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TDM 001
| TDM 001: TFLU |
 ( 1 ) After leaving the teleportation chamber, you are gently coaxed out of the hospital and encouraged to find a place to stay. Maybe you've had time to check out your A5 app. Maybe you're just settling in. It's cloudy, overcast, cold -- you'll want to seek out someplace warm. Also, your device is beeping. A lot. The tech on the island works, it just doesn't work right. You can't seem to send a message to the correct person. It's time for... Texts From Last Universe( 2 ) What's this? Your bingo card has just been beamed to a stranger's inbox...?! ( sample A5 cards -- NSFW, may contain triggering content, please feel free to use/ignore as you see fit) ( 3 ) And now you're receiving messages from other users that they don't remember sending: Nice shirt. It would look better on my floor. 10/10 would ride it into the sunset. This user thinks you're attractive. u up? 🍆 ( 4 ) Once you figure out that the robots have been hacking your devices, it's no easy feat to track one down and demand they stop. "So The Augur wills!" they wail in a monotone. "So it is done!" Any attempt to actually contact The Augur and get back into the hospital will be met with beefy robot bodyguards, who suggest taking a gentler approach to fix your devices. If you know what they mean. Wink. (This is your overt kink prompt. Please label any threads accordingly.) Note: All prompts are optional. The theme for this TDM is "malfunctioning devices." They can be fixed by indulging in the squares on your cards. For the sake of the TDM, you can use one of the pre-generated examples or a wildcard from the kink list. This can be used as a free bingo square completion once you have been accepted into the game. Players are welcome to wildcard their own TDM prompts; we only ask that you try to stick to the theme. N A V I G A T I O N |
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[ The reality is that Poe probably could have held onto her for a while without feeling the need to break it off, just inhaling the scent of her and feeling her hair brush against his nose as he winds her up into his arms, his lips pressing briefly against her cheek. He wasn't afraid, at least not for himself, but as far as feeling suddenly and completely adrift? That's something to deal with. But it's not actually all that long before he's aware that there's a familiar noise in the background, one that starts out faint but that's steadily increasing in volume the longer it goes unaddressed. Oh.
He has to pull back from her somewhat, but his grip slips down her arms until he's taking her hands in his, drawing her back over to the ledge with him, looking vaguely apologetic but also kind of pleased. He's got a lot of mixed feelings going on right now, which happens when he's dragged from one place to another with no warning whatsoever, but they're kind of used to dealing with that now, aren't they? And considering how equally happy Gwen is to see him, he knows she'll be even happier to know that he's not completely alone here. ]
It's okay, buddy! [ He's calling down over the ledge to the droid. BB-8's shining a light up toward them, his shriller tones calming quickly enough once he sees Poe's face, switching to even friendlier tones when another familiar face comes into view above him. ] See? It's Gwen. We're fine.
[ For some given value of 'fine,' but he's not all that inclined to split hairs at this particular moment. One obstacle at a time. ]
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[ she sounds almost reluctant to admit it, but it's better than trying to fake optimism. she knows he'd see right through it anyway, so what's the point? she also knows they could probably both stand to hold onto each other a little longer, but they have time for that later on. apparently, according to the people here and the watch with a list of sex things to accomplish, they have time later on for exclusively that.
gwen probably should have recognized those sounds, but there are a lot of ai wandering around, so she kind of tuned it out up until now. her eyes widen as poe leads her to the ledge, and holding his hands is maybe one of the most comforting things she's gotten used to in the last few months, but she gives them a squeeze before letting go, lifting a finger for just a sec. bb's flashlight makes her wince a bit when she peers down to see him, but that's fine. bb-8 can blind her with his little flashlight anytime. she squats down, holding both hands out in front of her in a familiar gesture ]
I'm gonna bring you up here by us with my webs. Stay right there, alright? I'll catch you.
[ a moment later she's webshooting straight down, then pulling back up and letting the elasticity of her webbing do the heavy lifting for her. she stands back up just as bb-8 lifts up through the opening, catching him easily in her arms. she's just going to take a moment to hug him too before depositing him at poe's feet. ]
At least this feels the same. [ enough so that she visibly relaxes just that little bit more as she tilts her head, still addressing the droid ] Hi, cutie. I'm sorry I stole Poe for a minute, I didn't mean to scare you.
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This seems more like a positive reinforcement kind of situation. What happens if they just refuse to do any of it is kind of up in the air, but considering how broad some of those kinks are, it's not too hard to imagine fulfilling them just by... being themselves. And yeah, that's not the first thing on Poe's might right now, but once they've done everything they can do for the time being and find someplace to rest for a while, those priorities will definitely shift.
Poe wants to ask the obvious question. But it's got an obvious answer too. If Gwen knew that someone else was here, that would have come gushing out sooner rather than later, he's sure. ]
He says that the atmospheric readings are different. Wherever we are, this isn't the same planet. Other than that...
[ Other than that he has no idea where the hell they really are.
He shakes his head, lifting a gloved hand back toward Gwen's face, just resting it lightly against her cheek as he gives her a closer look. She seems fine, but he's not going to necessarily take that for granted. ]
How long have you been here?
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but that doesn't stop her from smiling a bit when he's touching her again, and she turns her face to nuzzle his fingers before reaching up to take his hand in hers instead ]
Maybe a few hours ago? Venom wasn't too cool with being poked and prodded in the hospital, so that... probably took longer than it should have. But yeah, I woke up here today. Same for you? [ she almost manages to wait for an answer, but he's giving her one of those looks ] I'm alright. Promise. Even better now than I was a little while ago.
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[ He'll let her pull his hand down, giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze. They've only just started to try to put the pieces together here, and there's a lot that's still missing, but just having her here with him means a lot. Nothing's ever going to stop him from making his way home, he has too much there waiting for him — too much he still has to do, certain people who belong in his life who will be there with him the whole way, but this? This has become as much a part of him as anything or anyone else, and he knows it. And it wasn't that long ago that he admitted as such, even if all of that is still kind of a blur. It's just another thing to talk about on a list that's gotten a lot longer today.
He's seen some of what Venom can do. It's not hard to imagine that it would have caused a commotion back at the hospital, which must have happened before he arrived, if he had to guess. It had seemed quiet enough by the time he was being shoved out the doors.
And yeah, he is giving her one of the Looks. He can't help it. Just like he doesn't think he could stop touching her right now unless she insisted, as if he might lose track of her again if he lets her go. He will when he has to, they can't stay up here on this rooftop forever, he just needs a minute. For all of this. ]
Does every new place in the multiverse you end up in have some kind of weird obsession with sex or is this a recent development?
[ He says it lightly enough, but that's just how he reacts to these things. ]
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she's totally got everything under control.
which is why she laughs when he asks her that, nodding right away ]
Yes, that's actually exactly how it works. I could've sworn I mentioned that before. [ she furrows up her brow, looking sideways in an exaggerated thinky expression ] Everywhere I go is either already a sex-obsessed dimension, or it turns into one once I get there. Like a sexy fever dream. Or a feverish sex dream. Either one. Both, sometimes. [ she opens her mouth like she wants to go on, but ends up laughing instead, taking a deep breath after ] I wish that was it. That I had some kind of control over it. I'm not sure what to think anymore.
[ she doesn't sound defeated so much as a little tired? mentally, anyway. nothing about this place is familiar, and she might have access to her full abilities and she doesn't have anyone telling her she needs to live by an insane city's insane set of rules, but that doesn't help how vulnerable she feels. she sighs again. ]
I can't figure out if I want to sit up here and pretend the stars look familiar, or if maybe we should start- looking for a place to crash for the night. They made it sound like we weren't allowed to just stay at the hospital. [ a beat, like she actually might make some kind of choice, but haaahaha when does gwen ever do that ] I think you should decide our next course of action, General.
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So yeah, he understands why she sounds tired. Who knew how long it's been since they actually slept anyway, not counting whatever coma they woke up from, which was some time ago now. He'd have to check the time, but he recognizes the not so subtle hints of exhaustion that are attempting to creep in. It's nothing he can ignore as long as he needs to, but he's also aware that he can't stay awake forever. Neither can Gwen. Finding some kind of temporary respite from all of this would do them both a lot of good.
He shifts his hands to her shoulders, rubbing them where he knows they're likely to be tense, and if he had any other specific intentions about what to do with this particular moment, he seems to shift slightly at being called General like that. It does kind of set a tone when they're not clearly in the middle of something else, though he's still smiling at her even as he reluctantly lets go. They're going to need to move, after all, even if this rooftop isn't the worst place they could be. It's not exactly warm either. ]
There's a bigger building out there on the edge of the city. [ He's turning to gesture out toward where BB-8 is already focused, he's been trying to pick up anything on his scanners and now that they're up in the air there's a lot less interference. ] It looks like it could be a hanger. I want to see if there's anything out there. So if you're up for a little more walking...
[ Obviously he's not going anywhere without her. ]
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but eventually she's humming, opening her eyes again to see where he's talking about going. it's not bad. she's not so tired that she couldn't make it, plus, she's still interested in exploring. ]
Definitely. Maybe there's something in it we can commandeer until we find something a little more secure.
[ at least back in duplicity they had assigned rooms. although y'know, the dorms in the down were worse than the building they both just scaled, so maybe it's no different. she's not too worried about it either way - she's got webbing, and she learned how to make a hammock of it a long time ago. they'll figure something out.
either way, after a moment of looking towards their new planned destination and the streets below that could lead them there, gwen's moving to stand right in front of him again, reaching for the open sides of his jacket. she's gripping a little higher than what could be a sort of casual hold, so her intentions are probably clear right from the getgo ]
Just- real quick, one thing before we go, I just need-
[ she's babbling until she can't anymore, after pulling a bit on his coat and tugging him down until she can slip one hand to the back of his neck and pull him in for a kiss. nothing wild, but the kind of firm kiss that will always manage to help ground her when things are a little crazy. and it might be a subtle kind of crazy than what they're used to? but it's still a lot. so, kissing. ]
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He's just trying not to think too much about who he's hoping to see.
Keeping his mind on the immediate necessities, focusing on what he can do, that's what's keeping him going right now, but Gwen has a way of drawing it elsewhere. Which isn't a bad thing. She hasn't seen it as much herself, but he does get caught up in everything except taking care of himself, and that tends to follow when he's taking care of her. She kind of insists on it.
So he's not offering any protest when she latches onto him and pulls him in, he's leaning in to press his mouth to hers before she has to drag him the whole way there. Just the way he winds an arm around her, pulling her in tight against him as his lips move against hers, says a lot about what he's feeling. It's not wild, no, but it has a different kind of intensity to it. One that's enough to make him forget about where they are entirely for a minute or two.
Even when he does find the resolve to come up for air he's still very close, still holding on tight. ]
... Yeah, I needed that too.
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it's a manageable amount of riled. more of just an energy boost than the kind that makes her want to drag him to the nearest flat surface. so, even though once she settles back flat on her feet again, she does spend a little more time just- being in his personal space. ]
Okay. Mm, okay. We should get moving. Moving is a thing we should be getting to. [ she only sort of peels herself away, but otherwise doesn't seem to mind if he follows her closely. she's not trying to get space away from him so much as just trying to figure out the best way to get back down from the building. that means leaning over a little too far to check over that ledge again, even with his arm around her. ] I'd say we should swing, but I haven't been that way yet and I don't really trust the rooftops to hold us. So far there have been more that feel like wet cardboard under my feet than an actual, solid roof. So. Let's get to steppin'.
[ it's a little slow going, getting back down to the pavement from the top of the building they're on, but only because of the fact that this building is about ready to give up. but eventually they do, and gwen gets right back to mentally clocking the state of this place ( without wandering too far from poe and bb-8 along the way ) as they head towards the hangar. keeping track of where they're going, and also just trying to wrap her head around everything she left behind in duplicity. everything and everyone. nothing too deep, she's not letting herself get there yet, but it's all distracting enough to keep her a little quiet while they walk. it's the comfortable kind, at least. she knows he probably has things on his mind, too.
bb-8 knocks her out of that train of thought, with louder beeps and faster babbling as he rolls around them and urges them to follow him. she peeks ahead only then realizing that they're basically there already, at the building poe pointed to before. she's still learning binary, they didn't get that far into it, so she only understands maybe two or three of those strung-together words. he seems excited, at least. so. that's good? happy beeps. ]
I'm sure we would know by now if that building was the home of something horrific, right? Like, if there was some kind of monster that destroyed the city, and it's hiding in there, we would know by now? [ ... look, she might have lived in sex city for a long time, but she spent just as long fighting crime as spider-woman, too. she always has wild expectations of things that can go wrong. then again, her spider-sense isn't going haywire, so at least that's a good sign ] If there is, BB-8 seems cool with it, at least.
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[ Poe's clearly reluctant to let her go, he definitely got more caught up in that kiss than he intended to, and his grip on her is tighter than it would have been normally, but he hasn't completely forgotten that they can't stay up on this roof all night. Or day? It's hard to keep track of time, and so far he hasn't seen any sign of a sun whatsoever, so it's impossible to know what they're dealing with there. It's just another facet of this place that they still have to figure out.
And she's right about his tendency to get lost in his own thoughts. It's not as bad as it would have been if he were alone, if she wasn't here and BB-8 wasn't orbiting around them. but he's still worried about everyone that they've potentially left behind. Are they still back in the city? He doesn't doubt Finn and Rey's ability to take care of themselves, they've had to do that before and they're tougher than anyone else might give them credit for, but that doesn't make Poe feel any better about disappearing, even if he had no choice in the matter. To say nothing of everything he's already left behind in their own galaxy, which feels further away than it ever has.
But he is grateful for what he does have. More than he knows how to say, though that might come across in the way he reaches for Gwen's hand as they walk.
While she only gets a general gist of what the droid's telling them, he knows exactly what BB-8's saying that he's picked up on his sensors, and it's so unexpected that he almost can't believe that he heard it right. That, and he almost misses what Gwen's saying too, only checking in about halfway through. ]
Yeah — Yeah, if there was something big and nasty out here he would have picked up on it. He says there's...
[ Inside the hanger seems to be largely empty. Like much of the town itself, it's dusty, shelves and piles of rusty barrels and empty crates are scattered around near the doorway, which creaks open after applying a little extra pressure. BB-8 goes zooming past his legs, making a straight line for one particularly suspicious-looking shape covered in an old dirty piece of canvas. It's big, and while it looks like it's been here as long as the hangar itself, it's the right shape. It's impossible, but BB-8's already next to it, his excited, cheerful beeps echoing in the space around them. ]
I can't believe it.
[ Gwen might be confused until Poe's striding over to tug the canvas aside, revealing the x-wing underneath. And not just any x-wing, it's his. He'd recognize that distinctive orange and grey anywhere, even if it stands out less than his previous ship, which is less of a choice and more of a matter of convenience lately, since he didn't exactly have time to worry about the paint job. His shock is an almost tangible thing, but despite not having the first clue as to how or why, or really thinking about it at all, when he does shake himself out of it the first thing he seems to settle on is elation. As if he's just found an old friend that he's been missing for a very long time.
And in a way he has. ]
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they head into the hangar, and gwen might be on red alert, but her spider-sense is still quiet. which is good! definitely good. so when poe movies forward before she can really think to, she doesn't follow too close behind, instead getting a little distracted by everything else in here, too. everything seems huge. but that's kind the point of a building like this, right? either way. the sound of the tarp sliding down and hitting the floor grabs her attention again, and that's- ]
Holy shit?
[ if she sounds astonished it's because she absolutely is, because wow, that... so wasn't what she was expecting to see here. or anywhere besides poe's home world. but it's- that's- it's real. that's really it. she wouldn't have known it was his specifically, but she's sure he would be just as shocked whether it was or not. just the fact that something like it is even here.
she can't seem to move, beyond both hands moving up to cover her mouth, eyes too wide. this is insane on so many levels, she's basically just trying to stop herself from yelling into her hands like an ecstatic fangirl. it's real. it's really real. and it's here. but she can't act like she knows what she's looking at beyond the fact that it's obviously a jet. but it's also very easy to chalk up all that emotion to knowing exactly how much this means to him. it helps that that's actually a huge part of her reaction, yeah. no need to fake it.
and bb-8 still hasn't stopping talking and poe still hasn't moved and that's what finally encourages her to catch up to where he is, right next to the fighter. and maybe her intention was to reach for his hand again, or loop her arm through his and hold on tight, but she only manages to squeeze his arm as she keeps walking, ducking under the wing as she gets right to checking it out from as many angles as possible. she won't touch it until he does, though, not yet. it's only once she's this close to it that she actually registers the colors. ]
Orange. [ she's beaming ] It's yours, isn't it? Yours from home. This is unreal. We're definitely nowhere near the city anymore - they'd never let you have this. [ she's still making her way around the ship, hands laced up behind her back to stop herself from getting carried away. right up until she's looking his way, and that's what makes her jog back over to him, when she notices he still hasn't moved ] You're alright?
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As Gwen comes back toward him he's just going to wrap her up in his arms, nearly spinning her around with a laugh that he just can't keep in. It would have been a lot more than that if he wasn't so eager to actually get into it, but as it is he'll still get in a quick kiss on her lips. ]
Yeah, it's mine.
[ Once he does let go of her he's immediately turning back to it, running his hands along the underside of the x-wing's nose, feeling his way along panels still sporting scorch marks from its last battle, across a section that should have a basic survival kit which might also prove useful, until he gets to a ladder and the control panel that's within an arm's reach of it. BB-8 is already in position underneath, trilling excitedly as he waits to be lifted up into it, seemingly just as eager as Poe is to give the ship a thorough inspection. The exterior looks to be intact, but it's impossible to tell just by glancing at it if it's actually in ny kind of shape to fly.
But they'll get it there, between the two of them. They always do. ]
It's supposed to be orange and black, but you know, I was kind of busy and we were running low on supplies. [ The lights flicker on just as they're supposed to, which is a relief. He was almost worried that it wouldn't budge at all, but he's already on his way up the ladder as the top swings open. He leans over the side, scanning over the panels briefly before shooting Gwen another grin. ] You didn't think I was exaggerating about the whole pilot thing, did you?
[ He's teasing, clearly, he knows it's one thing to hear that he's a General and a pilot and from an entirely different galaxy, and another to actually see that in person. Even if she didn't already know about him before they technically met, he doesn't think she would have doubted him. ]
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I actually thought you were just saying all that to try and get in my pants.
[ she's trying to give him some space, she really is, but she's definitely inching towards the ship until she can reach up and smooth her hand along one of the wings. yup. really real. super real. she's too short to do much more than skim her fingers along it, but still. of course, the next thing she wants to do is just climb it, because what's the point of having sticky fingers if you don't use them to get you up where a ladder can't? but no. that'd be rude. she's pretty sure it would be rude. instead she just heads towards the back where bb-8's settled in behind the cockpit, looking up at him as he chatters away. although after a moment of listening, she's frowning. ]
It can't fly? What makes you say-? [ but then bb-8's head swivels back and forth, looking at her and repeating himself ] Can! Can fly. BB-8 says it looks like you can fly. And something else about a circuitboard I couldn't really understand. But, like, y'know. I almost got it. [ that's another bright grin directed at poe, because yes, she fucked up the first time she tried to translate, but then she got it! totally got it. also she's totally aware that poe can probably hear what the droid is saying himself, but she really is trying to get better at understanding him. it helps that they started with words bb-8 would say more often than not, especially if he was helping poe tell her something about home.
anyway, the main takeaway is that bb-8 said the ship can fly. more awesome news. more unbelievable news.
gwen ducks back under the wing so she's by poe again, resting both of her hands on the small rail of the ladder he's on so she can lean on it. ]
I hope you know this is one of the coolest moments of my entire life.
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None of that is going to be easy, but even that awareness doesn't do anything to dampen the height of his mood at finding his ship here, and sharing that with Gwen.
For once she's not just listening to stories about his piloting days, about his command and everything that's happened with the Resistance, there's a very significant piece of it right here in front of her. And she knows exactly how much it means to him, not that she would have needed to to understand exactly how he's feeling right now. He's mirroring that grin right back down at her. She really is getting better at understanding Binary, it's not exactly something a person picks up overnight. But she's been trying, and it's honestly really cute. ]
You're getting the hang of it.
[ He can't argue with it being a notable thing. He remembers the first time he got to see an x-wing up close, and that was a day that stuck with him. It's impossible to extricate them from all the stories he immersed himself in growing up, and after fighting in one himself, there's just a lot of meaning to them for him now. And none quite as much as this one, which got him through Exegol. ]
What do you say we make it even better? [ He reaches in, picking up the helmet that's lying on the pilot's seat and offers it down toward her. It might not be possible for his expression to be any brighter than it is now. ] Wanna fly with me?
[ The helmet isn't really necessary, especially since he's not planning on going too far, but it's just part of the experience. ]
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[ she's already moving around so she can lift up onto the first step behind him, both hands reaching for the helmet. it obviously takes her a little off guard though, once she has it in her hands, because it's like- it kind of feels like being told she can wear another hero's mask. at least, that's part of it. she smooths her fingers over a scuff on the shell of it, one that doesn't look so different from the kind on the side of his ship. it's not that she ever, ever doubted where he's from and what he's been through, but it's more than a little heavy, having something tangible and real from his world, right there in her hands. all it makes her think about is that he's stuck here in another totally messed up universe, instead of back home celebrating a win. rebuilding things.
she's happy he's here with her, of course she is. but having a reminder that they've been pulled away from their homes yet again is enough to make her feel more than a little homesick. and a little bit guilty for being so happy that the ship is here instead of him going home to it.
still, all it takes is a quick glance up at poe again to drag her out of that quiet dip in her mood, a soft smile finding its way back onto her face. she shakes her bangs out of her eyes before lifting the helmet up to put it on, face scrunched up until she gets it settled on straight. the emotional whiplash is very real, especially once the helmet is on and makes her feel like a total badass.
they can talk about home later. after this. even right after. just- not yet. not when he can finally take her flying, like they've talked about for a while now.
of course, her eyes squint a little bit once she tips her head to look past him, more amused than anything else now. ]
So where exactly will I be sitting?
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It's not really a great way to do much reconnaissance, but that's not the point. The point is just being about to fly again. The way he's always wanted to. As much as he likes swinging with Gwen, it's just not quite the same.
As soon as she does put the helmet on he's hit with a whole other wave of unexpected feelings. It could just be because seeing her like that makes it all seem more real, that she really could fit in just fine back on base. With him. He knew that already, it's just as close as they've ever gotten to something like that, and as confident as he seemed to be about them finding a way, it was hard to fight off the doubts about whether or not it would actually work. This doesn't necessarily change anything, presumably, but it feels like it does, somehow. ]
Well, you might be able to fit in BB-8's spot if you really wanted to, but I was thinking that you could just sit in my lap.
[ He's still grinning as he says it, mostly because he's thinking of how ridiculous it would look for her head to pop up behind him where a droid's supposed to go, already dropping himself down into the cockpit with the kind of ease that comes from the countless times he's slid himself into that space. It's not a lot, it's really only meant for one pilot, but there's enough room for two if they're okay with getting very close. And he's decidedly okay with getting very close to Gwen Stacy. ]
We can do a few laps around the city, see if there's anything out on the horizon we can't spot from the ground and shake the dust off of her.
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and of course, she's not as smooth climbing in, especially since he's already there, and there's a lot going on in that small space that she doesn't want to bump into. but eventually she's settled, head tilting a bit until she shifts over so he's not at risk of being nudged in the face by her helmet.
surprisingly, there is enough room so she can turn to look at him for a second, and she so wants to kiss his cheek or nuzzle him there, but she totally can't and it just makes her smile turn a little goofy again before she's facing forward. she's glad that his arms end up around her, somewhat, as the canopy.. roof... thing lowers down over them and he starts to flip switches in front of them. she's not nervous, that's a strong word for what she's feeling, but maybe a little jittery, sure, adrenaline is fun like that. but she certainly does feel excited and wildly unprepared. she's not afraid of heights, but maybe knowing how fast this thing can go without actually knowing isn't helping, and she's pretty sure he's not about to fly at top speeds or anything, but-
no. okay, okay, okay. this is amazing, and she's not going to let her overactive imagination convince her it's anything but that.
although she does reach out to cover the back of his hand with hers, squeezing for just a moment, before keeping her hands to herself again ]
I'm gonna be honest - I don't think I'll be much help with the whole looking around thing. This is- a lot. The fun kind, but still.
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He just doubts that they would have left his ship right here where he could find it if they really didn't want him flying in it. He's not going too far or pulling any overly flashy stunts anyway, not with Gwen on board. It would be hard to strap her in securely enough to make sure that she'd stay put, at least without pressing them too closely together for comfort.
For the record he can behave when they're in such close proximity, already very close together. If anything he's more inclined to behave himself here, when they're lifting off of the ground, than he probably would be practically anywhere else. ]
Don't worry about it. BB-8's keeping track for us.
[ It is too bad that he can't even give her a kiss on the cheek, but, well, they can do that when they're back on the ground. For now the engines are humming to life, and the x-wing is gliding toward the open hangar door. Poe's not entirely sure that the place isn't going to collapse in on them, or fall flat in the wake of the ship lifting off properly, but it seems to be holding up surprisingly well, all things considered.
Gwen's been up high off the ground. She's used to being fast too, hurtling through the air as fast as gravity will take her, but he can practically feel her vibrating against him, and he can tell that it's not all from the engine humming behind them. He can take it slow at first, gradually building up speed and altitude. Unlike Earth's planes an x-wing can hover and pivot without needing the speed to keep it in the air. ]
You're not nervous, are you?
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Maybe a little bit. [ she sounds sheepish, but not embarrassed. ] I've never flown in- anything before. Webswinging and portal-jumping is a little different than this.
[ "this" being the way she can feel when the ship is no longer rolling on pavement and instead hovering over it. it makes her stomach flip-flop, but again, not in an altogether bad way. above all else, she trusts him, wholeheartedly. and if he can trust her enough to take him swinging over the tallest buildings of the city without any kind of safety measures beyond her holding onto him, then she can definitely return the favor of relaxing a little bit while she sits on his lap in his x-wing. she can do that.
she is doing that, rolling her shoulders back as she sits up a little straighter. enough that she can look down out the window, watching the ground get further away, foot by foot. ]
I know I'm in good hands, though. The best hands. [ she shoots him a smile over her shoulder, biting her lip as her gaze drops down to his mouth for just a split second. later. later, later, later. she'll have to release all this adrenaline somehow later. ] I'm ready, though. Show me whatcha got, flyboy.
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He doesn't have to guess at how she's feeling, not when they're so close. He can feel the tension against him, and he can tell when it's relaxing somewhat, enough that she's willing to turn around and smile at him. It's the kind of smile that makes him feel very pleasantly warm, especially when he's thinking about the kind of things they can pick up on once they're back on the ground. The mutual rush of adrenaline is undoubtedly going to work on both of them in very similar ways, he can already feel it in the steady but faster beat of his pulse and that heat that's settled through him, and that's not a bad thing at all.
For now though, she's obviously feeling brave enough to challenge him, which has him chuckling behind her. Most people who know him as well as she does would think twice before telling him something like that, but Gwen knows that he's going to take care of her. As always. He wouldn't throw her for a loop the way he might with an overconfident brand new cadet, maybe partly to see the reaction, but mostly just to test their mettle. He doesn't need to do that with Gwen either, he already knows she's as tough as anyone he knows. ]
You sure you're ready for that? [ He's banking in a slow curve, skimming across a dark sky above and an expanse of what seems like nothing but barren wasteland underneath them, picking up a little more speed as they circle back toward the city. ] BB-8 could tell you, I've pulled some pretty crazy stunts over the years.
[ Yes, the droid will back up that one. And not all of them have worked out as well as he'd hoped, but BB-8's always been right there to back him up, no matter how impossible the odds may be. ]
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[ they're moving faster, and it's enough that her nerves bubble up into a laugh, and it's not quite like taking the first drop from her favorite coaster in coney island, it's a higher tier of anticipation, but that same brand of adrenaline is kicking up, sure. the kind where she knows she has no control over things, not the same way she does with webswinging, at least. and honestly, the only hesitation she's feeling is the fact that she's sitting on his lap, because she really does trust that poe knows the limits of what he can safely pull off with her sitting there, but she knows it would be totally different if she had her own seat with a belt and everything.
meanwhile, she can hear bb-8, and it takes her a second to realize it's coming directly into the helmet, which is wild. makes sense, too, but she's never exactly worn a helmet that could do these kinds of things. she barely wore her bike helmet when she was learning how to ride. but anyway, it's nice hearing bb-8 chatter away while they fly, even if it's definitely too quick for her to understand. shorthand, maybe. it's kind of the perfect distraction, even if that's not his intention. ]
Go for it, anything you want. I know how much you've missed this.
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[ Nothing can compare to the kind of adrenaline rush that comes along with an actual battle, but bumping up the speed until they're going full throttle, after feeling like he's been away from this for way too long, that comes close. He can't rule out the possibility of coming up against a hostile response of some kind anyway, which is enough to keep him on his toes. More than any of that though it's that he's sharing this with Gwen. And she does seem to be enjoying it, not just for his sake. Obviously it's hard for him to imagine who wouldn't get a thrill out of gliding through the air, unhindered by gravity, going faster than anything on the ground could hope to be, but it's not for everyone.
At least he can pull off some sharper inclines and spins without dislodging Gwen, as long as he's careful. He can kick in the ship's artificial gravity to keep them anchored, though that doesn't negate the sheer inertia of it. It would kind of take the kick out of it if it did. X-wings might be I inherently less maneuverable than some other comparable fighters, but it would be hard to argue that after seeing the way he flies one. Much like Gwen has an instinct with her webs, he just has an innate sense for exactly how close he can cut his corners and how much speed he can drop at a moment's notice without losing too much stability.
He's not going too wild though, even if Gwen seems like she can handle it. They only have so much fuel, and as much fun as it is, as much as he could do this all night, he's got to be practical about it.
But before he's ready to head back toward the hanger there's one other thing he's got to do. ]
You know what? [ It's not difficult at all to help her settle her hands underneath his own. Steering is the easiest part, and they're high enough that there's plenty of space to feel it out without worrying about running into anything. ] You should give it a try.
[ BB-8's there to offer his own encouragement too. ]
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however, she absolutely ends up chewing her lip a bit once he's reaching for her hands, because she knows what he's going to suggest, and it's- intense. it's a lot of responsibility. even knowing that he trusts her with it, and that he's right there with his hands near hers, she still has to take a steadying breath, focusing up a little more than she was a moment ago when she was just enjoying the ride. she shifts in his lap, squaring her shoulders, and then- squints. purses her lips. a very serious pilot face if there ever was one.
even if bb-8's trills in her headset are still making her smile a little bit, too. ]
You better be ready to take over at any second.
[ like she really needed to say it. either way, she tries to mimic what he was doing before, just in the easy way he tilted the control to take a turn. ] --woh-! Hah! O-kay. [ okay, not that much. super responsive. got it. cool. she's got this.
she doesn't try anything wild, mostly just brings them up higher so she can try for a wide circle, biting her lip the whole way around. she doesn't ask about going faster or slower, because she's more focused on how it feels to just be- controlling it. how it feels to fly. it all feels different now that she's got a say in where they go, the weight of it hitting her a little harder now. it's way too easy how someone could fall in love with this. how poe did, even when he was just a kid. her heart's sort of hammering away in her chest, but she somehow still feels relaxed, in a way. grounded, ironically enough. she wasn't expecting it to hit her in such an emotional way, but maybe she should have.
eventually she turns them around so that they're facing the way they came, using the tops of the very few structures still standing tall to judge where they are. maybe she was paying more attention to the ground under them than she thought. either way, she's very carefully slipping her hands free, letting him take control again. ]
Let's head back.
[ is it weird that she just wants to kiss him now? because that's all she wants to do. ]
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I've got you, starshine.
[ Under different circumstances he might have teased her with it, taken his hands entirely off of things just to get a reaction out of her. Next time, maybe. He's in a different kind of mood right now, if the way his hands settle warmly over hers or how he's occasionally leaning over to affectionately nuzzle her shoulder are my indication. He knew it would be fun to let her have a turn, while he's right here and easily capable of taking over before anything could go awry, but there's something else about experiencing this with her, whether or not this turns into a recurring thing for them. He's told her plenty of stories about flying, and the battles he's been in, it hadn't really occurred to him before, somehow, that he could teach her how to do this, if she wanted to learn.
Future possibilities aside, he's not as reluctant as he would have been to return to the hanger if it had just been him and BB-8 up here. He's thinking along the same lines as she is, running high on adrenaline and all of those feelings he couldn't have seen coming. They'll have more time to fly later, right now he wants to be able to focus all of his attention on her. It's an almost tangible kind of anticipation, and it's not all that subtle. Not that he's ever been much less than completely obvious with her, though sometimes she seems to manage to miss things anyway. Probably not this time.
It might be a little bit awkward given that BB-8 is right behind them, but as soon as the ship has settled on the ground back in the hangar, more or less where he found it, and Gwen is pulling the helmet off and shifting in his lap, he's going to pull her into an abrupt, heated kiss. It's more expressive than anything he might have thought to say to her right now.
There's probably a hundred different ways he can, and has, kissed her before, but this one feels like something else. Something that's fierce and intense and wanting, and very likely to lead to doing more than just kissing her like he needs it more than air. ]
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