#Rory really was the main character

[eppysboys]

Billy Fury and Rory Storm, 10th May 1960

Rory had shown up to the Larry Parnes' audition day at the Wyvern Social Club, not to audition himself, but to get a photo with Billy. Apparently Rory planned on plastering the photograph all over Liverpool, which infuriated Larry Parnes. Larry threatened never to audition another Liverpool artist again if the photo was printed. (How They Became The Beatles by Gareth L. Pawlowski)

[amyriver]

amy, rory and river deserved a full episode focused on their relationship & i’ll never be over it

[discocandles]

I haven't talked about my babysitter's a vampire in a bit, but it's october, so i have no excuse(or every excuse. whatever). this show impacted me a lot.

In mbav, i feel like vampirism is treated a bit differently than in other supernatural media. and maybe that's because its for a younger audience that a lot of other vampire media, aiming for pre-teens rather than actual teenagers and young adults. From what i remember of buffy, vampires aren't people anymore. The person dies when they get turned and are left as like demons, i think? its been a while since i last saw btvs. When turned into a vampire in mbav, you still retain your personality for the most part. there's just also vampire quirks next to it. and don't ask about the vampire diaries, i've never wached it.

like we only see people get turned in the mbav movie, and while we never see what Sarah was like as a human, we get a few ideas from erica, and it's not like she's unrecognizable after being turned(into a fledgling, but beside the point), just acting kinda weird and distant. Rory also doesnt act super different when turned, but almost made this whole post about him, and i have a theory about why he barely changed that i'll get into later. Erica's change was pretty dramatic but given the fact that the main thing the movie told us about her personality before being turned was her obsession with the dusk franchise it was pretty easy for her to have a dramatic change, and she still has elements of the girl she was before that come through from time to time, especially in season 2.

I think people don't change a lot when turned in mbav because they has a bigger sense of freedom to do whatever they want to due to all the power they now have at their disposal. We see this more in the show, because of the need to defeat Jesse takes precedent in the movie. In a lot of Erica's s1 plotlines, she's doing things because she's "hot now", or didn't have the courage to do, or just because she wants to. And with Rory, part of the reason he didn't change all that much is because prior to being turned, he already did whatever he wanted, and his wants are more aligned with publicly being a nerd rather getting more power. Like in the movie, he talked about his interests with Ethan and Benny, but as a vampire he's broadcasting those interests in the hallways in addition to that.

Sarah is a bit of a different case, especially as a fledgling, because she feels held back by her vampirism rather than her humanity. The thing Sarah wants is one of the few things her vampiric powers can't do: go away. she sees them as a shackle instead of as freeing. and she acts like a normal human should act like to cope, trying out for sports and getting a job or two. Scarfing down human food to stave off her bloodthirst. But in season 2, when she's fully a vampire, we see her sense of doing whatever she wants pop up a few times. it happens a lot in episode 1, when she dunks VP Hicks in the trash can, and especially when she's resistant to the Vampire Counsil. We also see her join activities that she's actually interested in, similar to Rory being even more outward about his interests after being turned. she joins the talent show and the school play, and she starts dating again. ironically, i think that's pretty similar to things she would've done as a human. hell, we even see her being best friends with Erica again, which hadn't happened since before Jesse turned her.

and speaking of getting turned, vampirism started as an allegory for like, losing your virginity before getting married. and it's not really present as a metaphor in the show(again, made for pre-teens), but there are a few moments that it's hinted at. Like Rory calling his vampire bite a "wicked hickey" or Erica leaving a bedroom with Gord looking really disheveled. It's the closest to a legitimate allegory with Sarah and Jesse, because the way he phrased him turning her into a fledgling is very very similar to that of sexual assault. it's very clear that Sarah did not consent to being turned, even if Jesse was her boyfriend at the time. its less an allegory for loss of virginity and more one for the importance of giving consent, and even then, it's not that exact of a metaphor.

away from that, also interesting is how different Erica is from Rory and Sarah. there were hints of her desire to rebel in the beginning("if i had a hot boyfriend, i'd totally ditch class too. what? i would!"), but they feel understated after everything she does after being turned. while in the movie, it's because she was one of Jesse's followers, but her morals also skew towards the gray area in the show, sometimes having Rory as a henchman to have do her bidding/hep her. it could be attributed to her vampirism, except the fact that Sarah and Rory don't often share that muted sense of morality is odd, especially since she was introduced as a straight As good girl that's really into canon's twilight. And in season 2, we see she still has some of her nerdy aspects in there that she's hiding, like when she geeks out to Ethan that the star of dusk is in town, or her chemistry knowledge, or her following instructions for vampire rituals on halloween. also, the way she acted around David in the werewolf episode seemed to call back to her nerdier side. idk it just fascinates me the ways that erica acts, because she will wholeheartedly do things that are at least kinda questionable morally, but hesitates when it feels nerdy or sees the guys are also doing it.

anyway, those were some of my thoughts mbav that i've kinda just had in the back of my mind.

[watcheraurora]

First Flight

New installment of the Unintentionally-Adopted-a-Kid AU! Direct continuation of "But For This? Absolutely" (<- Part 1) 5.2k words (almost exactly!)

(Part 3)

—

Jimmy woke up to a cold bed. Which was weird because Tango's Blaze blood kept the bed almost uncomfortably warm all night. He rubbed his eyes. There was gold light beyond his closed eyelids, but it wasn't the weak gold of dawn—at least, he didn't think it was. He hadn't felt like he'd had a whole night sleep.

He peeled his eyes open after rubbing the sleep out of them.

Through the windows and balcony door, the light flickered chaotically.

Jimmy bolted up, flung the covers off, ignored Revenge's yowl of protest, and leapt toward the balcony with half-extended wings to keep him slightly aloft. If the ranch was on fire he'd have to grab Skye and Revenge and get out. Tango could walk through fire without getting burnt but he'd need to find him too—

He froze when he saw the source of the flame.

The outpost. Across the wheat fields and animal pens. Across the gorge. The pillar of cobblestone and dark oak inhabited by Illagers.

The whole thing was on fire. Jimmy could feel its heat from the balcony.

He stared with a dropped jaw.

The outpost was far enough away that the burning Illagers running around were tiny, barely visible.

Something bright and blazing swooped in circles around the outpost, little meteors of light shooting from it and hitting the outpost, expanding the flames.

"Tango..." Jimmy breathed.

He climbed up onto the balcony railing, just in his pyjama shorts and no shirt. His wings loosened behind him, tilting like he was going to takeoff. He glanced back over his shoulder into the master bedroom. Revenge was pouting on Tango's side of the bed, grumpy that he'd been woken up by Jimmy's movement.

For the first night in a while, they'd left their bedroom door slightly open to listen for Skye.

He crept back inside, tiptoeing to Skye's new room. He peered in through the tiny gap in the slightly-ajar door.

She was asleep, her ravager plushie clutched in one arm. Lying on her side to keep her wing from further injury. The other side from the one she'd been lying on when Jimmy tucked her in, but she seemed to still be tucked into the blankets.

Tango.

Jimmy's heart melted.

He snuck back, away from the door, and back into the master bedroom. "Keep an eye on her for me, Rev," he whispered to Revenge. Who Mrrped grumpily in response.

Jimmy went back to the balcony, hopping the railing, and hurled himself into the air. His wings beat at the smokey atmosphere and carried him high up until he could dive straight for the outpost, wings tucked in like a bird of prey hunting a target.

"Tango!" he shouted as he plummeted.

His soulmate pulled up short, hovering in the air, Blaze Rods orbiting his head rapidly.

Jimmy twisted and flared his wings, braking. Canary wings couldn't hover like hummingbird wings. He wasn't built for it. So he flapped as slow as he could in a circle around Tango, reaching out and resting his hands on Tango's burning hot shoulders. Tango rotated in place, synced with Jimmy's moving.

"Tango," Jimmy pleaded. "Tango, you have to stop."

Tango's breathing was heavy and his red eyes were glowing, not just reflecting the flames. His jaw was set and his teeth were bared. Illagers were screaming. Jimmy tried to ignore it.

"Tango, look at me. Please," Jimmy pleaded. He waited, flying in slow circles until Tango's gaze fixed on him. "You have to focus. We need to leave. Come on." He slid one hand down from Tango's shoulder to take his hand. His skin was even hotter without his shirt to block the heat—but something in their SoulBond helped Jimmy not get burned from it.

He twisted and shot back toward the ranch house with a beat of his wings. Tango kept up easily, leaving a trail of firelight in their wake.

Instead of landing on the balcony, Jimmy touched down on the rooftop and sat down. He tugged on Tango's hand until the latter sat too. But Jimmy kept tugging.

Tango shook his head. "If I sit in your lap, I'll burn you," he protested softly, reaching a hand up to run it through his hair. It was still flickering bright and fast. A bonfire trying to turn into a wild forest fire.

Jimmy tugged again, insistently.

Until Tango relented and crawled onto Jimmy's lap. "What happened, Tango?" he asked gently, rubbing Tango's arm.

"I... I woke up because Skye was crying. Her grief hit her, I think. I hugged her until she cried herself to sleep. I barely even said anything. I didn't know what to say. And it just hit me how wrong it was for the Illagers to keep a child in a cage and... and I saw red. You know how I am. I had to... I had to..." His red eyes flared with light. "She didn't deserve that. And they didn't deserve to get away with it."

Jimmy took a breath and sighed. "I can't condone what you did. But I do agree with why you did it." He ran one hand up and down Tango's arm.

Tango's hair simmered down to a manageable level and he snuggled himself under Jimmy's chin, closing his eyes. Jimmy held him close, resting his chin in Tango's warm hair. The soft flames licked at his jaw and cheeks, but wouldn't burn him anymore.

They stayed like that as they watched the outpost burn. The cobblestone left behind and the wood absolutely gutted. Dawn was minutes away by the time the biggest flames were truly dying down.

"Grian and Scar are going to be furious," Jimmy mused. "They rather liked the outpost."

"They can deal," Tango growled.

"Whatever happened to rebuilding the ward around the ranch so they couldn't disturb us?"

"This required less magic."

The sun broke over the horizon, just the first peak of its shape. Jimmy sighed again. "Come on. Go catch a little nap while I get breakfast started. We've got a big day of work ahead of us and a new mouth to feed. We better make sure we're prepared."

Tango burrowed deeper into Jimmy's chest. "No nap. Just cuddles."

Jimmy snickered. "I need to go get breakfast started. At least for the little one."

Tango groaned in complaint. "Fiiiiine."

Jimmy laughed softly, scooped Tango up, and fluttered them both down onto the balcony.

Revenge was still asleep on Tango's side of the bed, so Jimmy set Tango down on his own side and slipped out of the master bedroom. He checked on Skye—also still asleep—and headed downstairs.

—

Weeks passed. The Illagers moved on, finding another place somewhere far away to build a new outpost. Ranch work never really stopped, but Jimmy and Tango always took time out of every day to make sure Skye was well cared for. Jimmy worked her up to strengthening the muscles in her broken wing as it healed. Tango taught her how to read and do tiny magic tricks like sparks—with the rule that she wasn't allowed to practice fire magic in the house or the wheat field.

They didn't go into the nearest town often, but supplies sometimes needed to be fetched when they were running low. Every time Jimmy went into town, he took Skye. Just to acclimate her to being around people again. She seemed to handle it well. He bought her a handful of toys so she wouldn't be so bored at the ranch, and took time to whisper to other grownups about whether they knew anything about her parents or guardians. White hair and wings like hers were distinct and genetic. But no one ever seemed to know. Not even Grian, who seemed to always have his fingers in every pie in town.

Usually on the long walk back to the ranch, Jimmy would have her practice her wing strengthening exercises, helping her build up. Often he'd carry her and whatever they'd bought that day most of the way. But he always managed.

Before any of them knew it, Skye had been living on the ranch for six weeks. And according to Tango and his magic, her wing was fully healed and ready to remove the splint for more than just cleaning and preening the feathers. He'd been using his tiny healing spells to assist her natural healing along, since he couldn't do it all in one go.

"Hold still, kiddo," Jimmy said soothingly as he circled around to her back. But he knew better. In typical Avian fashion, she was twitchy and fidgety. He was too. He could remove the splint even with her movements as long as he was careful and gentle.

They both did their best. Skye to stay still, Jimmy to undo the string and sticks that made up the splint. Tango did his best to distract Skye so she held still by doing magic tricks—having discovered Skye was particularly partial to the way he made little candle flames change colors.

As the splint fell away, Jimmy felt his heart twist a little. The wing was atrophied, despite him helping her with exercises to build its strength back up. He sighed.

"Is it bad?" Skye asked quietly.

"Oh, sweetheart. No," he replied warmly.

"Why'd you make that noise then?"

"Just because the muscles still need a lot of work before you'll be able to fly. I'm just sad because I wanted to teach you to fly once the splint came off, but your wing isn't ready yet. And that's fine! We'll keep working on it, yeah?"

"Okay." Skye nodded, small and timid.

Tango tripped forward and crouched down to be on her eye level. "Don't worry, Skye," he said. "Jimmy's good at this. He'll have your wing ready to fly in no time. And he's gonna be the best teacher ever."

"Really?"

Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck, ready to try to set more realistic expectations, but Tango cut him off. "Really-really. I've never seen someone fly as pretty as he does. And he's really sweet and nice and paaatient. Especially with me. So he's gonna be a great flying teacher! And you're such a smart girl—you're gonna learn how to fly so fast." He ruffled her hair.

Skye giggled.

"Are you ready to start making your wing stronger, sweetheart?" Jimmy asked, kneeling beside Tango in front of her.

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Yay! Just follow after me, okay?" Jimmy asked.

Tango got to his feet as Jimmy stretched his wings, moving out of the way. Despite Skye's youth and small size, her wings were big too. Avian wings tended to take up a lot of room when they were unfurled. And Jimmy was so tall that his wings were enormous. So Tango figured it was best to just stay out of their way.

—

Every single day, Skye and Jimmy practiced the exercises. Every day, Skye could do them a little bit longer. Jimmy would even hold her back lightly against his chest and take off flying so that her wings could get stronger from the pressure of wind beneath them. They spent an hour or two every single day building her strength. And when Jimmy needed a rest or a break but Skye was still energetic, Tango would take over with magic lessons.

As time went on, it was hard to remember or even imagine life without her at the ranch. She chased Revenge and played in the wheat and really loved Tango using magic for little fireworks. She smiled big and hugged bigger. A lot of her fears and grief slowly ebbed away.

A few months of exercise every day after her splint came off, Jimmy deemed her ready to fly on her own.

The day before that, he sent for Grian.

Tango could fly as well, of course, but he didn't have wings. And Jimmy insisted that two adult Avians teaching a child to fly was probably for the best. Tango would fly below in case she started to fall so he could catch her, but Jimmy and Grian would be her primary instructors.

Or rather, Jimmy would. Grian's reply to Jimmy's request more or less said if Jimmy would teach, Grian would be there for support.

Which was fine with both Jimmy and Tango.

Jimmy woke bright and early. Moments before dawn. He slipped out of bed—Tango was still asleep—and changed from pyjamas to everyday clothes. He chose a T-shirt instead of a tank top so he could fly without an overshirt on without burning his shoulders. His jeans slid on next.

Tango groaned from the bed.

Jimmy turned.

Tango had rolled to be able to see Jimmy, one arm behind his head, propping it up.

"What?" Jimmy asked, voice shaking in a laugh on the word.

"It's always criminal for you to cover up," Tango said, voice slurred from sleep.

"You couldn't even see anythin'. My wings were in the way."

Tango shrugged. "Still criminal," he said.

Jimmy chuckled, shaking his head to tame his hair and then raking his fingers through it. Tango's red eyes tracked the movements as his tongue poked between his sharp teeth. "Careful," he said. "She's got really keen ears."

"She's young and wouldn't pay that much attention." Tango shrugged. He swung out of bed and approached, folding himself into Jimmy's arms. His skin was unbelievably, comfortably warm. "Why are you dreeeeessed?" Tango complained into Jimmy's chest.

"Because today's the day I teach our girl how to fly."

His wings went stiff as he straightened his spine.

"What is it?" Tango muttered, face still buried in the soft fabric of Jimmy's shirt.

"Nothing, it's just... She is, isn't she?"

"She's what?"

"She's our girl. Not just a... guest."

Tango finally leaned back, a thoughtful quirk to his brow. "Yeah. I guess she is, at this point. No one in town knows anything about her parents. And by her story, it's more likely that they're dead. I doubt they escaped."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?!" The thoughtful look on Tango's face vanished, turning confused and shocked.

"You said you didn't want kids. And we've gone and taken in a six-year-old orphaned Avian."

Tango sighed and rested his cheek against Jimmy's shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry for, rancher," he said softly. "Life has twists and turns that we never see coming. I didn't want kids. I was happy to just spend my life with you and our friends. But now that she's been here for so long and we've made space in our life and our home for her, she's just part of it. This place wouldn't be complete without her anymore." He sighed as Jimmy ran his hand through Tango's hair. "And I'm happy with that. Gosh—I can't even put into words how much I love watching you interact with her. You're such a good dad."

Jimmy's wings twitched. He hadn't even thought of himself as a dad. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Tango sucked in a deep, reluctant breath. "Time to get ready so the lessons can commence?"

"Time to get ready to get chores done before lessons can commence," Jimmy replied.

"Oh, right. Silly of me." Tango backed up toward the bed, away from the wardrobe. Before catching Jimmy by the shoulders and pulling him back down onto the bed. Jimmy managed to suppress a startled squawk. He always forgot how strong Tango's slight frame was.

"Wait—Tango—I just got dressed���" Jimmy protested as Tango crawled up the bed so their heads were even.

Tango smirked, teeth glinting in the light of his fire hair. "And you can get dressed again in a little bit," he whispered. "When I built her room, I double-lined the walls so we could make noise without disturbing her."

The door to their bedroom clicked shut quietly with Tango's red magic swirling around it. A sound dampening spell.

Jimmy smiled. "If you insist," he said.

Tango hesitated. "If you really don't want to, we don't have to. I just—"

"No, no. I've changed my mind. Get down here and kiss me."

Tango's lopsided grin grew wider. "Don't have to tell me twice," he said lowly.

—

"Right. Are we getting started?" Grian asked, looking a bit impatient. He stood on the front path with his hands on his hips and his parrot wings fluffed up behind him.

Tango looked normal as he exited the ranch house with Skye on his shoulders, but Jimmy was rapidly trying to straighten out his shirt and jeans. Grian's dark eyes flicked between the two of them, bounced an eyebrow, and looked toward the sky while Jimmy fought off a blush.

"Yep-yep," Tango said, hauling Skye off his shoulders while she giggled. He set her down on the ground.

Grian knelt to be at her eye-level. "You're Skye, right?" he asked.

She nodded, her white hair in its pigtail braids taking on a warm gold sheen in the sunlight.

"I'm Grian." He smiled gently. "I'm Jimmy's, er, brother." He wasn't, but it was easier for her to understand that. "I'm going to help him teach you how to fly." He ruffled his own wings. Skye peeked at them and gave him a timid smile.

"Alright!" Jimmy exclaimed, clapping and rubbing his hands together. "Shall we get this going?" He smiled at Skye and knelt down. "Ready to fly, sweetheart?"

She nodded.

"Tim, our wings are too long. We can't hold her hands for this," Grian said.

"I know. I'm going to hold her to my chest. And slowly loosen up. You and Tango will keep an eye on her from below in case she starts to fall. I'll hold onto her from above."

"Better than how Jimmy learned," Tango muttered under his breath sarcastically.

Grian had essentially pushed Jimmy off a cliff to teach him how to fly.

Jimmy held Skye's hand. It was shaking a little. "Okay, kiddo. We're going to teach you how to fly first, then how to land, and then how to take off. And it's not going to be easy. And it might take a while. But you're such a strong, smart girl that I know you're going to be okay."

Skye nodded.

"You wanna hand Mr. Snuffles to Tango?" Jimmy asked.

Skye looked down at the ravager plushie in her arm, up at Tango, back at the plushie, and then held it out.

"I'll keep him nice and safe for you, Skye," Tango reassured her. She nodded.

"Okay." Jimmy stood up. "Come stand on my feet and spread your wings like we've been doing for the last couple months."

Skye went over and did as instructed. Jimmy bent down and put his arms around her middle, minding her wings to not crush the feathers but holding her tight.

"Grian?" Jimmy invited.

Grian turned around, bent his knees, snapped out his wings, and flapped them down, hurling himself into the sky.

Skye's deep blue eyes widened as she watched. "Wooow!"

"You'll get there too, Skye. I promise," Jimmy said. "Now hold on tight."

She grabbed onto his arms with her little hands. He hoisted her up against his chest and ran down the path, his wings and hers gathering air beneath them.

Jimmy swept his wings down. The downdraft sent wheat in the field rolling away as he launched.

Skye squealed. Usually on takeoff, her wings were furled and Jimmy held her protectively. This was the first time her wings had been extended for takeoff. Jimmy smiled. She seemed okay—excited, even—which was good.

"See how my wings are moving?" Jimmy called over the wind. She nodded. "Try to move yours the same way!"

Grian swooped around the two of them. Tango flew along below, a soft trail of fire left behind him.

Skye moved her wings, face scrunched as she tried to copy how Jimmy flapped. Grian angled and came to rest in formation just below one of Jimmy's wings. Which prevented Jimmy from flapping if he didn't want to smack Grian, but he could glide for a bit. "You can't just move your wings up and down," Grian instructed. "You have to push the air with them."

Jimmy peered around Skye to check her facial expression. She looked confused.

He squeezed her around the middle. "Remember when you climbed onto the kitchen counter yesterday? And you beat your wings down to help boost you up?"

She nodded.

"That's what he's talking about. We've got instincts for flying—for how to flap our wings. You gotta listen to those too."

She nodded again. This time when she flapped, there was real intention behind the power of the movement.

"Yes! That's it!" Jimmy praised.

She squealed. "I felt something!"

"That's the wind in your feathers, for real!"

She beamed at Grian, then twisted to look at Jimmy. "Am I flying?"

"Not yet! You have to keep doing that in order to stay in the air."

"But you're not?"

"No. I'm gliding. And that takes just as much strength to hold your wings against the wind like this. But if Grian would move—" the comment was directed in Grian's direction, "—I'd be able to flap and get higher up."

Grian twisted his head and stuck his tongue out. Jimmy did the same. Skye laughed.

But Grian took the hint and dipped one wing, sweeping away from the path of Jimmy's wings and then churning the air hard and shooting higher.

Jimmy flapped much softer, gaining altitude slowly. "Follow what I do, Skye," he instructed. "Feel the wind beneath your feathers!"

She flapped in sync with him, gasping each time the wind filled her wings like sails. They climbed higher, nearing the clouds.

"Alright. I'm going to loosen my hold around you. But I won't let go. I just want you to feel what it's like to keep yourself aloft on your own," Jimmy said. Skye's eyes widened. "You'll be okay. I won't let you fall. I'll still hold on to you."

He adjusted his grip so he was no longer using his arms to keep her against his chest. Instead, he wrapped his hands around her ribs and extended his arms a little so her wings were no longer touching him.

Skye screamed.

Tango's fire burned brighter and he shot up to them. "What's going on?" he called.

"She's flying on her own, sorta!" Jimmy shouted back. "I'm holding on so she doesn't fall, but she's keeping herself up!"

Tango nodded and slowly lowered to be about halfway between the trio of Avians and the ground.

Skye had stopped screaming and started concentrating. Jimmy could feel in the way she frantically flapped that she actually was keeping herself aloft. His grip was loose enough that he wasn't actually maintaining her, more meant to tighten if she started to fall. He kept his own flapping minimal. The size and power of his wings compared to hers meant one wingbeat from him would send him another ten feet up in the air while she only gained maybe two. And he didn't want to drag her around. So he did barely enough to keep himself consistent above her.

Grian noticed. He swooped and came to a glide directly above Jimmy. "Pass her to me," Grian called. "My wings are smaller."

Jimmy's face blanched.

"Tim, I won't let her fall. I promise," Grian said.

Jimmy sucked in a sharp breath. "Skye!" he called, gathering her close to him again. "Tuck in your wings. I'm passing you to Grian."

Her wings furled closer to her back. Grian held his arms out, hands splayed to take her.

Jimmy hated lateral passing of anything in the air, but given it was Skye—he was terrified. He kissed her hair, snapped his wings inward, and rolled so his back was facing the ground. Immediately he started to plummet. Skye's braids dangling above them. She screamed again.

Grian swooped and snatched her out of Jimmy's arms, tucking her against his soft red jumper.

Jimmy flipped back around and snapped his wings out, letting them fill with air and stop his descent. With a whoop, he rocketed skyward, tucking his wings halfway in a spin.

Grian assumed the same position with Skye that Jimmy had done once she got her wings sorted out, holding her by the ribs.

"Watch how he flies," Grian said to her, his own dark eyes tracking Jimmy as his smaller parrot wings swept through the air in perfect sync with Skye's. "See how he doesn't think about it too much? We have to let the wind take us. Tango can fly in a different way. The wind doesn't really affect him. But for us, the wind is everything. We have to ride it. Let it guide us."

"Tango said Jimmy flies pretty," Skye said to Grian. Her voice was quiet over the wind, but Grian could hear her.

That made him actually smile. "He does," Grian agreed. "See how big his wings are?"

"Uh-huh." She nodded.

"That's because he's tall. Big and strong. His wings have to be really big to get him off the ground. And despite that, he's still really good at moving in the air. Look at the way he spins. He doesn't need to, he just likes the feeling." Grian's grip on Skye loosened a little more. "Close your eyes, Skye. Just for a few seconds. I've got you. Feel the wind in your wings. Feel how it moves through your hair and flutters your shirt. Focus on just the wind. Hold your wings nice and strong. Flap up and down. That's it. You're doing great. Breathe, kiddo."

Grian let her go, but kept his hands hovering inches from her to snatch her if she started to dip.

"Open your eyes, Skye," Grian said.

She opened them again, not seeming to notice he wasn't holding onto her anymore. Far, far below, the ranch had been left far, far behind. The burnt husk of the outpost was a speck on the horizon behind them.

And Skye was flying on her own. Completely.

Grian knew Jimmy. His heart was so full of love and care—and fear of losing those he cared about. He never would have released his hold on Skye.

But Grian knew she had to spread her wings and fly on her own. It was the only way to really learn for an Avian child. So he'd had to take over. And give Jimmy just enough time to see him holding onto her that he'd trust Grian enough to look away long enough to show off. Tango was also correct: Jimmy did fly pretty. Enormous gold-yellow feathers shimmery in the sunlight—he flew like a dance.

Jimmy's flight feathers had matured late. He hadn't learned to fly until he was maybe twice as old as Skye. He hadn't learned how to fly the traditional way, since he'd been strong enough to do everything on his own from the get-go. And he still flew like he'd never learned to take it for granted.

But Grian had been young. And he remembered learning with his dad letting go of him midair. His own flying was far more practical and less pretty.

Still, watching Jimmy fly was always fun. He took such joy in it.

Grian's eyes snapped to Skye's wings the moment he saw their flapping weaken. He scooped her ribs back into his hands and brought her a little closer to him. "Getting tired?"

She nodded.

"Alright," he said. "I'll teach you how to land. You're going to want to hit the ground running, okay? It'll hurt your knees less until you learn more advanced techniques."

She nodded.

Grian held her tighter, but still let her glide, as he beat the air and pulled up alongside Jimmy. "Tim! Landing time!"

Jimmy looked at Skye's glittering white wings, then Grian's eyes, then nodded. "I'll tell Tango." He twisted into a sharp dive, wings held close.

Grian talked Skye through angling her wings to start descending. The loose hairs that had escaped her pigtail braids were snapping with the wind as they turned back toward the ranch and started a long, slow descent. Tango stayed below them, but Jimmy shot up to brush wingtips with Grian the whole way down.

They took the descent angle so shallow that they were nearly over the gorge between the ranch and the outpost when the ground seemed near enough to touch.

Grian helped Skye slow down by angling her wings upward to fill with air and brake before gently running into their landing together. Jimmy dropped out of the sky and landed before just running after them down the path.

Tango swooped overhead and dropped to the ground in front of Grian and Skye. She squealed and ran at Tango, Grian letting her go, and threw her arms around him. "I did it! Did you see me? I did it! I flew!" she exclaimed, her wings fluttering behind her, half-furled, as Tango held onto her.

"I saw, I saw! You did so good!" Tango replied.

Jimmy stopped right next to Grian, wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Thank you," he said softly.

Grian smiled. "Of course."

Jimmy's hold tightened. "If you ever let go of her again—"

Grian laughed, not surprised that Jimmy had noticed after all. "You'll what?" he challenged. "She needed it, and she was fine. She was safe. I'd never let her fall." His own wings twitched. "You learnt late, Tim. I learnt when I was her age. I knew she'd be fine. Avian children all have to learn to fly on their own eventually. Our parents aren't always there to hold onto us."

Jimmy glowered, but there was a softness to his eyes. "I know. She's just... she's so precious."

"And because she is, I'd never let her fall."

Jimmy gave Grian a proper hug. "Thank you."

"Sure. Now I've got to get back before Scar burns down the Keep." Grian hugged Jimmy back, and broke out of the embrace. "Skye? I'm going to go. Can I have a hug goodbye? It's okay if no."

But Skye let go of Tango and ran at Grian, her wings flaring out to give her a little boost to jump into his arms. He laughed and held her tight.

"You did so good today," he said softly into her hair. "Tango and Jimmy are very proud of you. And so am I."

She smiled. "Thank you!"

He ruffled her hair. "Get some rest so you can keep learning tomorrow." He let her go and backed up a few paces. "Don't have too much fun without me!" His wings snapped out and he launched skyward, disappearing over the horizon.

Jimmy scooped Skye up, cradling her to his chest. "You did it!" he said. She squealed. "You flew! You're such a big girl!"

She giggled. "Did I do good?"

"You did great!"

Tango laughed. "Shall we head inside and get something to eat to celebrate? I might make a cake."

Skye gasped. "Cake? Please? Please? Pretty pleeease?"

Tango kissed Skye's hair. "Yep!"

"Yay!"

The three of them went inside the ranch house, laughing the whole way.

[allthethoughtsandstuff]

to me, dean’s only personality is.. tall

[deathxproof-archive]

go d okay now that I’m actually writing again I’ll probably commit to like. making a proper muse page (considering there’s apparently MANY of them now) and also remembering to post my actual current rules and some other stuff. maybe make myself a new banner and icon. go hog fucking wild.

[theclosetedskeleton]

Fighting demons not to check the gilmore girls tag rn but IM GOING to get spoilers if i do

[peonyblossom]

i feel like rory and dean getting back together kind of came out of nowhere??? like idk i think it could've used more build up...

[aurorawhisperz]

little romance documentary

contains: swearing, fluff, use of y/n and a whole lot of dumb things.

tom!peter parker x stark!reader

a/n: the long-awaited rory comeback! and i’m in my spiderman phase so..the ethan landry stuff will have to wait.

summary: (based off the video diary scene in homecoming) a compilation of all things you’ve done with peter :3

“What are you doing?” You poke at the camera, causing it to shake a little bit. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to show that to the rest of the world.”

Peter shakes his head, “What? No, it’s a little behind-the-scenes thing. Video diary, documentary..” He tries to find the right word.

This is probably why you thought your father hiring someone your age was a bad idea.

“Right, who are you gonna show it to?” And all you can do is stare into the camera while he keeps on recording whatever’s happening in the fancy car.

“Oh, it’s just for me. For memories!” Peter moves the camera away from your view and makes it look like he’s in the spotlight instead.

You’re quite overwhelmed, so you give him a smile in return. “You can do a little introduction.. if you want.” He says with a grin as he makes the camera face you.

“Okay,” You clear your throat, fixing the way you looked. “I’m Y/N Stark, we are going to Germany, currently being driven by my trusty servant, Happy Hogan!”

Happy quickly interrupts the process, “And I’m not too happy with how you have the nerve to call me your trusty servant.” You roll your eyes at his words. “Whatever.”

“And I’m here with uh..Spiderboy!” You continue after a short while, Peter laughs, turning the camera back to himself before correcting the name, “It’s Spiderman, actually..”

The car speeds along the road, and everything felt okay. You were staring into the sun, enjoying and relaxing, Peter was recording you as you were doing so. Admiring how he was able to work with a really cool person..and his daughter.

Reporters and even influencers were calling you a privileged pretty girl, but he didn’t believe those people at all.

You look back at Peter, who’s quick to move the camera in Happy’s direction. You knew what he was doing and all you hoped for was that he didn’t capture a bad angle.

“Okay, okay, let's do this properly,” you say, taking the camera from Peter. “I'm Y/N Stark, the brains and beauty behind this operation. And this,” you turn the camera to Peter, “is Spiderman, our main character and friendly neighborhood hero in Queens.”

Peter gives a mock salute to the camera. “I’m here to save the day or, at the very least, make some pretty cool memories.”

Happy shakes his head, a small smile tugging at his lips as he focuses on the road ahead. “Just don't get yourselves into too much trouble, kids.”

“Trouble? Us? Neverrrr~” you say with a smirk.

This was also the start of a great friendship.

-

The camera flicks on and Peter’s face fills the screen as he grins mischievously. “Alright, we’re going to pull the ultimate prank on Happy. Wish us luck.” He whispers into the lens.

You appear next to him, just as excited, holding a box. “We’ve been planning this for a while. This is going to be EPIC.” You whisper.

The two of you sneak through the hallway of the lavish suite, making sure you aren’t attracting any attention. Happy was inside his room, absorbed by a movie, completely unaware of what’s happening as usual.

“Ready?” you ask Peter, who nods to the camera.

You press a button on a small remote, activating the surprise. Suddenly, the speakers hidden around the room begin to play the song “WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?”

Happy’s movie is long gone when it’s replaced by a compilation of embarrassing moments such as Happy looking into the fridge at three in the morning, him slipping on the floor, Happy trying (and utterly failing) to dance and getting scared by jumpscares.

He looks up, startled at first. “What the hell..?”

And that was your cue.

You and Peter burst into the room, laughing hysterically. “GOTCHA!” You shout, holding up the camera to capture his reaction. Happy was trying to suppress such levels of anger behind his crossed arms. “Really, kid? You’re involving the boss’s daughter OR SHOULD I SAY THE DEVIL’S OFFSPRING in your shenanigans?”

You both grin sheepishly. “Happy, relax..it was all her idea. I was just the accomplice, I was cool.” Happy shakes his head in disgust. “You’re lucky I have a sense of humor.” He says, holding up a finger as he walks to the bathroom. “THIS MEANS WAR!” Happy yells out.

“Bring it on, grandpa.” You tease. “You’ll never top this.” You and Peter high-five. “Think we need to wrap this up before he gets any other ideas..” Peter scratches his head as you turn the camera back to yourself.

Peter put on a cowboy-ish accent, “Until next time, folks. We are now signing off.” He tips his invisible hat, still grinning.

-

You’re on a plush couch next to the famous Tony Stark, sitting across from Peter who has the camera in his hand.

“Hey, nonexistent audience, welcome back to our comedy club! We’re here with Mr. Stark since this is a special episode.” Peter leans over at the camera, making him look like he’s upside down.

He pans the camera to you and Tony. Your father looked slightly bewildered and you were enjoying the spotlight.

“Thank you so much for joining us, Mr. Stark.” Peter settles down in front of the two of you. “First off, Y/N—how does it feel to be the daughter of Iron Man? Is it all..uh, glitz and glamour?”

You laugh, glancing at your dad. “It has its pros and cons. I still wanna sue that reporter for calling me a bitch.” Peter laughs at your words and focuses the camera on you as you go on and on about trying out the latest tech before it even reaches the world.

Tony raises an eyebrow at Peter and then looks back at you while you ramble about being a Stark.

“That’s a bit odd,” He places a hand on his chin, probably showing off his goatee. “My daughter likes to do solo projects, so it’s odd seeing you two of all people working together for this..video diary but if you’re out of trouble and it keeps Y/N happy, who am I to complain, right?”

You smirk, “At least Dad’s on board.”

Peter smiles, moving on to the next question. “Y/N, what’s one thing people would be surprised to know about Mr. Stark as a dad?”

You think for a moment, then grin. “He’s actually a big softie. He pretends to be all tough and serious, but he’s the first to offer a hug when you need one. And he makes the best pancakes.”

Tony chuckles, shaking his head. “You’re ruining my tough guy image, kid.”

Peter chuckles but doesn’t remove the camera’s focus from you. “And Mr. Stark, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to Y/N as she navigates her way through life?”

Tony’s expression turns sincere, his tone softening. “Always be true to yourself, buttercup. It’s easy to get caught up in what people expect of you, but at the end of the day, it’s your own integrity and heart that matter the most. And remember, you’re stronger than you think.”

You smile, touched by your dad’s words. “Thanks, Dad.”

Peter glances at his notepad, then back at the two of you. “Alright, final question. Y/N, what’s next for you? Any exciting projects or plans?”

Tony raises an eyebrow, he definitely caught on Peter’s not-so-secret intentions by now. “Well, I’ve got a few ideas in the works,” you say, smiling at the camera. “But you’ll have to stay tuned to find out. Can’t give away all my secrets now, can I?”

Tony leans back. “You know, Peter, you seem very interested in Buttercup’s plans. Any particular reason for that?”

Peter stammers slightly, his cheeks turning a bit red. “Oh, I just think she has some really cool ideas, Mr. Stark.“

You laugh, leaning towards the camera. “And you can bet we’ll be documenting every step of the way in our video diary.”

Peter grins, wrapping up. “Well, that’s it for today’s episode. Big thanks to Tony Stark for joining us. Until next time, keep watching for more adventures.”

As the recording ends, Tony shakes his head, smiling at the two of you. “You know, this might actually be a good thing. Just don’t let it go to your heads.”

You leave the room and the first thing Tony does is head over to Peter. “I’m not the kind of father to tell boys to stay away from their skanky little daughters but..don’t lay your..spider hands, spider legs, eight legs, whatever spiders have on my daughter.”

-

Peter sits on the edge of his bed in his hotel room, bouncing slightly with excitement despite the cuts and bruises covering his face. The adrenaline from the fight still runs through his veins. He can't help but giggle as he replays the battle in his mind.

There's a knock on the door, and before he can respond, you step inside. “Peter? You in here?”

“Y/N! You won’t believe what just happened, I met Captain America and I took his shield and I was like..” Peter puts on a deep voice as he runs his mouth even faster, “Hey, what’s up, everybody? I’m Spiderman from Queens and—”

“Okay, okay, you’re talking too fast.” You stop him but you can’t help but laugh at how enthusiastic he is about everything. “You probably looked impressive out there, Spider-boy, but are you okay? I mean-”

Peter’s grin widens and he interrupts, “I’m more than okay! IT WAS INSANE! I was out there with Iron Man, Black Widow, Captain America, Hawkeye and a bunch of new guys and I..” He stops when he sees how genuinely worried you are. “But yeah, I’m fine..really. Just a scratch.”

You can’t help but smile. “Alright, let’s see those ‘few bruises’ then,” you say, sitting down on the bed and patting the spot next to you.

This was the moment where you realized you were falling in love with him.

Peter sits beside you, still bubbling with excitement. “Okay, so there was this one moment where I webbed Cap’s shield and—”

“Wait, you webbed Captain America’s shield?”your eyes were wide. “Yeah!” His face lit up. “And then he’s like, ‘You got heart, kid,’ and I’m thinking, ‘Did Captain America just compliment me?’”

You laugh, shaking your head. “That’s incredible, Peter. But seriously, are you sure you’re okay?”

Peter nods, his expression softening a bit. “Sore, but good. It was just... so surreal. I’ve never been in anything like that before.”

You reach out and gently touch one of the bruises on his cheek. “I’m glad you’re okay. You did great today, Peter. Just don’t forget to take care of yourself too.”

“I will, I PROMISE.” He gives you a little pinky promise, both of you linking your small fingers together. His excitement gave way to a more relaxed, contented smile.

As Peter finished talking about everything that happened at the airport in detail, you lean in and press a gentle kiss on his roughed-up cheek. “Goodnight, Pete.”

Peter’s eyes widened in surprise, nearly all of his blood rushing to his face. “Aww, thanks.” A blush creeped up his face.

As you stand to leave, Peter's gaze shifts to the table where the camera is.

His cheeks flush even deeper as he realizes the camera caught your goodnight kiss. He quickly reaches over to turn it off, Peter can't help but smile as he replays the moment over in his mind until he drifts off into sleep.

This was also the moment he realized he was falling in love with you too.

-

The two of you sat side by side on Peter’s bed, watching the footage from his laptop.

Suddenly, the scene transitions to the part where you kissed Peter goodnight. Peter shifts next to you, scratching the back of his head. “Um, so..that was uh, unexpected!”

You nod as well, “Totally unexpected.”

Peter clears his throat, his eyes darting around the room, looking anywhere but straight into your soul. “I mean, not that it wasn't nice! It was... really nice. But, um, I just didn't expect it.”

You chew on your lip, trying to find the right words. “Right, yeah. I mean, it's not like I planned it or anything. It just... happened.”

There's a long pause when the awkwardness decides to stay forever. Finally, Peter breaks the silence. "I... I have to tell you something. Ever since we started this video diary, I kinda..uh, liked you. Not like a ‘you’re cool’ like but yeah! I..like-like you. More than just a general..likeness.”

You were caught off guard. “Oh, wow, that’s um, even more unexpected.”

Peter winces, his cheek turning as red as his suit. “Yeah, I know, it’s kind of out of the blue..sorry. I didn’t wanna make things weird because I work for your dad of all people.”

“No, it’s not weird..uh.” You shake your head, trying to find the right words to say. “I don’t feel the same way but uh-“

Peter’s eyes widen, “Oh, that’s alright, I mean, I wasn’t forcing you to like me back but—”

“NO! NO! NO!” You sit up and look down at Peter, “I do feel the same way, I uh..like-like you too but it feels like I care a lot more than you do..like I like you a lot more than you like me. Shit like that..”

“Really?” He breathes out, “You do?”

You nod, fixing Peter’s messed-up hair. “Yeah, I do.”

Before either of you can say anything else, Peter gets up, places the laptop on the other side and leans in hesitantly, his lips mere inches from yours. He looks at you, and all you can do in the intensity of the moment is nod. Peter closes the gap and captures your lips in a soft kiss.

He grabs you by the waist and has you straddling him as you try to deepen the kiss. Peter, considering your father, probably thought you had some experience but you didn’t. You, on the other hand, were thankful for the playboy genes kicking in so this wouldn’t turn out horrible.

It's awkward, clumsy, and completely perfect in its imperfection, just like how any other first kiss two people have should be.

You both pull away, breathless and wide-eyed.

Suddenly, a loud knock on the door breaks the moment, causing you both to jump apart in surprise. Aunt May's voice calls out from the other side, oblivious to the lovey-dovey moment within.

“Peter, dinner's ready!”

You share a sheepish smile, Peter realizes he’s not alone in his embarrassment. “Guess we'll continue this later,” you say, your cheeks still flushed.

“She makes terrible meatloaf, I just wanted to tell you.” He says as you get off his lap.

You look at the laptop next to Peter and laugh at the sight of Peter blushing and gushing like a fool after you kissed him that night. “I think we turned your video diary into a little romance documentary instead.”

“At least I’ll have something to show people when they ask how we met.” Peter shrugs and closes the laptop.

“You still can’t show that to anyone else, man..” You groan as you stand up, grabbing Peter’s hand to help him up.

[bananaactivity]

Sooooooooo MBAV x SCREAM (1996)???? Anyone???

Scream 1996 is not only my fav Horror movie but my favorite movie in general. I love this movie it’s great. So why not combine it with a show that I love also! MBAV is definitely not my fav show but it is one I like to make art of.

Character Swaps:

Billy Loomis= Ethan Morgan

Sydney Prescott= Sarah Fox

Stu Macher= Benny Weir

Tatum Riley= Erica Jones

Randy Meeks= Rory Keaner

I actually really like this Au idea… I’m definitely making more art for it. In a weird way it makes sense ya know??

Rory’s the goofy horror buff, Erica’s the sexy bestie, Ethan is also a horror buff but in wayyy more self righteous way, Sarah is uptight and vampires are always a sex allegory so that makes sense that she would be a “prude”, and most fittingly Benny is the goofy overacting friend who goes with wtv his bestie wants just for the lols.

I think I like this AU more than my Descendants AU I dunnoooo. It’s just a lot of fun fr.

I think that it’d be the same plot as Scream 1996 ignoring the other movies because that’s what I’ve been doing my whole life. I know some of the later movies are really good but I decided long ago I’d never watch them so boohoo.

I’m sure if I think about it hard enough I could fit some characters into other AU roles but I’m mostly gonna be doing screenshot redraws of the main 5…

Enjoyyyy and ask questions if you’d like!

[stellaluna33]

One thing I really love about the earlier seasons of Gilmore Girls is how unpolished and real everyone was allowed to look, even including the main characters. The clothes were ordinary and seemed to be chosen for personality instead of "hotness," Lorelai made weird makeup choices sometimes and Rory had days when her hair was a little frizzy and flyaway... The dress Lorelai "made" Rory for the dance REALLY looked like a homemade dress from cheap polyester satin and a wrinkle in the collar that never seems to lie completely flat... They felt like REAL people!

But the later seasons just don't feel the same. I'm happy for the show and their budget that they got clothing sponsorships, and the clothes are pretty to look at, but Lorelai and Rory look perpetually glossy and glamorous in a way that seems out-of-step with their personalities, income level, and situations (just like every other show!) and I MISS IT! I miss the messiness! College Rory should get to lounge around in her pajamas more, or just... SOMETHING! It just doesn't feel the same!

[the-overreactress]

I think I get a little too deep in the dredges of Jess Mariano’s mind when I write, and then I watch scenes from the show or discuss him in any other context, and I feel more and more like this character we all love plays multiple roles in various spaces at the same time. Yes, he is begging silently to be loved, but he is also such a physical touch and words of affirmation guy. Yes, he is angry and likely seen too much in his short life time, but he’s also hilarious and snarky and eventually builds a stunning life with 2-4 strangers who become his surrogate family. Yes, he is the “troubled kid” sent to Stars Hollow to be straightened out, but all he does when he gets there is steal inanimate objects and do close-up magic to impress girls.

I've loved writing On The Road because it's forced me to look at this guy critically and find where the line really is for him. How conscious is he really of his inner turmoil? Are his perceptions of the world he occupies really true, or are some of them warped in some way? Is his main concern finding and possessing safety, truth, or love? Maybe all three? Does he live in a bit of denial about how others perceive him and vice versa?

I once wrote Jess Mariano can’t take a compliment to save his life, and I wonder if there’s some truth to the fact that he’s never sure what people’s motivations are when they give him praise OR criticism. His distrust of others colors every interaction, and that’s what’s so striking about Rory being so—normal(?) to him. Like, for the most part (excepting early season 3 and the Truncheon Open House), she is completely genuine to and around him. Maybe he literally has no idea how to process any of it because his life is full of people who break promises and don’t hold to what they say they’ll do.

For all anyone has ever written or said about Jess Mariano’s fierce anger and troublesome behavior, he’s also a guy who reads more than anyone else alive, does close-up magic, and visibly blushes when Lane calls him and Rory a “cute old, agoraphobic couple.” The boy contains multitudes!!

[shadowsndaisies]

hangman meets 'thena

wc: 1.7k

synopsis: word is, there's a new pilot on board carrier air wing nine, and she flies for the VFA-14, the Tophatters.

main masterlist

athena-verse master post

a/n: the highly requested hangman and athena meet blurb, let me know what else you'd like to see from this universe, especially things that exist outside the storyline. or even if you just want more of certain characters. This serves as a precursory understanding to Jake and Athena, it probably doesn't answer every question about them, but it might help you see their foundation a bit better. but special shoutout to @djs8891 @tgmreader @rory-cakes and @fanreader75 for asking specifically about hangman and athenas dynamic (mentions at the end as well)

You’d heard of him, everyone active had. The only active aviator with a confirmed kill, never mind that your dad had two.

Hangman was exactly what you expected if you were honest.

Phoenix, who had taken an instant liking to you as soon as you’d been reassigned to the Tophatters, had filled you in on all the Lemoore gossip. Phoenix flew with the VFA-41, the Black Aces, also based out of Lemoore, and in fact, on the same carrier as you, Commander, Carrier Air Wing Nine. Her first order of business was getting you caught up on the carrier, that included learning the players, and while she was happy to introduce you to different Naval officers, the only one she warned against was Hangman.

Someone really should have told her that at your core, you were your father’s daughter.

Let it be known, you did not go looking for him. He appeared in all his Ken Doll Aviator glory as you were doing a morning check on your F/A 18E. Apparently he also flew an F/A 18E, ‘Nix on the other hand had an F/A 18F, as she normally flew with a WSO.

He approached, full of cocky attitude, and maybe it was all the years being raised by both Ice and Mav, but when he spoke it was like you could understand him just as fluently as you did with them. You could see where Nat was coming from with “honestly, Athena, Hangman in two words? Texan Douchewad.”

“Well, Howdy, darlin’, scuttlebutt was that there was a new girl on board, glad to meet you, name’s Hangman,” was his introduction.

You couldn’t help the smirk when he said girl, “Isn’t the hallmark of a proper southern boy, that he’s, well, proper?” you shoot back, eye brow quirked. “I’m a woman, not a girl.”

It was fun, watching the way his smirk melted, how his brow furrowed, as he tried to catch up.

“You-”

“Phoenix gave me a run down, but to be honest, I’ve always preferred forming my own perceptions,” you shrug, as you continue your check.

As you brush past him, you aren’t surprised to hear him following after you. “Ah, so my reputation precedes me then?” he muses, and you can see the way he uses his charm and humor to cover, a shield of bravado, too bad he didn’t realize you were raised by bravado.

“Not exactly, though I did see your plaque at Top Gun, to be fair, I saw Phoenix’s too,” you shrug again.

“So you’re the fresh blood, huh?” he prompts, and finally you turn and smile at him.

“I guess fresh blood is better than being called new girl. Name’s Athena, you’d do well to use it,” you tell him, smile in place.

“Athena? As in th4e Greek goddess of war and wisdom?” he asks, brows furrowed down.

“That’s the one,” you nod, moving to check the landing gear.

“Athena as in, the Naval Aviator who climbed through the ranks and had two separate stations before she went to Top Gun?” he follows up and you turn.

You turn to face Hangman, and now your brows are pulled, “How’d you know that?”

“I keep tabs on things that pique my interest,” he shrugs, and your lip curls on the end. “Rumor was you had Admirals arguing over who got you under their command…”

“Nice to meet you Hangman,” you decide finally, climbing back from under the plane, and offering him your hand.

“Pleasure’s mine, Miss Athena,” he smirks back. “It true your old man flew too?” he tacks the question on as he shakes your hand.

You can see it in his eyes, nepotism, you know it’s where is brain’s gone. It’s like you couldn’t escape it, everyone assumed that’s how you got as far as you have, as quick as you have. They were wrong.

“Yeah, mostly f-14s though, nothing with the juice of my baby,” you straight up lie, so what if your dad was still flying? So what if he was probably flying f/a-18s or something experimental? No one but you needed the specifics, and you’re pretty sure it wouldn’t help you fight against the nepo-baby claims. Too bad no one realized how much of a detriment being attached to Maverick actually was. It made most of the higher ups uneasy about taking you on, unsure if you’d inherited your father’s need for speed and reckless streak, you had, but you were just better than him at keeping it in check, if Ice taught you anything, it was that — “ice cold, kiddo, no mistakes.”

“Must’ve been nice, having a leg up like that,” he’s still smiling as he talks down at you.

You match his smile and catch the flicker of confusion in his eyes as you walk up closer to him. “It was, see, it prepared me for a lifetime of dealing with cocky naval aviators and their inflated sense of bubble wrap bravado.”

“That all?” he presses, staring down at you, the two of you now face to face, staring hard at each other, but you caught the little twitch of his eye at your term.

“No,” you smirk before turning and walking away, “but I’ve got a hop to prep for, see you around Hangman.”

…

He finds you in the Mess later that day. You’d just returned from morning drills with your squad, and was eating with Phoenix.

“Ladies,” he greets, setting his own tray down in the seat opposite you.

“And I’ve officially lost my appetite,” Phoenix decided, standing up. “Athena, I’ll catch you later, I’d say it’s nice to see you, Bagman, but we know better,” she states, grabbing her tray, patting your shoulder and walking away.

“You sure know how to clear a room, Hangman,” you note, eyes flicking to Phoenix over Hangman’s shoulder, Nat was clearing her tray and pauses to look back and roll her eyes dramatically as she looks at Hangman’s back.

Your lip twitches and you lift your glass of water to cover up the smile threatening to split your lips.

“Bubble wrap bravado,” Hangman repeats back to you, echoing your statement from yesterday.

“What about it?” you challenge.

“Explain it to me,” it’s not a question, not in how it’s phrased, but you understand that he is asking.

“Protective to an extent, easier to pop than you think, so long as you apply the pressure properly. Problem is, everyone knows when it does, it’s usually a bit loud,” you explain, and he seems so incredibly focused on you.

You didn’t mind the hyper-focus though, you’d coined the term a long time ago. It had originally been for a different boy, one with a temper, but who you’d watched grow up. Ice had thought it an apt descriptor, he’d even taken it to describe a few officer’s he’d interacted with over the years.

“Hmm,” he hums, eyes glued to yours.

“You disagree?” you ask.

“No. I think you hit it on the head,” he admits and your lips curl up just the slightest bit, at least he seemed honest… cock sure and stubborn too, but honest.

“A naval aviator for a father was a lot of things, Hangman,” you admit, hesitating for a moment, deciding how much you wanted to say. “It was limited time, and firm goodbyes. It was getting behind a yoke for the first time when I was 12. It was learning ranks at the same time I was learning how to do multiplication,” you say, and you study how his expression changed which each revelation. “Having a Naval Aviator for a father might have given me a home field advantage, but that’s all it did. The rest, the wings, the assignments, I earned those,” you tell him seriously.

“Sure you did,” he nods along condescendingly, but his eyes betray his curiosity, and for now, that was enough for you.

You smile again at him, though this time it is a bit sour. “You don’t believe me, that’s fine, fair even, to be skeptical. But you should know, you’re gonna eat crow when you realize how wrong you were,” you tell him seriously, before standing up with your plate and glass, and walking away.

…

You get your chance to prove him wrong just a few days later when the Tophatters get assigned to a drill with both of the other squadrons on board the carrier, the Black Aces, and the Vigilantes. Meaning both Nat and Jake are in the air with you.

After is the first time Jake looks at you with something other than cocky contempt. As if seeing you fly up close resolved some of his concerns, but there’s still something there. He was waiting for the other shoe, too bad no one told him that you’d had both feet firmly on the ground since you signed your life to the Unites States Naval Services.

You get paired with him about a month and a half later for a cover assignment for an emergency evac of a SEAL team.

Normally assignments were set within squads, but it was an emergency evac and the carrier was docked. You and Jake had been the closest to the carrier at the time who were qualified, and so you were the two who were sent off. You flew south into South America, and while a lot of the details were later labeled as redacted, Jake never questioned your ability after. Nor should he. You saved his life.

He did however decide that meant you were friends, much to the immense annoyance of one Natasha Trace.

Considering the entire mission had been classified and redacted, you weren’t able to explain a lot of it to her, but when Jake started choosing his words a little more carefully she did her best not to start anything either. When he started sitting with you in the mess, she eyed him carefully. And when he started following you around in any downtime that lined up, she kept her mouth shut.

She found a new case study in the two of you, the outward and obvious differences between Hangman with Athena, and Hangman without. Her eyes jumping from how easily you let your guard down with him, and how utterly soft Hangman could be when he thought no one was paying attention.

Natasha, to her credit, had tried, desperately tried, to get more information out of you regarding your budding friendship, but all you would ever offer was a simple, “people tend to be more complex than what meets the eye, ‘Nix, I’m proof of that. So is he, and so are you.”

She decided then and there, you had way too much tact and patience, and maybe, just maybe, that was what Hangman needed.

...

everything: @butterfly-skinnylegend

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...

[april]

aaargh the way davies era doctor who treats the companions is soooo good they've got their own lives outside the doctor they've got their own families who are actually fleshed out and are characters in their own right. moffat didn't fucking GET IT it's not about just one alien dude it's about people it's about their lives it's about the mess the doctor causes and how it disrupts the lives of people who don't want their lives disrupted.

i did watch all of amy & rory's episodes as they came out (i even remember the absolutely stupid way they died) but the way they don't really have lives outside of the doctor (until it's time for that to cause narrative friction LOL) makes them feel so much less real. i know part of the plot is that amy's parents got erased but she didn't grow up alone in that house and i couldn't tell you a single thing about [looking up who the fuck raised her on tardis.wiki] "aunt sharon"

and it's hard not to see the contrast to jackie tyler, widowed mum who drinks hot tea in her kinda shitty flat, who flirts with younger(-looking) men, who only had nice things to say about her daughter's father despite them actually having a turbulent relationship, who is rightfully livid at the doctor for stealing her daughter away, who is obviously so lonely and vents her frustrations realistically and who shouts at people when she's upset with them. she feels like a real person, and the way rose loves her, worries about her, phones her, comes home to her, argues with her... it adds so much to both of their characters and the doctor is part of their lives but he's not the focal point of everything. rose is the main character a lot of the time and she gets to have an actual web of relationships like one.

meanwhile amy & rory didn't even go home to consummate their marriage, they fucked in the tardis and that's a real plot point and okay yeah it's kinda funny. it is objectively funny that conceiving a child in the tardis makes that child part time lord. but it's not supposed to be funny, or at least i didn't read it that way, because then the next whole fucking season (or was it two?) is dedicated to all the cosmic consequences that come with the existence of that child and then reveals oh we already met this character but grown-up. we've known them for a really long time actually but we've kept all the backstory secret to keep you guessing. isn't that clever? it's a time travel show so you get to see things out of order! it's a mystery with no clues so we can definitely 100% wow you with the answer when we pull it out of our asses! annoying.

sorry what huh "media analysis"? no i'm just bitching don't worry about it. you scroll past now 👋 byebye

[vindieselsfacebook-blog]

I want to hear more about your opinion that Rory ending up with Logan would go against everything the show stands for. How so? Tell me more!

Bless your heart (complimentary) for asking for MORE of my rambling! :’)

I think there are a few themes that ultimately guide the entire Gilmore Girls narrative. No matter where the plot and characters end up, if ASP is writing, I think the outcome will always adhere to these themes and a specific pattern.

The most important is family - how complicated and imperfect it is, how patterns repeat and break and struggle to repeat and break. We try our best and love in our own ways, but inevitably fuck things up, too. We just keep working at it, which is beautiful and painful and frustrating and gratifying. I think found family and community is just as important, which leads me to the second theme, which is independence and/or individuality.

The show centers Lorelai's quest to build her own life from the ground up which is a pattern I feel repeats in most of the main characters. She rejects upper class life to work a blue collar job, make her own home, build a new family unit with her daughter and close friends, and aspires to small business owner life. Luke shares those values and has a similar journey - taking his father's store and making his own, new thing from the ashes. Jess, the character with the most positive character growth, repeats that pattern, too. He struggles until he, too, strikes out on his own to build his independent life from scratch.

The third theme is class struggle. Although I do think it's clear the show has more respect for the working class, it loooves playing with the back-and-forth of it all and never takes itself too seriously to poke fun at it. It's fun to sometimes see Emily's point even if it's often buried in shallow superficialities. It's thought-provoking to agree with Richard that Rory should use her grandparents' privileges, although we've been rooting for her to make it on her own. We respect Lorelai's independence, but want to yell "just take the money!" when she needs a loan. Or we judge her for it and think "you're not so independent after all."

I love scenes like this one at the end of S4E15, Scene In A Mall:

Lorelai: This is your window on a whole other world, Luke. The world of worthless rich people stuff. People of means see what they want and simply take it, regardless of others. Luke: ... d'you pour your own coffee? Lorelai: Oh, err, yeah. Luke: You're not supposed to do that. Lorelai: Oh yeah, sorry, I won't do it again. Luke: Mmm hmm.

Like, yeah, rich people suck and we dunk on them all the time, but hey, even queen main character can be selfish and hypocritical. No one's really above it!

Anyway, all that to say... Rory is clearly set up to have a similar trajectory where a wrench is thrown in her plans and she won't ever really get back on track until she, too, burns her life to the ground and independently starts all over. She just struggles with the push-and-pull of it all more than her mother ever did.

I get frustrated with fans who think her ending up pregnant like her mother is some pessimistic "history is doomed to repeat itself and no one can ever really change" message, when I see it as her being set up for her inevitable successful ending. She has to figure it out for herself on her own terms. This is why I feel she and Jess will be linked together forever, romantically or not.

If Rory had ended up with Logan, that crash and burn would've just come later. She would've been unsatisfied in that life. Rory and Logan always went to each other for escapism and fantasy - it just doesn't make thematic sense to me that he would ever be a legitimate happily-ever-after option. It's simply not how things are done on this show. Even Emily ultimately follows the pattern - she starts a new life as a more independent person rejecting the "bullshit!"

And conversely, look who is set up in contrast - Christopher is the coward who could never fully run away from his guided cage. The show repeatedly calls him "weak" and makes it clear he's not as brave and independent as Lorelai. He ends up isolated from his kids, accepting the status quo. And ohhh boy, look what his parallel is doing in AYITL - Logan is accepting the dynastic plan, working for daddy and marrying the heiress. That is not the story of a viable end game to me! It feels pretty clear.

Phew - you asked for it! lmao I hope I articulated this well enough??

[qweenofurheart]

a moodboard of sorts!!

i have spent the last 2-3 weeks writing a short story about these two fictional characters, 37-yr old Maltese driver Nino Schembri and 38-yr old half-Italian driver Rory Utley, who were teammates and rivals at Red Bull from 2009-2016. Rory is a three-time World Champion whereas Nino only has one. Nino retired in 2019 to drive in the WEC, and would eventually become teammates with Santana Marsh in 2021 where they would win the LMP2 Class Trophy as well as the 92e 24 Heures du Mans LMP2 Class Winner. After such a successful season, Nino endorsed Santana to the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team which was one of the main reasons Santana received a seat in 2024.

Nino and Rory have not spoken to each other since 2015. Rory definitely sees Santana as a proxy of Nino.

--

I think the main reason why this story came to be is that I wanted to build on Santana and Logan's stories and so I started thinking about their mentors and the drivers that came earlier. The great thing about sports is that you can make very organized timelines, and oftentimes the relationships between people can be correlated with the raw data and points. I also think there have been some interesting teammate moments this season (Lando and Oscar.. especially after last race) and so it really seems like tensions are inevitable in this sport!

I really don't know if I'll publish the full story because I'm not confident it'll come together, but I already have over 10,000 words. usually with these stories i just show them to one close friend and then I move on LOL