#you've got me wanting to write/draw/hc them... the alien/s/3/resurrection obsession rages on...

[defunctdrone]

this is important! I feel the ripley/hicks stuff is overlooked these days, and that's unfortunate since their dynamic is great (especially for an 80s blockbuster).

part of aliens' schtick is the colonial marines' ignorance of ripley's experiences (despite her being the only one who has seen and survived a xeno). hicks is amongst the first to wisen up, show her some genuine respect, and, as soon as he's in the position to (i.e., with gorman out of action), he uses his rank to platform her to the other marines. instead of talking over her, he strategises alongside her and treats her as the invaluable asset to survival that she is.

hicks teaches her how to use the pulse rifle with nothing but respect, and ripley treats him as an intelligent guy capable of understanding her plans (as opposed to a 'military brute'). any saving is mutual. all of hicks' check-ins (asking when ripley last slept or asking if she's alright) are only ever considerate, rather than belittling or boundary-breaching. these two admire one another, not least for a shared determination, independence, and level-headedness — they both know how rough it is having to stay the rational decision-makers when faced with terror itself. there's a solid trust there.

besides, hicks is cute and ripley deserves a mature guy with his own quiet brand of sass that listens to her, damn it! let her have some fun... embrace ripley/hicks.

reminder that ripley canonically really really likes hicks