#maverick shenanigans

[team-mavericks]

Spin the Bottle (A Makoto Chapter)

October 30th, the day before Halloween. The Mavericks were hired to perform as a band at a house party. Despite the party clearly being a costume party, the Mavs couldn’t quite settle on a theme so they just settled on wearing their biker gear and took their helmets off for the performance. Well, except for Gatz. He thought brand recognition would benefit them later, and he can DJ with it on when they finish actually performing. They did their set, watchers and performers had a blast, and now they get to party to their hearts content.

Gil promptly left when they finished, saying he was too old for these kind of events. He took Sofia with him to ride share back to base. Being her first time seeing her new family perform, she had stars in her eyes all the way home. Tamako made herself at home at a table, challenging everyone and anyone to an arm wrestling match. She hasn’t lost a single time in the last hour and a half. Haku’s gentle soul overtook mixing drinks and lending an ear to anyone willing to open up about their problems. Michael went upstairs and hasn’t come down. Rin, initially wanting to have a drink off with Jet, quickly found himself playing security against aggressive drunks. He was more than happy to be aggressive back. Gatz took his role as DJ, Jet and Morgan were being social butterflies, and then there was Makoto.

Makoto loved performing, sure, but this kind of party environment wasn’t exactly her cup of coffee. Many people tried to approach her, many of which were flirtatious. She kept moving to different spots, areas that were less crowded, avoiding conversations when she could while drinking apple juice out of her red solo cup. She made it a point to always be within Gatz’s view, trusting that the reason he actually brought the helmet was so no one could see who he was watching. If anyone can spot a potential threat, it would be him. Every now and then, she would see Jet do his thing. Telling jokes, slapping people’s backs, laughing, smiling, enjoying life. Seeing him have such a good time always brought a pleased smile to her face, conveniently convincing all onlookers that she was still having a good time. He looked so beautiful to her. The night was a success. But she still looks forward to the ride home. She wasn’t sure how much longer they planned to stay there, but the night took a surprising turn when Morgan decided to target her introverted best friend.

“Makoto!” Morgan shouted as she surprise hugged a zoned out Makoto, who yelped and almost dropped her cup. “I see you’re having the time of your life here in this corner!”

“Geez, Morgan! You shouldn’t startle me like that!” She said with an embarrassed smile. “Quite the turn out, huh? You think we did that?”

“Girl, you bet! It’s somethin’ else! I keep catching conversations about how they want us to be a regular band! I think your singing even stirred up some unstable relationships. Men, women, any and all, they can’t tell if they love you or if they are IN love with you- it’s nuts!” Morgan was doing her best to sing Makoto’s praises, but truth be told it only made her feel a bit more awkward.

“We really have that affect on people? Color me surprised! Ha ha…” She tried her best to deflect the attention being on her. “So uh, what brings you to my corner, as it were?”

Morgan gave a thumbs up behind her to the stairs. “I wanna drag you around so I can keep an eye on you, party animal!” Morgan then swiftly grabbed Makoto’s hand so she couldn’t escape. “C’mon! It’ll be a hoot!”

Before Makoto could even object, Morgan started dragging her off. This time Makoto actually dropped her cup. She looked back at the spill from the bottom of the stairs to see someone already slip on it. Gatz called “Party foul!” On the mic, and she could just barely hear Rin call out “DUMBASS!” over the crowd.

It was a little less noisy at the top of the stairs, Makoto was happy about that at least. But she still had to question what’s happening.

“Where are you taking me, exactly?” Makoto asked, barely keeping up with Morgan’s lead.

Morgan stopped at a closed door, her hand on the handle as she looked to Makoto with a smile. “To every school girl’s favorite party game…” She said before opening door. Makoto’s eyes widened in fear as she sees a bunch of strangers and Michael sitting in a circle. A bottle was placed in the center. This is… “Spin the bottle!!”

A soft “Oh no” escaped Makoto’s lips. She forgot. Morgan is drinking too. She was led to a trap.

“Look alive, nerds! Look who I brought!” Morgan tightened her grip and this time quite literally dragged Makoto inside as everyone gave a cheer to see the lead singer grace them with her presence. Except Michael, who scoffed.

“M-Morgan, I-I really don’t want to-“ Makoto stammered, but Morgan quickly shifted her hand holding into a one armed shoulder hug.

“Heyyy, relaxxx, it’s me! I’d never subject you to something you don’t wanna do! I just figured you could use a quieter space to chill in. Besides, I like having you around, bestie!” Morgan smiled wide. Her breath still definitely smelled like alcohol. Makoto shifted her eyes from Morgan to the group. The group looks like they want her to sit in. But Morgan chimed in once more. “You don’t have to play, I promise.”

Makoto sighed. “So long as you promise.” She tried her best to bring back a smile. At least Morgan brought her to a less chaotic room.

“ATTA GIRL!” Morgan shook Makoto a little before closing the door behind them and led Makoto to an empty chair outside the circle. Morgan sat beside her and started pointing and explaining as the group resumed playing. She timed it so what she was saying was actually happening. “So check it out, it’s low risk. The designated spinner rotates to the right. They spin the bottle and whoever it lands on-“ it stops on some guy in a Dragonite Onsie. They promptly stood up. “They stand and state their sexuality.”

“I’m bi.” The man said. Then people started shifting. Michael scooted back.

Morgan resumed instructions. “Then anyone who doesn’t meet the criteria, or anyone who doesn’t want to kiss them, removes themselves from the circle. Then the spinner spins again-“, the bottle spun and landed on another man in a Zu-BatMan costume. “And that’s their potential kiss! But there’s one final check!”

“Haha, sorry bro, Zu-BatMan is mid. Pass!” The Dragonite man said before the group burst into laughter. Michael even chimed in with a “Smartest thing said in this room!”

“Consent.” Morgan said with a softer smile now, hoping Makoto understands now. “Totally up to you, but you could sit in, join the playful banter, and you can always say no. No serious flirts, no one invading your space, and no negative consequences. Or you could stay right here and relax.”

Makoto just blinked for a moment. The group did seem to be having a relaxing time with this. “I… I guess staying here isn’t that bad.”

Morgan patted Makoto’s lap. “See? There we go!” She knew Makoto wasn’t about to jump in the circle. She just wanted to make her feel included. “You should have seen the look on Michael’s face when he finally got the first spin, and then I scooted back.”

The group laughed a little at Michael’s expense. He gave a sarcastic laugh and took a swig out of a bottle. This was enough to make Makoto laugh for real this time. Morgan then reached for her bottle on the floor that was actually not there.

“Huh? Where’s my bottle?” Morgan asked before Michael gave a satisfied sigh after he drank.

“I know it’s for different reasons,” he said with a sly smile. “But you really shouldn’t leave your drink unattended.”

“Ew! That has my backwash in it! Asshole!” Morgan exclaimed, the group now laughing at her. Morgan turned to Makoto once more. “I gotta go get another one, I’m not drinking after that creep. You want anything?”

Makoto, now feeling significantly less tense, finger-gunned at Morgan. “Juice me up, bestie.”

Morgan finger-gunned back with a click of her tongue and a wink and then left the room. Makoto sat and enjoyed the vibe of the room for a few sessions. This is loads better than being downstairs.

Morgan returned, but empty handed. She went straight to Makoto and grabbed her shoulder. “Makoto! Do you trust me?”

“Wh-huh?” Makoto is stunned. “What do you-“

“Do you trust me?” Morgan asked, more pleadingly. Makoto raised a confused brow.

“Y-…yes…?”

“Good! Then get in the circle!” Morgan started shoving Makoto to get up from the chair in quite the hurry.

“What!? But you said-“ Makoto is starting to panic.

“Trust me!” She said, followed by a softer more hushed “Trust.”

Makoto is scared, but she doesn’t know why Morgan would be doing this. She swallowed her nerves and moved to the circle. Everyone that was outside of the circle instantly scooted back in, excited for the chance to kiss Makoto. She’s starting to lock up. Morgan then went back to the door and held the handle.

“Attention everyone!” Morgan called out. “We have a special round in the mix! Someone lost a bet, and now they have to join in with double the stakes! He’s been single for a while, so it’s time to put him back out there! Give a big hardy welcome for the Leader of Team Mavericks-“ it was now that Makoto caught on and she felt her blood get cold. “Jeeeeeet WILLINGHAAAAAM!”

Morgan swiftly opened the door and revealed Jet standing awkwardly at the doorway. The group cheered for the drummer, Michael NOPED the fuck out of the circle, and Makoto… why, Makoto really wishes she was home right now. Jet makes eye contact with Makoto and smiles. Makoto just awkwardly raises her hand as a wave. Jet turns his attention to the group.

"Eyyyy, what's up gang? Y'all having yourself a good time? Everyone rejecting Michael?" Jet came out the gate swinging with energy. Michael only offered a middle finger in response.

"I wish. Some girls have no taste." Morgan chipped in, earning a second middle finger from Michael. Morgan then pulled Jet into the room and presented him. "This pansexual is getting blindfolded and shoved in the closet. He submitted to the condition that he cannot turn someone down, so there's no point in him knowing who it is. Whoever it lands on gets a 60 second private make out session. Show him that he needs to get back out there!"

This is Makoto's worst nightmare. She might have to watch someone go in the closet after him. But on the other hand, that person could be her. She's conflicted, and she doesn't know what to do.

Morgan pulled a rag out of her pocket and blindfolded her cousin before pushing him to the closet. "Prepare yourselves, cuz this is what parties are all about!"

"Good luck, everyone!" Jet said, facing the wrong way and waving before Morgan slammed the door on him. Only a few people scooted out of the circle.

Morgan then came back to the circle, staying standing. Everyone hushed in excitement. "Makoto. I believe it's your turn to spin."

"M-Me??" She stands corrected. NOW it's her worst nightmare. She could now be the one sending someone to him. She is on the verge of a panic attack. Everyone looks at her expectedly. She is petrified. But now she realizes that even if she backs out, someone still goes. She's mastered the art of rigging things like this. Why does it suddenly seem so foreign? She takes a deep breath. Her hand shakes as she reaches for the bottle. She wants to give it a medium spin, but in her panic spins it too fast. What has she done...?

Makoto tightly closed her eyes and begged for a miracle. She listens to it spin on the floor. Each clinging sound on the wooden floor flashes a memory in her mind. Every smile he showed her. Every sunset they shared. Every ride, every mission, every hug, every song, every dance. What was it all for if this is how it ends?

Suddenly the sound stopped. The memories no longer flooded in. Something was off. She knows she spun it harder than that spin lasted.

She opens her eyes slowly to see... Morgan's foot in the place of the bottle. She looks up and sees Morgan in a confident pose pointing the bottle straight at her. Pretending it was a gun, she whispered. "Bang."

The whole group then realized there was a secret romance in the band that was being acted on. And they ate that shit UP. Everyone started freaking out, of course except for Michael who held up Morgan's bottle and winked. He was in on it? Morgan and Michael planned this? She could cry right now from the relief alone. As everyone was still making noise, Morgan made the thumbs up that started this whole mess towards the door and said, "Go get em, girl."

Makoto felt her spirit raise her up and she went to the door in a hurry. With her hand on the handle, she looked back at Morgan with a smile. She wanted to say thank you in the most sarcastic way possible. With a sly smirk and a middle finger of her own. She opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind her.

Here they are. Alone. And with a mission. She takes a moment to look at him. He can't see her. He's doing a half smile of his own. She takes a deep breath and takes the steps to close the gap in this surprisingly open closet. Rich people problems. This is fine, right? She can kiss him, and then finally have the courage to reveal her honest and true feelings without misinterpretation. She put her hand on his chest and started to raise herself up on her toes. Their lips were almost touching when she was hit with another realization.

He can't see her.

He... Was okay with this. It could have been anyone. He didn't know it was planned to be her. He doesn't know. How? How could he just waltz into this? Why?

Jet's half smile went away for a second. "Hm?" And then came a full smile. "You know, I think your 60 seconds already started."

Makoto's heart instantly shattered. Her eyes widened and she pushed him back. She quickly turned around and burst out of the closet, nearly breaking the door down. Everyone froze and looked at her. Makoto's ears rang, everything is getting blurry, and her body was shaking. Morgan came at Makoto with a "Hey! What's wrong!?" But she couldn't make it out. She then realized why she can't see that well. She blinked, and the tears in her eyes rolled out.

Makoto shoved Morgan out of the way, leaving the room in a hurry. She looks at the stairs. The music and people sounded muffled to her. Everyone will see her. She turns and runs the other way, down the hall. She opens the master bedroom. There's a balcony. She opens it and rushes to the edge. The only thing directly below her was a swimming pool. Makoto can't swim. And the yard surrounding the pool was filled with more party goers. While they don’t see her now, they would if she jumped. She paces back and forth frantically, her hands grasping at her own face as she panics not knowing what to do. She's hyperventilating. Is her only means of escape from this nightmare to drown? She looks back at the door she came through. Someone is pointing at her and talking to someone around the corner. Makoto takes a deep breath and jumps up to the railing and jumps at the wall, grabbing the roof and pulling herself up. There's no safe way down. There's no escape. The only thing she can do is wait until everyone leaves her alone. She buckles down to her knees and tries her best to silence her cries.

She can hear the footsteps approach the balcony. A bunch of voices she doesn't recognize, interrupted by one she did. Morgan. She could hear her tell everyone "Hey, privacy please! Go on! Go go go." For a brief moment there was silence. And then she could hear the footsteps on the balcony. A slight creak of metal. They are leaning on the railing. She knows they can see her.

"Morgan... Please... Don't make me go back in there..." Makoto begged, not looking over. She waits for something to be said, but it never came. "I just... I wanna go home..."

When nothing was said again, she realized she was expected to just let out what was bothering her. No interruptions, no arguments. They've done this before, but never to this level of severity. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She pulls one out and tries to light it up, but it's not igniting. Just another thing to go wrong. In a moment of frustration, she angrily grabbed the cigarette back from her mouth and threw it along with the lighter off the roof.

"I don't get it!" She let out. "Why did this have to happen?? He saw me in there, sitting in the circle. He probably thinks I'm as bad as Michael- MICHAEL, MORGAN. Michael barely has any standards, and now Jet probably thinks I was there to suck face with strangers just like him! And Jet, he... He...!" With another anguished grunt, she curled into her ball even tighter, tears running down with no restraint. She takes a moment to let it out, trying her best to stay on a level that can communicate her thoughts.

"Please understand I’m not mad at you… But how can I even look him in the eyes after this...? After everything we've been through, all the trust we built, and I couldn't do it... He didn't even know it was me..." That last statement was more softer and sadder than the rest. It was the part that bothered her the most. She wishes this was all one big horrible dream. She wants to wake up in her own bed, drink her morning coffee, and see him one more time in a good light.

Suddenly something soft hit her shoulder. She looks over at it. It was a piece of fabric. To dry her tears no doubt. She took it and began wiping her eyes. Finally, a reply came.

"But I did know it was you." That wasn't Morgan.

Makoto looked over in another shock, her body jumped in fear of him now. His eyes were softly looking at her, his expression of one wanting to help but not knowing what to do.

"JET!?" She's on the edge again. She can't run away, there's no where to go but through him. But wait... What did he say? "W-what are you- w-what do you mean?"

Jet looked out to the horizon, not wanting to see her cry. "When Morgan told me it was time to pay off my debt, I was expecting a prank of some kind. Something of the photo evidence variety. I was half expecting an ugly mannequin or something. I wanted to be slick and scan the room for some kind of hint. And then I saw you."

Makoto's shattered heart began to shift, wanting to go back to it's original form again. "Is... Is that when you knew...?"

Jet shook his head. "No. No, I was distracted by you. I was wondering where you went and was happy to have found you. I felt relief that you were in decent company. I didn't care if you were playing. It's just a dumb game. It's not like it's matchmaking or anything. Kissing was just the name of the game. And while games are fun, a real kiss has a purpose. A meaning. I know the difference between the two."

Makoto starts to relax her body a bit. "So then... When did you know it was me?"

Jet rolled his head a little. "I was able to tell you weren't just a fan of the band by the way you entered. I was still accepting my fate with a dummy. But then I caught a whiff of your hair. I recognized the smell of your shampoo. It's a scent I enjoy a lot. As soon as I realized it was you, I figured Morgan was cutting me a break. Giving me someone I can trust so we can wave the agreement away, and I wouldn't have to wait in anticipation of an unexpected favor. And I was happy. I was happy it was you, and no one or nothing else."

Makoto's heart began to take shape again. She wiped her eyes again, this time noticing that this was the blindfold. A soft smile comes. "Heh. Is that right...? Looks like you got a different kind of dummy..."

Jet chuckled, a smile coming to his face too, feeling like he's doing good at repairing what happened back there.

"I wouldn't use that word to describe you... Makoto, do you mind if I come up and join you?" He asked. Turning to see her again.

Makoto nodded, gently patting the spot beside her. And with her consent, he jumped up and pulled himself over, rolling on his side until he was beside her where he sat up. As if on cue, the song playing from downstairs changed.

"You know..." Jet spoke with tenderness and his head slightly turned towards her. "I knew what we had was special."

"Jet..." Makoto's heart took full shape. She's starting to gain hope. Is this it? Is this the moment?

"For you to run off like that... It scared me too.” He continued. Makoto's heart is starting to glow. "The way I feel for you. The way you feel for me. It’s the same, right? You really..."

Say it, Jet. Say it.

He turned to her completely with a smile.

"You really couldn’t stand the idea of betraying me, could you?"

Well, the glow of her heart stopped, but miraculously became fully healed. There's the dumbass she fell in love with.

Makoto started laughing, with a genuine smile now. She playfully punched his shoulder. "You can read me like a book, can you? You jerk~"

Jet laughed with her, rubbing the shoulder she just punched. They laughed off all the tension that was left between them.

"You know. I could really use a solid." Jet added.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Makoto said leaning into him a bit.

"A Willingham bet doesn't just get forgotten. Morgan's probably still gonna make me kiss someone. I'd rather it be someone I trust. With my whole heart." He said it so casually, and yet…

Makoto blushed, looking at Jet as if he just proposed to her. "Y-you..."

Jet gently took the blindfold from Makoto's hand and put it back on himself. He spoke in a playful tone.

"Oh man, I can't see a thing. I have no idea who or what is going to come at me. Could be anything. For a whole 60 seconds I am defenseless. Whatever shall I do?"

Makoto chuckled for a bit. "I should totally keep you waiting." She raises her hand and slides the blindfold up so he can see her. "But that would ruin our trust."

Makoto took the initiative and leaned into Jet with enough force to lay him down on the slanted rooftop and locked her lips with his. With her hands caressing his face, and his holding her waist to make sure they don't fall off. The two shared passionate kisses with each other with very little restraint, as if it were meant to be.

Down below, in the yard, Morgan was taking pictures from afar. She will be sharing this with her later, but for now she's just happy it's even happening. She looked back at the house and gave a thumbs up to Gatz for the music change. "A girl never forgets the song of her first kiss." She said with a satisfied smile before going back inside.

Jet and Makoto went on for way longer than 60 seconds, but to their credit no one was counting. When they both stopped to look at each other with soft smiles, Makoto only had three questions left.

“Morgan wants you to date, huh?” Makoto ran small circles on his chest with her finger.

“I guess.” He shrugged. “She said I used to have a stronger desire to date before the Mavericks were formed. But ever since I’ve had you and the others in my life, I never felt the need to add someone else in my life. I’m just happy, you know?”

"Mm. That checks out.” She liked that answer. It at least still means she has a better shot than anyone else. “You're not... Drunk, are you?"

"Nah." Jet responded nonchalantly. "I only had a few sips before Morgan got to me. Someone drank all the Apple Juice."

Makoto burst into laughter, almost full circle back into tears. "Oh my fucking Mew, Jet! I'm sorry, that was me!"

Jet burst out into laughter as well. "Well, at least you have good taste!'

"I would hope so!" Makoto was referring to her taste in men, but that's for later. "And what was the bet about?"

"Oh!" Jet realized he never told her. "Raikou-Man got a girlfriend!'

Makoto sat up a little. "Shut. Up. Really?"

"Really! Morgan was able to deduce it just by going on his Instagram, and I was all nuh-uh and she was all yuh-huh wanna bet?"

The two spent the rest of the party on the roof together, staying in each other's arms and enjoying the company of one another. The conversation never got dull, and they hung on each others every word. This may not have been the leap Makoto wanted between them, but it did reinstate hope. And that hope will never be broken again.

That night, when all the Mavericks rode back home, Makoto shotgunned with Jet. She held him softly from behind, the side of her face resting on his back with a happy and content smile. Jet broke from the other’s path to take the long way home, just to spend a little more time feeling her hold him.

It may not be romance, but it was undoubtedly

love.

[wearerandomlyyours]

Ice: *sees shenanigans afoot* Mav, no!

Mav: *From next to Ice* Hey, I'm right here!

Ice: Sorry, habit.

Ice: Slider, no!

[luxu1230]

So I don't know how many people will remember this

And then a prompt comes to me.

So it's a few years before Top Gun: Maverick and the darkstar project has gone as far as let's build a fast plane and it's just came across Iceman and Maverick radar...

So Javy and Jake are room mates and Jake is smart like 157 IQ smart. He goes out for a drink and comes back sloshed and begs Javy to give him paper as he's got an 'awesome' idea. Javy then proceeds to watch Jake draw and calculate an entire fucking plane which '"can go Mach 9 Javy Mach fucking 9" and then proceeds to go help his best friend once he falls unconscious face down in a the paper.

So here's the thing Javy keeps his social media on private and the only people who have access are close enlisted friends and one or two admirals he's served under. Javy completely forgetting this post it on his private twitter never realising what he's about to unleash.

Come a week later Javy and Jake get called to a meeting with Admiral Iceman and Capt Maverick. They come out with Jake getting an in on a top secret project the you guessed it darkstar.

Fast forward a few years Jake's been all but adopted by Pete and Tom who are surprisingly good at hiding the fact they're married.

Jake finds out he's being recalled to top gun and it's the same except ice has also recruited him to try and make rooster and Mav make up.

The mission is a success and Bradley kisses him on the flight deck and Mav knows he's already in deep shit with Iceman about this mission so he finds it the best time to tell Jake that the plane he's been working on may or may not have gotten destroyed and that was the opening ice needed to push him and Bradley together was due to that.

So Mav may have spent two weeks in the sofa one week punishment from ice and the other week a punishment for both Mav and ice from Jake.

[frozen-seagrass]

Mav stole Ice's glasses lol

[icemankazansky]

for my beloved @boasamishipper

Bonus:

[an-eternal-state-of-simping]

Totally 100% True Top Gun Facts Pt. 3

By-the-book Admiral Tom Kazansky has frequently asked his minuscule hellion of a wingman to rain judgement upon those who’ve annoyed him.

Soon enough, people start to catch on that pissing off the Iceman results in an unfortunate assignment with the Navy’s equivalent of a live grenade filled with silly string.

[unlawfulchaos]

Bradley, on the phone: Hey Uncle Sli! I just used your prank on Ice, he's never gonna guess who did it-

Ice, from the other side of the house: BRADLEY, I KNOW THIS WAS YOU!

Bradley, yelling back: UNCLE SLIDER APPROVED IT! IT WAS HIS IDEA!

Ice: I AM COUNTING TO TEN.

Bradley: Shit, he started counting, I gotta go, Uncle Sli. It was worth it!

[thatsrightice]

The flyboys anytime Iceman gets a promotion:

[icemankazansky86]

Ice and Mav as Buzzfeed Unsolved quotes

[team-mavericks]

Maverick Shenanigans - The Beach Episode (pretend it's summer time)

"It's beach time! I got my spicy two piece on, my skin is flawless, and my titties be poppin... Oh yeah, I'm SO ready to turn some heads today.~"

And out comes Jet wearing a full body pickle suit, swim trunks on top of that, and sunglasses he borrowed took from Michael. He announces his presence with a confident shout.

"WHO'S READY TO GO TO THE BEACH??"

Morgan is immediately and desperately trying not to have an aneurysm. She's gritting her teeth as she chants to herself. "Don't kill your cousin, don't kill your cousin, don't kill your cousin-"

"For the record, I don't condone this." She'll laugh about it later when she's not also embarrassed.

"Tio Jet is a pickle! That's the funniest thing I've ever seen!"

[101maverick]

prompt request: preteen Dick and Jason are stuck babysitting little Tim.

a/n: i decided on some fluffy shenanigan with mild angst. Tim has just come to the manor, he’s 7, and 6 years younger than Dick instead of 9 (so Dick is 13). Jason is 11.

Word count: 1151 words

Babysitting Hell

Bruce hated them.

That, according to Jason, was the only possible reason for why he had assigned him and Dick to a day-long torture.

“Jay, Dick, you are getting bigger and I trust you with this responsibility, plus it’s not something worth of disturbing Alfred’s vacation.” Is what Bruce had said to justify it.

Jason agreed with the fact that Alfred didn’t need to be disrupted from his rest by anything less than a death in the family of the ending of the world, but that didn’t in any way mean he agreed to being left with his brother to take care of the snot-nosed brat Bruce had brought home.

It’s not that Jason disliked the kid per-se, it’s that the kid actively didn’t want to be there. And that just meant he was gonna make this day a hell for Jason and Dick both.

And even more so for Jason himself than his brother! Because Jason was more than aware of his brother’s short fuse and knew how to not trigger it, but the new kid didn’t. And that meant Jason was gonna have to scramble to make sure his brother didn’t pop a blood vessel or strangle the kid, before the kid could do something stupidly reckless like trying to run away by jumping through the window or setting the kitchen on fire to gain enough of a head-start to steal the bat-mobile and run off. Or, anyways, whatever creepy seven-year-olds who stalked vigilantes on rooftops in the middle of the night usually do to get out of places they don’t wanna be.

And don’t get him wrong, Jason understands the feeling of being thrust in a new environment where you suddenly don’t have yourself only to rely on can be disorienting and unsettling, it happened to him too when he first got to the Manor.

But the thing is the kid isn’t happy with Batman wanting to take care of him, while simultaneously adoring him, acting as if he hung the frickin sun in the sky. It was that dichotomy Jason didn’t understand.

And he didn’t really care about understanding it anyways, since the more pressing matter at hand was finding the brat and making sure Bruce didn’t break his precious no-kill rule upon learning Jason had taken his eyes off of him for a few seconds too long.

As Dick searched the kitchen and foyer he headed for the library, head swishing from side to side while his eyes raked over the hallway.

Opening the door to the library he heard whispered cursing and the barely-there rustling of clothes. Bingo.

He fully entered the room and shut the door behind him before quickly darting around one of the bigger couches, snatching the kid by the collar of the jacket before he could run off.

“There you are!” He said, an exasperated huff in his voice as he hauled the kid up and steadied him on his feet, hands coming up to set them on his shoulders. “Kid, i understand you don’t really want to be here, but please make this as painless of an experience as possible for me and you both and try not to set Dick off. I know he seems very friendly and kind- and he is, almost painfully so- but you really don’t want to find out how easy it is to anger him. Trust me, i was there for his a good part of his grief-stricken rampage and it was not pretty.”

After he finished talking, the kid just stared at him, slightly bewildered and analysing eyes staring into his own determined and wide ones.

The semi-intense stare off was ended by the kid, an indignant inclination to his voice. “It’d be a lot easier if you just trusted me to take care of myself and let me go home! I’m not stupid!” Hi eyes had turned wide, a hint of fear barely visible through the angry and annoyed fire in them.

That gave Jason pause. Specifically, one little word.

“Trust?” He started, kinda bewildered. “Kiddo, you’re seven. It’s not so much about trust, as the simple fact that your house has not burnt down and you’re still in one piece proves you’re more than capable of being the perfect latchkey kid.” He explained, holding Tim’s gaze steadily with his to get the message across, “the thing is that you shouldn’t have to. Because, again, you’re seven. And I’m not stressing your age to imply you’re somehow stupid, but because seven year olds like yourself should be able to be stress-free and not worry about managing every single bit of their life and house-keeping.”

“Then,” Tim started, unsureness creeping into his big eyes, “…then, how am I supposed to show that I’m good enough?”

Jason’s eyes became comically wide at that, he was sure he looked like a cartoon character. “Good enough for what exactly, kid?”

“Good enough to be here! With Batman and Robin! Both Robins! Good enough to see all the cool gadgets and the cases and the mementos and trophies! How do I show I’m capable of being around all of that and not break anything or tell stuff I’m not supposed to tell, if I can’t take care of myself? There’s not much more responsible than that, and I want to show I’m responsible enough for all of this!” By the end of his tirade Tim was slightly panting, hands still in midair from his animated gesticulating.

And with this explanation it all clicked for Jason, he finally understood why the kid was so against being taken care of by Bruce. He explained the misunderstanding away. “Kid, Bruce doesn’t want to care for you because he thinks you’re not responsible enough. In case you hadn’t noticed, he’s kinda got a thing for strays. Think of it more as you taking care of him, ‘cause trust me when I say that if he knew you were alone in your big, empty manor he’d have an aneurysm or like, pop a blood vessel or somethin’.” There, simple as that. Laid bare on the table in words honest enough they would hopefully get through to an overly-independent and angry seven year old.

“Oh.” Tim said. “I guess i never thought about it like that.” A beat of silence, then, “I guess it makes sense. I can make do with that.”

Jason felt his shoulders sag in relief, just in time for Dick to come bounding through the door, no doubt having listened to at least the last of their conversation.

“There you are!” He started, bright show smile lighting up his face. “Now that we’re all together, who wants to play Cluedo?”

And as they settled on the couch and he took his first turn as Ms. Scarlett, Jason thought that maybe Bruce didn’t really hate them, and that babysitting the brat wouldn’t be that much of a torture after all.

[airlocksandaviaries]

hehe slutty mavvvvvv

Drew him in this pic,,, thank you @calkale for tagging that as him bc you were SO right........

I KNOW this is such a departure from my usual style but apparently I love tracing images w the airbrush!!! who knew! Anyway I hope yall appreciate it (also this is the first Slider I've drawn traced pls be nice)

[frozen-seagrass]

The WALL-E au no one asked for

[cannibalhellhound]

I'm watching TG Maverick and I did this to myself but like.

My babies (my 50+kg dogs) have a Pavlovian response to Great Balls of Fire. They just get excited and start prancing around because I've been dancing and singing it to them since I got them home.

They do this every time.

[an-eternal-state-of-simping]

Slider: Where’s Iceman?

Maverick: Watch this-

Maverick: I JUST HAD THE GREATEST IDEA!

Iceman, already throwing Mav over his shoulder: Nope, none of that.

Slider takes notes.

[callsign-daydream]

Rooster: Everybody! Showers, now! Payback: What’s up, Bradshaw? Coyote: What did Jake do now? Hangman: I didn’t do anything, I promise! Rooster, holding a blue towel: Is someone playing a joke on me? Honestly, why is my towel always damp?! Hangman: Well, that’s because it’s not your towel. It’s my towel, Rooster. Rooster: No, it’s not your towel. Your towel is the red one! Hangman, pointing at the blue towel: I’ll tell you this, I have never used that red towel. I do use that one every single day. Rooster: Oh, God… Bob, with the red towel: This towel’s so warm and fluffy. It’s like it’s been in the sun forever. Payback: This means you two have been drying your junk with the same towel. Coyote: Intimate. Rooster: Are you out of your mind?! Hangman: What do you mean, am I- Rooster: How do you think this is your towel?! Do you even wash it?! Hangman: No, I don’t wash the towel, the towel washes me. Who washes a towel? Bob: You never wash…? Hangman: You wash your towel? Rooster: YOU NEVER WASH THE TOWEL?! Hangman: What am I gonna do? Wash the shower next? Wash a bar of soap? You gotta think here, pal! Rooster: I AM FURIOUS RIGHT NOW! Hangman: I GET OUT OF THE **** SHOWER, I’M CLEAN AS A **** BABY, AND I USE MY TOWEL!!