#I often reblog fics I did get the change to read on my blog so if you scroll around on my blog you’ll find my recs

[iwaasfairy]

hello friends it’s been said before but I think it bears repeating: content creators are already doing all they can to add to fandom.

me and I’m sure a lot of other writers often get the question “any fics similar to yours/any writers who do more of what you do/hey please recc people or fics” and,,, I hope you can see that all these sort of asks are asking for more things to consume, more to read, preferably exactly like what they like about you as a writer -and while I don’t get upset over these messages- I also don’t love them. ༼ ் ▽ ் ༽つ

because the truth is that writers read less than readers. seems pretty obvious hhahshdh . we’re writing for you all, so we don’t have time to go dig through the tags and find new fics or writers we like. so getting messages like this just reminds me that when I’m actively making content for others, I don’t get the time to enjoy fandom. luckily I enjoy writing, so it gets lifted somewhat. but I would like to say this:

if you want more of a certain thing, how about instead of taking more, you try to give? it’s so so rare to receive back as a content creator, and it’s honestly pretty draining. it kills fandoms. genuinely. you guys have to understand fandom is a two way street.

if there’s a fic you really like, send it to a writer you think will enjoy it, and maybe that writer will get inspired. if you know someone likes a certain topic, send them some blog recs! If someone’s having trouble writing, send them an ask about an idea they might enjoy. It’s really really not as hard as you guys seem to think it is to make fandom more enjoyable for both parties. Because I promise you, I promise you!! If a writer is inspired and happy, you will get a lot more content to read too, than when they’re not. It benefits you to interact with, and help out your fav writers.

unless someone specifically has a rule not to, help us (writers) out a little. and ofc this isn’t calling out people who already interact, and reblog, and leave nice comments on fics. yall are little muffins whomst I love the most. but I wont answer asks that want more, because one, I don’t know many other writers to rec and two, it’s not fun to know you’re sending another writer a bunch of readers who will just pass by to read everything they’ve poured hours into, and then most likely ask them the same thing and move on

[iamstartraveller776]

Feel free to ignore, but you mentioned that the fandom landscape has changed drastically from twenty years ago, and I’m curious what that means for you. I’ve seen lots of posts on the topic, but am interested in your experience if you want to share.

I absolutely can share!

Twenty years ago, I found fandom through bulletin boards or message boards (depending on what you called them). Trekbbs was my first one, and it's still standing. High speed internet was relatively new, and it was easy to keep up with "threads." Whenever you logged in, it would take you to where you left off with any given thread so you could catch up. (Discord does this...kinda, but Discord moves at warp speed where BBS's moved at impulse power.) It was easier to stay connected, to get to know people. Also, the boards were (and are) heavily moderated. Trolls were banned, and folks who got too heated under the collar were usually temporarily banned until tempers cooled. So it was generally a safe environment.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the vast majority of the boards were grown-up only. That's not to say that minors didn't sneak through, but they were on their best behavior lest they get found out and kicked off the board.

And from the boards, we learned where to find fanfic. Back then, even though FFN existed, fic was primarily archived on private sites. There were no such thing as likes and kudos back then. It was fandom etiquette (at least for my corner of the Trek fandom) to leave a comment/review if you read a fic (and be nice about it!). It was the era of Kink Tomato (your kink is not my kink and that's okay) and don't like don't read and simply fun. We had challenges, did round robins—where someone would write a chapter of a fic, then another author would write the next, and so forth.

Even when I made the switch to posting more on FFN, it was pretty normal to send a message to someone to thank them for favorite-ing your story even if they didn't comment. And often they would message back, telling you what they enjoyed. I have some friendships born from this! It was normal. Writers weren't called "needy" and "self-absorbed" for hoping for more interaction with their readers. We were all in this together.

I also did yahoo groups for a time, and had a fantastic time with my friends in an email chain.

LiveJournal was kind of the peak of fandom, IMO. I think it was the first "public" website, rather than something privately owned, where we could build communities (private or public) as well as have our own pages (private or public). Some of the best fandom events happened on that site. But LiveJournal ended up imploding. (Cyber attacks then the new owners started wiping out entire communities without warning for violating the new terms of service. It was horrible.)

So we all moved to Tumblr. (And we were slowly moving to AO3. Some also moved to the site formerly called Twitter.)

Tumblr was pretty awesome back then. Because fandom people took the same community with them when they came. We didn't have replies back then, but dagnabit we screenshot tags or reblogged comments and posted them with replies. It was easier to follow tags and even some fandoms created blogs that were archives for fics. (Myself included.) The downside was, and continues to be, lack of moderation. Not that I think fandom should be gatekept, but it isn't as easy-going when you do have to worry about putting up with trolls as a rule rather than the exception.

Alas, life happened and I had to step away for a few years. When I came back...it's so much quieter. Significantly less interaction. Less comments on fics. There's just...less connection in general. People tend to flit in and out of fandom more often. And on top of that, there is the odd movement that fanworks shouldn't contain anything that would make a reader/viewer uncomfortable or is unrelatable to the general masses. As a fanworks creator, there have been times I felt more like a monkey dancing for a demanding audience rather than a squee-ing fan sharing things with fellow sqee-ing fans. I seriously questioned for a long time whether I would bother anymore.

(This also doesn't mention how streaming and binge-watching series rather than weekly releases have affected fandom. It's different when you get one episode a week for an entire season of 20-24 episodes than when a streamer releases the entire 8-10 episode series at once.)

A part of this is me, too. I don't have nearly as much time to invest in fandom as I used to. I can't be too critical of the changes in fandom, but it is different.

And so I hang onto a few of the friends I've found (like you!) and continue to find here and there. I write whatever I want and delete rude comments. I always reply to the others. And I keep plugging on!

Thank you for asking! And thank you for being part of what I love about being on Tumblr even after all these changes! (Sorry I got a bit verbose!)

[cerberuscaeli]

Short Zhongli x f!reader drabble

This was initially written as a drabble in an ask for a blog I follow (give @zhongrin a follow, also Rin I'll dedicate this one to you <3), and after some encouragement, I have decided to post it on my writing blog as well. So enjoy reading and please don't crush me with a meteorite if it's not great (you get it? Meteorite = Zhongli's ult?...) <3

Comments and reblogs are appreciated <3

Although this can be easily read as gn!reader, all my fics are centered on female reader, and thus I will label this as female reader insert as well. (No pronounces are being used.)

Based on when Neuvilette is grieving or lost in his sorrows it starts to rain and clears up when he gets himself back together. So kind of my take on this situation and what happens but with Zhongli instead?

Zhongli has seen a lot of things in the long years he's been walking the earth. He endured a lot so it's only normal he carries a lot of sorrows with him. Now, what if the earth would tremble when he gets lost in his sorrows? When he gets sad or is grieving?

The earth would tremble, just hard enough for people to feel it under their feet but never too hard that it would shake the entire nation and cause damage. No, just a slight tremble you feel underneath your feet that people with sharp eyes and sentences can feel the best.

But the people of Liyue don't give it a mind. After all, they have seen the almost downfall of their region so that the earth trembles now and then are the least of their worries, for sure with how it doesn't cause trouble. Sure it would let stones tumble down from the mountains, but rocks that were already bound to fall off. And even when Zhongli is so consumed in his sorrows, somehow he does make sure the shift in earth would cause no one harm.

After all, it's barely there that people don't have to worry about it. But you do. You know the signs and the meanings of the sudden change and as his lover you are bound to look for him. And so you do, finding him near a giant tree, where he once locked Azhdaha up. Eyes closed, head bowed down and shoulder slouched. A thing you didn't see that often. You step closer to him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder as you softly greet him.

It's all he needs to be pulled out of his mind. You're enchanting voice and gentle touches bring him back to the present. The earth stops trembling as the Archon finds peace and comfort in your gentle touch and loving words. He gently wraps his arms around you, pulling you against his chest as he lifts his eyes up at the sky. His sorrows are now replaced with a blooming feeling of love.

There was no need to dwell on his sorrows when you, the person who brightened up his life were at his side. His rock that grounded him in times like this. A gentle breeze of love and comfort you always carried with you. A small smile slowly starts to grace his face as he presses a soft kiss on the top of your head. Muttering a simple "Thank you, my darling." Because no more words were needed, because he had you and you understood him better than anyone ever did.

There was no need to dwell on his sorrows when he had the light - that made the darkness of his past fade away - in his arms.

[eliounora]

Good grief, I don't know how someone could have read your last post and responded with the amount of dismissiveness that last reply did. Apart from the whole thing smacking of Calvinist bull****... that's just not how humans work. We're not meant to function in total isolation, and I've never met a creatively-inclined person who *didn't* hope to see their work connect with people. Part of the joy of making things is sharing them with other people, and even if nobody owes you their time or attention or validation, it *is* disheartening to feel like the things you share in hopes of people connecting with them aren't acknowledged for whatever reason. Please do whatever you need to for your own mental health, but I hope you won't delete your blog here; I'm someone who's generally too shy to interact, but I've adored your art for years, and was beyond thrilled when you opened your quick comms a little while back (I now have an Eliounora original and it makes me so happy every time I look at it <3). Your latest Thranduil piece is gorgeous (and immediately became my favorite visual interpretation of the character I've seen so far) - I saw the Bilibin references in the frame right away and was delighted to see someone marrying it to Middle Earth! It gives the whole thing a perfect old fairytale feel. I hope it helps a little to know that your work has at least one quiet but sincere admirer here.

CALVINIST BULL is the perfect way to describe that mindset hahaha! you're so right, like even when you draw or write or create anything as a kid you often run to a caretaker or a sibling or whoever to show your work! and even when I was a kid, if my scribble did not get the reaction from my mom I was hoping for, I'd be super sad, and I think that speaks to our need to have our work appreciated!

of course you should primarily create for yourself, like writing, knitting, drawing, painting, singing, playing an instrument, all that should be first and foremost fun for you, but I think it's also important to remember that it takes guts to share your work, and when you put yourself out there like that and don't get the reaction you hoped for, of course that feels disheartening. we are bound to believe that the more work we put into something, the more recognition we get!

I know many other people feel like this too (I mean look at artists on this website begging for reblogs), and I think it speaks for the content creator.....isation? of artists and the change in fandom culture which has resulted in lack of community. while disappointment is bound to happen from time to time, like maybe your fic did not get as many comments as you wished for or your art got less notes than you expected, for me it feels like disappoinment is the norm.

I really hope this does not come across as whining about how I don't get the recognition I think I deserve (although that's what it is I'm not going to lie), because I do appreciate every shy and quiet person out there who loves my art, like you💗 and of course nobody has to interact any more than they are willing, but I think the general trend that interaction with people's works is lessening will dishearten many artists, especially those who don't have a large following. and oftentimes even a few excited words about your work will take you a long way! like yours right now, I FEEL SO SEEN!!! my thranduil, your favourite? FUCK YEAH!!!

[goldenstarprincesses]

Henlo! You rebloged my post about France in fanfiction and I wanted to reply to it because I found what you said interesting, but because you used just tags would be goofy to reblog it again so I am sending an ask!

I agree about the cannon not helping, the thing is France got better in the cannon, he is more interesting now. I am not very into Prussia so I don't remember if he got better in later parts. But this thing about him being the worst in PruCan fanfic isn't something I noticed in Brazilian Fanfics or maybe I just don't remember lol

I wrote my post at 1 AM and now I stopped to think about what annoys me about how simple and awful Francis' characterization is and I noticed that it simply doesn't have a reason. When I was writing my fic, I wanted to make him bad in a European kind of way, he is France, France really did a lot of shit, he is kind of goofy and useless now? Yes, but that wasn't the case in the Early Modern era.

I also never saw no one exploring his sexuality. Why is Francis overly sexual? Why is he so dramatic? Why is he always trying to get in someone's pants? Real people have reasons to act overly sexual, they aren't just born this way, but WHY I NEVER SEE NO ONE ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS??

Thank you for rebloguing my post and confirming I wasn't just seeing things lol

Hiii! First, I adore your blog. Thank you for introducing me to the world of TurkFra. My eyes have been opened and my mind widened.

I almost think the fandom needed to go through the "dark times" or "dark age" of character interpretation to get where we are now. I know there was for sure a shift happing when I dipped out of the fandom in 2016ish. And when I started occasionally reading fanfics again during lockdown I was blown away with the shifts regarding the characterization of nearly all the characters.

Totally agree with you 100% about interpreting a character like France in a way where he is bad shit person, because of the actual actions of France. Imo its really important to include things like that into every nations characterizing when engaging in more "real life inspired" characterization. Almost have to wonder if the rise in popularity of historical hetalia has had anything to do with this change. While it was sorta a thing in the early years of the fandom, it didn't really seem to have much of a collective following and community. And now it seems that characters of empires/colonists like France/England/America/Russia etc. have shifted away from being written to have very goofy and comically negative traits more in-line with the 2008-2012ish canon to having their negative traits rooted more in the real-life negative habits or traits of the real world nations. I'd also wonder if the average age in the fandom has gone up which has helped characters simply be better developed.

The "bad touch trio" was super common back in the day. It was France/Prussia/Spain. Pretty much the entire characterization for them all ended up being sex addicts who went around well, SA or SH other nations. That mixed with the very silly "everything is based on basic national stereotypes" vibe of early canon I think just made i so a character like France ("nation of love"/the idea that the French are much more sexually liberated then the English or Americans) was very one-sided even when other charters were getting a little bit better of treatment. I also always felt like France was never as popular in the American/English fandom as American and England. So he (and often Canada) would sorta just thrown into things without much development character-wise.

You bring up so many good points!!! legit I have always thought about things like this.

[popponn]

hehe popon !!! i'm like trying my best to keep my eyes open bc i am v tired 😞 so i am apologising in advance if there are any grammatical mistakes in this chunk of text 🤞🏻😸 but hi lovely:

WISHING U A HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POPON !!!! i not sure whether it's like ur birth date where u live yet, but it is for me, so i hope this mssg is on time ! but happy birthday to one of the cutest, cleverest and sweetest yoichi kissers in the world 🫶🏻😽 isagi loves u sm and giggles and kicks his legs when u post him on ur blog (real. bro told me and i was "damn yoichi 🤨")

on my friends' birthdays, i usually write a letter and give them my thanks for a number of things. and i think the number one thing i wanna say "thank u" to u for is definitely our interactions <3 u have always been friendly to everyone who interacts w u, including me, and i reckon i'm rly lucky to met u this year !!! u're a kind soul w a lot of love to give, and i think that's why we all love u sm !!! and i'm super thankful for all the times u've visited my inbox/mssges 🫶🏻🫶🏻 it makes me happy hehe

i must also mention that i am so thankful that i was able to find "coincidences and flickers" one fateful day,, like that series has the potential to forever change me as a person and even make me become a temporary isagi kisser (never forgetting who i am 😤) <33 it was that series that helped me find ur blog and realise the insane amount of talent u have for writing !! my favourite writers on this platform often changes (sometimes it's a, or sometimes it's b), but i think u have a fixed position up there <3 i truly adore u and the way u write, so thank u for all the works u post 🫂 it's such an honour to be mutuals w a v skilled writer

i also wanna thank u for all the reblogs u make on everyone's works <3 when u reblog my fics w a bunch of tags, it truly makes me feel like that the effort i have put in didn't go to waste bc there was someone who appreciated what i wrote. also like,, the quality of my writing often fluctuates (😞💔), but u reblog them anyways, and i will ALWAYS thank u for that !! i love uuu (⁠づ⁠￣⁠ ⁠³⁠￣⁠)⁠づ🫂💞

oh, and, thank u for constantly feeding my reo delusions 😸😸 not sure if i'd love him the same without u telling me that reo loves me too lol 😽🧎🏻‍♀️

i do hope that everything will treat u nicely today !!! and every other day bc u deserve it <33 eat cake, laugh w friends and mb be silly for a little while—u're not a grandma yet, so have fun being in ur twenties, popon !!!!

love u always 🫶🏻☹️

(i hope u like words bc this was a bit of a read lmao)

SAKI IM SOBBINGGG???????? WHATT????? D: JESUS I WILL BE WORDY TOO!! HOW DARE U MAKE ME ALL SOFTTTT thank u so much for typing all this despite being very tired omg ;;;; im gonna bawl mom im so glad i meet saki the sweetest adgudk (also...my grammar is also a mess i hope this shall be forgiven as i am sincere ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡))

it already is!! :">> thank u for remembering it bae :""" and omg yoichi did all that? i get even more in love :(( pls tell yoichi i also kick and giggle when he breathes :(( AND HEY YOU ARE OVERPRAISING ME WHAT IF MY HEAD GET BIG [ahjussi voice]

saki :(((( im also very thankful i get to meet you this year ue ue ue ;;; i never thought i will ever talk to you (or anyone here at all tbh sksk) like i was very shy and hesitate a lot, but then you are there?? being so sweet friendly and welcoming ;;; like you are one of the reasons i'm here and i mean it??? like you are one of the person who gave me courage to be more friendly here too hehe <3 im so glad i meet someone as kind you saki <3

im gonna start blushing and bawling fr now. IM SO GLAD I MAKE THAT SERIESS ;;;;; (CHAPTER WILL COME SOON TRUST!!) hdfkdj idk what to say here before sounding like a madman so uh ;;;; pls know that i was so happy too when u commented and reblogged so positively ;;;;;;; ghjk saki your praises i think i read them over and over girly u r too sweet for me sometimes ;;;;;; ♡( ˘ ³˘)♥︎

okay channeling my coolness energy a bit, saki 🫵i like your writing GENUINELY!!! okay! so im glad you like the madman ramblings in the tags :>> and come on buddy fic writer to fic writer, it would be impossible to like everything we write SKSKSK remember that one time i immediately lose it after posting that rin studying fic. sigh. stupid ass me. BUT YOU AND EVERYONE WERE THERE AND IT SERVED ITS PURPOSE HOHOHO SO I TOO FEEL IT WASNT A WASTE HEHEHEHE

and i will keep feeding ur delusion get ready (❀❛ ֊ ❛„)♡ also quick mention real quick your cats are cool sunglasses or not

THANK YOU FOR THE WISHES SAKIII!!! omg :((( thank you so much for?? writing all these gosh uhuhuu i will reread this over and over again a lot of times today hehe (no matter how busy and hard it is to open tumblr today!!!) this make my day so much ;;;;;; uhuhuhu and aw <3 i will!!! i wanna make a grandma joke again but for today i will spare saki uwu

i love you always too!!!! 🫶🏻😤

[sp4cepunisher]

→ masterlist | ask/request

icon credit: @seattleslayer on twitter

BEFORE YOU FOLLOW...

this blog contains mature content and nsfw themes, and should not be viewed by any minors (i.e. anybody under the age of 18). those who decide to ignore the forewarning given above and view my blog are responsible for their own media consumption. however, any minors that i see actively interacting with my blog will be blocked immediately.

thank you!

dni if…

you are an ageless blog (i.e. if you do not have your age clearly labelled in your bio)

you are a minor

[ if you interact with my blog (i.e. liking, commenting, reblogging, requesting etc.) and i do not know, or cannot clearly decipher, that you are a person of age, you will be blocked immediately. i do not welcome, nor do i tolerate, minors on my blog as i am an 18+ writer, so please do not be offended if you find yourself blocked. ]

you harbour any negative beliefs or thoughts regarding the following:

→ racism

→ homophobia

→ misogyny

→ prejudice

→ transphobia

→ antisemitism

[ my blog is a safe space for those who interact with and enjoy my content. there is absolutely no room for hatred, so please exit now if this is applies to your motives, thoughts or beliefs. ]

please read through my rules + boundaries which dictate what i am/am not comfortable with writing, as well as what will be accepted when requested! (and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if there is anything you feel needs to be clarified or to double check about something written here!) thank you :)

☆ REQUESTS ARE: OPEN ☆

one-shots

imagines

drabbles

☆ I AM COMFORTABLE WITH WRITING:

→ fluff

“feel good” fanfiction designed to be emphatically happy and uplifting. the plot is often less relevant in these works, as the main focus is to be cheerful.

→ angst

the story will be primarily dramatic in nature, rather than comedic or light-hearted, and characters may suffer mental or physical anguish during the course of the story.

→ smut

an explicit, erotic fanfic which focuses on sexual activity with little consideration of context or plot. (18+! nsfw themes)

→ tropes

common themes and storylines that writers and readers flock to. e.g. enemies-to-lovers or friends with benefits

→ au’s

also known as alternate universe, a fanfic where the original story setting is completely changed. e.g. college!au or modern!au

[ side note ! ] these themes will always be featured in the warning section of any piece that i post. if you see themes featured in any of my fics that i did not give a pre-warning about, please do not hesitate to let me know!

☆ I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH WRITING:

→ any kind of abuse ( incl. physical, verbal, emotional, sexual )

→ teen pregnancy

→ rape, incest or any kind of forced situation

→ suicide or suicidal thoughts

→ personalised stories

→ sexual scenarios featuring minors

→ pregnancy/breeding kink

→ foot fetish

→ heavy bdsm kink

→ ageplay kink

☆ I ASK THAT YOU DO NOT:

→ repost or translate my works on any other platform (e.g. fanfiction.net, wattpad, ao3, etc.)

→ request if you are underage.

my blog is not safe for minors, as some of the things featured/written/reblogged will contain nsfw themes. if you are under the legal age of 18, please exit my blog immediately or unfollow me. any minors that i do see interacting with my blog will be blocked.

→ interact with my blog if you harbour any negative beliefs or thoughts regarding the following:

racist

homophobic

misogynistic

prejudice

transphobic

antisemitism

→ send multiple requests for the same fic

i always try my hardest to get to requests as quickly as i can, so i politely ask that you respect that.

[ side note ! ] if i am uncomfortable with accepting or fulfilling a request, i will let you know. i won’t ever ignore or disregard any of the requests i receive, but if i feel as though i won’t be able to do them justice or if they simply go against my rules or cross my boundaries, i will always make it known.

☆ I ASK THAT YOU DO:

→ always reach out and ask!

if you are ever unsure whether or not what you are looking to request will be accepted. i am happy to answer any questions or clarify anything that doesn’t make sense!

→ let me know if you did or didn’t enjoy a fic!

any feedback is appreciated and valued, whether that be positive or negative. reblogs + likes are also always appreciated!

→ call me out if i make a mistake!

i try to ensure that my fics are as inclusive as possible, so if you see something that you think i missed or messed up on, please always let me know!

© 2022 sp4cepunisher

[sailing-through-hawkins]

tagged by @xenon-demon @rogueddie and @a-little-unsteddie (≧∇≦)ﾉ

this took me SO LONG to compile because not only did i change my username to be like three times longer but i also added a challenge for myself to use songs i associate with steve (and tumblr deleted my drafts. three times.)

i've also added why i associate them with steve because some of these options may seem odd and also because i love going off about my steve thoughts (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧

edit: FORGOT TO ADD THE RULES -

put a song for each letter in your url! either in a reblog or new post!

S: Solar Powered by Fulton Lee, Jacob Sigman

(i imagine a very light-hearted rollerskating session with Steve and Max during summer time, both pulling fancy moves while the rest of the UD gang cheer them on)

A: A Little Bit Happy by TALK

(this gives me Steve talking about how Robin sees him, major self-esteem issues, etc etc)

I: I Was Made For Lovin' You by KISS

(this is the one KISS song i put on loop, and like to me, steve feeling like he was made to love just hits different)

L: Lovely (cover) by Lauren Babic

(i ADORE this artist and this particular cover makes me think about separated stobin in the russian bunker, major angst, 5k with a happy ending -)

I: I'm on Fire by Bruce Springsteen

(i started listening to springsteen after reading this fic that i highly recommend, and this song just got me, it felt so appropriate for steve)

N: Not Alright by Pink Sweat$

(very big steve coping all alone after he deals with the latest UD incident vibe)

G: Golden Hour by JVKE

(i will always promote sun-and-gold-coded steve, always)

T: The One That Got Away by Katy Perry

(okay this one's a little tricky, but after i started this blog i listened to this song and was struck by a steve-centric animatic concept that would take way too long to explain but the Story is There)

H: Her Song by Kaylee Federmann

(same situation as above but this animatic would be a college au ft. Steve's serial dating)

R: Rot by DBMK

(SUCH A STEVE SONG IF YOU LIKE STEVE BEING GUILTY/INSECURE OVER HIS OLD REPUTATION THIS IS THE THEME YOU NEED)

O: On and On by Djo

(i'll be honest this one is purely because it's by Djo but it's a good vibe!!)

U: Untouched by The Veronicas

(OKAY THIS ONE this one gets me it gives me pining and touch-starved friends-with-benefits steddie, the chorus goes so hard for me)

G: Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen

(it's by queen, it's called lover boy, need i say much more?)

H: Holding Out for a Hero by Adam Lambert

(i was struggling and went through charlie's wonderful playlist and was like oh OF COURSE how did i miss that?? but i went for this version because it really does remind me of steve back in the junkyard)

H: Here's to Being Single by Lost Stars

(ooooh this one!!! it makes me think of stobin lamenting over not being able to get their romantic relationships just right together)

A: Ashes (cover) by Lauren Babic

(again UGH this artist sings so beautifully and this cover really makes me think of the desolation spreading after season 4 and the whole UD gang doing their best to push it back)

W: When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going by Billy Ocean

(i imagine steve thinking about leaving hawkins often and listening to this song while he drops Dustin off just so he can daydream about it)

K: Kids In America by Kim Wilde

(more of a general UD gang vibe, like the camera cuts to each of them prepping for battle and then fighting against every UD creature that comes their way together)

I: (I Just) Died in Your Arms by Cutting Crew

(once again provided by charlie's playlist after i was struggling to find a good match, like hello self-sacrificial steve anyone)

N: Night Vision by Drives the Common Man

(i loooove the chorus in this, and it also makes me think of monster!steve which we know is what i'm all about)

S: Stranger Things by Survival Kit, IAMCOUCHSURF

(yeah this one was purely for the title, also more monster vibes ( •̀ ω •́ )✧)

i'm too tired to tag anyone so if you see this and wanna try it out yourself, consider this me tagging you!!

[tastyfishistasty]

13 years on Tumblr retrospective

Having looked through all the posts I personally made since 2010 I can see so many changes and so many things that have stayed the same. It's been sad and interesting and also some good bits!

The world spins ever on.

Followers and Following

My lovely lovely mutuals and followers have always been so kind and so helpful 💜💜💜, so many posts and conversations that I forgot, but were like little treasures to find!

It makes me so sad to know some of the people I interacted with so often are no longer here and I have no way of finding them. I miss them and I hope they are happy and doing well.

I've still never broken into having 100 followers, but those that do follow me are the best 🎉

Fandoms etc

I miss some of the fandoms I used to care so much about! Merlin, Bluestone 42, HTTYD, supernatural, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Brooklyn 99, Narnia...

Some I will watch occasionally, some not with a barge pole.

Then of course the big two that I can't touch anymore that make me sad because people are awful.

There's a post I saw about the first RTX UK which I couldn't go to in the end and I'm gushing about you know who and it makes me sick to remember how much I loved them. I watch Jeremy on twitch and I love him, but I can't watch the back catalogue anymore and I used to watch them on repeat.

I used to have the tag "Achievement Hunter is saving my life". And it did. It gave me things to look forward to and it was good and happy and positive and safe. But it wasn't. It's ruined and it's never coming back.

For the other one... I wrote fan fic, it was how I got into fandom at all! I made my own fandom merch (embarrassing as fuck now), but all that care and effort was not deserved by the creator and I hope she rots away and stops hurting people I care about.

Dragon age has been around for me such a very long time and I wish it worked on my old laptop now EA has updated their app thing.

My MCs have really changed and grown and I see so many mistakes and misunderstandings in my own view of the world, seeing how they've changed and I've changed is really rewarding!

Me!

Looking back at some of my OG posts, I was so good at hiding that I was ace. I assumed I was normal, I'd had a serious boyfriend!

Yeah no. You can track my nonsense as I figure it out, the "thirst" posts disappearing and my Sherlock phase was getting worse (yes, that's how I figured out what Asexual was, when someone said Sherlock Holmes was... the shaaaaaaame 🤦).

And by "thirst" posts, I mean "isn't X pretty? I like his face". That's it.

My dude, that is aesthetic attraction not romantic or sexual. You are asexual as fuck, stop trying to not be.

Then there's the "I'm double A not triple A, what a shame!" posts. Shockingly, wanting to be Agender too but feeling it can't be you, because it's only for people who know exactly what they are... is a sign you might actually be Agender.

It's both more complicated and not complicated at all with my gender, but Agender works and I like being a tiny battery, so I got here eventually.

Most recently there's the mental health side. I use a side blog for that, but it's still on Tastyfishistasty. It's so sad to look and see me trying so hard to fight my "atypical cyclic depression" and feeling so lazy and broken.

It was ADHD and emotional dysregulation, doc, not a fancy depression.

If my ear doctor hadn't said anything, I don't know if I'd ever have realised. It's scary to know how much of myself was revealed because I didn't actually have hearing problems, I have attention problems and auditory processing issues...

Thank you to anyone that has been on this journey with me, either my lovely followers and mutuals or just for reading this long post!

I'm not going anywhere unless they kick me out as they close the building, this post was born from finally receiving the "made 100 posts" badge and wanting to see how many I'd actually made. (It's 210 original and 15,090 reblogs... so Tumblr needs to learn to count.)

I wish I had time to back this blog up, or at least go through and find the important stuff I don't want to loose, but that's a lot of work and Tumblr does not like me going too far on my own blog, so unless there's a way to put it somewhere else to look... who knows.

Anyway

Thanks everyone 💜

And Tumblr:

[dameronalone]

I think what the "write for yourself" crowd are missing out on is that I DO write for myself, and often. there's shit that's going to sit in documents forever and never be posted because it's for me. but since when did wanting to interact with people become a bad thing?

I used to get more prompts sent to me or even reblogs and interaction when I did post fanfiction on tumblr/ao3 and I promise you my writing was worse then than it is now so it can't be that. I DO write for myself but sometimes I want to share what I write or write what someone wants to read because it's fun and I like that!

but that's not enough these days. the only people who consistently get a lot of interaction are the "popular" blogs (and I'm not saying that's bad or anything because there are always going to be popular blogs) and if you aren't in with that crowd, good luck getting more than 30 notes

especially in the reader x fanfiction circles. it's horrible there, ESPECIALLY if you aren't writing for the popular character of the month. I don't know what changed but something did change significantly. if you aren't writing smut and if you aren't writing for the hottest character around the notes you're going to get are minimal. I posted a poe dameron x reader fic the other day that was dealing with canon stuff and it got like. two notes on tumblr, and a very small amount of kudos/hits on ao3. even the last smut reader fic with a fairly popular oscar osaac character I wrote didn't go far

its just really frustrating as a writer to try so often and get nothing. I reblog prompts and get nothing, I post fic and get nothing, I try to interact with the fandom and get nothing. I DO write for myself but sometimes I want to write for others. but not so much anymore

[oliviaischillin1204]

He Ollie! It's Cef. You might remember me. I just wanted to say hi and that I hope you are doing well. I still love that you are posting t-fics left and right! I miss you all very much! The reason I left the community was because I finally found some meds that work really well for me, except I almost completely lost my love of tickling. I can't really explain it because I have the same reaction as any other regular person now but I do miss everyone here. I just hope you all are doing well still.

-Cef

cef!!! of freaking COURSE i remember you, you're one of the OG sasi tfic blogs i ever followed!!! (right behind august and dani, right before spikey, pineapple, and felix dfhfdjsk) i actually just recently was thinking about your blog and your writing!

(confession time: i've mentioned before i had a private tfic account before starting this one, and on that tfic account i still have like, TONS of old posts/fics/art that i've reblogged from 3-7 years ago. some of it i can't access if it's behind a readmore and the op has deactivated, but if it's not behind a readmore, i can still read it so..... yeah i have a collection of extremely 2017-2019 sasi t-word posts that would maybe shock the OPs if they knew about it lol)

((and cef, i actually have an old masterpost of urs saved there, i think most of the links are unreachable now since you've deactivated, but it also has 2 links to freaking,,, google doc self insert teases from logan and roman that i just reread recently LMAOOOOOOOO. so yes, of course of COURSE i remember you and the impact u had on my writing and life :3))

and yeah, i still try to stay active around here, even when my tfic writing isn't coming as easy as it used it. it's crazy that u say that abt ur meds bc lowkey that kinda happened to me too... i started antidepressants for the first time last may (almost a year?? holy shit) and although i had been having writer's block for about 3 months prior to starting those meds, i can honestly say that yeah, the meds did change my brain chemicals a lot, to the point where tickling fell wayyyyyy to the backburner of my mind lol. coupled w how busy i've been for the past... solid year lmfao and this blog just hasn't been able to be a priority like it used to be

HOWEVER, not to get any hopes up or anything, but within the last month i have had a p extreme resurgence of thinking about t-word stuff often, rereading old favorites, going through the tags, etc. and i am graduating college (!!!) in less than a month so..... mayhaps. MAYHAPS. there may be more writing coming from me somewhat soon. WHO KNOWS SJDHFGHDJ

but i digress!!! cef, it was really good to hear from you and know you're doing well. when i saw your blog was deactivated, i was surprised but i understand why u did it, and i'm glad to know u remember all those years on here as fondly as i do :3

[pennywaltzy]

A glimpse between 2007 and now...

I'm going through my archived fic blog on Dreamwidth, just reblogging random fic/fun stuff, and I came across a meme I answered on Mar. 15th, 2007 at 02:17 PM. Let's see what has changed in 16 years... (old answers below the cut)

Keyboard or notebook? Laptop now! I entered the portable digital age a while ago, but I still type up most of my fic. Fun fact: when I worked at Legoland I used to write fic while I was working, and I'd write it on the pieces of cardboard that came in my boxes of photo frames. I had a whole stash of cardboard up at the Dragon ride.

Beta or no beta? No beta, unless it's a gift or for an exchange, and even then my actual beta is "post it to AO3, send the link to @strangelock221b and see what she thinks."

Plot? Plot for series and WIPs, one-shots get tiny bits of plot and PWPs have none at all.

Smushy or smutty? Both. Preferably in the same fic.

Summary? Since AO3 requires summaries, now I write them. It's really funny (not really) to find old fics to transfer over that don't have summaries. I need to come up with one 15 plus years later.

Funniest fic? Oh lord...probably "The Humorous Effects Of Sherlock And Truth Serums"

Most popular fic? The Art Of Love Is Largely The Art Of Persistence by hits on AO3 (20,768) and yet our roots remain as one for kudos (561) and bookmarks (94)

Most fun to write? Wow. There are just so so many. I can't choose just one.

Best and worst? The Art Of Love Is Largely The Art Of Persistence is definitely one of my personal best fics, and the worst? Still the Buffyverse PWPs I wrote.

Most underrated? A lot of the old CSIverse stuff I'm adding to my AO3 account these days. I did a good job on them, and aside from the CSI: NY fics I don't get a whole lot of love for them.

Strengths? Over the years, I've developed a keen talent for writing characters convincingly across a number of fandoms. I'm really proud when someone comments with "OMG I could see that happening on the show!" and other similar comments.

Weaknesses? Chronic fatigue has made it where I write in bursts every few weeks. Since I'm homeless at the time I wrote this (February 24th, 2023), though, I am on my laptop and in a library or Starbucks more often so I'm hoping I'll do more writing.

Dirty little secrets? I wrote non-con/dub-con, miscarriage, murder and implied suicide all in one fic. I orphaned it shortly after posting it to AO3. Every once in a while I check on it and people are still reading it. I'm...surprised, because it's a pitch black fic. But to each their own, I suppose.

---

Keyboard or notebook? Keyboard, unless I'm away from the house and I get hit with an idea. I've been known to write on envelopes and paper towels in those instances.

Beta or no beta? No beta. I write far too much and I love seeing it go up ASAP because I'm impatient. On very few occasions will I use a beta.

Plot? For my series, there's kind of an overlying plot. For my WIPs, there's a definite plot. But for most of my fic that doesn't fall into one of those categories (which isn't much)? Plotless.

Smushy or smutty? Smushy. Sometimes branching out into foreplay but never outright smut these days; I stopped writing that years ago. Though somewhere in my archives is a post where almost all the conversation is about sex and smut, and that conversation led me to write "Claw Marks," one of my few hard-R CSIverse fics.

Summary? I only write summaries if it's required.

Funniest fic? I have no clue, honestly. I personally love "Is This Sexual Harassment?"

Most popular fic? "Not What You Expected," hands down. Though I keep getting begged to add more to my "Strange And Beautiful" series. Also, "Heroics On A Smaller Scale" is probably my most popular one-shot fic.

Most fun to write? Wow. Um…the round robin I'm writing with iluvroadrunner6 that's just our OCs. William gets to come out and play out there a lot more than he does in my other fics.

Best and worst? I have no clue about my best, but worse is definitely the Buffyverse PWPs I wrote.

Most underrated? I don't really know. I would say "Theraputic," which is a CSI: NY/L&O crossover WIP I started but haven't touched in a while due to a lukewarm response.

Strengths? I think my main strengths are plot, dialogue and the believability of my OCs. It's the last one that makes me especially proud…that and the fact that my two main OC pairings (Danny/Christina and Flack/Susan) are LJ interests. Linked LJ interests.

Weaknesses? I love the fluff. And apparently I write too much of it, or so someone told me in an anonymous meme one time. But I don't look at it as a complete weakness: when I'm really happy I write great angst, and when I'm not as happy I write fluff. It's more indicative of my mood than any real compulsion to write mostly fluff.

Dirty little secrets? I wrote pr0n. I hate the stuff I wrote, too. Wish I could delete it anywhere it's archived. And…sometimes I ship characters together not because I think they'd actually work but because they'd be pretty together (which I think is the entire reason I ship Flack/Peyton but I don't write it…yet).

[possessingtheproperspirit]

I posted 441 times in 2022

204 posts created (46%)

237 posts reblogged (54%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mppmaraudergirl

@thequibblah

@kay-elle-cee

@emeralddoeadeer

@blvnk-art

I tagged 389 of my posts in 2022

Only 12% of my posts had no tags

#jily - 161 posts

#writing - 154 posts

#fic - 136 posts

#asks - 122 posts

#fic rec - 100 posts

#tpwp - 55 posts

#jple - 55 posts

#lovely people being lovely - 39 posts

#james potter - 35 posts

#lily evans - 33 posts

Longest Tag: 89 characters

#in fact interacting with this is a great way of telling us you don’t hate us lol!!!!!1!1!

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Sequel/follow up fic to the way you left me. James returns, and has to find his footing in a life that's completely changed.

The room was too much: things moving, ticking, mutters and colours and not a single thing in rest, apart from him. 

Him, and the phoenix. 

He watched it; watched, because that was all he had the energy to do—to find one thing, to stare at it, and to let the rest fade out around him. 

Continue reading on AO3 -- FFN.

89 notes - Posted July 25, 2022

#4

There's a rule at his school that teachers are strictly not allowed to date the parents of pupils. James has never minded this rule before...

Read on AO3 -- FFN.

103 notes - Posted August 2, 2022

#3

JILY CHALLENGE @jilychallenge | @possessingtheproperspirit vs @thatpinkjacket  'Be My Valentine?' + "it's just an innocent kiss"

Mary drags Lily along to the ten year school reunion at Hogwarts.

Thank you to Lauren/@mppmaraudergirl, who is my sister in exhaustion and was very encouraging as I blurted this fic out into the world. <3

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

Mary’s answering smile is cherubic, all sweetness and light, as if she hadn’t had to drag Lily kicking and screaming from the sofa to the wardrobe, from the wardrobe to the Floo, from the Floo to Hogsmeade proper and then along the long walk up to the castle, familiar somehow even in the slowly sinking darkness. “And yet you did, and you’re here now, so let’s stop muttering and enjoy ourselves, shall we?”

Lily casts her gaze up at the imposing oak doors; it’s strange how, even so long after those formative years here, she still feels that twisting of excitement in her stomach—the possibility of this place, the hum of magic in every stone. Sometimes she thinks back to that time, the innocence of youth, with a wistfulness that surely belongs to someone far older than her.

Being back here is strange. She knew it would be. That was part of the reason why she hadn’t wanted to come along.

Continue reading on AO3 -- FFN.

104 notes - Posted February 12, 2022

#2

Table-Mates

James Potter loves weddings, and he's determined to enjoy this one, even if he's attending alone.

Perhaps it wasn’t a cool opinion to have, but James had always thought that weddings were wonderful. In fact, he couldn’t think of a single wedding he’d been to that he hadn’t enjoyed, and by the ripe old age of thirty-one, he’d been to a few. He had very fond memories of his cousin’s big day just a year ago: drinking, dancing, spending time with people he didn’t get to see often enough. There was just always such a good feeling at a wedding, he thought. Everyone was happy and excited for the couple; the love that they shared was always tangible, a warming, positive force that buoyed him.

Okay, yes, he could admit it—he was a soppy romantic.

This wedding was slightly different, but he was determined not to let it ruin his enjoyment of the day. He only knew two people there, and they happened to be a bit busy, given that they were the bride and groom. He had briefly considered just sending an expensive present and making an excuse, but Sirius had talked him around, reminding James of his love of “romance and heart-eyes and all that shite”. 

Continue reading on AO3.

135 notes - Posted May 27, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

James is approached by a beautiful stranger in a bar. Rated E.

Read on AO3 -- FFN.

144 notes - Posted March 19, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[angsty-violet]

I posted 554 times in 2022

That's 331 more posts than 2021!

44 posts created (8%)

510 posts reblogged (92%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@archangelsunited

@ceylonsilvergirl

@nerdgatehobbit

@azzandra

@blessyouhawkeye

I tagged 109 of my posts in 2022

#fanfiction - 8 posts

#violet's life - 7 posts

#star wars - 5 posts

#moodboard - 5 posts

#writing - 5 posts

#obi-wan kenobi - 4 posts

#tea - 4 posts

#qui-gon jinn - 4 posts

#fringe - 3 posts

#danny williams - 3 posts

Longest Tag: 74 characters

#and explain the complex intersocial relationships that make up friendships

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

So, @amysnotdeadyet wrote the best fic, and I have read it so many times. I read it so much that I got inspired to create a moodboard for it. So, here's the moodboard.

Go check out her fic Specificity. It is so good.

25 notes - Posted November 26, 2022

#4

Boga survived Order 66? Why didn’t I know this?

40 notes - Posted March 3, 2022

#3

Proposal

Steve was so nervous he could hardly stand it. He patted the pocket twice more, just to make sure that the rings were still there. He knew that Danny was going to say yes. They had been discussing marriage and particulars for months. He knew that it was a sure thing. However, that didn’t change the nerves that kept telling him that his partner was going to say no.

Steve drew in a few more breaths and tried to act like he wasn’t a crazy person. Although Danny hadn’t run screaming from their relationship yet, there was still time. He heard the door open and looked up to see his partner enter. Steve smiled at Danny. No, Danny was in it for the long haul, and Steve was ready to show him he was too.

42 notes - Posted February 3, 2022

#2

00Q moodboard

44 notes - Posted November 25, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

By far one of the funniest parts of Phantom Menace is when Qui-Gon uses a force suggestion to relax Jar Jar and it puts him to sleep and Obi-Wan knowingly says “You over did it.” Like, mate, how often has this happened that you know exactly what he just did without even looking at him?

But also Qui-Gon knowing that Obi-Wan can’t focus on piloting with all the racket, because he’s still an easily distracted padawan and not at all giving a shit about putting Jar Jar to sleep. How many times has this scenario played out anyway?

251 notes - Posted March 17, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[d-andilion]

I posted 3,593 times in 2022

91 posts created (3%)

3,502 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@blaidd-gwyn

@thisislisa

@d-andilion

@jaskierswolf

I tagged 1,113 of my posts in 2022

#sr - 126 posts

#gj fic - 80 posts

#gj - 73 posts

#geralt - 36 posts

#yen - 30 posts

#my fic - 28 posts

#mine - 28 posts

#jaskier - 25 posts

#ask - 24 posts

#ciri - 23 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#id love to say id never cave as an actress on my natural look but having bloodthirsty strangers after me every single day for having the

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

a change of plans

@witcher-bows-and-arrows day 6: confession

(geraskier, established relationship, tooth-rotting fluff, 474)

read on ao3

Jaskier rouses to the gentle brush lips on his bare shoulder and strong arms around his waist. He shifts, shoving his face further into his pillow and stretching his body from head to toe with a soft groan. He hears a familiar rumbling laugh in his ear, feels it through the firm chest pressed against his back.

“What are you doing here, Witcher?” he asks, his voice muffled by the pillow.

He isn’t complaining, of course. Waking up in Geralt’s arms is among Jaskier’s top-five favorite things, but the Witcher should have left for his contract hours ago. The only reason Jaskier agreed to sit this one out was because it involved getting up before dawn. It wasn’t anything interesting anyway, just a minor nuisance for the local farmers.

“Change of plans,” Geralt mutters. ”Taking care of it later.”

See the full post

211 notes - Posted February 9, 2022

#4

magic word

@witcher-bows-and-arrows day 5: promise

(geraskier, friends to lovers, getting together, fluff and angst, 1.4k)

read on ao3

For a Witcher, there is no such thing as a guarantee. Geralt can’t say with any kind of certainty where each day will take him, not even from one hour to the next. A peaceful day of travel can turn on a silver mark to disaster. The path he walks is dangerous, unpredictable. It has only grown more so since Jaskier marched into his life.

The bard is a magnet for chaos. Half the Continent wants to murder him, and the other half just haven’t met him yet. Despite the admitted improvement to Geralt’s reputation, he finds himself chased out of towns about as often as he ever was; the only difference now is that he’s running from angry fathers and cuckolded spouses rather than bigots with pitchforks. He never knows when he’ll have to abandon his warm bed at an inn to save the bard from an impromptu execution, or if a hunt will go awry by Jaskier’s presence even though Geralt told him to stay at camp.

With an existence so marred by uncertainty as his, Geralt makes an effort to avoid making promises. The bard’s added complications should only make him more resolute in that regard. Yet, since he met Jaskier, Geralt finds himself making more promises than he has in his life.

The first one hardly counts as a promise. Jaskier has been following him around for a few weeks, and Geralt hasn’t abandoned him in the middle of the night for a reason he can’t pin down just yet.

See the full post

225 notes - Posted February 8, 2022

#3

If you're looking for a prompt, can you do something inspired by that vlogger comic?

Congrats and hope you're having a wonderful day ❤️

(part 1/ part 2//)

i really did intend to do something super short but i should have known better than to think i’m capable of that lol 

the art in question is this adorable modern au comic by @zellydoodle, definitely check it out!!

thank you so much for the prompt - enjoy <3

~

The next time Geralt sees his new neighbor, they’re both squeezed into their building’s tiny laundry room, neither of them looking their best. The only clean shirt Geralt had left was the lime green tank top Lambert gave him as a gag for his birthday a few years back and, based on Jaskier’s mismatched pink t-shirt and bright orange shorts, he’s on the last scraps of his own wardrobe. 

Geralt had half a mind to turn around the moment he saw Jaskier loading a machine. Call him a coward, maybe he is, but being in close quarters with the cute guy from next door after the conversation he had with Lambert last week was the last thing he wanted.

‘Conversation’ is probably generous. It was really a string of incomprehensible key-smash texts and laughing emojis on Lambert’s side and pointed refusal to respond on Geralt’s. Somewhere in the middle of it all was a link to a YouTube video from a vlogger with almost a million subscribers. A vlogger who looked very, very familiar.

Geralt didn’t even need to watch it to know what it was about. The title said it all. 

         my neighbor is so hot :(

See the full post

288 notes - Posted July 22, 2022

#2

GERASKIER FAKE DATING

sorry for yelling I'm excited

okay i took my time filling this one but i think the results are worth it - i hope you think so too 😊

~

Jaskier is, surprisingly, a very good boyfriend.

Though being around old school friends and distant relations must have tempted him to abandon his anti-social plus one, he’s hardly left Geralt’s side all day. He introduces Geralt to everyone who approaches them and takes the lead in every conversation to minimize how much Geralt has to talk to strangers. After every interaction, Jaskier leads them inconspicuously to the edge of the room for a welcome break from the buzz of the reception hall around them.

Of course, being a groomsman and brother to the bride means Jaskier has had to step away for round upon round of pictures, but he never goes far and he returns the second he’s able. The only point over the course of the entire wedding where Geralt has had to speak to someone by himself was just after the ceremony, and even then it was only Jaskier’s grandmother. 

She was a sweet, stout old woman who smelled of the boiled sweets she pulled from her handbag every so often and popped into her mouth. She ambled up to Geralt the moment Jaskier stepped away, taking his arm as if she belonged there.

“Diedre,” she said. “But you call me Nan, everyone does.”

See the full post

289 notes - Posted July 29, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

so where did ciri's training outfit come from?

sure, the shirt and pants came from old clothing tailored to fit her, that all makes sense. but what about her little corset thing?? it's got to be custom made, it's clearly intended to support a young lady so she can run around the woods comfortably. i doubt strongly that they had that on hand and i doubt even further that ciri, a princess who has likely never had to so much as mend a sock, knew how to make it.

what i'm saying is a bunch of wolf witches + ciri hunched over a table of fabric trying to figure out how to make this thing. "the panels should go like this" "that's too much fabric" "how do the strings go?" "wELL YOU DO IT LAMBERT SINCE YOU'RE SUCH AN EXPERT" *various crashing noises*

i'm just seeing a lot of muscley guys crafting into the wee hours to get this kid a supportive garmet and i'm enjoying it a whole lot

749 notes - Posted January 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[ofstoriesandstardust]

I posted 1,492 times in 2022

That's 635 more posts than 2021!

561 posts created (38%)

931 posts reblogged (62%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@hufflepuffprincesse

@struggling-with-space

@some-lovely-day

@fanboygarcia

I tagged 1,256 of my posts in 2022

Only 16% of my posts had no tags

#queue me in - 551 posts

#kylie rambles - 310 posts

#kylie answers - 185 posts

#top gun maverick - 146 posts

#same mistakes - 136 posts

#bradley rooster bradshaw - 54 posts

#top gun maverick fics - 49 posts

#bradley rooster bradshaw fic - 41 posts

#bradley bradshaw - 41 posts

#bradley rooster bradshaw x reader - 40 posts

Longest Tag: 118 characters

#me reading my wip like they’re going to have magically written themselves and then being upset when i start to hate it

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

if only (bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: i’m not sure if i love the name of this one but she stumped me folks. hope you enjoy! it’s a plus size!reader fic because sometimes you gotta self-indulge

summary: (plus size!reader) if only Rooster would like a girl like you. if only.

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist

warnings: this was supposed to be plus-size!reader but it’s not really explicitly mentioned until the very end, swearing, insecurities, reader thinks she is less important than she actually is and doesn’t realize her worth, angst with a happy ending, dude wtf is this title idek, i write self-indulgent fics only, idiots in love, some parts of this are vague on purpose,

word count: 7,447

It’s not like you weren’t used to men hitting on you. Working at the Hard Deck for as long as you had, you were used to the military men who’d drunkly come on to you, offering to take you home, and you’d mastered the art of avoiding their come-ons while also still making pretty good tips. And yeah, when a particularly attractive TOPGUN pilot would flirt with you, your cheeks would go red and you’d feel flattered. But you knew their type and were not a fool to know that almost all anyone’s flirting was fueled by alcohol, not for any genuine attraction. So when Rooster began to flirt with you as his presence became more common around the Hard Deck, you’d smile and blow him off. It was his type to be cocky and flirty; he did it to everyone. While he wasn’t like Hangman, who seemed to be breaking hearts every other week, you knew he’d been around. You weren’t his type. You’d seen the type of girls he’d go home with and it wasn’t you. And then the flirting turned into chats as he collected rounds for the group to genuine conversations on nights when the bar was slow. And then the genuine conversations turned into a genuine friendship. You weren’t sure when you fell so hard for the brunette but how could anyone blame you? He was genuine and sweet and a charmer... He stood out from all the other TOPGUN pilots. Still, it didn’t change that you would never be the girl he’d go after, so you kept your head down, enjoying the time you got with him, focused on your schooling, and your job. Penny often teased you about your not-so-subtle crush on the boy, but you’d bribed her and Amelia into silence. The last thing you needed was for news of it to get back to Maverick and then Rooster, and have to have the boy let you down gently. No, that just wouldn’t do. 

And yet, you couldn’t shake the blush that rose on your cheeks every time he winked at you as he grabbed another round or when he’d tell you he was going to win that game of pool against Hangman for you. He was becoming a distraction in your life and you weren’t sure if you were welcome to it. You were nearing the end of your PhD program soon, knowing you were having to defend in front of the committee soon and thoughts of a hazel-eyed Navy fighter pilot were interrupting your day-to-day life. You longed for him when he wasn’t around, wanted him to be the one cheering you on, wanted him to be the one you were coming home to at night, and that’s when you knew your school-girl crush on him had turned into something more and you were fucked. 

And okay, you’d be lying if you hadn’t thought about what life would be like with Rooster if he returned your feelings. About what it would be like to kiss him, to wake up to him in the mornings, to share your life with him. 

But even if he’d like a girl like you, you knew, saw, what he had with Phoenix. You’d heard rumblings of their maybe-not-so-platonic friendship, knew the chemistry between the two. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw could have any girl he wanted and he had picked the best of the best. What could you offer him that Phoenix could? Nothing. There was no better pair than the two of them and you were genuinely happy for him. So, you settled yourself for the friendship and conversations at the bar, trying to focus back on your upcoming PhD defense. And still, you couldn’t shake the feelings for him, the urge to just pull him and give him a kiss any time he flashed you that award-winning smile. And it was becoming a serious problem. 

-

You heard the voices of the team before you saw them, changing in the bathroom of the Hard Deck before you had to leave. You wanted Penny’s approval on the outfit because you had no one else to ask and if you didn’t look good, she’d tell you. She knew how important this was to you. You took a deep breath as you left the bathroom, pulling the zipper up on your boot. “K Pen, what do you think about?” You asked, fiddling with the simple bracelet settled on your wrist. The squadron turned to face you and varying degrees of awe were settled on their faces. You pointedly didn’t look at Rooster, knowing you would turn firetruck red if you made eye contact with him. Maverick was settled behind the bar with Penny and he spoke first. “You look great, kid. Where you headed?” He asked. 

“My PhD defense.” You answered, moving closer to the shot glass Penny had set out for you as you had gone to get changed for “liquid courage”. “You sure it’s not too much with the boots?” You asked, twisting nervously to look at them. Amelia shook her head. 

"You look a boss...”

“Bitch.” You finished, smiling at her. “Okay, boss bitch. I can do that. Yeah, that’s-” You looked back up. “Yeah, I’m going to throw up.” Penny laughed and pointed at the shot. You tossed it back, cringing slightly at the taste of it. Sure, you were a bartender but you weren’t sure how these stupid pilots consumed alcohol like this. 

“I didn’t know you were going for your PhD.” Payback said and you nodded, picking non-existent lint of your pants. 

“Last five years of my life. And I’m freaking out.” You said, finally making eye contact with Rooster. He squeezed your shoulder encouragingly and you tried not to let the butterflies consume you. 

“Why? You’re so smart, they’d be fools not to give it you.” You shrugged, trying not to let Rooster’s flattering words do even weirder things to your stomach.

“I mean, academia is all I’ve ever known. And what am I going to do after it’s over? And what if they don’t like my defense? What if they ask a question I can’t answer?” You watched nervously as Maverick poured you another shot and handed it you. The team protested as you threw it back, sticking your tongue out at the taste. That never got better. Rooster laughed at your face and okay, now you really felt like you were going to vomit.

“(Y/N), you have to give your defense in an hour, now is not the time to be taking shots.” Bob protested. 

“I disagree, now’s the perfect time to be taking shots.” Hangman said. “Got to be celebrating the success of our favorite bartender here.” 

“Easy there Bagman, they haven’t given me the degree yet.” He shrugged. 

“They might as well have, we all know they’re going to have no choice.” You gave Hangman the side eye and he chuckled. 

“Wait, does this mean our favorite bartender is quitting?” Fanboy said in shock. Penny chuckled. 

“Don’t worry Garcia, she’s not leaving us just quite yet.” You leaned your head on the bar, groaning. 

“They gotta give me the degree first.” Another groan. “And a job.” There was a beat of silence. “What does one even do with a PhD?” It was Maverick’s turn to chuckle. 

“You tell us kid.” You groaned again, wishing you could disappear into the floor. Rooster leaned over and wrapped his arms around your frame and you didn’t lift your head off the table, for fear he’d see your blushing cheeks. 

“What’re you doing Bradshaw?” He shrugged, not letting go of you.

“I’m giving you a good luck hug.” Oh. A good luck hug. Bradley Bradshaw was giving you a good luck hug. Fantastic. If you could fall any harder for him, you would’ve at that. 

“Alright, you ready to go?” Penny asked, picking up her keys off the table. You nodded, but didn’t move. If you moved, then Bradley would let go and quite frankly, you’d like to stay like this forever. You could feel her eyes on you but you still didn’t move. “K, I’m leaving now with or without you. You sure you capable of not burning down the bar Mitchell?” She asked and you groaned, finally standing up. Rooster let go of you as Mav assured her they and Jimmy could hold down the fort while she was gone. Your stomach immediately fell once he let go of you but Phoenix quickly replaced him. 

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839 notes - Posted June 27, 2022

#4

same mistakes pt. iii (bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: s/o to @roosterbrdshaw​ for inspiring a series that i’ve basically have entirely world built for for no reason other than i want to. this isn’t the last you’ll see of Rebel, her shenanigans with Coyote, or her relationship with Mav... that’s a promise. um, also i’m really nervous about this so i really hope i did her justice. i’ve seen all the comments and love both here and ao3, so even if i didn’t respond please know it warmed my heart to know everyone’s enjoyed this as much as i have  

summary: in the aftermath of the mission, you realize it's time to stop running from your fears

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist 

pt. i | pt. ii

folks who wanted to be tagged (yes ik it’s tradition to put this at bottom, no i don’t care): @calsjack @n3ssm0nique​ @alana4610 @xinsonyax​ @fangirl-316​ @kyramaximoff​

warnings: i named the team Iron Daggers because it sounded cool, this series should’ve just been titled ‘justice for Coyote’, seriously Coyote is a Good Best Friend, bullying/hazing, mentions of vomiting, Rebel struggles to communicate her feelings in a healthy way (wonder who she learned that from), insecurities, swearing, Hangman gets a little bit of a redemption arc, i guarantee this is not going to go in the way you’re expecting it to, please appreciate my usage of Chiquitita or i will cry, soft Rooster for the win, 

word count: 8,007

You were cutting it too close. You knew that. Knew that Cyclone and Warlock would be in behind you in a matter of seconds but wasn’t that what you wanted? To be the last one in so no one had a chance to talk to you, ask you how your three weeks leave was before debriefing would start? 

You barely slid down in the seat next to Coyote before Warlock was calling everyone to attention and you stood, trying to catch your breath. You avoided the pointed looks of Coyote, curious glances from Phoenix and Bob, a disgruntled look from your father, and a mildly concerned look from Rooster. “At ease.” Cyclone called and you all returned to your seats. “Welcome back, Iron Daggers. It’s good to see you all well and alive. I trust you had a good three weeks of leave?” There were short nods from around the room, murmurs of confirmation. You thought back on your three weeks of leave that started in the Mojave Desert and ended with you in the house in San Diego alone and sighed. “Alright, we won’t have certain mission specifics or assignment details for another week or so, so given the failings of the last mission we’re gonna begin with going over where this team could improve from the mistakes made on the last mission. From there, we’ll do training and mission patterns to help solve these errors. Captain Mitchell?” Your Dad nodded, taking that as his cue to begin. 

“Good morning, Iron Daggers. It’s good to see you all back. As Admiral Simpson said, we’re gonna begin with going over our last mission this team flew together. Remember, the goal is to bring you all home alive. Let’s begin.”

-

You heard them before you saw them and made a split second decision to duck into the bathrooms before any of them saw you. Not unlike the Iron Daggers, the Green Vipers were a loud, rowdy bunch. Everyone shouted over each other, demanding a chance to speak, a chance tor regale the others with how they were the best. For you, someone who learned to show her talent in the sky and not with her words, you didn’t fare well among these men and women. You were grateful Coyote saw something in his wingman his fellow squadron members couldn’t but without him, you would’ve asked for re-assignment a long time ago. The Green Vipers, particularly Raven and Shadow, prided themselves on pushing out pilots who couldn’t hang. Which is exactly why you wouldn’t ever let them know you were here, albeit hiding in the bathroom, heart pounding. You were only minutes ahead of the Iron Daggers and then there it was- 

“Coyote!” Came Raven’s piercing voice. “Man, how have you been?” You heard the chatter through labored breaths as Coyote talked to his old squadron, and then introduced the Iron Daggers. 

“Although, we are missing Rebel.” Coyote announced as he finished listing the roster of the team. You imagined your best friend swinging his head around, scanning for you and you almost would’ve laughed had your knuckles not been holding the sink so tightly they were turning white.

“Rebel? Your old wingman Rebel? Man, I thought you finally ditched her for someone better.” Came Shadow’s voice. Shadow and Raven were twins, brother and sister, and man, were they cruel. The ringleaders of all the hazing and bullying that took place on the Green Vipers with a CO just as cruel to match. 

“Never, Shadow. Anyways, Admiral Thompson, this is our instructor-”

“Captain Pete Mitchell. We’ve met.” Came the cool voice of your old CO. There he was. 

“Thompson.” A beat. “Admiral Thompson here is the reason I got shipped out to Bosnia.” You weren’t sure who your Dad was talking to in particular but that suddenly made a lot of things make sense. 

“This morning, Rebel was almost late to instruction and for a minute there, we thought she abandoned us to go back to the Green Vipers.” Coyote joked, forever trying to keep the peace. Never, Coyote, you thought. Never.

“Man, come on you know we don’t want her.” Shadow said, laughing. 

“What do you have against Rebel?” Came Rooster’s voice and you could hear the protectiveness in his voice, the same one you heard when you were 7 and Bradley was telling your elementary bully to back off, again when you were 16 and the boy who broke your heart wouldn’t leave you alone. 

“She’s insufferably annoying. She never shuts up. For a team made of the stuff legends are built off of, I’m surprised y’all haven’t gotten rid of her yet.” Came Ghost’s voice and you almost swore. You’d been an official squadron for less than 24 hours and you were already having your reputation torn to goddamn shreds. 

“She’s our teammate and a damn good pilot.” Came Phoenix’s measured voice, but there was an edge to it, one you’d learned to recognize from the young pilot, only used when she was defending her friends. 

“Well, you can have her. We don’t want her back. The team’s better off without her.” Shadow cooly responded and you felt like you were gonna throw up. Never good enough, never good enough, never good enough...

“Don’t talk about my daughter that way.” Your Dad said, a clear edge to his voice and you could almost picture his stature changing, straightening himself up to his full height, ready to put these people in their place. 

“Well, that explains a few things about her flying.” Admiral Thompson stated and your vision felt blurry. You had to get out of here, couldn’t hear anymore, couldn’t sit around to wait for your team to start agreeing. 

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?” You expected your Dad to retort but recognized it as Coyote’s voice. Was Coyote really about to stand up to his old CO for you?

“Do you really trust her as your wingman, Lieutenant Machado?” 

“With my life.” Came Coyote’s firm reply and-

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860 notes - Posted July 5, 2022

#3

same mistakes pt. ii (bradley “rooster” bradshaw”)

a/n: well this got out of hand... 

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist

pt. i | pt. iii

summary: unfinished conversations and unsaid things seems to be the theme of your relationship of your relationship with Rooster these days.

warnings: we cover a lot of ground, Hangman’s an asshole, insecurities, swearing, i don’t know how the Navy works, me making up things the movie didn’t show us because it’s my story and I can, i think this goes without saying but spoilers for TG:M, canon violence, my friend said the first part gave her emotional whiplash and apparently i took that as a personal challenge, angsty angst, Mav’s a good Dad but also growing up in a military family is hard, there’s a complicated history here and life is not so simple, i definitely got movie dialogue wrong, the movie didn’t tell us how dogfight football works and for that i am unhappy, justice for Coyote part 2

word count: 7,515

Dogfight football turned out to be a lot more fun than you had expected it to be. You weren’t still entirely sure what the point was, or how to even play, but looking at your teammates shirtless, who weren’t not hard on the eyes by any means... Well, could anyone blame you if your attention strayed a little? You, Phoenix, and Halo shared a smirk as Coyote and Rooster bumped chests. Men, you thought, shaking your head with laughter. As the day wore on, Maverick bowed out, moving up towards the beach near Penny. You laughed at the two of them. Maybe they would finally work things out. Maybe this time they would get things right. 

Not long after your Dad left, one of the footballs disappeared into the ocean, with most of the squadron going after it. You noted that the other had been abandoned and you picked it up. “Uh, hey guys, what do I do with this?” Phoenix turned to look at you, Bob not far behind her. Okay, so maybe, you hadn’t been listening when your Dad explained the rules. Maybe, you’d been admiring your teammates just a little too much...

"Uh, run.” Bob called. You weren’t sure when you’d switched teams but you were now playing on Phoenix and Bob’s team... apparently. 

“Run to where?” You called back as Rooster and Fanboy turned and saw that you had the football. 

“Literally just run.” Phoenix shouted as Rooster and Fanboy took off out of the water after you, Payback and Hangman not far behind them. 

“Okay, okay, running!” You shouted, taking off down the beach as Hondo cheered you on. You shrieked as Coyote came up on your side, diving after you. You slid, kicking up wet sand and stumbled back up. “Phoenix!” You shouted, throwing her the football. She caught it gracefully, taking back off on the other side of the beach. The boys who had been following you took off as they realized you no longer had what they were after. You sighed, mildly thankful. Getting tossed into the water and/or tackled by a 6 foot something pilot did not sound pleasant. Phoenix scored and your team erupted into cheers as the boys groaned. The game continued on with at one point Bob getting lifted up onto someone’s shoulders and later with Hondo getting dragged into the game as well. Eventually, you tapped out with Bob, and the others weren’t too far behind you. The laughter carried up the beach as you all trudged back to the Hard Deck for a beer. Any tension from the night before had been forgotten and you were hopeful this would soften any ill will they all had towards you. Hangman and Rooster were bickering about who had scored the most, despite the fact that they had definitely been playing on the same team at one point. This bickering was different from the insults they were slinging at each other just yesterday though. There was no bite, no real attack, just fun. You laughed and shook your head, sharing a look with Phoenix and Coyote as the three of you passed through the back door of the Hard Deck. Penny smiled and waved at you as you sat down at the counter next to your Dad. She handed you a beer as the rest of the squadron either crowded around the pool table or the darts board or the jukebox, breaking off into their own groups. 

“How’d it go?” Penny asked. You nodded. 

“Good.” You responded, taking a sip of your beer. 

“Who won?” You shook your head.

“I don’t think anyone.” 

“Did you score?” She asked, a teasing smile on her face. 

“I don’t think so. I didn’t even know how to score.” Penny outright laughed as your Dad shook his head. 

“Did you listen at all when I explained the rules?” 

“No.” You responded in such a way that made your Dad roll his eyes. You quickly covered his ears as you whispered to Penny, “They’re all so attractive and shirtless.” Your Dad brushed you off, laughing. 

“I heard that, you know.” You laughed and shrugged, a light blush coloring your face. As Penny moved to serve other members of the squadron, your Dad sighed and you looked over at him, noticing the laughter and humor from his face had disappeared. 

“What’s wrong?” You asked. He shook his head, looking down at his hands as they played with his beer bottle. “Dad?” 

“I saw Ice this morning.”

“How is he?” The look on his face made your stomach sink. “Don’t tell me...”

“The cancer’s back. It’s not looking good.” You groaned softly. The feeling of tears pinpricked at your eyes as your Dad scooted closer to give you a hug. Ice was your godfather and you’d known him for as long as you could remember, always following him around, poking around his office, wanting to know what he was doing. Much to your Dad’s chagrin, you were much more fascinated with Ice’s work than whatever your Dad was doing with pissing off Admirals and recklessly flying planes. Ice and Sarah had had a hand in raising both you and Bradley and after Bradley disappeared and your Dad was constantly sent on long deployments, Ice was your rock, stability, and support. His family offered you more than you could ever ask for. 

“I’m sorry, Dad.” You whispered. He had spent so much of his life alone. He’d never married, never settled down. After Goose’s death, then Carole’s, and Rooster disappearing, you and Ice had been all he had. Now, to think about the possibility of losing Ice too... It was far too much for your heart to bear. “You’ll always have me.” You offered, looking back up at him with a watery smile. You couldn’t guarantee that would be true, not with this line of work, not with this kind of mission on the horizon. But you knew you’d always fight like hell to come back to him. He’d been the only family you’d ever had, especially after Carole died and Rooster left. He chuckled slightly. 

“I know, kiddo. I know.” You heard Coyote call you from behind and you and your Dad both turned. He, Hangman, Payback, and Fanboy were around the pool table. 

“You coming to play or what?” You looked back at your Dad, who lightly shoved you out of your chair. 

“Go, we’ll talk later.” He said, waving you off. You laughed and trekked over to the table as Fanboy handed you a pool cue. 

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938 notes - Posted July 2, 2022

#2

same mistakes pt. i (bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: @roosterbrdshaw​ made a post about a enemies-to-lovers, maverick’s daughter fic and this was born. i rewatched the movie last weekend and got a new idea, so i scrapped everything i had already written and started over. and then... it got out of hand.... so i’m breaking it up into a least three parts. uhm, kylie, write a slow-burn??? where are we??

title comes from one direction’s “same mistakes” don’t come for me

summary: (enemies-to-lovers, maverick’s daughter!reader) you and Bradley used to be best friends. key word: used to. as in, over, in the past, never gonna happen again. the sight of the pilot makes your skin crawl, disgust and anger curdling in your stomach. it definitely has nothing to do with the unspoken feelings leftover from your teen years. not at all. furthermore, being put together on a suicide mission is not your idea of a good time. no matter what, you and Rooster seemed to be doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again. 

callsign: rebel

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist | pt. ii | pt. iii

warnings: my shitty military knowledge, i swore, no the movie didn’t tell us what squadron Coyote originally flew with so i made it up, I am actually from San Diego so some of my personal experience is filtered in here sue me, okay really it’s just my love of burritos, i don’t know jackshit about flying a plane and it’s obvious, i tweaked some of the movie dialogue for plot reasons, justice for Coyote, Maverick’s a supportive Dad no matter how much his daughter fucks up (this will become apparent in the upcoming parts but we get hints here and there in this part)

word count: 5,126

Maverick took a deep breath, eyes flitting over the board of twelve students recalled for this special mission. “Is there a problem, Captain?” Cyclone’s voice called. 

“You know there is.”

-

You walked into the Hard Deck behind Coyote, welcoming the familiar sounds of music and patrons talking amongst themselves at the bar. You breathed in a comfortable sigh, Coyote looking at you with a smirk. “Good to be home.” You said, seeing your Dad sat at the bar talking to Penny. Coyote laughed, moving towards the back where a tall, handsome blond was sat next to the pool table. 

“You spend twelve weeks here for TOPGUN training and suddenly this is home?”

“Born and raised here, baby.” You said, pushing your trademark aviators to sit atop your head. You waved to your Dad as you followed behind Coyote. Penny turned, seeing you and giving you her signature smirk with a wave of her fingers. You weren’t sure what your Dad was doing back in Fightertown but you had a suspicion he’d gone and pissed off the Admiral overseeing his project in the Mojave Desert. The blond shot up out of his seat, pulling Coyote over into a hug. 

“Machado, man, what’re you doing out here?” 

“Got re-called from the Green Vipers for a special mission. You?” 

“Same thing. Wondering what kind of mission they’re asking us to fly for. Who's your friend?” Coyote opened his mouth, presumably to introduce you when the man’s attention shifted to a group of three nearing the table. Your eyes locked on a tall man sitting in the corner, who was quietly observing and eating peanuts. You lifted a hand from where your arms were crossed to wave at him and he gave you a shy smile back, waving in return. 

“Fellows, this here’s Bagman.” You hear the woman say, attention shifting back to the group. 

“Hangman.” The blond said, shooting the girl a bright smile. Her eyes locked over towards you, clearly getting ready to ask about you. You noted her pin said Trace and you realized who were standing in front of. Few pilots made names for themselves like Natasha “Phoenix” Trace, so yeah, you’d heard of her. 

“Whatever.”

“Who's your friends?” 

“Payback.”

“Fanboy.” Hangman’s eyes slid over to a brunette approaching to the table and you could’ve vomited at the sight of him. Of all the goddamn pilots...

“Bradshaw, as I live and breathe.” Rooster took off his aviators, squinting at the sight of you next to Hangman. 

“Hangman.” He responded, giving the man a curt nod. “Rebel.” 

“Rooster.” You responded, and the table’s interest piqued. 

“Two of you know each other?” Phoenix asked. 

“Our old man’s used to fly together. Let’s just say that I’m not a fan.” 

“Coincidentally, neither am I.” He sneered at you in response and you returned the look. 

“Your old man a pilot, Rebel? I didn’t know that.” Coyote said, turning to you. You shrugged. 

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973 notes - Posted June 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

i’d lie (bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: something cute and wholesome to make up for all the angst i’ve been putting out into the world lately. 

summary: Rooster overhears you singing at a barbecue. he can’t help but wish it was him you were singing about. little does he know...

callsign: bubbles

inspired by t swizzle’s “I’d lie” (if blondie don’t officially release this with her re-records i will cry)

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist

warnings: teeth-rotting fluff, angst if you squint, idiots in love, the team plays matchmaker, allusions to sex like briefly for a sentence at the end, swearing

word count: 1,922

The squadron had been together for almost a year now and Rooster was enjoying every minute of it. Ever since the team had come back successful, the Navy had elected to keep them together to create an elite squadron, recognizing their compatibility as pilots and people. Maverick was their main teacher and it felt like life had finally settled into place. Except for just one thing, something Phoenix would especially not let go of. His no longer secret crush on you, given the fact that at one point or another over the last ten months the team had done the math and figured out he’d been harboring feelings for their fellow pilot. The team, Phoenix especially, was pushing for him to tell you, but for a man so sure of himself in the air, he was afraid to ruin the solid friendship he had with you. So he watched from afar, admiring the way your contagious laughter lit up a room and the way you danced like no one was watching and challenged anyone who gave you the chance. You were incredibly intelligent, and witty, and everything Rooster wanted. But he contented himself to watch from the sidelines, settling to keep the friendship. 

Which is where he found himself tonight. The team was at some barbecue with some military official’s family. The house was near the ocean and huge. As the night settled in, he found himself sitting on a porch swing outside, sipping a beer and enjoying the sounds of the nearby ocean. One of the younger pilots must have gotten a hold of the music because distantly from inside he heard music from the early 2000’s began to play. Content as he was to sit out here by himself, his friends seemed content to not leave him alone as they all wandered out on to the porch. His eyes skimmed the group, noting that Bubbles was missing. He wondered where you were, briefly wondering if you’d gone home with another pilot. He shook the thought from his head as the team settled in around him. They all conveniently left the seat next to him on the swing open. “Where’s Bubbles?” he asked, trying to be nonchalant in the way he said it. Phoenix snickered. 

“Inside. Some poor Admiral won’t let her out of a conversation. And she’s too nice to say anything.” He smiled briefly, thinking of how you were probably in the kitchen talking to some official who was droning on about his achievements and how you were politely smiling and nodding, not willing to excuse yourself from the conversation. Someone produced some cards and the team began to play as he sat back, slowly rocking in the swing. He listened to the music and after a little while, you finally opened the patio door, bright smile gracing your face. You took the only open seat next to him as if it was the most natural thing in the world and he swallowed, looking away, trying to fight his face from going hot. 

“Hey.” You said breathless, running a hand through your hair. 

“You run from that Admiral?” Hangman joked. 

“Just about. Can I be dealt in?” Payback nodding, and handed the deck to you. 

“Sure, if you shuffle for the next round.” You groaned, leaning back in your chair. Rooster’s arm had been leaned up against the back of the sing and your head just barely brushed his arm. Butterflies erupted in his stomach as he sipped his beer, desperately trying to play it off. Fanboy snickered at his face but said nothing. Distantly, he heard the sound of an old Taylor Swift song being played.

“Sorry Rooster.” You said, patting his arm and then leaning back to the table to shuffle. Rooster felt himself turning red as Bob sent him a knowing grin. He took another sip of his beer, trying to get himself under control. Your hair was falling over your shoulder and the outfit you had worn was simple and yet made you look fucking amazing... as usual, Rooster wasn’t sure how you did it.  He gently rocked on the swing as you shuffled. The team chatted around him and he soaked in the feeling of this moment. Moments of peace and pure contentment like this were rare and he would savor it for as long as he got it. 

“He’ll never fall in love he swears as he runs his fingers through his hair, I’m laughing cause I hope he’s wrong”

Rooster’s eyes flickered over to you as he realized you were softly singing along to the song. He tried not to blush and looked away, not trying to let you know that he knew. He made eye contact with Fanboy as he made kissy faces at him. Rooster discreetly flipped him off from behind his beer as he listened to you sing along. You seemed lost in your own world as you shuffled the deck. 

“He sees everything back and white, Never let nobody see him cry, I don’t let nobody see me wishing he was mine”

The way your voice followed the musicality of the song perfectly, the way your head slightly bobbed to the music (which he didn’t even think he realized you were doing), the smile that graced your face and eyes as the song played, he felt himself falling harder for you. 

“He’d never tell you, but he can play guitar, I think he can see through everything but my heart, First thought when I wake up, Is my God he’s beautiful, So I put on my make-up and pray for a miracle”

“Gee Bubbles, with the way you’re singing that song, you’d think there‘s a secret crushy-crush we don’t know about.” Hangman said, smirking at her while Coyote made kissy noises. She shot him the side-eye and slammed the newly shuffled deck of cards into his hand. 

“You’re annoying. Deal.” Hangman chuckled and began to deal out the cards. The rest of the night passed without event, but Rooster couldn’t help wonder if you did have a crush on someone they didn’t know about. He knew he had a solid friendship with you, but he wasn’t Phoenix or Halo, wasn’t as open as Fanboy or Bob, couldn’t offer you advice like Coyote or Payback, so maybe there was a crush he hadn’t known about. The thought made the alcohol in his stomach began to feel sour but he had to remind himself that he did this to himself. Finally, you called it quits, leaning up against the back of the swing, head just barely resting against Rooster’s forearm. He wanted nothing more than to move it down and wrap it around your shoulder, bring you into his side, and rub your arm as the two of you chatted with your friends but it wasn’t like that and never would be. Wouldn’t ever be his place to do something domestic like that. A few more rounds got played as you chatted with Bob and Phoenix, but eventually the team called it quits. He elected to spend just a few more minutes outside, enjoying the night as the party still raged inside. Phoenix gave him a look as you stood up to hug Bob and he flipped her off as you pulled away. You sat back down next to Rooster, despite there being a bunch more empty seats. He tried not to let the butterflies in his stomach get carried away. The two of you sat in a comfortable silence for a while, the swing slowly rocking and you scrolling through social media. He didn’t want this moment to end as he sipped the last of his beer. Finally, you sighed, locking your phone and setting it down on the table in front of you. He looked down at you as you shifted slightly to be fully facing towards him. “Can I talk to you?” You asked softly and he nodded, setting his beer down on the table. 

“Of course. Always.” He said, concern filtering in his voice. Was something wrong? Were you going to leave the squadron? Had you figured out he liked you? He was slightly panicking. You picked at the skin near the corners of your nail, a nervous habit of yours. Did he make you nervous? That was the last thing he wanted. 

“Um, I need to tell you something just to get it off my chest because Coyote thinks I really should and um, I don’t want you to like freak out or anything, but I just need to tell you.” He nodded slowly, still mildly confused. And yet, there was kernel of hope growing somewhere in his heart that maybe, just maybe- You took a deep breath and shut your eyes. You leaned your forehead against his arm and groaned. “This is so fucking difficult.” 

“Hey, it’s just me.” he said gently, reaching out to place a hand on your shoulder. 

“Yeah, and that’s the problem.” You said, not moving your head. Something chipped away at his heart at that but he tried not to show it on his face. He rubbed his thumb on your shoulder gently. 

“You don’t have to tell me.” He whispered. 

“Yes I do because I’m gonna hate myself if I don’t.” 

“Okay, well, take all the time you need.” The two of you sat there for a few more minutes before you finally lifted your head to look at him. He left his hand placed your shoulder rubbing small circles because you hadn’t pushed him off yet and it seemed to be bringing you the smallest amounts of comfort. You took a deep breath, hands settled in your lap as you looked at him honestly. 

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1,065 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

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