#Online Parts for Academy Sports

[finelinefae]

the game [tennisplayer!harry x tennisplayer!y/n]

synopsis: y/n's desperate to play tennis and who better to coach her than her rival

word count: 6.7k

contains: enemies to lovers, set at a boarding school, jealous h, slow burn, angst, tennis rivals

a/n: this is the very first part of a new series that i am soooooo beyond excited to be writing !! it will most likely have 4/5 parts <333 enjoy !!!

. . .

Crestwood Academy was a prestigious boarding school with a mission to cultivate excellence in its students, many of whom went on to achieve great success in their respective fields. Nestled amidst rolling hills and lush greenery, it welcomed only the most accomplished families into its esteemed halls.

Y/N had attended Crestwood Academy since she was five, thanks to her father, who owned a country club and could afford the tuition. Her parents, strict and focused on success, were determined to give her the best education possible so that she could be the very best. Her face was always buried in a book or spending her days in the library, right up until the very last minute of its opening hours. 

It was her final year at Crestwood Academy before graduation. Y/N had been set on passing all of her exams at the top of her class so had been working extra hard. She studied English, maths, all three sciences, Latin, French and History as well as tennis. 

Y/N's parents had always urged her to pursue a career in the top industries. Despite her efforts to feign interest in that direction, her heart had always belonged to tennis ever since she first took up the sport at Crestwood.

She had competed plenty, winning all the academy trophies and medals. Her parents would visit whenever she competed in finals and congratulated her on winning but saw it as nothing but a hobby to participate in when she wasn’t studying. 

However, Y/N couldn’t deny herself the rush of playing knowing she’d have to part with the sport once she graduated. The career path of becoming a doctor was already laid out for her by her parents but she felt destined to follow a different path. 

Despite the fact she had applied to dozens of schools to study medicine, she still had one more option that had nothing to do with science at all. 

Every year, the academies hosted their own version of a grand slam in which the winning player received a scholarship and three years' worth of training from one of the top tennis academies in the world. Y/N longed to be at the top with the greats and she knew that this competition was the only way she could get there. 

For the most part, Y/N had been self-taught. She watched videos online and took notes from the Wimbledon matches she’d see on the television. Crestwood only had one sports coach who focused most of their time on the football team so if she was going to win the scholarship, she needed the very best. 

She sat on the bleachers, her book open in front of her, but her attention was drawn to the man on the court. The player’s movements were fluid and powerful, each action deliberate and precise. Yet, it was another man who held her gaze—a figure with an impassive expression, focused solely on his player.

When the match was over, Y/N slammed her book shut and walked towards the court after the players shook hands. Her eyes looked down at the limp in his step as he walked towards the cooler to grab a water bottle. 

It had been a while since she had last seen him. She remembered the proud look on his parent’s faces when he was pulled out of Crestwood eighteen months ago and went on to win a grand slam in Australia. She could still feel the intense jealousy that filled her as she watched the match on television whilst studying for her chemistry test that he was also supposed to sit had he stayed. 

Now he was here, back to his roots and maybe it had been fate because what she was about to ask him would determine her own path in the tennis career she longed for. 

His hair was slightly longer now, his brunette, touseled curls were swept to the side in a loose, dishevelled manner. He wore sunglasses to cover his eyes from the sunlight and a navy tracksuit paired with white vans. 

Seeing him brought back the once competitive emotions she had whenever she’d see him strut about the courts every lunchtime but she’d have to suppress those emotions, especially for what she was about to ask him. 

“Excuse me, Harry?” Y/N called out. 

He took a water bottle from the cooler and flicked off the cap before holding it to his lips and gulping it down. Y/N waited, crossing her arms as she did. “I’ve been waiting for you to show up.” Was the first thing he said. 

Y/N didn’t know what to say. It was unexpected to know that he had been waiting to see her, “I didn’t know you were part of the furniture on these courts,” He smirks and Y/N’s jaw ticks. “And you still sit in the exact same spot on those bleachers, to what? Admire me?”

Y/N bristled at Harry's cocky remark, her irritation bubbling to the surface. "Hardly," she retorted, her tone sharp. "I have better things to do than waste my time watching you play."

Harry chuckled, his smirk widening as he leaned against the cooler. "Is that so? Then what brings you here?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity. “Come to get an autograph?”

Y/N squared her shoulders, determined not to let his arrogance get under her skin. "I was actually hoping to talk to you about something," she replied, her voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in her stomach.

Harry raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. "Oh? And what might that be?" he inquired, his gaze piercing as he studied her intently.

Taking a deep breath, Y/N gathered her courage and suppressed her pride, "I want you to coach me," she blurted out, her words hanging in the air between them. 

Harry made no effort to hide the surprise on his face but it quickly melted into a cocky smirk, “You want me to coach you? I thought you hated me?” 

“I do,” She replies quickly. She’d hated him ever since he had humiliated her in a battle of the sexes tennis tournament when they were young despite the fact she had little chance of winning against him anyway. “But I don’t have to like you to recognise your talent and right now you're the best and only coach I can get if I’m going to win that scholarship,”

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, “Your parents still want you to study medicine?” Something flickered in his eyes that Y/N couldn’t put her finger on. 

Y/N wasn’t going to give him an answer even though it was obvious, “This is the only chance I get to escape it,” She mutters, “I wouldn’t ask unless I was desperate.”

He glanced around before taking a step forward. She was tempted to step back at the same time but she didn’t want to seem intimidated by him so stood her ground. From this proximity, she noticed how much taller he was compared to her - almost an entire foot. 

“What’s in it for me?” He asked.

Y/N knew he’d ask which was why she spent so much time figuring out what she could tell him to make it worthwhile. “I know about your injury,” She says and he stills.

“Everyone knows about my injury.” He grumbles. 

It had been a spectacle in the world of tennis. The new grand slam winner loses out on his second after a fatal injury at the French Open. Y/N remembered seeing him rolling on the ground, holding onto his leg as paramedics ran onto the court to aid him. 

“People think you’re a one-hit wonder since you’re out for the season,” His jaw clenched as she spoke, “But if you coach me and get me to win, I guarantee you’ll be out on the court again - back where you belong,”

“You think an academy league game can get my back onto the court?”

“No, but it's a start and maybe I’ll be competing alongside you the next time you’re playing.” 

There was a moment of silence as Harry absorbed her words, his gaze searching hers for any hint of insincerity. Finding none, he let out a heavy sigh, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Fine," he relented, his voice tinged with resignation. "You want me to coach you? Prove you’re worth coaching.” 

He walked over to the barrel of tennis rackets and picked one up. Y/N narrowed her eyes, remembering the last time they had played against each other and how embarrassed she was afterwards. 

“But you’re-”

“One game won’t hurt,” He said before she could finish. 

She followed, her steps purposeful as she reached for a racket, flipping it over in her hands as she strode to the other end of the court. Despite being clad in her school uniform—a pleated skirt, white shirt with the school crest, and loafers that threatened to slide off her feet—she was determined to prove herself. She'd show him she was worth his time, that she was a far better tennis player than he gave her credit for.

As they took their positions on opposite ends of the court, the tension between them crackled in the air. Y/N gripped her racket tightly, her focus sharp as she prepared to face off against Harry once again.

The first serve sliced through the air, the sound echoing as the ball hurtled towards Y/N. She moved with fluidly, her muscles tensing as she returned the serve.

Harry's response was swift, his movements confident as he returned the ball with a well-placed shot that left Y/N scrambling to keep up. Even with his injury, he still held the precision of a professional. But she refused to back down, her determination driving her to match him shot for shot, rally after rally.

The game intensified as they traded blows, each point reflecting their skills and determination. Y/N's heart pounded in her chest as she fought to keep pace with Harry, her mind focused solely on the ball. Both Y/N and Harry vocally exerted their energy through grunts and cries as they hit the ball with all their energy. 

Despite her efforts, Harry seemed to anticipate her every move. But Y/N refused to be outdone, drawing on every ounce of strength and skill as she fought to gain the upper hand.

As the game progressed, Harry's skill and experience began to overthrow her. His shots were close to perfect and strategic, leaving Y/N struggling to keep up. Despite her determination, she found herself falling behind as Harry continued to dominate the match.

In the end, it was Harry who emerged victorious, his final shot landing just beyond Y/N's reach with a satisfying thud. As the ball bounced out of the court, Y/N knew that she had been outplayed.

She rested her hands on her knees, hunched over as she tried to regain her breath. She couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she’d lost despite the fact she was at a disadvantage anyway. 

Harry’s shadow fell over her but she refused to look up just yet. He spoke anyway, “You’ve gotten better since the last time I saw you,” He spoke, holding a cold water bottle in front of her face. 

She took it, the plastic crackling under her fingers, “You can just say you’re not going to do it,” She mumbled, unscrewing the cap and taking a swig of water. 

“I’ll coach you,” He says, “Meet me here at 6 pm tomorrow.” 

Y/N finally looked up, her mouth parted, only to find his back facing her as he walked away from the courts. 

. . . 

Harry had no idea what he had agreed to in coaching Y/N at tennis. 

He sat in his luxurious apartment ten minutes away from Crestwood Academy, surrounded by furniture wrapped in plastic or still in cardboard boxes. 

He sat on the couch with his feet resting on the coffee table in front of him and a glass of whiskey in his hand. The TV was playing quietly in front of him but his mind was on the girl he had spent the majority of his life competing with. 

She had grown since the last time he had seen her before he graduated and left the country to compete in the Australian Open. Her long, tanned legs were on show beneath the grey school skirt she had been wearing. He couldn’t seem to get the image of the visible muscles in her calves out of his mind as she moved across the court to hit the ball during their impromptu tennis match. 

Despite their personal differences, Harry couldn't resist her. There was an undeniable thrill in riling her up, in watching her reactions to the smallest digs. They had once been friends, back when Y/N would trail after him on the playground, eager to understand how to hit a ball with a tennis racket. But as she began competing in school competitions, she quickly learned that beating him was an impossible feat. 

He wasn’t surprised to see her watching him on the court today, in fact, it amused him. Whether she liked it or not, he would always look out in the bleachers for her whenever he’d play during his time at the academy. Her reactions were what kept him going, some might even say made him better. 

But, he couldn’t deny the fact that he was surprised to see her so brazenly asking him to coach her. He could tell by her reaction that it was killing her inside, to be coached by him when all she’d done was pick apart his technique, but it was clear she was desperate and Harry knew it was because of her parents. 

Harry had had his fair dose of strict parentage. When he was told he could no longer play tennis for the season, his parents shipped him straight back to Crestwood to finish his final year since he never actually graduated. 

He loathed them for it, barely saying a word to them as they paid the rent in cash for his apartment and left him with boxes to unpack on his own. He knew they were disappointed in him despite the fact the injury was no fault of his own, they could barely look at him as they left, closing the door behind them. 

It was embarrassing. How could he have gone from being at the top of his game to the very bottom? Now he was back in the place he had turned his back on, feeling like he was back to square one all over again. 

Harry’s thoughts were broken by the sound of his phone ringing. The name of his best friend since he was born lit up the screen.

“What?” Harry answered the call, his train of thought forming a particular level of intolerance in him.

“Hey, is that any way to talk to your best friend?” Mitch replied along with the sound of loud chattering in the background because he always had to be somewhere with someone. 

“Sorry,” Harry huffed, “Long day.”

“Already? You’ve not even started classes yet,” Mitch chuckled.

“Don’t remind me,” Harry hadn’t even begun thinking about being back in classrooms and having to put up with kids his age berating him with questions he didn’t want to answer. Tomorrow would be his first day back and he was dreading it.

“C’mon now, don’t be too glum about it, haven’t you missed me?” 

“No,” Harry lied. 

“I know you well enough now to know when you’re lying.” Mitch laughed down the phone. 

A hint of a smile grazed Harry’s lips, "Whatever," he replied, his tone gruff but lacking conviction. Despite his attempt to feign disinterest, a part of him couldn't deny the truth in Mitch's words. There had been many moments he had experienced after leaving school when he missed the company of people his own age. Everyone around him was older than he was and spoke to him as though he was some prized trophy that needed to be handled with caution. He’d spend evenings by the pool by himself, watching the sunset and wishing his friends were there to celebrate his win with him. 

"I'll take that as a yes," Mitch teased, “I know the boys will be happy to have y’ back and I can introduce you to Sarah. I think Molly Brown still has a thing for you as well by the way, talks about you all the fuckin’ time.” Harry listened to his friend ramble about all the things he had missed in the last year or so but his mind seemed to travel elsewhere. 

His eyes wandered around the room, his ear still pressed to his phone, until they landed on an open box with a picture frame resting on top. He recognized the photo immediately, even without picking it up, because he had kept it hidden in his old dorm desk. In the picture, a group of eight students—four boys and four girls—smiled at the camera, with Harry standing at the back and Y/N right beside him.

. . . 

Y/N slammed the door of her locker shut after pulling out her workbooks for her next class. Students bustled down the hallways of Crestwood Academy, wearing their navy blazers and uniform for another week of school. 

“Have you seen him yet?” Sarah, Y/N’s best friend, came out of nowhere and stood in front of her. 

“Seen who?” Y/N remained indifferent even though she knew who Sarah was referring to. 

Everyone had been talking about Harry since she had walked into school from her dorm room this morning. It was the main topic of conversation, everyone’s eyes darting around the hallways to try and find him. 

“You know,” Sarah nudged her, “The boy you’ve spent most of your life in a one-sided rivalry with?” 

“One-sided? It’s a mutual hatred,” Y/N argued.

Sarah gave her a look before continuing, “I texted Mitch twenty minutes ago but he hasn’t replied. I know I’ve met Harry before but this is the first time I’ll be meeting him as Mitch’s girlfriend and I don’t want it to change anything.”

Y/N’s eyes softened, “Sarah, just because he’s the winner of a grand slam doesn’t make his opinion of you any more important. Whether Harry likes you or not, everyone knows you and Mitch are perfect for each other.”

Y/N remembered the first time her friend had told her she was seeing Mitch. He had taken her out to dinner a few times and Sarah had come back to their shared dorm swooning and unable to stop herself from rambling the rest of the night about how romantic and funny he was. 

Y/N had never experienced anything like that in her life, too busy focusing on tennis and academia to find herself in relationships, but she was happy her best friend was happy and that was all that mattered to her. 

“I know but he’s important to Mitch. They’ve been best friends since infants and… that’s not all I’m worried about,” Sarah looked at Y/N pointedly. 

“What?” 

“Now that Mitch and I are together, that means we’ll be spending more time around each other which also means…” Sarah didn’t have to finish her sentence for Y/N to understand what she was trying to get at. 

“Oh n-no! No way! Sarah, are you being serious right now?” Y/N whined, “You want me to get along with Harry just because you’re dating his best friend?”

“You don’t have to but it would be nice if you did,” Her voice trailed off at the end, her eyes looking at her pleadingly, “I’m not asking you to be best friends, I’m just asking you not to chew his head off when we’re all in the same room together.”

Y/N wanted to argue and tell her she wouldn’t be able to chew his head off anyway because she needed him to coach her for the scholarship but an arm slid around Sarah’s waist and interrupted their conversation. 

Sarah grinned, turning to look up at her boyfriend who was now standing beside her, “Hey babe,” Mitch smiled.

“You’re here,” Sarah craned her neck to kiss his lips, “I texted you forever ago and you never replied.

Mitch scoffed, “It was twenty minutes ago and I didn’t have time to check my phone, too busy dragging this one through the front gates.”

Out of the corner of Y/N's eye, another figure appeared. She didn’t have to look to see who it was, the sudden surge of annoyance within her already gave them away. Her head tilted to the left to look up and see Harry. 

He was wearing his school uniform, the same way he always did before he left for Australia. His shirt was untucked, and the top button was undone revealing a gold chain and a white vest underneath, his grey trousers were ironed with not a crinkle in sight and his navy blazer hung casually behind him, hooked by his middle finger.

Y/N’s eyes shifted behind him to find people whispering to each other and groups of girls giggling as they walked past. It was nothing new to see girls getting riled up over him but it had become more intensified now that he had gone abroad and made a name for himself. Despite his injury preventing him from playing, Y/N was certain that even if Harry had lost every game and embarrassed himself on live television, people would still adore him.

“Hey Harry,” Sarah offered a kind smile.

“Hi Sarah, nice to see you again. Glad to know Mitch was in good hands whilst I was away,” Harry clapped his friend on the shoulder before turning to Y/N.

“Only the very best,” Mitch pulled Sarah into his side before motioning to Y/N, “You remember Sarah’s best friend Y/N right?”

“Hmmm, aren’t you the one who lost the Junior tennis competition to me a few years ago?” Harry smirked.

Y/N's jaw clenched, but she managed to force a smile. "I could be, but aren’t you the one who they recorded rolling around on the floor like a big baby at the French Open last year?" Her retort was sharp, aimed directly at Harry.

Harry's eyes narrowed in response, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. Y/N felt a sense of satisfaction at having gotten such a reaction from him. "Welcome back to Crestwood," she added, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Mitch and Sarah exchanged weary glances, sensing the tension between Y/N and Harry.

"Quite a welcome. I’ve already been asked to coach someone and I’ve only been back a week," Harry remarked, his gaze still fixed on Y/N, who met his stare with a glare of her own.

"You have?" Mitch frowned, his confusion evident.

"Who?" Sarah asked, equally perplexed.

Harry's eyes remained locked on Y/N, giving them their answer. "You asked him to coach you?" Sarah questioned her confusion mirroring Mitch's.

Y/N shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny, "Yeah, I did," she admitted reluctantly, her gaze flickering briefly to Harry before returning to Mitch and Sarah.

"Why would you ask him to coach you?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowing in confusion, “You argue all the time,” 

Y/N hesitated, “I need to win the scholarship to the tennis academy in London and Harry’s the only person here who knows how to play the game.” 

“Glad to know I was the pick of the bunch,” Harry’s voice dripped with sarcasm. 

“I thought you were applying to go to UCL?” Sarah frowned. 

“I was but you know how much the game means to me and my parents refuse to believe it’s more than just a hobby. This is the only chance I’ll get to prove them wrong and the only option to get me out of studying medicine.” Y/N explained. 

Sarah’s eyes softened, she too was no stranger to how strict Y/N’s parents could be. “Which is why she needs me,” Y/N felt the weight of his arm rest across her shoulders, “Right, love?” 

Y/N spun around to face Harry, eyes sharp, “Don’t call me that,” She hissed, seeing the satisfied grin on his face. 

He shrugged, “But I always call you that,” 

Ever since they were teenagers, when the rivalry first began, Harry had opted to calling Y/N ‘love’ knowing how much it riled her up. To some, it was a term of endearment but in the world of tennis the word ‘love’ meant one thing. 

‘Nil, ‘Zero’, ‘Loser’. 

Y/N hated the way he spoke it too - accentuating each letter of the word to drag it out for as long as he could just to annoy her further. 

She stepped forward, “Call me that one more time,” She threatened.

“Or what?” He tilted his head to the side. 

“Guys seriously, break it up,” Sarah intervened, “Aren’t you supposed to be getting along if you’re going to be spending more time together.”

Y/N hated the thought of it but knew she was right. If she wanted Harry to coach her, she couldn’t go around screwing things up by arguing with him. If he was going to coach her at the sport, she’d have to coach herself in controlling her attitude around him. 

“C’mon Sarah, let’s go to class,” Y/N hooked arms with her best friend, wanting to get as far away from him as possible. 

“Oh okay, bye Mitch.” Sarah kissed her boyfriend before she was dragged down the hallway in a hurry.

Harry watched as Y/N practically sprinted down the hallway with Sarah in tow. He felt the need to call out of her for one last dig just so she would turn around and he’d see her face before she rounded the corner, “See you on the courts, love.” He called down to her. 

As he had hoped, Y/N’s head whipped around to glare at him along with her middle finger, “Asshole!” She called back.

Harry chuckled to himself, “That face,” he murmured. 

Mitch placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder, “You’ve got it in for yourself with that one, lad.” Mitch said.

“Tell me about it,” Harry replied, his eyes still on the place he’d last seen Y/N. 

Maybe returning to Crestwood wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

. . . 

With Harry back, Y/N had suspected the day would be a drag with everyone constantly bringing him up in every conversation, but the first half of the day had gone well. Y/N was easily used to her classes by now and was still top of the class in all of them. 

During lunch period, Y/N always sat with Sarah in the library where they’d catch up on what they missed out on each other’s lives or study during exam season. It was nice to have some reprieve during the school hours and whenever she was with Sarah, Y/N could talk for hours and hours.

Now that Sarah was dating Mitch, Y/N and Sarah would spend their lunch with his friends in the lunch hall. Y/N didn’t mind it so much having grown used to being around Mitch’s friends despite their loud and boisterous personalities. 

However, today she was dreading the fact that now her lunchtimes would also include being around the person she wanted to spend as little amount of time with as possible. 

“Can’t we just eat in the library today? Please?” Y/N pulled on the sleeve of her best friend's blazer as she begged her to turn back in the direction of the library. She could already picture Harry’s annoying smirk the closer they got to the entrance of the lunch hall.

“Y/N you’re being dramatic. It’s just an hour, I’m sure you can survive being around him that long.” Sarah continued to tug her down the hallway.

“Sarah I already have to spend enough time as it is,” Now that she asked him to be her coach. The more the day went by the more she was starting to regret her decision. 

Sarah spun on her heel, “Think of this as practice then,” Her eyes looked past Y/N’s shoulder, “Look, there they are,” She moved past her and beelined towards their table where Y/N saw Mitch, Jake and Adam already sitting along with that head of brunette curls that Y/N just wanted to tear out every time she saw him. 

Sighing, she followed Sarah and approached the table responding to everyone’s friendly greetings until she got to Harry, “You’re in my seat,” She spoke after realising all the seats were taken. 

Harry didn’t bother to look around, that stupid grin plastered to his face when he looked up at her, “Am I?” 

Y/N gritted her teeth, “Yes,”

“Hmm,” He swivelled around to look at the back of the chair, “I don’t see your name anywhere.”

A wave of chuckles rippled around the table but Y/N had yet to find the amusement in it. “She does always sit there, H.” Mitch chuckles, “Just grab another chair from a different table.”

Harry leant back against the seat and crossed one leg over his thigh, “But I quite like this seat.” 

“I’m not moving until you get out of my seat,” Y/N crossed her arms, refusing to give in to him. 

“Well you’re going to be stood up for a long time and y’ need those legs for later,” Harry smirked, “Or you could just sit here,” He unfolded his legs and motioned towards his lap, “Still your seat.” 

Y/N’s jaw clenched but before she could respond, Adam chuckled and stood up, “Here,” He picked another chair up from an empty table and set it down next to him, “Y’ can sit here Y/N.” 

She was tempted to refuse and continue to nag Harry for the rest of lunch but decided against it, not wanting to waste her energy on him. Her eyes softened at Adam’s kindness, “Thanks, Adam.” She sat beside him. 

Harry’s smirk seemed to falter when Y/N sat down, watching as Adam looked at Y/N even as she turned to face the others. 

“Is that Molly Brown looking at y’ again Harry?” Jake, who Y/N considered the loudest one of Mitch’s friends, leant over the table to speak lowly to Harry even though it was impossible for him to ever be so quiet. 

Harry forced himself to look away from Adam before he burnt holes into him. “She’s been after him since fifth year,” Mitch chuckled. 

“Y’ think you’ll let her have it this year, H?” Jake takes a spoonful of his lunch and swallows it down. 

“Have what?” Sarah frowned, confused.

“Nothing you need to know about, babe,” Mitch replies, opening her waterbottle for her after she silently handed it to him. 

“I’ve never been interested in Molly,” Harry quickly replies but his ears prick when he hears Y/N laughing quietly with Adam. 

“Mind if I take my chances then?” Jake asks, “I’ve always wanted to date a cheerleader,” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Harry shakes him off, “What about you Adam?” He gets the attention from both Y/N and Adam as they look up, “Don’t you have a thing for Molly?”

Adam furrows his brows, “Molly Brown? Maybe in like third year,” He chuckles, “I’m not interested in anyone at the moment.”

Harry wants to laugh in his face, “Y’ sure about that?”

Adam frowns but Y/N quickly interrupts them, “People are allowed to have other interests you know.”

Harry feels that rush of excitement when she speaks run through his body, “Is this a touchy subject for you?”

Y/N scowls, “No, I’m just saying Adam doesn’t need to be interested in girl’s all the time.”

“Well maybe Adam can speak for himself,” Harry quips.

“Lord save me,” Jake mumbles and Sarah laughs.

“Well what about you? Have you managed to sink your fangs into anyone?” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Y/N gapes, “I’ve dated plenty of people,”

The image unsettles Harry but he takes the opportunity to tease Y/N further. "Plenty of people, huh?" he echoes.

Y/N's cheeks flush slightly,  "I mean... well, not plenty, but a few," she stammers.

But Harry doesn't let up, "Oh, really?" he presses, "Care to share? I'm sure we'd all love to hear about the few men who you’ve tempted."

Y/N shoots him a glare, knowing full well that Harry was onto her. "I... uh, well," she stumbles over her words, searching for a way to change the subject.

But before she can respond, Adam jumps in. "Come on, Harry, give her a break," he glowers. 

“Yeah, Y/N’s just waiting for the right guy and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Sarah pipes in, always one to have her best friend’s back.

Harry raises an eyebrow, his gaze flickering between Y/N and Adam before settling on Y/N, who shifts uncomfortably. Sensing the tension, Mitch swiftly changes the subject to something else.

. . . 

After lunch, Y/N made her way to her next class with Adam walking alongside her. Out of all of Mitch’s friends, she got on the most with Adam to the point where Sarah was constantly pestering her over considering a date with him but Y/N didn’t see him as any more than a good friend.  He was quiet and kept to himself for the most part, excelling in the arts and playing bass guitar in a band on weekends. Y/N enjoyed the calmness he brought to the group especially with the others being so loud all the time. 

“What do you think?” Adam asked, holding the strap of his backpack in one hand as it hung over his right shoulder. 

“What do I think about what?” Y/N frowned. 

“You know, Harry being back. I know you two didn’t always get along,” He explained.

Y/N scoffed, “If it weren’t for the fact he’s coaching me for the Academy Slam, I would be praying to whatever God that’d listen to send him back to Australia,” Which was also the furthest possible country he could be away from her. 

Adam chuckled, “He told us earlier he’d be coaching you,” 

Y/N scowled, “I bet he couldn’t get enough of it,” 

“Actually he seemed pretty happy about it. We haven’t seen him that happy since he got back from Australia.”

“Really? Maybe that injury did something to his head,” 

“What makes you hate him so much anyway?” Adam asked. 

Y/N sighed. It was a question she heard often but never had a solid answer for. She couldn't quite explain why she disliked Harry so much. Maybe it was because he had things she wanted, and jealousy often turned into hatred. But there was something more, something she couldn't quite pin down.

Despite her dislike, Y/N went to all of Harry's matches, and she watched them on TV too. Even when she tried to stay in her room, her legs seemed to move on their own, taking her to the courts to watch him play. She hated that part of her rooted for him, and she couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was because Harry had been the first person to teach her how to play and she felt some sense of loyalty to that but she had no perfect answer even though she wished for one. 

“His face annoys me,” Y/N says.

“That’s it?” Adam snickers. 

“I don’t know,” Y/N shrugs, “We’ve always had this rivalry that stemmed out of nowhere but I can’t even remember how it started.”

“You don’t have feelings for him do you?” The question came out of nowhere and took Y/N completely off-guard. 

"What? No!" Y/N's response came out a little too quickly, and she hoped her cheeks hadn't betrayed her by turning red.

Adam shrugged. "Just making sure," he said casually. "You know, some people get them mixed up—love and hate."

Y/N furrowed her brow, genuinely puzzled. "How is that even possible?"

"Well, they're both intense emotions, aren't they?" He mused. "And sometimes, when you feel strongly about someone, whether it's love or hate, it can blur the lines between the two."

Y/N pondered his words, a sense of unease settling in her stomach, "No way," she replied firmly, shaking her head. "I may not like him, but there's definitely no love there."

Adam chuckled, sensing her defensiveness. "Alright, that’s good," he said with a grin.

Y/N felt a hint of a smile on her lips, “What does that mean? That’s good?”

Adam shrugged, still smiling, “Jus’ saying,” He spoke and Y/N laughed. 

Her gaze flicked from Adam's to Harry, who stood in the hallway with Molly Brown, her brunette waves tied up in the perfect, slicked back ponytail. Hoping to slip by unnoticed, she quickened her pace, but it was too late. Harry's eyes locked onto hers, then shifted to Adam. She caught the subtle twitch of his jaw before he pushed off the wall, ignoring Molly, and strode toward them.

Adam must not have noticed Harry coming towards them because he quickly bid goodbye so he could rush to his literature class. Y/N picked up her pace but Harry was already by her side, “Do you like him?” Harry asked.

“Who Adam? Well let’s see, he’s nice and smart and doesn’t feel the need to open his mouth every five seconds unlike some people I know, so yeah I do like him.” 

Harry scoffed, “He’s a little boring don’t you think?” 

Y/N rolled her eyes at Harry's comment, a retort already forming on her lips. "Nice of you to say that about your own best friend," she quipped. "Makes me wonder what you say about me."

Before she could say anything more, she gasped in surprise as Harry tugged on her hand and swiftly spun her around until her back was against the row of lockers. Her heart raced as he stepped forward, blocking her in, and dipped his head closer to hers.

"I think we need some ground rules for this whole coaching thing," Harry murmured, his voice low. "If you're planning on winning, I recommend using your time more wisely instead of wasting it on nice boys."

Y/N's breath caught in her throat as she processed his words. "Is that a rule or are you asking me not to date anyone?" she managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Both," Harry replied, his tone unwavering.

Her mind raced, unsure how to respond, "What about you then?" she countered.

"Is that a personal request?" Harry's smirk widened, his gaze locking onto hers. "Because I'm the coach, and I set the ground rules so anything you ask me to do is because you want me to do it."

Y/N's heart pounded louder in her ears as Harry's proximity sent heat coursing through her, "It's only fair," she replied, her voice barely audible.

Harry chuckled softly. "Fine, if it makes you happy. But I’m not interested in dating nice girls or boys anyway," he remarked with a smirk.

Y/N swallowed, her curiosity piqued. "What are you interested in?" 

He smirked, "The game," he replied cryptically.

With that, he moved away from her, his eyes lingering on her lips for a moment before he turned and walked down the hallway, “See you tonight, love.” He called back. 

As the sound of his footsteps faded, Y/N stood there, stunned and unable to move. She was grateful that no one had witnessed the exchange as she pulled out her compact, trying to compose herself and hide the flush of embarrassment that coloured her cheeks.

As she hurried to class, already five minutes late, Y/N couldn't shake the intensity of her encounter with Harry. Sitting by the window, her mind wandered as the teacher lectured the class, her gaze drifting to the courts outside where she'd soon be training with him this evening.

This coach-student dynamic had unlocked a new territory between them, something unpredictable that Y/N had no choice but to delve into for the months ahead. 

Yet, it was her only choice. Harry was the only way she could win and she’d push through whatever feelings she had to get what she wanted. 

She’d play the game, just as he wanted her to. 

[itsgodepi]

If I lose my mind | Ch. 5

Series summary: When you're buried under a mountain of problems and can’t seem to catch a break, it might feel like you need a complete reset. But did it really have to come with a one-way ticket to a new dimension? Surely, a little problem-solving would’ve done the trick. Or, one day you go to sleep as a normal person and the next you wake up as a Formula One driver. You've never been a fan but isn't it like, one of the most exclusive sports? Pairing: CL16, LH44, CS55, DR3 x fem!reader Chapter: Previous | Next Word Count: 3k Also on AO3

Reading your own Wikipedia page is quite a strange experience. Paragraph after paragraph of your life written on the internet for everybody to see, from the day you were born all the way to this very moment. 

You do not know if the fact that none of it is true is for better or worse. 

Some parts are accurate, information about your hometown, date of birth, relatives' names and... that’s about it really. According to this biography, not only have you been the runner-up for a Formula 3 championship, but you are also a Formula 2 champion, which is good you guess, for someone that did not even know those kinds of competitions existed. As of two hours ago, Formula One was the only championship with those kinds of cars you had ever heard about, but there are so many. Too many actually. In a section of your page named ‘junior racing career’ —which is in itself a crazy sentence to read—, it even says something about karting’s championships and an academy thing, concepts you are not sure if you want to understand. 

Oh, and the most important part, you are a Formula 1 driver, a statement endlessly repeated throughout the text. They even claim this to be your second year on the motorsport, ‘not a rookie anymore’ they say, as if yesterday’s race was not the first one you have ever watched from start to finish. 

Still, if being pushed into a Formula One car and a whole Wikipedia page was not enough of a confirmation, you can find a million articles online that certify your participation in the sport. Webs filled with photos of you with the cars, dressed in full gear and with that stupid blue helmet, the situation getting worse and worse with every tap of your finger. 

How is any of this possible? 

The rabbit hole that seems to be your ‘life’ keeps you awake night after night, new information slapping you in the face every two minutes while you try to navigate what appears to be a Formula One driver’s normal schedule. Nick makes sure of that last part at least. 

The first step on that agenda had been to fly out of Austria, a place you cannot comprehend how you had arrived to when you were in Spain just yesterday. It is not like you were having the best time of your life there, finishing the third month of your external internship in a city you thought was already too far away from home, but this change looks a bit excessive. The possibility of being in a completely different country had seemed so absurd at first, when a list called Austrian GP came up as one of the top results in your research, and yet with a simple look to the navigation app, your worst nightmare had been confirmed. From your trip to the airport, to the arrival to another country, France, and to a new hotel, Nick walking you through every step of the process and only leaving you alone once you are back in the hotel room. 

The next few days follow a similar dynamic, mornings spent trailing behind Nick without a clue of what happens around you and long nights glued to the phone, the date for the next GP —or whatever they call it— getting closer and closer.  

You are not ready to repeat last Sunday’s events, an engine failure had saved you from the inevitable end, but you might not be so lucky next time. There is no way you are stepping into that car again, that is for sure, and even less so when you have not figured out what brought you here in the first place.  

Although you had drowned yourself in information about your supposed life the first nights in France, the need to discover what was happening to you had quickly managed to overpower that curiosity. From the moment Nick knocks on your door early on the morning to the hours you lay awake on bed looking for anything that could explain this madness, you spend every second of the day looking for an explanation.  

A kidnapping had been the most credible theory from day one, the way you had woken up to all those screams and the men surrounding you, how Nick had come into your hotel room that morning and pushed you to drive with no regard for your safety. It made sense. However, the articles posted all over the internet told a very different story. There is too much information about you, some posts even dating back to when you were a child, photos and videos that cannot be simply edited and uploaded to make you believe you have gone crazy. You have driven a Formula One car on an official race, for crying out loud, that is not something anybody can orchestrate. 

To be honest, the whole Formula One thing had knocked down quite a few of your guesses. What could someone gain from making you, a nobody, believe they are a motorsport driver?   

In fact, the only theory that could easily explain everything that had happened to you in the past few days is that: none of this is real. A dream. You can vividly remember dozing off on your bed, that sensation of falling down and then suddenly waking up in that unfamiliar place. It could be the reason why you had blacked out when the car exited the garage, why everyone knew you, and could also explain the existence of all those false stories on the internet.  

You had made all of this up. 

That had indeed been one of your first assumptions, or at least had been an easy way for your mind to let go of all the worries in such an unnerving situation. If this was not real, there was nothing to stress about, no danger in sight. Your alarm will go off any moment now and you will be one day closer to ending this internship and going back home. Tomorrow will be a new day. 

Despite this, as time goes by, it becomes harder and harder to hold onto this happy thought. 

Stepping foot into the new track is a breaking point. It is Friday, five days have gone by and nothing has changed, the countdown to the next race weighting down on your mind as you walk through what Nick had called the paddock. It is that strange street again, the one lined by those colorful buildings but in a completely different country —another clue that this was indeed not real, you were clearly lacking imagination to be recycling sceneries like this. 

They had brough you here yesterday as well, for a tour around the track that had set your nerves alight. Thankfully, you had done nothing but wander around the circuit for a while, be surrounded by a couple cameras, have a meeting with the engineers and go back to the hotel for another sleepless night.  

Maybe you should sleep more —which sounds quite contradictory when you are supposedly already dreaming— because, when the events of last Sunday start repeating themselves, you do not even have the strength to push back. Nick manages once again to lure you into the white building and prepare you for what he calls practice, but the reality is that just the sight of that Formula One car on the garage makes you heart drop to the pit of your stomach. 

“Don’t worry about times,” a man who has been following you all day says “Let’s see if everything feels good first and we’ll talk things over for FP2”.  

A lot of changes had been made to the car since Austria, that is what all the meetings had been about. You had silently sat down through all of them, nodding along to the engineers’ words as if you understood any of it. 

Now that you are seated in the car, blue helmet and jumpsuit on, you can only wish that whatever broke the car in Austria has not been fixed. That the engine won’t even start, and you will have to retire again. It is hard enough to listen to the rest of the cars exiting their own garages, their engines revving like they might explode.  

How they have managed to put you on the spot yet again, that you do not understand. And it is not only a one-time thing, but they easily make you jump in the car later the day for a second practice. 

When you are finally helped out of the car the second time, body uncontrollably trembling and a static sound filling your ears, you feel an unusual sense of calmness. The whole ride had felt like such a clear sign that none of this is real, it can’t be. Both practices had gone by in the blink of an eye, just like it had happened in Austria, a fade to black and you are back where you started. You do not even remember seeing other cars on the road or how you got back to the garage. Nothing. The only proof that you had driven around for hours being the fatigue consuming your body, something that backs the dreaming theory up so perfectly. 

They say you have done great though, so that is something.  

Nevertheless, it feels nice to be back on normal clothes, like there is less of a target on your back for the cameras and other strangers, but it is still difficult to keep a low profile when you are walking through the paddock with the team’s merchandising. Nick is guiding you out to the last meeting of the day, after you have fulfilled all the media duties and team reunions that have kept you on the track since your arrival this morning. He says this driver’s briefing thing should not last long, that it is quite late already, and they are probably thinking more about going back home than anything.  

The meeting is on another building, one you had not even noticed in your two days here, Nick leading you inside and up some stairs until you find the meeting room. When he opens the door, you realize there is already people seated inside, the sound of their mixed talks now filling the long corridor. You recognize some of them, not from the team meetings but from Austria, other drivers.  

The room is furnished as a classroom, a projector on the right wall and the rest of the space filled with rows of chairs. There are not many people in it yet, Nick had said it would be better to get there early before people start crowding the entrance and now you understood why. Your gaze instantly zeroes in on Lewis, a tiny smile pulling at your lips while Nick guides you to some seats, deciding to leave your things with him and go say hello. You have not seen him since Austria, after you had spent the entire pre-race ceremony talking to him, and now that you have kind of ruled out the possibility that he is a kidnapper, you have realized that maybe he was just being nice. 

Yet, before you can take more than two steps away from Nick, you feel someone pulling at your hand. You come to a sudden stop, looking back to see a man seated in the row in front of you and Nick’s seat regarding you with a huge grin on his lips. He has dark hair and big brown eyes that seem to be staring into your soul. 

“Oh c’mon, you’re not even going to say hello because I didn’t get you cookies last week?” the man chuckles, tilting his head as he looks up at you like he cannot believe what you were about to do “Isn’t that too much?” 

Even though his tone is light and jokey, you cannot help but frown at him. Why would you greet him when you don’t know him in the first place? And why is he holding your hand? 

Instead of letting go when you stand there in silence, too stunned to react to his words, he decides to pull you down into the seat next to his “Didn’t Charles get you some? You are being greedy at this point” he jokes once you are seated, not a word leaving your lips. 

Oh, Charles, you remember him from Austria as well. Actually, he was wearing the same exact red shirt as this man, a detail that the abrupt start of the conversation had left you blind to. The Ferrari logo in both his chest and cap are even more of a telltale of who he must be. Charles’ teammate. 

“They were nice...” you respond, crossing your legs and relaxing back on the chair now that you have gathered your bearings. It is true, you had been munching on those cookies throughout the race after your disqualification, Nick bringing them over to you as a treat to distract you. 

The man shakes his head in disbelief, smile widening as he assures you “I'll get you a full basket next time, don’t worry” 

The promise genuinely makes you smile, he seems nice. 

“How’s the car doing?” the man queries, crossing his arms over his chest as he looks around 

You can almost feel the media training kicking in, pre-made phrases hanging off the tip of your tongue, they have been putting a microphone in your face and asking you about it all morning. Nonetheless, you manage to push it all down, it finally feels like you are having a normal conversation after this stressful week, you are not about to parrot the engineers' words for the millionth time “Well, it hasn’t caught fire yet...”  

The man seems to like that answer, letting out a giggle and a “That’s an improvement” while he nods in understanding. There is a moment of silence that follows, his eyes set on your face as if he was waiting for something that does not come. Is he expecting a more in-depth response or something? Yet, before you can decide on what to do, he finally wills himself to say what he has been thinking ever since you entered the room “So... are you feeling better?”  

The question catches you off guard at first, the conversation taking a more serious turn than you had expected —or wanted. Should you say you are great, just to shut down the topic entirely? The room is filling up with people by the second and it is not like you are about to open your heart to a total stranger. Or are you supposed to give the same response Nick had made you repeat over and over again in front of the journalists? ‘I’m perfectly fine now, it was pure exhaustion’. 

“I’m-” you start saying, mind not really having decided on what lie to tell, when someone pats your head. 

You rise your head to look behind you, both to see who it is and to get away from their touch —what is with this people taking such liberties?—, the man by your side doing the same. Standing tall behind your row of chairs is none other than the man you have spent day and nights thinking about: Daniel. 

“Ready for the two hours briefing?” he sighs with a raised eyebrow, his hand traveling down to your shoulder when you turn your body around to talk to him. This is the first time you have seen the man out of that bright orange jumpsuit, now sporting a shirt of the same color instead, logos drawn all over it. He is still wearing that matching cap though. 

“So dramatic...” the man seated by your side snickers, the previous chat seemingly forgotten “We should do a twenty-four-hour briefing just for you” 

“Mate,” Daniel says with a half-smile, pointing at you with a tilt of his head “she wasn’t here last year” 

That must mean something you do not understand because it is all the man in red needs to groan out loud, his face falling in defeat at the prospect of having to sit through such a long meeting. On the other hand, you can only sit there with your eyebrows furrowed, Nick had assured you would be out of here in no time. And of course you were not here last year, or ever, you have not- but your inner monologue gets suddenly interrupted by the one phrase you have been telling yourself all day: none of this is real, you’re dreaming. 

“What? No, she was driving here last year” another voice joins the conversation, his statement sharp and direct. You lean your body forward to see who it is, he has taken a seat on the other side of the man in red and his body is blocking the stranger’s face, eyes widening when you recognize him. Charles. 

“It was still Mazepin in France, he almost crashed into Kimi remember?” Daniel corrects him with a side grin “She started after the break in... was it Silverstone?” 

Daniel looks at you for confirmation on this one, the other two men also lowering their gaze to yours, waiting. You are so overwhelmed though, it feels so strange, the fact that they are talking so categorically about things that have not ever happened. What is Mazepin? Kimi? And Silverstone? What break? The pressure of the situation getting to you in the worst possible moment. 

So you end up doing what you do best, nod along to whatever the other person says even though you do not understand anything. That is what you have done to the engineers, to the media, to Nick and now to these three men before the start of a briefing that you won’t understand a word of either.  

Afterall, none of this matter, this is only a dream, right? 

Next Chapter

___

Author's note: Thanks a lot for all the hearts, comments and everything! I'm so happy you're liking the fic

Taglist: @purplephantomwolf @raye2000 @yuiiimd @drezzerk33 @leclercdream @homie0sapien @minkyungseokie @carlossainzwho @rewmuslupin

[therealaiko-yumei]

Aiko's character profile(Prob wip will change every now and then)

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General

Name: Yumei Aiko

Kanji: 夢依 あいこ

Kana: ユメイ アイコ

Age: around 18(not confirmed due to being an orphan)

Birthday: September 15th, 2005/1994(Also not confirmed😓)

Sign: Virgo(probably not confirmed too🥰)

Nationality: Filipino/Japanese(The Filipino part not confirmed 😓😓)

Species: Half-human half-vampire(Explains why she has natural fangs😯‼️‼️)

Blood type: A

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual(heavy on women)

Pronouns: She/her

Occupation: third year high school student/student council secretary

Japanese voice actress: Yui Ishikawa(violet evergarden)

English voice actress: Erika Harlacher(Violet evergarden)

Nicknames: Schelm(the user she goes by online), Ai-chan(what her friends(Aisy, Yuki, and Rinsuu) calls her)

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Appearance

Hair: Aiko has short and soft black hair with a fringe that is divided into three strands: one falls on her face, and the remaining two blend into two longer strands that end on her shoulders. At the back, using the two remaining strands of her hair, she ties them together to make it look like she has a half pony tail.

Eyes: Aiko has dark magenta eyes. She also has slight dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep.

Body type: Slender body. C cup I guess

Height: 170 cm(5'7)

Weight: 49 kg

School uniform: She wears the standard Ryoutei Academy uniform, but she puts the bow in her uniform under her collar. She also braids her left fringe and ties it with a magenta ribbon.

Casual wear: She wears a white dress shirt underneath a black sweater and black pants. She doesn't braid her left fringe(sometimes she wears something else). But in general, Aiko's clothes are more tomboyish than girly. She also prefers wears a black suit and neck ties instead of skirts and gowns on special occasions.

Aiko's wardrobe in general:

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Personality

Aiko is a quiet, intelligent girl who is usually seen alone or with the other members of the student council. Aiko is a student with high honours. Aiko is said to excel in both academics and sports. Hence, many individuals set high standards in her when it comes to those topics. However, she is still in the top 2 in her classes, Sakamaki Reiji being the top 1.

Aiko is aloof and usually shows a calm demeanour even when in serious situations. She is also pretty blunt.

MBTI: INTJ

According to google, INTJs is a person with the Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging personality traits. These thoughtful tacticians love perfecting the details of life, applying creativity and rationality to everything they do. Their inner world is often a private, complex one.

Positive personality traits:

Helpful

Kind

Open-minded

Hard working

Modest

Negative personality traits:

Slightly mean once she gets comfortable with you.

Does not care about her mental health

Will NEVER get therapy

Abilities:

Carries a pepper spray

Knows self-defense

Knows how to use a bow and arrow

Weaknesses:

Her loved ones

Math

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Likes/Favorites

Color: Black

Food: Pasta

Drinks: Nothing in particular

Game genre: Indie horror

Favorite video game: Alice: Madness returns

Music genre: Alternative rock/pop, J-rock, gothic metal and a bit of classical

Favorite music artist: Mitski, Das Feenreich, Malice Mizer

Favorite songs:

Flower: Irises

Other things she likes: Quiet places, listening to music, playing the piano, her thoughts, goth/ouji

More facts abt her if u want lol

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History

Aiko was an abandoned child since birth. She lived in the streets, and yk was homeless and shit. Aiko's health was bad, and she gets nosebleeds often. Aiko felt empty like there was something missing in her life. One day, when she was around the age of 6, she was founded by an orphanage who took her in. The orphanage staff taught her speech, writing, reading, and other things a child should know. Aiko's health was also getting better. One day, while she was playing piano in the orphanage, she encountered a new kid. The new kid's name was Isabella. Isabella and Aiko soon became very close friends, and Aiko soon gained feelings for Isabella. Isabella was the one who filled the void in Aiko's heart. However, when Aiko was 10, Aiko got adopted and not Isabella. Aiko was devastated when she heard that she won't be with Isabella anymore. Aiko tried everything she could to make Isabella stay with her. But nothing worked, and they got separated.

Aiko's parents were not the best. Aiko's parents were strict, distant, and ignorant to Aiko's feelings. They always had high expectations with Aiko, which REALLY pressured her to the point that she changed herself around her parents and to her elders just to please them. When she enrolled in Ryoutei Academy, her parents went overseas for work matters.

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Relationships

Mother: Unnamed foster mother

Father: Unnamed foster father

Others: Mukami Yuriko(Friends), Sakamaki Reiji(Lover/Acquaintance), Hoshiko Yuuki(Friends), Tanako Roo(Acquaintance), Rinsuu(friends), Yuki(friends), Aisy(friends), Kauze(Friends?), Scarlett(Acquaintance), Komori Kianna(Friends?), Yui Komori(friends)

What Aiko thinks about the diaboys

(This part of Aiko's char profile will be updated depending on her interactions with other OCs or canon characters)

Other character info

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[chussyracing]

what has been happening in the world of motorsports?

(2.0 electric boogaloo edition)

Mohammed Ben Sulayem is under internal investigation for pushing officials not to certify Las Vegas gp as safe for racing and also for trying to interfere over Fernando Alonso getting a penalty in Jeddah 2023 race (he got a 10 second post race penalty which promoted... George i think? but later the penalty was overturned and he reclaimed the p3 and got his trophy back the next gp), apparently he also asked Max Verstappen to publicly defend/support/back Christian Horner as a way to calm down the situation where everyone talked about nothing but his workplace bahaviour (I suppose Max refused so that's kudos to him for doing the correct thing)

Aston Martin Vantage Safety Car will debut in Saudi Arabia (and will be back in British green)

there are loads of rumours about Red Bull and Horner currently, some are about him attempting to buy the RBR team, some are about Jos Verstappen being intimate with the same woman that accused Horner of inappropriate workplace behaviour, so he is personally interested in the case, after pictures and videos of Jos Verstappen and Toto Wolff appeared online, new rumours about Max Verstappen potentially going to Mercedes in fear of Red Bull falling appart with Ford looking for a way out of 2026 deal appeared too and Marko and Newey hypothetically following him there, after his comments Jos Verstappen is told not to be attending Saudi Arabia gp which may also be a part of solution they tried to find yesterday in Dubai where Max Verstappen's representatives apparently met with Horner (side note: this is another plea not to share any details about the victim which goes both for her pictures and her name, please don't make it harder as it undeniably already is)

Heikki Kovalainen has been forbidden from rally driving by his doctor in fear of his medical condition getting worse with the sport

Alpine announced new workers (after they fired basically everyone and the rest left on their own): Joe Burnell as engineering technical director, David Wheater as technical director of aero, and Ciaron Pilbeam as performance technical director

Mohammed Ben Sulayem spent some time in Turkey this week to talk to the president about a potential return of Turkish gp (probably as a part of a new rotation programme I mentioned in previous round up)

Abbi Pulling will be racing in British F4 Championship besides F1 Academy this year

Gerhard Berger's long lost Ferrari car was returned to him after police located it late last year

last week's Bahrain GP was the first time in history where all 20 cars finished the opening race of the season (speaking of Bahrain, Charles, Lewis and George were losing around 5/6 tenths per lap due to their car issues, Carlos, Logan and Alex also experienced smaller gap in pace because of their issues)

Williams announced their fanzone locations for 2024 season (Australia, Japan, Miami, Canada, Spain, Great Britain, Singapore, Austin, Las Vegas)

Spanish king Juan Carlos was at Bahrain GP and before you ask yourself, yes he took a picture with Carlos Sainz sr and Carlos Sainz jr (also fun fact he was involved in money-laundering case with Saudi Arabia but Swiss prosecutor had to drop the case due to lack of evidence)

Saudi Arabia showed plans for Qiddiya track to host gp from 2027 onwards designed by Tilke which features a turn 20 stories above ground level which could replace Jeddah in the future (did they heard us complaining about jeddah being dangerous and decided to make it even more dangerous?)

Red Bull Racing scored a record breaking new multiple-year partnership deal with Castore worth about 200m dollars

Otmar Szafnauer teamed up with Soft Pauer to make an app which is meant to help F1 teams with travel plans and Hitech is already a client of his while he claims Alpine also downloaded it

Pato O'Ward agreen on multi-year IndyCar contract extension with McLaren

From fan's point of view:

please be prepared for pr wars this year at multiple places: between Yuki and Daniel (recently due to highly controversial team order call), Charles and Carlos (recently due to false media narrative about car issues), Lewis and George (recently about effectivity of different race set ups)

we have press conference for tomorrow made up by: Lance, Charles, Nico, George, Yuki and Val (we also have one for team principals made of Bruno Famin from Alpine, Mike Krack from Aston Martin, Christian Horner from Red Bull Racing and James Vowles from Williams)

C2 challenges are back for this year with first of their quickfire challenges being already posted

little rant about the "F1 pundits" not checking their sources, because you might have seen the discourse but not get the background: Lawrence Baretto posted his usual section "Losers and Winners" of Bahrain gp and posted Charles in the section category (which would be correct considering he lost out on P2 because of brake issues), but he clearly went off with what Carlos said in the media and claimed that both drivers had the same issues - a fact that Charles, Xavi, and Fred himself disputed

more drivers did photo dumps: Alex, Yuki, Carlos

some drivers were modelling, particularly Charles, Carlos and Daniel

Max Verstappen made some championship predictions (Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc) and there has been a lot of talk about him not mentioning Perez so just a PSA

reminder that this week the gp is on Saturday because of Ramadan and besides F1, you can also look forward to F2, F1 Academy and Indycar races

[ao3feed-narlie]

'Together' Edition

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/mvbY5B8 by a_book_dragon This is a series of standalone works that share a theme: N&C finding each other with alternate meet-cutes. Sometimes it's easier to share your feelings with strangers who can deeply empathize than with your friends who can sympathize. For this fic: • N&C haven’t met (yet!) • Charlie, Tao, and Isaac are 18 years old, and finishing year 12 at Truham • Nick is 19 years old, and he attended St John’s Sports Academy, attended the fall and spring terms of his first year at University of Leeds, and returned home to Kent • Tori is 19 years old, and is finishing summer term / her first year at University of Bath • Olly is 13 years old, and he is finishing year 8 at Truham • Elle is 19 years old, and attending Lambert School of Art • David is 24, lives in Paris, and is still basically an everything-phobic twatwaffle Online IDs: Charlie 🌈 / Nick 🏉 / Olly ��� / Tori 🧃 / Elle 👑 / Isaac 📚 / Tao 🎬 / Michael 🐧 / Tara 🩰 / Darcy 🥳 / Sai 😎 / Otis 👕 / Christian 🎸 / Sarah 🌞 Words: 2764, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 2 of Heartstopper's N&C Will In Fact Find Each Other In Any Universe Fandoms: Heartstopper (TV), Heartstopper (Webcomic) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M Characters: Oliver "Olly" Spring, Victoria "Tori" Spring, Isaac Henderson (Heartstopper), Tao Xu, Elle Argent, Nicholas "Nick" Nelson, Charles "Charlie" Spring (Heartstopper), Sarah Nelson Relationships: Nicholas "Nick" Nelson/Charles "Charlie" Spring, Nicholas "Nick" Nelson & Charles "Charlie" Spring Additional Tags: POV Alternating, Angst with a Happy Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Boys In Love, Good Parent Sarah Nelson read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/mvbY5B8

[silentreigns]

as an 18 year old woman of colour who just moved to a majority white and wealthy country and space like academia idk man...it's not difficult to not indulge in ableist rhetoric. it's pretty fucking easy really, i hate the just a kid excuse it's lame and lazy. did we learn nothing from drugo's inability to use a burner acc at least? she did it publicly and brazenly because she likely thought what are the chances people will care about defending lance stroll? ugh

and isn't she overrated? like we haven't seen anything exceptional in her racing compared to her gridmates but people wanted her in f1 like yesterday? i would personally win f1 academy before running my mouth ngl

I understand that she's a minority woman in a rich-white male sport. Like it's commendable that she has gotten this far. However, it's not good to use autism as an insult. Like that's very fucked up thing to do / like. I don't care who is saying it, I take liking offensive tweets personally even if it doesn't directly affect me. I don't hold people on a pedestal, and I don't ever bend over backwards trying to justify why a celebrity / driver behaved a certain way. We are chronically online you should know how that kind of language is seen as harmful by now.

Bianca's teammate was Marta Garcia and Marta won the championship. Marta has also accomplished a lot and deserves the media attention that Bianca was getting. Granted, Marta has a fully funded FRECA seat so maybe she's not the best example to use as comparion.

Lena Buhler was the runner up to the F1 Academy championship. I don't even know what her plans are for the future. We know that she's part of the Sauber Academy, but she doesn't have a seat confirmed next year for F1A. Given that champions aren't allowed to compete, I would be trying to get the runner-up a seat and funding ASAP to show what she can do (yes ik that's not how it actually works in motorsport but let's just pretend ok). Meanwhile Bianca was one of the first girls to be confirmed for 2024. Like alriiiiiiiiight.

[the-bluerecluse]

New OC Drop.

4 witch young adults going to UMA (Unity of Magic Academy). All four disabled in some way which makes their education and magic experience harder. Each of them use magic and creativity to find a work around that actually makes them more unique and powerful than other witches. `

ZephyrGaze - She/Her. Paralyzed from the waist down as a kid. She always dreamed of flying on broomsticks as a kid and was heartbroken when that was no longer an option. She studied hard at item enchantment, sigils, glyphs, and animation magic to enchant her wheelchair so it can fly as easy as a broomstick. She's now working on getting onto a sports team after school. For extra money she sells glyphs and sigils online.

EmberWing - She/Her. ADHD. Always struggles in classes that require reading and writing things she isn't interested in or, worst of all, history. However, she's very gifted in actually performing magic and spells, able to cast magic those her age usually can't do yet. As her family crest is the phoenix, she decided to learn how to give herself wings of fire which she now uses regularly whenever she gets the chance. She's not one for doing things the traditional way. She kept forgetting her wand so she worked with her dad to design magical wooden wrist braces that work as wands. Due to her ADHD and thus her greater affinity for multitasking, she's in the only witch who can cast two spells at once. She wears one wrist brace (wand) for each hand, so she can cast one spell per hand. She's in a very close romantic relationship with Frostheart.

FrostHeart - They/Them. Autistic. Has a natural talent for ice magic. Partially nonverbal. They only talk around people they're really comfortable around and only in private. Magic requires vocalizations to work, at least until FrostHeart discovered a way to produce silent magic: Magic that doesn't need sound, nor produce sound or smell when activated. FrostHeart is sensitive to sounds, smells, and textures. They have a wrap around part of their wand that has a consistent soft texture so they can rub their wand when overwhelmed. They're in a very close romantic relationship with EmberWing. They're highly empathetic and kind and like to show their affection by giving handmade gifts such as origami or miniature snow sculptures.

ThornDream - She/Her. A goth girl with an unknown condition that's causing her tremors, chronic pain, and a lack of balance. She has a natural affinity for plants so instead of a traditional wand, she sculpted a branch into a magical cane that can cast magic like a wand but also works as a mobility aid. She's very well-studied in just about every class she takes as well as other things that peak her interest. She's has a lot of knowledge on medicinal plants and can grow just about any of them whenever she may need to help herself or a friend. She also grows a bit of cannabis from time to time to let loose a little.

[historicalfightingguide]

6 week online course by Dr Tobias Capwell. From his post:

"'The Knight in Art : 1066-1918' runs for six weeks, with two lectures happening back to back on Thursdays. Don't worry about time-zones, if you are distant from GMT everything is recorded for student catch-up, and questions can be asked anytime through the course portal, which will also provide course resources, reading lists, course chat, etc. We are going to cover A LOT of ground in twelve lectures, from cinema, the Bayeux Tapestry, the Crusades, Tournaments, Military Saints, Henry VIII, Negroli, the Eglinton Tournament, Electrotyping, medieval revivalism in fashion, medievalism in the First World War, and of course, armour. I'll be joined by several contributing lecturers, including of course Angus Patterson, Senior Curator of Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics & Glass at the V&A, responsible for metals and arms and armour. Angus and I will also be presenting a series of short films as part of the course, running round the museum and discussing things that interest us."

For anyone who hasn’t yet seen the following links:

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Some advice on how to start studying the sources generally can be found in these older posts

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Remember to check out  A Guide to Starting a Liberation Martial Arts Gym as it may help with your own club/gym/dojo/school culture and approach.Check out their curriculum too.

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Fear is the Mind Killer: How to Build a Training Culture that Fosters Strength and Resilience by   Kajetan Sadowski   may be relevant as well.

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“How We Learn to Move: A Revolution in the Way We Coach & Practice Sports Skills”  by Rob Gray  as well as this post that goes over the basics of his constraints lead, ecological approach.

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Another useful book to check out is  The Theory and Practice of Historical European Martial Arts (while about HEMA, a lot of it is applicable to other historical martial arts clubs dealing with research and recreation of old fighting systems).

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Trauma informed coaching and why it matters

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Look at the previous posts in relation to running and cardio to learn how that relates to historical fencing.

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Why having a systematic approach to training can be beneficial

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Why we may not want one attack 10 000 times, nor 10 000 attacks done once, but a third option.

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How consent and opting in function and why it matters.

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More on tactics in fencing

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Types of fencers

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Open vs closed skills

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The three primary factors to safety within historical fencing

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Worth checking out are this blogs tags on pedagogy and teaching for other related useful posts.

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And if you train any weapon based form of historical fencing check out the ‘HEMA game archive’ where you can find a plethora of different drills, focused sparring and game options to use for effective, useful and fun training.

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Check out the cool hemabookshelf facsimile project.

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For more on how to use youtube content for learning historical fencing I suggest checking out these older posts on the concept of video study of sparring and tournament footage.

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The provoker-taker-hitter tactical concept and its uses

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Approaches to goals and methodology in historical fencing

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A short article on why learning about other sports and activities can benefit folks in combat sports

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Consider getting some patches of this sort or these cool rashguards to show support for good causes or a t-shirt like to send a good message while at training.

[scotianostra]

Scotianostra

On 9th April 1747 Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, the leading Scottish Jacobite rebel was beheaded on Tower Green, London.

Lovat has the unwanted notoriety of being the last man to be publicly beheaded in Britain. I was reading a wee bit about Lovatt a couple of weeks ago and thought it funny how his appearance was very different to the 20th century dashing 15th Lord Lovat who you might remember commanded piper Bill Millin at the D Gay landings, but I suppose the 11th Lord was around 80 years old at the time of his execution.

You have to admire their sense of adventure though, no doubt a family trait. The Lovat we are talking about here though was no gentleman by all accounts, He kidnapped, raped, and forcibly married a woman from a rival clan in order to gain claim on a contested succession (Lovat had to flee the country, a death sentence in absentia at his heels)

He expediently converted to Catholicism to get in with the exiled Stuarts and their continental allies and played both sides of the Hanover-Stuart intrigue, ingratiating himself with both Jacobites and London during the 1715 rising. He did this so adeptly that George I served as Lovat’s son’s godfather so please don’t think of him as a Jacobite hero.

They do say only the good die young.  He was tried in March 1747 in Westminster  for his part in the 45 uprising and sentenced to be Hung, drawn and quartered, the normal sentence for treason, remember that’s what they tried William Wallace for, even though Wallace was bot a subject of the English King.

Anyway his connections to the English Court meant he was shown mercy and his sentence was commuted to a simple beheading sparing him the torture aspects I suppose it was a bonus!  

The execution was a massive event back then, think maybe a big sporting event, yes they even had to issue tickets and so many spectators arrive at Tower Hill, and an overcrowded timber stand collapsed, leaving 9 dead, to Lovat’s wry amusement.

It was the executioner who had the last laugh though!! Lovats last words said to be “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. ” (It is sweet and seemly to die for one’s country).  He died, at least in his own eyes, as a Scottish patriot. Quite a number of pics here including the ticket for his execution,a picture of how Lovat looked at the time by the English Artist William Hogarth a sketch by Hogarth of the trial, Westminster Hall during the trial and finally the account of the execution from a Broadside of the time.  I know I covered a fair bit here but there is an account of the trial and funeral in this link that is, to me at least, quite interesting.

There’s a much more descriptive account of the execution here  http://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/execution-content.php?key=2040

Posted on April 9th, 2023 at 8:54AM

19 notes

#scotland#scottish#england#45 Uprising#Jacobites#execution#beheading#history

Scottish Government 

Kindness has never been more important. 

 Artist Emily Hogarth designed these postcards and asking Scots to help reach #OneMillionWordsofKindness this #StAndrewDay. Pick up yours at Lidl (Scotland) or send online: http://onescotland.org/st-andrews-day#WeAreScotland

Posted on November 30th, 2020 at 10:17PM

31 notes

#OneMillionWordsofKindness#scotland#kindness#wearescotland

On August 6th 1796 Scottish artist, David Allan, died.

David Allan was born in 1744 in Alloa and earned himself the nickname Hogarth of Scotland. His studies began at the Glasgow Academy, where he was taught by the printers Robert and Andrew Fonlis. At the age of twenty, he travelled south to Italy and continued his education at the Academy of St. Luc in Rome.

Having spent almost fourteen years in Italy, where he painted landscapes in the style of Poussin, he moved to London in 1777 and established himself in London as a portrait painter. In 1780 he moved permanently to Edinburgh, where he was made master of the Academy six years later.Many of his portraits can be found today in museums in London and Edinburgh and a self-portrait of Allen hangs in the Scottish National Gallery.“

Some of Allan’s best work is Scottish themed, like Highland Wedding, he also collaborated with Rabbie Burns, through his publisher George Thomson, his oval prints went down well with the poet who was to comment that he was: “highly delighted with Mr Allan’s etchings […] The expression of the figures conformable to the story in the ballad is absolutely faultless perfection.” Although the two never met correspondence between the three involved with the artwork tells of an admiration between the poet and the artist.

Burns died on 21st July, and was closely followed by Allan, on 6th August 1796. Allan is buried in the Old Calton Cemetery, Edinburgh, not far from the grave of David Hume.

Posted on August 6th, 2022 at 5:27PM

5 notes

#Scotland#scottish#painter#artist#history

Happy 47th Birthday Scottish singersongwriter  KT Tunstall

Kate “KT” Victoria Tunstall was born in Edinburgh, 1975,  herbirth mother was a  Hong Kong-born exotic dancer, who put her up for adoption her parents David and Rosemary Tunstall adopted her and raised her in St Andrews, she has always been aware that she was adopted. 

Strangely enough for a musician of her magnitude, KT Tunstall did not grow up in a musical household. Her parents’ only tape was a Tom Lehrer album on tape, leading Tunstall to discover the world of music entirely on her own , but it didn’t hold her back, KT was musical from an early age, learning to play piano, flute and guitar as a teenager.

KT moved to the USA, hungry for experiences and independence, she gained a scholarship to Kent School in Connecticut, New England. Whilst out there KT spent time on a hippy commune and formed her first band, The Happy Campers, she also spent a lot of time on busking in Burlington, Vermont.

After her time in the U.S she enrolled in a  music course at Royal Holloway College in London, before finally moving back to St Andrews, she joined a group of folk musicians from around the East Neuk  called The Fence Collective, which included the very talented Kenny Anderson aka King Creosote, in time she decided folk music was not for her and went on her way.

She began writing projects with Swedish songwriter/producer Martin Terefe and London-based Orcadian Jimmy Hogarth and London’s Tommy D. She started work on her debut album with her new band and legendary U2/New Order/Happy Monday’s producer Steve Osborne at the helm. ‘Eye to the Telescope’ saw her whittle down a massive catalogue of over 100 songs to just 12.

Luck played a part in her big break when due to another artist pulling out she appeared on  'Later With Jools Holland’ performing ‘Black Horse and the Cherry Tree’ it went on to become one of the most played songs of the summer. Her double platinum selling debut album 'Eye to the Telescope’ was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize. 

KT has now had 6 top 20 albums, the latest, Wax was in 2018, it reached number 6 in Scotland and 15 in the UK charts, her new album, Nut, is due out in September.

I remember her being interviewed on The Proclaimers, This is the Story documentary in 2017, where she chose their excellent song Scotland’s Story, commenting “Scotland’s Story just really struck me as quite a different song for them, that they were really saying something incredibly poignant and quite brave. It’s quite a critical song of the way that Scotland’s history is logged.

“Here we are in 2017 and it couldn’t be a more poignant, relevant song for what’s going on in the world and I just thought for right now, it’s an amazing song to sing.”

KT  has suffered hearing problems since 20n July 2021, she announced that she was having to pull out of her summer tour dates and permanently avoid lengthy runs of closely consecutive performances, citing issues with her right ear which were "exactly how the breakdown of my left ear began"  In July 2021, she announced that she was having to pull out of her summer tour dates and permanently avoid lengthy runs of closely consecutive performances, citing issues with her right ear which were "exactly how the breakdown of my left ear began"   Hearing problems have always been a worry to her; her brother  was profoundly deaf since birth.

Tunstall has recently joined a host of famous faces to create special limited-edition postcards for this summer’s music festivals on behalf of the charity WaterAid. The limited-edition postcards will be officially launched at Glastonbury festival, which kicks off tomorrow. Festival-goers can pick up an exclusive postcard and send one to Boris Johnson calling for the government to take urgent action to tackle the climate crisis. 

KT, who featured water-themed lyrics on her postcard, said: “It’s unacceptable that one in ten people have no clean water, and that these are the same people who are living on the frontline of the climate crisis.

“Water is so key to life, a lot of lyrics in my songs centre around it. My postcard design in support of WaterAid’s climate campaign features every lyric I’ve been inspired to write about water. With clean water, communities can stay healthy now and in the future.”

It’s never easy choosing a song for my posts, especially with someone like KT, who has a great catalogue to choose from , but I’ve plumped for a cover of a Bruce Springsteen she performed at  The Quay Sessions with another recent birthday girl, Julie Fowlis, it’s called State Trooper. 

Posted on June 23rd, 2022 at 1:27PM

12 notes

#Scotland#scottish#singersongwriter#musician#Singer#happy birhtday

On May 19th, 1815, Catherine Hogarth Dickens was born in Edinburgh.

In 1834 she and her family moved to England where her father had taken a job as a music critic for the Morning Chronicle. Charles Dickens, young and unattached, was also employed by the Morning Chronicle. His first romantic relationship, with Maria Beadnell, had ended badly. However he was quite recovered and was quickly taken with Catherine.

They met in 1834, became engaged in 1835 and were married in April of 1836. In January of 1837 the first of their ten children was born.

The early years of their marriage were apparently quite happy. Dickens was in love with his young wife and she was very proud of her famous husband. In 1841 the couple travelled to Scotland. In 1842 they travelled to America together.

After the 1842 trip to America, Catherine’s sister Georgina came to live with the couple. Catherine was becoming overwhelmed with the duties of being the wife of a famous man and mother of ten children. Georgina stepped in to fill the gaps and eventually ran the Dickens household.

Dickens grew unhappy with Catherine and his marriage. He resented the fact that he had so many children to support. (Somehow he saw this as Catherine’s fault.) He did not approve of Catherine’s lack of energy. He began to indicate that she was not nor had ever been his intellectual equal.

In 1855 his discontent led him to accept an invitation to meet with his former girlfriend, Maria Beadnell. Maria had married and had become Mrs. Henry Winter. However Mrs. Henry Winter did not live up to Dickens’ romantic memories and nothing ever came of the reunion.

In 1857 Dickens met the woman who was to be his companion until his death, Ellen Ternan. Ellen, her mother and her sister were hired to act in a benefit presentation of The Frozen Deep. The event was sponsored by Dickens who also co-starred in the event.

Dickens’ life with Catherine seemed even more insufferable after meeting Ellen. Dickens wrote to his friend John Forster, “Poor Catherine and I are not made for each other, and there is no help for it. It is not only that she makes me uneasy and unhappy, but that I make her so too—and much more so.”

In 1857 Charles and Catherine took separate bedrooms.

In the spring of 1858 a bracelet that Dickens bought as a present for Ellen was accidentally delivered to the Dickens household. Catherine discovered the bracelet and accused Dickens of having an affair. Dickens denied the accusation and said it was his custom to give small gifts to people that acted in his plays. In June of 1858 Catherine and Charles were legally separated. Days later Dickens published a notice in the London Times and Household Words that tried to explain the separation to the public. In the notice he stated, “Some domestic trouble of mine, of long-standing, on which I will make no further remark than that it claims to be respected, as being of a sacredly private nature, has lately been brought to an arrangement, which involves no anger or ill-will of any kind, and the whole origin, progress, and surrounding circumstances of which have been, throughout, within the knowledge of my children. It is amicably composed, and its details have now to be forgotten by those concerned in it.”

While an announcement of this sort seems extreme Dickens was motivated to do so by some of the rumours circulating about the breakup. There was some gossip about an actress and some stories even suggested that Dickens was having an affair with his sister-in-law, Georgina. The second rumour was particularly upsetting because in those times such a relationship would have been viewed as incestuous.

Despite assurances that things were “amicably composed” Dickens and Catherine were never again on pleasant terms. Catherine was given a house. Their oldest son, Charley, moved in with her. Dickens retained custody of the rest of the children. While the children were not forbidden to visit their mother they were not encouraged to do so.

Catherine lived for another twenty years after the separation, passing away in November 1879. Deprived of both the role of wife and mother, she never seemed to recover from the breakup of her marriage.

Posted on May 19th, 2022 at 9:29AM

9 notes

#Scotland#scottish#anglo-scottish#victorian times#charles dickens#history

On August 6th 1796 Scottish artist, David Allan, died.

David Allan was born in 1744 in Alloa, Scotland, and earned himself the nickname Hogarth of Scotland. His studies began at the Glasgow Academy, where he was taught by the printers Robert and Andrew Fonlis. At the age of twenty, he travelled south to Italy and continued his education at the Academy of St. Luc in Rome.

Having spent almost fourteen years in Italy, where he painted landscapes in the style of Poussin, he moved to London in 1777 and established himself in London as a portrait painter. In 1780 he moved permanently to Edinburgh, where he was made master of the Academy six years later. Many of his portraits can be found today in museums in London and Edinburgh and a self-portrait of Allen hangs in the Scottish National Gallery.“ 

Some of Allan’s best work is Scottish themed, like Highland Wedding, he also collaborated with Rabbie Burns, through his publisher George Thomson, his oval prints went down well with the poet who was to comment that he was:

“highly delighted with Mr Allan’s etchings […] The expression of the figures conformidable to the story in the ballad is absolutely faultless perfection.”

Although the two never met correspondence between the three involved with the artwork tells of an admiration between the poet and the artist.

Burns died on 21st July, and was closely followed by Allan, on 6th August 1796.

Allan is buried in the Old Calton Cemetery, Edinburgh, not far from the grave of David Hume

Posted on August 6th, 2021 at 9:11AM

16 notes

#Scotland#scottish#artist#painter#history

Old Calton Burial Ground.

Another from last weeks wander, known as the Scot’s Hogarth, David Allan was an Alloa man who trained to be an artist at the Foulis Academy in Glasgow for seven years. In 1767 he moved to Rome, where he lived for ten years, some of his classical work from that period are very good, but the patriot in me means I think his best work is of Scottish themes like  The Highland Wedding, and portraits of leading figures of the time like the fiddler  Niel Gow and architect  James Craig, remembered for his role in laying out Edinburgh’s New Town.

Although he lived in the same era as poet Rabbie Burns the two never met, however Allan illustrated our bards’ work, the two were admirers of each other but they did  correspond between each other. Burns said of the artist (he was the)  “ only genuine and real Painter of Scottish Costume in the world.’

 Allan also did illustrations for  Edinburgh Poet and impresario, Allan Ramsay ‘s The Good Shepherd. A statue of Ramsay stands on Princes Street above the Floral Clock in West Princes Street Gardens. 

Posted on July 4th, 2021 at 11:18AM

18 notes

#scotland#scottish#my pic#graveyard#history#edinburgh

On May 19th, 1815, Catherine Hogarth Dickens was born in Edinburgh.

Mrs Charles Dickens  – wife of Britain’s most famous 19th-century author and social commentator – was born Miss Catherine Hogarth at 8 Hart Street in Broughton, Edinburgh.

Catherine was the eldest child of George Hogarth  a lawyer whose clients included Sir Walter Scott. The family, which eventually comprised 10 children, moved to larger accommodation at 2 Nelson Street (a double-upper) in 1820. They moved again in 1828 to 19 Albany Street which was their last Edinburgh address before they progressed to the ‘big smoke’ of London in 1831, although another source says 1834.

They were a comfortable, cultured family. Catherine and her sisters were educated at home by their parents and received a grounding in the 3Rs, geography and music, as well as the strictures of a French dancing master.

In London, Catherine’s father soon established himself as a newspaper editor, as well as a musicologist and subsequent author of books on opera and Victorian musical life. As editor of the Evening Chronicle (for which Dickens was a journalist), he effectively became Dickens’s employer, by dint of which Catherine came to Charles’s warm attention. They were married in 1836 (the year Dickens’s first novel, The Pickwick Papers, was serialised), and would have 10 children in their Bloomsbury home. Catherine’s sisters Mary and Georgina were highly significant members of the Dickens ménage, and the latter remained in the household as housekeeper, adviser and friend from 1842 until Dickens’s death in 1870. Mary, who died prematurely, was immortalised as Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop.

Despite constant pregnancies, the early years of Catherine’s marriage appear to have been happy enough. She accompanied Dickens on his celebrated trip to America in 1842, and had a minor acting role in the author’s theatrical Every Man in his Humour for Leigh Hunt in 1845. Eventually, Dickens grew disenchanted with his marriage, finding Catherine ‘an incompetent mother’, and he cruelly blamed her for the birth of 10 children which caused financial worries. Dickens was himself hardly blameless. In 1857, he had a liaison with an actress, Ellen Ternan, who appeared in his play The Frozen Deep. In 1858, Catherine intercepted the gift of a bracelet intended for Ellen which had been accidentally delivered to the Dickens household.

In June 1858, Catherine and Charles formally separated. Catherine was given a house and her eldest son Charles moved in with her, but access to her other children was restricted. Ellen Ternan remained Dickens’s companion until his death. Catherine never fully recovered from the break-up of her marriage. Poignantly, on her deathbed in 1879 (she died of cancer), she gave her collection of letters to daughter Kate, instructing her to ‘… give these to the British Museum, that the world may know he loved me once’. She is interred in Highgate Cemetery with her infant daughter Dora who had died in 1851 aged nearly 8 months.

[facultytick]

Teaching Faculty Jobs 27 October 2023 Announcement & Interview Notification By Faculty Tick

Central University of Tamil Nadu Applications are invited from eligible candidates for the following post of Teaching Faculty and Non Teaching Recruitment

Online applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Professor / Associate Professor/ Assistant Professor/ Deputy Registrar/ Personal Assistant/ Upper Division Clerk / Laboratory Assistant/ Lower Division Clerk post

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Applications are invited for faculty positions from eligible candidates at the level of Professor/ Associate Professor /Assistant Professor

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Applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Faculty post

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Dean Academics/ Principal/ Vice Principal/ Post Graduate Teachers/ Trained Graduate Teachers/ Primary Teacher/ Pre Primary Teacher/ Part Time Sports Coach / STEM Educator/ Counsellor / Librarian/ Special Educator/ Front Desk Executive/ Dance Teacher / Dramatics Teacher/ Hostel Warden / DTP operator / Hostel Superintendent/ F&B Manager/ Estate Manager/ Graphics Designer/ Lab Attendant/ Gardener/ Office Boy

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Indian Institute of Information Technology Dharwad Applications are invited for regular faculty positions at the level of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor

Online applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Professor/ Associate Professor /Assistant Professor post

Indian Institute of Information Technology, Lucknow invited Applications from eligible candidates for the following Non Teaching Post Recruitment

Online applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Registrar / Assistant Registrar / Junior Superintendent / Junior Engineer / Junior Assistant / Junior Technician post

Srinivasa Institute of Engineering and Technology Vacancy for the Post of Professors/ Associate Professor / Assistant Professor / Soft skill trainers / Librarian

Applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Professors/ Associate Professor / Assistant Professor / Soft skill trainers / Librarian post

VSB Group institutions invited Applications from eligible candidates for the following post of Accountant/Assistant Accountant/Purchase Manager/ Security Officer Recruitment

Applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Accountant/Assistant Accountant/Purchase Manager/ Security Officer post

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Applications are invited for faculty positions from eligible candidates at the level of Professor/ Associate Professor /Assistant Professor

IIT Delhi invites applications from individuals who belong to SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwBD/EWS category for faculty positions at the level of Assistant Professor (Grade-I/II)

Online applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Assistant Professor post

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi invites applications for Teaching Faculty positions in all disciplines

Applications are invited for faculty positions from eligible candidates at the level of Professor/ Associate Professor /Assistant Professor

National Institute of Technology Agartala invited online Applications from eligible candidates for the following post of Professor and Associate Professor Recruitment

Online applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Professor and Associate Professor post

National Institute Of Technology Andhra Pradesh invites eligible candidates for appearing in Walk in interview for the following Adhoc Faculty posts in CSE

Applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Adhoc Faculty post

Modern School Vasant Vihar (MSVV) invited Applications from eligible candidates for the following post of Principal Recruitment

Applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Principal post

BMS Institute of Technology and Management invited Applications from eligible candidates for the following post of Principal Recruitment

Applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Principal post

Uttaranchal University invited Applications from eligible candidates for the following post of Teaching Faculty and Deputy/ Assistant Director (Online Learning) Recruitment

Applications are invited from excellent academic record and relevant work experience for recruitment to the Deputy/ Assistant Director (Online Learning) / Assistant Professors/Associate Professors/Professors post

ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education Hyderabad invited Applications from eligible candidates for the following post of Teaching Faculty Recruitment

Applications are invited for faculty positions from eligible candidates at the level of Professor/ Associate Professor /Assistant Professor

Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar Online applications are invited from Indian Nationals for appointment to following Various Non Teaching posts on Direct Recruitment

Librarian /Deputy Librarian /Assistant Librarian /Superintending Engineer /Medical Officer /Assistant Engineer /Junior Technical Superintendent /Senior Library Information Assistant /Assistant Staff Nurse /Junior Laboratory Assistant

[f1]

Toto Wolff and Red Bull's Christian Horner visit No 10 to discuss F1's importance to the economy

The Wolffs of Downing Street! Mercedes chief and his wife visit No 10 along with Red Bull's Christian Horner to discuss the sport's importance to the British economy The British Grand Prix at Silverstone is set to take place this coming weekend  Team principals from the seven-British based teams met with the government Among the discussions was the importance of the industry to the UK economy  By Will Pickworth For Mailonline Published: 17:00, 4 July 2023 | Updated: 17:00, 4 July 2023 Mercedes' Toto Wolff and Red Bull chief Christian Horner were among the British-based team principals pictured leaving No 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. After Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix - where Max Verstappen won his fifth race in a row to extend his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship to 81 points - the sport is preparing for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend. And, ahead of the action getting underway in Northamptonshire, the seven British-based teams were in Westminster. These are: Alpine, Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull and Williams, while Haas - although they are a US team - also have a base in the UK. Their team principals met with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and No 10 advisers, which included Culture, Media and Sport secretary Lucy Frazer. Mercedes' Toto Wolff (left - pictured with his wife Susie (right)) was among the British-based F1 team principals who were pictured leaving No 10 Downing Street on Tuesday Red Bull's Christian Horner was also there for the meeting with DCMS and No 10 advisers Stefano Domenicali, CEO of the F1 Group, posed with Culture and Media secretary Lucy Frazer The major part of discussions was the importance of the F1 and racing industry to the British economy.  Silverstone alone tends to generate around £100m for the surrounding area from the race weekend, according to organisers. Meanwhile, the Motorsport industry employs more than 40,000 people in the UK, while the British-based F1 teams are reported to invest an estimated £1bn into research and development each year.  Wolff was spotted leaving Downing Street alongside his wife Susie - who is managing director of the F1 Academy which is an all-female racing series. Horner - who also visited No 10 last month to discuss diversity and inclusion - posed outside for photographs. Stefano Domenicali - CEO of the Formula One Group - was similarly in attendance and spoke to the media alongside Wolff afterwards, while he also stood next to Frazer for photos outside No 10. Furthermore, Sky Sports commentator and former driver Martin Brundle was part of the meeting as was British racing legend Damon Hill. Wolff and Domenicali spoke to the media after the meeting which was about the importance of the F1 and Motorsport industry to the British economy Sky Sports commentator Martin Brundle joined the meeting with the team principals Wolff's wife Susie is the managing director of the F1 academy - an all-female racing series Share or comment on this article: Toto Wolff and Red Bull's Christian Horner visit No 10 to discuss the sport's importance to economy via Formula One | Mail Online https://www.dailymail.co.uk?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

[judgeanon]

Plastic Skies - Model 2: Mirage III C

So on our last episode, I’d finished building, painting and decalling my first model. And for all its errors and imperfections, I was quite happy with it. So happy that I pretty much jumped into the next project: another cheap model, but something a bit more close to home. Unfortunately, this one’s construction would hit a major obstacle that tried my patience for the better part of a month.

The AMD Mirage III C, along with the Skyhawk and the Super Etendard, is one of the emblematic fighters of my country’s air force. A handful of them were purchased based on their impressive performance during the 1967 Six-Day War. The first batch of planes were delivered in 1972 and quickly became the backbone of the air force. More Mirage variants from Israel and Peru were bought through the 70s and early 80s, and in 1982 they participated in the Malvinas/Falklands/South Atlantic conflict. By all accounts, a quite beloved, if often obsolete plane.

So while I haven’t really confirmed this, I picture building a Mirage to be a rite of passage for national hobbyists akin to a Brit’s first Spitfire or a Yank’s first Mustang. A classic through and through. Still, I admit that wasn’t what made me decide to do one. The truth is that I didn’t feel ready to move to the big, expensive Revells and Academys and whatnot. I sort of still don’t. So when I found a little 1/100 Mirage made locally at an even cheaper price than the MiG-21, I pretty much jumped at it. Besides, the kit offered me an opportunity to try something new. Now that my paralyzing terror of paints had all but disappeared, I decided to take it a step further and paint a camo pattern.

So after consulting with the shop owner (and not-so-slyly showing him a picture of the finished MiG), I walked out with two more little boxes of paint, dark green and light brown, and a roll of masking tape which I’d learned online was very important for keeping paint out of places where I didn’t want it to be. I’d also heard about decal solutions, which sounded like the answer to my decal fear, but the shop owner said they didn’t have any and it should be arriving soon-ish. I didn’t mind. I expected the plane to be a quick and easy build that would leave me more time to focus on the camo, and I knew I’d have a very generous canvas thanks to the Mirage’s bigass delta wing. It was gonna be a good time, and for the most part, it was. Until it wasn’t.

I don’t have any close-ups, but due to an unholy combination of the kit’s cheapo production and my own inexperience when fitting the wing, the poor Mirage ended up with a massive gap between the main fuselage and its right wing. Just a big long visible hole, a perfectly straight valley that no amount of glue would cover. The left wing had been slightly luckier, but not by much, and also sported the unsightly hole. And on the underside, where the wings joined with the back end of the fuselage, more big holes were on full display. This wasn’t just some small imperfection to shrug off. This was some ugly shit. And I was not gonna have it.

Of course, my search for a solution immediately brought me to good ol’ plastic putty, a product that I knew existed in various forms but had never used. A couple of tutorials helped ease me into the idea of using it, so I was about to head back to the shop when I remembered the missing solutions. In a flash of caution, I sent them a message asking about them and about putty. The answer was the same for both. Still not here, should be coming in soon. It was a little frustrating to say the least, but I’d been slowly starting to peek into the hobby scene and its myriad of dealers around town, so I knew I had options.

What I didn’t have was money. Or, to be more precise, I didn’t have spending money. Due to some delay issues at work, I had to put a halt on pretty much all frivolous spendings to focus purely on rent and food and all that other boring stuff. And as ridiculous and self-absorbed as it sounds, I admit, it got pretty annoying to see the weeks go by and the model sit there drying up, its unseemly crevices in full display, its body still awaiting a second coat of paint. Eventually, the frustration got the better of me and I ended up buying a bottle of putty from an online seller along with some flexi sanders. After a while, the want had been dangerously inching closer to becoming a need.

Like everything else, the filling process was a learning experience. I know I probably used a little more than I should’ve, but once it was dry and the new coat of paint went over it, peace returned to my heart. Yeah, I could work with this. So I did. Using a combination of the solitary instructions page the model had come with and half a dozen photos found online, I set about to painting the best approximation of a Mirage camo that my clumsy wrist could figure out. And like all the best parts of building kits so far, once the initial intimidation had passed, it proved to be an incredibly fun, tremendously intuitive and terribly rewarding little task.

After all those weeks waiting around, it was a pleasure to see my little Mirage take shape like this, its horried issues safely hdiden under a coat of two different colors of paint. And with the undercarriage painted grey and the nose and thrusters black, I was using all of my paints so far. The nose gave me more than a little trouble, and for a sec I considered busting out the putty again, but after all that work, I was ready to be done with it and move to the final step.

Thing was, that decal sheet kinda terrified me. The last one I’d used had had eight decals total and they’d been big fuckers. This one had pretty much triple the size and sported some really weird things, like thin red lines that were supposed to go along the inner edges of the wings or bizarre double-level decals, where the idea was to place one first, let it dry, then place the other on top to complete an emblem or a warning sign. It was a bit much, especially given I still had no decal solution. So with that in mind, I set upon my decaling task feeling like this was going to look terrible no matter what I did. Mistakes were going to be made. And sure enough, they were.

But still, once it was over and the sheet was just a pile of little soggy shreds of paper, I had to admit... they looked cool. They looked almost annoyingly cool, giving the plane a bunch of extra shots of color. And as much as I messed up those thin red stripes, I was and still am very happy with how the roundels and flags came out. Imperfect as it was, this wasn’t some generic Mirage III. This was an Argie Mirage. An Argierage. And it was mine.

The finished plane earned another round of applause from my parents and brother, and while I’d like to say I didn’t need nor want their approval, I can’t deny it felt pretty damn good to hear the impression in their voices. A byproduct of all the hobbies I’d picked so far, like videogames or making comics, was that it was always hard to show them off to other people. Most of my finished comics are all in English, and even if they weren’t, my parents always showed a lot of support for me but not a lot of interest in them. But this was something they could grasp. This was something they could understand, even partake in a little. This was a Hobby the way they understood it.

My mother in particular commended me on the paintjob and my brother was surprised to hear I’d made it all freehand. After a long time of struggling to try and grab their interest when I described what I filled my idle hours with, it was just plain nice to have something I could easily and proudly show off like that, going into detail about all the different tools and colors I’d used. And the more I talked about that last part, the more I felt like I’d grown enough to take that next step. To aim for something bigger. I promised myself that, as soon as I got paid, there’d be no more cheapo little seven dollar kits.

And I made good on it. Sort of.

[iheartsunset]

is it ok if i ask more abt Kohaku Nyoka and Terrence? think they have interesting designs

Of course! I always love talking about my OCs. These three might just be my favorite trio out of all of them. The three refer to themselves as “The Fashionistas,” but most of the student body has taken to calling them “The Outcasts.”

Kohaku Masuda: 🐸 💖😊

-A 17 year old 2nd year at Sakura Bay High School who lives with her aunt Joelle and aunt Sibyl. She is part of a set of triplet, with her siblings, Kei and Kanna, attending the faraway Croquembouche Preparatory Academy on academic and sports scholarships.

-Kohaku is energetic and tends to hyperfixate on various movies, shows, books, and video games. While others at school find her cringey and loud, Kohaku’s TikTok, ribbit_in_ribbons, has tens of thousands of followers for her art and cosplays. She always plans elaborate group hangouts and often has to-do lists for their parties and sleepovers. Still, her favorite thing to do is sleep, and she can often be found sleeping on someone’s lap, her friends’ shoulders, or a completely random and weird place.

-She had a great relationship with her siblings, but her average grades and poor physical ability makes her feel inferior to them. Her aunts always encourage her to find her own path, but Kohaku can’t help but wish that she could be with them at their fancy school. She likes to imagine Nyoka and Terrence as her siblings because of this. When the other two come back for the holidays, Kohaku is always in the highest spirits.

-Kohaku is so unintentionally funny. Her humor and comedic timing is immaculate and her jokes are clever. This has earned her the class clown superlative.

Nyoka Inaba: 🍬🏄🏼‍♀️🍡

-A 16 year old 2nd year at Sakura Bay High School. She lives with her parents, Jabali and Umeko; her grandparents, Lucille and Faraji; and her half brother, Mwenye (another OC of mine).

-Whip smart and precocious, Nyoka has had many offers to attend Croquembouche Preparatory Academy on full academic scholarship or to skip grades altogether. She could easily be top of the class if she put any effort into actually attending school, but everyone constantly underestimating her only drives her further away from schoolwork. When Nyoka does attend school, she talks back to teachers, disregards the rubrics, and breaks every class rule. She has found a bit of a following online and in school because of her interest in gyaru fashion and dance.

-Nyoka often ditches class to go to 50’s style diners, parties, photo shoots, the mall, and movies. While it annoys her friends that she’s never at school, she does always come back at lunch to bring them food from the diner or party favors she stole. Mwenye is well aware of her skipping and doesn’t care if it results in her failing school, but he only calls her out on it to looks better in front of others.

-Nyoka is indifferent to Mwenye and once respected him, but he’s threatened by her because she’s much smarter and more likable than him. This leads to him constantly snitching on her, demeaning her, and undermining her achievements. Nyoka does love her parents, but they do absolutely nothing to defend her against Mwenye’s insults and threats both at school and at home. Her grandparents are always on her side and do call Mwenye out on his behavior, at least. Because of this hostile home environment, Nyoka spends 99% of her time out of the house or with her friends.

-Her collection of makeup, purses, and clothes are S tier. Like any Pinterest and TikTok post about y2k and Gyaru fashion is yielded within her closet. Adriana went inside once and fainted in shock. She lets Kohaku borrow her things all the time, but the last time, Kohaku broke her ankle from a set of 6 inch leopard print heels.

Terrence Jiang: 🍘🍁🥮

-A 17 year old 2nd year at Sakura Bay High School who lives under the care of his elderly grandfather, Muchen, while his father, Grant, is perpetually out of town on some strange expenditure.

-Terrence has the tendency to always get inside his own head and immediately jumps to the worst case scenario, causing his face to be in a perpetual state of gloom. He’s paranoid and always on high alert, but he always seems to let his guard down in the worst situations. The only people who can calm him down are his grandpa and his friends, along with any fluffy animals.

-Terrence is the manager for the lacrosse team and actually gets along with all the boys there. He vibes with Luo and Atom, but he ends up chasing Yumeno around the field with a hose most of the time.

-Terrence resents his father for always leaving him to take care of the house and his grandpa. His father’s self destructive habits and immaturity mean that Terrence always has to look after him when he IS home. His grandpa appreciates Terrence’s care and loves to tell him dark fairytales and scary stories.

-He reminds me of Malleus from TWST for some reason. Maybe it’s the whole gothic vibe and all that.

-Nyoka and Kohaku act as his wingwomen because he has a huge crush on Eve. Their methods include a mistletoe and a plate of cookies with milk, but all attempts to set them up have ended in something on fire. They like to tease him when he tries to awkwardly ask Eve out. Eventually, they do get together on Christmas Eve after breaking into the same house to deliver presents. That house was Jojo the Food Critic’s, and Prudence also broke in to do the same thing. They all spent Christmas Day in lockup.

As “The Fashionistas/The Outcasts:”

-They met in elementary school, but they didn’t really become friends until middle school. Basically the teachers would be like “get into groups,” and they’d be the only people left over and had to form a group. They’d always get picked last for stuff and were liners in their own right. Eventually, they just started partnering up for everything, and that blossomed into a friendship.

-They protect each other from angry teachers, terrible families, and bullies. They all like to insult Mwenye when he’s being mean to Nyoka while they also drew a crude mustache on all pictures of Terrence’s dad. If you bully any of them, prepare to find yourself bombarded with pranks, dragged to filth in the group chat, and exposed online for all of your misdeeds.

-“Three tickets to the Barbie movie, please.”

-They all celebrate differently during the holidays (Kohaku celebrates Hanukkah, Nyoka celebrates Kwanza, and Terrence celebrates Christmas), so they throw a huge holiday party for them, Kohaku’s family, and Terrence’s grandpa.

-Terrence has made friends with Luo and Lakira, Nyoka is the muse of the Powerpuff trio (Adriana, Lakira, and Icy) and Atom’s study buddy, and Kohaku posts cosplay duets with Nelly.

-All in all, they are just a bunch of idiots in a found family trope and I would lay down my life for them.

[myrefersofficial]

Top 10 Web Series On Netflix To Watch In 2023

Over the years, content consumption has shifted from traditional television to streaming services like Netflix. It’s quite clear that Netflix has established itself as an online streaming giant, offering viewers a wealth of exciting and entertaining web series.

With that in mind, we have compiled a list of the top 10 web series you should watch on Netflix in 2023. Find out why these web series are amazing entertainment and what these shows offer!

1. Ginny & Georgia

A mother and daughter team’s adventures as they learn to live in a new town are followed in the two-season Netflix original series Ginny & Georgia. This coming-of-age drama explores family, friendship, love, and identity. The series is heartwarming and exciting, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats, and features strong performances by its lead actors. 

The show is also compelling because it features complex, multifaceted female characters who aren’t afraid to question social norms. Ginny & Georgia is a must-watch for fans of dramas that explore the complexities of family life due to its relatable storylines and endearing characters.

2. Wednesday

The Netflix original series Wednesday is a dark horror-comedy re-enactment of the well-known story of “The Addams Family.” The program follows Wednesday Addams as she deals with the pressures of high school, adolescence, and familial expectations while defending the supernatural world from intruders as a student at Nevermore Academy. 

This series is a must-watch for fans of the supernatural, coming-of-age, and gothic horror genres because of its quirky humor, lusciously designed sets, and talented cast. The program provides viewers of all ages with a fun and exciting viewing experience while giving a beloved character a new perspective. So give Wednesday a try if you’re looking for something eerie and fun.

3. Emily in Paris 

Netflix’s Emily in Paris is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys romantic comedies and dramas. Emily, a young American woman who relocates to Paris for work, is the program’s focus. While attempting to blend in with the locals and overcoming life’s difficulties in a new city, Emily finds love. The show is a charming, romantic journey that is heartwarming and funny. 

Fashion, music, and gorgeous location shots of Paris make the show a visual delight. Lily Collins, the lead actress, excels as Emily, giving the part of a relatable performance. It is a must-watch show to find an escape due to its humor, romance, and admirable lead character.

4. Fauda 

If you enjoy intense political thrillers, Fauda on Netflix should be on your list of must-watch shows. The Middle East-based drama follows a top Israeli undercover unit as they attempt to dismantle a Palestinian terrorist group. The show examines the depths of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its toll on the individuals involved. 

This series will keep you on the edge of your seat with its intense action sequences and compelling plot. Israeli and Arab actors make up the cast and give compelling performances that bring the characters to life. The show stands out in the genre due to its distinctive viewpoint and nuanced portrayals of both sides of the conflict. Fauda is an exciting and thought-provoking web series.

5. Formula 1: Drive to Survive

An exciting Netflix series, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, immerses viewers in the high-stakes world of Formula 1 racing. Netflix has released four seasons of it and will be airing the fifth very soon. The series offers a fascinating insider’s perspective on the drivers, teams, and competitions, illuminating the fierce rivalry, drama, and strategy inherent in the sport. 

The series will keep viewers on the edge of their seats because each episode offers a different level of suspense. The human element of Formula 1 racing is brought to life in Drive to Survive through striking races and inner struggles. It is unquestionably worth watching, whether you’re an avid motorsports fan or are just looking for a compelling new series.

6. Manifest 

The intriguing mystery-drama Manifest on Netflix follows the storyline of passengers of a vanished plane that unexpectedly shows up five years later. This supernatural series examines the idea of fate and destiny while tackling complicated family dynamics and moral difficulties. It does so with unexpected twists and turns. 

It is a must-watch for genre fans because of its compelling performances and deep character development. The engaging and original premise of the show, along with its excellent writing and thrilling storyline, makes this series worth watching.

7. Kaleidoscope

A Netflix series, Kaleidoscope examines the difficulties of modern love and relationships. It follows several intertwining love stories, each with special difficulties and viewpoints. It is a must-watch for anyone interested in diving into the complexities of love and relationships in a changing world because of its talented cast and relatable plot. The show is for lovers of romance and drama because it provides a novel perspective on love and its aspects.

8. Man vs. Bee

In the Netflix original series Man vs. Bee, a man goes to great lengths to defeat a bee in his backyard, which explores the absurd and humorous challenges he faces. The show provides a fun and enjoyable diversion from reality with its clever writing and likable characters. Whether you enjoy humor or nature documentaries, this comedy is worth watching because it offers a fresh perspective on the older man versus nature story.

9. Lockwood & Co.

The gripping Netflix series Lockwood & Co. is set in a world filled with ghosts and spirits. To learn the truth and unravel the mystery surrounding the undead, the series follows a group of young ghost hunters as they take on the trickiest cases. The interactions between the varied, well-developed characters are both hilarious and endearing. 

This series has something for everyone: action, humor, and a dash of romance. Fans of fantasy and adventure should not miss Lockwood & Co. due to its stunning visual effects and compelling plot. This series will keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat whether you enjoy the paranormal or are just looking for a good story.

10. You

For fans of psychological thrillers, You is a Netflix original series that cannot be missed. The program centers on Joe Goldberg, a bookstore manager in New York City, who develops a crush on a client and will do anything to win her affection. The show has unexpected twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat and is dark, suspenseful, and intense. 

You will be both disgusted and enthralled by Joe Goldberg after Penn Badgley’s captivating portrayal of him. The show also references obsession, technology, and love, making it current and thought-provoking to watch. Overall, You is a superb television series that will hook you from the first installment.

Conclusion

These top 10 web series represent some of the best shows to watch on Netflix in 2023, and we are sure they will keep you hooked for hours. From romantic comedies to drama-thrillers, there is something for everyone! With their captivating storylines, characters, and themes, these shows provide good quality entertainment with a few surprises. So get your popcorn ready, start binging, and let us know what your favorite show on this list was!

Also Read – Top 10 Mind-Boggling Hollywood Movies for Your Cinema List

[global-newz]

Saudi Real Estate Giant ROSHN Kicks Off Tender Process for 'National Guard Stadium' in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's leading real estate developer, ROSHN, has initiated the first stage of the tender process for a monumental stadium project located next to the National Guard facilities in southwestern Riyadh. This stadium, designed to accommodate up to 46,000 spectators, is a key part of the country's ambitious preparations for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, with Saudi Arabia's position as the host nation nearly confirmed.

The prequalification notice for the contract was issued by the Italian Trade & Investment Agency, with submissions due by October 22. This marks the beginning of a significant infrastructure development initiative, aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals.

The stadium, set to cover over 450,000 square meters, will not only serve as a major venue for the World Cup but will also feature cutting-edge sustainable design elements, such as solar panels and systems for efficient water and energy management. Plans for the facility also include additional spaces such as training academy offices, two hotels, and retail and dining outlets, all designed to enhance the overall experience for visitors and players alike.

As part of Saudi Arabia's broader plan to establish itself as a global sports destination, this new stadium is just one component of a larger infrastructure initiative that includes the development of 11 new stadiums across the nation, including eight in Riyadh and additional venues in cities like Jeddah, Al-Khobar, Abha, and Neom. The bid also encompasses 134 training sites spread across 15 cities, ensuring widespread regional engagement during the World Cup.

With Saudi Arabia's bid officially launched last year and Australia's withdrawal from the competition, the Kingdom’s hosting of the 2034 World Cup is expected to be officially confirmed by FIFA on December 11 during an online congress.

This massive project, spearheaded by ROSHN and supported by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), will play a pivotal role in enhancing the Kingdom's sports infrastructure as part of its Vision 2030 strategy to elevate Saudi Arabia’s profile on the global stage.

[celestialsbadmintonacademysposts]

Badminton academy near sec 50 noida

Do you enjoy sports and want to see them apply to your career? Today, badminton is becoming one of the most competitive and sometimes lucrative sports, among others. Most people who enjoy this game are unsure where or how to pursue it professionally. In such instances, studying at a Badminton academy near sec 50 noida makes a lot of sense.

Becoming a member of the best Badminton academy near sec 50 noida ensures excellent training and playing facilities for practicing the necessary abilities. Here is a brief outline of the steps you must do to advance in your badminton career:

Stay fit and healthy. Some people believe that playing badminton requires no physical training. This is a misleading perception; playing badminton needs a lot of physical power and fitness. A player with great bodily form and a well-balanced lifestyle can easily achieve professional rank in badminton. Regular training, appropriate diet, endurance, and strong mental health are important factors that encourage a player to become a professional badminton player.

Perfectionism comes from practice: These seem to be the keys to becoming a professional badminton player: practice, practice, and practice. In badminton, there is no shortcut to becoming a pro. In badminton, there is no shortcut to becoming a pro. According to statistics, mastering any sport requires more than 10 thousand hours of practice. Enthusiastic athletes always include their free time into their practice regimens. The secret to success is consistent, faultless practice.

Self-control: The ability to control oneself is essential to being a professional badminton player. Practice badminton as part of your daily to-do list. Never forget that athletes at all levels of competition possess remarkable self-control. Maintain a strong sense of discipline if you want to play badminton professionally. Your ability to control yourself will help you reach your objectives at ever-higher levels.

Play a variety of contests: The path to becoming a professional badminton player begins at the grassroots level. To become a national or international renown player, one must compete and excel at multiple levels. Such exposure to competitive games gives you an advantage in learning your talents and other areas such as pressure management, game spirit, and so on. 

Play with strong opponents: Strong or experienced badminton opponents allow you to confront a variety of challenges during the game. Such an effort will improve your gaming abilities and prepare you to compete with more advanced opponents. Professional players always train junior players and take their advice to become professional players.

Enjoy the game: Passion is the driving force behind this succession. Enjoying the game will encourage you to focus more on it without becoming bored. Therefore, enjoy your activities both off and on the badminton court. Allow your ongoing enthusiasm to help you achieve your goals more rapidly.Join the academy: Online sports coaching is not recommended due to several constraints. As a result, enrolling in the best Badminton academy near sec 50 noida will help you achieve your goals more quickly and professionally. Good academies supply the right professionals to coach their students. Such advisors assist students in achieving their goals.