#I just don't care about Sao Paulo

[nikisdaughter]

So, I know that we no longer have a racetrack like we used to have here in Rio, which was in Jacarepaguá

HOWEVER

I still feel very happy to be a fan of the little baby french man who has become known to this day as "King of Rio" for being the driver with more victories here

[idesofrevolution]

The Journey of Dr. Santana Fabrega

There's nothing quite like your bro slobberin' over your sweaty feet while tokin' on a hookah. Let me just tell you- everybody's happy. I'm stoked to be stoned and minty fresh, and he's happy to taste my ripe size 12's. Who isn't the happiest? The folks. Sure, I dropped out of college, sure I started focusing one hundred percent on my art, sure I have a parade of guys out of my little basement lair... but I never got why they had to be such fuckin' buzzkills.

Ever since they joined that church when I was at uni, my parents have been sucked into the Evangelical cult. Not the whole lifting your hands up to Jesus & speaking in tongues sort of church, by the way. Man, they're out there with picket signs at sex clinics, bannin' books at the high school, all that crazy fuckin' Christian Nation bullshit. They're my parents, so I love 'em and whatever. But fuck, those psychos really fucked 'em up. So now, their crusade is "curing" me of my gayness. Didn't really matter that I'm pan, they don't really know the difference. They don't really care about the difference, though. Not straight, not right.

So when they caught me the other day with Sam cleanin' my dick in the basement, it was World War 3. Man, a Nuclear Bomb would have less energy than my mom's hysterical shrieking. It's Florida, so it's nothing the neighbors haven't heard before. But, shit. I thought my eardrums were gonna pop. They stomped off upstairs, bein' all 'we are going to talk about this later, Santiago.' So, I let Sammy finish up, I pulled on some shorts and I went upstairs to face the fire while he snuck out the basement window. Fuck, I wished I were him.

The 'family meeting' went about as well as you'd expect. Threats of burning in hell for all eternity, demands that I find the Lord, etc. Apparently he doesn't like a lot of things about me: my weed, my tattoos, my sexuality, my piercings, my hair for some reason? I don't know man, I just tuned out after a while. What I did catch, though, they were sending me to substance abuse counseling. Couldn't help but laugh, and that sent dad through the fuckin' roof.

"Doctor Fabrega is going to teach you some manners, young man. Make you a Godly man, like you should be." Yada yada yada. He should have known better than to give me the doc's name. After the ass reaming, I made my way back downstairs to the computer. It took five minutes of research to find this Doctor Fabrega. Turns out he's a Christian Therapist, but that wasn't what was most interesting. Down in his specializations, buried beneath substance abuse & cognitive behavioral therapy was a word that caught my eye: licensed Hypnotherapist.

I knew exactly what kind of bullshit they were tryin' to pull on me. But when I was enrolled at U Miami, my major was Psychology. Not only that, but I still happened to have access to the university library. Oops.

I texted Sammy, knowing I was gonna be up all night doing research, and that my dick would need some appropriate attention under the desk. I was gonna show this motherfucker just how sick it really is to be like me.

---

The waiting room was bullshit. Cold white walls, bright wood floors... It looked straight out of an IKEA ad. I'd already been there for like 20 minutes past my appointment time, giving me just enough time to scroll through the last chapter on my phone. I hear the receptionist call out my name, and I head toward the office. Just as bullshit as the waiting room. It's like the guy wants to live in a psych ward- no color anywhere. At least get a blacklight or something.

"Santiago Rivera. Welcome, I'm Dr. Fabrega." The guy was hot as fuck, not gonna lie. Looked like he was straight out of Sao Paulo- even with the fancy suit you can't hide muscle like that. "Please, sit. It's so good to meet you." His voice was so weird. Speaking every word with like, perfect diction. You know those AI voices that talk that way? That's what it was like, as if he were trying so hard to hide an accent underneath.

"Just call me Santi, doc." I plopped down on the leather chair, might have put my feet up on his coffee table (don't recall), and he just looked at me like he was looking in a microscope. No idea what the deal was. He walked over to the couch and sat down with my file and started to drone on.

"Alright, Santi, it says here that your parents are pretty concerned about your behavior lately. You're 23 years old and a college dropout, you take illicit drugs, you have no job, and you're having unnatural thoughts. That's quite the list, bud." He was so fuckin smug, that sort of punchable glibness that only comes from a particular kind of self righteousness. Like Jesus himself came down and kissed them.

"So, first off. I did drop out of college, because I couldn't afford it. Second, I sure the fuck do smoke green because it's a) fun, and b) prescribed to me by my real doctor. Third, I do have a job. I do graphic design and graffiti art and I pay my own bills with it. And last off, yup: I fucked him." He sat there, somehow shocked that I told him how it was right off the bat. I'm not playing his little game, and that made him angry.

"I see. So you have no remorse for any of this? I believe your parents are very right to be concerned about where your life is headed."

"Fascinating, considering I'm moving out at the end of the month and they won't need to deal with my life. So. You married?" He was thrown off by that, just as I'd hoped. Right out of the blue. Knocks them off kilter for a second. An easy question to answer, so they usually do.

"Uh, well, no I'm not married. Is that your concern in all this?" Man, I couldn't help but laugh. He's trying to be sarcastic?

"Where did ya go to school for... whatever this is." This made him close my file, he even put it on the table and crossed his arms.

"I went to Liberty University, top of my class in their Doctor of Psychology program. You, it seems didn't make it that far, so you might not know what 'this' is." Oooh, he's big mad. I thought, let's push it. I did what most of my guys love, but would piss him off, I kicked off the Vans. Made sure I wore my skating shoes that day, the super ripe ones with the same damp socks. When they came off, those puppies let their presence be known.

"Sounds boring. Boring then, boring now. I got accepted into the Art Institute in Savannah, so I'll be headed that way soon. Be legit soon, then you wouldn't have anything to say. How's your sex life?" He thought he was so tough, not flinching at the musk, nor my question. But I knew both hit him right where I wanted. The question to make him mad, the stink to get him hot.

"Santiago, I think we should continue with our session. You can put your shoes back on and we can try some exercises to help you think a bit more clearly." I crossed my ankles, wriggling my toes a bit.

"I think they need some air. Are you gonna try and hypnotize me now? Or is that the last ditch effort when everything else fails?" He leaned back in his seat, the grimace growing stronger. "That stuff is not that hard to master. A couple days really and you got it down."

"Is that so?" He ground his teeth as he spat out his words. "It seems you know all there is to know, then." Time to hit it home.

"You know what, let's put money on it, doc. Hundred bucks says I can put you under." I got him, his eyebrow shifted just enough for me to see.

"This isn't a casino, Santiago. I don't bet money on client's health." I couldn't help but smirk. He left an opening I couldn't pass up.

"Aight, no money then. If I put you under, I get the bragging rights. If I don't, I'll play your stupid games. Win-win for you, nothing to lose but your dignity." Hook, line and sinker; he leaned in, grabbing the remote on the table next to him. He tapped a button, and the shades started to come down.

"Well then, Mr. Rivera. I wish you luck."

The room got dark. Really fuckin' dark. Fabrega hit another button on the remote, and a cool blue washed over the room. Gotta say, tight LED system. I kicked my shoes off the table, and scooted my chair forward. Showtime.

"Alright, Santana, I want you to just take deep breaths." He squirmed at my use of his first name, one last dig before I brain fucked him. He took his deep breaths one at a time, slowly getting deeper and deeper. "As I count down from one to ten, each number will bring you closer and closer to relaxation. Picture a long tunnel, at the end, a bright white light. With every number, you take a step forward to the light, do you understand?"

He nodded, it was an induction I'd made up this morning. I started from 10, telling him his first step he could feel the tingling relaxation in the tips of his fingers, slowly crawling up his hands and forearms. 9. Another step, the tingling creeps up his big muscly arms and shoulders. 8. One more step, the tingling is pushing up his neck and throat, reaching his tongue and teeth. 7. The tingling bursts into his head, a paradoxical rush of relaxation, a fog of dissonance washes over his brain as thoughts collide and crash about. 6. The tingling washes down his spine, flowing through his nerves into every part of his body. His body feels electric, a painless jolt running throughout him. I watched as he tensed up, his big muscles contracting and bunching him up. It was working.

We get to 5, starting at the crown of his head, the volts decrease, turning lugubrious and liquified like molasses sloshing about in his head. 4. The light is so close he can feel the heat, but his body is cooled as the syrupy fluid flows down over him like a waterfall, pooling in his big feet as it fills every crevice. 3. It feels as if he's trudging through mud toward the light, his legs feeling wobbly and gelatinous. 2. So close, his whole body feels like a massless blob, inching toward the final drop into the cavernous light. 1. He crawls toward the ledge, plummeting down into the endless void of bright white light. There, he will sit as I have a little bit of fun.

"Alright, Santana. Can you hear me in there?" Fabrega nods, expressionless. Fuck, that was maybe a 80/20 chance I was gonna fuck this shit up so bad. But I guess God really is on my side here. "Whenever I ask a question, you will answer truthfully. Whatever I say you will incorporate into your life. Now, Santana, what do you do when you're not at work?" His lips moved slowly and replied in monotone.

"I go to the gym, I go to the golf course, I hire my date, and I go home." Ooooh shit. He's giving my friends on the corners a decent living, good for him. Hardly a Godly thing to do. Either way, it was a perfect place to start.

"You love going to the gym, don't you, Santana?" He nodded. "You love gettin' all sweaty don't you?" His head began to shake, his expression furrowing a bit in disgust. "No, Santana. You love getting all sweaty. The feeling of those cool droplets on your hot muscles during a hard workout? Doesn't it feel good?" He pauses, before reluctantly nodding. Ahh I love gettin my fingers in his brain, never ceases to please. "You love that funk that comes off your sweat, Santana. You love sniffin your pits, your big feet, your balls... That musk means you're workin' hard. Keeping in shape. Staying virile. Isn't that right?" He nodded, squirming in the chair. I watched his body try to reject the instructions, try to rebel, but just one repetition had his back to stillness.

"You don't even like golf, do you?" He nodded, I didn't even need to manipulate him. "You much prefer hitting the beach, don't you? Seein' all the guys and gals starin' at your glorious bod... You love it, don't you?" He nodded, the side of his lip curling ever so slightly. "You love bringing out the speedo, letting the goods hang low, letting the buns bulge... you know they all wanna see it anyway..." He nodded again, it was like taking candy from a baby. The guy had the mental fortitude of a frog.

"You like fucking, too. You can have any girl or guy on the street with a single wink." He nodded, and I couldn't help but watch as his groin started to bulge. "Yeah, boy. You love taking that horse cock and plowing it into some ass... plowing it into some pussy... fucking their pretty little mouths..." Drool started to drip from the corner of his lip, and a little wet spot quickly appeared on his pants. "You're a freak, aren't you, Santana? You like fuckin' in the car, in the sauna, at the gym, under the desk... gushing gallons into them while you shove your sneaker on their face." He was moaning, slowly grinding against the open air. Can't lie, I was gropin' myself a bit just watching him.

"Now, Santana. I'm going to bring you back to your office, but when I do, you are going to be super laid back and chill with Santi during your sessions. If he says the word 'sniff' you will return to this space, return to an open mind, just as we have done here today. Do you understand?" He nodded one final time before I began his emergence. Counting back from one to ten, I watched as he slowly came back to the real world, and with one snap, he blinked his eyes and wiped his brow.

"Well, doc. I got the bragging rights." Fabrega pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he had a headache. Time to see if it had all paid off.

"Uhh... yeah... Santi. You got me there..." Perfect. He pulled his hand away from his nose, clicking the shades back up to their little hole. It didn't take long until he saw the wet patch on his bulbous package. He chuckled under his breath. "You'll have to excuse the mess, Santi... I have hyperspermia, so sometimes it all just flows out." Hot- and totally unprofessional. Just how I like 'em. I leaned back in my chair, smirkin' the whole way.

"Damn, doc. Firehose down there. Gonna have to show me sometime." He smirked and waved me off.

"I don't fraternize with clients, Santi. Oh, look at the time. I'm late for my 5:30. Alright, I'll see you next week." He stood up, extending his hand, his whole demeanor entirely changed. I slipped my Vans back on, spitting on my hand before gripping his. He shuddered a bit, sure. But we were gonna get real close, real quick.

---

The next few days flew by. My folks were so excited to see that I was looking forward to seeing Dr. Fabrega, and I loved knowing what they didn't. I was excited to see if Dr. Fabrega was gonna be Santana. So when I finally got back in for my appointment, I didn't need to wait long at all. Only five minutes and the door swung open, the receptionist completely flustered. The anticipation was killing me. She sat down behind her computer with tunnel vision and I walked into the office.

At first, I thought it was empty. He wasn't sitting at his desk, on the couch... but as I heard huffing from the balcony, I knew where to find him. I walked up to the sliding glass door, and turned outside to see one hell of a sight.

It was Santana. Nothing on but his whitie-tighties and his damp socks doing pushups on the bench. Fuck, those muscles were glistening in the light, his underwear with damp patches on his ass and bulge. His clothes sat in a pile near his head: jeans, a Miami Heat jersey, some sick dunks I wanted to steal... far from the stuffy suit he had on just the week before. He finally noticed me, and smiled.

"Santi! Hey! Just finishing up my lunch workout. Thought I'd get a session in today on the balcony. Damn, the fresh air is good for exercise!" I smirked. It was night and day. So far, gone was the bible thumping hypocrite, and here was what was underneath. If anything I was doing him a service.

"Shit, Santana! You're looking prime today. You gonna funk out our session today, or?" I punched him in the shoulder, and he giggled like a kid.

"It's eau naturale, my friend. Natural water. That's what it smells like." He slipped on his jeans and his big fuckin' sneakers, tossing the jersey over his head while we walked in. He trailed some deliciously ripe musk, and I couldn't help but savor a bit of it. We plopped down on our seats, and just started shootin' shit. I bitched about the parents, he bitched about his receptionist, I told him about Sammy suckin' my dick clean, and he told me about the threesome with a gym bro and his girlfriend. He was coming along beautifully. Though, I thought to myself, how's about a round two?

"Dude, by the way, those kicks are fuckin' tight." I pointed to the dunks, which he smugly kicked up onto the coffee table, showing them off.

"Thanks, man. They're the lifting shoes. My work boots, heh." I reached out, grabbing ahold of his foot, and yanked it off. He chuckled like a fuckin' idiot while I looked at 'em. Size 13, nice and big- and the smell wafting out of there... Fuck, man.

"Damn, dude you never wash your socks? These stink!" I playfully tossed the shoe at him, and just as he started to brush off the comment, I said my magic word. "Sniff it." Like a flipped lightswitch, his expression turned numb, slowly bringing the shoe to his nose and inhaling his own musk. I clapped my hands, rubbing them together: let's do a little more programming.

"Santana, You're a pretty chill guy, you know that?" He nodded. "You smoke, don't you? You know, the good shit?" Deep in his mind, he had to know it was me talking at this point, so I was talking to him like a bro. Establishes trust, ya know? He shook his head no. "Ahh, come on man. You love kickin' back and toking on that reefer after a long workout." Santana chuckled a bit, before nodding, still nose deep in his sneaker. "Yeah, you love smokin' out your bros, your babes... when you're not shootin' tequila!" He full out laughed on that one, nodding along. The sneaker slowly dropped from his hand, and he laid back in his chair.

"How old are you, Santana?"

"28." Shit, he was only a few years older than me. I mean, he looked young. But hell, you wouldn't have known it from the way he acted.

"Where are you from?" "Rio de Janeiro." Interesting. I clocked the accent. I was pretty proud of myself.

"Why do you try so hard to hide it? The way you talk, the way you dress, the way you act... You act like you're from Ohio." Another chuckle, I should have had a Netflix special. "You're gonna embrace that Brazilian pride, bro. Don't hide it for some mayo drinking buzzkills!" He furrowed his brow, nodding intently. This one was for his own fuckin' good. Be proud of that shit! "You should get some ink to really embrace it. Nothin' sexier than a tatted up stud, am I right?" He nodded again, his bulge once more springing to life. I smirked, simply wanting to know a little something somethin'.

"Do you think Santi is hot?" He sat there for a second, before slowly smiling and nodding. I didn't even need to program that one. Aww, big old himbo. "You're not afraid to let him know, are ya? I mean if you tell his crazy fuckin' parents that he's cured... He wouldn't be your patient anymore... Right?" His bulge twitched again, and he smirked devilishly as he nodded. "You like it when he's all up in your brain, don't you? You like it when he gets his dick deep in there and mind fucks you into a chill, laid back stud. Don't ya?" The dampness grew and his breath got heavy. He nodded, drooling down the sides of his cheeks. "Yeah, you wanna let him in completely, don't ya? Make you like him?" Moans grew, and his thrusting in the air quickened pace. "You wanna be best bros with him, don't ya? Bros with benefits... hangin' out, smokin' weed, hittin' the clubs, swappin' spit... swappin' cum... swappin' subs..." He started fuckin' howl. He was beggin' to splurge. "When I tell you, you will cum. And when you do, everything we talked about will be your truth. Now... Cum."

His eyes opened, still moaning loudly. He gripped onto his jeans, pulling down the waistband and underwear, that big old uncut donkey dick flopping out before shooting his load all over himself. Volley after volley. He wasn't kidding about the hyperspermia: maybe four double shots of his spunk sprayed like a geyser into the air. The 8th Natural Wonder of the World. He laid back and chuckled, throwing his arms behind his head.

"Fuck, brother!" The thickest accent flowed of those lips, deliciously thick. "After today, that'll be down your throat, cara." He pointed at me, hopping to his feet and shoving his python back into his pants. "So, I'll write your discharge papers, it'll get the pais off your back. Act the part until you're out, and just go live." Fuck yeah, we high fived, and I ruffled that sweaty mullet of his. "Hey, come over tonight. I got some friends comin' over... if you and Sammy wanna join." He winked and slapped my back. Damn, I did good.

"I'll be there, man! You save me a round so I can show you how to clean this dick." I groped my bulge, smirking as his bit his lip and winked. I've created a monster.

---

"Ei, sexy! Come get a toke before it's gone!" Such a demanding little bitch, I love him. I slipped his filled condom off my cock, the kinky fucker insisted, and I happily complied. If I'm being real, this psycho has taught me things! I flushed it down the toilet, and swung the bathroom door open to see him lounging on his bed, toking away at the blunt I packed.

"Hey you fuckin' hog, don't you smoke it all!" He chuckled dumbly, reaching over to hand me the blunt, taking the opportunity to snatch my wrist and pull me forward into a kiss. Fuck those lips were so good, pressed against mine or around my cock. "Isn't Carrie coming over soon? You gonna be able to get off so quick?" I pushed away, taking my puff.

"Ahh, plenty to go around, eh?" He groped that musky bulge that I had a feeling Sammy would be huffing later. "Ey, bring me my pants. We can go get a shot before she gets here." Heh, the last month or so crashing with him has been fuckin' sick. The folks think I'm rooming with some guy from the church, when really I'm gooning with my therapist every night in his bed. Savannah is letting me take online courses, I'll have my B.A. in a couple of years, and I'm already getting some gallery hits. Santana is gonna be my armcandy for the opening, and I told him to forget his deodorant. Fuck he’s perfect. But a thought had crept in my head the other day. One last program, one final idea planted in his head... Though, at this point, there was no need to put him under. I'd just ask him.

"Hey, so I gotta go to Georgia to finish up some paperwork at the school. It got me thinking... I'm followin' my dream. What about you?" I tossed him his pants and passed the blunt, taking a deep whiff of those ripe dunks before throwing them his way too.

"I could go back to the practice, though I think the bible thumpers would lose their minds, heh."

"Well... What we did for eachother... What if you did it for others?" I slowly got down to my knees, a smirk crawling across my face. "What if you could help those poor... misguided young men change their lives?" I crawled toward him, spreading his legs wide as I tossed his legs over my shoulders. "Wouldn't that be so... so... fun?" I slowly pulled down his musky briefs, releasing his monstrous cock again, the musky hooded beast slapping me on my cheek. "Then, we could have so... many... new.. friends..." I pulled down his slimy hood and wrapped my lips around his tip. I should have known better. His hand grabbed the back of my head, slamming it down onto his spear, my nose buried in his bush as he thrust back and forth into my mouth.

"Unff... Yeah, brother... Oh yeah... That sounds like a good... unhhhhh... good idea." Grunting, slapping, moaning, slurping... it all rang out in his room, until he gushed another thick load down my throat. "You wanna join me?" And in that moment, I smiled. It was the best idea he'd had yet.

[tsukiran]

best offer ー brazil!hinata shoyo x reader angst/comfort

"Wait for me?"

His words rang in your ears as soon as you heard of the news. His friends reassured you over and over again. Even banned you from social media momentarily. Just until the news is clear.

You're waiting at an airport in Sao Paulo, as what he had planned weeks ago. Both about to do your Europe trip with his friends waiting in the starting city of your itinerary. Both about to spend your anniversary vacation. Both about toー

Your sob seeped through your system as your anxiety heightened.

"Have you checked your baggages?"

"Yes baby. A check-in baggage and a carry on. 10 sets of outdoor clothes. 3 of formal, rest are casual."

"Your toiletries?"

"We're sharing our toiletries for over 4 years already, baby." You heard his deep chuckle. "That's not gonna change until I die okay?"

What happened? Shoyo, just pick up..

"Bakayama and Oikawa-san's gonna get me if we're a flight late and not together. Wait for me, okay?"

Shoyo's supposed to be plane crashed somewhere enroute Sao Paulo. He was from an away game and just last night he told you about their win and coming home to your arms. He's a flight late but it didn't matter now. Sao Paulo's volleyball star all-rounder Hinata Shoyo is believed on board that crashed plane and all of the state is already on fact checking. It's been 2 hours.

You jumped upon your phone ringing, fidgeting hands pawed at Kenma's video call.

"Breathe." He said over the line after talking over calming you. "He's fine. Shoyo's fine. Trust me."

You nod, then sobbed, phone on your forehead as you broke down. Familiar voices were calling you on the other line easing your tension but heck, you can't as long as Shoyo's not here with you right now.

"Can't we go to Sao Paulo, Kenma? Yn's alone."

"Kenma, you can finance us."

"I already booked tickets for me and Iwaizumi-san."

"What about us!?"

"Yn needs calm people right now."

"Iwa-chan! We are calmー"

"Yeah right."

You tuned them out. You can care less who's gonna be here. All you wanted was Shoyo.

A chilling hour passed before the Brazil media went into a rushing chaos. You thought it was someone else they were waiting but when you saw a bright orange disheveled hair weaving across rows of media, you broke down again and got rooted in your place.

But you waited. You waited for him to reach you in your spot.

He ignored all of the media and when he spotted you, he dropped everything and directly made a beeline to you, crashing your head to his chest, comforting arms around you. Your arms may be crashing his torso right now but you don't care. He's here already.

"You're late, Shoyo."

"Well," His sniffles were audible along with his hoarse voice, all above his chuckle. "Plane's rude, baby. Left with me still in the toilet seat. And you forgot to mention my charger and wallet. When we settle down for our flight to Italy, I'm sorry but we have to reorganize my stuff."

You buried your face in his chest further, chuckling and crying. "Thought you're gonna make me wait forever."

He kissed your crown, above all the noise of the media and their flashing cameras. "Will never gonna happen. I have to have you with me all the time from now on. What do you say?"

Honestly? That's the best offer he gave you. But you have to give him a mouthful before that for being so clumsy.

quick whip after the plane crash in Sao Paulo yesterday. my condolences to all grieving families. will include you all in my prayers tonight.

ran2024. hearts and reblogs are appreciated.

[the-blossica-fan]

Burn crew is on a field trip outside of the suitcase. Send them to Sao Paulo and see what they do together.

Isolde, J, Ulu, Spathodea and Lopera on a trip to Sao Paulo, what would they do...

Lopera acts as a guide, she shows everyone how life in the favela is and many other parts of Sao Paulo. She's familiar with these streets so she would naturally take the role of a leader.

I would love to say who stands out the most but all of them are very particular.

Isolde carries an umbrella with her, the sun in these parts is hot hot so she would appreciate to keep her weak skin safe, considering she's worryingly pale.

J and Spathodea are those tourists that ask about anything, point out anything and are fascinated by everything. They ask the most questions and even tire Lopera to one point.

Ulu stays with Isolde on the back. The amount of water makes her nervous, and she stays alongside Isolde since they're both careful about the weather.

I don't know if Isolde knows how to swim, so when Lopera takes them to swim in some peaceful water, these two (Ulu and Isolde) just stand awkwardly there.

I'd say they enjoyed eating the most. Spathodea devoured her plate, she loved it. J and Lopera ate normally, of course, but J appreciated the unique taste. Isolde, well, she did try some, but I'm sure she's not used to foreign dishes. And can Ulu eat?

That being said, I think they'd travel around seeing the world of Sao Paulo and play some games with the people. Surprisingly peaceful.

[foolforharrry]

When It Rains, It Pours

Word count: 3.7k words

Summary: Harry and Sam get lost in the streets of Sao Paulo when it starts raining

This is just pure fluff. I hope you like it 🫶🏻

if you wanna read more of my work, I have it all linked on my masterlist.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and if you have any requests please feel free to give them to me and I will do my absolute best to do it.

"Harry-" I start, but he cuts me off, already knowing what I was about to say.

"No. Don't say it. We're not lost." As sure as he tries to make himself sound like he had a sliver of faith in what he was saying. "I swear we passed that cafe earlier."

Looking from the small establishment that's empty at this time of day and back to him, I can't remember having seen it ever before in my life. In fact, every building in sight is new and unfamiliar. "I'm sorry, pumpkin. But I really do think we're lost," I murmur, giving his waist a squeeze. Which he reciprocates with a kiss on my temple.

"I know you didn't want to, but I think google maps may be our only option here," I try, fully anticipating the pouty silence that follows. When we left the hotel after spending most of the day lounging around by the pool, Harry swore that we didn't need navigation from anything other than his 'impeccable memory and impressive sense of direction'.

Stopping us in our tracks, Harry groans, tilting his head back to look at the starless sky without a care that we are forcing every single person who passes us on the sidewalk to walk around us. "I'm tired," he whines and I can't say I don't relate.

We left the hotel just as the sun started to set after spending the whole day in the beaming Brazil sun. Sunbathing in the lounge chairs by the pool, taking breaks to dip into the cool water every now and then. At some point, Harry got a bit tipsy and went in fully clothed, including his hat.

I don't even want to check what time it is right now, but the sky is fully draped in darkness. And it has been for a while now.

Stepping in front of him, I pinch his chin between my thumb and my pointer finger, tilting his head down so he'll look at me when I talk, "I know how much you wanted to get back on your own, pumpkin. We're both tired and we really do need to get back to the hotel soon before they get worried about you."

"I know," he pouts. And for some reason that's beyond me, the fact that he is genuinely bummed out when he pulls out his phone and types in the name of the hotel to the search bar in google maps, makes me love him that much more. He's always hated when things go another way than he wanted and had planned for.

The light, cold breeze blows straight through the brown flannel I snagged from Harry's suitcase. Without the sun to provide its constant, warm rays of sunshine, it's actually starting to feel quite chilly. So I wrap my arms back around Harry's waist, enjoying the warmth his body provides.

"Ha!"

The sudden, loud exclamation makes me jump, bewilderedly looking at Harry for answers. "What happened?"

"I was right." I've never seen him look more smug than he does at this very moment. "The hotel is fifteen minutes in that direction," he points down the long road we just walked down, "only we should've taken left a little while ago."

Nodding slowly, I let him have this little victory, "Lead the way, then."

"Happily," Harry grins, throwing his arm around my shoulder, turning us 180 degrees. It's with his phone in his hand we start what's hopefully our last attempt at making it back to our hotel before we're both old and in diapers.

We walk to the sounds of the cars passing and the chatter and footsteps of people milling the streets. No one pays us any attention and while we're anything but alone in the world right now, it feels like we're in a little bubble of our own.

When the time comes to go left, we cross the road safely and quickly.

The air smells of cars, dust and whatever food they're cooking in the restaurants we pass with all kinds of people going in and out of them. If I had the time to, I would probably spend half my time sitting at small cafes around the cities in the world and just watch people go about their daily lives.

"It's gotten cloudy," I point out, a small smile tugging on my lips at the dark, fluffy-looking shapes floating high in the sky. Harry hums, "You've angered the Gods, my love."

Almost as if on cue, a drop of cold water hits my cheek out of nowhere. The suddenness of it makes me jump with a small shriek as I wipe the droplet off my cheek with my hand, my eyes wide as they meet Harry's concerned ones, "What's wrong, baby?"

Before I get the chance to tell him, I watch the same thing happen to him. And one turns into five turns into ten until we're standing dead still in pouring rain.

The rain is loud when the drops splash to the ground. It's fast and it's heavy and it's cold. And it came out of nowhere.

Harry and I are staring at each other with wide eyes, the flashes of rain falling between us.

It can't have been raining for more than a minute before his white kiss t-shirt is starting to get see-through with the chilly water and it clings to his tattooed, tan skin. His hair starts to stick to his face and down his neck and his face glistens, water reflecting in the lights from the buildings around us. His long eyelashes are now clumped together from the water, eyes bright and sparkling with life.

My chest shakes as a loud, unrestrained laugh explodes from it, lifting my arms out the side, palms up to feel the rain bounce off my skin. The second Harry chuckles, shaking his head in fondness and disbelief, laughter pours from my body as freely as the rain falls from the sky.

"It's raining," I say loudly, tilting my head back and letting my mouth fall open and my eyelids close.

"It's fucking raining!" Harry's voice has me looking at him again, both of us grinning from ear to ear. There isn't a single inch of our bodies that's not soaked in rainwater and I don't think I've felt this happy and carefree in a long, long time.

My eyes drop to his pink, full, glistening lips before I drag them back up only to find that his are trained on my own lips.

Without a thought, I close the distance between us with one step, standing on my tip toes as I bring his face down to mine by the back of his neck. The moment our lips connect, it's like a lightning bolt shoots through my entire nervous system. The feeling Harry leaves in my body is so strong it feels as if I might burst into a cloud of stardust.

His hands drop to my waist as he kisses me back with just as much passion. It's wet from the rain and it's messy as his body is flush against mine. Slipping my hands into his hair, water pours over my fingers at the pressure.

It dawns on me just what we're doing, and when it does, I can't hold in the grin that erupts on my face. Giggling when Harry inches his face backwards with an amused smile after kissing my teeth. "What's got you smiling so pretty, my love?"

If my cheeks weren't already red from the kissing, they are definitely red now.

Darting my eyes from his pink cheeks with his adorable dimples carving into them to his twinkling, green eyes, feeling my chest expanding against his as I breathe and try to articulate what's going through my head right now. "

"You just make me really happy," is what I eventually manage to get out, feeling like my heart could explode from the way his entire face seems to brighten at my words.

"Wanna know a secret?" Harry nudges my nose with his, tapping my hip with his hand. I nod, closing my eyes when his gaze becomes too intense for me to bear. "You make me really happy too."

I'm sure the people who sought shelter from the rainfall would raise an eyebrow or two at how Harry and I haven't made a move to get out of it yet.

I don't have a single care or complaint.

"I love you," I tell him, sweeping his hair out of his face. Harry's face breaks into a wide, dopey smile as he returns the sentiment, kissing the corner of my mouth since I still can't stop smiling.

Harry bites the inside of his cheek as he scans my face and I can tell he has something he wants to say. So I drop my hands to his chest, tilting my head to the side. "What is it?"

"You look like a raccoon," he blurts out.

My eyes widen in surprise at his words, not what I had expected to come from his mouth in the slightest. I shove him off me with a laugh, "You're such a fucking dick, omg." As much as I try to sound like his observation offended me, he sees right through it.

Harry takes a step forward, reaching for my waist again, "Raccoons are cute though." I playfully roll my eyes at him, backing away from him, feeling my heart pounding in my chest. The mischievous glint in his eye has a shock of nerves shooting down my spine. "Harry, whatever you're thinking of doing? Don't"

My warning only makes a smirk tug at the corners of his mouth as he keeps trying to close the distance between us. "I've got no idea what you're talking about. M'just walking, darling."

Just as I'm about to argue, he surges forward. And before I can even register what's happening, he's got my soaked body pressed against his. He lifts me up with the help of his forearms under my ass, a surprised shriek ripping from my throat when my feet lose contact with the ground. Instinctively, I hold onto Harry's drenched shoulders and squeeze my eyes shut when Harry starts spinning us around in circles.

I can feel the way his stomach shakes with his contagious laughter against my hips and I can't help but laugh too. The sound of his laugh is one I wish I could store in my brain and play on a loop for the rest of my life.

Tilting my head back, I laugh at the sky, feeling the carefree joy through every single cell of my chilly, soaked body at the spinning, dark clouds. With the way I’m feeling it may as well have been beaming sun and a blue sky without a cloud in sight.

When Harry carefully lowers me to the ground again, we stay close. My arms looped around his neck and his around my waist, both breathless. And god, does his wide, dimply smile have my heart feeling like it's about to both explode and cave in on itself all at the same time.

"Never stop laughing," Harry says, looking me dead in the eye. And even though he's still smiling from ear to ear, his voice is more serious than I've heard him all day. Twisting his long hair around my fingers to centre myself, I nod, "Ok. As long as you never stop smiling."

"Deal," Harry beams, showing off his bunny teeth before dipping down and smearing a kiss on my lips, my eyes fluttering shut as I kiss him back.

He pecks my cheek as he pulls back, "Let's go back and dry off."

"How far is it?" I ask when we resume walking, my arm back around his waist and his around my shoulders, exactly how we were walking before the rain started. Now, the rain has fully stopped, leaving Harry and me in cold, sodden clothes.

The cold water has left my skin burning slightly from the low temperature and Harry's arm has a slight shake to it, so it's not just me.

Harry fishes his phone back out of the pocket of his athletic shorts, somehow not broken from all the water, and checks the directions. "It says it's just around two minutes left," he tells me and points towards a building close to the end of the street. "The hotel is actually right there."

"That's good," I smile, fully aware that I should've probably spotted it already. But I have an absolutely horrible sense of direction and might as well get lost in my own house. "You don't like exploring the city with me?" Harry asks and I don't need to see his face to know he has his lips jutted out into a pout and a furrow in the space between his eyebrows.

Giving his body a reassuring squeeze, I say with a chuckle; "You know I do. But you're shaking like a leaf, pumpkin."

"No, I'm not," he protests without a hint of conviction in his body. But he snatches his words back real quick when I say; "If you're not cold, I guess you won't want cuddles tonight."

When we reach the front of the hotel and the automatic doors open, the sigh I let out is one of pure relief at the newfound warmth. I swear it's like a wave of warm air washes over me like the ocean washing over a sandy beach.

We say hi to the man working in the reception, embarrassment turning my cheeks red when I realise that we're leaving a trail of water in our wake. Something Harry reassures me that they're probably used to. "Everyone knows that when it rains here, it pours."

It soothed my guilt a bit as we left a puddle in the elevator.

When the door to our hotel room shuts behind us, Harry lets go of me to turn the lights on. I suddenly become very aware of the way my skirt feels heavy instead of light and flowy like it always is. My sneakers feel like small lakes of their own and my hair sticks to the sides of my face and down my neck. The flannel I stole from Harry is ten shades darker than it was when I put it on and I can't wait to get out of these clothes and dry off.

"You know," Harry starts, wrapping his arms around my middle from behind and perching his head on my shoulder. "For a racoon, you're very sexy."

My head tilts on his shoulder back in laughter. "Yeah?" I giggle. "This whole drowned animal look gets you going?"

"Mhm. I'm too tired right now, but if you want to go looking for rain tomorrow, I'll prove it." His tone is light and full of teasing humour and I twist my head to kiss his temple, "Whatever you want, pumpkin."

With the side of his face pressed against mine, I can feel him smile. "I want cuddles."

"Let's get a shower to heat up first, yeah?" I grab his wrists, removing his hands from my body to give me enough room to turn around.

Harry shakes his head, running his hands down my sides before he lets them settle on my hips, "It'll take too long," he justifies. "Just wanna hold you close."

I try my best to ignore the butterflies fluttering around in my tummy as I take his hand and drag him with me into the bathroom, flicking on the bright lights. "You're gonna get sick if you go to bed all cold and wet. And you and I both know that you hate being sick."

My reasoning seems to fall on deaf ears when Harry reaches around my body for his toothpaste and toothbrush. "Don't need a shower to keep me warm when I have you." His hips bump against mine, keeping me in place right against the bathroom sink. I meet his eye in the mirror as I grab my own toothbrush, struggling to keep from laughing at the state of us.

I really do look like a raccoon.

He keeps his eyes locked on mine the whole time we brush our teeth. Toothpaste is running down his chin from the corner of his mouth by the time he's done from not spitting it out at all how he usually does. He still lets me spit out my own first and rinse my mouth before he does so himself. With his teeth all clean, he takes a step back and turns me to face him by my hips.

"Kissy?" he asks with his lips pouted expectantly. And who am I to deny him?

When he pulls away, he has a lazy smile on his face and an adorable blush to his cheeks, "Never wanna go a day without kissing you."

My chest tightens at how sincerely he says it. "What if I turn into an actual racoon when we sleep and don't just resemble one? Would you still want to kiss me?"

One second passes before Harry releases a loud cackle, his whole face scrunched up with laughter.

I roll my eyes playfully, grabbing one of the big towels from the peg on the wall as my tummy does backflips, "It was a serious question."

"Thank you." Harry accepts the towel I hand him, humour in his tone as he says; "Fine. I'd have to find a way to turn myself into a raccoon too. Then I could kiss you all I wanted, right?"

"Do raccoons kiss?" I ask, making a mental note to google it in the morning.

Harry shrugs as he roughly dries his hair with the towel while I gently squeeze the water out of mine with a white towel of my own. "I have no idea. But I remember reading somewhere that they cuddle."

"Really?" I swear my heart grows tenfold when he nods; "Yeah. If raccoons can get very attached to their owner, they'll snuggle with them for hours."

"Can we get a raccoon?" I would die from pure joy if a raccoon ever wanted to cuddle with me.

Scoffing, Harry puts the towel back on the peg with a frown on his face. "You'd rather cuddle a raccoon than me?"

"Yup. They're so fluffy, H," I explain simply, as I find my makeup wipes and start the process of removing the mascara that's making me resemble the creatures I just fell in love with. "Don't even lie to me and say you wouldn't do it too if you could."

"I've got you, don't I? Close enough to a raccoon for me." Harry puckers his lips affectionately against the crown of my head before he adds; "Plus, raccoons don't have boobs," pleased quirk to his mouth when my cheeks go red again.

Harry tells me about the dream he had last night while I do the rest of my skincare routine, humming gratefully with his eyes closed as I massage moisturiser into his skin.

Our clothes are still soaked but other than that, we've both dried up pretty nicely. Both his and my hair is starting to dry as well.

In the time since we got back to the hotel, Harry's eyelids have gotten heavier and he speaks slower than usual. All telltale signs that he's in need of his beauty sleep. And I can't lie and say that my head hasn't started to feel a bit fuzzy and tired now that I'm warm again.

"You still want to shower?" Harry asks, genuine curiosity in his voice and I know he would join me if I wanted him to. If he had asked me twenty minutes ago, I would've dragged him into a hot shower, no question. But right now? "Your idea sounds a lot better, pumpkin."

A tired, triumphant smile grazes his face. "Yeah?"

"If you say I told you so, I will chop off your hair," I warn him, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling when Harry rips himself from me with a gasp, covering his long hair with his hands the best he can. "How dare you?"

"Sorry, baby. Had to be said." I stand on my tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek on my way out of the bathroom. Harry grumbles something under his breath but follows soon after and we start to take off our rain-drenched clothes. The sound of wet clothes hitting the floor and Harry's humming fills in the silence.

I catch Harry checking out my ass with no shame when I slide a fresh pair of underwear up my legs. "Take a picture, it'll last longer," I tease before I turn my attention back to the suitcase, rummaging through it for a t-shirt.

The familiar noise of a phone camera has me twisting my head with raised eyebrows and flaming cheeks. Harry is laying on his tummy on the bed in his briefs, with his phone in his hand and a shit-eating grin on his tired face. "You told me to," he points out in his defence.

"You're insufferable," I shake my head as I slip on Harry's white t-shirt with 'dream boat' printed on both sides. Small on the front and big on the back in red letters.

"That's why you love me." Harry is completely unfazed, setting both mine and his phone to charge.

I don't say anything, but he's not wrong.

Once all the lights are off, I pad my side of the bed where Harry has left empty in the dark. I can barely make out where he's laying on his side with his head propped up on his hand.

The sheets are smooth and cool against my skin as I tuck them up underneath my chin. Mattress soft enough to make me want to never ever leave this bed. Especially when Harry scoots closer. He pulls my body to him, spooning me from behind. His arms wrap around me as he presses a loving kiss to the back of my neck. He lets me use his bicep as a pillow, our legs linked as I slip my fingers between his.

"I love you so much." His is barely even a whisper, his breath fanning against my skin every time he breaths. His body is so close to mine, I can feel his stomach expand and contract against my lower back.

The familiar, comforting smell of him and the heat of his body have my eyes growing too heavy to keep open much longer. I can feel the exhaustion from the day settling into my bones as I give in and let my eyelids close.

"I love you too."

-

[the-sky-is-my-home]

Endless list of things I love about post-ts haikyuu (misc. ver.)

having "part 2" chapters like the greatest decoy pt2, king of the court pt2, the greatest challenger pt 2... they show off so perfectly how everyone has grown!!

everyone getting their high school banners. looks so cool and is just a nice touch

everyone reuniting after the game it's just so wholesome

us not knowing who won the olympics or the ali roma/asas sao paulo game or the allstar match cuz it genuinely doesn't matter. no game is the end, and it's not the results that count but the process which includes both winning and losing and either way the world doesn't end. you keep playing and it keeps being fun. or you stop and find something else. just whatever makes you happy

kuroo and oikawa finally canonically meeting in the special

also oikawa and atsumu meeting. we so needed that, esp with iwaizumi there

the incredibly healthy outlook on volleyball the whole series has (this deserves its own post so I shan't elaborate here)

kageyama inviting kindaichi and kunimi to play together! finally these idiots get over what happened in middle school it's so nice to see. and kageyama's smile when they agree is so so cute

the fact that we got the beach volleyball outing with kageyama, kunimi and kindaichi (and hinata). like it's so good and such good closure. kindaichi gets to hit a spike off a perfect set from kageyama, looking like he has the time of his life. in the series proper, one of the ways it was shown that oikawa was a better setter than kageyama even if he wasn't at kageyama's technical level was him communicating with kunimi, recognizing his playstyle, and making the best use of it rather than berating him. in the special, even if kunimi hasn't played for years, kageyama assesses his play style and then suggests he should play beach volleyball for real, because it suits him. not only is it cathartic to see these three happy and on good terms, it shows off so well how much kageyama has grown since those days

the atsuhina dynamic is so good during the game as a whole there's so much there. they both replace each other's former partner, atsumu obv by doing the freak quick with hinata, but hinata also becomes a reliable emergency setter as osamu was, and pulls off one of osamu's moves from their game in hs. atsumu explaining kageyama's thought process to hinata (my points are mine, my hitters' points are also mine). atsumu blaming hinata for waking kageyama up even tho HE'S the one who called him a goody two shoes and got his character development started. hinata jumping for the quick and atsumu going "rn???" while osamu goes "yes this is the time to do it!!" and that's when atsumu gets his banner of "we don't need memories"

(honestly the kageyama/hinata/atsumu/osamu dynamic as a whole deserves its own post which also includes pre-ts stuff because there is just. SO MUCH)

and last but certainly not least, this:

all the little info we get about everyone. like yeah anyone would attempt to give the main characters of their story a satisfying conclusion. it's great haikyuu has done that, but it's amazing that like. basically every single side character has that. ikejiri still plays volleyball! he hasn't given up on it just cuz he sucks. who cares? I do! I care about aone and futakuchi still terrorizing volleyball players as an iron wall on a local team. I care about ukai and nekomata still having video calls. I care about fukunaga being a comedian. I care about saeko and akane being happy to see each other. I care about iizuna being able to keep playing, with a guy from inubushi no less. I care about suna still taking blackmail pics of atsumu like ten years later, now with access to instagram. I care that life has gone on for all of them, with or without volleyball in the picture, but that they're united by playing it together, at the same time, however flimsy or strong a particular connection might be. I care so much and haikyuu rewards me for it with so many good crumbs it's insane

[f1]

Daniel Ricciardo opens up on special friendship with former Red Bull rival Sebastian Vettel

Daniel Ricciardo opens up on special friendship with former Red Bull rival Sebastian Vettel - and how the German was the first person to pick up the phone when the Aussie F1 star was sacked by McLaren Aston Martin F1 driver Sebastian Vettel reached out directly to Daniel Ricciardo Gesture after Ricciardo was dumped by McLaren was appreciated by Aussie Both Vettel and Ricciardo will compete in Sao Paulo Grand Prix this weekend Ricciardo's future in sport beyond 2022 is unknown, he is exploring all options  By Andrew Prentice For Daily Mail Australia Published: 06:03 GMT, 12 November 2022 | Updated: 06:03 GMT, 12 November 2022 Unwanted Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo has revealed the caring nature of former Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel, as the popular Aussie ponders an uncertain future. The pair drove together at Red Bull in 2014 before Vettel left for Ferrari. Speaking ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Ricciardo, 33, said the German - now driving for Aston Martin - reached out when he was brutally cut from McLaren with a year remaining on his contract. 'He's picked up the phone a number of times this year and was just a friend who cared and reached out like a real friend would,' Ricciardo stated. 'Having friends like that is so important. Dumped Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo has revealed the caring nature of former Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel Ricciardo told media in Brazil ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix that his close friend reached out after the Aussie was brutally dumped by McLaren 'Some of the gestures he's made this year, and some of the kindness he's shown me were kind of unexpected.  'But yeah, it is just super nice.' Ricciardo has two races left before he vacates his McLaren seat for Aussie young gun Oscar Piastri, who will partner Lando Norris in 2023. The eight-time career race winner has conceded he will not have a seat on the grid next year - and is said to be weighing up offers as a reserve driver. Talks are believed to be ongoing with Red Bull and Mercedes. Asked if he would consider a future outside of Formula 1, Ricciardo said anything is possible. The close friends drove together at Red Bull in 2014 before Vettel (left) joined Ferrari - he is now on the books of Aston Martin 'I guess I need to wait and see where I land next year,' he said. 'Obviously I'm talking about potentially a reserve role or whatever. Truth is, I haven't agreed to anything or signed anything yet. 'Ultimately, if I feel maybe doing a one-off (Supercar race) will benefit me, and keep me sharp, then it's something I'll potentially look into. 'I don't want to say no yet to anything.' The Formula 1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix will be broadcast from 5am (AEDT) on Monday, November 14. Share or comment on this article: Daniel Ricciardo opens up on special friendship with former Red Bull rival Sebastian Vettel via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

[the-irish-mayhem]

Why are you unhappy with the black widow movie? Genuinely curious. Fans are excited for it. General audiences don't care for it. But you like Natasha and even you are not excited for it. I'd love to know your take.

My feelings are complicated. Like they are with most Marvel movies now.

So back in 2012, when fans started going “Where’s Natasha’s movie?” I started coming up with what I would want to see in her solo movie–and in my mind, it was going to be an origin story, no two ways about it.

And not only was it going to be an origin story for Natalya Romanova, it was going to be an origin of Natasha Romanoff. We were going to see how she came to be a part of SHIELD, we were going to see the by then infamous story of how Barton “made a different call.” We were going to get context for “the hospital fire, Sao Paulo, Drakov’s daughter” that Loki teased. We were going to see her developing partnership with Barton, develop her friendship with Nick Fury, see how Bucky was involved in her past, etc. In my mind, we were GOING to see all those things. It was simply a GIVEN with the story that I had felt that they’d set up–all these tantalizing bits of her past that were just BEGGING for payoff.

And then… they killed her in Endgame. And now her solo film is going to be her finale rather than a setup for something more. So even if I end up loving this movie more than anything else I’ve seen (which I highly, highly doubt) there’s going to be a sour taste at the back of my throat because I know that her story is over.

And maybe they will pay off some of the stuff I want them too. They’ve said that this film is going to delve further into her backstory than they’ve ever gone (which is not that much of a promise, because all they’ve done so far is tease with short flashbacks and a few lines of dialogue.) So perhaps I’ll be pleasantly surprised with some backstory payoff.

But the way I’d always imagined it, the vehicle for that payoff was going to be her redemption arc through her renewed purpose with SHIELD and the beginnings of the “found family” with Clint. Those were going to be the two pillars of hope and stability while we revisited her past. I wanted them to deepen the relationships she already had, expand on what they mean to her as a person, and how they shaped the woman who would eventually steal the show in IM3, Avengers, and Cap 2.

If you looked back far enough on my blog you could probably find some salt posts about the MCU unproductively expanding their universe–throwing in new characters, and focusing on making their story web BIGGER instead of more stable and dynamic. That’s how I feel about Alexei and Melina and Yelena being added–it’s three new characters who were are just meant to accept as “oh yes this is natasha’s old russian family/friends/frenemies/etc. oh aren’t their antics and interactions amazing! don’t they pull at those tender heartstrings!”

Because if you ask me? No, I don’t think they’re going to. I would’ve accepted the addition of Yelena (because if you ask me, she’s a more important part of the fabric of Natasha’s character than Alexei or Melina in the comics) but Marvel’s tendency of adding more characters and TELLING ME I need to care about them/their interactions with Natasha when I spent years building up expectation of payoff on the relationships that I already cared about because I began to care about them organically. Platonic or romantic, I’m ride or die Clintnat. I’ve wanted to see payoff for Nat and Nick’s friendship since she said “Don’t do this to me, Nick” in Cap 2.

There were already existing character threads I wanted them to pick up and pull and see what unspooled. What Marvel is doing is throwing those threads into the closet and pulling new threads from a bag, saying THESE are the threads I was meant to be looking forward to this whole time!

I would call to question your assertion that “General audiences don’t care for it” because my mom and dad, both in their fifties/sixties and as solidly “general audience” as you can get, have been asking me for YEARS when Black Widow was going to get her own movie. When Peggy Carter got her own show, they were really excited because they thought it was Black Widow (they were a disappointed when I said it wasn’t.) So I’d want to see some demo data before I would comfortably say the general movie-going audience isn’t going to be interested in a Black Widow movie.

Perhaps Marvel still has the capacity to delight me like it did with Black Panther, but I sincerely doubt it.

I do ask that everyone take this with a grain of salt because this is all just my personal take on the situation. I love Natasha Romanoff, and I think I always will. I’m planning on seeing the movie because I adore the character (even if my feelings about the actress who plays her are a bit muddled now). I’ve just come to accept that I’m not going into it with a lot of hype, and I don’t think I’m going to be leaving with a lot of story satisfaction either.

[theaugustossilence]

1. night

your sweat is on me body

my butt has its marks

your heart is saved

my face is covered with your enjoying

your blood is on my fenty sneakers

this is the end of our night

2. blind

I'm talking to my friend

my best friend

about the boy i like

he is so special

the boy i love

yes he is the most special

she is so cute

she cares about me so much

after all i'm blind

i'm blind when i'm in love

she told me to take it easy ...

I know

I'm going easy

I'm tired of having a broken heart

my fault

we talked for hours about him

he is the best

I could wear his name on my neck

not because he owns me

but yes, because he knows me

my friend laughed at that

but this is our song

that song

thank u taylor

she is so cute

she cares about me so much

after all i'm blind

i'm blind when i'm in love

she told me to take it easy ...

I know

I'm going easy

I'm tired of having a broken heart

my fault

my heart

poor guy

it's a mosaic of so broken

a mosaic

he is the most broken

boys go to hell

I know

I'm going easy

I'm tired of having a broken heart

my fault

I hope he doesn't do that ...

3. march

on the 31st of March

It was a day after our dinner

I called for him

saying that I wanted to see him

I had a lot of things on my mind.

that was my apex

we had dinner at nobu

I went to get ready

I was crying a lot

that was my apex

I got a big purse.

I would spend in your house.

I needed to get my things.

When I got there, you were there.

hardly knew what I had to say

I told you everything and I finished with you.

I barely knew anyone else

another person would go with you

throughout our relationship

You made a very strong friendship with my cousin.

And yes she was the one who left with you.

Our courtship was not well.

we were needing

needing that dinner

I was getting ready

I did not even know what to say

but I said what came into my mind

When I got there, you were there.

hardly knew what I had to say

I told you everything and I finished with you.

I barely knew anyone else

another person would go with you

throughout our relationship

You made a very strong friendship with my cousin.

And yes she was the one who left with you.

and that was the end of the story

people left

and others entered

4. the archer

I was already discredited

discredited of love

I hated everything about love

apart I was already discredited by love

I always go to coffee shops in sao paulo

on a sunday afternoon

I went to the nearest coffee shop

i was just bored

When I got there, I saw

I saw you

I should have stayed home that day

soon we exchanged glances

until I asked if I could talk to you

you shook your head making a positive sign

we talked for hours there

but I didn't deflect it

you came into my life like an archer

shot an arrow at my heart

but you forgot that arrows also kill

at least i prefer

you came into my life like an archer

shot an arrow at my heart

but you forgot that arrows also kill

at least i prefer

now i learned a lesson

never go to coffee shops when I'm bored

I learned the lesson

in the most cruel way

why you ...

you came into my life like an archer

shot an arrow at my heart

but you forgot that arrows also kill

at least i prefer

my blood runs down my body

and that same day ... I died

5. u are like cocaine...

I really don't understand you

I gave you everything

my soul was being led by you

but you think this is a beautiful game

you had my body

you had my soul

you had everything

everything was going so well

but you ruined everything

I had plans to go watch the lion king with you

I would actually spend the whole movie looking at you

you are like cocaine

you addict me

you satisfy me

you end my health

you just ignored me all day

I spent the whole day looking forward

waiting for you to leave the cafeteria

when it arrived at 10 pm my heart pounded

but you...

you had my body

you had my soul

you had everything

everything was going so well

but you ruined everything

I had plans to go watch the lion king with you

I would actually spend the whole movie looking at you

you are like cocaine

you addict me

you satisfy me

you end my health

this is it

this song is an open letter

open letter of my broken heart

6. holy place

when you arrived it was all magic

this magic was beautiful, it was all so magical

but in a magical way everything went ... everything turned blue

the magician turned tragic

the holy place became the cursed place

and my heart is broken

until I fix it

you broke it a thousand times

I found a thousand times

you broke it a thousand times

I found a thousand times

times, times, times

now that I sent you away

the bruises started to go away

you were the love of my life

until I send you away

the worst was that you obeyed

and really gone

the holy place became the cursed place

and my heart is broken

until I fix it

you broke it a thousand times

I found a thousand times

you broke it a thousand times

I found a thousand times

times, times, times

When I met you...

I was a little virgin

you took advantage of it

you tore me with all your might

the boy found pure

was left dirty

you broke it a thousand times

I found a thousand times

you broke it a thousand times

I found a thousand times

times, times, times

the holy place became the cursed place

and my heart is broken

until I fix it

(he's almost done)

[barbara-costa]

5b. Probe Packs: Disposable Camera

Photo essay captions from bottom to top

1. A friend of a friend took a photo of the bartender serving his beer.

2. His 6-year-old daughter, after being instructed to take a photo of something that represented her, took a photo of her dad.

3. I took a photo of the new BT phones, because phone boxes have a very special meaning to me since I was a child.  In the 90′s we had no phone at home and I used the phone box down the road to call my father and cousins. When I moved to London,  I used phone boxes to call home using a phone card.  Many people don’t know about these new free phones.  They make a big difference in the lives of people who need them as I have spoken to people who rely on them to use the web, charge their phones and make phones calls.  I think they are amazing and something that only a city like London would care to offer.

4. The next photo was taken by my friend’s husband.  Coming from the countryside in the UK, he loves the convenience of having pubs nearby and off license shops and take-away restaurants that stay open late.

5. I took this photo for my mother who loves the London buses.  To her they mean freedom. She can go anywhere she wants safely and comfortably unlike her experience of riding on buses in Sao Paulo.

6. This photo was taken by a friend who is a photographer and loves trees.  With film photographs we don’t know what to expect, so a bit of his finger came out on it.  If he was using a digital camera, he would have taken several photographs of the same tree, but here he only had one shot.

7. A friend took a photo of the Rochester Castle because he likes the weatherperson's pubs for their convenience, nonjudgmental atmosphere and affordable food and drinks.

8. To my friend, this image represents London.  She loves riding her bike and is amazed at the fact that even though London is such a big city, it is still possible to carry a child on the back of a bike.   At the weekends, she loves going to the pub for lunch with her friends and their kids and finds this a very typical London activity.  In her country, bars and restaurants are separate and families tend to take children to restaurants rather than bars.

9. The camera used to take the photographs.

--------

Blog Post: Empathizing with Londoners and reflecting on Smart City

In the lecture we were given a probe pack. Ours contained post it notes, play dough and a disposable camera.  The group didn’t wish to use it, so I had the idea to experiment by asking people to take one shot of something which represented them in the city.   I wanted to see what I could capture beyond the developed photographs.  

Nowadays one can make the argument that the quality and high definition of digital photos are as important as the message that they portray.  Digital photography is certainly more disposable and a lot more accessible.  In the past, amateur photographs were meaningful for the faces, events and places they marked and more about memory than aesthetics and perfection. 

The images captured through the disposable camera remind me of the ones I have repeatedly seen at my granny’s home, which brought so much joy and laughter, every time we gathered together with a cup of coffee to relive the past. The images that did not come out well are also a reminder of those moments as even images that didn’t develop well held a memory in the mind of the person who took them.   

At this stage in the project we are still investigating what is important to people living in this city.  Through these images, and the conversations I had with the people who took them, I have created a narrative.   There may be more than one possible narrative here, and surely not everyone in London feels the same way about being here.  What I see through these images tend to repeat itself to me over and over for the 20 years I’ve lived here. 

The photographs of a pub, a tree, a bus, inside of the pub, of a man, of the street with cars and shops together made me reflect on the reasons that many of us are attracted to London.  The people I normally interact with are from different parts of the world and came here mainly to experience the lifestyle, diversity, music and the opportunity to meet people from all over the world.  They appreciate the convenience of having bars, shops and pubs around the corner, a reliable and 24-hours public transport system and many parks, which they go to relax, exercise, socialise and connect with nature.  They enjoy living here because London allows people to feel free to be whoever they want to be.   It is possible to walk into a pub anonymously and with or without money be able to sit down, use the bathroom and have a refreshing drink before continuing on our journeys or choose to spend a whole evening eating and drinking lavishly and walk home completely inebriated.  The same feeling is felt at parks, where anyone can lie down on the grass to take a nap or have a picnic. No one will question, no one will mind.  

What if the city was non-judgmental? People would feel free...

Londoners feel free...

“When we look at photographs, we don't just look at them passively; we search for meaning and message, even if we are not consciously aware of doing so. In this way, you could argue that we read images as we would a piece of writing, trying to discover the meaning and the message behind it. At its simplest, the message could be that the photographer decided the scene was worth recording. At its most complex, an image can provoke problematic and ambiguous relationships between the reader and the image.” 

By Isabela Lea https://intrepidexposures.com/photo-inspiration/how-do-we-read-a-photograph/

Anonymity is a theme that also comes to mind when reflecting on life in cities.  Initiatives such as those employed by Smart City planners for gathering data to improve life in the city have a responsibility of maintaining people’s anonymity, which is one of the reasons why we live in them and one that Londoners hold very dear. 

I can’t help but wonder the consequences of the surveillance aspect of smart cities that on one side aims to improve efficiency and sustainability while reducing costs and resource consumption, but on the other it constantly monitors its citizens through strategically placed sensors to collect data regarding many different aspects of urban living. 

We know that the data that is aggregated is analysed by governments and local authorities is aimed at helping  with crime, traffic management, energy use and waste reduction, but at what cost?

Imagine if behind every set of eyes there was another seeing through what we see, what we do, and who we are, even more than there is already. Would our priorities change? What would become more important to have or to preserve?

[pots-and-what-not]

My mum keeps on stressing me to find a place for my mandatory internship, but then always suggests over the top stuff, like looking for something in Sao Paulo to get experience abroad or in other cities and doesn't understand that I don't want to go work somewhere for a month all alone. Telling me that I need to get something special because that would look great on my CV, same with her trying to make me apply for a scholarship, which would be an awful lot of work and stress and I don't need except for it to look good on my CV. And when I refuse she's like 'fine, if you only want to be some technical assistant later on' (something we both know would never satisfy me) and I can't tell her that I don't care about that cause my plan B is and always has been to simply end it once I'm sure I don't want my life anymore. Can't tell her that I never expected to even get this old as I am now, always knowing that I'd kill myself sooner or later. Can't tell her that my plan had actually been to do it after I finished school. But then I got accepted to university and decided that it couldn't hurt to go on a bit, after all I could still kill myself later. So that's what I'm doing now, going on with it cause it's kinda fun, but not really expecting to make it till the end. So why would I need to stress myself with fancy internships or scholarships I don't even want? I have no goal in life, nothing I want to achieve. I'm just here, living for other people because I don't want them to be sad.