#fandom: thunderbirds

[tea-cub]

Just to be a little Thunderbitch

Back in the TB fandom - all series and all films - after years away and I have pointless things to say:

I hate that they switched Gordon and John's hair-colours in the new series. I loved Gordon as a ginger, not as a blonde. He had the most distinctive look; it was why he was my crush.

Sophia Myles was the best Lady Penelope. I will die on this hill. Love Rosamund Pike but she makes Penny sound like an airhead with a cold.

1960s Alan is my least favourite version of the character; I never warmed to him and it pissed me off that both of the original films both ended up being about him. Ironically, I love the 2004 Alan and I love what they've done with the new version, which feels like a mixture of his predecessors.

Been watching Titanic and I miss Bill Paxton. I loved his version of Jeff.

Fermat was adorable and I miss him.

Kayo is awesome. It feels like they put a fair bit of the 2004 version into the character.

Why does the new series have the characters randomly watching footage from the old series? I know it's meant to be a tribute but watching Kayo 'scanning for information' and just watching footage of her 1960s counterpart going diving with Colonel Casey is weird.

I'm glad the link between the Hood and IR is actually addressed first-hand. The Hood was never named during the series and it was kind of exasperating, as a kid, to have to refer to him as 'bald guy with glowing eyes' if you didn't have merch information to hand. Scott, Gordon and Brains were the ones who had the closest contact with the character in the original series, only Scott saw his face in full (TB4 was attacked and the Hood had his face hidden both times Brains saw him) and it was frustrating that they didn't fully KNOW. I'm glad now that they do.

Speaking of knowing, I'm glad that the boys don't have so much trouble with having to hide their identities; they're given a bit more freedom. As a kid, all the machines seem fun, but 20 years of fanfic have made me gradually realise: it's got to be hard living that kind of life, living separately from the rest of the world and in secret. Of course they all have each other, but family can be your best friend and your worst nightmare; older siblings feel responsible for and boss about the younger and the younger feel like they're not being heard. Plus, as proven by both Tim Casey and Eddie Houseman, it's difficult to maintain friendships with that level of secrecy.

So happy Rhys Darby had a recurring guest-role. Squee.

[call-me-casual]

So I’ve been thinking about the TAG “behind the scenes” skits, they cross my mind almost daily.

It’s just so brilliant the way they did it. The idea of having the characters wander around at a side proportional to the sets is way cuter than it has any right to be and the 100% done film crew is just hilarious.

It makes me want to build a whole au around the concept, just the Tracy boys being tiny and causing chaos. Like, imagine you spent years studying film or something and your new job consists of trying to prevent Virgil from burning himself on the coffee machine, or stopping Scott from trying to steal the director’s car keys to go on a joyride (probably @idontknowreallywhy ‘s dream job lol)

Bonus points if they can’t talk at first and instead sound like baby alligators!

I’ve also been letting a TOS version marinade in my brain for a while, but that one is kiiiind of leaning into horror territory rn-

[thatkidwholikesthunderbirds]

Had a bad day at college, so here's a comfort Gorbo.🛟🦑

[l-egionaire]

You know what? I'm bored, and I've got some ideas, so here are my Ilvermony headcanons.

The separate houses are treated as little more than an aesthetic difference by the students. While there might be rivalries and prank wars between the houses, it never gets to the levels of near discrimination that it gets to at Hogwarts. The students all just consider themselves students of the same school and members of the houses intermingle and hang out with each other all the time. They're even allowed to be in each other's dorms for limited amounts of time each day. The teachers encourage it as they often say that each house represents a part of what every great wizard needs, and coming together helps bring them all together towards the ideal wizard.

It's not uncommon for there to be students from other countries who don't speak English perfectly. Thankfully, there are charms to help translate their speech for the teacher, and the only part of their work that needs to be spoken English are their incantations. Though some might still ask for help in getting the pronunciation correct.

The dining hall students eat in is vastly different from Hogwarts's Great Hall, being a large room with mahogany walls filled with multiple circular tables covered in red tablecloths with gold trim and set with silver untensils, fine blue China plates, and crystal glasses. In the center of the room is a vast roaring fireplace with a picture of the Sayre family overtop of it. During feasts, the Pukwudgies bring out platters and pitchers of food and drink that stay magically hot and cold until the students serve themselves from them. Students are allowed to sit at whatever table they please, and the staff eat at a massive table in the middle of all the others.

The dorms are just different buildings of the castle that have five floors of T-shaped hallways with long red and gold rugs bearing the houses symbol. Along the walls of each hallways are dorm rooms for each years students. Students are assigned two each to a dorm, with their roommates's names being included with the letters they receive at the start of each new year. Roommates can't be changed unless two students agree to trade with each other. The dorms all have two large half poster beds with red and gold sheets and blankets, the blankets also carrying their houses symbol and pillows with blue pillow cases. There's also two desks, half dressers, wardrobes, and a set of three shelves above the dressers on both sides (the rooms are enhanced with expansion charms to give them extra space). The halls for younger students all have a dorm manager in them, an older student who was chosen to sleep on their floor to act as a chaperone and disciplinary figure to the students.

The students get to the school by way of multiple magical single decker busses that all arrive at Rockfeller Center in New York. They drive for around an hour before making a stop at a magically hidden pit stop where the students can get snacks, drinks and use the bathroom before the rest of the journey.

Thanksgivings at Ilvermony are always huge. The decorations include fall leaves that flutter and blow themselves through the halls, realistic turkey figures that jump around and gobble, and in the center of each dining room table is a red and gold hat that plays music. Each table gets its own turkey to carve (any leftovers are served over the next few days as sandwiches) along with boats of gravy and cranberry sauce, bowls of corn, mashed potatoes and carrots. And for dessert, a veritable buffet of pies, including Ilvermony's famous cranberry pie, the recipe said to have been invented by Isolt Sayre herself.

Any students without a wand before coming to school is allowed to select one from the hall of wands just past the sorting room. The hall holds hundreds of wands stacked inside their case along the walls. The room holds both wands so new they were just ordered yesterday and so old they were created at the very start of the school. After each sorting ceremony, the head of the school helps each first year's find a wand that "chooses" them, a process that can take up to an hour at most. It's also heavily guarded at all times by both a pair of heavily armed, muscular Pukwudgies and a rotating member of the staff as it's a prime target for thievery either by students or dark wizards.

Ilvermorny boasts a massive roaster of international magical studies electives. In each one, students can study the government, magical creatures, and magical history of the country of their choosing. Some even go on summer trips to those countries to further their studies.

Rather than O.W.L.s, Ilvermorny students takes the W.I.T. or Wizarding Intuition Tests, something similar to an SAT tests. The tests are taken twice, once during sixth year and once during seventh year for each class the students take, and the combined scores of each year are added together, and that average becomes their score. The better the score in certain subjects, the more job opportunities the students have.

To receive mail, students go to the mail room in a tall tower at the southern side of the castle where every owl goes to bring packages and letters for their deliveriees to receive. The mail room is student run and students are selected at random to do the job.

[squiddokiddo]

- Squiddo's Coffee Order Headcanons -

Scott: Straight up just 3 shots of espresso with sugar. He NEEDS the caffeine but is also fond of the strong flavour. In warmer weather he gets a cold brew with some vanilla foam.

Virgil: Loves a good latte or cappuccino, something soft, warm and comforting with alllll the extras, whip cream, syrup, chocolate sprinkles ect ect. He loves a good cup of coffee but it can't be just from anywhere, the taste of the beans really matters to him.

Alan: Doesn't really like the bitterness but he developed a taste for frappucinos and mochas when studying for his finals. They've got to have a shit ton of whip cream and syrup to cover the bitter taste.

Gordon: Tends to only get coffee in social situations or when he is absolutely exhausted. Will literally take any style of coffee, usually goes for something sweet, and doesn't like the brew to be too strong. Loves all the different varieties of syrups though, his favourites are hazelnut and (of course) butterscotch.

John: Likes espresso shots, lattes and flat whites. Like Virgil he's quite particular about his coffee and will only go to specific coffee shops and only tends to get coffee if he's doing uni lectures or writing up papers. Absolutely does not like his coffee cold, it's a bad texture to him.

Kayo: Cold brew. Just ice, water & coffee. No flavours, except when it's pumpkin spice season. Also likes iced matcha.

Grandma: Not a fan of coffee, prefers tea instead but likes the smell because it reminds her of her late husband who used to brew his own coffee at home.

Brains: Drinks coffee because he hates energy drinks, too sweet. He takes his coffee however it comes as long as it doesn't taste like burnt ditch water. He much prefers matcha though.

Penny: Can't stand the stuff, absolutely can't stand it. She much prefers a good ol' traditional cup of tea.

Parker: Used to drink coffee in his army days, refuses to drink it now because "Nothing can beat the proper stuff".

[laughing-moonlight]

I forgot people could save your Spotify playlists and I just jumpscared myself because. four whole people. four real whole people think I have good takes.

That being said, anyone well-versed in Flyboy's vibes got any recommendations? Might as well reach 24 hrs since I'm close

[samcat71470558]

Carstober day 11: chase. I'm skipping 12 btw

can you tell I'm getting a second hyperfixation? I can't...

[@carstober]

[katblu42]

Hand Warmers

For @flashfictionfridayofficial prompt #279 Warm Hands.

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go Characters: Gordon and Virgil Word Count: approx 953 Domestic fluff (no warnings apply as far as I can tell).

Gordon was well known within his family for suffering from the affliction of cold hands.  Virgil in particular had fallen victim to icy fingers placed against warm skin on numerous occasions.  But, in his defence, Gordon found this particular big brother was the most effective heat source for warming frosty digits. 

Of course, it also helped that Virgil was often the only brother in range when this was needed, and despite the initial grumbling, he was also usually quite amenable to lending body heat to a little brother in need.

Virgil himself seemed to always have warm hands – at least in Gordon’s experience.  It didn’t seem to matter where he was, or what he was doing, if Gordon placed a distractingly cold hand anywhere on Virgil’s exposed skin there was glorious warmth to be shared. Then those familiar, big, warm hands would soon be deployed to enfold his own and work some much needed heat into them.

It kind of made sense.  Virgil’s hands always seemed to be moving – dancing across the piano keys, applying brushstrokes to canvas, or sketching on almost any surface, artfully deploying exactly the right tool for anything that needed fixing, or gently but deftly applying first aid. 

But for Gordon the most memorable thing those well-muscled and well-used hands could do was to give expert massages to sooth overworked swimmer’s muscles, or gently relax a cramp.  He couldn’t remember how or when it started, but it had been quite a regular thing between them.  Somehow Virgil always seemed to know exactly when he needed the sweet relief of warmth and pressure working all the tension out of his back, shoulders and neck, and would be there to provide it in exactly the right measure.

He'd often wished he could return the favour, and with today’s rescue being as rough as it was, Gordon could see that now was the perfect time to do so.  But he couldn’t even approach those heavy-lifting muscles without doing some important preparation first.

Luckily, preparation was something Gordon was very good at.  He usually employed this talent when planning pranks, but the surprise he was planning this time should produce a much more favourable response.  And preparation for this one had begun during post-flight checks when Thunderbird Two had returned to her hangar.

Under the guise of restocking the medical supplies Gordon had grabbed a couple of the tiny packets containing air-activated heat packs.  Later, once checks were completed, uniforms shed and he’d showered and changed into his regular attire, the packets were opened and shaken and then clutched in each hand.

After half an hour with the little heat packets kept within reach – in his pockets when not in direct contact with his hands – he deemed himself ready to put the next phase of the plan into action.

Virgil was sitting at their dad’s desk, most likely making a start on post-rescue paperwork when Gordon decided to make his move.  Making his stealthy approach from behind, avoiding the squeaky floorboard, he gave the little heat packs in each pocket one last firm squeeze each.

When he placed his warm hands on his big brother’s shoulders he felt the muscles tense at the unexpected contact.

“Gor- . . . Gordon?” Virgil’s voice started with the low warning tone that usually accompanied an unapproved activity, but quickly rose in pitch and inflection.

“The one and only!”

As Virgil tried to turn his head to face him, Gordon gently redirected the movement with one hand and started kneading tense muscles with the other.

“What are you doing?” Virgil directed his gaze forward again, allowing Gordon to knead with both hands.  “And how are your hands so warm?  They’re never this warm!  What did you do?”

Gordon chuckled.  “Don’t you worry about that.  Just relax and let me do this for you.”

Right on cue he found and pressed against a particularly tough little knot that had Virgil groaning and relaxing into the massage as the knot released.  There was an easy silence between them for a while, broken only by the soft grunts that let Gordon know he was finding all the right spots.

“Where’d you learn to do this?”  Virgil asked somewhat sleepily.

“Kind of from you.  I’ve been on the receiving end enough times.”  He paused a moment, concentrating his attention on another nasty knot.  “But I’ve always kind of wondered how you learned to be so good at giving massages.”

“I guess it started when you decided to get serious about swimming competitively.  I wanted to be able to support you, and I had an interest in medical treatments, so I looked into the kinds of medical complaints swimmers often experienced and how to treat them.  I mostly learned from video tutorials and trial and error on unsuspecting family members.”

Gordon laughed again.  “Well, I’m very glad you did.  Of all the massages I’ve had, yours are always the best.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Gordon.  There’s no way my efforts can compare with a professional.”

Gordon paused his thumb circles long enough to offer a playful tap to the side of Virgil’s head.

“I’m not kidding, Virge.  You’re massage skills are awesome, and I need you to know I appreciate every single one you’ve given me over the years.  And if the tension that was in these heavy lifting muscles is anything to go by, I think I need more chances to pay you back.”

It was Virgil’s turn to give a chuckle.

“If you think I’m bad you should try it on Scott.  When he’s tense his neck and shoulder muscles feel like steel girders.”

They were both laughing now. “No, I think I’ll leave Scott’s tense muscles to your magic fingers!”

[blinktwicebaby]

‘I close my eyes- only for a moment and the moments gone’

Is it the best thing I’ve drawn? Nah. Is it the worst? Not by a long shot!

[willow-salix]

So erm... I was just on Ao3 looking for your fic but I couldn't find it...

Because you haven't written it yet.

Better get on that.

And yes, I'm calling myself out here too.

[whatgaviiformes]

FishTank Week 2024! - May 12-18

Well, you all asked for a rinse, repeat, and most of you wanted prompts ASAP, so welcome again to FishTank Week, 2024 edition! We had such a fun time last year bringing out all our yellow and green and fiiiiish and music. I hope 2024 brings new ideas, new inspiration, and always all the FishTank things.

FishTank? Yes, Fishtank, the name we use in the thunderfam for the brother relationship of Virgil and Gordon. Brotp for some, but otherwise still so fun to explore anyway!

When is FishTank Week? This year it'll run from Sunday May 12th through Saturday May 18th. The significance of the week? Loosely calculated as the day between their birthdays, but honestly any excuse 💚💛

How do I celebrate FishTank Week? Like last year, we are releasing a series of prompts (see below). If they inspire you to write or create art, you can choose to post those on the exact day or anytime that week. Fic, Reblogs, Recs, and Art are welcome and appreciated all week long. Anything's welcome, so don't forget mood boards, music, head canons. Whatever you can think of!

We'll be active that week as well reblogging, and with some QOTDs and daily posts reminding of the prompt(s).

I'm not interested in FishTank: *hugs* totally fine. Our tags this year will be #fishtankweek and #fishtankweek2024 if you want to block them.

Questions: Reblog, comment, or you are also welcome to reach out to me directly.

Thanks to @emtb319 and @idontknowreallywhy for collaborating this year. And @gumnut-logic for letting me use a daily dose screen shot for the below.

Prompts - we've added some options within the prompts and some alternates for you to use as you like. Inspiration is the goal, and the only guideline is FishTank. The others can make an appearance too. We won't make you clean TB 4 for having a wayward Tracy, Kyrano, Creighton-Ward, or others around for the fun. But definitely Virgil and Gordon.

12: Wingman

13: At the... Orchestra | Art Museum | Aquarium

14: Brothers Relaxing

15: "We're a team, always" | "Did you doubt me?"

16: Comfort Food | Food on the go

17: Memories

18: Pranks

Alts: Love and Laughter | Along the Coastline

Good luck fish wrangling, and happy creating!

See you on the 12th,

Gavii 💚💛

[writerpyre]

Hey, it’s me!

Not been around much lately (again) but this cropped up in my inbox last week, and I thought I’d share for anyone else who might like to see it.

I haven’t watched the YouTube vid yet, but for those who are aren’t aware, this is the film that got me into Thunderbirds first when I was twelve and it aired on tv, and then again when I was nineteen and going through my mums tv-taped VHS.

Nearly thirteen years following that second immersement and I’m still hooked into the fandom that has enriched the majority of my adulthood so far. Thunderbirds is the thing that’s kept me going throughout my mums ill health and death, through Covid and beyond. It wasn’t the film that everyone wanted but it still holds so much nostalgia for me nevertheless.

[shirubie]

Romance Showcase Event: TAG: Love & Thunderbirds

Calling all romance fans of the TAG fandom! Love is in the air (and in space, and underwater...)!

This event is to showcase stories and art, old and new, that has romantic love as it's main theme. Want warm and fuzzy cuddles, awkward crushes or burning passion? You'll find it here!

To participate, post or reblog and use the tag #TAG:Love&Thunderbirds. Doesn't have to be your own stuff, you can link to works you like and want to share with the fandom. Just make sure to credit the original creator (no reposting please).

I'm not planning a specific start or end date for this event, so there's no deadline, you can post whenever you want.

A few ground rules:

-All ships are welcomed, even OC ships, as long as the story is centered on romance. Respect other people's ships even if they're not ones you like. Don't forget to tag your ships so that people can find/avoid them (everyone wins that way!)

-Please tag/warn for any adult or triggering content.

-Please credit the artists if you are not the creator of the work.

This is my first time starting an event, I hope to do a good job. If you have any suggestions you can send me a message.

Have fun everyone!

[scott-tracy-1]

Does anyone have anything they wanna ask me? Please say yes, I wanna do the answer thingy

[sethizah]

Okay, this is funny 🤣.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

[call-me-casual]

Okay this has been bugging me for a bit and I was wondering if anyone else has a similar issue

So logically I know that I don’t have the money (or probably time) to try making one of those classic replicas, even though I really want to. But I’ve been searching for ages and whilst I can find head sculpts or molds for every other reoccurring thunderbirds character, I haven’t found a single Scott! I’ve tried searching eBay, Etsy, other random websites, nothing!

Am I just blind and looking in the wrong place or do they just not exist?