This Bitch Aro........................ Y E E T

this bitch aro........................ Y E E T

Okay, so you're aromatic and aromantic. Are you also aerodynamic?

let’s find out! *defenestrates self*

The Bad Batch with dancing

this is inspired by the match-up the lovely @jt-artsandfics wrote for me, and the idea of a dancing wrecker kind of flourished into.. well, this!

warnings: none, fluff

And without further ado, LET'S GET STARTED

Hunter

-Hunter, to me at least, would strike me as the best dancer of the bunch

-but ding dong that is wrong

- once, hunter tried for an undercover mission on kantobyte

- he doesn't want to talk about it...

- his legs just do not cooperate, flailing about and crashing into his partner

-the others never let him live it down

- 'Hey hunter- i don't think your dance partner appreciated the black eye much!' to which hunter gives one of his deluxe death stares

-hunter does not enjoy dancing whatsoever, but unfortunately, omega really does

- which he doesn't get, but supports her nonetheless

- perhaps he just needs the right partner to guide him through the motions

songs that would get hunter bobbing his head: https://youtu.be/8G-XwarxyMs and https://youtu.be/xFrGuyw1V8s ( that's also a reference to my last post- the dude loves ABBA)

Tech

- prepare to be amazed..

- TECH HAS MOVES

- to him it's all patterns, so its pretty easy for him to pick up on

- he's also very light, giving him agility for some serious breakdancing

- tech favours fast pace dancing, it challenges his cognitive abilities (he repeatedly insists that)

- he tried teaching hunter and the others, in true tech fashion, but that didnt work

- he needed a new pair of goggles after that

songs that keeps tech movin' and groovin': https://youtu.be/pRpeEdMmmQ0 and https://youtu.be/cZwYpAh3bXQ ( what can say, my guy likes his fast paces)

Wrecker

- wrecker loves to dance, and is actually pretty good at it

- as a cadet, he watched some holovideos of dancers, and how quickly they maneuver, and the only thought that crossed his mind was 'huh. i can do that'

- but he needed a partner, so crosshair had to do

- wrecker learned to samba, foxtrot and jitterbug like a champ

- once he found out that tech could dance too, he was relentless

- 'tech can i dance with you???' 'no,wrecker. ' 'Awww come on please?' 'NO' ‘PLEASE, I SWEAR IM GOOD’

- Finally, tech agreed and hoo boy, that was certainly not a mistake

-They complimented each other perfectly, working like a well-oiled machine

-Wrecker also loves doing group dances, ones with minimal effort so he can do it with all of his brothers ( 🥺...i know)

- And they all do it with him, though reluctantly

songs that Wrecker really moves to: https://youtu.be/w313WejAppc (With his brothers) and https://youtu.be/HAiHEQblKeQ (with tech, specifically)

Echo

-Echo is a dad dancer and that is a hill i will die on

-When music plays on the havoc marauder, he may not be the first one dancing, but he certainly enjoys listening to it and maybe have a bit of a boogie to it ( for non brits- boogieing is dancing in a slightly awkward manner)

-He was always like that though, and the bois in the 501st were just as bad ( with exception of hardcase, fives and jesse- but not rex, he was a dad dancer no. 1)

-He doesn’t really have a preference of music to dance to

-Echo likes it all

songs that would get echo standing up and swaying:https://youtu.be/HwVnX4ZgliY and https://youtu.be/425GpjTSlS4

Crosshair

-crosshair doesn’t dance.

-At least, that’s what he wants the others to think

-In truth, him and wrecker used to watch holodances all the time

-while wrecker loved watching the partner dances, crosshair loved the ballet

-when he’s alone, he sometimes just lets himself slip into a pas de bourree, then a glissade .. the rest is classified

-He is actually a ballet nerd, he knows every term and knows exactly how to execute every move perfectly

songs that crosshair would 100% pirouette to: https://youtu.be/9cNQFB0TDfY and https://youtu.be/QxHkLdQy5f0

Omega

-Omega cannot dance, bless her heart

-does that stop her? you best bet it doesnt!

-she stumbles,trips and falls but she couldnt care less

-all that matters for her is that she has fun

-and the boys love her for that

-their faces light up when they see their little sister enjoy herself, laughing despite everything shes been through

Songs that omega loves to blast: https://youtu.be/iPUmE-tne5U and https://youtu.be/Y66j_BUCBMY

Ok so those are my bad batch dancing headcanons, i hope you liked them! Apologies for the old songs, i couldnt think of any modern songs they’d like although i’m curious to hear what you all think. Love you all and thank you for reading

xxxx

TAG GAME- this information's top secret

thank you @lavenderstars37 for the tag- i love your blog,Lavender!!!

Name: Molly ( apparently the Hebrew meaning is sea of bitterness, so that's pretty cool) Nickname: none, though I would like to be called marchie someday ( bc my surname's March, like the month)

Zodiac: Aries ♈

Height: 5'3/160 cm languages: English... I'm not great at picking up other languages

Nationality: English ( TOODLE PIP AND CHEERIO!!)

Favourite season: ahh gotta be winter, I like the cold

Favourite colours: purple, beige and other jewel tones.. idk they calm me for some reason

Favourite characters: I'm a tech simp, though I also love luna lovegood and remus lupin from harry potter and the ineffable husbands of good omens. also ahsoka, leia, luke, c3po , yoda and obiwan... i have a star wars problem. there are also so many book characters I've kinned with, just too many to list

tea, coffee or hot chocolate: TEA! ( and that is written evidence that I'm 100% English)

average hours of sleep: usually 6-7 hours, but currently im up at midnight writing this so that's ironic. I'm an early bird too, so usually I go to sleep at a reasonable hour

cats or dogs: I love dogs, but cats all the way. I've had pet cats as long as I can remember, and I love them all so, so much

blankets i sleep with: just the one, but its weighted and fluffy so it's ideal for snuggling

place of origin: i wish this wasn't, but im english for every countable generation since 1910, so that's not especially riveting

dream trip: ooh, i'd love to see Italy , France and the other art capitols of the world

Followers: 25! thank you all sm, i love every one of you

random fact: i was named after an og bob the builder character

Tagging: @kratosfan6632466 @degreeinsimping @shywerewolfmate and anyone who wants to jump on the bandwagon

well, that was fun! no pressure to those I've tagged, it's just a bit of fun

xxx

TAG GAME - Get to know me! :D

thanks for the tag @green-arrows-of-karamel !

(I left some questions out for privacy but here is the full set of questions:))

Name: call me Lavender!

Nickname: Lav

Height: 5′1 / 154 cm

Keep reading

AAAAHH!!!

GiRL IM IN LOVE WITH TECH AND HE MAKES MY HEART GO:✨💖💫

So um,,,could I have a request for a Tech x Reader fic where she is brought on the ship since maybe she was a bounty hunter and she ended up betraying the organization to protect Omega and they end up having incredibly witty banter and Tech is just so whipped because someone can finally keep up in conversation? I think the plot could lend itself to a lot of snarky yet sweet interactions. Maybe they are repairing the ship while the others are on a recon mission and they just tease each other the whole time and the banter just flies off the handle and Cid is like: s h o o t me

Bounty hunter reader has my heart ❤️ Tech being whipped is my FAV

There was a pep in Tech's step as he exited the ship, practically leading the group back to Cid's joint. As he removed his helmet there was evidence of a smile, (even a grin!) and he walked faster.

Omega had to sprint to catch up. "Tech," She chided. "Slow down."

"Sorry," Tech paused, glancing back, waiting just long enough for the rest of the group to round the corner before continuing on his path. He heard Omega groan and run to catch up. "You don't have to be directly with me, you know."

"I know." The girl shrugged and skipped along with his lengthy strides. "I like seeing her has much as you do."

Tech’s walk slowed down for a brief moment, the hesitancy giving him away. "Seeing whom?"

Omega turned, beaming. "The bounty hunter. Our friend."

His heart pounded against his armor, and he didn't have the courage or brainpower to lie. He ducked through the door, glancing around, skimming for her. He gave a soft sigh as he spotted her, leaning on the bar, taking a drink. Her eyes were placid, laid over with bordem, hair disheveled from running her hands in them. She always did that, he noticed, when she was tired or worried.

Tech moved towards the bar, tucking his helmet under his arm. "Hey, I know you."

She turned from the bar, eyes lighting up as if she was revived by the sound of his voice. Tech fought off the warm sensation as she hurried over, stopping short of throwing her arms around him. "Tech, hi!" The sun shone in her eyes, and the sheer sensation that washed over him was exactly how he thought the ocean felt on a leisurely day.

He leaned on the bar, a smile drifting easily to his face. "How was it?"

"Boring." She smiled at him, sliding him a drink. "More boring than you, believe it or not."

Tech laughed and picked up the drink. "Interesting, so you would have rather been with me?" He raised his brows, watching her laugh behind her drink.

"Barely." She glanced down at the drink, eyes flickering to him, and his knees went weak, his only savior being the arm already on the counter. "Only sometimes, though." She leaned over, a gleam in her mischievous eyes.

He chuckled and shook his head, ignoring Hunter's disapproving gaze. "Good to know. I need help patching up my ship."

"Not yours!" Wrecker yelled as he practically rumbled his way in.

The former bounty hunter laughed, and she set her cup down. "Only if Hunter will be so kind to let me board your ship." She raised a brow, an aura of challenge radiating off of her.

"No one tells me who to let on my ship." Tech laughed, picking his helmet back up. "No one but me, at least."

Cid made a sound behind the bar, a disapproving noise. "If Ya want a room, the inn down the street is open," She snorted.

The hunter laughed, pushing off the bar. "No need, Cid. Besides," She winked at Tech and strides to the door, inflated with confidence. "He couldn't keep up."

Tech watched her, the snark peircing him, and his chest inflating with joy as Cid imitated gagging. He couldn't care less, he decided, grabbing his helmet and running after her out the door.

He chased her to the ship, laughing as he wove through the crowds and alleys, catching sight of her on occasion, a fleeting glance of her. Every gaze, her laughter floating, Tech's exhausted legs revived. Her tongue, her mind, her eyes, it haunted him every moment he was off the planet, and when he was back all he could do was be near her.

He caught up with her as the Maurader came into view. Tech watched her with fascination as she leaned on the ship, her lips twisting into a grin and the world standing still around her. "Slow poke. Good thing your mouth works faster than you do."

She leaned off the ship and grinned at him, turning her attention to the ship. "What needs fixing?"

Tech moved towards her, pointing. "The undercarriage. We need to get under there and patch up the coolant and drive systems."

She nodded, tugging her disheveled hair back behind her head. "Gotcha." Her upper lip twitched in determination as she approached the ship alongside him, tugging herself under with him. Tech handed her goggles, reaching up and working. As he worked, he spoke, talking about everything and nothing and all of anything that came to his mind. She listened, hands working alongside his, grunting and responding, and commenting.

"Oh!" She reached up, grasping a pipe. "I'll hold this. Don't want your pretty little face to get busted."

Tech's ears felt warm as he reached up, wrapping the pipe up. "You think I'm pretty?" His laugh was light, and he felt his jaw tighten as he worked, a bad habit.

"Yeah. Of course." Her hands, now coated in oil and space dust, drifted away. "You're pretty." She sucked in a breath, fingers yanking back.

Tech rolled to her. "You okay?" He slid out with her, back into the sun, and he opened her hands. He gently examined them, holding them gently. "Oh, that was still warm."

She grimaced, sucking in a breath. "Not the worst thing I've had to deal with."

Tech tugged her wrist gently. "Come on. We have some medical supplies. I'm no doctor, but I bet I can patch you up."

___

Her hand would be fine, Tech figured, applying the last of the salve. He tightened the bandage and stepped back. "Alright. You're all set." He smiled at her, not realizing why she was giggling. His grin dipped into a frown. "... What?"

"Tech," She chuckled. "You're still- my hand."

His eyes darted down, face only warmer. "Oh, my." He dropped his hands from hers, which had still been massaging them tenderly. "I," He inhaled. "I am sorry."

"Don't be," She smiled, sauntering last him towards the exit. She paused and glanced back, the warm sun outlining her figure, gold melting against her shape in the darkened ship. Even so, he could feel the warmth of her smile, chuckle light. "I'm not sorry."

The air between them melted, and she laughed, rushing down the steps. It was all Tech could do to follows heart singing as he tried to catch up with her, the hunter who had taken this bounty on his heart.

I audibly gasped while reading this, and my day just got better by reading this!!!

Second Wind - Tech x GN!Reader

Word Count: 5171

Notes/Warnings: I'm very rusty when it comes to writing fanfics so bare with me. Contains a dash of fluff and some dumbassery. Gender Neutral Reader - no physical description. Canon Swearing, Non Canon Music (duh)

Song referenced is You're Only Human (Second Wind) by Billy Joel

Enjoy xx

You awoke at your own leisurely pace that morning, to the sound of silence. You remained still in your bunk for a while longer, eyeing the light bleeding into your makeshift room. It was late in the morning, and you had slept in undisturbed. That was rare. Figuring it was about time, you got out of your bunk to change out of your blacks into something warmer and stepped out into the rest of the ship. It was empty. Everyone had left without you, most likely having gone to Cid’s parlor on their day off. As you moved toward the refresher, your gaze was caught on the still steaming caf sitting idle on the makeshift table by your door. A ghost of a smile graced your face for a moment before moving on.

After a shower to completely wake yourself up, you once again found yourself caught on something you had seen - your own reflection in the steamed up mirror. Wiping it clear, you locked eyes with pair in the mirror staring back at you. They were tired, exhausted even. You felt like garbage so it was only fair that you looked it too with dark under eyes that almost seem to swell and the little to no color of your skin. You didn’t really look alive.

There was no question as to why. You were sure the boys were aware and it was clear they were giving you plenty of space. This week sucked. It was quite simply the worst few days of your life. First was the trip to Bracca with Rex, and who doesn’t enjoy running around a ship that’s actively falling to pieces - then doing it again, when Wrecker’s chip kicked in and he almost killed everyone. After having to knock him unconscious, he had the audacity to not wake up after having the chip removed for a few hours. As if that wasn’t enough strain on your poor little heart, Crosshair then decided it was time to show up and try to incinerate you with a ship engine - but the train wreck didn’t stop there, why would it? Omega got kidnapped by a bounty hunter, Hunter got shot, and then, when Omega managed to contact you, you had to pull this insane nosedive to catch her flight pod before it plummeted into the ground.

Long, convoluted story short - this week was hell incarnate.

You left the refresher after another ten or twenty minutes of overthinking and wrapped your hands around the caf that awaited you eagerly. It was still fairly hot, but not enough to burn your hands or your tongue. With a deep inhale, you managed to detect hints of sweetness in its scent. Sweetener? No, some sort of fruit syrup. Well, someone actually remembered that you liked your drinks sweet. It was an unexpected surprise, but a welcome one.

Though the streets would be somewhat busy now, as it neared midday, you prepared yourself for a small morning run. It was something you did on occasion, just to keep yourself from being idle. Whether you were flying the Marauder or assisting, on foot, during a mission, you were always moving in some way or another.

You first ensured that you had your comm, in case of an emergency. You then began to search for your music player. It was a gift, something from your youth, and it was something you cherished. You found it easy to think or work with music playing in the background. It could be argued that you just liked your music blasting so you wouldn’t hear the voices in your head working themselves up about stupid things - but sometimes you just enjoyed listening to some good tunes. The rest of Batch were aware of your near-obsession with having music play at all times. It used to keep Hunter up all night. He and Tech just tune it out now, however on occasion, you’ve caught Tech nodding his head or mouthing words to some songs - though he strictly denies it. Wrecker, and particularly Omega, were completely cool with it. Introducing Omega to music was a joy you never expected. It brought you and Echo and closer, as it was a common conversation topic between you two. The only person who couldn’t withstand it, as you recall, was Crosshair. He’d cover his ears and complain about it all day long. You smiled at the memory, but being reminded of Crosshair made your heart sink. You missed that smug bastard.

Before you could completely drown in sadness, you spotted your missing player and headset on your pilot seat. You couldn’t recall placing it there, but then again, last night was a haze. You couldn’t even remember landing on Ord Mantell, or maybe you had already gone to bed and left Tech to do it. Doesn’t matter now. You slipped the headset on, and powered up the player. Full charge? Did you charge this last night? Again, you couldn’t remember. Maybe one of the boys did it for you. Maybe.

You left the Marauder with a usual level of hesitance. It was always difficult to part with the bucket of bolts that was partly seen as your baby. You had seen many a battle with her, and she was your true home now. You felt safest on the ship, your ship, even if she was falling apart at times.

Prying yourself away from your pride and joy, you turned your music player on, sliding up the volume so that every beat of music pulsated into your very skull. Your thoughts were too loud today, so you had to compensate to snuff them out. Once you were comfortable enough, you set off on your way in a slight jog just to get your blood pumping. Your strides matched the pace of the music, and soon enough you were steadily running through the city.

You turned a corner near the little stall where Wrecker and Omega would run off to after the end of every successful mission. Tradition, they called it. They would go there to celebrate with some Mantell mix, never paying and slapping it on your collective debt to Cid. It bothered Hunter how much of it they had added to the tab without thinking, but you personally didn’t mind as it made them happy. You were guilty of the same crime. You did the same thing once, putting one on the tab, and taking it back to the ship where you and Tech were patching up the Marauder after the deflector shield blew on a job. You both shared it as you worked. He said he wasn’t a fan of it but still ate half of it, so you could see through his lie easy - not that he was ever good at lying.

Ducking through the crowds of market goers, you found that you had to slow yourself down before you collided with someone. It was bad time to be out and about. You would have done this earlier, but you had slept in. It was nice of the Batch to give you that time and space. You were sure Omega wanted to wake you as she usually does, but she must have been talked out it. She was still quite shaken after her escape from Cad Bane yesterday. You both cried in fact. It was natural for her to be scared after being kidnapped, and you had broken down at the sight of her once she was safe and sound. Losing her in the first place was awful, then having to pull a suicide nosedive to catch that flight pod was another thing entirely. You had tears in your eyes as you pushed the Marauder to her absolute limits, jetting down into the clouds to catch her before either of you would collide with the surface. You swore, if Tech hadn’t been in that co-pilot chair, you might never have made it through any of it. His reassuring hand on your shoulder was enough-

Huh. You almost came to a complete stop. Your mind seems to always work its way back to thinking about him. It’s just coincidence that he’s always in your corner. He is your co-pilot, after all. Of course, he’s- oh, you’re overthinking it again.

You take off one more time, at the unofficial half-way point in your usual running lap. With your legs moving, your mind silenced itself and you could focus on nothing than the music and the road ahead once again.

Soon enough, you came across another issue - Maker, it was getting warm today. Ord Mantell didn’t usually get terribly warm throughout the day, and you noticed during your time here that the weather was calm. Today, it was bordering on tropical. Direct, unclouded sunlight bared down on you as you exercised. Sweat began to build upon your skin, beads trickling down that you had to swipe away. The heat reminded you of that damn star destroyer thruster that almost burnt you to a crisp.

Ugh, Crosshair. Omega liked to remind you all that it wasn’t him actively trying to murder you, but the inhibitor chip in his head. It still stung. You weren’t particularly close, you both butted heads often, and spat insults at each other any given day - but it wasn’t because you necessarily hated him. It was a clash of personalities, of egos. However, in a similar fashion as siblings, you’d bicker but at the end of the day, you’d have each other’s backs.

He was such a bastard. You’d die if he ever learned that you had cried - no, wept - when you had no choice but to leave him behind on Kamino. It would inflate his ego, and his head was big enough as it was. The night afterward, you couldn’t sleep a wink, thinking of what terrible things this new Empire and those Kaminoans, who you already trusted so little, would do to him, what they would make him do. There was also a hint of betrayal there that left a bitter taste in your mouth. But the inhibitor chip- he still bloody shot at you.

You spent the night in the cockpit, curled up in your pilot seat, as the others slept. The ship was blazing through hyperspace, stars streaking into blinding lines of white and blue, as you were travelling to visit an old friend of the Batch, that you were yet to meet. You cried before millions of stars, about things beyond your control, and you did so for a while. It was silly to think that no one would notice your sounds of sadness, so you nearly jumped out of your skin when Tech had wandered into the cockpit. He didn’t mean to scare you. He also couldn’t sleep that night. You two had kept each other busy by talking about trivial things, and stories about the Batch’s early days, for what must have been hours. You guessed, that he figured by talking about literally anything and everything, it would keep your tears at bay. It was crazy enough to work.

There you go thinking of him again. A chuckle escaped your lips that sounded near hysterical. Well, he has a terrible sleeping pattern, always being on that datapad of his- Now, you’re trying to talk yourself out thinking that it’s been anything more than coincidence. He cares, you finally half-admit to yourself, but they all do. You’ve got plenty of great memories with the other boys, it’s just today, you’re reminiscing about him in particular. Yeah, that’s it…

You near the finish of your lap, the ship back in view. You breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of her, as though you had parted with her for thousand of years and not just an hour. And as it appears, during the time you were gone, someone had returned to the Marauder. As you neared the landing pad with every step, you recognized the figure tinkering with your ship to be none other than the man of the hour, Tech. It was like a sign from the Maker themself. You were just constantly thinking of him, and then he appears. No, no, just coincidental - he’s just fixing the ship, that no sign or anything. That’s just what he does.

Laying on his back beneath the right wing of the ship, he visibly tinkered with something your eyes could not see. As with all of his work, he was consumed by it. His mind solely focused on whatever was in his hands at that moment.

You slowed on your approach, your pace falling from a light jog to a simple walk, your chest heaving with exerted breaths. It was either your heavy footfalls or the ragged breaths that escaped your mouth that gave your presence away. No one else was around. Taking notice, you could see Tech turn his head in your direction only slightly. His next movement wasn’t graceful in the slightest. He was too focused on one thing and having forgotten that he was beneath the ship, he sat up only to collide his head with the very thing he was repairing - nearly knocking himself unconscious trying to wave to you.

Despite your best efforts, you erupted with laughter that almost swept you off your feet. Knees buckling, you tried to suppress your giggles into your hand but it did nothing but cover the smile that enveloped your face. You sounded damn near sinister. Keeling over, you suddenly snorted amidst your chuckling and you straightened up in response. Your laughter faded into something for breathless and quiet.

When was the last time you laughed like that?

Upon realization that you standing there laughing was kind of rude on your part, you half-rush-half-sauntered over to him, still giggling to yourself at his expense. He slid out from under the ship, and rose to his feet to greet you. He cradled the side of his head with one hand, while the other dropped that tool he was using back with the rest. From gazing into honey-brown eyes alone, you knew he was in pain but he was putting on brave face for your sake.

“A-Are you alright?” You ask, sliding your headphones off.

He waves away your concern as if it were nothing, “I’m fine, it was nothing, really.” He insisted he didn’t require your aid - which was usually made up of you slapping bacta on it, and kissing it better. It always worked on Wrecker. However, you didn’t want to argue with his bravado, so it was his loss. All you could do was smile, “If you say so.”

“What are doing to my ship anyway?” Curious, you eyed up the disaster-piece that was Havoc Marauder, not seeing anything visibly wrong with her, but that didn’t mean anything.

“Our ship.” He was quick to correct you. Saying that it was your ship always riled him up. “I needed to run some calibrations. You mentioned that there was a fault with stabilizers, and you were right-”

His voice drowned out as the image of cockpit came to the forefront of your mind. When you left Ord Mantell a week ago, you had noticed that the rear stabilizers were off, and while it was only a slight change, you could feel that the ship’s balance was not right. You said you were going to have to re-calibrate it, but only mentioned in passing. Tech must have heard you muttering to yourself that day.

You faded back into the conversation, pulling your focus back into the present, “When am I ever wrong?” You boasted playfully, causing Tech to mirror your humored smirk,“Would you like that listed by most recent or by measure of how wrong you were?” Ah, yes, the rare appearance of Tech’s sarcasm. Maybe your bad behaviour was beginning to rub off on him after all this time. He would, at times, bite back at you lightheartedly. It was reassuring that he wasn’t always a walking computer and had a funny bone in his ridiculously tall body. “Funny one.”

“Is she back in shape now?” You ask, pressing your hand against the cool exterior of the ship. Your simple question was provided a simple answer, but rather Tech’s usual detailed ramble. Everything else was only of minor concern, he said. Needs some fuel, could use a clean, he was bit worried about the carbon scoring and he would need to perform some diagnostics on the thrusters soon. You were listening despite the distant look in your eyes, well, half-listening. You caught the basics of what he was saying. You didn’t mean to be rude or anything - you weren’t flat out ignoring him like his brothers did at times - but your thoughts were wandering again, trailing off to the music playing below your ears. You recognized the song only from a few seconds of its upbeat intro.

Tech was still going about how he wasn’t satisfied with the Marauder’s performance as of late, and made sure to note that was in now way a fault of your piloting skills. You took no offence. Then he made his first conversational tangent about the maneuver you pulled Bora Vio - diving for Omega and then pulling up fast enough that you didn’t crash into the planet surface - and how it could have ripped the ship apart. It was praise, and you accepted it with a lopsided smile. You knew your face was tickled pink. It was embarrassing.

‘Don’t forget your second wind~’

Hmm, this song is hitting a little different today, you thought to yourself. Though you couldn’t fathom why it would-

‘Sooner or later, you’ll get your second wind~’

It clicked. Perhaps it was better described at a hammer finally hitting a nail into your brain - shocking and sudden. How did you not see it sooner? Maker, how did you not come to that conclusion with your patented brand of overthinking? He was so sweet to you and you’d turn every shade of red in the galaxy - only to say, oh it’s nothing. You’d convinced yourself that he was ‘just’ a friend, a comrade in arms. You were a bonefide idiot. You were sweet on him. You’d been crushing on him longer than you’d like to think about.

“By the kriffing Maker.”

At your curse, Tech stared back you, dumbfounded, “What?”

”I have to…” You trailed off, and any rambling your brain was making was made by the odd, ever-changing hand gestures you made. “Go… Echo- I need to talk to Echo.” You paused, as your brain finally pieced what you were trying to say together, “Echo, yes, I need to talk to him. I’ll be back.”

Before you had a chance to spill more gibberish out of your mouth, you broke yourself free from the situation. You wandered away, somewhat bizarrely - at least that’s what Tech thought of it. You weren’t a complete fool. You knew that Tech saw your exit as sudden and strange, and that was indeed what he thought of it. He had noticed how your demeanour changed in an instant while he was speaking with you, though he couldn’t understand why. All he had done was praise your flight skills - could you not accept compliments? Did he word it wrong? He found himself concerned at the thought of accidentally insulting you. He mulled it over, coming to the conclusion that he needed to do some research on the subject.

He was an oblivious idiot just like you.

***

You reached Cid’s parlor in a rushed, awkward jog. You entered the hazy atmosphere of the sub-par bar, to find the man you were searching for seated within a booth. He was watching with on as Hunter gave Omega a lesson on her bow with vague interest. Wrecker was actively watching, and cheering her on. The trio greeted you as walked past. You slid into Echo’s booth unannounced, and to Echo, something about you seemed mildly hysterical today.

“Y/N.” He greeted you, “Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m having a moment.”

He squints his eyes, really taking notice to the mixed expression on your face. The way your eyes never focused on one thing for more than a second, like your mind was working itself into circles - and you were having an argument with yourself. The raised brows… and he wasn’t blind the splotchy shade of pink scattered over your nose and cheek bones.

His lips stretched into a grin, “Crosshair was right.”

You were stumped at the mention of his name, “Crosshair? He was never right about anything.”

Echo rolled his eyes, well aware of how you and he bickered, and at times, scrapped like two siblings. And just like siblings, Crosshair could read you like a book, and now Echo had picked up on your cues as well. However, as well as Echo believes he could figure what you were thinking, he wouldn’t have ever figured- “You have a thing for Tech.”

Your jaw hit the floor, his words knocking the wind out of your sails. You weren’t entirely sure what horrified you more, that it was so obvious that you had feelings for Tech, the fact you did have feelings for him or how Crosshair, that bastard, knew. “He knew? You knew?”

“He mentioned a while ago. I didn’t believe him but now… I can see it.”

You fell back into the awful cushioning of the booth, utterly bowled over. You were so overwhelmed, unable to think a single thing for more than a moment, that your brain felt empty. You couldn’t compute. A while ago? Crosshair noticed it months ago then, at the very least. Had you really been flirting with your goggled co-pilot for months without realizing?

“Maker, I never thought for a second I’d be into the tall, nerdy clone when I joined the group.”

“I don’t think you get a choice in these sort of things. It just happens.”

You didn’t mean to frown at Echo’s wisdom. The frown only lingered as you stumbled upon another idea - if your feelings were so obvious… Oh no. You slam your palms on the table, catching the attention of every anyone in the parlor, “Does he know?”

Echo laughs, “Trust me, he is in the dark just like you.”

“Oh.” Well, that was a minor relief. Still, you deflate, caught on the ‘what if’s’ and the ‘maybes’ inside your head, “He probably doesn’t feel the same about me.”

Echo chuckles inwardly, taking a swill of his water, using the glass to cover the knowing smile on his face. “I wouldn’t be too certain.”

Tech adored you, and despite that big intellect he liked to brag about, he had no clue. Echo knew that he was near obsessed with you. Why, only this morning, it was Tech who insisted to charge your music player, so you would be able to enjoy it, and make you a special blend of caf - extra sweet, the way he knew you liked. While the entire crew was aware of how drained you were, physically and emotionally, he took it upon himself to land the ship last night so you could rest properly. You had no idea what else Tech had done just because you mentioned it, or simply because he wanted to make you happy.

“Yeah?” The idea of it being a mutual crush warmed your cheeks. Your heart skipped a beat, and your stomach fluttered with such a small dash of hope. You were in deep. So damned deep. You had dove right into the deep end unknowingly, and it was crystal clear to both you and Echo that you loved him.

Shame you had no clue what to do this information now that you had it. So, you liked him and he maybe, liked you back. Where do you go from here?

“What do I do, Echo?”

He splutters a laugh, caught off guard, “You’re asking me?”

“You think they’re gonna help?” You motion to Wrecker, Omega and Hunter. Wrecker had a meiloorun fruit on his head and was egging Omega on, asking her to shoot it off. Hunter stood on the sideline, shaking his head in disappointment, but made no move to stop them. Echo face morphed into one of horror, “You’ve got a point.”

Turning back to you, and your sulky face, he sighed, spinning the glass in his hand by his thumb. “I don’t know. Just … tell him how you feel?”

You drop your head onto the most likely unclean table and groan at his most basic advice.

“Hey, you wanted my advice.” Echo bit back, defensive. “I know.” You groan into the table - which feels sticky on your skin. Ew, don’t think about it too much, you tell yourself. “I just feel like an idiot and I don’t know what to do.”

“Y/N, look at me.” You feel a hand on your arm, and you raise your head slightly to meet Echo’s eyes, “Nobody fell in love without being a little brave.”

That’s… actually brilliant?. Echo’s unexpected pep talk gave you enough energy to completely raise yourself from the table. You were energized. You loved Tech. Repeating it to yourself no longer brought a embarrassed scowl to your face. You loved how he was a weird, lanky mess. You loved it when he’d talk to you for hours. You loved it when he listened to you talk for hours. You loved that he was too tall for his own good. You loved how he was always there. You loved how he would always check in on you, and make you feel better when you were at your lowest. Maker, you loved him.

Billy Joel was right, that second wind really does come along.

“You’re right.” You shot up from your seat, reinvigorated and ready to face your fear, “Thanks, Echo.”

***

You had run an awful lot today. Well, you had meant to run today but you weren’t expecting to make a hasty trip to and from Cid’s. Your legs were going to feel it tomorrow, not that you weren’t feeling the burn right now. Rather than a jog, you sprinted. Through the bar, through the crowded streets, a little too close to some speeders - you sprinted all the way back to the Havoc Marauder. The beginning, the end, you’d always wind up back back here.

Tech was no longer outside, but the entrance to the ship was wide open. It appeared that he had finished with the external repairs, and moved inside.

You entered the ship, sparing a moment to press your hand on the exterior of the ship before stepping inside. It was a sort of impromptu greeting to the big inanimate object. Now inside, you gazed over your shoulder, looking into the cockpit to find him in his usual seat. You walk over to his end of the ship, catching a glance of the datapad in his hand that he was typing maker-know-what into. He was probably doing something beyond your comprehension. You weren’t an expert in the data stuff. Unless it was had to do with the ship, you had no idea what you were doing. That included the subject of romance.

Tech was aware that someone had returned. He made no move to see who, because he didn’t really care to know. He didn’t overhear any talking, so it was likely not Omega, or Wrecker. Perhaps it was Hunter? Or Echo? He doubted it was you, seeing how you ran off with little explanation. You said you were planning on returning, but it had only been half an hour at least. Then again, his internal dialogue argued back, you were a little freaked out, for the lack of a better term, when you left. You likely did not wish to see him again, for whatever he did to upset you. Internally talking himself into a corner, his shoulders sunk.

Imagine his surprise, when two arms wrap over his shoulders with no warning.

He jumped a little in his seat. It was a small twitch of movement, though you still felt it full and well. You let out a little giggle. You had no intention of spooking him. It was still funny though.

In an instant, he recognized that gleeful laugh, “Y/N?”

You ‘hmm’ in response, with a cute little smile on your face that he could spy from the corner of his eye.

“You’re back?!” His words come out a little too excitedly for his liking, and he was quick to cover it up with a follow-up question, a genuine question, “Ah, might I ask what you are doing?”

“Nothing.” Your answer was laced with a hint of mystery. It intrigued Tech, but what really captured his attention was the sound of your voice. You had spoken with a sweet, singsong style. It was considerably more cheerful than how you had been the past few days, even weeks. It made him smile. He had been so worried, his distracted mind affecting his work, leaving small flaws in whatever he touched. Yet, he was not nearly as stressed about making mistakes as he normally would. His thoughts would always circle back to you - convinced it was just general concern for a teammate, a friend. He really had no idea.

“You’re my second wind, Tech.” You then press your lips upon his cheek- a soft, almost feathery kiss. Such a gentle and tender gesture sent Tech’s face flushing a deep shade of scarlet. His cheek felt as though you had lit it aflame with just the touch of your lips. He couldn’t think straight. There was fluttery sensation in the pit of his stomach, and his heart felt as though it was physically twisting and churning in his chest. He had never experienced anything like it. His mouth was left agape but he couldn’t muster a single word. Speechless at last. You’d accidentally discovered the best way to shut him up, and you were definitely going to use this to your advantage from now on.

After a moment, he regained some of his senses and backtracked to what you had said. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but the phrase was vaguely familiar - he had heard it once before. He just couldn’t place that it was from a song you had once made him listen to. “Your second what?” He turned his head to ask you, before he lost track of his thoughts at sight of your face, your eyes, your lips… He was completely under your spell. It was such an enigma to him, yet he never wanted it end.

You were well aware of the affect you had made on him, and all you could do was grin wider. You had him in the palm of your hands. And with a mischievous wink, you teased, “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

Ok, tumblr+ sucks, let's do this

The Post Plus Protest is coming! Updated Edition

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

Fill out the survey on the original Post Plus post (be polite, don’t spam, but GET YOUR POINT ACROSS that we don’t want this). Since we mean business, it’s time to hit them where it hurts; Ad Revenue.

We’re proposing a 24 hour log off as the main event of phase one.

WHEN IS THE PROTEST?

The protest starts by logging off on August 6th, 2021 at 12am Eastern Time (US). Here’s a quick chart to help figure out when you log out. AUGUST 6th, 2021  12 am Eastern Time (US)    4 am UTC    5 am BST/London    6 am Central Europe Time    7 am Moscow Standard Time    9:30 am Indian Standard Time    12 Noon Hong Kong Time/Australian Western Time    1 pm Japan Standard Time    1:30 pm Australian Central Time    2 pm Australian Eastern Time

AUGUST 5th, 2021

  11 pm Central Time (US)   10 pm Mountain Time (US)     9 pm Pacific Time (US)

THE END TIME IS 24 HOURS FROM THE START TIME!

So that means if you log off at say, 6 am Central Europe Time you’ll log back in at 6 am Central Europe Time on August 7th. We’d prefer if if there is no posting, no queues, no likes, and no reblogs during this period.

WHAT IF I CAN’T/WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?

Like this post, share it, and use the hashtags #tumblrlogoff2021 and/or #postplusprotest on ANY and ALL social media. If you’re using the mobile version, you can always leave an honest review on the app center of your choice (once again: be polite, don’t spam, but GET YOUR POINT ACROSS!).

WHY IS POST PLUS/POST+ SO BAD?

Tumblr’s primary focus is on FAN content (whether any of us want to admit it or not). Putting these kinds of contents behind patreon like paywalls is a terrible idea and the legality is NOT in the user or their subscribers favor. You can absolutely get in legal trouble for what tumblr is proposing with this new feature. There’s also the worry about the site’s (poor) security and access to Post Plus users bank information. Do you really want a site that lacks a functioning search function and whose userbase routinely get hacked to have your credit card information? No, you really don’t.

WILL THIS WORK?

Maybe, maybe not. It’s an attempt at doing something to combat tumblr’s impending self-inflicted demise.

ANYTHING ELSE?

There’s a time zone checker linked in a previous post if you need it and I’ll try to fix any mistakes to times as I find them. Keep an eye out for future posts closer to the protest date and the eventual phase two! Thank you ALL for your support so far.