#and not every celebrity relationship or friendship is pr

[misshyacinthbridgerton]

Y’all... The bond Nicola and Luke have isn’t fake or just for PR. While they were promoting the show together, their friendship, camaraderie, love, and respect for one another are very real. All we need to know, and all they want us to know, is what they’ve already shown us. None of that is fake.

[mysticworks]

One day too late ~ LN4 x Reader

Lando x Pregnant! Reader; Coworker! Reader; Very Angsty; mentions of intimacy but nothing explicit; Borderline Forbidden love; Reader & Lando are friends with feelings

S Y N O P S I S:

Carried away at the party, you and Lando share a beautiful night. Lando, worried about the implications on his career, urges you to pretend it never happened, ignoring your feelings for each other...until 6 weeks later you find out you're carrying his child. Word count: 1.5k

[ Drop a comment to be tagged in part 2 ]

A beam of sun in your eyes pulled you out of your slumber.

Sore. Head pounding. A deep ache in your lower stomach.  

It took you a few seconds to realise that this wasn't your room. The unfamiliar sheets, the duvet much thicker and heavier. There seemed to be so much room across the mattress, stretching out in its emptiness. 

Then every memory from last night came tumbling through. 

After a launch party of the new 2024 season, you’d found yourself a little too lost in the celebrations, Lando right beside you in fits of giggles and dances. 

You'd always had feelings for Lando, ever since you joined the PR team during his rookie days - the working time together bonding into a quickly growing friendship. Yet something had always stopped you from taking it further.

And so when Lando placed his hands on your waist last night, his face inches away from yours before your lips finally collided - every rational thought was thrown out the window. 

The heat of the party. The excitement and psychedelic blood rush. Climbing into Lando’s car. Your legs, entangled. His whisper of sudden hot, breathless confession. Your heart pounding in reciprocated emotions. Your hands in his curl, his... 

You shot up in bed, last night now a vivid image.

Lando was sitting across the room, on his computer, headphones flung around his neck. His eyes flick away from the computer screen at your sudden movement, coming to rest on you, and he draws in a long breath.

You felt the air leave your lungs. How did he manage to look so gorgeous even in the mornings? 

“How are you feeling?” You blinked at his break of silence, words not quite making it out of your mouth. 

“Yeah, I’m…” Raking your fingers through your curtain of bangs in an attempt to collect your thoughts, “I’m fine.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got the pounding headache too.” Lando shrugged, sighing, before powering down the screen and in a swift motion making his way across the room, over to you. 

Awkwardness suddenly overcame you and you did everything to avert your gaze from his. 

This proved pointless as he sat himself in front of you, the mattress dipping under his weight. You could feel the warmth radiate off his body, his finger coming to rest under your chin as he forced your eyes to meet.

“Are you okay?” There was a sadness in Lando’s eyes, one that didn’t quite match the gentleness of his voice. You mumbled a reply, feeling the heat rise in your cheeks - his face was so close - forcing your heart to respond with a quickened beat.

“Listen, I’m sorry for last night.” Your brows found themselves furrowing at his words.

“Sorry?” 

“We shouldn’t have…” He raked his curls, shutting his eyes tight for a brief moment, as if pained to say the words. 

His voice was quieter when he spoke again, “We shouldn’t have done what we did y/n.”

You felt something stab at your chest. “I don’t understand, Lando, I like you, you like me, we’ve known each other for years…what’s…what’s the - ” 

He didn't give you a chance to finish. “I can’t risk having…I just can’t risk a relationship right now. We can’t - ”

He pauses, gaze softening as you feel your eyes well up, but you’re determined to keep a stoic expression on your face.   

It didn't help that Lando was looking at you with such an intense look in his eye, his hand cupping your cheek before tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“Are you saying we can't date?”

You felt your voice betray you, a single tear spilling down your cheek. Lando used his thumb to wipe it away, taking in a shaky breath. 

He looked away. “Please. I’m sorry.” His eyes were almost telling you to stay, now also welled with redness, but his words said differently. 

You felt the world collapse. Your breath hitched. A tremor shot through your limbs as you scrambled out from Lando’s bed. He got up too from his seat, standing limply in the centre of his room.

It was then you realised you were in his clothes, his loose tee reaching your knees, a pair of his joggers clumsily worn over your legs. You paid no heed, now eager to just leave. To run away and hide. 

Never had rejection been so cold. It was almost like he’d used you. A part of you wanted to scream at him, throw things and ask him “why,” yet you felt as if life had been sucked out of you. 

One of the best days of your life had been merely hours ago, before turning into a nightmare. 

“Y/n…” You’d only just reached the door, but his call made you stop in your tracks. There was a shameless hope he’d changed his mind. 

“Here. It’s cold out.” 

He held out one of his hoodies, passing it to you in a gesture to take it. 

You did. Curt and refusing to meet his gaze, before turning around stiffly.

And without another word, you left his apartment, refusing to look back.

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

You weren’t sure when you got home, drenched from the rain that came gushing down along the way. 

You weren’t sure of much…only that your relationship with Lando was over. 

Over before it had even begun.

Climbing out of bed the next day was the worst feeling. With no energy in your limbs, you called in sick to work, refusing to face anyone at the McLaren office, but more importantly, avoiding Lando. 

You stayed in bed, too exhausted from crying to move. 

It wasn’t until a week later that you finally showed up at work. The pain seemed to have subdued; now replaced with forever changing moods. At times you were down in the dumps, exhausted and tired - your head slightly foggy - other times, irritable and angry. Yet you ploughed on at work, ignoring the sleepless nights and restless evenings. 

Avoiding Lando at work was near impossible, and yet you managed. Only speaking to him when absolutely unavoidable through email, or putting on your best corporate voice. 

Eye contact was avoided altogether, even when he craned his head to catch your gaze, you turned away. 

That was a satisfaction you refused to give him.

At 2 weeks it seemed the restless nights had been replaced with exhausted ones, a full night's sleep still leaving you fatigued and nauseous in the mornings. You blamed the sickness on heartbreak. 

Lando watched you more often now, sitting in the lobby of your office during lunch breaks. You turned down the blinds and shut him out.

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

The realisation came, 6 weeks post heartbreak. A quick glance at your calendar told you you’d missed your cycle. The nausea, tiredness, mood swings all made sense now - each jigsaw piece coming together to fit the puzzle. 

Although the fear of raising a baby alone rose in your throat, you were determined to do it. You knew Lando had a right to know. Yet somewhere, deep down in your heart, you refused to give him that.

Perhaps you were running away.

Perhaps this was your revenge.

Your resignation made sure he’d never know. 

L A N D O 'S P O V:

They say you don’t know the value of something until it’s gone. I've learnt this truth the hard way.

I’ve watched her everyday since that night; desperately trying to catch her eye at work; take her aside and apologise. Tell her we can make this happen... start over, uncaring of the world and it's concerns.

I've watched her everyday, slowly starting to shrivel. The bags under her eyes, the tiredness in her smile. I’ve watched her at lunch, nibbling at almost nothing at her plate before silently excusing herself away. 

It devastates me to know that this pain is from me. I have caused it and she didn't deserve it. How I wish I could tell her that I was wrong. I was so, so wrong. 

I miss her smile. Her company; once a comfort. I miss having her by my side; encouraging; so full of energy.

And so this is my chance. My chance to finally set things right.

Clutching the bouquet - glitter roses I spent the last night making - I head over to the PR query desk, determined to start again, if she can give me the chance. 

There’s a new member of staff at the desk; someone I’ve never seen before and he tilts his head up at me, hearing my approach, flashing me a smile. 

He thinks I’m here for a project meeting and begins to rise from his seat, holding up a clipboard as if ready to pass it over. 

“I’m looking for y/n, l/n.” A moment passes.

Legs jittering. Heart tight and constricted; there’s a sense of urgency swelling in me as if telling me to hurry, rushing me to make things right. My fingers tap at the desk, impatient. 

He gives a sigh, furrowing his brows and lowering the clipboard back into place. 

“I'm afraid she's not here. She gave in her resignation yesterday.”

The words hit me like a boulder to the chest.

My legs feel heavy, a tornado whirling in the pit of my stomach. My fingers unclench from the bouquet and with a soft thud, the flowers thud to the ground; petals ripping apart from impact.

They've crumbled. Glitter littering the floor.

It was over.

I was one day too late.

Taglist: @hc-dutch @racinggirl @aileeincomplexity @kravitzwhore @eringaitskill @adoreyou-ido @landoslutmeout @queenofmanydreams

[theunsinkableship1]

If You Know You Know

I don’t know how many times I’ll have to say this, it must be tiring for some, but I need to reiterate this CLEARLY to be properly understood:

I WILL NEVER SHIP THEM WITH ANYONE ELSE.

This makes absolutely no sense to me. The only reason I’m here is to support Luke and Nicola as a couple. I’ve never done anything like this before, and I won’t do it again after them. Hopefully, if they become an official couple, I’ll step away because my purpose will be fulfilled.

I joined this fandom because I saw something extraordinary between them, something I’ve never witnessed in my entire life. Their connection felt so unique and undeniable. Other relationships, real or supposed, simply don’t matter to me in this context. I initially believed people supported them because they, too, recognized the magic between them. But clearly, that’s not the case for everyone, which is disappointing.

To me, there’s no point in being part of the Lukola fandom if you don’t genuinely support both of them together. To be clear, I deeply admire and respect both actors, and I support their careers wholeheartedly. But that’s not why I’m here. I’m not here to support two talented actors, I’m here for their LOVE, for that incredible bond they share.

I’ve seen many relationships in my life, but nothing like this. Their dynamic is something rare, something worth rooting for.

To be a true shipper is to stand firm in your belief, to celebrate the connection you see and cherish without hiding behind the guise of "realism" or "pragmatism" to spread negativity. If you don’t believe in the ship, that’s fine, but then, why stay? Why participate only to criticize those who do have faith?

Truly shipping them isn’t about constant doubt or spreading cynicism; it’s about what you see and feel between the two people you root for. For those of us who support Lukola, our belief stems from the extraordinary connection we’ve witnessed between Luke and Nicola. It’s something that doesn’t come along every day.

It’s not about shipping every supposed relationship they might have, that approach dilutes the magic of what we see in them. Even if they confirm that they are indeed in those relationships, will I support those ones? Not really because I’ve seen many of those; if they love it, I like it .Their lives, their choices. Not every relationship needs to be shipped, and that’s okay. If Lukola isn’t your ship, then jump ship. No one is asking you to believe, but also, don’t bring your doubt and negativity into a space meant for those who trust and support this connection.

This space is for believers, for those who see and celebrate something extraordinary. If you can’t see it or choose not to, that’s fine, but don’t pollute the energy of those who do. We’re here for Luke and Nicola together, and our faith in them doesn’t need validation from those who don’t share it. Let us enjoy this space as it’s meant to be a celebration of love, connection, and the beauty of their bond.

It’s not about being delusional or not accepting the facts as reality. It’s about recognizing something profound, something rare that transcends other real or supposed connections. We don’t believe their bond is just platonic, just PR, or just friendship. If you still think that you need actively LISTEN and pay a closer look and EAR at what is publicly available. It goes beyond that. What we see is something that defies the boundaries of ordinary relationships.

This isn’t about diminishing the significance of other relationships they may have; it’s about acknowledging that what Luke and Nicola share is singular, a once in a lifetime kind of connection. It’s not something that can be replicated or overshadowed. It’s more.

This ship isn’t built on superficial observations or wishful thinking, it’s rooted in what they’ve shown us. It’s something you don’t see every day, and certainly not in every connection. It’s about believing in the rarity of what they have and celebrating it for the unique bond it is.

For those of us who believe, this feels more like something bigger, more meaningful, and more enduring than any fleeting moment.

This corner of the internet wasn’t created to be all things to all people, it was built with a clear and intentional purpose: to celebrate, believe in, and support the connection between Luke and Nicola. It’s a space rooted in trust, admiration, and the shared belief that what they have is rare and extraordinary.

If someone finds that they no longer resonate with that purpose, that’s okay. People grow, perspectives shift, and interests change. But the respectful and graceful thing to do is to quietly take your leave. Staying to criticize or sow negativity only detracts from the energy and intention of the space, which is to uplift and celebrate, not to argue or debate.

This community thrives on faith and positivity. It’s for those who still see the magic, who choose to believe, and who want to nurture a space filled with that same belief. If that’s no longer where your heart lies, it’s perfectly fine to move on, do the same if you think that we’re crazy, but let us continue to build on the foundation that brought them here.

"If you know, you know."This phrase perfectly encapsulates what it means to believe in something that isn’t always spelled out but is undeniably felt. Like the kind of connection that doesn’t need an announcement because it’s there, plain as day, for those who see it.

“If you know, you know" speaks to the undeniable energy and chemistry between Luke and Nicola. In their silence, because sometimes, what’s not said speaks louder than words.

For those who know, no explanation is necessary. For those who don’t, no explanation will ever be enough. That’s the beauty of it. Some things are felt, not proven, and if you know, you know.

[pensbridge]

No matter what, fandom & the internet has a way of integrating toxicity into anything fun

If it's not:

— Thinking they have a right to the sexual orientation of actors as if the act of performing a story is "taking" jobs from the people not even present in the prospects of people in the room, it's

— Shipping actors and thinking that it is their job description to go beyond remaining cordial with their co-worker and doing the pre-assigned press by management/pr (if a joint interview is not required, it's not something that will be set up); also talking about your unabashed shipping w/o shame

— Harassing people's real life significant others or becoming obsessed with insignificant hate posts about them in their asks and analyzing an actor's actions, including the status of their friendships with co-workers// Parasocial relationships? They're weird

— Constant discourse for a fictional character or a ship as if it isn't possible to put your energy into something you actually like and remain quiet about something that brings you dissatisfaction (I don't participate with talk about parts I don't like; you can too)

— Writer hate (thousands upon thousands of shares in support for a strike have occurred, but people continuously take minor flaws as a means to be negative about the entire show (this is not about shows with terrible quality and endings; this is about shows that have a good run and ppl taking minor flaws to downvote the overall product)

— Furthermore, the minute a show drops the floods of negativity that await us (this is not representative of every piece of media out there; if it's bad, it's bad-you can tell the difference); but near-perfect shows, people just start looking for issues and drowning out any praise that lasted less than a day

— Any talk of appearance// Reducing people to their appearance. "Hot people," "hot guys depicting a gay relationship," men and your ideal within the female gaze/ your type of leading man, women and your over-critique of them. It's all such a shallow, reductive way to view humans beings

— Pitting actors/actresses against each other/ talking about who is better; and further spreading gross messages of hate in attempt of celebration/praise for the other person; idc anymore about doing this to characters, please these are real people!

— Any participation in the speculation of or jokes about an actor's life and perceived drama incl. edits and/or hateful commentary further spreading a message and perception to anyone that sees it, or

— Conspiracy theories, and seeking them out with every action, word, and gesture a person makes/says.

Please. Be more interesting.

[twopoppies]

I think as a fandom we tend to focus on the fake relationship/closeting aspect of PR stunts because of the nature of our situation with H and L, but every single celebrity does PR stunts in some form or another. Straight celebrities, out queer celebrities, reality stars, Oscar winners, people in real relationships, friendships. No one is above it, not even the people the GP would consider "unproblematic" or not needing/too famous for PR stunts. Everything you see and consume out of the entertainment industry is manufactured for you by PR people. I think that's very hard for fans to understand because it ruins the entire illusion, but it's true. Doesn't mean it's not distasteful, of course, and there are certain types of PR that I would prefer to get from Harry. I'd much rather they'd played up a friendship with Florence than the whole Olivia thing, obviously, but there was always going to be a PR "Thing" to sell the movie. People act like Harry is the devil or doing something particularly atrociously money hungry or fame grubbing for doing a PR relationship stunt and then simp over Tom Holland and Zendaya in the same sentence and see no double standard.

100% agree with you.

[kmgoogiemin]

The fact there’s literal evidence of Taehyung walking down the street holding hands with Jennie as well as all the leaked photos from last year and Taekookers are still trying to romantically put Taehyung and Jungkook together????????? Whether they believe it’s cosplayers, media play, PR, aliens, AI

They don’t care about the members, they only want their sexual fantasies to be fulfilled

Taehyung and Jungkook not being a couple doesn’t mean they aren’t friends, and doesn’t erase everything they have done together. Every video and photo of them still exists, but they have to rewire their brain and how they’ve analysed and put theories behind every single interaction they have ever done, but Taekookers don’t want them as friends.

Then you add Jikook into the mix, where Jikook are actually doing all the things together like a couple, as well as genuinely spending all their time together, and have been doing that for years. It’s such a clear difference between Jikook and anything else

Will Taennie ever confirm their relationship? Maybe, maybe not, they don’t really need to, anyone with a brain knows it’s real at this point, but would a confirmation help? Probably, but the fact it’s not been denied after the scope of attention which it has received from Korean and International news outlets should be a confirmation in itself.

I just know that the hatred for Jimin and Jikooks relationship is going to get worse, you can already see it happening. If there’s Jikook they will be attacked, and if there’s no Jikook they will celebrating and calling it “a dead ship”, which is hilarious and so ironic.

At the end of the day, we know for a fact Taekook are not romantically involved, we have known this for years but there’s actual evidence now, and the deluded cult are desperate.

We must support and protect Jikook because Jikook is the only one with any chance of being real, but even so, their friendship and bond and relationship is constantly being discredited and attacked because it’s clear how much they mean to each other and chose each other.

[dancefloors]

I've always found her to be a fascinating character study too, and the dichotomies of her career alone are worth pondering about when you consider her public image. If I could ask, is there a source where I can read about the pr-driven strategic friendships you mentioned? I'd look it up myself but I'm not sure what I'd search and I'd love to read more – as a casual fan who has watched her career from afar and is familiar with most of the discourses surrounding her/her career/public image. (Really agree with your analysis btw!)

I wish I could pin-point a thinkpiece to draw from but most of what I ramble about is just from being there real time.. there's no critic like a (former) fan. Putting a read more bc I am annoying myself and talking too much

I will say the PR exploited friendships thing becomes obvious when you consider the 1989 era rebrand into feminism, attempt to dispel serial dater/spiteful ex image, and her bizarre insistence to this day that the album was about "moving to NY with her friends" and not any sort of romantic relationship. Combined with talk of "fair-weather friends" and wanting to build a girl squad to stick together and defend each other like men in the industry do (in rep/lover era) just for many of that group to fall away and say they're not really that close when it no longer benefited their image.

I think it takes one second of questioning (and not as a deluded homo for once) "why bother doing a series of interviews and magazine covers about Your Best Friendship With Karlie Kloss. Why bring out Kendall Jenner during Style" while also considering her material aims during that era for things to slot into place.

I hope any of those terms or examples helps the search or curiosity.

Disclaimer: not hate at all just observation but perhaps a little bitter and jaded and exhausted observation I will admit. Loike Am I saying she deserves to be burnt at the stake for daring to have a perhaps less than entirely authentic PR safety net of friendship that was mutually beneficial, and be a bit loud about it? No. But can I fault the consumer for recognising marketing when they see it and getting exhausted that every waking moment hearing about The Beautiful Power of Womanhood and Celebrity Elites Holding Hands In Circle starts to feel like your living in a tampon commercial...? I'm afraid not chief, sorry.

[jewishbarbies]

So apparently Karlie Kloss was at the Eras Tour yesterday and this adds up to my theory that Taylor is trying to create the illusion that she has a lot of deep female friendships/is willing to forgive females who wronged her (like Swifties say about Karlie, who was accused of somehow helping Scooter in her masters being ""stolen"" at some point for reasons that I ignore) for the sake of deleting the relationship with Healy from collective memory even more. After her failed attempt to convince everyone she's not racist with Ice Spice collab I've been noticing she's leaning a lot more than before on the "I'm friends with women! I support women! I'm a feminist" thing in order to reistabilish her image, with random female celebrities who have proved to be super fans of hers that all of a sudden are her besties except they thank her for her words about them like they are worshipping fans rather than friends??? Her true friends (Lana, Blake etc) don't publicly kiss the ground for every mention they get from her. Something doesn't add up with some things recently and Karlie going to the Eras after all the profit Taylor got from letting her fans (Kaylors especially) speculating about their feud and what songs were about their failed friendship/assumed love story just feels faker than it could have ever been if the Healy backlash never had happened.

i don't understand how Karlie is the pr rebound for taylor's failed feminism. wasn't she dating a fucking Kushner? how does that look good for taylor at all?

[zot3-flopped]

In your opinion, why do you think Larries want Larry to be real so bad and have a hard time letting it go? I kind of think for the younger ones, maybe it’s boredom and that gives them something to do? But it seems like a lot of them grow out of it as they get older. For the older Larries, I think they are stuck in unhappy relationships or marriages and if they didn’t have Larry to focus on then they would have to face how unhappy they are with their actual lives and partners. Just my guess though. 🤷‍♀️

For many who are chronically online it's the community that keeps them here. Larries who have been friends for 14 years will pretend to still believe to preserve the friendship. Those who have good friends offline find it much easier to move on.

Others truly fancy themselves as more perceptive than everyone else and find it impossible to admit they were wrong. Amy falls into this category.

Others, like Gina, are into m/m fetishism and are addicted to pornographic Larry fiction. They need the conspiracy to continue so that their supply of fic doesn't dry up.

Finally, there's a group who just naturally gravitate towards conspiracies. Marte is one of these. They also believe in Kaylor/Gaylor, think every celebrity couple is a PR relationship, and often believe in political conspiracy theories as well.

[inchidentally]

babe they're probably going to interact a the 2024 drivers photo today, as well as hanging out like they always do throughout the season? and even aside from that, car|ando is literally the biggest PR bromance for F1, Netflix, official social media accs, sports media, anything golf/F1 related, fan accs etc etc. there's going to be plenty of them being put together as always!

and unless you're going the car|ando truther route, nothing abt their relationship has changed over the years apart from Lando getting older and more confident? otherwise...

(since as uszh I've got variations on this ask and I already repeat myself so much, I'm going to throw the usual 'here's why you shouldn't rpf truth yourself into actual emotional instability' below - ignore if you've read it a million times)

listen I cut my teeth on rpf enjoying ships out from bromances but not once did I think any of the dudes were using 'hiding in plain sight' to have DL relationships or fucking bc well… actual closeted men are terrified of being outed and even more terrified of their bros thinking they're actually into them. closeted men go through any amount of hoops to keep their actual hookups or DL relationships private. fangirls are literally never going to even accidentally be allowed into that world. (I also have zero time for every single girlfriend being accused of being a "beard" or PR - like damn why doesn't that ever happen for ugly male celebrities I wonder why is it only ever hot guys in the closet kdgfjahgflasj)

the bigger and louder the bromance the more heterosexual it is. straight men in particular need excuses and certain codes like bromances and ferda to express physical affection and emotional vulnerability w each other. so think of it like when girl friends express platonic physical and emotional intimacy except with massive toxic insecurity involved. I slip slide on my gender on an exhausting basis but it's so easy to divide being platonically affectionate w someone vs the people I actually want or am sleeping with. (and not to go all elgeebeeteeplus here but if someone were making guesses about me then it would be the girls I was too anxious to physically touch or get too comfortable around who are the ones I clearly want)

so that's why I'm like, sure for fun ship Carlos Daniel and Lando with the millions of guys they have these bromances with why not - I do! but you'll end up missing their actual really quite sweet friendships if you constantly choose to selectively ignore them referring to each other as 'brothers', or how men's protective almost fatherly sides come out around Lando, or how Lando's introversion and anxiety finds comfort in big, loud self-assured guys who fill in the silence Lando has said he hates sometimes.

that is actually so meaningful and real compared to turning Lando into the feminized/childlike self-insert steak that is genuinely believed to be tossed around by other driver's teeth. I cannot relate to someone choosing to constantly rewrite a conspiracy theory every time these men choose to be with women and choose to not even speak for weeks or months and also openly having far more intimate and important friendships with other guys. that sounds utterly exhausting and all for nothing.

just give up on thinking Lando is "really" fucking any of these F1 guys and enjoy the rpf for what it is and also get to appreciate their friendships for what they are. your life will have so much less self-inflicted pain.

.

.

.

.like, thank god that so far no one in the landoscar ship is in denial that Lily is Oscar's gf and they're solid and that Lando is loving his global slut era. nobody's in hysterics whenever Lily or a possible hookup of Lando's appears. (and none of us are spreading hatred for Lando's other male friends)

[uncloseted]

It might be an old topic but what do you think about Doja Cat basically saying she doesn't care about her fans? As a celeb she has every right to privacy and to not have fans project this parasocial relationship onto her. But at the same time she made herself super open and available through live streams that it's not surprising a lot of fans felt connected to her. Not blaming her but or anything but I feel there's a reason most celebs aren't active on social media and have PR handle it...

Like anyone else, I think Doja Cat has the right to quit situations that are no longer serving her. I think we all understand it when a person quits their job because they're no longer enjoying it or when they leave a friendship or relationship because it's gotten too stressful, right? Even if at one point they enjoyed that job or enjoyed the relationship. Doja Cat is no different- even if at one point she enjoyed the job of being a very public celebrity or enjoyed having personal relationships with her fans, she's still allowed to change her mind and pull back on that.

[darkshrimpemotions]

I mean, I don't necessarily think J2 were ever romantically or sexually involved. But I do think there was some significant character bleed between their onscreen relationship as brothers and their offscreen friendship, which I have no doubt the network and SPN producers encouraged. They certainly exploited it for publicity and marketing for the show over the years.

And that's another layer that makes this SO insane and messy. Like, they can't ever openly cut ties with each other as long as SPN is a viable property bringing in tons of money via merch and con ticket sales.

Which is why we have stuff like Jared's twitter meltdown followed by Jensen's twitter PR statement about how all families fight sometimes. Or Jensen finally conceding to directing an episode of Walker after turning down TWO previous attempts by Jared to get him involved. Not to mention all the con photos and panel videos where Jensen looks like he's practically disassociating and grinding his teeth to keep from reacting to Jared's antics.

Chances are Jared will show up in The Winchesters at some point just enough to convince the fans who care that he and Jensen are still "brothers." He's already been mentioned in passing as a source of info for the cast, particularly Drake, just enough to keep that narrative plausible.

And the wild thing is, none of this is strictly necessary from the fans' perspective, if network execs ever actually listened to more than one specific subset of us. The hardcore Jared stans aren't the audience tuning in to The Winchesters every week and supporting the show. They're angry Jensen even has a career that isn't completely dependent on Jared.

Meanwhile, most of the show's actual audience wouldn't care much if Jensen publicly cut ties with Jared, and a not-insignificant number would actually celebrate it. But until Jensen realizes that, we're stuck watching this messy, passive-aggressive unfriending play out protracted over several years. 🤣🙃

Like honestly the Jivorce is so funny I haven't seen two famous people who weren't even dating break up this messily since whatever the fuck Gerard Way did to piss off Bert McCracken.

[chcrrysprite]

“and every day is like a battle (but every night with us is like a dream)” - a birthday fic by cherrysprite on ao3 liam dunbar/theo raeken

It's been a dream of Liam's to act in the Triskelion action franchise since he was in high school, but after a terrible first encounter with Theo Raeken, the quiet, mysterious, and ridiculously hot movie star who he's been crushing on for just as long, gets taken out of context and turns them and their failed friendship into a media-approved potential power couple, Liam finds himself having to balance the responsibility of a new job, a fake relationship with a very complicated co-worker, and a whole new world of drama.

Rating: T (subject to change) Chapter One: 10k No Archive Warnings Apply

Featuring: Big-budget actors with big-budget celebrity crushes, smash hit movies, lots and lots of social media posts, and the PR relationship stunt of a lifetime.

Happy birthday @inabottlelikelightning​ !!! This one’s for you in all of its weird and questionable parts. Love you so much. <3

Read it by clicking here, or click the title up top! Reblogs + replies always appreciated <33333

[lululawrence]

lululawrence's September 2021 Fic List

Previous Fic Lists / Lulu’s List Podcast Masterpost

Happy 28th once again! September is nearly at an end, and to celebrate the Larry-versary (or whatever it is about Sept 28 that they seem to love so much), I'm very excited to share the fics I've read this past month with you. They were seriously some top notch fics and some of my favorite fics I've read this year. I tried not to ramble too long in this rec post, but if you are interested in hearing me go into detail about what exactly I enjoyed about these fics, you can find this month's podcast here.

As always, be sure to show your love and appreciation for all of the hard work our fandom authors have put into their fics with kudos, nice comments, and (when applicable) reblogging their fic posts!

Know a Trick or Two by @sadaveniren / SadaVeniren (44k, E, Harry/Louis, Big Bang fic, HP AU, MPreg, single mum Harry, single mum Louis, Louis is a famous quidditch player, Harry's a muggle, one night stand, inappropriate use of magic, ot5 friendship, I'm trying to figure out how to explain all of this, lmaoooo, the world-building is super cool and the characters are all amazingly done, I love the friendship and the scenes from the kids' POVs, it was just such a super cool and unique and amazing fic)

Winds Blowing Westerly by @ladyaj-13 / LadyAJ_13 (650, G, Niall/Louis, canon compliant, the night after, post-hiatus, it is so short and soft and hazy and the emotions are perfectly on point and wonderfully navigated and how the fuck did she manage to fit all of it into so few words??, i LOVE it)

I Love The Very Blood Of You by @chloehl10 / lovelarry10 (129k, E, Harry/Louis, Big Bang fic, Vampire AU, Harry is a caretaker for his sick mom, cancer tw! please keep yourself safe, blood donation services for vampires, strangers to lovers, vampire hunters, rogue vampires, forbidden love, vampire/human relationship, like honestly this is such a complex and epic plot and it keeps things moving and the characters keep developing and changing and evolving and the relationships between everyone do too and i loved the various side characters and the way it all worked so perfectly together to have so many various and different peaks when it comes to the conflicts, i would use it as an example in a lit class of the various ways you can have conflicts and peaks that all build up to a larger one and i'm rambling so i'll stop now, just know i loved it lol)

Rising to the Occasion by @ladyaj-13 / LadyAJ_13 (4k, G, OT4 friendship, canon compliant, post hiatus, Celebrity Bake-Off, this fic is just as fluffy and silly and wonderful as you would expect a canon compliant fic taking place in the bake-off tent to be, i absolutely adored it and even the end notes are *chef's kiss*)

Hold You Now by @solvetheminourdreams / solvetheminourdreams (131k, M, Harry/Louis, Big Bang fic, American Harry, British Louis, ex-friends with benefits, closeting, bestie Niall, Harry is a PR rep who used to work at the same firm as Louis, angst, flashbacks, angst with a happy ending, I don't even know how to try to summarize this fic, it had so many emotions all the way from that fizzy feeling of excitement at the beginning of something with someone to the hope of something more to the devastation when it all falls apart and the heart dropping complete pain of realizing they're marrying someone else to the hope of possibility, and every single moment of it feels real, or at least it did to me, this fic was just epically gorgeous and wonderful and wow)

So Much Love Hidden Beneath This Skin by @fallinglikethis / FallingLikeThis (10k, T, Niall/Harry, Heartbreak Weather fic fest, Song Fic, based on Put a Little Love On Me, Ex-BFFs to lovers, closeted character, homophobic and abusive family (only referenced and in the past), hurt/comfort, healing, repairing relationships, this fic is so painful and lovely, the bond between them is so genuine and wonderful and watching them be able to stitch themselves back together again was absolutely wonderful)

Compass to my Soul by @londonfoginacup / LadyLondonderry (31k, T, Harry/Louis, Big Bang fic, A/B/O dynamics, alpha Harry, alpha Liam, beta Zayn, omega Niall, omega Louis, mostly canon compliant, so I guess... canon divergent?, Louis is a part of the band but not their pack, touch depri, forced coming off of stimms, omega drop, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, self confidence issues, use of alpha voice, anxiety & anxiety attacks, I'm not sure that's explicitly what they are but i want to tag it because it's like, legitimately something you should be warned about, it's written in a very visceral way, this fic is my DREAM A/B/O FIC, i waited very long for it to come around and be birthed into the world, and it was somehow even BETTER than i ever anticipated, emmu is magical)

the next bit was spanners to my plan by @ladyaj-13 / LadyAJ_13 (6k, T, Nick/Louis, canon compliant, post-hiatus, accidental sex, repeatedly, lmaooooo, banter, texting, talking out feelings, in a stilted and hilarious and very grimmy/louis way, i don't even know what to tell you other than this fic is like a prime example of why i love tomlinshaw fics so very much omg)

eucalyptus by @hershelsue / docklands (46k, E, Harry/Louis, 1D A/B/O fest fic, A/B/O dynamics, single mum Harry, florist Harry, pediatrician Louis, shifters, wolves, pregnant off a one night stand, alpha Louis, omega Harry, this fic is wonderful, the plot is so unique and cool and kept me on my toes because i literally never knew what was going to happen next, and the way it all works out is so so fun too, and the eventual smut is nice and kinky with highlights on the lactation kink and breeding kink so enjoy that too haha)

[peridot-dreams]

beautiful people | shawn mendes

Shawn sees a familiar face at the awards show, and learns the value of realness.

The setting sun leaves the Hollywood sky pink and full of possibilities. Shawn finds himself looking out the window at it, still in a daze after the events that had unfolded that day. He’d won several awards for a song he was proud of. He thinks of the look on his parents’ faces in the audience when his name was announced and smiles. That’s who I do this all for, he thinks to himself.

His limousine rolls up the venue. It’s already teeming with people, Lamborghinis, and cameras. Shawn is used to such commotion, but the second he opens the car door, he’s bombarded with excessive noise - noise so loud that he can barely hear himself think.

He’s still riding his post-awards high when he walks in, still dressed in the same red carpet outfit as before. He has a girl on his arm, but not by choice - rather, an unfortunate PR stunt planned terribly and executed even worse. He greets his celebrity friends as he passes by, offering a small smile and a thank you when they congratulate him on his win.

He’s just about to ask the girl on his arm if she’d like to come with him to the drink bar when he sees a flash of silver in the corner of his eye. Shawn realizes who had just walked past him; he feels his heart began to pound in his chest and his breathing gets shallow. “Sorry, can I go to the bathroom?” he tells the girl on his arm, not bothering to wait for a response. He detaches himself and follows the silver blur, around a corner and into a dark hallway.

The silver blur is standing in the dark, scrolling aimlessly on her phone. Shawn sighs and takes in the sight: the silver dress on her is absolutely stunning. Her hair and her makeup is perfect; he feels lost in her presence, stunned by her beauty. He’s never seen her like this, and it only adds to the pain of it all. His mother had once said that losing a best friend is worse than a break up and right now he completely understands what his mother meant.

“Y/N,” he breathes. When she looks up, he feels like running away - she’s looking at him as if he’s the dirt under her silver heels. He wishes she would stop, that she would run to him and hug him and make everything alright between them again. She’s standing right in front of him but he misses her, misses everything about their friendship and support for each other.

“What do you want, Mendes?” she mutters under her breath. She turns her attention back to her phone, tapping her toe incessantly. Shawn can’t stand the sound of her heel hitting the ground because he remembers that she tends to fidget when she’s upset; the clacking sound is only a reminder of their friendship that had crashed and burned for reasons Shawn still fails to understand.

“Why do you hate me so much?” Shawn blurts out. “I don’t get it, Y/N. We used to be best friends, and one day you just started hating me and I still don’t understand why.”

“Because,” Y/N spits, shoving her phone into her bag. “Because you’re like them now.”

“Who’s ‘them’?”

“All those fake people out there!” Y/N exclaims, her eyes glancing over to the party-goers with a disgusted look plastered on her face. Shawn feels her gaze coming back to him, judging and critical. He feels like he could wither under her stare like a plant in a drought. “Shawn, you’ve changed. You used to be so down to earth, so genuine, but now you’re caught up in the money and fame and corporate bullshit.”

“Am not!” Shawn crosses his arms as he unconsciously clenches his teeth. “That’s such bull-”

“Shawn, you’re the epitome of fake. You’re in a fucking PR relationship.”

“W-What-”

“Don’t even try to argue. It’s so obvious and even your fans know what’s going on.”

Shawn closes his eyes. He wishes that he could argue with her, but arguing in the dark hallway outside of an after party wasn’t the ideal setting to do so. From the outside looking in, he knows it looks like he’s changed but he needs her to know that it’s not true. He needs his best friend back in his life again.

“Look,” Shawn speaks, taking a deep breath. “Let’s ditch this party. I know you don’t like these kinds of events anyway, so I don’t even know why you’re here…”

“My manager made me come.”

“Right. Whatever, let’s just sneak out. Let’s hang out like we used to, okay? I’ve missed you.”

“Don’t you need to get back to fake-dating your ‘girlfriend’?” Y/N snaps, giving Shawn the most sarcastic air quotes she can muster.

“No, fuck that,” he says. Against his better judgment, he takes her hand in his. He’s relieved when she doesn’t try to yank her hand back. “Let’s just go.”

✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Thirty minutes later, Shawn finds himself sitting across from Y/N at a dingy old diner on the other side of Hollywood. He watches as she twirls the straw in her chocolate milkshake. She hasn’t said more than three words to him since they left the party, and Shawn feels like trying to salvage their friendship is pointless at this point. Shawn knew from their now-dead friendship that Y/N was a champion at holding grudges - he just never expected to find himself at the other end of one.

“So how’ve you been?” Shawn asks softly. He wants to kick himself for how awkward and nervous he sounds, but he hopes that Y/N will take his nerves as a sign of his genuine interest in rekindling their friendship.

“Fine,” she mumbles. She takes a tiny sip of her chocolate shake. “Slow year.”

Shawn knows that isn’t true. He Googles her name every few weeks and watches every single interview she appears in on YouTube. Y/N’s acting career had taken off in the past few years, and she’d been getting tons of lead roles in TV shows and movies lately. He always gets a pang of jealousy in the pit of his stomach when he sees pictures of her with friends on Instagram, because he knows full well that it could have been him travelling the world with her, experiencing new things with her.

He doesn’t tell her that he’s been keeping tabs on her. “Yeah,” Shawn mutters. “Okay.”

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. It doesn’t help that the diner is completely empty, save for the old man who owns it and is busy complaining about how “millenials are killing the restaurant business” under his breath. Shawn tries to focus on the owner’s mutterings, desperately wanting to think about something other than the fact that Y/N is totally not into him or the conversation that he’s been trying to keep going.

“I don’t hate you, by the way.”

Shawn’s head snaps up to look at her, eyes wide with shock. “Well, you stopped talking to me out of the blue, so I just assumed you did.”

“Well, I don’t.” She stops twirling her milkshake straw and drops her hands into her lap. She meets his gaze, eyes still hard and lips pressed together in a straight line. “You’ve just...changed.”

“I think we’ve both changed.”

“No.” She shakes her head, letting out an indignant laugh. Shawn winces at the sharpness of her tone. “You’re the one who started doing brand deals, ripping off fans with overpriced tickets and merch, signing PR contracts and betraying your fans…”

“Y/N.” Shawn’s hands are starting to shake; he rubs his thighs over his jeans in an attempt to calm himself down. Her words are cutting deeper than a knife; he can barely stand it.

“You’ve completely betrayed your fans, Shawn. You’ve sold them out to every company that has approached you, taken advantage of their trust. Damn it Shawn, you’re even endorsing overpriced water now, like how stupid is-”

“That wasn’t fucking me!” Shawn slams his hand on the table. The old man stops mumbling about millenials and looks in fear at the angry boy. Y/N is barely fazed, her hard glare still targeting Shawn.

“Oh really?” She narrows her eyes at him. “‘Cause your ass is everywhere these days, every time I turn on the TV-”

“Do you remember how my career started?”

Y/N stops for a second, but rolls her eyes immediately after. “Yeah, at some overpriced convention marketed towards prepubescent teenagers.”

“Before MAGCON,” Shawn interrupts. His eyes plead with her to understand, to see where he’s coming from. “I was just a kid, sitting in my room with a guitar. Singing cover songs and making six second videos even though no one was listening. Because I felt like it. Because it made me happy.”

“Yeah. I remember.”

“Yeah. That’s the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.” A sigh leaves Shawn’s mouth; his eyes drop to his lap as he tries to calm his shaking hands and voice. He’s never felt so heated in his life, like every emotion is about to burst out of his chest. “And then everything just took off and suddenly I was signing with a record label and being thrust into the public eye. I was just a small town kid from Canada, but suddenly people were starting to expect things from me.”

“Shawn-”

“No, please. Hear me out.” The suit on his body was tailored to be comfortable, but in the heat of his rant it feels like it’s suffocating him. “It all went so fast. It was just one song after another and interviews and TV shows and concerts and tours. Everything was just going by so fast and every day, I lost a piece of myself. I was on autopilot, and my team was just signing me up for everything and I would let myself be led by them. Even now, I just sign contracts without thinking and allow myself to be molded by people who only care about money.”

“Shawn, why didn’t you tell me any of this before?” Y/N’s eyes are soft now. She suddenly notices how tired he looks under the makeup that he was forced to wear to the awards event: his sunken eyes, the dark bags under them, the lines that furrowed into his skin between his eyebrows. He looks like he’s barely hanging on to life, like the walls are caving in and he’s been trying to hold them up. She wishes she would have noticed earlier how lifeless he looks. “We were best friends, you could have told me about this.”

“Because,” Shawn starts, holding back the sob forcing itself up his throat. “I can’t ever tell anyone because I don’t want to sound ungrateful. I’m grateful, I really am...I’m lucky to have my passion be my career. But I’m so tired, Y/N. I just want to go back to being that kid in his bedroom, playing guitar because he feels like it, not because he signed a contract or because someone else wants him to.” He closes his eyes, sighing, letting his head fall back slightly. He reminds himself to relax his shoulders and take deep breaths. “When I’m on stage, I get to go back to being happy for just a moment. I get to forget about everyone’s expectations, about contracts and brand deals and PR and all the bullshit. I get to be me. Completely free.”

She’s stunned and he knows it. He’s just unloaded all of the burdens he’s been carrying; Shawn doesn’t know how Y/N is going to react, but he feels lighter, he feels better. He just hopes, so desperately, that she’ll understand his brokenness and the wreckage that has been left in his mind as a result of the stress and anxiety of the last few years. He hopes that she’ll understand him for what he is, not what he appears to be.

“So I haven’t changed, Y/N. I’m not like them; I’m like you. Money and fame, it’s just not who we are.”

“Shawn, I’m so sorry.” Her tear-filled eyes move in a frenzy as she realizes the falsity of her words and accusations. “I should have realized that you felt this way and that you were struggling. I’m so sorry for severing our friendship and for not knowing what was going on.”

“No, it’s not your fault. I just…”

Shawn groans as he sees the group of people that have congregated outside the windows of the diner. They both gaze into the parking lot, bombarded by bright flashes and deafened by the sound of cameras shuttering.

“Fuck. It’s the paps.” Shawn groans again, head rolling back in frustration. “How did they find us?”

“They were following your famous ass,” Y/N says, laughing. Shawn smiles; he resists the urge to point out that she’s famous too, and has more followers than him on Instagram.

“Should we leave?” Shawn asks.

“Hell no. They want pics, let’s give them pics.” Shawn watches in awe as Y/N stands up on her seat despite the loud protesting of the owner. She starts waving at them crazily, her peace signs occasionally replaced by a middle finger.

“Fuck you!” she yells in between her laughs. Shawn grins; he finds himself copying her and standing on his own seat. He starts waving at the cameras, reveling in the flashes and dancing like an idiot to the music inside his head.

“Fuck you!” he yells. He’s never felt so liberated in his entire life. He starts posing with her, each pose more ridiculous than the prior. They pretend to tango on the table, screaming when they nearly topple over the edges. He twirls her around, smile growing bigger and bigger with each giggle that leaves her mouth. “It’s been two years and you still suck at dancing,” he cackles. She pretends to gasp, then sticks her tongue out at him and at the paps outside.

Before he realizes what he’s doing, his lips are on hers. She doesn’t kiss back at first, shocked, but when Shawn is about to pull away he feels her hands on the back of his head pulling him closer. Suddenly, there’s nothing else in the entire world besides her; they’re not standing on top of a diner table anymore. It’s like they’re floating and Shawn’s body is leaning into hers and he’s never felt so complete before. The smell of her conditioner makes him forget his own name and he realizes that her lips taste like chocolate and friends aren’t supposed to know how each other taste but he doesn’t care because it’s her and it’s always been her.

When they finally pull away, Shawn’s gasping for breath and Y/N’s eyes are as wide as saucers as she realizes what has just happened. “S-Shawn. Your PR contract…”

“Fuck the PR contract. Let’s give the world something real.” And their lips connect again, for the paparazzi cameras and the whole world to see.

[jedivszombie]

Okay gang, since there are a bunch of anons going fucking wild across the dash tonight about some joking posts about Mark Webber and Ann Neal - that were someone’s shocked reaction to the age difference between them. I thought it would be interesting to go on a little journey together. 

This little journey is the story of how Ann and Mark met, and will hopefully give you guys some insight as to why the ‘sexism’ and ‘ageism’ arguments you are currently using are bullshit - and why using these words in such a buzzword way actually is not the kind of critical thinking you think it is. And why this situation is more akin to a student and teacher starting a relationship - which I think we can all agree is not advisable, even if you don’t know why.

Below the cut is going to be a little discussion of Mark and Ann the early days; the reason the age difference is iffy at best and fucked up at worst; and, a little discussion about how these situations require nuance and the ways in which f1blr often likes to blow situations out of proportion. 

I have split it into three parts:

Mark and Ann: The Early Days (1994-1997)

Nuance, my old friend. Anon hate, my enemy. (tw: for racism here, be careful)

The pitfalls of discourse and the importance of looking after yourself.

A little disclaimer for you guys: I do not pretend to know anything about this relationship, other than what is readily available to learn about it from what they themselves have put out about it. I am just providing a timeline and some facts. Whatever conclusions you draw from it are your own.

Feel free to come for me if you so desire. 

Mark and Ann: The Early Days (1994-1997)

We start our story in Australia in February, 1994. Mark is competing in Australian Formula Ford Championship and Ann Neal is the new media and PR officer for the category. This is their first meeting. Just so we know what’s up here Mark was 17 at the time, and Ann was absolutely an adult (apparently there is a 13 year age gap, which may not sound like much but we will get onto that later, which makes her roughly 30 when they first met). 

Some key things to be aware of from this first meeting: 

Mark is 17, Ann is about 30. Mark is a young racer, Ann is the media and PR officer for the category he races in. 

In an excerpt from Aussie Grit, p. 57 to be exact, we get to find out what Ann had to say about the first time they met: 

“She thought I was a bit of a smart-arse when we first met. ‘But I liked how bold and cheeky he was,’ she says, ‘and how mature he seemed. When I asked someone how old he was, I was shocked when they said 17 – he was confident beyond his years.’”

In another excerpt from Aussie Grit, p. 61, Mark tells us other things Ann remembers about their first meeting:

“Ann remembers our first meeting and my opening remark about her being so important. She can even remember what I was wearing – a stripey green and red top, one of those United Colors of Benetton things – so that was pretty prophetic, as things turned out!” 

Now this may sound extremely cute to some of you, like they’re just having a normal ‘aww remember how we met’ moment. But let me please re-direct your attention back to the fact that Mark is 17 (and still not an adult yet if this is what you are gonna nitpick about) and Ann is very much an adult, in a position of power. 

So, a teenager makes a quip about how important you are and you commit to memory what he was wearing the day it happened? 

Now let’s bring in the first quote I put up there where Ann herself was recalling the first time they met. I would like to draw your attention to the following sentence: ‘and how mature he seemed. When I asked someone how old he was, I was shocked when they said 17 – he was confident beyond his years.’

Hmmmm, where have we all heard language like this used before? If, like me, you have some experience of adults trying to start inappropriate relationships with you as a teenager then you will be very familiar to this sort of language. The emphasis is on how mature he seemed, is what’s sticking out for me here tbh.

Now, if this had been a fleeting meeting, and they had met again a few years later, I would be more on board for whatever justification some of the anons have been trying to use. However, it wasn’t. 

Again from Aussie Grit, p.61:

“After that first meeting we kept in touch. My family sometimes met up with Ann and Luke for weekend get-togethers, and I ensured she got her motor-sport fixes by dragging all my old F1 tapes out. By way of revenge she would bring down all her British Formula Ford tapes for me.”

Oh cool, so she gained the trust of his family and Mark was hanging out with her son. This is so sweet Alexa, play Chosen Family by Rina Sawayama. Real talk though, again if this is how it had ended - with them just being family friends - then we would not be having this conversation. 

BUT, we all know how this little story ends so onwards we march. We shoot forward to late 1994, Mark has done okay in Formula Ford but his Dad is no longer able to fund him. SO, he turns to their old pal - the ever present and super helpful Ann, bless her heart - to try and drum up some sponsorship for Mark so he can race. 

Little background on why Ann was chosen to try and help with this, I’ll give you 3 guesses and only one of them is correct. Yes, that’s right, it’s her experience - which she has managed to get by being 30 and having a background in motorsports. She started out as a motorsport journo and ended up dealing with press and PR for Paul Warwick (Derek Warwick’s brother). In 1986 she started dealing with Johnny Herbert’s media before working for Formula Ford in Europe in 1991. 

Ann begrudgingly accepts and draws up plans with Mark, which leads him to a Yellow Pages sponsorship for his next season in Formula Ford, and beyond - how sweet, how nice, they are #winning! We stan teamwork besties! And Ann started working with Mark and his family to further his career. 

Ann had a plan for Mark, as outlined in Aussie Grit, p.69-70:

“By the end of 1995 Annie told me, in no uncertain terms, that – and I quote – I had to get my arse out of there. She didn’t just mean Australian Formula Ford, either: she meant Australia. She thought it was time for me to go and have a crack at some of the big guys, and she proposed to help me go about it in a serious, business-like way.

‘How the f#*k are you going to get to Formula 1 coming from Queanbeyan?’ Anyone who wants to trace my journey should start with a piece of paper that Ann drew up on 6 July 1995.”

So, now Ann has outlined her hopes for Mark and a glimmering career in motorsport. I would like us to know that at this point in time Mark was the ripe old age of 18, going on 19. 

In 1996 Ann and Mark moved properly to the UK so Mark could drive in the British Formula Ford Championship - at this point Mark is still 19. At this point he is living in the UK with Ann and her mother, and Ann’s son. 

So this is probably sounding pretty okay so far and sure it’s just a business relationship with a business set up, like no real cause for concern. But then we discover that this business relationship had turned into a relationship-relationship pretty damn fast. 

From the horses mouth himself, Aussie Grit, p.87:

“Back in England, Ann and I moved house to Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, on the edge of motor sport’s equivalent of Silicon Valley. We had started out as teammates and friends on a mission but over time our friendship had deepened into something else. I enjoyed spending time with her and we felt entirely comfortable in each other’s company. Moving to England was a huge step for me and I think it was a case of us needing one another and that’s how the relationship was formed.”

Okay, okay, okay so I know at this point Mark is 19/20 he’s an adult right? He can make his own choices. But, can we please admit that at best it’s an iffy situation because of the position of power and authority she was in? In his life? For his career? 

There are a few other excerpts I found particularly interesting, about Mark’s family’s reaction (all from Aussie Grit, chapter 3):

“My parents came over to the UK in the English summer of 1997. While they were thrilled about how things were developing for me in racing, they’d been less thrilled by the romantic relationship that was developing between Annie and me....”  “...Annie was bitterly disappointed at my behaviour. Her plan to take me to the highest level of motor sport was starting to go horribly wrong, so she left Australia earlier than planned and headed back to Europe. My family arranged for Alan Docking to collect my belongings from the house we had been sharing and the one and only car Annie and I had at that stage...Campese Management told her that they had been instructed by the Webber family to terminate her role as my manager and that Campese Management would be taking over all aspects of my career, including the negotiation of my driving contracts.“

“While I knew Annie provided the support and guidance I needed in my racing career, I was missing her in so many other ways too. We were such a dynamic force in every sense; we could make things happen when we were together. We were teammates, soul mates, call it what you want.“

“As to Mum’s concern about our age difference, that has never been a factor for us. When we began to be more open about being together, perhaps the top end of the age gap shocked a few people. In those days people were less accepting of a big age difference between partners, especially when it’s our way round. It’s not such a big deal nowadays and it makes us laugh when so-called celebrities reveal they’re dating an older woman or younger man!“

While the Daily Mail is trash, the beginning of this video is very revealing to me - particularly Jackie Stewart’s comments from 00:12.

Obviously you can make up your own conclusions from all of this information, and I would once again like to point out that none of us - not me, not the anons, not you - actually know the nature of their relationship. They have been together for 24 years - good for them! Whatever they have going has obviously worked for them, this is not me trying to shit on that or anything, and I’m gonna be real I’m not the biggest Mark Webber fan. 

Nuance, my old friend. Anon hate, my enemy.

All I want to do is add some nuance to the conversation, an overview of the timeline, an understanding of what the facts are. So that some of those cowardly anons (or anon) can hop off their self-built thrones and get a grip. The sexism and ageism argument literally does not apply here, for all of the evidence and reasons listed above - if the situation was flipped we would still be calling it out. The only difference is you guys would probably be on board with it being called out. 

So Ann is a woman? So, what? Do you think she’s above reproach? You think one person’s 50 note post on this site is gonna rock the foundation of a relationship that has been 26 years in making? If you have answered yes to any of these questions then you are either: a) Mark Webber himself, or b) delusional as hell. You really think that responding by sending anon hate to a teenager, who btw only made a post calling out the age difference because she was shocked and had just discovered it, is the right way to go? 

You really think that sending me this message, attacking other people in such a vile and racist manner is okay?

So you don’t like Nehir and Sera? Good for you, go block them, if you follow them, unfollow them. Those options are free and readily available to you. 

For me, it’s so funny to see you hiding behind that little Anon mask spewing this vile shit. The commitment you have to proving that you are just a cowardly person with nothing better to do than rag on a bunch of different people for reblogging a post, that in the long run is not going to reach the people it’s about, is outstanding. I really hope you pat yourself on the back for this one. 

The pitfalls of discourse and the importance of looking after yourself.

There has definitely been a spate of ‘conversations’ that have been happening recently that have very much been straying into the land of discourse, over very small comments or posts. I think that some people need to remember that we’re all here for our own entertainment and as soon as it stops being fun - you are allowed to log off; you are allowed to block people; you are allowed to unfollow people. 

Sending anon hate is so counterproductive to whatever conversation you think you are starting or having with a person. Also guys, sometimes it’s not that deep - sometimes jokes are just jokes, sometimes someone finds out something they didn’t know about a driver or an ex-driver and they make a joke post about it. That does not give you the right to send them hate, or to make racist comments in other people’s asks. 

Sometimes these discussions require a debate and sometimes discourse can be good - but honestly? I’m worried about some of you guys, it is not healthy to get so angry at other people for the things they post on their blogs that you are not obligated to follow or interact with at all. 

I am also worried about people who turn every little thing into something discoursey. There are causes and issues to care about in this sport and community, for sure. But sometimes you also have to pick your battles - especially when I know a lot people in this community have fragile mental health. I do not say this to patronise any of you but to just provide a reminder that you do not need to engage with everything that makes your blood boil, and furthering some of these conversations sometimes is not doing you guys any good. Burnout is real. 

Please take some time to take care of yourselves, the pandemic is doing a number on all of us and I know being online gives you a gateway to being connected to people, but sometimes you just have to walk away from a discussion. Sometimes you have to just go and reblog something unrelated, or stare at a photo of your favourite driver, or listen to some angry music. Anything else to process your knee jerk reaction, to give yourself time to figure out how you feel about something and whether it’s worth engaging in or not.