#gipsy people

[bellofiore]

beatiful wedding.

he was a gipsy-boy, there was a lot of gipsy people. they danced some romanian songs, and show me how curios is their incredible culture.

[fluorescentbalaclava]

the lord giveth (pacific rim prequel) and the lord taketh away (the acolyte)

[amitshridhar]

Scandinavian minorities ignored by the State and media – Arctic 93

Romani people

19/03/2024, tuesday 19 march 2024, 01:18 p.m, indore, madhya pradesh, india.

[captainzigo]

not going to be tagging any future posts that feature muffins as #derpy or #ditzy doo. they aren’t even canon names. i’ve been doing it so my posts get the maximum reach but no that’s stupid. both bubbles and muffins have been printed with her on official stuff from hasbro. and neither of those are ablest or misogynist, nor have they been retracted and apologized for. yeah everyone called her that. people used to just say gipsy all the time too. it was in the episode of teen titans that i just watched. culture grows and changes and yall need to catch up.

[kevqzt]

expanding more on that pacific rim x transformers thing,,

random fight between decepticons and the autobots and then the ground starts shaking TREMENDOUSLY and they're like,, "what in primus name was that" and the moment they look up a giant, horned scaly creature is stomping through the city roaring at something in the distance, which infact is one of the jaegers, slowly being transported by a bunch of helicopters

"since when did those fleshy little rascals have TITANS on them" a decepticon probably as they watch the jaeger get dropped off and it goes on an absolute rampage against the kaiju fists, weapons and everything (thinking gipsy danger here) and when they look at her chassis they're like "... why's it's spark fully exposed can't that giant monster just hurl that thing out" but it's the reactor that powers her in the first place

one of em takes a glimpse into the helmet and sees the very vague figures controlling the jaeger "is that a human. since when did titans allow humans to be inside their HELMS" but it's just your average seasoned pilots fighting their millionth category 3-4 in a row

NEED THE AUTOBOTS AND THE DECEPTICONS TO STUDY THE JAEGERS... and vice versa for the people in the pacific rim universe cause like,, more aliens ??? we're already being tormented by the ones coming from another dimension and another batch just waltz on in

[wistfulpoltergeist]

List 5 facts about a favorite sim of yours, and send this to 10 simblrs whose sims you adore ♥♥♥

Aww, thank you! It's time to reveal something about KONAN! His eyes are up there, btw XD

1) He is a former Navy SEAL and an MMA fighter. This telling Konan is all about physicality and endurance. He loves good challenges and never misses a chance to improve his body mobility. His army mates are still his only family. (Roland, I'm looking straight at you :D)

2) Konan was born in Sulani, left his heart to the ocean. He is proficient in surfing and finds fishing calming. After the war, he worked as a fisherman on a ship in the Atlantics. Survived several storms and saw that the ocean returned his feelings.

3) He plays the guitar and drums, goes nuts about good old Metal and Epic and finds any other music genre void of power and spirit.

4) Konan's religion is shamanism. He is prone to ancient rituals, listening to the wind and waves and trusting Mother Nature. That's why he never parts with his amulets and can predict the weather or survive any cataclysm.

5) He comes from a very poor family that had to move from place to place in a van and live like hippie-gipsies. Since being a boy, he detested rich and important people and believed they were all corrupted meaningless shells. He changed his mind when he met Arwin, his new source of inspiration and trust in people.

From me I can only add that Arwin has no idea how he managed to return Konan trust in people being either depressed or anxious about his relationships with Aidan most of the time they spent together :D

(づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡

[bethanydelleman]

The racism Heathcliff faces isn't because of skin color. It's because he's Roma. Antiziganism was, and still is, a massive, MASSIVE problem in Europe. The Nazis genocided the Roma along with Jews, and there are other historical parallels there. And this absolute unmitigated hatred his society had for Heathcliff because he was Roma is at the core of his character. He succumbed to evil because of the despair it engendered in him.

I lived in France at one point and I witnessed this myself, it is definitely still a thing. All I'm saying is, put yourself in the shoes of the Earnshaws and it's more complicated than racism.

Just imagine if your dad/husband came home from a three day business trip and pulled a living human being out of his pocket. Just like that. "Here, new brother" like this child is a puppy at Christmas And then, he favours that kid above his biological children! Of course Hindley hates him! Of course Mrs. Earnshaw is angry!

These reactions are definitely a mix of racism and disbelief, anger, and hatred over favouritism (all Ch 4):

Mrs. Earnshaw was ready to fling it out of doors: she did fly up, asking how he could fashion to bring that gipsy brat into the house, when they had their own bairns to feed and fend for?

So, from the very beginning, he bred bad feeling in the house; and at Mrs. Earnshaw’s death, which happened in less than two years after, the young master had learned to regard his father as an oppressor rather than a friend, and Heathcliff as a usurper of his parent’s affections and his privileges; and he grew bitter with brooding over these injuries.

“Take my colt, Gipsy, then!” said young Earnshaw. “And I pray that he may break your neck: take him, and be damned, you beggarly interloper! and wheedle my father out of all he has: only afterwards show him what you are, imp of Satan.—And take that, I hope he’ll kick out your brains!”

Heathcliff is also denied an education and is dirt poor (Mr. Earnshaw brought him home and then left him nothing in the will, clearly. What an adoption plan!). When he returns rich, everyone is ready to accept him into society. He has the lawyers on his side, Isabella ready to marry him, and he has a respected position in society. So I would say his class/wealth is also a huge factor here.

All I'm saying is, it's not just racism. I mean, to me, Wuthering Heights is a two generation story of people being extremely awful to each other. I'm not sure what the theme is meant to be other than bonkers.

That said, yes, they should totally cast Heathcliff as a darker skinned person, because he definitely is one.

[bustybounty]

So I found a weird potion and a strange powder in the attic of my gipsy grandma's house with some weird instructions: "take a drop of the pink potion, and your size will be reduced till you weigh 100 grams (any more drops wil reduce the weight by another tenfold) . Then take a pinch of powder and bake it into any dish you like. Eat that entire dish and you become your regular size again." I showed this to my wife and she wanted to try it immediately. I gave her a single drop and her size reduced to a cm or 15 tall. We checked her weight and she really was a 100 grams! I baked her a single cupcake with the powder in it to return her to her former size. She ate it like a woman posessed. I could hear from her small voice that it was the best thing she had ever eaten. After what seemed like less than a minute the cupcake was gone and she started growing back again. When she started growing though, it seemed like she was gaining weight at a rapid rate. That's when I realized the mistake i made; when she was smaller, she basically ate a cupcake that was the weight as she was, meaning she became twice as heavy when she grew! I apologized profusely, but she was ecstatic. The feeling of her body growing was orgasmic bliss to her (and to be fair, she wears it well). She wanted to do it again immediately, but I had my doubts. So she explained to me that she always had a bit of a fat fetish, but her metabolism left her petite and very thin and now she had a way to make her dreams come true and then some. So after a lovely night in the bedroom she convinced met to help her gain even more weight with the potion and the powder. Now my question is: should I take it slow and just make the same sized cupcake, doubling her weight each time, or should I size it all up? Let her have more drops so the cupcakes are bigger in comparison? Bake bigger cakes or even a tub full of just batter? Or should I just give her the bottle entirely and drop her reducing body in the nation's ice cream reserve while just a pinch of powder gets mixed into it? What is a husband to do to please his wife?

Hey, honestly that ask on its own is basically its own post and it's like you've done my job for me! Well not job, this is supposed to just be a hobby to make people happy, but you get what I mean!

Hard to EXPAND on that much unfortunately as you've made such a good description yourself...maybe you should take up writing on a blog as well! Who knows, you definitely have talent~ <3

Anyway...

The best course of action is doing whatever makes your wife happier. Now, she's obviously fat, and fattening up at a rate where she's very unlikely to lose all her weight, unless you find another special potion for weight loss specifically, in your grandma's attic or somewhere else. She is definitely VERY into this, and so should you, there's so much more of her to love~! If you DID have access to the national ice cream reserve...what's there to stop you, or even her to do such a thing? She might start taking the initiative herself even when you're not looking or away from home, ending up fatter and fatter each time you arrive, so you might as well go all in with every option you just said, combined.

Drop the whole liquid on her, put powder on the largest food container you can find, have her tiny, almost inaudible moans and squeals show the pleasure she's having eating so much for her tiny body (even if frankly she's eating so much that even if she was at her normal self she'd be more than bloated!) that'll soon become a gigantic blob that's definitely visible from space, the most grandious, beautiful, ginormous, titanic wife ever...

A hungry blob that'll demand more, but since the vials are empty, you better find some kind of solution to her new eating problem~ <3

[pinescent-and-gingerbread]

Alright people, needing your help once again, for writing purposes!

Which horse do you think fits Arthur the most, canonically? Not your personal favorite, the one a canon Arthur would be the more likely to have.

Considering certain theories, Boadicea was a Hungarian halfbred... But I'm trying to be as canon as possible and searching for what new horse he could have after her during the game's events.

Another one? Feel free to tell me in the comments, and to add the coat color too! I would love to know what you folks picture for him!

Pine🌱

[e-vay]

do you have tattoos? if yes can you share them? if you’re comfortable sharing!

Oh heck yeah, Anon, you’re speaking my language!

I have three!

The first I got was the Gipsy Danger emblem from Pacific Rim:

People laugh at me when they find out what this tattoo is. But honestly I saw that movie at the lowest point in my life where I felt completely worthless, and seeing that movie filled me with so strength, so I wanted to have a reminder of that feeling with me always.

My second tattoo is a matching set with my best friend:

Hers is a wolf and mine is a fox (naturally) and together they make a heart.

My third tattoo is this stellar art piece where I commissioned an artist to design a “Sailor Moon” wand for the character Mercy from Overwatch:

I love it with my whole heart. It’s easily my fav so far!

I have plans for more (of course including Sonic tats) but I’m not able to make that happen at the moment haha

[ninadove]

Nina reads Dracula 🦇

May 28th

MY GOOD FRIEND JONATHAN IS ALIVE I REPEAT MY GOOD FRIEND JONATHAN IS ALIVE

There is a chance of escape, or at any rate of being able to send word home. A band of Szgany have come to the castle, and are encamped in the courtyard. These Szgany are gipsies; I have notes of them in my book. They are peculiar to this part of the world, though allied to the ordinary gipsies all the world over. There are thousands of them in Hungary and Transylvania, who are almost outside all law. They attach themselves as a rule to some great noble or boyar, and call themselves by his name. They are fearless and without religion, save superstition, and they talk only their own varieties of the Romany tongue.

Buddy, you are being very judgemental for someone who desperately needs their help to survive.

I have written the letters. Mina's is in shorthand, and I simply ask Mr. Hawkins to communicate with her. To her I have explained my situation, but without the horrors which I may only surmise. It would shock and frighten her to death were I to expose my heart to her.

Somehow I have a feeling Mina will hear and see much worse soon.

The Count has come. He sat down beside me, and said in his smoothest voice as he opened two letters:—

"The Szgany has given me these, of which, though I know not whence they come, I shall, of course, take care. See!"—he must have looked at it—"one is from you, and to my friend Peter Hawkins; the other"—here he caught sight of the strange symbols as he opened the envelope, and the dark look came into his face, and his eyes blazed wickedly—"the other is a vile thing, an outrage upon friendship and hospitality! It is not signed. Well! so it cannot matter to us." And he calmly held letter and envelope in the flame of the lamp till they were consumed. Then he went on:—

"The letter to Hawkins—that I shall, of course, send on, since it is yours. Your letters are sacred to me. Your pardon, my friend, that unknowingly I did break the seal. Will you not cover it again?" He held out the letter to me, and with a courteous bow handed me a clean envelope. I could only redirect it and hand it to him in silence. When he went out of the room I could hear the key turn softly. A minute later I went over and tried it, and the door was locked.

We are surely in the toils.

"So, my friend, you are tired? Get to bed. There is the surest rest. I may not have the pleasure to talk to-night, since there are many labours to me; but you will sleep, I pray." I passed to my room and went to bed, and, strange to say, slept without dreaming. Despair has its own calms.

He is punishing Jonathan by disrupting his sleep and refusing him his company — the only one he can get! This man should teach Abusive Behaviour 101!!!

I guess we could interpret the Szgany’s betrayal as a racist stereotype or as a similar situation to what happened in the coach: people genuinely trying to help, but forced to surrender to some greater power. Hell, Dracula may even have drunk that poor guy’s blood offscreen for all we know!

< Prev 🦇 Next >

[monsterblogging]

So here's the official synopsis for Pacific Rim: Final Breach and oh my god it sounds so. so bad. Oh my god. (Uncensored g-slur ahead, by the way.)

Humanity faces its ultimate threat as the Precursors unleash a new wave of devastating Kaiju assaults on Earth in Pacific Rim: Final Breach! After years of failed attempts to enter the Anteverse, the trans-dimensional realm from which all Kaiju emerge, Jake Pentecost and Hermann Gottlieb conceive a daring last-ditch plan whose success hinges on finding legendary Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket—the only human being to ever survive behind enemy lines. Living in exile off the grid, Raleigh must choose assured annihilation or confront his past and team up with a new generation to pilot the brand-new Gipsy Destroyer, the last Jaeger standing. Tensions escalate and old wounds reopen as the PPDC finally crosses the breach to confront what lies on the other side… It’s time for humanity to meet its true enemy and cancel the apocalypse once and for all.

What. The fuck.

So in the first movie, Raleigh was in the Anteverse for all of a minute before ejecting his conn-pod and getting the fuck out. He wasn't in there long enough to learn anything of any strategic value.

And while Raleigh is a good pilot, the idea that he's some extraordinary legendary super great pilot is so fucking ridiculous. Sure, it was a bummer for a lot of people that Raleigh wasn't in the second film, and SDK's declaration that he'd died from Anteverse radiation wasn't exactly what I'd consider a good creative decision. But bringing him back in this comic like this? It's obviously a stunt to get people's attention.

Also? "We gotta get Raleigh Becket back into the Jaeger program!" was literally the plot of the first movie. They can't even be assed to do something original with him.

Imagine having the nerve to ask fans to crowdfund this bullshit. Go fuck yourself, Legendary.

[lforlimbo]

A GRIEF AGO A grief ago, She who was who I hold, the fats and the flower, Or, water-lammed, from the scythe-sided thorn, Hell wind and sea, A stem cementing, wrestled up the tower, Rose maid and male, Or, master venus, through the paddler's bowl Sailed up the sun; Who is my grief, A chrysalis unwrinkling on the iron, Wrenched by my fingerman, the leaden bud Shot through the leaf, Was who was folded on the rod the aaron Road east to plague, The horn and ball of water on the frog Housed in the side. And she who lies, Like exodus a chapter from the garden, Brand of the lily's anger on her ring, Tugged through the days Her ropes of heritage, the wars of pardon, On field and sand The twelve triangles of the cherub wind Engraving going. Who then is she, She holding me? The people's sea drives on her, Drives out the father from the caesared camp; The dens of shape Shape all her whelps with the long voice of water, That she I have, The country-handed grave boxed into love, Rise before dark. The night is near, A nitric shape that leaps her, time and acid; I tell her this: before the suncock cast Her bone to fire, Let her inhale her dead, through seed and solid Draw in their seas, So cross her hand with their grave gipsy eyes, And close her fist. Dylan Thomas

[redfurrycat]

🚀🤖Pacific Rim and Top Gun (AU)🤖🚀

Tom Iceman Kazansky, Commander of the Pacific Fleet, the military branch of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, brings back to the Miramar Shatterdome the former Jaeger pilot Pete Maverick Mitchell to teach the new Rangers how to become better Jaeger pilots as well as to combat the Kaiju.

He’s the last known Jaeger pilot alive to have defeated three kaiju, despite the fact he was piloting his Jaeger alone – his former co-pilot Nick Goose Bradshaw had died during a previous simulation exercise leaving Mav without a compatible match, though it didn’t deter Mav from piloting his Jaeger alone to save another Jaeger team – Ron Slider Kerner & Tom Iceman Kazansky...

However, the successful rescue (followed by Iceman’s declaration of undying love and admiration for him – ‘Shut up, Ron! It’s not true!’ had said an unnaturally flustered Ice after Mav and Ice’s wingmen hug moment) left Maverick with severe neurological injuries including phantom memories from Goose as he died while they were still connected to each other.

It’s like having a piece of someone within your body and soul, only that this person is no longer alive, and it could be quite traumatic for somebody new to attempt a drift connection with one-and-a-half person. (Partly why Maverick was shut out from the Jaeger program, that and his famously known chaotic nature, of course.)

Because to able to pilot a Jaeger, you have to share what is known as a drift compatibility with your co-pilot. Drifting requires the pilots to share their memories, instinct and emotions with each other, and it allows them to act as one consciousness and control the very movement of the Jaeger itself, each pilot controlling one hemisphere. While drifting, pilots need to keep their mind clear of all thoughts [psspss like the ‘no mind’ from The Last Samurai! 👼🏻] to avoid R.A.B.I.T – the following of a memory to the point of losing the focus you need to control the Jaeger. As such, drift compatibility is a potential that exists between two people, that is usually determined through sparring exercises in the Kwoon Combat Room, the point is not to beat your opponent but whether or not you’re able to work in sync with each other. {Source: the Pacific Rim Fandom Page about Drift}

Twelve new Rangers are called back to the Miramar Shatterdome, under the command of Marshal Beau Cyclone Simpson. Most of them are already paired up in a Jaeger.

However, Maverick wants to try some out-of-the-box thinking by changing the designated pair of each Jaeger.  "Because –says Mav reading from a stack of disorganized papers, in front of Cyclone, Warlock, and Iceman– according to research, the Kaiju are sentient beings very much capable of in-depth reasoning, something they weren’t to do before, and, as such, I feel the need, the need to change some shit up to try throwing them off."

Thus begin the tests for new drift-compatible partners…

Before:

The Crimson Typhoon team – Bob, Phoenix, Rooster.

The Striker Eureka team – Coyote & Hangman.

The Gipsy Danger team – Fanboy & Payback.

The Cherno Alpha team – Fritz & Halo.

The Guardian Bravo team – Harvard, Omaha & Yale.

After:

The Striker Eureka team – Rooster & Hangman.

The Bracer Phoenix team – Fritz & Phoenix.

The Gipsy Danger team – Halo, Payback & Yale.

The Crimson Typhoon team – Bob, Fanboy & Omaha.

The Coyote Tango team – Coyote & Harvard.

The Cherno Alpha team – Iceman & Mav. [Even though it's super risky for the two of them, they’ll pilot one last time, and for the first time together, to help assist and rescue the Jaegers teams sent to drop a bomb to close the Breach, cutting the passage between the Earth and the Kaiju homeworld, once and for all.]

Let’s just say that the changes are not smooth for every pilot. Some get to stay in the Jaeger they’ve known all along, others don’t (let’s say some neural handshakes allowing the drifting function better in a particular Jaeger with a particular pair).

Rooster, for instance, used to be in a three-neural-handshake, and now must share with only one person, the –absolutely "despicable"– flawless Hangman. And Hangman is a bit frustrated ‘cause he used to be the best with his Coyote bro…and now feels like falling behind because of Rooster. So, he may or may not be overly provocative with his new co-pilot who thinks too much and follows the R.A.B.I.T every time he drifts with Hangman. [Nevertheless, before Rooster spirals out of control, there is a very strong neural handshake, the strongest ever registered. They just need to sort their shit out first.]

Bonus Hangster Conversation

(inspired by my beloved Chaleigh babes' stellar conversation in the movie)

Hangman: So you're the guy, eh Rooster? You're the guy who's going to be my new co-pilot?

Rooster: Yeah, Hangman. That's the plan.

Hangman: Good. Good. So, remind me again. When was the last time you jockeyed, Brad?

Rooster: You know very well it was three months ago with Tasha and Bobby…’Cause you were there!

Hangman: Colour me shocked with the way you weren’t able to stop following the R.A.B.I.T earlier…Looked like you were a Jaeger groupie just given the opportunity to pilot a Jaeger for the first time of his life. You’re a Ranger, act like one!

Rooster: Excuse-me for taking the time to feel the new Jaeger and my new co-pilot! It’s easy for you to say! Let me reorganize my feathers or something before jumping into it!

Hangman: Oh, wow, that's great. I mean, that's really useful. We get into a fight, you can build our way out of it with wings, as we won’t move a single hair of our Jaeger, eh, Brad?

Rooster: It's Bradley.

Hangman: Whatever. Look, I know you’re Commander Kazansky and Ranger Mitchell’s golden goose, but to me, so far, you're dead weight. You slow me down, I'm gonna drop you like a sack of Kaiju shit. *fingers guns and winking combo followed by dramatic exit*

[flyingprivate]

1929 De Havilland DH60GM Gipsy Moth

One of the most famous models of aviation’s cradle era, the De Havilland Gipsy Moth occupies the same space in its category as the Model T Ford in automobiles—a dependably engineered, reliable vehicle, that brought its mode of transportation to more people than any other before it.

Hundreds of examples were built and were flown by several significant aviators of the era, including the noted British aviatrix Amy Johnson, who in 1930 became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia in her Gipsy Moth, “Jason.”

Then-owner Cliff Lovell supplied this aircraft in early 1985 for the filming of Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in the epic love story of the Danish countess Karen Blixen and British aviator Denys Finch-Hatton.

Courtesy: RM Sotheby's

Offered to benefit the creation of a new rhinoceros sanctuary in Central Kenya

[dailydragon08]

A World Without Monsters Ch 2

Read chapter 1 here!

Pairing: Raleigh x Reader

Summary:  During a post-kaiju war press tour, you and your copilot Raleigh finally  grapple with the growing feelings you have for each other while also  wrestling the world of reporters, politicians, and more who would  manipulate the world's saviors for their own purposes.

Warnings: friends to lovers slow burn, mentions of depression and anxiety, PTSD, and trauma throughout multiple chapters.

A/N:  Raleigh x Reader series about coming to terms with feelings during a  post-movie events press tour, along with a series of flashbacks showing  how you two met and become close while piloting Gipsy Danger. Sorry it took me so long to post this! Been dealing with some pretty serious health issues but am getting better! Hope you enjoy!

Read here on AO3.

*

December 2025

“A press tour?” you and Raleigh repeated at the same time—rather unenthusiastically.

“Well, don’t sound so excited,” Herc replied. Although the grim look on his face and crossed arms told you he was just about as thrilled as you were. The three of you sat in Pentecost’s old office, the thin strip of window that ran from floor to ceiling revealing the cold winter skies behind your new commanding officer. You still had trouble believing it was a kaiju-free world out there—a world without monsters at last. It was what everyone had wanted, worked towards for years…but, now that it was here, it was like everyone didn’t know what to do.

It had been two months since you’d closed the Breach and in that time, many of those at the Shatterdome had either returned to their families or moved on. About a quarter of the base still remained, you and Raleigh included.

“Do we really have to?” you asked. “I mean, how long is this press tour?”

“Six months,” Herc answered. “And the order came from the White House, so it would be foolish to refuse. They’ve decided to make the first stop Hong Kong to help ease you into it.”

“Okay…but what exactly does a press tour entail?” You looked to your copilot beside you, knowing from his memories that he and Yancy had done some press before he’d died, but nothing like what Herc was describing.

Herc shrugged. “Just…be interviewed, really. Go on talk shows, go to events, talk to different government officials, shake hands, get congratulations, talk to the little people. But since you two are the last two jaeger pilots left…people will probably be a bit crazier than they would’ve been years ago.”

Raleigh sighed and slumped back in his chair, running a hand down his face. You reached over and gave his arm a gentle squeeze. He covered his hand with yours and squeezed back, meeting your eyes. You almost winced at the dark circles that had seemed to take up permanent residence on his face, but yours probably weren’t much better. He gave you a small smile. “Well, at least we’ll be doing it together.”

You smiled back at him, turning back to Herc as he added, “And the official governments of whatever country we’re in will be paying for your accommodations. So you’ll have some of the nicest hotel rooms they can offer, plus no water restrictions.”

“Soooo,” you paused, your hand still in Raleigh’s, “we can take long, hot showers?”

Herc chuckled. “As long as hot as you want. You’ll be pretty pampered from what I’ve heard. You two have earned it.”

“Will you or anyone else be coming with us?”

“I’m coming for support, but they’re more interested in you since you’re young and were part of the mission to close the Breach.” His eyes fell to your shoes, and you could tell he was thinking of Chuck. As much of an ass as he was, he was still part of the team and you couldn’t deny you missed him.

“We’ll be getting a schedule and new orders soon,” Herc continued. “I’ll let you know as soon as we get more information. We’ll be heading out in two weeks.”

“Will we stay in the Shatterdome for the Hong Kong part of the tour?” Raleigh asked, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the back of your hand. It was almost second nature for you both at this point to comfort each other however you could, mainly through touch. Not that you were complaining.

“No, they’ve got a hotel set up for you in the middle of the city. And…they want everyone to clear out of the Shatterdome soon.”

“What?” you asked, brows furrowing. “But they could revamp the jaeger program, maintain it in case it’s needed again. They can’t possibly think shutting it down again is a good idea after everything we all just sacrificed to keep it alive.” And the Shatterdome was your home now. Where would you go after the press tour?

“I don’t know what their plans are for it. No one has said anything about shutting down the jaeger program, but I’ll try to find out more. They might just want to repurpose the bunker and move the program to a new location, who knows.”

“Doubt it,” Raleigh mumbled. “They’re not known for their intelligence, evidently.”

Herc sighed. “Well, we’ve got our orders. Let’s just concentrate on getting through this without making too many waves.” He chewed on his lip for a moment, his eyes flickering to your and Raleigh’s linked hands. “Dismissed.”

You exchanged a glance with your copilot, sighing as you stood and made your way back to your room. You didn’t even realize you were still holding Raleigh’s hand until Newt’s “hey lovebirds” as he passed you in the hall.

*

August 2025

As the last of the flying sparks faded away, Raleigh’s smile took their place. It was fitting, since it felt like there were also sparks flying in your stomach whenever those blue eyes landed on you.

You lifted your visor to return his smile. “Hey! Looking for Gipsy?”

“Yep.” He’d changed from his torn sweater and worn-down jacket into military-issue cargo pants, boots, and a dark blue sweater that brought out his eyes. “And you mentioned you would be with Tendo? Is he here?”

“Ayyy, Becket boy!”

Raleigh’s face lit up enough to make rainy Hong Kong seem like paradise. They embraced before Tendo led Raleigh a few feet away to the railing overlooking Gipsy as she went through maintenance. You heard Raleigh mutter “so beautiful” reverently as he stared at her and couldn’t help but pretend he was talking about you. Stop it, you told yourself. You’re in the middle of a war for Christ’s sake.

You only half listened as Tendo rattled off all the improvements made to the jaeger before piping up at your name. “What?”

Tendo made his way over to his workstation with Raleigh trailing behind. He stopped next to you and smiled and you couldn’t help but smile back. He seemed to know how to pull happiness from you with just a look.

“I was telling Raleigh how you’re one of our best,” Tendo said. “And a damn good pilot, too.”

Raleigh perked up. “Hey, I forgot to ask. Are you one of the candidates for my copilot?”

You nodded, feeling excited and also slightly sick at the prospect of Raleigh inside your head. You’d definitely have to get a handle on your thoughts beforehand—if he chose you. “It definitely took some nagging, but I did manage to convince Pentecost to add me to the roster.”

He beamed. “I look forward to it.”

You smiled in return. “Me, too.”

“So, um…” he hesitated, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Tendo’s a bit busy, but what about you? Do you want to get some lunch?”

“Tendo!” you called over your shoulder. “Will you survive if I go get lunch?”

“Knock yourself out,” he replied from where he was bent over a piece of machinery. “But not literally. Your hands are smaller than mine, so I’ll need you to help me with this piece later.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit, fat fingers.”

“Hey! They’re buff, not fat!”

You snorted, heading towards the workshop door with a laughing Raleigh in tow.

“So, you two seem like you get along well. Are you close?”

“I’d like to think so,” you answered as you slapped your visor and gloves down on the table near the door, muttering a shy thanks as Raleigh jumped ahead of you to hold the door. “Don’t tell him I said this, but he is pretty awesome. But he’d just let that go to his head.”

Raleigh smiled, looking around the bustling hallway on the way to the mess hall. You remembered how empty the Shatterdome was when you first arrived. You were one of the first people there with Pentecost and Herc, and the task of turning it into the bustling resistance base it was now seemed impossible. Now with Pentecost’s plan to seal the Breach, it felt like everything was finally coming together for the final attack in a way that made your stomach twist in anticipation. You could very well see the Breach up close soon—and may even die in an attempt to seal it. You resisted the urge to sigh, not wanting to worry Raleigh. Although his mind might have been wandering in the same direction.

You’d been lost in your thoughts and silent for some time during your walk, but he didn’t seem to mind. He threw another lopsided smile your way before jogging ahead of you several steps to hold the mess hall door open for you. You thanked him again, your stomach doing little somersaults at his manners. A good portion of the men on base either ignored you or were constantly trying to one up you, likely intimidated by your skillset. You’d gotten used to getting shoved around, whether it was an accident or some jealous peer trying to prove their superiority. Raleigh had none of that and in fact, seemed to even want to make sure you were taken care of, insisting you go ahead of him in line with your tray, offering to help you reach things, and even asking if you wanted help carrying your tray to one of the open tables. You’d heard stories about the nightmare he’d been through in losing his brother and it amazed you that he was still so sweet and protective, making you yearn for the spot next to him in Gipsy even more.

“So how are you adjusting to the Shatterdome?” you asked as you sat across from him. “Or is it pretty similar to the military bases you’ve been on?”

“Well,” he loaded his fork with an impressive amount of food from multiple sections of his tray. “It’s a lot busier, but that’s probably ’cause they’ve stuffed everyone into one base versus being scattered across several. But I was at the Wall before this and that was just as hectic, so I don’t mind.”

“Looks like there’s plenty of room at this table,” a familiar Australian accent said behind you.

You turned and returned Herc’s smile as he and Chuck headed towards you, trays in hand. “Max!” you cried.

The little bulldog’s tongue lolled out of his mouth happily as he broke into a run and jumped up on the bench next to you. You gave him a good scratch behind the ears as he leaned into you, laughing and pushing him away as he tried to lick at your tray.

Chuck slid into the bench next to you, giving you a nod in greeting as Herc settled next to Raleigh, introducing his copilot.

“He’s more my copilot,” Chuck replied, making you roll your eyes. “Right, Dad?”

Herc eyed him warily and you shook your head. Herc was always so sweet to his son who only ever gave him grief in return. While he’d never turned his ire on you, it didn’t mean you wanted to smack him any less.

The urge to smack became stronger and stronger as Chuck tried to intimidate Raleigh into a pissing competition. You’d seen plenty of pilots do it before—and many had even tried to start it with you—and some even ended with fists. Raleigh maintained his composure well, but you could see the fury building in his eyes, his body stiff and unforgiving. You made a mental note to never get on that side of him. You’d heard enough stories to know he could punt anyone into next week if he wanted to.

“Just make sure you keep up,” Chuck said as he stood and adjusted his baseball cap, “or I’ll drop you like a sack of kaiju shit. Come on, Max!”

Max looked at you and whined as you put another bite of food in your mouth. You sighed and threw a piece of chicken up in the air. Max barked happily before snapping it up in his jaws midair, his little butt wiggling in happiness.

“Max!” Chuck called again and Max went scampering after him.

“He’s a smart kid,” Herc said sadly. “I raised him on me own, but never quite knew whether to give him a hug or a kick in the ass.”

Raleigh paused, glancing at you before replying, “With respect, sir, I’m pretty sure which one he needs.”

Herc’s lips formed a thin line before he turned back to his food in silence. The air felt tense, but you couldn’t help noticing the giant salad Raleigh had created out of his veggies, mashed potatoes, bread, and chicken. You chuckled to yourself as you took a drink of your water.

Raleigh smiled, all his earlier menace disappearing the second he met your eyes. “What?”

“You’ve created a monstrosity on your plate.”

He laughed. “Hey, it’s all going to the same place. You should try it.”

“Tell that to my taste buds.”

“Aw, come on, it won’t hurt ya!” He reached over and dumped a forkful of your chicken into the mashed potatoes.

“Hey!” You shoved futilely at his hand while he took the other and spread some mashed potatoes on your bread like butter.

“There you go!”

“That looks disgusting,” you laughed.

Raleigh’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”

You frowned in disgust, sticking out your tongue as he held your mashed potato-covered bread out to you.

“Don’t make me play airplane with your bread.”

Still frowning, but also trying not to laugh at how effortless your rapport felt, you slowly took the bread from him and took a bite. It wasn’t half bad, but you weren’t ready to let him know he won. “Plehhhh.”

“You liar, you like it!” he beamed triumphantly.

You scooped the chicken back out of your mashed potatoes and redeposited them in their section of the tray.

“Hey, that’s the best part!”

“Noooooo, you create as many monstrosities on your plate as you want, but leave mine alone.”

Herc chuckled. “How many kaiju guts have you helped the research team transport and this is what grosses you out?”

“Look at his plate, it’s practically its own kaiju!”

Raleigh laughed loud and bright, drawing the attention of several neighboring tables and you smiled, proud you’d been the one to draw that out of him. For a moment, the two of you just stared at each other with dopey grins on your faces and you couldn’t help but admire how his eyes lit up. When you’d first entered the elevator, before he’d noticed you, he carried the weight of someone who had seen too many horrors. Now, you felt like you were catching a glimpse of the man he’d been before—the carefree Raleigh that had his brother to guard his back and bring joy into his life. You only hoped that if  you were chosen as his copilot, you could do the same.

*

December 2025

“Pretty sure Hermann’s about to run up the wall ’cause of Newt’s—hey, what’s wrong?” you asked as your bedroom door shut behind you with a clang.

Raleigh sat on the bed wearing an unfamiliar black jacket, holding an identical one in his hands. His brow was furrowed and he clutched the clothing like it might evaporate if he wasn’t careful.

“…Rals?”

Raleigh looked up at you in shock and it took you a moment to realize you’d called him by the nickname Yancy had always used for him. You hadn’t meant to; it had leapt from your mouth unbidden and the wounded animal look in your copilot’s eyes made you wish you could take it back.

“I’m sorry,” you muttered so quietly, you weren’t even sure he’d heard you.

His attention returned to the jacket in his hands. He turned it and you could see Gipsy’s symbol in a large white design on the back. You remembered seeing flashes of Raleigh and Yancy wearing jackets just like it before Alaska. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “I actually, um…” He stood, gently wrapping the jacket around your shoulders. “Here, put your arms through—oh, well, it sort of swallows you.”

“Don’t worry, I’m a good swimmer.” You smiled, hoping to ease some of his pain.

He chuckled, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. “We can get it fitted. I thought they might be nice for the press tour—or just to have. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll wear it if you wear yours. We can match.”

He was quiet as his hands gently ran up and down your arms, sliding further down until his fingers were intertwined with yours. When he met your eyes again, you saw tears threatening to spill over.

You frowned. “Raleigh? Are you—”

“I, um,” he cleared his throat, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it on the bed, “need some air. I’ll be back.”

You watched for a moment as he rushed out of the room before something small and white on the inside of his jacket caught your eye. You picked it up to find his name stitched in white lettering on the inside corner. With a start, you checked your own jacket and your heart plummeted as you realized what had gotten him so emotional: there, on the inside of your own jacket, was the name “Yancy Becket.”

You immediately shucked your jacket off your shoulders, slinging it carefully over your arm before running out into the hallway. “Raleigh, wait!”

He turned halfway to the door at the end of the hall leading outside.

You held the jacket out to him. “I can’t take this.”

He gave you a watery smile, sniffling. “No, I want you to have it.”

“Rals, if anyone should have Yancy’s jacket, it’s you.”

He turned to face you fully and took the jacket from you. He stared at it for a moment before slinging it back around your shoulders, holding the lapels so you couldn’t remove it again. “It…” He licked his lips and closed his eyes for a moment before looking at you again. “It feels like this way…Yancy’s protecting you. You have no idea how much you’ve saved me, Y/N. It feels like you’re his way of cosmic apology and it just—it just feels right.”

Now it was your turn to get teary eyed. “Raleigh…”

He cupped your face in his hands, rubbing the rough pads of his thumbs over your cheeks before leaving a lingering kiss on your forehead. You pushed your arms through the jacket sleeves and wrapped them around his middle. He pulled you against him, resting his cheek against your hair as he took a shuddery breath.

A wolf whistle behind you made you jump and you turned to see Tendo walking past. You laughed, Raleigh’s arms still securely around your shoulders as you felt him shake with his own laughter. Despite Raleigh’s sweetness and the comments and whistles you got from your peers, you couldn’t help but still feel insecure. You weren’t sure what you and Raleigh were anymore, really—definitely more than friends, but did he really want to be with you like a boyfriend or even a lover? You two had just saved the world and were just about to do a grueling press tour; he had enough on his mind. The connection between pilots was always special, wasn’t it? Maybe that was all it was.

Raleigh pulled you from your thoughts as his hands fell back down to his sides. “I’m going on a walk…do you wanna join me?”

You smile and nod before following him to the door. Your heart skipped a beat as he jogged the last few steps just so he could hold the door for you, ever the gentleman. As you exited into the cold winter air, you could feel his warm hand slip into yours.

*

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