#*chanting* bring carlos back! bring carlos back!!!

[that-lego-frog]

i love roadrunners so much and even moreso now that my mom volunteers at a zoo and has met the most chaotic roadrunner of all time

his name is carlos, and he has recently discovered his love of attacking visitors. there is a neat little aviary with a couple roadrunners and vultures and such that zoo goers can wander through, but they had to take carlos out because he was causing chaos. at first he would just run up to people and nip at their shoes. then he started pacing the entrance to the aviary, trying not to let anyone into the space. he was finally removed after he started trying to keep the employees out too. as far as we know there is nothing wrong with carlos, and there didnt seem to be anything stressing him out. he just liked to be in a human-free aviary

i want them to bring carlos back :(

x

[mywritersmind]

TWENTY FINE - LN4

summary : Throwing your best friend a birthday party is easy. Trying to figure out if he’s joking about kissing you is the hard part. Two best friends and a moonlit roof.

listen up : kissing! swearing! happy birthday lando norris!! 25!

word count : 1976

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Lights flashing, music blasting, people jumping. It's everything that surrounds me while I grab my third drink of the night from the bar. A body slides up next to me and I know who it is immediately.

He smells like alcohol and the cologne I bought for him last year. “Birthday boy.” I smile softly as he grins at me. “You look happy.”

“How could I not be? My best friend organized the best party ever just for me. I’m feeling special.” He’s radiating good energy. He looks sickeningly good. In black slacks and a shirt to match, it’s unbuttoned low enough so I can see his 4 necklace hitting his chest.

“Well, you’re twenty fine!” I laugh at my own joke as Lando cringes, “I’m glad you’re happy though.” The bartender hands me my drink which I bring to my lips instantly. He's being extra nice to me because I organized the party and made sure it’s only people we know and like.

He rests his hand on my arm as a girl calls his name, he glances back then meets my eyes again, “I seriously don’t deserve you.” Lando brings his lips to my cheek quickly, winking and hurrying off to people who chant his name.

I laugh, making my way over to my friends. Max eyes me, “You’re seriously beating me out of number one best friend spot.”

“Good! I deserve it more.” He shakes his head, his curls moving with him.

“Not fair! Lando likes your face more.” I roll my eyes and take another drink, turning to Carlos who’s with his girlfriend Rebecca.

“Can I steal your girlfriend away?” Carlos frowns as Rebecca sits up, “That actually wasn’t a question!” I take her hand and we run into the crowd.

Everyone’s sweaty and drunk and laughing. I hold onto Rebecca’s hand and jump under the lights. My hair is messy and in my face, my skirt riding up and I couldn’t be happier.

Some of our friends join us, hugging and waving at people as I grin. My drink is empty in my hand and I lose it when a guy comes up next to me. He’s one of Lando’s friends, hot and tall with shaggy hair.

I catch Lando in the crowd right as his friends puts his hand on my waist, whispering in my ear in an attempt to be seductive.

He’s laughing with Max and a girl I don’t know. She’s holding Lando’s hand but I can tell he’s trying to shake her off when he moves to push back his hair with his occupied hand.

He gives in eventually, dancing with her far too close for my eyes. I turn back to the guy and focus on him.

He grabs my ass as I move my hands to his shoulders, “You’re Y/n, right?” I nod, leaning my head back and feeling the music. “I’ve heard a lot about you!” I wish he would stop talking to me.

“That’s nice!” Is all I can say.

“Lando talks you up, I just had to see if you’re really that great!” I nod slowly and back away to my friends. Mentioning my best friend while feeling me up is not the way to get in my pants.

“Y/n!” Lily, Alex Albons girlfriend grins at me. Every annoyance in my face disappears as I hug her.

“Lily!” We melt into a mix of talking, screaming the lyrics, and dancing.

“Where’s Lando!?” She yells over the music as I shrug.

“Off with some girl!”

She gives me a look. It’s weird and almost surprised, She sips her drink and nods drunkenly, “You need a boyfriend!” When she gets pulled away by her boyfriend, I slip out of the crowd.

I know my way around the place, there’s three levels and they’re all completely filled. When I step up to the third, I can see Lando at the DJ booth, a huge smile on his face.

I close the door behind me, the music muffling as I walk up the staircase. It’s creepy and dark but as soon as I step onto the roof, the cool air hitting me, I take a deep breath and smile.

I love parties, I wouldn’t be so close with Lando if I didn’t. But I need air far more often than him. I step to the edge, leaning on the barrier and looking out at the city.

People are walking the streets still, some dancing and some arguing. They look like ants. My eyes catch on a tiny couples, they’re holding hands and skipping down the street.

I rest my chin on my hand, looking up at the stars. I wonder if any of the stars are looking down at me and thinking I look like an ant.

I’m so absorbed in the sky that I jump when the door to the starecase opens. When I turn, I see Lando.

His hands are in his pockets as he walks up to me, “You okay?”

“Yeah! Just wanted some air…” I turn to him, the concrete rubbing against my exposed back, “Why are you up here?”

“Looking for you. Had a feeling you’d be looking at the stars.” He's teasing but I know he’s 100% serious. He rests his forearms on the parapet and looks out at the city.

I outline his profile in my mind, his freckles and hair looking extra nice under the moonlight. His eyes closes, dark green disappearing under unfairly thick lashes.

“Enjoying the party?” I ask quieter than I meant.

He turns to me, looking at me like no one else has. “I’d be enjoying it more if you would stay with me.” I may have been avoiding him a tiny bit, but I wanted him to be catching up with his other friends.

“You seemed like you were enjoying that girl's presence more than mine.” I’m lying and he knows it.

Lando turns to me, narrowing his eyes, “Untrue.” He looks at me for a second, his eyes flicking down to my body. If it were anyone else, I would think they were just looking at my outfit. Unfortunately, I know Lando better than that. “You look good.”

“Well this party is star studded…” I joke, “Had to look my best to compete.” I run my hand through my hair, my rings tugging on it.

He shakes his head, not joking with me, “They can’t compete with you in pajamas, love.” Still, a serious little smile tugs at his lips. This is what he does.

He drops something like that then goes and makes out with a girl opposite of me. But I’ve done the same so I can’t say anything. It’s just how our friendship works.

“Someone’s been taking advantage of the bar.”

“I've had two drinks.” Is all he says. I know he’s serious, too. “I wanted to say thank you- though. That’s why I came up here.”

I smile softly, tilting my head at him, “You’ve said thank you.”

“I mean thank you for everything.” His hands fidget in front of him, “For being there.”

He’s being extra sincere. “You’re welcome. And this is your present so don’t go asking for more-” He gets a big closer, laughing.

“Just one more thing?” He says in a sort of begging tone.

I raise a brow, our arms touching now, “What could you, Mr rich birthday boy, want?”

He bites his lip, then lets it go. The look he gives me is… magnetic. “A birthday kiss.”

It surprises me and for the first time in a while, I don’t know if he’s joking. “I’m sure you could get that from many others.”

“You don’t want to kiss me?” His hand goes to my waist, not touching my skin, but tugging at the fabric of my skirt.

I breathe in, scanning his face for any hint of humor. “I didn’t say that.” I know I made the right move when the corner of his mouth tugs upwards.

“So say you want to.” His voice is soft, that accent I’ve listened to for years soothing my beating heart.

I furrow my brows together, “You’re gonna make me beg for your birthday present?” There’s a tiny shadow on his face from the moonlight and his curls.

“It’s called consent, love.”

I take a big step, resting my arm on his shoulder so he gets closer, “Happy birthday, Lando.” I don’t think he’s going to do it at first, but then he leans in.

He hesitates, looking at my lips and eyes to make sure. But then he closes the gap and I wonder why I would ever say yes to this.

I think I'm out of my mind but who cares about that because Lando’s lips are on mine and I'm melting into him. He’s soft, pressing a gentle kiss onto my lips. Lando pulls back by an inch, he looks into my eyes. They're so green, my favorite color.

I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe and I'm pulling him back in, crushing his lips back onto mine. His hold on my hips gets tighter and my other arm wraps around his neck. His tongue goes into my mouth and suddenly I can’t understand why we haven’t done this before.

Kissing Lando is everything. My mind has come up with a hundred ways this would happen, I knew I shouldn’t think about it but I can’t help my dreams.

He feels hot against me. Hungry and needy for me.

He pulls me tighter against him, like he physically needs to be closer. It’s everything I've ever wanted and everything I’ve dreaded.

The moment someone steps out onto the roof, loudly stomping and singing, I pull away and look back over at the city.

It looks new… somehow.

I don’t look back at the guy, but Lando clears his throat and the man starts talking, “Oh shit! Sorry!” and the door closes, leaving us again in silence.

My heart is pounding so hard that I barely hear Lando mumble, “Dickhead.”

I smile slightly at this, dropping my head down so my hair falls in my face. What the fuck did I just do?

“I’m going to ask for one more thing.” Lando says, “Please don’t get mad.”

I push my hair behind my ear and listen to him.

“Can I take you out?” What the hell. “On an actual date. Not for a present or because I want you to. Because you want to.”

“Lando-”

“We’re not ruining anything.” He knows what I was going to say already. “I want to take you out on a date because I like you.”

I feel like I'm dreaming. This doesn’t feel possible. “Okay.”

“And you can’t say no just because you’re nervous because i’m nervous too and basically shitting myself just asking- wait. Okay!?”

I smile softly, nodding, “I guess I'll let you pay for a fancy dinner.”

He shakes his head, a huge smile appearing on his face, “We are not going to dinner! Do you even know me?” his hand goes to mine, lingering.

“I don’t want to fuck this up, Lando.” I say it because he’s right, I am scared.

He shakes his head, “I’m twenty fine… Nothing gets messed up anymore! Especially with you. Nothing is ever wrong with you.”

I sigh as he slips his hand to my cheek, moving his thumb softly against my skin. He cups my jaw and kisses me again. “I like kissing you.”

It feels right all over again, and I can’t help but smile at the idea that I’ll be doing this over and over again.

“Smiley.” He says against my lips.

Lando barely lets me get my words in, lost in lust and smiles, “I like you too, Norris. A lot.” He kisses me harder.

[yourimagines]

Believing in you

* English is not my first language I apologise

* Triggers: bullying, online hate, swearing and fluff

Summary: Y/N is Lando’s girlfriend, she’s been there for him since the F2 and believes in him, even when it looks like he’s never going to achieve the things he really wants, becoming a race winner in the formula one.

Lando POV

It was an amazing feeling to win my first race in formula one. Everyone was cheering and chanting my name. “Lando, congratulations on your first win. How do you feel.” One of the reporters asks me as I walked back to my car. “It feels good, I don’t have words for it to be honest. I just want to smile.” I flashed them a smile and got in my car. “First stop the hotel, then the after party.” I said to myself as I drove away from the circuit. My mind wandered off to my girlfriend y/n, who was back in Monaco. “She’s probably screaming.” I smiled about that thought, her in my hoodie, screaming at the tv in happiness. Maybe a few tears involving as well. ‘She’s been here since the beginning….’

Flashback to 2018

“Come on Lando, just be positive about it. Maybe they want you to be their next driver, you’re already their reserve driver.” I just had a talk with McLaren about me being their reserve driver and test driver. They didn’t said anything about me actually driving for them, only about testing the car and being available during the race weekends. “They probably want George, just like Mercedes…” I sighed and sat down defeated. “Lan…I know it seems like the whole world is against you but I promise it’s not the case. Just don’t bring yourself down.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and sweetly gave me a peck on my lips. “I believe in you Norris.”

End of the flashback

I stopped the car in front of the hotel and got out, people were screaming at me and singing that song about me. “Thank you guys.” I waved at them and went inside. I quickly went to my room and sat down on my bed and took a look at my phone. She had texted me about how proud she was of me and that she knew today would be that day. ‘God….she’s perfect.’ I quickly send her a text message back and sent her the same picture I sent to my parents, me smiling happily at my phone while holding the trophy.

Flashback to 2019

I was nervous for my first race for McLaren. My girlfriend y/n was here to support me and so were my parents. “I believe in you Norris.” She says as she placed a soft kiss on my cheek. “Don’t get your hopes up, I’m never this good as my teammate Carlos.” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Stop talking like this…it’s your first race of course you probably won’t defeat him but that doesn’t mean you are a bad driver Lando.” She gently brushed my shoulders before letting me go to the race track. “I’m always supporting you, no matter what.”

End of the flashback

The team picked me up from the hotel and went to one of the most popular clubs in Miami. “It’s going to be a hell of a party, I heard max is also coming.” I nodded and looked outside the car window, seeing the buildings passing us by. “Maybe Pierre as well…” they were talking about everything, the clubs, the drivers. I can’t blame them, they are just excited about my win.

Flashback to 2020

“You’re going to be on the podium today, I just know it.” She says through the phone. “I don’t know, maybe I crash and die…” I joked but she didn’t find it funny at all. “Lando! Don’t say that…it’s not funny.” She was a bit upset about the little joke I just made. “Okay okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” She only shook her head at me. “You’re on the podium today Norris, don’t be an asshole to me, you know I miss you right now.” She looked a bit sad at the camera. “I know you are, I miss you too.”

End of the flashback

I did get on the podium that weekend, my maiden third place. I was over the moon with that one but of course I wanted more. “You want an other one?” A young girl asked me as she raised her empty cup. “No thanks.” I said politely as I didn’t want her to think I’m available. “You sure? It’s free.” She gave me a wink and a broad smile. “Yeah I’m sure.” Before something weird could happen, max showed up with two drinks in his hands. “One for you.” He handed me a drink and smiled at the girl. “You okay?” She nods and disappears. “Weird, what did she want from you?” “Everything, I guess.” I joked as I took a sip from my drink. Max laughed and patted my shoulder. “Ladies man.”

Flashback to 2021

Rumours were spreading around the paddock that I was cheating on y/n with some other girl. Of course it’s not true but it did made a scar in our relationship. All the hate to me on the internet, being a shitty driver and a cheater. “I believe in you Norris, I trust you.” She says as she was helping me to pack my bags. “I know, it’s just frustrating that others see me differently.” I sighed and rubbed my face. “I’m not a cheater, you know her she’s a friend of max.” I shook my head and sat down, feeling worthless. “Hey, I know you didn’t cheat on me.” She sat down next to me, laying her hand on mine. “We’ll get through this, I love you Lando even with those shitty rumours.” I looked up at her and tried to smile at her. “I know.” I whispered as my voice faded. “Come here.” She opened her arms for me to hug her. “You’re not alone in this Lan.”

End of the flashback

It was very late when I arrived at the airport, Zak and the rest were there as well. Ready to board the plane. “I’m so dead.” I said as I sat down in my chair. “Me too buddy.” Zak said as he sat down in front of me. “What are your plans back in London? Visiting some family or friends?” I nodded tiredly as I checked the time. “Yeah, my parents first, maybe some friends.” He nods and gives me a pat on my shoulder. “You doing fine Lando, we’re all happy to have you in our team.” I smiled tiredly and looked outside the window. “Yeah…I’m happy too.”

Flashback to 2022

“Let’s move in together.” I said to her as we were building some legos together on my apartment floor. “Your serious?” She looked surprised at me as I just asked her to move in with me. “Yeah, why not?” I shrugged and went further with our build. “Omg you’re actually serious.” She throws her arms around my neck and pushes us down on the ground. “Love, of course I’m serious. You basically live here already.” My arms snaked around her body as she started to give me a few kisses. “I’m so excited to live with you, I need a job here and learn some more French.” She was rambling about everything, when she should move to Monaco and how to plan her days. “You’re going to be fine, you don’t need a job. You’re dating this muppet remember.” She giggles and shook her head. “I can’t do that, but thank you for your offer.”

End of the flashback

I landed in London and went immediately to my parents house, feeling happy but also drained by all the attention and stress. “Hello honey! I’m so proud of you.” My mom said as she greeted me with a hug. “Hi mom, thank you.” She guided me inside their house and saw my dad and my siblings waiting for me. “Hey guys.” “Congratulations son.” My dad immediately pulled me into his embrace. “Thanks dad.”

Flashback to 2023

She was there as I stood on the podium again, she was smiling happily at me. I was feeling proud to make her that happy and she made me happy too. “I’m so proud of you Lan.” She hugged me as soon she got the chance. “Thank you my love.” She placed a kiss on my cheek and smiled happily at me. “I knew you would be on the podium today.” It always feels bittersweet, being on the podium but not as the race winner. “Yeah, I’m still Lando Nowins.” She stopped smiling and slightly slapped my chest. “No, don’t listen to that crap. They are haters Lando, there are enough people like me that are supporting you.” I shrugged and wrapped one arm around her shoulders. “Whatever, let’s just go back to the hotel and celebrate.”

End of the flashback

I was a few days in London before I traveled back to Monaco, back to my girl who was waiting for me. I opened the door and before I could step one foot inside she flew into my arms. “Lan!” I almost fell as I catches her, holding her tightly. “I’m so proud of you, I knew it.” She buried her face in my neck and I carried her back inside, closing the door behind me with my foot. “I know, I knew it too baby.” She had tears in her eyes, looking so proud at me. “No more Lando Nowins.” She said with a giggle and I joined her. “You know that makes me even more proud, proving them wrong.” She nods and kisses me. “You were never Lando Nowins to me.” I smiled at her and sat her down on our kitchen counter. “I know, I’m your muppet.” She laughs and nods. “I freaking love you.” I said to her as she looked so beautiful to me, that proud feeling was there again. “I love you too Lan.”

[charleslelurk]

overstimulation / begging / forced orgasm, whichever takes your fancy, for carlando?

So... I did all three. Enjoy your 3.5k feast ☺️

Carlando + begging + overstimulation + forced orgasm

Plus some bonus hair pulling and felching and sort of prostate milking and aftercare

(this absolutely has unrealistic refractory periods but we are just going with it ok)

Carlos flips on the vibrator in his hands and Lando moans at the sound, the toy not even touching him yet. Carlos smiles. 

"Carlos, please," Lando whines. 

Carlos pets down Lando's legs bracketing him and feels how they're still shaking from his last orgasm. "So needy," Carlos tells him. Lando has already come twice, but that's nothing when he hasn't come all week until tonight, has been so desperate for the last two days he could barely stand to be in the same room as Carlos because he would stare at Carlos's hands a little too long and get hard. 

Carlos turns the vibration off and reaches for the lube, slicking up the toy, listening to Lando's breath quicken. When Carlos moves to bring the vibrator towards Lando, his legs automatically open, knees spreading even as they are already wide enough for Carlos to be settled between them. Carlos looks at Lando's hole, already fucked, Carlos's come starting to leak back out of him. With the tip of the vibrator, Carlos catches his dripping come from below Lando's hole and slides it back up to his rim. 

"Carlos," Lando says brokenly. 

Carlos smiles to himself. He loves having Lando like this, worked up and desperate and greedy. They can't do this often, but when they have the time, Carlos really does make the most of it. And Lando enjoys it to no end, as much as he begs and moans and whimpers and cries about it. Carlos can't wait. 

"What Cariño?" Carlos asks lackadaisically. He's leaning further and further over Lando, slowly moving himself into position without trying to give away his plans. 

"Please." Lando seems only capable of two words, just Carlos's name and begging. And they've barely begun. 

"Since you asked so nicely," Carlos replies, and he fucks his come back into Lando with the vibrator, still turned off. 

Lando is so open it's easy, barely even fills him up as Carlos works the toy in and out. He watches Lando's face as he does, and Lando looks almost serene, comfortable and sated by having something in him again. But it doesn't take long for him to get antsy, to want more stimulation. As soon as his mouth pops open to ask for it, Carlos dips his head and noses down behind Lando's balls to lick him from the base of his cock to the tip like an ice lolly. Lando moans, body twitching. When Carlos reaches the tip, he hoods the head of Lando's cock and sucks hard. It pulls a panting little noise from Lando, that doesn't even necessarily sound like a good noise but then Lando's chanting out a tiny little chorus of please please please so Carlos hollows his cheeks and takes Lando into his mouth, letting Lando sit heavy on his tongue, tasting of come and lube, before pulling off and sinking down again. He's still fucking the off vibrator in and out of Lando, rhythm imperfect as his two motions are like trying to rub his tummy and pat his head. Lando is enjoying it though, fingers dug into the sheets beneath him. 

And that's when Carlos thrusts the vibrator deeper into Lando and turns it on. 

Lando keens, throws his head to the side and squeezes his eyes shut even tighter. Carlos is left with a view of the pretty length of his neck, tan and dotted with moles. Beauty marks. 

Carlos pulls off of Lando's cock and focuses on pressing the vibrator precisely inside Lando, nestling the tip against Lando's prostate and leaving it there until Lando's legs start to visibly shake before backing off and doing it all over again. When Carlos finally glances at Lando's cock again, it's leaking from the tip. He presses the vibrator down on Lando's prostate again and watches more precome splurt out. 

Carlos looks down at the controls beneath his fingers and turns the vibrations up a level. 

Lando yells, eyes flying open to find Carlos's, like he didn't know their vibrator had another setting when he absolutely did. His hands lift like he wants to grab Carlos, but he's too far away. They fall to Lando’s chest instead where he clenches his fingers into his palms. He's panting out breaths. 

"Need me?" Carlos asks, lowering again, like he did to take Lando's cock in his mouth. Lando brings his hands to grip onto Carlos's hair as soon as Carlos is within reach, knitting into the strands and grounding himself. Carlos takes the opportunity of being in this position again to mouth at Lando's cock, causing Lando to breathe even harder, chest beating up and down as his lungs push. 

"Okay Cariño?" Carlos asks. 

Lando nods quickly, almost aggressively, the obvious sentiment don't stop. So Carlos does. He switches off the vibrator and leaves it still in Lando for a moment, long enough that Lando grips his hair more tightly and whines. 

"Carlos, please please, I need to come, I was so close."

Carlos kisses the inside of Lando's thigh beside his face. "I know."

When he flips the vibrator back on, he fucks it into Lando, sure to be pressed against his prostate and–at the same time–swallows Lando down, all the way to the back of his throat. Lando shouts, hands yanking on Carlos's hair hard enough for Carlos to feel his own cock twitch, and then Lando is coming in his mouth in hot spurts that Carlos quickly swallows. He breathes through his nose and stays on Lando's cock as long as it's still twitching, even after there is no more come, Lando nearly dry from his first two loads. 

When Carlos pulls off of Lando's cock, Lando hurriedly yanks Carlos by the hair to look at him. 

"Don't–keep it in, it on, keep it on–" his green eyes are intense, slightly wet but focused as he tries to communicate with Carlos. 

Carlos takes a moment to realize Lando means the vibrator that is still in his ass, and Carlos experimentally rocks it into Lando and watches his entire body twitch. Carlos stays exactly where he is between Lando's legs, face barely above his cock as Lando's grip on his hair doesn't let him move any further away. He just holds the end of the vibrator, waiting to see how Lando will react. Does he… will he actually–

The answer is yes. With a hoarse shout, Lando comes again, cock twitching as it isn't even fully hard. Almost no spunk comes out the tip, just a dribble, as Lando spills for the fourth time. Lando’s face is pink, eyes screwed shut, bottom lip trapped between his teeth. Carlos finally switches off the vibrator. 

It's obliterating hot, that Lando asked Carlos for this, that he knew or wanted to come again so quickly, that he did. Carlos can't control himself as he leans forwards one last time and licks at the meager amount of come on Lando's cock, cleaning it up even as Lando hisses. 

"Mmmph," Lando pushes past his lips, weakly unknitting his fingers from Carlos's hair and pushing Carlos's head away. Carlos takes one more lick that makes Lando jerk and then sits up. The switched off vibrator is still in Lando and he almost wants to leave it, wants to see how long it will take Lando to notice. But he has other goals today, other items on the agenda. 

Carlos gives Lando a moment longer, takes a long look at his soft face, how his eyelashes are dusting his cheekbones as he lies with his eyes closed, chest rising and falling, glinting with sweat. The remnants of his first orgasm are all over his stomach. This night will be a doozy to clean up, Carlos will have to run Lando a bath by the end, when he won't be able to stand in the shower. Carlos is looking forward to it. 

When he decides time is up, Carlos shimmies backwards and off the bed, pulling Lando with him until Lando's hips are at the edge. He then lifts Lando's right leg and presses it back towards Lando’s chest. His eyes finally open as Carlos lifts his appendage.

"Hold, por favor,” Carlos says and Lando obediently hooks his hand behind his knee. Carlos moves the other leg and Lando grabs it without being told. 

Finally, Carlos removes the vibrator from Lando's ass. 

"Gahugh," Lando chokes out, and Carlos is suspicious Lando didn't even realize something was still in him, too blissed out and high on endorphins and his hole too fucked out to feel any sort of stretch. Carlos’s dick gives a jerky twitch. 

Carlos sets the vibrator to the side and shifts his legs under him to get comfortable. From between his knees, Lando is watching Carlos with something like fascination and apprehension. When Carlos leans forwards, he can hear the sharp intake of breath from Lando. It makes him hesitate just centimeters from Lando's hole, wants to see if he can make Lando ask for it. His come is dripping out of Lando again, a bead rolling down towards the bed. Carlos waits. 

"Please, pleasepleaseplease–" Lando starts, and Carlos dives in. He catches the dribble of his come on his tongue and then drags it from there all the way up and over Lando's hole, pulling a harsh cry from Lando above him. The taste is come and lube and the headiness of Lando and it shouldn't be good but it is. The taste has Carlos palming at his own dick, hard between his legs. 

Carlos laps over Lando's hole continuously, pushing the flat of his tongue with force against his rim and dragging it slowly over. Once Lando's hole is wet and clenching around nothing, Carlos laps at it, prodding his tongue past the ring of muscles and feeling Lando flex. Carlos gives a particularly harsh lap with his tongue and Lando loses his grip on his right leg, almost bumping Carlos's head as it flops and lies over his shoulder instead. Carlos grabs him by the ankle and pushes his leg back up, giving himself room to breathe. 

"'M sorry," Lando's small, choked voice says from above. Carlos just pushes his tongue past the tight ring of muscles, drawing a delicious noise from Lando. He fucks his tongue in and out, listening to Lando's responses above him, the gasps and moans and the way Carlos can feel that his core is shaking. 

When he removes his tongue, he easily slips two fingers into Lando and crooks them against his prostate. Lando's body reacts like he's being electrocuted, back pulling off of the bed, other leg falling. He rests his foot on Carlos's shoulder, toes curling tightly at the pleasure. 

He lets out a sound like a pained gasp, more breath than noise. He uses the foot on Carlos's shoulder to push Carlos away, but Carlos just captures his ankle with the other hand and holds on. 

"Color?" he asks, in case Lando really does need him to stop. He doesn't know that he has ever been horse kicked like that before. 

Lando takes a second too long to respond. It makes Carlos nervous, but then Lando chokes out "Green," and Carlos presses his fingers into Lando's prostate again, hitting it repeatedly and rhythmically. Lando is moaning and twisting, switching between pulling away and pushing back. It's the point of too much, where he can't decide if coming again will make it better, or stopping altogether. 

He said green though, so he will be coming again. 

Carlos is so hard it's nearly painful. He has to focus on Lando's noises to distract himself from how badly he needs to touch his dick. He knows he's leaking onto the carpet. He doesn't look down though, just focuses on Lando and his pleasure. 

He gets him as close as he can with his fingers, but Lando is so fucked out and wrung out he can't get him all the way to orgasm with just that. Carlos fumbles for the vibrator on the bed beside Lando's hip. He quickly switches it on and presses the tip up behind Lando's balls. 

He comes with a shout, curling in on himself immediately and trying to pull away from Carlos. He lets him go, pulling his fingers out and dropping the vibrator onto the sheets. Lando drags his legs off of Carlos's shoulders, knees to his chest as he quivers. Carlos gets back on the bed, crawling closer to Lando to run a hand over his side, and brush his hair off of his forehead with the other. Lando's chest is heaving as he shakes with aftershocks, eyes closed. Carlos waits, hands running softly over Lando. 

When he opens his eyes, it looks like he is prying them open. They're a little wet again, dampness clinging to his lashes. 

"Fuckin hell," he practically whispers. 

Carlos slowly moves Lando's legs with a hand on each of his knees and arranges Lando on his back on the mattress again. Lando is pliable, limbs flopping. Carlos makes sure to stroke his skin as he moves him, give him little bits of grounding and softness. He would be worried if Lando's gaze wasn't focused, but Lando is clearly watching all of his movements, waiting. 

"One more?" Carlos asks once he has Lando positioned. 

Lando moans. "Maybe."

"Two then," Carlos says, and Lando rolls his head back and forth on the sheets. 

"No, no."

Carlos nods Yes back. "I think you have two in you."

Lando is still shaking his head even as Carlos slicks up his cock again and takes it in his hand to line up the head with Lando’s hole. 

Lando’s body goes rigid as Carlos pushes in, immediately overstimulated. Carlos has to pause multiple times and bend over Lando to kiss his skin until Lando relaxes and he can move another centimeter. It takes minutes to bottom out, for his hips to be flush to Lando’s. Despite the process, Lando’s cock is hard between them, brushing his stomach again. 

Carlos keeps his hips against Lando’s for a few moments, feeling how Lando’s rim is fluttering around him, the sensations too much. Carlos settles down into his forearms over Lando, bracing. Lando is watching him, eyes half lidded and brow furrowed. 

“Cariño,” Carlos murmurs, then pulls his hips back and fucks into Lando long and deep. 

Lando shivers from head to toe at the first thrust, knees tight to Carlos's side as he instinctively tries to close his legs. His shoulders draw up as Carlos sets a pace. He uses his position over Lando to pepper kisses over his chest, murmurs into his skin how good he's doing, how perfect he is. When Carlos brushes his lips over one of Lando's nipples, a ghost of a suggestion, Lando's breath hitches sharply. 

Carlos is close, has been for ages, and won't last long being inside Lando again. He feels his orgasm coming fast, and sits up to chase his release, gripping each of Lando's legs in his hands to wrap them around his waist and use them as leverage. Lando is pulling away, but can't with Carlos holding his legs, anchoring him to Carlos's body. 

"Carlos, it's–it's–" And Lando takes a heaving breath that turns into sob, slapping his hands over his face, and Carlos comes, hips flush to Lando's, cock pressed deeply into him. 

Even as he pants and his cock twitches in Lando, Carlos forces himself to stay with it. He told Lando two more and Lando's cock is still hard between them. He drops Lando's legs and braces his hands on the mattress either side of Lando's waist to catch his breath. Lando is taking little, hitched breaths, chest jumping. Carlos stares at it as he reigns himself in, unscrambles his post orgasm brain. 

"Color?"

Lando peels his hands away from his face to reveal it wet with tears, eyes swimming. 

"Fuck, green." He messily wipes at the tears on his face and spreads the dampness over the apples of his cheeks. He's so goddamn beautiful Carlos's heart could burst. 

Carlos reaches forwards and tweaks one of Lando's nipples, causing him to yelp. "You're perfect."

Carlos pulls out and Lando whimpers, body shaking again. "Fuckfuckfuck."

He pets down Lando's legs and then puts his hands on Lando's hips. "Turn over."

Lando can barely do it, shaking and weak as he is, overstimulated beyond hell, but also hard as a rock. Carlos guides him into position, Lando's legs under him, bum in the air, head pressed into the pillows. 

"Fuck, Carlos."

"You keep saying that." The humor is lost on Lando at this point. 

Carlos arranges himself and his soft dick gives a valiant twitch at the sight of Lando's puffy, fucked out hole. His come is glistening at the entrance, ready to drip. Carlos leans forwards, holding onto Lando's waist, and seals his lips over Lando's hole and sucks. 

Lando screams hoarsely, jumping away from Carlos. It's only his grip on Lando's waist, pulling him back against Carlos's face, that keeps them in contact. Lando is instantly quivering, and Carlos can feel his muscle shifting under his hands as Lando twists and turns. Carlos just sucks harder, pulling his come back out of Lando. Something contacts his chest, Lando's foot under them, jerking. 

He hears another shout when he laps around the edges, cleaning up the mess. Lando jolts with each stroke of his tongue, body shaking and wet noises reaching Carlos's ears. He seals his lips and sucks again, harder than before, Lando anchored back against his face by his hold, nose digging in and bent against Lando's skin. 

Lando comes with a sob, rim fluttering under Carlos's lips, body quivering, muscles going tight and then slack all at once. Even as Lando starts to melt and tip over onto the sheets, Carlos keeps his hold on Lando's waist and holds him up as long as he can, still sucking at Lando's rim. He is sobbing above Carlos, some semblance of words trying to make it through the noises. 

"Carlos–los–No, I–ahhhh."

Carlos can't bear Lando's dead weight with his hands anymore, wrist and forearm cramping, and finally lets Lando tip over into the sheets. He lays there, shaking and hiccuping little sobs, gleaming with sweat and come. 

Carlos isn't done.

The vibrator is an arm's length away. Carlos quickly grabs it and flips it on to bring it to Lando's cock, not yet softened. He lines it up with Lando's own, holding his cock along the length of the vibrating silicone with both hands. 

Lando's eyes fly open, hands immediately scrambling at Carlos's arms, trying to push him and the vibrator away. 

"No, no, no, no, no." But Carlos doesn't hear Lando's safe word, and he jerks Lando's cock off with his hands wrapped around both his cock and the vibrator, the slide only from Lando's own come. 

"I can't, no–I can't."

Carlos is nodding. "Yes you can, Cariño. I know you can, one more time. For me, baby."

There are tears running steadily from Lando's eyes as he shakes. His hands are still on Carlos's arms, weakly gripping but not scrambling like they were. 

"You have been so good," Carlos tells him as he watches Lando's cock twitch. He probably can't get hard again, but he could still come. "So good."

"I can't, I can't," Lando says, throat thick. "It won't–I'm too–"

Carlos lets go with one hand and reaches down to Lando's ass, worming a finger blindly between his cheeks. 

"No, no, Carlos, I–"

Lando cuts off as Carlos gets his index finger into Lando's open, spit wet hole. He sucks in a sharp breath, fingers on Carlos's arm digging in sharply. 

"Here, Cariño." And Carlos slides his finger inside and presses on Lando's prostate, finding it in one try from muscle memory. 

The shout Lando lets out should worry the neighbors. His cock jerks without anything coming out, coming dry. Milked. 

Carlos immediately flips off the vibrator and tosses it away. Lando is sobbing again, deep wracking breaths that shake his chest. "Carlos, Carlos," he is saying between them. He has his face covered with his hands again, eyes hidden behind his large palms. Carlos crawls over Lando and settles his body onto him slowly, like a weighted blanket. 

"I am here. Landito, it's okay."

When Lando registers his blanket, one of his hands finds Carlos's shoulder, gripping tightly. He's still softly saying Carlos's name over and over. Carlos runs his hands up and down Lando's sides beneath his own chest, feels how he is still shaking. "I'm here, I have you."

It takes a long time for Lando to stop shaking, but eventually he's lying peacefully with Carlos still half on top of him. Regretfully, Carlos rolls off to go fetch them water and fill the bathtub. When he gently shakes Lando awake from the cat nap he started while Carlos was away, he makes Lando drink a half liter and then helps him off the bed on wobbling legs to walk to the en suite. There, Carlos steps into the tub first and helps Lando step over the tiled edge of the large jet tub to stumble into Carlos's side. He settles them down into the water, Lando between his legs, back to his chest.

"I hate you," Lando murmurs out of nowhere, cheek pressed into Carlos's shoulder with how his head is turned. 

"No you don't. You love it."

Lando hums. "I do."

Lando proceeds to take another cat nap in the warmth and steam, Carlos only waking him again once the water has gone cold.

[libraryofloveletters]

chapter three: the eyes never lie

Chalres Leclerc x Fem!Reader + Carlos Sainz Jr x Fem!Reader

Warnings: nerves, guilty feelings, charles is a bit oblivious to the fact that his girlfriend is out here like that, inconsistent race schedules sorry, carlos is ignoring/not feeling the guilt, mentions of cheating, a few cheeky comments from carlos, tension, lingering looks, flirting, the use of 'slut' in a derogatory way.

Word Count: 2.4k

Author's Note: sorry for the wait besties! hopefully y'all are into this as much as I am lmao

Call My Name Masterlist

---

The nerves were racking you and you can't help but feel guilty about your actions.

Your darling boyfriend Charles seems to notice your nerves, but chalked it up to nothing more than nerves over your upcoming exams. It was more than that; it was the fact that you had left him with a good intention of going home and somehow ended up in the bed of his teammate.

There's a bit of a break between the races in Monaco and Monza, you and Charles spent the majority of the break in Monaco, relaxing and unwinding - at least Charles was.

It's eating away at you, swallowing you whole every time you look at your boyfriend. You felt guilty just thinking about Carlos, let alone when Charles brings him up - you push away the thoughts, shutting the conversation down.

You love Charles or at least that's what you keep telling yourself.

Forcing yourself to think that you were in love with him and in some ways you were, but you knew that it was never going to be the same way it was with Carlos.

Now, if it was love you felt for Carlos? You weren't sure.

All you knew was that Charles never - in the 7 months you've been together - ever made you feel the way that Carlos did.

Days to Monza turned into hours and into seconds; now, there you are, at the home of Ferrari with your boyfriend. You find yourself, surrounded by Charles and Carlos, their faces plastered everywhere, the crowds chanting their names; you can't escape either of them.

It wasn't Charles you wanted to escape, but Carlos.

He was everywhere you didn't want him to be.

It was easy to pretend with Charles after a while. You ignored everything Carlos related, you and Charles lived in a harmonious little bubble without a thing in the world to bother you. Now that you've left, it was hard - so hard. Every single second you had a gut wrenching feeling that you'd be caught. That someone, somewhere, would know what you and Carlos did in Monaco.

They'd find out that you weren't a loving girlfriend but instead a cheating slut.

While you were battling your moral conscience every day, Carlos seemed perfectly fine.

You never understood how he managed to go on with his days as if you two hadn't done anything wrong. It was wrong, so fucking wrong but god, did it feel good. The guilt was eating you alive, you needed to talk to Carlos - you didn't need to be around him, you really should stay away but you needed to get this off your chest.

Charles was in the media pen and you had maybe half an hour before he came back. So you took that as your chance to go speak to his teammate.

Finding your way to his driver's room, you knock on the door. You were expecting Carlos, not Rupert. "Hey, y/n." The ginger smiles, "everything okay ?"

Rupert wasn't expecting you, his brows furrowed as he sees you peek behind him. "Is Carlos here? I uh.. I need to speak to him."

"He had to grab something from his car, he'll be back in a few."

"Oh," you nod, "I'll come back."

"No no, that's okay. You can come in and wait for him, he'll be back in a few and I have to go prep his stuff for quali anyways."

"You're sure?" You asked, hesitantly stepping into the room.

"Absolutely," Rupert steps to the side, letting you make yourself comfortable before shutting the door behind him as he leaves.

You sit by yourself for a while, taking in the surroundings. You had never actually been in his driver's room - you had no reason to be in there. There's a Spain flag hanging on the wall, a few family photos here and there, a terrifying comparison photo of him and his father; something of nightmares but to each their own. The pillow behind you had the Spain flag printed on it, your finger traced over the patterns when the door opens.

"You're not Rupert," the voice calls, shutting the door behind them. Setting the pillow down, you look up to see Carlos. "Would you like me to call him back?" You asked, standing up before you fixed the pillow.

Carlos smiled, shaking his head. "No."

"And why not?"

"Rupert won't kiss me the way you do," he admits, making you roll your eyes. As much as you wanted to scream and fight, he was so charming and you couldn't help the smile on your face.

"If you paid him enough, I'm sure he'd probably kiss you."

Carlos took a step towards you, his hand resting on your lower back. "Still won't be as good as you."

You give him a soft shove, creating some space between the two of you. "Do you not feel guilty, Carlos?"

"Guilty?" His brows furrow, the faintest of head tilts as he looks at you. "What for?"

You scoff; you're not sure if you're more mad at yourself or at him for not knowing what you meant. "Monaco." You say quietly, eyes fixed on him.

Carlos shrugs, sitting on the little couch in his room. You turn to face the man, his eyes wandering up and down your body. "Stop that." You say, rolling your eyes yet again.

"Need I remind you that I'm not the one in a relationship?" His arms crossed as he looked at you.

"So it's all on me?"

He hums, shrugging. "Could have walked out that night, y/n. You didn't have to stay and you definitely didn't have to do that thing with your-"

"Stop." You cut him off, pointing a finger at him. Carlos smirks, pursing his lips as he clears his throat.

"You texted me, you kissed me, Carlos."

"You didn't have to come, y/n. You didn't have to kiss me back, I wasn't holding you hostage."

"Might as well have been."

"Oh please, you loved it." He smiles, raising his eyebrows. You scoff, unable to believe the nonsense you were hearing from the man. "Fuck you, Carlos."

He leans back, his arms behind his head. "You sure did, y/n."

You groan, unsure if you wanted to punch him, strangle him or suffocate him with his stupid Spain throw pillow but instead, chose to walk out of his room; just as you did, you bump into one person that shouldn't have seen you up there.

"You okay, babe?" Charles's hands rest on your arms, steadying you after you bump into him. You smile, nodding. "I was just coming to look for you."

He notices Carlos's door open, the Spanish driver watching the two of you. "What were you looking for me for?" Charles asks, his arm over your shoulder as his glance moves from his teammate back to you.

"My sunglasses are in your room." You smiled, leaning into your boyfriend.

"Were you just with Carlos?" Charles asks, curiosity getting the best of him. You nod, "I just walked up with him, I was waiting for you to come up so we were just chatting."

"Yeah," Carlos pipes up from his room, smiling at the couple; y/n's a quick thinker, he thinks to himself - that'll come in handy.

You look at Carlos, the man locking eyes with you and you look away but his eyes stay fixed on you. Something about the way he looked at you rubbed Charles the wrong way and being the good boyfriend he was, notices the uncomfortableness of the situation.

"Did you get your sunglasses, love?" He asks, walking you towards his driver's room. "No, the door was locked." You tell him, "Andrea must have locked it."

Charles nods, towards his door before unlocking it for you. "Go on," he lets you walk in, shutting the door behind you two.

The two drivers' rooms shared a wall between them, everything could be heard, there was essentially no privacy when it came to them. Carlos could hear when Charles asked if you were okay. You tell him you're fine, Carlos is certain you've got your signature reassuring smile on your face as you tell him you're okay.

He hears the door open and shut again, the footsteps approaching his driver's room. It's Charles, "meeting starts in 15 in the garage," his teammate tells him, leaning on the doorframe.

Carlos nods, glancing at the woman behind him. "I'll be there."

The Monegasque driver nods, reaching for his girlfriend's hand, the two of you interlocking fingers as you make your way to the stairs. Carlos gets up, walking over to the doorway and leaning on the doorframe as he watches you make your way down; red skirt bouncing with each step, your sunglasses pushed into your hair - no one would ever think that you were anything other than Charles' loving girlfriend.

Carlos knew you were so much more than that.

---

No matter how much you tried, how you tossed and turned, sleep would not come. Charles was already in dreamland, his arm over your waist as he snored quietly.

Usually, it'd put you to sleep - even if you did find it annoying at first but now, it's a reminder of your constant guilt.

Unable to sleep, you find yourself getting out of bed. The stirring wakes Charles and the man sitting up as you put your slippers on.

"Where are you going?" He asks, rubbing his eyes.

"For a walk. I have a headache so I just want some fresh air." You turn to face him and he nods. "Do you want some company?"

You smile but shake your head, "it's okay, babe. Stay and sleep, I'll be back in 20 minutes."

Charles smiles, laying back down. "Be safe," he mumbles, eyes already closed. His hand reached out for you, something he did when you left before he did - the different time zones he travelled through often left him in bed for longer than you.

You hold it, walking around the bed to his side and leaning down. Charles opens his eyes for a moment, his free hand cupping your jaw as he smiles sleepily at you.

"You're sure you'll be okay?"

You nod, "I'll be back before you know it." The man smiles, pulling you down slightly to give you a kiss. As horrible as it was, the thought crossed your mind; it didn't feel the same as Carlos. The passion wasn't there.

You pick up your room key, stepping out of the room and shutting the door behind you quietly. You took the stairs, making your way outside through a back door.

You end up by the pool and you're certain no one was going to be out there, it's nearly 2am.

Much to your surprise, there was someone there.

You can't see the person just yet but you can see the figure in the pool, the outline of their body. As you walk closer to the edge, the person comes up to the surface, causing you to freeze in your tracks.

Carlos.

"Seems you keep finding me," he says, floating around.

You shrug, "just needed some fresh air, what are you doing up? Should you be getting your beauty sleep for the race tomorrow ?"

"Swimming helps me relax; Rupert is sleeping and the gym is closed so here I am." Carlos tells you, watching as you left your slippers by the table, walking over barefoot and sitting at the edge of the pool. Your legs hung down into the cold water, your face twisting in momentary displeasure before you relaxed slightly.

You always seem to be on edge these days.

He swims up to the edge, leaning on it. His tanned arms rest over the edge, water dripping off his muscles as he looks over at you. "I don't feel guilty." He says.

"I do."

"You shouldn't." He whispers and your brows furrow. "Charles isn't that great of a boyfriend."

You scoff, unable to believe his audacity. "How could you even say that?"

"If he was such a great boyfriend, if he really knew you; he'd realize something was off by now and considering that you two are still happily in love, he hadn't put two and two together."

It takes you a minute to gather your thoughts; unsure if you should drown him or cuss him out but you bite your tongue and hold back the urge to drown him.

You get up, pulling yourself up from the pool. "I think I'll be going back to bed."

Carlos nods, getting out of the pool himself. You had brushed the water from your legs, putting your slippers back on.

Just as you go to walk away, Carlos grabs your hand. "You shouldn't feel guilty about something that feels right."

Again, you don't answer the man but pull your hand away instead.

"You know exactly what I mean, y/n." He calls out to you as you walk away, you stop to look back at him before you walk into the hotel, half minded to turn the lock on the door and leave him outside.

Once again, you find yourself on the stairs, walking up to the 15th floor. You stop by your room door, feeling your pockets for the key as you catch your breath.

The lock clicks when you slide the key into the slot.

Charles had his back to the door, you set your key down and took your slippers off as you made your way to bed. He feels the mattress dip as you get into bed, his arms wrapping around you before pulling you into him.

You settle into his chest, the tip of his nose brushes against your ear. His brows furrow, the man half asleep when he asks, "why do you smell like that?"

"What?" You look at him, "smell like what? I showered, you know."

He chuckles, "no, like.. the pool, chlorine."

"Oh," the image of Carlos shirtless and wet crosses your mind and you push the thought away. "Ended up by the pool when I went for my walk. There were some teenagers splashing around."

"So late?"

"Yeah," you shrugged, "I can change if you want-" "Just stay," he whispers, arms tightening around you.

The room falls quiet, Charles is snoring again and you pray that sleep comes as you close your eyes for the second time that night.

---

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[sl-newsie]

Spelled (Carlos de Vil x Sanderson Daughter): Descendants 2 Masterlist

[ravenya003]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I Robot, You Jane, S01E08

So, back when I started this project I said that I’d watch an episode every Saturday and then post my thoughts on Sunday. Yeah, that was wildly optimistic. The new plan is that I’ll just post when I have time.

This is our first Willow-centric episode, and just like our first Xander-centric episode (“Teacher’s Pet”) it’s not very good. But I still have a soft spot for it, and if nothing else the introduction of Jenny Calendar (hurray!) prevents it from being complete filler, even though none of the events of this episode are ever mentioned afterwards. At least, I’m pretty sure no one ever brings up the demon-on-the-internet again.

The cold open takes place in 1480. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the only flashback that predates this one in the show’s entire chronology is Aud/Anya’s backstory, which won’t be seen until season seven. So, this is a big swing for what is only the show’s eighth episode.

A guy called Carlos steps out of the shadows and is promptly killed after confessing his love to a horned demon called Moloch the Corruptor. Farewell Carlos, we knew you not at all. This is followed by a number of monks frantically chanting a spell which causes Moloch to dissipate and reappear as letters in an old book. As the finishing touch, his face appears on the cover.

Random comment: Despite crucifixes repelling vampires, Christianity isn’t exactly treated with a lot of reverence on this show. But if the religion is going to be represented, I’ve noticed that priests will invariably be bad guys, and monks (like these ones, or the ones that made Dawn) will always be good guys.

Also, the makeup/prosthetics on Moloch is really good, so I don’t blame the editors for putting him in both the opening credits of the show and Buffy’s nightmare sequence from the pilot episode.

The cold open ends with the monks sealing the book away, and portentously stating that nobody must ever read it again. That’s our cue to skip forward over five hundred years, to where it’s inevitably being removed from its storage crate by Buffy in the library.

The Scoobies are helping Giles scan his ancient tomes into the computer, and the whole thing is our first glimpse of a recurring theme throughout the show: modern tech meets old-school medievalism. It’s not my favourite aspect of the series, though I suspect it was one of Joss Whedon’s, since it comes up fairly regularly (think the Frankenstein’s Monster episode, or season four’s Adam. Occasionally it does provide some great scenes, like Xander giving Buffy the rocket launcher to take out the Judge in “Innocence” or Buffy and Riley coming face-to-face with a crossbow and rifle respectively in “Hush,” but for the most part I prefer the archaic tools that the Scoobies use).

In any case, this at least is a neat idea for an episode: a demon is given access to the internet after a scanner “reads” the book and uploads it into virtual reality. There’s a lot you can do with that premise.

This scene also introduces us to three new characters: some rando called Dave is helping them with the scanning, along with another student called Fritz, who is introduced with this line: “The printed page is obsolete. Information isn't bound up anymore. It's an entity. The only reality is virtual. If you're not jacked in, you're not alive.” Just in case you were wondering whether he was going to be a good guy or not.

But also on hand is... Jenny Calendar, the computer science teacher! Yes! She’s one of my favs. I always forget she was introduced this early, and she’s awesome right off the bat. The banter between her and Giles is quintessential Belligerent Sexual Tension. From their first exchange, you know it’s only a matter of time before they jump each other.

Willow, our poor darling nerd, is enjoying herself. Seeing at her at this early stage, I’m struck by the fact that she’s the character (with the possible exception of Cordelia) who will go through the most profound changes across the course of the show. At this point, she’s simply trying to find something that makes her special – right now, she makes it the subject she’s most interested in: books and knowledge (which feeds into her contribution to the good fight) but which also is the starting point of her dabbling-in-magic-to-become-powerful-witch-pipeline.

With that in mind, it’s interesting that techno-pagan Jenny is also introduced in this episode, as she’s an important stepping stone on Willow’s journey into witchhood.

My take on Willow is that although it’s never spelt out, she knows on some level that her friendship with Buffy is what makes her special, and she’s subconsciously railing against that (and will continue to do so long after this episode). She’s bullied at school, she’s thwarted in love by Xander, she’s perpetually in Buffy’s shadow – she wants SOMETHING to assure her she’s enough on her own terms.

In this episode, that mentality makes her an easy mark for Moloch’s manipulation, as she’s all-in on the romance not just for its own sake, but because it makes her feel chosen. Moloch obviously had some mind-control powers at work here, but Willow is also an easy target based on the insecurities she has about herself. Seven years later, she’d never fall for this so easily.

The next day she’s walking on air, as she spent the night talking to a guy called Malcolm Black on-line. And it’s soon apparent that Dave and Fritz are communicating with someone through the internet as well.

Oh man, look at these monitors!

Buffy is a little unsure about Willow’s story, and the computer camera zooms in on Buffy’s face, electronically goes through her personal files, and then sends them to Fritz with a missive to “watch her.”

Xander is suddenly not keen on the idea of Willow having a boyfriend, and Buffy calls him out on jealousy. She’s right – not because he’s attracted to Willow at this point, but because he “d’wants” her. That is, he doesn’t want Willow himself, but he doesn’t want anyone else having her either.

Shots demonstrate that Willow, Fritz and Dave are getting sucked further into Malcolm’s thrall, and during a discussion with Dave to try and ascertain how she can track down someone on-line, Buffy comes to the not-unreasonable conclusion (based on his reaction) that Dave is Malcolm. He’s not, and he clams up uncomfortably when she presses him. Fritz glowers in the corner.

Giles isn’t sure what to do (he’s computer illiterate) and advises Buffy to tail Dave. We get a vastly underrated gag in which Buffy asks: “Follow Dave? What, in dark glasses and a trench coat? Please. I can work this out myself,” which cuts immediately to her following Dave in a trench coat and sunglasses. Superb.

They end up at a massive computer factory called CRD, where we get the POV of a security camera noting Buffy’s arrival. Xander surprisingly ends up being a font of knowledge on the subject, as his uncle once worked there as a janitor. Before its closure several years ago, it was the third-largest employer in Sunnydale. (What are the first two? Got to be the funeral parlours and the cemetery caretakers, right?)

In an on-line conversation, Malcolm tries to drive a wedge between Willow and Buffy by citing the latter's school records (namely that she got kicked out of her old school) but Willow isn’t so far gone that she can’t spot a red flag when she sees it. She logs off pretty quickly.

Back in the library, the flirt-fight between Jenny and Giles over the relevance of computers continues, until she notices Moloch’s book and points out that the pages are all blank. This occurs concurrently with Dave telling Buffy that Willow wants to see her in the locker room, and Buffy very nearly getting electrocuted to death by exposed wiring left in a running shower. She survives only because Dave gets cold feet at the last second and warns her before making a run for it.

We’re then treated to the most harrowing scene of the episode, in which Dave confronts Malcolm (or at least a computer) and tells him he refuses to be complicit in his plans. Then, the computer writes him a suicide note. Just imagine how horrifying this would be, to realize not only that your death is imminent, but that everyone believes it’ll be at your own hands.

Fritz is lurking in the shadows of the room... He went dark side very quickly.

Back again at the library, Giles gives Buffy the English remedy to everything (tea) before offering a solution to strange events of the week: Moloch the Corruptor has been released from his book!prison by someone reading the words that held him there.

There’s a nice bit of back-and-forth as the gang piece together all the clues to reach a logical conclusion: Moloch has gone from the book, and yet no one has seen a giant demon wandering around. Buffy questions why Moloch is going through middle-men like Dave and the factory-workers at CDR instead of doing all the work himself. And how did someone manage to speak the words in the book anyway, as they’re not in English?

All the disparities point to one thing: Moloch is in the computer, and got there via the scanner. Like I said before, this is a neat idea and was backed up by the establishing dialogue at the start of the episode that laid out what the internet was capable of (‘cos back in the nineties, not everyone knew).

Buffy goes searching for Willow, and instead finds Dave in the computer lab... hanging from the rafters.

And, wow do I have a lot of questions in the wake of this scene. Does Buffy just leave him hanging there? Does no one call the authorities? If not, then who found him next? Do they let the suicide note stand? Are his parents forced to live the rest of their lives believing their son killed himself? And isn’t it crazy that everyone keeps on using this room in future episodes? (Though I suppose in Sunnydale, citizens would run out of places to exist if they stopped entering places that people had been murdered in).

Willow’s house! Why is it so exciting to see Willow’s house? In any case, her parents aren’t home (and her father never will be) and she’s spooked by her computer telling her she’s got mail... from Malcolm. Then she foolishly opens the front door and is grabbed by Fritz.

Giles takes the plunge and tells Jenny that a demon is on the loose on the internet, to which she says: “I know.” Robia Scott delivers that line a little oddly, in that she makes it seem like Jenny is the one responsible for releasing Moloch, but apparently it’s just meant to be a surprise that she takes Giles’s revelation in her stride. Turns out that she’s what’s called a “technopagan” who is well-aware of all the weirdness that goes on in Sunnydale.

(It’s obvious that the writers’ room had not yet decided on Jenny’s backstory at this point, which posits her as a member of the Roma clan which laid the curse on Angel – in fact, she was specifically sent to Sunnydale by her people in order to keep an eye on him – but they got lucky in giving her this link with magic right off the bat, as it fits in nicely with what we learn about her later. A bit like Aunt Beru’s “he’s too much like his father” comment in Star Wars, which was just a line in the first movie, but paid off dividends in the next two – entirely serendipitously).

Willow wakes up in CRD to discover that the reason it’s been swarming with scientists and workers lately is because Moloch has had them build a robot version of himself. He demonstrates its power by promptly snapping Fritz’s neck.

Buffy and Xander arrive on the scene (she leaps neatly over the fence, he trips and lands on his face) and make their way into the building. I love this shot, in which Buffy punches a receptionist in the face without breaking her stride:

The two of them try to make their way to Willow as Moloch delivers his pitch to her (she’s not buying it) and Giles and Jenny remotely perform the incantation that trapped him in that book all those centuries ago. Giles chants and Jenny types, with the help of her “on-line coven.” We learn nothing more about these people, either in this episode or any other – but in hindsight, they’ve got to be the rest of the Romani clan, no?

Willow is genuinely upset at Moloch’s betrayal. Xander punches out a technician and is super excited about it. Buffy realizes that Moloch isn’t back in the book, but rather trapped inside his robot body, and it takes only a little taunting for him to throw a punch at her and end up electrocuting himself on the contents of the circuit box behind her.

And this here, this shot:

...is why I love this show, specifically in its earliest seasons. At the end of the day, this is a story about three teenagers who are completely in over their heads, facing down the weirdest and most dangerous shit imaginable, but who are still in it together, no matter what. I can draw a direct correlation between the quality of any given episode and how far it adheres to/strays from this focus on the trio of Buffy, Willow and Xander as a team of misfits facing down the unimaginable.

And so, the wrap-up. Giles goes to thank Jenny for her contribution, and makes his case for books: they have texture and scent and history. She seems to get it, and then thanks him for returning her earring in a very odd moment that has her inform him: "[my ear] isn’t where I dangle it."

This, except he's saying: "is she going to dangle it from her vagina?"

And then, one of my favourite ending scenes of the entire show. Xander and Buffy try to cheer up Willow by commiserating with her on their equally terrible string of crushes and relationships. “We’re doomed!” they conclude. And they are. They realize it themselves a second later. All of them will end the show single.

But it’s okay, because they’ll always have each other.

***

Like I said, I’m fond of this episode despite its silliness. The plot itself is pretty thin, and generally speaking I don’t love the Buffy episodes that employ “weird science”. The show always falters a little when it leans into this vibe: see the Frankenstein/Ted/Human-Fish episodes, plus the entirety of the Initiative arc. Give me old-school vampires and demons, every time.

But I stand by the fact that a demon getting loose in the internet and causing havoc is a solid premise, and the script also managed to tap into our collective fear of catfishing and online predators WELL before its time. It also has some great dialogue and one-liners, provides some insight on Willow’s psyche that will be built on later, and introduces the one-and-only Jenny Calendar. You can’t skip it in the same way you can skip “Teacher’s Pet.”

Miscellaneous Observations:

I’ve already talked about Willow, but this episode really is fascinating if you treat it as the starting point of her arc. She’s shy and unassuming, she genuinely loves “nerdy” pastimes like scanning old books and talking on-line, and her insecurities make her an easy target for Malcolm’s manipulation. You can draw a straight line between this early characterization and where she ends up at the end of season six: glutted with power, resentment and destructive rage.

Dark Willow wasn’t just about Tara, it was about the deep-seated hostilities inside Willow from the very beginning... but we’ll get there. For now, I’ll just say that I’ve always felt Willow harbours the tiniest little seed of resentment toward Buffy for their social standing. As much as Willow loves her, in this episode she actually verbalizes the envy she feels at Buffy’s ability to attract male attention. That’s very funny in post-season four hindsight, and given where she ends up I’m inclined to believe it’s not just about boys. Willow wants to be special for her own sake, and at this point she’s envisioning that as someone liking her for who she is.

It's a type of insecurity that’s subtly different from what Xander feels. His is all about his masculinity in the presence of people who are far more powerful than himself, which paradoxically requires him to cleave even tighter to the women who upstage him (see his immediate anxiety about Willow prioritizing someone other than himself). For Willow, it’s about herself and how she measures up, which requires a degree of distance from those who make her feel inadequate.

Xander needs to have Buffy and Willow in his life – they make him special by association, and he eventually comes to accept his role as “the one who isn’t chosen.” Willow, on the other hand, is a little resentful of the importance that Buffy bestows on her existence, and wants something outside the constraints of the friend-group to validate her own specialness, something that’s hers alone. She’ll get there eventually.

While Buffy and the gang were investigating Moloch, there were a number of fun little second-long vignettes that demonstrated the chaos being strewn across the rest of the world: a guy whose essay is changed into a pro-Nazi manifesto, a school nurse insisting that a student’s record had no mention of his allergies, and a radio broadcast that announces financial discrepancies in the church coffers (so... that last one may not have been Moloch).

It's always a bit weird when the Monster of the Week ends up causing a lot of wide-spread harm, only to never be mentioned again – even in a place like Sunnydale. In this case, Moloch clearly managed to do a lot of damage before his death, not to mention taking over a factory and creating dozens of drone workers. Are there any long-term ramifications to any of this? Not that we ever see!

By later seasons, this show almost exclusively took place in Buffy’s house, various graveyards, the Magic Box, and the Bronze, so I was inordinately excited to see locations like the inside of Willow’s house and the CRD factory. Show me more of Sunnydale! The writers were under no obligation to do so, but they never really gave the place a sense of history or personality; a place that was worth protecting for its own sake.

No Angel or Cordelia this time around.

It’s always mildly amusing when an important character is introduced to the show alongside inconsequential ones. This episode gave us Ms Calendar, who will be an intrinsic part of the show going forward... but also Dave and Fritz, who won’t be. Kind of like how Sheila was introduced in the same episode as Spike, or Scott Hope in the same episode as Faith. Crazy!

It’s also rather startling just how much she stands out compared to other guest stars; she’s so vividly rendered in comparison to the likes of Blayne or Owen. Whether Robia Scott was brought back on the strength of her performance here, or was always intended to be a recurring guest star and so given more characterization is unclear, but you can tell just by watching this episode that she’ll be back.

Speaking of, I looked up the actors for Fritz and Dave on IMDB. Jamison Ryan (Fritz) only ever had three acting jobs in a single year of his life, while Chad Lindberg (Dave) has been working regularly for years: most recently in Star Trek: Picard, but also in other genre shows like Agents of SHIELD, Supernatural and The X-Files.

Dave is the first Sunnydale student since Jesse to be killed during the course of an episode, and I ended up feeling really sorry for the guy. He gets in over his head but tries to do the right thing, and that gets him killed. I’m still genuinely curious over the fallout of his death. Surely the Scoobies did something to convince his parents it wasn’t suicide?

There are plenty of minor details about Xander and Willow in this episode: we see the latter’s house and bedroom for the first time, and learn that her parents do in fact exist (though we’ll never see her father on-screen at any point during the course of the show) while Xander has an uncle that once worked at CRD as a janitor. None of it is hugely relevant, but when you think about it, we learn so little about their home lives that these little scraps are fascinating.

I’m always left wondering how Moloch’s book ended up in Sunnydale. I mean, of course it does, but where did it come from? Did Giles order it? Did the Watchers Council send it?

Jenny makes an interesting comment when Giles asks her if she’s a witch and she responds: “no, I don’t have that kind of power.” I mean, she and Giles had enough power to force Moloch into his robot form. What exactly is a witch’s power by comparison?

I wish the script had delved more deeply into exactly what Moloch’s feelings were for his followers. What exactly was he getting out of the interactions? (Beyond their obedience, obviously). At times he seemed genuinely fond of Willow and then distraught when she rejected him, which was in marked contrast to the indifference with which he killed Fritz and Carlos. I don’t expect much characterization for a Monster of the Week, but it felt like there was something there that will echo other portrayals of toxic love that become so prevalent in episodes to come.

Best Line: Jenny: “you kids really dig the library.” Xander: “to read makes us speak English good.”

Most dated line: Willow: “I met him online.” Buffy: “On line for what?”

Most Random Scene: There’s a moment in which Moloch is bragging about his powers to Willow and he tells her: “I can control the world! Right now a man in Beijing is transferring money to a Swiss bank account for a contract on his mother's life. Good for him!” Er... okay. What an oddly specific anecdote.

Worst Visual Effect: The infamous Robo!Moloch:

Best Scene: My darling trio sitting by the fountain, commiserating with each other on their doomed love lives. It’s funny, heartwarming and – in hindsight – very bittersweet.

Death Toll: Dave, strangled by Fritz. Fritz, neck snapped by Moloch. And Carlos too, I suppose, though I won’t count him because that was way back in 1480. Moloch, electrocuted by Buffy.

Grand Total: Thirteen civilians, fourteen villains (I’m counting Fritz as a villain as he was clearly the most gung-ho about killing people on Moloch’s orders. It didn’t take much to corrupt him). Still feel bad for Dave though.

[legolasghosty]

your rarepairiest pair: Is this a mid-life crisis because if it is I'm a bit worried about your lifespan.

Oh gosh yes please! I will take any and every excuse to write JuBobby! (Also I think I accidentally set this in my Jem and the Holograms AU... whoops! Oh well, I think it makes sense still without context.)

Bobby generally considers his girlfriend a levelheaded person. Sure, she's done some crazy stuff (See the history of how they even met in the first place), but in general, Julie thinks things through before she does them. And that's probably a good thing, considering the insanity of at least half of her brothers/band.

But even for the most even-keeled individual, fame does weird stuff. So when Julie gets back after what was supposed to be a casual family dinner (no significant others allowed on the first night of the visit to give Julie and her brothers a chance to catch up with Ray, Victoria, and Carlos), crashes onto Bobby's bed, and says, "I'm going to get a yacht," Bobby isn't entirely sure how to react.

He hits the save key on his computer and rises from his desk. "Is this a mid-life crisis?" he asks slowly, approaching his girlfriend and sitting down on the edge of the bed beside her. "Cause if so, I'm a little worried about your lifespan. I don't want to outlive you by that much, Molina."

Julie groans and rolls onto her side to look at him. "People can't recognize me on a boat," she states, voice flat.

Bobby winces, suddenly understanding. He'd turned off most of his notifications while he was working, which is probably how he missed whatever pictures have made it online of Julie and her brothers just trying to spend time with their family. He reaches out to run his fingers gently over her arm, offering what comfort he can.

"We didn't even have our food yet before someone came to ask for an autograph," Julie sighs, wriggling a little closer to him. "And then the waiters were staring, and...sometimes I wonder why I told the world my real name."

Bobby hums softly and lays down on his side, pulling her into his chest. "I'm sorry, Ju." This sort of thing has been happening more and more over the past nine months since Julie took to the stage as Dahlia and the crowd was chanting her real first name by the time she and her brothers finished the show.

"So I'm gonna get a frigging boat so I can hang out with my family without getting interrupted," Julie huffs, curling into his embrace, letting his cool hands smooth out the rough heat racing through her body from all the unwanted stares.

"I mean, I know it doesn't really solve the actual problem," Bobby begins, resting his chin against her hair, "but you could just bring them here if you wanted. Get some fancy takeout and just stay in together."

"I wouldn't want to kick you out of your own house though," Julie protests, looking up at him. "I mean, I know the guys and I live here too, but it's your home too. You shouldn't lose your safe space just because my family is in town."

Bobby forces down a joke about being used to it from how things were with Caleb up until a year ago. His therapist says that's not healthy, to downplay it like that. "I don't mind," he promises instead. "They're important to you. So, important to me. I can stay out of your way no problem as long as no one ends up in my room."

Julie cracks a tiny smirk. "Awww, so no sleepovers while they're here?" she teases.

Bobby chuckles and shrugs as best he can without loosening his grip on her. "I suppose something could be arranged," he responds. "You know, if the situation were desperate enough."

"So... you last maybe one night without me," Julie snarks.

"Hey, you leave my insomnia out of this," Bobby complains lightly, unable to resist the slow grin spreading across his face. "I managed just fine before we met."

"Lies," Julie retorts, pushing herself up on one elbow so she's above him.

"Oh yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it?" Bobby challenges.

"Go sleep in my amazing bazillion thread sheeted bed in my room by myself," she answers, smirking. "We'll see just how well you sleep by yourself."

Bobby raises an eyebrow. "I don't see you moving."

"Hey I got accosted by twelve-year-olds today, I'm not moving very fast," Julie says.

Hah, Bobby thinks. An opening. He reaches out and grabs an edge of his bedspread, flipping them over and pinning her down with the blanket and his body. "Well then you're not going anywhere," he teases.

"Oh no, woe is me," Julie laughs as she fumbles one arm free to cup the back of his neck. "I shall never escape."

"Nope, mine now," Bobby agrees before giving into her gentle tugging and leaning down to kiss her. "I'm serious though," he adds, pulling back a hair after a moment. "Just bring your family here. I know it's not ideal, but we can make it feel just as fancy as those stupid restaurants downtown. And here you can just be you."

"You're amazing," Julie says. "Think we can make it happen for everybody dinner tomorrow night?"

"Caleb has an impressive wine cellar," Bobby promises. "And he owes me and Willie and Carrie like... a lot."

"You know I'm technically underaged, right?" Julie jokes.

"Well, rockstars are allowed to do fun stuff sometimes," Bobby responds, leaning down to kiss her again. They'd figure it out, one way or another.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Luis Figo for Real Madrid (Image: Real Madrid Twitter/X)/ Anwar Ali (Image: EBFC) It’s Kolkata derby day. Ask any football fan in the country, and they will agree that this is the biggest match in Indian football. With a century-old heritage, this iconic clash transcends football emotions – it’s about roots, identity and loyalty. Naturally, with such a rich history comes great responsibility for the players involved. The pressure from fans is immense – everyone is always under media scrutiny. However, this Saturday, while all the players and coaches will be under pressure, one player will feel it the most – East Bengal’s No. 4, Anwar Ali. Central to one of the most controversial transfer deals in Indian football history, Anwar will be in the spotlight in today’s clash. When Anwar steps off the team bus or walks through the tunnel in East Bengal jersey, his heart is bound to race. There’s nearly a Rs 40 crore price tag to his name, and he will be facing the team with whom he previously won silverware. Back in 2000, when Portuguese legend Luis Figo moved to Real Madrid on a record fee of €62 million from arch-rivals FC Barcelona, he was greeted with hostility at the Nou Camp during El Clásico. Furious Barcelona fans, holding placards with dollar signs, hurled abuse at their former star. Lighters, whiskey bottles, plastic bottles, coins, and most bizarrely, a pig’s head were thrown onto the pitch. Every time Figo took the ball for a corner, the noise level rose. Francesc Arnau, a member of the Barcelona squad that evening, reflected in a CNN report: “Never have I heard Camp Nou with this sound against one man.” #KolkataDerby Showdown: Will #EastBengal break their losing streak or will #MohunBagan continue their dominance? What welcome will #AnwarAli receive against his former side? @RohanDC98 previews #EBFCMBSG in @IndSuperLeague 2024-25.https://t.co/ZAplVaYULC — RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 19, 2024   In several RevSportz Live discussions about the Anwar Ali saga, there were mentions of giving him a ‘Luis Figo treatment’ at the derby. It’s not uncommon in world football for players to switch between rival clubs. Zlatan Ibrahimović wore both Milan jerseys. Carlos Tevez represented both Manchester United and Manchester City. Many more have crossed similar divides. In India, the legendary Bhaichung Bhutia played for both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan and is still loved by both sets of fans. But for Figo, the situation was different. His transfer was labelled a “betrayal” by the fans – accusing him and his agent, José Veiga. Figo was a heartthrob of the Calatan giants, their captain who won them the Copa del Rey in 1998 and dyed his hair in the Barcelona colours. His move to Madrid for a humongous transfer fee was not acceptable to the fans. The word “betrayal” has been echoed by Mohun Bagan fans on social media and forums in response to Anwar’s transfer. While today’s security measures prevent fans from bringing dangerous items into the stands, the Bagan faithful will undoubtedly be vocal whenever he touches the ball. This is certain to pile pressure on Anwar, but former player Mehtab Hossain, who has experienced multiple derbies and played for both teams, told RevSportz: “Anwar is a professional, and I believe he will focus solely on the game and deliver for his team. Any chants will likely fuel his motivation to perform better.” This match will be a true test of Anwar’s resilience and professionalism. Players often claim they treat derbies like any other game, but it will surely stir something in the Indian defender as he steps onto the pitch for yet another Kolkata derby, this time wearing a different colour. The post Anwar Ali’s Kolkata derby, and a throwback to Figo’s infamous transfer appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Luis Figo for Real Madrid (Image: Real Madrid Twitter/X)/ Anwar Ali (Image: EBFC) It’s Kolkata derby day. Ask any football fan in the country, and they will agree that this is the biggest match in Indian football. With a century-old heritage, this iconic clash transcends football emotions – it’s about roots, identity and loyalty. Naturally, with such a rich history comes great responsibility for the players involved. The pressure from fans is immense – everyone is always under media scrutiny. However, this Saturday, while all the players and coaches will be under pressure, one player will feel it the most – East Bengal’s No. 4, Anwar Ali. Central to one of the most controversial transfer deals in Indian football history, Anwar will be in the spotlight in today’s clash. When Anwar steps off the team bus or walks through the tunnel in East Bengal jersey, his heart is bound to race. There’s nearly a Rs 40 crore price tag to his name, and he will be facing the team with whom he previously won silverware. Back in 2000, when Portuguese legend Luis Figo moved to Real Madrid on a record fee of €62 million from arch-rivals FC Barcelona, he was greeted with hostility at the Nou Camp during El Clásico. Furious Barcelona fans, holding placards with dollar signs, hurled abuse at their former star. Lighters, whiskey bottles, plastic bottles, coins, and most bizarrely, a pig’s head were thrown onto the pitch. Every time Figo took the ball for a corner, the noise level rose. Francesc Arnau, a member of the Barcelona squad that evening, reflected in a CNN report: “Never have I heard Camp Nou with this sound against one man.” #KolkataDerby Showdown: Will #EastBengal break their losing streak or will #MohunBagan continue their dominance? What welcome will #AnwarAli receive against his former side? @RohanDC98 previews #EBFCMBSG in @IndSuperLeague 2024-25.https://t.co/ZAplVaYULC — RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) October 19, 2024   In several RevSportz Live discussions about the Anwar Ali saga, there were mentions of giving him a ‘Luis Figo treatment’ at the derby. It’s not uncommon in world football for players to switch between rival clubs. Zlatan Ibrahimović wore both Milan jerseys. Carlos Tevez represented both Manchester United and Manchester City. Many more have crossed similar divides. In India, the legendary Bhaichung Bhutia played for both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan and is still loved by both sets of fans. But for Figo, the situation was different. His transfer was labelled a “betrayal” by the fans – accusing him and his agent, José Veiga. Figo was a heartthrob of the Calatan giants, their captain who won them the Copa del Rey in 1998 and dyed his hair in the Barcelona colours. His move to Madrid for a humongous transfer fee was not acceptable to the fans. The word “betrayal” has been echoed by Mohun Bagan fans on social media and forums in response to Anwar’s transfer. While today’s security measures prevent fans from bringing dangerous items into the stands, the Bagan faithful will undoubtedly be vocal whenever he touches the ball. This is certain to pile pressure on Anwar, but former player Mehtab Hossain, who has experienced multiple derbies and played for both teams, told RevSportz: “Anwar is a professional, and I believe he will focus solely on the game and deliver for his team. Any chants will likely fuel his motivation to perform better.” This match will be a true test of Anwar’s resilience and professionalism. Players often claim they treat derbies like any other game, but it will surely stir something in the Indian defender as he steps onto the pitch for yet another Kolkata derby, this time wearing a different colour. The post Anwar Ali’s Kolkata derby, and a throwback to Figo’s infamous transfer appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

[clickvibes]

Apple Music unwraps new 'Carols Covered' Holiday Playlist

New Holiday Covers By Bnxn, Coco Jones, Armani White, Ella Henderson, Hemlocke Springs, Jeongyeon from TWICE And More Now Live Exclusively On Apple Music in Spatial Audio'Classical Carols Covered' available for Apple Music Classical subscribers and highlights new festive songs arranged and performed by classical music’s finest artists. 'Carols Covered is back again with a new line-up of exclusive to Apple Music holiday songs reimagined by some of contemporary music’s most impactful artists, plus an additional Classical Carols Covered playlist, highlighting beautiful new versions of carols and festive songs performed by top classical artists. All available in immersive Spatial Audio.Carols are at the heart of Christmas and other holidays—whether sung at festive services or simply bellowed out at home with friends and family. Carols may be a part of our well-established traditions, but they’re also constantly evolving, with new arrangements composed every year that bring freshness and vitality to old favorites. This year’s batch includes new selections from Ángela Aguilar, Armani White, Bnxn, Coco Jones, David Shaw, Dikka, Elevation Worship, Ella Henderson, Gallant & Jensen McRae, G Flip, Hakushi Hasegawa, Hemlocke Springs, Jeongyeon of TWICE, Lauren Spencer Smith and Restless Road.Previous Carols Covered collections have featured contributions from names like Amelia Moore, Ari Lennox, Arlo Parks, beabadoobee, Brett Eldredge, charlieonafriday, Elio, Ellie Goulding, Eslabon Armado, Fletcher, GIVĒON,glaive, James Blake, Jvck James, Katie Gregson-MacLeod, Mickey Guyton, Muni Long, Ozuna, RAYE, Shenseea, Shygirl, SiR, Tate McRae and Victoria Monét,and Yahritza Y Su Esencia.And back to Apple Music this year, Classical Carols Covered, featuring beautiful, brand-new versions of carols and festive songs performed by a handful of the best and brightest in the classical world. The full Classical Carols Covered playlist will also be available to subscribers on the new Apple Music Classical app. This year’s collection features heartwarming arrangements from Maria Duenas, Olivia Belli, Randall Goosby & Carlos Simon, The Sixteen, and Xuefei Yang as they perform well-known Christmas music alongside a couple of lesser-known gems and bring their incredible musicianship to these carols. Carols Covered Track ListLauren Spencer Smith, “Hallelujah"Coco Jones, "8 Days of Christmas"Armani White, "Two Front Teeth"Elevation Worship, "Here Come Heaven"Restless Road, "Mary, Did You Know?"David Shaw feat. Keilana, "Male Kalikimaka"Hemlocke Springs, "Christmastime is Here"Gallant & Jensen McRae, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Ángela Aguilar, "Te Deseo Muy Felices Fiestas"Jeongyeon of TWICE, "O Christmas Tree”Bnxn, "Joy To The World"Dikka, "Eine Muh, Eine Mäh"Ella Henderson, "Stay Another Day"G Flip, "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)"Hakushi Hasegawa, "Wonderful Christmastime"Classical Carols Covered Track ListRandall Goosby & Carlos Simon, "The Christmas Song"Maria Duenas, "El Chant Del Ocells"Xuefei Yang, "Ave Maria"The Sixteen, "Bethlehem Down"Olivia Belli, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"Artist Quotes BNXN, “Joy to the World��“My choirmaster would make a funny face whenever he’s singing, ‘And heaven and nature sings,’” Nigerian singer-songwriter BNXN tells Apple Music. “It’s like he tried to make a baritone voice and he makes this funny face and sometimes it distracts the whole band. That’s a memory I don’t think I could ever forget, because it’s a very happy one.”Coco Jones, “8 Days of Christmas”“It’s so impactful when a genre and a holiday really mesh perfectly,” singer-songwriter Coco Jones tells Apple Music. “I feel like that’s the foundation for a classic holiday song, and ‘8 Days of Christmas’ is a classic.”Elevation Worship, “Here Comes Heaven”For their contribution to this season’s curated selection of holiday songs, the Christian worship group reimagined their 2018 hit song “Here Comes Heaven” from their live album Hallelujah Here Below. “We’re really excited about having this version of our song mixed in Spatial Audio,” Elevation Worship singer Chris Brown tells Apple Music. “Knowing it would be experienced that way gave us extra creative incentive and license to throw unique sounds and instruments around in different places.” Ángela Aguilar, “Te Deseo Muy Felices Fiesta”“I think that ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ is a beautiful song that embodies positivity and love and gratitude and a message of ‘everything is going to get better’—and I love that,” Mexican American singer Ángela Aguilar tells Apple Music. “‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ has always been a part of our Christmas playlist in the house, and it's a song that we all get to sing, and it’s part of my childhood. This song has really grown with me.”Armani White, “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth”“I chose ‘Two Front Teeth’ because I used to have a silver tooth when I was a kid,” rapper Armani White tells Apple Music. “I wanted to find a record that could still bring that childlike kid energy into Christmas.”Ella Henderson, “Stay Another Day”“I wanted to produce up this record and do it very differently to the original, but still stick to the original structure,” English singer-songwriter Ella Henderson tells Apple Music. “I wanted to add a few more gospel elements to it, really strip it right back to just myself and a piano. We've got an incredible string arrangement on there, and I think altogether, it just has this really beautiful, minimalistic element, but it also extends to this heightened emotional state.”G Flip, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”“I chose to cover ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ because I just love the song,” Australian singer-songwriter G Flip tells Apple Music. “It’s a banger of a Christmas carol. The Darlene Love version is really awesome, and her wailing vocals on it, how she just lets it rip, especially in the outro, is so great.”Lauren Spencer Smith, “Hallelujah”“I’ve always loved singing ‘Hallelujah,’ and there’s so many different versions of it that so many different artists have created,” Canadian singer-songwriter Lauren Spencer Smith tells Apple Music. “I love singing this song around the holidays, but as a kid, I sang this song all the time at singing competitions and for my mom in the kitchen, so I thought it would be really cool to do a recorded version of this as I got older for Christmas.”Hemlocke Springs, “Christmas Time Is Here”“I think music is one of the biggest reasons why I really enjoy Christmas,” singer-songwriter Hemlocke Springs tells Apple Music. “Christmas music just hits really hard for no reason. It just hits so hard in the feelings. Even with the song I cover, ‘Christmas Time Is Here,’ it can bring me into a happy, joyful, and melancholic state all at the same time. It’s like I’m looking back on memories that have happened in the past and also looking forward to the future. Christmas music just enhances those feelings for me.”Jensen McRae feat. Gallant, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”“It taps into what I love most about all Christmas music and what I try to tap into in my music, which is this sense of nostalgia,” singer-songwriter Jensen McRae tells Apple Music. “It reaches back in time in this really beautiful way, but also doesn’t feel dated.” For this year’s Carols Covered, McRae opted to cover the classic track “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and enlisted some help from Maryland singer-songwriter Gallant. “‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ is one of those classic quintessential Christmas songs,” Gallant says. “It’s probably my favorite Christmas song. It doesn’t go too deep into the symbolism or the technicalities or the religious aspect of the holiday, and as a result, you get a song that, at least for people who celebrate Christmas, is very universal. It talks about gathering with your friends and family, being grateful to be able to spend that time together.”Jeongyeon of TWICE, “O Christmas Tree”“I thought it could bring back some sweet holiday memories for everyone while they listen to my cover,” TWICE member Jeongyeon tells Apple Music. “‘O Christmas Tree’ is one of my must-listen holiday songs. And it takes me back to those comfy times hanging out with my friends and family enjoying the holiday vibes together.”*****Randall Goosby & Carlos Simon, “The Christmas Song”Randall Goosby (violin): “Nat King Cole’s "The Christmas Song" has always been a favourite Christmas carol of mine. He’s the epitome of smooth, suave warmth—everything you’d want to associate with the holidays. I thought it would be the perfect occasion to blend the smoothness of Nat King Cole with the smoothness of the great Carlos Simon to create this wonderful arrangement for you all.” Carlos Simon (piano and arranger): “Of course, I thought of Nat King Cole, the swooning strings and the lush harmonic structure, but I wanted to create something that’s quite Debussy- or Ravel-like in my arrangement, with lush arpeggios and sort of a swooning melody line.”Xuefei Yang, “Ave Maria”“Just as good movies must have soundtracks to enhance the feelings, for me great holidays must have music to enrich the soul and relax the mind. I find the melody of Schubert’s "Ave Maria" so beautiful and touching, which is perhaps why it has been adopted over the years for many occasions, including Christmas. I arranged Schubert’s piece for two guitars, and I play both parts myself, using one guitar as my voice and the other to accompany. Lyricism is one of my trademarks, and this piece gives me the opportunity to really make the guitar sing.”The Sixteen & Harry Christophers, “Bethlehem Down”Harry Christophers (conductor): “I’ve always loved the music of Peter Warlock, and this particular carol has a special place in my heart—I remember singing it when I was a student at Oxford University. Peter Warlock composed Bethlehem Down in 1927 as an entry into The Daily Telegraph’s carol-writing competition when Warlock was in financial difficulty, and he won. I think that’s just brilliant! "Warlock’s version is just four verses for a cappella choir—what we’ve done is just add piano and violin interludes between each verse in a very atmospheric style. I think Peter Warlock would have been very pleased we did this.”Olivia Belli, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”“God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" is not from my own tradition, but its melody attracted me because of its noble and archaic character. I really like its implicit harmonic possibilities, which allow me to play between major and minor, between sweet and bitter. "In the holidays, we have our own ritual regarding music: in the morning, while we decorate the house or cook or wrap gifts, we love lively and rhythmic music. After lunch, which represents for us a moment of pause, we like to listen to smooth songs with a winter mood, while in the evening it’s time for traditional, sacred songs.”Maria Dueñas, “El cant del ocells”Maria Dueñas (violin): “El cant dels ocells " was made famous by the great Spanish cellist Pablo Casals, and is a traditional Catalan song and lullaby. The original text speaks of nature’s joy at learning of the birth of Jesus, with many birds gathering to celebrate. I associate Christmas with spending time with my family and having time to reflect, so I chose a work with a nostalgic and intimate feeling—the feeling of going back home.”Carols Covered playlist link: apple.co/carolscovered Read the full article

[planta-alta]

We are back with the third trip of CARAVANA, the newspaper of Planta Alta. A common space that brings together, proposes and moves forward but also stops and wonders about the journey. In this case, taking advantage of the fact that hablarenarte has turned 20 years old, we are thinking about the political implications of the concept of celebration. By asking ourselves what are we celebrating, we want to contribute to unleash affective currents connected to the festive.

With all this in mind, in the Critical Resistance section we have the valuable contributions of Maral Kekejian, iki yos piña narváez and the Queen of the Anthropocene (Fran Quiroga).

In the section dedicated to our residency programmes we present three stories that delve into the importance of pleasurable and critical forms of encounter. Los Dragones de Lavapiés chant a gooooooooooaaaaal to anti-racism, police violence and speculation in our neighborhoods; Silvia Teixeira brings the partying knowledge of the communal people of the Leonese mountain; Taller Placer brings us a reading of the night that is not the expected one, a kind of dark knowledge on which the party does not have a monopoly.

As an untenable counterpoint, we have included a presentation of the TEJA program in this CARAVANA. TEJA is an initiative of Planta Alta that, together with other residency spaces, institutions, artists and allies, seeks to provide shelter and support to artists in emergency situations or affected by armed conflicts, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We include in this issue a visual map of this ecosystem woven by many hands and that we want to celebrate.

As a gift and sparkle, La Más Bella offers us a confetti / hat / pennant / song that runs through cut-outs and fold-outs of the period between 2002 and 2041. An invitation to the manual, performative and jovial gesture dedicated to hablarenarte and to all things that mutate.

We conclude this issue with a visual report by Diego del Pozo, who was invited to share a dinner with many of the colleagues who have worked at the association over the years. Reminiscing, savoring, remembering, recalling together minimal stories of the hablarenarte that was and projecting the one that is to come.

You can download your copy of CARAVANA here.

Curatorial edition: hablarenarte (Carlos Almela and Flavia Introzzi)

Graphic design: Amalia Ruiz-Larrea

* * *

Volvemos con el tercer viaje de CARAVANA, el periódico de Planta Alta. Un espacio común que aglutina, propone y avanza pero también se detiene y se pregunta por el recorrido. En este caso, aprovechando que hablarenarte ha cumplido 20 años, nos interpela el sentido político de la celebración. Sentimos alicaído lo festivo en este tiempo post-pandémico que es ya casi una condición. Preguntándonos ¿qué estamos celebrando? queremos contribuir a desatar las corrientes afectivas del festejo.

Para ello contamos en el apartado de Resistencia Crítica con las valiosas contribuciones de Maral Kekejian, de iki yos piña narváez y la Reina del Antropoceno (Fran Quiroga).

En el apartado dedicado a nuestro programa de residencias presentamos tres relatos que profundizan sobre la importancia de formas de encuentro placenteras y críticas. Los Dragones de Lavapiés corean un gooooooooool al antirracismo, las violencias policiales y la especulación en nuestros barrios; Silvia Teixeira aporta el saber festejar de los comunales de la montaña leonesa; Taller Placer nos trae una lectura de la noche que no es la que se espera, una suerte de conocimiento oscuro sobre el cual la fiesta no tiene el monopolio.

A modo de insostenible contrapunto, hemos incluido una presentación del programa TEJA en este CARAVANA. TEJA es una iniciativa de Planta Alta que, junto con otros espacios de residencias, instituciones, artistas y aliadas, busca dar cobijo y apoyo a artistas en situación de emergencia o afectados por conflictos armados, como la invasión rusa a Ucrania. Incluimos en este número un mapa visual de este ecosistema tejido a muchas manos y que queremos celebrar.

Como obsequio y destello, La Más Bella nos proponen un confeti / sombrero / banderín / canción que recorre entre recortables y desplegables el periodo que separa el 2002 del 2041. Una invitación al gesto manual, performativo y jovial dedicado a hablarenarte y a todas las cosas que mutan.

Concluimos este número con una relatoría visual de Diego del Pozo, invitado a compartir una cena con muchas de las compañeras que han impulsado la asociación a lo largo de estos años. Rememorar, saborear, recordar, convocar juntas historias mínimas del hablarenarte que fue y proyectar el que está por venir.

Puedes descargar tu ejemplar de CARAVANA aquí.

Comisariado editorial: hablarenarte (Carlos Almela y Flavia Introzzi)

Diseño gráfico: Amalia Ruiz-Larrea

Imprenta: Grupo Nuevas Formas Gráficas

Este periódico se realiza con el apoyo de la subvención a espacios independientes de creación contemporánea del Ayuntamiento de Madrid en la convocatoria 2022-2023.

[ireallydontknowdudee]

Oblivious | C.S.

Pairing: Carlos Sainz x Reader

Summary: you have been the protégé of Carlos Sainz Sr. for a couple of years and he brings his son, Carlos Jr, to your race, much to your surprise, but delight.

WARNINGS: mention of alcohol and intoxication

Requested: yes!

Words: 2,809

A/N: hey guys! I am back and ready to drop some fics, because I have all the time in the world now, because I am sick atm. I really enjoyed writing this request, so keep them coming (MY REQUESTS ARE OPEN)and honestly I would be down for a Pt. 2? :O Let me know if you would want to read that. Anyways: ENJOY!!

My masterlist!

Not my GIF!

You were covered in sweat as you stepped out of your car. In a matter of seconds, you took of your helmet, which left red, hot imprints on your checks as you had been wearing it for hours. The back of your hand swiftly collected the droplets of sweat that were escaping from your hairline. Without the tight pressure of the plastic item on your ears, you could hear the chants of the spectators clearly, some of them were screaming your name and ecstatically jumping up and down. Undoubtably your fans were as excited about your first podium in the World Rally Championship as you were, especially because it was your home race. Fans at home were the most loyal and passionate after all. A wide smile was plastering your face and you lifted your hand to wave at the people on the grandstand in front of you.

After you had hugged and congratulated the winner of the race and the runner-up, who beat you by a couple tenths, you made your way towards the podium with them. Your heart filled with pride as you were handed your trophy. Any attempt to keep your cool failed miserably and you let out a scream to vocalize the elation you felt over your triumph, which was met with amused laughter by the two more experienced drivers next to you. They had been in your position not too many years ago and had felt the same emotions you were feeling, so there was no judgement. You knew that from now on you would yearn to be on the podium again, just to feel the buzz once more, the buzz that made you feel like you were intoxicated.

The ceremony was already over before you had started to really take it in. With your trophy in hand, you made your way through the small crowd that was celebrating in front of the podium. Soon you were pulled into a group hug by your parents. Your father was crying, which made you giggle because your dad wasn't usually an emotional type of guy. As you pulled away you noticed two familiar faces next to you. It was Carlos Sainz Sr. and his son Carlos Jr.

Immediately you pulled Carlos Sr. into a hug. You had known the famous racing driver and two times world champion since your days in the Spanish Rally Championship. He had introduced himself to you after one of the races, because he had noticed your natural talent. The Spaniard had thought that with the right support and training, you could one day become Spanish champion and enter international competitions, so he had decided to take you under his wing. And of course, he had been right.

“That was amazing! You have really outdone yourself and I couldn´t be prouder of your performance today,” Carlos Sr. said as he was pulling away.

“Thank you. You know I couldn´t have done it without you. That trick with the clutch you have shown me really helped in the steeper sections of the track,” you answered sincerely.

“Ahhh, I knew it would be useful. It is a complete game changer on this track, right? Took me a while to figure it out though,” he laughed.

“Yeah, I don´t think I would´ve thought of that. So, thank you very much for the advice,” you then turned to the younger Carlos “and thank you for coming. It´s good to see you.”

You haven´t seen the Spanish Formula 1 pilot in a couple of weeks as you were both busy with your respective careers in racing. To be honest, you were surprised that he came to the rally race for several reasons. Carlos Jr. had never been to a race of yours before, you only ever saw him at the Sainz residence in Madrid. The second reason was that although you had had pleasant conversations with him in the past, you had never grown too close. At least not close enough that you would call the son of your mentor your friend. Still, you were more than just happy that he came to see you on the track and a warm feeling spread in your stomach and hands.

“Of course, no problem. Papá said I shouldn´t miss this one,” Carlos Jr. responded with a slight smile. You couldn´t help but think about how handsome he looked and how he truly was a sight for sore eyes. “Damn that stupid smile...” you thought to yourself.

“I could just feel that this would be a special day,” the elder Carlos spoke. He paused for a second and then continued: “How about we go celebrate? You and your parents come back to ours and have dinner with us? Moments like this have to have a little afterparty.”

You and your parents obviously agreed and gratefully accepted the kind invitation. The car ride to the Sainz house from the track was barely 30 minutes and before you knew it you pulled in in front of it. You parked right next to your parents’ car, who left a couple minutes before you, just like the Sainzes, because you had wanted to get changed and freshen up a little bit, before sitting down for dinner.

There was a delicious scent in the air when you entered the house. “The food must be almost finished,” you thought to yourself.

With quick steps you walked towards the kitchen to see Reyes, the mother of Carlos Jr., standing next to the oven with a glass of wine. Your parents were on the other side of the counter with wine glasses placed in front of them. The three of them were in a deep conversation, when Reyes looked up for a split second. She immediately spotted you and exclaimed: “There is our winner! Come here!”

She embraced you and gave you a little kiss on your cheek, which was sweet and familiar as she had become a second mother to you over the years. There were a lot of fond memories of you spending time and bonding with her. Reyes was the shoulder you would often cry on when you had a rough day on the track or when you were heartbroken over a boy. It wasn´t like you didn´t confide in your own mother as well, but Reyes had thin skin as you called it. Even when you tried your best to hide your pain from the people around you, she knew something was not right and would give you comfort and advice right then and there. So, she was part of the amazing support system that consisted of your parents, her and her husband.

“Do you want some wine? This red one is delicious,” she said and pointed towards the bottle of Vinos de Pago on the kitchen counter. You gladly accepted. After catching up with her for a couple of minutes, you heard Carlos Sr. shout for you from the dining room. You took your glass and went to see what he needed.

“Could you help Carlos set the table? He is always so slow when he does it himself and I figured you two have not seen each other in a while, it might be a good opportunity to talk” he pointed towards Carlos Jr. who just put a tablecloth on the big wooden table.

Carlos and you looked at each other confused. “But papá we have more than enough time to talk during dinner… and I am not slow at-“the son started.

He was interrupted by his father:” Doesn´t matter. If you do it together, you will be faster for sure. In the meantime, I am going to help Reyes in the kitchen.”

Carlos Sr. left the room hastily. The rally driver´s behavior was weird to you. The way he looked at you and Carlos, like he was hiding something or nervous was extremely odd. Or how, for whatever reason, he really wanted you to help his son, who was seemingly fine by himself, set the table. Or the way he just stormed off. He had left you and Carlos Jr. alone a lot the past couple of times Carlos Jr came over to see his parents and you happened to be in their residence, so you decided to just shrug it off and not question it any further. You thought that it was probably just a coincidence without a deeper meaning behind it.

“Can you please grab some napkins from the drawer over there? Preferably some white ones if there are any left,” Carlos Jr. said. You nodded, grabbed some and proceeded to help him with the given task.

“So how have you been? Excited for your first race of the season?” you asked the Spaniard on the other side of the table from you as you were folding the napkins.

“Pretty good and of course! I can´t wait to be back on track. Just doing sim races is slowly starting to bore me, if I am being completely honest. And I want to see results from the grewsome workouts I have been doing all day for the past three months,” he said with a chuckle while he put some plates on the table.

“Yeah, I get what you mean, off season is relaxing and stressful at the same time,” you replied.

“Exactly. Did you get to enjoy your off season a little bit with Jaime? You guys usually go on vacation for a week or two during your time off, right?” Carlos inquired innocently.

You looked up to face him when you heard him mention Jaime. Jaime and you had been high school sweethearts, but you had broken up three months earlier after countless desperate attempts to salvage a broken relationship. There had been no cheating or toxicity really, just two former lovebirds that have developed different ideas and ideals over the course of their relationship. You knew Carlos was never particularly fond of Jaime, but neither you nor the Formula 1 driver were sure why that was the case.

Carlos was looking right back at you, making eye contact. He was clearly expecting an answer on the simple question that still felt slightly peculiar to you, because of his dislike of Jaime.

Without waiting any longer, you answered:” We have actually broken up a while ago… things just haven´t been right anymore between us. So, I spent my holidays with my parents and some friends in Barcelona this year.”

“Oh, I didn´t know, I-I didn´t mean to make things… uhm… uncomfortable,” the young man replied quickly.

“Don´t worry Carlos, it´s okay. There is no drama between me and him. But why do you ask? I thought you hate him or something?”

“I don´t hate him, but I knew you deserved better than him. You need a man who makes your heart race and makes everything you do together special, even if it´s just small things. And Jaime just wasn´t very original, especially when it came to planning vacations or dates,” Carlos admitted.

You just laughed quietly, feeling flattered by his words, and somewhat agreed without saying a word. You didn´t want to talk about your ex any longer, so you just concentrated on finishing the dinner preparations and changed the topic to Carlos’ and your favorite musical artist, which was one of the things you had learned the two of you had in common the last time you two had been left to entertain yourselves by the older Sainz.

The dinner was marvelous, and you spent hours laughing, chatting and eating delicious food with some of your favorite people in the world. As the evening progressed you found yourself entangled in deeper and deeper conversations with the Formula 1 driver next to you. You were slightly tipsy from the red wine, so there was nothing you were too awkward to talk about with the Spaniard and you kept giggling about the most ridiculous stories he was sharing with you. Carlos was just as tipsy as you and actively tried to impress you, so your adorable giggles were like music to his ears. This didn´t go unnoticed by his father who just smiled knowingly.

“You want to go outside and sit by the pool? Leave the parents to themselves?” a very confident Carlos said to you. You nodded and both of you got up, excusing yourselves. With slightly wobbly steps from the alcohol, you followed him to the pool, and you sat down carefully on the edge of it with him. The sky above you was filled with bright stars, which were reflected beautifully by the water of the pool. All you could do was to look up and take in the mesmerizing view. That was the reason you didn´t even notice that Carlos couldn´t keep his eyes off your moonlit face. The alcohol in his system made him realize things his fully sober self was too scared to: how beautiful you truly were and how he truly felt about you. They don´t call alcohol truth serum for nothing after all. Something just clicked in the Spaniard´s head and in that very moment he knew that the reason why he disliked Jaime so much was that he wanted to be with you instead. He wanted to give you his everything and treat you the way you deserved to be treated.

Carlos spent what felt like an eternity to him staring at you, before you finally noticed his gaze on you.

“What?” you giggled.

“Do you know how absolutely beautiful you are?” he said truthfully.

You blushed like crazy and looked down on your legs that were hanging off the edge of the pool. Carlos put his hand gently on your skin and made you face him, because he knew deep down that if he doesn´t act on the burning feeling inside of him now, somebody else would sooner or later. He took a couple of seconds to gather all the confidence the slightly inebriated state he was in gave him to express what he really wanted to say.

“I mean it, mi amor. And I was a fool, because I did not tell you for so long,” he merely whispered while he was looking into your intense eyes, before his look fell onto your lips. His thumb slowly brushed over your bottom lip.

“May I kiss you?” he continued. You nodded slowly and soon the gap between your and his lips was closed. Your hands wrapped around his strong neck to pull him closer to you and you felt butterflies in your stomach, who had been waiting forever for you to finally cave in and act on your hidden feelings for Carlos, which had been suppressed for way too long.

The kiss deepened a little bit but remained sweet and innocent. You couldn´t help but smile into the kiss. Nobody has ever kissed you so gently and with so much adoration in it. After minutes of kissing each other, you pulled away for air.

“Wow, that was…” you started.

“… amazing,” Carlos finished. He pecked your nose and said” I should´ve done this a while ago.”

“Yes, you definitely should have,” you laughed and pulled him in for another, deeper kiss. Without hesitation he kissed you back and carefully pulled you onto his lap as your fingers were playing with the hair in the back of his neck. He let out a small moan, but he pulled away before things could get more heated.

“As much as I would like to continue, we should maybe head back inside before our parents catch us out here,” he spoke and gave you a warm smile. You sighed, but you knew he was right. Carlos added:” Don´t worry, mi amor, there is a lot more where this comes from, and I have a couple of weeks before I have to get back on the road.” He then winked at you.

Both of you got up and he grabbed your hand to guide you back to the house through the dark, the feeling of his hand on yours giving you goosebumps.

You let go of his hand before you entered the house, so you wouldn´t give away what just happened outside. Of course, there was nothing that could slide past Reyes though. She tugged on her husband´s sleeve to gain his attention and said:” Well, I think your plan worked.”

Carlos furrowed his brows and questioned:” What plan papá?”

“My plan to set you guys up, because my son is seemingly too oblivious to realize that the girl, he has feelings for is also into him. I couldn´t stand being a bystander anymore, so I just helped a little bit... by making you spend some quality time together,” he answered nonchalantly.

Needless to say, you blushed again, but this time the color of Carlos´ cheeks matched the one creeping up on yours.

[shirtlesssammy]

The Winchesters 1x07: Reflections

“Comes a time in every hunt when the fightin’ starts. And the difference between winning and losing isn’t whether you have the holy water, the wooden stake, or the silver bullet. It’s whether you’ve got the grit to get the job done.” 

We open with John and Mary surrounding a radio station tower. The radio tower has been a beacon for all the unicorn monsters who come to Lawrence and then the Akrida feed on their essence. 

They head inside to find the place in shambles. Mary finds her dad’s pack, with blood all over it. 

Meanwhile, at the Bunkerhouse, Carlos and Lata are lamenting the uselessness of the Akrida catching box. They’ve tried everything to make it work again. Ada shows up with a box full of papers from other bunkers. Carlos wonders what happened to all the Men of Letters. <Insert bird ??? gif> He suggests retirement —um, yeah, let’s go with that. 

Mary and John find a dude possessed by an Akrida. He passes along the message that their job at the radio station is done. They’ve acquired all the monster essence they need for their queen. Nothing can stop them now. “We’ve got a box that says different.” YES! A BOX! John coming in with the big guns!! WHOOT! 

Rockin’ Roxy is busy browbeating her nerdy scientist Akrida minion. The dig has begun! Get with it genius dude! (Sidenote: Words that Boris frowns at that have been said in this episode include essence and juicy.) An Akrida monster pops in with an update!

Back at the clubhut, Lata discovers the name of the box. The Ostium! The notes on the box are in code –AND written by Henry Winchester!! If they can translate it, maybe they can figure out the secrets of the box! 

Carlos tries to give Mary a pep talk over her missing/possibly bloody father. He tells her about his own parents. How he wanted a guitar and they went to get it for him, only for them to be killed by ghouls. He got revenge and lives with the guilt.

He helps Mary understand that it’s not her fault for Samuel’s disappearance. 

John brings Millie in on the translation party. 

Carlos and Mary are pulled over by Officer Mustache wearing lovely sunglasses, and Roxy. She needs a word with Mary. She wants the Ostium. She’s willing to trade Samuel for it. Carlos thought ahead and put a hex bag in the cruiser. If they can track Roxy, maybe they can get the jump on her! They rush back to the others and ask Ada to track the hex bag. 

Ada starts on her work in the conservatory. Millie walks in, surprised at everything in the building. They drink and talk about Henry. And generational trauma. “Seeing John here, it’s like history repeating.” 

Lata explains to the others that the Ostium transports monsters –to parts unknown. The Akrida are hive-like monsters that take over worlds. The Akrida are all connected to their queen. Use the Ostium on the queen=kill all the Akrida. Win! Carlos gets morose realizing that if they save Samuel Campbell, the Scooby gang will break up. 

Ada’s spell is working so the gang rush over to watch the magic.

The Akrida are hanging out where Mary was stung. WHY? 

Down in old tiled and bricked over tunnels, Akrida-possessed people dig. And they dig - without care for the bodies of their hosts. (I rock back and forth chanting, “the broken nails are not real the broken nails are not real”)

In the clubhouse, the Scooby gang spin out attack plans while Millie goes over Henry’s notes. Millie tells them about a ritual she discovered - a seance. She proposes raising Henry’s specter and having him translate his notes himself. (As someone with dreadful handwriting, I look forward to having my ghost be summarily raised for future researchers!) We also try to remember just when John had given up on finding his dad alive, but it doesn’t matter, because the gang is all in on this plan. Carlos proposes that they use Millie’s wedding ring as a fulcrum to the spell, but she sold it to fund equipment for the shop. (That’s my girl!) Instead, they choose an emotional keepsake from John. 

Once more down in the pits, one of the Akrida hosts takes a sledgehammer to one of the walls. Breaking it down, they discover an ancient-looking door. 

John gets his old music box from his closet, and fills everyone in on the sad backstory of it. He played it at night as a child. After his dad left, he played it for comfort until he got angry one day and broke it. SYMBOLICALLY. Further driving us into a state of frothy unrest, DEAN’S THEME plays over this confession. And the father/son/anger parallels overwhelm me for a moment and I lie down gaping like a fish suddenly laid out on a rock. For just. Imma need a minute.

The gang preps for the seance. But ooooh there’s a catch. John has to share his emotions with his dad “openly and honestly” in order for the spell to work. LOLOLOL good luck. Millie wants to know if anyone else can talk to Henry and I ache for her a little bit. They chant to work the spell and the candles extinguish at the height of their chanting. Carlos proposes that it was just a drafty room and not the magical workings of spirit magic. 

John storms off, his chair crashing to the floor behind him. Mary finds him in the conservatory, where he bitterly stews over his memory of Henry. John reveals some additional insight into his music box FEELINGS. He also played the music box to drown out the sound of his parents arguing. (Specifically, his parents arguing about HIM and his safety.) Mary concludes that he was angry at himself as well - for failing to be ENOUGH. To keep his dad with him. GAH!

Henry appears, a flickering but warm presence. He assures John that what happened was Henry’s fault, not John.

Mary heads off to get Millie, which gives John and Henry an opportunity to display vulnerability without manly man masks. John cuts to the chase: the Akrida are back. They have the ostium but it’s broken. Henry proposes that the ostium is NOT broken, but instead just needs a quick power-up. The energy source that powers the box ensures the location of the portal on the other end of the transporting ostium. They need to power it up Akrida-style, in order to zap the Akrida back to their world. John has a piece of the Akrida energy source - it’s hidden in the jasmine vine growing along the side of the garage. 

Henry and John spare a moment to talk about John’s larger arc, and Henry warns John that he’s stepped into a dangerous world. “Watch out for yourself, and your mom,” he instructs. And OOOOOOH that’s gonna sting when John fails to save Millie sometime in the future. (I’m sorry, but we’re all thinking it???) 

Millie arrives in time for the flickering Henry to tell her that he loves her - both of them, in fact. He fades away. 

Later, the Scooby Gang passes a rock around - the Akrida energy source. Mary sets it on the box and it glows, opens, and swallows up the rock. BOOM. They head out to the tunnels to track Roxy. If they trap her in the box, the whole colony will collapse. Ada warns that the box won’t be able to swallow up every Akrida. Eventually it will lose power. 

John and Mary head inside, and Akrida-possessed humans step out to block their way. While Mary and John prepare to fight, Mary reminds John that they “have to use demon possession rules” - so, like, be super careful not to kill the hosts. I laugh and laugh and then cry a little too, my fists clenched in voiceless agony. We get a great action fight scene in the hallway, the camera traveling, agile. I enjoy the style! (Good work, Speight)

Elsewhere, Carlos and Lata find the lab from before. They locate the monster essences, but there’s someone at the door before they can do more than run and hide. The Akrida woman who discovered the doors in the tunnel arrives to remove the monster serum and transport it to places unknown. 

Millie and Ada stake out the scene when the cop from before knocks on the window. He orders them to get out of the car and Millie whacks him with a bat in reply. 

John and Mary, meanwhile, encounter Roxy. Mary whips out the box. The ostium sucks in Roxy and one of the Akrida, leaving a third behind to growl angrily. Wherps. Not the queen, then.

Mary and John flee, ending up in a room with no way out. They banter, riffing off of episode one dialogue to reflect on their first monster excursion. Remember all the way back then? Man, they were kids then, amirite? John makes his move and they kiss passionately, to swelling music. The Akrida break down the doors. It’s looking bad for our heroes, when an ostium-like light spills out and the monsters all get sucked inside. It’s…SAMUEL to the rescue! I am seriously just happy enough for Mary that I forget how much I dislike Samuel post-resurrection.

Emotional reunions have to wait, however. The Akrida pulls up to the entrance of the tunnels at their dig site. They gather around the doors and open them up. The Akrida woman with the vials of monster essence heads inside, her eyes full of wonder. She promises to make the Akrida QUEEN strong again.

__

Don’t You Quote About Me:

Didn’t any of you guys ever go to Sunday school?

I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong

“How insane are we talking?” “Certifiable with a side of sassy”

Plants break the earth to reach for the sun

Guess I shouldn’t be surprised he didn’t show up. He didn’t come to my baseball games either

__

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[ngray192]

I know I haven't talked about HSMTMTS lately, but since the season ended today, I decided to share my thoughts as i watched it. Enjoy my sporadic thoughts.

⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️

We love big red! He is using the most of his screentime omg

Jet being jealous

Yeah, this summer was short af cause it was like 2 weeks

The only acceptable way for this love polygon thing to end is for Ricky to have been in love with EJ the whole time

It is opening night and he still hasn't read the whole thing?

Awww miss Jenn is back giving advice as always!

Omg Emmy has such an amazing voice!

Wish we had a couple more HSM songs instead of Camp Rock

Love the black and white outfits.

Ofc this bitch is back😒 (Channing)

I think my favorite thing is that now people can call EJ Elton when they're mad

Loving the wildcat reunion

Oh shit is Nini moving?

We've already had this storyline

Poor kourtney

We love Carlos as Olaf, but after last season I really feel like Big Red would crush that role (also Carlos deserved Hans)

That was such a redlyn scene I can't explain it

We love being open about mental health

Oh shit they were not thinking the same thing

That scene was adorable

YESS KOURTNEY YESSSSSS

Bro I'm so excited for her costume change

OMG THEYRE GONNA PULL A NINI EP1

YESSSSSSSSSS

Why did so many people bring travel flashlights to a musical

Fuck yeah Gina!

Don't you dare get her starter, Channing

This Let it Go scene is so cool omg

Love nini rn

Born to Be Brave!!!

The scene of EJ on the phone had me emotional

I really do hope Nini is happy in California

So crazy that the woman singing Born to be Brave sounds a lot like Dara Renee

HE REMEMBERS HER?!

WOOOHOO CORBIN BLEU

The multiple people who don't go to East high when theyre chanting: 👀

Is Corbin gonna be part of the Miss Jenn centered love polygon?

Carlos and Kourtney carried this damn season

That ending campfire scene was cute, but like nothing was resolved

CARLOS' DRESS AND HAIR?!

ALL THE HAIR AND OUTFITS

Oh damn he really exposed Maddox

Big Red coming out?! That was so random omg but I love it

"Good for him"

[captainnameless]

I am still needing some Carlos and Daniel comfort after that race.

Max being the absolute best boy, just soft and sleepy and clinging to Daniel, full of kisses from both he and Leo, reminders of "I love you daddy." Little Max doesn't even have to bring the fake tears out this time to convince Daniel that some comforting pizza sounds much better than whatever concoction of healthy foods their trainers had put together. Daniel, who just needs a reminder of how loved and needed he is, wrapping the sweet little up and holding him all night. There's some happiness among it all - how proud Daniel is to see Max winning, even if he can't be up on the podium with him.

Lando convincing Carlos to go for ice cream - because well, he needs it just as much as Lando does right now. Trying to be on his best behavior. Unexpectedly attacking Carlos with the biggest bear hugs. (Little Lando, back at the hotel, desperately searching through his suitcase before holding out bundle of red fabric - a Ferrari hoodie that he has stolen from Carlos months prior - with the admission of "Makes me feel better when I'm sad. Maybe you should wear it." Carlos' heart melts. Lando keeps the hoodie).

(This is a hot mess of thoughts but my boys are struggling and I needed some fluffy comfort. - 👻)

no because i’ve been in a constant state of despair ever since i saw the ‘we can say hi and we can say bye’ interview but this asks reminds me of that one interview that Daniel did where he says [about Max] “if it can’t be me, i’m happy that it’s him.” 🥹🔫

Max is plucking at the tiny cowboyhat that’s partly hanging off of Leo’s face, something they saw at a souvenir shop after they went out in Texas for some BBQ with Lando and Max had begged Daniel to buy it for him. He didn’t need much convincing.

The rest of the night was spent with Max parading Leo around chanting some made up ‘just like Daddy’-song.

Daniel suggesting to take the hat off when it was time for bed (cause it wasn’t the most cuddly) was protested with a “Leo wants to be just like Daddy in his dreams too.” Followed by a scowl so prominent Daniel hastily avoided a tantrum by agreeing and some more yeehaw’ing before bed.

The hat’s no fun anymore, Max decides as he flings it off with as much force as he can muster. Austin was supposed to be Daniel’s race, and the look on his face still makes his stomach knot. A glance at the clock tells him Daniel should be at the room any minute, having texted him before to ask how long. Max is on the verge of a drop, fuzziness clouding the edges of his vision, trying to suppress a yawn while he swings his bare feet on the egde of the bed. He’s already showered, even brushed his teeth, determined to be there for Daniel tonight, be a good boy. Be a big boy.

It goes out the window as soon as Daniel steps into the room, Max off the bed and attached to Daniel faster than his racestart.

The tension is Daniel’s shoulder is tight when he wraps his arms around his boy, burying his face into the still damp hair and breathes in the musky smell of Max’s shampoo. “Hi buddy.”

“Hi.” Max replies, burying deeper into Daniel when the elder tries to loosen the embrace.

Daniel’s not one to turn down a cuddle, especially now when he actually wants nothing more than to hold the youngster, his presence actively reducing the ache deep inside him but all Max’s nice smells suddenly have him very aware of the fact that he hasn’t showered yet.

“I’mma shower quick, okay?”

The grip gets even tighter and Max forces his face out of Daniel’s chest, brows furrowed together as tired and glazed over eyes catch his. “No.”

The look tugs on Daniel’s heart in all the right places and he can’t help but bring a hand up to brush through Max’s hair, a soft smile on his face.

“Muffin, Daddy stinks. We can-.”

“No!” It’s so sudden it startles Daniel a bit and the tears that follow Max’s outburst possibly startle him even more. “Wha-.”

“Not Daddy.” Max cries, violently rubbing one of his fist into his eye to try and stop the tears. “I take care of you.”

And oh. Well. “Oh darling.” Daniel sighs, wrapping Max up in another embrace with a deep sigh. “You take care of me, all the time. You care for me by allowing me to take care of you.”

The tears lessen, at least they seem to with how Max’s shoulders stop shaking and it takes a bit for Max to emerge from his chest again. “Wanna ‘care you.” It’s a bit wobbly and maybe Daniel wants to cry too.

He allows another smile and a gentle kiss to Max’s forehead. “Alright. How you wanna care for me?”

It’s silent for a beat before “Cuddles.”

Daniel nods. “Alright.” He repeats. “Can I please shower before? I don’t wanna stink you up.” He flicks Max’s nose when he’s done speaking, the younger squirming out of his grip with a grumbled. “Fine.”

When he’s done Max guides him to bed, tucking Daniel in to the best of his abilities before he gets handed a hat-less Leo.

“What happened to his hat?”

“I don’t like it anymore.” Max grumbles, climbing into bed next to Daniel with a half mumbled explanation about how Texas had not been nice to his favorite person. Daniel doesn’t comment on it further, cuddles the plush close before Max joins in, tucked alongside him after the lights get turned off.

Max is drawing little heart shapes onto his chest that allow the rest of the ache to leave his body, a warm fuzzy feeling settling where there was a pit before. A yawn leaves Max’s body before he speaks. “Lewis was quick today.”

“Hmm.” Daniel hums, a little absentmindedly.

“I pretended it was you.”

- - -

Lando arrives at the hotel after Carlos has, take-away in one hand and two McFlurrys in the other. He gets an unimpressed look from Carlos who’s ever so aware this wasn’t on their menu tonight but Lando isn’t having it.

“When you’re sad,” he starts, dropping the food onto the small table before sitting down next to Carlos, kicking off his shoes before invading the elder’s personal space. “You need food to make your tummy happy so you’re happy.”

His hands have gone to Carlos’ face, squeezing his cheeks a little while he gives Carlos the most serious look he can muster. “It’s true.”

Carlos can’t suppress the smile that takes over his features as he takes in his boy, poking at Lando’s sides to get him to release his face. “I suppose you’re right, cariño.”

There’s a squeak at the poking before the famous “I’m always right.” quip as Lando rolls off the couch again to lay out the food while one of the McFlurrys gets shoved in his face.

“This first, cause it’ll melt.”

Carlos is about to comment on it before Lando’s scurried off with an “Oh!”, racing towards where their suitcases are upended in a way that makes Carlos cringe when there’s some sort of victory sound before Lando’s hurrying back, red hoodie in hand.

“Here.” He says, holding it out for Carlos to take.

There’s a bigger smile on Carlos’ face now, leaning back into the couch to look up at Lando. “Why?”

“Cause-, cause it always makes me feel better.”

Carlos’ heart grows a size before replying. “But I have you to make me feel better, no?”

And well, that’s true, Lando supposes. He’s the bestest cuddler anyway. So the hoodie is dumped onto the armrest before the smaller brunette cuddles into Carlos’ side while they eat their ice cream and forget about the race.