#alpine really not having a good month so far

[russellinatussle]

Double Alpine DNFs in Hungary GP 2023

Esteban Ocon on the impact and the double Alpine DNFs

Bonus: The events leading up to this

#esteban ocon #pierre gasly #zhou guanyu #daniel ricciardo #alpine #f1 #formula 1 #alpine really not having a good month so far #hopefully theyll break their streak in spa #hungary grand prix 2023

[secretswiftymarvelfan]

Forgotten Lands: Summer Solstice - Fae!Steve Rogers x Reader

A/N: Happy summer solstice! This was the drabble idea I had that sparked this whole AU!

Summary: You’ve lived in the Fae world for a few months now and have grown close to its occupants, especially close to one in particular.

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: FLUFF! Kind of a cliff hanger?

Dividers by @firefly-graphics​

AU Masterlist / Masterlist

Summer Solstice

The entire estate was already buzzing with energy when you awoke sun streaming in through the gaps in the curtains. Noks had found himself a perfect sun spot his black fur looking almost blue and he purred in his sleep.

With the help of Kallie the half-nymph maid, you dressed in a pale yellow gown that was light and loose enough to keep you cool in the summer heat. To finish the look she braided small delicate yellow and blue flowers into your hair.

Once you stepped outside the festivities were in full swing already, the entire court celebrating the summer solstice. Music was floating through the air, tables were full of fresh fruit and other delicacies. Children were running around and playing with the Maypole.

You had just rounded the corner when Noks jumped out of your arms and ran straight over to Alpine who was sitting on a nearby wall. Bucky was stood not too far away with Steve and as a shadow passed overhead you knew that Sam was flying above you.

Walking over to Steve you gave him a small bow of the head “Happy Summer Solstice” you greeted.

“Happy Summer Solstice” he smile’s with his own bow of the head “Are you enjoying the festivities?”

“Yes, I’ve never celebrated summer solstice before” you admit glancing around at the festivities, there weren’t many holidays in the human world anymore, and the few that remained you had been too poor to really celebrate.

“Well by all means take full advantage and enjoy the day” Steve smiles softly.

“I will thank you Steve” You smile with another bow of your head before making your way towards the table full of fresh fruit.

For the rest of the day, you enjoyed the day and all the festivities, eating the glorious food, and enjoying the good weather. You had even been coaxed into dancing with Steve.

When the song ended Steve linked his arm with yours and leaned down to whisper in your ear “I have something to show you, if you’d let me”

You blinked a couple of times, still somewhat entranced by his proximity but you managed to nod your head in answer. He smiled softly down at you before leading you away from the main hub of the party and towards one of the many gardens.

He took you to one of your favourite gardens in the estate, it was always much quieter than the others and always looked so beautiful with the wide variety of colours and flowers.

It always smelt amazing too, your arm slipping out from Steve’s as you stepped closer to take a sniff of the glorious scent. The noise of Steve clearing his throat had you looking back over towards him.

“I have a summer solstice present for you” Steve said the corners of his lips tugging into a poorly concealed smile.

“You got me a present?” Your eyes widen in surprise as you looked at the gorgeous fae male you had slowly fallen in love with, but had yet to admit it out loud, you hadn’t even been brave enough to kiss him.

“Of course” he smiled softly “Close your eyes and hold out your hands”

You did as he said, your teeth running over your lower lip as you waited for whatever he placed in your hands. After a moment you felt a smooth cool wooden box being placed in your palms.

“Can I open my eyes?” You asked, brow arching.

Steve let out a warm chuckle “Yes you may”

You opened your eyes, your gaze instantly falling on the long rectangular box in your palms. You instantly guess it was a bracelet, one that would cost more than you could ever dream to earn in the human realm.

“Open it” Steve encourages, his excitement yet nervous energy rolling off of him in waves.

You carefully open the box, surprised to find a gorgeous black feather quill resting on the velvet instead of a bracelet. Your lips parted in amazement as you carefully lifted it from the box, marvelling over its iridescence as it caught the sunlight.

“It’s beautiful, what kind of bird did this feather come from,” you ask unable to take your eyes off of it.

“It’s from a wild pegasus, they’re extremely rare mostly because few are brave enough to get close enough to pluck one” Steve explains moving to stand just behind you.

“Are there not tame pegasus? I thought other courts held them” you say glancing over your shoulder.

“There are, but for reasons that even our greatest scholars cannot understand, feathers plucked from tame pegasus cannot retain magic”

You spin round to face him “Magic?”

A smile tugs at his lips as he looks down at you “Yes, this quill is enchanted” Your lips part in surprise, your gaze returning to the feather wondering whether the iridescence was actually magic “You said you wished to write stories but cannot translate what you see in your head into words, this quill will do it for you”

Your jaw was nearly on the floor at this point, you had only mentioned your desire to write once. The time Steve took you on a tour of these very gardens and asked you what your dream was back in the human realm. You hadn’t thought much of that conversation since, it had been a dream that you never thought would become reality.

You had learnt from a young age that no matter how much you dreamed of a different life you would never be more than a poor peasant that fixed clothes for spare coppers. You were just lucky that you had been taught to read and write, something many others in your position weren’t taught to do.

“H-how?” You stutter in disbelief.

“In all the centuries I’ve been alive I learnt it best not to question the how, it can cause an awful headache,” Steve says with a playful smirk “Here try it out for yourself,” he says conjuring up a blank piece of parchment and wooden board out of thin air.

Your hand were shaking as you took the board from him, his gentle finger taking the wooden case from you in return. Resting the tip of the quill against the paper you were surprised to find it already held ink. Another enchantment on it you supposed. You glance up at Steve to see him watching you in anticipation, suddenly making you shy to write in front of him.

Quickly turning your back on him you took a deep breath and closed your eyes. You let your mind wander and begin to dream up a story about a prince and princess walking through a gorgeous garden, just like the one you were in now. You could picture it all so clearly, the handsome prince, the smell of the roses. The warmth in his blue-green eyes and a gentle smile on his plump pink lips.

You pictured him gently taking the princess's hand, halting her in her stride. You could see the blush spreading across his cheeks and the tips of his ears as he gazed lovingly down at the princesses. You could practically hear his melodic soft voice as he professed his love for her.

“Very romantic” Steve hummed behind you, so close you felt his breath brush across the shell of your ear.

You are startled out of your daydream, spinning around to face Steve. You blink a couple of times, your chest heaving as you tried to get control of yourself. Something that seemed impossible with him stood so close, his comforting scent enveloping you in a warm embrace.

You managed to glance down at the parchment your eyes widening in surprise when you saw the exact story you has just pictured in your head written out before you. It was real. Your thoughts and daydreams were right here in front of you in writing. You hadn’t even realised the quill had moved yet you had filled nearly the entire page. You must have been close to completely falling off when Steve spoke.

Heat rushed to your cheeks when you realised Steve had been reading your writing over your shoulder. You pull the board close to your chest in an attempt to stop him from reading more. Praying that he didn’t realise the prince you had pictured was actually him.

“It seems to work well” he nods “and hopefully one day you’ll no longer need it” he adds with a kind smile.

You couldn’t help the smile that played on your lips, knowing that he didn’t mean that one day you’d stop writing, but that one day you’d have the confidence in your own abilities.

A lump of emotion grew in your throat as you blinked back the tears “Thank you Steve, this means the world to me” you managed to say.

Steve smiled softly, giving you a small bow of his head “You’re welcome, I look forward to reading your first novel”

You bit your lip and let out a watery chuckle, shaking your head gently “I can only apologise that I did not get you a present”

Steve gently shakes his head “You have already given me so much” he says softly.

Looking up at him your lips part in surprise when you realise the look in his eyes matched the look you had pictured in the prince's eyes. A look you never thought would leave your imagination, yet here it was.

You knew it should terrify you, and in some way may it did a little. Steve was a fae, a being that belonged in childhood stories, ones used to frighten children into behaving. And you were just human, completely ordinary.

You could feel your heart hammering in your chest and a tugging sensation that wished to pull you in his direction. So you decided to stop listening to your brain and listen to your heart instead. Letting the tugging sensation pull you closer to him, a hand resting on his chest as you rose up onto your tip toes and gently brushed your lips against his.

Sharing is caring so please reblog if you enjoyed this and maybe even leave a comment to make my day!

This series has no schedule, please don’t ask when it will be updated!

AU Masterlist / Masterlist

I don’t have a tag list so follow @secretswiftymarvelfanlibrary​ and turn on post notifications for updates!

#NiamhWrites #ForgottenLandsAU #Fae!Steve Rogers #Fae!Steve #Fae!AU #steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers x you

[stargazer-sims]

Epilogue (Journal Entry #62)

Postscript (Journal Entry #61) // STORY INDEX

Victor

I have everything I've ever wanted.

Not many people can say that, and I feel exceptionally privileged to be among the lucky few.

I know we said we weren't going to use our journal any more, but earlier tonight as I was packing up for our flight home, I was struck by the feeling that I needed to record one last entry. To be honest, I haven't even thought about our journal in over six months, not since our anniversary trip to Sulani, but I remembered something Yuri said to me during our visit to the islands and I kinda wanted to share my feelings.

He asked me if I'd ever felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be in life. At the time, I’d said no. I told him I wasn't there yet because there were still things I wanted.

The funny part is, I just realized today that I'd misunderstood the question. I thought he'd been talking about tangible, definable things like good health, a nice home, a job, or the support of family. And yeah, maybe that was part of it, but what I think he really meant was something less easy to measure; confidence, self-worth, happiness, and the knowledge that we really do have an impact on the world and the people around us.

I should have said yes. Sitting there on the balcony of our Sulani rental cottage, gazing at the sea with my brave, beautiful, intelligent husband by my side, I could easily have said I had it all. I was happy, secure and loved, and everything seemed perfect. But, unfortunately, I hadn’t viewed the question that way because my mind had been on all the things I still wanted to accomplish, such as going to university, finding a new job, and of course getting back to competing in my sport.

Now I have all those things too, and more besides. If you've got a minute to stay and listen, I'll tell you all about it.

Maybe I should've mentioned from the start that we're currently in Switzerland, 'cause it probably isn't obvious from the inside of this hotel room. Like, it's an upscale hotel, but it's pretty generic as far as hotels go and I don't think there's anything particularly Swiss about it.

We've been here for the past week, for the FIS World Snowboarding Championship, and let me just say, it's been an absolute whirlwind of travel, activity and excitement. Tonight's been the first opportunity I've had to stop and process it all, and I think I'm going to need a while for some of it to fully sink in.

As you guys already know, last season ended catastrophically for me, but it wasn't as epic a disaster as I initially imagined. I was doing really well up until my accident, with top-three finishes in a handful of qualifying competitions. As it turned out, my wins from last season plus my wins from this current season were enough to qualify me for two events at Worlds this year, super-G and my best event, parallel giant slalom. I may have mentioned it before, but the world championship competition for snowboarding is held every second year, so if you’re confused about why last year’s points counted, that’s why.

I was thrilled about qualifying, needless to tell you, and so was Davey, my coach. I've qualified for Worlds twice before, but didn't do as well as I'd hoped on either attempt. This time, I was confident going into it, and I was ready physically as well as psychologically.

That's not to say I wasn't nervous. I think a person would have to be crazy not to be at least a little nervous about hurtling down the side of a mountain at seventy-five kilometres per hour with nothing but a helmet, wrist guards, and the grace of the Watcher to protect them. But, alpine snowboarding isn't a sport for people who don't know how to conquer their fear. Out there on the mountain, fear could literally kill you. Any kind of distraction could, and every time I think about my crash last January I'm reminded of that, and of how lucky I am to be back on my board and still able to compete at this level.

Anyway, seven days ago me and Yuri boarded a plane for Switzerland along with Davey, his partner Lindsey, and their sign language interpreter Kayley. Having travelled with Davey before, I knew what to expect, but I think it was jarring for Yuri. Davey and Lindsey are both super loud, and it's not entirely because they're deaf and can't hear themselves properly. They're just... extreme. Like, they bring the party with them wherever they go and it’s never a quiet affair.

By the time we reached our destination, all Yuri wanted to do was hide in our hotel room. He said he'd had enough of interacting with other people, and told me that he wouldn't mind if I wanted to go hang out with some of the other athletes on my own. I decided to stay with him because my first event was on the following afternoon, and I like to get lots of rest the day before I compete. As much as I enjoy a good social gathering, I didn't want to break my ritual. Athletes can be superstitious, and it'd be silly to try convincing you I'm an exception.

So, you're wondering how I did in that first event, right? I came in third, which earned me a bronze medal. That was the highest I'd ever placed at any event at Worlds, and even if I didn't win anything else, I would've been totally satisfied with that.

But, there was still my second event. In the middle of the week, I made it through the elimination races, and the final for the men's parallel giant slalom was yesterday morning.

I woke up early, too excited and full of adrenaline to sleep as much as I should have. I slipped out of bed and headed for the shower, trying not to wake Yuri as I went. My efforts were in vain, however. I was only in the bathroom for about ten minutes, and when I exited it, I saw a very sleepy-looking Yuri sitting up in bed and talking on the phone to somebody. The second thing I noticed was that he had my phone.

"Yes, I want to tell him, but I'm not sure that's a good idea right before his event," Yuri was saying. He was speaking English. "Maybe we can call you after—"

"Who are you talking to?" I asked.

Yuri looked up, clearly startled. "Oh! Victor, I didn't hear you coming out. It... it's your mother. I'm sorry. I saw the caller ID, and I decided I'd better answer it."

"It's okay," I said. "Can you put it on speaker?"

He lowered the phone from his face and touched the speaker button as I flopped onto the bed next to him. "You're on speaker now, Dr. Grace," he said. "Victor's right here."

"Hi Mom," I said. "What's up? Everything okay? It's like, the literal middle of the night where you are, isn't it?"

"Yes," Mom said. "I think you're five hours ahead of us."

I glanced at the time display on the top of my phone screen. "Mom! It's one-thirty in the morning over there! Why aren't you in bed?"

My mother laughed. "Excuse me, sir. Which one of us is the parent in this relationship?"

"Sorry," I said, but I was relieved she sounded so upbeat. I told myself that her reason for phoning couldn't be anything too bad, or she wouldn't be joking with me. "Seriously, what's up?"

"I checked your mailbox after work today. You got a letter from the university."

"Really? What does it say?"

"I wasn't about to open your mail, was I?" she said. "But, I knew you'd want to know straight away."

"And you waited until it was morning here, so you could tell me as soon as possible?" I met Yuri's gaze. "And you didn't want her to tell me before my event."

"I didn't want you to get distracted," he said. "I thought it'd be better to wait until later."

"I guess I can't get mad about that," I conceded. "I mean, it makes sense, and I'm glad you were looking out for me, but now I'm going to be distracted if I don't know what it says."

"What if it's not good news?" Yuri asked.

"Either way," I said.

"I have the letter," Mom said. "Do you want me to open it and read it to you?"

"Yes, please."

We could hear her opening the envelope. Yuri reached for my hand.

The university's application deadline for the nursing program had been the first of November, and I'd gotten everything submitted on time. According to the admissions website, applications would have one of three decision statuses — rejected, accepted or waitlisted — and decision letters would start going out around the end of March or beginning of April.

Now, here we were at the very end of March, and we'd arrived at the proverbial moment of truth.

"Okay," Mom said. "Are you ready?"

I nodded, mostly because I was too worked up to speak, and Yuri said, "He's ready."

"Dear Mr. Okamoto-Nelson," my mom read. "After a careful review of your application, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Bachelor of Nursing program. We will be pleased to welcome you as a new student in the fall semester."

There was more, but I didn't take in anything after the first couple sentences. Yuri flung himself into my arms with a little cry of joy, and we nearly rolled off the bed in our excitement. Poor Mom was trying to explain something about registration fees and student health insurance, but we weren't paying attention.

When we finally composed ourselves, I apologized and asked Mom to keep the letter for me until we got home. I knew there would be things to do and deadlines to have them done by, but at that moment, the competition was priority one. I couldn't lose sight of why I was here in the mountains of Switzerland. As overjoyed as I was about the news that I'd gotten accepted into nursing school, I couldn't let it take my focus away from what I was doing today, not so much because I wanted to win, but because of what I said before. Distractions can be deadly.

"I'll let you go for now," Mom said. "You can call me later and let me know how the competition went."

"We'll definitely call you," I said.

"I'll be looking forward to it. Good luck, and be safe."

I thanked her, and then we said goodbye and hung up. It took me a while to calm down after that, and Yuri had to help me do some concentration exercises.

Once I sorted myself out and we were both dressed and ready, we met Davey, Lindsey and Kayley for breakfast. After that, Yuri and I went back to our room to collect Elsa and the rest of my gear, and then we all headed to the venue.

When we got there, I tried not to look around too much, but it was hard to ignore the huge crowd that had already gathered to watch the competition. We hadn't even started yet, and people were already cheering, using noisemakers, and waving flags of various countries. I think the flags were mostly Swiss, but I spotted lots of others. There were even a few Canadian red maple leaves among them.

It was obvious that even with the help of his hearing aids, Davey was struggling to hear amid the ambient noise from so many people. I was the one competing, but he looked extraordinarily stressed. I was sure it was the confusing jumble of sounds that was upsetting him more than thoughts of the competition though, and I couldn't help wondering how he coped with it when he was still a competitor himself.

I soon found out. Lindsey poked him to get his attention, and then signed something to him. He grinned at her before deftly tugging his hearing aids out and putting them in the front pocket of his coat.

He gave us the thumbs-up, and then practically yelled, "Yes! Sweet silence!"

I lost it.

Laughter did the trick. I instantly felt more relaxed, and although I knew Davey hadn't been trying to be funny on purpose, I still offered him one of the few ASL signs I know. "Thank you."

He signed something to Kayley, and she told me, "He says you're welcome, and also he's going to leave his hearing aids in his pocket. I'll come up to the top of the run to help you." She paused while Davey signed something else. "Because he wants to give you the best damn pep talk ever."

"Sounds good," I said, and when Kayley interpreted that for Davey, it was his turn to laugh.

"Okay, my dude, let's get up there!" he said loudly. "You're gonna crush it!"

"Here's hoping," I said.

I turned to Yuri, and just like at every competition he attends with me, he put my helmet on me. He stood on tiptoe to give me a kiss, and then while our heads were still close together, he whispered. "I love you."

My heart was full with that simple phrase all the way up the mountain, but at the top of the run, it was a different story. I don't know if you've ever heard athletes or performers talk about being in the zone, but it's like this intense state of hyper-focus where nothing exists except the task in front of you. I don't experience it every single time I compete, but most of the time I do, and this morning I was totally in the zone.

I was in the middle of the start order, and there were about eight riders ahead of me. When it was my turn, there was nothing in my mind except the mountain and the snow and the course of red and blue flags stretching out in front of me. I was aware of every muscle in my body and every breath and each beat of my heart. I snapped my boots into Elsa's bindings, and waited for the starting buzzer.

I barely remember the run itself. All I know is, it was fast. Elsa and I were flying, and it felt glorious.

I didn't even realize I'd won until Davey found me later at the bottom of the run. He was screaming in my face about a record-breaking time, and I honestly wasn't sure if he was talking about me or somebody else.

In fact, the reality of my victory didn't truly hit me until the event was over, and Davey was dragging me towards the area where the medal presentation was taking place. They presented the bronze medal to a Swiss rider, and the hometown crowd cheered their hearts out for him, so much so that we could barely hear the recorded national anthem playing as the FIS official placed the medal around his neck. A Norwegian guy won silver, and he got a pretty healthy cheer from the supporters too.

Then, over the slightly crackly public address system, I heard. "And now, the presentation of the gold medal. Please congratulate your FIS World Champion in men's parallel giant slalom. Representing Canada... Victor Okamoto-Nelson!"

For a second or two, I didn't move. Davey nudged my shoulder and urged me forward with a not-so-subtle, "Dude, go!"

I was simultaneously crying and smiling when the official put the medal around my neck. As O Canada played on the speakers, I searched the crowd for Yuri. He was right there in front with Lindsey beside him, and they were holding up a huge Canadian flag between them. I have no idea where they’d gotten it from, but the sight of it and Yuri's brilliant smile ensured that the happy tears didn't stop running down my face until well after the anthem finished playing.

The only way I can describe it is: Best. Day. Ever.

As I was putting my stuff in my suitcase this evening, I kept glancing over at my medals on the nightstand. They were going in mine and Yuri's shared carry-on bag, and I wanted them to be the last things I packed. Not gonna lie, I was tempted to leave them there on the bedside table until morning so I could see them when I woke up, but I ultimately decided not to do that. There'd be plenty of time to admire them when we got home.

After I finished packing, I picked Elsa up from the floor and placed her on the bed. Yuri never used to like it when I put my snowboard on the furniture, especially the bed, but he seemed to change his mind about it after my accident last year. I lay down next to my board and rested my hand on her. Her smooth surface was cool against my palm, and her bright blue and yellow paint job stood out in contrast against the muted beige of the hotel bed's duvet.

"We did it, Elsa," I said aloud. "Sometimes dreams really do come true."

That's how Yuri found me several minutes later when he'd finished enjoying his bath, lying curled on my side and idly stroking my snowboard. I must've looked ridiculous, but he didn't say anything about it. He just climbed onto the enormous bed with me. Wrapped in one of the hotel's luxurious bathrobes and smelling of chocolate from the fancy hotel shampoo, his presence was warm and sweet.

He cuddled against my back and slid an arm over me, trying to be the big spoon despite his tiny size. His voice was soft, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," I said. "Just thinking."

"Anything you want to share?"

"I'm going to nursing school."

"You are," he agreed.

"I won a gold medal. A World Championship gold medal."

"You did," he acknowledged. "And a bronze one."

"Yeah." I closed my eyes and let myself soak in the comforting feeling of his little body pressed close to mine. "You know what's weird?"

"What?" he said.

"I'm happy about it and I'm proud of myself, but like... I don't know if it's the medals that're important, or something else."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You wanted to know what I was thinking about," I said. "I was thinking about Sulani, and how you asked me if I ever had the feeling of having everything I ever wanted."

"I remember."

"I said I didn't, but I think I missed the point of what you were asking."

"Oh?"

"You weren't talking about things, were you? Like going on a trip or getting accepted at university or winning a medal."

"No, I suppose I wasn't," he said. "It was more abstract than that."

"I get it now," I said. "It's not about doing stuff or getting something. It really is more abstract than that. It's like, being satisfied with where you are and with what you've accomplished so far, and just... being content with your life and the way the people around you make you feel."

"Yes," he said. "That's what I meant. I felt that in Sulani. I feel it right this minute."

"Me too," I said. "I felt that way in Sulani too. I'm sorry I didn't understand."

"It's all right," he said. "I'm glad you understand now."

I do get it now, and maybe it's gonna sound strange to say that it took me winning the most important competition of my athletic career to figure it out, but there it is. I'm thrilled about the medals and I can't wait to show them off, but they're not what I value the most. My biggest source of pride is in the fact that I battled my way back from one of the lowest points in my existence to make it to this place. Last January, I thought life as I'd known it was over. For a while, I lost sight of everything; my goals, my hopes and dreams, and even my will to go on. Yet here I am today, a world champion.

A world champion.

And I couldn't have done it without Yuri or my mom and Julian. I couldn't have done it without Sakura, Davey, and all the other friends and family members who love and support me and who never gave up on me. I'm a champion thanks to them, but more importantly I'm happy and I know that I'm valued, safe and loved.

So yeah... I have it all, and I know I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.

#writing #victorsworldadventures #victor nelson #yuri okamoto #stargazersims

[epicstuckyficrecs]

Weekly Recap | May 9th-15th 2022

That was a good week! :) 

Complete

💙 You Know I Live for the Hustle by Bittersweet_in_Boston (Modern AU, Flight Attendant Bucky, CEO Steve | 3,5K | Explicit): He’s coming back down the aisle a few minutes later, calling over his shoulder to Nat, when he turns his head just in time to avoid bumping into 3C, who’s standing there, looking at Bucky intensely but maybe also a little uncertainly. Bucky stops and looks up into 3C’s face. He has to physically restrain himself from swallowing hard, because 3C is a Specimen of the Highest Order. Tall, a few inches taller than Bucky’s six feet, dressed in head-to-toe Tom Ford business casual with dark blond hair sweeping across his forehead and curling at his very expensive shirt collar, piercing blue eyes, full lips, and a neatly trimmed, well-cared-for beard.Further investigation reveals glints of silver in both hair and beard, and now Bucky really needs to go lie down. Instead, he raises his eyebrows as if to say, Well? (Part 1 of Live for the Hustle)

💙 Get a Little More Close to Me by Bittersweet_in_Boston (Modern AU, Flight Attendant Bucky, CEO Steve | 13K | Explicit): “Bucky. I’m so glad you decided to join me.” Steve stands up at his primo table in the middle of the Water Library’s main dining room to greet Bucky. He looks even better than he did on the flight, in a lightweight silk-wool suit in royal blue and a crisp bright white button up with the top three buttons open. Bucky very purposely doesn’t peek to see if any chest hair is showing because he’s having enough trouble holding it together as it is. (Part 2 of Live for the Hustle)

💙 There’s a place I want to take you, where the unknown will surround you by Bittersweet_in_Boston (Regency AU | 8K | Explicit): …in which James Barnes of Winterbourn in Derbyshire meets Steven Rogers, a retired army commander and the new master of neighboring Topsfield Hall, and they develop an unlikely and all-consuming…friendship. (Part 1 of The RegencyVerse)

💙 And in between it’s never as it seems by Bittersweet_in_Boston (Regency AU | 12K | Explicit): …in which James Barnes of Winterbourn in Derbyshire and retired Army commander Steven Rogers take their friendship to the next level, but must contend with much more than societal disapproval to be together. (Part 2 of The RegencyVerse)

💙 September 1, 1969 by BeaArthurPendragon (1970′s AU, Vietnam Vets Bucky&Steve | 7K | Explicit): Last year, Buck Barnes came home from Vietnam with a bad back and a prosthetic arm named Roz--and with nothing left to lose, he let the GI Bill take him to college as far away from his closeted life in Indiana as possible: New York City. When a gorgeous blond square looking lost as a lamb walks into the gay bar where he works on the weekends, he’s only thinking about tonight. He never expected to find himself wishing for a tomorrow, too.Lots of feelings with some porn. (Part 1 of I'll Light Your Way Home)

💙 Sugar by BeaArthurPendragon/ @beaarthurpendragon​ (1970′s AU, Vietnam Vets Bucky&Steve | 2K | Explicit): It’s been two months since a couple of lost Vietnam vets found each other one night in a Hell’s Kitchen gay bar. One sleepy Sunday morning, they start to realize that what they have could become something more. (Part 2 of I'll Light Your Way Home)

💙 Polaris by Becassine/ @becassine​ (Canon | 9K | Teen): Sarah Rogers always said that they were written in the stars. Bucky thinks that perhaps she was right.

💙 Here and Where You Are by crinklefries/ @spacerenegades​ (Time Travel | 29K | Mature): In his first life, Bucky Barnes never gets his happy ending. This changes everything, so he has to try, and try again.

Bucky's Club by buckybarnesdeservestobehappy (hutchabelle) (Bucky & Alpine | < 1K | General): Bucky goes on a quest for the best sandwich in Brooklyn and shares it with Alpine.

#stucky #stucky fic #stucky fanfic #stucky fanfiction #stucky fic rec #Weekly Recap

[hiccanna-tidbits]

@jackunzel-time

Jackunzel Month Bonus Week Day 4 - Winter Sun

***

To her surprise, the outdoorsy, spirited Rapunzel discovers there’s no better hiking companion than a mischievous winter spirit with natural cold resistance.

She meets him on a chilly morning, scaling a snowy mountain trail. Relieved to finally be out from under her mother’s thumb, the young woman has vowed to see as much of the world as possible and explore all the places her mother kept from her. A 3-page-long list of hiking trails she needs to hit before she dies seems a good place to start.

Everyone in the little alpine village she’s staying in keeps telling her it’s too cold to hike. She’ll get frostbite--or worse, she’ll become another frozen body off the trail, staring lifelessly out of a block of ice until the pumas devour her thawed form come spring.

Perhaps she should listen, but after 18 years of “Mother knows best,” Rapunzel is a little tired of letting others tell her what she should and shouldn’t do.

And so she sets off just after sunrise, leaving her cabin behind and embarking on a trek through a wintry forest. Never let it be said that she isn’t prepared. She’s wearing her best snow boots, layer upon layer of sweaters and jackets, and a backpack stuffed with thermoses full of hot chocolate and cider--in addition, of course, to enough trail snacks to last her upwards of a week, if she happens to get stranded. A little nip in the air is nothing she can’t handle.

She’s unprepared for how beautiful everything is. The fresh snow sparkles and glitters in the December sunshine, smooth puffs of it turning every tree and fallen log into a frosted pastry. Everything has a blue and gold sheen, light and shadows painting the world in subtly tinted brush strokes.

Rapunzel finds herself wishing she brought her sketchbook. Alas--she had to remove it to make room for more grocery store cheese-and-cracker and hummus-and-pita-chip packs, as well as only the most high quality of Lunchables.

All she knows for sure is that the forest feels magical, the scenery far too gorgeous for it to have all ended up this way by happenstance. It feels as though someone lovingly airbrushed it into this work of art, putting every bit of effort possible into making it the best it could be.

She passes over frozen stream after frozen stream, all the ice gleaming and reflective like new glass. She can hear the faint gurgling of water underneath, taking it in as her gloved hand slides across the bridge railing.

On one bridge, she has an unexpected encounter.

There’s a boy perched on the railing, straddling it with the kind of nonchalance indicating he’s not at all bothered by the prospect of topping onto the thin ice. Clad in a blue hoodie and about her age, it’s strange that his hair is a white to rival the snow--a white that doesn’t look dyed in.

He grins at her, and it’s so radiant it doesn’t seem human.

“Do you live here?”

The question feels stupid as soon as she says it. He’s probably just a fellow hiker who’s really good at covering up undyed roots and likes to live on the wild side--flippantly risking hypothermia, for instance.

“I live wherever I want, blondie.” He springs off the railing and floats in the air for a second before landing on the bridge. Perhaps she’d been right after all, assuming he wasn’t human.

Snowflakes spring from his fingers and swirl into a cloud around her. She smiles as she realizes something.

“Did you do all this?”

“You know it.” He smirks. “Glad someone appreciates my handiwork.”

“I knew there was someone behind it!” She gives a little joyous hop, delighted she’s not going insane and attributing natural phenomena to a nonexistent supernatural. “It’s amazing.”

“It’s all in a day’s work.” He summons another cloud of snowflakes, casually flicking them to the side. “Easy stuff, really.”

Rapunzel laughs. “Oh, don’t sell yourself short. It looks like you worked hard.”

“Only a little.” He shrugs, still trying to look unconcerned. “But hey...I don’t usually see hikers out this time of year. What’s the occasion for braving the cold?”

“I love winter. I don’t care what anyone else says--it’s gorgeous to me.”

The boy--some kind of ice spirit, she’s guessing--looks genuinely touched.

“I’m going all the way to the end of the trail,” she adds. “I brought enough snacks to last the day. Do you...want to come with?” She laughs nervously. “It’s just that I’ve never met someone who can make it snow before.”

Rapunzel wonders briefly if the spirit boy is some kind of cold-induced hallucination. If he is, so be it, she decides. He’s a fun one, and she can enjoy him a little longer.

When he accepts her invitation and they spend the next several hours chatting and joking and pelting snowballs at one another, she concludes he’s probably real.

And this is how Jack Frost comes to join her on her chilly excursions, floating along beside her and sending any cold winds in the other direction. There’s no limit to the boy’s stamina, it seems, and no subzero temperatures are too much for someone who can frost anything with a mere touch.

A couple times, Jack saves her from her own poor planning. He flies her to the front of trails when it looks like a snowstorm is brewing, and he makes ice domes to keep her sheltered and warm when dusk sneaks up on them and she’s too far out to safely return home.

He takes on the role of a guardian of sorts. Using winter to protect her from the winter, in a twist of irony.

Rapunzel never realized how lonely she was until she didn’t have to be anymore. How much she craved company and good cheer from someone who cared about her unconditionally.

Not like Mother, who only loved her when she did exactly as the hard-faced woman wished.

Come spring, Rapunzel worries Jack will fade away. Go back to wherever the snow and frost and ice are kept in the warmer months. But, miraculously, he finds a way to stay.

He stays for her. He promises to stick around, come what may, and despite any worries about being annoying or overemotional or too much that she may have.

And so she becomes the woman famed for both her frigid and her sweltering nature treks, braving triple-digit and sub-zero temperatures alike and somehow always coming back unscathed. Rapunzel never stops appreciating how lucky she is.

Few get to have a winter spirit as a hiking partner, after all.

OOP, not another what-was-supposed-to-be-a-short-drabble that I got...a little carried away on XD

Anyways, I feel like in a modern AU, Jack and Punz would be that slightly-unhinged Crazy Hiking Couple. Like they tell their friends “Okay, we’re heading off the grid to go backpacking in a place with 0 phone signal for a week!!! Don’t worry about us unless we’ve been MIA for more than a month, kay???” And their friends are like “Mmmmkay no worries” but they be worrying. They be worrying SO hard. Because with Jack and Rapunzel there’s no way to tell if they’re actually in trouble or if they just got Carried Away while out in nature and like. Forgot to tell their loved ones they’re still alive akkahdosygf

I just really want these two to be hiking partners. Like in any possible context. I just want them to explore the wilderness together so bad. They would definitely enjoy it and they would definitely do something very dumb (like eat berries that look delicious but they’re only like 80% sure they’re not poisonous OR try to pet a bear. Probably the bear thing who am I kidding), but honestly??? We all gotta be a little dumb sometimes. As a treat!!!

This was probably one of my favorite bonus Jackunzel month moodboards to make, because snowy forests are just so!!! Snow on pine trees is just so!!! There were so many good “winter sun” aesthetics with the sun shining on snow and winter forests and whatnot that it was actually kind of hard to pick which ones to use D: I’m pretty pleased with that I ended up going with, though--I ended up getting kind of an ice-blue-and-gold aesthetic, which is very Jackunzel!!! Just a couple winter-loving kids in their colors <3

Pic credits available upon request!

#jackunzel #jackunzelmonth #jackunzelmonth22 #jack x rapunzel #rapunzel x jack #aesthetic #moodboard #jackxrapunzel #rapunzelxjack #jack frost #rapunzel #rotbtd #rise of the brave tangled dragons #the big four #rotg #rise of the guardians #tangled #crossover

[piratewithvigor]

Journey Out Of Darkness: The History Of Kane

Chapter 12: Blondie

First person to make the connection between the gif and the chapter gets a shiny gold star

Last Chapter ~ AO3

Taglist: @the--blackdahlia @coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe @wendigoruble @old-no7 @kayfabebabe

With Margaret having gone back to her room and Red outside, Abel spent the morning with Mrs. Hill. She was working on mopping the kitchen and told him he could either go and find something to occupy himself with or sit on the counter until the floor had dried. She knew his feet weren’t muddy, but young boys had a habit of tracking around dirt if they just thought of the word. Abel was the closest to laughing he’d gotten since arriving at the ranch as he climbed up onto the counter.

It seemed like Mrs. Hill didn’t get as much company as she’d like, judging by the way she began talking. Abel couldn’t say he blamed her; it had to be kind of lonely working in the house while everyone else was outside. 

She talked a little about herself– she’d been working to keep this house organized for the last twenty-eight years (twenty-nine, come next month), she had a husband who lived in Alpine and had raised two sons who’d gone and grown up since she started. She took Sunday off between lunch and dinner for smoothies and darts with her friends and requested kindly that if Abel should intend to make a large mess that he wait to do it until she got back so nothing could stain. She liked baking, but besides muffins in the morning, nobody in the house had much of a sweet tooth, so he should feel free to request cookies or cakes whenever he wanted. She arrived at six every morning and breakfast was an hour later. If he was home from school, lunch could be whenever he wanted it, and dinner was at six o’clock sharp. Any time he was hungry in between, there was a loaf of bread in the breadbox, a pat of butter under the dome and a bowl of fruit on the table. Abel felt that was fair. 

She moved on to the rest of the household as she worked on the baseboards. Red liked to read, he did not like to watch TV; they only got one a few years ago and he kept it in a separate room at the other end of the house, and refused to get an antenna, so the reception was terrible anyway. Lucas was new to the ranch and didn’t talk much about anything personal besides his hatred of someone named Flair, but Deke and Tony had been around forever. They were good men and on and on like that while she worked. What struck Abel once he’d been given permission to climb off the counter and cross the dried floor was that she didn’t mention Margaret. Not one word.

Which he decided told him something in and of itself.

When the mopping was through, she began preparing lunch. Even though she didn’t call any of the men when it was ready, they seemed to be called by the sandwiches. There wasn’t much special about them; just bologna like his Ma used to make for his lunches, but they tasted special in the same way. The kind of special when someone looking after you makes you food. He knew Mrs. Hill wasn’t his new mom, or even really a mother figure, but she was doing a far better job of making him feel welcome than Margaret was.

Once lunch was through, Red helped Abel into the front seat of his pickup truck and took him into Alpine. The boots being sold there weren’t necessarily of the highest quality, but they would serve his purposes until Abel decided whether or not he really liked riding. If he did, they could make a stop on the next trip up to El Paso and go to the Tony Lama factory store. Go see his friend Jaime and get him some ‘real boots’. Abel decided that sounded good to him. 

Back on the ranch, Red helped him get the boots on and took him for a wider stroll around the main buildings. “Break in the boots,” he said. “Make sure they don’t hurt your feet when you wear them for a good few hours.” With the time the stroll gave them, Red explained some things about ranching. What some of the machines did to make the animals happier and make the ranchers’ jobs easier. He told about the work that used to have to be done before those machines were invented. Even just a week ago, the lecture would have probably bored Abel to tears, especially when his feet were a little sore from breaking in boots, but somehow, Red made it fascinating. He loved what he did, that much was clear.

His love didn’t seem to be quite as apparent when talking about Margaret. When they went inside for dinner, Mrs. Hill mentioned she hadn’t been out of her room since breakfast. The news made a darker look cross Red’s face. The kind of look that told Abel there’d be fighting again that night.

It set in around midnight and lasted for an hour.

–

The riding lesson happened the next day.

When Abel went downstairs for breakfast, the table was full. Of food and of people in good moods. Even Margaret. Maybe she’d just needed a few days to adjust and this was what she was really like. Abel really hoped so.

As the occupants of the table parted ways to go about their own work, Margaret led Abel out to the corral, where there was a dark brown horse with patches of white standing in the middle. It was nowhere as big as Margaret’s horse, but seemed a lot more calm as well. 

“Red and I thought we’d try you on Blondie this morning,” Margaret said. “He’s very well-behaved, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“He looks like a good horse,” Abel nodded, trying to calm his nerves. He wasn’t scared of Blondie, but more of Margaret if he did anything less than perfect. 

“As long as you treat him right. That’s the first rule of working with animals– treat them right, and they’ll love you forever. But if you’re mean to them or scare them, they’ll be afraid and a scared animal is one that can cause injuries, to itself and to you.”

She stepped up next to Blondie and patted him on the muzzle gently. Blondie snorted softly and pressed into her hand. 

Margaret turned to Abel and looked him over long and hard. “You know better than to be rough with an animal, right?”

“Much better, ma’am.”

“Good. Just trying to figure out what you know. So much of working with animals feels like common sense to me at this point, but I have to remember you’ve never done it before. Now come over here. Stand here, next to me. What side of the horse are we on?”

“The left side.”

“That’s correct. The left side. It’s always, always the side you mount from. Mount means get on.”

“Yeah.” That seemed pretty obvious, but Abel had to assume she was just being extra thorough. She obviously held a lot of affection for horses and wouldn’t want any of them to get injured just because she assumed he knew something. But the meaning of mount seemed pretty obvious…

“Now. To get on” – she nudged him out of the way with her shoulder– “you put your left foot into the left stirrup” – she put her foot into the little handle hanging down off the side of the saddle– “grab onto the horn of the saddle with your left hand” –at which point she grabbed onto the big knob at the front of the saddle– “swing yourself up and there you are.” The horse hadn’t seemed quite so tall until Margaret was sitting on his back. “Simple, right?”

Sure. Simple. That was one word for it. All her actions made sense, but there was one thing Margaret hadn’t really thought up. The handle on the side, the stirrup, was just a smidgen higher than Abel was confident he could lift his leg. He wasn’t short by any means, but he definitely wasn’t tall. Not like Thomas. Thomas would probably be able to do this with no problem. He’d probably be able to get on the horse and start riding like a real cowboy right away. He was always good at figuring out this kind of stuff on his first try.

“Would you like to try it?”

“Okay.”

She climbed down off the saddle in what seemed to be the exact process reversed and handed him the reins.

“Here you are. Now, the reins, you keep in your hands while mounting. Whichever you feel you can better mount with. Once you’re up, you always hold in your non-dominant hand so you can use your dominant hand for other things. Opening gates, usually, but maybe holding a whip when you get a little older so you can help us round up the animals.”

He sort of hoped the whip she meant was different than the kind that came to mind. He wanted to help out on the farm, but the idea of whipping the animals didn’t sit quite right.

“There’s a special kind of grip for reins so they’re harder to drop. You need to pass them through your fingers like this” –she pulled them through the fingers of his hand and closed his thumb around them– “then when you want the horse to move, you give a little tug. That’s all, just a little one. They’re attached, see, to the bit in his mouth and if you pull too hard, he could get hurt. And what’s the first rule of riding horses?”

“Always mount from the left side.”

“No. We don’t hurt them. That’s the first rule.”

“Okay.”

“So you tug gently to make him move. If you want to turn, you lay the reins on the side of the neck opposite to the direction you want him to go. So to turn him left, you lay the reins on the right side of the neck. Understand?”

No. There was so much information and Margaret seemed so annoyed to be saying each word to him. He had to try and understand it all, since if he didn’t, he could hurt the horse and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt someone, especially someone who depended on him to know what he was doing and the stirrups were too high and the reins couldn’t be tugged too hard but what was too hard and what wasn’t hard enough and was he going to have to whip animals he didn’t want to whip animals he didn’t want to do any of this but he didn’t want to get sent back to the home so he was going to have to make Margaret like him but she didn’t like him and he didn’t know why and–

“I think so.”

“Abel, you can’t ‘think’ so. You have to be sure. Now– what part of what I said don’t you understand?”

All of it. “About the reins.”

“What about the reins?”

“How you turn him.”

“How you use the reins to turn the horse?”

“Yes.”

“It’s very simple,” Margaret said, the edge in her voice so much louder than it had been when they first went out. All he wanted to do was forget about the lesson and go back inside. Everyone would be better off for it, especially Blondie, but he couldn’t do that. “Reins on the right side of the neck, horse turns left. Reins on the left, horse turns right. Got it?”

“Yes. Thank you.” Anything to get this over with.

“You’re welcome.” She sighed. “Abel, you’re really going to have to pay attention, okay?”

“I will.”

“Because this is my valuable riding time, and it’s not polite to waste people’s time.”

“I don’t mean to waste your time, ma’am, I’m sorry.”

“Good. All right now, grab hold of the horn and step up.”

Which went about as well as expected. He couldn’t reach the horn. Or the stirrup. Margaret must have been familiar with the problem, given how quickly she just boosted him up herself. Abel felt like he really truly could have done without that sensation. The only thing more unpleasant was the realization that he was going to have to get down again.

“Your legs are too short to reach the stirrups. Get down so I can adjust them,” Margaret said, glaring at him like it was his fault. Abel debated for a moment whether or not to tell her about how there used to be a family joke of how Thomas got all the height out of the two of them, but his train of thought was interrupted.

“Abel, no! You always dismount to the left, remember? Now please pay attention.”

“But you didn’t say that before.”

“I know I did, don’t contradict me.” She started tightening the stirrups. “It’s bad manners for a child to contradict an adult.”

That frustrated him. When adults thought they knew best just because they were older. He didn’t say so, though. Just kept quiet and walked around the horse to join her so he could try again.

“Stop!”

He froze in his tracks.

“Never walk behind a horse, Abel. It’s very dangerous.”

His head was starting to spin and his chest was feeling tight. If it was dangerous, why hadn’t she told him so yet? What else was dangerous that he didn’t know yet?

He reversed his direction and came around the front, squeezing his fingers into his palm and unclenching them over and over. It kept his chest from getting any tighter.

“I’m sorry for yelling. I just didn’t want you to get hurt.” She smiled tightly, and finished tightening the stirrups. “Alright, that should do it.”

She got him back into the saddle, which was much easier with the stirrups lower, and proceeded to spend the next five minutes lecturing him about posture, about sitting tall, keeping his heels down, stacking his body, keeping his ears over his shoulders, shoulders over hips, hips over heels, heels down, and on and on. 

He was barely aware of anything going on around him anymore by the time Margaret stopped Blondie. He’d been riding around the ring, but didn’t remember a moment of it.

“Well, there’s a lot of work to do, but the important thing is that you enjoyed it. You did enjoy it, right?”

“Oh, yes,” he said, using just about the last of his energy to say so. “I enjoyed it a lot.”

“Good.” She stared at him expectantly. “Well…”

“Well…” He couldn’t think of what the ‘well’ was for. “Well, I would like to do it again?”

“Abel… what do you say after someone does something nice for you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I think we had a good time.” She took the reins and started leading Blondie back towards the stables. “You just have to apply yourself a little more, Abel. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

Abel leaned against the wooden beams that made up the fence around the ring, his heart feeling like it was echoing through each and every plank. If every lesson was going to be like that one, he had his doubts.

#Journey Out Of Darkness #Kane #WWE #WWF #so up until now we've covered about 6 months of Abel's life #and we've gotten through 89 pages of the book #I intend to go up to page 196 before I start completely rewriting it #and the following 110 pages cover 10 years #so either action is gonna pick up really fucking fast or I'm gonna be doing a ton of original content #stuff ol Mikey never even thought of #he was too busy coming up with OCs #god this man loves OCs #he also loves 'and he never saw him again' and then bringing them back #it really and truly is not that good of a book

[f1]

Ricciardo 'felt good' on first race back after finishing 13th in 'strong showing' at Hungarian GP

Daniel Ricciardo says “he felt good in the car” as he marked his full-time return to the grid with AlphaTauri by finishing 13th at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix – as he also revealed his mindset after being involved in a series of collisions on the opening lap. After half a season on the sidelines serving as the reserve driver for Red Bull, Ricciardo was announced to be driving for AlphaTauri for the rest of the season, starting in Hungary. And he lined up in 13th ahead of his first race since November 20, 2022, in Abu Dhabi. MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: No points but plenty of positives from Ricciardo's first race back However, as he made his way down to Turn 1, he was hit in the rear by the Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu. This sent Ricciardo into the back of his former team mate Esteban Ocon, knocking the French driver and his fellow Alpine driver, Pierre Gasly, out of the race. Reflecting on the incident, Ricciardo said: “It was a welcome back. I feel like it’s probably like your first NFL game, someone is going to put a big tackle on you to welcome you to the sport. So, I guess it was a version of that. “Obviously, that was disappointing to just be out of position from the start, with that incident. As soon as I got hit, obviously I knew I was pretty much going to go to the end of the field, the tail. I was immediately obviously disappointed. This feature is currently not available because you need to provide consent to functional cookies. Please update your cookie preferences 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix: Nightmare start for Alpine as Ocon and Gasly DNF after contact on Lap 1 “But the next thought was please don’t have damage. I need to do this race; I need to learn this car. For myself as well, just keep learning and physically, just to do a race distance.” Examining the rest of his Sunday afternoon, Ricciardo continued: “Fortunately, the damage was really minor, and I could get on with it. After that, we made a good race. I’d say it was pretty much impossible from the tail of the field to get anywhere inside the points. READ MORE: Emotional Horner says beating McLaren’s long-standing victory record means ‘so much’ to Red Bull “But I think we still put on a strong showing. I felt good. I felt good in the car and that was something that was certainly a question mark, not doing it for eight months, especially around here it’s a tough track. So, other than Lap 1, Turn 1, a good day.” AlphaTauri are currently at the bottom of the constructors’ standings, having scored just two points so far this year. When asked whether he feels he can work with their race car for the rest of the season, Ricciardo replied: “I felt good in it.” Tsunoda was happy with his performance in Budapest despite finishing 15th He continued: “Obviously, we are operating at a little lower level of grip than the front cars. It feels relatively balanced, I just think we need to try and find some overall downforce. “And try to keep chipping away at it. It’s my first weekend, I’ll keep learning as well as we go, but try to also give the team as much feedback as I can.” FACTS AND STATS: Red Bull records aplenty as champions take 250th podium Team mate Yuki Tsunoda finished 15th after starting the race from 17th. Reflecting on his Sunday in Budapest, the Japanese driver said: “We chose to start the race on the soft compound tyre today to gain as many positions as possible early in the race. “The start was good, and I managed to make up quite a few places, so I’m happy with my performance. I had pace and was managing my tyres well today, especially on the soft compound, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out, so together with the team we’ll look at it. It’s a shame because the pace was there.” via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

#F1 #Ricciardo 'felt good' on first race back after finishing 13th in 'strong showing' at Hungarian GP #Formula 1

[historicfailure]

I wish you would write a fic where a member of Team 7 (not necessarily Kakashi LOL) is inserted into a small but happy memory that you have. :)

Well well well that is an interesting one ^^

I can easily see myself going for a hike with Naruto. One second...

~ X ~

"Hey, we're nearly there!"

I sure hope we are. Panting and with trembling legs, I take another shaky step. Before my trip to New Zealand, I wasn't too keen on hikes and outdoor wandering. Hell, I considered a long, relaxing afternoon with a good book a great trip. Only over the last few months, I appreciated the fresh air, breath-taking landscape and all the exercise I went through. By now, I was able to go through easy hikes, but this one was definitely a bit more than you could chew off.

Waking up at five to catch the bus. Shaking Naruto out of his bed to be on time. Helping him pack his backpack for the trip with lots of water and small, nutritious snacks. Pushing him away when he fell asleep against your shoulder on the bus and wiping away some of his drool with a little exasperated sigh. Then getting thrown out an hour away from the very base of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and making your way up. And up. And up, further and further.

By now, the peak of the Crossing really was only a few steps away. Naruto had ran up ahead, excitedly pointing and cheering you on. "Come on! We're so close! Damn, I can look so far, believe it!"

Just another few steps. I took a deep breath, kicked myself mentally in the butt and followed him. Fuck, at least after the peak, it could only go downwards, quite literally.

All thoughts were wiped from your mind though as you really reached the peak of the Alpine Crossing and were able to look around the surrounding land.

~ X ~

Seriously, doing this hiking tour is probably one of my little happy memories I will remember forever. It was a wonderful experience and one I don't want to miss.

Thank you so much for your lovely ask! :D

#ask answered #ask anon #ask games

[harryhamlyn]

Singapore GP 2023

Finally a break from the monotonous max fest of the season. Big respect for Liam Lawson who managed to squeak past max and knock him out in Q2. Although this didn’t count max out of win contention completely, we recall what happened in Jeddah? And Hungary 2022?

As a max fan, I did want this reign of terror to last for quite a while longer, because whilst it is boring now it is the stuff of history and will help Verstappens case as the best driver of all time when he retires, something I would love to see. Despite this it has made the season rather bland and I don’t think many people can disagree. Congratulations to max and red bull anyway.

Onto the race, and I think it is unfair to pin Sainz’s win on a red bull failing. He was excellent; composed, quick and clever wins the race. Ferrari are looking good for the future with engine and communications problems seeming ever less frequent. I stand by my prediction that they will surpass Mercedes in the constructors championship.

As for Mercedes, they have turned around their season and now sit 2nd in the standings and rightfully so. Hamilton clearly wants to race for a few seasons more, and Russel is only getting started, I think him Charles and Lando will be by far maxes biggest threat in the next few years.

Can’t not talk about George Russel in this GP, though. He looked nailed on for third when in the final lap he stuffed it and was sent into the barriers. This is not a small matter, as the points he has lost in this race could be crucial in the P2 battle with Ferrari, which if lost will provide Mercedes with less funding and success for the next season.

Shame for ocon in this GP, he looked electric and very experienced, getting the better of many opponents. It does look bright for alpine still, with a respectable P8 finish for Pierre Gasly showing the ability of that car. I wonder what is next for Gasly, there could be a potential big move for him but he would have to impress in the coming years, perhaps he could fill the vacant red bull seat once Perez leaves, which might be very exiting.

Norris was quietly excellent in this race, he has really picked it up towards the end of this season, although the first half let him down terribly. I hope McLaren can soon return to their former heights and take him with them, he could be the figurehead of one of the most incredibly title charges ever.

Overall, I chose to talk on this race because it didn’t involve Verstappen dominance. Finally a break from the same result after months of formula one, and it did bring us a very good race.

[engbergeurovacay23]

A Saturday Hike in the Austrian Alps, in Ramsau am Dachstein

So, I am sure you've heard or seen the stereotypes of Austrian alpine people (such as in the famous Price Is Right "Cliffhanger" game--though I think that is actually depicting a Swiss Alps fellow, climbing): they are good at hiking, they live in scenic surroundings, and they care for sheep and cows who wear bells as they graze in gorgeous alpine meadows. Well, I can tell you, these things all appear to be true ;) We went on a "kinder" hike, with tons of signage and interactive curiosities along the trail and huge alligator statues (the mascot for this area, confusingly) and instructions that you can take your baby buggy on the trail -- but, let me mention, the trail was still pretty hard-core! We went 3.2 miles and there were all manner of people on the trail, many with hiking poles, but of all ages and sizes. Taking a stroller on the trail I just cannot imagine, since it was a steep ascent, with lots of stones and tree roots. But, maybe for the average Austrian family, this kind of hike is just de rigueur.

We had a nice morning hike, though. We did get to a "false peak," I guess you'd say, with a lookout platform where the panorama was beautiful. But, then from there, you continue going up and looping back the other way. We went around the route I think the "wrong" way, but we did see some families who came up the via feratta. Do you know what this is? I did not, until my cousin Nick mentioned it a few months ago. This page is in German, but has some images that show people via ferrata-ing in this area. This was not something I was planning on trying. But, it seems like a popular activity around here!

Once we got back to our car after our hike, Rowan had a terrible headache. It was very worrying because the boy never gets headaches and his energy meter like descended epicly. I mean, you all know Rowan: he is a bundle of boundless energy. But all he wanted to do was sit and be still. So, we did go to the Ramsau Beach, because Rowan said that was fine with him as long as he could lay in a loungechair. We rented one, and an umbrella, and Eric and Cece proceeded to go into the small lake, which was rather empty at first, but after a while, there were lots of people in it. I gathered that it was a bit cold. So, after seeing Cece swimming and having tons of fun, Rowan decided he wanted to, too. And you know what? It helped his headache! He felt a whole lot better after -- enough to be ready to do some other adventuring at Rittisburg, which is where the beach was and where there was also a "canopy" tour, in harnesses, a zipline, an alpine coaster, a harnessed ropes course, lots of hiking, a gondola up to the top where there was a magical playground, and lots more for your summertime frolicking.

Turns out the kids are still too small to do the proper zip line at Rittisburg, but they could do the "flyline," which was harnessed tour through the treetops, in the canopy. We all did it, and it was so fun! Next, Rowan and I did the mountain coaster. I mean, I historically love roller coasters (my dad and I love them; I will never forget his antics as we would ascend to the top before we'd drop down in the super-rapid, scream-inducing descent!). But, this mountain coaster was not what I was expecting, and I really begged Eric to switch places with me because I had to operate a level that accelerated the sled and applied the brake! Eric would not trade with me, he said with a chuckle ;) So, Rowan and I made it through and it was fun . . . but Rowan would have been pleased if I'd applied the brake less ;)

Then, we took the gondola up. The views from there, you're wondering about? Well, shucks . . . I am not even sure what to say! Imagine that you're at the top of Sandia Peak, but all of the large mountains in New Mexico are also right next to Sandia Peak. So, this analogy only goes so far, because these mountains have farms and green, dandelion-speckled fields going quite a ways up (and, of course, New Mexico is a high desert--and this is not). Some of the green swaths are ski runs, but some are pasture or just greenspace. It is the craziest thing. We decided to walk down the ski area, rather than take the gondola down. And on the trail down, we kept encountering raspberry bushes! The raspberries are about ten days, I'd say, from their peak, but there were some that were bright red! And eat them we did! Cece and I took a while to get down the trail because of all of our raspberry-eating. We also went down the final bit of elevation on a trail that was a "brand-new" fairy-tale trail, with wooden cutouts of fairy-tale characters scattered through the forest. It was also puzzling and bit jaw-dropping to read the sign at the bottom. You were not allowed to take your stroller up the trail, but they recommended you go up on the gondola and push it down with you on the trail. Eric was like, "WHAT?" "Do that if you don't want to keep your baby in the stroller!" I mean, there is no way you'd be able to keep control of a stroller with a descent grade like the fairy-tale trail's.

Back to Rowan's headache, briefly: I have concluded that it is related to his congestion. He has been stuffy and blowing his nose incessantly for like four days. This is the best theory I have.

In the evening, we went to basically a quickie-mart, because it was the only grocery store open on a Saturday evening. And we went as a massive thunderstorm was rolling in. The kids and I shopped while Eric drove a little farther to put a bit of charge in the Tesla. When he came back to get us, it was like an epic, torrential downpour. It did not last too long, but it lasted our whole brief ride home and our mad-dash back into our place. After that, I made dinner, we ate it, and the kids got to bed at a reasonable hour! Hooray for us! Gold-star parenting!

The next day (today!), we had reservations for the Dachstein Gondola and planned to visit the glacier, so I will write all about that in my next post. Our hosts at the Airbnb got us all "Summercards," which many of the lodging places and hosts provide for their guests. These cards get you into many things in the region for free or with a discount! Our visit to the beach was free and our glacier-gondola ride would be free!

Rowan wants to be sure I tell you all about the, in the kids' opinion, "great" candy they were given massive handfuls (well, 9 candies each) of at the top of the gondola in the glacier-top restaurant. I can tell you, it was actually gross, which is why I surmise the host gave it out in such quantities with such a smile on his face. It tasted like a Halls cough-drop combined with a pineapple Lifesaver. Like, you think it might be sweet and good, but that gnarly, medicinal Halls taste just slaps you in the face. I love candy, but this "candy" was so gross I spit it out. Anyway, the kids ate all of theirs.

More tomorrow!

[dominickrohnpoetry]

My Friend Jacob

The welcomes were warm, the embraces were tender, and smiles were aplenty one Tuesday in the midst of January. A purple carpet awaited the front gate with students and staff applauding and cheering wholeheartedly. School had resumed from Winter Vacation the week prior, and although this was a celebration regarding the return to school, the reasoning behind it was far more pure.

In May of 2022, one of Alpine Vista's very own students was diagnosed with Leukemia. Jacob Mendoza, a Special Ed student of Alpine Vista since Kindergarten, would go on to miss the next 7 months of school battling this illness. Through strength, determination, positivity and lots of support, Jacob was able to return to the school he so loved and cherished.

On Tuesday, January 17th, 2023 Jacob was welcomed back with open arms. As Jacob's long time aide of 6 years, I, perhaps, had the widest arms open to him when he returned. "There aren't enough words to describe what Jacob has meant to me over the past 6 years. We've grown together. Being that I'm a runner I always joke that I showed Jacob how to run. But like the true Eagle that he is, he soars; he showed me how to fly," I penned in an emotional post on social media following his return to school.

For the past 6 years Jacob has had support from me, his morning aide, and McKenna, his afternoon aide. The ‘Dynamic Trio’ I called us because together we could overcome any obstacle, and we did. We did everything together. We played endless games of Duck-Duck-Goose and Hot Wheels. We watched so many Disney movies together. McKenna and I taught him how to write and read, how to do math, and how to become independent. COVID kind of threw a wrench in everything but the foundation was set.

More importantly, however, Jacob taught me about the beauty of being human. I’d say it took a solid year or so before Jacob really got used to me, and about 2 years before Jacob really trusted and befriended me. But this was so important because it taught me the truest form of patience. 6 years have gone by with so many changes to our support team and yet the one constant has always been Jacob and I. My sidekick, my student, my friend.

I’ve seen Jacob grow from a little boy into a thriving adolescent. He’s got the purest of hearts and the biggest of hugs. He’s always willing to share, and he’s so dang stubborn at times. Ha! And yet, through much trial and error, success and setbacks, tears and smiles, Jacob continues to see success and share his joy with everyone who crosses his path. Good day or bad, Jacob always brightens my day.

Whether you see him tap dancing on campus with Mrs. Frediani, greeting students and staff with hugs and high-fives throughout the day, eating his favorite chips, Hot Cheetos, or just sitting and hanging out, Jacob is a continual beacon of joy and hope on campus. We are all incredibly thankful that he is back. Welcome back, Jacob. 💜

#student #special ed #special education #teacher

[yourlocalnews]

#YourLocal.Me

[buckybarnesowl]

Love in Four Acts

Pairing: fatws!Bucky x nurse!reader (featuring matchmaker!Alpine)

Word count: 7.5k

Summary: You’re a nurse living in Brooklyn. You’ve got a crush on your next door neighbour who doesn’t seem to know you exist. One day his cat finds its way into your apartment, forcing you both to finally meet. That’s when you learn that he’s James Buchanan Barnes, ex-Winter Soldier. Well, there goes your chances. Or maybe getting close to a superhero isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds.

Warnings: some mentions of Bucky dealing with past trauma and lack of confidence; Bucky has a brief emotional breakdown; minimal use of y/n; some sweetheart, but no “doll”

A/n: This is my extremely late entry for @pellucid-constellations love letter writing challenge. This idea had been stuck in my head for a while and the challenge gave me the push I needed to flesh it out so thank you, Kathie, for the inspiration! And I incorporated these two prompts:

“And I’ve never felt like that before, but something about you makes me want to feel like that.” “Is it fair to say that you read the love letter and that this means ‘yes’?”

PS: I made Dr. Raynor a good therapist because that’s what our boy deserves. Also Bucky and Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle are basically the same character and no one can tell me otherwise. There are some major references to that movie so if you haven’t seen it, my apologies.

Act I

Lose a chatty white cat? Come knock on 3B. -Y/n

You pinned the note to the cork board next to the mailboxes and made your way back up to your apartment on the third floor.

You lived in an old three story walk-up. The kind with faded brick on the outside, no elevator, creaky wood floors, and never enough electrical outlets. The pipes shuddered in the walls at random times and sometimes the lights flickered. It was home and you loved it. The rent was cheap and everyone in the building was friendly enough.

Except for your next door neighbour.

Your shy, enigma of a neighbour who looked like a modern day Greek god. That chiselled jawline, his messy-on-top-short-on-the-sides brown hair, those black t-shirts and jeans he always wore that hugged him in all the right spots. It was enough to make heart beat pick up every time you passed each other in hallway.

You tried friendly hello’s and hi’s when he first moved in, which were always met with, well, nothing. He completely ignored all of your attempts at neighbourly interactions, averting his blue eyes to the ground whenever you greeted him. So you resigned to a simple smile anytime you crossed paths, in case he finally came out of his shell.

The old adage of you always want what you can’t have definitely held up. Your crush on your neighbour only intensified as the months went on.

There was something familiar about him, and he didn’t make you feel threatened the way most jacked up men would. Maybe it was his quiet demeanour, always trying to take up as little space as possible. Whatever it was, something in the way he carried himself made you feel safe knowing that you two shared a wall. New York had all sorts of strange people. It was comforting to know you had a strong neighbour next door in case something ever happened.

Not that you needed protection. You’d grown a thick skin over the past five years—working as a nurse in the emergency department at the Brooklyn Hospital Centre meant you dealt with some challenging situations. You loved your job, but you had definitely learned to think quick on your feet, becoming a master at diffusing a situation. Though it was your compassion and empathy that made you one of the top nurses on the floor and was why you put up with the shift work—you really just loved helping others.

“So who do you belong to, huh?” you asked the white ball of fur that was purring next to you on your couch. It let out a string of chirped meows in response as it pranced back and forth, nudging its head under your hand for more pets.

The feline had jumped in from the fire escape when you opened your window after getting back from your evening shift. The air was starting to warm up as winter finally retracted its icy grip over the city. You had felt the breath of spring in the air as you walked home from the train and wanted to let some fresh air in. As you pushed the heavy guillotine-style window up, the white cat bounded into your living room like a lightning bolt, nearly giving you a heart attack. You had stuck your head out of the window to see if any of your neighbours were out, but your search came up empty. You shut the window so the cat couldn’t escape, scribbled the quick note and ran down the stairs to post it. Your new visitor was perched on your couch when you came back a few minutes later, its tail lazily twitching back and forth, having wasted no time in making itself at home.

“Well whoever they are, I bet they miss you. You sure are sweet,” you continued, answered by another string of choppy meows.

A knock on the door interrupted your dialogue, and you scooped up the cat without even thinking whether or not it would be ok with being handled that way. Sure enough, the cat snuggled into the crook of your elbow, nuzzling its head under your chin. This was the most affectionate cat you had ever met.

You suffered your second close call with a heart attack that night as you opened your door. There stood your silent, moody, painfully attractive neighbour. He was wearing a leather jacket and black leather gloves on his hands, one of which was rubbing the back of his neck as he grimaced awkwardly at you.

“Hiya, neighbour,” you said as cooly as possible, desperately trying to ignore the pounding of your heart.

“Uh, sorry to bother you so late... but I read your note.”

“This sweet love muffin is yours I presume?” you asked, nudging your chin into the cat’s fur one last time before having to give it back.

Your crush chuckled at the nickname you’d already given his pet. “I’m not sure sweet is the right word to describe him. Though he sure seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“You mean he’s not like this all the time?”

“Uh, no. He barely lets me pick him up. You did get the chatty part right though. It's kinda nice to have around actually… I mean, uh…”

You watched as his icy blue eyes darkened and looked down at his hands he was now wringing together nervously. He’s lonely, you thought to yourself. Your heart clenched tighter for him.

“Well, I’m sure he’s going to be happy to be back home with you, won’t you…” you trailed off, realising you didn’t know what to call the cat. Or his owner for that matter.

Start with the easy one, Y/n, you told yourself. “What’s his name?”

“Alpine,” your neighbour replied softly, a half smile returning to his lips as he brought his gaze back up towards you. The cat mewled at the sound of his name, causing you both to laugh.

“Well, Alpine,” another meow, “it’s time to go back home with your dad.” You lifted the cat off your chest and handed him, with a bit of reluctance, back to your neighbour. You found a morsel of courage and added, “if you ever need a cat sitter, I’d be happy to. He’s a real sweetheart.”

“Thanks a lot. That’s uh, real kind of you,” he responded, a faint blush surfacing on his cheeks.

“Well, I guess I’ll let you two get reunited. I’m Y/n, by the way.”

“Right,” he hesitated a moment, as if trying to decide if he should tell you his name. “I’m Bucky.”

“Well, Bucky, it was nice to finally meet you. Remember, if you ever need someone to watch him, or anything really, just knock.”

“Will do. G’night then.”

“‘Night, neighbour.”

You closed the door, your cheeks on fire as you let out a groan. “‘Night, neighbour,” you repeated mockingly. Could you have laid it on any thicker? And how could someone that hot be that awkward? It was adorable and only strengthened your crush.

Well, at least I know his name now, you thought. “Bucky.” It had a familiar ring to it, but you couldn’t place why.

As you lay in bed that night, your mind replaying the interaction over and over, you finally gave in and grabbed your phone. As soon as you clicked “go” after typing “Bucky” into the search field, your heart nearly stopped for the third time.

“No fucking way,” you exclaimed out loud.

Your neighbour was James Buchanan Barnes. Brainwashed ex-assassin turned Avenger. You were crushing on a literal superhero.

“Well, there goes that,” you sighed, turning over to finally try and get some sleep. At least you knew there was no chance anymore. Still, maybe you’d get lucky and at least dream about him. At this point, you’d take what you could get. You closed your eyes, smiling at the possibility as you drifted off.

-----ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ-----

Act II

[Three weeks later]

“Shit,” Bucky muttered under his breath as he darted around his sparsely furnished apartment in search of his keys.

“I bet you did this on purpose, didn’t you,” he glared at Alpine.

The cat let out a single blunt chirp as he jumped onto the back of the couch to watch his owner fret over his belongings.

Bucky couldn’t afford to miss his appointment with Dr. Raynor. That was the whole basis of the pardon: state mandated therapy for a minimum of one year in exchange for exoneration from the crimes he the Winter Soldier committed.

“Ah ha!” he exclaimed, startling Alpine off the couch as he retrieved the set of keys from one of his shoes by the door. Must have fallen off the hook, he thought. The cat began circling through his legs while meowing at him, his routine every time Bucky prepared to leave.

Bucky picked up the cat and booped its small pink nose with the tip of his own. “I’ll be back soon, buddy. Don’t tear the place up while I’m out.”

The cat meowed low, as if offended at the thought, shaking himself out as soon as Bucky placed him back down on the floor.

When Bucky thinks back on what happened next, he can’t help but chuckle at the thought of his cat being this cunning. Normally Alpine would sit at the door as Bucky left. It was his send off routine that the cat never broke. Except for today. On this particular day, Alpine bolted through Bucky’s legs and into the hallway before the supersoldier knew what had happened.

“Dammit!” he yelled without thinking.

The curse caused you to turn around, your door still open as you were just getting home from an overnight shift. This gave Alpine enough time to brush past your legs and take immediate residence under your couch.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Bucky groaned under his breath.

“I think your cat might have a crush on me,” you said, any nervousness that normally bubbled up whenever you saw Bucky was currently being dulled by your fatigue from a 12-hour shift.

“I think you’re right,” Bucky chuckled. Him and me both, he admitted internally as he felt his cheeks heat up at the intrusive thought. Clearing his throat, he quickly found his words again. “I’m sorry to do this… you look like you’re just getting back from work… but, uh, would you mind watching him for just a few hours? I have an appointment that I really can’t miss.”

Bucky’s worry at the ask melted when he felt the warmth of your smile. “Of course! It usually takes me a few hours to wind down from a shift anyways, so it’s no trouble at all.”

“You’re a lifesaver. I’ll make it up to you, promise.”

“Don’t sweat it. That’s what neighbours are for, right?”

Bucky felt his heart rate increase as he saw the sincerity in your eyes match the tone of your voice. How could someone this beautiful be this sweet? He felt his crush intensify with every interaction you both had, and it was almost becoming unbearable. Almost.

“Right. Well, thanks again. I’ll be back around 11. Is that okay?”

“Yup, no problem. Go on, or you’ll be late.”

“Thanks, neighbour”

“Anytime,” you said softly with your ever-present smile, making Bucky’s stomach flutter.

He nodded and turned away, before you could see how red his cheeks could go. "Thanks, neighbour"... Jesus Christ, Barnes, get it together and stop being a creep.

***

“I can sense the apprehension about asking your neighbour out. But I’m still not following how it would make you a creep. Can you try and explain that part for me?”

Bucky sighed as he looked up at the ceiling, then out the window. Dr. Raynor always forced him to articulate his thoughts in more detail than he felt comfortable with, or even capable of.

He loathed it.

And he also recognized that it was the part about this whole therapy thing that was helping him the most. Separating fears from reality. Getting at the root of his emotions, rather than burying them.

“It’s just…” he trailed off with another sigh, before forcing himself to push through the discomfort. “They're not dumb. I’m sure they know who I am. What I’ve done… there’s just no way they'd want to be with someone like me.” Bucky looked at his gloved hands pressed into his thighs. That was the crux of it, wasn’t it? He could never be good enough for someone like you.

“So what I’m hearing is that because of the actions you were brainwashed into carrying out, actions that you yourself would never do, you believe you could never be good enough for this neighbour who—from what you’ve shared with me—seems to like you quite a bit. Is that right?”

“I don’t know about that last part, but, yeah, I guess that’s it,” Bucky resigned quietly, finally making eye contact with Dr. Raynor again.

“I’m really sorry you feel that way, James. I bet it feels quite lonely to think that you don’t deserve to be liked or cared about by anyone.”

Bucky felt his eyes steam. It happened sometimes when Dr. Raynor touched on a hard truth. He wasn’t there yet, though. Letting himself cry. A few drops had seeped through the cracks, but the dam he had built since getting himself back was holding steady for now.

He sniffed before responding, urging the lump in his throat to retreat.

“I just… how could someone feel safe with me? Accept me… knowing all of that?”

“Well, like we’ve talked about in other sessions, that wasn’t you. I know it’s hard for you to accept and I understand why. But it's important I keep reiterating it. Why don’t we try looking at it from a new angle and see if this helps?”

Bucky nodded. As if I've got a choice.

“Great. Now imagine someone who’s been oppressed by their government and has had all of their freedoms taken away, including providing for their family. If they steal a loaf of bread to feed their starving children, do they deserve to go to jail?”

Bucky doesn’t even need to think about it. “No.”

“And if a child is held at gunpoint and told to shoot his pet dog or else his family would be killed, is he an animal killer?”

“Absolutely not.”

“So do you see that everything isn’t black or white? That in certain circumstances, under pressure, even when we know right from wrong, the lines are blurred?”

Bucky nodded.

“So can you then see how those lines are blurred even more when someone is brainwashed and trained to go against their conscience? When someone has their free will stripped from them?”

Bucky was silent for a long moment. He was conscious of the memories playing in the background of his mind as he processed what Dr. Raynor was asking him. Memories of missions as the Winter Soldier. But there was a new process happening that surprised him. It was faint at first, but he started seeing the person in the memories not as himself, but as someone else. Like a character in a brutal horror film. He was still affected by it, but when he looked at the emotions that were coming up, the guilt he normally felt was being overpowered by empathy for the killer.

“I can see what I said affected you. What’s happening for you right now? Where did you just go?”

“I, uh—” Bucky cleared his throat, willing his eyes to stay dry. “I can see it. I can see how I... he... had no choice. He was forced. I can see it.” Bucky felt his voice tremble and he closed his eyes, breathing deep through the epiphany he’d just had.

“This is huge, James. I’m really happy to hear that. I want you to try and remember those anecdotes whenever feelings of guilt or shame arise over what the Winter Soldier was tortured into doing. I know it won’t be easy, and some days it won’t work. But I’d like you to try. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Bucky responded, opening his eyes and feeling lighter all of a sudden.

“Good. Well, that’s time for today. Good luck picking up your cat—though something tells me you won’t need it,” Dr. Raynor offered with a smile.

“Thanks, doc. For everything.”

“You’re very welcome, James. See you next week.”

***

For the first time since starting his sessions with Dr. Raynor, Bucky left her office with a smile on his face. He stopped at the florist stand he always walked past on his way home and bought a bouquet of daisies.

He practically ran up the three stories to your shared floor. His palms started sweating under his gloves the instant he knocked on your door.

A yawn escaped your mouth as you opened up. “Oh my gosh, hi. I’m so sorry. Oh wow, those are pretty. Got a big date lined up after this?”

Bucky chuckled, his nerves suddenly melting at your frantic style of talking and frank teasing. “Nah, I’ve just got this sweet neighbour who watched my cat for me and I wanted to thank them.”

Bucky noticed the grin creep across your face as you averted your gaze for an instant before reaching your hand out.

“Well c’mon in then. Let me get those in water. Al and I had just started Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. You’re free to join us if you like.”

Bucky closed the door behind him and instinctively took off his shoes. He didn’t know what you were talking about, but he wasn’t about to turn down your invitation.

“What’s that?”

“Uhhh, Miyazaki? Hayao Miyazaki? Studio Ghibli? Anime?” You kept broadening your reference, looking increasingly more shocked when he didn’t recognize anything you were saying.

“Sorry, I lost a lot of time between now and the 40s. Not caught up on everything yet.” Bucky stopped himself suddenly. It was the first time he’d mentioned his past to anyone outside of Sam and Dr. Raynor.

“Right, oh my gosh that was so insensitive. I’m so sorry.”

Relief flooded through his veins. Dr. Raynor was right. You obviously knew who he was and clearly didn’t mind, seeing as how you'd just invited him into your apartment. In fact, you seemed almost, well, happy about it. “‘S’alright. Why don’t you enlighten me on this Miya… Miya… whatever it is.”

Bucky sat at your kitchen island as you explained your love for a specific type of animated film from a Japanese director, all while you arranged your daisies in a simple mason jar. He could get used to watching your eyes light up as you shared your passions with him.

“Ugh, I’m babbling,” you said suddenly, breaking his fixation.

“Not at all. I asked. Besides, I love hearing about this type of stuff. You don’t read about all these subcultures in the history briefings they gave me.”

“Yeah I bet. Well, we were more or less at the beginning. Wanna see what it’s all about?”

“Sure,” Bucky accepted. His cheeks were already hurting from smiling.

“Great. You drink tea? It’s mint. I made a pot already.”

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks.”

“Gosh, I wish people still had those 1940s manners. Go make yourself comfortable on the couch.”

Bucky blushed at the complement as he sat beside Alpine, who was curled up and purring. “My ma raised me to always be polite.”

“Well, she did a good job,” you said, filling up a mug and handing it to him. “Ready?” you asked.

Bucky leaned back into your couch. It was a lot more comfortable than his own. “Ready.”

You pressed play and Bucky settled in for what would be the most incredible film experience he’d had in his life. He didn’t know animation could look like that. He vaguely remembered seeing a cartoon rabbit, but that was in black and white. He’d never seen anything like this. He was so enthralled that he didn’t notice you had fallen asleep until the end credits began to roll. All at once Bucky remembered you had just come back from work that morning. Nice going, Barnes, he thought guiltily.

You were stretched out on the chaise part of your l-couch, so he covered you with the blanket that was draped over the back of the sofa. You stirred slightly, rolling onto your side, but you were out cold. He scribbled a message in his notebook, quietly tearing it out and then folding it in half. He left it next to the teapot before scooping up Alpine, then did the same with his shoes before he snuck out of your apartment. He paused, realising he had no way to lock the door behind him. He’d stay in today and keep an ear on your door to make sure no one entered.

***

When you woke for your shift that evening, your eyes immediately fell on the note.

Thanks for watching Alpine. And for the culture lesson. I’d like to learn more if you’re open to teaching. -Bucky

-----ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ-----

Act III

[Two months later]

“I’m so excited for this one. It’s my go-to comfort film when I’m sick or feeling down. I mean, sure, it might not be the best one, but… I dunno, there’s just something about the story that I love. And we're watching it without subtitles this time because the voiceovers are THAT good.”

“Oh wow, isn’t that sacrilege?” You knew he was teasing you. Bucky’s lips always turned up on one side and he scrunched his nose making the corners of his eyes crinkle when he was teasing you.

“Nuh-uh, not for Howl’s Moving Castle. The voices are just so right for this one.”

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

Somewhere during the past few months the term of endearment had slipped out of Bucky’s mouth. You didn’t object and he kept on saying it. The way the nickname made your stomach perform backflips was almost unbearable. Almost.

Right from the beginning, the opening scenery of the castle moving through the fog had you swooning, as per usual. You leaned into Bucky’s shoulder and he immediately tucked you into his side.

That was also a new development you’d made together sometime during your previous movie night. The film on that night had been Spirited Away—you were taking Bucky through all the Miyazaki films in chronological order. The scene where Haku takes Chihiro to see her parents in the pigpen always got to you and you leaned into Bucky for comfort out of sheer instinct. He wrapped an arm around you, and you both stayed like that for the rest of the film.

Assuming the same position on this night, you exhaled, immediately relieved that he seemed open to it. You had agonised over the last movie night, worried that levelling up on the intimacy with Bucky had just been a one-off. Or that you’d scared him away by being too clingy? Affectionate? Too you? Well, all of those anxieties melted away as you felt his muscular hold around you tighten. Being that close, smelling him. It had you reeling like a hormone-filled teenager. I could get used to this, you thought as you relaxed into his warmth and settled your eyes back on the film.

About half way through through, something suddenly clicked in your mind. You’d never thought about it until now, but there were striking similarities between the lives of Bucky and Howl. Both were used as tools for political reasons that went against their values. Both seemed to believe they were monsters and struggled at accepting affection.

Not that Bucky had shared that with you in so many words. But through bits and pieces, you could easily glean he still felt shame about his past. You tried to show him that none of that mattered to you. You didn’t want him to think you pitied him either, but boy, did your heart hurt when you thought about everything he went through. All the history you had read. He had his life stolen from him, was tortured, and then plunked back into a completely different world. Twice, if you counted the blip. How was he still here, still fighting, still trying, and all with that wry sense of humour? You’d never fully understand, but you were grateful for it.

“How’re you liking it so far?” you asked softly, pausing the movie and pulling out from under Bucky’s arm. You wanted to check in without seeming like you were mother henning him.

“It’s really sweet. And the scenery is beautiful. I can see why you like this one the best.”

“Want a refill on your tea? Or I can get you a snack? Are you cold? I have more blankets—”

“Hey, what’s going on? You seem nervous.” He shifted his position so that you were facing each other.

You sighed seeing the concern ripple across his forehead, the thought hitting you like a ton of bricks: right, he’s a supersoldier, you can’t get anything past him.

“It’s just…”

“You can say it, sweetheart. I won’t be upset,” he assured as he took your hand. You were suddenly aware of the lack of gloves. Well that’s new. You stopped your brain from going down that corridor and refocused.

“It’s just, the rest of the movie gets a bit dark. And I forgot how much it surrounds the war and how Howl is forced to fight in a way that makes him feel like a monster and I—”

A gentle smile slowly bloomed on Bucky’s face. “You’re worried about me?”

Your cheeks warmed at the question. “Yeah,” you admitted.

“C’mere,” he whispered, opening his arm back up to you. “I promise if it’s too much I’ll tell you, ‘kay?”

“‘Kay,” you whispered back, resuming your previous position against his torso. Though this time, your hands were clasped. You felt him press his lips into the top of your head before he leaned his chin there. The backflips your stomach had done at the beginning started all over again, and you pressed play on the movie before you melted.

***

You were worried about him. You were worried about him. Bucky didn’t know what he was doing with you. It wasn’t like in the forties. Not by a long shot. Besides, those days of courting and going out dancing now floated around his brain like something he’d seen in a dream once but couldn’t decipher how any of it worked.

All he knew was he’d decided at the last second to not wear his gloves this time and when he took your hand with both of his, you didn’t flinch so he had to be doing something right.

Bucky didn’t let go of your hand the whole movie, except during one of the war scenes when his grip tightened enough that you had to gently ask him to loosen it. His stomach dropped at the thought that he had hurt you, but you assured him you were fine, wiggling your fingers in front of him as proof. With reluctance, he took your word for it. Though his guilt faded when you interlocked your fingers with his once more and leaned back into his chest and you started the film again.

You had been right. Something about the movie did finally get to him. Maybe it was how convinced Howl was that he would become the monster he hated. Maybe it was the fear that Sophie wouldn’t love him as he truly was. All he knew was that when Sophie told Howl to come find her in the future, disproving every worry Howl had, Bucky finally felt the dam crack. He tried to even his breathing. Tried to focus on something else. Anything else. Nothing stopped the constant steady stream of tears that began flowing down his cheeks. By the time the credits began to roll, Bucky couldn’t stop his body from shuddering with each stifled sob.

“Oh, James,” you consoled in a hushed voice, pulling him into a hug. The instant your arms were around him the entire structure snapped. The dam had broken completely and it all came rushing out. The guilt for every single person he’d killed. The grief for what he had been forced to do. The anger at HYDRA for taking away his choices and stealing his memories. The agony of losing his life. His family. Steve.

All of it gushed out of him in choked, heaving sobs, melting into a blubbering mess they way Howl melted when his hair colour potion was accidentally ruined.

The only tether to the present came from the comforting circles Bucky felt you rubbing between his shoulder blades. And your voice, offering him sweet assurances that helped ground him through the first real emotional release he had had in, well, maybe ever.

“You’re safe here. I've got you. Let it all out.”

Bucky was so grateful that you didn’t release your hold until his breathing evened out to the occasional hiccup. He was sure if you had let go even a minute sooner, he might have been carried off in the flood of his own tears, pulled under the waves, never to surface again.

When you told him you were just going to get him some tissues and a glass of water, he felt himself nod as he wiped his face with his sleeve.

Bucky gratefully accepted the tissues first before the water when you returned. He suddenly became acutely aware of the episode he’d just had in your living room and was mortified.

“Ugh, thanks,” he replied sheepishly before turning away to blow his nose. Then he took the water, downing it in one go, desperately trying to calculate the best route out of this before you could reject him. It was inevitable. There was no way you would want to continue spending time with him after witnessing this.

“Better?”

“Much,” he assured before releasing shaky sigh as he leaned back into your couch. “I’m really sorr—”

“Nope. You don’t get to finish that sentence.”

Bucky was jolted by your bluntness, and it shocked him out of his self-doubt spiral. Were you angry? He was expecting you to call it a night, maybe make an excuse about having to work, then simply stop inviting him over. But anger?

“Listen to me,” you directed with a firm tone, taking both his hands and making sure you had his gaze before continuing. “You, James Buchanan Barnes, have absolutely nothing to be sorry about. This world has done nothing but shit on you and yet here you are feeling like you’re not even allowed to be sad sometimes. That’s fucking bullshit and I refuse to let you apologize for having emotions. You got that?”

Bucky smiled at how wrong he had been before wiping another rogue tear from his eye. He had no idea what he had done to deserve your protective kindness, but he wasn’t about to refuse it.

“Got it.”

“Okay then, I’m glad that’s settled.”

Bucky laughed, a full and hearty laugh at that. Gosh, you were something else.

“What? I wasn’t joking!”

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” he said, still chuckling. You accepted him. You accepted him. All of him.

“Then what’s so funny?”

He loved when you got that confused, almost annoyed look on your face.

“Nothin’. Just you. It’s endearing how passionate you get.”

“Oh, I’m endearing am I?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Hmmmm, well I’m glad someone thinks so. Usually my “passion” is too much for most people.”

“Now that I refuse to believe.” Bucky’s chest tightened at the thought of anyone not loving everything about you, and he squeezed your hand to emphasise his sentiments.

“It’s okay. I keep a pretty rough work schedule that’s never aligned with most people. The loner life suits me fine. Though, I’ll admit it has been nice having someone to share my time with these past few months.”

Bucky felt his heart clench as you pulled your hand away from his grasp after that confession.

“Hey, no,” he objected at the loss of contact, tugging your hand back. “Please don't pull away. I’ve really enjoyed whatever this is too.”

“Yeah?” you asked him. Your eyes were desperately searching his for assurance. Gosh, he’d get lost in your gaze if he wasn’t careful.

“Yeah,” he assured, slowly leaning towards you. This is it, Barnes. Now’s your chance.

Bucky’s phone rang, startling them both.

“Shit,” he muttered as he flipped it open. He watched your face change as Sam rattled off logistics and coordinates and timelines. He hated that he was the reason for the sudden look of disappointment on your face.

“You have to go, don’t you,” you asked when he closed the phone.

“Yeah. Probably for a while this time. I hate to ask, but—”

“James, please, you don’t even need to ask anymore. Of course I’ll watch Alpine. He and I are best buds now,” you said, petting the purring fluff ball that was curled up on your side of the couch.

“I’ll come back in a few and give you a spare a set of keys so you can grab all of his food and toys.”

“You’re… you’re leaving right away?” you asked with a surprised tone.

“Yeah, sorry. I…” he sighed before continuing, “It’s part of the job.”

His heart sank at the hint of sadness in your voice. How would this ever work? How could he do this to you every time he had to go on a mission? There’s no way you would ever be ok with this.

“No, don’t apologise. I was more worried about you having to go straight to work after that. But I get it, trust me. I know I’m nothing like a superhero, but working in a hospital I do understand urgency.”

“You’re a superhero to me, sweetheart,” he said, holding onto that thin thread of hope that maybe you really could accept him as he was, supersoldier job and all.

Bucky felt a sudden rush of adrenaline. Leaning in, he placed a tender kiss on your cheek, memorising the scent of your shampoo, the softness of your skin beneath his lips, the way your breath hitched at the contact. He locked those memories away where no one would ever get them before pushing himself up off the couch.

“Just come back in one piece, okay?” you ordered, looking into his eyes for assurance.

“Always do,” he offered. Whether it was for you or himself, he couldn’t say.

-----ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ-----

Act IV

[Two weeks later]

“This is not one piece, Bucky.”

Your neighbour had returned, bloody, bruised, and barely standing.

“‘S fine. I’m fine. Supersoldier, remember?” he asked, twisting his vibranium arm in the air to emphasise his point. “I’ll heal in no time.”

You were not convinced, nor comforted. “This is… fuck, Bucky. I see a lot of wounds in emerg, but this is bad.”

He winced as you passed yet another alcohol wipe over a particularly deep gash running from the middle of his forehead down to his temple. “This one needs stitches.”

“Whatever you say, nurse.”

You squinted your eyes together, sending him a disapproving glare at his attempt to lighten the situation.

“Sweetheart, please stop worrying. It’s part of the job. I’ve had worse.”

“Worse?! What do you… no, that’s not what this is about.” You exhaled in a frustrated huff, “I can’t do this right now.”

“Do what?” His teasing grin softened as he pulled your hands down from treating his forehead and into his lap. “Tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“You!”

He jumped a bit at your sudden exclamation. You took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before finding your words again.

“Bucky, I saw the news. I saw what you and Sam were up against. You… you could have died.” You felt your breath catch in your throat. “And then Alpine and I would be…” you couldn’t bring yourself to say it. Another word and you would fall apart.

“If something happened, I know Alpine would be fine with you.”

“Alpine?! What?” Was he seriously making light of this right now? “Bucky, do you see yourself? This isn’t a fucking joke.”

“I know, you’re right. I’m sorry.” He tried to bring your hand up to his lips, but you pulled yourself from his grip before he had the chance.

“No more talking until I’m done,” you ordered as you disinfected your hands again to pick up where you left off.

You couldn’t bear any more placating. You were seething. How could he find humour in leaving you? Bucky coming into your life had been the best thing that had ever happened to you. You finally found someone that saw you, that understood you, that seemed to truly like you for you, flaws and all. How could he joke about leaving you alone again?

Then it hit you. You weren’t really together. Sure you were friends. Maybe closer than that. But you’d never moved passed the cuddling stage. Maybe he just didn’t think of you in that way.

You felt a tear stream down your cheek as you tied the final stitch.

“There. The rest will clean off fine in a hot shower. I think I should go.”

“Hold on a second.” He grabbed your hand again, this time he wasn’t grinning. “I’m really sorry, I know this looks bad but—”

“No. I really can’t do this right now.” You tugged your hand free and got up from the makeshift nursing station you had laid out on his kitchen table. Then you took a deep breath before saying making your case, “You know, Alpine’s not the only one that would care if you didn’t come back.”

You turned on your heels and rushed out of his apartment before you broke down.

***

“Well, I really fucked that up didn’t I, Al?”

The cat responded with a single low mewl before jumping down from the chair next to where you had been sitting to go curl up on the sofa.

Bucky had assumed you would be fine seeing him banged up considering how often you encountered injuries and blood at work. Sure, he was a little more broken than usual after a mission, but he figured you’d just be happy to see him. He had completely misread the situation and now you were clearly upset.

He took his time showering, letting the hot water soothe his aching muscles as he figured out the best way to finally confess how he felt about you. To make you understand that losing you—not coming back to you—that it wasn’t an option for him.

When he told Dr. Raynor how every time he tried to tell you how he felt that the words simply vanished, she suggested writing you a letter. He’d passed it off as old fashioned at the time, something that past Bucky might have done. He was trying to let his old self go, accept himself as he was now. Modern Bucky. Whoever that was.

But as he stood in the shower, hot water raining down on him, remembering the hurt in your eyes as you more or less told him how you cared about him, he knew it was the only way he could ever fully communicate exactly how much he had fallen in love with you over these past few months.

Once he was dry and dressed, Bucky rummaged through the box of files and papers S.H.I.E.L.D. had given him after he received his pardon. He found the notepad and pen that he knew was buried somewhere amongst the folders. Then pushing all the wound care supplies to one side of the table, he sat down and started writing. The words flowed without another thought and he didn’t stop until he’d signed his name at the bottom.

***

Your sobs finally slowed to the occasional hiccup. You took some deep breaths then made your way out to the kitchen for water. It wasn’t until you’d downed a glass and were turning off the lights before crawling back into bed that you noticed it. The white envelope, resting on the hardwood a few inches from your front door.

Bucky, you thought. You smiled a little, suddenly feeling sheepish at the tantrum you threw. You knew he cared about you. You felt it in the way he squeezed your hand. The way he tucked you under his arm during movies. When he had pressed his lips to your cheek the night he’d left on the mission.

You leaned down to pick up the envelope, then settled into the couch to read its contents.

Y/n,

I need to apologise. And before your brain tries to deny me of that need, please just hear me out.

I’m sorry for making you think that it didn’t matter if I came back.

I want to be honest, there was a time not that long ago when that would have been true. I would go on missions as a penance. Trying to make up for all of the bloodshed that I caused as the Winter Soldier. But I know now that it wasn’t my fault. That I don’t deserve to keep punishing myself for crimes that I had no choice in committing. The reality of it is punishment enough–something I can now accept I didn’t deserve.

But it happened. And I can’t change that. I can’t change my past or who I am today as a result. I won’t ever be able to be a regular citizen in society. I will always be connected to that life in some way because it’s what I know. But I also know a lot more now. I’ve read things and experienced things that have made me see life differently.

And so much of that is thanks to you.

Now when I go on missions, it’s not as penance but an opportunity to do something good. Not just to be better for me or for others, but to be better for you. And I’ve never felt that before, about someone else, but something about you makes me want to feel like that.

You’re the sun pushing its way between cracks in the rain clouds, casting your rays through my past and lighting up a rainbow, bringing colours into my life that I didn’t know existed until now. Until you.

I’ve fallen in love with your smile and your laughter. With the way your eyes light up when you talk about your favourite film or a new song you want to show me. With your compassionate heart and the way you always accept others as they are, no matter what they’ve come from.

I’ve fallen in love with you.

I’ll understand if you don’t feel the same, but I couldn’t bear you not knowing how much you mean to me. How I promise not to leave you alone with Alpine—I promise to come back to you. Every time. No matter how long it takes. If you���ll have me.

With love,

Your James

The waterworks were back in full force as you pressed the letter to your chest. But this time they were happy tears. Tears of gratitude. Tears from being overwhelmed with love for your neighbour. For the man who had been put through so much. Yet, despite it all, still wanted to find beauty in the world. Wanted to find a reason to be good. And the reason he had chosen was you.

On instinct, you rushed out your apartment door and began knocking frantically on Bucky’s.

The second it opened, your mouth crashed into his with such force you nearly knocked him over.

It was passionate and needy, your arms wrapping around his neck as you felt both his palms cup your cheeks, one hard one soft. The sensation gave you goosebumps. Your lips explored each other from every angle, making sure every supple edge was surveyed. Your tongues danced ever so softly in the background until you both finally came up for air.

“Is it fair to say that you read the letter and that this means ‘yes’?” he asked as he pressed his forehead into yours. His pupils were blown wide as you gazed into the ocean of his eyes.

“Yes, James. I’ll have you. All of you. If you’ll have me?”

“One hundred times, yes. God, I love you,” he muttered, pressing his lips into your forehead before pulling you into his arms.

“I love you too,” you whispered into his chest, breathing in his scent. This was real. He was real.

Suddenly a slew of chirps erupted from Alpine as the cat weaved its way through both of your legs.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was gloating,” Bucky chuckled.

“Hmmm, well he is the reason we’re here.”

“Maybe it was his plan all along. To bring me to you.”

“If it was, well then I owe him a thank you.” You tilted your head down towards the white feline still prancing around you both. “Thanks, Al, for bringing me my James.” Your voice was barely above a whisper, as if the words were only intended for the cat. But Bucky heard you loud and clear.

“I am yours, for as long as you’ll have me,” Bucky confirmed softly, the warmth of it heating every inch of your being. The beating of his heart echoing in your ear was all you needed to know he meant every word.

la fin

#loveletterswritingchalleng #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky barnes x y/n #gn reader #bucky x gn reader #james buchanan barnes #bucky fic #bucky fanfic #tfaws!bucky #tfatws #winter soldier #dr raynor #hurt/comfort #pining #mutual pining #idiots in love #alpine #matchmaker!alpine #bucky fluff #james bucky barnes

[hiccanna-tidbits]

HICCANNA MONTH WEEK 3, DAY 2 - STUDIO GHIBLI AU PRINCESS MONONOKE

Anna, crown princess of Arendelle and one of the best swordswomen in all the land, gets called on an unusual mission one day. She receives a cry for help in the mail, a letter from King Drago detailing the horrors of recent dragon attacks on his people.

Arendelle's neighboring lands and their powerful king had been thriving and flourishing, celebrating less disease and death as they live off the spoils of a nearby mountain and grew wealthier and wealthier through trade. King Drago was planning on expansion for a number of years, sending men to scout out beautiful mountain views and expansive alpine meadows to keep sheep and goats.

Unfortunately, Drago's kingdom has always had to share their lands with some rather unwelcome and cranky neighbors: Woodland dragons.

For a long time, Drago has been able to stave off the fire-breathing fiends with squadron upon squadron of highly-trained soldiers, shooting the wings of the beats and sending them tumbling into the fjords below. The kingdom's dragon-fighting methods have worked for decades, protecting the bustling city and saving countless men, women, children, and livestock alike.

Fighting the dragons on their own terrain, however, proves to be a different story. When Drago loses men by the dozen, with the survivors all covered in terrible burns, he figures an outside soldier's perspective may be needed to come up with better tactics.

Anna, eager for the chance to put her battle strategy skills to good use, sets out for Drago's kingdom on her trusty steed Kjekk. Her own loved ones practically beg her not to go, Drago making no secret of how ruthless dragons are. They will not hesitate to incinerate anyone who gets in their way, even children. Most egregiously, the tales go that they once killed King Stoick's son Prince Hamish right in front of him, when Hamish was no more than a baby. The reason? The dragons wanted to take Stoick's land for their own, and the king staunchly refused.

Regardless, far be it from Anna to turn down people in need.

The people of Drago's kingdom are hardworking and earnest, sincerely thanking the princess for her help. They whistle as they build, paving stones and whittling buildings together. Anna grows fond of the workers, and cheers them on as they make progress. She swaps stories with them in the evening, around roasting mutton and a steaming pot of soup, and together they plan and strategize. Although the dragon attacks are harrowing and brutal, Anna's cunning on the battlefield is starting to give Drago's men a one-up.

There’s just one small problem: A feral boy in armor made from shed scales lives among the woodland dragons, entirely convinced he himself is a dragon. And he’s really cute. And Anna can’t stop thinking about him. And he hates humans and wants them all dead, especially the meddlesome princess helping his enemies to take over his forest. And he’s maybe definitely tried to stab her several times.

As the situation evolves, Anna thinks it may be time to try putting her creature diplomacy skills to use, too. They’ve only worked on ducks and reindeer so far, and dragons are a longshot...but it’s worth a try. Especially if it means “Hiccup” (as the dragon-boy calls himself) and his draconic family don’t have to get hurt for Drago’s kingdom to know peace.

Eventually, a smitten Anna and a reluctant Hiccup are forced to work together when both human and dragonkind are put in grave danger. Drago’s quest to dominate the forest grows more and more extreme, and the humans’ actions anger the Great Snaptrapper, an ancient dragon spirit that has been the guardian of the mountain for millennia. Anna and Hiccup find themselves in an urgent race against the clock to reach some sort of compromise between their peoples, and save both humans and dragons from total annihilation. And the rumors floating around that Hiccup could be the long-thought-dead Prince Hamish, given to the dragons to raise in some sort of bargain, only make matters more complicated...

***

Okay so I didn’t realize until I started brainstorming Studio Ghibli AUs just how much I have an urgent NEED to write Hiccup as a feral dragon-boy living in the forest and literally raised by giant, fire-breathing reptiles XD Like Valka but like 10x as wild and unhinged, since he’s been with the dragons since he was a literal baby :O

And, of course, Anna the warrior princess seeing this filthy gremlin dragon boy in the woods who smells like dirt and old scales and tries to kill her??? And getting the world’s biggest heart eyes immediately??? Immaculate. He’s got a dang knife hovering over her throat like “LEAVE THE FOREST NOW OR I’LL BITE YOU WITH MY VERY-DRAGON TEETH!!!” and she’s just like “Is this??? My future husband??? Beautiful boy <3 <3 <3″ She only has the most hinged of tastes, I assure you aknpzvyevz

I do love how well it works thematically, too--like Anna being a spokesperson for the people and for the human side of things, while Hiccup is a fierce defender of animals and nature. It puts them at odds in a pretty appropriate way, and makes them find a solution where BOTH people and animals are (at least somewhat) happy!!! Good shit. The kinda social commentary I strive for in my own stuff tbh!

On a sillier note I love to imagine that after Anna brings Hiccup into human society, he instinctually tries to devour raw meat constantly and she has a spray bottle ready to go like “NO!!! BAD!!! You’re not getting salmonella and E. coli on MY watch!!!”

As always, moodboard pic credits available upon request!

#hiccanna #hiccannamonth #hiccannamonth22 #hiccannamonth2022 #moodboard #aesthetic #hiccup x anna #anna x hiccup #hiccup #anna #hiccup haddock #princess anna #hiccupxanna #annaxhiccup #rotbtd #rotbtfd #princess mononoke au #httyd #frozen #crossover

[oreosmilkshakes]

Hey girlie , this is mine request

The reader is the girlfriend of Sergio perez and Sergio is Just become world champion and ask the reader on the podium and Sergio ask the reader to marry him , and some months later is the wedding and its a lovely ceremony and reception

Title: Love and War Summary: Look into the life of Sergio and his lover as they battled the intense 2021 season. Pairing: Sergio Perez x Reader Word Count: 3.9k Warnings: None A/N: Again, this doesn’t follow the usual canon seasons. Although, please excuse the cheesy ending. And yes, I switched Max with Checo as well as Lewis with Esteban. Lots of ‘I love yous’ too. Hope you enjoy! Taglist: @adlerslut

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The familiar whine of the engine, the ground vibrating as cars drove across the scene at high speeds, the crowd cheering for their favourite drivers and teams. The entire year had been one of the most frustrating and most anticipating years of all time. There had been many ups and downs, some were traumatising and some worth celebrating. You dug your nails in your trousers, on the edge of your seat beside Christian Horner and Honda’s boss for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. Your eyes were trained to the various monitors before you as Hugh Bird, Sergio’s race engineer, gave him instructions over the radio. You could almost hear your heart pounding despite wearing the headphones over your head. It was lap 41 out of 57 and somehow, your mind drifted off to the past.

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

Azerbaijan Grand Prix, June 6

There was something about street circuits that gave you anxiety. Perhaps it was because of the tight cornerings or the chances of mistakes were high especially with limited space on track. The big talk of the season was Red Bull driver, Sergio Perez, your boyfriend of five years and Alpine driver, Esteban Ocon. Their rivalry since Racing Point was brought over to 2021 and both were up fighting for the championship. So far, the consistency Sergio had was incredible. The car was powerful and fast and it drove like an angel. Since round one in Bahrain, Sergio has been on the podium along with Esteban. News about them was like wildfire, sparking more and more excitement among the media crew and fans. It was not a lie when the media stated in the news, in big fonts, that their fight for the 2021 season brought back the rivalry everyone thought had ended in 2018.

Lap 48 out of 51. The race was going really well, Sergio maintained the lead position with Esteban chasing him.

“I think we’re going to have a proble-,”

“Oh! That’s a crash for leader Sergio Perez on the main straight!”

A loud pop and the car shook violently. Sergio did his best to try and straighten the car but it was beyond saving. Thankfully, he reacted quickly with braking before crashing into the barrier. The car slid a good metres before wedging against the protective barrier.

“Fuck! Puto neumático!” Sergio cursed over the radio, frustration clear in his voice. The garage groaned in defeat, the camera focused on Sergio as he stepped out of the car. Sergio took a good look at his car and groaned. The left tyre had sustained a puncture. Leaving the track, he slammed an angry fist on the concrete as race marshals raced to remove the car and bring both the driver and the car back to the paddock.

As soon as Sergio was back, you ran to him. “Sergio, baby,” Your arms wrapped around his neck. His hands found your waist and helmet-covered face dug into your neck. “It’s alright..It’s alright..,” You cooed softly, slowly pulling away. Your hand found the strap of his helmet and removed the protective gear off his head. Setting it on a nearby chair, your hands moved to remove the balaclava before cupping both cheeks.

“I had it, mi amor. I had it and I blew it,” Sergio clenched his jaw.

“Oh, baby, don’t say that. Come,” You took his hand and brought him to a private corner of the garage. You planted a soft kiss on his lips.

“It’s just not your race today. Don’t be too hard on yourself, alright?” “But Esteban will have the lead,” You kept silent for a bit before leaning in. “Well..there will be a restart, yeah? Anything can happen,” See, Esteban Ocon was your brother. Despite the whole drama with Sergio, this championship rivalry calls for some passive hostility between both drivers. It worries you a lot that both your lover and brother are fighting for the title of champion.

“Calm down, okay? I love you,” Sergio smiled. “Come, let’s get you out of this suit and watch the remainder of the race,”

Sergio joined you and the crew as the restart was kicked off. As soon as the lights were off for the second time. Esteban was in the lead, so very close to Max until..

“Oh! That’s a big lockup for Esteban Ocon!”

You gasped, turning to Sergio who had a big smile as Max was in the lead with Sebastian Vettel behind him.

When the race ended, the Red Bull crew cheered in happiness as Max managed to earn pole for the team. Sergio couldn’t be happier for Max. Celebration among the team was ensured.

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

Great Britain Grand Prix, 18 July

The rivalry between Sergio and Esteban was tightening, with Sergio capping three consecutive wins from Esteban, pushing his points further away from the Frenchman. Sprint had been good for Sergio and qualifying had been better. Sergio could see that the Silverstone race was going to be a good one. Or so he thought.

Somehow, your gut was telling you that something big was going to happen. It was a dreadful feeling and what was worse was that your gut feelings were rarely wrong. You rubbed your chin in agitation, feeling your heart uneasy.

Five lights and away the drivers go!. You could hear the crowd growing wild as the cars pulled off from the starting grid. The first four turns were smooth with Esteban and Sergio almost going wheel-to-wheel with one another. The other four had been a close fight as well. Down to Copse Corner, turn nine, where things took a dramatic turn. Esteban had the inner advantage, closing the small gap between himself and Sergio. However, it took a bad turn within seconds. Esteban was going for the overtake and Sergio turned in closely to defend his position when the gap became non-existent. The front left wheel of the Alpine struck the lower right of the Red Bull, sending the Red Bull into a short spiral onto the gravel and crashing hard into the barrier. The wheel was off as Sergio crashed into the barrier. The intense impact knocked the Mexican unconscious.

Everyone in the Red Bull paddock exclaimed in shock and you swore you felt your heartbeat stopped as the car rested against the barrier.

“Sergio? Sergio? Are you okay?”

Silence.

Your worst nightmare was slowly coming to be. Something you hoped you never had to experience.

“Sergio? Are you alright?” You swallowed.

“I’m good,” He coughed over the radio. His entire body was stiff and hurting but nonetheless, he was alright.

You kept a hand cupped over your mouth as Christian came over to give you a hug.

“He’s alright, Y/N. He’s alright,” You hadn’t realised tears were falling until Christian tightened the hug. You thanked God for the miracle.

The on-site medics brought Sergio to the hospital for precautionary measures. An impact of 51g could have caused worse injuries to the Mexican. The injuries he sustained were horrible purple bruises to his ribs and side. The ward room door swung open, revealing Christian and yourself. The doctor had brought Christian out to speak with him about Sergio’s injuries, leaving you and Sergio alone. Tears stung your eyes once more.

“Mi amor..,” “No! No! You do not get to do this to me again! Remember Canada 2014? Or Hungary 2015? Don’t do this to me again!” Your arms wrapped around his neck, sobbing softly into the crook of his warm neck. Sergio buried his face in your shoulder in return. “I’m so sorry, mi amor..I really am. I didn’t mean to scare you at all,” You pulled away, planting a kiss on both his cheeks.

“You promised that you’re going to marry me one day, right? What happens if–if,” “Shh, mi reina. That promise stands. Remember our dinner before the season began? Mama wouldn’t stop asking when our marriage will be,” You let out a soft laugh, Sergio’s hand moved to cup your cheek. His thumb wiped a tear away, leaning in to steal a kiss from your red lips.

“I’m feeling very good, my love. I can return to the next race,”

A smile spread on your lips.

“I love you,” “I love you too,”

You hope this year will be good for your lover, your brother, Max, as well as for both teams and pray hard that there will be no more accidents that involve both of your lover and brother.

Besides, an accident like Silverstone was not going to stop your Mexican lover. Two weeks of recovery and the Hungary Grand Prix was up. Hungary ended on a horrible note with Max ending up with a DNF and Sergio finished P9 and Esteban catching up in points to Sergio. That alone was enough to set Sergio straight and extremely focused on the upcoming races. That hard-driven motivation gave Sergio more two wins, Spa as well as Zandvoort. Until, Monza.

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

Italian Grand Prix, 12 September

Sergio’s entire focus was on winning in Monza. He didn’t care about anything else, just winning and fighting hard against the Alpine driver. Starting on lap 26, Esteban had just left the pit stop after putting on fresh new tyres. Sergio was coming in hot with Lando Norris in front of him. It was a tight squeeze in turn one and Esteban was really pushing Sergio off track. Of course, the Mexican did not want to lose out. He was not going to go down easily. That was a mistake. Sergio drove over the curb, resulting in Esteban unable to slow down. The lower left tyre struck Sergio’s lower right, the Red Bull drove atop the Alpine and into the gravel.

Christian exclaimed in anger, a fist brought down upon the table as you. What worried you more was Esteban being under Sergio’s car. Esteban Ocon was your brother and you were absolutely relieved that the halo was in place to protect him.

Sergio’s angry voice came on the radio.

“That’s what you get for not leaving a space, asshole!” He growled, slamming a hand on the steering wheel. He could not do anything but wait for the race marshals and the safety car to be initiated.

When both drivers were back in the paddock, Sergio watched as you ran past him. The Mexican watched as you made your way to the Alpine garage, searching for Esteban. You spotted Daniil.

“Daniil!” You called out. The Russian man jumped a little in shock, pushing his headphones off.

“Y/N-,” “Where is Esteban? Is he alright? Is he back?” “Woah, woah. Slow down. Esteban is resting in the lounge,”

You rushed towards the lounge, ignoring the eyes on you as you burst through the door.

“Este..,” You approached the Frenchman, his trainer was slowly massaging his sore neck. He gave the woman a small, crooked smile as his trainer left both siblings alone.

“Are you okay? God, I saw the incident,” You sighed, sitting beside your brother.

Esteban nodded slightly. “Yeah..I’m alright. The team isn’t happy with what happened, of course. I’m pissed, obviously, at Sergio,” Esteban sighed heavily. You rubbed your forehead.

“Listen, I get that I’m the girlfriend to your rival but I still care about you two. You’re my brother, Este. God forbid if anything happened to you during this season,” “Yeah, well, I think Sergio would be happy if something did happen,”

You slapped his arm. “Don’t say that, idiote. You are so annoying sometimes,” You wrapped your arms around your older brother, a soft hiss left his lips. “Sorry,” The warm hug lasted a few more seconds before you pulled away.

“Be careful for the next few races, alright? This rivalry is only on track and in races, understand? Outside of it, you are my brother and Sergio is my boyfriend. Someday, he will be your brother-in-law,” Esteban groaned.

“Don’t remind me of your sappy love with him,” You slapped the back of Esteban’s head. “Tais-toi, connard!” You hissed.

“Alright, alright. I’ll see you later, alright, sis? You stay safe,” You nodded with a big smile, making your way back to the Red Bull paddock.

Spotting Sergio among the pit crew, you approached him. “Mon cheri, are you alright?” Sergio wrapped an arm around your waist. “I’m alright. Where did you go?” “Checked in on Este,” Sergio hummed, nodding. “Who do you think is going to win this year?” You scratched your chin.

“You know I cannot answer that question, pas vrai? This entire season itself is giving me a big headache,” Rubbing your temples, Sergio placed a kiss on the other.

Yes, you were curious to see how this season would end but at the same time, you were dreading to see the outcome of the remaining races.

The points between both drivers were like an imbalance scale. Sometimes, Sergio was in the lead and others, Esteban was in the lead.

The next prominent race would be Mexico. It would be Sergio’s home race and it would also be the day that Sergio had a chat with Esteban. He confided in Max about this plan of his and Max was ecstatic with Sergio’s plan.

(“Look, mate. You can do this. Esteban is Y/N’s sister and you’ve seen how soft he is for her. There’s no way he wouldn’t agree to your plan,” Max said. Sergio had his thinking face on. “You’re right. Thank you, Max,” The Dutch nodded. “Now focus on winning this,”) And win he did.

While Max was distracting Y/N, Sergio ventured into the Alpine garage. “I need to speak to Esteban,” He told one of the crew members. Laurent Rossi approached Sergio. “A pleasure, Sergio,” He brought a hand out.

“Pleasure is all mine, Laurent. I need to speak with Esteban,” He shook Laurent’s hand. The team principal nodded. Before he could call Esteban over, the French made his way over to Sergio.

“What are you doing here?” “I need to speak with you. Privately,” Esteban squinted his eyes, observing the Mexican’s body language. Something about it was a little off but he agreed to it. Both men stepped into a private room within Alpine’s garage.

Sergio rubbed his hands. “I know this season hasn’t been a, uh, a kind one for us. But I want us to put aside this rivalry for something I’m planning,” Esteban raised an eyebrow.

“I have spoken to your father and he has, uh, given me my blessing. I want to marry Y/N Ocon,” Esteban swore he felt his jaw drop. He stood frozen, repeating Sergio’s words over and over again in his head.

“I’m very serious about Y/N and we have been together for almost 5 years. Esteban still kept silent, jaw clenched. “Esteban?” The younger man looked down at the Mexican. He nodded. “This is very unexpected but who am I to stop my father’s blessing? I want Y/N to be happy and I know you will give her that,” Sergio broke into a wide smile. Esteban grinned, pulling Sergio into a tight hug. “Thank you, thank you,” “Y/N’s right. This rivalry stays on track only. I am looking forward to calling you my brother-in-law,” “Me too,” Esteban inhaled deeply. “Well, any plans on how you’re going to propose to my sister?” Sergio nodded, a hand on his rough jaw. “I was thinking of proposing to her in Abu Dhabi after the race in front of everybody, the fans and press included. It’s an optimistic plan. So far, Max and Christian knows of this plan, you included now,”

Esteban nodded. He held a hand out. “I like the plan. May the best man win, Sergio,” Sergio took Esteban’s hand and shook it. “May the best man win,”

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

Present

You snapped back into reality as Christian had a gentle hand on your shoulder. Your gaze turned to the screens, focused on it. “Oh, big crash for Nicholas Latifi,”  Hugh informed. “Sergio, safety car initiated. I repeat, safety car initiated. Red flag, please stand by,”

At this point of time, your heart was racing like crazy.

Word above came down to both Alpine and Red Bull teams that they would be given a free pit while the safety car led the grid.

“Okay, Sergio. Box this lap. Box for softs,” “Copy,”

You turned as Sergio pulled up into the pit. He had his eyes on you momentarily before driving out of the pit to join the grid along with Esteban. Both were ahead. This was it.

Lap 57, the last lap. Your hand gripped the table, a sheet of sweat coated your skin in nervous anticipation.

As soon as the safety car was off, Sergio was taunting Esteban and the French did the same. Red flag was lifted and this was it. Both drivers slammed down on the accelerator, chasing towards the finish line. Sergio had the lead on the straight but Esteban caught up easily, driving beside the Mexican. Sergio had managed to pull away before there could be any potential contact. Esteban kept a close distance with Sergio but the Red Bull proved advantageous in the last few turns. Sergio pushed real hard on the accelerator, racing towards the approaching finishing line.

“Alpine is not happy but Red Bull will be delighted! They have shared a brilliant championship battle but the championship can only be won by one and it’s going Mexican in 2021! Sergio Perez, for the first time ever, is champion of the world!”

You screamed in delight, tears spilling as you hugged Christian in happiness. The Red Bull paddock crew went wild, loud cheering and many hugs involved among the people in the team. Christian pulled away.

“He did it! Y/N, he did it!” You sobbed, nodding as you hugged the engineering crew for Sergio.

“Oh my lord, Checo! Oh my!” Hugh exclaimed into the radio.

“Yes!! Yes!! Oh my god!” Sergio yelled, his voice cracked as his eyes teared up from the overwhelming happiness. He stopped the car in Parc Ferme, getting out of his car. He felt tears running down his face, kneeling before the RB16B who had carried him extremely well. He bowed down to the car, unable to comprehend that he had won the title. Sergio stood, looking at the crowd of fans screaming at the win. He could see the mass of his own people waving the Mexican flag proudly for their winning driver.

Sergio had his helmet off, placed it on his car where it was parked below the podium stand. Esteban approached him, a smile on his face. “I never doubted you, you crazy Mexican,” Sergio pulled Esteban into a tight hug.

“Congratulations, Sergio. I’m happy for you, I really am. Man, it hurts to lose but this means a lot more to you. And to my sister,” Sergio nodded. “Thank you for everything, Esteban. I mean it,” Esteban laughed, patting Sergio’s shoulder. “I honestly should be thanking  you. Come on. Celebration time,”

Both men made their way to the podium, congratulating Carlos, who had finished an extremely impressive third finish. As the Mexican national anthem played and the trophies were handed out to each driver, Sergio spotted his family as well as Esteban’s family in the crowd. He could also see Y/N, who was dapping her eyes with a piece of handkerchief. Sergio turned to Christian, who was on stage with him and nodded. The Mexican jumped off the podium, leaving his champagne and trophy behind as he collected a mic from the presenter’s hand. Confusion filled everyone’s faces as the Mexican disappeared from the podium and reappeared approaching his car. “Hello, everyone. This has, uh, been an incredible season. I want to thank everyone for being here and to my team, who has been amazing throughout the year. I want to, uh, also thank the fans for their endless support for me and specifically, my girlfriend, Y/N Ocon, for staying with me and becoming my pillar of support for this season and the past,” Max tapped your shoulder. “Come,” He took your hand, leading towards the barrier where it was pushed aside to give space for you to walk. You furrowed your brows at the Dutch’s action, confused with what was going on. You swallowed, the clicking of cameras made you a little anxious as you approached Sergio. “I don’t want to wait anymore,” Sergio walked over to you, standing in front of you.

Your eyes trained on him. Was this..

Sergio kneeled down on one knee. Oh, it was. You gasped, hands covering your mouth as Sergio held a beautiful golden band with a fire opal stone in the middle.

“Y/N Ocon, you have stayed with me and loved me more than a man could ever ask for. I love you very much, mi amor and I really want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you, Y/N Ocon, marry me?”

You swore you felt your heart stopped at that moment. Those magical words you longed to hear for the past year. The clicking of cameras was faster now and the cheering of fans had died down to hear the answer.

You looked around, looking at Sergio’s parents, who were smiling widely. You then looked at your parents, your mother was crying into a tissue with your father consoling her gently. Finally, you looked at Esteban, who had the biggest smile on his stupidly adorable face.

Your wet eyes looked back down at Sergio, tears spilling as you nodded.

“Yes! God, Sergio, yes!” You yelled. The fans cheered loudly, the surrounding team joined in the celebratory yelling as Sergio pushed the ring through your finger. He stood, catching your waist and leaned down for a deep kiss. The kiss wouldn’t last long as Esteban, Carlos and Christian sprayed you and Sergio with champagne. The other drivers joined into the celebration, all too excited to see the ending of the season and for the winter break.

As champagne sprayed everywhere, you cupped Sergio’s cheek. “I love you so, so much,” “I love you too, so much,” Sergio leaned in for another kiss, both of you couldn’t give a single care to your surroundings.

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You honestly did not expect the wedding to be extravagant, like something out of a Disney movie. You always thought Sergio would want to have a simple wedding with his and your families. Then again, your soon-to-be-husband was always full of surprises.

The wedding was held in Guadalajara at least four months after the final race of the season (Sergio did not want to waste any more time) but the main celebration was in Évreux.

Your heart swelled with immense pride and happiness to be called the wife of Sergio Perez. You had your attention on the gorgeous wedding ring seated on your finger as both of Sergio’s brothers had his few words for the couple. Sergio took your hand in his, fingers laced together as the Mexican man gave his handsome smile to his wife. Your cheeks redden, leaning into his shoulder. The scent of his cologne mixed with his natural musk was calming.

As much as you fought the urge to cry, you wanted that day to be the most special in your life. You had your chance to dance with your husband first before moving on to the 2021 drivers who had attended the wedding. (“Aw, come on, Max! I want to have my go next,” Lando whined as Max readied himself to have his dance with the bride after Valterri. Max rolled his eyes. “You’re next,” He wasn’t.)

Sebastian released the bride to Sergio for the last dance, both had their foreheads pressed against one another.

“I love you so much, Mrs Perez,” You smiled widely, pressing a soft kiss to Sergio’s lips as a stray tear of happiness trickled down your powdered cheek.

“I love you too, Mr Perez,”

#f1 #Formula one #Sergio Perez #Sergio Perez x reader #F1 imagines #F1 one shot #f1 fandom #f1 x reader #formula one x reader #formula 1 fanfiction #formula 1 x you

[f1]

Alpine aiming to take the fight to Mercedes with Baku and Miami upgrades

Alpine are setting their sights on breaking into F1’s current top four and challenging Mercedes with upgrades coming over the next two races, team boss Otmar Szafnauer has stated. Alpine rose from fifth to fourth in last year’s constructors’ standings but a steady start to the 2023 season has left them sixth overall, behind McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, the much-improved Aston Martin and Red Bull. READ MORE: ‘It’s a shame’ – Szafnauer reveals how Ocon and Gasly reacted to their race-ending crash in Australia After taking home two points from the Bahrain opener, a stronger display on the streets of Jeddah saw Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly log a double points finish, with the latter also running in the top five for much of the last race in Australia. However, a clash between the team mates during the final standing restart at Albert Park cost them their best result of the campaign so far, and meant McLaren – who scored with both cars – were able to jump ahead of their midfield rivals. Alpine sit sixth in the constructors’ standings after the first three races of the season “At the last race I think we were comfortably the fifth fastest team, with Ferrari just ahead of us, and us really not pushing hard to see if we could overtake them,” said Szafnauer, as he reviewed Alpine’s performance last time out. “[It was] a bit conservative, but what we’ve got to do is get back on that springboard and develop over the season – it’s a long one – and continue to do what we did last year and improve the car as we go along to try to catch those ahead of us.” READ MORE: Behind the scenes with Pierre Gasly – The Alpine racer on his start to 2023 and a ‘painful’ day in Melbourne Asked about impending upgrades for McLaren and Mercedes, and whether he thinks Alpine can take the fight to the Silver Arrows, Szafnauer pointed to his team’s strong development record through 2022 as cause for optimism. “We think we can fight with them,” he commented. “We too have a decent-size upgrade coming for Baku and then a little bit more only a week later in Miami, so we continue to push the upgrades out. Points went begging for the team in Australia when Gasly and Ocon came to blows late on “The important thing is that they all work when we put them on the car and we have good correlation with our simulation tools. We had good correlation last year and if that continues, and if we continue to push the upgrades, we’ll take that development fight over the season to the others around us.” Szafnauer also admitted that the month-long break between events in Australia and Azerbaijan, which does not impose the same restrictions as the summer shutdown, brings several benefits. WATCH: Who can make the best Aussie burger? Ocon and Gasly tackle the ultimate BBQ challenge... “Well, the break wasn’t planned, but it is a welcome break from both getting ample car parts, spares, as well as when we do bring developments,” he said. “There’s a huge effort to make enough of those parts to ensure that you can really push hard, so that definitely helps. “Also, the break allows you to plan further upgrades that you find through your simulation tools, and knowing that the break is there, you plan them a bit differently – but it definitely helps.” via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

#F1 #Alpine aiming to take the fight to Mercedes with Baku and Miami upgrades #Formula 1