#I do like the idea somebody could've just walked up to him and went. uh. hey buddy. what do you have those time sheets for

[batsplat]

Vale's long-time mechanic Alex Briggs agrees that his rider was let down by his inner circle. "My feeling is that the Yamaha team's press group let him down," said Briggs. "They never asked him what he was going to say in the press conference at Sepang. Or what are you doing with this paperwork? Because he had some time sheets as ammo. I think it all could've been stopped, because they knew to a degree something was going to happen." Briggs has vivid memories of that season. “I thought Valentino was going to win it - I thought we were good enough.” However, Briggs noticed that Vale did change during 2015. “Towards the end of the season he got very concerned with everything, he was trying to control everything. I remember the last few races he wanted War and Peace on the pit-board - he wanted to know who was behind him, how many people were behind him, the groups and so on. I don’t think you need all that - just look in front! “I think part of it was that there were a few people around him that were a bit weaker than him, like the crew chief and the Italians in the team had become a bit ‘yessy’. “I think he would’ve been better off just riding. Things got a little bit cloudy and he wasn’t quite as, I don’t know… It’s like when you’re playing golf; if you’re in the middle of your backswing and you start thinking about what you’re doing, you’re not being instinctive.”

Mat Oxley’s Valentino Rossi: All His Races

#valentino rossi #rosquez #well not literally but it's about sepang so #// #4693 #2015 sepang #posting this now mainly bc of an ask related to vale's mentality but I do really like it as a bit of insight #also lin jarvis confirmed in a presser right after sepang that they'd known about valentino's theory #but had a very 'well how were we supposed to stop him' approach. which is kinda fair! #I do like the idea somebody could've just walked up to him and went. uh. hey buddy. what do you have those time sheets for #briggs is unsurprisingly a bit of a jb loyalist but it is... worth considering imo how much of a grounding presence vale lost post-2013 #is a little under-discussed on here! both in terms of what the decision says about vale and how that decision affected 2015

[kopawz]

happy wip wednesday, my dudes.

the funny dream chapter before the big finale chapter <3 they are not behaving for hospital staff at ALL lmao

Walking back over to their table with two cans, Kale saw that Chai had decided to use 808 as a pillow– He had his arms wrapped around her, and his face was buried in her fake fur. She didn’t seem to mind, and purred contentedly.

“Well… If you don’t feel like leaving,” Kale made an attempt at a regular conversation, “What *does* it feel like?” He sat back down, setting the small can of apple juice beside 808 with a light clank.

He was listing off the bizarre dream conditions on a claw, “Because all of these stupid halls, the constant ringing I hear from your room, that repeating sense of musical dread from your busted player… It’s almost scary, in a way–”

He quickly and seamlessly corrects himself, “To you, I suppose.”

“..Not really,” Chai mumbled from his faceplant, "It’s more like *tedious.*"

Cracking open the cool can of ginger ale, “It is, isn’t it?” Kale stuffed his free hand into his face with a groan, “For one, they don’t let you change out of these stupid clothes they give you. Never bothered to get why, it’s pointless.”

“You don’t have to wear that, you know.” He mumbled from his face-plant in a purring 808.

Chai lifted his head at the sound of metal, “It’s my dream, not yours…” His eyes then widened– “Oh–?” His intense look seemed to have lessened.

He picked the can up, and sat up all the way. Having something to drink made Chai feel better. Asking pointless questions made him feel even more so,

“So, uh…” Chai’s tone became less monotonous and sharp once he noticed and obtained the apple juice, “Yeah,”

He snapped a finger at Kale’s faded, pink hospital shirt-gown, “...Why's yours pink?"

“If they’re going to force me to wear these things,” Kale plucked at the collar of his loose shirt, “I’m choosing whatever color I want… They didn’t have red, so clearly this was the next best option.”

A smile snuck onto Chai’s face, “Aw man– they had different colors? Man, I could've had a cooler shirt this whole time…” He glanced up to meet Kale’s tired expression, “...Wanna switch?”

The negative noise that Kale made was worth the stupid question, “Chai, If I wore the size you do, it would be a crop top. That’s not happening.”

“Fair enough… So– you don’t really like hospitals either?” Tilting his head up at him, Chai cracked open the juice he was given, “I figured you wouldn’t really need to go at all, since you’re practically all cybernetics now.”

Kale unnecessarily opened the can by puncturing the top open with a claw, "Astute to notice, but not entirely correct."

"...What?" That first word kind of flew over Chai’s head.

"I had to visit the hospital an asinine of times before I got this new tool of mine; they had to make sure it went off without a hitch.” He knocked against his own chest, clanking against metal beneath the thin cloth.

He grumbled, huffing out a breath that made his messy bang move from his face for a moment, "Letting somebody else handle my designs to fix the initial problem was a shit idea in retrospect. Never let anybody handle your plans but yourself–"

"Woah, woah woahwoah– wait.” Chai waved his hands out, “There was a problem?"

He squinted at Kale, genuinely confused, "I thought you just got that body because you were, like… dissatisfied or– bored, or… whatever it was you said before."

“I was,” He paused, briefly looking at Chai’s perplexed expression, before looking back to his own tired reflection on the back of the soda can, “I was so fed up that these quacks couldn’t figure out why my body hurt all the time,"

Kale shrugged loosley, as if his following solution was normal, "So, I figured I’d just design a new, better one. It was mostly just ideas, at first– but…”

He gestured at himself, metal and all, “I suppose you can clearly see the finished product at this point.”

Chai’s voice was subdued, “Oh– you were hurting…” But he shook it off quickly, taking a sip of his juice, “From what, exactly?”

"Look, I assume Roxanne’s version of the story was easier to digest for you at the time, but–” He lightly twists at the metal wrist connectors on hands that resembled claws,

"I wouldn’t exactly agree with her in saying I got out completely unscathed. My body looked fine- (still does)– but it didn't *feel* like it after that incident."

"I was informed that because I was 'young' and 'healthy', I would be fine after resting. ...Bullshit," Kale's face soured as he brought the cool can of soda to rest against his own forehead, "I clearly couldn't rest–"

"Too many idiots needed my help sorting things out for them. There was too much academic work ahead of me, and connections I had to make for me to just stop– and waste time waiting for things to get better."

Chai hummed as he took a drink, "And you got so pissed that nobody could fix it, so you just…" He scratched his cheek, unsure why that made sense, "Went and did something about it yourself?..."

“Basically.” Kale nodded, continuing with a twinge of resentment, “I still feel it took far too many visits to get it all done,”

He rolled his eyes as if what he said was a mundane occurrence, and not completely bizarre, “But I suppose with a full-body augmentation, it obviously could only have been done in increments.”

“Right…” Chai slowly nodded along as if this meant anything to him, and held onto the juice can with both hands, "Uh-huh… She said you were fine though–?"

"Oh for fuck’s sake– That was a *lie,* Chai. I was obviously lying to her." He made a frustrated noise, clanking down the soda can onto the table.

"I thought it would just go away eventually, but I was–" Kale stopped, realizing he had revealed way too much about himself in such a short amount of time.

The sound of a soft clock ticking seemed a lot louder and closer inside the cafeteria. Maybe that was just the music. The song was definitely halfway over by now. This might all reset, so nothing he really said mattered, but there was still–

808 and Chai tilted their heads up at Kale, grinning with a hand propped to his cheek, "Buuuut… what?"

He frowned, “I may have been wrong, in one aspect," He spoke quickly, "–But that doesn’t mean–”

Whatever Kale was about to say to try and deflect from his vulnerabilities was interrupted by two things:

[...Please don't say not a single thing,]

One, the lyrics had kicked in for the final verse.

Two, a loud, robotic voice rung out into the cafeteria,

A tall HS-P1, a model dedicated to hospital security, pointed accusingly with a large wing at the two men in hospital clothes– "Those're the patients that escaped!"

Another shorter NUR-53 bot scratched their beaked faceplate nervously, "If you two would head on back with us to your rooms, we can resume your care to help you."

[Nothing but words, anyway.]

Chai, Kale, and 808 looked around to find themselves surrounded in the hospital cafeteria by a gaggle of health-care robots fully intent on doing their jobs.

"Uh… Kale?" Chai stood from his seat, "Is this why you said we had to keep moving?" He glanced around at their new company as 808 leapt into her ball form in anticipation to hover beside him.

Any way out seemed blocked off by a posse of professionals.

"Yes, but–" Kale stood from his own seat, glad to be rid of the previous topic.

[Is this just a blind obsession–]

He picked up the chair, planning on using it as a weapon, "It’s a little too late to run now, don't you think?"

"My thoughts exactly." Chai smiled and flicked out his wrist with a pop– "...Wait–" Only to make a disappointed noise when all he grabbed at was air, "...Where's my–?"

"Any weapons you have on you, they take away– Because apparently we're 'a danger to ourselves and others'." Kale scoffed at the words he had heard from nurses prior, "So, you'll just have to use something else."

Looking at the can of juice he still held, Chai mumbled, "Something else… Well, we *are* in a cafeteria… so–!" He reeled his arm back, aiming for one of the bots.

[Or was it destiny?]

"There’s no need to-" *THONK* NUR-53's pleas for a pacifist route were met with a solid can to the faceplate. The hit was so impactful that the poor bot fizzled with electricity and exploded.

808 grew excited at the idea of a food fight, and un-balled to leap from table to table. She hooked her claws on discarded sandwiches, chip bags, burgers– flinging the appetizing ammo into the faces of robots swarming to try and apprehend her, stunning them.

And a trio of them were sent careening across the cafeteria when Kale practically rammed forward and spearheaded them with the metal legs of a chair– sparks flying.

…Now, all of this senseless destruction looks fun and all, but Chai still lacked a weapon.

#hi fi rush #hi-fi rush

[paradox-psyc-hoe-sis]

Dating Bucky Barnes in secret would include...

Bucky Barnes x reader, avengers x reader (platonic), Steve Roger's x reader (platonic)

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings: I can't really remember, insecurity, there are a few swears, fluff, general stuff like that. No smut :)

A/n: two posts in one day? Who is she. I was really determined to write these and it was quite enjoyable, hope ya'll like it - Aphrodite :D

• So. Much. Sneaking. Around.

• However, you and Buck were already really close before you started dating, so you got away with loads of suspicious stuff.

• For example, when it was avengers family movie night and you all decided to watch a film set in ww2, things got a bit too realistic for Bucky, so when he cuddled up next to you and you started playing with his hair, nobody batted an eyelid.

• Additionally, whenever any of the Avengers walked into the living room to see you asleep on the sofa, your head in Bucky's lap, they didn't give it a second thought. But you both knew you had to br careful with how much you let slip.

• Steve would totally know right from the start. He's known Bucky practically his entire life, so there was a definite change in his behaviour after he started dating you. He talked to Steve about you loads, and he caught Buck staring at you way too much. However, Steve only thought that Bucky had a crush on you, not that you were dating.

• You got Bucky a Polaroid camera for his birthday and he has never stopped taking photos of you since; he has photos of you mid-laugh, photos of you singing karaoke, photos of you in action. He keeps all of the Polaroid in a little box that you decorated for him.

• To help him with his anxiety, he keeps a diary. Every night, he records what happened in the day and hoe it made him feel. You knew about the diary, and you always wanted to see what he wrote about, but you understood that it's his privacy and you don't have the right to see it. He knew how badly you wanted to read it, too.

• So when your birthday came around, he didn't get you anything. All of the avengers gave you presents except for Bucky, which made everyone quite suspicious. To get everyone off his back, he claimed that he forgot when your birthday was. You knew that he had something in store for you later on, though.

• When you went to bed in the evening, you didn't go to your room but straight to Buck's. About ten minutes later he arrived, and he wasn't surprised to see you. He said that he had the worlds best present to give you.

• He sat down and handed you a present, wrapped in dark red paper. Once opening it, all you saw was a small, black leather bound notebook. What an awesome gift indeed.

• But it took you a second to realise that the notebook was his diary.

• "I finished it last night, and I've already bought a new one to start tonight. I really have no use for them once I finish them so I thought you-"

• When he looked up he saw you holding the book to your heart, tears streaming down your face. He thought you hated the gift, that you were expecting something so much better. But you reassured him that the diary was the best thing he could've ever given you.

• It took you a month to read, and you definitely had a favourite entry. February 14th, not only valentines day, but the day you both went on your first date. You agreed to go out and get coffee at a little cafe that you like downtown.

• When you first read it, you were watching TV with Steve in the living room.

• "Today Y/N and I had our first date. I met her at a cafe so we could get coffee. I was so scared that she'd realise how undeserving I am of somebody as good as her, but when I saw her walk through the door, it calmed all of my anxiety. She looked the most beautiful that I had ever seen her, and I regret being too scared to tell her that."

• When you read that, you burst into tears right on the spot. Steve had no idea what had happened, but after you put the notebook down, he gave you a big hug to calm you. He recognized the notebook, as he had seen bucky writing in it a lot, but he didn't say anything. He just held you. Steve's a legend.

• Coincidentally, after that happened, you and Bucky seemed to go on a lot more missions where you had to spend time together. [Thanks, Steve]

• A few days after you came back from a really long mission, everyone had a day off, so you both went out for dinner in the evening. It was the fanciest date that you both had been on; you wore a red silk dress, and he wore a suit and tie. After all, it was the fanciest restaurant in New York.

• Everything was going perfectly, until you noticed Tony and Pepper walk through the door. You and Bucky had never run as fast as you did when you saw them. So instead of getting dinner there, you both went to McDonalds.

• One evening, you were all sat in the living room after just finishing a board game. You were sat next to Bucky, and told him that you were going to bed. Forgetting that nobody knew about your relationship, you leaned in an gave him a small kiss on the lips.

• Steve chokEd on his coffee, I swear.

• Everyone stared at you, and you managed to convince them that you had just found out it was national 'kiss your coworker' day. Not wanting to seem biased, all eyes were on you as you walked around the room and gave everyone a tiny kiss. Steve decided he wanted to fuck with Bucky a bit, so when you went into the kitchen to give him a kiss, he grabbed you by the waist and kissed you for like, 10 seconds, you could feel Steve laughing into the kiss towards the end.

• Bucky was pissed, but couldn't bring it up with Steve because he thought he didn't know.

• Honestly, Bucky is a hoe for attention.

• When all of you are in a meeting or sat at the dinner table, he likes to put his hand on your thigh and trace circles with his thumb.

• His hands are always so cold, and you like to sandwich them in between your warm ones.

• Bucky always randomly brought you gifts. After you got back from a mission? Flowers. After he got back from a mission? Chocolates. Some days he'd just walk into your room and nonchalantly hand you a rose.

• You and Natasha hung out a lot in your room, so it was always a surprise to her when she saw a vase of tulips or roses on your desk.

• "Wow, who gave you those flowers?"

• "Uh, I bought them for myself. They just caught my eye when I walked past the florist."

• Intimacy was a special thing for Bucky. It was never just holding hands or hugging, but it was a really important thing for Bucky to be able to share with you. For a while, he was scared to touch you with his metal arm in fear of hurting you, but you loved holding his metal hand. His arm reminded him of the people he murdered and that repulsed him, but you were determined to change that. So you always held his metal hand, and gave it tiny kisses, maybe massaging it every now and again.

• Sometimes you spent the night in Buck's room. Not to do the nasty, or anything like that, but to just fall asleep in each other's arms with the reassurance that you have each other. But whenever you did this, he had to wake you up really early in the morning so you could go back to your room, just in case anybody came to your room to look for you and found you not there.

• Whenever he had a bad nightmare, he'd come to your room straight away. Lots of the time, you didn't wake up when he came in, and he was gone before you got up in the morning. But every now and again, you woke up to find him cuddling you. You loved it.

• Bucky was never too jealous, unless he knew that another guy was a definite threat. So when you and Steve had to go on an undercover mission and pretend you were married, Bucky didn't take it well.

• On the mission, Steve was reluctant to do any PDA. Although it was what you had to do, he couldn't find it in himself to kiss you or hold your hand. This means that you had to initiate all of it, and you really hated it. You'd much rather be doing all of this with Bucky, but Fury didn't trust him enough with an important mission like this.

• There was this one time where all of the avengers were on a really big mission, and you and Buck were the only ones left behind [thanks again, Stevie]. Taking advantage of this rarity, you both decided to take a shower together. You expected it to be really intimate and relaxing, but it was the opposite.

• "Bucky. Did you seriously just use up the only bit of shampoo I had left!?"

"Yeah, my hair is longer than yours and needs a very precise routine to get it's classic shine!"

[Thud]

"What the fuck, y/n!? Why did you throw your bottle of conditioner at me!?"

• You liked to train with Bucky, but it was annoying how he always let you win. Cute, sure, but you wanted to try and get there yourself.

• Bucky was really self conscious of his body. Yeah, the super soldier serum made him really buff, but he worried that you'd see him as a monster or a freak science experiment. You always reassured him about how handsome he was, and it meant a lot to him.

• You decided to tell the others on valentines day. It would be your 1 year anniversary, and you both knew that your relationship was serious. When you woke up on valentines day, Bucky came in and, with a bit of a struggle, blindfolded you.

• He walked you out into the living room and took the blindfold off, where you saw all of the avengers with party hats on.

• They all shouted surprise, and you were SO confused.

• Turns out, Bucky told them all the night before, and they had planned a day full of fun to make up for all of the time you had lost sneaking around.

• You both appreciated each other so much, and that's all that matters. You were madly in love.

#bucky barnes x fem!reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x y/n #avengers x fem!reader #avengers x reader #avengers x you #avengers x y/n #avengers x platonic reader #dating in secret #bucky barnes fandom #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fanfic #winter soldier x reader #winter solider imagine #winter solider x you #winter soldier #marvel fanfic #marvel fanfiction #marvel fic #marvel #the avengers #avengers #bucky fic #bucky imagine #bucky angst #bucky x you #winter solider