#The Romy Files

[rosepompadour]

SECRET SWEETH TOOTH: Sweets turned out to be one of Sisi’s favorite over-indulgences, and she was known to splurge on confections and pastries. She frequented Demel, the official patisserie of the Imperial Court, which was conveniently located across the street from the Hofburg. She would slip in and order thick hot chocolate, homemade truffles, and sumptuous slices of chocolate cake. She was especially fond of candied sugar violets, and always went home with a box. Her passion for violets was so great that she even indulged in her favorite treat, violet ice cream, when she wasn’t starving herself. THE FAIRY QUEEN: Sisi got the idea for her famous sparkling stars after attending a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Vienna's Burgtheater. The actress portraying Titania wore a sprinkling of glittering stars in her hair; inspired, Sisi then requested her own fairy stars from the imperial jeweler. She saw herself as the fairy queen Titania, and her bedroom (which she called "Titania's enchanted castle")  was painted at great expense with scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream by a young Gustav Klimt. THE LOOK: Her beauty routine was legendary. She used facial waters of rose, chamomile, lavender, and violet to remove impurities, and she would slather her cheeks with pure honey, rose petals and crushed strawberries. After her Rapunzel-esque hair was done to her satisfaction, it would be sprayed with Creed’s Fantasia de Fleurs, a heady floral fragrance created especially for the Empress, with a regal bouquet of the best Bulgarian roses.

- Assorted sundries about Empress Sisi 💗

#elisabeth of austria #sisi #romy schneider #ludwig #perioddramaedit #perioddramasource #historicwomendaily #* #poor romy she had to wear this wig in four separate movies #it looks stunning obviously but my god the migraines! #you know how the romanov daughters survived the initial round of gunfire because their jewels were bulletproof? #i am shocked sisi's hair didn't protect her from that cheap-ass file #that's why it's so big #It's full of secrets #but i digress #i got a request for fun sisi facts AGES ago and i'm only getting around to it now what HAPPENED #i pulled this from a dozen books and i don't feel like citing all of them but it's all documented! #whenever i make a post like this there's always someone who's like 'this sounds fake but okay' #yeah i made it all up for tumblr likes 🙄 #girl my minor in college was history i do not fuck around on this stuff!

[artbytaggerung]

I literally didn't have but the one piece to choose from for the later months of the year, but I still managed! Maybe some will be redraws this year...

Template by @nanaluvbug

#digital art #artists on tumblr #artwork #art #art recap #traditional art #colored pencil art #the expanse fanart #star wars #wynonna earp #the dresden files #the witcher #xmen #romy #ghost #tagg doodles

[thedahliafiles]

🌈 Your favorite tropes to write about?

God I’m a sucker for Hurt/Comfort but I also love writing long form stuff, which I know is really funny cause I’ve not done anything longform ever but I’m currently working on a Blake fic that’s over 25 chapters long!! Miscommunication is a favorite troupe especially paired with Not Actually Unrequited Love!

#files #Romi.file #I have a specific file name picked out for you but I lost my list #ily romi I swear I’m not ignoring you on espresso then either #espressoth*

[world-of-wales]

CATHERINE'S STYLE FILES - 2021

2 JULY 2021 || The Duchess of Cambridge attended Day-5 of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.

#catherines style files #style files 2021 #day 5 wimbledon 2021 #wimbledon 2021 #duchess of cambridge #02.07.2021 #british royal family #british royals #kate middleton #catherine middleton #royalty #royal #royal fashion #fashion #alessandra rich. #smythe. #mulberry. #jimmy choo. #romy heels #simone rocha. #faux pearl curb chain earrings #spells of love. #double strand beaded satellite chain necklace #daniella draper. #midnight moon necklace #halcyon days. #maya torque aquamarine and hold bangle. #ray ban. #mine. #amaia kids.

[rheya28]

Casa Del Rosario [ Filipino Inspired Restaurant ] ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC

Welcome to Casa Del Rosario, an old Spanish Colonial home turned restaurant that serves authentic and homestyle Filipino dishes from all around the Philippines(Sulani). Whether you are craving something sweet or savoury, a meal cooked by Lolo (Grandpa) Romy at Casa Del Rosario never disappoints and will always put a smile on your face.

Note: The exterior of Casa Del Rosario was very much inspired by Spanish Colonial homes in the Philippines. Although recently renovated, Casa Del Rosario's original architectural character and features remain. The original wood, stone, and ornamentation throughout the building were maintained and acted as inspiration for the rest of the interior. Modern elements, along with furniture pieces made by locals, were introduced to the interior to blend in with the original structure and materiality of the building.

The world of Sulani was chosen as a representation of the Philippines as it shares similar island characteristics and landscape (Especially where I lived as a child). I was hoping to place this build in a heritage town similar to where I lived, but sadly, we do not have that kind of world in the Sims so while Sulani does not accurately depict the environment I had in mind for this build, it is the closest to the Philippines as it was going to get.

DISCLAIMER: As mentioned previously, the exterior of this build was INSPIRED by Filipino Spanish colonial architecture and is by no means accurate! (though I tried really hard to)

Lastly, one of the reasons why I decided to create this build and create this narrative was because I was re-watching @oshinsimss Growing together let's play and was inspired by how she showcases Filipino culture in her game! Her storytelling is what pushed me to create this build and it turned out to be one of my favourites.

♥ Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on! ♥ Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own. ♥ Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file ♥ Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator! ♥ Thank you to all CC Creators ♥ Please let me know if there's any problem with the build!

♥ SPEED BUILD VIDEO 0:02 Intro 0:46 Speed Build 14:02 Photos

♥ LOT DETAILS Lot Name: Casa Del Rosario Lot type: Restaurant Lot size: 30x20 Location: Sulani

♥ MODS: TOOL MOD by TwistedMexi

♥ CC LIST: Awingedllama: Apartment Therapy Sooky: Vertical Oil Paintings (landscape ver) Charly Pancakes: Much, Maple & S Const. Pt 3, Soak Felixandre: Chateau (all), Colonial pt 2 3, Florence pt 1, London Exterior, Paris pt 1, Candelabra, Grove, Paris pt 1, Shop the look Harrie: Brownstone (all), Brutalist, Country, Shop the Look 1 & 2, Spoons pt 1 2 3, Jardane, Kyoto Felixandre x Harrie: Orjanic (all), Kichen, Tiny Twavellers TheClutterCat: Sunny Sundae pt 2 Pierisim: Coldbrew, MCM pt 3, Oak house pt 1 2 3, Unfold, Winter Garden Max20: Poolside lounge pack Charly pancakes x Pierisim: Precious Promises Syboulette: Sandrine Tuds: Cross, Ind

NOTE: i have not uploaded this build in the gallery yet, i will upload it asap

♥Tray File: Available on my Patreon ♥Origin ID: Applez ♥Twitter: Rheya28__ ♥Tiktok: Rheya28__ ♥Patreon: Rheya28 ♥Youtube: Rheya28__

#ts4 #sims 4 #thesims4 #sims #thesims #sims 4 builds #showusyourbuilds #sims 4 cc #builds #sims 4 screenshots #build #the sims 4 build #the sims 4 speed build

[pinka-style]

4T2 PINKBOX ANYE Romy Bedroom

Deco Objects ♡ Double & Single Headboard | Bed Pillows | Folded Bedding | Duvet | Candle Holder | Plaid and Cushion | Rug | Books | Vase | Wall Shelf Functional ♡ Side Table | Wall Lamp | Wardobre| Wooden Bench

All files compressed. RAR includes game preview, collection file and polycount. Credits ❥ Meshes & Textures by Pinkbox AnYe

Download here

#4t2 objects #ts2 download #sims 2 download #ts2 objects #sims 2 objects #ts2 cc #sims 2 cc

[eretzyisrael]

by Troy O. Fritzhand

The main international airport in the Netherlands issued an apology on Monday after two Israeli women, including a former Hamas hostage, were allegedly harassed and publicly humiliated by a security worker.

“It is clear that the two passengers did not feel that they were treated appropriately. We regret and apologize for this,” Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport said in a statement. “We will make sure that such situations do not happen again in the future.”

The incident in question took place on Friday when the Israeli women, one of whom was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 and later freed from captivity in Gaza, were attempting to go through airport security for their El Al flight back to Israel. When handing over their Israeli passports for inspection, the airport security officer, reportedly of Pakistani origin and Muslim faith, approached them in an aggressive way.

The officer singled them out for being in the wrong security line, told them to move, and then threatened to fine them, Israeli news website Ynet reported. The worker then proceeded to remove them from the line and began to scream at them, reportedly making derogatory remarks about the fact that they are Israeli.

An escort for the women then called Israel’s embassy in the Netherlands, which in turn called El Al’s security team at the airport. The airline’s security team cleared the situation and assisted the Israeli women in getting to their flight gate.

The escort, who was not named, said in a statement to Israeli media it was “as if we had committed some terrible crime … I have never had such a humiliating experience. Everything was intentional — it was very clear that he saw the Israeli passport and it ignited him. We felt attacked and humiliated. He had evil in his eyes.”

The Israeli Embassy in the Netherlands said it will be filing a formal complaint over the incident.

“This is especially painful considering all the trauma the abductee has already suffered,” Modi Ephraim, the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands, told Dutch media.

It was not clear from the airport’s apology whether disciplinary action was taken against the security worker.

According to reports, the two women were part of a delegation sent by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to speak to groups about the experience of hostages who were held in captivity by Hamas terrorists.

In common with other European countries, antisemitism has skyrocketed  in the Netherlands since the Oct. 7 Hamas pogrom in Israel, with an 800 percent increase in the number of antisemitic incidents recorded in the weeks immediately following the terrorist group’s atrocities.

Friday’s incident came just two weeks after a local Jewish civil rights group in Britain charged that two Israeli nationals who survived Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel were detained and subjected to discrimination while being processed at Manchester Airport in the United Kingdom.

#netherlands airport #apology #hostages #idf #hamas #gaza #antisemitism

[elisysd]

11. That's why I'm lying to my therapist

Masterlist - Previously - Next

Chapter soundtrack: Tornado Warning - Sabrina Carpenter

She had never dreaded and been excited to be home. But there was always a first time for everything. Ethan organized a birthday party to which she was of course invited. There would only be his closest friends, as well as Romy. They were supposed to meet later, in front of the nightclub, but for now Julia was occupied, trying to find a birthday gift for Ethan. She was completely lost, not knowing what she could get him that he had not already. Because after all, she still didn’t know him. That's when it hit her. She knew about his fears and his relationship with his dad, something she was sure not a lot of people knew about, but she didn’t know his favorite color or his favorite season. Basic things that friends knew about each other and even more, people that were in a relationship together. She mentally put a note in the back of her head to talk to Ethan about all of this.

But there she was browsing the alleys of her favorite bookstore, in the search of a new comic book for her brother. She felt so bad about lying to him that she hoped spoiling him a little would appease her mind and help her get rid of the guilt. As she was absentmindedly walking down the alleys, her eyes caught a book that made her smile. How to stop being a dick to people for Dummies. It would make a fun gift for sure, very on brand for them she thought. She picked it up and put it along Louis’ book under her arm. Before going to pay, her feet took her to the notebooks sections. She loved pretty notebooks. She had many at home, most of them were not even used. She loved to collect them more than writing in them. As she was looking at the new arrivals, she saw a poor little cactus, in a corner and once again her mind went back to Ethan and his flat. A cactus would bring a little color to the space and would make it a little more personal. And a cactus didn’t require a lot of attention and care. Perfect she thought.

Her new belongings under her arm, she went back home. The house was unusually quiet. Whenever Julia was back home, she would at least be welcomed by the happy barks of Bailey. She called out for her mom but nothing, not even Louis answered her. They must have been out.But her dad was also nowhere to be seen. The door of his office was opened, something rare when he was not working in it. His laptop was opened on a few tabs showing datas that Julia recognised quickly. She was looking at the same results every race weekend. She was definitely not supposed to see that and she couldn’t help but feel worried about the quietness of the house. There was no way her dad would have left the datas in plain sight if something hadn’t happened that caused everyone to leave in a rush. But still, she had a lot of her unanswered questions that could be solved a few centimeters away from her. It was tempting. So tempting. It was a one time only type of situation. She wasn’t sure she would use them but in any case, she still snapped a few pictures of the results with her phone before quickly leaving the office as if nothing happened.

Back in her room she retrieved the USB drive from the box she put it in and transferred her pictures on it before deleting them quickly, as if it would make her phone explode. Then, she stared at the new added files, not knowing what to do with them. She didn’t have much time to think as she heard noises in the entrance. She closed her laptop before getting downstairs and saw Louis, his left ankle in a cast looking visibly distraught.

“Oh gosh what happened?” she exclaimed.

“Your brother thought he was a monkey for some minutes. The reality check was a bit brutal.” explained Lyanna, ruffling her son’s hair.

“But I told you, it was a rare bird! And I wanted to see it closely. It’s not my fault if the branch was unstable.”

“Thank God, dad heard the noise it made and reacted fast.”

As if he heard his name being mentioned, Charles appeared with Bailey and Louis’ crutches.

“I had an eye on him ever since he had gone out and was trying to climb. I could see the incident happening from miles away.”

“And you didn’t try to stop him?”

“Lya, love, I don’t know one kid that had not tried climbing in a tree before. I used to hide in them with a book when I was Louis age to have some peace and quiet. Falling is part of life, look he is okay. It’s just the ankle, it will be fine.”

“But it could have been worse! You should have said something the minute he started climbing.”

Julia saw her brother putting his headphone on his ears and closing his eyes. The argument that was starting between their parents was triggering him, she could see it.

“I went to the bookstore today to find something for Ethan. I’m going out tonight to celebrate.”

It had the effect she hoped for. Ethan’s mention made both of her parents stop arguing to focus on her.

“Nice, where are you going?” asked Lyanna.

“Restaurant with Romy before joining the boys downtown.”

“And what did you pick for lover boy?” snorted Charles, earning a side glance from his wife.

“I found a cute cactus and a book for him. I didn’t know what I could get him that would be useful.”

“A cactus?” repeated Charles.

“Yeah… you know, to symbolize our relationship. The hope it will last for a long time since you can’t kill a cactus that easily and the prickles are a nice metaphor of us throwing shade at each other but just like they are here to protect the plant, our banter is us showing that we care about one another.”

That was so cheesy she wanted to gag. She was not the only one, her dad looked at her weirdly as her mom sighed in content.

“That’s very cute, Ju’. I’m sure he will love it.”

“Did you know that a cactus actually symbolizes endurance and strength in the face of adversity, because they thrive in harsh and arid environments?” said Louis.

“I… didn’t. But you know what, Louis? I think it sums up our relationship pretty well.”

“When will we meet him? When is he going to come home to see us?”

“He will be allowed to come when he beats me on a track, Louis.” said Charles.

“When he what?” asked Lyanna, completely unaware about the trial her husband set for Ethan.

“Dad wants to play male Alpha with Ethan, he wants to organize a karting race between him and Ethan.” explained Julia, clearly annoyed.

“Well, in that case, why not invite Kat and Max as well? Max could race too, it could be fun. And it would be a good occasion to have a nice reunion, it’s been a while.”

“I’ll talk to Ethan about it, but for now, I have to get ready. I’m meeting Romy downtown.”

It was always easy to find Romy in a crowd, her confidence made her stand out in a crowd. She was always the one laughing the loudest, talking to everyone in an attempt to make them feel at ease. With Julia, they couldn’t be more different, but that’s why she loved Romy. They spent a little time catching up before Romy looked her dead in the eyes.

“You and Ethan. How? When? Why? I have so many questions and I’ve never seen it coming. You’ve never told me that you liked him. It was always quite the opposite.”

“Yeah, it just happened. It still surprises me but, you were right, he is not that bad.”

“I bet he is not.” said Romy with a suggestive wink making Julia blush.

“But enough about me! Tell me more about Kyle and you!”

The blonde shrugged it off, sipping on her drink and avoiding Julia’s gaze.

“It’s not serious. I know that, he knows that and we are fine with it. We have fun. There is nothing else to say.”

Julia didn’t insist, knowing very well that if her friend wanted to talk to her about her relationship she would, when she would feel ready. Trying to get something out of her would only result in Romy closing off. They finally left the restaurant to meet Ludwig, Kyle and Ethan in front of the nightclub. They were soon escorted to the VIP sections where drinks were already waiting for them. Ethan didn’t want a big party, with many people whom half of them were unknown to him. He wanted to keep it lowkey with only his closest friends. They chatted and laughed altogether and his gaze fell on Julia. She was having fun and even let Romy drag her to dance along with her.  He liked seeing her so carefree and at ease around him and his friends, as she had always belonged here. It left a bittersweet taste in his mouth and couldn’t help but wonder how would have been their relationship if they had grown up as friends and not as enemies. Would they be strangers? Would they be friends? Best friends, maybe? More? Did he even want to be something with her? As he was still watching her, he didn’t notice his two best friends getting closer to him.

“So… how is the fake dating going?” asked Ludwig with a mischievous look in his eyes.

“Better than expected, to be honest. She is not what I thought she would be. She is not the insufferable girl that I remember. I think we could be great friends, if she wanted to.”

“Oh, look at you being sweet. You are cute.” Ludwig laughed.

“ Shut up.”

“I’m glad you guys are getting along well but I have to admit that I’m still skeptical about all of that. I hope that lying to everyone is worth it. Especially to your parents.”  said Kyle with calm.

“We are invited by my parents for my birthday tomorrow. We will have to act as a couple and I have to admit that it’s stressing me out. My mom can smell bullshit from miles away and I know that it will be hard to convince her.”

They enjoyed the rest of the night and it was late when they finally exited the club. Julia hugged a very drunk Romy that was clinging to Kyle as he tried his best to not let her fall on his ass and Julia joined Ethan near his car.

“You didn’t drink?” she asked.

“Nope. Didn’t feel like it.” he simply answered.

“Why? It’s your birthday.”

“I have a lot on my mind and we are meeting my parents tomorrow, I don’t want to look like a mess.”

She nodded and opened the door of the car before sitting on the passenger seat, as if she had always belonged there. He took his place behind the wheel and drove back to her place in silence. Monaco by night was quiet and it was always something he enjoyed. It allowed him to hear his thoughts. But lately Julia seemed to occupy a huge place in them and he doesn’t know how to describe it. When he closed his eyes, before falling asleep, sometimes he could swear that he could hear her laugh or see her eyes. And he couldn’t explain why it helped him relax. They finally arrived at her house. He expected her to jump out of it to avoid being near him longer than what she had to, but was surprised to see her rummaging through her bag and taking out two small packages that she handed to him.

“You didn’t have to, but thank you.”

“Look at what I bought before saying thanks.”

Ethan couldn’t help but laugh when he saw the book and the small cactus. He looked at her and saw a playful gleam in her eyes. She was trying her best to refrain from laughing too and was biting her lips.

“Well… I will have to top my game for your birthday. You set the expectations very high.”

“I hope we won’t be together anymore by then!” she replied, laughing.

“Maybe… we can still be friends, right? I don’t want to go back to hating you. I can’t.” he told her, very seriously.

“Maybe. We can learn how to be, at least.”

They were surprised to see the lights on in the Leclerc’s household and a silhouette lurking behind the living-room window. Ethans quickly recognised Charles that was more than likely looking at them. Julia noticed him too and turned to Ethan.

“Lean in. Pretend you are kissing me.” she said, almost ordering him.

“What?”

“We have to make it believable! Put your hand on my face and lean in!”

He didn’t know why but he panicked. He had his fair share of girls asking him to kiss him. But never in a million years would he have ever thought that he would hear that from Julia. Suddenly, his palms were sweating and his clothes felt too tight and Julia was too close. He could almost see the light sparkles of gold in her green eyes. If he was focusing on them hard enough he swore that he could count them. She had freckles. He didn’t know about them, he never paid enough attention to notice them. His throat was dry and he didn’t know why. He found her beautiful and he didn’t know why. And it terrified him. He would have run away if her two cold hands didn’t suddenly grab his face and she put her forehead against his. He could feel her breath mixing with his and if he moved, even an inch, he could bump her nose with his. And he would have to if two knocks against the passenger’s window didn’t wake him out of his transe. He was quick to leave the car, as Julia took her bag and opened her door. Charles was in his sweatpants and was clearly waiting for Julia to come back before going to bed.

“Thank you Ethan for bringing her back safe and sound. You didn’t drink, right? Because if you took the wheel while having drinks in your system…”

“I’m totally sober, Cha… Mr. Leclerc. You can test me, if you want.”

“It’s okay. You are not irresponsible. I trust you on this. But just on this. If you want me to trust you more, let’s meet the day after tomorrow, on a karting track, so you can show me your worth. And bring your family along, Lya would love to see your mom and I wouldn’t mind racing against your dad, like back then.”

“You know me, I’m always up for a challenge, you can count me in. Especially if it’s to beat you. I’ve alway dreamed of that! And I’ll talk to my dad. Speaking of, is it okay for you if I come to pick you up around six, tomorrow?”

Julia nodded and as if it was natural for him, Ethan smiled and leaned in to kiss the top of her head. Totally unbothered, he went to shake Charles’ hand, before squeezing one last time the young woman waist who thanked the stars that it was so dark so no one could see her blushing.

The next day, before dressing up for dinner at Ethan’s parents, she decided to work on Ferrari’s car. She didn’t know where it all would go, if she even wanted it to go somewhere. She opened her notebooks and started to watch some onboards from the drivers, as well as the data she wrongfully collected. But without knowing what the data represented it was tough to extract anything from it. But still she gathered some info. Against her will, her thoughts drifted to Martin. She would need to know the feelings of someone who was actually driving the car, it would help her so much. But it felt wrong, especially after the birthday party and what happened in the car. She had felt the atmosphere changing and she didn’t know what could have happened if her father had not interrupted them. And she was grateful that he did, something she never thought she would say. But part of her still wondered… would they have kissed? Would she have let him kiss her? Or would she have been the one to kiss him first? Did she want to kiss him? She shook her head. She didn’t want to think about this. Not now, not ever.

Her gaze fell on her notes and the endless scribbling that was not going anywhere. She knew she had all the information in the palm of her hands if she wanted to open the files that were on the USB plugged in on her laptop. She felt sick. This whole USB drive made her sick. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t help but think that it was still cheating and the consequences could only lead to disaster. But she was curious, so curious. So she opened the file and started to browse the documents, paying more attention to them than the first time. She quickly understood that they could and would help her but, a wave of nausea got a hold of her and she closed the tabs quickly. It was too much and she couldn’t brace herself to add another lie to the list. She unplugged it and threw her in a box that she hid far away from her, as if it could erase the temptation.

Finally it was time for her to get dressed and a part of her was thankful for it. It would get her mind out of the bomb that was in her room. Ethan was on her way to pick her up and she felt stressed out. She didn’t know how she was supposed to act or how she should behave. Did Ethan expect her to be clingy? Or did he want to keep the physical interactions to the bare minimum? She had never been in a situation like that before, she had never met in-laws, even fake ones. She felt stupid. She knew Max and Kat. She knew them very well and not once had she ever felt uncomfortable at the idea of eating with them. Was she supposed to dress fancy? She looked at her clothes and sighed before setting her mind on a jean and a blouse.

As she was finishing applying her makeup she heard a car parking in front of the house and the door opening. She breathed in and breathed out one last time, took her bag and went down to see Louis ambushing Ethan in the entrance.

“You’re my sister’s boyfriend.” said Louis as a matter of fact.

“I…am?” replied Ethan.

“Why?”

“Why, what?”

“You fancy her. She is my sister. It’s weird.”

“Louis, please, don’t bother Ethan.” stepped in Julia.

“No, please, Louis keep going, I also want to know why.” Charles came out of his office, a half-smile on his face.

“You guys are embarrassing.” complained Julia.

“I just want to know why. You didn’t like him a few weeks ago. It’s just weird.”

“Hum, well… Julia is… well she is Julia. She is not as unlikable as I thought she was.”

“Thanks…” gritted the young Leclerc between her teeth.

“What I mean is… I had the occasion to properly get to know her and besides her sarcastic comments, the fact that she always wants to be right, how she has boring ice-cream tastes, she is not so bad. She is actually very caring. She talks a lot about you, Louis and I hope that I can be your friend, someday. And I admire her work ethic. She always wants to do the right thing and most importantly, she didn’t judge me when the whole scandal blew up. She actually agreed to keep talking to me and explore our connection. She quickly became one of the most trustworthy people that are around me. But I clearly can see that she got all of that from her dad.”

“No need to rub me in the right way, Ethan. It won’t work.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit too much.” added Julia.

They finally managed to leave and soon they were finally alone, on their way to Ethan’s parents.

“You didn’t have to pretend in front of my parents, you know.”

“Maybe I went a little overboard with the compliments, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t mean all that I said.”

When they finally arrived, Kat almost jumped on Julia, asking her how she was doing and saying how happy she was to have her. Julia felt so overwhelmed that Ethan intervened to tell his mom to calm down. He was not surprised to see that his mom had already thought about who would sit where. Julia found her seat next to Ethan as Max and Kat sat opposite of them. The conversation was pleasant and far from what Ethan had imagined. They didn’t talk about their relationship, his parents preferring to focus on Julia and getting to know her as a person and not as Ethan’s girlfriend. For once he was not the center of attention and he could watch her talking about what she was most passionate about and he found that endearing. He watched her talking about engineering with his dad and he had to admit that he was completely lost and didn’t understand half of what they were talking about, but still, he didn’t want to look away. As he was going for another glass of wine he found his mom looking at him with a soft smile on his face.

Soon, the conversation resumed around the season. Ethan was actually proud of his results and it’s with confidence that he started talking about them, thinking that his dad would be happy for him and that maybe he would get praise.

“Yeah, you were good. You had nice moments and some I really thought you could get close to the podium but you still make some mistakes that you shouldn’t make three years into F1. Not anymore. You are not a rookie anymore. But if you want we can find some time to watch some moments that I recorded so we could watch and work on them together.”

It made Ethan angry.

“Can’t you just for once, say something nice about the way I race. Can’t you just acknowledge that I don’t alway mess everything up? That I’m doing a good job?”

“I just want you to improve so you can achieve your dream. And you will never do that if you don’t listen to advice.”

Julia jumped when she felt Ethan abruptly stand up.

“Stop pretending that you care about my dreams. You don’t and you know what? I would trade them for a dad that actually cares about me. Me! And not the driver that I can be!”

And just like that he left the table as his dad was calling out to him. Without thinking twice, Julia stood up as well and excused herself as she went after Ethan. She found him outside, on the patio, sitting on the floor behind his mother’s flowers. He only noticed her when she sat down next to him.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that.” Ethan whispered.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“To say what? There is nothing to say. It’s like that. My dad doesn’t understand. How could he anyway? He is Max Verstappen and I’m only his son, just a copy. And not the best copy. No matter how hard I try, it will not be enough. I’m not enough.”

“That’s not true. You wouldn’t be here if you were not. Ask my dad, he always had good things to say about you as a driver. Surely, that doesn’t not mean nothing . You know how my dad is.”

“I just… I want my dad to act as a dad and not a fucking coach. I want his advice but I also want to hear him say, I’m proud of you son, you were great out there. Not how I should have taken a corner or how the overtake would have been more effective if I had done this or that. He doesn’t understand. He never did.”

“That’s the thing when we grew up with dads like ours. The pressure, the expectations… It's tough. I don’t think Max wants to hurt you, he just wants to push you.”

“Easy for you to say. You are your dad’s little princess. He would do anything for you.”

“Doesn’t mean that it made me happier. It brought a lot of other problems. Parents and teachers reunions ? It was always my mom who would go. I can’t even count the number of birthdays he missed because of races. Or how people looked at me and constantly judged me when they would learn about him.”

“He loves you, Julia.”

“And your dad loves you too.”

Ethan paused and looked to the ground. Julia saw Adam's apple bobbing before he spoke again, but this time with a strangled voice.

“He never said it. My dad never told me that he loved me. I know, he does. But… We were never ones to talk about feelings, I know that. I just wish that he would say it. Just once. I would love to have him come on a race to support me. Just be there, and be happy for me.”

“I’m sorry Ethan. Maybe you should talk to him. About your feelings, it would do good. Surely, it’s not healthy to keep that bottled up inside.”

Ethan shrugged before getting up. Sadness replaced anger and Julia could swear that tears were threatening to fall. She had never seen him looking so vulnerable and she didn’t know what to do. If they had been friends, she would have hugged him. But they were not, or barely were. She didn’t know where they were standing. They were not enemies anymore, but she wouldn’t go as far as saying friends. They were just two people linked to each other by a lie. So she stood up as well and waited for him to move or say something.

“I’m sorry I ruined your night. And you were not supposed to see me like this either.”

“You didn’t ruin anything, don’t worry. And seeing you vulnerable reminds me that you are human, with feelings, something I’ve never thought I would see happening.” she joked.

“You sure know how to make me feel better, Joolsie.” he said with a half-smile on his face.

“Always there to help.”

It was not a surprise when Ethan said that he was leaving. He didn’t want to stay there longer than necessary and so he brought Julia back home. The car ride was silent and a little awkward. When they were finally back, Julia didn’t waste much time before saying her goodbyes. They would see each other the next day, but for now she just needed to be alone. And Ethan did too. He hated how she had seen him like that. She was not supposed to. He was not sure, he wanted her to be. But still, it felt nice to be able to talk about his relationship with his dad. She understood him. But part of him couldn’t help but think that involving her too much into his very private life would do more bad than good. He didn’t react much when she put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly before leaving him, deep in his thoughts.

When she opened the door, she was not surprised to see that her dad was waiting for her.

“How was it?” he asked.

“Weird. I witnessed Max and Ethan fighting… They don’t have the best relationship, I wasn’t expecting it. I always thought that Max was supportive of Ethan’s career. Turns out it is not what I expected… I feel bad for Ethan. I know I can’t do anything but…” she explained sitting down next to her dad.

“Do you want me to try and talk to Max tomorrow? See if I can do something…”

“We shouldn’t get involved…”

“I know but if Ethan is important to you then I guess that he is important to me as well. And I won’t repeat it twice so you better hold onto that only time I will say it because if you ask me to repeat it I will play dumb.”

She sighed. It made her feel better to know that her dad would not be too big of a problem in her relationship. She kissed him on the cheek before going back to her room. She quickly got rid of her clothes and threw her blanket over her head. As she was tossing and turning in her bed, replaying the conversation she had with Ethan, she grabbed her phone to text him.

For what it’s worth, I think you are amazing on tracks.

Author's note: What do you think will happen next? Let me know your theories, I love to read them.

Don't hesitate to leave a comment or an ask, as well as reblogging and leaving a like. It helps a lot for the story to find its audience. I also have a taglist for this story, so if you want to be added so you never miss a chapter, let me know.

Taglist:

@herondalism @aundercover @musingsbyshreya @karmabyfernando @reengard @mycenterfold @smoooothoperator

#writing #fiction #charles leclerc #max vertsappen #f1 fanfic #charles leclerc fanfic #f1 story #f1 fic #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #f1 x oc #max verstappen fanfic

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: Space!! part 1

We all love space, right? I certainly love space, and I'm always on the hunt for a good space book. What you've got here is a pretty wild mix of everything from fun and adventurous space opera to horrific and brutal space horror - hopefully all the space fans can find something to enjoy!

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

The Long Way To a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers series) by Becky Chambers

Rosemary Harper just got a job on the motley crew of the Wayfarer, a spaceship that works with tunneling new wormholes through space. With a past she wants to leave behind, Rosemary is happy to travel the far reaches of the universe with the chaotic crew, but when they land the job of a life time, things suddenly get a lot more dangerous. A bit of a tumblr classic in its day, this is a cozy space opera with an episodic feel and vividly realized characters and cultures. While pretty light on romance and focusing found family, there is a main f/f relationship.

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi

Ascension follows Alana Quick, an expert Sky Surgeon who stows away on a spaceship in hopes of landing herself a job. But the ship and its crew are in deeper waters than she expected, facing threats emerging from a whole other universe, all of them searching for the same person: Alana’s spiritually enlightened sister. Undeniably a bit of an odd read, Ascension is also very creative and features polyamorous lesbian relationship.

Illuminae (The Illulminae Files) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff*

Young adult told through the medium of transcripts, text messages and the like (this is one of few books where I highly recommend reading a physical copy over a digital or audio copy as the visual aspect is much more enjoyable like that). After their colony is attacked, the surviving inhabitants flee on spaceships, attempting to avoid the pursuing killers while also dealing with a deadly maddening plague on board and a ruthless ship AI seemingly losing its mind.

Kea's Flight by Erika Hammerschmidt & John C. Ricker

Young adult. Kea has been in exile since before she was born. In a future where abortion has been forbidden, Earth has found a new way of handling unwanted children: send them off to space to colonize new planets. Kea has lived her entire life on a spaceship, surrounded by other kids rejected for 'flaws' in their genetic makeup, Kea herself being on the autism spectrum. The ship follows a strict authority, but when a new threat appears, Kea and her friends must rise up to ensure they make it to their new home.

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James*

Young adult. Romy is the only survivor on a spaceship headed toward a new planet, her only contact with other people being messages sent to and from Earth which take months to arrive. Then she receives news: another ship has been sent, one which is more advanced than hers and will eventually catch up. Ecstatic about the prospect of meeting other people, Romy begins communicating with J, the sole passenger of the other ship, and finds herself developing feelings for him. But Romy knows nothing about J, and have begun receiving worrisome messages from Earth...

Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch universe) by Ann Leckie*

A space opera in which sentient spaceships can walk the ground in stolen human bodies, so called ancillaries. One of these ancillaries, the sole survivor after the complete destruction of her ship and crew, is on the hunt for revenge against the leader of the Empire for her crimes. This series does very cool things with gender and culture!

The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley

Zan wakes without memory, a passenger aboard one of the living world-ships of Legion, a fleet of decaying generations ships. Told she's the salvation meant to free them from the fleet, Zan is flung head first into a brutal and bloody conflict. This book fucked me up when I read it. It’s weird, it’s gross, there’s So Much Viscera, there are literally no men, it has living spaceships and biotech but in the most horrific way imaginable. Had I to categorize it I would call it grimdark military sf. It’s an experience but not necessarily a pleasant one.

Ninefox Gambit (The Machineries of Empire) by Yoon Ha Lee*

Disgraced Captain Kel Cheris is given a second chance by allying with and becoming the host for undead Commander Shous Jedao, who in life never lost a battle, but also went mad and massacred his own army. Now, Cheris must decide just how far she can trust him, with her forces as well as with her sense of self. Military space opera where belief and culture shape the laws of reality, causing all kinds of atrocities as empires do everything in their power to force as many people as possible to conform to their way of life to strengthen their technology and weapons. It’s also very queer, with major gay, lesbian and trans characters, albeit little to no romance.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Life on the lower decks of the generation ship HSS Matilda is hard for Aster, an outcast even among outcasts, trying to survive in a system not dissimilar to the old antebellum South. The ship’s leaders have imposed harsh restrictions on their darker skinned people, using them as an oppressed workforce as they travel through space toward their supposed Promised Land. But as Aster finds a link between the death of the ship’s sovereign and the suicide of her own mother, she realizes there may be a way off the ship.

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad*

Young adult horror. NASA is finally returning to the moon, and to gain the needed funding and attention they hold a world-wide lottery: three teenagers will get to travel to a recently revealed moon base alongside the trained astronauts. For Antoine, Midori, and Mia, this is the chance of a lifetime. But there's a reason NASA stayed away from the moon for so long, and while three teens may be going there, only one will return... This book scared the shit out of me as a teen, recommended for slowburn mix of supernatural and sci-fi horror.

Children of Time (Children of Time series) by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

Millennia and generation spanning sci-fi. After the collapse of the earthen empire, a planet once part of a project to uplift other species to sentience is left to develop on its own, resulting not in the intelligent monkeys once intended but in sentient giant spiders. Millennia later, what remains of humanity arrives looking for a new home, only to be met by the ancient, artificial remains of the woman who once led the uplift project - and she is not willing to let them disturb her spiders, or her planet, no matter how desperate they are.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells*

After having hacked its own governor module, SecUnit uses its small amount of new freedom to secretly download and watch as much media as it can between doing its job guarding humans. But when the scientists it’s been charged with keeping safe come under attack, it must make a choice about whether to continue keeping its freedom secret or risk it all to save them. The series features both novellas and full length novels, and balances humor with scathing critique of capitalism.

Dust (Jacob's Ladder series) by Elizabeth Bear

In a dying spaceship, orbiting an equally dying sun, noblewoman Perceval waits for her own gruesome death. Having been captured by an opposing house, her wings severed and life forfeit, Perceval's execution is imminent - until a young servant charged with her care proves to be Perceval's long lost sister. To stop a war between houses likely to doom them all, the two flee together across a crumbling, dangerous spaceship. And at its core waits Jacob Dust, god and angel, all that remains of what the ship once was. And he wants Perceval.

Binti (Binti trilogy) by Nnedi Okorafor

Young adult novella. Binti is the first of the Himba people to be accepted into the prestigious Oomza University, the finest place of higher learning in all the galaxy. But as she embarks on her interstellar journey, the unthinkable happens: her ship is attacked by the terrifying Meduse, an alien race at war with Oomza University.

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe (The Salvagers) by Alex White

In a universe where science and magic work hand in hand, Boots Elsworth makes a living selling fake treasure maps and Nilah Brio is a racer. When one of Boots' maps turns out to be more real than expected and Nilah has to go on the run after having been framed for a murder, the two find themselves on the same spaceship, working with Boots' old captain to find the rumored treasure and reveal the conspiracy it's hiding before the people hunting them catch up. Features a main f/f relationship.

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

A strange child lands on an isolated planet, scaring its inahbitants into handing him over into the hands of Nia Amani. As captain of a transport ship, Nia is not only the planet's only contact with the outside world, she is also a woman outside of time, years compressing into months as she travels through space at high speed. Now responsible for a child who doesn't speak and in a galaxy that wishes them ill, she must rethink exactly what she wants to do with her life, and what she's prepared to give up. Features multiple major queer characters.

Eacaping Exodus (Escaping Exodus duology) by Nicky Drayden

Seske is the heir to the leader of a clan living inside a gigantic, spacefaring beast, of which they frequently need to catch a new one to reside in as their presence slowly kills the beast from the inside. While I found the ending rushed with regards to plot and character, the worldbuilding is very fresh and the overall plot of survival and class struggle an interesting one. It’s also sapphic!

Dead Silence Here by S.A. Barnes

Horror. As her current mission as team leader for a small repair crew in distant space nears its end, Claire grows desperate to find a way to not have to return to a life on Earth. When the crew picks up a distress signal from Aurora, a luxury cruise ship thought lost decades ago, she sees a chance to make enough money on salvage to buy her own ship. But Aurora is housing horrifying secrets beyond its cold hull, and Claire's own past is coming back to literally haunt her. If she wants to survive, dangerous truths must be revealed.

Activation Degradation by Marina J. Lostetter

Unit Four comes to life in the middle of a war. The mine it was created to care for is under attack, and as Unit Four is activated with the memories of its predecessors, it is thrown into the task of protecting it at any cost. When the battle leads to its capture, it is prepared to do anything to stop its captors, even as their very presence causes it to question all that it knows. Includes multiple major intersex characters.

This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman

Space opera in which humanity found a way to faster than light travel and began establishing colonies all over the galaxy, only to belatedly realize the method of FTL caused irreversible mutations and disabilities and leaving their nascent colonies to die. Much later, many of the colonies have survived and thrived, and one has found a new method of FTL travel, allowing an interconnected space society to grow. However, Earth is on the hunt for their method and is prepared to do anything to steal it. Trapped in the middle of all this and forced on the run is young Jamisia, who is little by little coming to realize that not only might she be the very solution Earth is after, she’s also not alone in her own mind and body.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir*

Ryland Grace just woke up from a coma, unable to remember anything. He finds himself alone on a spaceship, the rest of the crew dead, and as his memories slowly trickle back, he realizes he’s been sent on a mission: to find a solution to the impending doom of the earth. Still struggling with holes in his memories, Ryland tries to fulfill his mission, but as he gets closer to his goal, he discovers someone else got there first. And they aren’t anything close to human. Funny, heartfelt, and heavy on the science.

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds

Six million years in the future, humanity has spread across the entire Milky Way galaxy. Purslane and Campion are both clones of the same woman, sent into the galaxy millions of years ago to explore along with almost a thousand clones like them. Every 200 000 years they all meet to compare memories and experiences. But this time Purslane and Campion arrive late - and discover that a secret millions of years in the making has led to an extinction level attack against their kind. Now they must find out the truth before their line is completely wiped out. Absolutely wild world-building, featuring various kinds of posthumans (among which the clones are, shockingly, the most similar to people of our time).

Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone

Vivian Liao is a highly successful innovator, but she may have bitten off more than she can chew and fears the government is coming for her. As she goes into hiding, she attempts to pull off one last stunt that could fix everything - but something goes wrong, and suddenly Vivian finds herself waking up in the far future, under attack by an army of robots in space. Hoping to find her way back home, Vivian must assemble a crew of dangerous outlaws and outcasts to help her hunt down the Empress of Forever, the all-powerful entity who pulled her into the future. Lesbian main character.

Finder (Finder Chronicles) by Suzanne Palmer

Fergus Ferguson is a finder, and his latest job has just taken him to a small colony in the farthest corner of inhabited space. There he's searching for a stolen spaceship, what he thinks will be an easy job. But things become complicated as Fergus' arrival inadvertently sets off a civil war, forcing him to ally with the thief's enemies to get out alive with his prize. And beyond it all, the ships of a dangerous and mysterious alien species watches over it all, picking people off when least expected.

Space Opera (Space Opera duology) by Catherynne M. Valente

Eurovision in space! If you lose, humanity is doomed! Good luck! The sentient species of the galaxy have chosen to face each other not in war but in a musical contest, and now humanity is invited to partake. The problem? If we lose, our species as a whole will be exterminated. While I found this book as a whole slightly gimmicky, it’s a fun and flashy experience with some wild and creative alien species.

Blindsight (Firefall duology) by Peter Watts*

Vampires and aliens and questions of the nature of consciousnesses, oh my! A ship is sent to investigate the sudden appearance of an alien vessel at the edge of the solar system, but the crew isn’t prepared for the horrors awaiting them. No, seriously, this book will fuck you up, highly recommend if you’re okay with a lot of techno babble and existential horror.

The Outside (The Outside trilogy) by Ada Hoffman*

AKA the book the put me in an existential crisis. Souls are real, and they are used to feed AI gods in this lovecraftian inspired sci-fi where reality is warped and artificial gods stand against real, unfathomable ones. Autistic scientist Yasira is accused of heresy and, to save her eternal soul, is recruited by cybernetic ‘angels’ to help hunt down her own former mentor, who is threatening to tear reality itself apart. Sapphic main character.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski, Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes, Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport, We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor, The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

#nella talks books #book recs #space #space books my absolute beloved #next list will probably be queer horror books so look forward to that!

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 7/18/2023

idk man i just work here

listening

not another rockstar, maisie peters. spotify

this is a little poppier than i generally prefer-- the first knee-jerk comparison i can make for the vocals is taylor swift, esp in the first verse? luckily for everyone, i was white-knuckling it down the katy freeway (26 lanes. never again) and did not have the extra concentration necessary to skip it on whatever autogenerated dance playlist spotify spat out for me. as a fellow woman with a Type, i must tip my hat to ms peters.

Hmm, funny I could pick 'em in a line up, line up Pretty certain I could do it with my eyes shut, eyes shut A little self-obsessive and I sign up, sign up Where's the pen? Where's the line?

@pasta-pardner has made a gorgeously lush electronic/indie pop cowboy playlist. my very favorite song (so far, still have it on loop) is Horsie by Twilight Circus Dub Sound System. it sounds like the opening theme to Samurai Champloo. it ripples and grooves. it lives somewhere between rock and reggae. the whole album is incredible music to hang out to.

-

reading

retractionwatch (my beloved) linked out to datacolada.org in a recent article and my ears perked up. data colada gets REAL deep into the investigative reporting of specific papers, including some fascinating excel sleuthing. they use CalcChain!!! i thought i was the only one who used CalcChain!!!

CalcChain tells Excel in which order to carry out the calculations in the spreadsheet. It tells Excel something like "First solve the formula in cell A1, then the one in A2, then B1, etc." CalcChain is short for 'calculation chain'.

one of my worst traits as a person is that i looooooooove an academic trainwreck. i love watching academia eat itself. i love watching people get caught for sloppy shit like "excel file sorted REAL weird, pointing to tampering with individual data points"

-

watching

new jennings motor sport!!! the oil change is. hough. impressively disgusting. oil does some funky shit when it's been sitting for ??? decades

-

playing

ive been playing genshi/n impact like it's my job. having a lot of thoughts about crunch, and content, and player expectations vs shareholder expectations and Line Go Up and if AAA free-to-play video games are at all ethical to play for anyone ever, but hey! look at this snarky catgirl!

also lol. lmao. this is a game for children. we are all aware of the restrictions and limitations placed upon games for children in the chinese and american markets so yeah the answer is going to be yes, every time

-

making

lately i have been going to my best friend's house after work (what an unimaginable sentence a month ago) and hanging out and watching whatever toddler shows are on tv while we shoot the shit and i knit. there's another half-repeat on the baby blanket for the baby who has just turned four months old, but it's in the car and the night is dark and full of mosquitoes.

i literally cannot do any life shit, even most doctor's appointments, until i have a real physical stable address so all i am really doing is knitting and playing genshi/n and opening and closing my email like the fridge. i have one security deposit back from the old mass apt plus one more paycheck (but, crucially, not the nearly $2k from the roach apt and we are rapidly approaching lawsuit time) so the cat and i are a little bit more stable/able to put down a security deposit on something else the minute it comes along. this would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of readers like you during that very bad first week here. thank you. i want to do some sort of thank you...stream? liveblog? series of posts about something? but i'm not sure what yet. stay tuned. tell me your thoughts. what would you like to see?

#tuesday again #tuesday again no problem #SoundCloud #Spotify #Bandcamp

[romirola]

WIP Title Game

Tagged by @pinksparkl, @zozo-01, and @gingerbreadmonsters! Thank you thank you, friends! I am not getting to this because I had been avoiding tumblr until I listened to the Summit audio in full. Been there, done that, and now it's time to play!

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP list. Invite people to send an ask with the title that intrigues them. Post a little snippet or behind the scenes facts about the WIP. Then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Typical Romi behavior here in that I work on things one at a time. Since Balancing Act is coming to an end, I've been working on oneshot requests I received after soliciting prompts. Those are in one big document titled...

"Request Stuff 2"

Ask away, friends! :) I'm limited to one tag. I am not sure who has played yet, but I will tag @arrowfleur. (No pressure, friend!) Speaking of, I think I missed everyone's posts as I waited to listen to the Summit Audio. Please, artists and authors, let me know if you've participated in this game so I can ask you about your work! Thank you!

#redacted asmr #redacted audio #redactedverse #redacted fanfiction #thank you!

[dayenurose]

Here is my first submission for Rogue/Gambit Week 2023!

Day 1 - Battle Couple

Compatibility by DayenuRose

Summary:

Rogue is a former Jaeger pilot who has no interest in finding a new drift-compatible partner.

Gambit is a potential Jaeger pilot who is unable to find a drift-compatible partner.

Sparks fly—both figurative and literal—when these two meet. She wants nothing to do with him. He wants to understand her. Will Rogue and Gambit be able to help each other gain control of their powers and reach their full potential in time to help save the world?

Or, a Pacific Rim AU featuring Romy

Excerpt:

Rogue didn’t look up as a long shadow fell over her. It would just be another new flyboy looking to earn some cred with the others by antagonizing the base rogue. She knew her reputation among the rank and file and didn’t do anything to discourage it. It wasn’t any more than she deserved. Besides, if she ignored them, they typically went away after a few minutes of insults.

Instead, a deep voice with a New Orleans patois she didn’t recognize interrupted her lonely meal. “This seat taken?”

The casual ease with which he asked was almost enough to make her look up and meet his gaze. Rather, she simply shook her head and muttered an icy, “It’s your funeral.”

Usually that was enough to scare away any new recruit. That and the rumors which proceeded her. But, not this one. Undeterred by every sign that sitting with was a bad idea, he set down his tray opposite her and took the free seat. “‘M Gambit.”

Read the rest on [ao3] or [ff.net]

#rogue/gambitweek2023 #rogue/remyweek2023 #rogue #gambit #romy #anna marie lebeau #remy lebeau #fanfic #battle couple #otp: home and harbor #otp: mon coeur #pacific rim au

[splendidissimus]

1971 - Black Blood

((Content warning: cousin marriage))

Genre: general

Romance level: negligible

Angst level: 1/5

Draco's headspace: --

((words: ~600))

------------------------------------

"Look, Cissy, it's your husband." Andromeda smirked and pointed her chin at the line of new first years filing into the Great Hall. 

Narcissa glanced up at them, unimpressed. There was their cousin Sirius near the front, gangly and awkward as any of the new boys. He had a watchful look about him, and was no less tremulous than any of his classmates, coming from the noble house of Black or not. 

"I won't marry him," she said confidently, and went back to combing her fingers through her hair to fix it from the carriage ride and waiting impatiently for the food to appear.

"You say that," Romy said with sadistic teasing amusement, "but unless we get a brother in the next couple years, you know it's a done deal. Father's already made the arrangements." Someone, after all, had to carry on their line, and with three daughters there wasn't any other way to keep their blood with their name. Naturally, that honour would fall to the youngest — plus, it made the age difference about palatable, inasmuch as that really mattered. 

She looked away from the first years dismissively. "Then he can unmake them." 

Professor Dumbledore was starting to call up the new students for their sorting; they only had to sit through an Abbot and an Ashford and the attendant boring applause that they didn't participate in. Romy nudged her in the elbow when "BLACK, Sirius," was summoned to the front. "I'll move over so he has a nice spot right by you," she taunted, and scooted down the bench into her neighbour to make enough space between them for an eleven year old boy. 

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Hat yelled. 

Narcissa smirked at her sister's surprised face, and actually took part in the applause this time. "I told you I wouldn't be marrying him." 

She'd had no idea that was going to happen, of course, but it was quite obliging of the universe to work out in her favour like this.

She let her eyes fall down to the end of the table where Andromeda's fellow sixth-year Prefect was politely clapping, Lucius leaning over to make some smiling commentary to the seventh-year girl beside him.

Romy's face was sour as she moved back into her spot. She followed her eyes and then sniffed. "You still won't have him."

"Yes, I shall."

#fanfic #mauraders era #narcissa malfoy #sirius black #lucius x narcissa #andromeda black #family backstory #narcissa malfoy fanfiction #splendidissimus eu

[world-of-wales]

CATHERINE'S STYLE FILES - 2018

19 MAY 2018 || The Duchess of Cambridge attended the Royal Wedding along with Prince William and their two eldest children at St George's Chapel in Windsor.

#style files 2018 #catherines style files #duchess of cambridge #catherine cambridge #royal wedding m&h #19.05.2018 #alexander mcqueen. #slice ss18 floral rosette hat #philip treacy. #jimmy choo. #romy heels #kiki mcdonough. #lemon quartz pear and oval drop earrings #citrine ring #british royal family #british royals #kate middleton #brf #catherine middleton #royalty #royals #royal #royal fashion #fashion #style #lookbook #mine. #princess charlotte of cambridge #princess charlotte #st george's chapel

[evoblue]

incoming from @analuein — what’s currently in their pockets/purse/etc? are they good at explaining things to others?

re: what's currently in her pockets/bag

While most of her clothing unfortunately lacks the practicality of POCKETS ( curse you, designers.... ) Blue does carry a TON of stuff in her bag, everything from assorted Poké Balls to some rare stones and items required to evolve certain types of pokémon. She's actually currently collecting Sinistea chips and Bronzor fragments because she has her eye on Charcadet's two forms. Other specific items include: her phone inhabited by her shiny Rotom, Romi. Some neutral-toned makeup and moisturizing lip gloss. A nail file. A journal where she documents her findings ( her handwriting is nice but her sketches leave a lot to be desired, much to her chagrin ). A couple of Ink Joy gel pens in various colors because they're her favorites. Her wallet. A bag of Pewter Crunchies. An omamori charm she got from her aunt. Some Hyper Potions and Full Restores. A bottle of water. A bag of berries. A small first aid kit. Wow, good thing her bag is large!

re: how well Blue can explain things

Blue is also good at explaining things well ; as a traveling trainer, she often tested Silph Co. products for the R&D division at her father's request ( once he accepted that she was NOT planning on attending Pokémon Tech ) and was required to explain her findings in detail to the scientists working at HQ. She also writes comprehensive reports on her research findings to submit to Prof. Rowan so she's just gotten very used to using her words effectively. One small ( and somewhat related ) thing that she particularly enjoys is teaching younger kids about the best held items for their pokémon and explaining their effects clearly and in a way they can understand.

#analuein #thank you! man... bags in the pokeworld sure are infinite huh :'D #answered. #headcanon.

[romy-rubenstein]

( HANNAH MARKS, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER ) — Look who it is! If you take a look at our database, you’ll find that ROMY RUBENSTEIN is a TWENTY SIX year old GRIFTER that has been in Chicago for EIGHT YEARS. According to government files, they’re a MUTANT on LEVEL THREE with the powers of RUSALKA PHYSIOLOGY. That must be why they’re DEVOTED and VENGEFUL. If you ask me, they remind me of THE CREAK OF DAMP WOOD EXPANDING, THE CLAMMY TOUCH OF SEAWEED ENTWINING YOUR WRIST, AND THE ELEGIAC FALL OF MARINE SNOW IN THE MUFFLED DISTANCE. They are affiliated with THE CULT OF THE BLESSED.

QUICK FACTS

full name: romy bina rubenstein

age: twenty six

gender: cis woman

personality: obsessive, selfish, judgemental, loyal

height: 5′3

star sign: tbd

fc: hannah marks

mutation info: READ HERE

FULL BIO

Born to wealthy parents. Had everything except their attention as they spent most of the time travelling, leaving Romy at home with an au pair and her siblings. Consquently, she acted out a lot to try and get mom and dad’s notice.

After going to study at University of Chicago (which she is pretty sure she could have gotten into unaided, but her parents hefty donation probably didn’t hurt), she spun further out of control with no supervision. This culminated in her stealing a yacht, and crashing it.

Romy drowned, as did her friends on the yacht with her. This was the moment that catalysed her mutation: she regained consciousness, able to breathe underwater. Managed to drag one of her friends from the wreck, narrowly saving their life.

Never dried off! She is now perpetually dripping water (which can fortify plantlife and control people a la a siren song), has long gills on her neck that open up when underwater, sharp teeth, and webbed fingers and toes.

Her surviving friend was disturbed by the changes, and also unable to forgive her. Though she’d saved their life, that wouldn’t have been necessary if Romy hadn’t crashed the yacht in the first place. So, they left her. And her parents didn’t want much to do with her either: Romy was perpetually dripping all over their nice house and it was a threat to the decor.

They bought her a houseboat to which she has been  banished, and now Romy spends her time on the Chicago River. The houseboat is overflowing with plants, which Romy likes more than she likes most people.

The mutation came with an unfortunate proclivity for drowning people. One night, she tried to drown a certain Santiago Quijada. The attempt was unsuccessful, but he liked her attitude and her abilities.

This is how Romy got the job as his right hand man (this is how SHE thinks of it, regardless of how he might describe their relationship), using her persuasive powers to lure people into the cult.

Kind of obsessed with Santi. Not sexually because she’s a lesbian, but just in general, and gets weird and jealous about him. The vibe: cat rolling about in the sun displaying belly; she needs him to acknowledge how cute the belly is but if he touches, she will spring shut claws OUT

‘i’m his silly little rabbit...’ ‘his what?’ ‘his silly little rabbit’ ‘does he call you that?’ ‘no :)’

QUICK FACTS

Never finished her degree (causing a yacht wreck ending the lives of several students will do that to you). But she was studying biology before, because she always liked plants even before she got power over them. And we love women in STEM!

When drowning people, she does crocodile-esque death rolls. She doesn’t have to! She just thinks that’s more fun (and she’s right)

Misandrist :/ sorry. Kind of hates men on sight, but will play nice and be friendly or flirty if she thinks it will help her lure them into the water.

Strained relationship with her parents. They never had much time for her, and even less so now she’s a soggy bog bitch. Has an older sister and a younger brother who she gets on a bit better with, but Romy is definitely the black sheep of the family. She’ll take their money though <3

Jewish, and mostly keeps kosher. She is the reason you see rabbis on tiktok answering questions like ‘is it possible for human meat to be kosher?’ (it’s not possible. disappointed rusalka noises).

#abt