#I guess I'm kind of a maverick lol

[obstinatecondolement]

I don't know if this is a crocheter thing or an autistic thing or a secret third thing, but I am hopelessly biased towards worsted spun yarns over woolen spun yarns. When people talk about how beautiful and lofty and soft woolen yarns are and then scew up their faces to talk about how "tightly twisted" worsted yarns are I'm like... yeah. That's what makes worsted yarn fucking rock. It's so compressed and even and smooth. As all things should be. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[wewontbesleeping]

glen powell is interesting because for some reason i did not want to like him, but i really do... he's compelling somehow....

[antianakin]

I found this on Tumblr and wanted to get your thoughts on it. So, that quote was from The Acolyte that the head witch lady says to Sol, and I knew that some would reference Anakin and Order 66 because of that line. But, I wasn't expecting them to mention that scene with Qui-Gonn.

Also, I don't know why some would compare Qui-Gonn to Sol cause Sol was overly emotional. He was impulsive, insistant on Osha to be his padawan, and wasn't composed. Qui-Gonn was more put together, and he spoke with reason even when he was denied by the council. I just can't wrap my head around this. The jedi aren't supposed to be emotionless. They just can't let their emotions mess with their judgment, right? So, why make Sol like this?

I have no idea what the "choice" thing is about lol, I'm not sure I want to know given everything I already know about this show.

I feel like I've made my thoughts about Acolyte fairly clear at this point. It's not shocking that there's a direct reference to Order 66 that condemns the Jedi and blames them for their own genocide. Headland has made herself EXTREMELY clear in basically every interview I've seen of hers where she discusses the Jedi and her ultimate thesis about them in this story. This is why I boycotted it and will never try to watch it even after it ends. Nothing in this show is meant for fans like me because I am not going to find it compelling or interesting or enjoyable to watch. I'm willing to bet every single person who loves Acolyte and thinks it's incredible probably hated the Obi-Wan Kenobi show (a show that was intentionally trying to feel like the Prequels and refuses to place the blame on the Jedi instead of Anakin himself), so whatever. I got mine.

As for Sol and Qui-Gon, they're not basing him on CANON Qui-Gon, they're basing him on FANON Qui-Gon. They obviously think that it's canon Qui-Gon, but it's not. Sol is based on Filoni's Qui-Gon, the Enlightened One, the man who was the embodiment of What a Jedi Should Be specifically because he "defied the Council" and was labeled a "maverick" as a result. People have taken the fact that Qui-Gon questions the Council somewhat regularly and decided this means that Qui-Gon like... understood what being a Jedi meant BETTER than the rest of the Council and that the Council's version of being a Jedi involves suppressing/repressing your emotions, so therefore Qui-Gon doesn't do that.

Some of this is also based on the fact that Qui-Gon believes Anakin was the Chosen One and the Council seems a little skeptical about that, but Qui-Gon is obviously right about this and so the assumption is that Qui-Gon is more connected to the Force or more clued in to its will than the rest of the Council.

This takes the whole "the point of the Prequels is that the Jedi were corrupt" interpretation and the conflict seen between Qui-Gon and the Council and makes some assumptions about Qui-Gon's character as a result. If the Jedi Council represents everything WRONG with the Jedi in this era, and the Council is in opposition to Qui-Gon, then naturally Qui-Gon must be everything RIGHT with the Jedi.

So when you take all of this together, despite the fact that Qui-Gon in TPM is actually pretty reserved himself, it leads to this interpretation of Qui-Gon as someone who just trusts his emotions above everything else and feels them more than any other Jedi does, which leads us to Sol, who is more visibly emotional. Since I haven't watched the show, I can't speak very well to how he's intended to come across, whether those emotions are meant to make us believe he's more enlightened than anybody else or not. I do know that the actor himself has said he explicitly based his character on Qui-Gon, so take from that what you will I guess.

Headland's views on the Jedi would impact her views on the Council as well, and a LOT of Jedi critical fans tend to laud Qui-Gon as some kind of enlightened messiah, so it doesn't shock me that she views Qui-Gon this way herself and made a character in her show that sort-of emulates her interpretation of Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon is VERY important for fans who interpret the Prequels as being about the Jedi's failure, so since Headland is writing a story about the beginning of the Jedi's downfall, it makes sense that she'd include a character based on someone she interprets as the last remnant of "what the Jedi should've been."

[t-nd-rfoot]

SUNFLOWER aka The Secret Valentine

There's something special about the happiness that comes from flowers.

Pairing Bob Floyd x female!aviator!OC/reader (callsign: Honey, but he calls you Bee)

Theme fluff

Warnings Valentine's clichés (ish); love triangle (ish); mentions of drinking; Hangman does something OOC (but roll with it please); edited a million times but I'm sure there's still a typo or two

Word Count 5.9k

Note Oh my goodness. This was....a headspinner to write, to say the least. First of all, so many thanks to @avaleineandafryingpan for requesting this and being so patient and kind!!! This was supposed to be a quick Valentine's drabble and lol. Look at the word count. And I'm about a week late from Valentine's Day. Secondly, a quick thanks to bestie @hangmanbrainrot for giving me advice on writing OCs! I'm not sure if Honey ended up being an OC since I wrote it in reader's POV but hey, I'm learning 😅 anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this!

If you enjoyed this, please reblog! Reblogs are the best way to support creators (writers, artists, gif makers, everyone!) on this platform. Share the content, share the love!

It started with a sunflower.

One lonely sunflower sitting on the railing of your porch, its bright and yellow petals made it hard to miss on your out of your house on your way to the hangar.

How did this get here? you wondered aloud as you picked it up.

You looked up and down the street, hoping to see its owner, but it was still too early for anyone to be up. A few officers here and there were on their way to work just like you, but there was no other sunflower in sight. None on their porches, none on the ends of their walkways, none in their hands.

Shrugging it off, you took it as a sign for a good day. You figured it might make you late if you looked for a vase to put it in, so you placed it on the passenger seat of your car along with your work things and headed off.

“Happy love day, ladies!”

Hangman’s voice boomed as you, Phoenix, and Halo walked in the tactical auditorium. The guys were all scattered around the room and talked in groups, seeing as Maverick was running late to brief all of you on today’s drills.

‘Happy Valentine’s Day!’s and ‘thank you’s echoed around as all of you greeted each other.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Bee,” Bob greeted as he walked up to you. You smiled as his special callsign—he refused to call you by your real callsign, Honey—rolled off his tongue, always teasing him about the adorable blush he sported whenever he said it.

“Thank you, Bobby, and Happy Valentine’s Day to you!”

He looked at you, a small grin forming on his face, though he never said a word.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” you laughed.

He shrugged. “Nothing. You just seem extra happy today,” he pointed out.

Smiling even wider at the memory of this morning, you replied, “Well, it’s a happy day today, I guess. I found a sunflower on my porch this morning.”

“You mean you actually found it? Or do you mean ‘you found one in a flower shop and bought it for yourself’ kind of ‘found it’?” he teased.

You shouldered him playfully as he apologized. “I found it-found it. I have no idea how it got there or who placed it there, but I’m not going to question it. I got a free flower this morning and that’s all that matters,” you laughed.

Bob was one of your closest friends in and out of the Navy, graduating from the same TOPGUN class and working in Lemoore together before he got reassigned to North Island for the uranium plant mission. No matter where the two of you ended up, though, you somehow always found your way to each other as it wasn’t long till you were called back to TOPGUN as well. Though you missed being in the plane with him, the two of you were just happy to be working together again. Things between you picked up right where they left off, though the two of you had gotten closer—always sitting together at The Hard Deck or in the ready room, having lunches with Phoenix, and even going on morning jogs together down the beach. He even ditched Mickey as a teammate at pool, always calling first dibs to join you instead.

You turned to your seat when you saw that it had been decorated, and you noticed that Phoenix’s and Halo’s were as well. They were laughing with the others over the appropriately hand-drawn cards that were placed on the seats, along with a few small cut-out hearts. Clouds and wings were drawn around Halo’s cursive card, and Phoenix’s was drawn with fiery lettering.

The most detailed one, however, was yours—it was a full scene with a garden with flowers and bees in the background, and honey dripping down the block letters.

“Oh my gosh,” you cried out, “this is adorable!”

“You’ll never guess who made them,” Bob whispered.

Your eyes scanned the room and pointed to all your suspects. “Fritz? Coyote? Fanboy?” and all were denied with the shake of his head. Just as you let out a sigh of defeat, Bob pointed to the blond aviator who was talking to Phoenix.

“Hangman?!”

Bob nodded as you continued staring at Hangman. “He was one of the first ones here,” he informed you, “Just barged in with the cards and markers told us to help set it up.”

Overhearing your conversation, Harvard chimed in, “it felt like a pre-school in the locker room, or some weird Santa’s Valentine’s workshop.”

“First of all,” Hangman walked up to you, “my niece actually deserves fifty percent of the credit for pretty much bossing me around to do something nice for the ‘pretty ladies who always give her chocolate,’” he quoted as he slung his arm around you, “and naturally, I get forty-five percent for listening to her. The guys can split the other five for helping.”

Just the image of Hangman sitting down and cutting out paper hearts with his eight-year old niece had you giggling. “Aww, who knew Bagman had such a soft spot?” you pinched his cheek.

Hangman flashed his million dollar smile at you, “Honey, you know I always have a soft spot for pretty ladies.” He threw a quick wink at you before walking back to Phoenix and Fritz.

Could he have left the sunflower? you thought. This definitely was not the first time Hangman’s flirted with you. Knowing him, you always thought it was just light banter, but now, you were second guessing.

“Actually, his original plan was to decorate your lockers, but you can probably see how that might look like a problem,” Bob told you once Hangman was out of earshot.

“Probably,” you hummed sarcastically.

He was about to say something else when Maverick burst through the auditorium doors and rushed to the front of the room. You and the rest of the squad rushed to your seats before Maverick allowed you all to sit.

“Morning, guys. Sorry, I’m late. Had some…motorcycle problems.”

Rooster cleared his throat. He gestured tiny circles at the side of his own neck. The older pilot looked confused until the young Bradshaw mouthed ‘Penny,’ and his eyes shot wide before he cleared his throat and tugged up the collars of his flight suit.

“Let’s get to work!”

The squad rushed out of the locker rooms as soon as they could so they could get ready for their dates. Yale had just finished talking about his plans with his date when the others started talking about their plans.

“How about you, Honey? Got a big date for tonight?” Coyote asked as all of you walked out the building.

“Mhm, I got McDreamy and McSteamy waiting for me at home right now,” you joked.

Halo laughed from beside you. “Now that’s a threesome I can get behind,” she joked.

“Ouch, a Grey’s Anatomy marathon on Valentine’s Day?” He whistled lowly.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds, okay?” you defended yourself, “At least there’s a Valentine’s Day episode! And besides, I didn’t hear you say anything about a ‘hot date’.”

He held his hand, feigning offense. “You wound me, Honey. And I just so happen to have one waiting for me as we speak!” And he rushed off to his car.

“You know, the more you try to hide her from us, the more we think she’s not even real!” Payback called out. Coyote didn’t even look back at the squad as he flipped the bird and drove off.

“Coyote has a girlfriend?” you asked.

Rooster snickered, “an imaginary one.”

“He says he met someone months ago, but he’s not giving us anything else,” Fanboy added, “no name, no story, nothing. Just that every other week or so, he meets up with her.”

“Or so he says,” his best friend quipped. “The fact that even I don’t know about her is something, and he usually never shuts up about someone he’s interested in.”

The group decided then to go their separate ways to get their Valentine’s Day started, but Bob walked all the way with you to your car.

“So, you really have no date for tonight?” he asked.

You shook your head in reply as you loaded your things in the backseat of your car. “It’s not that I don’t like Valentine’s,” you suddenly found your self ranting, “it’s just that no one’s asked me this year, and I’m fine with that. I’m not gonna sit around and wallow—well, I’m going to sit around and have my Grey’s marathon, yeah—but I’m not going to wallow! And it’s not like it’s the end of the world that nobody’s asked me to be their Valentine…right?”

You looked up at Bob to find his big blue eyes staring back at you, clearly at a loss for words from your little spout.

“Oh my gosh, I sound so pathetic,” you muttered. “Please, please forget I said anything, I—”

Bob burst into laughter and hugged you tight to try and calm you down.

“This isn’t funny, Bobby!” you said, though you couldn’t hold back your own laughter.

Looking up at him once again, you found his blue eyes already on you, though there was more sincerity in his gaze this time. And something else, but you couldn’t put a finger on it. You and Bob have both looked at and hugged each other a million times before, but the way he looked at and hugged you now felt different. Suddenly, you were both aware of the position you were in and pulled back. He ran his finger through his hair nervously while you crossed your arms, unconsciously missing the warmth of his embrace.

You stole glances at him as you cleared your throat. “So, um…how about you? Do you have a date tonight?”

It took a few seconds for him to answer. “Yeah,” he mumbled, suddenly finding the stray gravel on the pavement more interesting than you.

A small ‘oh,’ escaping your lips, you put on a poker face. “Wow, um, since when?” you asked.

“Oh, um, it’s been…awhile, I guess.” he trailed off.

Relationships weren’t a strange topic for either of you, but looking back, you were more open about your love life than he was. Maybe he met someone before you arrived. Maybe he didn’t want to let anyone know, especially if he thought the others were going to tease him about it. Maybe he didn’t say anything because you never asked…until now. Knowing Bob, he never dated casually, so this must have been serious. But he never kept things from you. Not in his emails, not in his texts, and certainly not in person. But you weren’t insulted, just confused, if you could ever admit.

“Well, whoever she is, she’s a lucky girl,” you assured, “I’m really happy for you, Bobby!”

You climbed into your car before your emotions started to show, but just before you stepped on the gas, Bob knocked on your window and you let it roll down.

“You’re not pathetic, Bee. In fact, you’re far from it, not even close to it. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

Your lips turned up graciously at your best friend’s words of encouragement.

“Thanks, Bobby.”

“And if you ever start to feel that way again, just think about your sunflower,” he gestured to the plant in your passenger seat.

“It’s wilting,” you pointed out disappointedly.

“So?” he shrugged, “it’s still pretty. It’s still a sunflower.”

With a small grin, he pushed himself off your car to let you get home and waved goodbye.

You were about to pull up to your driveway a few minutes later when a delivery driver showed up and asked for your name.

“Yeah, that’s me?” you said before they handed you a bag. “Um, I don’t remember ordering anything…”

“Don’t worry, it’s all taken care of,” they informed you with a kind smile.

“By who, if I can ask?”

They shook their head, “Sorry, I was given specific instructions to not say anything. Though from what’s in the box, I’d say you have a secret admirer!”

After they left, you walked in your kitchen to open the bag. Inside was a stark white box with neon squiggles.

“Sugarlust,” you read aloud the sticker that sealed it. The bakery Coyote always goes to, you recognized.

A small card with a printed message was also stuck to the box ‘I’m no TV surgeon but I hope you find these just as good!’ No name.

Sure enough, it was a box of the salted caramel cookies you loved from the last time he bought a box for everyone. A quick flashback of Coyote’s proud smile popped in your head, of when you couldn’t stop raving about it and his promise to buy more next time.

You picked up the sunflower from the table and twirled it in your hand. The hours it lay in the heat showed in the paling yellow petals, and though you had no idea how to care for it, you placed it in a watered vase anyway.

Maybe it was Coyote, you thought. It certainly checked: he had your address, he knew you liked sunflowers, and he remembered the cookies you loved. But he said he’s on a date…unless he was pretending? The other guys definitely thought he was.

Refusing to confuse yourself any longer, you gave one last glance at the sunflower, took a bite from your cookie, and hoped that Derek Shepherd and Mark Sloan could distract you…for now.

“I'm in love with Teddy. I love her.”

“You're like Lexie with the inappropriate feelings for inappropriate people.”

“What can I say? My heart lives in my scalpel.”

The Seattle Grace Mercy West surgeons were trying to play baseball when your phone chimed. Phoenix and Halo were currently messaging the squad group chat.

Bassett Hound 🐾💗 date was a bust. reservation got screwed and they refuse to go anywhere else told them i refuse to waste this outfit hard deck anybody?

Pixie Nix 🧚✨ aw hales 😞 sorry to hear that if it helps, my date spoke more words to the waiter than to me don’t have to ask me twice

Bassett Hound 🐾 hbu @Mamma Mia 🍯🍯 ? we’ll be your valentines ❤️

Glancing between the half-eaten box of cookies and the Grey’s Anatomy theme running on your screen for the fourth time in a row, you decided that maybe it isn’t too late to salvage the holiday.

You showed up feeling a bit more refreshed from earlier. You opted to dress up just the slightest bit more than usual since you figured Phoenix and Halo would be too, coming from their dates.

The bar wasn’t crowded—a lot of the regulars you recognized were probably out on dates—but it looked like a haven for lonely hearts, single people dotting the bar or nursing their drinks at their small tables. You spotted some introducing themselves to others, and one lucky couple just escaped through the side door. The pool table, however, was as lively as ever with some of its usual suspects. Halo and Phoenix had already started a game, but you were surprised to see a few of the others there as well—Rooster and his girlfriend, Omaha and his wife, and Bob—who all cheered as you approached the table.

“Come here often?” Phoenix fake flirted.

“Only when I’m summoned with magic,” you came back and hugged her. “What brings the rest of you here?”

“We didn’t feel like going home just yet, then I saw Halo’s text in the group chat and she wanted to say hi,” Omaha explained and gestured to his wife as you went around greeting the others. “Rooster’s car broke down about a half mile up the road.”

“Excuse you, the Bronco doesn’t break,” Rooster interrupted, “It just…swerved off the road a little. But it’s fine. Just needed to stretch our legs a little.” His girlfriend giggled silently as he pulled her close to his torso and started whispering in her ear.

You took your usual seat on the stool next to Bob’s. “So I’m guessing Coyote’s date was real? Since he’s not here, I mean.”

“Looks like it,” he agreed as he sipped on his water. Noticing your lack of banter, he studied the pensive look on your face. “Why’d you ask?”

Your train of thought broke as he spoke. “What? Oh, um, it’s nothing,” you said nervously, “Forget I asked.”

“If you’re thinking about it this hard, it’s probably not nothing,” he egged on. “What is it?”

You could never say no to Bob. He was your best friend and you trusted him. Even though you were a little hurt that he kept his girlfriend a secret from you, you just couldn’t bring yourself to make it even. “Okay, so you know how I found a sunflower this morning?” you said in a low voice.

He nodded silently, letting you continue without being interrupted.

“I didn’t want to think anything of it at first. I just figured that someone—I don’t know, ‘neighborly person’ in a Valentine’s-y mood, I guess—left flowers up and down the street. But no one else had one so I just brushed it off. But then there was Hangman this morning with the cards and the flirting, and I thought it felt different. But it’s Hangman. You can never really tell with him, right? So I brushed that off. Then when I got home, get this: I get a delivery of cookies from Sugarlust. Coyote’s bakery. And it wasn’t just any cookie, it was the salted caramel cookies that he brought to that one dinner, the ones that I loved. What really did it for me, though, was the card. Something about him not being McDreamy but he hopes I love the cookies just as much. He was the one who commented about my Grey’s Anatomy marathon. And now I’m thinking if he was the one who gave me the flower, and…I don’t know,” you sighed, “I guess I was just hoping to see him here tonight to ask if it was him.”

And like this morning, he was dumbstruck again at your rant. You grew conscious of yourself at his reaction so you changed the subject.

“But enough about me, though. How about you? Where’s your date?” you asked as normally as you could.

Halo stood up after her turn. “Bob had a date?”

All eyes landed on the spectacled wizzo in his usual corner. “Oh. Right. My date.”

“Since when? And how come I don’t know about her?!” Phoenix asked, echoing your conversation and thoughts from earlier.

“Uh, awhile,” he said again, though he sounded more nervous this time, “but it’s okay, um, I don’t think it’s gonna work out…”

Your heart dropped after seeing how dejected Bob looked. “I’m so sorry, Bobby.” You put an arm around him, and he returned your small smile with one of his own.

Phoenix pushed herself off the pool table and handed him her cue stick. “Welcome to the club, Bob.”

Customers came and went in the two hours you have been there, but the eight of you had stayed. Rooster took over the piano, crooning blues covers with Halo, while his girlfriend and Omaha’s wife were talking with Phoenix. You were back on your stool after winning the last round of pool against Omaha, who was now playing darts against Bob.

The lack of a crowd allowed for cool night air to linger inside, that you had borrowed Bob’s jacket to keep you warm.

“What the fuck, bro?!” Omaha groaned in disbelief after Bob hit his fifth bullseye of the night.

“Target locked, and direct hit,” Bob retorted while he picked off his darts from the board.

Omaha took his place as he got ready for another game. “Best of nine,” he challenged and threw his darts immediately.

“Roos baby, I love you, but you’re kinda killing the mood here,” his girlfriend laughed from across the room while he and Halo were in the middle of singing November Rain by Guns N’ Roses. And without missing a beat, he started playing Little Richard’s Tutti Frutti. The lively melody brought the empty bar to life and the four girls started to dance with each other.

Halo called out to you, “Honey! Join us!”

“In a minute, Hales! I’m on dart watch from Omaha,” you pointed your thumb to the brunette who had just lost another game to Bob. He was practicing his aim when Bob took his seat beside you.

“Let me know when you’re done warming up, Vikander,” he taunted, his competitive side coming out now that he was more relaxed.

“Gonna make you eat your words, Floyd,” Omaha came back.

You and Bob entered your little world again from your seats. You watched as he chugged his water, his glasses slipping from the bridge of his nose.

“How’re you holding up there, Bobby?” you asked.

He let out an exhausted laugh. “You’d think darts wasn’t exhausting, but I think Omaha might as well have me running a marathon if he’s making me play this much.

“We’re aviators,” you snorted, “everything’s a competition.”

“I woke up the beast,” he sighed.

Taking a sip of your own water, you repeated his sentiments back, “You woke up the beast.”

A few beats passed in comfortable silence when he turned to you. “How about you? You don’t wanna join the others?”

“You might be surprised at how much five straight games of pool can do to your legs and back.”

He chuckled, “Well, you better hope you don’t get any push-ups tomorrow.”

It wasn’t even midnight yet when the bar was nearly empty. The jukebox played in the background seeing as Rooster and Omaha joined in on the dancing on the other side of the bar, but you and Bob remained in your seats. Usually, the two of you would be conversing non-stop—talking about the latest podcast he was listening to or your vivid dream from the night before, people watching the tourists, betting on who fellow aviator was going to do what predictable act for the night, or singing along to the music.

But you could sense some slight tension between you two tonight, thinking it might have been from the whole Valentine’s date conversation from earlier. Bob never brought it up afterwards so you didn’t think anything of it too, but now that the two of you were alone, you could see the somber expression return to his face as he stared at the floorboards.

You placed a comforting hand on his shoulder closest to you. “It’s gonna be okay, Bobby,” you said.

He looked up to your encouraging smile, and his empty hand crossed his body, his fingers brushing yours in a silent ‘thank you’.

“Who was she? If I can ask,” you said, “but you don’t have to talk about her if you don’t want to, I don’t wanna pressure you—”

“It’s alright, Bee,” he said softly. He took a deep breath as he turned his eyes back to the floor. “She’s just someone I liked for awhile now.”

“How’d you meet?”

“The usual, you know. Work,” he shrugged.

“So she’s a local?” you inquired.

“Nah, she moved here from upstate.”

After placing his now empty water cup on the ledge behind him, he sat up straighter in his seat. “Guess that makes two of us now.”

Your eyebrows raised in confusion when he let out a low laugh. “Valentines-less,” he referred to your little blather from this afternoon.

You let out your own laugh as you jogged up the memory. “We can be pathetic together,” you jested. “Well, not entirely true, I guess. Halo and Phoenix decided to be my Valentine’s to get me to come here, but I think they’ve got each other covered.”

Bob looked back to see what you were talking about, to find Halo and Phoenix drunkenly belting out Love is a Battlefield a cappella with Rooster’s girlfriend while the aviator just watched their performance. The two of caught a glimpse of Omaha and his wife waving at the two of you just before they exited.

“Besides, it doesn’t seem fair that I have two Valentine’s and you have none,” you continued.

“So what are you suggesting? You give me one of your Valentine’s?” he played along.

You looked up, pretending to think, “Hm, I don’t know if they’d appreciate being someone else’s Valentine without them knowing, so what do you say, Bobby? Will you be my Valentine?” you proposed playfully, even looking up at him through your lashes for added effect.

He smiled tightly. “I don’t think you’re gonna give me a choice, anyway,” he mumbled playfully and you elbowed him, “but sure, Bee. I’ll be your Valentine.” You spotted just the slightest bit of a blush creeping up his neck.

Finally regaining some strength in your legs, you were ready to go home. “Well, I hate to cut our date short, my Valentine, but I think I need to call it a night,” you said, “I hate that you reminded me about the push-ups.”

Bob got up with you. “No worries, Valentine. And trust me, I think the three of them might have it worse than you tomorrow,” he said about your co-workers still in the middle of their impromptu karaoke.

You dug out your phone, wallet, and keys that you kept in his jacket pocket when something else fell out. You picked up a small velvet box tied with a white satin ribbon. What caught your eye was the tag—instead of a name written on it, there was a doodle of a tiny, squiggly, buzzing bee.

Like how the bees looked on Hangman’s card.

You looked up already finding Bob staring at you nervously. His mouth had been drawn in a thin line and the tension that you felt earlier increased tenfold.

Though he never outright said the gift was for you, he watched as you tested him, slowly untying the ribbon. Even as you pried the cover off the box, he never stopped you.

“Bob…?” you whispered in disbelief as you stared at the gift. It was a golden bracelet—two delicately thin chains connected by a shining sunflower charm.

“Hey, you guys okay?” Phoenix called out from the piano.

Neither of you spoke as you continued to stare at him. Seeing as you didn’t respond, Bob replied for the two of you. “Yeah, we’re all good.”

“We’re gonna get going, if it’s okay,” she notified you. All of them had their things gathered, and the bartender on shift was already wiping down the counters.

The two of you waved your goodbyes at them as they headed out. Halo blew flying kisses in your direction as the door shut.

“Take care!”

“Happy Valentine’s!”

“See you tomorrow!”

And then there were two.

Still in shock, you held the box as securely as you could while your mind was still reeling. Bob? The sunflower this morning. The sunflower on the bracelet. The bee on the card. This has to be a coincidence, right? Maybe this was meant for his date? Maybe he’s holding on to it for someone? Maybe he’s—

“Can we talk about this?” You didn’t even realize you had asked it out loud until Bob turned back to you. His eyes grew big, the same way they always did when he started to panic during a drill or a mission.

“Uh, yeah. Sure.”

He led you out to the parking lot where it was still a bit bright from the street lights. The cool breeze bit at your skin when you remembered you were still wearing Bob’s jacket. You had barely taken it off when Bob tugged it securely back on your shoulders.

“It’s freezing,” you insisted, but Bob just shook his head.

“I’m fine,” he muttered.

It was hard to ignore the elephant in the room. Your thumb ran over the bracelet still in its box and the thoughts you had previously came flooding back.

“I don’t even know where to start,” you mumbled.

Bob wiped his face with his hands. “I don’t think there’s any other way of saying it except that it was me. I never had a date, and I was the one who left the sunflower at your door.”

Happiness. Relief. Frustration. Love. You could have been feeling all of those things right now, but no. You were just as confused as ever. “So when I was talking about all those other things, about Hangman and Coyote…”

“That was me too.”

The two of you took a seat on the bottom step of the bar’s front deck. “Hangman and the other guys were cutting out the paper hearts when he told me to bring out the cards from his bag. I didn’t have anything to do, so I just started drawing the garden on your card.”

You toyed with the hand-drawn bee on the card still hanging from the ribbon. “I guess I should’ve known from the card that it was you,” you said, mostly to yourself but loud enough for him to hear. “You’re the only one who calls me ‘Bee.’ Who was the guy from TOPGUN again? The one that you nearly decked—” you smiled trying to stir the memory.

“—But I didn’t—and it was that asshole, Shadow,” he groaned. “Ugh, I’m never gonna forget the way he called you that day.”

“But I still don’t get why you don’t call me ‘Honey.’ Everybody else does. I don’t mind it, you know.”

“I know, I know,” he nodded. “But if I’m one less person to remind you of that day, then I’ll call you ‘Bee’ until you truly forget about it.”

You couldn’t ignore the fluttering in your heart at his confession. You actually haven’t remembered that incident until now, but it was sweet that Bob always tried to make you feel better about it, even if you didn’t realize it.

“That’s real sweet of you, Bobby,” you said warmly. “But speaking of sweets…”

Bob winced jokingly, “Ah, thought I was in the clear.” He had a distant look in his eyes as he recalled, “I still remember the look on your face when you tried the cookies. The two of us alone wiped out half the box before dinner even started. You even begged Coyote to go back for another box after Fanboy ate the last one.” The grin on his face only grew bigger the more he looked back at the memory.

You barely even notice yours did too.

It all made sense now. Bob had been a constant presence in your life ever since the two of you met, even moreso now that you were together back where your friendship started. How you even thought of Hangman or Coyote before you suspected him was beyond you.

There was still one question you needed answered, and it had you on the edge of exasperation. Your voice was small as you spoke, “We were with each other the whole day, Bob. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Just as frustrated as you were, he let out a big breath. “I don’t know. I’m a coward, I guess. I was right there on the sidewalk outside your place, fully prepared to ask you out. Even had a whole speech prepared and everything,” he confessed. He spoke slower and softer, his eyes never leaving yours, “about how I saw the bracelet in a window the other day, and how it reminded me of the sunflowers you painted on my arm that one time I visited you in your hometown. And how I wanted you to have a sunflower on your own hand, then I’d ask you to be my Valentine.”

He looked down at the ground in shame as he continued, “But I got scared. I didn’t want to ruin the friendship, especially since you’ve only been here a month. So I figured after I left your house that it might be easier if you didn’t know it was me, and that’s why I lied about the date. Just in case you were, I don’t know, expecting something…more. Than just me, I mean.”

Taking the box in his own hands, he twiddled with it. “I thought I lost my chance this morning, but then Halo messaged asking you to come. So I came here thinking this could be my second chance until you started asking about Coyote…thought I was done for. You wanted him while I’d stay the idiot that lost you forever.”

Your heart no longer fluttered but burst at his words. A love you had for him that didn’t know was already there had finally surfaced as you shut him up with a gentle kiss on his cheek.

“You’re so much more than what I could ever want, Bobby,” you whispered, scooting closer to him on the step.

A weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and you swore you’ve never seen him smile so widely. Gently lifting the bracelet from its box, he undid the clasp. “May I?” he asked.

You rested your outstretched arm on his knee, allowing him to put it on you. Your nerves awakened at the soft touch of his fingers against your wrist, sending even more shockwaves throughout your body as he clasped his hand around yours afterwards. The bracelet was cool against your skin, but you felt nothing but warmth allover—from his jacket, from his touch, and from the loving feeling dancing inside you.

The moon shone high above you as midnight quickly approached, and you decided to make the most of the last minutes of the day.

“Hey, Bobby. I believe you have one last thing to ask me.”

“Is it the something you actually asked me first?” he teased, but quickly surrendered at the funny look you gave him. Hee gazed sincerely at you, “Bee?”

“Yes, Bobby?” you pretended.

He leaned in close to you till your noses were touching, and whispered slowly, “Will you be my Valentine?”

“I don’t think I have a choice anyway,” you mocked his earlier response as you both laughed, “but yes, Bobby. I’d love to be your Valentine.”

His lips found yours not a second later, fireworks exploding with every kiss that landed on your lips.

The moon stood brightly above, indicating the beginning of another day. Though your days from this point would never be the same, now that you had Bob and Bob had you.

All thanks to a flower given on a front step.

Tag List @roostersrooster @rosesvioletshardy @bonitanightmxres @avaleineandafryingpan @bradshawseresinbabe @hangmanbrainrot @babyonboardfloyd @demxters @footprintsinthesxnd

Add yourself to my tag list!

Disclaimer I do not own Top Gun: Maverick or any of its characters. Please do not copy my work or translate without my permission.

[cyn-if]

Hey I love this IF so much and I'm doing another playthrough of it. I have a couple of questions. (1) I was wondering if we will be able to play a more hedonistic MC in every sense of the word? I'm going for an MC who wants to make up for all the pleasures he missed in the 13 years he was imprisoned and what with his enhanced senses and increased abilities and attractiveness he feels quite ready to indulge himself in all kinds of pleasures (food, fun, sex, etc.) so I was wondering if we can express that desire more as a motivation in the future and maybe have casual flings/one-night stands with non-RO characters? (2) Awhile ago I asked you if we could "corrupt" the ROs if we went down a more evil or morally grey path but I want to slightly elaborate on my question. Although it would be interesting if one could turn them into a corruptant what I meant more was could you loosen some of their morals, like for instance, Everix seems to be morally good person but could you use your attractiveness and your relationship with them to have Everix join you in your more debauched nature (like my character is doing) or take them down a darker path. A similar scenario for Hayes and the other ROs as well. (3) You mentioned before in another question that some of the ROs find the MC being a bit sadistic attractive so I was wondering which ones lol? (4) This is more of a funny and unhinged question but if we're playing an insane character can we do silly things like if we decapitate Thomas can we then bat his head out of the keep like a baseball withour weapon (or I guess a cricketball would be more appropriate for this timeperiod) lmao?

Glad you are enjoying it!

1 - The desire (and Avarice, but mainly desire) stat is indeed supposed to represent your characters desire (hehe) for things they missed out on, including all the things you listed!

2 - I'll say that to a certain degree, yes, you can morally bankrupt some of the ROs. That will largely depend on things the MC has done, paired with the way they've treated the RO. The exact details of when they might draw the line and what exactly you could get them to be okay with will come when I write those scenes towards the latter part of the story.

3 - It really matters on just how sadistic the MC gets. Everix and Hayes both baulk at the more cruel and blood thirsty options (especially killing), but are fine with displays of skill and provoking fights. Sam really doesn't find any of it attractive but doesn't really find it unattractive either, however the more cruel the MC gets the more poignant a reminder that the current MC is not the same as they remember. Quinn and Maverick, while they may have slight aversion towards the killing and more cruel acts, both of them are attracted by the acts. Both of them are attracted to the act, not necessarily because they themselves are sadists, but because it's the MC doing the act.

4 - For those moments where your insanity shines through, I'll be trying my best to include some crazy things for the MC to do. Not sure exactly what, but it is in my mind.

[jtl07]

jtl07 fics, summer 2023

Kinda liked doing the half year recap in June and had planned to do another one at the end of the year, but since I had quite the posting spree this month, decided to do one now.

General stats

Total on this pseud: 12 (all avatrice / Warrior Nun fandom)

Fics posted (chronological order):

to all the girls (to you, to me) -- or: Ava watching people fall in love with Beatrice, including herself

leave it all behind (I’ll see you on the other side) -- or: Ava comes back - healthy, whole, quiet. Too quiet.

the long, delirious, burning blue -- or: the moody Top Gun 2 (Maverick) AU

another little peace (restful pieces): something old, something blue -- or: the girls buy cereal; or or: Bea learning the difference between safety and familiarity

looks for you in everything (finds you there) -- or: Switzerland vignettes based on items found in their bedroom

Enhanced Beings Tech Support transcripts -- or: What if there was technical phone support for “enhanced beings” like halo bearers?

another little peace (restful pieces): lets you see the wonder of it all -- or: Ava meets a member of her family

another little peace (restful pieces): like a boat -- or: Beatrice plays Stray Gods

late night vigil -- or: camila learns about beatrice's strap; she helps in her own way

another little peace (restful pieces): to always wake up to you -- or: avatrice proposal based off of SimplyKorra's fantastic headcanon

another little peace (restful pieces): perchance to dream (no more) -- or: Ava wakes up from a dream

can't go back -- or: Five times Beatrice tries a food for a second time

(More numbers, thoughts, and some plans below the cut)

More numbers

Total words: 36720

Shortest: 685 (to always wake up to you)

Longest (one-shot): 5987 (the long, delirious, burning blue)

Average/Median word count: 3060 / 2019

General thoughts

Nearly 10k more words in the past 3 months than I wrote the first half of the year - I guess being in a safe space after your life has been turned upside down makes a difference, huh?

I still don't know what happened this month - specifically, the two week period from 8/14 - 8/26 where my fingers were just trying their best to keep up with the stories pressing in my brain lol (willing to bet it's somethingsomething healing and how it can take many forms, like this kind of intense spike)

Fun fact: This is only the second time I've written a one-shot over 5k words this year (3rd time ever in my many years of writing fic). It's always interesting to look at the average / median word count because it's been firmly in the 2k range. I still want to challenge myself with longer work, they just take time and energy yknow? Under 3k, I feel really comfortable now, which is a cool feeling

Fic that surprised me:

Honestly, everything that happened in that intense two week period (i.e. everything posted after "the long, delirious, burning blue") was a genuine surprise. Every time one of those ideas happened, I felt like I was just trying to keep up. I was really glad to have the space - emotionally, physically - to write those stories.

And I guess what surprised me also was just how wide a range they all were. I've been trying to work on just "writing what will get written" and learning to turn off the judgemental voice in my head that says things like, "you should be writing more," or "you should be writing better ideas." It was a surprise that these ideas just kinda flowed without much friction, yknow? I'm taking it as a sign of growth :)

Fic that was the hardest to write:

Oh gosh hands down leave it all behind (I’ll see you on the other side) - I had to discard full drafts and start over from scratch multiple times to get to what's actually posted. I had tried different perspectives, different settings, different points in the story, but I just kept getting stuck. I think part of it was because when I write, I usually start with a vibe or an arc - with this one, I was starting with the turn, the twist - which I don't often write either. So writing this kind of story was new on all fronts

can't go back was also a bit frustrating to write - I've been dealing with a sudden recurrence of brain fog so I know part of it was that, but idk, I feel like it could have been tighter thematically

Fic that I'm proud of:

Definitely the Top Gun 2/Maverick AU, the long, delirious, burning blue. I mentioned this in a comment that when I first had the idea, I'd expected it to be more of an action fic - I don't often write action, so I thought it'd be a good opportunity to practice. But, as with most of my work, it ended up quite moody, more a reflection of grief and duty.

Why am I proud of it? Because despite my initial intent, and my initial disappointment when I realized the direction it was going, I allowed myself to go with it. Writing this piece helped me accept where I am in my writing, to accept the stories I choose to write and how I write them. This fic was not at all what I had expected, but it turned out to be exactly what I needed

Runner up: looks for you in everything (finds you there) - the final word count shocked me, honestly, I didn't expect to write so many vignettes. But I was mostly proud of the diligence behind this and letting my sappy side run free lol

WIPs in the wings

Lol my WIP list is hella long - and that's not counting a whole separate document I have that's just prompts. I still have some Supercorp ideas that I've not yet fleshed out that are more on the "experimental" side that play with form and formatting - I've also some avatrice ones in "genre" as well.

Surprisingly, I've a couple AUs I've been turning over in my mind - I blame playing Stray Gods for making me remember some video games I'd grown up playing lol Oh and I've been pondering how to do a litrpg/gamelit style fic as well.

There's a couple longer one-shots that I've been pecking at but are going to take me a while to finish - there's one that's sort of a sister to every leaf that falls (never stops falling) (not a continuation, more like a sister in terms of vibe and tone), and another that explores Ava having a new ability (will I ever stop being enamored with Switzerland era? The answer is no lol).

But mostly, I'm just going to vibe with happens - "write what will get written" and all. We'll see where it all goes!

If you've read this far, thanks a ton for your support and going on the ride that is my fics lol - much appreciation to y'all!

[sassenach082]

This is dumb but I only want Ice to have been the Air Boss (prior to COMPACFLT, I guess. It’s a three star position and it seems like a natural fit for an NFO) because then it gives him an excuse to maybe have met Hangman before Top Gun Maverick for … I don’t know. Jake Does Dumb Shit XYZ. His squadron CO is like, I’m gonna get the Air Boss to yell at you, Lieutenant, you really fucked up. Hangman’s like fuck you, fine, but is secretly kind of shaking in his boots because he’s heard the stories (TM) of Vice Admiral Kazansky making grown men cry with his glare. Then insert however it goes, I guess.

Yeah, that's kind of what I'm thinking with the "Tom will be back to Top Gun but Maverick won't" thing. I haven't decided about Jake yet, I feel he probably would remove himself before Bradley gets there just to avoid nepotism and Bradley is older, so. I'll figure that out once I finish the monster that is i'll ride lol

[actuallyitsstar]

CHARACTER ASK GAME

Pete "Maverick" Mitchell + 21, 24 and 25?

✨ send me a number and a character! ✨

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

i actually already answered this question here, so i will give an honorary mention for this ask, in addition: i am a big fan of the whole tgm-mav-lowkey-being-the-daggers'-friends'-cool-dad trope. like. the idea that they get to know him after the mission and he's obviously taken a genuine interest in all of them and their wellbeing so they all just...stay in touch. the idea that the call and check up on him when they know rooster is deployed, that they start to leave a few extra things at mav's place because he usually hosts their squad movie nights and it's just easier to crash there sometimes, that they realize he doesn't have many people to spend the holidays with now outside of obviously bradley, and they all come together and drag him to a surprise christmas party with them before they go on their own leave for their respective family christmases. that's their emotional support old navy captain and if u wanna mess w him u gotta get thru 11 daggers and 1 son first so good luck!!!

that being said, tho, it can go too far i think, if we're not careful. barring a couple specific circumstances (jake and whatever fucked up childhood/non-existent parental relationships he has had comes to mind) the daggers all have families of their own, and entire lives before meeting mav. i don't think he's like. their DAD per se. he's their friends' cooler than expected dad ('your dad is an ace? that's so cool! i wonder if he has any stories to tell us! he once flipped off a mig while inverted? THATS SO COOL') that they can become friends with and look out for too, and i KNOW he'll be looking out for them. if they need anything he's right there, because that is within his nature. but for the most part, they're all adults who have friendships, and not like. Extra Children. if you know what i mean. except for jake idk i think he needs a role model or something but i guess that makes mav a secret third thing to him idk

24. what other character from another fandom reminds you of them?

oof that is tough!! i think that on most levels, mav is very different from the characters in other fandoms that i have imprinted on the most, so i'm not going to be able to do a 1:1 comparison here. but believe it or not the very first character that came to mind for me is ezra standish from the magnificent seven tv series, and it's not an exact match but i'm just going to provide my presentation on the matter (i am specifically comparing tg86 mav with ezra bc i have no one to compare tgm mav with lol):

horrible quality images (yes i did make these gifs but theyre very old so lets not talk about it lol) bc this is an obscure 1990s b-budget tv show shot on vhs probably. but this guy right here is either the second or third youngest member of his found family group (the seven ~lawmen~ a local circuit judge hires to manage an old west territory because it's so dangerous the sheriff and deputy he'd previously appointed ran out on the job). he's very accomplished at what he does, for his age, and has had way too many shitty life experiences and is much too world-weary already. everyone who works with him comes into it with a preconceived notion of how he's going to be. and how could they not? it isn't that the other six guys are short-sighted in assuming, exactly. ezra is direct about who he is and what he stands for, downright in your face about it, actually. you expect him to be kind of an arrogant asshole, and he tells you he's gonna be one. and then, for a while anyway, he kind of is.

loner type, doesn't need anyone, he's going to do everything his way because he knows best, needlessly theatrical about it in the process. they expect him to run out on them during their battle, and he does.... kind of. but he also comes through for them in a critical moment when he's needed most and they least expect him to do it, single-handedly taking out multiple enemies to save their lives. immediately, he adopted into the group, essentially, but ezra doesn't know enough about really having friends to recognize that it's happening until much later. additionally, his entire life and livelihood is overshadowed by his mother (who can be seen sitting in the bg of the larger gif), who is still very much alive, in his case, but whose actions and words define him, whether he wants them to or not. he had a shitty childhood bouncing between a hundred strangers' and distant family members' homes alike and is just overflowing with abandonment issues, and he expects the other six to give up on him at the drop of a hat, but they never do.

25. what was your first impression of this character? how about now?

the very first time i ever saw top gun was before tgm was ever a thing. i remember my favorite character being goose (isnt he always tho <3) and thinking mav was kind of a bland action hero guy with a story arc i did not understand at all or care about. i was like fifteen, tho, and hadn't seen hardly any movies or tv shows at the time because i had a kind of weird sheltered from media sort of childhood, so i don't think i had rly learned HOW to watch and interpret media and characters yet, tbh. when the sequel was coming out i rewatched top gun with my partner in preparation bc my parents were making me watch the new one, and they had never seen it. i was like oh !!! he's smol and traumatized. i bet there's fic about him and that blonde guy. i should look that up later. and then we watched tgm and that was it for me. i was like never mind him and that blonde guy i need to know if hIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SON TURNS OUT OK......MY HEART..... and that was that lol. my dna has not been the same since <3

[slidersimp]

maybe maverick and goose pre top gun? how they became friends or how they got their callsigns? i LOVE the one you did where ice gets his callsign on the ski trip

Ahhh thank you so much for the ask and I'm glad you like the ski trip fic! Gosh that whole thing is just a whump fest lol.

Okay! So this kind of ran away from me and maybe wasn't what you were thinking of but it is Mav and Goose pre-top gun and kind of how they became friends to that counts for something lol! I hope you like it Anon!! Maybe one day I'll write a Mav + Goose whump fic to go along with the Slider + Ice one, but we'll see. Anyways, enjoy!!

------

Maverick watched his new RIO from across the room, a slip of paper resting on the table below his hand. His last RIO had lasted him a matter of days—a new personal record for him. Maverick hadn’t been counting, but his CO had snapped the words in his face when Maverick had reported to him after the pilot had left the flight deck in a huff. As soon as they’d landed he’d jumped from the Tomcat like it had burned him, raging at Maverick for risking his life and being the most dangerous pilot he’d ever met. He’d made so much of a scene the flight deck crew had actually come over to check on Maverick as soon as he left. Unfortunately, their concern hadn’t been enough to save him from his CO’s anger, hot on the heels of his RIO’s outburst. 

Maverick had known Champ had a stick up his ass from day one, it really had only been a matter of time. This new RIO, however, seemed to be more laid back.

Nick Bradshaw. Callsign “Goose.”

He was in the center of the mess hall, tucked into the center of a group of pilots and RIOs. Normally, Maverick would’ve placed himself on the group's periphery, finding a seat at the end of the table and maybe offering a few words here and there if the group looked open to speaking to him, but Champ had wedged himself into the group, and he’d been seething at Maverick since the minute they’d landed on their last hop together a day ago. Rather than invite another screaming match, Maverick had decided to take a table to himself at the edge of the mess.

It gave him a good vantage point to people-watch. He’d been with this particular squadron for only a few weeks now. Champ had been his RIO for half of one of those weeks, another sticking with him for two and a half before he’d decided Maverick’s flying was too much for him. At least he hadn’t screamed at him when he’d made the decision, unlike Champ. Goose was another new addition to the unit, though it was clear he’d met most of the men before, likely running into them during other postings or deployments. He’d joined the unit a few days after Maverick had, after his previous pilot had opted for a career change to give his family life some stability. Goose didn’t look torn up about it, and he’d been flitting around the unit’s unassigned pilots for the past few weeks, filling in vacancies when RIOs got sick or helping out from the carrier. He hadn’t flown with Maverick yet, but it was clear everyone liked him.

He stabbed a blueberry with his fork and rolled it in maple syrup, left on his plate from the pancakes he’d devoured minutes earlier. The mess hall was surprisingly lively for breakfast, the aviators at the center talking eagerly over hot food and steaming coffee. Even from across the room, Maverick could see a bright grin lighting Bradshaw’s face. He cracked a joke Maverick didn’t hear, and one of the pilots rolled his eyes. Another punched him lightly in the arm, but the reactions didn’t dampen his smile.

Maybe he was corny, Maverick guessed. He didn’t mind a few bad jokes, and if Goose turned out to be the one RIO willing to put up with his flying, then Maverick certainly wouldn’t be looking for reasons to refuse him. Still, a hint of worry kerneled in Maverick’s stomach. Even when he’d told his joke, the smiles the other aviators threw at Goose were all fond. Amused sometimes, but generally relaxed and open. He couldn’t spot one person at the table ever giving the man a side-eye. There were a few that seemed relatively indifferent, but no one disliked him, which was much more than Maverick could say about himself. He was liked well enough on the ground, and the more daring members of the squadron liked him in the air, too, but there were some that took one look at him, his hot head and his flashiness and hated him on sight. Maverick couldn’t help but make enemies, and if he screwed up with Goose, he had an uncomfortable suspicion that he’d make quite a few more.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a burst of laughter from the aviators clustered at the table, a honking laugh carrying over the others. After a moment, he realized it was coming from Bradshaw himself, and he glanced down at the paper below his fingers, the official assignment that had Maverick paired with the RIO for their hop later that day.

He felt a wry smile creep onto his lips. “Huh.” He murmured to himself, listening as the honking laugh quieted and Bradshaw pressed his face into the shoulder of the man beside him. He looked down at the callsign printed on the paper. “Goose.”

-----

Bradshaw’s laugh, as it turned out, was not the reason for his callsign. Maverick found out the real reason about a week and a half later, hunched over a toilet in the bathroom attached to the locker room, losing his lunch fifteen minutes before he was scheduled to go on a hop.

The door creaked open somewhere behind him, footsteps sounding on the metal floors. 

“Hey, Mav, you in here?” Goose called, his voice echoing through the room. “We’re supposed to be doing preflight right about now.”

“Yeah,” Maverick called back, his voice gravelly from heaving. He hoped Goose didn’t notice. “Just give me a minute.”

“Hey man, you sound–” Goose had followed his voice into the bathrooms and he pushed open the stall door Maverick was hidden behind, his face contorting with worry. “You don’t look too good.”

Maverick shook his head, and the movement was enough to send nausea swimming through him. He dropped his head back down to the toilet and he could feel Goose’s eyes on him in tense anticipation, his body jerking as his stomach heaved, but he’d emptied the contents of his stomach minutes ago. There was nothing left in him now.

“I’ll be okay.” He mumbled, though he couldn’t lift his head, and when he opened his eyes to slits, the sight of the vomit in the toilet below him was nearly enough to send him gagging again. “I’ve got a bottle of Pepto in my locker. Maybe they can send Jinx up before us.” 

He lifted his head when Goose didn’t speak, and he saw a hard look on the man’s face.

“No way, Mav. You can’t fly like this.” He told him, “I’ll be right back. Wait here.”

“Goose, wait.” He croaked, fighting to lift his head but the other man was already gone, pushing his way out of the locker room. Maverick let his head fall back down to the toilet seat, and he focused on breathing deep as he waited for Goose to come back.

His whole body felt clammy, covered in sweat. He could feel his hands trembling, his arms shaking all the way up to his shoulders, his core still locked tight with tension. Vomiting had helped his nausea slightly, but the adrenaline that had raged through his body left him feeling ravaged, his whole body thrown off kilter without food in his system to pull him back towards some kind of equilibrium. Maybe Goose had been right about him not flying.

Maverick could only remember sitting out one flight in his life, when his father had booked an aero club plane to take him up as a little kid. It hadn’t been the first time he’d taken Maverick flying, but as a kid, Pete had jumped at every opportunity to go. He’d woken up in the middle of the night before sick to his stomach from something he ate and he’d spent the rest of the night in the bathroom. His mother had found him in the morning and had gently told him he’d better stay home, despite his sobbing protests. Both she and his father had promised him there would be other times, that he’d get another chance to fly with his father. Little did they know, his father wouldn’t return from his next deployment a few months later.

He forced in a deep breath, pushing the thoughts from his mind. There were already tears in his eyes, forced out when he’d gagged earlier, and he wiped them away with a trembling hand. There was no way in hell he was going to cry in front of the RIO he’d been flying with for hardly more than a week. 

“Hey, Mav?” The door creaked open again just as he was getting a handle on his breathing, Goose’s voice echoing through the empty locker room again. “Still here?”

“Still here.” He confirmed glumly, his cheek still resting on the toilet seat. If he wasn’t so sick already, he’d be disgusted, but it was cool against his clammy skin, and he found he didn’t have the energy to care. Goose had definitely made the right call.

“I told Buck you were throwing up. They’re going to have to shift the schedule around but they’re giving you the rest of the day off.” He’d made it back to Maverick’s side, and Maverick slowly lifted his head as Goose stopped in the doorway of the stall. He watched the other man crouch down, reaching out a hand to set it on his shoulder, nevermind that his shirt was damp with sweat. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Much to Maverick’s astonishment, Goose didn’t just leave Maverick to fend for himself after he’d delivered his news. Rather, he heaved Maverick upright to stand, wrapping an arm around him when he wobbled, his vision clouding with dark spots for a moment. Goose flushed the toilet and helped him back to the locker room, helping Maverick down onto one of the benches. Thankfully, he didn’t go so far as to undress him, but he told Maverick he needed to take a shower and waited with a stony expression on his face until Maverick started to comply. Goose tucked Maverick's clothes away in his locker, handed him his towel and helped Maverick to the shower, an arm out like he was worried he’d fall.

“I’m fine, man. I promise.” Maverick told him, though in reality he felt woozy and more than a little sick despite the distinct lack of anything in his stomach, but he wasn’t going to admit that to Goose.

“You look like you’re going to pass out.” Goose told him, casting him a wary glance. He backed off when Maverick tugged the towel from his waist and tossed it haphazardly onto a hook, starting the shower in front of him. The water came out blessedly cool, and after he got over the shock of it hitting his bare skin, he nearly groaned in relief. 

“I’ll be fine.” He promised, dropping his head to let the water wash over his hair. He knew Goose was still standing behind him, watching him with that wary, concerned look of his, but he didn’t care. He’d never been one for modesty even when he was younger, and the Navy had properly whipped any tendency towards it out of him.

“You don’t sound too convincing.” Goose told him. Still, Maverick could make out the sound of his boots on the tiles and when he looked back, Goose was laying back on one of the benches across from the showers, his hands folded behind his head, his eyes on the ceiling. Maverick couldn’t help but stare at him, the sound of the water slapping on the tiles the only sound in the room.

“You don’t have to stay.” Maverick told him, turning back to face the wall again in case Goose looked back over at him. “I’m sure there’s somewhere else you’d rather be than looking after my ass. You don’t have to take care of me just because we’re flying together.”

Any of the other guys would’ve left already. The most they’d do was spread the word that he wouldn’t be flying and let him know he was off the hook, then they’d worry about themselves. Champ probably would’ve cheered if he found Maverick sick to his stomach, and he certainly wouldn’t have stuck around to help him. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had tried to take care of him, or had been more than the slightest bit concerned about his well being. 

“I know.” Goose promised. Maverick felt eyes on his back, and when he dared a glance over his shoulder, the RIO gave him a soft smile. “I’m right where I want to be.”

He stayed on the bench while Maverick showered, following behind him when he headed back for his locker and handing him clean clothes from his locker while he sat on the bench in front of it. Once he was dressed, Goose walked him back through the carrier halls to his bunk and pointed Maverick to it as soon as they were in the room. Protesting would be a losing battle, so he went without complaint. 

Still, Goose didn’t leave. He took Maverick’s boots and flight suit once he’d tossed them off and returned the suit to his locker, setting the boots neatly nearby so Maverick could reach them if he needed them in a hurry. He brought Maverick a plastic bag—in case, y’know, Goose had told him—a water bottle, and a little sleeve of crackers, though he couldn’t even begin to guess where he’d gotten them. 

Maverick took all the items with confusion, setting them atop the blanket as he dragged himself beneath the sheet. He watched with astonishment when Goose ducked from the room and came back with a book in hand. He still wasn't leaving.

“Why do they call you Goose?” He asked, blinking as the RIO flicked off the overhead light, plunging the room into darkness. “Where did it come from?”

Goose settled himself on the bunk across from Maverick’s, flicking on the little reading light in the bunk. When he looked towards Maverick, shrouded in darkness while the light shone on Goose’s face, there was a hint of color in his cheeks.

“It’s short for Mother Goose.” The man confessed, he gave Maverick a smile, “partly because of how I laugh, and because I like to tell stories, but I guess I have a tendency to dote on people. In flight school it was my whole thing.”

Maverick rolled over onto his side, burrowing a little deeper into his bed, but he gave Goose a little hum of acknowledgement. 

“I’ve been told I can be a little much. I didn’t mean to–”

“It’s not too much.” Maverick promised. He felt his eyes already drifting shut, Goose’s attention lulling him into a peaceful calm. “Most people don’t give a shit about me. Everyone who flies with me is gone in a month or less, and they all say I’m dangerous, that I shouldn’t have been given a license, that I shouldn’t even be in the Navy. I’m used to looking after myself.”

“Well, your flying is definitely something, but I don’t think you're dangerous.” The words made him open his eyes, and he found Goose watching him through the darkness. He met Maverick’s gaze and held it. “I’m not gonna quit on you, Mav. You don’t have to be on your own anymore.”

Maverick felt himself draw in a breath. He’d had RIOs tell him they’d stay before, only to leave once they realized they couldn’t take it, they couldn’t take him. He didn’t want Goose to be one of those. He didn’t want to deal with any more promises broken.

“Goose–”

“You don’t have to say anything, Mav.” Goose told him gently. “I’m sticking around. I mean it.”

There was a seriousness in his eyes, something that told him Goose was seeing him, actually seeing him for everything he was. Duke Mitchell’s kid, a hothead, dangerous, arrogant, a maverick, but loyal, committed, smart, good. Goose didn’t look away.

“Get some sleep, Mav. I’ll be here.”

Maverick watched him for a long moment, and he felt himself nod, settling back into the bed. Goose turned his attention to his book and Maverick drifted off to the hum of the ship, and the occasional brush of turning pages. When he woke, it was to one of the other pilots throwing a fit at the sight of Goose lounging on his bed, but he was still there, just like he said he’d be.

[zimithrus1]

Kotetsu and Barnaby for the character ask pls? 💚💚💚

Ohoho the boys! The lads! The bickering buds themselves! 💗 Don't mind if I do~! Thank you so much for the ask @isleofair! 🌟 (Ask list for the curious ❤)

I will start with the wildest of tigers 🐯💚 And since there's two, I'll put this under a read more cut so I don't flood anyone else's dash XD

Kotetsu

Sexuality HC: I'm leaning towards Bi with Demi tendencies for him

Gender HC: Himbo lmao XD

A Ship I Have With Said Character: Obviously Taibani - though a close second is Kotetsu/Tomoe because 🥺😭💗 He loved her so much, gah!

BROTP: Kotetsu and Antonio, like, they already go way back, to high school if I remember correctly. They always go out for drinks together and they always just seem to have a good chill time together 🌟

NOTP: Karina and Kotetsu. Like, I can see the appeal but i just do not vibe with it lol Like she's 16 in the beginning of season 1, and Kotetsu is like, 35? Like he is almost/practically old enough to be her dad. It's not the age gap I have a problem with really, it's mainly more that I kind of think of my dad when I see Kotetsu? Like, my dad and him share the same birthday and they both act goofy, aren't always around for their kid but try their best? I can't help but kind of think of my dad sometimes when I think of Kotetsu so, thinking of Karina x Kotetsu it's like 'that would be like if I dated my dad fjdbfkdjb' just can't do it man 😂 Sorry for the ramble there! 😂

Random HC: One of mine I like to ruminate on is Kotetsu accidentally hurting his family members when he was a kid and first developed his NEXT powers. Like, that scene in season 1, during the flashback of the bank robbery? In the sub, the dialogue reads 'I'm not supposed to touch anyone when I'm shining like this', compared to the dub that simply says 'don't come near me' - like, the sub implying he was told to not be near people, to not touch them, and that got my brain going: What if he was told he wasn't allowed to touch anyone because he might have accidentally really hurt a friend/classmate/family member before he had total control? 👀 cough cough Kotetsu's dad perhaps?? cough cough 👀

General Opinion: I love him. He's dorky, funny, earnest, tries too hard, fucks stuff up, but never gives up. Despite his past and hardships he is still a positive person and always sees things through to the end. A type of person I wanna be. 💚 Less formal version: I want to put him in a blender and drink him 😂

Next up, the bun! 🐰❤

Barnaby

Sexuality HC: He gives me Ace/Demi vibes 💜

Gender HC: Pretty boy but not a twink - he can still kick your ass into next week lmao 😆

A Ship I Have With Said Character: Taibani once again - no contender for me XD

BROTP: Barnaby and Mattia - the childhood friends. They catch up and talk about their work and even vent with each other, springing for dinner every now and again. I love the side of Barnaby we get to see when Mattia is around, he seems almost carefree, it's nice. They vibe well together ❤

NOTP: Oh man, I haven't really though of a NOTP for him?? 😅 I guess I wouldn't want to see him put with Maverick, because like, not only did he orchestrate the most traumatic events of Barnaby's life he was also a father figure for him before that. Otherwise, I dunno 😆

Random HC: Speaking of Maverick, I HC that he wiped/altered a lot more of Barnaby's memories than we were shown. Like, thanks to the comic anthology I saw one chapter that kind of made a little point at that and it's stuck with me ever since. Like, if Barnaby ever started to rebel at a younger age then Maverick would alter his memory. Got too close to discovering the truth? Nope, no he didn't, silly boy that was just a bad dream. So much to the point where Barnaby has trouble remembering his past at all and can't help but feel like even his memories aren't his own. Good angsty potential - and potential me and a friend discuss frequently 👌

General Opinion: At first I was like 'okay we got a cocky pretty boy, alright, he seems alright, let's see what he can do' and then the more I watched the show the more I really loved his character. How he always seemed so poised and suave and haughty - like he's confident definitely and he knows it, but also that sensitivity, that raw emotion and anger he displays - it is so incredibly human and realistic what drives him to do what he does and act the way he does. Slowly learning over time that his life has room for more than just revenge. Now I like him just as much as Kotetsu ❤

Wow, I really went deep into some of these answers my goodness! I think I've spent over an hour thinking all these thoughts out!😅 But anyways, thank you so much for the ask isle, I had a blast answering these questions - and even better, you gave me two characters! Double the fun! Thank you so much!! 💗💚💗

[bewires]

Fic 20 questions

tagged by @gallifreyburning! Thank you!

1. how many works do you have on Ao3?

130

2. what's your total Ao3 word count?

1,107,429 which is a startling amount. A lot (a lot) from the lockdown years.

3. what fandoms do you write for?

The old guard, top gun maverick, stranger things, star trek...ao3 will tell you i have also written a lot for supernatural, but that was a decade ago

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

chrysalis

incurable

say the word (& I'll be your rennaissance man)

offer no absolutes

(don't) blame it on the moonlight

5. do you respond to comments?

I really really try to but it gives me a kind of social anxiety where I feel like a dick for saying the same thing over and sometimes that stops me from doing it until I feel like it's been way too long and I can't possibly answer now. I appreciate every single comment so so so much though!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't really do angsty endings. I vaguely recall writing some angstier supernatural stuff back on livejournal? Or I guess I have some joe/nicky/booker stuff in TOG that ends on an angsty note.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably say the word (and I'll be your rennaissance man) which is just high-octane fluff all the way through. but pretty much all my fic ends happy.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Yeah but basically entirely related to all the dumb top!joe discourse stuff. So only people who wanted to send me or others threats for...idk writing about joe topping and bottoming versus only topping. hard to take seriously.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes!

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I think I have crossed over every major teen fandom of mine with TOG, so I did a star trek, a torchwood and an SPN one. Although I'm not sure when it stops counting as crossover and starts counting as fusion.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know, but i could be wrong

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah once or twice

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, a few with @dreamtiwasanarchitect! Great experience

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

I can't answer this lol. Changes with the hyperfixations

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

The choose your own adventure Joe x Nicky one, i wish i had the time and energy for it

16. What are your writing strengths?

I would say dialogue. And maybe, if this makes sense, conveying what a character is thinking and feeling out of the perspective of another character who is nominally oblivious to it

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Describing scenery/physical characteristics/logistics of where what is. I am not a visual thinker

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Depends on the context and whether it's understandable for the audience

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Tamora Pierce's Tortall books. fortunately, these fics are probably no longer findable on the internet.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

In terms of ambition, right where you left me which I co-wrote with @dreamtiwasanarchitect. The process of outlining and writing that one kickstarted my ambition to write my own actual book (a thing that exists out in the world now). In terms of style, I'm really proud of how (don't) blame it on the moonlight came out in that you really don't need Nicky's perspective because it's so obvious.

Tagging @regina-del-cielo @nicolos and anyone else who wants to!

[pregnant-javert]

1. top gun

2. hangster

3. iceman <3

001 | Top Gun (I assume you mean '86!):

Favorite character: Iceman

Least Favourite character: Charlie (she's annoying)

5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Goose/Carole, Icemav, Slicemav, Slider/Ice, Goosemav

Character I find most attractive: Iceman <3

Character I would marry: Forgot to answer this! Iceman <3

Character I would be best friends with: Carole! She sounds fun to be around <3

A random thought: I always wonder if some of the pilots in the Top Gun school group knew each other pre-movie canon.

An unpopular opinion: TG:M is the better movie. Top Gun is good but it is slightly dated now

My Canon OTP: Goose/Carole

My Non-canon OTP: Icemav

Most Badass Character: Maverick (come on now)

Most Epic Villain: The MiG

Pairing I am not a fan of: I have seen some Goose/Iceman and I'm like...I don't see it

Character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): Charlie...she could have been better but she was just kinda annoying lol. No way that relationship lasted more than three weeks post-TG

Favourite Friendship: Goose/Maverick

Character I most identify with: Goose.

Character I wish I could be: Iceman. I wish I could have Val Kilmer's face and his frosted tips.

002 | Hangster:

When I started shipping them: I wanted them both to show up in an Icemav fic and I thought it'd be easier if they were romantic lol.

My thoughts: Literally I love them. The sexual tension (intentional or not) was fire. Their interactions were so juicy and if the writers had a shred of courage they would have kissed post-Dagger mission

What makes me happy about them: They get to be soft together!!

What makes me sad about them: They're probably going to have to deal with residual trauma from the dagger mission :(

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I don't like slowburns so that annoys me lol, but that's not a dig at anyone. I guess if they're still acting like assholes to each other :P

Things I look for in fanfic: Literally just fluff...or angst with fluff at the end. Love that emotional hurt comfort <3

My wishlist: I mean if we get another movie (Top Gun: Rooster?) then I would love to see their relationship fleshed out more hehe.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I love Roosmav so that would be it. And I don't mind Macheresin or floydsin.

My happily ever after for them: Living in a nice house in San Diego teaching at Top Gun together <3

003 | Iceman:

How I feel about this character: Literally my blorbo. I love him and the way he's played and his storyline and his Val Kilmer-given backstory. He's just so good <3

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Maverick

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: I love Cyclone and Iceman's work relationship haha.

My unpopular opinion about this character: This is kind of not really about Iceman but I wish they at least mentioned Sarah Kazansky before Maverick meets her at the house because it kinda feels like she was just thrown in there to shut up the icemav girlies :|

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Honestly I wish we saw more of him, but I guess Val only wanted to be there for that long...I'm glad we got him anyway!

Favorite friendship for this character: Slider&Iceman.

My crossover ship: LOL I don't do crossovers but something from Snowpiercer maybe :P

[boyheros]

Ok I'm gonna dump a bunch of mvrck toh AU info i thought about over the past few days just so i can theoretically. Focus on my homework instead.

So Maverick & his mom live on some non-titan-corpse island somewhere in the boiling sea. I'm thinking of naming it "mirrors edge" or something equally dramatic. The island has a ton of really shiny stones on it, some of which are so reflective they look like mirrors, hence the name.

The island has a biped demon population of "changeling" type guys. Might call them something else i haven't decided yet. They can steal people's appearances and through that siphon our their magical powers or their life source or somethingggg.. like the first step is "getting mirrored" where if they see your face and try to mimic your appearance. Then, the more they learn about you (including non-physical things like your name, your hobbies, abilities, your past, etc) the more they can steal from you. Eventually they "change" you where you start to become one of them. Maybe. Idk if that's too off base for toh lore. Translating my oc lore into TV show lore is hard alright. Anyways. Changelings don't have reflections either so that's a way you can tell whether someone is the real deal. BUT people who are in the process of getting mirrored lose their reflection as well (bc it got stolen! Literally!) So that can cause some paranoia and mayhem or whatever. It's like among us.

The changelings on the island are magically bound to it (the mirror rocks specifically maybe? Idk if that's too like the collector-disk-prison though. That was done thru titan magic idk if normies could achieve it) by a group of witches who hope to keep them from running loose and. Draining and/or Turning everyone i guess. Eventually the population dwindled down to basically nothing because everyone was getting Taken and the remaining witches turned to creating grimwalkers in order to have ppl to continue the vigil

I was thinking of having the grimwalkers have a bonus 'ability' of like. Slowing down the "mirroring" and "changing" effects? Like because they're a clone and appear the same as someone else, it's harder to steal from them? Because they're not unique. That's kind of depressing but whatever. The same could also technically apply to identical twins.

So like. Bc Maverick and his mom are identical, and they're not the first grimwalkers with that face to get Turned, they last a lot longer when they eventually get seen and Mirrored. Maverick's mom ends up getting too affected and he's essentially left alone on the island, trying to keep up the binding spell.

Other people find the island at some point (i was thinking maybe some people fled during the events of toh? Like when Belos started getting too severe about wild magic, during the draining spell & subsequent collector takeover, etc) and Maverick is like uh oh. I have to make sure none of em get Seen... while also being oblivious about what's happening on the boiling isles LOL. Reo (& other relevant mvrck characters) would be in this refugee group and that's how they meet Maverick and become friends ❤️

After belos' defeat i figure the refugees would probably return home. Especially cuz mirrors edge is NOT SAFE for a different reason lol. Maverick would go along with them for funsies and also possibly to broaden his search for grimwalker ingredients. For his own replacement. He's aware he's a clone & desensitized to the implications so he wouldnt see anything wrong with that. This would be where oc & canon character interactions would probably happen. Especially with Hunter bc i think forcing them to meet would be hilarious and also bad for everyone's mental health.

[icemankazansky]

I realize that this isn’t quite your area based on your archive fics for Top Gun, but do you have an opinion about Sarah? Honestly anyone who Iceman married sounds like a very interesting person. Iceman being Iceman he must have people lining up around the block, but to be the person he chose back? Damn.

Or if you prefer the sister/niece; what kind of brother/uncle do you think Iceman was? How much was Mav involved? He seemed to be close enough to hug Sarah at least.

I have many areas.

TG:M left us a lot of room on Sarah, which I like a lot, because I don't want there to just be one possible answer. Obviously, I am very much Team Icemav, and I believe that Iceman and Maverick had a lifelong partnership that was both romantic and sexual. They're true love. True, titanium, storybook, forever love.

My initial take on Sarah is that she and Ice have a platonic marriage. Ice wears a wedding ring in the movie, and there are multiple insinuations that he has children (on this point, they could definitely be nieces and nephews, but let's put a pin in that.) My first reaction when I started to process TG:M was that Sarah is aro-ace, and Ice is gay and in love with Maverick. Ice and Sarah love each other, but it's not romantic or sexual for either one of them. Ice would like to be with Maverick, obviously, but Maverick can't stay in one place for long, and he has flings, and maybe Ice wants something more stable. So he meets Sarah, and they become close, and they both want kids and they want a partner who will always be there—companionship—and they can give each other that without any other expectations. They have separate bedrooms. Sarah and the children know Maverick, and they love him; he comes home to Ice when he wants and is able, and Sarah doesn't mind sharing Ice with Maverick, because they want different things from him. And because she loves Maverick like a brother, and because he makes Ice happy.

I agree that Sarah would have to be a helluva woman to attract Ice's attention, and then to be able to handle him and Maverick. I have a headcanon that she's new in town and sees Ice following her, so she does some self-defense move on him and hurts him, or maces him or something, and while he's trying to recover he manages, "You dropped your keys," and holds them out to her.

"You should have announced yourself or something!"

"I did. I guess you didn't hear me. Do you have headphones on?"

She rips them off and stuffs them in her bag.

"No!" Then, gentler, "Do you need a doctor?"

It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Poor Sarah had no idea what she was in for lol

I also like the sister angle. It's a popular fanon that Ice has at least one sister, usually an older sister, and I'm very fond of it myself. (My version is Sasha, and she appears in several stories, notably the Wall Series.) It's hard to have a family as an LGBTQ person. It was harder in the '80s. It was almost impossible in the military. Whether Ice had a family of his own or not, I can see him being very close with his nieces and nephews. As we know, he has kind of an icy exterior, but a soft, gooey center. Definitely the cool uncle with the cool job who teaches you about good music, answers your sex ed questions honestly without telling on you, and plays Embarrassing Story tennis with your mother. Endlessly patient helping you do math and science homework when your parents plateau and tell you, "Call your uncle. He's good at this stuff."

Uncle Mav: Also the cool uncle with the cool job. Teaches you how to ride a motorcycle way before it's legal. Has a whole different genre of Embarrassing Stories about Uncle Tommy and your mother, and knows A LOT of hilarious, mostly harmless pranks. Taste in music: suspect, but he lets you taste your first beer—just a sip—when you're 16. You immediately spit it out, and Uncle Tommy laughs and says something in Russian about, "that American piss water." (that one is all @victimofthemusic and I think of it all the time)

When Uncle Tommy gets prescribed medical marijuana for his cancer, you and Uncle Mav teach him how to smoke it. (I also have this headcanon for Ice's kids in Sarah scenario #1.) Uncle Tommy lets Maverick charge $200 worth of Chinese food to his credit card before he remembers he can't eat any of it because of what the radiation has done to his throat. Before you and Mav obliterate $200 of Chinese takeout, Mav makes Uncle Tommy soup.

Wow, this went some places! Thank you for the question! I am working on what is turning out to be a longer than anticipated TG to TGM Icemav story that involves Sarah scenario #1, so keep an eye out for that if you're interested.

[whyhyojin]

My Favorite Comebacks of 2021

This was... so difficult. Switched a few so many times. I'm honestly really bad at picking favorites. My favorites tend to just be whatever I'm into at the moment. But! These are all songs I've consistently been listening to since they came out and I love them all so much. They are... slightly in order? First 5 definitely are.

1. Burn It - Golden Child 2. Beautiful Beautiful - ONF 3. Popping - ONF 4. Wave - CIX 5. Goosebumps - ONF 6. Thunderous - Stray Kids 7. Luna - Oneus 8. Ugly Dance - ONF 9. Hush - Kim Sungkyu 10. Rock With You - Seventeen

Burn It has DEFINITELY been my favorite comeback this year. I still can't get over watching that music video for the first time.. oh how I wish I could watch it for the first time over again. I'm not usually into 'summer songs' but WOW Popping is just.. so good. I listen to it ALL the time. I'm in a bad mood? Popping! Having a great day? Popping! Popping is always the answer!!! Really glad Oneus had Luna. Black Mirror was alright but not really my thing (although Connect with US from that album... SO good). No Diggity took a while to grow on me, but Luna.. LUNA. Amazing.

Honorable mentions: Adore You - B1A4 (not really a comeback so didn't want to include it.. granted Hush isn't really one either lol), Calm and Passion - Nam Woohyun, Inside Out - Nu'est, Cinema - CIX (this would be like... 11th...), After School - Weeekly, Savage - Aespa, Maverick - The Boyz, You Make Me - Day6, Tail - Sunmi, Scars - Stray Kids, and Scream - Dreamcatcher.

Random story time: Several of these are my first comebacks with the groups! Beautiful Beautiful was my first comeback of ONF (which I watched when it came out), although as a Fuse it would be Ugly Dance. Similar thing happened with Golden Child - Pump It Up was the first comeback I was there for but properly, it was Burn It. Thunderous was my first Stray Kids comeback (shout out to Kingdom. They were the only group I didn't know going into Kingdom - loved all the other groups; left Kingdom loving skz more than the others lol). I guess I kind of still haven't had my first comeback with CIX as a FIX... I had LOVED Jungle when it came out last year (literally one of my favorite comebacks last year), but never got into them. Watched Cinema when it came out.. loved it but still didn't get into them. Watched Wave when it came out and WOW I adored it and had to get into them. Been into Sunggyu, Oneus, and Seventeen for quite a while now, so definitely not my first comebacks.

Anyway... I'll stop now (although I'm not convinced anyone read all that lol).

[drarrygirl27]

Today is my day of Birth, y'all!!! I don't feel like I am 33. I still feel like I'm 32 so I guess that is a good thing. LOL!

I might not be the biggest fan of my employment, but I got to admit only having to work from 6 am to 4:30 pm on Monday-Thursday and having Friday off which means that I have 3 day weekend vs. a two day weekend like for when school is in session is pretty damn sweet! Thank Goddess, I work at one of the schools that has the kind of schedule for Summer Cleaning just mentioned instead of the usual 8 hour each week day. I don't mind working 10 hours each on Monday-Thursday if it means Friday is one of our days off other than the usual Saturday & Sunday unless we volunteer to help with a school event or are requested to or asked. In other words, today is already a good day because I am not working and neither is Doug.

I'll post some pics of us later. I think I look pretty damn cute if I do say so myself. With the job that I have which is a school custodian for the ones who don't know, I don't get that many chances to look cute, good, hott, sexy, or beautiful all that much or have the energy to do so as well, but since it is a day off and my 33rd Birthday, I felt like getting gussied up a bit.

Plans today thus far anyway included, sleeping until 12 something in the afternoon and then after getting some adult errands done (Yuck! Oh well... It is life pretty much as soon as you turn 18 or so in some cases.), the fun stuff will begin.

Tonight, Doug and I are going to go to a Drive In that just so happens to be close to the places we need to get stuff done at, to go see, Drum roll please...

Not only are we going to go see the new Jurassic Park film, Jurassic World: Dominion that just so happens to be in theatres on my birthday itself, but we are also going to go see Top Gun 2: Maverick. So needless to say, we are super duper excited for today!!!

Woo!!! I can barely wait, y'all!!!

Reedit: We're going to go see Jurassic World: Dominion & Dr. Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. Either way though, still movies I have been dying to see.