the immediate violence on the sprawling battlefield. You didn’t have time to worry if it might be Poe climbing out of it. Didn’t even have time to think before you saw him.

Kylo Ren.

His saber glowed red, contrasting against the lush green of the planet you were standing on, his kyber crystal obviously damaged, the way its blade was flared. He’d forced it too hard, been too rough with it. Maybe that was why the offshoots were there, to redirect the excess energy.

He was dressed like a shadow, long and sleek, all in black, face covered up by that helmet. It was better that way. You were afraid of finding too much of your friends in his broken gaze. Leia. Han. In another life, you may have been something like an aunt to him. Now he stood in front of you, a monster. 

And he was headed right towards you, strides long and elegant.

“Mothim said you were awake, your Highness. It’s time to see if you really are the thing of legends.” He twirled his saber, voice distorted beyond anything human. An intimidation tactic, no doubt, in addition to the obvious imitation of one Darth Vader.

“Ah yes, my best friend’s biggest disappointment. I keep hearing about you, and I have to admit. You’re a lot taller than I expected.”

He raised his hand attempting to use the Force to…you weren’t sure. Grab you, choke you, but you had your shields up, always did, blocking out his attempt. “You’re good.”

“I have to be.” You replied, readying your saber, stretching out your neck.

He swung at you and you deflected, angling carefully to avoid the reach of the flares near the hilt of his saber. So that’s what they were for. One wrong move and it would be your hand he was slicing off. You countered, using your wings to spin into position, leveraging an attack that he dodged, his saber clashing loudly with your own.

“Tell me, did you really face Vader by yourself, or did you have Skywalker to help you?” He locked his saber with your own, mask uncomfortably close to your face. “Skywalker is dead now. I saw to that myself. I finished the work that Vader could not.”

You let out a cold laugh at that. “You’re not Vader. You’re not even close.”

That definitely pissed him off. He let out a strangled yell, running at you with full force. You dodged with a leap, spinning out of the way. He took the opportunity to take a swing at your wings, which flared in reply, flattening themselves out of his reach. Your foot swept through the dirt as you landed, breaking your somewhat clumsy fall.

That had been a targeted attack. Straight for the wings. Not your arm. Not your saber. Your wings.

Rey came over next, putting herself between the two of you, battling him with a rage you knew had to be personal. You could feel that they were connected. Always had been. There were layers here that you did not quite understand yet. But she still fought him, moves quick and deliberate and instinctual.

You jumped back in alongside her, red clashing against blue and pink, sparks flying. Some of the brush caught fire, but never fully ignited, instead filling the ground between you with smoke, partially obstructing the rest of the fight.

You landed a hit on his leg, slashing into the skin. Rey got him on the opposite arm and he let out a burst of Force energy that sent you both flying. You used your wings to recover, repositioning mid-air, an outstretched hand slowing Rey’s trajectory as well, just before the back of her head hit a tree.

“RETREAT!” Kylo screeched, his voice echoing through the trees, birds scattering at the loud, distorted cry.

You’d hurt him. Bad. You could see the blood pooling in the dirt as he stalked away.

The Stormtroopers and other forces retreated into the transports that hadn’t already been blown up. The remaining TIE fighters, few though there were, hopped to lightspeed. One of the X-Wings shot a few transports on their way into the atmosphere, but other than that, the fight was over.

You found Finn among the crowd, making sure he was uninjured. He was fine. There had been some injuries, but no casualties, even among the civilians, who were cheering and embracing, celebrating their safety for the moment.

You looked over at the crashed X-Wing, smoking at the edge of the field and ran over to it, wings carrying you farther and faster than you’d flown in years, just a handful of feet above the grass. You landed on one of the wings and used the Force to pop open the cockpit, the windshield cracked, the pilot still inside.

She tugged off her helmet, long brown hair cascading down her shoulders. Jessika. Not Poe.

You offered her a hand, helping her out. She looked up at you, awe in her eyes, her hand wrapping around yours. You used your wings to lower the both of you gently to the ground.

“Are you alright?”

“I swore I was going to crash. You…you saved my life.” She rushed into your arms and you held her, rocking her comfortingly. “How do I even begin to repay you for that?”

“You don’t. We’re all in this together.” You assured her, wiping some of the soot from her face with a gentle hand. “Now let’s get you back to base. I’m sure there’s lots of room for you on the transport.”

One of the Resistance members from the planet rushed over, putting out her smoking X-Wing engine with a fire extinguisher. “We’ll take care of this. Get it repaired as soon as possible.”

Jessika exchanged some words with the mech, arranging something of a plan to come get it before following you and the others back onto the transport.

“Are you alright?” You asked Rey, checking all your bases, counting faces and heads.

“I’m fine. Are you?”

“I’m good. He…I don’t know what he knows about Mariposans, but he was locked in on my wings.” You said, shivering at the thought. “Someone must have told him to aim there.”

“You think the First Order has a Mariposan?”

“Maybe.” You said. “He…he mentioned someone named Mothim. That’s…vaguely Mariposan-sounding.”

You watched the sky, the X-Wings rounding up. Jessika had her helmet tucked under her arm, which started talking, Poe’s voice coming through the headset. You could have cried with relief that he was alright.

“Pava, come in. Are you alive out there? We don’t have eyes on your X-Wing.”

“I’m alive, Black Leader. Boarding one of the transports on the ground. They hit me in the right wing, but one of the Jedi caught me on the way down.”

He chuckled and you could hear the smile in his voice when he said, “That is great news. We’ll see you back at base.”

You watched as the X-Wings took off, hitting lightspeed in rapid succession. Your own transport followed suit not long after, once everyone was accounted for and all the systems had been checked for damage. You breathed, focusing on the quiet until finally, the ship landed and the ramp lowered.

You walked out, surveying the crowd of celebrating rebels when you spotted BB-8 whirring at you at full speed, beeping a mile a minute. He looked you up and down and then sped away, straight to Poe, who looked down at him. His little head swivelled to you and back.

“(Y/N)!”

Poe sprinted over, pulling you into his arms the second he was close enough. He let out a long breath, his gloved hand cradling the back of your head as he held you. You wrapped your arms around him, resting your head against his shoulder, wings twitching before relaxing completely.

“You…you’re alright? I saw him go after you. I wanted to shoot, but I couldn’t get a clean shot.” He said, regret in his voice, guilt on his brow.

“I’m okay, Poe. Really.” You told him, pulling away for a moment to get a glimpse at his face, check him over for injuries. There was sweat dotted on his forehead, wetting the curls at the edge of his hairline. “I thought it was your ship coming down. I was so scared.”

He shook his head, taking a moment to peel off his gloves so he could touch your cheek with his hand, skin impossibly warm. He rested his forehead against yours, the movement familiar and comfortable. “You saved one of my pilots. I…just when I think you can’t possibly impress me more…”

You wanted to kiss him so badly. So, so badly. Just surge forward and collect his lips as he uttered his sweet, flattering words. You could tell he wanted it, too. That victory kiss.

“Poe…” You murmured, mouth impossibly close.

“I’m right here, baby.” He whispered in response, voice gentle, eyes soft. Sparkling with anticipation. “We’re okay.”

Your breath hitched at the petname, heart racing faster than his X-Wing. You repeated his words. “We’re okay.”

He nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. He took a long breath and then hooked an arm around your waist again, pulling you close as he pressed a long kiss to your cheek. He buried his face in your shoulder, inhaling what was left of your perfume, diluted, you were sure, by the smoke from the battle.

Mood lightening considerably once he’d processed that you were actually okay, that you’d won, that you and Rey had fought off Kylo Ren, he chuckled to himself, remembering your original  plans for the day.

“Sorry about our date, but…she’s probably gonna need some repairs before I take her up again.” He looked back at his X-Wing, untangling himself from you, but keeping an arm anchored around your waist, just beneath the base of your wings. It tickled, where his orange sleeve touched the soft tissue, but you didn’t dare move him.

BB-8 beeped up at him, agitated.

“I was careful, Bee, why do you think we’re standing here?”

He beeped something complimentary of your performance out in the battle.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” He grinned, proud. “Really, you were awesome out there.”

“So were you, flyboy. I lost count of how many TIE fighters you took down. Are you sure you’re not Force sensitive?”

He smiled that prettyboy smile, reaching over to wipe some soot from your face, thumb moving deliberately, focused on one spot. “Pretty sure. I’ve just had a lot of practice.”

You saw Soren, ready to approach you, but giving you a minute with your pilot. You nodded at him, a promise that you’d be over there soon.

“I better check on my team. Make sure everyone’s in one piece.” Poe said, looking back towards the hangar where the pilots and mechs were conversing, figure out what all needed to be fixed after the skirmish. “Will, uh…would you grab dinner with me later? You know, since our date got rained out and all…”

You nodded, smiled at him. You put a hand on his cheek and guided him closer, pressing a kiss just beneath his scar. “Dinner sounds great. But when that ship is fixed, I better be first in line for that joyride you promised me.”

He laughed, nodding. “Absolutely, your Highness.”

You went your separate ways, his hand lingering on yours until the last possible second until you were finally pulled apart. And yet, as you met with the other members of the Resistance, talking over the battle, taking stock of everything, he was the only thing you could think of, the feeling of his lips still lingering against your cheek.

Vintage Diplomacy

After the battle, you spent the coming days doing strength training for your wings. Your flight across the ground had opened your eyes. If you could cover ground like that regularly, it could be lifesaving.

You’d spend mornings up in the clearing on the hill. Artoo found you up there once and asked what you were doing as you hovered, wings fluttering impossibly fast. You started with five second bursts, then ten, then twenty.

Artoo timed you, let you know when to stop. And that was how Poe found you one morning before a strategy meeting with the General, as well as her Admirals and Commanders. You’d been hovering for nearly a full minute, kicking up a small breeze in your wake.

You touched down when you saw him approaching, wings folding down with record speed as Artoo gave you the breakdown. Your longest yet. With more training, who knew? Maybe you could be the first Mariposan to rediscover the power of true flight. You could certainly hope.

You stretched out your back, hands on your hips stretching both ways. You hoped the soreness meant you were building muscle, if that was how that worked.

“Hey, Princess. Thought I might find you up here. You eat breakfast yet?”

“Yeah, I had something before I came out here.” You replied.

“Good. Meeting starts soon.”

“Thought so.” You glanced at your watch. “Shall we?”

“Lead the way.” He motioned. He was wearing a leather jacket you hadn’t seen on him yet. It was brown, a rebel patch on the shoulder. Definitely vintage.

“Cool jacket.”

“You like it?” He asked with a smirk.

“Yeah. Is it vintage?”

“It is, actually. Good eye.” He rested his hands on his belt buckle. “Not as vintage as you, of course, your Highness.”

“Hey!” You elbowed him and he elbowed you back, both of you laughing as you strode into the meeting together.

A few eyes caught you, knowing looks exchanged between the other assembled people. You said some hellos, exchanged the necessary pleasantries. You greeted your sister, who smiled warmly when she saw you and Poe walk in together.

You were sure after your little, uh, victory celebration out in the middle of the base, that everyone there must have thought you were dating behind closed doors.

You wished they were right.

Poe sat with the pilots, but you could feel his eyes on you as you mingled with the folks filing into the seats around you. Rey, as always, took the seat next to yours. On your other side, Soren. There was always a certain energy to the room when the Jedi were all together. People paid attention.

Before long, General Organa started the meeting. The main topic of interest: Resistance allies, or the lack thereof.

Since the battle at Crait, Leia had been trying to get in contact with anyone she could think of, friends new and old, anyone the Resistance had helped, but responses were few and far between. The First Order had done their best to silence or…eliminate anyone who wasn’t loyal to them.

“What we’re running low on is hope.” Leia said. “The people don’t think we stand a chance against the First Order. They’d rather hide in fear than stand up and fight. And if we don’t find some allies soon…it’s a matter of time before they take us out. We’re already running on scraps here.”

Chewbacca roared out his support.

“More outreach.” Another Admiral suggested. “The people saw what we did for them in the Endor system, that we stand up for them when it matters. Hell, we got twenty new recruits from that battle alone. When people see the difference we make, they want to fight with us.”

“I think our next move needs to be diplomacy, General. It’s been a while since we’ve had representatives at any events raising awareness.” Your sister reasoned. “How are they supposed to know we’re still here if they never see us?”

“But who would go?” Leia asked, scanning the room. “Diplomatic training hasn’t been very high on our regimen, I’m afraid.”

“I can go.” You volunteered. The eyes in the room fell on you quickly, like they’d been expecting you to say it. “The First Order already knows I’m alive, our allies should, too. They think we have one Jedi, we have three. I think that would spark quite a bit of hope, General. Besides, I have the diplomatic training and I never get to use it.”

She smiled, eyes sparkling. “I was hoping you’d say that. I did catch wind of a gala. It’s…mostly safe. Former Rebel sympathizers, a formal event. It would be as good a place as ever to make a debut. You’ll need a pilot of course, to–”

“I’ll go, General.” Poe volunteered before anyone else even had the chance. “I’ll escort the princess. It would be my honor.”

Leia gave a small, professional smile that you could tell she was all she could do to keep from laughing at the sheer speed with which he offered himself up for the mission. She thought about making him fight for it, and she knew he would. Poe Dameron was nothing if not stubborn, ambitious. It was why she respected him so much.

And at the same time, she knew exactly what would happen if she sent the two of you there, together. Alone.

Maybe it was about time.

“Great. Get packed. It’s tonight, three systems out. Take the Falcon.”

***

After the meeting, you went straight to your quarters, shuffling through your closet for anything…formal. You had a lot of Jedi robes, that was for sure, which might have suited an event like this in the olden days, before even your time, but now…all it would ensure was that you would stick out more than you already did.

“Thought I’d find you here.” Laesynda said, standing in the doorway. “I might have something that’ll work.”

You followed her to her quarters. She opened her wardrobe and pushed aside some clothes, reaching for something specific. She pulled it out with a flourish. A long, midnight blue gown. Off the shoulder. It glittered like stars and truly did look fit for a princess to wear. With it, she had a silver circlet, some silver Mariposan cuff bracelets.

“Mom’s…” You remembered, a hand drifting down the sparkling fabric.

Laesynda nodded. “I’ve been saving it for a special occasion. Maybe I knew you’d need it someday.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course. Now, let’s get you dressed. Sounds like you have a flight to catch.”

Laesynda helped you into the gown, adjusting the flowing fabric so it sat just so, helping to slip your wings through the slot sewn in specifically for them. It was nice, wearing Mariposan garb again, something you didn’t have to adjust in order to wear comfortably.

She put your hair in a simple style, braiding the front pieces back, setting the circlet on your head. You put on the cuffs, put on a silver belt and strapped your saber to it, the final piece of the puzzle. The metal tones clashed, but maybe that was okay. It would stand out, at the very least.

“How do I look?”

“Like a princess.” She replied, a hand reaching out to touch your face. “And like Mom.”

You couldn’t help but tear up a little bit when she said it. She carefully tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear, giving a final nod. You were ready.

You stopped back into your room, packed a bag with some essentials. Among your things, you found your wooden box of Rebel memorabilia. Pins, cuff links, a pair of dangling silver earrings. You tucked it into the bag as well, along with another change of clothes for after the party. As gorgeous as the gown was, you doubted you’d want to be in it all night. You knew how these kinds of parties went. They were long and socially exhausting. You’d be longing for those Resistance standard sweatpants at the end of it.

There was a knock on the doorframe, your door still open. You expected it to be Laesyndra, having forgotten something. Instead, it was Poe, holding a garment bag that you assumed contained his formal wear.

“Tried to get the General let me take my flight suit out for ya, but she wasn’t having it. You ready for–” He stared, voice dropping off once he spotted you, dressed in a dazzling, midnight gown. “Oh. Wow…”

“Ready for…?” You raised an eyebrow, walking closer with slow strides.

“For takeoff?” He asked, Adam’s apple bobbing, eyes half-lidded. “Chewie warmed up the Falcon for us.”

You smiled warmly, nodding. “All packed, Commander. Ready when you are.”

“Perfect. Right. Well, let’s…” He offered his arm and you took it, slipping your arm through his, your bag slung over the other shoulder.

You gave his bicep a playful squeeze, laughter bubbling out of your painted lips. “Loth-cat got your tongue, Dameron? It’s just me.”

He let out a chuckle, meeting your eyes. “That’s the problem, your Highness.”

This Changes Everything

Your friends saw you off, complimenting you endlessly. Rey and Rose demanded you twirl around, showing off the look, which you gladly did.

“You look dazzling, Princess.” Threepio complimented, giving a little bow, arms poised at their odd angles.

“Thank you, Threepio. It was my mother’s.” You said, a sad, proud glimmer in your eye. Poe caught it immediately.

Artoo came with, but otherwise, it was just you and Poe in that big ship. He put in the coordinates, lifted off the planet, and put it into hyperdrive, with you in the passenger seat. Once it was on autopilot, you were free to move around the cabin.

Poe took his garment bag from one of the other seats and moved towards one of the Falcon’s tiny bed cabins to change. In the meantime, you found a mirror and put in a pair of earrings from your box of Rebel trinkets. They were the Rebellion’s symbol, silver and dangling from tiny chains. They completed the look.

Poe emerged a few minutes later, wearing a dark blue formal tunic, dramatic diagonal trim highlighting his shoulders. It was paired with matching navy pants, some black loafers with silver buckles.

“There was a hat, too, but I thought it would be too much.” He said, standing stiff while you looked him over, eyes roving his figure.

“Covering hair like that would be a crime, I think.” You told him, earning a chuckle and that dashing smile.

Your eyes lingered on the ends of his sleeves and you dug around in your box until you found a pair of cufflinks. You walked over to him, grabbing his hand and inserting one of the cufflinks into the end of his sleeve.

“Where’d you get this stuff?” He asked, watching your careful movements as you switched sleeves, putting the other one in as well.

“I’ve had it. Held onto it after the war. Figured we’d wear them to…charity events or something.” You shrugged. You rummaged around the box for a lapel pin, focused as you pinned it to one side of his tunic, straightening it with a quick movement. “Never thought we’d need them for war fundraising, but here we are…”

“My parents were Rebels, you know.” He confessed, voice soft, eyes softer. He’d been holding onto it, unsure why he’d never found the opportunity to tell you until now. Maybe he was afraid the information would shift your already teetering dynamic.

“Hence the jacket.” You noted, meeting his gaze, fingers still lingering on the pin. The wheels turned in your head and your jaw dropped, finally seeing it in his face. Those brows. That nose. Those eyes. “You’re…you’re Kes Dameron’s kid.”

He chuckled and nodded, eyes sparkling. “Yeah. I am. You knew him?”

“I did know him.” You laughed to yourself shaking your head. “Maker, I can’t believe I didn’t put those pieces together. He worked with Han and the pathfinders. I worked with Leia. It was kind of inevitable that our paths crossed. He was a great guy.”

“Is a great guy.” He said. “He still lives on Yavin. That’s where I grew up.”

You hummed, nodding. “That’s really good news, Poe. I’d…I’d love to see him sometime.”

“I’m sure he’d love to see you when all of this is over.” He said, eyes softening when he spoke of home, of family. “Mom was a pilot. Maybe you knew her. Her name was Shara.”

You gasped softly. “You’re…you’re Shara’s son? Shara Bey?”

Poe nodded, smiling. “I am.”

“Poe…I…” You teared up, studying him, dividing his features in your head, which had come from Shara, from Kes. You touched his face, laughed sadly, happy memories bubbling to the surface. “Shara was…so special. She was my bunkmate on Hoth. She and I kept watch together twice a week. We ate lunch together almost every day. We shared wine bottles at parties. I…I always thought there was something going on between her and Kes, but they kept it very professional. Didn’t know they were engaged until after the war.”

Poe got a little misty, nostalgia swirled in his warm brown eyes.

“We don’t have to talk about it, I’m sorry…”

He shook his head, taking your hand and kissing the back of it. “You were there. I always forget you were there. I can’t believe you knew them…”

“Maker, I could tell you so many stories…”

“I want you to. I want to hear all about them when we get home.”

“Okay.” You nodded, shedding a single tear that he was quick to wipe away, pulling you into a hug instead.

He pressed a long kiss to the crown of your head, arms tight around your shoulders, yours wrapped around his middle. You listened to his heart, hammering away beneath his tunic. You felt his lips on your forehead again, lingering for longer this time before he rested his head against yours, swaying slightly with you in his hold.

Eventually, Artoo rolled into the room, beeping to let you know you were getting close.

“Thank you, Artoo.”

He complimented Poe’s pin with a series of beeps and Poe grinned and thanked him.

“Here, I’ve probably got a magnet in here you can wear.” You said, rummaging through your box until you found one. You knelt down and he rolled forward, letting you stick it to one of his panels.

He beeped and whirred in approval, asking how he looked.

“You look very sharp.” You assured him. “You fit right in, now.”

Poe wandered into the cockpit, standing between the back row of seats, watching as the stars flew by at lightspeed. You stepped in after him and he wrapped an arm around your shoulders without a second thought.

He was your pilot, you were his princess. That was all that mattered. You rested your head against him, watching the stars.

***

The gala was being held at a nice hotel, chandeliers glimmering above, painted portraits hanging on the wall and abstract sculptures sitting on pedestals. It reminded you of home, in a way, if Mariposas had been colorless and stiff. There was soft music playing, a band tucked into the corner of the room. Poe took your arm, escorting you through the room of senators and leaders, former Rebellion members.

It was clear that this gala was pretending to be something it was not. On the outside, it had been bolstered as an academy class reunion, probably to drive off any First Order loyalists, keep them off the trail, inside was a completely different story.

You knew these people. A lot of them, wrinkled and graying though they were. Pathfinders, pilots, ground fighters, comm techs…these had been your brothers and sisters on base, and a decent amount of them, seemingly, had bloomed into important people in their own right.

What was holding them back from helping, you wondered, scanning the room. Maybe it was just the fear of the First Order, of making themselves vulnerable just to be eliminated without a second thought. But as the eyes in the room found you, the whispers picked up, speculating how it was you were there, standing there, living and breathing after all this time.

“How’s that for a first impression…” Poe murmured, just loud enough for you to hear, watching the way these legends reacted to seeing you.

“Time to finally use these stares and whispers to our advantage.” You said, leading him over to a corner where some former fighters were standing. You picked one from the crowd, calling his name to your mind. After all, it had only been two years since you’d seen him.

“Y-your Highness?” He asked, looking you up and down. He glanced at the others, as if to make sure you weren’t some Force Ghost standing there in front of him, that they were seeing it too. “I thought you were…”

“Dead? Lots of folks seem to think so.” You replied, offering your hand, which he shook vigorously. “It’s good to see you, Lieutenant. How’s Marsha?”

That was how it started. You navigated through the room, a walking myth.

Once you made your rounds, Poe at your side, chatting with the people gathered there, you felt a tap on your arm and turned to find him. Lando Calrissian in the flesh.

“I was wondering if I might steal a dance, Princess. If you’re not too busy with the Commander here.” Lando motioned to Poe, whose mouth fell open at his sudden appearance.

“Lando!” You all but jumped into his arms, captured quickly in a tight hug. He swayed back and forth, laughing.

“Maker, Leia was right. You really haven’t aged a day.” He said, taking a moment to look at you. He spun you around. “Can’t say the same for the rest of us.”

“You look great Lando. I was wondering when I’d finally get to see you. How have you been?”

“Oh, same old. Leia tipped me off about this…reunion. Thought I could help finally win these stuffy old guys over.”

“No such luck, I’m guessing.” Poe said, scanning the room.

“Not yet.” Lando winked at you. “That’s why she sent her secret weapon.”

“Not so secret anymore.” You said, trying to ignore all the eyes in your peripheral vision.

Lando introduced and reintroduced you to a handful of old colleagues. One of them, a senator now, stiffened at the sight of you, looking you up and down.

“Leia…dressed you up just like her. It would be convincing, if not for the fake wings.” He said with a sneer. “Almost had me there for a second.”

You chuckled softly, malice creeping into your eyes. “Fake wings?” You repeated, raising them slightly.

“I’ve seen them in action, Senator. I assure you, these things are the real deal.” Poe said, expression guarded, tone painfully casual.

Artoo beeped something at him, agitated, but the senator batted a hand. “I don’t speak droid.”

“I can’t translate what he said anyway, it’s hardly appropriate for an event like this.” You said with a laugh. “Do you need another drink?”

“That’s not–” He started to argue, but you held out a hand, using the Force to pull a champagne flute from across the room. It glided smoothly through the air and hovered in front of him. He stared at it, dropping the empty glass in his own hand. He looked up at you in horror as Poe laughed. “You’re her.”

“Obviously.” You replied, plucking the drink from the air and handing it to him. “I know it’s hard to believe. It’s a long story, but I was saved by one very daring pilot, a Jedi, and a fighter after a long time asleep. Imagine my surprise at waking up to another war.”

He shook his head, brows furrowed. “What war?”

“The First Order. The Resistance. Are you unaware of the conflicts, or just too callous to care this time, elevated position and all?” You asked.

“The need for fighting is over.” He said, shaking his head. “I had my war, I’m sure we can all just live in peace.”

“Senator, I don’t know if you’ve been out there, but it’s bad.” Poe said, eyes serious. “What they did to the New Republic…”

“Was a horrible incident, I’m sure, but that doesn’t mean we can all just…hop in an X-Wing and blow things up.”

You laughed at that. “You didn’t even do that the first time. You failed your flight test, if I remember correctly, Senator. Was it two times, or three?”

He scoffed, clearly offended. “Well, I–”

Poe’s eyes lit up, watching as you warmed up to take your shot.

“Don’t you remember what things were like? Under the Empire? Maybe it’s been too long for you. I know thirty years is a long time to hold onto memories, but…it’s only been two years for me. Two years since the Battle of Endor. Two years of quiet after. I remember how bad it was and this is worse. The weapons they have, the forces, the numbers. They have a Sith trying to outshine Darth Vader and Maker knows what else hidden on those Star Destroyers. They are taking children and ruining lives. One of our best friends is a former trooper. I wish he was here to tell you himself the horrors he’s seen aboard those vessels. They can destroy planets with a few button presses. Maybe you feel safe right now. Maybe you’re playing into their pocket, who knows, but someday, they’ll turn on you, too, and there will be no one left to protect you because you didn’t help the Resistance fight back.”

The room fell silent, every ear tuning into your fiery words. Lando let out a proud little laugh.

Someone across the room stepped forward, meeting your eyes. Wedge. Wedge Antilles. One of the best Rebel pilots there was. He’d been great friends with Luke, so you’d known him pretty well. It was good to see he was still around.

“Well, your Highness, where do we sign up?”

***

After a few more hours of networking, of Poe handing out tokens for further communication, taking pledges and handing out contact information for any people they knew who’d like to enlist in the Rebellion, the three of you–you, Poe and Artoo, that is–said your goodbyes and headed back to the ship.

As soon as the ramp was closed, Poe’s face broke into a victorious smile and he took you in his arms, lifting you off the ground and spinning you around. Laughter bubbled from your lips.

“That was insane!” A triumphant laugh escaped him. “You flipped that whole room in less than a minute! I…I…” He set you down, unable to wipe the smile from his face. “I can’t believe that just happened. This changes…everything. We’re gonna have so many new recruits. We’re gonna be able to get so many supplies…”

“New pilots?” You asked.

“New X-Wings. New ships. New blasters. Kriff, new uniforms, even.” He smiled, grabbing onto your arms, just above the flowing, off-the-shoulder sleeves. “Wow, I dunno, I had my doubts when Leia sent me four systems out for a shiny rock, but…I don’t know what we’d do without you here.” He met your eyes, took a step closer, dipped his head down. “I don’t know what I’d do without you here…”

You couldn’t do it anymore. You couldn’t dance around him and pretend your heart wasn’t on fire just looking at him.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and tugged him closer, lips capturing his easily, as you had in your fantasies so many times. He gasped into your mouth, arms winding around your waist and pulling you against him, lips passionate and experienced. Poe held you there with one arm, the other traveling up into your hair.

Your nose brushed against his as he twisted, getting an even better angle, teeth nipping at your lip. You reached up and cupped his cheek, thumb brushing through the stubble accumulated there.

He pulled back, forehead against yours, breaths ragged as his eyes searched your face, looking for some evidence that that had happened, that it was real this time.

“Say something,” you whispered, hand still anchored against his cheek, eyes sparkling with insecurity. “Please.”

“Give me a second. I’ve never kissed a princess before.” He murmured, kissing your forehead, then your cheeks, pressing another long one to your lips. Soft, but filled with so much passion. He let out a breathy chuckle, meeting your eyes. “Maker, you have no idea how many times I’ve dreamed of doing that.”

You bit your lip, a guilty little smile twisting your mouth. “Actually, about that…”

Poe’s eyes widened, jaw dropping before the shock melted into an embarrassed grin. “You…you could feel it, huh? The whole time?”

“More or less.” You confessed. You pulled him back into you and he didn’t resist, nose brushing yours as you whispered, “I couldn’t tell if they were your fantasies or mine, to be honest.”

He stepped forward, cupping your cheek as he captured your lips again, hungrier this time, lit up by your words, by your confession, that you had felt this way about him for just as long as he’d been drawn to you.

Another step forward and your exposed back touched the cold metal of a wall panel, one of Poe’s hands taking yours, fingers interlacing as he held it up against the wall. His other hand tugged your waist closer, closer, closer, like he was trying to fuse the two of you into one person.

You crooned, hooking your arm around his neck, keeping him there.

“Tell me to stop,” he rasped, lips trailing down your neck before crushing against yours again. “Use one of your Jedi Mind Tricks or something.”

“I can’t.” You laughed against him. “They wouldn’t work on you anyway and…I don’t want you to stop.”

“Well good, because I don’t think I can…” He said with a chuckle, nose smushed against yours. He kissed you again, movements tender and slow, smiling against you when he heard your breath hitch. “I thought Jedi weren’t allowed to fall in love. I would have done this so much sooner…”

You laughed. “That’s what was stopping you? I thought you weren’t afraid of bending the rules, Commander.”

Poe let out a breath, smirking. “Well yeah, but…you’re a princess. I thought you might not be so keen on rulebreaking.”

“Well the good news is, there aren’t any rules against Jedi falling in love anymore.” You murmured, resting your forehead against his, hands tugging on the trim of his tunic. “But if there were…I would break them for you, Poe Dameron.”

He grinned that flyboy grin, going in for one last kiss, then another, then one final, lingering kiss, stealing the breath from your lungs, the butterflies in your stomach flying loop-de-loops that rivaled any maneuver he could pull off with his X-Wing.

Soon, you knew you’d have to fly back to base, update Leia on the progress you’d made, return to your schedules and duties.

But now, you shared your breaths with him, heart racing as he cupped your cheeks, whispering sweet words against your lips, promises to steal away more time together as soon as the Maker would allow.

A Little Rebel Spirit

Poe slept in your bed that night.

Your mattress was hardly big enough for one of you let alone both of you, but he didn’t mind, changing out of his formal tunic, carefully returning your Rebellion trinkets to their special little box, and laying in your bed, watching you, hands folded on his toned tan chest, the chain around his neck glimmering against his skin.

You’d changed into some sleep shorts and a tanktop you’d modified for your wings. When you turned to face him again in the dim bedroom, he gasped, eyes falling on your thigh. More specifically, the large tattoo piece stretched across your skin.

“You have a tattoo?” He asked, almost scandalized. “Princess, I knew you were a Rebel, but I didn’t know you were so rebellious.”

“You wanna know what’s rebellious…Leia did this.” You said, fingers skimming over the artwork.

His jaw dropped. “No fucking way.”

“Yes way.” You nodded, walking over to the bed and sat beside him, propping your leg atop his so he could see better.

He ran a large hand over the tattoo, the sheer warmth of his touch sending shivers down your spine. “When?”

“Three years ago.” You answered, before correcting “Thirty-three years ago. We were on some planet, there was a market and she got a tattoo gun for like…twelve credits, which should have been the first red flag.”

“And you let her do that?” He asked, laughing.

“Well yeah. She’s my best friend. I knew it would drive my parents nuts, their second in line for the throne defiling her skin, but…I didn’t really expect to survive the war, to be honest. Besides, I was the spare, what were they gonna do about it? I knew I was never going to be queen.” You said with a shrug. “It’s not half bad anyways. She’s a talented artist.”

“This is…that tree, isn’t it. The one on Mariposas.” He said, studying the lines, the shading. It was a large, sprawling tree, branches thick, covered in flowers. Roots twisted down your thigh, headed towards your knee, and in the roots, were a few stray butterflies. Above it, three moons, their shaded crescents in various stages of their cycles.

You nodded. “The Monarch Tree. From which, all life on Mariposas bloomed, or so the legends go.” You guided his hand further down the art, to where the roots curled into a subtle version of the symbol of the Rebellion. “This was by special request.”

His features glowed with recognition and he met your eyes, reaching up to smooth the hair out of your face. “Wow, that’s…that’s really hot, I’ll be honest.”

You giggled, shifting your body towards him. “Yeah? A little Rebel spirit is what does it for you?”

“You’re one to talk. You’re into that silly orange jumpsuit of mine.” He teased, hand hooking your knee and tugging your leg to the other side of his hips, so you were straddling him, hovering inches from his face.

Your wings twitched behind you as you cupped his face with both hands, nose pressed to his. Tenderly, slowly, you inched in, grinning when he got impatient and chased your lips, hands wandering up to your waist to tug you closer.

“You know, honestly Poe, it’s not so much the jumpsuit as it is the thought of…taking it off of you. How easy it would be to just…reach out and unzip it a little.” Mischief glimmered in your eyes. “With the Force.”

He let out a broken groan at that, throwing his head back towards the wall. “You can’t just say that when I’m not wearing it.”

You smiled, coy. “Next time, perhaps.”

“Oh, there’s no question about that, sweetheart.” He had fire in his eyes when he pulled you towards him, crushing his lips to yours, tongue teasing at the seam between your mouths. You let him in, the taste of him rolling across your tongue, minty fresh from his toothpaste.

You threaded your fingers through his curls, letting out a whine when his lips left yours and started trailing down your neck, stubble rough against the sensitive skin. His hand ghosted up your back, finding the base of your wings, calloused fingertips brushing against the spot between them.

Tingles shot through your limbs like firecrackers and you crumbled against him.

He froze, the panic setting in. “Woahhh, sorry, sorry, is that not an okay spot?”

You took a deep breath, reaching up to cup his cheek, turning his face towards you as best you could from your spot tucked into his shoulder. You laughed sheepishly, cheeks flushed. “S’fine, Poe. I’m okay.”

“No, if it’s not fine, you need to tell me. Baby, I’ve never…touched a Mariposan before, I don’t know what I’m doing.” He confessed.

“It’s…that spot is the most sensitive spot on my whole body.” You said through laughs, pulling his face down to meet yours. “So we just went zero to a thousand all at once.”

“Oh.” He laughed. “So it’s a no-go zone.”

“It’s a ‘we have to work up to that’ zone.” You amended, pressing a kiss to his lips, adjusting yourself so you were a little more upright. “You can touch it, but…it has to be featherlight. Unless we’ve gotten there.”

“Okay.” He nodded, nose brushing against yours. “So, do they…have feeling in them?” He asked, hand hovering just above the crest of one of your wings, still a little afraid to outright touch them, despite the fact that he already had, that night in the kitchens.

“Mmhmm.” You spread one out for him, an invitation. “You can touch them. Just be gentle. Like before.”

Poe reached out, running the palm of his hand down the length of one wing, tingles running down your back as he did.

You let out a contented sigh, lulling against his chest as your muscles relaxed.

“Does it feel good?”

“Yeah.” You kissed his cheek, then the corner of his lips, hand resting against his chest. “It’s like…having your hair played with.”

He smiled at that, continuing the gentle movements while you were curled up in his arms. He kissed you again, lips impossibly soft, like silk, the fine royal satins your sheets on Mariposas had been made of.

“You’re the only one allowed to touch them, though.” You told him.

“Just me?” He asked, absolutely enamored.

“Just you.” You punctuated it with a kiss that he readily reciprocated. “It’s…seen as a romantic thing, on Mariposas. Wing-touching is…very personal.”

“So when you let me touch them that night…”

“I was making a move, more or less. I knew you wouldn’t take it that way, though. It doesn’t mean much to outsiders.”

“It meant everything to me, Princess.” He whispered, kissing your forehead. He basked in the proximity, of the feeling of you in his arms, the way you slotted perfectly against him, like you were made for him. “Should have done my research. Would have saved us both some time.”

You laughed. “I doubt Laesynda would have told you that.”

“True.” He went quiet for a while, thinking over something before asking, “Do you…miss it?”

“Miss what?”

“Just…the way things were, before you went to sleep.” He asked. 

You could tell it had been weighing on him. If you missed people from before. If you missed the relationships you’d had. If you missed Luke.

“Sometimes. I miss Mariposas a lot. I miss my family. I didn’t even get the privilege of losing them, really, I just woke up and…they were gone. Had been gone for decades. I miss Han. I miss Luke…but…He left me there. He just…left me there to sleep for thirty years, so…” You let out a breath. “I try not to miss him more than he missed me.”

He nodded, listening quietly, hand still gently passing over your wing, the sensation soothing in indescribable ways. It had been so long since someone had touched you like that. If he kept at it, he would lull you right to sleep.

“But I like this life, too. I like training with Rey and Soren. I like making a difference again, fighting for something important. And someday, when the war is over, I’ll get to figure out what that peace looks like for me again.” You reached up, thumb gently grazing the skin beneath that tiny scar on his cheekbone. You pulled him to you, locking in a slow, sensual kiss. “I like you most of all, Poe Dameron.”

He smirked. “You’re just saying that.”

“I’m not.” You shook your head, eyes earnest. “You saved my life. You found that pendant. You woke me up. And every day since then, you’ve been finding little pieces of my heart I thought I’d lost decades ago.”

His lips captured yours again, breathing into it. They wandered, down your cheek, past your jaw, down to your neck again. You laced your fingers through his curls, relishing in the burn of his stubble against your skin.

“Maker, I’m so glad we found you…”

He whispered against the sensitive spot he’d found on your neck, the words echoing off the caverns of your mind. That voice. Those words.

It was him. Obviously it was, but the realization still struck you to your core. You’d dreamed of this, dreamed of him for years, and now he was finally yours.

Your pilot. Your Poe.

Can’t Change the Past, Starlight

You and Poe walked down to breakfast separately the next morning. He slipped out of your room carefully, watching for any techs that might be walking by, and hurrying from your room to his to change into some real clothes, as all he had in your room was the formal tunic Leia had loaned him. 

You timed your exit about fifteen minutes after, and ran into Rey and Finn in the hallway.

“How did it go?” Finn asked. “I was kind of worried. I never heard Poe come into the room last night.”

“Oh it was great. I’m sure we’ll hash it all out in the meeting later. Lots of new pledges, hopefully lots of new recruits, too. Ran into Lando Calrissian. He’s…an old friend.”

Rey’s jaw dropped. “The Lando Calrissian. Is he joining the Resistance?”

“He’s thinking about it.” You said with a smirk. “He’s always been hard to pin down, but I have a good feeling he’ll come around. Maker knows we could use his help.”

The canteen was bustling with folks, starting their day. Poe was sitting at the usual table with Rose. You grabbed some breakfast and slid into the seat across from him. A calculated move. He slid you a cup of caf, just the way you liked it.

“There you are. I was worried you’d gotten lost on the way to our room.” Finn said, searching Poe’s face. “Where’d you end up last night?”

“I…slept on the couch down in the lounge. Didn’t wanna wake you, we got back really late.” Poe lied.

Alright, you were officially doing this. You were officially hiding your relationship. It was kind of thrilling, you had to admit.

“Mmm.” Finn nodded, not buying it in the slightest. “Well, how’d it go?”

“Fantastic. (Y/N) has a real way with words.” Poe said, eyes sparkling. “Flipped the whole room, had everyone all fired up. We got so many new pledges and allies. It’s gonna take the droids forever to get all the files sorted.”

“Like I said, diplomatic training I never use.” You said with a shrug, taking a sip of caf.

“How’d you sleep?” Poe asked, meeting your eyes.

“Slept alright. Like you said, we got back late, so I didn’t get much of it.”

“Mmm. Sorry to hear that.” He said through a grin that he hid behind his mug. “I slept great.”

You kicked his leg under the table.

After breakfast, the group of you filed into the meeting, where you were somewhat surprised to see Lando, chatting with Leia. Once she spotted you, she motioned you over, hugging you tightly.

“I never doubted you, (Y/N), but I have to admit, I didn’t expect results like these. This changes everything.”

“I’m glad I could do my part, General.” You said, eyes glimmering. You turned to Lando. “Didn’t expect you to head here so fast.”

“How could I not? You need help. I should have been here a long time ago.” He said, slinging an arm around your shoulders. Just like old times. “I’m here for whatever you need, ladies. Just say the word.”

“Well right now, I need someone wrangling the new recruits. They need to be rounded up from outposts in the Outer Rim.” Leia said.

Lando saluted. “Just give me coordinates and a ship. I can make it happen.”

You left the two of them, turning to sit in your usual seat with the other Jedi. This meeting was a little more broad, more of the operatives from the middle ranks present in addition to the higher-ups.

Laesynda walked past, letting her hand brush on yours as she passed, a knowing smile on her face.

You avoided Poe’s gaze purposefully, but you could feel it on you from across the table. Business as usual, you supposed. He was always giving you those lovesick looks, but now there was something more in those warm brown eyes of his. You loved the feeling.

Leia started the meeting, opening with words of congratulations, the numbers from the previous night broken down in the projection on the holo in the middle of the room. The team burst into applause, several congratulative whoops and hollers sounding. Snap jostled Poe’s shoulder and he finally met your eyes, giving you that charming flyboy wink, handsome features illuminated in the teal light.

Leia moved to the next order of business, the intel Lando had been hard at work gathering. About Mariposas.

“The attack on Mariposas…I believe it was an inside job.” Lando said.

Your heart dropped into your stomach, ears ringing. You looked at Laesynda and she shared the same grim expression you were sure was on your face. You felt Poe’s eyes on you, watching as the rug was torn from beneath your feet.

“I don’t mean to impede on our celebration, I just…With three prominent Mariposans among our ranks, I think it’s a logical conclusion that…two of them were the targets of the original attack. So whoever tipped off the Empire splinter cells, if they’re still alive, could be interested in…”

“Finishing the job.” You said, suddenly exhausted.

“Yeah.” Lando nodded.

He brought up some diagnostics, a map of the planet, a breakdown of the attack. He talked those who were unfamiliar with it through what had happened. You watched as red bloomed across the Healer’s Temple, right where you were, blaster fire taking out the Refuge, where the Healers had retreated. A light attack up front to scare them, a heavy attack on their hiding spot to finish them off.

Immediately, you knew Lando was right. It was an inside job. Only someone who knew the innerworkings of the palace would have known the Healers retreated there in the case of an emergency. Someone who had grown up there, perhaps.

You bristled, watching as the attack continued, further details selling his point further. This was an attack that had been planned and executed by someone intimately familiar with your home. And someone who wanted you dead. Or at the very least, didn’t want you to wake up.

“Maddox.” The name left your mouth coated in venom. “My brother. Had to have been. Only the royal family would have known all of this, to exploit every weak spot in order.”

“Why would your brother…” Poe started, finally daring to speak up.

“He was jealous.” Laesynda said, the memories of him weighing her down, too. “Always jealous. He was the oldest, the heir to the throne. It still wasn’t enough for him. He was jealous (Y/N) was the Jedi of the family. Wanted it to be him.”

“Couldn’t have been our parents. I was asleep, Laesynda was ten. It had to have been Maddox.” You laughed bitterly, shaking your head. “Maker, if he wanted me dead so bad, I don’t know why he didn’t just destroy my pod and kill me himself.”

“Because we were there.” Leia said, voice soft. “We were too late to stop the initial attack, but…Han and Lando got the shields up. I guarded your pod. Luke handled the cultists.”

You pressed your lips together, nodding. “Thank you.”

“By the time the fight was over, all of the Healers’ Pendants had been destroyed or…lost. We tried to use the Force to open your pod, but they were designed with that in mind. Only a healer could open it and they were…all gone.”

You took a long breath, nodding as she explained.

Lando looked at you, features apologetic. “And if he is indeed in the First Order, alive after all this time, it stands to reason that…he wouldn’t be happy that you’re awake again, your Highness.”

“Right. Do we have any…intel that he is? On either account, alive or currently working with the First Order?” You asked, adjusting your posture. Your wings twitched. Rey reached for your hand and you gave it to her, the touch comforting, albeit simple.

“Not yet, your Highness, but…We’re working to figure that out. I just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page.” Lando said, turning the holo off with a click. “Wanted to make sure we all kept our guards up.”

Leia ran the team through a few other things, mostly preparation for new Resistance members she was anticipating. New quarters would have to be prepared, they’d have to arrange supplies and prepare to train dozens, maybe hundreds, of rookies.

After the meeting, you met Poe’s eyes for a moment. And then, you walked back to your quarters, paces brisk. Uncharacteristic of you to just leave one so early with no discussion of meal plans, no chatter with your peers, to just…disappear. Anyone who knew you would know there was something wrong. And Poe knew you.

The door slid shut behind you and you sat on the mattress, letting out a strangled yell, head in your hands, knees tucked up into your chest and wings flaring out behind you.

Your heart raced in the silence after the scream. The force of it, the Force of you had rattled the trinkets sitting on your dressers. You took a few breaths, leaning back against the wall and staring at the ceiling panel, tears streaming down your cheeks.

The door slid open again and Poe slipped inside, closing it behind him. He melted when he saw you there, looking utterly pathetic, you were sure.

“Hey, baby. You okay? That was some heavy stuff.” He crossed the room, sitting on the bed.

You shook your head and reached for him. He pulled you into his arms immediately, a large hand cradling your head, the other wrapped tight around you, legs draped over his. You buried your face in his shoulder, sobs muffled by his warmth.

He started tracing comforting patterns in your back, letting you get it all out before attempting to talk you through it.

“I feel so stupid, crying about it. It happened so long ago…” You confessed, voice soft and broken.

“Not for you.” Poe reasoned, pressing a kiss to your hairline. One gentle hand found your cheek and he used his thumb to gently wipe your tears away. “Everyone here knows it’s still fresh for you. Of course you’re torn up about it, I would be, too.”

You nodded, sniffling. “I always knew he hated me, but…I guess I just never knew how much. I thought after Endor, everything would cool off. But it doesn’t sound like that’s the case. It was quiet for a while, sure, but…I wasn’t here when things started getting bad. I wasn’t here to help when things got worse…”

He listened, empathy rooted deep in his warm brown eyes. “You’re here now.”

“Yeah, but…”

“What happened, happened. We can’t change the past, starlight.” He said, readjusting his hold, one arm cradling you while the other nestled against your cheek, still gently dabbing at your tears as they fell. “I’m just glad you’re here now. For selfish and unselfish reasons. Rey needs you. I need you. You’ve got a lot of good to do here, and you’ve already done so much.”

You nodded, absorbing his words. He was right. He always seemed to be. “What do you have going on today? Is there somewhere you need to be?”

“It can wait. I’m needed here.” He promised, pressing a kiss to your nose, gentle smile turning mischievous with a quirk of his eyebrow. “Besides, they’ll never find me in here.”

You couldn’t help but laugh a little. Poe never failed to bring a smile to your face, even when you were feeling like this.

“It’ll be alright, baby.” He reassured. The name still made your heart do flips in your chest. You much preferred it to your stuffy royal titles.

You sat further upright, kissing his soft pink lips. He kissed back, hand tilting your face just so with passionate precision. “I know it will. We’ll make sure of it this time.”

Rise of the Resistance

It wasn’t long before the new recruits started showing up. Lando ran what was akin to a shuttle service for a few weeks, running back and forth in a tiny transport, trying to avoid as much attention as possible. So far, it had worked.

The new folks were a bright bunch. Among them, Wedge Antilles, who had left behind his flight school, taking most of his pupils with him to help the cause.

“You know, as weird as this sounds, I missed it, Princess.” He admitted, hands on his hips, looking around the base, where soldiers ran in neat columns for their morning workout.

“Missed that Rebel air?”

He grinned. “Exactly that.”

Snap walked over, hugging him tightly and that was how you found out Wedge was Snap’s step-dad. Maker, it was a small galaxy after all. You and the other Jedi took a break from training, trying to help everyone get acclimated. You helped with giving tours, showed rookies where to get their breakfast and sleep, teaching them emergency protocol.

You set up a meditation room in an empty storage shed. It left something to be desired, but it was dimly lit, had some soft music playing, various toys and activities for Force training, cushions on the floor for those who could not float in the air while they meditated.

Aspen led some of the new recruits through while you were organizing your books.

“And this is Princess (Y/N) (L/N) of Mariposas, one of three Jedi we have on base.” She motioned to you. “If any of you think you might be Force-Sensitive, this is who you want to come to with questions.”

“We are always looking for new Jedi.” You said. “But this room is for everybody. If you need to get away for a bit, feel free to come here, do some meditation, read. It’s here for you. It gets rough out there, you need to take care of yourselves.”

Hours later, you had a tour group of your own, leading them through the comms center, then the mech workshop, droid repair, where BB-8 was getting a fresh paint job and beeped and whirred at you excitedly.

You led them past the hangar, where there were pilots milling around, about to head out on a perimeter check. Poe was there, stretching in that orange jumpsuit of his. You couldn’t fight the grin that formed when he spotted you, lighting up. He walked over, introducing himself to the group.

“Any pilots?” He asked, scanning your recruits, standing right next to you, hands on his hips, but his elbow brushing your side.

Professional. So, painfully professional.

“Reggie there.” You pointed him out and Reggie volunteered himself with a proud hand in the air.

“That’s the spirit. Welcome to the team, Reg.” He looked at you, glancing at your holo to take a peek at your schedule. “They’re not giving you too much trouble, I hope.”

“Nope, I’m all set with these guys. Bright bunch.” You replied, meeting those warm brown eyes, where mischief always seemed to sparkle.

“Right. Good. So, you don’t have anything penciled in after lunch?”

“I do not.” You confirmed.

“Alright. Well, uh, I’ve gotta hop in that X-Wing for perimeter checks. See you around, your Highness.” He promised, eyebrow quirked. He turned to Reggie. “Nice to meet you, Reggie. I’ll make sure you get acclimated.”

“Thank you, sir.” Reggie replied, starstruck.

You gave Poe a parting smile. Once the group had turned away, you glanced back. He motioned to the zipper of his jumpsuit, then looked at you with over-exaggerated expectation. Your jaw dropped and you rolled your eyes, laughing. Here in front of all of these people was not where you intended to use the Force to unzip his jumpsuit.

Still, you pinched your fingers together, focusing for a moment as you tugged it down the tiniest bit, just enough to tease him. He gasped, clearly not expecting you to actually do it. The way his eyes lit up, though, you could tell he was into it. Perhaps too into it.

The group didn’t notice, too busy buzzing about their future roles. Some of them were buzzing about other topics, like how hot your boyfriend was.

You moved them along to the next spot on the tour, but one of them pushed.

“Who was that?”

“Who, Commander Dameron?”

“He’s a Commander.” She giggled with the girl beside her. They couldn’t have been older than nineteen. It was kind of cute, admittedly. Harmless.

“Wow, he is something.” The other one agreed.

“Best pilot in the galaxy, in fact.” You chimed, heart surging with pride at your overly casual words. “I do think he’s seeing someone though, ladies.”

They both let out dramatic sighs. “Well, whoever they are, I hope they know how lucky they are.”

You chuckled, watching as his X-Wing pulled off into the air, doing a barrel roll right above the group. Now he was showing off. You’d be lying if you said it didn’t do something to you. “Oh she does.”

***

You ate lunch with Rey and Soren, welcoming a few of the new recruits to your table. Finn was busy with tours, too, training people to do various upkeep tasks around the base, keeping everything running smoothly. Poe was standing in the doorway and Rey looked up at him, then glanced at you, then back at him again.

“I think he’s trying to get your attention.” She chuckled, stabbing at the remains of her salad with a fork.

“Oh, is he?” You replied through a smile, still trying to keep up the act.

“I think he’s into you, you know. Finn and I talk about it sometimes.” She said, tone encouraging. “And he is his roommate. And his best friend.”

“Are you implying Finn has some information I should know?” You asked.

She laughed. “I very well may be. Honestly though, you should just go for it. I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that. May as well give it a shot.”

“Yeah.” You smiled at that. “Maybe I’ll go see what his deal is.”

“Good luck.” Rey said, watching as you crossed the room to where he was waiting in the doorway.

You met him with a cordial, professional smile. “Commander Dameron, is there something I can help you with?”

“Actually, yes, there is, Your Royal Highness.”

“Woah, busting out the big title? What’s the special occasion?”

“I was wondering if you’d like to take a walk down the hall with me.”

“Down the hall.” You said with a chuckle, pushing past him and leading him in that direction. Once you were out of earshot of the canteen, you muttered, “How romantic.”

“Oh I’ll show you romantic, Princess.” He replied, tugging open a closet door and grabbing your arm, pulling you inside. He locked the door with a careful click and then he was on you, calloused hands on your cheeks, lips fluid and hungry.

“Poe,” you mumbled into his lips, taken aback, heart revving like an engine.

“You wanna unzip it the rest of the way?” He asked, the rasp in his voice alone telling you he had been thinking about it all morning.

“That did something to you, huh?” You giggled into his mouth as he latched back on, his steps pushing until you hit the wall behind you.

“Sure did.” He agreed, releasing you and holding his arms open, orange jumpsuit there and ready for you, zipped nearly to the top. “Do it.”

“You sure?” You asked, raising a hand, wiggling your fingers with a coy smile on your face.

“Quit teasin’ me, baby.” He warned.

You bit back a laugh, focusing the zipper. You pinched your fingers together and pulled downwards, the zipper falling at your will without either of you touching it. He stared at it for a long moment, that  dangerous spark in his eyes again before he surged forward.

“That is…wow.” He murmured, fire behind his words. One hand cupped your cheek, the other holding your waist as he stepped closer, closer, closer, slotting himself between your legs.

You grabbed the sides of the jumpsuit, pulling it open, working it down his broad shoulders to reveal the thin white undershirt beneath. On top of it, the silver chain he always wore, a simple silver ring threaded through it. A ring you recognized as Shara’s.

“Rey and I had a…conversation…at lunch.” You said between kisses.

“Mmhmm, ‘bout what?” He asked, tilting your head and kissing down your neck. His other hand roamed lower, brushing across one of your wings, sending tingles up your arms.

You let out a shuttered breath, head tilting back against the wall. “She thinks…” another sigh escaped you as he continued to kiss the spot, jaw movements clouding your vision with stars, “you might be into me.”

His lips curled, poised over the vein on your neck. He paused for a moment. “Oh she does, does she?”

“Yeah, she has it on pretty good authority, apparently.” You said, daring to look down at him, at those dark, sultry eyes.

“Yeah, well, she’s not far off.” He breathed, going back in for your neck, determined to leave a mark in the short window of time you had before you and Soren were doing your ground perimeters. “I’m fucking obsessed with you, starlight.”

You moaned at his passioned ministrations on your neck, fingers threading through those lucious curls and giving a gentle tug. His hands hooked under your thighs and he hoisted you onto his hips, your back pressed against the wall of the tiny closet.

You met his eyes, breathless, wings fanned out behind you. “I can’t believe I get to have you, Poe Dameron.”

“Believe it.” He asserted, nose brushing against yours on the way to your lips. You cupped his cheeks with your hands, kissing all over his face before returning. “Kriff, I still wake up every day in disbelief that I get to do this in a closet with a Jedi Princess.”

“We won’t be in closets forever.” You whispered, eyes locking on his. It was a promise. Someday, everyone would know. It wouldn’t have to be a secret anymore.

He nodded, grinned. “Yeah, but…it is kinda thrilling, right?”

“Can’t argue with that.”

His eyes drifted down to your neck and he pulled a plush pink lip between his teeth, Adam’s apple bobbing. “Hey, uhhh…you have a turtleneck you can wear, right?”

Your jaw fell open. “You did not.”

“I might’ve.”

“You might’ve?” You shook your head. “Poe Dameron, what am I going to do with you?”

He pressed his forehead to yours, eyes half-lidded, lips ghosting across yours as he whispered, “More of this, I hope.”

***

Another week came and went. More recruits arrived, but things had hit something of a plateau. Still, your numbers were excellent, a far cry from the shell of a Resistance that had been left after Crait.

Poe was giving the new pilots a walk around the base, all of them suited up in their bright orange jumpsuits, having been fitted for them for the first time. You and Soren were out and about, dressed in your Jedi robes, lightsabers clipped to your belts. You must have just finished some training, he rationalized.

He noticed how some of the pilots in his group stared, watching the two of you with interest. He figured many of them had probably never seen a Jedi before. Hell, he hadn’t until Rey had moved those rocks from the mouth of the tunnel they’d all been trapped inside on that blasted salt planet.

“Is that one the Jedi Princess or the other Jedi?” one of the new pilots asked, voice hushed, as though you could hear his very thoughts at that distance.

“That one is the princess. You can tell by the wings.” Snap explained. “Poe’s good friends with her.”

Good friends. He thought to himself with a chuckle. Just like you and Karé are “good friends.”

“Is she single? Could you put in the good word?” another asked, earning elbows and enthusiastic hollers from his teammates.

Snap laughed out loud, glancing over at Poe, who could feel his ears burn. Cheeks, too.

“Oh, uhhh, Jedi actually aren’t allowed to fall in love.” He lied through a charming smile. “Believe me, I asked her myself. Breaks some ancient Jedi code or something. Sorry, fellas.”

The rookie pilots let out noises of disappointment and Poe couldn’t help but laugh to himself. There. That’d keep them off of you.

“They’re not, huh?” Snap asked, voice quiet enough that the others couldn’t hear. He motioned to you with his head. “Might want to tell her that.”

Snap was right. Poe glanced over and you were looking at him with that starry-eyed gaze. So lovesick he lost track of his footing, tripping right over BB-8, who had been rolling in front of him.

“Poe!”

Bee let out a series of disgruntled beeps and buzzes and he chuckled, embarrassed. He scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry, Bee. You okay, buddy?”

Bee beeped up at you, seemingly unharmed. He was a sturdy little guy, after all.

“I agree, he needs to watch where he’s going.” You said, hands on your hips. You offered one, helping him to his feet. “You hear that, Dameron?”

“Loud and clear, your Highness.” He chuckled, brushing himself off.

“No serious damage?”

“Not that I can find.” Poe blew the hair from his eyes.

You reached up and plucked a single leaf from his curls, handing it to him. “There. For your collection.”

“Thanks, I’ll put it with the rest of ‘em.” He said with a smirk. Poe turned to the assembled rookies, who were murmuring amongst themselves. “Pilots, Princess (Y/N), Princess (Y/N), our new crop of pilots. Get acquainted with her. If you crash in the middle of a fight, she’s the one that’s gonna catch your X-Wing.”

“If it doesn’t blow up before that.” Snap added, earning a few unsettled laughs from the group.

It was a dangerous job. You’d always known that. You liked to think that you helped protect them when you could. When it was possible to. But Poe was always taking a risk when he climbed into that cockpit, even for something as simple as checking perimeters. He knew it, too, which is what made him so damn brave.

“Right. That.” Poe agreed with a bitter chuckle. “How was training?”

“Good. Making progress.” You said, shrugging. You and Soren hadn’t done anything groundbreaking, just sparring. But still, it felt good, like you were both making habits, challenging each other and learning little quirks of battle.

“Good. Good. Well, see ya around.” He gave your arm an awkward little touch.

You couldn’t help but laugh as you returned to Soren, who had a knowing look on his face. You knew then that he knew. That that Jedi intuition had finally clocked what was going on. But he didn’t say anything. Saved you the trouble of explaining yourself, why you were hiding it. 

The Resistance had enough going on. They didn’t need the drama of one of the Jedi entangled with their ace pilot. Especially if something went wrong.

Tags: @cap-lu20

[starlordcumidk]

New Kind of Love

~chapter 2~

word count: 3.2k

notes: slight ooc, reader wears glasses, this is an AU of TASM!Peter where he is a fraternity brother. reader is portrayed as rude/stand-offish. reader is a tad neurodivergent. playful banter. please read this knowing that i am a newer author and the plot is based on a song.

warnings: not proofread, minor cursing? does that count?

author note: i am not super proud of this chapter but i really am losing my own plot atp

I can't help myself And you don't have to say that

Monday, October 28th, 2024

The weekend was spent debating on if you should or shouldn’t add Peter into your contacts. After a heavy debate, you messaged Delilah, hoping she would have some good advice for you in your time of need. 

you: lillaahhhhhh i need help :(((( Delilah: whats wrong ? you: you know that weird spider guy in the courtyard i was telling you about? Delilah: uhhhhh kinda. why ? you: me and him have to work on a project for my science class together and he wants me to add him into my contacts you: but he's kinda dumb, so i haven’t yet. he even called me ‘trouble’????! you: i don’t think it’s a good idea Delilah: u got a pet name, cute just add him dude idk  you: noted. i’ll input his contact i guess. Delilah: happy to help bb <33 talk soon

You groan and put your phone onto your bedside table. English was cancelled this morning so you get a few more minutes to evaluate your life decisions before having to meet up with Peter. He was… a lot to handle, honestly. He left a note on your desk this morning, very middle-school-boy-esque. It was still in your pocket, a little wrinkled but it felt like it was burning a hole.

‘Trouble- come to the frat party this friday? Check yes or no :))’

Obviously, you were not going to be caught dead at that party. Nothing he said would have pushed you to. Humid air and sweaty bodies bumping into one another, alcohol smells swirling in the air– the thought alone made you sick. 

You hated the way he was so… forward. It was weird, you didn’t get it. So many things about him intrigued you, and you didn’t get it. Why was he the one person in your handful of years at this school that piqued your interest? It made you angry, sick to your stomach, a weird flutter deep in it that made you want to punch something.

A ding from your phone signals a new email, leaning over slightly, you grab it and see the devil’s name.

—-------------

<pbparker@empire.edu

Hey trouble, my class ended early. Wanna meet up soon?

Peter B. Parker

Get Outlook for iOS>

—-------------

You groan and send a quick reply agreeing, asking where he wanted to meet today and if he had any new notes to share. Standing from your bed to grab your shoes and a light jacket, you feel your phone buzz again.

—-------------

<pbparker@empire.edu 

You still in Siebert Hall? I'm right by there, we can meet up at your dorm or the courtyard?

Peter B. Parker

Get Outlook for iOS>

—-------------

Your heart leaps as you look across your room, examining the space and hoping it wasn’t a mess. There were some snack wrappers here and there and you immediately feel the itch to clean. Before you can even think to respond, you tidy up. You make your bed and turn on the floor lamp in the corner to make the space look less cold.

Once it was to your liking you sent a response telling him which floor and room was yours in Siebert this school year. You’d rarely had anyone but Delilah and your parents in your room. Well, outside of the one guy you hooked up with for a few weeks on and off your freshman year. But that was always in the dark and he never got to stay longer than an hour or two. 

After a few minutes there's a knock at the door, and you move quickly, opening it and looking up to meet Peter’s stupidly pretty eyes.

“Hey there,” he says your name again, and you may like the way it sounds when he does, “ready to get our hurricane on?” His stupid smile accompanies the words and you step aside for him to come in. 

“Hey, yea. Come on in.” You say before he nods, walking in and looking around at all your posters, nick-nacks and even just the pattern of your bed spread. 

He points to the ceiling light and has a raised brow. “Not a fan of the school issued LED rods?” 

You shake your head, crossing your arms over your chest. “Not really? It overwhelms my eyes.”

“No me too, I get it. I like the coziness here.” His arms gesture to your bed, and your left to just stare at him. He took up so much space in your small room, but it looked almost natural. 

“Uh- thanks. You can sit there while we do our research if you want?” You offer it before you can think straight, quickly regretting your decision. 

It's almost like a flash of lightning, he is quickly sitting on your bed, shoving his shoes off and onto the rug just below. He is so naturally fit to your space and it knocks the sense out of you. Your eyes are locked onto him as you stand just a few feet away from him. He smiles at you, showing off his slightly crooked lips before digging into his bag, pulling out his laptop and a very, very nice camera. 

“You let your laptop get destroyed but have a well taken care of camera?” You ask before sitting at your desk and opening your own laptop, a small laugh escaping you. 

“Well I need the camera way more than the computer, obviously.” He said with a touch of irony, a playful grin on his face. 

“Really?” You said incredulously, fighting back a smile.

“Yea. I mostly take pictures of nature. Some spiders, some portraits.” He shrugs, his sarcasm dropping entirely, and before you can say anything he starts typing on his laptop and speaks again. “I did some research over the weekend. Did you know that hurricanes and tropical storms are named alphabetically?”

“Yea. I’ve lived through a handful.” You shrug and start up your outline file, looking at where you left off last time you were with him. It was pretty barren and you started to slowly fill out your portions. 

“I mean me too, I just never pieced it together. We’re gonna have to name ours something special.” He spoke so gently as he folded one leg under himself, the other dangling off the edge of your bed. 

“Like what?” You look up at him, your eyes locking on his bent over frame, something endearing about how he was squinting his eyes at the laptop screen. 

He shrugged, his fingers thrumming softly against the keyboard, something in his mind turning before looking up at you. “Benjamin? Gwendolyne, maybe?” His voice isn’t the usual cheery, all confident tone. There’s something more behind it, and if you were better at social cues, maybe you’d understand it. 

“We can go with either one, whatever you’d like.” You speak gently, trying not to offend or sound rude in any way. The look on his face is drawing you in, the downturn of his mouth, the slight fog in his eyes, it’s so… beautiful. 

Peter nods and quickly turns back to look at the computer, editing the shared document. But you just keep staring… the way the light from your window is filtering in casting a blue glow on his face, his eyes flashing golden, the freckles that were almost hidden popping out. For whatever reason, you couldn’t help but feel captivated by it all. 

You must’ve been staring for a while, because when Peter let out a soft chuckle and looked up at you, you felt embarrassed.

Your attention quickly moved back to the screen in front of you where you read some of the portions he had filled out while you were ogling at his unrealistic features. The embarrassment faded into anger, red hot and biting at your cheeks.

“It’s okay to stare.” He said, cockily, laying back against your bed. 

Oh you could kill him right now. You typed angrily, ignoring the words he said, ignoring his presence. 

He said your name once, twice. The third time made your ears ring, but you kept typing out random, probably false, hurricane facts into different parts of your half of the outline. His gaze was burning into your face, feeling his eyes roam over the slope of your nose, the way your lips were tightened into a flat line, and then it was gone. 

You could have sighed in relief that he finally stopped examining your face until you saw that stupid orange line blinking next to your cursor.

you’re kinda cute when you're embarrassed

Everything in you stalled before you cleared what he wrote after your tidbit on the casualties of the last hurricane. He barked out a laugh and you groaned, sinking into your desk chair.

—-------------

The session went quick after that, ending with you shooing him away and locking the door behind him. It was going to be a very long, very painful semester with him. 

You reach for your phone to text Delilah and pause, deciding it would be better not to.

—-------------

Wednesday, October 30th, 2024

You were late to class, rushing down the hall as you double checked your phone for the nth time. The decision to go into the lecture hall through the back door was made way before you reached the science building.

But now, entering the back of the room, eyes meet yours as you huff out a breath. Catching your breath was hard as you stared at your usual seat, taken by some random girl you never noted or cared to learn the name of. It made you angry, sure they weren’t assigned seats but everyone knew that once someone sits somewhere more than once it’s their seat by proxy. 

Before you could stew over it a hand tugged at your backpack strap, making you falter a bit and look down, seeing Peter smile up at you and nod to an empty desk right next to him. 

It was either there or on the floor… you chose the former and quickly took out your notebook, looking up towards the front of the class and having to squint. You yearned for the new pair of glasses that was taking a million years to get to you. 

But Peter put his notebook on your desk, tapping it and leaning ever so slightly. “It’s one of her lengthy presentations.” His hand snaked over the back of your chair and you blinked at the words, no, paragraphs in front of you. 

You give him a small nod as thanks before copying his notes and catching up on the slides currently flashing over the screen as Dr. Howard drones on. 

Peter watches you the whole class, his chest tight as you focus on the lecture he decided the moment you walked in wasn’t important enough to listen to. You were taking over all his senses, he could hear each huffed breath when the professor changed the slide before you finished taking notes, the smell of your shampoo, perfume, perhaps it was a strangely floral detergent. Whatever it was, his nose was lathered in it.

He almost hated that his heightened sense made him so aware of you, aware of everything that could signal to him that you were in the room. In any room. 

Yesterday he could hear you talking on the phone from across the courtyard, he searched for you, left his frat brothers on the grass patch to try and find you but you’d disappeared. He waited to hear your voice again, but there was nothing, no sign of you in the courtyard anymore. 

And now, as he watched you scribble down your notes, watched you chew on your lip, it made his mind wander, imagining what could possibly make you think so hard your teeth found a home there. 

It was too much for him, even when the alarm sounded from the speakers in the room. The same stupid one that sounded every class period, and you finally looked at him and furrowed your brows, giving him that beautifully crafted look of skepticism. 

“Thank you.” It sounded so surreal as he blinked a few times and realized you had his notebook held out for him. When he took it he realized you’d erased and respelt some of the words in his notes. 

“You rewrote a part of my notes?” He asked with a raspy laugh, shaking his head a bit as he saw your curved lettering, staring at the way you tried to blend it in with his handwriting.

You just shrugged and carefully pulled your bag back over your shoulders. “You misspelled sequestration. Thought I’d save you the point on the next notebook quiz.” Something about that made his heart pound in his ears and he stood slowly from his seat, tucking the notes into his bag and examining your expression. It was usually cold, steely, and… right now it seemed a little softer before you cleared your throat and made to move around him. 

“See you in the free period, Peter.” You spoke so softly, so distant. He watched as you disappeared with the hoard of classmates filing out of the lecture hall. And then his phone buzzed, he looked at it and saw a short text. 

i’ll be in study room e, btw - ”trouble” (stupid nickname)

He felt a little triumphant that he now had your number, a small part of him wanted to click his heels, maybe even skip to his next class.

—-------------

Noon came all too quickly, but you were already in the study room you specified when you had messaged Peter. A part of you felt like an idiot giving him your number that way. Maybe you should have made him work for it, but it was too late now. 

You had your textbook out and typed out a few things, humming a song to yourself. Gently tapping your foot to the beat as you get lost in your work. Time faded away as you continued, finding the different ways a community could rebuild after a category five hurricane.

The clock ticked a bit louder, causing you to rip your bleary eyes up and look at the time. It was already one o’clock. A pang of disappointment rattled in your chest but you shook your head, continuing to work anyway, who needed his help anyway…. 

Then your phone buzzed, and you opened it to see a text from him.

Peter: Got caught in something. Be there soon, Trouble, I promise. 

And it made your stomach flip a little. A stupid feeling, you told yourself. But you quickly messaged back. 

you: if you’re not here in 15 minutes, i’m leaving

Peter: I promise, ten minutes, maybe less.

You didn’t respond, you just put your phone down and went back to work, a mental reminder to leave when the fifteen minute window you allotted him in the forefront of your thoughts.

But, just as he promised, he walked in about nine minutes after he sent his last message. His hair was mussed, as if he had a hat on a few minutes ago and his skin was sheen with sweat. 

“Sorry I’m late, I got stuck at the frat house because the underclassmen are… I think they’re trying to manipulate me out of the master bedroom.” He laughed, something hidden under it, you could sense it but don’t push. 

“I won’t wait forty-five minutes for you again.” You said it gently, but there was a bite to it, one you hadn’t intended to use. 

Peter sucked in a breath, deciding what to say as he pulled out his laptop, looking at you for a long pause. “Technically,” he paused, looking at your hands as you typed before continuing about twenty seconds later, “I was only thirty-nine minutes late.”

You looked at him with narrowed eyes and your nostrils flared a bit and he laughed, his stupid boyish laugh. Something in you bloomed, but it wasn’t anger, maybe it was bemusement. “Peter, hands, laptop, type.” You started to over-exaggerate your typing, rolling your eyes as you focused on your screen again.

He let out a small breath, still amused at your look but gave into the order, but not without saying “Yes ma’am.” 

God you could hit him, flexing your fingers over the keyboard was all you could do to fight the urge. 

You both sat in silence, the only sound ringing through the study room was the clicking of keys and small sighs– mostly from Peter. Until you got lost in your research again and started humming, tapping your foot. 

After what felt like maybe 30 minutes, you took a glance up at Peter, chewing on his lip and squinting at the computer screen in front of him. The crinkle of his eyes made his eyelashes look impossibly long, complimenting his impossibly beautiful eyes. The sight of him was continuously making you think like an artist, over examining his eye color and the way his nose was slightly pink. 

You kept staring though, trying to pinpoint exactly what about him made you feel so… interested. What on his face made you want to stare at him? Was it the freckles? The dimple when he smiled, which was on full display at the moment.

Why was he smiling right now? Then you looked up at him and realized he was staring right back at you, smiling. It made you blink a few times, knowing he caught you staring again. 

You felt the nerves build back up, embarrassed that he caught you staring twice, but more embarrassed that you’d been staring at him at all. The nape of your neck heated and you thinned your lips into a tight line.

“You, by the way, are cute when you’re embarrassed.” His voice was filled with playfulness as he spoke, his chin resting over the back of his laptop.

“You don’t have to say that, Peter.” You say, aggravated and trying your best not to get mean. 

“I can’t help myself.” He shrugs, the curls on his head bouncing a bit. “You’re cute.”

You groan and stand up, gathering your things from the table and his gaze follows you the whole way up. The fact he kept saying it felt like you were in middle school again, being the butt end of the joke. 

“Wait, we still have fifteen minutes left-” he says nervously, standing along with you. “Why are you leaving?” 

You shake your head, looking at the bag in your hands before forcing a small smile. “I just need to get across campus for my next class.” And then you shrug your bag on, walking out the door and making quick work to leave the library all together. 

Peter just stares, watching you walk away, feeling only a little guilty for making you so upset.

—-------------

Friday, November 1st, 2024

Your classes got cancelled, even Dr. Howards and you let out a huff of relief before rolling back into the comforts of your bedding. You slept in for hours longer than you should have, but it felt good to have a day off from school. 

That was until noon came around and you got a text from the absolute devil himself.

Peter: Hey, Trouble, we’re still meeting today right? You groaned at the sight of his text. The day you were wanting was spent entirely in bed, by yourself, watching Spider-Man videos on YouTube with no interruptions. So you texted him back a quick response. A simple

you: no.

And went back to the video posted by fartslinger55, not the best account to  it was of Spider-Man saving a handful of people from a burning deli, the sound of his webs catching the brick buildings debris was almost rhythmic, his attention solely on the lives at stake. There was yelling and then a loud crash as a beam came down from the smoke headed right for a woman before a flash of red and blue whizzed in and stopped it. 

Right before your favorite moment happens there's a banner covering a sliver of the screen. 

Peter: Did I piss you off? Peter: I was just trying to have some fun, I’m sorry. you: no ? you didn’t do anything, i just don’t want to meet today Peter: Oh, okay! Peter: But Peter: What about my invite to the frat party? ;) you: not my scene, also stop sending more than one text weirdo Peter: Awe man, tonight's our Halloween bash, there’s gonna be plenty of booze… you: don’t drink, i’ll only go if i get to meet spiderman. so good luck with that peter

You put your phone in to not disturb and continued down the long list of favorite videos of the superhero, all the different angles of all his different fights.

There was a weird thing about it, something perhaps in your animalistic side that liked the idea of a protector, even if he themed himself off such a grotesque creature. You were grateful he doesn’t have multiple eyes and limbs and the only suggestion that he was relatively a spider was the webbing on his suit and the silk he shot from his wrists. 

You wondered if they were natural to his body, to his mutations, or if he had a beautiful and intricate device that shot them out. 

Peter however was staring at the messages you had exchanged, how your notifications were turned off so quickly after he started messaging you. It was bothering him so badly, he wanted to talk to you more. Wanted to laugh at the fact you said you would only come if you got to meet Spider-Man, unaware that you already have. That you somehow weasled into his frontal lobe in the summer and he hasn’t been able to push you out since. 

Pure trouble, that’s what you were for him. 

[inkievoid]

CHRIS STANS RISE!!! WE NEED TO GIVE THAT MAN MORE LOVE AND ATTENTION!!! 😤

Domestic Chris…Because that’s my specialty. 🥹

I see Chris having three kids, two boys, one girl. He’d be the type of dad to push his boys so hard, always expecting the best of the best from them. His daughter as well, but not as harsh. I see them all pretty close in age, maybe 1-2 years apart for each kid.

He’d have his boys do all sorts of sports and activities. Football, baseball, basketball, tennis, track, cross country, you name it, they do it. Chris would also help them practice, especially in football and baseball. His daughter would probably do ballet, tennis, and be in the Girl Scouts with Cecilia, and maybe do drama with Violet as well.

Also, it’s very much cannon that Chris spoils his daughter 10X more than his boys. His little girl wants to go on a Sephora shopping trip? Take his card and go crazy. His boys want to go out with their friends? Here’s $25 for the both of you.

Chris is also such a loving husband. He’d buy you gifts “Just because”. Or if you mention a new designer purse online, it would mysteriously show up on the dining table to greet you when you woke up…With a handwritten note of course. You were very much a spoiled wife, but he didn’t care, you gave him three beautiful kids for god sakes, of course he’d buy you whatever you want.

If there was ever a time any of your boys were disrespectful to you while he was gone, (Because they know better than to mess with their mother while dad’s around.) He’d give them the “You don’t disrespect MY wife.” Talk. Ugh, 😣 give me a chance Chris…☹️

- Anon! 🎀

🎀 ANON I FUCKING LOVE YOU I'VE BEEN WANTING TO TALK ABOUT HIM BUT NO ONE REALLY DOES MUCH IN THE CHRIS TAG ANYMORE AND THAT PLUMMETS MY MOTIVATION!!!

But I'll scream with you anyday bb!!!

(I'm sorry this is so long I just couldn't help myself 😭)

Okay so I've had the idea that Chris met someone with a child from a previous relationship (Your first born son, Let's name him Oliver and call him Ollie for short! He's like 2 years older than Violet. He struggles a bit in school so they're in the same grade, along with his younger brother, after he was held back in 5th and 8th grade but that's okay! Everyone struggles!)

Ollie was like 2 when they first met. Your ex-husband was a HORRIBLE MAN, absolutely terrible to you and the only good thing he ever did was bless you with Ollie. That's it.

Chris and his wife met through work (let's be honest here, how tf else would he meet a woman? Chris is very much a workaholic.) His wife is basically the lead of the BSAA's dispatch response team (Basically what Hunnigan does at the FOS but the BSAA's version) and she's good at her job. Very strong willed and mouthy as a mf. Isn't scared to go back at anyone over the radio and definitely got into it with Chris once or twice before they officially met.

(catch me posting what happened when they met in person the first chance someone asks)

Anyway!!

After y'all start dating it doesn't take long before you introduce Chris to your son and Ollie is just OBSESSED with Chris. Like you've never seen this kid so excited to see another human being until Chris shows up. You two only started dating for a few months and Ollie already calls Chris dad. You try correcting him scared AF that Chris is gonna get freaked out but he's actually super chill with it. He's use to taking care of people, he basically raised Claire after their parents died but this little guy is much younger and a lot more fun and excitable than Claire was.

A few months into the relationship you find out you're pregnant. Chris is excited but also freaking out with how often he's gone. But everything works out and you end up having your second son, Christopher Jr but CJ for short.

You and Chris end up getting married not long after your first anniversary after the babies born. Not making a big deal out of anything just getting papers signed and having a little get together celebrating everything.

2 years go by, Ollie's in Kindergarten and CJ does daycare. You start getting horribly ill out of nowhere. So you go get checked out and oh God you're pregnant again...

(This would be the point in time where Leon starts bugging for another baby with his wife)

9 months of Chris being a nervous wreck fly by and the world meets your daughter, Talulla, Lulu for short.

Chris would be adamant on sticking the kids in after school activities once they're old enough. His boys would do sports and his baby girl in softball and girl scouts so she can hangout with her pseudo cousins. (Her being 2 years younger than Violet and 2 years older than Cecilia) Until her older cousin quits cause girl scouts are for babies (🙄)

Chris and his wife would be UBER COMPETITIVE when it came to cookie selling season. It's all out war between the Redfield's and Kennedy's every year.

I feel like Ollie would also really be musically gifted and play piano for the school choir and musicals. Lulu would Ed up wanting to do drama but be a stage hand or in the costume department. She's actually very shy.

CJ is basically Chris when he was a kid. Always doing stupid shit... Getting in trouble over the dumbest of things but looking out for others. (Definitely beat up that kid who was picking on Violet when they were 7.)

You're getting calls from the school at least once a month because CJ got in trouble for either getting into an argument with a teacher over rules or another kid tried something stupid.

[akkivee]

CONGRATS TO BB FOR THEIR VICTORY WINNING THE STREAM ❤️❤️❤️

my brain is at it’s limit so i processed and retained very little of the movie lmao, but my general impressions/likes/whatnot:

GODDAMN EVERYONE LOOKED GOOD HOLY FCKING SHIT BRO

like there were several moments that made me shocked these were 3d models like they’re incredible 😭😭😭

i loved the op lmao like it was so fun seeing everyone walk around their cities godzilla style, seeing 360 3d interpretations of everyone’s base png and the individual looks they gave at the camera like ichiro flashing his fangs, hitoya smirking as he smooths down his hair, rei winking at the camera

LIKE THE WHOLE MOVIE HAS ALL THESE LITTLE TOUCHES ITS SO FANTASTIC THEY DEF KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING WHEN THEY MADE THIS MOVIE PURPOSEFULLY REPEAT WATCH CINEMA YOU NEED TO REWATCH IT MULTIPLE TIMES TO CATCH EVERYTHING

i need to save the kuukou meltdown for later bullet points lol but bat’s pre battle meeting was my favourite (says the bat fan lmao) like iirc that was kuukou summoning his team at dawn to mediate on their upcoming battle and to show what he did with their bat victory banner. kuukou the absolute madman hung that banner up on nagoya castle, the like actual jp cultural heritage marker and jyushi and hitoya were rightfully appalled LOL but the sun dawns at the reveal and kuukou sets forth with it HES SOOOOO—

also shout out to hifumi for like, murdering one of his fans out in the open in the middle of the street

i probably shouldn’t be since this is both a continuation but also an entry point for casuals/returnees, but i was a bit taken aback by hifumi needing his jacket to talk to girls still, and rosho having stage fright. but again, it’s a gateway movie lol!!!!

on that rosho note tho, sasara’s little tv show bit was so funny lmao, rei being the producer was frying me and rosho snapping out of his stage fright at rei’s reveal was so funny LOL

i already yelled myself raw about bbbat’s battle but they apparently weren’t done making me scream cry and throw up when kuukou was launched out of their entrance stage style and ichiro felt that impact from across the field and like. exposéd about their past that he still carries with him and kuukou doing the same on his end. but they’ve got their teams to fight with now!!!!!

i sure hated watching bat lose lol but it was nice seeing kuukou standing firm and telling jyushi and hitoya to stand with pride too 🥹🥹🥹 and his face when he decided to talk to ichiro before setting out god if i could get every sINGLE EXPRESSION KUUKOU MAKES IN THIS MOVIE TATTOOED ON MY FCKING BODY—

ichiro looking like a kicked puppy for beating kuukou!!!!! but kuukou smiling at him and telling him to not waver as he fist bumps his heart!!!!! soppy sappy lovey dovey fond ichiro gigging even tho that apparently hurt!!!!!

KUUKOU SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT ICHIRO AND TELLING HIM HES LEAVING IT TO ICHIRO!!!!! ICHIRO TELLING KUUKOU TO LEAVE IT TO HIM!!!!!

AND THEN KUUKOU SMIRKS AT HIM HIS LIPS SLIGHTLY PURSED LIKE THAT WAS A WHOLE ASS SMOULDER AT ICHIRO DEAR GOD THAT MAN WANTS HIS MAN

AND ICHIRO THUMPING HIS OWN HEART RIGHT WHERE KUUKOU HAD AS ICHIRO CARRIES THEIR SHARED WILL AND GO FORTH TO THEIR NEXT BATTLE

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH I LOVE THEM SO MUCH I LOVE THEM SO FCKING MUCH

i actually really liked the beat on out of harmony!!!! it was a little offbeat but it was simply that; an out of harmony beat lol!!!!! like it wasn’t doing too much and it felt like rap in that sense lol

and i loved the additional like symbolism behind making dhmtc’s speaker reveals mirrors of each other’s and yet their song is again, called out of harmony lol

samatoki’s vocals were really cool in this song lol

samatoki was also really cool when he lost lmao

i’ll never understand why juto takes off his glasses when he’s frustrated but it was fun to see that trait of his brought back lmao

i wish i could remember what their conversation was, but fr my heart kinda skipped a beat watching mtc console each other on the loss samatoki was really really cool when he lost LOL

posse seeing thru ramuda’s nerves and messy feelings about jakurai was sweet but props to gentaro reading him on that first glance bro, ramuda’s mask was firmly in place when he said he wasn’t nervous and i fully believed him 😭😭😭

and sensei not quite understanding his own feelings about ramuda until dohifu talked him thru it, he wants to be friends with ramuda again 🥺🥺🥺

sensei’s hair is really pretty in this movie btw lol

just getting that out there now bc like

JEEZUS THE RMJK IS THIS MOVIE IS CRAZY????? LITERAL ROLLING AROUND ON STAGE GET…… GET A ROOM????? IN FRONT OF MY METAPHORICAL SALAD?????? WONT YOU THINK OF THE CHILDREN I THINK YOU FORGOT TO ASK CONSENT FROM THE US THE THIRD WHEEL—

and maybe that scene kinda just like broke my brain bc i can’t remember what the song itself sounded like LOL

also the scene where jakurai and ramuda making up but not making up (ramuda: there’s no need for us to be friends bc we’re already friends right??? but actually >:PPP) started out so poorly lmao

jakurai: you have lost the battle

ramuda:………i mean duh we just had it????

but sensei calling ramuda ‘ramuda-kun’ 🥺🥺🥺

the full mvs were really cool!!!!!!!!! someone in kr is a die hard kendrick fan i will say that about bb’s three kings lmao

shomonrafuku is so fun i just wish i knew what folktale it’s riffing on 😭😭😭😭 and see i def need to watch that one again bc i swore at the beginning that mask had two green eyes behind it and not just rei’s heterochromia at the end 😭😭😭😭

i read a dojaku fic forever ago about jakurai accepting his fate and sinking into the depths and was pulled out by doppo. i was thinking about that fic watching bless u’s mv lol

the symbolism in that mv was going crazy like actually lmao

anyway good for the bros, rallying for both the panel and stream good show great movie let me talk to you about kuukou tho

HE WAS UNFATHOMABLY COOL AND GORGEOUS IN THIS MOVIE I COULDNT BELIEVE MY EYES LMAO

LIKE HIS STILLNESS DURING HIS MEDITATION SCENE THE SLIGHT GLOW TO HIS EYES THE WAY THE COOLS IN THAT SEEM MADE HIM GLOW I SWEAR IM NOT (TOO) DELUSIONAL LOL

THE WAY HIS EYE MAKEUP SWEEPS UP ONTO HIS UPPER EYELID WHEN HE CLOSES HIS EYES I LOVE HOW WIDE HIS MOUTH IS IM ACTUALLY NOT DONE CRYING OVER HIS EYES THEYRE SO EMOTIVE JUST LIKE IN THE MANGA

I ALWAYS THOUGHT OF KUUKOUS HAIR A BIT ON THE THINNER SUDE BUT ITS SO FULL AND FLUFFY AND BOUNCY

HIM HOPPING OVER NAGOYA CASTLE AND SLIDING UNDER WHAT I THINK WAS HORI BRIDGE

AND THE WAY HE STRUTS UP WITH HIS HANDS IN HIS SUKAJANS POCKETS

AND THE WAY HE SOMERSAULTED OUT OF THE LAUNCHPAD STAGE ENTRANCE HES THE SAUCIEST CHARACTER BRO HES SO COOLLLLLLLLLLLL

[bonefall]

Bones Bones Bonesss wc Star full book spoilers already out in the wild (forums)......... Looking forward to your thoughts when it officially comes out (or whenever!) cause. I will not say. But ohhhhhh it sure was a book............ :33

You know I'll also be doing a full read when I get my grubby paws on a copy, but I do have some strong feelings assuming that the leaks are totally accurate!

The no-spoiler version of my opinion; BOY this ending is a stinker. This arc truly was a blundering mess of lost potential and wasted time. As someone who still feels the first few books were STRONG setups, from 3 onwards I feel like I've been watching a train run out of track and derail in a slow, pitiful fashion.

It's not even a FAST trainwreck. The ending was predictable insofar as they clearly had no good climax or message in mind. Infact it's kind of a marvel how utterly bloodless this arc was, and how any violence they DID show came out of left field because they failed to build up to it.

HOWEVER. I am not just a reader, I'm a scavenger. This stuff is GREAT for BB. The ending gave me the most important pieces I need, and now I know how BB!ASC is going to rework it.

But I'll not get ahead of myself; quickly, I'll just talk raw first impressions of the spoilers.

(As always, take this with a grain of salt and the knowledge that the spoilers may be incorrect. Opinions may change once I read the book myself.)

Splashstar is a garbage villain. He is absolutely bottom-tier for me.

His "amorality" comes out of nowhere and quite frankly he reads like a Chick Tract Evil Atheist.

I don't get how people can accept the way the characters call him "manipulative" when his plots are utterly brainless.

He is the type of naunceless evil that makes me want to hurl. Splash reads like a writer trying to "repeat" the evil of Tigerstar without any of the intelligence of early TPB.

Tigerstar was a RESPECTED warrior. He leveraged his standing in the Clan to secretly carry out his assassinations and forge alliances. He was established strong to begin with.

Splash is like cat-18 and able to kill-no-miss strong warriors with his Evil Jump, and then keeps the Clan in line by holding his siblings hostage.

It makes me not understand how he has ANY followers, because he has no consistent ideology or rhetoric.

Anything they did use (like claiming he'd make the Clans strong and saying tigerheartstar wanted to take over the whole forest or whatever) isn't consistent because they failed to establish these over the SIX BOOKS THEY HAD.

It feels like he was only a legitimate threat for like 2 out of 6 books

And then he's dead in chapter 13. Halfway through the story. Incredibly lame.

I want to reserve my judgement on the Frostpaw vs Splashstar battle, but it's absurd on its face. Harelight went down in 1 hit but Frostpaw musters all her strength to use his move and overcome him?

I have to see it first before I conclude if it's something I want to salvage though. Sometimes fights just come across better when you're reading them.

But on the note of battles, it's frustrating how bloodless this arc was. We started off with tigerHeartstar invading and occupying RiverClan-- yet we're looking at a total body count of 5, with one heart attack and one illness.

And speaking of deaths.

Whoever decided to give Berryheart a redemption death should get offscreen greencough.

UTTER shite. You have this whole arc with radicalization as a major theme, show Berryheart trying to brutally murder her in-law with a snake, grabbing at power desperately to the point where she CHANGED CLANS to be Splash's deputy, and decide that her ideal ending is "she would die for her baby :(((("???

Ffffuuuuuck yoouuuuuuuuuuuu

This is why we can't have good, nuanced villains, these writers trip over themselves the MINUTE they have a sad parent. It could never actually STAY about power or politics, they cant allow a parent to truly be willing to sacrifice their child for their own ends.

No matter how badly or violently they treated you, They're Still Your Parent. Hogwash. I'm sick to death of this thought-terminating cliche.

Being a parent does NOT automatically mean they'd die for you. They already did this earlier with Curlfeather, and the absolute insult it is to the theme of radicalization aside, having Berryheart repeat that sacrifical death cheapens hers.

Now it's not that CURLFEATHER is the one who would never go so far as to allow her daughter to die for her own ends, contrasting Berryheart. It's Just What Moms Do.

And furthermore if they were going to do a "redemption death," it REALLY sucks that they decided to have Berryheart refuse to kill Yarrowleaf and not FRINGEWHISKER.

It's not even indicative of GROWTH or RECONSIDERING HER BELIEFS or anything. She won't kill her SISTER.

It might have meant something to have a chance for revenge and refuse it, but nooooo. Yarrowleaf. My god. Yarrowleaf.

and don't @ me about Yarrow being ex-kin, they both joined and rejected it at different times.

All that said...

There are some things I like here!

Frostdawn and Whistlebreeze getting their names at the same time was really sweet. I like them a lot.

Sometimes a predictable choice is the right one. Icewing becoming leader is a good move. Icestar my beloved.

I'm personally excited to get to Icey's leadership ceremony in my own rewrite, the canon one was as fanservice-wanky as you'd expect of modern arcs but I LOVE rewriting those.

Though I would have preferred Froststar, I'm ok with this.

The fracturing of RiverClan is a great move. I love the idea of there being a mass exodus following these events. It's wild we haven't gotten that before.

While I bemoan the awful politics and lack of setup, I do LIKE the idea on paper of there being "ex-Splash Supporters" to cause problems in future arcs. Not that these writers know what setup and payoff is, but hey, more for me.

I liked the sort of desperate feel of Frostpaw being exhausted in StarClan and deciding if she wants to go back or not. Im a little iffy on how much other cats PRESSURE her, though.

I need to read the chapters myself but I fear that it might not read like her own choice, but another thing that she's being forced into.

Shut UP Tree why are you HEREEE

The part where they all point out that without her, RiverClan wont have a holy messenger and that's bad, fits the consistent way the writers try to portray StarClan as a good thing when they're really not... but.

I think it would have made a fascinating moment for Frosty to realize that SHE is the one who really holds the power in this situation. What spirituality is going to look like in the future of her Clan is in HER paws now.

They are absolutely going to toss this potential away, but I guess the things I like most about the ending are the ways it kinda softly threatens the status quo.

The fracture of RC and the exodus of cats, Frostpaw deciding she will return and fix RiverClan, Icestar accepting help from the other Clans to fix the camp...

It's not ALL bad, it's just that the negatives outweigh the positives and this is exactly the kind of ending I feared. I hope that this isn't just a tease of a change to the status quo, but I've learned to not get my hopes up.

And, lastly, Owlnose deputy and Nightheart's ending chapter are just straight up beyond parody. I can't even be mad, they're such bad moves they're funny to me at this point.

[seoul-bros]

The Future of Jikook

After watching the video and GMA soundcheck performance on Friday and then seeing all the contradictory reactions on line to the song and its reception, I have been quietly mulling things over here in my little corner of the internet.

There are so many fan feelings conflating here. Those who want JK to turn into the BTS Harry Styles, those who are still smarting over the way changes to BB affected the trajectory of FACE, those who feel that the breakout of one member is a threat to ever seeing BTS as a band again. It makes for a tense, emotional and chaotic time on-line especially on Twitter where people tend to have a knee jerk reaction to anything that is said and nuance is completely lost.

Look into yourself and I am sure you will find a whole load of contradictory emotions lapping at your consciousness right now. What I have found myself thinking however, is how does all this noise affect the members and in particular Jimin and Jungkook?

Making Choices

One question that came to mind was why did Jungkook pick this song for his solo debut. What is it that he likes about it and how does that differ from the way SB sees or is marketing the song. During Festa 2023 I commented on the transformation that JK has been through since last year. He has made a conscious effort to shake off the maknae part of the golden maknae starting with his deal with Calvin Klein and all the swooning I am seeing on Tumblr shows that he has succeeded. As Yoongi said, JK is all grown up.

Then I was thinking about JK's musical choices, who and what he listens to and I remembered earlier this year he sang the Sam Smith and Kim Petras hit Unholy on one of his lives. If you also recall he later scolded Jimin for being prudish about the song on his own live.

Twitter Link

JK was obviously ready to move into more explicit territory even then. So what about Seven made him think this is the song that launches me as the new and more mature JK.

I think for one thing, the lyrics are sensual and not gender specific. I am in the "loving you right" lyric camp because it gives a more mutual gratification feel to the song in keeping with the other lyrics as opposed to the macho stud, I'm a sex machine, version.

Jungkook wants to ease his lover's mind, he want to trace their lines, he loves how they wrap around him when they make love, he is devoted, his love runs deep and when they are together he wants to make sure his lover is satisfied and feeling that afterglow.

So yes JK is going to be talking about sex from now on along with almost everyone else in the Western music industry. Along with Jimin for example. As a side note, I still don't quite understand my overwhelmingly visceral reaction to the Like Crazy MV. It's f**king art and so is he.

Now SB and his cronies know the audience they are playing to and we will get symbolically het videos both for this and what is rumoured to be his completely English speaking solo album but even this video, which to be honest I have dumped in favour of the live performance and the choreo video, went for humour rather than full out fangirl wish fulfillment. I mean that may also come but I get the feeling that somewhere down the line they are going to need to pivot hard.

What do jikook want?

Secondly, I was thinking what do jikook want both severally and individually. All the members have an enviable work ethic and a deep love of music but the emphasis that these two and JHope put on performance is legendary. Look at Jimin here monitoring between shoots for his music shows in the behind the scenes video this week. He is serious about giving his best even when he himself is not in the best physical condition.

They are both ambitious and are looking for longevity in the industry and importantly, and prefacing this with an, in my opinion, this is something they want to do together. Neither wants the other to get left behind and I think that is what they are fighting for right now.

Whatever you think about their bond, it cannot be dismissed and the sequence of events of the last few weeks for me just reinforces that. Everyone noticed the way their relationship was highlighted in the Beyond the Story book (just started my copy yesterday but I couldn't resist the spoilers last week) to the extent that Variety went on a fishing expedition which JK expertly deflected.

Jimin is in New York right now and Jikook were seen dining together the night he arrived. We don't know what Jimin's schedule is but we can assume that he will take advantage of the visit to also support Jungkook as he has done with the other members when his schedule allowed. Jungkook is important to Jimin and vice versa.

Has everyone already forgotten the amount of promo that JK has done for Jimin over the last few months. Here he is listening to JKIVE's Golden Hour who we later found out was collaborating with Jimin on Angel Parts I and II.

So this is the perspective that I am going to adopt from here on in when I react to content. I am going to ask myself does my reaction help or hinder jikook in being able to continue working together towards their aim of further success in the music industry. I will veto anything designed to drive a wedge between them, be that from the company or the fans and I will continue to work hard for them in the way that a fan can buying, streaming and supporting their music and their content. There is even word on the grapevine that there maybe some jikook collaboration and/or content on the way. I'll be watching out for that.

Wow quick update something is definitely coming.

Post Date: 16/07/2023

[saenity]

lego garden — a. arlert

prompt: taking care of plants is not meant for you.

warnings: heavy fluff, afab reader, kisses, this made me crave spaghetti, grammatical errors, occ armin!

note: wrote this last yr as my very first fic but never had the guts of uploading it. pls enjoy!

—

being a student who is fueled by academic validation and high grades for sure doesn't have any time for taking care of something else besides yourself. your face is always buried in books from morning 'till noon leaving your plants dehydrated most of the time. you like those pretty pinterest worthy balcony gardens with small potted plants to keep your apartment not to look dull and boring. 

you do have the balcony and the plants but you don't have the time and effort to keep things consistent outside of school work. that is why you ended up ranting to your perfect boyfriend about your problem. 

you : bb Ó⁠╭⁠╮⁠Ò

minminie : hello my dearest (⁠灬^‿^灬⁠)⁠♡

armin stopped organizing his transes when his phone went off showing your name in his lockscreen. 

you : my other plant died ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚

you : AGAIN ! 

you : this is the third time it happened i'm so upset of myself

minminie : oh no :( my condolences dearest :( 

minminie : do you want me to go there? i'll cook something to cheer you up baby

you : i would love to bb (⁠づ⁠｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡⁠)⁠づ

you : travel safe oki !

minminie : ofc dearest !

armin knew how you really wanted to have a small balcony garden if you weren't careless and forgetful abt your plants. that's why he ordered something he hopes you would like and that will last long even if you forget to water it for weeks. but first, he's gonna prepare the ingredients for the food tonight.

30 minutes passed and you hear your doorbell ring making you get up from your bed to greet your lover. as you open your apartment's door, you are greeted with the sight of your boyfriend in a beige oversize sweater over a white collared shirt and slacks to finish off the fit. 

the get up compliments armin as it highlights his soft features and brings out his expressive cerulean eyes. he also has his infamous soft smile accompanied by a tinge of red on his cheeks. you can't help but smile at how beautiful your man is and how lucky you are for having such beaute.

"hello pretty" you greet your lover and you swear you saw his cheeks went to a darker shade.

"hello my dearest" he smiles as he wrap his arm around you as soon he placed the paper bag filled with the needs for the night. you bury your face into his neck, inhaling his perfume and feeling more tranquil after the depressing event that occured earlier. you drew apart from each other but not enough to put distance from one another as you lean up to meet armin's lips for a kiss. it was long, sweet and comforting. something you definitely needed.

armin ended the kiss with few a pecks before completely detaching himself from you. your cheeks burned with how endearingly your boyfriend treats you.

"i hope you're not hungry at the moment, i'm gonna go cook our dinner now. go and relax yourself in the comfort of your bed, do you want me to tuck you in?" your eyes brightened at his suggestion.

"please do the honors, love!" you're practically jumping on your toes as you hop going to your bedroom. armin enters a very familiar room and sees you, his beloved already laying on the bed with your phone ready to be tucked by him. he giggles seeing how comfortable you are letting him see you in your unguarded form. your lover sits down on the bed and pulled the devut until its over your neck. he raises your head to pull your hair away under you to keep you comfortable and he then continues tucking you completely in the duvet for maximum comfort.

with a light kiss on your forehead, armin smiles at you and your relaxed figure, happy that he made his darling happy in small gestures. 

"okay, love. i'll be on the kitchen to cook our dinner! if you need anything just call out for me okay?" 

you nod at his statement and he leaves as soon you finished setting up a show to watch on your show.

armin placed everything he needed for the night's meal on the counter recalling if he got everything here. he turned on the stove  to heat up the water for the pasta noodles. also heated up another pan for the sauce of the pasta. he cooked everything nice and swift within an hour so he is only left with preparing the table for something romantic. he pulls out a tablecloth from the paperbag and placed it on table to add up a sense of restaurant vibe. armin placed your hello kitty inspired utensils on your side of the table because it's your favorite. if only your hello kitty plate didn't shatter when a classmate of yours dropped it, everything would be perfect tonight. going back, armin now lit up a new batch of your favorite scented candles he bought that day since you mentioned earlier this week yours is on its last threads. 

armin let's out a proud huff as he checks how the table turns out. the food is perfectly placed in the plate, he made sure to add extra cheese and cream on the spaghetti sauce to make it creamier just how you like it. wine glasses reflecting the candle's flames  sitted next to the plates with a bucket full of ice to ensure the wine remains cold as the night progress. 

with a sigh of relief, armin excitedly walks towards your room to start the night with you.

"baby? dinner's ready, let' get up" your boyfriend's saccharine voice caught your attention away from the show you're watching. with an excited jump, you went out of your bed and grab on your boyfriend's inviting hand and both of you walk hand on hand towards the beautifully setted up table.

a big smile forms on your face followed by giggles and burning of your cheeks. glancing at armin, he has his eyes on you happy with your reaction.

"armin! this is... woah..."

"do you like it?"

"of course! everything looks perfect, thank you love." you tiptoed to give armin a kiss on his cheeks to show how grateful you are for making your night special.

armin blushes at your action and can't help himself but to think how he would do anything to keep the bright smile stay on your face. 

"come on come on, let's eat, love! i made the spaghetti extra special just for you." armin ushers you sit on the chair he pulled out for you. 

you and armin filled the night with ease and joyous storytelling. the meal was scrumptious, the candles making the artmosphere calm and relaxing, and just being with the man who planned everything made you a lot better.

"thank you so much for the night, love. i didn't expect a romantic dinner would be your way of comforting me." you joked at the end.

armin looks at you with a glint of nervousness on his cerulean eyes. 

"well actually, there's something more i prepared for us actually." he glimpse at you as he pulls out 3 small boxes from under the table.

your eyes went wide with curiousity not noticing the boxes earlier. armin placed the boxes in front of both of you and you let out a soft gasp to see what are the boxes are.

on the front of the boxes form an image of potted flowers made out of legos. armin smiles at you as you take a closer look of one of the boxes.

"i bought this lego flowers to make you feel better. i know it's not as good as the real plants but i hope it's something that would be as special as the latter. with these, they won't witter even if you forget about watering it a few days." he scratches his neck as he explained the boxes. 

what armin didn't expect was you leaping out of the chair to hug him and giving him a big kiss.gasping for air, armin looks baffled at the brazen actions and looks at you with big eyes.

"armin! these are adorable and perfect, just look at them!" you hold all of the boxes with enthusiasm. 

"let go build them, baby? we will create our own lego garden here." he starts off as he opens a box for you.

you nodded with eyes glimming at him. maybe creating a lego garden is more special and memorable when it's created with someone you love.

[citylighten]

13, 17, 29 & 30 💐

13. How long have you been playing the Sims and how did you get into it?

When I was a kid, MTV briefly had a show where people modded video games and made music videos out of them! I saw this air one night and I remember thinking, "wow! you can do all this in a video game?" what interested me the most about the sims is how you made the plot and you built the lives of your characters. then, on deviantART i saw people with modded sims who were meant to be anime characters from Naruto and Death Note which really got me interested. I didn't care about the townies, I wanted to make myself and get married to my favorite anime guy! Ever since then I've been a fan of the series. But my relationship with the sims has always been: "ew, this new installment looks ugly, I don't want this, I want the previous installment." I owned The Sims 3 for at least three years before I truly gave it a chance. Then, I started playing The Sims 4 in 2021 because I similarly didn't want to give it a chance. 😂 (and I didn't know where to start with all the packs)

17. In your gameplay, are you more task-driven (ie, completing aspirations/leveling up careers) or story-driven?

Answered!

29. What gameplay/CAS/BB feature would you like to see added/changed in the game?

Okay so, I think CAS/BB should have a feature called "recently added" where if you just got done downloading a bunch of new cc, it'll be in that tab, maybe starred at the top or something. There are so many times when I splurge on CAS cc and I forget what it looks it, or it takes me forever to scroll and find it. A CAS search engine would be nice to, that would allow us to type in the names of creators and show us all items tagged under their name.

30. What’s your favorite thing to do in the game?

Make huge families and watch how they all interact! I've never really played as a sim who lived alone, I think it would get boring for me personally, they need other characters to bounce off of!

[gojonanami]

I want Prof. Geto to soft dom me

Dear Sab,

I just wanted to write you a short little message saying that I really, really enjoyed 'I Need Someone Older'. I honestly think it's one of the best works ever that I've ever read on Tumblr. I'm just in awe of how engaging this story really is. The pacing is just perfect. The dialogue is so witty. The setting is charming. The characters are fantastic. Prof. Geto Suguru is just such a memorable and charming character—he's so charming that I am more than sure that I will find myself thinking about him years down the line. All in all, I'm just really in love with this fic, and I often find myself checking your page and rereading it because it is just so, so good.

Thank you so very much for sharing it with us! I feel so lucky that I got to read it! I am so looking forward to part two! Can't wait! Xxx

Love you lots xxx

oh my god same

Dear anon,

Thank you so much for this lovely note!! it means so much - you made me so happy with your message — I can’t believe how highly you think of my work — it means so so much to me!! I feel so lucky to have wonderful people like you and everyone send me messages like this!

also I’m sorry this message was saved to my drafts instead of being schedule by mistake - idk if you were the anon that thought their ask got buried but hopefully you see this bb!! I hope you enjoyed part 2 💕✨🥹

[milktian]

WuWa spoilers under the cut!! I just finished I think the first act? I just need to get this off my chest. There's still a lil more but ill probs edit this when i finish that yippee

EDIT: so there wasn't a lil more they just stick your character in a chair and when you get out quest over. Lil weird but alright.

So. The story itself is intriguing - the exposition dumps really weren't great tho like my eyes kept glazing over but i think I got the general gist. It isn't the strongest start, but I can only hope it gets better from here cause i still really really enjoyed myself.

I'm not sure if I was meant to do Lingyang's quest earlier + meet Yuanwu earlier cause they just kinda,,, showed up in the final stretches and like i've never met them in the story before. It was a lil jarring

Also.

Havoc Rover.

One-winged Angel Rover..... i want to wait until enough time has come out but you know i'm drawing that. I do need to get a handle on his playstyle though im so used to spectro rover jfdnjkhdilk

The Threnodian (?) Puppet (??) boss was literally so cool i can already see WuWa's enemy designs being in my top top favourite of enemies designs and I am not even kidding. It was so like,,,,, cool and freaky and oufjdjsglfk gushing about them. I wish there was a way to see that model somewhere like in an archive but im begging i wanna look at it when im not fighting for my life.

Also side note: the fighting in general, combined with enemy designs weirdly reminds me of the dark souls games??? Like to me it feels like it smooshed genshin + dark souls together and y'know what, i needed that. Ik it's stupid to compare it to dark souls just cause it has a dodge + parry mechanic and the enemies, but i don't know how my brain works dude. it just does that

Also the domain was sick as shit im so ill rn. You can't use cameras in the domains i think (rip) so this was the only one i got. I also hope they have the cutscene on yt or something cause there's like one frame which is gonna replace my argenti wallpaper (sorry bb)

The new area - Norfolk Barrens - also looked super cool. I adore wuwa's environmental design. I've only been through it during the story, but I'm excited to explore. Once I'm free of story and quest stuff, I'm gonna go on my 100% everything spree like in genshin lmao

I'm tempted to pull for Jiyan but I kinda wanna save? he is super fun but I'm trying to be more like,,,, ig reserved when it comes to pulling in case there's someone who I prefer later on. I wanna focus on building lingyang + Havoc Rover for now. I don't care too much about the meta but i still wanna survive in combat yknow

despite the bugs and stuff i've encountered, im having a super fun time and can't wait to see where it goes!!