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[beezelarts]

This hurts to say as a Hangster shipper, but you're right.

Objectively, Hangman and Rooster wouldn't work in a healthy relationship. They're both too stubborn, and I'm sure neither really possess the ability to stop and think about what the other person is really feeling when shit gets heated.

However, I also can't imagine either of them with someone else long-term. Their relationship seems like an addiction: the highs are wonderful, but the lows are hell. For both of them.

I can picture their relationship improving after one or both leave the navy because their rivalry doesn't hang over their heads anymore. (Or they'd just find something new to fight about, who knows?)

They seem like a couple that is extremely on-off. They fight and break up, but it doesn't take long for them to get back together. Not because they worked through their issues like they should but because they just. Can't. Stay. Away. From. One another. Like I said: it's an addiction.

They stay in each other's lives despite their friends' advice not to because in an unexplainable way they need each other. They're both adrenaline junkies and can't be in relationships with others because they're addicted to their push-pull dynamic.

Despite being head over heels in love with Ice and Mav's dynamic in the original Top Gun, the same dynamic in Top Gun Maverick with Rooster and Hangman never worked for me. This is my attempt at voicing why:

DISCLAIMER: This was not created with the intention to offend anybody who ships Hangster/Sereshaw. It is simply my understanding of their relationship, and why it doesn't appeal to me. Opinions are like the butthole, everybody has their own. By all means, continue shipping them if you want to, this is only for fun.

Hangman and Rooster's entire relationship is based on resentment.

Unlike Mav and Ice, they have history. There's something from the past that lingers in all of their interactions, poisoning all of their words and actions.

Hangman is frustrated with Rooster, all the time. Of course, he banters with everyone, Phoenix about her gender, Bob about his callsign, but those are more 5th Grader Playground insults than anything. It's different with Rooster, and not in a good way.

When it comes to Rooster, Hangman goes straight to insult his character. He doubts his judgement, insults his way of being and flying, prods about how he needs to change if he wants to fly the mission.

With Ice, he was criticizing Maverick, not insulting him. Hangman is both criticizing AND insulting Rooster because he perceives him in a less that ideal light.

Hangman doesn't understand why Rooster flies the way that he does, and doesn't try to either. He just sees it as wrong and doesn't think twice about it. He goes straight to insulting him because he thinks that it's wrong, and that it's something about Rooster that needs to be fixed.

And Rooster is constantly exasperated because of it. Hangman prods, and jabs, and insults Rooster, but it never works. The more Hangman pokes, the more Rooster closes up, frustrated. He gets angry, pissed and becomes much LESS inclined to listen to anything Hangman is saying.

Rooster doesn't work well under pressure. And that's the only way Hangman operates.

Throughout the movie, Rooster doesn't listen to Hangman once. He might've been right about Rooster being too slow, but it only fell on deaf ears (not to say that he was right to bring up Goose's death, he was defo wrong about that one). All it causes is strife, to the point where Rooster almost punches Hangman because of how infuriating he was to him.

The entire movie, Hangman provoked Rooster to get him to stop being the way he is, because he sees it as a flaw of character. And it doesn't work.

Rooster only drops his need for playing it safe when Maverick tells him to 'Not think, just do'. Because Mav only gave him a push in the right direction, not throw in his face all of his flaws.

(Side note: This is also the reason Rooster doesn't listen to Mav in their argument, because he thinks Maverick was insulting his way of being by saying he wasn't ready. On the mission, by selecting Rooster as his wingman, he recognizes that he is ready, and that he trusts him with his life. Making him more inclined to listen to Mav once in the canyon.)

A relationship where one person is constantly frustrated by the other and the other is constantly exasperated by the former doesn't work.

Because that's how they are, and that's how they function, and it isn't going to change.

Rooster isn't going to stop frustrating Hangman because that's how he works, and Hangman isn't going to stop making Rooster exasperated because he doesn't know how else to voice his feelings.

I can see where the ship comes from, because obviously. Their homoerotic tension could be seen from space. I totally believe that they might have had a fling in the past that ended badly, and that they possibly could have hooked up at some point in the movie in the 'Hate Sex' vein of things. I just don't think it'd be anything beyond that.

They wouldn't work in the long haul, is what I'm trying to say.

They're too similar, and too different at the same time.

They're both hothead stubborn motherfuckers that couldn't come to an agreement if they tried.

And you might show me the scene where Hangman is happy about Dagger 2 hitting the target, and him being absolutely devastated when the same hornet is shot down. I recognize it, it demonstrates care. Hangman cares.

Thing is, that doesn't change anything that I said prior to that.

It's possible to resent, despise, be bitter towards and irritated by someone and still care about them. It's possible to hate them and still care. Hate them, and feel like you don't hate them all the time. Human emotion is a funny thing like that, nothing is ever black and white, always varying shades of gray.

Just because they hate each other (and yes, that is the reading I have on them, doesn't stop them from being horny fuckers about each other tho) doesn't mean they want the other dead.

I believe it's similar to the sentiment of "I hope you get everything you ever wished for, and that I never hear a word about it". Similar, but not the same, in a way I do not know how to describe. Thus, I used that to give the same vibe.

I can't see any future for them, in any shape or form. They hold too many grudges against each other, and both of them have a tendency of holding on to old (bad) feelings far too strongly. Even if they work through whatever problems they have now, new ones would emerge and they would go through the same process again and again and again.

That isn't healthy nor stable. It's not what either of them should strive for in a relationship. With that, I'd probably say that both of them need stable people that hold logic to high regard, and that are easy going (I say that in general terms, with no one specific in mind for either of them).

All that being said, this is my opinion. This is how I view them, and understand their relationship. They don't work for me because I see no logical way they could.

If they work for you, that's great! Enjoy the air gays 2.0 to your hearts contentment, I'm happy for you.

This was just a fun analysis of my vision, with no intention to diminish anyone who might enjoy them.

[beezelarts]

There's only one correct answer to the question "who is Hangster's greatest enemy?"

And it's "Keith".

[beezelarts]

Absolutely! But I could also imagine him with a red tail. Or dark orange with white stripes. There's a fish that has that pattern, but I can't remember the name.

If Bradley Bradshaw was a mermaid what color would his tail be?

please help a writer friend out :) i have some ideas but i wanna know what the fandom thinks

[beezelarts]

Why is it always the problematic White boy tho?😂😂

no mav in this poll!

reblog for bigger sample size

[beezelarts]

That last one is so real tho😂😂

Decided to make one of these for Top Gun: Maverick too, you know... to dispel the pain I caused with my last post...

(this is my whatsapp history, not direct quotes from the movie)

(in the first one, I'm aware it looks like There's a 30 min gab between both messages. There is not, my internet just decided that they were going to let me see the message 30 min later)

[beezelarts]

And they were roommates "both stranded".

For @topgunalternateuniverse. Bingo space: Pirates, Hangster.

“Love will travel as far as you let it. It has no limits.”

[beezelarts]

This👆

And might I add: Jake buying Bradley an array of hair products (high-end shampoo, conditioner, etc.) because he loves braiding and generally playing with his boyfriend's hair.

Jake really seems like he was blessed with natural beauty. But perhaps he was a small bean pole until he was eighteen and had to work really hard to build up muscle mass, whereas Bradley needed to go to the gym once a week to stay in shape.

Jake has an 11 step skin care routine and Bradley uses hand soap to wash his face

[beezelarts]

This post was inspired by @yeagrave 's latest Hangster fanart.

It's WW2-themed, and it made me think whether Hangster met before or during the war. And I'm a huge fan of the Italian!Jake headcanon, so I thought: "What if Jake is actually an Italian soldier and gets captured during the overtake of southern Italy by the Allies..."

For those of you who are not familiar with the Second World War: originally, Italy fought alongside the Germans until 1943. The Allies arrived in southern Italy, and in the end, Italy changed sides and fought alongside the Allies against Germany. (I'm not an expert, though. This is just a brief... something.)

Later, in 1944, the Americans arrive in Europe and Jake meets Bradley and they fall in love. After the war, Jake decides to come to the US with him.

Featuring:

1. The Daggers as soldiers/sailors/aviators (or whatever).

2. Phoenix as a nurse who is working for the Red Cross.

3. Coyote (or Bob, though I prefer Coyote) as a doctor. Coyote/Bob is Phoenix' protector. He knows that she's very capable and their roles are technically reversed. It's just that women weren't allowed to be field medics back then.

Imagine Jake and Bradley meeting and Jake doesn't speak English (and vice versa), but Bradley is so charmed, and somehow, slowly, they get to know each other ❤️❤️❤️

[beezelarts]

Oh, that is everything I didn't know I needed. Thank you for your service, @yeagrave !!!

hello hello! I think it would be cool too see WWII hangster (if that's something you're interested in!!)

homecoming :')

[beezelarts]

Okay, I've had those thoughts for a while and I need to get this out of my system:

Sometimes (quite often, actually), I hope that the ship I'm rooting for doesn't become canon.

This especially applies to non-canon LGBT ships because, let's be honest, most of them are.

(I also hope that nothing happens that directly contradicts it, like one of the characters being in a romantic relationship with another character outside of the ship.)

The reason for that is that the best thing about being in a fandom is the fanfic culture. Especially the fanfics around the "getting together" and the characters' origins. It's such a nice empty space that can be filled by the fans and so many great ideas. Making a ship canon takes away so much empty space, so there's less opportunity to get creative. It's just my opinion because I love the stories in which the characters finally get their shit together and go on a date.

Making it canon, though, means that the dynamic and history of the relationship are already mostly discovered and determined.

It's nice to have Hollywood acknowledging that LGBT people exist, though.

But I'd be perfectly content if the actors/creators of the books/series/movies simply gave us enough material that heavily implies that there is something between the characters without explicitly confirming it. The actors/creators supporting it would be another bonus.

This is the inspiration for this post btw.

Also: Action movies need more women. I want more lesbians!!! And shipping non-canon in romantic books/movies/series is really fucking hard.

[beezelarts]

Let's just collectively agree within the LGBTQ community (+allies) that we're simply not going to watch the movie if it's suggested that they are in relationships with other women.

At least half the audience of Top Gun has to be the gays+allies, right? Aka: they make it straight, the movie is going to be a flop.

The thing that's making me just a little optimistic that they're not introducing female love interests is the fact that it's generally known that Top Gun has such a huge LGBT audience. They might not give us what we want (and deserve), but hopefully, they'll also not work actively against Hangster.

And there's at least one person involved in the movie making who knows that👆: Glen Powell.

You know, I truly did believe that Hangster was intentionally written/acted as canon. I truly truly did believe that they were subliminally suggesting it without being explicit for sake of the viewership. I may have been overly optimistic but I do think the script points in that direction, and conceptually it would be a symbolic step towards progressing with a new more open-minded generation.

But now that Top Gun 3, only a couple years down the line, is confirmed to be starring these two characters, I’m getting afraid that they’ll flip the switch because the odds of Hollywood actually making a gay love story between them are near zero. It would’ve been far more feasible that they’d write out a gay subplot for side characters (the way Hangman and Rooster were in TG:M). I don’t think they’ll be as willing to feature a gay relationship between two leads.

Since the spotlight is on them now and they can no longer have that side character subplot, I really worry that they’ll be introducing other partners (likely women) for these guys. It’s nerve wracking to think about where they’re taking this, but the potential also makes me giddy, even though I’m fairly certain canon Hangster just won’t happen if they’re the leads.

[beezelarts]

Ohhh those are all great. I had a really hard time choosing between D) Together or not at all and E) Online and anonymous. I chose E, eventually but D looks good, too. I just can't help it. This fandom needs more JavyNat content😆

So, my current WIPS are due to be all finished up in the next 5-10 days. So time to let the fics battle it out and figure out which two are taking the weekly update slots...

(I'm curious to see where this ends up, as I know there are some fic ideas here which some people are very invested in.)

If you need more details, it's in my pinned post in my blog, or it's just below the cut.

A) Where do I know you from? There are too many Jakes and Bradleys for Jake and Bradley to be dealing with. (Tumblr idea unspooling here...)

B) Sagas of Solitude 2/? - IceMav with side Hangster AU - angsty Nepo!Baby Bradley Bradshaw who has to keep his relationship with Mav and Ice a secret when he starts at the USNA. Featuring married Ice and Mav (but not to each other). Prologue He Remembers and Lonely Nights are both set in this verse.

C) To wake, perchance to dream - Jake wakes up in the future, gets a glimpse of what their life could be and then wakes up back right before being called back to Top Gun for the special detachment (e.g. TGM). (Tumblr post and the beginning of the fic)

D) Together or not at all... (SEQUEL) - Hangster - years after Javy/Nat get together they think their best friends (Hangman and Rooster) could maybe try dating each other. It'll either end in disaster or not.

F) Online and Anonymous - 1/16 Hangster who are anonymous Grindr buddies for YEARS, but then decide to meet. (Tumblr post)

H) Getting to know you from the beginning - an Ice/Mav epistolary fic where Jake and Bradley matchmake them, not realising exactly who it is they've matched together.

I) Life is too short to waste time matching socks... 2/? The peach and eggplant socks as an anonymous gift as an incredibly unsubtle hint that someone would like to fuck them. (tumblr idea unspooling here...)

K) Caring, Keeping and Collecting Transformers - A Guide - Transformers cross-over for help me @yeagrave is 110% to blame for me adding this... (related to this post) (Prologue)

The Maverick/Cyclone one is from Dance mor Dances, Take more chances and is the development of their relationship in that AU.

[beezelarts]

Hey! So for your art block reqs. I have this idea of Bradley and Phoenix at the gym and they're working out, weight lifting or whatever, while hangman and Bob/coyote (pick your poison) live slug react but in a horny way yk? Hope that made sense lol

Ps love your art 💚

Phoenix loves to torture them

[beezelarts]

Magnum Pi from the 80s (I think) was Jake's first crush 100%.

Jake would probably also thirst after Pedro Pascal. (Who wouldn't?)

Things you'll need (to get Hangman's heart)

Hawaiian shirt

Confidence

Moustache (optional)

Picture source

[beezelarts]

Does anyone else have the urge to write the characters from top gun as asshole-ish and shitty as possible? Because I do. Because, to me, it makes them more relatable.

For example Mav pulling Rooster's papers and telling him that he's not ready to discourage him from joining the navy. Mav especially must know that there are ways to become an aviator without going to the academy. So, just to be shitty, I think that Mav tried to manipulate Rooster into not believing that he had what it takes to be a fighter pilot so he wouldn't try to get in through other ways.

Also: Carole.

She's such a sunshine in TG1986 but I like to think that she dulled after Goose died and fell into a depression. She tried not to let it show, especially in front of her son. She'd always talk about how great Goose was and try to guilt Mav into taking care of Rooster after she died (for example pulling the papers even though she knew it would break her son's heart). I also like stories in which she is kind of neglecting Rooster because she misses her husband so much. Sorry, I love stories in which it's not all sunshine and flowers.

Some of you might take it as an offense towards these characters, but... I just enjoy reading characters that have a massive amount of issues that make them assholes and perhaps even unlikable towards the audience.

[beezelarts]

hi op….i ADORE ur art & perchance would u ever drop some hangster cooking together sketches …. 🫶🫶🫶

cooking together (sort of...)<33

[beezelarts]

hey , is "bottom = submissive"? i don't know how to put it, but for me hangman is a bottom but he's not really submissive? like is there a term for it? "bottom but domestic" kinda??

No, in my knowledge "bottom" Doesn't necessarily equal "submissive". I, too, think that Hangman would be a bottom but still dominant. At least when it comes to his relationship with Rooster.