#and that thing about mav is about tg mav only

[catsaysmlem]

no offence to val kilmer but he really shot himself in the foot here lol because anyone who had as specific a vision for iceman as tony scott apparently did would have been even more convinced by val pulling these antics than if he showed up perfectly sincere and on his best behaviour. 

because firstly val had that barely contained slightly feral quality to him especially at that age that is somehow actually perfect for iceman. contain all that into the skin of a perfect golden boy fighter pilot and it creates something really dynamic and compelling that shows in iceman’s body language and just the way he holds himself throughout the film. so its very understandable why they were adamant on val for the role. 

and secondly, one of iceman’s most immediately noticeable character traits is the dgaf energy he exudes. he’s obviously not a rebel or non-conformist but he’s also definitely not a conformist. he clearly doesn’t care a lot about what exactly his supeiors or authority figures think of him personally. fandom interpretation where his whole personality as presented in the movie is actually a facade for how deeply he craves approval from everyone is usually a little boring to me (especially when done in that pretentious contrarian way fans sometimes have) because look at his demeanour with all his superiors and instructors including viper. 

he’s a very neutral character in that sense - being a conformist requires you to care but being a rebel also requires you to care deeply about what people think of you (mav). iceman toes the lines set for them only to the extent necesssary to keep himself out of trouble but his demeanour with his superiors is extremely casual (maybe too casual) and not really something that would win him any points with them. he doesn’t really care and he lets his flying do the talking for him. 

all of which seems kind of perfectly encapsulated in this audition of his lol

[polar-equinoxx]

☁️it’s a cloudy day today… but are they flirting?

hey psst give me prompts using this and I’ll write it! (or at least add it to the list of wips)

another version below the cut!

[torchflies]

Hi TG Fandom!

Time for some more sad Jake!

Hangman is the asshole archetype and while I love that for him, I want him to have a subset of people who see him as the opposite. 

So, I raise you — a Hangman who is raising his siblings. 

I’m talking about Fiona Gallagher from Shameless levels of raising — just with a little more success and in the swamps of the Texas-Louisiana border. 

I'm talking about a Jake who had a terrible childhood and knew how bad they were starting off in the world, so he planted his feet and shoved those kids in front of him to get them farther down the line of success than him.

A Jake who was raising two one-year-olds, a ten-year-old, an eight-year-old and a five-year-old alone at fifteen because the system failed them. 

He eventually joins the Navy to feed them because he's out of options. 

But he does the thing — he gets one into art school, one into nursing, one into professional ball and finishes up with two teenagers who never ever doubt if they have someone in their corner. Because the youngest two, the twins and only girls, had their Jake to teach them to shave and use menstrual products and put on makeup when they were ready and if they wanted.

He taught all of them how to love and be loved with none of the experience himself. 

I need a Jake who broke it off with Bradley because the kids came first and he was scared that Bradley would reject them and the prospect of an “instant family”. 

I just… I need it. 

I need a Jake who takes off to save Mav and Bradley even when he has everything to lose. 

[salmonsalad69]

Still more TG and TGM quotes as things my coworkers have said

Bob: "I just hate when they yell at me for something I didn't know about!"

Rooster: "The last time Maverick yelled at me, he started crying."

Bob: "How did you do that?"

Rooster: "I think I said 'You're not my dad' and it broke something deep inside him."

Mav: "I'm only nice to the old ladies because they're just so sweet and only one of them has ever called me a slur."

Viper: "Hey, you have to tell me about this shit because now I have to redo all of this and we're gonna be behind!"

Mav: "Ok, I'm sorry."

Viper, 1 minute later: "I've just been informed you did tell me, and I was having a screaming match with Jester and didn't hear it."

Hangman: "Are you up for softball?"

Rooster: "No, I can't, I got my dates mixed up and had to quit."

Hangman: "... you have dates?"

Rooster: "Yeah, for vacation. Why?"

Hangman: "Oh! Oh, yeah, that makes sense."

Rooster: "Yeah, you idiot."

*five minutes later*

Rooster: "Oh my god does he wanna go out with me?!"

Phoenix: "YES!"

Goose: "Everyone always asks 'Hey Goose can your wife make us lunch too?' And no one ever asks 'Hey Goose would you like a pay raise?' Like, if my wife is making everyone lunch the least I can do is split the money with her."

Slider: "If I have one more shift with the lovebirds and they're eye fucking each other the whole time, I'm gonna quit."

[kazanskys-mitchell]

okay so someone sent me an ask about my headcanons for maverick and i had some technical difficulties. but here they are anyway!

again, these are random and some will be icemav related

first and foremost, maverick has been bi since before tg 86, i like to think that’s what goose meant by the “carnal knowledge, of a lady this time” comment

mav’s favorite color is blue, but only the shade of blue that’s on ice’s helmet

loves animals, more of a dog person. but will adopt as many strays and rescues (dogs and cats) as he can because they all deserve a loving home

likes to draw, is really good at it. has a sketchbook from when he was in top gun, full of drawings of jets and probably ice. ice finds the sketches years later and teases him (again, lovingly)

is a drama queen when he’s sick. when he has a cold or even his allergies act up, he makes it everyone’s problem. he also does it so that ice takes care of him

if he’s hurt from something happening while flying, he brushes it off like it’s no big deal. flying can’t take him out but a cold can

refuses to ask for help with simple things. i love the headcanon that he has to climb on the counter to get to something on the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet. ice always catches him and just sighs

needs to drink coffee in the morning immediately after he wakes up. he will probably consume at least 3 cups within the first hour of waking up

he loves to build things. anything. he’s a master at building legos and model planes. it’s what keeps him occupied in his retirement

can cook very simple things, like spaghetti, tacos, etc. he cooks on the nights that ice doesn’t feel like it

loves to use nicknames for absolutely everyone. it’s a bit of a weird thing for everyone to get used to, but it’s how mav shows his affection. he also loves to give hugs (i feel like that one’s obvious but still)

keep sending me these, i love answering them! i’ve got a lot of thoughts and need to get them out somehow

[compacflt]

do you ever think about/write about how maverick threw goose’s dog tags into the ocean? the letterboxd reviews have me thinking again.

yeah that was literally one of the first little things august 2022 me petulantly retconned . fuck that . he kept one.

in my (and many other ppls) opinion those weren’t mavs to throw away they should’ve stayed with carole

and (i try not to talk about this as much as possible but) it suggests Something about mav & goose’s relationship that the filmmakers thought his dog tags should go to mav instead of to Goose’s wife (though i acknowledge and appreciate the usefulness of the visual metaphor of him saying goodbye to goose at the end of TG) (though that visual metaphor was rendered completely moot by the whole of TGM showing that mav HASNT moved on from goose and only moves on once he has the chance to save roosters life [which is why i retconned it])

ALSO? i am sure I’m not the first person to talk about this? But, to add a second layer of confusion & analysis, uh, the dogtags mav throws into the ocean aren’t goose’s.

I’m reading “metcalf, mike” from the backside. Those are VIPER’s dogtags. for some reason.

now i choose to believe that’s a props issue… someone grabbed the wrong set of tags & they were like ehhh no one will notice… script supervisor not doing their fucking job… so i choose to believe the filmmakers MEANT goose’s dogtags & it doesn’t change the end of the movie for me.

But im interested to hear from you—does that change/add anything to anyone’s analysis to know that mav threw VIPER’s tags into the ocean? there are a lot of really weird implications that come from taking what is probably a props fuck-up at face value!!! (Viper giving mav his tags [weird], viper being mav’s surrogate dad figure, thereby this scene becomes about mav saying goodbye to his FATHER finally,.. etc.)

[tickletastic]

SAT Words and Moments-After Giggles

Fandom: TG: Maverick

Ship: Hangster

Summary: The only reason that Jake tenses up when Bradley kisses his neck is because he was taken by surprise, and there is absolutely no other reason.

Warnings: mentions of sex, crude language

AN: was inspired by @amazingmsme and their Top Gun anon lately, and, having seen TG:M like a dozen times, felt like I should come write something 

The room was so warm that Rooster nearly felt like he was suffocating, the stifling heat of what they spent the last hour doing mixing with the burning of Jake’s body heat. Rooster had thought the hate sex was good, but this? This was ineffable. 

He laughs to himself, thinking about the stupid ass SAT word he had learned more than a decade earlier now. Ineffable, a word to describe the indescribable? Isn’t that a bit paradoxical?

“Roos?” Hangman mumbles, eyes opening. He had been blinking a little longer every minute or so, a sign Rooster had become familiar with, signalling that his boyfriend was on his way out. 

“Don’t worry,” Rooster whispers back, his head craning slightly so he can put his lips to Jake’s neck. “It was nothing.”

Jake tenses up, a hot puff of air quickly leaving his nose, cheeks dusting the slightest of pinks. 

“What was that?” Bradley says quietly, leaning his head so he can catch Jake’s expression.

“Jus’ surprised me, s’all.” Jake breathes out, closing his eyes again.

“Oh,” Bradley says before returning his lips to Jake’s neck. Jake tenses again, and he can almost sense the confused puppy look on Bradley’s face.

“My eyes are closed!” He argues, “you surprised me again!”

“Surprised you? Jake, I just had my dick in you, this is the surprise?”

Jake’s cheek flush a bright red this time, and he laughs. “Not cool, Rooster, low-hanging fruit and all.”

“I wouldn’t say they were low-hanging-”

“Bradley!” 

Rooster laughs, hearty and full, before bringing himself back down to lay his head on Jake’s chest. 

“I’m gonna kiss you now, Jake.”

“Nope!” Jake’s hands shoot up, and he struggles to push Bradley’s head away from his neck, even with both hands.

“I knew it!” Bradley’s hands are suddenly on Jake’s sides, sending the blonde into a fit of pitched giggles that are completely uncharacteristic compared to his usual pompousness. 

“Roos, it tihihickles!” Jake screams, hands scrabbling to choose between pushing Bradley’s head away, where his teeth are nibbling at his collarbones, or push away his hands, which are growing dangerously close to his ribs. 

“That’s the point, Jake,” Rooster returns, smiling far too fondly down at Jake for the blonde’s liking.

“Sohohorry! Plehehease! Mehehercy!” Hangman yells the closer he feels the hands roam towards his ribs. He feels Bradley laugh against his neck, warm breath adding to the warmth of his face.

“What are you even apologizing for?” Bradley giggles. His laughter is soon overshadowed by a noise he could only ever describe as shrieking, though Jake would deny it to his dying day.

“NOHO! BRAHAHADLEY! FUHUHUCK OHOHOFF!” Bradley’s right hand reaches that spot right at the top of Jake’s ribcage and Jake absolutely loses it. He thrashes enough that they end up flipped, Jake huffing on top of Bradley, loose giggles still escaping. “You’re terrible.”

“Oh, you know you love me.” Bradley leans up just enough to kiss Jake’s nose, not at all helping his blush fade.

“I’d bet you’re just as bad,” Jake huffs, “or even worse. I bet you’re even worse, you big baby.”

“Not even close, baby.”

“Well,” Jake has a smirk on his face that sends a chill down Bradley’s spine, “good thing Mav’s downstairs and Phoenix is just a call away.”

With that, Jake is dashing down the stairs, grabbing a shirt off the floor while he runs to find Maverick. Bradley knows that Jake’ll find out sooner or later, but he can’t help but chase after him anyways. 

[stupidgaypilots]

Details and Things I Noticed/Thought Of In TGM on my 5th Viewing.

- It is October - November of what I assume 2020 (movie got Covided).

- Picture of Cougar in Mav’s locker.

- Talk to me Goose/Dad is said 3 times, once in the Darkstar, once on the aircarrier, and when Rooster says Dad instead of Goose in the canyon.

- The test ship reached Mach 10.4 before going kaboom.

- The cafe in the town Mav lands is called Cecil’s Cafe.

- Rooster’s birthday is 27/06/1984

- Mav got sent to the Mojave Desert 3 years pre-movie.

- Bradleys car thingy is a Ford.

- Jake canonically calls Mav pops I thought that was fanon.

- The awkward energy around Sereshaw when they’re first introduced together is not my imagination.

- Mav’s TG class was of July 1986.

- There’s a no cell phone sign outside the wait room (that room where the pilots wait for their turn when training).

- Hondo’s football shirt number is 13.

- Penny’s door number is 391.

- Hold My Hand can first be heard in the scene when Penny and Mav “get together”.

- PennyMav are exes to lovers… like a certain unconfirmed couple hehe.

- They only trained for about 2 weeks.

- “Nobody to mourn you when you burn in”… 2 seconds later, Ice is dead.

- F-18 Wings have joints.

- The nervous sweating omg.

- The enemy airstrip is known as Airstrip Alpha.

- “Talk to me Dad” and Mav immediately responding.

- The drop of the sad dramatic music and cut to Hangman at the same time.

- Gong sound and then “Maverick” from Cyclone.

- “Come on Mav do some of that pilot shit” was originally said by Goose and reiterated by Rooster.

- When hangman saves rooster they have their moment tm and it means everything to me just saying.

- WHY DID THEY HAVE TO HANDSHAKE HUG KISS ANYTHING GODDAMNIT.

- Just causually thinking how the endgame couple of PennyMav were exes to lovers… hmmm…. So about Jake and Bradley-

[feetoffire]

gay pilot movies, the rec list

in light of the recent posts about rec lists: Top Gun fics that live in my head rent free. also, this got really long - excessively so - so i split it into two parts. part two.

Ongoing - the fic is complete, but not all chapters are posted

WIP - fic isn’t finished

Incomplete - last-updated-more-than-a-year-ago WIPs

where i can, i’ve tagged the tumblr’s of the authors. recs under the cut; spoilers (of all types) abound

Gen

anything by PurpleArrowzandLeather

Milk by Anonymous. Technically a/b/o dynamics, but it’s kind of understated? Mav nurses baby!Bradley. Set during TG86, but the very end jumps forward some. Eventual Icemav. Contains possibly one of my favorite Icemav interactions in any fic ever. Sweet. 3k oneshot, T. Complete.

Mitchell Family Name series by PurpleArrowzandLeather. Jake is Charlie and Mav’s kid, but Mav only discovers this when Charlie contacts him because she decides to hand over full custody. Lots of domestic fluff and the ‘86 crew rallies around Mav. Absolutely adorable. 13k in four parts, G-T. WIP.

When You Wish Upon a Star by PurpleArrowzandLeather. Mav gets de-aged while Goose is away for the weekend, which prompts the ‘86 crew to adopt him pretty much immediately. Mentions of Maverick’s terrible childhood come up a lot. Ice in particular is very protective. 13k oneshot, T. Complete.

Emotional Support Aviator by PurpleArrowzandLeather. Ice needs a hug. Tiny!Mav. Spans from post-TG to post TG:M. I love this. 2.5k oneshot, T. Complete.

Weasel Your Way Out of It by PurpleArrowzandLeather. Mav can shift into a weasel. Hijinks and fluff and bonding ensue. It’s so damn cute. 3.9k oneshot, G. Complete.

Hop 31 Fallout

Beyond series by boasamishipper (@boasamishipper). Ghost!Goose needles Ice into keeping an eye on/taking care of Mav, with special guest Maverick’s-bad-coping-skills. Regards the MavCharlie relationship as at least a little toxic. Icemav, doubles as a get together fic. 45.6k in three parts, T-M. Complete.

Seeing a Trailer by daenabenjen42. Post TG86 with adrenaline crashes and PTSD for everybody! The ‘86 crew adopts Mav and takes care of each other. Also, people start wondering what, exactly, happened to Duke Mitchell. Has a companion piece for background drabbles. Fifteen chapters, 26.7k, G. WIP.

Sword and Shield Be Gone by PurpleArrowzandLeather. Some time after TG86, Mav gets jumped by sailors on leave. The ‘86 crew, who have adopted him, take exception to that. Also ft. survivor’s guilt, self-hatred, soft boys, and how viciously the grapevine can twist things. 2.9k oneshot, T. Complete.

To Be So Blind by PurpleArrowzandLeather. Ice and Slider decide that Mav needs someone to take care of him after Goose dies and you know what? They’re right and they should say it. (Mav, of course, disagrees, but they don’t listen to him). 3k oneshot, T. Complete.

Stood Alone, Standing Together by PurpleArrowzandLeather. Goose lives! But none of the medics see to Mav until Ice and Slider make them. Naturally, Ice, Slider, and Viper are Unhappy about this. 3.1k oneshot, T. Complete.

Watch His Six by Shearmouth.  Goose lives, but someone beats Mav within an inch of his life in the showers. Ft. Ice and Slider figuring out that Mav a) needs help and b) is, actually, a good person. Two chapters, 10k, T. Ongoing.

Haunted by the Ghost of You by TheRebelHunter. AU. What if both jets went down during Hop 31? The image of Mav holding the other three afloat is seared into my brain. Everyone lives tho! Even if the Navy as a whole hates Mav because of his last name. Hurt/comfort, with a delightful amount of angst. I’m ridiculously excited every time it updates. Fourteen chapters, 20.5k, E. WIP. Rating is likely for the subject matter rather than sex.

Peak Icemav

fire in the sky tonight by susiecarter. God I love this fic. It’s Perfect. They exchange dogtags!!!!! Mav is smol!!!!! Arranged marriage AU inspired by the Sacred Band of Thebes (it’s kind of a wedding night fic). 4.4k oneshot, E. Complete.

time to let go by AortaArgent (@aortaargent). Where do I start? The vibe of this one is *chef’s kiss*. Goodbye sex, i.e. set the night before the mission. Ice is alive, trans Mav, “feelings with smut”, old married couple. They just love each other so much okay. Mixed terms used for a trans man’s genitals. 8.6k oneshot, E. Complete.

Easier Done Than Said series by COMPACFLT (@compacflt). I adore this one. Full on adore it. That being said, it’s emotionally rough, i.e. men not talking about their feelings and also the period-typical internalized homophobia and sexism. Look, honestly they are such idiots and terrible to themselves and each other, but it's so grounded and realistic and good. Occasionally being irritated at their emotional stunted-ness aside, this is one of the best ‘Icemav through the years’ fics out there. Go read it. You won’t regret it. (The second work is somewhat less emotionally stunted.) 131k in two (multi-chaptered) parts, M. Ongoing.

No Less Than Two Miracles by thecarlysutra (@icemankazansky). “You are Iceman Kazansky. You have been dead for less than three days.” Ice has a hand in Mav and Bradley surviving. Second person POV. Icemav. Achingly sweet (and exasperated. you can’t have icemav without exasperation). Wingmen, and all the things that implies. I just. This one is wonderful. 891 words, oneshot, M. Complete.

Mav Whump

Wings Threaded by the Same Weave by WafflesRisa (@wafflesrisa). The wingfic. TG:M!Maverick and Rooster get yeeted back to 1986 (before hop 31), so much angst and drama/trauma, and grief, “tg:m!Mav is confusing and scary to the ‘86 people”. Three chapters, 23.2k, T. WIP

seventy minutes by AortaArgent (@aortaargent). Post TG:M. Mav is self-destructive and more than a little broken in every sense of the term; I think it’s fair to call him traumatized. His approach to sex is very transactional, which throws a wrench in the process of him and Rooster getting together. (they do get together tho.) Angst, hurt/comfort, and fluff at the end. I circle back to this one fairly regularly. Title from a Siken poem. Five chapters, 19.3k, E. Complete.

I’ve Got You, Brother by PurpleArrowzandLeather. Sickfic. Goose is spending the weekend with Carole and Bradley, so it falls to the ‘86 cohort to take care of a fevered and terrified Mav. (they adopt him literally overnight.) Ft. protective!Ice and musing on Mav’s circumstances during and prior to TG86. 12k oneshot, T. Complete. 

Sunshine in a Cup by mavericked (@beterparker). Post TG:M, focuses on how much two ejections in a month would suck, ft. chronic pain. Also, Mav kind of learns to get out of his own way. 8k oneshot, T. Complete. 

Sailor’s Delight by mavericked (@beterparker). Mav crashes his bike on the way to work and ends up with hyperthermia, among other injuries. Whumptober 2022 prompt. Two chapters, 6.3k, T. Complete.

Never Take a Spark by mavericked (@beterparker). Post TG:M, Rooster picks a fight about his papers and leaves in a huff, which throws Mav into a major panic attack. Angst, Ice grief, Mav needs a hug. 9k oneshot, T. Complete.

The Trouble of a Family Name by PurpleArrowzandLeather. OC!Admiral beats Mav half to death because he’s got a grudge against Duke Mitchell, cue panicking Goose and Ice + Slider to the rescue. ‘86 crew adopts Mav. Four chapters, 9.2k, M. Complete.

two thousand miles apart, you’re my home series by GraceEliz. Yes. just. yes. post movie, musing on fate and conversations, second work is a 5+1. 5.5k in two parts, T. WIP.

scared my love, you’ll go (just for tonight i’m wasted on you) by CaughtInATalespin. Dubcon warning. Mav is a wreck during and after Ice’s funeral, Rooster promises to get him home. Ft. major miscommunications and dubcon, Roosmav, poor Mav honestly. 7.9k oneshot, E. Complete.

[tngrace]

Trick or Treat

For: @angstchaos for the @topguntrickortreat fic exchange. This was such fun & I hope you enjoy it. A03 link; TG/M Masterlist

The first year after Nick was hard for all holidays, but Mav made sure to put extra effort into them for Bradley since he was at home teaching at TOPGUN. He knew the kid might not remember them since he was still so young, but still he tried. Two years after Nick though, it came easier. Bradley was so excited any time he got to see his Uncle Mav, but he especially loved the holidays and all the effort Mav put into them.

Halloween had to be his favorite though. Uncle Mav would help him with his costume, and Bradley was even able to convince Uncle Mav to dress up with him. His mom always tried to get Mav out of it, but when Bradley turned those big puppy dog eyes on him, Mav was a goner. He could never tell the kid no, and Bradley knew it.

This year, though, it was supposed to rain on Halloween which was rare. They were saying it could even storm. Carole was trying hard not to ruin Bradley's enthusiasm over Halloween, but trick or treating or any Halloween activity for that matter appeared as if it wasn't going to happen. She knew she'd have one upset little boy at that. Mav was due back into town the week before Halloween, and she knew once he arrived and saw the weather, he'd be just as disappointed as her son.

"Mama is Uncle Mav here yet?" Bradley asked her for the hundredth time, even though he'd only been home from school a short time, on Monday before Halloween.

"Is he standing here?" she teases.

Bradley shakes his head with a pout. "Don't worry little bird. He'll be here. Uncle Mav never breaks promises."

"I know," Bradley sighed before he went back to the window to wait and watch. He already had his costume idea ready to present to Uncle Mav, and he just knew his uncle was going to love it. It was another hour before the roar of a motorcycle could be heard rolling into the driveway. Bradley raced from his room to the front door, barely stopping before crashing through it. Carole just shook her head with a laugh.

Bradley jumped at Mav as soon as he started opening the door. "Woah!" Mav laughed dropping his bag as he caught his godson. "Someone has grown a foot since I saw him last!"

"You haven't grown any," Bradley teases.

Mav pretends to be offended before he starts a tickle attack on the six year old. Bradley shrieks and giggles in between trying to beg Mav to stop. "Take it back," Mav threatens with more tickles until Bradley relents. Mav pulls him back up right and Bradley hugs him tight. "I missed you too kiddo," Mav whispers. He finally makes it all the way into the house to greet Carole, Bradley staying in his arms.

Once Mav gets settled, Bradley brings up Halloween. "I already know what my costume is going to be."

"Tell me," Mav smiles.

"I gonna be an ava'tor like you Uncle Mav."

Mav sees Carole freeze, and he knows he'll have to come back to that later, but he gives Bradley a full smile. "Oh yea? We'll have to go find you a mini flight suit."

"And jacket!"

"Jacket?"

"Yea. Like the one you wear. I want one with all the patches too!"

Mav chuckles as he ruffles Bradley's hair. "Ok Baby Goose. We'll see what we can do."

"Bradley you know we've talked about the weather. You know you might not get to go," Carole warns from her spot on the couch.

Bradley turns his eyes to Mav. "We can still go if it's raining, right Uncle Mav?"

"We'll just have to see Baby Goose." Mav ruffles his hair and tries not to let Bradley's pout go to his heart. "But!" Bradley perks up at that, making Mav smile once more. "I promise it'll still be a really fun Halloween."

"Promise?"

"Always!"

Bradley's smile returns once more and he tells Mav all the things he's planned out for them to do while Mav is in town for the week, not realizing Mav's keeping a surprise from him.

Leading up to Halloween is sunny and hot, so the boys stay out a lot. They get supplies for his costume, managing to find a flight suit and a leather jacket, much to Bradley's delight. Mav gets some extra patches from base and Viper, who is more than happy to see Bradley when Mav takes him to visit. Once they have his costume together, they find corn mazes and fall activities to keep them busy during the afternoon after school, and at night before bed they watch Halloween movies until Bradley falls asleep.

"Mav, you know if it's raining you can't take him out. Houses won't be passing out candy or anything," Carole reminds two nights before Halloween.

"I know. Don't worry Carole. I've got a plan," Mav reassures.

She just gives him a skeptical look and shakes her head. "We should talk about his costume too."

"What about it?" Mav asks puzzled.

"Pete," she sighs putting down the blanket she'd been knitting. "Bradley cannot become an aviator. I don't want him in the Navy. Ever."

"Carole he's just a kid. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Besides it's Halloween. It's just a costume."

"I mean it Pete. Don't ever forget it either. Bradley is not going to be in the Navy. He looks up to you so much, and he wants to be just like you. You can't let that happen."

Mav concedes to keep the peace, but he's worried about her.

The next day, is cloudy and dreary and they spend all day in the house. Mav and Bradley spread decorations from one end of the house to the other. It honestly looks like Halloween threw up in there, but Carole doesn't have the heart to ruin their fun. Mav helps Bradley make Halloween themed cookies later that night after supper and before bed he lets him in on a little secret.

"I've got a surprise for you tomorrow buddy."

"A surprise?" Mav chuckles at how much Bradley perks up, even as Mav tucks him into bed.

"Yep. A surprise. Should be here when you wake up in the morning ok?"

"I'm going to sleep right now Uncle Mav I promise." He slams his eyes shut and Mav chuckles once more.

"Sweet dreams Baby Goose," Mav whispers as he places a soft kiss on Bradley's forehead. He tucks the covers around him and switches on his nightlight before he heads out.

Carole is in the kitchen cleaning up and Mav joins her. "I have a surprise Care."

"What have you done now, Trouble?"

"Nothing bad I promise," he laughs. "The Flyboys get in tonight. Don't worry they've got rooms booked. But they're excited to see you and Bradley and spend Halloween with us."

"Oh wow! Pete! How did you manage this?!"

"Ice did it," he shrugs. "Said they'd love to spend the holidays with us this year."

"Bradley's going to love it." They finish cleaning up for the night and tuck into bed, knowing tomorrow will be wild.

Bradley is up at five am, jumping on Mav's bed. Mav pulls him down beside him, chuckling as Bradley whines at being held down. "Is too early Baby Goose."

"Na uh! You promised a surprise when I woke up!"

Mav tucks Bradley in beside him and brushes the hair off his forehead. "You were supposed to wake up at a normal hour kiddo. Not early. Your surprise will be here soon."

Bradley pouts but concedes to lay there with Mav for a little longer. They get up around six and go to make Halloween pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Just as they're finishing the breakfast there is a knock at the door. Bradley turns big eyes to Mav, knowing it's way to early for anyone to be coming to visit his mom.

"Is that my surprise?"

"Let's go find out," Mav laughs, as Bradley races to the door. He at least remembers all the safety talks Carole had given him and waits for Mav to open it.

"I hear there's a little goose around here needing a squad for trick or treating," Ice says when Mav swings the door open. Bradley squeals in delight and throws himself at Ice.

"Uncle Mav you got everybody here?!"

Ice carries Bradley in and the rest of the flyboys follow. "Nope kiddo. That would all be your Uncle Ice."

Bradley hugs Ice tight offering a very quiet thank you in his ear before he gets passed around to the others for hugs. "I thought I heard chaos," Carole smiles as she joins them.

"That's all we ever bring," Wood smiles before Carole gets her own round of hugs.

Once Bradley has made it all the way around the room for attention he reminds Mav he's hungry. Mav chuckles as he makes up plates for everyone, Bradley helping him and dutifully passing them out to all his uncles.

After breakfast, Bradley models his costume, including his mini replica jacket, and the Flyboys all ooohh and ahhh over it, making Bradley beam.

"Are you sure you need that jacket too Baby Goose?" Slider teases.

"Yes! It's just like Uncle Mav's!"

"He's just teasing you kiddo," Mav laughs as he ruffles Bradley's hair.

The rain started mid-morning and by lunch Bradley was pouting. Carole was insisting they couldn't take him trick or treating in the rain because he would get sick, but none of the uncles could stand the pout. "What if we just took him to base?" Mav poses.

"Most of the offices do have candy," Ice agrees.

"I'm sure we could swing by Viper and Jester's as well," Wood throws in.

Between all of them they come up with a solid plan, and Carole just lets them. She's learned there's really no point in trying to dissuade them once they set their minds to something. Plus, they'd do anything to make Bradley happy no matter what anyone says.

Mid-afternoon, they load Bradley into Wolfe's truck and head to base. It's a tight fit but with Carole wanting to stay home out of the rain, they make it work. Once on base, they hit up all the offices they know will have candy for Bradley, and all the officers praise Bradley's replica flight suit. Once they've made their rounds there, they head to Jester's house first.

"Just make sure you don't act like your Uncle Mav," Jester teases Bradley when he sees the kid dressed just like his uncle.

"Promise!" Bradley smiles.

He gets more candy and treats and spoiling at Viper's house. Mike and his wife both doting on the kid, and insisting on a picture of all of them since Bradley had convinced them to wear their flight suits too. Mike had told them of some houses in his neighborhood that were still passing out candy, so after leaving his house, they made a few more stops before Bradley was almost passed out. Slider was currently carrying the kid and he was nodding off.

"Think he had fun anyways?" Mav asked Ice as they were heading back to the truck.

"I think the kid has a blast any time he gets to spend with you Mav. We were just extra bonuses."

"Yea. I hope so."

"What's really going on?"

Mav sighs as he turns to Ice. "You read me too well."

"Job hazard." Mav knows it's more than that, but he doesn't call him on it. Ice raises his eyebrow at Mav to quit stalling.

"I think something's going on with Carole. She hasn't acted like normal this time. And..." He chews on his lip as he remembers their conversation about the costume. "She wasn't happy with B's costume this year. Made sure I knew he would never be in the Navy."

"Sounds like maybe you need to talk to her. We could take Bradley out tomorrow?"

"Yea. I'll run it by her when we get back." With a plan in place, and Bradley passed out on Slider they headed back to the house. The next day Bradley declared it the best Halloween ever because he had all of his favorite people in one place at one time. Mav never was able to work anything out with Carole over her fears of Bradley being in the Navy. They all tried at some point, but her mind was made up. 

Bradley never did know that every year he dressed up like his Uncle Mav, Carole became more and more concerned about him following in his uncles' footsteps. It wasn't until the big fight, the years of silence, and the reunion and explanation did he ever understand why Halloween was never Carole's favorite holiday. It was always a reminder of what she'd never be able to stop.

Looking back, Bradley realizes that the Halloween it rained was probably his best Halloween ever, and he hoped one day his uncles would help him make Halloween the best for his kids as well. 

[boasamishipper]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 🤍

you're so prolific I want to make you pick 5 😈

how can you ask me to choose Only Five.......this is like asking me to choose a favorite child.......

The Stars Walk Backward (Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Finn/Rey)

this fic contains everything i wish the sequel trilogy had given me: luke training finn and rey, reysky, endgame finnrey, queer poe dameron (as well as a plethora of other queer characters), kylo ren actually being a villain, a finn-centric main storyline, a stormtrooper rebellion, etc etc etc. it remains one of my more complicated multi-chaps (see: all the plot points i made myself juggle), and though i will forever be angry about the direction the sequel trilogy took, this fic will always have a special place in my heart.

Make A Wrong One Right (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, Maverick&Goose)

[stefon snl voice] this fic has everything. time travel. magical realism. heavy angst. gratuitous back to the future references. ice and mav's conversation in ch2 remains my all-time favorite scene i have ever written for them.

Word on the Street (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, Outsider POV)

in which a handsome navy pilot moves into the neighborhood and the real housewives of fallon, nevada, promptly go feral - even more so when none of them can seem to agree on what the handsome navy pilot looks like. this was my first time writing outsider pov, and i had an absolute blast doing so. sharon markowe my short jewish queen 2kforever.

You Had Me At Aloe (Top Gun, Iceman/Maverick, pre-Rooster/Phoenix/Fritz)

fritz may have gotten exactly Zero lines in top gun: maverick which is sad but Also that means that my headcanon of him as amy santiago trapped in the body of jason mendoza is not jossed!! hurray!! while i loved writing fritz being a Mess and the number one iceman kazansky stan on base and playing off bradley and phoenix (as well as sick!mav confusing bradley for goose), this fic makes the top five faves list solely because of this exchange:

Fritz buries his face into a wad of toilet paper and wails. “I told my hero he looked like a plant!” There’s a long pause. Fritz can hear Phoenix whispering part of an explanation. “Well,” Bradley says at last. “In your defense, he kind of does.” “That doesn’t make it better!”

For A Minute There I Lost Myself (Ted Lasso, Nate Shelley-centric)

you know, during the hiatus i was pretty proud of myself for coming up with this version of nate's s3 arc, and after s3 dropped i was even more proud of myself because Boy Howdy is 'nate grows into himself as a coach for west ham, bonds with his players, stands up to rupert, and mends fences with ted, who also apologizes to him' a more compelling storyline than whatever the fuck jason sudeikis and co gave us. goddamn.

bonus 5 faves because i can:

When I See Your Light Shine (Ted Lasso) - In which Sam matches with Dani on Bantr instead of Rebecca, and the rom-com of the ages ensues. Part 1 of a series.

Austin Alone (9-1-1: Lone Star) - In which Owen and Billy become friends with benefits after the reopening of the 126. Co-written with my bestie @lilalbatross.

and it was not your fault but mine (Ted Lasso) - In which Jamie learns that forgiveness is not the same thing as trust, and Sam gets some agency back.

Many Happy Returns (No Exchanges or Refunds) (What We Do In The Shadows TV) - In which it is Colin Robinson's birthday.

'cause a cat's the only cat (who knows where it's at) (Top Gun, Captain Marvel) - In which Maverick and Iceman's alien cat has alien kittens. Part 8 of my TG Captain Marvel AU series.

[lannisterdaddyissues]

hey so @interropunct and i think of you as the TC expert. we're gonna try to watch Maverick soon but i absolutely cannot watch the first one, i'll break out in 80s Hives. is there anything we need to know about the original TG going into Maverick (besides iceman was val kilmer and he was maverick's rival and idk they fly planes).

help???? thank you

omg hiii pal i am so flattered you think of me this way!! 🥹 and dw dw i also watched tgm without having seen the original top gun so there's not much you need to know going in to enjoy the experience <3

anyway other things you need to know are:

bradley bradshaw, the deuteragonist of the film, is the son of maverick's best friend (goose) who flew as his RIO (backseater) in the first movie. he died in a training accident when mav got caught in ice's jetwash. it's been ~35 years since then and mav still hasn't moved on

even if watching top gun will give you '80s hives i still must recommend the original to you even if only for you to meet goose bradshaw. he is the epitome of Too Good For This World So He Has To Die and only sociopaths do not love him

i am serious. respect the goose. he died for all our sins 🛐

now back to the topic at hand:

iceman was indeed val kilmer and mav's homoerotic rival! he and mav butted heads A LOT over the fact that mav flew very dangerously and unconventionally which put his classmates at risk. most of the iconic lines in the film stem from their arguments

in the end they overcame their differences after the "layton mission," where they fought off five enemy planes by themselves. they became top gun legends for this and also shared a gay handshake and a line about being each other's valentines after the layton mission. love wins!

despite mav now being a top gun legend, by the time tgm takes place ice is still one of the only guys in the navy who likes mav despite how he flies

penny (jennifer connelly's character) was created for tgm but they got the idea for her character from an offhand remark in the first film! this isn't important to know but i think it's neat

obligatory content warning for planes, sunsets, and male-presenting nipples! watch out for these if you're not a fan

i hope this helps!!!

[the-ace-with-spades]

Hi again. I know you just wrote a phenomenal response to one of my asks so no pressure at all to answer this one. But I have noticed a lot of transMaverick posts on tumblr recently, and I was wondering if that’s something you vibe with at all. I think they are very cool and an interesting take on a well loved character. Your work monkey child is just so wonderful and moving that it made me curious as to your thoughts on this topic. Also feel free to not respond if you are not comfortable, as I realize this could be a sensitive topic for many people. Thank you so much!!! Hope you are doing well and that you aren’t working too hard. Make sure yo take time to have a break and smell the flowers do to speak.

Oh my, sorry but this might be a bit long as this is such an interesting topic for me...

While I enjoy fics/fanart involving trans Mav, I do not vibe with it that much?? I like it as a concept and I'll always be glad that people are up to interpret/headcanon characters as trans, no matter which characters -- there isn't much trans representation in mainstream media, especially when it comes to transmasc people, with lack of main characters being a major problems, so I definitely take comfort in headcanoning characters as trans in fanwork. I could go on a tangent here about this but the gist is, there's either no rep, very background rep that absolutely doesn't bring anything to the story and feels added as an afterthought, trans rep whose story is told in a way that can be pityable and accommodated to cis audience, and very sad, stereotypical trans rep when you've got the whole dramatic haircutting in front of a mirror, ace bandages, and 'that's not my name, mom' that's not the reality and a major simplification, or we have sob story trans rep that dies at the end. I've written a major assignment about this (curiously, before I came out as trans...) and my point is, fanwork is a form of comfort and rep that we're not getting anywhere else.

I don't vibe with trans Mav as much since my modus operandi in fandoms is primarily staying around canon/canon divergence, so most of the headcanons/ideas I like are close to the reality of the universe of the original media or could take place in it without major changes to the universe. When I write, I try to make it semi-realistic in the same way. Obviously, TG and TG:M disregard some physics laws and have a lot of very improbable things happening in them but socially and historically seem to be the same as our reality.

There's a reason I wrote Bradley coming out later in life in monkey pilot rather than have him come out before NROTC or while in flight training (and it wasn't just because I wanted to write the Jake drama...) - in short, realistically, trans people weren't allowed to be part of armed forces until 2015 (in the US, of course) and they only allowed people who were already in service to return after transition, you couldn't enlist as an openly trans person until a year later (that was iffy too, and more complicated but I won't go into details), and to this day, veterans are fighting to get their VA benefits back as they were taken away if they came out as trans after completing service... Laws regarding trans people were in general more complicated before 2010s (name and gender legal changes, mainly) as well as access to trans healthcare, and coming out as trans wouldn't really be an option (realistically) if one wanted to be part of the military anytime before 2016. Even in the monkey pilot I've taken a large artistic license (gave Ice a bit more power than he would have in reality...) to keep Bradley in the Navy post-transition.

This means there isn't a way for Mav to be openly trans and in the Navy in the 80s while also in service. It's always in the back of my mind whenever I see fanarts or read fics because the sad truth is, that wouldn't be the reality. I know a lot of trans people like to write trans characters in settings and universes with a silent 'transphobia doesn't exist' au and I can see the appeal of that at times but once again, not my modus operandi (with the exception of different job aus, I think?).

I do think that an Icemav fic could be an interesting idea and made realistically if we had Mav closeted and serving in his agab (so, female to the outside world) but slowly coming out to the found family around him (Carole, Goose) without transitioning. This is something that sometimes, undeniably, happens in the trans community -- people don't come out or start the transition process because it's not safe or will severely impact the comfort of their life. There are ways to affirm your identity without coming out in every aspect of your life and Mav might have very well been supported like that by his friends and family as long as he was in service. I imagine that it could create an internal dilemma for both Ice and Mav once they started falling for each other -- Mav, as he'd probably want to come clean, and Ice because he'd have to decide if he would be able to relationship with a guy. I imagine they would live their life as a hetero couple outside their home, and as truly themselves in their own home for the majority of their lives and Mav would transition late in life, at the age of fifty-three, and this is also something so underexplored. You might have noticed that trans Mav art and fics are mostly with him being a twenty-something twink, which, again, is probably more relatable as most fandom people are twenty-something, but it kind of takes away the appeal for me -- I like to find comfort in that despite the struggles and the reality for trans people being bad, there's a happy ending waiting somewhere or with someone.

Different people engage in fandom for different reasons and I totally understand that my point of view may not be the most common one. I'll never say that people shouldn't headcanon/write/draw Mav as trans because, in the end, I don't have to be completely on board to find it enjoyable or to see the value it can bring to others.

I'm sorry if this was a bit long and thank you for the asks - it's so kind of you to send any at all to me. Once again, hope you're doing well and taking care of yourself too 💙

[torchflies]

Hi TG Fandom!

It’s me again! 

So, we all know Rooster had his little meltdown and said his whole schtick: “No wife. No kids. No one to mourn you when you burn in.” to Maverick like a spoiled little brat while having none of those things. And okay, he was mad, sure, but he hit below the belt — anyway, hang on…

Imagine this instead:

A nineteen-year-old Rooster going to college classes at a university that isn't the Academy (after blowing up at the only family he has left), who falls for a Bio Major that offered him a free bulb when his tail-light blinker went out. 

I need you to imagine that he really loves this girl — the full Carl and Ellie from Up — he loves her more than anything. Of course, they have no money and they live off ramen noodles in a shitty studio apartment. But he starts a life with this girl, proposes to her with his Mom’s ring, and all he wants to do is call Mav and Ice, to call the Flyboys, to say look at her, isn't she perfect?

He starts to lose that anger, it flows out of him with every hungry night that he gives up his dinner so she can have more, with every paycheck-to-paycheck month and when they both pull all-nighters to make it through.

He slowly realizes how much Mav must have sacrificed when he was small and suddenly, he feels wrong inside. 

He wants to apologize, to go home. 

But he's still young and bitter and he doesn't want them to be right. He doesn't want not-going-to-the-Academy to be a good thing. He wants to be right. 

So he chickens out of it every time he goes for the phone, finding yet another reason to push it off. 

Until there are three positive pregnancy tests on the bathroom sink and he's barely twenty and they get married at the courthouse because they're desperate. 

They graduate at the same time and she's pregnant with triplets. 

He’s floored, because triplets? 

They have nothing, but it’s a beautiful life nevertheless.

They move to Cali and live in his parents’ old house. Bradley joins the Navy and she decides to start teaching. He refuses to ask for help, even when they struggle, even when he knows his family is less than an hour away. He also feels so guilty, because now there are going to be babies and he has a wife and it all seems so small in comparison. He doesn't care about the Academy anymore. All he cares about is her and the babies.

He doesn't know how to do this, how to be a father without the men who showed him what it is to be one.

And he's going to call, he swears he is…

Then his wife starts complaining about a headache that doesn't go away and her ankles are so swollen. 

He rushes her to the ER as fast as he can, but she has a seizure in the car that goes on for forever. She has eclampsia. She won't stop seizing. They have to do an emergency C-section. She's only twenty-three weeks. 

They lose her on the table, Baby A never makes it to the NICU, Baby C is born sleeping — there was something wrong with the placenta — and they ask him if he wants to try and save Baby B. 

Baby B, the smallest of the bunch, who has a severe form of spina bifida, a cleft lip and is barely a pound. 

Bradley says yes and plans for four funerals at the age of twenty-one. 

But Baby B doesn't die, he gets just about every dangerous complication for a twenty-three-weeker in the NICU, but he doesn't die. 

Mitchell Thomas Bradshaw — Mickey — named after the two strongest men that Bradley knows — comes home with him after seven months in the NICU. 

I need a Bradley who intimately understands what he's saying to Maverick, I need a Bradley who has had both of those things — a wife, kids — and lost them too. 

I need a Bradley who has lived a life in the interim and has grown up despite every challenge he faced, whose anger isn't really anger anymore. 

I need a Bradley who tried to call home once, only once, while his baby was dying in the NICU, and was told to stop calling after what he did by one of the Flyboys (probably while Ice was sick). 

I need a Bradley who has a deeper reason to be upset, who is angry at himself as much as he is at Maverick. 

I need a Bradley who has been raising a child for fifteen years on his own — one who gives him just as much back-talk and sass as he once gave Mav — who lost the person he loved most in the world and his children and somehow had to keep going. 

I need a Bradley who has become Maverick. 

That’s how that line makes sense anyway 🤣

[youngeditor1999]

I posted 5,843 times in 2022

17 posts created (0%)

5,826 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@natashatrace

@boasamishipper

@spongebobssquarepants

@anything----and-everything

@chilewithcarnage

I tagged 1,423 of my posts in 2022

#love - 473 posts

#babes - 451 posts

#bradley rooster bradshaw - 450 posts

#jake hangman seresin - 426 posts

#top gun: maverick - 420 posts

#hangster - 336 posts

#sereshaw - 285 posts

#pete maverick mitchell - 198 posts

#natasha phoenix trace - 154 posts

#bradley/jake - 133 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#also in my mind they silently told each other that they can fly with the other anytime and and that they are both glad that the other is ok

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Ok!! So now that it's officially fanon that Jake "Hangman" Seresin is indeed the biggest Swiftie out of the group, what do y'all think are his top Taylor songs??

The correct answer is ✨obvisouly all of them✨ but if you could only pick 5-10 (😩), which ones are they (and why, but you don't have to say why if you don't want to/don't have the time, effort and energy to)?

I'm choosing:

1) Gorgeous

2) All Too Well 10 minute version

3) King of my Heart

4) Style

5) Love Story

6) Out of the Woods

7) Fearless

8) Red

9) Cardigan 

10) You are in Love

BONUS: Our Song, This Love, Mary’s Song (Oh My My My), The Best Day, Better than Revenge, New Romantics.

I am begging all of you to let me and the rest of us fans know!!!

(Also, Glen Powell needs to 👏🏻get 👏🏻on 👏🏻it and add some Taylor to his official Spotify Hangman playlist! We are more than ✨ready for it✨. 😏😉😝😍)

P.S-I know that these are numbered from one to ten, but in my mind, they’re not actualy ranked that way. Especially because I can see Jake loving and appreciating all of these songs equally. 🤗😌 The numbers on this list are more for pratical reasons than anything else!! 

33 notes - Posted June 25, 2022

#4

I love how as a fandom, though we ship Jake "Hangman" Seresin with different people, the one thing that we all agree upon is that he is so totally not straight. 😊

(And to those of you who are seeing the connection between Hangman and Phoenix...you are valid and accurate; there was definetly something there that was/had been happening between them...👀)

35 notes - Posted June 16, 2022

#3

I was so excited to see Top Gun: Maverick that though I have in fact seen the original many times before, I didn't rewatch it before I went to the theater.

Last night I rewatched it again after seeing TG: M three times (so far!!). I'm embarrassed to admit this but here we go: I totally forgot about the part where they're in the bar and Ice comes over to Goose and Mav and greets Goose by saying, "Mother Goose!" 🥺🤧

It's an important part and means so much to me, especially because of how broken up Ice later is when he's telling Maverick how sorry he is about Goose. 😭

43 notes - Posted June 16, 2022

#2

Y'ALL:

This is from a Buzzfeed article (read it in full here: 17 Times "Top Gun: Maverick" References "Top Gun" https://buzzfeed.com/evelinamedina/top-gun-maverick-then-vs-now) and when I read the above I literally screamed out loud because basically, this article is confirming that yep, all of us did indeed see what we saw when it comes Hangman and Rooster. 🤩

Look, interpret this piece of information (that we all knew anyway lol) however you want, just know that I am loosing my fangirl mind right now.

Addtionally, on a somewhat related but also kind of random note, I would like to point out that I personally see Hangman as an Ice-Maverick hybrid because he kind of looks like Ice, but he follows the rules like how Maverick did (or didn't, rather...). Looks aside, I also get Ice vibes after he saved Mav and Rooster at the end of the movie!!!

And Bradley is very much his father's son, but still makes sure to follow the rules, always and of course (as we all saw!) is the first to point out whenever people are being unsafe and leaving their wingman when they aren't supposed to (Ice vibes for Rooster, anyone?? 🥺💙).

70 notes - Posted June 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Thinking about how Jake would call Bradley "baby" as a pet name has me going absolutely feral.

Not to mention all of the different ways he can say it and the context of when he uses it.

Just imagine them waking up next to each other and Jake's usually unheard southern accent slips out when he utters, "Morning, baby," because it's still early and he hasn't had time to adjust quite yet.

Or when he gleefully shouts, "Hey, baby!!" from across the room when he sees Bradley again for the first time after either one of them has been away on an assignment.

And of course, when they are in the heat of the moment and Jake pants out, "Yeah, baby, right there, that's the spot."

Yeah. 😌😍

Bradley is Jake's baby for now and for forever. ❤️

81 notes - Posted June 30, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[kanonsarchivedblog]

*EDIT 8/10/22* hi hello this got WAY more notes that I anticipated. I wanna slap a lil' disclaimer on here: I'm not involved in the military in any branch; my father was, but he retired out before I was even born, and due to some things I don't feel like putting on here, I no longer have him in my life. That being said- thank you to the wonderful writers & folks on here who've given me more information that I didn't have/didn't previously know of! I've only recently really been digging into my own family's military history (specifically with the Seabees), so what I know primarily comes from word of mouth or what I've been able to look into during my free time.

Also please do not take what I write on here as word of a god, per say. I'm just a writer who has found these two movies to be a massive comfort. But I'll be adjusting what I have written in here with information I've received, as well as shove this neat little piece of information about the Chest Candy that the Dagger Squad has thanks to @wombtotombx !!

I rewatched Top Gun: Maverick today and I noticed so many more little details that I hadn't before, so here you go. My thoughts. My rambles. Some theories.

First thing I noticed in the beginning is Maverick's patches on his flight jacket. He has it filled up with so many- but he also has a Seabee patch. The Seabees are a branch of the Navy that are sent in ahead of everyone else to literally build shelters for the soldiers and roads- and sometimes, embassies. (My dad was a Seabee in the 80s and 90s; he helped build the US Embassy in Cairo.) Which means that Maverick, at some point, maybe was not an aviator and instead worked on the GROUND. This isn't confirmed, he could have just been friends with a Seabee and they traded patches!

Whether this was BEFORE the events of TG or during the blank period, I don't know, but I genuinely loved that little detail. I just like that they included a little nod to them.

As we know from the first movie, Mav was never able to go into the Academy; chances are, he enlisted at 18 and went in starting at an E-0 rate, went through OCS (Officer Candidate School), or was able to be in ROTC during his high school/college years.

Also, Admiral Simpson is a 3 Star Admiral; Admiral Kazansky was a 4 Star Admiral.

Admiral Simpson was in the Academy the year Pete graduated, entering in 86 and graduating in 88 (the Academy takes 4 years to go through according to the current curriculum and rules). He would have just entered when the Accident occurred. He knows of Maverick, knows who he is and what he's capable of. He doesn't hate him. He just doesn't trust him, not completely, because of how reckless he is. [PLS NOTE THE ACADEMY IS USNA, NOT TOPGUN. I genuinely forgot to slap this in here but thank you to @indynerdgirl for this]

But Maverick has 6 rows of ribbons on his dress whites. How neat.

Warlock has 6.5 rows of ribbons!

I'm causally nabbing this from the replies to this post but @wombtotombx explained ribbons better than I've been able to understand: "More ribbons does absolutely not equal higher esteem! For example, you could have two ribbons because you received two individual meritorious awards (a Joint Achievement for being at a joint command, and a Navy/MC (Marine Corps, bc they're sister branches) Achievement at a Navy Command). But if you received these individual meritorious awards at Navy commands, you'd only get one ribbon (Navy/MC Achievement, with two stars). You can also have different ribbons for campaigns, which does not mean "esteem" but just means you were in the right place at the right time. For example, East Coast carriers that deployed to the Middle East and ended up with the Afghanistan & Inherent Resolve ribbons, plus GWOT-E. West Coast carriers did not have equivalent campaign ribbons. You could have done just as many sorties/strikes in the Pacific, but not have those "ribbons" because they don't exist."

But this also made me realize that Rueben Fitch/Payback doesn't have any ribbons at all on his uniform. Just his Wings of Gold.

Hondo is still amazing and is the literal backbone when he's on the carriers. He's the one who reads everything on the screens and without his guidance, no one would know what the fuck to do.

Natasha and Bradley have HISTORY- what that is, I don't know, but enough that she genuinely trusts his flying more than Jake's- meaning they have flown together in the past. Possibly all three have flown together.

Also, Coyote's "Hey" to her- HOO those two have HISTORY, TOO.

Natasha trusted Robert the MOMENT she realized he was her backseat. Any man who can just sneak up and no one notice? Thats a damn good pilot.

Jake was closer to Coyote, Halo, Omaha, Yale, and Harvard than the others. B Team vs A Team.

Omaha was Yale's backseat; Harvard flew alone. Halo was someone's RIO, but I can't remember who. [ EDIT: Rooster, Hangman, Coyote, and Fritz are single-seaters; Halo is Omaha's WSO and Harvard is Yale's WSO! ]

Iceman telling Pete that it's time to let go- not just of Goose (which he still doesn't), but of him, too. Tom knew that he was dying. He knew it. And he wanted Pete to be prepared. And how sad Tom looked when Pete started crying- his heart broke.

P e n n y. PENNY. The opening scene when Bradley starts singing Great Balls of Fire- how she looks so happy until she sees Maverick and sees that thousand yard stare- how she realizes that oh, holy shit, this is GOOSE'S son, and Pete is having a whole ass PTSD flashback. And how Pete's face crumbled- genuinely paled and looked ready to cry.

And then seeing how broken Pete was at Tom's funeral. How he was trying so fucking hard to hold those tears back because god, he's alone now. Rooster's words are true: no wife, no children, no one to mourn.

He's alone. Tom was the last piece. And he's gone.

Pete still talking to Goose gives me chills. He'll always talk to him. That's his wingman. But hearing him talk to Bradley immediately after he whispered 'Talk to me, dad.' God DAMN.

Also Bradley has a fear of open water. Its obvious. How he looks at the water while they fly over? Holy shit, that boy is scared out of his mind. All he can think of is this is how dad died in open water.

Jake Seresin. Jake, cocky bastard that he is, deserves to be a little cocky because he has three whole rows of ribbons. But he learned to care for his team, here. I don't think he had this connection to a team prior to this. And how terrified he looked while on standby when he heard that Rooster went down. He looked genuinely terrified. But was so, so fucking proud of his team when they got through it originally, before shit went BAD.

Also, whatever history he has with Natasha? And Rooster? I need to know. I loved hearing the Texan drawl.

But I think he tries to psych out his fellow pilots to make sure they're prepared for their mission. He wants to know who he can trust and who'll fuck it all up. And Rooster was the genuine wildcard, here.

Also, out of the 12 of them, Natasha and Jake have the most ribbons. They both have 3 full rows. From that I could see, I think Mickey (Fanboy) has the least, but I think that's because he may be the youngest? I'm not 100% sure on that, though.