unhealthy-obsesionss

Latest Posts by unhealthy-obsesionss

everything is about the ninja turtles if you’re dedicated enough

i have a drawing request!!

doodles of barnacles when he was younger,, like college days, scout days, etcc

to me he has the vibe of a dad who would drop the CRAZIEST lore on a random day cause he was such a cool guy in his prime

A brief glimpse at former CLADE Agent Barnacles with his partner/twin sister, former CLADE Agent Bianca, on his way to see the director for a meeting that would change his life forever.

And former CLADE Agent Frostbite after a particularly heated discussion with the director...

It’s Time to Defend Taylor from Win or Lose (2025)

I don’t normally voice my disagreements with how people ingest media in a public manner. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. HOWEVER…too many people are coming after Taylor from Pixar’s Win or Lose (2025) and ion like that so…

With TV/film suppressing so much Black Girl representation, seeing Taylor, Kai, and Rochelle as a part of the main cast was exciting! This rant will be about how viewers have reacted to just Taylor though, concerning episodes 5 and 6.

Get cozy because there’s a lot to unpack here. Here’s your SPOILER ALERT!

I thought Taylor and Yuwen made a very cute couple. I love how they depicted what it’s like falling in love during your awkward years. Yuwen was very sweet with Taylor and it was clear Taylor brought out the best in Yuwen (as confirmed by Kai).

Of course, their relationship comes to a rocky patch when Yuwen becomes jealous and insecure when he sees Taylor and Tom interacting. For these interactions, keep in mind that they are portrayed from Yuwen’s perspective. Taylor eventually calls things off when Yuwen purposely catches Taylor off-guard to pitch the ball, which causes Taylor to miss and the other team to make a run.

On social media I have seen the cutest edits to this imaginary couple. I’ve also seen some sad ones. In almost every sad one, Taylor is casted as the villain. The comments are even worse! Many place the fault on Taylor for hurting Yuwen, or worse, cast her off as “the worst girlfriend AND big sister”. They have massacred my poor Shayla despite her getting just as hurt, if not more.

Let’s break it down:

1. In episode 6, we are introduced to the “real” Yuwen. The Yuwen we see is outwardly very cocky, self-assured and sometimes aloof. Yuwen deals with social anxiety and insecurity by hiding behind a “Class clown” persona. He relies on humor and positive attention to thrive among his peers. We also see his inner child, who is very sweet and portrays Yuwen’s real feelings.

2. Episode 5 and 6 give a more detailed look into Taylor. She is a great softball player and gets along well with her teammates. It’s shown that Tom and Taylor are good friends. Pre-relationship, Taylor and Yuwen can be seen sharing easy banter with each other. I think it’s important to note that Taylor never instigates such banter and only participates at Yuwen’s insistance. Taylor is also held responsible for her younger brother, Ira, during the games (More on this later).

3. Taylor is well aware of this from the jump. On their first date to the movies, she explicitly assures Yuwen to just be himself. And he does — as best as he can, anyhow.

Yuwen eventually opens up to Taylor and reveals his “inner child”. A very touched Taylor reveals her “inner child” in return. In doing so, they both share a personal secret: Yuwen shares he is very insecure, while Taylor shares that she gets nauseous when nervous.

Claim #1: It’s Taylor’s fault for hurting Yuwen, he’s obviously insecure and she knows this!

Aht aht! Wait a min… let’s refute this ridiculous opinion (because it’s important to realize that these comments are JUST OPINIONS)

Obviously they are just kids, but let’s give a little bit of credit here. Kids can go through amazing growth in interpersonality and emotional intelligence. Yuwen is shown to struggle with letting his guard down, but he made an active decision to do so with Taylor. Taylor recognizes this and returns the favor. It’s a hugesign of mutual trust. To keep that trust, you’ve got to work at it. 

The first incident that lead to their breakup occurs at school. Tom hands Taylor her dropped cell phone and the two engage in a conversation. While Yuwen is shown to be initially irritated, it quickly turns to crushing insecurity and leads to Taylor pushing him away after he butts into the conversation with an ill-timed joke. If you pay close attention to Taylor’s expression, tone, and what is being said to Tom, it is clear she is concerned for Tom. During the conversation it is revealed that something might be wrong with Tom’s brother and it is somehow related to Tom’s academic troubles (which eventually leads into Rochelle’s storyline). 

Now, Taylor doesn’t yell at Yuwen, she doesn’t scream or accuse him of being a jerk. All she asks for is that Yuwen can be serious at times. Which is fair. It’s clear that Tom’s brother is a sensitive topic, and even though Yuwen isn’t aware of the situation, he unfortunately chose to give into his insecurities and push the clown narrative, despite Taylor’s initial warning (the push away).

After a dramatic, emotional montage of inner child Yuwen and inner child Taylor fighting and crying, it jumps to the night of the championships. From Yuwen’s perspective, Taylor angrily brushes past him on the way to the field, leaving Yuwen hurt.

However, in the episode prior, Ira’s perspective shows that Taylor in fact reaches out to Yuwen in an attempt to understand why Yuwen is being aloof and clearly upset. Yuwen, retreating to his humor shield, mockingly repeats Taylor’s request to “use your words”. Taylor tells him he is being rude, and he shoots back that Taylor is being rude, still upset over her reaction at his jokes towards Tom at school. Yuwen is then shown to be the one walking away from Taylor as she confronts her brother. Yuwen is shutting Taylor out.

But before yall come and say it’s because Taylor hurt his feelings, remember that Taylor was just as hurt after their argument. She is literally crying in the car on the way to the game. Leave my poor girl alone, she has feelings too!

Now to the actual game.

Earlier in the episode, Taylor enlists Yuwen’s help in practicing her catches, as she’d like to be catcher one day. Yuwen initially doesn’t take Taylor seriously (out of concern of course), but when Taylor get’s upset and expresses frustration, he finally gets with the program.

While in the pit, the team notice the animosity between the couple and Tom decides to spill the tea Taylor told him and announce that Yuwen’s acting the way he is because he is insecure. Okay a few things to unpack here. First, Taylor is sitting with her headphones on, so she doesn’t know Tom has announced this. Second, remember Taylor and Tom are close (platonically), I assume this was a private conversation (perhaps as a way to apologize to Tom on Yuwen’s behalf) that went down after Taylor and Yuwen’s argument. 

Yuwen takes the slight very hard and retaliates by sharing to the whole team that Taylor wants to take Rochelle’s place as catcher, but he voices doubt that Taylor is no where near as good as Rochelle for it to be feasible. Taylor hears (since Yuwen is speaking with an increased volume) and takes off her headphones to fix him a glare (but doesn’t say anything). But before, she is sitting there looking heartbroken.

So, when the coach asks for a temporary fill-in for Rochelle (she is absent atm), Taylor volunteers. The coach decides he wants to be stupid and asks if Taylor thinks she’s a better catcher than Rochelle (despite NOBODY wanting to volunteer for the catcher positon except Taylor). He dismisses the dumb comment at Taylor’s pointed expression. This hits hard since now that is TWO people instilling or voicing disbelief in Taylor’s catching capabilities, despite the hard work and success that’s being put in! 

Yuwen’s not done though. In another insecure attack, he picks fun at Taylor and discretely reveals her secret by “encouraging” her not to puke if she gets nervous in front of the whole team. It backfires though and the whole team regard Yuwen coldly. Taylor, always forced into being the bigger person, just tells Yuwen “I’ll see you on the field”. On the field, Yuwen refuses to listen to Taylor’s pitch signs, which leads to the eventual missed catch. 

Taylor is through. Rightfully so. She’s visibly upset and frustrated towards Yuwen’s behavior towards her because Yuwen is refusing to communicate and show nothing but animosity (plus, he’s broken her trust by intentionally sharing her secret to the whole team) So, she ends things, and walks off the field.

Claim #2: Taylor is the worst because she treats Ira horribly!

Honestly, it’s giving yall just want an excuse to hate on Black girls. I feel like I didn’t see this opinion until after episode six, soooooooo, the math ain’t mathin if yall are just really defensive of Ira.

Episode 5 is told from Ira’s perspective. Ira is Taylor’s imaginative little brother who accompanies Taylor at softball meets (probably due to her parents just dropping him off with Taylor). Taylor is left to look after him while playing the game. Despite her slight annoyance (which I think is justified), she still cares deeply about her brother (i.e. replying to Ira’s complaints and announcements during the game). 

In a move reminiscent to Nico and Bianca Di Angelo (but, you know, without the total abandonment and death), Taylor starts hanging out with Yuwen, which doesn’t bode well with Ira. In Ira’s eyes, Taylor is the only one who gets him. So he decided to roll with the “Bleacher Creatures” after they show interest in him. 

Taylor voices her concern with that fact and pulls their mom into it when Ira shows disinterest in her warnings. Taylor is justifiably worried about her brother hanging around the kids that obviously cause some trouble. She even tells Yuwen about it, and he agrees to talk to Ira. The timing is a bit unclear, but I assume that the movie date had happened just before that (with Ira spilling about Taylor’s boyfriend happening before that — whew, work with me here!). So the next morning on the school bus, Yuwen’s attempt to fist bump Ira (Ira chooses to lick Yuwen’s fist instead ) was also Yuwen’s attempt at bonding with Ira at Taylor’s request.

But before yall come with the: “but she yelled at Ira before the game!” 

She is upset with Yuwen and Ira chose to interrupt… what did yall think was gonna happen?

Taylor is frustrated. She has been put in the position of having to read between the lines and make decisions for people and she’s tired.

Ira was able to come to terms that what he did with the Bleacher Creatures was wrong by himself. When you have an older sis calling all the shots, it can be difficult to decide on your own. It’s a moment of growth for Ira.

I’m not dismissing that Ira’s feelings got hurt about his sister distancing from him, but Taylor is her own person as well. 

In conclusion, Taylor’s actions are justified and she is also a victim in this scenario, not just Yuwen. Insecurity should not be an excuse to hurt your partner. I hope Yuwen talks to Taylor and they make up, but yall better recognize that Yuwen hurt Taylor too. 

And that Taylor deserves just as much love.

Some Trans-coded moment I could find in Kai's episode because Pixar really did not let Disney stop them:

When Kai sees the softball team for the first time we get a close zoomed in shot on Taylor and Yuwen. This emphasizes two things: that the team is co-ed, and that there is a black girl on the team, someone Kai can relate to and maybe look up to in that I wish I looked like you kind of way

No one in Kai's family refers to to her by pronouns or descriptors like "my son" or "my daughter" until later, once she's already on the team.

The close up shot of the photo of Kai with a trophy has 3 other kids in frame, all of them looking like stereotypical boys. It's hinted at that the team Kai was playing on before was not co-ed, and so this would be an all boys team. This and a photo of Kai up to bat with short hair in a blue shirt are the photos she hides.

From the scene of them all cheering Kai's name at the beginning, I almost thought that was the first time it was said in the episode - it's not. The first time her dad says it in the car. Interesting!

Rest under the cut cause this is a fairly big post and also spoilers for the rest of Kai's episode!

The whole "but you were so good at baseball!" scene - just, you actually can't take the trans coding out of that scene if you tried. "Nothing can change the fact that I love you" . To break it down specifically, the line but you were so good at baseball feels similar to the idea of like "but you were fine as a boy!". It's the kind of statement that sounds like the question "why do you need to change?". This is continued in the next scene with the you liked baseball!, which can be read as a continuation of a worried parent "why do you need to change, i thought you liked yourself before?" they don't even pitch the same - "there are some serious changes here" I feel like read from a different angle it could also be about voices, and how sometimes how your voice sounds can be a source of dysphoria.

Kai wears pink socks for almost every scene she's in around her teammates i think? Blue crocs in the beginning, white socks in the "so you want to switch to uh softball?" scene, and then in the next scene she's in pink socks with a white stripe. The only scene in the episode with blue socks is after she hurts her ankle, when she's tell her dad "it's not a big deal" about the cheating.

Her hair getting longer, obviously <3 She's got a rainbow hairband she wears for the rest of the episode

The vaguely trans-flag looking lighting whenever Kai's floating

"We look so good! We look so good!!" "Hey girls, say pickles!" That scene just makes me happy. Kai has a place she feels right in, with friends and girls who age her accept her and want her around, she get's to be included in the "girls"!!! Like how sweet is this?

And the girl sleepover with all the team girls!!! It's so cute!

Her sinking into the ground powers are so cool. Like - nothing specifically "trans" about this, it just plays into what's already there, that Kai feels like she's either floating so high off the ground or totally stuck in it and how everything in her life feeds into that.

There's definitly more, like so many more, like maybe I'll add onto this post later kind of more, but I am so sleepy now, that I'm just going to post this for now!! Congrats to the writers at Pixar for pushing through even when Disney tried to shut them down. I know I really appreciate it.

too often my thoughts drift to the death. its so… easy. its too easy to die. its too easy, too frequent, and too unnoticeable and that messes with me so bad. I have so many dreams— what do you mean that can all be taken away by a drunk driver? my friends who are so excited for the future can just never wake up one day?? what the fuck????

guys I promise you don't need AI to write your headcanons for you, they're supposed to come from YOUR HEAD

our pastor said that “Isaac and Jesus are alike in so many ways— both their fathers wanted to sacrifice them” like okay. im going to cry in the middle of church service now.

MILD MOANA 2 SPOILERS AHEAD

I saw Moana 2 as a Polynesian person. I thought it was INCREDIBLE. I know many people already don't really like it, but I think it's because THIS specific movie, they went harder on the Polynesian culture.

The music is even more Polynesian, and written pretty much solely by Polynesian people. The culture is even more included in it's narrative and in the details, they show more tattoos, the Kava ceremony, speaking more of the Pacific Islander native languages, even some the humor is very Polynesian humor.

I personally really enjoyed the storyline, and I liked that it introduced a "morally gray" character to help guide Moana into realizing that you have to just embrace what's given to you. It's a great representation of what the ocean is. It's sometimes not as reliable and friendly as Moana expects it to be, and has grown accustomed to. So when she asks for the ocean's help and receives no answer, she's better prepared to face it as it comes, and adapt, and embrace it.

Not only that, but in terms of Polynesian deities, there isn't just one "good" or "bad". There are complicated morally gray deities. Pele, for instance, is a goddess known for volcanoes and destruction, but she is also known as creation and rebirth. The Earth is scorched by the flames and lava to make way for new land and healthier vegetation.

The songs aren't as "memorable" to those who aren't fully embracing the culture. For me, I got chills hearing the music. It felt authentic and from the heart and soul of the Polynesian people who sang it. Sure, many outside of the culture can't "sing along" to it, but that doesn't make it inherently bad, just because it's not marketable TO YOU.

For someone who's waited forever to have representation, and grew up with Lilo and Stitch being the only one (which wasn't that much in terms of representation.) To then seeing Moana come out when I was 16, and cried then. For then Moana 2 to come out tonight, and I cried AGAIN at 24 years old. My inner child was so excited to hear and FEEL what that representation sounds like, looks like, and means.

The original Moana was tippy-toeing into Polynesian culture, where it could still be marketable so everyone could enjoy it. Because they didn't want it to flop. It feels the same as a Polynesian person having to cater to tourists who only see the Polynesian culture as something they can exploit and be entertained by.

That doesn't mean that it was bad, it was moving tides in that time, and I would take that representation over the crumbs we've had before.

But this movie? Moana 2? This was for US. This was for the Polynesian cultures. This felt like a love letter to us, as a culture, to unite and know that we have community, and to feel seen, in all of our glory, and not a watered-down version to be "marketable" to others outside of our culture.

So, I expect people to not like it. But I also expect it to be because it's coming from a place where they don't understand how it feels to experience, love, embrace, learn, and educate others about Polynesian culture.

I love my culture, and I love my Polynesian siblings as a Kanaka Hawaiian. I love my Maori, Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, etc. siblings. I love seeing a mix of all of our cultures come together and be represented.

For those who aren't a part of our culture, truly listen to our history and our struggles and successes. Educate yourself on how to be a better ally and find cultural appreciation (not appropriation) for our culture. We are real people with real stories. Not some fictional character (or Halloween costume/party favor/etc.) you can write off and only look at as "entertainment" and can only hold value when we're catering to you. That includes our music, our language, our dances, and our stories.

That's all for now. ❤️ I'll be willing to have adult, civil, conversations with others about differences in why you didn't enjoy it as much, but hate will be deleted and blocked. ❤️

best trope and you can fight me over it (i abuse this so hard with my ocs)

*likes a mutuals post* mayb they will take that as a sign that i rlly want to b friens with them

girlbulge is such a choice look i really wish it was more normalized

i've been feeling incredible anger and frustration lately with these posts lamenting what the next four years will look like in the u.s., how much "worse" things will get under the trump administration, as if we haven't been witnessing a holocaust for the past year funded by the biden administration. if you have seen a single video from gaza, a single picture, read a feature from a gazan journalist, spoken to a single person in your inbox when they plead for your attention and help, words like "worse" or "better" turn to ash in your mouth. just yesterday my friend hilda texted me that even when her family manages to get food, smoke from the fire needed to cook aggravates her sinus allergies, making it difficult to breathe. this is how she's been living for the past year and a month, under a democrat-funded genocide.

below is a small fraction of the palestinians who have reached out to me for help with their campaigns. it is a huge source of shame to me that i can't keep up with all of the people in my inbox. please go to their accounts and read their stories. and please give what you can spare.

hilda @hildanasr1 / GFM - 5%

dina @dina179 / GFM - 33%

yousseff @youseffamily / GFM - 92%

suad @suad-khaled / GFM - 51%

nada @nadamd44 / GFM - 1%

asma @asmaayyad2 / GFM - 62%

shehab family @reemshehabnew / GFM - 90%

yahya @yahyabkheet-blog / GFM - 21%

mohammed @mohammed-hassouna1 / GFM - 19%

abdulrahman @3bdulra7manosama / GFM - 9%

mai @abuhamdasblog / GFM - 5%

ibrahim @aburakhiaibrahim / GFM - 22%

mona @mansh99 / GFM - 13%

ahmed @najah-meshal5 / GFM - 16%

noor @noor-yashour / GFM - 10%

*ALL CAMPAIGNS ARE VETTED*

if Things We Lost In The Fire by Bastille is not the most Todoroki family theme song ever

reblog if you support:

• pre- or non-hrt trans people

• genderfluid/non-binary people who want hrt

• genderfluid/non-binary people who don't want hrt

• pre- or non-op trans people

• tall transfems

• short transmascs

• fat/plus size trans people

• fem trans men

• masc trans women

• transmascs who don't/can't/won't bind

• transfems who don't/can't/won't tuck

• transfems with wide shoulders

• transmascs with wide hips

• genderfluid/non-binary people with facial hair or tits

• genderfluid people whose presentation is static but their gender is not

• non-binary people whose desired presentation is how society says their agab should present

• transmascs who bind but still have a visible chest

• non- conventionally-attractive trans people

• non-conforming trans people

• non-"passing" trans people

• non-stereotypical trans people

We don't all fit into cisnormative society's bullshit stereotypes!

I'm trying to prove a point to some transphobic relatives. Back me up tumblr.

you wouldnt last a hour in the asylum where they raised me

Just rewatched Topgun, and i am SCREAMING. Did ya'll realize. that Ice is the ONLY PERSON WHO SAYS SORRY after Gooses death. Everyone else keeps trying to get Mav back into a plane, but Ice says sorry.

Anyways, im crying again and going through all my favorite fanfics.

(Also just found out that i read one of the fanfics 20 times? like wtf. I think i have some issues lol)

Pride Month is upon us again and so it is time to repost my little guy, Hue! I’m wishing everyone a safe, supportive, positive, and enlightening Pride, whether you’re all the way “out” or not!

拾い画像でリハビリおトムちゃん。

I made this a long time ago but for some reason never posted! It is my quick guide to protecting yourself against burnout as a person with ADHD and ASD.

Of course it is all about meeting your support needs at the end of the day, which are completely individual and may vary over time, but this could function as a guide if you have a hard time figuring out where to start! 🫶🏻 💙💙💙

I'm in desperate need of new icemav fics. I remember when we used to get like twenty new fics a day, and now we only get one every couple of days.

i hear the wind across the plain a sound so strong, that calls my name it's wild like the river, it's warm like the sun yeah, it's here, this is where i belong

Tumblr Code.

The first time I watched Top Gun (1986) was with my dad and my dad is not the type of person to sit through romantic scenes. So every time Charlie and Mav interacted with each other he fast forwarded (icon). I was too hung up on how gay it was that I didnt realize the insane amount of skipping he did. So when I watched Top Gun again on my own, I found myself watching TONS of scenes with Charlie and Mav that I had no memory of. I like my dad’s version a lot better.

i made a whump wheel

want to beat up a character but don't know how you wanna do it? same here, friend. behold, the whump wheel! it currently has 60 different prompts/tropes on it and is ready for use! 🎉 i...love this thing. it is wonderful for writing exercises. (if you wanna know what's on it before using it, take a peak at the screenshot below)

just got out of exams so im treating myself

this is going to ruin me isnt it

sorry for not yapping as much guys im.. dealing with two raging hyperfixations at the same time

I'm supposed to be illustrating two children's books right now, but instead I'm busy erasing half-naked pilots all day. Just for you, my dears. I was heavily influenced by the shower scene from i'll ride in this life with you by Sassenach082. Enjoy!

Dagger Squad hanging out at a bar and Jake is uncharacteristically quiet and docile but clearly GLOWING and happy; he’s calmly chatting with Javy in the corner all smiles and no snark while the rest of the team watch from across the bar; Phoenix asks “what happened to his attitude?” and Bradley smirks and goes “fucked it out of him” and the whole team does a double take not because they didn’t predict it but just because Bradley was so blunt about it

blockout 2024 is happening!!!! millions of people are blocking celebrities who are silent/neutral about palestine (and other things such as the congo) OR are open zionists.

celebrities will lose money and attention without follows, views, or their stores. there are accounts on tiktok giving block lists, and some include:

taylor swift, drake, the kardashians, tom brady, the jenners, kanye, dj khaled, madonna, billie eilish, bad bunny, jay z, kevin hart, and many many more

blockout also encourages doing other things to make celebrities lose money, such as going to their online shops, putting as much as you can into your cart, and leaving it on the payment screen. this causes the store to lose money as when your items are in the cart, they are essentially on hold and will cause a huge drop in stock.

you can also sign up for these stores with your email and mark all emails as spam. when you see an ad for these celebrities and their affiliated stores, report them and/or press not interested!! this messes with the system and tells tiktok/other medias that these ads are unwelcome and will put out less of them.

this is mainly for celebrities but includes any influencers. youtubers, artists, political figures, anyone. and when they realize that they are losing money, they will pretend to care. do not unblock them!!!

remember that the people have power, even if it feels hopeless🇵🇸

God Tier Top Gun Fanfictions. A Masterlist. (1/3)

As of 15th May 2024, these are some of the BEST stories I have read in the fandom. Of course, this is completely subjective and there are many personal factors as to why I crowned them God Tier. 

Mainly:

Reading it for the first time: ‘Oh, this is really good, I’m going to be thinking about this for the rest of my life’

When compiling the list: ‘Oh my god, this fic, man, this fic!!’

There are many other fics that match the first criteria, but for it to be on this list, I needed to have these two reactions.

REMINDER! READ THE AUTHORS' TAGS AND WARNINGS!!! They’re there for a reason. PLEASE make sure you understand where the story is going to be before reading!!

Without further ado, I present to you, my roman empires:)

Winner Categories:

1. Best of the Best Authors (1/3)

2. Best of the Best Series (2/3)

3. Best of the Best Fics (3/3)

4. :]

Best of the Best Authors

Authors that I trust with my life, whose work are ALL incredibly well written. 

COMPACFLT @compacflt

They’re the first person to pop in my head when I was thinking about making this list. No amount of time and words will be enough for me to describe how good their work is. Seriously. It’s on a level I’ve never seen before for fanfiction. The world building, the characterization, the prose, everything. COMPACFLT has a way of understanding these characters, it makes so much sense and fits so well with canon. I’m just at a loss for words. Genuinely the reason I converted to Icemav supremacy.

When We Get Around to Talking About It 

Goose has been dead for a week and a half when Iceman loses his first wingman in a dogfight with six Soviet MiGs over the Sea of Okhotsk. Goose has been dead for thirty years when Iceman loses his second wingman to a surface-to-air missile on the tail-end of a mission he's responsible for: he's sent his family on a suicide mission to destroy a uranium enrichment facility in Russia's Far East. This is the story of those thirty years in the middle. (Or: Tom Kazansky rises through the ranks while trying to stay a good man. If he ever was one to begin with.)

This was the first story I’ve read from them. And it’s so… I don’t have words.  It’s told from Ice’s perspective, filling the gaps between TG and TG:M with added Icemav and Hangster. In my mind this is canon:D

Debriefing (& Other Stories)

"We can start here, I guess. If we're talking about us," Pete says. "Nineteen-eighty-six. The first thing I thought, when I saw you in that O-club, was: Iceman is off-limits. Capital O, capital L." Despite himself, despite the fear, Tom laughs a little. "Oh, yeah? Why's that?" "Well, first off, we were competition. And yeah, you were attractive, but then you opened your mouth and I swear. You were just an asshole. Goose is trying to introduce you to me and here I am thinking about how much of an asshole you are. Shut up about Cougar, asshole." "It was supposed to be a friendly competition!" "Yeah, right. So that's what I was thinking: he's attractive, clearly doesn't know how to talk to other men, might be into the proposition if I framed it the right way. But he's an asshole, so this competition is just gonna be friendly." Pete pauses. Then he says, "Ice, you wanna get married?" And that's how they start talking about it. (Or: they finally get around to talking about it. Plus a couple extra stories for good luck.)

Sigh and send COMPACFLT a loving look. This Maverick's POV adds so much to the story without being repetitive. COMPACFLT deliberately tells their story like puzzle pieces, and they complete each other—just like Icemav, if you will. 

The Slider oneshot is truly something else. I was so eager for the upload and kept an eye on their account for updates religiously. To flesh out a character that barely has any source material is an incredible skill to have. And the Bradley oneshot… Omg… My favorite characterization of Bradley, period. 

Tremors & Aftershocks

They both come back to their senses and stop openly crying again eventually. The stitches fall out of the thirty-year-old wounds and the scars fade back to skin-color. Life stops being so painfully raw after a couple weeks back home. You get used to miracles the way you get used to anything else. One day at a time. [Or: 40 years of extras, from 1982-2022. Some true love, some heartbreak, some miracles.]

To me, this one has a different feeling from the other two. More focused on Ice and Mav’s relationship as opposed to the whole plotline. It’s tender and bittersweet and feels like being hugged for the first time and then told that you wouldn’t get another hug in thirty years time.  

What impresses me most is that, if you go to COMPACFLT’s Tumblr account, you’ll see the thought they’ve put for these stories are INSANE. They’re so educated on the military and its history and it adds so much to these characters. I’m not American and all my writing for Top Gun will always stem from google searches and other fics. If you’re a nerd like me and like to read about other’s analysis about topics they know nothing about, I suggest you go to their account and have fun.

COMPACFLT, you have captured my soul with your writing. Thank you for your service and I wish you well in life.

AortaArgent @aortaargent

If you’re looking for an author who can write smut like nothing else, go to their profile. Better yet, click here, and scroll down to the threads they made about girl!Mav and get horny real quick. It’s a shortcut to heaven really. (And yes, I’m still upset that they seem to have left the fandom, but I still hold the stories they’ve left behind close to my heart:)) My favorites:

like a shotgun (needs an outcome)

“Ice gave me a handjob when we did this,” he argues. “Oh, that’s what gets you moving? Seeing who comes first?” With that, Slider takes hold of him, wrapping his hand around and keeping his fist steady. “Go on, baby girl. Fuck it like a good little -” He squeezes Slider’s balls a little harder than he’d imagine is necessarily pleasant. For Slider. It's definitely nice for him. “Fuck,” Kerner chokes out, weakly. Ice sounds like he’s trying not to laugh. “I told you he bites.” In which there are multiple realisations, improbable numbers of pilots hanging out in a shared shower, volleyball games and verbal tennis. Yes, it's compulsory to wear your dogtags in the shower - never know when you could need identification. (Only kidding, it's for added fuckability.)

It’s so hot... but believable at the same time. BDSM is just one of those things where you read about it and can tell if the author has experience or is just extremely well-informed. 

Eye to Eye 

“Maybe it’s not just us looking to get a piece of you,” Wolf says. He’s right by Maverick’s head, and a shiver rolls down his shoulders in a sweeping tide at the soft click of each word against his ear. “Maybe we offered. You’re so pretty, Mav. It’s not a hard sell.” His hands twitch with the effort of not reaching up to tear off the blindfold and find out if they’re telling the truth or just winding him up. It’s possible. Occupied, blindfolded, he might not have noticed the door opening. More guys could have been in the showers. Two hands circle his ankles, firm over his boots, and hold him steady. Someone else has his left hand, kneading the tendons down the back of it. Anyone and anything is plausible. A continuation. Finally.

HOT DAMN. That’s all.

AortaArgent portrayed Ice and Mav’s relationship as absolute and secure while having fun with Mav’s dynamic with the other guys. All of their works are mind-boggling and simply amazing!

thecarlysutra @icemankazansky

Need I say more? Carly’s one of the most prominent members of the Top Gun fandom. Actually, I trust any member of the Top Gun Old Guard. With Carly, there’s something about their writing that makes me think of discovering an old box of CDs you used to watch relentlessly, dusty and worn, but the nostalgia rushes back and it’s achingly familiar. You can tell they’ve been writing for Top Gun for so long the characters kind of became their own. And when you click on any fic they wrote, you can fall and trust they’ll catch you. My favorites:

and i promise, you're the locksmith

“Is something going on in your neighborhood?” Maverick asked. “Like … a pest problem or something?” “You could say that,” Ice said. “Like … a coyote or something?” “Suitors,” Ice said. Maverick's attempts to woo Iceman are somewhat complicated by the promise Ice has made: Anyone who wants to marry him must catch his cat, which wears the key to his house around its neck on a silver chain. Inspired by the Tumblr legend.

This one’s so cute!!! Ugh, I’m never going to get tired of reading Icemav fall in love over and over again. 

Dreams of Impact

Maverick's trip in Darkstar takes him further than he ever imagined possible.

Sigh for the second time and send hearts Carly’s way. Basically, Mav gets transported to another universe and weird things happen. I love fics that dabble with the universe, the what-ifs, the what could’ve been. Do you ever have that moment when you make a decision, look back and wonder how life would be if you chose differently? Click on the link and read 🫵

aelibia @topgunreacts

God. aelibia’s just too good. It’s like banger after banger after banger. If you’re looking for an author whose work is a guaranteed good read, click the link and it’ll show you magic. They have Icemav ranging from tender and soft to angsty, portraying all different sorts of love and a way of writing explicit sex that I’ve never found anywhere else. 

I can’t even pick which one’s my favorite because they’re all my favorite. Especially the series they wrote, oh my god. I love them all. However, one that I reread religiously and being giddy over is this:

Wine Dark Sea

Raised by a selkie mother bound to a human man, Ice returns to the human world as a teenager with a singular purpose: to find the source of human strength, and claim it for himself. But after a careless mistake binds him to another human man, Ice is forced to reconsider his most fundamental beliefs: What is the meaning of strength? And what is the cost of freedom?

It’s so silly at times and heartbreaking most of the time. I especially love the later chapters where the evil is defeated and Ice is just being a silly seal while Mav’s being the supportive partner that he is. This fic is the SOLE REASON that my favorite animal is a seal. Thank you for opening my eyes to something that has been so obvious from the start, your majesty aelibia.

I also humbly present these seal drawings because the image of Ice galumphing around a Navy base, complete with wet smacks and people shrieking in horror makes me laugh everyday. That, and the scene where Mav is surrounded by four fat harbor seal pups and reading a story to them. Eleven out of ten. 

This one’s my favorite:}