#because you'll make or say vicious things as well

[batsplat]

hiiii <3 i just saw your casey race recs post and i was wondering if you had one with dovi or marc races too! i'm relative new to motogp and i don't know where to start watching!

thankk youuuu, i love your blog, i'm learning so much thanks to you 😭😭 also you're really funny 🫶

right, this one admittedly was trickier than the casey list. marc in particular has accumulated one hell of a body of work... not easy to do justice to. marc's won a lot, but his most enjoyable races aren't the ones where he gaps the field by about two minutes at cota. it's the ones where he's scrapping and brawling his way through and the whole thing is a bit of a mess. and there's a lot of races to choose from in that regard, against a whole host of different rivals

which is very nice for him, but that makes it impossible to do anything comparably comprehensive for marc without getting to a slightly ridiculous length. luckily, that's never stopped me before, and long is what you're getting. you asked about dovi so I'm gonna go with him first, because that's a somewhat easier to tackle body of work - and limit myself to a mere ten twenty five seven eight recs. then I'll get to marc, where I've limited myself to an extremely reasonable thirty three five races, not including any I already covered in the dovi section. if you're looking for something a little more specific, like idk wet weather or feuding or whatnot, lemme know

same warning as before: plenty of race results will be spoiled in the description. in honour of how worryingly long this list is, I've escalated to a three asterisk system: * means 'go check it out', ** means 'personal favourite', *** means 'classic race'

dovi

spoiler free top ten list: welkom 2004, turkey 2007, sepang 2008, silverstone 2010, mugello 2012, mugello 2017, austria 2017, sepang 2017, brno 2018, qatar 2019

*welkom 2004: dovi's first grand prix win. most of this race consists of a three-way battle between locatelli, dovi and casey (who eventually drops away a bit) at the circuit that kicks off dovi's 125cc title-winning season. the second half of this race is more exciting than the first, and you'll never guess how dovi wins a grand prix for the very first time. let's just say he wasn't leading going into the last corner and leave it at that

**turkey 2007: andrea dovizioso once again getting himself involved in a last lap battle? SURELY not. this race is so so much fun, though after the start it settles down for a bit - stick with it, because when it gets going, it really gets going. these kids are vicious with each other! half the joy of watching these old 250cc/125cc (or equivalent) races is hearing the stuff the commentators chat about, basically getting all the good gossip of the time... like say jorge telling the spanish press they shouldn't believe half the things he says about his rivals... or how he'd already been visibly pissed off after qualifying because he was starting from p2 rather than pole... also the kind of podium both me and the commies always massively enjoy, aka one where two people on it basically refuse to acknowledge each other. the vibes between jorge and dovi are NOT good here and it's a lot of fun to watch these children being so pissy with each other

^one of his favourite career victories against his main rival in 250cc, the defending champion jorge lorenzo, who was sporting the number one plate on a superior bike to dovi's honda machinery. more often than not over the course of their time in the sport, these two have not gotten on well at all. it remains one of the sport's defining tragedies that chupa chups did not sponsor jorge throughout his career

qatar 2008: his debut in motogp and a strong race. pleasingly he gets involved in a last lap fight, and does pick off one of the aliens

*sepang 2008: dovi's first premier class podium and an extremely deserving one that really showcased his abilities as a defensive rider, the latest of late brakers etc etc. fought with valentino, then led a train of four/five riders at one point, then was involved in a great late scuffle for third place that lasted until the very end

donington park 2009: first motogp win! has to be said the aliens... uh. none of them delivered their most dignified performances. but ignore those clowns - dovi's of course cemented his reputation as a highly skilled wet weather racer over the years, but this was his first time in the spotlight in the premier class. it would take him seven more years to acquire his next victory

*qatar 2010: a somewhat stronger season than his disappointing 2009 campaign, and the first race was certainly promising. dovi scraps with vale, scraps with nicky hayden, scraps with lorenzo... the racing is pretty decent too. includes the strange sight of seeing the ducati out-powered in a straight line down the lusail straight and I'm sorry but at that point ducati might as well have called it a season, like that was their ONE thing. anyway, dovi still rode well to take advantage of it

*silverstone 2010: once jorge hits the front following some initial resistance from dani, the fight for the win is basically over - but what's going on behind him is good enough to make up for it. bunch of different duels going on in the top seven, whether it's dovi and de puniet, hayden and pedrosa, spies and sic, and eventually casey shows up to join in on the fun too. another one where a bunch of riders are pleasingly close together and there's some real suspense about the final order late on (though the most dramatic action in the last lap is happening right behind dovi - not that you see most of it given the classic tv direction sin of instead giving us a nice prolonged shot of jorge doing a wheelie over the line and his crew celebrating. cheers guys). nice comeback ride for casey-enjoyers too (he wasn't enjoying it)

**sepang 2010: lot going on in this race. three-way fight for the win. valentino is eleventh after a few corners. he does not end the race in eleventh place. this is a good race both for dovi enjoyers and for enjoyers of the... uh. complicated vale/jorge dynamic (this race immediately followed motegi, a notable low point of their relationship). lovely little spite ride, for people who like that kind of thing. love the way it gradually builds up as valentino closes and closes and dovi is just sitting on jorge's rear wheel, and then it just nicely lights up around half distance. me and the commentators are once again having a great time. it is here that jorge seals the title, so it's all post-race smiles with just a hint of posturing

silverstone 2011: casey won this by several light years, but dovi demonstrated his pedigree as a wet racer once again. his race involved intense skirmishes first with jorge and then with sic, and it's fair to say he got the better of both of them

^two excellent wet weather racers and teammates for a single year in a three person repsol honda squad. when dovi was informed he would be let go by the factory team, he decided against accepting a demotion within honda and instead made the jump to yamaha's tech 3 satellite outfit for one year. this was the first time he raced outside of honda in his grand prix racing career. then, in 2013, valentino's return to yamaha made space within ducati. he was always going to have to be vale's replacement rather than his teammate - in 2011 while searching for a ride he said "I would never accept to be teamed up with valentino rossi. it would be pure masochism. there is no room for anybody at his side, he takes it from you and he takes it all. when rossi is ready to share the limelight it will be the end of his racing days". fittingly, dovi was valentino's last ever teammate in motogp

mugello 2011: this feels like one of those classic alien era races where the winner of the race is determined after about a lap. but... it's not! makes for an unexpectedly exciting race and also *ding* last lap overtake

*valencia 2011: this one should have gone on the casey list too, knew I'd missed some. anyhow, on dovi - a lot of dovi's best races during those years came in the wet. but this time he was already engaged in a nice little scrap with dani and ben spies before the rain came. the clash also had real stakes for dovi and dani's final championship positions, a point of personal pride given that dovi had been let go by honda and pedrosa had been retained. a race that accidentally gets exciting again at the end, quite the dramatic finish. this was an emotional podium at the first race after sic's death. dovi and sic had grown up racing each other - and while he stressed that they had never been friends, dovi went to sic's house two days after the crash to see his family and share his grief with them

assen 2012: another one that probably could have gone on my casey list too, actually, with the fight for the win between dani and casey lasting pretty far into the race. behind them, it's dovi putting pressure on spies, lying in wait to make the attack... and, thrilled to say, we do in fact have some last lap overtaking. we don't really get to see how this contest is resolved because the audience needs to see the race winner coast for half a lap, but nevertheless! this one also has extra significance because spies was a factory yamaha rider and dovi was with the satellite team. always a good idea to get your market value up during contract negotiation season

*mugello 2012: would put this on my casey list if I'd included some disaster rides, which this is for him. that bit of the season where he made some high profile errors and controversial passing attempts of his own (and there was an overtake he did apologise for post-race) (this is the last casey mention I promise). anyway, never mind him. this is another one of those alien era races where the winner pretty quickly checks out by a margin of around ninety nine years, and indeed is already waving to the crowd on the last lap. the racing behind him is not too bad though, dovi is involved in a long duel with bradl that hayden eventually joins, and casey isn't the only guy executing controversial passes

assen 2014: ducati was in a pretty sorry state in 2013 and it's still in a pretty sorry state in 2014. another wet race podium, very strong race from dovi where he does manage to stick with marc for a while there. lower down the order, valentino is executing a rather nifty comeback ride after making an erroneous tyre choice

**qatar 2015: a great race and one that nicely sets the tone for what some consider a fairly interesting season. marc goes wide in the first turn and jorge has some kind of visor issues, so we end up with the two ducatis and valentino having it out for the win

^valentino after qatar 2015 about the current era of racing. at the start of the season, it looked like the ducatis would be right in the mix - surely one of the two factory riders would be able to snag a victory sooner or later. it was not to be that year and the results for the rest of the season were largely disappointing, but ducati had clearly made a step forward

sepang 2016: dovi's 2015-16 must have been maddening. three consecutive p2's to start 2015 but drops off from there. rumours at the start of 2016 that jorge's sick of yamaha and speculation is ripe about who in ducati might be sent packing for him. it looks like dovi might well be headed for the door, except iannone did something extremely damaging to his case early that season - dovi was the safe pair of hands, not the guy ducati put their hopes in. they're handing out wins to anyone who rocks up that year and indeed dovi's soon-to-be-former teammate gets ducati's first victory in about a million miserable post-casey years. plenty of talk about who'll win next and marc and vale both point to dovi, but it's just not happening. sepang is the penultimate round of the season and by this point, at least a little order has been restored again - which is when dovi finally gets his win in the wet. still bonkers to think he had two premier class wins pre-2017 both in the wet and then he's runner-up three consecutive years, very gibernau of him. he earned it too, a long scrap in the race with valentino until vale's tyres went kaput

*mugello 2017: dovi begins his transformation into a genuine title threat here. it looked like lorenzo would lead the ducati charge as he had been hired to do at ducati's home circuit in mugello, a circuit he had always been strong at. in the early stages of the race, jorge fought valentino (fresh from his first motocross accident of the season and expected to struggle late in the race) for the lead. dovi had missed warm-up as he was suffering from food poisoning, but, as would happen repeatedly that season, jorge quickly slipped back down the order - and in the end it was dovi who took the fight to the yamahas. a home victory, his first dry win, and all while not at his best physically... no wonder it was one of dovi's favourite career wins

^the moment dovi replaced maverick vinales as marc's biggest threat that season

catalunya 2017: it took dovi seven years to win two races and a week to win his next two. this was the moment when yamaha really started falling apart and confirmed the looming realignment of the competitive landscape. it all came back to the tyres - as it often did in those years, but it was particularly extreme in the sweltering heat. winning a race with your tyre preservation skills on a bike that allows you to preserve those tyres doesn't make for the most thrilling of races, but hey, job well done. his teammate finished fourth, almost ten seconds back after leading on the first lap

***austria 2017: one of the classic marc/dovi duels. the best races between the two of them (unsurprisingly) tended to be at tracks that quite heavily favoured ducati - and austria was already establishing itself as a prime ducati hunting ground. which meant that marc was pretty happy to even find himself that high up in the order and doing damage limitation in terms of the points swing in the championship fight. does that mean he plays it safe while trying to snatch the win from dovi? not even going to bother to answer that question

*motegi 2017: another in the marc/dovi collection and one that reaffirmed dovi's status as a worthy challenger to marc. a dramatic last lap in treacherous conditions that goes down right to the very last corner

**sepang 2017: such an impressive win. the title was on the line... or rather, dovi knew that he basically had to win to even still give himself a chance. he was not helped out one bit by his teammate in this regard, but rode a fantastic race in the wet to eventually force the title decider (left field choice but this dovi win is the one that most impressed me, fully thought the title would be wrapped up here especially after a poor race in phillip island)

valencia 2017: has to go on here as it's the one title decider dovi has gotten himself involved in. marc had a comfortable 21 point margin, which meant that for dovi to win the title marc would've had to finish... uh p12 or lower I believe, and dovi would've had to win the race. straightforward for marc, right? well, title deciders have a tendency to get a bit weird and nervy, just because of the stakes involved... and you can tell from how marc's riding. this race is also really dull until about ten laps to go... thing about valencia is that even when it's looking like an overtake is coming it's basically guaranteed that it won't be. the funniest part of the race is jorge ignoring team orders to a ridiculously blatant extent and ducati attempting to psychically murder him

^dovi always knew the odds were against him going into valencia. this is the moment his title bid ends, ironically just after he'd finally been freed of lorenzo

*qatar 2018: dovi would never come as close to the title again as he did in 2017, but at the start of 2018 at least it looked like he could be a serious challenger once again. this is a great race, another last lap battle... trying not to get repetitive so here, have some of my race notes to change things up:

**brno 2018: for a while, this looks like we're building up for a nice little four-way fray between dovi, vale, marc and jorge (feat. crutchlow). dovi does what he always does when he's leading and goes at the slowest possible pace, and everybody else does what they always did in those years and lies in wait, while occasionally reshuffling the order at the front in the name of whimsy. and then the yamaha does what it always does and somehow burns out its tyres anyway even though they're crawling around the circuit. anyhow, once valentino has done his scheduled backwards slide and jorge has rejoined the fray, it shapes up as a nice little three-way fray between dovi, marc and jorge. appreciating dovi races is all about getting really into the idea of tyre preservation and knowing the last laps will probably be fun. extra little spice because by this point the jorge/dovi dynamic is... not great :)) and we get an appropriately feisty duel between those two in particular

^after his win at the season opener in qatar, dovi had struggled to continue the momentum from the previous season. he went into the race fourth in the standings behind marc, vale and maverick, already 77 points down on marc - and his teammate had recently won back-to-back races. an important win and the rest of his season was a lot stronger. and of course, he had the joy of beating jorge, a relationship that managed to deteriorate even further over the course of that year

*thailand 2018: minus the yamahas providing an early and a late cameo, this one's all about another marc and dovi duel. a lot of stalking and lurking and then marc makes his move with four laps to go. excellent last few laps with overtakes galore, including of course at the very last corner

**qatar 2019: perhaps the archetypal dovi race. runs a very slow pace at the front to just carefully manage the pace, which leads to a nicely bunched up field that keeps sniping at each other. the top three for much of the race of marc, dovi and rinsy switch around plenty of times. there's one moment where dovi just like. ups the pace simply to test if he can drop everyone and then fully drops it by a second the next lap when he can't. pretty funny in how blatant it was. also, don't want to shock you here but we do indeed have another last lap battle. top five at the end covered by .6 seconds

*austria 2019: the first lap is WILD and actually manages to delay the inevitable marc/dovi duel. fabio leads for a bit, and then you are reminded of exactly why he hasn't been able to shut up about top speed for the past few years, like man after a while I'd be traumatised too. another fun duel between marc and dovi, which ends with... that's right. a last lap battle. that was kind of what their rivalry was about by 2019, given there wasn't really a title fight any more (certainly not after jorge played bowling in catalunya) - but the races themselves were thrillers, a welcome remedy when marc's dominance was at its most stifling

austria 2020: just as a heads-up - this race includes a terrifying crash when the bikes of zarco and franky morbidelli almost fly straight into valentino and maverick. nobody was seriously injured but they were inches away from a life-threatening accident; it's by the grace of god stuff. the race was stopped and then restarted, which... bit tough to say whether that helped or hurt dovi. probably helped (though I reckon he was always winning this) - in part two mr tyre whisperer is chasing jack miller on soft tyres. what happens next will shock you. deeply odd race... a lot of 2020 races had a surreal vibe - you just have to kinda experience it for yourself. at one point there's a graphic on screen telling you dovi, zarco and stefan bradl are competing for the win. this is not the case

^once more with feeling: dovi's third win at the redbull ring and only win in 2020, just after he'd announced his decision to leave ducati. between injuries, being unable to make the new rear tyre work for him and the growing alienation from ducati, 2020 was not an easy season for dovi. in the end, he was not the one to take advantage of marc's absence, and his time as a top-level rider ended when him and ducati parted ways

marc

spoiler free top ten list: cota 2013, assen 2015, phillip island 2015, mugello 2016, misano 2017, phillip island 2017, argentina 2018, assen 2018, silverstone 2019, sachsenring 2021

mugello 2010: first grand prix win! once marc has worked his way through the field this develops into a tight four-way scuffle that continues until the very end, with marc winning by .039s

estoril 2010: absolute chaos race and also the penultimate race of the season with a tight and tense championship situation. marc does well to move up the order until the rain comes and the race is paused... and then my man bins it on the sighting lap. anyway who needs more than half a bike to win a race. one hell of a comeback ride with a nicely dramatic ending

phillip island 2011: marc had to start this race from the back of the grid as a result of a one minute time penalty. early in one of the practise sessions that weekend, he had crashed and had been forced to wait in the pits while the bike was repaired, but was then sent out with only a minute to go. he tried to get in a hot lap after the chequered flag was out, and barrelled into the back of another rider who was slowing down after a practise start. the other rider went to the hospital, though was not seriously injured, and marc ended up with only a cut - but both parties were very lucky to escape relatively unscathed and he was heavily criticised for it. he himself did not agree with the penalty, and his team lodged an unsuccessful appeal. this was also a big race in that year's championship fight (that marc eventually could not see out after his crash in sepang), presenting a huge opportunity for title rival bradl to gain a decisive points advantage. a very impressive comeback ride, as well as a good contest for the win

**qatar 2012: love a race that's a mess. the season opener, and also marc's first race back after the horror crash in sepang the previous year that had given him career-threatening diplopia. marc spends a fair portion of the race battling with iannone, one of his main rivals that year, and if I personally had to fight both baby marc and baby iannone I would simply leave. another bloke is so furious at marc he slaps his arm on the cooldown lap, which was in response to a very controversial pass down the straight where marc kinda ran him off track. both were reprimanded by race direction. the finish is ridiculously close. go watch it

^the cooldown lap slap - marc was involved in several controversies that year. at the end of the year, the fim updated its rulebook, widely seen as a response to marquez-related incidents and the controversial handling of them, and introduced the penalty point system. ironically, it was that system that resulted in valentino's back-of-the-grid penalty in valencia 2015. in early 2017, the penalty points were once again scrapped

motegi 2012: another comeback ride - this time, marc stalls at the start. does his thing and eventually has a late scrap with his main title rival pol espargaro for the win. good fun

valencia 2012: 'oh you can't overtake at valencia' 'oh all the races are boring' 'oh could they please kick it off the calendar come on we deserve a better race to end the season' is what only an idiot would say. marc's last moto2 race starts from p33 after being penalised for a practise collision. spectacular comeback rides are a funny calling card to have for the statistically strongest qualifier in motorcycling grand prix history, but reflects how much of a trouble magnet he was - especially in those days. he might not have a great reputation in the premier class, but he did calm down in 2013, relatively speaking. or, well, he certainly did things it was harder to penalise him for

*qatar 2013: marc's first premier class race. jorge basically fucks off at the front from the word go, but it's an exciting battle behind him - that of course eventually involves valentino, who as ever had worked his way through the pack from further down the grid. first race first podium simple as

*cota 2013: this was always going to go on the list given that it's marc's first premier class win. the race itself is fine, not the most exciting entry on this list, but still! obviously worth a watch

**jerez 2013: icl I feel like this race really benefits from watching jerez 2005 first. not only because 2005 is the better race, but because I think you need to picture twelve year old marc marquez watching this race and thinking it was just like. the coolest shit ever. the patriotism left his body that day. I will not talk about the 2005 race here, but to be clear I am with twelve year old marc marquez on this one. anyway, back to 2013: the race is decent, the infamous copycat overtake is great but arguably the parc fermé and podium vibes are even better. not only was he shameless, but he was shameless in a way he knew echoed his hero beat for beat. baby's first premier class controversy

^the infamous finger wag. marc tries to approach him again during the podium celebrations, but seems unbothered when he is rebuffed. jorge made clear throughout that season he thought marc should be penalised, repeatedly bringing up when jorge himself was given a one race ban and how it had taught him a lesson about responsible riding (some of his rivals in 250cc and premier class rookie season might have some thoughts on that). his criticisms continued well into the season, with tensions rising again after marc's overtake on dani in aragon led to dani crashing

**laguna seca 2013: can't leave this out. important to stress moto2/125cc never went there, so it was his first time at just this notoriously tricky track that was known to be incredibly hard to conquer (here is a clip of vale and marc talking about this in the sachsenring presser). I wouldn't say the race itself is all that great once marc does his thing at the corkscrew, but laguna's quite high up there on tracks you can mostly just enjoy watching bikes go around. big moment in the championship fight because it's when marc is racking up the points at the expense of the injured lorenzo/pedrosa

^2008: valentino stops during his victory lap to kiss the corkscrew where he overtook casey // 2013: marc gets his photo taken at the corkscrew a few days before he will overtake valentino there

*silverstone 2013: a jorge/marc contest for the victory with a dramatic ending, one of the best races that year. marc had dislocated his left collarbone in that morning's warm up, so there was added tension in whether he could hold up physically across a race stint - at a time when jorge (and dani) desperately needed to make up points. interesting continuation of the lorenzo/marquez arc that season in that jorge was a little more willing to match marc's aggression, whatever the problems he had with it

valencia 2013: not bad as valencia races go, actually. which is literally only because it's a title decider and the points situation is exciting, but well credit where it's due. proper tussle between the top three - jorge was so aggressive as he attempted to back marc up into the pack that journalists in the presser afterwards were essentially inviting marc to call jorge a hypocrite. obviously has sentimental value as it's where marc's first premier class title was sealed (even if it should have been sealed earlier but hey ho)

*qatar 2014: I found it quite tricky to make a few picks for 2014, because I feel like a lot of the races this year are in the category of 'fun but not all time epics', and it's hard to really choose between a bunch of them in terms of either significance or entertainment value. the first race of a ten race win streak feels as good a place to start as any, and represents the moment when marc really began stamping his authority on the series. in many ways, this race echoed the race of the previous year: jorge leading from the start, valentino charging through the field, marc somewhere in between. except this time jorge crashes and the fight between marc and valentino is for the victory. it lasts until the penultimate lap, and this time it's marc who comes out on top

le mans 2014: marc did try occasionally to keep things interesting. yes he consistently qualified very well, but sometimes he threw in a bad start or an awful first lap for the vibes. in this one, he ran very wide during the first lap (partly helped along by jorge) and ended up back down in tenth. the pace differential is too extreme for good battles but still, some nice overtaking

**catalunya 2014: see above - there's not all that much to separate this from say mugello or silverstone, so the tiebreaker is personal preference. a good, fun scrap that involves all four of marc, vale, jorge and dani at different stages - even if the end result by this point feels almost inevitable. it is here that valentino rather understandably attempts to strangle marc in parc fermé

^still a close contest with seven laps to go. plenty of overtakes, plenty of confusion relating to a yellow flag, and last lap contact

indianapolis 2014: last of the win streak, at a track that was never particularly popular with riders and typically short on good racing. for a while there at the start it looks like this race would deserve to go on the dovi list until valentino just. um. bumps him aside. and lets marc and jorge past both of them. and then lorenzo also bumps dovi aside. sorry dovi, yamaha decided you were not to be involved in this. the next few laps are good fun too, like by this point you can TELL how much both yamaha riders want this. no manners in sight. icl it's mainly the fact that it's closing out the win streak that has made me include it and the first few laps, because once it settles down it... sure does settle down. ignore this list and just pick a win from the 2014 win streak at random - if you enjoy that one, you'd probably enjoy them all

***assen 2015: probably my favourite marquez/rossi battle. really all you can ask from with a race with two protagonists: lasts the whole race, tense, high stakes, two guys who are particularly motivated to beat each other, several overtakes plus a hell of a lot of stalking and studying each other, and last lap controversy. involves cunning, a little bit of ambiguity in the intentions of both parties, some unresolved questions. an appointment with race direction. an awfully tense post-race press conference that the relationship of the protagonists could never quite recover from. the ideal race

***phillip island 2015: one of the best races of all time etc etc, though it may make you feel like somebody is repeatedly stabbing you with the sword of damocles. still, that's entirely to do with what follows, and the race itself is a fantastic four-rider battle with a murdered seagull and a late twist

**sepang 2015: well, obviously! the actual confrontation between marc and valentino is deeply counterproductive in terms of 'guys you're letting lorenzo/pedrosa escape, stop divebombing each other' and well the whole thing is all kinds of tragic. but the racing itself nicely showcased the complete lack of respect between the pair of them and there is something kind of mesmerising about seeing two all time great wheel-to-wheel fighters go at it, no holds barred. plus it's a major part of marc's story. it is what it is

argentina 2016: this probably isn't making a lot of top thirty something lists, but hey, sometimes you just need to watch a kind of stupid race. this race was kind of stupid. it has the dubious honour of being the first in the marc/vale walk of shame 'hey remember when you guys fought here last year' tour, and they do actually get to scrap it out a bit on track again - though that confrontation is defanged from the moment they have to switch bikes. the last corner incident is dumb but also funny. the podium has truly rancid vibes. I had a good time

^nobody else on that podium as much as twitches when marc goes down. blank faces when he jokes about it in the presser. kind of impressive really. same weekend

***mugello 2016: there is a moment when you think this race will end up being an extremely tight contest until the end between the three protagonists of the 2015 fiasco. then something extremely infuriating happens, and it ends up not being that. on the one hand you leave that race feeling a little robbed, on the other hand it did still feature a veryyy dramatic finish between two of the protagonists. excellent race

**catalunya 2016: the first proper post-2015 marc/vale battle, and at valentino's favourite location for enjoyable race-long duels. it's not like... I don't think of that particular category, I'd call it my absolute favourite - but that's a very high bar. no surprise that they both really really wanted to beat each other, and hey interpersonal animosity always adds a fun nice note to the racing

sachsenring 2016: the problem with the sachsenring is that it used to produce banger after banger race until some diminutive bloke called 'marc marquez' fucking ruined it. 2003 2006 2009 2010 2011 are certified classics, as good as it gets really, tight dramatic fights for the victory and podium positions and integral to the narrative arc of their respective seasons. you used to be able to rely on this track to give you a SHOW. but then that twat showed up and... tbh I can't even remember many of his wins there having particularly memorable racing behind him (I did quite like 2018), so maybe it's not only his fault (to be clear it is in large part his fault). anyway the 2016 edition is in that stretch of 2016 where everything just kind of. goes to shit. like they start just letting anyone win. jack miller won in assen that year. anarchy in motogp. it's the michelin tyres, it's the rain, and it's this bit of the season where marc starts running away with the title. this is another very messy race, more rain, and it's one that has convinced me once and for all that marc has actual plot armour at this circuit. there is a moment where you will go 'how does he win this race' and it's the moment where he goes so far off the track he's halfway to austria. watch to find out how he somehow scams another win at the ring. damn him please do it again this year

^come on this is bullshit. if I'm the other guys I'm calling for a ban of the sachsenring until we figure out what the hell is going on. no wonder he was hopeful of winning on the murder honda

**assen 2017: brilliant race. initial four-way tussle between marquez, rossi, zarco and petrucci that includes some early aggression between the usual suspects and then some light rain to further spice things up. right on the very last lap, there are two great scraps going on - one for the win (with a controversial involvement of a backmarker), and the other for the last podium spot against cal crutchlow

**misano 2017: this is a race that very much had the shadow of valentino rossi looming over it, even though he was not in attendance. valentino had gotten himself involved in his second serious motocross crash of the season, both right before italian races, and had this time decided to take himself out of the title hunt rather definitively by breaking his leg. some time after this, marc posts a photo of himself doing motocross - which he has done a lot of over the years, but was interpreted as taunting valentino and got plenty of backlash online. whether this was a contributing factor or not, he received a frosty reception in misano. he crashed during the wet warm up session and was booed by fans as he rode past them on the scooter, prompting him to blow kisses at them. the race occurred at a tense moment during that title fight: marc had suffered a mechanical dnf in the previous race and in doing so had surrendered the championship lead to dovi. he could not afford another dnf at this late stage of the season. which perhaps made it a little surprising just how hard he fought for that win against petrucci in the treacherous wet conditions, the risk he took with his overtake on the very last lap. was it just to get an extra five points and the win, or was it (as the speculation went at the time) about getting revenge on the italian fans? who's to say - but in any case it was one of the defining performances of that year's championship and another example of marc's skill and confidence in the wet

***phillip island 2017: you know the drill - this circuit produces bangers, and this is another all-time great race. marc by this point had a weird and somewhat cursed record at phillip island in the premier class, where he'd a) been disqualified in 2013, b) crashed out of a comfortable lead in 2014, c) won in a dramatic last lap in 2015, and d) crashed out of a comfortable lead in 2016. so in his first four years, the only year he'd even finished the race, it set off a deeply unfortunate series of events involving marc and allegations of sabotage made by his childhood hero - which maybe goes to show the universe just wanted that particular relationship to be doomed. anyway, 2017!! apparently marc decided he could only finish at that circuit when it involved a dramatic battle between multiple riders. good on him! the racing is brutal, with plenty of contact between the riders, as perhaps you might expect looking at the list of protagonists: marquez, rossi, zarco, vinales, iannone, crutchlow. high stakes too - a decisive points swing in that year's title fight that could have easily gone disastrously wrong for marc. in 2018, marc once again did not finish the race

^a hard-fought race where all participants are more than happy to get physical. one of several races that season that prompts questions about aggressive riding, though this time all the riders are in agreement. after the handshake, marc gestures to the rubber that now stains valentino's leathers. in a year where team orders were a big topic of debate, valentino finished right in front of his teammate - who had still been in mathematical contention for the championship

**argentina 2018: for lovers of hubris and head loss. the full marc marquez experience. off his rocker the entire weekend. got whacked with a massive penalty at the end of the race that made the whole thing quite literally pointless and deserved every second of said penalty. jorge's long-standing mantra of 'just give him a race ban' became part of the discourse again. ended up p18 to valentino's p19, hand in unlovable hand. but apart from that, it was a really great performance!

^complaints at the time obviously centred around how marc was a repeat offender in the recklessness of his riding, and lacking in respect (see too the ever-lurking parallels drawn with the jerez 2011 apology - which was, it has to be said, issued for a considerably less egregious offence). publicly marc was mostly remorseless, accepting more blame in the aleix incident than the valentino one, and saying in an interview a few days later that he wasn't going to change his approach. it's the worst and the best of him - he had no need to barge aside other riders with the sheer raw pace he was able to access. on the phillip island 2003 comparison, see valentino's words about riding angry here. in 2012, marc was asked about whether there were races where he was determined to win at all cost, and he mentioned some examples from that year before adding, "there have been many times when I had to channel my inner rage to win a race"

***assen 2018: excellent race, as memorable as phillip island 2015 or 2017 if your favourite type of race is multi-rider dogfights. involves seven or eight riders in the lead group for large chunks of the race, with the order of those riders chopping and changing with incredible regularity. some pretty ridiculous saves (at least three riders right at the sharp end of the action where you feel that they really should have hit the deck) and a lot of contact, putting on full display just how aggressive riding had gotten during that time. most riders enjoyed the contest, though this time it was dovi's turn to be a dissenting voice. in any case, there were reportedly 99 passes within the lead group and it is rightly remembered as one of that era's finest gems

*austria 2018: marc vs the ducatis, as was tradition at the red bull ring. marc wanted to get payback for the last time they had been in austria, and determinedly got a good start to try and avoid history repeating itself - but he never quite managed to escape his pursuers. this is one of those races where there's a long stretch of it just... building, where it feels like either marc will make the break for it or there'll be a dramatic finale. which can make it ever so slightly annoying when there isn't a dramatic finale, but I am happy to assure you that this race delivers on that count. gets very good with ten laps to go

^plenty of close battles, but in those years nobody could match marc for week-to-week consistency. the closest by that metric in 2018 was valentino - but typically a few positions further down the order, hindered both by competitive decline and an increasingly horrendous yamaha. as for jorge, he found his form on the desmodici just as the ducati higher-ups lost their patience and kicked him out. he reached some impressive peaks and at last adapted well to the demands of the bike, but his season was eventually marred by injury

***silverstone 2019: quick warning - quite a scary crash on the first lap even by motogp standards. anyway, dramatic last lap battle with alex rins, who I think it's fair to say marc hasn't always had the best of relationships with. while things haven't exactly gone to plan for either rider since then, excluding fabio that was probably the rivalry that I was most excited to see develop post-2019. ah well. the race itself is fantastic though, one of those that just gradually ramps up the tension before the finale. the last two laps are crazyyyyy. top five closest finish in premier class history

^marc and rinsy (not at silverstone but earlier in the season at jerez). some long-standing bad blood here and I'm sure rinsy really would have liked to strangle marc from time to time

**misano 2019: another visit to valentino's home turf in the year time finally caught up with vale. before this race, marc and valentino tussled in qualifying. an odd and deeply unserious incident that had zero actual impact on their already doomed laps, it's notable in part due to how much marc visibly lost his cool over the whole thing. from p5 on the grid he ended up in an enjoyable duel with fabio quartararo for the victory that went down to the very last lap. as the commentators noted, he celebrated more than he has after sealing some of his championships. coming out best in a last lap battle, making sure to keep the edge over fabio, as well as 'winning in enemy territory'? the perfect weekend. as he says in the immediate post-race interview, "honestly speaking, yesterday was the extra motivation, the extra push for the race" and "really nice to win here in italy". you could tell

**thailand 2019: marc attempting to burnish his last lap battle record by breaking children's hearts? sad stuff. cruel and unusual. a lot of fun to watch. it's an understatement to say that fabio's rookie campaign exceeded expectations, and marc quickly identified him as his biggest threat going forwards. this was a match point race for marc and he needed to outscore dovi by two points to seal the title, but he had such an overwhelming lead that he could afford to take more risks than he might have other years - even if the race did follow a massive crash in friday practise that required a hospital check-up. another race that involves a lot of stalking and shadowing and plotting before the action really kicks off (with four laps to go). this race was part of marc's considerable efforts that year to put fabio in his place while he still could. poor fabio

jerez 2020: hurts to include but this list wouldn't really be complete without it. another race that very much encapsulates the full marc marquez experience. truly bonkers pace until it all went horribly wrong

^funniest moment of the race is when valentino does what is surely the closest you can get to a double take on a motorcycle when he sees marc go past. like he sees marc, then clocks who he's seeing and then visibly looks again in a sort of 'HOW is he here'

*sachsenring 2021: thing about marc at the sachsenring is that it undoubtedly got boring in terms of the victory fight for a few years there, but it's also just a fun, tricky track and he's a joy to watch on it. obviously this win is anything but boring, and the margin he pulls on the field never feels as comfortable as it should be. I don't really think I have much to say about this race that hasn't already been said. I cried

^make that eleven in a row at the ring. honorary mentions go to cota and emilia romagna '21, at time of writing his most recent wins. neither are classic races exactly - and indeed, if you're looking for races relevant to the current climate then aragon '21 is a good shout. at emilia romagna (the second race held at the misano circuit that year), pecco crashes out while being pursued by marc, which clinches the title for fabio. it is also the last race on home soil for valentino

**phillip island 2022: one more for good measure. somehow this is his first premier class ride at the circuit where he finished the race but did not win. late on in that year's tense title battle and gives you exactly what you want from a race at phillip island. it's not even a multi-rider dogfight as it is an every-rider dogfight that eventually becomes a multi-rider dogfight at the front of the pack... but if you looked at the run order after about three laps you would NOT be able to guess who the riders involved are, never mind who wins it. absolute chaos. one hell of a contest right until the very end involving one of that year's two primary title contenders - and some other foes old and new. marc's sole podium that year, and his 100th in motogp. second closest top ten in premier class history, not too bad

#marc marquez #andrea dovizioso #motogp #// #mm93 #ad4 #this was very sweet thank u anon #but also took me longer to answer lol and it's an era people here are more familiar with... so lads feel free to add/dissent #this is a complete escalation in length + detail but well. hope this isn't overwhelming #also anon you asked about marc/dovi so that's what i provided but if you are getting into the sport and are looking to watch old races #then i cannot recommend highly enough to also dip your toes in the pre 2007 years. 2004 is where it's all at i'm telling you #you've got banger after banger race you've got momentum shifts you've got narrative tension you've got interpersonal intrigue... #anyways #oh btw right after that horror austria crash marc tweeted three praying hands emojis (is that what you call them) so there's that

[your-girl-circe]

If they hate you we have 3 possible answers:

1. They're sexually attracted to you and they don't want to admit it, even to themselves

2. They can recognize the success you are going to have or they know you inspire them in a way they feel empty inside (simply they see you are levels above them/lack of creativity)

3. They're jealous because you're doing what they also want to do oooone day but they're afraid even to start (fear of social outcry or self-sabotage)

Just continue, don't even get distracted by their vicious comments. And NEVER answer them back. Take it as a confirmation, that you're doing your job great and stay humble/focused on your goals. Compassion is the best solution.

#circe #I can analyze for days this but I'll be keeping it simple #just keep in mind you're doing your job great #answer them back means they succeed at their goal #dont clap back #it means you lower yourself and now they think they're the same like you #because you'll make or say vicious things as well #open yo eyes #stay focused #some things in life are not worth any reaction #for example how bullies want to fix themselves in a wrong way by abusing physically or mentally their victims #SOMEHOW we have the same mindset like here #im bored to take it further #you already catch what I'm explaining #just ignore them because they have problems they can't solve #compassion is the best solution if you are hurt by their treatments #<3 #hate #love #self love #posts #advises #society #jealousy

[homunculus-argument]

"Maybe magic, maybe mundane" is one of my favourite tropes, especially when it's featured in something where magic could plausibly exist.

One book idea that I had that is currently only a pile of haphazard notes features a character only known as The Queen's Mute - or simply "the mute" for short - who is exactly what it says on the tin: the queen's personal jester, who does not speak. He is also ambiguously human. An eerie, elfin creature who seems to find it funny when people are puzzled by him.

Besides being completely silent, he has an uncanny skill in copying how people hold themselves and move. Gait, posture, the expressions they make, he could just be standing completely still doing nothing, and it's still obvious whether he's standing like the king or the head cook. If you've seen the subject once, you'll know who he's impersonating. He's quick to spot every opportunity to insult someone by doing so - like spotting a nobleman who isn't faithful to his wife and following after him across the room in the exact same gait that his mistress walks in. The king once remarks that he can't understand how the hell someone who can't speak can have so many rude things to say.

The protagonist was sent to spy on the queen, and the mute is almost always with her - making no sound, not even footsteps, but making himself seen, and seeing and hearing everything. One never hears him come or go, he is just suddenly there, sitting on the floor, waiting to see who's the first person to glance down and get startled out of their mind because people don't just pop out of nowhere like that. Being fond of climbing furniture as well, he might also be sitting on top of a shelf.

Though the protagonist first assumes that he is somewhere close to her own age - somewhere in his late teens - and the narration refers to him as "boy" more often than "man", the queen corrects her. He is just as grown now as he was when she first brought him with her, and though she doesn't know his exact age, she knows he is older than she is herself.

The king - despite of being the mute's favourite subject of vicious mockery - tolerates him for some reason. Despite of being aware that the relationship between the queen and the jester is romantic as well as sexual in nature. Their marriage is as loveless as political arranged marriages get, so he finds it preferable to let the queen keep her mute if his taunting antics and his unsettling way of just appearing into places at least keep other men away.

The queen occasionally mentions things that she wasn't supposed to know - and couldn't have known - just to let the protagonist know that she knows more about what's going on than what she lets on. When the protagonist fails to hide her shock and asks the queen how she knew, the queen explains that the mute told it to her. The protagonist assumes this to be a joke, her way of saying "none of your business", since obviously the mute doesn't talk.

But he does talk. Only to the queen, only when absolutely no other soul is there to hear it. And as a plot twist on the last third of the book, it turns out that besides knowing how to move like other people, the mute is a frighteningly good vocal mimic. He can copy the queen's voice perfectly, which they have often used for her advantage. Looking back to every scene where the queen was heard but not seen - behind a curtain or a dressing screen, talking through a door, or just overheard singing to herself in the garden - there is no telling whether the protagonist was actually talking with the queen, or if she had that whole conversation with the mute. This would explain at least one incident where the queen was supposed to be in one place but somehow shows up somewhere else.

The protagonist never figures out what the mute's whole deal is. She never finds a satisfying answer despite of the queen clearly telling her that he is just as much a human of flesh and blood as either of them. The queen often sounds like she's lying when she's telling the truth, as she is now. The mute is completely, entirely human, just somewhat autistic and trans.

[vettelsdarling]

Hiiii can I get a request for Lando basically a sunshine x grumpy where the reader is a new driver that wants 0 distractions and ruled out dating any drivers and so she gets along with everyone but is more distant with Lando because she knows if they get close she’ll fall in love with him but she can’t afford any distractions but he still puts in effort to get to know her and making her smile etc despite her pushing him away and they have this moment and idk you can finish it however you like plsss and thanks!

𝐈𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦

Lissie note… Hey there! This is a really cute idea, I love the thought of Lando pining!! Thank you for the creative freedom to finish it off however I feel!

Things to note:

This is set in the 2022 season, but not in the same timeline(?) you'll see

Reader isn’t completely new to Formula One, but it’s her first time on the grid as a driver (she’s been a reserve driver)

Reader is a few months/a year younger than Lando

Reader is a Red Bull driver

Pairing: Sunshine!Pining!Lando x Grumpy!Serious!Fem!Reader

Warnings: Some cursing, Pretty angsty, J*s Verstappen

Word Count: 6.5k+

Recommended playlists: 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭💔, 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟💗, 𝐋𝐍𝟒

Formula One. A bloodsport, really. Vicious and dangerous. Somehow you’d managed to rise through the ranks and get there. Even earning a place next to Max Verstappen, the second-youngest world champion. Christian Horner, your team boss, was the kind of person who nursed his drivers as if they were his own children. You yearned for the proud look on his face. Not just for him, but for yourself. 

Growing up in a middle-class family, you weren’t as privileged as other kids in karting. Your mother worked tirelessly to support you, whilst your father took you to each race. Now that you’d finally made it to Formula One, you wanted to do everything you could to pay them back. They had given the better part of their lives up so that you could live yours the way you desired.

Winning a championship in Formula One had always been a childhood dream of yours.

… and you were not about to give up on that dream anytime soon.

You, Max, and Horner had come to an agreement: Max would help you win as much as possible. Nobody and absolutely nobody was to get in your way. Max promised to make sure of that. Since you were younger than him, he treated you like a younger sister, whilst still treating you as an equal. Given the fact that he had a sister, he was great at it.

You were in your car. It was the first qualifying of the season, and you felt all of your nerves tense up. It was your first ever feel for Formula One besides sim racing. You’d been stuck as a reserve driver for nearly 2 years— safe to say, you were relieved to finally get a seat. Max and Lewis had just been dominating too much. However, this year was yours and yours alone. You were determined to shine, and you would take down anyone who so much as breathed a hint of threat your way.

You were released and you started your out lap. The tyres felt smooth and the car was completely in sync with you. It was nothing like sim racing, and nothing like Formula 2 either. You’d done practice runs several times before, but there was something about the real deal that elevated the experience that much more. You knew there was a lot of pressure on you for qualifying. Mainly due to the fact that Max had no way of helping you. It was every man for himself, and there was no way you were going to get kicked in Q1. 

“You doing alright?” You heard your engineer say. It made you get distracted, and you accidentally exceeded track limits.

“Well, now I’m not! Shut it, please.” Well, shit. You knew that blunder would be noted immediately. It was surely a deletion of your time. Therefore, you decided to push. Hard.

The next lap was a go, and you worked your way meticulously around every corner, hitting every apex just right. You were determined to make it into Q3. No matter what it took.

You got one final time in, and it was announced by your radio that you made it into Q2, placing P5. You weren’t the type to scream out with joy, so you merely thanked them for the notice.

Q2 began, and you barely made it through to Q3, placing P10.

What nobody expected was your spirit. If you wanted something, you were going to get it.

“Okay, we’ve notified Max that he should try to slow down a bit, to possibly get you a pole position. This way, we can also help you from behind in the race.” 

“Copy.” Your chest felt ticklish with adrenaline, and you pushed harder than before. You did everything you could. Your body felt as if it had been fused to the car. You were getting the fastest sector time left and right. It was exhilarating.

“That’s a pole! Great job! We did it!” Your engineer screamed into your ear with excitement. It was deafening, but that didn’t matter. It felt so good.

“Thanks for the help, guys.”

The front row consisted of you, Max, and Lando Norris; a driver from McLaren. You hadn’t really conversed with him much before. Except one time. Max had invited you to attend the end-of-year party a year back. Lando barely managed to introduce himself before he was interrupted by the Dutchman.

After Lando finished his interview, he moved back to where you were waiting patiently for your turn.

“I hear you’re into brunettes?” You were, but you hadn’t told anyone. Which could only have meant that it was his go-to pick-up line. Lame, if anything. 

“Did you also hear I’m into guys who don’t bother me?” It wasn’t a matter of teasing him or playing hard to get. You simply had no time for something as frivolous as dating on the grid. It was pointless and would only serve as a distraction when you had to stay focused.

“Cute.” It almost felt repulsive to hear him say that. You’d never really been in a relationship other than the many situation-ships you’d allowed yourself to fall victim to in your Formula 2 days.

When your turn finally came, you shook David’s hand with a smile. Adrenaline was still making its rounds throughout your system.

“You did an amazing job today, surely you must be excited!” David was such a gentle and warm soul, so you decided to lay off the colder side for a little.

“I feel amazing, really, I’m over the moon!” You grinned. He asked you some generic questions and you gave him appropriate responses for each.

“You’re the first woman in a long time to have raced in Formula One, you should be proud,” he finished off, before letting you go.

Max slung his arm over your shoulder as the two of you walked back to the Red Bull motorhome. Christian greeted you at the door on his way out, pulling you into a big bear hug and thanking Max for the sacrifice. The two of you made yourselves comfortable on the leather couches in front of the small flatscreen that was inside.

“Max, I really hope it’s okay for you to do all of this for me…” You looked over at Max who was scrolling through the channels.

“Of course, I’ll do it for you. We’re teammates. Besides, it would’ve been wrong if you weren’t talented and couldn’t actually take me on… but you can… so…” He started trailing off as he got a phone call. It seemed to be his father, so he immediately answered it. Of all feelings, you were definitely not surprised by the angry bickering coming from his father through the phone. The look on Max’s face was all but whipped with joy.

When the call ended, you tried to find the right words to comfort him. It was rather hard though, as you’d never really experienced his situation before.

“… I’m here if you want to talk about it?” That was really all you could offer. But your support meant everything to Max, who had made quite the impression on track. Fans saw him as a hot-headed brute, with nothing on his mind but winning.

“It’s okay. It wasn’t anything. Don’t worry about it.” His demeanour had completed a full 360°.

“Well, in any case, if you ever happen to need someone… you know I’ll always be right here.” Without warning, you pulled your brother figure into a warm hug, rubbing his back gently. You’d only ever met his dad a couple of times, but both times were horrible. The man was stone cold. He was intimidating to you.

To celebrate your pole in qualifying, Max had invited you out for dinner with a couple of friends. He said you knew who they were, but still, you felt off about it.

Your hair cascaded down upon your shoulders, masking your exposed collarbone from your little black dress. It was a simple dinner dress you’d brought along for the trip. Your makeup was light but accentuated your features to the fullest extent. Your shoes were designer and matched your padded Prada mini-bag. You threw on a black blazer to complete the look. Flawless.

Max had texted you the address of the restaurant along with the time. You jumped in a cab and gave the driver the information. The cab driver was chatty. He talked about his family, mentioning the fact that he had twin daughters who had just started middle school. You zoned out on the rest of his chatter though. The thoughts of dining with Max’s friends felt daunting somehow.

When you finally arrived, you were already late. You’d been too busy zoning out to notify your teammate. Upon walking in, you saw a fancy vined wall with several pictures of celebrities who’d visited the establishment. Amongst them was a picture of Max and the Brit who’d tried to hit on you. Lando Norris. A waiter approached you with a polite smile and a guest list.

“Oh, um… Max Verstappen?” You also made sure to mention your name so as to not stir any confusion or suspicions. You could’ve easily been mistaken for a fan.

“Right this way, miss.” He led you to a quiet room in the back. It was likely reserved for the restaurant’s VIPs. There you laid eyes on Max and Daniel Ricciardo… but Lando Norris too?! A wave of relief washed over you, as you realized you knew them somewhat.

“Max, you didn’t tell me she would be here?” Lando took the view in with delight, smirking as you noticed it. You rolled your eyes and took a seat beside Max. Unfortunately, that seat was across from curly-haired Brit. 

“It was a surprise. We’re actually celebrating her first pole today.”  You felt slightly embarrassed, almost like people singing you birthday songs.

“Max, isn’t this just rubbing another Red Bull win in our faces?” Asked Daniel. He was obviously joking, so you shot him a playful glare, chuckling shortly after.

After a while, Daniel and Max had gotten deep into their conversation, which left you to deal with Lando. He’d stolen several glances of you throughout the dinner and it didn’t seem like he was planning to stop. You took it as your opportunity to strike up some small talk. All in hopes to get him to stop staring.

“You should stop staring, my image might get burned into your retina.” He didn’t even bother blinking. His eyes moved from your figure to your eyes.

“I think that’d be a blessing, no?” You scoffed at his reply. You saw it as nothing but a foolish attempt at flirtation— which you didn’t appreciate. Sure, you were off-track, but that didn’t mean you had time for meaningless distractions. Lando gave off a clear vibe that he was nothing but a hindrance to your ultimate goal of becoming a champion.

“You’re playing hard to get. I like that,” he smirked and slightly leaned back in his seat.

“Could you be any more obnoxious?”

“If that’s what you want me to be.” He was truly impossible to communicate with. Every sentence was a pick-up line to some degree. 

“I’m not interested in you, Norris.” He seemed to completely disregard the message you sent, as a smile grew on his face the moment you uttered his last name.

“Glad to know you know my name, Miss Red Bull.” Admittedly, he was pretty easy on the eyes, and his small chuckles were cuter than you wanted to acknowledge.

“You should let me take you home after this.”

“You don’t even know me.” Contrary to your belief, that wasn’t true at all. He knew exactly who you were. He and Max were close friends after all. But the real kicker was; he’d been into you for much longer than he led on.

His infatuation first started in the early stages of the 2021 season, when he’d see you wandering around the tracks on weekdays. He’d seen you in the Red Bull garages, usually deep in conversation with one of the engineers. He’d asked about you from multiple people. That included the big man himself; Christian Horner. Though, Christian encouraged him to stop asking around and just strike up a conversation with you. However, Lando never actually found the time to approach you. You were always surrounded by mechanics and the media. It was simply impossible to get to you. It was almost like you were a national treasure. Pretty to look at, but that was all he could do.

“Trust me, I know you.” For a moment, you got lost in those dashing eyes of his. He returned your gaze, only looking into what would be considered the windows to your soul. Could he read you? Could he understand that you didn’t want him? Did you want him?

“You’re incredible up close.” 

“Excuse me?” You snapped out of whatever trance you’d been stuck in as soon as those words left his pouty lips. That statement was creepy if anything, and not flattering in the slightest… or was it?

“That’s a pretty off-putting thing to say, you know?” This luckily caught the attention of Max who’d finished off with Daniel. The two of them turned their heads your way to join in.

“What’s off-putting?”

“Oh, we were just talking about how obsessed Lando is with me.” You said it in a joking manner, but everyone’s faces went semi-pale. Especially Lando’s.

“So he finally talked to you? I’m glad I don’t have to answer any more of his idiotic questions.” Your mouth went dry at his words, and Lando’s face turned a rose colour. As if all air conditioning had been turned off on a hot summer’s day.

“Excuse me?” You’d lost your appetite, making your curiosity the only reason you had to stay. That and your appreciation for Max having paid for the dinner that was supposed to serve as a celebration.

“I- um…” Lando was reasonably hesitant to say anything.

“Well… I was just referring to his constant flirting. I didn’t believe it was deep or anything but… um… you know what? This was nice, Max. Truly. I think I’d like to get home. I’m absolutely drained.” You sighed with a screwed smile on your lip. You gathered your things and pushed your chair in. Despite your friend’s heavy protests, you left and got a cab for yourself. 

Leaving on an empty stomach hadn’t been the plan, so you had no choice but to stop by a grocery store. Many in the area had salads ready to go. It was no five-star meal, but it had to suffice.

Of course, you felt awful for leaving early, but you knew you couldn’t let yourself stray away from your goal. Lando was attractive, you couldn’t stand there and lie to yourself, but that was all the more reason to stay away. Well, besides the point that you barely knew the guy. The flirtatious comments and borderline creepy behaviour were nothing to you. It wasn’t anything you wouldn’t be able to ignore. As long as he stayed out of your way.

Except he didn’t.

The following morning, you had a couple of missed messages from Max. He’d been worried after you took off. You were too frazzled and in a hurry to respond. There was no time left before the briefing back at the motorhome. Being punctual meant that you showed an interest. It meant that you showed passion. You were not going to let some silly McLaren driver ruin it for you. That was simply not your style and would never be.

When you got there, everyone was already gathered. They’d been waiting for you to arrive. Honest, but embarrassing mistake. You wanted to let out a slew of self-insulting jabs. Lucky for you, it didn’t last too long, and you were on to start prepping for the race.

“Hey, are you okay?” A certain Dutchman tapped your shoulder and spun you around when you weren’t responsive. The look he saw in your eyes spoke volumes. Notes that you wish weren’t easily revealed. The eyes didn’t lie. They never did.

“I’m fine, I just really want to focus on winning. I don’t have time for whatever Lando is trying to drag me into.” You sighed as the two of you walked to the motorhome.

“Look, I know you haven’t known him for long, but maybe try to get along with him? You don’t have to accept his shitty flirting. He’s my best friend and so are you… it’s really awkward that you can’t even be around him.” True. You had acted somewhat irresponsibly, but you certainly weren’t the only guilty party in that. 

“Fine, but under one condition. You tell him to stop being so flirtatious with me. I hate it.”

“Deal.”

The race ended with a lucky pole position. Somehow, you’d gotten away with defending yourself from none other than your little McLaren fan. As much as you enjoyed your national anthem being played and spraying champagne— you felt so empty. It felt like a worthless celebration. All because you knew you’d been underperforming. You hadn’t given it your all, yet Lando still kept behind you. Of course, with Max behind him, there was nothing for you to worry about. Both drivers were amazing when it came to defending their place, but you just couldn’t understand how he hadn’t gone for the win. It was right there. Right within reach. It was so close, his beautiful curved lips could touch it. It didn’t make sense to you, nobody would be stupid enough to sacrifice coming out on top. You didn’t believe it. You simply didn’t even want to.

Lando became unavoidable. As more races were won by you and some by Max, it was finally time for the summer break. 3 weeks of much-needed rest.

… what you thought would be a relaxing 3 weeks, turned out to be the most stressful weeks of your life.

Max had texted you on short notice to come over for dinner, as Kelly had made too big of a batch of gnocchi. Since you lived walking distance from him, you didn’t see any harm in coming over. Kelly wasn’t exactly your favourite person in the world, but it wasn’t like she was insufferable. She was still a nice person… somewhat.

Max greeted you at the door, having Penelope run up behind him to say hi. You might’ve not been the biggest fan of her mother, but she was such a cute little thing. You took her up into your arms and smiled,

“Hi there ‘P’!”

Your smile quickly faded though. The Brit from McLaren came into view from behind Max, and it was almost as if all of your spirits had been sucked out of you like the marrow of a bone. It was something of a consolation, however, that he stayed silent. He just stood there and watched as you played around with Penelope. The toddler was full of energy.

“Come come, the gnocchi is ready.” You put the girl down and followed them into the dining room. Kelly had plated everything and had taken the liberty to sit across from Max. You had no choice but to sit next to her. It wouldn’t exactly make sense for her to be sitting next to Lando.

“Kelly, I must say you are an amazing cook, this looks fantastic!” Fake it until you make it. In all honesty, though, she was a great cook.

“Thank you. I’ve been practicing lately.” It felt like deja vu when the couple got into talking. There was just you, Lando, and Penelope.

“I think I should apologize for… everything?” Lando suddenly spoke. You scanned his face, his hair, his outfit. Were you in trouble? Perhaps.

“You know what, Kelly? I think I’ll help tuck Penelope in!” You got up from your seat and politely put down your cutlery.

“Oh, sure. Thank you. It’s way past her bedtime.” She smiled at you and signalled for Penelope to come with you before she turned back to Max.

Lando had the guts to follow you into Penelope’s bedroom. He watched as you lifted the little girl up into your arms and placed her carefully on the duvets that covered her bed. She was already in her pyjamas, which made your job all the more easy. He took the chance to sit next to you on the bed, as you stroked the toddler’s cheek.

“Are you really going to avoid me forever?” He said in a quiet whisper, not wanting to disturb the girl from dozing off into the gentle night.

“You’re a fool if you let relationships taint your path to victory… in my opinion.” You turned your head to look at him. The moonlight shining from the gaps in the blinds complimented his dancing eyes. They looked at you. Your figure. Your facial features. They admired you as if you were a priceless piece of art at a gallery.

“You must’ve led a pretty sad life up until now.” He wasn’t right. You’d been around love and laughter for the better part of your life. You weren’t that lonely… were you?

“Lando… we don’t even—”

“Don’t tell me we don’t know each other. You know me and I know you. This isn’t like all those months ago. We’ve been in social settings together more than I can count on my fingers. You and I know each other.” He was obviously desperate. It made sense when thinking of the massive crush he’d had on you thus far. You did feel a tinge of guilt knowing you had to turn him down no matter what.

“Lando, please don’t do this.”

“I apologize for being so forward, okay? How about we begin with a friendship, huh? That’s what Max would want anyway.” He wasn’t wrong. That’s what Max had asked of you several months ago, but you’d only been distant.

You got along with everyone pretty well. Mick was someone you would chat with every time you saw him on race weekends. Sebastian was like an older brother. Lewis, although your biggest competition, was a good buddy too. You were always hanging around Pierre and Kika too. There were no hard feelings between you and pretty much all of the other drivers. Except for Lando.

As much as you hated admitting it, Lando’s charms had taken a massive effect on you. His flirtatious little comments were nothing short of annoying, but you loved the banter. You loved his energy, his radiant laugh whenever Max would hurl jokes his way. You loved his smirk whenever you rejected his advances.

Over just a couple of months, you found yourself needing to avoid him. So you did. As more time passed, Lando must’ve started to notice, because he dialled his game up by the tenths. Avoiding him became an impossible mission. He seemed to be everywhere. If you went to the Red Bull motorhome, he was there with Max. If you went to the garage, he was there with Max. Even on-track he was right behind you in your slipstream. He was always chasing you. You only had one other option left— to act completely apathetic and aloof. Which brought you right to the confrontation in front of a little toddler trying to fall asleep.

“Just leave me alone. I don’t want you here. Just go, okay?” Your heart clenched as he gave you a disappointed smile.

“If that’s what you want.”

That night you couldn’t fall asleep. It was impossible. Whilst you didn’t harbour any real feelings for Lando, you knew you’d fall hard if you spent any more time with him. Your mind was supposed to be focused on winning, but instead of that— you were stuck on him. You didn’t want to fall for him. You didn’t have time for that. There was only one person that mattered, and that was you. Only you.

“Is he really that bad?” Kika asked as she took a sip of her coffee, placing it on the plastic coaster on the wooden table. You’d invited her over for a sleepover of sorts. Mainly what became an accidental therapy session,

“You know, I came here to Monaco to explore. Why are we sitting here and sulking? Lando isn’t all that bad.”

“Yes, Kika, he is! He keeps trying to get close to me, and when I reject him he makes me feel so guilty for doing so.” Your face was squished against the table, signalling your utter defeat in the matter. You were at a complete loss. You didn’t know what to do anymore.

“Sounds to me like you have a thing for him, no?” Kika was a voice of reason in many situations, but this was not acceptable to you. Denial and delusion was the only solution.

“Never. I want to win a championship, not go fool around with some British guy from a midfield team.” Harsh, but you had to say it. Saying it didn’t exactly have an effect on the situation, but it made you feel better.

“I don’t see any quick fix to this, honestly.” You groaned at her words, wanting your misery to end.

“Come on, relationships take time. I should know, I’m with Pierre.” Pierre wasn’t Lando though. She and he were meant to be. It was as if they were put on the planet to be with each other. You, on the other hand, were put on the planet to win. Lando was nothing but a meaningless distraction.

“Fine, I’ll help you out,” she finally said and sighed. You sprung up and looked at her with wide eyes,

“Really?”

“Really. Now listen. I’ll set up a double date thing, okay?”

“Wait what? No! Kika, no. That’s only going to make it worse. Why would you do that?” Your head dropped again.

“Look, do you want my help or not?”

“I do…”

“Then let me do my thing, and sit tight.” It was her win. You just wanted to get Lando out of the way. Any lengths were necessary if it meant being able to blow right past the Brit.

A week passed before the supposed ‘double date’, and you were not feeling it one bit. Lando wasn’t even all that close with Kika and Pierre. Not as close as you were. You’d end up being the only reason he’d have to stay.

Sadly you realized that fact too late. You were sat with Kika and Pierre at a fancy seafood place down by the harbour. Lando had noted that he’d be late, which gave the three of you some time to discuss some last-minute details. It was imperative that he’d be completely out of the equation by the end of the date.

It wasn’t so much the question of whether or not you’d fallen for him. No, it was whether you could ignore it altogether. Completely shut out any little squeak from your heart when it tugs at the sight of him. Which is just did.

You saw him walking through the door with a casual, but not too casual outfit. His curls were slightly slicked back and his smile was as radiant as ever. You couldn’t stand the sight of him. It was repulsive. Was it not? It made you sick. Did it not?

When he took a seat next to Pierre, across from you, it was hard to not look at him. Oh, but how badly you wanted to. Then again— you didn’t. You hated the fact that Kika had some diabolical plan in mind. One that probably went against everything you stood for.

“Well! Now that Lando’s here, we should order appetizers!” She pulled out the menu and casually looked through the variety of foods.

Whilst she ordered for the four of you, Pierre gave you a nervous look and slightly peered over at Lando, who luckily had his nose buried in his phone. Likely some business stuff. You could only mouth ‘What do I do?’ to which the Frenchman replied with a shrug and a miserable look on his face. He knew just as much as you, that this date would end up in a knot of awkward silences and unfinished sentences.

“Lando, I didn’t think you’d actually show up. You know, given this girl’s obvious distaste for you.” You nearly snapped your neck, as she pointed at you. Oh, how you wanted someone to interrupt your date. Anyone. Lando put his phone away, sighed, and looked at you with a small smile, before giving her a reply,

“I don’t care if I’m being completely honest. I’ve done it for months. I can go for years if I have to.” Kika had seriously misinterpreted Lando’s intentions and how badly he actually wanted you. Your version of the situation had him painted in an entirely different light after all. You made him out to be some meaningless player. Which, by the sound of things, wasn’t his style at all.

“I was under the impression he was trying to play you! That’s why this date would’ve worked out to get him off your back. What is this?!” Kika whisper-yelled. Everything was messed up. Way off course. The plan had gone to shit within less than an hour.

“Well… I really don’t like him, so isn’t there something you can do?” You whispered back. The two of you both realized that the guys were able to see you whispering back and forth, so she hauled you into the ladies’ room. It was quiet and nobody would disturb you.

“Do you want the truth or a sugar-coated lie?” She asked, resting a hand on her hip.

“The truth?” You were conflicted though. Did you actually want the truth? Did you already know it? Did you perhaps just bury it deep within the darkest chambers of your pitiful little lonely soul? Were you so obsessed with rising to the top, that relationships truly didn’t matter?

“You like him. No, it’s more than just an infatuation. You’re head over heels for him. The way you looked at him when he walked in? I saw it. Pierre saw it. The waiters saw it! Open your eyes.” Hearing it from another person really put things into perspective, and it didn’t sit right with you. All your life you were used to pushing people away. Silly little childhood crushes would stay exactly that; crushes. You never let anything go beyond the first stage.

“Kika… I don’t know,” you groaned and turned on the faucet, splashing some water on your face.

“Come on, let’s get back to them. They’re waiting for us.”

After sitting back down, Lando tried to give you a curt smile. It was awkward and the pressure was rising. It was hard to stay within 10 feet of the guy.

“I remember when I first started falling for Pierre. It was really something… how about you, Lando? When did you start having a thing for her?” Oh please, Kika seemed too determined to let it go. A part of you liked that, but the other part felt its gut screaming in agony.

“It’s been more than a year or so now, actually… it’s a little hard to explain.” With that, you couldn’t handle it anymore. You apologized and left the setting abruptly. It was far too much for you, and you just knew your heart would give out.

As you walked out of the restaurant and started looking for a cab, you heard footsteps running after you, with the calling of your name soon following right behind. You knew exactly who it was, but you didn’t know if you were ready for that conversation.

“Please don’t. Don’t leave again.” You turned around to see a very desperate-looking Lando. 

“Lando, do you know how embarrassing that was for me?” You sighed and rolled your eyes as if you were a bratty teenager being denied the latest fashion statement dress.

“What?”

“Even I didn’t know it had been a whole year and more than that! You were seriously going to tell them all about your weird little obsession with me! Don’t you see how embarrassing that is for me?” The curly-haired brunette looked reasonably upset by your words. They cut deep like a dagger to the chest.

“I’m sorry, okay? I was just being honest. It felt like an interrogation. I was uncomfortable and just had to say something… well… the truth. It was really as if Kika wanted to know my intentions, though.” How was the guy so spot on?

“Lando, just leave me be and go back to the others. We can live our separate lives. I don’t want to be near you right now.” You didn’t want your face to reveal any underlying feelings, so you buried your gaze in the asphalt.

“Why don’t you go ahead and look into my eyes whilst you say that.” Your heart stopped. Lando was simply impossible.

“Lando, just let me go. I don’t want you and if you can’t accept that— I don’t think there’s any space for a friendship either.” This time, he went to hell with it and cupped your face with both hands. You could feel the warmth pulsating in each palm, sending jolts down your spine.

“There’s no reason to treat me like this if you can’t even say it straight to my face.” He held you too tightly for you to look away from him. All you could see was the genuine despair in his eyes. The little hope he had left was slowly slipping the more you denied and denied and denied.

“Lando if you don’t let go of me right now…”

“What are you going to do? Distance yourself from me? Isn’t that what you've been doing this whole season? Do you think you’re invisible? I’ve seen you. I saw you on the podium. I saw you on the screens. I saw you in the magazines. Just because you run away, doesn’t mean you get to go the easy way out. No, you’ll know that I—“ Fuck. Your brain was struggling to scramble everything together. All you could think about was those sweet eyes of his. Those curly locks. That desperate look on his face.

“Just let me go… please.” The overload of sensory input sent a single tear streaming down your face. Lando, seeing this, immediately let go of you, making sure he hadn’t hurt you in some way.

“I’m so sorry. I really am.”

“I know…” You quickly wiped the salty drop of truth away and put on yet another jester’s face.

“Please, can you tell me why you hate me so much? I just need closure. I just can’t find it in myself to believe that it’s because of my flirtation.” He’d given you space to breathe and space to think.

“I don’t hate you…”

“Then why do you keep leaving? Why are you avoiding me?”

“Because I’ll fall in love with you if I don’t… and that’s not what I want to do.” It was hard to read his face, but it was certainly portraying some kind of relief. You confirmed it when he pulled you into his chest. The sound of his heartbeat matched the pace of yours. Fast and relenting.

“Please, could you give it a chance? Give us a chance?” He pulled away, grabbed you by the hips and looked deeply into your eyes. The window to your soul.

“I just told you… that’s not what I want, Lando…” You were just about to give the ground another look at your face when Lando grabbed you by the chin,

“I know you’re obsessed with winning. I heard from Max. I won’t compromise that. I promise. It’s just… I need you in my life, and now that I know you feel the same way… I can’t just sit back and watch you slip away.” He was making it harder than you wanted him to. He had a point and you chewed on it.

“Fine… but you better let me win. At least for the remaining races of this season.”

“Sounds like you’ve got yourself a deal.” He smiled. It was as if time stood still, as you’d eyes closed with his— your lips touched his with a certain birding falling off your back along with it. His lips were like a cure. They were soft and delicate. Not something you expected, but the feeling was certainly welcome.

The season had ended with you as the champion. The party that was held was unlike the others. It was your party. Not Max’s. Not Lewis’. It was yours and yours alone. People cheered your name and toasted in your honour. You felt like you were on top of the world. More than anything though, Lando held you in his arms that same night. He showered you with congratulations and compliments. Even going as far as buying you a bouquet of roses. The club smelled of alcohol and cheap perfume, but all you could smell was the woodsy and warm scent of Lando’s cologne. You were practically engulfed in it throughout the entire night.

He took you on an official date a week later, waiting for the season to fully conclude. Mostly due to the stress of packing and making it back home.

 It was a picnic in one of the many British marshes. Everything was home cooked. Well, you’d cooked everything and he had bought the wine. It was a win-win. You’d done everything overnight, as you wanted to arrive early into the morning.

You’d spread out the checkered tablecloth for you to sit on, opened the basket, and prepped everything. Lando opened the aged wine and poured you a glass before he poured his own— a true gentleman. You swirled your wine around, watching it hit the rim of your glass before you took a sip.

“For once, you aren’t running off before we eat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dine, even with all the dinners we’ve had together,” your boyfriend chuckled and handed you a chocolate-covered strawberry. You took a bite of it to show off that you, in fact, were able to stay and eat. It stirred a little chuckle from him. He then mimicked the exact way you ate it and gave you another one after you finished yours.

You leaned against your lover’s shoulder, feeling his arm wrapped around your waist. The two of you watched the yellows, the oranges, and the reds in the sky as the sun started its ascension far into the horizon. It was mesmerizing. Truly. You admired the view, taking in all of life’s pleasures, and listened as the mourning doves cooed the same old nostalgic tune from your adolescent years. There was no place you’d rather be, and nobody you’d rather be there with, than with Lando Norris. The one, who through one too many races, was right in your slipstream.

𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻...

𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚!

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

©vettelsdarling

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺— 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

#fanfiction #fanfic #f1 #formula 1 #formula one #x reader #f1 fanfic #f1 fanfiction #reader insert #fluff #lando norris angst #angst with a happy ending #light angst #lando norris fluff #lando norris x reader #lando norris #lando norris x you #lando norris imagine #mclaren #red bull f1 #red bull racing #max verstappen #pierre gasly #f1 x reader #female reader #reader imagine

[captain-mj]

Being what you are and what you could be

Simon's father is sitting on the couch when he comes home. There's lines of blow on the table. He stares at him with hate in his eyes.

Simon pulls his hood up and tries to just go past.

"Your Mum is out with a friend."

Simon nodded. "And Tommy?"

"Out at a party."

Simon nodded but tried to keep going.

"Simon. Stop."

He paused, foot still in air. "Yes sir?"

Mr. Riley glanced at him. "You look just like your mother."

Simon swallowed. "Thank you."

"Wasn't a compliment."

He let out a breath. "Can I go? I just want to go upstairs, Dad."

Mr. Riley stared at him. "You're going to end up just like me. You know that right?"

Simon paused and looked back at him. "What?"

"You're going to grow up. You're going to find someone. Probably some fucking blond. If you're like me, they'll be weak. You'll think you're in love. I know you will. You're fucking soft."

Simon tried not to shake. He wouldn't cry. Couldn't cry. But emotions still broiled and bubbled in him. It wanted a way out but nothing happened.

"But. You'll find yourself getting angry. Really angry. You'll hit them. And you'll think to yourself that you won't do it again. That you're better than me. But you're not. You're angry and vicious and I made sure you're full of sharp edges, just like me. You'll backhand them. And then you'll realize, well. They deserve it."

"Sounds like you're making excuses." Simon swallowed. "You do horrible things and say it's in your nature. it's not. You're just a shit person."

"And you're my son. What does that make you?" Mr. Riley waved his arms, smiling. His teeth were damaged from years of drug abuse. His mom had insisted that Simon and Tommy get braces as soon as possible. "You're made of the same cloth as me. Burned by the same fire. You'll always be a monster, Simon. I'm sorry for that. If I had been a better person, I would've made your mom abort you."

Simon bit his lip until he felt it start to burst. He just stared, not really having words to respond to that with. He was 16. Just got back from working. His hands were still raw from where he had scrubbed them. Fingers still sore from holding a butcher's knife.

"You're going to hurt everyone you ever love, Si. And there's nothing you can do about it. But knowing you, you'll let them in, anyway. You're soft like that. Your heart is soft. Squishy. Better learn to fix that. Make it cold. Because being loved by you? It's a death sentence.

Now fuck off. You look too much like your fucking mom."

~

Ghost had never felt so pissed in his life. He glared at Soap, feeling actual venom bubbling into his mouth. Preparing to say something vicious. Cut him with his tongue or bruise him with his fists.

Soap and Ghost stared into each other's eyes.

Ghost swallowed.

Soap had beautiful eyes.

He huffed and Soap looked defensive. "What's that about?"

"Sorry just... You look beautiful."

Soap let out a startled laugh. "What?"

"And you're not blond." Ghost said softly before softening. "I'm sorry."

Soap blinked rapidly. "Did something happen?"

"I don't... want to repeat my father's mistakes."

"Oh, mo chroí-"

Ghost grabbed him and, showing as much gentleness as he could, put his arms around him. "Love, it's okay. Not like that. Just... I love you."

Soap squeezed him. "I'm sorry too. You wanna try this again?"

Ghost took a deep breath and let go of Soap before letting it out. "Yeah. Let's try this again."

#call of duty #call of duty modern warfare #simon ghost riley #johnny soap mactavish #call of duty modern warfare ii #cod mw2 #ghostsoap #cod #soapghost #ghoap

[shadowystan]

YANDERE! husband x f!reader– marriage can't be that bad, right? (wrong)

YANDERE!husband who's the epitome of wealth and fame. He can give you the world, yes, but why would he?

YANDERE!husband who treats you like the dirt beneath his feet from the very get go. Misogynistic and conservative to a fault, he believes women should really just sit back and let their men do the work.

(While they, of course, rot off in kitchens and behind sewing machines.)

YANDERE!husband who was sure he was going to get a pretty slave of a wife. Now, pray tell, why does his woman refuse to even touch him on the first night of their wedding?

"I won't sleep with you."

Headstrong and stern, you don't seem like a docile little thing. Far from it actually. Your brows are furrowed and there's a certain determination behind your eyes.

It's infuriating. 

YANDERE!husband who may as well be a cliche high school bully with his jabs and manhandling. He isn't abusive. But that's only because you're tied down to him, anyway. Why must he get physical when you don't have anywhere to go or money to call your own?

Or. Well. Do you?

YANDERE!husband who frowns deeply when you tell him you're going for a job interview. Surely, you must be joking?

Ah, that's right.

YANDERE!husband who smiles big and chokes out a hearty laugh. "That's a good one! You're funny, wife."

You were, in fact, not joking.

YANDERE!husband who's appalled, eyes blown wide and lips slightly parted when you wake up at 6 in the morning the next day with a snugly wrapped pant set around your body, looking like the embodiment of a classy business woman.

"I got the job," You dryly inform him.

YANDERE!husband who's a pissbaby. Complaining to his parents how you aren't obedient or submissive. Blaming his old man for not 'giving' him a feminine, exclusively child bearing wife.

YANDERE!husband who tries restricting you. He's richer and more influential than you. Why can't he stop you?

He fails to understand you have legs. And a healthy, working mind.

YANDERE!husband who after putting you on house arrest comes home to you working from home on your laptop. YANDERE!husband who's beaming and shining when he confiscates your electronics the next day, thinking you'll stop being so stubborn only to find out you sent the kitchen staff home out of spite.

YANDERE!husband who, after a while, realises that letting you just work is better than coming home to a starving stomach.

YANDERE!husband who's not really, well, a yandere yet. Or.. is he?

YANDERE!husband who just needed one action from you to turn completely obsessed. A curt nod of approval here, an amused eyebrow raise there and he's putty in your hands.

But does that make him kind? God, no.

YANDERE!husband who shows just how terrifying he could be after finally falling for you. The childish, humorously masculine man you knew is gone now.

You're a strong person but YANDERE!husband is scary to say the least.

"Don't wear this."

"Dress modest, wife."

"Behave."

It's not fine anymore. He makes you feel unsafe. He is unsafe.

YANDERE!husband who fires every single one of his maids and servants. 

"You'll be the one cooking now, dear wife."

Has he always been this tall?

YANDERE!husband who flashes you a calm smile, suffocating you in his presence when you refuse to cook or clean.

YANDERE!husband who simply says:

"It's better to learn now, dear," He takes a step forward, figure towering over you. A hand reaches out. You don't flinch.

His smile widens at that, large hand gently patting you on the head, calloused palm smoothing out your hair.

"Really," He continues. "It's every housewife's duty to do so."

Your eyes widened and dread filled your stomach.

"I'm not a-"

"Plus," He cuts you off. Has his smile always looked so vicious? "A mother should be ideal. If we have a girl, – God, I hope not – you'd have to know a few things to pass on to her, yeah?"

A chill runs down your spine. You gulp, lips trembling as you voice out your next word.

"D-daughter?"

He grins, looking awfully boyish for someone who has just indirectly told you that you won't be going to your job anymore.

"Heh, you'd prefer a boy too, right? They're superior."

You let out a shaky breath.

"I.. We won't be having a child."

He paused. Your heart stopped.

"Ah, of course," He threw a soft smile your way, as if understanding your situation. "Of course, of course; we'll have to teach you how to become a perfect wife first, yes?"

Fuck.

#yandere x darling #yandere x reader #yandere x female reader #yandere!male #yandere!husband #yandere!husband x reader

[iicarused]

oh! it's so cool that other people are also using the pink! mine was the one for asmo, cause well, I'm in love with asmodeus.

anyway, my brain is doing a thing. This isn't a request, just thoughts. I feel like Alastor would be really into a sweet and innocent s/o. someone who it doesn't at all make sense for them to be in hell at first glance, but then you get to know them, and they're actually vicious.

just the idea of him going to the hotel with this sweet little thing next to him. wide-eyes and a genuinely kind, toothy grin. Charlie and Vaggie absolutely cannot understand why you're with Alastor, but it's fine. You'll be easily redeemed after all.

Husk, on the other hand, acts differently because he's met you. he knows you. unfortunately.

And we get to the mimzy episode, where she brings these loansharks to the hotel's door. Alastor, having been gone so long, does his thing and tears them to shreds. Which, expected.

But then Charlie notices you, already in front of the hotel, absolutely wild. Everything about you is just sharper.

the little fight ends, you're covered head-to-toe in sinner-red blood. And that happy little grin is back on you're face as your at Alastor's side, dismissing little mimzy from the hotel grounds.

oop- alright. that was long. sorry, I was bored :D

- 🍰 anon

i love ozzie!! such a great character especially in later episodes(,: i adore him!! i’m honestly excited to write him up when i got your request

no because i’ve been thinking about this!! you literally just read my brain rot for the passed WEEK because i love the idea of that

in no way shape or form are you considered an overlord. just a singer at ozzie’s from time to time, (imagine working under his name ong) with alastor coming by so often to just hear you!! you’re a sweet face and kind smile, everyone cannot fathom how you ended up in hell.

alastor brought you to the hotel as entertainment for future “guests” and to show sinners that someone like you wants to join a hotel like that. it certainly brought interest and people talk about the hotel more often.

but everyone in the hotel does not understand why you’re even dating alastor, out of all people! hell, husk seems to be a better option considering the late night conversations shared. while he isn’t fond of you, you always brought a nice conversation to his counter.

the day everything clicked is when mimzy showed up. you don’t have a demonic form like alastor, but you do know how to shoot a gun. imagine coming into the hotel with your hands over alastors arm, apologizing for getting blood on him but he’s like “we’ll get you cleaned up, sweetheart.” and you just look at angel dust before offering a wave.

husk is like “yeah, they’re like that as a couple. you don’t even want to know how many souls are chained to her hand” implying that you do have demons selling their souls to you — husk just won’t say why

#ᥫ᭡. #alastor x reader #{ ★ :: 🍰anon }

[janesgms]

Astro Notes - 04

✨️ Solar Return Edition ✨️

Sun in the 12th house: indicates a year of many transformations in yourself. You'll get through big changes in yourself generally. You'll isolate yourself from the world and will see it in a new brand perception. You'll enjoy the loneliness and the wisdom it brings to you. You may focus on your subconscious mind and in topics of ocultism and spiritualism. You may get profetic dreams or just very intense/meaninful dreams in general. If you have natal planets in the 12th houses, you probably will learn how to deal with them more easily. The dreams and death realms are very vibrant in your life this year. This can also indicate dangerous situations or a literal rebirth, meaning you could've went to an almost death situation somehow and you've survived it. This placement is a huge indicator of a spiritual awakening or just the end of a huge cycle in your life. Let go of the old and accept the new ✨️

Sun conjunct mars: you'll spend the biggest part of your energy on yourself (as you should). You'll cut off parasites and abusive relationships of your life and focus on your own well being. You'll be more active on working on yourself and your personal image. You'll focus on upgrading yourself to the maximum, specially in work places, like school, gym, etc. On a more literal note, this can indicate you'll understand more of the masculine energy around you and you'll probably have a better relationship with your father

Sun square neptune: you may enter on vicious cycles of self-made lies, illusions and daydreaming and this can cause you many pain/moments of stagnation in your life. Once you realize your idealistic acts (after a lot of suffering to be honest), you can get over it with a lil bit of dedication and start focusing more on real life, even if it's hard. That's why looking at neptune is actually so important, because it's a planet that clouds your vision.

Sun trine north node: Your life path this year will be heavily impacted by your personal image. How you present yourself and how you are generally will make you move forward and advance in your life. Being your true self will bring your opportunities and new paths, will make you closer to your true purpose in life.

Sun sextile south node: What you've already mastered in your lifes will be synchronized with what you're being in the present. Imagine that you're using all the weapons in your stock to get better and better. Everything you've learned in this life and in the others is being heavily useful to you now (even if you don't know anything about your past lives) and helps you out generally.

Sun trine chiron: Being your authentic self and accepting you identity is gonna help you to heal your wounds. It don't matter what your wounds are, if you start to accept you as who you really are, you will learn how to deal with them more easily.

Sun parallel moon: Your emotional needs will be in tune with your true essence. This might be a year where you'll understand more of your emotions and you'll express it better.

Sun parallel mercury: Your communication style will be closer to your identity. You may communicate with an easier flow this year. The words you say have an impact on who you are going to be. You'll be more confident in your speech because you really relate to it now. It's an indicator of mastering your words and becoming more eloquent.

Sun parallel pluto: It's your chance to work on yourself to be more powerful. It's another indicator of big changes on yourself. You may work a lot on your intensity and passions this year. You may also become more obsessive with people and general things, but this can also indicate people being more obsessed with >you<.

byeee see ya

#astrology #astro notes #astro observations #astro community #aesthetic #astrology notes #astrology observations #saturn #synastry #ascendant #solar return #solar return chart #12th house #sun in the 12th house #sun conjunct mars #sun square neptune

[cocklessboy]

So here's the thing about having a post break containment on tumblr: if you make a mistake in the original post, there's absolutely fucking nothing you can do about it.

The people reblogging once you realize your mistake aren't reblogging it from your blog. They're reblogging it from someone you never even knew existed. If you edit the original, it does not affect the copies already being passed around.

You can make an addition to the post with a correction! But here's the thing. Posts tend to break containment if they are tagged and people see it in the tags they follow. But reblogs don't appear in tags. Only original posts do. So your addition will only be reblogged by people who follow you, and it's pretty rare for a post with a correction added in a reblog to break containment in the same way as the original.

So you wind up getting a lot of reblogs with angry comments about how you're wrong (and that's if they're being polite - the less polite ones will attack you rather viciously, which is not something I would wish on anyone). And even if you didn't make a mistake, if there's something you didn't make clear enough for Tumblr Reading Comprehension™️, you'll wind up inundated with angry comments from people who missed the point, and it's too late to go back and adjust your wording to make it clearer.

(That's why I'm making a new post for this instead of responding to the comments I got on the post in question, by the way. I'm hoping some of the same people who spread around the original might spot this one in the tags and share it around as well.)

So what is this about? I recently made a post about how a friend was worried that I was addicted to my ADHD meds purely because I said I look forward to taking them and they bring me joy.

The purpose of that post was:

Something bringing you joy doesn't necessarily make it addictive. (For fuck's sake stop being afraid of pleasure.)

Even if something is addictive, that's not inherently harmful.

Don't be afraid to take your meds just because they might be addictive. If they help you more than they harm you, take them.

I also made a comment about how my ADHD meds aren't addictive anyway. This is the point people have been pouncing on me about. So allow me to explain where that assertion came from.

My psychiatrist, an ADHD specialist who manages my meds: I know you're nervous about addiction and tolerance to meds, but don't worry. If you have ADHD, methylphenidate is not physically addictive.

My GP, who I got a second opinion from out of nervousness: Yup, your psychiatrist is right. You don't need to be afraid to take these. Take them as directed and you will not form a physical dependence on them. If you notice them getting less effective with time, though, you can always just take a break from them to remove any tolerance.

Me, after a year and a half of taking these meds: Yup, no addiction here. I guess my doctors were right.

So here we are. Two doctors and my own personal experience have assured me that ADHD meds are not something to be afraid of. Yet I keep seeing people afraid to take their meds because they're afraid of dependence. So why don't I do a nice thing in this post of mine and reassure my fellow gremlin-brained tumblrs that their meds are perfectly safe to take!

And to be fair, I've gotten quite a few reblogs with tags and additions and comments saying thank you, I was afraid to take my meds, even though they help me, but now I'm reassured that I shouldn't be scared.

And I think that's a positive outcome.

On the other hand, I'm getting some very angry comments from some people who seem to think I'm attempting to spread a vicious, intentional lie claiming that people with ADHD are immune to stimulant addiction and that I'm going to do all kinds of harm, presumably on purpose, because there's nothing I enjoy more than ruining other people's lives! 🙌

I would assume that anyone who thought about this for more than three seconds would realize that's not the case, but this is tumblr.

I've gotten angry rants ranging from "this author you've never heard of wrote a book where he defined addiction as inherently harmful, and therefore you're harming people by saying being addicted to something is not inherently bad!" to "STOP SPREADING MISINFORMATION!!!" to "OP is making statements that are incompatible with reality!" and folks? I'm real fucking tired of it.

Is it possible that my doctors are wrong? Of course! Doctors get things wrong all the time, especially when it comes to stuff like ADHD! But yelling at me from across the internet and accusing me of lying is not helpful.

There is nothing I can do about the original post. I can reblog it with an addition clarifying that yes, everyone is capable of becoming psychologically dependent on basically anything in a way that would be considered addiction, and yes, that includes ADHD people and their meds.

To be clear, this does NOT contradict the intent of my original post: that ADHD meds are good, you should take them, medication making you feel good is nothing to fear, pleasure is not the same as addiction, addiction is not inherently dangerous, and according to my doctors, who are fallible human beings but my most trusted source of information as of the writing of that post, ADHD meds are not physically addictive - as in, your BODY will not become dependent on them to function. This is the definition of "addiction" I had in mind when I wrote that post - and I think in a lot of cases the thing upsetting people is that we don't even actually disagree on what we're trying to say, but there was a miscommunication in terms of what I actually meant.

If I could go back and edit that original post and have it change everywhere it's been reblogged, I absolutely would. I would clarify where my information was coming from and what definition of "addiction" I intended, and reiterate that even if something can cause physical dependence, that doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't take it.

But I can't. That post is out there now and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.

Keep this in mind as you go forward in your tumblr journey, friends. If you come across a semi-popular post with a mistake in it, you can bet every bit of your ass that OP has heard about it many, many times already, probably in very impolite terms, and there is nothing they can do about the original post. Unless they're a massively popular blog, a reblog with an addition or correction will not be seen by the people spreading around the original.

And for fuck's sake, stop assuming ill intent on the part of people who say something incorrect online. There are people out there who intentionally spread misinformation, but those people are rare, and usually trying to get you to not vote democrat in US elections, not trying to encourage you to take your fucking meds. If you see a mistake, it's probably an honest one, and if you really want to correct it, be a decent fucking human being, be polite and kind, and try assuming good intentions on the part of the person who said it.

The person telling you to take your meds is not your fucking enemy.

Oh, and do me a favor and reblog this, please. I actually have very few followers so no one will see it if it doesn't get reblogged. Thank you.

#adhd #actually adhd #medication #ritalin #concerta #methylphenidate #addiction #misinformation #tumblr reading comprehension #stop being dicks to strangers online

[writingquestionsanswered]

"Probably one of my biggest writing-related takeaways of 2023 was the brain science behind being overwhelmed by writing. So often, we put so much pressure on ourselves to meet goals, and get so frustrated with ourselves when we fail, that we end up making writing time something that fills us with anxiety. So our brains perceive that activity as a threat, which makes us want to avoid it."

I'd love to learn more about this cause it's my biggest problem when it comes to writing. The avoidance of the task, but it also manifests also as feeling overwhelmed by writing a long story/novel.

Some Brain Science Behind Avoidance

I encountered this idea of fear-based avoidance in a few workshops and summits over the past year, but I have to give a shout out to author/coach Monica Hay whose "Overcome Writer's Resistance Bootcamp" explained it the best. I can't find my notes so I'm going from memory here, but the gist of it was that our brains are hard-wired to avoid things that make us feel fearful or uneasy. This is an evolutionary throwback to when those instinctual feelings helped us steer clear from danger. As I remember Monica putting it, "Don't go that way, there are cheetahs there that will eat us."

So... how does this apply to avoidance of writing?

When we heap unreasonable goals and deadlines on ourselves, and berate ourselves for falling short of them, we inadvertently turn writing into a stressful activity. So, when we sit down to write, our brain picks up on that stress and says, "Don't go that way, cheetahs will eat us," and your gut instinct tells you to avoid this stressful activity at all cost. And then it becomes kind of a vicious cycle because you feel even worse because you're avoiding writing, and that makes you feel more overwhelmed and makes writing more stressful, and well... you can see the problem.

The solution? De-stress the writing process for yourself as much as you can. Start by de-stressing yourself when you sit down to write... take a relaxing walk first, do some yoga or a meditation exercise, or try some grounding techniques. See if you can do some things to make your writing environment more relaxing and inviting. Put on some soft lighting and relaxing music, use your favorite method to lightly scent the air, grab your favorite drink and snack. Then, just try to move the needle forward in any way you can.

My suggestions: try editing a sentence. Maybe see if you can add a paragraph or two. Don't think about deadlines or word count or what others are doing. Just focus on adding something to the page, even if it's changing a word or adding a sentence. Don't push yourself. Congratulate yourself on whatever progress you made. Ultimately, if you do this every day, the stress should start to melt away and writing becomes an activity that your brain no longer tells you to avoid.

Another suggestion: try to avoid setting arbitrary deadlines, or if you have to set a deadline, take a look at your schedule/calendar and be really honest about how much time you actually have to write. Because so often what happens is we say, "I want to finish this 80k word draft in eight weeks..." but the reality is we're not going to write all 56 of those days. In fact, when we take an honest look...

-3 days per week for days with both class and work = 32 days -5 days for a cruise next month = 27 days -1 day for bestie's birthday celebration = 26 days -Sundays because that's hiking day = 18 days Suddenly, that eight weeks is actually only 18 days... and that's not even taking account things that come up unexpectedly. But, let's say you do get to write all 18 days, and let's say you know you can commit three hours a day to writing but you'll probably take two ten-minute brakes... so 48 hours worth of writing. But here's the problem: you know on a good hour, you're probably only going to write 1200 words. And guess what: 1200 words per hour over 48 hours is only 57,600 words... far short of your 80k goal... and that's assuming you get to write all 18 days and hit 1200 words every hour you write. In other words... you've set yourself an impossible deadline, and when you fall short of it without understanding why, you're going to be disappointed in yourself. And that's why it's so, so important to be honest about the time you have and how much you can reasonably accomplish within that time. Also: just don't be hard on yourself. It will never make you write faster, more, or better.

I hope you can use this to overcome your own resistance to writing! ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[heartshapeboxesblog]

⭐𝚆𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚡 𝙶𝙽!𝙷𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗!𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍!𝙽𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚋𝚘𝚛 (Platonic)⭐

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚌. 𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝙳𝙾 𝙽𝙾𝚃 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍! There will be mentions of baby talk and teasing.

𝚈𝚎𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚌. (𝙸𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗'𝚝)

Wally and Frank belong to partycoffin along with the entirely of welcome home.

𝙽𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚋𝚘𝚛(𝚢𝚘𝚞)𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚆𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎

𝙽𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝

It was a perfectly normal day. It was sunny and warm and all of the neighborhood was busy doing their own things. It was quite but not that quite. And you decided that today you would spend time with your favorite puppet, WALLY! He was always so fun to hang out with! And today was so perfect! It would be the obvious choice to spend time with him. . .Oh how wrong you were.

Right. Back to the present.

You were in Wally's home just chatting. Talking about random things that came to mind. Everything was going smoothly. . . until-

"And as I was saying he- oh! Neighbor! You've got something on your shirt!" "Huh? Oh it's okay! Really it doesn't-" "No No Neighbor. I insist that I wipe it off." Before you could protest any further his hand wiped a bit of dust. . . off your side . . . That caused you to flinch and jump a little and also let out a small squeak sound.

"Neighbor, what was that? Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" He asked with genuine concern in his voice. It truly made you feel kind of bad. If only it wasn't so darn embarrassing to say! "Yes!- yes! I'm okay! It's just that it- uh- it tickled a little. " he tilted his head a little in confusion. " 'Tic . . . kled'? What's that? Is it a human thing?" "Well it-" "Oh, I think Frank told me about it! They said it makes people laugh, right? Well, puppets aren't really 'ticklish', BUT, I did hear humans were~" you definitely did not like that tone in his voice. You quickly got up to leave, but Wally had other ideas and held (not too tight) on your arm. "Oh Neighbor~ you surely wouldn't mind if I tickled you right?" "Wally wait!-" "Come on Neighbor! I just want to learn something about you~" and with that Wally (gently) pushed you back on the couch, facing him, tickling your sides.

"WAIT! WAIT! WALLY WAIT- AHAHAHAH!" "Oh my! Neighbor, I never knew this would be so exhilarating! And you're laughing so much so this must be fun for you!" You couldn't tell if he was teasing you or not. It was so hard to tell because of how calm his voice sounded. "MAHAYBE IT'S FUHAHN FOHOR YOUOUH! IT'S NAHAT FAHAHIR!" "And how is that exactly? Your face says it all Neighbor ~ ha ha , I can tell you're having a blast." "IM NOHOHOT!" after a minute Wally was getting quite bored and decided he would start to tickle-sorry- "study" your armpits.

"Hm. I wonder. Can humans be ticklish in other places? Well, it wouldn't hurt to try! would it Neighbor?~" "NOHOHO!" "No? Well then if you're okay with it." "THAT ISN'T WHAT I - MEAHAHANT! NO NO NO! STOHOP!" You jumped at the oh so sudden change of spots. "Wow! Haha, are all humans this jumpy when they get tickled?" You really couldn't keep your arms up even if you tried. Making a short stop to Wally's "vicious" attack. "Oh dear. Neighbor, it appears you have trapped my hands. Guess that means you'll have to raise your arms to free them~" you breathe for a few seconds to replenish your lungs then give him an answer. "Nohoh! If I raise my arms you'll just tickle me again!" "Now Neighbor! I would never do that! I'm honestly quite offended you would think such a thing!" HE WAS LYING RIGHT THOUGH HIS WORDS! After he said that you gave him an answer that the second you said it you instantly wanted to take it back. "You lair! If I raise my arms you'll just keep tickling me!" He let out a very dramatic gasp and put a hand over where his heart would be as if to show he was very "offended" by what you just said. "What!? Why!- Me the ever so honest and truthful Wally Darling a liar!? How very rude you Neighbor! And to say we're such good friends to!? I just wanted to learn about you! But clearly you deserve so type of punishment for that. Looks like I'm going to have to teach my littlest Neighbor some manners." There was a pool of dread inside your stomach. Just what was he gonna do with you!? You were pretty scared judging from the tone in his voice on that second to last sentence. You train of thoughts was ruined as he grabbed one of you legs and face your stomach on lap. You shut your eyes closed excepting something to happen to you. . . but it never came . You opened one of your eyes slightly, that when Wally chose to dig all 8 of his fingers into your stomach making you squeal loudly in shock. "Tickle tickle little Neighbor. I wonder what the whole Neighborhood would think if they found out about such a adorable little weakness you have?" Your eyes widened when he said that. Would he really tell everyone about this? No no of course not he would never do that! . . . Right? "NOHOHO DON'T!" "Now now Neighbor. It's impossible to make out what you are saying over allll of your giggling. It was such a discovery to find out such light and simple touches could make you humans laugh so darn much." "NOHOHO PLEASE STOHOP! I LEARNED MY LESSON I SWEAHAR!" Your pleads fell on deaf ears unfortunately. "You want to know what the best part about this is Neighbor? You can never get me back! How lucky is it that I happen to not be ticklish anywhere? That means I could tickle you again and again and again and again and again and you could never be able to do the same because puppets aren't ticklish like humans. Isn't that fun, Neighbor ~?" "NOHOHO WALLY I TAKE IT BACK I SWEAHAR!" He softly sighed and said "Ha ha. okay okay , I suppose you've learned your lesson Neighbor. But just so we are clear . . . " he leaned down close to your ear and whispered "I won't hesitate to do that again. I find it absolutely adorable that you can have such reactions over that and I won't hesitate to tell the whole~ neighborhood about this cute little quirk you have [Reader]~ Are we on the same page?" You quickly replied," NO! No! I get your point really!" "Well, if you say so. Run along now little Neighbor it's getting late, and you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow. After all, I'm sure everyone will be curious about such a adorable little "gift" you humans have~."

Oh dear. I don't think he'll ever let you live this down.

#wally darling x reader #wally darling x you #welcome home tickles #welcome home x reader #welcome home wally x reader #ler!wally #lee!reader #platonic relationships

[a-d-nox]

pac/pap: what bad habit(s) are you struggling with? what happens when you drop your bad habit(s)? what to keep in mind as you break your bad habit(s)?

take what resonates leave what doesn't - nothing is 100% for you because these aren't personalized so please no angry comments or dms about what i am saying not being a good fit for you or that you "don't claim" just keep scrolling if that is the case. be kind, self reflect, and have fun.

last pac/pap: what is the energy that surrounds you and how can you best protect your energy?

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pile one

procrastination. i have the feeling that you have a lot of goals and hopes that end up being "broken" or "abandoned" dreams. you likely try to take on too much all at once - you likely have the bad habit of start a lot of tasks but then not finishing anything. this likely causes you frustration because of the lack of progress you see leads to you feeling uninspired. then you start procrastinating on your goals and hopes - its a vicious cycle that you are in.

when you free yourself from procrastination, you will have hope once more. you'll turn a corner and start making dreams into reality - you'll stop mourning what could have been and instead see the possibility of what could be. right now you seem to be focusing on projects that are only half finished - if you focus on one project, determine how you can finish it, and then finish it - you will gain your momentum back.

as you face your procrastination know that you are intelligent and wise. you can make decisions and plans that will make these projects worthwhile. use logic instead of emotions you are likely thinking too much about what others will think/feel and no enough about the logistics of how you can get the project done.

pile two

projection, double-standards, and self-deception. i get the sense that you are struggling to see things as they truly are. you likely are in a holding pattern - it all feels the same because you aren't doing anything different. you must do internal work and break cycles in order to see progress. you have the ability to adapt and evolve, you simply need to allow yourself to do so. i sense there is some self-deception going on as well - i have a feeling that you are judging others inconsistencies and irregularities without evaluating your own. it's scary to confront the lies you tell yourself, the fear you feel, and what you feel ashamed of in your life at this moment in time - but it is time you do so. its time to reconnect with your inner self and be vulnerable. you aren't perfect and that is okay but it is not okay to not evolve and expect others to be perfect and change for you.

when you stop struggling with these inconsistencies between wanting others to be perfect and being unwilling to grow and change yourself, you will see that the universe is presenting you with new opportunities. in relationships, you won't be worrying that you can't find a romance like the one you perviously experienced, instead you will be looking forward to the possibilities of the future. you also won't be as afraid to share who you truly are with others. you could get a new job because you won't be as afraid to admit that the one you are currently in is not for you - you'll be more willing to take a risk and do things you perviously feared others would judge you for.

as you work on limiting behaviors and high expectations without the willingness to change yourself, remember that you to have the power to change. you can't expect others to change for you without being willing to change yourself. take risks you wouldn't normally take - stand up for what you believe in without worrying what others will think. don't be afraid to seek advice from others as you work on this aspect of your life.

pile three

accepting/making false-promises. i have a feeling that you have a bad habit of making promises/deals with strings attached. look at your own intentions as well as those you are involved with - i have a feeling you don't do that often and it only leads you or others getting hurt. if you only do things because it is to your benefit, it is time you self evaluate. you might be a bit too greedy and you might need to be more willing to give your time, money, and/or energy without expecting something in return. or you might be too giving - evaluate why you feel the need to give knowingly to those who wouldn't do the same for you.

when you stop making promises and deals with strings attached, you can start focusing on what you can control in this chaotic world. you have the tendency of thinking that you can control everything and everyone around you and that just is not true - no one has to do what they promise and when you realize that, you will be better in control of your life situation because you will be taking attention in your own life instead of waiting for others to help you or you doing things for others instead of doing things for yourself.

keep in mind while you stop waiting for others to keep there false-promises, that you have yet to make your dreams reality. i sense you are the trickiest of the piles - you are set in your belief that you need others or even the universe to bring you what you want instead of going after it yourself. you might need to take a minute and think about what you truly want but then you certainly have the ability to go after it - so do it.

#astrology #astro community #astro placements #astro chart #asteroid astrology #asteroid #natal chart #astrology tumblr #tarot deck #tarot witch #tarot #tarotscope #tarot reading #tarotcommunity #tarot cards #tarotblr #pick a picture #pick a card #pick a photo #pick a pile #pick an image

[t0rturedangel]

hiii!!! i'm the same person who sent the ask regarding jekyll and i LOVED it! im honored to be the first asker and i might fill more - so if it's alright, may i request jekyll and/or hyde with an innocent yet motherly!darling who worries for their wellbeing, even going as far as gently scolding them and making them feel relaxed every once in a while.

take your time and take care!! xoxo

╭ . . . 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 ੭

𝐃𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐘 𝐉𝐄𝐊𝐘𝐋𝐋 / 𝐌𝐑. 𝐄𝐃𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐇𝐘𝐃𝐄 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 ♰ ৎ﹕𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯 (𝘩𝘤𝘴)

YAYYY ANOTHER JEKYLL & HYDE REQUEST, I'm honestly in love with the book and game so I'm sooooo happy you came and requested more!! :D I hope you like this

𝘩𝘤𝘴 ~ 𝐉𝐄𝐊𝐘𝐋𝐋

✧⠀⨾ Despite never saying it, Jekyll adores you and values you a lot- like more than he cares for Utterson and Lanyon- and thats saying a lot since he knows the two very close

✧⠀⨾ he loves it whenever you visit, because you take the time out of your day to make sure he is doing well, even helping the servants make some tea for him and clean up a bit after- for some reason Jekyll loves your tea more than anyone else's, you make it so perfectly

✧⠀⨾ he also tends to try and not cause as many mistakes as he usually would while you're there- whether it be via experiments that he maybe burnt himself with or just casually bumping into things, you'll always be at his side right after and be scolding him while patching him up as well

Currently, you were sitting by the side of Jekyll- who has managed to mix up the wrong amount of chemicals needed for one of his recent experiments which caused it to overflow and accidently got on his hand- which burned... a lot. ❝ how could you be so careless Jekyll? look you've hurt yourself again.... Please be more careful around your chemicals, you know first hand how dangerous they can be! ❞ you patched Jekyll's hand up, holding with with delicacy which made it seem as if he'd break if you were careful enough which was true to an extent, Jekyll was feeling weaker lately- he's been more careless with himself and how he acted leading to this mess. However, he couldn't help himself from smiling at you with a fondness- you were always there for him, out of the kindness of your heart and that made him adore you more than anyone else could. You were truly a miracle to him

✧⠀⨾ Jekyll doesnt understand how he managed to meet you and befriend you, but he thanks god everyday for it.

✧⠀⨾ As a thank you, he always buys you gifts that he knows will make you overjoyed, he pays attention to what you like and dont like so when it comes to thank you's, you're never disappointed or sad

✧⠀⨾ All of his servants, cooks and Poole love you since you're sort of keeping their master together while also keeping them happy- whenever you visit they're always chatting with you about anything but this isnt about them

✧⠀⨾ Jekyll find your innocence adorable, and questions on if you are the completely moral person you make yourself out to be- or do you also indulge in your vices? do you have your own Hyde? though he'll never ask, no never, he just loves this perfect image of you- sweet moral you who wouldn't hurt anyone ever

𝘩𝘤𝘴 ~ 𝐇𝐘𝐃𝐄

✧⠀⨾ the first time you met Hyde, it was probably an accident- Jekyll has though of something so horrid that Hyde couldn't help but take over, it was never Infront of you (Jekyll is so grateful for that you don't even realize)

✧⠀⨾ Though when Hyde did see you, all of his rage and anger suddenly just went away?? it left him so confused and almost made him angry and vicious again until you began to talk to him- normally??

✧⠀⨾ you weren't disgusted with him? you didn't find him hideous? you didnt run away, screaming in horror? no, you didnt do that, oddly enough you walked over to him- smiling happily, and introduced yourself leaving the creature so confused and baffled he almost completely ignored you (he didnt though- you were too intruging to him)

You smiled at Hyde, grinning from ear to ear as you held out a hand for him to take and shake. ❝ hello! I'm [name] it's so lovely to meet you ❞ you didnt run away, or looked at him grossed out which almost irked the monster but he stayed out of pure curiosity. ❝ I'm Hyde.❞ he replied almost coldly, though you didnt get angry with him- instead fascinated ❝ oh! yes i have heard of you- you're a good friend of my dear Jekyll's! i dont understand why everyone is so sacred of you ❞ you smiled even more- leaving Hyde to question you and your intentions, yet he made no move to hurt you. Everyone was shocked, sorry- correction- everyone outside, in the beauty of the moon was shocked to see Hyde, the murderer, the man who trampled a girl to near death, the one who smites women down for simply looking his way- walking down the street with the sweet little thing like you latched by his side, smiling from ear to ear as you chatted about something while Hyde listened. You has done the impossible, yet only you could do it

✧⠀⨾ he secretly love having you around, you're the only person who gives him the light of day at the minimum and at the maximum you care for him.

✧⠀⨾ once he returned to his home after getting into a fight with a man who was capable of fighting back- the man obviously was killed as Hyde had overpowered him with sheer brutality and died bleeding out, though he did manage to get a few hits on the deformed man (Hyde) leaving him bruised.

✧⠀⨾ you were waiting for him- happily with a knitted scarf for him (you felt bad for him as it was always cold in the night time of London and Hyde barely wore anything warm) but when you saw him, bruised and beaten you didnt even care about the scarf or how he even got hurt

✧⠀⨾ you sat there, much like how you were with jekyll, scolding him and patching him up carefully- despite him stating MULTIPLE times he can handle it and wont die.

✧⠀⨾ Much like Jekyll- Hyde questions your innocence but enjoys it none the less- the two of you acting as the opposites attract trope

✧⠀⨾ Overall, the two of them adore you so much- you're the sweetest and kindest person to the two of them and they're grateful, in their own ways (Jekyll buys you stuff and Hydes beats people up for you)

#જ⁀➴﹒⁾⁾ 𝑶𝑹𝑪𝑯𝑰𝑫 / 𝑹𝑶𝑺𝑬𝑴𝑨𝑹𝒀 𝑾𝑹𝑰𝑻𝑬𝑺 ✫ #꒰ 𖣂 ꒱ ・・・・・・・・ #x reader #mazm jekyll and hyde #the strange case of dr jekyll and mr hyde #jekyll x reader #henry jekyll x reader #dr henry jekyll #dr henry jekyll x reader #hyde x reader #edward hyde x reader #mr edward hyde x reader #⸺ ⚝ #requested #requests are open #pls request more jekyll and hyde #PLEASEE #i love them too much #<333 #i fancy them so mc=uch #・・・・・・・・꒰ 𖣂 ꒱

[cuethediscoandthedrinks]

some random ronal headcanons~

for u starved ronal bitches; Oel ngati kameie 🤭

• is a big eye-roller; she seems like more of a starer but the energy is that if something goes down, ronal's rolling her eyes and letting out a little 'tssk'

• smiles, but rarely. she'll hum in approval and give a half-smile usually, but if something genuinely makes her happy, she'll full-on eye smile; like, crow's feet, widened grin, apple cheeks, eyebrows scrunched up in happiness

• likes the feeling of sand in between her toes; often goes for walks in the middle of the night, big bright blue eyes taking in the star-littered sky, as she takes steady steps through the damp sand

• gives little slaps to her partner. like, if they say something especially silly, brash or funny (or all 3), ronal's definitely one for using the back of her hand to lightly *thwap!* your head or arm. all in jest of course, as she's equally very big on personal space

• ronal's a clan-leader, so the concept of her personal bubble is especially important to her; therefore she'd never disrespect others by invading their area (although this definitely means she'll go all out on hissing, snarling and hand gestures to intimidate others if necessary)

• is a night owl. stays up late every night, usually to complete any tasks or spend time with her loved ones. her favorite thing is to finally retire to her pod, seeing her family and partner curled up, in deep sleep. ronal may plant some gentle forehead kisses to them, or trace patterns on her partner's skin as she drifts off to sleep

• likewise, ronal's not an early worm by any means. nothing pisses this warrior off more than the sunlight getting in her eyes, loud noises waking her up, and uninvited individuals intruding on her beauty sleep and this def extends to her partner. kids may get a grumble and her rolling over, but if her bby wakes her up? unless for fucking she's not down

• she will 100% bare fangs in a vicious snarl the moment someone touches her sleeping form. she's a deep sleeper, but still very much trained in combat, and has a heightened instinct to protect her family

• sits cross-legged when no one sees. ronal highly values respect and authority, and being the tsahìk of an entire community necessitates a level of maturity and dominance. therefore, she only goes criss-cross-applesauce when she's sure no one of high ranking (other than her partner or children) will catch a glimpse

• doesn't like spicy food, or crazy texture clashes. luckily, there's little of it for the metkayina clan due to location; but when venturing further afield, many a welcome meal is provided to them, spanning all forms of slimy, crunchy, sticky, spicy and the worst blobby. she'll do everything in her power to avoid eating bits of foreign meals, ngl

• and lowkey, it's gotten to the point where her second in command will give her that look, and she then knows not to touch the lightly glowing red, leafy tendrils next to the purple fruit in fear of destroying her tastebuds, or to *accidentally* miss the third greeting meal of the day due to 'unknown' reasons

• although if she does happen to ingest something spicy, her whole face contorts into one of the most displeasing grimaces you'll ever see; she may or may not also stick out her tongue in disgust, too

• was very insecure about breastfeeding initially. the sitting, the time taken up to eat more, the interruptions to daily work, and the soreness all made her very hesitant to do so; but after exploring alternatives she decided to persevere because, "no. who else's milk would they drink, tonowari? mine is the only one..they come from me, they drink my milk."

• will straight-up leave when she wants to. she'll stand, give a curt nod to whoever she may be with, and walk away. no bitterness, or sass, or rude intent. it's more a matter of straightforwardness 'well, i'm finished here. we're done with this conversation, yes? yes."

• doesn't like excessive noise or disruption. ronal's a relatively quiet, reserved individual, so the idea that another person would disrespect the comfort of the many for themselves would bother her a lot. any especially noisy tasks are often done underwater

• speaking of underwater, ronal loves to collect herbs, corals, shells and scales; due to her interests, she's also a notoriously excellent deep-sea diver. if not in detailed discussions with others about the community, or seeing to her children, it's not uncommon to catch ronal swimming deep into the ocean, exploring old coral reefs and swimming through the seaweed (she loves the texture on her skin)

• she's not the primary healer of the clan, but collecting little objects of special note was always a passion of hers since she was a child; ronal likes to claim that it's due to her role within the clan that she finds such delicate and beautiful deep-see gifts, sent to her by the all-mother eywa herself she'll often give them to others too, in celebration of a pregnancy, mated pair or birthday 🥹

• additionally, ronal'll assert that the ornate, sparkly shells and shimmering scales are for a new elixir, or some form of healing broth, but in reality she enjoys grinding them up and sprinkling them in her hair.

• ronal's secretly a very girly girl, but doesn't enjoy the attention-seeking element, so anything subtle yet impressive is her go-to - therefore shining, almost starlike locks that leave every other clan member in both awe and intrigue does a lot to boost her confidence

• hums to herself when she's fixing things. only when she's fixing things she knows she can fix though. for something especially tricky, ronal goes dead silent

• eyebrows furrowed, lips in a tight line, eyes squinted in focus. but if it's something like a rogue strap, a broken handle, or one of her children's toys, ronal won't hesitate to softly sing or hum a song from her youth

hope u enjoyed lovelies <3

#i.e. #i canon ronal as an autistic bitch #also #now ik we all like smut #especially smut abt sexu blue MEN #but idk i kinda was intrigued as to the ronal energy #are y'all interested in ronal as someone i'd write for?? #hope u liked anyway :):):) #avatar ronal #ronal x reader #ronal smut #ronald headcanons #jake sully #jake sully x reader #miles quaritch x afab reader #colonel miles quaritch #avatar x reader #avatar smut #avatar wotw #avatar way of water #cuethediscoandthedrinks

[writersdare]

Let Me Love You | Luke Hemmings

Pairing: Luke Hemmings x Reader (she/her)

Summary: Luke knew it wasn’t his fault Y/N didn't let him get any closer, but he just wished to know what he could do to make it better.

Warning: angsty, trusting issues, mentioning of a breakup, the reader may have low self-esteem

Word Count: 1 457

Requested: yes

Author’s Note: I know it's been a while, I had some troubles with writing for the past few months, but I'm finally back with a new story. It's a little messy, but I hope you'll enjoy it! ♡

How much time does it usually take for the memories of a past relationship to stop being such a burden? Y/N was asking herself that pretty often, hoping to finally find the answer. Was it all because of her ex or, in fact, she was the reason? Was it a stupid trauma that she gained dating a wrong person, or something she was born with?

Y/N knew she had to be more open to people. They say, if you trust the Universe well enough, it will reward you. To the girl it seemed more the opposite, as if, when she was finally facing the world, it would gladly stab her in the back. Was she a pessimist? Maybe. But people made her to be so.

After a good chapter a bad one always followed. Like in Kacey Musgraves’ song, Y/N was getting anxious when she was suddenly having the time of her life. And when a new person she met seemed weirdly nice, she couldn’t help but wondering what was the trick. 

Luke didn’t have anything up his sleeves, though. He was the kindest and the most patient person Y/N ever met, and sometimes she even questioned if she deserved to be treated that way. Differently, tenderly. Sincerely.

She tried her best to be less cautious and just trust Luke more; yet, the guy saw the eyes full of uncertainty every time he was suggesting her a ride home. Every time he smiled at her, Y/N was scared to smile back and to feel those familiar butterflies which caused no good in the past.

Butterflies were ugly, weren’t they? The wings were stunning and beautiful, however, looking closer at them, they were not much different from other scary bugs. Y/N was afraid to make the same mistake. Life was all about mistakes, but the girl couldn’t just let herself relax for once.

“Did you love him?”

The question was stupid. When Luke asked it out loud, he thought that he could have worked a bit harder on that one and could have come up with a better option to help Y/N to speak up. He knew it wasn’t his fault she didn’t let him get any closer, however, he wished to at least know what he could do to make it easier for her. 

“Yes. I did.”

There was something about her that made Luke keep going. He wasn’t aggressive in his affection, no, but he wanted her to know that he cared. And Y/N was always honest with him, saying that even though she liked him, too, she could not open up and trust him right away. It was okay. Sure, Luke could take it personally, and  no doubts, he did at first, but Y/N didn’t even dare to blame him for that. However, with time, little by little, they started to understand each other a bit more. 

“Did he love you back?…” Luke asked carefully, looking at her eyes. Unhappy ones, as Y/N was clearly not enjoying the fact that he suddenly decided to stir up the memories she was trying so hard to place on a shelf of traumas. But some things needed to be shaken so that they would disappear into thin air completely. That’s what the guy was trying to do at least.

“Sometimes,” Y/N shrugged. Her voice didn’t express a regret or even сoncern at that point. It was a simple fact that she, unfortunately, realised too late. It’d be a lie to say there were no feelings left for that person who broke her heart so cruelly, yet, it wasn’t even close to anything romantic. It was just pain, an aching pain that would stop her from moving forward. It was too vicious to tear her heart apart into small pieces and still – to keep making her suffer. As if he didn’t want her to let him go, even though she desperately needed to.

Luke was different. It sounded silly and naive in her own head, but she tried to believe the inner voice. The voice that was so quiet for a very long time. Funny, how actually correct the phrase “love is blind” was. Y/N used to think she would know for sure if a person wasn’t good to her, if they were rude or arrogant. And yet, she let her drawn in a relationship that didn’t make her happy, not even a bit. She’d force herself to think she was enjoying the seesaw he was constantly putting her through, but in reality it was giving her nothing but anxiety. 

The time passed, though, and she needed to carry on. Especially when next to Y/N was him, Luke. She hated herself for being so careful, but the girl was so scared to repeat her mistakes that sometimes it felt easier to stop trying and simply lose him completely just in order to skip another potential page of pain. Luke was stubborn, though. He was patient and stubborn, which were one of the most dangerous characteristics of any person. And yet, he never forced her to anything, and he certainly respected her decision. Luke also respected the time they were spending together, and that was, perhaps, one of the dramatic changes for Y/N. 

“It’s okay, we can meet some other day,” Y/N hurried up to comfort the guy, when he shared that a music video shooting was taking way longer than expected. Even if Luke was extremely busy, he still would find time to leave her a small sweet message or give the girl a short call.

“No-no, it’s alright, I’m still fine to meet. I mean, it’ll be later, but if you’re cool with it…”

It got quiet at the end of the phone. Y/N needed to get used to the fact that Luke was always able to find time for them, no matter what. It felt a little alien at first, as in the past it seemed almost natural and normal to her that the partner was too tired and busy to go out. 

"Do you want me to come to your area instead?" the girl awkwardly asked, still feeling stupidly guilty for the fact that Luke had to drive all the way from the place he had his shooting to her area, which wasn’t in a close distance at all.

“It’s alright,” Luke quietly giggled, feeling especially soft when Y/N would once again doubting if she could allow someone to simply take care of her. Sometimes, though, he wished she had never met the man who made her doubt every action of his. “It’ll be already late, and I don’t want you to drive there alone, okay? I’ll drive to your area, we’ll have late dinner, and then I’ll just drive back home. How do you feel about it?”

Luke didn’t dare to ask or hint to stay at her place even for once. It was out of discussion — they just started seeing each other, getting to know each other. The guy understood that it’d take time for Y/N to be fully comfortable with him, and he was ready to wait as much as it was needed. What a relief it was for Y/N to find out  that not all guys shamelessly cared where she lived or if she lived alone. 

The late evening met them with a cold wind and little rain. Y/N was sitting across a table and wondering why, despite such freezing weather, she felt so warm, just by looking at Luke. Why his baby blue eyes always reminded her of the morning summer sky, and why his gaze was so tender and sweet… "What is it?" the musician smiled lightly, seeing her staring at him for a little longer than usual. "Is there a sauce on my lips?"

"No," Y/N giggled under her nose and shook the head negatively. "I was just thinking how lucky I am to meet you."

A bigger smile appeared on Luke’s face. The heart jumped on the chest, and his palms became suddenly little sweaty as if he was twelve years old, who fell in love for the very first time. Maybe it was not the case, but Luke had never heard such words in his life until that exact moment. He didn’t even know how much he actually needed to hear it from her. 

"You have no idea how happy I am, when I’m with you," he simply responded and carefully took Y/N’s hand in his. She relaxed her palm and thought that maybe she knew, because his sincere eyes was simply saying it all. "Just… let me love you, okay? It’s all what ask."

taglist: @dgrangaa, @gracieboogirl, @yukichan67, @valentinehrts

– gifs aren’t mine and belong to the rightful owner – saw them here @musicgifs & @uservalentine –

© writersdare | all rights reserved

All stories are original and written by me. Do not copy, trace and post anywhere without permission and credit. The stories are fictional, they do not correspond to reality and written just for fun ♡

Masterlist | Taglist

#Luke hemmings #5sos blurb #5sos imagine #5sos imagines #5 seconds of summer #5 seconds of summer imagine #5sos #5sos angst #Luke hemmings imagine #5sos x reader #5sos fic #Luke hemmings angst #Luke hemmings x reader #Luke hemmings x y/n #luke 5 seconds of summer #luke 5sos #luke 5sauce #writersdare #writersdare luke 5sos

[anonymousdandelion]

One of my favorite little strategies for when I am struggling with the far-too-frequent feelings of self-loathing is rapidly becoming this ridiculously basic thing: say nice things to people.

Remind a loved one that you love them. Thank a mentor or role model. Compliment a stranger (in a non-creepy way). Leave a comment on a piece of fanfic. Tell a colleague how much you appreciate the great job they did on that project last week. Send a supportive ask.

See, what I've found is that it makes it a bit harder for my brain to keep insisting that I am horrible, worthless, nothing but a useless burden on everyone around me, etc. etc... when I have evidence that I just put something positive into someone else's life.

(And yes, kind words do put something very positive into the life of the recipient. If I ever start to doubt that, I just need to stop and remember a time or two when I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end. Kindness counts. It matters.)

If approaching people in person feels out of reach, that's okay. Try an email, text message, or DM. Feeling shy? Turn on anon and send a nice ask to your favorite Tumblr blogger.

(Confession moment: I started occasionally doing that back before I even had a Tumblr account at all, when I was a blog-less lurker on this here Hellsite. It's remarkably fun, being a disembodied voice. 10/10 do recommend.)

Whatever works, resonates, and feels accessible for you.

If you're someone who enjoys vicarious happiness, you may get an additional benefit if/when the person responds. (When I'm low in self-image, I also tend to be low in general mood. Making someone smile reminds me that, hey, smiling is possible.)

If you're someone who, like me, tends to socially isolate or withdraw when feeling down (which can be quite the vicious cycle), complimenting someone provides a moment of interaction.

If the recipient of your kindness is someone you already know, a family member or friend, you'll be strengthening that relationship; and if you choose a stranger, who knows, perhaps that classmate you've never spoken to before is a future friend.

You'll be practicing expressing kindness and caring, developing skills that may eventually translate into self-talk.

And the best part? Well, look, people are different. Just because this helps me doesn't guarantee it will help you. For that matter, it doesn't always help me. Brains are complicated.

But there's nothing to lose. Worst case scenario, you've brightened someone's day, and the world has a little more kindness in it.

#dandelion says #kindness #compliments #beating the brainweasels #mental health #positivity #not sure what else to tag this but if anyone has ideas let me know #encouragement #self-care