#(2023: 1/23 races watched)

[heartburiedingreece]

2023 miami red bull livery appreciation post

[skitskatdacat63]

2009 Brazilian Grand Prix - Jenson Button

[mclacedes]

Let Them See (LH44)

a/n: writing angst wasn't helping my depressed ass at all so here's a smutty thought :)

summary: in which lewis has a controversially young girlfriend, who he suddenly isn't afraid of showing around

warnings: suggestive content, dirty talk, age gap, kind of sick, friends-to-lovers, secret relationship

WC: 1.9k

Everyone knew your relationship with Lewis was byword impulsive and complicated—not because you wanted it to be, but because of the circumstances you were in.

The 16-year age gap between you and Lewis didn’t sit well with everyone, making discretion your only option. You hid away together, sneaking around like teenagers, leaning on each other in any four-walled space. You lost count of how many times you and Lewis went to the rented villa on Lake Como, being able to take bites off each other everywhere possible.

You’d lost track of how many times you’d escaped to the rented villa on Lake Como, stealing moments to lose yourselves in each other.

And you liked it that way. The secrecy, the privacy—you’d been the one to insist on it.

You first met Lewis when you were 22, and he was 38. It was 2023, and your connection had been instant. You became best friends, growing closer with each passing day. On your 23rd birthday, he’d gifted you 23 of your favorite books, each one holding a handwritten note.

Now, at 24, with him at 40, the age gap felt striking, unavoidable. Yet, there was something about it that thrilled you, made your pulse race, your mind whirl, and your body ache with a want you couldn’t quite explain.

Now, it was all speculation for the fans and entertainment for the other drivers, who relished watching you and Lewis attempt to keep your composure in front of the cameras. Every stolen glance and lingering touch fed the rumors, the intrigue, the tension.

But tonight, none of that mattered. Tonight, you couldn’t care less about the cameras or what anyone thought.

It was December 7th, 2025—the night of the final race of the season. The night Lewis cemented his legacy, securing his eighth world championship and becoming the most decorated driver in Formula 1 history. The long-awaited eighth had finally arrived, and the weight of it, the joy of it, was almost too much to contain.

Everyone was at the afterparty—everyone except Charles, who had been Lewis’s fiercest competitor throughout the season. They’d gone head-to-head in countless races, but Charles ultimately finished third in the championship, with Lando getting closer and closer to the so-dreamed-of championship.

But in the end, only one person could take it home. And there happens to be only one GOAT. It had been Lewis’ from the very start.

The room was filled with those who weren’t envious but proud, celebrating his historic achievement. It was a night of laughter, toasts, and admiration for the man who had just become an eight-time world champion.

Lewis sat on a couch in the VIP section of the Abu Dhabi club, slowly breathing in the air of victory and sipping on the glass of champagne in his hand, its price not even a thought in his mind.

The air of victory didn’t reek of the podium’s champagne or the faint musk of the club, though. It smelled just like your Dior perfume, your vanilla soap and your vanilla shampoo.

Victory looked like the pretty girl sat on his thigh, bobbing her head to the sound of the all-too-loud music, sipping off her own glass of golden bubbly beverage.

“I think I’m getting too old for this,” he murmured, his warm breath brushing against your ear, his lips so close you could feel every word.

You chuckled, throwing your head back in that carefree way that always made him smile—it was one of the little things he thought was the cutest about you.

“Wanna leave already, Sir? We’re barely started partying,” you teased, tilting your head to meet his gaze.

He leaned closer, his voice dropping an octave, his words vibrating against your chest. “I’ve got far more interesting things waiting at home, Y/N. And trust me, we can party all night there too.”

The weight of his tone sends a shiver down your spine, warmth blooming low in your belly as the meaning behind his words settled in, making your pulse quicken.

Suddenly, you are too aware of how short your dress is and how his hand palms your thigh. You swallow hard, the music and chatter of the club fading into the background. His dark eyes are locked on yours, and the teasing curve of his lips only deepen your anticipation.

“Is that so?” you managed, your voice barely above a whisper, though you knew he could hear the challenge laced in your tone.

Lewis’s fingers traced idle circles on your thigh, his touch light yet deliberate. “You know it is,” he said, his grin growing darker, more possessive. “I’d even dare say… you like that idea, don’t you?”

“Outrageous!” you replied, flashing a mischievous smile, your teeth catching your bottom lip in a playful bite.

The warmth pooling in your belly grew as his hand slid up a fraction more, reaching the hem of your dress. His fingers toyed with the sequins, sending tiny sparks of sensation through your skin.

“Lewis…” you murmured, your tone caught between playful and cautious, though your smile faltered under his gaze. “We’re in public.”

His laughter rumbled low and deep, a sound that sent a shiver straight through you. “Then you’d better behave, sweetheart,” he said, his voice dangerously soft. His eyes never left yours, and his grin turned wicked as he added, “Because if you keep looking at me like that…” He let the words linger, charged and heavy with intent. “I might just have to take you right here.”

Your breath hitched, a mix of anticipation and adrenaline coursing through you as his words sank in. His hand lingered at the hem of your dress, just enough to tease, to test your resolve.

“Bold of you to assume I’d let you,” you shot back, though your voice wavered slightly, betraying your feigned confidence.

Lewis’s smirk deepened, his gaze never breaking from yours. “Oh, love,” he murmured, his voice like silk wrapping around you, “you’d not only let, you’d beg me to do so.”

Heat flushed through you, and you struggled to keep your composure under his piercing gaze. The music around you seemed to blur into white noise, the club melting away until it felt like it was just the two of you, locked in a silent battle of wills.

“Right… Then what if I told you I would absolutely love you to take me right here?” you said, batting your eyelashes as you looked into his soul through his eyes.

Lewis could feel his pants getting too tight around his crotch as you kept looking at him.

Lewis’s smirk grew even darker, the intensity in his gaze sending a shiver down your spine. “Shit, love…” he murmured, his voice dipping lower, rich and velvety, making a mess on your panties. “I have to remind you just how dangerous it is to play games you can’t win.”

The heat between you was palpable, a private flame burning brighter with every second. The noise of the club, the thrumming bass, the distant laughter—they all faded into oblivion. It was just him, just you, and the tension crackling like electricity in the air.

“Well, I’m not afraid of losing,” you whispered, leaning closer, your lips curling into a teasing smile. “Maybe I want to see just how far you’d go, Lewis.”

His grip on your thigh tightened, and his dark eyes dropped briefly to your lips, before returning to yours with an intensity that made your breath catch. He was holding on by a thread, and you could tell he was teetering between self-control and giving in.

“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he said, his tone a warning laced with hunger.

You tilted your head, your confidence unwavering as you batted your lashes again. “Oh, except I do,” you replied softly, your voice dripping with challenge.

Lewis shifted in his seat, the tightness in his pants making his restraint all the more difficult. His jaw clenched briefly, his free hand resting on the back of your neck, his thumb grazing your skin in a way that sent a jolt through you.

“You’re going to regret saying that,” he said, his lips brushing against your ear, his words a promise and a threat all at once.

But regret was the last thing on your mind. You leaned in, your breath warm against his cheek as you whispered, “Prove it.”

The heat between you was undeniable now, a private storm building despite the crowd around you. The world didn’t matter—the cameras, the whispers, the flashing lights. It was just him, just you, and the pull that neither of you could resist.

And as his lips brushed the shell of your ear again, he whispered, “Let’s get out of here.”

He gently nudged you off his lap, rising to his feet. Taking your hand in his, he led you toward the exit. But just as you reached the door, a sudden burst of cheers echoed from the VIP bar.

Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Alex Albon were all staring at you two, grinning like they’d just caught wind of the hottest gossip in the room.

You smile, your cheeks flushing slightly, and bury your face in Lewis’ chest, hiding your laughter. He chuckles softly, his arms tightening around you for a moment before you pull back. As you step away, you look up to find him casually flipping off his co-workers with a playful grin.

A mischievous spark ignites within you, and without missing a beat, you mirror his action, flipping them off with a smirk of your own.

Lewis catches your move, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he watches you mirror him. His eyes gleam with approval, his playful side clearly taking over.

“That’s my baby,” he says, his voice low and teasing as he steps closer, his arm brushing against your shoulders, wrapping around your neck possessively.

The group of drivers, now aware of your shared gesture, laughs and shakes their heads, but their amusement only fuels your defiance. The tension between you and Lewis grows electric even when you two stop flipping the guys off, the playful challenge still lingering in the air.

You’re suddenly hyper-aware of the flashing lights, the cameras capturing every second of your interaction. The bright flashes momentarily blind you, but it's the weight of their gaze on both of you that makes your pulse race. It’s as if the entire world is watching, amplifying everything—the chemistry, the defiance, the thrill of the moment.

“Lewis…” you murmur, your voice low and laced with a mix of desire and curiosity.

Lewis doesn’t flinch at the attention, his smirk only deepening as he locks eyes with you. “Let them see. Let them gossip,” he murmurs, his thumb slowly tracing circles on your skin. “We’ve got this.”

Your heart pounds faster, the electricity between you undeniable. You hold his gaze, a playful yet daring smile curling on your lips.

“I’ve got you, baby,” he says, his voice a quiet promise, a declaration of everything you both are, everything you’ve been in that moment.

And as the flashes of the cameras continue, you both walk hand in hand toward the door, leaving the noise, the chaos, the spotlight behind. All that matters now is the intoxicating pull between you two, and the freedom of knowing that whatever the world says, you’ve got each other.

The night belongs to you. And that’s more than enough.

[cheriladycl01]

Fast Cars on the Island - Oscar Piastri x LoveIslandContestant! Reader Part 1

Plot: Your an engineer for Mclaren and you were asked as a PR stunt to go onto Love Island. You would keep your job of course but Mclaren wanted some more media traction.

A/N: I know they would never do this, and that's why its fiction!

You'd basically been an intern during your placement year at McLaren as an engineering university student. They then kept you on as an employee to work with them while you completed your final year of university.

That was in 2023, it was now 2025 and you were 23 years old and had worked for McLaren for the last few years.

In recent years PR for the teams was all getting the same. They made the funny and treading tiktoks, they did the 0.5 pics, and they made the memes which never got old. But all the teams were looking for something new... something refreshing. So when the team came forward with the idea for someone to go on Love Island, Zac Brown hated the idea.

He thought it was ridiculous.

It was ridiculous.

But after some thought of how Lando and Oscar, the stellar boys of his team... young and energetic brought like likeability and youth too McLaren that everyone loved. He then realized that this would give someone in McLaren a larger platform to open up too and show the ins and outs of McLaren and it would gain way more viewers from a different group of people.

So once the car for 2025 had been created he went through a long list of all the potential candidates he'd ask to apply. Maybe he could even see if he could sway ITV in anyway.

Obviously he looked at the social media girls and then any of the mechanics that they could let loose for the potential of 10 weeks. But the one that struck him the most was you. Y/N Y/L/N.

You were the perfect candidate, you were an engineer and travelled with McLaren from race to race working on the car's performance and helping the strategists when it came to optimizing car performance with driver ability.

So that's why you were currently sat in the ITV studio doing your little interview for your introduction.

You were a little gutted they told you they wanted you in on this project as you had a massive crush on driver number 81 Oscar Piastri and you knew both him and Lando would be watching you.

The Love Island Intro:

"My love life is non-apparent I think I've had a closer relationship with my car than a man!" you joked halfway through the interview when they'd asked you about your love-life.

"My name is Y/N Y/L/N, I'm 23 years old from London! I work for a Formula 1 Team, McLaren Racing as an Engineer" you smile looking at the camera shuffling on your seat a little bit adjusting you dress.

"The lights a really bright in this studio I think my makeup's running!" you say as a makeup technician comes out fixing your under eye a little.

"I think my last relationship was my first year of University and it lasted for about a year" you answer with a thoughtful look up.

"I think he got fed up with me! At that point i was very career focused and I still am." you answer the prompted 'and why was that' question asked to you.

"I'm not fussy when it comes to looks, but I tend to go for sporty guys that are taller than me and treat me well! My dad always told me, find yourself a man that will treat you how they treat their Vintage Pontaic and I've lived by that ever since!" you admit with a little laugh.

"Where I work in such a fast paced and big industry I'm very much a socialite and people person so i can imagine I'll make friends quickly in the villa" you answer again the question they asked you.

Walking into the Villa:

You step into the Villa, you of course were wearing a Papaya Bikini with a matching coverup in the form of a cardigan but sheer.

You walk through thanking the driver before walking into the villa looking around in awe.

Maybe it wasn't the worst thing spending your entire summer here. The only thing was you were gutted you wouldn't be updated on how your team was doing at any point! This year the villa was in Greece, it had been completely reformed with the pool being more like the one from season 1 where it had the beach sort of style to it.

You round the corner seeing two gorgeous girls sipping on champagne.

"Oh, look its another girl!!! OMG HEY!!!!" the first girl shouts beckoning you over.

"Hey!" you exclaim walking over as quickly as you could in the heels you were wearing.

The first girl pulls you into a hug kissing either one of your cheeks while gripping both your arms, she was pretty tall as well around 5'11, whereas you were around 5'7 in the heels you were sporting.

The next girl hands you a drink before kissing your cheek.

"So girl! What's your name, how old are you?" the first girl asks.

"Y/N! And I'm 23! What's your names?" you ask politely before taking a sip of your champagne.

"I'm Millie, and this is Auriela!" she smiles pointing to the other girl.

Seconds later another female enters the Villa with a shrilly sort of shriek, looking around at the place.

"Omggggggg! Heyy girls whats going on!" she says in a strong Scottish Accent.

Your then introduced to Zavi before you all get chatting about what you like in boys.

Oscar and Lando's Reaction:

"Damn, who knew she looked like that under team gear!" Lando compliments shamelessly checking her out as they slow-mowed her walk out on screen before showing her intro video.

"Yeah, she's pretty" Oscar says quietly while respectfully looking her over.

Oscar had a crush on you from when he was a reserve driver for Alpine and he saw you on work experience in McLaren from the end of the 2022 season and before he joined all the way through till the September of 2023. You then were in the MTC a lot between Uni, so he saw you a lot during the winter break before you were off for your finals.

You rejoined McLaren in May of 2024 for the Monaco GP where you cam with revolutionary upgrades for Zac Brown to oversee.

And you'd been with them ever since, always in Oscar's mind as the pretty engineer who not only made his cars race fast but made his heart race just as fast too.

He watched as she said she liked sporty guys, maybe he had a chance if she didn't fall in love while in there.

"That other girls pretty fit! Mille is that her name?" Lando comments but it goes straight over Oscar's head where he's so honed in on you.

Meeting the Boys:

The presenter had you all stood in the pool, and she explained how she was about to bring the boys out one by one.

"Okay first boy. Please come out and introduce yourself!"

"Hey ladies, all looking beautiful today, my name is Jai I'm 25 and I'm a training Surgeon!" he smiles holding both hands together as he looks at all of you.

"Okay ladies, step forward if you like the look of Jai!" she says and both Millie and Zavi step forward. You don't step forward as you can imagine he's pretty busy as a doctor and your schedules would clash too much.

"Oh woah, you've got too girls that have stepped forward for you Jai, what are your first thought, we feeling good?" she asks and he nods.

"Yeah, I mean they are both gorgeous ladies!"

"Okay lets find out more. Zavi, why did you step forward?" the presenter asks and she smiles.

"We're both doctors, so i think we'd make a pretty good match, we'd have lots to talk about. Yeah and your very handsome!" she says shyly and the presenter nods.

"Awesome and Y/N you didn't step forward, just keeping you options open?" she asks and you shake your head.

"You of course are very attractive and seem like a really funny and kind guy, but I travel a lot for work and I think with you being a doctor our schedules would result in a major clash unfortunately!" you explain, with a guilty look.

He nods in understanding before he goes and stands next to Zavi in her white bathing suit.

"Our first couple, Jai and Zavi!" she says and you all clap as Jai walks next to her placing a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Okay, our second boy everyone say hello to Chris!" she introduces and another man comes walking through the double glass doors.

"Hey, I'm Chris I'm 22 and I'm a Celebrity Hairdresser" he smiles waving shyly before tucking his arms behind his back.

"Okay girls you know what to do!"

This time only Auriela steps forward. You stay in your position along with Millie.

"Okay, so Auriela has stepped forward for you Chris! Aurelia why did you step forward!" she asks and Auriela laughs.

"Holy hell have you seen him? Hi I'm Aurelia" she smiles playfully at him, he looks down a small blush on his cheeks.

"Millie, you didn't step forward this time. Any reason?" she asks.

"Little disheartened after Jai, but I'm sure my times coming. Just not with Chris, sorry my ex is a hairdresser!" she laughs off her reasoning before he ends up choosing Aurelia.

"Our second couple Chris and Aurelia!"

"Okay, Boy 3 please make yourself known!" she exclaims and another very handsome man comes strolling out. He immediately sends a wink your guys' way and pulls the presenter in to kiss her cheek in a friendly manner.

"Hi, my names Daniel, I'm 25 and I'm a footballer" he smiles crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Okay, ladies please step forward if you like the look of Daniel" the presenter smiles. You, Millie and Aurelia all step forward.

"Sorry" Aureila says turning round to look at Chris.

"Woah, that's the most we've had step forward! And this is in fact that first time we've had Y/N step forward" the presenter says and he looks between you and Millie trying to determine who it was.

"The one in Orange!" she exclaims and he looks at you, small smirk on his face.

"Hello beautiful" he compliments and you smile at him.

Eventually after she asks Millie who pleads her case heavily, he goes with her. You step back a little sadly and he looks over to you in apology but you just nod with a smile understanding his choice.

"Okay our next couple Millie and Daniel!" she says and you all clap happily.

"Okay boy number 4 please step out and make yourself known" the presenter asks again.

"Hiya, all looking really beautiful ladies. I'm Aaron I'm 26 and I'm a freelance photographer" he introduces before making a little side joke.

You, and Zavi step forward.

"So you've got Y/N who only stepped forward for one other boy stepping forward for you in Orange and isn't currently coupled up. Then you've got Zavi's who currently with Jai" she explains and he nods.

"But of course you can choose any girl even if she's not coupled up! Y/N why did you step forward?" she asks looking at you.

"You are very handsome obviously, has that sky book guy vibe about him. But I think your photography career would go wild if you came travelling with me for my job!" you smile looking at him.

She asks Zavi why she changed her mind from Jai giving a generic answer about keeping her options open before she questions Millie and why she didn't step forward.

"Aaron, please go stand next to the girl you'd like to couple up with" the presenter says and he walks standing next to you. He places a kiss on your cheek.

"You look stunning by the way" he smiles looking down at you making you blush and elbow him to shut up. So you could see what the presenter was about to say.

"Now, all of you are happily coupled up, we have Y/N and Aaron, we have Millie and Daniel, Aureila and Chris and Zavi and Jai. However, please say hello to our final male contestant Charlie" she says and a blonde guy walks out full of confidence.

"£10 that he's out by week 2" you whisper to Aaron making him snicker a little before covering it up with a cough.

"Hi ladies, I'm Charlie I'm 28 and I'm a Physician" he smiles.

"Okay, so obviously all these ladies are currently coupled up, however you are able to choose any of them and break the couple they are currently in!" the presenter exclaims.

"Oooooof the whole lot!" he says flicking his hand looking over all of you.

"I'm going to make it easier for you and ask if the girls like the look of you for them to step forward. Please do so ladies on the count of three" she says and counts to 3.

When no-one steps forward he awkwardly shuffles.

"Come on ladies lets not be shy" he laughs, until the presenter deems no-one to step forward.

"Okay, I'll go with her in the Orange Bikini" he says pointing at you. You look away from Aaron in shock.

"Okay, Aaron please come stand here with me and Charlie please go stand next to Y/N" she says and you keep your eyes on Aaron as he walks away. He gives a nod to you and you nod back.

An understanding.

"Okay, these are our current couples, no more couplings will happen today!" she exclaims before she explains that you have time to explore the villa and get to know each other.

Oscar and Lando Reaction:

"Okay, no I understand that, good for her" Lando says shoving some plain popcorn into his mouth as he watched Y/N not step forward for Jai.

"I bet Y/N would step forward for me" Lando says as she rejects the second guy to come out Chris.

"Do you recon she'd step out for me?" Oscar asks looking over to his friend.

"Yeah mate. Your a catch. I even heard her say to Emma, the girl in marketing once that her fav accent is aussie!" Lando admits eyes glued to the screen as she steps forward for Daniel.

"She does!" Oscar exclaims looking at Lando making his pause the TV.

"Yeah, mate. Now lets watch coz this may be the future Mr Y/N in the paddock!" Lando says gesturing to the TV.

"Nah, that's foul. How you out there rejecting my girl Y/N Y/LN!" Lando screams at the TV in horror that Daniel had just gone with Millie.

They watch as the next guy walks out and Lando and Oscar raise eyebrows. It was a brown haired, brown eyed guy that did the beluga smile as he came out.

"She's so stepping forward for him!" Lando says pointing at Aaron.

"I'm already putting my money on them as winners" he comments again. And she does in fact step forward. He of course chooses her, no seconds thoughts needed. They watch as he compliments her and kisses her cheek.

"Dude, she defo had school girl crushes on us!" Lando admits seeing the similar attributes and mannerisms the mail had to the McLaren driver duo.

They wait until they see Charlie walking in.

“Nah man, he keeps eyeing her up! He’s gonna take her away from Aaron!” Lando explains, but Oscar is just unhappy that she’s coupled up with anyone in general.

He should have admitted to her ages ago that he was madly in love with her.

They then watched on as the girls all parted ways walking into the bedroom and makeup area where all their clothes were in the wardrobes with their names on!

The boys all sat around the campfire talking to each other. Not fully getting to know each other wanting to save that for dinner later on.

But Oscar didn’t know how much longer he could watch this if you were going to be flirting with people the whole time.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @kapsylia @laneyspaulding19 @lazybot @malynn @cassielikereading @viennakarma @teamnovalak @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @jlb20416 @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @seomako @urdad-hot @formula1mount @tinydeskwriter @butterfly-lover @ironmaiden1313

[whumpril]

Whumpril 2023 approaches!

Rules:

Anyone can participate.

Any media form is allowed (art, fic, gifs, music, whatever).

You can participate however much or as little as you want, no pressure to complete every single day.

You can post your work anywhere on the internet, Tumblr, Ao3, etc.

Tag potential triggers and NSFW accordingly.

If you want to be counted as an official participant and have the chance to be featured on the blog, post your content during the month of April. You can still use the prompt list after April ends.

I can’t guarantee that every single work will be featured but I’ll try to reblog as many as I can.

To increase your chances of being featured here, tag your post with the event name and the prompt of the day that you used (For example: #whumpril2023, #whumprilday1, #red alert) 

You can also @ the blog, @whumpril.

Full write-up of the prompts can be found under the cut!

Whumpril 2023 Prompts:

1. Red Alert | Distress Call | Panic Attack

2. Stress | Insomnia | “Get some rest.”

3. Rope Burns | Knife to Throat | “Hold still.”

4. Ache | Massage | Needle

5. Defiance | Dragged | Stifled Scream

6. Salve | Painkillers | Bad Coping Mechanisms

7. Numbness | Unsteady | “You look pale.”

8. Nausea | Comfort Food | Dehydration

9. Pinned Down | Bruises | “Who did this to you?”

10. Shiver | Breathless | “I’m scared.”

11. Nightmares | Bedside Vigil | “I’m right here.”

12. Friendly Fire | Toxic | “Get away from me!”

13. Blurry Vision | Support | “I think I need to sit down.”

14. False Smile | Holding Back Tears | “I said I’m fine.”

15. Isolation | Flinching | “Do you trust me?”

16. Guilt | Shock | “I’m so sorry.”

17. Cry For Help | Self-Treatment | “I can’t do this.”

18. Abandoned | Escape Attempt | “Take me instead!”

19. Choking | Muffled Sobs | “I’m worried about you.”

20. Disoriented | Sensory Deprivation | “Where am I?”

21. Scars | Fracture | “It’s just a scratch.”

22. Sponge Bath | Infection | “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

23. Smoke | Bloodstains | Sharing Clothes

24. Secrets | Under Duress | “What have you done?”

25. Heart Racing | On the Run | “We’re being watched.”

26. Explosion | Short on Time | “I won’t leave you!”

27. Forced To Kneel | Grabbed by Collar | Stepped On

28. Bedridden | Semiconscious | Light Sensitivity

29. Surrender | Punishment | “Final warning.”

30. Holding Hands | Human Shield | “Don’t let go.”

Alternative Prompts:

If there’s a prompt above you don’t feel inspired or comfortable doing, you can switch it out with one of these alternatives!

1. Ice Pack

2. Ransom

3. Gaslighting

4. On the Edge

4. Waiting Room

5. Un/Forgiveness

6. Food Poisoning

7. Heat Exhaustion

8. Forced To Crawl

9. Mandatory Leave

10. Search and Rescue

11. “Don’t push me away.”

12. Words That Can’t Be Taken Back

13. “Let me know if you need anything.”

[pro-cycling-primers]

🏁 Types of races 🏁

As promised in my general introductory post, this is going to be an overview of the two different types of races that are contested in professional cycling.

One-day races 📅

Exactly what it says on the tin! Start in one town, finish in another, difficult stuff in between and the first rider across the line is the winner. That last bit's obvious but when we have a look at stage races it's not always that simple!

DNF numbers can be relatively high and racing can be very aggressive with no need to save energy for the next day (except for other races that might be happening in the next few days), with different races favouring different kinds of riders. Women's races are usually 150-200km, and men's are typically 180-250km (but can be longer)

A couple of recent ones with good highlights clips that I think are worth watching: men's Milano-San Remo 2022, women's Paris-Roubaix 2023, the Amstel Gold Race both the women's in 2024 and men's in 2019. Also the 2023 World Championships men's road race but WCs and how they work warrants another post.

Stage races 🗓

As if one day wasn't hard enough, much of the cycling calendar is made up of races that range from less than week to nearly a month: the longest are the men's Grand Tours, 21 stages across 23 days (two rest days).

The overall winner of a stage race is the rider with the lowest combined time across all stages, but every stage also has an individual winner. Stages are usually shorter than one-day races, and a rider must finish each stage within a time limit (percentage of the winner's time) in order to start the next.

In the aim of giving a thorough explanation but at the risk of being patronising; I've drawn up a simplified and exaggerated results table for a stage race to illustrate how General Classification works. Skip the bullet-pointed section if you get it.

(Unlike the very real five or six stages of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, it actually lasts the stated number of days.)

Through some shocking organisational misfiring, only three riders are competing in the TJT. The UCI will likely be fining me several thousand Swiss Francs for this and preventing me from organising any further events, but we press on.

Annemiek Generieke takes a definitive victory in stage 1, her closest competition coming in nearly ten minutes down.

As she has the lowest accumulated time, Generieke starts in the leader's jersey for stage 2 (underlined). Perhaps exhausted by her previous efforts the day before, she finishes in last place with Ciclista beating Blanks by only one minute.

Blanks made up enough time on Generieke to now have the lowest accumulated time - she is leading the GC, so wears the leader's jersey for stage 3.

Ciclista wins her second stage but Blanks rides tactically to ensure she doesn't lose time and thus keeps the leader's jersey.

Brody Blanks wins the inaugaural (and final) Trois Jours de Tumbler with a time of 8 hours 55 minutes!

It's certainly for a GC winner to win a race without winning any stages - see 2017 men's Tour de France - but they'll usually win at least one. Successful GC campaigns require a team to work together to protect their leader and ensure they don't lose time to their rivals. GC riders are often exceptional climbers as the mountains are where the biggest time gaps are created, decent time-trialists, and especially gifted at recovery, staying consistent enough throughout a race to remain competitive.

Not every rider or team in the race is there to win GC: some will be teammates of leaders, others will be there to win as many stages as they can, or target one of the secondary classifications: points, climber's, youth, and team, (plus some other prizes) which I'll go into in a different post.

Thanks for reading, and see you later in the season!

[valyrfia]

top 5 races you ever watched and why

5.Mexico 2023 Beginning of Lestappengate madness, Charles and Max being our evil villains taking out the home favourite, the SF-23 somehow being....faster with a broken front wing. These were great vibes.

4. Jeddah 2024 Ollie debut! Immaculate Ferrari vibes! Ollie Bearman finishing ahead of Lando and Lewis! There's nothing else to say, this was such a fun race to watch and makes me so excited for the future of Ferrari.

3. Zandvoort 2023 Peak chaos, I loved it. There was no certainty, everyone was moving up and down and up and down and just trying to keep their cars on track. Most random podium ever. Strangest strategy calls. Alex Albon leading on like 40 lap old hards. Poor Liam Lawson was wondering whether he woke up in a nightmare. THIS is peak F1.

2. Las Vegas 2023 LOVED this race. Charles was peak Charles Leclerc in this one, if he hadn't been stuck in the SF-23 he would've won this by an easy mile. If there hadn't been the safety car, Charles would've also won this one! Only time in the 2023 season Red Bull was overtaken on pure pace. It's a masterclass.

1.Spa 2023 Personal favourite, but it's the first one I ever watched live actually tuned in to everything going on and how things worked. I watched Canada, Austria, Silverstone but that was with friends and I wasn't fully switched on so this was the first time I actually realised how FUN this sport is. Max's drive up from P6 was also jaw-dropping to watch.

send me a category and i'll give you my top 5

[m4xlesbian]

ROUND 2/23 ⸺ saudi arabia grand prix ✩ 19.03.2023

maple's rating: ★★ and a half (7/10)

☁︎ click read more facts, highlights & experiences ☁︎

✩ facts

this was fernando alonso's 100th podium!

and only the second time that red bull has had consecutive 1-2s!

fernando lead a lap for the first time since 2011 (germany)

charles scored his first points of 2023

max had his 21th consecutive finish (longest of anyone on the grid at that time)

max was now only one podium short of the total amount of podiums ayrton senna had in his career (max is at 79)

✩ raceweek highlights

max's car dying in qualifying... one of the few bozo rocky moments this year to be honest

max himself being sick ouughhh 😢😢😢

the. girls. are. spinning.

max p15 → p2 my beloved

fernando leads a lap! woop woop!

fernando... penalty?? no?? yes?? no???

lance stroll has a very weird crash

nyck de vries is once again flopping

✩ maple's diary

[everydaydg]

Its that time again! My list of played games in 2024!!

2024 Games List (Dates= Day/Month)

1.Chu Chu Rocket (GBA, Normal puzzles) (7/1) 2.World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck (Genesis, 4/2) 3.Star Fox 2 (SNES mini, 4/2) 4.Castlevania Bloodlines (Genesis, 5/2) 5.DARIUSBURST (PSP, 22/2) 6.Pikmin: New Play Control! (Wii, 29/2) 7.Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 (DS, 29/2) 8.Super Galdelic Hour (PS2, 7/3) 9.Crush (PSP, 8/3) 10.Batsugun (Bitwave, PC, 2024) (10/3) 11.METAFIGHT (Famicom, Eng Translated) (15/3) 12.Another World: 20th Anniversary (PC, 18/3) 13.Ninja Gaiden (NES, 22/3) 14.Ninja Gaiden 2 (NES, 23/3) 15.The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS, 27/3) 16.Flower, Sun and Rain (DS, 30/3) (Replay) 17.Monster Hunter 4 ULTIMATE (3DS, 5/4) (Caravan Ending (Low Rank) at G1) 18.No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (PC, 10/4) (Replay) 19.Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure (3DS, 18/4) (Replay) 20.Sin & Punishment (N64, 25/4)(Normal)(Replay) 21.Mischief Makers (N64, 27/4) 22.Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure (PC, 6/5) 23.Panzer Dragoon (Saturn, 10/5) 24.Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (Saturn, 11/5) 25.Yo-Kai Watch 3 (3DS, 19/5)(Replay) 26.Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn, 14/6) 27.Devil Blade REBOOT (PC, 16/6) (HBD 2 ME) 28.Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (DS, 24/6) 29.Viewtiful Joe (GC, 26/6) 30.We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie (PC, 30/6) 31.Mr.Driller Drill Land (GC, 30/6) 32.Viewtiful Joe (GC, 30/6)(Replay) 33.The Wonderful 101: Remastered (PC, 14/7)(Replay) 34.Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles (Genesis, 28/7) 35.Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - HD Edition (PC, 4/8)(Replay, Euro Extreme, FOXHOUND) 36.Typing of the Dead (Dreamcast, 4/8) (Technically replay) (First full clear) 37.Sonic Mania: Plus (PC, 10/8)(Mania Mode) 38.Konami Classic Series: Arcade Hits (DS, 11/8)(Havent completed everything but its good) 39.Sega Bass Fishing/Uchi Tsuri Bass Fishing (Wii, 25/8)(Arcade courses cleared) 40.Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (DS, 27/8) 41.Sonic Adventure 2: Battle (PC, 12/8)(Replay) 42.Resident Evil: Deadly Silence (DS, 18/8)(Replay)(My First Chris Run) 43.Resident Evil: Deadly Silence (DS, 19/8)(Replay)(2:36:05 Chris, 3 Saves) 44.Super Mario 3D World (Wii U, 20/9) 45.Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1, 29/9)(Bad End) 46.Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS, 8/10)(Good End, 1000%) 47.Michigan: Report from Hell (PS2, 11/10) 48.Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Complete Edition (PC, 18/10) 49.Wave Race 64 (Wii,22/10)(Normal)(Replay) 50.ICO HD (PS3, 23/10) 51.Resident Evil: Deadly Silence (DS, EMU ,25/10)(Replay) (Chris) 52.Sonic Colors (Wii, Real Hardware, 29/10)(Replay) 53.Resident Evil 4 HD (PC, 29/10)(Replay) 54.REZ INFINITE (PC, 31/10)(original, w/trance vibrator on) 55.Radirgy Swag (Switch, 6/11)(4th Attempt, Clear)(10m32s, 384400km, 0138011200pts) 56.G-DARIUS HD (PC, 9/11)(Replay)(Co-op, no 1cc) 57.No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (Wii (RH), 13/11)(Replay) 58.Radirgy 2 (Switch, 19/11)(Both Ships) 59.Radirgy 2 (Switch, 20/11)(Replay)(1CC, Murasame) 60.Astro Ninja Man DX (NES, 22/5)(1cc, forgot to include it till now) 61.The Silver Case (PC, 7/12) 62.Rhyme Rider Kerorican (Wonderswan, 12/12) 63.Bloodstained: Ritual of the Moon (PC, 14/12) 64.Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (3DS, 15/12) 65.Um Jammer Lammy (PS Vita, 30/12)(replay) 66.Gitaroo Man Lives! (PSP(Through vita), 29/12)(replay) 67.Sonic the Hedgehog 2 3D (3DS, 31/12)(Replay)

Yahoo! thats alot of games! less than 2023 but its not about the count but the times had. this year ill mess arround with more RPGs!! I didnt play alot of em last year haha

[dystini]

Indycar Driver Lore

Indycar Driver Lore Masterlist

David Joseph Malukas

Birthdate: Sept. 27, 2001 Hometown: Chicago Residence: Chicago Height/Weight: 5’10”/150lbs

Rookie Year: 2022

Team: None

Follow him on: Instagram Twitter

Career Stats

2022: Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports - 16th Overall 2023: Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports - 17th Overall

-2021 INDY NXT by Firestone runner-up, claiming seven wins, 16 podiums, six pole positions. -In 2016, started racing cars in Europe before focusing on the Road to Indy and racing in USF2000 in 2017 and Indy Pro 2000 in 2018. Also raced in Formula Regional Americas Championship Powered by Honda, where he finished second in the series with two wins and 15 podiums. -Was a multi-time karting champion who was featured on TruTV's "Kart LIfe" in 2015. -A first-generation Lithuanian American and the only son of immigrants who moved to Chicago in 1991, David inherited his father Henry’s love of racing. Grew up watching his father race at Road America. He wears both flags on his suits -David lives in the southwest Chicago suburbs – not far from Dale Coyne Racing’s shop – and enjoys mountain biking, hi-fidelity music and “I’m a bit of a gamer.” -loves to dance -david was homeschooled for high school due to being in europe for karting -never had a prom/standard high school experiences -was very homesick during his time in europe -used to know some german and italian -plays more strategy heavy games like Hearts of Iron and Stellaris, but does play mainstream games like Apex: Legends and Beatsaber as well -Uses Beatsaber for reaction-time practice -Can't have coffee anymore. Used to be addicted and his doctor said no more. -star wars fan, said his favorite season was season 7 and thinks Cad Bane is a cool villain -fan of Chelsea FC

-Dad and Mom (Henry & Daiva Malukas) are owners of: -HMD Trucking -HMD Bar & Grill -HMD Motorsports

Iconic/memorable moments David's episode of Bus Bros. INSIDE THE RACE // DAVID MALUKAS AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK Tom Griswold Interviews David Malukas (2022 Indy 500) The Rookie Chronicles 2022 TRACK WALK // LONG BEACH WITH DAVID MALUKAS 2022 PACE CAR LAPS // TAKUMA SATO AND DAVID MALUKAS AT BARBER Marshall Pruett and David Malukas practice/quali/race reports 2022-23 2022 RACE RADIOS // DAVID MALUKAS AT WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY How did 20 year old IndyCar rookie David Malukas celebrate on the podium W/O champagne? “OMG They’re Penskes!”

Tiny car race David Malukas vs. the NBC admin. JAVA WITH JAMES // DAVID MALUKAS Welcome to the team David! Welcome David Malukas Trying Different candy part 1 part 2 Holiday Tree Blindfolded Challenge Holiday Family phototshoot Behind the Scenes Baking Challenge: Part 1 Baking Challenge: Part 2 Spill your guts game Intro Part 1 Part 2 Off Track with Hinch and Rossi – The Papaya One Malukas injures hand in mountain bike accident Malukas out for six weeks following wrist surgery Arrow McLaren staying the course with Malukas as his rehab from injury continues ARROW McLAREN RELEASES DAVID MALUKAS FROM TEAM Statement from David Malukas: Malukas released by Arrow McLaren David Malukas gets to know Will Power on and off the track | Over the Wall | 2024 Indy 500 | INDYCAR

David is genuinely happy and excited to be in the Indycar series and it shows. He is enthusiastic, ready to participate in any social media activity, even the embarrassing ones. Despite driving for a team on the lower end of the budget scale, David has shown remarkable results on occasion and always expresses awe to find himself racing against the big names and big teams of the series. His talent is undeniable at just 21 years old and we will be watching his career with great interest for many years to come.

Look, I’m trying to be objective about him but he’s so stinking cute and fun and I think everyone should adore him. As a friend said, just a cute little fairy creature who decided to be a racecar driver for whatever reason. He’s all happiness and sunshine and it’s rare to see him sad or upset.

Fanfic Lore There are really no set pairings for him. He’s been sort of adopted by the Bus Bros as a Bus Cousin. Battled for the IndyNXT championship title with Kyle Kirkwood and they are friends. Karted with Christian Lundgaard in Europe when they were kids.

ROOKIE PALS, RIVALS LUNDGAARD, MALUKAS CROSSING PATHS AGAIN

[sullustangin]

Fluffy February 2023 Recap

Mission success: I wrote something every day!  Some of it was short, some of it was elaborate.  Main link to the AO3 collection will be in the reblog later today.

1.  Hello  -- Theron Shan notices something strange going on at base (with hideous fanart!)

2.  Soft -- Theron snuggles with Eva Corolastor (smuggler oc) early in the morning, before he has to go...

3.  Anniversary -- Jace Malcom, a stickler for etiquette, arrives with an appropriate first anniversary present for Eva (and Theron). 

4. Starlight -- After finding Nok Drayen’s treasure, Eva takes Corso Riggs, Risha Drayen, and Bowdaar somewhere special to celebrate.

5. Amber -- Arcann seeks redemption in the form of Darth Marr’s lightsaber, with the help of Talos Drellik.  I’ve already decided I’m going to re-edit this for a larger work in the indeterminate future.  Cameo by Ramesses (Sith Warrior OC)

6.  Stretch -- Jace watches Satele Shan walk through her lightsaber katas as he drafts a critical sales pitch.

7. Cloak -- Jace deals with the crisis of the day, thanks to his brother, Kal Malcom.  I’m mentioned Kal in the past, but this is his first appearance as a character.  Let’s just say he’s different from his big brother.

8.  Callous -- Eva and Theron spend time together at the firing range.

9.  Breezy -- Rass Ordo talks with Torian Cadera and thinks about Mandalorians in love.  Then he meets Fria Whitcord (consular OC). 

10.  Thunder -- Athene Corolastor tends to Eva during her first thunderstorm.  Athene has been illusive as a narrative voice until now.  Instead of the ethereal, light figure she looks like, she’s definitely coming out with a harder edge than I anticipated.

11.  Immaculate -- Arcann goes to see his mother Senya Tirall for an important appointment.

12.  Shell -- Eva goes on her first mission with Theron after the carbonite freeze.  This is a heist fic, with background bickering from Lana Beniko and Koth Vortena.

13.  Pride -- As he holds their son Argento (Argo for short), Theron talks to Eva about the pitfalls of parental pride.  This does have some sad feels in there, but everyone is safe and happy here.

14.  Free Space:  Heartbeat -- Theron goes on his first mission since Ziost, guided through the guts of Zakuul by Marcus Trant.  He takes a detour to visit someone.  This is the long one of the bunch, at 1800+ words.

15.  Reward -- Things weren’t always bad with Darmas Pollaran.  A brief look at the beginning of the relationship between Eva and Darmas, right after Balmorra in Chapter 2.

16.  Glow -- A fluffy, slightly risque fic on Copero with Eva and Theron: they have plans.

17.  Blessed -- Corso gets to know Guss Tuno shortly after Hoth. 

18.  Glide -- Theron races in his first swoop competition in front of Jace, a fellow former swooper. 

19.  Loop -- Eva, Corso, and Hylo the cat arrive on Coruscant for the first time.

20.   Sink -- The state of a sink and the surrounding environs can reveal a lot about a person.  This seems to have been a favorite with readers. :)

21.   Tender -- For once, Lana gets hurt, and her friends are there for her. 

22.  Remember -- Eva experiences her first “Eternal Fleet Remembrance Day” with Theron.

23.  Crave -- Aric Jorgan catches Theron at the cantina at 0300, due to unforeseen happy circumstances.  This one has some CWs at the top.  

24.  Bubbly -- Day 2 of the ‘official’ Jace Malcom/Satele Shan relationship on Alderaan.

25.  Murmur -- Theron is greeted by Eva and their daughter, Dyominia, after an unexpected mission gone wrong.

26.  Joy -- Joy is a noisy house, according to Jace Malcom.  Cameo appearances by Kal, Theron, Eva, Argo, and Dyo.

27.  Blaze -- They who shoot together, stay together.  Or at least that’s Akaavi’s advice to Eva and Theron.

28.  Goodbye -- the silly-ass bordering-on-crackfic sequel to #5, starring Arcann, Koth, and Talos. 

@fluffyfebruary

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2023 Day 21: Deck the Halls...or Maybe the Neighbor

Merry Christmas if you celebrate it and happy holidays if you don’t!  One of the things I love about Christmas is watching reruns of all the old classic Christmas movies–Christmas is a big time for nostalgia.  A few years ago, I decided to incorporate that tradition into my fandom life and post my CS holiday reruns.  So here you go!  Enough holiday (mostly) fluff to get you to New Year’s Day. (With a new story posting on Christmas Day.)

Rating: G

Word Count: 2253

Other chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Notes:  This story was written for my “Christmas with Captain Swan” collection in 2020.

CS Genre: Enemies to Lovers AU

She was going to kill him.  She was going to drive a stake of holly through his heart or strangle him with a strand of Christmas lights or…well, some other holiday themed method of homicide.

Emma worked hard all day chasing down the scum of the earth and hauling their worthless asses back to jail where they belonged.  Was it really too much to ask that she have a little peace and quiet downtime to relax once she got home.

According to the idiot who lived in the apartment directly above hers, apparently so.  Every damn day since Thanksgiving he’d blared his Christmas music loud enough to wake the ghost of Christmas past.  Sometimes he even enthusiastically belted along with it.  (She had to admit his voice wasn’t half bad, but that was entirely beside the point.)

Emma hissed as she dabbed at the cut beside her eye where tonight’s skip had clocked her.  She’d got him in the end; Emma Swan always got her man, but now that the adrenaline of the chase was over, her cuts and bruises and sore muscles were screaming at her.

And the guy in the apartment above had just started singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” at the top of his lungs.

Emma growled, tossing the bloody cotton ball into her bathroom trash and getting to her feet.  Enough was enough.  This stopped now.  He could take his merry little Christmas and shove it up his south pole.

Two minutes later, she stood before his apartment.  Pounding on the door felt extremely satisfying if she did say so herself.

The music suddenly stopped, and a moment later the door opened, and for the first time Emma got a glimpse of the man who’d been the bane of her existence for the past two weeks.

Her jaw dropped.  He was drop dead gorgeous, melt-an-entire-population-of-snowmen hot.

“Well hello, there, Love,” he said with an appreciative grin-and in an accent that had her toes curling in her boots.  “How can I help you?”

Emma’s stomach swooped and her heart stuttered and then started racing.  She blinked and the spell was broken.  She wasn’t some teenager who drooled over hot guys.  Especially hot guys that she’d been seriously contemplating murdering five minutes ago.

“If you don’t stop with the Christmas crap, I’m going to punch your stupid, festive face,” she gritted out.

His eyebrows raised.  “Pardon?”

“Your music!” she said.  “Every freaking day, everytime I get home you’re blaring the Christmas music, and it got old about five minutes after you started.  I don’t think it’s too much to ask that I have a little peace and quiet in my own home.”

He huffed a breath.  “Darling, I had no idea anyone was even in the building in the middle of the afternoon.  Did it ever occur to you to come to me and ask me to turn down my music?”

She had to admit he had a point there.  Maybe yelling at him and threatening bodily harm wasn’t the best opening salvo, but it had been a long day, and she was in pain, and she wasn’t in the mood to be reasonable.

“Look, just turn it down,” she said, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

“Your wish is my command,” he said with biting sarcasm, sketching a mock bow.  “Now is there anything else you wish to yell at me about or may I get back to my tasks at hand?”

“Nope.  That’s all,” she said.

“Good,” he said and then tacked on a biting “merry Christmas” before shutting the door in her face.

The next morning, Emma was rather embarrassed about her interaction with Hot Christmas Guy upstairs, as she’d been calling him in her mind.  She’d had a frustrating day–the skip she’d gone after had left his wife and kids just before Christmas, taking every penny of their Christmas fund.  

It hit too close to home for a girl who had grown up with no family, with no one.  Hard to get into the warm and fuzzy Christmas spirit when no one gave a crap about you.

She’d been too harsh with Hot Christmas Guy, but at least the results were in her favor.  He’d been as good as his word, and if he’d continued playing his Christmas music, he’d done it at a low enough volume that she didn’t even hear it.

Emma had only just begun to think she should go upstairs and apologize, when suddenly there was a knock at her door. 

She opened the door to find the man himself, standing there holding a large plate of cookies. Her stomach not only swooped this time; it did cartwheels.  The guy looked even better in the bright light of morning with his slightly disheveled black hair, his reddish scruff, his blue button down that highlighted his even bluer eyes and his black leather jacket.

“I’m afraid we came to rather a bad start, yesterday,” he said.  “Perhaps we might start again, Aye?  My name is Killian Jones, and I’d like to offer you these Christmas cookies as a token of my apology for the excessive volume of my music.”

Emma took a step back and gestured for him to enter her apartment.  “Hey, I’m Emma Swan, and no apology is necessary.  In fact, I kind of think I owe you an apology.  I shouldn’t have just come out swinging like that.”

He smiled at her, the fine lines around his (beautiful) eyes crinkling with the gesture.  “Apology accepted Love.  I’ll leave you to your morning.”

He turned to leave, but suddenly, Emma didn’t want him to go.  “Killian wait!” she said.

Obediently he stopped, eyebrows raised in question.

“Would you like to stay and help me eat these cookies?”

He shot her a skeptical look.  “Dessert at nine in the morning?”

She shrugged.  “Can’t be much more unhealthy than my normal blueberry PopTart.”

Killian laughed then, taking a step back inside.  “Do you at least have milk to wash them down with?”

“Of course.”

Killian ended up staying for two hours, and it amazed Emma how quickly they fell into conversation.  It was like they were old friends catching up rather than relative strangers.  Emma learned that Killian was a novelist.  His music helped him with the creative process, jump started his creativity as it were.

The conversation had then turned to the upcoming holiday.

“Swan, do you not celebrate Christmas?” he’d asked, looking around her apartment.

She shrugged.  “I mean, I guess I do.  I’m not like opposed to Christmas or anything.  Why?”

“I can’t help but notice you have no tree, no decorations of any kind, and your opposition to the music of the season is well established,” he said.

Emma looked around her neat but rather sterile apartment and shrugged.  “I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t see the point of going to all that trouble.  I mean, it’s not like I’m going to have any presents under the tree or anyone to share the holiday with.”

She had expected him to look at her with pity at her admission of just how alone she was, but instead, the look on his face was knowing, understanding.  “The holidays are difficult when you’re alone, aren’t they?”

That surprised her.  Was he speaking from personal experience?

“Aye love,” he said, answering her unasked question, “I suspect we have more in common than you might have supposed.  Ever since my brother passed a decade ago, I’ve been on my own.  The holidays always bring with them a special kind of melancholy.”

“But…” she began, “but you play Christmas music.  From the glimpse I got of your apartment yesterday, you have all the decorations and trappings.  Doesn’t that make the loneliness worse?”

He shook his head.  “It helps me to remember the good memories, and there are always good memories if you dig deep enough.”

The conversation stuck with her long after she and Killian had said goodbye and gone their separate ways.  Maybe…maybe he was right.  Maybe if she let a little Christmas cheer into her life, it would help, even in a small part, to soothe the pain of a lifetime of loneliness.

The next morning, bright and early, there was a knock on Emma’s door.  This time she smiled as she went to the door, knowing instinctively that she’d find Killian on the other side.

What she wasn’t expecting was the large, beautiful, fragrant pine tree he was holding in front of him.

“What’s this?” she asked, opening the door wider so that he could awkwardly maneuver himself and the tree inside.

“This, Swan,” he said with a teasing grin, “is called a Christmas tree.  Traditionally people set them up in their houses this time of year and decorate them with lights and colorful baubles.”

She grinned, rolling her eyes at him and playfully swatting his shoulder.  “I know what it is, smart ass.  I’m wondering why you brought it here.”

He propped the tree against the door, and then reached up to scratch at the spot behind his ear.  “I got to thinking after our conversation yesterday.  I wanted to bring you some of the Christmas joy that has helped me through the season for years.  I hope I’ve not overstepped by bringing this.”

Emma smiled gently, stepping up to place a hand on his arm.  “This is really sweet, Killian,” she said.  “Thanks.”

“It was my pleasure,” he said, stepping outside to gather the boxes of lights, ornaments and tinsel he had waiting for him.  “If you’ve the time and inclination, I thought perhaps we could decorate your apartment together.”

She took one of the boxes from him and set it on her living room floor.  “As it turns out, I have the day off, and decorating a tree sounds like the perfect way to pass the time.  If you play your cards right, I might even let you play some Christmas music while we work.”

They’d spent the entire day together, first decorating her tree, then splitting a pizza from the place down the street, talking, laughing, and genuinely enjoying each other’s company.

The next day he was back, and the day after that she went to his apartment.  Barely a day went by that they didn’t see each other.  Each day brought a new holiday themed activity.  

For the first time she could remember, Emma felt the magic of Christmas.  For the first time she woke up looking forward to what the day might bring–and it was all due to Killian Jones.  It should scare her how comfortable she felt with him.  It should scare her how much she was coming to look forward to their time together, to their daily phone calls and text conversations.

But somehow it didn’t.  She could read people; it’s what made her so good at her job.  And Killian?  She read him loud and clear.  He was the real deal.  She could trust him.

And so it was that when the idea occurred to her she didn’t let herself think too hard, merely acted.

“So I was thinking,” she said, turning toward him on the couch where they sat together watching Christmas movies on Christmas eve.

“Dangerous prospect, love,” he said with a teasing grin.  She smacked his shoulder.

“I think that we should spend Christmas together,” she said.

This shouldn’t be that big of a deal–after all, they’d spent the last two weeks together–but somehow it was.  Somehow spending Christmas together felt huge. Like this-could-be-the-start-of-something-life-changing huge.

Killian’s eyes widened.  He clearly understood how momentous this question really was.  After a moment, his look of surprise softened into a gentle smile, and he reached up and cupped her cheek.  “Emma, I’d like nothing better than to spend Christmas with you.”

The relief, the joy that came over her at his answer overwhelmed her, and so she did the only thing that seemed to make sense in the moment.  She leaned forward and kissed him.

On Christmas, they made plans to spend New Years together, and on New Years, they made plans for Valentine’s Day.

And on the following Christmas, Killian got down on one knee and asked her to make plans with him for the rest of their lives.

It seemed only fitting that for their wedding several months later, they play Christmas music.  After all, without the sounds of the season, the beautiful, perfect life they’d built for themselves may never have begun.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[skitskatdacat63]

2023 Bahrain Grand Prix - Fernando Alonso(ft. Max Verstappen, Checo Perez & Lance Stroll)(my personal post-race highlights)

[f1delitous]

Ranking the 2023 liveries!

10. McLaren MCL60 - 2/10

It was an easy dead last. I’m sorry, but the empty patches of exposed carbon and the obscene amount of sponsors are not giving. I do love colorful cars, especially when the grid is so dark, but the orange is a bit too saturated and the chrome on the front wing is…. not it. How much is google paying them??? Do a classic gulf livery please!!

9. AlphaTauri AT04 - 4/10

I don’t really get the hype around this one. It’s a bit more interesting than last year but not very memorable. I do like the wheel covers though! I wish they stuck to the old Toro Rosso livery.

8. Alpine A523 - 4.5/10

Look. If they used the full pink livery I would put it in the top 3 because she’s pretty. The blue feels very forced and the sponsor placement disrupts this livery even more. As my friend says, “it looks like a gender reveal party.” Props for being colorful though.

7. Red Bull RB19 - 4.5/10

He’s the same. When I first saw it I was so disappointed they didn’t do the white livery (imagine Max’s white and gold helmet as a livery!!) However, it is not last because it’s still a really good livery. But I can’t put it any higher just for lack of creativity.

6. Haas VF-23 - 6/10

Most improved for sure. I like the white lines against the dark background, and the red works. I would rate it a lot higher if there weren’t so many red and black cars.

5. Alfa Romeo C43 - 6.5/10

Speaking of red and black cars… I liked it when I first saw it, but now I’m not crazy about it. I really liked the white and red last year, and the black makes it look too similar to a Ferrari. The body of the car is incredible though—the side ridges. 🤌🏼

4. Williams FW45 - 7.5/10

One word: DURACELL. Whoever came up with that sponsor placement is an absolute genius. I love the pearly blue, but I think it would look more elegant without the random geometric shapes.

3. Aston Martin AMR23 - 8/10

Just making the podium is Aston Martin. This was by far my favorite livery last year, and it looks very similar. I don’t know though, I’m just not salivating over it like I used to. I think all the sponsors in white text really breaks up the (gorgeous, delicious, sensational) British racing green and makes it look messy. The green with the chartreuse accents is so iconic though, and I’m sure she will be glowing under the sun.

2. Ferrari SF-23 - 9/10

She’s hot. We all know this. I apologize for objectifying this car but UGH. The side pods look incredible from overhead, and I love the slits. My only comment is that I would have preferred a pearly red. I know the matte is lighter but I want to see her shine like a Mazda in red metallic.

1. Mercedes W13 - 14/10

*Slaps the roof*

*Sinks to my knees*

When I watched the reveal my jaw dropped.

I won’t apologize for objectifying this car because she is sex. I would do anything for her.

I mean….

I have nothing I would change about her. The lines. The side pods. The stabby parts next to the front wheel. It’s absolute filth. If I was run over by this car i wouldn’t be unhappy.

Fidelity, didn’t you say you liked colorful cars?? This is just all carbon.

SHUT UP. She’s perfect. I will gatekeep black cars just for Merc. And the story of stripping paint to reduce weight is so iconic to the Mercedes story.

Name a human more attractive than this car. I will wait.

[pigspeetsandhooflikefeets]

How many seasons of TD are there? I remember watching 1, 2, and 3, and then when they started 4 I was like "I've grown out of this" and never watched it again.

I gotcha

Season 1 is TDI: Total Drama Island. It's 26 eps, plus a special that I don't think you could watch on Netflix for whatever reason. It's the one everyone knows, and people often mistake this as the franchise title. The franchise is TD: Total Drama. Island is the first season.

Season 2 is TDA: Total Drama Action. Instead of being a campsite, it instead is on a movie lot and every ep is based off different movie genres. The cast is slightly cut, with some of the filler characters being removed. There are "aftermath" episodes where there's no competition but rather insider information about the meta. It's 26 eps, plus a special that introduces multiple new characters that debut better next season

Season 3 is TDWT: Total Drama World Tour. Instead of a campsite, they visit different places in the world, and every episode has at least one song. The cast is also smaller than TDI, but has a different set of characters, where some return for WT that didn't for A, as well as two new added characters. The "aftermath" episodes return, also with songs. There are 26 episodes with no special episode.

Season 4 is ROTI: Total Drama Revenge of the Island. An entirely new cast is introduced, but only has 13 episodes. There are cameos from the previous lot of campers, who are essentially guides to some of the challenges. Chris kind of goes off the deep end this season, as this is where he gets Worse

Season 5 is TDAS: Total Drama All Stars. The subjective "best" of the previous two casts are compiled and set to fight against each other in 13 episodes. It's... a show.

What season 6 is, is the most confusing thing in the world because it's technically a later thing. But the episodes immediately after TDAS is TDPI: Total Drama Pahkitew Island. I won't explain why, but they had to use a different island for this season, and we have another new cast for 13 episodes. This cast is a bit more exaggerated than previous seasons, so it's very YMMV.

ACTUAL season 6 is the 2023 reboot that uh. I don't think we have an acronym for. I call it TD23. New cast, 13 episodes, and it's set to have a follow up season of 13 more episodes. It takes place 15 years after the debut season in 2008, so it focuses on more modern trends and doesn't have too many references to previous seasons

SPINOFFS

Right after TDPI came TDRR: Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race. Rather than Survivor, this series is based off The Amazing Race, traveling the globe to different locations. This series is 26 episodes long, with 18 teams of 2, as well as a new host to replace Chris, named Don. Four of the characters return from their respective TD series, but 32 are brand new characters. Due to the larger cast, it can get a bit buried with characterization, but I think some got a lot of good attention and development. It's probably the most standalone series where you need little characterization of previous seasons to enjoy

Between RR and 23, came the baby spinoff TDR: Total Dramarama. Here, the cast is aged down to four years old, and have the setting of a daycare, run by Chef. Chris is barely present, only making cameos and does not interact with the children. Jude from 6Teen (another show by Fresh) is also added to the cast. While there's a cycling cast, not every TD character has a toddler counterpart. Many fan favs like Heather and Lindsay never appear, as well as very few characters beyond Island. There are- oh my fucking god. There are 152 episodes over a 3 season span, as well as a special. Good lord. However, these are 11 minute episodes, with only select episodes being 2-part episodes, so that cuts the total time for it. Still that's so many oh my god-

[nofr1lls]

eevrything i watched in 2023

(that i was fucked to write down/rmbd retroactively.)

Death note 2015 J drama Total drama island 2007/ Total drama action 2009/ world tour 2010/ ridonculous race 2016/ island 2023 sweeeeep But I'm a cheerleader 1999 The handmaiden 2016 Bound 1996 Clue 1985 Jennifers body 2009 Oppenheimer 2023 Barbie 2023 Bottoms 2023 on my computer Secret bridesmaids business 2019 too late 2015 Revolutionary Girl Utena 1997 Adolescence of Utena 1999 Taskmaster UK series 15 Red mist or something. Freakdog 2008 Don Quixote mariinsky theatre 2006 Saving face 2004 Joy Ride 2023 1001 nights 1998 Oh also ofmd1 and good omens 1. Blessed not to gaf tho. Dates 2013 The half of it 2020 Taskmaster UK 16 Everything everywhere all at once 2022 True stories 1986 Mosquita y Mari 2012 Bodiws bodies bodies 2022 M3gan 2023 Battle Royale 2000 Glass onion 2022 Battle Royale 2 2003 Portrait of a Lady on Fire 2019 Minions rise of gru 2022 Parasite 2018 Happy Death day 2017 Scream Queens S1 FNAF 2023 Breaking Bad s1-5 2008-2013 Fight Club 1999 Bottoms 2023 in theatres The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 2023 Saltburn 2023 Doctor Who 2023 specials The Bear s1&2 2022-23 The Boy and the Heron 2023 May December 2023 Beetlejuice 1988 Scott Pilgrim vs the world 2010 The Menu 2022 Holes 2001 Saw 2004