#great men academy spoilers

[vegaseatsass]

Second text post in a row before I go to my parents' just to say Laura and I finally finally finally finished Great Men Academy this afternoon, and !!!! WHAT A SHOW. I tried to type out a whole thing here but I'm getting tangled up in my own words but basically to ME it felt like pure unadulterated wish fulfillment around gender stuff, being loved and seen and accepted regardless of the shape/perceived gender of your body, in a way I def wasn't prepared for a show to just nail into so richly and joyfully. SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT

Like my god I can't think of a better end than Tangmo/trans girl!Love? Like it IS important that Love can try again next year to wish for the body she wants because it wouldn't be hopeful otherwise, but the potential of Love and Tangmo having a year of dating where Tangmo legitimately just loves and sees the person inside any body she has and can't be shaken by any sex (or gender!) changes to come is 🧑‍🍳👌👌👌 But I also have many other ships I wanted to list very quickly!!!

Tangmo/Tangmo Huge bummer that VR!Tangmo didn't get to spend more time hanging out with his favorite person!! I was heartbroken for him!! "Hey there, handsome" is how my blorbos talk to each other in fanfiction, I mean cmon, and all VR!mo wanted was to stay by Tangmo's side. Not win the race or team up for pranks or anything else, he just wanted to sit with him and vibe. That is ship fodder if I ever saw it!

Vier/Tangmo This dynamic is ship catnip for me. If the canon wasn't so good I would be otping with all my heart and soul. Not going to start adding words but seriously some of the most emotionally impactful moments of the story for ME revolve around them and I have friends I want to rec the show to on the strength of their relationship ldkfjskldsd can you imagine. It's the Love show and here I am off in a Viermo corner.

Vier/Nuclear Now the first moment I really shipped this was when Nuclear told Vier he was disappointed in him. I was like "You're not angry you're just disappointed? D-daddy kink?" BECAUSE the one thing I didn't love in the whole show was trying to wrap Vier's annoying dad up in a bow with the rest of the happy endings, I would much prefer Vier get some real space from his dad, find his identity outside his dad, and find his daddy outside his dad in a pink-haired junior who used to worship him. But also esp w/ trans girl Vier (ESP w/ happily fat trans girl Vier) via @syzyg3tic's headcanons and the way Nuclear is w/ the ladies, oh man, please let us manifest this in their future

Love/Rose TELL ME MORE. SHOW ME MORE. GIVE ME MORE. You gave me a crumb and I gobblesnorfdevoured that crumb like a luscious feast and now you want me to just move on? Je refuse.

Trans girl!Vier/not cis!Rose The best end for the two of them honestly. Vier wished to be over Rose but wouldn't it be really in keeping with the gender unicorn's style of doing stuff to not actually CHANGE his underlying emotions but just give Vier some time and space to be normal around Rose until they both fully self-actualize genderly, and the relationship between them suddenly looks refreshed and untread.

Vier/Nanai the mpreg guy from Girl from Nowhere I stand by the belief that Vier should help Nanai parent his baby. I came to this belief before I knew the full deal about Vier's father and now that I do know that deal I can't think of anything more suitable or joyfully redemptive for both of them, they are MFEO frankly Honorable mentions for

Love/You: I'm still mad they didn't demonstratively fake date with LOTS of PDA and it would be funny to have sibling/sibling double dates

Nuclear/Love: THEY WERE ALWAYS CUTE AFFFF and I love to see him continue to treat her like the bro-est bro, like Menn stop being weird a girl can be a bro and she is ours. It just does my heart good

Oh final note: Someone please talk to me about the worldbuilding in this show one day soon. I am bewitched bothered and bewildered. Was the unicorn narrating the reality tv show the entire time? What is the unicorn's relationship with spoiler the statue director?? What are the implications of a world with this level of VR and also unicorns -

#this post was written up very quickly please excuse any unintelligibility or clumsiness #great men academy #what a show!!! WHAT A SHOW #great men academy spoilers #dear diary

[respectthepetty]

Another day, another ask, but this time, it's about what are some currently airing shows that you're watching and really enjoying and how would you describe what you like about them briefly?

For example, The Warp Effect: Wholesome and sex positive QL, with so much representation and topics brought up weekly. Nothing like what I was expecting - in the best way.

Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day @sliceduplife! I hope it was kind to you because my response is going to be just like me and my favorite characters - problematic and absolute basura!

To begin, I'm actually going to tell you what I'm rewatching instead of currently watching:

Great Men Academy - Much like 3 Will Be Free and The Warp Effect, Great Men Academy isn't a BL, but it doesn't stop it from being queer af. It has a unicorn that grants wishes, a magical lake that requires nudity to activate, a ghost, a school sanctioned Hunger Games, body swapping, and an Elite level moment:

If you don't get the Elite reference, know that this lead-paint-level-toxic hottie, Cruz, delivered the best line ever uttered in the series:

¡No soy gay! Ni bi. Ni tri. ¡Soy futbolista! (I'm not gay! Not bi. Not tri. I'm a footballer!) <- I say "¡Soy futbolista!" all of the time when people ask about my sexuality without clarification and leave them in their confusion.

*moving on to your actual ask*

The Warp Effect - I came for Joy, the cinematographer who also did KinnPorsche, and Jojo, the director who does everything else I love, but stayed to see all the ways people could come... to an understanding about their sexuality. Also, it's very queer.

My Beautiful Man 2 - I do not condone stalking, but when it comes to my idol and his devoted worshiper, I'm trying to invent new ways of stalking, so Hira can always be within a 100 yards of Kiyoi. They should be more red flags than California during fire season, yet they are wholesome and adorable.

Well...in a very kinky way, kinda like these two wild kids from Secretary

Never Let Me Go - It has a teenager becoming the CEO of his family's multi-million dollar company and another teenager being his bodyguard falling in love! How could I not love it?! It's outrageous! And somehow the most unrealistic thing about this plot is there being a genuine good guy who openly talks about bitcoins, and I LOVE HIM! I did not have falling in love with a man who enjoys "investing" on my BINGO card, but then again, look at my very good boy. LOOK AT HIM!

Hit Bite Love - It's so messy. It has stepbrothers in love, open discussions about condom sizes and lubricant, Kinks-R-Us, a bi Burger looking for his King, and so much more. This past episode hid a pivotal scene behind a paywall due to the two characters having sex in the school's locker room, so half of the plot was missing in the edited version. It made NO SENSE, but I didn't care. Give me all the mess, but I draw the line at taking off your sock and putting it in someone's mouth. BAD BOY! VERY BAD BOY!

The End of the World with You - Japanese BLs stress me out. They give me a lot of an anxiety, and I'm constantly preparing for someone to die or for one of them to be a murderer. Even in the "happiest" Japanese BLs, there always exist this undercurrent of malice..and I'm attracted to it. >insert Ritsu aka El Diablo<

Moonlight Chicken - Eff "More than Friends, Less than Lovers!" That's child's play. Give me my HussyVille Gang Gang! Give me the "we've been breaking beds and each other's backs since day one, but I'm not even sure what his name is, and if I'm being honest, I don't really need to know" squad. Then, on top of that, it's EarthMix doing the devil's boogie?! I waited for over a year for this, and I don't say this often when it comes to men, but the anticipation was worth it.

HIStory 5: Love in the Future - I will always show up to a Taiwanese BL. They are like Rihanna at the Super Bowl. They do the bare minimum but are still very entertaining, include all the fan favorites (domestic bliss, high heat, office romances, good side couples, marriage equality), and pop out with a few surprises. Others may be disappointed, but I am ALWAYS pleased.

My School President - Did you read the list before this? There is a common underlying theme. Even if the show isn't messy, I'm going to find the mess and fixate on it, and it doesn't get stranger than Por's obsession with the chinchilla. GMM better get on merchandising this critter ASAP because there is a gold mine behind this, capitalizers.

Bed Friend - It hasn't started yet, but I'll be watching it. It has a Blue Boy and Red Rascal BUT they are not who would normally be coded that way, which means they are clearly going to have to resolve the reasons why they changed their behavior to cover up their obvious colors. Who hurt our Red Rascal that he turned into a nun? Who harmed our Blue Boy to make him the slutty slut he is? I cannot wait to find out!

Chains of Heart - One word: Papi. Wait, sorry. Let me try again: Poppy. The show has a plot, and I care about it, but...Poppy. He is playing a bad guy, which I got a glimpse of in Love Mechanics, so I'm hoping it means we get to see more of him, and I don't mean screen time, although I wouldn't be opposed to that either. Obviously, I have to be interested in the actual plot since he is a supporting character...but POPPY! mmmm, papi!

#My current watchlist #Spoiler Alert - It's basura! #Great Men Academy #Chains of Heart #Bed Friend #HIStory 5: Love in the Future #Hit Bite Love #The End of the World with You #The Warp Effect #Moonlight Chicken #Never Let Me Go #My School President #My Beautiful Man 2

[giuliettagaltieri]

Fight for Carnage

Pairing: Mentor!Coriolanus Snow x Mentor!Reader

Chapter Synopsis: The Admirer

Warning: angst, unrequited love, mean Coriolanus Snow, academic rivalry, elitism, injuries, greed, mentions of death, Capitol cruelty, spoilers

Word Count: 1296

1 of 6

Before the onset of the Dark Days, Panem has seen no better tag team than that of Crassus Snow and Thanatos Swansworth, your father.

Men who helped shape the society, who kept the rebels at bay by putting a leash on them.  They were the lightbringers of the Capitol and the harbingers of death to the Districts.  They were well respected, or feared.  Nobody really cared to understand the difference.

And to you and Coriolanus, they were people to be highly looked up to, they were not the best fathers but they were great men.  And being their children, given the task to take up the challenge of reviving their legacy is a dream.

Although, it was never that easy.

Coriolanus Snow is your classmate in the academy, but he never really liked to socialize with you.  It was a great insult to you when he once left your company to seek out Sejanus, a person he claims only to tolerate.

It did not deter you.

In class, you tried to offer smiles to him, asking him about his day, and he would respond to you curtly.

When there were gatherings, you tried to get him to make you his date, lingering by his side like a desperate little puppy, but it was always Clemensia Dovecot, his class partner who got the honor of having an arm looped around his.

It hurt you deeply.  Especially when you always believed as a child that it was him you would marry.  Your fathers loved to bring it up in every opportunity they had.  They say that you and Coriolanus are one and the same. 

Coriolanus disagrees with that.

Aside from having dead tyrant fathers, you had nothing else to sympathize over.  

He had chosen his friends well.  They were promising individuals, truly in the path of being the next great leaders of Panem.

And you, of course you were an exceptional student, someone who made it into the Academy’s top 24 best-performing students.

The news of having to become mentors in the 10th annual Hunger Games made your stomach turn.

Death was not foreign to you, your mother made sure you watched every single game.  She said it was a way of honoring your late father.  She has done it every year until she followed your father in death.

As a child, you had to develop resistance to brutality.

And the thought of having to take part in the backgrounds of such savagery did not affect you.  The task, however of having to make your first step into the path your father wanted you take, had you completely anxious.

They had given you a young boy from District 8.  He was plain.  You saw no potential in him.  Not that you voiced that out when they assigned him to you.  It was only when you got to talk to him and he told you interesting things you can do with a sewing needle that your interest was piqued.

Coriolanus was invested in his tribute.

You saw it, heard it, as you passed him in the cafeteria when he had his luncheons with Sejanus.  The way he looked at Lucy Gray’s eyes, the way they talked with such familiarity.  You had trouble hiding a sneer.  Surely, he would not stoop so low as to trick a woman’s affections just so he can come out as the victor.

When the games started, Cooriolanus became more and more detached, jittery, always on edge, as if using every moment to scheme.

That evening, you chose to rest early so you can come back before the break of dawn.

You were alone when you arrived, and you were met with the battered face of your tribute.  Had it not been for his clothing, you would not recognize him with how bad his face has suffered from the brutal blows.

You stand in front of the screens, your body rigid as you cross an arm over your chest to support the other.  You saw your father doing it often when he was plotting with Crassus.  He often had a thumb under his chin and his index pressed in his lips as if to silence anyone who dared disturb him, and overtime, you managed to acquire the same gesture.

Your eyes were calculating as you watched every detail around him.  It was a bloodbath around him.  From the looks of the splattered blood, the culprit did not hold back.  And the weapon, it was lying on the side, the concrete painted crimson.

Your narrowed eyes squinted at the other tributes, hardly anybody moved from their spots.  Who could have done it?

You stood in the middle of the stage, eyes on every screen.  Most of them had their own chosen weapons.  What could have happened that your tribute had to die such a slow and brutal death.  A pitchfork to the heart or an ax to hack his throat would have been better, at least his suffering would have been short.

Coriolanus Snow arrived after you.  His eyes were blown, his forehead sweaty, and his shoulders stiff.  He made no effort to acknowledge you first, you decided to do it for him.

“How have you been?”  You ask gently.  “I see your tribute is still cooped down there.”

He glances at you and at Lucy Gray on screen.  “Yours?”

“Dead.”  You smile at him.

The stillness in his movement did not go unnoticed by you, so did the grimace he pulled when he moved his shoulder wrong.  You did not hide the way your eyes scanned his posture and he was watching you as you did so.

“Where were you last night, Corio?”  Your smile is still on your face.  Tone similar to the usual one you used when you ask for extra notes in class.

“Library.”  He spoke with practiced calmness.

“In the middle of the night?”  Your brows frown playfully.  “And in the middle of the games?”

His back straightens at the tone of your voice.

Coriolanus Snow always detested how you were your father’s daughter.  It was unfair to you, of course.  But how is it that you, the daughter of Thanatos Swansworth did not have to suffer like him when he also lost his father.  You were a sweet little girl.  But the way you are at this moment, he started second guessing everything he knew about you.

“Were you scouring for strategies, you sly little fox?”  You giggle as you walk over to him.

Coriolanus did not respond. 

For a moment you just look at each other.  His eyes are as glacial as you remember.  He really is attractive, his ambitious nature even more so.

You squeezed his arm and the way your eyes darted to his shoulder had him holding his breath. 

“Promise me you will not do anything stupid again, please?”  You say with your voice barely above a whisper, almost begging him.  He tries to break free but you pull his coat with your free hand, you are gripping his arm now.  “Please, Corio.”  You press yourself closer to him, eyes searching for something that is clearly not there.

He grabs your wrist tightly, making you let go of his coat.  His eyes are not fazed with the unshed tears in your eyes.  As his lips remain a firm line, you shy away from his cold gaze, feeling utterly pathetic. 

But you will not let him see that he got through you.

It never ceases to amaze him how you can pull such authentic looking smiles.

“May the odds be ever in your favor, Coriolanus Snow.”

You stand on your tippy toes to press a kiss to his jaw and you leave him there with his thoughts building up a storm inside that golden head of his.

Hunt for Glory

#coriolanus snow x you #coriolanus snow x reader #tbosas #academic rivals #the hunger games #young coriolanus snow #coriolanus x reader #hunt for glory

[justatalkingface]

The 'Great' MHA Read Along, Part Five (Chapters 22-44): The Mandatory Exploitive Tournament Arc

Been awhile, huh? Let's see if I can still pull this off. I'm warning you, this is probably going to have a bit of heft to it.

We start off people trying (and failing) to investigate Shigarki and the Villains and, first off, a couple of things. The whole, 'Quirk Registry' shit? Very X-Men. I'm... kinda mixed feelings on it. It makes sense for a government to try and keep track of this kind of shit, but at the same time it feels like a whole lot, you know? That said... the way the guy in the suit phrased it makes it seem like they only searched for 'Shigaraki/Disintegration' and 'Kurogiri/OP warping' pairings, which seems... dumb. Like, really dumb.

Are they.... are they not going to search for anyone with a similar Quirk? Because it sounds like there are other people with similar Quirks, so... what about them? Oh, this pale haired guy who mutters a lot about how horrible heroes are isn't named Shigaraki, so clearly this isn't the guy? Do some ground work or something, man, bloody hell.

*spits out drink*

Even All-Might thinks Shigaraki is a man-child, lol. Brutal. That said... Vlad goes, 'You mean he's just like a kid with a 'power' or something?!'

And I. My dude. You're just some guy with a power. It feels like some depersonalization of the 'villains' because, yeah, everyone in this story is, in fact, just some rando human, 99.9% of the time with super powers. I don't know, it just feels like that's this really concerning perspective for someone in authority to have.

'I keep forgetting this is an actual school!'

That. That's... actually really concerning? Everyone, literally everyone, from Aizawa, to the students, to the actual author, can't seem to figure out if UA is some military academy meant to pump out child soldiers, or an actual high school meant to prepare children to go into society. And not to belabor the point here, one I've talking about on and off again for awhile, but that's fucked up.

I can't help but get the impression that UA (and presumably every other hero academy) is some military complex, setting up the students to live a life where the only way they know how to live is through violence and trying to be famous, but it's just... pretending to have standards, pretending to care for the kids as anything more than the next generation of... idol-police, or something. The way every school related thing is so out of place, the way their grades are so unimportant... it's very telling.

And like. It's not a bad thing, per say. Morally bad, sure, but from a story telling perspective? For a story like this, the way the heroic's school is morally dubious is actually a really good plot point to work off of. But... that's the problem. It never happens.

If the setting was fucked up enough, it'd be understandable if it wasn't explored, but it's not. I feel like there's some fertile ground to talk about... how heroes don't know how to handle living normal lives. How to cook, clean, do taxes, hIstory (which is, of course, very loaded sort of topic in a more dystopian kind of a set up) and so on. There's no way they have the time and energy to do all the thing a normal kid should do at their age, and as they grow up, and get these dangerous, fucked up jobs? There has to be consequences to that.

And the next line later, they bring up, you know, a bunch of terrorists just attacked the school. Which is, in fact, a serious fucking concern! What does Aizawa say?

'No no, we're only doing because we're so sure we have this shit locked down.'

Spoiler alert: They did not, in fact, have this shit locked down. In the least.

My god, this is so fucked up. It's pretty clear that the fact this is still happening is because UA, and heroics as a whole, honestly, is doing a show of force to try and make all the bad things go away. In all honesty, they're putting these kids lives at risk; the only reason nothing went wrong isn't because 'the school had all its ducks in a row when it comes to crisis control' or what the fuck ever, but because AFO didn't want to do anything. And you know why he doesn't interfere?

Because it's so damn useful for him that they flat out broadcast the details of the students and what their Quirks are!

And don't even get me started on this 'Olympics have fallen out of favor' bullshit. It's a world wide event, and it doesn't matter if the population has... shrunk (? That's what my translation says, anyways. Is this honestly saying that so many people died that the Olympics no longer holds any attraction? I mean.. what? What the fuck? What happened???? Why in the hell is this getting brushed over?! Or is that just a bad translation, and if so what is he saying is the reason the Olympics no longer have any appeal?) or whatever, because that's just... bullshit. That's just bullshit. If super powers happen, and they get at all stabilized and regulated like they are in here, all that's going to happen is that the powers are going to be part of the Olympics, and a lower population count really isn't going to change the fundamental reasons why it's popular in the first place.

Speedster racing, various forms of competitive flying (racing (in all its variations), acrobatics, mid-air dancing, synchronized flying.... flight along has dozens of potential new Olympics sports, easy), something like shot-put hurling but with some kind of projectiles, fire, lasers, whatever? Oh yeah, the Olympics are going to be just fine.

So please, Hori, spare me your obsessive need to make heroics the most important thing EVAH all of the time.

But, wait, there's more! It's not just, the new super Olympics, oh no, this is for their careers. In high school. This is, apparenlty, a make or break moment for the rest of their lives (again, with however that undefined heroics ranking and what not works). How old are they? What, fifteen? 'Here, go do bloodsports, and if you fuck up, you're going to be a menial, loser fry-cook of a wannabe police officer, dressed in brightly colored spandex for the rest of your life, barely making any money, and never getting any real respect or validation for putting your life at risk'.

Oh, I have opinions on the Sports Festival, believe me, I have a lot of opinions, but I'd like to save at least some of these more for when the actual Sports Festival starts, and not, like, five pages into the first chapter out of what, twenty two? We've got the time.

Uraraka! You're an actual character! My, this is nostalgic. I always loved the contrast between her hyper cute-zied design of her and the fact she's down to beat the living shit out of someone at the drop of a hat, and it's nice to have that again.

(Also, she's showing more ability to inspire the class here than Bakugou has shown literally the entire series, no matter how much Hori goes on about his 'charisma' or whatever.)

And then we get into her "impure" motivations to be a hero, (which I've also talked about on occasion), and it's very humanizing, both for Uraraka as a character, and the industry as a whole. It's one of those great set ups Hori ended up dropping on world building, which sucks because it'd be so interesting if he got into the nuts and bolts of the world a bit. I'm not saying we need to see the tax code or anything, but for a series that's about corruption and what not, some more detail would really help pull all of this together.

Ah, Dumb Might. I didn't miss you, except I kind of did because Dumb Might is still better than Useless-Side-Character Might.

Also, can I talk about how stupid it is that Dumb Might is burning his less than an hour's worth of time 'teaching' students again? Because holy fuck that's such a waste it's honestly criminal.

And what the hell is this switch in motivations, here? All Might never mentioned, you know, replacing him is the Symbol of Peace before now. Before this point, the whole reason he chose Izuku is that he'd be worthy user of his power, not, what, replacing him. If Izuku never gained any real fame, but still managed to save a lot of people? Before-this-point All Might would have been fine with that. More than that, he would have been proud of it, proud his successor was humble and chose to focus on doing good rather than fame. Hell, not too long ago it was pointing out by All Might that Izuku wouldn't want to use All Might's fame to benefit himself, to go slow and steady and earn his success rather than relying on fame.

Where the fuck did this come from? What the fuck kind of pressure is he trying to put on this kid?

And then right after that, we see flashes of who All Might used to be with the whole 'don't forget how you felt at the seaside park, that day', bit. Because, like, that's good. That's great! It's real, and deep, and gritty, and I'd love it if it wasn't being use with this set up, because those expectations work in other shonens, but they don't work here. Izuku can't do what All Might did, because he can't stop damn hurting himself. Going Plus Ultra, here, now, for this? It could cause real, serious harm to him for the rest of his life! And for what? To make a good impression?

And if something would call him on that, it could still work, because All Might is canonly shit at taking care of himself, that could, like, close the circle for all of this, bring it together with the two them as shit at at self care as a place to build them improving off of, but for whatever reason, Hori never went all the way on that because he was too damn afraid to commit to it, commit to a story, commit to a theme, commit to a moral.

...Holy shit, how many pages is this? We haven't even gotten to actual Sports Festival yet in the post about the damn Sports Festival.

And now we have this creepy, kind of morbid mob of people filling the hallway to stare at Class 1-A for.... being attacked by terrorists.

*what the fuck.jpeg*

What is wrong with you people?! What the actual hell is wrong with you???

And then Shinso rolls up:

"Wow. Look at these arrogant assholes, so excited about not getting killed. I'm going to declare war on them, because they deserve it for getting all high and mighty."

...

You know, I completely forgot about the epic story of, 'Shinso Hitoshi and his Completely Unmerited Persecution Complex'. I'm sad that I remember that now.

Bakugou: "People's opinions don't matter once your at the top."

Me: *looks at how much people's opinions matter to getting to the top, and staying there*

Me: ...Uh.

Thank you, Kaminari, for pointing out his edgy bullshit is, in fact, actually bullshit, and is only going to make his life more difficult for no reason. I like you as an actual person who does things other than cheerlead for Bakugou.

Izuku. Izuku no, Izuku...! Damn it. Bad Izuku. Bad! Stop getting inspired by the festering waste spewing out of Bakugou's mouth!

Cue all of two panels of the media being absolute assholes only out to make ratings with no redeeming features.

And... here's the actual Sports Festival, god knows how long into this post later!

(if you believe the text editor I just posted all of this into? Well into four pages. ...Even with my generous use of spacing, I think I have a problem.)

..Wait. Wait. Where the hell is this happening?

*does five seconds of research on the wiki*

I'm right. They have a stadium for this. Like, a giant ass sports stadium that exists for this. Only for this. That is used once a year.

At this point, I'm honestly wondering why UA isn't just it's own city. Like, Izuku should have moved here, along with the rest of the students, and all the families and various staff needed to run this just.... live on site. It's not like it'd cost them anything, since they apparently have spare cities sitting around for the kids to trash.

That's... that's actually a really interesting idea? Because it'd be a hero run city, then, which feels like it'd work well into the over commercialized, corrupted state heroics is supposed to be like, their overwhelming level of influence. I don't think that's what Hori was going for, to be clear, I think he has no idea just how much space he's causally put on UA's campus and didn't think through the implications... at all.

Ooh, and here comes Todoroki's characterization.

And... here comes the bloodsport, because that's what all of this is: bloodsport. They're throwing a bunch of teenagers onto this stage, broadcast them to the entire country, and have them fight against each other for fame. This society is so fucked up.

Random Gen Ed kid: Yeah, he placed first in the Heroics Entance Exam.

...Yeah. As fucking stupid as it is that Bakugou somehow placed first, it does make sense the person who place first in the Heroics Entrance Exam would be class representative in a school for heroics. Damn, you're salty, kid, but you're also kinda dumb, not going to lie.

Bakugou: *opens his mouth on live TV*

Bakugou: *vomits diarrhea for the entire country to see*

Izuku: ...Wow, Bakugou's so cool! He's grown up and mature now!

...Izuku. Izuku, buddy, please, stop doing this to yourself.

As yet another thing I've mentioned before, a lot of our views on Bakugou comes from Izuku. Izuku who has, from chapter one, all but worshipped Bakugou. Even when he does things wrong, even when he's actively fighting against him, Izuku can't stop himself from going on and on about how great Bakugou is, how cool and tough and determined he is. Izuku's hero worship of his abuser is sheltering Bakugou's actions from the readers, papering over all of his worst traits with a a transparent facade that he's this glorious figure. It's the narrative going the extra mile to cover his arrogant ass, to make him seem like a rival instead of an bully, someone worthy of respect rather than contempt.

Hmm. I don't want to go too much into the nuts and bolts of the event, I think, since I've done that before, so let's try something else: How Many Times Could This Kill A Literal Child? Where I, you guessed it, count how many times a teenager could have been killed, on national television, in this event.

Count one: The start of the race itself, where... *counts how many kids are in 1-A, multiplies by eleven*... two hundred and twenty kids run forward at the same time, trying to force themselves through the same opening. This shit is why it's illegal to shout fire in a theater, because a stampede like this could get someone trampled to death, or maybe crushed by the sheer weight of the crowd (which is something that happens, someone getting killed by the a crowd of unruly people just... squeezing them on accident).

*stares at Shinso being carried around like a wannabe king instead of using his own damn legs judgingly*

Count Two: Mineta gets bitched slapped by a robotic arm bigger than he is. I don't think I have to get into how that could be fatal.

Count Three: The army of Zero Pointers who could easily step on someone.

*Momo wondering about how UA can fund this makes me feel very validated, BTW*

Count Four: Todoroki dumping the Zero Pointer on the rest of the competition to block the way, again for obvious reasons. He obviously doesn't meant to, but this kid isn't even looking back. This is both lamp shaded and then dismissed because it happens to the only two people who could shrug that off, but holy shit that could have killed so many of them.

...The cameras are robots. The cameras are robots with AIs that are cheering on the other robots. I- I can't- what?!?

And then everyone can't stop themselves from praising Bakugou for the radical idea of going over a problem instead of blasting through it. Wow, Bakugou. Amazing. Such brains, such smarts.

Count Five: The Fall. Because there's no way that anyone could get themselves killed by. You know. Falling. If I was more generous, I'd say something like, 'There's probably something down there to catch them if they fall', but I'm not terribly impressed by UA's ability to actually keep these kids safe, so that doesn't make me think they'd have thought that through that much.

Grudgingly, I'm going to give a landmines a pass, because they're explicitly supposed to be non-lethal, and them blowing up didn't do any real damage. Burns, maybe, possibly a broken limb, probably some scars, but this count is about people dying. Izuku's pile could have been, maybe, but that's a level of deliberate action on his part big enough that I can't really blame UA, per say.

Eraserhead, on how 1-A has improved: I didn't do anything.

...Well. At least he's honest.

One other thing: I've said before how bullshit All Might telling Izuku to 'fight to win' was, and right here, here's the proof: All Might explicitly going, "I was afraid you'd be too nice to try and beat other people in competitions, but you proved me wrong! I'm so proud!". You know, fighting to win. Like he later says Izuku doesn't for some mysterious reason *cough*, to make him seem at the same level as Bakugou, *cough*. Poor, poor All Might, yet another victim of Bakugou's narrative warping favoritism.

And here we see the management kids going all out in how to sell Izuku and his brand, which is so very fucked up, for them and the people they're 'selling'. I'm aware this is something that celebrities go through, (which is fucked up for them as well, don't get me wrong; I'm an equal opportunity 'this is fucked up' call out-er), but these kids are in high school. The fact that they're doing this, and getting this done to them, in such numbers, in such an early age... yeah. There's no way this could give them lots and lots of long term stress and psychological problems, right?

Meanwhile, as we get to the offical rankings, I think it's time go back over the 'How Many Times Could This Kill A Literal Child?' count... at five. Five times they could have been killed on complete accident.

That is not a good score.

I'm stopping it here because the other events don't have the same problem, but instead of a whole new problem of delibrately pitting them against each other. On live TV. With minimal supervison. Cementoss popping in at the last second in Izuku vs Todoroki, considering how badly Izuku got hurt in the process, does not fill me with a great sense of these fights being well monitored.

*gets an omake chapter*

*Bakugou gets called Izuku's childhood 'friend'. Bitch, please.*

So. Here's a new point: the million point bullshit is... well. Bullshit. It's the snitch in Quiddich all over again, giving the hero something both super import, with an extra layer of difficulty, to drive up the stress and stakes, only kicked up by a million. Making more than the others makes sense, and making it enough to pass by itself is still pretty reasonable, but making it so excessively much has no point other making Izuku feel isolated from his peers and hunted by his classmates.

Also, Mt Lady going on about how 'great' an exercise the second round is is missing the point that this is literally a thing Japanese kids do in school. Literally, this is a game they're playing with Quirks, not some tactical exercise; it's like saying that playing hide and seek makes you great at hunting people down or something. Again, Hori, dial back your constant need to tell us how great the Sports Festival is. Because it isn't. It really, really isn't.

More doses of everything drooling over how great Bakugou is, and how much of a total shit of a human being he is, joy. Mineta and Shouji's teamup is actually pretty damn brilliant, even though it's tainted by how much of a one-dimensional character Mineta is. Iida is getting shown as Izuku's enemy, but honestly it looks more like he's just trying to improve himself more than anything, while acknowledging how competent Izuku is. Not just that he won the first round, or has a lot points but that Izuku, as a person, is the goal he wants to surpass; there's some good shit there, and pretty validating, if Izuku could allow himself to accept it.

Oh Mei! Mei... actually, I have a post I need to do about the Mei and Izuku dynamic at some point, how they're so designed to work together, but yeah she's fun.

And then Uraraka thinks about how strategic Izuku is being and again, I can't help but contrast this with how things happen later on; even if Izuku never lets himself really feel the respect people have for him, people at this point in time really, honestly seem to respect him, not for his Quirk, but for his brain, his determination, his heroism; it's so well setup for Izuku to stand on his own two feet without OFA and it's some really good stuff. It's a shame Hori gets rid of it.

Hmm. Class B. Class B is... interesting. They're set up as rivals but after this it never goes anywhere, and just leaves us with a bad impression of Monoma, without letting him get a good chance to get past it. I don't like him, honestly, his personality grates at me and he needs to get over himself, but he doesn't deserve the hate he gets from the fandom.

That said, though, the Class A vs Class B victory philosphy is honestly just another example of destroying yourself vs having realistic limits, how All Might and Izuku keep destroying themselves vs everyone else not doing that. The fact Class B is actually thinking ahead is smart, but the series doesn't give them that credit because it's not ambitious enough... even though that runs straight into conflicting with Izuku and his issues.

Hori, fucking commit already. In all honesty, it feels like 1-B should have won over Bakugou and knocked him out of the compition; they planned it out, and played him like a sucker, because he's a bullheaded moron. It's all right there, but right as they win... Eraserhead shows up in the booth and says, 'Yes, you've won, but actually no, because Bakugou need to win anyways. So he is. Because REASONS!' Then All Might gets dragged into that same bullshit just to make it really clear that no, Bakugou is right. Planning? Strategy? That's for losers. Real winners just need to want it hard enough, and no one wants things more than Bakugou!

It would have been better, as a story, and for everyone's character development, if that had happened. Bakugou would have lost to some 'nobodies', Izuku would have gone past him without even validating him with a fight, and Class B and Monoma would have gotten a better chance to show themselves as characters; win win win.

And then Endeavour shows up. Fuck Endeavour. Also that is a man who looks like a serial killer. Dumb Might continues to reign and be completely unable to recognize when someone hates him when he monologues about it right in front of him.

Meanwhile, Bakugou is just... there. For some reason. Why? Why does he need to be there for this? It makes his hissy fit later even worse when you realize he knows why Todoroki doesn't use his fire, and it has literally nothing to do with him. Ignoring him, though, Todoroki and Izuku's moment here is some good stuff, a nice setup for a healthy rivalry based on mutual respect, rather than the toxic mess he has with Bakugou.

Ugh. That cheerleader bullshit. Honestly, it says a lot that they can be told that, 'Aizawa says you need to dress up as cheerleaders', and apparently no one questions this, because of course Aizawa would pull some kind of weird bullshit on them with absolutely no warning at what anyone else would think is the worst possible time.

Midnight being really creepy about how she talks to teenagers, of course, and now... Shinso.

'Consent is for losers' Shinso. 'Everyone is coasting on their Quirks except for me, who only knows how to use my Quirk' Shinso. 'Let me use my Quirk on someone before we even get in the arena so I can blatantly cheat' Shinso. 'No one else has dreams or ambitions' Shinso.

I don't like Shinso. I like the idea of Shinso, sure, but that idea is another one of those paper thing veneers Hori likes to put on his characters, without doing the work to make that match the reality; the only hardship we've seen him go through is his apparent inability to work hard. Like, everyone loves Shinso, in story and out, they can't stop themselves from telling him how great his Quirk is. And you know what? It is. It is a great Quirk.

But Shinso talks like he's had a such a hard time with it, even though he seems to love it, love using it, and the way he acts, like he knows he can go through a career as a hero based only on that Quirk. He's wrong, since he's so out of shape he can't even run, apparently, but he's operating off that assumption at this point, which conflicts with his poor little martyr act.

I want you to look at the iceberg Todoroki makes, and compare it to his efforts against Stain. If he did that against him? That fight would have been over the minute he showed up, and Todoroki ambushed him. This is pretty much our last moments of Todoroki, certified badass, before the nerfs roll in. Savor it, Todoroki fans, because he'll never recover from having to lose against Bakugou.

Another omake, which seems like foreshadowing about Hori deals with women characters: bringing up a good characterization, or valid idea (do women heroes need sexiness to do their jobs?), before throwing it away to fall for the same tropes that he was making a stand against just a minute ago (women getting in a cat fight, which apparently gets really explicit, all of this on a TV before Mineta, Hori's avatar of his own horniness).

Then, as if to prove my point, we get Bakugou vs Uraraka where, like Class B before her, she does everything right, gets the win... and then gets it taken away at the last minute by idiotic bullshit pulled out of nowhere (since when could Bakugou make a blast like that? Why does he need those bomb gauntlets if he can do that?) because Bakugou isn't allowed to lose. And then Eraserhead, Hori's mouthpiece, shouts down the crowd, and us, when we think bad thoughts about it because that isn't allowed either; we need to love Bakugou.

Bakugou respects women! ...Just as much as he respects everyone else. That is to say, he doesn't. Hell, he doesn't respect her enough to think Uraraka planned her own fight! He just gets one line for one second that makes it seem like he respects her, but of course once that moments gone it's back to the normal level of complete disrespect. That's totally character growth right there, one second of acting different before returning right back to standard behavior.

So... Izuku vs Todoroki. I like the fight, it's very dramatic, very cool, but... stop to think about it a second, and about a minute in, Izuku's entire ass hand is broken. That is not OK. Why are they letting it go on? It's simultaneously a great fight, but a seemingly awkward implementation of Izuku having a Quirk, because so much of this arc is built off of him not using a Quirk, not having it. This fight only works with it, though. And it's cool, don't get me wrong, but it's shallow at the same time because of the Quirk, because Izuku has to go Plus Ultra, has to go past his limits. Instead of accepting a more reasonable win, he has to win, period, and he doesn't have the power for that.

There's this awkward conflict here between the story's various narratives, between Izuku needing to suffer, and struggle, and break himself, and his more grounded planning and actions, and you can see Hori's old, better planned out ideas getting replaced with newer, less thought out ones. It's honestly kind of a theme for this arc in it's own right.

Flaws aside, though, the fight is gripping, and it's a great setup for Todoroki, a great starting point in making him an important character, in giving him growth. Shame Hori ends up throwing all that away literally the next fight.

Well, before that happens, let's talk the one two punch of, 1, Izuku having done himself permanent, life long damage, which nobody thought to stop, and 2, the sheer, unmitigated clusterfuck of Recovery Girl going, 'I'm not going to treat wounds like these'.

So. If Izuku breaks anything... well. She's not going to treat that. I guess he has to walk around with a broken finger/hand/arm, without any medical attention whatsoever? Well. I certainly don't see any problems with that.

Then we get Bakugou, who canonly has problems using his Quirk for extended periods of time, outlasting someone by using his Quirk for extended periods of time, before going on to fight someone who uses cold, his canon weakness, and ignoring how it should completely neutralize his Quirk to overpower it, through what I can only call his sheer, narrative warping concentration of favoritism.

On what happens after he wins... I've seen people say that he doesn't mean to attack Todoroki, just try to wake him up, but looking at that scene: he's holding Todoroki's body up with one hand as if to shake him, sure, but it's the other hand that's the problem. The way he's holding it is, for his Quirk, an offensive pose, making it ready to attack his target. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt (against my own opinion) and say it's not proof positive that he was about to attack, but there's no getting around that Bakugou had himself perfectly set up to hit Todoroki, full blast, while he was unconscious. Even if it's the more innocent explanation, that feels like something that should have disqualified him because... that's really concerning. That feels a step away from him threatening victims he thinks should have stood up for themselves or something; it's not heroic, in the slightest. The fact they had to knock him out, presumably for Todoroki's own safety, says enough about how bad that is.

The fact that the ending comment is basiclly lamenting from his perspective, that this 'isn't what he wanted' is... certainly a choice. He won, but, gasp! The person with long held issues in using his full power that long predate him didn't use his full power! The poor baby!

Then we get to the award ceremony where they... chain him up? Why!? If the doesn't want the damn award, don't give it to him; they let those guys earlier give up when they felt they didn't deserve it, why is Bakugou different? It feels like it's Hori tying him up here, against Bakugou's own will, and characterization, to give him that win just so he can win, but also to forcefully set up Bakugou's own importance with the League later. It's ham handed. It's probably child abuse. It's stupid.

It's fucked up all the way down, is what I'm saying.

Then All Might shows up, and fucks up his entrance timing because he's not allowed to win anymore, of course, and then forces that medal on Bakugou.

Uuuugh.

Last couple of panels, though, are pretty nice: we build up Uraraka's character, get the next arc set up, set up Izuku (fucking finally) getting away to use his own damn power, and develop Todoroki a bit.

A nice little cherry on top of the shit sundae.

#long post is coming #bnha critical #mha critical #bakugou critical #aizawa critical #UA critical #shinso critical #endeavour critical #i'm very critical if you haven't noticed #fuck the sports festival #hori's chronic hatred of women #izuku's biased narrative #hori's inability to choose a message #the failure of the development of heroic society and corruption #the constant and overwhelming destruction of All Might's character #Shinso Hitoshi and his Completely Unmerited Persecution Complex #i wrote this in one night off the hype of feeling half decent and caffeine #The 'Great' MHA Read Along #i have no idea what i'm doing #what the fuck did i just bring upon this cursed land

[bellaireland1981]

Stubborn Hearts | 4

Summary: Reader (Firecracker, Sunshine) has been in love with Bradley since she was a young girl. Growing up the two were inseparable, apart from short periods of time when she was on the West Coast with the Kazanskys. One faithful decision by her dad to block Bradley from going to the Naval Academy resulted in a huge rift between father and daughter and left her without Bradley in her life. Now all grown up, she’s called back to the west coast at the same time as her father and Bradley. Her mission, according to her dying godfather, is to mend fences with her dad and Bradley. Can stubborn hearts be healed?

(I suck at summaries for real).

This will have multiple chapters… this is 4 of ??

Characters: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Mitchell! Reader, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell x Daughter! Reader, The Dagger Squad, Shay (OC), Penny, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky

Word Count: 4584

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Death of character, TGM Spoilers, Illusions to Smut (later on ), Turbulent relationship with parent, Friends to lovers, …Please let me know if I’ve missed any!

A/N- This is my first time writing for TGM. I do not own the characters or plot lines from the movie. I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION TO COPY OR REPRODUCE MY WORK ON THIS OR ANY OTHER PLATFORM! Reblogging is always welcome! Feedback is MUCH loved and appreciated. THANK YOU to @waywardodysseys​ for all support and bouncing ideas!!

Ch 1    Ch 2   Ch 3

Tags below ! If I forgot anyone, please message me! If you want to be added, let me know!

The next morning when you came downstairs, you must have been wearing your emotions because your aunt immediately picked up on your emotional turmoil. It hadn’t taken much for you to open up and let it all spill out. After, she simply held you and let you cry it all out before reassuring you that things in life do happen for a reason, and not to close any doors. You were pretty sure that door had been slammed last night already.

You caught a ride to the Hard Deck later in the afternoon with Shay to pick up the Jeep. You made sure to go though, when you knew the rest of the aviators would be in training so you didn’t run into Bradley.

“Penny requested our presence inside.” Shay said, “She has lunch waiting.”

The two of you headed inside to see Penny had ordered burgers from your favorite diner. To your surprise, your dad was also inside. He was in his service khaki uniform so you assumed he was just here for lunch which meant it was a classroom day as opposed to a flying day.

“Hey, Firecracker.” He said gently, obviously having been brought up to speed on the night before.

You didn’t even hesitate, you walked straight to your dad, wrapping your arms around his middle and laying your head on his chest, the same way you did as a kid when you needed to be comforted. Without missing a beat, he wrapped his own arms around you and rested his chin on your head.

“Why do men have to suck so much?” You asked, “Why does this hurt so bad?”

“It hurts because you love him, my sweet girl.” He replied, softly, “I’m sorry, Y/N. I know this all started because of what I did.”

“It may have started that way, dad, but it’s been long enough now… it’s his own asshole self causing this.” You said. “I told him I wasn’t his ‘Sunshine’ anymore and gave him back the necklace.”

“Well that would explain some of today’s events.” He sighed, stepping back, and guiding you to the table. “I actually dismissed them all for the day, so they may actually be in here earlier than normal, Pen.”

“What happened today?” You asked, grabbing a burger from the pile and a handful of fries.

“Tensions were extra high as it was. Some of the perimeters of the mission have changed and we were going over the terrain again.” He said. He couldn’t give much detail due to it being classified, but you knew enough to know changes this late in the game were bad. “Then Hangman decided today would be a great day to point out that my old WSO was in fact Rooster’s dad, and it explained the issues between the two of us. This was of course, after he made known his thoughts that Rooster doesn’t have what it takes to successfully complete this mission.”

“Not that I’m defending him, because that was a shitty thing to do and say…” Shay said, “But after you left, Y/N, Jake tore into Bradley for making you cry. He was pretty angry. Jake really likes you, he said you remind him of his sister.”

“Well I always wanted a brother.” You smiled softly, trying to lighten the mood, “Tell him thank you for the thought, but not to be a jerk to Bradley please. Bringing his dad into things was a low blow. Even though Bradley didn’t seem to mind bringing mine into the argument.”

“I’m really fucking proud of you, Firecracker.” Mav said, smiling, “You grew up to be this amazing woman…despite everything… you have the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known. I love you, kid.”

“I love you too, dad.” You said, warmth spreading throughout your whole body.

The four of you ate lunch, catching up and filling each other in on funny stories you’d missed over the years. It was nice to take a break from the emotional turmoil currently filling your life. Once you were done you all made your way out to the back patio on the beach with your beverages. There was a pretty intense game of beach volleyball happening between a group of pilots. Thankfully for you, none of which looked familiar.

“Cyclone told me to build a team.” Mav said, watching the players. “But, despite my best efforts, I can’t get them to work together. If they’re not leaving their wingman out to dry, they’re being too cautious and making mistakes.”

“What about a team building game…” You said your eyes on the game on the beach. “Get them out of their jets and out of the classroom. Bring them somewhere… here maybe… get them to work together, but let them have fun and let off steam.”

“What kinda game?” He asked, intrigued with your thought process.

“What part of the mission do they need to work together the most? To really have one another’s backs?” Shay asked.

“In the event of a dogfight.” Mav replied, trying to stay vague. “They need to know they can count on each other.” You were glad you didn’t know much about this mission because you knew it would only make you worry more.

“What about a football game?” Shay suggested, “It requires the most amount of teamwork and communication.”

“Football, but both sides are on defense and offense at the same time…” You suggested. “Two footballs in play… each team having to defend their own ball and try to score while at the same time preventing the other team from scoring.”

“Dogfight Football” Penny threw in, laughing. “It’ll build teamwork and they’ll let off some of that pent up energy and tension. You may find it helps them focus better too, Pete.”

“I like it.” He agreed, “I am surrounded by very smart women.”

“Don’t you forget it either!” You laughed.

“Ok, I’m going to text them all and have them report to the beach tomorrow for team building. Then, Penny, I’m taking you out on a date tonight. You will not be working.” He informed Penny.

“Just so happens, I had already planned to be off tonight, so I guess I’ll let you take me on a date.” She teased.

“So…what time is this team building happening tomorrow?” Shay asked, “Just…out of…curiosity.”

“Sure… curiosity” You teased, “Curious about what Jake looks like without a shirt, running around a beach getting all sweaty?”

“Now that you mention it, I think I need to know what time this is happening as well…” Penny agreed, “So I can make sure to have cold drinks for everyone that is.”

“Uh huh..” You laughed, “Neither of you are subtle.”

“I’m thinking I’ll get them all out here mid morning.” Mav said, shaking his head at the other two.

“Count me out.” You said, “As much fun as that sounds and all…”

“No!” Shay exclaimed, “You have to come, Y/N! You helped develop it! And… things are still really new with Jake, so I could use the moral support.”

“I’m sure you’ll be just fine on your own, drooling over Jake.” You assured her. “It really is best for me just to stay away.”

“At least think about it, Kiddo.” Penny said, “Don’t decide right now.”

_______________________________

You ended up deciding to go check out the Dogfight Football game at the last minute. It was your uncle who convinced you to go in the end, saying it was your dad that could use the moral support.

The game was already in progress when you made your way around the building and down onto the beach. You quickly found Shay and Penny camped out in beach chairs, with one left open for you. Amelia was laid out on a beach blanket with airpods in her ears, checked out from the action.

“Y/N!” Shay said, looking up as you approached the trio. “You made it!”

“Probably not the best of my decisions, but Uncle Tommy said dad might need the moral support.” You replied, “And of course my new weakness is apparently my dad.”

“He’ll be glad you’re here for sure.” Penny said, “I’m guessing so will another certain aviator.”

“I think the sun is getting to you, Pen.” You quipped dryly. “I’m personally hoping someone tackles his ass into the sand. That would be entertaining.”

“‘I’ll try to get Jake’s attention and suggest it.” Shay laughed, “He’d be all too willing to oblige that request!”

“I don’t doubt that, but that would probably serve the opposite purpose of team building.” You replied.  You pulled off the shirt you’d had over your bathing suit top and draped it on the back of the chair before sitting down. The warm sun felt good on your skin. You made a mental note to take time to sit in the sun more often.

Penny passed you a bottle of water from a cooler she had next to her.

“So who’s winning?” You asked, eyes on the chaos in front of you. You had to admit, it looked like a mess of people running amok but it did look fun.

“I don’t think they’re actually keeping score.” Shay said, “This was definitely a fantastic idea though. I don’t know if it’s working for team building, but it’s so hot to watch.”

You almost choked on the water you’d just taken a drink of, laughter overtaking you.  She wasn’t wrong though. With the exception of Bob and Hondo, all of the male aviators had their shirts off. You took a minute to enjoy the sight of all the muscled, shirtless men running around. There was no shortage of abs in this group that’s for sure.  The fact that your eyes immediately sought out Bradley and locked on him wasn’t missed by Shay or Penny. They looked at one another and smirked while you continued to enjoy the sight of a half naked Bradley, who was now doing a little victory dance.

“It’s not fair that he’s that stupid hot but also that stupid.” You complained.

“I hear you, kiddo.” Penny replied, dryly. “I hear you.”

“Stupid maybe, but pretty to look at.” Shay said, “Jury is still out on Jake. I have a date with him though tonight.”

“WHAT?” You exclaimed, loudly, turning your body to face her. “You lead with that, Shay! Do you know where he’s taking you?”

“Sorry” She laughed, “I was distracted. He’s taking me to dinner, that’s all he’s shared with me.”

“I expect details tomorrow.” You demanded.

“I promise.” She replied.

The three of you watched as the game continued in front of you. After a while your dad opted out of the game, coming up to sit down in the sand next to you Penny.  The game continued without him, the aviators enjoying themselves.

“It appears our plan is working.” You remarked, “Nobody is trying to kill anyone else and they are working together.”

“For now” Mav agreed, “We will see if this translates to the sky.”

“What exactly is going on? You’re supposed to be training them for a mission.” You hear a voice coming behind you all. “You have them playing on a beach?”

“You told me to make them a team.” Mav replied to Cyclone. You’d never really cared for the guy. He always seemed to have a stick up his ass every time you’d seen him. Even at barbecues at your aunt and uncles. “They’re playing dogfight football. Both on offense and defense at the same time. They have to work together to score and prevent the other team from scoring.”

“Well, who’s winning?” Cyclone asked, looking at the rowdy group ahead of him.

“I think they stopped keeping score.” Mav replied.

“I expect everyone back on base and in the training room or in the sky first thing tomorrow morning.” Cyclone stated, turning to head back to his car.

“Well isn’t he just a ray of fucking sunshine.” You said, rolling your eyes. “I can see why you two do  not get along.”

“He’s… something.” Your dad replied. “I’m glad to see you here though, Firecracker.”

“It’s been entertaining.” you admitted. “Worth the trip to the beach.”

“For what it’s worth, you’re proving quite the distraction to one of my aviators.” Mav said, smirking at you over his sunglasses.

“UGH!” You grumbled, “Why does everyone keep insisting on seeing something that clearly is not there?”

“He’s not wrong.” Amelia said, taking her airpods out and joining the conversation. “I’ve been watching and Bradley definitely keeps looking this way when he thinks you’re not looking. He’s gotten tackled a couple times because of it.”

“Damn, I missed him getting tackled.” You replied, “But way to take sides, Aims.”

“Just calling it like I see it.” She smiled, “Are you still coming to dinner this weekend?”

“I sure am!” You replied.

“Cool.” She replied, “Mom, can I go down the beach a bit? My friends are meeting up there.”

“Sure.” Penny replied, “Come up to the bar when you’re ready to go.”

“Bye!” She said, wasting no time in gathering her stuff and heading off to her friends.

You could see the game was breaking up, everyone worn out from the intense competition.

“I should get going too.” You said, “I think I’m going to head over to the hangar today and get some air time in.”

“Want company?” You dad asked. Since he’d given the squad the day off after the team building, he also had the rest of the day off.

“I’d love some company” You replied, not wanting to miss an opportunity to fly with your dad. You’d always loved flying with him as a kid. You were also excited to show him the plane you were quite proud of owning.

“Let me run home and shower and change and I can meet you over there…or I can come pick you up.” He said.

“How about you meet me over there?” You said, planning on running through to grab a sandwich somewhere and talk to Frank quickly about possible charter jobs.

“Sounds good. I’ll text you when I’m on my way.” he answered, “Penny, I’m still planning on taking you out tonight. I’ll pick you up at 7.”

“Damn, everyone around here has a date tonight.” You commented, “I may need to join a dating app.”

“Who’s joining a dating app?” Jake said, coming up at the end of the conversation. He was dripping water everywhere, so he’d clearly decided to cool off in the ocean after the game.

“Y/N, apparently” Shay said, smiling at Jake. “Although, I don’t think that will be necessary.”

“Absolutely not.” Jake agreed, “Those apps are filled with creeps, not deserving of our girl. We can do better!”

“Better at what?” Phoenix asked, joining the group.

“We can’t let Y/N join a dating app.” Jake said. You hung your head sighing. This was turning into an out of control game of telephone.

“No way!” Phoenix agreed, “Not happening, Y/N. Leave it to us!”

“Actually…” You said, finally getting a word in, “I was totally joking about the app. I have zero interest in dating anyone right now. I need to figure out life first.”

“That’s an even better idea.” You dad piped up, “Not the figuring your life out part… you’ve got that, I mean the dating part. You can skip that.”

“Wow.” Penny laughed, “That was the most ‘dad’ thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“Well, better late than never right?” Mav replied. “Firecracker, l will see you in a little bit. The rest of you aviators, bright and early tomorrow in the training room and be ready to fly the course.”

“Yes, Sir!” Jake replied.

“On that note…” You said, “I’m hitting the road too. Have on your dates tonight. Jake.. I expect you to treat my friend like the queen she is.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” He said, already making heart eyes at Shay. They would make a great couple. You were definitely rooting for them.

“Bob and I are going to catch a movie if you wanna join.” Phoenix offered.

“Thank you, you’re sweet to offer.” You replied, warmly. “I’m going to stick close to home tonight and spend time with my family I think.” While going out with them sounded fun, you really did just want to soak up as much time with your uncle as you could before it was no longer an option. Each day, his light seemed to dim a little more.

“Understandable” She said, “We can hang out another time. Maybe even leave all the guys behind and do a girls night.”

“That sounds fabulous.” You replied.

You pulled your shirt back on over your swim top and picked the sandals laying on the sand before saying goodbye to everyone.

As you approached the parking lot you saw Bradley pulling a shirt next to his Bronco. You mentally slapped yourself for not getting out of here sooner or not staying behind to talk to the others longer. Your timing definitely needed work.  Determined not to have a repeat of the past two conversations with him, you kept your head down and walked faster to the Jeep, hoping with everything you had he wouldn’t see you.

Apparently your luck really did suck because just as your hand reached for the door handle of the Jeep you heard him yell your name as he started in your direction. You felt your whole body tense up at the sound.

“Bradley, I’m really not in the headspace to go another round,” You sighed, “Nor do I have time. I’m meeting my dad to go flying this afternoon.”

“I don’t want to fight,” He replied, “I just… Y/N, I can’t leave things the way we left them. I’m so sorry for lashing out. I didn’t mean what I said. Can we just try again to talk? Third time’s the charm… please, Sunshine?”

“I’m sorry,” You said quietly. “I… can’t”

You opened your door and got in, firmly closing it, creating a barrier between you and Bradley. You nearly broke when you saw the raw emotion on his face. You didn’t want to hurt him. Even after everything, you loved him and wanted to comfort him.

He stepped back allowing you to back the Jeep up. You glanced in the rearview mirror as you left the parking lot, he hadn’t moved at all and was starting after you as you drove away.

___________________________

Being at the hangar was the distraction you needed after the more recent interaction with Bradley. You were conflicted. On one hand you were determined to protect your already shattered heart, not wanting to endure any more turmoil. On the other hand, Bradley really did seem to want to talk and to find some solid ground between the two of you. Could you two move past everything that had happened and salvage your friendship? If you could…could you settle for being his friend, having been in love with him since you could remember?

With so much swirling around in your head you knew being in the air was exactly what you needed today. You threw your purse into the pilot’s seat, then headed to the office to find Frank.

���Hey Frank” You said, walking into the office. “I’ve got copies of my licenses and paperwork for you.”

“Great!” He replied, “I’ll get this filed and then we can add you to the list of charter pilots here. We’ll need to have you fill out some paperwork so you can get paid and all that important stuff, but we can do that whenever.”

“Sounds good. I also need to file flight info for today. I’m going to take the plane up with my dad.” You said.

You handed him the flight information, planning a similar route as last time.  He entered your plane info into the computer and got you in the lineup for a runway. Once you were done, you made your way back to your plane to do all of the preflight checks while you waited on your dad to arrive.

_________

Flying with your dad as a kid was always fun and like an adventure. Flying with him as an adult with you in control, was a whole new experience. It was nerve wracking but exciting at the same time. You wanted to make him proud as flying was a huge part of him. You were happy to show off your skills. You knew you were a good pilot. Not at the same caliber as your dad, but you were skilled in your own right.

“This is an odd feeling” Your dad laughed, his voice coming through the speaker on your headset. “Now I know how WSOs feel.”

“Good odd, or bad odd?” You asked, glancing over at him. He looked relaxed in the seat next to you.

“Good.” He replied, “I’m proud of you, Firecracker. You’re a damn good aviator.”

“High praise coming from a Top of the Top.” You beamed, then admitted “Even when I was being stubborn and mad, flying helped me feel closer to you.”

“It makes me really happy that you love flying” He replied, his voice choking with emotion, “You could have become resentful of planes and flying growing up as a Navy Kid.”

“Between you and Uncle Tommy, there was absolutely zero chance I’d hate flying or planes” you laughed. “I probably have jet fuel in my blood.”

“You’re in great company then.” Mav laughed, “Feel like heading off course just a bit? I’ve got a hangar and a small runway a little southeast of here. I’d love to show you the plane I’m working on.”

“You have your own hangar and runway?” You asked, “Why am I not surprised by this?”

“It’s where I end up staying most of the time when I’m not on base.” He said, “What can I say? I live and breathe aviation.”

“Tell me where I’m going. Let’s check out this home away from home.” You answered. Once he gave you the coordinates and landing points, adjusted your direction on your plane and headed towards your new point.

The landing was smooth, the runway in good condition. You didn’t expect anything less from your dad. Once you’d taxied to the hangar, you shut down the plane, and jumped out to join your dad as he opened the large hangar in front of you.

“You have a P-52 Mustang!” you exclaimed once sunlight flooded the hangar.

He smiled at your enthusiasm and guided you in to show you the plane.

“I got this one a few years ago” He said, “She’s the one I prefer to fly when I’m not in a jet.”

You ran your hand along the side of the plane, soaking in the details and beauty. Growing up, you’d gone to airshows often, and the Mustang remained your favorite.

“I think I just fell in love.” You said, laughing. “Who needs men when there are beautiful planes like this in the world”?

“That’s my girl” Mav laughed, “Come on, let me show you the one I’m fixing up.”

He walked you over to where he had another plane partially dismantled. His time to work on it now was limited due to training at Top Gun. You  knew he’d spend all of his free time once he was done with this mission back here fixing up the plane. Hopefully he saved some time to also spend with Penny.

“That’s the part I still want to learn.” You admitted, “I can do basic maintenance on my plane but I’d love to learn more about fixing planes and being able to rebuild them.”

“Well, you’re in the right place then, Firecracker.” Mav said, “Anytime you want to come out and help me, I’d be honored to teach you what I know.”

“I’d love that, Dad.” You replied, smiling.  You looked around at the hangar noticing that he did indeed probably stay here often. There was a fridge and microwave with a heating plate to cook food, and a small seating area with a couch to crash on. On the back wall where he kept various tools he also had a display of pictures hanging. You wandered over to take a closer look, smiling as you saw various pictures of you and Bradley growing up as well as pictures of your dad, Goose and Uncle Ice when they were younger at Top Gun. What surprised you was Bradley’s service picture in his dress blues hanging on the board. You didn’t think your dad had followed his career.

“Lots of memories on that board.” Mav said, coming up behind you.

“You kept track of him didn’t you.” You asked, “Even after…”

“I did.” He replied, “He’s my godson. I didn’t pull the papers because I didn’t love him. I was honoring his mom’s wishes. I still wanted to see him succeed.”

“If you had it to do over again, would you make the same decision?” You asked, “Or would you be honest with him and let him make the choice?”

“Knowing how it all turned out and the hurt it caused…” He replied, “I would ask Carol to talk to him about her fears and I would tell Bradley to follow his heart.”

“Maybe you should try talking to him and being completely honest with him now.” You suggested, “Give him the whole truth and let him do with it what he will.”

“I don’t want to taint his memories of his mom.” He said, “It’s easier for me to bear the brunt of his anger. He already blames me for his dad’s death.”

“I don’t think he really means that.” You said, “I think that’s the hurt talking. You were his hero growing up, Dad. He loved you so much, he wanted to be just like you.”

“And now he won’t talk to me.” He sighed. “He’s respectful enough to not be insubordinate in training, but I could be any instructor off the street as far as he’s concerned.”

“Maybe just give it time.” You offered, “Then try again. You’ll eventually wear him down.”

“Time isn’t really in our favor.” He said. “After this mission, new orders will be given. They all have permanent squadrons they’re attached to.”

“Possibly…” You reasoned, “But there is this amazing new technology called a cell phone… It's really easy to use too. Even better, you can take it with you wherever you go!”

“Smartass.” He laughed, playfully nudging you with his shoulder.

“Guess that’s another trait I inherited from you.” You quipped.

“We should head back.” Mav said, noticing the time. “If you don’t want to pay for a hangar rental you can always keep your plane here.”

“I may take you up on that.” You replied, “I am supposed to pick up some charter flights from Frank as he needs me, but I don’t know if a hangar is included in that, since I’d be using his planes.”

“Whatever you decide.” He said, the two of you climbing into the plane after closing up the hangar. “Offer is always on the table.”

“Thanks, Dad,” You said smiling.

“Let’s turn and burn.” He said, pulling on his headset.

“Wrong kinda plane, Dad.” You laughed.

The flight back was just as smooth and before long you were taxiing off of the runway back into the hangar. Your dad helped with tying the plane down so you were back in your Jeep on your way home in no time.

A/N- Is Bradley getting ready to redeem himself?? We’re getting closer to this stubborn pair letting their guards down :) 

Taglist:  @gracespicybradshaw​ @memoriesat30​, @khaylin27​, @snekssss, @shanimallina87​ @atarmychick007​  @jstarr86​    If I forget anyone please message me!  

#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw #top gun fanfiction #miles teller

[fynn-arcana]

Who’s your favorite TUA character?

I’ve done been asked about my hyperfixation‼️

Because I’m incapable of being normal about Umbrella Academy rn, I’m going to rate all the Hargreeves siblings by way of choosing a favorite.

Going from least favorite to favorite (I like them all, but some are more precious than others):

7. Allison. Don't get me wrong, I love all of the siblings. For me, what really makes the media is the characters, and all of the Umbrella Academy characters are unique, endearing, yet flawed. That being said, Allison is the one I connect with the least, and also after season 3... well...

6. Diego. He would be higher, but I didn't really start to like him until season 2. Like Allison, Diego's one of the ones I connect with the least, although I do find his character arcs very compelling (and heartbreaking, to be honest).

5. Luther. Luther is very much back and forth for me. Like, he's such an idiot towards the end of season 1, but AMAZING in season 3. Honestly, I just love the trope of a big blond himbo, so even if Luther is as dumb as rocks, he's so endearing.

4. Viktor. He explodes things. He's just three apples tall. Viktor is just a little guy, and I've been his firm supporter since season 1. (Like, my sister keeps dissing him and I'm ready to throw hands). Plus, I really love Elliot Page, so like... Viktor, ya know?

3. Ben. I don't wanna let my men-loving show, but like, Ben's gorgeous. He's so hot. Ahem, anyway-- I love the whole concept of him being Klaus's conscience and voice of reason (even if Klaus never listens) and the only time I cried while watching this show was at one of his scenes. That being said, I don't really like Sparrow!Ben. I won't count him out quite yet though, we still have season 4.

2. Klaus. He's hilarious. He's sexy trash. He's wife material. Klaus is very much a close second when it comes to my favorite character, if only for the fact that he never irritates me. All of the other characters (except maybe Five) have moments where I'm screaming at the screen because they're so dumb (affectionate) but... never Klaus. Live love Klaus. He's great.

1. Five. I. Fucking. LOVE. Five. Which sure that's probably predictable, he's a fan favorite, but he's freaking hilarious, one of the deeper characters in the show (in my opinion), and his actor does a brilliant job with all of his quirks and mannerisms. Plus I hardcore headcanon him as either ace or aroace, but maybe I'm just projecting. But anyway, he's the new blorbo consuming my brain, and when I attend my first convention this summer (yay me!) I really want to cosplay him.

I'm so sorry for how rambly this was. If you can't tell, I'm very hyperfixated rn, and my sister hasn't finished season 3 yet so I'm practically vibrating with spoilers. I feel a little awkward being so obsessed with it cuz the fandom seems to be dead, for the most part, but hey-- I'm having fun. And that's what matters, right?

To all of my beautiful mutuals who followed me for Owl House content-- I am so sorry. The hyperfixation will return, the big ones always do. I'll try to feed you once in a while so you don't starve. Love you <3

#the umbrella academy #umbrella academy #umbrella acedmy #tua #five hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #ben hargreeves #luther hargreeves #viktor hargreeves #diego hargreeves #allison hargreeves #fynn says stuff

[hwakakeri]

My theory (not okay spoilers)

first of all, my son wooyo definitely got more lines this time and I'm really happy about that. he slayed like he always does. secondly, I feel like there's a whole lot of underlying message in this one about control, from Jongho on the bed to Hongjoong with the phone stuck to his hand. I think it might be something related to the academy or related to world z, and the callback to inception with the bed and the hallway DEFINITELY means something I'm not smart enough to figure out. I'd have to go back and nitpick through the underlying messages in inception to figure out what this one means. I love the lore in the ateez universe. it's so great it also feels like there's a lot about being trapped? maybe not necessarily spelled out, but it definitely feels like an underlying theme with the wires and even the stage they sing on, and even how San gets chased and hongjoong is surrounded by phones and all of ateez gets surrounded by men (my dream lol) at the end of the video. boy I wish I was smart enough to understand all this and also just yeosang looks so pwetty as always that's why he's in this post

i can't wait for the 1024 and crimsonzia gifsets to come out for this because there's so many cool parts in this I just can't save to my computer as a still image

#sfw #ateez #not okay #ateez lore #ateez comeback #jung wooyoung #ateez theory #ateez not okay

[newx-menfan]

*Spoilers for “X-Men Unlimited 100*

This is soooo cute!!

It’s a little bittersweet…knowing what happens to David in “Fall of X”…but it is a nice little note to Academy X fans!!

It was weirdly refreshing to see Jefferey back and the mentioning of David’s sister!

I also think this is the first time we had Josh and David really talking about the past/interacting (I know Josh popped up in X-Factor, but they barely interacted much considering their weird frienemyship…). It’s also definitely the first time we’ve seen Surge and David ON PANEL together talking since the Hellion kiss!

Also- for people complaining “Noriko seemed cold/should have cared more”, I don’t think it was so much she didn’t care about Jefferey…but that it was David asking her for help.

If it had been Elixir or Hellion, I think she definitely would’ve helped; but it seemed like there’s still some tension and bad feelings there.

Remember- Noriko gets brash or lashes out when uncomfortable; I think it was easier for her to act like she didn’t care than to deal with the awkwardness.

Anyway- Great short issue overall, no criticisms or complaints from me on it!

#x men unlimited #Prodigy #David Alleyne #Surge #Noriko Ashida #Elixir #Josh Foley #Jefferey Garrett #X men #new xmen #new x men #academy x #new x men academy x #marvel #bring back the new x men #x men unlimited 100

[theforgottenmcrmy]

Birds of a Feather (Chapter 7/?) | Bradley Bradshaw

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Sam “Merlin” Wells’ Daughter OC

Warnings: Explicit Language, References to the Death of a Parent, Really Mild Angst

Word Count: 10,300 ish.

Summary: It was almost as though the universe was dealing him his owed karma. Any possible solution that Pete could devise in order to start addressing the transgressions he’d made against Bradley Bradshaw and Clara Wells was made immensely more complicated by the fact that the two seemed to be as thick as thieves.

DISCLAIMER: Spoilers for Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick ahead.

Masterlist /// Chapter 1 /// Chapter 6 /// Chapter 7 /// Chapter 8

A/N: Not me trying to plant not-so-subtle seeds of Bob and Hangman subplotlines in case I decide to write something for them at a later time.

I’m not going to lie y’all, I struggled with this one a bit. I’m sorry about the wait. It’s a bit of a long one though, so I hope that makes up for it a little. I hope you all have a great rest of the week.💙 EDIT: I am so so sorry, I forgot to reiterate how much I appreciate you all for the support!😭💙 Please forgive me.

 Chapter 7: Divide and Conquer

“Breaking the hard deck? Insubordination?” Natasha redundantly questioned her friend. “Are you trying to get kicked out?” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Rooster dismissed, his eyes focused on the concrete beneath him.

His tone was sharp and cold. At any other time, Natasha might have taken the hint and given Rooster some space. But after the stunts he had pulled that day, she felt he had more than earned a good talking-to. At the rate Rooster was going, his ass would be on a plane back to the USS Gerald R. Ford before sunrise the next morning.

But there was something in Rooster’s expression that made Natasha hesitate, something more than just anger. “Look,” she said then, softer, but only by a little bit. “I’m going on this mission. And if you get kicked out, you’re leaving us to fly with Hangman.”

And Parrot, too. It’d been a rough day for everyone, but if those two didn’t find a way to work out their issues, Natasha would have some serious reservations about sharing the skies with the two of them at all, let alone during a mission.

“Talk to me,” she tried again. “What the hell was that?”

“He pulled my papers.”

… What?

“What? Who?” It couldn’t have been Hangman, that much was for sure.

“Maverick,” Rooster clarified, finally looking up to meet her eyes briefly, before averting her gaze. “He pulled my application to the Naval Academy… Set me back four years.”

Natasha wasn’t sure Rooster’s last statement was a fair one; though he may not have gone through the Naval Academy, he’d technically started his Navy career at the same time he would have, had he been accepted to it. He’d just started his career from a different entry point, so to speak. But Natasha also knew better than to point that out just then. It would only fall on deaf ears, if it didn’t incite her friend even further.

Besides, what Rooster was implying- that was far more concerning than the technicality. First of all, it was a serious allegation, and secondly, there was no immediately obvious motive for the infamous aviator to have done such a thing… if he even had.

She wondered out loud, “Why would he do that?”

Rooster merely looked around their surrounding area. He either did not know the answer to her question, or he simply wasn’t willing to share it with her.

Perhaps he’d be willing to answer another question of hers instead.

“That’s not the only thing going on, is it?” Natasha guessed.

Rooster’s eyes snapped back to hers immediately, and she knew then that she had struck gold.. Bingo.

“What’s going on between you and Parrot?”

To her surprise, Rooster laughed. “You mean today, or just in general?”

“Would your answer be any different?”

“... No.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Rooster hesitated, visibly conflicted as he mentally weighed his options.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Natasha offered, providing him with an opportunity to bail out and forget she’d even mentioned it. “But if there’s a chance that getting whatever it is off your chest will help you keep your head on straight, maybe you’ll be able to stick around here for more than just a day.”

Despite his reluctance, an amused look flashed across Rooster’s face at her words. After a few more moments of silence, he gave her a small relenting nod.

“I can’t believe you’re actually gonna do it.”

“Do you think she’ll like it?”

“Oh, she’ll love it,” Clara reassured him, smiling giddily as the clerk assisting them began to ring up the rather expensive purchase.

Bob dug into his back pocket for his wallet, and asked her hopefully, “You really think so?”

“I know so,” Clara confirmed, still smiling. “What made you decide to do this?”

Bob hesitated, and their conversation was put on pause as he handed his card over to the clerk. Once the clerk was focused on the register, Bob looked back at her with a conflicted look. “This mission… I don’t know. This time, it feels… different.”

Clara understood exactly what Bob was getting at. Though no mission came without its risks, the one they’d been briefed about that morning still lingered in her mind.

“Plus,” Bob added, his tone sounding suddenly more upbeat, “When you know it’s time, you just know. There’s no sense in delaying it, right?”

“Yeah,” Clara agreed wistfully, musing over his words and half-heartedly thinking about whether they could possibly apply to any aspect of her life. “I guess you’re right.”

The clerk slid some paperwork across the counter for Bob to review and sign, and Clara’s phone in her pocket buzzed. She withdrew the device with familiar ease, and frowned at what she saw on the screen.

Just as she was about to ignore the request and pocket the device for another hour or so, the first text was joined by a second, then a third, and then a fourth.

It certainly was.

Feeling suddenly merciful, Clara decided to spare him any more groveling, and her thumbs rapidly set to work.

Bob shot her a curious glance as she waited for Bradley’s response, which came almost immediately.

…

Clara tried her best as to not alert Bob that she’d received several messages from the source of her worry and frustration throughout the day. But unfortunately, her friend could read her like an open book.

A little bit later, when they sat down for a bite to eat, Bob looked at her expectantly not a second after their waiter was out of earshot.

“Clara.”

The use of her name alone was enough of an attention-grabber. It was almost always “Parrot” for him. But she had a feeling Bob had more reason to use her name than to just spare the surrounding patrons the awkwardness of using their call signs in the general public.

“You know I’m not one to pry,” Bob disclaimed, “But what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” she feigned, hoping he would drop the subject.

“You’ve been in a good mood ever since we left base,” he pointed out. “But you’ve been really quiet the past half hour or so, and it started with those text messages you got.”

Bob was spot on in his analysis- she had been in a good mood since they’d left. Clara knew the change could have been almost entirely attributed to him and his selfless effort to lift her spirits. There were many reasons Bob was a hell of a WSO, but one of the most poignant was that he was very observant. Sometimes, Bob might have been too observant for his own good, but that was neither here nor there.

Clara confessed, “The texts were from him.”

“I figured.”

Their waiter returned with their drinks, temporarily putting on a pause on their conversation, before promptly leaving once more.

“You wanna talk about it?” Bob asked as he reached for his glass of water.

He didn’t specify what “it” was, but there was no need.

Clara hesitated. She didn’t doubt the sincerity of his offer, but there was simply no way Bob understood what all it entailed. “It’s… a long story. I wouldn’t want to bother you with it.”

Bob laughed in disbelief, a gesture which made her smile. “Clara, you’ve just helped me choose an engagement ring. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think we are at the point in our friendship where you won’t be putting me out if you want to talk about something that’s bothering you.”

She hesitated still. Bob could be trusted, Clara had little doubts about that, and had it just been her business, she would’ve given in already. But there was something else very important to consider: coming clean about the backstories that had led to the semi-chaotic events of the day would involve spilling details about pasts other than her own.

Bob immediately noticed her hesitation, and his eyes fell down to his glass of water, a subtle gesture that showed he was willing to ease up. “Listen, you don’t have to say anything… But if you do ever want to talk about it, you know I’m here.”

Clara could tell just how genuine the offer was, and perhaps that was the final swaying point for her, “If I tell you,” she began, “It’d have to stay between us. Nobody else can know.”

“Of course,” Bob replied with an enthusiastic nod, sounding as though he was agreeing with an indisputable fact such as the grass being green, rather than agreeing to keep some pretty heavy secrets that weren’t his own.

Clara let out a small sigh. As she mentally braced herself for what she was about to do, she reached for her glass of Coke, and suddenly wished she had ordered something a little bit stronger.

The angry clouds that lingered over him had finally started to move out, and the fog lifted, leaving Bradley feeling abruptly clear-headed and even more remorseful.

It was about damn time, too. Though the conversation he had with Phoenix before leaving base for the day made some major headway, a trip to the gym afterwards helped seal the deal. Once that was over and done with, he was finally prepared to start making amends.

Thank god Clara had been willing to take some pity on him. Bradley wouldn’t have blamed her at all if she had just opted to ignore his texts. But she didn’t, and that alone was more than he deserved.

He was in no position to nor did he want to make any further requests of Clara for the time being, so Bradley decided he just needed to wait patiently. She told him she needed a few hours, and that was more than alright. He’d wait as long as he needed to if it meant he could have a chance to make things between them even a fraction better off than they had been a few hours before.

At some point though, Bradley’s usual patience wasn’t enough to keep him satisfied as he idly waited in his own temporary assigned housing. After a while, he decided to head over to Clara’s place and wait for her there.

Oddly enough, her car was there. But there were no lights on or other signs of life inside, so he pushed that thought aside.

After pulling into the driveway, Bradley put the Bronco in park and killed the engine. It seemed the events of the day finally caught up with him though, and before he knew it, the cool breeze and soft waves of the ocean in the distance lulled him to sleep. 

An immense weight had been lifted off of Clara’s chest.

The deep conversation at dinner allowed her to get years’ of pent up thoughts and feelings off her chest. She told Bob everything… and honestly, probably more than bargained for. But if that was the case, he didn’t show any indication that he’d minded. It seemed her friendship with Bob had reached yet another level that evening, and it made her realize once again just how thankful she was for having met him.

To put it simply, Bob Floyd was one of the best human beings- in and outside of the Navy. And shame on anyone- Hangman- if they didn’t want to see that.

When Bob pulled into the driveway of her temporary housing, Clara expected the driveway to be empty, with the exception of her own rental car, which she’d driven back before Bob drove them out for the evening.

But there was another car already waiting in the driveway beside her own. And it was a Bronco.

Clara shouldn’t have been surprised; she had ended up telling Bradley around the time she’d be back. But that didn’t mean she had anticipated him to already be waiting for her.

Bob gave her a knowing side-look as he put his car in park.

“Thank you, Bob,” Clara told him as she opened the door and climbed out. “For everything.”

“Of course,” Bob replied wholeheartedly, though he still seemed intrigued- and perhaps a little amused- by the sight of Bradley in the Bronco beside them.

Once Clara had walked around to the front of Bob’s car, she understood why he found the scene so funny.

Bradley Bradshaw was fast asleep.

His head tilted upwards and back against the headrest. His mouth was open ever so slightly, and Clara had the sneaking suspicion that if she got any closer, she would hear soft snores coming from him.

She rolled her eyes and turned to look at her other, more coherent, friend. “Thanks again. I’ll see you in the morning.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Bob bid her, giving her a look of understanding and sympathy.

As Bob’s car backed out of the driveway, Clara walked over to the Bronco’s driver’s side door. “Bradley!” she whisper-yelled, very mindful of the quiet neighborhood they were in.

Bradley remained still, with his aviators still covering his eyes and jaw opening slightly further as he continued to get some Zs.

Clara stuck her arm inside the open window and lightly nudged his arm. “Rooster!”

No response.

“Lieutenant Bradshaw!”

Bradley jolted awake at the sudden loud volume of her voice. “Jesus!” He looked around wildly for a few seconds, trying to gather his bearings. Once his eyes landed on her, they narrowed slightly. “Oh, it’s you.”

“You are at my house,” she quipped.

“You trying to give me a heart attack or something?”

Clara raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. “Please. I barely have enough patience to look at you right now, let alone attempt to kill you.”

Bradley grimaced. “... I guess I deserve that.”

She said nothing in response to that. “Did you still want to talk?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go inside then.”

Bradley followed Clara inside the house quietly. Every movement he made was carefully calculated; the last thing he wanted to do was to piss her off any more than he had already managed to do.

“You want something to drink?” she asked him as he closed the door behind them and locked it. “I haven’t had the chance to get much yet in terms of groceries, but I’ve got water.”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Suit yourself.”

Bradley walked further into the house, surveying his surroundings as he went. He followed the sound of her voice into the kitchen, where he spotted Clara getting herself a glass of water. She turned off the faucet and took a sip out of the glass, before turning to look at him expectantly.

He knew he was already on thin ice, and that Clara had granted him a huge mercy by letting him come over, but he couldn’t help himself. He asked, “Where’d you go tonight?”

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be offended by his poor attempt to beat around the bush. She set the glass down on the counter in front of her as she replied dryly, “I was out with Bob.”

“Oh.”

There was a moment of awkward silence.

“Were you going to say something, or-?”

“I’m sorry.”

It was pitiful. It wasn’t anywhere near enough, but it was a start.

Clara crossed her arms and looked at him with interest, silently waiting for him to continue.

“I had no right to treat you like I did, or say what I said. I was way out of line.”

Bradley was. He knew it too, just mere seconds after he watched her storm off out on the tarmac. And following the insightful conversation he’d had with Phoenix afterwards, that knowledge was only further cemented in his mind. Clara hadn’t deserved to be subject to the wrath of his rage, at all. While he had more than enough on his plate to deal with, what with the mission, Hangman, and most of all, Maverick, Bradley had enough sense of awareness to understand that the circumstances weren’t exactly ideal for Clara either.

Unfortunately, his anger had blinded him to that fact earlier.

“I haven’t seen that side of you in a long time,” Clara noted seriously.

He wished more than anything in that moment that she had never seen it again. It was a part of himself that he knew he was nowhere near ready to quash, but he still felt ashamed that she had witnessed it. “I know.”

“It worries me.”

“It… It worries me too.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly as he searched for his next words. Once he found them, he looked at her hesitantly. The words he found probably weren't what Clara wanted to hear, but at least they would be honest. “All this stuff with Maverick,” the disgust was audibly evident as he said the name of his late father’s aviator, “I thought I moved on…”

It made no sense. He knew he should’ve gotten over it. For god’s sake, it had been years. However, there was no denying it- just the sight of Maverick made his blood boil. The events of the day had more than confirmed that fact. The thought of having to spend any extended time with the man made Bradley’s mind devoid of anything other than resentment-fueled thoughts, and it was further complicated by the fact that no solution to resolving his feelings was immediately apparent. It was akin to the sight of an imposing mountain in the distance, and knowing he had to climb it, and yet there he was- stranded without any gear.

“I thought I’d gotten over it. But I guess I just buried everything instead,” Bradley realized out loud, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than he had already expected to be during their conversation.

Clara’s expression softened visibly. “I’m not asking you to forgive him, and pretend like what happened didn’t,” she clarified. “What he did was wrong. But, Bradley, you know Maverick is not worth jeopardizing your career over.”

“Damn right he ain’t,” Bradley replied easily. Clara’s face shifted to one of slight disapproval, and she waited for his next move, so he took a moment to refocus. “I know Maverick’s not worth it. And there’s something else that Maverick isn’t worth jeopardizing, either.”

“What’s that?”

“Us.”

A silence passed between them. Whatever they were, or weren’t, it was seldom a topic addressed so openly. With the exception of when Clara had broached the topic the previous evening. Acknowledging that there was something between them gave Bradley mixed feelings- part of him felt reassured that the something existed, but the other half of him felt frustrated that it was so poorly defined.

He wanted more. He wanted clarification on where they stood. But he also knew he was likely never going to get it.

“No matter what I do to deal with Maverick,” Bradley said then, desperate to change topic and forget the difficult mental questions he’d posed to himself, “I promise you- I’m never gonna take it out on you again.”

Clara said nothing.

“You’ve always looked out for me,” he continued seriously, “And I know that’s what you were trying to do today. Even if I was too pig-headed to realize it in the moment.”

Clara still said nothing. The look on her face was plain, expressionless. And he watched her with bated breath, waiting to see if she could continue to be merciful, or if she would dull out the punishment he deserved.

After a few moments, a small smile came across her lips, but it was one that reached her eyes. “You were pretty pig-headed today, weren’t you?”

“Yeah, I was,” Bradley agreed readily, letting out a relieved chuckle. “And I don’t expect you to forgive me right away or anything-”

“I don’t.”

“Good,” he said. He meant it, too. “Don’t forgive me right away. I just wanted to get this all off my chest. Maverick’s not worth throwing away my career, you’re right about that. But he’s also not worth throwing away what I have with you.”

Over ten years of friendship, or whatever the hell they were considered these days, down the drain just because he couldn’t keep his cool around Maverick? Fat chance Bradley would let that happen. He still wasn’t sure what he was going to do in order to get his anger in check around their instructor, but he knew that failing to find a way to do that would simply not be an option.

Clara regarded carefully. Bradley could see the hesitation in her eyes as she internally weighed her options. He continued to watch her hopefully, praying that his words had been enough to at least begin to repair the damage he’d done, even if only a little bit.

After a few long moments of silence, she said, “I’m glad you didn’t make me regret letting you come over here to talk.”

Bradley was even more relieved. “I didn’t?”

“No,” Clara confirmed, eyeing him playfully as she reached for her glass of water once more. “But the night’s still young, I suppose.”

He smirked and shook his head, mostly to himself. “How about I just try to stay on your good side for the rest of this detachment?”

She took a sip of water, and set down the glass. “I like the idea of that, but I’m not sure you’re up to the challenge.”

A challenge with her? Short of jumping off a cliff, Bradley knew he was more than willing to take on anything she threw his way. Thankfully, all Clara had dolled him out so far was mercy.

“I know we agreed to put the mission first,” she said then, suddenly serious. “And I still think we should. So, if that means you need to talk to someone, anyone, besides me- you should do that.”

Bradley’s jaw tightened. Was Clara hinting at what he thought she was? He wasn’t sure. And to be frank, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know for certain.

In a perfect world, he would have the courage to be honest with her about everything. She knew most of the mess that was swimming around in his head, but there were still some things, some nitty gritty details regarding feelings, that he still kept to himself. Bradley wished he could be entirely honest with Clara, about everything, but the truth of the matter was, the more honest he was with her, the more he found he was being less honest with himself. Over the years, he had mastered repressing his feelings about her, and had constantly told himself he didn’t care about certain aspects of their unique relationship when they couldn’t have been more important to him. He simply could not risk ruining what they had, even if it made everything more complicated.

“I’m sure Phoenix would offer you an ear,” Clara joked in an effort to lighten the mood, apparently not having paid any mind to his failure to respond immediately. 

Bradley grimaced slightly. “About that…”

“Yeah?”

“... I might have talked to Phoenix earlier today.”

Clara’s expression went blank. “About?”

“Everything.”

Her eyes fell to the counter, and she took another sip of water. “... To be completely transparent, I may have talked to Bob earlier as well.”

“About?”

“Everything.”

Though Bradley couldn’t help but feel a little bit wary about the news that yet another person was privy to the extenuating circumstances involving his and Clara’s business, he knew he had been the one to open the door by offering the same information to Phoenix. But he trusted Phoenix to keep what he’d shared with her closely guarded. And he trusted Clara. So if Clara trusted Bob to do the same, that was more than good enough for him.

A queer moment of silence passed between them then.

“I guess we both needed someone else to talk to, huh?” Clara redundantly half-joked.

Bradley offered a small, tired smile. “I guess so.”

She glanced at her phone, and frowned. “Shit- it’s getting pretty late. I didn’t realize what time it was.”

“I should get going,” Bradley offered politely.

“It’s late,” Clara repeated pointedly. “Why don’t you just crash here?”

He shouldn’t. Surely her offer was nothing more than a cordial one, and Bradley was in no mood to further press his luck. “I’ve got everything back at my place.”

“You could swing by there before heading to base in the morning.”

… But maybe Clara had a point. And since he’d been woken up from an impromptu nap not an hour beforehand, the clutches of sleep were seemingly mighty tempting to Bradley. Clara had never been one to provide empty offers, either.

“... I’ll stay, but only on one condition.”

Clara raised an eyebrow at him, as if shocked that he had the nerve to make a request.

“You and me, the Hard Deck, tomorrow night,” Bradley proposed. “Let me start making some headway on the groveling, please.”

She rolled her eyes defeatedly, and placed the empty glass in the sink beside her. “Fine.”

When Clara began to exit the kitchen, Bradley moved to follow her, but she stuck a hand out to stop him.

“You can wait here,” she explained. “I’ll go see if I can find you some extra blankets.”

“Oh,” Bradley replied with uncertainty. “I thought-”

“That I would let you sleep in my room with me?” Clara answered for him, a teasing look in her eyes.

Maybe, Bradley thought sheepishly. That had been his gut reaction, but once he thought about it, he realized just how foolish the idea was.

“If you hadn’t been such a pighead today, I might have let you,” Clara confessed quietly, which surprised him. “But, you said it yourself- you’re not forgiven. Yet. So for now, the couch it is.”

Bradley followed her outstretched hand she used to gesture across the room, where a rather small couch was placed in front of a TV in the living room. He internally groaned at the thought of trying to squish himself onto the damn thing. 

“Don’t worry,” Clara said, as if reading his mind. But there was something off about her tone- she sounded amused. She was taking too much pleasure in his predicament. “I think it’s a pull out.”

Pete Mitchell had never been one to show up earlier than he was expected, or was otherwise required to. Hell, back in the day, Goose used to make it a personal mission of his to see to it that he made it to wherever they were expected to be, with plenty of time- and then some more- to spare.

But the following morning, Pete surprised a fair amount of people, none more than himself, by arriving on base just as the sun was rising. He’d been given a spare office in a back corner somewhere for use throughout the duration of the detachment, and had decided that was as good a place as any to get some alone time before everyone else made their way in.

Pete looked over the instructional plans for the day with mild interest. Though he had drafted the majority of them the previous afternoon, and had even presented the Vice Admiral with a related written request to lower the hard deck, there had been some small changes he had thought of overnight that needed to be accounted for.

It’d been a rough first day, to say the least. It was rocky at best, and getting his ass chewed out by Cyclone at the end of it was the icing on the cake. Fortunately, his impromptu sailing trip with Penny was definitely the highlight of it all.

But moving forward, Pete knew at least trying to play ball for a little bit wouldn’t hurt in the long run. His briefing with Cyclone and Warlock on the day’s lesson was in less than two hours, and when that time rolled around, the plans had to be air-tight.

Despite the urgency with which he should have been working, Pete’s eyes kept drifting over to the far corner of his temporary desk, where he’d placed the files of the recalled TOPGUN graduates. Warlock had made it a point to give them to him the previous morning, saying something ambiguous about how a third pair of eyes analyzing the files for any of the mission candidates’ potential strengths and weaknesses pertinent to the mission could only help.

… Though he knew he should’ve stayed focused on the task at hand, Pete couldn’t help himself.

He closed and pushed the instructional plans aside, before reaching over and filling the space on the desk they’d just occupied with the personnel files instead. He looked at the top file. Alphabetical order, he realized. Easy enough.

First was Lieutenant Billy "Fritz" Avalone, pilot.

Second was Lieutenant Callie "Halo" Bassett, WSO.

Third was… Sure enough. Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw.

Pete sighed and opened the file. He scanned the contents with mild enthusiasm, despite the fact that he already knew most of the information contained inside. Even after their falling out, Pete did whatever he could to keep tabs on Bradley. Though the young man would most likely be incensed further if he knew about Pete’s due diligence over the years, he didn’t feel that he had had much of a choice. First, he had to know what Bradley was up to- he had to know that he was alright. And second, and perhaps more importantly, Pete knew that there were likely to be two very angry ghosts waiting for him in the beyond if he didn’t keep track of the Bradshaw boy.

But now, he was at an utter loss for answers on how to deal with Bradley and the sudden situation they’d found themselves in. How could Pete even begin to try and set things right with him? Telling Bradley the truth about why he had pulled his papers for the Naval Academy would have been a good place to start, but Pete knew that explaining his reason was not a feasible option.

Pete moved on through the rest of the files, pausing to look at several with a little more depth.

One of them, a Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin, reminded him so very much about the best- and worst- parts of himself from Pete’s younger days. Though he was currently paired with a WSO, Hangman came back to TOPGUN from a single-seater squadron, which piqued Pete’s interest. He looked at the rest of his file thoroughly, noting the newly added note towards the back of it detailing the situation that led to the decision to pair him with a WSO for this particular training detachment. The entire situation seemed a bit odd, but there would be plenty of time to get into the details of it over the next few weeks, if it proved necessary.

Pete continued to flip and skim through the rest of the mission candidates’ files, until he reached the very last one.

Clara “Parrot” Wells.

AKA, the other thorn in his side.

The thorns were entirely the results of Pete’s own choices, and he could admit that, but they were thorns, nonetheless.

She’d been less than pleased to see him the day before, that much had been obvious. In fact, from Pete’s point of view, the only mission candidate who looked even less pleased to see him than Lieutenant Wells had been Bradley.

Pete sighed for the second time that morning and leaned back in his chair. He drew the file closer to him as he took a closer look at it. As much as he tried to avoid it in favor of the tangible statistics and other information about the young WSO, Lieutenant Wells’ photo in the corner of the file kept catching Pete’s attention.

“You should have been there.”

Pete could easily visualize Ice’s disappointed face over the phone. “I’m sure nobody noticed I wasn’t.”

“But they did.”

Pete pursed his lips as he contemplated his next words.

“Cougar even asked about you,” Ice informed him then.

“What’d you tell him?”

“That you were preoccupied- a special detachment overseas.”

“Is that what you told her, too?”

Ice paused for a moment. “She didn’t ask.”

Pete wasn’t sure what to make of that. But before he could decide whether he felt more guilty or slighted, the reason for his decision to skip the event came back to the forefront of his mind. “Were you right? … Was he there?”

“Does it matter if he was?” Ice challenged him.

Pete ignored his old friend’s attempt to chastise him- getting an answer to his question was of more concern to him at the moment. He repeated, “Was he there?”

“Yeah… he was there.” Ice sighed. “The rumors I heard were true. The Wells kid really is Merlin’s daughter. The two seem pretty close.”

What were the chances of those two even meeting? He ought to have gotten a lottery ticket with those odds. Did the universe have it out for him?

“But that shouldn’t have mattered, Maverick,” Ice continued. “You owed it to Merlin to be there today, and you weren’t. Did you really think he was going to start a scene with you? The kid was obviously there to support Lieutenant Wells… I highly doubt accosting you would have been at the top of his list.”

“You don’t know him like I do,” Pete pointed out, recalling the young man’s anger, which had always been notoriously quick to ignite, and slow to fade away.

“You don’t get it,” Ice countered. “Running from the past and failing to address your mistakes is a dangerous game, Mav.”

Pete smirked to himself, though it was joyless. “You and I both know I’m not one to shy away from danger, Ice.”

“This time’s different,” Ice dismissed. “This isn’t just about what happened with the kid… is it?”

Pete didn’t have to answer. Ice knew him too well.

“Whatever it is, you can’t run from it forever. You’ll have to face this someday, and when that day comes, I just hope you’re ready for it.”

The day had come.

But Pete wasn’t any more ready for it than he was when Ice had given him the ominous warning a few years prior.

With his free hand, Pete grabbed Bradley’s file once again. With his file in one hand, and Clara Wells’ in the other, he glanced back and forth between the two.

Of all possible candidates, how was it possible that two of the extremely selective twelve had such strong ties to his past? … He hoped that it was merely a coincidence, albeit an unfortunate one. Perhaps the two were actually qualified candidates for the mission in their own right- and perhaps Ice had no ulterior motive with his input and influence during the selection of the mission candidates. But knowing Ice, Pete couldn’t rule out that idea entirely just yet.

It was almost as though the universe was dealing him his owed karma. Any possible solution that Pete could devise in order to start addressing the transgressions he’d made against Bradley Bradshaw and Clara Wells was made immensely more complicated by the fact that the two seemed to be as thick as thieves.

…

Perhaps that was the solution. Pete knew he stood very little chance of being able to start setting things right when the two were a united force against him.

But if he could get them aside separately… his chances of reasoning with them had to improve. Without the other there to constantly reaffirm their less than favorable opinion of him, Pete might just be able to say his piece, and let the chips fall where they may. Maybe they’d see his perspective, and they could all move on. Maybe they wouldn’t, and the problems would remain unsolved. Either way, the next few weeks could only get better if Pete at least tried to acknowledge the elephants in the room.

His plan was clear- it was time to divide and conquer.

The first thing Jake noticed upon arriving on base the following morning was that Rooster seemed in a far better mood than he’d last seen him. As he took time getting out of his own Mustang, he watched Rooster climb out of his Bronco with a particular pep in his step.

The second thing he noticed was Parrot’s presence. She appeared from out of nowhere, apparently having parked right on the other side of Rooster’s car.

Hm… It was a bit odd for the two to arrive on base together. At the same exact time.

Anyone else may have written it off as a mere coincidence, but after everything Jake had witnessed between the two over the past two days alone, he refused to do that any longer. Where there was smoke, there was fire.

The third thing Jake noticed, or recalled rather, was the amazing discovery he’d made with Coyote the previous afternoon, right before leaving base for the day. He could still see glimpses of the 1986 TOPGUN class in the back of his mind. The glimpses were only amplified as Jake continued to watch the pair make their way through the parking lot. He had to admit it- Rooster sure was the spitting image of his late father.

It looked like Rooster and Maverick had a bit more history than any one of them could have possibly known about. Well, except for Parrot.

Jake watched as the two walked side by side, heading towards the front entrance. He caught the small smile Parrot gave Rooster as they went along. Parrot definitely knew something about Rooster and Maverick’s history, he decided then.

The thing about Jake Seresin was that his true intentions were almost always misinterpreted. The majority of people he’d come across were so quick to paint him a malicious asshole, and write him off as a cocky son-of-a-bitch. While he could admit to being his fair share of cocky, and even on some days, an asshole, he would protest against anyone who declared him to be malicious.

He wasn’t spiteful. He liked to stir the pot, sure. Okay, maybe he loved stirring the pot. But above all else, self-preservation was the name of the game for Jake.

And flying with people like Rooster, who had physical ghosts of his past haunting him to the point of it affecting his flight performance, would be a no-go for anyone who had any respect and value for their own life. Could any of them count on Rooster to be reliable at all times in the air, when a simple taunt from Maverick had them both spiraling downwards towards the ground mere hours after being thrown in a room together? Emotions had their place in life, but almost anyone could argue that tens of thousands of feet above the air was no place for them. And Jake would gladly be the first one in line to argue that case.

“Ready to go, partner?”

Jake blinked. He hadn’t even realized Parrot had approached him. He glanced beyond her, noting Rooster had already made his way inside the building.

“I’m always ready, Sweetheart,” he teased. Jake never meant anything by it- the term was common vernacular where he was from. But once he first directed it towards Parrot, he had noted the way her face twinged with slight disgust at the use of the nickname. And unless she mustered enough courage to tell him to stop it, Jake knew he wouldn't bother to break the habit.

Parrot nodded, and turned to head over towards the entrance. Jake was quick to follow.

If everyone else wanted to paint him as a cocky asshole, that was fine with him. But if any of the other mission candidates realized just how much their chances of survival increased with him in the air, instead of flying someone like Rooster, well… they might just change their tune about him.

“Time is your greatest enemy.”

Day 4 of training had arrived, and with it, Maverick had decided it was time to switch focus to another aspect of the mission.

Clara glanced at Hangman beside her. His face was blank, for now, but she was thankful for it.

To her surprise, he’d been far easier to get along with over the past two days than he had been on the first. He’d still tried to pull some stunts here and there- he wouldn’t have been Hangman if he didn’t- but for the most part, he didn’t fly too far off the rails, and he actually had taken a few of her suggestions throughout the training exercises. The sudden shift in their dynamic from oppositional to cooperational hadn’t gone unnoticed, and the Vice Admiral had even verbally acknowledged the change just the day before.

But Hangman had been quiet since the first day of training… too quiet. While Clara didn’t want to necessarily look a gift horse in the mouth, a cynical part of her worried that the sudden change of attitude was a guise, and that perhaps he was up to no good. But if Hangman was up to something, she had no idea what that might be.

Unfortunately, Clara wasn’t able to dig into any ulterior motives Hangman may have had; there was a full day of training ahead for all of them. They’d been gathered into an unused classroom. Maverick stood at the front of the room, presenting to them further specific details about the mission that would be at hand for half of them in about two short weeks.

“Phase one of the mission will be a low-level ingress attacking in two plane teams,” Maverick informed the group, directing their attention to the screen behind him, which depicted the terrain of the mission’s location. “You’ll fly along this narrow cannon to your target. Radar guided surface to air missiles defend the area.” He paused briefly, taking a glance back at the group with a solemn look on his face. “These SAMs… they’re lethal. But they were designed to protect the skies above, not the canyon below.”

“That’s because the enemy knows that no one is insane enough to try and fly below them,” Bradley commented airliy.

Clara looked back at him briefly, as did many of the other recruits.

Bradley had kept his word, and had yet to treat her with anything less than kindness and respect since their argument. The last two days hadn’t been much better than the first, in terms of him and Maverick getting along. The mere presence of the older man seemed to agitate Bradley severely, but he had not turned that frustration on her any more. It had only been two days, but Clara was hopeful that Bradley would make good on his promise and refrain from doing so altogether.

They’d gone to the Hard Deck the evening before last, just as Bradley had requested. He bought them drinks, and they had a nice long chat.

Clara wanted to continue to be mad at Bradley, and if only to make him realize just how much his words had affected her. But he’d been more than remorseful, and they both acknowledged several times over that she did not deserve to be the target of his outburst..

She informed him that evening, rather plainly, that he had some ground to cover in order to make up for it, and he’d willingly accepted that. But Clara knew that if Bradley kept his promise, he’d weasel his way back into her good graces soon enough. The good times outweighed their bad times by the hundreds.

Their decision to focus on the mission- instead of them- was still very much in their best interests. But that didn’t mean she didn’t long for more. With her decision about whether to reenlist looming just a few months ahead, she had the sinking feeling that she would not be able to make a fully informed decision unless she knew exactly what they were, and where they stood, once and for all.

Thankfully, the potentially life-threatening mission provided a decent distraction in the meantime.

Maverick stopped, and turned around to face the class heckler- Bradley. “That’s exactly what I’m going to train you to do.”

Bradley looked less than pleased with Maverick’s response. Hangman smirked in his seat beside Clara.

“On the day,” Maverick continued, trying to refocus the group, “your altitude will be one hundred feet, maximum.”

Clara’s eyes widened as she tried to process that information. Hangman was still smirking; Maverick’s statement had been less of a bombshell and more of a welcomed challenge for him.

“If you exceed this altitude, radar will spot you, and you’re dead.”

It was no secret that the mission would place them in mortal danger; most of the ones she’d been on had. But the first few days of training had been filled with little but dogfighting exercises, which had been vexing at worst. At best, they’d actually been a nice change of pace from Clara’s current daily routine in her squadron.

But the reminder from Maverick of the grave stakes of the mission gave her an eerie feeling that was hard to shake. Friends- Phoenix and Bob- could be sent on the mission. Bradley could be sent on the mission. She could be sent on the mission. And it was possible that any one of them would not come back for it.

Maverick’s words faded into the background as Clara glanced at Hangman. He was still smirking, unfazed by Maverick’s daunting words. She shook her head to herself. At least if she was headed for grave danger, she wouldn’t have to worry about Hangman bringing down her already glum mood.

By the time Clara focused back on Maverick, the graphic on the screen had changed, revealing what they’d be up against: fifth generation fighters.

 “... in a head to head with your F/A-18s, you’re dead,” he declared, looking at the graphic of the advanced aircraft somberly, before turning to address the group once more. “That’s why you need to get in, hit your target, and be gone before these planes can even have a chance of catching you.”

Hangman glanced back at Bradley, and even though she couldn’t see his face, Clara just knew his pleasant expression wasn’t concealed when he did so. She wasn’t sure what Hangman was getting at by his action, but she did know that if Bradley was already struggling to keep his composure in check with Maverick being around, Hangman antagonizing him wouldn’t help the matter at all.

Maverick’s jaw tightened. “This makes time your greatest adversary.”

A few hours later, everyone had taken multiple shots at the flight that had been programmed in the nav system. The canyon simulation was extremely narrow, and Maverick repeatedly insisted that speed and time was of the essence. The tight turns and increasing G’s made Bradley’s body feel like an empty soda can being crushed as they made their way through the course.

Maverick had allowed them three hundred feet maximum, and three minutes to complete the flight. It was a bit of a break for them, considering the parameters at which the actual mission would need to be carried out at, but no one had been successful, at least not per the limits that their instructor had imposed upon them.

Once everyone had been through the metaphorical, and physical, ringer, the entire group reconvened in the classroom once again so that Maverick could pick apart everyone’s performance. It seemed that the older man was hard-pressed to find anything positive about anyone’s attempt at the course. Apparently, things should have been completed to Maverick’s satisfaction, or the attempt was better off not having been made at all.

When it came to analyzing the run of Coyote, Phoenix, and Bob, Maverick’s feedback was particularly cutting.

“Why are they dead?” Maverick asked, not looking at any of them in particular.

“We broke the three hundred foot ceiling,” Phoenix answered him, sounding as disappointed in herself as Maverick looked, “and a SAM took us out.”

“No,” Maverick dismissed her, his eyes locking with Coyote’s in a flash. “Why are they dead?”

Coyote looked a bit disheartened too. “I slowed down and I didn’t give her a warning. It’s my fault-”

“-Is there a reason you didn’t communicate with your team?”

“I was focusing on-”

“-One that their family will accept at the funeral?” Maverick quickly clarified.

A moment of silence fell over the room.

“No, sir,” Coyote answered.

Maverick turned his attention to Phoenix next. “Why didn’t you anticipate the turn? You were briefed on the terrain.” When Phoenix opened her mouth to respond, he interjected, “Don’t tell me.” His head tilted in Bob’s direction. “Tell it to his family.”

Their instructor’s questions were fair, but Bradley didn’t care too much for the way Maverick went about his critiques.

Maverick pressed a button on the remote in his hand, and the screen in the front of the room changed. The next group’s simulation- highlighting their point of failure- stretched across the display. The two planes shown were labeled with the names of the individuals who had been inside.

Maverick turned to the group involved as one of the simulated planes crashed into the sides of the canyon. “What happened?”

Even though Bradley didn’t have a good view of Hangman from his seat towards the back of the room, he could just tell the jackass was smiling. Clara was beside him, looking extremely displeased. He’d heard her over the radio during the exercise- her words to Hangman echoing Fanboy and Payback’s: slow down. But Hangman had ignored them all, charging- literally- full spread ahead. Bradley could tell it was taking everything Clara had for her not to say something to her aviator about it right then and there.

“Well, I just flew as fast as I could,” Hangman answered, sounding sickly innocent. “Kinda like my ass depended on it.”

“And,” Bradley interjected, unable to stop himself from doing so, “You put your team in danger, and your wingman’s dead.”

Seresin had to be one of the most dense peers he’d ever had the displeasure of meeting, Bradley deduced. What part of the concept was so hard for him to grasp? Should he execute the plan during the mission exactly as he had, Hangman would be a goner for sure. If Payback and Fanboy were dead, there’d be little chance Hangman- not to mention his backseater- would scrape by if they came across enemy fighters. Without a wingman, they’d be outnumbered in seconds.

Speaking of his backseater, Clara was not bothering to conceal a glare she was giving Hangman out of the corner of her eye. She had insisted to Bradley that Hangman had been more receptive to her input over the past few days, but from his perspective, and if that had been true, their cooperation must have been short-lived.

Hangman looked over at her, but he was still sporting a smirk. He didn’t bother to look back at Bradley as he answered his question with a simple, “They couldn’t keep up.”

Either the AC kicked on, or Bradley would have sworn he heard Clara let out a quiet groan from the front of the room.

“Not listening to your WSO or your wingman is a detriment, not a strength, Lieutenant,” Maverick commented coolly.

He pressed the button on the remote once again, and Bradley’s own simulation run appeared on the screen. His chin raised, and he looked at Maverick determinedly, interested to see what exactly their instructor had determined he failed to do.

There was no simulated crash to show, so the planes, labeled Rooster, and Yale and Harvard, remained stagnant on the screen. Again, there was no simulated crash to show, and yet, Maverick looked at him with just as much disappointment as he had everyone else.

“Why are you dead?”

Bradley shifted, settling back into his seat with relative ease.

“You’re team leader up there,” Maverick proposed hypothetically. “Why are you, why is your team, dead?”

“Sir,” Phoenix insisted on his behalf, “He’s the only one who made it to the target.”

“A minute late,” Maverick conceded. “He gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down. He is dead.”

Bradley’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know that.”

“You’re not flying fast enough,” Hangman chimed in tiredly, emphasizing each word. His head rolled over his shoulders to look at him lazily. “You don’t have a second to waste.”

Bradley felt his jaw clench as he contemplated how worth it would be to give Hangman a piece of his mind. Unfortunately for him, he quickly realized that the cost would far outweigh the benefits. Bradley knew he had to ignore the temptation, even if giving his “friendly” rival a verbal lashing was likely to make him pretty satisfied with himself.

Bradley looked back at Maverick. “We made it to the target,” he argued. Though his run had been dubbed as a failure by Maverick, no one else had been able to accomplish that task successfully throughout the entire day. Despite everything between them, Bradley had a last ditch hope that Maverick would at least take it in stride and acknowledge his feat.

But Maverick wasn’t able to do that.

“And superior enemy aircraft intercepted you on your way out,” he retorted, spelling out his point through nearly gritted teeth.

Bradley kept a strong face. “Then it’s a dogfight.”

“Against fifth generation fighters?”

“Yeah, we’d still have a chance.”

“In an F/A-18?”

“It’s not the plane, sir,” Bradley countered. “It’s the pilot.”

“Exactly!”

For the second time that afternoon, a silence fell over the classroom. Bradley leaned forward in his chair, feeling his collected composure began to grumble as he narrowed his eyes even more.

That’s how it’s going to be, huh?

Though Bradley had not technically promised to do so, he had been trying to not let Maverick ruffle his feathers as much as he’d done so on the first day of training. And though she said nothing, he knew Clara had been watching him carefully, as if waiting for his next slip. Bradley was trying, and had been doing so for the past few days. But Maverick wasn’t making the situation any easier by basically implying his inferiority in front of the entire group.

Bradley could already feel his blood churning.

“There’s more than one to fly this mission,” he said icily.

“You really don’t get it.”

Fucking Hangman.

“On this mission, a man flies like Maverick here, or a man does not come back,” Hangman attempted to lecture him. He looked at Phoenix, and offered her a small nod. “No offense intended.” 

“Yet somehow, you always manage,” Bob replied.

If Bradley hadn’t been trying to keep himself together with every passing second, he might have been surprised to hear those words come from the usually soft-spoken Bob Floyd.

Hangman ignored the choice comment, and turned back towards Bradley instead. “Look, I don’t mean to criticize. You’re conservative- that’s all.”

Maverick sighed. “Lieutenant-”

“-We’re going into combat, son,” Hangman pressed on, obviously not knowing when it was in his best interest to keep his mouth shut, “on a level that no living pilot has ever seen. Not even him.”

Maverick’s head turned suddenly; Hangman’s words must have struck a chord with him.

“That’s no time to be thinking about the past.”

…

Though he was fuming, Bradley’s blood suddenly went cold at the subtle implication of Hangman’s words. He looked back at Hangman with unwavering resolve, either daring him to continue, or back down. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Rooster-”

“-I can’t be the only one that knows that Maverick flew with his old man,” Hangman announced theatrically.

“Lieutenant,” Maverick interrupted, “That’s enough-”

“-Or that Maverick was flying with his old man when-”

Words no longer hit Bradley’s ears. Or, if they did, he was not in a capable state to comprehend them. Everything that had happened with Maverick, Hangman, and even Clara over the past few days had finally pushed him to a breaking point. Rage flooded over him as he sprung up from his seat, before promptly leaping towards Hangman.

Everyone else in the room rose from their seats as well, but there were merely peripheries in Bradley’s target-locked vision. Only when some of them tried to place themselves between him and Hangman did Bradley pay them any attention at all.

“You son of a bitch!” he hissed, pointing a finger at Hangman, though he very much wished he’d been close enough to throttle him instead. But Phoenix and Clara were in front of him, pushing him backwards and effectively blocking him from advancing any further towards Hangman. Bradley felt even more pairs of hands on his back, gripping his flight suit preemptively in case they needed to tug him backwards at any given moment.

The first words Bradley was able to hear again came from Maverick, who had joined Clara and Phoenix in keeping him at bay and trying to stop him from lunging towards Hangman.

Maverick warned, to no one in particular, “That’s enough!” 

“He’s not cut out for this mission,” Hangman declared boldly.

Maverick whipped his head towards Hangman. “That’s enough!”

“You know it,” Hangman replied, infuriatingly calm as a cucumber. “... You know I’m right.”

Then, he had the nerve to get right in Bradley’s face as he walked past him to leave the room. If there hadn’t been literally six pairs of hands restricting him from doing so, Bradley would’ve loved to slug the smirk right off of Hangman’s face.

Maverick was breathless from his part in breaking up the fight as ordered, “You’re all dismissed.”

In light of the rather eventful day, including the explosive altercation in the classroom post-training exercise, Clara hoped to have an uneventful evening.

But after a shower in the women’s locker room, which did very little to settle her nerves, Clara ran into someone she didn’t expect, and it was an indication that the night may have a few surprises in store for her yet.

Maverick stood in the hallway, which was empty, save for the two of them, just a few yards away.

Clara gave him a small nod. “Captain,” she greeted, hoping he would let her pass without much fuss. After another long day of training, not to mention the fight that had broken out that afternoon, or even the personal grievance she had with the man, Clara had virtually no interest in having any further conversation with him.

“You know, I didn’t believe it at first.”

Clara stopped mid-step, adjusting the strap of the bag perched over her shoulder. “... Sir?”

“I didn’t believe you were his daughter.”

She involuntarily swallowed, but recovered quickly and regarded Maverick with a guarded expression.

What the hell kind of game was he playing at? The man had barely said more than a word to her individually since they’d both been called back to TOPGUN. And yet, at the very first opportunity he had alone with her, Maverick had chosen to bring up her deceased father, whose funeral he had not bothered to attend.

Maverick must have noticed the change in her expression. “You don’t really look like him,” he clarified, as if the observation that would make this conversation progress any smoother. “I guess I should have put it together sooner- he was a great RIO. And you might just be an even better WSO… But earlier today, when you stepped in to try and prevent Lieutenant Bradshaw from getting his hands on Lieutenant Seresin…”

He trailed off, but Clara continued to stare at him, silently challenging him to finish his thought.

“... You get the same ‘oh shit’ look on your face that your dad used to give me all those years ago.”

Her jaw dropped slightly as she processed Maverick’s words.

“When I saw you today- that’s when I knew,” Maverick continued, giving her a small, sad smile, “There’s no doubt in my mind now: you really are his daughter. Merlin’s daughter.”

Clara stood there in silence, dumbfounded for several reasons. That was the absolute last thing she had expected Maverick to say- and it wasn’t as though anyone else in her life had ever made the same observation. She hadn’t expected his tone to be so fond when speaking of her father, either. It both warmed her steely disposition and confounded her deeply.

She only started to get her wits back to her when a buzzing from her pocket interrupted her spiraling thoughts. Though proprietary would have frowned upon it, she checked the notification immediately, figuring that the conversation with Maverick was informal enough, and that he was not likely to mind.

Clara felt a little overwhelmed, between Maverick standing before her with an indiscernible look upon his face, and the message she’d just received from Bradley. She opened her mouth to respond to Maverick, when another text message came in.

“You should head home for the day,” Maverick said, though there was no possible way for him to have known who the messages on her phone had come from.

Clara offered him a sheepish smile, still not sure what to make of their peculiar conversation. She kept her phone in her hand, but resumed her exit down the hallway. As she passed Maverick, she said, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Captain.”

Once she was down the hallway, around the corner, and well out of Maverick’s sight, Clara responded.

…

On the drive home, Clara contemplated whether she’d share what Maverick said with Bradley later.

On one hand, she felt angry. Maverick had some freaking nerve making comments about her father like that. Bradley would certainly sympathize with her if she told him.

But on the other hand, she felt a small, yet undeniable, sense of pride. She knew Bradley would probably have difficulty understanding why, but she understood it clearly. The man, the myth, the legend that her father had spoken so highly of over the years had finally acknowledged him with the same level of respect he had always deserved.

If she could be half as good a WSO that her father was a RIO, she knew her career would have been one worth having.

Chapter 8

Masterlist

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! 💙 If you would like to be added to the taglist, please feel free to let me know.😊

TAGLIST: @gretagerwigsmuse @unluckymonaghan @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @roosterschanelslut @letusbewildflowers @roses-and-grasses @alanadetigy @caelipartem @fangirl-316 @owenniasstars @luckyladycreator2 @mell-bell @slayry @tallrock53 @actuallybarb​ @annedub​

#bradley bradshaw #bradley rooster bradshaw #top gun rooster #Bradley Bradshaw x oc #Bradley Bradshaw fanfic #bradley bradshaw fic #top gun #top gun maverick #rooster #rooster bradshaw #top gun fanfiction #top gun fanfic #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #rooster bradshaw fanfiction #rooster bradshaw fanfic #Miles Teller #bradley bradshaw x reader #slowburn #fluff #rooster imagine #bradley bradshaw imagine #rooster bradshaw imagine

[p3chris]

The Tribute to Murdoch Swan that No One asked for

*some rather vague references to the latest manga chapters, but otherwise no spoilers*

If anyone needs a reminder as to who Murdoch Swan is, he is the interviewer who somehow manages to look more haggard than the two gentlemen beside him who are, respectively, 12 and 19 years older. In the one chapter or 20 minutes (or 15?) he appears, he repeatedly insults Yor and makes Anya cry. That, and he also enrages Twilight to the point of physical violence, and would have been quite dead if not for the noble sacrifice of a hardwood coffee table and a mosquito. To put simply, he is a nasty scumbag.

However, despite his brief appearance, he gets a relatively well-fleshed out backstory and is an effective plot device that 1) sheds light on the social setting in both Eden and Ostanian society and, 2) advances the plot by setting several important character and relationship developments in motion.

We infer from Twilight's thoughts and Swan's own words that Swan's charmed life (wife, child, prestigious career in Eden that was smoothly paved by nepotism) had recently hit a rough patch when his wife, presumably sick of his behaviour, divorced him and he was denied custody of their child.

Rather than humbly reflect on the interpersonal missteps that led to such a resolution or reminisce about happier family times, Swan instead entitles himself to a self-appointed mission to prod and provoke the uglier sides of people to shatter their happy family image and prove they are as miserable as he is.

Thing is, despite his pettiness, he is actually quite smart with how he goes about it. He knows his father still has great influence over the academy despite no longer being in active service, and that gives him power over both his fellow interviewers and his interviewees. His questions and taunting are chosen with precision. He knows what to ask and say to create tension between people and to attack their weak points. His interviewees can only either defend themselves on the spot and appear rude or disharmonious, or suck it up during the interview and resent one another after that. Of course, he only does this to the families who don't have the political or social clout to threaten him.

That Eden has him in the faculty already raises a red flag about the culture and environment in Eden. The irony of Swan being an assessor of candidates for Eden's hoity-toity standards is that he is himself a poor role model. A later chapter reveals that there are many badly behaved students from his Kline Hall. We also see that it is not just Swan who lacks regard for the children he is tasked to educate; we see that some of Anya's teachers are neither wise nor enlightened. In the latest hostage situation, we also see that Eden’s priorities are incredibly messed up. Eden is, first and foremost, about connections, prestige and networking rather than education.

Twilight hit the nail on the head when he called Eden a school that made light of children's feelings and told Anya she would probably not want to go to this school anyway. Too bad it's his mission.

Swan’s behaviour also overtly reflects the attitude of Ostanian society, namely in the way it treats women. His chauvinism is obvious, but not isolated - it is implicit in the way Walter Evans directs the cooking question to Yor, in the way Henderson credits Loid Forger for the elegance the entire family exhibits, in the way that Swan directs all his attacks at Anya and especially Yor rather than at Loid (and I highly doubt it was entirely because Loid appeared flawless).

In earlier and subsequent chapters, we see more gender inequality in Ostania at work: how positions of higher prestige and leadership are mostly, if not entirely, occupied by men, how women are socially expected to aspire to conventional marriage by a certain age and how older unmarried women are viewed upon with suspicion. To me, I also see a little of it in the way Yor is quick to put herself down and how she chooses to elevate Yuri academically instead of investing in herself in any manner.

The way I see it, despite Twilight initially hoping not to offend Swan, the Forgers were already in trouble with him: the more Swan perceived Loid and Yor as a loving couple and the Forgers a perfect happy family, the more he wanted to tear them apart.

But it was his nastiness that strengthened the Forger family and moved the plot along, because in the course of his appearance, he managed to:

a) Trigger Anya’s protectiveness over her parents and strengthen her resolve to go to school for Operation Strix

b) Trigger Twilight’s protectiveness over Yor and Anya. Feeling awful over how the abuse they suffered is the least he (Twilight) could do because it would have been real scummy of him to remain unmoved at the unfair treatment of the two innocent civilians (or so he thinks) he got involved with his mission. The interview also showcases Twilight's liberal views (yes, it was most certainly Twilight, not Loid, who attended this interview) - that he does not believe in traditional gender roles and is accepting of individual strengths and weaknesses, that children deserve consideration and respect, and that wellbeing is not physical but mental and emotional as well.

c) Indirectly reawaken Henderson’s pride over his calling as an educator, leading to his impulsive punch and quite importantly, resulting in him becoming Anya's homeroom teacher (given the lack of investment from her other teachers, this is likely a very good thing.)

d) Trigger Yor’s protectiveness and motherly instincts towards Anya and made Anya cherish having a mother.

To me, the impact of this is a very big one. After all, Chapter 1 is about the start of Twilight and Anya's relationship. Chapter 2 is about the start of Twilight and Yor's relationship. Chapter 3 is about the Forgers finding a bit of their footing together. Even up to Chapter 5, Yor at times still appears uncertain around Anya.

In Chapter 7, Yor is motivated to try to be a better mother to Anya, and Anya sees her mother’s vulnerable side. From this point onwards, Yor and Anya's mother-daughter relationship takes off and they are subsequently seen spending a lot of time together. We also see that Anya might love Papa more, but she never doubts Mama's love.

e) Indirectly cause the events in Chapter 7, which leads to many significant events and long-lasting developments in SxF:

i) Yor and Anya's combat training.

ii) Anya punching Damian on Orientation Day. Henderson, as homeroom teacher, reduces three Tonitrus bolts to one at his discretion.

iii) Becky becoming Anya's best friend.

iv) Damian subsequently developing a crush on Anya.

v) Yor's cooking endeavours

See how important this scum is to the story?

#spyxfamily #spy family #twilight spy x family #yor forger #anya forger #loid forger #murdoch swan spy x family #henry henderson #walter evans spy x family #eden academy spy x family #small role big impact #as much as I dislike him I really have to credit him for Yor and Anya's relationship progress

[the-handsome-stranger]

Outside of George C. Scott's iconic opening speech, is Patton really a good movie?

Mega spoilers.

“PATTON” won 8 Academy Awards, which is a pretty good haul. Patton’s children both wept watching the film. Patton’s daughter Ruth Ellen said the way that Scott did her father’s “mirthless grin” was startlingly on target.

The mirthless grin directed at Montgomery

Best actor

“Patton” does have a good three act set up and it does create some dramatic tension as it goes along. Patton arrives in Tunisia and everything is a shambles. They did a lot of set decoration with dead GI’s and one of the aides says that the losses were “40 tanks and 25 self-propelled guns, belt buckles, GI socks, blah blah and “one thousand eight hundred men,” or whatever.

In reality the U.S. Army had some initial failure due to faulty deployments ordered by British general Anderson. German attacks were soon stymied and they didn’t get into any of the giant supply dumps that had been set up. Then straight into the scene where the German planes strafe Patton’s meeting with AVM Coningham.

Here on the right. Coninghmam was an excellent officer and did a great job with the Desert Air Force.

What really happened was that Coningham sent an message belittling the American troops and Patton was very upset. Ike sent Gen. Spaatz and AM Tedder to Patton’s HQ to try and smooth things over. Patton, Spaatz, Tedder, Bradley and others were in a meeting when several FW-190s flew down the street dropping bombs and strafing. “How the devil did you manage to stage that?” either Spaatz or Tedder said. Patton did say that he he would “give those Nazi sumbitchs a medal if he could.”

Some major Patton biographies do not mention it, but “An Army At Dawn” by Rick Atkinson does note that Patton did run outside and fired at the German planes.

The movie made some hay with this by having the strafing attack happen when Coningham was onsite the next day. General Buford seems to have been fictional.

Read more>>> http://tinyurl.com/3stam498

[kiwiwinjindouche]

hiiii show your dh ocs!! (if you want to ofc)

YES YES YES!!!!! (thank youuuuu)

They're on ToyHouse too (just Octave is hidden and Nelly you have to be logged or idk cuz I have some things to change)

i'm about to kill myself I was almost done with the post and then lost everything

Aldina's story contains spoilers from the last book, The Veiled Terror!

(also this is set in the AU where Jindosh lives because the denial is real, and they almost all met him at some point too omg my love for this man is showing a lot)

I have a lot to say about some of them, so left to right =>

Sybill Howlet (SH)

I'm obsessed with Sherlock Holmes too and this was a way for me to combined two things I like, even her name is a ref to Sherlock!

She's from Dunwall, she was living in the streets with her sister but they lost each other a long time ago. The Bottle Street Gang was her family (Slackjaw went to father figure to friend over time). Then, one day, Archibald (Vinz's dad (see later)) found her and got impressed by her thinking and mind, and decided to take her out of the streets and help her use her full potential. Soon enough, the Outsider took great interest into her, and started to visit her dreams and help her find little secrets about everyone. He never gave her his mark.

When the Coup occurred, she left Dunwall a few weeks, only to come back and finish her current cases then leave once again but for Karnaca this time. That's when she heard about Billie's actions and omg what a queen. The Bank Job? such a masterpiece, outstanding, amazing. She loved following her trail around the city, trying to understand what she was looking for. She met Jindosh because of this, cuz she wanted to talk to him about the break-in. She enjoys quite a lot to annoys him (and just to roast people).

Aldina/Al

Her parents were nobles/friends with Luca, but she always despised him a lot actually. She prefers women company, and that's how she found out she was lesbian. The only man she never really hated was Jindosh, because she likes the Clockwork Soldiers. Her biggest inspiration was the witches, tho. She loved going to the Conservatory and spend time with Breanna, she wanted SO MUCH to meet Delilah, to be part of the Coven, to join them!!!! it was her biggest dream. But then, what?? Corvo comes and the witches are now gone.

Old men are so BORING.

Later, when the Outsider was no more, her parents died because of the nightmares. Then, she wondered alone on the streets, and kind of managed to fix a Clockwork Sentinel because the main program and such were still in good condition. That is how and when Jindosh met her for the first time. He took her to his mansion, thinking she could be of some use, and taught her some things too. Al' likes to creep behind the walls and scares the staff by singing lullabies and sea shanties.

Everything was fine, until Corvo came back. She wanted SO BADLY to kill him, to rip off his skin, to boil him alive, for what he's done to her, to the witches, to Delilah, to her first found family, to her broken dreams. She wanted so badly to do it, then found out Jindosh cared about him. She's making a very lot of efforts to accept the fact that the man who destroyed her hopes and dreams is now part of her new family, and eventually she'll come to terms with it... many years later.

Thanks to the Void stones in her arm, she can use a little magic, but it's very complicated. Jindosh likes to call her "little mouse", and she's friend with rats. Also she steals Jindosh's stuff a lot and likes to spend time with Alex'.

Vincent/Vinz MacIntosh

Archibald MacIntosh is a private detective from Morley, after a failed attempt at the Academy. He married a tailor, who died cuz of the plague, and likes to paint too. He worked with the City Watch for some time.

As for Vinz, he got inspired by his father, but decided to become a journalist instead (not like it was less dangerous, moreover he's working with one if not the most dangerous gang in Karnaca, needless to say it worries his father a lot). Anyway, Vinz came to Karnaca a few years before the Coup, and he's more than happy to be part of this major history event. Because of his father's past and everything he was taught, he recognized Corvo quite easily, and tried his best to convince him NOT TO KILL JINDOSH. Because, yeah, Vinz is a HUGE fan of Jindosh's works.

The silvergraph? omg THIS IS SO COOL to illustrate the news or just have portraits of people! The audiograph? perfect to record things and testimonies! The Clockwork Soldiers? They're not really worse than the Tallboys back then, and they could be useful too!! for, like, THE FUCKING BLOODFLIES??? people of Karnaca have more chances to get killed by the bloodflies than the Clockwork Soldiers. It's not like Jindosh was kidnapping children to torture them and eat their organs??? He's killing INTRUDERS in his very OWN HOUSE. How are thieves treated at Dunwall Tower, I wonder?????

Anyway, Vinz likes to draw and to listen to Jindosh ranting about his inventions, trying his best to understand.

(Archibald doesn't have a clean ref but he's not really important anyway)

And then, I don't have much about them.

Nelly

She's a maid at the Clockwork Mansion, and quickly became friend with Aldina. The two of them like to prank the others and going out. I think, at some point, Nelly will leave the place and do something else. It's not like she has a bad treatment - Jindosh barely knows about her, mostly thanks to Aldina (also she's the maid I make appear when I need someone in the mansion) - it's just she wants to do something else. Going on a trip maybe. I have to think about it. Btw, she's from Serkonos, and knows many things about Corvo because he's such a legend there, everyone knows about him. She probably likes to cook.

Caleb

He's a grumpy old man from Tyvia, but he lived most of his younger years in Baleton. He went to prison, but soon entered the navy when the choice's been given to him. They weren't expecting him to last this long. Now, he's pretty strong, and would like to have a fight with the Royal Protector to test his limits. Caleb likes poetry and the sea.

Octave Hearly

He's also from Morley. Octave is into cartoon and cinema, mostly. When he heard about Jindosh's work on the silvergraph and the "moving images", his heart skipped a beat and he decided to join him and work with him on all this.

#dishonored oc #dishonored 2 #dagyne_rambles #and i'm thinking i could do another one maybe aaaah!!!!!!! #thank you for letting me rant about my dishonored bbies much love mwuah <3<3<3

[denimbex1986]

'All Of Us Strangers portrays the isolation of being gay by physically sequestering two men at opposite ends of an otherwise empty new modern apartment block. It’s metaphorically – and we soon discover, metaphysically – rich storyline.

Adam (played by Andrew Scott) is a screenwriter who is flirting with the idea of writing about his parents who died when he was a young child. Three decades later he still feels their loss keenly and seeks connection with them and an opportunity to talk through what’s happened since their car crash. Harry (Paul Mescal) lives closers to the ground. He drinks a lot and makes a pass at Adam, turning up late in the evening at his apartment’s door with a bottle and a proposition. This too plays on Adam’s mind.

As he processes his childhood, Adam wonders what his parents would think of him if they knew how he grew up? Would they appreciate his job writing scripts for films? Would they accept him being gay? To explain anything more would be to enter spoiler city. However, it’s important to note that Claire Foy steals the show playing Adam’s mother – you’ll have to ponder whether this is a flashback or some other device – and her moment of saying goodbye finally tipped me over the edge and her heartbreak provided a much-needed emotional connection to the film. Another ending later on was less impactful.

Scott and Mescal act their socks off (in several senses). Their characters’ intimacy is believable even before what will forever be thought of as a ‘Saltburn’ moment. They are invested in each other. And the sadness within their characters’ lives is palpable: All Of Us Strangers says something important about what it was like to be gay in the 1980s – Adam’s childhood – and still today. It’s clearly a story that is personal for writer/director Andrew Haigh to explore. However, the structure of the story is a weakness of the film and I think it’s understandable that the Academy Awards skipped over this good-but-struggling-to-be-great film.

Aside from Foy’s performance, the other undeniable joy of All Of Us Strangers is the pitch perfect soundtrack. Pet Shop Boys’ synth-tastic Always On My Mind is the film’s second emotive dip into the band’s 1980s catalogue. But it’s the final number – The Power of Love by Frankie Goes To Hollywood – that heightens the intense feeling of loneliness as the story, and Adam’s love, runs dry.'

#All of Us Strangers #Andrew Scott #Paul Mescal #Claire Foy #Pet Shop Boys #Always on My Mind #Frankie Goes to Hollywood #The Power of Love #Oscars #Andrew Haigh

[colaghost]

Don’t worry darling was a good movie, was it great? No, but it wasn’t as bad as people make it out to be.

Spoilers***

The film itself was incredible, it had amazing cinematography. Every outfit was so unique and beautifully mirrored that Art Deco 50s type aesthetic, hope they win something for costume design. I felt very immersed in the world, as if I was actually there. The old music made the environment even more unsettling and really fit the vibe.

Now, the story. From what I gathered, Victory is a program, using advanced technology, that allows you to escape from the real world into an idyllic, nuclear family, white picket fence world. We know Jack put Alice in the simulation against her will, which I believe played on the continuous theme of male control, in a patriarchal society. None of the women were there on their own accord it seemed, besides Bunny, who had lost her children in the real world leading her to willingly go into it. Florence Pugh was phenomenal as always, the character of Alice was beautifully written as someone on the verge of insanity, yet completely sane in the sense that she was right, and she stuck to it. Harry Styles didn’t do terrible, was it an academy award winning performance, no not even close. But, he played his character well, he was emotional, and his purpose of thinking he though he could create a better life for Alice, all while forcing her and gaslighting her into a fake reality, thinking he was helping her, was extremely terrifying, as some people listen to things and follow blindly, Andrew Tate and Donald Trump both come to mind. Chris Pine was delightfully disturbing as we didn’t, and still don’t know much about his character. We know he was the one to program the simulation of Victory, and that he promoted through a podcast that Jack listened to, other than that though, he’s a complete mystery, making him all the more unnerving when it came to what he was doing and why. Olivia Wilde’s character surprised me, as I didn’t think she’d have such a major role in the plot. To be honest though, I loved her and Florence’s chemistry, I think they had the best out of all the relationships we see throughout the movie, as in the end, she realized what was happening was wrong, and even though she was happy in this false world, the other women there were being blindly controlled without their consent. I was left with a few questions though. What exactly was the Victory project, in the sense that, what did all the men do each day, what were the earthquakes that would periodically happened, where did that red plane go, what happened to Margret and her family, did Gemma Chan’s character, like Bunny, also know she was trapped? So many questions left unanswered, but I think that made it all the more disturbing.

Overall, I give it an 8/10, there were some plot holes, and I don’t necessarily like how we were left hanging at the end, but I think people have gotten so wrapped up in the real world drama that’s occurred because of this film, they’re completely disregarding it and choosing to see it in a negative light. That is not to say that whatever Olivia said to Flo is justifiable, or anything that happened on set was appropriate (team Flo here), but I urge you to look at it from a perspective opposite from what’s happened during the production of the film, and truly appreciate the story and film itself.

#don’t worry darling spoilers #don’t worry darling #florence pugh #Alice #harry styles #Jack #Olivia Wilde #chris pine #Gemma Chan #nick kroll #dwd spoilers #dwd

[thestarswithinthesewalls]

Umbrella Academy x Lego Monkie Kid Crossover Idea

*Sits in stool next to you. Leans on arm and stares directly into your eyes while sliding you a piece of paper with cracked crossover idea written at 3AM*               ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ – ✧)

Like... hear me out. Lego Monkie Kid and Umbrella Academy.

I was literally just like," I like Umbrella Academy and I like Lego Monkie Kid so... what if... they just...met?"

Spoilers for both UA and LMK

Five and Klaus had just returned from their brief vacation and journey of somewhat self discovery when Diego basically stomped his way to them. Klaus couldn’t help but compare Diego to an angry toddler.

"About damn time you guys came back from your little vacation!" Diego shouted.

"Yeah, it was great! Found out I'm Amish!" Klaus replied.                   

"Well that explains a lot," Lila commented

"Yeah! Like our guests that I'm sure you have something to do with! Like we don't already have enough problems to deal with."

Diego spluttered a bit before finally making a coherent sentence, "WHAT DOES THAT EXPLAI-" 

"Doesn't matter what it explains. We have more important things to deal with then Klaus figuring out his identity crisis." Five interrupted.

"Then, it would be nice to know what I'm being accused of, Diego." Five said narrowing his eyes.

"If you're talking about the sparrows-" Five started.                                      

"I'm not talking about the sparrows." Diego interrupted though gritted teeth seemingly getting angrier with every word.

"Why don't you have a look, Five." Diego spat looking about ready to pick up and throw the boy

Five looked past Diego to the people behind him. There were the people who he obviously recognized to be his family. Klaus had moved to sit at the bar and was currently pouring himself a drink. Allison and Viktor were standing next to each other; both leaning on the shared pillar. Lila was next to Klaus, stuffing herself with sushi. All seemed normal (well, as normal as their situation could get) until Five looked to the opposite side of the room. What he saw was a whole assortment of people. Some people with animalistic features, some people completely different colours (colours humans were not supposed to be as far as Five was concerned) and some people that he wasn't sure were even human. Good examples were the 2 monkey men and the big, no, HUGE bull dude sitting in the corner with his knees to his chest because of his ridiculous size. Five assumed he was about twice the size of Luther. Maybe thee times? He couldn't properly tell since the bull thing was sitting down. Wait...where was Luther? Eh, that wasn't important now. He was next to some lady with gravity defying hair in the shape of bull horns which he was sure took multiple hours of her mornings to do. Five's mind came to the first logical conclusion it could. COSPLAYERS! Of course! Yep definitely cosplayers.

Just makes sense. 

"What? Is Comic Con in town or something?. What am I supposed to be looking at, huh?" Five sneered as he leaned close, invading Diego's personal space, also starting to look irritated with him.

 "As I said," he spat  "We have bigger things to-"

"Those aren't cosplayers genius," Diego cut him off.

(They really needed to learn to stop cutting each other off. It was getting annoying.)

Five looked behind Diego again, to see the "not cosplayer looking" people staring at him with just as much confusion on their face as he felt. A guy wearing a yellow-ish jacket and chocolate brown hair being held out his face with a red bandana (Headband? Ribbon... -thingy? What is that? Nevermind, it’s not important right now) waved nervously at him. Five sighed. 

This was going to be a long week.

Might continue it, might write something completely different, might make another crossover story, who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Let me know what you think and constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated. Being an ass will not be tolerated

#umbrella acedmy #lego monkie kid #monkie kid au #umbrella academy au #crossover #five hargreeves #diego hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #lmk mk #mk #lmk au #lmk #ua #fic #fic idea

[nazitty56]

So I’ve decided to try and start doing character analysis every once and a while and I wanted to start with Sakura Haruno from the Naruto fandom.

Warning for anime/manga spoilers. I haven’t not finished the anime or the manga so I might get some facts wrong. If so, please correct me. Also, it’s a bit jumbled and all over the place so please forgive me for that.

Let’s get into it!

—————

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert in behavior or character analysis, this is just for fun.

I see a lot of people sort look down on Sakura. I mean, I get it, she can seem annoying with her constant Sasuke-following and fangirling of handsome men. She’s also seen as weaker than her teammates, which makes sense — before she trained with Tsunade, that is.

Let’s start with Sakura’s backstory. From what I can tell, Sakura was born to a civilian family (there is some headcanons about her parents being Shinobis but I believe canon-wise Sakura was a first-generation Ninja.

Since she was born in a civilian household, she had lower chakra reserves than her over-powered teammates (an Uchiha who had already mastered the fireball Jutsu at a young age AND an Uzumaki with a tailed beast sealed within him). This lack of chakra let her break Genjustu easily and also allowed her to learn chakra control fairly quickly. But it had the downside of limiting her Jutsu knowledge (which I don’t really get — couldn’t she have expanded her chakra reserves as she trained? But that’s a whole different theory and topic that I could talk about).

So, as a twelve/thirteen year fresh out of the Academy with zero practical experience and all the book smarts, it makes sense she would be viewed as the weak-link of the team.

Honestly, I think that if Kakashi had given a shit about her training (he knew a thousand Jutsus but could teach like two???), she could’ve become a Genjustu master and possibly a great sharpshooter — wasn’t she the highest ranking Kuinochi of her class, which would mean that she had the best smarts, best aim, and best Jutsu application out of her, Ino, Hinata, and the other civilian girls of the class which is pretty damn impressive, but I don’t exactly know how the scoring works in that exam so she probably just needed to score high in at least two of those sections to be viewed as the “best of the class.”

Sakura had a LOT of potential before she even got trained by Tsunade. She could’ve been given a chakra nature (possibly either earth or water — or fire to match her personality), at least one offensive and one defensive Jutsu that she could use in one more nature (a complimentary one to her natural nature — possibly lightning or wind if it was fire), knowledge in Genjutsu, and decent Taijutsu that could’ve been worked on with the addition of a weapon or long-ranged attack with Shuriken or Kunai (or even a bow).

Add Tsunade’s training which led to increased chakra control, medical knowledge, poison knowledge, and stronger-hitting Taijutsu and Sakura could’ve easily become a sharpshooter poison expert, acting as a support.

And then she got the hundred healing seal, which gave her a bigger buff in strength and allowed for easier self-healing (to a certain limit and at the expense of losing years of her life if she used it too often).

Mix the sharpshooter-medical support with the close-ranged attacks and she could’ve easily become the most versatile character on the battlefield.

Ok, enough about her ability potentials, let’s look at her personality.

As a child, she was bullied for her looks (pink hair, big forehead) and this led to a very subtle low self-esteem that can be seen off and on during the show. Her first friend was Ino, who helped get rid of her bullies and helped build up a little bit of her esteem.

At around ten to twelve (it’s hard to tell their ages at that stage of life 😭) she and Ino break apart due to them liking the same boy: Sasuke.

I don’t know how they went from calm rivals to sworn enemies, but they were kids who were in love, anything can happen at this stage.

I would love to say something deep about why loving Sasuke was so important to her, but I’ve got nothing. Perhaps because of her self-esteem she thought that being with a strong person would lift her up and open her eyes to her own strength (kinda distorted imo). Perhaps she really just liked him for his looks.

That was never actually explained, but man is Sakura loyal af. Even when Sasuke left, even when he tried to kill her at least once PLUS that frickin Genjutsu from the Rinnegan when he tried to kill her, she remained in love with him, perhaps unhealthily so.

She had an unhealthy obsession with him at a young age and it never ended — she’s even married to a guy who constantly put her down. Yikes!

Also, I’d like to talk about “Inner Sakura” who acts as Sakura’s “true personality”: a hot-headed mentally-strong willed girl who loves to pull pranks and punch people. Oops, just described Shippuden Sakura, my bad. But seriously, Inner Sakura (to my knowledge) all but disappears after Sakura becomes a late teen and it’s completely gone (again, to my knowledge) by the time she’s an adult so it makes me think that “Inner Sakura” are Sakura’s repressed feelings that manifested to protect her mental state — which subtly implies that she experienced a traumatic experience at a young age and Inner Sakura was born to protect her, sorta like Mutiple Personality Disorder (MPD).

I believe that’s all I have on Sakura. Please, don’t be afraid to reblog with additional thoughts/analysis.

Feel free to recommend characters from different fandoms that you want analyzed and I’ll do my best to do it as best I can!

#sakura haruno #character study #I probably didn’t get everything #but that’s fine #but this is my take on the whole issue