#Dutch Round 2024

[42bakery]

Guys I'm just going to ask you to stay safe. Don't do stupid things. Remember that a race can't be win in one turn, but can be lost

[42bakery]

You cursed him. Can you do it again tomorrow?

Baustista.... we are NOT having the Spanish anthem this weekend, thank you and goodbye

[eirianerisdar]

Are Charlos even real

[uniqueartisanconnoisseur]

Yesterday’s Memories, the Van Haag Truck Museum

During the 2024 Red Power Round Up in Spencer, Iowa this summer, they offered a few tours, one of the ones that my husband Keith and I jumped to join was the Yesterday’s Memories truck museum in Sanborn, Iowa. This museum is the story of John C. Vander Haag Jr. their business, their collection, and his amazing success that led to this huge truck museum. South Side Junkyard From 1939 until 1955…

[singstaircase]

Come What May - LH, Social Media AU

Summary: Their relationship has always been an interesting one. Fifteen years together, break up before one of their lives' most significant events, gold medal, a ring– and the rest is, as they say, history.

okay so bear with me on this. In this universe, Motorsports is an Olympic sport and we can figure out how it would work later but for now– 1) road race is your normal race, 2) there's going to be an event called Time Trial, similar to cycling and 3) Team Pursuit is a team event.

This is my first time doing something like this, I hope you enjoy!

Shock Split?! British MotorSporting Power Couple Call It Quits After 15 Years Ahead of Olympics Showdown

In an unexpected twist that has left fans and insiders confused, Britain's beloved sporting duo, Lewis Hamilton and [Name], have reportedly ended their 15-year relationship just months before they are set to compete together in the upcoming Olympics.

The couple, known for their remarkable chemistry both on and off the field, have been a fixture in the British sports scene.

Sources close to the pair reveal that the split has been brewing for some time...(read more)

Press Conference [Update] Silverstone, 16 June

Due to unforseen circumstances, Lewis Hamilton and [Name] will do separate interviews at 19:20.

(Name)_GB

Liked by teamgb, georgerussell63 and 966,419 others

(Name_GB) First time in the Olympics!!! Hoping to make everyone proud.

View all comments

pattyVAX no mention of Lewis. It's so over.

sunsetseb65 Not even a single pic either, they usually have pictures together in every situation.

f1gossip

Liked by gridgossip and 11,892 others

f1gossip First 'public appearance' of (Name) and Lewis Hamilton outside of their work since the alleged break up at the first round match of Rafael Nadal.

Notably, both came separately and sat away from each other 👀.

View all comments

A exclusive clip from Paris 2024 Podcast 02.08.2024– Hosted by Cristina Lindemann

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

CL: So, we have to talk about the elephant in the room if you will.

N: The break up? (Laughs)

CL: Only if want to though!

N: No, don't worry about. (Clears throat) Yes, it's true, we ended our relationship at the beginning of June.

We thought about a lot of things– our future, career and thought this was the best decision for now.

We ended on a good note so please don't go harass Lewis. But, um that's what happened. Maybe it'll change in the future, who knows. (Laughs)

gridgossip

Liked by f1gossip and 2,741 others

gridgossip [Name] ditches ex-boyfriend and teammate to watch fellow brits Louise Brown and Oliver Bearman. Looking very happy while doing so.

View all comments

HollandTRasH Did you expect them to look angry or sad while watching her compatriots?

Kimipublicist Oh it's so over. It's never been more over.

bellaISdead are they even gonna do the final together or?

British Duo to Withdrawal Because of Relationship Drama?

....Our sources informed that they former couple, along with their team and TeamGB representatives held a 'crisis meeting' last night to discuss about the Team Pursuit Final and possible withdrawal from the event. (read more)

WATCH: (Name) confirms participation in the final amid withdrawal fear

British driver (Name) confirms plan to participate in Team Pursuit Final of the very first edition of Motorsports in Summer Olympic games.

They refused to comment on the alleged crisis meeting and the hand-shaking incident.

Olympic TV 2 hours ago

Team Pursuit Final | MotorSport (Open-wheel Track) | Olympic Games Paris 2024

(Name)’s hand doesn't leave Lewis’. It remains locked together, even at the podium as they wait for their medals.

They swing their hands together in excitement as the Dutch team receives their medals. Lewis can't help but smile at this, a glimmer of what they used to have still visible in his eyes.

“Ready?” Lewis asks as the announcer starts to announce them in French. (Name) turns to him and nods.

“–Great Britain!” (Name) and Lewis jump onto the podium together as the sounds of the excitement of the crowd fills the track.

Their locked hands remain a constant, even as they're waving at the excited crowd.

For the photo, Lewis, ever the showman, lifts (Name) into his arms. She lets out a surprised laugh, wrapping her arms around his neck for support.

Cameras flash, capturing the moment and for a fleeting instant, it feels like nothing changed.

The national anthem begins to play. As the familiar words fill the air, (Name) feels a lump form in her throat. The culmination of years of hard work and sacrifice, hit her all at once. Tears well up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Lewis notices immediately. He gently takes her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. He leans in close. "Hey, it's okay,” he says, his voice soft and warm, “We did it. We made it."

(Name) nods, biting her lip to keep from crying.

The anthem continues, and she found herself leaning into Lewis' comforting presence. Despite everything, they are still here for each other, just as they always been. And that's enough for now.

As the final notes of the anthem fade away, the camera moves from the flags to where (Name) and Lewis are standing; holding hands and basking in the glow of their victory.

🏎️ nighttimeday Follow

(Name) and Hamilton Win Olympic🥇

About their relationship

(Name): “That’s our personal lives you don’t need to know that”

Hamilton: “So this is top secret. Top secret.”

(Name): “We like it when you are confused!”

Hamilton: “Exactly. That’s how we feel powerful.”

🎥: IOC

#yeah they are definitely back together #paris olympics 2024 #motorsports

(5,198 notes)

(Name_GB)

Liked by lewishamilton, georgerussell63 and 2,971,123 others

(Name_GB) Thank you for this and more, partner 💕

View all 10,788 comments

lewishamilton ❤️

usergayce yep, they are back together

pattyVAX WE ARE SO BACK

f1gossip • 2 hours ago

lewishamilton & (Name_GB) • 15 minutes ago

This was inspired by Katerina Siniakova and Tomas Machac and whatever the hell happened between them.

[kathlare]

surprise, baby

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Amelie surprises Lando in Monaco after his victory at the Dutch Grand Prix. With a playful and romantic energy, she sneaks into his apartment, catching him off guard while he's deep in a gaming session. The chemistry between them ignites as they share a flirty and intimate evening, leaving behind the teasing banter they've shared over the phone.

Wordcount: 1.1 k

Warnings: fluff, smau

request over here!

August 27th, 2024 - Monte-Carlo, Monaco

liked by f1gossip, lnnation, and others

wagsf1gossip: Spotted: Amelie Dayman touching down in Monaco this afternoon! 👀✈️💋 Is she here to support her man after his big win, or is she just living her best life? 💅🏽✨ Either way, we’re loving the energy. Monaco better be ready for some major WAG vibes. 😏👑

View all 456 comments

f1gossiper101: So, she’s finally made it to Monaco after the win?

f1lover4life: Amelie in Monaco, Lando winning? Someone pinch me, I’m living for these vibes 🏆 → f1superfan123: @f1lover4life Facts! Honestly, Monaco just got a whole lot hotter! 🔥

maxismyking: Amelie in Monaco? Looks like Lando’s weekend just got 1000x better 😩🔥

f1_boy93: If Amelie’s coming to Monaco, does that mean Lando’s staying on top of his game?? 👀 → f1fanatic01: @f1_boy93 Honestly, dude’s been winning and he’s winning. Don’t think Amelie’s the distraction. 😏

landonorrisfan4life: She’s out there living the dream while we’re stuck at home 🥴💔

f1gossip: I mean, we all know who’s really winning here… someone’s gonna be VERY happy

f1truthhurts: Imagine being so famous you have to flaunt it in Monaco after your boyfriend’s win. 🤭

f1racefanatic: Lowkey tired of seeing Amelie everywhere 💀 like can’t she take a break? → f1lover45: @f1racefanatic Honey, she’s living her best life, take notes. 👑👀

fanlovers22: Lando’s about to be the happiest guy in Monaco 😏

lilypad14: Amelie landing in Monaco right after his win? Uh, yeah, we know what’s going down 💅🏽 → f1lover247: @lilypad14 Girl, you know it’s about to be a celebration 😏🎉

f1fanatic25: Can she not? Does she ever give Lando space? 😬

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

The night was quiet around the Monaco apartment as Lando relaxed in his studio, with nothing but the sound of Max’s banter and the steady click of his controller to break the silence. He’d just returned from the madness of the Dutch Grand Prix, and though he was still on a high from his victory, part of him longed for some peace and the comfort of familiar faces, even if it was through a Twitch stream.

But unbeknownst to him, his world was about to get flipped upside down in the best way possible.

As he readied himself for another round, the front door of the apartment creaked open quietly. Amelie had been planning this surprise for weeks—she knew exactly when Lando would be off his post-race high, and she’d managed to get her hands on the keys to his place in Monaco. She didn’t want to waste any time, not after all the teasing, flirty messages they’d exchanged over FaceTime after the Dutch GP. She’d been waiting for the right moment to see him in person.

With a soft grin, Amelie tiptoed inside, her heart racing with excitement. She’d kept the plan a secret, and now it was time to make her grand entrance. She walked down the hallway and into the studio, her eyes immediately locking onto Lando, his face lit up by the glow of the screen. He was fully absorbed in the game, completely unaware of her presence. Max’s voice echoed from the speakers, his banter about the race keeping Lando entertained, but that wasn’t the only thing that kept his focus.

Amelie couldn’t help but smirk as she approached him from behind. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, her hands sliding across his chest, pulling him into a tight hug. Lando froze for a moment, his controller falling from his hands, and he stiffened—then he slowly turned his head, his mouth falling open in surprise.

—Amelie?— he said, his voice filled with disbelief, followed by a laugh. —What the hell are you doing here?—

Amelie’s lips curled into a mischievous smile as she leaned in, resting her chin on his shoulder. She could feel the tension in his body slowly melt away, replaced with the warmth of her embrace.

—Surprise, baby,— she whispered, her breath hot against his ear. —I couldn’t stay away any longer. You’ve been teasing me with those flirty texts, and I had to see you... in person.—

Lando's eyes went wide, and for a split second, he forgot where he was. His heart raced, a mix of excitement and pure joy washing over him. It wasn’t just the surprise of seeing her— it was the fact that she had come all this way, just to be with him.

—Are you... serious?— he asked, his voice thick with disbelief. —I... I didn’t know you were coming.—

Amelie giggled, her fingers lightly tracing the back of his neck.

—Yeah, well, I like keeping you on your toes. And I know how much you love being surprised—especially when it’s me.

Max’s voice echoed through the speakers, oblivious to what was going on.

—Oi, Lando, you there?— Max called through the headset. —We’re waiting for your trash talk, mate. You’ve been too quiet. You okay?—

Lando, still in shock, gave a quick glance at Amelie before grabbing the headset.

—Yeah, I’m good, just... uhm... getting distracted by some... amazing company, mate. Don’t worry about me, though. You’re good to go.—

Amelie, catching the playful tone in his voice, grinned even wider.

—What’s the matter, Norris?— she teased, her voice dripping with flirtation. —Can’t handle a little distraction?—

—Nah, it’s just... hard to focus when you’ve got the most beautiful woman in the world right in front of you.—

Amelie blushed, but she wasn’t about to let him have the last word.

—Is that so? Well, if you want me to keep distracting you... I can make it more interesting, you know.—

Lando’s eyebrows shot up, the playful banter between them always sparking a fire he couldn’t resist.

—Oh, really?— he said, his voice low and teasing. —You’re gonna make it interesting, huh?—

Amelie laughed softly and playfully pulled away from him, her fingers grazing his shoulder as she walked to the side of the room, casually glancing at the Twitch stream.

—Maybe later, Norris, I’ve got other plans for you. For now, though, I’m just gonna watch you squirm.—

Max, still oblivious, called out again, clearly confused by the sudden change in Lando’s mood.

—Lando, mate, what’s going on? You okay? You’re not acting like yourself.—

Lando couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head as he turned his chair to face Amelie, who was now casually leaning against the desk, arms folded, a devilish grin on her face.

—I’m fine, Max, just... uh... distracted by something way better than your gameplay.—

Max was quiet for a moment before he chuckled.

—Alright, alright, I get it, mate. Don’t let us stop you, then.—

Lando didn’t waste another second, he quickly clicked off the stream.

—Okay, now, where were we?— he said, standing up and walking toward Amelie, a cocky grin on his face.

Amelie’s heart skipped a beat as Lando closed the distance between them. She wasn’t expecting this... but she wasn’t about to back down either.

—What do you think, huh? You’ve got me here. I’m all yours tonight.—

Lando’s eyes darkened with intensity as he stepped closer to her. He placed a hand on her waist, pulling her toward him with a slow, deliberate motion.

—You know I’ve been thinking about you all night. You’ve got me going crazy, Amelie.—

She smiled, tilting her head, enjoying every second of the playful tension building between them.

—Oh, really?— she whispered, her lips brushing against his ear. —Then show me just how crazy I make you.—

Lando’s breath hitched, his hand moving to her neck as he kissed her deeply, losing himself in the sensation of her touch. They’d spent so much time teasing and flirting over the phone, it was finally time to let that tension explode.

Amelie responded eagerly, her hands sliding under his shirt, feeling the heat of his skin beneath her fingertips. She was done with the games, done with the waiting.

As they pulled back for a moment, both of them panting, Lando’s eyes were filled with raw desire.

—Are you sure you want to do this?— he asked, his voice husky with emotion.

Amelie nodded, her hands tugging at his shirt, guiding him toward the bedroom.

—Oh, I’m sure, Lando. I’m more than sure.—

The night passed in a blur of heated moments, the teasing, the laughs, and everything in between. They were finally together, without distance, without barriers—just two people, in love, ready to explore every inch of each other’s world.

[ofmdrecaps]

08/26-27/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Recap Status; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Nathan Foad; Samba Schutte; Ruibo Qian; Vico Ortiz; Bronson Pinchot; Dominic Burgess; GalaxyCon SanJose Full Panel; Articles; Rose City Comic Con OFMD S2: Anniversary; Tell Tale TV Voting Round 2; Astroglide Love; Our Flag Means Trick or Treat; Fan Spotlight: Cast Cards; Never Left Podcast; Love Notes;

== Recap Status ==

Hey Lovelies. I don't have the greatest news... my dad is in the hospital and going into some really dangerous surgery. This means I'll probably be pretty scarce over the next couple days. I'll do my best to keep up with the recaps, they may help me stay distracted depending on how things go... but please bare with me if they don't happen. I hope you all stay safe out there. Take care <3

== David Jenkins ==

David sharing an adorable picture with his new pup, and some very silly interactions with Con.

'Source: David Jenkins Instagram

== Rhys Darby ==

So excited for the episode of Expedition X that features Rhys coming out Aug 28 on Discovery! Here's a sneak peak!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rhys Darby (@rhysiedarby)

Source: Rhys Darby's Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

Taika's reaction to Rita's outfit is adorable.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taika Ora (Fan Page) (@taika_ora)

Source: Instagram (Originally Rita Ora's tiktok)

More shots of the two of them:

Source: SarahReynoldsx356 Instagram via YulYY4 on Twitter

== Ruibo Qian ==

Ruibo shared some interesting work on her instagram. You can see the full collection of images here on tumblr from that post.

Source: Ruibo Qian's Instagram

== Samba Schutte ==

Samba out enjoying some glorious Dutch food and sharing more about his recent works!

Source: Samba Schutte's Instagram

== Nathan Foad ==

More Nathan out and about!

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram Stories

Source: Nathan Foad's Instagram

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico shared some wonderful words and pictures from their PublicAssembly work!

"I’ve had the absolute pleasure to act, write, co-curate and direct for @thepublicassembly since 2018. I’m currently developing a short film and writing a one person show because I have gained the confidence as a story teller through their theatre/workshop program. Every month we develop 3 brand new pieces based on the audiences prompt the month prior and while the process of writing a 12min play can be overwhelming, being held, witnessed, encouraged (and hold, witness and encourage) these wonderful artists has been an amazing experience of championing all of our journeys as story tellers! This coming month we are throwing a fundraiser to get us to the next level. Check out my linktree for tix! It’s gonna be a sexy-awesome-artistically arousing- thought provoking evening of theatre ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 Look forward to seeing you there!"

Source: Vico Ortiz Instagram

== Bronson Pinchot ==

More Ned Low from Bronson!

Source: Bronson Pinchot's Instagram

== Dominic Burgess ==

A pretty cool shot from Dominic!

SourcE: Dominic Burgess Twitter

Congrats Dominic for making it to the next round of the Nicholl Fellowships for his script OUT OF MIND!

Source: Dominic's Twitter

Dominic sharing an adorable video of one of his cats.

== More Galaxy Con San Jose ==

The full panel is finally here!

== Articles ==

Thank you @adoptourcrew for sharing this great article by screenrant! OFMD made #2!

Also, in WBD News, thank you to Ashley AKA Seven_Sugars on twitter for sharing this new CMO news for WBD.

Source: Seven_Sugars Twitter

Source: Global Comment's Twitter

== Rose City Comic Con ==

Are you going to be going to Rose City Comic Con this fall? Well good news, you can submit questions to be asked to the lovely OFMD Panelist that will be there-- here!

Source: RoseCityComic Con's Instagram

== S2 Year Anniversary ==

Some very kind works from @adoptourcrew <3

Source: Adopt Our Crew Instagram

== Tell Tale TV Voting Round 2 ==

Our friends at @adoptourcrew reminding us to vote on Tell Tale TV's battle of the ships 2024! Vote here!

Source: Adopt Our Crew's Instagram Stories

== Some Love for/from Astroglide ==

Source: Astroglide's Twitter

== Our Flag Means Trick or Treat! ==

There's a fabulous Zine I've just heard about -- Our Flag Means Trick Or Treat! It's an OFMD Children's Charity Zine! How cool is that! Interested in participating/learning more? Please check out their socials here: Twitter / Discord

Source: OFMToT's Twitter

== Fan Spotlight ==

= Cast Cards =

Another cast card tonight from our kind friend @melvisik is Elia P. Popov, one of the Special Effects Coordinators!

Source: Melvisik's Twitter

== Never Left Podcast ==

New episode of Never Left Podcast! A continuation of Motifs! Part 4 already, wow!

Source: Never Left Podcast Instagram

== Love Notes ==

Gonna be scarce for a bit lovelies. Just know I'm thinking of you and sending so much good vibes and hugs.

Source: The Latest Kate's Tumblr

Some love notes from our Pirate Queen:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James McCrae (@wordsarevibrations)

Source: WordsAreVibrations Instagram / Ruibo's Instagram Stories

[rhaenella]

CL16 & MV1 | Charm Offensive

pairing: charles leclerc x max verstappen

genre: one shot ✿

summary: max missed charles terribly over summer break and does everything in his power to talk to him

warnings: none (just a healthy dose of awkward mutual pining)

word count: 4,250

masterlist

also posted on ao3

･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･

“I got you something—or, well actually, I got Leo something.” 

Pinched between his thumb and forefinger, Max held up a tiny, round-shaped charm with thin lines running crisscross over its surface. Charles stepped closer, squinting at the shimmering object.

“Is that–”

“A miniature stroopwafel to pimp up Leo’s collar?” Max nodded, dropping the silver accessory in the Monegasque’s palm. “Yes, it is.”

･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･

It was Sunday, August 25th, 2024, and Max Verstappen, three-time Formula 1 World Champion—usually as cool as they come—was nervous. Actually nervous. And not because of today’s home race or the shitty car his team was forcing him to drive this season, or the fact that said team was slowly breaking apart at the seams—no, it was because of his main rival. Charles Leclerc. The Sun of Maranello. Il Predestinato. 

Spa was the last time they’d spoken. A brief and, like most of their interactions, awkward goodbye marking their separation for the long Summer break. Max had known that after they would fly back to Monaco—each on their own—he wasn’t likely to hear a word from Charles until the Dutch Grand Prix. And he’d been right. Four weeks of radio silence ensued. He’d heard nothing. Zilch. Nada.

It had been absolute torture.

Finally it was race week again, at Zandvoort no less. Max’s home turf. But Thursday rolled by… then Friday… On Saturday the Dutchman was sure he’d get the opportunity to talk to Charles. But alas, Max got P2 and Charles P6, which meant no post-Quali catchup for the two drivers. Because of course not… Those odds were rarely in his favour nowadays. Therefore, Max had to turn to more dramatic measures and that included going to the Ferrari motorhome himself, waltz in like he had every right to be there (he hadn’t), and play his final card (aka the ultimate excuse): to meet Leo Leclerc and give him and his daddy a gift he’d been keeping in his back pocket for months now.

It was also the main reason for his nerves. One glance around the Ferrari red motorhome and Max’s stomach dropped a little. He stuck out like a sore thumb in his white fireproofs and blue racing suit still hung low around his hips. Thankfully most of Ferrari’s pitcrew and employees were already geared up in the garage, getting ready for the race. However, the few people that were present immediately ceased their conversations upon his entrance, and downright gawked at him, confusion written all over their faces. No one said a word, but the question on everyone’s mind was loud and clear: what the hell are you doing here?!

Max sighed discreetly. You don’t wanna know… he thought to himself.

Forcing a smile, he gave them all a friendly wave as he walked past them in the direction of where the drivers’ rooms must be, the confidence in his gait surprising even himself. He didn’t have much time to spare, for the race’s opening ceremony would start soon and all drivers were obligated to attend. Luckily, Max quickly found the correct room, and once he did, he couldn’t help but snort as he read the nameplate. Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc — Illegitimate Prince of Monaco. Carlos’ doing, no doubt. Chuckling, Max knocked twice and waited. It was too late to second-guess his actions now anyway, best to just get on with it. And accept that he was probably going to make a fool of himself. Not even ten seconds later, the door swung open, revealing the man himself, all suited up for the race. Except for his bare feet.

“Max?” Charles frowned, glancing down the corridor, looking even more confused when he realised that it was just him. “What are you doing here?”

Max’s smile faded a little, his nerves getting the better of him as he awkwardly shifted his weight. Oh, for fuck’s sake, man up! 

“I came to see Leo. I still haven’t met the little lad,” he explained, squinting past Charles to see if he could spot the cute puppy inside. “Can I come in?”

Charles didn’t move as he studied him for a moment, effectively blocking Max’s way into the very private room. He didn’t buy the lousy excuse for a second, but surprisingly enough, still seemed to consider letting him in. After what felt like an eternally long minute, he made up his mind and moved aside. “Yeah, sure.”

Max managed a smile. “Thanks.”

He stepped inside, letting his eyes travel over the minimalist furniture—a couch, table with chairs, a bed—as well as Charles’ clothes and other belongings scattered around. But no dog. Not even a dog bed. Or toys. Max turned around, his puzzled eyes landing on Charles who had just closed the door behind him.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you but Leo isn’t here.”

“What do you mean?” Max frowned. Then why did you let me in?

“He’s back home staying with my mother, likely peeing all over her new floors,” Charles laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “So, uhm, I guess you’ve risked a rumour spree for nothing.”

“Oh… Okay… I see.” He really didn’t, though. Then his frown deepened. “Wait. What rumours?”

“About you being here? At Ferrari?” Leclerc tilted his head like it was obvious. “Or did you not think about the consequences of you showing your face here?”

Max stiffened. Yes. No… In all honesty, he had tried very hard to not think about it. But Charles was right. Him being here was only going to add more fuel to the fire that was his relationship with the Ferrari driver. Not that he cared about what the public thought per se. However, he did care about what Charles thought of it. So why did you let me in?!

“I have, but–”

“You don’t give a shit about what they write,” Charles finished with a smile.

“No, I don’t,” Max huffed a laugh. “Do you…?”

“I mean, not really. It’s always rumours versus truth anyway. And the truth is ultimately the only thing that matters, right?”

“It is,” he nodded. But what was the truth between them? 

They were silent for a moment, their gazes locked, almost like they were in a ‘who will blink first’ competition. Charles broke first, shaking his head as he chuckled softly. “You’re really gonna make me ask, huh?”

“Ask me what?”

“About the rumours… If there’s any truth to them.”

Max blinked. Was Charles actually straight up asking him about their…? Oh, fuck.

“So, is there?”

A swarm of butterflies erupted in his stomach, his racing mind scrambling for an answer, but he couldn’t—he simply couldn’t. Charles raised a quizzical brow when all Max did was stare, prompting him to say something. He shook himself, and with great difficulty managed a deflective: “Uhm, I don’t–uhm… How do you feel?” 

Smooth, Max, very smooth…

Charles canted his head. “How do I feel about the future, you mean?”

The future. Us. All of it. Max swallowed, then nodded. “Yes… the future.”

“Hell, I don’t know, Max,” he threw up his arms, chuckling lowly. “I honestly haven’t the faintest idea. That’s why I’m asking you.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, Oh,” he laughed again, walking up to him. “You never told me how you really feel, so how the fuck should I know what the future holds?”

Max’s eyes never wavered from Charles’ approaching form, who stopped merely a few paces away, his green eyes softening as he looked him up and down. Apparently able to read all of his thoughts and feelings with a single look.

“Look, I get it. That feeling of uncertainty. The constant fight between your head and your heart. Asking yourself whether this will ruin everything or not. I truly get it…” Charles spoke, sincere, pausing for a moment to let those words land. “But whatever you decide, staying at Red Bull or not, I’m sure you’ll–”

Wait… What?

“Hold on a second,” Max held up a hand, alarmed. “At Red Bull… You’re talking about the future of my career?”

Charles’ eyes narrowed. “Yes? What else did you think we were talking about?”

Max felt the temperature in his cheeks rise. God, how could he be so stupid?! Of course, Charles was only talking about his career. That’s what everyone else was speculating about in the press. Not this thing between them. Whatever the hell that even was.

He needed to backtrack. And quickly.

“I–uhm, never mind,” Max shot him a crooked smile. “Thank you… for your words. Uhm, you’re right, it has been on my mind quite a bit lately, and yeah… I have struggled with it.”

It was an optimistic attempt. It truly was. But Charles knew him better than most other drivers on the grid—growing up together, they’d been through it all. The good and the bad. Naturally, he saw straight through Max’s act. But when the Monegasque’s own cheeks tinged a soft pink and he started fidgeting with the clasp of his race suit, Max knew he had nothing to fear. They were both two emotionally-unintelligent idiots, completely incapable of revealing their true feelings. And right now, Max was grateful for it. 

Charles cleared his throat. “Right. Like I said, I get it.”

“Yeah, I know…” Max mumbled, following his lead to swiftly move past the slip-up. “Ferrari’s not been doing much better lately, are they?”

“Tell me about it,” he sighed, his eyes immediately darkening, even as part of him was grateful for the change in topic. “After winning Monaco… I was on such a high, and next thing I know it’s all gone to shit again. It almost seemed like one curse was lifted only for another to settle down over me. And just… Sometimes I don’t understand the team’s decisions anymore, you know? As if I can’t rely on them like I used to. Well, as much as I ever could.”

Max nodded sympathetically. He knew that feeling—that burden—all too well unfortunately. Not being able to deliver and perform to your maximum capacity because your team screwed up on strategy. Or worse, back at the factory. Meanwhile it’s you who gets the blame in the eyes of the masses. He also knew that that last bit weighed especially hard on Charles.

“Has it been on your mind as well?”

“What? Leaving Ferrari?”

“Yeah.”

“Hell no.”

They both laughed, the last bit of uneasiness disappearing like snow in the sun. Leaving, staying… It was never that simple, and they both knew it. The history either driver had with their team, their second family really, was not easily cast aside. Call it loyalty, or faith in what they both knew their teams could achieve, but those were the facts. However none of that stopped Max from poking his rival, just for the heck of it.

“Really?” he smirked. “You’re not even considering it a teeny-tiny bit after I’ve lapped you twice in the last four races?”

“Twice?!” Charles scoffed. “You got your facts wrong, mate. It was just the one time in Silverstone. Granted that was one time too many, but still.”

Max held up his hands in mock surrender. “Oh shit, you’re right, I’m sorry…”

“Thank you.” 

“Although… you have to admit, I got pretty fucking close in Austria too.”

Charles rolled his eyes, trying not to smile. “Oh my god, shut up.”

“Fine, fine, I will,” Max bit his lip, looking down to hide his amused smile.

That’s when something curious caught Charles’ eye. A white, powdery substance was sprinkled over the front of Max’s blue team cap, causing his lips to stretch into a full smile this time. Max, the paddock’s ultimate neat freak, seemingly had no clue he’d been walking around with a dirty hat, and somehow that made it even more adorable.

“Hey, what’s that on your cap?”

Max looked up and startled—surprised to see that Charles had managed to silently sneak up on him, and was suddenly standing right there. He didn’t give him much time to think about his question either as he was already lifting his hand to gather some of the white powder off the rim with his finger. Charles sniffed it, and his brows lifted. 

“Cocaine?! You sneaky little boy. So that’s your secret, hm?”

“What?! Fuck off,” Max snorted, bringing his own hand up to see what exactly was on his cap.

He grinned, licking his finger. “Nope, never mind. It’s too sweet for cocaine.”

“Uhu, and how would you know?” 

He shrugged, smiling coyly, and Max chuckled, examining the white powder on his own fingers. Realising what it must be, he exclaimed: “Oh, I know what it is! They made me participate in a PR event at the poffertjes stand earlier today, some of the powdered sugar must have landed on my cap…”

He was about to take it off to clean but Charles stopped him. 

“Wait,” he murmured. “Let me.”

Not waiting for permission, he stepped further into his space, close enough that Max could feel Charles’ breath tickling his skin. His heart rate ticked up, like it would during ‘lights out’ at a race start, and he quietly held his breath. 

Leclerc’s teeth sank into his lower lip as he gently brushed the sugar off of Max’s blue hat. As if enchanted, Max’s gaze swept over Charles’ delicate features, from his perfect cupid’s bow all the way up to his birthmarks—savouring this rare moment where he could study them up close. However, once Charles was satisfied—which was way too soon for the Dutchman’s liking—he immediately stepped back, nodding once. 

“You’re all good.”

“Uhm, thank you.”

They exchanged a brief smile before a curious look passed over Charles’ features, effectively yanking the Red Bull driver out of his all-consuming thoughts.

“I thought you did that last year, by the way. Making, uhm… poffertjes?”

Max’s eyes lit up. He remembered? 

“No. Last year was stroopwafels… But speaking of those,” he grinned, fetching something from his back pocket. He would’ve almost forgotten his little gift. “I got you something—or, well actually, I got Leo something.” 

Pinched between his thumb and forefinger, Max held up a tiny, round-shaped charm with thin lines running crisscross over its surface. Charles stepped closer, squinting at the shimmering object.

“Is that–”

“A miniature stroopwafel to pimp up Leo’s collar?” Max nodded, dropping the silver accessory in the Monegasque’s palm. “Yes, it is.”

“Oh my god!” A wide smile broke on his face as he turned the little stroopwafel in his hand. “It’s so cute! Thank you! You didn’t have to…”

“You’re welcome! I stumbled upon it a couple months ago when I was visiting my family and I just had to–”

“A couple months ago?!”

Max pressed his lips together, nodding shyly. “Yeah, now do you see why I had to meet Leo today.”

“You could’ve dropped by in Monaco too, you know.” Charles’ eyes glimmered knowingly. “You didn’t have to wait all this time.”

“I know, but,” Max shrugged, trying to come up with another awful excuse. “It’s only fitting. To give it here, I mean. In Zandvoort. Because, well, it’s a Dutch delicacy, and I thought that would make it extra special if I would give it–”

His rambling was promptly interrupted by Charles wrapping his arms around him, pulling him into a warm embrace. Max froze for a moment, his pulse spiking to unprecedented levels. Somewhere in the back of his mind he couldn’t help but wonder if his team would still deem him fit to drive like this. This… bloody yearnful state. When he finally found his wits, he returned the hug, boyish grins painting both their faces. Yeah, this was definitely worth the trip into Ferrari territory. No doubt about it.

All too soon, they had to pull apart. Except this time, Charles didn’t move too far away from him.

“Thank you, Max. Truly. I love it so much. I’m sure Leo will too,” he smiled at the Red Bull driver, whose cheeks were once again flushing. “And please don’t hesitate to drop by after Monza. You’re welcome any time to meet him,” he added with a wink.

Max didn’t know what to say. He was completely stunned to silence. The man before him, who refused to follow him on social media, who had given him the cold shoulder on more than one occasion whenever they crashed together on track, who, if it wasn’t for groupchats, would never have given Max his phone number, was now openly inviting him to ‘drop by’? Flirting, even? What the hell was going on today? There must be something in the air, he thought. There has to be.

Much to the amusement of his rival, Max opened and closed his mouth several times, his brain once again failing to form any coherent sentence. But he ultimately didn’t have to, for he was saved by the bell. Or, rather, the ringing of his phone. Scrambling to get the device out of his pocket, Max looked at the screen to see who was calling him. GP. Great fucking timing, mate, he grumbled internally. Why he was suddenly so annoyed that his engineer ruined their (his) very awkward moment, he didn’t know. 

Or did he?

Shaking his head, Max shoved his phone back into his pocket, and glanced up at Charles, who cleared his throat and gave him a small smile. The intensity of their previous moment officially lifted. Thanks, GP. 

“Don’t you need to get that?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Max said, sounding anything but.

The time until lights out was dwindling with each passing minute, but Max didn’t want to leave their little bubble just yet. Outside, there were expectations, a nagging pressure to perform—to not let all those fans that showed up just for him down. In here, it was just them. A different kind of pressure for sure, but one Max relished nonetheless, and wasn’t ready to say goodbye to yet. Because really, he didn’t know when—if he would have this again.

As if Charles could read his mind, a careful hand found Max’s bicep. “Are you ready?”

“For the race?”

He nodded.

“Of course.” It wasn’t a lie. Racing itself was never an issue, not when you were born to do it like they were. “As much as I can be. I mean, this car… it’s just,” Max shook his head. “It’s obviously not where we want to be, but I’ll make sure to maximise its potential the best I can.”

“And not crash,” Charles smiled.

“That’s always step one.”

“The most important one, really,” he quipped, striding over to the couch to put on his shoes.

“Exactly,” Max agreed, running a hand down his face. It really was time to get going, or else they’d be late. “I just hope those updates are gonna pay off soon.”

“Ugh, me too. That Summer break was nice to recharge and all, but now I want nothing more than to get back in the car, and the sim this week, to learn as much as I can and make sure we don’t fuck up next weekend. We simply cannot afford any more mistakes.”

“I feel you... However, that break could’ve lasted another week or two, if you ask me.”

“Hm, maybe you’re right,” he grinned. “It wasn’t that awful to relax a little and forget about the last few races.”

Max chuckled. “Yeah, it definitely looked like you enjoyed yourself.” 

Charles’ head shot up, instantly making him realise his mistake. Damnit. You fucking idiot!

“And how would you know about that?”

“Oh, uh, I see things… online… when, uhm, scrolling, every now and then…” And liking your friend’s instagram posts like a truly seasoned, inconspicuous stalker.

His hand went up to his ear, tucking a piece of way too short hair behind it. Only, Max realised that fact a little too late. Like always. Jesus… He really needed to stop acting like a flustered schoolgirl, this was on the cusp of getting embarrassing now.

“Right,” Charles trailed off, fastening the clasps on his shoes with a knowing smile. 

He knew damn well Max regularly checked his social media, even without following him. He himself did the exact same thing. Not that he would ever let him in on that secret, seeing Max Verstappen all flustered was far too enjoyable.

There was a knock at the door, making both their heads turn simultaneously. Max let out a long, deep breath, genuinely happy with the interruption this time. But of course that didn’t go unnoticed by Charles, who chuckled as he made his way to the door. 

“Coming!” he called, still grinning widely as he opened the door on a very angry-looking assistant.

“Why are you still in here?!” the woman shrieked, startling both drivers. “The ceremony is about to start. You can’t miss the national anthem, you know this! Get your stuff and let’s go!”

Charles opened his mouth to answer but at that moment Max’s phone started ringing, claiming everyone’s attention, and consequently revealing his presence. The Ferrari employee bristled something inaudible and pushed her way inside, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw what the reason was for the delay. Or rather; who.

“What the fuck is Verstappen doing in your–”

But Max ignored the scary woman and opted to finally pick up his phone instead. It was Christian calling this time. Which did not bode well.

“Max, where are you?! No one’s been able to reach you. You should’ve been on the grid ten bloody minutes ago!”

Max winced, his right eardrum shuddering thanks to Christian’s tinny voice screeching in his ear. His eyes locked with Charles’ from across the room, who grimaced painfully and mouthed, “We should probably go.” 

Yep. They probably should. 

Or risk getting another reprimand by the FIA. But in this season, neither of them had the luxury to gamble on such a risk.

“Max, are you there? Do you hear me?! You need to get over here, NOW. You are not allowed to miss the national anth–”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you, Christian. I’m on my way!” And with that Max clicked off, bolting towards the door. “Let’s go,” he declared, clumsily hurrying past Leclerc’s fuming assistant. 

Charles snatched his cap and dashed after him. “Right behind you!”

“You better run fast or you won’t make it!” the woman yelled after them. 

But they were already gone, sprinting out of Ferrari’s hospitality like madmen. Once outside, the drivers zigzagged through the paddock, trying their best not to run into fans, journalists, or flashing cameras. Max glanced at Charles, his mouth curving into a wry smile. They would surely be trending topic in no time now, there was no way around it… 

Helmut was going to be absolutely thrilled. Ha.

Charles felt his stare, and looked to the left. “Just so you know, if we get called to the stewards, I’m blaming you.”

“What do you mean? I thought you appreciated my gift.”

“I do! But not when it leads to a grid penalty!”

Max laughed. “You can’t have it all, my friend.”

“Watch me,” Charles winked. Laughing when it nearly caused Max to run straight into two fans on their way to the paddock club.

“Shit, sorry about that. Are you okay?”

The fans’ eyes widened when they realised who they’d run into. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. In the flesh. They could scarcely believe it.

“Hey! What are you two doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on the grid already?”

“Yeah,” Max nodded sheepishly, still facing the couple as they continued in that direction.

“You’re gonna be late,” one of them pointed out. “Duncan Laurence is all set and ready to go.”

“Fuck… Really?”

If he wasn’t mistaken, that was the artist performing the anthem this year. Shit, shit, shit… The thought of Helmut no longer brought a smile to his face. The Austrian would likely murder him for this little stunt.

“Yeah, you gotta hurry, man!”

Max pulled a face. “We know… Thanks… Oh, and uhm, enjoy the race!”

The two fans watched the drivers gain speed again and shared an amused look, deciding to switch to Dutch.

“Thanks! En succes zo, Max!”

“Ja, zet die Monegask weer als vanouds op een ronde!”

Max laughed awkwardly and gave the fans a thumbs-up as they rushed on towards start-finish where he could already hear the music playing loudly. No Wilhelmus yet, thank god. They might just make it on time.

Charles glanced back over his shoulder, frowning. “What did they say about me? She said ‘Monegasque’, didn’t she?”

“She did… Are you sure you wanna know?”

He rolled his eyes. “Obviously.”

“Okay then,” Max pursed his lips. He knew better than to argue with him. “She said to make sure to lap you… like old times.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah…”

Scoffing, Charles whirled around, running backwards now. “Vous rêvez, madame! Ça n’arrivera plus jamais!”

Max winced. “You realise we’re not in America, right? People tend to speak multiple languages here.”

Now it was his turn to shrug. “Do I look like I care?”

“Eh, you kinda do,” Max snorted, studying his rival as he turned back to face him, Leclerc’s mouth twitching into his signature, lewd smile.

“Oh really? And what do you see exactly?”

They slowed their pace once they crossed pitlane and entered the track. They made it! The crowd roared at the sight of the two star drivers, especially with one of them being their national hero—the reason why anyone was even here today; why Zandvoort was back on the calendar. But Max wasn’t thinking about any of that as he gazed into Charles’ eyes, too in awe of the fire blazing brightly in those mesmerising green orbs. Only one word came to mind to describe what he saw:

“Passion.”

****

a/n: thank you for reading this little story! and special thanks to my dearest french translator @xeresmalfoy !! as always, feedback is adored <3

translations:

En succes zo, Max! — And good luck in a minute, Max!

Ja, zet die Monegask weer als vanouds op een ronde! — Yeah, lap that Monegasque again just like old times!

Vous rêvez, madame! Ça n’arrivera plus jamais! — You wish, lady! That won’t ever happen again!

[think-like-a-poet]

Continue the Legacy

Verstappen Daughter x Leclerc Son

Master list here

Max Verstappen is a known driver who has written pages in the history books. Being the youngest person to ever drive in Formula 1 he got lots of opinions on him from the start. He proves them all wrong in the following years winning races in Mercedes dominance. Sharing podiums with earlier winners and champions and winning his first one in 2021. In 2023 he had a dominance year with almost all of the races except for three. He went on to win two more championships in 2024 and 2028. However, the 2028 season marked a significant change for the Dutch driver, as he announced his retirement from racing at the end of the year. The news came as a surprise to many fans, as Verstappen had become synonymous with the sport. He cited his desire to focus on his family and spend quality time with his new-born daughter as the reason for his decision. He still races in his spare time and on the sim. In 2032 he became his daughter's manager in her karting career.

Charles Leclerc is Ferrari's golden boy. Since he signed with them in 2019 he hasn't changed his team. He has endured more bad luck than any of them and put the famous Ferrari curse to his name. With luck on his side he won his first Championship in 2025, beating the reiniging Dutch man. The following year he also won the championship in the last round against his teammate. In 2027 he lost the Championship to the Mclaren driver, Lando Norris, who had been dominant all year long. In 2029 he scored his third and last victory. After an illustrious career, Leclerc announced his retirement from racing at the end of the 2030 season, citing his desire to spend more time with his family. He left the sport behind to focus on his wife, two children, and beloved dogs, bringing an end to an era marked by both triumph and tragedy. He also became the Manger to his son, leaving his legacy to him to continue.

As Jules and Sofie's competitive spirits clashed, their fathers witnessed moments of intense rivalry between their kids. The tension culminated in a heated crash during a karting competition, leaving the two young competitors at odds with each other. The same emotions that had once fueled their own fathers' arguments now seemed to be at play.

Follow the life of Jules and Sofie in this story, with their love being destined from the beginning.

Cast

Jules Saint Mleux Leclerc

23 July 2027

"To be fair, I already knew that."

Sofie Piquet Verstappen

16 January 2028

"Your opinion of me, doesn't define who I am."

Eloise Saint Mleux Leclerc

11 November 2029

"You have to do it now, otherwise it would be too late."

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Spiked

Published: Sept 16, 2024

The new UK Labour government has declared war on free speech. Within weeks of gaining power, it scrapped a law upholding free speech in universities. In early August, following rioting across England, it announced plans to tighten the regulations on online speech. Perhaps most troubling of all, Keir Starmer is also considering writing a broad definition of ‘Islamophobia’ into law, which would make it almost impossible to criticise Islam and even Islamic extremism.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali – writer, activist and author of Prey: Immigration, Islam and the Erosion of Women’s Rights – returned to The Brendan O’Neill Show last week to discuss the importance of free speech in the battle against Islamist extremism. What follows is an edited extract from the conversation. You can listen to the full thing here.

Brendan O’Neill: Why do you think politicians – even those who would define themselves as ‘liberal’ – are so willing to adopt a phrase like Islamophobia?

Ayaan Hirsi Ali: I think it has to do with guilt about the past. When it comes to the Jews, many European countries did not protect them from Nazi persecution, so there’s definitely a sense that we don’t want to do the same to our Muslim minorities. When I was living in the Netherlands, this was a very potent argument. The Dutch felt extremely guilty about the fact that, in proportion to the Dutch population, more Jews were removed from their homes and sent to concentration camps, than in any other country in Europe. So there’s definitely a sense of ‘let’s not repeat history’. But this is also what makes me so angry, because the Islamists – and to a certain extent, the leftists – will exploit this. They will exploit what is essentially the goodness of human beings, a desire to ‘do right this time round’, in order to do wrong.

While the Islamists want to use democracy as a tool to win power and then abolish democracy, I think the woke left also wants to do something similar. I think this is part of why the far left does rely on the Islamists to vote for them. This is then compounded by the fact that the white working class, which was traditionally the group of people the Labour Party relied on, has faded. So instead, these parties rely increasingly on migrants. This is their new demography. They think they can harness their vote to come to power. People talk about the ‘great replacement’, but it’s actually a ‘great realignment’. The parties which used to represent the working classes now no longer do so. Instead, they now just represent capital.

O’Neill: So what do you make of this idea of the ‘Muslim vote’ in the UK, particularly in relation to the new Labour government?

Ali: I see Keir Starmer as a front for the radical left. He needs the Muslim vote, and the Muslim vote can be relatively easily gained because Islamists can skillfully organise their communities to vote. But the question that Keir Starmer, and other leftist parties across Europe, should ask themselves is this: ‘What are they demanding in return?’ Because the Islamists do have many demands in return. First and foremost, they want censorship. They want ‘Islamophobia’ to be made illegal. And the way they define Islamophobia is any form of criticism of the political agenda of Islam.

If you talk about the radical views being preached in the mosques or the schools, that’s Islamophobia. If you question the fact that some imams are telling their congregations not to assimilate and to distance themselves from ‘the infidels’, that’s Islamophobia. If you talk about the recent examples of sexual abuse against women and girls, some perpetrated by Muslim immigrants, that’s Islamophobia. If you highlight that there is a kind of soft Sharia law in Britain – which is well established in many Muslim communities when it comes to marriages, divorces and inheritances – that’s Islamophobia. The same goes if you want to talk about the fact that there are Muslim women in Muslim households being beaten, curfewed, removed from school, forced to marry and then raped. If you want to expose any of this, you’re committing Islamophobia. And so, all of a sudden, you can’t fight sexual violence against women perpetrated by men.

That is what banning Islamophobia is going to ban, if you allow it. It will ban discussing these issues in the name of human rights and equality. If you question this and ask, ‘Do we really want this parallel society?’, you’ll be called Islamophobic.

These days, the Islamists are less and less secretive about their agenda. This can be seen recently in the blatant anti-Semitism in some Muslim communities. But if you bring this stuff up, and try to get politicians to discuss it, you’re again accused of Islamophobia. This is the question that we have to ask governments, particularly the leftist governments that are trying to outlaw Islamophobia. It is criticism of Islam that’s going to be banned. Journalists and newspapers will no longer be able to exercise their free-press rights to investigate crimes that are being committed.

O’Neill: The unwillingness of the woke left, even the moderate left, to ever criticise radical Islam is extraordinary. We really are in a difficult situation, aren’t we?

Ali: Absolutely. We’re emboldening them. The woke left is the enemy of civilisation, and they say so themselves. They’re deconstructing everything. On the other hand, the Islamists are also clearly an enemy of civilisation – our Western civilisation in particular. We’ve got to stand up to these two forces now. The silent majority has to stand up and stop this before they stop us. And the only way to do that is through freedom of speech, which is exactly what they want to take away from us.

As voters, we still have the capacity to organise, vote, find new leaders and reject what is being imposed on us. In the decay of the universities, alongside the censorship in schools, there’s definitely a concerted effort to silence us. Most worryingly of all, I think, is what we’ve seen after the riots and how the government has responded. Whereas previously you might be cancelled or piled-on online, now the elites are using the law. British prisons, which are effectively full, are clearing out convicted criminals, some of whom have done all sorts of horrible things, to put people in prison for putting words and images online. They’re using the awesome powers of the state to censor and to silence us. Soon we could be banned from saying things that are, in this very sinister phrase, ‘legal but harmful’. This should be met with the greatest opposition of all time. All of us need to go out into the streets and say, ‘stop right there’.

--

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was talking to Brendan O’Neill on The Brendan O’Neill Show. Listen to the full conversation here:

==

A modern Islamic insurgence is no longer conducted with swords on horseback, but with the aggressors using the language of victimhood.

[42bakery]

All that chaos just for Huertas to win the race. Yuks

[theladyragnell]

Ficlet Masterpost, Summer 2024

It took a sort of ridiculous amount of time, but the round of ficlets I have been writing as done! I wrote 15,000 words, 15 ficlets across 8 fandoms.

The Campaign of Five Dragons

Haoti/Valira, complimenting each other

Frat Row Campaign

Elsbeth/Lilly, visiting them at work

Godsfall

Elyn/Brennu, eye contact across a crowded room

Killjoys

Dutch & Jonny, making art inspired by them

Leverage

OT3, naturally gravitating together

OT3, talking late into the night

OT3, cleaning dirt off their face

OT3, eye contact across a crowded room

Les Mis

Cosette/Eponine, nervous embarrassment around them

Enjolras/Grantaire, exchanging gifts for the first time

Raised Roots

Ardith/Zilla, making a favorite treat and sharing a blanket

Tortall

Alex/Thom, visiting hill country

Alex/Thom, visiting the City of the Gods

Kel/Neal, alternate POV from playing out a lot of hypotheticals

Kel/Neal/Yuki, clumsy attempts at flirting

Thank you for reading! As ever, let me know if you want one reposted, though I cannot make promises.

[mariacallous]

While the failure to break through Russia’s fortified defensive lines on the southern axis this summer has been disappointing for Kyiv, the news on the diplomatic and political front is far more alarming.

Speaking about the progress of Ukraine’s counteroffensive in early December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Associated Press: “We wanted faster results. From that perspective, unfortunately, we did not achieve the desired results. And this is a fact.”

While Ukraine has achieved some limited successes this year, with results in the Black Sea in the summer and a Kherson-region bridgehead firmly established east of the Dnipro River in the fall, the lack of significant territorial gains is a bitter pill to swallow for Kyiv.

But despite these setbacks, with the final taboos overcome regarding providing the heavy weaponry and long-range missile capabilities needed to win this war, the trajectory of the conflict was still arguably trending in Ukraine’s favor, according to many Western military experts, just as long as the coalition of democratic nation states maintaining Ukraine’s wartime economy held strong and the arms transfers kept arriving.

Winter’s developments, however, paint a far worse picture. Given the immense risks ahead, it is imperative that Kyiv starts preparing now for a future in which that coalition has fragmented.

In Europe, election victories for allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Slovakia’s Robert Fico and the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders have potentially added further blocks on European Union financial and military aid packages. Hungary’s Viktor Orban now has more leverage in his attempts to disrupt the bloc’s Ukraine policy, including holding up a new round of sanctions on Russia and a proposed 50 billion euro ($54.9 billion) aid package, even if his opposition to the EU opening accession talks for Ukraine has been successfully navigated by the bloc.

Orban was previously isolated inside the EU, which overtook the United States as the largest overall donor of aid to Ukraine over the summer. If Wilders manages to form a governing coalition and become prime minister, it could not only imperil the planned transfer of Dutch F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, but also become a major threat to future EU aid packages going forward.

Winter has also seen a truck driver protest in Poland and Slovakia, which have been blocking Ukrainian border crossings in a dispute over EU permits for Ukrainian shipping companies, which has in turn impacted the flow of volunteer military aid coming into Ukraine.

While Kyiv will be disappointed by these events, they are not insurmountable. Support for Ukraine remains high in Brussels, and Orban has proved himself capable of relenting on similar packages in the past, leveraging Hungary’s veto in exchange for EU concessions toward Budapest. Individually, member states such as Germany and the Baltic nations also continue to send substantial military aid to Kyiv outside of the structures of the European Union.

The news from the United States, however, is far more bleak. Speaking to reporters on Dec. 4, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan laid out in stark terms that the funds allocated by the government for Ukraine were spent, warning that if Congress did not pass further funding bills, it would impact Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.

“Each week that passes, our ability to fully fund what we feel is necessary to give Ukraine the tools and capacities it needs to both defend its territory and continue to make advances, that gets harder and harder,” Sullivan said.

The White House has been trying to pass a $61.4 billion aid package for Ukraine (part of which would go to replenishing U.S. Defense Department stocks), tied together with a package of aid to Israel and Taiwan, which is being blocked by congressional Republicans in a dispute over the Biden administration’s border policies.

Despite a majority of Republicans supporting increased military aid to Ukraine, bills trying to secure further funding have stalled in both the Senate and the House of Representatives since the caucus of far-right, pro-Trump House Republicans ousted Kevin McCarthy as the speaker of the House of Representatives, replacing him with Ukraine military aid opponent Mike Johnson.

After Johnson was elected speaker, he appeared to walk back his opposition to Ukraine funding, in an apparent bid to win over some of his Reaganite skeptics in the Republican Party. However, he has chosen to try to leverage the urgency of the Biden administration’s Ukraine package to advance the Republicans’ anti-immigration platform.

This is no longer isolated to the House, as even pro-Ukraine senators, such as Lindsey Graham, joined Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in blocking the White House’s security package amid chaotic scenes in the Senate. With Senate Republicans falling in line with the legislative agenda of the House’s hard-right “Freedom Caucus” Republican wing, Ukraine will enter the Christmas period under sustained Russian aerial bombardment with depleted air defense ammunition stocks.

The United States is incapable of replenishing those stocks due to the domestic political wrangling of a small band of hard-line, anti-immigration Republican lawmakers, and Ukrainian civilians will likely die as a result of this amoral legislative obstinance. In Kyiv, where I live, the sense that these conservative lawmakers are willing to recklessly endanger Ukrainian lives for selfish political ends is palpable.

The Biden administration has expressed a willingness to compromise in order to try to break the impasse, but there is no certainty in where these negotiations could go. The size of this aid bill is itself a strategic move. The $61.4 billion package dwarfs any of the previous U.S. aid packages to Ukraine (which as of August 2023 totaled more than $77 billion), representing a more “one and done” approach to meeting Ukraine’s military aid needs for the entirety of 2024 and the remainder of President Joe Biden’s term.

If it passes, there will be no further opportunities in the short term for the Make America Great Again caucus to hold Ukrainian aid to ransom.

But the problems don’t stop there. The United States and Europe have both failed to produce enough artillery ammunition to meet Ukraine’s needs, and this shortfall led to South Korea becoming a larger supplier of artillery ammunition in 2023 than all European nations combined. But Korea’s supplies are not limitless, and U.S. and European production is still not at the levels needed to sustain Ukraine going forward. If this shortfall is not addressed, the consequences could be disastrous.

There are more hopeful signs that these problems are well understood, and that the coalition of nations supporting Ukraine remains committed to the cause in the long term. “Wars develop in phases,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in a recent interview with the German public broadcaster ARD in early December. “We have to support Ukraine in both good and bad times,” he said.

Everything now points to a long war in Ukraine, although none of this should have been unforeseeable for Western policymakers and defense chiefs. Ukraine’s top military c, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, gave a much-publicized interview with the Economist in November, in which he said “just like in the first world war, we have reached the level of technology that puts us into a stalemate.”

These comments, however, despite appearing to create the impression of a public rift between Zaluzhny and Zelensky, are not a concession of defeat from the four-star general. Zaluzhny made clear that he is trying to avoid the kind of grinding attritional warfare that favors Russia’s long-term strategy for wearing Ukraine down.

But a long war also heightens one of the biggest threats. Even if the Biden administration manages to get the new aid package over the line, effectively securing Ukraine’s military funding for 2024, the specter of another presidency for Donald Trump still looms large on the horizon. The polling for Biden less than one year away from an election is deeply concerning, and Trump’s prospects for victory need to be taken seriously, even in the face of his growing legal jeopardy.

A second Trump presidency would imperil not just U.S. democracy, but also the entire global world order, and the consequences for Ukraine could be potentially devastating. Trump’s refusal to commit to continuing to support Ukraine should be setting off alarm bells—not just in Kyiv, but across Europe too, where the greatest impacts from this change of policy would be felt.

Trump’s first impeachment was over his attempt to extort Ukraine to search for compromising material that he could use against Biden in the 2020 election, and there is no reason to believe that Trump has moved on from this. Many in Washington expect that a second Trump presidency will be marked by his desire for revenge against anyone that stood in his way. As the U.S. analyst and author Michael Weiss told me, “Trump’s first impeachment was over Ukraine, and he sees it as an abscess to be lanced. … A Trump presidency would be an unmitigated disaster for Ukraine.”

There are also signs that the Russians are acutely aware of this, and that their strategy in the short-to-medium term is simply to hold out in Ukraine long enough for a Trump presidency to pull the plug on the vital military aid keeping the Ukrainians in the fight. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu recently remarked that the Russians expect the war to last beyond 2025, and in an address to his own propaganda think tank, Putin said that Ukraine would have a “week to live” if Western arms supplies were halted.

Ukraine cannot plan for a war that may extend beyond 2025 without preparing for a potential Trump presidency and all that would entail. The Ukrainian government must prepare for every eventuality, including a White House that is actively hostile toward Kyiv. To his credit, Zelensky appears to have acknowledged this possibility, going as far as inviting Trump to visit Kyiv.

Putin has made it perfectly clear that he sees his war in Ukraine as being part of a wider war that he is waging against the entire West. Western policymakers to take him at his word on this. Putin and his regime have been waging a hybrid war against the West for many years, and he considers his support for European extremists such as Fico, Wilders and France’s Marine Le Pen to be part of that war and part of undermining the Western liberal democratic institutions, such as the EU and NATO, that stand in opposition to Putin’s tyranny.

But there is no single individual on the planet more important to Putin’s global war agenda than his pet authoritarian in Mar-a-Lago.

Moscow’s goals in Ukraine remain unchanged; the Putin regime still maintains maximalist aims in Ukraine and is in this war for the long haul, with the total subjugation of Kyiv as its goal. Putin made his position very clear during his annual news conference. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also been explicit about this, and Europe should take the ongoing threat that a Trump administration poses to Ukraine seriously. There may well be a potential future in which Europe is forced to carry the burden of Ukraine’s war without its North American ally at the helm of the coalition, or even at the head of the collective defense strategy at the heart of European foreign policy.

Looking forward to 2024, there remains no path to peace in Ukraine without a Russian defeat. Looking beyond 2025, the future of Ukraine as a free and democratic nation-state, and potentially the entire security of Europe, hang in the balance.

This is why Europe, in particular, cannot afford to be complacent in the face of the rising threat of a Trump presidency. Opening EU accession talks for Ukraine is a good start, but until the bloc can match or outperform Russia’s current levels of ammunition production, the tide will start to turn against Ukraine if U.S. leadership on this war continues to falter. The truth is that U.S. leadership on this and on any other pressing international issue cannot be guaranteed.

For Ukraine to stand a chance of victory, its allies must begin preparing for catastrophe now.

[dracothelizard]

Things I published in October:

Izzy vs Deutsche Bahn - Dutch, Gen. In which Izzy travels to Berlin to meet Stede and Ed, and encounters difficulties.

Luctor et Emergo: The Morning Sex of Edthulhu - Explicit. In which Edthulhu would like Stede to fuck him while fucking Stede with a tentacle.

Milky Jet - Teen and Up. In which the crew visits Ed and Stede and has opinions on the painting they bought. Written for the OFMD Remix.

January 2024 fic round-up post

February 2024 fic round-up post

March 2024 fic round-up postst

April 2024 fic round-up post

May 2024 fic round-up post

June 2024 fic round-up post

July 2024 fic round-up post

August 2024 fic round-up post

September 2024 fic round-up post

[afteriwake]

Fanmix for "Heart'Bit'-Burner" by Xenakis

This fanmix for "Heart'Bit'-Burner" was made for the @wipbigbang 2024 round.

Dutch Melrose, "RUNRUNRUN" | t.A.T.u., "All The Things She Said (Rusty Hook Remix)" | My Chemical Romance, "I Don't Love You" | S.J. Tucker, "Don't Get My Hopes Up" | Crusher-P, "Again" | Blackbriar, "Until Eternity" | Morat, "De Cero" | Cyndi Lauper, "Time After Time" | Richard Marx, "Right Here Waiting" | Dido, "Here With Me" | Jonah Baker feat. Celine, "Die With A Smile (Acoustic Cover)"

AO3 | DOWNLOAD | 8TRACKS (coming soon)

[francolapintohq]

Franco Colapinto, MP Motorsport, Dallara F2 2024, portrait wearing a BZRP hat at the podium during the 6th round of the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship from June 21 to 23, 2024 on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Montmeló, Spain (Sebastian Rozendaal / Dutch Photo Agency / DPPI)